I can’t believe I’m doing this. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t succumb to writing an article about One Direction, the adorable boy band that hails from Europe. Of course they’re irresistible, and I can’t deny this any longer.

My direction infection began when Hannah Hughes, senior at OHS, made me listen to their songs on her I-pod during school. Though this wasn’t my first encounter with the boy band. Catherine Clark, sophomore at OHS, introduced them to me months prior to my Hannah experience. She says, “Even though my fandom has died down, I remember going through the obsessed phase. I found them via Facebook when a friend posted a video and thought ‘cute boys!’ but I still categorize myself as a one direction hipster because I found them in September.” Hannah was already obsessed when she began spreading the infection onto me. I refused to become what I like to call a “fan girl” which is pretty much self-explanatory. I would notify Hannah that I refused to learn any of the boy’s names, because I knew that once I knew their names, it would all be down-hill from there. Sure enough, I started watching YouTube videos of them. Within a week or two I knew first names, and now I’m accidentally learning last names. This is not by choice, people. IT IS A DISEASE.

Just a little background information for those of you who aren’t “Direction-ers,” the boys in the band auditioned for the British talent show “X Factor” two years ago as separate singers. Simon Cowell, one of the judges, suggested the five boys become one act. Thus became “One Direction” consisting of Harry, Louis, Zayn, Niall, and Liam.

I do believe there is such thing as a One Direction infection, because ladies and gentlemen, I myself am infected.

Common symptoms of One Direction Infection:

• When you say something humorous, your first thought is, “I wonder if Niall would think that’s funny?”
• When going to YouTube to search a music video of a song you recently heard on the radio, you suddenly find yourself watching One Direction videos. It starts with their music videos, then the video diaries, and soon enough you find yourself clicking on related videos entitled “Cute, funny facts about Harry Styles <3.” And even though you laugh on the inside about how ridiculous you’re being, you can’t help it. At this point there is no turning back.
• You compare Harry, Louis, Liam, Zayn, and Niall to the boys at your school. This is completely unfair to said boys at school, because the boys of One Direction are very attractive, can sing, have British accents, are funny… basically perfect.
• You secretly believe that one day you will meet them, and not that meeting them is highly unlikely, you also believe they will like you and at least one of them will want to date you. I mean, out of five there’s got to be at least one, right?

Although, I’m not saying the disease is a bad thing. All I’m saying is becoming crazy obsessed with these British boys is something I never wanted to do. Senior Hannah Hughes says, “The moment I saw their faces I knew I was hooked. Then I heard them sing, then YouTube. Oh my gosh. I blame Catherine Clark.” And I blame you, Hannah Hughes, because if it weren’t for you I’d have nothing to obsess over. So my advice is this, if you wish to not become hooked like many others before you have, stay away from those who are infected. The One Direction Infection is contagious.

April 14^th, 2012 marked the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The ship that was hailed to be “unsinkable” has received much attention ever since that chilly day it sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. From an award winning movie to millions of articles and media attention, many believe we’ve uncovered all there is to know about the doomed luxury ship. However, I guarantee there is much you didn’t know about the Titanic.

• The ship had its own newspaper titled The Atlantic Daily Bulletin. It was printed daily and included news articles, society gossip, horseracing results, and the daily menu. Aboard the massive ship were also some uncommon amenities such as a Turkish bath, a squash court, and a heated swimming pool.
• Of the nine dogs on board, two survived: a Pomeranian and a Pekinese. These dogs were among the first ordered, women and children, onto the lifeboats once the ship started to sink.
• The former home of one of the most famous survivors, Molly Brown, is now a museum in Denver, Colorado. Her home is open for tours and workshops.
• Millvana Dean, the last known survivor of the Titanic recently died in 2009. She was the youngest passenger on the ship at the time. It’s noted that her death came just a month after actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet paid for her nursing home expenses.
• Ten survivors of the sinking would commit suicide later on in their lives. Annie Robinson, who was sailing across the Atlantic at a later date, jumped overboard. Frederick Fleet, the lookout who was the first one to spot the ice-burg, hung himself in his garden.

The tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic will be forever remembered, and has been apart of so many lives for a century.

What constitutes a Tuesday night? There couldn’t possibly be much going on in one’s regular schedule making a Tuesday night consist more of an athletic event and/or homework and dinner, which makes Tuesday nights perfect for watching one of the funniest sitcoms on television right now: “New Girl.”

If you’ve never heard of or seen the show before, you have now. The sitcom stars the quirky, fun-loving actress Zooey Deschanel playing a character much similar to her own personality: Jess. Zooey’s character lives in an apartment with three other men, which is amusing to begin with. Schmidt, played by Max Greenfield; Winston, played by Lamorne Norris; Nick, played by Jake Johnson and Jess often find themselves in humorous situations. The show is laugh-out-loud kind of funny, and never fails to brighten my mood. A little cliché, I know, but I don’t know how else to express how much I genuinely love “New Girl.”

The show is on at 8 PM Eastern time on Tuesday nights on Fox, and I strongly suggest you take time to watch.

“To say I’m an over-rated troll, when you have never even see me guard a bridge, is patently unfair,” Tina Fey humorously wrote in response to a harsh website blogger in her book, Bossypants. Not only did the writer/actor/comedian/producer successfully instruct readers on how to take control in the workplace, but she effectively constructed a laugh-out-loud kind of book. Bossypants chronologically documents Fey’s life experiences, starting at her awkward girl-hood, following teen years spent with a circle of gay friends and years at the University of Virginia as, “A wide-hipped, sarcastic Greek girl with short hair that’s permed on top.” Later on the book tells of her move to Chicago and studying at Second City, life at Saturday Night Live, and ends with her struggles in trying to get the TV show, 30 Rock, on it’s feet and running.

According to Fey in Bossypants, her publicity from acting began when she was impersonating the then running mate to John McCain in the 2008 election, Sarah Palin, on Saturday Night live. This Sarah Palin- Hillary Clinton skit with fellow comedian Amy Poehler was her official step into political satire. Many people regarded her impression as a feminist “high point,” but she disagrees, saying, “The moment most emblematic of how things have changed for women in America was nine-months-pregnant Amy Poehler rapping as Sarah Palin and tearing the roof off the place.”

Tina Fey ends the book with a hilarious letter to her daughter, which she affectionately calls Midge (short for midget.) She opens the letter with, “First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.” Mrs. Johnson says, “Bossypants showcases Tina Fey’s brilliant wit. I literally was reading it at stop lights (but my kids weren’t in the car).”

Beauty companies like CoverGirl and Maybelline have provided ladies across the globe with an endless amount of products. Though, all the facial cleansers, moisturizers, nail polish removers, etc. can be a bit pricey. What do you do if you’re too lazy and/or out of money and need to re-stock the beauty cabinet? Simple, everyday household items can be replaced with a lot of beauty products.

Take for example, Pam Cooking Spray. It’s guaranteed that every home has at least one can in the kitchen. Used to keep food from sticking to the pan, Pam can also replace quick dry-oil to speed up the process of drying nails. Senior Hannah Hughes says, “There’s no harm in trying it out! If it worked, it would definitely save time.” While we are still in the kitchen, baking soda can be used in a cold bath to relieve sunburns. It’s much cheaper than Aloe Vera! Also in the kitchen, a mix of honey and milk can be a great cleanser for acne-prone skin.

Of course, cosmetic products are abundant, and much of them have some of the listed above kitchen items as an ingredient. One could find that, if desired, they could easily shift all beauty products exclusively to homemade, all-natural products. Sophomore Catherine Clark said, “It’s a good idea because my parents buy all the food, so I would save money on cosmetic products.” Some of the time, store bought products can be un-safe for your skin, so homemade cosmetic items can be a good switch.

Beyoncé Knowles recently gave birth to a baby girl, but rumors have been circulating concerning the validity of the pop icon’s pregnancy. Rumor has it that Beyoncé and Jay-Z hired a surrogate mother to carry Blue Ivy Carter. Such talk has caused questions to arise about this bizarre speculation. Why lie to the public about your pregnancy? Why even fake a pregnancy?

In early August, Beyoncé performed four sold out performances in New York, wearing skimpy outfits and showing off her fit body. Just ten days later, she showed up to the MTV music awards obviously pregnant, where she officially made the announcement. Some time later, a video clip surfaced on the Internet of Beyonce’s baby bump apparently collapsing after the star sat down for an interview on an Australian TV talk show. The media and public went crazy, and this is where the surrogacy assumptions originated. Also, the star supposedly had the baby a month before she was due, but had a C-section. It just doesn’t add up.

Which brings us to the question, why lie about being pregnant? Beyoncé’s track record shows her to be a respectable person, and surrogacy isn’t frowned upon in our society. Did she not want to ruin her amazing body? We all know she has the money to hire a personal trainer to get her back in the shape she was before pregnancy. Other celebrities have been open about fertility problems, so why isn’t B? The whole situation is a bit dodgy.

Though, at the end of the day, Beyonce’s pregnancy is nothing anyone should worry about except good ole’ Jay-Z and mama Knowles. Her pregnancy did cause everyone to “Ring the Alarm” and “Check on It”, but we all know Beyoncé will put her baby’s “Love on Top” and document Blue Ivy Carter’s life on her “Video Phone”. If Beyoncé is a liar, she’s a “Beautiful Liar” at that.

Video of B’s baby bump deflating:

Beyoncé Knowles recently gave birth to a baby girl, but rumors have been circulating concerning the validity of the pop icon’s pregnancy. Many say Beyoncé and Jay-Z hired a surrogate mother to carry Blue Ivy Carter. This has caused questions to arise about this bizarre speculation. Why lie to the public about your pregnancy? Why even fake a pregnancy?

In early August, Beyoncé performed four sold out performances in New York, wearing skimpy outfits and showing off her fit body. Just ten days later, she showed up to the MTV music awards obviously pregnant, where she officially made the announcement. Some time later, a video clip surfaced on the Internet of Beyonce’s baby bump apparently collapsing after the star sat down for an interview on an Australian TV talk show. The media and public went crazy, and this is where the surrogacy assumptions originated. Also, the star supposedly had the baby a month before she was due, but had a C-section. It just doesn’t add up.

Which brings us to the question, why lie about being pregnant? Beyoncé’s track record shows her to be a respectable person, and surrogacy isn’t frowned upon in our society. Did she not want to ruin her amazing body? We all know she has the money to hire a personal trainer to get her back in the shape she was before pregnancy. Other celebrities have been open about fertility problems, so why isn’t B? The whole situation is a bit dodgy.

Though, at the end of the day, Beyonce’s pregnancy is nothing anyone should worry about except good ole’ Jay-Z and mama Knowles. Her pregnancy did cause everyone to “Ring the Alarm” and “Check on It”, but we all know Beyoncé will put her baby’s “Love on Top” and document Blue Ivy Carter’s life on her “Video Phone”. If Beyoncé is a liar, she’s a “Beautiful Liar” at that.

A late Saturday night, plus a month’s free trial subscription, equals me watching a random, but interesting documentary by the History Channel about the lost girls of China. Who needs a college education when you can learn everything from on demand Internet streaming media?

China, one of the world’s oldest civilizations, has more than 4,000 years of history and culture. Unfortunately, a preference amongst the Chinese that is over a century old is causing one of the biggest problems the country has ever faced.

In the 50s and 60s, under chairman Mao, China had a huge population boom. As a result, Mao’s successors limited most families to one child, creating the “One Child Policy” in the 1980s. The policy caused major consequences. Couples began to feel like they needed to have a boy because of the century old belief that males are more valuable than females. Their reasoning behind this is that males carry on the family name, provide hard labor, and stay with the family, whereas a female would marry and move away.

Sadly, little girls are discarded members of China’s society. If a couple was to try their luck at having a boy and ended up with a girl, in most cases, she would be aborted, abandoned, or even killed. Orphanages are crowded with girls, many found in boxes at parks or markets. The mothers’ brazen attempts to abandon them is a direct result of the over population and One Child Policy. Consequently, one quarter of all babies adopted into the United States are from China.

The fortunate little girls that do get adopted are a boon to the American families, but a different problem has been created: there are barely any girls left in the country. Gender imbalance is evident everywhere: in an average school classroom, for every 36 kids, 29 are male and only 7 are female. It is said that when this new generation of babies reaches marriage age, around one million Chinese men will be without a wife. Already, China is starting to see the results of the imbalance, mostly in the villages, women are being kidnapped and sold to men as wives. In one case, a young woman was taken from her home and sold for 2,500 Yuan, approximately $400.

The Chinese government has made attempts to control this horrific situation. On every block there is a family planning center, and nurses make regular door-to-door visits in the village to explain to families that girls are productive members of society, and are equal to boys.

Still, the One Child Policy has triggered yet another problem. Now that only children are most common among families, most of them are spoiled, causing a huge obesity problem. This drawback is so big that society has created a name for these kids, calling them “Little Emperors”. Adding to the list of government created “centers” are fat reduction centers. The government has implemented these in hopes to control the “Little Emperor’s” obesity.

With the One Child Policy, China has single handedly augmented their problems, creating the largest struggle a society has ever gone through. From gender imbalance, to kidnappings and obesity, the country can ascribe all problems faced to over population. The country has dug itself into a hole so deep, there isn’t much to do but wait. What it is they must wait for, I can’t tell, but let’s hope for the time being, China can overcome the indecency that is their opinions of male dominance, because that is what lit the flame for all this mayhem.

You know them as “50 cent”, “Tupac”, and “Lil Wayne”; rappers that have graced planet Earth with some meaningful, but mostly meaningless lyrics and rhymes. But what exactly are their real names? If you were to see an album by Curtis James Jackson III, would you know that’s 50 cent? Here’s an interesting look at the name these rappers’ mommas gave them:

• Busta Ryhmes- Trevor Tahiem Smith
• Dr. Dre- Andre Romelle Young
• Flo Rida- Tramar Dillard
• Eminem- Marshall Bruce Mathers
• Gucci Mane- Radric Davis
• Ice Cube- Oshea Jackson
• J. Cole- Jermaine Lamarr Cole
• Jay-Z- Shawn Corey Carter
• Kid Cudi- Scott Mescudi
• Lil Jon- Johnathan Smith
• Lil Mama- Niatia Jessica Kirkland
• Lil Wayne- Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.
• LL Cool J- James Todd Smith
• Ludacris- Christopher Brian Bridges
• Pitbull- Armando Christian Perez
• P Diddy- Sean Combs
• R Kelly- Robert Sylvester Kelly
• Rick Ross- Ricardo Thomas
• T pain- Faheem Najm
• Vanilla Ice- Robert Van Winckle
• Wale- Olubowale Victor Akintimehin
• Wiz Khalifa- Cameron Thomaz

All and all, they are who they are, and I guess they can be called whatever they want. Their rapper names have assisted them on their road to success. If changing your name and throwing down some beats means millions, sign me up. Comment in the box below of what your rapper name would be.

Many people have the Internet to thank for most of their information, whether it be about movies, how-tos, do it yourself projects, the latest news, history, math, science, or art. The list could go on and on. How to gain good information can be a hassle, though. One could simply type something into Google, but the chances of the related searches being what you’re looking for are a bit dodgy. Admit it, you’ve experienced times when you’ve typed something into Google like, “prom hair” and were led to a link about women’s rights. Not exactly what you’re looking for.

Search no further, literally. StumbleUpon, a website I’ve recently discovered, helps you share and discover websites related to your interests. Before creating an account, there is a list of subjects such as: photography, fashion, art, travel, etc. and you check your personal preferences. Over 500 topics are available for users to indicate their interests so each “stumble” is relevant. After your account is created, you can begin to “stumble your interests”. Websites appear that have been recommended by your friends on StumbleUpon or over 15 million people with interests similar to you. When you come across a website you love, you can click “like” and the webpage will be saved under your account “likes”. If a webpage pops up that you’re not interested in, you can click “stumble” and a new webpage will appear.

StumbleUpon is pretty much one of the best websites, coming in a close second next to Pinterest. It delivers high-quality websites, which are applicable to an account user’s preferences. Stumble is web surfing made easy. What more could you ask for?

Visit: www.stumbleupon.com