Megan Wants a Millionaire - Cancelled

courtesy of amygrindhouse.com

I was waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the next episode of Megan Wants a Millionaire to see who Megan would choose to give the boot next. Really, I was ready to see her tote around her mentally challenged chihuahua and brag about the next gift she got from her entourage of millionaire men, but honestly what could be more exciting than that?

Megan Hauserman, previous contestant on VH1's Rock of Love, is now waiting to hear news as it unfolds. The VH1 show has been canceled after only airing three episodes. One of the show's contestants, Ryan Jenkins, is currently a suspect involving the murder of his wife. His involvement in the not-yet-aired, I Love Money 3, has also canceled that show.

My only guess is that Ryan was either the winner of the show, or got through pretty far and was featured on camera for several episodes.

Rock for Seeds

VCU Management students are helping Shalom Farms to raise money for seeds in an effort to promote food security, education and affordable housing for children and families of low-income neighborhoods in Richmond, Virginia.

"Rock for Seeds" will feature Rock Band® tournaments from 11am – 4pm. By donating only $1, you can have fun and play any song of your choice while supporting a great cause.

Come out, invite your friends, play Rock Band and help us support Shalom Farms!

[All proceeds will go to Shalom Farms, developed by the United Methodist Urban Ministries of Richmond. The farm is located in Goochland County.]


Richmond Magazine Feature:
http://www.richmondmagazine.com//?articleID=81f368acbf592f2f4140d24948a9a89f

Shalom Farms Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Goochland-VA/Shalom-Farm/52506022674?ref=ts

Urban Ministries of Richmond: http://www.umumr.org/

Shalom Farms: http://www.shalomfarms.org/

You're Scotch-Korean, You Don't Make A Wee Bit of Sense

There was an interesting Starburst commercial I saw for the first time today.

A marketing ploy aimed at connecting contradictions with a new concept of a starburst candy being a solid, but yet a liquid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3kpyJI2JBo


Is being Scottish-Korean really a contradiction?

I'm Feeling All "Twittery" Inside

I have run into far too many classmates, friends and yes, even professors not to enter this into a blog entry. It has been bothering me for a very long time.

Ladies and gentlemen, Twitter has taken over the nation. Twitter used to be mainly for corporations.






Now in case there are some of you out there who have no clue what I'm talking about (you know who you are), let me explain. Twitter is a free, social-messaging website where updates regarding any information you would like to share can be posted for people to see, via Internet.

Though don't mistake this entry for an anti-Twitter campaign. That's not at all what I'm trying to do here. I'm completely for Twitter, I think that it provides entrepreneurs, politicans, firms and media personalities with a great outlet to engage and inform their many followers. What I'm trying to get at, is that there is no need for your average friend to be using Twitter as some sort of mood update, activity update, what-I-am-eating update, or any other mundane everyday update you can think of. It's pointless.

It's a serious problem. You friend who has nothing better to do, is updating his status every five minutes about what tv show he is currently watching. NOT IMPORTANT. And, frankly taking up bandwidth where something more important could have been posted.

If you have either a Facebook or a Myspace and you are not using Twitter for work-related purposes, you really don't need another profile simply to state what you are doing. It's pretty simple.

Humanitarian efforts, campaigns, promotions, new releases... That's what we need!

Where's the meat people?

Where's the information that really matters today?

The Gift of Jazz - A Talented Musician

by: Ebony Smith

[Slide-Show available here]

RICHMOND, Va. – Jazz is all about good improvisation, on-the-spot creativity and a respectable admiration for the historic genre. VCU student, Jake Sherman has been interested in all of these important concepts of a genre that he has come to love.

When Sherman arrived at Virginia Commonwealth University in the fall of 2008, his goal was to become a great jazz musician. The Arlington native auditioned over the summer and was accepted into the prestigious VCU Arts Foundation to study his passion, jazz. Antonio Garcia, associate professor of music, leads the well-respected music program, known and referred to as jazz studies.

Sherman is enrolled in a class instructed by Bryan Hooten, an adjunct professor of jazz and music theory who teaches small jazz ensembles, jazz labs and music theory. Sherman admires the talented and knowledgeable staff that teaches him the standards for becoming successful in performing arts.

“The VCU Music Department provides really good faculty for the students,” Sherman said.

Sherman has performed in various gigs in and around Richmond, ranging from the VCU Barnes & Noble Bookstore to the Richmond Pump House. He has contributed to the Yorktown Jazz Ensemble, Virginia Big Band and the Blues Alley Youth Orchestra.

Founded in 1985, the Blues Alley Jazz Society works with Washington, D.C., area student musicians to promote the philosophies of youth, jazz and education. Sherman embodies all of these same characteristics.

Sherman says that his dream gig would be to play for the Air Force Jazz Band, as well as doing solo performances. He would not be out of his league, as Sherman has been playing jazz guitar for eight years. He describes jazz music as a much different way to express himself.

“There is the complete freedom to verbalize and improvise,” Sherman said. “Listen to jazz because a lot of people don’t give it a chance. Now-a-days music is all too much the same.”

Lucy Anne Hurston Celebrates the Life of Her Aunt Zora

RICHMOND, Va.— Lucy Anne Hurston, shared her book on Wednesday, “Speak, So You Can Speak Again: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston”, to VCU students, guests and faculty. The 3D multimedia biography includes poems, removable artifacts, photographs and a CD featuring Zora singing.

Hurston, the niece of acclaimed Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston, shared her appreciation and respect for the life and work of her aunt, as well as detailing her research of putting together the book.

“It represents the physical residue of what’s left of the life of Zora,” Hurston said. “I began building a library of books as gifts at a young age. After you read a good book, you have to share it. This was a 30-year exchange of ideas about who Zora was.”

A Professor of Sociology at Manchester Community College in Manchester, Connecticut, Hurston delved into her journey of exploring Zora’s life as a graduate student at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, where she received her master’s degree in sociology.

There were occasional and tastefully humorous tales and discoveries about the life of her aunt, emphasizing Zora’s outspoken, individualistic and at times rebellious personality.

“Zora was an individual character. This was seen in her novels and plays, and in the way she wore her trousers and smoked her cigarettes.” Hurston said.

Elisa Chong, biology major, said the event was at the top of her list among others that have been featured at VCU.

“I’ve been to prior readings and this one was definitely the most engaging and amazing,” she said.

As the night progressed, listeners were captivated as Hurston began to unfold the many layers of Zora's life.

Kamya Kommaraju, a bioinformatics major, described the event as captivating and relatable to all VCU students.

“I found it to have quite a significant impact, she said. “Hurston discussed various racial themes that I felt were important.”

One of the themes discussed, were the obstacles Zora faced as a female, African-American writer during her stay in Harlem.

“At the time, black writers wanted to fit in and emulate the issues of whiteness,” Hurston said. “Zora’s work did not follow that tradition and at times she was told to stop acting like a minstrel.”

The 1937 novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, was written in southern black vernacular and criticized for it's dialect. Today, the novel is recognized as one of the greatest literary works of the Harlem Renaissance.

When asked if Hurston had any preconceived plans for the artifacts she said, “I didn’t want Zora’s work in an ivory tower away from people, I wanted to make it available for everyone.”

It's Time to Get Scared

Alright, it's that time again. Time to rant and rave about a new artist who I've become completely and utterly consumed with this entire week. I should try to do some of these more often, just to keep a regular tab on some really good new bands.

Okay, so this week, is a pretty energetic and refreshingly stimulating, post-hardcore band by the name of "Get Scared". Don't be fooled by their name, these guys are very laid back and their music reflects it. They aren't exactly the kind of metalcore outfit I would predict with a name like that. They're different. These guys are comin straight outta Ogden, Utah. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. OGDEN? Where the hell is that?! 40 miles north of Salt Lake City.



Oh yeah, and the birthplace of.... uh... The Osmonds.



Members Nick and Brad (Brad also goes by Lloyd), have reportedly been helping out with the debut album of "From Behind These Walls". If the name sounds familiar, I mentioned these guys in a previous post about Ronnie Radke. So, Ronnie has teamed up with some of Get Scared's members to put out some new material of his own. While Ronnie was in jail, Get Scared was featured on some tracks off of Ronnie's new album.




They currently have demo tracks that are available on their myspace.

1. If Only She Knew Voodoo Like I Do
2. Lock the Doors
3. You Are What You Are



So, give it a listen!

A Night at the 2009 Grammy Awards

The 51st Annual Grammy Awards did not disappoint me tonight.

First, can we please talk about this whole Chris Brown and Rihanna debacle. Okay, according to E! Online, Chris Brown and Rihanna were scheduled to perform tonight. But a cancellation was made after a report came in claiming that Chris Brown had gotten into a physical altercation with his "female companion". He was arrested around 6pm and is being brought in for investigation. Wow, I never saw that coming.


courtesy of Rolling Stone


Next, what I loved was the Radiohead performance (minus Colin, Phil and Ed). Backed by the USC Marching Band, known as The Spirit of Troy, Thom Yorke and guitarist Jonny Greenwood performed "15 Step". Thom was jerking back and forth on stage while the band carried on behind him and it was pretty amazing.

I recently got the chance to listen to some of Thom's solo work off his debut album, The Eraser, and was blown away. Now, I know, this album was released in 2006 but I was bored while Radiohead was taking a break off of their current album. Radiohead will be on tour for 2009.


courtesy of Los Angeles Times

And lastly, I wouldn't forget, did you see M.I.A. perform?! Her performance was outstanding considering her baby was due tonight. She still went out on stage and rocked it, even with a baby literally due at any moment.

Michael Phelps Admits to Smoking Marijuana

Courtesy of the LA Times

A picture of Olympic gold-medalist swimmer, Michael Phelps, surfaced on the Internet today. The picture, taken at a November college party at the University of South Carolina, shows Phelps smoking out of a bong .

Phelps was notified last week that newspapers across the country had their hands on this picture and were going to publish it. After hearing this, Phelps had to set up "discussions" with his sponsors. So, basically he (or his publicist) had roughly about a week to prepare an apologetic statement for the public, simply because he was forced to; he was caught in an illegal act and there was proof. So, for me, this statement was just kind of expected. Who wouldn't release an apology after having this sort of picture on the Internet.

Phelps issued the following statement today:

"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.''


Courtesy of CNN

Now, I think that Michael Phelps is a great athlete. He is young and has everything going for him. But how stupid could he have been?!

I would think that surely, being a widely known public figure as well as a young adult who knows that pictures are taken everywhere, he would be aware of the possibility of these pictures being shown to other people. He should know the risks of his actions having an impact on his career too, which also includes valuable endorsements that can be taken away from him (Speedo, Visa, Kellogg, AT&T, and Hilton to name a few).

This is occurring after a 2004 incident where Phelps was pulled over for a DUI. He had to serve an 18-month probation term.

So no matter how much 'spin' he or his publicists try to put on why he smokes marijuana, his label as a role model is no longer relevant. He has the drive and ambition to work hard and win six gold medals, yet he can't resist the urge to smoke some pot?

I guess it's a good thing we haven't seen him in an anti-drug commercial yet. Oh, the irony.

Gimme, Gimme Superbowl and Bacon!

What could possibly be better Sunday, than sitting in front our television sets, watching the Superbowl and waiting for the most anticipated ad commercials of the year (this year with heavy advertising dollars being put towards going digital)?

How about serving a dish that would make a vegetarian cry! Well, not that I would want a vegetarian guest of mine to run out screaming and hollering, but you get the gist.

The ultimate meat dish. A serving full of oh-so-yummy, ultimate meatyness, named appropriately the Bacon Explosion. Definitely an attention grabber for the guys this year, this innovative recipe was spawned by creators Jason Day and Aaron Chronister, members of the competing barbecue team Burnt Finger BBQ. The recipe starts with layered strips of bacon resembling that of a woven quilt, then seasoned and topped with a thick layer of sausage. Lastly, bits of cooked bacon are sprinkled atop the sausage layer before being rolled up tightly and put into a backyard smoker.


Don Ipock for The New York Times

This mammoth of a meaty dish gave me the same emotional feeling when I saw the famous "Turducken" recipe. That feeling of, "who is the mastermind behind this awesome creation?", as well as "wait... how many calories are in that?"

So, whether you are cheering for either the Cardinals or the Steelers this Sunday, make sure you've got some good food to serve. Because, hey, it could be a great conversation piece in the office Monday if your team loses.

New Generation of Synthetic Sound

I received a call from a friend the other day who was very eager to tell me something.

She began the conversation, explaining she heard about a specific type of electronic instrument that is beyond anything she has ever seen before.

Now, when I saw pictures of this device, I thought I had stumbled upon some kind of alien blueprint for the future. It looked like a scene out of some sort of warped, futuristic, paranormal movie. But, I could not take my eyes off of it.

It's called a "Reactable". Objects are placed on this synthetic, interactive tabletop surface creating various frequencies and rhythms that other electronic instruments could only aspire to create. I watched a demo performance online.



Though it is a couple years old, debuting around 2006, word did not circulate until later. This could be in part due to the ever alluring singer, Bjork. She used the Reactable during various performances, specifically an energetic performance on the Coachella tour.

Inaugural Festivities

With our 44th president to be sworn in on Tuesday, it can seem only fair to say that Washington, D.C. is preparing for quite a day.

With concerts, inaugural balls, tourists, locals, police and everything in between, DC this weekend could have easily been the most exciting place to be.

On Saturday I enjoyed quite a lovely dinner at Chef Geoff's, (which by the way I highly recommend eating here if you ever have a day to spend in DC) observed the crowd gatherings at the BET Honors Ball held at the Warner Theatre, and drove by what appeared to be the frantic workings of volunteers, officials and vendors. All preparing for the event that is to come.

Traffic was terrible, attitudes flared, cab drivers insisted that they cut in front at all possible opportunities...yet in some twisted way for me this was all somewhat enjoyable. To be stuck in traffic, not moving, yet in some way seeing the world move together all at once. Everyone being in the same place, at the same time, and preparing for the same moment; Obama taking the oath of office.

I for one will be skipping my Tuesday classes to watch, without a doubt. With this inauguration, I'm particularly happy to see the way media has adapted to technology. Live streaming coverage will be available at the click of a mouse all over the web. Webcasts will also be showing bits of after parties and dinners all over town. History will be captured for the world to see. Bravo!

Price Change for Itunes

Late post. Sorry folks, the start of a new semester at my university was a bit of a tumultuous event today. But never fear, the new post is here!

This past week was chock-full of happenings in the media world: the ever continuing battle of Blu-ray vs. HD DVD, my obsession with the Blackberry Storm, and a press frenzy following Obama as he stopped by one my hometown favorite spots, Ben's Chili Bowl.

All very interesting things for 2009, but I was particularly intrigued by the Macworld keynote address recently given in San Francisco, California. Presented by Apple Vice President, Phillip Schiller, the deliverance of a new set-up on Itunes was met with praise, as well as speculation.



Beginning April 1, 2009 (subliminal April Fool's joke anyone?), Itunes will begin to implement a new pricing plan. We can expect to see three prices: 69 cents, 99 cents, and $1.29. The lowest cost would be for those songs that are the oldest, and the highest cost for new songs (maybe the intermediate price will be for those catchy one-hit wonder's we all love).

This decision didn't come from within the Apple corporation. Record labels, seeing the success of Itunes, now want in on the royalties being made.

I for one will not be happy to see my favorite songs be pushed to more expensive rates. Yes, it may be a mere 30 cents extra, but who is to say the rate won't continue to increase? Why should I feel so saddened to realize, that my sacrifice for five piece nuggets at Wendy's to get an Itunes track, was all in vain? I say, not too fair of a trade.

It will be interesting, to say the least, how consumers react to the upcoming change.

Ronnie Radke Stumbles Upon His Own Fate

It’s not easy to be the frontman of a girl-crazed and highly successful, post-hardcore band. But Ronnie Radke fills this position commendably. Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, Escape The Fate is signed to Epitaph Records. Their debut album, Dying Is Your Latest Fashion, was released on September 26, 2006 peaking at #12 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers and #19 on the Top Independent Albums. The band was added to the 2007 Vans Warped Tour bill, where they played back-to-back shows throughout the U.S from June to August.

But it’s not the chart numbers, or the Nikki Sixx like aura that is drawing me to write about Ronnie Radke. It’s his 18-48 month sentence he is currently serving at High Desert State Prison, located in Indian Springs, Nevada.

Now, I am a big fan of Escape The Fate and I find Ronnie to be a highly skilled vocalist and performer. But his ongoing problem with drugs has caused quite a bit of trouble for the band, as well as himself. Ronnie and fellow bandmate/bass player Max Green have been good friends since high school. But, after a 2006 altercation they will never play in the same band again, and may never speak to one another either.




According to Las Vegas Sun and Las Vegas Weekly, Radke had been dodging Nevada authorities after his involvement in a May 2006 fight that left 18-year-old Michael Cook dead. In January 2008, Radke plead guilty to one charge of battery with substantial bodily harm and was sentenced to an 18-48 month probation term (ordering to pay almost $100,000 in restitution and to enroll in a drug rehabilitation program) that he did not properly adhere to.

Radke was arrested on June 16, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. on Arroyo Grande Boulevard and Sunset Road. Then on August 4, 2008, courts ordered to reinstate Radke’s original sentence of the maximum 48-month term.

It saddens me to see such an amazing and inspiring singer behind bars. Though, Ronnie states on his myspace that he will continue to write tracks in prison. He has even created a new band, named From Behind These Walls. This sort of situation is eerily reminiscent of a recent Sonny Moore departure from the band From First To Last. His solo career has caused an ongoing split between fans and the same seems to be happening with Ronnie.

Escape The Fate will continue on without Ronnie, as well as ex-guitar player Omar Espinosa, who reportedly still has negative views towards Max Green. A new singer was added to the band, Craig Mabbit ex-blessthefall vocalist.

Escape The Fate will begin their headlining tour in January in support of their new album, This War Is Ours.