Oops I did it again superrachelhope

Thought of the day:

When you want to take a chance but you're scared or unsure, just ask yourself what you have to lose… and if the answer is nothing, then go for it; some opportunities might only come around once.

And remember: the only chance you'll ever have at getting what you want is to go for it.

And if it doesn't end up working out, no big deal... My philosophy is: If you lose, at least lost knowing you fought for what you want.

:)

 Children costumes show off girls' midriff. Google Image.

What Crosses the Line for Sexy Halloween Costumes?

Today’s fashion for young women has become increasingly provocative with trends pushing suggestive and slinky. Over the past couple decades, Halloween spirit has evolved from spooky and modest to   seductive and grandiose.

Traditional Halloween costumes originated from the spooky spirit may include witches, vampires, pumpkins, skeletons, ghosts and other creepy supernatural characters. But over time, costume selections have progressed to imitations of popular TV personalities, fictional characters, general subcultures (such as hippies), and “naughty” nurses and firefighters.

 Typical costumes today include sexy versions
 of pirates, creepy movie characters
 and uniforms.
 Google Image.

Political figures and pop culture inspire silly costumes for men and sexy for women. Pop stars, such as Britney Spears, have prompted women to steer toward a more racy approach to the holiday. Halloween has become a competition of outdoing everyone by wearing the sexiest, silliest or most unique costume.

Halloween costumes today for women, often formfitting, erotic and irrelevant to the original concept of the holiday, contrast with costumes from earlier decades, which included princesses, hippies, superheroes, witches, vampires and so on.

A flashback of Halloween in the '80s. Google Image.

I asked a psychology professor at my school what costume culture was like for Halloween in her day.

“I was a beatnik in the late ‘60s,” she said. “Back then costumes were more conventional. Popular costumes were ghosts and witches, and more conservative [than today]. It wasn’t about being provocative, but more about having fun.”

Since Halloween trends in this generation now follow mainstream culture, they tend to be over the top and give women an opportunity to emulate their favorite celebrity or turn an average job uniform into a slinky, flirtatious version. As provocative styles become more conventional, it is difficult to determine what “crosses the line” on a holiday that allows one to dress as unconventional they wish.

Occupy Wall Street

The continuous Occupy Wall Street protest that has been going on since September 17, 2011 has spread nationwide and been a topical focus for news commentators since it began. The demonstrators are picketing against social and economic inequality, corporate greed and the influence of corporate money and lobbyists on government. Underlying it all is a 9.1 percent unemployment rate.

The demands of the Wall Street protest remain vague and unclear. The demonstrators are demanding a broad scope of social and economic change and insist our country is in need of a revolution. Some blame the government, but most blame the banks.

I think the protest encourages middle-class America providing hope that if enough people come together and take a stand, maybe we can make a difference and head in the direction of social and economic revolution. 

It is sad that the state of our country remains ignored. Although the government assures that action is in place, millions of Americans continue to struggle. Wall Street is yet to get the message.

The protest demonstrates how fed up middle-class Americans are and instills faith in those without a chance to voice their concern. The market’s plummet over the past decade that has spiraled our nation’s economic crisis has left middle class America in a perpetual, seemingly hopeless struggle. Protestors place blame on the Federal Reserve and reckless government spending.

Middle class America’s effort to do something about our unequal economy and social class is the only shot we have at succeeding in change. If we don’t stand up together and take action, who will? Our government doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it. If Corporate America continues to take all the country's profits, how will the struggle ever cease? Assembling a powerful movement toward commonwealth is the only chance this country has in ending its ongoing economic struggle.

Although the government says it is trying to equalize the playing field, so far it is struggling just like the millions of Americans. Perhaps protest is the only answer.

 

Katy Perry Impersonator

Official Katy Perry impersonator in Chile Kary Perry talks about her life as an imitation pop star.

I recently discovered another pop star impersonator in South America through a Lady Gaga impersonator (Jey Gaga) who I wrote about not too long ago. This time, I found a Katy Perry impersonator who answered a few questions and let me write about her!



Kary performing at one of her shows in Chile.

Her real name is Carolina Envelyn Sanchez Spuler, but on stage she’s known as Kary Perry (yes, with an ‘r’). The 22-year-old Chilean has worked as the official Katy Perry impersonator in Chile for the last year.

Kary begins by telling me a bit about her job description: “I work really hard, doing shows in different clubs around my country; sometimes I perform three or four tracks of Katy Perry’s live presentations with all her costumes, everything as perfect as possible,” she explained. “I work with my crew of dancers called Team Lollipop Dancer. It is beautiful and amazing work, sometimes you wear out so much but it's just a detail that you don’t feel when you love your fans and Katy.”

It was an idea that arose about a year ago when some people told her she looked like Katy. Later on, a casting appeared on TV. "I applied and everything was going well because my image was shown and it generated so many contacts. Since January of this year, I started to imitate Katy and I don’t regret it, it has been like a dream come true. I have no words, only further support for my idol and to try and make the fans feel like they can have a bit of Katy in me."

Ironically, as an imitation of an American pop star, Kary doesn’t speak much English (I had to have one of her friends translate the questions and answers for this interview). “I speak a little English; shame on me,” she said. “It’s a pretty interesting mix, I really would like to handle better English but it is something I will do with time. Some fans know a lot of English and others don’t. In general people can handle the idiom, but not all, it also depends on the age.”

She’s never traveled to the U.S. to perform, but she said it would be “an amazing dream and a beautiful opportunity and amazing experience.”

She told me people mistake her for Katy Perry all the time, but she always lets them know who she really is. “I deal with it very well, and I really enjoy it. I always tell them that I’m the impersonator in Chile.”

She said there are many impersonators in Chile. “We have Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Michael Jackson, etc… And they are all great!” Aside from all the other celeb impersonators in Chile, Kary is the only official Katy Perry impersonator.

She said she loves Rihanna a lot. “She is a complete artist and a very unique, has an amazing musical quality, and I also like the fact that she's got a pretty crazy friendship with Katy!” she said.



Kary Perry and Jey Gaga.



“I met Jey Gaga through other friends that we have in common and also I had watched some of her videos on Internet because she is quite famous here; she is charming and has tremendous talent, and it's great that we can work in some shows together because it creates an incredible atmosphere,” she said when I asked her how she met Jey Gaga (the official Lady Gaga impersonator in Chile).

Does the Katy Perry imitator sing? "No, although I am fond of singing. Katy has a very unique voice and I think the fans feel like the original voice and the appearance of katy is enough to make them feel like a bit of Katy is there," she said.

She describes herself as “very sociable and a woman of strength and love of what she does.”

I asked what her favorite part about impersonating Katy Perry is. “It fascinates me, especially her character. It is so fun to be Katy and get on stage. Every single track I do has to be the same as the original presentation, costumes, staging, etc. Also, knowing that you’re impersonating your pop idol and have the pleasure of making fans feel they have a bit of her in Chile is pretty exciting.”

Two links to some of her performances:
 

Fireworks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urNCunyQOew 

Hot N' Cold: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogJjsnW8wto&feature=related

Life Without a Facebook.

The non-Facebook Trials

Recently I decided I waste way too much time on Facebook and check it several times a day habitually; out of boredom, curiosity, expression, communication and so on—but, I think most could attest that messing around on FB is mostly out of boredom.

I decided to de-activate my FB account indefinitely to assess how addicted to FB I actually am and how long I could make it.

Through this odd experiment, I kept a log of my thoughts and whenever it had an effect me.

It turned out pretty interesting..

——

DAY ONE:

Around 8 p.m., a few hours after de-activation, I feel anxious. Think about checking Facebook about a dozen times. Numerous occurrences where I'd think of something and wanted to post on status update.

DAY TWO:

Mid afternoon: Still feel edgy. I am really bored. I want to see what people are up to; chat; status update. Still, I want to make it a week.

Evening: I am using the computer less and watching more TV. When I get bored, I typically initiate the Internet starting with FB; I just instinctually type in Facebook.com in the search bar thing, even if I originally went online to do something else.

DAY THREE:

Not using FB is keeping me active in a different ways and I spend way less time using the Web in general, and when I do, I  just browse, read, blog, schoolwork, etc. But somtimes I still urge to check FB.

DAY FOUR:

Becoming more accustomed to this, but still a little edgy when I'm bored. Each day I feel a little more liberated. At the same time, I think I am addicted to FB and probably go back to being just as consumed as I was pretty soon.

DAY FIVE:

Feeling less of an urge to use FB. I do have some people and thoughts I want to communicate, but I really want to make it a week, and I think my convos and updates can wait a week. I don't NEED Facebook. This is still really weird though not being able to use it...

DAY SIX:

I don't even want to use FB. I'm using my computer for mainly work and music and stuff. I wrote a research paper with no distractions; apparently FB is big a distraction for me. AND I honestly think I was way more bored back when I was using FB than now. I got a lot of work done today though.

DAY SEVEN:

One week anniversary without FB and at this point I want to continue this detachment from the digital world. I actually feel more in tune with the real world… I don't know if that sounds weird.. But now I have to call, text or physically make contact with a person to get in touch (and vice versa), which I is a more personal, real way of connecting with people as opposed public FB comments and what have you.

DAY EIGHT:

I don't know what to do, I don't even really want to re-activate my account, but at the same time I kinda do. I'm sick of blogging about this because I don't think I care anymore… Let's see how long I can continue this experiment thing

DAY 10:

Kind of pissed that I can't share my wise words with the public.

DAY 11:

Okay so I signed onto my Facebook toady because I was really bored at work and now I'm back on there… But I find that I'm not as dependent on FB anymore! Hopefully I can be a recreational FB user….. If that happens...

So, in summation I learned that Facebook is just addictive, but it's really not a big deal when you get used to the detachment. Throughout the 'experiment,' FB became less and less important, but it IS still important, for lack of a better word. I'm sure there are so many people who would have a hard time going one day without FB. 

I hope from now on I can use Facebook much less!

An Alarming 'United' Nation

Somebody Has To Say It....
Allow Me to Allow You to take a Look Into Our Twisted Society

What is happening to this world? It’s getting really scary… It’s just not peaceful. It’s unsettling, corrupt and disturbed. It's quite alarming.

Gas is a joke. The economy is a joke. Our government is $14 trillion in debt, spending tremendous amounts of money on unnecessary and secondary things. The government is corrupt. They hide things from the public just to avoid hysteria… but as citizens of this country under this government, don’t we deserve to know what’s really going on?

What is with all this war? I don’t even understand why we’re fighting; in fact, I don’t even care. I just think we need to arrive at peace. We live in a country called the “United” States—shouldn’t we be advocating unity and peace? We are all humans and have more in common than we think. Although we are different as individuals, we are still all the same. We’re ALL humans just living to find our purpose in this world. We all just want to be loved, and we all want to succeed. But instead, we would rather focus on others’ failures because it makes us feel better about ourselves, which is completely reprehensible. We always want to be above everyone else and want to believe we are better than others. We care too much about what people think, and we’re all so envious. We envy the envied because WE want to be envied. Society is drunk on power.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."

People do not really understand life. The meaning of life, the meaning of it all is to learn. We were put on this Earth to learn and understand. It’s not necessarily all about knowledge; knowledge and wisdom are not the same. You cannot love, grow, understand or know until you learn. Everyday, anything and anyone can teach you something. For every opportune experience you take on, you learn to understand, not just to know. You understand and find wisdom through experience, not by studying books. The only way to learn and understand the world and the people in it is by taking the time to establish quality human-to-human connections and exploring, not only the beautiful things, but the bad things as well in the world around us.

  

Humans have this amazing and unique ability to learn and understand the world and gain wisdom through experiences and emotion, unlike any other living entity.

What is with the lack of self-respect people having? And people lack awareness about their lack of self-respect. People think they understand what self-love and self-respect are… Let me just say: you want people to notice you because you are interesting and unique, not because you’re wearing provocative clothing and exude powerful sexuality.

Everyone has some purpose. Everyone’s life has value. The value of life is one’s future—you value your future, you live for your future and you learn for your future. One doesn’t HAVE to believe in a ‘higher power,’ you just have to believe in meaning, purpose and hope, which can be just as powerful.

We’re all just looking for connection, trying to find emotion and accomplish our goals and dreams. Dreams keep people going, even the dreams we know won’t come true. If you can dream it, you can believe in it and you can live for it.

Now onto “America The Beautiful.”

The media has set the bar so high for society. We’ll never get where we want in life if we set our standards at an unattainable level. We can have our dreams, but we have to be realistic.

Plastic Beauty

America has created a society that is shaped around beauty; we are obsessed. The media emits this idea of an ideal image, which is unattainable to most. NO ONE is perfect, even those ‘beautiful’ people in Hollywood who ooze perfection. Plastic makes perfect; there are so many plastic people altering their bodies so they can match the ‘image’ of beauty. The image of beauty is imaginary. There should not be a standard for beauty—isn’t beauty subjective?  America focuses their blame for this on the media, but is that fair? I think so..

The reality is, beauty is a business; beauty sells. Marketers use beautiful, talented people to advertise their product in a way that tends to convince people that they are not good enough the way they are, and if they buy the product it will allow them to improve as a person and be accepted by society. But is it fair for the media to correlate beauty with worth?

Inevitably, not everyone is equal nor has equal opportunities. Some are not as fortunate to be as beautiful or wealthy as others—but what constitutes beauty and wealth? The media defines beautiful as perfect, and perfect is unattainable. The media intentionally advertises unachievable beauty as a way to influence consumers to keep buying their product in attempts to achieve this unachievable perfection.

Is the media all to blame for our superficial way of life? I would say so… or at least the media is a large contributing factor. The media has total control of the messages being sent out to the public, and they choose to use beautiful, talented, wealthy people to set an example of what people should be.

In the media, they portray women as tall, skinny goddesses.

Fun Fact (or shall I say disgraceful fact): The average American woman is 5’5” tall and 140 pounds; the average American model—5’11” and 115 pounds. Can you believe that? The media has created a standard prototype for what beauty is.

A standard Barbie doll is 11.5 inches tall, giving a height of 5 feet 9 inches at 1/6 scale. Barbie's vital statistics have been estimated at 36 inches (chest), 18 inches (waist) and 33 inches (hips). At 5'9" tall and weighing 110 lbs, Barbie would have a BMI of 16.24 and fit the weight criteria for anorexia. According to research by the University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, she would lack the 17 to 22 percent body fat required for a woman to menstruate. In 1963, the outfit "Barbie Baby-Sits" came with a book entitled How to Lose Weight which advised: "Don't eat!" The same book was included in another ensemble called "Slumber Party" in 1965 along with a pink bathroom scale permanently set at 110 lbs, which would be around 35 lbs. underweight for a woman 5 feet 9 inches tall.

What kind of example does this send out to children entering young adulthood—the most difficult and insecure years of one’s life? Why should young teens be pressured into feeling they must be perfect?

I read an article in the Sun Sentinel not too long ago about a mother who was administering Botox to her 8-year-old daughter. The little girl, convinced and brainwashed by her mother(who is clearly brainwashed as well), quoted, “I just, like, don't, like, think wrinkles are nice on little girls." Are you serious?.... WRINKLES ON LITTLE GIRLS?! Really? Since when do YOUNG GIRLS have wrinkles? Remember, that was quoted by an 8-year-old girl.

Has the media eliminated beauty as being a subjective standpoint? Have they robbed us our freedom to be who we are? Are beautiful people valued more in our society?

Like John Mayor said in a song, “One day our generation is gonna rule the population, so we keep waiting on the world to change.”

"We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a people-oriented society."

Your turn....

What do you think?

Lady Gaga Impersonator

Recently, I was perusing Youtube and came across a Lady Gaga impersonator in Chile. I was amazed when I realized this mirror image of Gaga was not the actual one. After watching a few of her videos and visiting her Facebook fan page, I decided I had to at least take a chance and shoot the Lady an email to propose writing a story on her.

Her name is Jeimmy Carroza Allup, although most know her as Jey Gaga. She has been impersonating Lady Gaga for two years and was voted the best Gaga impersonator at Gay March 2009.

“I get mistaken for her a lot; especially when I went to Las Vegas to see the real Lady [in concert],” said Jey. “And yes, I have signed autographs.”

Imagine looking like a splitting image of one of the most worshipped pop phenomenons on the planet. “I’m so used to having special treatment, like if I was God or something.”

With all the attention and strutting around in eye-catching outfits, one would expect an impersonator of Lady Gaga to be an extrovert. “I know you won’t believe me, but I’m a very quiet and shy person,” she said.

So did how this idea to become a Gaga impersonator came about? “It was a friend’s idea. He created a Lady Gaga fan club here and wanted to do a kind of open up party and thought it would be nice to get someone to impersonate or do a show like Lady Gaga,” she explained. “So I was his victim.” And the rest is history.

“I was a very normal person, I was in my first year at university, I didn’t even think about being a little monster.”

A life of a Gaga impersonator is anything but stagnant, nor is it an easy job. “I do get to travel a lot, especially in the summer. Being an impersonator, it’s a convenient business, but it’s not all just traveling and having fun,” she said. “The hardest parts are rehearsals and making my costumes.”

Jey Gaga has studied Lady Gaga “down to an art” from her style, personality, clothing designs and dance routines. “I study everything about her. Sometimes I can spend an entire day watching videos to do my show the same as hers,” she said.

Jey has been recognized in the media in many press releases and feature articles. “I’ve been in Rolling Stone once, also a lot of media and press. But most important, I won a look alike contest sponsored by Billboard and I was the only Latin girl among thousands of U.S. citizens.”

Interestingly, she has many friends who are impersonators as well. “I have a lot of friends who impersonate other artists, but I’m the only Gaga in Chile and the most recognized in other countries,” she said. “I haven’t traveled to the U.S. to perform, only in South America.”

Jey has found that she has a lot in common with Lady Gaga. “I used to care a lot about my body and being fit as much as she does, I can eat lots of junk food one day but if the next week I need to be skinny I won’t eat for days and Gaga used to do the same thing. We also have the SAME nose and the same mole under our right eye. She likes a lot surfing on the Internet, me too.”

Is this mirror-Gaga musical? “I used to sing at school, and very well; I won a few contests. But I stopped singing, I don't know why,” she said.

So what does she do when she is not parading around in Gaga regalia? “I’m so into computer programs, video games and music,” she shared. “Right now, I’m on my third year at university studying to be a teacher of English.”

Jey has not yet met the real Lady on a personal level, but she did reach out from the audience to hand her a birthday gift on stage at a concert. “She saw me in Las Vegas, received my gift and talked to me, but I've never been with her. It's my biggest dream to hug her, give her a kiss and know how she smells, haha,” said Jey.

I asked her what she would ask Gaga if she could ask her one question. “I think I would ask a very stupid thing, haha, like, 'marry me?' Just kidding,” she responded.

“The thing that I appreciate the most [about the job] is that I can express my love for Lady Gaga in a different way than the rest of the fans,” she shared. “I know I'm a very special little monster. And she (Gaga) knows it. I used to be very old-fashioned and boring, but I have recognized that Gaga helped a lot. So thanks Gaga, you've made the best impersonator, person, and style girl :).”

To learn more about her you can visit her Facebook page and check her out on YouTube:

http://www.facebook.com/dobledeladygaga

http://www.youtube.com/dobledeladygaga

Today Take Part in Silence to Spread Your Voice

April 15, 2011 is dedicated to the National Day of Silence, which represents the silence that the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) community suffer in fear of discrimination and harassment.

This silent demonstration is intended for the country to acknowledge harassment and equality issues facing the GLBT community and bear in mind lives lost and destroyed from homophobia and hatred.

 

Today’s silence is supposed to empower GLBT lives from their voiceless cries; they have the right to voice who they are and be open about their sexuality.

Today, hundreds of thousands of middle school, high school and college students will partake in a vow of silence to spread awareness about harassment and bullying against LGBT lives.

My silence goes out to those of the GLBT community whom feel they must perpetuate silence in fear of not being accepted by society.

Fashion Designer Stops at Saks to Showcase Her Spring Collection

 Above: Rebecca Minkoff standing next to her spring 2011 handbag collection. Photo/ R. Levenson

Rebecca Minkoff, edgy and sophisticated fashion designer, launched her spring 2011 collection at Saks Fifth Avenue at Town Center in Boca Raton on April 1 and I had the pleasure of conducting an exclusive interview.

As Minkoff greeted me in her Wrangler vintage jean jacket layered over a modish tan-and-black jumpsuit designed from her collection, I immediately grasped the extent of her fashion sense.

Minkoff’s spring 2011 collection is influenced by reinvented vintage and 70s-inspired attire, incited by fashion icon, Bianca Jagger and American singer and free-spirit hippie, Janis Joplin.

As a designer who has been sewing and designing since she was 8-years-old, one would agree that she has had a voracious appetite for fashion most of her life. As she describes her style in high school, she shares, “Every year I went through a different phase; so when I started high school I was into Gap and very conservative. Then I became a dirty hippie and then I decided to be a punk-rocker,” she continues. “By the time I graduated, my style was closest to my style now.” Her collections today converge looks from different phases that evolved into her edgy-retro-bohemian style today.

Her favorite aspects of design are the handbag collections.  “I’d say my collection for Saks Fifth Avenue [is my favorite to design]. I do an exclusive high-end handbag collection and I get to use the most expensive materials and the finest leathers, so I really enjoy getting to play around with that [because it’s so boundless].”

I asked Minkoff what celebrity she would most like to design for. “Probably Sienna Miller and Kate Moss,” she answered. “I love their style and feel like I can relate to how they dress.”

My intrigue with Lady Gaga’s fashion sense left me with one question I could not avoid: “What do you think of Lady Gaga as a modern fashion icon?” She responded with, “I think that she’s an innovator; personally her style, for me, is a little too [outlandish], but I think had she not done that [with her style], she would just be seen as everyone else, and I think she was really smart to do what she did because it made her stand out.” When I asked if she would take up an offer to design an ensemble for Lady, she responded, “Definitely.”

Minkoff has been credited as the number one independent accessories designer in the U.S. She has been featured in the media and was once included in a segment on “Good Morning America.” “That was one of my first TV experiences so I was really nervous,” commented Minkoff. “But now I’m not nervous anymore.”

April Fools

Lady Gaga Dies at Twenty-Four

Twenty-four-year-old pop diva, Lady Gaga, passed away Friday, April 1 in a tragic plane crash.

The fatality occurred when Gaga’s private jet unexpectedly lost control and plunged into the Amazon Rainforest. A family member said she was going to the Amazon to take a “break from fame.”

Investigators concluded that all passengers died instantly.

“Judging by the great deal of wreckage, you know there is no way anyone on this plane would have survived,” said an investigator at the scene. “The front fuselage was severely mangled; they didn’t stand a chance.”

The ubiquitous pop artist was renowned for her outlandish and daring approach to the pop industry and multiple talents. The songwriting-pianoplaying-acting-dancing singer had fans fawning over her ever since she emerged from her debut single in 2008, “Just Dance.”

She was granted numerous awards, toured all over the world and earned the respect and admiration of countless devout fans.

Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, she first learned to play the piano at age four, wrote her first ballad at age 13 and started performing at open mic nights in New York at 14.

She also had many lead roles in her high school plays. She described her high school life as “dedicated, studious and disciplined, but also a bit insecure.” She said she did not fit in in high school and used to be made fun of for being either too provocative or too eccentric.

"She had a core group of friends; she was a good student. She liked boys a lot, but singing was number one," recalled a former high school classmate.

Gaga received early admission to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts at age 17. She studied music and composed essays and analytical papers that focused on art, religion, social issues and politics.

She thought she was more creative than some of her fellow classmates and withdrew from the school by her second semester of sophomore year to pursue her music career. “Once you learn how to think about art, you can teach yourself,” she stated. By the second semester of her sophomore year, she told her parents that she was not going back to school—she was going to be a rockstar.

Soon thereafter, she signed with Interscope Records and began working as a songwriter for label artists, including Britney Spears. She was later acknowledged by Akon for her singing talent and was signed to his own label. The rest was history.

Gaga claimed that she was always interested in art, theater and singing, so she wanted to blend all of those talents into one persona. She incorporated the art aspect into her fashion and the theater aspect into her performances.

Gaga said she got her inspiration from glam rock artists such as David Bowie, Queen, Madonna and Michael Jackson.

Her persistence and boundless ingenuity ultimately led her to break the boundaries in the pop industry and make her mark in the fashion milieu.

“She never gave up,” stated an anonymous friend of Gaga. “She knew she was special, she knew what she wanted and she knew she could get it… So she worked hard until she did. She wanted to be a star her whole life and said she wouldn’t give up until it killed her.”

The artist stated in a 2010 interview, “I knew coming in that this was a demanding industry, but I wasn’t prepared for the great deal of physical stress the demand would have on my vocals. I know I have an amazing talent, but I am still just a person at the end of the day. A vocalist needs to give their voice a rest once in a while in order to get better and improve.”

.......APRIL FOOLS!!! (this piece was an April fools joke... Obviously Lady Gaga is still alive.)

Low Cooling Power Poses Threat on Nuclear Power Plant

On March 10, 2011, an 8.9 earthquake followed by a ferocious tsunami, struck Japan and resulted in thousands of deaths, injuries and massive destruction. The destruction devastated Japan causing floods, fires, power failures, shuttered airports and paralyzed transit systems.

The earthquake blew the cooling systems out of two nuclear reactors and now the safety of the area’s nuclear plants is a major concern and people living near the plants are evacuating.

Inability to cool the reactors could result in radiation leaks, which could cause monumental damage. Government officials said the two power plants are “bracing for the worst.”

"If heat is not removed, there is a definite danger of a core melt; fuel will overheat, become damaged and melt down,” stated a nuclear expert.

A nuclear meltdown could possibly (but not likely with modern reactors) lead to significant radiation release putting the public in serious danger.

In a worst-case scenario, this could become an event like the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, which spread radiation across much of Europe.

“At present we have no reports of any radioactive materials or otherwise affecting the surrounding areas,” Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan told the press.

The effects of the nuclear meltdown are primarily economic.

The tsunami subsequently hit Hawaii but no major damage was reported. Due to warnings concerning the Pacific, areas in South America, Canada, Alaska and America’s West coast are on alert.

The Prime Minister addressed to the nation, "We ask the people of Japan to be cautious and vigilant. We are asking the people of Japan to act calmly.”

Michael Scott Leaves The Office

Word on the street is that The Office is going to be replacing Michael Scott with a new character. The rumor is that Michael will be leaving sooner than expected, in the middle of this season.

To give you some background information, The Office is a comedic mockumentary based on a British version. The series revolves around average characters living in an average town working an average job at a paper supply company, Dunder Mifflin. It illustrates how all of the different types of characters deal with situations in the office and their incompetent boss, Michael Scott.

Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell, is my favorite character; he is hilarious. He is the main character and branch manager of Dunder Mifflin. When it comes to excellence in the workplace, Michael believes that humor and comedy is what makes a work environment excellent.

Michael is constantly getting himself into trouble by demonstrating inappropriate behavior, such as  replying to a remark with “that’s what she said” when the sentence sounds dirty. Michael completely lacks maturity and self-awareness and usually means well, but does not realize what he is saying is inappropriate and socially unacceptable. Michael rarely does any work and is constantly distracted, but somehow upkeeps his position as manager and successfully runs the branch.

With Michael Scott leaving The Office, the show is going to be different. He is what makes the show so funny. It was a general assumption that he would be leaving The Office in the final episode of Season 7. The buzz is that Michael will be leaving The Office in late April, about a month before the end of the season. The remainder of the season without Michael is intended to give viewers time to get used to the show without Michael Scott and thicken the plot of who will replace him as branch manager.

Some of the current characters as well as new characters are going to be considered for the position. There is also a rumor that they may replace Michael Scott with the original Michael Scott from the British version of The Office.

Some of the best of Michael Scott being completely inappropriate: "That's what she said."

The Life (and Death) Of Our Earth

We are "expecting" a wipe-out of humanity in 2012. Scientists predict that if we don't take care of our Earth, we should expect a collapse to take place by 2030. Humans are gradually contributing tremendously to our Earth's demise.

I am really not much of a science person, and I don't really understand it too well, but lately I have been really interested in the origins of our planet and species. So I set out all over the internet to figure out how our civilization evolved, going all the way back to the VERY beginning... This is very, very interesting.

It is said that life on Earth has existed for about 2.5 billion years. Earth was formed about 4.6 billion years from a bunch of rocks flying around in the atmosphere that stuck together and formed the Earth's core and crust. The early atmosphere of light that surrounded the planet caused Earth to consist of nothing but volcanoes and molten lava. The Earth was just a giant pool of molten rock and lava. Within 150 million years of the Earth's formation, crust formed and cooled, forming the oceans.

There were 5-6 major mass extinctions that occured on this Earth... The theory is that the seperation of our now 7 continents, formerly Pangea, had a major impact on the extinctions through sea-level changes and climate alterations.

1. MASS EXTINCTION OF THE FIRST SEA CREATURES

After a sustainable atmosphere had been formed, the first signs of life began in the ocean. First it started with plants and reefs in the seas, which led to the production of the organisms that eventually evolved into living creatures and expanded and evolved into LIFE ON EARTH. The FIRST mass extinction was 445 MILLION years ago when 57% of all life was wiped out due to a drop in sea level.

2. MASS EXTINCTION OF SEA CREATURES AND AIR-BREATHING REPTILES

After the 57% of life was wiped out and began to multiply again, some sea creatures made their way to land, evolving into air-breathing reptiles, which eventually led to mammals.  The SECOND mass extinction, which wiped out 50% of all life, occured 370 Million years ago. The extinction is believed to have been due to drops in sea level and climate change.

3. MASS EXTINCTION OF NEARLY ALL LIFE ON EARTH

The THIRD extinction, which was the BIGGEST mass extinction in history, wiped out 83% of life on our planet and took place 250 Million years ago.This was the closest life has ever come to enduring a complete demise. 70% of all land and 96% of all sea creatures went extinct. This extinction is known to be caused by climate change (the formation of our continents, formerly one big continent known as Pangea), which caused climate extremes. The extinction also appears to be associated with a meteor impact.

3. DEADLY CLIMATE WIPED OUT LIFE OVER TIME

Another mass extinction followed 200 million years ago, wiping out 48% of existence. It was assumed that this extinction could have possibly taken place over a period of millions of years, due to millions of cubic kilometers of lava spewing all over the Earth's surface over a duration of centuries. Over the time of this deadly climate roller coaster, on 52% of life survived.

4. EXTINCTION OF DINOSAURS

The next extinction, which is the most RECENT and most commonly known extinction, took place 65 million years ago, which was the demise of all but a small line of dinosaurs, which actually evolved into today's birds. It was the end of the great 'age of reptiles.' 50% of all life was extinguished. The theory behind this extinction is that a large asteroid hit. The extinction was also due to rise in oxygen levels, extreme climate changes, sea-level changes and volcanism, due to the seperating of Pangea.

5. CLOSE CALL TO THE END OF HUMANITY

The most recent mass extinction took place only 73,000 years ago and almost wiped out humanity due to volcanism, causing major global disrutptions deadly to our ecosystem. This extinction left Earth with ONLY 10,000 people on the entire Earth! 10,000 people on Earth... That's about .05% of JUST Florida's population alone.

WHEN IS THE NEXT MASSIVE EXTINCTION- IS THE END OF HUMANITY NEAR?

Humans have been on this earth for 40,000 years. It is said that humans have an unbelievable impact in the deterioration of our ecosystem: Pollution and Overxploitation of animals (causing extinction of some species). The next extinction would be the first recorded extinction due to living organisms.

Staggaering statistics suggest that 50% of the Earth's species will disappear within the next century, and humans are using almost half the energy that is accessible to sustain life on Earth. This number is rapidly growing as our population expands dramatically. We currently have about 6 billion people in the world, and are predicting to reach 10 billion within the next 100 years. We are endangering our own existence by over-using our resources which are disappearing due to the over-usage.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE ON THIS, YOU CAN FIND THE EARTH'S TIMELINE BY CLICKING THIS LINK: http://dsc.discovery.com/earth/wide-angle/mass-extinctions-timeline.html

 2011 Fashion Forecasts 

A new year calls for new trends. It is predicted that 2011 will bring bright colors, lace, a subtle biker style, punk fashion and '70s glamour.

2011 calls for  sophisticated,   punk  and  bohemian  styles.

As for trends from the '70s coming back, we will be seeing sophisticated glamour as well as '70s bohemian. The '70s hippie look is coming back, so go out and buy some bell-bottoms. It is also forecasted that the evening look will comprise of maxi dresses and high-waisted pants with elegant blouses for the day.

It is expected that this Spring will encompass the biker and punk look. 2011 will bring in "motorcycle chic." This look entails blending sophisticated with a punk touch. According to Fashionising, this year's punk look will be more about mixing punk style with other trends. This year, you might want to Spring for a leather jacket and a chic dress.  

           

Lace will also be making a reappearance this Spring. Lace dresses and lace skirts are predicted to be trendy next season. Different from other seasons, this season the lace is less an addition to the garment, and more the actual garment. The sheer look is also coming back, maxi dresses with a sheer bottom.

Sheer Maxi Dress

Accessory trends include cat eye sunglasses, big bangles and big obi belts. 

Photo credit : Glamour.com

Some other predicted trends for Spring include clogs, bell bottoms, tassles, stripes and rompers.

Photo Credit: fashionising.com

This Summer you can expect to be seeing a lot of bright colors and  tail dresses, which are dresses that are shorter in the front and longer in the back.

Photo credit : Fashionising.com