what's it like to be a meme?

In 1968, Andy Warhol said, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."

Well, welcome to 2011, where practically every person can indeed be obsessed over throughout the globe -- just not always in the fabulous way. That's how an internet meme works. For those in the back, a meme (rhymes with 'team') is basically an idea that goes viral, spreading wildly throughout a culture. And in the case of internet culture, memes can be anything from pictures to quotes to songs and yes, even to people.

Finally, a shot at global popularity. Yay, right? Hmm... why don't we ask the actual, living meme personalities of our time?

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I'm being cyberbullied -- Rebecca Black

Meme: Friday

sticky beats: Foster the People

Foster the People is hardly a new band. In fact, their first single "Pumped Up Kicks" came out over a year ago for free downloads. But this year, with the rise of their first album, "Torches", and the recent release of their "Helena Beat" music video, they're the newest ear-candy I'm bouncing to.

Okay, I am not exactly jumping up and down, but I must admit I feel like doing just that everytime I hear their songs.

the perks of reading 'Perks'

I did not enjoy reading "The Perks of Being a Wallflower".

Why? Because it reminded me of me.

It started out innocently enough -- just as any other story does. Protagonist "Charlie" (that's his alias) writes a letter to an unknown friend-figure, and this first letter serves as an introduction to the bittersweet series of stories about Charlie's life.

But Stephen Chbosky's coming-of-age novel turns out to be more than just a teenage portrait. It's not just about crushes and parties and high school cliques. It takes you deeper and deeper into the dreary side of the 15-year-old's life: from social alienation, to sex and drugs (and a teeny bit of rock'n'roll), to buried pasts and the mental/emotional disturbance they make. Yes, it sure gets heavy.

tiny space, awesome bedroom

If you're a college dormer, or if you're renting your quarters, or if you simply have a fate similar to mine, chances are you've never had a real huge space for your bedroom.

Photo from Apartment Therapy

I personally love tiny bedrooms -- they have this cozy, personal feel to it. That is, if they're organized and designed well.

Here are five super-easy yet effective tricks from the interior design mavens at Apartment Therapy to make the most out of that small space.

'The Girl', the book, the movie

Much has already been said about Stieg Larsson's acclaimed book, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo". It has garnered well-deserved praise for being a thrilling mystery novel and a remarkable jumpstart to the equally-remarkable "Millennium" trilogy.

Now here's a view from a woman's perspective.

two amazing visual blogs

If a picture can paint a thousand words, then we have just found two whole libraries of them. Check out these two beautiful visual blogs that add a fresh new dimension to photography.

Dear Photograph

Imagine browsing through your old printed pictures. A five-year-old you at the playground. Your mom, in her younger days, taking a stroll. Your family's favorite Sunday spot.

Now imagine going back to that memory.

An incredible wave of nostalgia is what Dear Photograph takes us on. It's a collection of photographs "from the past, in the present." The concept is simple but very creative: you take an old picture, go to the exact same spot where it was taken, then photograph that picture in such a way that it integrates with the surroundings. Here's one:

The photos in the blog are accompanied with quiet, introspective, and sometimes silly notes (like "Dear Photograph, I wish I could still Hula Hoop like I used to."), making it a lovelier trip down the memory lane.

concert-goer heaven: Incubus

Remember when I told you about Incubus doing a show in Manila? I just couldn't resist it -- I went.

And it was one of the most awesome nights of my life.