A Little Advice...

I honestly can’t believe that my first year of college is almost over, I mean there are only two and a half months left of school and that is including spring break. So I guess since I have almost completed my first year of college, it is my turn to be writing ISU survival rules. Though ISU has been pretty manageable so far there are some words of wisdom that I would direct toward future freshman.

First I would tell them that going to class is the most important thing, I mean it’s the whole reason you are here, right? In a world of endless parties and drunken nights, it is hard to stay on track. Going to class is so important because it is there that you take notes and learn the material that you will be tested on. If you miss class, you will have no idea what is going on when you eventually return. I know the glamorous lifestyle of partying every single night of the week is attractive but in the long run going to class will effect if you get that dream career you want.

I’m sure you have all heard of the freshman fifteen and believe me, it is not a myth. It’s so hard to pass up that greasy piece of pizza for something healthier like a salad. But college is where you start building your lifestyles that will be with you for the remainder of your life and it’s important to start being healthy at this age. It’s perfectly fine to indulge yourself once in a while or even once a day just make sure that you work off all those pesky calories. Luckily there are plenty of ways to keep fit at ISU. There are workout centers in almost every residence hall, there is a swimming pool, a track, a gym and plenty of sidewalk to run on. So don’t be a victim of the freshman fifteen.

Lastly, I would advise just to go out there and not be afraid to meet people. I came to ISU not knowing anyone and by being outgoing and friendly I met tons of people and have made great friends. So don’t be afraid to invite someone to lunch or to watch a movie in your room, it will be worth it.

Weeds

My favorite show at the moment is Weeds. Not many people watch nor have heard of Weeds because it is on Sho Time, which is a channel that one has to order. Weeds features your what seems like a typical suburban housewife, Nancy Botwin (Mary Louise Parker), but the catch is that she is a marijuana dealer. Her husband has recently passed away and to provide for her family, she takes on this risky job. Nancy encounters DEA agents, fierce Mexican drug lords and ghetto gangsters. Nancy is joined by a colorful cast of characters including her two sons, Silas and Shane, her brother in law, Andy, the outrageously funny town councilman, Doug and the bitchy suburban mom, Celia. This dark comedy takes serious subjects like drugs and sex but puts a humorous edge on them.

I particularly enjoy the music in Weeds. Every song that is played in throughout an episode directly reflects what is going on in the episode. All the songs in the show are completely unique, I think there has only been one song in the show that I have actually recognized. It provides me with great new music that I can download and listen to. Another aspect of the show that I love are the characters. All the characters are so alive and real. They are people that you would easily find out on the street and this makes them very relatable, unlike characters on shows such as Desperate Housewives. Speaking of Desperate Housewives, I am also a huge fan and never would I have dreamed to find a better show than it. Weeds totally changed my views. The story lines and characters are so rich and interlaced with humor, it puts Desperate Housewives to shame. Weeds and Desperate Housewives are quite similar, Weeds is just a lot more raunchy and in my opinion, a whole lot more entertaining.

Recently, my dad, who is in the advertising business, showed me a commercial he had seen on his previous trip to England. The commercial was for the new Ford SportKa, a type of English car. The ad starts out with a Ka in the drive way, a cat walks onto the screen and sits in front of the car. The Ka’s sunroof suddenly opens and the curious cat approaches it. The cat sticks it’s head into the sunroof and suddenly the sunroof closes, decapitating the cat. The words “FordSportKa: The Ka’s Evil Twin” come onto the screen. This ad has stuck in my mind, well because it was so morbid of course. But being so morbid makes the commercial almost funny at the same time. It’s kind of that stereotypical dark, British humor. The fact that the line at the end says “the Ka’s evil twin” culminates the entire commercial, adding humor to it. An old Ka would never do this, but this new “badass” looking SportKa would. And though I don’t condone the killing of innocent animals, I find the ad humorous. I don’t think the actual ad would make me want to buy the car but if I was ever looking to buy a new car and saw a SportKa, it would definitely trigger back those memories of the commercial and might influence me to buy it.
Overall, I think it is an effective commercial. It is so memorable, I mean who is going to forget a dead cat? More consumers are going to think back to the entertaining Ford SportKa commercial than a boring Chevy commercial. Though it could be considered violent, most people are going to see it as more of a laugh and in the end, Ford will see pleasing results from this ad. I think Ford is pretty smart for using this ad to campaign the Ford SportKa.

Check out the commercial here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Guufs3mdgg

Movie Reviews

I saw the film, Slumdog Millionaire about a month ago and it hasn’t left my mind since. The suspenseful yet whimsical story captivated my attention the whole two hours. The film is set in Mumbai, India. A young boy, Jamal who was orphaned at a young age and grew up in the “slums” of India, appears on the Indian version of the popular American game show, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”All the viewers expect him to miss the first question so one can imagine how surprised they were to see how far he gets in the game. When the “Millionaire” host asks each question, the audience is delved into the mind of Jamal. We see what events brought Jamal to know the answers to all the questions he is asked.
We see all the hardships and triumphs that Jamal experiences through his life. Director, Danny Boyle demonstrates this by using eye catching cinematography to grasp the viewers attention. With lots of movement and color, Boyle provides a treat for the eye. With fantastic plot line, intertwined with romance and suspense, Slumdog Millionaire is sure to be a big contender at the Academy Award this month.
Another film I thoroughly enjoyed was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. As I’m sure you have all seen from the commercials, main character Benjamin (Brad Pitt) is born as an old man. When his mother dies at birth, Benjamin is dumped on the front porch of a nursing home, into the arms of his new, “adopted” mother who is a maid at the home. Everyone expects Benjamin to not live past a year, but are surprised to see that Benjamin does “age”. Although Benjamin does not age like any other human being, he gets younger every year. The three hour long film tells the story of Benjamin’s peculiar life. From encounters with a prostitute to living in a hotel in Russia, The Curious Case is not to be missed.