TOP 5 SINGLES
1. The Car Song - The Cat Empire
2. Two Shoes - TCE
3. Sly - TCE
4. Other side of world - KT Tunstall
5. Suddenly I see - KT Tunstall

(And the others that made the shortlist, because those five aren't really a broad selection, and I think these all deserve to be praised as well:)
Forever - BlackBud
Shame and Scandal - Madness
Don't Phunk With My Heart - Black Eyed Peas
Diamonds from Sierra Leone - Kanye West
I Predict a Riot - Kaiser Chiefs
The Importance of being Idle - Oasis
Heartbeat - BlackBud
Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own - U2
Dirty Harry - Gorillaz
Filthy/Gorgeous - Scissor Sisters
Shiremonator - The Killers

TOP 5 FILMS (Not religiously in order, they were all good)
1. Corpse Bride
2. The Producers
3. Wallace and Gromit
4. Revolver
5. Batman Begins

TOP 5 SHIT FILMS (Very definitely in order)
1. Constantine*
2. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe**
3. Star Wars III: The Phantom Menace
4. War Of The Worlds
5. King Kong***


*It's one redeeming feature was that I saw it on the plane, and hence, it cost nothing. If you only avoid one film this year, make it this one. It SUCKS BIG FLOPPY DONKEY DICK.
**Competent enough, but an utter exercise in pointlessnes. Generic fantasy-book-film-version-to-cash-in-on-post-LOTR-summer-blockbuster slot.
***Not that it was bad, though, just that it was the fifth-from-bottom ranked film I saw this year. There were 3 others that didn't make the extreme fives as well, The Interpreter, Team America, and Harry Potter, for those who're counting.

(Can anybody tell me where the term 'blockbuster' comes from, anyway?)

TOP 5 PLACES
1. Wiltshire*
2. Birmingham**
3. Leeds***
4. Boston****
5. Honorary Mention: Anywhere the Team are*****

*As I frequently tell the Shuloid one, it's impossible to describe how good it is to just go and sit in a field sometimes.
**Until the shindig weekend I had Brum filed under 'Nice places to get stabbed in', but I retract that position wholeheartedly. And the canal is purdy.
***Unfairly dimissed as one of those cities that is just 'there', I've been very impressed with Leeds. It's a little larger than Bristol, but in a completely different league. A great music scene, fantastic student life, good pubs, nice restaurants and shops, the phenomenal Leeds Central Market, plus it's a surprisingly attractive city, ranging from the traditional buildings in the city centre and classical-inspired corn exchange, to the enormous art deco Quarry House (AKA 'The James Bond Building', 'The War of the Worlds Building', etc.) and the bright lights of the modern high-rises.
Gratuitous linkage
****The best of the American cities I've been to by a mile and a half. On this subject, it doesn't make the list, but kudos to Washington for the Smithsonian.
*****I don't really need to explain this one do I? Good.

TOP 5 TEAM ELGAR SOCIAL OCCASIONS (I'm *not* trying to be pretentious, it comes completely naturally)
1. The Shindig Weekend
2. ******** *** ************ :I'd like to clarify that this censorship was a self-motivated decision and not one that I added in. Though after extensive decoding and seventeen uses of the Enigma Machine, I think I've cracked it. The middle word is 'The'. TCH
3. Shula IX Again, sic transit. TCH
4. Mo's Birthday
5. Steph's Party

TOP 5 MUSIC
1. Dvorak's Cello Concerto in B Minor. Genius.
2. The rest of the WSYO Summer Course
3. All of the WSYO New Year Course
4. LCM Big Band w/ Tina May
5. 13th Floor Jam Session, Freshers Week

TOP 5 MUSIC THAT HAS MADE ME WANT TO REMOVE MY OWN EYES WITH A RUSTY SPORK
1. Coldplay
2. Coldplay
3. Coldplay*
4. Coldplay
5. Shakespeare in Love

*The bastards

TOP 5 THINGS THAT HAVE MADE 2005 FANTASTIC
1. Shula*
2. The trombone**
3. Going to uni***
4. Learning to cook for myself****
5. Toby*****

*Obviously
**Equally obviously
***A blessing in disguise
****Admittedly a work in progress
*****Winner of the 'Best new acquaintance of 2005' award. Pedants will point out that should be 2004, but I don't count that.Arguably should be removed on grounds of sycophancy, but sadly I'm not that honourable. TCH