Uni Work – same old, same old

Today a vital book for my dissertation arrived. It was recommended by a friend who is doing a similar study to me relating to fan culture. "Fan Cultures" by Matt Hills. I'm breaking into it now as at the moment for my dissertation I am researching fandom and fan culture side of my dissertation. I've already submitted questionnaires to do with audience research and 'LOST' fandom on several 'LOST' fan forums and on my other blog fal108-themediastudent.blogspot.com where followers or viewers e-mail me via my dissertation e-mail thelostdissertation@hotmail.co.uk. So far, the dissertation of writing it into words, is going slow, so I am praying that the more research stuff I do, the more books, articles, journals and online stuff I read, then I might get a light bulb that might charge the super speed writer in me that I am used too.

So, on top of my 10,000 word dissertation to write, I also have to take part in the production of a 20 minute film, a research and development project where I have to research a company, get an interview and aim to get either an internship there or a job for after graduation. On top of all that, I also have to write an essay on contemporary media. All by May 7^th, however, dissertation, which is the bigger of both projects at the moment, has to be in for first week in April. Is that doable? Well, I guess I am about to find out. I really don't have any choice in the matter. Oh, and I also forgot to mention an in-course retrieval to do. Basically, that means re-sitting an assignment that I failed last semester – "Horror and Fantasy" – which I failed as it had to be sacrificed to ensure group work was completed for another project at the same time.

Ok, so my readers' maybe thinking that "why are you wasting your time writing a blog on here, rather then getting down with your studies?" – simple answer, it's what I do when I run into a writer's block, or I need a break, or as a warm up.

So... apart from uni work, what's new with me? Well, nothing much really. Just been doing my usual hours at work (the odeon), which does me just fine. I enjoy it, which helps. Also means I've already seen the new Alice in Wonderland film, which I think was really good. Not what I expect, but very enjoyable, and to the standards I expect from Tim Burton. I was also quite shocked to how short the film was then I would expect. Went in for the film at eight o'clock and was out by just after 10pm. When you include adverts and trailers which are normally twenty to half an hour long, that pretty much adds up to the film being just over an hour and a half long. Maybe I'm just used to films these days being at least two hours long.

Other films I've seen recently have been 'Leap Year' and 'The Lovely Bones'. 'Leap Year' was surprisingly funny. I thought it was going to be a typical, really corny, really cheesy, shitty film, but I actually found it really entertaining, and was laughing a lot of the way through. My friend told me she thought that Matthew Goode could not do an Irish accent, but it was good enough for me. The ending was predictably cheesy, and in that way, a bit disappointing, however, the rest of it was worth a giggle. What is it about the Irish that makes them so damn attractive?

I found 'The Lovely Bones' one of the most emotional films I've ever watched. I've not read the book yet, so I am unable to compare the two. I always do this if I know a film is coming out based on a book. I've learnt my lesson on this. As a general rule, I always find that the films are never better then the book they are based on, so since I learnt this, I have been watching the film before I read the book, then I usually find I enjoy the book even more. Ok, I've kinda cheated with reading all the 'Twilight' books before each film has come out separately, but I figured that I would run into too many spoilers in-between the making of each of the other films. Anyway, back to 'The Lovely Bones'. There were so many moments in the film that either made me cry, or made me want to cry. It made me think so much of myself and my relationship with my dad, and placing myself and my dad in the shoes of Suzie and her father, Jack. It made me think of how destroyed my dad would be if what happened to Suzie had happened to me when I was fourteen. Then it made me think how I'd feel if I had lost my own child in such away.

Basically, Peter Jackson did a superb job with the film, and I would definitely watch it again. It was so beautiful. Although never with my dad. That would be horrible.

Anyway, it's late. I better get in some more reading and note taking for a little while and then some good earned rest. Busy, busy, busy day tomorrow. Much needed trip to the gym, taking back a dress to the shops due to it being a bad quality that it broke on my first night of wearing it. A seam came undone and the zip broke. NOT impressed. So that, and uni work, and then important law society events in the evening.

So I am going to say ciao for now, and hopefully, I'll write again soon!

Zoe.

Poem.... :S It's crap.

Wrote this poem while at work today...

I woke up this morning very stressed,
It's clear to anyone that I'm not impressed,
I could not sleep last night.
It's pissing me off to the point
Where I could cry.
It's becoming more and more of a problem.
An Insomniac's Nightmare.
I now see sleep as a luxury to be fair.
Oh, how I crave sleep where dreams unfold...
Where adventures beyond reality to behold...
How I hope I might sleep tonight,
Although that's as likely
As pokemon that won't fight.

Real Bad Luck Friday 13th

It's really late and I have work in the morning at 11, and I don't finish til six. But I really don't care. Hey. That's what pro plus is for, right?

I used to scoff at the idea of Friday the 13th being a day of bad luck. But after today, I've definately changed my mind.

Firstly, my morning dream was about someone trying to try and murder me. In fact, to be more specific, it was Logan's dad in 'Veronic Mars' that was trying to kill me. I'm not really sure why. But there you go. I woke up and realised I wasn't dead. So maybe I was lucky in that way. I mean, imagine waking up dead.

The next thing that went wrong was waking up and realising how late it was. Half 10. I was meeting a member of my single camera group later that day, at half one, in our uni pub called 'The Shed'. Just for a few drinks and a gossip before our Horror and Fantasy lecture. We were both quite excited as we had some college students auditioning for some parts we had on offer for our single camera production of Harvey Dwaynne, a detective set in his 50s ways, but living in present day. Myself and my group are really excited about this production. We've yet to come up with a name for our production. You can visit our blog if you are interested to find out more. Just click Dirty Shed Productions and it will take you there.

Ok, next bad thing that happened today....probably was taking a motivational group email the wrong way. Made me feel like I hadn't been putting as much effort into a group thing when I had. Luckily I got that straightened out though.

Then after that, after nipping to the Spa shop for a drink and some ciggs, I realised that the ten pounds cash back I asked for from The Shed, I did not recive. Humph. So I have no idea if I lost it, or forgot to retrieve it from the bar tender. So now I'm ten quid short. Not good when you have less then 20 quid to live on before the 23rd of November, when I get paid. I suppose I can always go to student services in desperate need when I do run out of money.

The next bad thing - I find out majority of house mates and friends have been out at the Glass House tonight, and didn't think to invite me. Friends who I haven't seen in a while, and the pub is only a two minute walk away from uni. Nothing but not recieveing a text would stop me attending. Ok, I'mm skint, but I don't have to drink. I'd just go to socialize. As I haven't properly in a while.

Okay, the next bad luck thing is kinda embarrasing. I went downstairs to laundry room to do my laundry, and after making a couple of trips to and fro from flat to laundry room, I didn't notice that my keys went in with the laundry, to let after pressing the 'colours' button, activating the washing machine beyond the point of being able to stop it and open it. I had to go see the security staff to give me some temporary keys until my washing was done. Bare in mind, this is at like 2am, and I have work at 11am. So the early bedtime went out the window. It's twenty past 3 in the morning as I write this. I should go to bed, but I am too stupid to go.

And on top of all that, I see Kristina (if you're reading this, you may know her as italktosnakes) on twitter keep tweeting about this thing called 'omedgle' all day, and curious to know what it was, I decided to check it out. So I did. Apparently it's this chat thing where you go and chat to a random stranger. First guy I talk to, after he says hi, and I say hi, he asks 'asl?'. I didn't know what that was at first, but vaguely remember seeing it somewhere before. Apparently it means age, sex, location. So immediately after I put 20, female, England, he disconnected the chat. How rhude!!!

Anyway, that's all of the bad luck stuff. Oh, I forgot I tried to reply on facebook to a group facebook message on my phone, and after replying a long message, my phone turned itself off - twice this happened, and I gave up.

So yeah, I hope Saturday to be a better day. Maybe even a lucky day to make up for this one. We'll see.

Night for now.

Rants to Vent

Ugh, having such a frustrating day, and I'm not really sure why. It's all down to a supposed best friend, and I probably really shouldn't be made about it, but I always am in a funny mood.

Basically, the gist is, I created a little pet nickname for him last year. Ja-Lo, cuz he is quite a kamp guy, my mate Jason. As I know back at home he sometimes got called Ja-Fo back at home, I decided more like Ja-Lo, similar to the singer JLo, but my own way of spelling it. Basically, I'm calling him a girl, but NOT the real JLo. Ok, he says he didn't like the nickname when it first came about, but it's just one of those things that you accept that a friend does, right? Like when Dr Cox calls JD girls names.

A year later, and Ja-Lo and all his friends are sure that a girl called Kate started the nickname that never caught on. Just because she continued to call him the name after I invented it. Which she didn't. I don't even often call Jase 'Ja-Lo'. I often forget. In fact, I only ever call him Ja-Lo on my phone, in which his number is saved under, so I don't get what all the fuss is about. Just because 'brownbear' 'caught on' amongst the rest of his friends because my nickname for him is 'stupid' and 'doesn't make sense'. It's not even the right nickname! The nickname was taken from scrubs, and it's actually CHOCOLATE bear, not brown bear. But of course, he only likes it for the racial humor.

Also, aparently, my spelling is unacceptable. Oh, and these are the comments from when he put up a facebook status saying "bout time I added Brownbear to my name", when I replied "you'll always be Ja-Lo to me" these were the responses from supposed friends:

Jason: spelt J.LO and its the worst nickname in the world it just doesnt make sense and is crap hence why it didn;t catch on... you douche! It never caught on just you and kate... DOES NOT COUNT... and im guessing they dont teach you how to spell?

James: "Ja-Lo" would be pronounced "Jah-Loh" and, therefore, sound nothing like the Jay-Loh" what you're aiming for.

Not only did it not catch on; your phoenetics are lacking at best.

So thanks, supposed best friend of mine, for making me feel so small, insignificant and retarded.

I guess I just hate being ganged up on. I dunno. I can't explain my frustration and ARRRGH and the need to punch things. I shouldn't take it all so seriously. Maybe cuz it's only a name and they are making a big fuss about it. I've been called far worse nicknames by my friends. Can't see why they can''t get over such a pathetic little thing to fuss over.

Rant over. Ended up finally replying after deciding to let them sulk "haha can't believe what a fuss has been made over such a silly insignificant little thing. Quite pathetic really."

Ferrero Rocher Challenge

In celebration of my birthday, I decided to take up the recent raging world record challenging of eating as many ferrero rochers as possible, with the current record being 7, and the guy whom took up the challenge in this year's 'Britain's Got Talent' got up to 4, and me being cocky thought it would be easy to get past 7 of these nutty chocs, certainly 4. So I streamed the challenge live, and here it is:



Lol, this is my first attempt, and I plan to try again later. People are right, this is a lot harder then it looks!

My Best Friends Birthday

It is my best friends birthday. Officially today. But I was meant to write this earlier, cept I couldn't get logged on and I was busy most of the day.



So what have I planned for his eternal sunshine of the spotless mind? A birthday cake and a present, big present which I've arranged to go fifths on.



The birthday cake is amazing. See, he has this crazy obession with the Dark Knight - in particular the Joker. So I made him a chocolate cake, and covered the top with icing before drawing the Joker's face on it. Had to take some pictures before it got demolished too. If you are reading this, you'll have to let me know what you think.



I've also yet to make the birthday video. Don't know what song to put with it though. He is obessesed with this Paramore song at the moment. "Misery Buisness" but I don't think that is the direction to go in. Need something birthday-ish. I'll work it out sooner or later and upload.

Anywho, gotta go!