The Wind

The wind speaks to me

It whispers my name

It reminds me of sad stories

Stories of my shame

~

The wind haunts me

It never lets me go

Sometimes, I feel like getting away

But I gave up on that years ago

~

The wind controls me

Holds me tight by the hand

When it says, “Sit,” I sit.

When it says, “Stand,” I stand.

~

The wind breaks me with words

It says I am a waste of space

It tells me I am a bad person

That I don’t belong in this place

~

The wind puts salt in my wounds

It keeps hurting me

I am condemned to be its chew-toy

It knows no boundaries

~

The wind spits at my face

It ties me in chains

It makes me do all its work

And beats me till I feel terrible pain

~

The wind believes me weak

But that cannot be true

It hurts me so awfully

Yet I have still lived through

~

I am not myself

Will I ever get to be me?

Inside, I am the spirit of the wind

Will I ever break free?

~

The wind is clear

with a heart black as coal

A wicked creature in disguise

Destroying is its only goal

~

I am strong

but almost defeated

I am a prisoner of the wind

My memories are clouded

~

I cannot remember my name

Nor my life before I was locked in this dungeon

What am I? Who am I?

What has the wind done?

~

The wind oppresses me

By now, I should be dead

A familiar feeling – ah!

I am awakened by a rock to my head.

~

Something breaks free inside me

a large wave rushes in at a fast pace

I feel it; I see it

I am the creator of this place

~

I am the creator of the wind; that wicked creature

The creator of this land

The colors, the water, the sun, the moon, the grass

Was all made by my hand.

~

I have power beyond which I ever imagined

during those many years of my subjugation.

Now I know, now I understand

The confinement was merely deception

~

I am free! At last!

It was all in my mind

I can now see clearly

But yesterday, I was blind

Dove by Shannon Larian: in honor of the Hadassah Hospital in Israel

Lost…and Found

What is it about getting lost that freaks us out?

I mean – people get lost all the time! It’s no big deal, right?

No.

Being lost is a thrill; an adrenaline rush. It forces our minds to focus on the near future, and to grasp the possibility of being stranded – without food, water, necessities, and shelter. Next is fear: the fear that we will forever be lost, the fear that we will be greatly weakened, the fear that we will not survive.

 

Imagine being part of a large group. Most of the people of this group are children. You are driven, in two full SUVs, to a place full of large boulders piled high on top of each other. These boulders are big enough to climb. You have come to hike here. Some rocks are tightly wedged, some look like they will fall under your weight.

The children tumble out of the car in anticipation. They look in awe at the mountain full of huge stones. They want to start climbing as soon as possible. They wait, counting the seconds before they will be allowed to begin their excursion.

You realize the large cup of Diet Coke from Taco Bell has traveled down to your bladder. You tell somebody you need to take a leak, and they tell you it is about a mile away by foot, many more miles by car. You walk the mile, finally empty your bladder, and walk the mile back.

The others are irritated with you, “Where have you been?! You took so long!” Filled with their irritation, they fail to notice your little cousin, just four years old, slipping on a tall rock. Time slows as the boy falls. Many, including you, jump up, desperate to do the impossible and catch him. He cries out as he crumples to the ground a couple of feet away. You run to see if he is okay, and are reassured when you find out he is fine.

The group heads out to hike. You notice the time; you have about an hour until it will begin to get dark. Your group steadily climbs the boulders. Twenty minutes pass, then twenty more. You are almost up to the peak of the rocks. Twenty more minutes; you notice the sky beginning to darken, little by little. You tell the group to head back.

You are led one way, until you realize you are further from the beginning. Then another leader goes the opposite direction. You are lead further and further into the imposing, claustrophobic rocks. The sky gradually gets darker. No time passes at all until the sky has no light. Darkness is scary, especially to the children. Some are crying, while the others raise their chins and brave the night. You see a shadow behind some rocks. Finally! You are making progress. Those with cell phones shine the lights for a sense of direction.

Just ahead, you see a tall mountain of dirt and small stones and pebbles. Your group moves hopefully toward the mountain. It is steep; steep enough that, even on all fours, everybody is slipping and sliding down. You push your little cousin up the mountain while trying to get up yourself. Five minutes…seven minutes pass while the group is slowly making its way up the mountain. With each successful step, your heart jumps with hope. With every fall, your hope falters. Minutes pass, and the top of the mountain is just ahead. Filled with hope and longing, you purposefully trudge those final steps up to the edge, and pull yourself to the street above it.

Once you help everybody over the edge, you make your way up the street. The deserted parking lot is just ahead. The two SUVs are the last cars parked. You are extremely happy to have made it. You truly realize how lucky you are. You were lost, and you found yourself.

 

This is my story. You see it how I saw it. Sometimes, people are lost so long, they forget the way back. I am so thankful I found my way back home.

‘Twilight’ Makes Bella Most Popular Pet Name

Hollywood’s blockbuster “Twilight” franchise has ushered in the dawn of a new, favorite pet name among animal-adoring Americans: Once again Bella was the No. 1 name for dogs in a survey released this month by Veterinary Pet Insurance, the nation’s largest provider of pet health insurance. It was also No. 2 for cats and No. 7 for exotic animals.

Considering that the first “Twilight” flick — about Bella, a comely teenage loner played by Kristen Stewart who falls in love with a vampire classmate — hit theaters in late 2008, the trend toward naming a beloved pet after the saga’s lead character probably began with the fans who initially read the books.

The Top Ten

According to the VPI survey, the most popular names for dogs, from No. 1 to No. 10, are Bella, Bailey, Max, Lucy, Molly, Buddy, Maggie, Daisy, Charlie and Sophie. For cats, the most popular names are Max, Bella, Chloe, Oliver, Lucy, Smokey, Shadow, Tiger, Tigger and Charlie. Popular exotic animal names are Charlie, Baby, Sunny, Jack, Kiwi, Bandit, Bella, Max, Sammy and Gizmo.

So it’s clear that though Bella has struck a chord, pet owners have not adopted names like Edward or Cullen in similar numbers? (Charlie, the name of Bella’s father in “Twilight,” is the No. 9 name for dogs, No. 10 for cats and No. 1 for exotics, which include birds, lizards, gerbils, rabbits, etc. — but that probably has nothing to do with the series.)

via ‘Twilight’ Makes Bella Most Popular Pet Name – Paw Nation.

 

 

How odd…my dog, now a year old, is also named Bella!

Alone in a Crowded Room

I am alone in a crowded room

fending for myself, on my own

Looking around for some instruction

What do I do? Where do I go?

 

What the hell is this feeling?

Emptiness – looking without seeing

Thundering silence screaming for my attention

Blazing lights building tension

 

Alone in all my anger

Alone to wallow in pain

Nobody to confide in

Nobody in the same lane

 

I want to pour my heart out

to a friend who listens and hears me

I need to be cared for – loved

I need to know someone will save me

The Twilight Saga will end with Breaking Dawn, Pt. 2 on Nov. 16, 2012

It appears the summer release experiment for “The Twilight Saga” was not as successful as Summit Entertainment had hoped.  The studio announced today that “Breaking Dawn, Pt. 2″ will be released on Nov. 16, 2012.  That’s a full year after the debut of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Pt. 1″ on Nov. 18, 2011.

After releasing both “Twilight” and “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” in November of 2008 and 2009, Summit made the seemingly smart move of moving “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” to a June 30, 2010 release date.  This was because of both fervent interest from the franchise’s fanbase and the expectation that opening in the summer would allow for a larger gross due to the fact many teenagers would be out of school and able to see the film numerous times during the work week.  Instead, “Eclipse” has grossed less than the previous chapter, “New Moon,” with only $288.1 million domestic and a total of $644.8 million worldwide so far.  “New Moon” ended up with $296 million domestic and $709 million worldwide and it’s hard to see “Eclipse” matching that total as its grosses have slowed considerably.  Considering “Eclipse” received universally better reviews than the previous two chapters and was the most action packed (i.e., male friendly) of the series this has to be something of a disappointment for Summit.  Granted, there is no need to shed any tears as the studio and series creator Stephenie Meyer are still swimming in profits as the picture only cost $65 million.

In hindsight, however, the shouldn’t have come as that much of a shock even if it seems to go against conventional wisdom.  The “Harry Potter” series has also released a number of chapters during the summer months and found mixed results.  After the first two installments debuted in Nov. of 2001 and 2002 respectively, 2004′s “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” debuted in June and is actually the worst performing picture in the franchise with just $249.4 million.  “The Order of the Phoenix” and “The Half-Blood Prince” have performed much better with their July releases, but some of that can be credited to increased ticket prices as well as IMAX ticket costs.  It’s somewhat telling “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1″ will open in Nov. of this year.

As for “Breaking Dawn,” production is expected to begin this Nov. with shooting split between Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Vancouver, British Colubmia.  Oscar winner Bill Condon is at the helm and the entire cast will return including the trifecta of Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner.

via The Twilight Saga will end with Breaking Dawn, Pt. 2 on Nov. 16, 2012 – HitFix.com.

The “Race for Africa”

An impulse to conquer awakened in the greedy European men,

who thought – perhaps because of the color of their skin

– they were superior.

Why else would people inflict their force upon one another?

They allowed differences to drive them apart,

though men are born equal in mind and heart.

 

These men were proud entrepreneurs.

They interfered where they were not wanted, these saboteurs!

These arrogant men were thieves,

taking the African resources to achieve.

They took over land, and things that were not theirs.

Their profit built increasingly, what with the trade of these stolen wares.

 

Africans did not know what was coming,

they were manipulated into succumbing.

They could not understand the treaties they signed,

did not realize what they gave away to men unkind.

 

This “Race for Africa” was selfish.

It was, to many, a fetish.

Europeans sank their nails in as much land as possible

and, through possessions, become controlling and powerful.

Economical and racial reasons cloaked the entirety of their minds.

The fever had struck, the race was on to find

new resources, and locations to take, greedily,

without so much as a warning to Africans. No decency!

 

Africans were forced to assimilate

with European culture and religion, they were expected to sophisticate.

They had lost any free will they might have once possessed,

and many were very depressed.

 

Europeans did far from helping.

Instead, they ended up corrupting

many Africans who had been innocent victims

of such a cruel European system.

Taylor Lautner | Rolling Stone Magazine Cover

 

Rolling Stone Magazine hasn’t a jail bait worthy cover of this portion since Britney Spear’s infamous April 1999 Rolling Stone cover. Today, the bi-weekly magazine released it’s Taylor Lautner cover and pics from the corresponding photo shoot. Ever since the former child star bulked up to keep his role in the Twilight sequel, he’s been the object of desire for many. Unfortunately for millions of adoring fans, he’s off limits til February 11, 2010.

While over the years, there have been many underage sexualized females like Britney, Miley and Olsen twins, there have been very few young men that have reach this level of hype like Lautner has. Even Zac Efron was 19 during his Rolling Stone shoot.

During Taylor Lautner’s interview for Rolling Stone, the obviously publicity-trained teenager confesses that he’s never smoked pot, done cocaine or smoked cigarettes. How much of a PR nightmare would have it been, had he said otherwise. Recently the former Junior World Karate Champion, has been romantically linked to Taylor Swift. The two met while filming the upcoming film, “Valentine’s Day” where the two instantly clicked- lucky beyotch.

BRITNEY’S CONTROVERSIAL ROLLING STONE COVER

 

via Taylor Lautner | Rolling Stone Magazine Cover | Jailbait | Legal Countdown Clock | Pictures | Shirtless | homorazzi.com.

Blaine- Kurt Hummel’s New BF in Glee

Blaine is a student at a rival school who develops a special relationship with Kurt. It was stated that Blaine is a “out-and-proud student” and would be a mentor figure for Kurt. It is rumored that this character will be a love interest for Kurt Hummel. Glee creator Ryan Murphy stated, “ Darren has a major, major arc…He sort of becomes Kurt’s mentor and then maybe love-he had to leave his own school because of bullying and goes to an all-boys academy and finds acceptance because that school has a no-bullying, zero-tolerance policy. So Kurt really admires him and respects him. He plays someone who’s one year older than Chris’ character, so he’s the old pro.”

In an interview on October 28, 2010, Darren Criss stated: “The character Blaine himself is such a cool guy, and I really hope he ends up being a really positive role model and source of strength for a lot of people, gay or straight—for any teen, really.

[Blaine's] a guy that is really, he’s seen some hardship and where we meet him he’s a very strong, collected guy, and he’s really analyzed the things that have happened to him and has defined himself because of those things and a lot of the struggle that other characters go through, he’s found a way to empower himself through that. Having a character like that show up where we are in the show and where we are in our society is pretty cool.

So to answer your question he’s kind of an out-and-proud student at another school, at a private all-boys school called Dalton, and he meets Kurt, befriends him and imparts whatever knowledge that he feels he can benefit Kurt with.”

via Blaine – Glee Wiki.

‘Breaking Dawn’ Casts Mackenzie Foy As Renesmee – MTV Movie News| MTV

After practically years of suspense over who would play vampire-human child Renesmee in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn,” it was author Stephenie Meyer who finally got to break the news on Wednesday night.

“Very excited about our new Renesmee, Mackenzie Foy,” she wrote on the “Twilight” Facebook page. “She’s an amazing young actress and I’m excited to work with her. I hope everyone had an enjoyable summer!”

Rumors that newcomer Foy would be cast in the role had been circulating for the past week. The 9-year-old actress has a limited résumé, with just a few TV appearances to her credit so far on the shows ” ‘Til Death” and “FlashForward.” She has also appeared on the cover of the Garnet Hill clothing catalog and in Gap ads and Burger King commercials. She will take on the role of Edward and Bella’s daughter, one of the meatier parts in the second half of the “Breaking Dawn” saga.

Fans will, of course, have a while to wait before they get their first glimpse of Foy, since the first chapter of “Breaking Dawn” hits screens on November 18, 2011, and the second half will roll out on November 16, 2012. It’s not known exactly where the book will be split into two, but since Renesmee is born about halfway through the story, she’s not likely to appear in the first movie.

When Foy was first mentioned for the role, Entertainment Weekly immediately wondered how the angelic-faced newbie will be able to portray her rapidly aging character. According to unnamed sources, “Dawn” director Bill Condon “will employ similar digital effects to those used by David Fincher in ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’ where Foy’s face would be digitally transferred onto the face of a younger child. It’s also probable that the studio will hire a younger child in some capacity too.”

The response from Twihards on Facebook was overwhelmingly positive. “Thanks for dropping in Stephenie,” Ronnie M. wrote. “So excited that MacKenzie was cast; she seems like she’ll do a great job. You all thought it would be hard to cast the ‘Perfect’ Edward and I’m sure you thought the same for Renesmee, but once again you guys have outdone yourselves. Can’t wait for ‘Breaking Dawn’!”

via ‘Breaking Dawn’ Casts Mackenzie Foy As Renesmee – MTV Movie News| MTV.