Cats

Whats cute? And adorable? And so cute? And so adorable? Cats of course! They say there are cat people and there are dog people. I would say that this is sort of true because I happen to be a cat addict while not so fond of dogs. I prefer dogs who do not bark, are very small and are fluffy. Pretty much a cat. Only once so far in my short life have I had a bad cat experience. I was wearing a favorite t-shirt of mine and the cat put a small hole it in. I was sad but somehow I managed to keep my love of the particular cat going strong. My favorite famous cat would have to be the spaghetti cat. The spaghetti cat was used to censor a segment on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet that no one watches. After that The Soup host, Joel McHale, had a blast with spaghetti cat. Here is the clip in case you have not seen it yet. And in case you are curious about the mystery of the cat here is a video to clear up your questions. There is also a wonderful article on wikihow about how to hug a cat. Not that some of us need any help but it is useful for those who have no cat hugging talents. Cats are also adorable when they flush toilets as seen in this youtube gem. Cats make great presents for girls who write blogs too!

-A

Surprise Parties

Everyone loves parties, and most people love surprises, so it's no wonder that America's pastime is having surprise parties! Well that's not America's pastime at all but it should be because it's one of the most fun activities in the whole wide world. Some good ingredients for a surprise party are lots of people, good music, presents, food, a campfire....similar ingredients to throwing a regular party but then you add someone to surprise! It's especially fun when the suprisee is really clueless, no matter how many times someone almost spilt the beans. Recently, I threw a surprise party when my best friend "Schmarah" moved to "Schmolorado" and even though the co-hosts mom mentioned mailing invitations several times in front of Schmarah, she didn't catch on. In fact, even when we were pushing her into a crowd of 25 people yelling "Surprise!" she still didnt catch on. It also helps if the Surprisee may be turning 16 but is 7 at heart, like in the instance of the party my friend "Shiyad" threw for his girlfriend "Zelby."
Suprise parties are also great for having parties and not being responsible for dealing with the people who are hurt because they didn't get invited; afterall, the guest list IS for someone else and you could jsut say THEY wouldn't want you there!
If you've never been to or thrown a surprise party yourself, I highly suggest you volunteer to have one the next friend having a birthday. If you don't have friends you can throw one for your cat.



-K

Passing Notes

Back in middles school a popular pastime was passing notes. Recently I have returned to this tradition and found myself happier than I have ever been. Passing notes has been replaced by texting in class but I find it is more rewarding to sneak notes around. Notes are better than texts because 1. you can draw pictures on them and 2. you can fold them. Need more reasons? It's like getting a letter! Which is awesome! Also when you write a note you don't have to mess with t9 which currently has made up words no one would use ever instead of common ones on my phone. Being secretive is the most important thing about passing notes, especially if they are scandalous. In an unmentioned class I sit in the front of the room while the person I wish to communicate with (lets just called her "Sydney") is sitting in the back. There is a tissue box in front of my desk so "Sydney" comes up to the front of the room and takes a tissue and slips me a note. Then she blows her nose and sits down. I reply to the note then I take a tissue and walk to the back of the room to the trash can. "Sydney" is convieniently seating right near it so no one has any idea what we are up to. Execpt for anyone who isn't blind. Passing notes brings me back to the day when we listened to cassette tapes and wore cut off t-shirts. Oh the memories.

-A

Temporary Tattoos

Unicorns! HotWheels! Pokemon! Ed Hardy! Dinosaurs!
So many choices, but what to choose? I guess we'll have to settle for....all of them!
Temporary tattoos simply have to be the greatest invention in the world. Put them anywhere, and make a statement to the world! But don't worry, they come off so in a week or so you can make another statement! Maybe one week you're feeling like a pretty princess so you put a nice pink flower on your face, but then the next week you're feeling like a NASCAR racer so you put some flames on your bicep....the options are limitless! Not only that, but they're easy to apply (you can follow these simple instructions on wikiHow)
It has become clear to me over the years that your temporary tattoo collection directly correlates to your social status as well, so if you wanna be the coolest kid on the block you'll start saving up!

Neat idea: Advertising! If you run a business and you feel like getting it out to the world, what better way to do it then by designing and printing your own temporary tattoos and distrubuting them at conventions? Better than a stupid pen or coffee mug...



-K

Cereal

Breakfast is often skipped by teenagers despite being the most important meal. Every single day for as long as I can remember I have eaten cereal for breakfast, except on some weekends when I have pancakes or just forget. Cereal is like my coffee. People know not to mess with me until I have had my cereal. The greatest cereal ever is Whole Grain Chocolatey-filled Cereal Bites from Trader Joe's. I eat them plain and with milk. The chocolate explosion in the middle makes it so special. I also enjoy lucky charms but I only get them when I am sick. Last time I got them my mom ended up eating them all because I wasn't hungry ever. Now I really want some Lucky Charms. But really cereal is the greatest food. There are many other uses for it besides eating too! When someone comes to your door try pouring a box of fruit loops on them. Or make a cheerio necklace! I can say from personal experiance that they are useful, stylish, and easy to make! Cereal is also easy to cast spells on. When I need to practice any spell I just pull out a box of cereal so I make sure I get it right before using it on humans. Safety first. Cereal on TV: In Gilmore Girls, Lorelai eats rice crispies and adds marshmallows. It is one of the most delcious cereal recipies.

-A

The Muppets

There are few things that can be appreciated from your childhood all the way through your adult life. The Muppets are a prime example of one of those things. The Muppets contain fun for all ages, on every occasion! From the Muppets Take Manhattan, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Treasure Island....you name it, it's an adventure that's been made into a Muppet movie! One of my favourites happen to be the Muppets Christmas Carol, starring all the best Muppets and none other then English national treasure, Michael Caine (incidentally the only English person my bigoted, bitter, Irish grandmother can tolerate) ! The Muppets provide fun family time and also make good themes for wild parties! ** Be careful of people who don't appreciate the Muppets, these people are BAD COMPANY. They will whinge through the ENTIRE PARTY and tell you they didn't have fun, but expect to be invited back! Anywho, if you're not a fan of the Muppets, it's not too late! Just run to your local video store and check in the AWESOME section, it'll be there under M...M for Muppets...anyway rent it and pop that bad boy into your VCR and enjoy a night filled with laughter, tears, singing, dancing, and your new best friends!


** visit wikiHow for information about throwing good parties, but be careful of bad company!


-K

Princes Unicorn

Some may wonder how you could combine three things that could possibly be too incredible for words into one package. The Princess Unicorn doll is just that. It is a doll, a unicorn, and a princess. Her father was the king of the unicorns and her mother was the queen of the princesses, says the legend. This doll may seem familiar because it does not exsist in the real world. It was recently featured in an episode of the office. Much to my dismay currnetly there is no way to order the doll so you can enjoy the magic. However you can still get a t-shirt with a gorgeous picture of the beloved princess. My favorite part of Princess Unicorn is that her horn can pierce the sky. How often can you find anyone that can do that? Never, until now that is. If these dolls are ever made avaliable to the public and you want to buy me one I will not protest. In the words of the princess herself, "Thanks everyone for loving me. xoxoxo"

-A

Noel Fielding

I WANNA LEAP ONTO YOU AND SUCKLE YOUR HEAD LIKE LOLLIPOPS....
This line starts the bit of a stand-up comedian at the Montreal Comedy Festival.
Noel Fielding is the name of this indie-comic genious from Westminster who's psychedelic brand of humour has won him success in several comedy series and in stand-up. Noel's stand-up skits often brush over controversial topics such as being a smoke alarm without any batteries, an old Russian woman with her arm caught in a loom, adults' inability to say the word "oblong", Weetabix hands, the rodeo, funky horses, and much much more. He also cowrites, coproduces, and stars as Vince Noir in the show the Mighty Boosh, which is about him and his best friend Howard Moon and their wild adventures. He is the inventor of the art of Crimping, in which two people make up a a rap or a song on the spot and in sync. You may encounter many strange experiences while watcing the Mighty Boosh, and meet oddities such a Naboo the Enigma, Bollo, Rudi van DiSarzio, Old Gregg, Tony Harrison, and other diverse characters. He also appeared with Russell Brand on the annual BBC Christmas special pop show, The Big Fat Quiz of the Year.
If you understand English humour then you will love the mod, funky style of the brilliant Noel Fielding.
Genious shins, mate, where'd you get them?



-K

wikiHow

I am using wikihow as I type this blog. For anyone who doesn't know what wikiHow is, it is wikipedia but for finding out how to do stuff. It can be as complex as getting an escaped house cat to come home or as simple as treating a sprain on a dog. If you ever have any question this website is sure to come up with a clever way to help you. It knows just about anything you need. For example, I have always wondered how to let my Leopard Gecko roam and now I do. I just had to cover all the cracks and holes he could get into and not let him roam permanately! It's that simple! How would I have known that without the assistance of wikihow. Another useful thing I learned was how to make a spectacular paper hat. It's not just a regular pirate hat. It's a pope hat! This website made me a more informed person even though I just found it yesterday. By clicking the random article button I found more meaning in my life than ever before. Thank you wikihow for making me prepared for any situation.

-A

Natural Confectionery Co.

An orange jelly snake is sitting on a white table describing his all natural colours and flavours when--
BRING ON THE TRUMPETS!
A red bear sitting on a pile of books interrupts the snakes, repeating BRING ON THE TRUMPETS several times. The snake expresses his confusion of why the bear is saying this and eventually stops talking. The bear laughs maniacally, and shouts another TRUMPETS.
This is the basic plot of one of the adverts in the most brilliant line of adverts ever: The Natural Confectionery Company.
TNCC, which makes a line of jelly products, lollies, and sweet soft drinks, puts out a line of completely random advertisements starring their jelly characters, such as the snake, a sour bear, a dinosaur, and some pineapples. The plots of these have little to do with promoting the sweets, but they're so adorable, how could you not just want to buy them all? They characters often have personalities, such as the soft-natured snake, the posh dinosuar, the dinosaur drill sargeant, and the aggressive bear. My personal favourite is the posh dinosaur.
Seriously though, these are the best things ever. I was also fortunate enough to have a red jelly snake brought to me by a football coach from Farnsborough, and it was rather tasty.
Here is a good sampling of some of the best ones put out by TNCC, for your viewing pleasure.
Enjoy!



-K

Bagels

What is delicious, easy, filling and wearable as a ring you ask? A bagel of course. Now now I understand why you might think it was a doughnut, but really would you want to put a doughnut on your finger and waste all the delicious frosting and glaze? Bagels have always been a part of my life. When I was young we would get a huge pack of toilet paper and I would scoot around the hall on it while I ate a bagel. Recently my favorite bagels are some Pepperidge Farm Fruit and Grain Bagels. The combination of fruit and grain makes me want to sing while I eat it, in fact I do sing when I eat them! They are perfect with cream cheese but then again, what bagel isn't perfect with cream cheese. I would have to say that the most classic bagel is with lox and cream cheese. Lox and cream cheese are a perfect match and putting them on a bagel makes them that much better. I lightly toast my bagels, so lightly you can't see that they have been toasted but just enough that they are hot with a slight crisp on the surface. Honestly, bagels are one of my all time favorite foods. I wish to become a bagel maker when I grow old. My bagel shop will be the finest in the land. I hope this post made you hungry for a bagel.

A's Signature Bagel- Try putting Nutella on a bagel, then peeps (or just plain marshmallows will do) then put some animal crackers on it! It's almost as delicious as choir boys.

K recomends panera's mocha chip bagel with hazelnut cream cheese!

-A

The Office

In 2001, in a small town in Berkshire, England, Ricky Gervais put his excellent brand of dry humour to work and created a show that has created a sensation that swept through the UK: The Office. This show is about....an office. Casting himself as the main role, David Brent, he also tastefully filled the other roles with some of Britain's great comediens, such as, Martin Freeman and Mackenzie Crook. Word quickly spread about the brilliance of this show which created humour through long awkward pauses, faux pas by Brent, and the slightly off character Garreth Keith (Mackenzie); those who said it was "overrated" will admit to have seen only one episode, and after seeing a few more, they will fall in love.
Then, in 2005, Gervais adapted The Office to an American version set in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the show quickly gained a following, starring Steve Carrell as Michael Scott (the boss). The humour is slightly less dry, and Michael Scott is less of a dirtbag than his parallel, David Brent, but it is in as many ways as good as the original.
I was not one of the original people in love with the Office. I got into it after it had already been around for about 2 and a half seasons, but I quickly caught up, caught on, and fell in love with the show. I can't tell which version I like better, the UK or the US, but I can say that it is one of the few shows where the American version is just as good. If you don't watch The Office, I really suggest you start, and I'm not someone who watches a lot of TV; this is really a rare brand of entertainment.

A says, "My favourite part of last night's episode was when Toby says 'Asbestos is the silent killer' and Michael replies'...you are the silent killer'* "
*If you don't watch the office, this won't make sense to you, but if you do you'll appreciate it!


-K

Pen Pals

I know I say everything I write about here is my favorite thing ever but this is really something that keeps me happy! My pen pal. She only lives about an hour and a half away but that is still too far to see each other enough. True there are more modern things like facebook and email, which we still use to keep in touch with, but nothing beats the joy of receiving something personal in the mail. Every time I get a new letter I shout "Victory" and run in circles. Something about mail just makes me happier than seeing a new email in my inbox or a red box on my facebook. It takes about a week or two to write a letter. We detail each day, what we did, who we spoke to, and everything in between. The pages are covered with crayon drawings. I write every night no matter how late it is or how tired I am. It's worth the late nights because you know there will be a letter in your mailbox back in a few weeks. Our letters are often 10 pages front and back or more and reading them only takes a few minutes despite the hours put into writing it. It's easy to have a pen pal. It could be a friend that lives far away or your next door neighbor. Now I wish I had a friend living next door so I could write to them. If you have no friends to write to try writing to yourself. Send the letter out like a normal letter so you can still experience the thrill of getting mail. Once I sent myself a good luck card before an audition and I did very well at the audition so what could be wrong with sending mail to yourself? Confucious once said, "Get yourself a pen pal and you will find infinate happiness." He could not have been more correct.

-A

Teavana

When you enter the food court in our local mall you are immediately hit with a thousand different smells and flavours. However those are not the smells that entice me; I keep walking through the food court to the shop just outside it: Teavana. Entering Teavana is like entering a sauna of dizzyingly delicious aromas. There are many different samples of teas for you to try that are hot, cold, energizing, relaxing, decaf, highly caffeinated, decorative, cancer-preventing-and all together DELICIOUS- in a variety of price ranges. The last time I visited, there were two tea samples at the doorway-- One some Jasmine Oolong something that was pretty tasty, with a low caffeine level (5% that of coffee), but the other was called Rooibos Chai and was probably one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted. It also had a whole slew of benefits like antioxidants, curbing your appetite, and as much caffeine as coffee (a plus for me, a caffeine addict...). There was also a blend of iced tea that had some sort of blueberry flavour that was quite refreshing. The only downside is that the sales people can be a little aggressive and after you've grabbed a few samples you might wanna high tail it outta there before they make you waft every can of tea in stock. However if they offer to show you the tea blossom, let them! It's an awesome little bulb of tea leaves that blooms when you put it in hot water, making delicious tea AND a lovely display. I highly recommend stopping by your nearest Teavana if you are a tea drinker (or even if you aren't, you will become one!)


-K


*Fun Fact: The last time I went, there was a charming young man who worked there who wasn't quite as pushy as the other sales people. He was just refilling the sample-cup holders while we drank cup after cup of free tea. I told him I liked Argyl sweater and he said his friends told him he was starting to dress like a lesbian. He was delightful.

Apples to Apples

A game where you match nouns to adjectives dull you say? Well that is where you are wrong. Apples to Apples is possibly the most addicting and fun game ever. If played right this game will induce side splitting laughter. Here are some rules and tips for maximum fun while playing.
1. Make sure the people you are playing with are fun. If there are any dull people in your circle get rid of them at any cost.
2. ALWAYS match crunchy or chunky with something relating to the police. I don't know where that rule came from but it's a good one.
3. Don't try to convince the judge to pick your card. That is just annoying. If you can't win without doing this why even bother playing.
You don't have to do any of this but I happen to be a seasoned Apples to Apples veteran so I know what I'm talking about. Another fun thing about Apples to Apples, other than the entire game just being fun, is that there are several different versions. You can get the party crate (as see above), several expansion packs, a Yiddish edition, Jewish edition, Bible edition, Junior., and Junior 9+. For a bit more scandal in your games you can use this template to create your own cards. You really could make them anything you want but I find that this game could always use more scandal. The picture above demonstrates some appropriate matches including the most memorable from a recent game during band class; Delicious Choir Boys. Naturally it won the round because really, can you think of something more delicious than choir boys? If you haven't played this game yet, you must play it as soon as possible because your life will never be the same. Trust me.

-A

Nevermind the Buzzcocks

It's Wednesday night. You're bored as shite. You're flipping through the channels and you reach BBC2. The familiar voice of a cheeky gay jewish man rings in your ears. You smile and settle on this channel...you're watching Nevermind the Buzzcocks. An endlessly funny and irreverent pop quiz show, Nevermind the Buzzcocks has provided me with hours of entertainment. Every celebrity that you know and love, be they from a new wave indie band, a de funct 80s pop band, a popular sitcom, or your favourite tasteless reality show, has been on the show at one point or another. Simon Amstell, the host, is usually joined by permanent guests and team captains Phil Jupitus and Bill Bailey. Each team has two guests, and past guests have included stars like Noel Fielding, Amy Winehouse, Donny Tourette, Harry Judd, Preston, Rhys Darby, KT Tunstall, Germaine Greer, Mark Ronson, Kate Nash, Ryan Jarman, and many MANY more popular idols. I look forward to every knew episode to see which new celeb will be on the show. It's great to see which of them are good sports and will accept getting the piss taken outta them for 30 minutes, and which ones will storm off in a fit (*cough Preston cough*) If you enjoy pop culture and a good laugh then you will definitely love this quiz show!

A says, "I look forward to watching it after hearing such rave reviews!"

-K

*Fun Fact: Russell Brand starred as a guest host in a recent episode, but because of a scandal involving a prank call made on his radio show, the BBC has postponed its airing.