Apology, Explanation, Disclaimer

Today's post is going to be an expansion, apology and disclaimer all rolled into one so get excited! Or do not, whatever suits you. First, I am very sorry for the lack of post yesterday but that was due to a busy day finishing with King Kong last night. Again, I am sorry for this but sometimes life gets in the way. Second, I wish to warn and apologise for a likely increase in these short phone-written posts. This is because every year Mum makes a year in review video and for this she uses the computer in the piano room. Since I had to return my school laptop the only other computer in the house is horrible because it is really slow and restarts every five minutes just because it can. This makes it very hard to write posts. However, over the next few days Mum is working so I will try to schedule some posts including a new segment (I was going to say exciting but that could be false advertising) as well as the usual ones. Basically, this post is my apology and explanation/disclaimer for these short post which I have to write on my phone which takes so much longer.

I hope these holidays provide me with some inspiration. See you tomorrow.

Relaxation at Last

Finally, after weeks of preparing for exams and studying for hours on end (obviously with some short breaks in between) my exams are over! Goodbye Year 10 and hello transition into VCE! I know that there probably should be a longer post tonight but I was out pretty much since I got home as we had a family event on. Still though, normal length posts should resume tomorrow. It is going to be such a great and relaxing weekend, I cannot wait. Excitingly, I am going to see Catching Fire tomorrow which is going to be AWESOME! It came out today in Australia by the way and I just can not wait to see this wonder on the big screen. Also in exciting news, I won a family pass to see King Kong Live on Stage in Melbourne again so hooray for that! I won it through Luna Park's Facebook Page. The competition was: "For your chance to win one of 5 family tickets to King Kong in Melbourne, simply comment on this photo with which ride you think King Kong would go on at Luna Park and why?" My submission was as follows:
"I would have to say The Spider. It would come from two instincts: One to be the king of the world (and a giant spider could really get in your way) and another to save his love, Anne Darrow. I can see how a Giant spinning spider could cause this giant ape to get a little territorial."

So much excitement in such little time! See you tomorrow!

Songs in my Playlist

Okay, so here is the big deal. I spent the last thirty minutes doing basically nothing except daydream about what this post should be about when it was right in front of me the whole time. See people, sometimes I do not even know what I am going to write about until right before I do (hell, sometimes I do not know what I am writing about when I finish my introduction). My wonderful source of inspiration this time around is my phone (so thank you for that Samsung [not sponsored]) which I was using to listen to music. I decided that I would like to go through some of my favourite songs that I am listening to right now that are on my phone. Of course, this is not all of them (I mean, seriously, who but a stalker (or your LOTE teacher) wants to know all the music you listen to?) but just a few of my favourites. I will embed a YouTube video of each song.

Source: http://wall.alphacoders.com/big.php?i=73967

1. Rise Above 2 from Spider Man: Turn off the Dark

This hard-hitting song from the ambitious Broadway musical is always on my playlist when I am having a shower. I prefer the cast recording version over the one Bon Jovi sings [Rise Above 1] (Bon Jovi and The Edge the creators of this musical). Here is a snippet of the song as performed on Broadway.

2. Applause by Lady Gaga

I'll confess I find myself a fan of Lady Gaga. I like her songs and have a majority of them. Her most recent song, Applause, is another one of the songs I like of hers. I have embedded the lyric video rather than the music video as it is a bit, uh, artistic shall we say and I want this blog to remain open to all ages.

3. Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus

I actually like this controversial artist's new song. I may not agree with her previous song "We Can't Stop" which just seemed to over-leap the mark (I have read too much Macbeth). Here is the official music video.

4. Roar by Katy Perry

I am yet another fan of many of Katy Perry's song and I am happy to say that I include her new song, Roar, as one of them. Below is the official music video of this great song (as judged by me).

I live for the applause, applause, applause. See you tomorrow!

King Kong Live on Stage Review

King Kong, the infamous god of Skull Island, whose heart was tamed by the brave Ann Darrow has managed to tame the hearts of those who watch him. This show truly is something that has to be seen to be believed. It is no wonder that it has become known as the most technologically advanced musical in the World. The smart costumes, developed characters and hard-hitting musical numbers make up only part of the wonder that is King Kong. The incredible special effects really creates the atmosphere and the set itself is so technologically advanced you have things coming up from below and down from above. I give this show four and a half stars. It really was fantastic.

Image Source: https://www.facebook.com/KingKongStage

I attended the Matinee performance today and was very excited. I am happy to say that I was not disappointed by what I saw and recommend that people see it before it leaves Australia (Melbourne being the only place in Australia to host it). The moment when Kong reveals his face and the crowd goes silent is a theatrical moment that will stay with me forever. Just that sensation of everyone being in awe of this one puppet really shows how wonderful it actually is. I was curious as to how they would portray the story of King Kong on stage and again I was not disappointed by what I witnessed. It was such an immersive show and is something I will never forget. The seats literally shake towards the lead up of King Kong's appearance and his footsteps resonate around the whole of the Regent Theatre. Then there are the actual vocals which are incredibly powerful. From the soulful tunes of Full Moon Lullaby to the haunting beats of Rise King Kong does not disappoint. It will truly hook you from beginning to end and leave you in awe of the skill and creativity of the production team. My favourite scene from the show would have to be King Kong's rampage through New York City and how they show his destructive path and the people he kills in the search for his love. It really is wonderful how they show him climbing the buildings and tearing them down. The only thing I would be worried about as an actor on stage is being crushed by the 60 tonne beast that is King Kong. Even the background, a massive LED screen with millions of individual pixels, really creates another layer of depth to the show. It is so advanced that it even reacts to the characters on stage and each show is therefore different because of this. Of course it comes to a sad ending that is portrayed exceptionally well by the cast and creative team. It really brings out the main theme of a beauty and her beast because, at it's heart, King Kong is a love story. In short, King Kong is a show not to be missed and is set to be a world-wide hit. King Kong is a masterpiece. It literally redefines the genre.

Overall Rating: 4 and a half stars

Image Source: https://www.facebook.com/KingKongStage

King Kong is not to be missed, see you tomorrow!

YouTube Subscriptions Part 5

Only five parts into this and already my Subscriptions are getting clearer! So much easier to watch the videos I want without all the unwanted channels clogging up my feed. I feel so much more organised with it like this and it saves me so much time. Plus when I really want to watch an old video I can easily find the channel rather than having to sift through 150 others. You guys should really try it out, let's begin! I began with 153 subscriptions and am already back to 95 subscriptions, hooray!

Image Source:

 http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/youtube-starts-paid-subscription-service-20130510-2jc7j.html

Miss Glamorazzi is the first YouTuber under the pump. She is a beauty guru who I subscribed to because I watched her vlogs. I never watch any of these videos though so it is goodbye to her. Missy Higgins is another one of those Music channels, this one is for Missy Higgins. Like the other music channels I am unsubscribing. Mockingjaynet is a channel that is all about The Hunger Games and related videos. I am unsubscribing because I never watch any of their videos so goodbye. I know how shocking that must seem since I am such of a Hunger Games fan but this one just has to go. Mr Sacred Ashes is a friend who I subscribed to but am unsubscribing from because they clog up my news feed. Wow, that makes me sound like a horrible person. Mychonny is a popular comedic YouTuber who I remain subscribed to because he is genuinely funny. Nerdist is a channel on YouTube that features many celebrities and has comedic videos. I am unsubscribing as I only subscribed for a mini web series they used to have which featured Neil Patrick Harris (it was called "Neil's Puppet Dreams"). NigaHiga is one of the popular comedic YouTubers who I enjoy watching because he is genuinely hilarious. I have used genuinely too much when it comes to comedy recently, I really have to stop. However, I will not stop my subscription to NigaHiga. Nightly News at Nine is a channel featuring a Lego Stop-Animation Web Series. It is funny and made out of Lego, of course I am maintaining my subscription!

Image Source: http://blip.tv/nightly-news-at-nine

Obtbone08 is a channel I have no idea how I subscribed to, I guess it's a goodbye to them too. Official Psy is of course the official Music Channel of Psy, the K-Pop sensation behind Gangnam Style. As it is one of those Music Channels I am unsubscribing. Official WICKED is the official Channel of the musical Wicked. I am subscribed to it as it includes behind-the-scenes videos and extras as well as other Wicked-Related videos. I am definitely remaining subscribed. Optic Movies is yet another of the channels I can not remember subscribing to so it is goodbye to whatever they are. Other iJustine is the Vlog channel of iJustine that I am remaining subscribed to because I like watching Vlogs. Pano T is an 18 Year-old YouTuber who just graduated from High School that makes videos on his thoughts on things as well as some other comedic videos. I like watching him because he has interesting views and opinions and a funny way of explaining them. PewDiePie is a popular YouTuber I subscribed to because I thought he was good but I never watched any of his videos that I actually enjoyed so goodbye. Pistol Shrimps make comedic shorts and web series which I really enjoy but I have not watched any of their recent videos and they say if you do not wear something for a long time you are most likely not going to wear it again, why can't the same be said for YouTube channels? Goodbye Pistol Shrimps. Also, just because I unsubscribe from a channel does not mean it is not good. The reason I link the channel is so that if it seems like it would appeal to you it can be checked out. Pointless Blog is a British YouTuber I do not actually watch anymore so it is a goodbye to him, even though he is good. Pointless Blog TV is the Vlog channel of this British YouTuber, I do not watch these vlogs though so goodbye to him also.

Image Source: 

http://westendgeek.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/behind-the-scenes-tour-at-wicked-on-time-out/

Pokemon is the YouTube channel of Pokemon but I never actually watch any of their videos and if I do want to watch them then I just search for it. Goodbye Pokemon, you could not catch me. Potter Puppet Pals is the official YouTube channel of the Potter Puppet Pals and I am not unsubscribing because I do genuinely enjoy their videos. They are pretty funny. PRJSCHS is the YouTube channel of one of the English Teachers at school who made videos related to the course work that helped me study for exams, however I no longer watch his videos and am unsubscribing for now. I may subscribe again if I need to. Rayeboi is another friend who actually makes good Minecraft and other gaming videos on YouTube. I am simply unsubscribing because I think he said he was stopping making videos so at least this time I do not sound so heartless. Reckless Tortuga is a channel that makes comedic sketches which can be funny. I have not watched any of their videos recently so it is a goodbye to them as well. Wow, I have just realised that I have not kept many of my subscriptions in this part. It just shows how many of the channels I subscribe to I do not use anymore. Roller Coaster Dude 96 makes Roller Coaster Tycoon videos on YouTube which I used to like but he has not uploaded a video in a long time so he is losing me as a subscriber. Rowan Atkinson is a YouTube channel that is filled with videos of numerous Rowan Atkinson comedy sketches. I am remaining subscribed because, in true Rowan Atkinson form, it is hilarious. Sawyer Hartman is a YouTuber who makes short films and puts them on YouTube. The short films are really good but I just do not have the time to watch them all the time so he is yet another user I am leaving behind. Sawyer Hartman 2 is his Vlog channel which I am also unsubscribing from. At the end of Part 5 I am down to 76 subscriptions, which is a lot since I was at 95 at the start.

Image Source: http://www.officialvghc.com

Don't let too many subscriptions get you down, see you tomorrow!

King Kong

He is a six metre tall, one tonne beast and he's ready to take the world by storm. King Kong himself will feature in a never-before-seen musical premiering right here in Melbourne. It is an ambitious project by Global Creatures, the company behind such successful stage spectaculars as 'Walking with Dinosaurs' and 'How to Train Your Dragon'. After more than five years of development, six months of rehearsal and amazing new technology, King Kong is set to live up to its massive reputation.

Image Source: http://www.theloop.com.au/sschulze/project/88858

The puppet himself requires thirteen men, known as the "King's Men", to control his movements while 'voodoo' puppeteers at the back of the theatre control his facial features. Due to King Kong's lasting impression on the world anything half-done is simply not good enough and so Global Creatures has pulled out all stops for this multi-million dollar production. An all-Australian cast is set to lead this spectacle with Esther Hannaford as Ann Darrow and Adam Lyons, in his first ever musical, as Carl Denham. The show is set to be so large that in the first fifteen minutes alone over 100 different costumes are used. Audiences are sure to be amazed when the show premieres tomorrow night at the Regent Theatre Melbourne.

Image Source: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/musicals/monkey-business-20121018-27s6i.html

The music itself is a haunting and eclectic mix of genres that are sure to amaze. The music ranges from the grandiose sounds of "The Greatest Show on Earth" to the more subtle and longing tones of "What's it gonna take?" Musical masterminds have come together under the leadership of Marius de Vries (whose credits include Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliet (Baz Luhrmann)) to create a score that will shock you and make you cry. If the Melbourne Production is received well (which I'm sure it will) then King Kong will set its sights on places around the world. Last time Kong went to Broadway he certainly left an impression but let's hope he leaves a better impression this time around. I already have my tickets for June 30 and cannot wait to see this spectacular come to life on stage.

Image Source: 

http://www.factmag.com/2013/05/09/hear-new-material-from-the-avalanches-taken-from-the-king-kong-soundtrack/

May the odds be ever in your favour, see you tomorrow!

Excitement

We all get excited from time to time. Even the most serious of us have had one moment of excitement in their lives. Excitement can make us anxious and nervous but in a 'good' way. I put good in quotation marks because I can as this is my blog and I can write what I want. Why am I writing about excitement? Because tomorrow is my Birthday (YAY!) and I'm turning 16 (I can get a  Second Life account now!) which is super exciting. So in today's post I am going to talk about the things that excite me because I'm too excited to do a deep and meaningful post about excitement. How many times can I write excitement in this post about excitement? Check at the end for the final excitement count for this post (about excitement)!

One of the main things that excites me is THE HUNGER GAMES! If you don't know what the Hunger Games is where have you been? The moon perhaps. I just totally LOVE The Hunger Games and got super excited when the teaser trailer for CATCHING FIRE was released. In fact I wrote a blog about it where the whole first paragraph was a link to the trailer. Hell, let's do that again. Click anywhere on this paragraph and you can watch the Catching Fire Trailer again! Then watch it a few more times while you're there AFTER you finish reading my blog. I don't know why I like The Hunger Games I just do and I get really excited about it and I can't wait until November 22nd! If you don't know the significance of this date, click anywhere on this paragraph! I get so excited about The Hunger Games that anytime The Hunger Games Adventures (a Facebook game) updates I have a little fan-girl-ing  session for a little bit because I get to play it again! It's so exciting and I just love how it ties into the movies and books  and even has its own parts and adventures! PLUS it has a map of Panem! So yeah, I get pretty EXCITED when it updates and I get to play it. I guess I just get excited about The Hunger Games. I got the movie soundtrack from my cousin for being her Confirmation Sponsor the other week and as soon as I got home I was listening to it. I was so EXCITED! I'm sorry if I use caps-lock too often or too many exclamation marks, I'm just really excited!

Language Perfect! Need I say more? I just really love Language Perfect (but not in the love way but as in I really like Language Perfect, don't get any MORE ideas Xavier) and find it a very useful tool for my French Studying and it also makes it fun and I get my friends involved (mostly Xavier) who want to beat me. One of my friends tried to beat me last year but whenever she got ahead I got even further ahead of her. Language Perfect is really a great resource and I get really EXCITED when I get to 'play' it. For me Language Perfect equals excitement and one of my friends can tell you the story of my face when I couldn't access it one day last year, priceless. I was just so excited! Language Perfect, go check it out!

The final thing I am really super duper (did I just type duper?) excited about is King Kong Live on Stage which is the new King Kong musical premiering next month (well, actually the preview shows start at the end of this month) which I have been super excited about since October 8, 2012 when I saw the ad for it on Facebook and saw the announcement they did (on October 7, so I've been excited about it for almost the whole time it's being announced) and I just got really excited for it and can't wait to see it because I know it is gonna be awesome! I'm really excited about it and I know I'm getting tickets to go see it for my Birthday (which yeah, is tomorrow [EXCITED]) and I'm just so excited to see the musical that I have been looking forward to for so long. It's from the company Global Creatures who did the ones like Walking with Dinosaurs except this time they're doing a musical with its world premiere at the Regent Theatre Melbourne which is going to be awesome and I am just super excited about it! I can't wait, the excitement is killing me (figuratively of course).

So that's just some of the stuff that really excites me and I know today's post isn't as meaningful or as well-written as some of my previous ones but I'm just so excited I can't think straight!! I just can't wait for all these things and I am really EXCITED!!!! Now for the all exciting, word count for the word excite. The word excite (and all the words that can be made from it (i.e. excited)) has been used 38 times in this blog post, have fun finding them all or just be satiated by using the find (ctrl+f) function.

May the odds be ever in your favour, see you tomorrow!