Evan Naumcheff

Air Solution

Continued to add things to the group. Looked up celebrities who are "green". Found Pearl Jam and Dave Matthew's band to be big environmentalists and will somehow tie them into the group. Also looked up Starbucks "green" efforts and Ball State's "green" efforts.


Time: 1 hour.

Progress Journal

Evan Naumcheff

Air Solution

Created Facebook group titled, "Air Solution", and uploaded many photos and facts. Also put up articles on environmentally friendly companies.

12/2/09

1.5 hours.

Progress Journal

Evan Naumcheff

Project Subject: Air Pollution/Global Warming

We are currently coming up with ideas of what we can do to create an effective PSA. Some of the ideas include: a Facebook awareness/fan page, creating a video with moving images to show what air pollution is doing, creating posters with moving images.

11/12/09 10 min.

Have researched the "Ad Council" website and looked at other topics to generate ideas for our PSA.

It's Christmas!!... Wait, What?

As I was walking through Macy's today looking for nice clothes I had to buy because of a trip I'm going on, I wasn't paying too much attention beyond looking for clothes I didn't despise. Then, it hit my ears like a bag of brass instruments... CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!!

WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON?!

I had to check the date on my phone to make sure I hadn't missed something, sure enough it says November 4. I know it seems like earlier and earlier Christmas arrives in stores, heck I think some stores had Christmas stuff out before Halloween stuff this year! But Christmas music already? I think it should be a national law to not have Christmas stuff out until after Halloween and no Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving. I mean, eventually they're just going to never take stuff down and start advertising Christmas sales the day after Christmas! I mean come on!

Wisdom teeth out

Today I got my wisdom teeth taken out. 4 of them. I knew coming into it it wasn't going to be very bad, but I HATE any kind of medical procedure. The doctor told me to count to 10 when he injected the anesthesia and I felt special because I made it to 15. When I woke up, I remembered nothing and it was done. I now sit here with very little pain, meds or no meds. It wasn't so bad! But I can't say I'd like to do it again!

Chase Charlie!

Tomorrow is Chase Charlie! It's a 5K run, mile race, and a kiddie 100 (100 yard dash). I think everyone should come! It's early and I have to work it. 5K starts at 7:45! Woo! Not very excited about the cold weather! It'll be fun for anyone who's a runner though. I encourage everyone to come.

In other news: not a fan of cold weather, as previously mentioned. Seems like the cold has hit and just stayed. I want to see some sun and some nice temperatures again. Everyone complains about how it's so hot during the Summer and I'm like the only one who consistently says, "I'll take this over 40 and cloudy any day." Here we are at 40 and cloudy, what would you rather have, this or 90 and sunny? Thought so.

Darfur

DeWayne, Wickham "African leaders can't turn blind eye to Sudan crimes." USA Today n.d.: Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 13 Oct. 2009.

The article I found discusses Obama's short trip to Ghana in July. He was hailed as practically "black royalty" but his message was stern, "get your act together". The article discusses how all Africans must stand up to inhumanity. It goes on to talk about how the International Criminal Court wants to arrest the president of Sudan but many African nations won't do that while peace talks are under way.

Sick

Man, being sick is not fun. I feel like I got hit with a ton of bricks! I woke up Wednesday and noticed a little change in how I was feeling then I woke up Thursday and felt worse than I ever have. I don't know what I have, but whatever it is, it makes you feel terrible. Headache, dizzy, achy, somewhat nautious. It's awful.

Helpful Question

I personally found the questions pertaining to the audience to be helpful. It gave you a different perspective at looking at one's paper.

Olympics

I was watching ESPN when all of the sudden across the bottom of the screen flashed the message, "Chicago and Tokyo eliminated from hosting 2016 Olympic Games". I was really surprised to hear that. President Barack Obama traveled to Copenhagen Denmark to make a speech about having the games here, his wife made a speech before him. Even Oprah made a speech! Oprah! The woman who anything she touches turns to gold and any book she mentions becomes an instant best-sellar. I'm amazed. As I continued to watch, I came to learn that Chicago was the FIRST city eliminated! Chicago was eliminated before Tokyo! That turned my surprise into utter astonishment. Tokyo is so crowded for space, they couldn't have humanely built facilities for the games anyways, yet Tokyo was eliminated AFTER Chicago! Much of the world thought that Obama and Oprah pushing for the games here would have secured our bid as the winner.
As ESPN flashed to a crowd gathered in Chicago, the looks were the same as mine, pure disbelief. It was such a shock many people didn't move, they just stood and stared. I'm now convinced that in my lifetime, there will never be an Olympic Games held on U.S. soil. If Obama and Oprah can't do it, who can?!

Cold Weather

Wow, the fall is here and it wants you to know it, so it smacked you in the face! How'd it feel? I know I didn't like it! I hate this time of year! The only thing that keeps me functioning when it gets cold is football and Christmas. But now it's cold and rainy and windy and blah. Being from Florida, I like it warm! This is why I shouldn't have moved here! It's time for another cold, gray, dreary, and miserable late fall into winter. Is it Summer yet?!
Also, I'm mad about the price of the Brian Reagan tickets. I'm a huge fan of stand up comedy. I can sit and watch Comedy Central specials all day, and when I heard Brian Reagan was coming to Emens I was excited to say the least. He's hilarious, hands down one of the best out there right now. I went to the box office to pick up my tickets and I come to find out that they're $35 for the general public and $34 for students. What is Mr. Reagan's staff thinking?! This is a college and they're charging $34 for students? I was floored at this price and I will no longer be attending barring some mircale. I may just drive to Indy to see Daniel Tosh at the Murat Theatre for $26.50!


On other news: I'm not sure how to start my analysis paper. Any ideas?

College Football is on!

I decided to come home this weekend because of the Kings of Leon concert. By the way, it was a fantastic concert. Those guys are a really talented band!
But it's Saturday! That means college football! There are some good games on today! IU - Michigan, Miami - Virgina Tech, Houston - Texas Tech, Iowa - Penn State, and my personal favorite FLORIDA - Kentucky, GO GATORS!
So as you can guess, this is what my Saturday is going to consist of! Woo!

X Fest recap!

So last Saturday, the 12th, X Fest rocked Verizon Wireless Music Center. It was an absolutely fantastic show! Cavo, Framing Hanley, Sick Puppies, Cage the Elephant, Red, Hurt, Hollywood Undead, and Alice in Chains was the order. Here's a recap:

Cavo: Cavo opened the show. You may know their song "Champagne". It's a very promising song, and let me say that these guys are pretty good. They seem to me like a band who isn't jaded and corrupt yet. Like a band still trying to make it, they just seemed like themselves. Which is a breath of fresh air. I didn't know many of their songs, but I'll be listening for more from them.

Framing Hanley: I'm sure most people know these guys buy their remix of Lil Wayne's "Lollipop". If you don't know that song, listen to it, it's pretty awesome. Again, didn't know much from them but I did reall enjoy their set. Sounded more polished than Cavo and good. One thing that took me by total surprise was that they screamed and have breakdowns in their songs. Anyone who doesn't listen to hardcore music doesn't know what a breakdown is, but anyone who does, they had them.

Sick Puppies: Arguably the best band all night. Sick Puppies are a band I could watch over and over and over and over... you get the point. They are a 3 piece band from Australia. As mentioned in the X Fest preview, youmay know their song "All the Same" from the Free Hugs video on YouTube. These guys are a force to be reckoned with. They sound fantastic, but on an amazing show, and can grip a crowd like no one else. The fact that they played third was a disgrace. They had more of a crowd than most bands and certainly sounded better than all but 1 or 2. I've seen them live 3 times, they are amazing every time and I'll see them as many times as they come close. Listen to the song "You're Going Down".

Cage the Elephant: One word for these guys: weird. Their hit song is called "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" a song I highly recommend. These guys have a very 70's sound. I feel like they could've been at Woodstock. Their lead singer would've certainly fit in, he was strung out on something. Bouncing around, running around, getting into the crowd, going into the pit, and in between all of this, he would stand their with a blank stare. Too bad, such a young kid with a good voice.

Red: These guys have 3 popular songs, "Breathe Into Me", "Already Over", and "Death of Me", all very good songs. These guys were probably the hardest band there but they deserved to be there, they are good. They played every song you'd expect and sounded very good while doing it.

Hurt: Another one of my favorite bands there. These guys are the most underrated band around. They can be the hardest band, yet the softest. Their lead singer, J. Loren, has the most unique voice in modern rock. An absolutely amazing voice. He even busts out a violin solo in the middle of a hrd rock song! These guys are simply fantastic and will be around for a long time. Listen to the songs "Rapture", "Falls Apart", "Ten Ton Brick", "Thank you for Listening", *takes a breath* "Wars", and "Fighting Tao". If you like softer stuff listen to "Danse Russe".

Hollywood Undead: Sucked. Shouldn't have been there. Clowns thinking they're hardcore, awful. I've wasted too much time talking about them.

ALice in Chains: Amazing. Anyone who knows about these guys knows their lead singer, Layne Staley, died in 2002 and they recently got a new lead singer. He is awesome! Even the old stuff sound great! These guys are one of the greatest bands in rock history and have found a singer that will further their legacy. They played everything old and lots new. Absolutely fantastic!

Overall (minus Hollywood Undead) the show was awesome. Huge crowd, nice weather, fantastic music! This is why I go to concerts! YOU SHOULD TOO!!

Excused from a second blog, but...

I know I was excused from another blog, but it just so happens we are talking about one of my favorite subjects in class, music. This is a short blog, I'm only posting lyrics and would like some feedback on them...

The song is called "Remember" by the band: Burden of a Day. It's a song I happened to stumble across out of pure chance and it has very quickly rocketed to the top of my iTunes Top 25! I recommend a listen to the song through YouTube or something, it does have screaming, but the chorus is extremely catchy and very well done.

"Remember" - Burden of a Day

They chased us to the end of the dock.
Stay with me we can outlast the night.
Just stay awake, I know we can.
I know we can make it out alive, make it out alive.

We outlasted evenings, and I barely breathed.
How couldn't I see? How couldn't I see?

Don't turn your eyes if you leave now.
You won't remember me.
You weren't meant to do this on
Your own.

No, I feel the water is calling.
The wood under our bare feet cries.
Every animal came to watch.
The first and the last to love die.

What a wretched man I am.
Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Don't turn your eyes if you leave now.
You won't remember me.
You weren't meant to do this on
Your own.

Just stay close and I'll keep you from leaving.
Just move slow and I'll keep you breathing.

They chased us to the end of the dock.
Stay with me we can outlast the night.
Just stay awake I know we can.
I know we can make it out alive, make it out alive.

Mother mercy the sea's swallowed my graceful.
I have failed you, I've been too late.

Don't turn your eyes if you leave now.
You won't remember (You won't remember).
You won't remember (Remember me).

Don't turn your eyes if you leave now.
You won't remember me.
You weren't meant to do this on
Your own. (2x)

Just stay close and I'll keep you from leaving.
Just move slow and I'll keep you breathing.

Ishmael Beah

To say I was a little unhappy about going to see Ishmael Beah speak was about the right way to describe it. Nothing against the guy, but I didn't really want to go. However, when I actually got there my feelings were changed. I found his presentation very interesting. Hearing the voice behind the words in the book was certainly a really awesome experience.
One thing I really enjoyed about it was how normal he seemed. I caught myself staring at him as a whole and thinking, "this guy has killed people". Someone who has taken another human's life was standing right there. Now I'm not religious, but I found myself wondering, "if there's a God, and one of his commandments says you won't kill, is it possible to forgive this person for what he has done?" Now, I don't want to start a religious debate, but I found that thought interesting. Another thing I really enjoyed was how Americanized he was. I know he's been here for nearly ten years, but just to see how he's adapted after hearing his stories of cold and his airplane flights and now how he says he's disappointed with the current state of Hip Hop music (a good choice I might add), to how he commented on Kanye West, it's just amazing to read and see the transformation he's gone through. This is one amazing man who has set out to do some good work. If I get the chance to see him again, I'll be going.

X Fest!

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge music fan. I listen to music while doing just about anything. I fall asleep with my iPod in my head! Well, every year the local rock station in Indianapolis (X 103) puts on 2 major rock concerts, one in the beginning of the Summer and one at the end. The one at the beginning is called May Day. It's held the day before the Indy 500, creating one awesome weekend. May Day this year was pretty awesome, it included Halestorm, Saving Abel, Disturbed, and Shine Down! But the concert at the end of the year is traditionally bigger and better. This year is no different, the lineup is pretty awesome: Hollywood Undead (Not excited about these guys, they are not good) Cage the Elephant, Cavo, Framing Hanley, Red, Sick Puppies, Hurt, and Alice in Chains. It's held this weekend and I'm so excited to go! I love Hurt, they are so good. The lead singer plays violin in some of the songs and I'm not one for a violin but he makes it awesome! Sick Puppies is another talented band. They are a 3-piece band out of Australia and are very talented. You may know their song "All the Same" from the "Free Hugs" video on YouTube. I cannot wait for this concert! I just might blog on how awesome it was next week!

Football Returns!!!

Anyone know that song by Andy Williams, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the year"? That song is currently playing as I type this, but not for Christmas. No sir, but for the return of football season!
I'm a huge football fan, pro and college, though I like college more. College football kicked off last night, but not on a good note, Ball State was upset. But hey, the season isn't lost. One loss will not ruin your chances of reaching a bowl. Enough about that, I'm depressed enough about that loss. But as I returned to my dorm, I found an early season top 25 match up. That just doesn't happen in college football, 14 Boise State absolutely killed the speed of 16 Oregon last night. That's exactly how I hope this season goes, lots of action and lots of surprises. Oh, and hey, Florida kicks off their season tomorrow in hopes of repeating as national champions. GO GATORS!!!!!

Memoir Topic

My memoir paper is going to be over the years of football I played, mainly the 4 in high school. Those years not only shaped me as an athlete, but also as a person. Our coach, who has been a coach for many years is about the perfect person you could have coaching a high school team. He doesn't only believe in winning, but he believes in strengthening character and who you are as a person. He wants you to leave the football program more ready to be a good member of society than a football player in college. So, needless to say, those 4 years of high school football were quite meaningful to the person I am today.

What in pop culture defines our generation?

Generation Y. Also known as the Millennials. The generation widely considered to be from the late 1970's to the mid 1990's. A generation that grew up as the Internet did. A generation that saw video games and technology as a whole change. One that's known for its multitasking and constant need for gratification. It isn't our fault we're like this, it's our parents, often called "helicopter parents" for always hovering and shielding us. It's also our sports leagues for constantly declaring us winners when, let's face it, the fat kid who struck out every time in baseball is just not a winner at sports.
But what types of things in pop culture define our generation? That is a good question. For I grew up towards the end of our generation, I wasn't quite alive long enough to see a lot of things that made this generation famous. What's interesting though, is why they made the generation's time frame when they did. When you look at pop culture and other aspects, the 80's are almost nothing like the 90's, but the 2000's are pretty similar to the 90's. They are both very technologically related. So, for all practical purposes, the things I come up with may not have been made during the generation expert's time frame, but they define us nonetheless. Trying to come up with movies that defined our generation is a tough task. One movie I came up with was "The Matrix". It helps to show the coming of technology and what it could possibly become. Another movie that defined this generation, is "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". How this movie defines us is an interesting story. It was actually made in 1975, which fits the technical years of our generation, but became very popular in America in the early 2000's and continues to be very popular to this day. The reason this movie defines us, is because it was one of the first movies that incorporates pointless and often stupid humor that was actually popular. In a sense, about 30 years before, this movie paved the way for YouTube, which is littered with videos of stupid and pointless humor (see Numa Numa, and Powerthirst). One final movie that defines our culture is "300". This movie was revolutionary technology for movies. It began a trend of simple storytelling mixed with extreme detail and spectacle.
What songs define our generation? This, like movies, was a little difficult to come up with. One song that almost no one can argue against is "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. This song revolutionized music in so many ways. It laid the foundations for modern rock. Everything around that time was still quite 80's retro music. Nirvana came out of nowhere with this song and it hit the music industry like a bomb, to this day bands like Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, and Audioslave all remain popular because of Nirvana and what they did.But beyond that song, in my opinion, there isn't quite a defining sound for this generation. Maybe artists like 2pac or the Notorious B.I.G. set the standards for Hip Hop and Rap, but think about this: What if the defining sound for our generation is actually all the music today? If you look back at past years, 60's and 70's had the psychedelic rock/softer music, 80's had its "retro" music and hair metal, but beyond that, there wasn't much else to be found. Today, every genre of music has so many sub-genres. Take, for example, the music I listen to, rock. Within the simple word of "rock" can be found: Alternative, Indie, Hard-Rock, Metal, Screamo, Death Metal, Metalcore, Mathcore (yes, really), Grindcore, and so on. That touches on barely any of the genres out there. So maybe a defining sound will step out, but at this point I think the defining sound is the smorgasbord of music available.