Something Else

Bookmarks Magazine

2012-01-07T19:49:00.000-06:00

Up until a couple days ago, Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" to me was the new "Twilight" series. I knew nothing about it, and I just figured it was some sort of sappy love story for teenagers with no literary value. Then I promised two of my friends I'd read it so we could see the movie when it comes out in March. Borrowed Kindle Fire in hand (which I loved. I imagine myself in the future jet setting with one), four hours of last Wednesday were devoted to the book.

"The Hunger Games" is set in the future. North America has been destroyed, renamed Panem and rebuilt with 12 remaining districts, ruled by the Capitol. When the Capitol first took power, the districts unsuccessfully rebelled, and the Capitol designed the Hunger Games as a punishment and warning to prevent another rebellion. One boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 are chosen from each district, and all contestants are forced to fight and kill in a televised battle until only one remains.

Enter Katniss Everdeen, our protagonist. She lives in District 12, located in the Appalachian Mountains and known for its coal production. The entire district isn't as well off as the others, and Katniss, her mother and little sister, Primrose, are very poor. With her father dead from a mine explosion, Katniss is forced to be the sole provider for her family and relies on the hunting and gathering skills he taught her to find food.

Every year, each child has his or her name entered into the Hunger Games, and each can opt for more entries to receive a year's supply of oil and grain for one person in their family. Katniss has done this multiple times and knows the odds are not in her favor, so when Prim, who, at age 12, only had one entry, is called to the stage, Katniss is shocked and volunteers to take her place. Katniss is joined by Peeta, a baker's son, and the two begin the process of getting ready for the Games to begin.

I'm not going to go into what happens during the Games because that's the best part of the book. There are quite a few unexpected twists and turns, and the ending isn't as fairytale perfect as you may expect it to be. Honestly, that's the worst. I hate when authors make endings sugary-sweet (ahem...the last chapter of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows").

But anyway, "The Hunger Games" is an easy and entertaining read, perfect for filling the hours of winter break you don't know what to do with. There are elements of romance, action and "1984"-esque "Big Brother" government. "The Hunger Games" is followed by "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay," and I'm curious to see how Gale (you're going to have to read to find out about him) is incorporated back into the story, how the district and its citizens fair now that the Games have come to an end and just how far Collins is going to take the Capitol's control and the seeds of revolution she's planted in the first book.

Finally, as I hinted at earlier, "The Hunger Games" movie opens March 23, 2012. I'd definitely recommend reading the book before seeing the movie so you know the story in its original form. Here's the trailer:

Interested? Watch the sneak peek here. None of the characters are how I pictured them, so I'm a little nervous it may end up like the "Twilight" series and not hold a candle to the book. I also think Katniss will be portrayed as a nicer person than she is in the book, especially regarding the ending.

If you've already read "The Hunger Games" and have something else to say, let me know. If you haven't read it, it's worth your time. Either way, may the odds be ever in your favor.

New York Holiday Guide

2012-01-02T16:54:00.001-06:00

I'm not exactly sure what was going on here.

Welcome to 2012! I hope everyone survived New Year's Eve and has some good stories to tell me. I went to Oshkosh for New Year's last year, and it was a good time. I'm not about to replace a good time with something else, so back to Oshkosh I went. It's been quite the rushed holiday season (I'm thinking about blogging about it), so today's Jan. 2, and I'm catching up on some personal stuff. I checked my inbox, returned some emails and, of course, sent out my thank-you notes. Can I get some thank-you note writing music, please?

My Thank Yous from New Year's Eve

1. Thank you, Svedka, for making vodka that gets me pretty drunk after three shots. One drink and I was ready to migrate.

2. Thank you, UV Cake, for actually tasting like cake. It was still sort of gross to drink you straight, but hey, it was better than straight Svedka.

3. Thank you, guy who said I couldn't have cups for free because you didn't make any money on the keg, for giving me money to buy two cups from your roommate. That wasn't a very smart business move.

4. Thank you, beer pong partners, for getting all the balls because there is no way I'm chasing a ball around a poorly lit and probably damp basement in a skirt. Also thank you for pretending I wasn't that bad, when in reality, I probably made one cup per game.

5. Thank you, random girl, for arguing with me about whether or not I was wearing a dress. I think I would know, since I'm the one wearing it. Thank you for also getting quite defensive because your boyfriend was trying to figure out if I was wearing a dress, too. He was the one who starting talking to me, not the other way around.

6. Thank you, guy who gave me money for cups, for sharing your champagne with me, too. You were really creeping me out, so you're lucky you had something to offer or I would have been out of there.

7. Thank you, beer pong partner number three, for scamming on me. Nice try.

8. Thank you, people at party three, for all hanging on someone else and making it quite awkward for those of us who were single.

9. Thank you, people of Oshkosh, for not wanting to dance. Two people dancing by themselves is just lame, so there was no way my friend and I were going to get that going.

10. Thank you, sidewalks, for disguising patches of ice as water puddles. At least one person had to have slipped and fell that night.

11. Thank you, guy with sleeve tattoos, for letting me inspect your arms and being really sweet without sounding fake/like you were looking for a hookup.

12. Thank you, long-lost friend, for appearing in my life again. You, your hilarious comments and your bag of fortune cookies were highlights of my night.

13. Thank you, friends I went out with, for putting up with me the entire night. I did get a little spacey and wandered away a couple times, and I am sorry about that.

14. Thank you, people I stayed with, for letting me stay. Your house was much cleaner and warmer than any Oshkosh house I've ever been to.

Elle Decor

2011-11-15T23:11:00.002-06:00

How adorable!

Half the fun of my college career so far has been living on my own. My parents are on the stricter side, so moving out meant I could stay out as late as I wanted to, go wherever I wanted to and also have a TV in my bedroom.

Living on your own creates a number of problems, though. You now have to clean, and if you don't, it's going to just continue to get more and more disgusting because Mom won't get fed up and just clean up for you. You find out how expensive food is when you get to the checkout with only the necessities and end up spending at least $50.

Once you discover a large chunk of your money will go to said groceries and your rent/bills/housing/tuition, you'll decide making your new home look cute isn't as important as it was before you moved out. I don't know about you, but I always pictured living on my own in an apartment similar to this:

Nate Berkus would be proud.

Unfortunately, my current apartment does not have a glass wall, rustic woodwork (I mean, unless you want to count baseboards) or modern furniture. So, here are a couple ways I did and could jazz up my new home without having to live on Ramen.

Easy and Cheap Ways to Decorate:

I absorb so much knowledge by sleeping above my textbooks.

1. Picture frame wall. I am really proud of this. My summer was spent collecting frames from Goodwill, St. Vinny's, my parents' basement and the Dollar Tree. Many of the pictures I put in the frames are ads from magazines (and they say no one likes ads!). Total cost of frames and the couple pictures I bought: around $25.

2. Bring the outdoors inside. Colorful Adirondack chairs were everywhere this summer, including my room. It's a cute way to add some color and seating to any room. Total cost: $12. An inexpensive vase and long grasses and flowers are another great way to walk on the wild side.

3. Collages. You can find stuff to collage with anywhere. Ask friends and family for magazines, photos or drawings. Add poster board and glue, and you've got wall art. Total cost: for me, $0 (thank you high school art class!) but otherwise around $3 for glue and poster board.

4. Records. Two of my cousins made record borders around their rooms, and they both look so good. You can find cheap records at Goodwill, St. Vinny's and on eBay, if there's a specific one you're looking for. Another idea is to take those CDs sitting in your room and use the inside covers. Total cost: depends how big your room is, but we'll estimate $20-$30.

5. Paint. Choose a bright color you won't get sick of and paint an accent wall. A gallon of paint costs about $15 so if you really hate it, skip the movie that's probably not worth seeing in theaters anyway and get a different color.

6. Living things. No, this does not mean the friend who adopted your couch as his or her home. Plants and fish are nice to look at. Plants will also improve your air quality, and fish will also improve your life. Thank you, Sister Batrill, Young Money and Duncan, for being so sturdy and sticking with me since freshman year. Total cost: less than $10 for a fish tank, some rocks, food and a fish. Maybe $10 for a plant, unless you go for a tree.

It's nothin' to a big
dog, and he's a
Great Dane.

7. Rasterbations. Rasterbating is not as dirty as it sounds. It's basically turning any picture into an image made up of dots. When you look at it from far away, it looks like a normal picture. It's a really cheap way to make a poster of any picture you like, such as my 7-foot Lil Wayne. If that's not impressive, I don't know what is. Click here for a link to the website.

Your new home may not be Oprah's mansion, but really, no one's is. Give decorating on a budget a try, either with one of the above ideas or something else, and get ready to watch your dorm or apartment transform from impersonal box to new home.

WWD

2011-11-06T13:39:00.001-06:00

Even then I couldn't keep
my eyes open in pictures.

My personal fashion began as most do, slightly horrendous. I thought the shirt I'm wearing in this picture was the coolest thing ever because 1. it was from my cousin, who I thought was the coolest girl ever (I still think she is) 2. the back is different from the front 3. the sleeves are different from the back AND the front and 4. it had a dragon on it (I loved Pokemon, too, so enough said here). Most of my clothes at this time were something along these lines. I had no idea what brands were and what was supposedly cool until I hit middle school.

I'm pretty sure everyone looks at middle school pictures with disgust. My hair went from short and ugly to long and frizz ball, my smile was entirely braces and gums and sometimes my mom forced me to wear shirts I absolutely hated. One time, I wore a sweatshirt over a sweater my mom wouldn't let me get rid of and probably had a heat stroke just because I did not want to be seen in that sweater. I also realized wearing tennis shoes on an every day basis was not something I wanted to continue doing and began my shoe obsession with my first pair of Vans. I spent $40 on them, which was not Mom-approved.

Straight off of MySpace.

High school began my first style with a label, but we (meaning my group of friends and me) didn’t officially accept the label until after this stage had passed. That’s very important. Emo kid goodness for me was sophomore year. I distinctly remember feeling uncomfortable on days when I didn't have at least one article of black clothing on. If I came to school without headphones, I might as well have stayed home, and let's not forget the side bangs. I still like side bangs, but mine at the time were meant to cover my face, and that's just not attractive. For the best part: some kid put a poster on one of my friends' lockers that said "hang all emos." We thought it was hilarious. Why? Because we didn't consider ourselves emo, so obviously this kid was an idiot. Little did we know...

Shirt from the Metro Station show,
black, neon-colored shoes AND
the kiss face. All right here, baby.

Here begins junior year and scene kid fashion. The basics: band merch, preferably purchased at a show you attended, bursts of neon color (extra points if it came from your jeans), more side bangs and a continuous, strong will to resist placement in any sort of labeled high-school clique. Some of my favorite scene kid outfits included metallic, teal leggings, furry bear-paw mittens, checkered shoes and colored shorts with knee- or thigh-high socks. Also, for a scene kid, the tighter the better. We had a teacher that called us the "tight jeans group." Why he was looking at our jeans in the first place has yet to be discovered, but it rang pretty true.

Today, you won’t catch me dead in lime green skinnies or tennis shoes (aside from at the Kress), but both of these very different fashions still have a contribution to where my style is today. I feel like I've reached somewhat of a plateau with my look, but I know it's changed since my freshman year of college, so it's probably still changing, huh? Either way, here are a couple things I like to keep in mind when I'm getting ready to be seen in public.

Five Fashion Dos:

1. Skinnies… are my best friends. Honestly, I feel a little out of place if I’m not wearing skinny jeans. This is probably the bit of scene kid left in me crying out. But anyway, I have yet to meet a shoe they don’t go with. Plus, throw on a pair of heels and a nice shirt, and you’re looking classy enough for dinner somewhere other than Taco Bell.

2. Vintage. Put simply, the epitome of unique. Thank you, Mom, for giving me your Harley shirt that sells for $59 on shopruche.com and the shirts from your trip to Cali. You had good taste when you were 20, so why did it disappear when you forced me to wear that sweater to school?

Literally, a headdress. Not a
headband with feathers.

3. Head wear. If it were socially acceptable, I would wear something extravagant on my head every day. I want a headdress like the one in the picture, so if anyone knows where I can wear one, tell me immediately. Hats are precisely why I plan on attending as many high-dollar events as possible. Guys, this one goes for you, too. Hats are the way to my heart. Seriously.

4. Big hair. It’s pretty obvious I have a bias here, but I wasted hours of my life in high school straightening my hair just because only straight hair was cool. Now, I don't bother brushing my hair. Unless you have curly hair, too, you don't even know.

5. Feeling good in what you're wearing. This is probably the most important one. I still get the uncomfortable feeling from my emo days when I'm wearing something I don't really like. Some days I ignore it and then regret that decision for the rest of the day. I've learned not wearing half my wardrobe is definitely worth feeling better about myself as a whole.

Five Fashion Don'ts:

1. Mixing patterns. I don't care how many times magazines try to tell you this is OK, it is never going to be. You look like you're either 5 years old or got dressed in the dark.

Embarrassing...

2. Wearing pajamas in public. Grime clings to fleece pajama pants like nobody's business. Do you really want to drag the dirt and dust from the floors at Walmart back into your bed? Along the same lines...

3. Wearing sweatpants in public. I have to admit, I'm guilty of wearing yoga pants to class when I woke up late or feel especially lazy, but ABSOLUTELY NEVER wear them more than once a month. I don't care how comfortable you are, you look like a scrub. They make leggings and tunics for that. Once sweatpants become a habit, you'll end up like a girl in my public address class. She wears sweatpants every day, except when she gives a speech. She says she dresses up on those days. What does she wear? Yoga pants.

4. Wearing leggings as pants. Leggings are meant to make dresses less slutty and keep you warm. Neither of these things are accomplished when you pair leggings with a t-shirt. The clothing companies have caught on to the legging trend and make shirts long enough to cover your ass, so there is no excuse to continue embarassing yourself with leggings as pants.

5. Wear something just because everyone else is wearing it. Unless you're in some sort of cult, you really have no reason to ignore this rule. Get past the high-school mentality of buying pre-decided cool clothes, and buy something you like and is flattering on you.

Would I trade my fashion experiences for something else? Absolutely not. They taught me to disregard what people who don't care about me think and focus on how I feel and what I like, and that's all that really matters.

Road & Track

2011-10-22T23:32:00.000-05:00

God forbid anyone get within two
feet of this car when I was younger.

I like cars. Any of my family members reading this probably laughed and thought of course, since my dad is a car enthusiast. Growing up, most kids are told not to play by the road. My sister and I were told not to play by the cars. One year, we had a competition to see who could knock down the biggest icicle from the roof of our barn, and I broke one of its windows with my ice chunk. My parents' retort when I told them what happened? "You're lucky a car wasn't parked there."

This past summer, I received two tickets for Road America's Kohler International Challenge with Brian Redman. I think it's pretty obvious my dad was my plus-one. Honestly, he was more excited about the tickets than I was. I got them with a basket of other gifts because I ran for Sheboygan County's Fairest of the Fair, and the specialty cheese and hot sticks were the stand-out prizes in the basket at that time.

Before July 17, my experience with Road America was once when I was 8 years old maybe, and my dad took my sister and I to Elkhart Lake to see the cars as they went through town. I assumed Road America was Wisconsin's NASCAR equivalent because what else do typical Americans think when they hear car race?

To my surprise, Road America is nothing like NASCAR. It's about a million times classier and more entertaining. The track is 4.048 miles long with 14 turns and is set on 640 acres of what used to be farm land. It's pretty much Forza brought to life.

Map of the track, except with old sponsors.

Made it through the woods like
nobody's business.

We got to Road America around 11 a.m., after the races had already started. My dad and I spent the first half hour driving around the track because he'd been to the track before and wanted to see what changed since then. It was like having my own tour guide. I discovered one of the side gates was where my dad snuck in to the races when he was younger. I now know where cars go the fastest on the track and where you can get the closest to them. We also drove through the woods because there used to be another close spot to the track on the other side of them (see end for advice about watching from the woods).

I ain't gonna wreck it.

I'm pretty sure the first race we watched was the vintage modified sport racing cars. I don't remember who won, but cars going fast puts a smile on my face. Afterward, the Concours d’Elegance Awards presentation was held by the vendor area. This was equally as entertaining as the race, since it seemed like most of the people there brought out their nicest car, whether it be classic or brand new. My personal favorite? The yellow Lamborghini LP640. Want it. Don't be fooled, I know nothing about cars mechanically. I just know an attractive car when I see it.

We also watched the historic Trans-Am race and the Porsche 356 Challenge. My dad was particularly interested in the Porsche race since he saw a couple Porsches like ones he used to have. YouTube failed me for the Porsche race, but here's a look at the Trans-Am one (it starts with the pace lap two minutes in):

Why You Should Go to Road America:

1. It's really entertaining. If you like racing, you probably would want to go in the first place anyway. If you like cars, there will be a lot to look at. If you don't like either of these things, I'm surprised I kept your interest through this, and it's also a great opportunity to people watch.
2. You will learn a lot about cars. In my experience, car people go beyond the normal hobby enthusiasm. They love to talk about their cars, and they know what they're talking about.
3. It's not something you're likely to forget. Road America is so different from any other summer activity, including NASCAR-type racing, so it's going to be a memorable experience.
4. You'll get an awesome tan. There is hardly any shade unless you want to sit in the woods. I don't recommend that. You'll be eaten alive by mosquitoes.

Taking my other car next time I go.
Sorry, Cabrio.

Excited about Road America? Then take a look at their tentative 2012 schedule here. I'm pretty excited for Subway Superbike Weekend and any of the vintage car weekends. Feel free to donate tickets for any of the days to me as soon as they go on sale because I'd definitely drop something else for Road America.

TV Guide

2011-10-01T00:02:00.001-05:00

The end of September signals the beginning of one of my favorite seasons to watch. What, Michaela likes sports? Can this be happening? No, no it is not. September is America's Next Top Model season.

Tyra is my idol. She's got it made and has shown the world weird people can do anything but be normal. If my career includes half the things she's done, I'm going to be pretty happy with life. Most importantly of these things, being known to the world on a first-name basis (only half kidding here).

Anyway, cycle 17 of ANTM started Sept. 14. This season, Tyra decided to switch it up and bring back girls from the previous seasons as her Top Models. Called the all-stars, these girls are back to try and win the title of America's Next Top Model that they missed out on before.

All-stars (I guess).

I am not happy with this. Sorry girls, but you've already had your chance and failed. The show is America's NEXT Top Model, not America's Model Who Wasn't Good Enough the First Time. Tyra claims fans wanted her to bring back models from previous seasons, but honestly, I think it was all a marketing ploy.

I highly doubt any of these girls were brought back for their modeling potential. Instead, the producers of the show chose the bitches who will guarantee on-camera drama and the girls people are bound to remember because of _______ (insert random quality here). Top Model has always had its fill of drama but instigating it is veering too close to trashy for comfort.

Also new to cycle 17 is the addition of celebrity judges, meaning people who really don't know anything about the fashion world. Why? Hello marketing ploy number two. Guest judges in the past were usually models or designers. ANTM's focus is supposed to be on fashion because the winner gets a modeling contract that isn't for commercial shoots. However, this season focuses on the winner becoming a celebrity.

Yes, the target teenage-girl audience probably cares about being a celebrity as much as they care about being a model, but still, this show was created to give an "average" girl a break into high fashion. I'm all for progress, but let's not forget where we came from.

Other the positive side, the photo shoots have been good so far. I like the idea of embodying a persona in the third episode (I'm one behind ahh!), since it's really applicable to modeling for a designer. Personally, I thought had the Angelea had the best photo. She's gotten away from her annoying self, and an awesome makeover never hurt anyone. Plus, I can't get over seeing half-chewed food in Lisa's mouth.

Who Needs to Go:

1. Alexandria- Ugly, bitchy and self-centered sums it up nicely. Everything she does is fake, and it oozes through her pictures.
2. Isis- Get over yourself. Andre was right to say your picture made him want to run to his car. It was not good. **Just found out she's gone...YES.
3. Shannon- This is the girl who won't model in lace shorts but will model in a bikini (see picture). You know what you're getting into in the modeling industry, and it's only a short amount of time until she's going to have to do a photo shoot she doesn't agree with. I hope that time comes after she's already kicked off.

Who Can Win:

1. Bre- I really like your personality, so you need to step it up. Your pictures aren't the greatest...yet.
2. Allison- Not a fan of her as a person, but her pictures are really unique, and she has her look down already.
3. Kayla- They dyed her hair back to red because they thought no one would remember her otherwise. What? She's probably the only one who came back strictly on potential. Her picture wasn't great this week, but ones from her original season were fabulous.

I'm not leaving ANTM anytime soon for something else. The show is iconic, entertaining, and I just love Tyra to pieces. Let's get through this ridiculous season and back to what Top Model originally was. Wondering how to change it up? I'd like to see a season of ANTM with male models. Make it happen, CW.

NYLON

2011-09-15T22:57:00.001-05:00

I've been really into 50s style lately. Well, my interpretation of the decade and the couple years before and after. It can be summed up with "classy," and Jersey Shore, Teen Mom and similar shows from today make it pretty obvious the world could use a shot of it. No, make that a bottle (even though I am a sucker for a good episode of Jerry Springer).

Examples of Classy 50s Style:

1. Some music to get you in the 50s swing of things. G-Eazy quickly became one of my favorite rappers after I heard "The Outsider," and I was thrilled when I heard his album "The Endless Summer." Why? One, it's amazing, and two, so many 50s throwbacks! It's been on repeat since then. G knows what's up when it comes to classy, and because of this, my current life goal is to have him reply to one of my tweets.

My foot is awkward.

2. High-wasted, pleated shorts were my summer must-have. They echo the unisex vibe popular in the early 50s, all the while dressing up a white v-neck like denim cut-offs never can.

3. Feminine men's dress shoes. I saw these and HAD to have them, ignoring my maxed-out credit card. Again echoing the unisex vibe, they're adorable and wearable for every day. I've wanted heels like this for a very long time, but heels aren't the best for walking to class when I have to park in Environmental Sciences. These have foam inside and feel like slippers. It really doesn't get much better than that.

Holla at these.

4. Cat-eye glasses. I love a great pair of glasses. My Kid Cudi-inspired pair broke, and I am more blind than I used to be, so it was time for new ones. They needed to be big, but they also needed to be different from my other pair and from anyone else's. Enter 50s kick, and hello Grandma glasses. (I call these pictures "then and now, or Michaela took about 100 selfies to get this semi-ok shot.")

5. Guys, G-Eazy's 50s casual-cool may be the perfect look for during the day, but what about formal occasions? Well, hi there, Jared Leto. You're looking fabulous in the classiest suit ever. No need to scam me out of money, I'd hand it to you on the spot.

Name this movie!

6. Not ready to rock the beehive hair and poodle skirts? Try something else, like incorporating wayfarer glasses, modern saddle shoes and/or letterman cardigans into your everyday life, and hit up Sonic or Gilly's for drive-in goodness while listening to Elvis (there is nothing classier than listening to Elvis).

The National Enquirer

2011-09-07T22:46:00.000-05:00

I stumbled across this story after checking my email last week. It was going to be my something else, but after I looked further into it, I decided this deserved its own post. Read the article and watch ABC's video here.

2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center bombing. Hundreds of events have been planned around the country to commemorate the attack, ranging from memorial services to TV specials to...a coloring book?

Yep, Really Big Coloring Books, Inc., a St. Louis publisher, came out with We Shall Never Forget 9/11-The Kids' Book of Freedom, a coloring book about Sept. 11.

Wayne Bell, Really Big Coloring Books, Inc.'s publisher, said "It is an informational piece to help educate children on events on 9/11." He also said the book was a "simple, honest tool" for parents to use to help educate young children about the event.

Many, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the coloring book has an agenda, and in the words of one of its representatives, "is disgusting."

Take a look at one of the pages from the coloring book:

What's Wrong with this Picture:

1. Let's think about this. We're handing this coloring book to a 5-year-old. They understand the concept of right and wrong, but are they really capable of understanding a war? Honestly, at 20 years old, I can't imagine what soldiers must go through and what it would be like to live with the possibility of death around every corner. So, in conclusion, kids do not understand war.

2. Assuming the parent explains this picture with "Honey, those are the bad guys, and the soldier is a good guy," why are we showing little kids pictures of guns anyway?! The bullet looks oh-so-innocent, like if the artist drew the next scene, Bin Laden's wife would be lying on the ground as if she were sleeping. I have an idea for Really Big Coloring Books, Inc. Since we're using this book to educate, let's show kids what someone shot by a sniper rifle really looks like:

Full color would be preferable for the coloring book.

3. Webmd.com told me kids learn to read around first grade (I know nothing about children). This means they're probably around six. Yahoo Answers told me coloring books are ideal for kids ages three to four (yes, a ton of adults still color, I will admit). See where this is going? The target audience can't read the text and rely solely on the pictures. They also can't understand the concept of war, so Mom and Dad explain the soldier is a good guy, Bin Laden and his wife are bad guys. Child now looks at the picture, sees a man and woman in traditional clothing and associates them with the bad guys. Seeing someone with stereotypes and prejudice ingrained in his or her thinking is incredibly sad. They miss out on so many positive relationships and do nothing but spread ignorance. Do we really think the world will be better off in the hands of ignorant people? Maybe we should ask Hitler what he thinks while we're at it...

4. Personally, this is the part I find the most disturbing. If you haven't read the text above the picture, now is your chance to do so. Sounds like propaganda to me! The author refers to Bin Laden and his "terrorist buddies," like al-Qaida is a bunch of bullies rather than an international terrorist organization. Then we switch from a childish tone to a fairly detailed explanation of the events leading up to Bin Laden's death. Who are we writing for here, the kids or the parents? Wait, I know because it was clarified for me with "children, the truth is..." Now I know any time I need a reliable source for an article, I should go right to the coloring books. Finally, we are reminded we live in a FREE country. Because we live in a FREE country, mindless nonsense like this can be published, even though it clearly contradicts "America does not hate other people in the world" (did you catch the respect comment?).

I applaud Really Big Coloring Books, Inc. for wanting to remember 9/11 and trying to create a medium that can be used to open up communication regarding this tragedy, but this was the wrong way to go about it. The target audience is way too young, the graphics are misleading and the text is obviously biased. The final product really is disgusting, and this is one coloring book not worth even the ugliest crayon in the box.

National Geographic Traveler

2011-08-29T11:18:00.000-05:00

Unlike National Geographic, my destination was not exotic. I didn't jet to a remote location to hike somewhere even more remote. There were also no palm trees or oceans in sight, but there were plenty of forests and a beach with water so clear it really would give an ocean a run for its money. Welcome to Door County, Wisconsin.

My Family Vacation in Pictures and Chronological Order:

1. Potowatomi State Park (near Sturgeon Bay) was the homestead for the week. Also, thank you, Dad, for buying a classy version of a trailer home.

2. Door County is known for cherries and wine. I had both, and the cherries definitely won that battle.

3. Obviously this is an attractive family eating an attractive fruit.

4. Speaking of attractive, this is the face my sister makes when I'm winning (as usual) at Skipbo. Playing it is a vaction traditon.

5. Yeah, I do some weird things, but everyone is planking!

6. Egg Harbor is the cutest little town. If you're looking to get souvenirs, this is the place to stop.

7. "Everyone say 'egg'..."

8. I made up my own type of photography. I got really creative and called it postcard photography. If you could slap it on a postcard, it belongs here. This is my favorite one from this trip from Cave Point County Park/ Whitefish Dunes State Park (they're right next to each other, like they literally share the same bluffs and forests). Technically, this was the Cave Point side.

9. More postcard photography (Cave Point again). Random note: Kids were jumping off these bluffs. I thought I was going to witness a tragedy that day.

10. Should I or should I not take this walk?

11. The Whitefish Dunes side of things. This was the nicest Lake Michigan water I've ever seen or swam in and the ocean rival I mentioned at the beginning.

12. My favorite picture of my dad.

13. I want that shade tent!

14. This was in the process of biking to the Potowatomi Tower and fake smiling at its finest.

15. Finally arrived, and all that was left were the numerous flights of stairs. Also, my feet look gigantic compared to the rest of me.

17. Who wants a little island? I do! I do!

18. Holding up a peninsula didn't turn out as well as the mini island.

18. Just because you're camping doesn't mean you abandon all sense of self-pride. (Otherwise known as "How embarassing.").

19. This was a failed perspective picture. It was supposed to be like Spiderman clinging to a tree. If anyone has accomplished this, send me the picture immediately.

20. When Shella runs, it's like her feet don't even touch the ground (Who doesn't take jumping pictures on vacation?).

21. The people camping next to us probably thought we were something else.

22. This is the beach in Potowatomi State Park closest to the campground. I wanted to get some postcard pictures here, but a ton of spiders started crawling out of the rocks and scared me off.

23. More scenic goodness. Right after, I was disgusted by some children playing with dead fish.

24. On the way home, we made a final stop at Point Beach because I needed to get as much swimming in as possible . Admit it- if this vacation were a movie, this would be a great closing shot.

AP

2011-07-29T12:44:00.000-05:00

Part two of my eventful past week came in the form of entertainment I love best: loud, live and absolutely amazing music. Vans Warped Tour hit up Milwaukee last Tuesday, and this girl was not about to miss out, even with the threat of thunderstorms.

The thunderstorms ended up holding off for the day, but the heat did not. Factor in an air temperature of 87 degrees, high humidity, zero shade, thousands of sweaty people, and you end up with one moist Michaela. It did give me a great opportunity to work on my (sunglasses) tan and eat a chocolate Frostee in record-breaking time.

Warped promised to be packed with talent this year, and in my opinion, at $48 a ticket, it better be. For anyone unfamiliar with it (and/or too lazy to check out the link), Vans Warped Tour is a large assortment of bands, most of which could fit under a VERY broad definition of alternative music, whom travel around the US, spreading musical goodness and awesome merch. This year, Milwaukee hosted 64 of the over 100 bands on the complete lineup, along with various local bands. I’m a little upset we missed out on Family Force Five, Hellogoodbye and Jack’s Mannequin (though he was at this year’s Summerfest), but the bands I did see took away any feeling of being cheated.

The tour was held on the Marcus Amphitheatre end of the Summerfest grounds, with eight stages total. Eight hours for bands means you pick who you’re going to see wisely, since more than likely someone equally talented is playing at the same time somewhere else. You also cut some shows short to make the dash between stages. So, here were my priorities for the day (in order of appearance):

Who I Saw at Warped This Year

1. Attack Attack!. To be honest, I didn’t like Attack Attack! very much when I first listened to “Someday Came Suddenly” in high school. My opinion changed after seeing them at Warped Tour in 2009 because their show was so good. The return of Attack Attack! brought a performance almost equivalent to their last. My only complaint is this time, their songs blended together about halfway through, until Caleb Shomo said “This one’s called Sexual Man Chocolate,” and later, “Smokahantas is for everyone smoking up right now.” Maybe this is because “Sexual Man Chocolate” is the only song from their new stuff I know. Either way, Attack Attack! are worth seeing and sound good, so I’m not regretting the half hour I spent over there. Favorite song performed: “Stick Stickly.”

Making mullets sexy again.

2. Yelawolf. Yela was sort of a random addition to the usual Warped lineup, but I was super excited he was going to be here (I’ve been obsessed with him for the past couple of months). He knows what he’s doing when it comes to rapping and appealing to the audience (he downed a PBR between songs and jumped into the crowd). Yelawolf sounded amazing, without any auto-tuning. My two wishes: that I knew more of his songs, and that he comes back here soon. Favorite: “I Just Wanna Party” or “Pop the Trunk.”

3. Whispered Hallows. Whispered Hallows represent Wisconsin and progressive music (as defined by them) at their finest, and these guys already have famous eyes on them. Their show was as good as the bands that already have it made and way out of the league of the other Battle of the Bands winner I saw (sorry 12-year-olds). Favorite: “I Stole My Belt From Orion.”

4. Relient K. When I saw Relient K on the list, my day became a little brighter. These guys are so talented, I can’t even describe it. All of their songs are catchy and have a good message behind them. Matt Theissen deserved more than a half hour and half the Marcus stage to showcase his many talents (besides singing and playing the guitar, he can also play piano and trumpet). Favorite: “Forget and Not Slow Down,” and “High of 75” is a classic you HAVE to love.

5. 3OH!3. This was my third time seeing 3OH!3 and probably my least favorite. They did too much talking for a set that was probably 30 minutes total. I’m not a big fan of the “Streets of Gold” album, either, and over half of the songs I heard were from it, excluding the one I actually like (major downer). I will say they always have high energy and love interacting with their fans (they congratulated a guy who held his girlfriend on his shoulders for the entire show and wanted the crowd to fake laugh numerous times). Favorite: “Rich Man.”

6. The Devil Wears Prada. Warped 2011 was my third time seeing TDWP as well, and they were pretty much the same as the other two times I’ve seen them. They’re always good, but same deal as with Attack! Attack!- their songs blended together for the most part. For all those who love the pits, this was a much better place to mosh than in between bleachers at Summerfest 2010. Favorite: “Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over.”

7. A Skylit Drive. I was looking forward to seeing A Skylit Drive since the partial band list was released in April. Has such a unique voice (watch/listen and you’ll understand), and I was curious to hear if his voice sounds the same live. It does, and they did not disappoint. Why they were playing the smallest stage, I do not know, because they deserve to be treated as headliners. Before the show, they had a meet and greet (see my fabulous proof to the left), and I did get hugs. By the way, Brian White, I don’t care if you said it to every girl you met, but when you said “how you doin’, baby?,” yes, I did feel special. Favorite: “Wires (and the Concept of Breathing).”

8. A Day to Remember. It’s safe to say the majority of the people at Warped Tour were there to see A Day to Remember, and it’s pretty obvious why after you’ve seen them. ADTR throws down like no other. I saw quite a few sturdy-looking guys get carried out of the crowd because they were about to faint. They started their set with a War-of-the-Worlds sounding track about a monster invading, as enormous hands and the faces of the five band members were inflated on top of the stage (check the video to see it). ADTR knows what their fans want to hear and showed it with an excellent mix of songs from their four albums. This time Milwaukee also experienced Jeremy McKinnon’s singing and screaming at full quality, since we weren’t at the end of the tour. Favorite: “2^nd Sucks.”

There isn’t much I’d rather do as my something else alternative to Warped Tour. For anyone who likes this kind of thing, it’s a must. Even if you don’t like it, it’s a great opportunity to discover new music, score some great swag and people watch (examples: Jefree Star attended the Milwaukee stop, you could tell who was there to see Black Veil Brides, and my personal favorite, the guy with the shirt that said “Boobs with poop on them.”).

Entertainment Weekly

2011-07-18T12:25:00.000-05:00

And not with the bang I was hoping for.

Well, hi there. To any returning readers, first of all, thank you, and second, this is not going to be the fashion forward entry I promised in Cosmo. That topic is in the Crockpot right now, simmering to perfection because this past week gave me quite the plethora of other entertainment topics.

Everyone should be aware Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two premiered last Thursday at midnight. My goal was to attend the midnight showing, be super stealthy and get video of the ending, post the video on here with no option to navigate away from it and ruin the movie for all of you (unless you read the book). All I have to say is you’re lucky I had to work until 11:30 that night.

My cousin and I during our family
camping trip. What are we reading?
HARRY POTTER.

I have been a Harry Potter fan since my grandparents bought me the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone book for my birthday. I have dressed up as Harry Potter before (if I had a picture, it would be on here), and the best part of going on summer vacation out of state was all of the time I’d have to read the newest Harry Potter book, without interruption, in the car.

With the above enthusiasm for the books, it was pretty much a given to see the movies. The newest one would replace the previous as my favorite, since the actors grew into their roles and the plot itself developed and grew darker. Until Saturday when I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two, that is. There are numerous spoilers coming up, so if you didn’t read the book or don’t want to have an opinion going into the movie, now’s your chance to cop out for something else.

We left Harry at the end of Deathly Hallows, Part One mourning the loss of Dobby, the beloved house elf, after a narrow escape from Bellatrix. Meanwhile, Voldemort opens Dumbledore’s tomb and claims the Elder Wand as his own.

Perfect.

We pick up Deathly Hallows, Part Two with…Harry mourning the loss of Dobby, and Voldemort taking the Elder Wand. Yes, I was one of the people who forgot where Hallows Part One ended in respect to the book, but I did NOT expect Part Two to seem like disc two of a movie too long for one DVD. If I didn’t love the tomb scene so much (the simple design worked perfectly, and I could not have imaginged it any differently), this part would be completely useless.

Oh so Hermione.

Moving on, Polyjuice potion returns once again as Hermione transforms into Bellatrix for the Gringotts break in. I was extremely impressed with Helena Bonham Carter‘s acting here. She captured Hermione perfectly, and at first I thought it was still Emma Watson. I would have liked to see Hermione the character be more aggressive when they arrive at the bank because, if you think about it, she has gotten pretty nasty toward Harry and Ron in the other movies, so she could have mustered up the rage for pretend Bellatrix and still been believable.

Things that Bothered Me:

1. The one-liners. The other Harry Potter movies had clever moments of humor, but the attempts in Hallows Part Two fell flat. The situation was too grim to make any of the jokes work.

2. The diadem search in the room of requirements. The flaming animals were a giant CGI fail. They pushed me out of the film, and I resent them for that. Also, I know Harry had to rescue Malfoy, but it was so cheesy. Maybe because Ron uses the traditional “if we die, I’m going to kill you” in an attempt to lighten the mood. I didn’t know being nearly engulfed by flames was supposed to be funny.

3. The battle for Hogwarts. Here we have “Dumbledore’s Army” making its final stand against Voldemort and his forces. Our main “good guys” are prepared to die, Voldemort and the Death Eaters think they’re invincible, and what do we end up with? A really lame battle scene. They didn’t have to get graphic, either. Instead, they could have showed real emotion.

Seriously, how did they make Ralph Fiennes' nose look like that?

4. Neville. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a necessary character, and kid turned out better looking than I expected, but ugh, I did not enjoy the scenes focusing on him. Something was off.

5. Blue eyes. Harry has blue eyes in the movie. Harry is supposed to have green eyes, especially when they repeatedly focused on “you have your mother’s eyes.” I forget if this is something they ignored from the beginning of the movie series, but really, colored contacts are not hard to come by.

Ron turned out the best in my opinion.

6. 19 years later. I hated this part in the book, too. No, J.K. Rowling, not ok. You took characters we watched go from naïve children to adults who have seen more than most of their wizarding counterparts at the age of 17 and threw them back into a cutesy, happily-ever-after ending. In the movie, this scene was a lot of pointless focusing on faces, probably so you can determine if the makeup artists did a decent job aging the actors. They didn’t. In the words of my Harry Potter partner-in-crime, “19 years later? Ginny doesn’t even look 19 years old.”

Snape. Snape. Severus Snape.

On the plus side, Alan Rickman (Snape) was fantastic. His death and memories were by far my favorite parts of the movie. For those of us who read the book, we knew Snape was really on Dumbledore’s side, but here we see how much he actually cared about Harry. In fact, he’s portrayed as caring about him more than Dumbledore did, and it just makes you love Snape, the hidden hero, so much more. He was the most convincing character, and although he didn’t have much screen time, his ten minutes did more for the movie than the other 120.

All grown up
(or Harry looking fresh in a sweater).

I’ll always love Harry Potter, but Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two didn’t do justice for characters millions of people have invested in, not to mention actors we’ve literally watched grow up and an otherwise well done series of movies. With that said, I’d still see the movie again and suggest you do the same. After all, it is the Boy Who Lived’s last appearance.

COSMOPOLITAN

2011-06-29T09:54:00.001-05:00

YEAHH! WUTTT! OKAYY!

Some things just don’t need explaining. Examples: peanut butter, toothbrushes and Lil Jon (although a lot more probably goes on behind those shades and pimp cup than you’d think). This blog does not fall into that category.

America's Next Top Model, Season 13.
None of them were even that short.

The concept for Something Else started out as strictly fashion. The industry is so glamorous, and I’ve wanted to be a part of it for as long as I can remember. Too bad I quit growing sophomore year of high school and have been 5’3” ever since, crushing any hope of modeling (this is where I pretend I’d have a chance if I was tall enough).

My first entry was going to be my fashion dos and don’ts, so I could set the stage for outfit analyses to come. Now, it will be my second entry. As I thought about the direction my blog was going to take, I realized I wanted to write about too many things. There were parts of my life I struggled to include in the description of my personal style because I recognize how it affected the person I am today and sometimes purely because they made really good stories.

Dude clearly had a lot on his mind.

So, here I sat, waiting for my dial up internet to comprehend what “post” means on Facebook, wondering how I would possibly find a theme for all the random ideas coming to mind, just in case Big Brother wasn’t as thrilled about my change of plans regarding my blog. To my lovely editors-in –chief, no offense is meant by the Big Brother comment. I like to use the phrase as often as I can, whether or not it’s really appropriate. But anyway, at some moment after, God hand picked a miniscule lightning bolt, flicked it down into my brain, and suddenly I knew how I’d unify a blog about whatever I felt like writing about on any given day. Since I am the Fourth Estate’s entertainment editor, why not write about things I find entertaining?

Other Blog Entry Connectors (You’ll see why it must be a list.)

1. Lists. They make me feel oh so organized, and they give your eyes a break from endless paragraph nonsense.

2. Song lyrics used in my writing. They’re not just for statuses to make you sound deep. Artists just know how to say it best sometimes. Bonus points if you can pick them out, and tell me what they’re from. I wanted to describe my blog as “a little bit of me (radio edit worked better here) mixed with some hard liquor,” but teen drinking is very bad.

Something you won't find in "50 Things You
Should Have Never Stopped Doing"-
listening to Rihanna's music.

3. A magazine title. Each entry will be titled after a magazine relating to what I’m going to write about. I picked Cosmo to start because this entry is one fun, fearless female (going a little far, I know) writing about a variety of different things, at least one of which you’ll hopefully find entertaining. I love print magazines and want to write for one after college. A screen has nothing on glossy pages, and this is my way of saying thank you for surviving.

4. Pictures. My goal is to include as many pictures as possible. A picture’s worth a thousand words, yeah yeah, but you have to admit, it’s half the reason people pick up any given book or magazine. As an aspiring photographer, they fascinate me. The wall of my future apartment (cross your fingers I get it; as of now, I’m homeless this fall) is going to be covered with pictures that, put simply, speak to me.

One of the random framed pictures for my wall.
Who can tell me what it's from?

So, in conclusion, excuse my charisma, but this blog is really intended to be…something else.