Kim Woo-bin and Shin Min-ah for Giordano F/W 2015

I've been away for quite some time, haven't I? It seems fitting then that my last post was about Kim Woo-bin and Shin Min-ah dating and now I'm coming out of recluse by writing about the power couple once again. Because aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! this Giordano CF gives me feels.

Set to Keira Knightley's "Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home" from the Begin Again soundtrack, Giordano features their Fall/Winter 2015 collection with this real life Hallyu couple. Being the biggest Kim Woo-bin fan ever, I am both extremely happy for them and beyond jealous. On one hand, look at how cute they are together! They make such a beautiful couple. Yet, on the other hand, what about meeeee? *grabby hands* *cries*

In related news, Shin Min-ah will be starring in a drama alongside former Giordano co-endorser So Ji-sub, and Kim Woo-bin is set to play opposite miss A's Suzy in a drama scheduled for 2016.

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Both agencies confirm that Kim Woo-bin and Shin Min-ah are dating

I'm breaking out of my month-long silence to say that I so approve of Kim Woo-bin and Shin Min-ah dating.

I've been quiet on this platform for some time, mostly because life got in the way, but I have to admit that a lot of it was because I was just plain lazy. Also, in my time away, I've been doing some (and by some, I mean very little) editing work for The Oneshots. Despite all that, I just had to write something about this dating news because 1) Kim Woo-bin is up there on my list of top biases, and 2) he's dating Shin Min-ah, goddess extraordinaire.

Both Sidus HQ and O& Entertainment (Woo-bin and Min-ah's agencies, respectively) have confirmed the news, and thank ye heavens they did. Dispatch had photos. But really those don't mean anything unless the agencies confirm (like I really wish they did with that Lee Jong-suk and Park Shin-hye dating ~scandal -- I wanted it to be true so badly).

Min-ah is 5 years older than Woo-bin, and I have no qualms with that, seeing as how she's my age. So all I can say is, "You go and get it, girl." I mean, if I can't have him, might as well one of the prettiest girls in the Korean entertainment industry have him. HAHA. I figure Min-ah and I have the same taste in men; tall, young, talented, with intense eyes. ahemT.O.Pahem Intense eyebrows work, too.

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Big Bang on Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook

These boys are killing me. I'm loving this comeback like crazy and I can't wait for the rest of their singles to drop.

Meanwhile, they guested on Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook for the first time ever and continued to slay my feels.

When they came out in all their 2006 glory and introduced themselves as they would have 9 years ago, I was already a ball of feels. And then they had to go and do this beautiful rendition of "Lies" that had me screaming "YAAAASSSS!"

Aside from giving us a glimpse of the past, they boys also did several of their current and semi-current hits.

Here's the full talk segment of the show with English subtitles. Man, I love fans who sub videos for the rest of us who would've otherwise waited for KBS World to release the subbed episode two weeks later.

Also, bonus clip of T.O.P attempting Deulgukhwa's "That's Only My World" on the show. He's overcome by his shyness though and Taeyang had to take over. Tabi is seriously the cutest thing ever.

I know their Happy Together episode has already been fan-subbed, but I need a better copy. The only one I've found was cropped and very low def. Also, I'm now impatiently waiting for their Running Man episode to come out with subtitles. The VIP in me is very much happy.

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Currently Watching: Angry Mom, Girl Who Sees Smells, Warm and Cozy, Producer

As usual, it took me forever to do a rundown of my current dramas. So much so that I've actually finished watching Angry Mom already, and therefore not current, but I still felt the need to include it in this list because oh my god did I love it.

1. Angry Mom - First of all, I think I just "discovered" Kim Hee-sun. This is the first thing I've ever seen her in. I caught some clips from Faith but that drama failed to capture my attention so Angry Mom is officially my first Kim Hee-sun drama and she just won me over. Initially, I had decided to tune in because of Ji Hyun-woo, Baro and Kim Yoo-jung. Granted, they did not fail me and I'm still completely sold on their trajectories as actors, but Kim Hee-sun and newcomer Ji-soo made the drama for me. Yes, the writing and directing were both on point. But let's be real. Whenever I think back on this show, the first thing that will come to mind will most likely be the cutest relationship between Bok-dongie and his Bang-wool Tomato.

2. Girl Who Sees Smells - I won't claim this as the most perfect drama ever because there are glaring faults in the writing, but the actors have me invested in what happens to these characters. Cops failing to do their jobs well seems to be a trope in kdrama now, but idiot cops aside, I am loving this show. Yoochun always shines in comedies and I'm glad he's back in the rom-com game, even though he's playing yet another police/detective/bodyguard. Also, Shin Se-kyung. I'll be the first to admit I wasn't a fan of hers prior to watching this show. There's just something about her that never sat well with me. She just always looked so... self-approving. So I am beyond pleased to find out that she does well in comedies because Yoochun is one of my biggest biases and he deserves a well-matched on-screen partner. Shin Se-kyung is doing very well so far. I may be on my way to re-evaluating which side I stand on.

3. Warm and Cozy - I love the Hong Sisters, I do - most probably because they wrote the drama that first got me addicted to kdramas (You're Beautiful). They will always have a special place in my heart even though I admit that I have not loved every drama on their repertoire (Big, I'm still shaking my fists at you). However, the writing duo have slowly been reminding me why I love them. While Warm and Cozy is not the funniest or the quirkiest drama at the moment, they are serving us exactly with what the title and previews have been promising - the cutest love story set in gorgeous Jeju Island with a lot of warmth and coziness to spread around. Yoo Yeon-seok and Kang So-ra are to be thanked because of how adorable they are together. Also, I'm just glad that Yeon-seok's character is not the typical lazy chaebol we were expecting him to be. He's no typical Hong Sister lead and that's the thing that's keeping me tuned in.

4. Producer - I hear there's been a shift in tone going into the drama's 2nd week due to a change in directors. I had no real complaint from the first two episodes because I thought that was exactly the mood they were going for. I found several scenes extremely funny, and the other scenes eactly what you'd expect from a mockumentary. Granted, I'd fallen asleep on several points during the 2nd episode, but that was mostly because I've been getting so little sleep these past few days. So that's not a testament to the drama's weakness, but to mine. I still want to see what happens to our PD's. Things have gotten more interesting and I can't wait for the new episodes.

5. Orange Marmalade - Tuning in mostly because of Yeo Jin-goo but I'm totally sold on Lee Jong-hyun's acting in the 1st episode. I didn't know what to expect from him because I've only ever seen him in A Gentleman's Dignity, and while he did well in that one, Colin wasn't a hard reach. So this is a pleasant surprise. Yeo Jin-goo is always fantastic and I already know what to expect from him. I've only seen the first episode but I'm hoping they add some comedy into this. Back when this drama was still in pre-production, I had sought out the actual webtoon and read several chapters. And the webtoon was funny! This can't be all angst and tears, right? *crossing my fingers*

I think that's about it. Unless you count Winner Nam Tae-hyun's webdrama Girl of 0AM, which is totally cute but too short to write about right now. I also have several other dramas lined up that I have yet to watch (i.e. Who Are You: School 2015, Divorce Lawyer in Love, Let's Eat 2). So for now, this is it. Hopefully I find more time to squeeze in the other dramas before a new bunch of shows start coming out of the woodwork.

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You're not ready for this - #BIGBANGisBACK

The VIP in me is cryingscreamingflailing. Big Bang just dropped music videos for their two singles from the M Series of their Made album - "Loser" and "Bae Bae".

I waited three years for this comeback. Am I ready? Yes. And no.

"Loser" has been stuck in my head all week, ever since I found fancams from their Seoul concert last weekend. Now it will never leave. The video is wonderfully angsty and the A+ acting from T.O.P and Daesung has my heart breaking on repeat.

I'm still on the fence with "Bae Bae" but I'm sure I'll grow to love it. The video, on the other hand, is a total trip. And T.O.P just took that high on a whole different level. I'm in love with that freaking alien, God bless his soul.

Now I can't wait for their comeback stage on Inkigayo this coming weekend. May 3, was it? Kyyaaaa! Also, when are those MADE concert tickets going on sale, yo?

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Warm and Cozy releases adorable first trailer

Warm and Cozy, the new drama by the Hong Sisters, has been gearing up for its upcoming premiere. This new drama tells the story of the lazy grasshopper (Yoo Yeon-seok) and the hard-working ant (Kang So-ra) in what seems to be an adorable rom-com set to the beautiful background of Jeju Island.

They've been releasing stills from the set since last week and just today released its first teaser trailer which shows the grasshopper telling lie after lie in several meet-cute's with our resident ant. Here's to hoping the actual show keeps with the tone of this teaser. Because pesky Yoo Yeon-seok and annoyed Kang So-ra is something I never knew I wanted until I watched (and re-watched) this trailer. I mean, I don't think I was looking forward to watching this until this very moment. *adds drama to my growing to-watch list*

I'm excited to see if the Hong Sisters will be able to make me fall in love all over again. Crossing all my fingers for this! (Imagine though if Kim Woo-bin didn't turn down the lead role. Just imagine.)

Warm and Cozy begins on May 13 on MBC.

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My high is Epik!

You have no idea how much I love Epik High. I do, I really do. Not only are they unbelievably talented, they're also gloriously hilarious. I was lucky enough that my city was added to the list of their stops during their ongoing Epik High Concert Parade and I could not let that opportunity pass me by. And I'm glad I didn't.

The Manila leg of the tour took place last Saturday night, April 18th, in SM North's Skydome. And we had such a blast, my friends and I. Tukutz was hilarious, Mithra was awesome, and Tablo was epic. Watching them perform live was a surreal moment for me. In all of my k-pop stanning life, I never thought it was possible to get to see them live. For one, they never used to tour extensively before. Also, k-pop is huge all over Asia but the Philippines has some catching up to do. My best bet, I thought, was to try to catch them in a nearby country. So imagine my surprise when they announced a Manila date.

Singing along to Korean music is not the easiest thing. Rapping along is a whole other feat. But Filipinos love to sing during concerts and we really did try our best. And believe you me, the crowd would erupt with excited singing whenever the English lyrics came along. So was it any wonder that the loudest singing/rapping happened when Tablo dished out his own version of Taeyang's "Eyes, Nose, Lips"? Every single person in the room was singing along, the whole way through.

After watching all these concerts and coming home with sucky fancams (photos and videos), I do realize I need to invest in a better camera. My Samsung phone can only provide so much. But, nonetheless, here are some photos and videos from the Epik night that was.

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Big Bang drops tour trailer --- OMG

This is really happening! This comeback is real and I can't breathe.

First it was just that teaser poster with headless Big Bang. But then YG just up and drops a tour trailer on our laps like that's not a big deal. And duuuuude. This tour trailer is insane. It's literally the most awesome thing I've seen in years. I don't know how to deal with this, honestly. This is some Fast & Furious shit, if Fast & Furious were directed by Quentin Tarantino

The album isn't even out yet and it looks like they will be dropping singles on a monthly basis starting later this month or on May 1st until September -- so does this mean the actual album doesn't drop till September? Ugh. But in any case, the Manila leg of the Made Tour happens in the end of July, and maaaan, I can't wait.

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Big Bang to embark on World Tour, album still pending

So... Big Bang will embark on a World Tour beginning on April 25 and 26 in Seoul to promote their comeback album. Tickets for the Seoul concert dates will go on sale on April 6 and 7. Hell, even the local concert promoter has already confirmed that Manila will be one of the stops of this World Tour. The concert has been set for either July 30 or 31.

Meanwhile, no one knows when the album is actually going to be released. According to that fabulous teaser poster, it could be any time between April and September. Trust Big Bang to get sold out concerts without even dropping the album first.

YG, gimme the album. NOW.

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EXO wrecks bias lists with "Call Me Baby" M/V

I don't think I've been this excited about an Exo single since "Growl".

Exo released their second full-length album Exodus yesterday and the music video for lead single "Call Me Baby" came out today. And, man, do they slay the song. The vocals are awesome, the choreography is intense, and the music videos are on point. I'm gonna need SM to release a dance practice video. And soon.

I'm happy that there seems to be a more even distribution of lines and airtime in "Call Me Baby". We hear more from Lay and Xiumin in this new track - with vocals that are so on point that it's killing me. We also see a marked improvement in their dancing (coughCHENcough). Everyone, I feel, was given time to shine in the music video but I couldn't help but be distracted by Xiumin's energy, Lay's high notes, Chanyeol's hair, and Jongin's hips that have no chill. That's my bias list, I think. Heh.

My only real complaint is that it had nothing to do with the teasers (aside from the cities used in the teasers spelling out "Call Me Baby"). But here's to hoping they put out a video for "Exodus" where all our teaser-related questions are answered.

Can't wait for them to start promoting on music shows!

Kai and Xiumin killing this move

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So who is next?! Big Bang, Winner, iKON?

YG Entertainment has been teasing us with yet another "Who Is Next?" poster. The supposed date of comeback/debut is on April 1. That's in 2 days and we still have no idea as to who's actually next.

Like everyone else, I'm praying for a Big Bang comeback. It's long overdue. If there's anyone who needs to come out with an album, it's these 5. As a group. It's been 3 years since their last group album. Seriously. I know the members have been super busy despite not having a group album in years (what with all the solo releases and dramas and movies) but still. I need my boys together on a full-length album.

Truth be told, I am looking forward to Winner's comeback and Ikon's debut, but can they please wait until their sunbaes have had their proper comeback?

Also, I'm hoping that even though YG has a penchant for delaying releases, this is not their idea of a stupid April Fool's joke. I mean, it's not our fault for thinking this since, 1) YG is a troll, and 2) the target date is April first.

(Now watch as none of the above groups make a debut/comeback. Oh my lord, if it's someone else on their agency's roster, I'm gonna have to very effectively leave scathing comments on their website.)

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FT Island commences comeback with intense new track "Pray"

Idol band FT Island made their long-awaited comeback with a grittier and more intense full-length album, I Will, which I still have yet to download. The music video for the title track "Pray" was released on March 23 and it is everything I didn't know I wanted to see from the group.

I was pleasantly surprised by the change in their sound and I think I read somewhere that Lee Hongki had mentioned that this is the album where FNC finally allowed them to do what they want… Well then, good for them. And I can't believe this is what FNC has been blocking. I mean, listen to them! This track is glorious and I can't wait to listen to the entire album.

"Pray" sounds a lot like something One Ok Rock would produce, actually. Knowing that Hongki and the rest of the guys are close friends with the Japanese band, well, I guess the Takahiro Morita influence is apparent. And I am loving it.

I Will, FT Island's fifth studio album, was released today.

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Lee Min-ho and miss A's Suzy confirmed to be dating

I don't normally talk about celebrity gossip on here but this is too huge to be ignored. Top Hallyu stars Lee Min-ho and and Suzy Bae of idol group miss A were recently spotted by Dispatch on several dates in London and Seoul. I swear to god, Dispatch will unearth all these secrets no matter where these celebrities go to secretly date.

Just hours after the photos and the rumor went viral, both StarHaus and JYP (entertainment agencies managing Lee and Bae, respectively) confirmed that the two stars have indeed been dating for the past month. And I am beyond pleased that they did not attempt to deny or redirect the rumors. Those only make things worse for everyone involved (coughChoizaSullicough).

I'm sure there will be negative feedback from fans of both celebrities but, so far, I'm glad I haven't encountered anything out of the normal "omg my oppaaaa". And let's be real. How can you complain? Both stars are huge names and they make one helluva good-looking couple. There is that 7-year age gap but Lee Min-ho isn't that old and Suzy turns 21 this year. Shouldn't really be a problem (again coughChoizaSullicough).

Anyway, I wish them the best of luck and may they continue to be gorgeous together. #BaeLee because #Suho or #Minzy just doesn't work for me.

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Currently Watching: Hogu's Love, Persevere Goo Hae-ra, Hyde Jekyll Me

I've been gone so long that I've totally skipped writing about several dramas that I've been watching. I saw Healer, late to the game, and marathoned the entire thing in a matter of days. I loved it so much and fell so hard for Ji Chang-wook. Crazy.

I also started on several other dramas but have failed to finish them because even more dramas have started and are now taking up most of my time. I'm halfway through Birth of a Beauty but have, for now, put it on the back burner. The same goes for Liar Game (just 4 more episodes, I know), but I'm determined to eventually get back to it. Soon.

Meanwhile, dramas like High School Love On and Surplus Princess have been completely forgotten. And I have yet to get started on Misaeng. Soon, I swear!

What I'm currently preoccupied with are as follows:

1. Hogu's Love - I'm not sure what to make of this drama just yet. I'm sort of addicted to it but I'm not sure why. I love UEE in it and hers is a character I can empathize with. I equally love Choi Woo-shik but for totally different reasons. Also, while I love Im Seulong as an actor, I absolutely loathe his character. Plus, I'm not sure what to make of how they ended the 6th episode. I guess I just have to wait and see.

2. Persevere Goo Hae-ra - I'm not yet completely caught up with the drama because I made the mistake of marathoning the first 5 episodes over a weekend and totally forgot that this is a once-a-week show. So, in order to not be completely left hanging again, I'm trying to pace myself with it. So far, though, so good. The music is awesome. The characters are relatable. The plotlines are believable, taking into consideration the fact that there's only so much verisimilitude a musical drama can muster, of course.

3. Hyde, Jekyll, Me - Not sure if the story is enough to keep me around... But I'm determined to stick with it. I love Hyun Bin and Han Ji-min individually, and while their chemistry has yet to explode, I do think they're cute enough together. Also, Sung Joon is doing so well in his role. He has me so conflicted right now. HA. Here's to hoping this week's episodes bring more light to the conflicts we're facing.

4. We Got Married - How sad am I that Jonghyun and Yura are leaving the show? Very. But I can't say that this has come as a shock. I was waiting for it to happen, even while hoping it didn't. They've only been on the show for a couple of months but their chemistry has been fluctuating - mostly because Jonghyun has the hardest time opening up. Also, that Jonghyun-Nana dating scandal. Le sigh.

There are new dramas about to air soon, of which Superdaddy Yeol, Divorce Lawyer in Love, and Angry Mom look promising. I've also heard good thing about Heard It Through the Grapevine but I'm waiting for more feedback before I actually decide to tune in. So many dramas, so little time.

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KBS drama Blood's conflicting posters

Upcoming KBS vampire-drama Blood starring Goo Hye-sun and new It Boy Ahn Jae-hyun just released a number of posters ahead of its premiere. The drama is set to air in a week's time, on February 16, following the end of current hit series Healer.

The cute poster above features the leads sipping out of a blood bag, given that Ahn Jae-hyun's character is a vampire under the guise of a doctor. This poster is staggeringly not what I expected given the drama's previously released teaser (as below). All that pink and the cutesy pose is what I would have been expecting from a vampire rom-com, not a vampire medical suspense drama. Needless to say, I found the poster a bit, um, jarring?

However, along with the first poster, the production released two more posters that features not just the two main leads but our main baddie as well, Ji Jin-hee. Now, these following posters are more along the lines of what I was expecting. Dark, gritty, bloody. I guess we can surmise that beyond the drama's blood and suspense holds a charming love story? One can hope.

After seeing Goo Hye-sun in Angel Eyes, I trust her growth as an actress and I believe she can pull this role off. No one can possibly be worried about Ji Jin-hee either. Ahn Jae-hyun, on the other hand, is a different story. While I love the man myself, mostly I just think he's so gorgeous that he seems otherworldly. He was effective enough in his tiny role in You From Another Star, the drama that launched his acting career and propelled him to It Boy status. He wasn't so bad in his minor role in You're All Surrounded as well. But if he's strong enough to pull off a lead role, when this is only his third drama ever, still remains to be seen. I hope he is.

Whether I will be tuning in to this drama is yet to be seen. I currently still have a lot on my plate and I've just started on more. I'm certainly grasping at time here; trying to squeeze in as much watching, reading, working, and sleeping into my days as I can.

Pending people's feedback and the general concensus of kdrama addicts the world over, maybe I might be convinced to marathon the show when it's run is about to end, if it's good enough. Much like what I'm doing with Healer right now, I suppose.

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My Lists: 15 favorite songs from the second half of 2014

Yes, yes. I forgot to write up my list of favorite songs for the second half of 2014. As I've said in my last post, I got super lazy last month and into the new year. So here I am, trying to squeeze this post before the first month ends completely.

As was with the first half of 2014, the second half of the year was just as kpop-filled and my playlist just kept getting bigger and bigger. And so, without further babbling, here are my 15 favorite songs from the second half of 2014.

Apink - "Luv"

Taemin - "Danger"

Super Junior - "This Is Love"

Sistar - "Touch My Body"

Winner (Mino Solo) - "I'm Him"

Taemin - "Ace"

Kara - "Mamma Mia"

BTS - "Danger"

Masta Wu (ft. Dok2, Bobby) - "Come Here"

Beast - "12:30"

GD x Taeyang - "Good Boy"

Epik High - "Happen Ending"

Hi Suhyun - "I'm Different"

Winner - "Empty"

Epik High - "Born Hater"

What were your favorite songs from 2014?

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Post-holiday Blues

I'M BAAACK!

Well, I wasn't really gone gone. I was here, just really lazy to give this blog any thought. Firstly, the holidays were insane. As it always is. But then reality hit me like a ton of bricks and I had a rough time trying to catch up with all the emails in my inbox. Secondly, while I have been watching dramas, I haven't really been up to date with most of them.

I think the only drama I've finished since the holidays started was Pinocchio (which I loved, maybe not as much as I Hear Your Voice, but it was still awesome). I have 4 more episodes to go before I can put Liar Game totally behind me. I'm only at episode 13 of Birth of a Beauty. And I'm, like, 5 minutes into the first episode of Healer. I still have Misaeng and Valid Love lined up! I don't know when I will ever be able to watch those because new dramas are already starting to come out of the woodwork. Hyde, Jekyll, Me starts today. Well, it started last night but subs come out today. While I'm not the biggest fan of Hyun Bin in the same arrogant chaebol role, I really do like him as an actor and I love Han Ji-min, so it would be terrible to miss out on this one.

Lately though, I haven't been of the mindset to watch dramas. Mostly, I watch variety shows. And even then, not religiously. I've watched some Running Man here and there. The Kim Woo-bin + Lee Hyun-woo episode was awesome. I'm currently in the middle of the latest one with Seo Kang-joon, Hong Jong-hyun (soooo cute, this guy), Nam Joo-hyuk and 2 other flower boys. I've seen a couple of episodes of Superman Returns because I slept over at my friend's place over the weekend and that is almost all she'll watch. Oh, and I'm now all caught up on We Got Married.

There are times though when I can't even sit still (or lie still, as the case may often be) long enough to even get started on a variety show episode. Sometimes I just jump from one kpop video to the next on youtube until I fall asleep. (Speaking of kpop, it's January. Where's that iKON debut?!) I should really force myself out of this slump...

On the upside, I've finished 2 books since Sunday - granted, both books are of the chic lit variety (one of them being a cliched young adult romance) - but still, reading is reading and I actually miss it. Maybe the thing that would push me to write more is to read more. So, yeah, that should be a new New Year's Resolution.

I've already committed to cutting down on carbs, most especially rice (Asians the world over gasp in horror), and unhealthy food, and so far I've been very diligent about it. I should add watch more dramas and read more books onto that list. Also, I should probably try to meet new people this year. Go out, hang out, live. Which, you might think, doesn't really go with the "watch more, read more" part of the resolutions, but I think it can be done. 2015, fighting!

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