Duffy-Rockferry Deluxe Edition

When Amy Winehouse first came out I was not sure if anyone would be able to top her, or even follow her, but I believe Duffy is the second coming of Winehouse.

Duffy’s album, Rockferry is the type of collection that tends to surprise me. I had already heard her hit single Mercy several times, and that prompted me to buy her album, but when I listened to the album, it was a completely different experience.

Her song Serious reminded me of Winehouse with the coarse-like voice, but it was truly Duffy’s because I found the lyrics to be uncomplicated and innocent unlike Winehouse’s dark and moody lyrics.

Duffy may not be endearing to adults who prefer the dark melodic fare on Winehouse’s album, but I found her to be quite a relief after all the debacles that followed Winehouse. I think there is a song on that album for every single person, regardless of their music taste.

Top Five New Years Resolutions For Those Turning Twenty-Four in 2009

Come to terms with the fact that you are getting old
Twenty-four is just a year away from twenty-five so you need to come to the realization that you are getting old and things aren’t going to be as fun as they used to be. From this point on more things will be expected of you. People will stop addressing you as “the kid” and your mistakes will be harshly judged because you are the cusp of true maturity.

Get your finances together
At twenty-four, you should really start getting your finances together. You should calculate your debts and really make the effort to start paying them off. You don’t want to reach the latter part of your twenties still worrying about the bills you have to pay and that school loan that’s still sitting in the back of your mind. Get with a debt counselor and make some changes right now.

Get in shape
In your early twenties you could eat all you want and not care about what it did to your body, but now you have to really care about the things you put in your mouth. You need to get your body in shape. This would be a good time to get into the habit of working out regularly so that when you reach your thirties, you are better prepared to deal with your body’s changes.

Clean your apartment or move out of mom’s basement
If you are still living with your mother, perhaps now is a good time to move out. Move in with your girlfriend or a really good friend. And if you have a good job and make decent money, move into your own place. If you already have your own place, then clean it up and make it look presentable. You are no longer a kid. Now you need a true bachelor or bachelorette pad so that people know you are serious about moving up in your life.

Stop Procrastinating
Procrastination is the reason why you never got anything done before, so now is the time to change that. At twenty-four you should be on the path towards your future. You need to start making moves and drive yourself to get things done before it’s too late.

Christmas-What do people do?

I've always wondered what people do for Christmas. I suppose each family has a certain way of celebrating, while others don't celebrate at all. In my family Christmas eve is what it's all about. There is usually a lot of music and food with lots of guests and then the traditional opening of presents in the morning.

I have a friend whose family simply watches A Christmas Story on Christmas eve and then open the gifts in the morning. There is no question about which tradition is more entertaining, but I gather the simpler tradition is the easiest to handle -very little clean up at the end.

Christmas day is always weird, because you get the feeling that you should spend time with your family, but you can only take so much of someone's personality over a two day period. PATIENCE.

Top Actor: Jeffrey Wright

He is categorically described as the most underrated actor in Hollywood but theater goers in New York know about Jeffrey Wright’s talents. He won the Tony for his performance in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America and was also nominated for a Tony for Top Dog/Underdog. He has appeared in several pictures since his incredible debut in Julian Schnabel’s Basquiat in 1996.

Though he is one of a few actors who one can truly consider talented in Hollywood, Wright has flown under the radar for years due to the small number of roles that are available for African American actors. If you watch Angels in America or his performance in Shaft, you can see that this is an actor who’s not afraid to go all the way for the character he is portraying.

This Emmy and Golden Globe winner I better than a lot of other actors that regularly get work, but he isn’t considered an A-lister because of the prejudices in Hollywood. But hopefully when the tide changes sometime in the future the Washington DC native will get his chance in the spotlight to bring his talent and charisma to the general public.

People Who Talk Too Much

If you've ever entered a new environment where you don't know anyone, you will automatically notice the people you should avoid. There is usually the fun gay guy to whom the majority of women gravitate because of his innate ability to tell a good engaging story. Then there is the guy who wants to be the cool focal point. This guy will talk to anyone and everyone, but the biggest problem is that he never stops talking. his mouth just runs on and on unless he is stopped. i ran into a guy like that today, and let's just say i was not very nice to this person. But that didn't seem to stop him from running his mouth.

And the battle for peace and quiet continues.

Ambiguity

It gets a little frustrating at times when the people you love insist on talking to you behind a bush so that you cannot understand a word they are saying. If you have ever been in a situation where everything you did made someone angry and everything you do to fix the problem only worsens it, then you know what I am talking about. The problem only gets worse because the people you care about don't have the nerve or better yet, the needed courage to tell you that you are doing something that is making them mad. As the offender you often have no idea what it is that you are doing wrong. For all you know, you and the other person are on good terms.

I would advise that you not get angry at the people who beat around the bush. Sometimes people refrain from telling the truth or telling you how they feel because they are uncertain about your reaction and how it is going to affect the situation you're both in. I believe the best way for you as the offender (though you are not aware of your offense) is to listen to the other person and cypher through the things they are saying. You can easily figure out when someone has been hurt or has been angered by something you said or did but they don't want to tell you.