Things a New Yorker would say

This is my first blog. Ever. I love feedback. So, feed me!
My name is Zoe Arianna Nolan; I was born and raised in Soho, New York City. I’m currently attempting to summarize what defines me; in a modest 500-word blog post. I hope this satisfies any cravings for an accurate depiction of my personality, lifestyle, and any other exciting juicy details.
Similar to the foundation for for tackling the SAT’s, I’m going to shoot the first things that come to mind, (projectile-verbal-vomiting); Hence, I will not question my initial logic or reasoning, and just speak from the _____. (Insert appropriate noun)
I grew up in the heart of Soho, which is just a cooler way to say “South of Houston St”. My parents owned an art gallery less than a block away, next to Dean & Deluca on Broadway & Prince. The Prada store seen from my bedroom window was the closest thing to a safe neighborhood playground. Thompson Square Park was currently occupied, not by Wall Street, but by drug addicts, the drugs themselves, and friendly prostitutes with drugs for expediency.
My brother Connor is 3.5 years my junior, and probably the epitome of a “great kid”. He’s dope. We’ve pretty much always had an amazing, healthy relationship, and it’s safe to say he’s going to remain my favorite person, in this lifetime.
Unconscious to my juvenile state, my childhood was immersed within a thriving Art World, and the majority of my Sunday afternoons where spent wandering around the Guggenheim, Moma, and if we were lucky, FAO Schwartz with my father. Before hitting puberty, I knew more about Jackson Pollack then I did the McDonald’s dollar menu.
I’m a self-proclaimed coffee/caffeine addict. Starbucks is my true love, and sole mate. (Think extreme, ex. Romeo & Juliet)
I practically have enough pairs of shoes to allow me to wear a different selection every day for a year. I always need more. I’m obsessed. But…..
I pay my bills first- ALWAYS.
I save MORE then I spend- ALWAYS.
Never tell a woman she has too many shoes. Bad move.
I LOVE (Again, think obsessed), learning everything there is to absorb about Fashion; seriously, ever single nook & cranny, large or small, criticized or world renowned. I seek insight on the evolution of Fashion, its palpable effect on the world, and how I personally connect with it.
My favorite memories are those spent doing something that was ridiculously unorganized, with my closest friends.
I was born on the first day of summer( June 21st), so there’s no surprise in the fact that I’m obsessed with beaches, warm weather, and outdoor activities.
Traveling keeps me sane, and without the ability to experience other cultures, lifestyles, and places, I think I would be rather bland.
Realistically, I must admit that I would do better surviving a week without food then a 7 day stretch without my cellphone. I’m hopelessly addicted.. but I admit the addition…therefore I must be on the road to recovery? Lets hope?
I believe in keeping an active and healthy lifestyle. Aesthetics are relatively important to everyone, but it’s more than what you look like on the outside. I am very conscious what I put in my body. I seldom drink alcohol, aside from a glass of pinot noir, or a crisp refreshing prosecco here and there on a special occasion. I don’t eat red meat, pork, or any overly processed foods. I pretty much do my best to only eat natural and organic foods. Whole Foods is just another way of saying- your WHOLE wallet.
Karma can be your best friend, or your arch nemesis, but it’s always going to play a character in your life. Good news is you have some control.

Play life smart and fair.
Do onto others, as you would want them to do to you.
You’re always the cool kid when you stay true to yourself.
Don’t change who you are to please someone else.
Don’t be jelly, when you can have peanut butter.
Most importantly, be happy.

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Blog Post #2

Due Date: 11:59 PM October 29th 

The Monologue (2 Parts)

(1) Use your reflective free writes to create a comprehensive monologue that showcases your own interpretation of identity development, self expression, and who you are. Draw ideas from what you’ve written in your free writes and your experiences so far.

And…. 

(2) Embed/Attach a self-portrait which can be a photograph, an image, a cartoon, a drawing, or some other depiction of how you see yourself.

Remember, these monologues will be presented to the class on October 30th. However, they must be posted to the blog on October 29th.

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Blog #1- My Playlist

1. Hotel California by The Eagles – In my opinion this is one of the greatest songs ever written. It is classic rock and it symbolizes a person’s struggle with drug addiction. This song took on greater meaning for me a couple of months ago when my uncle passed away because this seemed to always come on the radio while I was on my way to see him in his last few weeks.

2. Til I collapse by Eminem- This song always gets me hyped up before I workout or as I get ready for a game. Its lyrics push me to not give up even when it seems like the only option and they are delivered with such emotion that it is impossible for me to ignore their message.

3. Hells Bells by ACDC- This song reminds me of the bond I made with my high school lacrosse teammates and the greatest season my school had ever seen. We ran out to this song before every game and when we heard it we knew it was time to go.

4.Free Falling by Tom Petty- This song always puts me in a good mood. Its lyrics are upbeat and can instantly turn my day around if I hear it when Im feeling down.

5.Piano Man by Billy Joel- This is one of those songs that almost everyone knows the words too. Billy Joel is able to paint a picture of the bar he is playing in and gives the listener a glimpse into the patrons’ lives.

6.No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley- This is one of my favorite songs of all time by one of my favorite artists ever. This song gives me the sense that whatever difficulties are in my life will be overcome and that I should remain positive.

7.Danza Kuduro by Don Omar and Lucenzo- This song reminds me of the summer because it became popular when I was at my cousins beach house and always seemed to be on when we were having fun.

8.Let It Be by The Beatles- This is a very peaceful song written by one of the greatest bands of all time. For me, as a Catholic, it brings hope especially because it refers to Mother Mary being with you. This lets me know that I am not alone in whatever struggles I face.

9. Protect Ya Neck by the Wu Tang Clan- This song can always be heard blasting from my car when I am driving around especially in my hometown, Shaolin (Staten Island). The Wu Tang Clan is from Staten Island and everyone my age from Staten Island loves it.

10.No Sleep by Wiz Khalifa- I always listen to this song at the beginning of my weekends or vacations. It sets the tone for that time off. It motivates me to live it up and have fun when the opportunity presents itself.

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Blog Post #1

This seems like an almost impossible task to accomplish: building a playlist of ten songs that you think personify you. As a result, I have just been rifling through my iTunes library and the Internet for the past couple of hours now—and my currently poor connection didn’t facilitate the whole process. Nevertheless, I think I’ve finally managed to find just what I need. However imperfect it may be. But I will try my best.

  1. Clocks (acoustic) (Coldplay) – I am a big fan of Coldplay, so when I discovered the acoustic version of this track, I felt compelled to list it here. This is a very calming song with a melancholy tune to it. Therefore, it characterizes my mood when I’m down.
  2. Headlines (Drake) – I have had to of heard this song a million times (whether I wanted to or not). Often times, when I hear it, it reminds me of the good times I’ve had with my friends traveling and going to college fairs when I was a senior in high school.
  3. Real Folk Blues – I am not sure how to describe this song, but it has grown on me. I’m not really a fan of anime or cartoons, but this song comes from one of my favorite anime shows that I watched growing up, with my brother, whom I share a close relationship with.
  4. Wake Up Everybody (John Legend & The Roots) – This song by John Legend (and others) has a very optimistic tune to it. As a result, it has a way of placing me in a better mood.
  5. Black Balloon (The Kills) – I accidentally stumbled upon this song when I was randomly browsing deviantArt one day. It’s a bit odd at first, but I’ve remembered it ever since.
  6. Feel Good Inc. (Gorrilaz) – This is another song that reminds me of the good times I have shared with my siblings during my childhood (particularly my brother).
  7. The Pretender (Foo Fighters) – I remember hearing this song a few years ago and agonizing over the fact that I couldn’t remember what the name of it was until several months ago. It’s another song that’s just stuck with me.
  8. Roomful of Mirrors (Hiroshima) – This song is one that I frequently heard my Dad play in his car when I was younger. He was a big fan of jazz, R&B, and oldies. Not sure how he came across this band though.
  9. Satellite Station (Free the Robots) – This is another song relatively calm song, but with a rather peculiar tune to it.
  10. Storm Coming (Gnarls Barkley) – Hmm. Don’t think I have much to write about this one, other than that It’s a song I listened to numerous times over the years.

I had dozens of other songs that I was considering for this post, but of course, I had to shorten it to a list of ten. Here’s three other songs I was going to list here, but did not make it: Hollow Mountain (Efterklang), Snow (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and lastly, Radioactive (Kings of Leon).

http://grooveshark.com/playlist/RKP314+s+Blog+Post+number+1/78031001

(^Note: This playlist is not in the same order as listed above & one song is missing: Satellite Station)

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Playlist!

1. 9/11

2. passage of time

3. September grief

4. reflection on loss

5. Political protest

6. naïveté

7. conflict with parents

8. savoring youth

9. a divided nation

10. the future is ours!

These songs give a loose narrative of my life.  (1) September 11, 2001 stands as a stark and frightening memory.  Even though I was living in rural Pennsylvania, and only 7 at the time, I felt the magnitude of the events that fateful day.  While I lost no relatives in the terrorist attacks, the event continued to impact my life.  My elementary school class visited the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania several times.

Shortly afterwards, (2) my older siblings began to leave home.  My family is large – nine children – so we had many goodbyes.  My childhood in the peaceful Alleghany countryside was idyllic, and the time passed quickly.

Then, (3) in September 2004, my uncle died suddenly of a heart attack.  He was only 54 years young.  One minute walking down the sidewalk, happily talking, the next minute dead.  As a ten-year-old, I could not deal with the pain, instead going numb.  Yet, as the months passed, and my family grieved, I finally realized he wasn’t coming back.  (4) Then I, too, could mourn the loss, and move on.

As I matured, (5) my social awareness grew.  This country, the whole planet, was on the wrong track!  Hurricane Katrina brought poverty and racism alive.  Terrible wars ripped lives apart.  Climate change altered our globe forever.  I must protest!  There was so much possibility! (6)  I could do anything with my life.

Adolescence hit with full force.  (7)I often felt confused or unsure of myself.  There were frequent arguments with my parents.  I just could not see their point of view!  Looking back, while I by no means did all they said, they were really trying their best.  In fact, I have a super-solid family.  My parents celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary last year, having raised eight other nutcases besides myself!  (8) I owe so much to the world because of this.  I have no time to waste.  I must appreciate everyday, every detail, every encounter.  I must find a productive way to spend my life.

Recently, (9) our nation has become increasingly polarized.  Ideologies and wealth disparity appear to be creating two America’s out of one.  Yet, we all still live here, it is our home.  Can’t we live together in peace?

(10) As I reflect on all this today, I realize that my life is before me.  Carpe Diem!  Seize the day!  After all, it is a beautiful day.

– Dickon McPherson

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Post One

http://grooveshark.com/#!/user/lindsey+martinez/18003619/music

1. This song sounds calm to me, and I consider myself to be a calm person. It is also short and I don’t like to talk much, so maybe, there is a connection there.

2. I chose this song because it reminds me of my freshman year in high school which was a lot of fun.

3. The lyrics are very cute in this song and I like cute things, like bears or jellyfish.

4. I am fascinated by death, so the image created by this song is interesting to me.

5. The girl that John Lennon is singing about is funny and a little strange, she reminds me of myself.

6. I don’t like to be in the same place for a long time and in this song I think Foals are talking about people who are similar to nomads so I can relate.

7. This is another song about death, but it is also very beautiful. It is sad but I really like it.

8. I really like Christmas because I have good memories from that time. It’s kind of a funny song.

9. Unfortunately I have really bad social skills so I can relate to this song. In the song Lykke Li talks about a person who is very introverted, which I am.

10. I also have poor communication skills. I’m not very good at speaking, especially to people I don’t know. I just don’t like talking all that much.

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Hello There!!!

https://picasaweb.google.com/107463247803113654332/September112012

Hello ladies and Gents! Here is my first blog post. Right now I’m going to introduce myself based on who I am. I am an international student from China, and I have been in America for 3 years. I am not very flew in English, so I am always glad if you guys can help me. In general, I’m a nice person who rarely gets angry and smiles at people all the time. I love jokes; you might find out that I will say something stupid in the future, so don’t take that too serious. My favorite thing in the entire plant is FOOD. I feel so good while I’m eating. Imagining when the tasty solid or liquid goes through your mouth and full fills your stomach, I beg you will enjoy that more that anything. For academics, I personally find out that math is a fabulous subject which I could spend tons of time in. Also I am good at math; I got 800 on my SAT. I love all math related subjects,too; that is why I am here in Baruch. I can play Rubik’s cube super fast. Although it is impossible for me to make it nice in 10 seconds, 20 to 30 seconds is okey. Chess and Sudoku are two my favorite games. They train people’s mind a lot so that people can think more logically. Besides academics, I also train my body’ or in other words, I do sports. I am good at badminton and maybe swimming, and I’m trying to be good at basketball but it takes a long time. That’s it. Above all, I’m a nice person, so be friend with me!!!

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My 10 Song Playlist!

http://grooveshark.com/playlist/Tiffany+s+Playlist+1/77200751

After almost an hour of scrolling through my iTunes and asking my family members for their advice, I finally have a playlist that suits me. Every song on this playlist is either indicative of the kind of person I am or has some significance to me. “Diamonds are Forever” is the song I walked out to at my Sweet Sixteen. I am a huge Jay-Z fan, and as a result, I am a huge Kanye West fan…and a fan of the Shirley Bassey sample that starts the song. “Cherchez La Ghost” is on my playlist because its one of my favorite old school hip-hop songs with a really smooth beat and by one of my favorite old school rappers. Anyone who’s a fan of Wu-Tang should go a little deeper and listen to each artist’s independent works, especially Ghostface’s. I promise you won’t be disappointed. “As We Lay” is off the spectrum; the only reason why its on my playlist is because I learned to love Shirley Murdock’s voice in this song from my mother. Because she loved this song and always played it, this song reminds me a lot of my childhood. “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Can’t Knock the Hustle” are two songs by my favorite artist of all time, Jay-Z. I feel like these two songs scream Tiffany because of their composition as well as the times in which they were released. I have a slight Jay-Z obsession so having these two songs on my playlist is only right. “Hot Music” is a house music song; I listen to a lot of genres of music including house music, thanks to my step-father. He has a funky taste in music but also loves the classics, so I learned how to love Jay-Z but also love underground house from him. “Llloraras” is a salsa song that I danced to at my Sweet Sixteen, and its important to me because it acknowledges my cultural background. Puerto Ricans and Cubans alike love this song and it truly captures my ethnic background all in one. “Maria Maria” is a song that was on my first physical CD, which was a Carlos Santana CD. This song is a mix of hip-hop (which I love) but also has Carlos Santana playing the guitar on it, so its an awesome mix of two genres. “I Still Believe” is on my list because every little girl thinks she can become a popstar, and I honestly thought this was the song that was going to make me a popstar as a kid. Needless to say, I am not the next Mariah Carey, but it reminds me a lot of my childhood. Last but not least, I was and am a huge Aaliyah fan so it is only right that I put one of her songs on my playlist. She was another person I tried to imitate during my childhood singing days and her death deeply affected me as kid because I was so in love with her at the time.

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Blog Post #1

Blog Post #1

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Blog Post #1

Going Away Photos – I grew up in what New Yorkers might call “Small Town USA”. Yes, we had more than one stoplight and no, people didn’t ride horses down the road but it was an everybody knows everything about everyone kind of community. Therefore, the majority of the friends I’ve had since elementary school. Before we left for college one of my friends who is just now a senior in high school made pictures depicting how far away each of us would be from her and gave them to us before we left. This was the first significant moment where I realized I was leaving behind everything I knew and loved.

Supporting Friends – This year I finally came out to my friends that I’m gay and it was the scariest moment of my life. They supported me fully and I realized that I was my own worst enemy and people who truly loved me didn’t care about my sexual orientation.

Family – I grew up as an only child and had a struggling relationship with my Mom. Therefore, I associate my Dad and my two best friends, Natalie and Lauren, as my family. They have been with me through all the ups and the downs. This picture depicts the last Florida trip we took together in July before we all parted separate ways for college.

Tattoo – Up until 6 months I was planning to attend the University of Mississippi and room with my best friend Lauren. At the last minute, I realized that wasn’t for me and had to break the news to her. We realized for the first time in our lives we would be separated and got “Together Forever” tattooed on our feet written in each others handwriting so we would always be with each other no matter where we were.

Senior Camping Trip – My senior class was extremely close; you could almost call us a family. In order to spend one last time together we took a senior camping trip. This was the final goodbye and a bittersweet trip.

Horrible Driver – Driving is a passage to freedom and definitely symbolized that for me upon turning 16. Unfortunately, I was a horrible driver as shown by my parking job in the grass in this picture. My driving lead to an accident and a speeding ticket. This taught me responsibility.

Tennis – Tennis was a huge part of my entire life, especially high school, and the girls I played tennis with became lifelong friends.

That One Friend… – This bumper sticker that my friend posted on my Facebook sums up my life. I am extremely weird and I have accepted it. My clumsiness and sarcasm adds to every situation. In this picture there is a girl falling off the dock while the others are jumping; I would be the girl falling.

 

 

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