So this is it, my final blog post. I am not going to say that I will miss it, but it has been kinda fun sharing my delusions with you. I also regret to share with you that I will not be continuing Journalism next year. I have decided, and I'm sure you have to from my poor writing skills, that it's just not for me. Instead, I will be transferring to Psychology, something that I am really, really excited about. I have a real passion for that kind of thing, and I hope that I enjoy the course as much as I am hoping I will. Good luck to you all with whatever you choose to continue or discontinue. It's been fun. Em
Now, I didn't have a largely political opinion of the United States 2012 Election, most of my coverage came from Tumblr, but I sure am glad that Obama has won. And our US college exchange students ensure me that I should be.
So congratulations to Obama and his party!! And here's to another four years worth of Tumblr fun with you. Cheers!! Em
Recently, I have become VERY addicted to online
shopping. The other day I bought a rug, a rug?!!
Online shopping not only offers garments at lower
prices than stores but it also saves you the time and trouble of getting to the
nearest shopping centre and wandering about. In my case, that is a very bad
thing, it’s making it far too easy to squander my savings.
Nevertheless, I have made some great purchases, and
only one item has not fit well, which are pretty impressive odds considering
the amount of shopping I’ve done. The best part about it all though, is
actually receiving the clothes in the mail. It feels like it is Christmas all
year round!!
Here are a few of my favourite sites, most of which
offer free shipping J
Listening To: You've Got a Friend in Me (Spanish Version) - Gipsy Kings
Okay, so I know were not technically in school anymore, but the title seemed fitting. Despite still having some assessment for this course, I just finished my first an only exam (I'm a lucky bitch, I know). And now it is time to PARTAAAYYYY!! Jokes, I'll more than likely be watching DC and only leaving my bed when absolutely necessary and just being an all round slob. But sleeping and 'slothing' about equals happiness, and food, food helps too, so I am super excited for my two weeks worth of that.
Listening To: Prepared to do Anything - Sherlock Series 2 Soundtrack
My Mood:
To begin, sorry about last night's insane post, I was clearly sleep deprived and emotionally unstable. Okay, so I spent all yesterday afternoon and
evening in bed, only leaving it for food and the bathroom (though very
reluctantly). It’s not exactly the studying that I had in mind, with a history
exam coming up this Monday, nevertheless it was, in my opinion, time well
spent.
And if you read my last post, you will know I wasn’t spending this time catching up on
some much needed sleep. Instead I was watching all the seasons of BBCOne’s
modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, aptly named Sherlock. I have been meaning to watch this series for quite some
time, it reviews well and my fellow Tumblrians seem to be crazy about it. And
no more than ten minutes in did I start to understand what all the hype was
about. Now, it currently only has two seasons, with three episodes per season,
but as these episodes run for an hour and a half, it makes the whole thing
pretty special. Effectively I watched six Sherlock
films, and every second was brilliant.
To truly explain the full effect of the program,
each character needs to be dissected and praised, by me!
Sherlock Holmes is, for lack of a better word,
brilliantly portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. His dialogue is well delivered,
which would be an arduous task considering the sheer intelligence and speed of
it all. He brings quirks and vulnerabilities to the character which have been
left out in past portrayals, which altogether humanise his genius. Dr John
Watson, played by the cute as a button Martin Freeman, expresses more through
his actions than he ever could with words. In fact his wonderful skill won him
a BAFTA last year, unfortunately Sherlock (aka Benedict) is still waiting on
his.
Mrs Hudson has a much more motherly relationship with
Sherlock than the current film characters do, and the relationship between
Sherlock and Lestrade is also a lot warmer. Lestrade is considered as one of
Sherlock’s only three friends, and their relationship is built on mutual
respect and admiration. The modernised depiction of Irene Adler raised a few
eyebrows amongst the British public, but I absolutely adored her portrayal. She
is a severely damaged person, yet she hides under a mask of seduction and
beauty. However, as her affiliation with Sherlock continues, this mask cracks
and her vulnerabilities show.
Finally, the series depiction of Moriarty, though
in my opinion initially annoying, is the pinnacle of entertainment. Rather than
the traditional, Professor Moriarty, he is much younger, and is equal in
intelligence and insanity. He is sassy, dramatic, his life is a performance,
and he also MENTAL, an absolute nutcase. And this is what makes him so darn
entertaining.
Everything in this series just works, the acting,
the chemistry between the characters and the way in which they fit seamlessly
into modern day London. I just hope The
Hobbit trilogy is good, because Martin has kept the fans waiting long
enough. Filming begins in January next year, and new episodes should start midyear.
Watch Sherlock they said. It will be fun they said. FALSE.
Okay, so just after lunch today (or yesterday), I don't know I am so freaking tired, I started watching the Sherlock television series. There are only six episodes, but they each go for an hour and a half, so it's been a long day spent not studying. Anyway, I just finished the final episode, The Reichenbach Fall and I an emotional wreck. If you don't really know the original Sherlock Holmes stories that well, or you haven't seen RDJ's latest installement, A Game of Shadows, I am warning you; spoilers ahead. In this episode, Sherlock is forced to commit suicide by his 'arch-nemesis' Jim Moriarty, otherwise his only three friends will be executed. It is not a fun filled few minutes, like many goodbyes ever are though I suppose. It turns out that he somehow managed to fake it, but that still doesn't remove those traumatic moments from memory.
I couldn't find the scene online, so here is a recap mashup of the whole episode. Share in my pain
So yesterday I got back from a wonderful few days in Melbourne, my favourite city in Australia!! I was down there attending an Alumni conference with the organisation that I volunteered in India with; Young People Without Boarders (in partnership with Lattitude). We talked about our trips and experiences and did a few activities here in there. I got to catch up with all my amazing volunteer peeps, put my fancy-pants on and went to The Crown Towers Casino and feed my love for history with a visit to the museum. It was also a fresh 11 degrees the day I left, so I am struggling to re-adjust to the heat. Anyways, here are a few happy snaps from my lovely little vacation;
WARNING: My friend was having a little too much fun with her fish-eye lens
I don’t even remember when I first encountered an
internet meme, but it was love at first sight. Originally a tool for the
tryhard blogger people to poke fun of mainstream culture, memes have now broken
out into the masses.
But what actually is a meme? According to
thefreedictionary.com a meme is, “A unit of cultural information, such as a
cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action
from one mind to another.” And here I was thinking it was just a silly picture
with a caption.
For those Facebookers who are new to internet
memes, they are all just about poking some light hearted fun at the unvoiced
annoyances that we all share. They have recently become increasingly popular in
relation to educational institutions and towns or districts. UQ currently has a
memes page on Facebook, and my home town of Emerald also has its own page,
which has recently been getting some unwanted attention in local news. The
problem with these pages, if Emerald is any example, is that some people are beginning
to take offence to these memes and the humour is becoming a little less light-hearted.
My advice? Get off Facebook. Not only is it
annoying, and boring, it is a personal social networking site. It is a place
where you connect online with the people that you actually associate yourself
with in real life. Therefore there will always be room for personal attacks.
Just troll the internet like me instead, go on Tumblr or 4Chan and get back to
the origins of the meme. It’s much more fun.
The film is set to hit our screens on the 3rd
of May next year, and boy am I excited, and a little bit afraid. Why? Well the
synopsis reveals that “Tony Stark uses his ingenuity to fight those who
destroyed his private world, and threatened his loved ones, and soon finds
himself up against his most powerfully enemy yet: the Mandarin. While fighting,
he discovers whether his heroism depends on his suit or himself,” and from what
the trailer reveals, it looks like this journey of self discovery will be no
picnic.
Tony Stark, and the world of Iron Man, is
characteristically fun, and light with dramatic flair. While there are always
serious elements to the films, Downey Jr satirical humour carries through the
film. But if this trailer is anything to go by, it looks like Tony isn’t very
happy anymore. Unlike other trailers, there was not a single joke, witty remark
or comedic element to this one; it was all business.
This seriousness is very stressful for me,
everything was playing with my emotions, and everything was upsetting me. I
really need some Tony Stark humour to cheer me up. But it looks like I won’t be
getting any of that next May, and as much as that worries me, it also excites
and intrigues me. I cannot wait for the heart stopping show.
Okay, so last night I experienced one of the greatest moments in my 18 years of existence. Greater than The Dark Knight Rises? Possibly. I went to the Mumford & Sons concert at Riverstage!!!!!!!!!!
These guys are literally my most favourite musically gifted beings, and they sure did not dissapoint me last night. Mumford & Sons have been at the top of my 'Top 10 Musical Acts To See' list for years, and now I can finally cross them off, though I am not ruling out returning for round two if they ever grace our shores again. And just because you might be interested, here is that said list;
Emily's Top 10 Musical Acts To See
1. Mumford & Sons
2. Ed Sheeran (Next Year BABY!!)
3. Eminem
4. Emeli Sande
5. Regina Spektor
6. Adele
7. Matt Corby
8. Busby Marou
9. Matchbox Twenty
10. Kanye West
Emily's Top Musical Acts That Will Be Impossible To See
Listening To: "Ghosts That We Knew" - Mumford and Sons
My Mood:
The month of September is always
a reason to celebrate. Why exactly? Well, it’s spring and with the change of
season, a multitude of television shows return for new seasons.
Parks and Recreation:
Returned September 20th
I am more ready than ever for
a fifth season of Ron Swanson and the Department of Parks gang.
Castle: Returns September 24th
Last season went out with an
absolute bang; Beckett’s mother’s case got deeper and more intense than ever,
Beckett resigned from the NYPD, Ryan and Esposito’s friendship is in turmoil,
and Castle and Beckett FINALLY sealed the deal. It will be interesting to see
how all this is resolved in the upcoming season.
Hawaii Five-0: Returns
September 24th
Now, last season’s finale was
a whole new level of mental. Max is wounded, Danny faces losing custody of his
daughter, Kono and Malia are kidnapped, and Chin Ho must decide which one to
save. He chooses Malia, only to find her shot dead, Kono is dumped in the ocean
and McGarrett heads to Japan to meet the mysterious Shelburne: who turns out to
be his ‘deceased’ mother. There is obviously a hell of a lot to resolve here,
and a lot of repercussions to deal with. Dis Gon Be Good!!!
New Girl: Returns September
25th
At the end of last season,
Nick came close to moving out, but now the gang is back together for another
season of hilarity. To kick it all off, a party in celebration of the removal
of Schmidt’s penis cast. Charming.
iCarly: Returns October 6th
Now, although this doesn’t
return until October, I am classifying it as a ‘late bloomer’. The return to
the screen marks iCarly’s last return to the screen as we count down the
remaining episodes till the series finale. It has been an enjoyable five year
run for the tween (though not exclusively) sitcom, and I am beyond sad to see
it end. The main thing I am looking forward to this season is for Sam and
Freddie to rekindle their romance (Seddie), and it better happen.
