it was inevitable

Postits

2010-02-19T22:36:00.002+08:00

Strange as it may seem, I still hope for the best, even though the best, like an interesting piece of mail, so rarely arrives, and even when it does it can be lost so easily.

from http://www.ipl.org/div/farq/plotFARQ.html

1. [wo]man vs. [wo]man
2. Revenge
3. An Enemy Loved
4. Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones

I am such a genius for reducing my almost 60k word novel into the 4 basic themes.
And oh yes, the next bit is to ask questions.
Here we go...

Who is the revenge taken against/who is the enemy, and why?
Who is the loved one that is about to be sacrificed, is he related to the enemy?
Why is there a need to sacrifice the loved ones?
Who is the one challenging the main character?

I actually have all the answers to the questions.
The real problem comes with tying them all together properly.

Abracadabra

2010-02-06T14:02:00.000+08:00

UGHHHH, ADDICTED.
Kpop is annoyingly irritatingly addictive.
But GOD hey, that lead singer is cool!
Orange lipstick + asymmetrical bowl cut + jumpsuit = sexy.

He is my Father.

2010-01-31T21:33:00.001+08:00

Deidre made a small sound to Hinata's left, and he did not have to turn to know that there would be an amused smile on her face. Lilianne told them her name, unhesitatingly, and the usual polite commentary of how lovely it was replayed. Things went on rather smoothly after that, except when Xenia turned her charm onto Charlot.

"So, what is your brother's name, Lilianne?" she asked, smiling at him most prettily, her sugar-cube teeth dazzling.

"Master Charlot is my father, Master Xenia," Lilianne replied brightly.

Lilianne's smile would be the most beautiful thing of earth at that moment >D

berenstain bears!

2010-01-30T20:44:00.001+08:00

E=BAD ROMANCE^2

HMMMM.
btw, am I the only one who's noticed that the authors of the book have the same surname as the bears? D:

quotewhore!

2010-01-29T21:07:00.000+08:00

And if we are the body, how’d the pretty man get so ugly? How’d he get all these spaces between each limb? And if there is one thing bigger than my head, that’s the distance I’ve been mislead. Cause I think we were made too pretty. We’re caught up in a stare and we can’t break. We know nothing changes too slowly.

I lied, the quote's from Tugboat Comlpex. :D

printscreen!

2010-01-25T19:09:00.001+08:00

OH 1024x763 MONITOR, I LOVE YOU.
LOOK AT HOW HUGE THE PICTURES ARE ON DEVART!
LOOK AT ALL THE DETAILS I CAN SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~!

Oh yeah.

StarFighter Comics is such a cool comic.
EXCEPT IT'S EXPLICIT AND MY EYEBALLS BURNED WHEN I READ.
ARGH, I'M GOING TO GO BLIND FOR NOW AND FOREVER MOREEEE.

Excerpt from And Then She Fell

2010-01-24T00:33:00.002+08:00

As Hinata buttoned the double-breasted coat, he was vaguely aware of Charlot watching him once more, hawkishly, when he would usually be occupied in his thoughts, or gazing at some distant corner of the room.

"Something wrong, Master Charlot?" He asked, out of sheer politeness, as he primped the collar of the coat, creasing out the lapels, flattening the starched fabric down against Charlot's chest.

"It appears that you may have grown taller, waif." Charlot's comment seemed rather bemused, maybe even slightly puzzled.

Hinata fought the irritation that rose valiantly. It was always so difficult for him to counter any comment towards his very visible lack of height. Especially when the comment came from a man who was perhaps taller than half of the population in the country. "I hardly think I'll be growing any taller at twenty-two, Master Charlot," he managed evenly, as he adjusted the shoulders of the coat aligning it perfectly.

"No, really. See here the top of your head is almost to my neck now. I remember it was barely to my collar bone when I first met you!"

"The distance between your coller bone and neck isn't that far, you probably remembered wrongly."

Doing some rereading and revisiting on my inital ideas on how to finish it.
DID I REALLY WRITE THAT? OMG IT IS SO FRIGGIN PWNSOME.

Absolute love:

"I hardly think that that's going to detract from the fact, Master Charlot," Hinata told him matter-of-factly, lulled into a sense of satisfaction and comfort by the crackle of fire, "That your darling horse is the only thing I've seen that's taller than you, and is sturdy enough to be ridden into war."

Charlot named that particular horse Vercingetorix, which means "king over warriors" from Gaulish ver "on, over" combined with cingeto "marching men, warriors" and rix "king". Charlot is a proud, vain twit and I'm sure it shows.

And yes, the ONLY things in the story taller than Charlot is his horse and the ceiling.

Maybe Tomorrow

2010-01-17T21:18:00.003+08:00

Cousins came over for the weekend from KL.
I finally made it to Bras Basar and the National Library.
Art Friend is a whole lot huger than I thought it would be.

Sorry I'm such a sua gu okay? D:

Quotes!
I realised that I haven't done a quote post since school reopened.
So here's the first quote post of the year?

I wouldn’t raise my child inside this city anyway. They grow up too savvy and they grow up too fast. And they know about buying shit and they know about sex. And they know about investment banking and also about brokerage firms. And they know about the numbers and they know about the words. And they know about the bottom line and also about stones. And they know about careers and about the real deals. And they all grow up and become people’s people with people skills.

"Let us toast to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof and instant coffee, to unemployment insurance and library cards, to absinthe and good-hearted landlords, to music and warm bodies and contraceptives… and to the “good life”, whatever it is and wherever it happens to be."

Dr. Hunter S. Thomspon, Proud Highway; Saga of a Desperate SOuthern Gentleman

Listening to Stereophonics right now.
Are they even of my era I wonder?
I suspect that they're probably from the early 2000s, but that song I like was first released in 2008! :O Whaaaaaat?

Last quotes for you from my book!

In the first few days after the funeral, our interest in the Lisbon girls only increased. Added to their loveliness was a new mysterious suffering, perfectly silent, visible in the blue puffiness beneath their eyes or the way they would sometines stop in mid-stride, look down, and shake their heads as though disagreeing with life.

The man lashhed the fence, in sections, to his truck and -- getting paid for it -- gave Mr. Bates the worst lawn job we'd ever seen. We were amazed our parents permitted this, when lawn jobs usually justified calling the cops. But now Mr. Bates didn't scream or try to get the truck's license plate, nor did Mrs. Bates, who had once wept when we set off firecrackers in her state-fair tulips-- they said nothing, and our parents said nothing, so that we sensed how ancient they were, how accustomed to trauma, depression, and wars. We realised that the version of the world they rendered for us was not the world they really believed it, and that for all their caretaking and bitching about crabgrass they didn't give a damn about lawns.

Musicology 101

2010-01-14T18:34:00.002+08:00

Long love affair with this song.
Long story.

Addicted

I'm so addicted to
All the things you do
When your rolling round with me
In between the sheets
All the sounds you make
With every breath you take
It's unlike anything
when you're loving me

oh girl lets take it slow
so as for you well you know where to go
I want to take my love and hate you till the end

It's not like you to turn away
from all the bullshit I cant take
it's not like me to walk away

I'm so addicted to all the things
you do when your rolling round with me
in between the sheets
all the sounds you make with every breathe you take
it's unlike anything
when you're loving me

I know when it's getting rough
all the times we spend
when we try to make
this love something better than
just making love again
its not like you to turn away
all the bullshit I can't take
just when I think I can walk away,

I'm so addicted to all the things
you do when your rolling round with me
in between the sheets
all the sounds you make
with every breathe you take
it's unlike anything

I'm so addicted to the things you do
when your rolling round with me
all the sounds you make with every breath you take
it's unlike anything when you're loving me
when you're loving me

I cannot make it through
all the things you do
there's just got to be more to you and me

I'm so addicted to all the things you do
when your rolling round with me
in between the sheets
all the sounds you make with every breath you take
it's unlike anything
it's unlike anything

I'm so addicted to
all the things you do
when your rolling round with me

all the sounds you make with every breath
you take its unlike anything
I'm so addicted to you
addicted to you

IWAV

2010-01-10T23:22:00.003+08:00

The more I try to reread Interview with a Vampire, the more hints I get about how Louis feels about Lestat, and the more romantically inclined/abusive controlling their relationship develops in my mind. It's interesting, to some extent. I mean, romantic and controlling aren't really two words that can go together unless one of them is negated.

And oh, remember Skinny? That Ibi Kaslik book? I finished it. again.
It was as good as it was down to the very last word.

Summary: Do you ever get hungry? Too hungry to eat?

Holly’s older sister, Giselle, is self-destructing. Haunted by her love-deprived relationship with her late father, this once strong role model and medical student, is gripped by anorexia. Holly, a track star, struggles to keep her own life in balance while coping with the mental and physical deterioration of her beloved sister. Together, they can feel themselves slipping and are holding on for dear life.

This honest look at the special bond between sisters is told from the perspective of both girls, as they alternate narrating each chapter. Gritty and often wryly funny, Skinny explores family relationships, love, pain, and the hunger for acceptance that drives all of us.

This book was the one that got me started on the gritty genre. After this I picked up similar ones in first person narrating self-destruction and eventual death. I liked the tight first-person narrative, the bleary outlooks and everything. It's a lot more vivid in first person, and it's a lot more personal and engaging than it would have been in third-person.

Giselle is a very very very engaging character. She's perfect: good grades, moderately pretty, modest, careful and determined, but she's also a flop: she hates herself. She's a perfectionist, and she's suffering from a mental disorder more so than anything else. There are times when you will hear her narrating about her, a controlling character who screams and thrashes at her for every single small mistake (five skewers at a potluck, having alfredo instead of white-wine-mussel sauce) and convinces her that she's worthless (especially about that guy she likes). The pacing is not very good -- I didn't like the subplots about her parent's pasts because it seemed badly out-of-place and unfinished, even though it was to some point illuminating, but everything else is wonderful.

So? While I finish The Alchemist, go pick up a copy.

'Allo, 'Allo!

2010-01-10T00:12:00.003+08:00

"'Allo 'Allo!" is a film from 1982. It is mainly comedy, about a French man named Rene, who has a wife and a cafe. The cafe also has several waitresses he has flings with, many many German customers (WWII, the Germans got their hands on France) and also an underground resistance in the basement.

Chaos ensues.

...

Who am I kidding, I haven't watched the bloody film.
But anyway, I found my way onto the quotes page of 'Allo, 'Allo! and god it was worth it. Here are some of my favourites.

[Maria has disguised the airmen as waitresses, so René mimes to them that they must not go upstairs with the Germans]
Flying Officer Carstairs: [turning to Fairfax] What was all that about?
Flying Officer Fairfax: I think he means that if Hitler comes in and wants us to go upstairs with him, we're not to go.
Flying Officer Carstairs: Is he like "that," then?
Flying Officer Fairfax: Oh, yes.
René: [to the others] And they must not speak.
[Rene turns to the airmen and mimes that they must be silent]
Flying Officer Carstairs: What does that mean?
Flying Officer Fairfax: Well, if we do go upstairs with Hitler, we're not to tell anyone.
Flying Officer Carstairs: Well, it's hardly the sort of thing you boast about, is it.

Herr Flick: [to the tune of the Hokey Pokey] You put your right boot in, you take your right boot out, you do a lot of shouting and you shake your fists about. You light a little smokie and you burn down ze town, zat's vot it's all about. Ah, Himmler, Himmler, Himmler...
[cut off by telephone]

Yvette Carte-Blanche: What is happening?
Maria Recamier: We were both aroused by the banging.
Edith: I too was aroused by the banging.
Roger Leclerc: I was aroused when I saw the girls with the candles.

[upon seeing Leclerc's latest disguise]
René: Man of a thousand faces, every one the same.

And btw everytime I see the word 'Allo, I am reminded of this:

NUMA NUMA NUMA YAY.

collars

2010-01-07T19:35:00.011+08:00

won't lie. I'm really supposed to be doing my ss homework right now.
But then I got distracted, so here I am.

I'll make it really quick.

Pictures!

Also also, those shoes at the end? They totally exist.
Google: Nina Ricci Boots AW09/10

And neck corsets? Totally my type of thing.
Steampunk watches too.
Corsets too.

That lace neck collar, the black one?
I would totally want one.
It'd end up those one-time wear things that languish in my wardrobe, but I would love to own it anyway. So classic. Though it seems totally bondage fetish -.-;

Quick Review

2010-01-04T20:36:00.002+08:00

Is it bad that I have so many accomplishable goals for 2010?

Look, I put down that I wanted to run a marathon for this year.
AND THEN it turns out that there's a 5km run in SAFARI & ZOO in February!

ZOMGWTFBBQ, IT MUST BE FATE!
can someone please go with me even though it's pathetic i need someone to hold my hand through bloody 6.3km? :|

and after I thought of it, I have a lot more bric-a-brac to add:
.Volunteer at an animal shelter.
.Finish the draft of And Then She Fell and revise it in June holidays
.Start a Book Blog
.Quit Gaiaonline entirely.
.Maybe join the LJ roleplay communities
.Run a 5km marathon!
.Score >20 for all of my persuasive essays
.Score an A2 for E Maths
.Score A1 for Bio! :D Hereditary Genetics! Molecular genetics! I'm in love.
.Finish one fully-inked, water-coloured picture
.Sketch fanart! ALWAYS WANTED TO, NEVER DID.
.Make it to Victoria JC and storm their debate club.
.Always remember to smile.
.Solve the mystery case of SLK

On a completely unrelated note, I'm still on antibiotics and will continue to be for the rest of January. Little green tablets, oblong and plasticky, they're kind of cute and apparently they're going to fix me. It's weird and really kind of psycho, but I actually quite like being on medication. Not like Panadol or anything, but like medicating away minor illnesses? I like full-course antibiotics mainly because I have an excuse to keep medicating after the illness is mostly gone away. Not to sound crazy, but they make me feel like I'm fixing myself. Everything. The bad attitude, the pretentiousness, the fake smiles and the pessimism: really truly everything. I won't lie, it's a nice feeling, that you're trying to fix yourself.

Pity it doesn't work.

And before I go? Here's a quote from Skinny by Ibi Kaslik:

I have so many things to say to her I can't even get the order straight. I want to ask her: why did you spin so far out when there isn't even that far to go in this bastard world?

At night, when the house is dark and I can't sleep, I pray for her body to grow strong. I pray for her soul to stand straight up, for the end of her nightmares. I pray even though I'm past praying. I call on Jesus even through he never calls on me.

Quobe by Holly Vasco, younger sister of Giselle, daughter of Tesla.

bad language, bad!

2010-01-03T16:41:00.000+08:00

Someone can totally beat me at this slashhack pairing game eh?
Byakuran and Shouichi?
EVEN I DIDN'T THINK OF THAT.

But no, ur doin it WRONG.
cause OTP = Byakuran/Mukuro.

So there!

Looking Through a Kaleidoscope

2010-01-03T14:35:00.001+08:00

“If you know Gilbert so well, where does he keep his socks and why?” Arthur groaned at this, knowing the answer from the first day they met.

“Microwave. He’s convinced the radiation will give him superpowers one day.” Ludwig still didn’t look entirely convinced, but he relaxed.

Awww, Gilbert!
Btw? Gilbert is the nation Prussia. Ludwig, his brother is Germany, Arthur is England, Alfred is America and Kiku is Japan. OH yeah.

“Anyway, you are coming back to the tour bus this instant! You’ve already been exposed for far too long! They’ll be swarming soon.”

“Who?” Arthur asked. Suddenly, a shrill shriek pierced the air like the cry of a banshee and the four men turned in time to see a teary-eyed girl surrounded by a whole swarm of her counterparts.

“Oh my God, is that Alfred!?” a girl squealed.

“Holy shit it is! And there’s that cute little Asian boy from A-Bang!”

“Let’s tear off their clothes and sell them on E-bay!”

“There’s too many of them!” Ludwig shouted, grabbing Alfred and Kiku roughly by the arms and shoving them both at Arthur. “If what you say is true and you are my brother’s friend, protect the packages, I’ll follow behind and try to keep them at bay!” Kiku looked utterly terrified whereas Alfred stared worriedly over his shoulder as he took the flowers back from Arthur.

“You’re not going to tase them again, right?”

“Go! That’s an order! I’ll be right behind you!”

“Oh, bullocks, what have I gotten myself into?” Arthur groaned, taking both singers' hands starting to run as a white van stuffed to the bursting point with paparazzi screeched up the street after them.

“Alfred!” a girl’s voice wailed.

“Alfred, Kiku, look over here for a picture!”

“Alfred I just want an autograph!”

“Kiku! Kiku, wait! I can speak Japanese, kawaii desu!”

“Alfred-kun, I’m frightened!” Kiku wailed.

I'm frightened too Kiku, of your ooc-ness.

2010

2010-01-02T21:38:00.003+08:00

I named this photo "The Two of Us".
The Evian water bottles you see? They were designed by Christian Lacriox.
Whoa~ I want one now. Lace patterns!

I returned all of my books just now to the library in Sengkang (hey librarians? I hope you have a whole lot of trouble trying to shelve the books cause I know you don't have the appropriate sections in them. HA!) and got more. So, no more Code Book, 50 Genetic Ideas, Idiot's Guide to Vampires and Fast Food Nation. Now I stocked up on pure fiction instead, after I went on my non-fiction binge. Gracing my shelves are Skinny (I've read it before, I know I know.), The Alchemist and Violin by Anne Rice.
...I know right?
OMG WTF ANNE RICE!
Again.
Oh yeah.

And of course, finally, plans for 2010.
For the past 32512325 times (well, actually just three) that I've written any plans for the new year, I wrote them on 31st November on the dot. But uhh, cause I was stranded in Malacca (and had a sinseh crack the whole length of my spine to which my unsympathetic mother said "woah, nice one" in hokkien. FML.) without any internet (my cousin owns a computer, but forgot to pay the internet bill for THREE FRICKIN MONTHS) I'm writing them on the 2nd day of the new year. Better now than never yes?

one

Finish the two prettiest books on my shelf: Unfinished Tales and The Silmarillon by Tolkien. I bought them ages and ages and ages ago, and I never got past the first four pages after the prologue. It is a long-winded book (worse than The Lord of The Rings! Ask Abigail.) but I have a feeling it is all worth reading. What can I say? I have to finish it someday.

“If you aren’t enjoying your clothes, then you really are missing the point.”

Quote by Betty Halbreich.

two

Am I the only crazy person who plans to add clothing to her "things to do in 2010" list? For 2010, I promise to shop more at Forever 21 and Cotton On. I kid. I plan to wear a skirt on my next outing with friends (I wear skirts on family outings, so it doesn't count!), do something about the ton of unworn T-shirts I've amassed, and break out those tops I got from G2000 blu. And that waistcoat. Must wear that more. I promise that in 2010 I will wear that monochrome plaid skirt that I didn't dare wear after I saw a lolita wear it (with a pink turtle-neck and a boyfriend on her arm) wear in Black Alice (a lolita store) in Cathay, and wear striped arm-warmers, knee-socks and scarf TOGETHER with the skirt.

three

For 2010, I plan to attend Cosfest. I will try my best to make it this year, and I will save up to get at least one of the art books I've always wanted: Kuroshitsuji, CLAMP's X/1999 or... Code Geass. I really want to own Kuroshitsuji's manga, but I don't plan on actually buying issue after issue, so... we'll see? Also also, I plan to print out a couple of my favourite art pieces, or purchase some prints from DevArt. I also want to design a mural for my bedroom wall. (:

bric-a-brac

Volunteer at an animal shelter.

Turns out Mutts and Mittens is reeeeeally much nearer to my house than I realised! Or maybe I could help out at the Cat Welfare Society or SPCA.

Finish the draft of And Then She Fell and revise it in June holidays

I have to finish it someday. I should really learn to finish writing something.

Start a Book Blog,

and write about the things I love most about books, writing and everything inbetween.

Run a 5km marathon!

Score >20 for all of my persuasive essays

Score an A2 for E Maths

Finish one fully-inked, water-coloured picture

Make it to Victoria JC and storm their debate club.

Always remember to smile.

sleep

2009-12-27T20:14:00.001+08:00

Sleep. its the easiest thing to do; you just close your eyes. but for so many of us, sleep seems out of grasp. we want it, but we don’t know how to get it. yet once we face our fears and turn to each other for help, night time isn’t so scary because we realize even in the dark, we aren’t all alone.

-Grey’s Anatomy

"My only relief is to sleep. When I’m sleeping, I’m not sad, I’m not angry, I’m not lonely, I’m nothing"

afraid

2009-12-27T20:11:00.000+08:00

I’m afraid to be alone, I’m afraid not to be alone. I’m afraid of what I am, what I’m not, what I might become, what I might never become. I don’t want to stay at my job for the rest of my life, but I’m afraid to leave. And I’m just tired, you know? I’m just so tired of being afraid.

— Michelle Pfeiffer

vinegar + wounds + whales + battery

2009-12-26T23:11:00.003+08:00

Worst of all, why did England care? He hated France with the fire of a thousand suns. His feelings for France were comparable to the feeling of laying in a bathtub full of vinegar with open wounds while three blue whales were stacked on top of him. All one had to do was drop a battery charger in the bath and there were his feelings for America, but that wasn’t the point.

Seven Little killers, fanfiction by Lucky-angel135

I FINALLY GET A NEW PAIR OF SHOES, and it's the spiffy white high-tops from River Island I've been eyeing since last season. WHOO. Well, I liked the black one better, but white new shoes are better than no new shoes yes? Hee <3

Did you know Charlot (aged twenty eight) has only ever had five women in his life he was serious about, and one of them was his deceased wife? I'm having fun naming them all: Therese, Maud, Lizabeth, Eireen and Lenour. His wife was Lizabeth, who is also Katsurou's mother's third younger sister's fourth daughter. Aka cousins. They do have huge families in Tenver, I wonder why.

Cryptography

2009-12-26T01:00:00.002+08:00

Taken from The Code Book, written by Simon Singh, which was found in the business section though god knows why it's there. The book contains also a set of ten puzzles from the easy to the tedious. Since they teach the reader the skills required for amateur crytoanalysis and cipher-breaking, nothing else is provided. The puzzles were originally a challenge that awarded $15 000 to whoever that first solved them all.

The competition closed in 2000, and the award was claimed.

Case 1: simple monoalphebetic substituition

Bt jpx rmlz rcuv amlx icvjp ibtwxr ci m lmt’r pmtn, mtn yvcjx cdxv mwmbtrj jpx amtngxrjbah uqct jpx qgmrjxv ci jpx ymgg ci jpx hbtw’r qmgmax; mtn jpx hbtw rmy jpx qmvj ci jpx pmtn jmpj ycjx. Jpxt jpx hbtw’r acutjxtmtax ymr apmtwxn, mtn pbr jpcuwprj jvcfgxn pbl, rc jmpj jpx scbtbr ci pbr gcbtr yxvx gccrxn, mtn pbr htxxr rlcjx ctx mwmbtrj mtcjpxv. Jpx hbtw avbxn mgcun jc fvbtw bt jpx mrjvcgcwxvr , jpx apmgnxmtr, mtn jpx rccjprmexvr. Mtn jpx hbtw rqmhx, mtn rmbn jc jpx ybrx lxt ci fmfegct, ypcrcxdxv rpmgg vxmnjpbr yvbjbtw, mtn rpcy lx jpx btjxvqvxjmjbct jpxvxci, rpmgg fx agcjpxn ybjp ramvgxj, mtn pmdx m apmbt ci wcgnmfcuj pbr txah, mtn rpmgg fx jpx jpbvn vugxvbt jpx hbtwncl. Jpxt amlx bt mgg jpx hbtw’r ybrx lxt; fuj jpxeacugn tcj vxmn jpx yvbjbtm, tcv lmhx htcyt jc jpx hptw jpx btjxvqvxjmjbct jpxvxci. Jpxt ymr hbtw fxgrpmoomv wvxmjge jvcufgxn, mtn pbr acutjxtmtax ymr apmtwxn bt pbl, mtn pbrgcvnr yxvx mrjctrpxn. Tcy jpx kuxxt,f e vxmrct ci jpx ycvnr ci jpx hbtw mtn pbr gcvnr, amlx bt jpx fmtkuxj pcx tn jpx kuxxt rqmhx mtn n, c hbtw, gbdx icvxdxv; gxj tcj jpe jpcuwpjr jvcufgx jpxx, tcv xj jpe acutjxmtax fatwn; jpx br m lmt bt jpe hbtwncl, bl ypcl br jpx rqbvbj ci jpx pcge wcnr; mtn bt jpx nmer ci jpe imjpxv gbwpj mtn utnxvrjtnbtw mtn ybrncl, gbhx jpx ybrncl ci jpx wcnrmr icutn bt pbl; ypcl jpx hbtw txfuatxomv jpe imjpxv, jpv hbtwn, b rme, jpe imj, lmnxlmrjxv ci jpxmwbamtr mrjvgcwxvr, apmnxmt, mtn rccjprmexvr; ivmlap mr mt xzaxggxtj rqbvbj, mtn htcygxnwx, mtn utnxvrjmtnbtw, btjxvqvxjbtw ci nvxmlr, mtn rpcyrtw ci pmvn rxtjxtaxr , mtn nbrrcgdbtw ci ncufjr, yxvx icutn bt jpx rmlx nmtbxg, ypcl jpx hbtw tmlxn fxgjxrpmoomv; tcy gxj nmtbxg fx amggxn, mtn px ybgg rpcy jpx btjxvqvxjmjbct. Jpx ibvrj acnxycvn br cjpxggc.

Arranged from one to ten, the first three were labelled with the type of cipher used. Case One is the supposed "easiest", ciphered with the primitive monoalphebetic substitution. Praise my dedication for typing the bloody thing out with a headache. I feel so proud of myself I can hardly speak. This text has a grand total of 308 (three hundred and eight) words.

Wish me luck?

City of desire

2009-12-24T22:37:00.002+08:00

"I don`t know what you should see," Valentine says. "All I can tell you is, this place we`ve come to, this is a city of desire.
`You don`t look at this city and search within her to find what you want. You look at her and she takes on the shape of your true heart`s desire. When you look at her - that`s what you should see."

Quote from Hero.

That is one concept of "city of desire" that I like :D

rereading

2009-12-22T23:35:00.003+08:00

Because there is NOTHING to do except maths and physics homework.
But you don't have to know about my love affair with maths. Really you don't.
It's like tragic. Like watching a K-drama, where EVERYBODY dies.

So I decided to re-read stuff.

Like The Code Book, which I had to go hunt down in the library because my brother loaned out his copy. I found it in the Business section, though I don't know why the hell a book on cryptography & cryptoanalysis which includes examples from computing and WWI would be related to BUSINESS. Smart move, Dewy.

I also renewed my copy of 50 Genetic Ideas you really need to know (which did a lot of quoting on genetic texts I read in primary school, including Bryan Sykes and Richard Dawkins and Matt Ridley, all of whom I worship like whoa.), got myself a copy of Fast Food Nation cause I couldn't be bothered watching the documentary, and also the most epic The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vampires which has the corniest jokes ever and an entire chapter dedicated to Anne Rice (whose vampires are mentioned to be "not very interested" in sex, though I AHEM beg to differ -coughthevampirearmandcough-).

But more importantly, I'm re-reading comics. Webcomics.

Like Hero, by Hwei.

It's the most awesomest comic I've ever read, and though it updates really slowly, it's always worth the wait in the end. Come on, it's even COLOURED. The artist is well-known around the DevArt community too. Though course it isn't as professional looking as Kuroshitsuji or as dark and gritty as Kaori Yuki's stuff (I read Kaine AT LAST and it was totally worth enduring the slowness of Mangafox for it.) but it has a very nice touch that neither of them have. It's thoughtful and insightful. Very interesting too, and I ADORE the motorcycle (DUCK!) that this character Valentine drives around.

Not enough people read it, sadly.

I wonder when Hetalia will update. I'm contemplating picking up Japanese again -- well, just enough Japanese to understand military jargon -- just to read it on the original website. Then at least I don't need to rely on translations.

I feel like re-reading Di(e)ce, but it's a bit too short to be enjoyable for re-reading. Maybe when it's fifteen chapters, I'll contemplate. The art really is very very nice. The plot is only just beginning, but it's nice so far. But still, once again, too bloody short.

You know, this morning I woke up dreaming about playing The Sims.

I kind of miss the game, even if I usually tire of it within a day or so of playing it. The lack of platonic relationships, squabbly easily-jealous people, uninteresting happenings, skeleton maids, cheats and hacked objects... it all kind of gets to you after a while and you just get BLAAAAAHHHHBOREDDD of it. But I like the house building function, cause even though I'd make a bloody terrible architect I quite like designing and building (potentially dangerous and technically inhospitable) houses.

I really don't want to wait till eighteen till I'm allowed to wear heels. Mum refuses anything above two inches, and her idea of an inch is not the usual 2.5 cm, but about 1.7 cm. WTF. What is technically a four-inch heel and walkable shoes are like about six inches and sky-high in her view. And she even asked me if I would actually wear them out. Of course, mum, heels are shoes and if I love them enough I'd wear them on every conceivable occasion. Look at my favourite Converses, I wear them all the time even though they make my toes hurt because they chafe, and my feet ache later because the base isn't as soft or supportive as I'd like it. Remember those inch-half slippers I used to have? With even height throughout? Remember how I wore those all the time and even RAN in them? I can do the same with heels! I can even jump in them. Ask Jia En, I used to spite her by jumping around in them because she couldn't.

Eighteen is way too far away.

Sherlock Holmes plstyvm.
18th Century England + Grit + Glamour = LOVE

I always did like that era's costume. Crinolines and corsets, waistcoats and tailcoats, top hats and walking canes are absolutely my idea of vintage. Who cares about the 80s when you have the 1800s? Elementary, Dr Watson ;)

Follow up

2009-12-22T19:06:00.003+08:00

I saw the lyrics for Monster in the previous post, and was reminded of Patrick Wolf.

T_________T

He’s a wolf in disguise,
But I can’t stop staring in those evil eyes.

Wolves are still my favourite animal! D<

And Tigger comes in second!

No matter his weight in pounds, shillings and ounces, he always seems bigger because of the bounces.

Quote by Whitfield Diffie, which I got from The Code Book.

Musicology 101

2009-12-22T18:54:00.002+08:00

I've been listening to this song for ages. It's probably one of my favourites, even if it isn't the most popular song right now. Like when I was crazy over Paparazzi and Love Game nobody even knew the song existed. I should totally go for song casting ;D

Monster

He ate my heart
He a-a-ate my heart
(You little monster)
He ate my heart
He a-a-ate my heart out
(You amaze me)

Look at him
Look at me
That boy is bad
And honestly
He’s a wolf in disguise
But I can’t stop staring in those evil eyes

I asked my girlfriend if she’d seen you round before
She mumbled something while we got down on the floor baby
We might’ve fucked not really sure, don’t quite recall
But something tells me that I’ve seen him, yeah

That boy is a monster
M-M-M-Monster
That boy is a monster
M-M-M-Monster
That boy is a monster
Er-er-er-er

He ate my heart
(I love that girl)
He ate my heart
(Wanna talk to her, she’s hot as hell)

He licked his lips
Said to me
Girl you look good enough to eat
Put his arms around me
Said “Boy now get your paws right off me”

I asked my girlfriend if she’d seen you round before
She mumbled something while we got down on the floor baby
We might’ve fucked not really sure, don’t quite recall
But something tells me that I’ve seen him, yeah

That boy is a monster
M-M-M-Monster
That boy is a monster
M-M-M-Monster
That boy is a monster
Er-er-er-er

He ate my heart
(I love that girl)
He ate my heart
(Wanna talk to her, she’s hot as hell)

He ate my heart
He ate my heart
Instead he’s a monster in my bed

I wanna Just Dance
But he took me home instead
Uh oh! There was a monster in my bed
We french-kissed on a subway train
He tore my clothes right off
He ate my heart and then he ate my brain

Uh oh uh oh
(I love that girl)
(Wanna talk to her, she’s hot as hell)

That boy is a monster
M-m-m-monster
(Could I love him?)
That boy is a monster
M-m-m-monster
(Could I love him?)
That boy is a monster
M-m-m-monster
(Could I love him?)
That boy is a monster
Er-er-er-er

KHR: Mukuro

2009-12-18T23:27:00.003+08:00

You know, I haven't really been a big fan of Mukuro.
I mean yeah, he's got cool black hair, he's got red eyes (well, A red eye), super cool powers, slight psychosis, that stereotypical badass personality, a scythe and a pretty spiffy costume that consists of... camouflage print... His "Ten Years Later" version even has LONG black hair. That's pretty much screaming "OMG I AM SO YOUR TYPE OKAY? FANGIRL ME! WORSHIP ME! SLASH ME--" Um, yes.

But I resist, because ~~too many fangirls like him~~ I only like pairings.

But he's always been a cool character.
Like the "ahahaha(um, I meant 'kufufufu')-savin'-the-day" kind of cool.

Until today, when I realised his spiffy costume of camouflage did not just consist of camouflage print (and a white T-shirt, and some darkish khakish? coloured trousers... I so did not notice. It's casual observations! ...who am I kidding...)

ROKUDO MUKURO,
coolest character of all of Katekyo Hitman Reborn,
has been making fashion statements since the beginning of the series.

Do you see it?
Click on it for a larger version if you need to.

...
See it?

YES, THOSE ARE THIGH-HIGH BOOTS.
Dear gods in the heavens above. Mukuro, the malest (sic) manliest, most sought-after character by fangirls and most slashed and abused by slash writers, wears THIGH-HIGH BOOTS. Judging by how shiny they seem to be, (white highlights?!) I suspect those cheap PVC glossy kind. Which is like, twice as ~~slutty~~ scary.

Therefore all you cosplayers and fanartists out there, please remember: when cosplaying/drawing Mukuro in his original costume, if he ain't got thigh-highs, UR DOIN IT WRONG.

Though seriously, if that doesn't scream "I'M SOMEBODY'S BITCH" I don't know what does.

wishlist: shoes

2009-12-18T19:19:00.009+08:00

I know I don't celebrate Christmas, but I like compiling lists, so yes.
Shoes~!

What do you mean I won't be able to walk in them?
Sprain my ankle? Break my neck?! What?!
NEVAR.

230th post: DELICACIES EL FRANCAIS

2009-12-18T00:37:00.003+08:00

“I THINK ZAT CROISSANTS ARE MOST LOVELY, BUT I CONFESS TO LIKING CREPES MORE. WHAT DO YOU SAY, ALFRED?

Quote by Francis (aka France)
from the fanfiction Wild Wild West

Use this when the conversation starts to, ah, "stray to more dangerous waters".
Especially, when nobody has a clue what crepes are.

Musicology 101

2009-12-17T23:26:00.004+08:00

I'm a terrible girl.
I stole something.
From my brother.
Who like is just right next door.
Um, the next door room actually.

But yeah, I snitched from him.

It's okay, I had permission. From like 4654342543 years ago.
He doesn't really noticed anyway, I think.

Here's the loot:

My mum doesn't agree with me on the awesomeness of the Gorillaz.
Yeah, I'm a closet Gorillaz fan. That's between you and me alright?

P.S. The Fame Monster he bought was the deluxe version, with like two bonus tracks :D
P.S.S. It sounds like crack when put on shuffle and loop.
P.S.S.S. It's okay to be jealous. (;

Hobbies

2009-12-17T19:27:00.001+08:00

STAMP COLLECTION! :DDDD
-shot-

Chess Puzzles <3

2009-12-17T01:07:00.001+08:00

Play online chess

I WILL MASTER THEM SOMEDAY.
...I hope?

Plot Devices: Shoujo manga

2009-12-16T00:30:00.002+08:00

I figured I had to compile them someday, just so then I'd know for sure what I've seen before and why it's so bleeding familiar. So yes, plot devices, you know, those elements to a plot? Well, mainly covered for manga here.

Shoujo

Hidden identity
eg. Dengeki Daisy

Mistaken gender/identity
eg. Ouran High School Host Club

Best Friends
There's a lot of them all right? Just go pick a random one.

"Love Experiment
eg. Watashi Ni XX Shinasai!

Illness/Psychological Condition
eg. Beast Master

Rivalry
eg. Special A, Skip Beat

"A Secret"
eg. Hana Kimi, Kaichou wa Maid-sama

Arranged Marriage
eg. Goong

Servant/Maid
eg. Kaichou wa Maid-sama

Outcast lead character/love interest
eg. Koko Ni Iru Yo

Unbelievably destructive girl
eg. Chrno Crusade

Unbelievably gluttonous girl
eg. Chrno Crusade

Unbelievably dense girl
eg. Chrno Crusade, Ouran High

Ice Prince/Princess
eg. Watashi Ni XX Shinasai!

Popular guy/girl
eg. Ouran High, Vampire Knight, Skip Beat, Hana Kimi, Hana Yori Dango, Goong

Rich guy
eg. Ouran High, Hana Yori Dango, Goong

"Trying to Help"/Guy with problems
eg. The One, Hana Kimi

Resemblance to relatives
eg. He's Dedicated to Roses

Imperfect/plain female lead
eg. Koko Ni Iru Yo!, Zettai Kareshi

Pick and mix, write a basic plot linking everything.
Ooh lala, a shoujo manga plot by yours truly~

Musicology 101

2009-12-14T18:07:00.002+08:00

Celebration

Madonna

Haven't I seen you somewhere before?
You look familiar.
You wanna dance?

I think you wanna come over, yeah I heard it through the grapevine.
Are you drunk or you sober? Think about it, doesn’t matter
And if it makes you feel good then I say do it,
I don’t know what you’re waiting for

Feel my temperature rising
There’s too much heat I’m gonna lose control
Do you want to go higher, get closer to the fire,
I don’t know what you’re waiting for

Come join the party, yeah
Coz anybody just won’t do.
Let’s get this started, yeah
Coz everybody wants to party with you.

Boy you got a reputation, but you’re gonna have to prove it
I see a little hesitation,
Am I gonna have to show you that if it feels right, get on your marks
Step to the beat boy that’s what it’s for

Put your arms around me
When it gets too hot we can go outside
But for now just come here, let me whisper in your ear
An invitation to the dance of life

Come join the party, it’s a celebration
Anybody just won’t do
Let’s get this started, no more hesitation
Coz everybody wants to party with you

Haven't I seen you somewhere before?
You look familiar.
You wanna dance?
Yeah...
I guess I just don't recognize you with your clothes on.
What are you waiting for?

Boy you’ve got it
Coz anybody just won’t do
Let’s get it started, no more hesitation
Coz everybody wants to party with you

pairingpairingpairing--

2009-12-10T23:28:00.003+08:00

Fyi, if you ever thought I liked (a) certain character/s in manga series you are absolutely wrong. I only do that for books and actors and models. When it comes to manga and anime, I only like pairings, because the characters are almost always crappy without their other half/halves.

I for example, refuse to read Naruto if Sasuke were to disappear.
I will also boycott D. Gray-man if Kanda Yuu and Lavi dies.
I would have hated to read Kuroshitsuji where the Butler is dead (but he's immortal...)
And of course, Hikaru no Go would have been boring if they didn't have Touya Jr.

So yeah, PAIRINGS.

I just thought of this pointless post while browsing through hetalia fanart (nyuuuu! where have all the nice ones goneeee? why no updaaaaate?!) and so, here I am, and my attempted list of preferred pairings. If you research them, you will realise one very very very very very very disturbing fact. I'll leave it to you to discover what.

In the order of whichever coming to mind first/series:

Russia/China, Uk/China, China+SKorea (crack, family), China+Hk+Uk (family), China+Japan (family), Uk/Japan, America/Japan, Uk/Japan/America (sobs.) America/Uk, Uk+Hk+China (family), Germany/Prussia, Germany/SItaly, Russia/Lithuania, France/Uk, Turkey/Greece, Greece/Japan; Hikaru/Akira, Isumi/Waya; Harry/Draco, Draco/Hermione, Nobody/Ron (ha.); Stoicshipping, Prideshipping, Puzzleshipping, Tendershipping; Ciel/Sebastian; Kanda/Lavi, Lavi/Lenalee; Naruto/Sasuke, Naruto/Hinata, Kiba/Hinata, Neji/TenTen, Gaara/Lee (fluff), Shika/Ino, Itachi+Sasuke (mindgames ftw. Family.), Sasori/Deidara, Hidan/Kakuzu; Kaoru/Haruhi, Hikaru/Haruhi, Kaoru/Haruhi/Hikaru (love triangle!), Tamaki/Haruhi, Tamaki/Kyoya; Suzaku/Lelouch; Riff/Cain, Cassain/Jizabel, Jizabel/Cain; Hao/Yoh, Hao/Anna, Yoh/Anna, Lyserg/Hao, Ren/Hao; Lestat/Louis, Marius/Armand, Daniel/Armand, Marius/Pandora, Lestat+Claudia+Louis (family), Louis+Claudia (family); Alucard/Integra; Rosette/Chrno; Doumeki/Watanuki; Subaru/Seishirou; Kamui/Fuuma, Sorata/Arashi; Kurogane/Fai; Syaoran/Sakura; Kazahaya/Rikuo ...

Series involved in order of appearance:
Axis Powers Hetalia; Hikaru No Go; Harry Potter; Yu-Gi-Oh!; D. Gray-man; Naruto; Ouran High School Host Club; Code Geass; Count Cain: Godchild; Shaman King; The Vampire Chronicles; Hellsing; Chrno Crusade; xxxHOLiC/Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle; Tokyo Babylon/X; X/Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle; Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle; Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle/Cardcaptor Sakura; Legal Drug/Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle

That's a lot of series, but I suspect there's more, like Blaue Rosen...
You know, I'm sure there're more. I just can't think of it yet.

And if you're wondering about the whole list of countries, don't be alarmed, they are merely the countries of the character is from. I'm just too lazy to go find their given names, and since I always refer to them by country, it doesn't matterrr~

The CLAMP series that appear are overlapping, which makes it irritating to list. Tokyo Babylon is intrinsically linked to X (alternately named X/1999) for the characters Subaru and Seishirou, because otherwise you cannot even begin to comprehend the way they interact. X is also linked to Tsubasa Reservoir in the fact that all four characters (Subaru, Seishirou, Fuuma and Kamui) appear in one of the story arcs (coincidentally) also in Tokyo. Or course, I get a good laugh out of the whole Subaru/Kamui as brothers and Fuuma/Seishirou as brothers thing. ~~the ukes are brothers and the semes too~~ You probably won't remember seeing Rikuo and Kazahaya in Tsubasa cause they appeared for like... one frame? Yeah, but they appeared, so once again, series overlap. Irritating isn't it?

The bolded ones are specific favourites.
Unless otherwise specified, these are romantic pairings.
My fingers itched, so I decided to add in the book pairings too.

Have you realised what is the disturbing part yet?

2009-12-10T01:31:00.001+08:00

Hikaru no Go's ending was really unsatisfactory!

...

I guess that means I'll have to go read fanfiction... ...

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT, IT WAS AN EXCUSE!

chess + Hikaru no Go

2009-12-09T22:41:00.002+08:00

I was reading Hikaru no Go (I'm almost finished~!) and then when I reached this bit about this guy called Kaga and his whining about shouji, I was reminded that I haven't played chess in ages. Like you know, good fine english chess.

Not that I can actually play very well or anything, but it's a nice feeling to hold onto the pieces and look upon the checkered board and try to figure out the next move. It's a really really nice feeling, though it doesn't beat the feeling I get from playing Reversi, cause I am better at that, and it's like whoa, immensely easier.

I'm kinda peeved MSN doesn't have chess as a game but have checkers, reversi and even UNO for heavens' sake D:

OH AND ANYWAY, I was thinking about chess and everything and I was trying to match up my new cast of characters, from And Then She Fell (which I'm probably going to rename when I think of a more befitting title). Basically, I came up with this:

Hinata: Bishop
Bishops are sneaky bastards. I hate it when they attack my pieces from nowhere, and I didn't notice them because they move diagonally. They can be really powerful if properly developed, and they have good leverage when it comes to getting to protected pieces if they are overlooked. A big disadvantage however, is that they can only move onto the squares they first belong on (i.e. white only moves on white, black on black) and therefore work better in a pair. Hinata can just be both, it wouldn't matter.

Charlot: Rook
A rook, because I ~~like them best~~ think they're powerful, and everybody can see a rook when it comes for you because it only moves in straight lines. No sneaking up one you, they basically bulldoze their way in. Yeah, subtle. Did you know that you can checkmate a king with just two rooks?

Lilianne: King
Even though she doesn't match up gender-wise, it makes sense for her to be a king. The kings are weak, and always waiting to be protected. Lilianne is like that, powerful and the main objective, but when it comes to exerting power, she's really nothing. Of course, everybody is obliged to acknowledge her existence because otherwise the whole game crumbles.

Symond: Queen
Once again, disregarding the gender. The Queen is the most powerful piece on the board, being able to move for any desired distance in any desired direction. Symond is powerful as a character, because he possesses the most information out of all of them, and is the best at manipulating people to do what he likes. He's also from the most powerful house out of the characters (his father being the Duke, when Charlot's father is an Earl, and Hinata's deceased father/his inherited rank would have been Marquis.) aaaaandddd... he's so awesome at pretending to be the underdog he rocks.

Deidre, Constance: Knight
Why? I have not much idea either, but it seems they are best for the position. Knights are cheeky buggers too, because of the way they move -- it's hardest to explain to people too, cause they move in diagonal L-shapes -- and they are easily restrained if forced into a corner. They are strongest at the middle, and prove very useful in the right conditions when properly developed. At least, in theory, since I'm so terrible I end up sacrificing petter pieces for them. Just like the knights, Deidre and Constance never know when they prove to be useful, even if they are easily trapped by a bishop, and are almost useless in the sides and corners.

I haven't thought of who would be a pawn yet, and honestly, I wanted Symond to be a pawn instead of a queen because of how it would've suited his personality. Each and every pwn has the ability to become any other chess piece on the board when it reaches the opponent's side, but it usually becomes a queen. However, pawns are neither versatile nor easy to control, and can end up fatally blocking an escape or route and ruin a game. They also thus prove to be good as defense when they are in a position to protect each other, but are weak when separated.

Does that sound like soloist Symond? Nope. So he stays as the Queen.

Agh, I rambled too much.

Agasang

2009-12-09T00:20:00.002+08:00

...whose website is also known fondly as Neoclassic.

She does Vampire Chronicle's fanart! :D
But urr, there's just two things wrong in the picture, apart from the general anatomy weirdness that is Louis' face.

First, Lestat has white blonde long hair. That is, very blond, very long hair.

Second, his tie reminds me of the flag I've seen in V for Vendetta. Which is a good movie, and which is alright. Except that the flag in question is also the flag of the fascist, totalitarian ruling government party, Norsefire.

Here's proof:

SEE.

Norsefire's party leader made me smile everytime he asked the people to pray.
Not surprisingly, their motto is Strength Through Purity, Purity Through Faith

Remember kids,
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU.

I like this picture better :D
Claudia!!! Louis!!! WHEEEE!!!

PWN'd

2009-12-07T00:30:00.001+08:00

GOING TO SCIENCE CENTRE TOMORROW TO CATCH BODYWORLDS! :D

books

2009-12-06T22:04:00.003+08:00

I haven;' written blog posts about books in AGES.

I mean, I can write about many of the books I've read within the past three months of so, but I'd bored you all, cause they're all by the same author, and with the same SPECIES of characters. Or at least, they're in the same series, which is magnificently long. It is the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice.

Hey, her books are cheaper than frickin Jeffrey Eugenides' & Fitzgerald's, and entertainment wise it's more of my level. I'm not suitable for literature just right now. Hoo ha. I have a record of three (3) right now, the first three of the series, which I can never find in the library which peeves me off to no end. So I bought them.

Problem solved.

I only finished the last book (Queen of the Damned) today. Yeah yeah, legasp. I'm a tad slow. Make that very slow.

I love the ending! Somehow, I learn from the main character (Lestat) in terms of finding great amusement when his fledgeling (Louis can be considered his -- blargh -- lover, but they don't actually LOVE do they?) gets angry. Here's a quote from the very last page of the book:

"You're a perfect devil, Lestat!" he was saying. "That's what you are! you are the devil himself!"

"Yes I know," I said, loving to look at him, to see the anger pump him so full of life. "And I love to hear you say it, Louis. I need to hear you say it. I don't think anyone will ever say it quite like you do. Come on, say it again. I'm a perfect devil. Tell me how bad I am. It makes me feel so good!"

Hello Lestat, you are like one of the many favourite protagonists I have.
Louis, you too.

But today, I wanted to talk about The Tale of Despereaux, french accent not included. Then I got lazy, so here's just the cover...

And here's a tip: it may be found on the children's shelf, but it's a... hmm... philosophical illustrated book for ~~teenagers~~ adults, disguised as a childrens' book.

And btw, the movie sucks. Read the book. It won't kill you.

2009-12-05T23:51:00.000+08:00

Imagine the worst things you think about yourself. Now, how would you feel if the one person that you trusted the most in the world not only thinks them too, but actually uses them as reasons not to be with you?

via The Tugboat Complex

Dear Diary

2009-12-05T01:06:00.002+08:00

I decided to take the plunge and cut my hair today.
By myself.

My fringe didn't turn out too bad, though now it only reaches below my nose.
The layering didn't turn out too terrible, though it's a tad short in some places.

I am never wielding a pair of scissors at my hair ever again.

di(e)ce

2009-12-04T19:48:00.002+08:00

I don't know WTF is up with the excessive flowers.
But hey, that character doesn't look half bad! :D!
I think they should tag this manga "shounen-ai", along with Kuroshitsuji.

Clackity noises

2009-12-04T00:56:00.002+08:00

Please use that keyboard to talk about your life sometimes.

But, you do need to be reminded of what that keyboard can help you make. I need to be reminded. Everybody needs to be reminded. Just because we know it doesn’t mean we’re actually making the clackity noise happen. Far from it.

Maybe just try it. You don’t even have to show anyone. Make the clackity noise until a little story falls out. Just a little bit and just for a little while. Just until you notice one tiny, dumb, pointless story that the keyboard wanted you to remember.

Today, the clackity noise helped me remember my Dad. I wonder who’s in your keyboard and what brand he’s smoking.

via Kungfu Grippe

It made me cry. Damnit. Stupid article.

2009-12-04T00:47:00.002+08:00

I think you need the technology that suits the way your brain works. Sometimes you need your thoughts to go down your arm in what feels like a direct feed via pencil or felt-tip to paper, sometimes you require a more formal “sit up and address a machine”.

Quote by Julian Barnes
via Bobulate

I like the speed demon that every computer is when it comes to typing out stuff, especially on the NOTEPAD that I adore using. But then I still use the old-fashioned write with a special pen method for putting down ideas that take a while to work out. Special pens include everything from Muji's orange (orenji!) O.38 to Muji's sky-blue (sora iro!) O.38 gel-inks. Ho yes, special ne?

Oscar Wilde! <3

2009-12-03T20:30:00.000+08:00

Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.

— Oscar Wilde
from QuoteWhore

Review

2009-12-01T22:29:00.003+08:00

It has been an awful long time since I commented on anything regarding manga in general, so here it goes, a self-indulgent post about the series that I finished like twenty five seconds before I wrote this blog post.

The series I read was

Godchild

and it was pretty darn awesome.

The artist is Kaori Yuki, famous for her previous series Angel Sanctuary. Though of course I'm not really interested in reading more of her just yet, because I have in fact finished two of her series consecutively (the other is called Ludwig Kakumei, but isn't as good as Godchild). I adore her art, yes I do, but it's time I took a break from her dark stories.

Godchild tells the story of Count Cain Hargreaves and his quest to defy his father. Boring? Yeah, it's generic. The story of course is a lot less childish than the summary I give you, and it is certainly much more pwnsome than, say, NARUTO nowadays. (I have had a grudge against Kishimoto since Itachi was killed & Sasuke donned that HIDEOUS RAG, I won't lie.) The art style isn't what I'm used to. I usually like clean crisp lines, and very little toning and blurring, like Kuroshitsuji, but Kaori Yuki's style of extremely over-the-top detailing in ALL the clothing of the characters, and all the patience that must have been spent on the hair of some of the characters like this one is incredible. Her design of the people is amazing, and I adore her male characters just as much as I adore almost every single bloody character in bloody Kuroshitsuji.

Hello, you're still here! You can read Godchild on OneManga, and I'm sure I've seen it on a Borders' shelf somewhere. It had a previous series called Count Cain, but now that I've read the ending of the entire series, I'm not really interested in the series anymore.

It wasn't particularly riveting anyway, the Count Cain series.

** I just realized something. There are a grand total of EIGHT shounen-ai manga in Onemanga.com and including Godchild, I have completed FOUR. I read another TWO more halfway because they got too boring in the middle. The other TWO looks pretty interesting, and I have already planned to read one of them.

If that doesn't make me a shounen-ai/occasional yaoi fangirl, I don't know what does.

Pretentious.

2009-12-01T18:06:00.002+08:00

The fatties who go to Walmart have cheapened the whole word- “Bargain”. I’ve observed that there’s actually a sub-culture of the fattie in America. They probably have meetings in underground basements, stocked with fries on tap (Americans say fries, and everybody in France is offended that some call them “french fries”. We do not eat fries in France. We don’t even let fries come into France- they’re more banned than one of those terrorists that you Americans talk of.)

from Karl Lagerfield's Guide to Life.

It proved much more fascinating a read after I learned how to say Comme De Garcons with the proper accent, and how beautiful Yves Saint Laurent the founder's fashion illustrations were. See people, a bit of education, and you can all be pretentious like me.

Everything We Had

2009-11-29T18:25:00.002+08:00

It was the only place I'd never known, turned off the light on my way out the door. I will be watching wherever you go, through the eyes of a fly on the wall. You have been followed back to the same place I sat with you drink for drink. Take the pain out of love and then love won't exist. Everything we had, everything we had, everything we had, everything we had is no longer there, longer there. You saw for yourself, the way it played out. For you, I am blinded. For you, I am blinded, for you.

NANOWRIMO

2009-11-28T22:28:00.002+08:00

Um, I don't know how it happened.
I was doing frenzied catch up yesterday to patch together the scenes (I decided to write the scenes I LIKED first when I get a block and then I write the inbetween bits when I have either hit the daily word count or when I feel like it) yesterday. I still have 2353625214356 scenes to write out and patch, and I have 2 days.

Ooh lala, >51 000 words!

2009-11-28T02:06:00.000+08:00

“People… they don’t write anymore - they blog. Instead of talking, they text, no punctuation, no grammar: LOL this and LMFAO that. You know, it just seems to me it’s just a bunch of stupid people pseudo-communicating with a bunch of other stupid people in a proto-language that resembles more what cavemen used to speak than the King’s English. .
via The Tugboat Complex

MUSIC

2009-11-27T22:10:00.002+08:00

New York! Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there's nothing you can’t do, now you're in New York. These streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you. Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York.

SHOES

2009-11-26T20:39:00.001+08:00

KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer 2010 Collection.

Yeah, it didn't JUST have those ten-inch ballter heels y'know.

2009-11-24T01:13:00.001+08:00

I feel like moving to Tumblr.

Hoarding images, quotes, poems and music seems exactly the kind of thing I do when it's grey and cold and rainy outside.

It's grey and cold and rainy almost everyday now, how nice <3

Interior Design

2009-11-19T15:25:00.002+08:00

In accordance with my recent interest in Interior Design,
this blog will get a new layout.

Soon.

Accidental acrostics

2009-11-18T01:00:00.000+08:00

Can you spot what is wrong with this letter?

Hint: It's an acrostic.

How To Write Badly Well

2009-11-17T21:27:00.002+08:00

How To Write Badly Well

Use as many adjectives as you can

He slowly walked the slow, winding path towards the crooked, run-down old house. With one slow, hesitant hand he bravely, resolutely knocked on the dusty, pock-marked, ancient and frightening door. Slowly, it opened slowly. He slowly poked his brave head through the narrow, foreboding gap.
‘Hello?’ he slowly said, bravely.
Just then, suddenly (yet strangely slowly), a terrifying, scary, bone-chilling, face-tingling, stupefyingly mortifying and stultifying, yet oddly inconsequential and subtly fragrant, big, massive, enormous multi-hued, monochrome monstrosity of epic, legendary, massive, indescribable proportions burst thunderingly from the shadowy, ill-defined, hazy, portentous, generically appropriate yet obviously underdeveloped and self-evidently over-described dark, dark darkness.
‘RAAAAAAH!’ it said.

from How To Write Badly Well.

:DDDD Hee.

Lime Green

2009-11-17T20:51:00.003+08:00

Can you guess what colour was used for the original sketch?

Hint: it's not in the picture.
Or at least, it's not supposed to be.

Ostriches + "Taking inspiration from nature"

2009-11-16T16:31:00.002+08:00

With dodge applied

Original drawing. The train was actually shorter, then I decided to lengthen it...

I was browsing through the Photodiarist's blog portrait of a man in a trenchcoat, and then I felt like drawing a trenchcoat. Easy enough.

So I decided to find a colour that I could use for sketching. Yeah, cause I don't like using black to sketch, too dull and tough to cover later when I colour. I ended up colouring out the collar of the "trenchcoat" with it, ad then a bodice.

Then I decided to try those flowy sleeves. In lime green.
Then I wanted to show the arms, so I drew them on top in white.
So the sleeves became a cape, and with a bit of colouring became wings.
I drew in the face last (damned, I hate drawing heads last. Anatomy wonky.) and edited the legs a couple of times. Cue lots of ruthless eraser action.

I don't know what happened next, just a lot of Lady Gaga songs on loop and colouring.

And hey, it turned out okay, and it was damned fun.

Then I remembered Christian Lacriox (links to Luxirare's post), whose method of sketching involves more colour and shape than form and anatomy, and I felt so "oh, so that's why huh!" I mean, it was so fun playing with crazy colours it was like crack.

I decided in the end that I took my ideas from Victorian Fashion (especially 1868 to 1887) and ostriches. I know, psychedelic ostriches! :D Cute hey! I mean, all the designers always think of "taking inspiration from nature" and then doing a lot of earthy colours, and taking most of the inspiration from like the natural colours and the texture or whatnot. What about birds? The bird of paradise's colour upped several notches in luminosity and saturation is like crack (overusing words D:) and the shape of an ostrich is pretty kooky when compared with the Victorian fashion.

ALAKAZAM, they merge, and you get this! 8D

Lady Gaga

2009-11-15T22:54:00.005+08:00

The costumes featured in the video are mostly from the Alexander McQueen collection of this season. ~~I'd find you the pictures, but I'm too lazy to scour google.~~ Never too lazy for gorgeous shoe pictures! :D

If you look closely, you'll see these two pairs which I adore:

a) The white platforms with the twisted heel she wears with her curled 'do. Whoot, shoes!

b) ~~The black platforms with the dragon carving that you see riiiight at the end.~~ When I squinted, I realised they're the same. So I want the black AND the white versions :DDD

According to kor, prices swing from $10k upwards.
You can start saving now. (:

Bad Romance
Lady Gaga
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

I want your ugly
I want your disease
I want your everything
As long as it’s free
I want your love
(Love-love-love I want your love)

I want your drama
The touch of your hand
I want your leather-studded kiss in the sand
I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love
(Love-love-love I want your love)

You know that I want you
And you know that I need you
I want it bad, your bad romance

I want your love and
I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
(Oh-oh-oh--oh-oooh!)
I want your love and
All your lovers' revenge
You and me could write a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

I want your horror
I want your design
‘Cause you’re a criminal
As long as your mine
I want your love
(Love-love-love I want your love-uuhh)

I want your psycho
Your vertigo stick
Want you in my rear window
Baby you're sick
I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love
(Love-love-love I want your love)

You know that I want you
('Cause I'm a freak bitch baby!)
And you know that I need you
I want a bad, bad romance

I want your love and
I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!)
I want your love and
All your lovers' revenge
You and me could write a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

Walk, walk fashion baby
Work it
Move that bitch crazy

Walk, walk fashion baby
Work it
Move that bitch crazy

Walk, walk fashion baby
Work it
Move that bitch crazy

Walk, walk fashion baby
Work it
I'm a freak bitch, baby

I want your love and
I want your revenge
I want your love
I don’t wanna be friends

Je veux ton amour
Et je veux t'en revendre
Je veux ton amour
I don’t wanna be friends
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
I don’t wanna be friends
(Caught in a bad romance)
I don’t wanna be friends
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Want your bad romance
(Caught in a bad romance)
Want your bad romance!

I want your love and
I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
I want your love and
All your lovers' revenge
You and me could write a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Want your bad romance
(Caught in a bad romance)
Want your bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Want your bad romance
(Caught in a bad romance)

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!
Want your bad romance

Commemoration

2009-11-15T17:41:00.002+08:00

Since it is the 195th post, it deserves something more personalized.

2009-11-13T23:36:00.000+08:00

In case you were curious.

I'm barely halfway through the plot too D:

Two-faced Lovers

2009-11-10T20:46:00.002+08:00

I checked, "ura-omote" (裏表) does indeed translate roughly to "two-faced".

And yes, this was a voice synthesizer.
Please, who can sing like this is either robotic or freaking monstrous.

Yes, that is a banana in the mv.
Yes, that is a pair of gender signs humping.
Yes, that is a bunch of sperm in there.

Strangely, the song is innocent enough.

Two-Faced Lovers
Wowaka ft. Hatsune Miku

The environment in my brain woke up from the dream where I was filled with fortune,
and got invaded by this strange thing called love, and since then...
One can hardly hold a capacity that can control the environment in their heart
that hopelessly got split into two, so that's why...
Inside the words that throws out typically ambiguous and innocent arguments
based on emotion,
"Life" longs for an eye that can somehow confirm where we presently stand.
Everyday which is filled with "why"-this then that then good bye baby.
Realism and escapism, my heart holds them both, and they lie closly together.
I ask to my flipped self, "Isn't there any star lying somewhere?"
I drag around my questions answered by myself, answered by others,
other's questions answered by me and aaaaaaaaah
I just touched due to instinct, but there's nothing I really want to say,
it hurts, so please touch me, breathing hard, we feel like we could rise up the sky―
This way and that, driven to the wall, there's no help―
just dive towards that side right away.

Ah, let's just get crazy about each other for now―
Diaphragm getting stretched―
Blown off by the powerful taste―
―face and back of candid selves.

Bind the other menacingly―
Paste it over their retina―
Ah, just go ahead and get crazy about each other!

I want you with me, with me now, I want you not, NOT I said!

The environment in my brain woke up from the dream where I was filled with distress,
and got invaded by this strange thing called love, and since then...
One can't just simply put a limiter to control the environment in their heart
that got split completely into two, so that's why...
Most are pregnant with egos that scatter disaster of ambiguous innocence,
and they somehow found the word that confirmed where they presently stand.
Everyday which is filled with "why"-this then that then good bye baby.
Realism and escapism, my heart holds them both, and they lie closly together.
I ask to my flipped self, "Isn't there any star lying somewhere?"
I drag around my questions answered by myself, answered by others,
other's questions answered by me and-- aaaaaaaaah
I just touched due to instinct,
but there's nothing I really want to say,
it hurts, so please touch me, breathing hard, we feel like we could rise up the sky―
This way and that, driven to the wall, there's no help―
just dive towards that side right away!

Hating you blindly―
Making plans for today with others on purpose―
Making you beg me―
Wait for the back side of candid self!

I allure you suggestively―
I sing out impulsively―
Ah, just go ahead and get crazy about each other!

Generally, no, love.

Ah, let's just get crazy about each other for now―
Diaphragm getting stretched―
Blown off by the powerful taste―
―face and back of candid selves.

Bind the other menacingly―
Paste it over their retina―
Ah, just go ahead and get crazy about each other!

Love(I), love(eye), love(sorrow), love, I'm saying it's nowhere!

Stephen Crane

2009-11-07T17:54:00.001+08:00

“I saw a man pursuing the horizon;
Round and round they sped.
I was disturbed at this;
I accosted the man.
“It is futile,” I said,
“You can never -“

“You lie,” he cried,
And ran on.
-Stephen Crane

“Behold, the grave of a wicked man,
And near it, a stern spirit.

There came a drooping maid with violets,
But the spirit grasped her arm.
“No flowers for him,” he said.
The maid wept:
“Ah, I loved him.”
But the spirit, grim and frowning:
“No flowers for him.”

Now, this is it —
If the spirit was just,
Why did the maid weep?
Stephen Crane

both from FinallySeeing

2009-11-07T14:52:00.001+08:00

Well, you have to admit he got the lyrics right. (:

Mad Girl's Love Song

2009-11-06T23:15:00.000+08:00

I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again
( I think I made you up inside my head)

The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moonstruck, kissed me quite insane
(I think I made you up inside my head)

God topples from the sky, hell’s fire’s fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan’s men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I fancied you’d return the way you said
But I grow old and I forget your name
( I think I made you up inside my head)

I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead
(I think I made you up inside my head)

- Sylvia Plath

Nostalgia

2009-11-06T22:05:00.001+08:00

“Or perhaps a widow found him and took him in: bought him an easy chair, changed his sweater every morning, shaved his face until the hair stopped growing, took him faithfully to bed with her every night, whispered sweet nothings into what was left of his ear, laughed with him over black coffee, cried with him over yellowing pictures, talked greenly about having kids of her own, began to miss him before he became sick, left him everything in her will, thought of only him as she died, always knew he was a fiction but believed in him anyway.
Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything is Illuminated

When I read the quote, I get reminded of this other character I had for a short period of time before I lost interest in developing her further. Her name was Aequenn. She had hair as orange as a carrot and eyes as green as grass. She was freckled, cheerful and had a nice temper. Aequenn only had one very small problem: she was mad.

Music!

2009-11-05T15:20:00.002+08:00

Diamond Dogs
Beck, Moulin Rouge

As they pulled you out
Of the oxygen tent,
You asked for the latest party.
With your silicon hump
And your ten inch stump
Dressed like a priest you were,
Todd Browning streak he was
Crawling down the alley on
Your hands and your knees,
I'm sure you're not protected
For it's plain to see

Diamond Dogs are poachers
And they hide behind trees
Hunt you to the ground they will,
Mannequins with kill appeal
(Will they come?)
I keep a friend serene
(Will they come?)
Oh, baby, come unto me
(Will they come?)

Well, she's come, been, and gone
Come out of the garden, baby
You'll catch a death in the fog
Young girls, they call them
The Diamond Dogs

In the year of the scavenger
Season of the bitch
Sashay on the board-walk
Scurry to the ditch
Just another future song
Lonely little Keats

There's gonna be sorrow
Try and wake up for tomorrow
The Halloween Jack
Is a real cool cat,
And he lives on top
Of Manhattan Chase
The elevators broke
So he slides down a rope
Onto the street below
Oh Tarzie, go man, go

(Will they come?)
I keep a friend serene
(Will they come?)
Oh, baby, come unto me
(Will they come?)
Well, she's come, been, and gone
Come out of the garden, baby
You'll catch a death in the fog

Young girls, they call them
The Diamond Dogs
Young girls, they call them
The Diamond Dogs
Who-who-who?

Quick Quote (:

2009-11-04T21:34:00.001+08:00

“The reason I talk to myself is because I’m the only one whose answers I accept.
-George Carlin

Subplots, Quirks and etc.

2009-11-04T15:48:00.011+08:00

Not sure if this is a line, or a sub plot, but offered up: "smuggle the chess set". Somehow, smuggling a chess set must be an integral part of a subplot, and somewhere, a character must come up with a non-incongruous way to talk about smuggling a chess set. Hope this provides something entertaining!

A pet! A starving animal shows up at your character's front door. How do they react? With kindness? With cruelty? Maybe the animal's not a cat or a dog...

~~Hates dogs.~~

Is scared of blood

Afraid of frogs.

A major flu/viral outbreak strikes the town/city. This could result in anything from half the main cast being too sick to function for a few days to an "end of the world as you know it" scenario.

Hates cats. (my inner child just died DD:)

~~The MC has in irrational fear of horses.~~

NANO CHALLENGES!

2009-11-04T15:48:00.010+08:00

Since it's the time of the year again, here come the challengers!

Subplots/Plot Twists:
Truth serum! At the worst possible time, MC becomes unable to lie (with optional inability to keep herself from talking).

Protagonist learns Antagonist is actually a decent person. Nothing else changes: Antagonist still wants to kill Protagonist, the two sides of the war are lined up against each other, Antagonist still killed Protagonist's pet, Protagonist is still holding Antagonist dangling over a cliff...

Your MC's mother shows up. Dun dun dun dunnnn~~!

The Butler actually did it. (OMGKUROSHITSUJI)

~~Does not legally exist (ie, no legal birth certificate, driver's license, social security number, etc., in any country)~~

LOLS:
MC discovers that his/her parents aren't actually his parents, and they took him in at a very young age because he'd floated into their yard in a balloon and nobody had any idea where it came from. Plus points if it's a silver weather balloon

'She looked like a moose. And not a very attractive one, either.'

Dialogue, quotes & opening lines

2009-11-04T15:17:00.009+08:00

His/her first thought upon awakening was How did I end up here? And where are my clothes?

~~"I don't give a damn what they say. I'm the right kind of wrong."~~

"Now, you can do one of two things. You can run, or you can hide."
"I really don't see why I can't just punch you in the face."

" I smell like laundry soap."
"-sniff- No, unless you have cake-scented laundry soap."

"MC, I can see the light."
"Well, don't go towards it."

"Dude, I am SO SOBER RIGHT NOW!"

A rare, coy smirk crossed his/her face as s/he offered a hand to the best friend s/he had ever known. "Shall we?"

The conclusion is obvious: _________

(after both MC 1 and MC 2 have been handcuffed to a chair or... something)
"Do you know anything about these? For instance, how we can remove them?"
"Are you asking me about my experiences with handcuffs?"

~~"They're either going to really like each other... or want to rip each other's faces off. I'm taking bets."~~

"Okay, so maybe I crossed the line..."
"Crossed the line? You took a flying LEAP past the line! In moon shoes and a cape!"

"What am I going to have to do to make you tell me?"
"Tickle me some more, I think."

"What are you doing?"
"....nothing terribly inappropriate..."

~~"I could always tell him what exactly we could do with that sassy tongue of his."~~

"What? She's a virgin? Dude that's rare, like unicorn rare!"

"I say, who is this Murphy fellow, and why does he have so many laws?"

~~"Wait, you're still alive? Well, sh - I mean, oh good."~~

"I think he loves me."
"Are you insane? He looks at you like you're a kitten he's about to devour."
"He doesn't eat kittens!"
"Not the point!"

~~"This was a wonderful time to enter. This is also a wonderful time to exit."~~

~~"I have met the enemy, and I make him dinner every night."~~

Re-use these lines:
"Oh... I can't kick myself in the butt any more!"
"Argh! My holes don’t work!"
"You must have it at the right temperature so you can reach in and grab the thingy."
"Excuse me, are you sniffing me?"
"He’s vibrating me!"
"I’ve been trying to figure out how to get my mouth around that thing (the huge sucker)."
"We’re going to set it on the table so we can do it there later."
"When you put stuff between your legs, that’s what holds it there."
"It’s freakin’ cold outside! My cheeks and nose are cold! I’m gonna' get some ice…"
"Just because I’m dancing with a dish towel doesn’t mean I need help."
"Stop resisting and take it like a girl. "
"True American Way: Do it to someone else."
"You’re not yourself, you’re your clothes."
"Well then, you must be a Royal Bastard. "
"She keeps going horizontal on me."
"I don’t suck, I bite."
"I have handcuffs attached to my bed, what do you think?"
"This is hours of entertainment… well, until my arm gets tired, anyway."
"If I agitate both of them, they’ll start going at it."
"You know it’s been a good night when everyone has to switch clothes to go home."
"You’re right, my sword isn’t very big, but it’s big enough to get through you."
"I can’t put my head very many places it doesn’t like to go."
"Balls gravitate toward my head."
"If I had a brain, I’d be scary"
"Just because it’s a dress rehearsal doesn’t mean you have to come dressed."
"Show me where you want it to be exactly. That’s exactly what you’ll get."

El Tango De Roxanne

2009-11-03T21:47:00.002+08:00

El Tango De Roxanne is one of my favourite tracks in the Moulin Rouge movie.
The main instrument is the violin, and backups include the cello.

It really is a song about a man who falls in love with a prostitute/cabaret dancer. Because that's also the theme of the whole movie anyway. It's that part of the show where Christian starts getting jealous and all, so it fit the mood (:

The tango is supposed to be the 'passionate' dance.
Just like rumba is the 'romance' of a relationship,
and lindy-hop is supposedly the 'bickering' bit.

2009-11-03T01:01:00.002+08:00

Nanowrimo started yesterday. I'm staying up to catch up on my word count.
The 3333 words target however has been officially exceeded.
I even had the time to do some planning while I sorted out SS and my homework schedule.

Bubbl.us is a life saver.
I love how the mindmap turned out.

And in the end, I reused the theme.

So now, my 2009 novel is also named:
And Then She Fell...

);

2009-11-02T20:37:00.003+08:00

Music is hard.

Till now, I can't tell the difference between Classical, Romantic, Baroque and whatever Neoclassicism. ): I mean seriously, why do they have to use so many foreign terms.
They should create a book called Music for Dummies: How to sound like you know what the hell you're saying.

Up till now, I like enough of one or two composers to have a "favourite" track.

Verdi's Dies Irae
Mozart's Lacrymosa (and tonnes others that are prolly numbered)
Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture

I forgot which guy was it that had all the seasonal music. The Spring whatevers.

I'm a regular music moron.

I think I like Tchaikovsky best. But I don't know much about him, so I shan't make any assumptions of his music yet. And anyway, I have one or two modern composers I like who are actually alive and not bothered with whatever crazy Periods in Western culture.

They are Nobuo Uematsu, Jo Hisashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
And they are my excuse to post more youtube videos here to slow down all of your PCs.

I have too many favourites in the realm of Uematsu's compositions, but if I really had to choose, they'd be Aerith's Theme (which is famous), One Winged Angel (featured in the ending of Advent Children and the guy bobbing at the keyboard is the composer Uematsu himself :D), Ronfaure (which is an epic battle march), and To Zanarkand (which the piano version does not do justice to) and Liberi Fatali, which are all from the Final Fantasy series. If I really really really had to choose, then I choose Liberi Fatali.

Because it's one of the most powerful pieces I've heard. And, because it's the opening to FFVIII, which I own and still play occasionally on my antique playstation one.

The words featured in the video are actually part of a conversation between the lead and his romantic interest. And you actually do visit the Field Of Flowers featured. Albeit, only once. FFVIII features one of the coolest villains ever. And also a super exploitable cheap trick to make yourself laugh during the tiresome final boss battle.

P.s. check out the rest of the Tour De Japon for Orchestra versions.
If you hear singing and don't get the lyrics, that's cause they're in Latin. (:

It was also the opening to their Distant Worlds Tour in May 2009. I attended. Jealous? ;D

Jo Hisashi is the main composer for Studio Ghibli, famous for their animated films such as Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and also Princess Mononoke amongst others. My favourite tracks come from Spirited Away, but I'm not picky. It's a tie between One Summer's Day and Ryu No Shounen (piano solo linked. It sounds better with the full orchestra) but ah the heck, I prefer the former. Mainly because it sounds nostalgic.

It reminds me of "childhood" if I ever had one >)

There's no debate over Ryuichi Sakamoto. I love only one song. And I'm trying to learn to play that one song as well. Sakamoto composes for movie soundtracks usually, and he has been given the (unofficial?) title of "World's Best Pianist". The song is Forbidden Colours or Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence from the movie of the same name, but also alternately titled Last Christmas.

It's actually surprisingly easy (well in comparison) and it's really repetitive.
It sounds best when matched with a cello though, because it gets old fast on piano.

Now you can rave over the insane music that is the compositions of Japanese composers. ;) I still like Nobuo Uematsu the best though.

Etymology of "Julian"

2009-11-02T18:48:00.003+08:00

SO THERE.

Frustrated Mac User

2009-10-30T23:05:00.001+08:00

I know I know, I've posted thrice.
But you know, SHARE THE JOY!

This is why PCs are still the best.
In some ways.

MASH UPS

2009-10-30T22:43:00.005+08:00

Ever heard of Norwegian Recycling? It's a one-man band who is amazing at producing mashups. Ever heard of those songs which consist of two or more other original tracks blended together? That's a mashup, and that's the name of the game played by Norwegian Recycling.

All of his mash-ups can be downlaoded for free at his website either individual tracks or his albums. I haven't heard many, except for those I stole from my brother (stole a listen actually, I don't own any of the tracks. Yet.) and so far, they're good.

Those include: How Six Songs Collide, 8 Become 1 and of course, THIS:

Have fun counting the songs.
How many did you get? ;)
ANSWER: 1. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
2. Michael Jackson - Bad
3. Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal
4. Michael Jackson - Black Or White
5. Michael Jackson - Thriller
6. Michael Jackson - HIStory
7. Michael Jackson - Dangerous
8. Britney Spears - Gimme More
9. Nelly Furtado - Say It Right
10. Justin Timberlake - Lovestoned
11. Outkast - Ms. Jackson
12. Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
13. Timbaland feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake - Give It To Me

MOAR POSTS (left from ytd)

2009-10-30T22:41:00.001+08:00

Have you got it? ;3

“Who was the first guy that look at a cow and said,” I think that I’ll drink whatever comes out of those things when I squeeze them?”
— Calvin & Hobbes

Well, that explains Calvin's permanent height at least.
Why do people hate milk I wonder? o wo;;

“I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart so long. If we’re in each others dreams, we can be together all the time.”
— Hobbes (Calvin and Hobbes)

It's only fair Hobbes gets a say too.

“If Cain and Abel were Adam and Eve’s only children, how did they make more babies?
— Todd Flanders

I'm so going to get locked out of Heaven - w-;;

2009-10-28T18:29:00.006+08:00

I love it when the radio does that.
It makes switching it on and calibrating it all over from scratch so totally worth it.
Via 1000 Awesome Things.

Also,

CHACE CRAWFORD! >DDDD
Did you know, that he was so desirable, two articles on Why They're Hot was written?
I mean, freaking Leonardo DiCaprio and Hugh Jackman only ever had ONE!

JARED LETO.
Singer of 30Seconds To Mars (rock band)
and also actor. Why hello blue eyes.

Tom Felton is last, even though I seriously like him best so far.
If I discount Chace Crawford.
DRACOMALFOYWITHABRITISHACCENTALERTALERT.
Says it all.
Also: Luke Worrall looks like he's from the same class.

2009-10-25T23:10:00.000+08:00

" There’a a thin line between crazy people and the rest of us. I mean, we all have voices in our heads. Our parents are in there, our doubts, our fears, our desires. And just like crazy people we all struggle to know which voice to listen to.
— Dead Like Me

2009-10-25T23:01:00.003+08:00

I wanted to forget him, yet it seemed I thought of him always. It was as if empty nights were made for thinking of him. And sometimes I found myself so vividly aware of him it was as if he had only just left the room and the ring of his voice was still there. And somehow there was a disturbing comfort in that, and, despite myself, I'd envision his face -- not as it had been the last night in the fire, but on other nights, that last evening he spent with us at home, his hand playing idly with the keys of the spinet, his head tilted to one side. A sickness rose in me more wretched than anguish when I saw what my dreams were doing. I wanted him alive!

-Louis, Interview With A Vampire

PFT.
一定有不寻常的关系

doodleeezzzz

2009-10-25T21:07:00.002+08:00

Mhmm, Claudia from Interview With A Vampire.
Except of course, the picture was nicer when it was in my head.

I liked how they describe her, in a lavender dress, golden curls and all.
I forgot what colour her eyes were supposed to be, so I shimmied and did them in indigo.
I shaded most of it in indigo too anyway.

Yes, her skin was supposed to be pure ivory and like marble.
I failed. So?

2009-10-25T02:00:00.000+08:00

“ What defines a best friend? What are the requirements to be a good best friend? How many hours a week does it entail? Stupid questions that have no answers. A best friend is not defined by how many times they talk on the phone, or how many hours they hang out together. It is not defined by how many sleepovers they gossip at, or how many inside jokes they have. There are no requirements or laws that state that a good best friend must hang out with them every weekend, or tell each other every little detail. A best friend is a matter of opinion. It is the person who has been there for you through everything, not just through the fun things, or the little things. It is the person that you call when you are at your absolute worst, it is the person who saves you when you didn’t even notice that you needed saving, mostly it is the person who accepts you for who you are, and the person that you are becoming.
-unknown

via creampuff

(: You will know when someone matters.

2009-10-25T01:44:00.000+08:00

“ If ever there is a tomorrow when we’re not together, there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart, I’ll always be with you.
— Winnie the Pooh

Oh, Winnie (:
I can't believe I ever preferred Tigger over you <3

2009-10-24T23:57:00.002+08:00

I have too many things to tell her.

Don't be afraid to be genuinely friendly

People are generally nice. Even boys.

doodleeezzzz

2009-10-21T18:48:00.003+08:00

If people made the kind of clothes I drew, they'd need the following:

A) loads of cloth
B) loads of tulle
C) loads of time
D) loads of wiring
E) lack of gravity

Suga Shikao

2009-10-20T20:55:00.003+08:00

I know I'm a sucker for a lot of Japanese artistes (especially the male ones hur hurr) and so is it any surprise I decided I'm a fan of another one?

I've been listening to Suga Shikao since I watched xxxHOLiC with kor last year on the computer together. He's been singing most of the music I like in the series (two of them actually, 19sai which was the opening, and Sanagi which was the ending to the movie) and now that the series has got two more seasons, I ended up listening to more of him since he sung the songs there too.

The new songs are namely Sofa which is the opening to xxxHOLiC: Shunmuki, and Nobody Knows which is part of xxxHOLiC: Kei.

did I note that I don't like his voice in the happy songs?
Yeah, he sounds better when he sings the moody broody songs.

I didn't realise his music went under 'funk' genre until like yesterday D:

Sofa
Suga Shikao

Translated lyrics:
The windowless workshop at the other side of the street
Makes a noise that has nothing to do with the seasons
I thought it was natural
To always hear that noise, wherever I was
That's what I used to believe

My baby, you're not here tonight, you'd normally be on the sofa
Baby, you're not in this room which expects to receive someone

The clouds steal even the moonlight from me
The half-lit lights of the vending machine
Are the only things that burn my eyelids
Like a phosphorescent insect...
When I try to save them in my memory, they disappear

My baby, night has once again arrived at my room, which means
Baby, that a night of the same color must have arrived at you too, though it's a different one

From my window I see five lanterns on the street
From one moment to another they turned off
Maybe they lit at least a single light in the sadness you carried with you

My baby, I turned around, and had the impression you were there
Baby, the corn flakes and soup that you like have spilled

My baby, you're not here tonight, you'd normally be on the sofa
Baby, you better come downstairs, your soap opera is about to start

BTW

2009-10-20T18:43:00.003+08:00

No, not dead yet.

I spent the past two days doing coding, for a new blog layout.
I quite like the end result, but I like my current skin better.
I'll just leave it lying around until I want to change then.

It's really white and plain though, I suppose, and I totally ripped the icons code from this layout. Though I bothered to read up on java just to get it to work properly. Hopefully, I'll find some magical way to stop it from repeating.

The theme?
And then she fell

It's a bit kooky, but I made the image, then decided to use it as the skin.
But it turned out okay in the end, so I shouldn't complain so much.

Here's a preview:

Here's the actual thing

No, I'm not gonna move there.

Operation Beautiful

2009-10-18T01:10:00.000+08:00

“ Be Yourself;
everyone else is already taken.
-Oscar Wilde

And you ask me why I like this kooky man?

160th post + tributes

2009-10-13T19:45:00.008+08:00

Yay 160th post!
It just proves that I can actually stick to something after all.

I had a mini-epiphany yesterday.
Jiaen and I were talking about Moulin Rouge.
(Thanks to Madonna's classic video)

and I thought:
"I've never done a tribute to Nicole Kidman and the other fantastic idols out there.."
Hence, ta dahhh~

Nicole Kidman
I first decided I quite liked Nicole Kidman when I watched Moulin Rouge. She played the main character, Satine, a gorgeous redhead cabaret lead star. All's cool. (:
That's the costume she wore for her final performance, head dress and all.

Advert for Chanel I think. That No. 5 ain't fooling anybody.

Red hair! (:

Liv Tyler
I betcha you know her. She's the child of Aerosmith's lead singer and Bebe Buell (from the brand Bebe :D ) and she's starred in two of my top favourite shows: Armageddon and The Lord of The Rings.

Advert for Gap this year.

In case you have really forgotten, she played Arwen, the daughter of Elrond and wife of Aragorn.

Yeah, the daughter of the main character. I think her character was named... Grace?

Kate Moss
She's out there, giving the short models a good name. Yes, Kate Moss is a model, and she also has her own line of perfumes if I'm not wrong. She's only 5 feet 6 inches, about 165 or so. Short for a model, but gorgeous anyway.

She was famous for bringing in the "Heroin Chic" look in the 90s.
Not the healthiest fashion trend, but love her anyway.

Here's the runner up list, for the people I wanted to do, but just ran out of time.

Aoki (5 foot 5 inch model.)

Doe Deere (Blogger, Model, Inspiration.)

Raquel Reed (I think you know what I like. Yes, the hair.)

Miss Mosh (Alternative Model.)

Gala Darling (Fashion Blogger.)

Kudos to them all :D
Google them for extra info.

Dressed Up

2009-10-10T00:51:00.002+08:00

when it's late and I can't sleep,
I take my tablet back from kor's table,
and draw girls in weird costumes,
girls with technicolour hair,
girls with white colourless skin,
girls with eyeliner a shocking pink.

Kudos to anybody who can understand wtf I'm drawing.

Social Studies aftermaths

2009-10-09T20:18:00.005+08:00

After the disaster that is Social Studies, I go online and go mad.
Not responsible for slow-loading computers btw.

Now we know indeed :D
see also: Fashion - a guy thing, or a gay thing?
Damned, I should have printed this feature article when Almie asked us to.

Cutting up currency? Oh no, it's illegal, but there are people who do it in the name of art. One of them is Scott Campbell. Click on his name to see the full collection of his exhibition.

PLACE YOUR BETS NOW!
OOPS BETTING END.

Maybe you shouldn't stop your kids from drawing on walls. Artistic expression is important, no matter what the hell I said in that speech I wrote. Especially when you can draw that kind of gorgeousness. The artist is called Charlotte Mann. Again, the webpage will load slow, but click on her name to see more awesomeness.
see also: Sharpies.

When people have figured out a way to make normal documentary into a soundtrack, you know the world might be better than you think. Said documentry is called Cosmos, from the 1960s or so, feat Stephen Hawkings, me and my dad's hero even when I was so young I didn't know what evaporation was.

Cheers to the guys who allowed us to realise how tiny we are.
'specially to you Mr. Hawkings, even if I, being a naive fool, don't get your theories.

Sing along? :D
If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. Space is filled with a network of wormholes. You might emerge somewhere else in space, some when-else in time. The sky calls to us. If we do not destroy ourselves, we will one day venture to the stars. A still more glorious dawn awaits. Not a sunrise, but a galaxy rise. A morning filled with 400 billion suns, the rising of the milky way. The Cosmos is full beyond measure of elegant truths, of exquisite interrelationships, of the awesome machinery of nature. I believe our future depends powerfully on how well we understand this cosmos, in which we float like a mote of dust in the morning sky. But the brain does much more than just recollect — it inter-compares, it synthesizes, it analyses, it generates abstractions. The simplest thought, like the concept of the number one, has an elaborate logical underpinning. The brain has it’s own language for testing the structure & consistency of the world. For thousands of years, people have wondered about the universe. Did it stretch out forever, or was there a limit? From the big bang to black holes, from dark matter to a possible big crunch, our image of the universe today is full of strange sounding ideas. How lucky we are to live in this time, the first moment in human history, when we are in fact visiting other worlds. The surface of the earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. Recently we’ve waded a little way out, and the water seems inviting.

2009-10-06T14:48:00.002+08:00

I wish there really were words for everything.
Then at least, it wouldn't be so hard to convey messages.
And everybody would say the right things, for the right occasion, for the right time.

Everybody would sound sincere.
For the better or for the worse.

Notice

2009-10-04T15:30:00.001+08:00

When you come back home from a day away at Malaysia, and you notice that your brother now looks uncannily like Robert Pattinson, you need some serious sleep, and he needs to seriously comb and shave.

SERIOUSLY KOR, that beard-in-training looks like fungal growth ><;;

Anywho, Malacca trip was quite eventful.
Made friends with the new cat that decided to live in Yeye's dog-populated house.
After I scratched its neck, it decided I would be good to have around in case of itchy necks.

Letters

2009-09-27T01:33:00.003+08:00

I consulted with my grandfather about your concerns regarding romantic bones in my body. He assures me that he has never had a romantic bone in his body. To the best of his recollection, neither his father nor his grandfather had one, either. Thus, there have been four generations of Tezukas before me with no romantic bones. As such, it is genetically highly unlikely that I have one.

That’s why I need you.

Tezuka

I love this letter so much.
It's absolutely idiotic, but so cute.
I found it in a Prince of Tennis fanfic.
Nevermind the fact that I do not know who the heck Tezuka is.

Even though we both don't know who the hell the characters are,
Siao Meng, you should totally go read it because it is totally dumb.
In a way that won't kill brain cells, I promise.

Also, please do not ask me what am I doing up at nearly 2 am in the morning.

2009-09-26T16:12:00.002+08:00

So sue me if I've gone to borrow a whole stack of books ( two vampire novels, one gritty surrealist novel) instead of studying dilligently like a good triple science student.

But come on, Anne Rice is writing about Armand!
I always wanted to know why he went to join those religiously psycho vampires in their covens.
And I also wanted to know how the hell he managed to return to normal afterwards.
Marius was delightfully vague in that.
In Blood and Gold, Armand/Amadeo (I actually like the name Amadeo, it sounds so foreign) was suddenly back with Marius and Pandora, and they never stated why. It's like another taken for granted thing.

It was terrible to read through the beginning chapters of Armand's life.
Mainly cause he's only fifteen, and childish.
or maybe cause he's having sex everywhere

Either way, it's been nice so far though.

And Hetalia has a new episode.
Once I'm done here, I'll go watch it.

Hero still has no updates.
I wonder what is it with the really good web comics that leads to them having updates that come in what feels like once in a millennia.
If you don't know what Hero is, you have been deprived of the best web comic ever.
And I'm not particularly kidding either.
Here's a link for you to follow if you're interested.
It's not like most web comics either,
it has a more complex plot in there than the norm,
and it's a lot more thoughtful and musing than the usual.
It's less plot, and more think.
Highly unsuitable for people with an attention-span like mine,
but I like the things that they say and think about,
and I still like to read it through anyway.
It is only 232 pages at last count, and the art is pretty good.

I need to resume reading now.
I want to start on Murakami by tomorrow.

monologues

2009-09-23T18:05:00.001+08:00

I can't remember the last time I typed anything for fun.
As in, for the sake of writing out what's in my head.

I think a lot, really I do.
Just not about what I'm supposed to do.

What I think about is something along the lines of
characters
stories
plots
people who don't matter
philosophical stuff like
whether a tree makes a sound when it falls when nobody hears it

things like that.
it's quite boring to be me really.
everybody thinks you're kinda weird
and you never really are able to accept yourself
and love yourself for who you are,
whatever the hell that you are.
I should have written me.

but no, i shall resist.
how am i ever going to face up to truth if i don't stop editing myself out?
i should start now.

but i've already begun censoring my words.
what a shame that is.