ianbuenafe11-blog

[ianbuenafe11-blog]

The...Mediocre Showman?

I recently watched The Greatest Showman to see what all the hype was about. The film is based on the creation of the circus by P.T. Barnum. It traces form Barnum’s rough childhood, to his young adulthood, ending in his early success (and sweeping under the rug that fact that he was largely known for not being a very good person). I was very excited as musicals are one of my favorite forms of entertainment. For weeks I had heard critics and viewers rave about how great the film was, so I was expecting an amazing movie. To say I was disappointed would be a drastic understatement. Firstly, the use of CGI and green screen as opposed to live sets was so glaringly evident that I never felt fully immersed. More importantly, the movie is to take place in the 1800’s and be about a circus. So, the music should relate to the time frame and story. It did not. The musical numbers were largely hip-hop driven and often sounded like something you would hear on the radio today. Musicals are meant to make you feel as though you are a part of the era, world, or universe. I felt as though I was watching a poor attempt to make the circus more modern. Modern music blended with the attempt to express a much older era ultimately leads to an unrelatable finished product. Overall the acting was fine, the songs entertaining, and the costumes were appropriate and eye-catching (and my favorite part about the movie). It just lacked that extra something to really take it over the top. Essentially, it was just an OK movie that couldn’t live up to the hype.  

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Everyone is Talking about YOU!

Recently I spent time sitting in the Student Union at my college. I spent an hour people watching and just taking in the overall feel of the people that were there. The first thing I noticed was that all pf the tables were designed to fit at least four people. I counted at least 20 tables at which only one person was seated. Now some were doing homework and had their books strewn about the table, but at least 70% were eating alone, staring at their phones. To ensure that I would be able to watch people do stuff, I sat near a table full of people. As more and more groups of people showed up to eat together, I found that nearly all of their conversations had one major thing in common, gossip. Now, by gossip I do not necessarily mean speaking poorly of people, I simply mean that the topic was nearly always about somebody that was not there with them at the time. For instance, a group of girls all voiced their complaints about the boys in their lives; from boyfriends to potential dating prospects. Upon concluding this topic the then decided to talk about other people’s relationships, commenting on both positive and negative traits. I also witnessed a group of guys commenting on the habits of many of their friends, debating on who would be most successful in which field and even agreeing that one of their friends will not finish college. I sat for a while and thought of what I talked about with my friends, and realized I did this exact thing. For some reason it is easier to talk about ANYTHING happening in somebody else’s life than whatever is happening in your own. Makes you wonder, what do people say about you?

[ianbuenafe11-blog]

The 90′s Are Back!(?)

Lately you may have walked outside to find that you have developed the ability to time travel. You look around and are shocked to find you have awoken in the colorful 90’s. Sorry, you haven’t. In the past few years a surge of 90’s themed clothing has taken over pop culture. This does not mean you should run out and put on those MC Hammer pants (sorry to burst your bubble). Interestingly the trend seems to focus on the mid to late era of the decade.

The new themes are largely rooted in television shows from the time, mostly produced by Nickelodeon. From shows like “All That” and “Keenan and Kel” to the animated classics of “Hey Arnold!” and “Rugrats”, the new trend shows little sign of stopping. The trend is mostly practiced by students between the ages of about 16 to 28, ranging from people who actually remember the 90’s to kids who were not even born yet. I believe a large part of the popularity is the ability to watch the television shows from the era so easily. With streaming sites making shows so easily accessible, it is no wonder how people are accessing these older shows.

I believe the fun loving, comical, and party happy feel that these 90’s shows portray is the driving force behind the trend. The 90’s are presented as a more laid-back time, everything was a little easier and everyone was a little bit more happy (or so we would like to believe). Overall, the trend seems to be a new form of escape to me, the newest way to forget about your problems and just have fun. Sometimes, that’s all you need.

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5 Waze to Stay Safe and Get Around on LSU’s Campus

1.       Bring a Buddy

  Going somewhere alone can be scary, especially at night on a college campus. Having a friend around also makes you safer! Little did you know that your BFF can actually double as your body guard. Being with a friend deters people from confronting you and makes you feel safer. Besides, a buddy makes everything more fun!

2.       Use the LSU text alert system

  The most important part of being safe is being aware. How can you avoid danger if you do not know there is any danger around? The LSU police department has an online system that notifies students of reported robberies, kidnappings, and many more alerts. Some say ignorance is bliss, not when danger is lurking.

3.       CATS Buses

  While the LSU buses are limited in how far they can travel off campus, there are other bus systems in Baton Rouge. The Capital Area Transit System covers the majority of Baton Rouge and runs throughout most of the day. Often times college students do not want to spend money because they do not have much, well here is some good news. As LSU students your student ID also acts as a bus pass on the CATS buses, making it not only cheap, but     FREE. All college kids love free things.

4.       LSU Buses

  Sometimes you just need a ride across campus or just off campus, and the LSU buses are more than willing to provide safe travel. The buses seemingly never shut down as there is almost always a few in service. Students can track the buses and even see which route is best for them on the LSU app. Buses go throughout campus and stretch all the way out to neighboring apartment complexes often occupied by many LSU students. Plus the drunk bus is always an interesting weekend adventure.

5.       Download Walk Waze

  Sometimes you just need to figure out the fastest walking route across campus. Most map apps provide the location but do not show a proper route, or they guide the user along the streets as if the sidewalk by the road is the only walking path allowed. Walk Waze allows the user to interact with other users and give advice on how to get places through buildings, social areas, etc. The app even has features to avoid weather, construction, and large gatherings. Download it today!!!

[ianbuenafe11-blog]

NFL Website Stuck in the Past

The NFL is a brand that almost does not even need to advertise for itself. Their website is used by millions of people regularly, whether it is to check the scores or to buy a jersey. They have used the same basic website for years, and it shows. The biggest thing that shows the websites long standing use is the fact that there are big, bold, capital letters all over the place. This is attention grabbing and easy for the user but it also reminds one of the good old days of AOL. The ads run on the sides of the site are also very outdated. The NFL ads, not the ads they display for other companies, look like something out of a comic book. There is a big yellow bubble with words in the middle that you expect to say “KAPOW!” I think that the NFL needs to adhere to the newer age look of the internet, they have done a good job of having a strong presence on twitter and Instagram, now they just need to fix their website.