It’s Friday night and you’re out of ideas. Well, here’s one. You could rent the newly released movie, The Blind Side, and make a meal fit for tailgating to accompany it.

The Blind Side, based on Michael Lewis’ book, tells the true, heart-warming story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American teenager who gets taken in by a well-to-do white family. Sandra Bullock plays Leigh Anne Touhy, the strong-willed but kind woman who adopts Michael (played by Quinton Aaron) and slowly unpeels his layers to reveal his kind and gentle demeanor.

Michael’s focus in life changes from day-to-day survival to school work and football practice as the Touhy family helps him work toward a football scholarship to college. The supporting cast includes country star Tim McGraw as Mr. Touhy, Jae Head as little brother SJ Touhy, and Kathy Bates as Michael’s tutor. Currently, Michael Oher is an NFL player for the Baltimore Ravens.

A nice variety of tailgating food would make a delicious accompaniment to this football-oriented movie. This meal is fairly easy to prepare, very delicious and surprisingly healthy.

 Main dish: Barbecue chicken sandwiches, 4 servings

Recipe from Eatingwell.com

Ingredients: 

~ 2 cups shredded cooked chicken

~ 1 cup shredded carrots

~ 8 tablespoons barbecue sauce

~ 8 teaspoons light ranch dressing

~ 4 small whole-wheat sandwich buns

~ 4 leaves romaine lettuce

Preparation:

Combine chicken, carrots and barbecue sauce in a bowl. Spread ranch dressing on the bun. Top with the chicken mixture and lettuce.

Nutrition per serving: 323 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 62 mg cholesterol; 37 g carbohydrates; 26 g protein; 4 g fiber; 729 mg sodium; 456 mg potassium.

 Side Dish: Broccoli-Bacon Salad, 6 servings

Recipe from Eatingwell.com

Ingredients:

~ 1 clove garlic, minced

~ ¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise

~ ¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream

~ 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

~ 1 teaspoon sugar

~ 4 cups finely chopped broccoli crowns

~ 1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped

~ 3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

~ 3 tablespoons dried cranberries

~ Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

Whisk garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar and sugar in a large bowl. Add broccoli, water chestnuts, bacon, cranberries and pepper; stir to coat with the dressing.

Nutrition per serving: 89 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 200 mg sodium; 193 mg potassium.

 Dessert: Chocolate-Covered Brownie Bites, Makes 64 Brownie Bites

Recipe from Eatingwell.com

Ingredients:

~ 1 8-inch-square pan chilled brownies, cut into 1-inch squares

~ 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, melted (see Tip)

Preparation:

Dip half of each brownie square in melted chocolate, then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. (Reheat chocolate, as needed, to keep it melted.) Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Tip: To melt chocolate, microwave on medium for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving on medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted. Or place chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir until melted.

Nutrition Per brownie bite: 38 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat); 4 mg cholesterol; 6 g added sugars; 1 g protein; 6 mg sodium; 21 mg potassium.

Now imagine how scary it would be if your new barber tried to kill you.

That’s the key plot element in Sweeney Todd, a musical that has a long and rich history. The String of Pearls first debuted on stage in 1847. However, in 1865 the play was rewritten and was renamed Sweeney Todd, the Barber of Fleet Street: or the String of Pearls, and the name Sweeney Todd stuck. The first Sweeney Todd films were created in 1926 and 1928, but in recent years, most of its popularity comes from the movie that came out in 2007 starring Johnny Depp.

This year, Kettering Fairmont High School has decided to take on the challenge of putting on this unusual musical. It will be presented at in the Kettering Fairmont High School Auditorium on April 22-24. It will be presented at 7 at night the first two shows and 2 in the afternoon for the final performance.

Sweeney Todd’s director and choir director Brody McDonald thinks the current reputation of the film presents a a challenge for the Fairmont cast and crew. “One of the hardest things is getting the kids out of the mentality of the movie,” he said. “Yeah, it’s going to be similar, but we obviously can’t do all the same things.”

McDonald thinks Fairmont students are doing well managing the production. “It’s an extremely challenging musical, and the cast is handling it very well. Most high schools can’t pull Sweeney Todd off,” he said.

In the past years, Fairmont has staged productions such as Guys and Dolls and Thoroughly Modern Millie. However, Sweeney Todd, a musical horror story, takes Fairmont to new and uncharted territories.

Senior Matt Letteri, who is playing Judge Turpin, the main antagonist in this year’s musical, thinks the transition to this new genre will show how diverse the cast is capable of being. “We’re really excited for the change into horror; we think it’ll work out extremely well. And we’re already really adapted to it,” he said.

Letteri also has to change his character for the play. “To be Judge Turpin, I have to be really creepy – which I think is one of my strong points,” he said.

But playing the creepy Judge Turpin isn’t the only challenge Letteri is facing in Sweeney Todd. “The biggest obstacle while rehearsing has been dealing with the complexity of the music,” he said.

Sophomore Matt Ebersbach said the time he’s spent practicing for the musical has been amazing. “I have really enjoyed working with the rest of the cast and on songs that show off all of our talent to each other,” he said.

Ebersbach can’t wait for the debut of Fairmont’s musical. “People should come see Sweeney Todd so that they can witness one of the greatest productions in school history, starring the legendary Bobby Symes,” he said.

Symes plays Sweeney Todd, the maniac barber who kills his customers. “The most challenging aspect of the musical is learning how to become him and key into his emotions. I basically have to learn to become a psycho who kills people, which is extremely difficult,” he said.

There is a lot of characterization that the cast has to deal with while playing their roles. “It’s hard for young people to tap in to the emotional level their characters have,” McDonald said. “For instance, Bobby Symes is 18, and his character is supposed to have been in prison 15 years. He can’t even remember 15 years.”

Because he’s the lead, Symes feels even more anxiety than he normally would while rehearsing. “I’m already feeling stressed while rehearsing, but I would say that a lot more stress comes from being the lead. Because I’m Sweeney Todd, I feel like there’s a lot resting on my shoulders,” he said.

And due to all the stress, Symes says he’s relieved to be working with such a great cast. “Everyone definitely brings out the best in me. I feel privileged just to be working with everyone,” he said.

The entire cast is extremely excited for the play to begin. “It’s wonderful because … it’s going to be awesome. Everything’s coming along nicely, and when the play debuts, it’s going to be the best night of my life,” Letteri said.

McDonald thinks the musical is traditionally “under attended because it’s not something the students think they’ll like.”  However, he thinks all that should change this spring. “If anyone comes to see the musical, this is the year. The story of Sweeney Todd will be cleaned up a little bit, but it’s still the same story. We’re going to have the orchestra on stage instead, an immense chorus, the lead is phenomenal and the stage design is incredible,” he said. “It’s going to be the best musical we’ve put on in 10 years.”

Tickets will be on sale through the month of April in the music office or at the door when the show performs. The cost is $8 for adults and $6 for students and senior citizens. Seniors with the Seniors Are Special pass can get in free.

Twitter.com was launched in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, who decided on the site’s now-famous name after finding the word “twitter” while searching for synonyms for the word “twitch.” Dorsey says he wanted the service’s name to capture “the physical sensation that you’re buzzing your friend’s pocket.”

The site is based around users sending out “tweets,” messages of up to 140 characters, which appear on the user’s profile page and are also sent out to his or her subscribers, or “followers.” Users can publish and receive these messages through Twitter’s web site, by text messages from cell phones, or by other external applications for computers or smart phones.

While not currently as trendy among teenagers as MySpace or Facebook, Twitter’s popularity has slowly but steadily begun to spill into the hallways of Fairmont.  Senior Mia Maddox uses Twitter, but she doesn’t take the service quite as seriously as others.

“I know it’s pointless, but the small idea that someone could read over some lame comment I said about my day, and then start to follow me, seems fascinating,” said Maddox, whose favorite Twitter users to follow are Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, creators of the comedy television series Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

Celebrities flock to Twitter

Many celebrities have taken to Twitter in the past few years, using it to communicate with the public on an easy and large-scale basis. From President Barack Obama boosting his presidential campaign, to Miley Cyrus dishing out music recommendations, celebrities communicating with the masses has become one of Twitter’s most popular uses.

In February, movie director Kevin Smith was asked to exit a Southwest Airlines flight before takeoff due to a “safety risk” resulting from his weight. He had purchased two seats in accordance to the airline’s “customers of size” policy, but then chose to board an earlier flight instead, which had only a single open seat. Smith, who boasts more than a million and a half followers on Twitter, immediately lashed out at Southwest Airlines, directing multiple unhappy tweets at the airline’s own Twitter account. “Dear @SouthwestAir – I know I’m fat, but was Captain Leysath really justified in throwing me off a flight for which I was already seated?” said Smith’s first tweet regarding the incident.

Southwest Airlines addressed Smith’s concerns in a timely fashion – through Twitter. He turned down their offer to give him a $100 coupon as compensation with a dissatisfied, profanity-laced tweet.

Smith was able to board a later flight, during which he posted a picture of himself after being seated along with a tweet saying, “Hey @SouthwestAir look how fat I am on your plane!  Quick!  Throw me off!”

Twitter as a launch pad

Twitter isn’t just used by celebrities to update the masses on their personal lives, however. As several events have proved, Twitter can act as a springboard for much greater things.

On Feb.12, 2009, more than 200 cities across the globe took part in the first international Twestival. The event gathered Twitter users in big cities to raise money for charity:water, an nonprofit organization providing developing countries with clean and safe water sources. The event raised $250,000, all of which went to charity:water’s projects, and in April 2009, the first Twestival-funded well was drilled in Ethiopia.  Those attending the Twestival in Cleveland raised $1,440, and Twitter users in Columbus contributed $60.

In June 2009, the official results of the Iranian presidential election sparked huge controversy and allegations of fraud in the volatile nation. Iranians began protesting immediately, but the government suppressed many forms of protest, including certain online mediums of communication. The Iranian government did not suppress Twitter, however – and protesters flocked to it.

Twitter’s high accessibility through mobile devices, its speed and ease of use, and its price – free – made it a convenient and popular choice for suppressed protesters.  Outraged Iranians broadcasted their anger at being censored by the government, and they also relayed news of the violence taking place in their country to the rest of the world, in real time. While it was impossible to confirm the absolute truth of many of these tweets, they were some of the only instances of citizen communication during this unstable time period in Iran, making Twitter a much more valuable tool than most people ever imagined it would be.

The future of Twitter

In our fast-paced world, many popular technologies and Internet phenomena quickly turn into fads and then fade into oblivion. It’s unclear as of yet whether Twitter will join these ranks or not, but many are hopeful for the future of Twitter.

TIME.com published an article in 2009 titled “10 Ways Twitter Will Change American Business,” written by 24/7 Wall St. The article examines the possibilities for businesses, both local and national, to utilize the simple model of Twitter to reach out to potential customers. Already, companies including Whole Foods, Dell, Jet Blue and Starbucks have stepped into the Twitter universe.

Maddox also thinks Twitter’s popularity will last, mostly due to its simplicity.  “It isn’t asking much for you to do but write what you think in under 140 characters,” she said.

The new definition of “tweet” may not be in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary quite yet, but with words like “frenemy,” “reggaetron” and “staycation” finding official recognition in 2009, it’s only a matter of time.

By now, most Fairmont teens are aware that the highly popular Chipotle Mexican Grill moved south from 3910 Far Hills Ave. to a new building located in the 4300 block of Far Hills Ave., in the new Charlotte Gardens development.

This area will also be the home of Dewey’s Pizza, set to open in the spring. Based in Cincinnati, Dewey’s serves hand-tossed and stone-baked pizza. The only other Dewey’s Pizza in the area is on Jasper Street, just off of Brown Street near the University of Dayton.

Another new entry into the Kettering restaurant arena is All Stars Sports & Wings, located on Wilmington Pike just south of Stroop Road. The restaurant opened Sept. 13, 2009, at 4139 Wilmington Pike, but had to close soon after due to a lawsuit involving a non-competition agreement. An out-of-court settlement in mid-November allowed the restaurant to re-open. The building originally housed a Grindstone Charley’s restaurant, which closed in early 2008.

Finally, Norton’s Bar & Grille isn’t new to Kettering, but the restaurant and bar did relocate to a larger building closer to Fairmont High School. Norton’s moved from 2505 Wilmington Pike to 580 Lincoln Park Blvd., across from the Fraze Pavilion. Norton’s took over the space vacated by the Lincoln Park Grille, which closed Jan. 1, 2009.

There are movies for everyone – romances, comedies, romantic comedies, family flicks, book adaptations, inspirational sports dramas – I think you get the point.  Check out these previews of this holiday season’s potential blockbusters.

Planet 51 (Nov. 20 – rated PG)
Written by one of the masterminds behind Shrek, Planet 51 tells the tale of astronaut Chuck Baker (voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and his journey to an uninhabited planet.  The only problem is, it is inhabited – by little green aliens who live in a strikingly Americanized culture with little houses and picket fences and barbecues.  Now, the astronaut becomes the alien.  Will Chuck be able to survive in this strange world, surrounded by little green men who have never before encountered a human being?

Twilight: New Moon (Nov. 20 – rated PG-13)
You probably know by now whether you enjoy the Twilight phenomenon or not.  New Moon is the second of the series’ movie adaptations.  It depicts Bella moping through her senior year of high school, pining for her vampire crush Edward who, guess what, is playing hard to get.  Meanwhile, she begins spending time with the equally mysterious Jacob, who helps her fix up a motorcycle to, as the official plot synopsis states, “carry her on her adventures.”  There will be vampires.  There will be werewolves.  There will be romance.  New Moon will destroy the box office and become the talk of the town, whether you’re a fan or not.

The Blind Side (Nov. 20 – rated PG-13)
Michael Oher is poor, homeless and uneducated.  Oh, and he’s a teenager, too.  The Blind Side tells the true story of Oher, now an offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens.  Taken in by a relatively well-to-do white family, Michael begins to overcome the challenges of his difficult childhood and realize his true potential both in the classroom and on the football field.  With the help of his adoptive parents and a tutor, Oher bumps his 0.9 GPA up to a 2.65 and proves himself capable of balancing school and sports, earning the respect of his teachers, coaches, teammates and peers.  The film stars Quinton Aaron as Oher and Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw as his adoptive parents.

The Road (Nov. 25 - rated R)
Based on the bestselling novel by Cormac McCarthy (author of No Country for Old Men), The Road is a post-apocalyptic road trip movie.  Well, sort of.  An unspecified yet all-encompassing disaster has left the entire country devastated. Very few are alive, and those who have managed to survive must scrounge for food and shelter like animals, trying to avoid the cannibalistic clans who wander in search of their own type of sustenance.  The sun is almost completely blotted out by ash and dust, and the winter is permanent.  A man and his son, the focus of the movie, travel south with hopes of finding warmer weather and water.  Will The Road live up to the gut-wrenching book it was adapted from, or will it fall short and become yet another one of those dime-a-dozen “end of the world” movies?

Brothers (Dec. 4 - rated R)
When Sam, a Marine, husband and father of two goes missing in Afghanistan, his younger misfit brother, Tommy, takes his place at home and cares for his family.  Brothers features a grand slam of a cast including Tobey Maguire as Sam, Jake Gyllenhaal as Tommy and Natalie Portman as Sam’s wife.  Sam and Tommy are worlds apart; Sam is a wholesome family man embarking on his fourth tour of duty for the Marines, whereas Tommy is a charismatic troublemaker fresh out of jail.  Tommy’s patriarchal presence in the home of his MIA brother stirs up quite a bit of drama and chaos, leaving a mark on everyone in the household.

Everybody’s Fine (Dec. 4 - rated PG-13)
When a widower (Robert De Niro) starts feeling lonely around the holidays, he decides to go on a series of surprise visits to the homes of his grown children and their families.  He expects to be welcomed with open arms, but he seemingly fails to realize that his children all have their own separate lives now – and they’re far from perfect lives.  Everybody’s Fine tells the story of a family reconnecting with each other against the backdrop of one of the most cherished times of the year – Christmas.

This is America’s addiction to horror movies.

The thrill of fear attracts millions of movie-goers to the theaters every year. Last year alone, more than 40 million people bought tickets to get terrified by movies like Saw V and I am Legend.

Since the early 20^th century, horror films like The Hunchback (1910) have entertained and frightened audiences with their depictions of monsters ostracized by society. With the birth of special effects, producers began focusing on depictions of the supernatural, such as zombies, aliens and demons.

Horror films are usually classified under three categories. There are the horror-of-personality films like Psycho and Halloween, which often show tragic and tormented characters who take their anger out on society, usually on unsuspecting teenagers.  Then there are the demonic horror flicks like The Exorcist that usually resemble many couples’ first year of parenthood with a lot of unearthly screaming and projectile vomiting. And who could forget the Armageddon movies like Dawn of the Dead, with hordes of hungry zombies hobbling after a few survivors?

Coping with the frightful scenes

People deal with fear from movies in many ways. Some scream, cry or use the “fear filter” of covering their eyes and ears. “I get really nervous in a scary movie,” said sophomore Kylie Miller. “I bite my nails, scream, jump and hide behind my coat.”

Others, like senior Stacey Person, try to find the humor in the horror to make it seem less scary.  “When the scary part comes, I just laugh,” he said.

The adrenaline rush from watching a suspenseful scene attracts millions to the theaters and is part of what psychologists call the “fight or flight” response. Your heart starts pounding in your ears and you grip the arms of the theater chair, sticky from spilled Pepsi. Some people even run out of the cinema.

Local clinical psychologist Susan Toole, Ph.D., thinks part of the appeal is that people can experience fear in a controlled environment. “They aren’t in a true situation, so it’s almost like they can master that fear,” she said.

Toole also thinks America’s culture has become used to excessive amounts of violence on TV and in movies. “Sometimes people get addicted to the adrenaline rush of fear.”

Enjoying the relief at the end — if you can

The thrill of the fright is clearly the main attraction of horror films. “It’s like when you first ride a rollercoaster,” said senior Tonea Pope. “There’s that feeling when you get out where you think, ‘I want to do that again!’”

The best part for some is the relief as the end credits roll in and the suspense rolls out. But for most, the fear doesn’t stop there. “Afterwards, when you’re trying to go to sleep, you hear every noise in your room,” said sophomore Briahna Shifflett.

After seeing a horror film, a person’s mind is usually still in a mode of apprehension and fear, so everyday things that people might never pay attention to become surefire signs of a “slasher” at the door. Take the branch tapping against the window in the wind. Could it be a mutant zombie coming to eat your brains?

Many, including Shifflett, had trouble getting the recent horror hit, Paranormal Activity, out of their heads when it was over. “Oh, my God!” Shifflett said. “That scared the crap out of me!”

Even though they are dismissed as “B movies” and get a bad rep from many critics, there seems to be something in those “slasher” horror films that America loves. It could be the thrill and the action or the gore and violence. But it could always be those loveable and familiar horror villains like Hannibal Lecter or Leatherface.

Or that masked-ax man behind you right now.

On almost every Friday morning for over a decade, Good Morning Fairmont has been broadcast to the student body in advisories.  The program is produced and taped by students from the Career Tech Center’s Interactive Media class, taught by Laura Hutchens and Karl Bremer.  While Good Morning Fairmont’s main purpose is to announce both ongoing and upcoming school events, the hosts also make an effort to entertain their audience and begin the last day of the school week with a few laughs.

New faces, new traditions

In past years, permanent hosts appeared on the show each and every week, but this year’s hosts vary from one week to the next.  Seniors Kevin Erman and Allie Dyer hosted the first installment of this year’s Good Morning Fairmont on Sept. 4, and the Sept. 11 show was hosted by seniors Tim Green and Brooke Curtis.

This year’s hosts were selected late last school year through a combination of teacher recommendations and informal auditions, which were conducted to determine the best position for each person.  As for a long-term schedule, Green, student producer of the show, says they’re taking things one week at a time for now.  “Things are a little rocky at this point, but we definitely hope to have different faces at the desk from one week to the next.”

Along with the faces at the desk, there are upwards of 10 other students behind the production of Good Morning Fairmont.  “On an average show, there are usually 10 to 15 kids involved altogether, including those who work on pre-production,” said Hutchens.

Technology brings new goals

As for the goals of the Good Morning Fairmont crew this year, Hutchens says they hope to gain more of a presence on the Internet, partially with the help of The Flyer’s website, www.fairmontflyer.com.  “In most high schools across the country, the journalism classes work directly with the media classes,” says Hutchens.  “We’re hoping to establish that kind of connection here at Fairmont, too.  I think the kids will really get into it.”

Green echoes these sentiments.  “I’d be really happy if we could get the entire school interested, the students and the teachers alike.”  Along with going online, Green says he hopes to increase schoolwide interest with the addition of themed shows and new videos.

Others can get involved

Hutchens also hopes to incorporate more of the student body into the production of Good Morning Fairmont this year, with added positions such as field reporters.  “If anyone has any ideas of something they want to see on the show, they should come talk to us and we’ll see what we can do.”

Anyone interested in getting involved with Good Morning Fairmont should pay a visit to Room 515 in South Unit.

Cartwright is excited to come back to her hometown and “help out the good folks of Kettering.” She’s also looking forward to working with the students in the fall play. “I’m excited to actually be on stage with the students doing the performance,” she said.

Six Fairmont students were cast in the play with Cartwright. They are seniors Allie Dyer, Kevin Erman, Jay Kain, Tim Green and Kat Yghbuhay and freshman Caroline Grogan.

“When I was casting, I looked for talent, but also I wanted to choose students who would be good representatives of Fairmont,” said Social Studies teacher and play director Ross Taylor. “This is a very special opportunity for these students to be in a play with a professional, and I wish I could have chosen more than six students.”

Fairmont’s first Reader’s Theater production

The reason for small cast is because this year’s play is Fairmont’s very first Reader’s Theater production. The actors will be using only their voices to convey the message, without the use of any props, sets, makeup or costumes. “We hope to portray the power of the written word and give the audience the experience with the delivery of our voices,” said Taylor.

Dyer, who plays the circus owner, Mrs. Johnson, enjoys the Reader’s Theater style, but finds that it is harder. “Just acting with my voice is more difficult because I can’t just hide behind movement,” said Dyer. “It is hard to not have visual cues when I’m interacting with other actors.”

Cartwright appreciates the fine art of storytelling in Reader’s Theater. “It gets the listener to be able to contribute to the art form,” she said. “Storytelling invites the imagination to create the images and inspires creativity in anyone who listens.”

Green also thinks that Reader’s Theater is more difficult. “It is a different kind of challenge,” said Green. “In the beginning, I wasn’t prepared for it, but now that we’ve been practicing, it feels more and more like any other play.”

If I Were You chosen as this year’s play

The play If I Were You is set in a circus. Cartwright plays the main character Little Tom Little, a midget who struggles with accepting himself. Through a series of twists and turns, Little realizes that, in the end, it is better to be himself. Narrating the play will be Fox 45 morning anchor Pete Scalia.

Cartwright was Little Tom Little in the original performance of If I Were You in Hollywood a number of years ago. She helped choose this play for Fairmont because, she said, “the reading created such a lovely effect on the audience. It created such a magical feeling.”

Cartwright has been an advocate of The American Library Association since the early ‘90s. “I work with at-risk kids in my community with a literacy program that is just getting fabulous results,” said Cartwright. “I guess you could say that I am a total fan of reading and so Reader’s Theater just seemed a natural fit.”

Every year, Taylor tries to pick plays that send an important and timely message to the audience. “If I Were You gives the message that we should focus on the soul of a person and not be so caught up on appearance,” he said.

The show times are 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20. The tickets cost $15. The show will be in Fairmont’s Recital Hall, which holds about 200 people. “We chose the Recital Hall to give the audience an intimate experience. But it is small, so I urge students to get their tickets now,” said Taylor.

Cartwright and Scalia join in the fun

With both Cartwright and Scalia in the play, Fairmont will be getting attention from the media. “This is a tremendous opportunity for our district to showcase the arts and a positive way to call attention to the district,” said Taylor.

Half of the proceeds made from the play will be given to the Kettering Schools Office of Community Literacy Programs, which helps teach adults and children how to read.

All of the cast members are excited to work with Cartwright and Scalia. “It is going to be a great experience and something great to put on a resume,” said Green.

Grogan also is thrilled. “I am so excited that Nancy Cartwright is doing the play with us,” she said. “Fairmont is very lucky to have this opportunity.”

Taylor can’t conceal his enthusiasm about this special fall play. “I’m just thrilled about the students having this opportunity,” he said. “It’s satisfying to facilitate these students. I feel like I get so much from them. This is my way to give back.”

I can count six that I use almost every single day. My cell phone, my computer, my TV, my DVR from Time Warner Cable, my stereo and my iPod. I have two iPods. One is a 20-gigabyte model from at least four years ago that’s hanging on for dear life – the one I bring to school, the one that gets knocked around in my backpack all day. The other is a newer 80-gig iPod Classic that I bought last summer to ensure that I won’t be left in the dark when my other one finally kicks the bucket.

I also have a digital camera, and I occasionally spend some time with my Playstation 2. Lastly, I have this pretty cool thing called a GearBox that plugs into my computer and my guitar and lets me record my awful attempts at music.

I think that’s it.  Probably not, though.  I’m sure I’m missing something.

Is my life better?

So what do these things do for me? What kind of impact do they have on my life?

Well, let’s see … my iPod blocks out the obnoxious underclassmen on my bus, and my cell phone keeps me in touch with my friends (most often through texting). My computer connects me to the Internet, where I waste a good portion of each and every day, while my stereo plays the ungodly amount of CDs I own. My DVR ensures that I always have a few episodes of The Simpsons and Whose Line is it Anyway? at my fingertips (and it lets me skip the commercials!).

So all in all, these handy little gadgets improve the quality of my life quite a bit, right? … right?!

To be honest, I don’t think they do. They provide me with distractions – and fun distractions at that. I mean, where would I be without my iPod? I would actually have to, you know, meet the people on my bus who I make unfair judgments about. I’d have to talk to them, get to know them. What a drag, you know?

And then there’s my computer – without that, I might actually have to go outside every once in awhile. I sure dodged that bullet! Without the Internet, I might have to pick up a newspaper to read the news, or go to the store to pick up a new CD, or talk to people face-to-face! (Or I suppose I could just text them.)

I bet you’re getting a little upset with me by now. “But Matt, things are so much easier now! Things are so much more convenient! You can’t argue with that!”

You’re absolutely right, I can’t. Performing a lot of routine tasks is vastly easier and more convenient than it would have been 50 years ago, or even 15 years ago. Google can answer just about any question you have. No longer are dictionaries or thesauruses or telephone books or almanacs necessary. All the information you could possibly desire, and then more, can be found somewhere on the Internet. So if it’s an easier or more convenient life you’re looking for, by all means, enjoy it, because it’s here.

Convenience isn’t everything

However, I’ve come to believe that convenience isn’t really very good at all. It makes us lazy. It keeps us from pushing ourselves. We have arguably everything we need at our fingertips, so why look any further?

But by far, I think the worst side effect of our new technological lifestyle is its impact on our social lives.

Think about it. When was the last time you had a really deep conversation with someone face-to-face? Not on the phone, not through texting, not through email or AIM or Facebook chat. And not just small talk, either. I’m talking about a conversation that required your full attention and required you to think hard … and maybe even adjust the way you perceived life. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know it’s been a while since I’ve had a conversation like that, face-to-face with someone I care about.

With all these new, quick, convenient methods of communicating, not only are we losing quite a bit of direct human contact, but we’re also losing interest in each other. Conversation, when it does happen, is so often just surface conversation and small talk. And how many times have you been hanging out with someone who seems to be more interested in his or her cell phone than with you? Are we really mixing up our priorities this badly?

Are you multi-tasking? Think about it

And while our daily lives are becoming more convenient, they’re also becoming more cluttered. Multi-tasking is bad. We have so many things to do in a single day, and as those things become simpler and easier, we begin dividing our attention across several of them at the same time.

It’s become difficult to focus your attention on one single task at hand without feeling bored. The most ridiculous example of this is texting while driving. Has your life seriously become so dependent on technology that you’re willing – and even eager –  to put your own life at risk in order to stay “connected”?

If you answered yes, then truthfully, if it was only your own life you were jeopardizing, I’d tell you to knock yourself out. But it’s not just your own life, and that should be obvious to anyone who breathes.

Think about thinking, too

Finally, we’ve become so preoccupied with all of our little technological devices that we’re starting to forget to think.

There’s hardly any downtime in our day-to-day lives any more, and if there is, most of us make a bee-line to the nearest distraction, whether it’s watching a show that’s been sitting on our DVR for a month, finding a new CD to download, listening to that CD we downloaded last week and forgot about, texting someone, updating our Facebook status, finding a new MySpace layout, playing a video game or surfing the Internet aimlessly.

But what about just relaxing? What about sitting down somewhere comfortable and tackling whatever has been eating away at your brain lately? What about starting a blog or keeping a journal to reflect on your daily life and get to know yourself a little better? What about, heaven forbid, reading a book to broaden your outlook on life?

I’m not asking you to agree with everything I’ve said here. I’m not asking you to give up your cell phone or the Internet for a day or anything like that. The only thing I’m asking you to do is think. Think about whether or not your life is really getting better with every new iPhone upgrade, or with every new application you install on Facebook.

My opinion is that technology and convenience aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, but you need to make up your own opinion on the subject.

So what are you waiting for? Think!