My Classes

I actually think I like all of my classes this semester. It'd definitely going to be hard, but hopefully it will be worth it.

I'm taking:

Jour320: This class is by far going to be the hardest. Besides having at least 10 out-of-class assignments and articles and an in-class assignment almost everyday, we have to get our work published 10 times in newspapers, magazines, or newsletters. For those of you who aren't journalism majors, let me just tell you that it is going to be extremely time consuming. And these 10 articles don't even count for our grade, if we complete them we just get a check, but for each one that we miss, your grade goes down a whole letter grade! And this is just one of my classes! I have Professor Linthicum, and in the past he has only given out 10% A's. Eek!

Jour202-This is a copy editing class. We are going to learn copy editing, obviously, and some new media technologies.  I have Grover and I like him a lot so far. It doesn't seem nearly as bad as 320.

Thet291-This is my core HL. We have to read a whole lot of plays but Prof. Nathans seems super nice and there is tons of extra credit. Nathans is very perky and hyper, but also very excited about the class, which is refreshing.

Comm107-This is basically a public speaking class. I've been dreading taking this class. My teacher barely speaks English. Grr

Art208c-Watercolor! I have Lapinski, and he is this adorable, ancient Polish man. He has a pretty thick accent, and he is very excited about the class. He said it is his favorite class.  He also has a very impressive background. I'm looking forward to it, because it will be very chill, and will have no outside work.

I thought this was interesting..

Biden made a little joke about the messed-up oath and Chief Roberts. Obama didn't seem too pleased. Joke

"We're not supposed to be friends, you and me. We're meant to be enemies. Did you know that? " -Bruno to Shmuel

I saw The Boy in Striped Pajamas a few months ago but I feel that it is worth mentioning. There have been so many Holocaust movies lately, but this movie offers the unique perspective of a child. You get to experience the movie through the eyes of  a young boy, Bruno, the son of a Nazi lieutenant colonel. Bruno has quite the imagination, and is bored to death being confined in his house. From his bedroom window, he spots all these people wearing "striped pajamas" (the Jews) and without his parents knowing, he makes friends with a boy his age, Shmuel. I particularly liked this movie because it explored the innocence of the children affected by the Holocaust. Children were completely brainwashed and influenced by their parents, and it really took a brave kid to stand up to what he/she was told. Bruno was at the age which you believe everything your parents say, and it was only because of the extreme awfulness of what he was told and the things he witnessed, that he was forced to reconsider the bulk of his learnings.  Rating: 4/5

So, back at school. There isn't even a chance to ease back in! I started classes today, so far they aren't that bad. I still have my 7 p.m. class though, which I'm dreading. The Terps highly embarrassed us on Saturday, with their 41-point loss Duke. Hopefully we can step it up tomorrow night.

"No matter how many appetizers a guy eats, he'll still eventually want a real meal" -Nathan DeGraaf

It's been a busy day so I'm just gonna leave you with some funny links. Check them out!

If you thought you were having a bad day...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPmZs01CuIU

...think again! 

-For a funny article comparing girls to appetizers, click here: Girls are Like Food, Part 1: Appetizers

I can't believe it has been a year since Heath Ledger died. RIP

"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America." -Barack Obama

Ah, the Inauguration! I really cannot express how happy it made me. Watching it from the comfort of my warm home this time, the enthusiasm and passion of the crowd was still evident.

Although there was a small blunder when Obama took the oath, I think the rest of the day's events ran flawlessly. 

UPDATE: Obama took the oath a second time, just to be on the safe side.

In his 18 1/2 minute inaugural address, Obama was serious as he outlined the challenges that lay ahead of us. I firmly believe that he will do the best job possible. I thought it was important that he said, "What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world..."

There were definitely boos at any mention of Bush, which is disrespectful, but deserved. And I could not help but laugh at poor Cheney in a wheelchair. Also, Aretha Franklin's bow-quite large! SNL is going to have a field day.

There has been a lot disagreement on the wardrobe of the Obama family, but I think the girls looked adorable in their J. Crew ensembles. I liked Michelle's nighttime dress more than what she wore during the day, but she still looked classy, as usual. And as always, Barack looked elegant and polished in his suits. 

All in all, I feel optimistic about our country's future. We definitely have several major hurdles to get through, but I could not ask for a better president to help us through.

Free Makeup!

So before I update on the inauguration, I figured I would let you all know how to get some free makeup! Guys, you can ignore this post (unless of course you want to surprise your  girlfriend or mom with a thoughtful gift!)

So basically, there was some class action lawsuit filed in 2003 that accused department stores and cosmetic companies of conspiring to fix prices and always selling items at the suggested retail prices and NEVER at a discount. They also claimed promotions were coordinated so stores would never have to compete against each other.

AKA...

Department stores are now required to give out free cosmetics! All you have to do is go to the store, sign a piece of paper that says you bought certain products at certain retailers between May 29, 1994 and July 16, 2003. You don't even need a receipt. All you need to do is sign the form!

Participating stores include: Bergdorf Goodman, Bergner's, Bloomie's, Boston Store, Carson Pirie Scott, Dillard's, Gottschalks, Herberger's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Parisian, Saks Fifth Avenue, & Younkers.

Some of the companies that are giving away free products include: Chanel, Lancome, Christian Dior Perfumes, Inc., Lancome, and Clinique.

This offer lasts for seven days until supplies last, so hurry!! I already got myself some SJP body wash and Clinique moisture surge!Let me know what you get!

For more details go to: http://www.cosmeticssettlement.com/

We Are One

My inaugural journey began Saturday morning as I prepared to take a three-hour train to Washington, D.C. to stay with my dear family friends for the next few days. Of course, the train was delayed an hour, but once I boarded it was a smooth ride. 

As soon as I arrived, I could tell DC was in for a big one. The metro was jam-packed with people and full of suitcases. Every seat was taken and the standing room was squished to the max. 

That night, I accompanied my friends to an Inaugural Ball at the Josephine Butler Parks Center that was sponsored by the Cool Capital Challenge, Washington Parks and People, and the DC Sierra Club. The ball was lively, the music was festive, and the excitement undeniable. There was karaoke, dancing, tons of food, and constant chatter.

The next morning, I awoke at 10 to get ready for the Inaugural Concert. I dressed in leggings, jeans, two turtlenecks, a zip-up jacket, a fleece jacket, a winter jacket, two pairs of ski socks, a hat, gloves, and boots in preparation for the cold. I walked with my friends two and half miles to the Lincoln Center where we were greeted with enormous crowds and seemingly never-ending lines. Luckily, the wait wasn't too bad and we managed to find spots on the way left side of the Reflecting Pool. I watched the concert through the trees that lined the pool and on one of the many big screens throughout the area.

The concert was as amazing as it was cold. And despite all my layers, I was absolutely freezing! The show opened with a speech by openly gay bishop Gene Robinson, which excluded from the HBO broadcast. A short time later, the Obama family and Joe and Jill Biden were introduced and Denzel Washington gave an introductory speech. Throughout, the majority of the speeches had quotes or video clips of former presidents. With speakers ranging from Steve Carell to Tom Hanks, the speeches were entertaining, usually lasting only a few short minutes. 

Between each speech, came the musical performances. The surprising highlight for me was  Garth Brooks, who really got the crowd moving with his renditions of "Shout" and "American Pie."  I also really enjoyed James Taylor and John Legend's "Shower the People."

But no matter the entertainer, the crowd never cheered louder than when the focus was on Obama. Every time he came on the big screen, the applause was thunderous. He was cursed (or maybe blessed?) with a sleeping baby girl behind him. Perhaps she is symbolic of peaceful and safe times for the children of our country. One can only hope. Either way, the concert was inspiring, encouraging, and just 100 percent fantastic. I am so glad I was able to be there. And as Obama said, "I stand here today as hopeful as ever that the United States of America will endure, that it will prevail, that the dream of our founders will live on in our time."

I never forgot. Not for one day. I knew I’d find you in the end. It’s our destiny." -Jamal [Slumdog Millionaire)

Hello all. I intend to use this blog to rate and review the things I read, watch, eat, attend, etc., as well as to inform you of local events.

I will begin with movies, as I've seen a sad number of them over this break: Slumdog Millionaire, Gran Torino, Milk, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,  Yes Man, Marley and Me, and Revolutionary Road.

I will try and not give away anything about the movies, rather I will just share my thoughts on them. 

My favorites by far were Slumdog Millionaire and Gran Torino.

The visuals in Slumdog were positively stunning. The storyline was unique, entertaining, and intense and the music is fresh and dynamic. The movie makes excellent use of flashbacks that are pivotal to the story's advancement. Slumgdog recently picked up four Golden Globes and five Critics Choice Awards and I presume it will do extremely well at the Oscars. If you haven't already seen it, I highly recommend it as something exciting and different.  Rating: 4.5/5 

Gran Torino left me bawling. I have a certain soft spot in my heart for grumpy old men and Clint Eastwood's character found his way to the center.  Although the plotline was a bit hokey at times, I was overall charmed. There are not many movies that I can honestly say I both roared with laugher and cried over, but Gran Torino certainly made me do both. I strongly recommend seeing this movie, especially since Clint Eastwood has hinted this may be his last performance. This is defintely not one I would miss. Rating 4/5

Although Milk wasn't a personal favorite of mine, I found Sean Penn to be absolutely phenomenal (he literally was Harvey Milk) and James Franco adorable. I wasn't entirely in love with the rest of the movie. It was a little bit slow for my liking. That being said, the issues are still sadly relevant and it felt exciting and relatable with the recent political happenings.  Rating 3.5/5

As for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, I was not overly impressed. Clocking in at a whopping three hours, the story was too dragged out. I thought Brad Pitt was decent, nothing to rave about. The movie reminded me almost exactly of a book I just read, The Confessions of Max Tivoli, by Andrew Sea Greer. I can't say I loved either the book or the movie. The digital effects were just something though, as you get to see Pitt at all ages. I guess good looks really can't buy happiness. Rating 3/5

Yes Man was better than I expected, although that's not saying much. I would never have gone to see it, but it was free movie night and Slumdog was sold out. I am surprised to say I actually enjoyed it, being that I am personally not a huge fan of Jim Carey movies. This is the first time Carey really looked his age. Like he really looked old . The storyline was contrived, but the message was good. I walked out of the theatre feeling upbeat and hopeful. Rating 3/5

Marley and Me was pretty much what I expected. Very cute, obviously not anything superb. I've never had a dog so I don't think I was able to relate to it as much as other people, but I found it entertaining enough. It was one of those movies that doesn't require you to think much, which can be refreshing at times.  Rating: 2.5/5

I went into Revolutionary Road expecting to like it more than I did. I liked seeing Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio together again and they were both very good, but the movie was slow and depressing. I saw it with my parents who have seen a lot of the same movies I have. My dad positively HATED it, but my mom really enjoyed it (she lives for these types of movies, however). But then a funny thing happened. On our way home, we had a passionate and heated discussion about the movie that lasted until we pulled into our driveway. Although we all loved Slumdog and Gran Torino a considerable amount more, it didn't inspire conversation the way this movie did. SO, I will have to give it credit for being thought provoking. Rating 3/5