Nineteen-year-old Queen of Ice Yu-Na Kim made ladies figure skating history in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics,  her first Olympics. She made the  highest score ever in ladies figure skating history.

     On February 23, 2010,  the Short Program started in the Pacific Coliseum. Yu-Na Kim performed her program after Asada Mao who used to be her rival. She performed to music from a James Bond medley. Yu-Na Kim ranked first place with 78.50. The gap between her score and Asada Mao who was in second place was 4.72, a  huge gap in figure skating. Newspapers and TV media praised Yu-Na Kim and everybody recognized her as Queen of Ice.

     Two days later the Free Skating that followed the Short Program started. Yu-Na performed to music entitled “Concerto in F” by George Gershwin. This time, she got her title ‘Queen Yu-Na’. The skater earned a score of 150.06 and won the gold medal. Her Final score was 228.56 which was the highest score ever in ladies figure skating history. Asada Mao won the silver medal with 205.50 score.

     Yu-Na Kim surprised the world. The world said that this 228.56 score will be an unbreakable score for a long time. Michelle Kwan who is called legend of ladies figure skating because she won five times in the world championship series was on the scene to congratulate Yu-Na Kim.

     However, unfortunately, she is considering retirement. She has gotten lots of pressure by Korean citizens and has earned a lot of money. Yet nobody knows what she will do. If she keeps her skater life, she could make more history in figure skating. Even if she retires, the world will remember her for a long time.

 Enjoy her performance (Vancouver 2010 Olympic ladies free skating program)

     Junior Lenette Holt had 18 points and 9 rebounds in Monday’s game against Ballard. Even though she was one of the game’s leading figures, Holt remains modest.  “It feels good,” said Holt, who hit 8 of 11 shots and 2 of 2 free throws. “We’re in the final four now, and that’s just a blessing. It seems like a dream. It was nice to win district, but this is better.”

     The lady Chargers’ coach was also happy to see the team get their twentieth  win. “This is special because we weren’t even ranked among the top 10 in the region in the preseason. We used that as a motivator.” 

     The Lady Chargers (20-8) advance to face Mercy in Thursday’s 3:30 p.m. semifinal at Bellarmine University’s Knights Hall.

We all know about or have heard about vampires. We learn about them from TV shows like the popular True Blood and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and the many, many movies such as the popular Twilight series. But if there were to be an encounter with these people of the night would you know what to do and when to do it to survive? You probably wouldn’t, so below you can find a list from bloodlexicon.com that will help your chances of surviving.

·         Look for a hole above a grave. Sometimes vampires have to dig their way out.

·         Scatter salt on the floor in the vampire’s latest victim’s room. Help the vampire lead you right to his or her tomb.

·         Use garlic, hawthorn branches, or a cross to trap your vampire in a corner. Protect yourself from revenge by making a cross of tar on your front door.

·         Dig the vampire up on a Friday. According to the early Greeks, that’s when a vampire is weakest. Take advantage of the day when vampires can’t come out to play.

·         Pound iron stakes through his coffin and straight into the ground if you catch him at rest.

·         Bury his body under running water - vampires can’t stand it.

·         Fire a silver bullet blessed by a priest into his heart.

·         Drive an aspen, ash or white thorn stake through his heart with a single blow if you want to make a lasting impression.

·         Pour boiling water, boiling oil or holy water into his grave.

·         Cremate his body or make a paste from his flesh for closure. Then sit down and feast on the beast.

·         If you avoid vampire-populated areas, you’ll be more likely to avoid vampire attacks. So location, location, location! Areas to avoid:

 Transylvania. An excellent place to wake up dead and in a coffin.

 

Sunnydale, California. Don’t be fooled by the unusually reasonable SoCal real estate. There is a Hellmouth there and the bitey ones are always attracted to those.

 

 Cleveland, Ohio. Also the site of a Hellmouth (according to Buffy lore).

 

Los Angeles, Califonia. As long as the law firm of Wolfram and Hart is there to protect vampires, your neck is not safe.

 

New Orleans, Louisiana. Home of Lestat and company. Also home to Anne Rice who may or may not be a vampire.

 

Fells Church, Virginia (not be confused with Falls Church, Virginia, which to the best of my knowledge is low on vampires). According to this teen series The Vampire Diaries, Fells Church attracts the undead because of a Civil War battle fought there. The blood from the long ago lures the supernatural.

 

Forks, Washington. Setting of the Twilight series.

 

• According to “real” vampires all of the things about garlic and religious stuff is a lie and will not work in the slightest.

 

• Yes, sun is not good for them so it would be best for you to find them during to day when they are weaker so they’ll be easier to kill.

 

These tips come from different believers. And though you may have never heard these tips before, they may be what will  save you one day. The tips only work on real vampires. Which means that if the vampire you want to kill glitters, none of the things I just told you will work.

Ghost Rider - A Mystery Beyond Motors

     The Ghost Rider is an unknown. He has no identity. No social security number. No records. No trace.  For years in Sweden, the Ghost Rider  on a daily basis just speeds through town and  is best known for darting in and out of traffic at speeds nearing 300 km per hour!  He is thought to be a member of the Swedish wheelie team.
     He is dressed in black leather with a dark visor which covers his face. He has made appearances in films, but manages to stay unidentifiable during the filming.  The first Ghost Rider film appeared in 2002, and  his videos are available for purchase through the internet.

     In one of his most infamous rides, the Ghost Rider covered 68 kilometres between Stockholm and Uppsala in 15 minutes, posting an average speed of more than 270 kilometres per hour.  Amazingly, he has never hurt anyone during his dangerous rides.  Everytime he is chased, this daredevil succeeds in getting away.  He has raced around Paris, Uppsala, and Stockholm on his bike as well as in cars and on a snow mobile.  He is seen as a pest, especially to the cops. A nuesance with his loud vehicles and dangerous actions. T here has been news that the first Ghost Rider died in a high speed accident in Sweden and further movies had been shot with another rider. You can see his videos by doing a youtube search. Some people also beleive that there is more than one Ghost Rider and they belong to the Swedish wheelie team.

 In one movie, there is a police chase and the motorcycle driver speeds off, leaving the motorway at the next exit. The film continues until the driver reaches a garage and the motorcycle is turned off. But the camera continues to roll and a few minutes later a leather-clad man wearing a helmet strolls into the shot.  In a later shot, someone who is believed to be the same person can be seen pulling on a pair of sweatpants, his face clearly visible on the film.  The forty-year-old man thought to be the Ghost Rider denied to Aftonbladet that he was the one driving the motorcycle.  “The company I work for distributes the films,” he said.   If caught,  his charges and fines would be never ending. The following conversation can be found on a message board where the Ghost Rider’s existence is discussed:

 Joe said, “Finally,
I do believe the rumor that
Ghost Rider is a team:
2 brothers.”

ghostrider responds,

“Well,  Joe,  thanks for your response but you can be sure that Ghost Rider is not a team and it is an alias used by a single rider.
The Ghost Rider has only been caught once and we have mentioned that in one of our comments ( on a bicycle). . . .”   A lot of people say the ghost rider has died but many oppose. It’s whatever you wanna believe but the Ghost Rider is a legend. He has made quite a name for himself.  The Ghost Rider doesn’t worry about cops.  He doesnt have to. He’s living free among the world.  And hes got the busa turbo.”

The DarkSide of the Wall
Saturday, January 23rd, 2010
The Brown Theater
Better Than: Going to the dentist…?
     

     I have spent at least ten minutes trying to remember what music I listened to in middle school through freshmen year of high school, and the only thing that prominently comes to mind are the words Pink Floyd. This is when I realized that through that entire period of my life I listened to virtually nothing else. There may be a foggy memory of Dinosaur Jr’s Green Mind, or a Mars Volta album somewhere in the mix, but as far back as I can remember (and that’s not very far), I lost my entire middle school/9th grade years to Pink Floyd, and there’s no regret there. I’ve benefited from the binge. From an exhausting knowledge of their catalog, to a growing affection that becomes stronger as the years go by, I find that having such a strong connection to a band is like having affection for a kitten: it’s unconditional. Even if they may wet on your rug, that really tied the room together (Momentary Lapse of Reason, ahem), or split up because one of the members is a little difficult, you find a way to overlook that flaw. The great thing about having this affection for such a high capacity band like Pink Floyd is that there are so many different albums, eras, and sounds to get into at once. You’re never left bored or pining for more; it is emotionally and physically satisfying. The downside to liking a band like Floyd, though, is that two very significant members are already dead. Syd Barrett may have been kicked out of the troupe earlier on, but it doesn’t stop that part of Pink Floyd from being totally irreplaceable. How are we supposed to expect a reunion now that Richard Wright is dead? This is where tribute bands come in.

There’s always been a sort of 50/50 love-hate affection I’ve had with tribute bands, but when your long time favorite band is slowly dying off, sometimes you have no other choice, especially when you long to hear that music amplified to a live capacity. I’ve seen The Pink Floyd Experience twice: four years ago in Huntington, West Virginia and roughly one year ago while residing in Louisville. Both sets were sensually satisfying, but not because they played “Wish You Were Here”- in fact, they didn’t play it at all. They were satisfying because they took time to cover virtually every era of Floyd, cascading from the late Division Bell to the ancient jam tune known as “Astronomy Domine.” No Floyd was left behind. So after seeing this band twice, I’ve had pretty high expectations when it comes to these kinds of concerts.

The DarkSide of the Wall is a Louisville-based band consisting of what the website claims as “some of the top music and production talent in the region.” Unfortunately, there is a difference between being exceptional and genuine. I totally understand the concept of playing what the crowd may want to hear, but sometimes the crowd isn’t all middle aged washups. Perhaps there are eager high school girls crammed between drunkards who simply wish to hear a song from Obscured by Clouds, or maybe just a couple tracks from Relics. It’s hardly a selfish thing to ask for; after all, why would we want to hear songs we hear consistently on 107.7 anyway? No luck. It was all strictly Dark Side and The Wall as their name fittingly proclaims. Although I have no complaints about hearing “Welcome to the Machine” or “Pigs,” I just kind of wished there would be more variety. You would be considered naive to think this set list did any justice.
But the set list wasn’t the only problem I noticed with the band. There were several instances during the show where specific guitar solos were omitted and replaced with  vocal solos instead. Take the second acoustic solo in “Wish You Were Here,” the glorious moment when David Gilmour scat vocals with his guitar: completely ignored here. It’s almost like the guitar player was either too stupid or too lazy to learn the solo. Even I know how to play that solo. I also noticed a problem with the band’s guitar tones, specifically on songs like “Run Like Hell” or “Pigs” where the initial guitar tone is absolutely key. I’ve listened to these songs enough to know a wrong tone when I hear one. As opposed to the hollow and twang-like tone used in these tracks, the band adapted a heavier and almost metalesque sound that didn’t work well with the music they were supposed to be playing. The lead guitarist was also prone to jumping around the stage as if in a slow motion mosh pit, something I’ve never seen David Gilmour do on stage before. His only job is to play and look cute!

I feel I could fill up another paragraph about how I was close to walking out mid-show or about the sloppy vocals on “The Great Gig in the Sky,” but I guess I should have seen this coming. I can’t expect less-than-perfect musicians to give me the absolutely perfect show that I want. That’s not what a tribute band is about. They may know how to play all the notes and use all the right lights at the right time, but it all comes down to the fact that it’s not Floyd. Not even close. These are merely people like me, committed in their fanship, just in a different way. I know I wasn’t fortunate enough to be born in a time where a Pink Floyd tour was the norm, but I wish that I could at least have a taste.  Just a little bite.

 

     As an exchange student, the 2010 Super Bowl was my first one. Most commercials seemed really hilarious to me.  However, the top ten ads of the decade by TIME magazine were the best. In Super Bowl history, there have been lots of memorable ads. TIME  has made a video of the top ten ads of the decade shown during the Super Bowl.

 

     In this video,  E*Trade, The David Letterman Show, Audi, General Motors, Bud Light, FedEx, Bridgestone Firestone, Reebok, and Emerald Nuts are advertised. Commercials run about 30~40 seconds but these short clips have given joy to viewers and have increased companies’ benefits. 

Which ad is your favorite?

The week is called spirit week. It started on tuesday, ends on friday. It is a week without the regular dress code, a week to appreciate your chargers, show your pride, and dress crazy.

• Monday-regular school clothes
• Tuesday- MisMatch Day(pictures included)
• Wednesday-favorite sports team day
• Thursday- favorite decade day(pictures included)
• Friday- spirit day and peprally seventh period!

*AND HERES SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS

Favorite Decade Day!:

 1

Tabitha Haist

Ryan Murphy

Ezequiel Rosas

 

2

Naomy Malemusa

Samantha Overstreet

Stephany Villarreal

 

3

David Benjamin

Keara Eleby

Kirsten Smith

Jamar Wells

 

4

Justin Gordon

 

5

Jesse Brashear

Kendall Downing

Alec First

Daniel Willis

 

6

Shanicqua Brown

Michael Redmon

Charles Smith

 

7

Alex Brohm

Latondra Johnson

James Morrison

Phillip Weaver

Stephen Weaver

 

8

Demichael Jackson

 

9

Gabrielle  Jones

William Mays

Nueminue Sackie

Brianna Thomas

Samantha Wilder

Kevin Wilkirson

 

10

Brandon Bell

Danielle Betts

Linda Epstein

Jordan Hayes

Zakiya Johnson

 

11

Trevor Brown

Hannah Harmon

Henry Meyer

Jesse Robinson

Whitney Wright

 

12

Joshua Decker

Lacy Thomas

 

13

Stephanie Corie

Cory Gathof

Alix Mattingly

 

14

Hilary Young

 

16

Stephen Chapman

Kimberly Hinkel

Daniel Murphy

Cody Russell

Braden Wilson

 

17

Montarius Holt

Jessica Johnson

Jennifer Morales

Roy Tingle

 

18

Jauantez Hendricks

 

19

Nicholas Brawner

 

20

Justin Barmore

Mary Buley

Pedro Gonzalez

Michael Park

 

21

Chrishshawna

Kayla Hinkle

Tai Ito

 

22

Justin Bourland

Jordan Howlett

Jeffrey Klausing

Roshynelle Langdon

Waymesha Mann

Rodrigo Reyna

 

23

Destinee Belcher

Jori Jones

Kristopher Lebangood

 

24

Debreon Hobbs

Kayla Kinney

 

25

Enry Burchett

Wes Harper

Chris Meyer

Chelsey Polston

Linda Wang

Michael Wright

 

26

Carlos Estrada

Robert Schreck

 

27

Yoseth Luna

Daysha Thomas

 

28

Adriana Almazan

Andrew Page

Humberto Rosas

Jikala Thomas

     Late 2009, the Wall Street Journalhyped the emergence of the fall’s upcoming “lavish” accessory as the Snood, a tube of fabric derived from morphing a scarf and a hood, i.e. Scarf n’ Hood- (Snood). But what came as no surprise was Lady Gaga caught sporting the sweater tube the previous year; she even used to sell official Lady Gaga hood wraps on her website. Now, fashion empires Missoni, Burberry, and among others, have adapted the loopy style as the current fall/winter’s “Want it” accessory. Because who wouldn’t want to have a knitted American Apparel fabric tube that makes you look homeless and depressed?

     The only thing this comes down to is that nobody should dress like Lady GaGa, except Lady GaGa. The only thing worse than having GaGa’s accessories massed produced at Bloomingdales and Hot Topics alike, is other pop stars joining the shock parade. GaGa and Beyonce’s recent collaboration in the painfully repetitive “Videophone” proves that hip hop’s booty-shaking Christ Queen isn’t afraid to break out her private collection of leather delicates (even if this means looking completely ridiculous and bad). Out of  Beyonce’s perpetually changing outfits in the music video, only few faired as decent or attractive. This wouldn’t include her black leather contraption she wore in the video’s opening scene, trailed by men in suits. No justice can be made for her black and white cone-shaped bikini, or the single, thin braid protruding from her head as it snapped agaist her neck with each dance move. It seems that Beyonce has sucked the GaGa out of the Lady.  And ironically enough, this is the first music video where the Lady actually looked kind of normal.

     Among the other celebrities pining for shock value is the buzzed-haired hip hop singer, Rihanna. ”Hard” has peaked at number eight on Billboard’s top 100, with a running of eight weeks on the spot, along with the greatest airplay and sales gain this week alone. There is probably nothing relevant or impressive about this at all, but it’s a start. If you can fair easily through the video’s stale chorus and location, you might take time to
notice Rihanna’s painfully ugly costumes as well, whether it be in a rubber-foam suit or in her GWAR-like spiked vest as she struts through a battlefield -a metaphorical battlefield, no doubt.

     Surely, there must be a larger theme here, and from what can be collected, perhaps there is. Many people forget to note David Bowie as a prime influence for the popularization of the glamour explosion, notably when the the singer emerged as his androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust in the 1970’s. This short-lived persona is marked as a complete reinvention of the glamour era, and without it, it’s frightening to think what ideals in music and fashion we wouldn’t have today.

     Unfortunately, the years have done damage on the once innovative presentation. It may have barely survived through the 1990’s, but the 2000’s haven’t been scant in bringing the era back. In this case, like most, history repeats itself. Although, it may be worse for glamour’s second round. We accept a lot of the fashions these icons wear because we take it as their own visual expression, but there’s a difference between being weird for the sake of weird, and actually reinventing something. Katy Perry used this to her advantage, from straddling giant chap stick tubes to wearing a replica carousel dress, everything was there, but did it last? Even she and Beyonce might share some common ground, both in the realization that with Jesus’s help or not, shock-pop has been their only vice to come back to. But this hasn’t change the fact that there still hasn’t been anything new. It’s hard to accept Rihanna representing a persona she doesn’t fit, just as it is unsettling to accept that Beyonce may intentionally try to look bad. Taken as a whole, it’s clear that between these singers, one of them is not like the others. Lady GaGa has merely taken that image of glamour and crafted her own distinction of shock value; it’s become the GaGa norm. Regardless, this kind of image has pulsed through dance music since the beginning of time, but hip hop music has never officially adapted it as its own. Rihanna and Beyonce aren’t wrong, they’re confused, or perhaps just misunderstood. Maybe they can write a song about it and call it “Miss Understood.” Even if Pink already did something like that, surely it wouldn’t hurt them to copy off someone else again. After all, what slips onto the pop radar is rarely remembered.

 

     Apple CEO Steve Jobs on Wednesday January 27, unveiled the iPad, the widely and wildly anticipated tablet-style computer that he called “a truly magical and revolutionary product.”

 

     “What this device does is extraordinary,” Jobs said. “It is the best browsing experience you’ve ever had. … It’s unbelievably great … way better than a laptop. Way better than a smartphone.” The computer will act as a sort of missing link between the two. The model Jobs demonstrated at an invitation-only event in San Francisco operated without a hardware keyboard, with Jobs typing on what he described as a nearly full-size touchscreen keyboard. “It’s a dream to type on,” he said. It has a nearly 10-inch screen, runs existing apps from the Apple apps store and is available in 16-gigabyte, 32-gigabyte and 64-gigabyte versions, according to Jobs. Pricing will start at $499 for the 16-gigabyte version, $599 for the 32-gig version and $699 for the 64 and having 3G mobile access will cost an extra $130 on each,” he said.

 

      Also, it will be about a half-inch thick and weigh about 1½ pounds. The device will have a 1 GHz processor. With powerful battery which last 5 years, users can watch video for 10 hours. Through iPad, users can read a book, play music and video, and play game.

 

     People think iPad will change the multimedia device. For a decade, some companies made several tablet PC but they weren’t successful because of technical problem such as speed and size. As Apple made iPad, people think iPad will connect between mobile and computer. Can  iPad really change the technology?