Guess what?

They're new album is coming out next year!

Yuck

Today, I took the drug and alcohol test.The drug and alcohol test, required by all Florida drivers in order to get their permit is a royal pain. Yes, I know it is seven months after the blissful occasion when I turned fifteen. Yes, I know that I have been lazy and slow in getting my learner's. So, today, on the first day of fall break, I decided that I would get the drug and alcohol test out of the way so I could go to the DMV ASAP. Four hours, should be no problem. Right?

WRONG

Four hours of timed readings of chapters on statistics of yearly deaths in America from doing drugs, drinking, and drinking and driving at the same time. And then, at the end, a forty question exam to test you on your newly gained knowledge of drugs and alcohol. So, here are a few nuggets of wisdom I picked up that you should know.

1. There is a collision every five seconds. Every ten seconds, someone is injured in a collision. And every twelve minutes, someone dies in a collision. That means that in just ONE DAY there are 17,280 collisions, 8,640 injuries, and 117 deaths. JUST FROM COLLISIONS!
2. Every year, 19,000 people die from drug use.
3. Alcohol first affects your judgement. Usually, you don't even notice it affecting you.
4. ALCOHOL IS A DRUG!
5. Crashes resulting from alcohol cost the public $116 BILLION.

So, I have this to say about the whole thing.

BE SMART STAY ALIVE DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!

The Name's James, James Blunt

James Blunt is back again, with a new album. All the Lost Souls is Blunt's followup album to Back to Bedlam released in 2005. This album features more piano and ballads. The first song "1973" was upbeat, and then the mood of the album drastically changed to a more sullen attitude. I thoroughly enjoyed this CD from beginning to end. No matter what he is singing about, Blunt still makes it sound beautiful. His voice is addicting, so you never tire of listening to it. Out of the two albums he has released, my favorite is still Back to Bedlam. The songs are more varied, while on All the Lost Souls, all the songs sound similar. In short, if you're a Blunt fan, you should definitely buy it. It's perfect for when you're in a mellow mood, but not when you want to jam.

To Download: 1973
One of the Brightest Stars

Across the Universe

Ever since I first listened to them in the third grade, I have been a die-hard fan of the Beatles. I have almost all of their albums, and not a week goes by without me listening to at least "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". I viewed all covers of their hits as evil, sacreligious. How did those losers expect to recreate some of the most popular and classic music of the twentieth century??? They had absolutely no hope pf achieving what these great brits did for rock-n-roll. But I was pleasantly surprised to hear of 'Across the universe', a movie about life around the time of the Vietnam war, set to Beatle's tunes. When I first saw the trailer, and heard JIm Sturgess start singing 'Girl', I knew that this was going to be a different story then all of those wanna be coverers.

Evan Rachel Wood and JIm Sturgess protray a couple in the film that reminds me of John and Yoko. With all of their anti-war protests, and free hippie lives while singing Beatle's hits, I was astonishes at the similiarities.

The Soundtrack is entertaining from beginning to end, with songs from 'Hey Jude' and 'All You Need Is Love' to 'Let it Be' and 'Come Together'. Some pleasant surprises include 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' and 'I am the Walrus' sung by Bono, lead singer of U2, and quite possibly one of my favorite rock stars ever!
Here are a couple of photos from the movie:

"All you need is love..."


So, now that you have read this post, go out and BUY THIS SOUNDTRACK! You won't regret it!

I'm Rennovating

OK, I have decided to make some changes about this blog. First of all, you may have noticed the new color scheme. I was getting a little tired of the dots. :-) Also, I lately have been lacking inspiration for my poetry, so I probably won't be writing poetry for a while in this blog. I am now going to devote this blog to MUSIC. I'll tell you about upcoming releases, cool bands, and make up cool playlists to have on your iPod! There might be a little bit of poetry here and there too...
So, I thought that I should just let you know what was going on so that you wouldn't think this was a different blog or anything. :-) Thanks for reading my rantings, and I will be sure to post about some cool music soon!

Elegance

Audrey Hepburn
Grace Kelly
black and white photographs of days gone by
haute couture
vintage only, of course
every issue of Vogue
fresh off the press
tiffany diamonds
pearls
silver
and china
this my friend, is elegance

Inspiration

Where do I get my inspiration?

I get it from everywhere imaginable.


I get it from magazines
like Vogue
I get it from movies
like Breakfast at Tiffany's
Walk the Line
et cetera
I get it from the music I listen to
like U2
Death Cab For Cutie
The Shins
Feist
and Wilco
I get it from people
like my family
my friends
and even people I don't know
like famous historical figures
writers and poets

I Dream of Tiffany's....

Ever since I first saw the film, I have longed to live the life of Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's". I wish I could step out of a NYC cab at rsen destination of Tiffany's, the exquisite jewelry store. As I perused the windows in my floor length black gown, big pearl necklace, and big sunglasses, I would pull out my breakfast of coffee and a pastry.

I would have a cat, and not give it a name. I'd just call it "cat".

When I went to sleep, I'd wear those cool tasseled ear plugs and a facemask decorated with a picture of gold, voluminous lashes.

I'd start each day with doing something I'd never done before.

I'd get to know my neighbors.

I'd throw wild parties in my apartment.

I'd sit out on my fire escape and strum my guitar.

But most importantly, I'd have a good time.

The Blob

this is the moment
I have been waiting for
what I look forward to
every year

a series of various emotions
fill me
as I approach this event
excitement
anticipation
and...
a tinge of, what is this?
fear
or rather, a sense of the unpredicted
it is not an exageration to say
that you can never determine
the results beforehand

this is not climbing Mount Everest
or seeing ancient pyramids
visiting Easter Island
nor is iot meeting the President himself
no no
this is something much much better

a tri-colored float
in the center
of a spring
of blue
yellow
and red
it provides so much entertainment

as I wait in line
I wonder how high I will go
my blobber seems to be
big enough
I determine that
I will go v-e-r-y high

you see, it's more than weight
it's your form
as a blobber
you can be light
but still have good form
and blob people very high
if you have both mass and good form...
you have the best of both worlds

after waiting what seemed
like a lifetime
I reach the front
of the line
I take my place
at the diving board
and leap

I see the dock
people watching from the sidelines
as I soar through the air
the feeling is exhilarating
I could stay up here forever
when I land
and feel the sharp sting
of the cold spring water

I come up for air
moments later
ready for my next flight

Summer Slipping Through My Fingers

Wow. I can't believe it. Only a week longer until I must return to school. School, with all of its text books, lockers, room numbers, teachers, homework, events, sports,friends, trips, lunches,etc. Deep down, I love it. There are wonderful people involved in every aspect of my school from admin, to teachers, to friends. But when I'm having such a good time on vacation, I don't wish to return! One thing that lifts my spirits every year is getting new school supplies. New pens, pencils, notebooks, folders, and a new planner. I do a collage over all of my binders, and put pictures on my planner.

The first week of school is going to be great. The first day, all the teachers just hand out the syllabus and tell us "how much fun we're going to have", and then we go home. The next three days for sure are going to be a blast. 9-12 grades go on a rhetoric retreat, so that we can build "new relationships". We go to Camp Kulaqua in Gainesville. There's a spring with a blob, where we spend our afternoons. SO MUCH FUN! Every morning after breakfast, and every evening after dinner, we have sessions where we play games. Also, the drama program puts on skits. Since I am in the drama program, I will be in these skits. I'm really excited because the skits are really funny and our drama class has been planning them for a while now. This is the second time that my school has done this, and I'm really glad that they're doing it again.

So for all you guys who are bummed, depressed, and saddened by the remaining summer time slipping through your fingers, don't let it ruin your day. Sleep in, and relax.

Italy/Greece 2007

This has been one of the most AMAZING summers of my entire life. One thing that made this summer such is that I went to Europe for the very first time. You see, every other year, my school goes on a gruop trip(9-12th grades only) to tour a European country. This year it was Italy and Greece. So let's start with Italy.
We flew out of Miami to Rome(8 LONG ENDLESS hours in the air) where we transferred to Florence on a bus. Due to jet lag, everybody slept for nearly the entire way so we missed som eof the fabulous Tuscan countryside. Once we arrived in the city, we arrived at our hotel and left for dinner. We were going to have REAL ITALIAN PIZZA! I experienced a little mix up with our waiter when placing my order. I said "cheese" instead of "margherita". So guess what they brought me? A pizza with just chees on top, with no tomato sauce. Surprisingly though, it was pretty tasty. :-)
The next day we toured the city. We went to the famous outdoor market. It was here that I discovered something: I can haggle. So I haggled. After lunch, it began to rain. Not just a little sprinkle. It was instantly drenching. So, against my better judgement, I had to buy an umbrella from one of the creepy tall people lurking around corners. This did happen to come in handy for the rest of the trip. We then went to the Duomo, a beautiful cathedral, with a dome built by the great Brunelleschi. If you go the Duomo, you can climb up to the top of the dome. So, for a sum of six euros, I did it. Being afraid of heights, I got a little nervous walking a round the fresco with nothing but a plastic barrier to stop my fall. But after climbing dark, steep, cramped steps, we reached the top. The breath was STUNNNING. You could see Florence in every direction. It made the perilous trek up worth it. For the rest of the day, we walked more around Florence, and saw more of its stunning sights(the Ponte Vecchio namely). But we had to be ready for the next day------ROME!
Rome is a bustling city, with people EVERYWHERE you go. One of the first sights we saw was the Trevi fountain. Of course, it was super crowded, so you had to wrestle your way to the front of the fountain( not an easy feat when you're trying to avoid pickpockets). Traditon states that if you throw a coin over your shoulder, you will return to Rome. Of course, I did it.
The next day, in the pouring rain, we saw the Colusseum, the Ancient Center, Paul's Prison, and the Vittorio Emmanuel Monument. Seing these places with my own eyes, rather than in travel magazines was surreal. I was so ecstatic to be there,in these ancient places where Caesar himself has walked(!). Our last day in Rome was busy. We walked A LOT. We went to the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica. The Vatican held so much amazing art. There were rooms devoted to Raphael, there was an amazing sculptures everywhere you turned your head. And the Sistine Chapel was a short distance away from me. However, to get to the Sistine Chapel is not as easy as it may sound. You see a sign that says 'Cappela Sistina' and you think it's just right around the corner. This is just the first of over fifty signs bearing that same message. You walk through corriders of other famous pieces of art, and after forty five minutes or so, you get frustrated. Will you EVER get there? After another fifteen to twenty minutes, and a few gilded corridors, you do. In this famous and stunnin g place, it is a sea of people. There are guards there for the sole purpose of shushing people and stopping them form taking flash photography. After spending sometime there, we moved on the St. Peter's Basilica. Every magnificent detail was poured into this cathedral. Gold was everywhere, as were marble statues and Swiss guards. One thing there on display ROCKED my world. There, so five feet away from me stood MIchelangelo's marvelous PIeta sculpture. I remember learning about this sculpture in 3rd grade. To see a work of art so famous, that I have loved, was AWESOME.
From Rome we transferred to Greece, on a 12 hour ferry ride. I have been trying to forget that awful night. PIcture this: cold, stiff seat, stench of people with no sense of cleanliness,no sleep. That was the ride. One fun thing was buying(with a friend of course) the biggest thing of Toblerone sold. This lasted until the end of the trip. Between two people of course.
Once in Greece, our first night there was in Delphi. WE climbed around the ancient ruins of Delphi and spent a better part of the day on a bus, tryong to get to our hotel. We next traveled to Athens, we went to the Parthenon, one of the most amazing places ever. It was amazig to see it in person. We spent the rest of our last day in the market, buying last-minute souveneirs. Since we had to wake up at 4 am the next day, everyone stayed up all night packing, or hanging out in the lobby playing cards, or talking. It was a good way to end our last night in Europe.
The plane ride home was a long trip. I was deliriously tired, as were the people sitting with me( who shall remain nameless, cough cough) so we laughed at everything under the sun until we arrived in Miami to take a 6hr bus ride to Orlando, with another hour's drive home for me.
This trip was so special. I loved Europe and I plan to return to Italy sometime again in my life. I hop e you enjoyed my post, sorry it was so long! I'll get pics up soon!

Graduation Day

the day you've waited for
for years
the day you've worked for
for years
the day you've looked forward to
for years

speeches, awards,scholarships,diplomas
it all comes with the package of "senior"
love and gratitude expressed
to those you love
love and gratitude expressed
to you
and your impact
in the lives of others

wearing the robe
putting on the hat
listening to the valedictorian
accepting your diploma
turning your tassle
throwing your hat into the air

never forget this milestone in your life
it comes only once

Red is Rad

red is rad
red is not bad
red is not a sad
thing to havee
in fact, it's more than a fad

it's so much more

it's a hair color
that takes the form of crazy untameable curls
on top of my head

do the red thing
that's pretty rad
so do the rad thing
that's the red thing

Look Out For the Blonde

look out for the blonde
she's not a joke
oh no
she's no hoax

look out for the blonde
her curls let out
waves of static electricity
due to her
extreme
a-list
ivy-league
intelligence

look out for the blonde
her super cute clothes
are no joke
oh yeah
that's a genuine
lacoste polo
she's wearing
and chanel purse
she's carrying
don't stare
you're just jealous

look out for the blonde
her aura
in a
room
is like sunshine
that fills the room

look out for the blonde
she's a walking
talking
stylish
curly haired
friendly
genius

The Birthday Poems

CUPCAKES
chocolate,vanilla
yellow or
marble
topped with
frosting
all the colors
of the
rainbow
purple
pink
or white
drizzled with rainbow
snow
SPRINKLES!
with a candle
on top,
it celebrates a life
we love so much
YOU!
so what are you waiting for?
make a wish!

FAB FIFTEEN
fifteen candles on
a birthday
cake
fifteen presents
wrapped with
fifteen bows
given by fifteen
friends

a bright flash
a squinted photo
ona plastic card
printed
with your
name
age
birthday
and the state
you live in
a piece of paper
signed
with your autograph
allows you legally
to take the
steering wheel
just be careful where you steer it

Tinker Bell

When I feel
completely unfabulous
my mind travels
to where I wish
I could be

I wish I could
wear a green dress
and fluffy shoes
carry a
magic wand
and have wings

I wish I could soar
for miles
and miles
and miles
in bright sparkly pixie dust

I wish I could
fly to Neverland
and see the mermaids
fight pirates
and live in
a secret hideout.

When I think
such thoughts
or dream
such dreams
of flying
and having pixie dust,
it brings me back
to my real life
with no
magic wand
green dress
fluffy shoes
wings
or pixie dust
the only thing this does
for me
is that
I feel a lot taller than
I really am.

Scavenger Hunt

begin with a penny
end with something
bigger and better
who knows what you may find?

a penny
for a piece of
hard candy
for a dog biscuit
for a lid to
a moist towelette container
for a purple marker
for a shirt tag
Ann Taylor size 8
for 5 citrine stones
for a pair of shoes
size 9 black pumps
for a kitty cat
pencil holder
for a spool of red ribbon
for a container
of Perfect For Perms
hair creme
for a certificate
for free lunch
for a cubic zirconia
for salmon bisque soup
for a lemon candle
for two knives
for a random
dvd and cd
for two
Madeline in America books
for a candle holder
for two prints of
local artists
one of a dragon
one of a bird

all that for a penny?
AMAZING

Things You Should Never Do To Yourself

silence
a click
an orange glow
briefly illuminating a face
taking a puff
of grey cancerous smoke

a flickering neon sign
the sound of a door chime
beckon you inside
where a different kind of artist
uses the human body
as his canvas
with needle and ink

the noise of the city
seems far away
in this upscale clinic
where people come in
with one face
and out with another

whoosh!
a note of regret falls to the ground
splat!
a life ends
just like that

Rain Boots

When the sky grows dark
and pours out its tears,
the wind blows
and clouds form
the time comes for
me to find a
way to cure my
bad weather blues
so I run
to my closet
and get my
shiny pair of
Rainboots

The second I lay my
eyes on them
I can feel them
just aching to
frollick and splash
in some puddles

Rain or shine
smile or frown
up or down
they're my
puddle splashing
cloud fighting
rain frollicking
constant companions

Mom My Ride

Note to viewers: Never fix your side view mirrors with duct tape.

The Stage

It's the place that
I fear the most yet
where I yearn to succeed
where I feel comfortable
yet subjected to the
comment and opinion
of others

It enables me to express myself
and portray the part of
someone else
at the same time

It is the place
where magic happens
tears are shed
laughs and smiles occur
tempers are let loose
pressure and nerves abound
stress is present in every form

It's an empty canvas
awaiting the painter
a pile of wood ready to
be made into a house
a doll wanting to
play with a child
a new guitar
waiting for someone to tune it
a teacher on their first day
awaiting students
a chalkboard without
its white powdry letters
an empty book
its pages waiting to be filled

This is the place to be
the place to be
who you are
or someone else

Puck, Juliet, Maria
from Shaekespeare
the large nosed Cyrano
a seemingly innocent old lady
who poisons old men
Jane, Emma, or Lizzy
from Jane Austen
even Earnest
from Oscar Wilde

As the curtain goes up
and the lights come on
and your makeup freezes your face
and your costume is a bit too small
you realize
THIS IS ACTING!

That's Pretty Underground

Isn't this so hardcore ? :-)

Promzilla

Look out for Promzilla.

She's as pretty as chanel's latest
or as ugly as gossip at its worst

Does she know literature?
You can guarantee that
she can recite
from cover to cover
any magazine's prom issue

Look out for Promzilla

She's going on a shopping spree
Dolce and Gabbana
Fendi and Luella
Dropping the lettuce
is no problem for her
she'll need to
if she wants to go to prom
in style

Look out for Promzilla

The big night comes
she has a new face
it's been made up by a salon
her hair has been freezed
with some product

Look out for Promzilla

Her dress is of the finest silk
handspun in Italy
her shoes are made by none other than the great
Jimmy Choo
her bag is emblazoned with the interlocking C's
only chanel dahling

Look out for Promzilla

The doorbell rings
her mother sings
"The car's here dear,
don't be late"
The limo is huge
it's longer than the biggest sub
you've ever eaten

Look out for Promzilla

When the car arrives at
the ballroom,
she steps out to a rage of photographers
and people whispering
"Look out for Promzilla."

The Great Debate: School Uniforms

I believe that uniforms stifle and trample upon one's individuality. I speak from personal experience, attending a school with a dress code. Yes, it does take away a form of peer pressure. But really, what more can a school administration take away from us? Already, we cannot wear the clothes we want to wear, but stripping away our freedom in selection of shoes, socks, accessories, even nail color? I believe that these things would not be a distraction for students, but a device that would help them. Students would not be so uptight and stressed in starched and ironed clothes, but comfortable in their own skin, in clothes they've chosen. It would also take a load off of the administration. Without uniforms, school administrators would not have to stress about rebellious students getting out of line with the dress code. Teenagers are at a critical time in their lives. We are just trying to find ourselves. Uniforms put a stopper on our quest to find individuality. Fashion is one of the essential ways human beings express themselves. I understand that uniforms stop (or attempt to) peer pressure and immodest dress, but those things occur even with uniforms. Some of it is inescapable. Peer pressure can and will occur anywhere, at any time, with anything. Uniforms may have their "blessings", however, I fail to see them.


What do you think? Are you pro-uniform?

Best Invention Ever!

It has been called the defining invention of the twenty first century. It enables us to take our entire music library wherever we go. Its design is impeccable, its durability and quality beyond excellence. Ladies and Gents... please welcome... THE IPOD!!!

Starbucks

The Fragrant aroma of coffee and other beverages being brewed and concocted greet me as I open the door. When that wonderful scent enters your nose, you begin to feel the energy. Maybe it is because everyone in this place is drinking caffeine, making caffeine, or desperate to get caffeine. Even so... As I bend down over a container of beans I am transported back to my house. Two, maybe three Christmases ago, my parents stayed up late to win an auction for an espresso machine on eBay. Upon its arrival at our house, my parents made latees nearly every morning with Peet's house blend. Coffee is what my family loves and one of the ways we love others. Odd how sucha musky scent is like a time machine. Every time I fill my lungs with that wonderful, that delicious fragrance of coffee, hot water, and boiling milk all on the soundtrack of a grinder, I feel comfort. It is familiar to me. This smell doesn't represent a beverage you just splurged on, quite the contrary. It represents the economy of many countries, and a way to bond with others, even if it's just in a crammedkitchen in DeLand Florida, where no illustrious coffee place will ever grace its streets.

Band Profile: The Decemberists

The Decemberists, a indie rock band from Portland, named themselves after a Russian revolutionary group. Their latest album The Crane Wife was released Fall '06, the group's first record on a major label. The lead singer, Colin Meloy, sings ballads of sailors and pistols that can last up to twelve minutes. The only other band I can compare them to is Neutral Milk Hotel. If you've never heard of The Decemberists, I suggest you check them out.

Songs You Should Download: O, Valencia!
16 Military Wives
Mariners' Revenge Song
July, July!
The Crane Wife 3

Treadmill Video

This is the most amazing music video I have ever seen. The song is "Here it Goes Again" by OK GO

The Bags I Never Had Part 1

This section is published in honor of a very talented collager I know. It documents clothing, bags, and jewels that are so out of my league that I could never have. So, it seems fitting to start with Chanel.
Ahhhh..... J'adore Mademoiselle Coco Chanel's Purses!!!!

Namesake

Here is the icon of amazing rock and roll. Meet Bono, the lead singer of the chart- topping band, U2. Goood picture huh?

More Fabulous People

Audrey Hepburn- Where to begin? Her movies may be pointless, but her elegance and grace is evident. It's no wonder that her fashion sense has been immortalized.

Anne Hathaway- I love her character in The Devil Wears Prada. Here, she wears an elegant hepburn-esque ensemble that was in the movie.

Fabulous People

Reeese Witherspoon- I love the outfits she wore to the Oscars and Golden Globes!



Here are some of my style icons. These are various celebrities who's clothes I wish I had. More will follow.

Mischa Barton- Her ad campaign with Keds is nothing other than cool

A Starlit Night

Here is a poem I wrote about the Oscars

A Starlit Night:
The sun went down, the stars came out
stepping from a limousine
to photographer's shouts
tomorrow her outfit will be in the magazines

throwing back her head
for a pose
on a carpet of red
they ask:
"What are your chances?"
she replies:
"Fair, I suppose.''

her apprehension grew
as she approached the theatre
and the carpet got shorter
and shorter

but she knew
that she could not turn back

~The End