THE 30-DAY Kindness Challenge DAY ONE: Reach out to a family member you're not speaking to. I wanted to start off my year targeting a self-deprecating weak spot of mine: my pride. Pride/ˈpraɪd/(n)- a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with... Continue reading

Easy Guacamole Lisa-Anna Maust INGREDIENTS: Two ripe Haas avocados *If the avacado yields to a firm gentle pressure you know it's ripe and ready-to-eat. If the avocado doesn't yield to gentle pressure it is considered still "firm" and will be ripe in a couple of days. To speed up the... Continue reading

The Six Phases of Facebook Withdrawal: Life After Facebook Deactivation By Lisa-Anna Maust A rise in Facebook deactivations are often seen.. or unseen... during the winter holidays (New Years Resolutions) and spring holidays (Lent, etc). While many are giving up distractions like smoking, soda, and such to better their lives,... Continue reading

The Kook Lisa-Anna Maust Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. This noise is deafening, but only to me. No one else seems to notice it. Why don't they hear it? Thump. Thump. The sunken beating of a nervous heart. Throbbing. A sound that almost lulls me into insanity. It's been thirteen months... Continue reading

For today's prompt, I want to write about the famous American actor Robin Williams. The One that Got Away Lisa-Anna Maust I never knew the man, but I witnessed the persona. Hook, Jumanji, Mrs. Doutbfire, Dead Poet's Society. A shadow mugging at the screen, trying to be heard. I never... Continue reading

Join me in dedicating the next two weeks to overcoming writer's block and strengthening your inventiveness. The hardest part about writing is getting started (and finishing). This "Boot Camp" through Writer's Digest offers a different prompt each day. Prompts that gets those brain juices flowing. Let's unleash our inner writers!... Continue reading

Eye Contact in NYC is Overrated, Until you Bump into an Old Friend & Other Confessions of a NYC Celtee It was your average Monday morning rush hour... well, rush. I was weaving in and out of pedestrian traffic from Port Authority on 42nd Street to Teaching House on West... Continue reading

Are you Gonna Eat That? & Other Confessions of a NYC Celtee It's 11:30AM and in two hours I have to teach a classroom full of immigrants and tourists. Oh, did I mention the room's as big as a living room and it's a class of 18? Not including the... Continue reading

I Should Be Doing My Homework Instead of Blogging & Other Confessions of a NYC Celtee I wouldn't recommend blogging while taking the intensive CELTA course (The Certificate in Teaching English to Adults). However, my husband keeps insiting I at least put up some visual aids during these four weeks... Continue reading

Banana Bread Churritos (little churros) A Mexican Twist on a Childhood Favorite A Recipe by Lisa-Anna Maust Based on a recipe by Spoon Fork Bacon What you need: 1/2 chocolate chip banana bread cut into 1 inch slices 1 cup granulated sugar (don't use sugar substitute) 1 tablespoon cinnamon Canola... Continue reading

Super Easy and Healthy Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe by Lisa-Anna Maust What you need: 1 cup granulated sugar (I used 1/4 cup Truvia) 4 ounces saltless butter, softened 2 super ripe bananas (sliced) 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour (for a healthier option,... Continue reading

Chapter 9 Lisa-Anna Maust Frangi stood in front of a tall mirror in a dimly lit corner of the dressing room. The others had left upon her request. She needed time. She didn't have it, but she needed it. She gazed at her reflection as if she recognized the person... Continue reading

ARGO Affleck | A- Ben Affleck’s third directed feature, Argo, effectively validates the cliché “third time’s the charm.” This action thriller dramatizes the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to free six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran. The operation does not entail hoards of armed soldiers with guns... Continue reading

Frankenweenie 3D Tim Burton | A- Almost thirty years after his career launching short film, Frankenweenie, Tim Burton remakes the tale in a full-length monochromatic animation of the same name. The newest claymation makeover of Frankenweenie takes a youthful twist on the monster film, while discussing the macabre concept of... Continue reading

Water for Elephants Sara Gruen| A- Review by Lisa-Anna Migliore If one is looking to transport back to the Depression-Era circus, a colorful time of adventure, passion, and vice, then Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants is that portal. Her story revolves around Jacob Jankowski, an elderly nursing home resident whose... Continue reading

Noodle Gourmet | 43 Easton Ave Lisa-Anna Migliore Noodle Gourmet opened twenty years ago with the impression of solely specializing in authentic Chinese noodle dishes. Now this regular stop for thirsty and hungry Rutgers students offers an array of assorted bubble tea drinks, noodle specials, rice platters, and other appetizing... Continue reading

Hotoke 350 George Street | B- During the daytime, one might stride by the seemingly abandoned George street restaurant with the Buddha in the window. But at night, the once hushed spot ignites with both lights and life. Unlike many New Brunswick restaurants that specialize on a single ethnic style... Continue reading

The Woman in Black B+ | Watkins Lisa-Anna Migliore James Watkins’ latest horror film, The Woman in Black, successfully proves that a chilling adrenaline rush can be invoked in audience members without relying on gore or exhaustive amounts of CGI. This ghost story centers around young Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe,... Continue reading

Man on a Ledge Asger Leth| C+ In his latest thriller, Man on a Ledge, directorAsger Lethuniquely maneuvers around the inescapable expectations of his film’s title but still fails to present the above average film many assumed it wouldn’t be. The film centers on fugitive Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington, Texas... Continue reading

Cultural Imperialism: An Americanization of Beauty in Korea from Lisa-Anna Migliore on Vimeo. Research and Film by Lisa-Anna Migliore Note: Please do not quote or cite without informing the author- [email protected] Within the past century, globalization has internationally integrated American icons like Lady Gaga and Brad Pitt into household names.... Continue reading

Cosmopolitanism or Nationalism: Which Drives the Ironic Americanization of Native Americans? Lisa-Anna Migliore Picture from nyackindians.com Note: Please do not quote or cite without informing the author- [email protected] In Kwame Appiah’s piece, “The Case for Contamination”, he highlights what many regard as the “contamination” of indigenous cultures by globalizing influences.... Continue reading