Fresh Friday: Thrilling

The Fresh Friday portion of the CrossCurrent blog covers stunning musical acts that continue to make headlines and tour the world.

So this week's featured band, Empire of the Sun, doesn't exactly make radio music. Luckily for you it's SO MUCH BETTER. This Australian-native electronic duo is gaining fame in North America and even in Europe. Just go with me - it's like KISS for hipsters. It's so Generation Z (Wikipedia it) I feel like every sentence I write about the group should include a hashtag somewhere.

Do you have a smartphone? How many recording artists have an app worth downloading:

This isn't performance art like Lady Gaga or Circ de Sole, it's all about the music. The weird costumes, the make up, the over the top props doesn't really have some complicated message - it's just trendy (at least to me). I like the face-value vibe the performances give off. 

Empire of the Sun Quick Profile:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/empireofthesun

Twitter: @EmpireOfTheSun

Love it or hate it. Like I said before, Empire of the Sun is Generation Z's KISS:

While they haven't released an album since 2008, it's still widely played as it reaches more ears in North America. You probably haven't heard of this band - they don't have a record label here in the US - yet. Production on their second album has been in progress since 2010. Can't wait to hear (and see) more.

Demystify: College Loans

Ahh! I hate not having money and I'm sure you do too. I'm always skeptical about clever marketing campaigns aimed at college students and hate wasting my time logging on to websites that are only trying to sell you more useless product rather than help you figure out what financial situation you are in. So when a financial website is easy to understand, informational, and free it's time to jump on board.

Take a look at the entertaining ad yourself for the National College Finance Center : 

Truly, I have not found a more student-centered website. I've spent a couple of hours on the site already and have not come across ads or solicitations. Not only is it really great if you can't figure out how to repay student debt or what the terms of your loans are, you can find great resources on the steps to take and questions to ask if you're considering taking out federal or private loans. 

Five-minute Q&A worth watching. Actress Jane Lynch is a great moderator:

Click away! National College Finance Center link:

collegefinancecenter.org/

Adult Addictions: Gaming

I absolutely know this must puzzle everyone as much as it stumps me: Why do adults play video games excessively? It's like don't you have anything better to do? Don't get me wrong, I love me a good action RPG, but come on! Some people literally spend upwards of five hours at a time playing in one sitting. I find myself getting bored with video games after about an hour and a half. Go grab a book and build your vocabulary. Or get a significant other. You'll be much more fulfilled. 

Fail compilations are the best, I nearly lost it when the cat went flying:

I also have a problem with adults who know way too much about a video game franchise...and then they hook up with other ultra-savvy gamers and have this crazy detailed conversation on all this useful game fact / strategy. How do you jump into a conversation like that?? There's just no hope. On the plus side, I feel so much better about myself that I don't know all that stuff. I'm not missing anything - this I know!

Someone, somewhere understands this humor. I don't:

Lacking: Job Skills

I started working part time for pay the day after I turned fifteen (yes, that's legal in Texas). While by no means am I a professional expert or seasoned veteran of the workforce, I'd like to think I'm a good communicator and I feel like I have working experience to share with the Crossroads.

Do you have any co-workers that are also Facebook friends? While I don't recommended it personally, if you do be sure to follow this simple Cyber Etiquette outline especially if you are in a lower-management position or higher:

3 C's for Working:

1. Controversy isn't for work - Work isn't a place to debate opinions, or to make rude insensitive comments.This conversation actually happened once upon a working day between me and a co-worker that wasn't up to speed with working common sense:

Me: Did you see ____ left for maternity leave?

Co-worker: I always tell my boyfriend to not get me pregnant or he's paying for the abortion!

Me: *open mouth*

2. Cover yourself appropriately when you work - This is even more true for those who lean forward over desks and squat down / bend over frequently. First impressions go a long way -  whether you are in front of customers or managers who perform periodic evaluations that have the potential to change your salary.

3. Count your blessings - Remember finding a good job is not easy and the way your present yourself  while you work will determine how people treat you. Perception is everything!

Looking for a new job? Applying for a promotion? Practice good interview skills:

TAMU Shootings: My Experience

It was during the fall semester of 2010 when I was working as a student worker at the TransTexas Videoconference Network at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX that I had my first experience with a suspected shooter in public. I was sitting at my desk, checking television logs for the PBS station that was broadcasted from our building when my boss stormed out of his door and commanded, "Everyone stay put in this room." Simultaneously, I strange alarm with a tone I've never heard rang out menacingly as about four people were left in the room with me oblivious to what was happening outside. 

Pictured here, the room I worked in and was locked down in at the time of suspected shooter fall 2010 (I look so young ((I still do))):

Within about ten minutes, text messages had come in from all three of my roommates asking me if I was safe, where I was, and if I could get back to our townhome. There was a report of a male student with a gun around the school bus unloading zone just down the street from the building I worked at. If I stepped outside of my building and looked down the street, who knows what I would have seen. I could hear screams and frantic running but we didn't open our doors - we were completely locked down in the room where all of our broadcast monitors were located. I remember texting my mother and sister telling them I was safe and waiting to hear more news...

Let's not forget to celebrate the good things that come from one of the largest universities in out state: Did you know that Texas A&M sent the most Olympians to the London 2012 Games than any other university in Texas?

Luckily, there was no gunman that day. The bus driver who reported the suspect confused the mock rifle the student was holding with a real gun. Although SWAT and local police were swarming the area, they were utilized more for crowd control than anything. Sadly, this was not the case when police responded to Texas A&M last week and law enforcement officers lost their lives. I am completely empathetic with my Aggie family because I know what that feeling feels like - especially to be so close to the scene. But the Spirit of Aggieland will return to normal, things will get better! 

Unclehood: Pregnancy Prevention

On June 12, 2012 I was blessed to welcome the arrival of my niece, Demi Love Cavazos. While I could rattle off stats of height, weight, etc., you really wouldn't care. While my sister and her husband are experiencing a flood of new emotions and stepping into the role of parenthood, I find myself stepping into the role of being an uncle. It's great fun: feeding, changing diapers, rocking, holding, burping. I mean the list could go on forever! But while it may be a fun experience I know better: parenthood is not for me anytime soon.

I turned twenty this year, and I'd have to say about twenty percent of my Facebook friends (this figure is obviously not mathematical) have already started families. Or should I say, "I turned twenty this year, and I'd have to say about twenty percent of my Facebook friends have already started reproducing." It's totally fine though - I know I'm not behind some imaginary breeding curve or anything like that. In fact I'd love to wait a long time before having a child, I'm incredibly selfish and love doing whatever I want whenever I want. I know that when I do have a child I want to give him or her everything they need...I know many young parents (and even old parents) aren't in a position to do just that. 

So with that I say I love you Demi! You're awesome, and you have awesome parents! Oh yeah, and thanks for reminding me why I'm not rushing to grow up and take on responsibility!

Nothing to do with my blog post for today, this girl just looks like someone I know who just had a baby lolololol:

Fresh Friday: Never Trust A Happy Song

The Fresh Friday portion of the CrossCurrent blog covers stunning musical acts that continue to make headlines and tour the world.

It was probably about a month ago that I first heard rock group Grouplove on the radio. I only wish I would have heard of them sooner! In fact, the profile video I decided to include at the end of this blog was produced over a year ago.

Ok, so maybe this band isn't for everyone. But music is so personal, a form of expression that can be appreciated by all. In fact, it's hard to argue that this band isn't full of passion when they're jumping around on stage, singing their lungs out, and hyping the crowd. I don't think I've ever seen anyone play the tambourine in their hands and on the floor before now...

How awesome is this? Grouplove bringing down the house and dancing like maniacs on Letterman:

Grouplove's debut album, Never Trust A Happy Song, serves up twelve songs that truly rock. I'd recommended them to fans of Maroon 5, Kings of Leon, and Aerosmith. To me the album sounds like a crazy blend of the three bands with the addition of a female singer. It's just great fun, I'd love to blast this on the beach or on a road trip.

Grouplove Quick Profile:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/grouplovemusic

Twitter: @GROUPLOVE

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GROUPLOVE

A short history of Grouplove by ABCNews:

Grouplove will have three consecutive tour dates in Texas coming up this fall: October 11 at Houston's House of Blues, October 12 at Josabi's in Helotes, TX (San Antonio area), as well as October 13 Dallas' House of Blues

Not An Art: Photobomb-ing

There are certain events that happen in life you never want to forget. A perfect way to commemorate those events is with a picture (they are worth a thousand words!). Last week my sister celebrated her 25th birthday and I have to admit we didn't take as many pictures at her birthday dinner as we normally do. The one picture I do manage to take with my sister and some of her guests is definitely full of character - we were unexpectedly victims of a Photobomb.

The middle picture below is not like the others. Notice the background. While not as hilarious as some other Photobombs out there, this is a good example:

Photobomb-ing (v.) - the act of jumping in a picture (knowingly or unknowingly) to add character or comedy to it.

Not to be confused with:

Videobomb-ing (v.) - the act of jumping in a video or live broadcast (knowingly or unknowingly) to add character or comedy to it.

                         Definition Addendum:

Being really rude and immature is completely the 

point when done on purpose.

Photobomb-ing 101:

While the picture I will have for a lifetime to remember my sister's 25th birthday isn't exactly as perfect as we would want a photo to be, it sure does serve as a memory of the style and ambiance of the restaurant we ate at, Tokyo Grill. The presence of the hibachi grill cook is just part of our experience that night. It's one thing that makes the restaurant unique to anything else in the Crossroads. 

Videobomb? Check out this variation on the traditional photobomb, which requires a bit more skill:

Tweet me your best photobombs: @deevee_iv

I love a good laugh!

Upcoming: My MTV VMA Picks (1/3)

Today begins a new three-part series, Upcoming, that profiles the upcoming MTV VMAs from nominees to live performances to hosts. It will be divided over three weeks to include more info on the show as it's released. Look for the Upcoming section of CrossCurrent every Wednesday.

It's that time of year again when MTV hosts the trendiest award show of the year: the Video Music Awards. The almost-live show will air on MTV Thursday, September 6, 2012. Comedian Kevin Hart will host and announced performers include P!nk, One Direction, and Alicia Keys.  Below is a look at my favorites for the moon man awards, as well as probable winners. I'll embed live performances of the songs/groups nominated instead of official music videos since you've probably already seen the music vid. Let's go....

BEST POP VIDEO:

• My Pick: What Makes You Beautiful / One Direction - While it's probably not the best video in the whole category, it's the best song out of all of the choices and the one song that you can't get out of your head even if you really really really really try. 

• Probable Winner: Boyfriend / Justin Bieber - The dude's an award machine. And might I mention while Maroon 5 probably has a better music video, the VMA goes to the person with the most the most online votes. Case closed.

BEST ROCK VIDEO:

• My Pick / Probable Winner: Paradise / Coldplay - Ok so this music video is about an elephant. BUT it's highly original. And I really think Coldplay is the poplar favorite in this category. Maybe Jack White has a chance, but it would take a lot of active fan support.

BEST HIP HOP VIDEO:

• My Pick: I really don't like any of these music videos, so I definitely don't have pick for this category. 

No video post here due to explicit language in the songs nominated.

• Probable Winner: Paris / The Throne (Kanye West and Jay-Z) - this bar far is the most commercial song on the nominee list, so it will probably take the award. 

I'm really excited to see this year's show...Next Wednesday I'll cover three more voting categories, and tomorrow is going to be a REALLLLLLLY FUN blog post. See ya then!

Voting for the MTV VMA's is open now and can be found at the link: http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/

Happening Now: SHARK WEEK!

Today is Tuesday of this week...what are you doing reading this, SHARK WEEK has been on Discovery Channel for two days already! Discovery Channel has dedicated a full week of programming a year specifically to sharks once a year since 1988. That means this year is also the 25th anniversary of one of the most informative weeks in television. When shark oriented content isn't airing on Discovery, there are tons of extras on the Shark Week official website (linked below), YouTube, and news outlets. The very funny Phillip DeFranco is hosting this year, banking on his YouTube fame.

Unfamiliar with host Phillip DeFranco? Get "Philled In" Below (and no, I didn't tell him to talk about Olympian Tom Daley who just seems to keep coming up in my blog - the show posted is just the most recent made at the time I wrote this) :

Shark week is geared for the average person who just can appreciate a shark (aka ME). It's awesome that this year is extremely interactive. Social media plays a big role in shark week, tweet with hashtag #SharkWeek and it has the chance to be shown during a show. It's clearly evident that Twitter continues to change the way we communicate, and the way we watch TV, especially live or one-time events.

A Discovery Channel Promo for Shark Week:

I get invited to go to the beach in surrounding areas all the time. We live pretty coast to the coast and my friends make day trips all the time to Magnolia, Rockport, Corpus Christi, and Port Lavaca. I hardly ever go due to a looming fear: I secretly have always had this phobia that sharks would prefer to prey on a small human being like me rather than average-sized people whenever I go to the beach. Shark Week has told me otherwise, but still a little caution never hurt anyone! Who could really blame me for worrying though, it sounds completely reasonable...

Shark Week Quick Profile:

Shark Week Official Website: dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/shark-week/videos

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sharkweek

Twitter: @SharkWeek

Olympic Update: Tom Daley Wins Bronze!

This blog is an update to my original post dated August 11, 2012 entitled Elite Inspiration: Tom Daley .

Congratulations to Tom Daley! (I know, it's long overdue!) On Saturday, eighteen year old Daley competed in the finals for diving and brought home the bronze for Great Britain. (Not to mention USA diver David Boudia won the gold! Chinese diver Qui Bo, who was featured in the BBC One documentary previously posted, took silver.) 

Photo credit: Tom Daley, taken from his Instagram feed tomdaley1994 :

Daley captions his photo, "Me and my coach after winning bronze at the Olympics!!! Can't believe it! So happy!"

What's so amazing about Tom Daley's story is his dedication for the sport of diving and his ability to overcome adversity and personal struggles to succeed. Not many people who compete at the Olympic level earn medals! In the modern world full of reality stars famous for being famous, it's nice to see a young man with substance behind his notoriety. 

Tom Daley explains in his own words what the bronze medal means to him:

Now that the closing ceremony on the Olympics is over, we can all enjoy our regular TV programming until 2014 when the XXII Winter Olympic Games will be broadcasted from Sochi, Russia. I can't wait to catch a little inspiration from some of those athletes!

Something New: Victoria's Outbreak Radio Station

Variety is a wonderful thing. It's always good to have options, different choices that suit the different moods you may have. Today is Sunday, so I'll discuss a new Christian radio station that plays a mixture of rock, pop, and rap music that has a message behind it. I was so excited to see Victoria get another radio station!

In case you've missed it, 89.3 FM now broadcasts NGEN radio, a ministry of KSBJ. KSBJ now broadcasts in Victoria on 96.9 FM. This is a welcome change especially since it offers an alternative to Christians who enjoy nontraditional Christian music but wish to worship while they listen to the radio. Keep in mind that if you get tired of NGEN or rather just want a more laid back listening experience, you can still tune to KSBJ whenever you'd like. 

If you aren't already familiar with the sound a mission of NGEN Radio, take a look below:

Kent Matthews may be a familiar name to those who listened to KSBJ before the creation of NGEN radio. He genuinely puts on a great morning show that is different from every other station you can tune into in the Crossroads. You'd just have to listen and judge for yourself, but to me it's nice to drive to work every morning and not have cussing, innuendo, and gossip swirling around. This station is very true to it's message - God's love for all generations. And it doesn't stop there - NGEN has great DJ's throughout the whole day. 

Check out a recap of all the ministry NGEN Radio has done since its creation just over one year ago:

NGEN Radio Quick Profile:

Official Website: www.ngenradio.com

Twitter: @NGENradio

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ngenradio

Local FM Tuning: 89.3

NGEN radio also has many ministry opportunities and live events around the Houston area and beyond. You can keep up to date with all the events they promote or produce at www.ngenradio.com/events . I personally attended Boomin' by the Bay on the Kemah Boardwalk last summer and can truly say they know how to put on an exhilarating and dynamic event.

Elite Inspiration: Tom Daley

Thanks to the Internet, it has become extremely easy for the general public to access information and media from all around the world. I personally try to keep the countless hours I spend web surfing well-cultured so to speak. I enjoy discovering how people live all around the world - especially when I come across extraordinary people who achieve great things. 

Photo credit: Tom Daley, taken from Tom Daley's Instagram feed tomdaley1994:

Which brings me to the topic of today's blog: the extremely inspiring Olympic diver Tom Daley from Great Britain. At 18, he is currently competing at his second Olympics in London. Although he did not earn a medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Tom did gain a lot of experience as a athletic competitor. 

I have to admit, my relationship with my family has seen better days, which is why I think I'm drawn to Tom Daley's story - his family has always supported him wholeheartedly. In fact Tom's father attended every event he competed in until he absolutely could not any longer. Rob Daley, Tom's father, was diagnosed with multiple brain tumors and tragically died in 2011. In that time, Tom only missed one week of Olympic training sessions and continued to persevere to greatness. Even after his father's death, Tom's family still showed up to the diving arenas to cheer him on even though painful memories still linger in the back of their minds as they mourn Rob's passing. It serves as a powerful reminder: family comes before all else!

Enjoy reading? Tom Daley discusses his book My Story which will be available in the US starting September 27,2012:

Ironically, Tom won the British diving title at Sheffield Pool where his father watched him dive numerous times and secured his position to compete at the London 2012 Olympics. Although he has thus far been unsuccessful in earning a medal in synchronized diving, Tom Daley will compete today in individual diving finals. Although he is not expected to win gold (China continues to dominate all diving events), the very magnitude of all his accomplishments justifies him as one of the most inspiring Olympians of 2012. 

Tom Daley Quick Profile:

Twitter: @tomdaley1994

Instagram: tomdaley1994

Facebook:www.facebook.com/TomDaleyOfficial

Here's a working link of Tom Daley:Diving for Britain, a documentary profiling  the Olympic diver which aired in the UK on BBC One (it's definitely worth the watch!) :

Fresh Friday: Singer/Songwriter Obesssion

The Fresh Friday portion of the CrossCurrent blog covers stunning musical acts that continue to make headlines and tour the world.

From Michael Jackson to Smashing Pumpkins, The Civil Wars have you covered. This folk and country influenced singer/songwriter duo made up of John Paul White and Joy Williams is making waves in the music industry with their debut album, Barton Hollow. The album features fourteen songs with the two singers harmonizing beautifully together over mostly just guitar and piano. Even for people who are new to folk music or not a particular fan of country music, The Civil Wars have managed to make the music......well, cool. I would best describe it as easy listening.

Check out The Civil Wars covering Michael Jackson's hit, Billie Jean below:

Voices sound familiar yet? Maybe you recognize them from this years Grammys? Together the two performed a snipet of their song "Barton Hollow" before introducing country music star Taylor Swift. They were also featured with Swift on the soundtrack for the movie The Hunger Games earlier this year. The song, "Safe and Sound" was written by Swift, Williams, White and T-Bone. It was one of the more memorable tracks to the movie. The Civil Wars also won two Grammy awards this year for Best Country Duo/Group Performance of Barton Hollow, and Best Folk Album.

The Civil Wars perform an original song, Poison and Wine: 

Don't miss your opportunity to see The Civil Wars live - they will be performing on Sunday, October 14, 2012 in Austin, TX at Austin City Limits Festival in Zilker Park.