So, because I am bored, I want to start a social experiment. Lets just say, to bring a little excitement over to my corner of the interwebs - so feel free to advertise this blog to your friends if this is something they may be interested in.

Setting the scene:

Unless you've been living under a rock, in a cave, on the moon with your ears covered while screaming "la la la la la la la" at the top of your lungs for no apparent reason, you've heard of Twilight. The book series which spawned a series of movies which launched Robert Pattinson from an unknown actor to a name so household I will bet any money that the #1 boys name next year will be Robert (or possibly Edward).

Twilight has spawned a new generation of feral fangirls - the dreaded Twihards. Fangirs so feral they make the Supernatural fangirls (yep, even the ones who are into Wincest) seem like Princess Di. And it hasn't stopped there. Self respecting guys have fallen for the franchise. I refuse to believe any who says they "saw it with my girlfriend" because they "made me".

Case study: A male mate of mine suffered a pretty nasty injury after standing on rocks on a beach to which waves were crashing over. I can't remember what parts of his body weren't scraped on the sand and rocks when he was knocked over, but it was somewhere up to 90% of his body had suffered some sort of injury. This happened on the day of the New Moon premiere. Even with injuries sustained (which I should point out weren't hospital worthy - he's a big guy and he's completely fine now) he went to see New Moon that night, because he is "an awesome boyfriend". I proceeded to ask, "which was more painful: your injuries or New Moon?". He answered "The injuries, but not by much". I concluded with "you must have been hurt pretty bad then!". He claims he wasn't.

As you can see from the above case study, not even injuries sustained could stop him from being dragged to the premiere. Which makes me believe that secretly he enjoyed it. Because Twilight should always be more painful than any injury sustained. Cause you're a guy and Twilight is one of the biggest chick flicks around.

So, going back to the Twihards. Not only are they in the 12 - 16 age bracket, there are the more and more common Twimums. Mothers, yes mothers, who are so into Twilight it is somewhat wrong to be drooling over a 17 year old boy! A boy who is young enough to be your son. Or the ones who start comparing the fictional character Edward Cullen to their real husband. You know who you are *points wildly*.

The Question:

So, this brings me to the point of this blog. If you've stuck around this long and you consider yourself a Twihard, I applaude you *hands out cookies*.

There are 2 types of people in this world: Ones who love Twilight in any form, and the ones who can't stand it and wish it would just disappear forever.

So, if you like Twilight the book, Twilight the movie, think Rob Pattinson is hot, consider yourself to be a Twihard or a Twimum, I want to know what it is that makes this series so appealing to you.

And if you are just so over Twilight, Team Edward and Jacob, want to shake all the tween Twihards so hard their memory of Twilight is erased, and slap some sense into the Twimums, I want to know what it is that makes you hate this series.

Feel free to comment below, whether it be a straight-to-the-point sentence or a passionate 3 page essay (seriously, if you feel the urge to write a 3 page essay, please just send me the summary ).

My stance:

As you have probably already gathered, I sit in the Twilight hater camp. I often refer to Twihards as Twitards (but only the extreme ones, and the self-confessed male fans). It has just expanded and spiraled out of control. I didn't even feel this bad about Harry Potter, and I would actually prefer to watch Harry Potter - And I can't stand Harry Potter. I feel that I should break this down:

1. Edward Cullen is not a vampire. Vampires burn in sunlight, they don't "sparkle" (or sweat so profusely the sun glints off and we have to see Pattinson's freaky body 10 times in the one scene). I don't know how he reacts to garlic/holy water/wooden steaks (though, from my sister's oh-so-sarcastic reaction to watching a scene from True Blood "oh, so these Vampires die by a wooden steak? How original!") I would say he doesn't react in the same way as a traditional Vampire. So, Twihards, tell me, in what ways do the Twilight vampires act like more traditional vampires, and how do they differ?

2. Have I mentioned the crazy Twihards? They make me somewhat ashamed to be a fan of True Blood. They make me hate vampires that much more, however the somewhat normal vampires in True Blood bring me back to Earth. Give me an anti-Twilight t-shirt, and I will wear it proudly. And most likely attack any twihards who have a problem with it.

I also blame Twihards for this little etiquette guide a convention group posted. I have been to several conventions, and I have never, ever seen a set of rules so strict. Way to ruin it for the rest of us, Twihards! And to rub it in, yes, I have seen an actor at a convention with his shirt off. The audience egged him on and he complied. No more of that *glares*.

Finally, and not really a valid point, so I wont include it in my reasons, but I'll just put it out there: Rob Pattinson is troll like and totally not hot. He has a weird freaky body with weird freaky nipples. I will give him credit however, for having chest hair in New Moon (only observed from the trailer that was advertised every ad break of every show!) even if it was CGI'd (with his CGI'd abs). Nay to hairless!

And if you've got this far without wanting to throw something out of a window, then you're not a Twihard, and I congratulate you . If you feel the need to destroy something though, feel free to vent below - all comments welcome (all within TV.com's rules and regulations though - play nice )

Please note, this review comes from someone who has not seen the original V.

First off, not a bad show. It draws many comparisons from Flash Forward (namely world-wide event which affected everyone, many casualties, FBI investigating), and is still MUCH BETTER than Flash Forward (coming soon to a blog near you - even though I've seen the mid-season finale thanks to Aussie TV (hehehe ), I'll wait till its aired in America).

What do I love? The fact that these aliens never had a peaceful agenda. The fact they're manipulating the human race so easily. The fact that they put the suspect agent in the flu vaccine and not the vitamins they were providing. There's also the resistance which has been going for years, who have known about their evil intentions.

What do I hate? Tyler. Whily pretty boy who is thinking with with his downstairs tool rather than his brain. I'm not really a fan of Morena Baccarin, I never have been, even from when I first saw her in Firefly. She's just not a convincing evil person (lizard), and I'm not really digging her boy-short hair.

One thing that got me and the boyfriend giggling was the fact that Chad had mentioned that the V's were attractive. I'm sorry to Alan Tudyk fans, but he's not really attractive . He is cute in a scruffy-school-boy way though

My dad was a fan of the original V, and while he likes the remake, he didn't like the fact that the V's were revealed as who they were so early in the show. Anyone else who has seen the original V agree?

Overall, I am actually intrigued to see where the shows go. And I'm dying to see a full lizard!!! Something that not many shows can do *cough cough*Flash Forward*cough cough*

I have to say that just the visual appearance of The Flood in this episode was enough to make up for the previous episode. It's not very often that Doctor Who delivers a genuiney scary enemy in appearance, so kudos to them. This episode was thoroughly enjoyable. It had its funny moments, even though I wanted to destroy the little robot for being ridiculously annoying, but I figure it was some comical relief for the kiddies who may have been scared by The Flood.

The best bit of the episode was by far the the scene where The Doctor could hear the events inside the base as he was walking away to the TARDIS. Was I expecting him to run in and save them? Hell no. To be honest though, it was a nice change. The Doctor saying "screw this" and going against everything he once stood for. He only realised the repercussions of his actions after Adelaide had killed herself to keep the timeline as close to how it was as possible. I just hope that the Doctor stays as affected by these events as he was when he realised. I like the broken and tortured Doctor.

9/10

--

Season 5 of Supernatural certainly kicked off with a bang. It started right where it left off - Lucifer rising from Hell. I was sure pissed that we didn't see him straight away, but I guess that was to be expected. First off, we're introducd to the annoying Becky (is she a poor actress or was she intentionally that bad?), told that Dean is the vessel for the Angel Michael, the only one capable of bringing down Lucifer, and Sam is the vessel for Lucifer. I loved that revelation - greatest of the series I would imagine.

Episode 2 brought us the first of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - War. Knowing that the Horsemen would be driving muscle cars, it was no real surprise when the boyfriend and I spotted this little gem right at the start. I loved the fact that the town were brainwashed into believing Demons had infiltrated. The boys may have War's ring, but I doubt it'll be the last time we see him. I just hope that the rest of the Horsemen don't have rings that can be easily chopped off.

Episode 3 brings us the first real appearance as Lucifer. I have to say, Mark Pellegrino does a fantastic job as Lucifer. Part of me didn't really enjoy this episode though - I've never been a fan of Sam on his own, only because before he leaves he just whines and cries. On the other hand, we have Dean and Cas, and how they try to find Raphael in a bid to stop the Apocalypse. Though the greatest bit was Cas and Dean in the strip joint . Awesomeness! The first genuinely funny moment of the season. But the final revelation, that Sam will say 'yes' to Lucifer.

Episode 4 was based in 2014 in a future where Sam has said yes to Lucifer and Sam has said no to Michael. The Croatoan virus is rampant (from Pestilance I would imagine...) and Future Dean has formed a resistance to take down Lucifer. Present Dean is transported to the future to witness the events of Dean saying no to Michael. I loved the post-apocalyptic world depicted, and I loved hippy-Cas. Lucifer-Sam was weird, but that's probably because Mark Pellegrino is more convincing as Lucifer opposed to Jared. However, when Dean called Sam at the end to mend their rift, I was certain that Sam had already said 'yes' to Lucifer. He was just acting a bit off.

Episode 5 was the episode with Paris Hilton as Paris Hilton. Greatest part of the episode - OFF WITH HER HEAD! That's all I have to say.

Episode 6 was the episode with the old wives tales which come true. It started off like any pre-season 4 Supernatural episode, but it kicked in the end. The kid is definitely powerful, and will be back.

Episodes 7, 8, and 9 are the comedic trio. 3 episodes to make us laugh and giggle and forget about the big, bad impending apocalypse. The Curious Case of Dean Winchester was a season one episode. Was it funny? Yes. Did I enjoy it? No. It wasn't a terribly horrible episode, but I think the main purpose of it was to expose Bobby's fragile mind. Changing Channels was (and I say this with pride from the crazy fangirls... You know who you are ) OK. It wasn't fantastic, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Admittedly, when the alternate opening credits come on, I wanted to turn it off and forget about the episode, but I stuck with it. Greatest moment was the Horatio Caine immitations from both boys. I loved the revelation that Dean and Sam were chosen specifically to be vessels for Michael and Dean based on their lives. It makes it so much more personal. The Real Ghostbusters was definitely a pre-season 4 episode. Another one I didn't really care for. However I did love that it was one of those episodes where they were picking on everyone - the actors, the fans. Admmittedly, it was good to see ghosts again, but it had Becky, who was so much more annoying in this episode than the first one!

Episode 10, the mid-season finale. Such a great episode. Firstly, Jo died (YES!). Secondly, the colt can't kill Lucifer (no real surprise). My bet is on God and Michael also unable to be killed with the colt. I don't know about the other two. Casstiel using Meg as a plank to cross the fire was fantastic. Death rising was fantastic. A great cliffhanger.

So here are my predictions for the remainder of the season:

1. The next episode will start weeks or months from where it left off, where we see Death's trail.

2. We will see Pestilance and Famine.

3. Bobby will die. As much as I hate to admit it, I think it'll close the season off nicely, especially if this is the final season.

4. Sam and Dean will say 'yes' to Lucifer and Michael, respectively. One of the brothers will die. See reason #3.

Overall, a great season of Supernatural, can't wait for the rest!

So, this is the first of several TV blogs, and I'll review the current seasons of TV shows I watch when they go on hiatus during the mid-season. This week, to kick off, is True Blood season 2. I haven't reveiwed season 1 as yet, and that's because I've only seen it once. I have seen season 2 twice so far, cause its being played on Australian TV at the moment. I might do a season 1 review eventually.

I should point out that these reviews WILL be very spoiler-heavy. Read on at your own risk

--

So, season 2 of True Blood was really out there. It hit the point where it truly distanced itself from just another Vampire drama, while still being a Vampire drama. One storyline focused on Jason and his search for meaning, by joining The Fellowship of the Sun. That story merged with the disappearance of the Dallas Sheriff, Godrick, enlisting the help of Sookie, Bill and Eric to find him. We again got to meet Lorena, and witness her life with Bill. During this storyline, we got to meet Steve and Sarah Newlin, who are the most annoying couple EVER, and both got what they deserved (see favourite moment #2). These events led to the explosive ending of episode 8, and we saw just how deceitful Eric is (see favourite moment #4). This finally led to the stunning conclusion of this storyline, with the ending of Godrick's life.

This storyline also had some of my favourite moments - especially #1 .

The second storyline focused on Tara, and her newfound friendship with the mysterious Maryann. And this is where True Blood distanced itself from the Vampire drama. Maryann is a God who can bring out the chaotic nature of humans. This led to mass orgies, orgies and orgies. We also got to meet the rather boring and annoying Eggs. I'm sorry, but I couldn't understand him half the time cause he mumbled, and I didn't really care for him (see favourite moment #3). There was also Daphne, and I was so annoyed that she turned on Sam (yes, my inner fangirl wants out ). I loved that Arlene got over Rene, and I'm glad we got to see more Terry. Overall, however, I was getting a bit sick of the Maryann storyline. It was going nowhere for a long while, however the last 3 episodes where Sookie, Bill and Jason go back to Bon Temps were fantastic. I loved the revelation of how Maryann came to be, and how they managed to kill her.

Which brings me to the minor storyline with the Vampire Queen - Spohie-Ann, where we discovered that she is the one making Eric sell the Vampire blood. For what reason remains unknown. When she finds out that Bill knows of her plans, she orders Eric to 'deal with' Bill. This leads us to the final moments of the season. Not only was I literally screaming in my head "just friggin say yes!! Don't walk off!" when Bill proposed to Sookie, I screamed, also in my head "NO!" when Bill was kidnapped. So, do I think its Eric? No. They had us fooled with the first season finale (find me someone who didn't think it was Lafayette in the car) but I think they're just yanking at our chain. I have an incling that it may be the Fellowship of the Sun, getting back at Jason by kidnapping his sister and her lover (if she had been in the room, would she have been kidnapped also?). But then again, this could be me, wishfully thinking that while Eric is a villain, he isn't capable of something like this. Cause he's Eric and he's sexy (here comes that fangirl ).

So, overall, it was a great season. I still enjoyed the first season's story arc a little more, only because I HATED every moment Jason was with the Fellowship of the Sun, and the serial killer storyline was just more intriguing. But I can't wait for season 3!!

--

Favourite moments:

1. Hello sexy!

2. Steve Newlin gets what he deserves

3. Bubbye Eggs

4. Decietful Eric

5. 'Innocent' Eric

6. Random Eric/Sookie

Yes, I am pro Eric/Sookie. But only with Sookie's new-found 'dreams' . Otherwise yayness for Bill/Sookie.

There are so many other moments in the season which I enjoyed, but its late and I can't be bothered searching for screencaps. These are just ones that pop to mind at the moment.

--

Stay tuned for more TV blogs!!

--

Peace out

Rach xx

My thesis is done!! Handed it in last Friday! Yayness!!! In a nutshell... things worked, things didn't, and I can't conclude anything, because of the things that didn't work. I have to present my work next Thursday, and I'm officially done with Honours. So what's next? I find work somewhere in a lab and move out of home!!!

--

Not many people know this, but I'm not a fan of Vampires. Can't stand them. And after EVERYONE was raving about how good True Blood was... and I mean, I haven't heard anyone say anything bad about it. So I thought, "I'll give this a go then". Annnnnd... wellllll... Its actually a good show! Its the kind of show that makes me think "I wish shows were just as good as this" and "this show is **** compared with True Blood". Not many shows make me think that. Its funny, its sexy, its smart. I loves it!

--

I'm loving where Supernatural is going. LOVING IT! The revelation surrounding both Dean and Sam being 'vessels' is fantastic. Definitely best season so far.

--

Also, if you haven't done so already... Watch Castle. Its actually one of the better crime shows on TV at the moment.

--

I also cut my hair! Its above shoulderlength now.

--

Ohh... Saw Michael Shanks at a convention about a month ago. It was awesomeness. He's such a good guy. I had a photo with him, and the first thing I said when we walked out of the room was "he was warm!"... You can't blame me... It was a cold day!!

I'm seeing Jason Momoa and Paul McGillion this weekend. Can't wait!

--

I've been watching Stargate Universe, and its fantastic! I was expecting a show like the other two Stargate series, but this one is packed full of drama... I'm loving it! And Robert Carlyle is just a fantastic actor.

--

Ehh... I think that's pretty much everything I've been up to since my last blog. I just got so ridiculously busy all of a sudden, and it was non-stop till Friday.

--

Anyways,

Peace out

Rach xx

My wonderful boyfriend won a double pass to an advanced screening of District 9 on Monday. There have been a lot of advertisements down here for it recently, and I was eagerly awaiting its release here tomorrow. But we got to see it on Monday, and it was fantastic. Without giving too much away, it starts off as a documentary about the Aliens living in Johannesburg - from crime to trying to adapt their technology for our benefit. Soon a secondary story develops - to which the documentary also focuses on - and that's where the movie starts. There's a fair amount of action and a great story. I definitely recommend it, however be warned - it has its share of gore and swearing. But overall a great movie!

10/10

--

So, I've managed to find the motivation to blog. When the blogs disappeared I was going to wait till they came back before I posted a new one. Then people were complaining that the new ones were disappearing and I just gave up. Until now, that is. And that's coupled with a massive increase in the workload at Uni. Its getting to the stage in my project where I should be finishing up in the lab. But I still have a lot of work to do and the animal study to do. My thesis is due on October 9th, and my supervisor wanted me to have all my lab work done by the end of August, but unfortunately I have to work into September as well. Its going to be a very busy couple of months.

--

I actually planned to blog about Children of Earth as it finished, but I couldn't really be motivated. It was a fantastic miniseries, I loved the entire thing. Surprisingly, I wasn't phased by Ianto's death. I didn't cry the first time, not even the second time nor during the Declas.sfied when they did the tribute.I suspect its because they didn't have a funeral/memorial for Ianto. When they were packing away Tosh and Owen's things in Exit Wounds, that's when I broke down. With an absence for that with Ianto, I didn't cry. But I felt a bit jibbed that there was barely a mention of him in Day 5, except for his sister screaming that the Ianto we knew was fake. Other than that, I thought it was fantastic. But Ianto dying is the reason for the new avvie. Janto has been ripped away from us on screen. But not on this blog - Janto lives here!! Anyways... I'm currently watching season one and I'm doing a whole Torchwood marathon. Yayness . Then I'm going to move onto Doctor Who, then my baby Metalocalypse. Then new TV starts. Double yayness .

--

Peace out

Rach xx.

A word of advice. If you plan on seeing this movie, do it in a cinema with a HUGE screen. Like IMAX. In order to fully appreciate Devestator, a small cinema just wont do it.

So here we have the sequel to the insanely popular Transformers franchise. In Revenge of The Fallen, there are more Transformers, more explosions, more slow-mo, more product placement, more clevage. Your typical Michael Bay movie. It was probably a bit too long, sitting at 2 and a half hours, but it would probably be closer to 2 hours without the slow-mo. More Transformers isn't necessarily a good thing, especially when there are two silver Transformers fighting, and you can't tell who's winning the fight. Which happens a lot! One thing that surprised me was that Megan Fox didn't annoy me as much as she did in the first movie. In the first movie, I just wanted to slam her head into a brick wall. However, in this one, besides sprawling all over a motorbike (to which my Supervisor described as 'Michael Bay's wet dream' ) she was more of a background character. Oh, and Isabel Lucas' role was just ridiculous. One of the few plot points I wouldn't have included. Another being Sam's mum high on hash brownies...

Overall, while it is on par with the first, I still think the first was better. There was something about the first that gave it a certain charm. But the special effects were fantastic!

8/10

--

So, Torchwood: Children of Earth airs here in Australia on the 7th July till the 11th July. I for one am super mega excited about it, and I can't wait to watch it. Coupled with DevilDriver's new album release on the 10th July, that week should be an awesome one

So here are a few goodies for you:

And the video for Linkin Park's new song, New Divide.

--

Peace out

Rach xx

... A Supernatural fangirl, I present to you some pretty pictures

HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!

And slap!

--

Heheheheheheheheheheeeeee

--

Peace Out

Rach xx

This may come across as a surprise, but I actually enjoyed this movie. It was much better than Terminator 3 (tick) made multiple references to the first two movies (tick) and as a movie it was pretty good (tick). In fact, there wasn't much I didn't like about it. I would have liked to see more T-700/800's mainly. And Helena Bonham Carter *shudder*. But Anton Yelchin as Kyle Rhys, Aussie Sam Worthington as Marcus and Christian Bale as John Connor (although he had his Batman voice going) was great casting. Although I couldn't help but laugh at [highlight to read] CGArnie

Overall, 8/10. Watch it if you enjoyed the Terminator movies. I'm not a die hard fan of the franchise, but did enjoy the movies (except Terminator 3).

--

So, Australia has created an ad campaign to host the FIFA World Cup in either 2018 or 2022. I have to say, its a fantastic ad. It makes me want to play Soccer (or Football, depending we're you're from ).

AND WOOOOOH FOR FLINDERS STREET STATION

And the part with Kevin Rudd

You can watch the campaign here.

--

Peace out

Rach xx

Evening everyone. I hope everyone is well.

I'm sure this now has global attention. Victoria, the state I live in, now has the World's worst rate of Swine Flu worldwide. Of the 1,051 positive cases of Swine Flu in Australia, 874 of those are in Victoria. Several countries have hit back at us, saying Melbourne is the "epicentre" of Swine Flu (Kuala Lumpur) and Singapore has issued a travel warning to restrict all non-essential travel to Melbourne. Australia has the fourth highest number of cases, however Victoria has the highest per capita load.

So, what is the reality here in Victoria? No one is really panicked. It has already been established that the virus is in the mild form. No one here has died from it, and only a handful have been hospitalised, only because of other chronic/predisposing conditions. A good portion of those affected are school kids, with the remainder being adults. the main issue is this strain of Swine Flu is so mild, no one can differentiate between a normal seasonal cold or the Swine Flu infection. And as long as Victoria only has this mild case of Swine Flu, people wont worry. The media has over hyped this like everything else, which is causing the rest of Australia to panic needlessly. Other states of Australia are claiming their residents have Swine Flu after travel to Melbourne. It may be true, but it doesn't mean that the other states don't have cases of Swine Flu.

Although I have to say, even though Australia's first case of Swine Flu hit a month after it was first discovered in Mexico, and the Government claimed they were prepared for it if and when it hit Australia, it has just blown out of proportion, and the Government are doing stuff-all to help contain it. They've gone from testing everyone to testing only the most severe cases, and from quarantining schools if there was a case to leaving schools open. They're going backwards in handling and containing this outbreak. But we're talking about the Victorian Government. Shaved apes would do better at running the State than the people we have now.

Having said that, it wasn't the Victorian Government that allowed 1,000 people to be exposed to Swine Flu, then allowed them to go home to their respective states, only to allow another 1,000 people to be exposed to it and then quarantine them on a ship for a week. It was after that incident that the number of cases surged in Victoria. I think if anyone should blame any government, it should be the New South Wales Government for allowing that to happen.

--

So, there was a Torchwood marathon on TV this weekend in Australia. Season 2. It was fantastic to watch the show again, and they showed the third trailer. I seriously can't wait. Although, they didn't release an air-date. But all they're saying is "Global premiere event: fast-tracked from the UK". So I am willing to bet that as soon as it airs in the UK, we're getting it here. I seriously can't wait!!!

--

Not much else to report. My project is going well. And for once, I am not to blame for dodgy results!

--

Eagerly awaiting new Torchwood!!

Peace out

Rach xx

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER - THE LEAP

A fantastic end to the season. In the third last episode, Ted was grateful that he had taken precise events that changed his life forever. After being revealed that Stella was the person to tap him on the shoulder, I was thinking "No, not Stella. You already said that she is NOT the person you married. After a two parter, it was never said why Ted said it was a life changing experience. It took the end of the next episode, the finale, to reveal that. And in true HIMYM fashion, they're making us wait to see who Ted falls in love with. It should be great

And I'm loving Barney/Robin

And the goat was the best. I loved the goat!!

--

KYLE XY - BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE

So I finally caught up and finished Kyle XY. As a show, it wasn't the worst out there. Some episodes were fantastic (especially the latter half of the series) and some were downright crap (any episode with Hillary *shudder*). But season 3 with Latnok and Cassidy was a real improvement. I knew that Kyle XY was cancelled, but having watched the ending, with the final words "we're brothers"... It makes me want to scream. There was no ending, no conclusion. Which begs me to ask... Are they considering a conclusion of some sort?

Having said that, news surfaced last week that My Name Is Earl was cancelled. Its something I'm not overly surprised about, as the show hadn't reached any new heights of late. However, they ended it in the same circumstances as mentioned above. It was revealed that Earl really was Dodge's dad, and then it was revealed that Darnell wasn't Earl Jr's dad. There has been a bit of talk about the possibility of another network picking up the show. I don't know how it works in America, but that rarely happens here in Australia. Well, channel 7 stole Thank God You're Here off Ten. That's right... Stole. And I am SO glad that the ratings have dipped. Take that 7!

--

So, here we have an updated photo of James and I. James is 9 months old next week, and started crawling yesterday. And that's how big he is. We measured his approximate height yesterday, and he is ~78cm. I'm 5'2", which is about 160cm.

--

Peace out

Rach xx

I now bring you Rachie's finale blog!!!!

LOST: THE INCIDENT (PARTS 1 & 2)

Probably the best Lost finale. On one side we have Jack and Sayid who want to detonate the bomb. On the other we have Kate, Sawyer and Juliet (before they flip-flopped) who were against the idea. They join forces to detonate the bomb after realising that the Dharma group has hit the pocket of electromagnetic energy. And for a split second both Glenn and I believed that the bomb was the cause of the massive surge in energy, and it would have been awesome! I think everyone was expecting Sayid to die after his gunshot wound, even though no one really saw what happened to him after Jack dropped the bomb. Seeing Juliet being dragged down the hole was a shock, even though she didn't really 'die' like everyone said.

Then we have the story of how Jacob fits into all of it. Glenn and I noticed that in everyone's flashback, Jacob helped everyone. Except in Sayid's, where he seemed responsible for the death of Nadia. Anyway, I was completely shocked that Locke and Ben actually killed Jacob, and Jacob went down as easy as he did. Though, knowing the Island, Jacob isn't dead. He'll survive somehow.

And here's a thought for you. 'What lies in the shadow of the statue' is a latin phrase, meaning 'He who will protect/save us all'.

HOUSE: BOTH SIDES NOW

Finally, House doesn't get shot at! But bloody hell it was a huge shock. It was the aftermath of the night before. Cuddy helps House with his Vicodin addiction, and as a result House doesn't see Amber anymore. House and Cuddy get down and dirty, and House is infatuated with her. Seeking Wilson for help, he agrees that annoying Cuddy will make her realise she likes him. The catch... House fabricated the entire thing. Cuddy didn't help House, and he was taking Vicodin the entire time. Seeing Amber again after the realisation, and then seeing Cutner, he tells Cuddy, who then admits him into a mental institution. It should be an interesting season next season...

SUPERNATURAL: LUCIFER RISING

A huge finale. You have no idea how happy I am that Ruby is dead. I'm annoyed that they replaced the actress... Someone who had developed into a character you love to hate, and then hand the character down to an actress who can barely act. And that whole "I'm awesome!" speech just made me want to kill her. Anyways, onto the real finale. Sam kills Lillith which turns out to be the final seal, and lucifer supposedly rises. We better see him. It better not be a cop-out like not seeing Dean in Hell, even though Dean talking about it is just as shuddering. I'm not really surprised Casstiel helped Dean in the end. Hopefully next season is all about going against Heaven, considering the Angels seemed like dicks who only cared about themselves. And I hope this is the end of Sam drinking Demon blood. I was never a real fan of that storyline...

HEROES: AN INVISIBLE THREAD

An alright episode, even for Heroes. Nathan is dead, and they made Sylar remain in Nathan's form while killing off the real shapeshifter who was in Sylar's image to prove that Sylar is dead. A bit of a mouthful, but next season, one of the two actors will disappear, and considering how popular Star Trek is, I would imagine it would be Zachary Quinto. So, after getting a hint of President Worf at the start of the season, we finally got to see him! Even though it wasn't real President Worf, but that doesn't matter. And of course, we have Tracy/Barbara at the start of Volume 5. I'm willing to bet its Tracy in water form. Considering Nicky and Tracy had two completely different powers, I doubt Tracy and Barbara would have similar powers.

MY NAME IS EARL: DODGE'S DAD

The story about Dodge's real dad. From not being Earl to being Earl (which was no surprise), to Crabman realising he's not the dad of Earl Jr (which came as a surpise). Now this show has gone to full-on trailer park hick America (granted, what is percieved in the many TV shows). And is it me, or has Earl not done a list item in ages?!

--

Next blog, I'll have How I Met Your Mother!!

Peace out

Rach xx

...Yep. 5 weeks have gone by. About the time I posted my last blog, things got busy. Real busy. I had an oral presentation to give on my project, I spent a month fixing it and presenting it, until the day before I had a panic attack. I've never had a panic attack but I couldn't breathe and was continuously crying for about half an hour. The pressure of Honours, my project and the presentation got to me. I presented it the next day without any troubles. Then I was focusing on my Literature Review, where I had to read 100+ journals pertaining to my research. A 7,000 word literature review. After my first draft, I had 5,400 words and was freaking out. I handed in my first draft today, and have 6,200 words. I'll probably add another 500 words tomorrow, bringing it to a reasonable length to hand in on friday. I've double-spaced the review, and including a chapter page, references and figures, its sitting on 28 pages.

--

So what have I done since my last blog? I turned 21, I graduated, went to Queensland to attend a wedding, saw Wolverine and Star Trek, watched the Battlestar finale (again) and the Caprica pilot and a heap of little things.

So starting right off, here is my Watchmen review:

As a movie, it was fantastic. Compared to the comic, it doesn't compare. Zac Snyder did a fantastic job adapting the comic into movie form, and kept the most brilliant lines in the movie. However it was the ending. Granted, I understand the reasons for the changes, and that its a bit more relevant in the movie to set up a movie, but honestly, they didn't need to put the blame on who they did. Having said that, if you haven't seen it, do. It is a good, enjoyable movie.

And now my Battlestar finale review:

I was planning on doing a whole episode count-down, but I can't remember most of it, and I don't have the time to watch it. So, in terms of the final episode, I thought it was one of the best episodes ever. I loved the build-up to Six and Baltar finding Hera, I loved that Cavill killed himself, seeing it as the easy option out. I thought them ditching technology was a bit weird, but overall understandable. I cried when Roslin died, and knew that Kara wasn't real. I actually loved the bit at the end on Earth in the future with the advances in Robotics, as I am a firm believer that robots will rise against us.

Wolverine:

I was excited about this movie, but the week it was released I wasn't enthusiastic about it. And that's probably why I enjoyed it. People claim that it had no story. It did have a story. You see Logan progress from a gentle man to a vengeful man. I loved Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth. He looked so butchy in comparison to what he looks like normally. But Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool was the best. Deadpool is probably the only awesome X-Men villan, and I'm glad they brought him to the screen. It was better than X3 (although some say that X2 was the worse one) and an overall enjoyable movie.

Star Trek:

Definitely, hands down, best Star Trek movie. The actors done a fantastic job in channeling the characters, especially Karl Urban as Bones. His performance was the absolute best, mimicing mannerisms and even the voice and style of talking. The other actors were also good, but I didn't enjoy John Cho as Sulu as much. I never did like the idea of John Cho as Sulu, but it wasn't the worst casting decision ever. Eric Bana as Nero was fantastic, and was easily one of the best villains since Kahn. I'm glad that they worked the movie the way they did. They haven't ruined what's already been done, and they have the ability to continue with this crew. Its a good movie, and one even non-Trek fans will enjoy.

And I think that's it. I'll be back sometime. I don't want to say soon, because last blog I said I would be back the following week, and it was 2 months. Having said that, my lit review is due on friday, and that's all the coursework until I start the thesis.

Peace Out

~Rach xx

Below is an open letter to the bacterial community:

Bacteria,

There was a time where I liked you. Where you were fun to play with in the lab. Where you and I co-existed to bring paranoia down on a certain sister. But very recently, you've been jeapordizing my work. Its just not cool to play in my media with my other cells. Just because I'm spending more time with them and not you doesn't give you the opportunity to take over, eat all the nutrients and render my cells unworkable so I have to throw them out.

Please stop this, and I promise I'll play with you more.

Thanks,

Rach.

--

So, I've been very busy with uni. Not only do I have a 7,000 word essay and oral presentation due by may, I have a 3000 word essay and four 1000 word essays to throw in there. Think that sounds bad? This 7000 word essay needs 100+ refernces from scientific journals, where the average page length is 13 pages. I so far have 17 journals that are of use to me. Its annoying

--

TV:

Heroes - Better than last season, but still could be better. I had a striking thought yesterday... We don't know who Rebel is. Perhaps its the President? Why else wouldn't they show his face?

Supernatural - The episodes are getting better and better. Especially the most recen episode. Sam's choice of 'drink' was disgusting, and couldn't see it coming at all. I am willing to bet that Casstiel will recruit Sam to rid of the Demons, since it was Uriel who had the issue with him in the first place...

Lost - Finally back on track, while still confusing as all hell. I want to know why Sun, Ben and Locke didn't end up with Hurley, Jack, Kate and Sayid.

Battlestar - Seen the third last episode only. Waiting to see the two-parter finale, which I'll finally see on Wednesday. Can't wait, cause then I can work on my fanvid . I haven't been this excited about a fanvid since my first one, which is the better of the two I've done.

My Name Is Earl - They've hit a plateau - the episodes are the same level of funniness. While its a good thing, its sort of boring...

How I Met Your Mother - Less Robin, more Marshall. That'll make it more better.

--

Next blog will be a big BATTLESTAR blog. Hopefully next week sometime

--

Peace out

~Rach xx

Hello all!

Its been a while, but I finally have time to blog! Being at Uni 9 - 5 monday to friday is such a shock to my system. Its exactly like a full-time job, but I'm not getting paid for it. As long as I do my lab work, I'm fine to leave when I want, but leaving before 5 makes me feel guilty . I'm in the lab a lot more now, and I'm doing my own work. I get my official results next week. The three weeks I've been there has been preparing for the results, and the work and results I did today was practice so I could understand it next week.

Anyways, on to the blog topics!

Glenn and I ended up seeing Zack and Miri.

It was a funny movie. Wouldn't be everyone's cup-of-tea, but if you're into crude humour, you'll love it. Its got its fair share of nudity - both female and male - but ultimately has a nice ending. Though there was one scene that was so grotty you can't help to burst out laughing

3.5/5.

--

So, onto Unearth and In Flames. They were the support acts for Lamb of God, though we didn't stick around for them. Only reason being they came on stage at 11:20pm, were scheduled to finish at 12:30am, and the last train out of the city left at 12:05am. I had to be in Geelong at 9am that morning and waiting for a taxi would have taken a while (possibly 1+ hours). It was just too early in the morning. However it wasn't much of a loss, because Lamb of God were part of the Soundwave festival, so we just saw them then.

Unearth:

I haven't really heard much Unearth, but they're not that bad live. I couldn't tell you the names of any songs they played, but they were charismatic. I'll tell you about the circle pit, but first I have to tell you about the venue: It was a nightclub with a smallish dance floor, two steps at the end of the dancefloor that leads to the bars. Glenn and I were standing on the top of those stairs, and people were packed right up to the steps. So, when they got the circle pit going, everyone had to move back so the people on the floor had formed a circle. Everyone started running around, but someone either got pushed or fell right where Glenn and I were standing. But we had more people in front of us. So when the person fell or was pushed, it caused the person the knocked to fall, which caused the people behind them to fall, and they fell onto Glenn and I, who luckily didn't fall. We got pushed back into the people behind us, who all were holding expensive drinks - a cup of beer was $5.50, and they had Bourbon and Cola. Those drinks fell right down my back and hair. The drink was dripping from my hair, and I smelled like alcohol for the rest of the night - not that fun .

Other than that, one of the guitarists (specifically the one second from the left) kept spitting on stage, and even snot-rocketed. A very grotty guy

In Flames:

The band Glenn and I wanted to see. They were fantastic live. They played old and new songs, and all were fantastic. The best song of course was Take This Life, which they performed at both this concert and at Soundwave. But thankfully they played different songs at both concerts. I would upload a video from the concert, but they're all crap. Feel free to have a look though .

Soundwave:

Soundwave is an annual festival held here in Australia, and have alternative, emo, punk and metal bands. This year they had a HUGE metal lineup, and the bands Glenn and I were interested in seeing were Lacuna Coil, DevilDriver, In Flames and Lamb of God.

Lacuna Coil

I've seen Lacuna Coil before, and they were just as good as they were last time. They are a very enjoyable band to watch and listen to. This time we got a treat, they performed a song on their new album. It was a really good song, actually

DevilDriver

The band Glenn and I were most looking forward to, and they did not disappoint. They played great songs like "Horn of Betrayel" and "Not All Who Wander Are Lost" and were the pnly band of the night to mention the Victorian bushfires and managed to quiten the crowd for 5 seconds as a mark of respect. They also dedicated the song "Clouds Over California" to us, because we needed the rain bad. I say needed, because its been raining heavy on and off all day . They also did the obligatory circle pit to "Meet the Wretched". It wasn't as epic as their show in 2007, but still good. Here's a link to the circle pit in 2007 , the concert I attended. I was standing on the far left, right behind everyone against the wall

Lamb of God

They were alright. We heard three songs, and decided to leave, only because we didn't want to fight with the 20,000 othe people who were there to get on the train. Anyways, the song I wanted to hear was "Walk With Me In Hell", their best song, which was the third song. It was awesomeness .

But the highlight of the night: As we were walking to the train platform, two guys thought it would be a fun idea to strip naked and make a mad dash to the train. Since they were outside the venue, they didn't get arrested or anything. They were screaming and carrying on... It was the funniest thing ever

--

And that's it

Check out this vid if you get bored

Peace out

~Rach xx

So, I'm now at Uni full time again. It was a bit of a shock really, because it was sudden. This time last week, I thought I would be in on Tuesday only. Next thing I know, I'm there from 9am until whenever I can leave, for the next 8 months.

So what am I doing this year? Well, that'll be Honours. To be vague, I am working with Chemists on campus who are trying to design a new drug that will help against type 2 diabetes without the nasty side effects the other drugs have. It is my job to test the compound in question and see if there is a response to the drug on fat cells. If it works, I have to run 5 other tests, and if it passes, we're allowed to start animal tests.

I'm excited to get started in the lab. I do initial work in the lab tomorrow. Between tuesday and now, I've done nothing but read and have several tours of the building. Tomorrow should be good.

--

Another reason why tomorrow is good: Its Glenn and mine's three year anniversary. We're going to dinner and seeing a movie. We're undecided on My Bloody Valentine in 3D or Zack and Miri Make A Porno. Although it'll come down to what time I get into the Eastern Suburbs from Geelong, which is dependent on what time I finish.

--

So, you may have noticed I have a new emblem. Its a picture of a hamburger with a question mark. On the Australian site, there is a quiz called the Weekend Grill. I participated and got all the answers correct first!! Yay for me

--

So, I haven't been talking about TV all that much. I haven't really had the time to blog about it, but Battlestar is just mind-blowing! I can't wait for the rest, and as soon as the series is over, I'll have a big Battlestar blog. I also have an awesome idea for a Battlestar fanvid, using Slipknot's song Vermilion. But I want to wait untl the end of the series, incase there are more clips I can use

--

Anwyays, this signifies bed time. I'm currently reading Watchmen, before the movie comes out. I don't have very long

Peace out

Rach xx

So, I'm back from my holiday and blogging finally. I have some piccies and a few stories to share. So sit back for one of my longest blogs ever!

Glenn and I flew up to Queensland on the 24th January. Brisbane was having a ridiculously and un-naturally hot and humid day, with humidity sitting at 97%. It was hot and sticky. Sitting in the shade, it was hot and sticky. Walking through the open section of the shopping centre, it was hot and sticky. It was awful, and nothing I've ever experienced here in Melbourne. And staying with family, who didn't have air-conditioning was just awful to sleep in.

On the second day, we drove from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast. Rain had hit during the morning, so the humidity slowly started to disappear after it finished. It was better up on the Sunshine Coast. We could go to the beach, which is what we did as soon as we got there. Sunday was rather uneventful.

Here is our hotel-room:

The pool:

The view:

On Monday, Australia Day, we went to the local aquarium - Underwater World. It was the best aquarium I've been to (Granted, I've only been to Melbourne Aquarium - not that its a bad aquarium). We got to see seals, otters, sharks, stingrays, turtles and various fish. But the highlight of the day was the two seal shows. We got to see a couple seal tricks and the audience just loved them. I love seals. Although, penguins are my favourite animal

Porsha the seal:

Groucho the seal:

Underbelly of a sting-ray:

A shark:

A turtle:

An otter with some food:

On Tuesday, we went to Fraser Island. If there is something you have to do while in Queensland, its go to Fraser Island. Its the World's largest sand island, and the only place with pure-bred Dingoes. Here are a few pictures, so you can look at its awesomeness.

This was our tour bus:

And some of the local wildlife:

Lake McKenzie - A fresh water lake on Fraser:

And the rainforest on Fraser:

On Wednesday we did a bit of shopping at the local shopping centres. Picked up a few DVDs and pressies for the family.

Thursday and Friday were our rest days. We stayed indoors and went to the beach and pool. Lets just say that the beach at low and high tides were nasty. The waves easily cleared 1.5 metres, and they were unpredictable. Although I found them less unpredictable at low tide than at high tide. Still heaps of fun though.

On Saturday, we were picked up from the hotel in the morning, and headed more north to stay with Glenn's Aunt. It was a very interesting day. Guitar Hero in a room with no air-con, followed by a crappy movie (The Sin Eater) in the only airconditioned room, and in bed by about 9:30. Now, we weren't in a bedroom. We were in a spare room, which could double for a study. It was wide open. So, when Glenn's cousin came home at 11pm with his mates laughing and talking loudly, while watching a rap competiton for three hours, its enough to ruin the end of the holiday. They eventually all crash on the couch and we continue sleeping. Until someone wakes up at 6:30am, waking me up. Luckily one of the guys who crashed on the couch was funny, so he made up for the crap night .

Sunday again, it was time to fly back home. And that was our holiday. Nice, relaxing, and I picked up a nice tan

On our last day - You can see the height difference

--

So, here's a photo update of Baby James. For those who may not know, James is my nephew. He's now 5 months

--

Now, I know for a fact that the Victorian Bushfires are International news. Something not known by many is that Melbourne is the capital of Victoria, and yours truly lives in Melbourne. I don't live anywhere near where these bushfires, but some of the towns that have been destroyed, I have been to. Most notably, Marysville. I've been to Marysville a couple of times, and to think that it no longer exists is sickening.

Saturday was the day it all happened. We had temperatures of 46 degrees celcius with very hot strong winds. It was the hottest day on record for Melbourne, and the hottest place on Earth on that day. By 2pm, the smoke from the fires were evident in Melbourne. The sky was a slight brown colour, and the smell of smoke was in the air. All we could do was wait, watch and pray that this fire could be controlled with minimal loss of homes, businesses and lives. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. As I mentioned earlier, Marysville is no longer there, and is being treated as a crime scene.

Images of burned out homes and cars filled our screens on Sunday and today. News reports stating people died in their cars while trying to escape, and people died while trying to save their homes only angered the general public moreso, after learning that this could be the work of arsonists.

Right now, the death toll stands at 135 people dead. Police, fire authorities and politicians have all warned that the toll is likely to increase. At this moment, the bushfires are still raging on, and now that the winds have picked up, the firefighters have lost control of fires and are heading towards new townships in Northern Victoria.

So all the rest of Victoria, Australia and the World can do is pray that these fires can be contained before more towns are destroyed.

And if you're interested, here are some pictures and articles of the bushfires.

Be safe

~Rach xx

So on Saturday, Glenn and I are off to Queensland in Australia's North-East for a week. We're staying on the Sushine Coast, right on the beach. So we'll have heaps of piccies up and going next blog.

Last blog's caption is still up and running. Here's a refresher:

And here is Oceanic6's submission:

Dean: Baldwin again? Come on!

Just a reminder that this round is still up and running for people interested. It will be up until next blog, so another two weeks

Peace Out!

xx

~Rach

So, between my last blog and now, I have become obsessed with How I Met Your Mother. I have watched all of seasons one and two, and have started season three, hoping to have it done by the end of the week so I can start season 4 by the weekend.

I can't believe how brilliant the show is. I haven't laughed out loud during a TV show in so long. I love that the show is one big flashback, and that it just jumps to random times throughout their history. But most of all, I love the characters. Well, all except Robin - There's something about Robin that annoys me, and any episode focusing around her, especially after her dating Ted, I just don't care about.

So yeah, Ted is funny, Marshall is brilliant, Lilly is adorable and Barney is legend-wait for it-ary!!

Can't wait to see the rest!

--

STARGATE ATLANTIS - 5.19 & 5.20 - VEGAS AND ENEMY AT THE GATE

So, the last two episodes of Atlantis ever. Starting with Vegas, it started off like a really bad CSI episode, down to the fact that it was set in Las Vegas and Sheppard was investigating a murder, with the cheesy bad CGI events that happened in the body of the victim at the time of death. Through the episode we find out that a Wraith is behind the attacks, and is trying to sabotage Earth's defences and send a message through to the Wraith of alternate realities containing the location of Earth and the location of its main defences. Believe it or not, I enjoyed this episode. It was such a different episode to the rest, and had the most awesome soundtrack - Marilyn Manson, The Rolling Stones AND Johnny Cash... It was just way too cool!

And this brings us to Enemy At The Gate. Not as intense as I was hoping (I wanted a full-on ground assault with people being Wraithified and heaps of death) but it was still an alright episode. For a show that was fairly family friendly to begin with, it did play on the "happy ending" theme. I do kind of wish Ronon stayed dead, and I do kind of wish Sheppard nuked the Wraith ship with himself on board, but of course that would not have happened. Atlantis saving the day... Well, you can't exactly have a show starting with Atlantis on Earth, then never have it end with Atlantis returning. I just hope that when the Atlantis movies come along that Atlantis returns to the Pegasus Galaxy.

Overall, a good conclusion to the series. It could have been so much more lame (Although the Wraith reviving Ronon and healing his wound was ridiculous. The Wraith should have kept him on the verge of death. But then, Ronon would have died, and God forbid that one of the main cast die.

--

CAPTION COMPETITION

Casstiel: I didn't know it was casual Fight Days.

By Shaunie!! And a great first attempt by Oceanic6!!

--

Next cap:

Sam and Dean from Wishful Thinking.

--

Video of the Blog:

Almost Transformers by Aussie comedic duo Merrick and Rosso. Brilliant clip

--

I'm glad I copied this blog before submitting. Thanks to another glitch it didn't submit!

--

Enjoy