To Their Glittering Future!

Future Cinema Trip: The Romantics

You Must Be Swelling With Pride

Future Cinema Trip: Love & Other Drugs

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining

To balance out yesterdays angst-ridden post...

Top 5: Things That Are Always Exciting.

Things that make my brain go 'yippee' everytime. Without fail. Just Because.

5. Zoos.

4. The opening bars of 'Stockholm Syndrome'.

3. Getting off the train at London.

2. Puppies & Kittens.

1. Hot Air Balloons.

You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry.

Top 5: Potentially Irrational Angers

There are some things which really get my goat everytime, for reasons that I am not entirely sure of, so its going to be hard to give explanations. You may have to just accept the way my brain works, although I will try my very best to try and make some sense of my 'issues'. As you may notice (unless you are unable to read), most of these things involve people. Maybe I am just getting intolerant in my old age.

5. Tall people at gigs.
Okay, so I fully appreciate that it is not your fault that your genes have decided that you are going to be giant whilst I am a dwarf, but this does not mean that you have to stand directly in front of me, so that I can't see. It just takes a bit of logic and common courtesy: if you stand behind me, you can still see the stage, if you stand in front of me, I can not. And when I pay to see a band, I would like to at least get a passing glimpse of them at some stage.

4. Kindle's.
Or any form of electronic reading tool really. Books are superior. There is no need for an alternative. The end.

3. Drivers who don't indicate.
I am no car expert, but to the best of my knowledge, every car is fitted with a very handy tool called an indicator. This means that you can let other people know which direction you are planning on heading in so that they do not have to wait at roundabouts/junctions etc unnecessarily. This gadget is also handy on motorways, to give other drivers some kind of warning that you are about to pull out in front of them.

2. People who shout idiotic comments at people in the street.
Having been victim to this in the past, and a bit in the current in all honesty, I can confirm that this is can result in pretty much the shittiest feeling in the world. First of all, it is completely unnecessary. Second of all, what on earth makes you think that it is your place in society to loudly abuse people in the street or point out things that you view as being flaws in other human beings. I'm not saying you can't think these things, but there really is no need to share it. Which leads me on to...

1. People who @reply other people on twitter with unfriendly comments.
There is only one reason that this annoys me more than it being in person, and that is the cowardice of the people who do it. You would be highly unlikely to say these things to someones face (not that you should anyway, reading what some people write) so don't hide behind your computer and do it. These people are often the first to complain if/when someone does the same thing back to them, so you think that they would learn how it feels, but apparently not.

And that ends todays preaching.

I'm Ready For My Close-Up.

Top Five: My Acting Career.

5. Mary, The Nativity
The first play I remember being a part of, and I was one of the leads. This is either because my talents were spotted from an early age, or because I have a selective memory. One or the other.

4. Emz, The Emz & Fi Show
A veritable showreel of my skills, showcasing such a range of my abilities such as swooning, presenting, catwalk posing, magazine throwing and laughing. There are currently only two episodes of this show, although a few music videos were also produced to satisfy the needs of the audience.

3. Oompah Loompah (choir), Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
I felt I made a very good Oompah Loompah, even though the facepaint we had to wear irritated my face. And we were the wrong colour.

2. Stage Crew, The Normalising Machine
Following media interest from my singing debut, I decided to take a backstage role for the next production. At the time, I had no idea what the plot was. I am still not entirely sure.

1. Jill, Jack & The Beanstalk
Back before my popularity soared, I took a supporting role as Jill, a character blatently made up so that more children could be involved in the play, though not as obvious as the many policemen and townsfolk that were recruited.

My name is Cathy H.

Future Cinema Trip: Never Let Me Go

I'm Very Sorry If She Tipped Off Anyone About Your Cunningly Concealed Herd Of Cows.

Top Five: Nathan Fillion Shows

5. Buffy The Vampire Slayer
I'm not gonna lie to you all, I don't believe I have ever actually seen the episodes of Buffy in which Mr Fillion appear, but I am sure they are really good ones. I have, however, seen lots of other episodes with other people in them.

4. Dr Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog
A three-part online musical extravaganza (yes, it was an extravaganza) starring Nathan, legen-wait-for-it-dary Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day telling the story of Dr Horrible's ambition to join a league of evil genuises, when his plans are thwarted by falling in love. Awww. It's very funny, has catchy tunes and was created by Mr Joss Whedon (as is 3/5 of this list).

3. Desperate Housewives
Unlike a normal viewer, I don't like to watch this show when it is broadcast on TV. Instead, I like to wait until the boxset comes out (which Mum normally is the one to purchase), and then watch all the episodes in the shortest time possible. It's almost like a bit of a game. I'm weird like that.

2. 2 Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place
If you are someone who knows me at all, and have ever watched this programme, it should take you a grand total of 2 minutes to work out why I became mildly obsessed with it. In fact, it seems so obvious, it seems a waste of my time to explain it. I did think My Mrs Reynolds was a hero when I discovered she had burned it all on to DVD. If/when this comes out on DVD, I am gonna be straight in the queue!

1. Firefly
In my humble Browncoat opinion, this is one of the best TV shows EVER created. It really is a shame it got cancelled. It is a bit sci-fi, but not as you know it, as it is somewhat genre-defying, and although they spend their time in space, its almost irrelevent. Another of the works of Joss Whedon, the man who may have the worst luck when it comes to television. It was recommended to be My Mrs Reynolds & Muttley, and I, in turn, would recommend it to anyone.

Earthquakes Can't Shake Us, Cyclones Can't Break Us

Watch It!: Charice Feat Iyaz - Pyramid

YouTube music stars a bit one-a-penny these days, but Charice is a bit different to some of the others may you have heard of, such as Esmee Denters and that Bloody Bieber. For example, Charice, or Charmaine Charice Relucio Pempengco as her parents decided to name her, is the first Asian artist EVER to arrive in the Billboard 200 Album Chart (I know they have a lot of charts in the US, but I believe this is a pretty big deal), is set to appear as a recurring character in the second season of Glee, was personally invited by Andrea Bocelli to be a guest at his birthday concert and was described by HRH Oprah Winfrey as the "Most talented girl in the world". She also appears one of the Alvin & The Chipmunks movies, but I hope you won't hold this against her.

Charice might not be yet, but I have a feeling this girl is gonna be a pretty big deal some time soon.

Should you wish to, you can test your knowledge of Charice at http://www.charicemusic.com/triviagame/

Personal Space Invasions

Top 5: Best/Worst "Mosh Pit" Related Incidents

I use the term lightly. I'm not really that hardcore.

5. Fall Out Boy @ Reading Festival
I start this by saying that I am not 100% sure it was actually during a Fall Out Boy set when this occurred, but it was definitely at Reading, so at least I am 50% right. Anyway, the point is during someones set, the band in question instructed those stood in the front section of the crowd to split in half, pick up the litter surrounding them and chuck it at the opposing team. Luckily for myself, Music Guru and possibly Welsh Boy (this is the most vague story ever, I do apologise), we were far enough back to enjoy chucking rubbish without the fear of incoming attack. Yes, it is immature and not very safety conscious, but when else do you get to have a garbage fight without the risk of getting punched in the face?

4. Dizzee Rascal @ Reading Festival
This was the first time I had seen Mr Rascal, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but as soon as the music started, the crowd went mental, but in a good way. People were dancing around like crazy loons. Unfortunately, I was feeling quite crappy at this point (as I may have mentioned before, Reading Festival hates me), so I wasn't able to sustain my dancing feet for very long, so the three of us mentioned above (Welsh Boy was DEFINITELY there, I am sure of it this time) had to move further back, away from the hot, sweaty people.

3. Panic! At The Disco @ London Astoria
The one and only time I had the pleasure of going to the Astoria was a pretty epic occassion. The pleasure was slightly dampened by the very squashed conditions. Young kids in massive backpacks were determined to get to the front of the stage, and were willing to shove themselves in any gap possible. This was made worse by the fact we had to stand through a set by Men, Women & Children with their stupid monkey song. I had forgotten all about this though, by the time P!atD rocked on the stage, but it was just too hot, so me and the Music Guru moved to the very back and decided to have a boogie instead. Much more fun!

2. Hoobastank @ Southampton Guildhall
This was my first "mosh" experience and I learnt some valuable lessons. Namely, don't stand at the back of a "mosh pit" unless there is someone stood very close behind you. Why is this? Because you will end up at the bottom of a tweenager pile, that is why. Also, if you are losing balance, its a nice touch not to drag your friend down with you (Sorry, Mutley*!) Luckily, I was rescued by some big, burly men and escaped injury free, except for a few bruises.

1. Lostprophets @ Brixton Academy
This may seem like an exaggeration, but this was one of the most scary experiences of my life. Unlike the Dizzee dancers, the 'Prophets fans went totally mental, probably in a good way for them, but not so much for me. I was getting pushed about all over the place, got seperated from Music Guru (I know she is getting mentioned a lot, but I go to 99% of my gigs with her - I have few friends), who also very nearly lost her shoe, and we had to fight our way to the back of the room, with lots of very unhelpful people unwilling to move out the way. This is how most of the stories end, as you may have noticed. Like I said, I am not very hardcore.

*Also, sorry for the nickname.

... And I Am Sure Not Too Old!

Top Five: McFly Videos

5. Please, Please

*¤* [ MyRiAm ] *¤* | MySpace Video

4. Lies

3. That Girl

2. The Heart Never Lies

The Heart Never Lies

McFLY | MySpace Music Videos

1. Party Girl

Because You Are NEVER Too Old For McFly...

Top Five: McFly Albums

In celebration of an impending new album and my reignited obsession.

5. Greatest Hits: B-Side & Rarities

A very random mix of songs that you have probably never heard before unless you insist on buying all the singles, and a whole bunch of covers from the likes of The Killers, The Beatles x 2 and Rihanna (well, who HASN'T covered 'Umbrella'). I only chose it because they have only released four LPs, and choosing the regular Greatest Hits album feels like cheating a little, and no-one likes a cheat. Also, it was only available in Woolworth stores, so it feels a bit special that I own a copy. I am easily impressed.

Best Songs: The Guy Who Turned Her Down, Pinball Wizard.

4. Radio:Active

My least favourite of their "proper" albums mostly because it was originally released free with the Daily Fail, which meant I had to publicly embarrass myself in the local shop by picking up a copy. I have since moved out of the area. I also bought the deluxe version when it came out in the shops, because apparently one copy was not enough. Like I said, I have since moved out the area.

Best Songs: The Heart Never Lies, The Last Song, Lies.

3. Motion In The Ocean

I am a bit hit or miss with this one. A bit Marmite, you may say. The love does outweigh the hate, but only at a ratio of 9:4. My Wikipedia search informs me that this album was recorded in the "infamous Grouse Lodge recording studio", which I have never heard of before, and upon further search, I am unable to find out why it is infamous, but I do know it has a spa, horse riding and satellite TV.

Best Songs: Bubblewrap, Transylvania, Please, Please.

2. Room On The Third Floor

The very first, so named after a track on the album, which in turn is written about the hotel room in which the album was written. I am not convinced they spent a whole album in the same room, but I refuse to believe that Tom, Dougie, Harry and Danny would lie to me. I remember listening to this album the first time and hearing all the tracks about unrequited love and thinking it was impossible that they could be that unlucky in love.

Best Songs: Five Colours In Her Hair, Obviously, Not Alone, That Girl.

1. Wonderland

I will never, ever, ever forget the first time that I listened to this album. I was sat on a coach with the Music Guru sharing a walkman and a set of headphones. Then track number 8 came on. And we were not prepared for what was about to happen. A two-part Disney sounding epic, the first part purely instrumental, the second part telling the tale about a young girl committing suicide. In short, it is the last thing you would ever expect to hear on a McFly album, but when Lil' Tom plays it live, it is more than a bit awesome.

Best Songs: All About You, She Falls Asleep, I Wanna Hold You, Too Close For Comfort.

What I've Watched: May

The Lake House

Casino Royale

Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Love On The Side

Dear John

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

My Super Ex-Girlfriend

Wicker Park

Labor Pains

Bolt

Bright Star

Fantastic Mr Fox

Bottle Rocket

A Lot Like Love

Hoodwinked

Lord Of War

Scorched

The Little Mermaid

The Thin Red Line (well the first half...)

Shrek 3

Away We Go

Walk All Over Me

The Singing Detective

High School Musical 3

The Last Kiss

Moving McAllister

Sex & The City 2

Top Five: Welsh Bands

Ah, Wales. Home to one of the worlds best accents, as well as some of the best rock music that the UK is currently creating, in my humble opinion. These are my five favourites, in order, which was a harder task than you might imagine.

5. Kids In Glass Houses
Despite what I may have written in a recent blog belonging to the Music Guru, I do actually like the music of KIGH, I just find them to be a little bit samey and predictable, but you can not deny them of their ability to create high quality music.
Check these out:
Me, Me, Me (Give Me What I Want)
Saturday
Easy Tiger

4. The Automatic
Specifically the 'Not Accepted Anywhere' era. I had forgotten how much I used to be in love with this album, until one of the songs came up on a music shuffle. Back in the days when people actually listened to CDs, this album was almost constantly in the stereo, when I wasn't having a boyband moment, or at least until the next exciting CD turned up. Not so much of a fan of their later works.
Check these out:
That's What She Said
Recover
Seriously... I Hate You Guys

3. Lostprophets
Specifically, NOT 'The Betrayed' era. This band used to be awesome. Now they suck. I do not want to dwell on this any further, so lets move on.
Check these out:
Last Train Home
A Town Called Hypocrisy
Burn, Burn

2. Funeral For A Friend
I'm quite a late jumper on the FFAF train, not appreciating their true awesomeness until I saw them live for the first time. I think it is a bit of a crime that there are so many people on this earth who have no idea who these guys are, partly because of their musical genuis, but also because they seem like genuinely nice chaps.
Check these out:
Escape Artists Never Die
Into Oblivion
Streetcar

1. The Blackout
I remember the first time I saw this band very clearly - it is a day that will stick out in my mind for possibly the rest of my life. I'm not gonna lie to you all, the first time I saw these dudes live, I was about as far from impressed as you could get. However, luckily for me, the band featured as the support act for many gigs I attended following this, which allowed me to give the band a second (and third and fourth... )chance and they are now my favourite bunch of Welshies.
Check these out:
It's High Tide Baby
Children Of The Night
I'm A Riot, You're A F*cking Riot

Thoughts: MTV Movie Awards Nominees

Another high brow award ceremony for us all to vote for, with such categories as Best Kiss and Best WTF Moment, which sound like the kind of fake awards that magazines use to cash in on during awards season. Click here to cast your vote for the awards that only tweenagers (and bored english non-tweenagers) really care about! There are video links to aid with the voting process, but this is only for those who live in the US. Another set-back, is to actually vote, you have to sign up to MTV, or alternatively connect with Facebook, so, if you so chose, all your friends can have evidence of the cool things you do in your spare time. Same as before, those are in bold are who I chose.

Best Kiss

Kristen Stewart & Dakota Fanning - The Runaways

Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson - New Moon

Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds - The Proposal

Taylor Swift & Taylor Lautner - Valentine's Day

Zoe Saldana & Sam Worthington - Avatar

Best Fight

Beyonce Knowles vs Ali Larter - Obsessed

Hugh Jackman & Liev Schreiber vs Ryan Reynolds - X:Men Origins Wolverine

Logan Lerman vs Jake Abel - Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief

Robert Downey Jr vs Mark Strong - Sherlock Holmes

Sam Worthington vs Stephen Lang - Avatar

Best Villain

Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

Helena Bonham Carter - Alice in Wonderland

Ken Jeong - The Hangover

Stephen Land - Avatar

Tom Felton - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Best WTF Moment

Betty White - The Proposal

Megan Fox - Jennifers Body

Isabel Lucas - Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

Ken Jeong - The Hangover

Bill Murray - Zombieland

Biggest Badass Star

Angelina Jolie

Channing Tatum

Chris Pine

Rain

Sam Worthington

Best Scared-As-Sh*t Performance

Alison Lohman - Drag Me To Hell

Amanda Seyfriend - Jennifer's Body

Jesse Eisenberg - Zombieland

Katie Featherston - Paranormal Activity

Sharlto Copley - District 9

Best Breakout Star

Anna Kendrick - Up In The Air

Chris Pine - Star Trek

Gabourey Sidibe - Precious

Logan Lerman - Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief

Quinton Aaron - The Blind Side

Zach Galifianakis - The Hangover

Best Female Performance

Amanda Seyfried - Dear John

Emma Watson - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Kristen Stewart - New Moon

Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

Zoe Saldana - Avatar

Best Male Performance

Channing Tatum - Dear John

Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Robert Pattinson - New Moon

Taylor Lautner - New Moon

Zac Efron - 17 Again

Best Comedic Performance

Ben Stiller - Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Bradley Cooper - The Hangover

Ryan Reynolds - The Proposal

Sandra Bullock - The Proposal

Zach Galifianakis - The Hangover

Global Superstar

Daniel Radcliffe

Johnny Depp

Kristen Stewart

Robert Pattinson

Taylor Lautner

Best Movie

Alice in Wonderland

Avatar

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Hangover

New Moon

The ceremony itself takes place on June 6th (to be screened on MTV UK the same day at 9pm and most likely about 6 months afterwards on some other channel), with votes closing the day before, and is hosted by Aziz Ansari who has been in Funny People, Scrubs and Flight of the Conchords. No, I don't know who he is either. Last years host was Andy Samberg. Read into that what you will.

What I've Watched: April

The Blind Side

Accepted

The House Bunny

The Bounty Hunter

Remember Me

Princess Protection Programme

Jennifer's Body

How To Make An American Quilt

Deja Vu

Date Night

Office Space

Top Five: Good Job Things

The five best things about my job. In no particular order, other than the one that I thought of them in.

1. Biscuit Pay Day
Everytime pay day rolls around, someone is nominated to buy biscuits. We all tend to go a little overboard though, so they tend to last for quite a while. Unless the greedy folks eat them all, that is.

2. Department Colleagues
I have the pleasure of working in a team full of very funny and very nice people.

3. Tea Rounds
I hardly ever drink tea at home, but for some reason, I can't get enough of it at work. We aren't limited to how many rounds of tea we are allowed in one day, so a lot of caffeine is consumed. This probably goes some way to0 explaining point number two.

4. Close To Home
Close to home = not having to get up too early. It also means I can pop home in my lunch break if I chose. And if i am having a particular lazy/sleepy day, I can be in my PJs by half five.

5. Dress Code
Or to be precise, the lack of dress code. We can pretty much wear whatever we want, except for the very rare occassion when important visitors are lurking.

Top Five: Girl Crushes

All girls have "girl crushes" on women that they admire in some way, sometimes to a slightly obsessive level (in the same way that blokes have "man crushes", normally on footballers or presenters of blokey TV shows). These are my Top Five ones. Admittedly, it doesn't normally stretch to five different females, but I have a blog to write here, so five it shall be. Thems the rules.

5. Beyonce Knowles

I pretty much included her because I needed five names. However, this does not detract from the fact that she is an incredibly awesome human being. She is one of the few people in this world that are more talented than is really fair, although to balance that out, she has appeared in some movies of a slightly dubious quality. She also seems to have a habit of recreating the same music video again and again at the moment, if you don't include the work she has done with other artists. Her status as a sex symbol has become most evident to me while trying to find a picture to accompany this post, and struggling to find one in which she is modestly dressed. So much so, in fact, that I abandoned the whole picture concept.

4. Demi Lovato

This has absolutely nothing to do with the fact she is dating a Jonas. Actually, most of you probably didn't even know that in the first place. So let's just pretend I never said that. As anyone who knows me can confirm, I have yet to actually grow up, and am still a little obsessive with Disney, specifically the music that is associated with it. I mention this because Miss Lovato is my favourite of the Disney associated females currently doing the rounds, mainly due to the fact she has a vocal talent I would kill to have. Well, not actually kill. I am not cut out for life in prison. I listen to Disney!

3. Hayley Williams

She's friggin' Hayley Williams! I really don't think any more reasoning is needed than that!

2. Leighton Meester

Probably more to do with the fact she is Blair Waldorf, to be honest. Her character in 'Gossip Girl' is my favourite for many reasons including her bitchy put-downs and killer wardrobe. And the fact she tamed Chuck Bass - to a degree anyway. I am aware neither of them are real people. This particular "girl crush" is pretty much based in the world of television.

1. Katy Perry

When Katy Perry first appeared on my radar, I brushed her aside. I saw 'I Kissed A Girl' as being a novelty tune, and just assumed she would soon disappear. Then I heard 'Hot and Cold' and saw the errors of my ways. I now like her debut single, if anyone is interested. Like Blair Waldorf, she also has a killer (although very different) wardrobe, although unlike Blair she is an actual person. I suspect you had already noticed that though. She has also got that English Rose look going on, which makes a change from the usual highly tanned female musicians that we normally see.

Top 5: Most Listened To

My most listened to tracks of the last 3 months.

Uninspired blog post I know. Apologies.

5. Don't Trust Me - 3!oh!3

4. Fight For This Love - Cheryl Cole

3. Liquid Confidence - You Me At Six

2. Starstrukk - 3!oh!3 Featuring Katy Perry

1. Dear Maria, Count Me In - All Time Low

What I've Watched: March

Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging
The Happening
The Princess Diaries
The Princess Diaries 2
Last Chance Harvey
New Moon
Paper Heart
Over Her Dead Body
Drag Me To Hell

Cruel Intentions 2

Cruel Intentions 3

In The Land Of Women

Picture Perfect

Franklyn

Top Five: Life Changing Gigs

These are not necessarily the five best gigs that I have attended, but the ones that have changed my life the most in some way or other. It might sound a little over-dramatic, but bear with me on this one. Also, you should bear in mind that I do not have an impeccable memory, so any dates mentioned will be courtesy of my dear friend Mr Google, or the stash of tickets currently living in a yellow box under my bed. I apologise in advance for the number of times I am probably about to use the word "gig". I also apologise to person I shall refer to as "Music Guru" who has attended the majority of these events so probably doesn't want to read about them again.

5. 30 Seconds To Mars @ Bristol Academy - 2008

One of the many bands that have come into my life courtesy of my dear friend and music guru (they are the same person by the way). I was a little sceptical of seeing a band with a celebrity lead singer, and was a little scared by the screaming girls/women surrounding me, but it turns out that 30 Seconds To Mars are a band that benefit from the live environment. I don't think I would be as keen on this band if I had never seen them in this live capacity. To be honest, I mostly threw this gig in the mix because I couldn't think of five gigs. But it was a pretty awesome show.

4. 911 @ BIC, Bournemouth - late nineties

This was the first gig I ever attended. I went with my mother. The support band was Atomic Kitten, back in the days when they were called Automatic Kitten. This probably tells you everything you need to know about the whole experience to be honest, and I can already foresee that you are all now bitterly disappointed that my taste in music has not always been at its current high standard *cough*. However, had I never danced the night away with 911 & co, I may never have caught the gigging bug, and that would have been a little bit tragic, as this was the night that I realised that music was meant to be played live, not out of a stereo.

3. You Me At Six, Forever The Sickest Kids, We The Kings @ Newport Centre, Newport - March 2010

Two Reasons. 1) I had been desperate to see FTSK live for ages and ages, so I feel like an ambition was reached. 2) It has triggered a slight YM@6 (though admittedly mostly lead singer based) obsession. I have always liked the band, but something happened on that fateful evening in Newport which has resulted in my brain being consumed by an urge to listen to their music at all hours of the day. Plus, I melt a little at the sight of Josh Franceschi's smiley face. I'm not sure how long this will last, but for now, I am 100% hooked. I feel slightly better as Music Guru is in the same boat.

2. Muse @ Earls Court, London - 2004

To date, probably the best live band I have ever seen. I have seen them in a few different locations over the years, but this was the first time I witnessed them, and to say I was blown away is a little bit of an understatement. It raised my expectations of what to expect when seeing a band. I may be wrong, but I also believe it is the first time I have had to leave gig early and have a (not so) leisurely run through the tube station with Music Guru in order to catch the last public transport home. The annoyance at having to skip out before the end is slightly balanced out my the tannoy announcement telling us to stop running as we sped through Earls Court train station, but only slightly.

1. Taking Back Sunday @ 93 Feet East, London - August 2006

Prior to attending this gig, my only experience of this band was through Music Guru. I had liked the music, and as the gig was to take place in one of the smallest venues known to man, this was too good an opportunity to waste. As it turned out, we were stood effectively in the second row, which remains the best "seats" I have ever had at a gig - I could actually see the band for one thing (something that is not always easy when you are a person as short in stature as I unfortunately am). I went from casual listener to huge fan during the set and haven't looked back since. I remember the set drawing to a close and me thanking my friend for introducing me to the band, and said friend buying me a TBS T-shirt as I really wanted one, and at the time was a bit on the poor side. It remains one of my prize possessions. This awesome show was followed by seeing the band AGAIN just a few days later at Reading Festival, which was in turn followed by me and the music guru queueing up to meet my brand new heroes. I will never turn down a chance to see these guys.

Top Five: Pros of the Common Cold

As it is time for my annual Summer Cold, I thought it best I try to cheer myself up by thinking of the positive aspects of my current state. I will admit now that it was a bit of a stretch to think of five things, but bear with me. If you can think of anything I've missed, please add it to the comments section below.

5. Taste Numbness
Although it is slightly annoying that you can't fully taste good food anymore, at least if you are eating something that doesn't taste so good, you aren't really aware of it. This is especially useful if you are being made to eat somewhere that doesn't make food of a very high quality as you can pretend that it actually tastes awesome.

4. Comedy/Childrens tissues
I am currently using HSM 3 tissues, courtesy of my mother. Marginally more exciting than regular tissues. If anyone is interested, while the packets are adourned with HSM related pictures, the tissues themselves are just plain white, which is a little bit of a letdown to be honest.

3. Cough Mixture
Although all the medicine in the world is not able to actually cure the Common Cold, at least it tastes better than the stuff you get for other illnesses. Although its no Calpol. Children's medicine is so much better.

2. Laziness
You don't feel any internal guilt for being lazy when you have a cold. You can embrace your inner Man Flu and justify spending time not doing anything. Plus, as you can normally sound more ill than you really are, so others tend not to disturb your lazy time (although I think part of that is just the fear that they will catch it). This also translates to not feeling bad about making lazy food like microwaveable delights, instant mash and toast.

1. Singing like Adam Levine
I take my in-car singing very seriously. I treat it like my own sound booth, as no-one can hear me, or my choice of music. My current CD of choice is the latest Maroon 5 album. On a side note does anyone know when the next one is coming out? Anyway, in the seriousness of the afore mentioned in-car singing, I find great joy in the fact that while I am in the 'stuffy nosed' section of the Common Cold process (before I get to the 'i can't speak without coughing' section), my voice sounds marginally more like that of Adam Levine's. Admittedly its not quite at the Stars In Their Eyes level, but its enough to make me feel a bit better about myself.

Thoughts: KCA Awards 2010 nominees

I am indulging my inner child and voting for Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards, and as with the Empire Awards, I thought I would share my choices with you. I am not entirely sure when the voting closes, but the ceremony itself is 27th March, so I guess if you click here at some point before that date, then you can vote too. Apparently, if you have nothing better to do with your time, you can go back and vote every single day!

Favourite Couple:

Edward and Bella (New Moon)

Jacob and Bella (New Moon)

The Obamas

Neytiri & Jake (Avatar)

Favourite TV Show:

iCarly

Sonny With A Chance

Wizards Of Waverly Place

The Suite Life On Deck

Favourite TV Actor:

Cole Sprouse

Dylan Sprouse

Joe Jonas

Nick Jonas

Favourite TV Actress:

Miley Cyrus

Keke Palmer

Selena Gomez

Miranda Cosgrove

Favourite Music Group:

Black Eyed Peas

Jonas Brothers

Linkin Park

Coldplay

Favourite Female Singer:

Beyonce

Miley Cyrus

Lady Gaga

Taylor Swift

Favourite Male Singer:

Jay-Z

Sean Kingston

Mario

Ne-Yo

Favourite Song:

I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

Party In The USA - Miley Cyrus

You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift

Paparazzi - Lady Gaga

Favourite Movie:

New Moon

Transformers 2

X-men Origins: Wolverine

Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Favourite Movie Actor:

Zac Efron

Taylor Lautner

Shia Labeouf

Tyler Perry

Favourite Movie Actress:

Sandra Bullock

Miley Cyrus

Megan Fox

Zoe Saldana

Favourite Cartoon:

Spongebob Squarepants

The Simpsons

Penguins of Madagascar

Phineas And Ferb

Favourite Reality TV Show:

American Idol

Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?

So You Think You Can Dance

Wipeout

Favourite Female Athlete:

Serena Williams

Venus Williams

Danica Patrick

Misty May Treanor

Favourite Male Athlete:

Kobe Bryant

Lebron James

Ryan Sheckler

Shaun White

Favourite Video Game:

Wii Fit

Mario Kart

Wii Sports Resort

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Favourite Book:

Diary of A Wimpy Kid Series

Twilight Series

Vampire Diaries Series

Where The Sidewalk Ends

Favourite Animated Movie:

A Christmas Carol

Monsters vs Aliens

Ice Age 3: Dawn of The Dinosaurs

Up

Favourite Voice From An Animated Movie:

Jim Carrey

Seth Rogen

Renee Zellweger

Ray Romano

Top Five: Rock Band Front Men/Women : RETRACTION

It has come to my attention that back in October 2009, I declared Gabe Saporta as one of the top 5 front men. I wish to take this back. I have since seen the error of my ways, as more recent posts have probably indicated. If you could all pretend I had never said it, it would be very much appreciated. I shall be issuing a new list in due course, just in case anyone is concerned.

Thoughts: Empire Awards 2010 - Nominees

As I go through the nominees for the Jameson Empire Awards 2010, I thought I would share with you all who I have voted for. I subscribe to the magazine, its only fair that I vote in their awards. If anyone else wants to vote, you only have until the 10th March to do so, so get a shimmy on. The voting form can be found here. My vote is highlighted in bold.

Best Newcomer:

Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Aaron Johnson (Nowhere Boy)
Sharlto Copley (District 9)
Anna Kendrick (Up In The Air/New Moon)
Katie Jarvis (Fish Tank)

Best Thriller:

Harry Brown
Public Enemies
Inglourious Basterds
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes

Best Horror:

Let The Right One In
Paranormal Activity
Zombieland
Thirst
Drag Me To Hell

Best Comedy:

In The Loop
A Serious Man
The Hangover
Up In The Air
The Men Who Stare At Goats

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy:

Moon
Star Trek
Avatar
District 9
The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus

Best Actor:

Sir Michael Caine (Harry Brown)
Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
Robert Pattinson (New Moon)
Sam Worthington (Avatar)
Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes)

Best Actress:

Anne-Marie Duff (Nowhere Boy)
Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Zoe Saldana (Avatar)
Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria)
Melanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds)

Best Director:

James Cameron (Avatar)
Neil Blomkamp (District 9)
JJ Abrams (Star Trek)
Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)
Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)

Best British Film:

Harry Brown
The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus
An Education
Nowhere Boy
In The Loop

Best Film:

Avatar
Star Trek
District 9
Inglourious Basterds
The Hurt Locker

Top Five: Fueled By Ramen (Past & Present)

I'm not gonna lie to you folks, when I was young and impressionable, I pretty much lapped up everything that the Fueled By Ramen folks threw in my direction. To be honest, that is pretty much still the case, just not with quite the same level of enthusiasm as before. There are loads more bands I could mention who could have quite easily been in the list. Gym Class Heroes, Cute Is What We Aim For, The Hush Sound, The Academy Is..., Friday Night Boys, October Fall... all are quality bands that nobody has probably heard of, unless you are of the pop punk/happy emo persuasion.


5. Cobra Starship
If I had done this list about a month or so ago, then Cobra Starship would have been a lot higher in this list. However, I have recently seen them on their headlining theatre tour, and it has come to my attention that the lead singer of said band, Mr Gabriel Saporta, is an arrogant, vain numpty who likes the sound of his voice WAY too much and has an inflated sense of his own self importance. That aside, the rest of the band is made up of highly likeable boys and girl (Ryland, Vicki, Nate and Alex) who make genuinely happy music that makes me want to join the band, apart from the fact I may actually kill the lead singer. And to think, I once had that man on my desktop. The computer desktop that is. I don't think I have sold them too well...
Best Tracks: Good Girls Go Bad, You're Not In On The Joke, Guilty Pleasure, Keep It Simple, Snakes On A Plane


4. Panic! At The Disco
I was/am a little bit in love with their first album. I listened to it nearly all the time and even my mum seemed to like them. So it was with great excitement that I pre-ordered album number two, in a special pack including a jigsaw, CD, LP and t-shirt (value for money, people!). Unfortunately, the album is god awful - a prime example of when a change in direction was a really bad idea (hence why I've used the name with the "!"). The early stuff though is still one of my favourite albums with music that transports you to another place and lyrics that you would not expect to come from eighteen year old boys. Recently, the band has split into two citing "musical differences" (i.e. we aren't friends anymore), so I have high hopes that all members will return to their former glory - they're most recent single, by those still allowed to work under the Panic umbrella, is definitely a return to form.
Best Tracks: New Perspective, I Write Sins Not Tragedies, But It's Better If You Do, Build God Then We'll Talk, Camisado.


3. Fall Out Boy
Another band who suffers from arrogant band member syndrome, although this time not the lead singer, but the notorious bass player, whose douche behaviour far extends band activities. I loved this band before they were the toast of the town, ever since I discovered them in some cheesy girls magazine. But no-one cared about them in those days. I have no idea how exactly they became popular, but they no longer seem to be an active band, so are likely to fade away in the not too distant future, which is quite a shame, although I don't think their latest album was one of their best. I don't think this list is going to do much to encourage anyone to listen to these bands. I promise to only say nice things about the final two.
Best Tracks: Sugar We're Goin' Down, Thnks Fr Th Mmrs, XO, Grand Theft Autumn, I Don't Care.


2. The Cab
I can't really think of much to say about this band, expect I am in love with their boy band-esque lyrics and happy, rock backing music. It sounds awful on paper, but they are so good. I clearly remember being introduced to this band by a very good friend while sat on her bed and was instantly hooked. A criminally under-rated band of the highest degree.
Best Tracks: Vegas Nights, Bounce, High Hopes & Velvet Ropes, One Of Those Nights, Risky Business.


1. Paramore
I think my views on Hayley Williams are pretty clear by now. I have never heard a song of theirs I didn't like and would go to see them live a hundred times, and I am pretty sure I would never, ever tire of them. With every album they release I fall in love with them, and I am glad that the rest of the world is catching on to their brilliance, even if it did take being associated with a certain vampire movie for it to happen. Although they weren't exactly unpopular prior to this, it was a pretty good business decision by my reckoning. Even NME approve of them now, and they are a right bunch of music snobs.
Best Tracks: Misery Business, Decode, Brick By Boring Brick, Emergency, Born For This.

What I've Watched: February

Hot Rod

Princess & The Frog

Fast & Furious

Yes Man

Sunshine Cleaning

The Hangover

The Wedding Date

Pathology

Valentine's Day

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Up In The Air

American Teen

Sex & The City: The Movie

Watchmen

Man About Town

The Wendell Baker Story

Top Five: Playstation Games

I feel I should point out that I am not the most avid of gamers, so my knowledge is somewhat limited. And also out of date (hence the list being of games playable on a pretty outdated format - although I own a PS2, pretty much all the games I own involve microphones). I think it is also worth a mention that I do not have 'mad skillz' when it comes to computer games. Games that involve karaoke (as mentioned above) or keeping to a musical beat, I can do. Shoot-em-ups and action adventures, not so much. That said, all the games I am yet to mention are all the in the second category of games. I might not be very able, but I am enthusiastic. While I am still confessing to my gaming sins, it should also be noted that I have only ever completed one console game all on my lonesome. And that was 'Happy Feet'. A game made for ten year olds.

5. Bubble Bobble

This was a game I never actually owned, but was in my household for a short amount of time. I don't really remember the point of it, other than there being a substantial amount of bubbles involved. I do, however, remember playing this game with my buddy Claire and thinking it was one of the best things I had even seen.

4. Tomb Raider 3

Before the game pretended to come to an end and moved to a more sophisticated platform, I reckon this was probably the best game in terms of graphics and story. However, I have never actually owned it myself and have only really experienced the game by watching others play on it (by others, I mean Laura), and making token contributions which are most likely ignored by the those with the controllers in their hand.

3. Croc: Legend of the Gobbos

This is one of those games that I am only really familiar with the first few levels. As mentioned a fair few times by now, I am not very gifted in activities that involve the use of a controller. This game is no exception to that rule. As a result, so that I am able to pretend to be a small, but perfectly formed crocodile and make awesome sound effects (ka-pow! ka-splat!), I have to keep playing the same levels repeatedly. I am awesome at the first island. Do not doubt it.

2. Spyro The Dragon

My Wikipedia research has just informed me that there are 13 games in this series. Who knew? Although I am not really that surprised. Who would not want to be a cute, little purple dragon with attitude? Just me? Okay then. I pretty much spend most of my time playing this game charging round and round in circles looking for sheep. I would like to to think, that if I had more patience, I would be able to complete this game. I suspect I am in denial.

1. Tomb Raider

Hey, guess what? I am pants at this game too! I put this game above all others though for several reasons. For example, although she isn't actually a real person, Lara Croft is a bit of a heroine. It is also pretty cool to roam around raiding tombs in a highly athletic manner. Of course, I also do this for real in my down time, but when my shorts are in the laundry and my satchel is at the repairers, I still need the practice.

Top Five: 30 Seconds To Mars Vids

There are three reasons for this blog.

Reason One: I am a little bit in love with this band and their epic scale videos. They are more than just pictures to accompany a song. They are mini-movies.

Reason Two: I went to see this band last night and they are now fully embedded in my little Emma-sized brain, so I am now trying to set them free.

Reason Three: I have noticed that whenever Jared Leto gets mentioned on this blog, my viewings go up.

Anyway, these are my five favourite 30 Seconds To Mars (or 30stm as I shall now refer to them as) videos so far, even though there are only seven to chose from. This is not necessarily my five favourite songs, just the videos which I think are the best.

5. Kings & Queens

The best bike ride ever. Literally all I have to say.

4. The Kill

Probably the most well-known of all the bands videos, and definitely the one that looks like it has had the most money thrown at it.

3. Capricorn (A Brand New Name)

30stm get down and dirty. I don't really understand this video, not gonna lie, but it looks cool so I like it.

30 Seconds To Mars-Capricorn

Vedran | MySpace Video

2. A Beautiful Lie

Not many vids can lay claim to having such epic backgrounds as this one (with the exception of Westlife who have shamelessly copied this video), and the sites of Greenland coupled with slow-mo shots is pretty damn cool.

1. From Yesterday

One of my most favourite videos, not just by these chaps. It's dramatic, there is a bit of facial acting, a hell of a lot of flags, fighting and, for the Leto-obsessed amongst us (you know who you are - thanks for checking out the blog btw!), a brief shot of Jared in his topless state. I'll save you from the 11 minute version.

While I'm at it, my top five favourite songs are:

5. Capricorn (A Brand New Name)

4. This Is War

3. A Beautiful Lie

2. The Kill

1. The Fantasy