Adjusted privacy settings could have helped Truman student

Truman State University student posted anti-Semitic statements on her Twitter account (now deleted) and has been suffering the repercussions of her decisions. The University would not comment on whether disciplinary action would be taken.

I wrote a column, here, that outlines how she could have avoided all of this, other than not saying it in the first place.

“The Lovely Bones” review (SPOILERS)

I was already creeped out by old men who stare alot, but after watching “The Lovely Bones” directed by Peter Jackson out of Dream Works, I will never be the same.

Think about it, Boo Radley to the extreme. Cue the usual Radley behavior of being the loner, old man neighbor who comes out once a week to mow the lawn, but add in psycho child/female mass murderer and meet Mr. Harvey (Stanley Tucci – “Julie & Julia” and “The Devil Wears Prada”). You would never guess that our beloved Nigel from “Devil Wears Prada” would, first-have hair and second-turn around and be a bad ass at playing the evil bad guy.

The film centers on a young girl, Susie Salmon (Saiorse Ronan) who is murdered and ends up in the “inbetween” while her family is torn apart. Her father Jack Salmon (Mark Wahlberg) becomes obsessive compulsive with trying to assist the detectives in finding her killer while her mother, Abigail Salmon (Rachel Weisz), leaves to work in an orchard in California because she can’t cope with her daughter’s tragic death.

Cue Susan Sarandon as Susie’s grandma who is called by Jack to take care of the children as the family falls apart. She is a chain smoking, booze-as-water, 50 year old saying she’s 35 and she’s fabulous. It must be hard on such a legendary actor to be playing the grandma roles, but I forsee Sarandon being put on the pedastool with Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton, amazing and better with age.

So, Susie’s sister Lindsay (Rose McIver) decides to take matters into her own hands, causing jaws to drop and the audience to crawl more tightly into a ball in their seats as she’s almost caught in Mr. Harvey’s house getting evidence to prove he killed her sister. She’s one floorboard creak away from being another victim of Boo….uh Harvey.

Amanda Michalka (from Aly and AJ) makes a cameo in the film as Susie’s kinda slutty friend whose boyfriend beats the crap out of her father when he follows Harvey into the corn fields. Oh yeah, P.S., you might/will be scared of cornfields after this film…if you weren’t already.

Ronan was great as Susie, but she needs to grow up a little and get some more mature characteristics to her look before she starts landing any more lead roles. Her face looks to young, yes, making her perfect for this film, but I’m finding it hard to place her in another film or genre except teeny-bop-Disney films, but look where Demi Lovato is with Disney, but she has a more mature look.

Anyway, 4.5 out of 5 stars for great acting, unique plot and casting choices/ensemble work. Worth paying the $$$ to see it in theater.

“Up in the Air” Proves Worthy of Hype

By Matt Butler

Guest Reviewer

 

I happened upon a curious statistic the other day in an article in the “New York Times” The article, which mostly discussed how some colleges are getting rid of their not-so-marketable liberal arts degrees, brought this up:

“In 1971, 37 percent [of college freshmen] responded that it was essential or very important to be “very well-off financially,” while 73 percent said the same about “developing a meaningful philosophy of life.” In 2009, the values were nearly reversed: 78 percent identified wealth as a goal, while 48 percent were after a meaningful philosophy.”
Now more than ever, we live in a capitalist culture where productivity and profit are king – except, if you haven’t noticed, things aren’t so profitable lately. My dad just got laid off since his company is going out of business. He’s close enough to retirement age that it’s no big deal, but he’s had to endure seeing countless co-workers shuffle out the door not knowing how they’re going to put food on the table next month.

Breaking this kind of news to people is the job of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) in the newest film out of Paramount Pictures “Up in the Air”. He gets paid to jet around telling people they’re getting fired. He’s pretty good at letting people down easy and enduring myriad forms of verbal abuse, and this line of work is perfect for a cold-hearted middle-aged bachelor like him. He doesn’t see much of his family, though – after all, he’s got so many frequent flier miles that he considers the air to be his home more than he does his sparsely furnished apartment.

A few complications arise, though, of course. Bingham’s boss (Jason Bateman) is toying with the idea of taking his employees off the road and putting them in front of teleconferencing terminals. Bingham gets stuck with taking the new girl (Anna Kendrick) – the one who recommended this idea in the first place – on the road, all the while feeling that his whole insular way of life is threatened.

And, of course, there’s a love interest. Ryan meets Alex (Vera Farmiga) at a hotel bar, and their relationship is defined by the fact that they’re both road warriors who are just nonchalantly looking for someone to hang out with and bang. Ryan and Alex’s banter is entertaining, and director Jason Reitman (“Juno”) does an incredible job of turning the stale meet-cute romantic comedy on its head. Hell, if that’s all this film was, it’d be pretty damned entertaining.

Except that’s not all that it is – the meet-cute isn’t even the point. The film utilizes it only as a fun distraction from the real questions it brings up: How has the identity of corporate America changed in the face of the recession? Does technology bring us together or push us apart – and what are the consequences of either case? And, of course, the eternal debate between Paul Simon and John Donne: Can a man be truly content as an island, closed off from any deep interaction with anyone? Or, despite everything else, is no man an island? It’s been a while since I’ve run across “anything” this multilayered and nuanced, let alone in a popular film.

As illustrated by that statistic from the “Times” article, Generation Y’s priorities are completely out of whack. It’s easy for young people, time-starved and focused on their careers, surrounded by technology, to mistake Facebook friends and Twitter followings as real human relationships, and to substitute emotionless text messaging for meaningful interaction. To a certain extent, I’m guilty as charged, but at least I realize what’s going on. Our lives, like Ryan Bingham’s, are filled with empty surrogates. To accept that at face value – to face life in a purely goal-oriented fashion, insulated from one another – is to ignore the message of the film: life’s more fun, after all, with a co-pilot.

Great performances all around – it’s weird to see a movie like this as an Oscar contender, but it’s totally that good. Four stars.

Plastic surgery ruins your career..duh

I don’t have cable. (in case you were wondering why I watch so many movies now or in the future)

I was watching “The Perfect Man” with Hilary Duff today and began to think about all the celebrities whose careers have kind of plumeted after they decided to alter their appearance. I think it’s really stupid on their part to change their body to make it look like every one else’s. Beauty is in the imperfections & the uniqueness of your look. If you look like everyone else, you’re not going to be chosen above all the rest anymore. Duh. So, let’s give you some examples of young actors who are still in the business and haven’t screwed it up completely yet (like Michael Jackson or Melanie Griffith). Beware youngins – don’t want to end up looking like that when you’re 50!

Hilary Duff: Veneers

She is still beautiful, but the teeth are almost too big, giving her mouth a horse effect.

Her career: The Lizzie McGuire star was doing pretty well for herself landing staring roles with the likes of Chad Michael Murray in “A Cinderella Story” and “The Perfect Man.” But then her career dwindled and we didn’t start seeing her again until her new role as Olivia in Gossip Girl. But, seriously, watch Cheaper by the Dozen 1 and then watch the sequel and look at the horrific change in Duff’s body and teeth. It’s sickening how skinny she is and her teeth are too big for her face. Now she is at a better weight and I still like her acting, so I might watch her episodes of Gossip Girl if I ever get cable…

Ashley Simpson-Wentz: Nose Job

Again, still gorgeous, but unrecognizable as unique Ashlee. For someone who hates "living in the Shadow of someone else's dream" (aka big sis, Jessica), she sure did a great transformation INTO her.

As the caption says, she made a big deal about not “living in the shadow of someone else’s dream” (aka big sis, Jessica), but she did a fantastic job of transforming into big sis. She is still pretty, but we haven’t seen her (except on Melrose Place) since 7th Heaven. I loved her first album, but this isn’t the Ashlee Simpson people fell in love with. This looks like a complete stranger. It’s weird how altering one part of your face turns you into someone new. Was that her intention? IDK. She’s also playing Roxie Hart on Broadway’s “Chicago.” Good for you, girl. But stop the plastic surgery and embrace imperfections!

All for now. Hopeully these girls stop trying to change what God gave them to work with and do what they do best.

Zac Efron

I have been wanting to see “17 Again” for the longest time, and my main reason was to see Zac Efron attempt to be a better actor than he was in the “High School Musical” trilogy. Well, I finally rented it from Red Box and I think my impression of him is changing. He had to realllly do well for me to push aside my anti-HSM bias and accept him as a viable actor, and you know what? He pulled through for me. Yes, just for me. Yah…I wish. I actually really want to see “Me and Orson Welles” and “The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud” now. Has anyone seen the Orson Welles one? Any good? I really do think Efron has a good chance of running with the big boys like Pitt, Depp and Clooney if his career stays on the path it’s on now. He’s 22 and I think he has a more promising look and feel for the business than Chad Michael Murray or Josh Hartnett. He seems to be taken to better. I’m sure some of you disagree. He could have a more realistic-looking tan and try not looking like a 12-year-old boy so much, but I like him well enough.

On a positive note, I have new and awesome reason to hate Vanessa Hudgens even more! No, not just because I actually seem to be liking Zac Efron, but apparently she actually threatened him with a break-up unless he stopped playing the video games he got for Christmas. I’m sorry but when you get something for Christmas, you are excited about it and want to play it, correct? If my boyfriend told me to stop enjoying my Christmas present or he was going to break up with me, I would dump his ass before he could say Happy New Year. He should’ve ditched the untalented ‘actress’ ages ago if you ask me. Just sayin.

So, that’s my two cents on a rising star and my opinion on his possibility of success. I’ll continue to be opinionated about these matters with other actors/musicians as well. Hope you’re as excited as I am.

Keep it up Zac & ditch the girl.

Pale Divine 2nd-Annual Reunion Show

I’m 21 years old, and I finally have my first crush on a rockstar. Who is this rockstar you ask? None other than Richard Fortus, lead guitarist extraordinaire who made his start with The Eyes-turned Pale Divine and now plays with the likes of Rhianna and Guns n Roses out in L.A. Unlike most girls with rockstar crushes, it’s not because of his looks. Fortus has the best stage presence, charisma and INTENSE playing skills that I have ever seen. Granted I have only been to probably 10 concerts, but man this man can play. During this show he had to have his off-stage help change his strings TWICE because he rocks that hard. He’s a humble guitar genius and that is why he is my idol. Guess what? We got his autograph, too.

Now that I have confessed my love for the lead guitarist, let me tell you how amazing the rest of the band is and how rockin’ the show was. I reviewed Pale Divine (The Eyes)’s first reunion show last January and my Dad (who grew up as a groupie to the band when they played at Kennedy’s in StL) and I determined to make it a Christmas tradition to see their show every winter. Here’s to hoping they continue to get together because the atmosphere they create, their level of talent and the determination of their fans should be more than enough to convince The Pageant and the band to keep it going. New tradition, St. Louis?

The set list was a bit different from last year’s reunion including some songs that never made it to their CDs (never made it passed the garage they were written in, eh?). They played two sets, actually, with a 15 minute break to have a meet and greet. Michael (lead vocals) actually fell on stage at one point, but the band kept playing. Their sets included some amazing covers including my favorite cover of The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields.” The dance floor was packed the entire night and there’s not much else I can say other than the fact that this band just gets better with age. Yes, they are all (but Fortus) middle-aged men with beer guts and short hair (past hair band long locks chopped off or they’re bald in the drummer’s (Greg Miller) case), but this just adds to the old adage that you should never judge a book by its cover. These “old” men as today’s youth would call them have more talent than most bands that “make it” in today’s music industry. It’s almost not fair that when they were in their prime age, no one (including their record label, Atlantic) appreciated their beyond-their-time sound. And now, even though they have a large group of dedicated groupies that grow with each father introducing his daughter to the bands of his time, each band member has their own life and dropping everything to pursue your boyhood dream of rockin out to large audiences at 40+ just doesn’t seem smart. That’s unfortunate. Don’t worry Pale Divine, my dad and I will always be at least two dedicated faces in the crowd screaming and rockin out to your amazing talent. Keep it up and continue to force Fortus away from L.A. to play a reunion show.

On another note, “The Stranded Lads” were the opening act. Good sound, definitely 80’s-sounding vocals and unique music, but they intrigued me.

My “you can never go home again” Moment

Hope your Holiday went well, readers!

Christmas Eve was a good night with my family. The two little kids were overly rambunctious as well as excessively cute, so it evened out. The dogs wanted nothing more than one piece of food to drop from someone, anyone’s plate and you could feel the silenced tension just because it was a holiday, and we were forced to be in the same room with everyone, which I am sure is like most families.

I love all my presents, but I have officially experienced my “you can never go home again” moment, and I’m only 21. Yes, I do believe you can go home, but living at home for any length of time that is more than a weekend after you initially move out is impossible to maintain sanity. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE my family & all that they do for me, but I just think I am one of those people who can’t go back. I need to be on my own. So I guess it makes more sense to call it my “you can never MOVE home again” moment.

After leaving my childhood home (which was moved OUT of the year I went to college), I changed completely. I know what contributed to that, but the problem is that I have grown and matured so much due to my experience at college, and I think it’s difficult for me to come back home to people who don’t know the “me” I am at college.

Just, think about it. It’s life: plain and simple.

2009: A Year in Review

Happy Holidays readers! This is about the time when I reflect on the past year and figure out what I want to do differently or continue in the next year.

January: I spent my first ever New Year at college & loved every minute of it. Started my 6th semester of college. Started semester being Copy Chief of newspaper.

February: Celebrated my 21st Birthday with two weeks of partying. One weekend at college & one weekend in St. Louis. Reconnected w/ an old friend (who later disconnected with again…). I also went to Minnesota for a journalism conference and realized that I LOVE Minneapolis.

March: Spring Break in St. Louis w/ 2 friends from college. Made a big mistake, but figured a lot of things out.

April: Created the Unwritten Letters Project and became inspired to somehow change the world…or my world.

May: “If a zombie attack breaks out right now, we’re screwed.” – A friend of mine said that while we walked through a graveyard during finals when everyone else was studying. It was so much fun and that was hilarious. We totally would have been screwed. I was also voted “I’m Scared of You” award at the newspaper b/c I really disliked a lot of pp I worked with. (things have changed!)

June: Started my position as mentor/counselor with Upward Bound. This opportunity completely changed my outlook on life and made me a much better person. I owe a lot of my inspiration to those students and my 6 weeks in that program.

July: Ended the 6 weeks with UB (I cried, aLOT!). I moved into my new apartment (one bedroom). Fourth of July was spent in Kville (it rained).

August: Started my second to last semester of college. Also started new jobs in the Public Relations office and a traveling mentor for UB. LOVED this semester, but sacrificed my social life. Continued working for the newspaper as a columnist/cartoonist!

September: Submitted a proposal to teach a student-initiated course for Spring 09, but was declined. Decided to use LeClere Books to publish the “Unwritten Letters Project” book.

October: Most, if not all, of this month was dedicated to  completing the ULP manuscript. I submitted it to the publisher. AHHH! I spent Halloween dressed as Elphiba (Wicked Witch) and it was the most time I spent on a costume in at least 6 years.

November: I became a published ….student (Nov. 9). Controversy on whether I should call myself an author since the content was all submitted to a website. Idc, but we started planning my book signing at Truman and further publicity for being the first (as far as we know) undergrad published at Truman. Book is available on Amazon and on LeClereBooks.com. BIG publicity launch planned for February.

December: Went skating at Forest Park, played in the first Kville snow (potential Blizzard), had the BEST (grade-wise) semester at Truman, had my first-ever Book Signing (Dec. 2) and ULP speaking event at Ameristar Casino speaking w/ a HS Basketball team, was written about in China, Nebraska, Kville and St. Louis media outlets!

Future Aspirations for 2010: Dive into my last semester of college, dive into book publicity (starting in February), work on Anti-Bullying campaign inspired by ULP (& work on partnerships/setting up business), work on 2nd book (published in Nov.), work on screenplays/novels in my head, figure out my future and turn 22…let’s get this year started!

Life. Plain & Simple.

I’m sitting in my beautiful apartment sick & alone on a Friday night. Some of you might be thinking, whoa, what a loser. On the contrary. It’s kind of nice. I went to Walgreens and stocked up on Sinus medicine, Vicks Vapor rub, toilet paper (tissues), hot tomato soup and orange juice for the evening. Finals ended today. My second to last semester of college is officially at it’s end. It’s weird. My friends are graduating tomorrow. Some people are leaving whom I may never see again…as overdramatic as that sounds, it’s very close to the truth.

But those are just mini rants brought on by a night alone  blowing my sorrows into rolls of toilet paper in a one-bedroom apartment in the butcrack of the United States, Kirksville. Also, my new fascination with “changing the world, one letter at a time” spawns from my obsession with movies and watching these more-than-impossible characters perform miracles like … fall in love or … be, you know, successful.

Today’s films I dove into were “My Sister’s Keeper” and “Julie & Julia.” I am just starting “Julie & Julia” so I have no comments on that one’s effect on my newfound desire to change the world, but “My Sister’s Keeper,” yes, made me cry, and yes, made me want to be someone’s miracle. I think I’ll get on that goal soon…

This is just a rant, but I do recommend “My Sister’s Keeper.” Although, bring the tissues (or the toilet paper) to wherever you watch it. You’ll need it. I really think Abigail Breslin has such a promising career ahead of her. She’s going to be amazing. I swear, I want to be a child star when I grow up … wait… anyway.

Until later. Look forward to my future rants on life. Plain & Simple.

Scandalous costumes corrupt children’s fairy tale characters:

I wrote a column for the newspaper I work for that I am particularly proud of and I stand by my opinion whole heartedly. Check it out and keep it in mind when putting on your Halloween costumes this year!!!

Keep this in mind tonight and tomorrow LADIES (or men?): http://shortlink.info/?381c8799