Boys with Guitars: Pt II

Following on from Nicci’s past post ‘Boys with Guitars’, I bring you more hotness amplified by stringed acoustic and electric instruments.

Jason Mraz: Because he got missed off last time and because I’ve seen him live and he is not only super talented and original, but pretty fly. 

Guy Berryman from Coldplay: Attention is often drawn away from Guy by the large marker pen etchings on Chris Martin’s hand, but he is hot, hot, hot.

Alex Turner: Lead singer of the Arctic Monkeys. Not really all that hot, but when he has a guitar in his hands (even the silly way he plays it, all fast and high up), it makes me a lot more attracted to him.

Pete Wentz: Far too much hair straitening, guyliner, and stupid kid name calling, but again, I have a huge crush because he plays guitar. I also like his bromance with John Mayer. 

Michael Cera: If you need to know why Michael is awesome, then you haven’t read this blog from the early days. My crush amplified when he played and sang ‘Anybody Else But You’ at the close of Juno.  

And lastly, because you can never have enough John Mayer:

Posted By: Cat

Fish Finger Sandwiches

The staple of any student diet, the fish finger sandwich is a delicacy. It’s quick to make - ten minutes under the grill and you have a lunch which is warm, nutritious and covers a multitude of food groups. If you’re feeling wild, throw a slice of cheese in there and watch it melt to perfection.

Posted By: Cat

Hamish and Andy

These two are perhaps my best discovery of the year. Ham and Ando are funny. So funny in fact, that as I’ve been listening to their podcast in my car, I’ve been laughing so much that other drivers have thrown me worried looks. It’s a good job I do a lot of my driving these days in the dark evenings of winter.

A little bit about the boys: They have a radio show which is syndicated across Australia. They are also on a show called Rove which is like Conan, but better. Mostly, Hamish and Andy just do stuff that lads do best, but they are so witty with it. Hamish is obvious a student of the Office and is therefore someone who I desperately want to be mates with. We have the same sense of humour and the fact that we are of a similar age makes me green with envy, these guys are getting paid to have fun and be themselves.

This is the kind of thing they do: 

A couple of weeks ago, they drove across Australia from Melbourne to Darwin ‘hugging the country’. Their podcasts from the fortnight were hilarious. Among other adventures, they went UFO spotting, swan in crocodile infested rivers, tried to spot 50 wild camels and drank goats milk straight from the goat. 

This week they released a CD on the same day as Britney’s Circus. The next day, Hamish got pneumonia. The boys think Britney poisoned Hamish so they declared war, I can't wait to see how it ends.

More Hamish and Andy here: www.hamishandandy.com.au

Posted By: Cat

Holidays are coming

For years, I've measured the countdown to Christmas from when I first see this advert on televsion:

I saw it this week. It makes me feel all Christmassy [note: not a word] and excited.

Posted By: Cat

Entourage

I love Entourage. I also love this picture because it has the cast of Entourage and Kanye West. Anytime I can combine Kanye with anything is a good time to me.

Moving on...

Once upon a time I was a loyal Entourage viewer. This was when I was home from school on breaks, and my parents had not decided to forego the Direct TV package that had HBO in favor of some package that has every sports channel known to man. Why we need the Big Ten network is beyond me.

That being said, I've missed a few seasons, but this is why I love Netflix. I'm currently catching back up with the show, and while I've only gotten through Season 1, which I've seen like a billion times, this show never fails to deliver the laughs.

I don't think I could ever live in LA, but sometimes I wish I could act like Ari Gold. You know, funny, offensive one liners, (not that it is my goal in life to offend people), cool catch phrases and super cocky. I mean, I even have a shirt that says, "Let's hug it out". But I'm not, and I won't ever be, but whatever. A girl can dream.

Sure, Adrian Grenier is beyond amazingly goregous with his too good to be true blue eyes, and his amazing, amazing head of curly hair, but I think I really watch for Ari, Turtle and Drama. They make me laugh. I want to kick E off the show, because sometimes, to be quite honest, he pisses me off.

I think the season finale was last night, and Michael Phelps had like a 3 second cameo. I still don't have HBO at home, but the second I strike out on my own, that'll be the first thing I do.


Posted By: Nicci

Spider Solitaire

This game is like crack. I used to play it daily at my office job when the person who sat behind me was away from their desk and couldn’t catch me. It’s worst when you try and do four suits, because you can’t stop until you’ve conquered it and that could be eternity. I earned mega respect from my brother when I completed it, but was faced with major disappointment when all I got were fireworks just like on the other rounds. I did the impossible, at least give me a puppy or something!

Posted By: Cat

Celebrity Baby Names

What better way for celebrities to show us how special they are than to name their children out of this world names that in the real world, would lead you to be bullied and teased throughout life.

I’m always excited when a new celebrity baby appears and I have to admit, if they are adorned with a normal moniker like ‘Joe’ or ‘Kate’ then I’m disappointed. That’s why I am very excited by Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz christening their new born son Bronx Mowgli Wentz. It works on two levels, not only is the name itself batshit crazy, but the kid’s initials are BMW. Wow. That’s some clever stuff.

I wonder what the significance of Bronx is. I’m 99% sure that Ashlee has never visited the Bronx in her life. I have. It’s not somewhere you want your kid affiliated with. I was too scared to go out at night and the McDonalds on Fordham Road didn’t have ice cream...but that’s a different story.

Mowgli, as everyone knows, is the orphan brought up by wolves, bears and a panther in the Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Was this Pete’s favourite book as a kid? Does he have aspirations for his Son to be some kind of jungle explorer/wildlife expert?

I can’t wait for little Bronx to meet Brooklyn Beckham. Please, let a celeb name their kid Queens and we can have the start of a ‘Five Boroughs’ band.

Posted By: Cat

Nick and Nora’s Infinite playlist

Sometimes living in England sucks. We get everything late; movies, TV, music....why? Are we the slow, inbred cousins of the yanks who produce all the big hitters? No, we are the country whose empire once stretched as far as the other side of the world then back again. So why do we have to wait forever to watch the movies out now in the US? It’s not fair.

I am really looking forward to seeing ‘Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist’. It stars my crush, Michael Cera. Its about a guy getting over his first love, who meets a girl that could be his next....

The trailer looks awesome, the reviews are good, so why do I have to wait until January to watch it? Boo!

Posted By: Cat

Barack Obama

I am not an American. I don't live in the States. I can't vote today. But I really hope that when I wake up tomorrow morning, Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America.

Posted By: Cat

Never Mind the Buzzcocks

This show has been running for years and I've been a casual viewer since I was allowed to stay up past 9pm (a whole two years now. Ba dum dum!). Now I'm hooked. For those not in the know, Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a music based panel quiz show with two teams who don't really care about the scores, or the questions, but instead, who can be funnier while answering them. It's shown on BBC2 in the UK.

In my humble opinion, the show has gotten better since Simon Amstell took over from Mark Lamarr. I don't care what they say, sarcastic = funny. I just watched this weeks episode and laughed so loud I could be heard throughout the house. That is not a common occurrence.

The show is funniest when an egotistical, self absorbed musician can't laugh at themselves and wears sunglasses the whole way through. Even better when they walk out and are replaced by an audience member a la Preston from the Ordinary Boys.

You can watch it online at BBC iplayer.

Posted By: Cat

Girls Aloud

1. Their songs are stupidly catchy. Not one of their singles has been rubbish, and that’s five years worth of singles. Their new song ‘promises’ is another example of the unashamedly pop kitsch that they do best. Whoever is writing their songs should be getting paid, a lot.

2.  They are insanely hot. Each time I see Cheryl Cole on X-Factor, my girl-crush on her grows.

3. They wear sparkly dresses and sometimes sing live, like this:

 

4. I want to be in Girls Aloud.

Posted By: Cat

Dark Chocolate Kit Kats

I have a new obsession. I’ve always been a huge milk chocolate fan (namely Cadbury’s), but recently my allegiance has shifted to that ebony temptress, dark chocolate. Kit Kats are the best; the mix of slightly bitter chocolate with wafer is too much. I look to be putting on at least half a stone in the next few weeks due solely to Kit Kat consumption. And the best part? Dark chocolate is actually good for you! It contains anti-oxidents and can help to lower blood pressure. Crazy!

Posted By Cat 

Paramore

I can't stop listening to Paramore.

Riot is their current album and has the tunes you probably know, Misery Business, CrushCrushCrush and the like. All We Know is Falling is their debut effort, recorded in the aftermath of the departure of one of the founding members. This is the album I can't see to push the stop button on. Its full of catchy, rocky, heartfelt tunes. Its good for cranking the volume in the car and singing along like no-one can see you.

I like Hayley Williams. She has cool red hair (which for 12 seconds I thought I might emulate, then remembered I'm 23 and shouldn't be doing that anymore). She's also only 20, so of course I am insanely jealous that she's immensely talented and the lead singer of a huge band while I am not.

Posted By: Cat

Chuck vs. Ed

I am facing a serious dilemma.

And by serious, I mean not at all serious.

Who do I have a crush on?

Ed Westwick

or Chuck Bass?
I've spent the last two days watching the first season of Gossip Girl. Even though Chace Crawford is gorgeous, and Penn Badgely is a dead ringer for JM, I think it's Chuck that does it for me. But, when I watch youtube videos of Ed Westwick, and I feel nothing. BUT! There was an interview yesterday with Ed, and they asked him to say something Chuck would say, and he did, and I liked it.

The sad thing is I have really given this thought, and really have asked lots of people what choice they think I should make. I think the only real conclusion I've come to is that Gossip Girl is crack, and I am sad that I have class on Monday nights and can' get home in time to watch it.

Thank God for watching episodes online!

Posted by: Nicci

Zach Gilford

What a cutie Zach Gilford is. He stole my heart playing reluctant quarterback Matt Saracen on the TV adaptation of the movie Friday Night Lights, shown on ITV4 for about three episodes in the UK before it was taken off the air (buy the boxset!).

Wikipedia tells me that Zach spends his summer hiatus from the show leading youth expeditions to places like Alaska and Hawaii. Not only does that show that he has no ego, but it makes me want to be an American youth so I can follow him up a volcano or something.  

Friday Night Lights is finally back for a third season showing exclusively on Direct TV. I for one cannot wait to see more hot, sweaty boys playing American Football.

Posted By: Cat

Fringe

Lost and X-Files got drunk, one thing led to another and this little bundle of joy appeared. It borrows heavily from the X-Files case load of paranormal happenings and unresolved sexual tension, along with the production scale of Lost, and it’s habit of providing more questions than answers.

The brain-child of JJ Abrams (creator of the aforementioned Lost), this show is part of Fox’s fall schedule and just got a full season order. The first episode is a feature length 90 minutes and sets us up with a plane landing itself at Boston's Logan Airport with everyone on board reduced to a pile of rotting flesh hanging off bones. Awesome! The rest of the episodes so far are an entertaining mix of spooky, crazy, witty and quite frankly idiotic writing. I love it. None of the science stuff really makes an ounce of sense, but it doesn’t matter, because you’re already hooked.

 

The cast includes the ever wonderful and cute Joshua Jackson who is basically Pacey Witter all grown up (with a few extra IQ points and having cut annoying Joey Potter free). His crazy daddy is a mad scientist who messed around with too much in the eighties and subsequently ended up in a mental hospital. Add in the flawless Olivia, FBI super agent and a few scary bald guys and you have yourself a hit!

Posted By: Cat

The Man Who Can't Be Moved

I love this song, even though its been out forever and over played by radio. Pretty lyrics, pretty tune, pretty singer.

The Script

Posted By: Cat

Films with Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling is but a young man, with the career that many of his peers would kill to have. I always love his movies, purely because of his brilliant performances.

The Notebook:  We all know that that seminal moment in a relationship is when you ‘notebook’ your boyfriend. It’s also a guarantee lay for any guy who agrees to watch it. It’s cheesy, it’s contrived, but its romance at its best. Ryan Gosling is believable as the strong but silent Noah and it made us all squee like teens when it appeared he and co-star Rachel McAdams were dating off screen.

United States of Leland: Gosling plays teen Leland who murders his damaged girlfriend’s mentally challenged brother. There seems to be no motive and young offenders teacher Don Cheadle tries to understand what led placid Leland to murder in cold blood while mining material for his latest book. Gosling completes the task of being sympathetic, but complex and introverted; making the audience root for Leland even though he’s done a despicable thing.

Half Nelson: Earning Gosling his first Oscar nomination, this role was a classic indie about a crack addicted teacher of underprivileged kids. Shareepa Epps is the student who sees his problem and tries to help and the two form a bond that borders on inappropriate. Gosling again plays a complex character who tries to do right even though his addiction suggests hypocrisy.

Lars and the Real Girl: My favourite Gosling movie, this is quirky and sweet. Lars lives in the garage while his brother and his pregnant wife beg him to move into the house left to them by their deceased father. Lars is lonely until Bianca comes into his life, fresh from a specialist internet site for ‘dolls who feel real’. The issue is that Lars believes Bianca is real and converses with her, while everyone else can see that she’s quite obviously a sophisticated sex toy. Continuing along his line of interesting choices, Gosling shines as the hermit who gradually sees his horizons expanded with the help of the towns acceptance of Bianca. 

Posted By: Cat

Love Letters of Great Men

I first heard of this book when it was featured on the Sex and The City movie. I thought, that sounds like a mighty interesting read. I went to my nearest bookshop and I asked behind the desk if they had the book. The guy directed me to a girl who had seen the movie. She directed me to the poetry department, who directed me to the internet, which informed me that the book didn't exist. I then had to tell all three people who had helped that I had been duped along with apparently hundreds of others who had searched for the book.

Imagine my surprise when this week, I finished at my job and was presented with some gifts, among them being, this book. Not only was it an awesome leaving present, but a great read. According to sources, the book was published due to the immense interest sparked when a book of the same name and content was referred to by Carrie Bradshaw in the aforementioned Sex and the City.

I'll start by saying that I am not a mushy pile of chick flick stereotype.  I've never gotten a love letter. I don't claim to like soppy, over the top gestures; but these guys knew how to sweet talk a lady. You won't find 'txt me l8r, fancy a shag?' in these pages. Instead, passages like this, from Robert Browning to Elizabeth Barrett on their wedding day:

...When my heart is full it may run over; but the real fullness stays within...Words can never tell you...how perfectly dear you are to me - perfectly dear to my heart and soul. I look back and in every one point, every word and gesture, every letter, every silence - you have been entirely perfect to me....

The book is comprised of letters from great (or at least, famous) men in history to their loves. A brief biography of each writer either confirms their devotion, or explains that their passion was fleeting, there was tragedy..etc. One letter is from Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn, and we all know how that turned out (spoiler alert: treason, incest, lost her head). Some of the letters are self centred, some quirky, and some heart wrenching. But all stir up a sense of the romance that we've lost in the age of text messaging and email. 

I'll leave you with this, used in the film and beautiful regardless; From Beethoven to his unnamed 'Immortal Beloved':

You - my Life - my All - Farewell. Oh, go on loving me - never doubt the faithfullest heart 

Of your beloved.

Ever thine,

Ever mine,

Ever ours.

Posted By: Cat

The Office

Britons don’t seem to have discovered The Office en-mass yet. Sure, we all know the ground breaking Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant original with goatee beard sporting, terrible dancer David Brent. But while we will flock to the cinema to see Steve Carrell’s movies, we seem hesitant to follow him to the small screen.

Perhaps we just don’t like it when someone does something we invented better than us (see: Cricket, Rugby and Football). Yes, I’m going out on a limb by saying that the American version of The Office is better than its predecessor. The writing is wittier, paying attention to the subtleties as well as the broader comedy moments. The ensemble cast allows for thorough back stories, quirks and great interaction.

Steve Carrell’s Michael Scott is a more sympathetic character than David Brent, but still a complete idiot. Jim and Pam are the heart of the show and the reason I love it so completely. Dwight...well there are no words for the genius of Rainn Wilson’s creation of Dwight Schrute. Who else on television can boast a family tree that merges Amish ancestors with Nazi war criminals?

I have introduced the people I love the most to The Office; my family, best friends, and boyfriends. They’ve all become converts. 'Thats what she said' is now an over-used phrase in our household.

The Office is out on dvd today, with season 5 starting later this month. Watch some, you'll see why its awesome.

Posted By: Cat

Buzz Cut Boys

Yes, they might look like criminals but they look like hot criminals! Why bother with a haircut when you can just shave it all off and look like these hotties?

David Beckham. His hair is copied by everyone and their mother and he would look hot with a ginger mullet, but this is his best look.

John Mayer. He was hot before, but now he’s even hotter!

Justin Timberlake. Kid used to have an afro and was in a boyband; shaves his head and goes solo and becomes one of the biggest artists in the world. (note: being shirtless helps)

Joshua Jackson. He was cute as Pacey, but even cuter when he did this to his hair.

Wentworth Miller. Oh hello hotness! I would break into prison to get a piece of Wentworth.

Now if only Josh Harnett would take note....

Posted By: Cat

Squidbillies

My brother Ian has pretty weird tastes. The other week when he insisted we watch this show called "Squidbillies", I had a feeling it would be pretty weird. However, I had no idea that it would be the funniest thing I've ever seen or make Ian and I talk in horrible, stereotypical Southern accents whenever we are in one another's company.

I stole this from Wikipedia: Squidbillies follows the exploits of the Cuyler family and their interactions with the local populace, which usually resorts in a fair amount of destruction, mutilation, and death. Themes include the family's overt racism against white people (Chalkies), Early's dalliances with Krystal, their sketchy friendship with the Sheriff, run-ins with celebrities, their crushing poverty, and the machinations of Dan Halen. The series has very little continuity storyline progression and character development are present to an extent, but characters will frequently die and return unharmed — often without explanation, and sometimes in the very same episode.

I was going to post a youtube clip but I can't find the one I want, so I'll just link to their official webiste, I guess that's what it is, and there are a ton of clips on there. - - http://www.adultswim.com/shows/squidbillies/indexpage.html#video

Posted by: Nicci

Long Way Round/Down

In 2004, Ewan McGregor and his best mate Charley Boorman decided to ride their motorbikes from London to New York, the long way round. The journey took them across Europe, into Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, back into Russia along the Road of Bones and then across to Alaska where they made it to New York by travelling through Canada and the US. Because they had such a great time, three years later they decided to ride from John O’Grotes (The UK’s northernmost point) down to Cape Agulhas (Africa’s southernmost tip).

There are books and DVD’s of their journeys which were life altering for both Ewan and Charley. I only just got into watching Long Way Down when it began repeating on TV few months ago, and brought Long Way Down on DVD soon after.

I can’t describe exactly why I love this idea so much. Best mates, on a journey of a lifetime (or two journeys), meeting amazing people. As they ride through some of the poorest places in Africa, the people they meet are astounding in their generosity. These people have nothing, they life off their land, yet they invite the boys in, not knowing Ewan McGregor is Obi Wan Kanobi or any of that superficial crap, and they share what they have with them. A lot of misconceptions I had about certain countries have been quashed by this programme.

It makes me want to buy a motorbike and take off. Too bad I hate motorbikes.

Posted By: Cat

Décopatch Paper

Yes, I like crafts. Don’t laugh. I have a box in my wardrobe that has paints, stickers, card and all that jazz in it. Recently while browsing in my local all purpose stationary and craft shop, I stumbled upon Décopatch paper. I love this stuff. It’s simple really, it’s just pretty patterned, thin paper. You can cover anything with it. I’m a big fan of buying cheap photo frames and covering them with décopatch paper. Here’s one I made recently:

Of course, they try and make you buy special varnish to apply the paper with, but I use basic PVA glue because it dries clear and gives the frame a nice shine. If you want to give someone a gift instead of wasting money buying something they won’t use, make them something, it’ll mean a whole lot more to them.

Posted By: Cat

Stupid Glasses

I have a love for ridiculous eyewear.

Luckily, now is a time in fashion when wearing heart shaped red rims, or oversize frames that help you to resemble an insect is acceptable. I have a strange yearning for turquoise Wayfarers, but I have nothing remotely cool to team them with. I have a pair of French Connection shades that I paid way too much for and are far too large for my narrow face, but I wear them everywhere. I wear them when it’s cloudy outside and I’m driving home. My face feels naked without them.

I blame the media. They have shown me Rachel Bilson in cute red Raybans, Sienna Miller in aviators and Girls Aloud in huge Dior wraparounds. Is my brain so mal-programmed that I believe I will be as beautiful as these women if I wear these ridiculous attention seeking frames? Perhaps. I know is wrong, but as I sit here and type, a pair of white heart shaped shades are asking me to by them. Oh dear.

Posted By: Cat

Swimmers

I am not a real patriotic person. At all. I could get into the reasons, but that's another post for another time. However, once every 4 years I get all giddy American-like, and for this I'd like to thank the swimmers.

I'm not an athletic person at all either, but I watch a lot of sports, and while I don't understand most of it, I love to talk trash and root for the upset. With Michael Phelps, I didn't want an upset. I wanted that gawky bastard to win 8 gold medals, and I wanted him to break world records. I was like, literally getting nervous before his races, texting my bff about how nervous I was for him, some dude I don't even know, and demanding race recaps when I was at work missing them.

...and sometimes he is oddly cute. Oddly cute. He has enough money to drive a Range Rover, but not enough money to get his happy ass to an orthodontist? I shouldn't talk, my brothers inherited the good teeth genes, but I also am not a professional athlete.

Ryan Locthe. I can never spell his name right, and odds are I didn't spell it right here, but he is a surprise crush. For one, he wore a grill on the medal stand. Not like a Weber grill, or a Foreman grill, but a Nelly Lemme See Your Grill, grill.

Also this video might solidify that he might be my soul mate:

http://http//jezebel.com/5036655/the-world-of-ryan-lochte-is-one-of-diamond-grills-and-bad-doodles

And...this http://www.bestweekever.tv/2008/08/19/just-asking-is-michael-phelps-a-douche/ is making me and my office mate laugh uncontrollably because it is probably true.

Posted By: Nicci

Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling is my idol.

Mindy is a writer on The Office, which just happens to be my favourite show. Not only that, but she is responsible for my favourite episode, The Injury. She also stars as the perky but bunny boiling Kelly Kapoor, who wears fluffy pink cardigans and wants to call her kid Usher Jennifer Hudson Kapoor.

Not only does she have a career I am desperate for, but Mindy is smart, funny and cute as a button. Her blog things I bought that I love is the inspiration for our blog, only she is a writer on a hit TV show so has more money than us; which means that she can write about Louboutins because she can afford them.

From time to time, Mindy writes articles for various publications. She recently wrote an article for Marie Claire about peeing her pyjamas, how random! This is why I love her.

Posted By: Cat

Loreal Lipgloss

You can’t get these in the UK, and I can’t understand why. They come in a variety of fun colours and are so tasty. The gloss doesn’t come off every five seconds and instead, has that sticky feel which I like. The little squeezy tubes fit handily into the tiniest of handbags or if you’re more laid back then they're very jean pocket friendly. I don’t remember them being expensive either, just a shame you have to go to America to get them.

Posted By: Cat

Kanye West

If I had an alter-ego who just happened to be an outspoken Black man, I'd like to think it would be Kanye West. I can't even really explain where my deep seeded love for Kanye originates. I think I've always been envious of people who speak their mind and to put it frankly, just not give a fuck. And to top it off, he wears fun clothes. I also really like his music too.

I don't think I have it in me to throw a fit when things don't go my way, but Kanye does.

As much as I disagree with pretty much everything the President of the United States does, I don't think I would go on television and says, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." But Kanye did.

I'd love to wear those cool white glasses with the slots, but I never could. Kanye did though.

Kanye is just the opposite of everything I am, and I kind of envy him for that.

Except for being a dope rapper, I am a pretty dope rapper.

Posted By: Nicci

Viva La Vida

I’m not a huge Coldplay fan, but I like them enough to own their albums. Mostly, I find their pretentiousness and Chris Martin’s holier-than-thou attitude a little off putting. What I am loving though, is Viva La Vida, a song from their new album of the same name.

The song is about the Crusades apparently, which is a rather interesting topic to write a song about. Trust Coldplay to shun the ‘usual’ songwriting topics of love, loss and hope to write about one of the bloodiest and pointless battles in World history. Although I suppose you could argue that the Crusades were all about love, loss and hope... clever.

The reason I love this song is simple – it makes me want to dance like Chris Martin, in that jerky, ‘i-have-a-stick-up-my-arse-and-i’m-trying-to-dislodge-it?’ way. The strings that start with that jaunty da,dun,dun,da,da,da,dun; the engaging story of a man who had everything and lost it; lyrics like 'Just a puppet on a lonely string. Oh, who would ever want to be king?’ just make my heart happy and I can’t explain it. I love every second of the 4:06 play time. According to itunes, it’s been played twenty-four times when the rest of tracks on the album have been played twice.

Posted By: Cat

Step Up 2 The Streets

Step Up 2 The Streets is just recently out on DVD in the UK. I saw this movie twice at the cinema, and I have no good reason for it...apart from the fact that it’s awesome!

For a long time I was telling my friends we were seeing Step Up 2 (colon) The Streets, then one of them pointed out the ridiculously clever point that if you say it all at once, it becomes Step Up to the Streets. My appreciation only grew.

If you’ve seen Step Up, then you’ve seen Step Up 2, just replace Channing Tatum (hotness!) with Briana Evigan. That girl can dance way better than Channing though! Throw in some misfits who just happen to have moves that Justin Timberlake would kill for, and you have the funnest movie of the year.

If nothing else, just rent it for the dance sequence finale. Dancing in the rain may be a cliché, but when you’re doing it to a mash up of hip hops beats with hoodies and sexy heavy breathing then how can you go wrong?

Hotness rating: 3 (out of 5) – Channing shows up for about five minutes to dance to T-Pain in a huge t-shirt, other than that you have to make do with Robert Hoffman. Of course, if that’s making do, I’ll make do any time.

Posted By: Cat

John Mayer's new haircut

I think I speak for both myself and Nicci when I say: HOT.

Posted By: Cat

Curly Fries

My friends and I spend a lot of time at a pub/restaurant in town called The Greengage. It’s a Hungry Horse pub which means the food is cheap and probably microwaved, but for some reason I love it. What I love the most though, are their curly fries. Why do they taste so much better than straight chips? How do they even make them curly? They must be coated in crack because I cannot get enough of them.

I asked Wikipedia my questions regarding the curly fry. Here is what it said: ‘Curly Fries are a kind of french fry characterized by their unique spring-like shape. They are generally made from whole potatoes that are cut using a specialised spiral slicer.’

More worryingly, it also said: Depending on the size of the order and any additional toppings, Curly Fries (which are frequently cooked in partially hydrogenated oil) may have between 300 and 700 calories per serving. Much of the caloric total is derived from fats and oils, making Curly Fries an exceedingly unhealthy food if intake is not moderated. In addition, the salt content in Curly Fries is generally greater than that of regular fries.

What does this mean for me if I am unable to moderate my intake? Check back in six months time when this blog is renamed ‘how I reached 350 pounds’.

Posted By: Cat

Death Cab For Cutie - Live

Last week I saw Death Cab for Cute at the Carling Academy Brixton. Not only were they awesome live, but it was the best atmosphere of a gig that I’ve been to. Everyone was chilled, even sitting down until the support band played. There was no territorial ‘fuck off’ vibe that I get at a lot of gigs. I normally hate it when people spend the entire performance trying to get closer to the stage, but everyone was laid back and letting it go. I had room to breathe, which never happens and I didn’t even notice that my feet hurt from standing up for so long.

The best moment for me was Ben Gibbard’s solo performance of ‘I Will Follow You into the Dark’. This song will break your heart. When first major label album Plans was released, this was the stand out song for me, so to hear it live was just amazing. Lyrics like ‘if there’s no one beside you when you soul embarks, I will follow you into the dark,’ envoke images of love so strong that you can’t comprehend it.

Watch the video below and check out more of Death Cab’s stuff at http://www.deathcabforcutie.com/. They’re not the crazy thrash metal band they name suggests.

‘..The time for sleep is now

It's nothing to cry about

Cause we'll hold each other soon in

The blackest of rooms...’

Posted by: Cat

WALL-E

My heart broke about seven times in the first half hour of Wall-E.

Humans have left the Earth in a mess and blasted off into space to let robots clean up their mess. Poor Wall-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth-class) is the only one still clocking in daily and is accompanied only by his pet cockroach. He breaks the monotony of compacting rubbish all day by collecting treasures in a lunch box he fixes to a hook on his back each morning and each night, hauls his finds back to his Aladdin’s cave and shelves them by category –but where does the spork go, with the forks or the spoons?

Soon enough, Wall-E’s simple existence is interrupted by EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator).She has been sent by the mother ship to access whether photosynthesis has begun again on Earth, in the hope of answering the fundamental question of ‘can life be sustained on Earth again’. For Wall-E, its love at first blast, when EVE tries to blow him up...three times. Soon, she’s back at Wall-E’s checking out his rubix cube, light bulbs and ipod video playing the old movie Hello, Dolly!. It’s when Wall-E shows her the green shoot he’s placed in a boot for safe keeping that the action starts.

I can’t understand how Wall-E is a kids film. Yes, it has a cute robot in it, but the underlying themes are rather political in nature. We have destroyed Earth because of our need for convenience. In space, humans have become fat lumps with no bone definition and no idea of life outside their hover chair. Their lack of exercise over the years means they can no longer walk as we do, let alone sit up without the help of a robot. They go through life with a computer screen in front of their faces, slurping huge drinks. They talk over IM instead of face to face while on a five year cruise that’s lasted seven hundred years.

Is it hypocritical for Disney to be preaching to us? Probably, but this is about the little robot that could, not globalisation and the death of human interaction!

The real treat of this movie is Wall-E’s courtship with EVE. The little moments they share in the first dialogue-free thirty minutes are heart warming and beautiful. Anyone who has yearned to hold another’s hand will see a little of themselves in Wall-E, who never gives up on EVE. It’s a love story that the kids won’t appreciate, but that I thought was just perfect.

Hotness rating: 0 – he’s a robot.

Posted By: Cat

Josh Hartnett

Oh Josh Hartnett! How far we have come since the days you adorned my bedroom walls. I’ve finished school, travelled the world and earned some moolah while deciding what to do with the rest of my life. Meanwhile, you have moved from one bad haircut to another and made some awful movies.

This blog is called things we like, and I promise I do like Josh Hartnett, I just like to mock him more.

It is thanks to Josh Hartnett that Nicci and I are friends across the pond. It is through our mockery of him that we bonded. I enjoyed his early foray into feature films – The Faculty was B-Movie awesomeness with a hot young cast; Pearl Harbour although awful, was made all the better by Josh in a uniform; Black Hawk Down was gritty, realistic and you could only work out who Josh was among the mud splattered faces because he had his name on his hat.

He’s dated some of the world’s most beautiful women: Scarlett Johannson, Helena Christianson, Gemma Ward, Rihanna; but yet he can’t get a decent haircut? As Nicci once said ‘here’s a super cuts voucher, get yourself a trim’. Many moons ago, an online petition started (in vain) to get him to sort it out. And don’t even get me started on the slug he’s cultivating on his top lip. Seriously?

This autumn, Josh is starring in the West End adaptation of Rain Man and I can guarantee you, I shall be in the audience.... silently mocking him.

Posted by: Cat

Boys With Guitars

When Cat and I first began our foray into randomness about 7 or 8 odd years ago we disagreed on the hotness of one Mr. Matt Damon (she called him a minger, I called him the father of my children, tomato, tomaaato or whatever). We both agree that there is one breed of boy out there that is strangely hot. Usually, their names start with J. And if they don't start with J, they are doing something else - they are holding a guitar.

Now, I will go through a list of hot guys who hold guitars.Jack Johnson. He probably wouldn't be crazy hot if he didn't play guitar.

This is Jesse Lacey. He plays in the band Brand New. I once showed a picture of him to Cat, and I think she said he was hotter holding the guitar. I might be wrong.

This is my crush of the moment Robert Pattinson. His name doesn't start with a J like the rest of the list but I think he is made exponentially hot here just buy holding a guitar with a hood over his head.

John Mayer. This is self explanatory.

JT. He beatboxes, dances AND plays guitar. Hot.

I don't have much else to say on the topic except that I probably missed some. I also meant to include Jason Mraz, but blogger was annoying me so when his picture got deleted off the post, so did his spot on the list.

Posted by: Nicci

Stripes

Stripes are my fashion du jour. Without even trying, I seem to come home with a striped item of clothing each time I go shopping. My love for stripes however, is restricted to lines of the horizontal variety, no vertical nonsense for me thank you. I understand that horizontal stripes widen the body, which can be hazardous, but the juxtaposition between the blocks of colour is too much of a temptation for me to ignore. T-shirts, hoodies, sweaters, tanks, black and white, grey and black, blue and yellow... I just don’t care.

I wonder where my love of stripes comes from. Perhaps it’s the reason I like cake so much, the cake/icing/cake/icing combo creates a stripe effect which my brain finds irresistible.

Perhaps one day I will grow out of my love for stripes, but until that day, I am happy to run around like a zebra.

Posted by: Cat

Twilight

So I had no idea what these books were about until one day I was procrastinating on facebook sending people bumper stickers and flair (which are their own kind of crack in themselves) and I saw something about Edward Cullen Bringing Sexy Back Since 1901. I was like, "Edward Cullen, who in the world is that and why do these people find someone who is like 108 years old attractive?" Then I thought, "How did I miss Edward Cullen in Harry Potter?"

Bless Wikipedia. A quick search on that fantastic site told he who Edward Cullen was and I was like, "Oh. Okay."He's a vampire who doesn't kill people, and he's in love with this Bella Swan girl. Okay. Great.

Still didn't rush out to buy the book. Then my BFF Kouri was sending flair and she texts me and asks, "Who is Edward Cullen?" I told her and that was that. Well, I did send her a piece of flair that said "I only know who Edward Cullen is because of a piece of flair."

So anyways, fast forward like a month and a half. I'm out with my parents at this Military Exchange thing where my parents always go nuts buying things because it is cheap and there is no tax on it or something, and I see a copy of Twilight. I figure, "What the hell." and I buy it.

What did I think?

I don't know.

I don't want to give anything away, because I don't want to be accused of spoiling someone or something. But I had a lot of WTF moments, and some aww moments, but the WTF moments far outweighed the aww moments. And it didn't hurt that there is a movie version being made and the hottie pants from Harry Potter who played Cedric Diggory is playing Edward Cullen. It's a kind of long book, but I read it in like eight hours. (I was kind of hung over and sad that my bff just left after her week long visit, so being lazy in my room was top priority).

I bought the next to books in the series within the next two days. I read the last, Eclipse on the treadmill at the gym. Still, a lot of WTF moments, is this really happening moments, really is this girl letting him do this, moments, and still a few aww moments. It was kind of like a bad story that people write on the internet that you're like, I'm going to read more of this because it is making me laugh. Only, this Stephenie Meyer lady is making tons of bank off this.

Breaking Dawn comes out on August 2nd. I'm going to read it. I want to know how this ends, and I'll probably see the movie on December 12th, because of the hottie pants dude.

Here are some links that I couldn't figure out a way to work into the post:
http://stepheniemeyer.com/
http://www.twilightthemovie.com/

Posted By: Nicci