Top 5 Records Presents - Obligatory End of the Year Post!

Wow, where did December go? It feels like finals week has just ended, but somehow it's the last day of the year and all. When school is out, it just feels like time has no meaning. I make the same to-do list for days and days, but just end up sleeping forever and then staying up all night on the internet. XD But one thing on my to-do list has a deadline, and here we are at the end of the year, so I can actually check this one off: End of the Year Blog Post. :D

Top Five Movies of 2010
I haven't actually seen a lot of the ones people keep raving about, so these are the top 5 of the ones I saw.

5. How To Train Your Dragon - release date: March 26, 2010

This was such an awesome movie, and not just for little kids, either. It was well-done, hilarious, and heart-warming. Overall it was a great movie, and a good time for everybody. :D

4. The Lovely Bones - release date: January 15, 2010

I went into this one expecting the worst, since I loved the book on which it was based, but it did an incredible job telling the story. The acting was pretty amazing - Stanley Tucci, has he ever been anything than amazing in anything he's done? - and the special effects and camera work were breathtaking. It was such a beautiful movie.

3. Kick-A** - release date: April 16, 2010

This was a freakin' awesome movie - kids being irl superheroes, a little girl just generally being a bamf, THIS GUY:

Yeah. Look at him. :D I was pretty decently pleased with this movie. Apparently they're making a sequel, though, and I don't know how I feel about that. =/

2. Scott Pilgrim VS The World - release date: August 13, 2010

Um, how freaking awesome is this movie? Answer: the most. :D It was so funny, and so sweet, and RIDICULOUSLY RIDICULOUS, and nerdtastic, and beautifully put together... I'm definitely buying this movie at some point. And also, Michael Cera! Come on! It's MICHAEL CERA.

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 - release date: November 19, 2010

You guys knew I'd pick Harry Potter for number one, didn't you? XD But seriously, this movie was the best movie of the whole series. They're all crap, especially the sixth one, but this one was... nearly perfect. It was heart-wrenching in all the right places, they got most of the story correct, the acting was even decent in parts. There was a scene, guys - there was a scene where I didn't hate DanRad. I KNOW. But it happened. There were even a couple of moments when EmWat was all right. And yes, there were a few things I would change, because they can never just get the freaking movies right, I mean come on, the book is RIGHT THERE, just READ IT and FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS, you don't even need to write a SCRIPT, but overall, it was a fantastic movie, and I cried forever and ever. But I would have even if it was horrible, so that's not really relevant. XD

RUNNERS-UP:
1. Easy A - oh, man, this movie was fantastic. It's seriously almost tied with HTTYD. I laughed, I was invested in the storyline, the acting was great... it was such a creative premise, too. I enjoyed it immensely.
2. The Social Network - this was a pretty funtimes movie, and it has Michael Cera's older dark-haired brother, Jesse Eisenberg. It was entertaining and well done, but I don't know if I would buy this movie. I might, though. I do love Facebook. :D
3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - THIS WAS SUCH AN EPIC MOVIE. I haven't read the books yet, but I intend to because this movie was so awesome. Plus, sexy-Zac-Efron-lookin'-kid, Logan Lerman:

4. Youth In Revolt - not the best movie ever, but entertaining and sweet, plus, you know, Michael Cera. Even better, TWO Michael Ceras and one has a mustache:


Best terrible horror movie of the year - Splice. I don't even.
Runner-up - The Crazies. It was just ridiculous and irritating after a while.


Top 5 Best Albums and/or Bands I Discovered in 2010
I don't really keep up with music like I used to, so I don't pay a whole lot of attention when new albums come out, unless it's a band I'm really into at that moment. And most of those have been wizard rock or internet musicians for the last few months. XD I could probably do a better list if I paid more attention to the music of 2010 and had more time, but if you want to read that kind of post, I'll link you to my friend's blog when he posts it. XD

5. The Bird and the Bee - I don't know a whole lot about this band, other than they are ADORABLE. They came on my last.fm one time, and I was intrigued, so I downloaded their self-titled album, and I kind of love them a lot. :D Her voice is just freaking awesome, and I love how bouncy and adorable their songs are. GOOD TIMES.

4. Portugal. The Man - Their album Church Mouth is the one I'm most familiar with, and it. Is. AWESOME. A couple of friends introduced them to me on a road trip this summer, and I liked what I heard so I got a couple of their albums. They pretty much rock. That is all. :D

3. The Gregory Brothers - The Autotune The News guys! They're a real band, and they're REALLY AWESOME. Their voices are all just amazing, and their EP is five songs of awesomeness. I quite like them. They're a little folksy-bluesy-poppy-rockish, and it's a good time.

2. The Mountain Goats - Thanks, John Green, for turning me on to this band. They are just... basically, if Endless Mike and the Beagle Club and the Decemberists had a baby, it would be the Mountain Goats. Lyics and music like Colin Meloy, voice and style of song like Endless Mike. Oh man, this band is great. :3

1. Ministry of Magic's new album Magic is Might is the best album I have heard all year, probably. I cannot stop listening to it. It's amazing. Not only because I love Harry Potter and I love the Ministry of Magic, but also - the songs are just amazingly written, the music is so good, and it's just a fantastic album. Gah, I love them.

RUNNERS-UP
1. The Black Keys - I was introduced to them at a party this summer, and man, they are cool. The album Brothers is a pretty good album. I really like their voices, as well.
2. Freelance Whales - Darren Criss's brother is in this band, and while that's not the ONLY reason I got their album, it was a little of the reason. ^_^ But seriously, they're SO CUTE. And their music is REALLY good. They also sort of remind me of the Decemberists, maybe if they weren't so depressing and stuck in the 1700s in England (or on ships, as they often are). XD Really good, solid indie rock band.
3. Weezer's new album Hurley, though I haven't listened to it much... I listened to it all the way through a couple of times when I first got it, but haven't really since. But it was very good, and a lot of people have agreed, so I'm putting it on the list. ^_^


Top 5 TV Shows I Watched in 2010

5. Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Oh, Joss. I know I'm like, seven years late or something, but STILL. I wish I'd been a fan when it was on. It's so good - even though I hate half the characters, it's still so funny, so interesting, so well-crafted, so unique... it's definitely one of the best shows that has ever been on television.

4. How I Met Your Mother - Ahhh, this show is soooo gooood. I don't even care what other people say, this show has been consistently awesome since the first season. It's had some not-so-great episodes, but even those were better than most shows' best episodes. I love this show, and I want it to go on forever. :3

3. Dexter - Oh man, Dexter is a great show. It's SO GOOD. I could have lived without season 3, but whatevs, all the rest of it is so brilliant it makes up for it.

2. Doctor Who - I AM SO GLAD I STARTED WATCHING DOCTOR WHOOOO. Oh my god, this SHOW. It is so AWESOME. IT'S RIDICULOUS HOW AWESOME DOCTOR WHO IS. And I'll leave it at that.

1. Community - Probably my favorite show right now, for reals. Even more than Glee or HIMYM, even more than Buffy or Doctor Who. It's SO FUNNY. You guys. SOOO FUUUNNNNYYYY. And so clever and well-written, too, it's not just stupid jokes. All the actors are fantastic, it never feels forced, it's always ridiculous but somehow seems plausible for these people, and it's still got the right amount of drama and romance and all that other stuff. :D It's truly a terrific show, and I hope it stays on the air forever and ever, as well. ^_^

RUNNERS-UP:

1. Glee - I'm not so impressed with the first part of season 2, but there were some excellent episodes, so I'm not going to write it off yet. :D Besides, it still makes me really happy, so. Yeah.
2. The Big Bang Theory - Funny, smart, nerdy, at times irritating, but mostly adorable and hilarious. This is a GREAT show.
3. Pushing Daisies - Awww, this show was so adorable. :3 I wish there had been more of it - Kristen Chenoweth was brilliant on it, and it was just such a cute premise. I really really liked this show. ^_^

Top 5 Books Read In 2010

5. Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson - This was such a cute book! Maureen Johnson is hilarious and a little crazy, but her books are so well-written, and her characters are so fleshed out, it's awesome. This is a really good sort of coming-of-age quest-type book, one of those teens-on-a-soul-searching-road-trip type books, and it's amazing.

4. Looking For Alaska by John Green - John Green's book are all sort of along the same vein, the teen-taking-a-life-changing-road-trip vein. This one in particular doesn't have a road trip, per se, but it's a kid going away to school and all, so same diff. XD But it so fully embodies the kind of memories and feelings that I want to have from this time in my life, and it's so sad and poignant and John Green is such a good writer... it touched me, okay? It might not be your favorite, but it's mine. ^_^

3. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman - I just finished this a couple of nights ago, and holy crap. It takes a while to get into, but boy howdy, does it keep you turning pages once you do. SO GOOD. It's such an interesting premise, and you get so attached to the characters and so affected by what's going on in the book, you just can't put it down. I'm excited to start the next one.

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Man, this series. THIS SERIES. Definitely the best series I've read in the last year, though really sad and kind of horrible. But it's so fast-paced and thrilling! It's like a quest but without the questing. It's AWESOME.

1. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - The sequel to The Hunger Games, I think I liked it better than the first. It was just so much more intense.

Okay, I can't think of much else to do a list of, and this has gotten really long, and it's 6:15 in the morning, SO... I will leave you with a few of my goals for 2011.

* Edit my NaNo novel and get the free copy from CreateSpace
* Get all As and Bs this semester (a C is okay for Math XD)
* Blog more!
* Finish our Twilight musical and film it
* Stop drinking soda
* Stop eating so much fast food/junk food
* Learn to actually play an instrument
* Start doing yoga and/or dance classes or something active

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope you have a safe and joyous New Year's Eve, and hope 2011 is better than 2010. What are some of your resolutions or goals?

Top Five Records - Book Edition :D

I missed yesterday because I was out doing things until like, 11:30, and when I got home I was just too tired. But whatever, I can still Blog Most Days in September! :D

So back in like... June or something, I did a Top 5 list post. One of my favorite movies is High Fidelity, in which John Cusack plays a record store owner who is always making "Top 5" lists. The first post was bands, and this post is going to be books. I will do a Top 5 Books Right Now, and Top 5 Books of All Time. 'Cause that shouldn't be hard, right?! :D

TOP 5 BOOKS RIGHT NOW

1. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
Yes, I am going to make series count as one. It's my blog and I can do what I want. :D But seriously, these books are amazing. They're set in a futuristic-y distopian society, and every year a bunch of kids have to fight to the death for the rest of the country's entertainment and as a reminder that the Capitol can do whatever they want and there's nothing the citizens can do about it. It's amazing, really.

2. The Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray
Ahhhhh I love these books! They're so good, omg. They're set in 1895 in a girls' finishing school in England, and there's magic and other worlds and monsters, and it's just fabulous. :D I love this series. It's the perfect blend of historical fiction, which I think is a good time, and fantasy, and it's well-written and funny and sad and just... awesome.

3. Paper Towns by John Green
I love John Green a lot, thanks to YouTube, but I hadn't actually read any of his books until just recently. Paper Towns is about a boy who likes a girl and randomly has one incredible night with her, but the girl disappears and leaves a bunch of clues so he can find her, which he does. There's all kinds of message-y things and stuff in it, but mostly it's just a really fun story with really adorable characters. It's got an epic road trip, too, which is always fun. :D

4. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Another book with an epic adventure. I want epic adventures. =/ This girl is basically following her dead aunt's instructions, via the 13 envelopes, for an adventure all around Europe. It's sad and funny and weird and a really good story, and reading all these books about these amazing places and stories just makes the wanderlust worse. =/ But they're still fun.

5. The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
I haven't actually been reading these lately, but a friend of mine is and her talking about it is making me remember how much I love them. :D Another futuristic distopia, and another epic adventure. In a world where everything is computerized, where hoverboards and tracking rings are standard, and plastic surgery is mandated when you turn 16, a couple of kids run away to live in the wilderness to escape the involuntary brain surgery that comes with the operation. They basically just make you completely shallow and idiotic so you don't question the way things are run. Another book series that shows us a completely ridiculous future to sort of put the way we actually live in perspective. It's very good.

Yes, yes I do read a lot of Young Adult fiction. And I like it. And I also read real books, so hush. :D

TOP 5 BOOKS OF ALL TIME

1. Harry freakin' Potter series by JK freakin' Rowling
Do I really need to say anything?

2. Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
I love this book. I love the epicness, I love the romanticness, and in recent re-readings, I even love the whole Civil War aspect. It's a classic for a reason. Ugh, it's SO GOOD. I love it. The end.

3. The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Um, YES, I still love these books, and NO, I don't care that they're written for children. I love Laura Ingalls Wilder and I want to be her. These books are awesome - the 1800s were awesome, and I want to live like she did. I just basically love everything about these books as well.

4. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
I don't care what you say, I love this book. I need to read it again, actually. It's one of those books I could read over and over and over and still find new meanings and make new connections. It's just amazing.

5. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
This is one book that will always stick with me, primarily because it's awesome, but also because I had to annotate it for a summer reading assignment and my annotations are AMAZING. :D It was one of the first books about Buddhism that I ever read, so it's special in that way too.

BONUS 6. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
This book is also awesome and amazing and about an epic trip and learning things, and it's another book I could probably read forever and still find new stuff in it every time. Oh my goodness, READ THIS BOOK.

I could probably make a Top 100 book list, but I don't think I'll do that now. I am too hungry now. :D But there you have it, a small sampling of books I like. What are your thoughts on them? I'd particularly like to hear what people think of the ones on the All Time list. Tell me your favorite books and why - go! :D

This still counts as a post on Friday.

Okay, so TECHNICALLY, since it's after midnight, I've missed a day, but since I haven't gone to BED yet, I'm saying the day's not over yet. :D Shut up, it's my blog.

A friend asked me recently why I decided to start this blog, and I thought I'd answer that question on my blog. :D There are really 3 main reasons why:

1) To work on my writing

I want to be a writer, and in order to do that, I need to write all the time and in all sorts of forms. I write poetry and stories for fun, I write essays for school, and now I'm giving blogging a go. There are some things I notice in my writing that I know I need to fix, and I'm hoping that with practice, and practicing in different styles, I can improve my overall talent and find my own voice with which to write novels and things.

2) To write about Important Issues

Recently I've become very interested in keeping up with things going on today, like politics and environmental issues and whatnot. I figured a good way to keep up with these things, to voice my own opinions and views, and to maybe strike a spark in other people my age, would be to start a blog focused on political things. After a few posts, though, I decided to branch out. I want to share my opinions on all kinds of things, not just political issues. I wanted to be able to talk about whatever I wanted, but still with the same sort of goal - to be educated and keep up with things going on around me, and to maybe educate someone else.

3) To be INTERNET FAMOUS

I don't really expect to become famous through this blog, but it would be cool, huh? :D I've decided that internet fame would be the best kind of fame, because you'd get the best bits of being famous without the insanity of never being able to go anywhere or having to have bodyguards or whatever. So if I'm going to be in any way famous, it'll be through the internet or as an author. 'Cause you never hear about crazy screaming mobs chasing after authors, no matter how famous they are. :D You just have to watch out for the crazy obsessed sociopaths, and you'll be fine.

So yeah, those are my main reasons for creating this blog. Mostly the first two. XD I really just love to write, and I love to express my opinion and hear other peoples' opinions on things. And with my recent interest in discussing politics and religion and all this controversial type stuff, I thought perhaps this blog could end up making a difference, even if it's to change one person's mind about a certain issue. That would be really awesome to me. On top of that, if I gain some sort of insight about my writing through these posts, that would be awesome as well. And as added bonuses, it's fun, it's an easy way to get in touch with people, and it means a legit reason to spend more time online. XD

Exciting new project! GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENT!

A little over a year ago, I made a list of 102 goals I wanted to accomplish in my life. Some were short-term or of indeterminate deadlines, like learning a new language or finishing at Tech; and some were longer term, like living in NYC for a while or being a vegetarian for a year. After a year, I've crossed off 12 of my goals:

19. Write a speech.
20. Give it!
35. Get my chest tattoo.
39. Protest something.
47. Buy a new car.
50. Be nicer in my day-to-day life.
54. Sow sunshine - plant sunflowers!
55. Take a random road trip.
57. Try Thai food.
67. Dumpster dive!
98. Save a life.
100. Try a new food every month.

So you can see the variety in my goals. There are four languages, three instruments, two sports, two dances, three body mods, and more writing goals than you can shake a stick at. And this would all be well and good except... well, I suck at keeping up with things. This is how it usually goes for me:

DAY ONE OF NEW LIFE-CHANGING GOAL ACHIEVEMENT CHALLENGE!
Me: I'm SO PUMPED for this new goal! My life is going to be TOTALLY AWESOME when I lose weight/write a book in 30 days/learn to play guitar/make a dress/become a vegetarian! I'm totally doing it!

DAY FOUR OF NLCGAC!
Me: I am SO GOOD AT THIS. I've totally stuck to my goals and am going to CHANGE MY LIFE. Whoooo!

DAY FIVE OF NLCGAC!
Me: Whoops, I overslept/am too busy/really wanted a soda/am sick/stupid excuses. Guess I'll start over tomorrow!

DAY SIX OF NLCGAC!
Me: What is the point? Everything I try to do is stupid and I always fail and I can't do anything right. I might as well eat a whole pan of brownies/sleep 18 hours a day/waste my life on YouTube/quit school and my job because I SUCK AND WILL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING.

DAY ONE OF MY FAILURE AT EVERYTHING!
All of my friends and family: So how's that thing you were doing coming along?
Me: ... yeah, I had to quit that.

DAY ONE OF NEW LIFE-CHANGING GOAL ACCOMPLISHING CHALLENGE, FOR REAL THIS TIME!
Me: THIS TIME I'M SERIOUS. I'm going to TOTALLY win! I CAN DO IT!

Et cetera.


So, I'm total crap at accomplishing things, but that was what this summer was supposed to be about - I'm jobless, I'm not in school for three months, I've got all this free time, so I was going to spend it improving myself and doing things to make me happier. And as of halfway through July, I HAVE TOTALLY FAILED. :D Big surprise!

And that, dear bloggy blog, is where you come in. I am going to BLOG MY WAY TO SUCCESS. :D I figure with an audience/people who will be disappointed if I fail, I will have incentive OTHER than me just wanting it to happen. Also, as an added bonus, IF I FAIL, YOU GET TO PUNISH ME! :D If I state a clear goal, like "I want to weigh 30 lbs by July 23" (only more realistic than that, obvs) and I don't win, you, my dear readers, will be able to submit punishments and vote on the ones you like the most. Obviously they will have to be non-lethal, legal things, but humiliating and gross and painful are okay. :D DOESN'T THAT SOUND FUN.

So here's how it's going to work.
* I have 50 goals on my list (I trimmed some from my original list - things like "go to Europe" and "live in NYC for a while," things that are unachievable right now), excluding the two that won't be completed until next summer.
* There are 24 weeks until the end of the year (what?! When did that happen?), so if I can manage to accomplish a few goals every two weeks, because some of them are one-shots ("try Greek food") and some will take some time ("learn some German"), I think I can wipe out all 50 goals.
* I will put deadlines on them, and will update each Saturday to announce the new goals and deadlines, and to report on my progress. Pictures, if applicable, will be provided to prove it, but I am HEREBY SWEARING to tell you the truth. I will not pretend to have accomplished something if I haven't really done it. You have my word. As Gaga is my witness, my hand on the complete Harry Potter series, I will be entirely honest about my success or failure.
* If I fail to reach my goal, be it through laziness or forgetfulness (although if there is some circumstance beyond my control, we will have to come to an agreement about whether I should be punished or if there should be an extension), you may suggest punishments in the comments, and vote on the best one. I will then make a video or take a picture or make a post of whatever the punishment is and upload it to YouTube or this blog for alllll the world to see.
* If I succeed at completing all 50 goals by December 31, 2010... well, something cool will happen. I'll need suggestions on rewards or something awesome to do.

This week's goals will be starting small, and the deadline for the first three is next Saturday:
2) Leave Post-Its with happy messages on them everywhere I go this week! (something I've been wanting to do for a long time, akin to PostSecret, only with happy messages instead of secrets) This will be especially exciting since I am going on a ~*ROAD TRIP*~ this week. :D
3) Give 10 random people a small present or a card. ALSO EXCITING BECAUSE OF THE ~*ROAD TRIP!*~
44) Tweet a random fact every day. (Ongoing, but as long as I do it for a week, this will be counted as complete.) People who don't follow me on Twitter will be able to see my Tweets in the sidebar! <<< It's over there.
31) AND SUPER BONUS GOAL OF ONGOING DOOM: Lose 80 lbs by Halloween, 2010. This will be the big one, the hardest one, the one I most want to accomplish. I think if I manage this, I should get something special. :D We'll see. As far as progress goes, I will be aiming to go to the gym thrice a week and weighing in every Friday night. As far as punishment goes - if I fail to weigh in, no big deal. IF I FAIL TO GO TO THE GYM TWICE, meaning if I only go once a week or don't go at all, I GET PUNISHED. So starting tomorrow, I have to go to the gym three times this week, or next Saturday you guys get to fill the comments with delightful punishments.

SO THAT'S IT! Goals are programmed into my phone to remind me, all the rules are laid out in this uber-long complicated post, and we're off! Leave me your thoughts, feedback, reward ideas, whatever in the comments, and hey - tell your friends/family/coworkers/people in Starbucks/favorite waitress about this! I need all the support I can get, and the more people suggesting punishments, the more fun it will be! So pass the link around, and help me get myself in gear and finally cross some things off this darn list! :D

Top Five Records Presents - Bands

One of my favorite movies is High Fidelity, in which John Cusack plays a record store owner who is always making "Top 5" lists. I'm going to do a series of Top 5s, starting with a big category - bands! I will do Top 5 Bands Right Now, and Top 5 Bands of All Time.

TOP 5 BANDS RIGHT NOW

1. ALL CAPS.
There is a phenomenon called wizard rock, music based off of Harry Potter. I, needless to say, am a huge fan. Two of my favorite bands are good friends, and one member from each, Luke and Kristina, created a band called ALL CAPS, which is basically just nerdtastic. They have songs about World of Warcraft, The Office, robots falling out of love, NaNoWriMo, zombies, and other nerdy things. :D They're pretty awesome - funny or sweet lyrics, good voices, neat music. I love them a lot.

http://allcapsband.com (oh my god, they're so cute)

2. Endless Mike and the Beagle Club
Oh my god, these guys. They are so fantastic. :D They're this little obscure band from Johnstown, PA, who writes amazing songs about mundane things like living in the same town your whole life, not finishing college, seeing all your friends grow up and get married and have babies while you're still not sure who you are... it's amazing. Their album The Husky Tenor changed my life. <3 Their music is great - they have like, sixteen people "in the band," who just intermittently show up to record stuff on weird instruments - and the lyrics are really insightful and catchy, and Mike's voice is so sweet and weird and honest. They're an amazing group of musicians, and every one of you would do well to have this album.

The Husky Tenor - mediafire.com/?0jykjtw2dwc
http://www.purevolume.com/endlessmikeandthebeagleclub

3. Joss Whedon.
Okay, so he's not a band, but his music is so fantastic! :D I've been listening to the soundtrack to "Once More With Feeling," the musical episode of Buffy, for a month and a half now. It's so creative and awesome. And Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog?! GENIUS. God, that man is just... well, God, kind of. XD Joss is boss, as Summer Glau famously said. And it is true. Go download the soundtrack to Dr. Horrible and tell me he's not a genius. Actually, don't, because if you don't think Joss Whedon is a genius, we can't be friends. XD (I'm kidding.)

http://whedonesque.com

4. Lady Gaga.
I am no longer ashamed to admit that I love me some Gaga. :D At first, I resisted, but I was converted. She has a pretty decent voice, and her songs, while not genius-level, certainly are catchy and fun. But the real appeal of Madame Gaga, of course, is the costumery and craziness of the woman herself. She's a throwback to the days of Bowie, Madonna, and Prince. She's a show in and of herself. And that is really why people like her - or at least, why I do. She's fierce, and fabulous, and utterly unafraid to be herself, and who cares about the people who don't think you should wear thirteen-inch heels and rhinestones glued to your face to go to the grocery store, SHE'S gonna do it ANYWAY. (Also, "Bad Romance" is RIDICULOUSLY catchy!) <3 Gaga <3

http://www.ladygaga.com

5. She and Him.
Zooey Deschanel sings. Who needs to hear more? :D No really, she has an amazing voice, all lilting and sweet and easy. Their first album was covers, while their second is original stuff, and both are amazing. Aside from her being adorable and a pretty decent actress, this girl can sing.

http://www.sheandhim.com



TOP 5 BANDS OF ALL TIME

1. The Beatles.
... It's the Beatles, dude. ANYONE'S bands of all time should include them.

2. Weezer.
Nerd rock at it's best. The Blue Album and Pinkerton will always remind me of high school and certain people, and will probably always make me either laugh or cry. Weezer is just too cool. <3

3. The Decemberists.
This band is just ridiculous. They are so good it HURTS sometimes. Their lyrics, their music, Colin Meloy's warbly little voice... it's just too much. Instantly a classic, I don't think I'll ever stop listening to this band.

4. The Smiths.
The pinnacle of high school misfit rock, the most famous band no one's ever heard of, the band made infinite by The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Smiths will always have a place in my heart. Morrissey is an amazing singer, and his lyrics are somehow both strikingly poetic and painfully straightforward. The Smiths are one of those bands that are classic high school weird kid bands, and I guess the weird high schooler in me will never give them up.

5. Ozma.
Another one of those bands that will always bring back high school memories for me. I love this band. They're also obscure - I'm always surprised when anyone else knows who they are. But they have some amazing songs. They're a little like Weezer, which might be why I love them so much, but their lyrics are so clever and sweet that it's clear they have a voice of their own. Rockin' tunes, ballads, amazing solos, gut-wrenching choruses, heart-gripping vocals... these guys rock out loud. They're fantastic. <3 I love me some Ozma, and I probably always will.

Oh my god, that was hard. XD It's all subject to change, anyway. Who can really pick a top 5 favorite anything and stick with it? My favorites change all the time. But this is but the first installment in a series of Top 5s. Next, possibly, books! :D That won't be hard at all, right? O_o

Pimpage! The friends and family edition. :D

To break up the ranty-ness, this post is going to be one of two posts full of stuff I like and support and think that you should, too! :D This edition is the People-I-Actually-Know edition.

http://www.myspace.com/bobbyshropshire - This is actually my daddy! :D He's a musician, mostly country/blues/jazz/folk type music. He's pretty awesome. And I'm not just saying that 'cause he's my dad. ^_^ Listen to his stuff on MySpace, become a fan on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bobby-Shropshire/112648524002), and buy his albums and comedy DVD on Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/shop/bobbyshropshire)!

http://www.myspace.com/bibisellison - Hometown rock star. This girl has RIDICULOUS pipes, man. She's insane. Really awesome. Check her out, friend her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/#!/BibisEllisonBand?ref=ts), go see her live! She needs to be famous. :D

http://www.etsy.com/shop/shaebay - Awesome girl, AMAZING crafts. She's kinda geeky and crazy, so her stuff is always really fun. :D Also here's her blog (http://shaesrandommusings.blogspot.com/)! Follow her!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/acorngirl - Another cool crafter person. She's super nice and makes really cool stuff.

http://christineashleypictures.blogspot.com/ - Follow her too! Her pictures are AMAZING. I went to school with her a long time ago, and she's an awesome person. Seriously though. Her blog is GORGEOUS.

http://advocationofthedevil.blogspot.com/ - Another friend, really interesting blog (when she updates it :D). Follow her, as well. ^_^

http://www.taithompson.com/ - Friend of mine who does graphic design stuffs. It's pretty cool.

http://jamiesessions.blogspot.com/ - If you like home-brewed beer and wrestling, this blog is for you. :D He's an awesome guy and I love him, and his blog should be followed. Do it!

http://www.amyopoly.com/ - A friend of mine from waaaay back in the day is now a makeup artist, and this is her site! She's pretty good at it, too! There's some really cool tutorials, and she talks about a lot of neat things related to makeup, if you're interested in that sort of thing. It's a cool site, and she's also got a blog and a Youtube account. :D Check it out!

All right, that's all I can think of at the mo'. I'm sure there's more, and hey - if any of you guys with cool stuff on the webs sees this post, leave a comment with a link! And return the favor by pimpin' out my blog/Etsy, plzkthx. :D

First post, no rants.

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog! I'm Erin, known on these here interwebs as ErisedRhapsodic. This is my non-personal ranty blog. This is not the place where you will hear about my day-to-day life. This is where I will be expounding on my political views, personal opinions on social issues, and promoting things I feel are worthy of promotion.

I'm not totally sure what sort of "party" I would be in, but my ideas usually make people mad, so do with that what you will. If you don't like what I say, feel free to comment, but prepare yourself for a long-winded comment war, because I will argue with you.

Topics I will probably discuss include but are not limited to:
* Feminism and Women's Rights
* Racism
* Gay Rights
* Obama and Bush
* Homesteading/Natural Living
* Frugal Living/DIY
* Compassion
* Religion (gonna have fun with that one)
* Grammar and Spelling, more likely than not

As soon as I get everything worked out, I'll start posting stuff. I'm new to this Blogger fandango, but I'm getting there. ^_^