The DG Blog

Avril Lavigne Comes Back With "Here's to Never Growing Up"

2013-06-30T13:01:00.001-04:00

photo courtesy by en.wikipedia.org

"Singing Radio head at the top of our lungs/ with the boom box blaring as we're falling in love/ I got a bottle of whatever, but it's getting us drunk/ singing here's to never growing up," says Avril Lavigne in her latest hit, "Here's To Never Growing Up"

In this catchy pop song anthem, Lavigne is all about having a good time and living in the moment. The song will be a good tune to the ones who embrace carpe diem as their motto. "Here's To Never Growing Up" brings Lavigne's wild child self back into the music scene.

Musically, the beat of this song is good enough for listeners to hum along to the melody. It's also lyrically simple and Lavigne fans will have no problem memorizing the singer's staying young message. Even though there isn't anything interesting to listen to when it comes to the vocals, it's generally a typical Lavigne song.

"Here's to Never Growing Up" gets three out of five stars.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on April of 2013

Paramore Brings a new Side to Their Self Titled Album

2013-06-30T12:54:00.002-04:00

photo courtesy by en.wikipedia.org

Paramore's self titled album has done a complete turnaround when it comes to their growth in music. Not only is it their first album without the Farro brothers, it's also their very first record where Paramore presents themselves as a trio. Along their 17 track album, Paramore comes back bigger and better.

When it comes to producing albums that have more than the ususal 12 songs, it can be a risky move especially if fans get bored with the album before they're through listening to it. Luckily enough, Paramore has a way of keeping the music pumped up and entertaining.

Songs like "Now", "Ain't it Fun", "Still Into You" and "(One of Those) Crazy Girls" help to make the album more interesting with fun beats and addicting melodies that can easily be hummed to. Of course, with their fast paced songs, they also add in other tunes like "Hate to See Your Heart Break" and "Future" to show fans their soft, emotional side as well.

With this album, it's lyrically amazing how much they've grown between their self titled album and their previous ones. One track, "Part II" contains the feel of their older song "Let the Flames Begin" from their second album Riot. "You will find me dancing all alone/to the sound of an enemy's song/ I'll be lost until you find me/ fighting on my own/ in a war that's already been won/ I'll be lost until you come and find me/ you glory."

Along the album, it has a couple of interludes including "Moving On", "I'm Not Angry Anymore" and "Holiday". Their one minute interludes have Williams singing against a simple tune of a ukulele while she nonchalantly sings about moving on and not having any burdens to carry.

Paramore fans that were hesitant to take on their music shouldn't worry. This album is still the same Paramore you know and love. Paramore gets a rating of four out of five stars.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on April of 2013

My Life as a Rainbow: I'm Single and Ready to Mingle

2013-06-30T12:40:00.001-04:00

Chapter 16:

I've been officially single for a good year now. I think it's time for me to start something new in my life. That's right, I'm talking about dating. You see, I used to be in a long distance relationship with my ex-girlfriend and unfortunately the relationship didn't work out because of the distance, along with other issues, which got to us and she broke it off. I decided to remain single after that since I wanted to be alone for a bit.

Now that I've had enough time to find myself and know what I want, I'm ready to start looking for a woman who has my interest. What do I look for in a woman? Good question. Here's what I think an ideal woman would be for me. You see, I tend to look for personality rather than facial features in women. Sure she can be the prettiest one, but if she has an ugly personality, then that's definitely a turn off for me.

I would like my ideal woman to be smart. I want to actually have an intelligent conversation with her. I don't mind if she's smarter than me as long as she's not boastful about it. I want someone who is laid back. I mean there are moments where a person has to be serious but if that girl is serious all the time, I'll feel awkward about it. Since I tend to be a kid at heart, I want someone who is just as goofy as me. I want someone who loves to laugh since I like to make jokes and say the craziest things to make people laugh out loud.

As a Scorpio, I tend to be a romantic. My ideal woman can be either romantic or passionate or both. I am a total hopeless romantic and I would be the one to go an extra mile on the romance scale. Honestly, trustworthiness, respect and patience are biggies for me. Especially patience since I'll admit that I can be too much to handle sometimes.

I have lots of flaws. But then again who doesn't? I want someone who can not only understand them but also accept them as well. I don't want a woman who uses my flaws against me. I hate that with a passion and I think it's one the worst things anyone can do. I also want someone who respects my career goals as well. If a woman thinks she can make me choose her over my career, then forget it. She'll be put to the curve.

Of course these are just examples of what I look for in a woman. I don't have a required list that my ideal woman should fulfill. If she has most of the qualities that I look for then hey that's good. If she has half of them then they that's still good. Basically it all comes down to the fact on whether your personality interests me or not.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on February of 2013

Shocking Moments of The Walking Dead Part 2

2013-06-29T20:17:00.000-04:00

photo courtesy by totallyloveit.com

With the third season finished, Walking Dead fans are excited for its season four premier later in October. Until then, check out some of the things that turned the show upside down in this list of shocking moments from The Walking Dead.

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#8 The Death of Axel
Even though Axel wasn't one of the main characters of the group, he still left an impression with his goofy charm and h is failed attempted at flirting with Carol. Being the remaining prisoner that Rick didn't kill, he helped out the group as much as he could with clearing out the zombies from the prison. Of course, one bullet to the head immediately had Axel gone as the group didn't have time to mourn for him when the Governor came and attacked them in the prison.

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#7 Milton's Death
Being the adviser to the Governor, their relationship grew from bad to worse as the Governor's trust for his friend was broken after Milton burned the zombies in the pit. He tried forcing Milton to kill Andrea as a test to see if he was still loyal to him. But when he refused, the Governor stabbed him in the gut, telling him that once he becomes a zombie, he will end up killing her.

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#6 When Daryl Left the Group - Briefly
When Daryl and his brother Merle reunited again, Rick and the group weren't too keen on the idea of having Merle come back into the picture. The situation became more intense as Rick gave an ultimatum for Daryl to choose between the group and his brother. But having his strong bond with Merle, Daryl automatically went with his brother. An episode later, Daryl came back after he realized how much he belonged in the group.

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#5 The Death of Merle
Merle had unfinished business to do with the Governor as he tried to get rid of him on his own. But his plan backfired as he got distracted by a walker, leaving him exposed to capture by the Governor and his men. After a brief fight, Merle refused to beg but the Governor didn't care much as he pulled the trigger on Merle. After Merle was zombified, Daryl was the one who had to put him down.

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#4 Andrea's Death
Andrea tried to play the role as the savior when she wanted to not only save Rick's group, but also the Governor and his town as well. But after she escaped Woodbury to try and warn Rick of the Governor's plan, the Governor caught Andrea and put her in the torture chamber. After Rick's group came to save her, it was too late as they found Andrea with a zombie bite form Milton. When Andrea killed herself, Rick and the others went to find the Governor.

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#3 The Governor's Attack on the Prison
Throughout the second half of the season, the Governor attacked the prison a couple of times. Of course his motive was not only to get rid of Rick and his group; it was also to get Michonne as well. The Governor's vendetta against Michonne became extreme as he gunned down anybody and everybody that got in his way of capturing her.

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#2 The Failed Attempts of Killing the Governor
Andrea had multiple chances of killing the psychopathic Governor while Merle's shot at the Governor was unsuccessful. If Andrea had followed Carol's advice of making love to him and killing him afterwards, the Governor would have been dead since episode 11. Of course, in the world of The Walking Dead, simple instructions don't always follow up well.

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#1 Meeting Morgan Again
Back in season one, Rick was saved by Morgan and his son Duane. Later on, they went their separate ways as Rick promised him that he will keep in contact with him. Two seasons later, Rick meets Morgan again as he realizes a lot of things have changed in over a year and a half. According to Morgan, his failed attempted at killing his zombie wife cost him his son's life and he ended up killing them both. Morgan became a bit insane and out of touch with reality after that. When Rick offered to bring him to prison, Morgan declined saying that people will end up dying, being killed by bullets or teeth.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on April of 2013

What Grinds my Gears About the Holidays

2013-06-28T14:27:00.002-04:00

It's all fun and games until something or someone annoys you and ruins your well deserved holiday vacation. These University of Bridgeport students gleefully had their opinions to share when it comes to having their gears grinded about the holidays.

"When people seem to care about what they're getting instead of who they're going to spend the holidays with,"
- James Burke, junior

"Buying very expensive toys for the little kids and a month later they stop playing with it,"
- Maria, senior

"Seeing relatives getting drunk in family parties,"
- Cinthya, freshmen

"Knowing that after the party ends, you're the one that's gotta clean up the place,"
- Jose Varags, senior

"Being with people that annoy you during the holidays,"
- Terry, sophomore

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on December of 2012

Classes you may not Have Known Existed at UB

2013-06-28T14:19:00.000-04:00

photo courtesy by cecruncher.com

There will always be the generic classes of math, science and history. But how many students can say they took a class where they learned about sign language or even a class where they talked about science fiction movies? Here in this list are some of the classes that I took over the past semesters that seemed really interesting and unique on their own.

Sign Language
There are two levels for this class. In level one, students learn the basics of sign language such as the manual alphabet, learning about facial expressions and gestures just to name a few. In level two, it becomes a little bit more challenging as students learn about how to use sign language when it comes to storytelling and further the skills of signing. Throughout the course, students will also gain a greater understanding of the deaf culture and why sign language is very important to them.

Dramatic Writing
For the ones who like to write, this class will help you with the aspects of play writing. Not only are you taught the skills and techniques of what every dramatic play needs to make it interesting, you are also writing your very own play as well.

Business and Professional Communication
Feeling lost on your job search? Don't know what to do with your resume? Then this course will help students who are starting their way into the job world. Not only will you get help with where to look for jobs and how to make your resume more interesting; you will also know the techniques of how to do well with your job interviews and leave a good first impression.

Science Fiction
Even though the class is called Science Fiction, it's actually more like speculative fiction - meaning there are multiple kinds of science fiction within the genre. Students learn about the components of it as well as learning why it's important in literature. Not only do students read science fiction stories from the late 1950's to now, students can also appreciate the genre with numerous examples of sci-fi movies such as Donnie Darko and The Blade Runner.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on April of 2013

Supreme Court Continues to Weigh on DOMA

2013-06-24T13:26:00.001-04:00

photo courtesy by npr.org

DOMA continues to be in question as the Supreme Court is still deciding on whether or not the Defense of Marriage Act is to be ruled unconstitutional.

Back in 1996, the federal law was passed which prevented the federal government from recognizing same sex marriages, even in states that they were considered legal. It also prevented individual states from acknowledging gay and lesbian marriages that were performed in another state.

As of now, Section Three of DOMA, the pat that prevents federal government from recognizing gay marriage, is being challenged.

According to the Wisconsin Gazette, DOMA has been ruled unconstitutional numerous times including the case of Edith Windsor which was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in November of 2010.

Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer were together for more than 40 years when they married in Canada back in 2007, but resided in New York. After Spyer died of complications from multiple sclerosis, the estate was left to Windsor. Because of DOMA, Windsor was required to pay $363,000 in federal estate taxes.

If DOMA ends up being overturned, same sex marriages could face another issue. If the federal government recognizes gay marriage, would the marriage still be constitutionally recognized if the same sex couple moved from state where marriages has already been legalized to a state where same sex marriage is still illegal? According to Yahoo! News, Attorney Roberta Kaplan believes that if gay couples moved to the other states in the union where the marriages are illegal, their marriage would effectively disappear for federal and state purposes.

The final verdict for DOMA will be in late June.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on April of 2013

Why People Should Leave Taylor Swift Alone

2013-06-23T11:59:00.000-04:00

photo courtesy by newstop24.com

As being the biggest Taylor Swift fan, I am sick and tired of hearing people bashing her. It's horrible and outrageous that our country icon of this generation is being constantly talked about negatively. A lot of people are on her case about her dating habits, saying her music is crap and accusing her of playing the victim. Why can people see that she's just simply misunderstood? Why do people insist on making fun of Taylor? Can't you see it's hurting her?

Some people say that Taylor Swift has succeeded in dating more men than getting hit singles. Well shame on you. Taylor Swift is simply looking for love and it's obvious that she's looking for love in all the wrong places. I mean for crying out loud she even dated John Mayer. I know she lacks insight on who can be the right man for her but give her some credit for even trying. No one wants to be alone and Swift is just simply doing what she has to do to make sure she won't stay alone. Sure she goes through men like a pack of cards, but at least she knows what she wants in a man.

To the ones who say that her music is crap, well it's not my fault you lack the knowledge of being able to recognize pure, unbelievable, inspiring talent. In fact, every single artist should start writing songs like her. She has the ability to write multiple songs with just one topic. How many artist can do that? Sure she writes a couple of break up songs here and there, but who doesn't like listening about heartbreak?

Her lyrics speak to me; they comfort me and they help me to go on with my life. Her song "Mean" is a good example of that. It's about being bullied and her lyrical tactics of standing up to her bully is amazing. "Someday I'll be living in a big old city/and all you're ever gonna be is mean/someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me/and all you're ever gonna be is mean/why you gotta be so mean?" That's right. Not only did she write that for her past bully, but she's also talking about the ones who are currently bullying her. So ask yourself this; why you gotta be so mean?

All I'm asking is for you people to leave Taylor Swift alone. She has never done anything wrong so why do people insist on treating her like this? Get out of her dating life. It's none of your business. If you don't like her music then stop listening to it. But don't just sit there and go on and on about how her lyrics suck if you can't seem to understand the hurt and pain in those songs. Leave her alone. Or she'll write a song about you.

*following article was published on the April Fools issue of The Scribe on April of 2013

MacFarlane Brings the Sound of Music to the Oscars

2013-06-22T12:32:00.000-04:00

photo courtesy by filmscoreclicktrack.com

Oscar night was filled with the sound of music as Seth MacFarlane entertained the crowd with a coupe of song numbers and great performances from some of the biggest stars. As the host of the 85th Academy Awards, MacFarlane greatly delivered the show's musical aspect of the ceremony.

Singing in the opening and closing acts, MacFarlane graces the stage with his vocals to a couple of show tunes alongside a few actors including Kristin Chenoweth, Daniel Radcliffe and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. MacFarlane's singing abilities does justice to his jazz filled performances since he has his very own album under his belt of accomplishments.

During the show's segments of The Celebration of Musicals of the Last Decade, the performance started off with Catherine Zeta Jones singing "All That Jazz" from the hit movie, Chicago. Jennifer Hudson came afterwards with the song "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls. The segment ended with the whole cast of Les Miserables with two of their songs "Suddenly" and "One Day More".

As the Oscars made a tribute to 50 years of James Bond movies, the awards had pop singer Adele perform her latest hit, "SkyFall" and Dame Shirley Bassey sang "Gold Finger" during The Music of James Bond. Both singers did an impressive job singing their James Bond theme songs.

The Memoriam Segment of the Oscars filled the atmosphere with a sad tone as the music plays while they showed who had passed away during the year. Barbra Streisand came out towards the end and sang "The Way We Were" as a tribute to Marvin Hamlisch, composer and conductor to numerous movies including The Spy Who Loved Me and The Informant.

Jazz singer Norah Jones performed "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" which is on the soundtrack to MacFarlane's latest movie, Ted. Jones, who sometimes uses a piano during her performances decided to simply go solo without her instrument and sang against a music track. Even though it was a short number, Jones did a terrific job with her vocals.

Over all, the Oscars had a lot of interesting performances which kept the crowd going. It seemed like there was a lot of energy in the air within the show. On top of that, some of the song choices for the performances played a big role introducing the musicals that were nominated for the awards. All in all, the musical aspect of the Academy Awards was successful.

My Life as a Rainbow: My Regrets

2013-06-21T15:16:00.000-04:00

Chapter 15

I used to love looking forward to Thanksgiving; stuffing my face with food like there's no tomorrow, hanging out with my little cousins and seeing my other relatives having fun. Of course now that I look towards the holidays, it's now consumed with unpleasant memories.

You see, last year my mother died a couple of days after Thanksgiving. When I found out, I was completely devastated and I wanted to leave and go back to school immediately. I didn't want to deal with any sort of pity party treatment from my family and I just wanted to be alone. Throughout the remaining semester I didn't give myself time to grieve since I was busy with school projects and finals. Now that I look back, I realize that I have so many regrets about my mother.

I feel like I didn't do a good job being a daughter to her. She suffered from some sort of schizophrenia. I didn't understand it at first since I was young when my family told me and I didn't really know what to do or how to act towards her. Later on she ended up getting worse and decided to isolate herself from her family, including me.

Sometimes I wonder if I should have loved her a bit more or hanged around hr a bit more, would she have been still here? Was it the fact that I didn't spend enough time with her that helped contribute to her condition getting worse?

Of course the million dollar question that has always been on my mind is what would she say if I told her that I was a lesbian? I was actually planning on telling her when she became mentally stable. But instead I guess I waited too long to confess to her since she passed away before I had the chance to.

I remembered when she used to tell me that she was always proud of me and would always remind me h ow much she loved me. But sometimes I wondered would she still love me even if I was a LGBT individual? I didn't care about what others had to say about my orientation and to believe it or not, even though I wasn't really close to my mom as I would like to, I still valued her opinion over everyone else because she was the first person who supported me and cared about my well being.

By losing her I felt that I had so much unfinished business with my mother. Even though I'm slowly learning how to cope with her death, I very much regret not coming out to her when I had the chance.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on December of 2012

Songs You Didn't Know Were Written by Other Artists

2013-06-21T15:02:00.000-04:00

photo courtesy by serc.carleton.edu

When it comes to the artist and their songs, most of the time fans will automatically assume that the artist they listen to always writes their own songs. Of course once in a while, music lovers will be surprised about who also co-wrote the song when they look for the names in the liner notes of the album. The following songs are great examples of music gems within the songwriting aspect of the single. Think you know who else wrote these songs on the list? Then check them out.

photo courtesy by amazon.com

Kelly Clarkson's "Miss Independent"
Back when Kelly Clarkson became American Idol's first winner, the single "Miss Independent" became a hit in the U.S. The track, coming from her first album, Thankful, had a couple of writers including Clarkson, Matt Morris, Rhett Lawrence and pop singer Christina Aguilera. That's right, the woman behind the songs "Ain't No Other Man" and "Dirty" co-wrote Clarkson's hit single. "Miss Independent" was supposed to be on Aguilera's second album, Stripped, but it ended up being recorded for Clarkson.

photo courtesy by en.wikipedia.org

"This Love" by The Veroncias
In the duo's 2007 release of their second album, Hook Me Up, Australian pop group The Veronicas had numerous singles including their third one called "This Love". Written by Toby Gad and Kesha Sebert, the track had a good commercial success in Australia and in New Zealand. To all of the animal fans out there, Kesha Sebert, also known as Ke$ha actually co-wrote the track back when she was an unknown struggling artist.

photo courtesy by rockmichelle.buzznet.com

P!nk's "Get the Party Started"
This song was written by P!nk and former 4 Non Blondes front woman, Linda Perry. Perry was responsible for 4 Non Blondes' hit "What's Up" back in 1993. It was Perry's first dance song she had ever written and according to her, she was going through a "weird phase" when she wrote the hit. "I went through this weird phase where I just wanted to learn how to program drums. So that's where 'Get the Party Started' came from," said Perry in an online interview with ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers).

"Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson
Written by Bridget Benenate, Matthew Gerrard and Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" became another hit single from Clarkson's second album Breakaway. Originally the song was intended to be for Lavigne's first album Let Go but it was scraped since it didn't fit well for the album.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on March of 2013

What Grinds My Gears about Hurricane Sandy

2013-06-20T18:00:00.000-04:00

With this past storm that impacted New Jersey, Connecticut, New York and a few other states, a lot of UB students had a lot of thoughts about Hurricane Sandy. Check out what they had to say about this year's hurricane.

"I had no light for three days. I was starving,"
- Sabreen Abdullah, senior

"I couldn't go anywhere,"
- Trisha Bartholomew, junior

"The fact that the trains weren't working; It bothered me to be stuck at my house,"
- Tonisha Husbands, sophomore

"People didn't take it as seriously as they should about the hurricane,"
- Coral Orona Baez, freshmen

"Having to spend family time. Having listen to people complain,"
- Raquel Peguero, freshmen

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on November of 2012

Gaga Calls Hip Surgery "Bump in the Road"

2013-06-18T13:31:00.002-04:00

photo courtesy by news.com.au

Pop superstar Lady Gaga had to undergo hip surgery this past week due to a show injury she had during her Born This Way Tour.

On her website, littlemonster.com, she posted a personal note to her monster fans telling them how she feels inspired from her fan's stories of when they had to struggle through their problems as well.

"I thought about all of your pain and perseverance...So I thought to myself, I'm alive. I'm living my dream, and this is just a bump in the road," wrote Gaga. "You have changed my life. I love you and am proud to be a part of our lives. If you can do it, I can do it too, and if we stick together we can get through anything."

Because of the surgery, Lady Gaga had to cancel the rest of her concerts. Gaga had been hiding the injury from her staff for quite some time and didn't want to disappoint her fans.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on March 2013

How to Ruin a Song

2013-06-17T16:10:00.002-04:00

photo courtesy by mustech.pbworks.com

It's pretty hard writing a catchy song. It's even harder if you're trying to write the next mega pop hit. But if the songwriter goes the easy way out and writes literally whatever comes to mind, it may turn out to be disastrous. If done wrong, the song will be less than enjoyable to listen to. Unfortunately there are some songs out there that have fallen into this writing misfortune. In fact these songs are great examples of how to ruin a song.

The Song's Topic Does Not Make Sense
Love, hate, betrayal and other topics are common among most hit songs. Even though there are a ton of songs with the same topic such as love, each of them are lyrically different in their own way. Of course if the writer has run out of things to write about, what happens next? Well in the case with Gwen Stefan's "Breaking Up", she decides to go on a free writing spree and write about having a bad cell phone connection.

"You know, you know, you wanna call me back.../Hold up I think you're cutting out.../Tell me, can you hear me now?../We're breakin' up, up, up, up..." The whole song deals with Stefani trying to get a hold of her caller after a failed cell phone connection. Throughout the song she sings about how her cell phone signal drops and she has a hard time reaching the person on the other line.

"We're breakin' up, up, up," says Stefani's solo career.

Horrible Metaphor
Using metaphors in a song can work out in two ways; it can help you out greatly when it comes to making a song more interesting or it can greatly backfire on you and make the song sound dumb. Lana Del Rey's song "Cola" is a perfect example of a metaphor gone wrong:

"My pussy tastes like Pepsi Cola/My eyes are wide like cherry pies/I gots a taste for men who are older/It's always been so it's no surprise." According to Lana Del Rey, her vagina has 150 calories plus 41 grams of sugar. Not to mention the fact that it also has high fructose corn syrup and citric acid. If Del Rey is trying to say that she's sweet and very pleasing, comparing herself to a soft drink is not the way to go.

"Mmm...Tastes like Lana Del Rey" says no one ever.

Good Verses with Horrible Rap Verse
In Ellie Goulding's "Hanging On", the song itself is very good to listen to. The vocals are perfect enough to bring out the emotion of any listener, the music sets up the tone for the mood perfectly and the lyrics that Goulding sings are deep. So what can go wrong? How about when adding the rap verse of Tinie Tempah?

"I barely even know this fucking woman in my bed/And if there's too much on my plate, then I ain't finishing my veg/And if anybody said the grass is greener on the other side/Well it ain't swear on my mother's life." This is just a little part of the verse Tempah rapped in "Hanging On". Of course for some reason in Goulding's US album version of Halcyon, the rap verse was omitted from the track.

Every song has a potential to be great and listenable. But of course, there is always an exception when it comes to songs that have whacked out lyrics. Because of this, there will always be songs that will be musically ruined.

How to Deal with Father's Day if You're Fatherless

2013-06-17T15:47:00.001-04:00

photo courtesy by huffingtonpost.com

According to fatherhood.org, about 24 million children in America live without having a dad. When it comes to Father's Day, some people don't know how to deal with the holiday since they don't have a father figure in their live to celebrate with. Don't feel bad or discourage. There are other ways of dealing with the annual holiday.

Create a Different Holiday
Just because it's Father's Day it doesn't mean you have to celebrate it. Come up with an alternative way to deal with the holiday. You can create your own holiday or do a yearly tradition that can be special for that specific day. Not only does it help you not concentrate on something you don't have, it also helps you to look at the celebration in a positive light.

Turn Father's Day into Another Mother's Day
There are some mothers out there that does the double duty of taking the role of being the mother and father for their kids. Take the day to thank your mom or other mother figures in your live that help you be who you are today. Besides, there's nothing wrong with showering your mom with extra attention.

Act Like It Doesn't Exist
If you don't want to celebrate it at all, then that's ok as well. You can simply look at the holiday as just another day. Distract yourself and keep yourself busy. Let your friends and family members know that you don't want them to talk about Father's Day and tell them the reasons why. Remember, just because everyone is celebrating it, it doesn't mean you have to force yourself to join in as well.

Why You Shouldn't Be Sad on Valentine's Day

2013-06-17T15:13:00.001-04:00

photo courtesy by vromansbookstore.com

Valentine's Day is the couple's galore when it comes to showing their partner their love and affection. Of course for the ones who have no partner at all, Valentine's Day is hell day for them. But why do some single people insist on carrying a vendetta against the holiday? Why be sad over a day that is actually a commercial holiday for flowers and candy? To all of the single people out there, you shouldn't be sad on Valentine's Day. Why you may ask? Well let's look at it this way:

You Are Not Alone
According to squidoo.com there are 120 single men for every 100 single ladies in their twenties. In fact for people who are 65 and older, there are 33 single men to 100 single women. Knowing that you are not alone on this holiday should ease your mind and make you feel less lonely for being single. You know what else is a good thing? How about...

You're Saving Money
What's the big deal about saving money? Well you clearly don't know how much companies can make form little Valentine's Day. Statisticbrain.com says that the average consumer spends around $116. You should be very lucky that you're not crazy in love on Valentine's Day. Then again be lucky that you're not suffering from one of the holiday's many tactics of love because...

Crazy Things Happen on Valentine's Day
To the ones who think proposing on this romantic holiday is a great idea, I hope you saved enough money since according to huffingtonpost.com, the average cost of an engagement ring is around $2,400. To the ones who are in a relationship, 53% of women in America would actually dump their boyfriends if they did not do anything special for them on Valentine's Day according to amusingfacts.com. On top of that, huffingtonpost notes that there will be an expected 14 million marriages/proposals plan for this year. 14 million people saying "I do" on V-Day? That is so original indeed.

But Wait, There's More
Even with the 14 million people getting married, you can't forget that there's going to be an estimated 40% increase in requests for divorce lawyers as well, as stated by newsfeed.time.com. It's so ironic how the day of love can actually bring in heart ache for others as well.

Don't worry about being single on Valentine's Day. Just chill out and act like the holiday is like any other day of the year. You're not losing money, you're not being crazy in love using cliche tactics of expressing your emotions and there won't be any nasty surprises heading your way on that day.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on February 2013

My Life as a Rainbow: Turning 22

2013-06-14T14:11:00.004-04:00

Chapter 14

At the beginning of this month, I officially turned 22. A lot of my friends were excited for me becoming older, but of course it is just another birthday after all. But that's not what I'm going to talk about.

The more I think about me becoming older, the more I think about the progress I've made as an LGBT individual. You see, it's been four years since I officially came out as a lesbian and I have to admit I did a lot of growing up throughout the years. It has been an emotional roller coaster but I'm actually proud of who I am and who I've become.

What have I learned as an LGBT individual? Well there's a tough concept called forgiveness in my part. Throughout the years I have seen the true ugly side of people, including my own family, when it comes to the LGBT community. I've learned that in order to start your own path and start the process of loving, I mainly have to learn how to forgive the people who brought so much negativity into my life because of my orientation.

It is extremely difficult, especially since I tend to hold grudges against people. Of course as my step dad would tell me from time to time, having that kind of level of hate in your heart really does a number on your emotional health. Rainbow brothers and sisters, I'm not saying to just turn your cheek to your enemies and let them give you a hit or two, I'm just saying that sometimes in order to move on you just have to let some things go. Too much emotional baggage will not help you move on in your life.

Another thing that I've learned is to accept the ugly truth. What I have come to terms with is the fact that I might not be able to introduce my future wife to my family at all since they still are against the fact that I'm a lesbian. In fact, even my aunt told me that she'll only come to my wedding if I married a man. I mean, it is sad and it does hurt my feelings but at the end of the day, I'm not changing myself for any one's satisfaction. If my family doesn't want to remain in my life then so be it.

Of course, one lesson that I have always followed is that no matter how strong you may be, there is nothing wrong with having a strong support group behind you. There's so much weight a person can carry until they end up breaking down. I have those moments where I've felt incomplete and useless but Trisha and Teresa never fail to remind me of what I have done and accomplished. I believe that behind every great individual, there's always a support group behind them to keep cheering them on.

I do have a couple of goals in mind for the future. Right now I'm focusing on finishing up college since I am a semester away from graduating. I feel really accomplished for keeping up with my education since I will be the second person in my family and the first person in my generation to be graduating from college. I'm also adding more to my resume since I'm planning on doing as much internships as I can which will hopefully help me with my career.

To my rainbow brothers and sisters, take the time and reflect on how much you have grown over the years. You might be surprised on how far you've come as an LGBT individual. Keep on going and stay strong.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on November of 2012

Shocking Moments of The Walking Dead

2013-06-13T13:55:00.002-04:00

photo courtesy by circlecinema.com

Season three of AMC's The Walking Dead has been leaving its fans on the edge of their seats in almost every episode. As the shows goes into their mid season break, let's look back at some of the most shocking moments this season had to offer:

#7. One Legged Hershel

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

Since the beginning of the season, producers have been throwing all sorts of twists and cruel surprises to the viewers. One example is back in episode one when one of the characters, Hershel, ends up getting bit in his ankle by a zombie. Thinking on his feet however, Rick decides to cut off Hershel's leg to prevent the zombie infection from spreading. Throughout the whole first episode, viewers were wondering whether or not Hershel might survive but fortunately at the end, Hershel finally wakes up from his coma, fully human.

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#6. The Many Sides of The Governor
Being one of the new characters of the show, Walking Dead fans were introduced to the Governor around the third episode. In the beginning it seems like the governor was simply a heartbroken man that lost his family to the zombie apocalypse and is suffering alone. Of course during the scene when he's sitting down staring nonchalantly ahead at the heads of the victims he cut out of, viewers realize that the governor isn't really in sync with his mental health. After almost sexually assaulting Maggie and killing innocent people for their supplies, fans quickly made the governor their new character to hate.

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#5. Walking Dead's One True Pairing: Andrea and The Governor
It's bad enough that Andrea decides to stay in Woodbury and let Michonne fend off zombies by herself. It's even worse when Andrea ends up falling in love with a person that she really doesn't know fully. How long will it take until she realizes that the person she's sleeping with is a psychopathic, manipulative tyrant?

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#4. Where is Carol?
Those three words were on every one's mind since Carol ends up missing in a couple of episodes. Some viewers speculate that Carol was dead since Daryl and Rick found her scarf. Carol fans were in denial about the whole thing since her body was not found. Of course in the end, Daryl ends up finding the still alive Carol behind a prison door deep within the corridors of the south wing of the prison.

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#3. Glenn and Maggie Getting Captured and Tortured
During their search for finding food, Glenn and Maggie end up running into Merle at the wrong place at the wrong time. Merle, who's still searching for his baby brother Daryl, tries to get Glenn to tell him about Daryl's whereabouts. Since Glenn refused to give any information, Merle attacks and kidnaps them and brings them over to Woodbury as hostages. As Merle tries beating Glenn into telling, the governor had other ideas to try and get Maggie to talk as well.

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#2. The Death of T-Dog
T-Dog, one of the long lasting characters of the whole series, ends up meeting his fate in season three. During a zombie attack, T-Dog gets bit in his shoulder while trying to fend off the zombies. On top of that, he ends up throwing himself into a group of zombies in order to save Carol. As one of the characters who didn't receive as many lines as the others, some viewers felt cheated when T-Dog was the next one to die.

photo courtesy by blogs.amctv.com

#1. The Death of Lori Grimes
Many fans were eager for Lori's death to come. But not all were anticipating on how she would die in the current season. Being one of the most hated characters on the show, some fans felt sorry for Lori since she end sup dying from giving birth to her baby girl. Others were left speechless as Carl, Lori's son, ends up being the one to shoot his own mother so she won't turn into a zombie.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on December of 2012

What Grinds My Gears about People's Bad Habits

2013-06-12T17:07:00.003-04:00

What are the most annoying things a person can do to make others mad? Acting out bad habits of course. These UB students had a lot to say of what grinds their gears about people's bad habits.

"People that cough with their mouth open,"
- Trisha Bartholomew, junior

"I don't like it when people chew their nails,"
- Tonisha Husbands, sophomore

"People that burp and fart like farm animals,"
- Eric, freshman

"When a student walks into class late and you can hear their music from their headphones very clearly,"
-Heather Scheer, junior

"When people from my dorm slam their doors every time they come in and leave,"
- Deb, sophomore

"When people chew with their mouth open,"
- Dan Burns, sophomore

"When people look for advice from different people until they find what they want to hear,"
-Trisha Bartholomew, junior

*following article was publish in The Scribe newspaper on October of 2012

What's Coming up in 2013

2013-06-12T17:02:00.001-04:00

photo courtesy by gapsa.upenn.edu

Movie lovers be prepared; next year is really packing up with 3D movies, a couple of remakes, re-releases, sequels and more. Check out this list of upcoming movies for early 2013. Release dates are subject to change. gapsa.upenn.edu

January

photo courtesy by wikipedia.org

Texas Chainsaw 3D (14)
A Haunted House (11)
Gangster Squad (11)
The Last Stand (18)
Broken City (18)
Guillermo Del Toro Presents Mama (18)
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (25)
Movie 43 (25)
Parker (25)

February

Warm Bodies (1)
Bullet to the Head (1)
Stand Up Guys (1)
Identity Thief (8)
Beautiful Creatures (13)
A Good Day to Die Hard (14)
Safe Haven (14)
Escape From Planet Earth (14)

photo courtesy by wikipedia.org

Snitch (22)

March

Jack the Giant Slayer (1)
21 and Over (1)
Oz: The Great and Powerful (8)
Admission (8)
Carrie (15)
The Croods (22)
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (29)
The Host (29)

April

Olympus Has Fallen (5)
Jurassic Park 3D (5)
The Heat (5)
Scary Movie 5 (12)
The Evil Dead (12)
42 (12)
Oblivion (19)
Pain and Gain (26)

photo courtesy by wikipedia.org

May

Iron May 3 (3)
The Great Gatsby (10)
Fast and Furious 6 (24)
Epic (24)

*following article was publish in The Scribe newspaper on December of 2012

"New Horizons" Brings Out the Best in Flyleaf

2013-06-10T17:53:00.002-04:00

photo courtesy by loudwire.com

Out of all the albums Flyleaf has put out, "New Horizons" is by far the best album this band has ever made. In fact not only does "New Horizons" help being the band back into the music scene, it also show cases Flyleaf's talents vocally, lyrically and musically.

Their lead single, "New Horizon" does have a good amount of interest as a single. Even though the lyrics are just as typical as the songs from their last album "Memento Mori", the beat helps the song to push it towards being a single. Of course instead of going with the title track, the band should have put their song "Fire Fire as their first single.

Songs like "Fire Fire", "Great Love" and "Broken Wings" channel out Flyleaf's emotional side, especially since Lacey Sturm is the one who helps bring on the full blown emotion from each song.

"Call You Out", "Freedom", and "Green Heart" are the highlights of their new album. "Call You Out" has a great melody that helps Sturm to sing on every beat. Of course the lyric themselves are also interesting to read: "How can you act like you know when all you know is to lie/Another truth to expose/Freedom will catch up and rise."

With "Freedom", Flyleaf fans will instantly get goose bumps as Sturm's vocals are fantastic, especially in the beginning of the track. "Freedom" is one of those tracks that really shows music fans the true talents of what Sturm can do vocally.

The song "Green Heart" gives an interesting take on greed. Throughout the song its strongest points are the lyrics. "Small green heart/Engraved on a dollar bill/Tell me could it build a whole universe/Can it speak or answer your prayers like you hope it will."

Towards the end of the album, the song "Broken Wings" feels like Sturm is literally telling her fans goodbye with the lyrics "Thank you for being such a friend to me/Oh I pray a friend for life/And have I ever told you how much you mean to me/Oh you're everything to me."

With the rating of four out of five stars, this album will satisfy Flyleaf fans musically, vocally, and lyrically. "New Horizons" is a big improvement from the last two albums the band has recorded.

Lacey Sturm Departs from Flyleaf

2013-06-09T13:41:00.001-04:00

Flyleaf, photo courtesy by glogster.com

Lacey Sturm, the lead singer of Flyleaf, announced on the band's Facebook page that she has decided to quit the band.

After being the lead vocalist since 2000, Sturm's decision to quit the band had to deal with the fact that since she's a new mother, she wanted to take care and concentrate on raising her child. On top of the death of their sound engineer, Rich Caldwell, Sturm feels that it was finally time to step down as the lead singer.

Lacey Sturm, photo courtesy by glogster.com

"As I take this first step on a new journey, I pray that each one of you would pursue your highest calling with reckless abandon as well, understanding that sometimes the fullness of life comes in doing things that are only understood by you, God and the special people God has put in your life that truly love you for you," stated Sturm on Facebook.

The remaining band members, Sameer Bhattacharya, Jared Hartmann, James Culpepper and Pat Seals have already chosen a new lead singer for Flyleaf. Kristen May, formerly of Vedera, will be taking up the spotlight as Flyleaf's front woman for the upcoming tour dates.

"I'm finally honing in on the sound I'm going for and couldn't be more excited. Playing with Flyleaf will give me a chance to get back on the road and will only spur on the creativity I'm engulfed in," May said on her Facebook page. "It's also an opportunity to work with great people who are as passionate about music as I am. Thank you everyone for your support."

The band is excited for what's to come for Flyleaf and their new album, New Horizons.

Kristen May, photo courtesy by asguaredmgmt.com

"We are excited for this new chapter in the history of Flyleaf and hope that our fans will accompany us as we continue on this journey to bring hope and inspiration through our music," wrote Pat Seals, bass player and back vocalist of Flyleaf.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspapers on November of 2012

Halcyon: More Misses Than Hits

2013-06-08T13:46:00.003-04:00

photo courtesy by wikipedia.org

Ellie Goulding's second album, Halcyon, is filled with good beats and somewhat good lyrical content. With songs such as "Anything Could Happen" and "I Know You Care" as her two singles off the album, Halcyon is one of those albums were there's always some sort of a catch to it.

Halcyon has very few moments where Goulding shines through. Most of the songs are treat for music lovers who tend to focus more on the melody aspect of the song. Lyrically however, there are more misses than hits.

For instance, songs like "Atlantis" and "Only You" are lyrically mediocre. "Only You" has a verse and chorus repeated multiple times throughout the song while "Atlantis" has a single phrase that is constantly being sung over and over in two thirds of the song.

With the few songs that Goulding succeeds on having good lyrical content, "My Blood" offers its haunting verse: "the alarms will ring for eternity/the waves break every chain on me/My bones will bleach/My flesh will fee/So help my lifeless frame to breathe..." The song "Figure 8" also showcases Gouding's clever lyrical tactics with "still not too old to die young".

Along with Ellie Goulding, rapper Tinie Tempah is also featured in the album with "Hanging On". The song itself has an interesting beat along with good vocals that has the right amount of emotion to like the song. The lyrics of the track are also good as well. "Touch me and then turn away/And put your hands into the flame/Tell me if you feel this pain/'Cause I don't want to be a ball and chain".

With Tempah providing his verse into "Hanging On", the song goes from good to disappointing with his verse. "I barely even know this f-ing woman in my bed/And if there's too much on my plate then I ain't finishing my veg/And if anybody said the grass is greener on the other side/Well it ain't, swear on my mother's life".

Goulding's second album is filled with a lot of songs that have good beats with a lack of good lyrical content. Most of the tracks would have the chance to be potentially good songs if Goulding would have taken the time to concentrate on the lyrical aspect of Halcyon. With the rating of two and half out of five stars, Halcyon is one of those albums where it relies on the beats to save it.

My Life as a Rainbow: Yes Gentlemen, I am Guy Friendly

2013-06-07T12:55:00.003-04:00

Chapter 13:

For some reason, some guys have this fixed idea that lesbians hate men. They believe we're some ultra-hardcore feminist who will stop at nothing to take over the world and convert all women to lesbianism. Well, obviously I'm exaggerating a bit but nonetheless there are still some men out there who have a vendetta against rainbow chicks like me.

The truth is I don't see why some men are uncomfortable around lesbians. Just because we love women doesn't mean we're going to steal your girlfriend. I don't know if it's an ego thing but I think it's a bit stupid if you ask me. There's no reason to act weird around us.

I have a couple of guy friends who respect me as a rainbow chica. These lesbophiles understand that we're not about chasing every girl down. Sure they ask questions that can be sill sometimes but at least they're taking the time to understand.

Teresa, one of my best friends, is dating a guy name Hari. Hair is a really cool person. He knows that I'm a lesbian and yet he doesn't act weird or treat me any different. We both have a mutual relationship and we both equally respect each other just the same. There's no hostility towards each other and I think a relationship of that sort should be a case for every man and lesbian.

Gentlemen, instead of trying to fight with us, why not come together and work with us? I know some of you need a wing man (or wing woman) to help you out with getting the ladies. Think about it for a second, what better way to successfully hook up with a chick than to have someone who actually knows about women?

All I'm saying is lesbians and men do share something in common - their love for women. Instead of fearing us, why not team up with us? Do you know how many chicks we could hook up with if men and lesbians teamed together? The possibilities are endless.

To all the men out there, if you come across a lesbian, think of it this way: that rainbow sister could definitely help you out in finding a hot chick.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on October of 2012

Top Four Halloween Friendly Movies

2013-06-06T16:41:00.002-04:00

For this Halloween season, instead of covering your eyes in fright from the scary movies you can't seem to enjoy, why not pop in a Halloween movie that will guarantee to give you laughs? Can't seem to find the right Halloween friendly movie? Then check out these recommendations.

Beetlejuice

photo courtesy by wikipedia.org

Barbra and Adam are recently deceased after a horrible car accident at the bridge. Now as ghosts, they watch new owners move into their home. On top of that they also have to deal with the "bio-exorcist", Beetlejuice, as he turns the house upside down with his sinister tricks and scares. Starting Geena Davis, Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, this 1998 comedy is a classic among Tim Burton fans.

photo courtesy by wikipedia.org

Hocus Pocus
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Thora Birch star in this 1993 comedy about three witches who were resurrected in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night. As the three witches plan to steal all the souls of all the trick or treaters, Dani (played by Birch) along with an immortal cat will stop at nothing to bring those witches back to where they belong.

photo courtesy by wikipedia.org

Elvira Mistress of the Dark
Elvira comes to a tiny conservative town after she learns that she's in her late great aunt's will. After she comes to Fallwell however, the town is turned upside down as people mistake her as a witch with her good looks and seductive exterior. Meanwhile her uncle is secretly trying to take over the world. Starting Cassandra Peterson, this comedy horror will sure to bring more laughs than scares.

photo courtesy by wikipedia.org

The Witches
In this 1990 fantasy horror, Luke stumbles into the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children convention since he was staying at the hotel with his grandma. Unknowingly, that same convention is being hosted by a group of witches that plans on killing children. Luke tries to escape but ends up being turned into a mouse by the head witch herself. Will Luke be able to stop the witches from getting rid of all the children? Starting Anjelica Huston and Jasen Fisher, Roald Dahl's "The Witches" will sure to be an interesting movie pick for your entertainment list.

*following article was published on The Scribe newspaper on October of 2012