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(02/21/14 4:15pm)
He's been making people laugh for 27 years.
Ron White has been one of the top three comics in America for more than a decade; he's dedicated to his craft and he's not slowing down.
"I've done 11,000 shows," White said. "I used to do nine shows a week, 50 weeks a year."
With a thick "Texas accent," as White called it, he commented on how performing in the South compared to performing in big cities in the North.
"Well it's surprisingly similar, you know, because we all respond to the human condition that is pretty much the same," White said. "Even with Blue Collar, we always sold tickets in the North as well as we did in the South because it's really geared toward people who have to get up and do something, you know, for a living."
Blue Collar Comedy Tour was a widely popular comedy tour with Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy and White. White said he wouldn't be where he is today without Foxworthy and the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, and he's still known for many of the jokes he told on that tour.
"Most of my fans know that I won't do old material," White said. "There's no such thing as a hit joke. If you know the joke, you know the joke, so we have to move on and I have to tell you a new joke."
White said the jokes he tells aren't written in any notebooks or scribbled down on any napkins and he never sits down to write.
"It's processed in my unstable brain and worked out on stage," White said. "Jokes are kind of like puzzles, you know? If you find something that's really funny you can build the puzzle around it."
The way White processes and writes his jokes coincides with his comic style, which is to be true to your nature. White said for a long time his managers told him he needed to be more like other comics, corporate clean, but White never changed.
"I'm gonna be myself," White said. "The closer you get to who you really are onstage, the more people respond to it, for whatever reason."
This thwarted rumors that White had given up drinking and only drank apple juice on stage as part of his act.
"I don't know how that got started," White laughed. "You can actually go on YouTube and see footage of me in a suit, cigar, scotch, diving in to a mermaid tank. So if that doesn't scream I still drink I don't know what does."
Number Juan is the tequila White drinks on stage, an award winning liquor he and his brother-in-law created.
White is an accomplished comic, published author, actor and has owned multiple businesses. White said he's not opposed to branching out even more, but not if it compromises his tour.
"Once [tickets] are on sale, they're on sale and I'm coming," White said.
Tickets are on sale now to see White on Feb. 28 in Columbus, Ga., March 21 in Birmingham and March 22 in Montgomery.
(02/18/14 9:55pm)
I'm a feminist. I'm also a masculinist. Most accurately, I'm a peopleist.
I'm not the first person to coin the term "peopleism," and I'm not the first to share its ideals, but it constantly surprises me how much we let gender get in the way of real things happening.
Feminists, like abolitionists, had a valid agenda at one point in time. There were rights and laws in America that didn't let women do the same things as men. But those laws have been overturned, and women in America have every right that men do. So why are we still setting ourselves apart?
Men, on the other side of the coin, have even begun to blame the feminists and the feminist movement for taking their jobs and taking away their masculinity. There is some truth to the belief that decreased sexism toward women has turned into increased sexism toward men, but I think it's time for the blame game to end.
People need to start being appreciated for who they are and what they do, period.
It can be an awkward boat to be in when you consider yourself liberal-minded and you come across the idea of feminism.
"Yeah, wahoo! You go girl! You're great because you're a girl, and you're doing something worth noting." Isn't that much more sexist than simply saying, "Hey, you did something great. Good job." Why does a lack of the male sexual organs still mean so much?
It's the same idea as the racism and sexuality debates: it's over when we start acting like it's over.
What if someone was coming to campus and giving lectures with names like these?
"Black men doing things worthwhile."
"Gays are living and working in your neighborhood."
You would be right in being offended, but Gloria Steinem has been to Auburn multiple times giving a lecture that she calls, "Extraordinary Women Lecture series."
Why doesn't that offend in the same way as the other hypothetical lecture series names?
By singling out women for doing extraordinary things, you're insulting and belittling their achievements.
Steinem did a great deal in the early stages of the feminist movement and is hailed by many as the leader of it. She was a columnist for New York magazine and co-founded Ms. Magazine, but if she wants her hard work to come to fruition, she needs to do less.
This doesn't mean everything has to be geared toward both sexes. In fact, I think the opposite. There is beauty in the differences between men and women, and it's time we celebrate them instead of condemn them.
I'm constantly in awe of women. I've watched women nurture and understand, moving through life with a grace and beauty I could never achieve. I'm also constantly in awe of men, with undeniable strength and abilities unmatched by women.
Broad generalities are in no way conclusive, but my point is we're different and we need each other. Isn't it time to be on the same team?
(02/04/14 10:55am)
Music, smiles and good times were rampant in Opelika Saturday night for Covers for a Cause, a benefit concert that raised money for BigHouse Foundation.
Chandler Jones, senior in radio, television and film, helped put the event together and played one of the only sets with a full band.
"We had talked about it for a while, having just a big showcase of all the musicians and all the artists in the area, but this is the first event like that that we've done," Jones said.
The event was originally planned to be a Christmas show with proceeds going to BigHouse Foundation to distribute toys to foster kids, but the SEC Championship game fell on the same day. It was rescheduled to Sunday.
The show was held in a warehouse in downtown Opelika, and the walls were lined with vendors selling local goods. Curious Fox, Loyal Stricklin and John Emerald Distilling Company were a few of the vendors.
Sam Street, sophomore in marketing, talked about how he got involved with the event.
"It basically all started with Richard Patton, he owns the warehouse and he got everything set up," Street said. "He knew that I played, so when he was looking for local musicians to put on the concert he sent me a Facebook message."
Street played Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash and Skinny Love by Bon Iver. Many different genres and decades were represented, including songs by Elliot Smith, Bob Dylan and Band of Horses; a local artist played each cover.
When Jones took the stage with his band he surprised the people who knew him by sitting down behind the drum set.
"That was my very first time to play drums," Jones said. "Literally, I've never played drums before. The first time was in front of 200 people, and I broke a drumstick."
After Jones played, all the performers joined the stage and collaborated with a cover of "The Weight" by The Band. There were at least 12 instruments going and almost everyone sang a line.
The Good Doctors took the stage after that and it only took a few songs before everyone that was left in the warehouse was dancing and sweating to the funky jams. Just when the party was really bumping, however, the lead guitarist walked off the stage.
Everyone else in the band looked just as shocked as the crowd, but quickly a chant of "we want the funk" broke out and the band responded with an improvised bass and guitar number.
That intermission lasted about a minute before the guitarist returned with a cigarette in his mouth and picked up his guitar with a smile.
Abbie Hale, senior in education, stayed for the after party and The Good Doctor.
"There wasn't anyone standing at the wall," Hale said. "Everyone was dancing; [The Good Doctors] were funky."
They were called back onstage for two encores.
(02/04/14 12:00pm)
Music festivals are just around the corner. Do you know how to survive?
According to a festival regular, survival is easy. The real challenge is getting the most for your money and seeing all of your favorite shows.
Reed Stewart, senior in radio, television and film, has been going to festivals for years and has learned plenty of tips and tricks to share.
"My biggest tip would just be to always stay with someone," Stewart said. "If you're with a group or with a few people, I would never choose to peel off by myself whether you're going to the restroom, or concessions, or going to get a drink or something. It just gets so hectic with all those people running around every direction."
Stewart went on to explain the unreliability of cell phones in the midst of thousands of people. Stewart said messages don't send and calls don't go through, so a simple walk to the port-a-potty could be the last time you see your friends for the day.
Fernando Turpin, junior in English, has a different set of priorities.
"Don't sacrifice a band you really want to see over what your friends want to do," Turpin said. "You'll see [your friends] later, but the band you won't."
Staying together definitely makes things easier, but if you miss Paul McCartney framed by fireworks singing "Live and Let Die" in front of 100,000 screaming fans because your friend was too tired, you wouldn't be able to forgive yourself. Some things are worth going solo.
If you're going to a camping festival, staying clean and hydrated are among the hardest things to master.
"I know I'm gonna be relatively gross so what I do is wash my hair in the free sinks, then you basically use baby wipes to keep the rest of your body clean as well as you can," Stewart said. "But you just get used to being gross after a while."
Getting grimy is part of the experience of camping festivals.
As long as you're not so dirty that it gets dangerous, try to embrace it and don't hesitate to jump in the fountains.
When it comes to water, however, hydration is far more important.
Stewart goes to festivals with a specific budget just for water.
"I always plan on buying one to two bottles every hour," Stewart said. "Cause you're sweating, and there's just non-stop dancing and moving in the hot sun. If you're not throwing down the water then you're just going to dry right up."
At Bonnaroo, a popular summer music festival in Tennessee, you will often find staff throwing bottles of water into the crowd - but only if you can find the right stage.
"The stage names are the ultimate troll," Turpin said.
"Which Stage" and "What Stage" are the names of the two big stages at Bonnaroo. "This Tent," "That Tent," and "The Other Tent" are the names of the smaller tents; you can imagine the confusion that ensues.
Rachel Rubin, junior in communications, gave some advice for first timers.
"Don't have expectations going into [a music festival]," Rubin said. "Because it's going to be very different for every person."
If you are flexible, patient and love music, you're a perfect candidate for this year's roundup of music festivals.
(01/28/14 7:26pm)
Covers for a Cause is a community potluck and concert to be held in Opelika, Saturday, to raise money for a local non-profit organization. Local musicians will be covering 40 different songs while local artists display and sell their work.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Big House Foundation. Big House is non-profit organization based out of Opelika that is "dedicated to meeting the needs and improving the quality of life of children in foster care."
The potluck and art showcasing starts at 6 p.m., so bring your favorite dish and a pocket full of cash. Music starts at 8 p.m. and will include Adventure the Great, Tea Cup, Lonely Wolves, Jen Coates and 15 other local musicians.
Loyal Stricklin, Mamma Mocha's Coffee Emporium, Richard Cecil Hagans and The Curious Fox Co. are some of the artists and vendors that will be set up selling their goods.
General admission is $10, student admission is $5 and all ages are welcome. Bring your own beer, and a lawn chair if you'd like.
(01/24/14 9:11pm)
Aaron Lee Tasjan will take you on a journey and drop you off somewhere both familiar and unknown. And when you get there, he'll break your heart and make you bend over laughing with only his voice and an acoustic guitar.
More than 50 people congregated at Standard Deluxe, a venue in Waverly, Ala., Sunday to listen to Tasjan sing. Littered with art, posters and memorabilia from past acts, the venue included a couple of houses and a small field bordered with pines.
Tasjan sat on a yellow metal chair on one of the porches and checked his small silver flip phone.
"I used to get nice phones," Tasjan said. "I had a couple, and I lost them. So, I kinda decided it wasn't a good investment anymore to buy nice phones."
He grew up in a small Ohio town where he graduated with a class of less than 100 students. Right out of high school, he bought a plane ticket to New York City where he learned how to survive. His biggest feat was finding an apartment through Craigslist that saved thousands of dollars in hidden fees.
Tasjan spent his years living in the Big Apple writing and performing music that people always told him sounded southern. He attributes this sound to his influences.
"My number one hero of all time is this guy named Kevn Kinney who is the lead singer of this band called Drivin' 'N' Cryin,'" Tasjan said. "He made this record with a guy named Peter Buck, and the record was called Macdougal Blues. I thought, there's probably no way that I'll ever do it, but if I could just write one song that was as good as anything on this record one day, I would retire. And I'm still trying to do it."
He laughed and joked through his interview, but when he took the stage there was a noticeable change in his demeanor. He was a born performer and he was in his element. Song after song sent ripples of laughter through the cold, crowded room, only to be met by intimate silence as Tasjan sang about hard truths.
"His act made me feel like I was from Ohio. He was a good storyteller," said Michael Brudi, senior in architecture. Musicians, and artists in general, have a stereotype of being narcissistic and thinking that no one understands them, but Tasjan doesn't fit any stereotypes. He talked about the beauty of words and how he didn't see music as a business, but rather as an opportunity to be great.
"I just wanna write the best song I can write, I wanna play the guitar the best that I can, and I wanna sing it for anybody that wants to listen to it and might get something out of it," Tasjan said. "I don't really know where that leaves me nowadays, but I'm really hopeful that I am able to keep doing it cause it is my favorite thing in the whole world."
His debut solo EP "Crooked River Burning" will be available this spring.
(01/25/14 11:15am)
Aubie has inspired Auburn fans in fields, courts and stadiums for decades, but Friday night in Disney World, he yet again proved himself as the best mascot in the nation.
Aubie won his eighth Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) mascot national championship since his first win in 1991.
Aubie left his bags packed from Pasadena and headed to Orlando, Fla. to take part in his second national championship this year, but this time he came away with the victory that every Auburn fan knew he deserved.
Taylor Akers, junior in communications, is one of the Directors of Aubie.
"There are three [Directors of Aubie] and we all work together," Akers said. "We divide and conquer."
After packing up on Wednesday and making sure the props were all together, ready and fit for competition, Aubie and his team left for Orlando on Thursday.
"On Friday Aubie had inspection on all his props to make sure they were OK to compete, then Friday night was the competition," Akers said.
Just like Auburn's football schedule, Aubie didn't have an easy list of competitors to sweep through to win big.
He was up against mascots that have won, or come very close to winning, in past years.
"Alabama's always a good competitor, and they did very well," Akers said, "but Aubie's had some bigger competitors this year, especially with the Honey Badger, as well as Goldy the Gopher who came in second place."
Fans on Twitter voted him the number one choice, but when it came to the judges' pick, Aubie and the 2013 winner, University of Minnesota's Goldy Gopher, were the last two standing.
After ESPN announced Goldy was the runner up and Aubie had won his eighth national championship, Aubie shook hands with Goldy and accepted his trophy with some notorious head shakes.
Props and outfits are essential to every mascot, and Aubie has some of the best.
"Aubie kind of just tells us what he's feeling for the football games and things and then we go out and go to different thrift stores, we go to costume shops and just try to put together what he's looking for," Akers said.
Although Aubie's props and outfits were key to his success in the competition, Akers was quick to give Aubie the credit for his victory.
"I think with Aubie it's that he doesn't need a lot of props to be great," Akers said. "He doesn't need a lot of props to stand out. He has a few really good, solid props and he just lets his character shine through."
Aubie and his team are continuing to make history while Aubie brings out the tiger in all of his fans.
"We're extremely proud of [Aubie] for bringing home an eighth national championship," Akers said. "None of the mascots have even come close to that, so I think that shows a lot about our program and how much he works throughout the year."
Aubie has won more UCA mascot national championships than any other mascot.
(01/23/14 4:30pm)
Bicycles are everywhere on campus, and whether you love them or hate them, they're here to stay.
Zach Wise, senior in communications, said, "I live about half of a mile away, over behind Mike and Ed's, and I can leave my house and be in my seat in the Haley Center in four minutes."
Wise contacted The Plainsman the day after his interview to share he had beaten his record by one minute.
The main reason many people have so much disdain for bikers is the collisions and near collisions they have to deal with while walking on the concourse. Luckily, Wise has not crashed into anyone, but he has had some other problems.
"This is why I don't walk places," Wise said, "I was walking on the concourse, hit one of these little rivets with my shoe, and I forgot how fast gravity works 'cause I was sprawled out on the ground and people were laughing at me."
Wise, the physical training instructor for Marine ROTC, said he wasn't deterred for long by the fall, but it confirmed for him that walking is something he tries to avoid.
For Wise and others who choose to commute via bicycle, the University has stations in different locations across campus where bikers are able to hang their bikes up, and tune it with the tools and pump provided.
Carson Legg, senior in architecture, said he doesn't use the stations.
"They suck," Legg said. "They're left out in the elements: rain, snow, fire, wind. They're not taken care of, so they just get jacked up. One of the pumps ruined my valve."
Legg isn't the only person who ignores the bike maintenance stations. Amelie Thomas, junior in early childhood education, said she hasn't even given them a chance.
"I don't ever use them," Thomas said. "I don't really think they work, and I don't really want to find out."
Thomas, an Auburn Outdoors employee, said Auburn Outdoors has provided a solution.
"We have a bike shop in the bottom of the [Recreation and Wellness] Center," Thomas said. "In the rental area, there's a place where you can take your bike and work on it, and we have a bike person that can help you."
The shop has thousands of dollars worth of tools and pumps that will not harm your bike. While things are looking up for bikers' maintenance, not everything is smooth sailing.
During Thanksgiving break, Wise said someone stole approximately $8,000 of property from him, including his bicycle.
Weeks after the incident, Wise said he saw what was undoubtedly his green bike cruising shamelessly past his house, ridden by a man who later identified himself as Jay Walker.
"There's no doubt that that's my bike," Wise said. "So, I throw my long board to the side, run up, grab the handlebars and body check this guy off of my bike. He goes flyin' and lands on the ground. Then I kind of look over and I'm like, 'I want my bike back.' That's really what I said to him."
None of his other stolen property was ever found, but Wise said he is back to happily riding his bike to and from class in three minutes.
(01/22/14 2:25am)
Arts and entertainment will be discussed in Opelika, Monday, when the Envision Opelika 2025 focus group gets together to brainstorm. The focus group has had meetings on economic development, neighborhood restoration, crime and safety, education and more and was the group that spearheaded the building of the Opelika Sportsplex.
"That's probably our crown jewel." Dora James, a member of the focus group said, "We got the ball rolling thinking about that and got a group of citizens together that kind of sat down and started developing some plans of what they would like. One thing led to the next and finally it ended up where we got everything lined up and the building of the Sportsplex happened."
Envision Opelika 2025 started in 2001 and has been positively influencing the community for 13 years. James continues to serve Opelika with the focus group's meeting on Arts and Entertainment.
"It's time to kind of bring some new blood, some younger people because the future of Opelika is going to be theirs." James said, "We have performing arts, visual arts, we have the dance, we have literary arts; we're trying to get people from all these different groups together to just talk, 'Okay, what would be some neat things for us to develop in Opelika?'"
The meeting is open to the public and will take place at the Cultural Arts Center in Opelika, Jan. 27, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. The center is a few blocks down from The Overall Company on 1103 Glenn Ave.
(01/18/14 12:49am)
Aubie has inspired Auburn fans in fields, courts and stadiums for decades, but tonight in Disney World he yet again proved himself as the best mascot in the nation. Tonight Aubie won his eighth Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) mascot national championship since his first win in 1991.
Aubie left his bags packed from Pasadena and headed to Orlando, Fla. to take part in his second national championship this year, but this time he came away with the victory that every Auburn fan knew he deserved.
Fans on Twitter voted him the number one choice, but when it came to the judges' pick, Aubie and the 2013 winner, University of Minnesota's Goldy Gopher, were the last two standing. After ESPN announced that Goldy was the runner up and Aubie had won his eighth national championship, Aubie shook hands with the Goldy and accepted his trophy with some head shakes.
Aubie has won more UCA mascot national championships than any other mascot, and his wins aren't slowing him down.
(01/14/14 11:00pm)
Hackers are getting better, where is the security?
Everything from money to relationships has moved online, but online security is moving a little slower.
Snapchat is an app used for sharing quick photos and videos that are erased forever after an allotted time, or at least that's how it is advertised.
Hackers recently shared 4.6 million names, phone numbers and pictures they stole from Snapchat.
"We are sorry for any problems this issue may have caused you, and we really appreciate your patience and support," the company said in a blog post Thursday morning.
Even a week after their apology, many Auburn students hadn't heard about the hack.
When Allie Heckel, senior in public relations, heard about the hack she said, "Blame it on my inner Millennial, but some hacker knowing my username and phone number doesn't really bother me."
Patrick Murphy, junior in industrial design said, "I mean, it's worth the risk for me because I only send selfies and stuff. I don't have anything important on there."
To some, losing their phone number to hackers is more of an annoyance than a matter of personal security, but the world is relying on the Internet more heavily every day and security is lagging behind.
"We just need the good guys to catch up with the bad guys," Heckel said. "To be honest, I put all my Christmas money in a book. I don't trust anyone else with it."
Heckel's fear was realized in December when more than 70 million people's information was stolen from Target's databases. Hackers obtained credit and debit card numbers and caused many credit card companies to issue new cards to their customers.
According to USA Today, many people have stopped shopping at Target following the breach, and if they do, many are choosing to pay in cash.
Grace Howard, junior in biomedical sciences, was worried about the breach but said it wasn't going to affect her money habits.
"It bothers me, but I'll definitely still use my debit card," Howard said. "The great thing about knowing where you are on your money is that you notice when something's off and can report it."
When money isn't involved, however, security isn't on the forefront of people's minds, especially when using apps like Snapchat.
"It's just good to physically see people and the funny things going on in their day," Howard said.
Murphy said he liked Snapchat because it felt more like a conversation by seeing people's faces, but when they're gone, they're gone.
"I think most of us are just used to having no privacy," Heckel said. "People have been telling us all our lives how there is nothing private on the Internet and how dangerous it all is. So, when we hear about a hack or something, it just doesn't surprise us. It does worry me when they start stealing people's money, though."
Snapchat and Target are only a couple companies that have recently gotten hacked. So, as 2014 begins, closer attention to cyber security might not be a bad idea.
(01/12/14 3:45am)
Netflix subscriptions, like iPhones, are quickly becoming standard for the majority of our generation and making other methods of entertainment seem outdated.
The question, "Do you have a phone charger?" is answered, followed by "Four or five?" instead of with any inquiry of the make or model of phone you have.
It's the same with movies and TV shows. Students assume if you have a TV, Netflix is an option, and it is automatically factored into entertainment possibilities for the night.
Josh Reebals, senior in sociology, doesn't have cable at his apartment anymore.
"I don't really miss cable," Reebals said. "I can watch all the shows I want, when I want, and without commercials. The only thing I miss about cable is sports coverage. I've been a little out of the loop."
His favorite show is How I Met Your Mother, which he watches religiously, going through seven seasons in a matter of a few weeks. He also watches Orange is the New Black, a Netflix original program, and Arrested Development.
"There's always something I could watch that I'd like," Reebals said. "I've never turned off Netflix because nothing was on, which is a good thing and a bad thing."
Netflix competes with Hulu Plus, iTunes and Amazon Prime for customers, but it is popular among Auburn students.
"I have Netflix, and I use it most of the time for movies and to watch Power Rangers if I'm feeling nostalgic," said Jordan Rice, senior in physical activity and health. "But I also have Hulu Plus to watch shows close to their TV release date."
Rice's favorite shows are New Girl and How I Met Your Mother.
Netflix is becoming the standard, but not everyone is making the switch so wholeheartedly. Wilson Wingo, senior in mechanical engineering, prefers going to the movies over Netflix.
"There's a whole social thing. Candy and popcorn and the sound of other people in the theater that you miss out on when you watch movies at home," Wingo said. "I'd rather be in the theater, but I don't make it to movies as much as I'd like."
For people who do regularly watch Netflix, some other popular shows are Bob's Burgers, Dexter and House of Cards; and there is always a steady supply of good movies.
Like the gradual switch from VHS to DVD, Netflix and other Internet streaming services are overshadowing DVDs and have made movie rental stores nearly obsolete.
(01/09/14 10:08pm)
The phrase, "We're going to the 'ship" took on an entirely new meaning as airports overflowed with Pasadena-bound travelers the days leading up to the national championship. Airports were so crowded the idea of nautical travel began to sound like a more plausible way home for many Auburn fans.