'The Black Mamba' Retires

It's sad to hear that Kobe Bryant, also known as 'The Black Mamba', is retiring after the 2015-2016 NBA season. Bryant is someone who I grew up watching and for the generation and area I grew up in, he, not Michael Jordan, is the greatest player we could have watched. How most people will react to that comment:

But as weird as it is to say, it's true. I began watching basketball in 2002, coincidentally the same year that Kobe and Shaq led the Los Angeles Lakers to win the NBA championship. At this point, even with all the highlights and statistics that surrounded Michael Jordan, I got to witness Kobe perform magic day in and day out. A literal reaction of every play Kobe made:

Michael Jordan will forever be a face in basketball as one of the most elite players and by his highlight real alone, it is something that gives me the same reaction. However, there is a certain aesthetic to watching a game at night on January 22, 2006 where a player scores 81 points. After witnessing that, you really can't question greatness. Arguments will go on and people will highlight different stat lines to show which player is better, but regardless both players just played at unbelievable heights that will remain immeasurable.
Even with all the bad publicity that Kobe gets for his off-court actions, his play on the court will never be questioned. He is having one, if not the, worst season of his career and has came to the decision of retiring at the end of this season. It was a foreseen event, but not many predicted that he would retire with so much grace and dignity.

Kobe Bryant writes a letter to basketball. Officially announces his retirement after this season. 😢 pic.twitter.com/iIe7TPJLxZ

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) November 30, 2015

Regardless of what people say, Kobe was one of the best to play the game and will go down as possibly the elite Laker to have ever played. Here is a highlight reel of Kobe's greatness (the video's a little old, but still relevant):

As always, if you want to be the real MVP like The Black Mamba and follow me on social media, all the links are down below and I hope you have a game-winning day. Or night. Whichever works for you.
Twitter: @camayuga
Instagram: @christophermayuga
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'Outsiders' View on Against the Current

Against the Current is a pop-rock band based in Poughkeepsie, NY and signed with Fueled By Ramen, according to Wikia. As of writing this blog, the band has 1,281,870 subscribers and has 42 uploaded videos on their YouTube page which doesn't include any videos they participated in or created through a different user. The band is mostly known for their participation in cover music, however, Against the Current has produced two albums and is on the way to creating a third under their new label. Here's their song 'Outsiders" that they recently released.

Now that the facts are stated, let's talk about how amazing this band is. I've had the pleasant opportunity to see this band three times while they toured and under every obstacle they went through, they were amazing. Whether sick, tired from tour or bad weather conditions, the band had performed well. 

The most recent performance I was fortunate enough to see was in Orlando at The Social on Nov. 15. Chrissy Costanza, lead vocalist and songwriter of Against the Current, had basically lost her voice. Now I'm no professional musician, but I think it's pretty hard to sing without a voice. Even with that, she still put on an amazing performance by performing an acoustic performance for the VIP (while wearing an Odell Beckham, Jr. jersey which is one of the best wide receivers, just saying), an hour long performance and then an encore performance while taking pictures and meeting fans. Needless to say, Chrissy Costanza is amazing, as is the band Against the Current.
I think an important thing to remember is that performers realize that it's not always about the sound of the performance. People can listen to and blast music of their liking on a speaker and not worry about paying fees and prices to go to a venue to enjoy a performer. The experience is created by the artist performing and even with a sore throat, the band was able to push through the obstacle and still keep the audience entertained. Chrissy Costanza came into the audience at one point and sang 'Gravity', one of the songs off their latest albums, with the crowd swarmed around her. The band's drummer Will Ferri also made jokes and kept the performance lighthearted and kept audience engagement at a high. Against the Current used the sore throat as more of a reason to keep the audience engaged by asking the crowd to sing along to every song they performed.
Against the Current is not just a pop-rock band, but a band that stands for an amazing cause. They broadcast a message that it's okay to be weird and it's okay to be an outsider and for the young demographic that they appeal to, it's an important message that they support. Regardless of whether you like the music they perform, individuals should respect the message they provide.
If you like Against the Current, follow them at @againstthecurrentny on all social media including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube and @ATC_band on Twitter.
As always, if you want to follow me on social media, all links are down below and I hope you have a wonderful day.
Twitter: @camayuga
Instagram: @christophermayuga
Facebook: Christopher Allen Mayuga
LinkedIn: Christopher Mayuga

Not Your Ordinary Office

The Office. Why talk about a show that aired its finale May 16, 2013? Obviously:

The Office is possibly one of the greatest shows of all time for those who love dry and awkward humor. Though this isn't my number one favorite show of all time, it is one I have recently finished and has rose to being in my favorites. The show has made me laugh more than I can remember and most of that laughing was by out loud by myself which is how I realized how good it really was. Full of awkward references and inappropriate humor, The Office finds varieties of ways to make the audience laugh. Literally my face the whole time watching the office.

Double chin and all too. Aside from all the jokes, gifs and memes provided by the show, The Office also provided emotions and inspiring messages for viewers. The Office showed that even in a mundane situation like working at a paper company in a middle-of-nowhere town like Scranton, people still find situations to live life to its fullest whether that be chasing a girl out of the hellish friendzone and starting a new company like Jim, working to be manager like Dwight or having multiple affairs like Stanley. People were able to live life as if there were infinite possibilities and I believe that is an inspiring theme. People in most TV shows are portrayed in populous cities with changing environments, but at The Office, it found ways to stay entertaining for eight years.
In a sense, The Office is a message to its viewers and says that anything is possible. Each individual is completely capable of changing his or her daily mentality for the better and moving on and creating a life that he or she wants. Things are not necessarily limited to what you have and what you make out of it is completely up to you. You just have to get on top of it.

Had to. Just once.
The Office will forever be an inspirational show with awkward comedy and dry humor.
Here's a compilation of best quotes from The Office because I miss it and I loved this:

I've learned to enjoy what I have and I hope that to the few of you who actually decide to read this, you will also watch this show and it makes you feel half the amount that I did. And I appreciate the few of you who read this.

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Twitter: @camayuga
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My Overdue About Me Page

There's a multitude of stories in my life and things that have happened, but I guess I'll touch base on why I began this blog. It's a grade, obviously.

I did start this originally because it was a grade, but I began that class because I wanted to graduate with a degree in communications.
For reasons I never understood, I always had a strong interest in helping people and influencing how people think. I hope to change other's opinions mindset to optimistic points of view even when mine may not be as optimistic. Media has to be one of the largest contributors to how people view the world and it made me want to be involved to help more individuals. In today's day and age, there is a large variety of entertainment that is written off because people refuse to broaden how he or she thinks about the
The thing that most people don't understand is that there isn't always just negativity to things. Genres like hip hop and shows that talk about content that may be portrayed as "obscene" are actually really informative and usually portray a deeper meaning. The first post on music on here was about J Cole and it has to be one of the most inspirational albums ever  created (2014 Forest Hills Drive) because it outlines his whole career and how it made him into who he is today. It's sad to say that the album, though it does contain a lot of explicit language and visual imagery, is written off without even listening to the actual meaning behind the lyrics.
I've come to an understanding that I'm really not the type of person to be outward and go on crusades to broadcast messages or opinions that I have. I'm more of the kind of person that listens to people, thinks about what they say and interpret it in a panoramic kind of way for all audiences within reach. Boom, full circle using the blog name.
By the way, my name is Christopher Allen Mayuga. I go by Christopher, Chris, Allen or the Man of Every Woman's Dreams. All the same person.

Follow me on social media!
Twitter: @camayuga
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Facebook: Christopher Allen Mayuga
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Google Maps Project for Class

This is but one of the programs available to people through Google. Google allows for people to create a map and put specific markers on the map in order to signify different places. Whether it be showing open pools for the public, giving people places to eat or recognizing fun spots to go in the city, this function in Google is spectacular for marking the map.

Explore Jax Through the Eyes of College Students

This is an interactive map of Jacksonville that has been altered by UNF students. Students have left comments and opinions on places and gave descriptions of each. These are authentic reviews of areas so explore new places today!

Big Sean Swoopin' In

To start, those of you who don't go to UNF and attend/attended/plan to attend a less significant university, "swoopin'" is slang used by UNF students to signify that someone is coming and sometimes even used during dead silence.

Big Sean came to UNF and he was pretty spectacular. In some more "the more you know, but probably already know" news, Big Sean is not that big.
The opening act was Asher Roth and he performed "I Love College" and that's the only relevant news surrounding his act. He did connect with the crowd at one point that was there and began his concert by running to the stage from the audience, but the majority of the audience (including myself) only showed up for Big Sean.
The concert was held outdoors and the weather was perfect even with the amount of heat drawn from the crowd. The large area made it easy to locate friends (even in the pitch dark) and also made it easy to socialize at the beginning of the concert. It was available to UNF students for free and $15 for non-UNF students and sold out. There was also a beer stand available for 21 years or older people.
Now to the actual concert:
Big Sean performed how most performers do in my experience: "hype" material, new material and old material. His hype material was him free styling over one of his instrumentals in order to catch the audience off guard and get them excited for a great concert. He then progressed to new material to present an "underground" sneak peek to his upcoming product to possibly bring in new followers. To end the concert, Big Sean played his newest songs like "I Don't (profanity) With You", "Guap", "Clique", "My Last" and "One Man Can Change The World". The live performance of these songs were definitely the pinnacle of the concert and were relatable to all audiences even if they weren't familiar with the songs.
Big Sean also discussed his background and gave commentary as to why his songs were written by speaking of stories relating to his grandmother, past struggles and individuals who have came and gone through his life to encourage him. He related to an audience who has had their fair share of struggles throughout college and represented perseverance and success.

Big Sean, though he does have his moments of profanity, was mostly a positive role model for the crowd. Also, on another note, if you don't like Big Sean then, to quote the man of the hour, I DON'T **** WITH YOU!
But if you do **** with me, follow me on social media!
Twitter: @camayuga
Instagram: @christophermayuga
LinkedIn: Christopher Allen Mayuga
Facebook: Christopher Allen Mayuga