drakyndra

So, this semester's Uni results are out (for my course at least). As expected, I failed the practical part again - but on the other hand, I got 97% for one of my theory subjects. I'm not sure if that balances out or not.

Anyway, aside from that I have ended up accidentally cleaning my room. Yes, it is in fact possible. It started with the fact that I had clear all the stuff away from my windows so the tradies could come fix them - and thus ended up with a big clear space next to the window, so I finally got around to making up that Ikea bed frame I've been meaning to do for ages. And then I decided to actually go through all the stuff I had lying around and work out what to move where, which resulted in about 8 bags of rubbish, and lots of suddenly clear space in my room.

Well, it's not all clear - I could really rather uses some more cupboards or shelves or just something to put things in so they aren't on the floor. (Which, incidentally, was finally clear enough for a vacuum). But I've managed to find all sorts of random shit when going through my stuff.

I mean, aside from obvious things like old Birthday cards I received (and quite helpfully, old blank Christmas cards) and about a million lost pens, I've so far also found my old film camera, my Discman, piles of old floppy disks - my current computer doesn't even have a floppy drive - several packets of tea, reminder lists to myself of songs to obtain (I decided I owed it to my past self and downloaded all the ones I didn't already have) and old fanfic I wrote and never posted online. Oh, and the photo version of that Joss Whedon incident that certain people around here may recall.

Plus metric shitloads of old souvenirs and what-not that I forgot I had.

The floppy disks are interesting, actually - I labeled some, so I know what's on them. Which means they hearken back to time I was still living on the farm, and we had a dial-up connection, and since I couldn't go online for too long instead of reading fic online, I'd copy it onto disks and read it offline. At least one of the disks has a fic which I think is a WIP which is still being updated.

So yeah, today I cleaned my room up, and then decided to reward myself. So I had hash browns and alcohol. Huzzah! *falls over*

So fa11ing_away's birthday rather did end up dominating my evening. Both the party itself and preparing for it on Sunday (including my discovery that you can buy bottles of Midori that come in bottle shaped cocktail shakers).

And yes, there was ball-gowning on public transport.

Party was rather fancy, because most people seemed to really stick with the theme, masks and swishy clothes and all. Also, there was a chocolate fountain, which makes most things great.

I ended up sticking around until Ridiculous A.M., and was planning to get an early tram home for shower and sleep, but I think I feel asleep while lying on the floor, which meant by the time I got home and had some sleep, most of Sunday was gone, too.

So much for the weekend.

But today I turned in that assignment I completed online, and then worked on my last assignment. I'm mostly done now, just need to do a statement of intention, and then fiddle around with formatting and editing.

But after I hand that in on Wednesday, I shall be free! At least for a few more months, anyway.

And for today's dose of random entertainment, I give you:
...The Mapping Stereotypes Project. Or, how bigots see the world.
...A UK computer store's Star Wars ad campaign. I have to wonder how George Lucas feels about this.
...Old people in China covering "Bad Romance" on satellite TV. The Internet really does have everything nowadays.

And that makes for the end of classes for the year. Now only those assignments to be getting on with.

Not that class today was hugely productive or anything. We talked a bit, someone brought in this amazingly nifty cake which we ate bits of, and then after class we went to the pub for a bit.

Here's a picture of the nifty cake, which one of my classmates made and decorated. Plus what the cake looks like inside.

Now that's the sort of class I really do approve of.

In other news, eeeee! You can now get a hardcopy version of Oglaf, the funniest dirty joke comics around.

Pity it's US based and thus the shipping costs to get it here to Australia makes the whole thing sort of ludicrous in pricing. (Then again, it also sells Hark, A Vagrant! stuff, too.)

So today I went and saw the Queen.

I'm not even a monarchist, but it was, you know, the Queen. She doesn't exactly visit Melbourne every day.

Not a particularly good view, but there were a lot of people there. And honestly, getting there 15 minutes early was enough. I didn't fancy hanging around for hours waiting.

And then after lunch I went to the Melbourne Cemetery and took photos. Which was technically for one of my classes, but was mostly just so I could wander around and look at interesting old gravestones. And stone angels, which I got a few pictures of for the Doctor Who fans.

Oh, and wonder why there is an Elvis memorial in the Melbourne Cemetery.

Of course, all this wandering around the sun seems to have left me with sunburnt arms, which will be less fun.

Since I don't want this post to be entirely about Things I Did Today Which Got Me Sunburnt, have some links of entertainment.

- Bad Romance, performed as a harp duet.
- So Spiderman swing dances now? Or 2007, when that was filmed, but it's still nifty (Especially the acrobatic stuff. Appropriate for Spiderman, huh?)
- Why you should be very careful if a ninja dare you to fight him. Okay, people need to do something like that around here.

And for future reference, in case you need it, MindBleach.org. The link to click whenever you have seen something you really wish you just hadn't.

So, assignment I was working on in last post is now over and done with (well, putting aside editing and rewording) - which to my surprise got done on a Friday, when it wasn't even due until Monday. Wonders never cease.

I suppose I should work on the other thing due Wednesday tomorrow.

So, today I ended up doing some social type things, mostly involved in a Teddy Bears' Picnic I was invited to, of all things. But it involved socialising and foods, so it was all good. Hung out at the Flinders St steps for a bit waiting to meet people for it, and randomly saw some guy in a Fourth Doctor Scarf, and even more randomly someone in a Massacre Princess/blood-stained Euphie outfit.

Was there some unknown cosplay thing on in Melbourne today, or was someone just wearing that for the hell of it?

I didn't end up bringing a teddy bear, instead I brought plushy Death and cake. And the whole picnic lunch ended up going for about 4 hours over three different locations, so there's that.

And after I wandered with Yuhan and Alex up to some gaming shop to kill time by playing board games. And I didn't lose, huzzah!

...Yes, these things amuse me. But it's either talking about that, or Mawaru Penguindrum, since we seem to have got to the point in the series where my comments on the reaction post all seem to be getting the TL;DR penguin on account of theories. And Ikuhara mindfuck.

Speaking of TL;DR and theories, does anyone read the Leviathan trilogy, by Scott Westerfeld? Sort of steampunk AU WW1 era series, featuring a secret heir to an empire and a girl dressed as a boy so she can join the (equivalent to the) air force?

I took some time off from assignmenting earlier this week and finished Goliath, the last in the trilogy, and I have feelings. I kinda want talk meta-y with people about the ending - at possibly contrast with Terry Pratchett's Nation on a certain point.

Anyone willing to join in chat?

ETA: Okay, some spoilers in the comments (for Goliath and Nation).

Stupid degree. Because of it and it's funky timing, everyone else gets to be on mid-semester break, and I won't be yet. Boo.

But since I had yesterday at a seminar thing for Uni, and spent this afternoon writing up an essay (Which is now done! Well, except editing and what-not), I shall talk about something else entirely.

So, how about that Penguindrum? Anyone else on the flist watching? Because Ikuhara has been bringing the delightful mindfuck in these past few weeks, and this week's episode ended on a doozy. And I have absolutely no idea where everything is going, and we're only half-way into things.

_{Also, Shouma/Ringo OTP!}

And since on I'm on the topic of anime, apparently today was Update Your Fics day for my flist. I name no names, just that you people know who you are. But I am pleased.

...Also I made this post to the Code Geass comm about a certain forthcoming action figure. Because yay, shiny merchandise, especially shiny Suzaku figures. Girl's want fanservicey merch too, you know. That I will be unlikely to ever get, but eh. I like knowing shiny things are out there.

Or if you want some of Japan being crack, check out European philosophers as magical girls. As you do.

Speaking of buying things, after the seminar yesterday, I wandered down into the city and ended up at the Spencer St DFO, and ended up buying some new jeans, since my current ones are kinda too big.

And who can say no to $10 jeans, amirite?

And then I went and bought some stuff on Book Depository, which cost more than the jeans. Ain't life grand.

Also, I made a Thai curry the other day, and the recipe actually worked out! Well, mostly, since I think I cooked it for too long, and the cauliflower was sort of disintegrating. But now I have a fridge full of leftover curry.

And we have so far had two people come and take a look at the iPartment windows for a quote, so hopefully in the not too distant future, the window frames will no longer be borked. Sigh.

Here, have a prettiful video of Australian stars.
Or Puss In Boots making like Old Spice Guy if that's more your thing.

Yeah I'm kinda bored right now. Someone comment before I forced to resort to sorting out my jewellery.

Or, "Oh, FOUL" would probably be more appropriate.

Seeing how our delightful club FOUL has their AGM today, and it went... rather like one expects FOUL AGMs to go. Aka, everyone rushing to get through things so they can get to the free Pizza.

A remarkable number of inanimate items, mostly clothing, got elected to positions. Including my hat, which was unanimously voted in to become the "Rear Admiral of Commerce".

Yes, my hat is now higher ranked than I am. Ain't life grand?

Yes, the FOUL AGM was far more interesting than any of today's classes

And a randomly amusing quote from one my lectures today: "Who is Machiavelli, and why is he abstract?"

Also, I have some new icons! Seeing as I felt in need of some Penguindrum ones.

So, the second half of this week ended up being quite as busy as the first.

To start off with there was the finishing up of school placement, which entailed rather a bit of business. And means I am back to having actual classes at Uni now.

Though it also means I can sleep in instead of having to get up stupidly early all the time, which is always a plus.

And then I got a haircut on Thursday. Since it was really rather overdue for one, I'd just put it off until after Manifest and cosplaying. I got it done at a different place than usual, and wasn't really sure how much I liked it to start off with, but after a couple of days (and getting all the product the hairdresser put in washed out) I am much more pleased.

Then, on Friday evening I went to connikins' birthday thing, which meant dinner at a Korean place - I don't think I had actually had Korean food before - and then off to Richmond for a swing dancing lesson.

Korean food was interesting (Sesame ice-cream, om nom nom) and I may have to go back there some other time to investigate what else was on the menu.

And swing dancing was rather fun, so long as you weren't currently being partnered with Sweaty Drunk Guy. About half-way through the lesson I actually twigged that I'd done this footwork before, back when I was doing all my ballet and jazz and what-not, but the partnering stuff was actually kinda new.

Then, last night Mum was down in Melbourne, to visit after getting back from her grand overseas trip, as well as dinner for my sister's birthday. We went out to that Greek place we liked, and has much chatting (and then cake at Brunetti's after), and as well birthday gifts for The Sister, Mum also had some miscellaneous souvenir gifts from... all over the place.

So, there are some assorted pieces of jewellery and accessories from Italy and Hong Kong. And a pen from Buckingham Palace.

So yeah.

And then today I mostly just slept in, bummed around, and finally started messing around on Pottermore. (Yes, I got my invite a week ago, and have been far too busy since then to try it out)

So I have a Larch wand with Unicorn hair, and was sorted into Ravenclaw. Which I can't say I am entirely shocked about. It also provided me a genuine laughing out loud moment when reading the intro speech. Oh Minister for Magic Millicent Bagnold, you provide the lulz.

I appear to have a couple of friends requests already, but I'm having trouble matching Pottermore names to other fandom IDs - if you want me as a Pottermore friend, could you just give me a reminder so I know who is who. (I'm MidnightRook15, for the record).

I also now want fanfic of McGonagall featuring her Pottermore revealed backstory, because it's so interesting.

Pottermore just makes me want to read HP fanfic in general. Anyone got any new recs?

Other random entertainments are:
- 100 years of what to wear in 100 seconds. For everyone who likes retro fashions. Or dancing. Or dancing while wearing retro fashions.
- Interactive Triangulation. LOOK AT ALL THE SHIT YOU CAN MAKE TRIANGLES DO!
- Yuri Lowenthal using his Suzaku voice to ad-lib a deeply un-Suzakulike comment. And I LOL'd.

Should have posted earlier, but I got distracted by things. Whoops.

Anyway, placement started back up again yesterday - though, since I am at the same place as last semester, there was nothing too drastically changed now. (Time-tables are mildly different, though) I do have to adjust to the early mornings, mind, what with having arranged my lectures to prevent that sort of silliness this time around.

Plus planning for my lessons in the block. Any ideas for creative writing folio tasks for Year 8, or Macbeth for Year 11?

And then in the evening I went to FAS's Sugar Ball at Uni, because everyone could use some good old fashioned party games and tubes of sherbet. And people dressed up as all sorts of things (Sadly, having come from placement I was unable to be costumified).

It finished with stomping on balloons!

Oh, and an amusing quote from a tute I was at earlier in the week: "Can girls be wizards, or is it a male dominated industry?"

I also seem to have somehow once more gained a backlog of things to link to. No idea how that happened.

- If Famous Thinkers quoted Herald Sun readers. Oh, the contrast.
- A piece of Harry Potter fanart which I am rather fond of. It's a clever parallel they make there.
- Book reviews demystified. So you can understand what people really mean when they call a book "ambitious" or "fully realized".
- A Mariachi Band serenades a Beluga whale. The whale decides to groove along.
- Live Action Pokemon Trailer. Yes, it's a fan-film, but damn. Oh man, grim and gritty Pokemon.
- Bollywood Dancing to the NyanCat music. It's actually sort of scary how well that works.
- When Harry Potter spells are pronounced wrong... As animated by some guy who works for Dreamworks, which is just plain nifty. It also has a Making Of video.
- HELL TETRIS. It's like playing Tetris, but incredibly painful. (Yes, it is a flash game inspired by an xkcd comic)
- Build your own Solar System. Yes, you too can now play God! And it is fun. (Even when your planets crash into the sun. Or especially when your planets crash into the sun.)

I have actually on occasion gotten my planets to develop life. Once I even managed two planets that did And then one of them crashed into the sun.

In other news, I have decided I wish to read a fanfic crossing over Dresden Files and the Chrestomanci Chronicles. That is all.

Assignment has now been handed in, meaning I am now entirely finished with the semester (except for waiting for marks).

Which means holidays, huzzah!

So after doing my handing stuff in bit, I spent a bit of time chatting with Goldie at Union House, before wandering around and looking at shops,and basically just hanging around the city for a few hours. Ended up buying a couple of books from the Borders closing sale whatsit. And some turquoise earrings that were on special.

I also had a lavender macaron (I know, I was surprised to see that had lavender ones, too). And a hot chocolate with liquor in it. Which was not unpleasant.

Though yes, the absence of class means I am now rather more up for social type things in the city now. Anyone got anything coming up soon?

To finish, I shall link you to the wonder that is Samuel L. Jackson reading "Go the F**k to Sleep".

Because how could anyone not love that? It's pure class, really.