There is no question that today one of the best musical shows on TV is Glee. If by now you don’t know about Glee, let me just mention that Glee won a Golden Glove this year for Best Television series-Musical or Comedy. This is just only one of the many awards the TV series has won since it first airs in 2009.
Just this year as well they announce a Tour. Something that had me really excited. When I first find out about the tour I was for sure tuning in on the news to see the day in which the show will be in Dallas.
What was my surprise to find out that the show only had several tour dates, and that Dallas was not included in any of the tour dates announce.
The show will hit only four states this month, Staring in Arizona with two shows. The next stop on the road for Glee is California were they will perform for three consecutive days, staring May 20, through May 22. ON the last day, the Cast of Glee will perform twice, with one show starting at two and the last show at eight.
Illinois will follow with two show. The tour will end on New York were they will perform five shows. And once again the cast is expected to have two shows in one day, the only difference is that they will do this for two days.
No doubt that this show has a great future. The unique story that Ryan Murphy has created gives another modern look at what musicals are.
This was the first interview I had to do that would be used for TV. I was caught off guard by this. I thought I would be writing a review on a musical about calculus and end up freaking out when I was told to hold the microphone and ask questions. The two people with me helped so much. They helped come up with questions before the interview and told me what to do. This helped a lot because I had never done an interview like that before. Once that was over I got to ask a few more questions about the two actors in the show and learned a little about the process they go through to get the job. What the musical was about and about the writers of the musical. They were a part of the Know Theater in Cincinnati.
The musical is basically two people playing a multitude of different characters that somehow helped to invent calculus, but done like a musical. They parodied different songs and tailored them to help people learn about calculus.
After interviewing some of the students there I found many went for extra credit in different math classes. The overall consensus was that they enjoyed it and if they knew it would be that entertaining they would have gone without the perks of extra points.
I found it enjoyable and entertaining. While most of it was over my head, not having taken a math class more advanced than college algebra, it was still funny. I think it would be a great way to learn the rules and equations because it made fun. You can easily memorize the words to a song on the radio so why not try to memorize the words to without Riemann- parodied form Eminem’s without me or maxima and minima to Orffenbach Can Can.
This week more conflict is brewing in our country - this time it’s about clothes and flags. An incident took place in California on Cinco de Mayo Day.
Five students, all boys, showed up for class wearing American flag T-shirts and bandannas. They were immediately reprimanded by the vice principal to turn their shirts inside out and return to class. They refused.
As always, reaction at the school was varied. One student said the T-shirts were disrespectful because it was a Mexican holiday. The boys said that they were Americans and were proud of it.
The school district thought the incident was not handled well. I think the boys should have the opportunity to wear what they want , including the T-shirts. There isn’t anything offensive about a flag of your own country, especially here in America.
Why is it anything that’s truly American is called into question these days? It’s as if you can’t be proud of your country anymore without someone finding fault with it.
Bill O’Reilly discussed the issue on his show that evening. Kelly Megyn, Fox News Anchor, said the Supreme Court is very specific on this issue. She said the problem was with the vice principal. He singled out those wearing the American flag T-shirts. If everyone was wearing some kind of flag, then apparently it would have been OK.
It seems like everything is so complicated these days, even an issue as simple as a T-shirt. We wear green just for fun on St. Patrick’s Day and nobody grumbles about that, yet a flag has to cause this much controversy?
Latin rhythms and easy to follow moves the workout has changed the routine and a fitness program will never be the same.
This is called zumba. Zumba combines Latin and international that makes the exercise fun. The more usual music used with zumba is salsa, merengue, reaggeton, cumbia and others. Zumba is coached through licensed instructors and there are a lot of DVD’s with zumba videos to play them at home and be active. This is a very good way to exercise and have fun at the same time.
The routines combine fast and slow beats accompanied with resistance and stretching at the same time you are burning fat. They are a combination of calorie-burning and body energizing that helps you to feel better.
If you want to burn calories, energize your body and have fun at the same time you should try the new movement called zumba.
If there’s one show that’s fun to watch in the summer, it’s “America’s Got Talent.”
The variety of acts are so varied that you never know what you’ll see. There’s something for everyone in this delightful show. Last year a country-western singer from the hills of Kentucky won the $1 million prize. It was Kevin Skinner, who also got to perform in Las Vegas as part of winning.
Three years ago a Mesquite resident won the $1 million prize - it was Terry Fator. Fator is perhaps the best ventriloquist I have ever seen. He recently performed in Dallas but he has a $100 million contract in Vegas since winning he show and still is going strong there. He has said many times in newspaper articles that he’s been performing all his life in local shows, but until he tried out on the talent show, he didn’t get that far.
The NBC show auditioned at Fair Park in Dallas in March to a large number of metroplex hopefuls. David Hasselhoff, who was one of the judges, has been replaced by Howie Mandell. Mandell is pretty entertaining so he should enhance the show. I’ve always enjoyed his former show, “Deal or No Deal.”
According to an article in The Dallas Morning News, Mandell said he’s been a big fan of “America’s Got Talent” since the show started. He said he thinks talent shows are really hot right now because everybody can relate to them. I have to agree with him.
I am happy to announce the end is so near I can almost taste it. It has been a tough journey, especially last semester when my mom became seriously ill. As I reflect back on my life, I have to admit that I have been really blessed. I started the educational journey in 1986. I have been in and out of school like crazy. Each time I returned, I changed my major which put me further away from my goal. Now I realize that I really didn’t need an education in order to define who I really am, although I thought I did. That is what kept me plowing away at the goal. All of this brings t o mind a song that I become acquainted with in the seventh grade. I attend E.O. Smith middle school, located in the heart of fifth ward in Houston Texas. I was in the choir and I will never forget how I use to grace the halls with my Aretha Franklin impressions each day. My choir instructor was Ms Lee, she was very weird, but nice. I don’t think she was weird so much, maybe it was just that I didn’t understand her. You know the drill, the moment we can’t comprehend something or someone we automatically assume that they are weird. That’s not right. She taught a song that sort of stayed with me called “My Way”. This song hold such an indebt meaning. If you have never heard it. Here are the lyrics.
And now the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend I’ll say it clear
I’ll state my case of which I’m certain
I’ve lived a life that’s full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
Regrets I’ve had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
Yes there were times I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out, I faced it all
And I stood tall and did it my way
I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried
I’ve had my fill, my share of losing
And now as tears subside
I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say not in a shy way
Oh no, oh no, not me
I did it my way
For what is a man what has he got
If not himself then he has not
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way
Yes it was my way
Independent artists definitely have a struggle when it comes to “making it” in the business. There are special cases that happen once in awhile where an artist is allowed to take control of their brand image and launch themselves into stardom. John Legend is a prime example; an R&B singer who produced his music through a major record label and at the same time took his own initiative to launch his music through his own label while conducting research on how other bands were marketing and branding themselves. This allowed Legend to become a huge success because he was able to work the system to his advantage. Not all artists are just as fortunate. Many of them suffer at the hands of people they never see. An example of this is seen with the promotion of music on the radio through indi promoters. Individual artists are also at the mercy of these promoters who serve as middle men between the record companies and the radio stations. They are seen as the “lobbyists” of the music world; trying to convince the independent record companies to play certain songs and getting kickbacks from the record companies. So someone who is a struggling artist might find it hard to get their songs heard unless they are affiliated with a major record label. It becomes clear why John Legend was able to be so successful in his career since he was able to land a major contract and do his own work at the same time.
The potential benefit of advertising goes hand in hand with its potential harm. The necessarily, degree of detriment, and magnitude of effect an ad has on the consumers play a huge roll when it comes to weighing pros and cons. An ad for cigarettes for example has no necessity, high degree of detriment to one’s health, and a huge magnitude of effect in regards to addiction. So in this scenario, I would say that advertising has a negative effect. If the product, however, either has positive or a neutral effect, then advertising can be looked at simple as a means by which companies communicate with consumers. For example, ads for products that promote going green or eco-friendly products have great necessity, little to no degree of detriment, and have a great positive impact on the consumer and the ecosystem as a whole. Author Dinyar Godrej believes that “Advertising today has little to do with introducing a new product.. and has everything to do with images, dreams, and emotions. “The modern day advertiser doesn’t simple promote their product. The new tactic is to sell an idea or image that people can relate to and envision themselves as being a part of. This psychological tactic enables people to make subconscious choices about the purchases they make. So overall, if done correctly and for the right product, advertising can be a very beneficial tool for both consumers and businesses; however, if used incorrectly, the potential harm of advertising can be extremely detrimental to those who fall victim.
The debate over the correlation between violent video games and violence has been going from the moment these products hit the shelves. In March 2000, Dr. Craig Anderson gave a speech to the US Congress about violence and video games. In his argument he presented facts and statistics that he believed would support his thesis that indeed there was a correlation between video games and violence. His main point was that from infancy, people are learning how to “perceive, interpret, judge, and respond to events in the physical and social environment.” So he believes that because we learn how to act through our experiences with the environment, any negative or violent influences will affect our behaviors long term. He gives examples of how playing violent games enables our minds to identify and understand the aggressor so we are more likely to imitate. On the other hand, Others believe that video games can’t possible have an effect on people’s aggression because there is a sort of “generational” divide between the video game literate and illiterate; that it doesn’t affect all people the same. Studies have shown that some people whose children have played violent video games and have never committed a crime. In my opinion, each one of these sides has a valid point. But I would venture to say that video games increase the amount of violence in children more so than in adults. This violence also has many different levels and scenarios when it comes out. Violent behavior could come out more in a child who came from a broken home, an underprivileged background, or they could have a chemical inbalance in their bodies. There are so many other factors that play in. So it’s not to say that all children who play video games will be trigger happy villains. Other factors do play into the manifested actions of the child or person. But I do agree with what Dr. Anderson says about being able to identify with certain violent acts. Neurological connections are made when there is a physical interaction (even a simulated one) with violence. However, we must take into account that violence existed since the dawn of time; and children were violent in other, and sometimes worse, ways than now before the invention of video games. So I would say that the argument is a bit more complex and multifaceted than just a simple cause and effect correlation.
Last Week, Wednesday April 21st, was a wonderful day for me, the Annual Intercultural Festival in Richland College. It was the day I can be proud of my country of origin, Palestine, in public that is. Normally because of the contoversy and confusion of many people about that, I didnt talk much about it because of the fear of negative reaction and comments. But that day changed the way I felt, and When I performed a song that represented my home country(A Dabke, a traditional Middle Eastern Stomp Dance originated in Palestine and expanded to other Middle Eastern Countries ), I was very surprised that people loved it. Not only other Americans, but people of different countries loved it, some kids in a class of mine, who are not even Arabs, even wanted that Dabke Song mailed to them . Now and till this I can definitely be proud to call myself a Palestinian American. The important thing is nobody has a right to stop you from being who you are, you are who you are, you decide who you are, no one but you.
Anything of interest to community college students; please blog with care and common sense. Pretend your teachers are reading this - they probably are!
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