New Year Questionnaire 2010
Is it that time again lol?
1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
Not much! Though that’s kind of a first in itself for quite a few years lol… umm… also, turned 30?
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I’m sure I must’ve had them last New Year’s Eve but I don’t really remember. I stuck to most of the plans I made this year, though, small and insignificant as they were, but I’ve included most of those in answers below. Stuff I didn’t quite finish: I watched all the Hitchcock movies as planned, but still have 20 of them to review on my site. They are all mostly written, though, I’m just wanting to listen to the DVD/blu-ray commentaries on some of them before committing :) And I didn’t finish my 3rd album again, which I really should have, but I’ve been fairly philosophical about that.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
nope
4. Did anyone close to you die?
nope
5. What countries did you visit?
Absolutely none lol. Like I barely even visited the UK!
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
iPhone 4, iPad, 100% perfect redundant backup of my stuff (I very nearly got there this year), SSD in my MacBook :) And better financial control (again, I’m very nearly there…) And if I’m honest, it would be really nice to find “someone” in 2011… though I don’t know how to stop loving the one I can’t have…
7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
My 30th birthday was truly the best birthday ever :)
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don’t know if “achievement” is the right word but, kinda impressed myself with my various marathon projects. Watched the complete Hitchcock, the complete Doctor Who, Curb Your Enthusiasm way back in January, finished the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums, worked my way through other artists like Sondheim and Janis Ian (repeat listening, also pretty much completed my collection of her work), Serge Gainsbourg, Donovan, Jacques Brel, Carpenters, Melanie… more I’m probably forgetting lol, lots… Also I really got quite brutal in cutting off the people and things that make my life harder this year, and I’m fairly proud of that.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Album again. I really could’ve had it done but I simply got lazy and lost confidence. The groundwork I did in February and September was not for nothing, though, whenever I *do* pull my finger out it’s really at the most a month job. I just have to stop wanting it to be perfect.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
nope *touch wood with the cold going round*
11. What was the best thing you bought?
The complete Hitchcock on DVD and Blu-ray :)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Nick Clegg… Kevin Smith - honest to god, as the year has gone on, I’ve become more and more certain that the man is a genius, and that extends to all of his friends and family on his epic SModcast podcast network. It’s a shame that some people can’t get past his (frankly warranted) ego and coarse humour because he has spread or facilitated the spreading of more wisdom in the past year than anyone I know. Next year I believe he will blow a lot of people’s minds and I’ll have no shame being smug at having stuck by him in the low period.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
…Nick Clegg. And yes it’s very embarrassing for me to say that. I really fucking believed this time. And it’s not about the policies - the student fees for example, I understand that they may have had no choice and even how it might be the right thing to do. It’s the fact he ended up absolutely lying more than any politician I’ve ever hated. He made those promises as if he actually really truly really would keep them.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Stupid bank fees, my own fault. Blu-rays too tho… started collection only at the end of last year so have averaged one movie a week lol (I’ve now nearly 60 movies on Blu :-/)
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
…Nick Clegg :-/ Psychoville Halloween special. Halloween in general :)
16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
There are many and the one I’d single out keeps changing. My final 2010 playlist will come in a week or so, but a few of my faves: Emily Osment’s “Marisol”, Taylor Swift’s “Back to December”, Katie Melua’s “The Flood”, Sarah Mclachlan’s “Forgiveness”, and “Abigail’s Song” from the Doctor Who Christmas special.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? the gap between the two simply widens :)
b) thinner or fatter? fat fat fatter lol
c) richer or poorer? “richer” is the wrong word… but better off, despite the creditors’ moaning letters. We’re so close now to 2012 which is gonna be an awesome year for me moneywise provided not too massive a change is forced upon me lol.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Watching new movies, and even old movies that are new too me. Watched less this year than I have in years. The Doctor Who and Hitchcock marathons in the second half partly account for that but not really, I’ve no excuse for not keeping up better :) Also, singing in Second Life - I almost quit entirely back in April over the whole continuing drama from the past 2 years though, so considering I’m still singing at least once a week, I can’t regret that too much :)
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
I know what I should do less of and it was my answer to this last year LOL but I ain’t stopping that any time soon… (nah I don’t feel like being TMI in the questionnaire this year, so you’ll have to guess what I mean by that LOL) Also, spending too much time on unchangeable idiots. I kicked that bigtime before 2010 even ended though :)
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
At home as always :)
21. Did you fall in love in 2010?
In entirely new ways (yes I keep finding them - love’s an enormous thing).
23. What was your favorite TV program?
I believe I’m duty bound to say Doctor Who here, lol, afterall I did spend half the year (and around 17 days total) watching it :-P I’ll have a whole post about 2010 up at Ambival.net in a few days.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No. I really don’t hate easily, I expect the next time I do will be a good 15-20 years from now after last year’s exception.
25. What was the best book you read?
Is-Slottet (The Ice Palace), Nobody’s Family is Going to Change. ‘n I haven’t read it yet but I know Sondheim’s Finishing the Hat is going to be AMAZING.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I think Jacques Brel… I had almost forgotten about this until I mentioned it above lol. “All You Need Is Love” TV series - amazing. And this blog (thanks Manda).
27. What did you want and get?
Alien/Exorcist Blu-rays… actually, all my horror Blu-rays, I had lofty plans for Halloween and the whole thing went off better than I even planned, what with Mark Gatiss’ BBC4 series running up to it, Edgar Wright’s 6Music show to close it off with etc. Stephen Sondheim book for Christmas :)
28. What did you want and not get?
Oh all sorts… I have a whole “ideal shopping list” ready for 2011 lol… iPhone 4, iPad, SSD/RAM for my MacBook, more external storage, heaps of books!
28b. (bonus question by me) What did you not particularly want but got anyway and never looked back?
Sky HD!
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Hit Girl, I mean, Kick-Ass. I haven’t really seen many others, but I’m pretty confident that none of them will change that lol. Cinema pretty much started and ended for me this year with Chloe Moretz’s entrance in that movie.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
It was my 30th, and it was pretty much the best birthday ever. I got Hannah Montana cake, pink champagne, went to the cinema, had an awesome meal, got very drunk, watched some of my fave movies into the wee hours.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I could’ve done without the whole Harmonia thing, ultimately educational though it was for me.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
What’s clean? etc as usual lol.
33. What kept you sane?
Where it mattered most, at work, SModcast network podcasts
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Like I said, my movie year pretty much began and ended with that first time seeing the red band Hit Girl trailer. Chloe Moretz turned out to be a hilarious follow on Twitter too. That girl is going FAR.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The UK Election of course. The debates and build-up more than anything else. Sigh.
36. Who did you miss?
The way things used to be with Harmonia. But the way things are is pretty good too :)
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Miss Nevy in Second Life? I’m not sure if that was last year actually. But I didn’t mention her last year, I think, so I will now. Probably the closest new relationship I’ve had in years.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
As usual, an old lesson relearned in a larger way - The world is huge. It’s not about pleasing the people you want to please, it’s about finding the people you do please and, until you find them, believing that they do exist. It’s for nothing if you don’t do what comes naturally to you.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
“See the rock that you hold onto,
Is it gonna save you
When the earth begins to crumble?
Why’d you feel you have to hold on?
Imagine if you let go…”
“When you’re alone, silence is all you see,
When you’re alone, Silence is all you’ll be.
Give me your heart to come to me.
When you are here, music is all around.
When you are near, music is all around.
Open your eyes, don’t make a sound.
Meet in the shadow! Meet in the shadow!
Meet in the light of your bright shadow!”
“Listen to the Melody
‘cos my love is in there hiding
I love you in a place where there’s no space or time
I love you for my life, you are a friend of mine
And when my life is over, remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singin’ this song for you…”
40. (Bonus Q added by me this year) Quote of the Year: “If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.” - Jon Stewart.
