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.