Verbatim et literatim

Inside my mind

2010-09-06T20:03:00.002-04:00

Inside my mind

I had a dream two nights ago that I and unspecified friends went to a charity dinner of some kind attended by musicians. It was by invitation only and I got us invitations but at the door they asked for a donation of at least $500 and I was like uhhh, no? So they said just go in anyway since if you just give us $20 it won't make any difference. And then for some reason amongst the things I was carrying with me I was carrying a ziploc bag of loose tea leaves and the donation lady was like what's that? And I was like it's not what it looks like, so she let us in.

And then we were inside and we were trying to decide where to sit when Raine Maida spotted us and smiled and waved us over to sit at his table. Chantal Kreviazuk was there too, and they were both really nice and signed some stuff we’d brought with us (suddenly we had OLP stuff with us). I don't remember if anything happened after that but I remember just being very excited to be hanging out with them.

So that's that. This dream was much more linear than other dreams I've had in the past. I only remember dreams that I have in the mornings when I'm partially awake, and given the linearity of this particular one, I must have been more awake than asleep. Anyway, it isn't all that interesting, but I'd written this up so I figured I may as well post it. Sorry for the boring that is my brain. :)

...And ordered fifteen ridiculous drinks!

2010-07-16T01:32:00.006-04:00

...And ordered fifteen ridiculous drinks!

Well, more than fifteen, actually, assuming they had one drink per question. :D

The characters on the Fifteen Characters meme are as follows. I tried to choose characters I feel like I know fairly well, so that I'd know how to answer the questions :):

1. Buffy Summers – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Malcolm Reynolds – Firefly/Serenity
3. The (Tenth) Doctor – Doctor Who
4. Captain Jack Sparrow – Pirates of the Caribbean
5. Dr. Horrible – Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
6. Veronica Mars – Veronica Mars
7. Jordan Catalano – My So-Called Life
8. Aragorn – Lord of the Rings
9. Sweeney Todd – Sweeney Todd
10. Max Guevara (X5-452) – Dark Angel
11. Walter Bishop – Fringe
12. The Dread Pirate Roberts, a.k.a Westley – The Princess Bride
13. Legolas – Lord of the Rings
14. Sirius Black – Harry Potter
15. Peter Klaven – I Love You, Man

From LJ user spacecowboy310:

Which character will go out for breakfast with Ten (Max Guevara), and once Ten leaves for the bathroom this character will sneakily eat off Ten's plate of food without asking?

Walter would be on a plane to Seattle with Peter one day and suddenly find that they’ve landed in an alternate version of Seattle that is post-apocalyptic (terrorists detonated an electromagnetic pulse weapon that took out most of the computer and communication systems in the US), and it’s the middle of the night. There they run into Max, who at first wants nothing to do with Water and Peter since she’s got enough of her own stuff to deal with. But after Walter figures out that she’s genetically enhanced (he’s conducted similar experiments in the past that were less successful) and tells Max he can help her, she’s willing to hear him out. By then it’s morning so they go for food. When Max gets up from the table, Walter can’t help sampling the post-Pulse bread that’s on her plate, because he’s never seen it before. Walter tells Peter the bread’s better than it looks, and could Peter please track down a coffee yogurt for him somewhere? It would go perfectly with it, and coffee yogurt is his favourite.

Which character would you beat easily in a verbal fight and a physical fight? And how would you defeat them?

Verbal fight – Jordan Catalano. Dude, have you SEEN this guy try to express himself verbally to people he cares about? Occasionally, he’s accidentally brilliant and says something insightful, but these instances are rare and far outweighed by things he says that, er, aren’t so insightful.

Physical fight – Peter Klaven. The guy has never punched anyone before, and when the urge struck him, he panicked and slapped the guy in the face instead. I think I could take him.

Six (Veronica Mars) and Two (Malcolm Reynolds) are dancing. Three (The Doctor) wants to cut in and dance with Two (Malcolm Reynolds), how will six (Veronica Mars) react?

First of all: ahahahaha. Second of all: In the event that Mal and The Doctor are both slightly drunk, Veronica would go and get her camera and discreetly take some photos in case at some later time she could use these photos as leverage for something she needs Mal or The Doctor to do...or perhaps for some free space transport, just for kicks. Actually, Veronica would eventually get bored of trying to get compromising photos, since apparently all The Doctor wanted to do was discuss Mal’s ship Serenity and find out what gadgets and features it has.

One (Buffy Summers), Ten (Max Guevara), Fifteen (Peter Klaven), and Eight (Aragorn) are playing scrabble. Who do you think is going to win? Who is going to try to cheat?

Hmm...well, Aragorn wouldn’t win, because he’d keep trying to put down words like "uruk-hai" and "nazgul" and the others would keep challenging him to find the words in the Oxford English Dictionary. Buffy would do okay but wouldn’t be in the lead, and eventually would just get bored. Max would try to use her enhanced vision to try to read words off a computer from across the room and to try to see the other players’ tiles, but she’d get bored eventually too. Peter Klaven, dork extraordinaire, would win the game and thoroughly enjoy playing it.

From LJ user kyasuriin:

5 (Dr. Horrible) and 12 (The Dread Pirate Roberts) get a pet - what do they get?

The Dread Pirate Roberts feels badly about that ROUS he had to kill in the Fire Swamp that one time, so he suggests adopting a baby ROUS and taking care of it to make up for the past. Failing this, he wouldn’t mind having a pet horse, so he doesn’t have to run around everywhere by foot all the time.

Dr. Horrible states that he wants a pet that’s evil – and therefore he wants doves, since they look innocent but can be trained (by him) to perform evil. He also thinks it’d be cool having them go on recon missions and reporting back to him (using a bird translation device he is attempting to develop). Roberts gives Horrible a look of incomprehension throughout his explanation, and after a long pause, gives his okay.

In the end, they end up getting both the doves and the horse, which Horrible was happy to agree to since he hoped that by having a pet horse, he could gain more insight into the mind of his hero and boss, Bad Horse.

tell me how 1 (Buffy Summers) and 4 (Captain Jack Sparrow) meet

A spell gone wrong sends Buffy back in time to the 18th Century Caribbean, in Port Royal. While she’s there, she manages to "borrow" some clothing from a clothes line, all the while wishing she still had that dress from Halloween a few years back. She watches from a corner as some guy in a bad white wig gets presented with a sword and promoted to Commodity, or something. Maybe it was...Commodus? Commodore? Whatever. Later on as she’s sitting around near the edge of a rock cliff, trying to figure out what to do next, she sees a woman fall over the edge and into the water below. Her rescuer instincts kick in, but when she gets down there and immediately dives into the water, she belatedly sees that some guy with long dreadlocks has already saved the woman. She swims over to the dock, where the man is leading the unconscious woman, and gets out next to him. He turns to look at her and, after giving her a thorough look-over, smiles broadly and says, "Well hello there, lovely. I’m Captain Jack Sparrow. And what be yer name?" Buffy grimaces at his breath and the fact that he appears (a) to be a pirate and (b) to have gold teeth, but is drawn to his jaunty mood anyway and smiles back, chuckling at the absurdity of it all, and says her name is Buffy. Jack seems intrigued by her unusual name and lack of ladylike decorum, and is even fonder of her when she later busts him out of jail without breaking a sweat.

8 (Aragorn) and 15 (Peter Klaven) are a crime-fighting duo - who's the leader and who's the sidekick? What about their powers&costumes?

LOL. Okay, so Aragorn is definitely the leader, and Peter Klaven is definitely the sidekick. Aragorn, clearly being in the wrong century (and the wrong Earth, really) isn’t so good with the research side of things, but can be relied on at a flash for action and strategy. Meanwhile, Peter is able to Google for information, and always has his best friend Sydney available in case Aragorn and Peter need backup. Peter, being nerdy, is familiar with Aragorn from the Middle-earth stories, and insists that Aragorn just wear his usual Ranger wear because he just looks sooo cool in them. Meanwhile, Peter makes himself a button to wear on his shirt that says "Peter Klaven: Fighting crime all the time!", which he hides under his suit jacket when he’s working, in order to preserve his "secret identity".

11 (Walter Bishop) is stuck on a camping trip with 9 (Sweeney Todd) - are they thrilled or disappointed?

Er, well Mr. Todd is disappointed because this man Bishop doesn’t talk sense, and this is cutting into his time to plan his scheme to kill the Judge. Meanwhile, Walter is disappointed that Mr. Todd isn’t big on conversation, but is thrilled to be out in the wilderness, where there are various fascinating flora and fauna to investigate.

From LJ user perfumaniac:

Would six (Veronica Mars) and seven (Jordan Catalano) make a cute couple?

Most definitely. And the height different would be less than it was with Veronica and Logan, too! Not sure how long they’d actually last as a couple, though, given that they don’t seem to have much in common, and Veronica keeps trying to probe into aspects of Jordan’s life that he doesn’t want to talk about. Plus, they both still seem hung up on their respective exes. But yes, visually they are the cutest couple.

Has five (Dr. Horrible) ever seen nine (Sweeney Todd) naked?

I would have to say no, since Dr. Horrible is currently still alive. My guess would be that if someone were to accidentally teleport himself into Sweeney Todd’s bathroom, he wouldn’t live to tell the tale. Unless said hypothetical evil genius was able to teleport himself back out in time, of course. ...Well, the button malfunctioned first and there was some running away that had to be done first, but still.

Can twelve (The Dread Pirate Roberts) and eight (Aragorn) ever be best friends?

For sure. Both are used to living off the land for long periods of time and are expert trackers and swordsmen. They are also both heroic and both just trying to right things so that they can get back to their respective true loves, Buttercup and Arwen. Westley could tell Aragorn about Florin and his life as a pirate and Aragorn could tell Westley about Gondor and Rivendell, and all in all they’d have a lot to bond over.

From LJ user strophie:

Thirteen (Legolas) is babysitting child!Eleven (Walter Bishop), Three (The Doctor), and Six (Veronica Mars) for the day. Which one drives Thirteen (Legolas) the most bonkers? Which one is the sweetest? Which one convinces Thirteen (Legolas) to feed them ice cream before dinner?

Young Walter and The Doctor collectively drive Legolas the most bonkers, with their endless questions and scientific experiments that don’t always turn out perfectly. Though, if he’s honest, Walter and the Doctor remind Legolas of his old friends Merry and Pippin, so he doesn’t really mind so much. Veronica would ask fewer questions but would try to figure things out on her own, all while holding a giant magnifying glass in her left hand and an investigator’s notebook with invisible ink pen in her right. Legolas would often sense her trying to sneak up on him undetected, and he’d smile and pretend not to notice her. Veronica’s a bit standoffish though and doesn’t like people getting to close. On the other hand, Walter is of course the sweetest and, though he occasionally makes statements that are far too blunt, always means well.

The Doctor would try to use a sonic screwdriver on Legolas’s prized bow, but because he’s not quite sure how to work it yet, he accidentally causes the bowstring to snap. Legolas is angered until they realize that the bow, when used, no longer ever misses its target, even if it’s around the corner or behind the archer who shot the arrow. Legolas is so pleased that when The Doctor suggests ice cream before dinner, Legolas readily agrees.

Two (Malcolm Reynolds) and Three (The Doctor) arrive in chemistry class to find out that they are to be lab partners for the term. Are they happy about that? Nervous? Annoyed? Which one does all the work? Which one blows up the lab?

They are both very happy. Upon meeting Mal, The Doctor cheerfully introduces himself and shakes Mal’s hand, all the while talking up a storm, wondering what experiments they’ll be conducting, and that if he could only hide the TARDIS in the lab, they’d get everything analyzed much more quickly, and other random nonsense that Mal has trouble following. What Mal gathers, though, is that (a) The Doctor is some sort of scientific genius and (b) this TARDIS is some sort of a ship, so as far as Mal’s concerned, if the Doc wants to take lead on the lab work, that’s fine by him. The Doctor seems pleased enough to have Mal’s company and appreciates the witty rejoinders and comments. When Mal tells him that he’s a Captain, The Doctor’s eyes light up. "Oh, a captain! I know this other captain, goes by the name of Captain Jack Harkness..." And he’s off again, telling another story, as Mal listens and chuckles good-naturedly.

Five (Dr. Horrible) is running very late for an international flight, and is trying to sweet-talk One (Buffy Summers), Twelve (The Dread Pirate Roberts), and Fourteen (Sirius Black) into letting him/her jump the check-in queue. How well does that go? Who lets Five in with a smile? Who lets Five in, but feels really stepped-on and put-out by it? Who just refuses to move? Four (Captain Jack Sparrow) is the agent at the counter -- how does he/she react?

Westley, ever the polite pirate gentleman, would likely step aside and let Horrible go ahead of him. Buffy would be running late too, so she’d be reluctant to let him jump the line, but then he continues to flail and explain how there are very important things that he needs to be on time for or Penny might really fall for Captain Hammer. "Funny," Buffy says, narrowing her eyes at Horrible’s photo of Captain Hammer. "He looks a lot like this evil priest I met once. You know what? Go right ahead."

And Sirius Black readily gives up his spot with a charming smile, since he’s only there because he’s curious about how Muggles travel. He can, of course, just Apparate to wherever he needs to be, and at any rate he doesn’t have one of those passport things.

Part of the reason the lineup is so long, it turns out, is because Captain Jack Sparrow is handling the counter and he’s chatting up all of the attractive customers. When it’s Horrible’s turn at the counter, Jack looks around and sees airport security coming – apparently Jack isn’t the real ticket agent; he just knocked out the agent and took his place. When Dr. Horrible turns to look at the security officers and then turns back, he realizes that his boarding pass and passport are gone and Jack was currently jumping over a partition and running towards the gates.

Ten (Max Guevara) is a barista. Twelve (The Dread Pirate Roberts) is a regular customer. How do they interact? Are they friends? Do they make small-talk? Do they just sort of study each other? Does Ten know Twelve's drink, or is Twelve full of surprises?

Westley’s been coming into the coffee shop for a little while, and every time he comes in he greets Max with a nod and a smile, and when Max asks what drink he wants he tells her to surprise him. And every time just before her leaves, he comes back to the counter and gives her his guess as to what the drink was...and he’s always right.

Max has been watching Westley when he’s there. He’s always there at the same time as three other men who sit together at another table, who are fairly noticeable given that one’s a giant, one’s got a scabbard, and the other periodically gestures and shouts angrily at the others. The coffee shop is usually pretty busy, so they don’t notice Westley, who always situates himself at a table in the back corner and just sits quietly, watching. Max wonders what it’s all about but is too busy serving coffee to find out anything. She mutters under her breath to herself that Logan had better appreciate how hard she’s working on this undercover job for that case he’s working on.

What is Nine (Sweeney Todd)'s favourite soft drink?

Orange Fanta. For some reason he really likes the stuff. Couldn’t tell you why.

Under what circumstances would Seven (Jordan Catalano) and Eight (Aragorn) go out on a date?

Under very unusual circumstances, I tell you what. I can think of almost no instance where this would happen. Well, maybe if...no, no circumstances whatsoever.

From LJ user aldehyde:

Would 4 (Captain Jack Sparrow) and 8 (Aragorn) like to go swimming?

Captain Jack probably wouldn’t mind a nice dip in the water, being a pirate and used to being off land most of the time. Aragorn, having grown up in Rivendell and subsequently living off the land as a Ranger for several years, surely also appreciates the water for a refreshing swim on occasion, and less frequently than that, for a bath.

Does 11 (Walter Bishop) enjoy eating candy and chocolates?

Yes, he sure does! Walter loves his sweets, and pudding pops and cotton candy are amongst his favourite foods. He also enjoys various desserts and I would be rather shocked to learn of a dislike for chocolate.

Have 1 (Buffy Summers), 3 (The Doctor), 9 (Sweeney Todd) and 14 (Sirius Black) ever been married?

No (except in one of Angel’s dreams one time), Yes, Yes, and No. The first three marriages ended tragically in one way or another (including the dream one), and Sirius never really had a chance in the first place. :(

Would 7 (Jordan Catalano) watch "adult" material on the computer?

I don’t think he’d mind, honestly, but I’m not actually convinced he’d know how to. Plus, he’s always busy with something, whether it’s his band or avoiding school or looking for Tino. I doubt he’d have the time.

If 2 (Malcolm Reynolds), 6 (Veronica Mars) and 13 (Legolas) went shopping, would they buy many cheap items, or splurge their money on one thing from a well-known brand?

They all seem more like the splurge on big items types, but if they were all going to agree on one big thing I don’t know what they’d get. Mal would be shopping for upgrades for Serenity, Veronica would want new camera equipment, and Legolas would be over in the House of Knives.

Would 5 (Dr. Horrible) ever consider joining the circus?

I think he’d consider it, since he could use the circus as a platform to demonstrate his inventions to an audience (we know he likes an audience, since he’s got a video blog) and since maybe he could get a free ticket for Penny. But no, in the end he’d decide against it because all he really wants is to join the Evil League of Evil, and the circus wouldn’t really help with that goal.

Do 10 (Max Guevara) and 15 (Peter Klaven) know how to operate a motor-vehicle?

Yup, Max drives her prized Kawasaki Ninja 650 motorcycle everywhere for her job as a courier (as well as for certain other uses, like fleeing the Sector cops and rescue missions) and Peter can drive a car. He’s also able to ride on the back of a Vespa LXV with a friend of his.

Does 12 (The Dread Pirate Roberts) have any siblings? If so, do they get along?

Pretty sure Westley has no siblings, but if he did, I think it’d be a much younger brother, with whom he would get along very well and to whom Westley would send letters all the time, telling him of his adventures.

From LJ user fera_festiva:

Who would win in a fight between eight (Aragorn) and fifteen (Peter Klaven)?

DEFINITELY ARAGORN. If you need a reason why this is the case, go and watch Aragorn fight Uruk-Hai in Fellowship of the Ring. And then watch Peter Klaven make a phone call in ILYM.

If two (Malcolm Reynolds), nine (Sweeney Todd), six (Veronica Mars), and fourteen (Sirius Black) were stuck on a desert island with no food, who would be eaten first?

Poor Veronica would probably be eaten first, I’m sad to say. Although she’s a smart girl, I don’t know if desert island survival skills are necessarily her forte, you know? I mean, hook her up with a nice camera or a laptop and she can work metaphoric magic, but... then again, she is a resourceful lass. And also inscrutable.

And at least Mal and Sweeney Todd might be able to hunt for food or something.

Mr. Todd doesn’t strike me as a desert island kinda guy either, but...he’s Sweeney friggin’ Todd. He’s kind of a murderer and things. If anyone even tried to get near him, his blades would go slicing, all while he sings a song.

(Sirius would be completely fine, since I feel that the ability to (a) do actual magic and (b) change into a dog kinda give one the edge. That aguamenti spell would probably come in handy, eh?)

Fifteen characters walked into a bar...

2010-07-13T22:05:00.002-04:00

Fifteen characters walked into a bar...

Just participated in this meme on Kyasuriin's LJ from a question-asking capacity, so here I go, trying this from the other side of things. :D

1) Make a list of fifteen characters first, and keep it to yourself for the moment. (That way you're not leading the questions asked to fit the characters.)

2) Ask your flist to post questions in the comments.

For example:
'One, Nine, Fifteen and Three are chosen by a prophecy to save the world from Four. Do they succeed?'
'Under what circumstances might Five and Seven fall in love?'
'Which character on the list would you most want on your side in a zombie invasion?'

3) After your flist has asked enough questions, round them up and answer them using the characters you selected beforehand, then post them.

(Feel free to ask more than one question at a time!)

Because maybe you didn't know that...

2010-06-27T21:30:00.003-04:00

Because maybe you didn't know that...

Stolen from LJ user kyasuriin.

If it's in bold, then it's true.

I am shorter than 5'4.
I think I'm ugly sometimes.
I have many scars.
I tan easily.
I wish my hair were a different color.
I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color.
I have a tattoo.
I am self-conscious about my appearance.
I have/I've had braces.
I wear/wore glasses.
I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost, and scar-free.
I've been told I'm attractive by a complete stranger.
I have more than 2 piercings.
I have piercings in places besides my ears.
I have freckles.

Family Home/Life

I've sworn at my parents.
I've run away from home.
I've been kicked out of the house.
My biological parents are together.
I have a sibling less than one year old.
I want to have kids someday. (well, maybe. I dunno. It's so very, very hypothetical at this point that I don't really think about that)
I've had children.
I've lost a child.

School/Work

I'm in school.
I've fallen asleep at work/school.
I almost always do my homework.
I've missed a week or more of school.
I've been on the Honor Roll within the last 2 years.
I failed more than 1 class last year.
I have a job.
I've had a job for at least 2 years.
I've stolen something from my job.

Embarrassment

I've slipped out an "lol" in a spoken conversation.
Disney movies still make me cry.
I've snorted while laughing.
I've laughed so hard I've cried. (I've also cried so hard that I've laughed.)
I've glued my hand to something.
I've laughed till some kind of beverage came out of my nose.

Health

I was born with a disease/impairment.
I've gotten stitches. (Well, in my mouth anyway.)
I've broken a bone.
I've have my tonsils removed.
I've sat in a doctor's office with a friend.
I've had my wisdom teeth removed.
I've had serious surgery.
I've had chicken pox.

Traveling

I've been on a plane.
I've been to the UK.
I've been to Spain.
I've been to France.
I've been to Russia.
I've been to Finland.
I've been to Asia.
I've been to Africa.

Experiences

I've seen a shooting star.
I've wished on a shooting star.
I've seen a meteor shower.
I've gone out in public in my pajamas.
I've pushed all the buttons on an elevator.
I've kicked a guy where it hurts.
I've played a prank on someone.
I've ridden in a taxi.
I've seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
I've eaten sushi.
I've been snowboarding.

Relationships

I'm single.
I'm in a relationship.
I'm engaged.
I'm married.
I'm currently in the middle of a divorce.
I've gone on a blind date.
I've been the dumpee more than the dumper.
I miss someone right now.
I have a fear of abandonment.
I've gotten divorced.
I've had feelings for someone who didn't have them back.
I've told someone I loved them when I didn't.
I've told someone I didn't love them when I did.
I've kept something from a past relationship.
I have an ex I don't think I'll ever get over.

Sexuality

I've had a crush on someone of the same sex.
I've had a crush on a teacher.
I am a cuddler. (I might be, I really have no way of knowing)
I've been kissed in the rain.
I've made out with my best friend.
I've made out with someone who I wasn't dating.
I've hugged a stranger.
I have kissed a stranger.

Honesty/Crime

I've done something I promised someone else I wouldn't.
I've done something I promised myself I wouldn't.
I've snuck out of my house.
I have lied to my parents about where I am.
I am keeping a secret from the world.
I've cheated while playing a game.
I've cheated on a test.
I've been suspended from school.

Drugs/Alcohol

I regularly drink.
I've passed out from drinking.
I have passed out drunk at least once in the past 6 months.
I've taken painkillers when I didn't need them.
I have cough drops when I'm not sick.
I can't swallow pills.
I can swallow about 5 pills at a time, no problem. (I haven't had much call to try swallowing 5 at a time, but I probably could.)
I have been diagnosed with clinical depression.
I shut others out when I'm depressed.
I take anti-depressants.
I'm anorexic or bulimic.
I've slept an entire day when I didn't need it.
I've hurt myself on purpose.
I'm addicted to self injury.
I've woken up crying.

Death & Suicide

I'm afraid of dying.
I hate funerals.
I've seen someone dying.
Someone close to me has attempted suicide.
Someone close to me has committed suicide.
I've planned my own suicide.
I've attempted suicide.
I've written a eulogy for myself. (No, but I’ve thought about who would get my stuff if I died.)

Materialism

I own over 5 rap hip-hop CDs.
I own an iPod or MP3 player.
I have an unhealthy obsession with anime/manga.
I own multiple designer purses, costing over $100 a piece.
I own something from Gap.
I own something from American Eagle.
I own something from Gucci.
I own something I got on e-Bay.
I own something from Levi's.
I buy more than half my clothes at Wal-Mart.

Hope that was mildly interesting for you. But it probably wasn't. ;P

Book meme

2010-03-17T03:31:00.001-04:00

Book meme

Wherein, as I told aldehyde, my woefully inadequate reading will be exposed.
Also, I'm pretty sure I've done this meme before, since I remember seeing The Chronicles of Narnia inexplicably listed separately from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Haha, such is the life. ;P

Bold = I've read it.
Italics = I've read part of it.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Inferno – Dante
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert => do I get extra points if I partially read it in French?
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Coffee black and egg white...

2010-03-10T12:55:00.002-05:00

Coffee black and egg white...

Took this quiz and got the following result, which actually seems pretty accurate. For those of you who know me - what do you think?

you are mediumturquoise
#48D1CC

Your dominant hues are green and blue. You're smart and you know it, and want to use your power to help people and relate to others. Even though you tend to battle with yourself, you solve other people's conflicts well.

Your saturation level is medium - You're not the most decisive go-getter, but you can get a job done when it's required of you. You probably don't think the world can change for you and don't want to spend too much effort trying to force it.

Your outlook on life is brighter than most people's. You like the idea of influencing things for the better and find hope in situations where others might give up. You're not exactly a bouncy sunshine but things in your world generally look up.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

Where beer does flow and men chunder...

2010-02-06T15:20:00.002-05:00

Where beer does flow and men chunder...

Taken from aldehyde:

What was the #1 song the day you were born? Search the date and then post your #1 song on your LJ - preferably with a Youtube vid if you can find one! (note: look up your #1 song here.)

So from January 19, 1983, I bring you Men At Work's "Down Under". Lol.

Yeah, it's just too bad that just two days ago there was a ruling in Australia stating that this song infringes on the copyright for the Kookaburra song! :-/

Music meme

2010-01-26T01:11:00.002-05:00

Music meme

Taken from aldehyde, specifically from here:

How many songs do you have? 4,431

Put the artists/bands in alphabetical order - list the first 10 bands from the top:
1) 2Pac
2) 3 Doors Down
3) 30 Seconds to Mars
4) 46bliss
5) 54-40
6) 311
7) A. R. Rahman
8) Aaliyah
9) Abdel Wright
10) AC/DC

And from the bottom:
1) Zero 7
2) Zamfir
3) Yoav
4) Yellowcard
5) Yann Tiersen
6) Y Kant Tori Read
7) Xoxo, Panda
8) Wylde Rattz
9) Wolfmother
10) Winter Took His Life (who IS this?)

Do the same with albums - from the top:
1) Abnormally Attracted to Sin - Tori Amos
2) Absolute Garbage - Garbage
3) Absolution - Muse
4) Acoustic Soul - India.Arie
5) Across the Universe - Soundtrack
6) Act 1: Goodbye Friends of the Heavenly Bodies - Neverending White Lights
7) Action Pact - Sloan
8) Adam's Rib - Melanie Doane
9) Adore - Smashing Pumpkins
10) Affirmation - Savage Garden

From the bottom:
1) 8 Mile - Soundtrack
2) 8 Days of Christmas - Destiny's Child
3) 7 - S Club 7
4) 54 - Soundtrack
5) (500) Days of Summer - Soundtrack
6) 5 - Lenny Kravitz
7) 46bliss - 46bliss
8) 30 Seconds to Mars - 30 Seconds to Mars
9) 3:10 to Yuma - Soundtrack
10) 21st Century Breakdown - Green Day

Playlists you have right now and what's in them:
I have about 35 in total right now. Too many for me to bother to list.

So, what are you listening to right now?
Radiohead - Anyone Can Play Guitar

How many songs do you have by this artist?
41

How did you acquire all this music anyways?
CDs I've bought, various friends, torrents, iTunes purchases and mp3 downloads found after scouring the Internet.

What artist do you have the most songs/albums from?
Top Ten: Tori Amos, Barenaked Ladies, Sarah Slean, Our Lady Peace, Lord of the Rings, Rent, Bif Naked, Coldplay, Glee Cast, Death Cab for Cutie

Put it on shuffle, and write the first 5 songs that come up:
1) Keane - Can't Stop Now
2) Kelly Clarkson - The Trouble With Love Is
3) Salma Hayek - Siente Mi Amor
4) Across the Universe - Girl
5) Dashboard Confessional - Vindicated

What is your favorite song out of those?
Well, considering I’m still in love [or at least intense like] with Across the Universe, maybe that one? But if not for my general love for that soundtrack, then it’d probably be Can't Stop Now, followed by Vindicated.

Favorite artist?
Our Lady Peace, Coldplay

Do you like acoustic songs?
Of course!

How many songs you have by each artist listed:
Panic! At the Disco: 1 on this computer, apparently?
Duran Duran: 2
Marilyn Manson: 0
Utada Hikaru: 0
Ashlee Simpson: 1
Fall Out Boy: 1
Bright Eyes: 0
Brand New: 0
The Beatles: 17
Metallica: 1
Mozart: 0
The Rolling Stones: 3
David Bowie: 5
John Mayer: 1
Michael Jackson: 2
Avril Lavigne: 17
AFI: 0
Blink 182: 1
Nsync: 1
Rancid: 0
No Doubt: 17
Eminem: 8
Incubus: 1
Something Corporate: 3
Jack’s Mannequin: 1
Beethoven: 0
Kelly Clarkson: 26
Clay Aiken: 0
A Perfect Circle: 0
The Postal Service: 1
Death Cab for Cutie: 47
Coldplay: 59
Switchfoot: 1
The Killers: 7
The White Stripes: 0
30 Seconds to Mars: 21
Evanescence: 5
Orgy: 0
Sum 41: 3
HIM: 0
Staind: 0
Korn: 0
Red Hot Chili Peppers: 32
Slipknot: 0
My Chemical Romance: 0
Green Day: 6
Our Lady Peace: 89
The Cure: 2
Modest Mouse: 1
The Smashing Pumpkins: 25

Version 9.18

2010-01-12T12:54:00.004-05:00

Version 9.18

At long last, Verbatim has a new header, in tribute to one of my recent new favourites, Doctor Who. Let me know if you're a fan... [of the show OR of my header, lol ;P]

Grr, arrgh

2010-01-11T20:05:00.003-05:00

Grr, arrgh

Right now, I'm not doing anything in relation to what I'd planned to be doing at this time with regards to finding work.

It's like there's a horrible catch-22 at work here: I'm too unmotivated to do anything useful, and then because I haven't done anything useful, I feel guilty and unmotivated. Argh!

I think part of the reason for the lack of motivation in the first place is that I don't love the job I'm trying to get. I just feel like, if I was actually enthusiastic about my line of work, that'd be a bigger motivation, right? But I don't know what else to do since I would like to have a source of income sooner rather than later, and so really my best bet at getting gainful employment is in the field of accounting. Whoop-dee-doo.

Not that I'm not enjoying sitting around like a bum all day and talking to friends online, but really, I think if I stay in this bum state for too long I'll never get out of it, y'know what I mean? I'm a creature of habit, and if I get too used to just sitting around all day, to the point where I consider it normal and acceptable, then it'll be even harder for me to change.

Luckily I've got some friends and family who can provide support or advice [though sometimes wrt my parents, this 'advice' is unsolicited and unhelpful], but in order for this to work at all I have got to get myself out of this damned funk and GET GOING ALREADY. It's nobody's fault but my own.

Sigh. If I were being paid for whatever I'm doing/neglecting to do now, that would be PERFECT. I'm actually kind of enjoying unemployment except for the part where I'm a bum and the part where I have no income other than employment insurance, hahahaha why is this my life.

You know, a GPS navigation device for my life would be really helpful

2009-11-30T00:43:00.003-05:00

You know, a GPS navigation device for my life would be really helpful

Had a bad dream last night, the first in a long while. In the dream, it was very late at night and it was raining, and I decided I needed to go somewhere so I got in my car. When I got into the car, I'd been thinking of going somewhere specific, but because it was so very late and I was so completely exhausted, as I drove along I forgot completely where I was trying to get to. I also eventually realized that I was driving along this road without any headlights on and I was just so tired but eventually I managed to turn them on. Still had no idea where I was going or why I was driving. Took a right turn really badly somehow and ended up on the wrong side of the road in oncoming traffic and of course this resulted in several car crashes and the like. And that was it, the whole dream.

I think my exhaustion in the dream was just a reflection of the fact that I really was exhausted at the time I dreamed it. The other stuff - not knowing where I'm going and why, not having any control over it? Hmm. I did spend a lot of time yesterday thinking about what I want to do with my future, depending how my accounting exam result turns out later this week, but I really don't know what to do at all or what plans to make until I know how that goes. Being a repeat-writer already, I'm actually really dreading the release of the results list.

Anyway I was telling my mom about this dream this morning and I was like I have no idea where that came from, it was weird. And as we were talking I was like, Huh! My head is like, so totally deep thoughts and layers, lol. I mean, who knew my mind enjoyed creating dream metaphors? Haha.

Today was fun; went shopping for a bit with my mom and got a new coat and a scarf. The coat we found at the last minute, when I'd run out of energy to shop and totally didn't want to go into the stores anymore. Good thing my mom's a much better shopper than I am :D

Memeage

2009-10-14T12:10:00.004-04:00

Memeage

Just stopping by to post a couple of memes that have been brought to my attention as of late. :)

( juliet's halloween party )

( what tarot card are you? )

( handwriting meme )

The end of all things (but, you know, much less dramatic and world-savingly important)

2009-06-26T07:07:00.003-04:00

The end of all things (but, you know, much less dramatic and world-savingly important)

Good morning, world.

Today is my last ever day of work at my company - here endeth my first real full-time job, for which I was recruited right out of university. At this point, it just feels weird that I'm gonna go to work today for the last time and then never come back. I'm kinda sad, as I usually am when something ends (particularly when I'm not the one doing the ending), and kinda panicky, since I'm sure I'll forget to do something important before I go. Such is the nature of the worry attack. Egads, I have to give back my work laptop this afternoon, before the IT guys go home...

After that, though - I'm totally heading off tomorrow evening for a week at Disney! Huzzah! Hopefully that'll help clear my mind and provide some fun. The last time I was there my age was in the single digits...hope I find it just as magical now... Gonna go on the Pirates ride since I don't actual remember it from 20 years ago and try not to pass out from the heat. Yay! Hm, still need to get my packing sorted out...

I should stop using so many ellipsises. Ellipses? Yeah, ellipses. I should end my sentences/phrases/whatevers with a definitive full stop. Clearly need to work on that confidence thing and being more decisive. In terms of assertiveness, though, when it comes to driving during rush hour in Toronto, I SWEAR everyone else has gotten more aggressive and it isn't me becoming a less assertive driver. People, I have discovered, are nicer at 9am than they are at 8am. Well, 8:15. I'm usually running late. :)

Radio's been playing Michael Jackson songs since I woke up. Still not sure how I really feel about his death, but mostly I'm sad. RIP.

Blurghrmph

2009-04-29T21:23:00.001-04:00

Blurghrmph

Hi everyone.

I'm exhausted. Just completely. Just got home around 8:30pm (it's a 1h30 commute each way, and, er, that takes into account that I basically consider speed limits as vague suggestions), been lying on the couch since then... I still have some important things to do for work tonight so hopefully I'll be able to do that....

I dunno, it's 9:15 now and I haven't eaten dinner yet mostly because I don't have the energy to get up off this couch. A shower will probably help wake me up a bit, so I guess I'll do that after LOST....

I was going to try to work on things during the show but I just can't. I don't even have time to write this, but screw that. I'm watching the damned show. It's on crack but I still love it.

Anyway, just feeling a bit WAAAAAH! right now, nothing major. Heh. This job is really too stressful -- maybe I should quit at some point. OH WAIT.

Work...or lack thereof

2009-04-15T11:30:00.003-04:00

Work...or lack thereof

I'm at work, and I really don't want to be here -- but I have more reason for that than usual.

Yesterday I was informed that as of June 30, I am being laid-off from my job. Not for performance reasons, which I guess is good, but still...this wasn't the way I was planning to do things, really, especially with the UFE coming up in September (again). I don't think my exam training will be affected, but I'm double-checking that this week...

This is the first full-time job I've ever had, straight out of university, and I have worked my friggin' ass off. And for what? I can't say I haven't gotten anything out of the last 2 1/2 years, but right now it kind of feels like it's all for nothing.

Yeah, most other girls would think clothes would be good retail therapy, right? First place I went after I left the office yesterday around noon? The discount bookstore. Ha, what a nerd. But what, can you blame me? I'm never home in time to go there before it closes, on a normal day. And books (discount books!) do cheer me up. And they should cheer you up too.

Anyway, time to try to get something done, whether it's actual audit work or figuring out more of the details of my situation. Ugh. I really, really do not want to be here, and I'm pretty sure I've got valid reasons this time.

Album Cover Meme

2009-03-02T01:06:00.002-05:00

Album Cover Meme

What would your own album look like if you were in a band? Follow the directions below and find out...

1 - Go to Wikipedia. Hit "random"
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to Quotations Page and select "random quotations"
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to Flickr and click on "explore the last seven days"
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together.

5 - Post it to FB with this text in the "caption" or "comment" and TAG the friends you want to join in.

"The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius." - Oscar Wilde

Awwoooo

2009-02-22T04:17:00.004-05:00

Awwoooo

Hint: Try clicking on, variously, his head, his tail, the moon, and the "more" button!

adopt your own virtual pet!

Baby, it's 3am and I must be lonely...

2009-01-24T07:38:00.007-05:00

Baby, it's 3am and I must be lonely...

Just got home about half an hour ago from driving my parents to the airport - they're taking a trip to Vegas for a few days. Reminded Mom to say hi to the CSI folks while they're down there. :)

I've got some work I basically need to get done today, and I could start now since I'm up early anyway. But I don't know...I could sort of do with at least an hour more sleep, or at least a break from work. I've pretty much been working around the clock for about two weeks straight, weekends included, other than a few breaks for food and/or family time. And I'm tired. So, so tired.

...Although not right now, I'm not. Only because I'm actually awake now, but I'm expecting that to fade in a few minutes or so. I think maybe I'll go read myself back to bed for a bit, wake up again in a little while...

I don't know really what the point of this post was. I just was in a sharey mood, I guess. :) Hope everyone who reads this is well and if it's 7:30 am local time on a Saturday morning where you are too, I hope you're still sleeping.

Oh, and also: Amazon tells me there's a new book called Buffy and Angel Conquer the Internet: Essays on Online Fandom coming soon. Hmm, I wonder why they think something like that would interest me? :D

81st Academy Awards

2009-01-22T09:05:00.003-05:00

81st Academy Awards

Unfortunately, I haven't had very much time to post anything lately, although I've wanted to.

However, thought I could spare a couple minutes to come by and post my customary OMGTHEOSCARNOMSAREOUT entry. :D

Oscar Nominations: CLICK HERE!

Also, I have deemed today Heath Ledger Day since, you know, it's been a year and all. :'(

But yay Oscar noms! And it's my dad's birthday. Man, lots of relatively unimportant but somehow still important things going on today. :)

December 31, 2008

2008-12-31T15:18:00.005-05:00

December 31, 2008

Here we are again: another December 31st, another year ending. In a few short hours from now (well, 8 1/2, for anyone counting), it'll be the year 2009. Man, where has the time gone? I still remember starting first grade back in 1989, for God's sake.

Anyway, as appears to be customary for me, I have entered into an inexplicably depressing mood for the last couple of days -- I've never liked New Year's, because I'm not a fan of change and I don't appreciate the enforced year change...but I don't get it this time, because I'm not feeling so particularly attached to 2008 that I'm sorry to see it go.

Not that the entire year was awful, though. There was a lot of good: trips to Austria and New York, good times with friends, some good times with family [which may or may not have been offset by an equal amount of annoying times with family, but that's the way family is and we gotta love 'em], big changes like moving out on my own... but I don't know. I feel like there were a lot of changes this year and yet somehow nothing's changed. And I'm just feeling blue (da ba dee) [and if you got that reference, you're way too old, much like I am, because that song was out 10 years ago].

I'm sure this mood will pass after the New Year's festivities are over and things go back to relative normality. You know, as far as things are ever considered "normal" around these parts.

Hope you all have a wonderful New Year's -- hopefully I haven't brought anyone's mood down by sharing my thoughts on my own -- and see you all on the flipside!

Happy 2009!

Dream On

2008-12-11T16:20:00.001-05:00

Dream On

Last Thursday night, I had two different dreams as I slept, and in both dreams I'd somehow managed to pass the UFE (the third and final professional accounting exam, for anyone just joining us). Sadly, however, as I discovered on last Friday at noon, this was not meant to be. Again. But next year! By George, this exam is GOING DOWN. [Or it'd better, anyway...]

On the plus side, I didn't do nearly as pitifully as last time, but still...not doing as badly is not, of course, the same as actually passing. I don't have any Gandalfian "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" icons on this computer, but I think one of those would be appropriate here. ;P

The Christmas party on Saturday went well, I think -- no BNL for Susan to squee over this year, but we were suitably entertained and we didn't have to sludge through any snow or get pelleted by little slivers of ice on the way to the subway like we did last year, so win-win!

Speaking of dreams (well, two paragraphs ago, at any rate), I have no recollection now what I dreamt of last night [early this morning, more like] but whatever it was managed to wake me up and also made me cry. Weird. I wish I could remember what it was...

L'anyhoodle, that's it for now...I'm still at work and I've basically finished what I need to do today but I'm not off for another hour, so...time to look busy. :P

Blogthings

2008-12-04T11:42:00.002-05:00

Clearly, I am at a temporary (?) lull in my work day.

Your Spiritual Number is Seven

You bring knowledge and wisdom into people's lives.
You are an expert in many fields, and you give excellent advice.

Right now, your life is about perfecting your skill set.
You are almost a virtuoso at the thing you love best. With some practice, you'll get there.

You are highly intelligent and intellectual. You have profound analytical skills.

But you also have the soul of an artist. You long to create.

What's Your Spiritual Number?

Your Movie Buff Quotient: 72%

You are a total movie buff. Classics, blockbusters, indie favorites... you've seen most of them.
Your friends know to come to you whenever they need a few good DVD rental suggestions.

Are You a Movie Buff?

Zzz.

2008-12-02T11:42:00.002-05:00

Zzz.

So.

This Friday, I will find out (again) whether I passed the accounting exam I took in September (again)...and just like last year, the likelihood I am successful or not is completely a 50/50 split and there is no way to predict one way or another what's going to happen this time. Argh. I suppose it will be good just to get Results Day out of the way (again) so I can concentrate on...

The company Christmas party is this Saturday, and I'm excited b/c my non-date of choice, Susan (strophie), is coming with me. Unfortunately, the Barenaked Ladies are not performing at our party this year, so hopefully she'll still enjoy herself...

I have yet to post anything about my two week business trip to Houston, mostly because I have, as usual, procrastinated about uploading my photos to my computer. I've got to show and tell you all about my hotel tribulations...although probably everyone who actually reads this, I've already voiced my complaints to. Lol.

Er, I think I thought this entry would be more interesting than it turned out being. I'm too tired to be funny, I guess, because I have yet to (procrasinator!) correct my messed-up sleeping habits (eh, maybe I'll do that tomorrow?). Someone yesterday thought my sleep habits were just messed up as a byproduct of my trip to Texas, but ha! No, this is more of a structural fault in the system than just a temporary time change.

To make up for the lack of interesting content, I leave you with photos of the Chocolate Tuxedo Cream^TM Cheesecake I shared with my coworker while at the Cheesecake Factory in Houston... [erm, actually the photo I took on my phone of our actual cake doesn't seem to be on my laptop right now, so I'll add in that photo when I get home. In the meantime, you can have the generic photo from the Cheesecake Factory website ;P]

CHOCOLATE TUXEDO CREAM^TM CHEESECAKE
Layers of our Fudge Cake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Vanilla Mascarpone Mousse and Chocolate

First Line Meme

2008-11-29T14:25:00.002-05:00

First Line Meme

Put your MP3 player on shuffle, and write down the first line of the first twenty songs. Post the poem that results. The first line of the twenty-first is the title.

So this is Christmas

It scares me to speak my mind
You're a little bit shy
When I find myself in times of trouble
You say, "Why does everything revolve around you?"
If you had my love

The lamp is burning low upon my table top
We met at a place where people go to get laid
Science wears a new suit
Well let me tell you, if you're feeling alone
You ain't no little angel no more

Took a trip on a bus that I didn't know
I took a taxi from LA to Venus in 1985
I hear the clock, it's 6am
Can't wait to get home
It's coming on Christmas

It may not be that classy, begging just to eat
She was so young with such innocent eyes
You're not my eater
No more talk of darkness
If I had a million dollars

Bonus points if you can name all 21 songs. :)

( song key )

Colds are no fun

2008-10-25T21:16:00.006-04:00

Colds are no fun

I've spent the majority of this weekend moving my actual Stuff into my new place -- you know, the things I actually use and need to have with me on a day-to-day basis. My computer, for instance, is over there, and I got the internet and TV hooked up today, whee! :D All is right in the world of my new condo now.

I can say "the majority of this weekend" even though it's not even Sunday yet, because I took Friday off from work to deal with all of this stuff. Not working = fun! On the down side, I've caught a cold from my mom and occasionally now have problems breathing. And Mom's kinda started to catch the cold back from me. Heh, oh well...

The parents helped me hang up my mirror and my awesome Serenity Blue Sun travel posters, yay! Now I just have to obtain my Marauder's Map back from Moonal (I got it from FAO Schwarz in NYC but it wouldn't fit in my tiny travel bag) and wait for its display case to get shipped to me. Good stuff. :)

I never posted anything here about my trip to New York over Thanksgiving, mostly because I'm lazy and partly because I've been busy with work. It was great - the main reason Moonal proposed this trip in the first place was to see Equus on Broadway, and we both thoroughly enjoyed the show. I suspect we still would have enjoyed it even in the absence of Dan Radcliffe, but obviously his presence added that extra interest factor. Due to our own mistakes, we failed to go to Liberty Island or to Toys R Us, but we were quite relieved to get to go on the TV/Movie Locations tour, since we were planning to go on Saturday but got to NYC too late for it and nearly missed it on Sunday. Also, Madame Tussaud's wax figure museum? Still awesome. :) I liked it the last time I was in New York (6 years ago) and Leo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp weren't even there then. Sweeet.

Anyway, gotta go do something restful, etc. in hopes that I will feel better tomorrow. Planning to go see Body of Lies, which hopefully is a good movie despite its lack of fire at the box office. As we all know (or should know), of course, not all good movies are box office gold, and not all glittery box office results imply that the related movie is actually good.

EDIT: Oh, I almost forgot to mention - my parents bought me an electronic piano keyboard! They said it's my birthday/Christmas/getting my CA present. Haha. (Will be nice if that CA thing works out this year)... Anyway it's awesome 'cause I was kinda regretful that I couldn't move my piano with me and I mentioned that a keyboard would be a good alternative. Haven't put it all together yet but whee!

The condo, it is warm

2008-10-06T00:47:00.003-04:00

The condo, it is warm

I had my condowarming on Saturday, and I think it went well? I'm a horrible hostess, though -- I was gonna take everyone up to see the 7th-floor terrace and party room, etc., and then I totally forgot. I also forgot about the wine bottle I had and the champagne bottle that one of my friends brought over, and I forgot about the frozen desserts I was supposed to serve. Balls.

Anyway other than my hostly shortcomings, I think everyone had a reasonable time at my new place. :) Today, I had so little energy left over now that it's over and done with and the adrenaline that kept me going over the past week (from the delivery of my furniture up to the condowarming) has dissipated somewhat.

---

Almost everything that can be sorted out for my upcoming weekend trip to NYC with Moonal is sorted out now, which is good since we are leaving on Friday evening. Yay! Hopefully everything will turn out and we'll be able to do the things we're planning to do while we're there (if we have to end up seeing Dan Radcliffe's understudy in Equus instead of him on Saturday night, I think we're going to scream. Lol.)

---

There may have been something else I wanted to post about, but I just looked at my work schedule and it looks like I'm gonna have to travel for 3 consecutive weeks in November. Yay? Man, they like to give senior accountants a substantial amount of work to do, and almost no time in which to do it...

---

Back to work tomorrow. The thought makes me tired. Also, note the abovementioned lack of adrenaline and the fact that it's 1:00 in the morning. :)

Off to greener pastures?

2008-09-26T17:15:00.004-04:00

Off to greener pastures?

So as of yesterday evening, I am officially the owner of my new condo! :D Oh geez, I guess it's all really goin' down now. I'm excited. And a litttle bit nervous.

Tomorrow will be spent waiting for some of my furniture to get delivered from The Bay and IKEA and then putting crap together. Fun fun! It will be interesting finding out how the stuff I bought works together, whether the sizing is right, etc., and making this place less entirely-devoid-of-contents than it is right now. Whee!

As is appropriate considering that last weekend I had a Rings-athon to celebrate the completion of my accounting exam, here is a little quiz:

Quiz: IKEA Product or Lord of the Rings Character?

Faramir
Freden
Grundtal
Boromir
Molger
Galdor
Freda
Agerum
Babord
Frodo
Grima
Akurum
Brunkrissla
Sultan Högbo

:D

( answers under the cut )

Exams, recognition and yay promotions?

2008-09-01T23:40:00.009-04:00

Exams, recognition and yay promotions?

It is now Week 3 of my 4-week exam study plan and the panic is sort of starting to set in (at the disco). I guess it's good that I have a one-on-one meeting first thing tomorrow morning with the guy who knows how this exam works...hopefully he will be helpful and let me know if I'm doing anything wrong... Man, this exam is annoying. Again. Bah!

In more pleasant news, the Harry Potter forum on which I am a co-moderator, The Dark Mark, announced today that I won Staff Member of the Month for August! That completely made my day, gave me the warm fuzzies and all that. :D It's always great hearing that your efforts are appreciated. I don't normally win things like that because usually I either don't have enough time, or I prefer to just keep my involvement at a minimum. But since I became a moderator, I've felt it is my duty to help out when I can, and mostly it's been pretty fun. :D

( click here to read about my extreme awesomeness ;) )
Hopefully I'll still be able to do as well when I start going back to work...

Yeah, that's another thing that's worrying - after the exam is over, we all have to go back to work. And this job - it's like every day is a new job, and every year it gets harder. I'm gonna be a Senior Accountant when I go back, which will definitely be new... More responsibilities, less time to do it in... yeah, I'm not looking forward to that at all.

EDIT (09/02/08): Added the actual text of the post that caused the warm fuzzies. ;)

Acquiring network address

2008-08-25T20:43:00.006-04:00

Acquiring network address

In honor of the fact that I willingly walked to the centre across the street as well as the nearest public library on my quest to get a wireless connection over the weekend, as well as the fact that I am currently sitting in Ten Ren's Tea Time taking advantage of the exciting free wireless, here is the latest xkcd webcomic:

Make sure you check out the image rollover text, too. ;D

http://xkcd.com/466/

Band meme

2008-08-18T22:28:00.003-04:00

Band meme

Moonal (aldehyde) tagged me on this meme, so here goes. :)

- Choose a singer/band/group
- Answer using ONLY titles of songs by that singer/band/group
- Tag 6 more people

Band: Coldplay. Uh, I may have done this before at some point, in which case I probably already used Our Lady Peace. :)

1. Are you male or female?
Marianne.

2. Describe yourself.
Trouble.

3. What do people feel when they're around you?
A rush of blood to the head.

4. How would you describe your previous relationship?
Twisted logic. (Hey, may as well make something up. More fun than writing Not Applicable!)

5. Describe your current relationship.
Life in technicolor. (Likewise, as above :))

6. Where would you want to be now?
Violet Hill. (it's a street in London, apparently, near Abbey Road.)

7. How do you feel about love?
Lost!

8. What's your life like?
Swallowed in the sea.

9. What would you ask for if you had only one wish?
Beautiful world.

10. Say something wise.
Death will never conquer.

Okay, now tagging people...I don't think I actually have 6 people who read this, but... kyasuriin, strophie when she's back from vacation, antheiasilva, elizalavelle, asterisms and maniaconwheels, although I'm fairly certain most of you guys won't respond. That's okay, no worries. :)

Accio HBP!

2008-08-14T21:00:00.005-04:00

Accio HBP!

Noooooo, Harry Potter 6 is being moved to July 17, 2009! Whhhyyyyyyy? Dude, that was one of the only things I had to look forward to between, like, September to next summer. Gaaaaah!

*sighmutterfrownscowl*

-----

So other than that, I had a fairly productive day, I guess. Went to get a haircut -- last time I went was November -- then went to take a new photo for my passport and managed to buy a new black dress that (a) actually fits me and (b) looks decent. So it's all good. I say "managed to buy", by the way, because I am one of the worst, pickiest, uninterested shoppers ever, unless I'm shopping for something completely uninvolving like books or movies or CDs. Basically, I'm just lazy. :) Shoes and bags are growing on me a bit.

-----

I don't like feeling so uncertain all the time about everything. Exams, life, work... it's probably like this for everyone, but I don't know...I just wish I was...more comfortable? I wouldn't say I'm not happy, necessarily, just that it always feels like everything's a bit off from where I'd like it to be.

Keeping up with the Bruces

2008-07-24T08:57:00.007-04:00

Keeping up with the Bruces

Signs that this will be a good day:

I listened to Ben Folds ("The Luckiest"), OLP ("Clumsy [live acoustic]"), and Coldplay ("Fix You") on my mp3 player on the way to work
I think the rain might be letting up a bit

Signs that this will not be a good day:

It's raining
I forgot my computer mouse
It isn't the weekend

I don't know, it's a toss up. Guess we'll have to wait and see...

Also, the sooner I see The Dark Knight, the better. Eventually I will be spoiled by somebody, and also I have heard the name "Bruce" so many times these past two weeks that I am going to go mad soon. Bruce Wayne (obviously), Bruce Willis (he had a cameo in Nancy Drew, which I watched on the weekend), Bruce Densmore (who ran my UFE exam training this week and last), Bruce on the show "Swingtown" (Jack Davenport's character), and Keanu's character in A Scanner Darkly, who is briefly referred to as Bruce although that is not his actual name. Gah!

Movie meme

2008-07-07T21:59:00.003-04:00

Movie meme

Kat posted a movie meme, and me being me, I sort of had to do it. So here it is! :)

1. Bold the ones you have seen.
2. Put an asterisk after the movie title* if you really liked it.
3. Cross it out if you saw a film and really disliked it.
4. Underline the ones you own.

My stats:
Movies I've seen - 63/100
Movies really liked - 16/63
Movies disliked - 0/63
Movies owned - 12/100

( ze movies )

Siriusly, Batman

2008-07-07T16:53:00.002-04:00

Siriusly, Batman

On the radio this morning, they said that these days are called the dog days of summer because people used to blame the heat on the dog-star, Sirius. I don't know how that started, but I guess it makes sense – I mean, if, for instance, there existed a fictional character by the name of Sirius, I'm sure I could think up a few things here and there that I could blame him for that happen in his fictional world. I'm just sayin'. I'm sure if said character existed then he would be extremely awesome. Also, extremely flawed. So like I said: awesome.

Despite what my blog decor might tell you, I am currently attempting to avoid The Dark Knight and all news about it. I think I've got enough info on it all by now, you know? And I don't want to feel too oversaturated and too overhyped about it all by the time July 18th rolls around, a date that is suddenly much closer than it has ever seemed. And yeah, it might be too late to undo my over-anticipation at this point, but it won't hurt to try... It's hard though. This movie is literally everywhere. And for an intangible product, it is hard to be everywhere literally, y'know?

Big Read

2008-06-26T23:47:00.004-04:00

Big Read

Okay, since Kyasuriin and Aldehyde have both posted this list, I'm gonna have to jump on the book bandwagon and post this as well. :) I've read 26 out of 100...I think that's fairly decent, given that most of these aren't kids' books...

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they’ve printed. Well let’s see.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who’ve read 6 and force books upon them :)

( ze list )

Niagara

2008-06-23T21:31:00.003-04:00

Niagara

Hi all.

Am in Niagara Falls now - we've got 4 days of job training starting tomorrow. Drive here was all right, except for some brief spells of intense rain. Like, seriously.

Anyway, I've been in my hotel room (sharing with my friend Joanne) for about 15 minutes and already I've paid for the one-day unlimited wireless access. Mwahaha. $15/day, for god's sake. But I can expense it! Oh corporate culture. You are a strange, strange creature.

In other news, I, uh, bought a condo apartment today. !!! Yeah my offer was accepted so I got the unit I wanted in the building and location I wanted. Man, that means I really actually have to commit to this moving out on my own thing.... O_o Wish me luck... Not moving 'til after my exam this September, though, so that leaves you plenty of time to think of my housewarming gifts. ;)

Talk to you all soon - gonna explore a bit with Joanne. I believe I saw a sign for a Hershey chocolate store and a Marvel [Comics] Adventures store. I think I'll be all right here. :)

Groan madly

2008-06-16T09:26:00.008-04:00

Groan madly

Hi all.

Just popping in to share an amusing list of celebrity name anagrams from today's IMDb poll. :D

A pal, icon -- Al Pacino
I'm so cuter -- Tom Cruise
Genuine class -- Alec Guiness
Groan madly! -- Gary Oldman
Wooed all NY -- Woody Allen
Old West action -- Clint Eastwood
Major menaces -- James Cameron
Likes a Tom, eh? -- Katie Holmes
Energy, cool ego -- George Clooney
Will is Earthman -- William Shatner
Fine in torn jeans -- Jennifer Aniston
Cap Star Trek wit -- Patrick Stewart
I scare monsters -- Martin Scorsese
No aliens, darling -- Gillian Anderson
Best PG never lies -- Steven Spielberg
Docile or paranoid -- Leonardo DiCaprio
He's grown large n' crazed -- Arnold Schwarzenegger
Honour graced British art -- Sir Richard Attenborough
Rude? I'm hyped! -- Eddie Murphy
Merry wardrobe -- Drew Barrymore

That is all for now. Weekend was quite busy - have some relatives in town right now and we had to make sure they were properly entertained. Am tired now, but kind of glad to be in the office for once instead of out at a client.

Gotham City Rollers...New Header!

2008-05-31T19:24:00.004-04:00

Gotham City Rollers...New Header!

I contemplated posting something here a couple of days ago, but (a) as per usual I didn't actually have the time to do it and (b) it would have been rather self-pitying, and really, who needs to read more of that anyway?

So here I am, briefly, with a new header. My advice would be to enjoy this one while it lasts, since the next exciting movie event that I can think of is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. So I'm just sayin' - enjoy the non-Potterness. It may be but a brief respite.

I don't think I've typed the particular word "brief" twice in the same paragraph before. Huh. Brief. Briefcase. Boxer briefs. Debrief. I don't think I'm actually going anywhere with this, except that I'm tired 'cause I'm stupid and went to bed ~~20 minutes after sunrise~~ a bit late and also I've always found the word "debrief" quite amusing.

ANYWAY. Um, at some point I should post something about our trip to Austria - there wasn't really too much of particular note that occurred on said trip, though, so you may not be missing much that you'll actually care about. I will say though that Golden Compass is still an awesome movie, even if you're watching it from the comfort of an economy seat on a 9-hour flight.

1:30am

2008-04-01T01:32:00.003-04:00

I was going to try to do a practice case tonight -- I have two that I need to do before my exam training session on Sunday, and I'm not going to have any time to do them between Wednesday and Saturday -- but I just couldn't muster up the energy to do so. I started reading the first case, but nothing was sinking in and I ended up going to sleep at 11pm. Now it's 1:30am and I'm awake again and actually considering looking at some other stuff for work, because my audit teammate is counting on me to help out with this and we need to know what we're doing before we discuss this with our manager tomorrow morning at some point. I tried looking at my case again once I woke up but I think they'll just have to wait and I'll have to do them both on Sunday morning if I can.

On the one hand, I should get back to sleep, but on the other hand... well, let's see if I can read a bit of this accounting guideline now and actually retain the information, so at least I won't have as much to read in the morning...

I'm sorry, readers; this isn't the most interesting post at all, really. I guess I'll have to regale you with more exciting tales once the next week or so is over.

Idiot tax

2008-03-03T16:54:00.008-05:00

Today has been one of those days...one of those I'd-rather-be-anywhere-else-doing-anything-but-this days, and I'm not even that busy at work today. I think I have stress management issues -- when I know that stressful things are around the corner, I can't for the life of me appreciate the non-stressful breathers on the streets in-between. Consequently, I am always stressed, with no reprieves. I do it to myself, really.

Yesterday I had UFE exam training for most of the day, and I had to pay twice as much at the coffee machine because I forgot about idiot tax (I didn't realize the cup wasn't already IN the machine), my dad got a parking ticket outside the sushi restaurant (mmmm, sushi) because he put the parking voucher on the windshield UPSIDE DOWN. Sigh. Oh, and also, I completely wiped-out getting off the elevator in my building, because the floor of the elevator doesn't line up properly with the lobby floor when the doors open. Despite the fact that they have "repaired" the elevator already earlier this year. My knee still hurts, and that was nearly 24 hours ago. Imagine if I was an older woman, whose bones couldn't take a fall like that? I mean really, I'm used to it by now. :P In the past year, I've tripped over computer cords at least twice, fallen on a patch or two of ice, fallen on the escalator on the way to work, etc. My knees are going to be so messed up after all this.

Anyway, I am tired and sick of work and I don't want to be here. This week shouldn't be too too bad, though, pending a few outstanding things that will be coming my way in the next few days. Oh the joy.

It's that time again

2008-01-22T10:17:00.000-05:00

It's that time again

Just popping by in the midst of whatever I'm working on here in Houston to say, "WHEEE! Oscar nominations!"

Check 'em out here! I hope the ceremony scheduled for Feb. 24 is able to go on. Properly, I mean.

Yay! Be well, movie fans.

ETA: R.I.P., Heath Ledger. I can't believe this.

An Alethiometer would probably come in handy

2008-01-06T19:46:00.000-05:00

An Alethiometer would probably come in handy

...not that I'm on an epic journey to the north or anything like that, but, you know...a contraption that will always give me a truthful answer to my questions? Sweet.

Anyway, please mouseover the thingamajig below and answer a couple of questions about me, if you've got a spare moment or two and feel like obliging me. :)

Also, it turns out that the reason why I never end up seeing all the movies in the theatre that I want to see is because when I DO go to the theatre, I'm there to watch something I've ALREADY SEEN. Case in point: this weekend, I re-watched both Sweeney Todd and The Golden Compass. Unsurprisingly, both were still quite good the second go-round. Go see those if you haven't seen them yet. Yes, one of them is a rather dark and gory movie musical and the other is a children's fantasy story based on a novel (and it deserves sequels even if those studio types don't think so), but somehow it still makes sense that I'm recommending both of them. I don't know; don't ask me.

Apparently I turn 25 in 13 days from now. Egads! I'm not sure where I thought I'd be by the time I turned 25, but...well I don't know. The list of stuff I was supposed to have done by the time I turned 16 didn't turn out so well for me either! Haha. Well, whatever. Sure, I'd like to work less and get paid more, but who doesn't? I suppose I'm in a good place for 25. Got a few good friends, some family, a crapload of fandoms taking up far too much of my time...what else does one need, really?

Pinch Me

2007-12-04T21:35:00.000-05:00

Pinch Me

Thanks to all the well-wishers...unfortunately, the exam results didn't go the way I'd hoped they would, but I don't feel too broken-up about it mostly because I knew it could go either way and doesn't mean that I'm not smart enough or anything like that. Mostly, it's just wearisome to think of having to do the studying all over again, making up a new study plan, writing practice cases...I'll need a new study partner, too, because thankfully my friend Michelle passed the exam just fine. It would have been great to put this all behind me, but hopefully I'll pass the exam the second time around, next September.

Christmas party on Saturday was pretty good - Isolde seemed to enjoy herself, what with BNL performing on stage for over an hour; an exclusive Q&A session with the band; a fairly decent meal; and, of course, precious time spent with yours truly. The weather outside left something to be desired, but this IS Toronto in the winter so not much else can be expected. At least the snow didn't ruin my prissy shoes. :)

Had fun on Sunday, too - met up with Michelle and Fast-Talking Joanne at the Eaton Centre but we were all running slightly later than usual so we didn't end up going to a movie. Michelle and I went to my brother's place after that and met up with my bro and two of my cousins, where we played some XBox 360 for a while and ordered pizza. This weekend was a pretty good way to distract myself from thinking about the exam, methinks. I love having weekend plans. Two days is a long time to just sit around and do nothing...ha! Weird sentence for me to type, really, since I'm such a homebody. I think I just miss hanging out with my friends, some of whom I should really see more of more often...

The Waiting Game...for the last time?

2007-11-30T10:04:00.001-05:00

The Waiting Game...for the last time?

In 2 hours from now, I'll know one way or the other whether I passed the final accounting exam or not. I wish I could just skip all of today and just go straight to tomorrow and Sunday - I've got plans to see friends and that's awesome. I often find weekends where I just sit around a lot a bit of a waste of available time, you know?

Anyway, I keep saying I'm happier the way it is right now - a perpetual state of not-knowing. At least for the next 2 hours. I've been equating it to a television show that gets cancelled before its finale -- something I should know a bit about by now, I think. But anyway, the gist is that you won't ever know what the final outcome was; you'll just remember the good times that preceded it. Sure, you might be a little resentful about investing all that time and energy into that show, but in the long-run you will accept that there will never be a canon answer to your questions [unless they make follow-up comics or movies], and this leaves you free to make your own theories and conclusions.

As Isolde shrewdly pointed out, however, this exam result differs from a cancelled TV show in at least one way -- I DO have to know eventually whether I've passed or not, 'cause it would suck if I was supposed to retake the exam next year and didn't even know I had to. Damn.

My fun weekend plans that I prefer to think about instead are as follows --
Saturday: The One of a Kind Show with Izzy and Kat and another of Kat's friends, where we're pretty sure Kat is gonna die and go to craft and stationery heaven; this is followed by my company ~~Christmas~~ winter party, to which just Iz will be coming with me, because the Barenaked Ladies are gonna be there and they're her favorite group. I don't know how my company managed to get BNL to play our company party, really, but...well, there you go!

Sunday: Plans with my study buddy Michelle - hopefully we'll still be up for getting together, depending how today's results go. I think we've decided we'll do something regardless of today's outcome.... Plan is to do a bit of Christmas shopping and probably see a movie (Enchanted, most likely) and then play my new XBox 360 games. Should be fun. DESPITE today.

Anyway, that's all that's up for the moment. If I pass the exam I'm going back to the office and then Hard Rock Café for celebrations. And if not...well, then I'll just be here. Trying not to mope. I look forward to it.

Texas

2007-11-20T14:12:00.000-05:00

I figure the best way to deal with not having enough time to do everything I have to do before tomorrow is to take a minute to write in my blog here. I feel it is the appropriate response to this situation, but I am open to counterarguments. The crapload of stuff I still need to do is .... well, a crapload. The list ain't gettin' any shorter...

Y'all down here in Texas certainly do say "y'all" a lot. If it weren't for, you know, the actual work that I have to do while I'm here, I'm sure I would consider Houston pleasant enough for the most part. Then again, without the work, I wouldn't BE here, so... double-edged sword?

Anyhoodle, talk to y'all later, all right?

Oh God, I'm never gonna get everything done...

Miscellanea

2007-11-04T14:32:00.001-05:00

Miscellanea

Hey, dudes, how's it going?

The last time I checked, summer was just ending, so yesterday I was quite surprised to notice the big piles of fallen leaves on the ground outside of where I go to get my hair cut (finally! Haven't had my hair cut since September of last year, which is a good 14 months ago. My hair is still long, mind you, except now it's just long as opposed to ridiculously long, so it's all good). I mean, when did that happen? I realize that it is already November, but seriously...the fall has really crept up on me this year. Weird.

Another weird thing going on right now is that one of our condo windows is seriously cracked...like, not just a little cracked. TOTALLY cracked. At first glance my mom thought it was just weirdly frosted over or something, but then it was just the one pane so she took a closer look...you can see for yourselves - it's a camera phone photo so it isn't the greatest, but still. I'm pretty sure you can tell which pane it is.

I've been listening to the Deathly Hallows audiobook -- I have no reason to do so, really, other than "why not?" -- and it's the British version read by Jim Dale. Funny part is that my mom heard it and said it sounded like I was watching Pushing Daisies, and I said that it probably just sounded similar because it was a cutesy, British narration. Then I was watching the latest Daisies episode with her today and actually saw the name 'Jim Dale' in the opening credits. Ha! So it turns out my mother actually has quite a good ear; it is the same narrator after all.

Speaking of Pushing Daisies, thought I should mention the new shows I've been watching. My favorite of the new shows might be Chuck, I think, and I've also been enjoying Dirty Sexy Money. Daisies started off being somewhat too cute for my liking, but it's in a good groove now for the most part and easier to like. There's also Reaper, which I'm not sure my ~~mother~~ minions always remember to record for me, and Gossip Girl, which so far is a moderately-entertaining, no-thought-required hour of viewing. Private Practice is a take-it-or-leave-it and I usually end up leaving it in favour of a bit of downtime in the middle of a busy workweek. At least Piz is still getting work. The first episode of Women's Murder Club was decent enough but I think I'll use Fridays to catch up on everything else. Moonlight is as suck-ass as it sounded like it would be; sorry, Logan. At least Veronica's on a decent show. Captain Mal and the man they call Jayne are doing all right, too. Also, Joss Whedon has just announced that he's got a new show that will be coming to TV soon, probably in 2008 depending on the writers' strike. Yay!

My So-Called Life just came out on DVD again, which is exciting. If you haven't watched the show before I highly recommend buying the set. It's only 19 episodes, too, so it's not a big commitment if you're weary about that kind of thing. Also, The Princess Bride is being re-re-released on DVD again...but it's really cool this time! Come on; just check out the box cover art and tell me it isn't awesome.

I'm going to Houston, Texas for work next week. Should be interesting; I'm thinking of maybe going to visit the NASA Space Center while I'm there, if I have time. Have to make the travel arrangements, argh.

Also, one last thing - which of these CD album covers do you like better?

MJC

2007-10-18T22:06:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!

Long time no write, eh?

I swear I really do have a good reason. And that reason, my friends, is work -- I only got home 20 minutes ago and I'm really quite tired. Without getting into the ~~boring~~ complex details, this particular audit engagement that I'm working on right now is taking more time than usual because the new first-year accountant on the job has done sub-par work and now the rest of us have to fix it all. I don't know, guys...some of his assigned work was more challenging than others, but I don't think I'd ever have messed this stuff up, if I was still a first-year, as much as he has. The rest of our team (2 of us plus our manager, who reviews all of our work) has had to actually re-do certain parts of his work, and some things we asked him to do specifically haven't been done [correctly]. Bah. Dudes, there was one day where he actually forgot to bring his laptop with him because he thought he had it in the trunk of his car. FORGOT. HIS LAPTOP. And he had to drive all the way back home from Hamilton to Mississauga to get it. Now, for those of you who do not have as intimate a knowledge of auditing as I have, this might not seem like such a big problem, right? Like, why not just write stuff down and type it up later? It just doesn't work that way. There are so many Excel and Word documents that have specific formulae or formatting that it is just not efficient at all to do most things by hand. This is mean, and this WAS this guy's first audit with our firm and all, but um...it's possible that he's what's referred to as PURE: previously-undetected recruiting error. See, I told you it was mean. He's a big talker and he's got an okay attitude (if you discount the fact that he doesn't actually listen to what we're telling him, anyway), but hopefully his audit and organizational skills will improve.

Anyway, there are a few things that I should have posted by now but none of it is mission-critical so those will have to come later -- actually, I think mostly it's just memes that I've said I'll do, because anything that ressembled thoughts/actual content I've kind of forgotten now. Darned short-term memory. :P

Going to see Daniel Handler (AKA Lemony Snicket) at his presentation/interview/book signing at Harbourfront on Saturday! I've never been to anything like that before so it should be interesting. I have successfully cajoled an unwitting companion to go with me. w00t.

Schmoozing

2007-10-04T12:43:00.000-04:00

Schmoozing

In about 15 minutes, I have to take some potential work recruits (they're here today for interviews) to a nice lunch and tell them how much I loooooove working here. God help me. I'm exhausted today and I don't know why...maybe I'm just still recovering from getting back to work. Guess that last exam + the studying that preceded it took more out of me than I'd thought...

I suppose it would also help if I got more sleep, but, like, doesn't that seem like such a waste of valuable time when one has so few free hours in a day?

Book meme

2007-10-03T20:23:00.000-04:00

Book meme

Also known as "Further proof supporting my theory that I like the idea of reading books much more than actually reading books".

Either that, or, you know, I spend too much time reading children's books or reading stuff online -- which totally count as doing actual reading but don't count for much when I'm checking off lists like this one. Oh well.

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

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi: a novel
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
A Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Iliad
Emma (I started reading this for one of my English classes and I really like it so far...I just haven't yet gotten around to actually finishing it, unfortunately.)
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
The Canterbury Tales
The Historian: A Novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault's Pendulum
Middlemarch
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel
1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Oliver Twist
Gulliver's Travels
Les Misérables
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela's Ashes: A Memoir
The God of Small Things
A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-Five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake: A Novel
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye*
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics: a Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: an Inquiry into Values
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity's Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers

Another exam bites the dust (?)

2007-09-17T18:49:00.001-04:00

Another exam bites the dust (?)

Okay, so in about 14 hours from now, Day 1 of my three-day final accounting exam will be starting, and I must admit, I'm sort of freaking the hell out.

On a rational level (and yes, I do have one of those; be quiet), I know that I've done what I'm supposed to do to prepare and there isn't too much more (though there is a little) that I can do that will actually help my odds at passing the exam.

And it does come down to odds -- even if we're presented with topics/issues we understand, that's no guarantee that we'll actually write about and discuss them the way the board of evaluators wants us to. No guarantees. That's always the worst. No idea whether what you're doing now to prepare will payoff in the slightest on the actual day(s) themselves. Sigh. I feel completely unprepared despite what I've been doing for the past few weeks. Not. prepared. at. ALL.

Anyway, yes, this IS my passive-aggressive, oh-so-subtle way of asking you all to pass your good-lucky vibes in my general direction (Mississauga, specifically, in case someone sends the vibes to downtown Toronto instead, which won't do me any good) over the next three days because good lord do I need 'em.

One way or the other, this will all be over for at least another year (over forever, if I pass! Though "forever" is a funny kind of word), so that's not nothing. BLAAARGH.

Must go ~~crazy~~ prepare a bit more now. See you on the other side, I guess...

(Also, why isn't anyone else guessing song titles on my previous post? Too difficult, or just not interested? Cheat if you must. ;) I expect those all to be done by this weekend :P)

Tuneful Tuesday, redux

2007-09-10T23:45:00.000-04:00

Tuneful Tuesday, redux

In an effort to (a) make things slightly more interesting; (b) provide a way for me to update this blog without, you know, actually updating it; and (c) distract myself from Impending Doom (Exam Edition); I present you with another song-guessing game. Here follows a list of some lyrics from 20 consecutive, random songs that played the other day on my home computer (where I have access to a far larger collection of music than I have on this work computer). Identify the song, and then I'll post the audio file. How's that? :) (Ha, I ask, but since I'm already doing this, you don't really have a say. Mwahaha.)

Ok go! (On treadmills!)

(Note: Comments can be made on either blogspot or on livejournal.)

~~I was a person who would censor "Pee Wee's Adventures" / She was exceedingly liberal / And we fell in love~~ - Moxy Fruvous, "Fell in Love" - identified by Isolde
A part of me would like to travel in your veins
Have you no dignity? / Have you no sense of style? / You'll never be pretty until you smile
Sometimes I wish I'd never known just how brilliantly you shone / Right before you threw the stone to cast me out
~~I'm a little bit rusty, and I think my head is caving in~~ - Matchbox Twenty, "Push" - identified by Isolde
Finally found a fella / Almost completely divine / But his vocabulary / Is killing this romance of mine
No matter where you are / I can still hear you when you dream / You traveled very far / You traveled far, like a star / And you are / All of those yesterdays / Coming around
~~And all day and all night and everything he sees is / Just blue like him inside and outside~~ - Eiffel 65, "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" - identified by Isolde
Hollywood will beckon / Everyone will listen / Play my video / Hear me on the radio / Dancing to the disco / No one ever says no
But wait till I get him back / He won't have a back to scratch / Yeah, keep turning that chin / And you will see my / Face as I figure how to kill what I cannot catch
~~I wish that I was like Tori Spelling / With a car like hers and a dad like hers / And I would show them how, how it was done / That'd be fun, that'd be fun~~ - Jill Sobule, "Supermodel" - identified by LJ user elizalavelle
~~There's more to see than can ever be seen / More to do than can ever be done / There's far too much to take in here / More to find than can ever be found~~ - Disney (The Lion King), "The Circle of Life" - identified by Isolde
The world's your oyster shell / So what's that funny smell / You eat the bivalve anyway / And you're sick with salmonella / You get your Ph.D. / How happy you will be / When you get a job at Wendy's / And are honored with employee of the month - Barenaked Ladies, "Never is Enough" - identified by Isolde
~~I never meant to hurt you / I never meant to lie / So this is goodbye / This is goodbye~~ - Moby, "Porcelain" - identified by Isolde
Here I now wander alone as I wonder / Why did you leave me to sigh and complain? / I asked of the roses, why should I be forsaken? / Why must I here in sorrow remain?
~~Apologies / Are all you seem to get from me / But just like a child / You make me smile / When you care for me~~ - Depeche Mode, "A Question of Lust" - identified by Isolde
And I'm not gonna stand and wait / Not gonna leave it until it's much too late / On a platform I'm gonna stand and sing / That I'm nothing on my own / And I love you, please come home
~~Never was one for a prissy girl / Coquette call in for an ambulance / Reach high, doesn't mean she's holy / Just means she's got a cellular handy~~ - Tori Amos, "Siren" - identified by Isolde
Sell my soul - I'll sell my soul / I've nothing left to lose / Hurt myself - I'll hurt myself / Cover my face with tattoos all of painted tears / One for each year that only could have been
~~High up above or down below / When you're too in love to let it go / But if you never try you'll never know / Just what you're worth~~ - Coldplay, "Fix You" - identified by LJ user elizalavelle

Small impasses

2007-09-07T07:55:00.000-04:00

Small impasses

I'm planning to go watch a movie of some description with my study partner (Michelle) this Saturday, but we can't yet decide which one to go to. The problem here is that we're both big movie-watchers, so really, we'll end up watching all of these movies at some point anyway -- the only issue is the timing. Which do we watch now? Which will be watched when it's out on DVD, etc.?

There's 3:10 to Yuma; Ratatouille; Paris, je t'aime...and then there's also Harry Potter.

Now, the logical people wouldn't go see Harry again (and I do mean 'again' - Michelle's seen the movie once and I've seen it twice, once on regular screen and once on IMAX 3D), but then we've never claimed to be logical. So it's a toss-up, really, and neither of us really has a preference for one of these over the other since they're not the sorts of movies that, you know, you reallyreallyneedtosee. You know? Maybe you don't know. YOU might actually be sane.

XKCD

2007-09-03T10:31:00.000-04:00

XKCD

Hehhe. There's an amusing Serenity joke in today's XKCD online comic -- check it out!

(I'm supposed to be studying right now, but my study partner and I met up at the university downtown, which is gonna be mobbed today 'cause there are college orientations and things going on, so now we're back at my brother's place. Where there is wireless internet and XBox. Egads.)

2007-08-28T09:03:00.000-04:00

Caution Disclaimer: I am currently in one of my self-pitying moods and will proceed accordingly. You should now consider yourself warned.

During these weeks I have off to study for my CA exam (the UFE, or Uniform Final Evaluation), I'm supposed to take the weekends off to recharge and regroup. I don't know, somehow...this past weekend I had both Friday and Monday off as well (because my study partner took a short trip to NYC over those days) and yet I feel more disheartened now than I did before the weekend, on Thursday.

It's just...every day of my long weekend, I did the exact same as I'd normally do if I had an evening off, say, or had a bit of time on my hands. But when you've got a 4-day break, that's hardly what you want to be doing: more of the same old crap. You know? But everyone else was busy or out of town (or both, in some cases) and even the current spate of movie releases isn't doing anything to pique my interest, and so I basically just stayed home all weekend -- not counting a couple of errands and a visit to my grandmother, anyway.

I don't know what I expect to accomplish by writing this all here or complaining again that my weekend was boring (Isolde and Kat have already heard these complaints), but...apparently, that hasn't stopped me.

Also, combine all of this with this: on the one hand I've got people telling me, "in the end, this is JUST an exam", but then on the other hand you've got my parents and the back of my own mind saying, "this is the biggest exam of your life...shouldn't you be doing something?" Arrrgh. We're a week into our 4-week study plan and I do not know anything. You won't believe me, though.

Tuneful Tuesday...er, Thursday

2007-08-23T23:17:00.000-04:00

Tuneful Tuesday...er, Thursday

I know what you're thinking, but I actually didn't forget about you all this past Tuesday. My excuse is actually that (a) there isn't much music on my work laptop for me to share with you all and (b) it's been taking a bloody long time to upload anything on the wireless connection I'm using right now. Seriously. Some of the songs haven't even finished loading yet, but hopefully they'll be done by the time I'm ready to post this entry.

This week's theme: songs from TV and movies. Unsurprisingly.

Bif Naked - My Greatest Masterpiece (from a recent movie of Bif's called Crossing)
Bowling For Soup - ...Baby One More Time (Freaky Friday)
Dropkick Murphys - I'm Shipping Up to Boston (The Departed)
Massive Attack feat. Elizabeth Fraser - Teardrop ("House")
Hugh Laurie & Stephen Fry - There Ain't But One Way (Kickin' Ass) ("A Bit of Fry and Laurie")
Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees (Acoustic Version) (Clueless)
Sheryl Crow - I Shall Believe ("Roswell")
The Shins - Caring is Creepy (Garden State)
Tommy James & The Shondells - Crimson and Clover ("Veronica Mars")

Do let me know if you're downloading anything. Not for any reason, really, other than my own curiosity. :)

Twofold Tuneful Tuesday the second

2007-08-07T19:15:00.000-04:00

Twofold Tuneful Tuesday the second

So, on the off-chance that you couldn't tell this without me saying so, I basically started from the bottom of the alphabet and picked and chose my way up for a few songs. No real theme here or anything, but these are mostly on the dreamy/mellow side of the music atmosphere.

Zero 7 - Destiny
Vienna Teng - My Medea
VAST - Flames
Julie London - Cry Me a River (from V for Vendetta)
Texas - I'll See It Through
Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels

Happy Harry Potter Day!

2007-07-31T19:16:00.000-04:00

Happy Harry Potter Day!

Honestly. What kind of dork commemorates Harry Potter's birthday? (You're looking at one of those dorks right now. Or, er, you aren't, actually. Unless of course you are also one of those dorks and you happen to be gazing upon yourself in a mirror at the moment.)

Anyway, this technically isn't a Tuneful Tuesday, but here's a song anyway. :)

Harry and the Potters - Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock!

Some relatively good news

2007-07-29T22:13:00.000-04:00

Some relatively good news

They found my purse at the restaurant I was at, when the restaurant staff were cleaning the bathrooms at the end of the night. Phew! I quite liked this purse.

I'm still missing my wallet (including credit, debit, and health cards, most notably, along with some membership cards), iPod (*sniff* my now-outdated iPod shuffle was named Slide Shuffle, because in iTunes they ask you to name your iPod when you first use it), cellphone and SecureID token for access to my work intranet. However, I do still have all of my keys -- just so happened that last night I was carrying around the keys and access fob to my home, the keys and access fob to my brother's home, Mom's car keys, and Dad's car keys -- and everything else is still there, including my SIN card (that's the same as an SSN card, to you Americans) and my driver's licence. Thank the heavens.

I've no idea what they think that can do with my SecureID token, since it's worthless without my 4-digit PIN. Weird. Also, I'm sad about my iPod because I have this portable speaker thing that goes with it perfectly and I'll still be able to use it with a different mp3 player but it just won't be as good. :P Replacement credit cards are on the way...working on getting a replacement cellphone...

I...am...so...tired.

2007-07-29T01:19:00.000-04:00

Some worthless person totally stole my purse tonight while I was out for dinner with my brother. What pisses me off most, besides the stolen credit cards and all forms of identification I had (other than my passport), was that there was almost nothing of value at all in my purse -- nothing of value to anyone who isn't me. There was stuff in there that did mean something to me, but for the $60 cash that the thief got from me (they didn't use my credit cards or anything) I hope it was worth being a miserable, vomitous piece of crap. Even just the purse itself meant more to me than it meant to them in the 2 seconds of time that they spent deciding to steal my personal property right from my chair in that restaurant.

For anyone trying to reach me by phone, please call my home phone number. Obviously I no longer have access to my cellphone.

Twofold Tuneful Tuesdays

2007-07-26T14:22:00.000-04:00

Twofold Tuneful Tuesdays

Okay, so it isn't actually Tuesday today, but I have good reasons for that! Well, reasons, anyway. Or at least one reason for being late one of the two days. Um. Anyway, my point is, I'm posting now, so the reasons for my belatedness are moot anyhow, all right? :)

So in my grand recent tradition (ha) of copying all the cool things that Kyasuriin does on her blog and pretending it was my own idea to begin with, I present you with Twofold Tuneful Tuesdays -- twofold because I'm assuming I'll (a) not have enough good songs to post every week and (b) forget or not have time to post. Hey, I'm trying to be realistic here. :)

Without any further ado about nothing, here are this weeks offerings. Please leave a comment so I know what songs you all like and all. :)

Cat Power - I Found a Reason
Bif Naked - Everyday
Raine Maida - Earthless
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb

I also happen to have basically all of Joss Stone's songs to date uploaded right now, so if you want those, they are here and here.

Enjoy!

(Aaand I've just realized I uploaded the Pink Floyd song, like, 3 entries ago. So, um...yes. If you didn't download it back then, here it is again!)

Self-preservation

2007-07-19T11:30:00.001-04:00

Self-preservation

(graphic by LJ user _millet_, found here.)
So it's about that time, kids. Time for me to retreat from the Internet in a last-ditch effort to preserve my non-spoilery existence.

I've been meaning to cut myself off way before now, but obviously I kind of use the Internet kind of a lot possibly, so it's been tricky. But I think enough is enough, 'cause Pottermania is running amok. Offline, too, but offline sources are easier to contain. Except for those wretched unlikely sources that catch you offguard, of course.

Anyway, I'm gone...my accounting exam results are out tomorrow morning, so one way or the other I'll be needing HP: DH to cheer me up (if I pass the exam, I have a practice exam on Sunday followed with training, etc. about a week after that; if I don't pass, then, well, I haven't passed, and I won't be able to rewrite this exam or write the next one until next year.) (That was an unnecessarily long-winded parenthetical addendum, but I'm sure you can all work it out with those large brains of yours.)

Ta! I'll talk to you all after The Book has been read.

ETA, 07/23/07, 2:27 AM: And now I'm done. Still need to process, of course, or I wouldn't be me. Feel free to discuss... in the meantime, I should look into getting some sleep or something. Work in 6 hours from now! W00t.

HP Spoiler of Doom

2007-07-11T14:17:00.000-04:00

My Harry Potter Spoiler of Doom is:
Ginny Weasley becomes a political activist and all-round humanitarian thanks to the Nimbus 2000
Get your Harry Potter Spoiler of Doom

C Section

2007-07-02T08:08:00.000-04:00

C Section

Music meme from Kyasuriin (who else?): 10 songs with titles beginning with "C". Comment if you'd like a letter :)

Random Question: "do u know wen the new aeson of dark angel come?"

Answer: ...There is, in fact, no new season of Dark Angel coming, seeing as how the show was cancelled back in 2002 (in favor of Firefly, and we all know how THAT turned out). Unless, of course, this query-maker is from another country in which the show hasn't completely aired yet, in which case I have no idea.

Swap-bot

2007-06-06T11:25:00.000-04:00

Swap-bot

I haven't mentioned Swap-bot here yet, but it's this very interesting site at which you can sign-up to participate in a swap: you send someone something, and someone else will send you something back, all based on certain established criteria/themes for that swap.

You can blame Kyasuriin for this particular diversion. I guess she's good at providing distractions. :)

Anyway, my point (and yes, I do have one): there's this one swap called "Swap a goat" that seems like an excellent idea, since it benefits charitable organizations (any one of your choice). It isn't just goats, really...but you have to admit it would be amusing if we were all actually shipping goats to various places. The last day to sign up is June 8, which is why I'm mentioning it now ~~and not because I'm really bad at this whole studying/working thing~~.

If you haven't checked out Swap-bot yet, then please do, and, specifically, consider joining the swap I just mentioned.

Have a lovely day. :)

(p.s., I can't update my template on Blogger at the moment, which is why the right sidebar hasn't been changed in a bit. :P)

Meme time, meme channel

2007-06-03T17:02:00.000-04:00

Meme time, meme channel

The perfect way to keep putting off exam prep, courtesy of Kyasuriin.

1. How old will you be in five years? 29. Egads!

2. Who did you spend at least two hours with today? My parents

3. How tall are you? 5'3"

4. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks? Being done with Accounting Exam 2, the Sequel: Even More Hellish than the First!, the 2nd annual Serenity charity screening (if I'm able to go, that is), hopefully seeing friends at some point, and the 5th Harry Potter movie. If we extend this to seven weeks, then that'll include the receiving the results from Exam 2: the Accountingning (though whether I'm actually looking FORWARD to this is questionable) and the release of the last remaining Harry Potter book. Wah.

5. What's the last movie you saw? At the theatre, Pirates 3. I want to see it again but I don't have tiiiime.... *whine* And at home, watched Just My Luck on Friday.

6. Who was the last person you called? Home

7. Who was the last person to call you? Davina

8. Who was the last text message you received from? Davina

9. Who was the last person to leave you a voicemail? My brother

10. Do you prefer to call or text? Call – text messaging isn't part of my plan, but sometimes that's faster

11. What were you doing at 12am last night? Reading Island of the Sequined Love Nun. Best title ever, in the category of Book Titles that Make it Sound Like You're Reading Something Entirely Without Literary Merit

12. Are your parents married/separated/divorced? Married

13. When is the last time you saw your mum? Couple of hours ago. Been ensconced in my room for a while, completely failing to be productive (in the traditional sense of the word)

14. What color are your eyes? Brown

15. Do you own slippers? I own slippers, but I don't usually wear 'em unless I'm staying at a hotel

16. What are you wearing right now? Er...my pajamas. I haven't gone out today.

17. What is your favorite Christmas song? It depends on my mood, really

18. Where is your favorite place to be? Home, in both actual and figurative terms

19. Where is your least favorite place to be? Anywhere I'm not wanted or anywhere where I have no idea what to do

20. Africa-New Zealand-Japan? New Zealand, Japan, Africa, probably. I've never been to any

21. Where do you think you'll be in 10 years? I'm not even sure where I'll be tomorrow

22. Do you tan or burn? Before Live 8, I didn't even know I COULD burn. So...I tan, and then I burn, I suppose

23. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? Vampires; various crawlies

24. What was the last thing that really made you laugh? Um...that REALLY made me laugh? Is it bad if I can't remember...?

25. How many TVs do you have in your house? Three. I know – 3 TVs for 3 people? Geez! Technically, one of them has only one channel and can only be hooked up to one specific, very old VCR, though

26. When did you last get in an argument? Can't remember specifically, but it was probably with one or the other of my parents

27. Do you have a laptop or desktop computer? Both – I have a work-issued laptop

28. Do you sleep with or without clothes on? With, generally

29. What color are your walls? Navy blue

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? One and a half

31. What is your favorite season? Fall

32. What do you like about autumn? Somehow the fall seems more hopeful than spring does.

33. What do you like about winter? The serenity (until, of course, you actually leave the house and you realize that your coat isn't warm enough and that your car is, in fact, stuck at the bottom of your driveway)

34. What do you like about the summer? The warmth and vibrancy...feels like you can do anything (unless, of course, you're in summer school or working a job)

35. What do you like about spring? Flowers, flowers everywhere...when it's rainy but warm out

36. How many states have you lived in? One province

37. What states have you lived in? See above – Ontario

38. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet? Depends on the situation. At home, bare feet.

39. Are you a social person? I generally enjoy being in the company of others, if that's what you mean

40. What was the last thing you ate? I finished off the bit of a bag of chips that was left. You eat bad, bad things when you're avoiding doing unfun stuff

41. Have you tried escargot? No – 'cause I'm insane and I think it's unfair to the snails because they never had a bat's chance in hell at getting away

42. What is your favorite ice cream? Cookies & Cream, or anything with chocolate in it

43. What is your favorite dessert? Anything with chocolate in it; apple pie

44. Have you drank a Shirley Temple? No

45. What kind of jelly do you like on your PB & J sandwich? I've never liked PB&J. I used to just eat the jelly half, and now I think I just like the PB half...

46. Do you like Chinese food? Yeah, mostly

47. Do you like coffee? If it's flavored, I'll give it a try. Though we did have some Colombian kind at home one time that was okay. But really...I usually have to put in 3 teaspoons of sugar and extra milk to make it drinkable, so what's the point?

48. How many glasses of water, a day, do you drink on average? Nowhere near enough at all. I have to remind myself to drink stuff during the day other than my tea in the morning and my iced tea at lunch... :P

49. What do you drink in the morning? Tea

50. How often do you shower? My hair needs washing every other day at least, sometimes more often

End of May update

2007-05-29T10:59:00.001-04:00

The past few weeks have been rather eventful, at least compared to the nothing that usually happens.

Saturday, May 19
I met up with Michelle at 10:30 for brunch at Milestone's (waiter: "Have you been here before?" Me, on not enough sleep: "Uh...well, I've been to a different Milestone's...does that count?") and then we watched Spider-Man 3 at noon. The movie was...all right, I guess. I liked it enough at the time, but now I'm sort of meh about it. There were parts I liked, but there were also parts where I just wanted them to get on with it and get back to the story and issues at hand. Also, the story sort of took its sweet time getting started in earnest, although I didn't mind all the MJ-and-Peter relationship angsting as much as some other people did, on account of me being a sap and all.

After the movie I let Michelle challenge me to a re-match of the Scene It? DVD Game, Movie Edition. She did manage to win the last round, but mostly I am still the uncontested random movie trivia champion. Yay me? Gosh, so much useless information, so little brain space...

Right after that I drove off to London to visit with Izzy for the rest of the weekend, which brings us to...

Sunday, May 20
We actually got some studying done this day - we were so good! The only reason I endeavoured to try to study at all is because of Iz. Her exams started this Saturday (the 26th), so you know...studying was a good idea. We followed that up by going to see Shrek the Third, which was entertaining but rather short and somewhat less amusing than Shrek 2. To be fair, though, Shrek 2 is the only movie that's ever made me crack up with laughter while at the theatre, so this third movie had a lot to live up to.

Monday, May 21
I successfully left London around the time that I'd planned to, for once. Usually I get cajoled into staying a bit longer. :) Managed to get home in time to watch the Heroes finale, which was somewhat underwhelming but still good.

Tuesday, May 22
The series finale of Veronica Mars. Sniff. It was a good season finale, but it was by no means a series finale by design. Wah. I'm starting to get the feeling that if I want a show to have a chance in hell to stay on the air at all, I should just not watch it. 'Cause almost every show I watch is inevitably doomed before its time...

Friday, May 25
Is the day I got back my CKE exam results (that's exam 1 of 3) and found out I finally passed it. Also, I was gonna go watch Pirates 3 to celebrate, but that didn't work out since I had an inventory count to do on...

Saturday, May 26
...at 8:30AM. But the second that was done, it was off to Pirates. And it was AWESOME. Who wants to go again?? We went to the theatre at 4:30PM for the 5:30PM showing, which was perfect timing because we got there just before everyone else, and I got the rush of being in a crowded theatre without having to deal with lining up or anything tedious like that. :) On our way out after the movie, we saw all the people lined up for the 9:00PM (and later?) show(s) and somehow because I am mean I found it absolutely hilarious that they all had to line up. Mwahaha.

Sunday-Monday, May 27-28
Training and practice exam for exam the second. Not much to say about that.
And that brings us to...

Tuesday, May 29
And I'm going to see The Phantom of the Opera tonight at the Princess of Wales Theatre with Mom. I was too young the first time the show was in town and I thought the Phantom was scary. :) Mom loves it though, so it should be fun! I expect it to be fully cheesy.

Update on VMars from E! Online...

2007-05-17T15:02:00.000-04:00

Update on VMars from E! Online...

Woe is the day. (On the plus side in TV-land, I enjoyed last night's episode of LOST, possibly because it was about my favorite hobbit-turned-bloody-rock-god, for once. But...VMars! Nooo!)

Breaking (and Tragic): Veronica Mars "Out of Hope"

It looks like Veronica Mars may indeed be gone for good.

At a CW press conference, Dawn Ostroff told reporters that Veronica as we know it is over, but that she is talking to Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell about a "future project."

I just checked in with Rob Thomas, who tells me: "I haven't heard about a future project yet, but I suppose I'd listen. Would love to work with Kristen again, however."

When I ask point-blank if VM is over, Rob tells me: "I believe we're out of hope."

I am...stunned. I know we should have seen this coming, but honestly, after seeing the shows the CW is bringing on next season (Farmer dating show? Beauty pageant?) I'm honestly sick to my stomach.

Too mad to write more.

Please do it for me in the Comments section below.

Comments

Posted by Kristin Veitch on Thu, May 17, 2007, 11:10 AM
Permalink

Photo by: Greg Gayne/The CW

Well, at least after my morning cup of tea, anyway

2007-05-12T09:09:00.000-04:00

Well, at least after my morning cup of tea, anyway

I'm beginning to realize that when I wake up in the mornings, I'm actually usually in a relatively good mood...and then I talk to my parents. Some days I don't even have to see them before my mood is gone -- I can usually hear them from my room before I actually see them. It's always either one or both of them, and they'll just say something or tell me something that will just rub me the wrong way, and, well, there you go.

I think I might actually be a morning person after all, but I don't know for sure.

Going to my bro's place to study today. Pros: no computer, no TV. Cons: no food, Xbox 360, the fact that in the absence of a computer and cable TV, I still have a bookshelf of my books over there. :P Wish me luck. (Exam's on Monday! =/)

P.S. - In the meantime, may I point out that the Movie Quotes Meme I posted way back in October was never finished? In case anyone wants to take a crack at it, it's here. :)

I hate television

2007-04-26T10:05:00.000-04:00

I hate television

...Well, not really. That would be fairly shocking.

What I do hate, however, is the current state of television and whatever the heck the networks (and by "networks", I mean "FOX, you lousy piece of crap...and also The CW, if you do what I think you might do") think they're doing.

Have you heard of a new show that just started, called Drive? No? Yeah, I'm not surprised. I KNEW about the show ages ago and *I* barely heard anything about it. After a lack of promotion, four aired episodes (two of which were aired on the same night), the show's been cancelled by FOX, the same lovely network that also failed to promote Firefly back in the day and proceeded to then air the [majority of the] episodes out of order and on sporadic evenings.

I hear the two remaining episodes of Drive will air sometime in the summer. Whoop-dee-freakin'-doo.

In other news, The Search for the Next [Pussycat] Doll has been renewed for a freakin' second season. Why and wherefore, I know not. "Why" and "wherefore" are redundant, but then so are the Pussycat Dolls, so I guess it's appropriate.

Why bother having well-scripted, well-acted, and creative shows that tell an interesting story when you can have low-budget shows that don't require you to pay actors, writers, or any of those other unimportant parties, AND get higher ratings?

(Note: The Pussycat Dolls show is currently airing on The CW while Veronica Mars is on hiatus. The CW is noting how many more people are watching the Dolls than watching Veronica, and that is not good. At all. Back in the day, when The WB was doing stupid, stupid things to their programming, there was this other network called the UPN that provided a dim beam of hope for certain shows. Seeing as how The CW is the new amalgamation of the two networks, there is no second hope. THIS IS IT.)

I have to go, um, study and stuff now. I am still outraged.

(More info: E! Online)

Spring ho!

2007-04-22T14:49:00.000-04:00

Land Spring ho!

And all this day an unaccustom'd spirit
Lifts me above the ground with cheerful thoughts.
(Romeo and Juliet, V.i.4-5)

The weather is lovely outside, and the reappearance of those cobwebs in the exterior corners of my condo windows signifies that Spring is back. At least for the time being, at any rate. And sure, I'm inside here all day studying or at least pretending to study, if anything, but the lakeshore is nicely active with lots of Shiny Happy People ~~holding hands~~ enjoying the sun.

Happy Earth Day, people! Make sure you remember to turn off lights you don't need, unplug appliances and cellphone chargers that you aren't using, and generally be good to each other and to this odd place in which we all live. Also, compact fluorescent lightbulbs are awesome, and I think that was the most interesting thing I learnt from my Management Accounting class back in third year of university (indeed, I've been raving about CFLs since then, when the lightbulbs were part of the facts of the case we were assigned to work on ). I...doubt that was supposed to be the case, but there you have it. :)

Back to the grind now... unless I get distracted by staring outside/reading the last Snicket book/other miscellaneous distractions again.

(Also: new HP: Order of the Phoenix international trailer here!)

Google meme

2007-04-12T09:40:00.000-04:00

Heh.

(From LJ user elizalavelle)

--Go to Google.com
--Click on Maps.
--Click on "get Directions".
--From New York
--To London (Paris, Rome, Dublin, or Moscow)

--And read line # 23.

If you laugh, repost this.

Memage

2007-04-10T01:25:00.000-04:00

Memage

Stolen from Kyasuriin. (And I still dislike that word 'meme'. Bah.)

TEN FAVOURITES

01. show – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
02. flower – whatever you give me
03. color - purple
04. sport – to play? Tennis. Not that there are that many options when it comes to sports I play.
05. mall – as long as it's got my friends in it and a decent bookstore, I'm good.
06. music – it depends on my mood
07. food – chocolate and pasta. But probably not together...
08. season – the Fall
09. day - Sunday
10. city – Toronto. Or Siena? No, no, Toronto.

TEN FACTS

01. hometown - Toronto, Ontario
02. hair color - black
03. hair length – I dunno. Long.
04. hair style – er...long? sorry, so tired right now. I should sleep.
05. eye color - brown
06. shoe size - 7
07. mood – thisclose to dozing off
08. smell – eh?
09. available – to talk about movies? sure.
10. lefty/righty - righty

TEN THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

01. have you ever been in love - no
02. do you believe in love – of course
03. why did your last relationship fail – what last relationship?
04. have you ever been heartbroken - no
05. have you ever broken someone's heart - no
06. have you ever fallen for your best friend - no
07. have you ever loved someone but never told them - no
08. are you afraid of commitment – I may or may not be as afraid of commitment to a person as I may or may not be to commit to this sentence. (a.k.a., I have no idea)
09. have you ever had a secret admirer – if I have, it's been a secret...
10. do you believe in love at first sight - possibly

TEN THINGS: THIS OR THAT

01. love or money- love
02. hard liquor or beer - liquor
04. one night stands or relationships - I would assume relationship
05. television or internet – DON'T MAKE ME CHOOOOSE.
06. pepsi or coke – I don’t care
07. wild night out or romantic night in – I would assume romantic night in
08. colored or black and white pictures – Color, though B&W has its charm as well, of course
09. phone or in person - in person
10. msn or myspace - erm. msn. facebook anyone?

TEN HAVE YOU EVERS

01. have you ever been caught sneaking out - no
03. have you ever done something you regret – who hasn’t?
04. have you ever bungee jumped? - no
05. have you ever been on a house boat - no
06. have you ever finished an entire jaw breaker - no
07. have you ever wanted someone so badly it hurt - no
08. have you ever been streaking - no
09. have you ever run away – no, though I did have a so-called plan when I was younger in case I ever decided to.
10. have you ever caught your parents doing it - no. auuugh!

TEN EMOTIONS

01. are you missing someone right now - yes
02. are you happy - sometimes. I do all right.
03. are you talking to any one right now - no
04. are you bored – I'm tired and wondering why I'm not in bed already. Actually, I'm not wondering, because I know I'm insane.
05. are you German – um, no? What does this have to do with emotions?
06. are you Irish – am I what now?
07. are you French – non, monsieur (ou mademoiselle)
08. are you Italian – no...though I do like to pretend like I know Italian words and stuff.
09. are your parents still married - yes
10. do you like someone right now – I like everybody. Heh.

I've got to get up in 5 hours, so...ciao for now (see what I mean about the Italian? ;)).

Version 7.16

2007-04-01T21:45:00.000-04:00

Version 7.16

So...I didn't spend a lot of time on this header, mostly because I don't HAVE a lot of spare time, and partly because the colors in the original image looked pretty nice already anyway. :) Also, the font colors on my page right now happen to match the image just fine, so while it's a bit boring for all of YOU, it makes my life all the more easy. 'Cause you KNOW it's all about me, after all. ;)

So there! Now none of you'll be able to claim that I didn't change my header image for a whole year. 'Cause it's only been 11 months. HA!

Bye for now,
- J.

(See the original Deathly Hallows artwork here.)

What's your nerd type?

2007-03-30T20:53:00.001-04:00

What's your nerd type?

Because you KNOW you're a nerd. Whether you've admitted it to yourself or not is another question. :)

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Literature Nerd Does sitting by a nice cozy fire, with a cup of hot tea/chocolate, and a book you can read for hours even when your eyes grow red and dry and you look sort of scary sitting there with your insomniac appearance? Then you fit this category perfectly! You love the power of the written word and it's eloquence; and you may like to read/write poetry or novels. You contribute to the smart people of today's society, however you can probably be overly-critical of works. It's okay. I understand.
Science/Math Nerd
Drama Nerd
Musician
Social Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Artistic Nerd
Anime Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace

My Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-03-26T22:29:00.001-04:00

Celebrity look-alikes?

My celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

Evidently, the eight people included below all look like cartoons, and we just never realized it. :)

Beyonce Knowles: 72%
Aya Matsuura: 68%
Brandy Norwood: 68%
Garcelle Beauvais: 67%
Greta Garbo: 66%
Kimberly Williams: 66%
Bette Davis: 64%
Mariah Carey: 64%

Piratepalooza

2007-03-18T16:18:00.000-04:00

March 10, 1997 - March 10, 2007: Ten years

2007-03-10T02:29:00.000-05:00

March 10, 1997 - March 10, 2007: Ten years

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Buffy's premiere, which is apparently a big to-do in the Whedonverse today, here is a bunch of videos compiled by the Buffy Sing-A-Long site. Hopefully they won't mind that I'm posting their playlist and comments here, but if they do, I'll gladly take that all down and just link to the original post.

(Here endeth the portion of this post that I had any part in writing.)

Once More With Different Actors

Did I just hear you say that you wish somebody would put together a YouTube playlist of Once More With Feeling, but use clips that have little or nothing to do with the show?

Well aren’t you lucky:

1. Buffy Theme - Buffy Movie Cast–Gotta give props to the original
2. Going Through the Motions - Bones–Angel as Buffy
3. I’ve Got a Theory - Scooby Doo (the movie)–Buffy as Daphne as Buffy–PS: Look for Seth Green in the last couple of seconds
4. Got the Mustard Out - Fan Video–They’re so excited
5. Under Your Spell - Corpse Bride–Who isn’t under the spell of Johnny Depp as an animated goth boy?–Also, “You Make Me Complete” takes on a completely different meaning when he puts her hand back on
6. I’ll Never Tell - Teen Titans –I’ve actually never seen this show, but it fits really well
7. The Parking Ticket - The Sims–Amazing
8. Rest in Peace - Random Little Girl–Maybe a little too cute. . . and creepy. (I think the little girl was given a Serenity name)
9. Dawn’s Ballet - Tribute to Dawn–Suprisingly not a lot of choices for Dawn’s Ballet
10. What You Feel - Harry Potter–Voldemort is The Dark Lord…of the Dance (original and Reprise are here). Maybe after the next movie they can do more with this.
11. Standing In The Way - Random Ice Skater–In honor of Buffy’s love of Ice Capades
12. Walk Through the Fire - Veronica Mars–Logan as Spike!
13. Something to Sing About - Original Version–But sped Up to be super fast — look at her she’s dancing crazy!
14. Where Do We Go From Here-SPOILERS!!! Montage of Last Buffy Episode

If the videos stop playing at any point, scoll down on the film frames next to the player and select the next clip. If you like these videos, please comment on their original YouTube pages. We did not make any of these and I’m sure the authors would love the feedback.

VisualDNA personality profile

2007-03-04T00:02:00.000-05:00

VisualDNA personality profile

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Wednesday, February 14, 2007 9:39PM

2007-02-21T22:46:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, February 14, 2007 9:39PM

Have you ever had so much to say that you cannot possibly say any of it? I know that sounds stupid, but I've always found that when there's a lot going on all at once, I never write any of it down. Entire years, for instance, are missing from my journal, and it is in those years that, perhaps, I've had the hardest times. In my first-year English class, we learned about absence vs. presence in The Turn of the Screw and what it meant of the importance of events to the narrator based on whether they were described or left out. God, I miss English class. I don't miss essays, really, although I sort of do.

I wonder what has happened to my creativity over the years; I think I used to be an at least half-decent writer back in the wonder years, but now I can't even formulate complete stories, not even just in my head. Occasionally I can see a perfect vision of a single scene in my head, but when I write it down it seems wrong, or maybe sometimes it turns out fine but then there's still the problem of there not being a rest of the story. It's just the one scene.

Sometimes I'm pretty sure the only thing holding me back is me. I should just get over it, right? You'd think that if the only problem is me, then I should be able to stop myself from, well, stopping me. If that makes any sense. I'm afraid to do the things that I think I might want to do, because it's too risky and I've probably never taken a risk in my life. I wouldn't trade who I am for anything, but sometimes I really hate the problems I cause for myself.

I worry about the children growing up these days, and the state of the world they are growing up in. They have never known a world without high-speed Internet and rampant cellphone use and Heaven knows if they'll ever write a letter with old-fashioned pen and paper and send it by post. They'll be too busy sending e-mails or playing games so realistic-looking you can't tell they aren't actually real at all.

Sorry the above is so disjointed. I typed all of that on my work laptop a week ago while I had a rather large headache and after thinking deep thoughts all the way back to Toronto from Cornwall. I couldn't help it; my Snicket book only lasted me an hour, and then I was left up to my own devices for about another 3 hours. The above is the rather train-of-thought-ish result of that...those are just pieces of complete thoughts, really, and there is likely more that I could say about all of those things, but that's what I've got here for now, in all its [mostly-]unedited glory.

As Izzy once told me, if I'm hesitating now on actually posting this, that's the surest sign that I should go ahead and just do it. So here goes, I suppose.

P.S. In other news, I won two free passes to watch an advance screening of the movie 300 on Monday. I wasn't sure if I wanted to see that, but hell, free movie? Sign me up! Heh.

2007-01-23T09:23:00.000-05:00

NOMINATIONS BY CATEGORY - 79TH ACADEMY AWARDS

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND
Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON
Peter O'Toole - VENUS
Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN
Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND
Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS
Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penélope Cruz - VOLVER
Judi Dench - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN
Meryl Streep - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Kate Winslet - LITTLE CHILDREN

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza - BABEL
Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS
Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL

Best animated feature film of the year
CARS
HAPPY FEET
MONSTER HOUSE

Achievement in art direction
DREAMGIRLS
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
PAN'S LABYRINTH
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
THE PRESTIGE

Achievement in cinematography
THE BLACK DAHLIA
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE ILLUSIONIST
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE PRESTIGE

Achievement in costume design
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
DREAMGIRLS
MARIE ANTOINETTE
THE QUEEN

Achievement in directing
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
THE QUEEN
UNITED 93

Best documentary feature
DELIVER US FROM EVIL
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
JESUS CAMP
MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY

Best documentary short subject
THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT
RECYCLED LIFE
REHEARSING A DREAM
TWO HANDS

Achievement in film editing
BABEL
BLOOD DIAMOND
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
UNITED 93

Best foreign language film of the year
AFTER THE WEDDING
DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES)
THE LIVES OF OTHERS
PAN'S LABYRINTH
WATER

Achievement in makeup
APOCALYPTO
CLICK
PAN'S LABYRINTH

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
BABEL
THE GOOD GERMAN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"I Need to Wake Up" - AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
"Listen" - DREAMGIRLS
"Love You I Do" - DREAMGIRLS
"Our Town" - CARS
"Patience" - DREAMGIRLS

Best motion picture of the year
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
THE QUEEN

Best animated short film
THE DANISH POET
LIFTED
THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL
MAESTRO
NO TIME FOR NUTS

Best live action short film
BINTA AND THE GREAT IDEA (BINTA Y LA GRAN IDEA)
ÉRAMOS POCOS (ONE TOO MANY)
HELMER & SON
THE SAVIOUR
WEST BANK STORY

Achievement in sound editing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Achievement in sound mixing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
DREAMGIRLS
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Achievement in visual effects
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
POSEIDON
SUPERMAN RETURNS

Adapted screenplay
BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
LITTLE CHILDREN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Original screenplay
BABEL
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN

Oh, right. THAT's what doing nothing feels like.

2007-01-11T13:46:00.000-05:00

Oh, right. THAT's what doing nothing feels like.

So I'm in the office today and tomorrow with approximately nothing I need to do, a phenomenon that I haven't experienced to date since I started working here. If we weren't busy doing client work, we always had CKE exam studying to fall back on and/or neglect to do. Now? Nothing. Our exam results will be out next week and now I'm going to go about forgetting about that entirely because I don't really want to think about it, thanks. Anyway, I basically spent this morning reading through parts of our company expense policy mostly because I'll be travelling to Connecticut this Saturday to Friday and there are things I need to know. Anyway, I could use these two days of down time -- somebody mentioned this thing called "sleep" that I should get better acquainted with. Except that I won't. Because I'll SAY I'm going to sleep, but then I'll do something else instead since I suddenly have more guiltless free time on my hands. Yay! I'm gonna try to enjoy it while it lasts. I'll probably have free time while I'm in Connecticut, too, but it'll likely be spent at my hotel there, in front of the television or book. I intend to read as much as possible, if I can help it. Depends how late we work every day.

Huh. I've written more than I intended to. Sometimes I just keep babbling on, and with no one here to stop me, I could go on forever. Except that I won't. Because I am lazy and because technically there are more productive uses for my time while I'm here.

And, um, as the antithesis of that thought, here are the first promotional images from Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End (everyone's been writing the title as "At World's End", but the writer specifically said that the title the people-in-charge have decided on does not have the apostrophe in it).

See the rest of them at Ain't It Cool News!

Counting down to time zero

2007-01-01T22:19:00.000-05:00

Counting down to time zero

Who knew that you could feel incredibly bored and incredibly nervous at the same time?

I certainly didn't, until this week, anyway. Tomorrow is the day before my exam and that is terrifying. It would be really bad if I didn't pass the exam because everybody knows I'm writing it; you know? I have sacrificed a lot of holiday time to study this crap, and if even after all that (granted, there have been, as always, distractions, but that is not the point and I did try to be good), it doesn't pay off, it'll all have been for nothing, almost. Also, it doesn't help to have two accountants in my immediate family who think they are helping but in actuality are just making me feel worse. Everyone (family, friends) is telling me that I'll pass for sure, but I don't know where that certainty has come from. Mostly my fellow exam-writers know better; this isn't a sure thing for any of us, really, except the huge brainers.

So, to recap: very nervous, very bored, very tired. Arrgh. I am so watching a movie or seeing friends (assuming anyone's even around after the break is over) or something after this. Um, when I'm not at work, that is, 'cause we all have to go back to work the day after the exam. Boourns.

Arrgh, I don't have anything else to say. God I hate studying. I really miss having the time to properly lounge about with a good book and just read. Bah! 'Course, all this studying didn't stop me from reading stuff online during "study breaks" (which, I must admit, were more frequent than the actual studying on some days) and, um, rereading the end of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Other than that, though, I've tried to stay focused. It's nearly impossible for me, Juliet the Easily Distracted, but I haven't even played with my new Christmas gifts or anything ~~even though I did assemble my Game of Life board and try out my DVDs to make sure they work~~!

Anyway, hope you all had a good New Year's and all that, and I really hope that this exam won't make me start off my year with a dismal disappointment.

The year that was 2006

2006-12-31T00:12:00.000-05:00

The year that was 2006

I could write something long-winded and pseudo-reflective, but why should I when filling in this survey is so much easier? :) (Stolen from Kyasuriin, who had a similar train of thought.)

1. If you could give just one word for '06 what would it be?

whuh?

2. What are your favorite memories of '06?

Making and keeping university friends; convocation; Hawaii; seeing movies/hanging out with friends; Serenity charity screening; going to LA with Isolde; work training at Blue Mountain; the deterioration of my sense of humor to the point where the stupidest things are hilarious... to tell you the truth, these are either my favorite memories, or these are actually my only memories. Seriously. I'm not sure what else happened other than what I've already listed. Lol.

3. From 1-10 how would you rate this year?

7

4. If you could change one thing about '06 what would it be?

Less studying. More fun. Less guilt. Yeah, some combination of those three things would've been excellent. Also, more time spent with friends.

5. If you could rewind back to one moment what would it be?

Rewind? You think I want to live through all of this again, do you?

6. Best vacation you went on?

LA. Hear that, Iz? 4 days in LA was better than 10 days in sunny, beachy, there's-nothing-to-do-but-lounge-around-anyway Hawaii. :)

Friends

1. Did you make any new friends?

I have made some friends at work, yes.

2. Do you think any of your friends have changed?

Not any more than I expected them to. Everybody changes, even if on a core level we're all still the same as we've been for years.

3. Do you still have the same friends you had in the beginning of the year?

Yes, plus a few new additions. :)

4. Who would you say were your best friends overall this year?

The same ones who were my best friends overall last year.

5. Where did you spend most of your time?

In front of my computer. In my defense, my computer is an excellent tool with which I can connect to the outside world. :)

Life

1. Do you have any regrets for this year?

I always have regrets. I do try not to dwell on any of them, but if you're gonna actually ASK me about them, I'm gonna remember 'em. You know?

2. Has a lot changed in your life?

Somehow, I managed to procure myself a university degree. Say what? Also, I started my first job. I'm still waiting for them to realize that that was a mistake. Perhaps after I get my CKE exam results back.

3. Do you think you have changed?

I'm...honestly not sure. Do you think I have?

4. Do you have a New Year's Resolution? What is it?

I don't really make resolutions, per se. I've never liked New Year's anyway.

Relationships

1. Did you break any relationships?

No.

2. Did you meet someone special?

Not in the way you mean. (Don't ask me who "you" is.)

3. Have you had any "firsts" this year?

First job would be the major one.

In '06 have you:

[ ] Kissed anyone
[x] Hugged anyone
[x] Been out of ~~state~~ province
[x] Gone on vacation
[ ] Failed a class
[ ] Been camping
[x] Ridden a roller coaster
[ ] Gone snow boarding
[ ] Played laser tag
[x] Been out of the country
[x] Fallen asleep crying
[x] Wished you didn’t do something
[x] Laughed so hard it hurt
[ ] Had surgery
[ ] Been to a bonfire
[ ] Made smores
[x] Drank any alcoholic beverage
[x] Made a mistake
[ ] Prank called anyone
[x] Dyed/highlighted your hair
[ ] Gotten a tattoo
[ ] Chopped off a lot of your hair
[ ] Broken any bones
[ ] Been in a physical fight
[ ] Played hide and seek
[ ] Been to a funeral
[x] Said something to someone you wish you could take back
[ ] Been to the circus
[ ] Shot a gun
[ ] Passed out
[x] Played a sport
[ ] Been to the hospital
[ ] Been pantsed
[ ] Lost your voice
[ ] Gone to the zoo
[x] Been shopping
[x] Cooked your own food
[ ] Played paintball
[ ] Gone mudding
[ ] Ridden a motorcycle
[ ] Painted a room
[x] Gained weight
[x] Gone without food for 10 hours
[ ] Gone four wheeling
[ ] Lost someone important to you
[x] Slept for over 12 hours

Happy end of 2006, everyone.

The Christmas spoils

2006-12-27T16:01:00.001-05:00

The Christmas spoils

Ha ha, you see what I did there? "Spoils" as in what I got, and also as in I'm so totally spoiled? I'm SO SMRT.

Toys!

DVDs!

Books!

Lemony Snicket, ASOUE #13: The End (which I can't read until I read books 7-12 first, but it's still nice to have!)
What Would Buffy Do? by Jana Riess

Music!

All of which makes Juliet very happy. :) Now, if only I had the requisite amount of time to fully enjoy all of these things right now, that would be AWESOME. Although all of these things are quite awesome enough already. :)

Off again to study now -- I'm gonna try to give it a really good go for the rest of today and hopefully tomorrow... sigh. I'll be glad just to be done with this wretched exam one way or another, but I would prefer to, you know, pass it and all. So...bye!

(I hope all of you had a lovely Christmas/other annual winter holiday too!)

Harry Potter and the...

2006-12-21T09:16:00.000-05:00

Harry Potter and the...

It seems that J.K. Rowling has announced the title of the last book on her website -- there hasn't been any confirmation yet that this is the real title, but it certainly seems that way.

This post on The Leaky Cauldron explains how to view the title on the author's site. (There's a first step that they left out of the instructions. The first thing you have to do is click on the pink eraser on the main page.)

If you can't get to the title or you don't want to bother, I can just tell you what it is. :)

For those of you who know what the title is...thoughts?

UPDATE: The title has been officially confirmed.

Soundtrack to the movie of my life

2006-12-18T20:37:00.000-05:00

Soundtrack to the movie of my life

In lieu of content, because I'm "studying", why don't you have another meme instead? :)

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library. [iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc.]
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button.

Opening Credits:
Firefly Soundtrack, "River's Dance"

Waking Up:
Texas, "I'll See It Through"

First Day at School:
Chantal Kreviazuk, "These Days"

Falling in Love:
The Dandy Warhols, "The Last High"

Fight Song:
Coldplay, "Everything's Not Lost"

Break-Up Song:
TLC, "Waterfalls"

Prom:
The Lord of the Rings, "The Ride of the Rohirrim" (that's...really not such a good prom song, is it?)

Life's Okay:
Our Lady Peace, "Automatic Flowers"

Mental Breakdown:
Tori Amos, "Cornflake Girl"

Driving:
Eiffel 65, "Blue (Da Ba Dee)"

Flashback:
Keane, "Can't Stop Now"

Back Together:
Avril Lavigne, "Fall to Pieces" (what song is this?)

Wedding:
Christina Aguilera, "Hello" (have I ever listened to this song? man, I have a lot of songs on here)

Birth of child:
Tori Amos, "Pancake"

Final Battle:
Air, "Le Voyage de Penelope"

Death Scene:
No Doubt, "Tragic Kingdom"

Funeral Song:
Our Lady Peace, "Clumsy"

Ending Credits:
Keane, "Everybody's Changing"

2006-12-15T11:25:00.000-05:00

Dude. Sometimes my horoscope is just way too accurate to dismiss as codswallop.

I...have never used the word "codswallop" before in my life. Huh.

Capricorn - Daily Extended Horoscope (by Astrology.com)
Right now your career doesn't just require that you put in time and energy while you're actually at work. You have to go above and beyond to truly succeed in the position you're in. You might not realize the level of responsibility you've been given, but a lot of people have a lot of faith in you. To ensure that you don't disappoint yourself or anyone else, put in a little bit of extra effort and go the extra mile.

2006-12-14T20:31:00.000-05:00

The Golden Globe Award nominations were announced this morning, and whee! Either I like good stuff, or I just like so many different things that there was bound to be nominations for SOMEthing. Heh. Anyway, my point being -- yay! I didn't notice any significant omissions from my point of view, other than the complete lack of Veronica Mars. Ah well. Can't win them all, I guess.

Of course, the actual Awards broadcast will be on January 15th while I'm working in Connecticut, but...hotels have TVs, don't they? :)

( The nominees )

Update on the exciting life of a staff accountant

2006-12-13T11:41:00.000-05:00

Update on the exciting life of a staff accountant

I'm finally back in the office today after finishing my work at a client's location yesterday. It's good to be back -- well, no, really it's just good to not have anything to work on right now. Now I can neglect to study for my own stupid reasons instead of not studying because I have too much stuff to work on during the day. It's all me now. At least for the time being.

I'm pretty much finished with all of my holiday shopping -- I started early because I assume I'll be studying during my time off (two weeks starting next week, followed by our exam on January 3rd). Only one left is my brother, who (whom? whatever) I have concluded is nothing like me at all based on the wishlist items he's told me about so far. What the heck is this "Spa by BMW" thing anyway? And should a model of a BMW motorcycle really cost $88? I mean, really. What does one do with a model motorcycle (oh, this is good, coming from the queen of buying useless things)?

Anyway, got to go for now (is it lunchtime yet? Man, I'm hungry), but there's a little update for all of you so you know I'm still alive. For now . . .

<edit> p.s., I had a dentist appointment yesterday, and apparently all those nights of falling asleep with the light still on without brushing my teeth first did nothing to damage my teeth. Go me! ...Although I probably shouldn't make a habit out of doing that. I've been good lately...really! </edit>

<edit2> Good grief, they just tried to send me out to another client this afternoon on nearly the other end of the city. I din't have to go, though, because I don't have my car here with me -- it's actually my mom's car, and so when I'm not scheduled to go anywhere, I take the subway to the office and give the car back to her. Evidently this is an issue, since I am apparently supposed to drive my Mom's car here every day just in case they need to send me somewhere. Right. We'll talk when you start paying for the gas and parking space that I'd need if I was driving here on a daily basis when I could very well get here by subway for 2 dollars. I'm just saying. Now I'm just worried that they'll want to send me out somewhere tomorrow or on Friday, because I don't have very good excuses (OTHER THAN THAT I DON'T OWN A CAR) for not being able to go out at a moment's notice now that I've been informed. Bllaaaaaah. </edit2>

The 2006 Great Canadian Literary Quiz

2006-11-25T13:55:00.000-05:00

The 2006 Great Canadian Literary Quiz

As I posted last year's quiz from The Globe and Mail, I thought I'd uphold/start my own tradition: here is the 2006 Great Canadian Literary Quiz. See how many answers you know. :) I took a quick look, and I think I only know one... :P

[edit] p.s., I totally just caved and bought Firefly on DVD today. I was gonna hold out and buy it [even] later, but eh, what would be the point of that? Anyway, I was at Wal-Mart and it was the lowest price I've seen for it so I just went for it. So now I own Firefly. Yay! And the nicest part about a short-lived, much-loved series is that (a) you can get the whole series in one set for a relatively low price and (b) lots of (well, enough) features to satisfy the fans. :) [/edit]

Reese's Pieces

2006-10-31T09:09:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to post something new here for at least a few days, and I've been too busy/tired to do it. So what is it that has finally given me the impetus to write something new? Ryan and Reese splitting up. I had such great hopes for them. :( Yes, I care about sorta superficial things, shut up. Sigh.

Can somebody remind me what the purpose of the daylight saving time system is? 'Cause all I know is that now, when I get home at 6:00, it's pitch black outside. Seriously. I couldn't even tell which direction the bus was driving in. And yes, that sentence did end in a preposition. They're moving the "fall back" a week later next year...a lot of good that'll do. :P I'll be working one hour longer between November and April, too, so it'll be really dark by the time I get home.

Now on to what I've been wanting to write about: leaving your comfort zone. I've been thinking that I should eventually (but not that eventually) move out of my parents' home and get my own place. The earliest possible time that would happen would be in a year from now, after I (theoretically) pass all of my professional accounting exams. The thing is, it's not like I really, really want to leave...I just feel like I should. And that I need to. If not only because at least every other day one or both of my parent(s) drive(s) me up the wall. :) But mostly I just think I need to do some things on my own that maybe I'm not even that comfortable with, like living on my own. I need to try and do that, take care of that home stuff like electricity bills and cooking dinner and things like that that my parents currently do for me because I've had a nice, cushy life so far. I'm not sure how I'd feel about coming home to an empty apartment/condo/whatever and nobody being there to greet me, but...I don't know. Maybe it'd be okay? I wouldn't mind having a roommate, but it'd probably be pretty hard to coordinate this kind of thing with anybody I know, and I'd rather not live with a stranger. Anyway, I'm not saying I'm definitely moving in a year from now. I mean, I only moved in a year ago to the place I live now, and I've got my room and stuff the way I like it now, and I'm not all that keen on doing that all again, you know? I've just got thoughts. Figure out if I can be my own person.

Happy Halloween!

Movie Quotes and Song Memes

2006-10-15T20:10:00.000-04:00

As is customary during those times in which the not-uncommon combination of (a) it being time to update with something because it's been forever since I last have, (b) the extremely adept skills I have at avoiding whatever it is I told myself I'd do, and (c) a lack of time (and/or the presence of guilt) to write-up a real post, I have some memes for you. :) I thought I'd stick to the topics I probably know best: movies and music. One's participatory on your part; the other's more of a spectator sport. Here goes. (In other news, I'm not a big fan of the word "meme", but I don't know what else to call these things.)

( Movie Quotes Meme )
( Song Meme )

You can leave comments either here or on LJ; whichever you prefer. :)

Is the mountain really blue?

2006-09-24T17:20:00.000-04:00

Is the mountain really blue?

Just got back from a week of audit training at Blue Mountain in Collingwood, Ontario. We went up on Sunday afternoon and came back to Toronto on Friday evening. Most of each day while we were there was spent in class, but in the evenings we did have some time to relax and hang out with friends and coworkers. Some of the stores in the small village at Blue Mountain Inn closed rather early, though, so there wasn't actually too much for us to do other than hanging out in each other's townhouses -- we were all staying within Blue Mountain Inn, but all of us were in different townhouse units with at least 3 of us in each. Not a bad setup; each townhouse had its own kitchen, living room, bathroom(s) and all that. Apparently, some of them even had saunas in them; I don't think mine did, or the door to it was locked. I don't know. I doubt I would've wanted to use it anyway.

On the first evening (Sunday) a group of us rushed through a quick dinner at Pita Pit -- there was only one employee there and she took all of our orders and then made all of the pitas all at once, so it took a while -- before heading out to what had been referred to as a "Welcome Reception Cocktail" in our itineraries. It turns out all that rushing was kind of for naught, because there was no formal presentation or anything scheduled at the reception, and there weren't so much cocktails as just wine, beer or water. We'd thought they'd at least tell us what we'd be doing the next day (we had an itinerary already, yes, but the times on it were tentative at best), but no. So we lingered for a bit until we got too tired -- we hadn't even unpacked yet and I for one had changed into my nicer clothes in about 2 minutes and left my room looking like a minor disaster area -- and everything was fine until I got back to my townhouse and realized my keycard wasn't working. Of course. I'd forgotten to keep the card separate from my camera case, which has a magnetic closure. When I ordered the case, the description specifically said the closure was Velcro, and it had the same model number as the one I got sent, so I don't know what happened there. Anyway, I was outside the door to my townhouse, it was 9:30 PM and it was quite dark in the absence of any street lights, so rather than waiting around for one of my housemates to come back with a keycard, I went over to a coworker's unit. I knew she'd be home because we'd just come back on the hotel shuttle van together, so that's where I headed. Used the phone there and was told that someone would bring me a new card. Found out that my new friend's (she went to the same university as I did, but we never officially met) older sister used to work with my older brother at the accounting firm my brother used to work at, and we noted that we were the second incarnation of respective siblings working together. I think she's working downtown, though, and I'm working uptown in North York, so technically we won't actually see much of each other, in all likelihood.

Monday night was something else. Big rainstorm. Big group activity scheduled, rain or shine. Big scavenger hunt all over the Blue Mountain Inn grounds. It wasn't actually that bad with the rain; sure, we all got plenty soaked, but we all had plastic ponchos on which helped a little (even if the hoods would not stay up at all) and somehow I managed to avoid splashing into any of the really large puddles along the way even though we were running around like madpeople everywhere. The only drawback really was that I could barely tell what some of the people in my group looked like, and because we were busy running and avoiding getting drenched all night, that didn't leave much room for introductions or bonding. Ah well. It was fun anyway. At one of the checkpoints, there was a riddle that we had to write down the answer to: "Would you rather a crocodile attack you or an alligator?" I immediately gave the right answer -- I don't know, I'm not that smart. I think I'd probably heard it before somewhere -- but nobody believed me. I was like, JUST WRITE IT DOWN! Anyway, later on the riddle was explained to everybody, and, um, the explanation I'd been giving before hadn't actually been right...but nobody'd understood what I was trying to say anyway, and I did get the right answer, so it's all good. :)

Tuesday was mostly uneventful; Wednesday we had a "banquet dinner" that turned out to be a 3-hour session on business etiquette at meals. Some of the stuff that the Etiquette Lady was telling us was just ridiculously impractical, though, but some of it was okay. I figure as long as you know the generally accepted practices of polite public eating -- you know, like which fork to use, where to put things, etc. etc. -- then you'll be fine, really. All it takes is a bit of knowledge and more common sense. Anyway, by the time the main entrée came around, none of us were very hungry anymore. I mean, we'd all sat down at 6 PM, and we weren't finished until 9 PM. Oh well. At least the food was good.

Thursday was again uneventful; we went to a Karaoke thing at 10 PM but it was kind of a wash, and Friday we didn't have to wear business casual to class because it was a short day before our buses left at 4 PM. My facilitators noticed that I'd fallen asleep in class at least once every day! D'oh! Fortunately for me, I think they all work at the downtown office. I was hoping they hadn't noticed, but I was sitting right in the center table all week...

Now we're all back home, and tomorrow we're having a Volunteer Day. I'm going to help with Heart & Stroke's tax receipts, whatever that means -- some people are going to plant trees; it's all been pre-assigned -- and then we're going for dinner in the Distillery District. Should be interesting.

Oh, p.s. - It's the 25th anniversary of ALA's Banned Books Week this year from September 23rd to 30th. Check out the BBW Resource Guide Short List to find out which books were banned or challenged in 2005-2006 and why.

POLL: Which of these books banned/challenged in 2005-2006 have you read?

T minus 12.5

2006-09-10T19:30:00.000-04:00

T minus 12.5

Oh God. I start my new job at 8 AM tomorrow morning, and I'm sort of a little bit nervous. I'm a chronic worrier, so there isn't anything I can do about that until tomorrow actually gets here, and I force myself to suck it up and just go in there and do what I have to do.

Technically the next two weeks or so are more job training and technical training for our first professional exam than what my actual job would be, so I suppose that's better than just going in there cold turkey, because...I know nothing. That would be bad for everyone. Except for, possibly, those of you who do not and will not ever need accountants. That's where you're mistaken -- YOU ALL NEED ACCOUNTANTS*. You just don't know it yet. :P

Tomorrow isn't an entirely bad date to be starting on. Okay, so it's mostly bad, yes, but it's also Isolde's fourth anniversary so that's good and that's what I'm going with, all right? Right. I will leave you all now to ~~fret and sigh some more and, oh, it's dinner time~~ continue preparing myself for the big day tomorrow. I'll be fine. Juuuust fine. This just LOOKS like I'm hyperventilating. ;)

* I actually have no idea if you all need accountants. I'm just trying to convince you all that they're um, you know...cool. Which they totally aren't. BUT THEY ARE. Well, I am, at any rate, so THERE YOU GO.

Welcome to Sunny California

2006-08-31T18:37:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Sunny California

All right, I guess I've put this off long enough. I suppose this means that the LA trip I went on with Isolde from August 9th to August 12th is really over and that the summer's really coming to a close and that – holy crap! – I start work in about a week from now. Egads. Anyway, on with the recap of our short trip to Los Angeles. The trip might've actually been shorter than this recap is. So, you know, brace yourselves. I thought of editing it down, but really, I can't be bothered. Apologies; feel free to skip bits of it, or don't if you actually want to ~~listen to~~ read my rambles.

( Day One )

( Day Two )

( Day Three )

( Day Four )

( And, later that day, back in Toronto )

Anyway, so that's that. The whole trip went by really quickly – and I knew it would, because four days is a short time to cover a city like LA, but it went even faster than I'd anticipated. I hope my travelmate enjoyed the trip as much as I did. :) And now that I've finally finishing typing this trip recap up, we can get on with our regularly-scheduled programming. Um, or we will, once I actually have something else to say. Tootles!

Crazy/Sane

2006-08-04T23:22:00.000-04:00

Crazy/Sane

Jack: "I think I'm going crazy."
Locke: "Oh, you're not going crazy."
Jack: "No?"
Locke: "No, crazy people don't know they're going crazy; they think they're getting saner." - LOST

Can anyone tell me when I became the normal one and the world went crazy? I don't think I've gotten saner, but something is almost definitely happening to all the people around me (well, most of 'em, anyway). Hmm. Did I miss some sort of universal memo?

Just another day in the life of the sort-of young and sometimes stupid

2006-07-25T14:31:00.000-04:00

Just another day in the life of the sort-of young and sometimes stupid

I just sent off the big package of forms I had to fill in for my new job. The letter that came with the forms when my company sent them to me said "here are a couple of forms to fill in". Right. Couple of forms, if by "couple" you mean "several" and that you'll ask for information that I don't have and have never been provided with in the first place. They also gave us a website to login to that would "provide [us] with additional information [we would] need to fill out the forms", and by that they meant, "You know the Staff Benefits Handbook? Yeah, print that out yourself. We know we should be the ones provided that to you, but eh", and also that we wouldn't find ALL the additional info we'd need. Not at all. Also, tell me how this makes sense: they want all the forms by July 31st, but they're going to give us the rest of the information we're missing when we start work in September. So I ask you, what is the logic of not either (a) giving us the missing info (like employee number, our e-mail address, etc.) now, or (b) collecting the forms from us after we have the info in September? Honestly. Most of the info we're missing is available, of course, on the company intranet, although none of us actually has access to that right now. Bah.

Two days from now, it'll be my one-year anniversary of moving into this place. Weird, really. Still feels like just yesterday, and I'm still getting used to my ears getting plugged on the way up to and down from here on the elevator, you know? Also, I just found out where you go to get on the freight elevator from the parking level. Are ya sure it's really been a year...?

I don't have anything else more interesting to report, really. Summer's more than half over and I still haven't done half the stuff I always say I'll do when I have time. I haven't done more reading, I haven't written more either online or on paper, I haven't discovered the meaning of life, and I haven't rid myself of my caffeine addiction (although it isn't as bad anymore). One of those may be more challenging than the others. I don't know. I'm too busy doing nothing to have time to figure that out.

The Dungeon of Juliet A

2006-07-01T22:12:00.000-04:00

The Dungeon of Juliet A

Apparently, I'm not very good at surviving in my own dungeon. Go figure. :)

I died in the Dungeon of Juliet A

I was killed in a crumbling pit by Suzy Marianne the arch-demon, whilst carrying...

the Axe of Epicyclical, the Amulet of Icons, the Shield of Fanlistings, a Figurine of Marishna, a Figurine of Cuterulz, the Axe of Cleolinda and 101 gold pieces.

Score: 113

Explore the Dungeon of Juliet A and try to beat this score,
or enter your username to generate and explore your own dungeon...

ETA: Okay, I tried it again and did better, but I'm leaving up my old results just because I think it's cool that Suzy Marianne was the one who got me. Et tu, Susan? :) Heh.

I escaped from the Dungeon of Juliet A!

I killed Lotrsues the kobold, Hermionesues the floating eye, Elflady 2001 the gelatinous cube and Trailer Spot the kobold.

I looted the Shield of Fanlistings, a Figurine of Marishna, a Figurine of Cuterulz, the Amulet of Caribbeansues, the Axe of Cleolinda, the Shield of Potcsues, the Sword of Teh Indy, the Armour of Toronto, the Armour of Potterpuffs and 113 gold pieces.

Score: 238

Explore the Dungeon of Juliet A and try to beat this score,
or enter your username to generate and explore your own dungeon...

I went to school for 20 years, and all I got was this diploma

2006-06-12T22:28:00.000-04:00

I went to school for 20 years, and all I got was this diploma

Well, okay. Two diplomas, technically. And one of them I'm not getting until tomorrow at my university convocation ceremony, which I'm sure will be anti-climactic after all these years of educational, stressful, self-doubting and self-affirming student-being. Hmm. Anyway, I suppose it'll be nice to go back to my alma mater one last time to celebrate my ~~illustrious~~ long academic career and see my Commerce friends all together again, assuming they all show up. Anyway, yay! I'm convocating! w00t. :)

This past year I've finally figured out why it is that people older than myself don't seem to like popular music very much. I always assumed it was because as we all get older, we just don't care about music and keeping up with current tastes as much as we used to when we were younger, and I figured that I would always care about music and hence always be able to enjoy current musical trends. I think I was wrong. It isn't the people who change; it's the music. I still love music just as much as I ever have, but I suddenly find that most of what I hear on the radio these days and most of the artists that get nominated for awards on MuchMusic or MTV are either people I've never heard of or people I don't like very much. Suddenly, I seem to be listing to "adult alternative", or "soft rock", or "easy listening", or "classic rock", or whatever the heck you call this stuff anyway. Hell, I even listen to more showtunes than I used to. There are still songs on the radio that I enjoy, but these are much rarer than the songs that I can take or leave with some degree of indifference. I understand now: it isn't that we stop caring about music, it's just that music stops being directed towards us. Radio-friendly music, anyway. Hmm. The further I get into my twenties, the stranger everything gets. My world view, it is shaken.

I went to see the Lord of the Rings musical last week, and I could say more about it but I'm feeling rather lazy right now. So I'll just keep it to two comments, I think:
(1) There weren't that many songs in this musical, really. And I'm not altogether convinced that they used as much time as they had to make sure that this show was as top-notch as it could be. I mean, the songs were decent and the dancing and such was well-choreographed, but...still. The whole reason this show opened in Toronto was because all the London theaters are full-up right now, but couldn't the production have just taken more time to put together really, really well, and then open up at a later time when the London theaters become free? I mean, if they were concerned that they'd lose their audience if they took too long, I think they were misguided to do so -- those hardcore Ringers aren't going to go anywhere. I guess it's possible they thought they'd lose the common non-obsessive folk if they waited, but still.
(2) Saruman gets killed by Bill Ferny? BILL FERNY? In an almost-unintentional manner? Gah! (Bill Ferny, as far as I'm concerned, is not a major character in any way. The Hobbits buy a pony from Bill Ferny in Bree [and hence name the pony after him] and he's a spy of Saruman, but other than that he doesn't matter much at all. Which is why it's kind of insulting for a villain like Saruman to be offed accidentally by him. Blaah.)

Yes, I am a geek. Why do you ask?

Version 6.15

2006-05-16T01:11:00.000-04:00

Version 6.15

On Sunday I actually thought of something, like, deep and profound-sounding that I wanted to post about, but of course, I have now entirely forgotten what that was so you're all being subjected once again to a post that really isn't about anything. Ha. Apologies. I'm telling you, there's something wrong with my memory. Sometimes I'll forget some little fact about something or someone, and then a day or two later, I'll randomly be able to remember again. Or not. By the time I remember what I was gonna post about here, I'll probably be off in Hawaii already anyway.

Speaking of which, I'll be in Ottawa until tomorrow and then Hawaii for ten days after that, so I likely won't be posting anything until after I get back home -- not that I usually post very often, but now I'll have a reason.

Anyway, I leave you all with a new header and color scheme (sort of), and if there are any problems with it, please let me know in the comments and I'll fix it up. You know, after Hawaii.

OLP today! Wheeee! Talk to you all later.

(p.s. It was like Veronica Mars Central on Grey's Anatomy this week -- Ken Marino, Sydney Tamiia Poitier and Tessa Thompson, who respectively play Vinnie VanLowe, Ms. Dent [from Season 1], and Jackie Cook on VM, all turned up during the "three-hour season finale" of Grey's. How gimmicky is it to have a so-called three-part finale? If it's got three parts, the first two parts are not, in fact, the finale. That's just called a three-episode arc, really. But anyway, I always enjoy seeing cast members from other shows pop up in other places, even if it is really confusing at times. Heh. Ahem. Sorry, long p.s. Carry on.)