Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Leto vs. Jefferson-Courtney Murphy

Leto vs Jefferson
The battle between two rivalry teams ended last night as Leto defeated Jefferson 10 to 9. The night begins with a bang as Nick Gonzales strikes out the first player with an 85mph ball. Leto continues the lead by the catcher diving for a high foul.

Jefferson fights back by getting by stealing second on an over thrown ball to first. Soon the Dragons have the bases loaded and #22 aims a high fly to center , scoring 2 runs for Jefferson. Leto comes back hard as the bases become loaded #20 comes to bat and hits a home run, Leto 5 to 2. Jefferson strikes right back with #3 scoring a home run getting two more runs for Jefferson.

The score is tided 5-5 at the top of the 4th The Dragons have two bases loaded and a line drive to center field scores two runs in. Jefferson scores another run in the fourth making the score 8-5. One by one run Leto comes back making once again even score of 8-8. The crowd becomes angry at the ref, as one disputed call after another as Jefferson is up to bat, “Come on Blue!” one father yells.

Leto, up to bat in the bottom of the 6th scores a run. During the 8th inning Jefferson fights back evening a score of 9-9. Finally, the war come to an end during the 9th as Leto finishes the battle 10-9. Lora Liteo an administrative assistant says, “It was an awesome game, neck and neck the whole time.” Lora Liteo was right; it was an awesome game with an awesome end.

Sullivan

Imagine playing the last game of the season at your home field with the visiting team having more fans then you. Well this was the case for the JV baseball team for the University of Tampa. When I asked utility player sophomore Heath Pritchard are the games always this empty with fans he laughed and said “only the varsity gets a good turn out for games”.
The University of Tampa JV baseball team lost their season finale to Hillsborough Community College 13-2. HCC had a record of 25-22 after the game versus the Spartans. Although there were more fans for the visiting team the Spartans played hard and never gave up.
The Spartans seemed never to get into the game as HCC put up five runs in the 1st inning. The Spartans were not able to score until the 8th inning. The bats were not doing well versus HCC pitchers.
The same can not be said for the bats of the HCC players though. They were connecting for singles, doubles, and even a homerun. In the top of the 4th Ryan Collins the catcher for HCC hit a monstrous three run homerun. The hit was dead center and as soon as the ball hit the bat there was no doubt that it was a homerun.
Since it was the last game of the season I found out that Tampa played pretty much everybody. So there were many pitchers for Tampa so it was hard for the pitchers to get into a groove.
The starting pitcher for Tampa Mario Echeverria could never get into a groove because he was taking out so quickly. Finally the 5th inning the Tampa pitcher was able to control the game.
Tampa put in utility player Marc Peretzman. Utility player means that these players don’t have an assigned position but instead can play any position that the coach needs. Marc is a sidearm pitcher who didn’t allow any runs in the 5th inning. The HCC hitters had not faced a side arm pitcher in the game yet so Marc’s style caught them by surprise.
Although they were losing and never could get their offense going these kids still played as hard as they could. First basemen Kevin Otero made a spectacular scoop to end the inning. The throw to him was bad but he was able to save the team and end the inning.
Second basemen Jazz Machin sophomore made one of the nicest catches I have ever seen. The leadoff hitter for HCC hit a rocket line drive that looked like a base hit until Jazz jumped up and grabbed it.
Now what makes this catch spectacular is that how fast he was to react and also the fact that Jazz is listed as 5-4 yet he made himself 6-2 to catch that ball.
I asked Kevin Otero what happened today he said “ We are a JV team and when ever we play kids from Community College there is a greater chance of losing by a lot because there not like a JV team.” All these kids will go to a four year college and make the varsity team.” When we play other JV teams we dominate them.”
Even though they lost you have to admire these kids for playing a sport they love. Chances are not many players will get moved up to Tampa varsity but these kids still give it their all every practice and game because they are doing something they love.

Lauren Rossi--sports story

On April 4, the UT baseball team held the homerun derby at the Varsity baseball field. Fans showed up to support the participants, or for the free shirts given out. Chelsea Gillis, attended the event and although not a baseball fan she said, “my boyfriend dragged me out here with him, I don’t mind though because it is entertaining and the weather is beautiful.”

Heath Pritchard number 44, sophomore and first baseman of the JV baseball team won the derby with approximately 35 homeruns. Pritchard received a trophy and multiple gift cards for his outstanding performance. When asked how it felt to win, Pritchard said, “great”. When asked about the overall outcome of the event Pritchard said, “It was awesome; I won one hundred dollars in gift cards for basically having fun and doing what I really enjoy.” Pritchard’s number of homeruns was impressive and had the fans who went to the derby in awe.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Lauren Murray economy follow-up


Lauren Murray
Professor Humphrey
Journalism 1
Economy story

Christine Guccione’s economic pitfall



Student of UT, Christine Guccione, has had a hard few months, as most people have with the economy being the way that it is. She has been through two jobs in the past two months. One of which was a manager at the Carroll wood Bonefish and the other was a bottle service host at Jackson’s Bistro on Harbour Island.
Guccione has been through two jobs in the past few months because she cannot find a job that is paying her well enough and that can compensate for her bills and expenses each month. She quit working at Bonefish in hopes that she would make more money as a bottle service host at Jackson’s in tips because she says, “ people that have money to spend go out at night and spend it, and those who don’t have money to spend stay in at night and save their money.” Guccione says, “ I have had to sacrifice my favorite thing to do in the whole world, shop, because of the economy being the way that it is, I have had to spend all of my money on bills, such as my health insurance, car insurance, gas, tuition, rent, water bills, cable bills, etc. etc.” She said that the economy started to affect her personally while she was working at Bonefish because less people would come in for dinner, thus she in return would get paid less in tips. She was affected at Jackson’s because less people came out to the club and bought tables and requested bottle service because they were all affected by the economy, thus she in return did not make any tips.
Guccione’s plan for the next few months is to save as much money as possible in case gas prices rise again, or health insurance costs rise, etc. She says, “I would not know what to do if something unexpected came up, like if my car broke down and I had to spend money to get it fixed, I would not be able to afford it. Before the economy started to affect other people and in return affected me, I would have been able to handle a problem if it was to come up, but now I couldn’t.” She says that she is currently staying in school and receiving her education so that she can receive a better, higher paying job in the future. She, like everyone else, does not want to have to deal with money issues as she gets older, so she is doing what she can to prevent that now.

Lauren Murray

Tonight, after all of my classes and a long day at school, I met up with a few friends for a drink at Cheap on Howard. It was the worst sushi that I have ever had, but some of the best sangria that I have ever had. I can most definetly say that I will return for the sangria, but I will continue to go to the Rack for my sushi fix. We all thought that the sushi was so bad that we all ended up sending our sushi back, and all seven of us girls ended up getting our drinks and sushi comped along with a $50 gift certificate for us when we decide to come again. Very nice of the owner!

Lauren Murray

On Tuesday, while picking up some dry cleaning on the way home from the drifting track, my car started to over heat. The temperature was raised to 260 degrees fahreinheit. The car started smoking from the hood while I was parked in the drive through line. I pulled into a parking space and called AAA. After waiting for three hours for a flat bed tow truck to arrive to tow the car to the shop, I had to wait an additional hour for the dealership to bring me another car. After waiting for four hours total that day, I was angry and went and met a friend for lunch to vent. Once we were done eating lunch, I went and hopped into the rental car that was loaned to me, and it would not start. So I ended up waiting in the parking lot of the restaurant for two hours for another tow truck to come and return the car to the dealership. I was so sick of cars that day, I had my friend take me home and the dealership returned my car on Wednesday morning.

Lauren Murray's sports article

Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy’s Homecoming

Jeff Lacy, also known as Left Hook, returned to box at his home town, Tampa, on April 10 at the USF Sun Dome. Lacy’s last fight since his homecoming was in November and he went through vigorous training for over two months to prepare for his April 10 showdown.
Lacy was formally represented by boxing company, Golden Boy, owned by Oscar de la Hoya, and decided during his training that he did not want to be represented by them any longer and started his own promotional, representative company called Left Hook Promotions and One Punch Productions.
Being a fan of Lacy during his fight is nerve racking enough, but being his girlfriend in the crowd gives you a different perspective. Watching Jeff come out of his corner, with nothing other than boxing on his mind, shows his dedication and determination. Seeing Lacy’s face as he walked out of the locker room and looked up at all of his fans that came to support him showed him not only that people support his boxing, but also that his new promotional company was successful in its turnout.
During his two and a half month training for his fight he had to lose 27 pounds to fight in the heavyweight division. Jeff said, “ I was just starting to get warmed up by the sixth round and I am in the best shape of my life.” Lacy’s fight went ten rounds and he won by unanimous decision. He walked out of the ring with nothing more than a little swollen eyebrow due to his opponent, Ottis Griffin, illegally head bunting him. The referee of the fight was not calling much of the fouls that occurred throughout the entire fight. Griffin was holding Lacy continuously throughout the fight after the second round when Lacy hit Griffin with a powerful left hook. Griffin was also illegally hitting Lacy with his elbow throughout the fight and the referee was not calling any of the fouls, but it didn’t matter, Jeff still won the fight.
Lacy’s next fight will be against Roy Jones Jr. in Tampa at the St. Pete Times Forum sometime in June. Roy Jones was on boxingtalk.com blogging about how he would like to fight Lacy sometime this year. Lacy responded to his blogs by saying, “Let’s do it. Whenever you are ready, I am here.” Roy Jones Jr. was seen at Lacy’s fight on April 10 scouting and studying Lacy’s moves with his trainer and manager. After Lacy had won his fight, he took over the microphone from the ring announcer and publically told Roy Jones Jr. that whenever he wants to fight this summer that he is ready, but it has to be in Tampa with all of his loyal fans.

Lauren Murray

For the past few days, I have been studying like crazy for finals week. When I am not in classes, I am studying. I am driving myself crazy with all of my studying. There is only two weeks left to prepare for finals and I feel like it will not be enough. I go to sleep at night and dream about the subjects that I was studying prior to going to sleep. I will continue to study like this for the next few weeks.

Nikki Prairie

This past Monday was the well known "holiday" which is on 4/20. This is a day when stoners everywhere do what they do best and smoke marijuana. This is a very controversial day, but many people throughout the US still celebrate it as if it is any other holiday like Easter or Christmas. Many college students especially look forward to this day because it almost justifies their habit of getting high. Personally, I don't smoke weed, so this day isnt any different than any other day to me. However, I know a lot of my friends really enjoy this "special" time of year. Some enthusiasts even celebrate 4/20 for the entire week! I have no problem with people getting high or celebrating marijuana, although I don't really see a point to this day. If someone smokes weed, chances are they are going to smoke whether it's 4/20 or 1/14. How is this day any different for them? Just a little thought I was pondering. Note to all stoners: for a little clarification..I still wish u a happy "4/20 week". :)

Lauren Murray

On Tuesday at 3:00, I walked into a pet store in Lakeland, Fl with my father. There was a really cute puppy, the smallest puppy that I have ever seen, weighing 0.55 pounds. I already have three small dogs, but it took everything that I had in me to not walk away with the puppy in my hands. My dad had to literally pull me out of the store before I walked away with the dog. So today, I still have my three dogs.

Roux, Olivia; Lifetime Movie Network

So for the past day and a half I have been in Sarasota with family due to medical reasons and I've been hooked to the tv. One station that always seems to catch my attention is the Lifetime Movie Network. On this channel, movies get premiered mostly about every day issues such as teen abuse, rape, kidnapping, etc. As soon as my father saw what I was watching he told me to turn it off. I am in college and I looked at him like he was crazy. We then went into a 30 minute conversation on why he hates the channel.
I began by saying that I was excited for the Natalie Haulaway movie that was being premiered that night at 8pm and he couldn't believe his ears. His verdict was that it was crazy for any one to release their personal information to the public like they did. I told him it was education and that i think the movie is a good idea to help prevent things like this from happening again. He agreed on that idea but he was opposed to the fact that the family was probably going to be making money from their unhappiness and loss.
I continue to think that these movies are good ideas for the public to see because sometimes people need to be showed what can happen in certain situations. I say keep informing us of what is right and wrong.

First Series of Playoffs is Complete!

Congratulations to the Vancouver Canucks who, last night, completed their sweep of the St. Louis Blues in an overtime victory.

The Canucks had come out strong in the series, winning their first two games at home. As the series shifted back to St. Louis for the first time in 4 years, the Blues simply couldn't get it going against All-Star Goaltender Roberto Luongo.

Vancouver is one of the strongest teams in the West. They won their division this season, and rightfully so, this team is stacked.

The Sedin twins lead a high-powered offense that can convert an alarmingly high percentage of their chances -- and that's not even their strong point. A strong defense led by Mattias Ohlund and Kevin Bieksa, supplemented with strongman Sami Salo is a tough wall to break through. And even if you do break through that Defense, you have to face, arguably, the best Goalie in the league in Roberto Luongo who, when on his knees, is still HUGE in net.

It was nice to see the Blues in the playoffs, but injury problems really prevented them from making a run. I look forward to seeing them in the playoffs next year, as they have a great young team.

The Canucks however, have earned time to rest and watch some more playoff hockey.

For video highlights of the series, click here.

Lauren Rossi

I just got back from Pennzoil on Kennedy Blvd. I went with a friend for the Wed., "ladies day" special. On "ladies day" an oil change and car wash is $18.99, heres the catch, plus $13.50 if you want the inside cleaned too. The guy who seemed to be in charge looked like fat Joe, so we reffered to him the whole time while there as Joey crack the dawn. We waited an hour and 45 minutes for the services to be complete. In the hour and 45 minutes we were waiting, we got three minute massages from the massage chairs and watched what seemed like every car in Tampa get washed before ours did. The hour and 45 minutes we waited was not worth it at all! Never again will I go back on "ladies day"

Downshift Daily - Chase's Blog (7th)

FORD ATTEMPTS TO DRIVE 1,000 MILES ON A SINGLE TANK

Ford says they only need to average 57 miles to make it 1,000 miles on a single tank thanks to the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. In testing, they claim to have managed 70 MPG. The 1,000-Mile Challenge starts at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, from Mount Vernon, Va., and ends Monday, April 27, in Washington, D.C. The team will drive for more than 43 hours continuously to reach the 1,000-mile goal.

From Ford:
Ford is taking on the 1,000-Mile Challenge for a number of reasons:

* To demonstrate Ford's commitment to be the best or amongst the best in fuel economy in every vehicle segment in which it competes;
* To highlight the crucial role the driver plays in maximizing fuel economy and demonstrate how consumers can make a difference through Eco-Driving;
* To raise awareness about Eco-Driving and how the Fusion Hybrid contributes to it with the ability to run up to 47 mph in pure electric mode; and
* To raise awareness and funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation


PORSCHE PANAMERA 928 SUCCESSOR

It's true. Porsche is actually considering bringing back it's monster front-engine GT car. Word is they will be using the Panamera as a starting point. This tells me two things: the 928 might get the Panamera's engines, and the 928 will be big and ugly.

Porsche is also considering the emissions benefits of a smaller engine with a supercharger and will be inclined to use it on this car.

Give it a Chance! -Murrhee

Sometimes, I think our government is trying to kill us. Think about it for just a moment: What are the two substances backed wholly by the United States government? If you don't know the answer, it's tobacco and liquor.

Last I checked, those two substances are involved with a lot of deaths and health problems in America. You can do some of your own research by looking here and here.

Besides the health factors that alcohol presents, there's also the factor of lives it ends up claiming. People drink and drive all the time and claim lives in the process. There's also the factor of possible alcohol poisoning that drinkers must be weary of.

Like it or not, there's no good that comes from tobacco and liquor. However illegal it may be, the same cannot be said of marijuana. The long-term effects of marijuana are not completely known and haven't been greatly studied since some time in the late 40's. Besides irritation caused by smoke-inhalation and the possibility of it causing Cancer, not a lot is known about marijuana (even though that's not how Truth makes it seem). But really, if it causes Cancer, so does tobacco and our government has that backed.

Shifting the bad aside, how about all the good that marijuana could offer if it was legally allowed? Marijuana could help in third-world-countries where children have lost the will to eat because they have been without food for so long; it helps curve anxiety in minor and extreme cases; it curves nausea; it helps in pain management; it curves and sometimes rids migraine pains. Used on a medical level, marijuana could truly succeed.

Do I think the legalization of marijuana should be seen to as soon as possible? I absolutely do not. Kids always end up fixating on the forbidden and if that weren't marijuana anymore, what would they reach for next? Even in the event of its legalization, I believe many laws would need to adhere to the drug.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Tommy Cassell- Red Sox Blog 7

Sox Remain Hot With Sweep Of Orioles

Sox Sweep O’s With 12-1 Beating At Fenway


It may have been Patriots Day in Boston on Monday but this Patriots day belonged to no one other than the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox offense, led by David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia, exploded for twelve runs which was topped off with a six-run seventh inning to complete a four-game sweep of the Orioles.

The 12-1 thumping was Boston’s fifth straight victory and sixth consecutive win on Patriots Day. Justin Masterson (1-0) allowed only one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings of work. Masterson got his first start of the season due to Daisuke Matsuzaka’s fatigued right shoulder.

Ortiz (2-for-4) and Pedroia (3-for-6) accumulated for five of Boston’s 12 RBIs as Jason Varitek was the only Sox player to go deep for Terry Francona and Boston.

Francona is now 6-0 as manager of the Red Sox on Patriots Day. The sweep of Baltimore puts Boston (7-6) 2.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. The Sox host the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday at Fenway Park.

Tommy Cassell- Red Sox Blog 6

Red Sox Win Fourth-Straight, Topple O’s

Boston Wins A Nail-Bitter At Fenway


The Boston Red Sox squeezed out a 2-1 victory Sunday afternoon as the Orioles provided a scare in the top of the ninth before Takashi Saito and the Red Sox shut the door on the O’s.

After a poor start to the season, the local nine have put together a four-game winning streak to get to .500 placing them at 6-6 on the season.

Jon Lester (1-2) out-pitched Koji Uehara of the Orioles with seven innings of scoreless ball allowing only four hits while striking out nine. Lester notched his first victory of the season after a pair of rough starts for the young southpaw.

Dustin Pedroia’s and Mike Lowell’s RBI singles provided enough firepower for Lester and Sox to win their fourth straight game and seventh straight against Baltimore.

The Red Sox will look to complete a sweep of the Orioles tomorrow morning as the Sox will take part in their annual early Patriots Day game. Justin Masterson will take the mound for the Sox in his first start of the season.

Downshift Daily - Chase's Blog

FERRARI F430 SUCCESSOR SPECULATION CONTINUES

The name of the F142 (code name given by Ferrari) will signify the displacement of the engine (a high revving V8) but until then it is all speculation. If they raised displacement to 4.5 liters, naming it the F450, Ford might have a thing to say about it. Some have guessed the F500. Whatever the case may be, don't expect to see many manual-equipped versions of the F142. Ferrari is considering dropping the option after the sales of the F1 gearbox was equipped for 9/10 cars.


MAN IS BUILDING MCLAREN F1 HIMSELF

A man in Poland has made the moldings and shell of the car to the exact specifications of the actual car. Apparently, he's been doing this for a while, and the car has turned out pretty good. He says in his thread that there have been other F1 molds, but never ever completed. He will even be using the BMW V12.

Erickson, Alexa- mo money, so happy

I am a lucky, spoiled girl. Or, just a mother's struggling college student who she pities. Regardless, mamma mia put money in my account! This time, it was EASIER than ever, because I called my mother and told her I had to pay bills for my apartment and that I was extremely broke as well, therefore inferring that I needed money for reasons other than the monthly apartment expenses. She was in a store shopping at the time, so she had to hurry off the phone and then my phone died! So, later that day when I charged my phone, I had a voicemail from her saying she deposited money into my account....NO LECTURE. It was fantastic.

I'm saving my damn money until May 7th, when I'm home for the summer!

Lauren Rossi

Earlier tonight a friend and myself were sitting in the Vaughn Courtyard. Another one of our friends were in the Cafeteria so we went up to the windows of the cafe and were knocking on them to get his attention. All of a sudden TWO HUGE RATS came running right infront of our feet. We screamed and caused a scene in the courtyard but it was so discusting, especially the fact that we eat in the cafe all the time! I don't think I will ever be eating in the cafe again. Here is what the rats looked like,

Sullivan

The Cleveland Cavalier’s dominance has carried over from the regular season to the first game of the playoffs. The Cavs played the Detroit Pistons at home for Game 1.
Celeveland has the best home record in the NBA and they continue to show their dominance by winning 102-84. Now Detroit is one of the best teams in the east but had a rough couple games during the regular season which caused them to come in last place.
There is only one reason that Cleveland was able to beat this team the way they did. The reason is Lebron James. Lebron James had 38 points in this game. Along with his 38 points he had seven rebounds and a steal.
Every defense that was thrown against him just seemed to make him play better. If he didn’t like the shot that the defense was giving him then he would pass the ball to one of his teammates who were cutting to the basketball.
This is not the first time the Pistons have had trouble with Lebron. Some say he single handedly beat the pistons in the last game of the playoffs in 2005. Even if he didn’t beat them by himself the Pistons know what can happen if they allow Lebron to score at will.
Cleveland made sure they kept the tempo of the game high. Constantly looking for fast break trying to never give the Pistons a chance to set up a press or a solid perimeter defense they had run of scoring and not allowing the pistons to score.
Pistons that are much older then the Cavs were not able to keep up which also led to many uncontested lay-ups and dunks which always give more energy to you team.
The Pistons need to find away to stop the one who has been dubbed the Chosen 1 or there playoff experience will end in five games instead of moving on to the next round.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Update

Well, playoffs have been here for a full week now, and its been a week full of surprises, no-shows, and suspensions too. I'll take you through the Eastern Conference mathcups, and what's been going on within each series thus far.

Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens- Well, the Canadiens came into the playoffs on a pretty good run, though some injuries to their defense (Markov and Schneider) caused some concern. So far, though, the Canadiens have looked like they simply don't care to be in the playoffs at all. Boston has been all over the Canadiens, taking a 3-0 lead in the series. Remember, the Canadiens made it into the playoffs over the Florida Panthers only on a tiebreaker system. Many are now wondering if the Panthers should have taken that spot over the Canadiens, but thats neither here nor there. Bruins need one more win to take the series, and they will.

Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers- Well, i don't think anyone expected the Rangers to go into 2nd seeded Washington and take the first two games of the series. Game 1 was unfortunate for the Caps who had a no-show in net in goalie Jose Theodore. Theo let in 4 very save-able goals in a huge playoff game. Good news for the Caps is that, despite losing game 2, rookie goaltender Varlamov only conceded one goal. As the series went back to New York, everyone expected the caps to come out hard -- and they did. winning 4-0 was just what the Caps needed. Now, they need to even up the series and start over. Rangers can take a firm grip on the series by winning the next game and take a 3-1 lead over the Caps.

New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes- The Devils and Carolina have traded games so far in this series, and this could be the best matchup of the Eastern Conference. Both teams have strong goaltending and and explosive offense. The difference in this series will be the Defense. The team that can halt the other's offense will take this series. The current series is 2-1 in favor of the Devils. Should be a great game tonight.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers- Well, this series has all the makings of a 7-game series. Pittsburgh won both games at home only to lose on Sunday in Philadelphia. If Philly can get their offense going, and keep star players Crosby and Malkin at bay, they can have a good chance at winning this one, but i still think Pittsburgh will take this one in 6 or 7.

Of course, for all of the latest news on all of the matchups and other hockey topics, just check out NHL.com

Monday, April 20, 2009

UT Pride-Courtney Murphy

-------------------Things to Eat, Read and Do in Tampa-----------------
As some people play hermit, not seeing the day light and staying in their room trying to get whatever assignment over before the semester. Others area out partying late on Sunday night for Gym Class Heroes concert. Girls including one from my English class are wasted, Freshman style.
Never being a jealous person I long for the days of no work and all play. Gym Class Heroes performed amazing, each song articulate and humorous. They played songs like white girl, take a look at my girlfriend and my favorite the queen. The Queen described my English class partyers, "Ohh no she at that bottom of that bottle" as a freshman flashed the crowd. The lead singer even noted that he might be gay, because he bashfully looked away from her "perfect breasts". I stood to the side with my roomies as one person stumbled after another. I could only dream of the day that I can go out with out remorse or a hang over. I silently chuckled as I walked past all the familiar faces, reminding me of freshman year. When I was 18 I would of been drunk giggling as I danced, crowd surfed and found my way to the bus for an autograph. Gym Class Heroes was an awesome concert that I could only wish I could of experienced the way the freshman did.

Roux, Olivia; The Hannah Montana Movie

I would write more about the 80s but surprisingly I haven't heard a lot about them in the past couple days.
Thursday night, however, I went to the Centro Ybor movie theaters and saw the Hanna Montana Movie. I was pleasantly surprised after the movie was over. 
After the premier of the Lizzie Mcguire Movie I was not sure about this motion picture but was glad to find that it wasn't too teeny bopper then I thought. 
Hannah Montana superstar, aka Miley Stewart, is sent to Tennessee from L.A. for her Grandmother's birthday and learns what life would be like if she had actually grown up in her home town. Upon being there she had to learn how to manage both worlds in one place as Hannah came to Tennessee to give a concert for the town. Hannah finally reveals her secret to her fans that she truly is just  Miley Stewart from Tennessee and they welcome her with open arms. 
Of course, there is no doubt that theaters are being filled with young girls sporting Hannah gear but as a college student I am happy to say I liked the movie and would watch it again. Who says a college student can't still watch the Disney Channel?! I do!!!! :)

Erickson, Alexa: no money, mo problems

I would totally write another restaurant review, except I spent all my money in the last week going out to eat and now I am broke as a joke. 
I resent Biggie Smalls for his song "mo money, mo problems," because I have NO money and it's causing A LOT of problems. 
I hate being that college kid that has to call their parents and ask for money because  they blew it all on....you know. Well, that's me. I blew it all on the silly college expenses, and here I am waiting for my mother to call me back and let me know she was nice enough to deposit me money and follow it up with the typical lecture, like "This is it, Alexa. I'm not giving you anymore money. What do you spend your money on anyway? You need to make a budget for yourself each week... it's just irresponsible yadi yadi ya ya blah blah blah." And then I will respond with something like, "I know mummy, I know I know! I'm so sorry. This really is the last time I'll ask. I LOVE you."
It's key to respond to their lecture appreciatively if there's any ever hope of getting them to cough up money next time you end up in the same situation.
Mo money, so many less problems!

The Zach Efron Theory- Courtney Murphy

----------- Things to eat, read, and do in Tampa--------
On Friday, after a long day at work, I skipped home to ask my fellow nerdy roommate if we should make T-shirts for the Zach Efron movie. As she crazily looked me up and down to see if I was serious or insane (a little of both) she said what time do you want to go. I wanted to say now, but I with drew, my feet where hurting and I clearly needed a shower, so I said 8:30. I got really dressed just in case a cute boy were to go? Well obviously that plan was bound to fail. Anyways, Whit and I were dress ready to go and paint the town bright glittery pink on our big night out.

We arrived at Channelside (30 minutes early) to catch the film. As it started, I gitty with anticipation, Zach appeared and my heart skipped. I recognized this feeling before, I ignored it and proceeded to enjoy the movie. As I told my Whit during the movie over and over (yes I am that annoying), "Isn't this the greatest, it's like the best movie EVER!" that same feeling came back. Once agian I ignored it and clutched my seat while the plot unfolded with unbridled humor.

The movie finished I was keyed up with tween passion coursing through my veins. "Oh Zach is so freaking cute and amazing." I told Whitney,that was awesome, Whitney not as enthused (but who could be) said yeah it was. Then it dawned those feelings I knew them! "That's it Whitney!" I shouted as she again determined weather I should be committed or laugh. "He's totally gay!" That feeling was exactly how I felt when I meet this guy from work Winston. He dresses perfectly everything is in place, too cute and has a weird liking for theater. I explained to Whitney that he doesn't want to be type cast so he "goes out" with Vanessa Hudgens and it's all a front. And thus my weirdo crush dies and my questionable sanity stays in tacked.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Sullivan

Laundry is very important to a college student. Students want to look presentable when walking around campus or while sitting in class.
Laundry allows clothes to stay clean and make people look presentable. There is one thing that prevents clothes from looking this way and that people who leave their clothes in the dryer.
They leave their clothes I the dryer past the time that it’s done. By keeping it in their longer then the time it holds up other people using it. Now with only a certain number of washers and dryers this slows down everybody else who needs to do laundry.
It seems that whenever you take out the clothes from the dryer that have just been sitting their person whose laundry it is comes to get it. This creates an awkward couple if minutes between you and the person whose clothes it is.
There is no excuse to have you laundry sitting there because you can view how long you have left on your laundry online. Lets face is college students are constantly on the computer so they can take two minutes out of their time to look and see how long there laundry has left.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Crazy Protest Coverage By Stacy & Nicole

Nicole Robinson and Stacy Vieux

Anti Tax or Anti Obama? National Tea Tax Protest Looses Sight of its True Mission

Wednesday marked the day where millions of Americans across the nation begrudgingly turned in their tax returns. And many across the nation organized massive protests against what they call “big spending”.  These protests were called “tea party” protests based off of the 1773 Boston Tea Party so long ago.

 

Protestors clad in colonial wear, tea bags and even explicit tee shirts about “stimulus packages” came out even in our own Tampa UT area. The epicenter of the protest was located on Kennedy and Ashley just two blocks from school.

 

Although the focus of the national protests seemed to be against increased government spending and bailouts, it seemed that the Tampa protest was more focused on Obama bashing.

 

Signs that read, “Obama Kills Babies!”, “Obama Musolini Hitler Castro” , “ALL HAIL THE SUADI KING IT’S A MOSLEM THING” and children that had signs that said, “Keep Your Hands Out of My Piggy Bank!” all cluttered the block full of yelling screaming protestors.

 

“Save our constitutuion!” was the chant of one man who claimed that Obama was a “socialist fascist” who was taking away more American “constitutional rights” every day. “The government is spending out of control,” he exclaimed. He was one of the many people who blamed President Obama for recent problems in America’s Financial Debt. He went as far as to compare President Obama to people such as Hitler and Musolini.

 

Standing outside for hours on their feet protesting was the Clapp family consisting of 40 year-old Michael Clapp and his 10 and 12 year old sons Zack and Schyler. This family blames America’s financial problems on a series of bad decisions starting decades ago. 10 year-old Scyler say that he wants the government to “stop using his generation as collateral.” Michael Clapp says he and his family had to be apart of the protest because there are “100 people in Washington leading us down the wrong path and it has been happening for four decades.” Clapp says that its not Obama’s fault however it is his responsibility to fix the problems that have arisen because of Washington’s past decisions.

 

A couple of familiar Spartan faces were seen in the midst of the protest action as well, “Dan Mixa an International business major explained his reasons for protest, “ I’m not satisfied with the change, the abortion laws that Obama has passed I’m just strongly against it”.

 

People who wanted to go on stage were allowed to yell their frustration at a supportive and zany crowd. At one point a woman in her seventies took the platform and yelled out her own frustrations at the Obama administration.

 

Many in attendance yelled Obama jeers although he has been in office for only three months. Some used the protest as a chance to voice their opinions on taxation while others used the protest as a chance to bash Obama.

 

Through the mayhem and false pretenses of an anti taxation protest was the crystal clear message that these people were frustrated. But one must ask, were all those venting protesters directing their anger at the right person? Is there a need to blame someone at this point or should we not come together as a nation and rather protest the gap between the two major political parties of our nation? Should we not follow the saying that they all seemed to be leaving out of their banners and signs, “United We Stand”?

 

 

Roux, Olivia; The 80s

Obviously this is alittle late, however, I still had one more thing to say!
BUMPITS
The hew way to make your hair poufy and perfect just like back in the 80s when everyone wore their hair sky high and as wacky as they could.
Just from an infomercial bumpits are very well known between the female world. I still haven't met someone who has one but I sure want to try them out!

Typical last minute

About five minutes till class and I'm on my way over! Without the sequined dress of college shame.

Playoffs Begin TONIGHT!

Just wanted to update tonight's schedule. Again, i'll stick with the Eastern teams only:

New York Rangers at Washington Capitals 7PM

Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins 7PM

Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils 7:30PM

Should be some great matchups as we return to the rush of playoff hockey. This marks the beginning of 2 months of hard hits, beautiful goals, and players giving it their all to move on in the race to win the Stanley Cup.

Enjoy!

Anticipation of Effron- Courtney Murphy

------ A blog of things to eat, read and do in Tampa------
Like any 22 year old girl, who isn't absolutely tickled to see the new Zach Effron movie 17 Again. Along with Effron, Matthew Perry (Chandler from the show Friends) should guarantee the guilty pleasure of some cheap laughs. The movie is about a grown man who gets to experience being "17 Again". Perry plays the older version of Effron and when he changes to be 17 he is able to reconnect with his kids and find his youthful spirit.

17 Again is expected to be as great as other tween sensation: Aquamarine, Cinderella Story and Mean Girls. While most 20 something’s will be gathering at McDintons on Friday, a handful will be sneaking off to see 17 Again. Of course, these 20 something’s can be seen wearing sunglasses and standing closely to a 12 year old in lines so they look like they are babysitting, or at least that is my plan.

So here's to the people who know all the words to Aaron Carter with a Tiger Beat poster of J.T.T (Jonathan Taylor Thomas)over their bed, I will see you at the movies on Friday.http://17againmovie.com/

Lauren Rossi--fight witht the taxi man

This weekend, I headed down to Ft.Lauderdale to spend Easter with my some of my family members. I took my journey via Amtrak which was two hours delayed, I thought this would be the only "bad" part of my four hour adventure but it turned out to be the best. Finally after a two hour delay in the train station and four long hours on the train, I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale six hours later. I jumped in a taxi and asked to be taken to my family's condo. I ride that should only take 12 minutes ended up taking 35 minutes. This taxi man was lost and had no idea where he was going or what he was doing. Now, a normal person would appogize for not being able to fulfill their job correctly yet this man found it nessesary to SCREAM and curse at me. So, I made him pull over on the side of the road because I needed to get out of the car. He pulled over and got out of the car and continued to scream in my face. He caused a huge scene infront of groups of people, luckily two women came over and threatend to call the police on him. These two women were angels as they waited with me on the side of the road until my cousin came and got to me. After all that, I was only a block away from the condo.

Murray

On Friday night, I went to the new restaurant called Ocean Prime near the International Mall on Westshore blvd. The restaurant was amazing. I had some of the best steak that I have ever had! On top of the best steak that I have ever had, I had the best cream brulee ever! Everything about the restaurant was impressive. They decorated the place very well, they had great servers, hosts, food, drinks, music, and atmosphere! I will be going to Ocean Prime again real soon for another great experience, steak, and cream brulee.

Murray

After having my appendix removed in February, I will never again go to Lakeland Regional Hospital. After I waited in the emergency room for six hours after having my appendix rupture, I finally was admitted for immediate surgery. The surgeon that was on call that night came in to talk to me before my surgery and to examine the area. He was complaining about how he got called in from his late night dinner and a movie with his girlfriend, even though he was the on call surgeon. After having a long and painful recovery, once the swelling went down, I realized that I had a huge hole in my stomach. I went to another general surgeon to examine the spot, and he said the the surgeon who did my surgery had messed up the fascia stitch and that I would need to have a reconstructive surgery to correct it. So thanks to my surgeon, I had to go through another, unnecessary surgery. Don't go to Lakeland Regional Hospital!

It's ALIIVVE! Things Actually DO live in the Hillsborough!

Over the past couple of weeks because the weather now permits me to do so, I have been reading and studying (meaning sitting with books open hoping for osmosis to do it's magic and transmit knowledge from to books to my brain)by the river. At first, second ad twenty-fifth glance, the river looks very intimidating and scary-it is. But what is amazing is that there is life in the polluted section of the Hillsborough that we inhabit!
At first these kids were playing around and fishing and caught what they thought was a catfish. But when we looked closer, we noticed that the creature had no scaled and also had teeth. These brave souls had caught a nurse shark! This was as surprising and scary as discovering life on Mars in my book.
THen for the past three week DOLPHINS . Usually I would just see a fin popping up periodically (even though that still didn't stop me from yelling and pointing like a small child) but this week on Monday the tide was high and the dolphins brought on the show.
The dolphins were swimming right up to the side and on top of that three manatees swam by! I also have two security guards who witnessed it with me if you don't believe. Which most don't., It's still hard to get people to believe that the greenish brownish, potentially radioactive river has life.

Murray

The new tanning lounge called Club SOHot on Kennedy, just one block from UT is by far the best tanning bed that I have ever been to. The owner of the place is always in and making you feel welcome. Your first tan is free, allowing you to see for yourself how great their high-tech, brand new beds are. One of the beds that they have is the only one in all of Florida and it gives you a custom tan according to your skin color by scanning your tone with a laser before you tan. When you walk into the lounge they are playing techno music, there are strobe lights everywhere, and you really feel like you are in a posh Miami inspired lounge. I think that everyone should at least go and use the free tans that they are handing out so that you can see for yourselves.

Stacy Vieux's View on Life and Whatever- Pizza Hut Pizza Mia

Last night as an incentive to get back some urgent surveys from my residents I promised them all that if they turned in a survey they would get a slice of pizza. I'm such a great resident assistant.Anyway,so I ordered about, no I ordered exactly 36 pizzas from Pizza Hut using their pizza Mia special. There were about 6 other floors using this same incentive. To my surprise my residents didn't really fall for it. I guess pizza wasn't a big enough reward.There were some who were exited but most of them really did not care. By the end of the night after begging people o eat more slices I still ended up with a full box of cheese pizza.Usually I would be fine with this but last night that was a problem for me to have so much left over because it was gross.Pizza Hut was stingy with everything. Only half the pizza was properly covered with cheese and the other half was missing tomato sauce. It did not even look edible. I see why my residents weren't jumping at the opportunity for free pizza. For such a low price, I guess I got what I paid for.

Murray

The night club called AjA in the channelside towers is a great place to go on Friday and Saturday nights. Jackson's bistro on Harbour Island used to be the hot spot, until AjA opened up about three months ago. The club is like no other club that we have in Tampa. It has a Miami feel and theme to it and when you walk into it you feel like you have walked into a club in a major city like Miami, New York, Chicago, LA, etc. The club has couches all over the place so that if girls in their heels are tired of standing, they can sit down easily without having to wait for a chair. They only sell the best of the best liquors and they have some of the best promoters in Tampa working for them. They play a mixture of 80's, 90's, hip hop, rap, and techno throughout the weekend nights. Everyone should come and check it out!

Lauren Rossi

Earlier today, my friend sent me a link to the movie trailer Obsessed staring Beyonce and Ali Larter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1WiMWvbtjQ&feature=pyv
This movie is about Beyonces husband (in the movie)as he cheats on her with Ali Larters character. Larter becomes obsessed with beyonces husband as soon as she sees him at her new job. From the trailer the audience learns that Beyonce goes crazy once she finds out about this secret affair that is going on. Obsessed hit theatres on April 24th and it seems as though Beyonces character is after Ali Larters character as she is obsessed with her husband. My word to the wise, don't try stealing Jay-Z away from Beyonce.

Murray

For all of you fashion divas out there who love the incredible store in the International Mall called Ocean Drive, the store is planning on moving to a new location in the mall. The store is currently located on the second floor a few stores down from Nordstroms. Their new location will be on the first floor across from the stor Forever 21. Ocean Drive caries many high fashion designers ranging from Sky, Bejeweled, Ed Hardy, Silver Dagger, etc. They also have great customer service, probably one of the best stores that I have shopped in when it comes to customer service. All of the employees are more than happy to help you find your sizes, help you pick out an outfit, help you decide on colors that match your skin tone, etc. The store is also great on returns. If you buy a garment from the store and anything at all happens to it within six months, they will allow you to return it. So everyone, if you like high fashion, designer clothes, shop at Ocean Drive.

Stacy Vieux's View on Life and Whatever- Nola Cafe

Last year me and some friends went to Louisiana to help Katrina victims by building houses with Rebuilding Together. Honestly it was one of the best decisions I've made in my life. I learned a lot by just talking to a lot of the Katrina victims. Another thing that I learned was Louisiana knows how to eat. There were restaurants on every corner with tradition Louisiana dishes. One of those dishes was alligator. They say it taste like chicken and since I don't eat chicken I decided to pass on the alligator too.What I didn't pass on was plenty of beignets. Beignet is french for doughnut and it is a common food served in Louisiana. It is basically fried dough with powdered sugar on it. I ate so many of these things that by the end of the trip my all my clothes had traces of powdered sugar on them. When we came back to Tampa I really missed the eating style of Louisiana and lately I have even more. So Monday I called my friend up who had also gone on the trip and I invited her to a place called Nola Cafe. I've heard a few people suggest the place so I figured I would give it a try.I ordered some coffee and beignets to start me off and I was so excited to be reunited with my beignets. Unfortunately I ended up not liking the beignets. They didn't taste like how I had remembered them. The powdered sugar didn't make a mess on me like the ones in Louisiana had. I was so disappointed. I left some cash on the table, got my friend and left.I guess if I want Louisiana food I'll have to go there.

Stacy Vieux's View on Life and Whatever- Bahama Breeze

My last blog was about my first time going to Grill Smith. Grill Smith was the restaurant that bought the old building of Hops. Well I know I bashed the place quite a bit so I have good news.This weekend was my friends birthday so we celebrated by going to her favorite restaurant which is Bahama Breeze.The atmosphere of the place was so nice. We were by water and it was just a pleasant place to be. I ordered a light meal consisting of a nice-sized bowl full of blue crab claws fully drenched in butter and special seasoning.The dish was called Crab Claws St. Thomas and it was absolutely delicious! In fact the entire menu looked delicious. The birthday girl ordered some coconut shrimp that were big, crispy and most of all tasty. I was so happy to actually enjoy my food after having such a bad experience. I might just have a new favorite restaurant!

Off to the Bookstore! Robinson

So I took that demon test that supisingly went very well! Well... we'll see when I get my score how well it went. But what that means is that I have precious tme on my hands. recious time that I now may waste. 
I decided if I was going to waste my time until my next test that I might as well start another book! After reading Jesse Ball's  "The Way Through Doors" I put in and order for two of his other books, March Book and Samedi the Deafness both of which got in today!
But when I went on the website to confirm that I was coming to get my books (or rather to make sure I didn't go to the store for nothing) something -big surprise- distracted me. But what could it be? Some classic romance novel with  Fabio on the cover, some classic novel? Or perhaps some juicy antagonization of the Catholic church by Dan Brown. No friends. It is now my Mission in life to read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austin and Grahame-Smith. It is said under the book description that "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." Indeed.

In Staying With the Rest-Murrhee

For whatever reason, the smallest details can drive me to the point of insanity (har-har if you just thought it doesn't even take that much). Perhaps my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Anal Restiveness can be pin-pointed as the culprits. Whatever the case, in sticking with my theme of Twilight, I will briefly cover the things in the movie Twilight that truly got under my skin.

In the book, the character Rosalie drives an ostentatious, red convertible (in the words of Edward)BMW M3. For the movie, Rosalie is always seen in a red convertible Mercedes CLK 350. Why the subtle change...to annoy me? Was Mercedes offering more benefits for using them in the film, than BMW was willing to offer?

Stephenie Meyer reports having started writing on Twilight in June of 2003. The movie Twilight came out on November 21, 2008. With this being said, why in God's name does Edward Cullen drive a silver Volvo C30 (it is about $10,000 cheaper)? The C30 did not show up on Volvo's floors until the beginning of 2008. Sure, Stephenie Meyer never elaborates anymore than to tell you that Edward drives a silver Volvo but in the year of 2003, a silver Volvo C30 wouldn't have been an option. An S40, S60 or even an S80 would have been more realistic. I'm pretty sure further research would tell me that Volvo did bidding to help increase sales on a car that wasn't enough luxury and too teenager for the usual candidates of Volvo.

I briefly spoke of Rosalie in my last blog but I did not cover on her in the way I would have wished. Throughout the movie, Rosalie is an egregious bitch; there's no nice way of putting it. What aggrevates me is that they never express it’s an actual character flaw to her usual personality. The actual reason for her moodiness stems from her jealousy toward Bella. While actress Nikki Reed never lets you know it, Rosalie is described as a knock-out in all of Meyer's books. She's described as someone who would make you feel compulsive enough to try and win her over; far more stunning than the most beautiful super-model. The jealousy is instantly there when she learns that Edward has fallen for a plain-looking mortal.

My final complaint is the dance scenario in the movie. In the book, the dance was not Prom (as it is in the movie). The dance in the book was just some random girl-asks-the-boy kind of dance. Why the change? Could have kept it as it was in the book and it wouldn't have tagged on any time or a greater price tag.

Upon inspecting, the change in cars was probably due to budgeting (both cars they opted for being cheaper) but this fact does not satiate me. I think they should have kept as close to detail as they could have (I know all the readers would have appreciated it).

Tommy Cassell- Red Sox Blog 5

Red Sox Flattened Once Again

                                Boston’s Comeback Not Good Enough In Oakland

The Boston Red Sox are without any wind in their sails as their 162-game voyage is just underway.

Hopefully the forecast calls for some wind and some wins. 

Boston (2-6) fell to the A’s in 12-innings last night as Travis Buck’s infield single in the bottom of the 12th sealed the deal for the A’s and the doom of the Bo-Sox.

The Red Sox have now dropped to 2-6 which is their worst start to a season since 1996. Daisuke Matsuzaka looked even worse last night than in his first outing as he couldn’t make it past the first inning, allowing five hits, five runs, and two walks while throwing 43 pitches.

Dice-K was on the mound with a 3-0 lead but Oakland’s five-run first gave them a 5-3 lead going into the fifth when Boston’s Mike Lowell tied the game with an rbi-single.  

However, Buck’s game winning rbi-single flattened the hopes of Kevin Youkilis and company of winning the series.

Youkilis remains hot, going 2-for-5, and keeping his average above .500.  J.D. Drew had three hits for the Sox and Justin Masterson pitched four innings of scoreless ball.  

Boston will look to avoid the sweep this afternoon as the Sox now hold the second worse record in the AL edging out the Cleveland Indians as the only other team to have a worse start.  

The Red Sox will look to Tim Wakefield to get the Boston ship back on track as the knuckleballer faces Brett Anderson at the Coliseum.

Erickson, Alexa- restaurant review

I hope you don't get a really bad perception of vegetarians here...but you know my friend Monica? Pork chop Monica? The girl who is doing a whole project on fashion killing animals? The SAME Monica who won't eat meat for similar reasons?
Well, maybe she doesn't think a hot dog is considered meat, because I just sat down with her at Franky's Gourmet of Fastfood restaurant right next to campus, and watched her order a thin, footlong type hot dog.
Well, I just assume not to ask, since clearly she's not a strict vegetarian, and possibly a hypocrite.
I don't remember the last time I even had a hot dog, so when she offered me a bite, I accepted with pleasure.
You can't really go wrong with a hot dog, and this was no exception. I suppose I would say it truly was more of a gourmet-type hot dog for fast food.
The atmosphere was clean and cutsie with it's red and white checkers and stainless steel counter tops. It was very "classic American" to say the least.
Maybe next time I can focus more on the food myself and less on Monica's confusing food habits!

Check it out: http://www.frankieshotdogs.com/

Lauren Rossi

I just got back to my room from the mail room. I came to a conclusion while walking back from the mail room that I have a problem with it. And that is, why is it that there are always flyer's of some sort in everyones mailbox, because people disregard them and all that happens is people throw them on the floor (in the trash if they are considerate). Now, not only do these flyer's leave the mail room a mess as they are strewn all over the floor but it would be more "green" to send e-mails, or more efficient to hang a few of them around campus for people to read while walking through the hallways.

Where did all the freaks go? Ybor- Courtney Murphy

----A blog on thing to eat, read, and do in Tampa-----
On a relaxing Saturday night my roommate and I have a wonderful idea to go to Ybor for some Hookah and excellent people watching. Ybor has a unique characteristic of gathering the most diverse groups for a night of debauchery. As the watermelon flavored smoke billows from our lungs we see the diverse groups walk past. We exhale the smoke as we inhale a judgemental thoughts as each group passes.

First, the flamboyant gays, which are the most noticeable of homosexuals, prance past to G-Bar. These gays are also know as "twinks", young gay and ultra feminine; the type that were girls skinny jeans with out a shirt. Whitney, my roommate, and I laugh as the second group gawks in disgust.

The second group is the ghetto kids one stops to ask us if we were "smokin that weed?" Whitney laughs and nods no as she explains that it is only flavored tobacco. The ghetto kids were dressed in the latest trend, baggy skinny jeans tucked into over sized shoes and a graphic tee. All the ghetto boys stared furiously with hungry eyes at the third group, the underdressed girls, as they headed to Empire.

The elegant yet scarily strange Gothic couple walked past it the most absurd outfits. The man was in the typical Gothic wear of strapped baggy pants and all black, although he had chains wrapped around him. His girlfriend was in the same high heals as the sluts, but in an all lace outfit with nothing but a g-string underneath. Her round figure was outlined from the head to toe black lace, which still left nothing to the imagination. They kept walking past as Whitney and I mouth hung open as they approached the castle.

Each person had a place to call home, a club of their own identity. I recommend Ybor for the culture shock. It's fun, just like how a carnival is fun sometimes just to stare at something different and unusual. The Hookah Bar on 7th was the perfect place for the freak show parade.http://yborcitystogie.blogspot.com/2009/02/blue-lizard-hookah-lounge-in-ybor-city.html

Draft Lottery

Last night the annual draft lottery was conducted by the NHL. For those who don't know, the draft lottery is the way in which the league decides who picks in what order for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

Unlike the NBA, however, the NHL doesn't guarantee the first pick to the worst team in the league. Instead, there is a lottery in which each team that did not make the playoffs the previous year has a certain chance to move up or down in order.

Since teams only can move up four spots, only the five teams with the fewest points this season -- the Islanders, Lightning, Avalanche, Thrashers and Kings -- were in the running to claim the top spot.

Interestingly enough, no teams moved from their actual spot, and everyone will pick in the order that they were in for the regular season standings.

The Islanders won the lottery and get the first pick of the NHL Entry Draft. Most likely, they will take OHL Phenom John Tavares, but they could also go for Swedish defensman Victor Hedman. It all depends on what direction they want to take the franchise. Build from the defense, or grab the flashy center.

With the state of their fanbase, i'd say they take Tavares, hands down.

The full list of draft positions, and picks per round can be found here.

Sullivan

The last three movies on the imdb top ten trailers are The Year One, Where the Wild Things are, and Angels and Demons.
The Year One is a comedy staring Jack Black and Michael Cera who was the one of the main characters on the hit movie Superbad. Now Jack Black can be annoying and not funny at times so let’s hope he does not do this to the movie that has the potential to be very funny.
Black and Cera play cavemen who are banned from their tribe. They then have to travel through the ancient world. This movie pokes fun at many famous people in history and makes history come alive.
If you thought history was boring then this movie will show you have much fun history can actually be.
Where the Wild Things are is a movie adopted from the popular children’s book written by Maurice Sendak. The story is about Max who was sent to bed without dinner. While in his room his imagination creates a world with creatures that make him the ruler.
This movie follows the book true so fans of the book will not be disappointed by the movie which happens a lot books that are transformed into movies.

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1081641728/tt0386117

Angels and Demons is the last movie on imdb top ten trailers. Angels and Demons is a movie adopted from the book. Now the book caused uproar because it constantly questions religion which is a very sensitive subject to people.
The movie is about Robert Langdon who is a symbologist. He is trying to prevent a terrorist attack on the Vatican. Also when he is investigating cardinals are dying gruesome deaths and he must also figure out who is killing them.
Tom Hanks who is a celebrity superstar plays the main character Robert Langdon. He has to use all his knowledge and quick thinking to solve his case. This movie will have you at the edge of you seat from beginning to end.

NHL Playoff Matchups Announced

Well, yesterday the NHL Playoff matchups were released, so here are the goods...

Again, for convenience, i'll sum up the Eastern Conference Matchups only. If you want to see the league-wide matchups, go here.

(1) Boston vs. (8) Montreal- As far as i'm concerned, this is bad news for the Bruins. Even though they dominated every team this season, the only team that could really usurp the Bruins in the first round is their long-time rival Montreal Canadiens. In a playoff matchup, things get heated, and even moreso with a rival on the ice for 7 games straight. If Montreal can feed off of that rivalry and win a couple early games, they could take this one in 6 games. My prediction: Boston wins in 5.

(2) Washington vs. (7) New York- This should be an interesting matchup as Washington has scoring prowess, but the Rangers have strong goaltending in Henrik Lundqvist. The real deal breaker in this series will be defense. The team that can get the lead and hang on for the full 60 minutes is the team that will win this series. I expect a long series between these two: Caps win in 7.

(3) New Jersey vs (6) Carolina- A month ago, i'd say the New Jersey Devils would win this series in 4 games, but since the deadline, Carolina has been one of the strongest teams in the NHL. Their renewed scoring ways and strong goaltending are a formidable opponent. If the Devils can play the way they've played all season, they could win this one out in 5 or 6.

(4) Pittsburgh vs (5) Philadelphia- Ah, the battle of Pennsylvania. Two teams i personally hate. Can't they both lose? No? Well, i take Pittsburgh in 5 games here. The Pens have better offense, better Defense, and a better goalie. That being said, the Flyers have found a way to win all year. With the added rivalry of two Pennsylvania teams, who knows what will happen here. Still, Pittsburgh in 5.

Those are my predictions.. Next up, i'll talk a little bit about the draft lottery, and who won in that area.

Erickson,Alexa- restaurant review

After a stay-in and sleep all day kind of Tuesday, with the thunderstorms shaking my apartment, and the skies heavy with dark clouds, today is the perfect, breezy-sunny-lovely kind of day!
Sitting outside, at West Park Bagel, with my friend Allie and her dog, I just finished eating a BLT on wheat bread with a side of potato salad. The bread was warm and filling, the tomatoes fresh and ripe, the bacon not too cripsy, nor too soft (like it just got out of the microwave). The lettuce was even a nice, crisp green and very flavorful. But, for some reason, I kept getting GLOBS of mayonnaise all over my hands and face! My napkin was tattered in seconds. I've never gotten a sandwich with that much mayo on it before. So I thought, well maybe this is a substitute for the condiment, so with the next bite, I let it sit in my mouth and tried to figure it out... but it tasted just like mayo to me.
Well, I finished the sandwich anyway, even though I had to go get about 5 more napkins, but I was disappointed with the mayo situation, since it's not really the tipe of smear you lather on.
I felt a little too rich in the stomach and a little less healthy.
Allie seemed to like her egg and cheese on a croissant, however. Maybe there's hope for me next time.
To view more on the cafe, visit: http://westparkbagel.com/

Erickson, Alexa- restaurant review

My friend Monica, yes the same one who made me wear pork chops around my neck, took me to yet another Mexican joint, saying that it's her favorite food. So, two days after eating at Estella's, we tried out Algusto Mexican Restaurant right across from the UT campus. Along with the much needed margarita, not frozen this time, and a little less flavorful than that at Estella's, I ordered an entree called the "Tampaquena." For $12,75, the plate offered a large grilled steak sirved with guacamole, a red mole enchilada with sesame seeds, rice and mexican peppers. It was a filling, delicious meal, satisfying my taste buds. In comparison to Estella's, the authenticity was just as impressive, but I think I'd have to stick with Estella's for the margs!
To view Algusto's menu, visit:   http://www.algustomexicanrestaurant.com/home.nxg

Ciao! 

I love College Robinson

Has anyone heard that song I Love College by Asher Roth ? Well after last night when I experienced a classic college moment I can only sit back and laugh at myself. So I was studying for a Psychology class in Brevard (random because I live in Stadium Center) and actually doing everything in power to not concentrate on what I was supposed to be doing. I read my pleasure reading book. Texted almost every friend in my phone to see what they were doing, writing articles for the Minaret, checking facebook to see who broke up this week. And before I knew it, the digital clock on my phone said 2:00am. Obviously I needed to take a study break (you know, because of all the work I had done). So I decided to wake up at 2:20. That sounds good. I'll wake myself at 2:20, study till three and then walk back to my dorm!
Time passed 2:20 came and went and I woke up halfway at 5:00am. I thought to myself CRAP! I'm on a couch that is not mine in the obvious sequined dress from the day before. Great. "Well", I thought, "I'm already here", so I went back t sleep. 
Somewhere in between that time I heard people walk in speaking in some foreign tongue that I believe was Spanish but in all honesty I hope it's not because maybe in that other language "bragas" does not mean panties! Oh the mortification!
I did the walk of shame across campus at 7:00 in the morning but thankfully it was me, the sequined dress and the construction workers at the chapel. 
But this was just another testament as to why I don't need the aid of alcohol  to wake up in some strange place and have moments that I wish I could forget. That was a walk of shame to remember. I'm still studying for psych.
My eyes shut 

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Lauren Rossi

I am admitting to everyone that my guilty pleasure is watching the Real Housewives of New York City. On Tuesday nights after my 6 p.m. - 9:50 Visual literacy class, I race back to my dorm room to turn on the Real Housewives of New York City on bravo! http://www.bravotv.com/
My favorite women on the show are the loud mouth Jill and her sidekick Bethenney. Basically the only reason why I enjoy watching the show is to see the two of them disagree with and view everyone else on the show as "weird" because I totally agree with them. Kelly, the newest housewife on the show thinks that she is Gods gift to earth, yet most people cannot stand her. Alex thinks her and her husbands ways are always the right way and nobody else knows how to act. We have the countess LuAnn who only seems to be interested in etiquette and class and lastly Ramona, she is just looney all together. Watching this group of women and how they live and interact with one another is actually hillarious and for some reason I am addicted to this show.

Jesse Ball a genious Robinson

I recently cam from a party early in the morning and decided to read myself to sleep. So I picked up a book that I had picked up randomly in an airport over spring break. The book was titled "The Way Trough Doors". 

The subtle yet intriguing cover did not give me a clue as to the genius that goes on inside of the book. It starts out with a man Selah being hired for a job for a secret police agency more powerful than the CIA. Then he comes across an accident where a girl gets hit by a taxi. 
What results from this plot is an exiting plot that can be only compared to Roald Dahl. 
Selah claims to be the boyfriend of the girl who was revealed to have amnesia because of the accident and is giving orders to keep her awake for 18 hours.
So Selah started to tell  her a story. A story in which he is told a story of a story he was told by a woman at a restaurant about a story her own grandmother told her about a man with incredible luck. This man within that story is then told a by a man who can see the future about Selah (the narrator) in the future.

Needless to say this is the most amazing book that I have read in ever! Ever since my childhood it has been hard to find a book for my age that exersises the imagination in such a smart and whimsical way. The world needs more books like this. In the age of "Twilight" being acclaimed as some great work of literature it is refreshing that real authors are out there. We need more people like Jesse Ball
 

Listen and Learn, Born Standing Up- Courtney Murphy

----- A blog of things to eat, read and do in Tampa------
A new medium for books is Audible.com and ITunes being able to listen to books instead of reading. I find that listening to books is far more practicle; continuing on everyday life with the luxury of listening to the soothing voice of any book of choice.
Recently, I ordered the Steve Martin book Born Standing Up this book was depressing. Steve Martin tells a sad and slightly funny story of his lonely struggle to popularity. He voices his feelings of inadiquacy towards his father. Steve was constantly trying to prove his worth and never could full fill his fathers expectactions and therefore never his own
Martin is still single and has no childern, he remains single because of a fear of intamcy, always with holding his feelings from his significant other. Born Standing Up leaves you with pity and dispear. Pity because he will never be fully happy, the closest he will ever feel happiness is vicariously through the joy he brings other. Which, brings you to dispear some people like him can have all the things in the world and never be truely happy.http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/template/t1/promotionalLanding.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&fo=COMA0209WS021609

Stacy Vieux's View on Life and Whatever- GrillSmith

In my last blog I talked about my upsetting experience of finding out my favorite restaurant had been closed down for good. Well, this Sunday as I was driving down Dale Mabry Highway I took a second to look in the plaza where Hops use to be located. I noticed that there was a new restaurant in its place. This place was called GrillSmith. I had to stop by and see what restaurant replaced Hops. So me and my friend Maude decided to stop and eat. The restaurant started off good serving us some very tasty bread.The bread had a special Italian seasoning and was drenched with olive oil. Unfortunately, the bread is where the tastiness ended.I ordered a well done cheeseburger and my friend ordered a margarita pizza.We tried eachother's food and very quickly we decided that niether of our dishes were good at all. We forced our food down with some non-appetizing pink lemonde.I have had better burgers in the cafeteria. And her margarita pizza was badly seasoned and slightly burnt.Needless to say we will not be going back there again.The food just wasn't good. Going there just made me miss Hops all over again.

Downshift Daily - Chase's Blog (5th)

ASTON MARTIN RAPIDE - FIRST OFFICIAL PICTURE

With the Porsche Panamera and the Maserati Quattroporte in it for the long run of high-class-expensive-fast saloon cars, it's no wonder the Aston Marton Rapide is nearing production. It will be powered by a 470hp V12.

Aston Martin insists the Rapide is a four-door sports car whereas the Panamera is more "function over form" with a comfortable back seat. Regardless, who cares if the backseats are comfortable when you are driving around this piece of art?

Production is expected to start late 2009 Magna Steyr factory in Graz, Austria.

2012 JEEP CHEROKEE SRT8 SPECS RELEASED

The X5M, and Cayenne Turbo have a new neighbor to worry about...and he's straight out of Detroit.

That's right. The new SRT8 Jeep is going to have some serious punch if the end up boring-out their current Hemi powerplant. As it's sold now, the SRT8 is good for 420 hp and 420 tq from the 6.2L trademark Hemi motor. 2012 will see that the engine displacement raises to 6.4L producing between 505 and 525 horsepower and somewhere around 510 lb-ft of torque.

The 4WD system will be heavily revised to handle the power.

JEEP RECALLING 47,000 VEHICLES

The 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Commander, and Wrangler four-door that may have reversed wiring on the driver's airbag controller, a defect that may inhibit the airbag's deployment. The 2002 and 2003 Jeep Libertys sold in New England and much of the Midwest are susceptible to a loss of lubrication in their front ball joints due to salt.

A trip to the dealer will remedy any necessary repairs.

Tommy Cassell- Red Sox Blog 4

Nomar & A’s Topple Sox

                                  New-look Athletics Beat Red Sox in Oakland

The Oakland Athletics recorded their first home win of the season as they pummeled Jon Lester and Sox 8-2.  

The 2009 version of the Oakland Athletics includes a fusion of in-breed talent and a sprinkle of veteran acquisitions.  Last night, the latter got the best of Boston as old-friend Nomar Garciaparra and old-foe Jason Giambi got the best off Lester and Boston.

Garciaparra spent his first nine seasons in the Majors with Boston before being traded at the 2004 trading deadline.  In his first game playing against the Sox, Garciaparra went 1-for-4 with a solo-shot in the fourth inning.  

Lester (0-2) pitched six innings for the local nine as he allowed six runs on 10 hits.  Dallas Braden (1-1) got the win for Oakland pitching six innings of two-run ball. 

The Sox have not played well in the Oakland Coliseum as they have lost four straight there and three of their last 11 games in Oakland. 

Boston now stands at 2-5 on the season as Daisuke Matsuzaka faces Dana Eveland tonight at the Coliseum.  

Tommy Cassell- Red Sox Blog 3

Red Sox Preview

                                             A In-Depth Look At Tonight’s Game

The Boston Red Sox started their season playing two perennial playoff teams in one week. So now the local nine continue up the West Coast as they are in Oakland to face the A’s, another possible playoff contender.

Oakland (2-4) like the Sox have struggled early on this season and have twice been shut out when facing left-handers.  This spells well for the Red Sox as Jon Lester is on the mound tonight for Boston.

Lester will look to get Boston back in the win column as he and Terry Francona will look for the lineup to heat up against a relatively young and unproven A’s pitching staff.

The Red Sox offense has yet to get started in 2009 as Kevin Youkilis seems to be the only Sox hitter, actually hitting, with a .522 batting average.  David Ortiz is 4 for 20, Jacoby Ellsbury is 5 for 24, Mike Lowell 4 for 23, J.D. Drew 2 for 16 and Jed Lowrie, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list, was 1-18 before landing himself on the DL.

So with Lowrie out with a left wrist injury, the Sox look to rookie Nike Green to take his place at shortstop. Green gives the Sox solid defense and speed up the middle as the rookie will bat ninth in tonight’s lineup.    

The Red Sox Lineup for tonight goes as follows:

1. Rocco Baldelli, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. J.D. Drew, RF
6. Jason Bay, LF
7. Mike Lowell, 3B
8. Jason Varitek, C
9. Nick Green, SS

Francona and the Sox hope that a mix of pace with Rocco Baldelli at the top of the lineup will jump start this lackluster offense. 

It’s a southpaw match-up tonight as Jon Lester is on the hill against Dallas Braden of the A’s.  The start time of tonight’s game is schedule for 10:05 p.m.

Sullivan

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Star Trek, Dragonball Evolution are the next three on the imdb top ten trailers. These movies are very highly anticipated.
Harry Potter and the half Blood Prince is a book that is being adapted on the big screen. This is the sixth Harry Potter movie to come out. Their will be one more movie because it follows the book and there is seven books. The book was a money making machine and we will see if the movie can follow the book.
In the Half Blood Prince Harry is getting closer to find out the secrets of Lord Voldemort who is the evil wizard. This movie is filled with adventure, magic, friendship, and also betrayal.
In this movie Harry is beginning to fall in love with Ginny who is Ron’s sister. Ron is also Harry’s best friend. This could ruin Harry’s friendship with Ron if he finds out and also there is bad feeling going around Hogwarts that could change the student’s lives forever.
Star Trek is a tv show remake. Now there have been many Star Trek movies made through out the years. The one thing that makes this movie special is that the cast consist of a bunch of actors who are not well known. It’s now time to see if these actors can step up to the plate and get their name out there.
Dragonball Evolution is adopted from the cartoon that can be seen on tv. The movie is a bet a warrior who must follow through on a dying request from his Grandfather. The warrior whose name is Goku must find the great Master Roshi and collect the seven Dragon Balls.
These Dragon balls give the beholder special powers. Goku has one already in his possession but he must find the others before the evil Lord Piccolo does. Lord Piccolo is the villain in the movie and he wants the Dragon balls so he can take over the world.

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2747042304/tt1098327

Roux, Olivia ; the 80s

I know I JUST posted a blog but that was for today and then I had this one saved on my computer because I haven't had internet so this was from Sunday!

Since 1975 Saturday Night Live has been playing on viewers screens every week, making the perfect jokes on reality. For over 30 years it has been releasing amazing talent into the world of movies such as todays greatest, Will Ferrell.
The other night, I decided to watch Blades of Glory featuring Ferrel and Jon Heder. I could not help but notice how much their outfits reminded me of the 80s and how back then everyone had these crazy ideas of cool outfits.
Outfits that involved neon colors, spandex, and leg warmers.
There is NO doubt that alot of things from the 80s are making their way back into fashion these days. From the outfits, to the music being requested everywhere, 80s babies are starting to relate to their parents more.
One more day left, lets see what I can come up with tomorrow.

Roux, Olivia ; the 80s

So i did mention in one of my earlier blogs about side ponytails which just happen to be back IN. Yes, fortunately for me, I got to experience lots of those while I was up north. My cousin, who I visited on my way to the airport yesterday, was rocking the side pony and she told me everyone at school did it.
Wow, I must just be too old to be in with the in crowd.
Secondly, who does not remember the brightly colored outfits that were worn during the 80s and the high top neon dunks and chuckies that were rocked all the time?
My wonderful 13 year old cousin just happened to purchase a pair of white Nike Dunks with neon pink, yellow and blue stripes all over them. I instantly told her she would be best friends with my roommate who ADORES Nike Dunks and thinks they are the cutest thing ever!

Meyer's Vampire vs. Rice's Vampire-Murrhee

Ever since I was little, the idea of vampires has utterly captivated me. Their aesthetic beauty; their omniscient presences that warns people "beware" with just looking at them; their speed and agility and their ability to be other-worldly when luring an individual in. Maybe I love them because I pity their inability to step into the sunlight without becoming cinder.

For the vampires in Anne Rice's novels, all of what I previously just said is utterly true. Rice has a series of vampire stories, all falling under the category of the Vampire Chronicles. Books within this series include: Interview with the Vampire (1976), The Vampire Lestat (1985), The Queen of the Damned (1988), The Tale of the Body Thief (1992), Memnoch the Devil (1995), The Vampire Armand (1998), Merrick (2000), Blood and Gold (2001), Blackwood Farm (2002) and Blood Canticle (2003).

Now, just how does Edward Cullen and the Cullen clan of Twilight stack up to Lestat and his vampire counterparts? Well, really, they don't stack up at all.

The main vampires in Twilight (the Cullens) are all vegetarians, living solely from the blood of animals. Lestat, not satisfied with the blood of animals, drinks the blood of evil-doers (usually rapist and murderers) hoping to ease his conscious of his killings. Prior to drinking only the blood of evil-doers, Lestat was mindless and gluttonous, drinking from any human he fancied.

Lestat and all his other vampire counterparts are unable to enter into the daylight (be it over-cast or sunshine). Upon entering into daylight, the vampires are turned to cinder. This cannot be said of the vampires in Twilight, for they are very able to be out during the day, as long as it is always over-cast. The need of over-cast weather stemming from their bodies sparking like a million facades of diamonds, if put into direct sunlight.

Both sets of vampires are aesthetically beautiful. Rice's vampires, as well as Meyer's have an omniscient presence that silently shouts to human beings to be careful. While something inside the humans scream for them to be careful, everything about the vampires lures the human beings in.

An entity known as the Volturi looms over the vampires of Twilight. The Volturi is the official headquarters of vampires and they are all seeing and knowing; they see to it that the vampire population does not become out of control. Rice's vampires have no higher entity they must follow but rather run rampant and make vampires of others as they so choose.

When it comes down to it, Meyer's vampires add a new, refreshing twist to the usual stereotypes placed on vampires. Meyer's story is something new and Rice's is just a retelling of the usual vampire: death by means of stake or fire, instant death upon entering sunlight, generally evil and self-absorbed beings and aesthetically appealing.