I'm in Miami Beach

There is nothing more that I look forward to than going away February break. This year we went to Miami.

Although this was my first time going away without my older brother, I was still ebullient as I walked off the plane. Being in the 70 degree weather in the dead of winter see

med almost quixotic.

The first night there, we went to Joe's Stone Crab in South Beach. However, since killing animals is an anathema to me, and I am a vegetarian, I did not have any of this world renowned seafood.

Walking back to our hotel, we saw the Miami Beach mansion where Gianni Versace was assassinated. We joined a short tour outside the house. The guide was an expert and even had a dossier on the life of Versace, complete with original photographs; he talked about the early life of Versace up until his murder by the parvenu, Andrew Cunanan. We learned that Versace was a connoisseur of rare, old, and even Baroque artwork that he displayed in his Miami Beach mansion. He left his art collection to his nephew, Daniele, and Versace's fashion empire was ceded to his niece, Allegra.

After the first night in Miami, I knew it was going to be a great trip.

The Beatles: John and Paul

Many teenagers today enjoy listening to Z100 and 92.3Now! FM. Whereas I do enjoy listening to modern music, there is no band I love more than The Beatles.

The majority of their songs are instrumentally simplistic and written in a colloquial style. However, The Beatles remain universally loved, 40 years after their prime. To this day, people are still trying to decipher a cryptic message behind a song about a simple comestible ("Strawberry Fields") by backmasking the track.

The two true heroes of the band, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, were often said to have disagreed. Some believe the animosity began because Paul deprecated Yoko Ono, John's new girl friend at the time. Both began creating inside deals with record companies; the perfidy is essentially what tore the band apart.

Some claim that John and Paul must have hated each other, due to McCartney's reaction to John's death. Since Paul responded to the press laconically and emotionlessly saying that "it [John's death] was a drag," the public criticized their relationship. Nevertheless, Paul soon explained himself, saying that he had just recovered from a day in shock, like everyone else in the world.

But after seeing tears in Paul's eyes as he dedicated "Give Peace a Chance" to John in his concert this summer, I know that Paul and John truly did care about each other.

My Brother, Matt

Often told that we look "like we could be twins," Matt and I definitely look like we are related. However, our personalities can be quite different.

My older brother is nothing less than an angel. I do not believe he has been castigated or scorned once in his life. This is not to say that I am malcontent, but Matt is just extremely level-headed and his choler never escalates.

Matt is always logical and intelligent, unlike his occasionally credulous and naive younger sister. Although a student at the prestigious Boston College, he is never surreptitious towards others. Not once has he spoken disparagingly to me. I can always go to Matt with an array of scruples, and he will guide me to make the right decision. I couldn't have asked for a greater sibling.