hello!

Cliche? Yes of course.
Well-supported? Yes of course.
 
I don't think he's attractive.
I don't even like The Cab all that much.
BUT OMG HE WON MY HEART WITH THIS:



Le sigh. I almost peed in my pants.

According to #5 of my Hai Buzznet/25 Random Things entry earlier this week, I'm going to write a book called The Rules About Boys.

I got some responses about intrigue into this book, but I honestly don't think I'm going to finish or write it until after awhile, after more life experience. But since I have my new thing about sharing, I want to share with you the seed that started my whole idea for this book writing business. I really hope no one steals my idea and writes this book after I post this.

And before anyone asks. No, Jake isn't a real person. He is, however, inspired by real people.

So without further ado...

JAKE

Rule: All boys are the same.

Don’t trick yourself into thinking one’s different. The moment you start thinking that, pull back. Lose interest. Stop calling. Stop initiating contact in general. Because if you don’t, he will lose interest first and you will think he is a jerk.

I crafted this rule after a boy named Jerk – I mean, Jake. He was a musician (big surprise?) and I liked his band. We had mutual friends, the other guys in the band along with a few people from school, but we didn’t hang out. I only ever encountered him at shows. After our first meeting, we exchanged phone numbers and for a little while conversed casually via text message.

Jake and I never really got to know each other, our only common interest was the band. Other than that, there wasn’t much else. I figure the reason why we never really made an effort to get to know each other was because we knew how different we were. He was tall, I was short. He was the strong silent type, I was a constant talker. He liked Six Flags, I lived at Disneyland. He never opened up more than necessary, I poured out everything at every given opportunity. He was a Mac, I was a PC. Etc, etc, etc. All of that stuff was petty and we could get past it (we mastered the art of dropping things that didn’t really matter), but what did matter, and made all the difference, was our taste in music.

Music was important to both of us; I was a singer, he was a guitarist. Though we both appreciated music and could tolerate listening to almost anything (except Country, our dislike for it was one of the few things we agreed on), as far as our iPods’s Top 25 Most Played was concerned, we were on two different ends of the rock and roll spectrum. He was into metal, progressive rock. I was big on power pop, punk rock. (Mini music genre lesson: Progressive is all about expanding the boundaries of traditional song structure, while power pop strictly follows the tried and true rules of verse-chorus-bridge -etc. with a catchy hook) This was a huge red flag. I knew that becoming friends with this kid would be an uphill battle, so I didn’t try. Nick Hornby defined it in the book High Fidelity, “it’s not good pretending that any relationship has a future if your record collections disagree violently,” and he was right. Intellectually speaking, Jake and I were utterly uninterested in one another.

That’s why I wouldn’t have said that we were friends. I don’t know what you would have called us, but the best way I describe it is “chill.” We were chill with one another. We had meaningless conversations, we tolerated the other’s presence, and never went out of the way to see or talk or hang out with each other. But when we were in the same place, it was chill. We neither enjoyed nor disliked the company. Though we usually disagreed, we avoided potential arguments (with the exception of our epic ninjas vs. pirates debate. Ninjas ARE better than pirates, and you can’t tell me otherwise) and immediately dropped subjects that started to lead to arguments. I suppose we developed this symbiotic relationship so that we could coexist in the world of “the band” without causing agony to our friends. He was just another boy that I knew. So you must be wondering, why I would make such an effort to have such meaningless conversations and spend so much energy avoiding petty arguments?

Oh. Did I forget to mention that he was hot?

I had (and still have) never been as immediately physically attracted to anyone as much as I was to Jake. He had the traditional allure of any musician, and he was good looking. You might not agree with me; he wasn’t the traditionally accepted generic Abercrombie & Fitch model/Ken doll type of good looking, but he was everything that I preferred. You would probably say something like, ‘I guess he’s pretty cute.’ He was tall and skinny, white but not a sickly pale, he had longish wispy hair (to me, hair color doesn’t matter but for the sake of imagery it was a brownish blond), and an irresistible smile. Oh man, the smile was the definite deal breaker. I’m almost positive that I wouldn’t have been so wildly attracted to him if it wasn’t for his smile. His smile was wide, his teeth were nice (thanks to middle school braces), and when he grinned he looked a little bit goofy. He didn’t smile a lot, but when he did, I went absolutely bonkers inside. I suppose I liked it so much because his goofy smile was the only thing that contradicted his outward personality.

I only ever considered him as an object of physical attraction. I never pursued anything because I didn’t like the idea of dating a guy in a band (ok honestly, I dreamed of it, but I didn’t want it to mess up my relations with the other guys in the band). I wanted to be a supportive friend, not just Jake’s groupie. Besides, I knew (from experience, at some point I was probably begging for it) that Jake paid more attention to his guitar than he would to his girl. So I settled for quiet admiration and utilized remarkable quantities of self-restraint in order to keep myself from spontaneously jumping on him. I kept my cool.

That was until he started flirting (I think that’s what it was) with me. The conversation stopped feeling hollow, he sounded genuinely interested in what I had to say, he teased me, he even bought me lunch once (okay, off the dollar menu at McDonald’s, but it counts!). So I flirted back and didn’t think twice. (I think it’s a natural reaction. You sense you get flirted with, you flirt back. Whether it’s on purpose or not. Like animal instinct.) It didn’t mean anything. I wasn’t expecting anything. It was attention from a cute boy and I welcomed it happily. Did I think something was going to happen? Of course not. Unless somehow I magically began to resemble a Les Paul or a Telecaster, I knew he wouldn’t even think about laying a hand on me.

So one night, after a show, I managed to break away from my group of friends and casually snagged a ride to Denny’s, where the band often went to afterwards. During the car ride, he asked me my opinion of the show, we talked about the future of the band, tried to find a band we both liked, he surrendered control of his iPod for awhile (it pained him I’m sure), we sang along to With Arms Wide Open by Creed and did our best Scott Stapp impressions, and laughed about what an insane driver our friend Eddie (also on his way to Denny’s) was. It was chill. Come food time we sat, ate, talked, laughed, teased. Eddie ate some of my bacon. We talked about stuff that was insignificant like usual, but for some reason it wasn’t meaningless anymore. It was fascinating. At the end of the night I insisted on paying, but Jake picked up the bill while I took care of the tip. The ride home was quiet and I enjoyed his company. I walked in the door to my house at 1AM, confused about what just happened.

After that, things changed in my mind. We continued to flirt but now, for me, it meant something. I began to consider the possibility that I was into him, that maybe he was into me. No longer did I only “want him for his bod,” I wanted him for more than that. I thought that he was different than the other guys I normally associated with. The other guys I spent time with were loud, energetic, and attention-seeking. No, Jake wasn’t like that. Jake was chill. He could sit down and just talk about insignificant things and call that hanging out. This is also when things changed in general. I wanted to hang out more. So I subconsciously began to go out of my way to try to hang out with him. He always found a way to decline. I must’ve not gotten the hint, because it only made me advance more. Eventually he stopped flirting. I didn’t laugh with him. He stopped making jokes. I tried harder. He stopped talking. I wondered why he was being a jerk. After awhile I couldn’t take it anymore so I flat out asked him if he had an issue with me.

He told me I was obnoxious, that he just needed a break.

That’s how I knew he was no longer interested. Don’t get me wrong, I knew I was an obnoxious personality. There’s no getting around that and I wasn’t willing to change it. He tolerated it because he was interested. Now that he wasn’t, he stopped tolerating it and therefore stopped tolerating me. He didn’t want to deal with me anymore. We reverted back to our toleration existence. It’s a bummer, I know. Believe me. I know. You’re probably empathizing as you read this, but I lived it so think about how I feel. There’s nothing more disappointing than a cute boy becoming suddenly uninterested.

So take note. The second I started thinking of Jake differently, things started going downhill. I expected to get treated a certain way, and when that didn’t happen, I got frustrated. Getting frustrated made me unleash a little crazy (which all girls are capable of), crazy translated to obnoxious, and obnoxious turned him off. Which leaves me here, lamenting the loss of something so incredibly gorgeous.

Sad days.

So get this. I've been going through a lot of stress thanks to multiple life things which I'm sure via my new plan, you'll learn much of in the near future. As a result, I've been super moody lately. So I think I need to blow off some steam via blogging. Real blogging. Like, about my life blogging. Why? Because I don't do enough things that are genuinely for me to enjoy. Everything is becoming work that I want to do.

So I'm starting with this.

I decided that I don't get personal enough around here. Sure you know my favorite bands and that I like to write from what I post around the site, but I want to get to know you guys, and I want to share more. So what better way to start off our introduction than giving you 25 Random Things. That's right, I brought it all the way from my Facebook for you. I really like doing these things. So maybe I'll turn it into a series of four. I can tell you 100 things about me by the end of the adventure. I was actually also considering turning this into my 365 project if I can get my camera to work. (Not 25 things, but 365 Things About Me, get it? Yeeee.)


Feel free to turn any of these into a conversation starter. =]

1. I'm currently co-directing a one act play with my friend Jeffrey (The same Jeff that takes photos of Countless Hours for me) It's seriously stressing out my schedule. Especially this week.
   
   
2. When I was in first grade I went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park and locked eyes with a baby cheetah. It's been my favorite animal ever since, but I have also never seen one in person since then.
   
   
3. I manage a band. They're named Countless Hours. They have what it takes to make it. No they don't really pay me. They don't have to. I love my job, I love my boys. They keep me on my toes. P.S. They're around here on Buzznet. Meet them. Say hi.
   
   
4. I love the act of eating. It's very satisfying.
   
   
5. I'm going to write a book called The Rules About Boys.
   
   
6. Now that I want to be a writer, I'm scared I'm going to stop enjoying it.
   
   
7. My butt itches. You didn't want to know that, but I told you anyway. That's pretty much how everything goes with me. I have a tendency to over share.
   
   
8. I have more inferiority complexes than you could possibly fathom, and very few of them have to do with my height.
   
   
9. I have over 500 extended family members on my mom's side. They're everywhere and we all have each other's backs. Moral of the story: Don't mess with me =P
   
   
10. First favorite band: The All-American Rejects. I just saw House Bunny, I want my own Tyson Ritter.
    
    
11. I love pop music. If a song or band can get stuck in my head I'll love it regardless of how good or bad the musicians behind it are.
    
    
12. But I want to make it clear that it doesn't mean I don't know the difference between good musicians and bad musicians.
    
    
13. My cell phone is pretty much the only piece of technology I own that has passed through my hands unharmed. I've killed my laptop, my digital camera, home computers, my iPod, etc. etc. etc.
    
    
14. I'm incredibly impulsive. I love the feeling of satisfaction after fulfilling an impulse.
    
    
15. My relationship advice pretty much comes from three movies. Just Friends, Hitch and My Best Friend's Girl. It's funny that all the people that I actually give relationship advice to happen to be guys.
    
    
16. Since I was 5, there are only seven distinct times where I've broken down and cried because I was sad. 1-6 are pretty average and maybe unexpected, number 7 is plain embarrassing.
    
    
17. There was once a time when I could run a mile in about 7 minutes. They tried to recruit me for track. Ew.
    
    
18. I sing in a barbershop quartet. I couldn't imagine my high school life without those three girls.
    
    
19. I did competition cheer for 3 years and I loved competing and performing, stunting and tumbling. What I didn't love is all the bullshit and bitches I had to deal with in order to get there. After my sophomore year, it wasn't worth it. Except I miss it everytime I see a good cheer team.
    
    
20. I've been writing the word "Patience" on my foot for about a year as a reminder. (It hasn't really worked.) Yes, I do plan on making it permanent.
    
    
21. I sing Paramore, No Doubt and Flyleaf on Rock Band all the time. It's the closest I'll get to my pipe dream of being lead singer of a band.
    
    
22. I think Fall Out Boy is incredibly underrated.
    
    
23. Ice cream is my Achilles heel. I eat too much of it because it makes me feel better. I don't like feeling sad.
    
    
24. I love drama because I find it entertaining, but when I have to actually deal with it I've found I prefer to drop it.
    
    
25. My favorite book is High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

Peace and Love,
Rosalie Anne aka XxRcCola

P.S. Now that you know about me. Let me know something about you. How was your day today? What made you smile? What made you laugh? Pissed you off? Who did you talk to? Anything!

The band Paramore takes their name from an English adaptation of the French word paramour, meaning an illicit or secret love (in other words a mistress!). Though they might have started out as a secret in the little town of Franklin, Tennessee, they were able to catch the attention of the scene-trailblazing label Fueled by Ramen, and fans around the world now proudly proclaim their affections for this four-piece (though I should say five-piece, why isn't Taylor officially in the lineup yet?!) and their edgy pop/rock sound. Their LiveJournal community is ablaze, their MySpace boasts over 100 million plays, their Buzznet community overflows daily, all simply a few examples of how this band is able to continually create buzz across the internet and in the music world. Their sophomore album Riot! went platinum last July and album sales have not slowed down. They are currently working on their follow-up to their mainstream success, which is highly anticipated with high expectations.

If you don't already know and love Paramore, here are three reasons why I think you should:

1. Hayley Williams. I'm sorry. I hate to be predictable, fangirlish and cliche to single out the lead singer, but really? What girl wouldn't want to be her and what boy wouldn't want to marry her? The girl has got some serious skills and she's lovable to boot. My only issue with her is that silly septum ring. I wanna yank it out.
   
   
2. Their personalities. They're fun to watch on stage and off because you know they're having the time of their lives as well. Watch the Final Riot! DVD, and anyone who reads their blogs, watches their videos, and visits their websites can confirm that. Not to mention, they've got copycat-worthy style.
   
   
   and lastly...
   
   
   
3. Their music! DUH. They managed to draw themselves a nice fine line between pop and a heavier sound. Josh and Taylor write and shred creative and interesting guitar progressions, Zac drums up a satisfactory storm and Jeremy drops a sweet bass line every so often. Instrumentally, they are just edgy enough to be respected by the non-pop crowd, without leaving the pop crowd out. Universal themes and passion in their lyrics paired with Hayley's powerful vocal stylings for their (lovesick) melodies string everything together seamlessly.

My personal love tidbits include playing their songs on Rock Band and above all, their acoustic versions. I often prefer it to the normal recordings, on the real.

Each and every track offers something to love, so you have to find which Paramore you like best, but here's my personal selection for a suggested musical beginner's guide to Paramore:

• Emergency (Acoustic)
  
• Hallelujah
• Stop This Song (Lovesick Melody)

The city of Seattle, WA could probably claim the title as the emo or grunge capital of the world; with its overcast weather begging for depressing lyrics to be written and major acts of the genres (such as Death Cab for Cutie and Nirvana) calling it home. It's a little surprising that growing up in that scene, Danger Radio springs out of Seattle with their 80's funk inspired brand of spunky "sophisticated dance rock." With groovy bass, bouncy beats, funky guitar riffs, skillful use of programming and vocal harmony, topped off with clever use of word play and flow, Danger Radio is a 6-piece musical sundae that boasts the skills to make you want to move and sing along. They differ from their contemporaries in pop/alternative/synth, offering a fresh and subtly unique sound while maintaining the same subject matter and pop appeal.

With their interaction on social network sites such as Myspace, Facebook, Absolutepunk, Bebo, Imeem and even here on Buzznet, they've created their image of fun loving guys who are just in it to do what they love and reach out to as many fans as possible. YouTube searches reveal lead singer Andrew DeTorres and his sweet falsetto-ey voice playing acoustic covers outside of venues for fans, footage of crowds having a blast at their shows, and the occasional tour update from the guys as well.

They signed with Photo Finish Records in 2007 and released their debut album Used and Abused that same year to loads of positive response. They've toured with the likes of other Buzznet favorites such as Metro Station, Forever the Sickest Kids, Cute is What We Aim For, Meg & Dia, Family Force 5, The Maine, they played Bamboozle Left 2008 and are slated to come back to Bamboozle Left in 2009.


I truly recommend you should listen to the whole CD, but if I've piqued your interest, you should add these to your Buzznet Music Library:

1) Slow Dance with a Stranger
2) You All Believe
3) Kiss 'N' Tell

This was an english assignment from last year. A found poem using the words of Henry David Thoreau.

eclectic. enlightenment.

 

fogs from frost  in the spring

The gray color and ruinous state of the house and barn

Dilapidated fences, hollow apple trees

enjoy these advantages

 

I did not wish to live what was not life
Error upon Error, Clout upon Clout

life is frittered away by Detail
keep your accounts on your thumbnail

 

 

Clouds and Storms and Quicksands

all External and Superficial

It lives too fast.

How shall we get to heaven in season?

Tradition and conformity!

I do not wish to go

Castles in the air

That is where they should be

The true ethereal heaven

 

Light which puts out our eyes

 

Only that day dawns to which we are awake

There is more day to dawn.

The sun is but a morning star.

Happy Valentine's Day Buzznet! So as you all know, it's Valentine's Day in ONE WEEK! What are we gonna do to celebrate!?

There's already The V-Day Playlist Contest and the Video Valentine Extravaganza on FOE but what about something for pure fun? MOAR MOAR...

Five guys out of the Southern California suburbs, Countless Hours brings a unique brand of pop-sensible alternative rock that stems from a diverse mix of influences including Blink-182, Gamma Ray, Lostprophets, Man Man and The Darkness. Intent from their start on blending focus, fun, and hard work to write, record, and play their music; the band progressed quickly as practice in the living room eventually transitioned to rocking the local scene at the likes of The Canyon Club, The Majestic Ventura Theater, The Whisky-A-Go-Go, The Roxy and The Knitting Factory Hollywood. CH separates themselves from the pack with passionate guitar solos, tactful counterpoint, and developed musicianship to create songs that promise a little something for every music lover to enjoy. Solely motivated by their own love of music, Countless Hours makes it their goal to leave you at the end of every show wanting more.

And now, just because: