Mid Season NFL Wrap-Up

With the first half of the NFL season wrapped up, there a couple of storylines that have dominated the headlines and the attention of football fans alike.

First off, let me get to the Philadelphia Eagles. The so-called “Dream Team” has been anything but with a record of 3-4 to open the season. What has really let the Eagles down thus far is their defense. They have a group of young linebackers whose lack of experience has hurt the defense, especially against the run. While the Eagles may not have gotten off to the start they envisioned, they still have an abundance of talent that may lead them to the playoffs. With playmakers like Michael Vick, LaSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and Nnamdi Asomugha there is no way this team can be counted out just yet.

Perhaps the biggest shock of the season thus far has been the emergence of the San Francisco 49ers. After going 6-10 last year, the team has the second best record in the league this year at 6-1. What’s the difference you may ask? It’s none other than first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh. After having unprecedented success as head coach of the Stanford Cardinal, his move to the NFL has not been smoother. With pretty much the same group of players from last year, Harbaugh has managed to turn the 49ers into a playoff contender. It is apparent that this guy was born to coach and has the rare ability of knowing how to get the most out of his players.

Then there’s the lowly Indianapolis Colts who stand at 0-8. I knew quarterback Peyton Manning was important to this team, I just had no idea how valuable he was. With Curtis Painter running the show, the Colts are 27^th in the league in passing, whereas they have been consistently in the top 5 the last ten years with Peyton Manning. The defense hasn’t been helping either. They are ranked 27^th in total defense, with pro bowlers Reggie Mathis and Dwight Freeney having virtually no impact. Just go ask the New Orleans Saints who piled on 62 points on the Colts defense last week.

The Buffalo Bills is another team that has raised some eyebrows thus far. They lead their division at 5-2, already having beaten teams like the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. Ryan Fitzpatrick has proven himself to be one of the more consistent quarterbacks in the league with a 97.9 passer rating and a 68% completion rate. Fred Jackson has also established himself as a top 3 running back, behind only Adrian Peterson and Matt Forte. He is on pace to rush for 1,648 yards and accumulate 14 touchdowns.

Playing quarterback in the NFL is generally seen as the most demanding position in sports because of the preparation time and scrutiny that comes with the position. Rookies aren’t supposed to have success, just don’t tell that to Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers and Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals. These rookie quarterbacks have shown that they have earned the right to start for their team through their consistent play and keen decision making. While Carolina may only be 2-6, Newton is one of the lone bright spots. He is second in the league in passing behind Drew Brees and is on pace to pass for more than 4,700 yards for the season, which would be a rookie record. On the contrary, Dalton may not have the gaudy stats of Newton, but his Bengals team sits comfortably at 5-2. He and fellow rookie A.J. Green have got fans in Cincinnati excited and have reason for optimism.

Remembering the Dead

More than 500 years ago, when the Spanish Conquistadors landed in what is now known as Mexico, they encountered natives practicing a ritual that seemed to mock death. The ritual is known today as Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead.

Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that is celebrated all around the world in many different cultures. It’s a holiday where family and friends get together to pray and celebrate friends and family that have died. The celebration takes place on November 1^st on All Saint’s Day when family and friends honor children and infants that have passed and on November 2^nd on All Soul’s Days, deceased adults are honored in connection to the Catholic holidays.

Many of the traditions connected to the holiday consist of building private altars with their favorite foods and beverages such as, atole and tamales, ofrendas (offerings), crucifixes, statues or pictures of the Virgin Mary, candles, sugar skulls, marigolds, as well as photos and memorabilia of the deceased. Pillows and blankets are laid out so the decease can rest after their long journey. Family and friends often times pray at the altars and tell anecdotes about the deceased.

On November 1^st small sugar skulls are placed on the altars to represent the children that have passed and on November 2^nd they are replaced by bigger skulls to represent the adults that have passed. The decorated skulls have the name of the deceased on the forehead and are decorated with stripes, dots and swirls of icing to enhance the features of the skulls.

During the celebration most families visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and clean and decorate their grave site with ofrendas (offerings), candles, and marigold flowers. The marigold flowers are believed to attract the souls of the dead to their offerings. They also bring toys for the dead children and bottles of tequilas for adults.

In the typical Halloween festivities, death is often times feared. But, in el Dia de los Muertos, death is something to be celebrated.

What Are You Going To Be For Halloween?

This year Halloween fell on a Monday, which meant all the parties were this weekend. Whether it was a house party, bar, rave, or whatever else, this was the weekend to get dressed up and show off your costume skills.

The funny thing about Halloween is the diversity of all the costumes. It’s the one time of year when you are allowed to become whatever you want. Some people take this very seriously and plan their costume weeks in advance and others throw something together last minute. This year, as always, I saw some good, bad, and interesting costumes.

My favorite type of costume is the couple’s costume. These are the costumes that look great when you are together and a little confusing when the people are by themselves. This year was no exception. There were boyfriend and girlfriends dressed as the dorky couple, Danny and Sandy from Grease and even Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love. There were also two friends dressed as Terrance and Phillip from South Park.

There are also the people who put their own spin on a popular saying or have the type of costume you have to think about. I saw a guy with the word “BOOK” written across his face (Facebook) and a girl who was dressed as a cowgirl, but with her clothes on backwards (Reverse Cowgirl). There was even a girl dressed as a chef in an apron with giant letters “Fe” written on the front (Iron Chef).

Then there is always the wide array of celebrities and popular characters from television shows, movies, and commercials. There were some different ones I saw this year like Ace Ventura, Nicki Manaj, Keith Stone (the Keystone Light guy), Black Swan, Green-Man from “Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and even a guy in a one piece Winnie the Pooh outfit.

Finally, it wouldn’t be Halloween without girls in their racy, barely-there costumes. There’s the girl in the short black dress with her nose black and some whiskers and cat ears who claims to be a slutty cat, the short white dress with wings as the slutty angel, or the short red dress and horns as the slutty devil.I’m not sure what it is with Halloween, but apparently it is the one time of year no matter what the profession, it seems like a good idea to turn it into a slutty costume for girls.

Whether it’s a firefighter, police officer, animal of some sort, pirate, race car driver, devil, hippie, military attire, sailor, or nurse you can always count on a majority of girls to take the opportunity to dress in as little as possible.

There was even a guy who got in on the action this year. He dresses in a prison jumpsuit with handcuffs, but folded the jumpsuit down to expose his chest. He carried a permanent marker around with him and was having people “tattoo” their best prison tattoo anywhere on his chest, back, neck, and face. Needless to say he ended up with some very interesting drawings on him by the end of the night.

With the weekend over, all the older kids and adults have put together their best, or last minute, costumes and had their fun. Now on Monday all the little kids can enjoy the attention of being the only ones in costumes and go around collecting candy and having their own fun.

The Genius of Alfred Hitchcock

Halloween is approaching, and for me that means only one thing: scary movies. The horror genre is one of my favorites in film, and within that I really love suspense and psychological thrillers. Though I also like classic slasher films, gore and paranormal themes generally do not frighten me – but a good psychological thriller can get under my skin.

The king of the horror/thriller genre is, in my opinion, director Alfred Hitchcock. In classic films like North by Northwest, Vertigo, Rear Window, The Birds, and Psycho Hitchcock uses camera angles and creative shots, among many other innovative techniques, to play with the mind of the audience. With Hitchcock, it is often what isn’t shown that can scare the most.

A prime example is the iconic shower scene from Psycho (1960), a clip that has become one of the most well-known scenes in cinema history.

Specifically, the shot of Marion Crane’s hand clawing at the shower wall as she dies leaves a lasting image in the mind of the audience, as does her blood running down the drain (which, fun fact, was actually chocolate syrup so that it would show up dark enough on black-and-and white film, and because it has a more realistic density than stage blood). The editing, shadow, and musical score of the scene only add to its effect as well.

Hitchcock as a director did not need blood, gore, or paranormal monsters to frighten his audience. He used what was available in his craft and his knowledge of the human psyche to produce chilling effects and a scene that is often noted as one of the most terrifying scenes ever filmed.

I don’t know about you, but to this day whenever I take a shower late at night that scene flashes through my mind and rattles me to my bones.

The other major factor that Psycho has going for it is the acting talent of Anthony Perkins, who played killer Norman Bates. Perkins does a fantastic job of balancing his character so that he seems creepy but not murderous, at least until the end. The final scene of Psycho is another well-shot scene that, no matter how many times I see it, still gets to me. The evil grin on Perkins’ face coupled with the overdub of his thoughts produces a perfectly creepy ending to the film.

Dark Harbor

the Queen Mary is said to be one of the most haunting places in southern california. This halloween, Dark Harbor is its main attraction. The Queen Mary has re-vamped its holiday tradition with five eerie mazes, three on the ship and two on land. Each maze has a different theme to to keep people on their toes and cater to certain fears. As you enter the gates, there is a thick, creepy fog that comes over you, which might cause the faint of heart to question their decision to come in.

Morrissa Wentworth said, " I did not think it would be that scary, but has I went through the mazes in the ship, I thought about how it was really haunted and this weird feeling came over me and I couldnt stop gripping my friends arm at every dark turn."

There is plenty of entertainment for those who dare to board. Live entertainment, food, drinks and a dance floor is all at the fingertips for passengers aboard. Tickets are less than thirty dollars and the experience is definitely worth the cost.

Make sure to get there early so you can explore all the mazes that are available.

Go Forth and Set the World on Fire.

St. Ignatius of Loyola spoke these words that motivated the Jesuit people to spread throughout the nations. On a personal level, this quote is a reminder of how important it is to go forth and see all that this world has to offer. Most people would agree that traveling and experiencing different cultures is somewhere on their life to-do list. Could it be possible that your time to go forth is now?

I recently spent the summer abroad in Florence, Italy traveling, learning, and growing with a group of 26 CSUF students. The experience was life-changing. Waking up every morning in a small apartment that sits overs a quintessential Italian cafe with nothing but unknown adventures in my forecast exhilarated me unlike anything else I have ever known. Thankfulness and gratitude were two of my most recognizable emotions as I realized I was seeing a new part of the world at the perfect time in life. Nothing rivals the experience of living in another country as a college student. You are old enough to appreciate the history (I cannot tell you how many children I saw with their eyes glued to their GameBoy as they passed by masterpieces such as Michelangelo's David!) and young enough to pick up and move without any monumental consequences upon your return to the Sates. Whether you travel abroad for a summer session, semester, or full year of studies, I strongly recommend making time abroad a part of your college experience. Hard work and perseverance will no doubt be familiar factors in the time between deciding to go and getting there, but the sacrifices are minimal when you walk away from the experience with more great memories than you can count as well as a more well-rounded person.

According to Tarrigon VanDenburg, who works in the Humanities and Social Sciences building, current study abroad opportunities include intersession in Paris, spring semester in London, and summer programs in Italy, Spain, Costa Rica, South Africa, Ireland, and Hungary. There are so many opportunities this year. For more information, visit the H&SS website at http://hss.fullerton.edu/hss/study_abroad.aspx.

  

"Travelling and studying abroad can change and enhance your world view and your view about yourself and how you fit into your own culture" says VanDenburg. Traveling with CSUF students and faculty also takes way some of the uncertainty of going abroad for the first time. 

If cross-cultural communication is something you are passionate about, but an extended stay abroad is out of reach for whatever reason, there are many opportunities to get connected with an international community on campus. "The best place to start is the International Programs in UH-224" says VanDenburg. From on campus meetings to events, there are many opportunities for international diversity right here at home. 

VanDenburg offers some encouraging words to students who are seriously considering studying abroad, "the only advice I would give, is to not look at the cost of going abroad as a barrier, look at all your options and use it to open dialog with your family and friends. You will be surprised on how much support and ideas that may be offered. I have never met anyone who said they regretted going abroad as part of their education." 

Fullerton's Market

The lively and family-friendly Fullerton Farmer’s market will pack up and close for the winter after its annual Oktoberfest celebration this Thursday.

The community event incorporates live music, fresh fruit, great food, and a beer garden for the adults. Several families flood the Downtown Fullerton square on Wilshire Boulevard to enjoy the festivities from late spring to late fall every year.

Several local fruit, vegetable, and flower vendors take over the street and offer discounted prices for their goods. However, the farmer’s market offers much more than vegetables and fruits for Fullerton residents.

Every week the market seems to have a brand new theme. During the summer months toddlers play and get wet in the large fountains located in the middle of the square. When Fullerton was in the news for the death of Kelly Thomas, a local church sold tri-tip sandwiches, with the proceeds going to the homeless. Summer dog days invites owners of canines to attend and show off their pride and joy.

To wrap up the last day of the Fullerton market, the event will be beer and Halloween themed in celebration of Oktoberfest. The Fender museum next door to the event offers a beer and wine garden for adults to try out their favorite brew or blend, while the kids can enjoy the activities in the main courtyard.

The Fullerton farmer’s market is designed for all ages, and is one of the many popular scenes of Fullerton.

CBreezy Tears Up the Staples Center

Chris Brown certainly gave fans something to scream about during his F.A.M.E. Tour at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Thursday evening, which featured opening numbers from rappers Tyga and Lil’ Bow Wow, and T-Pain, the Auto-Tune Guru.

Brown kicked off his performance, literally with fire and flames to “Say It With Me,” followed by other songs off F.A.M.E., his most recent album, including “She Ain’t You" and “Next 2 You,” to “Look At Me Now.”  He also brought Tyga back on stage during “Deuces,” and to Kevin McCall, another artist on the track.  Brown even took it several years, singing hits from much older albums, such as “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” from Chris Brown, “With You” from Exclusive.  He also performed songs he was featured in, like "My Last" with Big Sean.  Unfortunately, Big Sean was not onstage with him that evening.

What was most impressive about the evening was his closing performance to “Beautiful People,” also from F.A.M.E.  During those few minutes, Brown and his backup dancers wore electronically-enhanced clothing that lit up according to the choreography.  The singer was also attached to cables and did flips in the air, on top of being suspended mid-air towards the end of his overall concert.

There was not really a time where the crowd...of women, did not go wild.  Brown even highlighted the dominance of women in his audience that night.

"Where all my ladies at?" was followed by a pandemonium of noise that could have easily been confused for a natural disaster.  On the contrary, when brown asked for his "fellas," the response was nowhere close in comparison.

"There are like 15 of y'all in here tonight," Brown said with a slight chuckle.  Agreed, but there might have been a bit more than that...maybe 17 or 18.

Some of his special attendees included Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and Paris Jackson, Michael Jackson's daughter, who Brown gave the royal treatment to.  When the artist learned the King of Pops' daughter was attending, he gave her and a few friends front-row seats to his performance, on top of a meet-and-greet hangout prior to the his show.  Jackson was even seen throughout the night throwing up hearts for Brown on the big-screen televisions.

Brown truly graced the stage, showing off his vocal talents and choreography, ultimately letting everyone know why he deserved to be on-stage inside the Staples Center, for the first time, to a sold-out crowd (of girls, women, mothers, daughters, and more).


Without a doubt, Brown's first performance at this venue will not be his last.


(PHOTOS TAKEN BY TIMOTHY HARRIS)

Midnight Madness

It has been known as the fourth meal. When your stomach’s grumbling and it is the middle of the night, you know it is time for a midnight snack. Forget the tradition of three meals a day. When you’re hungry, you eat.

Throw conventionalism out the window it is time to mix and match the best tasting foods into a delicious entrée. It may not be the most important meal of the day, but it sure is the tastiest. The midnight snack is not the healthiest for you, but the unhealthier the midnight meal is the better it tastes. The fourth meal is the reason you do those extra minutes on the treadmill. It is almost impossible to resist when the fridge is tempting you with countless options of flavorful delight. This is the time when you reach into the back of the fridge to grab the food that no one else eats. There are no rules when it comes to preparing a midnight snack. If the cereal isn’t sweet enough a little syrup does the trick. Milk and ice cream mixed together creates a perfect midnight milkshake. This is the time you can let your imagination go wild. A plate is a blank canvas ready to be covered in creative artwork. Leaving the home to make a late night run to Del Taco or a 24 hour Subway is always an option, but is not as satisfying as making your own creation at home.

The best midnight snacks occur around the holidays. Left over pie, turkey, and mashed potatoes always seem to hit the spot. Grandma’s cooking tastes even better the second time. Grandmas always seem to make too much food around the holidays. And the midnight meal is the reason. Do not feel that all the food made for Thanksgiving needs to be eaten right away. Save some room in your stomach for the fourth meal. The Thanksgiving night midnight snack is the most satisfying snacks of the year. Not to mention that the turkey’s tryptophan will help you get a good night sleep.

There are some dangers involved in creating a midnight masterpiece. Make sure that all the lights are on. Cutting your finger in the dark would not be fun. Especially waiting in the emergency room with a cut finger and an empty stomach. It is also best to eat fourth meal in the kitchen. Eating in bed is a risky and is only mastered by a few. Spilling a bowl of cereal on your sheets is a nightmare to clean up. When it is late and you are hungry the last thing anyone once to do is change their sheets. Before you start munching on a snack in your bed think twice and make sure it is bedroom safe. Because before you know it, you may have a sticky mess on your hands.

No matter what midnight snack you just devoured remember to brush your teeth before going back to bed.