What's Going On?

Jersey Pride

2010-01-15T00:50:00.001-05:00

"The Jersey girl..a love of an unpretentious good time, and a certain sense of style. Jersey girls are about attitude. They're about eating pizza, drinking beer, having great hair - and enjoying it all..She's got a mouth on her. She says what she means. And she's got a nice, cheerful laugh..Bottom line, all of them are sexy as hell." -The Star Ledger (see http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jersey%20girl&defid=2644246 for full quote)

I don't even know if this quote was even published in The Star Ledger (i'm trying to find out when) but being born and raised in Jersey, I see the truth to it. Though MTV's Jersey Shore portrays it otherwise. That show's so funny, it's ridiculous, you can't help watching it. It's like watching a train wreck. It's so bad it's good.

Most viewers have to keep in mind that just because the show takes place at a shore house in Seaside during August 2009, only one of the cast members, Sammi Sweetheart, is actually from New Jersey, the other cast members are from New York and Pauly D is from Rhode Island. You gotta love their nicknames like "The Situation".

These people don't define what being from Jersey means. My definition:

It's taking pride in saying "caw-fee" and "taw-lk" with that accent you don't recognize until you're called out on it. It's loving and being proud of Bon Jovi and Springsteen, even though their prime was 20 years ago. Not everyone in Jersey sounds like Joe Pesci and Marissa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny. It's knowing you have a reputation for being an aggressive Jersey driver and being proud of it. Hell, it's even bringing that aggression with you to the mall during the holidays where the speed limit of the person driving in front of you or walking in front of you is going to slow. It's about knowing where the good diners are, some even have liquor licenses. It's about being Italian; everyone has some Italian blood in them and if you don't you know someone Italian. And you always have some kind of connection to someone; everyone in Jersey always knows somebody. And if it's not about that, it's about the attitude. And when you go to the club, you know who the guidos are by the gelled hair, the Ed Hardy/muscle tees/wife beaters, the chains, the fist pumping and the diamond stud earring. And in Jersey, you know what part of Jersey someone's from by their a) parkway exit or b) area code. If you're 973/201/551 you're North Jersey, 732 is Central (existence is questionable), 856 you're South Jersey near WaWa and Philly. But most of all, it doesn't matter what the haters and out-of-staters say, it's about ignoring the stereotypes, and showing that Jersey pride like it's your job.

Ayo Technology

2009-07-06T01:45:00.009-04:00

Say I were stranded on an island or was suddenly homeless and there were only three possessions I would bring, the three things I couldn't live without.I would bring my cell phone, my laptop, and my Ipod in a heartbeat. Those are my three electronics I am completely dependent on. There I said. I admitted technology's profound influence on my life. It comes with being part of Generation Y, the Millennials. I even realize that after college while living in a cardboard box(not literally), and writing to make a living, 2 of these 3 electronics will be my chief means of communication/employment, the third solely for entertainment and inspiration purposes.

One of the topics that were discussed in my journalism classes was the rise of online journalism and the Internet's role in shaping journalism. Thanks to the Internet, news is available to us at our fingertips 24/7. Major news networks and newspapers update their websites continuously, often posting updates before they have time to be broadcasted on air. And now, Twitter, which has grown tremendously in popularity in the last few months, has joined the ranks and become a news outlet. Even I have a Twitter account, which I use to follow the latest news on my favorite celebrities as well as friends, Facebook still reigns supreme in friend following for me. Five years ago, Myspace fulfilled that role. Some people still have and maintain both accounts. Some out of nostalgia, some to keep in touch, some just because. Myspace is now used more by musicians and bands to update fans on their latest news. Their fan pages serve that same purpose and Facebook and Twitter essentially do the same thing. What it comes down to is that these three sites are social networking sites that share the ability for people to connect and communicate.

What I say I'm addicted to Facebook? It depends on how you define a Facebook addict. I visit the site and check my profile every day. It's usually one of the first things I do when I go online. Am I a junkie who can't go without my daily Facebook fix without feeling a sense of social disconnection? Yeah, I am. Even though I have text messaging and AIM to keep intouch with my friends, Facebook provides the kind of updates that text and instant messages can't fulfill. Facebook answers the "what's up and what did you do today's" for you. And for those people, who spam your news feed with hourly updates, there's Twitter, where one can feel no shame in being a status whore.

The Man in the Mirrror

2009-06-25T18:59:00.008-04:00

Before Michael Jackson died on Thursday of "unknown causes", I didn't know how old he was. He gave the impression of someone who was ageless, maybe because of all his plastic surgery in the past 20 years that made his pale white skin, curly black hair and sunglasses irregonizable, as well as resemblance to sister, La Toya. I don't know much about Michael Jackson's personal life outside of how the media has portrayed, bizarre behavior, child molestation allegations, and Peter Pan lifestyle at his Neverland Ranch.

The more bizarre Jackson got, the more we responded to the behavior and not the music, and the further he ran from the world.

Michael Jackson's death is already being compared to another king in music, Elvis Presley. Their deaths are similar.

When Michael Jackson died, the amount of Twitter, Facebook status updates, and texts anouncing his death and commemorating him were astounding. I've never seen that much actvity and dare I say unity, in the 2 years I've been on Facebook.

As the days since his death pass, more and more details about Michael Jackson and his personal life are being revealed. You can't turn on the t.v. without seeing some headline, interview, or tribute about Michael Jackson. According to Lisa Marie Presley, the Prince of Pop knew he was going to end up like the King of Rock and Roll. There's no way in knowing how much of a posthmous impact his death will have. This New York Times article sums that up pretty well.

MTV Shows

Last week wasn't good for Hollywood. First there was the death of Ed McMahon, followed by Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson on Thursday, and Billy Mays, the OxiClean guy, on Sunday.

When the news broke that Michael Jackson was in cardiac arrest (which is heart failure and not a heart attack) and then a coma, his family was immediately by his side at UCLA. About an hour or two after this, the LA Times and the AP Press confirmed that Michael Jackson had died at the untimely age of 50 from a condition oddly enough common for men his age. While CNN was waiting for confirmation on Michael's death, the news network strangely began to eulogize and remember him before anything was official. That was strange.

Across the street from UCLA Medical Center, a frat house began to play Michael Jackson's music, loud enough to be heard from the crowd gathered outside the hospital. While major news organizations and publications confirmed his death, none of it was really authorized or official despite the reputation of these organizations and publications, until it was announced by the hospital press department, which by law could not give news, without the permission of the Jackson family.

While Michael Jackson (MJ) may be gone and the Man in the Mirror's reflection faded, his influence and impact on music will not be forgotten.
I'll Be There-Jackson 5
Man in the Mirror-Michael Jackson

New Jersey:The New Seattle

2009-06-20T18:55:00.010-04:00

Seattle called and wants their weather back. It's June 20 and already it's rained for about 16 days making New Jersey the new Seattle. It actually hasn't rained in Seattle for 29 days. I can't remember the last time it was sunny for an entire day or nice enough for me to enjoy the sun and get a tan. It's the kind of weather that makes me sleepy and want to watch movie after movie. I am convinced it's never going to stop raining or we'll get 40 days and 40 nights of it just like in the story of Noah's Ark. I still wouldn't trade in Jersey for Seattle. I don't think I'd be able to handle 140 days of rain a year. What's really funny though is that though Seattle may be famous for its rain, it actually doesn't receive the most rain per year-Mobile, Alabama does.
Rain-Breaking Benjamin

How do you sleep?

2009-06-18T23:20:00.014-04:00

(Note: this was originally a mobile blog I sent on June 18 at 4am but Blogger posted it as gibberish or hieroglyphics or something lol)

The Supreme's said love don't come easy. For me, that also applies to sleep. Lately, I haven't been able to get it until I see the morning light peek through the crack in my blind. Yes Twilight fans, I know the same is true for vampires and zombies. I wonder who else is up now-doctors, nurses, EMTs, firemen, police officers, truck drivers and probably other various professions I can't think of.

There are various remedies and tips for getting a good night's sleep like drinking warm milk if you can't sleep or not eating before bed. My own personal remedies include either listening to comedy shows by Dane Cook or Mitch Hedberg, watching an episode of Gilmore Girls or a movie in the hopes that watching it will tire me out, or just try sleeping without getting distracted. None of that has been working.

Maybe I have a temporary sleeping disorder? An estimated 70 million Americans suffer from some sleep disorder for a variety of reasons. The sleeping pill industry is huge. While trying to sleep, I came across this entry on Screwed-Up Texan's blog (the name alone got me interested) advertizes on Blogger's home page. His youngest son "pet" yellow jackets, got stung,and then started hyperventilating. When the paramedics came, his oldest son who was pretending to be sick to stay home from school, announced he wasn't in front of the paramedics. Screwed-up Texan's FmL post would read something like this: My youngest son got stung by a bee today so i called the paramedics. My oldest son who was pretending to be sick, revealed that he was faking it the entire time-right in front of the paramedics. FML

This gets me thinking to how websites like FML, MLIA (basically posts about thoughts most people wouldn't admit they think or say outloud), texts from last night, only@College (about the party last night that was awlfuly crazy that you can't remember for anyone who doesn't know) and even PostSecret get started. Was it because someone was up at some ungodly hour because they couldn't sleep so he or she decided to submit a short personal anecdote about their daily life experience so they could feel better about their day by finding a post by someone whose life sucked more? That's the point of FML and the above websites. They're guilty pleasures.We can't help checking it every so often (especially on a bad day) to see whose day was worse. It's like a contest for suckiest day ever except comments and ratings are the prize. We all do it-we read a post, we laugh at it, we wish it didn't happen to us , and we move on. There's comfort in knowing that someone out there has it worse than you. It's a sense of communal sympathy.

How much would this suck (it's one of the more sympathetic ones):

Today, I found out that I am 14 weeks pregnant. The father of the baby is now engaged to my best friend, whom he was cheating on me with when I became pregnant. I'm going to be the maid of honor, 8 months pregnant with his child, at their wedding.FML

You can't help by feeling bad for the girl. Here she is pregnant with her best friend's fiance's baby and the maid of honor and her best friend may never find out the truth. It reads like something straight out of a soap opera, but it's not. It happened.

Posts on FML have various degrees of suckage (for lack of a better word).

LEVEL 1: Kinda Sucky-Things could be worse.

Today, I went to the store to buy some groceries. While I was at the store, an employee came up to me and said, "You're beautiful!" When I came home I told my husband what had just happened. My husband then asked, "What was wrong with him?" FML

LEVEL 2: Sucky-You wouldn't wanna be this person.

Today, I received my passport in the mail. They got my birthdate wrong. Then I picked up my birth certificate that I had sent in with the application. Turns out my parents have been celebrating my birthday on the wrong day for 16 years. FML

LEVEL 3: That Really SUCKS! aka You're fucked.

Today, I had drunk sex with a girl that I barely know. I didn't have a condom and was nervous about getting her pregnant, but she assured me that I could pull out. Right when I was about to pull out, she wrapped her legs around me and yelled : "BE MY BABY'S DADDY!" I couldn't get out in time. FML

But's it like Monty Python Life of Brian and Spamalot, Broadway's version of Monty Python says, "always look on the bright side of life", no matter how bad, sucky, or fuck-my-life worthy things are.

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life-Monty Python

What's Going On?

2009-06-14T22:13:00.012-04:00

What's going on? That's the title of this blog and the same question Marvin Gaye posed in his 1971 song (of the same title, remade in 2001 by contemporary singers) about political and social issues during the Vietnam War era that are still relevant in today's post 9/11, technology driven world. It was ranked the fourth greatest song of all time out of a list of 500 chosen by Rolling Stone magazine. That's how impactful it was.

The lyric:

"Oh, brother, brother, brother/There's far too many of you dying"

can be applied to the current Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq. Since 2003, according to the Washington Post, there have been 4,994 fatalities.

That's a small number compared to the 58,148 casualties in the Vietnam War. It's not about the statistics though. These men and women serving our country in all the different branches of the military are somebody's sister, brother, husband, wife, mother, father, and friend. They mean something to someone. They are missed everyday and have to readjust to the civilian world in their dual role as citizen-soldier when they come home. Their homecomings are emotional and bittersweet for soldiers and their families as captured in this video of soldiers coming home and arriving at Fort Dix, N.J. It's a reminder of how thankful we should be for their service.

I ask the same question that Marvin Gaye did 38 years ago: what's going on-in the news, in entertainment, in the world, in my life. I will try to incorporate music, articles, and videos into whatever topic I am blogging about because I believe that music is vital to society and that any song can be used to describe any topic. What can I say, I love music and welcome to what's going on!
What's Going On-MTV ALL Stars
Citizen-Soldier-3 Doors Down