Secrets of the Heart

Just when we thought we had seen 2016 at its worse, it claimed another legend on Christmas Day. George Michael, a highly popular, successful, and debonair talent passed away Christmas day at the age of 53. Like the performers who passed before him, George had a unique voice that cannot be replicated. He gave us amazing songs like "Faith," "One Last Try," and "Father Figure." He was the poster boy of pop and the poster on DJ's wall in Full House . His voice commanded our attention with its strong, smooth caress. I'm still in shock over his passing. My heart also goes out to his boyfriend. I know how devastating that must've been to find the one you love suddenly gone. I must say, Heaven has an awesome band up there. Sing with the Angels, George. You have made your mark on the world and through your music, your legacy will live on. The Double Whammy that No One Saw Coming: The Singer and her Princess   When news of Carrie Fisher's hear

Sharknado Starring Ian Ziering and Tara Reid Sharknado, sharknado, sharknado, what can I say? Well first I'd like to point out that my boyfriend advised me not to watch this film, citing that I would lose some IQ points but I am happy to report that I made it through, IQ points and all. Yay! Now moving on... I am assuming that Sharknado is a parody consisting of a combination of Jaws, Twister, end of the world, zombie essence type film. Granted there are no zombies in this film but hey we have a chainsaw folks and the "aim for the head" type logic in here. I'm also assuming it's a parody because of a few factors: 1. The Actors Who Haven't Had a Job in a While So Let's Give Them a Stereotypical Role Factor: We are looking at actors that we haven't seen in a long time (Ian Ziering and Tara Reid). I mean who knew that Steve Sanders would be married to Vicky from American Pie and have two children who one has a taste for the damsel in distress, sh

Say it ain't so, Alan! 2016 is taking the best of the best with it.This is definitely the most shocking aside from David Bowie and Prince. I, like so many, grew up watching Growing Pains . I loved watching Alan Thicke no matter what he was in. I was such a nerd when he guest starred on Fuller House . He was so funny as DJ's blind date. As Jason Seaver on Growing Pains , he was one of the dads we all wanted to have. He was stern but laid back. He's just so likeable and lovable as not only the characters he portrayed but also the actor he was. No matter what show Alan hosted or guest starred in, he was one of those faces that just brought a smile to our face. Even in interviews he seemed like such a nice guy. Someone you wouldn't mind passing on the street and you just know that he would greet you warmly. I never had the pleasure of meeting him but in the last day and few hours since his passing, I have seen nothing but good words about the man. My heart and prayers

Haters Back Off Starring Colleen Ballinger, Francesca Reale, Angela Kinsey, and Steve Little I watched an episode of The Gabbie Show where a girl named Colleen was there discussing Girl Fights. I moved on to more videos of Colleen with Gabbie because it is great entertainment so you could imagine my surprise when I surfed through Netflix and saw this familiar face as the poster girl for a new show. When I checked the credits, my suspicions were confirmed. It's that girl Colleen from Gabbie's video! After finding that out I knew I just had to check this show out. In short this show is about a girl named Miranda who is seeking instant stardom by becoming a YouTube star. It doesn't quite happen as she thinks it will. It's like she's Lucy Ricardo but more so on steroids or something because she is convinced she's a star and acts like it. She has the "celebrity" down pat but her delusional way of thinking is encouraged by her famous crazed uncle. Her &

Fuller House Season 2 Release date: Dec. 9, 2016 After over 200 views of the first season, the second season of Fuller House has arrived! Season 2 picks up just about where the last season left up except we learn that DJ has finally made a decision about Matt and Steve. It seems that everyone was away for the summer except DJ, Max, and Cosmo. New changes come to the Fuller-Tanner-Gibbler household including Fernando moving in with his Kimberlina (They are so cute! I never thought I'd say that about a Gibbler!), Tommy learns how to walk, Stephanie falls for a Gibbler (Oh mylanta!), and DJ finds herself truly with herself when Matt and Steve announce they have girlfriends. With the addition of Jimmy Gibbler (Kimmy's younger brother), season 2 is filled with more laughs, love, and plenty of family time. My only complaint about season 2 is my same one I had from season 1, where is Danny's wife, Teri? I really feel this is a gaping hole in the story because every time we see

Me Before You Released: June 3, 2016 Starring: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, and Jenna Coleman I had mentioned in a previous post that this was a must see film based on its trailer alone. After viewing the film, I've come to see that I was right. Take precaution when viewing this film and have a box of tissues nearby. This is one of the most emotionally high films I have seen in a long time. It also surprised me quite a bit. For the most part, the trailer did this film justice but it's not exactly as the trailer makes us think. First we find that Lou (Clarke) has a not all there boyfriend named Patrick who is played by Harry Potter's Matthew Lewis. Patrick is flawed from the moment we first meet him. He seems to be more into his fitness guru than his girlfriend. The potential of a straying girlfriend is set in place. It's clear that Lou is quite turned off by her boyfriend because of his lack of attention. After all, the grand holiday he planned to Norway turns out

Ghostbusters Released: July 15, 2016 Starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth With all the remakes that have come out recently, this is one of my favorites. I'll admit that when I first heard of an all female take on Ghostbusters, I was very critical (which I'm sure many were who were fans of the original cartoon and films) but the trailer intrigued me and the film won me over. Erin Gilbert (portrayed by Kristen Wiig) is a professor at Columbia University up for tenure when her past resurfaces to haunt her in the form of a book. Years ago Erin and her friend Abby wrote a book about the paranormal, namely ghosts. Erin thought it was all behind her but she was mistaken when the owner of an old mansion shows up to her lecture hall to ask for her help to investigate the mansion. She turns him down but tracks Abby down to get her to take the books off of the internet. To make a long story short, Erin makes the decision to join

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Starring Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Diane Lane, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, & Jesse Eisenberg Where do I begin? Oh right, at the beginning which is where the movie started with the same story we've been watching for the past 26 years. Have you ever heard of obsession? Yes well movie makers have overdone this story so much that when I saw it as the opener of this film, I thought "Wow. Really? We're back to this again? For those who are clueless to what I'm referring to, it has to do with Bruce and the death of his parents. So we all know the story of how Bruce's parents were murdered after a night at the theater leaving Bruce an orphan who happens to fall into a bat cave and so on and so forth. The basic details tend to remain the same such as the shooting, both parents dead, and a strand of broken pearls. Bruce screams "Noooo!!!" and there we have the motivation of Batman to do what he does. The

The Judge Starring Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Dax Shepard, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Billy Bob Thortnon Synopsis: Hank Palmer is an outstanding lawyer but his personal life lies in ruin. He has been away from his family for years, going through a divorce, and estranged from his father Joseph (Robert Duvall), the reason for him keeping his distance. Hank returns home for his mother's funeral where the tension between his father and him are running high. However there is no love lost between Hank and his brothers Glen (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Dale (Jeremy Strong). Immediately following the burial of his mother, Hank soon finds himself defending his father, the honorable Judge Joseph Palmer, in a murder case. Through this, Hank makes amends with his father and the life he left behind. My Thoughts:  What makes this film so outstanding is not the drama or the little bits of humor that lighten the mood, but the relationship between father and son. Though they are dista

Supergirl Man of Steel is without a doubt the best Superman story ever told. Supergirl is the perfect spinoff from the epic film. Who knew that "Marley" had a hero hiding within her? Melissa Benoist has come a long way from the Glee club. She is perfectly suited for this role. The story of Supergirl begins where the film left off, well sort of. In the pilot we learn that there was another ship that left Krypton before its demise. That ship was carrying young Kara Zor-El. Her parents sent her to Earth to watch over her infant cousin, Kal. However due to the force of the planet's explosion, her ship was sent astray, lost in the Phantom Zone where she did not age.Eventually when her pod arrived on Earth, Kara found baby Kal was all grown up and needed no protection. He was Superman. Her cousin, now older than her, brought her to the Danvers family to be raised and lead a somewhat normal life.Needless to say, hiding her secret enticed her to let it out so she could help

Dan Dyer Album: A Journey I don't listen to Christian music too often. Typically you will find me listening to pop, r&b, and country. Sometimes I'll listen to Christian, depending on the artist. The ironic thing is that I am Christian. Dan is the first Christian artist in a long time that I have taken a liking to. A Journey is a great mix of Christian, country, and a hint of some rock. The songs are very uplifting and truly captures what God is all about. My favorite songs on the album are "Blessed Be," "With Those That Cry," "Jesus in Our Song," and "Butterfly." Among those four songs, "Jesus in Our Song" and "Butterfly" touch my heart the most. "Butterfly" is special to me because it reminds me much about my bond with my grandmother. I feel her speaking to me through that song. It's such a beautiful song. He sings, "Quietly you fly to me, down from the sky. In the air, over there, butterf

John Cronin Single: Ride Out Ride Out is a wicked song. I like the beat, the lyrics, and the rhythm. It's like "Yes! He got it!" It's a good ol' country song that you can groove to in a bar, in your car, at home, or where ever you may roam. (I'm sorry I couldn't help myself. I started it and it just...moving on...) I have to admit that I listened to this single a good 4-5 times before it grew on me and here's why. I'm going to start with the good news first. John has an exceptional voice. The deep tone he has reminds me of the great Trace Adkins especially when he sings "We hold on tight, we ride tonight." The chorus is very much Trace Adkins as well which means yes, John has great talent. Here is where I start to get iffy for a lack of a better word. In the opening verse where he says "All alone with nobody" and "life's a party," the hook which is the end of the line seems to cut right off instead of trail o

Ryan Robinette Album-Progression Ryan Robinette, remember this name because he is country's rising stars. Ryan's sound is similar to the likes of Clay Walker. His tracks are fun, charming, and pure country. Country music has always been the type of music that tells a story with that wonderful southern charm. Ryan captures this charm whole heartedly. He's not trying to fit in modern country. He embraces the great story telling characteristic as those classic country songs before his time. You feel like he's singing just to you. Hay Girl is sweet and has a hint of seductiveness as only a man can seduce. I feel like this is the theme of the album as a whole. He's romancing us ladies and doesn't it feel great! His music has a way of creating this atmosphere of making each listener feel special and it's all about her. My favorite track is Something Bad . I don't think the thought of doing something bad ever sounded so good. It's a rich sound that

Britney Spears Album: Glory Ms. Spears is back with a very different compilation of music. With her albums "Femme Fatale" and "Britney Jean," we heard a lot of techno dance songs. Though some of the songs have the same feel, the sound is very different from her two previous albums. Clumsy is my favorite track on the album. It's very catchy and upbeat, a similar style to Will Smith's Switch . What I love about Britney is she tends to recreate herself with each album. If you were to listen to each album starting with "Baby One More Time" up to "Glory" you can hear the transformation. Even looking at her album covers, you can see how the Princess of Pop recreates herself. She truly is the Princess of Pop. I like how Britney gives us all of her in her work. She is amazing. "Glory" is a refreshing, light, truly entertaining album. With tracks like Do You Wanna Come Over , Clumsy , and Just Like Me you will not stop tapping you

John Tracy Single: Fairytales Come True "Real Music for People Living Real Life" That is the slogan on John Tracy's website. His music is humble, relaxing, and natural. Fairytales Come True reminds me of the country music I grew up with. It brings the magic of what I've always believed in, the fairytales. I still do. As an adult, in a world full of such hatred, I still believe in the fairytales I've watched as a child. I feel this song illustrates the magic we create in our own lives. I feel John's message is that dreams do come true. His song gives a light of hope and gives us a great surge of good feelings on the inside. I like the video especially because I love the contrast between the young prince and princess and the adult prince and princess. It's so sweet to see the little boy fighting off the "evil" boys to protect his princess. To see the progression from the young boy to the adult man in the same predicament is breathtaking. Chiv

See that weird guy in the middle? You know, peeking out in awe between those two taller fellas? Yeah that's Dennis Curlett. Remember that name because it'll appear a lot more in coming years. I knew Dennis from junior high to high school. He graduated with my older sister from Chichester. I saw him in plenty of the musicals at school. I must say that when I saw him in our high school's production of Oliver as the artful Dodger, I knew he would be going places after high school so it was no surprise to me when I learned he had moved to L.A. I've been following his journey a bit through Facebook and YouTube. I am proud to say that he is working on a film which he wrote, is directing, producing and acting in. What makes Dennis so successful and cut out for this business is his personality. Dennis is a charming and hilarious individual who is liked by everybody. (No really, I didn't know one person in high school that didn't know or like Dennis) He is also a go-

Fire Tiger Single: Energy The '80s were a pivotal period in music. The experimental sounds and looks that electrified a generation. Fire Tiger brings that electrifying sound back to the airwaves. Energy brings the sound of the '80s to modern day times. Their sound reminds me of the rock styles of Jem and the Holograms. Now I know what you're thinking, Jem and the Holograms was not a real band but their music was unforgettable. All of us who grew up watching the '80s cartoon still remember the songs like they were still being played today. With Energy I feel like putting on my neon leg warmers, pull my hair into a side ponytail with a huge scrunchie, and put on a series of random bracelets while dancing around my apartment without a care in the world. Energy 's beat is very similar to that of She's Got the Power from Jem and the Holograms. It's a fun track that not only takes us back to what makes music great but it takes us beyond the basics. This s

Aaron Carter Single: Fool's Gold Ladies and gentlemen, Aaron Carter has arrived! I'm going to take this back just a bit to give some background on my familiarity of Mr. Aaron Carter. My younger sister, as many girls did, loved Aaron when he first emerged as this adorable little boy winning the hearts of young girls everywhere. His career was tightly knitted to his big brother Nick. I watched snippets of The Carter Family reality show but wasn't too sure about the direction of Aaron's musical career. He went through different changes in his musical direction since he emerged onto the scene. Aaron went from this adorable little boy with a young Joey McIntyre type appeal to a mix between singing and rapping to laying low, primarily out of the spotlight. However I feel he has finally caught his niche. Aaron Carter has grown up and in a big way. With Fool's Gold he has dug his heels deep into the music industry. I love this track and am so proud of him. It is so i

Linadrena Single-The Rust This type of music is the opposite of what I generally listen to but for a dark piece, it is hypnotic. The vocals are haunting, piercing into the core of soul and ripping the fibers of survival from you. This is the poetry Linadrena portrays in this piece. My boyfriend, Jeff, commented that it sounds very much like the soundtrack from the film Queen of the Damned , so much so that he thought that was what I was listening to. The Rust reaches into the darkest spaces most dare not go but he does. For instance, take the following lyrics: "You won't shine, you're just one side of what I was, broken inside." I feel almost a sense of revelation. The individual or entity he refers to as being broken could be him saying goodbye to that part of him or being confrontational with a figure who masks themselves in what I refer to as fake glory. Whatever has happened to him within the context of this song, it's as if an event has taken place whi

There is no throwback like a huge party with your favorite artists. This was my first Mixtape Festival which I had the privilege of attending thanks to my great, kind friend Tiffany. The Festival marks my 2nd time seeing NKOTB and O-Town but my first time for everyone else. The line up was unbelievable. The rundown went like this: Ryan Cabrera, Dream, O-Town, 98 Degrees, Boyz II Men, Paula Abdul, and NKOTB. I think Ryan had the most difficult task of being the first act mainly because people were just arriving and getting settled in. I was very excited to see Ryan LIVE because 1) I've only ever heard him on the radio and his albums and 2) he follows me on twitter and I felt like I came to see a friend perform (yes I know I don't know him personally but it just felt that way, go with me here). He was great. He even did an acoustic version of "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" which was a nice attempt but I must say that I prefer the original version. Overall, I'd like to se

First Friday, for those that don't know, is an amazing day to see great art by wonderful artists while enjoying light snacks and sometimes even music. I met the very talented Lvon Yoder at the Lancaster Dental Arts First Friday event. I love going to their event because in my opinion, it's the best around but that's for another blog. Lvon is a very talented artist from Delaware. He is friendly and very open about his work. As you can see he gave me permission to take pictures of his artwork. His art is exquisite. I will be the first to admit that if I looked at this when I was in high school I would not get it but as an adult yes I think these are exquisite. To those that don't appreciate art would see nothing but splatters on a canvas, thinking "my kid could do that," but the truth is, yes anyone can put splatters on a page or canvas but it takes a real artist to make you feel something. Why do you think only certain colors appeal to you? Yes you have war

Garry Marshall (1934-2016) "So what happens after he climbs the tower and rescues her?" "She rescues him right back." And then Edward and Vivian passionately kiss sealing their happily ever after as a man walks by the screen saying something like "Hey, you got a dream? What's your dream? Everybody's got a dream. This is Hollywood," before the credits of one of my favorite movies roll across the screen. Pretty Woman  was the first Garry Marshall movie I have ever seen. I was a kid in the darkened movie theater covering my grandmother and aunt's eyes on all the "bad" parts as Richard Gere's Edward makes love to the surprisingly charming Vivian played by the incredible Julia Roberts. It's a movie I love to watch over and over again. Only the great Garry Marshall could bring the spark of this favorite on screen couple back to life years later in another one of my favorite movies, Runaway Bride . Sure we have our favorite on

  #3: Jim Harold's Campfire-True Ghost Stories Having a paranormal experience is something you never forget. It's a fascination to know how the deceased come in contact with us. The experience can be comforting, scary, and/or fun. I've experienced quite a bit of paranormal activity and since then have always had a fascination with it though I prefer to experience this fascination through shows like Ghost Hunters  (the best paranormal shows around in my opinion). Jim Harold's Campfire True Ghost Stories is the best paranormal podcast I've come across. I found it by accident while I was searching for a substantial podcast that didn't try my patience. The stories I hear on this podcast are amazing and bring a lot of my own to light. Perhaps sometime I'll share them on the campfire but for now they stay with me. If you are a fan of the paranormal or interested even a bit in this topic then make sure to tune in to Jim Harold's Campfire True Ghost Stori

I am Filipino, Italian, and Spanish. That is my ethnicity, my heritage but I am American. I identify first and foremost as an American because as such I have the freedom to embrace my ethnic background. The Philippine, Italy, and Spain flags will always be apart of me but I fly the American flag because America is my country. With the 4th of July tomorrow, I feel we, as a country, has failed to see what we really are celebrating. We have taken our country for granted. I posted a video on Facebook which told the story of how Francis Scott Key wrote our national anthem. What the anthem is, what it stands for is more than what it has become today. It was a symbol of hope, victory and freedom. I used the first flag of our country because to get back on track, we need to start from the beginning again. It's sad what we have become. We've had leaders in the past who wished to unite us, keep us united, and never forget what we strive for. Present day America, we are divided. How q

Kandace Springs Album: Soul Eyes Music is a journey of the heart and imagination. Just like with the wonders of reading a book, a great album can take you different places without you moving from the comfort of your home. Kandace's music embodies what was great then and making it cool again. Her voice compliments the instrumentals so much that to hear the instrumentals on their own is good but the presence of her voice makes it great because they dance together in smooth operative style. The title track, Soul Eyes is full of sultriness and pure soul. Her voice on this track reminds me of the late, great Etta James with the spunk of the great Toni Braxton the way she deeps into those lower notes. This is the type of album you kick back, relax and drink a glass of wine to. It is the type which is perfect for entertaining friends, looking at art, and slow dancing to. Many may not believe it but this work proves that you don't need a techno pop beat to have that sex appeal.

It amazes me that the government's answer to poverty is the food stamp program (SNAP) as well as other programs of assistance when people are in financial hardship. What they don't tell you is how THEY manipulate the program. I write this blog for those cheated out of assistance when they truly need it because of their so called high income. While the presidential candidates are too busy picking on each other whilst the untainted one is silenced, hard working Americans struggle to stay afloat. President Obama has always stated how the economy is so much better than it used to be and I pray you tell us Mr. President, where is it better? Allow me to show you some figures. I assure you I am not the only one who is mistreated by the system. I applied for SNAP a few months back because all of my money as well as my boyfriend's money was and is going toward bills. I was honest in my application and the interview. They asked me in the interview why I was applying for food stam

This is my favorite picture of Michael. It shows the King of Pop as I remember him, always smiling and always looking sharp with a shirt and tie. I've always thought Michael was so handsome when he wore a suit like his blue and white ensemble in Smooth Criminal  or this red shirt and black tie from the Liberian Girl  video. It's hard to believe it's been 7 years without his bright light shining in this world. Recently I've seen, mainly on twitter, fans posting negative stories/rumors about Michael. I couldn't stand the way people tried to tarnish him when he was alive and I don't like it now. I never knew Michael personally, unfortunately, but I cannot ignore the fact that I learned so much from him through his music and exceptional good deeds. He was an advocate for children. He was right when he said there is much we can learn from children and that it's not childish. Children do not know how to hate until we teach them. They don't recognize the dif

Independence Day Resurgence Starring Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Sela Ward, Joey King, & Liam Hemsworth Release Date: June 24, 2016 It's been 20 years since Captain Steven Hiller, David Levinson, and President Thomas Whitmore headed the fight to save earth from the aliens who threatened their very existence.  Unfortunately for mankind, the aliens did not forget and we don't have Will Smith's Hiller to lead us in battle. In this new story, Steven Hiller is dead. He was killed in a flying exercise using one of the alien ships. It is time for the new generation to evolve and once again fight for their right to live. Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman reprise their roles as David Levinson (Goldblum) and President Thomas Whitmore (Pullman). The script proves to be witty with lines like "They always go for the landmarks" and "I'm not going up there to make friends." Welcome the new generation of fighters, Jake Morrison (Liam Hemsworth) and Captain