The Herald: Nov/Dec '08 Edition

[The Herald]

Now that version seven is here, Alan came up with a concept for the Herald
and how it looked and was navigated. I was bored with the old way, and needed
something new, so here it is. All articles are separated into their own categories
when we sign up for them. So now you see them that way when looking at the
Herald. Just click on the proper button, and it will show you that section of the
Herald. I loved this concept from the beginning, and I'm happy that Dreggy
could make this possible.

This Herald is a bit longer than the past couple of ones, and I'm just happy to
tell you that in the future, length won't be an issue. So many things are in the
works now that version seven is here, and now that the magazine is bi-monthly.
Currently the Herald isn't sporting as many writers as it use to, and that saddens
me, but I'm hoping to fix that. On that note, please welcome Artemis/Daniel
to the writing team. He's done very well this first issue, especially with the limited
time he was given. I'd like to see some comments about the new layout and
about the articles itself as well.

Kay

[herald=index]

[The Herald]

The biggest news is that SolidSnake Designs v7: Colour is now here and released.
Some may say it's about time, and well, that's an understatement. Eternity and
Dreggy did a wonderful job. Of course the concept was thanks to Alan. On that note
if you haven't read the v7 thread, here's some staff updates.

We say farewell to Eternity and c130. E has given a lot of time and hard work to
this forum and community. She's left due to some personal events going on in
her life, and I wish her all sorts of luck in her future endeavors. She truly is
an amazing and talented girl. Grace has been with SSD for some time, but it's
clear she hasn't been around much, and who knows. We might see her rejoin
the staff team if it ever catches her interest again.

Gray now joins me as my co-administrator. He's done wonders with the community
and coming up with so many new ways to help SSD. The boy is a dorky freshman
but has done so well. Saknika sees the color red as she becomes a global moderator
as her friendliness and dedication has paid off. Josh rejoins as Chillout moderator
since he's basically been the life of the board the last few weeks outside of Avtar.
Congrats you three, and make me proud. *sniffle*

Oh, remember that contest I started back in June? Yes, the Designers & Writers
one. I will have the winners announced soon. I do realize that there are one or t
wo members that have either left or been banned that could possibly be picked,
but the 'runner up' will take the prize if that's the case.

That's it. And since the Herald is now bi-monthly, we'll see you back here on
January 1, 2009 for the next edition.

Thanks for reading,
Kay


A Small Trip Around the World features numerous articles featuring stories from around the globe. If you have any questions or comments, please send a message to the author of the article. Enjoy!

Pride Campus proposed in Chicago
Monday, October 13, 2008



Public school officials in Chicago are recommending a "gay-friendly" high school due to the high levels of dropping grades and an increasing number of drop outs in homosexual students. The School for Social Justice Pride Campus is not aimed to house only gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students, but is designed to be a safer and more welcoming campus to any student looking for a better learning environment. Josh Edelman, executive officer in the Chicago Public Schools' Office of New Schools, said, "It is not going to be a 'gay high school,' but yes, in a way, it is meant to target kids who feel they have been victims of bullying for their sexual orientation or perceived orientation."

Click here to read the CNN article: Chicago may get 'gay-friendly' high school

Toilet paper prank ends in hospital
Monday, October 13, 2008

SOLON TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN - A Michigan man shot a 14-year-old boy who he believed was trying to break into his house. The boy, along with four other teens, were pulling a toilet paper prank at 1 a.m. Police are reporting the man fired three shots from a 12-gauge shotgun, hitting the boy in the chest, stomach, and leg. The boy is now recovering in the hospital. The shooter has not been charged, but prosecuters are looking into the case.

Click here to read the FOXNews article: Teen Shot 3 Times During Toilet Paper Prank

Plea for missing son's safe return
Saturday, October 25, 2008



CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - Days after the double homicide of Oscar-winning Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother, Julia Balfour, Hudson's sister, asks for the return of her 7-year-old sun. Balfour said, "All I ask, I don't care who you are, just let my baby go, please. I just want my son."

An Amber Alert was issued for Julian King, and local police are asking residents to be on the lookout for a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban with Illinois license plate X584859. In the Amber Alert, authorities said King is 4 feet 11 inches long, weighing 130 pounds.

Click here to read the CNN article: Jennifer Hudson's sister begs for missing son's return

[herald=news]

[The Herald]

Since we're now bi-monthly, we're covering two months worth of birthdays. For November and December, the birthdays are as follows.

Happy birthday you three. And enjoy the Autumn/Winter season!


Have you ever wondered if someone that was famous shared the same birthdate as you? Here you go. For November and December these are the birthdays.

We wish everyone celebrating a November/December birthday a good season. Famous, or not.


This months avatar of the month winner is Scorpion. Not necessarily the most artistic thing ever, but I chose this as the winner because it made me laugh, and you don't see enough animated avatars anymore.



Because it is the most arty sig I could find, the signature of the month winner is Artemis (though he was not the creator, that credit goes to Stinky666). There is loads going on here. Crazy shapes and colours all over the place! The lightness of the sig makes it very pleasing to look at. The differing border widths also works well. Well done!





Death Race is a 2008 remake of the 1975 film Death Race 2000, and stars Jason Statham as Jensen Ames, Tyrese Gibson as 'Machine Gun Joe' Joseph Mason, Ian McShane as Coach, Joan Allen as Hennessey, the prison warden, and Natalie Martinez as Elizabeth Jayne Case.

The film starts by explaining the setting; it's 2012 America, and the economy is in meltdown. Unemployment and crime reach record highs and private corporations own prisons across the country, broadcasting shows such as Death Race to millions of viewers across the world over the internet.

After this intro you're throw into the action straight away with a race between Machine Gun Joe and Frankenstein. Unable to use any of his defensive weapons, Frankenstein tells his navigator Case to launch the 'tombstone' (the name for the thick armour plating on the rear of the car) at Joe's vehicle, leaving Frank's petrol tank exposed. With only a quarter of a mile to the finish, Frank refuses to fall back despite the danger, forcing Case to use the ejector seat. Joe then hits the exposed tank and sending Frankenstein flying across the finish line in a flaming wreckage.

With her star racer critically injured, Hennessey must find a replacement driver to keep the ratings up. This is where steel mill worker Jensen Ames comes in. After losing his job when the steel mill closes, Ames goes home to his wife and child with his final payment of $300. A masked intruder then enters the home, killing Ames' wife, and framing him for the murder by knocking him out and leaving the murder weapon in his hand. Ames is taken into custody and placed in the Terminal Island prison, where Death Race is held and where the majority of the movie takes place.

When Ames arrives, the inevitable and obligatory prison fight soon takes place, with our hero taking out other convicts with a dinner tray. It is around this time he meets Hennessey, and is told he can compete in Death Race to win his freedom. All he has to do is take over the role of Frankenstein, and win a single race, since the previous Frankenstein had already won four out of the five needed to obtain freedom.


_{Ames and Case with the Mustang.}
Ames later meets his crew, consisting of Coach, Frankenstein's loyal mechanic and sort of team manager, Case, the navigator, Gunner, car repair man, and Lists, who provides data to the crew. The race is broken up into three stages, stages one and two are purely for the purpose of eliminating drivers, as it is winning stage three that counts as the win.

We are then introduced to Death Race proper, complete with a realistic TV intro, telling us it only costs $99 to watch the first stage, or $250 for all three stages! A brilliant touch.

Ames' goal for stage one is survival. Ames finds himself under fire from Frankenstein's biggest rival, Machine Gun Joe, and taking heavy damage finishes in last place. Then in stage two, Ames makes it his mission to kill Pachenko after discovering that he killed his wife. Another excuse for violence really, as Ames has very little evidence to suggest it was Pachenko who committed the act, only being able to identify the killer by a hand gesture.

After dispatching Pachenko, Ames teams up with Machine Gun Joe to take on 'The Dreadnought', an eighteen wheel tanker armed to the teeth that has been running riot on the track, taking out racers left, right and centre. They finish it by leading it into a 'Deathhead', essentially a bulkhead with spikes attached to it that raises out of the ground impaling and stopping fast moving objects dead.

In stage three only two drivers remain, 'Frankenstein' and Machine Gun Joe. Joe keeps up the pretence of battling with Ames, and as they near the weakened billboard, Joe fires an RPG in Ames' direction, but the rockets miss the car and hit the billboard. Ames and Joe escape onto the bridge, pursued by the police.

As the cruisers close in on the two cars, Ames releases his exposed fuel tank, causing it to explode and stop the pursuing cars, using the extra five gallon tank for the escape. Turning to her back up plan, Hennessey then orders that the explosive under Ames' car be set off, but nothing happens because Coach had found and removed the bomb. Making it past the bridge, Joe and Ames go separate ways.

Hennessey orders the police to focus on Ames, but he switches seats with Case when she tells him that Hennessey had already signed her release papers, and that she owed one to the old Frankenstein. Ames bails out of the car unseen, evading the police. Joe meets up with Ames and they board a train to escape, lamenting Hennessey’s continued existence. Ames' Mustang is stopped and Case, posing as Frankenstein, is apprehended. Coach then uses the bomb he removed from the car to kill Hennessey.

Six months later, Ames and Joe are working in a junkyard in Mexico, when Case unexpectedly arrives. The two men are happy to see her, and Case meets Ames' baby, Piper. The movie closes with Ames explaining that even though he knows he's far from being the best parent in the world, no one could love his baby more than he could.

With Death Race, you pretty much get what it says on the tin, death and a race. There are bits of story here and there but all they really do is link one action scene to the next. It is a real blokes movie, with girls, guns, and cars aplenty. I did really enjoy it, but I'm partial to a bit of Jason Statham, who continues to forge himself as an action hero. It's all you could ask for from a film if all you need is action, violence, and car related mayhem.


My choice this month is simple.

Shores of Dreams
written by Artemis

Ah, for Ages past we've dealt with this,
Silver one, eyes of Jade, this memory everlasting,
The Finale, the Darkwing, the Crimson night,
And entire skylit orb now silent in its sleep.

'We dwell now in ourselves, content and silent,
My mind has lived a thousand lives,
My heart has seen a thousand deaths,
And all the while I fight to keep alive.'

I remember her, I do, young one of the Light,
Before the Fall, her words were my life,
We spent our years in solitude, content
With peace and life, never faltering.

'Why do I continue when I have lost so much?
I resist the urge to withdraw into my dream,
But why not take the path I have remaining,
When in this world, for me there is nothing left?'

My memory never fades on the things that matter most,
And the things that drive me more towards sorrow.
To this day I remember her voice, her laughter and joy,
And the final gasp of life she gave as she was torn away.

'I want to fall and never rise, I've lost it all right now,
She's been taken beyond the Dreaming Shores,
No doubt she waits for me to this day, though until
my task is complete, we shall forever be apart.'

The moments I wake, I see that girl in her,
So pure, so innocent, the replica of my Memories.
Though it only hurts me more to know, the one I knew,
Still lies across the Dreaming Shores, as I lost her long ago.

'I finish this entry as my time draws to a close.
My revenge has been taken but her life not spared,
And as of now my purpose is not clear,
So I await the final setting sun which marks my end of life.'

Silver one, my tears are spent, now there's nothing left to do,
My task complete I'll use the Fall at Dawn.
Perhaps now, this time, I shall not return, my hopes are at least,
To join the one I need the most beyond the Dreaming Shores.

---

Seriously, it speaks to me. I adore this piece like no other. It almost
inspires me to start writing again. Almost. It'd probably just
be all sappy and crap. But, good job Artemis. You're really spreading
your talent around the board. Keep it up.


This was not an easy month to choose a photo. In fact, it was difficult enough that I had to enlist Kay to help me decide. So this month, the highlighted photo is brought to you from us with joy.

This month the honour goes to Artemis, who was lucky enough to take a trip to Canada. During his trip he experienced a lot, and brought back imagery to share with all of us. Out of them all, Kay and I decided Falls deserved the feature.

It’s not absolutely perfect, but as Kay said, the water looks Heavenly with the way the light has hit it. He showed excellent control of a long exposure, as well as wonderful focusing. Anyone who has attempted to get good focus on moving water will understand why this is such a big deal here. The colours, while cool, are also somehow very inviting, denying their very nature. The juxtaposition definitely helps. And the little fishes just top it all off to tie in good composition.

Congratulations Artemis on a well-done image.

To see this image, and the rest of his shots from Canada, please visit the original thread.



"Every beauty which is seen here below by persons
of perception resemble more than anything else that celestial
source from which we all are come...."
-Michelangelo

"I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you."
-Walt Whitman

"Heaven will be inherited by every man
who has heaven in his soul."
-Henry Ward Beecher

"Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
-Albert Einstein

"Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself
and know that everything in life has a purpose."
-Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

"Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them."
-David Hume

"The whole of life, from the moment you are born
to the moment you die, is a process of learning."
-Jiddu Krishnamurti

"The mystic bond of brotherhood makes all men one."
-Thomas Carlyle

"My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky."
-William Wordsworth

"The clearest way into the universe
is through a forest wilderness."
-John Muir

"What else is nature but God?"
-Seneca

"A faithful friend is the medicine of life."
-The Apocrypha

[herald=ofthemt]

[The Herald]

Most elephants weigh less than the tongue of the blue whale.

There are over 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke – 200 of which are deadly, and 60 cause cancer. These chemicals come from the tobacco or from additives that cigarette companies add (and aren’t required to list). Besides nicotine (which is very addictive), cigarette smoke contains: arsenic, acetic acid, acetone, ammonia, benzene, cadmium, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, hydrazine, hydrogen cyanide, nickel, pyridine, and toluene.

Clouds fly higher during the day than the night. stewerdesses

The word “pornography” comes from the Greek meaning the “writings of prostitutes.”

“Stewardesses” is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand.

The Bible, the world’s best-selling book, is also the world’s most shoplifted book.

Did you know there are more than 300,000 fast food restaurants in the U.S. Why is fast food so popular? Because it is convenient, predictable, and fast. Fast food has become a part of the busy American lifestyle. But, nutrition experts point out, fast food is often high in calories, sodium, fat and cholesterol. This does not mean fast food is bad. But it does mean you should fit fast food into a balanced, healthy diet.

Every year an inmate spends in prison costs taxpayers an average of $22,000. As prisoners get older, the cost of maintenance rises, ultimately reaching an average of $69,000 per year for those over the age of fifty-five. A study by a Stanford University professor estimated that the cost of a life term for an average California prisoner is $1.5 million.

The hundred billionth crayon made by Crayola was Periwinkle Blue.

The record for the most major league baseball career innings is held by Cy Young, with 7,356 innings.

Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie!

The origin of the English word “orgasm” derives from the Greek, “orgaein,” meaning “to swell” or “be excited or lustful.”


Do you heart me?
If you had to ask me, what do you think?


Why the hell did I ask her it? >.<
I’m going to give you three words that I have been for days now. Can you guess what they are?

GET OVER IT.


Which is more frightening: peace through strife or unity through faith?
If anything's possible, then is it possible that nothing's possible?
Peace through strife.
It’s possible that nothing is possible since anything can be possible.


How bored were you when you made this thread? Like plz no liez kthx.
Bored enough to commit myself to this article for the Herald. Plus, take into consideration that I got up at 8AM this morning for absolutely no reason since I chose not to attend my classes for the day. Yet here I am sitting in the HUB building at my college on my computer for the last four hours waiting for the boyfriend to get off from work. I’ve yawned about a dozen times, and am freezing cold. Now. You tell me.


Of all the things I've done to irk you over the who knows how long, what is the biggest thing you want to kick my ass for?
my eyebrows! L they have feelings too and it seriously is a sensitive spot for me since ya know, I’ve never been very confident.


Can you drink an entire bottle of coke?
Well, depends on the size, and the time. If you mean at once, I probably could though I’d feel sick afterwards. Too much sugar for me isn’t a good thing. Ask anyone that’s seen or heard me hyper.


Will you bake me some cookies? <3
Maaayyyybeeee. Depends on what kind of cookies you want.


Will you marry me?
Usually I wouldn’t hesitate in saying, “HELL YES” however, I don’t think my boyfriend would appreciate that. Ha.


|)0 j00 5p34|< 1337?

|= 50 7|-|3|\| \/\/|-|47 |5 j00r |=4\/0r|73 /\/\0\/|3?
*yawn* Are you done yet? (btw, favorite movie right now would be the Great Debaters)


Make not the phone book for it is red, cloud?
Huh? What? I hate you.


Why am I the violator of boobies?
I doubt anyone would let you within ten feet of their chest to violate their ‘boobies’ anyways. So, I dunno.


What's your favorite meal?
Hmm. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and corn!


What's your favorite dessert?
My home-made, no-bake key lime pie.


What's your favorite drink?
Pop- Mountain Dew Code Red, Juice- Apple Juice. And, water.


You don't like me very much now do you.
Sometimes no, sometimes yes. It depends on the day.


Do you consider it sacrilegious that all staff members of the forum don't read the Herald? D:
Yes, in fact I do. Hmph.


Herald? What's that?
Something that's way over your head.


With Christmas around the corner and the economy slumping, we're all trying to make our money go further as prices rise. Here I will present ways for you to save your hard earned cash and show you how to be a bit greener when you shop.

Food shopping

• Loose fruit and vegetables are often cheaper than their pre-packed counterparts, and don't create as much waste.
  
  
• Buy stores own brand goods, as they tend to be cheaper than most of the big brands. I would beware of any sort of 'Value' range though, as the very cheapest food tends to be of lower quality.
  
  
• Look out for 'two for the price of one' or 'buy one get one free' deals, as this can save you money on items you regularly buy.
  
  
• Store reward schemes can save you money on goods, usually by earning points as you buy.
  
  
• Reuse bags to help cut the use of plastic carrier bags, most supermarkets now sell strong reusable bags.

Gift shopping

• Use websites such as eBay and Amazon to buy goods such as DVDs and games cheaper than in stores.
  
  
• Most stores have a Christmas sale, and will have goods at much cheaper prices.
  
  
• Use discount vouchers and store promotions to save money.
  
  
• If you have any unwanted birthday presents or unwanted Christmas gifts from last year, reuse them and give them to someone else as a present. Try to avoid giving such presents back to the original sender!
  
  
• If you have unwanted gifts this Christmas, donate them to charity or save them for someone else.

Not quite as historical as International Talk Like A Pirate Day, December 5th has been named as Day of the Ninja. On this day it’s considered okay for all us “nonjas” (that’s ninja slang for non-ninja) to dress up like ninja and celebrate! Wear a mask, dress in all black, find some weapons and have a party! Of course, don’t hurt anyone, though that should go without saying.

You should also be aware of what the temperatures are going to be like, and how people feel about such costumes in your area. Naturally, some people are very sensitive to people wearing face masks randomly in public places. I’m sure you’ve seen the bank robbers in old movies. As dumb as it may seem, it does happen and some people could be very upset by this. The same goes for weapons, don’t wear them in public. You also aren’t going to want to wear all black out in blazing heat for hours on end, nor will you want to leave the house in only that should it be freezing outside. Plan accordingly.

If you are going out into public into a work or school setting, make sure to clear it with a supervisor of some sort first. This isn’t worth getting fired for.

Most importantly though, get friends involved and have a party for it later on. Play some man hunt, or develop your own ninja games! Should you know karate or some other form of martial arts (there are so many), why not spar? Or, make tons of the paper ninja stars (shuriken) and have a fight! Paper is much less dangerous than metal.

Or, if you’re a total anime junkie, hit up some Naruto or Rurouni Kenshin. Those are two well known anime that include plenty of martial arts, and in the former, definitely ninja. There are probably many others out there as well, so look some up! A Day of the Ninja anime marathon wouldn’t be a half-bad idea!

Now, go silently to your planning and kill the day with fun!

Day of the Ninja Link: www.askaninja.com/ninjaday


Thanksgiving is probably the one holiday we have that doesn’t owe its founding to religion. Thanksgiving is a day that started as a feast from good harvests. In honour of bringing in plenty of crops and making fine jellies and other such things, on one day of the year after the final harvest, villagers would gather and have a large feast to celebrate a job well done.

It wasn’t until we had the hard times in the colonies that it was a time for giving thanks, and for hoping that there would be an equally successful year to come as well. This all actually started with the Spanish when they completed their journey to Florida, and gave thanks at a mass followed by a feast for a safe passage across the ocean.

The one we all remember most though, is the one we were taught way back in second grade or so about the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony with the Indians. It was the Indians that helped them to survive by teaching them how to catch eels to use as fertilizer to grow the corn that would feed them through the winter. That is the major one that people remember at least, though there were many other things that the Indians helped them with. Squanto was the one closest to the Pilgrims during this, since he spoke English from his years as a slave to an Englishman. That year, after harvesting the crops they had the feast, and the Indians joined them. This is what we mark as the first thanksgiving in American history, even if it is wrong. But the story has more morals to it, and so that’s what they teach.

It wasn’t until 1863 that an official day for Thanksgiving was set down. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared that it would be the first Thursday of every November, and it stayed this way until 1939 when Franklin D. Roosevelt changed it to the fourth Thursday in November. Since it wasn’t legally binding though, only 23 states moved to this recommendation, and 22 did not. So once again Thanksgiving was inconsistent.

In 1941 however, Congress went with the majority and legally declared that Thanksgiving be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year, and so it has been that way ever since. Anyone in America knows this by now, since we all observe the holiday.

And what a holiday it is! This is the annual time of the year to stuff ourselves with all sorts of delicious food, share time with family, and give thanks for all the good things we have received throughout the past year.

Traditionally for dinner, you will find turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, other fall vegetables, and of course pumpkin pie. Of course, being that we have so many cultures and so many vegetarians in America now with many different belief systems, the dinner will vary depending on where you spend Thanksgiving. But those are the traditional foods that most families will have.

Since turkey is such a big part, along with the splitting of the wishbone by the younger kids with all their hopes, Thanksgiving is also fondly known as Turkey Day.

So well wishes to you all, and don’t get too tired from all the food!


Christmas... it's such a magical time. Not nearly enough people realize that
to some people whom aren't religious, it's still a favorite time of year. Like me.
What's more exciting than walking out into your living room in the middle of the
night and seeing the twinkling off all the different colors of lights, the light whisper
of Christmas music floating throughout the house, and yourself standing there in
your slippers and bathrobe?

Nothing. Even the bustling of the stores puts a smile on my face. All of that money
spent on the people that mean the most to you. It's kind of like, "thanks for being
there for me this last year, here's a gift." I've never been one to fawn over the gifts
too much just because the lights, music, and overall feel of the holiday is enough for
me. Who needs gifts when you've got love and lights?!

So this Christmas, remember to appreciate those that you love. Remember to
stop and admire the lights, take in the music, the smell, and just.. well, the
holiday itself. I WANT COOKIES. Maybe I'll bake some this year... hmm..


Get out your pens and paper boys and girls, or pop open the word processor if you prefer to work fast (you’ll eventually need it anyways), because with November comes the national novel writing month known as NaNoWriMo! During this month it is your goal to write a 50,000 word novel. Sound easy? Yeah, that’s all that’s easy about it. Writing the story in thirty days is far from the easy task one thinks it to be.

The rules are pretty simple. You cannot start the novel before November 1st, and you must try to reach the goal of 50,000 words by November 30th. People who complete it are added to the winners list at the end of the month. In 2007, they had at least 15,000 people on that list. This year more are expected, and YOU could be one of them!

Of course, this definitely isn’t about quality. You probably will have no time to edit with a strict deadline such as this. In fact, the site says it perfectly:

“Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.” –NaNoWriMo.org

This is done by timezone as well, so everyone has exactly the same amount of time to write. Midnight to midnight, 30 days. No more, no less. If you complete it in time, you are allowed to upload the document to the official site for verification. This is where the importance of starting and ending on the proper dates comes in, because they will know. Documents are cute like that, and record all these editing-type things.

So do you think you have it in you? Think that perhaps you can rope your friends in to doing it with you? Think that maybe, just maybe you want to get involved and write along side other people? Or hell, laugh at all those novelists that take years to get a rough draft written because they’re so busy worrying about the details right off and not the story. Well, then hop to it! Your first step is to register with the official site. Find your local group, and write like you’ve never written before!

To get in on the NaNoWriMo fun, visit the official site at www.nanowrimo.org.

So get writing, have fun, and whatever you do, DON’T PROCRASTINATE! Best of luck to everyone who decides to take the challenge.

[herald=feat]

[The Herald]

Disgaea, the anime that coincides with the popular Playstation series. There is also a manga, and the possibility of more games and animes coming out. However, this review deals with the first anime, which strongly ties with the game, 'Disgaea: Hour of Darkness.'

In terms of plot, the end follows the same story as the game, with the encounters the trio of main characters face. Laharl, the young demon who aspires to be the overlord of the underworld (and what a play on words that is), Etna, Laharl's vassal-but-also-friend, and Flonne, the living Mary Sue of a young angel that comes down from heaven to assassinate Laharl, but ends up befriending him instead. Apart from that the anime is filled with many episodes that lead up to the finale, and while at least half of the episodes could be considered filler (out of a grand total of twelve episodes), most all of them are unique and interesting, and tie into the plot to some degree.

Following the satirical voice of the game and manga, the anime portrays the characters and overall plot as a parody on the fantasy genre. Laharl is single-minded, determined, powerful and selfish -- he despises hearing the word 'love' and it angers him when he hears it. This reaction is later found to be stemming from a tragic childhood incident he witnessed, and for that reason, he denies love. Etna, the 'loyal' sidekick who determinedly posts up reward posters for Laharl's death and doesn't resist any opportunity to mess around with him, but who also acts as a good friend to him. Finally there is Flonne, the young angel girl who can act so innocent it's borderline annoying. She is given an assassination mission from the Seraph of heaven, and upon arriving the underworld she proceeds to find the king's sleeping chamber (aka a coffin in a rubbish heap) and attacks it with everything from dynamite to tractors to missile launchers. However, once Laharl emerges from the coffin, she forgets her fervor and cheerfully tells Laharl that she is there to assassinate the overlord, which happens to be Laharl's late father. She is oblivious to danger and immune to negativity, professing her love of, well, love, throughout the underworld.

While overall the anime is based in the underworld, it has a very light and comedic air about it. Two of the series' most serious scenes take place in a single episode or less each. The rest is left up to plot and filler, which may take place in random areas, but most all of the main characters from the game exist, and the creatures from the game are also a part of the anime. It is a nice watch for those who have played the game, but for those who are starting new, it is also a good watch. One does not require the other for the full enjoyment.

Disgaea is a great anime to watch. It has a lot of repeat value, and its unique and satirical portrayal of the genre it uses makes it very entertaining no matter if you are a veteran of the series, or someone just getting into the series for the first time.




Holy moly kiddies! For those of you who haven't read Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, get off your lazy arse now and head to the local book shop! Wooooeeee is this book one amazing read! Well...if you can get past Kesey's, erm, drug stupor.

Anyway, the novel is about a group of guys who end up in a mental institution. The story is told from the point-of-view of Chief Bromden, a "deaf and dumb" Indian who really isn't deaf and dumb. Since he was admitted, though, he's kept on the act to find out all the super cool secrets of the institution.

Life on the ward, or prison, as Nurse Ratched (the "Big Nurse") runs it, is pretty simple. Get up, medicine, eat, medicine, sit around all day, medicine, go to sleep, and, well...more medicine. Day in and day out the same thing happens. That is, however, until big R.P. McMurphy shows up on the ward! No taking the temperature in this dude's butt! From the moment he steps on the ward he starts trouble, especially with his wanting to meet the head crazie and assert his power...over the crazies.

From the gambling, to the drinking, to the smoking, to the walking around pretty much in the nude, McMurphy does everything in his power to make the Big Nurse angry as hell. And, for the most part, he completes this task. Towards the end of the novel, McMurphy organizes a fishing trip for the guys on the ward. His two sweet old aunts are going to take them, ya know. But, when these two women show up, everybody can tell they aren't his aunts and everybody can tell what their profession is. Their appearance, if you want to say that, causes the doctor to go along, too.

After all the drunk talk at the gas station and the stealing of the boat, the men end up out on the lake. Several beers and fish later, they end up back at the dock, telling off the police, and back in the hospital.

However, the story ends up pretty bad for McMurphy. After smashing through some windows and attacking the Big Nurse, the man ends up undergoing a lobotomy, now laying on a bed all day, pretty much doing nothing. Everything is too much for ol' Chief Bromden (who everybody knows is no longer "deaf and dumb"), so he ups and escapes in the middle of the night, never to be seen again...

For those of you who LOVE crazy novels, this is the one for you. Absolutely no structure whatsoever may confuse some people, but if that's your cup of tea, pick up a copy. It doesn't cost that much, really!


The long-awaited third novel of the Inheritance trilogy came out only just recently, and was well-received by the many fans that the trilogy has earned over the course of the previous two books, and one movie. However, before we go any further, it is necessary to make one thing clear. No longer is the Inheritance series a trilogy, but a cycle -- a fourth book is on the way, because, as author Christopher Paolini writes, 'Because of its complexity, Brisingr ended up much larger than I anticipated -- so much larger, in fact, that I had to expand the series from three books to four' (Brisingr, 761). Despite not finishing up the series as many fans would have hoped, the novel itself was no disappointment, opening up many new subplots, introducing a number of elaborate new characters, and more.

As a whole, the novel is full of action. There is rarely a time when very little is going on, and Paolini did not take up very many pages of long and elaborate descriptions unless it was necessary to fuel the action. As the two previous novels led the way up to a war-torn world, the third book gives no hesitation when jumping into new battles and other exciting twists in the plot. Most all of the characters from the previous two novels are present in this one, and they all get a moderate amount of time in the spotlight.

While the book thrives on action, it does not lack in substance. The main plot thickens as more and more of the secrets of the world of Alagaesia are revealed. There are many times when the main characters split up to take part in their own quests and missions, but each one of them is written very well to a point where no matter what is happening or who is taking the spotlight, it will make for a very good read. Rarely is any action taken in the book for no reason, and often there are many new secrets and plot twists revealed through the course of even the smallest sidesteps from the main plot.

However, every good story has its problems, and while Brisingr is certainly an exciting novel, one of the main things that it lacks overall is the development of the main plot. There are so many intricate subplots and new things to explore that, in the end, the main plot is not furthered far past where it was when the book began. Granted, the characters have learned more, experienced more, are now more special and everything of that sort, but those readers looking to quench their desire to know how the fight against the evil king Galbatorix goes may be sorely disappointed. This may possibly excused by the fact that there is one more book coming after this, however, for the many who wanted exposure to the development of the main plot, there will come disappointment. Brisingr, as it is written, is composed largely of history and knowledge -- in other words, it is the breath before the plunge, where everything comes together, but doesn't quite do anything yet.

Naturally, the fourth book cannot happen without all of this information, and for its part, Brisingr did a very good job of tying up any loose ends and setting the stage for the final novel.

For those looking at seeking more information and getting to know the depth of your favourite characters and get plenty of action to help it along, this book will be excellent for you. If you're the type that wants to see epic battles and long strides in the main plot, this may not be the best book in the series for you. Regardless, Brisingr has something in it for everyone, and for loyal fans and newcomers to the series alike, it should be a definite good read.


For this review I'll be taking a look as Disaster Movie, a 2008 film directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Well known for their satirical movies on various genres (and not exactly known for good reasons), the directors decided it was time once again to release another parody, this time choosing, you guessed it, disaster movies.

However, after finishing the movie, providing you hadn't gouged out your own eyes partway through, you will notice that, aside from a few meteors and a poorly created tornado, there really aren't any references to disaster movies. The movie follows (or attempts to follow) a plot very similar to that of Cloverfield, but even in that regard is does terribly. It takes at least half of the movie to discern what the plot actually is, and by the time you figure it out, the movie is most likely over.

In essence, the only plot you get is a lack of it. A few young adults making their way across the city to save a girlfriend in peril. However the journey takes about five minutes. The rest of the movie is plagued by un-disaster-like references (unless you count High School Musical) such as Alvin and the Chipmunks, Speed Racer, Sex and the City, Iron Man, Batman, The Hulk and Juno. The references do little to nothing to help the plot and are essentially there to increase the playing time.

As if the immaturity of the joke attempts aren't enough, as many deal with cheap slapstick attempts at comedy, bodily noises and other such pre-pubescent comedy points, they are stretched out so long, by the end of each little skit you're left wondering if it's finally over. Not to worry, it will be replaced by another! Such as a woman burping for nearly a minute, a High School Musical reenactment that stretches on and on, and an encounter with Alvin and the Chipmunk that turns into a near separate plot arc for absolutely no reason. Because of this, the actual plot where things actually get done takes about a quarter of the play time at the very most, and the end of the movie, while resolving the plot, is very dull and leaves you with a 'is that it?' feeling.

Overall, the directors chose a name that gave a terrible irony to their film. Disaster Movie is nothing short of a disaster in filmmaking, and the only circumstance in which someone should view this film is if they are extremely high and/or drunk, and are seeing it for free. Otherwise, steer clear.


WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS


Starring: Denzel Washington, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, Denzel Whitaker & Forest Whitaker
Directed By: Denzel Washington

When I first started seeing previews for this movie, I was very timid. I'd heard
so many good and bad things about the movie. It stayed in theaters for quite
some time. The release date was December 27th, 2007. It took me a while to
finally sit down and give this movie a chance. About three weeks ago, I rented
it. And the $2.13 I paid for it was more than worth it.

Based off a true story, Denzel Washington portrays Marvin B. Tolson, a professor
of Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. As Tolson puts together the first ever debate
team for Wiley College, the students are still clear in knowing that a lot of schools
across the nation were still stuck in the white versus negroes. As they go through
multiple debates around their surrounding colleges, they do well and end up with
an undefeated record. That didn't last for long.

Jurnee Smollett plays Samantha Brooke. The only girl to try out for the debate team,
and of course the only one that made it. Originally Tolson appointed her an alternative
alongside Denzel Whitaker's character, James Farmer Jr. When Hamilton Burgess
(Jermaine Williams) steps down from his place on the team after not agreeing with
the rest, Samantha takes his place. In any movie, there's a love triangle. Within this
one, it's James, Samantha and Henry. James adores her, she looks past him, and
Henry and her start a little fling. That is until the night that happens to be the biggest
and most affecting part of the whole story. The lynch mob.

As they turn a corner to see a mob of white men and women hanging a black boy and
burning his body, they try to back out slowly and speed off. Barely getting away, they
make it to a safe house and stay the night. But Henry has other ideas as he goes out
with another girl and comes back drunk. Samantha is furious, leaves the team, and forces
James to step up and perform his first debate. That's when the team faces their first loss,
but it doesn't stop them. They push to the top, and continue to make great points. Their
debate about why blacks and whites are equally knowledgeable are great. When they get
an offer to debate against Harvard, they jump at it.

Do they win? Do they make a mark? What is the back story? Tolson was involved in a lot
of other different things that included his own city. Some things are left unclear. You'll
only know by watching the movie. The story is clear, the message is heart wrenching,
but sickly true. There's no point in turning a blind eye, it's a part of our history.

Rating:
five out of five




Background Information.
The Lego Series started with the Star Wars movies. After the success of a few games they created the original trilogy into a Lego game. Staying with Lucas Arts, they created the new Indiana Jones movie and put it into the Lego world. So here we are today, Lego and Tt Games bring DC Comics Batman and create one of the best games in the Lego series.

Graphics and Audio [5/5]
Each character is genius. Hey, don’t sacrifice the Lego Land idea by trying to create new blocks. They only use, correct me if I’m wrong, bricks that are in production. So everything looks true to Lego life. Sounds are very much on the cartoonish side. Even so, this doesn’t take you out of the Batman world.

Game Play [5/5]
Single Player: Humor, Action, Drama, and Romance. Everything you see in a great movie you see in this game. They mix everything from the new movies, older movies, and even the comic book to create a memorable story. Three memorable stories to exact. Each story is told from the hero side and the villain side. As you play you collect bricks and coins to unlock suit upgrades, cheats, characters, and information about the Batman world.

Multiplayer: Anyone can jump in and play at any time in your single player campaign. Controls are simple enough that most people that have hard times learning can usually get the hang quickly.

Replay Value [4/5]
If it weren’t for the unlockables I would give the replay a lower score, but the unlockables really are worth playing through the missions again. What is nice is that depending on which side, hero or villain, you unlock different things. Hero’s will unlock upgrades to their suits and villains unlock the cheats to the game.

This is a great ‘pick up and play’ game. If you are trying to get a family game for the kids or you want something new from the over complicated to get your friends into games. If you want to see a humors side the dark knight. Or, if you just plain have everything else, you may want to pick up Lego Batman


Augustana

    Augustana is an indie rock band I've recently been listening too. They are fairly new, formed in 2003 and since have grown tremendously. They have toured with bands such as Switchfoot, Maroon 5, The Fray, and One Republic. Their lead singer has a nice mellow tone to his voice which is very soothing to listen too.
Download This: Bullets, Lonely People, Sweet and Low
Official Website: www.augustanamusic.com/

Counting Crows

    No introduction needed here. Everyone has probably heard of their hit featured in Shrek called "Accidentally in Love". But, what many people don't know is they have many other great songs besides that. The band really took off after touring with The Rolling Stones. Their album at that time sold 7 million copies. They are still going strong after 17 years.
Download This: Mr. Jones, Rain King, Accidentally in Love
Official Website: www.countingcrows.com/

The Offspring

    They are back with their newest album in five years. Two of their songs have already reached the Top 100 list on iTunes and have been climbing closer to the top every day. They are a punk rock band similar to Green Day. They have been around since 1984 and have only gotten better. They have the best selling independent label of all time which is just a testament to how talented they really are. Veteran musicians.
Download This: Hammerhead, Gone Away, You're Gonna Go Far Kid
Official Website: www.offspring.com/

The Bravery

    A band I recently found out about by hearing one of their songs play during the closing of a fight movie. After looking at some of their other music, I realized I have heard of them before, just never knew who it actually was, if you catch my drift. They have had great success with one of their songs hitting #4 on the billaboards.
Download This: Believe, Time Won't Let Me Go
Official Website: www6.thebravery.com/thebravery/home.php

Young Jeezy

    My second favorite rapper of the moment. Second to T.I. Young Jeezy is just a boss. His new rhymes are just so hawt. Like really, really f'in hawt. Some of his songs sound a bit alike, but he is so unique from any other rapper which makes him dirty. If you like rap, definitley check out these songs.
Download This: Put On, The Recession (Intro), Amazing, Vacation
Official Website: www.defjam.com/site/artist_home.php?artist_id=567

[herald=entrtain]

[The Herald]

For those who still use film only, this will probably be of no use, since you cannot get a digital readout for your colour or value spectrum with it. But I highly doubt anyone here is all film, considering how deep into the digital age we are.

The histogram though, is probably one of the most important tools for a digital photographer. The histogram is what will allow you to see if you have properly exposed an image or not. You don’t really have to worry about anything in the middle. What you want to see is at least one spike in pure white, and one in pure black. This is what tells you that you’ve gotten a full range of colours and/or values. And it is especially important in black and white photography.

Depending on the image though, you many have a lot of pure black or a lot of pure white. What must be remembered though, is that where it is pure black or white, there is a loss of detail. So you only want this for the background, and never the subject. There can be bits and pieces of pure black and white within the subject, but never large chunks. This is because it would be distracting, and if you were to enlarge it to an 11x14 or greater, it would render that piece of the photograph very uninteresting. So you always want a little bit of detail left in the highlights and shadows of anything but the background.

In a program like Lightroom, it is easy to adjust the exposure if you are a bit off, and to fill in excess darkness, or tone down too much brightness. To do so with Photoshop, you would have to play with curves and probably some other tools that I have not adequately learned because I use Lightroom for such adjustments.

Sometimes though, as you’re adjusting it to the proper exposure, you may notice that it’s too bright. If that’s the case, either tone the brightness down, since this will still leave you with proper exposure most of the time, or you’ll want to be just under exposed. This is generally from a poor lighting condition, or because the camera mislead you when it came to proper exposure.

Before you even take the images home, you should be able to check the histogram with your camera, and see just what is and isn’t exposed properly. Checking this on location will let you reshoot then, instead of later, though many of us forget in the field to do this. It generally is a big help though, and you will find that the quality of your photos will improve by understanding the histogram and exposure better.




Carolyn Violet is a photographer that I have been following on DeviantART since before I became deeply involved in photography myself. Despite her name on DeviantART (which she now regrets choosing), her photography does not feel dark, and is actually quite lovely to look at. So after you have read this interview, scoot on over to her DeviantART and have a peak.

So without further blabbering, let’s get on to the meat of this article.

What first interested you in photography?
What first interested me in Photography was the fact that you can be in charge of the whole image. It's your idea. If you are shooting a model for example; you choose the make up, the clothes, the backdrop, the props, the angle etc. But then there is that little bit of magic that happens through exploring with your camera, once everything is set up. That is what I enjoy.

Oh, that seems like a lot of good reasons to love photography. In what ways do you explore with your camera?
I often find that when I plan a shot in my head, maybe weeks before hand, I know how I want it to look, exactly. Trying to get that shot is often what takes a lot of exploration. But the exploration I would do when everything is ready, e.g. changing the angle of the shot, trying some different lighting, can often produce something you hadn't thought of, and like more than your original idea. Quite a few of my finished photos that end up in my gallery on DeviantART were taken with a different idea in mind, but through exploring I got something better.

Ah, so that'd be why you’re an experimental photographer instead of something more definite. When it comes to photography, what is your favourite subject to photograph, and why?
The female form, definitely. I've always been fascinated by body shapes. One of my models must think I am a little mad, always taking photos of her feet, neck or spine and never her face!

Hahaha!!! But she does put up with you, so she can't be too mad, eh? Have you ever had any formal training in photography?
None at all. Photography wasn't an option at my high school and I did a college course in film, nothing to do with photography. One day I just decided to pick up my digital camera and take some photos. I started shooting still life, plants and animals. I then realized that some of the settings on my camera made things look better. This is when I got hooked on creating the best photograph I could get. A year later, in a page layout and design class at college I was shown how to use Photoshop, edited some of my photos, and fell in love with the whole process.

That's actually really astonishing. Do you only use natural lighting with your photography then, or did you invest in lighting and/or a reflector; possibly other things?
About 90% of the shoots I have done have used natural light yes and I prefer it to artificial lighting I used when I was at college or in a studio. The other 10% have been completely experimental again. I have used little spotlights from a hardware store, household lamps covered in coloured fabric, and many other strange techniques to get the effect I was looking for!

Sounds like you're creative in more than just your imagery than! You mentioned previously that you use Photoshop. Is it just to retouch, or do you do digital alteration/photomanipulation as well? And what sorts of techniques are your favourites?
I don't class my photos as complete until I have used Photoshop to edit them. It usually is just a retouch, e.g. removing blemishes, changing the curves, sharpening hair and eyes or removing the odd hair which is in the way. I am not very into photomanipulations myself. My favourite technique is creating vignettes, I always think they draw your eyes into an image.

Sounds like you're a pretty truthful photographer then. Would you like to make it a career?
Definitely. I can't see myself doing anything else! I'm currently working hard, saving up to go to university next year, although it's more expensive than I could ever have imagined. I would love to have my own studio. I would really enjoy creating themed portraits for models and families. Although I won't give away too many of the ideas I’ve had for my business. *chuckles*

Sounds like an excellent goal to me! Probably because I share the same one. What university are you looking into to help your dream come true?
I would love to go to Rochester University in Kent. They had a wonderful photography department and although the interview I had there was tough, they said they were very impressed, which filled me with confidence. I was accepted, but due to money problems, I could not accept the offer; which makes me very unhappy. But I’m not going to give up, if it takes me years to save up enough money, I will.

Well I certainly wish you the best of luck! Sounds like you have a very promising career ahead of you, and the determination to fulfill those goals. Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me.
Thank you so much. I enjoyed the interview!


Today's world is a much smaller world than the yesteryears; transportation is getting better and people are travelling more than ever.

Amongst all this influx of immigrants, there lies a problem; illegal immigrants. In New York's Chinatown, there are many illegal immigrants from China Fujian province who have gone to New York in search of a better life than in their hometown.

These able-bodied men had left their wifes and children in their hometown and travelled more than a thousand kilometres to New York City, but not all of them travelled legally.

These illegal immigrants are often on an one-way trip, because once they reach America, they do not have the necessary documents to travel back to China and hence are stuck in a foreign land far away from their hometown.


An immigrant making a joke.
Image from www.magnumphotos.com


An immigrant enjoying noodles.
Image from www.magnumphotos.com

This is one of the three themes of Magnum Photographer Chang Chien-Chi's exhibition right here in my homeland, Singapore.

The next theme is something getting increasingly common in Asian countries. Unwed men would go to wedding agencies, where they will pick a Vietnamese from a whole list of them.

Two unfamiliar and aliened people would then meet each other for the first time and then get married. Plaguing them are the vastly different habits and also their language.

In Taiwan, this is especially common. Chang Chien-Chi, being a Taiwanese himself, then dedicated himself to documenting this.


Photos by Chang Chien-Chi, taken from here.

The last of the themes is one of a rather depressing note. It is about an asylum in Taiwan where they would chain one patient who is more sane, with another whose condition is worse.

According to the asylum this is proven to help, but to me it felt depressing, much moreso since they are barely aware that they are being shackled.

Note that the following images might be disturbing.

CLICKING THIS LINK IS UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN 17 & UNDER. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT YOU MAY BE OFFENDED. FOR ARTISTIC PURPOSES ONLY.
Patients chained together even when bathing
Image from www.magnumphotos.com


A shackled patient
Image from www.magnumphotos.com

As Chang Chien-Chi himself put it, "The intense and realistic images not only highlight contemporary societal issues in Asia such as arranged marriages and immigrant culture, but also explore complex issues of love and alienation, hope and darkness as well as freedom and restriction."

After I visited the exhibition, I felt overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by the brutal truth of these images and how they addressed the issues Chang set out to address- of love and alienation, hope and darkness as well as freedom and restriction- in such an impacting way.


In this article I'll be talking about two different ways of shooting street photography.

Street photography is considered one of the more accessible style of photography since all you really need is a camera and a pair of legs. Your subjects are all on the street.

So with such a large pool of subjects, is it easy to get good photographs when doing street photography?

Hardly.

To capture interesting characters on the street, interesting sights, it is rarely easy.

Click here for a video of Bruce Gilden and how he works.

Bruce Gilden is part of the prestigious photo agency, Magnum Photos. He is renowned for working extremely close to his subjects, and in the video it shows how he works; basically sticking his camera right at people's face.

It is an interesting way to work while on the street, but to me it does cause quite a bit of distress to his subjects. Look at the first old lady. She seemed like she almost got a heart attack.

The second, seen here, is Joe Wigfall's way of shooting street.

A non-invasive way of shooting and framing from the hip.

Whichever style you choose to pick, street photography is not something you can master in a single go, so keep trying!


When the revolutionary comes, there will be response and reaction. Moreso in the field of art.

Photography begins with a desire for chronicling the truth and the happening. Nicéphore Niépce took the first permanent photograph, a landscape that required an eight hour exposure called "Through the window" or something like that.

It was revolutionary. Yet it was opposed.

"All you need is to click a button! There's no art in photography, only the soullessness of technology advancing!"

This summarised the public's and the artists' reaction of those days, long gone.

That was over one and a half century ago. And within this period, photography evolved.

Now, photography itself is divided into two main groups. Film and digital.

The film photographers claim that film has a certain intangible feel to the photographs. That film has a feel to it that digital can never match.

The digital photographers claim that digital allowed more people into the art that is photography.

And even as this goes on, even within the digital era folks there are two camp.

Pro-Photoshop and the otherwise.

I find it a certain repeat of history.

When impressionism came, the critics claimed that it isn't art. When surrealism came, the critics claimed that it isn't art. When photography came, the critics claimed that it isn't art.

It mirrors the human's disability to accept changes and to ride on with it. There are perspectives and they will exist.

As newer art forms come about, there is no denial. Nikon D90 and Canon 5D Mk II has brought around something revolutionary in SLRs- video mode (I don't care what Nikon calls it).

This is revolutionary, and yet again the critics come. And guess what they say?

Whatever it is, when changes come, there will be opposition. This is only natural.

Stop worrying about whether Photoshopping a photograph makes it a lesser photograph or not even a photograph. All these, from pencils to pens to brushes to film to Photoshop, they are but simply ways to express the creative, the intangible and the artist's perspective.

Art is personal, don't let anyone make it lesser for you.

[herald=photo]

[The Herald]

Late Sunday night there was excitement all around campus as everyone returned after a weekend at home. Overjoyed to be back, several of my co-workers and my roommate were settling down to watch a movie.

Screaming broke loose and residents went running, unsure of what happened all Mentors, RAs, and staff members went to stop them from reaching the front windows. Too late, people were hysterical all around us.

All residents were ushered back to their rooms and told to stay there until further notice. Police and MEMs arrived on scene minutes after the six gunshots went off. One male was announced dead and two were rushed to the Conway Regional Hospital, where one later died.

Campus was on a full lock down. No one could get in or out. Not without effort. One of four suspects was caught later in the night. Rumors flooded into the dorms through calls, texts, and facebook. Calming residents was taking a great deal of effort from all staff members, and counselors were brought in.

Early in the morning we were still on lock down, I received word that one of my residents from last year, a friend, died. Wrong place, wrong time. Crushed, I crumbled into the arms of my co-workers.
The death count is still at two; one was released from the hospital.
After the campus was opened again and we were free to move about, classes were canceled. University of Central Arkansas at this point could be seen on CNN, and phone calls from around the nation came flooding in.

At 7 am, sleep finally overcame me. And today, Monday, October 27, 2008 the candlelight service was held across campus to mourn the death of two students. Tears flowed as candles burned in the cold fall weather.

That is my recount of the last 24 hours of my life. God Bless you all. Stay Safe.


The state of California has recently made new leaps and bounds towards the legalization of gay marriage and unity. Oddly enough, the moves go against the popular demand, which proposed that gay marriage remain illegal. The issue of this article is not about whether the courts of California are going around the popular vote to affect legislation to a large extent -- it is the issue of why people are so against the legalization of gay marriage.

One might wonder, why relate it to racism? Sexuality isn't a race, and it has nothing to do with racism. However, doesn't it sound familiar to something that most of us are familiar with? We've read our history books and some of the adults may have actually experienced this. Remember the segregation of African Americans in the early to mid century? Yeah, that.

It's actually not that terrible of an analogy. At that point in time, it was the popular belief that African Americans were lower people, and it took a massive amount of effort to give them their freedoms. A common theme in the fight for freedom was the 'all men are created equal' belief, and after many, many years of painful struggle, the African Americans got their rights. Despite their legal freedoms, the racism and prejudice still continued, and it does even to this day.

It sounds just a bit familiar to the sexist plague going around. These days there's a lot of homophobia, and not only is a lot of it unjustified, it's stupid and pointless. All men are created equal -- oh, but there's exceptions. You can't be African American, you can't be homosexual, you can't be blah blah blah.

Lately the fad is to be homophobic. Honestly. Personally, I have no issue when people disagree with homosexuality. It's not something everyone is going to love unconditionally. They can have whatever reasons they want, religion, personal, etc. However, when it starts leaking out into the public and affecting legislation, that's when it's a problem. For those of you who disagree, why does it matter? Why is it so important that you go out of your way and express your discontent so much that you deny fellow humans their basic rights when it doesn't even affect you?

Another thing there's a problem with is when people use religion as their reason for pressing legislation against gay marriage. I would like to introduce you all to the lovely thing I like to call the separation of church and state. The problem here is that a lot of people use their religion to attack homosexuality, and they use that religion as a base to affect the law. The law isn't perfect, to be sure -- however when the lawmakers are accepting this reason while so blatantly ignoring the separation between law and religion, it's a huge problem.

There are religions that say homosexuality is terrible. That's perfectly fine. There are those who hate it because it's 'sick.' This is also fine. However, the moment people jump in with their ideas and try to change the lives of people they don't know is when the line needs to be drawn. Homophobia, in my view, dances on the same strings as racism. It's not the same thing by far, no. However, there used to be, and still is, prejudice against people because their skin colour is different. These days, people hate others who have sexual preferences that differ from societal 'norms.'

I'm not asking for everyone to accept homosexuality. That would be too good to be true. However, this is the year 2008, people. It's time to stop asking like single-minded monkeys and accept that there are people out there that differ from you. It's time to cast away your silly ideologies that you can and should attempt to quell anything you don't like by law. For lawmakers, it's time to stop letting religion interfere with the law. In a perfect world where the separation of church and state actually worked, there would be freedoms like this for all people.

However, in this day and age, oppression still exists, and to a large degree. The country is making steps in the right direction, while religion and others make efforts to keep us in the Stone Age beliefs of people who are different. There are still plenty of single-minded people in the current day, as there always will be. However, it is my hope that there will come a day when people do not hate everything that is different, and there can finally be the freedoms that everyone deserves.


Age 18, in the eye of the law, is a fitting age to begin serving on a jury, an acceptable age to die for your country, and the right time to begin voting for president, but is not considered an appropriate age to be drinking. In the United States, the legal drinking age is currently set at age 21. However, over the past couple of months, experts have brought up the idea of lowering the age to 18. This has caused younger college students and even older high school students to look towards a future of drinking. While lowering the drinking age may present many more new hazards to a new age group, it will overall provide a very safe alternative to underage drinking.

Melody Munroe, a military wife from Virginia, say she and her husband often watch the parking lot at the military base bar fill up every night with new young recruits. In her opinion, the drinking age should be raised to at the minimum 25. Her reason for this is simple: while a person may be old enough to serve their country, doing it in a drunken or hung over state not only endangers themselves, but also endangers the people they are around.

While there are a number of people who believe the drinking age should stay where it is, there are an equal amount of people who do want it lowered. According to Dr. Ruth Engs of Indiana University, the drinking age should be lowered to 18 or 19 if allowed in controlled environments such as bars, restaurants, pubs, and official university functions. Dr. Engs believes that responsible drinking practices can be taught through role modeling and first-hand experiences. This opinion comes from research conducted by the Applied Health Sciences department at Indiana University and the fact that, according to the doctor, current prohibition laws are currently not working.

An article published in early February of 2008 talks about lowering the drinking age in the state of Vermont. According to Vermont State Senator Hinda Miller, “Our laws aren't working. They're not preventing underage drinking. What they're doing is putting it outside the public eye. So you have a lot of kids binge drinking. They get sick, they get scared and they get into trouble and they can't call because they know it's illegal.”

The article continues on to say many states are currently analyzing their laws regarding alcohol. Many states, such as South Dakota, have petitions being drafted calling for the legalization of purchasing alcohol no higher than 3.2 percent for people 18 and 19. However, organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving are in support of the current, if not a higher, age limit of 21. MADD says, “…the higher age limit has saved thousands of lives since the 1984 enactment of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act.”

An article posted on the USAToday website lists what is currently happening in regards to lowering the drinking age. According to the article, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and South Carolina all introduced legislation to lower the drinking age to 18 for military personnel only. Missouri has a planned ballot initiative which would allow everybody 18 and older to buy alcohol. A bill introduced in Minnesota would allow any person over the age of 18 to purchase alcohol in bars and restaurants, but prohibits purchases from liquor stores until a person turns 21. Bills and legislation such as these would allow the sale and consumption of alcohol in what could be seen as a controlled and responsible environment.

An article written by Scott Hensley, a writer for The Wall Street Journal’s health blog, stated a very healthy point. Years ago, the federal government cracked down on the states, requiring them all to rise the legal drinking age from 18 to 21. According to the article, the government said it would cut highway funding and other areas of much needed money, causing the states to comply. Now, college presidents are signing petitions for the government to consider lowering the drinking age. However, groups such as MADD say that supporters of lowering the drinking age should be held responsible for more deaths on the road that would be sure to follow. James F. Jones Jr., president of Trinity College, said, “Who in the world is going to stand up against Mothers Against Drunk Driving? It would be like standing up against motherhood and apple pie.” Other people, such as University of Florida epidemiologist Alexander Wagenaar, are siding with MADD. Wagenaar said, “The college presidents ’ see a problem of drinking on college campuses, and they don’t want to deal with it. It’s really unfortunate.”

In the end, the decision is left with the individual state. However, lowering the drinking age may be more beneficial than anything else. While groups such as MADD bring up the point that there could be more accidents on the road related to drunk driving, other people and groups have brought up the fact that a higher legal drinking age isn’t preventing anything. Younger people, especially college students, are still getting their hands onto alcohol and consuming it illegally. Instead of wasting valuable resources to try and control underage drinking (which, in the eyes of some, simply pushes people to drink in secret), why not lower the drinking age and float our resources to projects that need more attention?



Sources used in this article:

www.indiana.edu/~engs/articles/cqoped.html
blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/08/20/would-lowering-the-drinking-age-curb-bingeing-on-campus/
www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-03-20-drinkingage_n.htm
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,333790,00.html
www.cnn.com/2008/living/08/21/drinking.age/index.html?

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