January

CONTENTS

7

JACKIE C IS OVER IT this month read why jackie c is over dogs on park ave and the puppy patrol that is infiltrating the sidewalks.

15

Welcome to the advent of a new year jon woodard looks

28 19 28

flashmob

inside features 19 miriphoto

Miriam Lorenzi AKA Miriphoto is a self-taught photographer who shoots for commercial clients, musicians, artists, as well as everyday folks. Check out the shoot on Madelin Zero and see the buzz.

8

ED LETTER WALK ABOUT

40

Culture music

Flash mob here, flash mob there, here a flash mob, there aflash mob, everywhere a flash mob. heard of a flash mob? read the interview and get the inside scoop on how it all goes down and testimonials from the dancers themselves. i dare you not to beinspired.

5

back by moving forward

THE RANT WITH

KAT PEOBODY the end is the begining is the end, a look back at the Y2K decade

10

daniel merriwether is made in the uk

movies

14

youth in revolt, legion, when in rome, the january movie season is here... media

12

toyas blog 2.0, a recap

lit

11

a look into hesse’s demian

trend

17

winter park’s current clothing is no copycat Beauty

26

resident expert stephanie crisan goes ooo la la on us!

42

Whats Happening

43 HOROSCOPES

BRINK editor-in-chief

kyle m menard features beauty director stephanie crisan design kyle m menard contributing writers alyssa chase, camille chu, stephanie crisan, jackie c, mark dodds, kat peobody, jonathan woodard contributing photographers miriphoto solaiman fazel jonathan jedeikin ahrha ko kat tuohy amanda villarosa find us online www.brinkmagonline.com friend us on facebook www.facebook.com/brinkmag follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/brinkmag general love, questions, comments youcanemailbrink@gmail.com advertising www.brinkmagonline.com/advertising

BRINKmag 2009 contents BRINkmag LLC.

ED LETTER JANUARY 2010

Welcome to January issue of BRINK. This month we have two articles looking back on the Y2k decade by two great writers, Kat Peobody and Jon Woodard. We’ve get the regulars like Jackie C is Over It and multiple culture spots with some new additions with Mark Dodds and his great review on Hesse’s Demian.

This months features are from the talented Miriphoto and features a collection by Madelin Zero and Some Is Enough collection. We also got a chance to speak with Flash Mob America. If your not familiar with Flash Mob and what they do, check it out on page 28. Testimonials are in the article and I dare you not be enthusiastically inspired by this collection of can-do people.

With that said, January’s issue is all about making it happen. Doing something and following through and making the most out of life and your time. This issue is to inspire and ignite your own fire. Being the first issue in the new year and we hope some of the creative arts packed inside gives you some ideas.

Enjoy Orlando and we’ll see you next month.

Kyle M Menard

on the BRINK

JACKIE C IS OVER IT

Y

by jackie c

a’ know, I LOVE dogs.

They’re loyal, always happy to see you, and most of the time, enjoy being pet. Cats might be easier to take care of, but they’re totally self-centered, jump all over everything, and make your place smell like, well, cat. Not to mention, I’m totally allergic to their dander that gets everywhere. Yup, I am definitely a dog person who would love to have one of those cool dogs that can sport a red bandana, enjoys going for long walks in the park, and catches frisbees. But, no matter how much I love dogs, it’s obvious I will never love dogs as much as SOME people.

SOME dog-lovers frequently chow down amongst the eateries on Park Ave. and bordering Lake Eola so they can casually dine with their dogs. Servers there bring drinks for humans and for canines, who get their own water bowls so they don’t get too parched.

Being the dog-lover that I am, as I stroll past the shops and restaurants, I see SOMEone’s cute, friendly dog, tongue hanging out wagging its tail (dog, not me), and as I start saying how cute it is, I just want to reach out and give him a nice rub behind his ears. But, I refrain. Why? Because, the owner, instead of smiling about the fact that someone appreciates his dog as much as he does, looks at me like I’m not only insane, but have some rare cooties that I could possibly pass to his precious pup. Apparently, since the dog is dining at an expensive restaurant and I’m just walking past to get a chocolate croissant from Panera, the dog is above me, a mere human.

The larger dogs I see on the strip are usually on leashes, but smaller dogs get carted around by their over-protective owners in many ways these days.

We’ve all seen the Louis V. dog carriers that cost more than my rent, but SOME people, mostly women, prefer to just carry the dog in their arms, a-la Paris Hilton. As far as I know, small dogs do still have the ability to walk

ly had to invest money that could have gone to feed at least three of the poor children in those Sally Struthers commercials on a freaking doggie stroller? No wonder we see so many 18pound Yorkies these days. You think we need a doggie version of Wii Fit?

and it’s obvious that these women can afford leashes, but why would they want to put the dog on the ground or cover it with an expensive bag when everyone can see their perfect accessory much better when it’s cradled their arm? Despite the fact that even a small dog could give a girl an arm cramp, I guess these ladies still aren’t convinced that those jewel-laden hissing cockroaches are really “in.”

I’m still wondering what they do when the dog needs to use the pooch powder room. Will it run away if they put it down? And, if it wouldn’t run away, after it’s done using the fire hydrant, would they pick it back up? I used to have a Shih Tzu and there’s no way I would have cradled him in my arm right after he used the facilities, I mean, unless I really wanted doggie drizzle on me or my outfit. Heck, I used to make him wipe before he even came in the house!

Now, older couples treat their small dogs a little differently. When going for a walk around the lake, SOME make sure their dogs get carted around the same way their grandkids would, in a stroller. Who knows, maybe their career-driven kids haven’t given them any grandchildren yet, so they feel they need to cart around something.

But really, how lazy are American dogs getting? They’re so preoccupied watching the sexy bitches on The Dog Whisperer they can’t play fetch, take a long walk or go out and play with their friends? We’re so concerned they can’t make it around a large pond we actual-

Hellooooo, Orlando!

This is why people in other countries HATE us! Have you ever seen anyone in India push their dog around in a stroller? No. Although, if someone thought it was his grandma reincarnated, I suppose it could happen.

Doggie sunglasses, studded collars, nail polish for pets, fancy pet photos... the list goes on. I know SOME think doting on their dogs and toting them around like a clutch purse is cool, but if SOME haven’t noticed, in our current economy, spending money in more meaningful ways and being more responsible are actually starting to be cool again! (I know! Who woulda’ thought?) Which means, treating a dog like royalty and only being able to carry on a “meaningful” relationship with something that can’t talk back to you and eats its own poop are OVER. Leashes, car rides, fetch, and dare I say, leaving your dog at home for a few hours are all “on the brink.” If you’re thinking about getting a dog in the new year and want to go about it responsibly, you may want to “foster” a dog first to see if you’re ready for the commitment. Pet Rescue by Judy is a local, no-kill shelter that has dogs and cats of many ages and breeds available for adoption. The shelter makes use of “foster families” to temporarily take care of a pup until an owner can be found. And, if you think your dog deserves some special human treatment for the day, The Black Swan in downtown Sanford would be the place to go. Well-behaved pooches can be seen inside this Irish pub and on a Friday night, you can stroll over in your jeans and flip-flops, have a Harp, and let your four-legged friend sit right at the bar with you. Tartan collars welcomed. No cats allowed.

7

Walk about

WHO THOUGHT WALKING AND SHOPPING AROUND THE CITY BEAUTIFUL COULDN’T BE DONE. THIS WEEK WE HEAD OVER TOP THE WINTER PARK FARMERS MARKET THAT OCCURS EVERY SATURDAY FROM EARLY UNTIL 1PM. WE PICKED OUT OUR TOP CHOICES AND WHY YOU NEED TO WALK ON OVER THERE. 200 West New England Avenue Winter Park

Plantspalooza! Flowers, herbs, shrubs, everything you need to landscape your home inside or outside is available at a ridiculously great price

There’s more than just crafts at this market. Amazing wooden works, toys and trinkets line the aisles...

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Croissants., danish’s, chocolates, treats, coffee and more is ready for you to consume as your spend the day walking through the market! Doesn’t that sound nice?

Local, local local! Hummus, salsas, honeys, cheese, everything is local here,. the best part of th emarket!

Great prices, great way to spend a Saturday morning/afternoon!

say HELLO Douglas Drugs closed up shop last month again fueling the fire to the talk of the high rents on Park Ave. Faced with an increasing rent and rather than pay, the little old school drug store that could packed up and shipped all merch to their other stores as they turned the key closed the doors for good.

Seven Sisters Coffee is a warm and cozy place filled with bean aromas and coffee concoctions. From lattes to iced coffees, they have the usual suspects, but its worth checking out and taking a moment for you.

911 N. Mills Ave Orlando 407.601.4475

say goodbye Social Networking takes on a whole new level with super site Wherescool.com Literally discover “where’s cool” by your friends, peers, and strangers in an online community built by a super cool guy named Ron. This site is user friendly, hip and its what we’ve been waiting for., its like all the geo apps combined into one super ginormous phenomenon.

Simply put by the man himself....

wherescool. com

Where’s Cool? is a community where you post places and neighborhoods that you think are cool — around the world.

It’s designed to help fellow “I don’t care about the stupid touristy crap” travelers find stuff to do that’s cheap, independent, authentic or underground. You know, those places you stumble into on a trip to a new city that turn out awesome.

UPCOMING NEW RELEASES January 5 Katharine McPhee, ‘Unbroken’ January 6 Patrick & Eugene, ‘Altogether Now (Birds Bees Flowers Trees)’ January 12 Jason Boesel, ‘Hustler’s Son’ O.A.R., ‘Rain or Shine’

OK Go, ‘Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky’ Omarion, ‘Ollusion’ Ringo Starr, ‘Y Not’ Vampire Weekend, ‘Contra’ January 19 Alberta Cross, ‘The Broken Side Of Time’ Eels, ‘End Times’ Spoon, ‘Transference’ Daniel Merriwether ‘Love & War’ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > January 26 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> an eternity. aniel Jason Castro, ‘Jason Castro’ Merriweather Hopefully, Merriweather’s had the number US debut “Love & War” Citay, ‘Get Together’ two album in Evacuate Chicago, featuring the singles, ‘Veracity’ the UK, has “Change”, “Impossible”, Joe Firstman, ‘El Porto’ been featured on countless and “Red” , will make this singles like Ghostface Killas Gorevette, ‘Lustfully Yours’ Mark Ronson protege a [EP] “Oooo Whee” and has been household name here in Lady Antebellum, ‘Need in the spotlight for some the States. The album will You Now’ time now. Yet, not many be released on January The Magnetic Fields, Americans could place the 19th 2010 in the United ‘Realism’ face, with the name, with the States under J Records The Silent League, ‘But song. The album has been and Allido Records.

You’ve Always Been the pushed back a few times and Caretaker’ www.danielmerriweather.com

Made in the uk

D

his name has been on the buzz charts for what feels like

Withdrawn and unable to eat, his personality moulds to what he believes to be his fate, until the arrival of Max Demian – “the prince disguised among farm boys”.

H

by mark dodds esse does it best under the traumatic thrashings of illness, war and nervous breakdowns all around. In 1919 Hesse penned out a vibrantly sullen, yet inspiring tale of one young Emil Sinclair, which at it’s time, would make Holden Caulfield look like the needy attention steering goth we all dogged on in PE class. Trapped within depression and paranoia and forced to live in the “forbidden realm” Sinclair exiles himself from the world. Withdrawn and unable to eat, his personality moulds to what he believes to be his fate, until the arrival of Max Demian – “the prince disguised among farm boys”. This new camaraderie serves as Sinclair’s detachment from childhood and family into that of seeking rebellion and desires.

Breaking free from his “world of light” it is said “The bird struggles out of the egg. The egg is the world.

Whoever wants to be born, must destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God’s name is Abraxas”.

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Last month’s media section featured blogs that get buzz from around the globe. We

featured music blog Toya’s World founded by 28 year old Toya of the UK. Days after the issue hit stands, Toya’s World went blank. In a digital world where no domain is safe, we got to the bottom of what happened and what’s next.

How, when and where did you start the original blog? I initially started my real music blog on blogspot in 2006. At the time, I was a first time blogger who had a real ear for great R&B/pop music. I wanted to share my love of R&B with an audience who also appreciated that type of music.

Why did you start the original blog?

How did Toyas World begin? I started my blog because at the time, there were no blogs dedicated solely to urban music.

I wanted to be one of the first to break that mold. There were a lot of Hollywood gossip blogs but none that catered to the urban music scene and I felt that was really needed. I also wanted to bring awareness to the underground acts who were not getting the recognition that they deserved.

How long do you think you’ll continue the blog? That’s a tough one to call because I don’t blog for a living. It is simply a hobby for me. I’d like to blog forever but I cannot say. I guess when blogging no longer becomes enjoyable, then I will just find another hobby to pursue. I still love doing this and can see myself doing this for a long time to come. For me, the reward is in the stats. It means people enjoy what I do and appreciate what I have to say.

You lost your blog, so what happened?

My domain toyas-world.net was very popular, so, when it failed to auto-renew, somebody snatched it up and bought it.

That meant, I could no longer buy back the domain. As a result, I ended up losing a good portion of my readers. I actually contacted the people that took my domain but they failed to email me back so I had to pick another domain. Now it’s toyaz-world. net. A lot of my readers still do not know I have moved but hopefully, they will find

me as I take further steps to build back my popularity.

You decided to come back to blogging, did you think that you might not after it was gone? If I am completely honest, I almost did not come back. I was upset because so much of my hard work went down the drain. But all it took was one day to realise I was lost without blogging. I decided to start from scratch, picked a new layout, banner and carried on.

If you ended the blog, did you think that would affect people? I think people would be a bit sad because they enjoy what I bring to the table. When something you enjoy comes to an end, you feel it at first. But then, you find something close to it. And there are a lot of great blogs that have similar content and traits to mine like The Prophet Blog and Rap-Up. Did people reach out to you when they couldn’t find the blog? Via twitter, or any other way? If so, what did that feel like? It was a nice feeling because everybody was tweeting me with messages like: “Toya, you got to come back. Nobody does it like you”. They were pleading with me to come back and that totally motivated me.

I was back in under a week. Shockingly, a lot of my readers were not following me on Twitter so when my blog went up in smoke, many of them were clueless. Each day I get a number of people telling me they just found my blog after all this time.

Have you kept loyal followers (you kept me!) or have your impressions stayed the same since the transition? My impressions have really picked up since I debuted again on the night of the American Music Awards (Nov 22nd). And I have had

a lot of help from other bloggers who I am really cool with. The Prophet Blog, Crunk & Disorderly, Oh No They Didn’t and Pinboard Blog have all linked back to me.

The Prophet Blog wrote a post about it and for that, I am really grateful.

Has there been any other drama since reestablishing the blog? Unfortunately, I had to cut off my ties with a particular blogger who I really respected. I don’t think it’s cool to freeload off somebody’s hard work without giving credit. By freeloading, I’m talking copy ‘n’ pasting my commentary, making a few grammatical changes, taking exclusive stories not posted on another music blog, certain images and so on. I mean, if I see a particular ‘exclusive’ story or if I see that a blog has transcribed an interview, I always source correctly. I thought I was going crazy but another blogger had the same problem with them. I did a lot for this blogger. When they were new and started out, they came to me for advice and I gave it. I featured their interviews and more. So, it was a kick in the teeth, that they would do that after seeing how much I had to struggle to come back. I believe in friendly competition. I believe in helping each other, and I was really saddened that I had to get myself caught up in blogging beef because I am so above it.

Whats next for Toyas World? I’m looking at hiring more writers, as I do have a life outside of blogging and things can get really hectic. I’m thinking about doing more features, music related of course, like fashion editorials. One of my writers will be conducting a couple of interviews so we have that to look forwards to. I am always looking at ways to improve and make Toyas World the best urban blog it can be. www.toyaz-world.net

style er feed twitto rookie ar unnddo la Or

andybarron at the orlando museum of art with the folks. chuck close rules. this is all done with fingerprints. http://twitpic.com/vrl25 paulorferreira Comer uma sopa e uns bifes, ler umas páginas de Orlando, de V. Woolf, ler umas páginas de tese. gay_emo_zac where can i find safflower oil softgels in orlando? anyone have any ideas ZenaRose RT @DJ_MARVZ: @DJEIGHTMILE hottest orlando compilation mixtape EVER..RT RT RT!!! http://bit. ly/6XeMCq heather_perara I judt saw a mailbox on Orlando Blvd so cool I have to come back later to take a pic mirandas2cool Everyone please boycott k92 in orlando.. Mirandas song is top 10 and they wont play it!!!

MissRaiRaiBaby I need a man in Orlando so I can come home more often, #noscrubs. eatingorlando Frozen yogurt and a movie? New shop opens in The Plaza downtown Orlando: http://tinyurl. com/yhez5xj orlandomix How do you guys feel about DJ's that constantly talk over the music? Does it add hype or does it ruin the dance floor? eakspeasy Just uploaded 13 new photos to my Flickr http://bit.ly/66VHnX

new york city in a nut shell from the eyes of a 13 year old never looked so good. with an intense love of fashion and arts, this girl has “it” and knows what “it” is. the blog is a who’s who in the world of creativity with a firm grasp on the pulse of whats hot. read now.

www.tavi-thenewgirlintown.blogspot.com/

FEELING UNINSPIRED? LACKING CREATIVITY? WE’VE GOT THE FIX.

THE

DALAT DESIGNS BLOG

LAST MONTH WE FEATURED DALAT DESIGNS AND SOME OF FLOWER TA’S COLLECTION. SINCE THEN, WE CANT STOP READING THE BLOG. ITS LIKE NYC ROLLED INTO ORLANDO IN SO MANY WORDS. DON’T WALK, RUN TO THIS BLOG TO GET THE JUICES IN YOUR BRAIN FLOWING. FROM FASHION COLLECTIONS TO THE CITIES BEST ESTATE SALES, ITS NOT ONLY PACKED WITH WORDS, BUT PICTURES OF WHAT YOU MAY BE MISSING. TOP BLOG IN OUR BOOK....ER, MAGAZINE. WWW. DALATDESIGNS.COM/BLOG P.S. DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE DALAT WEB SITE TOO! NEW ITEMS!

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January 8, 2010

January 15, 2010

DAYBREAKERS - Starring Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe

THE BOOK OF ELI - Starring Denzel Washington and Mila Kunis

LEAP YEAR - Starring Amy Adams and Matthew Goode

THE LOVELY BONES - Starring Saoirse Ronan and Mark Wahlberg

YOUTH IN REVOLT - Starring Michael Cera and Portia Doubleday January 22, 2010

January 29, 2010

EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES - Starring Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser

EDGE OF DARKNESS Starring Mel Gibson and Ray Winstone

LEGION - Starring Paul Bettany and Tyrese Gibson

WHEN IN ROME - Starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel

available on Blu-Ray

TOOTH FAIRY - Starring Dwayne Johnson and Ashley Judd

1/5/10

1/12/10

1/19/10

1/26/10

10 Things I Hate About You - Special Edition

The Simpsons:

Weeds:

Michael Jackson: This Is It

The Complete Twentieth Season

Season Five

It’s hard not to watch This Is It without feeling a mixture of sorrow and elation. When he passed away in the summer of 2009, Michael Jackson was in the midst of rehearsals for his final tour, an ambitious 50-date engagement. In editing 120 hours of rehearsal footage together, Jackson producer Kenny Ortega proves that it would’ve been an event for the ages.

It’s, like, Shakespeare, man!

This good-natured and likeable update of The Taming of the Shrew takes the basics of Shakespeare’s farce about a surly wench and the man who tries to win her and transfers it to modern-day Padua High School.

242 minutes of celebrating The Simpsons 20th seson in high def. Sesons 1319 were skipped for the time being to enjoy the richness of the 20th seson produced in HD. Look for an anniversary edition later this year.

The hemptress returns in the complete fifth season of the Showtime’s; Original Series, WEEDS. When pot-selling soccer mom Nancy Botwin took her homegrown business south of the border, she found the grass wasn’t greener on the other side.

Welcome to the advent of a new decade.

by Jonathan woodard

N

ow, we all know that simple clock tick is an inescapable fact, but it’s palcement is often given up for some debate; be it your beliefs into whether or not a decade fully starts on a 0 or a 1- but in our binary age does it really matter? There’s no feasible difference between a 1 and a 0 to most people in such a language let alone in the jump off date of a new cycle. Hell, I can’t discern those things myself anymore.

SO what does any of that have to do with anything relating to anything that goes into this mag? Not much in some ways- but tons in others. It all depends upon your perspective.

As I sit here in snowy assed Massachusetts, I am cast into that oh so poignant reflective time that wraps us up like a warm blanket on the oh-so chilly daze. [Yes, I am a resident of Boston (Jamaica Plain, to be exact) and the only exposure I have had to the Orlando area is limited to two jaunts of Mouse based consumerism in my youth and the towering Super-beast and his clan of hoop hounds showing my beloved Celtics the door last Summer.

Congrats on that, sorry about Xmas day. One question: Does the Van Gundy/ Ron Jeremy jokes have legs down there?] However, I feel in some sorts our collective blanket has been given the ole switcheroo with a far more belittling Snuggi- whoops- don’t want to pull commercial interests into thisCozie wrap. Yup. After a decade of bullshit- our general state has been reduced to a paltry fleece sheet

adorned with flared sleeves.

I could ruminate on war, economy, health care, celebrity deaths, swine flu, terrorism and any other grocery list for the faint of heart, but I won’t really. Only thing I will say to that extent is this- don’t believe the hype.

Check your facts and look at multiple sources. Talk to people. Don’t lose faith in a president that has had only 12 months to pull us from a quagmire that has brewed over nearly 10 years.

Don’t lose faith in yourself, or others for that fact.

Remember that night in 1999, with Prince blaring in some iconic (or ironic) fashion when the world seemed ripe to devour? The high tide of the 90’s slowly fading in the rearview like the loving send off of family as you head on down the road to some gallant adventure, some bright future. Who knew? Who knew any of it would play out the way it did. Who knew that within ten years time, one of the greatest powers in the world would be within harrowing proximity of the gallows? Who knew?

In some ways I blame George Lucas for being a doughy Nostradamus and dropping that stink bomb in the summer of ’99. Shitting upon child hood fantasies for a cheap buck, but hey- there’s more to come… so maybe it will all work out. No way, buster. That was just the beginning.

Maybe it was a love hangover. Maybe it was the sheer fact that we were so full of ourselves that none of it mattered. But it does now.

Big time.

Two thousand and ten, 20/10 or whatever. Y’all are going to hear a lot of that this year… it’s easy and shows finality to the decade. A clear closure. Reclaiming the decade status like a newly emancipated divorcee.

However, I propose we steer a different course. A friend of mine suggested the use of 2kX as a joke. I dig it- sounds more formidable. Like something’s at stake. Like something’s dangerous, dirty and unfit for certain eyes. (That and the holdover of the “X-treme” tag of the former part of the new century seems somewhat apt.) A beacon of rememberance of how we’ve come this far, and we still have a shit ton of work to do. Not just on a National and World stage- but on ourselves as well.

I think we’ve fallen to far into ourselves- we’ve become self obsessed, rude, impolite, in considerate and just generally jerkish. How often have you been cut off in traffic? Ever held the door open for someone with not even a slight acknowledgement? I could go on- but I won’t. You get the idea. The blinders are on far to tight these days and in certain terms for good reason.

When the going gets tough a smart critter burrows deep and waits it out, but is that really an option anymore?

Am I saying go out there and be altruistic to no ends and try and save the world? Hell’s no. Save yourselfwe’ll need good warriors headed into this new frontier we’re skirting, but great warriors have a broader concern and awareness for those about them.

That, I believe, is where we’ve jumped that proverbial shark. We lack that sweeping sense of togetherness that was so prevalent in yester year. Do yourself and everyone else a favor….

Try being cordial. Keep it simple. Mere niceties travel far and wide. Say please and thank you. Try turning the other cheek, let someone into traffic, tip your bartender and as you keep holding that door, say a silent prayer that by setting an example you may make other people think some. Propagate the positivity. Perhaps then we’ll be able to rally around one another and stop being fearful and bitter. Be more concerned about your neighborhood and community then Hollyweird- it will still be all that it is. Don’t trust the talking heads on your TV that carry the heavy stink of saccharine sincerity, they don’t care about you as much as their ratings. Let music be an inspiration instead of a distraction and sublimation.

Get distracted and get run over.

That’s where we’re heading… but we can right the course. Let go and get going- forget the bastard by product of ten years of confusion and fear.

Let’s storm this new decade with an open mind and wider perspective. Let your eyes tear with the truth and the promise of warmer tomorrow.

Damn it is snowing hard outside.

Welcome to 2kX, kid. Now don’t be an asshole.

ALLOW US TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE BEST STORE YOU NEVER KNEW EXISTED he shops lining Winter T Park’s super sheik Park Ave contain the usual

bunch of prep meets yawn.

Then, there’s Current.

Current is 900 square feet of hip men’s wear containing True Religion, William Rast, Salvage and more. The windows are fantastic with clothing trends, shoes, a Ducati setting the scene and TV’s displaying men’s fashions.

Once inside, the exposed brick, over head piping and other industrial elements feel natural and not forced.

A fashion show projection lines the back wall and is constantly running, even when the store is closed.

The tables are full with fresh styles and fashions and the accessories and shoes are completely “current.”

This super hip and industrial men’s wear store is not to be missed. Its actually shocking this type of vision and look is on Park Ave. If more shops on the street decided to take a clue from Current and get some vision and creativity in between their walls, maybe more pedestrians would be walking that way.

Current is located at 128 Park Avenue South Winter Park www.currentmen.com 17

M

Miriam Lorenzi AKA Miriphoto

is a self-taught photographer who shoots for commercial clients, musicians, artists, as well as everyday folks. Her work has appeared in Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine, Orlando Sentinel, Creative Loafing, and numerous online magazines and web sites. Her work regularly appears on OrlandoSentinel.com and Metromix.com for whom she is also a professional blogger.

“With the multitude of directions a photographer can go in, it was difficult for me to evolve when I first started making pictures. Everyone wants to compare or classify photographers into genres like fashion or photojournalism. After some experimentation I began to see how everything is connected. So now, if it feels good to, I photograph it.”

Also a creative and keen-eyed portrait photographer, Miriam understands the importance of getting the inside to show up on the outside: “A bond must be made between us on the inside in order for a great image to be created, so it’s my task not just to get the lighting, focus

and angle right, but to receive the person before me, wholly, or they just won’t give it [ the great shot ] up,” she says.

“At the end of the day, we’re all rock stars and celebrities, saints and sinners, and the sum of those parts add up to so much more. I love my job because it gives me the opportunity to know a person who I otherwise might never have met, and for that matter, may never have connected to on personal level.” www.miriphoto.com

Madelin Zero

hand makes one of a kind, edgy fashion pieces for women. Her items sell like hot cakes to an international market. Uma Thurman owns one of her dresses.

Madelin is also an electro/dance music singer and can be found at www.madelinzero.com/index. html Check out the pages of her super hot Some Is Enough Spring 2010 collection. To learn more about Madelin Zero fashions and apparel, head over to www.someisenough.com and www.etsy.com/ shop/madelinzero.

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Some is Enough

Available at www.etsy. com/view_listing. php?listing_id=35893783

Cinderella Shrug in copper, black and white pearls. Available at www. etsy.com/view_listing. php?listing_id=35893783

Some is Enough by Madelin Zero Available at www.etsy. com/view_listing. php?listing_id=35893783

Some Is Enough Fall 2009 Capelets Available at www.etsy.com/view_ listing.php?listing_ id=32148710.

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Dear Readers

By Stephanie Crisan

I think it has been made apparent that I am cosmetics crazy. So, before my trip to Paris for the holidays I have found a couple of the most unique and innovative makeup products on the market in Paris that have yet to come to America. Let me just say, I suggest you put a little money aside for when they are released because they are FABULOUS!

The LOTUS SPLENDOR

by Lanc么me

Inspired by Indian landscapes and heritage, the Lotus collection was designed by Rohit Bal, a renowned Indian fashion designer known for his impeccable taste in fabrics and sumptuous colors.

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The metal bud shaped lotus opens to reveal three petals containing two eye shadow colors, two lip colors, and a mini mirror. Each Lotus Splendor also comes with three small brush applicators.

This incredible product was designed and created by Rohit Bal, Lanc么me and HTC packaging.

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It comes in two color combinations.

Warm Keva consisting of grey tones, pink and red, and Brown Nalini consisting of neutral brown tones, purple and peachy pink.

The lotus is sold in both silver and gold metal.

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F R E D FARRUGIA Fred Farrugia, once the head of product development and the artistic director of Lanc么me cosmetics (and known as the master mind of the ever so popular juicy tube), has created a line of his own.

With the help of genius French packaging designer, Ora Ito (whom many believe to be Japanese but was indeed born and raised in Paris) an incredible line has been created and is, in my personal opinion, one of the most innovative lines of cosmetics ever.

According to Farrugia the line was created to liberate makeup and the women you wear it through the use of modern, unique, easily portable packaging and bright, fresh, vivid colors.

There are over 100 products in the line and is customized by YOU for you!

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ITS A MOB SCENE

L

Photo Credit: Solaiman Fazel

HOW FLASH MOB AMERICA IS sweeping the nation

than that.

ess than a year ago I started hearing about “flash mobs.” Someone asked me if I knew what a flash mob was. I pretended I did and assumed it was some kind of guerrilla marketing tactic. Little did I know it was oh so much more

A few months later, Oprah kicked off her 23rd season of her talkfest and it all started with a flash mob dancing to the Black Eyed Peas summer anthem, “I Gotta Feeling.” That one person in a crowd starts maniacally dancing, then you hear some music, then five people are dancing, then 20, then 50, then 250, and you get the idea. Recently I heard tons of buzz on a Janet Jackson flash mob that took place in LA celebrating Janet’s Number One’s album release. I contacted the group, Flash mob America, and got so much more than I bargained for. Not only was the group inviting, excited and enthusiastic about the article. They are truly “making it happen.”

I got the opportunity to connect with Staci and Conroe from

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Flash Mob America and I have to say that the passion, energy, and enthusiasm they sent me was infectious and well noted.

How did Evolve?

Flash

Mob

America

We had friends who got tickets to the Michael Jackson Memorial and asked us both, huge Jackson fans, to be their guests. After attending the service, we all went home and began watching MJ videos on YouTube. We would email them back and forth, sharing what we found. We came across the flash mob they did in Sweden and were incredibly moved by it. That was the seed of inspiration. We did one a month after his passing, then another two on his birthday. (Jennie Widegren, the dancer who started the Sweden Flash Mob, happened to be in Los Angeles that first day and joined us! What a treat!)

Those Flash Mob videos went viral and we were asked if we would do one for Janet and her fans to celebrate her Number Ones album. Being huge Janet Jackson fans ourselves, we were honored and immediately jumped

into action. We reached thousands of her fans around the world, all wanting to know how to be involved and asking us to come to their area too. Flash Mob America was born. We now get requests almost every day, from all over the world, asking us to organize Flash Mobs for different artists, organizations, and causes.

Do you personally have a history of dance?

Staci: My mom always told me I was a dancer before I was born! My mom loved to dance to Motown and that’s what we grew up on. By the time I was old enough to take classes I wanted to take everything: Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Hawaiian, you name it. (I don’t think there were Hip Hop classes back then!

Or at least we didn’t know about them in Livonia, MI) As a theatre major in college, I produced a dance show specifically for “Actors who Dance” because I noticed that there were Dance shows for Dancers, and Cabaret shows for “Actors who Sing” but nothing for us. It was a fun way to stay connected to the dancer in me. Once I decided to pur-

sue an acting career in Los Angeles, dancing became more of a hobby, or something I did just for myself. I would go on the occasional audition, and my husband and I actually met on a TV Pilot where we were both club dancers. Until Flash Mob America, I would really only dance when I went out with my friends, so in way Flash Mobbing is a real dream for me. I’m dancing again and it’s so fun!

Conroe: I never danced in public until an 8th grade dance I finally got the nerve to go out on the dance floor with some friends. Minutes later a couple of girls made fun of us because the only move we knew was the Popeye made famous by NKOTB. Hence, I went back to standing against the wall.

But you better believe I went home and started learning more dances. In High School I started to come out of my shell much more busting my new dance moves. Nobody laughed at me this time! Now, I’m the one out of my friends that is always dancing.

Do you need to have a background in dance?

No! Flash Mobbing is about surprise.

Not only surprising the public, but yourself. It’s about stepping out of your comfort zone and really going for it! It’s not about perfection or skill. All it takes is a willingness to try and the guts to do it. The best part about a Flash Mob is that it’s made up of real people. It’s a mix of business folks, artists, kids, seniors – all ages, all walks of life.

Race, sex, gender, religion, or politics are irrelevant. Flash Mobbing is about community and joining together towards one purpose. It can be as simple as wanting to have fun, or it can be as grandiose as wanting to change the world.

Flash Mobbing doesn’t always have to be about dance. We always say that our mission is to bring people together by creating JOY through spontaneous acts of dance, laughter, kindness, and surprise. There have been so many awesome flash mobs lately. Some of them make you think and move you to take action, like the Condom Flash Mob Cesvi did in Italy. Some make you laugh -

we heard about one someone did where Business men got on the subway one at a time, all of them not wearing pants, then a vendor came by selling pants? That’s hilarious! We have a vision for Flash Mobs for Random Acts of Kindness. What if a mob of people entered a grocery store and paid for everyone’s groceries? The possibilities are endless.

How do people get involved with Flash Mob America?

We are always looking for fun, compassionate people to join us! All they need to do is email us at flashmobamerica@ gmail.com and let us know what part of the world they live in! We’ll keep them informed on what we’re doing, where we’re going, and how they can be a part of our events. We are always open to hearing Flash Mob ideas and we love it when people are inspired by what we do and make it happen themselves. We are also on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, YouTube, and Buzzfeed as flashmobamerica and they can visit our website www.flashmobamerica. com to check out what we’ve done in the past and what we’re up to next.

Is there a limit to how many people can do a flash mob?

We don’t think so! It really depends on the impact you want to make and the type of flash mob you want to do.

Flash Mobs will evolve now that they are catching on and there are really no rules. Why can’t a flash mob be an entire audience at a concert or one person each at 100 different gas stations, for example, all doing the same thing? Because they are organized online, people can communicate in real time, and the performances are almost instantly available to watch. As long as it’s safe, the possibilities are endless.

How long does it take to choreograph the number?

It varies. If we are replicating what an artist has already done, like “Beat It,” it’s just a matter of taking a few hours to learn it well enough to teach it to people. With Janet Jackson it took us two days. We had a group of more

experienced dancers who knew Tina Landon’s “If” choreography and we wanted that to be exactly what was on stage and in her videos. Then, we took Anthony Thomas’s choreography from “Rhythm Nation” and “Miss You Much”, but we simplified it, moved it around, and put our own stamp on it to make it more accessible for the “non-dancer.”

(And yes! We got his blessing!) But if we are choreographing the dance from scratch, then we usually take a day to listen to the music, improvise with it, let it marinate, get it in our bodies, and brainstorm. We’ll also work with choreographers on our team to give us ideas or styles we may not have thought of. We’ll spend however long it takes to get it so that it’s easy enough for anyone to do but also really fun and interesting. Usually it happens over 2 or 3 days.

Approval at property or guerilla style?

We always get approval because we don’t want to get interrupted! We want to make sure it’s executed the way we planned, and that the performance is rewarding for both the unsuspecting audience and the Flash Mobbers. We always make sure our Flash Mobs are

safe. We want to be aware of any potential hazards. (Like fountains and train tracks, etc) We always want to make sure that our participants are respectful of the space they are in and the people around them. We also want them to be well-documented for both our website and the viral video.

We have to work in cameras and photographers without looking suspicious.

Flash Mobs, in general, are guerilla style, especially if you don’t require things like cameras and amplified sound. You can get away with a lot more if you don’t have a camera crew and a DJ! Did you know Janet was going to show up?

From the very beginning we fantasized about the possibility of her coming. “Can you imagine if JANET was there?!” But truthfully that seemed impossible. When has a superstar ever showed up for a fan performance?

Has there ever been a fan performance before? Once her team found out about it, I think we were all praying a lot harder. The possibility became real, but again…unlikely. When the online rumors became more intense the morning of the event, we didn’t tell

our Flash Mobbers because we didn’t want there to be mayhem and chaos and we didn’t want to get their hopes up. When we saw the wall of paparazzi and security before the second performance, it suddenly became clear that she was probably there (and that our Flash Mob would no longer be a secret!) It was such a great surprise for all of us when she came out on that balcony. Tears of joy, heart palpitations, beaming smiles, some were in shock!

It was just sheer amazement and JOY! It just goes to show you what an incredibly kind, grateful, and cool person she is and how much her fans LOVE her! They wanted to do this tribute with NO knowledge of her being there at all! They just wanted to celebrate her and her Number Ones Album! Her fans worked so hard on this tribute to her, it was a once in a lifetime, life-changing experience for everyone. She really made it a tribute to her fans as well.

Is Flash Mob America the same as the one on Oprah?

No. But that dance gave us a lot of inspiration in terms of what is possible and what looks really cool from an aerial shot! We’re loyal Oprah fans, so seeing Oprah’s surprise was really

moving and fun to watch!

Photo credit: Amanda Villarosa Amanda Anne Photography

Joining a flash mob can seriously be a life-changing experience. You get what you put into it. Two of our dear friends ended up dating and falling in love! We have been told that it has helped people out of depression, inspired them to follow a dream they had put on the back burner, got them out of the house, got them exercising again, it even helped a bunch of people cross an item off their bucket list! Who knew that Flash Mobbing was on so many people’s bucket list?!

Not only do you gain this incredible feeling of community and togetherness, but you are also showered with love. Love from each other, love for the artist or cause you are supporting, love for yourself, love from the unsuspecting audience. You can’t walk away from this experience without lasting memories, new friends, and the satisfaction of giving back. Giving back to the community, a worthy cause, or even giving back to an artist who’s music changed your life. It rejuvenates your spirit.

Photo Credit: Solaiman Fazel

What can a person get out of joining a flash mob dance?

What does the future hold for FMA? We are getting requests almost every day for new, exciting ways to surprise people in public. We are currently organizing a Flash Mob to Feed the Hungry in Los Angeles on January 19th. Our sponsor is donating a pound of food for every participant, so it’s exciting to be a part of that. We’re also working with nonprofit groups to help them raise awareness.

Flash mobs are a great way to create joy in the world and we’re looking forward to seeing how it evolves.

Back when we were doing the first Michael Jackson Tribute, we would always say that in honoring him, what we really were honoring was his message: to heal the world, to make it a better place. We are one global family.

Since this article Flash Mob America has already begun their next conquest. To learn more about Flash Mob America, visit the following: www.flashmobamerica.com, facebook.com/ flashmobamerica, twitter.com/flashmobamerica, myspace.com/flashmobamerica, youtube. com/flashmobamerica, buzzfeed.com/flashmobamerica

Photo Credit: Solaiman Fazel

The thing about surprising people is that you yourself also get surprised. We’ve been surprised by how moving an experience this has been, to see how people are lifted up, to meet such interesting people and hear their stories.

That has been the true gift.

read the journals & testimonials from flash mob dancers!

their words, their way, their moment!

Satya Vanii I was just done with Thrill The World, and was pumped up for more when I got this wonderful invite to join the Flash Mob Dance. I was so excited when I heard I would learn Janet Jackson's moves. Oh gosh how I tried to pause, and pause within the pause till I could actually master her moves. Truly, Janet is a genius and I enjoy her music immensely.

I was able to attend the first rehearsal and to my surprise I was able to get the moves and with constant lubrication of the nerves by repeating and re-repeating the moves halleluiah! I finally get it and it clicks and locks in - no way could anyone make me forget.

Staci and Conroe created such a smooth way of the sequence for us that it naturally helped fall into place within my anatomical makeup to even recreate to move in that manner.

I have attended a few rehearsals and got the final touches on the day of Flash Mob near the Grove, where we helped each other and practiced till we perfected it.

It was so exciting to attend all 3 and be part of this wonderful Janet filled day not only was it a great workout it truly helped build a beautiful bond amongst us and have built warm loving friendships.

The 2nd performance at the Grove was quite the pinnacle experience of the day.

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We were all waiting for the clock to strike and the fountain show to commence as soon as it was done we were on! The crowds just filled up the place the tension was running excitingly high - we were going to give everyone a performance yet not take a bow for - which was quite fun to just walk away from it.

It worked in the 1st, but well, when Janet Jackson was there oh what a beauty what a sight! She appeared in the balcony directly above where I danced, stepping into the sunlight that just got a part of her face - it truly lit her so goddess like.

Photo Credit: Solaiman Fazel

The show must go on!

utes all over the world dedicated to mj. then i saw the one in hollywood that the organizers,conroe brooks and staci lawrence of flashmobamerica did. i contacted them about flash mobs and they kept me up to date with the flash mobs they would be doing. i was able to meet new people and janet fans. do three dances in her honor that day and all three were worth it. then seeing her watch us was a moment i’ll always remember for the rest of my life to see one of my favorite artists that close from us the dancers to watch us. the entire jackson family are my favorite artists and i can only thank the father, the lord, conroe and staci for that incredible experience.

It was so touching in our hearts when she smiled and we could feel her gratitude and love.

Angela Dugan

So sweet. So happy!

Having the opportunity to participate in the Janet Jackson Flash Mob was one of the best decisions I made in ‘09! It was truly written in the stars, as a friend and I were discussing how much we’d like to be in a flash mob literally 2 weeks before we found out about this one. And to top it off, being former dancers ourselves, we were huge Janet Jackson fans!

So was I. And so were the dancers.

And the crowd surround.

We all cheered and congratulated each other and Janet too.

Truly we walked away with the best experience in our hearts.

Andre Glenn My experience with the janet flash mob is something i’ll never forget and will be so thankful to have been a part of the flash mob in honor of janet jackson. i found out about flash mobs by watching the trib-

I was nervous before my first rehearsal, wondering what the other dancers would be like and if I would be able to catch on quickly. About 2 minutes into rehearsal, my fears were calmed since Staci and Conroe are the coolest and best teachers ever! All the participants were just so happy to be there and have a chance to show Janet how much we love her, so there was no

I was going to have to ride my bike to the location but if I got up early enough I could catch the bus most of the way!

Photo credit: Jonathan Jedeikin Babcock Jedeikin Photography

Of course I woke up late and I had to get dressed and rush out of the door on my bike! So with little to no help from the bus system with detours an traffic I rode my bike from Lincoln and Rose to The Grove to first practice, then perform and to universal studios for the same.

I also rode my bike all the way BACK home! In total I rode close to 41 miles on my bike through the city. By the way, I am NOT a biker rider, but I do ride my bike to put it into context for you. The hills kicked my butt...but Janet made it real for me! lol What an amazing day!

Thank you for the experience Conroe and Staci!! Much Love!

Cheryl Brewer

Photo credit: Jonathan Jedeikin Babcock Jedeikin Photography reason not to be at ease.

To describe the anticipation and energy felt during the performances is almost impossible to put into words! Everyone on the sidelines were rooting for us and so supportive of what we were doing. During the second performance, it was so surreal to dance while Janet looked on from above. I just danced the hardest I ever had in life! I didn’t even try to digest it until the next day. Even now I’m still in disbelief!

I’m so glad I decided to participate and it was an awesome way to celebrate my 1 year anniversary of moving to LA!

Akil LuQman My name is Akil LuQman and I work for Cirque Du Soleil Kooza as an usher and I was a part of the Janet Jackson Flash Mob in all three locations. I signed on to the project early on but I never went to any of the rehearsals because I had a full schedule at work. I am also a performer from Denver and I am in LA because I am a following usher with the show.

I looked at the choreography they sent to us in video format a few times but by no means did I know it.

I hadn’t even committed to doing it for myself until the night before. I had just come home from another performance and I went to meet my friends and coworkers in Santa Monica and when i told them that i have the chance to dance for Janet they told me I had to take that next day off and live my life! So I discussed it with my boss that night and they told me I could do it as well! So i get home at around three o’clock and I start running the choreography.

I went over it quietly for an hour or so because my roommate was sleeping and I went to sleep. I knew

I started hearing about flashmobs after I participated in Thrill the world 2008. I was so excited because I remember trying to learn Control and I always wanted to do the Michael and Janet moves but it seemed so complicated and I could not figure the steps out. I was so glad that I got encouragement about how the instructors broke down the dance and told me what the steps were by saying words like “no you didn’t, yes you did wash your hair. sit in the chair “ for the different moves they wanted you to do, It is so much fun not to mention the exercise I am getting and the friends I am making. so far I have learned Thriller, Beat it Rhythm nation, Miss you much and Nasty. I sent my friends to learn the Beat it routine and Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation because I had to work. Then when it was time to do the Universal City walk at 6:00 pm I was going to be late. I believed the dance was held up for me. I believe God knew how bad I wanted to perform this dance because I had an instructor who took his time and kept going over and over this dance with the group I was in. I was so glad that the dance actually started at 6:30.

My first official Flashmob was at Universal City walk. Staci and Conroe are the best and I am so glad that they take the time to organize these events. So after the Flashmob was over we had an awards ceremony and I asked when the next flashmob was going to happen, they were not sure.

I felt a little cheated because there was this first part of the Rhythm Nation dance that I did not learn in order to perform with the group. so I called up my Thriller/Rhythm Nation friends to practice at Virginia Park in Santa Monica and lo and behold one of my friends Alicia, knew Ahrha who was willing to teach us If, We were so excited we met up at the park and learned that part of the dance.

So presently we did not get enough dancing so we still meet in the park to dance. We did a mini Janet Michael flashmob at the Santa Monica Civic on Thanksgiving (google Thanksgiving Flashmob Santa Monica Thrill for Love) as thousands of others gave of their times to serve the homeless and less fortunate, What fun one highlight was two teenagers joined in to dance with the group. people hooked our boom box up to the amplifier and we had a great time dancing. Thanks again Staci and Conroe, Amanda Ines and all the people that give of their time to teach us tirelessly. I certainly appreciate and I am willing to go forward and share and give what you have so freely given to me. I am presently teaching a kindergarden class at Purdue elementary school in Gardena the Thriller Dance and I am so excited that there is another flashmob coming soon.

Photo credit: Jonathan Jedeikin Babcock Jedeikin Photography

Photo credit: Jonathan Jedeikin Babcock Jedeikin Photography

He came over my house on Friday night and we practiced the routine for about 1.5hrs just to make sure we had it down.

The next day we went to the main rehearsal before the actual performance. I wasn’t sure what to expect but when I walked into the rehearsal I saw a very eclectic group of people. I never imagined such a diverse group of people decided to join together to do this. We practiced for a few hours and we were ready for the main show(s). We were informed that there was a possibility that Ms. Janet Jackson would show up and watch us perform.

Our first performance at the Grove was fun. I wasn’t sure what to expect but when the music started and knowing the dance was about to begin I was excited. We did our thing and when it was over we went to lunch. We decided to hang at the Grove since we had a second performance in just a few more hours.

As the time came closer for our second performance I saw media and camera crews everywhere. I think it was at that moment I realized that Janet is actually going to show up. The music started again and we began our routine. Next thing I know, I looked up and over my right shoulder and saw MS. JANET JACKSON standing on a balcony looking down at all of us perform. Now, doing a flashmob just for fun for Janet is one thing, but to actually perform live for Janet is a complete different thing entirely.

As soon as well all knew Janet was watching us, I swear I felt everyone putting their

I have never thought I would be part of a flashmob and now I am so glad I did.

Thank you Conroe and Staci for putting such a wonderful event together. I am sure everyone who participated in the flashmob will never forget it! I am glad to be part of the flashmob family and cannot wait for the next event!

Brenda McCrea

photo: ahrha ko

photo: ahrha ko photo: ahrha ko

I checked it out and it didn’t seem hard at all but I still was unsure as to if I was going to actually participate. I talked it over with a few friends and everyone told me that they didn’t have the nerve to dance in public. At that point I told myself I wasn’t going to do it. The night before the actual event I had asked a friend (Jared Johnson) if he ever heard of flashmobs. I sent him a few links and he thought they looked very fun and exciting and expressed interest in doing one some day. I let him know that I decided that I was going to do a flashmob for Janet the following day. He got very excited and asked to join.

photo: ahrha ko

I was scrolling through my Facebook page one day and saw that there was going to be a Flashmob put together to in celebration of Janet Jackson (best musical artist of all time in my opinion) and her (then upcoming) Number Ones album. I had seen flashmobs online before and thought they were really amazing. I inquired about the Janet flashmob just to see what it was all about. I kept telling myself that I wanted to do something different (and being in a flashmob is different). I emailed the mob leaders and received an email with a link to the dance.

Ok so today, November 14, 2009, I participated in History…by becoming a Janet Jackson Number Ones Flash Mob Dancer.

For three weeks I have been practicing the hip-hop moves to dance around for 2:30 (2 minutes and 30 seconds). I’m not a dancer by trade...I am a dancer by practice.

It was so crazy. It was so cool. It was so full of love. It was everything I risked.

I wore black and brown Merrill shoes, tan jeans, black shirt long sleeve with a multicolor scarf. I wore my hear semi- curly and down...yeah I said it, “Down”. I had natural make up on brown tones. I was quite happy with my appearance. Casual shopper yet ready to dance.

It took forever to get up to LA from the OC on Saturday afternoon...it was worth it.

Made it to one last rehearsal before it was show time!

12:03pm - 1st show time and it comes and I’m casually walking in The Grove acting as if I’m a passer by...then a BOOM the dance starts. I look around and it’s awesome! Confusion to the shoppers, they ask, “What’s going on?” Then Boom again 300 more dancers join in and start their moves. The energy in the air is thick...

It’s thick with the kind of love that is pure.

Pure love in they way that you feel when you pick up someone from the airport that you have been so patiently waiting for and the excitement just rumbles with passion in your heart, mind and Spirit. There’s a slower part in the dance and I do it....I yell WHOOO HOOOO really loud! Everyone else yells Whoo Hoooo too. It was fun. The music stops and we all keep walking as if

photo: ahrha ko

Jason Massiatt

heart and soul into the routine. We were hitting every step and feeling every beat in our chest! The song ended and I looked up at Janet and saw the gratitude on her face.

Once she left, I was left in awe. I couldn’t believe that I had actually performed for Janet. I kept telling myself “Who gets a chance like this?” I have been to all of Janet’s tours (twice –in Los Angeles and then I would drive to Vegas to see her again) so I consider myself a huge Janet fan.

Nothing was as remarkable as being able to actually dance for Janet personally! It was one of the best moments of my life. I made sure to invite two other friends (who weren’t part of the flashmob) to take pictures and video. As soon as the routine was over and Janet had left, I went home and uploaded those pictures and video to Facebook and Youtube!

nothing happened. The crowd cheers.

2:04 pm - 2nd show time comes and there are paparazzi everywhere. I just kept starring at them and think - how do what seems like 50 people squish together like a firm pack of sardines? Their energy rumbles like static and creates some eclectic feeling. At that moment I felt some empathy to Janet and what she must feel when they chase her. That is a lot of positive/negativity coming at you. Before I got outside I was in Tommy Bahamas store then I realized I have just been ever so unconsciously ushered out of Tommy Bahamas. Then I spotted some fellow Flash Mob Dancers and it was fantastic.

It was better this time because I didn’t have to dance on top of the railroad track like the earlier one. So I put myself directly in front of Janet. Janet is standing on the balcony of the Tommy Bahamas store. She enters ever so quietly. She scans the area from

right to left and moves a little shows appreciation and accepts the love. I see her eye and it looks like it’s filled with sorrow.

So much sorrow. She is working through it. I put my left hand close to my face and wave to her and say “Hello” as if I’m whispering it to her. Janet’s left hand goes up to say “Hello”. It seems as if there are 500 us that she has just secretly said hello to but it doesn’t matter because we all feel it - The energy of love--from her, to her and about all of us.

The energy is even bigger now...I felt it so much that I thought I was dancing 3 feet off the ground. I kept dancing and basking in the energy we all created. I got a few pictures of the crowd and one of Janet. I tried to take a few with me and Janet in the background but the energy of the crowd was too much. I only got one picture of her. I didn’t want to miss anything so I just watched Janet takes us all in and in return taking in her in. It was a life changing moment because the exchange was so precious. Then Janet gives the crowd a kiss – her lips move as to say “Thank You” and she exits. The crowd starts to chant her name and a person closes the door to let us know she is gone. No one sees her leave.

My impression of her was interesting - I felt her loneliness, sadness, shyness, yet compassion for her fans as long as there was an underlying of wall between. I understand how important it is to have boundary in that situation. I was on the ground with the crowd and I could barely stay on my feet the energy was so large.

I want to remind myself what the reason was for my participation and it was to give thanks as I do feel Janet’s song Control saved my life. That song taught me that I’m in control of my life and I have to go after it. I am in Control of my own life. I make it what it is. That’s what that song did for me. I wanted to give Thanks and I poured 100% Thank You into my dance for the music that has benefited my body, mind and soul over several years. I gave my Thanks today in the Janet’s Number Ones Flash Mob dances. I made sure I met up with Staci and Conroe and expressed to them my appreciation. I’m so happy for myself.

I’m so happy for Janet. I never expected what I got in return…pure love. It was such a high to perform. So wonderful!

November 14, 2009 - THE BIG DAY

Tatiana Tamai

Wow! What a remarkable experience the Janet Jackson Flash Mob was! As a professional dancer and teacher, I knew I was going to have fun but what I didn’t expect was such a deep feeling of camaraderie due to hundreds of people gathering simultaneously to do what I live for-dance. Much to my delight, twelve of my own students, who started off as friendly acquaintances from class but are now a tight knit group of girls, came to the event. They’ve since

spread enthusiasm and joy in class and are creating a community of people that love to release themselves through the joyous act of dancing. Not only am I closer to my students than ever before, but through their eyes I have reaffirmed something that I already knew... dance brings people together in an element of pure fun!

Flash Mob Florida

Staci and Conroe organized an event that spread like wild fire through Los Angeles where we got to meet so many great people from all parts of life and share in a moment of happiness with them. I certainly rode a wave of enthusiasm for several days after and it was an unforgettable experience that still brings a smile to my face.

Janet was the icing on top of the cake!

Well it is a known fact that the loss of the King of Pop was devastating. I really wish that the world could have celebrated him while he was alive, the same way they did when he passed. I’m trying to get people together to celebrate life of a person while they can still appreciate it.

Patti Balian

The global Thriller dance in honor of Michael Jackson came and went. I was disappointed something awful at the thought of that missed opportunity. I wanted to be a part of it even if it meant hiding in the background if need be in order to hide inevitable imperfections of this life. Like the rest of the world, I have been grieving Michael Jackson’s passing. As surreal as it still is, I often stop to consider how his death, almost as much as his life, is affecting so many. I missed Thriller and a chance to participate in the expression of the power of Michael’s music and join forces on a global level. I missed out. Bad. Then a friend called to inform me of the Janet Jackson Flash Mob. Immediately, I enlisted but wondered if the physical pain I deal with would stop me cold. Everywhere today there is hardships. So many people are hurting and suffering in a myriad of ways. And some will try to hide it because they feel they have to. Heavyhearted myself, I was about to cancel out, skip rehearsal, and cop out.

Why bother trying to do something you can no longer do?

begins...

Portia Collins lets us in on what is going on with Flash Mob Florida!

How it started After seeing the different flash mobs appear on the local news and headline news and even on the internet, I felt intrigued to do the same. When I discovered Flash Mob America was conducting a performance for Janet Jackson, that was my final push to start Flash Mob Florida and let Janet, my all time favorite, to be the first to be celebrated!

Do you think it will be a success?

Yes! I really do! Life is way to short and I believe the people who dedicate their lives to making others happy, deserve to be celebrated. These artists pave the way for people to follow their dreams and that’s enough to celebrate!

Any events lined up? Yes, actually we do! April 3rd is the first event for Flash Mob Florida and it’s in celebration of Janet Jackson’s new album and career. She definitely deserves it, especially how well she’s holding up and standing strong for her late brother!

What do you want for Flash Mob Florida? I want Flash Mob Florida to be known for bringing Floridians together from all ages, races, shapes and sizes. I want it to be known for it’s and the drive to be on one acMichael, oh Michael…. Then, I thought unity cord in this generation and for generaof Janet. And I said to myself, this is his tions to come. sister. This is for her. Let me just get to a rehearsal and see what I can do. What can this body still do? Hauling myself to rehearsal just seemed like the right thing to do. I couldn’t do it for myself but I could do it for Janet. Yes, Patti Balian danced Janet Jackson for Janet Jackson. I wanted to be able to encourage her in any way I could.

The one clear side effect of a personal nature in participating in the Janet Jackson Flash Mob, was how it helped my own selfconfidence level in dealing with ongoing physical pain and the nagging inner fear that the music in me had marched off with no thought for an about face. As a onetime dancer on a dance floor long, long ago, how I wondered if I could even learn the choreography and do the moves….

To spread through cities like Tampa, Jax, Miami, Orlando? Yes, Flash Mob Florida may have started in the Tampa Bay area but soon it will spread through out the pan handle. Hopefully, one day there could be a state wide performance at one time!

How your spreading the word? To spread the word, I’ve been telling all of the people I know and reaching out to different dance schools, fan sites, blog sites and social sites. It’s a lot of hard work, but I’m sure it will pay off.

Where people can find more information? For more information, you can find us on Facebook under the name Flash Mob Florida and also you can follow us on Twitter for more updates! Also, for direct information, just email us at FlashMobCentralFL@ By trying to help Janet, I inadvertently gmail.com helped myself. I can dance again. Much to www.facebook.com/FlashMobFlorida my surprise, I can really really dance. www.twitter.com/FlashMobFlorida www.FlashMobFL.blogspot.com

Victoria STEWART I woke up around 6:00 a.m. to start getting ready. I have to put in a couple dance practices too to see if I need to smooth out a couple problem areas. But I think I’ll be o.k. I’m still a bit apprehensive about the core dance because I have not had the opportunity to practice with others who have it down. We will have rehearsal from 9:30 this morning till 11:30... I’ll be there and I’m sure I will not have any difficulty perfecting my problem area. I want this to be perfect.

I wonder if Janet Jackson will really be there. OMG… I can’t believe that I might be dancing for Janet. OMG… It’s rumored that she will be there… I’m soooo nervous.

This is a dream to me. So surrealistic.

8:45 - I leave for a day of flash mobbing. I have never done this type of dance before.

At least not this organized. I’m nervous, feeling a bit apprehensive, intimidated. I’m on cloud nine. This seems like it’s all a dream. Someone pinch me. Ouch… that hurt… o.k. I’m not sleeping…

Thriller dances and well most of the participants are from Thriller. Her name is Amanda. We just window shop. It’s crowded there. We see Staci and Conroe and others who are our fellow flashmobbers. We are suppose to be inconspicuous. Blend in with the crowd. We do the best we can. Everyone is laughing and having a great time. I can see many of us standing around talking. A few people came up to me and asked me if I knew what was going on? There were a lot of press people, cameras, sound systems, people standing around. But I just told them no. but I was going to stick around to find out, cause it looks like something very interesting.

Staci walked up to me and said spread the word…Janet Jackson is definitely coming to the 2:00pm show. Unbelievable. I am so excited. And to think I could be home enjoying doing nothing. But no… I’m going to dance for Janet Jackson.

12:00 - I hear the squeal of the beginning of

9:45 - Arrived at rehearsal in the park located next door to The Grove. I don’t have a clue where the Grove is, I don’t even know “What” the Grove is. I’m from Orange County. But I love LA… I’m sooo happy to be here… I’m nervous.

But I have a smile from ear to ear. Not a care in the world. I walk into the auditorium or what actually looks like a high school gymnasium. There are probably about 100 people here. This is going to be fun. I met Joleen while parking my car. I’m glad I did… I’m going to hang with her today. Hopefully to get to know her a bit better. She is very sweet.

I like her a lot. Here we go…

Wow… that was the most energizing thing I have ever done, well besides Thriller…

They are both up there on top. Now… we wait… 2 hours… until Janet Jackson is going to watch us. We walk around for awhile. Always keeping abreast of our surroundings. Our eyes are peeled always looking around for the presence of Janet.

The word is abuzz now. There seems to be a lot more people. A lot more media.

It’s a media circus. We stand underneath the balcony that we suspect Janet will be showing. I notice standing next to me is her Photographer. After a short while he approaches me, Amanda and my daughter. He asks us quietly if we are dancers.

I told him yes. He asks if he can interview us. With us his video camera is 10 inches away from my face. He asks me to tell him what Flash Mob is all about. How long we train for the dances. What it is that we are dancing for today. I stutter a bit being nervous. But the interview turns out pretty good I do believe.

Time seems to be standing still, passing every so slowly.

We walk around looking in store windows, watching people passing by, everyone seems to now know that Janet Jackson is going to be here. We are definitely excited. I just heard.

Janet is here… oh my god… my heart starts to race. I can’t believe it. I love Janet Jackson. I love her whole family, and she is here to watch us dance.

Incredible…

As time passes ever so slowly, we are standing and conversing under Photo credit: Amanda VillarosaAmanda Anne Photography the balcony we just know that she the song. That is my cue to get into place. will be on. I turn and notice a woman who As a core dancers we are performing the looks like she would be a member of the 1st practice - the music starts… I particiinitial part of the dance. Here we go. God Jackson family. She is looking around as pate with the core dancers. My heart is help me to do this with no mistakes. My if she was looking for someone. I hear racing. I can’t help but smile intently. Core heart is racing, my adrenalin is pumping others talking of her and from what I undancers start. I’m a bit slow. Oh darn… thru every vein in my body. I cannot see derstand she is Janet’s’ stylist. Gosh she I’ll get it though. Here it comes… everyreality. I am in a fantasy land at The Grove looks like she is a blood relative. That is one starts dancing the dance. I know it in LA. Dancing in the streets. We are doamazing. The crowd is thicker now. We very well. I love dancing like this with a lot ing great. Every bone in my body is into get into the crowd as they line the streets of people doing the same dance. This is this dance. With a smile from ear to ear. to get a glimpse of Janet. I see the orgasoooo kewl…. I’m not as nervous now…

Some people looked stunned at what we nizers of Flash mob walking up and down I’m doing great. No mistakes so far… song are doing. Some seem a little displaced the street. It looks like there is going to be over… this is it. I could do this all the time. never having seen a flash mob before. a parade. The crowd is so thick how are Again… the music starts. Practice 2 (for The count “5, 4, 3, 2, 1”… Everyone joins we going to perform? There is not enough me). Start again with the core dancers. in. This is it. “Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho”… yes… the room. Gosh. I want to look good for JaOk I think I’ve got it now… we practiced a crowd is loving this. Everyone is cheering net. That will be hard to do with no room to few more times… us on. “I miss you much” I am on top of the move. I wish people would just move back. world. There is no better feeling no better But, it’s a flash mob, we can’t exactly tell release of the torments of reality… Gosh them to move back so we can dance. No The time is coming very soon… it’s 11:30... this is the best feeling ever. I don’t ever one is really suppose to know what we are We start heading over to “The Grove”.. want it to stop. going to do.

At the Grove, I see my friend from the

The song ends. We just walk away as if nothing went on. The cheers are great.

2:00 - PM… The music begins to squeal.

I see them holding their ears as if in pain

from the high pitch squeal of the music.

Then….

Core dancers start… yea… this is it… only about 15 of us doing the core dance…

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1!” “Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho” The excitement is just so energizing. I look up in all the excitement of the dance. I look to my right. There she is. 10 feet to my right, 10 feet up. Janet Jackson with a bright ear to ear smile. Amazed at what she is seeing. Everyone is watching her. I want to do this sooo well. Please there is not enough room to really let go and dance. Wow..

She is so beautiful. She sees me.. I saw her look at my glove. Yea… Janet Jackson is watching me dance. I have never ever felt the excitement that I am feeling now.

I begin to cry. She is the most beautiful woman in the world. She gives of compassion, warmth, genuine appreciation for her fans. I am dreaming. This is sooo surrealistic. Pinch me. No don’t pinch me cause if I’m dreaming I don’t want to wake up.

I’m am so pumped with excitement that I cannot control myself. This can never end.

This feeling… I am on top of the world. I can never ever top the feeling of happiness and contentment I am feeling now. To me, I am now a success in my life. I have done it. A dream come true. There she is in all her wonder. She seems much bigger than life itself. You can see that she is a bit shy.

But watch this Janet. We do all her moves from a compilation of her songs. She is totally enjoying herself. Wow… I can’t stop crying I’m sooo happy…

The music stops and we all just stand there and cheer. Hoot and holler. She is just waving, blowing kisses, and saying thank you. Just as quickly as she appears. She is gone. Kind of disappointed that she didn’t say something to us. But it was obvious that she is really shy… that she may not have had the words to begin to express her feelings about what we did. I love her so much. Her coming here today was one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my entire life. This has changed my whole being. My whole look on life itself.

With one more performance in about 4 hours at Universal City Walk. It’s so hard to regain composure after the performance we just had. This is the most incredible thing I have ever had the opportunity to experience. Nothing can ever top this…

Famous last words. We did the performance at Universal Walk. It too was just as exciting as at the Grove. As this one comes to and end a sense of sadness overwhelms me. Walking back to the car I’m a bit on the sad side. It’s over. It’s all over. It all went so quickly… Now what…

Diana Eisele January 19, 2010 - Flash Mob for the Hungry Dancing In A Flashmob: “No you didn’t, yes I did, wash your hair and sit on the chair…”

Who knew? When a dancer friend sent me the info on the “flashmob,” I got excited. I had seen some random YouTube flashmob events and I always thought that I would jump at the chance to be part of a spontaneous public event that shows up in cyberspace.

Even though I am a dancer, I was a little apprehensive. The fact is, I knew I would probably be the oldest dancer there. What fun it was to learn a routine in my room from the computer. I figured I could handle it. Rehearsals were low-key and incredibly close to home. I met lots of YOUNG people from all walks of life –some dancers who had worked together before and others who just loved to dance. You see, once you experience dance, in any form, you are drawn to it. So we were all drawn together

by Stacie and Conroe and proceeded to have a blast! They had incredible patience with all of us, and as I got more confident, I found myself helping others with the routine. I think I shocked some of the youngsters with my hip action.… All in all, I had a fabulous time and the power of the group overtook us. The bonus was that Janet Jackson showed up. My name is Diana Eisele and I am 56 years old. I did a few professional tours as a young dancer, then strangest one being with the “Elvis of Manila.” I have taught dance and fitness for seniors citizens for 33 years for the LAUSD Adult Education Program in Los Angeles.

I have 100 students a week, ranging from 65 to 94…and I taught them steps from the flashmob!

And the saga continues….

> Flash Mob continued....

Dianne Johnson FLASH MOB: What or who is it?

Main Entry: flash mob Part of Speech: n Definition: a group of people who organize on the Internet and then quickly assemble in a public place, do something bizarre, and disperse; also called inexplicable mob For such a bright, warm and sunny fall mid-morning, we easily slipped unnoticed among the throngs of outdoor shoppers. Walking along the quaint brick pathway of the European-styled shopping mall, passing high end shops and eateries; outdoor vendors stopped us with sales pitches and product demos. But for some; spending did not take center stage that day. Further along the brick road, the tell-tale signs became obvious to those of us flash mobbers with an agenda other than shopping. There was a quickening, a density of shoppers and an electric current of anticipation that swept The Grove. A camera crew had set-up in front of the movie theater and heightened security was not only palpable, but seen and heard in radio communication. The time was near.

We heard it first; as the clock chimed twelve and shoppers gathered, we glimpsed the synchronized water fountain presentation and we knew now -- it was time. The waterworks concluded and a deafening transmission of audio feedback blasted through the outdoor mall speakers.

Shoppers covering their ears contorted their faces in confusion and twisted their bodies in agony. But wait! Was that music? Rhythm Nation? Were they dancing? To really unravel this improbable extemporaneous scene we have to take a step back, and start at the beginning.

It was just after friends and I and estimated 3000 plus dancers finished dancing Michael Jackson’s Thriller, a Thrill The World global dance event at Nokia Live, that I had met Conroe and Staci of FlashMob America.

They already knew my friends and were discussing another dance event when I heard the words flash mob and tuned in. Having no concept of what a flash mob was I was curious and then fascinated. Staci explained how as a flash point, a small group of dancers start it off in a public venue, while more dancers randomly jump in maintaining choreographic precision and unity, building critical mass until an inexplicable dancing mob is ignited. And then just as quickly as the mob assembles, it inexplicably disperses leaving the public wondering what just happened!

Well count me in! I was hooked. Having danced throughout most of my younger years, performing was second nature. But this was something beyond. Entertainment was still a driving force but the lines were blurred between audience and performer. The goal was not to emphasize separation, by achieving an awe inspiring aesthetic or technical perfection, but cooperation, to make an artistic public statement en masse. Staci and Conroe were great in all aspects; organization, communication, reliability, online dance instruction videos and onsite tech rehearsals in various locations throughout the city... and greatest of all ... no attitude! I met the the nicest people and was amazed by the diversity; people coming from all areas of Southern California flash mobbing to support Janet Jackson.

The day of the Janet Jackson Flash Mob there were three flash mobs scheduled, two at The Grove and one at Universal City Walk; as well as early morning and afternoon rehearsals. There was still time for anyone who wanted to participate to learn the choreography and jump in and have some fun. 12:00 noon at The Grove was a flash mob that came and went on cue as planned. The Grove at 2:00 pm was special in that Janet Jackson made an appearance and could be seen showing support from atop an outdoor mall balcony. The 6:00 pm City Walk flash mob was the last flash mobbing of the day in celebration of Janet’s newest release Number Ones. The day was memorable -- good cause, good people, good fun -- my first flash mob, certainly not my last. []

The

The End

Rant with Kat Peabody

I A

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Y2K

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Decade

t’s a brand new year, a brand new you! With the passing of 2009, we are also bidding farewell to the first decade of the new millennium. So, in the spirit of things ending and beginning, yours truly is taking a trip back down memory lane and providing you with a small retrospective of the past 10 years.

While I am not originally from Orlando, I do remember one of my first experiences with this city was in 2000. As time would tell, some of the decades biggest stories would come from right here in Central Florida. I was interning here at the time and I knew, somehow, someday, I would return to this place.

Having just a summertime experience in Orlando, I thought I would dig a little deeper and find out some of the highlights of the decade.

2000: You may remember that in the year 2000 (no, not just a quip from Conan O’Brien), a few things that caught the eye of the Nation began here in Florida. When George W. Bush was elected the first time, the country found themselves overcome with the term “dimpled chad.”

And the Sunshine state put “chad” on the map!

The voting process was never the same and neither was the term “chad.”

Elian Gonzalez was a brave little guy, taking a boat from Cuba to Florida to reunite with his dad, the International Space Station was up and running after facing years of delay and we were all a bit afraid of a rather Mad Cow! Issues of Global Warming and genetic engineering were at the forefront of topics of conversation everywhere, and a man named Tiger Woods won three majors in a row! This was the year of Y2K… everything was supposed to crash and burn at the stroke of midnight and we discovered something called “reality TV.” It’s been 10 years, so what else has changed since the turn of the century?

2001: For 2001, it was a pivotal year for me. I graduated from college during this year. I was so full of ideas, hopes and dreams. As the pages turn, it gets harder to remember 39

those days. We all experienced fear and change simultaneously with one of the biggest impacts to America in 2001, the September 11 attacks. We all changed but we learned a few things too.

That was an end that became a beginning in many ways for many lives. A war began, former intern Chandra Levy went missing and we lost a young R&B songbird (Aaliyah), one of Nascar’s alltime best drivers (Earnhardt), the original American Cowgirl (Dale Evans), an electronics pioneer (Hewlett), a rocker who always needed sedation (Joey Ramone) and one of our beloved, spiritual Beatles (Harrison). We ended 2001, wishing for 2002 to be much better.

2002: Corporate crises and scandals were pivotal in 2002.

We also were faced with scary realities about the rapid spread of AIDS on a global scale. The U.N. predicted in 2002, that AIDS would claim the lives of 68 million people within the next 20 years.

And people in the D.C. area were fearing for their lives after a three-week shooting spree by sniper John Muhammad (who was put to death by lethal injection just a few weeks back), killing 10 people. This was a year that grew on a bit stranger by the moment. It was a time when Eminem was on the rise and the rocker who once reveled in bat heads became the father next door on his family’s reality show.

His name was Ozzy but don’t call him a Nelson!

2003: The year 2003 brought with it tragedy, scandal and hope. We mourned the loss of the space shuttle Columbia, minutes before its scheduled landing. Seven lives were lost in that tragedy and it forever changed the U.S. space program. Kobe Bryant and Michael Jackson both found themselves

in sex scandals that kept the nation a-buzz. An earthquake hit the Iranian city of Bam, where some 40,000 were feared dead (I know this is mostly about the U.S., but let’s face it, tragedy strikes the entire world, so I can’t just ignore the struggles of people in other countries).

Saddam Hussein was captured

by American forces in 2003. But Elizabeth Smart was recovered from her abductor and returned safely to her family.

2004: This year started with John Kerry losing the Presidential election to George W. Bush, which began Bush’s second term in office. An experimental plane built by NASA flew at seven times the speed of sound, thus breaking the world record.

NASA also found that the surface of Mars was once covered in water and could have supported life forms, though the robots on the surface did not detect life (see, my geeky friends, maybe I should have given you more credit). The Red Sox won the World Series, the first time in 86 years, by sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals (which makes me a bit sad, as I am a Cards fan).

Morality issues were hot topics, from samesex marriages, to the debate about the Pledge of Allegiance to Janet J a c k s o n ’s “wardrobe malfunction” at the Super Bowl.

And we said farewell to some people who changed the world through their politics and music.

Former President Ronald Rea-

gan, pivotal in ending the Cold War, died after a 10 year battle with Alzheimer’s disease (a disease that claimed my grandfather). And my life would never be the same with learning of the passing of musical legend, Ray Charles. Listening to old Charles recordings as a child, I was introduced to the blues. I grew up hearing his lyrics and feeling moved by powerful piano. He painted vivid pictures of struggle, sex and heartache.

Then that voice was silenced.

What could possibly be next?

2005: We lost all track of time in 2005. We started partaking in more pre-made meals, and we started going into credit card delinquency. Digital cameras started taking over where film cameras had previously ruled. A big scare was the Asian bird flu, and we saw masks suddenly becoming fashionable. But a bigger scare was Hurricane Katrina.

It demolished the old, beautiful city of New Orleans, flooding nearly 80 % and killing over 1,053 people. The city was temporarily abandoned. Podcasting became popular at this time.

Ts u n a m i s , earthquakes and terrorism were all heightened across the globe.

Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks p a s s e d away, we bid farewell to beloved Pope John Paul II and we saw the first female Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, retire. Star Wars Episode III was released, as was another chapter in the saga

of Harry Potter. And this was the year I moved to Orlando. A new beginning…those hopes and ideas were thriving again.

John McCain and Rudy Guiliani decided to battle for the Republican nod. Virginia Tech was shaken by a senseless massacre. Anna Nicole, O.J. and Phil 2006: I should have known that Spector all made legal headlines the year where we learn of North and the curtain closed on “The Korea testing atomic bombs Sopranos.” would end with some explosive results, especially for Ms. Pea- 2008: This was a year that prombody. I went through a good ised a new President, a new deal of heartache personally look at life, and even a few offduring 2006 but nothing could beat stories. This was the year compare to what was happen- America elected Barack Obama, ing all around me. Al Gore intro- the first African-American Presiduced “An Inconvenient Truth” dent (actually, he is half Africanto us… impacting the nation American and half Caucasian, about the dangerous effects of to be accurate), who defeated Global Warming and warning us Republican Candidate John Mcto be more environmentally con- Cain, who caused his own stir scious. Enron trials find many when he chose Alaska governor, guilty, Italy wins the World Cup, Sarah Palin, as his running mate. spinach is recalled for E.Coli, Palin’s family life would become Paul McCartney and Heather the subject of much buzz, even Mills split and begin one of the more than her political views. messiest and costliest divorce Along with a new President, proceedings, Saddam Hussein we also began fully feeling the is sentenced to death and the sting of a horrific economy with fearless Steve Irwin loses his life unemployment rates skyrocketvia Stingray barb. ing. Thomas Beatie caught the public eye when he announced he was 2007: This year bepregnant.

Beatie gan with an ending is a transgendered that secretly was man who mainthe greatest betained his female reginning of my life. productive system.

But in everyone’s Rising food prices life, in order to get pushed to the really great millions stuff, one must uni n t o dergo some painful hunger changes. This was (making a year that really began it even with change and didn’t m o r e stop. Social networking important to lend a hand to sites like Facebook and MySthose you can), Conflicts escapace took off with a vengeance.

Apple introduced the iPhone, lated in the Sudan, which were which would change mobile made worse by pirate attacks on technology forever and would ships bound for Sudan carrying spur a few duplicates by their supplies. A cyclone devastated competitors.

Barack Obama Burma and an earthquake deand Hillary Clinton began their stroyed villages in Sichuan. The Presidential campaigning, while entertainment community also lost some very important figures,

including Paul Newman, and Charlton Heston. But at the end of 2008, for me, I felt hopeful for the new year to come.

2009: Hot topics ruled the year 2009. We can’t turn on a TV set in Central Florida without hearing the words “tot mom” or “mistress #?.” This year American culture lost three iconic figures, in their own right. Farrah Fawcett, who represented an Americanized version of physical perfection and proved that angels can be tough, lost her battle with cancer. Ed McMahon, who was as famous for his hope-filling, excitable Publisher’s Clearinghouse campaigns as his time with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, passed away. And the self-proclaimed “King of Pop”, Michael Jackson, who impacted popular American music with his powerful singing and dancing, left legions of fans devastated at his sudden death. Government is in the midst of a healthcare debate, and additional soldiers are being sent to Afghanistan.

So, with this recap of the end of a year, the end of a decade that has boasted several tragedies and trials, what’s next for us?

With the dawn of a new decade, I find myself asking the same question over again… “what can I do to make a difference in outcome of the next 10 years?” It’s my hope that within this decade I will finally have a family, I will be in a place where I can do something that will make a difference in the lives of people who desperately need help, who have nothing. So, as we embark on the next year, we can start helping others here in Central Florida, which can lead to a greater, global impact. And the “ beginning becomes the end, becomes the beginning.” []

what’s going on > january 2010 Orlando Museum of Art 407-896 4231 Changing Landscapes, Changing Visions Without a Trace: Artists Imagine a World Without Us Nature & Spirit: American Art of the 19th and 20th Centuries American Art Contemporary American Art Cornell Fine Arts Museum 407-646-2526 Andy Warhol Personalities, Until January 3rd André Kertész: On Reading, Until January 3rd Michael Phillips and the Infernal Method of William Blake Until January 3rd

ucf aRena

Jan 3 Lady Gaga

Jan 9 UCF MBB vs. Rice Jan 13 UCF MBB vs. Marshall Jan 15 UCF WBB vs. Memphis Jan 17 UCF WBB vs. UAB Jan 21 UCF WBB vs. S. Miss Jan 23 UCF MBB vs. UTEP Jan 30 UCF MBB vs. Tulsa Jan 31 UCF WBB vs. Tulane

BOB CARR

PERFORMING ARTS Centre www.ticketmaster.com jan 10 Philharmonic presents ITZHAK PERLMAN jan 20 -31 Broadway Across America Orlando presents PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Citrus Bowl

JAN 30 Monster Jam Monster Truck Show

Hard Rock Live 407-351-LIVE JAN 13 STEVEN WRIGHT JAN 17 K92FM ALL STAR ACOUSTIC JAM JAN 22 CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE Featuring LED ZEPPELIN II JAN 23 KENNY G

House of Blues 407-934-2583

JAN 2 Sevendust with Janus, Soulswitch and Eye Empire JAN 8 JJ Grey and Mofro & Galactic JAN 9 To Write Love On Her Arms Presents Heavy & Light JAN 15 La Quinta Estacion (New Date) JAN 16 Orlando Rocks! with Burnin’ Symrnans, Junkie Rush, Jonny Plastic and the Rubber Band, B-Liminal JAN 21 VH1 Classic Presents The Anvil Experience with The Rise of Defiance and Empyrean JAN 22 An Evening with Gov’t Mule JAN 27 Cowboy Mouth’s Annual Rock and Roll Mardi Gras Featuring Junior Brown JAN 30 Orlando Rocks! with Hydrosonic, Black In The Mind, Afterglow Radio, Not Tonight Josephine

The Plaza Theatre

407-228-1220 Jan 7 Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra, 1/8/2010 - Marcia Ball JAN 9 Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe w/ The Ryan Montbleu Band JAN 10 John Pizzarelli JAN 11 Foundation presents: City and Colour JAN 14 Gaelic Storm JAN 15 Zach Deputy JAN 16 The Plaza Gives Back: Blues JAN 17 Central Florida Jazz Society presents: Kid Dutch & His New Orleans Music JAN 22 Leo Kottke JAN 23 Christopher Cross JAN 28 The Subdudes JAN 30 Guy Davis

The Social

407-246-1419 JAN 1 Badlands Reunion Party/ Skip & Jimmy’s Sneak Peak CD Release Show plus guests DJ Kittybat JAN 2 Matt MacKelcan with special guests JAN 3 EOTO (Jason & Travis from String Cheese Incident)plus guests DJ Craig Heneveld JAN 5 Phat N Jazzy with DJs BMF & Slack JAN 7 Midlake plus guests Sarah Jaffe JAN 8 To Write Love On Her Arms Presents Heavy And Light Kick Off Show JAN 9 The Lee Boys plus guests To Write Love On Her Arms presents Heavy & Light an evening of songs, conversation & hope @ The House Of Blues JAN 11 Foundation Presents City and Colour with guests Lissie @ The Plaza Theatre Carbon Leaf Plus guests JAN 12 Phat N Jazzy with DJs BMF & Slack JAN 13 RJD2 plus guests The Constellations 1.14 Jonathan Coulton with guests Paul & Storm JAN15 The Movement and Blue Green Screening Plus Guests Illegal Beats, Pasedena, Gabriel, Conquering One JAN 16 Wrong Way (Tribute to Sublime) plus guests JAN 19 Phat N Jazzy with DJs BMF & Slack Four Year Strong with guests The Bled, This Time Next Year, Title Fight JAN 22 Noon Blue (reunion show) with guests Hand To Hand, Fall Of Envy, Alec V JAN 23 Back In Black (AC / DC Tribute) with guests JAN 26 Phat N Jazzy with DJs BMF & Slack JAN 27 Scary Kids Scaring Kids with Guest Dance Gavin Dance JAN 28 The Chariot plus guests Greenly Estates, Inhale Exhale, Memphis May Fire, The Color Morale JAN 29 Spiritual Rez with guests JAN 30 The Crazy Carls plus guests

HORORSCOPE 2010

By Kim Rogers-Gallagher

ARIES 2010 (Mar. 21- Apr. 20) Several planets will influence your career this month, Aries, all of them done up in serious, responsible Capricorn. Together, they’ll make it possible for your monetary dreams to come true, so if offers come in when the Solar Eclipse of January 15 arrives, don’t push them aside - even if it means taking on a lot of overtime, or even accepting a new position. If you’re doubtful, trust your antennae and wait. Take your time, think it through, and talk it all over with your partner or discuss it with a trusted friend.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22) Several planets in diligent Capricorn will put you to work with a vengeance during the first half of January, Leo, but not to worry. You may be late for dinner more than once, but assure your sweetheart that it will be well worth the effort in the long run. The Powers That Be are watching, and there may be a raise or bonus, or maybe even a well-deserved promotion en route. On the 17th, generous Jupiter, the heaven’s equivalent of Santa Claus, will enter your house of intimacy, wearing romantic Pisces. It just doesn’t get any better than this!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) It’s been a while since you’ve really concentrated on saving money, Sagittarius, but that should definitely be your New Year’s resolution. Fortunately, you’ll have plenty of help - expert help.

Four planets in serious, responsible Capricorn will strengthen your resolve from their position in your house of finances. Don’t bother starting this new financial regime until after the 15th, since Mercury will be retrograde, and all kinds of old expenses may come up quite suddenly. In the meantime, make a battle plan - also known as a “budget” - and stick to it!

TAURUS (Apr. 21- August 21) If anybody loves being on their home turf, Taurus, it’s you, but this month, you’ll be bitten - Big Time - by the travel bug, who’ll inspire you to take your show on the road. If you’re attached, you’ll be taking off with your sweetheart, who’ll be delighted. Just be smart. Don’t make any definite plans, until after Mercury turns direct on the 15th, putting an end to three long weeks of wreaking havoc on just about all your plans. Better still, leave after the 17th, when Jupiter will set off for dreamy, romantic Pisces, guaranteeing a trip to remember!

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) Four planets will make their way through your house of love affairs this month, Virgo, all of them in earthy, dutiful Capricorn, urging you to become much closer to a loved one. You’ll be thinking some very serious thoughts, but don’t make any plans or promises until after Mercury turns direct on the 15th - in your house of love affairs. Mercury’s retrograde has been known to wreak havoc on even the best laid plans. Wait until the 17th, when mighty Jupiter will enter romantic Pisces and your house of one-to-one relationships to pop any romantic questions!

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) What a month, Capricorn! January always finds you working hard, both on your career and on yourself, but this month will be the topper! Four planets will spend much of January in your own sign and your house of personality, bringing out all your famous Capricorn qualities: duty, respectability, responsibility, and, most important, the determination to keep every promise you make. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t do everything before the 15th, though. Mercury will be retrograde until then, making it difficult for even the best-made plans to work out. Until then, rely on another of your qualities: patience.

GEMINI (August 22-June 21) You’re a cerebral sign, Gemini, which means you’re usually too wrapped up in your ideas to be overly romantic, but the Solar Eclipse of the 15th will change all that, as it lights a fire in your house of intimacy, making you inseparable from your love interest - much to their delight! He or she has been dying for some quality time with you. Mercury’s three-week retrograde in your house of intimate matters has undoubtedly made it quite difficult for you to get together, but he’ll turn direct that same day. Spend it together - alone!

LIBRA Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) Several planets in Capricorn and your house of family matters will keep you extremely busy for the first half of the month, Libra, but not to worry.

Do your duty to your loved ones, especially elders, who may be having problems with Mercury’s retrograde period, which won’t end until the 15th. As “other-oriented” as you are, you couldn’t live with yourself if you didn’t help them out, anyway. On the 17th, however, Jupiter will enter Pisces, a sign that’s almost as romantic as your own, and you’ll be ready for romance - and lots of it!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19) Four planets will tiptoe through your house of secrets this month, Aquarius, which have never been one of your favorite things. You’re too blunt to enjoy participating in any kind of intrigue.

Try to make some adjustments in your thinking now, though, especially if it’s for the sake of a loved one who needs to keep a certain matter under wraps. If you have to, put some distance between you and all parties concerned until after the 15th, when communicative Mercury turns direct and a Solar Eclipse occurs - two powerful cosmic pushes that will urge everyone to come clean.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)Your house of oneon-one relationships will be jam-packed in January, Cancer, with a crew of planets wearing serious, responsible Capricorn. The Sun, chatty Mercury, and loving Venus will all visit that tender place, bringing along some wonderful new admirers - the kind that will want to be a around for a while. If you’re single, the Solar Eclipse of the 15th could mean you’ll become an “item” with someone who’s not from your neck of the woods.

If you’re attached, you’ll suddenly find it easy to talk about that issue you’ve been avoiding, bringing you even closer than ever.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) Lucky you, Scorpio! On the 17th, Jupiter, the stars’ giftgiver, will enter romantic, dreamy Pisces and your house of lovers for an entire year!

If you’re not attached, prepare for quite the parade of admirers, starting on this date. In the meantime, you may have to deal with a few little aggravations, brought to you courtesy of Mercury’s retrograde through your house of communications, but all that will be a distant memory once he moves direct on the 15th and conspires with the Solar Eclipse to bring all kinds of new and interesting friends into your life.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) Your friends will play a special role in your life now, Pisces.

The real ones, that is - the ones who have been by your side forever and earned your trust. Four planets in sturdy Capricorn will pass through your house of friendships, so if you need them, call and they’ll be there. One may even introduce you to the love of your life - yes, really - after the 17th, when benevolent Jupiter enters your own romantic sign and your house of personality and appearance. Your mission is to accept the introduction - no matter what happened last time!

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the barometer 2010

, we’re glad your’e here.

Weeks after its inital release and we’re still convinced James Cameron really does deliver every time.

Naolmily anyone! Skins series 4 premiers in the UK in late January! BBC America please hurry!

Mochi frozen yogurt in Plaza Cinema Cafe, we’re happy that more places are opening downtown, but we just want more overall.

“Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart”, “This Bed”, “Empire State of Mind Part II”, can A Keys do no wrong?

Status update overload.

Downtown Cinema Cafe weirdness. Keep the prices the same and get new movies on those screens and we’re there.

Beyonce keeps pumping out the singles, repackaging the music, promoting the movies, creating fragrances and clothing lines, yet, we still love her. She successfully put a ring on it.

Lady Gaga says she wants to write a majority of the material on her next studio album. Gimmicky performers beware, leave the lyrics to the professionals. Anyone ever hear Britney Spears “Dear Diary.”

Yeah.

Old school bad boy weirdness. Charlie Sheen, Tiger Woods, Chris Brown, and all the grime. Over it.