Words can not describe the sizzling sensation that  the social-climbing band Ratatat creates for their listeners. The duo Mark Stroud (guitarist) and Evan Mast (bass player, producer, and synthesizer) provide an exhilarating performance that will make listeners instantly addicted.

“Their music is really good, always sets the tone for the day in a positive way, said sophomore Zach Salaam.

Born and raised in Washington DC, the male duo met at Skidmore College, where they recorded several songs under the name “cherry” in 2001.  Addicted to this phenomenal sound they created, they came out with their first album Ratatat in 2004, making a statement in the instrumental genre. In addition, this band also does remixes of popular songs, and came out with an album called Ratatat Remixes Vol. 1, which captured the attention of Rolling Stone Magazine.

“I love their remix Hot by Missy Elliot. Its really sassy and has a great beat,” senior Maddie Turner said.

Ratatat toured with bands such as Bjork, Daft Punk, Mouse on Mars, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, CSS, The Faint, Super Furry Animals, Clinic, Panther, and the Killers. Each song created by Ratatat clearly shows their definitive love for solid beats along with an accompanied artist, or just the beats alone. Their utter goal is to have everyone listening, swaying, or nodding to the music. The duo male music magicians have produced a the majority of their music independently, and now have chosen to not stop until they reach the top of their career. Keep your eyes peeled for appearances made by Ratatat in the U.S. towards the end of 2010.

Top 5 Ratatat songs

1. “Wildcat”-Classics

2. “Loud Pipes”-classics

3.” Cherry”-Ratatat

4. “Seventeen Years”-Ratatat

5. “Pursuit of Happiness Ft. MGMT, Ratatat”-Kid Cudi

After attacking and killing a trainer at a Sea World show last week, whale Tilly may not return to Sea World. Shows continued over the weekend using a replacement for Tilly, and some are saying that the whale should be free and that its time to let him go. Sea World is resisting the letting go of their beloved whale, even after the incident at its last show.

“I don’t think that the whale should be let back into Sea World. Its wrong for us to keep whales in captivity anyways. I think this shows us that it’s not right, and that we shouldn’t have animals and humans together,” said sophomore Anara Askar.

Some are saying that because of thirty years in captivity, Tilly could never make it in the wild so some are suggesting for the whale to be sent to a sea pen. This is a closed off part of the ocean. Conditions in this part are just like that in the wild, but animals kept here are kept under close watch so no harm can come to them.

“I don’t think that Tilly should be allowed back in Sea World because it’s too dangerous,” said freshman Chloe Rodgers.

Others bring up the point that Tilly’s weak immune system probably won’t be strong enough to prevent harm in real ocean water. Sea World employees argue that Tilly’s home is not in the wild and that he will be staying.

In just a few weeks, CDM’s Annual Musical will debut! This comedic performance is full of some of CdM’s most talented actors and actresses. “It’s rather hilarious and quite rad, plus I have a husband,” said junior Daniel Flaxman, who plays the role of Dan Schwartz.

The musical is about six overachieving adolescents competing in a Spelling Bee at Putnam Valley Middle School. Family fun is guaranteed, as the performance includes hilarity and a good moral. The students competing in the Spelling Bee, as well as the adults who run it, come to the conclusion that winning isn’t everything. “I’ve had a great time working with the cast and crew, it’s going to be a great show. Everyone should come out and see it, it’s hilarious,” said junior Ashton Meginnis who plays the role of Jesus.

The cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee consists of:  Carlie Rinehart, Heather Shields, Sarah Schulte, Rich Posert, Chanel Lucia, Ben Carlson, Brian Smith, Matt Funsten, Max Priestly, Daniel Flaxman, Ashton Meginnis, Braden Cooley and Sienna Petree. “The show is such a blast to be apart of and we had a lot of fun rehearsing,” said senior Rinehart, who plays the role of Olivia Ostrovsky.

The dedicated crew members are: Kaylyn Nese, Alyssa Evans, Carla Vigueras, Alysha Kundanmal, Sarah Yoo, Winston Hollingshead, Jason Dillion, and Preston Snow.

Stage manager Nese said, “It’s a really funny show, and I think people will really enjoy it a lot. Also, each actor fits their character perfectly.”

“It’s been such a great experience as usual. Having such a small cast has been really nice because we’ve all bonded a lot over the past few months and a lot of really talented people are getting a chance to shine!” said senior Shields, who plays the role of Logainne Schwartzandgrubeniere.

The highly anticipated musical is of course directed by, none other than the beloved Mr. Martin.

Tickets are $10.00 with a CdM student ID, and $15.00 without. Tickets are available for purchase online at  https://www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?e=4939ffaa4b079a82dfda3c8db557ba6b&t=tix and at the door on performance night. The musical runs Wednesday, March 10 until Saturday March 13. Curtain call is at 7:30 pm. Some are sad to hear that the musical will only be available for a short amount of time, but rumor has it that if sales go well, a Saturday matinee is possible. Don’t count on that though, get your tickets while you can!

As many CdM students already know, junior Darren Lu has near-magical knowledge about how the world really works. A full account of the truth he has given us can be found here. We decided that, although prolonged exposure to Darren’s forbidden knowledge usually results in severe psychological trauma, we should get more detailed information based on Darren’s unique perspective and share it with CdM’s student body, in order to help them see the lies that society is based on. Arranging a meeting with Darren is not easy. To make contact with him we first had to talk to several representatives of the Russian Mafia. They provided us with the information necessary to get in touch with a certain “Mr. Bigg”. Bigg told us that in order to meet Darren we would first have to be subjected to an extensive interview by Darren’s head bodyguard and assistant. We went to the address he told us to go to, a warehouse in Santa Ana. When we entered we were immediately knocked unconscious and bags were put over our face. We awoke several minutes later and the bags were removed from our faces. We were in a dark room, with a wet concrete floor. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling, leaving the corners of the room in shifting shadows. Out of these shadows stepped a an effeminate, elf like man. “Stay awake, I need to ask you some questions” he said. “What…is that Clay Aiken?” said Cahill. And indeed it was. “Look, guys, uhm, I’m going to ask you guys like a few questions.” He removed his baby blue button down and complimenting cashmere cardigan, and put on what appeared to be a large tarp. And then the torture began.

After hours of incredible pain, and equally terrible tickling, we heard a silky and familiar voice, rich and noble. “That’s enough Aiken. Now go back to Pechanga Casino and Resort, your work is done here.  Sorry for the secrecy, but the Coast Guard is constantly watching my every move.” “Really?  the Coast Guard?” “Yes, you have no idea how powerful they really are.” Right off the bat the wise master give huge sums of new information regarding the world’s real history:

• Finney didn’t actually die in Separate Peace.  In reality he was “whisked away” by the United States government because only, the government could truly comprehend his potential as a genetically modified super soldier.  They injected Finny with the experimental “Super Soldier Serum” .  Additionally, Finny’s actual name was Steve Finnaeus Rogers.  At first glance this does not appear tyo be significant; however, Steve Rogers is the real name of  Captain America and the scientist, Dr. Steven von Roschenburg, who created the Super Serum appears multiple times through out the comic book series.

Makes this story seem a lot less...you know.

• The TV show Yu-Gi-Oh! is actually based on Abraham Lincoln’s childhood.
• Ferris Wheels are communist propaganda. Often used to spy on the lives of Americans.

• The “fluoride” that  is put in the drinking supply to supposedly  ”strengthen tooth enamel” is actually used to by the government to monitor our daily lives.
• All breakfast cereal contains amino acids that make Americans comply to the government.  This is the only way a republic can actually function.
• “Aglets, the small plastic caps on the end of shoe laces, purpose: sinister”

Purpose: sinister

All of these revelations were, well, pretty shocking to say the least in their own right. But what we really wanted to know was the backstory on one of his more famous claims. As we’re sure you all remember, the last time we interviewed him, Darren declared that the entire nation of the United Kingdom does not and never has existed. We wanted him to clarify this story. “Well, I have to admit, children, that I wasn’t entirely honest with you last time. But only because you weren’t ready for the whole truth. You see, England doesn’t exist now, but it did once. I think you’re ready now. Let me explain…” The story Darren told us went on for hours and completely explained everything about all of human history. It was comparable to the Bible in it’s ability to provide meaning to and transcend the human experience. Basically everything about history is true up until the 13th century. But, said Darren, “In the Middle Ages, there was the the bloody struggle between England and France known in your history textbooks as the Hundred Years War, and amongst Truthgivers like myself as the Great Magical Space Dinosaur Inter-Dimensional Cataclysm (GMSDIDC) of 1453. French wizards, more specifically Joan of Arc, used their powers to conjure a portal on top of the Washington Monument, which was actually built millions of years ago by the Forerunners. Through this portal, two rival races of super-intelligent dinosaurs arrived. England and France each took one of the races as allies, and soon a massive battle of lasers, magic and swords was joined. All of the British dinosaurs were voiped into another dimension when one of their own laser eyebeams misfired and blasted Britain through the portal that the dinosaurs came from.

Pictured: A British Dinosaur

“Wait,” we said. “So you’re telling us that Britain no longer exists because it was sent to another dimension in a battle between magic space dinosaurs 600 years ago?”

“Yeah, it’s the GMSDIDC,” said Darren.

“Oh, well alright then. That…actually makes a lot of sense. Ties up a lot of loose ends.”

“I know. Because its true. Anyway, the British dinosaurs are waiting for the day when someone will reopen the portal and allow them to rain vengeance on humanity.”

The Revered One

On February 1, 81 of music’s biggest stars gathered together at Henson Studios for a remake of the well-known Michael Jackson hit “We Are the World” as a tribute for the Haiti earthquake victims, in which Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Wyclef Jean, Randy Phillips and Peter Tortorici served as producers. Formerly known as A&M Recording Studios, Henson Studios was were the original recording of “We Are the World” was taken place. The world premiere of the song’s video aired during NBC’s coverage of the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Olympics on Friday, February 12.

“This video had some of the most amazing singers of all time, along with many other talented entertainers of our generation and the generation before us. Some members of the Beach Boys performed, along with Carlos Santana and Randy Jackson. I love how they included some teenage celebrities, such as Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers, middle-aged celebrities, such as Celine Dion, Pink, and Josh Groban, and older celebrities, such as Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, so that people of all ages would be entertained,” said freshman Maddy Gaylord.

The session began at 3 pm and lasted until late night at the studio. Some of the singers in the 81 person choir were Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Wycelf Jean, Celine Dion, Nick Jonas, Josh Groban, Pink, Usher, Kid Cudi, Snoop Dogg, Nicole Richie, Jason Mraz, Akon, Jamie Foxx, and many more. The song had a bit of a hip-hop touch added to it, along with a little rap at the end. It was recorded almost 25 years after the original was recorded for African famine relief.

Jones said, “Twenty five years ago, the entertainment industry showed the power of community to help our fellow man when we recorded ‘We Are The World’ to bring relief to those suffering from famine in Ethiopia. And while the need to assistant Africa continues, today the country of Haiti is suffering immeasurably from the destruction due to the recent earthquake and is in immediate need of relief that will last long after the television cameras have left. As artists, we have joined together on this 25th anniversary and in the spirit of ‘We Are The World’ to help meet that need.”

“The experience was out of this world,” said Justin Bieber, the famed YouTube star who sang Lionel Richie’s original opening line.

The video was made as a charitable tribute toward Haiti relief; both the new version of “We Are the World” and the original video will be available for purchase, with all proceeds going straight to the We Are The World Foundation made up of board members Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, Wyclef Jean, Randy Phillips, Paul Haggis, Ambassador Louis Moreno of the Inter-American Development Bank.

So go onto YouTube and watch “We Are The World 25 For Haiti – Official Video” on the account “wearetheworld.”

For the past forty-seven and a half months, athletes have been training, coaches have been coaching, and spectators have been anxiously waiting for February 12, 2010 to arrive.

Every four years the world gets to witness fire on ice as the best of the best go for the gold in the Winter Olympic Games. In spite of global crises, the world becomes united as all eyes will be on the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia for sixteen days.

The events will include Alpine Skiing, a Biathlon, Bobsledding, Cross-Country Skiing, Curling, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Luge, Nordic Combined, Short Track, Skeleton, Ski Jumping, Snowboarding, and last but not least, Speed Skating.

Some of our very own Southern California natives will be competing in the events. San Diego native Shaun White is expected to do exceedingly well in the snowboarding events. “The reigning Olympic halfpipe champ came tantalizingly close with a U.S. Grand Prix-record 49.50 in late January, all while executing the eye-catching (and extremely difficult) new maneuver known as the “whitesnake”… the question would appear not to be whether White can win in Vancouver, but rather how much will he win by?”, said NBC journalist Matt Stroup.

Pro-Figure Skater and Southern California resident Evan Lysacek is the reigning world champion in U.S. figure skating  and placed second in the U.S. Nationals, which put him in the Olympic Games.

(Pictured) Jeremy Abbot and Evan Lysacek in February '09 (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

With so much pressure on them, athletes have been racing (literally) to train strenuously in order to pull off the tricks and stunts that will awe spectators. The Olympic schedule is packed with back to back events; the opening ceremony will be held at 6:00 pacific time and will continue on into Saturday, with Ski Jumping individual rounds kicking off the day.

For more information and updates on the games go to this website: http://www.vancouver2010.com.

When one thinks of Valentine’s Day three things come to mind: love, a significant other, and roses. The year 2010 has brought about the dawning of a new era. An era in which Valentine’s Day comes with a slightly different thought: love, a significant other, roses, and Patrick Dempsey.

Jennifer Garner (left) and Jessica Biel (right) in Valentine's Day

Hollywood’s feature film Valentine’s Day makes it introduction in theaters on February 12 nationwide. The film stars many of Hollywood’s most recognized celebrities such as Jamie Foxx, Jessica Alba, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, and Julia Roberts.

Valentine’s Day is a motion picture about a versatile group of Los Angeles residents who experience romance and heartbreak on Valentine’s Day. These couples struggle with finding and holding onto their respective relationships.

Although many well-known celebrities perform in Valentine’s Day, the movie has received scathing criticsm from entertainment critics.

Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times stated, “Valentine’s Day is being marketed as a Date Movie. I think it’s more of a First-Date Movie. If your date likes it, do NOT date that person again. And if you like it, there may not be a second date.”

Nathan Rabin from The Onion stated, “Explores love in all its myriad forms, from the sickeningly sappy to the cornball to the groaningly precious and obnoxiously cute.”

However, Facebook users have created a fan page for the movie and the Facebook page has a staggering 47,000 fans.

After this weekend, viewer attitiudes toward this film will begin to accumulate. Thus, only time will tell whether Valentine’s Day is a one-of-a-kind romance movie or just another tragic attempt at a romance movie.

The day of love, cupid, and red roses is just around the corner. Valentine’s Day is Sunday February 14th. It is the day to send or receive dozens of roses, chocolates, and heart-warming cards.

Don’t forget about the heart shaped sugar cookies, candy hearts, and pink frosted cupcakes. All of these treats, plus many more make Valentine’s Day even sweeter.

“ I love the Valentine’s Day candy hearts with messages on them. They are really cute and yummy,” said freshman Melis Gunay.

Stir up any of these recipes to give to your valentine or share with your friends:

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened

2 sticks butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry.

Cook’s Note: Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a big star tip.

Valentines Day Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup softened butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 to 4 tablespoons buttermilk

Sprinkles or colored sugar, for decorating

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Add enough of the buttermilk to moisten the dough and make it soft, not wet.

Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. With a brush or fingers, moisten the top of each cookie with the remaining buttermilk and slightly flatten the top of each cookie. Sprinkle with pink or red sprinkles.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to cool on a rack.

Even though we will be on Ski Week during Valentine’s Day, it can still be celebrated this week. In the quad at break and lunch, Orchesis has been selling Valentine’s Day grams for $4. These grams will be delivered Thursday during 3^rd and 4^th period. They are a great gift for your Valentine. The purchase of a gram comes with a heart pillow, mints, a lollipop, and a note for your valentine.

Valentine’s Day has been celebrated for centuries and goes way back in time.

Although there are no guarantees of the origin of Valentine’s Day, researchers do know that it traces back to the early Christian church in Rome. There are three stories that tell how Valentine’s Day began. In one of these stories, St. Valentine, a Christian Priest was under the rule of Emperor Claudius II who banned marriages because many men were avoiding the army draft by getting married. Then, only single men could be drafted into the army. St. Valentine was seen marrying couples and was sentenced to death. While in jail, St. Valentine received letters from couples about love and how great it is. Later in 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius declared February 14^th as a day to honor St. Valentine.

Besides hearts and roses, one of the dominant icons of Valentine’s Day is Cupid, the Roman God of love. Cupid is the God of love with wings and arrows in which he shoots at two people in order for that couple to fall in love. Cupid may make others fall in love with his bow and arrow, but Cupid has his own tale of love.

Many men adored Psyche, a beautiful mortal woman, for her beauty. Venus, the goddess of love and Cupid’s mother, grew jealous of Psyche and ordered Cupid to hurt her, but instead Cupid fell in love with her. Cupid took Psyche as his wife but since she was mortal she was forbidden to look at him. Psyche looked at Cupid and he punished her by leaving her alone. Looking for Cupid, Psyche came across Venus who ordered her to complete a series of challenges. In Psyche’s last challenge, she was to take the box given to her to the underworld and gather some of Proserpine’s, the wife of Pluto’s, beauty. Psyche was not supposed to open the box, but she did and fell into a deadly sleep.  Cupid found Psyche, woke her, forgave her, and made her a goddess.

The origin of Valentines Day dates back to thousands of years ago, but as Valentine’s 2010 approaches, send your valentine something memorable. A sweet treat or a dozen roses makes this holiday filled with love.

Valentines Day Fun Facts

If you see a flock of doves on Valentine’s Day, you will have a happy, peaceful marriage.

Worldwide, over 50 million roses are given for Valentine’s Day each year.

In Medieval times, girls ate bizarre foods on St Valentine’s Day to dream of their future spouse.

The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Since red stands for strong feelings, red rose is a flower of love.

More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine’s Day.

Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine’s Day in the U.S.

With soft humble movements, brother and sister Angus and Julia Stone make their way to the stage at the House of Blues opening for Brett Dennen. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, the Stones make their voices heard with their fresh, unique sound. Self-proclaimed and one-hundred percent original songs, these siblings are in the music business purely for love and enjoyment.

“It’s nice to see humble musicians that haven’t been caught up in all of the rock star spotlight,” junior Kristina Baker said.

Both Angus and Julia began collaborating together in early 2006, but before had always sung backup harmonies for eachothers’ songs. The  consistent smooth rhythms of their songs are perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Within the past four years the Stones have successfully  come out with five EPs consisting of Chocolates and Cigarettes, A Book Like This, The Beast, and Hollywood. This year Angus and Julia are faithfully working diligently on coming out with their newest album: Down the Way.

“ I absolutely love this couple! They are so relaxing to listen to,” junior Allegra Thaler said.

As The Stones make their way to the U.S. critics rave at their fresh talent. In 2008, their song “Just a Boy” won best music video at the Inside Film Awards. Keep listening CDM for more exciting appearances in Los Angeles from Angus and Julia Stone with the tour of their newest album in late 2010.

Top 5 Songs:

1. “Paper Aeroplane” Chocolates and Cigarettes EP

2. “Just A Boy” A Book Like This

3. “Hollywood” Hollywood EP

4. “Wasted” A Book Like This

5. “Mango Tree” A Book Like This

The much anticipated chick flick of the New Year, Dear John has been referred to as “the Notebook of two thousand-ten”. With all of the right prerequisites for the perfect chick flick, Dear John is bound to be a box-office hit.

Opening this Friday, the movie already has a large following. In Facebook groups such as “Dear John”, “Im dying to see Dear John <3″, “Everytime I see the ‘Dear John’ commercial my heart melts <3″, and numerous others, fans express their excitement to see the film.

But what is it that makes Dear John such an enticing movie to see? The romance, which was originally written by Nicholas Sparks, author of the Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, and a Walk to Remember, is about two people, John and Savannah (Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried), who fall in love one summer and are faced with long term separation caused by Tatum’s character, John’s duty in the military.

Many people who have loved one that have fought in wars can relate to this story. Whether it be parents, grandparents, or fiancés, the pain of seeing someone you love go is always strong.

Americans coined the phrase “Dear John Letter” in the 1940’s during World War 2. This was due to the fact that many American soldiers were gone fighting in the war at the time, leaving their loved ones alone at home. What came to be known as a “Dear John Letter” usually started off with the words, “dear John”, or “dear (Sam, Henry, Robert, etc.)”. They continued on to say that they had found someone else, and the distance was just too much for them to handle. One can only wait and see (unless they have already read the novel) what will happen as the story unfolds.

The midnight premier is expected to be packed with girls of all ages, and possible a few guys in the mix. “I will be there”, said sophomore Connor Maloney, “and if it looks like I’m crying…it’s because of my allergies.”

“Channing Tatum can jump off a cliff”, said sophomore Matt Livingston. When it comes to guys, mixed feelings about the movie are evident. Perhaps this envious attitude is due to the apparent good looks and features of the star, who receives a considerable amount of attention from ladies all over the world.

With just two days to go, the countdown begins.