#FlashVideos: Folkin’ Around at The Lamp Post

This photo slideshow is an example of what being talented in photography means. My first attempt at a photo slideshow was approached very lightly, but I learned quickly that taking pictures and putting them in an order is not all that it takes. The images in the mind are not as easy to capture on photo. Garvey did a great job with taking meaningful photos that each capture the essence of the people speaking. As someone who tackled the task, I have a great appreciation for this piece because it is executed very well. Great job Garvey! Love it!

The Sound Is Fire

Tucked in the corner of a small bar and grill on Second Street in Jersey City, NJ, is a three-piece band called O’Dea, Conte, & Trotta (working title) that is keeping the place lively and the crowd happy with their Americana/folk styled music.

 The band features Ken Trotta on the upright bass, Dan O’Dea on mandolin and fiddle, and Nick Conte on guitar. The members have been playing their respective instruments for years and are veteran musicians, being in and out of bands, most of them for over a decade.

While the O’Dea, Conte, & Trotta incarnation of the band is only about a month old, the members play in a band that plays Irish music called Whiskey & Porter that has been around longer for almost three years and has good success. The move to Americana music on the side was inspired by the repetitive nature of their Irish…

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Is Good Sportsmanship a Myth?

Last night at my university I was cheering at a game when I saw what has to be the most disgraceful behavior. It was a televised basketball game that has the bleachers flooded with fans. At first it was exciting! The crowd was actually cheering with the cheerleaders and we all seemed to be having a great time. College students got a chance to be crazy fans in the stands and blow off some steam. Everything was a typical college experience, until  a player on the opposing team got hurt.

As he laid on the floor with his face in his hands, the excitement should have calmed. When a player is injured it is in bad taste to continue to chant or yell because it could potentially be something serious. To my surprise, the chants continued. It was unclear what was being said, but it was clear that it wasn’t words of encouragement. The verbal abuse continued until the opposing team was visibly broken by the insanity they had to put up with.

I never felt so much shame to wear the color of my school, the school that was acting so barbaric and insensitive. I thought sportsmanship was something that was understood by society, not just enforced by the schools. Am I over reacting for being so outraged?

 

Tallinn

The city that I am from is not very famous here in the states, but it should be. The people of Tallinn are Russians and Estonians who don’t get along among a constant flow of tourists passing through. The tourists visit all year round, and the city is always prepared for them. Growing up in such a lively and beautiful place taught me at an early age to stop and admire my surroundings. The weather is very cold but with so much going on and so much food to eat the cold is the last thing on your mind. It is definitely a place that can be difficult to describe.

For people who live close to Estonia, Tallinn is the place to go when you want to party. This travel blogger went to Tallinn from Helsinki, Finland and really captured the essence of my beautiful city.

Tallinn, Estonia: An Enchanting Day Trip from Helsinki http://t.co/LkQxUUTfor via @thatbackpacker

— ksenia stsepyetkina (@kxsenn) February 13, 2014

t.A.T.u in Sochi

The Olympics is a very exciting time for the whole world, but this one is particularly special to me. The Olympic games are in Russia! While on my tumblr feed this morning, I saw this video and felt like I was a preteen again. This song was ridiculously popular when I used to spend more time at home, and it instantly brought back all of the fun memories I had there.

The band is now known to be a faux lesbian duo, but back when they released their song they were trying to really convince their fans that their romance was real. They started pushing the bar for LGBT communities in Russia so long ago but the fight continues.

Growing up a fan of their music I was never really affected by the image they were trying to portray. Although I do vividly remember all the parents being very offended by the band. For us kids it was just another awesome song, as children we never saw the full story the band was telling.

t.A.T.u is awesome! Enjoy.