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"Every time I look at you I don't understand

why you let the things you did get so out of hand"

Although the high priests in Jesus Christ Superstar claim, "this Jesus must die," I'm on J.Christ's side.  I'm watching it this Saturday night, before Easter day.  The classic caught my eye as my parents scampered off to bed to await their big furry friend. (Who's apparently now their son, me.)

I've mentioned the movie to a bunch of fellow students and surprisingly, it's NOT that popular among our generation.  Of course I realize that it was filmed in the 70s, but due to our age's spirit of social revolution, I thought we might take more inspiration from this time piece.

Although religious, the director (Norman Jewison, hilariously enough) created a classic musical style film with props and a cast that was evident of the era.  The number, "The Temple," just passed.  So controversial for the time, the scene shows the house of God riddled with prostitutes, ammunition, and goods unfit for a chapel.  Jesus shows his true colors and raids the place, turning over tables and cursing the public for disrespecting his/Gods property.  A scene definitely reminiscent of recorded social protests of the 60s.

Over the course of the film there are incredible costume designs.  What the frames lack in vibrant color, the outfits make up for in their typical hippie cuts: tight around the waist, loose around the arms and legs.  The contemporary style continues over to Judas' betrayal when tanks and fighter jets fill the desert and air.

It's clear the films purpose wasn't completely aimed to portray Jesus Christ's death, but also somehow the war that just burdened us pre-production; Vietnam was the first unjustified war in the history of America.

After seventeen sentences of incredibly jumbled text (I counted), I'm sure you're asking, "what the eff does he mean?"  (I'm thinking on Jesus' revolution and transition to Catholicism, and America's anti-war protests...)

My point is, if WE want a social revolution, we need to fight like Jesus and his disciples did (and do).  Let's fight our unjustified war.

(My favorite number)

Don't be a fool like King Herod.

Believe.  Believe in Jesus.  Believe in Santa. Believe in the Easter Bunny.

Believe in SOMEONE.

HAPPY EASTER!

#marriageequality

Intimate Portrait Photo I Project

I really liked how some of these came out.  They're for my photo project on "Intimate Portraits".  I chose to make them of my grandparents.  They have NOT been color corrected yet (due to my lack of a $400 photoshop program), but sharpened, exposed (if needed), and set in B&W.

My Grandparents

Mary Sacco

Carlo Sacco

Carlo's Parents.

Mary's mother, uncle, and son.

"Look at that sandwich"

"They throw a party for you when you go away."

Carlo Sacco as a cadet.

D. Francis Mazzeo as a barrel maker.

"My mother."

Once I'm settled back in the media room, I'll be able to edit!

Hope you enjoy my family history.

Hunger Games cast gets to wear the coolest ish.

Make sure you keep your eyes peeled for the posters of the new installment in the Hunger Games Trilogy,"Catching Fire".

With Jennifer Lawrence winning her first Oscar for "Silver Linings Playbook" and the previous Hunger Games movie being released so long ago, I almost forgot that there was another movie coming out so soon.

Before we get into Catching Fire, I've got to ask - Who would have thought Jennifer Lawrence won an Oscar while shooting a film in between shooting this Trilogy?  I'm no critic, but I'm right when I say Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint DID NOT win an Academy Award while shooting an entirely separate role from the characters they played in Harry Potter series.  (Sorry guys, but Lawrence did do something so many of us cannot.)

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in her wedding dress

(Photo Credit: Lionsgate)

I was completely surprised when I was watching the award show.  Although it seems like I'm extremely shocked, I am happy for her.  Nevertheless, Lawrence committed to the role of Katniss Everdeen, and will finish playing her.

It's not just Lawrence that's making extremely unfamiliar advances in the film industry, but the entire Hunger Games production.

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is projected to be released on November 22, 2013 - and of course it's not too early to start gaining, recreating, and reinstituting their fan base.  Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation released photos made into posters for the new film.

Whats different about the promo posters is that there's no date and only a small Hunger Games emblem on the upper right corner.  How untraditional.  But it's true that we all know and remember the faces of the cast.  Though our society's borderline cultish following of this trilogy, Lionsgate knew we didn't need clarification that an entirely new movie is coming out.

Instead they treat us like were part of the target audience for the 75th Hunger Games, dressing the cast up in elaborate Captiol costumes, using vintage props, and photoshopping the pictures with vibrant colors and a faded backdrop.

Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman

(Photo Credit: Lionsgate)

ABC's article states that James Lawrence is the new director for the second film.  ABC relays J. Lawrence's statement; “The new movie will be very real, which is what I’m excited about.”  I'm excited too.  The combination of what J. Lawrence's art is projected to encompass, and Trish Summerville's costume design will clearly blow us away.

One of my Favorites:

Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket

(Photo Credit: Lionsgate)

Trish Summerville's Capitol Couture website can be viewed here.

The photo's are a series of portraits revealing the faces of Effie, Beetee (new character in "Catching Fire"), Johanna, Caesar, Cinna, Haymitch, Gale, Peeta, and of course Katniss Everdeen dressed up in her wedding gown.

The portraits remind me a ton of family photographs taken in the 1930s.  The faces are solemn and nostalgic; the seem focused on their job in their fictional world and not the photos being taken of them.

Even if you've read the book before, I'm sure a lot of you share my sense of eagerness and unpredictability for the upcoming film.  With my obvious high expectations I can only hope that Jennifer Lawrence kills it.

P.s. - They're currently shooting the film in Hawaii.  They've already convinced me into seeing the film due to the sole fact that the scenery is a hell of a lot better than what I see outside my Fairfield U townhouse window.

Reading...

So I haven't had too much time to recreationally write this semester.  I'm taking six classes (while still subsequently receiving exceptional grades).  But this also means that I don't have enough time to do what I REALLY want to do.

I could be blogging about CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) or how regimes are established within global environmental politics - as I'm currently in my Global Environment class - but too much of something ruins its quality in the future.

Although a favorite add of mine, sometimes we don't want more.

Warning: As a general consensus of my friends at Fairfield University, senior year is unexpectedly overwhelming.  I've been reading VICE (recommendation by Georgia Lobb) to keep my mind off of the 'real world'.

An interesting, and local, article from yesterday:

"New York Cops Will Arrest You for Carrying Condoms"

Photo courtesy of VICE

And a realization from abroad (today):

"The Children of Romania's Communist Estates"

Photo by Ioana Moldovan

Pawtraits: 1

"Miley"

Photographs by Gabriel Sacco

Love, Love, Love, Love, Love

My buddy and long time roommate, Marty, asked if he could use my computer in the late hours of one night last week.  Later I’d find out that I was, regretfully, doing the right thing.

I had to pry my computer out of his hands two hours later.

Bored out of my own mind from lack of Hulu, Netflix, news searching and Stumbling, my Skype was open, computer drained of battery, and Marty had a disappointing look in his eye as he tried to get his own computer to stop fritzing.

You could say that Marty’s the lucky one of us four roomates.  You also might be able to tell from this vague incident that Marty has a girlfriend; He’s in LOVE.

And I mean the mushy, gushy, squishy, i-cant-stop-stairing-into-your-not-so-special-eyes kind of love.

Either it seems obsolete or too good to be true at this age, but ultimately love is an innate part of us humans.  We aren’t the only animals that can experience this emotion, but we definitely – like other emotions – express them the most.  Love defines an attachment we have to people, and extreme cases, things.

We all know that there are obviously different kinds of love.  Friendship love, familial love, erotic love, religious love.  In lieu of Valentine’s Day, I’ve provided some of my favorite Facebook posts of the day exemplifying how these kinds of love are displayed.

Christel Carmody:

"I said yes this day to the love of my life... And now I get to keep him forever. Let our adventures continue! Chris thank you for believing in us and know that you are my world.. I love you 7!"

Chris Carmody:

 [Posted on his wife's wall.]

Alison Mears:
"We just have a lot of feelings, okay?

http://www.hercampus.com/school/emory/letter-b-school"

Dean:

"I ran over cupid on my way to work this morning! YES! Lol"

Dean:

Allie Albright:

"Missing my better halves on valentines day... NINATAKA KONYAGI SASA HIVI"

Amanda Lupo:

"To my boyfriend, Nutella. Omg, where to begin! I love you so much babe, and you have literally been there for me ever since my rugrat days. You never falter to put a smile on my face. Even though you broke up with me because of my abrupt teenage weight gain, when we got together, I swear...it was like someone put us on some wheat bread & we became a new love sandwich. You were my first kiss & yea kid, I'm plan for you to be my last. ♥ ♥ ♥ happy valentines day, Nutella!"

Millennium Promise:

"Happy Valentine's Day! Share the love!

Want to know how you can become part of Millennium Promise and help end extreme poverty? Join the 2015 Circle and become a monthly donor! Every gift at any level counts. http://bit.ly/VgPfUq

(Child singing at the kindergarten of Kominé in Tiby, Mali)"

 

Jess Curlyfries:

"Sure, announce to the class Ms. Curley is pregnant with a baby boy. Sure, tell her she can find a boyfriend on a dating website to get her pregnant. Sure, tell her that the chocolate she's eating is going to make her pregnant with a food baby that "comes out the other end." Sure, be the most hysterically inappropriate 6th grade class on the face of the earth..."

There you have it.  I hope you have the same loving friends that I do.  You can't tell me its not an adventure to pick out all the different kinds of love around us.  Whether its "Marty Love" - to which I fully support the relationship with his magnificent girlfriend - or just a simple love for helping others, we experience these every day.

So if your mopey about Valentine's Day, the next time the date comes around, don't think of it in terms of Marty Love.

Spread your love anyway you want. Make it about the love.

A Super Special Birthday

Mom visiting me in Dar es Salaam!

Don't forget to thank your Mom for being the best.  Happy birthday Pat Sacco!

Dreams of an EDMhead

CHECK THIS OUT:

There's a rumor that because it's the 15th year anniversary (2013) of the Ultra Music Festival - with the largest turn out ever - the city will actually sink into the Atlantic Ocean from over 200,000 feet pounding on the streets of downtown Miami.

You're lucky if you went to the grocery on time...

It's been written about in excess this past week.  The recent blizzard, Nemo, attacked the North East with over 4-5 inches of snow per hour at some points in the night.

I woke up Friday morning at my friend Georgia's home (desperately hoping my French exam would be cancelled) to three inches of snow falling already.  There were definitely no looks of it letting up.  After slugging down a few cups of coffee, I read over my notes and drove to class, which I can say was a complete success in my '98 Subaru Legacy Outback.

My 9.30 AM test ended at 10.20.  I left my classroom and napped for a while.  When I woke up at least a foot of snow was on the ground.  We were stuck!

The two houses of girls next door to us decided to come over and brace together for the Snow-pocalypse.

In total, six states declared a state of emergency, with over 5,000 flights cancelled due to the major airports in New York and Boston.  Never mind the flights, people couldn't even get out to the grocery.  It's known that these stores have the longest hours, especially the commercial - but evermore local - Stop & Shop in town.  I went on Thursday afternoon right after my class got out.  Was I thinking about prime grocery shopping time?  Of course I don't think of those things.  The place was packed.  Moms, dragging their kids around, Grandmas dragging their husbands around, and a few leftover college students getting their last fresh veggies before the lock in.

The Fairfield Stop & Shop was open until the night of the storm and unable to open on Saturday.  Hopefully no one was stuck.  I can only imagine how packed it was when the lot finally got plowed.

Some pictures taken of the snow.   The pictures were taken on the Sunday after Nemo hit.  Fairfield County and New Haven area got pounded with around 35-40 inches of snow.

Friday Morning: The biggest waves the LIS has ever seen.

Cars in a bit of snow

Ms. Smalley's car: Covered not only by snowfall

Fairfield University townhouses under snow

Again, Ms. Smalley's car

Photography by Gabriel Sacco

Should we be prepared for more snow?

Yes, of course we should it's February.  As a matter of fact it's supposed to snow again on Saturday.  The clouds should hit not so much on the coast, but rather on land.  Out in Oklahoma, the predications are the same as Fairfield county - a mere one to three inches.  Hopefully it melts right as it touches down.  West Virginia is predicted to have the most accumulation - as much as three to six inches.

Although most of local tots are looking to get a fresh covering over the newly soiled snow, I can guarantee the majority of their parents are annoyed due to the fact that this is our third socially-debilitating storm of the season.

"Your first resort, and your last!"

I woke up to a sprinkle of unexpected snow on the ground, grabbed a cup of coffee (I've recently been scooping my roommates's Starbuck's dark roast in to the coffee maker -- I'm hooked), and sat down to flip through an old issue of "The Economist" when I came across a short promo on Hell.

I've always enjoyed reading "The Economist" not only for the international news that is very well covered, but also because every so often they do things like this:

"A very rough guide"

Due to our dying use of religion and increase reliance and faith in government, "The Economist" rightly published this flyer.  Why not create ads to save their economy?  It could be the best thing they do.

My favorite quote: "Money may well be the reason you are here especially if you come from Cahors, the city of usurers, or worked for Lehman Brothers.  But don't bring cash or cards, unless you want them melted down and poured into your mouth through a funnel."

Mark Twain On Travel

As a huge promoter of travel, I find this illustrated Mark Twain quote on travel fully explains the elimination of “prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness” that we all deserve.

Why Travel?  In my opinion, I shouldn’t have to explain.  Not only does it open our minds, but gives us soul and personality.  Our minds take in so much information every minute.  Contradicting this last statement – we see similar things every day, especially in the Tri-state area.  So why not travel?  Why not simply take a trip as short as driving to eastern PA or Upstate NY?  The more information our brains take in on culture, the better.

You might hate it and you might love it, but I know it’s certain that your travels will only develop your person so much more.  Travel gives us something to relate to, talk about, and a sense of adventurism.

Why do I travel?  To find out why people do the things they do.

As cliché as it sounds, I love that feeling of the unknown.  Making last minute decisions on pretty important issues is my contemporary “Goonies” scenario.  I usually develop Cranky Baby Syndrome if I’m not able to travel for a while.

Ultimate traveler and naturalist Cody Lundin poses for his own blog photo.  “The more you know, The less you need”.  He travels the wild barefoot, not having worn shoes since the 1980’s.

I find the idea of illustrating these monumental quotes as super helpful.  It seems as if reading simple humor or satire while determining the deeper ties to theory and thought – as Mark Twain’s style conveys – is becoming increasingly difficult as we move further and further from that era.  The bright colors of Than’s work captures the eye and aids us in finding the reason these words were written.

The illustrator’s (Gavin Aung Than) passion lies fully in cartooning and illustration.  With a background in graphic design, Than has over 400 published comic strips including two long-running pieces.  From simply visiting his website after I found this strip, I found a compilation of comics running from quote illustrations like this one to traditional published newspaper strips.

In between it all he expresses situations dealing with relationships, sporting and political events, globalization, society and the all-relatable stresses of human life.  The characters range from a huge medium of personalities and forms including monsters, superheroes, and of course human-toons.

Than’s Website: http://gavinaungthan.com/

Happy New Year

This past year, marked as twenty-twelve, has passed.  I find myself saddened, but excited in a bittersweet farewell, accompanied by an equally bittersweet hello to twenty-thirteen.

The thirteenth year of the century brought unparalleled skepticism even before the New Year commenced.  But who are we to blame?  Our ancestors who abided by the code of Hammurabi omitted a thirteenth law in suspicion.  The number and date (Friday the 13^th) has been deemed unlucky by the Babylonians since before 1772 BCE when the code was introduced.

What does that mean?  To me, ‘unlucky’ means nothing.  The only thing I can imagine as I sit waiting for class to start is how Hammurabi, young successor to his father’s key to Babylon, loathed the 13^th day because of his losing lotto numbers.

Through the ages Christians, Vikings, and Persians didn’t settle well with having a 13^th number.  Why can’t we omit it from the Arabic system?  Will 14 be the new 13 if we do?

Triskaidekaphobia is what it’s called – a fear of the number 13. 

To my own dismay Ireland seems to be the new contender in the fight against 13. In Ireland, just like in any nation, cars of the 2013 model are required to be registered by the government. Independent.ie reporters Padraic Deane and Allison Bray wrote in August 2012 that the New Year would diminish car sales and registration of cars simply due to the fact that the number 13 will be printed on new plates.  Could government law actually be changed due to superstition?

Apparently yes, it can.  License plates registered in the first six months of the year will show ‘131’, and if registered within the second six months of the year will show ‘132’.

“Superstition over the number 13 could also have a serious impact on the sale of new cars by owners who fear it will bring about bad luck or accidents…” said the reporters.

It seems as if the entire nation of Ireland has finally took triskaidekaphobia too far. 

The number 13 has always been by favorite number.   I was born on the 13^th of November, and I have never been afraid of the number.

I say down with the suspicion of the number 13.

I am skeptical of 2013 as a year, though.

This special year marks the graduation of Fairfield University class of 2013.  I haven’t the slightest clue on what or where I’ll be in near future.  Who’s to say that the brutish working world won’t drag me to the depths of hell?

My ultimate skepticism of 2013 draws attention to my professional life and future goals.  I’m striving to graduate with a degree in International Studies and Politics, with a minor in Biology.  With interests in international journalism and photography, my new year’s resolution is to use this blog to share my experiences with up to date news.

By surfing the web and pulling from this final semester’s university experiences I can only hope to produce something useful to my readers.

Wish me luck, as I do all of you who are in my position.  I hope you enjoy.