When a filibuster is more than a filibuster

All right you guys, I'm about to get political over here. Brace yourselves.

(source)

Meet real-life Wonder Woman Senator Wendy Davis. She holds a seat in the Texas legislature. On June 25th, 2013 starting at 11:18 a.m. she began her filibuster against Bill SB5, which would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This bill, if passed, would shut down all but 5 medical clinics in the entire state of Texas. These clinics do not only provide abortion services, but affordable health care for women, men, and children.
For those who don't know what a filibuster entails, it means she has to stand on the senate floor and talk for 13  straight hours and talk in order for the bill to not reach the governor's desk for him to sign. She is not allowed to stop, either. No breaks, no sitting down or resting, no eating, no drinking, no using the restroom, nothing but talking for the entire time. If she can talk continually till midnight, they cannot pass the bill.
Well, guess what? This superhero of a woman did it. Senator Davis, a single mother and a Harvard law alumn, asked people from all around the nation and the world to send in their abortion testimonies for her to share and to keep the filibuster going. If she was to stop once, she would be out and they could pass the bill.
Armed with a pair of bright pink Nike sneakers, she talked the entire time. Many of her male colleagues would not even pay attention to her. She was constantly nitpicked at the rules, especially when one of the senators helped her adjust her back brace, saying this was in violation of the rules.
BUT HERE'S THE KICKER: a fellow female senator pointed out that she did not sit or lean on anything as this was being done, and the rules were written in male pronouns, therefore they did not technically apply to her anyway! Talk about engrained misogyny.

Senator Leticia Van de Putte (D) (right), also is a woman of note in this whole debacle. She tried her best to make Davis' filibuster count, adding countless support to the cause and in order to extend the filibuster. Most of her male colleagues elected to ignore her as well, in which she responded with the following:

At what point must a female senator raise her hand, or her voice, to be heard over the male colleagues in the room?

You go Senator Van de Putte. You go.

Davis' talk was broadcasted live the entire time, journalists keeping people updated every step of the way.
Then, as she neared the end of the final hour, she was silenced. They claimed she was in violation of the guidelines, mentioning sonograms which were considered "irrelevant" to the topic (which actually isn't irrelevant at all).
She continued to stand, and as soon as they tried to silence her, the people in the gallery screamed.
They could not be silenced. They continued the filibuster themselves.

This is what the gallery sounded like in the last 10 minutes of the filibuster:


When the people refused to move, Representative Mary Gonzales tweeted a picture of a bunch of state troopers coming in to arrest the civil disobedience. Unfortunately, the GOP representatives that supports the bill then decided that the ruckus "interfered with their vote" and they voted AFTER MIDNIGHT, which is in direct violation of their regulation.

Basically, they broke a law to make a law.

During the filibuster:"Oh, sorry Ms. Davis. You have to follow these strict guidelines for your filibuster. Rules are rules."
When they decide to vote after midnight: "Wait, what are rules again?"

The GOP actually changed the date on the books to reflect that the vote was made before midnight, instead of after. Someone caught it before they changed it. Oh boy, aren't you in trouble.

BUT, IN AN AMAZING TURN OF EVENTS:

Our girl Wendy did it! She represents thousands of Texan women and her passion and bravery paid off!

However, this is not the end. What to take away from this incident is this: the government will not hesitate to forward their own agenda by any means necessary, even if that means breaking laws already in place.

They have ignited something they cannot stop.

Change is coming, folks. Especially with several other bills in place, such as the vote on Prop 8 in California, the DOMA equal marriage act, and SCOTUS also passing today a law allowing restrictions on voting based on race, gender, and sexual orientation. In other words, they just flung us back into some of the darkest parts of our past. 

I leave you with this. Get pumped, revolution is on it's way.

Fight the patriarchy.

Till next time xx,

Sierra

Gotta Have It #2

01. Bats All, Folks! Skirt at ModCloth. I was looking around ModCloth and found this adorable skirt! It would be perfect around Halloween (leave it to me to think of Halloween in June), but I'm a sucker for black and white patterns. This will be my next purchase.

02. Glow in the Dark Blue Moon Necklace / Glass Moon Necklace on Etsy. I saw this necklace on one of my favorite blogs, The Dainty Squid, and thought it was absolutely stunning.

03. Pup Rally Dress on ModCloth. If you know me, you know how much I love dogs. So this dress is perfect in every way, to me.

04. Scratch Off World Map by Urban Outfitters. For a brand new world traveller, this map would be fun to keep track of everywhere I've been.

05. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) DVD. I read the book, loved the book. Watched the movie on the plane to London, loved the movie (and the charming Ezra Miller as Patrick, talk about perfect casting). It's on sale on Amazon now!

Well, that's all for now! Have a lovely rest of your week!

Till next time xx,

Sierra

REVIEW: "World War Z" (2013)

Directed by: Marc Forster
Rating: 3 stars (out of four) ★★★☆

Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Matthew Fox, James Badge Dale, Fana Mokoena

Zombies + Brad Pitt = Instant blockbuster success? Quite possibly.

Image courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes

World War Z is the story of Gerry Lane (Pitt), an ex-UN employee who's roped into stopping a mysterious zombie-inducing pandemic that's infecting the entire population. 

It beings in Philadelphia, where Gerry, his wife Karin (Enos), and his two daughters are sitting in a traffic jam which soon turns deadly, as the fleeing citizens become a legion of infected zombies all around them. They escape and are taken away by helicopter by Gerry's former UN employer Thierry Umutoni (Mokoena). However, though Gerry believes this is a favor for his past work, he quickly discovers that he must lead a team to search for a medical cure to stop the quickly-spreading plague.

I know you might be thinking "wait, ANOTHER zombie movie?!", but this film has it's own bite (pun definitely intended). These aren't your typical slower-than-mollasses zombies, either. They are fast, ferocious, and not to mention persistent creatures. They're sufficiently terrifying, especially when in large swarms.

If you're anything like me, your heart will be racing through 80% of this movie, the action and suspense deliver. However, some moments were quite funny, more unintentional than not. The zombies by themselves at times were too crazed and bugged out to be taken seriously. The film was definitely more action than gore, tastefully played with minimal blood and guts (but just enough to remind you that, yes, people are dying), an interesting move from Forster that some would call a flinch. There were also moments and situations that were barely plausible (legion of zombies aside) that no one, even our handsome but human zombie slayer, could have probably survived. But hey, it's the plague of the undead. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug, I guess.

Image courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes

It was a rocky road to get this movie made, going through many writers and a last minute editing change after the initial filming. But with the steady resolves of Pitt as a producer and Forster, they pushed the movie forward. All of that pushing definitely paid off. The zombie-apocalypse flick sure did well in the box office, raking in over $111 million, possibly Pitt's most successful blockbuster of his career.

Forster's creepy take on the zombie genre portrays the monsters as infected hosts searching to spread their disease like a malicious virus. Though this isn't an original idea, the way to the cure is certainly one I had not seen before (don't worry, I won't spoil it). I can't help but compare it to Warm Bodies, another undead-themed book-to-movie adaptation that entertains the idea that the zombies can be "cured" and turned back to their former selves. Don't look for this kind of hope in World War Z. 

The movie is filled with excellent acting from most of the cast, though Pitt especially shines as the hero of the story, the chosen one to save the world, if you will. This is definitely not a movie in Brad's normal genre range, but he plays his character with enough grounded emotional connection, humanity, and heart while simultaneously shooting zombies in the head. What could be better? Pitt was more or less the highlight of the film, as was most likely the intention.

World War Z is (loosely) based off the book of the same name by Max Brooks. 

And for those who saw the ending: yes, there is talk of a sequel.

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Loved it or hated it? Leave a comment telling why!

Till next time xx,

Sierra

REVIEW: Gaiman's "Ocean at the End of the Lane" enthralls our inner child

REVIEW: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Rating: 3 out of 4 stars

DISCLAIMER: I will state now that I’m one of the biggest Neil Gaiman fans I know, but I will try to remain impartial to a point. 

As soon as I discovered Gaiman was releasing another novel, I wasted no time pre-ordering it. After just completing the latest book in G.R.R.M’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, a 1300-page leviathan, this tiny under-200 page novel was easily conquered in one evening. 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is about an unnamed seven-year-old boy who just moved in the English countryside after his father runs into financial trouble. What starts off as an ordinary story through a child’s eyes quickly takes a fanciful turn after he meets Lettie Hempstock on her farm, a farm girl wise beyond her years, and her mother and grandmother. 

A novel geared towards adults, this story isn’t a simple fairytale. Gaiman’s engrossing tale also speaks volumes of how adults view children and their sometimes wild, imaginative claims; and also, on the nature of “grown-ups” and age themselves. Told from the perspective of the seven-year-old, now aged and remembering, it gives the reader a dual perspective of the same boy in two vastly different stages of his life. 

Fantasy comes easy for Gaiman, and reminds me especially as a writer of an important rule: in your book, anything goes. Things don’t necessarily have to connect for it to be a good story. In the case of Ocean, it makes it all the better. This novel asks of the reader to believe and accept as a child would and does, which allows him or her to enjoy the story on another level. A lot is packed into these 159-page book, which was originally a short story written for a friend, according to Gaiman’s acknowledgements. Another jewel to add to a Gaiman-lover’s shelf, it may take a certain kind of reader to be repelled from this little magical, surreal novella. 

The book is now available in stores and online. 

Till next time xx,

Sierra

Back from my adventure!

So I actually got back a week ago...oops.
I was way too tired to write my last update, but I made it back to the U S of A safe and sound.
Now, to commence with the updates! I'm already planning my next trip.

Till next time xx,

Sierra

Day #9 - Wales

This morning was another early one, mostly because there was no way we could miss the ferry to Wales. They only go every 12 hours, so that would've put us gravely behind. So we slowly moved towards the bus after breakfast and drove to the ferry.

The ferry ride was 4 hours and had spotty Internet, but it was better than nothing! I took a nap and we had some lunch. Then we were back in the UK in Pembroke, Wales. I was hoping to see a corgi but alas, we only were driving through. Honestly, though Wales is stunning, I couldn't tell you half of what we saw because I fell asleep, again. It's hard when you have to wake up around 5 am. 

We got to Cardiff and skipped the castle tour (when you've seen one, you've seen the lot) and went shopping. We were also in search for some homemade local ice cream while we were here but we didn't have any luck this afternoon either. Before we knew it we went back on the bus, to the hotel for awhile, and then drove out to the countryside to ...a farm!

This couple has a beautiful farm and they cooked for us and we ate a wonderful meal. My favourite part was the dessert: strawberries and homemade cream! We didn't get our ice cream, but this welsh cream was amazing. I even had two...whoops.

They also took us around the farm where they had a bunch of animals, including an adorable little pug. There was a hen party in their guest home next door so it deinitely was a full house, but the owners were incredibly welcoming and wonderful. A hen party, accompanied with stag parties, is basically a bachelorette party. Places such as York, Cardiff, Dublin, and other places all over the country are popular destinations on the weekends for these parties. We saw a bunch of stag and hen parties just in Cardiff today, including some guys in superhero costumes, tights and all.

There really isn't much for the update today. Our last day is tomorrow which makes me kind of sad.

Till next time xx,

Sierra

Day #8 - Cruising around the Irish Countryside (07 June 2013)

Much to my dismay, we had to leave Dublin this morning.

We drove a short way to the Irish National Stud Farm in Kildare where thoroughbred race horses are bred for races in the UK, Ireland, and other places in Western Europe. The horses were beautiful, though our tour guide described the whole process as "organized prostitution". The stallions are owned by private owners and they pay to be associated with the stud farm and to keep then there. Every time the stallion impregnates a mare, there's a fee. And once their offspring is off in the race track, depending on how well the offspring does, that will increase or decrease the value of the stallion.

Anyway, it was a fun time even though there was a random Japanese garden in the stud farm.

The next stop was Kilkenny where we had lunch. It was a cute little town an we had some huge fish and chips. We passed a candy store and I really wanted some gummy candy but we thought we'd might get something better later on. I will get my gummy candy soon!

After a very brief stay in Kilkenny, we drove to Waterford, an old Viking town and the oldest town in Ireland. We only had a little while after we got here to rest and then we were off again. We had a local guide, Jack, show us some insider historical points of interest in the town. He was also hilarious and entertaining! It was worth going even though we were very tired.

I only had 20 or so minutes to get ready before we went to a pub about 10 minutes outside of the city. We had local, beautiful Irish musicians play and sing for us while we enjoyed some great atmosphere. One of the ladies on the tour tried to set me up with them! Well they said that the Irishmen are the most romantic, so that could've worked out for me nicely. I'll keep that in mind.

I had 2 Bailey's creams even though I wanted some more Smithtick's before I left, probably my favourite ale I've had here. But I have to admit, Bailey's is great stuff. Let's hope they might have some in Wales tomorrow, or back in England.

I'm really sad to be leaving Ireland. When I go home, I want to trace my Irish side of the family because I wanted to get a family crest pin but I didn't know what our Irish name was. I'm making that another project!

I'm very tired now, talk to you all possibly tomorrow!

Till next time xx,

Sierra

Days #6 & #7 Sláinte from Ireland (05-06 June 2013)

The last two days we've been galavanting all over Dublin, Ireland. The first day we got here, we took a ferry from Scotland, across the Irish Sea to the town of Belfast. Belfast is in Northern Ireland, which considers itself as part of the UK and therefore uses pounds instead of euros. We took a bus tour of Belfast with a local guide, which was very informative. We passed the Titanic monument visitor center thing, and it was quite impressive. Overall, Belfast was okay not my favorite but not terrible. We didn't stay there very long.

After that we drove several hours to Dublin in the southern part of the country. What's really cool is that all the street signs are in Gaelic and English, because Gaelic, or just simply Irish, is the official language of the country though seldom speak it in everyday life. For dinner we went to The Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Ireland which was founded in 1198 A.D.

The next day we got up early and started the day. We had another local guide talk to us about Dublin, and then soon after we set out to Glendalough, a monastery site in the countryside about an hour from Dublin city. It was beautiful out there. So far it's my favorite countryside out of all of them. The monastery was also really awesome. It had a big graveyard so I know nana would have loved it. The oldest dating grave we found was in the year 1784. We also got some food from a little kiosk in the parking lot and I got some Celtic knot earrings.

After that they dropped us straight off into the heart of the city. I got a couple things while I was there. Our driver, Marc, said he was going to pick us all up at 3:55 pm, but as we walked down the street about 2:45 pm he honked at us and told us he was leaving without us. Made us think we were late even though Chris said about 5 times that it would be at 3:55 pm. We waited by Trinity Collegr, which has been around since the 1600s and holds the Book of Kells. I might be able to study there one semester in a year or two!

The bus picked us up, on time, and took us to the Guinness storehouse. There they taught us the Irish word for "cheers" which is "Sláinte." I think the Irish language is really cool and I wouldn't mind learning it. 

From there we took a tour of how Guinness is made and we got to taste it and get a free pint. I got carded, again. I guess I don't look 19. I sense a trend in the future. Marc also told me not to have more than one, but if I did I could have his share because he hates the stuff. I didn't think it was all that bad. The guy even decorated the foam with a little shamrock design! We drank our pints in the Gravity Bar on the top floor of the giant pint glass of a building. The top was all clear windows so we could see all of Dublin from up there.

After that we went straight to the Irish cabaret. The food wasn't that great but the entertainment was awesome! They had river dancers, singers, and an old Irishman who has been doing comedy for 50 years! He was really hilarious. The show was really a treat.

 What I really love about Ireland is the I'm Irish myself and I feel tied to this country. I mean, I love London and England and Scotland. And even though I have English blood as well, I love the culture of Ireland and am proud to be Irish.

So now I'm a tad sunburned (who gets sunburned in IRELAND?) and extremely exhausted. We head to Waterford in the morning and get to see even more of the beautiful, pastoral countryside.

Till next time xx,

Sierra

Day #5 - A wee taste of Edinburgh (04 June 2013)

Today we drove to Edinburgh, only a few hours from Glasgow. This morning was my favourite because we didn't have to pack first thing! After breakfast we got in the bus and started the day.

In Edinburgh, we drove around the city as a brief orientation to get around. Then a local guide named Liz joined us and took us to Edinburgh castle. The view was marvellously breathtaking, and the history was fascinating. You can definitely tell that there's animosity between the Scots and the English, even in the way they both describe the same events. Like the stone of Scone (pronounced "schoon"), or the stone of Destiny, which is used when crowning the new monarchs (it sits under the coronation chair). The English like to say that it went "back and forth between England and Scotland", while our Scottish local guide said that it was "stolen" from them. 

After the castle, we went past a pub called Greyfriars Bobby, which is named after a dog named Bobby who's owner was a soldier and died in combat. The dog was extremely loyal and heartbroken, he went to his owner's grave every day and at 1 o'clock he'd head to this pub where he'd be fed scraps. However, the Scottish parliament wanted to pass a law that all dogs need a license, but Bobby didn't have an owner so he was almost put down. Fortunately, he was so loved by everyone that the mayor decided to let Bobby live. His grave site is by the pub.

As we explored Edinburgh, we saw a guy playing Guantanamea and it was stuck in my head all day. We went on a search for fish and chips for lunch, and we were told we could get it at a pub. We went into this one pub but it was oddly terrifying and I got out of there as fast as I could. The next pub called The Black Rose Tavern was a little better. But you have to be 18 to even be on the premises so I got carded for the first time (and passed!). 

We went our separate ways for an hour and I got to go shopping at H&M (again) and Primark, a place Kitty raved on and on about. It was really awesomely priced but I decided I would save my shopping for Dublin!

We had a drink in the famous Barmoral Hotel and then rejoined out group to visit this amazing bridge in Queensferry and the Falkirk wheel. Chris gave us some shortbread and Drambuie to try. It's a Scottish whiskey blend with honey. It used to be only made for royals until the man who invented it released his recipe. Though it was strong at first, I actually liked it. After seeing the wheel, which transports pleasure boats, we went straight to dinner with our group back in Glasgow. It was excellent, as almost all our meals have been so far, and the creme brûlée was also good though it had an orange-y twinge to it.

So that was today, and tomorrow we get up even EARLIER to catch a ferry to Belfast, Ireland! I can't wait to go there, especially because I'm Irish myself.

Till next time xx,

Sierra

Day #4 - Lakes and Sheep (03 June 2013)

Today we drove to the Lake District first. I fell asleep for part of the drive because all there was to see after a while was grass, hills, and sheep. We had assigned bus seats today but we were near the front. We rode a train to a boat so we could cruise Lake Windemere, which was very picturesque. We talked to a woman from Vancouver on the train who was really nice. The cruise was tranquil and calm...until 2 jet planes soared over the lake booming loud. So much for peace. We saw a lot of puppies in that town, it was a dog-friendly place for sure. We passed by the home of children's author Beatrix Potter, most famous for her stories on Peter Rabbit, and the smallest house in England. It was absolutely tiny. I'll have pictures of that (and everything else) when get home. We drove though the countryside and arrived at Grasmere, a small pretty town where William Wordsworth lived and was buried. Chris read us some poetry on the way there, which I really loved. We had lunch and wifi there before we drove across the border into Scotland! We took a rest stop at a hokey Scottish tourist town that's famous for where couples would go to elope. Shortly after we came to Glasgow, where Chris kept saying it was an industrial town and not very pretty. He was partially right but it was also maybe some English bias. Though it is definitely grittier than London.

This is some of the pretty countryside.

We got to Glasgow and checked into our hotel, which is a million times better than the one in Harrogate. After an hour we got to go to dinner with our group and chatted up a storm. We talked to Chris, the Toronto people, and two extremely great women from Australia! They are my favorite people so far. Then we got back, took our showers, and here we are now. Not that much to report today, and we head to Edinburgh tomorrow! Cheers!

Till next time xx,

Sierra

Day #3 - To See or Not To See (02 June 2013)

Because we didn't get to sleep till 1 am and got up at 6 am, we felt like the walking dead. Several other tours were leaving out of the same hotel at the same time, so it was quite a mad house. We fit got onto the correct bus after we ran into our guide, Chris, and started up towards Stratford-Upon-Avon. We stopped at Anne Hathaway cottage, the wife of Shakespeare, and took a group photograph. The son of the photographer was there to make us laugh and he was so cute. Then we drove a little bit more and got to Shakespeare's birthplace. We toured his house, which I thought was really cool. I bought some things in the gift shop, including the best eraser I will probably ever own:

Get it? Ha ha ha. Anyway.

The town was pretty touristy, but we grabbed a bite to eat, withdrew some money, and made a stop at the loo. A lot of public places you have to pay to use it, but we beat the system by walking through the gate while it malfunctioned.

Next was York, about 3 hours from Stratford. The people next to us were very talkative and loud and then started talking politics. That made me roll my eyes. We're on vacation, please give it a rest.

When we arrived in York, we took a brief walking tour with Chris, only took about 15 minutes or so. If York were in the USA, they would be Texas: they are fiercely independent and sometimes consider themselves separate from the rest of the country. We had 2 free hours in York and the first thing we did was get some chips. And my goodness, they were amazing.

We walked down the Shambles, which is a pretty accurate idea of what streets looked like back in the olden days. Then we saw the York chocolate shop and we had to go in. We saw York Minster but we didn't go in because you had to pay, and looked at the wall that surrounded r city. After that we hopped back on the bus headed to Nelson's pub outside Harrogate for a Sunday Roast dinner with Yorkshire pudding (which is really just bread) and potatoes. I ordered the house ale to try and that was warm, terrible beer. But I drank as much as I dared anyway. We sat with some people from Toronto who were friendly. One of them was a girl my age. Then the dessert came, chocolate torte and cheesecake. After we went to the posh town of Harrogate. The people sitting next to us were loud and drunk so that was rather annoying. We got to the hotel, it wasn't nearly as nice as our last one, and the shower was confusing and they had pricey Internet. Other than that it wasn't terrible. We did a lot in the first day.

Till next time xx,

Sierra

Day #2 - London exploration (01 June 2013)

So forgive me the multiple posts, I didn't write our last night in London, and then I was at a hotel last night that wanted to charge me £5 an hour for Internet. Um, no thank you.

Since I had severe jet lag, I slept for 11 straight hours and got up around 9:30 am the morning of the 1st. We then had breakfast and were on our way.

After walking around a little the day before, we went straight to Westminster Abbey and paid 18 quid each. Once we walked in, we realised that it was worth it. It was absolutely gorgeous inside the church. They had free audio tours, so we took a device and walked around. We saw the burial sites of monarchs such as Elizabeth the First, her sister Mary, Richard III, and many English poets and writers such as Charles Dickens, Chaucer, Jane Austen, Ruyard Kipling, and many others in the area called the Poet's Corner. That was my favourite part of the Abbey.

After that we stopped at Parliament Square where we witnessed a protest against the BNP (British National Party) and figured out where we were going. The protest was quite the ordeal, though. 58 arrests in all.

Then we walked to Trafalgar Square, where I took a picture at Nelson's Coloumn and then went into the National Gallery which is a giant art museum. I also got swindled by a lady who wanted me to draw my flag on the ground and then told me after I did it that it she said I owed her 2 pounds! How ridiculous is that?

The gallery was cry nice, and then we took the Tube to Oxford Circus, which is a big, busy intersection where you can cross normally or diagonally, which I find rather clever. We hunted for the London Kua 'Aina and after going the wrong way many times, we finally found it. We each had a burger and it was surprisingly awesome! We told the waiter that we travelled all the way from Hawaii to eat there, and he asked me to show my Hawaii driver's license because kama'aina discount applied. I thought he was joking, but when I showed it to him he gave us £2 off! 

After that we had some time so we went shopping at the giant H&M on Oxford street and I got two things. I also bought a Union Jack for my room and some gifts. Then we met up with Hulali and her parents for dinner that evening and had an awesome time. We had Hungarian, which definitely helped to broaden our horizons. Overall a great day in London. 

Till next time xx, 

Sierra

Monday Mix/Mix it Up #3 - All Mashed Up

Something I've noticed in my browsing of the Internet that a ton of really cool mash-ups have been cropping up. I thought I'd share some of my favorites!

1. "I Write Sins Not Sex Yeah" - Marina and the Diamonds vs. Panic! At The Disco - These two tracks seem to fit wonderfully with each other.

2. "Billie Jean Got Lucky"- Daft Punk vs. Michael Jackson - Daft Punk's newest single sounds like it was almost MEANT to be mashed with Michael Jackson.

3. "Viva la Primadonna" - Marina and the Diamonds vs. Coldplay - Marina and the Diamonds' newest album Electra Heart has put Marina Diamandis in the spotlight as of late. In addition, her songs are great to mash up, as you will notice with this list. This is up there as my top favorite mash up.

4. "The Take Over The Break's Over / I Write Sins" - Fall Out Boy vs. Panic! At The Disco - I'm not entirely sure what it is, but Panic!'s music is easily paired with other songs almost effortlessly. This combination with Fall Out Boy is definitely a winner, despite Patrick's vocal pitch manipulation.

5. "Love Story/Viva La Vida" - John Schmidt (Taylor Swift vs. Coldplay) - An instrumental mash up, I find this track immensely beautiful, emotional, yet relaxing.

6. "Red Titanium"- Taylor Swift vs. David Guetta - I'm not a huge fan of both songs on their own, but putting them together was one fantastic idea.

7.  "Bubblegum Bitch / I Write Sins Not Tragedies" - Marina and the Diamonds vs. Panic! At The Disco - Made by the same person who created the first mash-up, this is the original that inspired "I Write Sins Not Sex Yeah", and I find it equally as good.

8. "Radioactive vs. Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons vs. Marina and the Diamonds - I know, I know, a lot of Marina. But this combination with Imagine Dragons's power anthem is an electro-synth earful.

9. "Lucky 22" - Taylor Swift vs. Britney Spears - When I first saw this, I didn't think it would work. I was pleasantly surprised. Makes "22" much more likable, somehow.

10. "The Kings and Queens Will Fix You" - 30 Seconds to Mars vs. Coldplay - Saving the best for last, this mashup is exceptionally beautiful and ethereal, combining Coldplay's haunting piano chords and Jared Leto's resonant vocals.

So, I'm currently in the UK right now, but I'm queueing this up so I can at least update my blog somewhat in the case that I won't have a lot of time.

Enjoy the music and feel free to leave any of your favorite mash ups below in the comments.

Till next time xx,

Sierra

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