Tis the season to spend money

In other years I’ve explained Christmas, and how wrong it all is (on Myspace and Facebook), but this year is about spending.

Last year I spent the grand total of $50 on myself and some of my friends (4), while this I spent $20 on 7 of my friends, so how did I do it? First lest look at the spending habits of Australians shall we.

In December 2008 we spent $21 billion just using out credit cards, and $22 billion in 2009.

The Galaxy (a company not the actual galaxy) undertook research for eBay, and it reviled that in 2009, 20 million unwanted gifts were exchanged each year, worth about $1 billion, and 53% of Australians receive at least one present, they do not use and throw away (and I’m happy to say I will not be in the 53% this year), as found out by the Australian Institute.

So now your asking how can save money, and save my presents from the bin? Well let’s take a look at the top 10 gifts for Christmas, in 2006.

1 Entertainment

2 Clothes

3 Toys

4 Confectioneries

5 Alcohols

6 Computer Games

7 Sports Equipment

8 Household Appliances

9 Audio/Video Equipment

10 Travel/Holidays

Last year I went for number 2, and I made some handmade Christmas hats, with my friends nicknames on them, not bad of $50 on 5 people, but this year I went for the number 1, and I created something simple and easy, I made Christmas CD’s, with the same music on all of them, for my friends, choosing Christmas music that some would know, and some would not, making sure there was something for all my friends on the CD.

CD’s also work well for Birthdays, its cheep, fun to put together, easy, and wont brake the bank, and anything is better then an item of clothing, that you only have a 50/50 chance of getting right.

So with Christmas only hours away, lets remember to put some thought into your gifts next year, its not as hard as it seems, or you could just leave it to the last minute, and hope for the best, like the 500 odd people trying to go shopping at Watergardens, just up the road.

Oh and Merry Christmas, and have a Happy New Year.

See you in 2012

Mad-Molly-The-Grim

YouTube my new nemeses

I tried to load a new Video

Deep in a River (Under The Waves)

To YouTube, but it got blocked… so I tried a few ways to get around it, and it was not working… so this was my last go at it, and what do you know its worked... Yay

Oh and Edwin and Aidan… don’t worry YouTube could never fill your places as my full time nemeses, you shall always hold that special place, in my… fist ready to punch you.

And even if you don’t read this I don’t care…

Mad-Molly-The-Grim

Song: Under The Waves By Pendulum

Images: Docter Who and River Song Copyrighted to The BBC

Something killed my Christmas sprit

Normally at this time of year, you could mistake me for Mrs Clause, I LOVE CHRISTMAS, the colours, smell, cheer and aroma of it all, but this year something killed it, and I wasn’t even invited to the funnel, one minute it was there, the next, dead… and I can’t seem to get it back, I mean it doesn’t even feel like December, it feels like April… only hotter, this month feels to planed, and less jingly… as in Christmas… and before anyone asks, NO, getting back to the true meaning of Christmas is not going to help, because I don’t feel like killing and animal for a sun god… Confused? Look it up… everything is eventually about death, even this thing you reading right now… OMG, DID HE KILL IT?

 … Nope not him. But COME on, MY favourite time of year, I’m not enjoying it… someone has to pay for this… And I pick you 4 Kids, I pick you.

Lots Of Scratching

Mad-Molly-The-Gim

(Don't read anything into that Scratching)

OMG

I am so sorry, it’s been a long time since the last post, but I have been busy, doing heaps, and most days my computer doesn’t even get turned on.

Ok this is what has been going on… working like hell, paying people back like hell, trying to run my crew, and holding back on killing our RA, like hell, re-organising my room like hell, and just feeling like plain hell, I haven’t even been on the Wii since June, but now its all starting… Christmas is coming and it’s getting me moving, I have started on two Cosplays for March, chosen what we are doing for the Hide this year, made Christmas presents for 7 of my friends, taking my first Cosplay photo of my old costume, went to a Halloween party, decided I want to subscribe to two magazines (so if friends need Christmas Ideas there’s one, get me the subscription), started watching a new anime… and decided for Christmas I’m getting myself a PS3, yep I want one, and I’ll need a new TV to… so money, JB-HI, Dick Smith, Kmart really anywhere that sells a PS3 store voucher would be amazing… or and ITunes cards are good, hope this helps friends, with some choices.

Any who been busy… and for those who have been keeping touch on Facebook will know I WANT MY MAIL… and I got it TODAY, so excited, also means part of my mum’s Christmas present is done, WOOT!!!!

But here is the sad moment for all of you… Two Tails chapter 8 isn’t going anywhere, one line THAT’S IT, I know people heard maybe by Christmas… you’re lucky if you get it for Easter… I need an inspiration hit… if Kung Fu Panda 2 is out for Christmas… someone get me that.

That’s all for now, hope to see you soon

Mad-Molly-The-Grim

Sorry

Sorry this another spare of the moment posts, but it will have to do, because at home we have been having trouble with our modem for the last 6 months or so, so we got a new modem and what do you know, that doesn’t work either, it keeps cutting in and out, and when you spend all week waiting for a live streamed radio segment that only happens between 12 and 2 on a Sunday, its very annoying to lest, I’m also trying to organise a few things and finish editing some stuff, but with the lack on internet I can’t do a dam thing… so if you’re a friend of mine on Facebook and I’m not on for days at a time, you now no why I will not be on or have not been on.

The Doctor and Bamboo

Look I know it’s been awhile but I have been doing stuff give me a brake anyway I wanted to let you in on something, I have made it’s a doctor who tribute, and here is the preview for you to take a look at it’s only short, but the full vid (when it's up) is 6 minutes long, so I hope you will enjoy.

Doctor my Doctor

Yes I know this a short post, I do have a longer one on the way, but I wanted to let you in on the vid, and to let you know this whole post was written using a bamboo, pen and touch pad and it’s amazing, and you know what I’m not telling any more, you can Google it =)

Its ready lots of fun to use.

So this post has come to you from the amazing bamboo and its, amazing-ness, also the number 11 and the sad fact it will so be all over… no more blue box or mad men, but we still have the… Whatever it is we have =)

The story of a 37.0 shirt

With father’s day approaching, people begin to think of things to get their dads, and something more then socks, undies, and a handmade card with everything un readable, I was lucky because I knew what dad wanted, it was something he loved and lost… and had me running around like a headless chock, with a cold, and never ended up being able to get it in the end anyway, but here is the story, enjoy.

December last year my dad went to my mums works Christmas party which they hold in Geelong every year, and because people have to come from all over Victoria, that book out rooms in a hotel for people who want them, well when my parents were leaving my dad accidently left something behind, his most loved Foo Fighters T-shirt, and being the amazing daughter that I am I thought that would be a grate thing to get him for father’s day, boy I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

After running around the city last Sunday, and sending my mum on a goose chase on Friday, we decided to get one made, so on Friday night I spent an hour on line trying to find something cool to put on the shirt, and I found a few, one I may use my self, all that was left was mum to chose one to use, and she did so we were of the get it made Saturday afternoon (after mum finishes work).

Lovely Saturday morning I decided to come down with a cold, and that was annoying as hell, but put up with it when we went to get the shirt made, when we got where we were going we had to battle evil drives from hell, and doge people from hell, but as we got there a sign sunk all our plans, “No orders until 10:00 am tomorrow” ok so that was shit, but it’s ok we already had got him heaps (not really but lets pretend it was ok), so we went to do some shopping instead… and that’s when we discovered that the place we were in SUCKS LIKE HELL, and didn’t have a thing we were looking for, that much that my mum never wants to go back there EVER!!!, and make thing worse they already were, I was have hot and cold flashes, depending on what shop we were in, so we headed home and three stops later we arrived home.

It was about then hat I decided to check my temp, I had already checked in the morning and I was 37.1, .1 over normal, so not so bad, but when I checked again I was 39.0, so in other words BAD, and before I went to bed that night I was 37.3, so it had come down and I was getting better, I was still sick on Sunday, when I gave dad a jar of chocolate, a Wii game, and some DVD’s, but I was WAY better then how I was on Saturday.

And now it’s Monday and I have a sore throat, uncontrollable cough and I start work at 1…  I should be fine… I hope.

*cough*

Mad-Molly-The Grim

Thus ends the weekend

This weekend started of as many do, me trying to get some extra sleep, but alas I did not for this weekend was MANIFEST!!! Being my 4^th Manifest I knew what I was getting myself in to and was well prepared like $350 prepared, but before we get down to the spending lets get to the feeling of arrival.

If you ever get the chance to dress up, and go somewhere you will understand getting looks of what the hell, and if you cosplay (costume play/dressing up as a character) you get LOTS. The train to North Melbourne was interesting, I dare say I was the most strangely dressed person there, but that all soon changed, getting on the showgrounds train you soon become aware it is FULL of cosplayers, in fact those who had not embraced the cosplay sprite who where on the train stood out, and even more when the train arrived at its destination.

This year Manifest has learnt from the past and had gotten a lot stronger, not only did they add new buildings to accommodate more people, but also used the ticket gates at the train station to full used, dealing with people there, rather then having everyone arriving trying to go to one location to get tickets, they had it spread out, so you buy before entering the show grounds, it was smart and worked like a charm, saving time for many.

Traders hall became harder to move in as day continued, and I over heard one of the Traders say one of the most true and amazing things, “Manifest is one of the biggest Anime Conventions in the southern hemisphere… and people have save up money since March so they can spend it all in three days” and everything he said it true, Manifest has soon become the biggest Anime based convention in the southern hemisphere, most Con’s are Sci-fi, or pop culture combinations, but outside of Japan (the mother country) Melbourne has one of the biggest Anime only based Con’s around, and really pulls in the numbers, especially when you think this all started when several clubs from Melbourne Uni joined together to create a small screening festival, and now look at it.

They have stepped up so much in the short time I have been attending, and you can even see it in the programs they had put out, no longer printed from a computer, on normal paper, folded in half and stapled, they had proper photo card and paper (the kind that has a shine to it when you hold it up to the light) and looked amazing beyond belief. I have really been amazed by this years Manifest, the first things to amaze me in order was the ticketing at the train station, more of a use of the buildings at the show grounds, portable toilets and fantastic food vendors, I must say this has been the best they have put on since I started attending in 2008, and they could only continue to get better as they wind down for this year, and start planning for next year.

Ok so on to the spending… enjoy the video

So that was Saturday, but now on to Sunday and it was fun too, I got Soul Eater 4 to complete my DVD collection, spent money at bread top, went to the movies, and TGI Friday’s, got the hick ups, lost the them, had tea and got them back again, all round a fantastic weekend, and I think the best way to start of a new week working.

MMGT

I’m a little worried about eating the every flavour beans… I really don’t want to stumble across the vomit one.

Mad-Molly-The-Grim

P.S People… my calves are killing me from all the walking, don’t know how I’m going to go at work.