Et Tu JoePa?

Penn State's punishment has been handed down by the NCAA has been handed to Penn State, coming to light on Monday morning. The punishment was harsh, complete and really focused on making sure Penn State spends a long time losing. I will get to the punishment in a second, in order to fully comprehend everything, I feel like a quick review is in order:

Joe Paterno was as beloved a football coach as there ever was, he was seen as what was right with college football. When schools like Miami, USC, and Ohio State were all bogged down with contreversary and everyone was wondering what happened to STUDENT-athletes, they could point to what was going on in Happy Valley under the reign of the old ball coach, JoePa. Joe made sure his athletes graduated, and still won football games. More football games than any other coach in college football history. Some universities have a hard time keeping their football players out of cop cars, Penn State had a hard time keeping players out of the library that was named after him. Joe had his team clean up the bleachers in Beaver Stadium after every home game one season because he had problems from a couple of his players one summer.  Joe ran sprints with his players during the season. Joe made you believe that the college football world could crumble and he and Penn State would remain standing, a beacon to those doing everything wrong. On campus there was Paternoville, Paterno Statues, a sub shop had a sandwhich called the Joegie. He was a living legend, pure, unwavering. Joe cared about his kids, wanted them to be successful after football, even if that meant not winning a National Championship or losing a top recruit to another, less stringent university.

Turns out it was all a lie.

Turns out Paterno cared more about image and winning than he did children.

Turns out everything eventually crumbles.

The Statue has come down, Paternoville is now Nittanyville, the Joegie is now simply a hoagie.

Joe officially died January 22, 2012. His legacy died 10 days ago when the Freeh report (which explained how JoePa (Pa becoming increasingly ironic at this point) turned his back on little boy after little boy. Convinced those who were supposed to be running the university (President, Vice President) that having a child rapist on staff and letting him continually sexually assault boy after boy was better for Penn State than allowing the bad press that would come from exposing Sandusky for what he truly was.

As a Penn State fan, JoePa supporter and all around advocate for doing things the right way, I initially supported Paterno when Sandusky was finally arrested in November and  Penn State fired Joe mid season.

"He didn't know" "He did everything he was supposed to do" "He doesn't make the final call on important decisions, that's the presidents job"

Turns out, I was wrong on all accounts.

The punishment, as reported by ESPN, is a 60 million dollar fine (Ouch), reduction of scholarships (Bigger ouch) No bowl games  for 4 years (hurts recruiting) and the forfeiture of all PSU wins from 1998 to last season. The punishment will ensure that Penn State keeps playing football, but for the next 7-10 years, will never truly be successful. Ouch.


Sandusky is in jail, JoePa is dead, the President and Vice President are standing trial. So who is getting punished? ESPN reported on Monday the NCAA wanted the culture of Penn State to change, and this punishment was a way to remind all universities that sports and coaches can not become gods. Unfourtuantly, it's the athletes at Penn State that will suffer for the crimes of their former coach, and not the former coach himself. Death was an all to convenient end for Paterno.  I doubt a candle light vigile would be held for him today. People are searching for answers that will never come, Penn State is looking for away to heal.

No one wins when winning becomes more important than compassion and morals.

No More Scapegoats Please

By now we are all familiar with the tragic account of the shooting that took place at the theater in Aurora, Colorado during the midnight premiere of the much anticipated Dark Knight Rises film. The account is as follows: PhD candidate, James Holmes, entered the theater through the Exit doors, released smoke bombs and opened fire on the audience, killing 12 and wounding 58 other innocent civilians; all under the delusion that he himself was the Joker, the villain from the previous Batman trilogy movie, The Dark Knight. The suspect was arrested on scene, and informed the Aurora PD that his apartment was full of explosives. After dismantling the bombs and entering the apartment, the police found an arsenal of weapons and explosives as well as a lot of Batman paraphernalia. Holmes had his first day in court today, with his hair dyed a hideous bright orange and red, in "honor of the Joker".

This story is a tragedy, and I cannot begin to imagine the horror that the victims are and were faced with. My heart and my prayers have gone out to them everyday since this terrible event. Sadly, like every other major event to happen in the world, the fingers of blame are being pointed every which way, which is what I would like to discuss today.

The Movie Industry: Within hours of the shooting, the news media was pointing the finger at the movie industry, accusing them of using too much violence in today's films. This may be true, and there are plenty of studies proving this accusation true. I will admit that the amount of violence that is found in today's movies is unnerving and hard to handle at times. BUT, in reference to the Batman movies (specifically Christopher Nolan's epic trilogy), they have been in production and on the big screen since 2005, and until now, none of the extreme violence has been put into action by a viewer. There is also no denying that the character of the Joker is extreme and eccentric; in fact the character itself is partially to blame (by many) for the death of actor, Heath Ledger. Until now, however, the quality of these films and the violent nature of them has not been scrutinized. So after seven years of no Batman villain copycats, can we really blame director Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros for this crime?

The Comic Book Industry: The police reported that when they entered the apartment, it was full of Batman collector's items, specifically a poster and mask. Of course the fingers of shame were shook at the comic book industry, for inspiring violence in young people. Yet it can be said that they also inspire heroism and bravery, because of characters, such as Bruce Wayne, who is a "normal person" with no super powers, who chooses to protect his city from those that attack it. But again, a scapegoat was needed so that the actual criminal didn't have to take responsibility for his actions.

The Gun Industry: I don't even know where to begin with this one. Like the two previous poor little goats, the blame started immediately after the crime. Anti-gun protestors starting accusing the NRA and other pro-gun organizations for the horror that happened. I don't blame a gun or the makers of the guns for this crime, any more than I blame my Rachel Ray kitchen knives, or Rachel Ray herself, when I cut my finger while I'm making dinner. It is not the instrument's fault when there is an event, it is the person handling said instrument that is to blame.

Reality: In reality, only one man needs to take the blame for this heinous crime - James Holmes. He alone allowed himself to become obsessed with Batman, which like millions of children for over 50 years, probably started as a small child, and continued into adulthood. He alone chose to purchase 4 guns and over 6,000 rounds of ammunition, burst into a crowded movie theater and open fire on innocent Batman fans, much like himself. All of us go to the movies, get attached to a character and allow ourselves to get lost in the plot for a while. But nearly all of us are capable of pulling ourselves out of the fiction and into reality. Apparently Holmes was not. We need to stop pointing fingers in every direction possible, and instead focus on the facts and the matter at hand. One man did this - the other 16 million that went to the film this weekend DID NOT!


I would also like to acknowledge the quick action that Warner Bros has taken since the tragedy:

- The preview that aired before the premiere of Dark Knight Rises was for a gangster movie, in which the mafia opened fire on a crowded movie theater. The production company has pulled all previews for this film and is in the process of cutting the entire scene because of the incident.

- Warner Bros is supporting the survivors and families of all of the victims with financial support. This act of kindness was released this morning, although the amount that has been donated was not disclosed. It obviously does not heal the wounds that were created on this terrible evening, but it is nice to see that they care about the victims.

BOO Viacom vs. DirecTV!!

Over the past couple of weeks, my husband and I have been discussing our finances, specifically where we can cut a couple of corners to save money for my brother-in-law's upcoming destination wedding. His immediate response when looking at what our monthly bills was to cut DirecTV, saying that we can easily re-subscribe to Netflix for about a tenth of the cost. I responded with "heck no!", namely because I love Food Network and a couple of other channels that I can't get through Netflix. But, this was before the dispute between Viacom and DirecTV came to the public's attention, and now that we all know what is going on, and we no longer have access to channels that we are paying for, let's just say I'm a little ticked!

Viacom is the company that offers channels such as Spike, Nickelodeon, MTV and VH1 to name a few, all of which have been "temporarily" dropped due to their dispute. What's the fight over? Well money of course! USA Today reports DirecTV has increased their prices very steadily over the past 7 years (52% total, tripling their income!), pocketing almost all of the increased revenue, instead of passing the buck on to its supporting companies, like Viacom. Viacom is demanding a 5% increase from DirecTV, and simply feels that it is what is due to them. Viacom says that they do not think that DirecTV has any right to raise their prices again because the money is already there.

To make matters worse, DirecTV thought they were being clever by stating online that their viewers could tune into several Internet websites to access their favorite shows that they are now missing out on. Viacom quickly responded by pulling their live streaming shows on Hulu and sites like Comedy Central.

What's the big deal? Well, subscribers aren't getting any kind of discount for starters. We didn't receive a notice in our mailbox, email, or anything other than a 48 hour runner on the now cancelled channels. How did DirecTV handle it you may ask? They gave all subscribers free access to eight Encore channels, but again, didn't bother to let us know. I found out when I read the USA Today article! How perfect that all of this happened the same week that we are learning about PR practitioners, because let me tell you, I think they need to get a new one!

In the past year and a half that we have had DirecTV, similar things have happened; but the disputes were settled before it really affected the viewer. But this one doesn't look like it's going to end quite as quickly, if at all - which is why viewers like me not happy. Just yesterday, I was watching CNN, and they were discussing how over just a decade ago, cable was a luxury: something that most homes in the US didn't have. I know my home was one of the many that had only the six local channels for entertainment, and it wasn't a big deal. Now, cable TV is a must have, because although it is common, it's exclusivity now reaches every member of the house, from ESPN for most Dads, to Food Network or Lifetime for the Moms, and of course Disney and Nickelodeon for all the kiddos. How did it get so out of hand, and so fast?

Needless to say, if somethings don't change, and I mean fast, they will lose one of their 20 million subscribers... 

If you are a DirecTV viewer, you can call 1-800-531-5000 to help get these channels back.

Why do we care?

Last night, as I was putting my baby to bed, I enjoyed the company of Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in the classic love story of Notting Hill. I have to admit that I had never seen the movie in its entirety before, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has all the components of a great movie, comedy, drama and romance. Brilliant! In case you haven't seen the film, I'll give you a quick summary. Hugh Grant plays the owner of an unsuccessful 'travel bookstore' in London and is one day surprised to find a famous actress (played by Julia Roberts) in his store. The two find themselves in an on-again-off-again relationship, that involves a lot of drama due to her being famous and constantly trying to escape the ever watching eye of the paparazzi. Twice, they are separated because of said paparazzi, and the issues that come from the her personal life being splattered all over magazines and newspapers. It ends with my favorite scene of the movie, with the two leading a very happy life together, and the bright prospects of their future.

During several scenes of the film, I couldn't help but think "How sad is that?" in reference to her breaking up with him twice. In both of these instances, he did absolutely nothing wrong, or even questionable: it was all because of the media! This poor man's heart was ripped to shreds several times because of millions of people that had nothing to do with either of these two people's lives! Ridiculous! Now, I know that this is a movie, and that they are actors, but both actors in the film have had their dirty laundry strewn all over the place in real life. In 1995 Hugh was arrested for indecent conduct with a prostitute, and many other travesties that ended his relationship with actress Elizabeth Hurley. In '93 Julia divorced her country singer husband, Lyle Lovett, after only 21 months of marriage, and before marrying her current hubby, and starting a beautiful family, had a long line of famous lovers. Because of their fame, it's as though the average fan completely forgets that "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her".

They aren't the only ones to have their business in every tabloid and on every television channel 24/7. Right now the hottest story (somehow more newsworthy than Hollywood legend Andy Griffith dying?) is TomKat's divorce, and today's MSN headline: Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin kissed in public. OMG, two people who are married to each other kissed each other! Alert the presses! Does anyone else think this is ridiculous? In 3 weeks, athletes from around the world will compete in the 2012 Olympics; in November the 56th presidential election will take place, and many, many more important current events that are not #1 in the news are happening, and getting nowhere near the air time that these "love stories" are. How have we become a society that cares more about who's with who, or not, than we do the events that will change all of our lives?

2012 is the Year of the Woman

For the last two decades, we have watched our favorite super heroes be made and remade into cartoons, television shows, movies, books and more, but the same question has haunted me throughout. Where are the women?! I don't mean just the cutesie girls that every hero is infatuated with, like Mary Jane or Betty Ross ... Nearly every super hero has an important female character, and yet for the most part, they have been left wanting in Hollywood's last blockbusters. But this year is different. I am coining 2012 as the Year of the Woman, it is finally our time to shine on the big screen.

The Year of the Woman began in March with the much anticipated release of the Hunger Games. The novel (and trilogy for that matter) have been on the New York Times bestseller list for well over a year, and the hype that had been building for the film boiled over on March 23 when every seat in the theater was sold out to see our first heroine of the year shine. The Hunger Games tells the gripping story of a 16 year old girl Katniss, who despite all the odds, survives a fight to the death in the Arena, and by doing so, completely challenges the totalitarian Capital. There is so much more to this story, but I do not want to be responsible for a SPOILER ALERT, so instead of telling you more, I want to ask you to take the time to read the book (and see the movie when it is released on DVD). It is a wonderful read, and one that finally gives young women a hero to look up to. Katniss is good to the core, and always does what she knows to be right, even if it challenges the authorities all around her.

Although very different in nature, no one can overlook the first female super hero of the summer... Natasha Romanov, A.K.A. Black Widow. Thank you Marvel and the Avengers for bringing Black Widow to the big screen! Scarlet Johansson plays the heroine who is a force to be reckoned with, playing with the big boys but totally holding her own. She backs down from no fight, but also shows that she has a heart, when her companion, Hawkeye is taken by Loki. Like Katniss who will be in Catching Fire in November of 2013, we know that we will see more of this heroine in the sequel to the Avengers in the coming years.

Even the cartoon industry got the memo that 2012 is the Year of the Woman, and released Brave last weekend. Pixar has long been criticized for focusing too much on their male audience, but tried to turn it around with Merida, a Scottish princess who has every opportunity to be the classic princess, but instead embraces her tomboyish personality and takes charge of her own destiny. Despite the magic that she turns to as her aid, what better role model can a young girl get? Making her own destiny and going against the grain of what society expects of her? Awesome and inspiring for young girls (and boys) everywhere!

The last leading lady that is finally getting her spotlight this summer is of the villainous persuasion... Catwoman, in the most anticipated film of the year, Batman, The Dark Knight Rises. The first two movies in the trilogy have been among the highest grossing super hero movies (until the Avengers that is) of all time. Granted, Halle Barry did her unsuccessful take on Catwoman in her own feature film, but the movie was much more centered around her being one of People magazine's sexiest people of all time, than it was her acting and the story itself. Catwoman, played by Anne Hathaway, will share the spotlight of villain with Bane, but critics and fans alike are excited to see this interpretation of one of Batman's greatest enemies. The film debuts on July 20, and advanced tickets went on sale this past week in most theaters!

I'm not saying that these movies have, and will be successful just because of the empowering female characters, they are all wonderful for many more reasons. But, as a woman who loves a good "Girl Power" trip, I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing women shine as brightly as men in this summers top money makers. Brave brought in $66.7 million this weekend, making it the national #1 movie. There are many other movies that I didn't even include in the Year of the Woman, and each one just supports my title for this year's hits. So ladies, take some time out of your busy day to day lives, grab a gal-pal and enjoy the estrogen induced films of 2012!

Fun in the Midnight Sun

June 21st is one of the most celebrated days of the entire year in my hometown of Fairbanks, Alaska. The tradition of celebrating the longest day of the year is one that has been around longer than we have had the ability to keep record of it, and it is believed to have originated in England. Sadly over the past centuries, this celebration has grown less important in most of the world. But in Alaska, this day turns into an entire week of celebration!

Fairbanks is located at the heart of Alaska - smack dab in the middle of the largest state in the union. Because of its close proximity to the Arctic Circle, and the tilt of the Earth, we have extreme bouts of sunlight, with nearly complete darkness in December and almost 24 hours of sunlight in June. Today, the sun rose a 2:56 a.m. and will not set until 12:47 a.m. - that's 21 hours and 51 minutes of sunlight! Contrary to popular belief, Alaska is not stuck in a constant misery of cold and snow all year long. Although it is not a tropical climate, the summers are beautiful and warm, with the average summer temperature of about 75 degrees. We take complete advantage of the sunlight  and amazing weather, and live life to its' fullest in celebration of our unique circumstances.

This year's celebration started on Saturday, June 16 and will go through this coming weekend, ending on Sunday, June 24. A few of the week's festivities include midnight shopping and 24 hour golf tournaments, and just get more notorious as the week progresses. On Saturday, June 23, Fairbanks will host the Midnight Sun Run, a 10 kilometer race through the heart of the city. It is open to people of all ages, and includes a costume contest. It might sound a little strange, but let me tell you, watching people run through the city dressed as their favorite super heroes or CanCan dancers is a sight that everyone needs to see! The Run is a wonderful family event as well, with families coming together and getting active.

The Midnight Sun Run was made extraordinary on a personal level, when nearly five years ago when my grandfather-in-law, 80 years old at the time, and his daughter, a survivor of an extreme case of meningitis in which she lost her legs and several other appendages, completed the race. It was inspiring to see these two amazing people persevere despite their perceived limitations.

The major sporting event of the summer is the Midnight Sun Baseball Game, played by the Fairbanks Goldpanners. Tonight's game will be the 107th Classic game, and will start at 10:30 p.m. and last throughout the night. Children especially love this game because they not only get to go to a baseball game, but stay up into the wee hours of the morning.

The last major event of the festivities is the Midnight Sun Festival, on Sunday, June 24th. The all-day event will close down every major street in downtown Fairbanks, and house hundreds of booths and activities. Live music, competitions, a variety of food and shopping is free to the thousands of people who will commence in the city's center as we celebrate the sunshiny day. It is a fun-filled day for not only the residents of Fairbanks, but the visiting tourists as well.

Alaska is definitely a place of mixed reviews, but being born and raised here, and living "outside" (meaning in a state other than Alaska) for 5 years, I have to say that I love it here! Alaska is truly unique, and getting the opportunity to celebrate the beautiful earth that God created for us to live in is one that I am happy to be a part of. So this June 21st - get out and enjoy the longest day of the year by doing something unique, safe and fun, even if you can't be a part of the Midnight Sun festivities.

Visit the Midnight Sun Festival for more information on the entertainment and activities.
Information on the Goldpanners and the Midnight Sun Baseball game.
Visit the Fairbanks Visitor's Bureau for more information on my hometown!

Pleasantly Surprised

Horror is something that I generally try to avoid in all aspects of my life, yet I have been curious about the New York Times Bestseller, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, for months now.  Every time that I have had the rare pleasure of perusing Barnes & Noble, I have picked it up and read a couple of excerpts, each time being more and more enticed. So, this week, I gave into my temptation, and I must admit that I have been pleasantly surprised! Granted, I am not very far into the book, but lets just say that even between my three boys, school and housework, I have been more than happy to sacrifice a little sleep to learn more about the story of our 16th president and his quest to rid the United States of vampires. It is not a story that is usually in my genre, but as of right now, all I have to say, what's not to love?!

Seth Grahame-Smith cunningly created a story that appeals to lovers of literature, history and science fiction. The story is an in-depth look at Abraham Lincoln, undoubtedly one of the most loved presidents in our nation's history, from his birth on February 12, 1809, through his childhood and into his presidency, and even further into the conspiracy of his murder. But beyond that, this story brings the mass appeal of vampires - something Americans have not been able to get enough of since the birth of Stephanie Myers' Twilight, and by doing so, makes Abraham Lincoln even gripping. As portrayed in the novel, he is not only the president that truly made America the land of the free, but saved us all from the terror of the undead.  

Vampire Hunter is written so well, and is laced with so much fact that it is nearly impossible to tell your brain that what it's reading is not real. The first page is a list of "Facts", which you immediately know are fiction, but because of the way that they are presented, you want to believe them. Although I am an English major, and I know that I will get scolded for this, I rarely read the Introduction to any book. Yet Smith wrote this section so well and so uniquely that it, the Introduction itself, fills you with the desire to continue reading. The abundance of facts is what makes this particular book so appealing to me. I am a reader who loves to lose myself in a book, especially when it is something that I can start to believe in, at any level. Do I believe that vampires exist? Absolutely not! But, when the idea is presented to cleverly, my imagination takes over. The major idea behind the book is that Lincoln's rise to power comes from his success at saving the young United States from vampires, which leads him to the Civil War, where vampires are the major threat that must be stopped if the nation is to have any future at all. Myers' used a similar tactic in the Twilight saga as well, and it was very well received. Combining history and science fiction is pure brilliance in my book!

So what is the point of all this? Although I give this book a "two thumbs up", it is clearly not for every reader. I challenge everyone to step outside your comfort zone and read a book that isn't something you would normally be interested in. Too often we get stuck in one particular genre and are afraid to venture out. Whether your next adventure is a classic, romance, biography or science fiction, give it a try; you never know when you will be pleasantly surprised.


Check out this trailer for the Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, coming to a theater near you on June 22 at the Internet Movie Database.

To order a copy of the novel for yourself, go to Amazon.com.

Go to IMDB to see interviews with the cast from the film!