Five Things that Annoy Me...

Two of my three books arrived today, thus making me very happy in the kind of way that only a bibliophile* can be. This makes this post somewhat odd because I am not really annoyed, though give me a few hours of customer service work and I probably will be.

Anyway, here is my list of bugbears...**

Bad Spelling (As in extremely bad)
First, I make mistakes, everyone does because we read so fast and so on. I find mistakes in novels occasionally and they are honest mistakes. What I don't like is spelling like this - Todae iz Frydae or get owta dis etc. I don't have the time or patience to figure out what you are trying to say. I can't stand it and there is no excuse on Earth for this. In fact I remove people from my friends list who constantly type like that. They are also the kind of people to go on about bad reality TV shows.

Lack of Manners
I was always told that manners were free but around here many people have not heard of them. Or, if they have, they don't use them. I was raised to say please and thank you but, apparently, I was born in the wrong era. I have refused to serve children who don't say please or thank you. You don't need to say both, though it would be nice. I have dealt with adults who come into the shop, basically throw their cash or ATM card at me and point or grunt. I'm sorry, that is plain rude. And, to those adults out there who don't use these basic words, I should not have to prompt you to be polite...

Impatient People
True story - I was working in a book store a few years ago and it was December. (Or Retail Hell Month as I like to call it.) Anyway, there was a line of customers in the store and, with every checkout open, we were trying to get through the customers in an orderly fashion. Just as this elderly woman was about to place her stuff on my counter this middle aged 'business woman' pushed in front and dumped a small pile of stuff on the counter.
Now, the line was quite obvious and we had extra staff on to make things go as smoothly as possible so I turned to this woman and, very politely, informed her that there was a line and the lady behind her was actually next. This woman then gives me a look that, I swear, would have made the devil think twice but I was holding my ground. She storms to the back of the line and I continue to serve this elderly lady, who was very polite and thanked me very much.
Not even two minutes later Rude Customer is at my neighbour's counter and the entire time she is swearing at me, seriously. She demands to speak to my manager because I was being so rude by making her stand in line. I was surprised she didn't pull the whole 'don't you know who I am' routine. Thankfully there were many witnesses and all of them vouched for me, including the elderly customer. Still, that woman ruined my day.

People Who Push their Beliefs on Me
I don't care if you choose to believe in God, the flying spaghetti monster or the freaking muffin man. Really, I couldn't give a rat's... It is entirely your own choice but it is also your choice to not push your beliefs on me. I'm more than happy to have a discussion or even a heated debate about religion or whatever but the minute you tell me I'm going to hell/purgatory or wherever because I don't believe in something is the minute that I rethink our 'friendship'. I know this sounds harsh but how many of you welcome in Jehovah Witnesses etc. Also, if you start telling me that man and dinosaurs walked together I'm going to start questioning what you've been eating/smoking/reading ... just saying.

People Who Choose to Remain Ignorant
I'm not going to apologise. There is no excuse anymore to remain ignorant. I don't know everything, nobody can but that doesn't mean that I can't continue to learn or broaden my horizons, so to say. And I am only talking about those who choose to remain this way.

Gosh, the last couple of posts have just been about me complaining. Tell you one thing though, writing it down has made me feel better. I promise tomorrow that the posts will become a lot more cheerful. Also, I hope I haven't made any serious spelling errors...eek.

So, what are your bugbears?

*I wonder if they will change the spelling of this as well. When I was in high school they changed the spelling of Sulphur to Sulfur but it has never looked right to me.

**Does anyone else get an image of a caterpillar and a bear joined together to make a bugbear? No? Just me? Oh well...

Five reasons why my local library is in (dire) need of an update...

So, I went into my local library today because I need some new reading material and I can't bring myself to spend $30 on a new book when I can order them from the UK for 1/3 of the price. Anyway, I went in and was going to get several books to last me till my books arrive via post but I am sad to say that I left empty handed.

This leads me to my list for today. Five reasons why my local library sucks needs help.

DISCLAIMER - this is intended as slightly tongue in cheek due to the fact that I live in a small town. The librarians actually do quite a good job for what they are given. 

One - Lack of books
I know that no library has every book on earth but there are some staples that all libraries should have - right? Apparently my library is the exception. I could find only one Vonnegut book, no Bradbury, no Upton Sinclair...shall I go on? It was upsetting to find so few classics when they had several stands of Mills and Boons romance books and at least two sets of Twilight.

Two - No Organisation
In my humble opinion I feel that bookstores and libraries should follow the same layout in how they organise their books. My library doesn't believe this. All fiction genres are mixed together so you can''t go to a specific section to find the books of your choice. Don't get me started on how all the graphic novels seem to find their way into the children's section. I'm sure mothers want their youngsters reading From Hell or Arkham Asylum...

Three - Out dated posters
I love to know about new books but when they are still advertising books from three years ago as new - well...

Four - Bad Librarians. 
I am sorry but the librarians at my local library are pretty shocking. The noise level in any library can normally be attributed to young children who don't know any better but in this library it is the librarians and they talk loud. Not just loud but loud loud...

Five - Lack of full sets of a series. 
Nothing annoys me more than reading the first one or two books in a series at a library only to find that they don't have the complete set. Imagine getting halfway through the Dark is Rising sequence only to have to order the rest of the series to finish it...sigh.

Oh my - this list makes me sound rather cantankerous but I swear I'm not...just a little neurotic.

Anyway, until tomorrow...

EDIT: I need to check things more carefully - did you spot any errors? Let me know...

Top Five Literary Villains

Hey, look at that, it's a post that I promised a while back. You know...right after I did top five movie villains because there were some of those bad guys that started off in book form first. So, here's that list.

The Joker
He is one of the most insane, sadistic and kooky bad guys that have ever graced the pages of a book. Don't believe me, read Arkham Asylum. Then there are all the people that he inspires to follow him. Just look at Harley Quinn. That girl has some serious issues if she thinks the Joker really loves her. I know that he is better known thanks to the late Heath Ledger but still, he is one bad guy I would never want to meet at any time.

Hannibal Lector
The ultimate gentleman and connoisseur, not to mention, completely insane. His insanity is clouded by his brilliance in most cases and he has bested many foes all while helping said foes capture other bad guys. He is a true anti hero.

Sauron
Do I really need to explain this choice? He wanted to kill or enslave Middle Earth and he would go to any means to do this. Talk about your power hungry bad guys. Thank goodness for Frodo and Samwise...oh and we cannot foget Gollum.

Iago
One of Shakespeare's best villains. He betrayed, schemed and, ultimately, destroyed nearly every character in Othello. What's worse is that there is no real reason for him to do any such thing aside from revenge and, even then, that is just an excuse. Basically he was a real bastard.*

Bill Sikes
Oliver Twist is one of my favourites of Dicken's work and Bill Sikes is a just awful, which makes him a great villain. He kills Nancy, beats his dog and is just  a real bastard. I was always told that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat their dogs...

So, this is my list for today. Runner ups include Huck Fin's pa, Steerpike, Mrs Coulter, Captain Hook and many more.
Enjoy your day and hopefully it is not as soggy as mine is turning out to be.

*Yep, I swore. But it is the truth. 

Top Five Fantasy Themed Films from my Childhood.

So, I heard the funniest thing...well I found it funny. I overheard someone referring to Easter Sunday as Happy Zombie Jesus Day and I had a quiet chuckle to myself because; A) It was funny and B) it was kinda true if you happen to believe in that. So, I was wondering, that makes Jesus the original Zombie? I can see the books now. And a feature film.

EDIT: I just did a search on the almighty google and found this website. Chuckles. 

Somehow this should lead me onto my top five of the day which happens to be films from my childhood that are fantasy themed. This, unfortunately, rules out any recent films so no LotR* or Pan's Labyrinth.

The NeverEnding Story
This film was one of my favourites when I was young. I watched it so many times and I even went and saw both sequels at the movies. (Yep, both of them, and they were both terrible.)** But the first one was brilliant. I had a huge crush on Atreyu and I am not ashamed to admit that I cried (and still do) when Artex died. I've known men to cry at that scene. Heck, I have the theme tune on my iPod. Oh memories are grand.

Labyrinth
Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ludo, Sarah, Toby, Jareth. This is one of the most magical films of all time. I remember being terrified of the Fiery things that yank their heads off; so much so that I would hide behind the sofa in the lounge. (This was something I normally reserved for episodes of Dr Who. Those daleks still have the power to terrify me...but not so much as the weeping angels.) Obviously, this is a staple film for those of us born in the eighties but it still has a hold on many now-a-days.

The Dark Crystal
Jim Hensen was a genius - that is a pure and simple fact. This film was beautifully done and I believe that it is a work of art. The story alone is beautifully woven and then you have the puppets that are beautifully designed. Amazing. The only thing wrong is that it leaves you wanting to know more.

The Princess Bride
"Whatever you wish." Wesley and Buttercup are the ultimate fantasy couple in this great comedy drama. And we cannot forget Inigo Montoya. This film has a cult status for a reason and I remember watching it every time it came on TV and it was one of the first DVD's that I ever bought.

Willow
I remember watching this at a friends house when I was young and the trolls that turn into the moat monster were so terrifying to my young mind that I recall having strange nightmares for a week. More than I'd had with the fiery creatures from Labyrinth. Still, aside from the fact that it was filmed in NZ it is and will always be one of my favourite fantasy films.

Let me know what you think of these films. Enjoy!

*Lord of the Rings in case you were wondering.
**Random tidbit - Jack Black appears in the third film as one of the bad guys.

Top Five Zombie Movies...

I am currently watching the latest installment of the Resident Evil films and I was thinking about what I think are the top five zombie films of all time, which led me to make that my topic for today. Plus, it is a rather easy entry as I have another one of those lovely headaches that seem intent on making my life rather interesting.
So, for the sake of my laziness, I'm going to dive right in.

Shaun of the Dead
But wait, I hear you say. Didn't you use this in you post yesterday. Why, yes I did but it is a classic and it fits into the the world of zombies because there are zombies in it. Plus it is a homage to Dawn of the Dead etc and it is a freaking good film.

Dawn of the Dead (The Remake)
This made zombies scary again. Instead of the slow, comical zombies demanding brains we have fast, vicious and damn scary zombies that are hungry for your flesh. Also, the ambiguous ending makes for good entertainment.

Zombieland
This is also a comedy but it is brilliantly done. It lightly pokes fun at itself as a film and at many other things, which I love. I also love the fact that the male lead is nearly as neurotic as myself with all his rules. The way in which this was filmed also adds to the enjoyment. 

Braindead
Peter Jackson is one of my idols and this earlier film of his is one of the first 'horror' films that I saw. This film explains how the people became zombies, though it comes about in a rather funny way. It is great to see Peter Jackson's work pre- LotR just to see where he came from .

28 Days Later
This is a stark and gritty film which I find absolutely brilliant. The scenes that Danny Boyle managed to get of a nearly deserted London are amazing and Cillian Murphy was perfect in this film. I know that they're technically not zombies and that the humans are infected by a rage virus but it's a damn good film and it's my list so it made the cut.

There are many other great zombie related mediums out there: The Walking Dead, The Crazies and Dead Space to name a few but as this was just films there you have it.

Now, I'm going to get back to my movie viewing. Until tomorrow my dear readers.

Top Five Comedy films...and a mini mind fart...

It is day seventeen and I have been blogging like a fool. I'm glad I stuck with this idea of five things but I tell you, it's not easy. Sometimes it is a real struggle for me to think about what I should write and sometimes I wonder why I bother. Before you start freaking out and thinking I'm an attention whore or something like that I want to assure you that I'm not. What I mean by bothering is that there is so many other things that I should be doing and the main one is figuring out what I'm going to do since looking for a job hasn't been working for me so far.

Then there is my writing, which I really should be focusing on but I keep getting distracted and this is one of the distractions. Twitter is another because I just like reading about Cassandra Clare's characters etc. (I refuse to follow Charlie Sheen because, in my own opinion, he is a sick, sick man...I don't really need to elaborate.)

Then there is the usual cleaning, cooking and washing routine which, I admit, I am always behind in though I don't mind vacuuming...especially when I have my headphones in and I bop* around the house.

So basically, I feel that there are other things that I should be doing but then I remember that I actually enjoy looking up my favourites of things and sharing them with the interwebs. So, with that random little chat out of the way I'm diving into my top five comedy films.

Spaceball - Mel Brooks
This is the ultimate spoof of Star Wars, Star Trek and any science fiction film pre-1987. I love the whole thing from start to finish and who can forget that lovely Alien tribute at the end. You have to love a little alien in a top hat singing. And who can forget, "I see your Schwartz is as big as mine..."

Monty Python and the Holy Grail Or any Monty Python film ever.
I don't really feel like I need to explain this but if you have never seen any Monty Python you need to get out to your nearest video store or whatever and watch. It's British comedy at its best.

Shaun of the Dead - Edgar Wright
"You've got red on you." Zombies and Simon Pegg. Hilarious and a brilliant tribute to all of those zombie horrors of the last few decades. Plus Nick Frost is hilarious.

Austin Powers in Goldmember
All the Austin Powers films are funny as anything but I have fond memories of the third one and can relentlessly quote lines from it all the time. Mike Myers is hilarious and has a great sense of comic timing and a very witty sense of humour.

Zoolander
I'm not the biggest Ben Stiller fan but I really love this film. It is pure stupid fun with some great one liners. I love a film that can make fun of itself.

As you may have noticed I don't watch a lot of comedy and my preferences are towards British humour aside from that I hope you enjoy the list and let me know of any good comedies that you reckon I should watch.

Until tomorrow...


*Yep I wrote bop - and I do bop, though I guess if someone was to walk in it may look like I'm in the middle of being electrocuted but hey, dance like no one's watching, right? Right?

Top Five Things Customers Need to Know...

Warning, this could be considered a bit of a rant. Now, I know that many of us have worked retail and I am more than a little confident in saying that everyone has bought something before - I mean, we are in the age of consumerism. Yet, we are still awful at being nice to each other or being understanding in the ways of the retail service person.

First disclaimer - not everyone is a bad customer. In fact, 9/10 customers are genuinely lovely but that single evil customer is the one you are more likely to remember. I'm sure there is a psychological reason for that but I have no idea what it might be.

Second disclaimer - this list is made for fun and as a form of stress relief for the writer.

One - Do not assume that the person serving you is either deaf or stupid. In fact, don't treat them as if they are that way. Be aware that they are probably trying to do their best and they might, just, know what they are doing.
On the flip side, if they have proven that they are stupid or have been particularly rude, don't cause a fuss but do take down their name and contact their manager.

Two - Never, and I mean NEVER, anger someone who works in the food industry...especially if they go out back to prepare food. I have seen what has happened to people who do not abide by this rule and I'm just going to say that it isn't pretty.
On the flip side - if your server or food is bad be polite about it and try not to make a fuss. From my own experience I'm more likely to help if you have been pleasant and you don't act like it is your right to be a jerk to customer service people.

Three - No matter how good of an idea it may seem at the time, never use a book store as a babysitting venue. Staff there are in no way responsible for looking after your children (brats depending on the situation). If they break something you are going to be fitting the bill - and we don't want to even think about them getting hurt.
There is no flip side for this. Book stores are not a childcare. 

Four - This is very important: never swear at someone, especially if they are trying to help. Seriously, swearing doesn't help anyone as far as I"m concerned. The minute you swear at me I'm not going to help you...or if I do I'm not going to be polite about it. I work on a warning system. You get one warning (especially if I am on the phone with you) and after that I will terminate the call without hesitating. Those of you who know me know I speak the truth. There is no place for swearing and the majority of the time it isn't the fault of the person you are talking to.
There isn't really a flip side to this one either. Once again, if you are upset with someone on the phone, take their name, be as polite as possible and then try to get in contact with a manager. 

Five - Finally, if you are looking for something please try to be as specific as possible - I find it hard to help if what you are looking for is 'the book with the writing on it' or 'the DVD with that actor, you know, that actor who acts...'
No flip side for this one either. Unless you are wanting help at finding something rather vague...

Sorry for this rather tedious top five...I'm still dealing with a kidney stone and my sleep pattern, which usually sucks, has gotten worse so my brain currently resembles something mangled by a zombie.

Until tomorrow...

My Top Five Disney Films (Animated) and kidney stones...?

If you are starting to think that I am somewhat jinxed or cursed or just really unlucky I don't blame you but I'm just going to stay as optimistic as possible. The reason I say this as because I am currently trying to flush out a kidney stone - doesn't that sound sexy. What this basically means is I am trying to drink as much water as possible while hoping it doesn't get any worse otherwise I'm in for a trip to the hospital. (Which would make it the third trip in the space of 18 months.)

Enough of my moaning though. I've got a steady supply of water and other liquids and I want to hit this list. I'm a huge Disney fan and I have been for a long time. There is something magical about Disney that makes me smile and makes me want to draw. One of my dreams came true last year when I finally got to Disneyland in California where I regressed in age to about five.* I could seriously live there and be quite happy. This leads me to my top five (animated) Disney films.

Aladdin
"Riffraff! Street rat! Scoundrel! Take that!" I loved the story from a young age and Robin Williams turn as Genie was pure comedic brilliance. And Iago was annoying and funny. I just loved this movie and, let's be honest, who doesn't dream about escaping the life they have for something new and different. Every character in this film wants that with the exceptions of Rajah and the Sultan.





The Black Cauldron
This was one of Disney's darker films that I remember scaring me a little as a child. (No where near as much as Alice In Wonderland scared me when I was younger**) Based on Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain it had some lovely scenes and the visual art in this film, although darker, was still quite beautiful. I'd recommend reading the books as well.

Treasure Planet
It's a space western. Actually it's a futuristic version of Treasure Island. And I really loved it. Jim has always been a character that I liked - always wishing for something more and pushing at all the boundaries available. Plus, who wouldn't want to give solar surfing a try.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
If anything deserves to be in a top five list it has to be Snow White. The ultimate classic Disney film and a pure work of art. Plus it has Dopey and he has always been a secret favourite of mine. He is adorable. And we cannot forget the evil Queen in this film. She is terrifying and brilliant.

Tangled
This is my new favourite Disney film for two reasons: Rapunzel and Flynn. I saw it twice in the theatre, once in California and the other time here in New Zealand and I am just waiting for it to come out of DVD here. (Though I might have to buy it online.) It is beautiful, funny, witty and just amazing. The art alone is stunning. Then the character development is spot on. The chemistry between Flynn and Rapunzel is classic. I could really go on and on about this film but you have to just go and see it to understand.

And, because it's Disney and I can't narrow it down here are some honorable mentions: Beauty and the Beast, The Sword in the Stone, The Rescuers, The Emperor's New Groove, Lilo and Stitch...ah crap I'm about to list so many more...I'm guessing you get the drift.

Anyway, enjoy. I'm off to drink a lot of water. Until tomorrow, take care and watch some Disney!

*I'm not kidding. I put my hair up in high ponytails and jumped around the park. I was worse than a child on a sugar high. I had also had a wee bit of caffeine which could explain it?
**I now have a strange obsession with all forms of Alice In Wonderland and would definitely recommend the Disney version and the Syfy mini series for two unique looks at Carroll's world.

Top Five Fictional Werewolves - and technology is still hating me...

I'm at work as I write this but it has been a slow morning so I feel that it is okay that I am doing this. I've been up for quite some time and I can tell you that I have learned a couple of things in the last couple of days; Most importantly, I have learned that leaving a Yoda backpack sitting up in my room is bad. I don't know who got the worse scare, myself or the Yoda backpack.

Another thing that I have learned is that I quite enjoy doing this top five thing. If I had the time or patience I would try and figure out how to do polls on my blog just to see what happens. I might look into that after BEdA has finished.

In technology related news I somehow managed to kill my printer. I had 25 pages left of my manuscript to print when it just stopped. So far the score stands at technology three - JJ zero. It's a good thing I have a sense of humour otherwise I would be a sad little mess on the ground. Anyway, enough of my babbling let's get down to business.*

I was going to do a post about fictional bad guys but I thought I would leave that for later on so here are my top five fictional werewolves.**

Ginger - Ginger Snaps
Aside from the fact that this is one of the best films I have seen the character of Ginger going through the stages of the change (both as a werewolf and that awkward change from 'little girl' to 'young woman') is brilliant. With her sister watching on in confusion, worry and fright as Ginger sprouts hair in funny places, starts growing a tail and then fully turns into a serious lycanthrope. This is one film that I would recommend to anyone above the age of 16. (Hey I've got to pretend to be sensible.)

Elena - Bitten (Also various other titles from Kelley Armstrong's brilliant Women of the Otherworld series)
First, she's the world's only female werewolf. Second, she was bitten by her own fiancee.*** Third, she is constantly hunted by mutts because she is considered a trophy prize. Actually, this series is brilliant in the way it portrays werewolves. They aren't cursed in this series and many of them enjoy the transformation where they actually resemble wolves not walking nightmares.

George - Being Human (UK version as I haven't seen the US version)
I love this series and I love all the characters but since this is about werewolves I'm going to stick with George. He's sweet, confused, angry and all those emotions you expect with learning that you are no longer the same person you were and that you change into a howling monster at every full moon. Then there is the fact that he has no control over it. Just look at the intro to episode 2 in season one when Mitchell is doing the voice over. Brilliant.

Oz - Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Seth Green is a favourite actor of mine and his turn as the 'so-laid-back-he's-nearly-falling-over' werewolf Oz is hilarious and sweet. The fact that he was turned by by his own cousin gives it an extra comedic twist. What is really sweet is his courtship of Willow and their little dance that they play around each other. 

David - An American Werewolf in London
This is a more tragic portrayal of a werewolf and also another favourite film of mine. The idea of being haunted by your own victims is interesting as well. What stands out to me is the image of David as the wolf running through the streets of London and through the London underground. (All places I am familiar with.) And the ending is almost heartbreaking in a way. Plus the music in this film is pretty wicked with every song referring to the moon in someway.

Well there goes my list of fictional werewolves. I still don't know why I put fictional in the title but I quite like it so I am going to leave it there. I best be getting back to work as well.

Let me know who your favourite werewolves are.


*For reasons unknown Flight of the Conchords' Business Time is now playing through my head...
** Compared to real werewolves...sigh...I know how that reads.
***Does that term work for males and females? I'm confused.

Top Five Movie Villains...

I thought I'd go to the dark side for today* and delve into the world of bad guys and movies. There are so many different kinds of bad guys so this list may seem a bit scattered but they will be bad guys from movies. So, although the Joker (especially when portrayed by Heath Ledger) is a great villain he had origins in a graphic novel so I am going to attempt to focus purely on characters that came from movies first. I hope that makes sense and please let me know if I have made an error as sometimes my brain gets lost int he wealth of information on the interwebs.

The requirements for my views of a bad guy is someone who manages to do horrible things but do them in a memorable way. I promise I'm not as morbid as this list may make me seem. So, are you ready?

The Terminator - Terminator
This one is a given. Seriously. Sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor and he does it methodically, going through the phone book and eliminating anyone called Sarah Connor. That's pretty intense but it makes sense. And then to find out about the whole machine aspect. This perfectly blends our fears of machines and death.

Leatherface - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Original and Remake)
What makes him terrifying is that he is human and he wears a mask made out of a human face. The fact that you never really see what is behind that mask makes him all the more creepy. Then there is the whole cannibalism thing that makes for creepy watching.

Verbal Kint - The Usual Suspects
Who is Keyser Soze? I can't elaborate more on this without giving anything else away. Trust me on this.

Freddy Kruger - A Nightmare on Elm Street (The Original)
"One two Freddy's coming for you..." In the first film he is pure evil. They played him up for comedic effect int he sequels but in this first one he is at his most terrifying.

Darth Vader - Star Wars A New Hope
Before we learn any of his back story Darth Vader is pretty terrifying. Force choking people left, right and centre. He even kills the man he once called friend and mentor. That is pretty cold and calculating don't you think?

This list was a lot harder than I originally thought because I eliminated some of the great villains by restricting my list to those who weren't from novels first. I am pretty sure that none of the above were from a novel first but if I am wrong please let me know. Tomorrow I'll have to write about the best literature villains cause that is a list that will be fun and challenging.

Until tomorrow my good readers...


*Pun totally intended.

Oh the headache...

I was going to do a really good entry today about something amazing but I have been fighting this headache for the last couple of days so I thought I would do a brief entry if that was okay with you all. My original aim was to do a blog entry 'top five' for every day of April but my computer died and now that I finally have one back I get a headache that seems intent on disabling me for the weekend. So, this goes to show that not everything goes to plan...if anything actually does.

That is why I am posting this now in case I forget or fall asleep and miss the deadline for today.

But, because I feel somewhat guilty but not doing a top five so I will do a mini one...top five reasons headaches suck:

1. They make listening to anything almost unbearable - children's laughter becomes nails on a chalkboard or beautiful music sound like a flock of seagulls strangling cats. 
2. Your head feels as if it has doubled in size or just one section of it though when you look in the mirror it still looks normal size. 
3. You never know how long they are going to last so you think you can manage through but every so often these little bastards turn on you then you turn into a blithering idiot because you can't think straight. 
4. When they do finally go away you've lost half a day or a whole day. Nothings been accomplished and you didn't even enjoy the time off from doing nothing cause your head was in all kinds of evil places. 
5. And finally, a headache is not an excuse for everything...;o)

Until tomorrow my dear readers...

Technology hates me and my top five sci fi films...

We interrupt this broadcast with an important announcement - I finally have my computer back. This is the good news. The bad news is the fact that they had to wipe everything because the hard drive was corrupted. For those keeping score at home this is twice in the last two months that computers have deleted my life from them. Before you say anything about an external hard drive I'll have you know that I have one but it was too late in both cases.*

I can only assume that this means technology hates me. Though I have to admit, my first computer was brilliant. It was a Dell Inspiron and worked beautifully until it died. **

Anyway, let's get down to business. Today's top five is going to be my favourite Science Fiction films. I happen to love sci fi with a great passion. I'm a passable Trekkie, love Star Wars and am somewhat obsessed with Firefly. So, let's dive straight in: ***

Oh, before you ask, Star Wars won't be appearing on this list because it is more than just a science fiction. Just in case you were wondering.

Event Horizon
This film was one that really scared me the first time I watched it. There is no alien per se as everything tends to come from the mind of the crew but the whole idea of going into a hell dimension just creeps me out. Plus, Sam Neil as Weir...I still get shivers every time I watch it.

Pandorum
I finally managed to get a hand on this film a few weeks ago and, for the same reason that I enjoyed Event Horizon I enjoyed this film. The enemy isn't clear and it goes to show the power of your own mind. And the atmosphere of space being empty and unknown makes for a great story.

Serenity
Okay. This is a firm favourite mainly because I loved Firefly. It is the crew and the sense of family that actually make this film brilliant. Plus Whedon's witty script. All I have to say is I 'aim to misbehave'.

Alien
The ultimate sci fi. With a tag line like "In space, no one can hear you scream," you know you're in for a great ride. It is chilly, atmospheric and scary. Not to mention the fact that it brought our attention to the fact that women could be heroes. Ripley is the ultimate heroine and she kicks arse!

Aliens
I had to add this one as well because it is very different to the first film. This one ups the ante and introduces some great characters. Hudson anyone? Plus the fact that the colonial marines are no real match for the Aliens...

There are so many other films that I could add to this list so here are some of the runner ups:

Blade Runner, The Matrix, Back to the Future, The Fifth Element, 12 Monkeys, Terminator, T2 ... damn it, this list is far too long. I've mentioned it before but narrowing a list down to five is flipping difficult.

Hope you are enjoying this as much as I am. Also, if you have any requests please let me know.


*Insert sigh or swear word here.
**Add a wry chuckle here.
*** I could have made a science fiction related joke here but I held back. Are you proud?

Top Five Vampires...BEdA Day 8

Okay - quick post today because, as I type, the headache gnomes in my head have begun their evil clog dance on my brain.

Nice and easy one today with my top five vampires and there will not be a Cullen or Hale in sight.

Dracula
We start with the most revered and classic vampire to have ever graced our screens and pages. The old count himself. Played throughout the years by Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Leslie Nielsen and Gary Oldman and many other great actors. He has been played as a victim and as a hero, as a serious character or a buffoon. You cannot have a list of top vampires without mentioning this great 'father' of vampires.

Thomas Raith (Dresden Files)
Not your typical vampire but Thomas Raith has a certain something. It could be the fact that he is part of the White Court or it could be the fact that he is Harry Dresden's half brother. Maybe it is cause he is described as incredibly good looking and was more than a little devoted to a girl who was driven insane. Oh so tragic but incredibly interesting. Closely tied with Susan from the same series but she was never turned into a full vamp...well not really...

Louis de Pointe du Lac
Most people seem to like Lestat from the Vampire Chronicles but I have always had a soft spot for those tortured souls so I have to have Louis in this list. He often did not understand his own true nature and fought against it constantly. I like him as a character and a vampire as he tried to retain some of his humanity.

Angel
The classic tortured vampire with a soul. As Angelus, however, he is one badass vampire. He tortured Drusilla, making her into the insane mess that she was in the show. Plus there was that whole in love with the Slayer business.

Spike
And you can't have Angel in the list without having Spike. Both in love the slayer in their own ways. Spike with his bleached blonder hair and two slayers under his belt he brought just enough comedy to his persona to make him truly memorable. And, well, it's Spike. What more do I need to say.

As per usual there are several other vampires who could have made it to this list but, as I am doing this off the cuff and on the day this is the list you get.

So, do you have a favourite vampire?

Top Five Scary films...maybe...

Okay, because I only have a short amount of time on the computer this will have to be a quick entry. From a young age I loved horror films. Controlled scares, people doing stupid things while you yell at them, dark rooms, cemeteries etc. There are all sorts of horror films out there and some are scary while others are pure entertainment/shock value.

So, I will dive right into the list today. Five horror films that truly scared me...

Poltergeist
Now, I don't know if it was because I was young or whether it was all the rumours of the cursed set that made this film stand out in my mind but there is that scene with the clown that has always scared me. The film has subtle scares and then moves into those full on scares which encouraged my fascination with the paranormal along with my wariness of curses.

Demons
This is a film I've only seen once or twice and it was an Italian film if I remember correctly. The thought of being stuck in a cinema with an increasing number of possessed people terrified me when I was younger and it was the ending that really cemented it for me. There was something about the almost hopeless ending that made me feel more than a little nervous about going to bed that night.

The Exorcist
Now, I watched this film by myself and, being the 'brave' teenage girl that I was I thought that it would be awesome to watch it in the dark while my parents were out for the night. This may have been a bad idea on my part because when it got to the part where Regan spider walks down the stairs...let's just say that I ran around and turned on every light in my house. I also think it was the back story to this film that incited my overactive imagination.

The Last House On the Left (Original)
This is one of those films that you have to be in a certain mood to watch because there is no paranormal evil in this film, it is an all too human evil. I think the fear of something that could actually happen is far more terrifying because it is more 'real' than haunted houses etc. It is a good film though.

The Hills Have Eyes (Remake)
I haven't seen the original so please don't shoot me but the remake is still very scary. Like The Last House... it is a little more real aside from the crazed mutants but still this film was actually really well done. I loved the fact that no one was safe...not even the dogs.

Now, there are thousands of other films that are probably more scary but these ones all stand out in my mind from my childhood till recently as well.

Let me know if there are any films that have scared you or still resonate in your mind.

Peace and pancakes