Album leaks have become so commonplace that they’re almost expected. Instead of planning camp-outs at the CD store, we’re planning late night downloads.
Just this week, two of this year’s major pop artists, Rihanna and Lady Gaga, have had albums leak to the Internet. Convenient for fans, yes, but the releases have sparked debates about the ethics of these leaks.
Spreading your music with technology is a fantastic way for an artist to gain publicity. Once the entertainment blogs start talking,…
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Added by Olivia Valdes on November 18, 2009 at 6:31pm —
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As a sophomore in high school, I've never felt more proverbially "stuck in the middle." Each other year seems to come with a specific label, something to be remembered for, but 10th grade? The Forgotten Semesters.
Freshmen, the newcomers, stumble through the hallways, all awkwardness and nerves and broken rolling backpacks. Junior year is notorious for being the most difficult, at least academically, and it's not rare to realize that fifteen juniors have been missing for a week because they're…
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Added by Olivia Valdes on November 10, 2009 at 10:04pm —
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You know, through out the years music has been one of those things that people enjoy a lot, from ACDC, Music Factory, and New Edition had lyrics people could die for. Things started to change since then... The lyrics that everyone once knew started to talk about money, sex, violence and drugs. Today music have offended people's feelings with their crude and harsh sayings. Others (like myself) is laid back on the situation. From the beats, to the rhythm and even in the lyrics, artists are change…
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Added by Johann Richardson on November 4, 2009 at 6:39pm —
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For those of us who decided to apply for early decision, November 1st was crucial for many schools. Some of us procrastinated until the last day to finish up our essays or do the application. However, us, the early applicants are starting to feel the anxiety of receiving responses from our dream colleges. Whether you are applying to an Ivy league school, state university or a community college, the anxiety of receiving a response is the same. This is where our future is going to turn around and…
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Added by Aura Franco on November 4, 2009 at 4:06pm —
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Spontaneity is a trait most teenagers hail as an essential virtue. Being up for anything, initiating random parties, jumping at the chance to drive three hours to Orlando in the middle of September - it's all part of high-school-dom, and rightly so. When else in our lives can we escape to a concert for a band we don't even know on a Wednesday night with all of our friends?
APs and IBs and SATs and ACTs and prep classes and tutoring sessions and band practices and club meetings and sports games…
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Added by Olivia Valdes on October 28, 2009 at 7:00pm —
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Yesterday afternoon, in Coral Springs, an older brother stabbed and killed his younger brother during an argument over the volume of the computer. Last month, a 12-year-old stabbed a 13-year-old in the same area of Coral Springs before stabbing himself. Both these events occurred merely minutes from my own home.
Let's not forget about the poor boy in Deerfield Beach who was set on fire a couple weeks ago after an argument about money.
Now, I've always felt safe and secure in Coral Springs, but…
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Added by Mina Radman on October 27, 2009 at 8:43pm —
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During English class today, I took a closer look at my classmates and noticed the changes that each person had undergone.
My mind flashed back to freshman year, a time when we were neophites in high school, a time when everyone seemed more alive. I thought about the countless laughs we had shared, the boring assemblies we had attended, the teachers that we had gossiped about, and the the assigments we had stressed over together.
Each person counts on the next for company. Some are closer f…
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Added by Tanima on October 21, 2009 at 10:30pm —
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American Idol is not exactly known for producing high quality music. With many of its winners fading into obscurity mere milliseconds after the confetti falls, most of us have come to expect little from anyone who comes out of the show as a winner, or even top-10 finisher.
Although I’ve been a clichéd hater of the show since, I don’t know, maybe the sixth grade, a friend of mine convinced me to try watching last year’s season (she was infatuated with Adam Lambert, surprise, surprise). It took m…
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Added by Olivia Valdes on October 21, 2009 at 7:59pm —
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Myspace. Facebook. Twitter. Flickr. Tumblr.
These means of communications are keeping us from actual conversations face to face. I'm not saying they're no fun to mess with for a little while everyday, but people spend HOURS on it, all the while ignoring their homework - which is something that should be much more of a priority than updating a Twitter status. I admit, I'm getting a little addicted to my Tumblr, but I still have an idea of when I should stop and focus on studying for my midterm or…
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Added by Yvone Ao on October 21, 2009 at 7:49pm —
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Today, texting is the new talking.
Nobody says anything in person anymore - if it's possible, it'd rather be done via text than in person just because it's easier. Especially if it's something embarrassing to say. You don't have to see the reaction of the person when you tell them bad news, but what if that person needed comfort? A text can only give so much comfort. A hug in person would be much better than texting "*hugs!<3*"
It's all in great fun, but actually communicating with each othe…
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Added by Yvone Ao on October 9, 2009 at 4:06pm —
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[This is more of a personal anecdote about a stupid mistake I made and how I am mentally and emotionally suffering for it rather than an observation upon which I am reflecting. Forgive me. But right now, I'm pretty torn up. So, here goes and I promise next post, I'll have something more worthwhile to talk about :)]
Today, my innermost secrets were revealed.
A (very distant, very strange) classmate of mine, Steven happened to find one of my books for class under the chair on which he was s…
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Added by Tanima on October 8, 2009 at 12:30am —
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I've always been a fan of just about every sport, but baseball used to be my favorite as a kid. I loved playing it, I loved watching it, I loved following it. Then, I grew up.
Today, I can barely stand to watch a baseball game. I don't have time to sit and watch three hours of such a boring game anymore. I don't trust the integrity of the players I'm watching after spending years hearing about controversies and scandals. I find it hard to follow my beloved Marlins, after watching them tease me…
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Added by Corey Flayman on October 7, 2009 at 8:08pm —
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"The future is going to come sooner or later. Don't worry about it. Just live."
I try to live by this quote, but, lately, it's getting harder to. With college applications in, and a lack of motivation to try hard in school, all I want to know is what college I'm going to; where I'm going to be next year.
Is anyone else having this same problem? The insecurities and doubts, the fear and the nerves....
People say the worst part about senior year is applying to colleges. They're wrong - the worst…
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Added by Mina Radman on October 6, 2009 at 10:10pm —
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One day, I was walking through the halls and I look around. Everyone is wearing the new trend which can be skaterboy hats, gladiator shoes, shades, etc etc etc. I always ask myself, " Who started this trend?". Ive been realizing this for so long. Does 1 person wear a latest trend item, and then everyone else follows? Or does a whole group decide what the newest trend should be?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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Added by Valerie on October 6, 2009 at 7:30am —
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My parents are 100 percent Asian. My dad is so stereotypically Asian, it's not even funny. All he thinks about is my education - as if I don't think about it enough myself. When parents get too demanding of their children because "they want the best for them," maybe they should breathe and ask what the child wants to do first. If an order is placed over their heads, the child may feel as if they're doing it just for their parents and not for themselves, causing them to not put their full heart i…
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Added by Yvone Ao on October 1, 2009 at 5:54am —
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Friday morning, as the sun rose over the football field, I walked onto the third floor of my school's campus and discovered a new world.
Here was a place where I did not recognize a single face; a place where a line of students literally plastered their noses against the glass, facing downwards and watching the people in the courtyard mingle and interact.
As I walked past these students, not one blinked an eye.
I ignored this, settling myself into a little corner next to the door of the adjac…
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Added by Tanima on September 30, 2009 at 8:30pm —
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The action flick Surrogates brings an almost freakish reality of what could happen in the near future in this new age of technology.
The movie is set in this neo-Boston where humans and robots live amongst each other, literally. The title explains all, as the people live life through their sur…
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Added by Natalia S on September 24, 2009 at 11:49pm —
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This Saturday, September 26th, Blink-182 is coming into town for their HUGELY anticipated reunion tour. On the road with the band are Fall Out Boy, the All American Rejects, and Asher Roth - three acts that could easily headline their own shows, but have chosen to support Blink on their victory lap.
Make sure to check out the concert at Cruzan Amphitheater in West Palm this weekend! Since the tour is comi…
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Added by Olivia Valdes on September 23, 2009 at 8:17pm —
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When you think that everything's going downhill and everything seems to be falling apart, take a deep breathe of air and turn up your iPod. For example, let's say you ask for a break in a relationship of one year, but your partner doesn't take it very well and starts throwing a tantrum like no other. What are you supposed to do?
Actually, taking the advice given to you by friends would be a good start. Just because you heard their words via phone or read it via text message doesn't mean you took…
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Added by Yvone Ao on September 23, 2009 at 6:46pm —
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So often criticism terrifies us, and we shy away from it, avoiding it as much as we possibly can. We avoid things we are not skilled in to avoid the harsh derision and criticism that will inevitably come, and even with things that we feel we are skilled at - we feel deeply wounded when someone comes along and criticizes, as if they have attacked your very heart and soul.
But this attitude will never help one change. We need criticism sometimes; we need to have our work ripped to shreds, with ha…
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Added by Claire Zhang on September 23, 2009 at 6:18pm —
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Music leaks: helpful for fans, harmful for artists?
Is Music Changing?
Anxiety
This is our generation, people.
Chronicles of an Observant Senior
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