The Journey of a Frustrated iPhone User

     I am an avid Apple user. I have always had a Mac and I plan to always have a Mac. I have had every iPhone (except for iPhone 4s) since their creation, three apple laptops and two iPods, (are you getting it yet.. I love Apple). This short story is going to give you an inside look at the frustration I faced when one of my iPhones….malfunctioned.

     I got my iPhone 4 sometime around August of 2010. Everything was fine until about a year ago. A strange message would show up on my screen. My calls wouldn’t go through, I couldn’t get or send a text, and my internet was out the door. I shut off my phone and turned it back on. This seemed to fix the problem, so I went on with my day… little did I know that this was only the beginning.

     I soon realized that the issue was not going away and I tried, I really did try to live with it. But there comes a point when having to turn your phone off and on just to send a text becomes a bit ridiculous. I also started to think about the possible safety issues that this malfunction could cause. For example, if I am being chased by some creepy attacker, I highly doubt that he would listen to me if I said, “Excuse me sir, but can you hold on a second while I turn my phone off and then back on so that I can call for help, thanks a bunch doll.” A silly example, but I think you get my point.

     It turns out that the SIM card drawer had broken, and since I was past my warrenty, I would have to buy a brand new iPhone for about $400. That was not going to happen since I knew that a new iPhone was already in the works. So I decided to buy a run of the mill phone for $50 and save my upgrade for the iPhone 5.

     This Pantech has done me well, I can call and text without any hassle, and it has allowed me to separate from high tech gadgets for a while. But the time has come for me to rejoin my Apple sistren (?) and say hello to the iPhone 5!

     I am really looking forward to the newest addition to the iPhone family and will probably be just as in love with it as I have been with its other family members.

Until Next Time,

Jenna Buthman

Davie's Dogs

     Being a dog living in an apartment complex can get to be pretty boring.  You go to the same patch of grass everyday to do your business. You chase the same squirrels only to be stopped just before the bottom of the tree by your annoying leash. You can’t even play with the other dogs outside because their owners get offended if you even bark hello. Sometimes it’s nice to have a change of scenery and a chance to hang with friends without your parents standing over your shoulder. That’s why we love going to the dog park. 

     

 BEFORE: Headed to the park, hanging out
the window, and enjoying the breeze.

     We go to William R. Davie Park off of Pineville-Matthews Rd., where there is a well-kept, four acre dog park for pups like us. Separate sections for small dogs under 20 lbs. and dogs over 20 lbs. are nice so that the big dogs don’t get intimidated by us running the show. When we get into the gates, we are taken off our leashes and free to roam. We introduce ourselves to the other dogs there by sniffing a few butts, and then chase and wrestle each other the entire time. It is in the middle of a wooded area, so the tall trees and birds chirping create a nice ambience. Benches are placed throughout the play area so our owners can relax and watch us play. There’s a water pump to fill up the dog bowls provided there and even a baby pool for us to jump into if it gets to be too hot outside. 

     To be able to get some exercise while playing fetch and exploring in the woods keeps our tails wagging for days. It’s also a great way to socialize and has taught us to view dogs we don’t know as playmates, not enemies. By the time we get back to the car, we are worn out and sleep for the majority of the day when we arrive back home. We love going to Davies Dog Park, and hope to meet you and your dog there some time. Come check it out and play with us! 

AFTER: Worn OUT in the backseat
after playing for hours!

It’s a 'RUFF' life,

Wrigley and Lola

(Brittani Pedersen)

Was Apple's iOS 6 Software Update Successful?

Last night, I downloaded Apple’s new iOS 6 software for my iPhone 4. Due to QUWIFI, the download took a little longer than expected, but good things can wait right?

Upon the download being finished, I like every other inquisitive person, explored my phone to find what was updated. One of the first things I did was text a friend, and I noticed countless new Emoji, which is Apple’s emoticon language.

          One of the next things I noticed, was that the Maps app, had been updated from Google maps to Apple maps, which knew precisely where I was, not just at Queens, but which part of Wireman Hall I was in.

           I was rather disappointed in iOS 6. I assumed that there would be massive new updates because it had been such a long time since the last software update for Apple products. An argument an be made that Apple is holding out for the iPhone 5 release, but I think that would be dumb. Apple software updates apply to iPads and Macs as well, neither of which are having a new model released soon, at least to my knowledge.

           Also with the legal battles that are ongoing with Samsung, I would have thought Apple would have wanted to distance their product with several new and unique upgrades. This would have presented a reason to stay for those unsatisfied with Apple’s decisions.

            I will concede that I don’t have Siri on my phone, and that is supposed to be one of the major upgrades with the iOS 6 software. Siri is now supposed to have ample knowledge of sports and you can speak to Twitter and Facebook updates, as well as get movie reviews from Rotten Tomatoes and restaurant reviews from Open Table.

            Overall, I don’t think anyone was ‘wowed’ by the software update. I also know that there were several quirks with WiFi and people lost their music libraries. I think that those will go away with time though. Apple had a huge chance to distance itself even further from Samsung and put its legal troubles behind them and I don’t think that they succeeded, at least with the potential they had.

Calvin Lescault 

Hipsters: A Closer Look

I am perhaps the least hip person I have ever met. I have never really been able to identify with hipsters, but my new roommate opened my eyes to who they really are for the first time.  His name is James Dunlevy, and he is truly the epitome of the movement. From his skinny jeans to his vinyl records, James quickly gave me an inside look into the social subculture sweeping the nation.

                What I have learned about hipsters is that it is very hard to differentiate between them and their evil, elitist imposters who knew all about that band before you did. For the purpose of this blog, they shall be called the “anti-hipsters”. The distinction between these two groups is particularly difficult because they are almost completely identical. It appears that the only thing that sets them apart is the reason for their actions. Real hipsters, such as my dear friend James, act the way they do because they really don’t care what people think of them. They genuinely like indie rock bands (which is a feat in itself), and they buy their clothes from thrift stores because it is actually a ridiculously good value.

For most of my life, I thought I was condemning my progressive pioneering brethren, but James made me realize that I was really criticizing the anti-hipsters. I was completely unaware of this sub-subculture (It’s pretty underground stuff, you probably wouldn’t know about it), mainly because it makes absolutely no sense. At the essence of every real hipster is the ability to not care. That means they can wear cut-off jean shorts and not shave or cut their hair for five years without any personal strife. Anti-hipsters do not have this impressive quality. They buy clothes that look like hand-me-downs at high prices in order to feign some sort of apathy towards the world, and they also tend to put all their Instagram photos of the sky in sepia tone. You are hopefully experiencing an extreme sense of confusion due to that horrifyingly inept logic, and I apologize for having to expose you to it. But that’s what this blog is about: uncovering the truth, and now I have done that. Mission accomplished.

- Eric Richard

              

They matter the most

     Where I come from, family comes first. We never disrespect one another; we always work out our problems before leaving each other’s sight. We are always honest with each other, no matter if it hurts.  We argue and fight sometimes but what family does not. My mom, sister and brother, who I live with when I’m home, mean the most to me.

     Destiny Keith, who is my 10 year old sister, matters. I love this girl with all my heart but I know one day she has to grow up. Sometimes I wish she could just stay young and be pretty but I know that cannot happen. As she grew up with two older brothers in the house she understood things real well, especially boys. I have given her the run down on boys already and I will continue to. I am a protective brother because I know how guys are. I always told her to focus on school and not boys. I feel like it has been working because she is a straight A student and just loves school. I never knew a kid who was ready to go to sleep so she could wake up for school. She has really made me proud.

     Dashawn Stabler, who is my 19 year old brother, matters. Growing up with him we had our differences, but we did not let those differences affect our relationship. We are very close and do everything together. When he needs something I am there, and when I need something he is always there. We have a great relationship and we both have to protect our sister because we are the older brothers. He looks up to me so I try to be a good role model to him.

     Donna Keith, who is my mother, matters. She is the one who was with me all the time. I know she has unconditional love for me and my siblings because she demonstrates that every single day. I am in college and every night she still texts me to say goodnight and that she loves me. I love my mother to death and I could not have asked for anyone better. She wants us to be successful and I am going to do that to make her proud.

They matter the most in my life!

Antonio Stabler

Turn It Up!

     Throughout the entirety of our lives we spend a significant portion of our time doing the same “activities” repeatedly.  For the purposes of this post I’m going to assume that the majority of us spend a very large percentage of that time listening to music while either driving or riding in a car.  Let’s face it, we listen to music all of the time and being in a car without music can be, well, boring.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some pretty deep conversations during car rides, but there are also those very awkward, music-less rides as well. 

      I for one am very adamant about the quality of the music that I listen too.  In fact, I have invested what most would consider being an unreasonable amount of money to ensure that I am constantly listening to the best sound quality possible.  The most important, and most expensive of my audio playback devices would without a doubt be my car.  For those of you who are still riding around with your factory system, I’m going to introduce you to the world of car audio.  I’ll teach you the basics so that you can enhance your listening experience if you so desire.  First things first, car audio can be an addictive hobby and run up a pretty price tag but like most things in life, you get what you pay for.  That being said, you can still upgrade any component of your car’s audio system for a reasonable price, and will still hear a tremendous improvement in the sound quality of your music.

      The first upgrade to consider is a stereo.  While you may think by turning up the bass level on your stock stereo you get “bumping” sound, you’d be mistaken.  Truthfully, the only thing that cranking the bass up on a stock stereo does is distort the rest of the playback levels, and can even destroy the little paper speakers in your doors.  Aftermarket stereos have a much better output levels that what comes standard in all vehicles, even standard Bose stereos.  This means that the highs come out crisper and lows deeper, even from those standard paper speakers.  Unfortunately, unless you know proper wiring techniques installing an aftermarket stereo on your own is rather tricky.  There are a few extra pieces and parts that need to be purchased as well, which is important to consider when shopping for stereos.  Since vehicle manufacturers do not want anyone tampering with their masterpieces, they make it more difficult to swap the stock radio out than just “plug-and-play.” 

      The next thing you should consider swapping out are those paper speakers I mentioned that are located in the door panels of your car.  While you can go ahead and swap out the speakers and keep your stock radio, they will sound better than what comes standard, but will be much better when receiving the quality outputs from an aftermarket stereo.  The benefit of adding aftermarket speakers to your car’s audio system is the wider range of sounds that can be produced from these speakers.  Aftermarket speakers are designed to be able to produce much higher, and much lower sounds than stock speakers.  Once you swap out your stock speakers for aftermarket ones you will immediately notice a dramatic difference, and you may be surprised to find that you are hearing sounds that you’ve never heard before from your favorite songs that you’ve heard millions of times.  Now swapping out speakers is much less difficult than installing a new stereo and can be done by the average Joe.  All you need to do here is go on the Internet and look up what size speaker your car takes, purchase a new set either online or in store, pop off your door panels, unplug the old ones, and plug in the new.  I know I make this sound pretty easy, but I must always recommend that you take your vehicle to a specialized car audio shop in order to get any of these upgrades.  Yes, you will have to spend a little more cash, but you won’t be liable for anything that might go wrong.  Plus, you will generally receive a lifetime warranty on products and installations from these shops.

The last upgrade I’m going to discuss is amplifiers.  Now for those of you that just want to hear your music clearer and crisper, you can go ahead and leave this item out because I’m sure your budget may be running thin at this point.  For those of you who want everyone else to hear what song you’re listening to or just get those new speakers to reach their full potential, this is a must have.  Amplifiers pretty much explain themselves.  What they do is amplify the outputs from the stereo, sending more power to the speakers, which makes them louder and drastically, improves the sound quality.  For amplifiers, I highly recommend that you consult a car audio shop before purchasing or attempting to install because if the amp is not properly installed it could cause your car’s battery to drain unexpectedly and even destroy your new, awesome speakers, trust me on this one I’ve had my fair share of blown speakers due to improper amp settings; even a small fire once, so this is a serious matter. 

      I hope that those of you who took the time to make it through that extensive explanation have learned something that you didn’t already know, and maybe are starting to put a little thought into upgrading your listening experience.  For me it is important that my car audio is of very high quality, seeing that I spend a whole lot of time driving.  Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!

Jeremy Bugbee

Working the DNC

          Last week starting on friday the 31st of October until the thursday the 6th of September I worked at the democratic national convention.  One of the things that surprised me so much about working the convention was how friendly everyone was.  I realized that it’s amazing how much more you can experience when you take full advantage of an opportunity.

            On Friday while I was waiting in line for coffee I met a businessman around the age of 32 who invited me to a dinner party he was hosting for the mayor of Las Angles.  I took his number and at first was very skeptical about the whole situation but ended up going.  I decided that because the address to the party was for a restaurant downtown, I was going with a friend, and police officers were all over downtown due to the convention that I would be ok. 

I am so glad that I went because as soon as my friend Raulston and I arrived at the party and found Fabian Nunez who had invited us earlier that day we instantly felt welcome.  Fabian then introduced us to Antonio Villaraigosa Jr. who is the mayors son and Chris Delgado who is the mayors nephew.  The four of us hung out all night and ended up exchanging numbers so that we could see each other again.  All week long the boys brought us to almost every party they went to including a party hosted by Eva Longoria, and a small get together at Will I Am’s suite in the Ritz Carleton.  The week was crazy, I would make it back to my apartment sometime between 2 and 4 in the morning and then have to wake up at 7 to go to work for the dnc.  However I wouldn’t trade that week for the world.  And although I was exhausted after everything was over, years from now I’m not going to remember the experiences I had much more then how tired I was.                  
-Anna Kirwan