101 in 1001: Watch 20 Short Films (1-10)

Over the past few months I've been watching lots of films that are under 40 minutes long for the 101 in 1001 goal:

• 069. Watch 20 short films.

My watching choices were decided by keyword searches, intriguing looking thumbnails, random related finds, and just arbitrarily choosing things on a whim. Hopefully that means that I haven't ended up with twenty films that are all the same. Thanks goes to my friend Kei for linking me to the My French Film Festival site, where I watched all of the French shorts. And with that, in no particular order, here are the first ten films:

Short film 'Teaspoon'

Title: Teaspoon (2015)

Director: Aban Bharucha Deohans

Language: Hindi

Genre: Family drama, drama

Runtime: 20 minutes

Plot: Kavita, husband Rajiv and his father, live together in an apartment. Kavita works from home as a cosmetics company representative and takes care of Rajiv's elderly, disabled father, whilst Rajiv travels a lot for his work. Due to her father-in-law, Kavita can rarely leave the house, as he cannot be left alone. When her father-in-law wants something, he has a habit of frequently tapping a teaspoon loudly, even if it's often just to complain or to have attention, rather than because actually needing anything. He never does it when Rajiv is home, and so Kavita's husband cannot understand her frustration.  Due to this, the couple have an argument over dinner one night, which leads the story to take a darker turn.

Thoughts: This is very much a story about the way in which stress, lack of understanding, feeling powerless/trapped, and isolation can lead someone to do something completely out of their nature, which they ultimately regret/feel guilty over. The characters and their relationships were well-developed, the plot made sense and it had a conclusion that was sad, but somehow inevitable. The acting was a little shaky/melodramatic at times, but overall it was a good film.

Short film 'Nu'

Title: Nu [Now] (2003)

Director: Simon Staho

Language: Swedish

Genre: Drama, experimental

Runtime: 29 minutes

Plot: A man and a woman meet in early 1960's and marry due to societal expectations. They have genuine affection for one another, but don't know how to interact, neither emotionally nor sexually, and they grow distant, even after having a child together. The husband meets another man and the two begin an affair. The wife is distraught, leading to distressing consequences.

Thoughts: The film is largely without dialogue, switches between the present (when they are much older) and the past, and has some experimental scenes. However, the plot is still very easy to understand and the film manages to convey emotion and interactions, even without dialogue. The acting is fairly solid and the cinematography is beautiful.

Short animation, 'World of Tomorrow'

Title: World of Tomorrow (2015)

Director: Don Hertzfeldt

Language: English

Genre: Sci-fi, drama, comedy, animation

Runtime: 17 minutes

Plot: A little girl is taken to her distant future, where a clone of herself gives her a tour of the "wonders" and technology of the time.

Thoughts: The animation style and Emily Prime's way of thinking/talking is simplistic, but effective. It contrasts well with the somewhat disturbing future world, being presented to a child not fully comprehending what is happening. The main character's voice actor was the director's four-year-old niece, who he recorded whilst she was playing, and built into the storyline. This means the dialogue is really natural and her responses to questions are exactly how a child that age would react. It brings comedy to an otherwise bleak view of things, which is very enjoyable.

'Belle à croquer', short film

Title: Belle à croquer [Delectable You] (2015)

Director: Axel Courtière

Language: French

Genre: Romance, comedy, surreal

Runtime: 15 minutes

Plot: Oscar Mongoût (play on words of "mon goût", French for "my taste") a gourmet cannibal, falls in love with his neighbour, Melle Carotte (Miss Carrot). However, when he finds out that she is a vegetarian, he becomes distressed as he has a phobia of vegetables. Miss Carrotte invites Oscar over for dinner one evening, and things take a dramatic turn.

Thoughts: The colourful cinematography and whimsical set design/costuming in this film are absolutely gorgeous! I suits the mood of the film well - bizarre, funny and quirky. Also, here is very little dialogue, but the feelings of the characters are made evident through facial expression, body language, and even use of music. It reminded me somewhat of old silent movies, but brought into glorious technicolour. Some of the themes in the film (semi-stalking, murder, cannibalism etc.) are actually quite dark, but the whole thing somehow manages to stay light-hearted and amusing.

'Ettertanke', short film

Title: Ettertanke [Afterthought] (20??)

Director: Axel Courtière

Language: Norwegian

Genre: Family drama, drama

Runtime: 7 minutes

Plot: Thomas struggles to reach out to his father, and to let go of a time long gone.

Thoughts: This is a very short film, but it manages to tell a fairly interesting story during that time. The pacing can seem a little slow at first, but it was necessary for character / situation establishing. For much of this film, it seems like Thomas is simply a discontent young man having problems with his family. However, during the last few minutes the truth is revealed and it completely changes all the scenes that have preceded it. 

'Uncanny Valley' short

Title: Uncanny Valley (2015)

Director: Federico Heller

Language: English

Genre: Sci-fi, dystopian

Runtime: 9 minutes

Plot: "In the slums of the future, virtual reality junkies satisfy their violent impulses in online entertainment. An expert player discovers that the line between games and reality is starting to fade away." (3DAR's Vimeo)

Thoughts: The documentary style interviews with the players are a clever way of exploring the problems with the future society and each person's motivations for entering the virtual world, without overtly including it the film. The idea of blurring the lines between reality and the games is done very well, as at the end you're left unsure which people/characters really existed and which were simply virtual constructs. The soundtrack sounded very much like an action game soundtrack in places, which also helped to set the mood of explored ideas.

Short film, 'Planet ∞'

Title: Planet ∞ (2017) [Alt. title: Planet Infinity]

Director: Momoko Seto

Language: N/A

Genre: Sci-fi, virtual reality, animation

Runtime: 7 minutes

Plot: "In a world in ruins, only fungi and mold grow among gigantic carcasses of dried-out insects. A meteorological change takes place as rain irrigates the barren planet, progressively flooding it. A new ecosystem grows in the water, in which giant carnivorous tadpoles thrive."

Thoughts: This was an interesting film to watch/experience. Throughout the various futuristic and fantastic environments you're able to move the camera around 360 degrees, enabling you to look at/focus on whatever you wish throughout. From giant fungi to ladybird rain to giant sea monsters, it's a fascinating world to explore and no two times watching it are the same.

'Ámame por siempre' short

Title: Please Love Me Forever (2016) 

Director: Holy Fatma

Language: French

Genre: Romance, fantasy, horror

Runtime: 27 minutes

Plot: Lili, a 14-year-old albino girl, lives alone with her mother Claudie, who keeps her from the outside world under the guise of protecting her (from the sun and other people). Claudie is image-obsessed and replaces the aging parts of her face frequently, in her operating lab. Lili is forbidden from leaving the house, but manages to befriend her neighbour Lyesse. Lili dreams of being with Lyesse forever, but her intense love scares him and he rejects her. Isolated from the world, with only her mother's twisted worldview to guide her, Lili's devastation over the rejection leads her to take drastic measures to find out why Lysse doesn't love her...

Thoughts: The visuals in this film are enchanting and it looks quite beautiful. It's a horror with a fairytale-esque feel and some touches of body horror thrown in for good measure. But it isn't overly graphic and really it's a story about a girl who just wants to be loved. Lysse is only 16, which explains his less than subtle reaction to Lili's confession. Also, he tries to be her friend at first, even when he sees some very odd things at her house, and doesn't intentionally hurt her. So he didn't deserve what happened to him at all. Despite what Lili ends up doing, I felt bad for her too, because she genuinely doesn't understand that what she's doing is wrong until it's too late. 

Controller short

Title: Controller (控制者) (2012) 

Director: Saman Kesh

Language: Chinese (Mandarin)

Genre: Sci-fi, action, romance

Runtime: 8 minutes

Plot: A girl that can control everything, perpetrates her own rescue by taking control of her boyfriend.

Thoughts: The plot was intriguing and action scenes and soundtrack were entertaining and I liked the ending. Also, the flashbacks of her relationship with her boyfriend were important for character building and to help the audience to care about the two of them, so I can understand why so many of them were included. However, whilst I realise that the film was only 8 minutes long, it would have been nice to have more information about why the girl was able to control everything in the first place. Apparently this short is being made into a full-length movie, so hopefully there will be more details and explanations in that. It was still an enjoyable watch though!

Short film 'The Birch'

Title: The Birch (2016) 

Director: Ben Franklin, Anthony Melton

Language: English

Genre: Horror, folk horror

Runtime: 5 minutes

Plot: "A bullied schoolboy takes drastic measures against his tormentor, summoning an ancient being in the woods using a spellbound book passed down through the generations of his family."

Thoughts: I adored the sound and effects/creature design in this short! Both were used sparingly throughout, but brought to the forefront of the film for the ending. This made it a great horror short that told a creepy story with both limited time and sparse dialogue.

And that concludes this section of the short film posts; I'll post the last 10 very soon!

101 in 1001 - Food Foraging: Dryads Saddle

Dryads Saddle (Polyporus squamosus)

Whilst out for a walk this afternoon, I came across some fungi growing on a tree stump. As it was Dryads Saddle (Polyporus squamosus), decided to take a small amount of it to make something for the 101 in 1001 goal:

091. Go foraging and make something with the resulting finds.

I found it growing on a tree that had fallen across a stream in the area below (forgot to take a photo of it from far away):

Stream

Me (left) walking along the river path

There were countless insects - especially bees, beetles, hoverflies and butterflies (orange tips, commas, peacocks, and holly blues) - and the trees were ringing with all kinds of birds/birdsong. It was so beautiful and peaceful. 

Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album)

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

I also spotted a buzzard in the sky, being chased off by a carrion crow several times, as it was circling above.

Crow (Corvus corone) and Buzzard (Buteo buteo):
After a swooping crow attack

After collecting some Dryads Saddle and returning home, I then had to decide what to do with it.

Dryads Saddle, looking like pizza slices

As I was preparing them for other people as well as myself, I decided to make something with a somewhat stronger flavour than the traditional "fried in butter and lemon" recipe. I opted for something  similar to a vegan tagine in the end:

Using the Dryads Saddle

Truthfully, these mushrooms are quite chewy when picked at the age (a little older) these were, but the flavour of them really came through and complimented the dish. Whilst I don't think I'd eat these regularly, I'm glad I tried them!

101 in 1001 - Finish 5 video games: Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends

Dynasty Warriors : Xtreme Legends 

Let me start this post by giving an obligatory apology for any ridiculous babbling that might occur here. However, despite the subject - Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends [Japan: 真・三國無双7 猛将伝 / Shin Sangoku Musou 7 Moushouden] (and the related games/ game franchises) - being a hack 'n' slash, highly dramatic & (at times) ridiculous "trash" game, I absolutely love it, so I'm not really sorry! Also, it's going to be my thoughts about the game, rather than a proper review, just so you know what to expect.

Sima Yi: Describing both this post and my gameplay style

This expansion for Dynasty Warriors 8 [Japan: 真・三國無双7 /Shin Sangoku Musou 7] - I've finished both, and DW: Empires, but I'll just include Xtreme Legends - is the first game I'm counting towards my 101 in 1001 goal of:

• 046. Finish 5 video games

The game is available on PS3, PS4, PS Vita and Windows platforms, with the first three being cross-platform save/co-op compatible. I have this title on the PS4, but I've also played games in the related franchises on the PS4 and PS2 as well.

The Wei faction's leader, Cao Cao

Dynasty Warriors is set in the Three Kingdoms era of China - beginning with the end of the Han Dynasty and ending at the start of the Jin Dynasty - and features characters who are loosely based on real historical figures.

Zhang Liao (Wei / Lu Bu), Lu Bu, and Chen Gong (new character and one I really like)

The concept of the main story mode is fairly straightforward: you play through various scenarios as characters from each faction and try to unite the land. However, all the factions have different approaches to unification/ruling the land in general and this inevitably leads to conflict.

Zhuge Liang (Shu), Liu Bei (Shu), Zhao Yun (Shu), and Sun Sun Shangxiang (Wu/Shu)

Every story is from the perspective of the side you're playing as, rather than a one-dimensional view. This is interesting, as it allows you to see the reasons behind what's happened and doesn't paint anyone as a completely evil character, despite their actions.

Sima Zhao, Sima Shi and Jia Chong (Jin). Jia Chong: cold in the most Utilitarian and practical of ways

I prefer the Wei faction (and the later Jin faction that emerges out of it, which is my favourite) and don't really like playing as Shu, but every side has interesting characters and plots. Shu is an important part of the overall story, and Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong and Wei Yan are some of the officers I enjoy being, so it's still fun.

(Clockwise) Wei Yan, Liu Bei, Pang Tong, Huang Zhong and an enemy commander. Hooray for Liu Bei, I guess?

In addition to Story Mode, there are also three other modes: Free Mode, Ambition Mode, and Challenge Mode. In Free Mode you can replay some stages from Story Mode and play additional unlocked stages as some of the characters, other than those who were originally available. 

Chen Gong and Diao Chan, from Lu Bu's narrative

Ambition Mode gives you the option to play as any character you want in a storyline in which your character must strive to unite Han China. 

Jia Chong (Jin) with Wang Yi (Wei) in the background

In addition to fighting battles, you also have to construct a town with various facilities, create bonds with the other officers, and forge new, improved weapons. To improve weapons, you can combine them with other weapons or upgrade them with gems you find on the battlefield.

Zhou Tai (Wu) and Zhang He (Jin) creating weapons

You're able to switch characters as often as you like in this mode, but I opted to play the first part of it as Zhang He and the second as Jia Chong. After the first half of the story, you will have to choose which officer to play as again. If you select another officer, you may not be able to select the initial character again, as most of your officers leave at this point.

Wei officer, shameless narcissist, and my long-time favourite character, Zhang He

 Of course, I thought it would be a good time to switch to Jia Chong for one battle, but then couldn't continue as Zhang He, as he never returned. Jia Chong was new in DW8 as a playable character and has become one of the characters I like the most as well, but I just prefer finishing the whole thing with same person. My wisdom is truly boundless!

Gan Ning and Ling Tong of Wu (from Story Mode); another accurate description of my gameplay choices

Lastly, in Challenge Mode you have to go through a number of challenges - Rampage, Bridge Melee, Speed Run, Arena, & Inferno - trying to beat the pre-set scores as you go. There's absolutely no story in this mode, it's just fighting enemies and trying to do better than the last time/get higher in the rankings. That may sound boring, but it's actually very entertaining.

Wang Yi (Wei): vengeance might not be hers, but at least she got the record!

Most of the battles in  the game are playable in co-op, either online or local, though there are some in Free Mode and Ambition Mode that have to be completed solo. I played the majority of DW8:XL with a friend in local co-op, which is split screen for the battles and operated by the main controller during other parts of the game.

Gan Ning and his jingling bells: making noise, and Ling Tong angry

My friend has also played the other related titles and so we had a lot of fun and were very silly about some of it, because it's just better that way! Most of our amusement was due to some of the silly/overly dramatic dialogues and because of two of the voice actors in it who have played other characters in something else (I won't mention which characters they are, but one of them is a favourite of mine in this game, and the other...isn't. haha).

Pang Tong (Shu) and Xu Shu (Shu/Wei), being sad and naïve...again

Overall, I liked DW8:XL just as much as, if not more than, the previous DW titles and still don't care that it's seen as a "trash" game by many people. It's not trash, it's melodramatically fantastic. :P If you enjoy hack 'n' slash combat combined with historical dramas, featuring some unusual characters, set in China, then play it for yourself and see! If you prefer things set in Japan, then you could play Samurai Warriors / Sengoku Musou [戦国無双] instead, as it's just as fun.

Sima Shi, because I like his half-mask & gloves and he's also a great character
(This sums up the feeling I'll have once I publish this post, too)

101 in 1001 - Re-learn How To Play Chess

Over the past few months I've spent some time working towards the 101 in 1001 goal:

• 053. Re-learn how to play chess

Setting up the board

I used to play chess in as part of a chess club when I was a kid, but haven't played in years and have largely forgotten much of what I learnt. That was the motivation behind this goal. After talking with my friend Rina about chess one evening, I realised that I did still remember how to set up the pieces, their basic moves and the basic rules of chess. So I then watched the tutorial below (which I found as one of the suggested videos of a link Rina sent me) to give me an extra refresher. It helped a lot, especially with things like the en passant rule because I didn't remember that at all!

After that, I used the website lichess.org to practise and my friend Luciel and I played some games against each other via that site too. I lost every time, because Luciel is much better at chess and things involving strategy than I am, but they were helping me to learn, so it was fun!

A few weeks later, Luciel and I then played a game using a chess set; I was white and they were black. I tried my best and they helped me a lot, but it inevitably ended up with me in this situation:

Just the king left, preparing for checkmate

Honestly, Luciel could have won much sooner than this, but chose not to so that we could keep playing. So, I am still really rubbish at chess, but I do remember how to play it, which was my goal. It's complete! I will probably keep practising though, because I'd really like to improve.

101 in 1001 - Write 25 Poems (No. 13 - 20)

A photo I took of the moon ages ago; I needed an image for this post!

This is part 3/4 for goal 21 on my 101/1001 list:

• 021. Write 25 poems.

Most of these were written yesterday and today, but a few I wrote weeks/months ago and simply forgot to post. All of these were inspired by someone or something, as opposed to some of the others I've written, which were entirely invented narratives. Some worked better than others, but I'm going to include all eight of them anyway. You can read the first six here and the second six here.

13. Pacificator Summi

Your way was not the path
That heros walked upon.
Not the celebrated honour
Nor pious pure of soul.
Perhaps it was too distant
From the romance of rebellion
Or the noble, worthy cause,
To impress the starry eyes
And rouse the sleeping minds.
The fire, burning history,
Breathed in human oxygen
And grew into a blaze.
Decimating all dissent
And razing it in flames.
The chaos brought by fools.
It could have been so easily
Extinguished by your cool;
Left to smoulder in grey cinders.
But a voice that is not heard,
Is devoid of powerful words.


14. Stars

Celestial lights,
Seem cold and distant, yet they
Melt worlds and form life.


15. Shadow 5 & 1

The mourning is over
Here it is always night.
Free yourself from the sadness.
You can die or you can fight.
Young mirrored doppelgänger
Controlled by your pain.
Your rage is transformed
And you know his name.
A fire to light your past,
A hand to take your sorrow,
A Gift to fill your mind.
You and he have no tomorrow.
Join in his melancholic melody
Cry out. Scream out.
Until you...blackout.

Do you hear his voice?

"I don't care about your dreams, my friend,
But I will stay with you until the end.
You and I aren't like them -
Disgusting human organisms."

Your intellect's superior but
You're not in control,
Still, he does what you tell him,
Soothes his sadistic soul.
The drone of voices echoing
Confuses those who come.
He can possess the weaker ones
But you are not like them.
Puppets piqued on painful strings
Amuse him as they writhe,
But you are unaffected by
The pitifully impressive sight.
He joins you in your hatred
Though it is a hopeless fight.
You're programmed to lose,
Temptation Revelation.

"The demonstration is over."


16. Aberration

3:33am
The tremors start again.
Is it the bed or is it the body?
The frames' motions sync,
Disturbing surrounding objects.
The arms and legs will not move,
But the eyes and head can look and tilt
And the brain recalls uneasy feelings.
The persistent rapid jolting remains,
Whilst the anxious discomfort heightens.
Mild palpitations occur at uneven intervals
But the breathing is incongruently steady.
The vocal cords are still, involuntarily
Silent.

4:44am
The vibrations cease abruptly,
And eerie silence fills the space around.
A thousand strings turn the head to the
Thick black velvet curtains, now backlit
And translucent. The brain recognises a shape
In the dark. At the window. In the light. But not of it.
Innocuous in appearance, the shadow puppet figure
Asks to enter, without any words.
Laughing? Laughter that precludes all sound.
Beyond the eyes. Denial. Refusal. Provocation.
Split-second synapses, the voice connects,
Praying for help in anguish. But there is only
Silence.


17. Osen

There is beauty in reflective pools,
Shimmering in hazy light that
Bounces from fresh pale greens,
Such delicate petals of Spring.
And in the glittering snowflakes,
And the icy breeze that carries
Rain and sleet like needles, alarming
Human senses so they know they are alive.
And in the wilting waves of Summer heat that
Evaporate the storms, and warm the hearts
Of those in need of a break from darker times.

But I long for Autumn's howling shrieks
And the baritone rumbles of thundering skies.
The untamed disasters and purple-grey washes,
Illuminated by blinding lawless cracks,
Giving way to the heavy atmosphere and
Spilling tears of joy to the land below.
Deep orange, yellow and red paints the paths
And the woods are alive, not in leaf but on floor,
With the mosses, mushrooms and insects transforming
The scapes and shapes of the world that is their own.


18. Oh! You Poor Little Thing!

Generosity
Give giving,
Expect nothing.
Nothing in return.
Say too much,
Of volumed spheres,
And always nothing.
Nothing in return.
The language plain,
The message clear.
These cells are tired,
Will not be restored.
Narcissistic thread knots,
Painful catches on the line,
Numbed into naught over time.
Smile and say nothing,
Just overcompensate
For the inconvenience.


19. A-Fluent

Aesthetics of pain
Without suffering,
Uniforms of hate
Without the intent,
Soul of an animal
Without the body,
Artist and historian
Without experience.
I can afford to
Indulge myself,
I can afford to
But only if you pay.

Aesthetics of culture
Without surviving,
Uniforms of authority
Without the fear,
Soul of a people
Without the bodies,
Scientist and spiritualist
Without understanding,
That I can afford to
Forget the past,
I can afford to
At your expense.


20. Q+A - A

What is it that you long to hear
When you lift the lids to light?
Do you want to hear the answer
To questions swirling in the fog,
Or just old tales repeated and
Sacrifice to quench the bloodlust
Deep inside your spiral twins?
If I spoke with another's tongue,
Would my words tell you the Truth?
If my suit was black not grey
And my language silver electric shock,
Would you understand the code,
Or just let it crack and break,
With deception crafted bullets
From a front of veils to hide behind?

101 in 1001 - Make Something Out of Snow (Part 2:Milquetoast the Snow Cat)

Milquetoast the Snow Cat

After my last post about the 101 in 1001 goal:

• 085. Make a snowman/something out of snow

The skies again opened yesterday/today and my town was covered in a blanket of white ice crystals once more! I was really lucky this time, as I happened to be out volunteering on both mornings/early afternoons, around some amazing animals, plants and scenery. The snow gave everything a magical look (even if I couldn't feel my hands because of the cold/could feel them way too much when they warmed up!). 

When I got home, my friend and I decided to try to make another, bigger snow animal - this time opting for a snow cat (pictured above). The snow was much less powdery and compacted really well, which made it a lot easier than the last time When we were finished, we decided to name him Milquetoast the Snow Cat.

101 in 1001 - Make Something Out of Snow

Creepy the Snow Duck

Where I live, it hardly ever snows and when it does it rarely settles. However, over the past few weeks the weather here has been a little unusual and we've had a cold snap, bringing with it a blanket of snow.

Originally, I had intended to go to Dartmoor in order to achieve the 101 in 1001 goal:

• 085. Make a snowman/something out of snow

But this gave me the opportunity to make a little snow duck (pictured at the top), complete with grapes for eyes, in my own back garden. (Honestly, I'd just come back from the hospital that day, so I didn't really feel like trekking out to the moors anyway). 

The snow was very powdery, but I managed to construct my creepy little duck bit by bit!

My friend was taking the photos of me making him, but didn't take one from the side, and I also forgot to take one when I was finished. So the only completed photo I have is the first one in this post, which makes Creepy look a bit like a flat pancake duck, even though he was 3D. Nevermind - this goal is still complete!

101 in 1001 - Enter the 2018 BIAZA Photography Contest

Whiskers & Teeth

This is a goal from the 101 in 1001 list that I completed a while ago but forgot to post about until now (there are a few of those!):

• 084. Enter the 2018 BIAZA Photography Contest

I also didn't want to post about the photos until I was sure they were going to be allowed, as they had to be checked by the organisation I volunteer for first. They were accepted at the beginning of last month though, so here they are! The above picture is of an asian short-clawed otter. He was yawning at the time, but it ended up looking like he's grinning.

That's Quite Enough

The second photograph is of two macaroni penguins, one of which was making such a din! The penguin in the foreground seemed like she'd had enough.

Whilst these aren't the best photos I've ever taken, they captured a moment and showed the animals' personalities, which is why I chose them. The 2018 award winners will be announced at the BIAZA gala dinner (no, I'm not an attendee, haha!) in June. These were just entered for fun, so I'm not expecting anything. However, if you'd like to see some truly award-worthy images, you can check out last year's winners here.

101 in 1001 - Blam Babylons Boy Blood

BLAM HONEY

The title is of course referring to the second post - 2/26 - for the 101 in 1001 goal:

075. Listen to 5 bands beginning with every letter of the alphabet

I also specified that at least two of the bands for each letter should be new to me, so I chose 3 bands I've heard before (BLAM HONEY, Babylon Zoo, Babylon Whores) and two that were "new" (Boy Harsher, Blood Ceremony). I was going to include Bauhaus in the bands I'd heard before, but they're a lot more well known than the others, so I went with these. 

To read about/see clips from the bands, click the cut below↓↓

101 in 1001 - Go Bowling

Last Wednesday (Feb 28th), I got to cross of another goal on my 101 in 1001 list:

037. Go bowling

Some people from the place I volunteer at invited me to AMF Bowling for the evening, so we had some food/drinks beforehand and then played a few games. I managed to come third (out of 7) in the first game and then ended up dead last, with a spectacular score of 44, in the second. Haha! Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos, so the wonderful public domain image of some pins and a ball above will have to do.