Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back—in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you. ~Frederick Buechner

It’s later that I notice what I has been taken out of me - what I have broken. During those moments? Anger is the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me. Only then does freedom of speech not seem like an impossibility. There’s nothing quite like watching someone’s face crumple under your fury, nothing quite like that satisfaction. But I suppose everything is relative. Continue Reading »

Just ahead of time I’m gonna shout out a huge ALLEGEDLY to this post to prevent lawsuits.  Thanks Kathy Griffin.

The Jonas Brothers are extremely annoying.  Which is why I’ll start with reporting their daily dose of hypocrisy!  According to AOL.com, The Jonas Brothers recently stated that their promise to stay virgins until marriage was a lie… well not in those exact words.  They claim that they use the rings merely as a ‘reminder’. Apparently they never claimed that the rings were promises to not do the dirty, but rather just to remind them stay the path.  So I guess they’re more like ‘Reminder Rings’.

Lindsay Lohan is apparently drifting back to the other side of the road, and lip lockin it with boys once again.  It’s not official, but she’s been spotted a few times with Gossip Girl star, Chace Crawford (OMG I know right?).  If Samantha Ronson isn’t jealous (of Lindsay) then that’s crazier than Lindsay making up her mind.

Heath Ledger’s family on a serious note, really touched the Oscar audience.  If you happened to watch, I’m sure all of you were a little tangled up inside watching the heart-breaking acceptance speech.  Clips of Anne Hathaway and Angelina Jolie crying really put a hold on the festivities.  But of course the jerk who came on after had to crack a joke about Heath and really destroyed the moment.  A lot of people are saying it’s a pity award, but if you really think about it, who gave a better performance this year?  And what’s up with Heath not being in the memorial slide show?  Maybe I missed something.

Simon Cowell from American Idol announced that he wants to be cryogenically frozen… The future is sure in for a delightful Walt Disney when they wake him up.

On a final note, we’ve all heard the Rihanna and Chris Brown story, but TMZ released one of the pictures of Rihanna after the beating.  It’s pretty gruesome if I do say so myself.  But I’m still pondering over Chris’ facebook status after his conviction: “You’ll begin to see her real colors.  Believe it!”

Download This: ‘Face’ by The Black Ghosts

Nothing in the world compares to the beauty of a summer day, or the sense of enthrallment that captures you when staring at a city skyline lit up at night. I always wished, as I stared out at these views, that someone would think I was that beautiful. That someone would stare at me as I stared at the sky; and see something more than the rest of world saw. I’ve always wished that I was special. But, I’m just average. I have no interesting stories or astonishing accomplishments to share. I did nothing to be remembered for, I didn’t make an extraordinary amount of friends. If anything, I was known for being quiet and keeping myself locked inside a shell.No one is going to remember me, I told myself as I walked out the doors of my high school for the last time in December.

So I made a promise to myself: Show the world who you are, make your dreams come true. But what exactly are my dreams? I want to write a book that will change someone’s life. I want to allow someone to escape into a different world and let their imaginations roam free. I want to give someone the sense of astonishment and hope that I get whenever I read an amazing book. I also want to save animals. I want to become a vet, and someday own a veterinary hospital and an animal shelter; I want to make the world a better place for animals everywhere. But, like all dreams, mine comes with a price; the tuition of four years at university PLUS the tuition of veterinary school. I dare to dream, but still I worry. How am I going to make it through this?

I’ve lived life floundering in the lower-class. My father graduated from high school, but my mother did not. Needless to say, they did not manage to get exceptional jobs. My mom has worked on and off throughout my life, but has mostly maintained her position as a stay-at-home-mom for me and my two siblings. My dad has been working since before he graduated, going from factory to factory as layoffs continued to put pressure on our lives.  Finally, after years of struggling, my dad has found a sturdy job with excellent pay as  a supervisor. While the extra money has done wonders for us, it is still not enough to put me through college. Seeing as my parents have two other children to take care of while I’m in college, it is up to me to pay my own way through. While there are such things as student loans and FAFSA, I am afraid that it just wont be enough.

I’m sure you all know of that one person—or, more likely, several people—that asks for your “honest opinion” and is somehow insulted when you tell them that, yes, their shirt makes them look freaking massive.

The conversation always begins the same way:

Advice-seeking friend: “Listen. I’m asking you because I know I can trust you. I need you to be totally honest with me right now.”
Me: “OK…”
Advice-seeking friend: “Does this shirt make me look… fat???”
Me: “Well, I hate to say this, but I don’t think it’s the shirt. Maybe you should wear something a little… blacker.”
Advice-seeking friend, in tears: “Thanks… You could have at least been a little nicer about it. You don’t know what it’s like!”

We’ve all been there—attempting to deal with a person who can’t handle the truth and would rather hear some sugar-coated version of it instead, because reality can often be a tough pill to swallow.

The truth is that, subconsciously, our fat friend probably already recognizes the fact that their shirt doesn’t do any favors for their figure. Asking us for our honest opinion, then, is their way of reaffirming what they already know to be true.

If there’s one thing we can learn from all this, it’s that we are too reliant on the opinions of others because we are incapable of—or perhaps reluctant about—trusting our own. Thus, we constantly search for reassurance and validation from our friends and, if we’re really desperate, total strangers.

But does it matter? The reality is that we’re going to hear some things we don’t like, and if we care enough to ask for someone’s opinion on a matter, we need to be prepared to accept whatever they have to say.

So next time your friend asks if their shirt makes them look fat, tell them the truth!: “Yes, you look fat… but you already know that.”

I’ve never gotten that much of a techno vibe from Canada. They always seemed so under control; images of Mounties and open wilderness fueling my belief that Canada would never produce anything earth-shattering in the world of dance.

Well not literally, but if you ever saw him on stage, you’d understand why I make the reference. Donning a giant rodent facemask to nearly every event he plays at, Deadmau5 is changing the way people hear and groove to electronic music.

Born in Nigeria Falls, Ontario, Joel Zimmerman (a.k.a. Deadmau5) found his way to techno glory when legendary DJ/Radio host Pete Tong got ahold of his single “Faxing Berlin”, and broadcasted the track on his show, Radio 1. Continue Reading »

Who is the best rapper alive? What a stupid question. This is one of the most debated topics in the music industry, but the debate is completely unnecessary. The answer is obvious: Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., undisputed rap champion. Watch out less important rappers, he might “eat you alive”. Known as Lil Wayne, Carter has developed a fan base unlike any in music history. Lil Wayne stepped into the rap scene as a teen and is now at the peak of his fame. What is the key to Wayne’s seemingly endless fan base? Is it is wicked dreads or tattoos? No. Is it the constant mentioning of sex and drugs in his songs? No. It’s his seemingly endless supply of quality music.

Much of Lil Wayne’s music is too inappropriate to be played on the radio, but can be previewed on web sites like www.hotnewhiphop.com and www.hiphopearly.com. Lil Wayne has been known as one of the most popular artists to feature in songs by other musicians. Using clever word play and a voice like no other, he has become the addiction of countless listeners across the country.

It almost seems as if music by Lil Wayne is its own genre. Genres now include rap, pop, hip hop, techno, country, alternative and Lil Wayne. How many times have you heard “Lil Wayne” as the answer to “What kind of music do you like?”. Not country; not hip hop; just Lil Wayne. The success of Lil Wayne is unprecedented and one cannot help but respect this influential figure.

Everyone knows this guy doesn’t have such a good criminal record. He has been arrested several times and even admitted in an interview with Katie Couric that he often smokes marijuana. Many of his songs include lyrics about these experiences. However, most fans are not turned off by this behavior. Many actually admire Wayne’s boldness to admit what he does and not hide from the truth. It is obvious that Wayne’s success will not end any time soon. Drugs or no drugs, any artist that can maintain a following of millions while providing an incessant flow of new music gets an A in my book.

                                         Song of the day: “Hot Revolver” by Lil Wayne

It was an average day at the local high school, as people arrived in the parking lots around 7ish in the morning. The lower lot was filled with it’s usual suspects: upperclassmen lucky enough to drive, their awkward tricked out minivans, beat-up sedans, and even more worn down pick-up trucks. Nothing seemed to be astray at our quaint little learning facility. That is until closer examination was to be taken. On this day something very odd stood out amongst the four-doors and king-cabs.

And no it wasn’t a shiny silver Volvo. Good grief, the DVD doesn’t come out for like a month. Focus!

IT WAS A TRACTOR!

Aww, you’re disappointed aren’t you? Maybe not, but personally tractors don’t excite me that much. Especially when I get stuck behind them on back roads. Then they just infuriate me.

Anyhow, this particular phenomena wasn’t a joke as some of you city-dwellers must be rationalizing it as right this very moment. “Ride Your Tractor to School Day” was sponsored by the FFA, and I’m assuming was the creation of their overzealous president. To those of you who don’t know what FFA is, it stands for Future Farmers of America and is arguably the largest student organization in my school. Unless you count all the kids who are totally unmotivated and do nothing at all as their own group( but thats just paradoxical). While what I’ve already noted pretty much sums up the day’s activities(and the story of my struggles as an intellectual youth living in an agrarian society), the occurrence did remind me of another burning issue of mine. Continue Reading »

…so I’m not really feelin’ doing anything anymore. I mean, I checked out mid-December when I got into college, but it literally just hit how much stuff I’ve just stopped doing. I’m straight up gone like Spicoli. Instead of studying for calc, econ, and lit, I’ve just been chillin watching TV on the net – all day. Seriously, I’ve now seen every episode of House, Lost, Heroes, Smallville (but only seasons 1-6. Once I realized they weren’t gonna kick that original chick Lana off the show, I just got way too pissed and refused to watch. Louis Lane is damn fine though), How I Met Your Mother, GG, 30 Rock, Reaper (which rocks ass), Battlestar Galactica (yeah, I’m a nerd herder), Chuck, Burn Notice, Californication, Entourage (Johnny Drama is that dude), Dr. Who, Mad Men, The Mentalist, Fringe (haha, whenever I hear that I start thinking about the fringe on the side of a sheet of paper. That shit’s so annoying), The O.C., and I’m now on the 4th season of Gilmore Girls. And just saying that last one is embarrassing.

But it’s like…I’ve run out of TV to watch, and I’ve got nothing to do. It’s not like I’m about to go out and party on a Tuesday night. I tried going rock climbing with my one friend, but that turned out to be booty. Then I tried Frisbee, but I honestly I just can’t get into that sport. Like…it’s not fun.

So now I’m just off surfing the web. Fmylife.com is probably the funniest thing I’ve ever read, but when you’re checking it ever five minutes, you realize that your becoming a loser. So FML, I need to find something to DO.

And that’s when I stumbled upon a cooking show, hosted by Coolio. Yeah, Coolio. The rapper. The one who sang gangsters paradise – the greatest song ever conceived – seriously if Jesus had been born as a song, that’s what it would have sounded like. So that got me to searchin around on youtube for other rappers that cook - and I only found one. Yeah, that right, some dude named DJ Gingerbread and EZ Bake made a song that actually taught you how to cook in the lyrics! I mean, so what if none of tham can actually rap (infact they probably sound like what you would get if Martha Stewart seriously pursued a career in lyricism), but whatever, it was the thought that counts.

Basically, here’s the moral of my story. If your bored right now and you’ve got a bad case of senoritis, instead of watching Gilmore Girls Season 4, like me, take a break and throw on “Cooking with Rappers” (feat. the two most renowned rapping cooks in the world).  And once you’re done, you can go back to trying to find some new TV show to watch, or seeing if someone posted anything new on fmylife.  Maybe you can even find a tuesday night party or something.

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Good luck with getting the votes everybody. Let the games begin.

Love it when…you have a substitute teacher in a couple of your classes, so then all you do is watch movies the entire day?

Most of the time, substitute teachers have no experience in the subject they are teaching and don’t have a clue what to do.

Whenever a sub is needed, classes always seem more fun without someone nagging.

Hate it when…people stare blatantly, like with their mouths open? Some people don’t realize that this is weird and uncomfortable. I mean, didn’t their parents ever tell them that staring is rude?

Many things aren’t that fascinating to be staring at anyway, so why waste your time looking like a creeper?

Everyone has heard the cliche “take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Although annoying to hear, some really do need to take a hint.

After all, everyone knows not staring is caring.