The Big Twenty-Oh.

200 posts, most of them about nothing! Something to celebrate! Yay!

In honor of this, I present to you,

200 Songs That Rock.
(In My Opinion.)

1. A-Teens
- "Upside Down"
2-9. Across The Universe Soundtrack
- "Hold Me Tight"
- "Dear Prudence"
- "I Am The Walrus"
- "Strawberry Fields Forever"
- "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
- "Across The Universe"
- "Hey Jude"
- "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
10. Agatsuma
- "Beams"
11-12. All Time Low
- "Lost In Stereo (Remix)"
- "Hello, Brooklyn"
13-14. Animal Collective
- "My Girls"
- "Summertime Clothes"
15. Aperture Science
- "Still Alive"
16. Aunt Hilda (Shane Dawson)
- "Last Sunday Night"
17-18. Avril Lavigne
- "Girlfriend"
- "What The Hell"
19. B.o.B.
- "Airplanes"
20-21. Bad Company
- "Feel Like Making Love"
- "Shooting Star"
22-23. Basshunter
- "Angel In The Night"
- "Jingle Bells"
24. Bishop Allen
- "Middle Management"
25. The Black Keys
- "Meet Me In The City"
26. Blink-182
- "M+M's"
27. Blue Foundation
- "Eyes On Fire (Zeds Dead Remix)"
28. Blues Brothers Soundtrack
- "Shake A Tail Feather"
29. Boys Like Girls
- "The Great Escape"
30. Brewer & Shipley
- "One Toke Over The Line"
31. Broken Bells
- "The Ghost Inside"
32. Caspa & Rusko
- "Terminator"
33. Chairlift
- "Bruises"
34. The Charlatans
- "Blackened Blue Eyes"
35-36. Cobra Starship
- "Living In The Sky With Diamonds"
- "Send My Love To The Dancefloor, I'll See You In Hell (Hey Mister DJ)"
37. Crazy Fingers
- "Birthday Song (Peace The Positive)"
38. David Bowie
- "Underground"
39. The Dead 60s
- "Riot Radio"
40. Dead Or Alive
- "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)"
41-43. Deadmau5
- "Ghosts N Stuff"
- "Moar Ghosts N Stuff"
- "Strobe"
44. Death Cab For Cutie
- "I Will Possess Your Heart"
45-48. Dire Straits
- "Money For Nothing"
- "Sultans Of Swing"
- "Twisting By The Pool"
- "Walk of Life"
49. DJ MNS vs. E-Maxx
- "Pump My Bass"
50. The Doobie Brothers
- "Nobody"
51-55. Dropkick Murphys
- "Fields Of Athenry"
- "Bastards On Parade"
- "Dirty Glass"
- "I'm Shipping Up To Boston"
- "The Auld Triangle"
56. Duck Sauce
- "Barbra Streisand"
57-59. The Eagles
- "Hotel California"
- "Life In The Fast Lane"
- "Desperado"
60. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes
- "Home"
61-64. Emigrate
- "Emigrate"
- "My World"
- "New York City"
- "I Have A Dream"
65. Enrique Iglesias
- "I Like It"
66. Explosions In The Sky
- "Your Hand In Mine"
67. Falco
- "Rock Me Amedeus"
68-71. Fall Out Boy
- "The (Shipped) Gold Standard"
- "Tiffany Blews"
- "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs"
- "Fame < Infamy"
72. Fatty Spins
- "Doin' Your Mom"
73. The Flaming Lips
- "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song"
74-76. Fleet Foxes
- "Ragged Wood"
- "Mykonos"
- "Your Protector"
77-82. Flogging Molly
- "Drunken Lullabies"
- "What's Left of the Flag"
- "If I Ever Leave This World Alive"
- "Black Friday Rule"
- "Devil's Dance Floor"
- "Seven Deadly Sins"
83. Freak Nasty
- "Da Dip"
84. Gerry Rafferty
- "Baker Street"
85-90. Grateful Dead
- "Friend Of The Devil"
- "Franklin's Tower"
- "Althea"
- "Estimated Prophet"
- "Terrapin Station"
- "Uncle John's Band"
91-93. Hadouken!
- "Rebirth"
- "Oxygen"
- "Mecha Love"
94. Hey Monday
- "I Don't Wanna Dance"
95. HIM
- "In Venere Veritas"
96. I Am X-Ray
- "Pretty Rave Girl"
97. Jay Sean
- "Down"
98. Jefferson Airplane
- "Come On And Take A Free Ride"
99. Jim Carrey
- "I Am The Walrus"
100. Jimi Hendrix
- "Bold As Love"
101-103. Jimmy Buffett
- "Cheeseburger In Paradise"
- "Jolly Mon Sing"
- "Fins"
104-109. John Kilzer
- "Green, Yellow, and Red"
- "Red Blue Jeans"
- "Give Me A Highway"
- "Dream Queen"
- "If Sidewalks Talked"
- "When Fools Say Love"
110-111. John Travolta
- "Greased Lightning"
- "We Go Together"
112. Journey
- "Don't Stop Believin'"
113-116. Ke$ha
- "TiK ToK"
- "Blah Blah Blah"
- "Cannibal"
- "We R Who We R"
117. Kevin Rudolf
- "Welcome to the World"
118. Kid Cudi
- "Up Up & Away (The Wake & Bake Song)"
119. Kottonmouth Kings
- "Rainy Daze"
120. Lady Gaga
- "Telephone"
121. Machinima
- "Taste The Cake"
122. Matt & Kim
- "Daylight"
123. Maximo Park
- "Apply Some Pressure"
124. Meat Loaf
- "Hot Patootie - Bless My Soul"
125. The Medic Droid
- "Fer Sure"
126-127. Metric
- "Front Row"
- "Help I'm Alive"
128-129. MGMT
- "Electric Feel (Justice Remix)"
- "Kids"
130. Morningwood
- "Nth Degree"
131. Night Ranger
- "Sister Christian"
132. Noah & The Whale
- "5 Years' Time"
133. O-Zone
- "Dragostea Din Tei"
134. OAR
- "Hey Girl"
135-137. Of Montreal
- "Disconnect The Dots"
- "Lysergic Bliss"
- "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games"
138. Old Crow Medicine Show
- "Wagon Wheel"
139. Outasight
- "Good Evening (Dream Big)"
140. Owl City
- "Peppermint Winter"
141. Panic! At The Disco
- "Nine In The Afternoon"
142-145. Passion Pit
- "Better Things"
- "Sleepyhead"
- "The Reeling"
- "Little Secrets"
146. Phoenix
- "1901"
147-148. Pink Floyd
- "Money"
- "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"
149-150. Rammstein
- "Ich Tu Dir Weh"
- "Morgenstern"
151. Ravers On Dope
- "Get High"
152. The Ready Set
- "Love Like Woe"
153. The Real Tuesday Weld
- "Last Words"
154. Richard O'Brien
- "Time Warp"
155-156. Riley Armstrong
- "A Calendar For Clean Water"
- "Cell Phone"
157. Say Anything
- "Alive With The Glory of Love"
158. Schnappi
- "Schnappi, das Kleine Krokodil"
159. Scorpions
- "Rock You Like a Hurricane"
160. Shakira
- "She Wolf"
161. She Wants Revenge
- "I Don't Want To Fall In Love"
162. Shiny Toy Guns
- "Le Disko"
163. Sky Sailing
- "Brielle"
164-166. Slightly Stoopid
- "Ocean"
- "Closer To The Sun"
- "Sweet Honey"
167. Social Distortion
- "Reach For The Sky"
168. Steppenwolf
- "Magic Carpet Ride"
169. Steve Miller Band
- "Swingtown"
170-171. Stevie Ray Vaughan
- "Pipeline"
- "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)"
172. Styx
- "Come Sail Away"
173. Technohead
- "I Wanna Be a Hippie"
174. Third Eye Blind
- "Semi-Charmed Life"
175. The Ting Tings
- "That's Not My Name"
176. Toy Box
- "Witch Doctor"
177-178. Tune Up!
- "Colors of the Rainbow"
- "Ravers Fantasy"
179. UB40
- "Red Red Wine"
180. Vampire Weekend
- "A-Punk"
181-184. Various Artists/Unknown
- "Your Mama Don't Dance"
- "Brown Eyed Girl"
- "Sugar Magnolia"
- "My Maria"
185. Vengaboys
- "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!"
- "We Like To Party"
186. We Are Scientists
- "After Hours"
187. Yasuharu Takanashi
- "Fairy Tail Main Theme"
188. Yes
- "Owner Of A Lonely Heart"
189-191. 311
- "Amber"
- "Champagne"
- "Hey You"
192-196. 3OH!3
- "Double Vision"
- "My First Kiss"
- "Don't Trust Me (Benny Blanco Remix)"
- "I'm Not Your Boyfriend Baby"
- "Starstrukk"
197. Darude
- "Sandstorm"

I lied, only 197. But enjoy, those of you that read my ramblings.

~Marina

Dear Blank.

I must be ripping off half a dozen people right now, but dammit, I want to join too!
The people that write letters to inanimate objects, I mean.

Dear tape,
Thanks for sticking with me.
Love, me.

Dear notebooks,
You are a neverending plethora of information, and more often than not, surprises.
Love, me, 6 years later.

Dear clothes hangers,
I find you useless now, since I have no closet in my room. Rather, my room is a closet. Please stop appearing on my floor, as you are rather uncomfortable to sit on. There is a nice cozy closet nearby where you would fit right in. Pack your things, I will move you there tomorrow.
Love, a person who folds their clothes instead.

Dear electric kettle,
Please learn the meaning of "comfortably hot."
Love, ruined taste buds.

Dear cat,
I know you love to investigate everything in my room, but if you'd refrain from curling up and gnawing on live power cords, it may cause me to have fewer panic attacks.
Love, technology junkie.

Dear bra,
Despite everything, you've still got my back. And my front.
Love, size D.

Dear dog,
Who's a good doggie? Do you wannnnnnna cookie? Want to go... OUTSIIIIIIIDE?
Love, me (at 2 in the morning, and sorry, but it'll have to wait. you can hold it.)

Dear patch of floor I recently moved my bed to,
I feel as if something has come between us. Maybe we can reestablish contact someday.
Love, sleepy.

Dear retainer,
Keep it together.
Love, post-orthodontic subject.

Dear laptop,
4 days without a crash. Good job. Let's keep it that way.
Love, college student.

Dear zombies,
*crowbar*
Love, Dr. Freeman.

~Marina

Nightly Routine.

I have none. What little routine there is, it usually consists of staying up too late reading other blogs.

Which brings me to my next point...

This blog. Hyperbole and a Half. I cannot for the life of me figure out why Blogger won't let me link the URL but it is hyperboleandahalf@blogspot.com. It is currently my favorite. Allie is FANTASTIC. Just go check it out, you'll see what I mean.

And because she is so ridiculously fantastic, she has a hell of a lot more followers than me, leading me to believe that I am doing something completely wrong here.

But that's okay.

~Marina

The Little Things.

There are a lot of issues I'm trying to figure out right now, but what I really want to focus on instead is the little moments and the little memories in my life that I look back on and smile about, or feel longing towards. They're my refuge in stormy weather, to use a horribly mangled common saying.

Nature park, September. Kevin gave me his coat because it was cool in the shadow of the trees. We sat in a clearing and held each other close as the forest transformed into a different world. We laughed and talked about things I never expected to vocalize. Kevin gets up, and with a half-uncomfortable, half-understanding smile, reads my thoughts and says "Whoa, we're entering into dangerous territory here." I noticed the details that confirmed that he felt what I felt. We ignored it and wandered through the park, noting every detail that was unnaturally vivid. We sat in the sun, our last summer's day, and looked across the field into the future.

Grandma's house, Christmas. Daniel needed to talk to me. We went onto the back porch and he wrapped me tightly in his arms and apologized for everything he'd done wrong to me. With tenderness, he turned his claddagh over on his finger.

Third street, any given A day lunch. Sitting with Jessica on the bench, legs crossed identically, smoking Camels or Marlboro Smooths and talking about anything and everything. Wandering into Ranch Records to peruse the stacks of vinyl. Waiting in the courthouse, deserted aside from us. Dancing with our friends, singing "Home" at the top of our lungs, holding beers or red plastic cups of wine while Lindsy played a tambourine. Winning our first game of water pong. Laughing as she said "I feel like I have mayonnaise in my mouth. Do you have mayonnaise in your mouth?" Making sure she got to bed and covering her with a blanket, and turning off the lights.

~Marina

"Home is whenever I'm with you."

Upside Down

So after much contemplation today, I have made a resolution to change my eating habits and get more exercise. After all, there is a stationary bike and a Tony Little Gazelle (yeah... we have one) in the basement. So today, I cut my portion sizes to a more reasonable level and drank tea instead of soda, and drank plenty of cold water on top of that. And decided, at 11:30 PM, I would work out because everyone was in bed.

So I did. I grabbed my iPod, a hoodie, workout clothes, and I headed down to the basement. 1 hour and a shower later, I feel fantastic. Now if I can just get up at 6 to do it again...

~Marina

Mind Over Matter.

I have found myself thinking a lot lately, often far into the early morning hours. Worrying. Planning. Analyzing. And all over something that is only mildly important to others but has become very important to me.

I've been happy with how I look for the most part for the majority of my life. But lately I've hit a proverbial wall.

Before my first term of college, I was 5'6" and 140 pounds.

After my first term I had gained 25 pounds, and have settled into a weight between 160 and 165. This puts my BMI just above the 'overweight' line for the first time in my life and it's a crushing blow to my self esteem.

I can't even stand to look at myself any more, so I plan to do something about it.

~Marina

New Friends, Old Friends.

Since graduating, I have noticed a distinct change that I had anticipated but had definitely not prepared for. I have lost touch with the majority of my friends that I used to see or at least text every day.

This is for my old friends.

I would spend a lot of time with Jessica, walking around Third Street every A day at lunch, sharing our love of Marlboro Smooths and Camel No. 9's and searching for good vintage clothes at the High Rack that has since gone out of business. We would always be able to talk about everything: boyfriends, male friends, the people we couldn't stand for various reasons. She was always there for me during the hard times and I was always there for her. She is still nearby but it's rare that I even hear from her. Jessica, I wish you the best in all your endeavors, and I hope to meet up someday soon, for old times' sake.

I spent many great days with Ashley. Though our plans rarely worked out, the times that we did hang out were always crazy fun. She never failed to point out, as Jessica often did, the times that I was being a complete moron, and the times that I was brilliant. I knew just where to find her, and I could always count on a conversation full of laughter. Her undying love for Marilyn Monroe always made me smile, and a brownie with a candle and a handwritten card was a wonderful birthday gift. It was great seeing her for sushi night a few weeks ago and being able to catch up. Ashley, I hope you're doing well and hope to see you again soon.

Sydney and I have been through a lot together. It started with Smosh videos in art class. We went on a haunted house excursion on Halloween, blasting 3OH!3 in her car and singing as loud as we could. We had a bonfire in her backyard, and made pink rice krispie treats and did aerobics in her kitchen late at night. We would hang out during lunch all the time, talking about the friend we lost to a cult-like church and going to Muchas to get the off-the-menu carne asada fries. There were great times in psychology and German class, and I will never forget the crazy skit we did that made Gebauer chuckle and the rest of our class stare. She's always been like my long-lost sister. Sydney, I miss you like crazy and I swear I'll get your birthday present soon! I'm crazy busy with Statistics though :P

Kevin has always been my best guy friend. It's scary how close we used to be. I always thought of him as the twin I never had. Whether it was ropes camp or cuddling with newborn kittens or hiking around Nature Park, I always had a wonderful time. Even when we had tough times we managed to overcome them and come back laughing. He knows me better than nearly anyone. Kevin, I hope this term treats you well and that we can spend some time together over the summer. I'd like to catch up and share some crazy college stories.

Kiwifruit and I haven't spent too much time together in person, now that I look back. I don't think I could have gotten through third year of ropes camp without her. But her obsession with Resident Evil and our roleplays brought us ridiculously close. Nothing like the power of collaborative fiction writing! She is a strong and independent woman and I hope to keep in contact with her long into the future. Kiwi, I have been calling you Kiwi for long enough that I occasionally forget your real name but rest assured I know it by heart nonetheless. We need to hang out so you can kick my ass at Resident Evil. Hope to see you this week in Portland! Best of luck in the near future at the Art Institute.

This is for my new friends.

Lauren is a fantastic roommate. Though she doesn't share my love of raw fish on rice, we both are a little kooky and crazy whether or not we are deprived of sleep. She is incredibly talented in everything she does. It's always a pleasure to come back to the room and discuss anything that comes to mind (namely, how much we should be cleaning and/or studying and how much we don't want to.) We have bonded over bettas and sugar cookies and many, many other things. Lauren, I look forward to spring term and hopefully seeing you often along the journey through Linfield!

The first and only person I've met from Turkey is Gulfem. She is a wonderfully enthusiastic person and completely brilliant. I don't think psych or music and change would have been the same without her. She is open-minded and accepting of everyone, and having her at sushi night was a blast. Gulfem, I can't wait till you're back in the States and maybe we'll run into each other between classes. I'll take you out to lunch sometime I hope!

To my old friends, to my new friends; I love you all and wish you luck, and hope to see you all very soon.

~Marina

Peppermint Winter

Yes, I'm a little overdue for a post. It's not a big deal though, because hardly anyone reads them anyways, but it's nice to have somewhere to throw ideas.

New year, new adventures (I hope). So far it hasn't been too eventful, and I start Statistics tomorrow. Christmas was great though. And I finally got to see Kevin before he ran back off to Eugene, and gave him his Christmas present; a glass pig with wings, which is a little mutual Pink Floyd reference.

Now it is entirely too late to be doing anything but sleeping, since I have to drive mom home from her appointment tomorrow. Unfortunately, I'm running a full virus scan and hard drive optimization to solve the irritating random crashes that my computer finds necessary. Apparently it's a common problem with Windows 7. Thanks, Microsoft.



This is Cookie, Han, and my sister's boobs. She hates me for this picture.

Damn... other than that I have nothing to say.

The end.

~Marina