1. List five of your favorite bands/artists.
2. Choose three songs from each band/artist.
3. If you can find a link to listen to the song at Last.fm or YouTube, post it!
4. Tag five people.

Firstly, five favorite bands. I don’t know if I can pick just five since I adore music, but I’ll try!

1. Marilyn Manson
2. Nine Inch Nails
3. Franz Ferdinand
4. Placebo
5. Darren Styles

Bit of a random bunch, eh? Darren Styles is a bit of a recent discovery, and isn’t my “type” of music in the slightest. In fact it’s far from it, but there’s something about him that I love. Marilyn Manson & NIИ are the obvious choice, but I prefer their back catalogue to their most recent offerings. Franz are just the best Glaswegian band in the world and I could listen to Brian Molko and co for ever on repeat. Just don’t make me do it please!
I’ve also just noticed that I’d quite happily sleep with the lead singer of each of these bands / artists. Fantastic.

1. Marilyn Manson
1. Coma White - YouTube
2. Doll-Dagga-Buzz-Buzz-Ziggity-Zag - YouTube
3. Disposable Teens - YouTube
2. Nine Inch Nails
1. The Hand That Feeds - YouTube
2. We’re In This Together - YouTube
3. Closer - YouTube
3. Franz Ferdinand
1. Take Me Out - YouTube
2. I’m Your Villain - YouTube
3. Do You Want To - YouTube
4. Placebo
1. The Bitter End - YouTube
2. Infra Red - YouTube
3. Pure Morning - YouTube
5. Darren Styles
1. Come Running - YouTube
2. Save Me - YouTube (Nitelight version) - YouTube (original mix)
3. Disco Lights - YouTube

It seems everybody on my links list has already done this meme. So I tag anyone who actually wants to do it. Yeah, I’m rubbish like that.

New Year’s Eve in itself was a very quiet affair for me and the boy. Our friends came over to the boyfriend’s house and we played MarioKart all night, nearly missed the change of year completely because we were so engrossed in the game.  Oh well. At least we spent the night indoors, warm and with the people we wanted to be with. I ended up staying awake until gone 5am so my body clock is a little screwed up now. I’m not sleeping til late and then getting around 3 hours sleep before having to get up for work, it’s not a good thing. It’s getting to the point that I’m wandering around work in a daze come 3pm and living on Relentless.

This stuff is evil. Actually, it’s not. It’s a definite life saver. I got this case in work for £3 yesterday. That’s 12 cans that usually sell for £1.50 each for just 25p a can.. I’m hyper because I’ve drank so much in the process of trying to finish my Management Training Program which is due in this weekend. Completely finalized. I’m tying together bits that are missing just now plus I’ve got one more module to finish, and it’s taking forever. But at least then it will done, complete, over… and I’ll be in line for a promotion. Hopefully.

In other news, I’ve switched from web host from VoNetwork to Dreamhost. No reason other than Dreamhost were running a fantastical promotion and I fancied me some major web space for my various projects. Of which I seem to have aquired a lot recently. Firstly, there’s my Project365 (which ironically I haven’t re-set up on this host), my photography domain to keep my words and pictures separate, web hosting site (which is majorly run by my friend but that’s an other story…and an other online identity that won’t be associated with me), various fanlistings and a new project in the pipeline. Plus my jewellery business, of which the WordPress installation hated being updated and I need to start from scratch again. Oh well.

For now, I’m going to update some stuff around the web, buy my mother her wine of the month and kick back and relax for a few hours before starting on my MTP again…
$

That means that this is the last time that I’ll post here at AFS in 2008 (tomorrow I’m working til 5pm and then going straight to the boy’s house). I can’t believe how quickly 2008 has flown in to be honest, I don’t know if it’s because of the problems that I’ve had with work over the past couple of months, or simply because myself and my boyfriend have been happier than we’ve ever been (touch wood). I simply don’t know why but it does seem like it was only the other week I was trying to arrange Hogmanay 2007.

So much has changed for me in the last year. I can drive (although not legally as I’ve yet to pass my test…but I can actually drive), I’ve had a wage increase, I’ve moved the store where I work and the world hasn’t come crashing down around me, I’ve gotten myself a bit of a social life, I’ve made new friends, got in contact with old friends, had the haircut from hell, lost weight and cut down on chocolate and sugar in my diet.

In 2009 I’m going to become an ‘aunt’ as my best friend’s girlfriend is expecting their baby in February, I’m expecting a promotion within 6 months and, depending on the economic climate, to move out at some point in the next twelve months. I’ll also finish my project365 on Christmas Eve 2009.

Site wise, I don’t think much has changed to be honest, other than I now use IntenseDebate for my comments. I’ve been posting more regularly and trying to write more about what’s going on with me rather than the internet. I’ve made something like $420 in paid advertising over the course of the year and it’s something that I’m going to be keeping on the site…it’s essentially money for nothing and it pays for my hosting and eBay splurges.

I’ve been in the process of writing my own theme for about 5 weeks now, I no longer can just sit and code away to my hearts content until it’s finished. I miss those days. But I’m using a theme just now that I think I like. I think in 2009 I’m going to get into web design again. On top of becoming a better photographer.

I’m not one for making resolutions, but next year I’m going to try my very hardest to finish one task before I start the next. It drives my boss mental, and to be honest it annoys me too. Aside from that? There’s not much I want to change that’s within my control. I guess I just want to be happy next year…and that means getting my promotion and passing my driving test!

I hope everybody has a great night tomorrow night and that 2009 brings everything that you want it to!

I love these ones with the little snow men and Christmas trees on the legs of the frames, it’s the sort of geeky thing that I’d wear, I like having fun with my accessories! What’s the point in being boring and similar to everyone else? And at such a cheap price ($20 including delivery), you can’t really go wrong with just wearing them for a couple of weeks at the holidays, can you?

Zenni Optical have a huge range of holiday glasses to choose from (as well as loads of other glasses), so why not treat yourself to a pair for next year’s celebrations and stand out from the crowd? They’re definitely a conversation starter, that’s for sure.

Abbi, originally uploaded by Melissa Gray.

Hope Santa was good to everybody!

I myself was delivered a fantastic Nikon D40 which I’m absolutely obsessed with already. Although I’ve got a feeling that my little dog Abbi will get annoyed with me photographing her all the damn time

Also, I’ve started doing Project365 now that I have a decent camera (eh, I always have.. my point and shoot is a Samsung D75…) over at 365.ashesfromstars.com

Hope everybody is as happy with their presents as I am!

Anyway.. I know it’s time to start Christmas shopping when I see these hit my TV screen! Enjoy.

Classic Irn Bru Christmas advert. I love all Irn Bru adverts and this is no exception.

Well, it’s not Christmas without a Coca Cola ad, is it?

This is for Argos, and although it doesn’t show any Argos products it’s a winner in my book.

John Lewis’s advert from last year. It’s better than this year’s attempt to be honest.

Spice Girls selling out to Tesco.

It appears that I only fancy Richard Hammond when he’s surrounded by cars, not selling fish for a Northern supermarket!

Woolworths… only because Wooly and Worth will never see the light of day again.

I will go back to being a geek in secret now…

And it’s made me want to do it again! There’s a few places around where I live that are lying empty and I’d love to have a peek behind the boarded up windows before the buildings in question are torn down, to be lost forever. I think it was seeing the St Enoch centre is such a state of demolition that made me jump onto the forums and trawl through the posts that I’ve missed since the last time I was there.

Hopefully I’ll have some of my own photos to post soon.. if I don’t chicken out!

I do, however, know what my mum’s bought my two brothers. The lucky sods. The youngest brother has got himself a Macbook (which he’s sitting using just now, sitting next to me. Fair, much?) and the other one has an xbox 360 and 4 games. Not sure why, he barely uses his Wii but I’m sure I’ll be taking over the xbox like every other console we own between us!

Going on this theory, I should be getting my camera but as money’s tight I’m not placing any bets on it. To be honest at the moment I’d be happy with a 10 week travel card!

I’ve (luckily) finished my Christmas shopping for everybody, bar a few things that I need to pick up in work on Saturday. It’s wiped me out funds wise, but I’ll probably just get money for Christmas anyway. I wish I was 12 again and was excited about the big day!

What about you? Are you sorted for Christmas yet? (that includes putting the Christmas lights up Rhys!)

Which was boring beyond belief since every single shop was closed. Saying that, the work that they’re doing on the St Enoch center was awesome. It’s weird to think that the big gaping hole above the old Argyle Street entrance is where I used to work and now it’s just.. well, bits of concrete.

Uploading some (rather rubbish) pictures to Flickr just now. Wish I had my new camera already, taking night shots with my P&S is rather hard as it’s rubbish!

So, a wee night out doing nothing but listening to a band cost us £20 in train and bus fare plus a McDonalds, cigarettes (from me), a bottle of Irn Bru and a can of Rock Star for me. I downed it in one and it made me dizzy as hell.. since I haven’t had taurine in my system for about two weeks!

Now I’m cold (feet anyway..my wellies let me down!) and will probably have a sore throat tomorrow. Bugger.