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