Ikkyg's Journals

Who will I be in Twenty-ten?

I often find myself writing long journals about my feelings and then deleting them when I am finished. While I never set out to destroy my words, by the time I have exhausted my feelings I often find myself cringing at my innermost thoughts.

Every year I promise to myself that I will change who I am. I will procrastinate less and be more conscientious in my studies. I will make new friends. I will get out more. I will lead a more exciting life. I will loose weight. These last two years I wonder if I have fulfilled any of these vague resolutions. I am certainly not a party animal and I have few friends. I sit alone in classes usually, and eat lunch with my laptop. On the other hand, I have also travelled across Australia and to overseas, been incredibly drunk and found my first boyfriend. Am I getting better? Am I too hard on myself? I am not sure. But I am unsatisfied at who I am and where my life is leading.

At the heart of it, my studies are going well, and I should really worry less about them. I do well no matter the lack of effort put in throughout the semester. I will never have perfect marks and I will never fail. I should be content with my grades and use the time spent worrying about them towards more productive things.

I need to be more creative. There is no point owning an expensive camera and having had years of art lessons unless I use them.

I need to be more social. Being exciting and spontaneous takes time, but having friends will make this easier. I have this insane social anxiety where my mind goes totally blank when trying to think of things to say to people. Not all people - some people I find it very easy to converse with, and can spend hours discussing any given topic at length. Others take great effort on my part, and I know I bore them with my awkward, fumbling small talk. I need to be more confident at making friends. I can stand up and rant for 8 minutes about the Isreal/Palestine conflict during a debate, but I can't work my way through a conversation about what someone thinks about class. I can talk at people, but I find it more difficult to talk with them.

I am so used to doing my own thing and keeping my own company that I seem to have completely underdeveloped social skills. This probably comes across a fair bit here, and it feels silly writing it here. But I need to express myself more and be more open about who I am. I know this is just the internet, but its a start.

I guess here is a crash course in who I am-

I am a introverted, thoughtful person, who overanalyses absolutely everything. I seek spontaneity, but I fear the unknown. I find it difficult to sleep at night because my mind is constantly racing. I am shy and awkward in social situations, but confident about my intelligence and creativity. I am often melancholy, but I often suspect I prefer it this way. I feel guilt about the way I treat others, but quickly forgive those who mistreat me. If I could change any part of myself, it would be to improve my ability to socially interact.

Who will I be in twentyten? Much the same person, but hopefully a little less introverted.

This woe-is-me journal is in terrible need of deletion.

The Hunt for the Worst Musical Act: Blood on the Dancefloor

While on the surface, Blood on the Dancefloor seem fairly uncontroversial. They have typical scenester gender-bending members, music that sounds like it was made on Garageband and the typical rainbow coloured spew everywhere on their myspace and albums. In fact, the unassuming person might well dismiss them as yet another shitty scene band not even worth listening to. This attitude is only partially correct. While BOTDF are certainly unoriginal, and should not be listened to by any person wishing to maintain their sense of sanity and personal dignity, BOTDF are not just another Medic Droid or Dot Dot Curve. They are really, trully, soul-crushingly awful in every way, bringing them a cut above (below?) the pack.

Dahvie Vanity will haunt me in my sleep in a scary way, and totally not in a sexual way.

And yes. That is a man.

No, really.

To add a little context to this band, their lead singer Dahvie Vanity was once accused of raping and sexually assaulting a 15 year old girl. Absolutepunk commenters rather succinctly added "Normally, they're only raping people's ears. Seems they've stepped their game up now." and "For Girl's Sake: Hope it's not true. For Music's Sake: Hope it's true." This just about summarises the situation - the members of this band are disgusting human beings who make disgusting music. While the charges do not appeared to have been pursued further, the content of the band's music suggests to me that even if this poor girl wasn't raped, Dahvie Vanity has absolutely unhealthy and unsatisfactory attitudes towards women and sex. The lead singer looks like a hag, and perhaps under the gunk, shitty hair (apparently he is a qualified hair dresser, idk?), and photoshop, he might be nice looking. But I really doubt it.

Starting at this top, this band is horribly, horribly cliched in every possible way. "Success is the best Revenge" is just one internet meme after another. When a band has a song called "IDGAF" which literally spells letters out, you know that that band is completely devoid of any kind of creativity or style.

Their music has a mediocre at best grasp of crunk, which is made entirely worse by the autotuned screams. Their beats seem to have very little to do with the lyrics, but are kind of incidental background music. I cant say the music background is terrible because its just too bland and garagebandy for me to hate properly. The lead singer's voice isn't even that terrible - again, its just too generic for me to hate properly. The music itself, aside from the standard shitty screams, is fairly unoffensive. It's the lyrics that are the killers.

I'm not suprised he was accused of raping someone - their lyrics in songs such as "success.." make casual references to rape. Their attitude towards sex is frankly demeaning and alarming given their popularity with young girls.

"Cyber cheat" glorifies online cheating.
"Ima Monster" - supersocker on your chests, let it drip down on your breasts
"IDGAF" - shut the fuck up bitch .... so suck my dick
"Scream for my Ice Cream" - Got a monster in my pants/ And if you ever get the chance/ Gunna cram it down your throat/ Watch you gasp for air & choke/ I'm gunna jizz all in your face/ I'm gunna wreck this fucking place/ Pull my hair smash the chair/ Break the bed & give me head
"I Heart Hello Kitty" - You scream "meat sucks!" / Well you're out of luck / I'll fuck you in the face / And leave a nice taste / A hot mess [ ....] H-E-L-L-O Blasting through your stereo K-I-T-T-Y Let me slip between your thighs H-E-L-L-O Coming straight from Tokyo K-I-T-T-Y My sex will leave you satisfied H-E-L-L-O Show me how you're such a hoe K-I-T-T-Y Bitch I'll make you fucking cry H-E-L-L-O Get down on your knees and blow K-I-T-T-Y You're such a fucking cutie pie!
"Bitches Get Stitches" - Talk your shit watch you get hit. Save the drama for your mama [...] Bitches get stitches they end up in ditches, So get the riches

Whats most disturbing is the combination of "cutsey" hello kitty imagery with sex and violence. Disturbing because the cutseyness is obviously aimed at young girls (as evidenced by all the scantily clad 13-14 yr olds photos on their myspace), but yet they're sexualising their youth in a really creepy, almost pedophilic, kind of way. The appeal of this band to young people, combined with the attitudes towards sex being pushed upon their fans makes this kind of music very dangerous.

Of course, no scene band is complete without songs about the haters, such as "Ima monster" and "Bitches Get Stitches" (You can talk your shit, you're only making me famous). O rly.

I hope everyone is sitting down before I make the following announcement:

Blood on the Dancefloor is worse than Brokencyde

I did not believe that this day would ever come, in which music sunk to worse lows than Brokencyde. Unfortunately, this journey to find the worst musical act of all time has brought me to this horrible, intolerable place in which I find myself taking back all the things I said about Brokencyde being the worst thing to ever happen to music. BOTDF's music itself is probably tolerable than Brokencyde, but their lyrics are incomparably worse. Worse in terms of being even more demeaning and offensive, but with the additional dimension of shittasticness in being cheesy, lame and poorly constructed (somehow, in some evil way, this is possible).

This band is the love child of Brokencyde and Jefree Star, taking the worst aspects of Brokencyde with their horrid interpretation of crunk combined with pig squeals, and marrying it with the meme-licious, cutseyness of Jefree Star, resulting in a monster far far worse than either. A monster that has come to life and will haunt the nightmares of all who dare to listen. What the fuck music, WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Seriously, youtube? 4 1/2 stars? I dont even know!

I'm going to go off and have a cry now.

The Hunt for the Worst Musical Act: Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono is often referred to as the woman who split up the Beatles. This analysis is perhaps a little untrue and perhaps a little unkind. It would also be untrue and unkind to say that she is a woman who sings like a cat being strangled. Untrue because a cat being strangled can probably stay in key far better, and unkind because being compared to Yoko Ono would hurt the cat’s feelings.

To be fair, some of her later music is somewhat tolerable, mainly because someone must have pulled Ono aside and told her that singing 2 keys above her natural tone sounded like a school choir being massacred. But her pre-1970’s music is actually quite bad, especially when she starts to screech, a sound which could probably strip wall-paper.

I will give her some credit, most of her songs have interesting ideas or messages behind them, but its her execution which lets her down and makes me question how on earth she managed to chart at all. Considering that everything she sings is either too sharp or too flat, I don’t know how having an interesting idea was ever enough. Maybe I just don’t understand avant garde.

Woman power is a good example of a song where she isn't that bad, except when she starts making those weird screechy deafening noises. In fact, it seems almost universally accepted that Yoko Ono’s music is good when she's not trying to sing. This is fairly worrying, considering she is a professional singer. The worst is when she is singing in her “haunting” voice, which rather than being emotionally touching is mostly bizarre. Ditto with her... I can’t even label it voice. It’s like she is pretending to be an ogre, imitating an out of tune guitar with a faulty distortion pedal. It is about as intolerable as that sounds too.

Will anyone ever take Brokencyde's crown?

The Munted Guitar Voice:

The Haunting Voice:

An example Ono actually being good when she is not really singing

Skip to 4:17 for some lovely Yoko-screeching->

An example of choir children being massacred, in the third person:

An example of a song I can't tell whether is good or bad, but I'm leaning towards out-of-key.

AND JUST FOR TEH LULZ - MUSIC WHICH SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING DYING:

To quote the youtube comment: "Excruciatingly nauseating in its conception and repulsively vomitous in its execution. About as charming as a screaming rat being burned to deathï»¿ with a blow torch."

So there you have it - Yoko Ono. Next time, I will be covering 'Blood on the Dancefloor'. Also remember to join the Hunt for the worst musical act Group if you already haven't.

The Hunt for the Worst Musical Act: Florence Foster Jenkins

I don't know about you, but my favourite aspect of shows like American Idol has always been to watch the audition stages, and laugh at all the trainwrecks of singers that audition. There are many reasons for this, the schadefreude of watching the suffering and humiliation of others, the ego-stroking effects with regard to my own pathetic singing voice at hearing others who are worse, and laughing at how conceited these talentless-hacks are. Contrary to popular belief, public consumption of the spectacle made by those who can not sing is not a new phenomenon. Au Contrare. Allow me to introduce you to the 1920's version of William Hung: Florence Foster Jenkins.

Florence's family and husband heavily discouraged her from pursuiting this passion (and with good reason). After the death of her folks and divorcing her husband, Florence decided to blow through her inheritance and take singing lessons.Despite her complete lack of rhythm, pitch, tone, and overall singing ability Florence became very popular. Audiences loved to watch her perform, her onstage antics of costumery and dramatics making up for her lack of ability to sing.

This leads me to the conclusion that Florence would have loved the internet age - dismissing her critics as having "professional jealousy" over her abilities, is oddly reminiscent of Kiki "haters make me famous" Kannibal. Florence may have filled concert halls, but the people only came to satisfy their curiousity and be amused by the spectacle she made of herself *Cough Any form of reality TV cough*.

While some people have suggested her entire career was an elaborate joke, by all accounts, Florence took herself and her career incredibly seriously. Her and William Hung would get along famously.

But hey, don't take my word for it. *Video-tiem*

(Incidently, after recording this song, Florence told the sound engineer that no second try was required as she had sung perfectly).

As you can see, Florence is a terrible, terrible singer.

*Bonus Points*

I came across this trainwreck, and thought you'd enjoy their horrible-ness. I can't find any more of their songs, or I'd do a proper write up for them.

The Hunt for the Worst Musical Act: King Uszniewicz and the Uszniewicztones & The Shaggs

People often request bands for me to include in the hunt, and I often listen to the band and either feel so traumatised there are no words to describe my pain, or alternatively, think the band is not horrible enough to deserve to be compared to Brokencyde. As such, I've been spoiling you all. As much as we all hate Brokencyde and the Millionaires, they do actually know how to operate Garageband/Auto-tuner - they're just void of any conceptual worth. It's time for the hunt to get back to basics. Very basic. So basic, the bands I am about to introduce can't even operate their instruments.

King Uszniewicz and the Uszniewicztones

I want you to imagine that garage band you were in when you were 14. Remember how bad it was? Ok. Now I want you to imagine that no one in your band actually knows how to play their instrument. Now I want you to imagine if all of your band members were playing to a different time signature. Now imagine everyone in your band is drunk and your saxophonist is high. Just let this simmer in your mind for a moment. Have you visualised how horrendously painful this is? How utterly unlistenable this would be?

King Uszniewicz and the Uszniewicztones are worse.

There are no words.

Ok, so maybe there are a few. Suckful. Out of time. Painful. WHYYYYYY.

Someone get a rifle and shoot the saxophonist. And the whole band, while they're at it.

The Shaggs

I have a theory about the origin of this band. They had never heard music before, and decided to make music with only the loosest idea of what music should sound like. None had ever even seen a fucking guitar before the moment they were put in a recording studio. The result is pure tragedy, so horrible and gut-wrenching not even Shakespeare could have thought it up. Their drummer is several beats infront, their guitarist several behind. Their lyrics are so cliched and Forrest-Gump-esque that not even the Disney Channel would touch them. And their voices are so grating that Chad Krueger begins to sound like an angel.

This band is probably one of the worst I've encountered.

Ready to kill yourself yet?

Nevermind who are the parents, WHERE ARE THE PARENTS AND WHY ISNT THERE A "MOTHER'S AGAINST GROUP"?

The band's accolates include rated being rated the 2nd best band ever by Frank Zappa and (somehow) having a tribute album named "Better than the Beatles".

There is no God.

A crash course in how to write a Daily Music Dose write-up

The best thing about Daily Music Dose is that it means ordinary users on the site (like you!) get to contribute articles about the bands that matter to them, and have them posted to the front page of the website. Yay!

We realise that doing write-ups can be scary for some of you, particularly if you are shy about writing or English is not your first language. Never fear! Ikkyg is here to give you a quick run-through of how to write a fantastic-magical-awesome write up that you will want to print off and stick on your refrigerator with a big gold star and "A++" written in red pen.

1. Content

The first thing you might like to think about is what you want to talk about in your write up.When I do a write up there are three main things that I like to talk about:

a) The Band

b) The Music

c) Critical Response

People like to know the "human element" of the band they're about to hear about. This might include giving a quick history of the band (but not too long or people will be bored!), how they started, the names of the members, the genre they belong to, and other interesting or quirky pieces of information about the band and it's members. Remember - you want people to take an interest in your writing, and talking about the band is like a teaser to hook in readers.

Next I talk about the music of the band. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to do this, but here is a good scaffold that I think about:

Look at their music from a "big picture" perspective ie, "their sound", the genre, features of their music which set them apart from other bands.
Then talk about individual albums, and about the merits of individual albums, comparing them, or discussing how the band has grown through their career
Finally hone in on individual songs that you think are particularly good. Describe what makes their music so good - talk about their instruments, lyrics and whatever else you think is necessary to convey this. Also, give your opinion - tell us a bit about how the music makes you feel.

Finally, I often write something very short about the band's career in terms of charting/accolades/awards/response of critics. This can be quite short.

You should try to spend the most amount of time talking about the music - a band can have a fascinating history, but if their music is uninspiring people won't listen to them. Give your opinions about their music, talk about any experiences you've had meeting the band or seeing them live, and talk about what exactly sets them apart from other bands.

2. Structure

Usually structure comes naturally, but if you're having trouble put things in order, then it makes the most sense to look at it like an upside down "triangle" - start general, and become more specific as the article continues.

ie- General info about Band -> General info about Music as a whole -> Individual albums -> individual songs

Then wrap up by talking about their critical acclaim and posting some video links.

3. Check spelling and grammar

You should take pride in your writing! It gets to go on the front page, and you should feel proud that something you wrote will be placed in such a visible spot on the website!

Using correct spelling and grammar will make it easier for people to follow what you are writing about. If you write in a confusing way, people will spend more time trying to work out what you're saying, than thinking about the content of your words.

It's a good idea to spell check before you post. No one is expecting something perfect or professional quality, but you should write something that people would want to read. No one likes reading things that looking a chimpanzee threw their fists down on a keyboard (although, eventually, one MAY produce a Shakespeare :P).

If you need help with your grammar, it is often useful to read things out aloud to see if they make sense. If not, message me the article before you post it, and I can help you fix it if need be. :)

4. Add images/videos

The easy part! Find a couple of videos you like on youtube, and add them to the journal. Cut the HTML code from youtube, then in your journal editor, go to html view (in between the picture button and preview button). Paste the html code in down the bottom and click "update". Now you're good to go!

What if the Ancient Egyptians had it right?

The other day I watched a documentary about Ancient Egyptians and their religious beliefs, and I felt a certain amount of twenty-first century smugness about how quaint their beliefs were. Souls shooting out of pyramids and worshipping men with jackal heads seem almost laughable.Their stories about the creation of the world and gods & goddesses all make for a good yarn, but are far too unrealistic for me to give up my agnosticism hat and start worshipping Ra.

The Ancient Egyptians took it all seriously though; their belief system endured for over 3000 years. Ditto to the Roman, Greek and Norse Mythologies. Their explanations of the world all seem inadequate to the sophisticated modern man though. They're interesting enough to read a book about (or at least watch a few episodes of Xena) but the ridiculousness of the God of all Gods raping a maiden whilst disguised as an injured swan seems too farfetched to belong to a system of religion worth believing in.

But this got me thinking; to what extend is this whole "religion" thing relative? Will Christianity and Islam, two of the biggest religions for the last few hundred years, eventually be seen as entertaining narratives for history geeks to study up on? The fodder of Discovery Channel documentaries in 3009? Will the tales from the bible be far-fetched, but entertaining stories that eventually become a TV1 series featuring some decendant of Lucy Lawless and Kevin Sorbo?

Sure people say that Christianity is the one "true" religion, but I'm fairly certain the Egyptians felt the same way about their beliefs. And the Druids. And the Mayans. How do we know that we're not screwing up by putting all our eggs in the Christianity basket? What if the Ancient Egyptians had it right? What if Ra is the true god, and when we all die we're fucked because we laughed at all those Creation Stories, and our souls will be crushed by the underworld demon Ammut.

Better to have our souls shattered into oblivion than face eternal damnation though, I suppose.

PS: How is everyone?

I've seen 129 of 239 films

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show

(x ) Grease

(x) Pirates of the Caribbean

(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest

( x) Boondock Saints

(x) Fight Club

( x) Starsky and Hutch

() Neverending Story

(x) Blazing Saddles

() Airplane

Total: 8

() The Princess Bride

(x ) AnchorMan

( x) Napoleon Dynamite

() Labyrinth

(x) Saw

(x) Saw II

( x) White Noise

(x ) White Oleander

(x) Anger Management

(x) 50 First Dates

(x ) The Princess Diaries

(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Total so far: 16

(x) Scream

(x) Scream 2

(x) Scream 3

(x) Scary Movie

( x) Scary Movie 2

( x) Scary Movie 3

( x) Scary Movie 4

(x) American Pie

(x) American Pie 2

(x) American Wedding

( ) American Pie Band Camp

Total so far: 25

(x) Harry Potter 1

(x) Harry Potter 2

(x) Harry Potter 3

(x) Harry Potter 4

() Resident Evil 1

() Resident Evil 2

( ) The Wedding Singer

( ) Little Black Book

() The Village

(x) Lilo & Stitch

Total so far: 30

(x) Finding Nemo

(x) Finding Neverland

(x) Signs

(x) The Grinch

() Texas Chainsaw Massacre

() Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

(x ) White Chicks

( x) Butterfly Effect

(x ) 13 Going on 30

(x) I, Robot

(x) Robots

Total so far: 38

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

() Universal Soldier

(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events

( x) Along Came Polly

(x) Deep Impact

( ) KingPin

( x) Never Been Kissed

(x) Meet The Parents

( x) Meet the Fockers

( ) Eight Crazy Nights

() Joe Dirt

() King Kong

Total so far: 45

( x) A Cinderella Story

() The Terminal

( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie

( ) Passport to Paris

(x) Dumb & Dumber

( ) Dumber & Dumberer

(x) Final Destination

(x) Final Destination 2

() Final Destination 3

() Halloween

(x) The Ring

(x) The Ring 2

( ) Surviving X-MAS

(x) Flubber

Total so far: 52

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle

(x) Practical Magic

() Chicago

() Ghost Ship

() From Hell

() Hellboy

(x) Secret Window

( x) I Am Sam

() The Whole Nine Yards

() The Whole Ten Yards

Total so far: 55

(x) The Day After Tomorrow

() Child's Play

( ) Seed of Chucky

(x) Bride of Chucky

(x ) Ten Things I Hate About You (Heath Ledger!!!)

( x) Just Married

(x) Gothika

() Nightmare on Elm Street

(x) Sixteen Candles

( x) Remember the Titans

( ) Coach Carter

(x) The Grudge

(x) The Grudge 2

(x) The Mask

() Son Of The Mask

Total so far: 65

() Bad Boys

( ) Bad Boys 2

( ) Joy Ride

( ) Lucky Number Sleven

(x) Ocean's Eleven

( ) Ocean's Twelve

( x) Bourne Identity

( x) Bourne Supremecy

( x) Bourne Ultimatum

( ) Lone Star

(x) Bedazzled

() Predator I

() Predator II

(x) The Fog

(x) Ice Age

(x ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

( ) Curious George

Total so far: 73

(x) Independence Day

( ) Cujo

( ) A Bronx Tale

() Darkness Falls

() Christine

(x) ET

() Children of the Corn

(x ) My Bosses Daughter

(x) Maid in Manhattan

(x) War of the Worlds

(x) Rush Hour

(x) Rush Hour 2

Total so far: 79

( ) Best Bet

(x ) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

(x) She's All That

(x ) Calendar Girls

( ) Sideways

() Mars Attacks

() Event Horizon

() Ever After

(x) Wizard of Oz

(x) Forrest Gump

() Big Trouble in Little China [wait i have actually seen this!]

(x) The Terminator

() The Terminator 2

() The Terminator 3

Total so far: 85

() X-Men

() X-Men 2

() X-Men 3

() Spider-Man

() Spider-Man 2

( ) Sky High

() Jeepers Creepers - ("where do you get those peepers")

() Jeepers Creepers 2

( x) Catch Me If You Can

(x) The Little Mermaid

(x) Freaky Friday

() Reign of Fire

() The Skulls

() Cruel Intentions

(x ) Cruel Intentions 2

(x ) The Hot Chick

(x) Shrek

(x ) Shrek 2

Total so far: 92

( x) Swimfanit

(x) Miracle on 34th street

( ) Old School

( ) The Notebook

( ) K-Pax

() Krippendorf's Tribe

( ) A Walk to Remember

( ) Ice Castles

() Boogeyman

( x) The 40-year-old Virgin

Total so far: 115

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring

(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers

(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King

(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Total so far: 101

(x) Baseketball

(x) Hostel

( ) Waiting for Guffman

(x) House of 1000 Corpses

() Devils Rejects

(x) Elf

() Highlander

(x) Mothman Prophecies

( ) American History X

( ) Three

Total so Far: 106

( x) The Jacket

( ) Kung Fu Hustle

( ) Shaolin Soccer

( ) Night Watch

(x) Monsters Inc.

(x) Titanic

(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail

(x) Shaun Of the Dead

() Willard

Total so far: 111

( ) High Tension

( ) Club Dread

( ) Hulk

() Dawn Of the Dead

(x) Hook

() Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

(x) 28 days later

() Orgazmo

() Phantasm

() Waterworld

Total so far: 113

(x) Kill Bill vol 1

(x) Kill Bill vol 2

() Mortal Kombat

( x) Wolf Creek

( ) Kingdom of Heaven

(x) The Hills Have Eyes

( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman

() The Last House on the Left

() Re-Animator

() Evil Dead 3: Army of Darkness

Total so far: 117

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace

(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones

(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith

(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope

(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back

(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi

( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage

() Ewoks The Battle For Endor

Total so far: 123

(x) The Matrix

(x) The Matrix Reloaded

(x) The Matrix Revolutions

() Animatrix

() Evil Dead

() Evil Dead 2

( x) Team America: World Police

(x) Red Dragon

(x) Silence of the Lambs

() Hannibal

TOTAL: 129

Now Add them up and... Put "I've seen --- of 239 films" in the subject line and re post it

You have no life if you pass 85

Buzznet Secret Santa

Do you like presents?

Do you like the holidays?

Are you someone who enjoys buying gifts?

Look no further than Buzznet Secret Santa!

In 2009 Buzznet Secret Santa is going to be be bigger than 2008- but we still need another 6 people to join up AT LEAST so that we can beat last year.

To join up, all you need to do is:

1. Post that you would like to join here

2. Post a video of yourself to the group [http://www.buzznet.com/groups/buzznetsecretsanta] saying

a) your buzznet username,

b) the date and,

c) that you would like to join Buzznet Secret Santa

3. In October I will allocate you someone to buy a present for.

4. In December post them the present

5. Receive your present!

How a secret santa works

Everyone has one person to buy for, and someone else buys for them. Say, for example, I buy a present for Alexher123, he buys for Hidedontseek, and Hidedonteek buys for Me. Everyone buys for someone different than bought for them. The idea is to spread the buzzlove over numerous people, and send buzznetters in far away places a little piece of your IRL home.

Safety and security

The only two people who will have your postal details are me and whoever sends your present. I am very conscious that the internet has lots of strangers, whcih is why I make everyone post a video/photo to verify that they are who they say they are. If you're still worried, maybe get a Post Office box to deliver to, or have it delivered to a parent's workplace.

What kind of gifts you might receive

Last year people got all kinds of weird and wonderful things!

Toys
Food
Clothes
Hand-made gifts
Local trinkets and items
Jewelry
Books
DVDs/CDs
Stickers
Bags
Photographs
Posters

For more ideas/specify what you might like see The Wish List.

If you have any more questions, feel free to leave a comment below!

Why Aren't You Reading Stieg Larsson?

I can easily read a novel a day, and have read hundreds of crime fiction novels. So its not very often I read one that does something new. Where the majority of crime fiction uses cookie-cutter archetypal characters to propel the plot into predictable waters, Larsson has created rich and interesting characters that feel like real people. His first novel, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, originally published in Swedish, is a fantastic piece of literature. It is not often I read a book and feel the need to rave about it- but Larsson is just that good.

The novel is multi-faceted- there are multiple plot lines, but they all mesh so beautifully and are inhabited by such daring and psychologically engaging characters that you can simply not put the book down. Larsson exposes a side of Swedish culture I'm sure most people never knew about, and is able to engage in both stimulating and intriguing plot, while subtly providing a social commentary.

His second novel in the Millenium Series -The Girl Who Played With Fire- picks off a year after the events in the first novel. Where the social commentary and intriguing characters were brilliant in the first novel, Larsson manages to further develop his social commentary and characters. The plot does not read like a soapbox- it is subtle and emotionally engaging in a way which few other novels manage. In particular his character Lisbeth Salander, is a fascinating study in psychology. Where many novels portray people with mental and social illness as outsiders, Lisbeth is strong and captivating in her own right. Propelled by her own sense of morality and justice, while her actions could be considered as abhorrent by some, her lens of looking at life and her treatment by men means that the reader emphasises with her perspective.

While the second novel's plot was less captivating than the first, it is still one of the best crime thrillers I've ever read. Where Larsson really comes into his own is his development of his female characters. They are strong, savvy, unique and intelligent. He characterises them as true individuals in a world where many men victimise and belittle them. That is not to say Larsson presents gender relations as black and white- but rather there are individuals existing in various shades of grey, and morality itself is an incredibly grey area. Larsson's character development of his female characters in particular- not as needy and dependant, but existing within their own aspirations and sense of justice, makes Stephenie Meyer's Bella Swan look like an absolute joke. Larsson writes real characters, people that both men and women can aspire to and empathise with. Even the bad guys are fascinating characters.

His third novel, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, is to be published in an English translation later this year. I eagerly await the final installment of the series, as the second book ends on a cliffhanger.

The saddest element of all is that Steig Larsson died before he could see the enormous popularity and critical acclaim for his books. He died of a heart attack at 50, weeks after handing the trilogy to his publishing house. He had planned to write another 7 books, and had one unfinished manuscript at the time of his death. In 2008 Larsson was the second best selling author in the world, and his novels have reached number one on various countries bestseller lists, having been translated into several languages. He has won a number of post-humous awards and his novels have become a television mini-series in Sweden.

In a nutshell; why the hell aren't you reading Stieg Larsson? His novels are psychologically complex, fascinating, and provide a critique of society that everyone should know about.