under the abbey

Hands-free with Panasonic's Wireless HD-CES 2008 Coverage at Engadget

2008-01-07T18:42:00.001-05:00

After attending the kickoff Panasonic keynote earlier today at CES 2008, Engadg! et headed over to the Panasonic booth to check out the Wireless HD, 150-inch behemoth, and ultra-thin plasmas. The Wireless HD setup was, of course, a befuddling open space between a set-top box of some sort and a TV. A loop video played demonstrating the signal using "beam steering" to bounce around obstructions, much like our cameras trying to get around the gaggle of people huddled around Panny's products.

hmm....

2007-10-03T00:01:00.001-05:00

life in general
a mild satire in some respects
in other moments a quite mundane atmosphere
oh life come back
it is another quiet sunrise
to and fro simple breezes pass
life in general
a melodic undertone in the gullies
starking the human condition
a cry of a baby

song project

2007-09-17T13:06:00.000-05:00

what i said to you
is not too bad
but things i never wanted to say
forgotten all my life
oh child listen to my voice
as i decompress my thoughts
woh woh woh,
i never saw it coming
at all, but things i never wanted to say
forgotten all my life
life is just another game to play
woh woh girl i never saw it coming
life is just a game we all play

inspired by dave matthews, working out the chords still

squabbit article pre-release

2007-09-17T12:59:00.001-05:00

The College Freshman Epidemic!

The college experience, filled with memories of binge drinking, piercings in places you nor anyone else would of thought possible, finding out Bob's number is 679-494-3422 on your ass and not in cell phone and throwing out the trash the next afternoon, and out comes a used condom. Alcohol abuse, piercings, tattoos, and sex before marriage encompass those first three months of your college experience. Perhaps a few memories are late-night Taco Bell runs, movies til' class in the morning and maybe just maybe watching the sunrise Sunday morning after an all-night Smash Tourney.

Statistics, no this article is not about statistics, and not about convincing you to like the new alcohol policies. I am going to give you tips from various health education websites. I picked a few out of the ton I found to really highlight the worthy ones to know.

The Worthy Tips for College Freshman

For Drinking:

Eat a big meal before and munch of snacks when you drink if you don't want to get drunk.

Take care of your friends if they're too drunk and have them do the same for you.

For Prevention of Sexual Abuse/Rape

If you feel uncomfortable with a guy/girl at a party tell them you had a nice time and leave with your friends.

For girls: When a guy is trying to get in your pants, punch him in the balls and jet!

For guys: Insult the girl but not too bad just enough to get her off you.

For Tattoos & Piercings:

If you get one when you're drunk-one sec- Let me chuckle. A tattoo is permanent. Laser treatment can remove tattoos sometimes, but it is expensive and removal can cause scarring.

And the last great tip to remember,

Don't Be Stupid!

my 1st crusader article unedited

2007-09-17T12:56:00.000-05:00

Crusader September Issue

Hello, I'm the new journalist for The Crusader. Allow me to introduce myself, a student leader, lovable but at the same time hateable(Is that a word?) Hmm..moving on. The name's Art Silva, yes why would a mother name their child 'Art'. It's short for Arturo which in translation from Spanish means “Arthur”. Let's see, I occasionally appreciate long walks down Abbey Lane, coffee over in the Holy Grinds and a good read of airplane evacuation procedures.

Up to business, over the next few issues I'll be discussing opinions, events and my own insight on the happenings around the campus community. Some articles will discuss the exciting new additions to the Abbey, such as the new Assistant Dean of Students, or the new Theology professor. Other more lengthy articles will be more in depth and report on the “10 Year Plan”. A few will report on the going-ons around campus, the music on campus, highlights on new rising artists on campus. Why does it all have to be about the campus? Why not include the surrounding community? To bring Belmont into our lives, perhaps I'll venture out to old town Belmont to take my bite into more delicious stories.

But for this month's issue, I'm reporting on the new Assistant Dean of Students, Jason Wagner. A tall fellow of even more importance than a usual dean. Let's just say he's a boss too many but not all. He hails from Pennsylvania, Indiana and knows the Penn as a mother knows her child. History, career, blah B.A. blah M.A. blah, What else? What else is there that's interesting about him??? Hmm..glance glance, Oh yes I see here Jason received the prestigious award of “Student Government Association Administrator of the Year” from Saint Vincent College in 2006. Aw, How nice? Ah He's featured in NACA(National Association for Campus Activities) magazine “Back to School 2007” issue with a student from St. Vincents', the article “Handyman's Delight: Do-It Yourself Programming”. I myself have not read it yet but I heard the content from Jason.

I wanted to report on how and why Jason Wagner is gracing our presence here. So I went around to different higher ups, The President, Dr. LaMadrid, Robert H. Squabbit. They all had something to say about Jason, student activities or new big exciting plans for Student Life. One that really knew Jason more than all the rest, Dr. Lucas LaMadrid. The man who brought Jason here in the first place. Mr. Wagner came here through a series of events. It all started when ReGinae Reynolds, our past Student Activities Director. Around the end of the spring semester, ReGinae approached Dr. LaMadrid with the inttent of asking for maternity leave in the fall, it was her fourth child on the way. Dr. LaMadrid of course let her take the leave as he being a parent of many too. But in the back of his mind, the fact of being without someone to be Director of Student Activities for 10 weeks was not an option. He needed help now, Dr. LaMadrid's title is too long for this line. He went to Dr. T with someone already in his head, a guy from St. Vincent's College. Dr. LaMadrid explained the full situation. Jason at the time, the Director of Campus Life, managing over $500,000 in budgets and experience going back to his college days. Dr. LaMadrid said, It's the “logical next step” for him. So Dr. LaMadrid called up Jason and asked how he would feel about a change in scenery, “Would he be happy?”

Fast forward, Jason met with ReGinae and Abbey over the summer. Before Orientation came along, ReGinae's doctor called her up, Didn't want her to take unnecessary risks to hurt the baby, but she really wanted to stay to help the transition and she the students again before she left.

2007-04-08T19:25:00.000-05:00

Arturo M. Silva

Dr. Angela Miss

EN101

December 1, 2006

The Political Crisis Of the United States

The Branches of United States Government has encountered more corrupted politicians in the last ten years than in the last twenty years. This should have been a foreseen crisis. But due to 9/11, immense recount scandals, the Iraq War and President Bush, the epidemic was overlooked. “Congress is supposed to be a body of public servants-people who pass up more lucrative professions for a chance to influence policy and improve constituents' lives.” (“Shameless”, 1) No longer can this indiscretions continue because the American people can not tolerate it anymore. “The schemes, often entered into with a breathtaking audacity and sense of personal entitlement, are corrosive to democracy, injurious to the reputations of the honest and diligent lawmakers, and illustrative of the adage that power corrupts.” (“Shameless”, 1) These loud remarks on our democracy outline the impossibility of ethics to exist in politics because of past and current political climate, our government's current structure and human nature as a minor factor.

CNN News polled 1,102 adult Americans in October of this year about job accountability, corruption in Congress and the elections. When they were asked this question, “ Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Republicans or the Democrats in Congress are handling their job?”. Over 50% of Americans disapprove of Congress members way of doing their job according this poll and CNN/USA Today/GALLUP Trends over the last seven years. Another question was asked whether or not they think most members of Congress are corrupt. Once again more than 50% of Americans say that most members of Congress are corrupt. This same question was posed in 1994 and the same results came out. All of these polls were conducted by Opinion Research Corporation which is a trusted authority on polling data for national news stations. (CNN-ORC, 1-3)

In the matter of a few weeks I have compiled and browsed over 140 articles concerning corruption, campaign scandals, and conflicts of interests in the United States government. That number is small compared to the amount I did search for on NC LIVE. Using the EZ Search I was able to find 6,400 articles on these three topics. I came across an organization devoted to “Holding Power Accountable”, Common Cause. They released this at the beginning of this year, “2005: The House Ethics Committee's Year of Inaction”. It sums up all the actions and inactions of the committee. These are their findings starting on January 4, “House Republicans approve rules changes making it much harder for the House Ethics Committee to launch an investigation. The most damaging change allowed cases to be dismissed if the evenly divided Ethics Committee is deadlocked on whether to proceed.” (“Inaction”, 1) On March 10: “Led by Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV), the Ethics Committee's ranking member, the five Democrats on the panel refuse to formally organize and begin work until Republicans reverse earlier rules changes making it harder to launch an investigation. The committee's work comes to a halt.” (“Inaction”, 1) And on April 27: “In a highly unusual move, the House votes to roll back ethics rules changes, forced on the chamber in January that would have made it harder to launch an ethics investigation.” (“Inaction”, 2) The weakness in the committee just showed the extent of corruption at which this epidemic has spread. Most of the articles I sifted through concerned the House more than the Senate in corrupted members. In further research I came across an article by CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington). It was their second annual “Most Corrupt Members of Congress” Report. These seventeen representatives and three senators are the most corrupt members of Congress according to CREW: Sen. Conrad Burns, Sen. Bill Frist, Sen. Rick Santorum, Rep. Roy Blunt, Rep. Ken Calvert, Rep. John Doolittle, Rep. Tom Feeney, Rep. Katherine Harris and Rep. Marilyn Musgave to name a few. These politicians made a decision and their “collective corruption affects all Americans.” (“Inaction”, 1) These statistics are overwhelming and show that there is an evident ethics crisis. Or is this a crisis that is normal in politics? Is this a part of politics? Can our country eliminate or even attempt to regulate it? Where has the reverence for ethics gone?

First we must define the subjects at hand: politics, ethics and corruption. Politics defined by Aquinas is “it legislates what people are to do and what they are not to do...” (Aristotle, 4) So how are public servants as human beings be able to ignore their desire for wealth and power? To ignore their “practical wisdom” and go with their “political wisdom”. (Aquinas, 215) Are men innately political animals? We do not know the answer to that question because we are only knowledgeable that human beings have a conscience, they have reason. Humans can prescribe to their prudence, their practical wisdom which is “the intellectual virtue consisting of the right characteristic disposition to reason about what human beings should or should not do.” (Aquinas, 215) Do their positions give them the precept of ignorance for the laws?

In an ideal democratic society these questions would not be asked. But as we are the most capitalist country in the world those questions are posed before us. “But those who regulate their desires and actions by a rational principle will greatly benefit from a knowledge of this subject (politics).” (Aristotle, 6) To begin with men are not moral beings and if they were there would be no desires, only needs which understanding men cannot attain the full knowledge of politics. The need to sustain their lives and others and to seek moral and social justice for all. But this is not the case and ideal ethics and politics can not exist in a capitalist government. Our government is covered in corruption and as Robert C. Brooks defines this:

“In its broadest significance, corruption has been defined as “the intentional mis performance or neglect of a recognized duty, or the unwarranted exercise of power, with the motive of gaining some advantage more or less directly personal.” (Brooks, 81)

“With the motive of gaining some advantage more or less directly personal” defines it's self as self-interest. When the interests of the self, conflict with interests of the community or governing body, conflicts of interests exist. In our government there are committees and laws put into place to battle and regulate corruption and conflicts of interests.

“In attempting to define corruption, emphasis was laid upon the condition that the duty mis performed or neglected for personal reasons must be recognized. The latter word needs further elucidation. Political duties are defined at great length, of course, in constitutions, laws, and charters. Yet with all our care in providing laws to govern our governors it cannot be maintained that political duty is always so clear as to be easily recognizable.” (Brooks, 55)

In the U.S. Senate Ethics Manual has five hundred and forty two pages of their code of conduct and related ethics laws, and description of the Committee. This manner of clearly stating their conducts and laws is in the Executive Branch's manual and the House of Representatives. These manuals and committees should raise their standards each year by creating a new level of achievement each year. All of the committees are staffed by either senators, representatives or members of the Executive. Internal public servants governing internal public servants. Is this a solution to corruption or is it an lazy way of regulating ethical standards? “Peer review simply is not the answer when it comes to a fair, firm process that ensures that Members live by ethics rules on the books.” (“Q&A”, 1) The number of corrupted politicians are too great to have them govern themselves. But if an independent ethics commission were to be created to “investigate congressional ethics misconduct” it would dissolve some or all of unfair processing of corrupted politicians. (“Challenge”, 1) According to Common Cause the solution to this “broken ethics system” is not a complex task to a accomplish. In their article, “Independent Ethics Commission Q & A: Common Cause Ethics Challenge”, they said the commission would consist of “former federal judges” and “an odd number of Commissioners” to help with conflict of interests. (“Independent”, 1) The independent commission would only be a consultation for the Congress Ethics Committees. (“Independent”, 1) There is already legislation which would serve the same purpose as Common Causes'. But in this case the legislation “includes a requirement of mandatory annual ethics training for members and House employees and also includes lobby and ethics reforms.” (“Obama”, 1) The legislation is out there but no immediate action from the House has taken place. Melanie Sloan, the head for CREW said January 2006, “It needs to be repaired quickly so that the American people can have some confidence in the institution of the House of Representatives.” All of these committees and an independent commission is beneficial to the fight for a ethical Congress but will not create a bond between ethics and politics. So this is true because as I said before a constant conflict of interest will exist between them which makes the ideal democracy impossible. Unless humans beings begin to learn their morals and ethics at a young age and learn to appreciate their existence. “Devotion to an ethical life is not only a noble pursuit, it is now the very essence of government in a modern world increasingly concerned with transparency and accountability. Impossibility exists because of the modern political climate, the structure of the government and human being's nature.

Works Cited

"2005: the House Ethics Committee's Year of Inaction." Common Cause. Common Cause. 30 Nov. 2006 <http://www.commoncause.org/atf/cf/%7BFB3C17E2-CDD1-4DF6-92BE-BD4429893665%7D/ETHICSTIMELINE2005.PDF>.

Aquinas, Thomas. On Law, Morality, and Politics. 2nd ed. Indianapolis: Hackett Company, Inc., 2002. 215.

Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1999. 4-7.

Brooks, Robert C. Corruption in Amercian Politics and Life. New York: Dodd, Mead, and Company, 1910. 54-81.

Carney, Gerard. "Conflict of Interest: Legislators, Ministers and Public Officials: Conclusions." Working Paper. 22 Nov. 2004. Transparency International. 20 Nov. 2006 <http://ww1.transparency.org/working_papers/carney/4-conclusions.html>.

"CNN Poll-October 19, 2006." CNN. 13 Oct. 2006. Opinion Research Corporation. 28 Nov. 2006 <http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/images/10/19/rel25caf.pdf>.

"Common Cause Ethics Challenge." Common Cause. 30 Nov. 2006. Common Cause. 30 Nov. 2006 <http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=196485>.

"CREW Releases Second Annual Most Corrupt Members of Congress Report." Beyond Delay. 20 Sept. 2006. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. 29 Nov. 2006 <http://www.beyonddelay.org/node/96>.

Foreman, Tom. "Mum's the Word for the Ethics Committee." CNN. 13 Jan. 2006. CNN. 30 Nov. 2006 <http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/11/house.ethics/>.

"Independent Ethics Commission Q & A." Common Cause. 30 Nov. 2006. Common Cause Educational Fund. 29 Nov. 2006 <http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=1343543>.

"Obama Calls for Independent Ethics Commission in House." Common Cause. 5 Oct. 2006. Common Cause. 28 Dec. 2006 <http://www.commoncause.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=194883&ct=3005205>.

"Shameless Money Schemes Stain Congress' Reputation." USA Today Opinion. 18 Oct. 2006. USA Today. 29 Nov. 2006 <http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2006/10/post_24.html>.

2007-04-08T19:22:00.000-05:00

Arturo Silva

EN102-Reeves

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Unfinished Project

It's been my driving ambition to create an innovative idea for booming computer industry. Knowing that music is the number one market in selling computer-related products, my product would have to address that. This dream has been my future goal, the one that will be completed in 20 some years. The unfinished project at this time is building up the pro-life movement in Charlotte through this college. I have already made plans for a rally/show in April. And the people involved see the potential for it to become something bigger than it is now. We're already looking into hosting a showing of "Bella", a pro-life movie in the fall of this year. Any person has small projects in their life and of course me being a college student getting this degree is also a unfinished project. I'll highlight one project that I am very proud of. As Freshman Class President there is a lot of responsibility and a lot of living up to the mark but it's all worth it. I started thinking about running for the position on student government about two months before classes started last fall. I put it in my head that I would hold this position. It became my mindset. I made sure I was sure of myself. When orientation weekend began, I was cautious of the surroundings. Because I only knew about 3 or 4 people on campus. Speeding up to the first advertisement about the positions, Freshman President, Vice, and two senators. My game plan told me to go for a senator spot not to seem too sure of myself. Then I found someone else that would help me secure my spot on student government, Mariana Smith. A Freshman also but with a ton of drive, well more friends than I had. We decided to run on one ticket, her for the President and me for the Vice. The way the voting was structured was that the most votes got each spot respectably. So I had to rely on the marketing and advertising to come through. As soon as I found out I was jumping up and down all over in front of quad, so happy I was. Now with this position my opportunities are endless.

closing up freshman year of college

2007-04-08T19:03:00.000-05:00

i'll get around to this

it will include soundtrack, notes

all the good stuff

best movies/video games

new people i've met

i'll leave you with a photo

Courtesy of Man vs. Wild

2007-01-06T01:02:00.000-05:00

Overall Survival Tips

* Always make sure that someone knows where you are going and when you're planning to come back. If something goes wrong, they will know to alert the appropriate authorities.
* Do your homework before going on a trip — know the basic geography of your destination and familiarize yourself with edible flora and fauna. Also, be prepared for the environment you're heading into — bring the right tools and supplies.
* Use common sense. If you are lost, try to get your bearings before moving on. If you're tired, rest. If you're hungry, try to find food.
* Expect luck in your life. If you look at all the great survival stories, people come through hopeless situations because they push themselves to extraordinary places. Don't underestimate how far you can go.

Moab, Utah

* The best advice for people lost in the desert is to get into the shade and wait to be rescued. The biggest killers in the desert are heatstroke and dehydration, which come on very quickly. The most important part of the body to keep cool is the head. Fashioning a headdress with a light colored material will keep the sun off the skin.
* The Moab contains two major rivers: the Colorado and the Green. Finding one of them will be the key to getting out. They will provide water for drinking, and following the river will eventually bring you to civilization.
* Plants need water, so signs of vegetation indicate that water is nearby.
* Canyons provide shade and can contain water sources that could lead to bigger rivers. Find a canyon that runs downhill — it is a good sign that water is nearby since water runs downhill.
* It is key to find running water to drink — stagnant water is likely contaminated with dead animals and other debris.

Costa Rican Rain Forest

* One of the worst aspects of a jungle wilderness is the density of the vegetation, making it difficult to get your bearings. Climb a tree as high as you can; you get a better viewpoint by going above the canopy. Depressions in the jungle where one side is higher than the other often suggest a river, which means civilization will be nearby.
* Just walking in the jungle can be hazardous -- watch where you tread. Step over a log or grab a vine without looking and you could get bitten.
* In the jungle, it's not worth wasting energy hunting animals or setting traps because there are plenty of plants to eat. Familiarize yourself with edible plants before you set out on a trip.
* Falling trees and branches are the biggest killers of people in the jungle, so if you have to make camp, find clear ground.
* Balsa wood is a light wood that is perfect for creating a makeshift raft in the jungle.

Alaskan Mountain Wilderness

* The biggest threat to skiers is avalanches, which kill 58 skiers every year in North America.
* When traveling to an avalanche risk area, carry a beacon that, when activated, will transmit a signal that the rescue services will follow if you get lost.
* The key to avoiding avalanches is to read the snow. Use a ski pole to test the snow to see if it's compacted or in layers. If it's consistent when you push in the snow, it's fine. If it suddenly drops off, that indicates it's in layers and dangerous.
* Glaciers are a good landmark that, if you follow them down, will lead you out of the mountains.
* Temperatures in Alaska can reach as low as minus 60 degrees F, putting you at risk for frostbite. Keep your extremities as warm as possible. You are getting frostbite if your skin goes a waxy, red color, then black.

Sierra Nevada

* If you need to find your bearings on a sunny day, you can find north, east, south and west by using the shadow and stick method. Find a stick, insert it into the ground and you'll see that it casts a nice shadow. Mark where the end of the shadow is and leave the stick for 15 minutes. Mark the next point and that will create an east-west line. Anyone going on a trip to the Sierra Nevada should know the basic geography of the area. In this case, the Nevada Desert is east, so west is the best direction to head.
* Often dew will collect on leaves and pine needles overnight, so if you're desperately in need of water, this can be a lifesaver.
* If you are lucky enough to successfully hunt food to cook, remember to dispose of any leftovers, or else you're at risk of black bears in the area coming for your leftovers.
* The manzanita bush, which is indigenous to the Sierra Nevada, is a great food source in the wild. The Mono Indians used them for their fruit, which they dried or used for drinks. If you come across the bush, chew the outer bit of the fruit, then spit out the hard seeds. The fruit is high in vitamin C.
* If you can't swim well but you need to cross a large body of water, you can use your pants as a flotation device. Remove your pants, fill them with air, then tie off the legs. Raise the pants over your head in the water and it will act like a life jacket.

Watch Discovery Channel on Fridays at 9pm

Watch "DIY T-Shirt folding machine" on Google Video

2007-01-05T00:47:00.000-05:00

It's a really neat, lazy and cheap way for college students to manage their dresser drawers.

a constant conversation

2007-01-03T00:30:00.000-05:00

a constant conversation

we will always keep that constant conversation with someone from above
maybe it be our mother or our father, they will always be there..for us
we know when we're in these times of distress
we can cherish our constant conversation with someone from above
maybe it be our uncle or aunt that we lost long ago....
we can call on them when we need because we will know that they'll be there
because our constant conversation with someone from above
will be there forever and ever...and ever....
maybe in that time we need to call on higher counsel
you know who I'm talkin about....the man upstairs...
the trinity is there when we don't think we can call on anyone else
I'm not tryin to preach here but I'm sayin believe that your
family, your friends, even those adorable pets when you were a kid
ARE ALWAYS LOOKIN' DOWN UPON, LOOKIN' UPON US

courtesy of art silva at 12.00am on jan. 3 of 2007

2007-01-02T20:56:00.000-05:00

I stumbled upon this article while on Digg
It addressed the PC users difficulties with their newly purchased Macs'.

Hack Attack: A guide for switching to a Mac

well...havent really used this yet?

2007-01-02T20:32:00.000-05:00

this is a new to me...i've been using xanga for all my blogging...so how about I post my most recent blog from there

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

wow...its 2007

its already 2007

I've gone through a semester at college, met a ton of friends, partied to tha max, had some up and some downs, made bets-won them and lost them. I could probably keep listing the many different memories I had at the Abbey but reflection really is to me, more of silent remembrance. Well I can say I wrote a lot of papers, one song-yea thats right I wrote a song-called it The Disciple.
Wrote it in a matter of 36 hours with assistance from Chris Ragusa, Adam Trufant and Ben Torres. I would say it can still be improved on. And you know what I think it's time to write an album worth of songs. Hey I can write all of them throughout this next semester of my freshman year. Yea I can imagine it now....in the quad...some paper and a trusty pencil...the sun is beaming in the foreground...the big tree providing wonderful shade...ah wait I think I see Ben walking over from his room...oh there's Adam with his guitar singing a soulful tune...i hear drums in the distance...wait its Matt Merry with his drum..its going to be great. Exiting the dream sequence there...I've found some new artists over the last 4-5 months..Mat Kearney, Matt Wertz, Marc Broussard, Ben Harper...so if you got any artists I haven't heard yet..tell me..I'm open to all of them.

Big Plans for the Spring Semester

Students for Life Conference-Jan 20-21
March for Life-Jan 21-22
SGA Retreat sometime in January

And somewhere in between Feb. and April..a small Pro-Life Event to prelude the Big Event-Pro-Life Rally in April

So....Spring Break...what am I doing?-don't have a clue