BMEzine.com

BMEzine.com is a website dedicated to education people about body modifications. In it's nearly ten years of existence, BMEzine.com has managed to become the largest, most visited body modification website. The name "BMEzine" comes from the abbreviated words "body" and "modification", along with the added "Ezine". BMEzine.com offers advice, suggestions, pictures, stories, movies, and experiences on nearly any type and category of body modification. In case you aren't fully aware of exactly what body modification is, the following definition from Wikipedia.com fully explains it in one simple sentence: body modification (or body alteration) is the permanent or semi-permanent deliberate altering of the human body for non-medical reasons. So, body modification could be as simple as an ear piercing, or something as wild as, say, tongue splitting, or a lip plate. Many of the photos on BMEzine, however, are heavier (and permanent) modifications.

BMEzine.com has photo galleries for nearly every type of piercing. For example, if you were to click on the "nose" gallery, a new page would show up, giving you the option to look at the septum, nostril, or stretched nostril galleries.Most of the pictures in the albums are ones that aren't common. I must warn you, though, that some of the photos may be slightly shocking. One downfall of the website is the fact that it recently became a website which you must pay for to get the "full" website. You must become a member to the website, contribute to the website, and pay a monthly fee to be able to view the entire website and all it offers. Without a subscription, you are still able to look at all photo galleries, read stories, and ask for advice, but the photo galleries are only viewable for roughly one hundred pictures. After the one hundred pictures, a screen will show up which tells you that you must subscribe to the website and pay a monthly fee to view the remaining photos.
This website is extremely helpful when deciding whether (or not) to get a piercing, tattoo, or any other type of body modification you may want to get. For example, when I was contemplating getting a septum piercing (the skin inside your nose, between your nostrils) I read several experience stories, and looked at the septum photo gallery. I would highly recommend this to anyone considering getting a piercing of any sort.
Another addition to the site is BMEink.com. The name says it all. This is a branch off of the original BMEzine, dedicated to everything tattoo related. BMEink has organized folders, each catagorized based on the type of tattoo. Some of the many folders include butterfly tattoos, straight edge tattoos, religious tattoos, and portrait tattoos. Just like BMEzine, BMEink offers stories and advice, along with suggested artists to visit.
Overall, this website is an excellent source for any help with body modification of any kind. I recommend BMEzine to anyone who wants to learn more about body modification, or is considering adding a piercing or ink.

Total Drama Island

TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND

I remember the good old days of Cartoon Network. Back when you could watch the classics: Scooby Doo, Johnny Qwest, Captain Planet (GO PLANET!), and anime every afternoon. Now, it’s much different. Toonami rules Saturday nights (until Adult Swim takes over), and many of the former shows we all loved haven’t been aired for years (except for Scooby Doo). In this day and age, it’s all about cartoons with easily forgettable names, with recyclable plots you saw over five years ago. Total Drama Island brings something somewhat new to the table. It uses the classic elimination method of shows such as The Bachelor/Bachelorette (Example: “If you do not receive a *insert symbolic object here* then you must leave.”), some stereotypical elements, a bit of crude humor at the characters’ expense, and combines it all with American animation. It is rated PG- D (D meaning suggestive dialogue), which would cover all the stuff they say in the show. Let’s begin with the description.

“DESCRIPTION!” :D

Total Drama Island takes somewhere in Wiscoca (sp?), Ontario, (Canada) at Camp Wawanakwa. The host is Chris McClain, a wise-cracking narcissist that delights in coming up with a challenge every three days to torture the 22 campers that are present at the beginning of the show for a full eight weeks. The campers are divided into two teams- The Screaming Gophers and the Killer Bass. They must work together with their teammates in order to win a challenge- and whichever team doesn’t win must vote off one of their teammates (which is often the camper they dislike the least at the time). A way for the campers to voice their thoughts would be in the bathroom stalls, where they often complain or ponder current events (or just the people they don’t like). This is often a time where their true feelings come out. Anyway, the symbols of their freedom are marshmallows, which they get to roast at the campfire if they receive one. As Chris says, “whoever does not receive a marshmallow must immediately go to the Dock of Shame, catch the Boat of Losers, and get the heck out of here! And you can’t come back. EVER.” This is a phrase you will hear every episode. The one person who manages to make it through all the challenges will be rewarded with fame and $100,000. Who knows who will get that far? With crazy challenges like jumping off a 1000 foot cliff into shark-infested waters to complete, it could be a complete mystery… (Or not. Just don’t go on YouTube- they’ll spoil it for you D: )

LINKS TO THE FIRST EPISODE:
Part 1- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j8Db4WHEFk
Part 2- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR5B4Au7xqg
Part 3- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmJwdjoQMzI

Here are short descriptions of the characters (in the order of who appears first in the video above and what team they will be on):
Beth- a friendly girl who follows the commands of the other, more confident characters (mostly Heather). [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
D.J. - fun teen who happens to love animals, an all-around team player. [KILLER BASS]
Gwen- nicknamed “Goth Girl” by Heather, a girl who likes her space and tends to make sarcastic remarks. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Geoff- nice guy, says “man” a lot, and tends to hang out around his male teammates-turned friends D.J. and Duncan. [KILLER BASS]
Lindsay- not the brightest crayon in the box, but nice regardless. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Heather- a bossy, conniving female who is always looking out for herself and only herself, which gets on other campers nerves. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Duncan- a delinquent who has a penchant for getting in trouble or causing trouble. [KILLER BASS]
Tyler- goofy athletic guy who likes Lindsay. And fears chickens. [KILLER BASS]
Harold- a Napoleon Dynamite impersonator [in personality] that has a few surprising secrets. [KILLER BASS]
Trent- musician that hits it off with Gwen and is usually the unfortunate receiver of many painful accidents. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Bridgette- a girl who likes to surf and swim with the dolphins, an overall nice person. [KILLER BASS]
Noah- the know-it-all, non-athletic guy as we perceive him. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Leshawna- team player, tough girl who is also friendly at the same time. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Katie & Sadie- two girls who can’t be apart, “BFFFL”s (Best Female Friends for Life O.o), who even dress alike. [KILLER BASS]
Ezekiel- not a very bright young man, who is disliked by most of his teammates once he says a very sexist comment. [KILLER BASS]
Cody- somewhat of a dork, yet a nice guy who tends to get himself in trouble as well. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Eva- a girl with a very violent personality and anger management problems. [KILLER BASS]
Owen- the main source of comic relief, who tends to say too much or do the wrong thing unintentionally. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Courtney- also bossy, but means well, and a CIT. [KILLER BASS]
Justin- the residential good-looking guy who doesn’t need to say much in order to get the girls to fawn over him. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Izzy- a strange and hyper girl who is often affectionately called “crazy girl” by her fellow campers. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Chef Hatchet- he’s the man who cooks all the meals and helps Chris out with the challenges, and can be intimidating at times.

ANALYSIS

In Total Drama Island, there are several patterns that can be spotted throughout the episodes as well as several movie or tv show references. Just to name a few references that I spotted, it would be Napoleon Dynamite, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, and Fear Factor. There may be more, but that is what I found.
As for the patterns, first of all would be the ongoing pairing up of certain people. For some, it isn’t obvious, but it becomes apparent as the episodes pass. One of the most obvious pairings would be of Gwen and Trent. Another pattern would be the repeating betrayals. Early on in the show, Heather convinces Beth and Lindsay to join her in an alliance where she has total control over them and they must do as she says, because “she’s going to take them to the final three.” They were gullible enough to believe her, and she treated them badly even though they had done nothing wrong to her. But if they dare show any defiance, she will find some way to make their lives miserable. The same goes for Duncan and his other chums, D.J. and Geoff as they continue to make fun of and prank Harold throughout the series. He gets his revenge later, and continuing dissent is generated because of this. While at the same time there is intense dislike between some teammates, there is also friendship. In the Screaming Gophers, Leshana sticks up for the other girls being controlled or abused by Heather’s tyranny, like Gwen and Beth. In the Killer Bass, Courtney and Bridget stick together when taking on challenges. And most notable is the friendship of Katie and Sadie, which is a little extreme if you ask me- yet it’s almost sweet how they are so devoted to each other. With so many different people of so many different backgrounds and personalities, Total Drama Island is in a way a unique experience for those who watch it. It shows me some of the elements you can see happening with young people in junior high/high school, such as romance, betrayal, friendship, alliances/groups/cliques, bullying, and making decisions on who you hang out with. With those elements, it feels a little bit more familiar to those who watch it (even if you may or may not have been to junior high/high school, you can sense the feeling of that atmosphere). Also, it seems to be one of the first shows displayed on Cartoon Network that is actually geared towards young teens and preteens, instead of the usual younger audience (seven year olds and up). From watching it at my brothers’ insistence, I have come to see some of the reasons why they like it so much. Total Drama Island has scored a viewing from many people so far, and they like what they see. I will be awaiting the conclusion of the first season when it’s over!

Total Drama Island is copyright to FreshTV.

That '70s Show

That ‘70s Show

Description:

Be Groovy. Be Very Groovy.
That ‘70s Show is a comedy that ran from 1998 to 2006 on FOX; reruns can be seen on FX and ABC Family. The show takes place in Point Place, Wisconsin and revolves around the daily lives of a group of teenagers during the 1970’s.

The show revolves around Eric Forman and his group of friends: Donna, Hyde, Kelso, Fez, and Jackie. Eric is the somewhat awkward, Star Wars obsessed, typical teen growing up in the ‘70s. He always has a big mouth which gets him into trouble with his strict father, Red (who is always looking to put his foot in someone’s ass). His mother Kitty is always looking to protect Eric, which often involves embarrassing him in front of his friends, although Eric can do a good job of that himself at times. He vies for his next door neighbor Donna’s affection, which is a central focus in the show; eventually they develop a long term relationship. Donna is an example of the modern girl in the show: witty, confident, and strong, with feminist principles. She is the opposite of the other female in the circle, Jackie. Jackie is all about flash and appearance; it matters more to be popular and adored than to have a close group of friends. She gets involved in an off and on relationship with Kelso, the other member of the group who is also obsessed with image. Kelso is the dimwit king of the group, always falling for pranks, injuring himself, and not always aware of what is going on. Hyde being the mischievous one in the group is usually the one to give Kelso dumb ideas to follow. In addition to being the ring leader in coming up with stupid stuff for the gang to do, he is also the one who started “the circle” bringing his mom’s stash of hash and his paranoia of the government with him. Fez is the foreign kid in the group (it is never revealed where Fez came from). Fez has two main loves: candy and affection, although he has a hard time getting lucky with women. The gang “teaches” him about American culture, which can lead to awkward situations.

Other notable characters in the show include Bob and Midge Pinciotti, Donna’s dimwitted parents. They often socialize with Red and Kitty Forman although the two couples couldn’t be anymore different. Then there is Leo, Point Place’s resident pothead (played by Tommy Chong). Somehow he owns and runs the Photo Hut, even though he is stoned all day and doesn’t really work.

With all the different personalities in the show, the interaction between the characters is entertaining and hilarious to watch. The situations they get in are funny and relatable because those situations can cross the generation line.

Analysis:

I think the key to That 70’s Show is that it is relatable to all ages. Those that were teenagers back in the 1970’s can relate to the plot situations as well as the clothes, cars, and the somewhat tacky furniture. Those that are teenagers now may not relate to the styles and fads but can relate to the storylines with the parents as well as the gang; we all know people who are like them. People can connect with Eric and his friends, “hanging out in the street, the same old thing we did last week” (a line from the theme song In the Street by Cheap Trick).

Another appeal to the show is that it is a retro show. In an age where there is a resurgence of interest in groups like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, there is an audience that wants to get a glimpse of what life was like during that time.

Facebook.com

Facebook: a social utility that connects you with the people around you. After myspace.com came out, Mark Zuckerberg developed another way to connect you to friends and family all around the world; facebook.com. Basically the way Facebook.com works is you make an account using your e-mail to build a profile for yourself. When you first sign up you use your e-mail as a sign-in user name and create a password. From there, you add a profile picture, enter information about where you work, what school you attend currently, what schools you used to attend, and start searching for friends you may know.
Based on the information you inputted about yourself, facebook.com matches people within the same networks as you to help find people to connect with that you already know. Aside from the basics of information about yourself, and connections to others, facebook.com offers many more applications and time-wasting activities. You can have a bakery and buy "treats" for your friends, or pay a dollar and give them a gift. You can play scrabble, music and movie quizzes, and even make "flair" for your friends and family. Anyone who has a faebook.com account know how annoying these application are. Every day I get at least one invitation to be recruited for a "jetman war" or pending approvals of "bumperstickers".
In addition to your own profile and applications, you can make a photo album and start your own blog in the notes section. Mark Zuckerberg created a brilliant, easy to use networking webpage that has caught the attention of millions-even billions of people around the world ready to spend countless hours wasting time sending cookies, and being asked to build a green garden. On the surface it looks like a decent webpage. It keeps people connected, connects long lost friends, and gives you the ability to make friends based on things you may have in common. But what has this really done to the youngsters of today? What has it done to grown adults? What will it do to the children of the future?
Analysis
I'll be the first to admit that I was part of the facebook.com craze and had a profile that I updated daily, along with "facestalking" others on facebook. I will also be the first to admit that I spend countless unnecessary hours a week tending to my account and keeping it up to date. Originally I used it to keep in touch with a sister in Japan, a sister in Tennessee, and a brother in North Carolina. We could leave messages to each other about how our days were going, and post up the most recent photos and get a little glimpse of what was going on. I still do use it 90% of the time, but I also enjoy make flair for friends, and posting up hundreds of photos. I also use it as a good time-killing. It's easy to spend an hour of two just looking at a few select friends’ profiles without batting an eye at that.
With that last statement I find it both entertaining and a bit disturbing. Of course many of us have much better ways to spend our time, but why spend it working on homework when you can chat live with friends, leave messages and have hundreds of photos right at you finger tips? I think that my generation and for many generations after mine, we will continue to see a decrease in productivity at work, and activity with children. I find this to be very sad but I don’t think that I can be upset about it because I am part of the problem.

Gossip Girl

The show Gossip Girl is based on a popular book series of the same name Gossip Girl. This show airs on the CW channel on Monday nights at 8:00 PM. It was written by Josh Schwatz and Stephanie Savage, it is also directed by Mark Piznarski. This show first aired on September, 19 2007 and the second season just started on the 1st of September. It is a series of soap and drama amongst young and privileged teenagers. This series revolves around the lives of socialite young adults growing up on New York City’s Upper East Side who attend elite academic schools while dealing with sex, drugs, jealousy, and other teenage issues.

Serena van der Woodsen; is a smart and super pretty girl but is always being told she is not working to her full potential. It may seem on the outside that she has it all together but she is quiet vulnerable. The relationship with her and her best friend Blair Waldorf is very stressful. Serena’s family which includes her mom Lily van der Woodsen and her younger brother Eric van der Woodsen and they are very prominent in New York society. Which her mother married one of her friends Chuck Bass’s dad named Bart Bass.

Lily van der Woodsen is mother of Serena and younger brother Eric. She is a former ballerina and rock groupie, she is aware that her daughter deals with sex, drugs, and other bad influences at school. Lily is very understanding about it all, and thinks that it is just a part of being in the spotlight of an elite clique. Lily is also intrigued with the mystery of gossip girl who seems to know every secret in the complex world of the rich and glamorous.

Eric van der Woodsen; is younger brother to Serena van der Woodsen. He is a troubled boy who attempted suicide and is a patient at the Ostroff Center. He decided to come out to everyone at a party confessing he is gay.

Blair Waldorf; Serena’s best friend who is a hopeless romantic who idolizes Audrey Hepburn, Blair is often referred to as Queen B she has a sensitive side which contrasts with her tendency to be bitchy and controlling. She is vain sometimes but her friendship with Serena makes her insecure at other times. Blair uses her charm, money, and social status to get whatever she wants. Blair’s mother Eleanor Lively and dad are separated and her dad lives in France with his now lover Roman (a guy) one of Eleanor’s models she used to work with.

Nate Archibald; his best friends include Chuck Bass, Serena van der Woodsen, and on again off again girlfriend Blair Waldorf. He grew up in a very wealthy family and went to the prestigious all boy’s school of St. Jude’s.

Chuck Bass; who is Nate’s best friend he is a rich kind of ass whole character who loves the finer things in life like luxury, alcohol, and sex. He is just as obnoxious as he is rich. Everyone despises chuck but they don’t ever show it because chuck always throws the best parties on the Upper East Side.

Dan Humphrey; who dated Serena he is a romantic whose imagination runs wildly at the worst times. He over-analyzes everything which is never good and he often gets frustrated. He is best friends with Vanessa Abrams and big brother to Jenny Humphrey. Dan has a close relationship with his sister and father Rufus. He is not on the high end of the social class’s they are middle-class and live in Brooklyn and does not really fit in to well with the Upper East Side crowd.
Jenny Humphrey; who is Dan Humphrey’s little sister she is only 14 years old and the youngest of the Gossip Girl characters. She is an aspiring social climber; her physical appearance resembles Serena van der Woodsen. Even though she tries to fit in with the rich girl clique of Blair and her friends she does not have a place in their social world because she is only middle-class and living in Brooklyn. She is very spunky and driven to get what she wants and her nick name is Little J.

Rufus Humphrey; who is Dan and Jenny’s father who lives in a crumbling apartment on the Upper West Side of New York. His children are outsiders wanting into the lives of the rich and glamorous.

Vanessa Abrams; she is Dan’s best friend she is a young, beautiful artist who remains an outcast among New York’s most wealthy teens. She works at a coffee shop in Brooklyn and has a history with Dan.

The series is narrated through the eyes of the unseen character, “Gossip Girl” voiced by Kristen Bell who runs a blog about her fellow Upper East Siders.

Analysis:
To me this show relates to young adults going through life experiences that all young adults go through in high school. It is about friends fighting, pressures of drugs, alcohol, and sex. It relates to young adults everyday life with all the gossip and relationship drama that goes on in high school. It is interesting just to watch it and keep track of what is going on because the show always keeps you thinking what will happen next because you never know since there is always new twists’ being thrown in to the show.

"CLUELESS"

This comedy film, which was released in 1995 titled “Clueless”, was based on Emma by Jane Austen and set in Beverly Hills high school. Amy Heckerling wrote and directed this film and Scott Rudin produced it. Filmed over a span of a few weeks in early 1995, it was finally released on July 19, 1995 and it runs for about 97 minutes. The stars were Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Sisto, Stacey Dash, Donald Faison, Brittany Murphy and Dan Hedaya. After this comedy film was released, it became a television series where the same actress does not star Cher; instead Rachel Blanchard starred it. Not only that, it also spun off as a series book and came out with its own soundtrack.

Here’s a little video clip of the trailer

Now that we have an idea of how the movie got started, lets get to know the characters. Alicia Silverstone which plays Cher, the main character, is very popular, rich, and attractive. She is a sixteen-year-old high school student, and loves the fashion world. Cher lives in a big mansion in Beverly Hills with her father who is played by Dan Hedaya. He is a litigator and makes about $500 an hour. Her mother on the other hand is long dead, having succumbed to complications while undergoing liposuction. Her stepbrother Josh that is played by Paul Rudd is always teasing her because he says that she is too selfish and her only direction to life is “toward the mall.” This is where she comes to try to prove him wrong. Her best friend who is quite as wealthy as her, Dionne, but “D” for short was quite hip and she knows exactly how it feels like to be envied. Miss Tai Fraiser who is played by Brittany Murphy is the new girl at school. She is considered the ugly duckling at school and gets transformed by Cher and her best friend D into a beautiful swan.


In this movie Cher tries to prove her stepbrother Josh that she is not selfish and that she, too, has a social conscience. With that being the case, she starts off by trying to hook up two, lonely, nerdy hard working teachers. Her main purpose was to try and renegotiate a bad report card, and when she realizes their true happiness she realized that she wanted to do good deeds by giving back to the community. So this is where the new girl Tai gets in the picture. Cher plans to adopt Tai and give her new look, so Cher and D transforms Tai into one of them. She also tries to extinguish the strong mutual attraction between Tai and Travis, an amiable skateboarding slacker, and to steer her toward Elton, a rich snob but that didn’t quite work out. Cher, herself, has always had boy mishaps first with Elton, and secondly a handsome classmate with great fashion sense who turns out to be gay.

Cher’s world comes to fall apart when she doesn’t pass her drivers license test and can’t renegotiate the result. What makes it even worse is when she gets home and see Tai dressed exactly like her, and comes to find out that she is starting to like Josh and wants Cher to help her get him. Cher didn’t think Josh was right for her, so they began to quarrel. She finally realizes that she has created a monster of her own image and starts to wonder why she seemed to care so much about Josh but it turns out she has fallen for him

In the end everything turned out to be perfect for Cher. Her two nerdy teachers ended up getting married, Tai and Travis are in love, and she too has now finally found love and meaning in her teenage life.


ANALYSIS

This comedy film would probably have to be my all time favorite old school movie. I am sure all girls wish they were in her shoes living her lifestyle as the rich, popular girl living in Beverly Hills or maybe some of us didn’t like those kind of girls back then in high school. I think this movie can relate to us in a general way, not the lifestyles or the behaviors in the movie but the fact that we were once at her phase. Especially when we’re trying to find that special someone, and at the same time trying to figure out the person that we are.

Sex and the City

Sex and the City

The hit series now movie, “Sex in the City” takes place in New York City. Where four friends; Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte are true New York women in all sense of the meaning of New York. All four women have very different jobs and personalities. Carrie, who is a writer for a local newspaper who writes about relationships, the city itself and through her own experience’s, comes up with her weekly column. She also has an on again off again relationship with Mr. Big who has a tough time committing to a monogamous relationship with Carrie, but later marries a younger woman and then meets Carrie for lunch and they start the relationship once again, but this time with more sneaking around and not telling her closest friends until she gets caught. Carrie has had other relationships but always ends up with Mr. Big. Once Mr. Big was divorced, Carrie by that time was living in Paris with her then boyfriend, a Russian, but wanted to move back to her city was rescued by Mr. Big who flew to Paris to bring her home to New York and make that commitment she had been longing for throughout their relationship. Once home in New York all four women meet and pick up exactly where they left off. We also cannot forget her love for shoes, Manolo Blahniks specifically. A girl can never have to many shoes.

Samantha; is in Public Relations and has quite the appetite for sexual adventure and seems to be the most fierce of all four women. Samantha has loose morals and has no problem being open about all aspects of her life. She has had only a couple of long term relationships and found with Richard that he had the same sexual appetite she did; she also found that she could not trust him to be monogamous hence, ending their relationship. Then her next long term relationship came with a much younger man; Smith Jarred an actor; who she represented as his PR Agent. They fit together very well and seemed nothing could stop them until Samantha was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Smith stayed by her side through all her treatments and Samantha had thought she had found her perfect man.

Miranda; is an up and coming attorney working her way to partner. Miranda has had not so good luck when it comes to men, she has had them stand her up, one died, one turned out gay. Along the way she met Steve a local bartender she happened to meet at the end of a bad date and they started to see one another. They found out that they were very different and decided to split but not before Miranda found out she was pregnant. She then became a single mother and dated a few more men but eventually married Steve and moved from New York to Brooklyn to raise her family with Steve, the dog and her mother-in-law.

Charlotte; is an art museum curator and loves the idea of being a “Park Avenue” wife with the perfect man and family. She met her perfect man when the taxi she was riding in hit him. Trey McDougall, the man of her dreams. He came from “old” money and Park Avenue. They had the big wedding she had always dreamt about but all things come to an end when he looses his desire for Charlotte in the bedroom. She then hires one to the best attorney’s in New York for her divorce and falls in love with him. He is Jewish so Charlotte converts to Judaism and they marry and stay on Park Avenue but cannot conceive a child and turn to adoption. China is the place to go for that perfect child to their perfect world.
All women meet up and discuss the trials and tribulations and most of all the fruits of their experiences and their friendships with one another each week at the same diner.

My Analogy

This show to me shows how women hold their friendships close to them and how women band together with one another not just when they need each other but on a daily basis. It also shows that women can be just like men when it comes to relationships with the ability to be open and adventurous, no strings attached unless it’s mutual. It also shows that life is too short not to have fun each day.