Taking Pot ...tery Classes

Since Spring registration is almost here, I took a look at the classes available for Spring 2010. Surprisingly, UMBC doesn't offer many "art" classes. Well, they do offer art history classes and beginner drawing classes, but that's just not what I'm after. In high school, I spent all four years painting, sketching, blending, pottery...ing and now there's nothing. My friend suggested taking pottery classes with her at HCC to fulfill the requirements and I just might. Here's hoping my teacher won't be like Collins...
Ah, that reminds me; I have start that charcoal sketch soon.

Ace of Cakes

Duff being his usual Duff-y self

The Ace of Cakes crew held a book signing earlier tonight at my local Barnes and Noble and my friend and I caught a glimpse of them (specifically Geof) through the crowd of people at 7:45-ish and then left to go shopping. We came back when they were finishing their two-hour long signing and fortunately captured a few pictures. Then, here's the best part... I walked towards the back and sat down at a table with my friend after the crew went into the back room. A few minutes later, they came out, and I saw Geof. I waved and he waved back! Awesome! This was the greatest day of my life. Just kidding... maybe not.

Geof doing what Geof does best

GLEEk

One of my favorite shows this fall is of course Glee. Back in August when I saw the first episode, I didn't like it. All the characters seemed like giant stereotypes and the plot line like a giant cliche (HSM anyone?), but after watching those characters develop week after week, I found myself becoming a gleek (a Glee fan). Although there are moments where the minor characters get shoved aside to make room for more Rachel and Finn centered tunes and episodes.

For those of you who don't watch the show, it revolves around a girl named Rachel. She has a tremendous voice, but because of her control-freak tendencies, is despised and ridiculed by her classmates. There's also Finn, the popular quarterback for the school's football team, with an unusual gift for singing. There's also Quinn, head cheerleader and, naturally, Finn's girlfriend; Artie, a handicapped kid who's part of the school's Jazz band; Mercedes, the stereotypical loud black girl with a powerful voice; Kurt the gay kid who gets bullied and Tina, the Asian girl with a stutter. Now to Mr. Shu. He's currently the school's Spanish teacher, but wants to start up a glee club after watching the kids' talents go to waste.

One character you can't forget is Sue Sylvester, the egotistical coach of the "Cheerios."

She honestly makes the show with her nicknames for the Glee kids, i.e. Wheels, Aretha, Asian, other Asian, and Gay kid.

Glee, you are a amazingly hilarious!

Auto tune, you need to go AWAY.

Auto tune's been around for a few years and started with rappers, but it has now reached halfway around the world.

I've never been a fan of singers/rappers using auto tune mainly because it's absolutely pointless. There are so many "rappers" out there that use this and make money off it. RIDICULOUS! Now, legitimate singers like Mariah Carey are incorporating it in their songs. This useless program disguises actual talent and completely destroys credibility in music.

So I've been following Korean music for some time now, and it's honestly like a carbon copy of mainstream American music. However, rabid teenage fan girls and boys seem to have a fancy for boy and girl groups with 6+ people. These groups are coming out with the most auto tuned, generic, mainstream, pointless, redundant, repetitive, redundant, repetitive, redundant songs I have ever heard. Oh, and shocker-- some of these songs are either covers, samplings or blatantly ripped off of American songs. Can you guess which ones?

What happened to actual talent? You know, songs where the voice on the CD is really yours. What happened to composing your own songs? Auto tune killed all that. That's right. Thank you, auto tune, for ruining music!

Sweet Sweet Procrastination

Ever since senior year I've noticed that projects and assignments take me a lot longer to do than it would have taken during sophomore year. Reason: I love being lazy. Even if I have absolutely nothing to do except that assignment, I'll find a way to leave it to the last minute. I'll sleep, constantly browse Facebook or even watch obscure videos on YouTube. I mean, I know it's entirely insane to do nothing during the day and spend my entire night and morning doing work, but it still doesn't stop me. It's a sickness, really. I wonder if they have a 12 step program for overcoming laziness. If there is, I'm guessing I just finished stage 1-- admitting my problem. Now, to figure out the other 11 steps.