My May First Menu

(Before I even begin, if I don't make sense at some parts, I have had a beer or two, so I apologise for any inconvenience, rambling, syntax, grammar or spelling mistakes, switching between British and American spelling and cause of general confusion.)

So I decided to go all cooking blog on you and show you what I cooked for May Day.

But first, some background. International Workers Day (May 1rst) is the commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago. It is very well known all over the world (I believe?) and respectfully kept throughout Greece. In fact, it is held as a strike and not just a national holiday or bank holiday. Many institutions like museums or public transport that regularly work on national, religious or bank holidays, don't on May 1rst.
But May 1rst (or Protomagia in Greek) has another connotation for the Greek society. May 1rst is basically the unofficial beginning of the summer. It is the first time the average Greek gets to venture into the wild (read: the nearest arboretum, city park or small field they can find that doesn't already have tens of people claiming it. Or the beach, my personal favourite, which, for reasons I am going to explain, isn't really popular, but plenty of people opt for it too), barbecue (read: burn perfectly good) steaks, pork chops, souvlakia and sausages (and maybe start an arson or fifteen- not a day off for the fire brigade), play games (read: get drunk and play a football-met-handball-they-got-drunk-and-made-out-and-agreed-to-never-mention-it-again-but-there-are-pictures-to-remind-them-of-it sort of game) and enjoy nature at its peak of beauty (read: pick flowers and make intricate woven crowns out of them that they burn on St John's day on the 24 of June, but that's another story. Hence the smaller popularity of the beach. No flowers).

The Hunger Games review SPOILER FREE (for now)

It's been a while, I know, but I am back and I have something excellent for you!
I watched The Hunger Games literally three hours ago, and since my friends are assholes who don't appreciate art, I have nobody else to express my excitement but the internet.
So, here comes a spoiler free review of The Hunger Games film!

This is the least sucky official poster. Seriously, Lionsgate, I have seen
better posters on Tumblr. Ask some fans to voluteer as graphic designers.
I am certain they would be delighted (and fight to the death to get their poster published).
For free nonetheless /caption rant over

Hiatus Alert

not this hiatus

I am just writing this post to inform people who read this blog that I will be taking a hiatus from now until at least the 28th of the month. I am sick as hell, I have just finished my university exams and I am exhausted. I will take the next week off to rest, and then it's the amazing Carnival, which practically means that you get drunk every day, all day, and dress up for a week and a half. Understandably, I will need to take some time off for that too. I hope you understand, and meanwhile, you can do many things.

• research the carnival (not surprisingly, few people know what is)
• be jealous of the carnival
• READ BOOKS (I have many reccomendations and reviews on my blog)
• watch films (I hope I had some reccomendations on that too, but those 2011 and all time favourite movie posts are taking too long)

I really hope I will see you again next month!

What Happened During December and January

Honestly? Nothing shocking.
A lot of studying.
I made a tumblr.
Which means a lot of time wasting. But it's awesome.
Which also means that I haven't logged in to Twitter in almost two weeks.
I am working on two movie posts, one on 2011, ine on my all time favourites.
I read a few books.
I accidentally deleted my NaNoWriMo novel. (feel free to punch me in the vulva lext time you see me)
I was almost relieved because I started to hate it beacuse I had no idea how to finish it. At least now I don't have to finish it.
But now I feel like an asshole because I ended up useing my CreateSpace code and I won't be publishing anything and someone that would could have made use of it and now can't.
I got a few ideas for my next one. Which means I decided to do it again next year.
Also I decided to go for ML.
A LOT OF SLEEP
EVEN MORE SLEEPLESSNESS (what a beautiful word)

Exams.

Exams.

Exams.

Exams.

Exams.

Exams!

And that's what you missed on My Exciting Life.

My Advice Column

My whole day evening yesterday was filled with advice.

First this awesomeness:

I snorted stuff out of my nose reading her advice. For real. And more than once.

which you really should check out. Then this:

this, but the significance in this for me is the final line

which is written by the amazing Cassandra Clare,.And particularly this one:

this is amazing advice, btw

So I took it as a sign from universe.
Advice columns are amazing. I love giving advice to people. And they tell me it's good advice too. So, if anyone is interested, in need of some advice, or just wants to feed my fantasies of being a successful blogger, send me a line at advice.justmessingaround1@gmail.com and see what I got for you. (and I PROMISE NOT TO SPAM YOU OR ANYTHING, your email along wth the very email address will be deleted as soon as I read the question) My advice will be posted on this blog, but on a different page in order for me not to spam you with my endless bits of wise advice. I am not trying to be Ann Landers or the awesomesauce that is Ask CokeTalk, but I'd be happy to offer some advice to you folks (no matter how fucked up my own life is). (But usually the best advice comes from fucked up people, so, hit me)

The Art of the All-Nighter

This Christmas my family and I visited a friendly family whose mom is a childhood friend of my mom's. The family has a son who got into university in their city this fall and at some point the following discussion took place.

He: So, what time do you sleep at night? (At which point my mom in what she thinks is a sneaky peek stares at me to hear my answer.)

Me: Um, half past twelve or so.

He: Every weekday? (At which point my obviously satisfied mom turns back to her discussion with her friend.)

Me: Well, it depends, but mostly yeah.

He: So, if you have homework you need to catch up on?

Me: Yeah, I have stayed up long after that, yes. You?

He: Well, I sleep pretty late...

Me: (snorting) How late?

He: ... Three? And now, in the holidays, I haven't gone to bed earlier than five.

Me: (appaled and amused) And what time do you wake up?

He: For school? At nine, but now in the holidays, after noon.

Me: And what do you do up so late?

He: I jerk around on the PC, I watch movies...

Me: Well, being a *CENSORED* student, I know about pulling all nighters, but  I don't do it often. And it is always for catching up for homework.

He: So what's the latest you have gone to sleep?

Me: (snort) Not going to sleep.

He: Straight to class?

Me: Yes.

He: Hardcore.

Me: (sounding cocky) Thanks, (but actually thinking, You have no idea what hardcore means, baby.)

So I decided to write this post on my 0.02€ on study all-nighters. You don't know what I am studying, but I will assure you, all nighters are often necessary to catch up on studying, and I have pulled some a lot of my own. I have gone straight to class (see rule 5) and I have partied all night to go straight to class to crash in the afternoon until the next morning. So:

If you don't wanna end up like Scumbag Steve, click on READ MORE.

Just so you know, if you want to pull an all-nighter playing a game, the rules also apply to you, but more loosely. Just skip the overly motivational stuff 1-7, even though you should take a look at these too because I wrote them and they are awesome. And if you are pulling a movie/TV series marathon, my tip for you is, be well stocked with comfort food, cover yourself with a blanket and keep poor me, depriving myself of sleep for science, in your thoughts.

Clockwork Prince Review

Here follows a spoilery review of Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. It's been a month since it has been out. Go and get it if you haven't already.

Got it? Read it? Good. Click on READ MORE now.

It's a little late, I know...

But...

So so so cute! I hope you all had a great New Year's Eve and Day! Let's all have a great year! More posts to come, even though somewhat irregularly. But let's all chant I will make 2012 my bitch and MAKE IT HAPPEN.
BTW, anyone who thinks that December 21 will be the end of the world is more than welcome to put me in their will. Just saying.

SOPA Emergency IP Address list

Just kidding. For now. See Golden Shield Project (or the Great Firewall of China) to see it CAN happen.

This is a post I found floating somewhere (I wish I could credit it) and I recommend you print it and put it somewhere near your computer or save it on a document. I wish the time never comes to use this information, but it never hurts to be safe. So when the assf*cks (oops!) in DC (not the comic book publisher) decide to ruin the Internet, here are the IP addresses you can use to access your favorite sites in the event of a DNS takedown/poisoning/hijacking.

DNS (Domain Name System) is what allows you to type www.google.com and to go to the 74.125.157.99 IP (Internet Protocol) address. Your computer doesn't understand www.google.com, it only understands 74.125.157.99, but DNS enables you to use the domain nane instead of the numbers because it's easy(ier) for humans to remember the name and type it. Isn't google easier to remember than 74.125.157.99?

The reason why I am posting something that is just a future possibility is because, it is a possibility. Yes, SOPA might not happen. But it might. And if it happens in the land of the free (for all), there will be no stopping it. Maybe the EU has something to say now, but who knows? Maybe one day they won't.

And the Internet won't be the same without Americans. Who are Europeans supposed to make fun of then?

Merry Christmas (or something)

So last time I checked it was Christmas Eve's eve. I had this elaborate plan of typing a post and then scheduling it etc etc.

But burnout postmidterm happened and it is already two days past the 25th and here I am typing.

Except of when I go barhopping all night. But if I could I definitely would.

So, happy birthday to Sol Invictus, Dionysus, Horus, Attis, Krishna, Mithra and Jesus. Who are really the same person. I hope you all had a great and deeply filling whatever-it-is-you-celebrate (even if it is just a day off work because some others do) and you ate lots and lots of food. And Happy New Year's if I don't write by then. If you are, you know, on a Western calendar. If not, disregard the last wish until it is. But still, Happy Binge Eating and Driking to all! And don't drink and drive.

Clockwork Prince SPOILER FREE Review

Here follows a spoiler-free (shocker!) review of Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare.

What Else Happened During November

My motto. But that's not the reason why I wasn't blogging.

Well, not just November, but the entire time from when I last posted till now.

The Great Debate: How To Make A Damn Cake

Books: Dystopia Master Post

Uglies Trilogy & The Extras by Scott Westerfeld

Series: My all-time favourites, what I'm watching, and what's new this fall (or, how to have tastes so diverse, people think you're bipolar)

Rule of Life
also, satellite*

Yeah, I was planning on doing three seperate posts, but what's the point of a blog post if it's not at least 50 pages long as a Word document? (just kidding, people, it's not that long) (single spaced text, Calibri 11, normal page margins, without the pics, it's no more than 35 pages) (maybe) (nah, I'll keep you guessing) (maybe I'll write the number somewhere in the post) (so, guess what? you'll have to read it to find out) (how genius of me) (please read it?)

NaNoWriMo (or, what the hell did I just do???)

The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices post (or, how to look better in black than the widows of your enemies)

The Twilight Saga (or, how all publicity really is good publicity)

I do like the covers of the books, no matter what else.

Vampire Academy and Bloodlines Monster Post (or, how to not judge a vampire series by another vampire series that shall go unnamed)

The Hunger Games Trilogy (or, how to make your readers go tho the shrink every day for the rest of their lives. Sorry, the psychoanalyst.)

Konstantinoupolis (or, never believe what people tell you)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (or, how to succesfully make an audience mourn for their childhood)

Harry Potter (or, how the magic goes on in our hearts. sob)

I am sad.

In a week, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is coming out.

The cast members have been tweeting about getting tuxes and dresses for the red carpet.

I am sad.

My life is over.

I have nothing to live for.

This is loooooong overdue, so without further delay, Harry Potter.

I am sad. And nostalgic for my childhood.

Books: All-Time Favourites, Part One (of who knows how many...)

WARNING: SPOILERS ALERT
Seriously, most of those books are old enough for you to have read, do you not expect spoilers?

Preface: These are not the only books that I have read in my life and not my only favourites. There are so many books by Greek authors that I love more than some in this list that I would like to talk about. But, since they are available in Greece only (and in Greek bookstores abroad where Greeks live, but still in Greek) they are not available for most people to read. I really wish they would be translated in English so they would get a wider audience, because they deserve it.

And without further delay, here we go!