Velocity

When I ran out of Stephen King books to read, someone suggested I read Dean Koontz. I can’t recall the first book of his that I picked up, but it was a book I definitely don’t regret reading. Koontz quickly became another of my favorite authors, and he was a big part of my list of books I wanted to read to reach my 50 books-a-year goal.

I joined a media swapping website, Swaptree about a year and a half ago, and Dean Koontz took up most of my “Want” list. That’s how “Velocity” ended up in my paws. Unfortunately, I was getting books faster than I could read them, so it’s taken me awhile to get to this book, and I’m truly sorry it did.

This is one of those books that has such a creative plot and story line, you can never really guess what is coming next. More than once, I uttered “wow” or “holy crap!” It is an honest to goodness page turner. More than once I put the book down to go to sleep, only to toss and turn because I wanted to read more.

The story had everything; characters you feel for, a plot that not only kept you guessing, but had you thinking up ways to HELP the characters, only to blow you away when you see how they end up helping themselves. I definitely recommend picking up a copy, which you can do here on amazon.com.

Alright, go read while I shut up.

Is Stupidity Contagious?

Is stupidity contagious? Because I think it’s spreading like wildfire. Take these people for instance, I think they’re the latest victims.

Would you like a cat fight with your complimentary peanuts?

Is that how the Geico Gecko got here, or did he have a visa?

Ladies Man indeed

I need a helmet if people like them exist. I’ll be in my hole, hiding, and shutting up.

Do You Like Free Stuff?

I imagine every single one of my readers chanting “Yeah, I like free stuff!”. Leave my delusions alone and read on. Internet, I bring you I Should Just Shut Up’s first ever contest! *Da da da daaaa!*

I have this schweeet poster of Chester Bennington to give away, and I want you monkey’s to earn it!

Poster is 12x18 inches and double sided

So, you want that pretty nifty poster? What do you have to do for it? Well, I’ll tell you. All you have to do is email me and tell me, in 200 words or less, why you are Chester Bennington’s biggest fan. And since it is Photo Friday and all, you MUST include a photo of you with Mr. B himself.

Pretty easy, right? I thought so. Deadline for entries is March 26, 2010. Once I have reviewed all the entries, I will post the top 5 and everyone can vote for the winner! The winner will be announced on April 9th, 2010. This is just to give everyone time to get their stuff in and to compile enough votes.

Email all entries to: julienkstreetteampixie @ gmail dot com

Entries entered into the comments section will NOT be included! Please make sure you EMAIL them to me! Thanks!

GOOD LUCK, PEEPS!

From the heart

Stuck in an emotional funk that I just haven’t been able to pull myself from for years, I got a bit sappy with today’s words of wisdom, so bear with me!

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ~ Lao Tzu

“Can miles truly separate you from friends… If you want to be with someone you love, aren’t you already there?” ~ Richard Bach

“I don’t wish to be everything to everyone, but I would like to be something to someone.” ~ Javan

“Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.” ~ H. L. Mencken

“Love that is not madness is not love.” ~ Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Music Can Heal

Hurricane Katrina. Haiti Earthquakes. Wildfires in California. South Asia Tsunami’s. We’ve watched them sweep through, leaving destruction, heartbreak, and devastation behind.

Many of us were touched by these events, and pitched in to bring these communities back together. But once the media coverage slows to a stop, people forget. People move on, go back to their lives, while those effected by these disasters still live with all the aftermath.

Music for Relief is an organization that will never forget. Established in 2005 to help bring relief to the victims of the South Asia Tsunami’s, the members of Linkin Park put forward a movement to make this earth a better place. Hand in hand, together as humans, we could get together, and slowly we can accomplish great things.

Their premise is easy to understand. If they were each to donate, and get their close friends in the music business, to make a donation, and have those friends continue the chain, pretty soon they’d be making a huge difference in the relief effort.

Since 2005, it has gone far beyond just relief effort in those area’s affected by disaster. They’ve since branched out to helping the world reduce their carbon footprint.. Not because it’s “trendy”, but because it’s best for the world on which we stand.

THE FACTS

• Music for Relief has raised over $3,000,000 in donations.
• They’ve helped establish environmental programs to help artists and fans reduce their carbon footprint and educate others about how climate change impacts weather related disasters.
• Over 95% of funds raised in 2008 went directly to disaster relief and environmental programs.
• 810,000 trees have been planted to sequester more than 270,000 tons of CO2.
• MFR has aided the victims of Hati, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Hannah, Ike & Gustav. Also, Southern California Wildfires, Australian wildfires, and Cyclones Nargisin Burma, Sidr & Ailain Bangladesh have also received aid.

Music For Relief is, if anything, a very active organization. They are constantly coming up with easy, interesting, and effective ways to help other than through direct monetary donations.

Currently, they have an album available for download with donation to help the Haitian community recover from the devastating earthquakes. To download the album and donate, click here .

Also, to help year round, bit by bit, you can sign up and use the Music For Relief Search Engine. I personally use this, and you can earn prizes while helping MFR! No download necessary, either. Just sign up for free. Click the picture for more info.

These are only SOME of the ways you can help. Please visit Musicforrelief.org for more information and to help this wonderful organization.

Thumbs Down

I’m a raver. No, I don’t put pigtails in my hair, resemble rainbow bright, and wear pants that I could smuggle a kangaroo in with the legroom left over… anymore. (It was a phase, one which, thankfully, there is little to no photographic proof. Phew.) What I mean is, when I love something, I REALLY love it, and I’ll tell everyone I can about it.

But, Internet, life isn’t always puppies, rainbows, and pigtails. I don’t love everything. So, to switch up Tunes for Tuesday this week, these are my Top 5 Most Disappointing Albums I’ve bought/listened to.

5- Dark Horse by Nickelback – Yes, people, I like Nickelback. Usually, their songs are in a constant rotation for me. However, only a select few of the songs off this latest album hooked me. One of a few that I passed on.

4- Minutes to Midnight by Linkin Park – Admitedly, this album isn’t all THAT bad. But it’s a lot… wussier then I like my LP. I’m not a die hard fan, so this may be why M2M was a bit of a disappointment.

3- It Won’t Be Soon Before Long by Maroon 5– This album is probably the reason a lot of people have forgotten about Maroon 5. Their first album, Songs About Jane, rocked my world and was in my CD player constantly. The second album… after sampling songs, I didn’t even bother buying. It’s a shame, because Adam Lavigne has such a unique voice.

2- One of the Boys by Katy Perry – Just like everyone else not living under a rock, I fell in love with Miss Perry with “I Kissed a Girl”. “Hot n Cold” was another song that hooked me. The rest of her album? Forgettable. Regrettable. A big let down. **sigh**

1- For Your Entertainment by Adam Lambert – I was a total Glambert fan when he was on American Idol. In fact, I was about to revolt when he lost. He’ s fabulous, he’s hot, he’s talented. His album also bites. The first single, I loved. The rest, I can dig some of the songs, but they are barely tolerable. Sorry, Adam!

Tell me what music you regret buying, and I might just shut up.

P.S. I now have a page for my workout playlists. Check it out up at the top under “Music Mix Up”!

Open and Honest

Today, I asked those following me on twitter, and my Facebook friends to ask me anything for today’s Meme Monday. I got some pretty good questions, mostly messaged to me, and posted 10 of them here, with their respective answers. Enjoy!

1) A knock at door. You open it. Rynsk (Ryan from Julien-K) standing there. He has 2hrs to kill. What next, realistically, not fantasy 😉

– Hmmm. We all know what the fantasy would be, haha! Realistically, however, I’d probably freak out on the inside while trying to keep it cool on the outside. Eventually, I’d invite him in, probably cook him something to eat, and just catch up as we haven’t seen each other in a while. Then, cue the sweaty pig sex. (Okay, that’s not realistic. We’d have sex first, then I’d feed him, duh) (Fine, that’s not realistic either, ruin my fun why don’t you!)

2) What is your biggest fear?

– Well, I have a few, actually. My BIGGEST fear, has to be being forgotten. I am seriously petrified of dying, and no one caring, and no one remembering me. I know it seems silly, but it’s something I’ve ALWAYS been afraid of. A close second is pigeons. No, really. Pigeons.

3) Who is your celebrity crush?

– You don’t know me well, do you? Do you know me at all? Hi, I’m Pixie! (P.S. The answer is Ryan Shuck)

4) If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?

– I just KNEW this question would come up, it always does. I would first of all, pay off my debt. Then, buy a home in Southern California. Then, with whatever was left, I would open my own new/used bookstore.

5) Sex or Music?

– Um… can’t I have both? I’m greedy like that. So, both. Simultaneously.

6) What got you into Ryan Shuck so much..other then his looks?

– Honestly, I admire the man. He’s overcome so much. And I find that this is one of his most attractive qualities. He’s also very intelligent, extremely talented, and very sweet. I just find him to be a complicated mix of sexy, smart, cool, bad, and good. The abs don’t hurt, either. Or the eyes…. or the smile. Oh boy, I should stop now.

7) If you could eat ONE THING for the rest of your life, and still be healthy, what would it be?

– Ugh. I love SO many things!! I’d have to say pasta though. I’ve always been a carb-o-vore. Mmmm, caaarbs. And with pasta, you can do so much!

8 ) What song is stuck in your head RIGHT NOW!

– Rude Boy by Rihanna

9) What movie could you watch a thousand times and not get sick of?

– I have what I call compulsive obsessions. No, not OCD. I will fall in love with something, watch/listen/indulge in said something over and over and over again, until something replaces it. That makes it really hard for me to answer this question! However, something that I’ve already watched a million times and I’m STILL not sick of it is Trans Global Spectacle, Orgy’s DVD. SO. FUNNY. That DVD has inspired SO many inside jokes between my friends and I.

10) What is something you have always wanted, but don’t see yourself ever having?

– Ooo, deeeep man. Surprisingly enough, I have always imagined myself to be a housewife, and a stay at home mom. Unfortunately, I don’t ever see this happening in my life. It makes me sad, but I’m sure I’ll make the best of life and find something that makes me happy.

Claiming of Sleeping Beauty

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)

As a rule, I am NOT an Anne Rice fan. Chastise me if you wish, but I could never really get into her books. She’s not a BAD writer, I was just never a fan.

So, in being a non-fan of Anne Rice, I had never heard of The Erotic Adventures of Sleeping Beauty Series until a friend of mine mentioned itto me. I forget how the topic came about, but as soon as she gave me a brief low down of what these books are about, I HAD. TO. HAVE. THEM. I am a sucker for erotic stories. Romance novels, I hate. But, give me a dirty, sexy, erotic novel, and I’m golden.

Immediately, I started hunting down these books. I was able to buy a copy of the first in the series, The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, off of eBay for a damn good price, as I was nearly broke at the time. As soon as my grubby little paws touched this book, I sucked it down. It took me 3 days to read it, which is above average for me.

In all honesty, it was a good, borderline great book. The eroticism inside was more than enough to satiate me, but there were concepts I didn’t quite agree with. I understood Rice’s point enough, I just didn’t think the point made sense.

Personally, I feel there is a very thin line between sexy and horrible when it comes to S&M, and there are times when this book has a foot on the wrong side of the line. I blame this on the fact that I am such a pansy girl sometimes. (It happens to the best of us, shush.)

There are times the story has you ping-ponging back and forth, rooting for different characters. Sometimes you want to weep for Beauty, and hate the Prince. Other times, you want to slap Beauty upside the head, and hope she comes to her senses. While this would frustrate some people, it’s part of what kept me reading. And, in giving credit where it was due, the ending was not what I expected. I love when an author can do this to me!

I would definitely recommend this book to Anne Rice fans, twisted fairy tale fans, and erotic story fans. No vampires though, which wasn’t as disappointing as I thought it would be. Overall, I will definitely pick up the other 2 books in the series (Beauty’s Punishment, and Beauty’s Release) and give them a read.

So, congratulations, Anne Rice. You finally got me to read one of your books all the way through.

Click here to pick up your copy of The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)

I’ll shut up now.

Breeding Needs a License

Is it just me, or does the end of February bring out the worst in people. Valentines Day is nice and all, when you’re in a relationship. But for some of us, it sucks. And then we have the select few that we rejoice their single status… and hope they never breed. People such as:

Maybe she wanted to be the criminal, so he could be the horny cop?

Even criminals knows how important social networking is

If the guy above is Hansel, this must be Gretel

I take that back, THESE guys, are Gretel

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Pho-HO! What is that?!

With 5 minutes to spare, I bring you today’s Photo Friday.

I had NOTHING in mind for today. I mean it, nothing. Nada. Zip.

So, what do I do when I have no specific idea’s for a blog? I turn to Google. (Not Goggle, that was in my dream. G-O-O-G-L-E. My conscious* mind does not need spell check.)

I did a quick image search for “Entertain me, Google” and after flipping through a few pages of results, I found this gem:

Creepy

Not many people know this about me, but I find most dolls utterly creepy. I HATE porcelain dolls, because they give me the heebie jeebies. The one pictured, however, just takes the damn cake.

What makes it even worse? According to the URL attatched, it’s called the Disability Doll. Yeah, looking at it gives me a disability. It’s creepy. So, like a good blog slave, I Googled again to find out what the heck this is. It’s apparently a doll depicting one with Downs Syndrome. Whatever, it’s creepy.

I’ll shut up now.

(*- I originally misspelled this, and the little red squiggly line popped up. Thought you’d enjoy the irony. I did.)