Sunday, November 25, 2007

Songs of the Week # 14, #15, #16, and #17

I've missed a few weeks, so there are four songs in this post.

First up is a new song by Foo Fighters. I first ran into them two years ago, when one of my favorite dollers mentioned that they were her favorite band. I listened to some of their stuff then, but didn't like it.

This song was released on the radio about two months ago, and I really liked it. Apparently their new album is slightly different than their older ones.

Since starting this post, I found out that this song and band are up for some Grammy nominations! I hope they win something.

The Pretender - Foo Fighters


The next song I found by accident, while looking for a song called "What are you Waiting for" by No Secrets, which is a sweet, girlish song.
This song is not. This is a very weird song.
There may be some language in it, just to warn you, and the video is very weird. The song starts about three minutes in, but I recommend watching the whole thing.

What You Waiting For - Gwen Stefani



This song I thought was by Simple Plan, but it's actually by the All American Rejects. Upon finding that out, I got their CD out of the library, and it's actually very good!
Again, a slightly bizarre video.

Dirty Little Secret - All American Rejects



There's a program on one of the radio stations I listen to, where they'll play the top forty songs of the week on Sunday morning. They also have information about upcoming movies and albums, as well as interviews with actors and singers, so I tape it and listen to it. I was very surprised, to find this song on the mid 30s. It's one of the best songs to come out this year, and it's by an artist I don't know!
The video is again, weird, but not as weird as the Gwen Stefani one.

Misery Business - Paramore

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Music Meme

Yes, I know I do to many Memes, so hush.

Music Meme

What is the first music album you remember owning?

That pink one with "Complicated" on it.

If not the same, what is the first music album you purchased for yourself?

I think it might have been the same one. If not, maybe the Joss Stone album?

What artist currently occupies the most space either in terms of shelf space or megabytes on your hard drive?

The Police.

How many different types of music media (vinyl, cassette, CD, etc) have you owned in your lifetime?
Cassettes, cds, and mp3s.

Who or what has had the biggest effect on your music taste?

For rock, my father, for broadway, my mother. For pop and hip-hop, the radio.

How do you currently prefer to listen to music?
Either on cds on my cd player, or the radio on my cd player.

In terms of music memorabilia, what is your most prized possession?

I don't have any.

Have you ever “swapped headsets” with a complete stranger (meaning have you ever unplugged the earphones from your listening device and plugged them into someone else’s player and had them do the same)?

No, although it sounds fun.

Have you ever been completely obsessed with a particular artist? Who and to what level did your fandom go?

I've been obsessed with several artists. The one I was obsessed with the most was The Police, though. I listened to "Synchronicity" over and over again.

What is the farthest you’ve ever traveled for a concert?

One in another state.

Who have you seen in concert the most?

I've never seen anyone more than twice.


Performers I would most like to see that I haven't seen yet?

Either The Police or Fall Out Boy.

Most male-intimidating concert?

Saffire.

Most anticipated concert?
It wasn't a concert, but a student production of Les Miserables, directed by Terrence Mann.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Song of the Week #13 - Photograph

Since I have a sort of obsession with this song, and am listening to it right now (and have been listening to it for the past thirty minutes), I decided it would make a fine Song of the Week.

I haven't watched the video all the way through, but it looks rather odd, so don't feel compelled to watch it. You can just open it in one tab and listen to it while looking at other stuff.

Photograph - Def Leppard

Sunday, November 11, 2007

More NaNoWriMo and Song of the Week #12

Well, my book is going well, and not well. I've got 21,114 words, which is good, I'm ahead of schedule (I think), but I've all of a sudden ran out of inspiration, and I have all these random plot threads that I have no idea what to do with.

Anyway, enough complaining, onto the Song of the Week, This weeks song is from a video game I've been playing lately, Final Fantasy VI. It's a wonderful game. The story twists and turns and never does what you expect it to, the characters are wonderful, the graphics are gorgeous, and the music sticks in your head for hours.

One of my favorite parts of the whole game was where you get to preform an opera. This is the aria from the opera, by far the most beautiful part of the game.

Oh, Maria

Sunday, November 4, 2007

NaNoWriMo

There's this thing called National Novel Write Motnh, where you start writing a novel on November first, and try to write 50,000 words of it by December 1st.

I've signed up for it. So far I've got exactly 6,000 words. It take place on Pellistair, and is going along nicely. I even have a plot now, which I didn't when I started out.

I don't know whether I'll be able to finish it, but it's been fun to try. I'll keep you updated on it.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Song of the Week #11 - I Don't Want to be in Love (Dance Floor Anthem)

I heard this song on the radio a few weeks ago, and didn't really think anything of it. Then it came on again, last week, and I listened to it closer. Since then, it's been steadily growing on me. It's got a nice sort of 80's rock, punk rock mix, and the lead singer has an unusual voice, but he can still sing really well.

I Don't Want to be in Love (Dance Floor Anthem)- Good Charlotte



I'm going to look into this band now.

And as a special bonus, the band from Song of the Week #6, Anberlin, singing Song of the Week #10, Enjoy the Silence.

Enjoy the Silence - Preformed by Anberlin



Their's is the only redone version I really like, although Lacuna Coils version is good (just a bit screachy for my taste).

Friday, October 19, 2007

Song of the Week #10 - Enjoy the Silence

This is one of my four favorite songs. It's dark, and atmospheric, and the lead singer's got a nice voice. It's the first song I ever heard by Depeche Mode, and it got me hooked on them.

Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode



According to Wikipedia (so it may not be true) all of the long shots of him walking through the snow are not of the lead singer, David Gahan, like they were supposed to be, but of the producer, Richard Bell. David Gahan got tired after one day of filming in the cold and left.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

I'm four people, and SOTW #9

I recently decided to find out what Myers-Briggs personality type I am. I decided to take two tests, to see if I got the same results from both. I didn't. I was an ISFJ on one, and an ESFJ on another. I decided to take two more tests, and decided whichever result I got twice would be my personality type. I got ETFJ and INFJ.

Needless to say, I was very confused. I wasn't sure how I got the E's, since I'm and introvert, and I also began to think there was something wrong with me. I've decided to go with being four people at once. It's more fun.

And now, for Song of the Week #9:



Just kidding (but it was amusing, wasn't it?).

Here's the real song of the week:

Victoriam Speramus - Krypteria


I found it when I was looking for "Holding out for a Hero" videos. I'm not sure why this came up, but I'm glad it did.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Latest Dolls

Most of my recent dolls have been for contests or projects, so I haven't thought of actually posting them here. That's changing now *evil laugh*.

First, my entry for the Miss Fairytale Pageant at Fairytopia.


Base 1 Base 2

She's my version of Little Red Riding Hood. I really love the way her outfit came out, and both of the bases were a pleasure to work on.


Base

My entry to Miss Doll International. She's Miss Belarus, and this is her in an evening gown inspired by the Acai berry. All of the MDI rounds have been fun to do, and it's been fun to design her outfits. I'm sad it's done.


Base

My example doll for a tutorial for Bat Wings Tutorial I'm writing. Her spots were hard, but lots of fun.
She's a cat/bat hybrid from Pellistair, but instead of being shy and reclusive, she flaunts her unusualness.

And finally:

Base ! Base 2

My Muse! Dollers have a tradition of dolling their muses (and anything else that stands still long enough. Or things that don't stand still). It figures that my muse would be scaly and wear historical clothing. And wear big black boots.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Song of the Week #8 - Anything for You

This is the first song I ever heard by Evanescence. It's not one of their better known songs, since it comes off of a concept album (Not for Your Ears) , which is nearly impossible to find.

Since it's off of a concept album, there is no official music video for it.



I found the song while looking for videos set to "I'd do Anything by" Simple Plan. Needless to say, I ended up liking "Anything for You" much better than "I'd do Anything", which is sweet, but nowhere near the same level that "Anything For You" is on.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Misheard song lyrics

I've had a wonderful time this morning browsing through The Archive of Misheard Lyrics. Ever since I was 5 and sang Madonna's "Material Girl" as "Cheerio Girl", I have had a great fondness for misheard song lyrics. My favorites from this site are:

Human League: Don't You Want Me
The real lyrics are:
Don't you want me baby.
Don't you want me oooooh

Misheard lyrics:
Don't chew on me baby.
Don't chew on me oooowww

I literally collapsed in laughter after reading this one.

Elton John: Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
The real lyrics are:
I've had it with your discipline

Misheard lyrics:
I've had it with your Death Star plan.

Billy Joel: Piano Man
The real lyrics are:
The piano, it sounds like a carnival.

Misheard lyrics:
The piano, it sounds like a power mower.

I think the misheard lyrics are better.

This next one's a bit off-color, but still funny.
Billy Joel: We Didn't Start the Fire
The real lyrics are:
We didn't start the fire.

Misheard lyrics:
We didn't fart, you liar.

Village People: In The Navy
The real lyrics are:
In the Navy

Misheard lyrics:
Ukulele

I like to sing that version whenever I hear that song.

Police: King Of Pain
The real lyrics are:
It's my destiny to be the King of Pain

Misheard lyrics:
It's my destiny to be the King of Spain

I always picture Sting dressed up like a king whenever I read this one.

Police: Message In A Bottle
The real lyrics are:
Message in a bottle

Misheard lyrics:
Knickers in a parcel

Police: Message In A Bottle
The real lyrics are:
Woke up this morning, can't believe what I saw.
Hundred million bottles washed up on the shore.

Misheard lyrics:
Woke up this morning, can't believe what I saw.
Hundred million bathtubs washed up on the shore.

As you can see, the Police don't ennunciate very well. My friend and I once had a discussion as to what was being said in "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic". Were the lyrics "Even though my life with her is tragic, Still I know my love for her goes on", or "Even though my life before was tragic, Still I know my love for her goes on"? We finally gave up trying to figure out what he was saying.

If you have any misheard song lyrics, I'd love to hear them!

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Song ofthe Week #7- In the Middle

Someone has probably wondered, "Why is this blog called Lemur Reflections, and why doe it say that these are thoughts and reflections on the world when all she does is write about music, books, movies and memes?" The answer to that is that those are the things I feel like writing about. You'll get thoughtful stuff in the winter, when I'm depressed.

Anyway, on to the song. This is the first song I heard by Jimmy Eat World. I automatically thought it was a song from the 80's, but it actually came out in 2001. It's my favorite thing by the band, although I also like "Futures" and "Just Tonight".

For a long time, anytime anyone said something about "You're over there, in the middle" or anything else like that, I'd get this song in my head.

In the Middle - Jimmy Eat World


You don't get the original video or any concert videos because the concert videos all had lousy quality, or the performance wasn't very good, and the original music video has lots of people in their underwear dancing in a house, and I'm not posting that on my blog.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Song of the Week #6 - Paperthin Hymn

A friend recommended Anberlin to me, saying that they were a Gothic Christian band. I was, understanbly, intrigued, and went off to look them up on Youtube. This is the first song of theirs I heard.

Paperthin Hymn - Anberlin


I got their CD, "Never Take Friendship Personal", out of the library, and loved it. Unfortunately, it has to go back to the library tomorrow.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Song of the Week #4 and #5

I didn't put up a song last week because I was busy with my Cats camp. So, in honor of Cats, here's last weeks song:

The Rum Tum Tugger


I want to be one of those cats.

The song for this week is a japanese song I like. It was the fourth opening for the Inuyasha anime, and one of the most popular openings.

Grip! - Every Little Thing


Unfortunetly, that's a shortened version. I couldn't find a video of the long version that wasn't fanmade.

Last night, I had a dream....

In which Justin Timberlake locked me in his house and sang "Sexy Back" at me. This completely befuddled me, since I don't even like him. (I figured out later in the dream that he was shooting a video for "Sexy Back", and he thought I was part of it. That's why he locked me in, because he didn't want me leaving and messing up the shoot)

I figure I got some Justin Timberlake fangirls dream, and she got whatever dream I was supposed to have.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Song of the Week #3 - You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

Okay, I couldn't resist. I just had to do this song.

I found out about this song by a very long and convoluted chain of events, which I won't go into here. The song is "You Spin Me Right Round (Like a Record)", and it's done by Dead Or Alive, a New Wave group from the 80's.

I like to refer to it as "The Scary Song", since it's rather weird. And it sticks in your head. For days.

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)- Dead or Alive

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Song of the Week #2 - Girlfriend

A lot of you will probably already know this song, since it's very popular on the radio. It's also the most bratty song on the radio, and possibly the most bratty song ever, with the exception of a few Madonna and Jane Wiedlin songs.

I managed to find a censored version of the original video, so it's alright to listen to even if there are small children nearby. The original doesn't have all that much bad language, but enough that you wouldn't want a five year old listening to it (especially if that five year old repeats everything they hear).

Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne


I know it's bratty, and nasty, but it still brings a huge grin to my face every time I hear it.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Song of the Week #1- Here in your Arms

I've decided to start posting a new song each week. It can be a song I like, a song I dislike, or just some random song I can't get out of my head. This may be informative and interesting to you, but really, it's just for my own fun.

I was going to do a song I've had in my head lately, but I decided that I want to do another one, instead, even though I haven't thought about it in awhile. The song is, "Here in your Arms" by Hellogoodbye. I was going to link to the official video, but I don't really like it, so I'm linking to a fanmade one, instead. You can enjoy the video even if you don't know what the games are that are being used for it.

Here in your Arms

I heard it on the radio back in November, and I've loved it ever since then. It manages to use synthesizers without over using them, and it's so sweet. It's probably my favorite song on the radio right now.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Redone Meme

Yup, yet another meme. This is a redone version of one I did earlier.

WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? WHAT INSULTING NICKNAMES WERE YOU CALLED IN CHILDHOOD? I didn't have any, probably because I didn't go to school.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? WHEN YOU CRY, DO YOU LOOK UGLY, OR DOES IT GIVE YOU A BEAUTIFUL SAD GLOW? I look all red and blotchy. I envy those who get a beautiful glow (if there even is such a thing).

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? ARE YOU FORGETTING HOW TO WRITE BECAUSE YOU SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON THE COMPUTER? No. I do three pages of handwriting in a college ruled notebook every morning, and that's what's causing my handwriting to degenerate.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? DO YOU THINK VEGETARIANS ARE INSANE? (BECAUSE THEY ARE.) No, I know to many to have that opinion, and anyway, I tried to be one several times when I was 5 or 6. As long as vegetarians don't try to tell everyone else that they're right and your wrong, I'm fine with them.

DO YOU HAVE KIDS? DO YOU LIKE KIDS? IF SO, WHY? WHY, IN THE NAME OF GOD? I like them because they can be extremely amusing. And sometimes sweet.

DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? ARE YOU AS FRIGHTENED OF CLOWNS AS YOU SHOULD BE IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU? I've never had any experience with clowns, so I don't know.

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? IF YOU COULD BE EITHER VERY BEAUTIFUL OR VERY SMART, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY? It depends. If I could stay the way I looked when I became smart, or stayed how intelligent I was if I became beautiful, I'd say smart. I think there are problems that go along with being beautiful, and you can always hide how smart you are.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CUSS WORD? Shoot, rats, and curses.

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING TO GROW OLD OR DIE TRAGICALLY YOUNG? I hope grow old. Dying tragically young never did anyone any good.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? DESCRIBE YOUR MOST RECENT NIGHTMARE. I think the one with the red man was the most recent.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? DO YOU WISH THAT, INSTEAD OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DEBATES, THEY INSTEAD HAD TO BOX EACH OTHER, BECAUSE THEN THERE'D NEVER EVER BE ANOTHER DEMOCRAT IN THE WHITE HOUSE? No, it wouldn't make anything any more interesting.

RED OR PINK? ABBA: THE BLONDE OR THE BRUNETTE? Brunette. The blonde one looks too much like Luke Skywalker to me, and there's nothing attractive about him (at least to me).

WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? ON A SCALE OF 1-10, HOW MUCH DO YOU HATE SHOPPING FOR NEW CLOTHES (10 BEING SO MUCH YOU'D RATHER CLEAN THE CAT BOX WITH YOUR BARE HANDS). Hmm. Shoe shopping would be an 8, and regular clothe shopping would be about a 6.5.

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE BEFORE THE LAST TIME YOU THREW UP? It was years ago, and it was dinner. That's all I remember (and why do you want to know, anyway?)

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? NAME FIVE "CLASSIC" POPULAR SONGS YOU HOPE YOU NEVER HEAR AGAIN AS LONG AS YOU LIVE.

1. Photograph by Nickelback (I have always thought this was a stupid song)
2. Imagine by John Lennon
3. Beautiful Girl by Sean Kingston (this song could not be much more annoying if it tried. If you like this song, could you please tell me why?)
4. My Love by Justin Timberlake (It's got a pyschotic mouse in the background)
5.Take the Money and Run by Steve Miller

IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? IF YOU WERE A DOG, WHICH BREED WOULD YOU BE? I'd be a Basenji.

FAVORITE SMELLS? FAVORITE BODILY FUNCTION? (COUGH, SNEEZE, BELCH, POOP, FART, YAWN, ETC) Hiccup, since I do it so often.

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU HAD A HUGE FIGHT WITH, WHAT WAS THE FIGHT ABOUT, AND WHO WON? I don't have big arguments.

FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? AS WE ALL KNOW, PRO FOOTBALL IS THE ONLY SPORT WORTH CARING ABOUT. IN LIGHT OF THAT FACT, WHO IS THE BEST NFL QUARTERBACK OF THE LAST 10 YEARS? BEST RUNNING BACK? BEST WIDE RECEIVER? BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER? BIGGEST PRIMA DONNA? WHINIEST BITCH? I couldn't care less, I'm afraid.

HAIR COLOR? BALD MEN ARE VERY SEXY. DISCUSS. Only african american men, like Avery Brooks and Samuel L. Jackson.

DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? DO YOU HAVE PERFECT VISION? IF SO, RACHEL LUCAS ENVIES YOU WITH THE FIRE OF A THOUSAND GALAXIES. Nope, I've got average vision with my left eye, and less than average vision with my right eye (not that you really need to know that).

FAVORITE FOOD? FOOD YOU FIND SO REPUGNANT THAT YOU SIMPLY CANNOT BELIEVE OTHER PEOPLE PUT IT IN THEIR MOUTHS? Escargot. I mean, it even looks like little dried up snail bodies!!

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? WHEN YOU GO TO THE MOVIES AND THE J ERK BEHIND YOU KICKS YOUR SEAT CONSTANTLY, DO YOU IGNORE/MOVE OR DO YOU CHALLENGE THEM TO FISTICUFFS? I assume that's it's either a very small child, or someone who's easily amused, so I just ignore it. And if the movie's good enough, I don't even notice.

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED THAT MADE YOU GET ON YOUR KNEES AFTERWARDS AND BEG GOD TO GIVE YOU THE LAST TWO HOURS OF YOUR LIFE BACK? I've never watched any really bad movies, although Tron wasn't as interesting as some. It was still good, though. After reading Wicked, however, I wanted the last two hours of my life back.

WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? DO YOU EVER PUT CLOTHES ON YOUR PETS? No, that would be cruel. Anyway, I already poke them and call them weird names.

SUMMER OR WINTER? BEER, WINE, OR LIQUOR? Wine.

FAVORITE DESSERT? FAVORITE FOOD THAT YOU KNOW WILL KILL YOU EVENTUALLY BUT YOU DON'T CARE BECAUSE IT IS JUST SO FREAKING DELICIOUS? Chocolate and other desserts.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SO DISGUSTED BY A BOOK'S ENDING THAT YOU VIOLENTLY DESTROYED THE BOOK? Inkspell! I hated that ending soooo much and SHE STILL HASN'T WRITTEN THE SEQUEL!!! Other than that it was a great book.

WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? TRUE OR FALSE: "REALITY" T.V. IS THE BEST REASON FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD TO HATE AMERICA. It's a stupid thing (most of it, with the exception of the singing and dancing shows), but if America didn't come up with it, wouldn't someone else?

FAVORITE SOUND? FAVORITE DRUNKEN SLATTERN: PARIS, LINDSEY, OR BRITNEY? Britney and Lindsay are both somewhat talented, and at least have one song that I like. I just feel sorry for them.

WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? WHAT HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME YOU GOT DRUNK? 'FESS UP. I've never gotten drunk (so there).

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? IF YOU COULD HAVE MAD SKILLZ IN DANCING OR IN SINGING, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WOULD IT BE FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL SATISFACTION OR TO IMPRESS OTHER PEOPLE AND POSSIBLY GET SOME ACTION? I can already dance fairly well, and I want to work hard to get better at it, not just be spectacularly good at it. The same with singing.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN? IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPERPOWER, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WOULD YOU USE IT FOR GOOD OR EVIL? I know what power I'd have (this is what happens if you read too many X-men comic books), but I can't really explain it. I'd use it for good.

WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? IF YOU NEVER SEE ANOTHER Q&A MEME AGAIN, WILL IT BE TOO SOON? I like them! (As you can tell from my blog)

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Innocent Dragon doll

I entered a collaboration at Fairytopia, where we each took a mythlogical creature or two with a certain theme. I chose the Innocent Dragon, and the Emo Centaur.
I had no inspiration whatsoever for an innocent dragon, until I saw this base by Aceldama, and it inspired me immediately. A few days later, I ended up with this:


Base

I'm very pleased with her! The base is much larger than I normally work on, but I think she came out well, nonetheless. The fire in her hand was hard to get right, as were her wings.
After dolling her, I have more confidence in my ability to doll on large bases.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Mechanical spider

The guy in here is half spider, half robot. This takes place on Pellistair.

"Now, what were you saying about this being your fault?” He asked, staring at her with his piercing gaze.

"I was one of the scientists at the laboratory where the technology was created that turned you half robot," she started reluctantly. "In fact, I was one of the main scientists working on it."

"The technology was stolen from the laboratory you worked at. It wasn't your fault it was used to experiment on me", he interrupted, staring at her puzzledly.

"No, you don't understand! I helped them steal it. It's my fault they got it in the first place. And what's more, I'm the one they asked to find the subject for their first tests! After weeks of searching, I decided you were the best candidate, and told them when and where to abduct you and bring you back. If it weren't for me, they never would have found you, and probably wouldn't have gotten the equipment in the first place!"

He stared at her in shock, before moving with lightning speed and pinning her against a rock. "You're the one who did this? You're the one who's responsible for the revulsion on everyone's face when they see me?" He asked, shaking her.

"Yes! I've been trying to tell you! All this time, teaching you and talking to you, I've been trying to make up for it!" She cried, staring at the ground.

He let go of her and stepped back. She was unable to meet his gaze. "You're the reason I've kept going, the reason I haven't just crawled under a rock somewhere and given up, and now it turns out that you're fake, that you've had your own reasons for helping me, all along" he stated bitterly. "Everything I've believed in has turned wrong, or been flung back in my face. I don't know what to do with myself now..."

She heard him walk away, and someone coming running up to her. "Miss! Are you all right? I saw what that monster did to you!" A brown tabby cat looked at her in concern. She stared after him, and said, half to herself, "It wasn't entirely rational. I took everything away from him. It was a natural, and completely expectable, reaction". The tabby cat looked at her in confusion, as she thought, Why do I always have to be like this? So cold, and logical, thinking scientifically about everything? That's what got me into this mess in the first place. And what got him into this....

I'm a happy person, really. I don't normally write such dark things. I blame it on Nidhiki (who I shall always think of as a belly dancer), and on Depeche Mode, bucause I had "Suffer Well" in my head all day, and I think this comes from that.



Monday, June 25, 2007

Redone songs

A few weeks ago, I heard a redone version of "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper. I love the original version, and was slightily appalled (but also slightly intrigued) by the redone version, by Quietdrive.
I forgot about it, until yesterday, when I heard a rap song, "I'll be Missing you", with the same background music, and the same music for the refrain, as "Every Breath You Take", which as I've already mentioned, is one of my favorite songs ever, and has been since I was eight. I was horrified, and extremely angry, about it, until I looked it up. It turns out, it's a song about losing people, and how, as it's put in the song, "I know you still living your life, after death". Well, I couldn't be angry after that, although I still wish they hadn't used the same music as "Every Breath You Take".
All of this reminded me of Quietdrives version of "Time After Time", so I went looking for it, and find several interesting preformances of "Time After Time". These were my favorites:

Dilana, on Rockstar Supernova- She gives it a sort of country twist, and she's got a lovely voice.

Brandon Rogers, on American Idol- It's nice to hear a guy sing this song, and he sings it so sweetly, and with so much emotion.

Tracet Thorn and Ben Watt, of Everything But the Girl - She's got a gorgeous deeper voice, and I love the way they only use one guitar for musical accompniement.

And, the best for last -

Eva Cassidy - She has such a beautiful voice, and her version is probably my favorite of all these.

I feel differently about people redoing songs, after watching these.

Meme

I love Memes! I got this one from Moomin Light.

WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My parents found out about my name from a character in a book, but I wasn't exactly named after her. At least I hope not.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Hmm. Yesterday, maybe? I've a been bit overly emotional lately.

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
No. I plan to work on it eventually, but I haven't really done anything with it yet.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Turkey, I think oven roasted, but I prefer Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly.

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No, not unless you count a few hundred stuffed animals.

IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I don't know. I'm never sure what to say to this question. In some moods I would, in some moods I wouldn't.

DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
No, I find it a bit anoyying (I can't spell that word. It's irritating) ocasionally.

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
I think so, unless someone stole them last night when I was sleeping.

WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Maybe. I'd probably have to eat lots of chocolate or sugar beforehand.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Honey Bunches of Oats, which is the only cereal I eat. I eat it without milk.

DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
It depends. Not on my sneakers, but I have to with my jazz shoes, because they're pretty tight.

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
I can dance for thirty hours in five days, and still be able to walk around. That seems pretty strong to me.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Something with lots of chocolate and carmel in it.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their hair. I notice peoples hair before I notice their gender, or even if their alive or not. (There are some really realistic statues around here)

RED OR PINK?
Both! As long as they're bright.

WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My depression, and the way I don't always think things through.

WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Several friends I haven't seen in awhile.

WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Denim shorts, and black sneakers.

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Two brown sugar poptarts.

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Something obnoxious on Cartoon Network. My brother is watching it in the other room.

IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Orange!

FAVORITE SMELLS?
Anything lemony or orangey.

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
A next dor neighbor, asking me to take care of their cats. (They're so cute! The cats.)

FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
The Olympics, where I like the figure skating, speed skating, snowboarding, and skiing. And gymnastics and racing.

HAIR COLOR?
Brown.

EYE COLOR?
Hazel?

DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No, my eyes are fine, wlthough my right eye doesn't see as well as my left eye, which is weird, and you really didn't need to know that, I guess.....

FAVORITE FOOD?
Anything orangey or lemony.

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy Endings.

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
The last movie I watched was "Dragonheart" but it started to pixelate, so we had to stop watching it, which was a shame. The last movie I watched all of, was, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End" which was reallly good, except they killed two of my favorite characters! Curse the writers! And Bootstrap Bill!

WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
A purple t-shirt, with pink letters that say the name of one of the places I dance at.

SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer. I hate the winter.

HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs.

FAVORITE DESSERT?
Hmm, that's hard. Anything orangey or lemony.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
The Last Command, by Timothy Zahn, the Cestus Deception, by someone, Haters, by someone, and that regency that I can't remember the name of or the author.

WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
The mouse pad in my room is grey with black letters on it. I don't know what the black letters say.

WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?

Dragonheart, although that's a movie, not tv, and we didn't finish it, so I guess it doesn't count.

FAVORITE SOUND?
The sound of dancing feet.

ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
The Beatles, although I prefer their songs when other people sing them, like Earth, Wind, and Fire. The Rolling Stones scare me, especially Mick Jaggers tongue.

WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Maine. I want to go back there.

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I can dance, and I have an excellent memory for choreography.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
A hospital somewhere.

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Weird song lyrics

There are some songs with lyrics that always make me scratch my head, because they don't make sense, or are just weird, or are redundant. Here are some.

"Let's talk this over
It's not like we're dead"
Avril Lavigne - My Happy Ending

There's nothing wrong with the lyrics, they're just sort of odd. It's an interesting way to put it...

"I gotta whisper 'cause I can't be too loud"
Hinder - Lips of an Angel

Why else do you whisper?

"You see you were born
Born, born
(Born to be alive)"
Patrick Hernandez - Born to be Alive

And what else would you have been born for..?

I'll post more when I think of them. Post any weird song lyrics you've found in the comments!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories review

About two weeks ago I ordered Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. I had been thinking of ordering it for a long time, because it was supposed to have a wonderful story and great graphics. Unfortunetly, it was set between two other video games that I don't have, so I had decided not to order it.
About two months ago, my younger brohter found the comic book version of it, and he suggested it to me. I read it, and was intrigued by the characters and the world. I then started watching parts of the other two Kingdom Hearts games on Youtube and I finally decided to get Chain of Memories.
It came in the mail about a week ago, and I immediately started to play it. I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it, because it had several negative reviews on Amazon, but I needn't have worried. It had great music, great graphics, great characters, and the gameplay was fun. I was hooked.
The premise of the story is that Sora, the main character, and his two friends, Donald and Goofy, are looking for their lost friends, The King (Mickey Mouse) and Riku. One night, while they're sleeping, Sora wakes up, to see a mysterious robed figure, who says, ""Ahead lies something you need. But to claim it, you must lose something dear." Sora and his friends come to a large castle the next day, and they go into it, in hope of finding their lost friends. Once inside, the mysterious figure appears again, and tells them that, "To find is to lose, and to lose is to find". Sora and his friends start forgetting some things, and remembering others. The figure gives Sora some cards, which will allow him to go to different worlds, created from his memories of them. Sora and his friends set off through the castle, hoping to find their lost friends and memories.
One of the unusual things about this game series is that it combines Disney and Final Fantasy characters and worlds together, so you end interacting with characters like Ariel, from the Little Mermaid, and Cloud, from Final Fantasy VII. It's a lot of fun to meet your favorite Disney characters, and, in some cases, fight them.
The grpahics are unusual for a Gameboy game, because instead of little pixel graphics with no shading, or computer generated graphics, all the graphics are fully pixel shaded, and the characters are pixel sprites, and they're extremely well done. Being a pixel artist myself, I spend a lot of the game going, "Oh, wow! Look at those lovely folds!", or, "That hair is very nicely pixeled!"
The music is by far the best music I've ever heard from a video game. The theme you hear in the castle floors is very pretty, and the music in the title screen is gorgeous. The music in the Disney worlds is great, too, becuase they all have music that reflects the world, and in some cases, is from the movies. I especially love the music for Atlantica, because it's a version of "Under the Sea".
I was worried about the battle system, because people either really loved it, or really hated it. It's actually turned out to be one of my favorite things about the game so far.It's very unusual, in that it combines cards and the typical run around and bash things system that most games use. There are many different things you can do with the cards, and a lot of strategy, and it's really fun.
The characters are so much fun! Hades was particularly well written, and I could hear James Woods (who does Hades voice in Hercules) saying all the lines. The original characters, like Sora, and Axel, are very interesting and funny. They did really well with writing all the Disney characters, who all seem very realistic, and a lot like they do in the movies.
Overall, it's been a really fun game so far. At the moment I'm stuck on Captain Hook (I have decided that I hate Captain Hook. Except when he's played by Jason Isaacs). I would definetly recommend this game to people.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Rainy story

This is just a little thing I wrote for the sake of writing something. It takes place on Pellistair.
Cassandra is a Ring Tailed Lemur, Kringo is a Raccoon, and Malig is a Muskrat.

"It was raining again. The new mail box had floated away. 'Another one?' Cassandra asked. 'That's the third one this month!'
'At least the chimney hasn't fallen off yet', Kringo said. "And the roof only has a few leaks in it."
There was a knock at the door. Kringo opened it. 'The Duplents house floated away', Malig said, standing in the rain with water dripping off his whiskers.
'Again?' Cassandra asked."

Pellistair

I'm going to be posting parts of stories I've written. All of these stories take place on Pellistair, which is a planet I came up with last summer. This is an introduction to Pellistair, which was written by my brother, Moose.

"In a galaxy far, far away (no, not that one. A different one), there is a planet called Pellistair. It's a small and obscure planet, a peaceful little place most people in the galaxy haven't heard of. A quiet, unassuming planet. However, Pellistair's inhabitants - and any visitors that stay for long - know that it is different from any other planet in the galaxy. Pellistair... changes people.

All different kinds of people visit Pellistair. It's a small planet, but the galaxy is a large one. Humans visit, drawn by the quiet peace and beauty of the small world, and so do many other kinds of creatures. Those that only stay for a day or two don't notice the changes. Anyone who stays longer, though, can't help but notice.

For instance, say a human or other creature visited Pellistair. It would seem normal enough at first, a peaceful place inhabited by a wide variety of different species. Over time, though, the visitor would start to change. If they headed in a reptilian direction, scales and a tail might grow, if the alien didn't have them already. Warm sunlight would seem much more comfortable than before.

The changes vary from person to person. Some visitors would start spending more time in the water, perhaps become better at holding their breaths. Others would grow furrier and start resembling cats, dogs, armadillos, et cetera. Some grow wings and become more like birds or bats, though that takes longer than more minor changes. People can end up resembling any animal in existence - or out of it.

The speed of the changes also varies depending on the person. Some people take years to develop claws or proper fur. Others only stay a few days before they're flying through the trees or learning how to use extra limbs. No one can tell until the changes start.

No one on Pellistair ever completely changes. There are no birds or fish that used to be human. The inhabitants generally look like humanoid animals who can fly, or swim, or breathe underwater. They live fairly normal lives otherwise. The world is a happy, peaceful one. That's what all the inhabitants say, at least. Any visitors to Pellistair will be assured by everyone they ask that it is a peaceful world, that all the people on it love each other equally, regardless of species. Nevertheless, there are subtle tensions here and there. Dog-like and cat-like inhabitants of Pellistair are polite to each other, but rarely do much together.

The deer can never completely relax around the pumas. Some of the horses might - very discreetly - look down their long noses at the donkeys. The tensions between species are never mentioned, never acknowledged, but they exist deep under the surface. The inhabitants all agree on one thing, though - no outsiders are EVER going to find anything but peace and happiness on Pellistair.

There is also another tension, this one much less subtle. Every so often, two people of different species will marry each other. ("Species" is a looser term on Pellistair than it is on Earth, so that's possible here.) Their children are almost always unusual, more so if the parents are dramatically different from each other. A mouse and an alligator are bound to have interesting children. These hybrids are not treated with the same equality as everyone else. To the inhabitants of Pellistair, there is just... something WRONG with a creature that can't seem to decide what species it is. The hybrids are outcasts from the rest of society.

If discovered, they are almost always insulted, beaten up, arrested, banished, or worse. This is the one part of Pellistair's society that is NOT so peaceful. Because of this, the hybrids often try to hide the fact that they are hybrids, keeping their scales or gills or long ears carefully covered.

Not many people leave Pellistair, as it is (for the most part) so peaceful and happy. Those who do, though, change in the other direction. They lose their scales, or fur, or tails, reverting to the forms they - or their ancestors - had before they arrived.

The animal traits only stay if they seem to be needed. For instance, dedicated swimmers might manage to keep their gills - but only if they spent a lot of time underwater every day. It's possible to keep the changes Pellistair gives them, but it's hard work."

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Stranger Spirits

Last fall, my brother and a friend went to a fundraiser for a local movie making company. They had a good time there. Brother bought a pretty blue scarf, had some good food, and listened to a local band called Stranger Spirits. He bought their CD, Empty City, and brough it home, before heading out to some other activity.

I had recently been getting more into rock and independent music, and I was curious about this new group. So were my father and younger brother, and we popped it into the CD player while making dinner. I had expected unusual music that I probably wouldn't like all that much. I was wrong.

By Track number 7, "In October", I was fully hooked. The songs had catchy and unusual tunes and harmonies, interesting and thoughtful lyrics, and great guitar work. There were pensive songs, like "City Lights on Low Clouds", and, "Mysterious", and energetic songs, like "Friday Night", and "In October", which was the song that convinced my brother to buy the CD.

They have a website, Strangerspirits.com, and it says on there that they've done opening acts for the Connells and John Mayer. I hope that they're becoming well known and popular. They deserve it more than most of the current popular bands that play on the radio.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Axel Doll

My younger brother has been reading lots of comic books latel. One of the ones he got out of the library, and read over and over again, was Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. I had heard of the story before, and I knew there were Kingdom Hearts video games, but I didn't know that there were manga books about it.
My brother kept mentioning this character called Axel, and I thought, "I want to see this character!", because one of my favorite Bionicle characters is named Axxon. And when I saw a picture of Axel, I liked him even more, because he looks like I picture Durza from the Inheritance books, except I picture Durza with shorter red spiky hair, and without the little eye markings. And then I read the book, and I really liked him, because he's mysterious, funny, and handsome. And then I had to doll him.



Base

The one on the right is my avatar at Fairytopia at the moment, which means that everytime I post something, I get to see an Axel doll. This makes me very happy.
His hair was easier to doll that I had thought it would be. I thought that the hair would be the hard part, but the silver details were actually harder to doll and make look right. It was also difficult to make his eye marking look right, and not as though he had a big ugly black bug on his face.
While I was making this doll, I kept saying to my brother, Moose, "Axel is so cute!". Moose would just look at me weirdly, because Axel is not normally cute. This doll of him is, though.
The other nice thing about making this doll was that I had an excuse to stare at lots of pictures of Axel for a long time to get all the details right.

The Rasmus - Guilty

You should go listen to this song. You don't have to watch the video, but you should listen to it while you're looking at other things. It's a very good song by The Rasmus, who are a Finnish group. They're sort of a gothic punk rock group, with very gothic videos.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Eragon

Yup, the best selling , instant hit, fantasy book with a major movie made from it. Here I will discuss the pros and cons of the book, but mainly the cons, because they're more interesting.
If you haven't read the books, don't read this. There will be an abundance of spoilers.

Pros
The dragons. The dragons are wonderfully written, and very interesting. I think Saphira is one of my favorite dragons from any book.
Durza. I loooove Durza. He's so nicely evil. He also seems a bit more thought out than some of the characters.
Murtagh is also a great character. He's nicely mysterious at first, and he's very three dimensional.
Brom is also a wonderfully written character. I was very sad when he died.
The female characters, especially in the second book, are very strong, and well written. And there's a decent amount of them, too.


Cons
The plot seems to drag in some places, as they wonder over the countryside for forever (but then again, I think The Fellowship of the Ring does the same thing).
The world seems a lot like Middle Earth in some ways. There are the Urgals, which resemble Orcs (although they get a lot more three dimensional in the second book, so that's okay), and the elves, who are aloof and almost perfect, and the dwarfs, who mine and aren't very sociable. It gets a bit predictable at times, since some of the races are so close to the ones in Middle Earth.
The plot resembles Star Wars a bit much for me. Brom is basicly Obi Wan (he even dies in the first book, like Obi Wan dies in the fourth movie), and Eragon resembles Luke in many ways (including the fact that he goes stupid in the second book), and he's the son of King Galbatorixes evil right hand man (no, Luke, I am your father!). This gets better in the second book, which is much better written (even if Eragon is a bit of a jerk), and has a better plots ( there are at least three major plots in the second book). He also fleshes out all of the characters more.

Although the cons seem to outweight the pros, I actually enjoyed both books a lot, and am eagerly awaiting the third. The amazing thing to me is, that while there are flaws in the books,, they are still very enjoyable to read, and he started the first one when he was 15, and he managed to finish that whole huge book.
Overall, I think that the Inheritance trilogy is a good fantasy series, and I hope Christopher Poalini keeps writing even after he finishes the third book.

Monday, February 5, 2007

Meme (Ain't that a cute word?)

Action – Favorite action movie?
Zorro 1 and 2

Beautiful – Most beautiful performer?
Audrey Hepburn

Comedy – Favorite comedy (TV or movie)?
Dharma and Greg,

Drama – Favorite drama (TV or movie)?
Deep Space Nine

Event – Historic event that kept you riveted to the TV?
Umm... The last few Olympics.

Favorite – If you could only own and watch one DVD the rest of your life, what would it be?
Totoro!

G – Favorite G rated movie?
Totoro! (I think Totoro is going to be the answer to most of these questions)

Head over heels – Which star were you in love with when you were younger?
Jason Isaacs (big surprise). He's so handsome and suave.

Ice – Did you see the “Miracle on Ice” live (tape delayed) in 1980?
What's that?

Justice – Did you watch any of the famous O.J. Simpson chase down the freeway?
Who? What? *feels very clueless*

King of the Thriller – Favorite Hitchcock movie?
North By Northwest

Laettner – Did you see Duke’s Christian Laettner make the winning shot against Kentucky?
Huh?

MP3 Player – Do you own one?
Nope. I've got a boombox and an old portable tapeplayer, that's all I need.

Never get enough – Which movie have you watched the most times and how many times have you seen it?
Totoro! Who'd've guessed that? I don't know how many times I've seen it. Lots.

Opie – Opie or the Beaver?
What are those?

Pride and Prejudice – Do you prefer A&E or 2005 release?
I haven't seen either, but I want to see the A&E version, because it has Colin Firth, who's a good actor, in it, and the 2005 one was not reveiwed well by readers of the book.

Quality – Best TV show of all time?
Deep Space Nine! I loooooooove Deep Space Nine!

Remote control – Who is in charge in your house?
Me and my mother, because the guys are clueless, although my younger brother is getting good at using it.

Super Bowl – Game or commercials?
Commercials.

Television – How many in your house?
One, which we've had all my life.

Ultimate – Who is your favorite movie star?
Ummm........ This question's too hard! Of the newer actors, I'd say Hugh Jackman, Catherine Zeta Jones, Alan Rickman Jason Isaacs (surprise!), and Rupert Grint. Of older actors, I'd say James Stewart, Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, and Audrey Hepburn.

Victory – The best sporting event/game you’ve watched live on TV?
The olympics. They've all been good.

Walkman – Did you ever own a Sony Walkman?
Nope.

X – Movie you wish you had never watched?
Planet of the Apes, the older version. I couldn't get to sleep for a loooong time after that one.

Yesterday – How many hours of media did you consume?
Three. We watched Oklahoma! with Hugh Jackman in it. It was really, really good.

ZZZ’s – Best music to fall asleep to?
WCPE, the classical music radio station.


That was fun! I must find more Memes *goes off meme hunting*.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Men are like Songs

And it's not just because I think about both of them a lot. No, I was thinking about different songs, and how some people really like songs that I really hate, and as I was thinking about this, I thought absently, “Some songs push my buttons, and some don’t”. That's when I realized that it's the same way with men. Some push my buttons, and some don't. For instance, I don't find Johnny Depp attractive, while about 70% percent of women in America seem to. I also don't really care for "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson. There's a man and a song that don't push my buttons. Then there are men that I find extremely unattractive, and songs that I really dislike, like Rod Stewart, and "My Girl" by Justin Timberlake (which I am listening to on the radio right now. Have you ever noticed that that squeaky sound that's in the refrain sounds like a psychotic mouse? Just wondering), which I find somewhat annoying. And, there are some men I find immensely attractive, like Jason Isaacs, and some songs that I simply adore, like "Every Breath You Take" by The Police (they'll probably get a blog post at some point). And of course this attractiveness, whether it's in songs or men (or women) is different for everyone. "Hotel California" by The Eagles pushes some peoples buttons (not mine), and even Mick Jagger does (go figure).