It was Wednesday evening. 8:30 p.m. to be exact. Girls were sprinting in their least graceful strides with one leg in a leotard and the other limping along desperately trying to keep up with her show-off counterpart. This marked the fourth consecutive day of four hour rehearsals, hence the indifference of seeming less than poised.

When I was little I loved waking up early and watching my father dab Old Spice on his neck and lace up his work boots one notch at a time until he tied them perfectly, in his very own way. I watched my mother spray perfume and apply her makeup with a certain knowledgeable perfection and make sure everything matched down to the socks in the shoes on her feet.

Recently in the news, YouTube and MySpace have come under fire over copyright issues. Known for providing the general public with free entertainment all over the world, both websites are now facing hefty fines for violating copyrights. On MySpace, you are able to search for your favorite music artists and listen to some of their work right on the site.

Imagine an unknown conglomeration of prescription pills being poured into a bowl, then grabbing a handful and ingesting a random and often dangerous combination of drugs in hopes of getting high.

This is the disturbing new trend that teens are now turning to in lieu of illegal drugs like marijuana.

* Twenty percent off the total price of your purchase when you open a credit card.
* Ten dollars off today’s purchase just for trying on a pair of pants.
* A $25 coupon just to keep you coming back.

It certainly seems as though shopping is better in the winter, judging from some of the special offers from Newport’s retail stores.