There Is Academy Award Buzz Going Around but Wait.....Do I Care?

Tis the season to give out little golden men statuettes to the most deserving actors and films in Hollywood, and I am feeling like Scrooge this time around. The only film that I have seen that is nominated for best picture is Inception, and it was just Ok. I wasn't thoroughly amazed and knocked out of my socks after I left the theater when I saw it in the summer with a group of friends. Everyone was singing praises to this film, saying how original the concept was and how epic the special effects were.

The visuals were a nice touch but I felt this big-budget film was hyped from the beginning utnil the end, especially since it starred none other than Hollywood darling Leonardo DiCaprio. It just fell short and left me dazed, confused, and wondering why I had never thought of making my strange dream activity into a screen play and accumulate millions off of it. I haven't seen the Facebook movie, or "The Social Network" as it is called but this movie seems to be garnering the most buzz among the Academy and Hollywood.

I simply couldn't muster up the anticipation or desire to see a movie about Facebook even if I am obsessed with it. I felt the story was supposed to be told but not necessarily seen, especially since all I kept hearing was how grossly exaggerated the characters and plot were compared to the real story of the creator and the beginnings of Facebook.

Since I haven't seen the film and don't plan on seeing it either, I cannot fairly offer my opinion on the theatrics of "The Social Network," but I will say this.... a movie about the making of Facebook could possibly take the little golden man statuette and it really doesn't come as that huge of a surprise seeing that even less orginal concepts have been awarded. As far as the actual show, I won't be watching it, but you probably could have guessed that. I am becoming less and less excited by the film industry and the lack of creativity and talent.

I wish all the Oscar nominees much luck and hopefully for them Kanye West wasn't invited......actually, hopefully he was because he would inject some much needed excitement into an awards show that has grown more predictable and boring despite having some of the funniest comedians as hosts.

The Tuscon Shooting: My Perspective on The Tragedy and the Aftermath

The Tuscon Shooting: My Perspective on The Tragedy and the Aftermath
As we all know, there was a media frenzy that lasted for weeks covering the horrible shootings that occured at a public meeting held by U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords at a Casas Adobes supermarket parking lot on Saturday, January 8, 2011 and ended with six people killed and 14 injured, including Giffords. The violent acts committed by 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner raised a lot of questions about the heated political climate in this country.
One thing that still stands out to me and echoes in my head are the statements made by Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik in a news conference the night of the shooting. His view that the "vitriol" and "rhetoric" in the media was responsible for provoking such acts of violence was repudiated by politicians, political analysts, and talking heads alike though initially it was the most logical assumption to make. I still agree fully with the sentiments made by Dupnik, even after information on Loughner's mental instability and obsession with Giffords was released.
I believe as he does, that the vitriol spewed in the media day in and day out can and will incite violence and not only from individuals who are "unstable to begin with" as Dupnik stated. In the aftermath of the 2008 presidential election, we saw the onset of the Tea Party revolution in America. Their objective was less government control and they had the exclusive mantra "take our country back." They vehemently opposed the policies of newly elected President Barack Obama yet they insisted that they were a non-partisan movement that both Democrats and Republicans could be apart of.
We saw over and over again their hate for President Obama displayed at their rallies. The signs depicting the president as being un-American, unpatriotic, a terrorist, a thug. If those images do not incite violence then I do not know what will. Even more unsettling during the 2008 presidential electon was the rhetoric of then Republican vice presidential candidate, and Alaska governor Sarah Palin.
In so many words, she too accused Barack Obama and his supporters of being un-American, a terrorist.At McCain/Palin rallies people in the crowd could be heard shouting "terrorist" and "kill him" as a response to her explosive accusations. She ironically became a key character in the media frenzy surrounding the shootings in Arizona because of a map that her political action committee, SarahPAC, put online. The map is a target list that shows 20 House Democrats from districts that the Republicans carried in 2008 who voted for the health care bill.
There are crosshairs on the districts with a list of the Representatives underneath the map. Gifford's district is a target on the list. As much as I want to believe the rhetoric that we are all on the same team as Americans, we simply are not on the same team and our government is very divided as well as our citizens.
I

Winter Weather: A Lifelong Floridian's Worst Enemy

My favorite season has always been summer, not only because of the long, nice, breaks from school, but because-- you guessed it BEACH weather, however, since I was a little kid, I dreamed of playing in the snow and building  snowmen in the front yard. I never experienced that growing up because I have only lived in southern states with warm climates.

As I got older, I realized  that it was only my fantasies of building snowmen that attracted me to cold weather. I have a low tolerance to the cold. My ideal day is about 80 degrees, sunny, with clear skies. I am convinced that this is because I am a Floridian, born and raised. Another great thing about the winter season is hot chocolate and coffee, although one could argue that these can be enjoyed year round, they are truly treats when it is below 30 degrees outside.

On the Winter Solstice, December 21st, it was still decent weather in Pensacola with 60-degree temperatures. As they always do, temperatures began to drop around the beginning of January. First we had days with highs in the 50s and 60s and lows in the 40s and 30s. It is the middle of January now and I am REALLY starting to feel the chill.

Last night when I walked from my dorm to the cafeteria it was 23 degrees, which means I was freezing my butt off. One of my allies in this cold weather is a six letter word called LAYERS, and plenty of them. Hoodies, fleeces, long sleeves, thermals, and coats. I am contemplating investing in a snow jacket just because.

Also, I love my knock-off UGGs because I refuse to pay over 50 dollars for a pair of shoes right now, especially when they look like UGGs. They may be warm, but they aren't exactly glamourous.

Maybe I will save up for some UGGs though because I remember trying on my cousin's over a year ago.I was wearing a bunch of layers but the warmest part of my body was  my feet. And I wasn't even wearing socks.

My exercise routine has also suffered because of the cold weather because I am not motivated to walk from my dorm to the gym in the cold, especially during the evening. I used to hate jogging in the heat of the summer too, so I would run early in the morning before it got too hot. The morning would be a great time for me too work out, especially on Mondays and Wednesdays when I don't have class until four p.m.

Back To School: Second Semester at UWF

Wednesday was my first day back at school. Tuesday evening consisted of me scrambling to register for my classes because Admisssions put a hold on my registration due to them not receiving my high school transcript despite me persistently requesting them from my high school since August of last semester. I registered for my classes through my ArgoNet account that night.

Most of the classes that I added on my trial schedule were still open but I decided to drop one journalism course in place for another one. I also signed up for a speech class which I desperately need to help me defeat my fear of public speaking. My schedule so far looks great. My first class was at 4:00 so I had plenty of time to sleep in and get lunch.

One thing that I really love about UWF is the variety in the cafeteria. I usually get my favorite, a salad from the fresh salad bar and a chicken salad sandwich. I am expecting this semester to be more challenging than last semester, but also more smooth because I am now familiar with the campus and campus life.

 I look forward to meeting more friends and letting my guard down around people. It takes me a while to warm up to strangers but I will try to participate in more activities on campus, especially games. I also made a goal to routinely go to the campus gym, which is wonderful. All in all, I am highly optimistic about this semester at UWF.