i made a New Years resolution last year that I've pretty much stuck to... "Never get caught out in the rain". Its a simple one- just bring an umbrella (or have one handy at home, the office, etc) so I never get caught without one. I only failed a handful of times, so I consider that a pretty good success rate.

i'm still on the fence as to whether or not New Years resolutions are a tacky, bad, or good thing.

as with anything in life, you have your advantages and your drawbacks.

advantage- it FEELS like a new beginning, a fresh start. you can use it as motivation to get yourself to obtain goals that you've wanted, things you've wanted to do. it can get you up off your butt and doing things.

drawback- its literally just another calendar week/month/day. just the last number at the end of 200? has changed.

advantage- gyms are cheap!

drawback- its so cliche to walk into a gym on Jan 1st.

I'm stoked to spend NYE tomorrow with loved ones. isn't that what really really matters? that you're surrounded by people who you care about and who care about you. that's all. you can drink anywhere, you can dance party anywhere, but unless you're with the right people, it doesn't even matter.

my goal is to stay out until we see the sunrise. the first sunrise of the new year. BRING IT ON 2009.

went to see Friendly Fires last night at a 100 room venue.

British. more energetic than most acts I've seen this year.

RADICAL.

i went mainly on a suggestion of a coworker. i listened to a few songs, liked it, but didn't 'study up' before their show, as suz likes to do. my friends were in the same boat as i.

we didn't stop dancing the entire show from behind the DJ's spin tables.

they were so infectious, so loving being up there and singing. the lead singer was dancing as hard as we were. even during their 'ballad' (which wasn't a slow song to most bands), he did his awkward ballad dance. it was lovely.

it was great to not know their names, not know their ages, or their favorite colors, or even the names of most of the songs. we went in cold turkey, had a feeling that we would thoroughly enjoy them and came out loving them. just music. simply and completely, just the music.

michelle's hair was hipster straight when we walked in. it was wavy when we walked out. thats how much energy and body heat and sweat was in that room.

it was stellar.

choice words from Mr. Mraz.

its an interesting concept. can you create your own reality? and if so, IS it reality? (very Matrix-y, i know.. bear with me.) say something terrible happens to you... but you choose to work through it and keep happiness in your life. are you truly happy or is it some sort of alternate reality that you are trying to fit into your life? what's truth in that case?

i absolutely agree with his words to an extent. there are people in my life who i want to scream at and tell them that they are making themselves freak out, that they can be so happy if they wanted to be. and how many times have you gone out and friends are fighting or the bar is super crowded and everyone is miserable? if you choose to be upset and mad, you will be. if you choose to have a great time, you can. its a matter of choice.

BUT, when it comes to emotions, it's a hard thing to just decide how you'll feel and stick to it. emotions depend on your enivronment, everyone around you and who you interact with. you can't control all those things, thus not controlling your emotions totally. you can filter them a certain way, step back and realize that all is not bad, that something that seems like a curse can actually be a blessing. there will be things in your life that happen to you that are completely beyond your reach, that you can't influence in anyway but affect you so greatly. when it comes to these instances, i can see myself choosing happiness but not getting it right away. Mr Mraz's words should have an asterik next to them.

i'm talking in circles, i know. but these 12 words made me think a bit. i think that Mr. A-Z is referring to people having to take responsibility for themselves and how they view the situations they're in. its SO easy to be angry and put the blame on others, to be bored and say that there's nothing to do. but there are things to do... its you that's stopping yourself from going out and seeing that. you are choosing to be bored, the same way you are choosing to hold the anger in and let it waste you away.

choose love. choose happiness. choose laughter. no one is stopping you from doing otherwise.

go down to Little Italy and see all the holiday decorations. you'll be happy you did.

bought a baby Christmas tree the other night after the V.Weekend show. more people talked to the roommate and I on the subway than ever before on the way home. the holidays brings out that spirit in people, I think. the living room smells stellar and its finally feeling a bit more like the holidays...

our Italian restaurant threw up Christmas....

So we were on Houston last night, checking out a friend's show.

Decided to swing by Angels & Kings, to meet up with some homies.

Balloons are outside. Was a birthday party awaiting us?

Walk in... its a winter formal, complete with hanging snowflakes, silver streamers and people in lovely dresses and suits. And peeps taking pictures with an Elvis cutout in the corner.

A bit underdressed in our bomber jackets and simple dresses but what can you do? ....... YOU DANCE.

80's music mixed with the modern-music that samples it. Stellar. Good job, Rob.

Brittany and Linds got me to dance to Phil Collins. Remarkable job, Brit.

Brendon Urie can't really dance but looks good trying. 

Alex Suarez from Cobra creeps in the back of pictures, such as OOC does. I'll edit with picture proof later.

Go on Tuesdays just for the Venom drinks. Trust. Tell Jesse the bartender I sent you.

I think the most important part of today, World Aids Day, is the WORLD part.

It is a disease that affects everyone. No matter your race, gender, sexuality, intellectual level, class, income... it affects everyone. Granted, it is more rampant in some areas than others, but everyone deals with it.

I am usually not a fan of "awareness days"- there are too many and it diminishes the impact of the important ones- but today is one that I fully support. It is something that brings everyone together. I walked into my office building this morning and saw the huge Starbucks sign, about their donations to the cause today. I shall buy a peppermint mocha later on. So many places are doing their part, little by little. And it adds up, it really does.

It makes me happy that people in faraway lands are supporting this day, raising their voices and concerns. It must make people who unfortunately have this disease feel less alone, that the 6 billion people in the world are coming together to try and fight for every single person that has it.

I feel that sometimes, diseases are "in vogue"- it is trendy to care about the environment, it is trendy to support cancer, etc. See: Lance Armstrong's yellow bracelets, Al Gore's multiple and ongoing attempts to rectify this enivornmental crisis that we are contributing to daily. The public's attention wanes quite easily and diseases and causes are pushed away from the forefront in exchange for others.

But World Aids Day reminds people yearly about the lost voices of AIDS victims- and more importantly, of their cause that is not yet forgotten.

hmmm the holidays. a tricky time, indeed.

on one hand, its a time for family, friends, assorted loved ones, christmas songs, tree and dreidel (?) shaped cookies, stockings, freezing weather outside, tons of eat-ables in the office, shopping crowds, etc.

on the other hand, its a time for reflection. who is here to spend it with you, who is not. i pass the homeless on the street and yearlong, i feel bad. but i especially feel bad during the holidays, when it is so bright and cheery outside and all around them, yet there they are, not a soul in the world to care about. its such a juxaposition that shouldn't be happening.

in terms of "going home for the holidays", the dilenma that a lot of people have as they grow older belongs to the title of this here blog- when does your home change and how? i've lived on my own for a few years.. is my mom's house still my house? she's in a new one since I moved out, so technically, I've never lived there before. but she's my family and i can live there anytime i want/need to, but is it my house? "home is where the heart is" but my apartment has been my home for years now. when i come home at the end of the day, i feel like i AM home. when did that change? when does it change between just visiting your family or going home to see them?

i think everyone should use the holidays as a time to realize just how much they have and to know that it is enough. you have love in your life, that's brilliant. you have family and friends, consider yourself blessed, no matter who is missing. with love in your life in any form, you're never alone.

volunteer this season. spread some cheer. knit something rad and donate it to a women's shelter. a homemade gift can make them feel thought about again, regardless of who made it. too many people will be alone these holidays.. do your part to keep the number as low as possible.

and decorate your home as rad as can be :)

last night at the WTK and The Academy show, I saw a ton of fans wearing those band's shirts. which makes me happy (fbr got monies!) but at the same time, sad. have concerts changed for the teen set that much?

concert etiquette 101 teaches you to NOT wear the shirt of the act that you are seeing. doesn't everyone know this? you can tryyy to be funny and ironically wear of someone in a completely different genre (ie, a Slipknot shirt to a Faith Hill show), or go the more common route- get a shirt from an obscure-but-trendy-band and wear that, so it looks like you have more musical knowledge than the FUSE-loving crowd that is surrounding you.

but to wear the shirt of the act you are singing along to? Fashion faux pas... or have the times just changed?

it was one of those things that was just always there. regardless if you watched it or not, you knew that TRL was on after school, counting down the same videos, having the same wild antics every day... it was just there.

its changed over the years- videos rarely got retired (what was the last one to do so, anyway?), they pretaped half the shows each week... etc. but it was there.

when I was 12, it was a big deal if 'I'll Never Break Your Heart' was higher than 'Tearin' Up My Heart'. A bit embarassing, but I won't forget that.

My life has changed in every aspect since I was 12. TRL was a constant.

When I heard that it was ending, I wasn't upset, I wasn't crying.. just kind of apathetic.

Then i watched the last show last night and actually felt so nostalgic, a bit emotional. I think it was the past clips that they were showing, the fact that they brought back Carson.. I'm not sure.

It wasn't so much that TRL itself was ending, but the end of an era. It was just always there, always. Change is so hard to deal with, even with something that is not actively in your life anymore (.. when was the last time I watched TRL? I couldn't even tell you, I can't remember).

Bye bye late 90's teen pop era. Here's to finding you a new home.

..... for helping to restore my faith in music.

I've listened to Butch on cds and records and cassettes and 8 tracks for about 3 1/2 years. I thought I was satisified with that level of involvement- listening to his easily relatable words, bouncing around to his guitar solos, etc. I thought I was fine.

I've heard from many friends how seeing him in concert is almost like a religious experience of sorts- including one of our favorite TOL bloggers, Ms Cabo. I didn't disbelieve them, but I just never made it a priority to see him when he came to town, so it just never happened.

I went last night to the Blender to see him. And my musical life will never be the same again.

he was supposed to be on from 9:45-11. the musical awakening had him onstage for almost 2 hours.

He comes out, sits down at the piano, and just starts singing 'ATL'. Everyone in the room- which was made of 99% people who were older than Suz and I- just shut up. And listened. What a concept!! What a radical concept at a show.. to actually LISTEN. I tore myself away from Butch long enough to look around and noticed everyone's mouths just slightly open, gaping at this crazy musical genius that was before us. Radical.

He then launched into songs on the geeeetar, just himself onstage. Everyone listened to the verses and then sang along to the choruses.

He made banter during the set, keeping us entertained when he wasn't blowing our minds with his near-perfect voice or intense-yet-delicate piano playing, with his fingers flying everywhere but his gaze stone-cold to the audience.

I'm fortunate to go to a lot of shows, some better than others, given my location. I usually come out of them going, 'wow that was so good!!' (ie: Hanson, etc). This one was... different. My friend and I left going, 'he literally almost changed our perception on music, restored our faith, etc'. It was one of those rare times when even if you didn't know the song, you hung on every word that he said and every note that he hit. It was as if you just knew that they were so important to listen to.

I feel somewhat bad for the act that has to follow him in my life... Kings of Leon and We Are Scientists should do a somewhat adequate job this weekend. Lets hope.

Songs have come out in the past 6 months. It jars me to think that he hasn’t heard them. I hear songs from our childhood and think, he knew this just as well as I did. He could sing along to it just as loudly as I could. This new song, he never knew. A huge summer song that is part of everyone’s life and pop culture knowledge, he doesn’t know. He’s out of the loop. I’m so used to him being in.

I had given him a scarf for Christmas. It made its way back to me, by a mix of fate, God and my mom, within two days of him passing. I wore it and slept with it for days, because it smelt like him. That scent eventually faded and turned into mine and now I don't have anything.

A baby cousin was born a few weeks ago. He won’t know him. He can’t share in the joy that comes with birth, that which is life’s balance to death. We all mourned him and now the same people are celebrating a new face and a new life.

I start to feel a bit spoiled, that I am still experiencing everything when he can’t. I am seeing the sun come out for a week at a time, I still get to dance in the rain. I get to new Guns n Roses’ cd, one which he would’ve loved to hear… he can’t. I get to hug my mom and call her. He can’t. I can drive a car, one of his favorite things to do. He can’t. Survivor’s guilt?

I know, I know.. “He can still see that movie and hear that song. He can visit my mom whenever he wants to. He’s in eternal sunshine”. It’s not the same. It helps... but it’s not the same. We talk about the people who are left having to adjust, but what about the other way around?

Last weekend, friends and I went to see Backstreet. If you knew anything about the incredible Steph Gotz, you knew how much she loved Nick Carters tummy and bum. So it was with a bittersweet feeling that we were seeing them, when Steph wasn't there to dance to Larger Than Life.

So we pull up to the arena and what do I see on all the barricades absolutely surrounding us, set up to make lanes into the parking lot? The initials SMG, stenciled on every single one. Steph's initials, all staring me in the face everywhere I looked. A huge "Hi Adele, love Fefe" surrounding me.

My immediate reaction was shock and then relief. Steph was with us that night, in an undeniable way. I've gotten signs from my brother before, but not really from Steph. I guess she was waiting for a huge entrance.

With losing loved ones, everything from them gets cut off immediately. When you lose someone important in your life, you're expected to feel this enormous grief for the situation all at once. It's impossible for you to know just how empty your life will be without that person in a matter of hours. When the tragic happens, it could've not. You could just not see that person for a day or two, or their phone could just be turned off.

The enormity of it comes later on, when you go to call them for the first time and you realize that you can't. When you have to make holiday plans that don't include them. When you pass their exit on the highway and you realize that you can't just get off and go see them. When they'll no longer throw ice cubes on the floor for their dog or brag about their car.

It's not so much that people leave us, they're just there in different ways. In the rain, in that laughing child, in the breeze when you're walking all alone. You have to adapt to talking to them and them not talking back. The good thing is, you can talk to them all the time and they'll always be able to hear you. It's a bit disheartening when you have to imagine their responses sometimes but it gets easier with time. After all, you gained an angel.

You always remember it. You know where you were when 9/11 happened, your grandparents know where they were when someone took JFK from us too early. Now, you will know where you were when this great country of ours decided enough was enough, did an about face and elected Barack Obama.

I was with loved ones. Suz and I were at the Cute is What We Aim For show, upstairs with all my friends from FBR, a big group of family. We were so excited and anxious that whenever any news hit, we ran around our section telling everyone. 'Barack won  Pennsylvania!' 'Barack won Ohio!' A great show was going on but no one could concentrate on Secondhand Serenade when our country's future was at stake. AJo called with the update from Ohio, her home state that her and her family worked so hard to get Obama elected in. CNN kept texting with other updates. I love this information wonderland that we live in.

When the actual news hit, my phone started going off with simple 'AHHHHH' texts and Bloomie calling me to give me the life-changing news. Shaant and I immediately hugged and almost started crying, as we had both been so scared of how the rest of America was going to vote and if we would get out of this 8 yr perpetual nightmare. Everyone had massive smiles and sighs of relief. This whole ordeal was over.

We then all hightailed it to Union Square, where there were literally thousands of people shouting “Yes We Can!” and various Obama chants. We wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. At one point Suz looks at me and goes, ‘We’re all going to remember this for forever”… and she is completely right. Everyone who was anywhere will always remember it. For the endless crowd of us in Union, we will always remember waving the American flags around, joining the conga lines, having cars honk at us as they drove by- everything. I’m sure that there are still people out there, not wanting to leave the celebration.

Living in New York, I live in a distorted bubble. Everyone here is very open-minded and for the most part, Democratic. My peers are young and Obama-minded and I haven’t had much experience going face to face with McCain supporters. I’ve had to rely on the news and various trips outside of NY to see the full impact. That is why I was so wary about how America would vote- I didn’t know how Virginia was going to react to Barack, I didn’t know how the blue collar workers in PA would vote. I could only have, as Barack loves, hope.

I feel slightly spoiled that we get to have Barack for at least the next 4 years. I will listen to all his televised speeches, instead of trying to find aaanything else on tv, such as with Bush. I know he's 'untested' but it simply means that he's not jaded. Bush had 'experience' and look where that got us.

He won't be perfect, he can't be. Listen to his speeches and you'll see that he doesn't promise that- in fact, he embraces the fact that he won’t be flawless. But he’ll be what we need and he’ll be the change that America can not survive without. The path we’re on right now is so horrid that anything different would be better- and now, we have the best leading us down the new road. Can January 20^th come any sooner?

This election has been electrified by a fresh, never-before-seen candidate, but at the same time, it is something we have seen before. Through the media and the images we are bombarded with, this campaign may very well be won on television.

Go back to 1960 for a second. Up until then, presidential debates have only been on the radio, where viewers could hear their future leaders but not see them. Biases were formed by the words they were saying, by their accents- solely on words.

Then along came JFK and Nixon and with them, televised debates. The public was a bit shocked to see just how old and frail Nixon was. He didn't make people feel comfortable and safe, like JFK did. Kennedy spoke with such ease and comfort that the people of the nation immediately gravitated towards him.

This is recurring in this election. Barack Obama is so comfortable, so entirely sure of what he is saying, that America has simply grown to trust him. He looked at the audience during the debates, as well at McCain when he was speaking. Meanwhile, McCain scoffed, rolled his eyes and barely glanced at Barack. Obama's poise and posture is seemingly made for tv.

During the town hall debate, the one that McCain was supposed to win singlehandily, he faltered. Through no fault of his own, his war wounds were apparent in that he can't raise his arms, he walks around awkwardly and so forth. It was enough that almost all media outlets reported and commented on it.

That's not to discount the countless number of viewers who watched and listened to all of McCains points and arguments, without discounting him solely because of his appearance. As well as the viewers who can see past Barack's style and see that there still is real substance underneath. Sometimes, his eloquent speaking and other attributes overshadow his vast knowledge of our country and the world, among other things.

The way a candidate speaks and presents himself shouldn't, by all means, detemine an election. It should be based on the man (or woman) themself, their intellect and ideas on what is best for our country. But in a day and age where each candidate is photographed and videotaped nearly every moment of their campaign, and every single mistake and move is documented, appearance will count for something.

Make your voice heard on Tuesday. And take your 'I Voted' sticker to Krispy Kreme to get a free delicious calorie-loaded doughnut :) May we wake up on Nov 5th with the right change in the office. 

Please explain how, out of the millions of people in New York City, I can see Mark Ronson multiple times in different locations.

The first few times were in Union Square. Understandable, because I spend a lot of time there. I assume he has an apartment close by. Whatevs. You tend to see people in the same locays a lot.

But then, we're walking on Houston St last night and lo and behold, who do I see? Mr. Ronson. Speaking in his lovely British accent with his lovelier fall coat on.

I've been doing this a lot, seeing people I know in the streets. I wonder if its just coincidence or... well, what else WOULD it be? I think fate has more important things to do than to have me walk by certain people on the city sidewalks.

Stop stalking me, Mark. I'm not sure what the laws are in England but here, they're in full effect (whatever they happen to be).

Next blog soon. More thought-provoking than Mr Ronson.

I equate this to the first day of classes. You write down your information on an index card, stand up, introduce yourself and usually have say "one interesting fact about you". Everyone is either worrying too much about their own turn or relieved that they made it through theirs, to pay attention to yours. Ergo, you could reference Wham!, talk about the few years you spent in the circus or demonstrate some gnarly ninja skills, while the class absentmindly doodles or thinks about why that boy hasn't texted back yet.

Taking that into account, I'll try to make this Hello blog as painless and frill-less as poss. Please keep in mind that my future blogs will be filled with more worldly matters than myself.

I'm Adele. I've never not lived on an island. I haven't been a teenager for a few years. I've been bred music into my soul since I was born, thanks to a certain Mrs Connolly that danced around with my 3yr old self on kitchen tiles to the Rolling Stones.

I've successfully graduated from worrying if the members of my favorite boybands are married to caring why songwriters put a bridge here and not there, as well as enjoying 50 people capacity venues more than the Garden. That's not to say that I didn't have a smashing time at the Spice Girls reunion concert earlier this year.

You might be wondering about what music industry experience that I've had. I interned for Rolling Stone magazine, as well as the incredible record label Fueled By Ramen. I'm very glad to say that both experiences did not turn me off of the music industry, but rather taught me many different aspects of the egnima that it is.

During those times, I did everything from running city blocks in search of cranberry juice for Snoop Dogg to starring in a Panic at the Disco Youtube video. I loved the creative environment of both offices and the fact that literally anything could happen everyday (see: babyshopping for Entertainment Tonight producers to weekly Friday afternoon Nerf gun fights.)

I now work at Us Weekly, which is in the same offices as Rolling Stone. The office is so integregated that we work together on an almost daily basis. I love that my job is an adequate fusion of my two loves, music and the entertainment industry.

I like to dance in rain puddles. I take too many pictures  I like to eat mac and cheese. I think that it's weird that I did not have a first-day-of-classes this fall. And most importantly, I'll try to contribute to The One Love to the best of my capabilities. Thanks for having me :)