Category: entertainment

Choices Follow Up

callmemaybe32Leave a comment

So I was thinking again yesterday, occasionally it can be dangerous when I do that, but it wasn’t, it rather was quite productive.

I went home and turned on the TV and was looking for some sport to watch being as the NHL is STILL locked out… cough* cough* Bettman (still waiting).

Any who, I saw something called “A Football Life” and turned it on.

It is a series who follows a different player every week, but it shows their life through the season.

Yesterday’s episode was featuring Ray Lewis, “the Ravens 16 year defensive soul,” as the show called him.

He is actually someone I can admire and look up to.

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Skyfall

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

This weekend, I went over to my friends house. Friday night we got our nails done, Saturday we went shopping. It was so much fun, and the perfect weekend. It felt amazing to get off campus, even if it was just for a little while.

But on Sunday, we spent hours trying to figure out what to do. We wanted to go to Ventura to see a movie, but there was no one to drive us.

So we ended up going to the Ojai Playhouse instead, to see the new James Bond movie, Skyfall.

Skyfall is different from the other James Bond in that the characted is flawed. Bond is not the super-hero agent, invincible and undeterable, but instead has a hinderance, which repeatedly gets in his way.

Instead of ruining the Bond character, this flaw instead made him more relatable and personable to the audience. Bond went from the unattainable “perfect” human being, to one of us with mad spy skills.

Another great aspect of the film was the bad guy, Silva. He plays an almost Joker-like character. He was also incredibly smart, and creepily evil. It would not surprise me to see him appear in a little kids nightmare.

The film focused more on the characters within, and creating personalities for them, instead of using an outside issue, which can be both good an bad.

For one, it makes the film a bit more believable. On the other hand, one may wonder if they are perhaps running out if ideas for the legendary 007.

One more aspect of the movie which I will point out are the opening credits. Normally when they appear on the scene I groan, and get antsy. Although I did do this at first, my attention was quickly captured by what was playing before me.

They used the setting so perfectly in the opening credits, and the transition went so smoothly from the first scene, that it seemed almost as if it were an extension of what had just taken place.

The pictures fade in and out, creating a sense of mystery, intrigue, and danger. The occasional provocative woman’s body reminds the viewer of thee famous, and possibly even infamous, Bond girl. The opening credits were remarkable.

All in all, Skyfall was a great movie, one that I highly recommend you watch.

Dreams.

eternity1030Leave a comment

I’ve been hiding from my dreams day by day
Just in case they don’t step into my way
But I never know
I am never told
That they could be rotten in the clay

After the nightmare I’m awake
Can’t find any excuses to make
Dig them out underground
To cure my severe wound
I wish to do whatever it would take

To give the reality a strike

Typeracer

displacedlocalLeave a comment

I have recently been shown a website called Typeracer.
This website is essentially a game that improves ones typing speed. The game works like this. You join a random race, you are paired up with people from around the globe, or you can join a friend’s game. Once you have joined the game, a countdown starts and you are shown a passage. When the counter hits 0 The race begins.

You have to type the paragraph with the fastest and your words per minute is measured. My average is 40 words per minute, but the top typists have averages of 180. A feat I could never even hope to accomplish.

There is another mode called “Instant death.” This mode is significantly more difficult because it requires you to never make a mistake because if you do get eliminated immediately.

Why have I spent so much time on a typing game you ask?

Since last year I have been working on my typing speed. This is because I feel as though when I am taking notes in class I can’t effectively get my ideas on to paper.

I tried various courses and programs to improve how fast I could type and I never could. I found them tedious and ineffective.

With Typeracer I have fun and I have become a much better typist altogether.

Desert Island

smackyjackjack1 Comment

In one of my last blogs I mentioned one of my Desert Island albums. Desert Island albums are the albums you would take with you if you were stranded on a desert island and only had a record player (for some reason).

Firstly, there are a couple of rules. You only get six (I don’t know why it’s six. Why not?), and you can’t take any greatest hits.

Well, you’re reading this post so I’ll tell you what my five would be.

1.   Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys (1966)

Everything about this album flows. The harmonics are perfect, as well as the instrumentals. The first time you hear it, everything on the track just sounds like ts one beautiful voice. Then you listen to it a bit closer and realize how much of a genius Brian Wilson is because there are honks, rattles, squeaks and all sorts of other noises that rocket this album into my desert island list (little side note, track number two is in running for the greatest song of all time).

2.   High Voltage, AC/DC (1976)

Well, first of all, there are no words for how much I love AC/DC. So we’ll just leave that at that. If this album were a book, it would be a bible of some sort. Every single song on it just oozes rock and roll. These guys get it. All of it. Seriously, they aren’t leaving anything out. If you claim to love rock and roll and don’t have this album dipped in gold and set on your mantle piece…you crazy.

3.   Super Blues, Bo Diddley/Muddy Waters/Otis Spann/Little Walter (1967)

Right there, in big yellow letters, on the front of the album-“JOIN FORCES”. Well, they certainly did. And in a big way. Four of the biggest names in 60’s era blues decided one day that they wanted to try and bring an end to space and time by creating the greatest blues album in the history of…well, everything. They almost succeeded. Luckily, someone had the balls to tell them that they should split their tremendous talents into two albums (See Super, Super Blues). This is another one of those must have albums. It’s blues at its finest. Go get it. Please.

4. Exile on Main Street, The Rolling Stones (1972)

Did you go get Super Blues? Good. Well, if you’re done trying to figure the album cover to “Exile” out, you can stop. You never will. Besides being the sound track for every awesome movie ever, the songs on this album are timeless (in that, they will never be unappreciated). Rocks off, Ventilator Blues, Rip This Joint,  Happy, Shake Your Hips…you’ve all heard these songs. How could you not? Anyone with a brain loves the Rolling Stones and this is their greatest album (sorry all you beggars)

5.   The White Album, The Beatles (1968)

I’m fairly sure I don’t have to say anything to justify this.

6.   De Stijl, The White Stripes (2000)

Lastly, and most controversially, is De Stijl. I’m sure this is kind of an edgy pick and that there are plenty of better albums out there, but hey…it’s Jack White. And, as we all know, he’s just the best. He brings everything to the table. He manages to take hundred year old blues songs, new punk songs he’s written, new blues, new rock, new country and just make it work. Other than being one of my favorite musicians ever…..I’m not really sure how to end that sentence. He’s simply the best. And hey, Meg can hold a tune too. In her own way.

Okay, those are my picks. What are yours?

Visualizing the Venture

callmemaybe32Leave a comment

This past week I have completed my 3rd time working with a film crew producing a fashion show for a major shoe company based in Santa Barbara, CA.

My father works for a local Carpinteria company called Venture Visuals. It is a small company in Carpinteria, CA, specializing in branded entertainment.

They do work for Specialized Bicycles, local musician Dominic Balli, and many other local and non local people and companies.

I have worked for VV many times, usually just as a Production Assistant, but I have been given the opportunity at a young age to operate cameras on a few of the shoots.

This is a career I have looked into, but I do not think it will be the one for me.

I really do enjoy working in the filming industry, but it isn’t a stable career for the most part, and I have first hand experience of this.

My Dad, when I was younger worked in what most people would call “Hollywood,” but it wasn’t really in Hollywood.

He worked on many movies such as Welcome to Collinwood, The Contender, Mimic, and Cherry Falls.

He also worked on TV shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as the line producer, and on CSI:Miami as the head producer.

While he worked life was great, we lived large, and had enough money that we didn’t have to worry, but when the jobs were over, there was often a dry spell, and it was always up and down.

My mother tells me a story of a day when she didn’t have money to buy a coke at the gas station, but the next day we had more money than we knew what to do with.

So while I won’t be pursuing it as my life career it is something I can work on through college for money, and right now.

I have started early and am learning quickly.

This past week I worked at the Bacara Resort in Goleta, CA at the fashion show as a PA.

Here is a video of last year’s fall show.

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Vick Doesn’t Use Protection

backinphillyLeave a comment

I have finally found one of the many issues surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles. Aside from the porous defense, the Eagles appear to have signed 5 members of PETA to block for Michael Vick.

For those living under a rock the past few years, Vick killed dogs. It was kinda hard to miss. That’s the joke people.

In all seriousness, the Eagles line has been completely unacceptable this season. Vick has given the ball away and been taken to the ground more than any other quarterback in football. I don’t want to see my quarterback bite the dust whenever he drops back to pass.

This offseason, the Eagle offensive line looked rather strong. Center Jason Kelce, who had a strong rookie season last year, accompanied by All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters, veterans Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans, and weak link Danny Watkins made up Vick’s protection.

During the offseason, Peters torn his Achilles tendon TWICE, ending his season for the most part. The team has stated repeatedly that they hope Peters will return sometime this season. I find this highly unlikely.

Ok, while Peters is the best we got, losing one guy won’t render us useless. The Eagles then went and signed Demetress Bell to fill the void left by Jason Peters. He’s not bad so I guess we will still be fine.

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Put Your Hands Up!

eternity1030Leave a comment

My ears are full of screaming and my arm just couldn’t stop waving with other people.

My eyes are obsessed with the colorful lights and my heart just couldn’t stop beating to the same rhythm as the music.

This is surely an unforgettable night – Nov. 3rd, 2012.

BIGBANG is a popular Korean K-Pop singer group from Korean Entertainment company “YG Family(link)”. The group is made of 5 energetic young boys, they are G-dragon(link), T.O.P, Taeyang, Seungri, and Daesung.

BIGBANG is one of the most popular singer groups in Asia. They just released their new album “Alive” this spring, and they are now bringing the new album to a concert tour around the world starting this March in Korea.

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In My Free Time…

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

Everyone has a favorite pastime, something they do when all else fails. Mine is watching movies. And let me be clear on something – I’ve watched a lot of movies.

It’s because of the amount of movies I’ve watched that I’ve decided to make this post.

To be honest, I’m not a very big fan of most the movies which are in theaters these days. There are a few here and there that get a laugh out of me, but other than that they just aren’t as good as others out there.

For example, The Dictator. This is by far not my kind of movie. I went to go see it when it was out with some friends, and despite the racism, sexism, and just plain offensiveness of this film, I actually found it quite funny.

A movie along the same lines which I didn’t particularly enjoy was 21 Jump Street. I mean, it’s funny, it’s got Channing Tatum in it (obvious plus), and it’s a good concept. But let’s face it. How many other movies are out there with the exact same story line? The answer is way too many.

Act of Valor came out last year, and I went to see it with my dad while my brothers were with my mom. This was a hard movie to watch, but that very possibly could have just been me. I have a tendency to be a bit squeamish at times. All in all though, I thought this was a good movie. An aspect of it which I found particularly interesting and appealing was the fact that the actors were real Marines. It added an element of reality.

Almost everyone has heard of the romance Dirty Dancing, and I’ll admit to having a small crush on Patrick Swayze. This film is decent. It has everything one could want in a romance. Dancing, rebelling against parents, guy from the wrong side of the tracks… You get the idea. But although I do love this movie, I don’t find it to be very original. At least not anymore.

The Rebound however is a movie I enjoyed quite a bit. It was funny, and although it was predictable, there was an element of difference to it. And I love Catherine Zeta-Jones. Especially in her other movie, No Reservations.

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Choices

callmemaybe321 Comment

I have been thinking a lot lately about what my future is going to be like.

Not as a grown adult, but where I want to go to college, what I want to study, and what about sports?

Thinking about what’s going to go into getting in to the schools I want to go to, and if I will be able to do it.

It’s a lot to be thinking about, there are so many choices we have to make even at the young age of 16, but I have realized the future is really up to me and how hard I want to work.

I have always been the kid who doesn’t put in the effort, and I come out with a few As and a few Bs.

I have realized I need to start actually trying to put in more effort to make it all As, instead of sitting on my butt when I have free time, maybe I should study more, and get work done before sunday night.

Maybe that means I can sleep more seeing as my schedule right now is crazy.

That brings me to the other thing I have been thinking about.

It was just last year that sports started to mean something to me again.

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