What's a song without lyrics?

"Music's the medicine of the mind." ~John A. Logan

The answer? Just music.

I was trying to figure out what to write tonight's blog about and realized I hadn't even talked about lyrics too much...and lyrics help establish what a song is like (not including the music). I am sure, you can enjoy music without words, but personally, adding lyrics adds a whole new depth and level. After all, the lyrics help express emotion. There are songs for EVERY emotion out there-whether you're feeling powerful, upset, in love, etc, there's always a song to help you out. Those songs probably wouldn't be much without the lyrics.

Some of my favorite lyrics:

Everything You're Not-Demi Lovato

"I used to sing
to your twisted symphony
the words that had me
trapped inside your misery..."

Fifteen-Taylor Swift

"And when you're fifteen feeling like there's nothing to figure out
Well, count to ten, take it in
This is life before you know who you're gonna be...fifteen"

Paranoid-Jonas Brothers


"It's like a poison in my brain
It's like a fog that blurs the sane
It's like a vine you can't untangle
I'm freaking out"

Stronger (Back On the Ground)-Nick Jonas and the Administration



"In the sunshine down on my face
Braking through
Old things that were once lost now are new"

Can't Take That Away-Mariah Carey

"They can say
Anything they want to say,
Try to bring me down,
But I won't face the ground,
I will rise steadily sailing out of their reach,
Although they do try,
Hard to make me feel that I,
Don't matter at all
But I refuse to falter
In what I believe or lose faith in my dreams,
'Cause there's a light in me,
That shines brightly"

I asked some of twitter followers to share some of their favorite quotes too. Here's what they came up with. (Btw, huge thank you to Lindsey, Kelly, and David!) :)

"Maybe it's not my weekend, but it's gonna be my year."

"Dedication takes a life time...but dreams only last for a night."

"All your mistakes are easy to change...Don't let regrets stand in your way"
"So, baby keep drifting on, your endeavors ain't just selfless wasted time
Seek and find...You're not that far from what you've hoped and wished for all along"

"My heart beats like a melody that has never been played."

What are some of your favorite lyrics?

I'll catch you guys next week! :)

<3 Labanya

Happy New Year!

Hey guys!! Happy new year!! When I posted my last blog, I forgot to mention that it was my last one for 2009...and that this one is my first blog of 2010!! Although I'm excited about a new year starting and giving us a fresh start, I want to dedicate this blog to all of the memories in 2009 music history, good and bad. I know there's a lot...so I'll just list a few :)

1. American Music Awards: Amazing performances by Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Black Eyed Peas, and more
2. MTV VMA's: Kanye West & Taylor Swift moment
3. Teen Choice Awards: Jonas Brothers hosted it
4. Kids Choice Awards: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson hosted it
5. Eminen's Come-back
6. Black Eyed Peas: Grammy nominee
7. Susan Boyle
8. Jonas Brothers (Nick Jonas' solo project announced & Kevin Jonas gets married)
9. Michael Jackson & DJ AM: RIP <3
10. Oasis band break-up

Some songs which in my opinion were very popular this year:

1. Fireflies
2. Bad Romance
3. Tik Tok
4. Party in the USA
5. Pokerface
6. One Less Lonely Girl
7. You Belong With Me
8. Already Gone
9. Just Dance
10. Love Story
11. I'm Yours
12. Single Ladies
13. I Gotta Feeling
14. So What
15. White Horse

Top Tours of 2009 (in my opinion of course):

1. Madonna
2. Celine Dion
3. Britney Spears
4. Miley Cyrus
5. Taylor Swift
6. Jonas Brothers
7. Paul McCartney
8. Beyonce
9. Coldplay
10. Tina Turner

And...of course I could probably go on and on...can't wait to see what 2010 brings. After all, it is the start of a new decade :)

Catch you guys next time! Have a great week!

-Labanya <3

Movie Suggestion: Secret Life of Bees

Short post tonight because I have to finish studying for my midterms, but this is another good holiday good-feeling movie. This movie is one of my new favorites, based on the historical novel by Sue Monk Kidd. Dakota Fanning is phenomenal as Lily Owens, a 14-year-old girl living with a neglectful father, while trying to deal with the fact that as a kid, she accidentally murdered her mother. Her story truly begins when she runs away from home and finds solace at the flamenco pink residence of the Boatwright sister - August, May, and June – and their world away from the world.

Movie Suggestion: Love Actually

(Sorry it's a day late, readers! Had a Hamlet paper to write last night and forgot to post it)

This is a super cute Christmas story to get everyone in the Christmas spirit.


The movie is about eight people, all inter-connected, all falling in or out of love with the right and wrong people.
Take Sam for instance—an eight year old sweetheart who's completely in love with Joanna, the cute young America girl in his class
Or Jamie, who falls for Aurelia, the sweet Portuguese doesn't speak a lick of English.
And then of course there's Natalie, with her infamous thunder thighs.


These are only three of this movie's characters. There are plenty more, each one experiencing a different type of relationship—love, lust, heartache, and everything in between. All different types of love are explored—romantic, family, brotherly, and more. And it goes over the central message about love: that there's no true beginning or end. Love is infinite.


Now doesn't that feel Christmas-y? This story is a great holiday season opener. It’s guaranteed to warm your heart any cold winter’s night.

Do you listen to the radio?

Hey everyone!! Hope all of you are having an awesome weekend so far...did you enjoy Thanksgiving? :) My sister and I threw ourselves a mini-sleepover that night and guess how we partied? By listening to the music--the radio specifically, which is coincidentally, the topic of discussion for my blog today!! ;)

Radio is a great way to "discover" new music, whether it be different songs (which normally ends up being the most popular ones at the time), different genres, or different (and sometimes new) artists. Both my sister and I "discovered" our favorite bands and artists through the radio actually...and we're thankful we listened the day that we did (those songs are still on our favorites!!)

And of course there are a lot of local ones (for example, in my area, HOTZ95 is a popular one) and then, there are a lot of national ones too....for example:

Radio Disney (www.radiodisney.com <--covers all of your favorite Disney artists + more!!)
Kidd Kraddick (www.kiddlive.com <--Morning radio show, but they bring a lot of popular artists to interview (Jonas Brothers, Ashley Tisdale, Miley Cyrus, Colbie Caillat, and a lot of non musicians like Ashley Greene from Twilight) )
Radio shows like Ryan Seacrest's AT 40 countdown play the top 40 songs based on radio airplay...it's a great way to listen to new songs and every once in a while, artists host or co-host the show :)

Radio is definitely a great way to find new music and/or artists...and you never know, what you thought you didn't like three years ago may be your new favorite genre. You'll never know, unless you expand your horizons and listen to other types :) Let me know what your favorite stations are and why you love them...or if you discovered a favorite artist through radio, let me know also.

I'll catch you guys next week!

-Labanya

Movie Suggestion: NEW MOON

Ohhhh my gosh, ohhhhhh my gosh! I can't believe it's finally here. 12:01 tonight (or tomorrow morning, really) I'll be sitting in a jam-packed theater with other Twilight junkies watching NEW MOON! A shirtless TLaut, a depressed KStewart, a drop-deep-gorgeous RPatz.
What more could you want?!?!

Gahh! Words cannot express my excitement. So I'll wait and review it later on tonight :)

!!!

Get pumped!
I know I sure am.

Have you checked out the "Now" cd's?

Hey everyone! Hope all of you are having a fabulous weekend so far!! Did you all have a great Halloween? Can't believe it's November already...before we know it, the new year will be here (and I will be graduating :D)!!!

I was looking through my collection of cd's and decided to dedicate this post to a very special collection and tell you a little story. :)

I was walking through my local Target store a couple years back, music section of course :P, when I noticed a specific stack of cd's in one of the racks. The cover immediately caught my attention, not because it was bright and colorful, but because there was no particular artist's picture...or any pictures actually. All there was on the cover was a mixture of colors, along with the words "Now 26." So I bought the cd, after checking the back to see the songs and what kind of music it had, and needless to say, I fell in love with it.

If you guys haven't checked out the "Now" cd's yet, you definitely should. The "Now" cds normally contain top radio singles from different genres...all in one cd. For example, the Now 26 one had songs from Soulja Boy-Crank Dat to Daughtry-Over You. It's a great buy, especially if you like listening to the songs that are played on the radio, but don't necessarily want to buy an artist's entire cd just for one song or if you don't have iTunes or another music downloading site. Also, if you like listening to different genres, like me, it's all compiled on one cd, so it is really convenient. You may even discover that you like a certain artist. :)

I've only bought Now 26-29 so far, but I hope to buy the rest. For me, it's super convenient to get great songs all on one cd from 2-3 different genres!! And also, the songs that make it on there are great, catchy, popular tunes. You can check out their website, http://www.nowmusic.com/. They already have the next couple of cd's song listings up on there, as well as cd release dates!! The site also has a whole buncha other cool stuff; an app for your phone, videos, downloads, and more!! Check it out and let me know what you think!!

Alrighty guys, that's it for now, my apologies, but I'm gonna have to cut this blog a little short. Hope all of you have a wonderful week!!

-Labanya

Many Apologies and Reviews

Hey Readers,

So, I know I’ve neglected you for the last two weeks. I truly am sorry : (

It was completely unintentional, I promise. See…I had this little thing called Swine. (I always squawk when I say that word, like it’s associated with death or something, so if you could hear me it would sound like SWINE!) Really, it’s what I get after seventeen years of unhealthy eating and sleep deprivation. But still, I’m here to tell you: Swine? NO FUN.

But anyway, on to more important things. Like movies!

I had a lot of TV-watching time while I was lying on my sick bed, so I have a couple new BlockBuster suggestions for you.

Erin Brockovich

This is the story of a once-beauty-queen single mother who's seriously down on her luck. In desperate need of a job, she pottymouths her way into an office job where she stumbles upon a sketchy real estate case involving the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. With a little investigating, one discovery leads to another and sudden Erin’s knee deep in a cover-up and one of the biggest lawsuits this country has ever seen.

Contrary to popular belief, this is not your typical success story. No, no, no, Erin Brockovich is far from a cliché. There’s contaminated drinking water and partially exposed cleavage and enough witty comebacks to keep you laughing all through the night. And of course, the fact that it stars young(er) Julia Roberts makes this film an absolute must!

Speak

Melinda Sordino used to be a regular teen. And then IT happened. Now, feeling numb and unable to face the aftermath of this traumatic event, she turns completely inward, becoming a As her freshman year progresses, her fragmented past is slowly revealed through her sarcastic stream of consciousness, allowing the viewers to relate more closely to her troubling but worthwhile story.

This is such a touching film. I love Kirsten Stewart, and this is one of her earlier ones. With her haunting eyes and soft-spoken but powerful demeanor, she’s a knockout.

One Pimple is One Too Many - Movies

Hello beautiful people!

How are you today? Let's talk about something near and dear to my heart - MOVIES

It's no secret that I wish to be a film producer someday... and what better way to be prepared than to watch some awesome movies?
My favorite movie is A Walk to Remember. It's a beautiful love story between Landon and Jamie, based off the popular Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name. It's rated PG-13 so check with your parents before watching.

Another movie that never ceases to make me smile (and imo - is one of the most quotable) The Princess Bride. Released in 1987, I find it just as funny and as relevant as any other movie out there today. If you haven't seen it I would completely recommend you checking it out.

& finally, a movie you've probably been hearing a lot about it recently. I've been waiting for this movie ever since I can remember. I learned to read when I was 3. This was one of first books I ever read. To see it come to life has always been a hope of mine. And in a week or so, it will be a reality.


:)




What's your favorite movie?


Have a good week everyone!

Ariel

Postscript: For more up to date Movie Reviews, check out Shannon's Weekly Updates! :)
Second postscript: I apologize for the short entries lately. Finals and such! Hopefully things will settle down by next week! :)

Movie Review: Love Happens

Too cute :)

A self-help author, Burke, (Eckhart) crosses paths with a floral designer, Eloise, (Aniston) when he comes to Seattle to teach a seminar. Even though they've met each other at the perfectly wrong time--Burke with his repressed pain and Eloise with her boy issues. Bother parties are struggling with the pain of loss, unwilling to move forward in fear of losing what was. As their lives become more intertwined, they realize that "love happens" when it wants to happen; that to truly live in the present, they have to learn to accept and then let go of the past.

Honestly: A little too cliché, a little too predictable for my taste. However, this movie was incredibly cute; it’s one of those films that makes your chest all feel warm and fuzzy with that uplifting feeling, the one that has you believing in true love, even if just for a moment.

Movie Suggestion: Fame

Hey readers!
Soooo...I know that this column is a day late and a Suggestion instead of a review but I do have a legit excuse! I just climbed out of my sickbed after a week of the flu (not Swine thank goodness, but a strand that is just as painful) and am currently buried under a mountain of I haven't had a chance to see my movie. Any movie, really...

But, anyway, this week's movie suggestion is : FAMEEEEEEE!
The remake of the 80s film that follows a group of students attending the NYC High School for Preforming Arts, this new film is supposed to be AH-MAZING, just as entertaining as the first. I guess we'll see. Another double-whammy of reviews next Thursday. Until then!

One Pimple is One Too Many - Inspiration

What is your inspiration? What drives you to succeed - in spite of your circumstances?


I've had many opportunities to fail. I just haven't taken any. - Jesse Duplanits
Making mistakes is inevitable. We all can agree to this. However, half the battle is in your mind. If you think you're going to fail - no matter the problem - you will most certainly do so. However, if you have a mindset like Mr. Duplantis, more often than not you'll be successful. Think of Thomas Edison. "I didn't fail. I merely learned a 1000 ways not to make a lightbulb."

Before we can acquire great power, we must acquire wisdom to use it well. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
The things we go through can help us more than they hurt us, if you choose to view it that way. Instead of letting the things that go against you keep you down, learn from them and move on. Be an eagle and soar!

Don't brood. Get on with living and loving. You don't have forever. - Leo Buscaglia
It's true. Life's too short to be "moody" all the time. Failed a test? Skinned your knee? Got into a fender bender? Don't worry! You can always retest. Antiseptic and a band aid. Car insurance. :)
Seriously though, life is really too short to be wasted on complaining. Live and let live. Make the most of today because tomorrow many never come.

If it wasn't for you I would never be who I am. - "Where Are You Now" by Honor Society
There's always gonna be another mountain, I'm always gonna want to make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle, sometimes I'm gonna have to lose. Ain't about how fast I get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side - it's the climb. - "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus
I can't say I'm a fan of Honor Society but I will give them props for a beautiful and true song...
People come and go in life - it's okay. Who they are and how they long they were in your life will fade away...
but what will remain is the memory of your time together and what they did/said in your life that contributed to the person you are today. That's why it's so important to be conscious of the people you surround yourself with. Look at your group of friends and ask yourself honestly - are these the people I want to be like? If they are, great! If not, work into changing that.

The Climb is one of my favorite songs of 2009. Hands down. Some of you may scoff because she's a Disney girl but if you look past that and see the lyrics, it really is inspiring...


Dream. Dream the biggest dream you can ever imagine.
Then believe.
If you can dream it, you can do it.


Have a great week everyone!


Ariel

One Pimple is One Too Many - Reading

Hello <3


Today I want to talk about one of my favorite pastimes: Reading.

Now, before you run off because you get enough reading recommendations from school - I thought I'd point something out.

People always tell me that they're not readers. Reading isn't their thing. They've tried to love reading but aside from news stories, required reading from school or traffic signs, they just can't quite get lost in a book.
I say: You haven't the right book. Everyone loves to read, if they don't they just haven't found their book yet.
What do I mean by "their book"? That one book that changed the way you thought, the one that grabbed ahold of you from the very first page and didn't let go until you closed the cover, the one that made you laugh and cry until you couldn't do either anymore....
Let's find your book shall we?


My book was A Picture of Freedom- The Diary of Clotee: A Slave Girl from the Dear America series. I learned to read when I was three so I was always a "bookworm" but this is the first book that I remember reading over and over and over again. It's still on my bookshelf. I haven't read it in years but everytime I see it, I smile because for me, reading the Diary of Clotee inspired me to not only love reading - but to keep a consistent journal and write stories.

Since then I've found many books that I love.

Love Rules by Dandi Daley Mackall
Through Painted Deserts & Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
Reconstructing Natalie, Daring Chloe and Dreaming in Technicolor by Laura Jensen Walker
the Christy Miller & Sierra Jensen Series

& my favorite author:
Melody Carlson
I gladly & completely recommend anything she has written. <3



There are so many books out there. Historical Fiction. Drama. Thriller/Suspense. Romantic comedy. Biographies. Inspirational.
I couldn't possibly name them all here.
I would say this:
Check out your local library.
Or even a popular bookstore.
Think about what you find interesting and I can guarantee, there will be a book about it.
If you need help, ask an employee. (Especially if you're at the library. The all love books there ;))


Happy reading!


Ariel

P.S. Weekly book recommendations are right here! Check out Amelia's Book Review Column! :)

Movie Suggestion: Love Happens

Jennifer Aniston's new movie comes out TOMORROW!

I'm super excited for this movie. It looks excruciatingly cute. Ahh, just thinking about the sweetness is making my teeth hurt.

I can't wait to see Jen in something new. She's such a phenomenal actress, but I haven't seen her on the big screen in quite a while. And to be teamed up with Aaron Eckhart? Can you say match made in heaven!?

Review for you next week!

One Pimple is One Too Many - Humor

Hello all!

By now everyone should be back in school - how is it going for you?
Let's take a break from all that learning for a second and talk about something anyone can do.

Laugh.

Laughing is truly one of the best medicines. Studies show that laughing can actually boost your immune system and improve your overall quality of life. So if you're feeling a little down or stressed because of school/work/family/friends etc...

Take a deep breath. Go ahead. Breathe in. Breathe out. Good.

And get ready to laugh!

(This is my kind of humor. Enjoy! :))


Have facebook? You will relate. I promise.


Remember Meekakitty (aka Tessa)? This is my favorite. NOM NOM NOM!


I love this show. I'm not sure when the new season comes out but check your local listings. You will not be disappointed.


This isn't exactly funny, more like ridiculously amazing. She rocks at editing.



I would do this in a heartbeat. Join me?



You knew this was coming. I've watched this probably 7738293711345 times. :)


Okay so I had WAY too much fun going through my favorites and finding videos for you all. Hah :)

Have a great week everybody!


Ariel

Post Grad Movie Review

Post Grad.

Such a cute movie.

It’s the classic tale of bestfriends turned lovers with a number of hilarious twists along the way.

Scholarly, list-maker Ryden (Bledel) has just graduated from college. And she has a Plan. Actually, it’s not a Plan it’s THE PLAN. And it’s perfect.

Except….

Nothing’s perfect.

As Ryden soon finds out.

She receives a reality check when her overly optimistic post-graduation plans go askew, and she’s forced to move back home and start over from scratch. Her post-grad experience takes her on a comical tour of the “Real World” and helps her realize what and WHO are really important in her life.

Alexis Bledel does a fantastic job, as usual. In this movie she goes retro and brings back the Rori Gilmore, just less timid and more erratically vivacious.

And Zach Gilford…oh, Zach Gilford.

SWOOOON!

My heart started beating down time the second he came on screen.

In this movie, he was the definition of the phrase hott nerd because he was…a hott nerd! Gilford plays Adam—a goofy musician with big brains and big brawn to match, who has been hopelessly in love with Ryden from the start, but has been stuck in the Friend Zone since they became BFFs freshman year. Adam knows they’re meant to be together—he’s just waiting for Ryden to know it too.

This is without a doubt one of the sweetest movies of the summer. If you’re in the need of a pick-me-up or just in the mood to feel warm and smiley, I would definitely recommend it :)

One Pimple is One Too Many - Blogging/Vlogging

Hey Everybody!

How are you doing today? Wonderful I hope!

Today I want to talk about blogging and vlogging.

Blogging
I've had my blog account since the beginning of time. (Otherwise known as December 2004.) Originally, it was a place for me send out random thoughts/quotes/poems etc into the blogosphere. The summer of 2007 I created a new blog with the specific purpose of keeping in touch with friends that I had met over the summer. Over time it evolved into a wonderful place to voice my ideas, thoughts, dreams and aspirations to the world. In blogging I've found not only a great outlet, but the chance to review books for two different publishing companies! (I've even had the opportunity of interviewing an author and having multiple authors read my reviews of their book!) The best thing is: anyone can be a blogger! You don't have to pay any money or have an extensive knowledge of grammar and vocabulary: all you need is a valid email and an idea! There are many different blog sites to choose from: Xanga, LiveJournal, Tumblr and of course Blogger. Choose the site that's right for you!

Here a few blogs that you might find interesting:

Face Replace - it hasn't been updated since April but the idea is intriguing enough! (The idea was co-started by Charlieissocoollike! More on him in the vlogging section :))
Yetton Adventures - Joy Williams used to be one of my favorite singers in middle school and I enjoy your music to this day! This is a blog chronicling her married life and her music
Weeno Photography - I just happened across this site one day and have been a faithful follower ever since. If you love quirky photography and a witty photographer to boot, you're in for a treat!

(Psst! Don't forget to check out the personal blogs of all our Column Bloggers! :))


&

Vlogging

Since the dawn of youtube in 2005, there have been vloggers (which in internet speak means: Video Bloggers) Basically, instead of writing an entry about what you did that day - why not talk about it? And with the extra help of cool graphics and editing, you can make a unique contribution to the vlogging world!

Some of my favorite vloggers are:

Charlie is so cool like - a British teen talking about his world and taking you along for the ride. (I'll be honest, I'd watch even if he was boring - I absolutely LOVE British accents! :))
Meekakitty - is a formal model living in New York. She is random, a little crazy and a whole lot of weird - but I think that adds to her appeal :) (My personal favorite? Toys Rus Adventure. Check it out! :))
Jonas Brothers You knew it was coming :) Usually used as a tool for promotion, you can catch the latest details on what's happening in the JB's busy schedule. Sometimes though, they post a video just for fun. (Joe's single ladies dance/JB&Demi's "Soap Opera"/Nick J Show to name a few)
Taylor Swift Taylor's videos have actually encouraged me to make my own videos. She's directed two of her music videos (The Best Day & I'm Only Me When I'm With You) and makes a habit of putting together a video compilation of what she's done recently. (Her newest video is about her upcoming trip to London, touring with Brooks & Dunn and hanging out with Demi Lovato! All set to the fabulous song known as One Time by Justin Beiber :))


IMPORTANT NOTE
While I believe that being honest with your readers/viewers is important, I would strongly recommend you don't post/talk about your personal information (your last name, address, where you attend school, email etc.) As always, I would suggest keeping an open communication with your parents when it comes to blogging/vlogging. Encourage them to read your blog/watch your vlog and even create an account for themselves! Not only will they appreciate you for including them into your lives, but you gain trust with them as well.


Stay safe and happy blogging/vlogging!


Ariel

One Pimple is One Too Many - Hoops & YoYo // Project Beauty // MLIA

Hey Everybody!

How are you doing? Wonderful I hope!
I wanted to share three things that have really made my week!

Hoops & YoYo
are a funny card company that started out as part of Hallmark and eventually grew into a big time company of it's own! Not only are there paper cards but they have e-cards, talking calendars, and more! If you ever need a to laugh, check them out!

Project Beauty
(@ProjectBeauty) is an organization was started in part by one of our very own Column Bloggers Labanya! (@lalalabanya). Labanya and her friend Leah (@leahkayxo) decided to make a positive difference in their world and started Project Beauty - a place on twitter where you're encouraged to be the best that you can be and to never give up - no matter how tough life gets. If you haven't already, I would definitely recommend checking it out.


MILA
is the acronym for My Life is Average. I personally think that everyone's life is extraordinary. (Remember: we all have a great story to tell) but the sheer genius of this site is amazing. It's fun to read about the random but completely hilarious things people go through everyday. (And is much better than reading depressing stories from that other site.)


Hope you guys are doing well! Have a great week!


Ariel

P.S. Need help on something I haven't covered yet? Email me at arielsmiles(at)rocketmail(dot)com! Don't worry - all names will be kept anonymous. Can't wait to hear from you! :)

Music--a remedy

Hey everyone! Hope all of you have had a great week so far!

Let's get started...shall we? :)

First and foremost....

Some, if not all, have either experienced a bad break-up or seen a close friend or family member go through one....and although it is a painful experience, you eventually learn to recover, to gain hope once again, and to continue with life. I was surfing the web the other day when I came upon something that I would like to share with all of you...the 10 best breakup songs (according to AOL Radio). After all, "music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul." The following songs are enough to do just the job :)

10. Since You've Been Gone-Kelly Clarkson

9. With or Without You-U2

8. Here Without You-Three Doors Down

7. Against All Odds-Phil Collins

6. All Out of Love-Air Supply

5. Hard To Say I'm Sorry-Chicago

4. Nothing Compares To You-Sinead O'Connor

3. Total Eclipse of the Heart-Bonnie Tyler

2. What Hurts The Most-Rascal Flatts

1. You Give Love a Bad Name-Bon Jovi

What do you think? Are there other songs you would add to the playlist? For me, I think WWIII-Jonas Brothers, Every Time You Lie-Demi Lovato, Like A Boy-Ciara, and You're Not Sorry-Taylor Swift would be excellent picks. But that's just my opinion :)

Alright guys, I'm sorry this blog was a little short...I start school Monday and I still have to get all of my stuff together!! Talk to you guys next Saturday, but until then, have a great week (and if you start school, or have already started, have fun and good luck!!!).

-Labanya :)

Two Movie Reviews, As Promised

The Ugly Truth

Ohmygosh, so hilarious. Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler put on a HILARIOUS performance in this film. And I mean, hilarious. I was practically busting a gut by the end of the movie.

The story is a romantic comedy, about a uptight, list-making beautifully undateable girl named Abby (Heigl) who is forced to work with a blatantly honest guy named Mike, who gets a job as a TV personality on the morning show she produces. Mike proclaims that he knows the "ugly truth" about men—what they really want, how they think, what they're looking for in a woman, etc.—and he offers to help Abby find a mate in exchange for her cooperation on the show.

It's really just the classical tale of Boy and Girl whose hatred for one other eventually morphs into something sorta-like love. It’s the cast that makes it better than your average romantic comedy. Their delivery of the script and the chemistry between Heigl and Butler is astoundingly funny.

500 Days of Summer
Three letters: W-O-W.

Three letters: W-O-W.

“This is not a love story. It’s a story about love.”

Above is the quote on the movie poster. When going to see this film, DO NOT TAKE IT LIGHTLY. The commercials make it seem like any other cutsie “Boy meets girl” fairy-tale like romantic comedy. I admit, when I went in, I had the movie pegged as just another summer romance film where everyone lives happily ever after. Surprisingly enough, it’s not. Well, not exactly. I don’t want to say too much, because it’ll ruin the movie for you, but just know: this movie is not what you’re expecting. It entertaining and poignany, and really makes you think about life and love and reality, which is a nice change from the romance movies teens are usually watching.