People I Aspire To Be: Tony Stonem

Skins' Tony is cool as a cucumber. Glacier cool. Ice cold. Technically speaking, Tony isn't a nice guy. He's probably a sociopath. He isn't somebody anyone should aspire to be. However, I really admire crafty people and Tony is the king of craftiness. He's a master strategist- he can manipulate any situation to work for him. Those are important life skills! He gets what he wants and uses twisted methods to get them. It helps that he's super smart and incredibly good-looking. Not for everyday situations but you sometimes just need to channel Tony.

People I Aspire To Be: Veronica Mars

The first season of Veronica Mars has enough advice that should last you well through school- and college. Veronica is one cool chick. What I really like is that she doesn't let her problems get to her. She channels all her attention and energy to become a modern day Nancy Drew. She's snarky, smart, resourceful and kicks serious ass. She pursues things with a single-minded determination. Important life advice: do not let high school (or for that matter, any) drama get to you. Ostracized by not only your former friends but the entire community? Suck it up and pursue extracurricular interests like tracking down your best friend's killer and/or solve mysteries for your classmates but do not forget to charge (be economical). Have contacts- cops, hackers, motorcycle gangs, the likes. You never know whose help you'll need. Sleep in class but be smart enough to answer any question being thrown at you. You have time to pursue relationships- healthy or not. Be helpful. And most of all, your relationship with your dad is important.

People I Aspire To Be: Lip Gallagher

I haven't watched the original Shameless but I have watched the US remake and Lip Gallagher is one cool dude. I'm not talking about the second season, during which he loses all his brownie points by acting like a total doof and an absolute idiot by acting like a total moron over the one character that seems to have zero redeeming qualities (it's a sore subject). During the first season of Shameless however, Lip was the coolest and the smartest person in the cast. I really value cunning people and Lip (along with the other Gallaghers) probably tops the list. He takes the SATs for other people. He runs an ice cream truck that sells ice-cream AND weed. He is so incredibly smart. And the best of all, he's a good brother. His relationship with Ian is melting heart worthy. Plus, his eyebrows! It looks like he's constantly scorning people. Perfect.

couples part 1

Penryn and Raphael (aka Raffe) from Angelfall by Susan EE

I feel really strongly about Angelfall and its characters. At first glance, it’s like your everyday YA paranormal romance about a girl and an immortal angel (I know, right?!). Throw in a post-apocalyptic world full of resistance movements and cannibalistic children and crazy mothers and you get this fast-paced and fun novel (which you can devour in one night. Trust me on this).

Now what makes Angelfall so important to me are the two main protagonists, Penryn and Raffe. Penryn is your kickass heroine who just wants to save her little sister from the bad angels and Raffe is… an angel. A wingless angel, at that. So whatever reasons, these two journey across California to go save the little sister and Raffe’s wings. What you get is this roadtrip (actually, a walkathon would perhaps fit better) during which these two bicker constantly to hide the obvious UST (or is the bickering a result of the UST? Questions to ponder over) and get into a lot of danger and there’s constant fighting and everything.

What makes their romance really special is the fact that it doesn’t become the central part of the book. Good things are even better in small doses. There are tons of YA books out there which get absolutely ruined because of the romance overtaking the actual story (looking at you, Angel Burn) but Angelfall gives us the romance in little doses which makes it all the more exciting. It doesn’t hurt that both the characters are extremely likeable on their own and not just together which is the whole point of a strong main character, isn’t it?

Randall “Pink” Floyd and Jodi Kramer from Dazed and Confused

I root so hard for these two. Like really really really. Dazed and Confused is- in my opinion- one of the most perfect movies ever made and Pink and Jodi are like harbingers of this perfect movies (that didn’t make too much sense, did it?).

Pink is the kindest guy on the show and Jodi is the nicest girl. That doesn’t stop them from having fun and all of that teenage jazz (as opposed to clichés that tell us that nice people don’t have fun. Maybe I should retract because Pink and Jodi are popular people who are nice, and not nice people who are popular. That’s quite a distinction). Case points are Pink being an A+ guy to Mitch and Jodi being all cool older sister-y to Sabrina and the moral is that Pink and Jodi should totally be together. While watching the movie for the first time, I didn’t think much about them together until the (spoiler?) make out scene in the park! And Jodi stops Pink because he has a girlfriend and she’s decent like that and then they don’t hang out for the rest of the movie (which is, technically, just one night in their lives. Maybe I should write Dazed and Confused fanfiction about senior year) but who cares! Pink and Jodi forever! They’d form the kindest and most powerful couple in their little suburb!

Juliet Burke and James “Sawyer” Ford from Lost

What I’m going to do is ignore every cool aspect of Lost: the mythology, storytelling, the Island and the likes and concentrate on the romance. Now Sawyer is a cool guy and probably one of the funniest (and hottest) on the show. And he’s deep and full of layers and he’s got that con man act going for him, etc. etc.. Juliet is like this mystery woman with the smirk and you never really know what she’s thinking. So Sawyer is stuck in this endless triangle with Jack and Kate (who I happen to dislike so perhaps this whole ship is biased because I’m a huge Sawyer fan) and Juliet is all hung up over Jack and lots of drama and then wham! These two are the only ones left (I’m not counting Miles and everyone else, mind you) who’re stuck on the Island and that too in the 1970s! So what are the two to do?

Get together and be the most perfect couple until everybody comes back in time to ruin it, of course! They work so well together and they’re cute and everything good and I rooted so hard for them. I was actually frightened with Kate’s reappearance but by that time, I’d given up on the general storyline that the show took so… whatever. It all worked out okay (purgatory, remember? The season finale?). 

week roundup of tv

I’ve had a hell of a week so no time to blog, yo. Okay, not true. There’s just been a lot of stuff going on and I haven’t got around to blogging. I guess.

Anyway, just a little roundup. Have I mentioned the greatness that is Suits? Everyone should watch it! Everyone who’s studying law (hi me) should watch it! It’s so zanny and fun and quick and enjoyable to watch! I spent four or five days (with college and sleep, hello) finishing it up. I can’t wait till January now! Quick highlights from Suits:

• Harvey and Mike. They’re both really fun to watch and easy on the eyes and stuff. And they have this amazing chemistry that makes their whole relationship so… enjoyable (to watch). Obviously people have relationships like that only on television because who the fuck can talk so fast, finish your sentences, and be witty, and quote every other movie under the sun?! Not me. I realize I stammer a lot and I have trouble finishing my sentences so that has to change and I will use the fine men of Suits as inspiration.
• Donna! She’s so awesome. And I find a new couple to ship for life. Harvey and Donna! Totally. I got into an argument with a friend who’s convinced that Harvey should settle for someone “higher up”. I don’t even know what that means and he’s so fucking wrong because LOOK AT THEM. However, I’d strongly recommend them not getting together or doing that weird TV “I like you and you like me so we’re going to try this out oh look it’s not working out oops okay let’s move on but I still like you blah blah angst blah blah” dance. I really enjoy watching them right now. Super fun.
• Louis! He’s like the biggest villain and yet, he’s not because he’s such a loser. Rick Hoffman is so good. I’m convinced there’s this poor soul underneath all that stuff and there is, mind you, except he does something really stupid and you end up losing all your respect for him.
• Um, the suits. Men look so good in suits.
• Rachel and Jessica. Women power ftw.

It does have its flaws like any other show (the cliffie in the season finale. Did they really think no one saw it coming? So clichéd and silly. Just move on, Rach and Mike! And what was Mike thinking? Idiot. But Harvey stoned! Highlight of the episode.).

So I’m very impressed with Suits so I’m going to give Boston Legal a try- another legal dramedy or whatever. After I’m done with Fringe and the Wire. I’ve just started with Fringe and it’s kind of frustrating how slowly the season is building up. I’ve heard it gets better so I’m going to give it a try. At least until the second season. And then there’s Wire, which I’ve heard a lot about, too, so let’s see. I hope it’s good.

I watched the trailer for the new American Horror Story season and I have a feeling I’m going to end up watching it. What I’m going to do, though, is wait for the season to air completely before starting to watch it because waiting each week for an episode is pure torture. I’m kind of disappointed they’re not retaining the entire old cast because I thought the whole cast was phenomenal but let’s see! Speaking of which, isn’t Evan Peters a complete dish?  

So that’s all with the TV watching I’ve accomplished in the last one week. I haven’t watched any movies lately but I’m definitely going to try watching something tomorrow. I haven’t read anything much either, with the exception of The Sleepwalkers, by J. Gabriel Gates. It was sufficiently creepy and weird but it kind of lost me halfway and then I just stopped caring too much. It was an interesting concept and premise, though. Anyway, I have college tomorrow and I’ve been supremely exhausted lately. I’ve got this problem: I want to stay awake all the time and I’m always sleepy so I end up being a zombie, especially in class. I’m going to bed now. It’s going to take me a minimum of seven hours of sleep to deal with college on a Sunday.