N3 - Brian Stoldt is as Suave as His Shower Gel.

Brian Stoldt, we all know him as the brother of Tyler Stoldt, quarterback of the Alden Bulldogs, and Senior Editor of The Bulldog. Well, I’m here to give you some more information on the semi-famous sophomore. I sat down with him over a nice cup of awkward, and I asked him a few questions to give us some more factual information. The first question discussed Brian’s favorite word. This question took him the ENTIRE interview to think about. I, however, am not positive on why it took him so long, but he REALLY thought about it. His “favorite” word is Heroic because he said he loves heroic people. Sweet, right?

                Brian’s favorite animal is the dog. He said that he loves Boxers and Bulldogs but soon after he said they were lazy…mixed signals. It takes Brian, all together, an hour to get ready, and if he doesn’t work out in the morning he gets up at 6:30. He uses Suave shower gel in the shower. He says that it is good smelling, fruity. I found that his morning routine is complicated. It depends on, of course, if he puts out his clothes before he goes to bed or not. Interesting.

                I asked Brian, out of curiosity, if his room was messy. He said that he was not the type of person to just throw his clothes on the ground. It’s just that there isn’t enough room, so his clothes are stacked on his floor. He stated that his room was “medium” in the messy department. I then asked Brian if his mother does his laundry, he said, “My mom does 100% of my laundry.” He seemed pretty proud of this so I don’t think there is really anything that I, personally, can say about that. Whatever works, Brian.

To end my interview with Brian, I asked him how he was feeling. He said that he had a bit of a tummy ache but overall he was good, bubbly, and happy. “I’m doin’ alright.”

Well folks, that’ll be all on our little champion. He’s a lovely kid.

N2 - Trayvon Martin

Trayvon Martin has rocked the Twitter world and shaken up Facebook's newsfeed.

I can't imagine what the father is going through. I am noticing that he's showing a lot of humility about the whole situation. His son, an African American teenager, has been shot by a white man. I believe, strongly, that racism is heavily involved in this instance. I think if this situation were reversed it would have gotten handled A LOT quicker.  A white boy killed by a black man. It's done, the case must be solved. This situation, however, is a little different. The sound of someone yelling "help" in the background on a phone call is a moot point when you think about a situation. A teenager was shot by another person. He should be arrested and put in jail for that alone. The police said that Trayvon was carrying a bag with candy in it...yes; clearly he's ready for a fight.

I don't know why the world is the way it is, but I think a lot of it involves human flaw. Our legal system is jacked up in the first place so for us to expect greatness is a standard that may not get met. I don't know where to put my feelings on the case because I don't know how it will turn out. I don't think Trayvon did anything wrong. I think he was killed under suspicion, and Zimmerman is at fault for a careless choice. Trayvon's family deserves closure and they should have that as soon as possible because the truth of the matter is, this situation affected a lot of people. The phone calls between the police and Zimmerman are all I need to see, personally. I don’t need anyone to tell me that Zimmerman’s choice was the right one. He was told to stay away from the boy and he didn’t. It is his own fault.

On another note, I believe that everything happens for a reason. Trayvon’s death may be to expose the truth about the law system and the racism that lies within it.

N1 - Future Talk

I am going to Texas Christian University for Journalism. A future career for me is a touchy subject because I'm still trying to find out exactly what I want to do. The Journalism industry isn't the same as it previously was, but the media is rapidly growing. Everything that I love involves the media. I don't think this is, simply, because I'm a teenage girl. I could talk about a movie for 2 hours after I saw it. I would review the snot out of it. Music is almost always on. I drive better with music, I work better with music, I sing better with music. I don't think that life would be as fun without music. Now, how does that relate to a career? I'm not sure because a profession involves a lot more than watching E! News and listening to the latest Madonna single.

I want to travel and see the world. I think that because I haven't seen everything that's out there, I'm not able to make a full decision. I need evidence that everything I thought I wanted isn't what I actually want. That is how I'll know that the career I'm in is the one that I'm supposed to be in. It's confusing and, perhaps, high maintenance but I can't help it. The world is a HUGE place, and there is so much to see. Art, music, clubs, cafés, clothes, architecture, cars, food, deserts, hotels, movies, TV, entertainment, these all will influence my choice in career. Why? Well because I am a little part of every one of those things. I hold every experience dear to my heart. I don't know life outside of what I'm doing now. College will change my perspective, friends, family, vacations, and food, will all influence my choice in career. I don't want to be a stay at home Mom. I'd be SO bored. I think, right now, that I want to work a lot. I want to run all over the place. Kids will come later in life, for me. There are so many things that I wish to do. I don't know if I can choose right now. I have to experience what life has to offer before I jump hard and heavy into a relationship with my future career. 

M3. Choicity Choice Choice

I decided to run for the border with this one. Let’s talk about my “Starred” playlist on Spotify. While I am a large fan of Pandora I always find myself back on Spotify listening to these 10 songs.

                Here we go:

#1 (in no order) Turn up the Music by Chris Brown.

I listen to this song because at the Grammy’s he KILLED his performance. His moves are solely based on Michael Jackson and in this music video we see a lot of great Breezy moves with a splattering of MJ. A party track for sure.

#2 I Won’t Give Up by Jason Mraz.

I feel that this song is a classy side of Mraz. It’s a sleeper for sure because it’s so slow that a lot of people would be turned off, but the lyrics are real and obviously meaningful to the artist. A lot of relationships involve conversations exactly like this.

#3 For Your Entertainment by Adam Lambert.

Yes, I’m taking it back a few years but I have a reason. If you don’t want to listen to the whole song, skip to 2:40 and listen until 2:57. You will understand exactly why it’s starred.

#4 Glad You Came by The Wanted.

 This is a new favorite. I love the feel of this song; it’s fresh and gives a new feel to a pop song.

#5 Siberia (Unlike Pluto Remix) by LIGHTS. 

This song is rad. Her voice is captivating and the song is perfect for driving on around after dinner, on the way to a party or the latest club. Not to get to specific.

#6 Banner (SixSickSix Remix) by LIGHTS

This. Is. My. Jam. I can’t get this song to go away. A little dubstep, a little punk, a little love, a little snare. Seriously though, I’m speechless. It’s good.

#7 Cobrastyle by Robyn

FOREVER. This song is a forever song. I can’t not, listen to this song at least once a week. I think Robyn has swag. This song is fresh.

#8 Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye

This track is incredible. I think it’s the best song he’s come out with. Kimbra (the guest star on this track) is new and she’s rad. Her style is so different but that makes her album work for me. The two of them together are magical. In this track you are able to get a glimpse of a post break-up discussion that truly sums up the fact that there are always two sides of a story.

#9 A personal favorite Bad Girls by M.I. A

My swag G. She has swag for days. This track shows that she’s matured, and I’m not mad about it. This track has been running strong for the past few months and the music video is CRAZY. She has a unique sound and it takes a specific ear to get her beauty. Again, the girl is rolling in swag. If anyone has swag, it’s her.

#10 Think Like A Man by Jennifer Hudson and Ne-Yo

Can we talk about how these two need to get married? Okay. I’ve said it.   They killed this track. While it’s only for a movie, the song is the story of the lives of many. Jennifer Hudson is stunning and Ne-Yo is fly. This is a must listen to.

M2. Texting and Driving

Texting and driving is a something that should be seriously enforced. I think that it is hard, however, to get through to all teenagers. Even adults are checking e-mails and answering voicemails on their phones while driving. When you’re on the road it is essential that you’re paying attention at ALL times. Talking from experience, all it takes is a look to the left for one second too long, and you’re moving towards the shoulder of the road or into the next lane. I can’t imagine trying to text and drive. In traffic…that’s one thing but while going 55 on Broadway? Are we kidding? We can’t be away from our phones for the 30 minute drive it takes to get wherever we’re going? (Notice…I said 30 minutes because it takes exactly that to get anywhere relatively decent. This is a blog. I can speak my mind.)

Overall I struggle with the idea of texting while driving because I am so nervous to hit a child or a person on a bike. I could even hit a pole and seriously injure myself. I made a promise to my Dad that I wouldn’t text and drive so of course I have to keep it.

Now that I’ve expressed my feeling on texting and driving, I can talk about what technology is coming out that will hopefully erase this problem or at least lessen it.  Speech-to-Text and Text-to-Speech is already out but it isn’t perfect yet. There are a lot of glitches because it is new technology, but in the near future we will begin to see this expand. While you’re in the car your Bluetooth will pick up your text message and give you the option of hearing it through your speakers. You can listen to your text message and simply say “reply” to activate your Bluetooth voice recognizer and dictate your text message. Say “Period” and “Send” when you’re done and off your text message goes. This will eliminate some of the distraction that comes with using the touchpad or keyboard on your phone to send a text while driving.

M1: Em BARE Assed.

The most embarrassing moment of my life, okay. Well I find that the word embarrassing is rather embarrassing.  Em BARE Assed.

Okay, I’m ready now.

I think that I am most embarrassed when other people are embarrassed. I don’t really get embarrassed because I laugh at myself. But when someone else falls and I witness it…forget it. My face is beat red, I’m trying so hard to keep it together, and I have to walk away. So, if I had to choose an embarrassing moment I would pick the moment when an old friend and I were walking around outside, about to get picked up from school, and it had just rained. Now, let me introduce you to the place where this incident took place…Alden High School.  The walkway outside of the gym is great, right? Well not if it just rained and your foot slips into the half-grass-half-mud mess on the opposite side of the pavement.  This particular day it was extremely muddy and my friend and I went to turn the corner to get to our parent’s car. She was the closest to the end of the pavement and when we turned she ran out of room and stepped into the mud. Cue embarrassing moment: her foot rejected the ground and sent her body flying into the air, only to land, heavily, in the mud on her butt.

                I am dying.

Because of the way she fell, the mud was able to make a straight trail up her right side. She, of course, had shorts on (I believe they were white) and the mud was sloppy. I couldn’t help but bring out the loud laugh. The laugh where you begin laughing and then go silent for 3 to 5 seconds only to come back with a roar that could also be considered embarrassing (I happen to have one of those laughs).

Once we stopped laughing the embarrassing part, on my end, kicked in. HOW DO YOU ASK A PERSON IF THEIR OKAY AFTER THAT? Seriously though, it was really awkward.  On the real.

L3 - What are you afraid of?

What am I afraid of?

I can’t really say that I am afraid of anything…other than spiders, but even that is just a simple, strong, dislike. I try my hardest to fear only what I can prevent. If I allow myself to slip into a place of failure I fear for my future.  I fear, sometimes, that the bad side of my parents will show in my own life but the only thing I can do is work my hardest to not become them. I can prevent failure and if I wasn’t afraid of failing I wouldn’t be succeeding. This is a crazy spin on a simple question but I have to be honest.

I can’t say that I’m afraid of ghosts or things that go bump in the night. I’m not afraid of death and I don’t have stage fright. I used to hate rollercoasters but I don’t anymore. In fact…I went on the tower of terror, twice, this past break.

When I begin to fear something I remind myself that I’ve seen worse. If I haven’t, I work through it. I try to walk through my own feelings and self-correct. All of the female adult figures in my family are very fearful. They worry about everything from a bruise on a child’s arm to the common cold. I think that that kind of fear will leave the child in fear until he/she figures out, like I did, that not everything is the end of the world. I find it exhausting to worry about things I have no control over. If it’s flu season, wash your hands and don’t French kiss anyone who has it. If we were made to fear every situation this world would be in chaos.  

I probably talked too much and told you too much but hey, I answered the question.

L2 - Choice Blog!

Choice Blog! YEAHBUDDY.

Garden State is this week’s topic. I went on vacation with my family over the break and on the way to and from Florida we had 24 hours in the car so we brought movies to watch.  Garden State was highly recommended for us and my brother watched it and loved it but I was gone the night they watched it so they brought it on the trip for me to watch.  Well, I did and I will never regret it.  This movie was incredible. 

                Starring Natalie Portman and Zach Braff we are treated to a side of both of these actors that captures our hearts. Zach Braff plays Andrew Largeman, a run-down actor who can’t seem to find happiness. He’s on medication that was prescribed to him over 16 years ago and he can’t remember what life was like before he started taking the pills.  Now, home for his mother’s funeral, feeling responsible for her death, and even being off of his off the medication he least expects to find the friend he meets. Sam (Natalie Portman) is a quirky girl who has some problems of her own.

                Garden State is all about letting go and forgiving your past.  Andrew and Sam’s friendship changes both of their lives.

Sam: “You're in it right now, aren't you?”

Andrew Largeman: “What?”

Sam: “My mom always says that, when she can see I'm like working something out in my head, she's like, ‘you're in it right now' and I'm looking at you're telling this story, and you're definitely in it.”

If I ever thought that a friendship like this was unattainable I realized that I was looking in all the wrong places. Sam and Andrew’s relationship was electric. Portman and Braff have an on screen connection that goes beyond The Notebook and Titanic. It is a truthful story of pain, struggle, love, and conquering the past.