You know what kind of ooges me out?  TMNT fanart that has Ninja Turtles involved in any kind of romantic situation, be it human, turtle, hermit crab or flower pot.*  It's just not meant to be, and I say that as someone that drools for Raphael. 

I want to see Penelope and I will readily admit that my interest shot up after hearing that the delightful Mr. Guppy has a brief appearance.  I must support my Guppy!

I want to draw something spring-ish, just because it is spring and spring colors are pretty.

My fingers are getting itchy to draw more Sweeney Todd fanarts.  I just can't resist it.  It's just so visually appealing.

Andddd that's about it.  Today is the last day of spring break, the first of my college career.  I never minded not having one during my undergrad, but I have to say...it's pretty nice to have a week off.  I'd like to do this more often.  Like next week too. 

*I haven't actually seen examples with flower pots or hermit crabs, but you get the gist. 

Woah, look at this here blog I haven't updated in months.  I do think of updating it, but clearly my thoughts don't quite reach action territory.  As it is, I'm basically only posting because I don't want to do the reading I've been putting off all weekend.  If I put it off much longer, I'll have to go to bed and just panic about it tomorrow.  Ah well!  I guess I'm just not feeling very intellectually motivated this semester. 

Part of that is that I just want to work on drawings all the time.  I've been very nostalgic for the first two years of my undergrad lately.  That was before I was in the program and I didn't know how to do stuff.  So I could draw big things in just six hours or so, and I did it all the time.  Now it takes four or five times that and it's just harder to put all that time aside.  But at any rate, I found myself drawing Legolas today and listening to LOTR and it was kind of like old times.  I'll have to keep this up this semester.  Of course I'll have to do my homework sometimes too.  Shucks. 
Besides LOTR during drawing times, I've been listening to Sweeney Todd all weekend because it's just so good.  And who knew Johnny Depp had such a nice voice?  I also watched Edward Scissorhands this weekend, and I don't even have anything to say about that except that it's one of my favorites.  *sigh*

This weekend I also got an application to get a new apartment in the fall.  I'm excited to go somewhere new, somewhere closer to campus and in a more interesting neighborhood.  I wish I could move in now, I'm ready, but whatever...fall will be here soon. 

I was supposed to be totally productive today and actually start working on my projects that are due next month.  And I did actually do my reading.  But now I've just been laying here watching this week's Office and the latest two episodes of Robin Hood.  What is wrong with me?  Oh wait, it was the anticipation of Richard Armitage.  That's right.  

These are the top 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing's users (as of today, 30 September 2007). As usual, bold what you have read, italicise what you started but couldn't finish, and strike through what you couldn't stand. Add an asterisk to those you've read more than once. Underline those on your to-read list.

( For some reason I didn't cut this already. )

I actually feel pretty good about this list.  Most of the ones I haven't read I know and just have yet to be interested enough to read them.  And yes...most of the books I read are written by dead authors.  I can't help if they're the best authors, y'know.  I *really* want to reread Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.  That book was so delightful.

Really, the lesson we can learn here is that some really excellent books are not being read.  People, Dickens is good.  Austen is good.  Tolkien is good.  Treasure Island is fun.  Yes, Watership Down is about rabbits, but hello, it could be worse (fleas?  deep-sea fish?  sloths?).  And yes, Tess is so depressing but a satisfying kind of depression. 

Books are good.  Now I'm going to go finish The Scarlet Pimpernel.

This weekend is lame.  I am so not a fan.  Let's skip to next weekend, shall we?  I'll settle for a weekday, even. 

Bleh. 

My laptop is awesome though.  I'm having some compatibility issues with Vista and some programs.  I'm kind of tempted to switch it back to XP, except I don't know how to do that.  And I don't want to be one of those old people who hates new technology when I'm still young.  But I *like* Vista.  But umm, I like the part where my programs work and stuff.  At least the Sims works again.  Ahh, hallejuah.  I still haven't installed Bon Voyage, partly because the base game is still so exciting.

Gah.

Just to make an official Office prediction: Jan is totally pregnant.  Totally totally totally.  And I think Ryan is eventually going to be fired.  And this is not really a prediction but please someone hook up with Toby!  He makes me sad.   I mean, he got that duck for Pam and everything. 

OK, I'm going to sit here and listening to depressing music for a few more minutes and then go to bed.  Maybe I will like tomorrow better. 

I forgot about this.  Not really, but what can I say...I've been doing a lot of nonsense lately. 

I'm supposed to be in bed right now, but here's just a brief account of life of late:

-My new laptop came today!  Hurrah!  Vera is lovely and pink and quiet and extremely nice.  Sometimes I wish I had Dickens's vocabulary.  Well, who am I kidding, I always want his vocabulary. 

-Classes progress.  Two are really dull, but one I quite like.  I'm excited to have more options next semester and take classes that appeal to my interests . 

-Work is going well.  I have more hours now, which is nice as I like to be able to eat AND pay my bills. 

-Still having a lot of random dreams.  Batman, Tonks, a whale shark, Matt Damon and others have all been featured. 

-I got a library card.  Exciting, I know. 

Wow, my life doesn't seem all that much more interesting than it did a little while ago!   Oh well. 

I wish there were the option of just clicking on the career you like best and then *poof* you HAVE that job.  I think that would be a nifty add-on.

1.	Animator
2.	Cartoonist / Comic Illustrator
3.	Illustrator
4.	Artist
5.	Desktop Publisher

And custodian??  Come on, people!  Je suis not a custodian!  Anymore!

 

OK.  Ever since I got out here a few weeks ago I've been having really vivid, random dreams.  It's kind of bizarre but entertaining at the same time.  Side note: I told one of the guys at work about my spat of Phillip Seymour Hoffman dreams and he thought that was a lot more bizarre than I anticipated.  But he laughed so I guess it was good bizarre.  Anyhoo, Twilight-ness (just wait for it).

I was at a mall, doing nothing in particular.  Then I got this text message from Orlando Bloom because, apparently, we are buddies.  I was all jazzed because we were going to meet at some point and ride our bikes in the mall.  Then I get a text from my sister's ex that was complete gibberish (sometimes my dreams are amazingly true to life!) but I was so mad that he would text me because we have to pay extra for texting.  Plus it was like a text message form of cell phone desecration.   But I was still excited about seeing Orlando (we were going to do some kind of bike trick on the stairs or something).  And my mom showed up and we were talking about it.  THEN we're attacked by this vampire woman.  (I think I referred to her as Rosalie, but that was the only resemblance)  Since Orlando had not shown up yet, I had to kill her myself and there was this long, long sequence of me trying to defeat her once and for all, but I was only human so it took FOREVER.  Seriously, this sounds really gross but I had her on the ground, grabbing her by the hair and I just kept stomping on her to break her ribs and she got all squashed and oozy (white, Elmer's glue type gooey...it wasn't gory...except in the description).  But she was still ALIVE and talking to me during this long process.  Eventually it was like I was dragging around like...her skin, covered in ooziness.  But I knew she wasn't dead and I had to wait for Orlando to come and really kill her. 

It gets better.  So, I'm still with my mom, trying to find Orlando so he could save me from the vampires that were clearly after me.  But I wasn't sure he would come because I couldn't text him (again, extra fee!).  So it wound up that we got surrounded by the other vampires (I distinctly remember a Carlisle).  But then they were the werewolves?  Or something?  I don't really remember because then the Edward character ran in, with another guy and he grabbed me and started doing the super fast running thing and we left.  I woke up soon afterwards but was still kind of puzzled about where Orlando had got to. 

Random, like I said.  The night before I was running home (barefoot) and ran into a wolf.  But luckily all of these black dogs came to my rescue.  But by the end of the dream everyone was saying my brother had rescued me so I don't know what's up with that.  And THEN the night before that I dreamt I was dating this guy that I know and don't really intend to ever date but when I woke up I had all these fake, dream-created feelings about him and wow, that was kind of a confusing day.  (That's the second time I've had a dream like that and it weirds me out, dang it!)

*whew*

And oh yeah, I'm at grad school now, haha.  I work with cool people.  My roommate is nice, even though she ate all the delicious sourdough bread (grr).  And I have a computer class where I have to learn--*gasp*--how to attach files to emails!  Haha, no, I think I will learn some useful things in that class.  Maybe not many, but hey...it's required so what can you do?

Anyhoo.  I'm STARVING and need to go to bed so off I go.  I promise to be more informative and less completely bizarre and weird later. 

Your Vampire Name Is...

Minerva of the Great Oceans

You Are Buffy the Vampire Slayer

"We saved the world. I say we have to party."

Yay! I love that show! ...does that mean I get Angel?

You Have Your PhD in Men

You understand men almost better than anyone. You accept that guys are very different, and you read signals well. Work what you know about men, and your relationships will be blissful.

YES! That is why they don't want to date me! I understand them too well. HAH.

TMNT is out next Tuesday!  This is like...another Deathly Hallows for me, people.  I can hardly even stand the wait. 

And I'm reading DH again and wow, it's so much more enjoyable the second time because I'm not gasping and tensing up every three pages. 

Also, final night of Simon Schama and his scandalous voice.  Sad, but true.  The book is amazing though and I'm consoling myself with that (just got to Rembrandt).

"Naomi Watts, Joseph Fiennes (brother of Ralph Fiennes, who plays Voldemort), and Stuart Townsend will join the Half-Blood Prince cast when filmimg starts in September. Naomi Watts will play the mother of Draco, Narcissa Malfoy. It is still unknown what roles the other two actors will play."
My bet?  Joseph Fiennes plays the Tom Riddle, Sr.

Deathly Hallows=very stressful.

I am still digesting. 

I have no idea how this happened.  I have never even visited these states.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast   Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
The Midland
The Inland North
Philadelphia
Boston
The South
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I just want to get these out there so come Saturday everyone will know just how right I was about everything.  I mean...possibly right.  So here's just a quick rundown, without getting into what I would call evidence too much.

--Harry will live.
--Hermione will live. 
--Ron will die.  This one is based entirely on a line in GOF that just struck me on my last reread: "'Good training for when we're all Aurors,' said Ron excitedly..."
--Voldemort, Bellatrix, Fenrir, most deatheaters, will die--duh. 
--Lupin will kill Fenrir and will. not. die.  NO DYING FOR LUPIN. 
--Tonks and Ginny will die.*
--Harry will get help finding the Horcruxes from some adult, either Snape or RAB. 
--I think RAB is still alive, partly because of Luna's line in the movie saying things come back, but not always how we expect. 
--I'm torn about Harry being a Horcrux.  Dumbledore makes so much of him having a connection to Voldemort, and having his powers, etc. and it just seems so...horcrux-y.  But if he is, I think it's his scar and I think it's an 8th horcrux.  If the scar is a horcrux, Harry's going to need a dementor to suck that soul piece out.  I think that would be awesome actually.  The dementors have already filled a vital role in the series, but it would be interesting seeing as they are (or were) Harry's worst fear.  But I could just as easily see him not being a Horcrux. 
--Snape is good and on Dumbledore's side.  But he still hates Harry and he's going to die.
--Draco will live, but I'm not sure about Lucius.
--Did I mention Lupin living?
--Hagrid will die.  Grawp...who knows. Though after the movie, I kind of care. 

I think that's about it.  I also have some general thoughts on the books that have popped up since I started rereading them. 

--They have to wear clothes under their robes because they're always getting torn.  And, hello, one rip in the wrong place and your underwear is everybody's business.  
--Draco (and Sytherins in general) is a total pill.  Like, dude, he didn't want to be your friend.  Move on.  Let's get over it.  I guess that was the best way of keeping Draco around until book 6. 
--Hermione is totally like Mrs. Weasley.  I find this interesting because Harry likes Ginny, who is like his mom, and Ron likes Hermione, who is like his mom.  I also find this kind of strange.  I don't think I've ever been attracted to a guy like my Dad (except in general ways like niceness and responsibility, etc.).  In fact, it's usually the total opposite.

*This is in no way based on my loathing of the H/G and T/L relationships.  Not at all.  Siriusly.  Seriously. 
And now I will hibernate from the Internets and avoid spoilers.  See you on Saturday!

SERIOUSLY, why do I not have an HP icon?  I will definitely have to fix that before July 20th. 

Anyway, saw OOTP tonight.  To sum up: I really liked it.  More or less than GOF?  Not sure yet.  POA is still my #1, and, I suspect, will be when all is said and done. 


I'm hoping Alfonso Cuaron comes back for #7.  Like him or not, you have to admit he's got style.  Hahaha. 

I always have intentions of watching more er...non-fiction television programs (documentaries, if you will).  This rarely happens but obviously PBS understands me because they're currently showing Simon Schama's Power of Art.  And seriously, it is great.  I so recommend it.  Basically it's this British guy, Mr. Schama, discussing an artist and one of their Very Important works.  He introduces it in the beginning along with a question then goes through a biographical bit that leads into that particular work and finally discusses the answer to the opening question.    Tonight was Rembrandt, who I like and admire but am not generally enthralled by, but despite my Rembrandt lukewarm-ness, it was still fascinating.  Plus, Mr. Schama has a voice that makes everything sound positively scandalous.  He could talk about yarn and make it sound shocking. 

There are also these historical reenactments, which I generally loathe, but these are pretty good.  And can I just say that Bernini was quite good looking?  Oh yes.  For some reason they left that out with Rembrandt.  And next week is DAVID.  How I drool for David.  I mean...DAVID.  After that it's Turner and Rothko and then, alas, it will be over.  I'm hoping they show repeats because I missed Picasso and Van Gogh.  The Caravaggio installment was so good.  But then I adore him more than David so of course it was totally sweetbees.  I mean...CARAVAGGIO!  (And some more Caravaggio...and a little more.)  They've basically featured all my favorites. 

In unrelated news, OOTP on Wednesday!  My Dad keeps talking about dressing up and coming with my group on Wednesday and I seriously CAN NOT TELL if he is joking or not.  I don't understand.  I am confused.  He'd be going with a bunch of 20-something girls.  He has never read the books.  He said he could be "Dumbledorf."  He must be kidding...right?  Ack.

OH: the big news.  My laptop got checked out by some university IT guys last week and LO AND BEHOLD it needs a new hard drive.  So a new hard drive it shall get!  And then I will have my computer independence again.  Ahhhhh. 

Also: GRAD SCHOOL.  NEXT MONTH.  ACK.

Sometimes when I can't think of a subject I think of movie lines.  This time I only got a word, but we'll go with it. 

So I spent the last week in the wilderness (...in a cabin...) with a bunch of 12-14 year old girls.  I know I was that age once and I know I was extremely stupid, but I guess I forgot that other people are kind of stupid at that age too.  Most of these girls weren't all that stupid though which makes me feel less good about my own awkward years.  I wonder if 30-somethings feel that way about their twenties.  You'd think at some point you're just MATURE and you can stop maturing further and regretting your less mature past.  Maybe that's what your 70s are for?  OY, I don't want to be 70.

Anyhoo, I finished the first two Harry Potters this week, and just started the third one.  I do love the third one.  At this point, I think I will finish them all no problem before #7.  Of course in about a week I need to rewatch the movies too.  I say all of these "need" and "must" in connection with doing these things like someone is making me do it.  Actually, I was thinking today that by the time I'm finished with these, I think I will be really in the mood to finish my Tolkiens.  I got a little Tolkien bite today and if I have to repress it for a few weeks, that little bite will be the size of like...a cave troll.  Hahahah.  And seriously why do I not have any HP icons?  I will definitely have to change that before July 11th.

I also had a dream the other night that I was reading Eclipse and Bella was a vampire on the run looking for Edward and somehow Jasper was involved in this.  I woke up reeeeally wanting to read Twilight but that's another urge that will have to be repressed.

The best news is probably that there have been no more spider babies.  We left them on the stairs under paper towels for two days until my dad came home and cleaned them up.  That is the way to do it, I tell you.  And that is the true purpose of marriage--so there is a man to clean up the bugs. 

OK.  Check this out:

Fifteen minutes ago I'm walking downstairs to check my email.  The light is off and I see a dark blob on the carpet.  90% of the time in a Middle Kingdom summer, these blobs are like kid-dropped raisins.  This time it was HUGE FREAKING SPIDER.  FAT AS BASEBALL.  I scream for my sister, who arrived from the shower.  We stare in horror.  She fetches my boot.  I hold the boot and we cringe for ten minutes.  Finally, I hit the spider and it gets so. much. worse.

HUNDREDS OF THINGS SWARM OUT OF THE SPIDER CORPSE.  SPIDER BABIES.  AKIN TO THE LOST IN THE SPACE SPIDER CREATURES EXCEPT NO GARY OLDMAN SPIDER HYBRID TO KEEP ME FROM SCREAMING. 

Oh yes, friends, it was fat with babies.  And so I sprayed them all with hastily-fetched bleach spray.  And lo, they are dead and the hall smells like bleach. 

Now we have to wait for it to dry so we can vaccuum up mother and baby hoards.  Seriously, I thought I had landed in a sci-fi channel original movie and the spider was really dead but was being eaten from the inside by nefarious parasite spider killers.  I don't know which was worse. 

I just did Pilates with my dad.  That was kind of unusual.  But seriously, I'm really digging pilates lately.  It makes you feel all...hard and stretched at the end.  Or in other words "taller, stronger and more sculpted." 

I saw Pirates two more times this weekend.  It really wasn't the same experience seeing in the Theater of 1000 Dinks, but the movie was just as good.  I continue to find new things to appreciate.  Like the atmospheric effects of the maelstrom on the look of Davy Jones.  He looks good, I tell you (in a fishy way *cough*). 

I bought the soundtrack on Saturday night, was listening to it and it SKIPS.  This unacceptable!  So I have to exchange it tomorrow.  But what I did hear unskipped was as awesome as I expected.  I still think Dead Man's Chest is and will continue to be my favorite, but dang, this one is giving it a run for its money.  DMC is kind of like Prisoner of Azkaban--it has all the characters you want and none of them are dead (except Barbossa).  You know?  Maybe that's why POA is the most enjoyable for me.  You have most of the characters, but the stakes aren't as high as they get at the end of GOF.  I analyze things a lot in my head...I should probably socialize more, lol.

And I changed my layout.  This is both more summery and less visually overbearing.

I tell you, I refuse to accept this!  Four seasons is not adequate.   Four seasons is, in fact, inadequate.  Four seasons is like a drop in the bucket.  I want MORE and prequels are not. the. same. 

Battlestar Galactica to End After Season 4



From http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=20756