As an enjoyer of many things musical, I have a very opinionated view of where the music scene is going. More recently the electronic/house/trance/dubstep/(or whatever you may call it) scene has been making its appearance.
This certain genre of music started off on the wrong foot in the eyes of the society it was breaking into. Underground raves were popping up all over the place, and kids were dying because of drug overdoses, kidney failure, liver failure, and all things linked to drinking and drugs. It is because of this rocky start that electronic dance music began to make a bad name for itself in the music world.
This music has just started to break the mold it was forced into because of stupid actions of crazy teens and young adults.
There are artists such as Skrillex, for example, who have completely changed their lives because of this music. Skrillex, or Sonny John Moore, was homeless just a year and half before accepting three grammies at the 2012 show. He is now one of the top recording dubstep, progressive, and electric artists that exist. The bad name that this music has been given is being erased with all of the success it has been bringing about.
Just as I am writing this post a song by Skrillex has come on through my headphones, and it gives me a certain feeling. A head bobbing that is uncontrollable, a foot tapping that is contagious, with my headphones in I am in my own world, but others around will know that I am enjoying what I am listening to.
Now, while this music created by artists like Skrillex, Bassnectar, Deadmau5, and many more, it is not created with the traditional drum, guitar, and bass. Rather, it is created with a computer to simulate these sounds, and also to give them a completely different sound. This is not to say that these electric songs can’t have real instruments in them.
In fact the very song that has inspired this is a new single released by Skrillex and the Doors, called “Breakn’ a Sweat.” This track features the traditional Skrillex sound created by computer software, mixing boards, turntables, and midis, with the sound that the Doors have created for years with keyboards, drums, guitar, and bass. The track also features vocals from Skrillex himself and the members of the Doors.
This video features a little bit of what went into making this track.
The alarm clock awoke him at 7:15 like the scream of 1000 banshees. He quickly turned it off.
Horace put his two atypically large feet onto the gelid and icy floor. He took his first two steps of the day down the moderately sized suburban houses hallway towards the bathroom.
Once there, Horace turned the freezing shower water on. Braving the cold, he lathered, rinsed and repeated rather dully for the appropriate number of cycles. After that fiasco, he dried off and went back down the dark hallway towards his breakfast of monoton-o’s and peaches.
While slurping down his cereal, Horace pondered death. Specifically, Horace wondered what the chances were of him choking on any one of the small, tasteless, bran circles.
So, as promised, here I am writing about the infamous annual Santa Rosa festival in Viterbo. I will start with a little bit of background history. Santa Rosa (Saint Rose) became a Saint circa the 17th century in Viterbo. She was born with a condition that is now called Pectus excavatum. It is a deformity where, either you are born or develop during puberty, several abnormal ribs and sternum. Normally back when Santa Rosa was alive it was known that children born with this condition only lived two or three years.
Part of Santa Rosa’s sainthood came from the fact that she lived until she was 18 years old with this condition, therefore named a saint. Also during her time, it was illegal and not accepted to associate with or give to the poor but Santa Rosa secretly helped the poor by feeding them, giving them clothing etc.
One day as she was carrying a sack of bread to the poor, the police stopped her to question her about the bread she had and to eventually arrest her for her illegal association with the poor.
On the Hill word press has served as a great outlet for all my moods, disasters and has allowed me to document my growth over the past 2 years in America. Regaining my passion for writing through this medium, I am thankful for the experience and I have learned so much.
Blogging has taught me how to write, document and learn from others. With the help of this and my teacher I have been put on my path being connected with a passion for journalism, media and writing.
I don’t know where I’d be today if I hadn’t participated in this class and had the guidance. In fact I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be going anywhere.
It’s strange how by doing the simplest things and making the right decisions we grow and progress so much. Like I’ve said many times before it’s the whims we take and the things we fear the most that make us grow and that’s what’s happened to me.
Today is my graduation. I would have never thought I’d be saying that 2 years ago. I’m so thankful for the education I’ve received, the people I’ve met and the teachers who have guided me making me a better person and putting me on my path. I am also thankful to my parents and I owe them sincere apologies for the way I treated them before the move.
Moving forward is the only option in life, take opportunities and follow your heart and you will find true happiness. Trust me, I’m talking from experience.
I found this novel through Wikipedia, picking it up after discovering that the audiobook is read by my favorite actor, Tom Hiddleston.
I downloaded the audiobook, 6.6 hours of his beautiful voice, and finished it in 2 days.
I have bought several audiobooks and left them all unfinished. I credit my inability to finish them to the fact that most of the readers have boring voices and their method of distinguishing each character is to merely lower or heighten the pitch of their voices throughout the dialogue.
However, not surprisingly, Tom Hiddleston broke that standard.
Tom Hiddleston
I could hardly tell one person was reading the book, the voices were so different. He used a score of accents, ranging from his native English accent to Scottish, Irish, French, even vaguely Russian and more.
Aside from my obvious satisfaction with his reading, the book is quite gripping.
The title is a reference to the guillotine, the “bloody altarpiece” of the French Revolution, and to the necklace of red garnets found on murder victims throughout the book, the gems described as looking “drop of congealed blood.”
It tells the story of a Parisian Romani boy named Yann Margoza, a magician’s assistant and a young French aristocrat, Sidonie de Villeduval, at the time of the Revolution.
“Sido” is a beautiful, kind girl with a limp, and she is despised by her father, the Marquis de Villeduval. The Marquis is obsessed with possessions and his estate, spending lavishly even though he is bankrupt. He is indebted to the illusive and fabulously wealthy Count Kallivoski.
Following a fateful final performance, Yann is forced to flee to London. He grows up, becoming a gentleman with a bright future.
Kallivoski has taken an unhealthy interest in Sido and blackmails the Marquis into consenting to a marriage between the two. Yann embarks on a journey to save her from the Revolution and the Count alike.
It is an extremely well-written book.
Gardner writes exceedingly clever phrases to describe the setting and characters, using “varicose veins” to describe hidden passageways and citing that one man has an”entirely too generous helping of teeth.”
I have had a Tumblr quite a while now. At first, it was a website that I would go on only if I had absolutely nothing else to do and I was just in bed, feeling lazy. Now, it has become a daily part of my life that I am getting more and more addicted to.
Tumblr is a social networking and blogging site. Like Facebook, each member has their own page where they post and share things. Following someone means that all of their posts will show up on your dashboard, which is kind of like a personalized home page different from every other members, because it has a different collection of things.
People write stories and post videos, but Tumblr is mostly filled with a plethora of photos. It is filled with photos of EVERY THING IMAGINABLE. And a lot of GIFs which are a cross between a little video and photo; it’s like a moving picture that has about 5 to 10 frames, generally speaking.
Now, Tumblr is not just somewhere to mindlessly and aimlessly look at photos of cool stuff and read funny little remarks. It’s a place to discover new things. I follow all different kind of blogs, including fan pages to my favorite shows, health blogs, self-improvement blogs, blogs for fashion, blogs for beauty, blogs for cute guys, blogs for bands/artists or music in general, blogs that post photos of animals. I even follow a blog dedicated to cats. But a blog can also just be a compilation of everything that interests the poster. I see a lot of things that I have never seen before and learn cool facts that I had not known about my favorite celebrities, bands, or shows.
One thing I really like about Tumblr is that for me, at least, it is reserved mostly for people that I don’t know. This way, I don’t have to be afraid of posting something people will criticize or annoy me about. Tumblr is sort of like special insight into my mind, and sometimes I would rather the people close to me stay a bit distanced from that.
It is just one of those awesome websites that I can’t live without… No, really, I like it that much. It’s an awesome way to pass the time and find out about cool, new things. If you don’t have one, I really suggest you get one! That is, if you’re not worried about falling into the Tumblr trap like I did and fall in love with it!
It’s funny how much things can change in a year. This time last May I was still learning how to drive, and today I was confidently driving to LAX on my own. Yes believe it or not I actually can drive. Ok, you may argue not properly but I think I’m pretty pro despite the general consensus among others.
Any way moving on, it’s amazing how much things change and how we change as people over the course of a year. How we grow in different areas, in my mind, is a miracle.
Looking at my self today I am in some ways unrecognizable. I have more confidence, am more mature and actually can see my self in an adult manner. In my eyes I believe I have grown out of that pre adulthood rebellion and am actually acting the age I am.
With my noticed personal growth this year I can’t wait to see what I become in this next year and what changes I undertake.
Let me start off by saying that most car shows are lame. They are usually just trying to make money by showing off regular cars with some tuning or old relics that most people don’t care about.
Supercar Sunday is different. Supercar Sunday is a bunch of people with veryyyyyyy nice cars that show up and park their cars so dumb teenagers like me can go look at them and get sexually excited.
They don’t charge, they aren’t selling anything, there is actually parking. This is a pure viewing experience of some of the greatest cars ever made.
There was a Ford GT40 (the real one), a real AC Cobra, more Caterham 7’s than you could believe. There was a Lotus Esprit, a Countach, and some Martini Porsches.
Then there were new cars like (every) modern Ferrari (minus the Enzo), tons of lambos, Aston Martins, 911s, Lotus’ (or is it Loti?) and even two Mp4-12C’s.
There were also some tuners and some cool oldies (MGs, a cool old Sprite, and some lovely Datsuns) that were fun to see.
It was incredible to walk among these cars and get to talk to people who have a real passion for them.
Thanks to a good idea from my friend, we decided to go sit at the corner as the cars started to leave. Holy crap was this a good idea.
Despite there being numerous cops watching every street (the drivers waved at them and rev’d their engines to say hello) it was cool to be able to hear all the V8s and V12s (and a couple of V10’s (yay lambo!). I couldn’t help but quiver every time a Ferrari V8 was rev’d and the sounds of clutches slipping filled the air.
This is a great event because it is run by people who love cars, not by people looking to make money. I didn’t pay a dollar and yet I got to have the best car viewing experience of my life. A major hat tip to those people that throw Supercar Sunday!
P.S. The best Sunday to go is the last one of the month, that is when it is really big. If you are anywhere near Woodland Hills and have any interest in cars, go! you won’t regret it.
OVS Journalism Blog 
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