Merry Christmas!

While this blog has been sorely lacking in posts lately, I can assure you that it is fully because I've been busy catching up with friends and enjoying my Christmas break (and a heavy dose of Community). I love Christmas. The couple of weeks leading up to Christmas are great, but nothing beats the tradition combination of Christmas Eve-Day. My family does the exact same things every year, and have for as long as I can remember. On Christmas Eve, we all drive out to our family friends' house, join with a crowd of friends that might as well be family, and spend the night eating, talking, and singing songs (the first few are Christmas songs, but we usually give up after the first few, and branch off into some Janis Joplin, Joni MItchell, and The Eagles, to name a few). Christmas Day, we get out of bed, open presents, eat breakfast, and spend the rest of the day lounging around in our (new) pajamas, reading our newly acquired books, amusing ourselves with our new presents, and eating too much chocolate. For dinner, we usually have a nice traditional dinner with just the family. This year, we've finally accepted the inevitable and are having a dinner consisting solely of bread, cheese (in fondue form), and appetizers. It's lovely, and I couldn't be happier. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go join the family for (first annual?) Christmas Day Harry Potter double header, featuring Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 and 2. I love this.

(P.S. ALSO. GETTING A KITTEN. YAY.)

5 YouTube Videos

Okay.. so this whole "Christmas song a day" thing didn't quite pan out. But I've been busy, and I have an exam coming up, so I'm going to let that slide, and maybe start it up again after exams are done (and it's closer to Christmas). But just because I haven't posted anything in a while, here are 5 YouTube videos that I've found in the last week or so that are especially awesome:
Community's Freaks and Geeks
This is Childish Gambino's song "Freaks and Geeks" set absolutely perfectly clips of Community, the TV show that he stars in. It's really really well done. Don't just listen to the song, watch the video too.


Childish Gambino- Heartbeat (Violin Cover)
This is just straight up awesome. I am a sucker for when people do stuff like this with rap/hip-hop/etc songs. And this guy is really talented.


15,000 Singing "Say You Like Me"
This is footage that Charles Trippy from the YouTube channel CTFxC filmed onstage during a concert of his band We The Kings. It gets good at around 1:10. Seriously, this video almost gave me chills, and puts a smile on my face every time I watch it. Check it out.


Rod Stewart Gasoline Alley
Courtesy of my sister at thefemiwriter.tumblr.com, this is Rob Stewart singing Gasoline Alley. Just listen. It's nice.


Forever Yours
I'm subscribed to charlieissocoollike and nerimon on YouTube. I like them. And this is a cute video.  


So there you go! For those of you who still have exams, good luck! Now I have to get back to studying... :( 

All I Want For Christmas

Mariah Carey singing "All I Want For Christmas" is a classic for the holidays. After starting (and doing a lot) of my Christmas shopping yesterday, I now feel justified listening to songs that actually have the word "Christmas" in the title.


PS. She also just redid this song with Justin Bieber. Which is kind of weird, but not awful. (And it's "SuperFestive!"

Drummer Boy

Here's another song from my favorite Christmas time collection:
The Little Drummer Boy, Bob Seager and the Silver Bullet Band


Always a classic. Enjoy!

It's time.

It is time.

CHRISTMAS SEASON TIME. This year, I'm going with the argument that, because it is now officially December, I am entitled to whatever Christmas activities I'd like. Today, I started my Christmas shopping and had eggnog ice cream. Hell. Yeah.

Also, the best part of Christmas becomes (widely, but not wholly)  acceptable today. Yeah. CHRISTMAS MUSIC. My favorite thing about the holidays. For me, the only Christmas music to rock out to (with very few exceptions) are these two CDs: A Very Special Christmas and A Very Special Christmas 2. They're compilation albums of all kinds of Christmas music. You have your Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, your Tom Petty and your U2, even Boyz II Men make an appearance, among many other big names. These albums were released in 1987 and 1992, and they are what I think of when I think of Christmas music. Every year for my entire life these CDs have been played during the holiday season, and every November I get excited about listening to them again. So go check out the track lists, and give the songs a listen. I guarantee that it will get you in the Christmas spirit. Depending on how I'm feeling (I'll try) I think I'm going to post one song for one of the albums each day until Christmas. Sound good? Good.

First song I'll share? Whitney Houston's version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" It's lovely, and always reminds me of the warm fuzzy feeling I get around Christmas.

The Hunger Games

I have a confession to make.

Last night, at about 11:30, I thought I would get a little reading in before I went to sleep. Now, this isn't a very common thing for me to do. I hardly ever read just for fun anymore. I don't even think I can remember the last novel that I actually finished. A lot of nights I watch an episode of HIMYM before I go to bed, or talk to people on facebook, or study until I can't  keep my eyes open anymore. Last night though, I decided to read a little before I slept. After seeing the new trailer for The Hunger Games, I was really curious about it and, seeing as I had just bought the book at Value Village a month ago, I decided to give it a read.

I stayed up until 3:30 and read it cover to cover in one go.

I really enjoyed it. While the writing isn't especially impressive, it tells the story well enough, and I couldn't put it down. It was an interesting story, and kind of reminded me of one of the Pendragon books I used to read, which was very similarly-named The Quillian Games, and I'm pretty sure it had almost the same plot. After reading the book, I can see how, if done properly, it could be a pretty good movie too.

It's been so long since I've sat down and read for an extended period of time, it was nice to do it last night.

I'm just glad I'm a fast reader.

Nerdy Comics

I had my last Critical Thinking test today, and one of the questions was to do with necessary and sufficient conditions. While answering it, I thought of a (really lame) joke, and just about laughed out loud in the middle of the big, silent, lecture hall. And thus, a poorly drawn comic was born. All you need to know is this:
Necessary condition: must occur for something to happen.
Sufficient condition: guarantees something will happen.
(One example used in class was "The presence of oxygen is a necessary condition for fire")
I call this comic Why you shouldn't mix up necessary/sufficient conditions:

If you don't get this, don't feel bad.But try to think harder.

 (P.S. I'm not a sick person, I swear. But I still laughed when I thought of this)

Gingers

Do you remember that time Robert Downey Jr lip-synced an entire Elton John song? And that was all the music video was? Well it's happened again, with a few notable exceptions:
a) The song is a lot better
b) The video is a lot more interesting (but no less creepy)
c) RUPERT GRINT
d) YEAH. Like, RONALD WEASLEY.
e) I like this song/video.

Check it out! Lego House, Ed Sheeran

 (Also, he has this song with a cool video featuring an ASL-dancer)

Bon Iver

Oh man. The last week of classes is brutal. These last 3 semesters, somehow I end up with all but one of my classes opting out of having an exam in exam period, and instead finishing up in the last week. Now this is good on the one hand because it means that, after classes are done, I only have one exam to worry about, while everyone else is struggling through 3, 4, maybe even 5. However, this means that the last week of classes is mad hard. This week, I have 4 "midterms," several homework assignments due, a poster project, and a butt-load of reading to finish up. Oh, and my research methods class sprung a 10-page research report on us, due at the beginning of exam period. FUN. I spent a good 15 1/2 hours in the library this weekend, so I feel almost on top of things. Also, I got two of my four tests over with today, which is nice to have behind me.

Honestly though, a big thing that's keeping me calm and focused through this last week is my renewed love of Bon Iver. Now, I've been a fan for a long time, but in the last few days I've been listening to his music exclusively, and wow. Just, wow. Bon Iver makes, without a doubt, the only music that gives me goosebumps. I've already shared his cover of "I Can't Make You Love Me," here (DROOL), but here are a few more of my favorites, to help get you through the stress of exams and ease you into the Christmas season:

Towers (off the album Bon Iver, this is my new favorite original Bon Iver song I think)

Skinny Love (off the album For Emma, Forever ago, this song is a close/tied second. HNNG SO GOOD)

Blindsided (also off For Emma, this song is just good. In all ways.)


On a related note, I've decided that, if I were to die tomorrow, my biggest regret would be not going to see Bon Iver when he came to Vancouver recently. Seriously, I can't even express how much I want to see him perform live, right now.

On a side side note, if music/Bon Iver is not your thing, my sister's friend has a blog where he shares some of his writing, etc, and it's pretty interesting. (He's doing his masters in writing at UBC right now.. so that's pretty cool) Check it out here.

Twitterverse

Twitter is, essentially, a mean through which people can share things. Things that matter to them, things that make them laugh, things that made them think, or things they put a lot of effort into. Here are a few things that Twitter shared with me this week. (Note, I'm more of the "things that made me laugh" type person).

Maniacal Toddler
 

People getting all upset that Ryan Gosling wasn't voted Sexiest Man Alive  (funny, but come on people- get your priorities straight)
Exhibit A (on one hand, Feminist Ryan Gosling is funny. On the other hand, Occupy People, although it is 99% a joke, makes me dislike people in general)
Exhibit B
Exhibit C (63 Reasons Why Bradley Cooper Definitely Isn't The Sexiest Man Alive- this one actually made me laugh)


Marcel the Shell,Two
There's a second one! And it is just as good as the first one.



The Crazy Things I Do In Normal Circumstances 
Read this, it's hilarious.



Why I Hate Shopping
If you're too lazy to read this one, just read this one excerpt:

Leggings are not pants. Leggings are similar to pants, in that they cover the leg portion of your body, but leggings are not pants. When one wears a shirt with a pair of leggings and boots, it has an effect similar to walking out of the house in pajama pants. It shows that you had the intention of getting dressed, but somewhere around the halfway point lost your morale.

 So there you go. My little snippet of Twitter this week.

In Your Arms

Check out this sweet song/video combo:


Even better is the behind the scenes video. JELLY BELLYS. Seriously, so cool.

Gambino and Rheon

There are few things more annoying than an actor or actress who release a CD just because they can. More often than not, it's pretty awful, pretty forgettable, and a cash-grab that will make it to the top 5 on iTunes, because fans will buy just about anything their favorite celebrity puts their name on.

However, lots of actors/actresses are multi-talented, and do make good music.Two people that have caught my attention lately are Donald Glover (as Childish Gambino), and Iwan Rheon. That's right. Troy from Community and Simon from Misfits rap/sing/play guitar. It's kind of weird to see them perform music so out of their on-screen character's personas, but it's good. Check it out:
Childish Gambino- Freaks & Geeks


Iwan Rheon- Sink

Tumblr?

I've been neglecting my camera lately. I've only touched it a few times since moving back to Victoria, and that makes me a little sad. Victoria is really quite a pretty place, and there are plenty of places I could take my camera. I'm going to try to start taking more photos, and I started today.
One of my favorite things about living in Victoria is that I'm so close to the water. In North Van I live "close" to the ocean, but here I'm really close. There are a handful of beaches nearby, and I love it. While Cadboro Bay is still my favorite place in Victoria, I'm going to try to find a few other beach-type areas. Today I walked off the end of Gordon Head road and followed a little path towards the water. While it didn't lead to a beach, it opened up to a grassy rock place that overlooked the ocean. It was dead quiet, except the sound of a few birds and the waves. It was really peaceful. It was kind of cold and awkward lighting (I'm still not used to it getting dark so early) so I didn't get very many pictures, and the ones I did get weren't very good (I didn't set up my tripod). I edited them (quite a bit), and I think they look alright. Here they are:

There's actually quite a drop off before the ocean here.

Also, I am not exactly proud of this, but I have joined yet another popular internet social-network-type-thing. Yep, I got tumblr (she said, slightly ashamed). I got it so I can micro-blog and share single photos/songs/other peoples gifs and pictures that I enjoy. I'm going to see how it goes. So yeah... that's a thing. If you're interested, check it out at www.zoe-click.tumblr.com Cheers!

P.S. It's my mom's birthday today. She's pretty great. Happy birthday mumsie!

TV Shows

I like TV. While this year I made a concerted effort to watch fewer shows, I still have a few that I like to watch every week. While I'm guilty of watching some objectively bad TV when I'm bored (cough cough all 3 CSI's, Degrassi TNG, 90210, Buffy- need I continue?), as part of my whole "watching less TV" thing I went cold turkey on shows like House and CSI, and in general try to stay clear of new shows that have many, many unwatched seasons I could get sucked into. Now this isn't saying that I can't/haven't watch many hours/seasons of certain shows, but I would say I definitely watch less TV than last year. The point is (segue!), I have some shows that I hold above the rest (Side note: TV shows, even more so than movies, are one of those things that people tend to analyze/discuss/argue the pros or cons of/get emotionally invested in/etc more than almost anything. So while there is lots to say about different shows, good or bad, this is just a brief look at a few shows). So if you're looking for something to watch in your spare time, here they are... My Top 5 TV Shows To Watch

1. How I Met Your Mother
This show, straight up, has got to be one of the best shows on TV today. Before I watched it, I always thought it sounded kind of stupid, but as soon as I watched the first episode, I was hooked. I went through 5 seasons in about a month I think. This show has everything- a dynamic plot, Neil Patrick Harris, great characters, a little bit of mystery, hilarious lines, Neil Patrick Harris, an interested narration style, and all kinds of awesome. Also, Neil Patrick Harris plays Barney Stinson, the bread and butter of many of the shows funniest parts. Did I mention he was good in this show? It's in it's 7th season now, still as good as ever, and I think is renewed for at least another season or two. This is also the only show I can watch over and over. I've started from the beginning and have just started season 2 again. Seriously, so good.

2. Misfits
I was pleased to notice that, when the season 3 premiere aired last Sunday, several people on Facebook mentioned it. Because it is a British show, not as many people have heard of it over here, but it's finally starting to get the recognition and attention it deserves. This show is actually so good. It's kind of hard to explain it without it sounding really, really dumb, so I recommend (if you haven't already) going and watching a few episodes. The newest season is the first one without Nathan (played by Robert Sheehan), and I actually think they did a really excellent job replacing him. A show like this could easily run out of ideas/originality quickly, but I don't think this season is going to disappoint. This is a really well-done show.

3. 30 Rock
Tina Fey. I love her. This is a show that, around exam time last year, I saw for the first time, and watched all the seasons in a matter of weeks. This coming season I think is the last one, which is too bad, but understandable (a show with so many big names/lack of premise driving the plot can only go on for so many seasons), but too bad. While there are a few weak points, this show is hilarious. Kind of like SNL, but funnier. And like I said- TINA FEY.

4. Modern Family
I really hope this show goes on for a long time, but I can see why it might be hard to drag it too long (seeing as half the cast is kids in the midst of growing up. Can you say "puberty"?). The whole selling point of this show is that it shows all types of families, and that's only part of what makes it so good. And by that, I mean really, it's the cast. This show has one of the funniest, most awesome casts ever. Also, Phil Dunphy should be voted Man of the Year. Usually comedies focused around family are kind of cheesy, but Modern Family avoids this. It's got great writing, relateable in a slightly exaggerated kind of way, great characters, and it is oh so funny.

5. The Big Bang Theory
Next to HIMYM, this is the funniest show on TV. It's a bit of an acquired taste, but I freaking love this show. Every week, it makes me laugh out loud at least half a dozen times (usually more) in twenty minutes. Every. Single. Week. This show not only has nerdy, science-type humor, but it's characters are endearing to the point of ridiculousness. I wouldn't expect a comedy based essentially on scientists (okay, I know technically- I'M GENERALIZING HERE) who don't know how to act around girls would last so long, but I actually think it's just getting funnier. Honestly, one of the funniest shows I've ever seen.

Honorable mentions:
Glee- The first season of Glee would have definitely made top five, but with the most recent seasons, it's kind of hit or miss. The music is still, for the most part, really good, but the story lines are really off and on. So, because I really really like it, but it's only especially good about half the time now, it gets a really high honorable mention.
Cougar Town- I don't care if you say this show is stupid. It's hilarious. PENNY-CAAAAAAN.
Community- This show seems to be compared to Parks & Recreation a lot. I'm not sure why. Abed automatically makes this show so much funnier.
Criminal Minds- SPENCER REID. Enough said.
Better Off Ted- This show got canceled after like a season or two. Portia de Rossi was in it (and hasn't done much since), and it was hilarious. I'm sad it was canceled :( (OH P.S. I imdb'd it and the next thing she's going to be in is THE NEW SEASON OF ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT OH MY GOD SO EXCITING CAN'T BREATHE AHHH)
Pushing Daisies- This show was also canceled after two seasons. While a bit repetitive towards the end, this show was quirky. I liked it. And the piemaker is so gosh-darn cute.

So that's that. My favorite shows, off the top of my head. What about you? Tell me your favorites! (Comment below, yo)

Landslide

I haven't really posted any songs recently, so here's a song that I've been listening to a lot lately. I'm not sure if I've posted it before (I may have, but I don't think so. And if I have, it's worth the repost). The first version of "Landslide" that I ever heard was the Dixie Chicks cover. They released it on their album "Home" in 2002, so I was only ten or eleven when I first heard it. It was played a lot in my house, but after a few years it faded from my memory. I didn't hear it for ages, until it was covered on Glee, and I was reminded how much I freakin' love this song (after that, I did some research and found the original Fleetwood Mac version, which is also awesome). While it might be a bit country for some people, I love this song. If you haven't heard it before, I highly recommend listening. Several times. Here are a few versions:

Fleetwood Mac


Dixie Chicks



Glee (Gwynth Paltrow, Naya Rivera, and Heather Morris)

Movember 2011

It's that time of the year again. Prepare yourself, because for 30 days, the razors are going down.

That's right.

Movember (or "No-Shave November," if you like saying awkwardly long nicknames) is here again.

There will be full beards, half beards, goatees, mutton chops, soul patches, and mustaches of all varieties- curly, handlebar-y, porn-stache-y, wispy (unfortunately), Tom Selleck-y, and everything in between.

Most of the time, I don't even like facial hair. But in November, I say let the facial hair grow free. Like, everyone is doing it. That makes it cool, right?

But in all seriousness, when guys don't insist on staying clean-shaven because it looks "greasy" or "ridiculous" or whatever, I say that's half of the fun. It's the one month of the year where no one will judge your scraggly facial hair, and you can join your fellow bros in solidarity. Not only is it fun (at least to watch- I can't say I know how it feels to have a beard), but it's for a good cause. So go all out, and don't you dare shave, or cut, or even trim until December 1st. Or, just as good, work on growing the most majestic mustache you've ever grown, and keep on trimming those cheeks and neck. It is the only time in your life where your family will not mock you and your friends will still want to hang out with you. To get in the spirit of things, and because the internet has everything, let's show a little Movember love with a few well-know faces.

P.S. If only one person in the world were allowed to grow facial hair, that person would have to be Tom Selleck.

Happy Halloween/Halloweekend!

Tonight marks the first (or, arguably, the second) day of Halloweekend 2011. This year, Halloween lands on a Monday, which means that this year, there is maximum opportunities to par-tay. Basically, students are justified in getting dressed up, getting drunk, putting their morals off to the side, and having a good time from Thursday-Monday.

That being said, I'm really bad at Halloween.

"How is someone bad at Halloween?" you might ask. Well, I'm not sure, but somehow it's just not my strong point. Halloween is to me what New Year's Eve is to lots of other people. I always build it up in my head, think of all the fun/festive/sweet things I am going to do, but inevitably I get busy, Halloween sneaks up on me, and I'm there, with a shitty/no pumpkin, a last-minute costume, and even more last-minute plans. Don't get me wrong, I still have a good time, but in way that's not much different than any other weekend.

Especially that costume thing I mentioned. Every. Goddamn. Year. I am the worst at Halloween costumes. Year after year, I find myself a few days before, without a costume, and end up throwing together a half-assed costume. It sucks. This year, I was determined to have a well-thought out, properly planned, awesome costume, ready at least two weeks before Halloween. Yet somehow (I blame midterms), here I am, at 4PM on the Friday of Halloween weekend, without a costume. Or a very clear idea what I'm doing this weekend. Oops.

Fortunately, a few people are coming to visit from Vancouver, so it'll be a fun weekend no matter what. Now in terms of the costume- off to the Dollar Store!

I'm not above doing this for a last minute costume. I won't. But 

it's something I would do. I'M THAT BAD AT COSTUMES.

Library Ventures

March 25, 1955

I am the cheese?

Yesterday, I spent a good hour wandering around the UVic library, looking at the kids books they have there. I was in a weird kind of mood, but I got a kick out of looking at all the books. There are a lot of them. Like, aisles and aisles of them. Most of the books are pretty old, and almost all of them look like they haven't been taken out in a long time.Probably my favorite ones were the many, many volumes with names such as "The Boys Almanac (volumes 1-50)" and "Eve's Weekend Book for Young Ladies," and other such books, which I'm sure half of UVic's student population would whole-heartedly not approve of.


I saw quite a few books I recognized from when I was a kid, and many, many that I did not. It got me thinking about all the sweet reading I did when I was little, and how I much I really loved some books, and how weird kid stories tend to be. I did this already with childhood movies, but here is my book version...

Books that I almost (but not quite) forgot about (books that made little me very happy):

1) The Secret World of Og, by Pierce Berton.
I can't remember when I first read this book, but I'm about 90% sure that I read it in an elementary school, maybe in grade 3 or 4? Basically I'd almost forgotten about this book until I saw it in the library yesterday, and it was actually the most awesome book ever. I can't remember the details, but I know it involves a group of siblings, a secret world, little green creatures, and just a good overall story. It's an awesome fantasy-world/fairy-tale type story. I think I want to try and find a copy I can buy for myself. (The picture is a poor-quality because I took it on my phone in the library- oops!)



2) Henry Sugar (and six more stories), by Roald Dahl.

Okay, so I didn't "almost forget" about this one. If my sister hadn't permanently lent this book to a friend, I would still be reading this book. If you haven't read this, you lived a sad empty childhood. I'm just saying. Pretty much, Roald Dahl is one of the best children's authors out there. This book has some of his more serious stories (unlike The Twits, or Charlie and the Chocolate factory) and there are even a few non-fiction stories. This also led me to his book "Boy," which is an autobiography of his life, told with his unique voice/twist, and is kind of awesome. Not only did my family read this book repeatedly, but Henry Sugar was always our default choice when we couldn't decide on a talking book for the long car rides to the Okanagan each summer.

3) Peabody, by Rosemary Wells.
I actually had to do a bit of research to find the name/author of this book. It's a picture book that my brother and I had when we were quite little. I don't remember all of it, but it was about a little girl's favorite teddy bear, Peabody. From what I remember, at some point they  go to the beach, and at some point she neglects him for a new toy. I think. For 5 year old me, it was an epic story of love and loss. But what I remember most about this book is this one line, where the girl sets Peabody up to protect her room/cookies/dolls or something, and makes the oh-so-threatening comment, "Peabody bites," as a warning to her brother (or someone). It was written just like that, but for some reason my brother and I always said it as "Peeea-bawwwwdy..... BITES!" And we thought this was about the funniest thing in the world and would almost piss ourselves laughing.

4) Wayside School Is Falling Down, by Louis Sachar.

Louis Sachar, (the author of Holes and many other awesome books I enjoyed as a kid) most importantly brought us the Wayside School books. There are, I think, three of them, and I  read them all. This is the main one though, that I have read many times. From what I remember, each chapter is dedicated to a student of Ms. Jewels (?) grade 4 (?) class, as well as Louis (?) the Janitor. They are on the 30th story of their school, due to a mix-up in the building of the building, and have to take the stairs everyday, due to a similar mix-up. These stories are, in a word, "wacky." I can't even go into the intricacies of these stories, because they make very little sense, but reading this wikipedia page brought back some good ol' nostalgic feelings. Again, I think this was one of those books that all elementary school kids read. But maybe that was just me. Either way, I loved them. Also, Louis Sachar may have been high while writing them.

5) Some other series/authors:
   -Again, I just have to mention Roald Dahl. "The Witches," "The Twits," "BFG," etc, THEY ARE ALL AWESOME.
   -The Magic Treehouse Series, by Mary Pope Osbourne. Educational AND entertaining. OH BABY, DID I EVER LIKE THOSE ONES.
   -many more I'm sure, that I sadly cannot remember


6) Various other books.
I'm trying to think of some other books I read when I was little, but I'm having a lot of trouble remembering the names. Mostly, I just remember a small detail, or what the cover looks like. So, I'm searching key words in google, hoping to find them. Here are some examples of what my searches look like:
"magic dust spike kid book" = SUCCESS. I am a google master.
"kid book fake magic marriage ghost contest love witchcraft" = fail. I cannot remember anything about this book but I think it involved a contest, possibly to win a wife/husband? And one person tries to revive the dead, because that's obviously the most impressive kind of magic. And I think they eventually end up faking it all, and hire someone to pretend to be a ghost or something? Also I think at one point the fake ghost is practicing being a ghost and, upon mournfully hitting his palm against his forehead, needs to sound like "more of a plash, and less solid." Or something. I don't really know if I am making this up or not. What I just said makes very little sense. IF YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT PLEASE TELL ME.
"collection of stories with girl heroes kid book" = fail. My sister and I tried to find the title of this book last summer, but not luck. We both remember it though- it was a collection of short stories, all with girls as the main character, as active heroes. I think there were a few of them in the series. Anyways, I can sort of picture the cover in my head, and can almost recall some of the stories.

I'm sure I've said enough about my childhood reading habits now. If you have any books that you particularly liked as a kid, comment below! If you read/enjoyed any of the books I mentioned above (especially the one's I can't remember), let me know as well!

We Found Love

Usually I'm not a big fan of Rihanna, but this new song is not only pretty catchy, but the video is fucking sweet. People kept posting about it on facebook, so eventually I gave in and watched it. Something about this video is just awesome.

Rick Rypien

The Canucks had a really touching video tonight  in memory of ex-player Rick Rypien, who died over the summer. You can see it here.

Also, it's 2AM and I'm not sleep. I think I broke my internal clock. I DON'T LIKE NOT SLEEPING AT THIS TIME.

And finally, a cat for your viewing pleasure. I know the internet needs more of them.

I've mentioned my cat before. This is her domain.

Teh Internetz

The internet is a weird place.

I know, I know, I can practically hear you guys through my computer screen responding with a resounding "well, duuuhhhh." But I'm not talking like kinky-weird, or how-does-it-work weird, or breeds-creeps-weird. I'm just referring to the fact that we have reached the point where there are websites dedicated to literally any and everything you could possible imagine, and some things you can't. The amount of time that has been spent making websites dedicated to the most random, obscure, things is astonishing. With the growing popularity of tumblr, these sites seem only to be getting more popular. Here are ten examples of a few of my favorite "hidden gems" of the world wide web, highlighting the vast extents of the human mind:

1) Catalog Living (http://catalogliving.net/). While based on a very random idea, this site is actually hilarious. It depicts the stories behind the scenes you see in catalogs, describing the context in which these photos fit into the life of two fictional people, Elaine and Gary. I recommend giving it a look, preferably while in a quiet space (for example, the library) and be ready to stifle some serious giggles. A preview: 

"Gary, don’t forget to wipe your feet and leave your 

wet umbrella before walking into the brick wall."

2) Things Organized Neatly (http://thingsorganizedneatly.tumblr.com/) For those of you with a bit of OCD running through your veins, this is the site to see. It is literally just pages and pages (and pages and pages) of random objects. Organized. Very neatly. Example:

 A very neat (and delicious) sandwich.

3) Chicks with Steve Buscemeyes. (http://chickswithstevebuscemeyes.tumblr.com/) Steve Buscemi has very distinct eyes. They do not go well on faces. But that won't stop people from photoshopping them on every celebrity, ever. Example:

 My eyes! HER EYES! Oh god. (PS. Guess who?)

4) Hungover Owls (http://hungoverowls.tumblr.com/). Because owls like to party too. This website is just pictures of owls, looking haggard after a long night of partying. They're nocturnal, so you know they must party twice as hard during the nighttime. Read the captions, they are hilarious. Example:

 “Yes, I may be sprawled out on the floor right now, but dammit, 

you look me in my one good eye and show me some respect.”

5) Pretty Colors (http://prettycolors.tumblr.com/). No captions or anything, not even the name of colors. Just colored squares, with the "color number" (I don't know what it's really called). 1269 pages. Of pretty colors. Example (I picked an especially pretty one, from page 278):

 #00b8c6

1269  pages of this.

6) Michael Buble Being Stalked By A Velociraptor (http://bubleraptor.tumblr.com/) Seriously, who thinks of these things? But it's oddly hilarious (the best ones are the ones you have to really look for). Example:

More like... STALKERAPTOR.

7) Kim Jong-Il Looking At Things (http://kimjongillookingatthings.tumblr.com/). Because Kim Jong looks at a lot of things. Example:

 looking at cucumbers

8) Selleck Waterfall Sandwich (http://selleckwaterfallsandwich.tumblr.com/). I.. I don't even know. This is very, very self-explanatory, yet unexplainable all the same. Example:

 ...what?

9a) Bread People (http://breadpeople.tumblr.com/). Just... just look.

9b) Cheese People (http://cheesepeople.tumblr.com/). Same here.

10) Sims Gone Wrong (http://simsgonewrong.tumblr.com/). Because everyone has played The Sims. And gotten a kick out of glitches and taken advantages of cheats. Again, it's all in the captions. Example:

 SCARY.

So there we are... 11 sites that highlight the highly sophisticated and easily amused minds of our species. Hopefully this will help provide you with some successful procrastination techniques, and restored your faith in either the human race or the fact that you are, in fact, more intelligent than 90% if the internet community.

Internet folk are weird. 

P.S. If you know of a website dedicated to equally random things, post below!

Bug Hall

So it's like 3AM and I can't sleep. I don't remember the last time I was up this late for no reason. I don't feel tired, yet all I want to do is go to sleep. Because it's three in the morning and I have nothing better to do. But no. I suspect it is the three cups of tea I drank tonight that may be keeping me up. So, in hopes that this might make me a little sleepier, I shall become (at least for tonight) an insomniac blogger.

Rant-y introduction over.

Do you remember this guy?

OF COURSE YOU DO. This guy here is Alfalfa, the most adorkable love-struck five year old ever, as seen in The Little Rascals, a movie that came out in 1994 and I watched many many times in my childhood. This is one of those movies that I'm pretty sure everyone has seen, and can unconsciously quote it every once in a while ("Quick! What's the number for 911!?"). This little guy, and his odd hairdo (which, thinking back, I'm pretty sure they slip a boner reference in with it?), defines this movie. And this movie was awesome.

Now why am I bringing this up? Well, fast forward fifteen years, and the American Pie series hands out another straight-to-DVD movie (Americana Pie Present: The Book of Love). What do we have in the opening scene? A teenage boy masturbating into a peanut butter sandwich?  Ah, now that's classy (and only to be expected, come on now, you know what you're watching).

BUT WAIT. What's that you hear?

That's a small part of my childhood collapsing in on itself as it collides with my teenage-hood, because, yup, that boy is AL-goddamn-FALFA. Many years later, Alfalfa still only has one thing on his minds- girls. I guess it's nice to know that some things never change.

I never thought I'd say this but here it is: Alfalfa standing next to 

Eugene Levy.

Seriously, I just spend an hour and a half (because yes, I secretly like the American Pie movies, I think they are mindlessly, stupidly, funny) watching a movie featuring Alfalfa trying to bone the blond girl from 2 Broke Girls. Eugene Levy,  K-Fed, Bret Michael, and Screech (from Saved by the Bell) also made appearances, as contributors/founders of "The Bible."  It was a weird 90 minutes.

I found this little connection to be simultaneously hilarious and kind of sad. But I did a little imdb-lurking and read up a bit on the actor. So here we go:
1) His name is Bug Hall. His first name is Bug. For real.
2) He's had appearances on all three CSI's and Criminal Minds. How have I not noticed him before??
3) He also had a small part in Hercules. Seriously, he was in something I liked from every period of my life (childhood, elementary school, and now).
4) I just realized he kind of looks like a combination of Sean Austin and a family friend of mine. The mind-blowing properties of him have no end.
5) Finally, as far as I can tell, he's the only Little Rascal who kept up acting at a steady pace. Good job Alfalfa!
6) He's got a 6-pack now. Just putting it out there, I would not have guessed that from his Little Rascal days.

So anyways, there's my little childhood-tainting fact of the day. If you have any other "What they're doing now" stories for childhood favorites, I would really enjoy hearing them. But for now, it's 3:30 and I'm feeling much more prepared to sleep. Good night!


(P.S. HAHAHA I JUST REMEMBER HOW HE WIGGLES HIS EARS IN LITTLE RASCALS. I'm so glad they didn't add that into his later movies. It would be so much less cute, and more creepy)

Value Village

Yesterday, I went to Value Village with a few of my roommates, in hopes of getting a Halloween costume.

That didn't happen (although I was dangerously close to buying an Angry Bird costume), but I did pick up a few other things. I have to admit- despite the suspicious smell(s) that seem to lurk around certain corners and clothes racks, I do enjoy me a good thrift/second-hand store. Here's what I picked up:

1) BOOKS! I've been trying to get back into reading lately, something that I have been, besides textbooks, sorely lacking lately. (As in, the last 8-12 months....) I picked up 5 of them, which will hopefully motivate me to get some reading done. I was especially stoked to find a Douglas Adams book I'd never heard of before (The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul), but a stranger on the bus very eagerly (and nicely) noticed it on my way back and assured me it was "really awesome." Also, I got another book to add to my Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy collection, which brings my total to 3 of 5. Yay for majority! As for the other books, I've heard about The Hunger Games over and over in recent months (they're even making a movie of it!), so I figured I'd give it a read. I liked The DaVinci Code, so I picked up Dan Brown's Angels & Demons as well. Finally, I picked up a Stephen King novel. I've never actually read any of his works, so I'm kind of intrigued. So yeah... here's to getting me to read again! Also, if you have any suggestions, I really do want to start reading more, but my knowledge of good books is sorely limited, so comment below!

BOOKS.

2) The Big Chill OST. I actually already have most of this songs in my iTunes, but I couldn't help but pick this up when I saw it. I watched this movie with my parents once, when I was pretty little, and I was not a fan. At all. (In fact, the only movie I distinctly remember not enjoying more as a child was A Mighty Wind... also my parents' choice. Beware.) My point is, despite not particularly liking the movie, it has about the best soundtrack of any movie I've ever heard. Seriously, so good. I'm listening to it right now. It's so good, I think I want to give this movie a second chance.

The '80's were not a good time for hair.

3) Grampa sweater. What is the best thing about second-hand stores? Buying old man sweaters, obviously.  I picked up this baby yesterday. It's kind of itchy, kind of odd-patterned, murky colored, and a little shapeless. In other words, it's great. I'm wearing it now and finishing my 4th cup of tea of the day. O, the glamorous life of me.

Yup, (dirty) mirror shot. 'Cause I'm classy.

So tell me... What's your favorite thrift store find?

Dammit Telus

I still don't have internet at home. For the past month or so, the internet has been patchy at best, but for the past two weeks it's been just about out solid. While in this day and age the difference between having internet and not having internet is massive, I'm still kind of torn about how I feel about it. On one hand, it's a lot easier to focus on my work without the constant distractions of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. On the other hand, I do have course work to do online, and somethings, such as e-mail, I like to be able to check whenever I like. And, like any other student, I enjoy the wonderful, mindless, entertainment the internet can provide me. (Also, I do like blogging, but don't particularly enjoy doing it while at school.)

That being said, thank god for free UVic wifi.

Also, three guys in banana suits just ran past me. In the library. Hmmmm.

Anyways, this is kind of a roundabout explanation as to why I haven't been posting things too much recently.... sorta. For your trouble, check out this link. Anyone who has ever played The Sims I think will agree with the fact that it is hilarious. Because it is so true.

Hiking Up Mountains

Yesterday, my mom took my sister and me on a hike. Today, my body hurts.

We hiked up to Garibaldi Lake, which is about 9 kilometers each way. While it wasn't especially hard, it was a long hike, and took us about 5 hours all together. It was really gorgeous at the top (and cold as hell). Take a look at some of the photos I took (and check out the color of that water!):

Ready to go!

Dementors.

Feeding the birdies

This is my friend. His name is Jacques.

Hilary did not like the birds.

Dr. Seuss trees

We saw this on the way back. Can anyone explain it?