"You've got to fight, for your right, to PARTAYYYYYYYYY."

"The world to her,
was but a tragic play.
She came saw, dislik'd,
And passed away."

While in Malaysia, I 're-discovered' a bunch of stuff I forgot about my house. Among them is a Post-It note stuck on my wall with the above verse written in blue ink. It's going to sound mighty try-hard but I have Post-Its stuck on the wall above my study table, filled with mostly quotes from books, philosophers and the Internet. The lot of them wouldn't quite fall under the category of 'Inspirational', just lines from here and there that I liked. God. I just remembered that my previous room had Post-Its as well, the bulk from my Politics textbook. Nyehhh.. nerd much?

Anyway, I can't find any information on the 'Net regarding that verse, oh Google.. how you have failed me. Why did I bring that up? No reason.. Mainly cause I just thought about it. I found it off the 'Net while I was searching for Ghost World forums, that was after my third viewing on HBO. If you've ever read the comics or watched the movie, I think nothing else has to be said. If you haven't done either, then let's just admire the simplicity and severity of the verse, no?

And another thing I 'rediscovered': there is not a hanging clock to be found in my house. We've got table alarm clocks, multitude of watches/jam tangans between the 5 of us, one big grandfather's clock and clocks leaning on tables and couches but none actually hung up on the wall, as it should be. Don't ask why. It just is.

Today marks the second semester of my second year into my Arts degree. And you'd think that after a year and a half some basic truths would be ingrained into my system. But then that'd be expecting too much of me.

Things I Should Know By Now

1. By now, I should know that Melbourne's weather is as funny as my "What smells funny?" joke (ie. very hy-larious). From my window, I see clear skies and sunshine, so I dress as I see fit: t-shirt layered over long-sleeved top with jeans. For 'extra precaution', I bring a scarve. I step out after my first lecture and thought, "Oh. Idddddddiooooooottttttttttttttttttttt."

2. By now, I should have realized that thirty minutes is insufficient for my 'snoozing sleep minutes'. I actually key into account the amount of time I will spend pressing the second best invention in the whole damn galaxy, the snooze button, into my sleeping time. Ad Spags knows what I'm talking about. Which leads me to my third "thing I should know by now."

3. It's never a good idea to arrive late at the first lecture of the semester. Most lecturers choose the first seven minutes to distribute reading guides/subject info stuff which although aren't quite crucial in the long run, are helpful in informing you how much time you have to slack off before your assignments are due. Of course this stuff can be found online in PDF format ready for printing, but if you're a cheapskate like me and/or don't own a printer, those first seven minutes are really, one of three lifelines. What happens when you arrive ten minutes late is that the lecturer proceeds to give an overview of the subject making generous refences to the aforementioned papers and you sit quietly, pondering to yourself if it's really worth walking down those steep stairs and risk a more-than-highly-possible-if-you're-Karen stumble that will then highlight to those cute politic guys of your sheer ineptitude, thus making you a social leper for the rest of the semester. Of course you make the obvious choice and by the end of the lecture, you've got a page full of doodle to show for your presence.

4. By now, I should also know that regardless of the weather outside, the lecture halls in Melbourne Uni are always of sub-zero temperatures. The worst ones are at the Maths, Richard Berry, and Science building, which coincidentally enough I have two of my lectures at. And of course, the lecture hall beneath ERC library. Christ, a girl in my tute once admitted to skipping lectures held there cause "it was just too cold".

So, naturally I celebrated my first day back at uni by hitting up ERC library. I don't care that there's currently some sort of mutiny going on within my DVD collection cause the originals are pulling rank and soffing at the new Malaysian pirated ones. Kiasu is as kiasu does, and I refuse to allow others borrow DVDs that I possibly might want to consider watching. Heh. So I return with Elephant, Amelie, American Psycho and South Park Vol. 9. Who cares if I've already watched two of them? Would I possibly want to sit through yet another long shot in Van Sant's Elephant and another viewing of Amelie? I'll find out.

I've kinda been on this hugh downloading binge since I got back. I swear, the first thing I did after I dropped my bags and jacket was fire up LimeWire. Next thing I did was to save some movies to blank CD-Rs to make more space. It's gotten to the point where I was on PCWorld and Download.com looking up stuff that'd make my computer fancier, downloading them, installing, then deleting them. I really wish I made time to buy and install a DVD burning device on my laptop when I was in Malaysia. Then I wouldn't think twice about backing up my Veronica Mars Season 2 downloads. -sob- "But they take up so much blank CD-Rs!"

Heh. I think I've got what they call 'word vomit'. I can't seem to get myself to quit typing.

Recently Stylus issued their Top 100 Music Video Clips of All Time list. Coincidentally enough, while waiting to board the plane to Malaysia, I actually wrote up a rough list of my favourite video clips. I like lists, in case you haven't noticed already. Now while my list is nowhere as comprehensive as theirs (I think they span 3 decades) or detailed (they added YouTube links for every single video!), it makes for something to look at while you drink your coffee, take a break from studies, or wake up (I'm looking at ya, Chrissy).

Karen's Favourite Music Videos So Far (with a brief explanation that will hopefully jolt your memory banks cause I bet you couldn't be fussed looking up YouTube).

1. Radiohead - Just (Do It Yourself)
You can watch this a billion and one times and come the end, you'd be as clueless as ever as to what that guy said. The song is awesome, Radiohead playing their less experimental tunes makes me appreciate them more, and the video makes the perfect bookend to the Holy Trinity of Fantastic Band/Artiste, Song and Video. Go YouTube this and then come back and tell me how good the video was. Benchmark for all videos to come.

2. Coldplay - Shiver
The entire duration of the video has the four of them jamming in a plain-looking room, working their chemistry to such intimate levels that you can't help but feel like a voyeur for looking in at this experience. If I remember correctly, this video was released right after 'Yellow' but before they gain international recognition and reached the heights of superstardom that they are at currently. When I think about Coldplay, I think about this clip and hope that regardless of what level of success they are at, they never lose the magic that held so true in the video.

3. No Doubt - Sunday Morning
A 'picnic' lunch with your best mates. Cooking said lunch with your best mates. Having the lunch collapse into a massive food fight. I don't know if it's just the video or my tendencies for the tamer side of life (read: no nekkid models, no boozin' and crusin'), but that's sure what I consider a good time with my mates.

The rest in no particular order cause it's just too hard to choose:

4. Coldplay - Talk
Coldplay gone old school. Let this fact be known: robots in videos are cool.

4. Beastie Boys - Intergalactic
Re: above.

4. RHCP - Can't Stop
It's art. It's RHCP blending their music and art. Commence one of the most random but truly awesome video clips ever. Highlight: the scene with John Frusciante working his own brand of magic on bass in a room with schizoid tablelamps. If you know the video, you'll know what I'm talking about.

4. Steve Burns - Mighty Little Man
Hey, the guy from Blue's Clues (aka the only reason I watched that show) playing at being a rockstar, and not quite sucking. If there is any song you should listen to on Songs For Dustmites, this is it. Who knew he was packing such buff biceps under that innocent green-striped rugby shirt?

4. Blink 182 - Always
Sure, the video gives me a headache everytime I watch it but it's always fun to guess which body part is whose. Which body part is whose... is that right? Bah. The point is Travis looks extraordinarily good in the video. And that in itself is a major plus point.

4. Backstreet Boys - Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
It's super kitschy and campy, but it's got mass dancing so that's a thumb's up from me. Oh, come on. Like you weren't secretly mouthing the chorus when the song was played on a 90's rewind radio/Channel V show. And just to set the record straight, it was always Brian Littrell for me. Nick Carter has always been and even more so now, fugly. Sure, Brian's latest venture into Christian Pop/Rock territory loses him some brownie points but I'll take religiousity (sp?) over scarily-peroxided-blonde-ape-like-man.

4. Bjork - It's Oh So Quiet
The one Bjork song I get and like. The schizoid video is very, very suited to the schizoid qualities of the song. In the name of the Fantastic Band/Artiste, Fantastic Song, Fantastic Video, amen.

4. Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice
C'mon! More dancing! Watching this video makes me feel like breaking into dance as well. Except sadly although Christopher Walken has many years and moons on me, I kow-tow to the man who will forever be more nimble than me. Moby ain't got nothing on Walken. Or Fatboy Slim, by extension.

4. The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
Beware when listening to this song on your Discman or iPod. A sudden impulse to screw manners and all other Ps and Qs and a very strong urge to shove, be brazen and not give way to incoming public will come upon you. For a minute there, you will also believe that The Verve is more than a deadbeat band and Richard Ashcroft is your god. You know what I'm talking about.

There you have it. P. Diddy's 'Bad Boy for Life' nearly made the cut, but the suck-tastic ending pulled it down a whole lotta notches. Huh. I think I'm actually all typed out. I know.. I should just go on MSN, right?