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New We Are Scientists Video

Its finally here! Video for Rules Don't Stop Me, I love the song and the video..



Can't wait for the new album, Barbara, and TOUR.

The Boat That Rocked

English movie about private radio in the 60s and the government trying to shut them down.

I loved the sense of unity in the film, these men who are so in love with music live their lives on a boat so they can play rock music to the masses, even with the threat of imprisonment they dont back down. Its not just about the music they play the point is they ont let themselves to be bullied into conforming, they want the freedom for people to express themselves the way they want, through music or any other method.

Theres a great cast in the film love Bill Nighly, Chris O'Dowd, Nick Frost, Rhys Ifans in it, they seem sincere in it, that Radio Rock is their life. Also obviosuly the film has a great soundtrack The Kinks, The Who, Bowie... top notch.

Whats amazing is I brought this DVD from a machine in the cinema. Its like a vending machine for DVDs, with a touch screen you browse, then buy with you debit/credit card then it pops out. Amazing.

UP

How sweet is this film? A man lives with his dream of finding paradise in his adventures, saves all of his life to take his wife with him. Never making enoguh money and then his wife dying, and being evicted from his house, hes left with nothing, so he attaches 1000s of helium balloons to his house and flies off, its brilliant.

Whenever I watch a really good animated film Im always impressed by the effort that goes into them, all the balloons on the house move independently, its amazing.

I loved the film although, but it was so sad when his wife died, I dont need that in a Disney, its like when Mufasa dies in the Lion King or when the Fox and the Hound get separated.

If you can take a bit of heartache in a movie, make sure you watch UP, its brilliant.

Wall-E

I loved this movie, Earth has been deemed unsafe because plant life can no longer be grown on there so everyone lives in space, while robots scout the Earth for signs of plant life so they can move back home.

I loved the clever and rather cynical view of the future Disney Pixar paints, the people are much more technologically advanced than we are now, machines and robots do EVERYTHING for them, they sit in a chair that takes them anywhere, drinks and food are brought to them as they wish, so they get fat and loose motor skills. I see what theyre getting at, slowly technology is taking over our lives, leaving some of the jobs we once had to do redundant.

Leicester University

On monday I went for the first day of freshers week at Leicester University to register on the course, pick up a timetable for the week, library card and stuff. It went well although I dont understand why I had to copy out a sheet with the modules Im taking on to confirm my choice, although there were no choices to make :S

However, Im a bit concerned by the selection of classmates.. its a small department. The staff are lovely though.

Also my timetable is MENTAL, its so full on its rediculous, I cant see where Ill have time to have a life let alone find a job.

Public Enemies

I have been looking forward to this film for a long time, and Johnny didn't disappoint, I thought he was great as John Dillinger. Even though I kept getting confused when the characters called him Johnny.

The film starts with Dillinger in jail, I would have liked to have seen what put him there in the first place..

Im sure Melvin Purvis must have been desperate to catch Dillinger, but I didnt get that from Christian Bale. Neither did I care when Dillingers friends and allies got killed, as they didnt really have a character, they were just there. However Im sure Dillinger would have cared and been friends with the men he trusted enough to have his team, as towards the end of the film he is reluctant to work with people he didnt like. I would have liked to have got a feel of the people in Dillingers life a bit more.

I loved the 30s clothing and sets, I thought that had been done well, it had an authentic look to it.

Anywho, I still loved the movie, and will go see it again and definitely buy the DVD.

Transformers 2

I had a particular interest in this as Linkin Park contributed to the soundtrack, primarily with the leading track, New Divide, which I thought fitted in well with the film.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the film itself, it was way to long, I was checking my watch throughout the film, and waiting for it to end. Also there was too much time where the transformers were just fighting for no apparent reason, the CGI is great and it looks great, but it was boring.

Im not in any rush to see this again.

Donnie Brasco

I think this is a great movie, first of all the casting of Johnny Depp and Al Pacino is fantastic, Johnny conveys his situation so well, when watching you can tell that underneath his exterior in front of the other mafia members he is crumbling inside. Whilst Pacino is grasping onto whatever dignity he has left within the mafia. By the end of the movie the watcher does sympathise with both characters as intended by Newell.

Its a fantastic movie into the ways in which the mafia work and how Joseph Pistone worked within the mafia, id recommend it to pretty much anyone.

Buy here

Linkin Park - Minutes To Midnight

As a huge Linkin Park fan, I had high expectations for this album, which Minutes to Midnight has lived up too. Linkin Park have took a chance with this album, something I deeply respect and believe it has paid off for them. The album is more mature musically and lyrically than their past efforts as it deals with political and social issues skilfully and subtlely.

The album is a real mix of songs, heavier tracks such as Given Up and the heaviest they've ever written No More Sorrow, energise the album with fierce brutality. Whilst softer songs such as Leave Out All The Rest and Valentine's Day complements them yet still hold power over the listener. The album begins with the instrumental track Wake, which allows Linkin Park to show the listener that they have broken the sound with a more organic and developed approach than they have used before, which is apparent in all tracks until the album is beautifully concluded with The Little Things Give you Away, one of the bands finest moment.

The melodies album is sincere and beautifully crafted, and has been a breath of fresh air amongst all other recent releases which often lack proper melodies, they really have took the time to make this album special and have used as many tools they can from oboes, violas and pianos to blazing guitars and samples to add layers and complexity to the music, without it being over the top. A perfect example is the beautiful but not flashy guitar solos present on In Pieces and The Little Things Give You Away, that have been absent on past releases from the band. The music is then perfectly graced with Chester Bennington's vocals, which vary from beautiful melodic singing to vicious snarling and screaming. Listeners who are familiar with their past releases will notice the lack of vocals from Mike Shinoda who takes lead for only 3 tracks: Bleed It Out, Hands Held High, and In Between, which the band have been criticised for but on the other hand some listeners may prefer. But the music defiantly has his imprint on, he also provides Bennington with back up vocals on many of the tracks.

If you are going to buy the album, I strongly advise you to but this special edition, the package is just beautiful, the best I have ever seen. The cover is wrapped in linen, with an embossed LP logo underneath the slip case over the top. Inside there is beautiful art and photos from the studio alongside the lyrics. Also included is a DVD, which if you get the guys goofy sense of humour is both amusing and insightful into the making of the album and to the making of their first video from the album for What I've Done, its defiantly worth the extra money.

Minutes to Midnight is a huge achievement for the band, and I congratulate them for it.

New Blog Post?!

Im thinking about resurrecting this blog, I think itll do me good to write things down.

Anywho, I actually went to uni today, with good intentions, even though I started at 4PM today and its a Betts lecture, I just cant listen to her. Half way through the 2 hour lecture we have to go to another lecture theatre so Claire suggested that when the first half is over we just run away (like A LOT of people do when they remember how crap her lectures are). So we went to the student union, had a drink and chatted for about an hour. We've decided to do this fornightly since we don't have any workshop classes together anymore, feels ages since we've talked properly.

Shes also trying to convince me to donate blood next week, which I would but I faint so easily, I want to though, I think I might....I will if Laura comes with me to take me back home if it goes badly.

I really do hope that America does the right thing today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJvXD-TmHWw

Guns and Gangsters (Nottingham)

I have now spent a full 24 hours in my new term-time-home. Its bigger than I thought it would be but the kitchens are crap, we have 1 little fridge freezer for 6 people. So I've had to buy a mini fridge for my room. The location isn't ideal either, its such a rough area, hoody and track suit-wearing gangsters all over the streets, I just keep looking at the pavement and don't listen to my MP3 player, also just around the corner is the local gun shop, with rifles and that in the window, we went to the retail park down the road yesterday and 2 men asked us where it was we pointed them in the right direction but I felt bad that I did afterwards.

Earlier today I walked down to rock city and the university, it was quite easy to get to.

People seems nice here so its ok, feeling home sick though.

Neighbours

MY POSTMAN HAS STOLEN MY MAIL, on Wednesday, he knocked on the door (got me out of bed so I was in a haze) and handed me a card to sign for a parcel, but there were 2 stickers on it meaning I had 2 parcels, he was only holding one, so I looked at him confused and he said he had left the other one in the car, sounding like he was just about to go nip and get it cause he parks on our road as he does his round, so I signed for them then he took the card off me, handed me the parcel and left, so I though ok he'll come back after he's done the rest of the street. But no, he didn't. I even walked up and down the road to see if i could see him anywhere, but he was gone. After a few days of keep missing him my mum caught him and asked him if he had it, he says that he hasn't and doesn't know why he said that to me, I'm going by the post office on Wednesday so I might ask them, see what they think.

Also my bank never rang to tell me that my stuff had got there so I went in today and asked them and typically it was there, so I moaned to them about not telling me when they said that they would, the man was nice though and activated my card for me.

I have now received a very long reading list, its only provisional so they dont want me to buy any books yet, but to get them from a library or something, Ive brought a little one, that looks quite good, so I can have a flick through when it gets here. They also sent me homework.

Ive just looked on the Neighbours website and heard the new theme tune and music, I dont think I like it, its trying too hard, and one of the new characters just looks like a poor replacement of Dylan.

And Im very happy because a bootleg video of the whole Linkin Park show I went to in May at the astoria has surfaced :).

Shadow Of The Day

I'm really impressed with Nottingham Trent University, I've enrolled online and everything during which they asked me if I would like to join the doctors, which I thought id have to go down there and find out about, but no, they've done it for me, and they've sent me the forms to join their surgery. On one they asked if I would like to be an organ donor, which after long consideration I've decided that I would like to do it, its a little scary, but I think, if I needed an organ I would be forever grateful to whoever's I got if I would be so lucky to get one. Also Ive had issues with setting up payments and that and everyones been really nice who Ive spoke to or emailed. And Ive been posting on a message board on their website set up so we can make friends before we go, and one of the psychology department teachers has posted to let us know that we should be getting our welcome packs towards the end of the week - something that we were all concerned about not getting.

I have a new bag, its amazing, its made from used juice cartons, obviously they've been sterilised and sewn together, I absolutely love it.

Unfortunately MTV have seem to forgotten what the VMAs are about, none of the awards went to the best video, none, they went to the most popular artists, it was ridiculous. They even had a "quadruple threat" category for people who also produced, acted, had clothing lines etc, who cares? this has nothing to do with the videos. They didn't air the categories that actually did have anything to do with videos such as best director or best editing. Another annoyances: the gym class heroes fool being there when Fall Out Boy won their award, which they shouldn't have I would have rather any other band in that category to win over them, obviously I wanted Linkin Park to win (whose performance was awesome), but I would have been happy to see the White Stripes win, their videos are generally quite interesting.

The performances were also a let down, Fall Out Boy were rubbish the singer couldn't cope, again like at Live Earth, he was just mumbling along and sweating a lot, Serj wasn't great either awesome seeing him with the Foos though.


The editing geniuses also didn't even include the full Foo Fighters performance, speaking of whom, Im looking forward to their new album, I wasn't bawled over by their last and The Pretender lacks something, I think its in the chorus, it needs something extra. However Im looking forward to Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace because they've worked with Gil Norton on it, who produced The Colour and The Shape, by far the best Foo album to date, hopefully he has shown them the way.

Another thing thats annoying me is Amy Whinehouse, Pete Doherty and all the other drug and drink junkies. I don't care about them, why should I have to read about them? I obviously don't read about them but it annoys me being there in magazines and newspapers. Millions of people suffer from addictions, and I bet most of them are in worse positions than these. And what the hell does Pete have to do to get thrown in jail?