Friday, December 9, 2005
The Resolution Revolution continues
By Melissa Whitten
staff writter
mriAso29o'p , ,lt.edu
-5...4...3...2...1...Happy New Year's
Resolution Time! A giant sparkly orb is
not the only thing dropping this New
Year. Traditionaly, millions of
Americans are determined to drop had
habits they have acquired, and some
find it difficult to follow through.
Resolutions come in all shapes and
sizes and can he as common as losing
weight or quitting smoking or as cre
ative as to never make resolutions
again. Whatever the case, it seems to he
a trend that Americans just won't
shake, regardless of the not-so-promis
ing track record of failure.
The majority of resolutions are
focused on health issues. Freshman
Chelsea Ehert says that she will begin
her Weight Watchers program upon
entering 2006. She wants to get in
shape and avoid unhealthy junk food,
which she believes will make her
Q&A with Blood
By Sean Mihlo
music columnist
snim4Bo(wpsu.edu
No, no, don't hysterically lunge at
the telephone to speed-dial the para
medics. This isn't an emergency. This
is a wake-up call. Meet Brooklyn-via-
Kansas's Blood on the Wall, a three
piece that somehow manage to balance
the experimental noise elements of
Sonic Youth with the dreamy, yet fran
tic mumbles and melodies of dream
pop masters Moose. The hand, fronted
simultaneously by siblings Brad and
Courtney Shanks (he plays the guitar,
she plays the bass, both share vocal
duties) and backed by former Ida drum
mer Miggy Littleton, got its proper
beginning in 2001 writing and record
ing a handful of songs, two of which
ended up on 'their first self-released
seven inch record. A few vinyls later, in
2004, the trio released their eponymous
debut on The Social Registry, a label
that boasts some of today's best new
independent music. After touring the
country with hands like Enon and the
Fiery Furnaces, the group settled down
and began to write for its sophomore
album. Half a decade later, after
Courtney's chance meeting with Miggy
in New York and Brad's move from
Lawrence to join the two in Brooklyn,
Blood on the Wall released
"Awesomer," an expansion of the con
cepts that were first presented on the
band's debut. From the knee-jerking-ly
emphatic "Gone," to "I'd Like to Take
You Out Tonight," which features
shimmering guitars that embrace
Courtney's beautiful, breathy vocals,
ASCII approves online shopping
Dear ASCII,
How safe is online shopping? I've heard that it's safer than giving your credit card to a waiter in
a restaurant, but I've also heard of people having their number stolen after shopping online.
- C.K.
Dear C.K.,
It is simultaneously very secure and very insecure. Overall though, if you use a credit card, you
are pretty safe.
The way the data is transferred from your computer to the computer of the online retailer, like
Amazon.com, is very secure. Even government computers would take a long time to figure out
your credit card number by trying to eavesdrop when you tell it to Amazon.com. That's because
the credit card information, along with your address and such, is all encrypted.
There are two weak points whereby your credit card number could be stolen. Your computer and
Amazon.com's computer. If you have certain types of spyware, they can grab your credit card
number when you use it online. Cleaning off your computer with AdAware and Spy Bot Search &
Destroy will drastically reduce the chances of this happening.
Amazon.com isn't going to have spyware. They may be attacked though. The tens of thousands
of credit cards stored in Amazon's database act as a big shiny lure for criminals.
It can be a problem if you're not buying from Amazon.com, but from "Bob's Shady Online
Store" or some other ill-reputed retailer. The same sorts of scams which happen off-line can hap
pen on the Internet too. The store can charge whatever it wants to your card once it has the num
ber. You gave it to them, so they've got it; no computerized break-in involved. It's illegal and
they'll almost certainly be caught by the credit card company, but sometimes they're a company
based out of somewhere where US law does not apply.
If you use a credit card, you usually are liable for very little, if any of the purchases you don't
make. My Visa card, for instance, holds me liable for $5O if my credit card is used fraudulently by
someone else. Regardless of how much they manage to charge to it, I only have to pay $5O.
You should always keep your receipts. Check them against the bill at the end of the month. Most
of the criminals who break into large online retailers like Amazon.com steal thousands of credit
card numbers. They then charge all of them a small amount for as long as they can get away with
it. So you may only be charged $lO or $2O, but the charge will appear again and again every month
until you notice it and cancel the card.
Do you have a computer question? Then ask ASCII! Send an e-mail to ASCll@psu.edu with
"Ask ASCII" in the subject line, and you may see your question answered in the first issue of next
semester's paper.
sir
C 2)
healthier and happier. She has thought
ahead, though, and points out that the
New Year will begin Jan. 3, after the
majority of yummy party leftovers have
been eaten. Freshman Mandy Spearly
also is taking steps toward a healthier
new year as she has vowed to eliminate
soda as her primary choice of drink. "A
lot of people don't realize how had it is
for you; it seems like something small,
hut it makes a big difference for your
health. - Spearly believes that her goal
will he easily achieved because it is
something small and practical.
Whether it is taking a smaller portion
here or simply ordering the water there,
students especially are making resolu
tions that will better themselves.
Sophomore Arne Weidland says that he
is going to try to step up his studying
next semester as he will he starting at
main campus and has to pay special
attention when the time for declaring
his major arrives. A large portion of stu
dents are like Weidland in promising
themselves better study habits as a res-
Blood on the Wall consistently rede
fines the idea of evolving as a musical
entity, encompassing many forms of
music, which is truly the epitome of
rock and roll. After releasing
"Awesomer - in September of this year,
the hand traveled cross-country to pro
mote the new album. Next week, the
hand will kick-off an East Coast tour of
the States, accompanied by labehnates
Psychic Ills and culminating in a per
formance for Pitchfork's New Year's
Eve hash in Chicago.
CONTRII3IiTID PHOTO
Blood On The Wall releases their new album, Awesomet; their sophmore effort.
The Behrend Beacon: Blood on the
Wall has been a band for about five
years. What spurred the interest in
creating a musical project with your
sister?
By Logan Stack
technology columnist
I I 8 (g' psti.edu
n UDENT r 1
New York drops the hall New Year's Eve, don't drop the hall on your resolutions
olution
Making these vows is the easy part, Poll conducted online, 45 percent of
hut actually following through long those polled had health-related resolu
enough to see results is another story. tions, whether it was to exercise more,
on the Wall's Brad Shanks
Brad Shanks: We get along pretty
good. We have a clothing store in
Brooklyn called Rejoice Exchange.
Between the time there and the time
spent making music, we sec a lot of
each other so it can he a little nerve
wracking, hut any real argument tends
to roll off our hacks.
BB: Having just released your
sophomore album, "Awesomer," in
September of this year, how does the
material from this effort feel in rela
tion to the songs on your self-titled
debut? You guys seem to experiment
a lot with different song styles, not
just sticking to one specific genre of
music and often blending diverse
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
According to a New Year's Resolution
styles on your records. Is that an
accurate statement?
BS: It is accurate, but it is not inten
tional. A lot of people think
"Awesomer" is more diverse then the
first record, but I think the opposite. I
feel like we are honing in on our sound.
It might stem from just liking a lot of
different music, so your influences
show at different points within the
same record.
BB: There's this frantic energy in
your songs that's totally exciting and
infectious. What is the writing
process like for Blood on the Wall? It
seems like you guys are consistently
on tour, so do you write, or even
record, on the
road?
BS: We really haven't toured too
much before this record, but we are
planning to do a lot more throughout
2006. We don't have much time to write
on the road, but when I'm home, I sit on
the couch for hours and just play guitar
and drink coffee and watch movies.
Most of the songs I write are from just
[messing] around on the guitar while
watching a movie. I won't be thinking
about it because I'm way into the
movie, but then I'll remember I'm play
ing guitar because a lick of some sort
has surfaced and I have realized that I
have been playing this pattern over and
over again while being entranced by the
movie. (The movie could be anything
from "Star Wars" to "Caddyshack" to
- Cockfighter.") I know "You Are a
Mess" and "Right to Lite Tonight"
The Behrend Beacon I 7
Frri
rl 01
for 2006
stop drinking or smoking or eating
healthier. On the flip side, 26 percent
answered that they had no resolution
because they "usually only last a day or
two anyways. - Results like this arc
slightly less than encouraging fOr those
who arc seeking a new lifestyle this
coming holiday season and after.
The New York Times provided a list
last year of ways to help retain your
resolution that .may have helped some
who found their attempt to he unsatis
factory. It stressed the factor of repeti
tion and advised resolution-ists to
remind themselves daily of the goal, to
track their progress and to talk about
their plan. "The hest case scenario is to
find yourself a buddy who shares your
New Year's Resolution and motivate
each other. - Another important aspect
of achieving the desired outcome of
January first and beyond is to not heat
yourself up ove r occasional slips and to
reward yourself for doing well. The key
to breaking any habit is moderation not
obsession.
were partly written this way
BB: When and where did you guys
record "Awesomer"? How was the
recording process for this album dif
ferent from the last?
BS: We recorded "Awesomer" at
Rare Book Room in Brooklyn, NY with
Nicolas Vernhes in two different ses
sions. Two songs were recorded in the
fall/winter of 2004, I think, and the rest
in spring of 2005. We recorded the first
record with Nicolas at RBR also. hut
for "Awesomer" we had more time, and
we were given the chance to make the
record we really wanted to make. I
think it shows.
BB: If all three of you were sent
into outer space forever and could
pick only one song each to listen for
the rest of your natural lives, which
song would each of you pick?
BS: Mine would he "Banned in DC"
by the Bad Brains because it is kind of
like two songs in one. You got the fast
part and then one of the greatest break
downs ever, and I can never get sick of
H.R.'s voice. Miggy would probably
pick this old reggae song called
"Barbwire" because he DJs it all the
time and it is awesome. In fact, I want
that to be mine too. Courtney would
more than likely listen to a Misfits song
or a Led Zeppelin song like "D'yer
Maker.-
For more information, visit the
hand's website at www.hloodonthc-
wall.com