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♫ Girl with One Eye by Florence + the Machine 

Imagine waking up from a coma in a dingy hospital room. You have no idea how long you've been on vacation and your body is aching from a previous bullet wound. Something is particularily odd about the situation: there are crusty dead flowers sitting in a vase beside you. The clock isn't ticking and for some reason, there's apparently no nurse around. You get out of the room to find the hospital a wreck. The phone lines are dead, the place is littered with papers, and the lights are flashing eerily. 

Welcome to Zombie Apocalypse (except you don't know that yet).

AMC's The Walking Dead is the new show that tackles the zombie genre. The show abides to the typical zombie storyline: there is some sort of pandemic and the world is in chaos; there's a group of people who come together to survive together, etcetera. There are many films that helped pave the way for the zombie genre such as "Night of the Living Dead", "Dawn of the Dead" and more recently "28 Days Later" and "Resident Evil", however what's different with The Walking Dead is that this time, it's television and not film. We're in for a longer, steeper, and bloodier ride.

The Walking Dead will throw viewers right into the zombie heap. What's enchanting about this dark and ominous series is its ability to keep the suspense a hillside ride. The show lures us through dark hallways, under army tanks and atop creepy department stores. There probably isn't one person out there whose heart wouldn't skip a beat when they hear that dry zombie growl. The crack of disjointed bones and thud of heavy footsteps make the "walkers" terrifying as ever and the show doesn't hesitate to include all those worst-case scenarios: zombie stampedes, zombie ambushes at night, and zombie "gore coats".

In the midst of all the zombie chaos, moments of love are always there to hold together the sanity that has become threadbare. The existence of zombies in the show pulls out the strongest need for emotional connection and support. What binds together the loose strings is companionship - knowing that family, friends and even strangers will be there to have your back in the most dire of circumstances. In The Walking Dead we'll see a touching reunion between a father and his family, a group full of people with different personalities working together, and men protecting the elderly when even the government abandoned them all.

I guess an apocalypse really does force us humans to appreciate those little things. Nothing is more warming than to watch these characters savor every second of a hot shower or toast to an actual feast while living in a sanctuary. It's in these tender moments that we're reminded that we're still human, and even in the most horrifying situations, we're still capable of love and kindness. But everything in this show is temporary. There's no time to grieve over loss or sacrifice; in a zombie-ridden world, the characters know they need to be on the run from the get-go. 

So let's get to the real dilemma: the walking dead. So far, the show has only introduced one type of zombie - the walkers, who are slow treaders that are sensitive to hearing sounds and smelling blood. There's no sign yet if these walkers will ever evolve, but somehow that thought keeps looming over our heads. Besides, what's better than a running zombie? Here's to hoping the show will stick to its name. 

Since the first season only has six episodes, there's still plenty of explaining that needs to be done: how did people get infected? What really caused this mess to begin with? Where is everyone else? Is there no safety zone? We'll just have to find out in Season 2, which premiered yesterday, and from what I've seen so far, the dead are more alive than ever. [WX]

"A brother is a friend given by Nature." -- Legouvé

Re: Stacks - Bon Iver

Love Rollercoaster - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Dumb - Nirvana

Radar Love - Golden Earring

Talk Show Host - Radiohead

Last Leaf - OK GO

Rock Me Gently - SuperHeavy

Conspiracy - Paramore

The Freshman - The Verve Pipe

Stitched Up - Herbie Hancock ft. John Mayer

Innocent Bones - Iron and Wine

to: [email protected]

date: Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 11:23AM

subject: Dear Steve

The first time I came across an Apple product was when I was in kindergarden in 1998. I remember how all the kids in my classroom fought to use that one iMac in the corner sitting next to all those other bulky computers we didn't care for. From time to time, I was lucky enough to be the one sitting in front of that iMac - I couldn't resist the beautiful turquoise color and transparency, and for some reason, I always seem to score better on quizzes on that computer.

I've recently become quite smitten by Iceland's breathtaking, scenic views. With all its frosty lands and flawless moutains, Iceland is definitely a dark horse in terms of countries with outstanding, natural beauty. Here's a glimpse at the land I hope to visit someday:

Directed by: Nicolas Widing Refn

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brookes, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman

>> First-class cars, bright speedways, and explosive stunts? You won't find any of those in the film "Drive", directed by Nicolas Winding Refn ("Bronson", "Valhalla Rising") and starring the brilliant Ryan Gosling as the unnamed and stoic Driver who by day is a movie stuntman and by night - a getaway driver for criminals. This unapologetic film does exactly what the contemporary, flashy car film does not - it lacks pretentious showiness.

Giving a great nod to film noir, "Drive" showcases Gosling at his best. His phlegmatic character mutters a sentence worth of dialogue in the entire script of a babbler, yet it is evident that without much words, his bond with his neighbor, Irene (Mulligan), and her son, Benicio (Kaden Leos), will deepen with no cessation.

Although "Drive" is also backed by underrated television talents, Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") and Christina Hendricks ("Mad Men"), Gosling is the one who keeps the headlights shining.  In a scene that may possibly be as memorable as his overly gawked about kiss in "The Notebook", Gosling captures the most extreme moments of intimacy and brutality in the film on the elevator, where his character kisses his love and subsequently murders a hitman in the most grisly way possible. 

At arguably the zenith of his career, Gosling fuels the dark and violent engine with his stellar performance as the Driver of calm disposition. Here's to hoping the Driver will keep his scorpion on. [WX]

What Would You Say - Dave Matthews Band

Starry Eyed  - Ellie Goulding

Wishing Well - blink-182

Are You a Hynotist?? - The Flaming Lips

Policy of Truth - Depeche Mode

Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House

Saturday Morning - Eels

23 - Blonde Redhead

Supernatural Superserious  - R.E.M.

After Midnight - blink-182

Does the name Florence Welch ring a ding? Yep. You've guessed it. She is the lead vocalist in the band Florence + the Machine.

Here comes the lady. An ethereal, gothic and sassy redhead with a voice bigger than her own imaginary world, Welch is proving that she isn't just another frontwoman who leads a typical band.  Her appeal does not come from garishly colored stage outfits or overly dramatic diva antics, but instead from the nuances of her artistic expression.

¤ Music 

Flo has the gift of a "sound" - that is, the once in a while singing voice that revitalizes the music industry when all things fall dull. This songbird came fluttering into our lives, serenading us with her unique and heavenly voice. She brings back a nostalgic sound of the past and gently brushes aside the cacophonous music we know today that is a composition of auto-tune, heavy beats, dirty talk and club bangers.

Welch is polishing the old with the avant-garde. Accompanying her voice are the soft ring of bells, the whisper of harp strings being plucked by gentle fingers, and the rhythm of melodic drum beats. She is a celestial-being who takes us into a luminescent and spiritual world.

However, behind the fairy dust and glitter is an ominous and naughty undertone. With lyrics such as "I'll cut your little heart out" and "Get your filthy fingers out of my pie", Flo reveals that she isn't just an angelic and all-things-pretty-and-perfect type of girl. Beneath the surface lies a magic that is the juxtaposition of the pure and tainted. There is something about her sound that leaves the everlasting impression that a ghost is haunting.

¤ Style

Welch is always Instagram-ready. She has a knack for all things ethereal, vintage or even retro. Her look plays along with her quirkiness and she is all about flow. There is always something odd about her; she is graceful, yet full of sass and spunk - a ballsy woman who doesn't mind softening a bit from time to time. She makes a faded and pastel palette look good. Nevertheless, her style seems to be in correlation with her music.

Unlike many newcomers in the music scene, Florence takes on the industry with a maturity that may even give seasoned performers a run for their money. She doesn't need to grow up. Her music videos are highly polished and aesthetically driven and she performs well live. She doesn't need the decoration that comes with the typical pop singer. In the end, Flo is simply a young artist singing her angels and demons out and charming the world with her peculiarity, while being backed by the ultimate Machine.  [WX]

 ¤ Basic Florence + the Machine songs to listen to:

1. Swimming                                   2. Cosmic Love

3. Girl with One Eye                       4. What the Water Gave Me

5. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)         6. Bird Song

¤ For more Florence, visit:

florenceandthemachine.net

itunes.apple.com/us/artist/florence-the-machine

I made a new flickr account! Go check it out!

September 11. 

Block Rockin' Beats - The Chemical Brothers

• Read most of the classics

• Paint in Iceland

  • Visit Pixar's headquarters

• Doodle an entire wall

• Make a difference

• Attend a NBA Finals game and be one of those zealous fans

• Horseback ride on the beach and in the grasslands

• Adopt five dogs at once

• Attend Fashion Week

• Dream bigger. Feel stronger. Smile wider. Love deeper. Laugh louder.

• Go to concerts of my favorite musicians + bands

• See and explore Antarctica before it's too late

• Discover what I really want to do in life

  • Go to music festivals with my best friends 

• Celebrate New Years surrounded by loved ones

• Build a Polaroid wall

• Learn to live in solitude

• Know to live with those who fuel life

• Moleskine all inspiration and dreams

• Watch my kids grow up

• Take underwater photography 

• Meet the ones to keep

• Learn to keep it simple

• Watch discrimination vanish

• Road trip across the US with my favorite people in the world

• Make a certain two people proud

• Get those pair of nude heels

• Tell everyone that it's okay to be an adrenaline junkie

• Ride the ferris wheel at the carnival

• Know when to just press pause

• Afford and decorate my own place

• Make sure all nights out are the best nights out

• Reflect every autumn

• Jet-ski on every beach

• Sing like no one (or everyone's) watching

• Take more risks

• Travel the world

• Live with snow again

• Do illustration for a children's book

• Remember to live every second