I have been doing a lot of work with audiocandy+radio.

So much that pa(i)gewithwords has kind of fallen on the wayside.

But I haven't forgotten about you all.

I was browsing my friends' tweets this morning on twitter and I came across this excellent youtube of why social media matters. It is a great explanation why word of mouth teams are necessary, and why I want to be part of one.



If you want to check out more about audiocandy+radio, visit the blog at audiocandyradio.blogspot.com. The new blog & server launch should happen before the end of September so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Re-tweet if you love me:

RT @audiocandyradio love #music? want to be a part of an #indie #radio project? become an audiocandy+ dj! more info on the blog: http://bit.ly/K3NGJ please RT!

so clever

spare 5 minutes?

I just searched "241543903" in google and there were 7,080 found images.

p.s. I promise I'll actually write a blog soon. I just keep coming across so many cool videos & photos!

where it all began

So excited. August 28.

new dance epidemic

When Tinkerbell fell weak in Mary Martin's Peter Pan, I would have to clap to bring her back to life.

The YES dance is the next sensation equipped with such revitalizing powers.

See for yourself.

MJ in my life

I always used look through the stacks of cds my parents had by the stereo in the living room.

Plopped down, kneeling in front of the hundreds of cases, I'd take out a handful and marvel at the cover artwork. I specifically always being intrigued by one particular album, Dangerous.
It was one of those covers where one simple glance did not cut it. There was so much to the picture, so many pieces that drew you in closer for extended investigation of detail and portrait.

His music was just as enticing.

I had plenty of cassettes with "Rockin Robin" and "ABC" as a kid, which made for the perfect youngster sing-a-long dance party. As a tween, Michael's music sneaked his way into the movies I watched (Free Willy's "Will You Be There") and soft rock radio waves I listened to while in the car with my parents ("Black or White").



As a teenager, it was just common place to know all about MJ, from his early hits with as lead of the Jackson 5 to the "Thriller" dance. If you did not know how to moonwalk, you envied anyone would could, and you wish you could learn. It was not as easy as Michael made it seem.

And Michael still has a presence in my present life today. There is always a new song out that uses a MJ sample or draws upon inspiration from MJ's dancing or music videos. I think I am safe to say that a Michael Jackson song played at every single dance, party and bar that I go to.

Today the Michael Jackson memorial was held at the Staples Center. I was able to watch most of it, breaking away from the TV for about 20 minutes to run errands for my parents. Luckily, radio stations were broadcasting a live feed too.

I thought the whole thing was well done, which great speeches and performances that highlighted the greatness of Michael Jackson, his contribution to the world and unparalleled talent.

I thought Brooke Shield and Reverend Al Sharpton's speeches really showcased that, as much as Michael may have been misrepresented in the media, he was a loving, caring and extremely compassionate musical entertainer at his core.

"I want his children to know there was nothing strange about your daddy, it was strange what your daddy had to deal with," Sharpton said.

And so true. After Jackson's death, it came to light that all the accusations against Jackson of abuse were in fact false. It is heartbreaking to think that Michael's reputation was so wrongfully tainted. I have to admit that my image of Jackson definitely waivered in the past decade, with all of his odd behavior plastered across the media.

I found it sad that even today I saw plenty of people still bashing Michael on twitter. If you do not like him or do not think he is as influential as others believe he was, that is fine. I guess I am just blown that there are still so many haters out there despite how obvious it is that MJ had a huge and positive impact on the world.

But thanks to the BET awards and today's memorial, I once again remember the Michael Jackson that made me smile, made us all smile. The MJ that had the power to bring together everyone, regardless of race, religion or difference. And above all, the MJ that was a true gift to this world, creating music that brightens our day within the first few notes and his first few lyrics.





Rest in peace, Michael. You will be missed.

On the other hand

Now, everything I love, in one video.

Soccer, German, ginger, humor.

I'm pretty sure the Devil had a hand in this

All that I despise in life, in one video:

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

I don't know why, but..

My stride was careful as I walked down Broadway with Chelsea.

"Chels, have I ever told you my absurd fear that I'm going to randomly fall in such an awkward way that my bones will just snap?"

It's true. I usually walk with caution anytime I'm in a pair of heels, but lately I have this luring fear that I'm going to fall in such a way that would cause my ankle/knee/whole leg to snap in half.

I have never seen this actually happen and I have never broken a bone in my body (knock on wood), so I am not sure what has generated this gruesome phobia.

And apparently, I am not alone.

"Well, I don't know why and don't judge me but I have this terrifying fear that someone is going to throw acid in my face," Chelsea said.

My god. I thought my bone-breaking fear was bad, but Chelsea's living nightmare was much more delibitating, and hopefully unlikely to happen.

Phobias form based on three factors: genetics, culture and experience, according to About.com. Genetics can be hit or miss, sometimes affecting twins but not always affecting family members in the same bloodline.

I think Chelsea and I have phobias that have been shaped by culture. I have seen people break bones on TV and Chelsea said she read about acid attacks in a magazine. I wonder what ignited within us to bring these random stories to be legitimate fears that rest in our subconscious.

What are your odd phobias?

Sizzle or fizzle?

I randomly have the urge to do a hot and not list. This is so SocrGirl circa 1999.

Hot
Bourbon Street in NYC
This is my second time visiting Chelsea and she took me to this fantastic bar/restaurant last night on the upper westside called Bourbon Street (Amsterdam & 97th). The decor is fantastic, with chandeliers and deep colors to make you feel like you're in New Orleans. Tuesdays are Chubby Tuesdays (like "Fat Tuesday" I presume) and there was a live band that played some upbeat jazz (Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man") but with some cajun flavor. $5 Hurricanes. Fleet week. It was a good night.

Billy Reid
Southern charm meets city fashion via Billy Reid. His line is primarily for men, but there is a small collection of women's digs (mostly menswear style, but with softer fabrics). He has a shop in NoHo (54 Bond Street) decked out to make you feel like you're an urban cowboy, think saloon & Western meets kitch & trendy youth.

Not
Celebrifeed
A lot of people do not get why Twitter is so popular or useful. I think it's a great tool for sharing interesting content, real-time coverage and short glimpses into places/events. But there are a lot of people who clog the tweetline with nonsense. I guess MSN's Wonderwall wanted to make an example by collecting all the useless and pretentious twitter users out there and streaming their tweets in one page. And so Celebrifeed was created; a one-stop shop to read about all the posh parties you'll never get to go to (and they're AWESOME. her tweets says so), how fantastic he or she looked on their guest appearance and random and out of context @replies to random fans/people/stalkers. HOORAY!

I'm trying to think of another not but things are great right now and I can't think of anything else that's crucially negative. Mean people suck, but that's pretty standard and not worth ranting about. Maybe I wish there were more hours in the day? What do you think is "not" right now?

hello sweet summer

My fello Marylander Leland blogged about her summer plans, so I thought I'd do somewhat of the same since I have reached some what of a writer's block in blog topics.

• Start audiocandy+. I've already got the blog registered (http://audiocandyradio.blogspot.com), so it's only a matter of figuring out NiceCast. Anyone know how to set it up? I think I'm going to buy the full version soon.
• Grizzly Bear in Philly! I've never been to Philly or seen Grizzly Bear, both things I've always wanted to do. Plus, Tuan is going/hosting! It should be a fun little short road trip. I was pure chance that I was scheduled off on the needed days!
  ps babies dancing to "two weeks" is the cutest thing ever.
  that's how you know it's truly good music.
  
• Bonnaroooooo! Second time going, first as a volunteer. Heading down with Kitcat, Michael B. & tuaniffer! Ready for Tennessee sunshine, live music & meeting cool people.
• Visiting Chelsea in New York City. I'm trying for at least once a month. I'd love to do it more, while she's there for the summer. Bolt bus is so easy/fast/cheap. Plus I'd love to go dancing with Mariel, see Julio & everyone else in the Tri-State area.
• Wildwood Beach ultimate tournment. I'm hoping Katie and Chip can be on our team. It's a co-ed 4vs4 ultimate frisbee tournmanet in late July, where you can either play 3 men & 1 girl or 2 men & 2 girls. I think we'll go with the former, just because I think me and Katie will be the only girls on our team. But let me know if anyone is interested! I think some doomers and Maryland friends are going to be on the team!

So those are some plans. I'll be sure to blog about each of them as they come up. I'd love take more road trips, see cool things, so comment any suggestions!

Hey World

I am ashamed at how much I have neglected to update pa(i)gewithwords. My deepest apologizes to those who frequent my blog.

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind: losing my internet service thanks to the boys who lived in the apartment below Katie and me, getting an iPhone for graduation (but at the price of being without cellphone service for about three days when goodbyes were being exchanged), graduating Syracuse University, packing up my entire apartment/life while still dedicating ample time to hanging out with my best friends, making the trek back to Maryland, unpacking, job interviewing, soaking up all the memories and making plans for new ones in the near future (NYC, Brendan's birthday, Bonnaroo).

I am still in the process of unpacking all of my things, but I oddly do not feel overwhelmed.

Maybe a rarity among the class of 2009, I have been glowing with optimism ever since graduation.

I feel like my life is really starting, and all the things that I have so longed to do, I can. I am so fortunate to have a well-paying job at Nordstrom, with benefits, that affords me the opportunity to shop around for a job until I find the perfect one to begin my career track. I also have the chance to take hobbies to the next level and see if I can cultivate them into something.

I thought for so long that I would be freaking out right now after graduation because I would not have a path to follow, like I had been doing for the past 16 years. There has always an assumed progression of life, from elementary school to middle school to high school to college. Sure, some was left to chance--what I would participate in after-school, who I'd meet in classes, what I'd choose to focus on both in and out of the classroom-- but there was always some form of certainty of what I would be doing and where I would be.

Now, there is nothing but the open road. Maybe not even a road; that is too direct and formulated. More like the open sea, an open pasture.

I finally have that piece of paper--a college degree--that can prove, and legitimize, to the world what I have known for so long: I am ready to do something of value, and I can.

I have a lot of projects I want to work on, a lot of growing to do, a lot of passion to invest.

But, I am young. I have ideas. I want to meet people. I want to live life to the fullest.

And I am planning to do just that.

Auf Wiedersehen!

It is only courteous to say goodbye at the end of a conversation, whether you are bidding a friend farewell at a party or ending an impromptu run-in a friendly stranger.

But other than that, there is no real reason for them.

Call me romantic or naïve, but I think that goodbyes are unnecessary on a long-term timeline and should only be reserved for when casual dialog require them.

As I near the end of college, I am flooded with people’s requests to meet to say goodbye, which will be unavoidably the most awkward encounter ever. Seniority cannot even escape this.

You would think after high school and summer internships and trips abroad, we would have some idea of how to go about a send-off. But of course, there still is no real protocol.

I have begun to avoid goodbyes. I do not want my last memory or interaction with people I like or will miss to be some weird, small-talk-fueled, short-lived meeting.

People might look forward to saying goodbye to a crush, it being one of the few acceptable (and less creepy) times to share an extended hug or sneak in a kiss on the cheek. But even in this situation, things would be better if the goodbye was all-together avoided. The absence of that person in your life would not be suddenly felt, being reminded of the impending void with each footstep taken away. Plus, the replaying memory of him or her will not be the retreating blob barely seen through your tear-filled eyes, but of happier times. Hopefully.

The funniest thing is that the most pressure to deliver a serious college good-bye comes from the people you actually hold near and dear to your heart. They are the people you will most-likely see within the year, making a long-winded, heart-stricken farewell obsolete.

Then you also have those situations when you have to give a college good-bye to someone you would not even issue a “ta-ta” to under normal circumstances. Just think of it as an official kick-off to your future without him or her.

It is not to say I, or we, should not have closure in our lives. I just prefer the open-ended kind. No dramatic "OMG. We're graduating. I LOVE YOU. I'm going to miss you sooooo much, but the off-the-cuff “see you soon.”

Because I probably will, thanks to our planning or Fate.

Drunk History

Being a political science major, I'm a little too acquainted with the Founding Fathers.

I have been lectured on the structure and functions of the Federal government. I have read about election of 1801, Continental Congress and branches of government until my eyes have burned.

I was delighted with the John Adams series from last summer, seeing the stories I had so long read and heard about come to life on-screen.

I stumbled upon this small YouTube series this evening and thought it could be enjoyed my the Adam series' fans as well as anyone looking to hear some "alternative" stories of colonial America.



There's five webisodes in all, many that feature stars from recent blockbuster comedies.

Check them all out here. They're all relatively short, and are good for a few laughs.

Oo that smell

It's that smell that escapes your room, as if you had just opened it for the first time after a long summer break. It is not a bad scent, perhaps it's the best smelling musk possible, while still being categorized as one.

Had it been the end of fall or mid-February, I might be weary that I had waited too long to clean my apartment or that the air had grown far too stale and I needed a fan.

But it's nearing the end of college. And I purposely breathe in deep.

This smell is sweet; if nostalgia was a perfume, this would be the college edition. This is the smell of moving into your freshman dorm room and all the accompanying excitement and glory of beginning a new chapter in life.

I am not sure my exact motivation for my celebration for the return of that smell. Maybe I hope that my freshman feelings of full-fledged ambition will once again flow through my veins and envelop my mood. Maybe I have been waiting since the first snow of the year for it to be warm again and spend my days comfortably outside. Maybe I know that this smell means change.

I should not be so surprised that I find myself once again greeted with this smell at the end of my time at Syracuse University.

I feel like these last few weeks are, and will be, very strange.

None of us seniors are living in the present. We are either reflecting on our past-- the last four years on the Hill-- or anticipating the future--packing and planning respectfully. Majority of our plans or meetings are made to either celebrate the achievements we have made in undergrad or to make closure to places or people that might not be here when we visit again in 10 years.

I do not think I will wake up once on the next fourteen days and live it as an ordinary one. People will ask what my plans are for post-grad, or invite me to their last party. Friends will invite me to get dinner downtown for the last time or insist we go to Chuck's because we only have so much time.

Nostalgia is defined as "a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition," which is inherently backwards-looking. But I think it can be something relating to the present, but only within a unique, unparalleled span of time: two weeks leading up to graduation. It is now that we have that foresight to know that these moments are the ones we are going to remember vividly and wish we could go back to; nostalgia is in our presence.

So for the next 14 days, let's stop thinking about the past and stop worrying the future; let's live in the now. We are going to wish we had.

Unfathomable & unforgetable

"If you were to take 10 seconds of what I actually saw, you would not be able to sleep. You'd be scarred for life."

Brian, a SU grad student, came to answer our questions about the genocide in Rwanda. He had escaped death barely as a mixed 13-year-old in the south of Rwanda. Most of his aunts and uncles, as well as other family members, had been murdered, exterminated because of their Tutsi status.

Brian explained that Hutus profiled Tutsis as being tall with thin noses, even though there were many Tutsis, and Hutus, that challenged the mold.

"During school, we thought that if you could fit your three fingers up one nostril, you could pass, or be, Hutu. You'd see all the kids with their fingers up their noses during breaks," he laughed.

I was awe-struck by all of his experiences.

Most of all, I was most surprised by his summary of the whole Rwanda situation.

"People ask me every time what went on in Rwanda," he said. "To be honest, I still do not know. It is that complicated. It does not make sense to me."

Brian appeared to be an intelligent man. He had lived through the civil war and massacres. He had seen the bodies, the rampages, the sights no human being should ever be forced to witness.

And in the end, he still did not know why the whole thing happened.

I think that's a testament to genocide. It doesn't make sense. To think a people can wipe out a whole group of people, as if they were animals, is not a rational thought.

I asked Brian if he had seen Hotel Rwanda, which we had just watched in class, and what he thought of it. He said he saw it when he was in Georgia with his girlfriend at time, and he could not stop laughing.

"The whole theater was crying and I was just laughing," he said.

He said that it was not that it was a funny portrayal, but that it was clearly a mixture of a bunch of different narratives, plus some exaggeration to make it "Hollywood" and profitable.

The violence was on par for what it could be, he said. The producers probably only embodied about 10 percent of the reality of the situation and massacre; understandable, since not many viewers would be able to handle it or would want to, he said.

I feel like there's so many levels of understanding in anything you come across. You can read a book and gain a little more understand on a situation, maybe gaining some internal perspective or scene setting. You can watch a movie based on that book and see what you had envisioned come to life, maybe in a more realistic way or just different--for better or worse--portrayal. You can hear someone share their story, who lived through that situation portrayed in the movie and in the book, putting a face, a person, a human connection to that story.

I feel like it is so hard to truly understand, feel, the horrors Brian encountered. I know I do not want to experience them or even be involved in some kind of re-enactment scenario, but I wonder if it takes that, or some similar or equally traumatizing situation, to feel the full weight of an issue like Brian's.

Do you think common ground has to be shared for you to fully understand something? Isn't that the whole reason why experience is so much more important than education in some instances?

Thanks Brian for coming to class today.

R.I.P. for all those whom lost their lives in the Rwandan genocide.

FIfty People, One Question

I just came across this project this afternoon on ModernFeed, where I watch all my television programs online.

Benjamin Reece's idea is really charming: ask 50 random people the same question and record their answers, all on camera.

It's amazing how one question can tell so much about a person.

If one thing could happen by the end of the day, what would that be?


Fifty People, One Question: New Orleans from Fifty People, One Question on Vimeo.

My answer: to feel completely comfortable in my own skin once again.

Where would you like to wake up tomorrow morning?


Fifty People, One Question: New York from Fifty People, One Question on Vimeo.


Fifty People, One Question: Brooklyn from Fifty People, One Question on Vimeo.


Fifty People, One Question: London from Fifty People, One Question on Vimeo.

My answer: well-rested to the smell of fresh-brewed coffee in a German cottage with my family on a warm summer morning

Some of the answers really make you appreciate your life, health and love. The one girl's answer about waking up in a world where you can travel via closets and have breakfast with their owner's made me smile. The stories about colon cancer and wanting to wake up in the graveyard at his father's tombstone really tugged at my heartstrings.

How would you answer? Which answers did you enjoy the most? Comment your responses.

i'm in a funk & this is what i need to remember

"Sorry, not tonight dear. I am on deadline."

"Feels like your pilgrimage to Mecca, huh?" my dad asked.

I am not Muslim. But he was on to something.

This past weekend I went home. It was not my Spring Break, nor did I have a job interview.

I went home to take care of some long overdue work. I went home to finally go to the Newseum.

I have known since I was 13 that I wanted to be a journalist. The details were hazy, but I knew I loved to write. The Newseum opened in Rosslyn, Va. around that same time (1997) but for whatever reason I never managed to head downtown and visit it. (note: The Newseum moved to its current location on Pennsylvania Avenue a year ago.)

So my trip Sunday was a long-time coming.

I went with my parents and sister Chelsea, whom have a basic interest in news. Nothing extraordinary. They read the news, each with a varying interest and publication loyalty.

I should have known that I would be holding up the group.

I seriously felt as if I was a child in a candy store. Granted, I had learned the basic history of communication in a few of my Newhouse courses (COM107, COM505), but some of the coverage and artifacts the museum had were incredible.

One section had actual pieces of the Berlin wall. One section had the radio antennae that was on the top of the World Trade Center and was recovered from ground zero. One section had a various newspaper A1s from important world events.

I felt most inspired the the individual stories of fearless or accomplished journalists. Their documentary videos or exhibits illustrated their passion for reporting and championship of journalism--real reality checks and reminders of why I love journalism so much.

The fam and I also got to hear Newsweek editor Evan Thomas' involvement in campaign coverage, specifically his time spent on Obama. Three things I came away with? If you do not want to ask hard questions, journalism is not and will never be for you. Competence is not sexy. Reporters were not the ones with a huge crush on Obama; it was their editors.

I am going to have to go back and spend literally the entire day. I probably was able to really take in about 40% of the entire place. Luckily, I only live a hop, skip and a jump from it. I could even move in to the apartments attached to it. That might be a little too much..

Fun things I bought: a t-shirt that says, "Sorry, not tonight dear. I am on deadline." and a pen that says, "Trust me. I am a reporter."

Josh said that there will only be about 20 people who will appreciate them. And those are the handful of people I want to meet and befriend.