...camkin...

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This journal is now Friends Only.
No specific reason why we're on lockdown and no particular person drove me to do this.
I'm becoming more protective of my private life and what I share with complete strangers
and I just want to know who is reading this.
Some entries might be made public, like memes and artwork.

I'm not particularly interesting but, if you want to be added, leave a comment and I will check you out.
More often than not, I will add you back.

,strike>

it's hard to pick just one. so i won't.
here are some of my most favorite songs: Off the Wall, Human Nature, Wanna Be Startin Somethin, Pretty Young Thing, Smooth Criminal, Jam, Butterflies and Remember the Time.

FUGU!



i had it Japan in Autumn 2006.
i wouldn't eat the sushi but i said what the hell when it came to blowfish.
i figured it would probably be my only chance to try it.
i wasn't impressed, but then it might be the way it was prepared.
obviously, it didn't kill me. or did it?

http://www.the20life.com/2009/03/31/25-apps-that-add-form-and-function-to-twitter/

to all the moms on my flist
whether it be to mothers of human or furry children
i hope you have a wonderful day.


so who knows where my subject line comes from? ;)

movies i watched for "The Guardian's 1000 films to see before you die" list
and the "AFI - 100 Years...400 Movies (2007)" list

*Alfie (1966) - 04.01.09
*The Band Wagon (1953) - 04.27.09

kinda sad. i watched several movies that weren't on the list.
they had been sitting on the DVR for months.
a couple of them were on other lists, just not these two.

i'm at 55% and 90% respectively. still.

as for my other movie list: James Bond Movies

*Goldfinger (1964) - 04.06.09
*Thunderball (1965) - 04.06.09
*You Only Live Twice (1967) - 04.22.09

at least 2 of these film were on the Guardian list, too.
and now i'm up to 43% on this list.

lately it's been Depeche Mode's Wrong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bsXOcK9_Cw

it's from the official DM channel over on YouTube, so i can't embed it.
but check it out. the video is kinda fucked up!

then there's always my regular earworm: Bill Wither's Lovely Day
a crappy "remix" version but i couldn't find anything else.

goals for the week of April 26th

watch 1 foreign film - Diary of a Chambermaid
watch a silent film
watch another foreign/silent film
work on art journal
work on Postage Stamp ATC swap
work on Made from a Photo ATC swap
work on Altered Mona Lisa ATC swap
make postcards for Places I've Been postcards - April 09
finish The United States 50 State ATC Challenge #4
work on Karmann Ghia model
write letter to Kathy
write letter to Minna
change sheets
laundry
clean bathroom
mop kitchen
take aquarium & books to thrift store
call about Emissions
glue ladybugs & flowers back onto cover
catch up on Grey's Anatomy
catch up on Private Practice

More Any Dream Will Do....

4th ep:
Daniel - Since U Been Gone - not a good song for him
Craig - no real thoughts on his performance
Keith - a really great performance
(he didn't like the comments on his diction - i didn't notice it, but then again i'm not trained)
Seamus - a great performance - hair is still making me crazy
(doesn't seem to take criticism well)

JB is being harsh tonight
Muse song in the upcoming snippet!!

Ben - he's from Scarborough!! i should like him more now, right?
Johndeep - West Side Story squee! liked his performance. didn't think he was campy.
Chris B - Jackson 5 song! great version of the song. not convinced with the acting, though.

i'm completely at odds with the judges for the last 2 guys.

Rob - a great performance
Antony - Light My Fire was a little weird. good performance, though
Lewis - still the prettiest!
Lee - not really fond of his version "Had a Bad Day" or whatever it's called.

surprised that Chris B and Johndeep are in the Sing-Off.
overall, i thought Chris did a better job on the song.
Johndeep started off sounding a little weak.
i think Chris deserved to stay in the competition.

and 2 guys get eliminated next week. wow!


5th ep:
Seamus - he seems to have a chip on his shoulder, but he put on a great performance
Lewis - still the prettiest! and he put on a good show.
Rob - a good version of the song, but i wasn't convinced with the showman aspect.
Antony - ouch! his voiced cracked & he was off-key.

JB - was harsh, but he was right.

Chris - a good rendition of the song, but his movement was off & lacking rhythm
Ben - good song, but his performance wasn't exciting.
Daniel - Sinatra! a really good performance. the song suited him.
Lee - a wonderful song. a sensitive performance.

JB is a tough teacher.
but for this level of competition, he has to be.

Keith - seemed to a good job here. i could understand everything he sang.
Craig - i think did a wonderful job. another old soul song, i love this guy!

i don't think Craig deserved to be in the Sing-Off.
i think Craig did a better job with the song.
ALW made the right choice!!

stop showing Antony's crying girlfriend already!

for a moment there, i was wondering about the 2nd elimination.
i think this is a weird way to do it.

wow! I'm really surprised that ALW saved Ben.
i thought he might save Seamus based on his experience.
again with the chip on his shoulder thing,
i don't think he was very gracious with his "exit interview"

i don't know why i feel the need to comment on this show but i will!
so i totally started watching this show for the John Barrowman fangirling.
it's especially funny considering i don't American Idol or any other singing type talent show
(however, i'm a total sucker for dancing shows)

i missed the 1st ep, so i started with the 2nd ep.
my only thoughts on the 2nd ep - i totally squeed when they played the 2 Muse songs.

anyway, thoughts on the 3rd ep:
Rob - he was good. not sure if i find him attractive or not.
Lee - is kinda cute and i love his curls
Ben - a babyface
Lewis - a total pretty boy. i like that he's a Grandma's boy
Craig - sometimes his nose bugs me in certain shots/from certain angles.
but i love that he sang Otis and he's got that adorable Scotsman's accent.
Johndeep - he's a great voice, but i'm on the fence about his looks.

wow, JB was harsh!
one of the other judges told him to get back in the Tardis. ahahahaha!!

Seamus - i hate his hair! i think he would look so much better with short hair.
Antony - another babyface! he's adorable. i didn't like his rendition of "Don"t Want to Miss a Thing"
Daniel - average looking. but a great perfomance
Chris C - a cute, geek boy! but his voice seemed a little weak
Chris B - he has big teeth! otherwise he's cute. reminds me of someone, but can't figure out who
Keith - looks a bit awkward. Crazy Little Thing was not the right song for him

JB's cute Scots accent made an appearence! hee!

the Sing-Off:
Chris C's breathy singing really bugged me.
agreed with Andrew Lloyd Webber's comment - he was out of his range and straining.

the send off for the the booted contestant was a little weird.

one last thought on the show:
the song editing makes me a little crazy, especially when i know the song.

comments on the next ep are coming up soon.

Tetris!

i'm also quite fond of the first 3 Super Mario Bros games.
Castlevania 2 and Mega Man 2.

Spy Hunter!
and the Winter & Summer Games for the Commodore 64.


ETA:
games i forgot about: Dr. Mario (Game Boy) and Oregon Trail

meme snagged from breebers and tofarawayplaces

1. Do you prefer to read hardcover or paperback books?
hardcovers are easier to read when eating, but paperbacks are more portable

2. Do you have a favorite place to read in your home?
the bathtub!

3. Do you have a favorite place to read away from, or outside of, your home?
not really.

4. Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
i love to eat sunflowers seeds while reading. been doing it since i was in middle school.

5. Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
i do not write in books. i'm slightly horrified by the idea.

6. How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
bookmarks of some sort, whether it be a nice bookmark or just an old receipt.

7. Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
i prefer fiction, but i've been known to read non-fiction every once in a while

8. Hardcopy or audiobooks?
definitely hardcopy, because i'd rather read & listen to music than to listen to a book.
although i have listened to a couple of King's story collections on tape - and it really was on tape!
also, i love listening to James Marsters read the Dresden Files.

9. Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
i can put my book down at any point mostly because many times i have no choice.
just as long as i can read to the end of a paragraph.

10. If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away? Write it down to look it up later? Just try to infer what it means from the rest of the sentence, and keep going?
most times i just try to infer because i don't have access to a dictionary, like in the bathtub!

11. What are you currently reading?
The Fig Eater by Jody Shields

12. What is the last book you bought?
i pre-ordered 2 books: Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) by Jim Butcher and
Grave Goods (Mistress of the Art of Death) by Ariana Franklin

13. What is your all time favorite book?
oh wow, i don't know if i can pick just one all time favorite.

14. Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can read more than one at a time?
i generally try to focus on 1 book at a time, but i have been known to juggle a couple of books at the same time.

15. Do you like re-reading books?
as much as i would like to re-read some books,
my to-read list is so massive that i just can't see myself spending my time re-reading a book

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

101 list update:



i've been lusting after this for at least a couple of years.
and when i finally decided to drop the $$ on it, i went for the big Cricut (pronounced like cricket)
and i splurged for the bundle which came with 4 cartridges.
yeah, i spent a lot of money, but i will definitely use it a lot.
(plus, i got it for half price!)
i still have plenty of scrapbooking to do and i can probably use this in my other projects.

i haven't really had a chance to play with it much, not enough time.
just trying to get a feel for all the different options.

what's really great about this machine compared to the Sizzix,
is the ability to make the shapes/letters in various sizes.
(which is what sold me on the machine the 1st place)
plus, it seems to have become more popular than the Xyron electronic die cutter.
(which i also have, but have had some issues with and no new books have been made for it recently)

i look forward to spending a lot of money buying new cartridges.
however, i will wait until they are on sale.
:D

101 list update:



meet Della, my new car. well new to me.
(i can't decide if i want to call her Della or Della Mae. yes i'm special)
she's a 2002 Nissan Sentra SER.
she's got power windows and locks, working A/C and a sunroof.
she's the nicest car i've ever had.
she's also got some pep in her step with a 2.5 liter engine. (i think that's what it is)
i've only driven it a little, but driving is starting to feel fun again.

i desperately needed a car, so i had to get one as soon as possible.
and i managed to accomplish a task on my 101 list at the same time.
sweet!

a running commentary on the show
( under the cut )