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Alright. In non robot news.

I seemed to spend my weekend procrastinating from drawing. It seems I can't help myself. I'm in the throes of going to the library every day at the moment, but as soon as I get a free minute I'll finish that Clematis page I swear.

But I was procrastinating on good things! I was flicking through Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell when I was at my parents house last week (because it was there). Inspired, I went on a search for information, and found that two of Susanna Clarke's short stories have been adapted for BBC radio 4, and that you can listen to them at the Friends of English Magic. I recommend having a listen to them; they stand alone easily, so there's no nead to have read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell first to enjoy them. I do love Susanna Clarke's stories. What I really love about them is not the fantasy aspects, but the historical aspects; she's has clearly done a lot of research for her writing, and it really shows!

I have also been procrastinating on VideoJug (thanks to Steve for pointing me in its direction). At first glance, it appears to be a website full of helpful how to videos. And most of them are helpful, but some of them are very funny (while being helpful too). My favourites include, How to Speak Geek, How to Give a Great Man to Man Hug, and How to Fight a Duel.

Then I watched Gundam00 episode 25 (the final episode of the first series). Let me talk to you about SPOILERS:

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Rargh! I just wrote this all out, and then accidentally deleted it. Let me try to go through it again.

So, I've been back from home for a few days, but I'm only just posting now because I am lazy. Don't worry, the Clematis page is coming, it's halfway done, but it's taking me a little while because I haven't drawn it in a while and I'm suddenly rusty.

I watched lots of TV over Easter, mostly about Jesus dying, surprisingly. Then I watched The Long Good Friday, which is about cockney gangsters and Bob Hoskins and not about Jesus at all.

I also managed to watch an old episode of Police Squad and rekindle my love for it. If you don't know, Police Squad was a comedy series that formed the basis of the Naked Gun films. It is hilarious. I strongly urge you to go check it out on YouTube.

Then I watched a documentary about the Mighty Boosh, and came to the realisation that Rich Fulcher is my favourite. You really can't tell if he's a comic genius or crazy like a scary man. He makes me laugh so hard. And he dances like a legend.

And while I wasn't watching TV I managed to reformat my computer to make it all shiny and clean and nice and to stop it crashing on me all the time. My happy computer makes me happy, and it's got a jolly lovely new wallpaper of everyone's favourite Tieria-chan, as drawn by Yun Kouga herself, from this website.

And of course I watched Gundam00 episode 24:

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Here, have a fanart (click for big):

I like to think that Lockon is the most stable of the meisters, because he has someone to fight for, someone to protect. (Well, you could argue that Allelujah has Hallelujah, but it's not really the same.) Not that Lockon is a complete picture of mental stability himself, but he his better at pretending it than the others.

Hmm...I wish we knew what Lyle (I'm assuming that's his name, and what kind of a strange name is that anyway?) is like. I get the feeling that he wouldn't be pleased with Lockon if he knew what he was doing, and I don't think an 'I was doing it all for you' would cut it.

In non Lockon news; I'm going to see my parents for Easter, so I'll see you all in a week or so, hopefully with a new page of Clematis, and a belly full of chocolate.

I just watched Gundam00 episode 23. SPOILERS SPOILERS ahead.

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So I gave my presentation yesterday. I didn't give it until the afternoon, and throughout the morning I was watching everyone else's and getting progressively more and more terrified and more and more sweaty. I had this feeling that my nerves would really show in my voice, and I hadn't even bothered to make my presentation interesting in any way, so it would be really dry.

But then I got up there and started with the line:
'So I considered giving this presentation as an interpretive dance, but then I figured that powerpoint was probably better.'
And everything just fell into place. I remembered what to say, and I made eye contact with the room, and I got quite a few laughs that I hadn't even expected at all.
Oh man, there is nothing better than the feeling of everyone's attention focused on you, and making a room full of people laugh is the best thing ever. I love giving presentations!
And when I was done my friend asked my how it went, and I said that I wanted to go again, and she said 'yeah, I wanted a second chance too, because I felt mine wasn't good enough', and I was like, 'No, I want to go again because that was really fun!'

Hahaha. I'm such an attention whore. (It does terrify me though.)

And now I've a really boring piece of coursework to do for Tuesday, and it's about management, and it's not a presentation at all, and I don't want to do it.

I did some token work today, so then I rewarded myself with cardigan-chan.

It's a little wonky I know. But what I was trying to get at with this picture, was to try to make him look as much like a girl as possible. I'm very much doubting now that Tieria is actually a girl, because apparently the director has stated that he is male (but I don't know the direct quote, or where it was from, so it's all just hearsay really). Anyway, whether Tieria has man bits or not, what we do know is that he looks like a girl, because he's confused at least two male members of the cast.

Whatever he is, Tieria doesn't seem to identify with any gender at all. Well, he doesn't really identify with a species either, come to that. I wonder what he is: android? Genetically modified human? Genetically modified human with computers in his head? I don't knoooow.

All I do know is that he should smile more, and that I should really look my drawings over before I go ahead and colour them.

This is purely to make myself feel better, because I have an assessed presentation to give tomorrow, and I am currently terrified (and I need to go to bed! OMG!)

This is my new favourite Gundam00 fanart site (well, favourite of the moment anyway). The drawings are pretty simple, but the art is very well done asdfgasdfg hands! There are some beautifully drawn hands in this! And I love the stylistic way that the eyes are smudged in black. Also, guns.

So it seems that the Gundam00 merchandise machine has given us a halloween picture! Hahaha; so Lockon's been drinking again? It sure looks like it. Also worthy of note is the fact that Tieria is actually WEARING A DRESS, but despite this fact, he still insists on wearing that damn cardigan underneath. Oh Tieria, will you ever learn? I think he needs an appointment with Trinny and Susanna.

Also, let me talk about Gundam00 episode 22.

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This is the drawing that I've been wanting to draw all week.

"It's OK"

Because if anyone needs a hug it's Tieria, and I bet mummy!Veda never hugs him.

Tieria looks a little gormless in this picture, which was unintentional. Let's focus on Lockon instead. Lockon Lockon Lockon...

And I wish I had the patience to colour my pictures nice, but I just can't bring myself to be that involved when all the lineart is finished.

*sigh* It's been a tough week. I need a hug too.

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So, during my fanart search yesterday, I managed to come across this Japanese fanart site that has a nice lot of Lockon/Tieria fanart. Hooray.

And do you remember that crazy Europop Gundam00 dance video? Well it turns out there's a sequel, which is even more epic (if that's at all possible). I have lots of favourite parts, so I won't go through them all. But of course, Patrick's part is the best. He's all, 'Look at my dancing it is so sexi. I am awesome.' And Cati is all, 'You're an idiot, an absolute idiot.'

And finally, not Gundam00 related. I found this picture that some school children had drawn, of what they associated with archivists. I thought I'd see how well I fit their bill:

It's scary how much of a stereotype I seem to be...

Ok. I've just watched Gundam00 episode 21. I'm now going to talk about SPOILERS!!!!!1 You have been warned.

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Why oh why do I forget to talk about this show?

I just watched episode 14 of Ghost Hound, and it made me remember that this is the best show I'm watching at the moment. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it's one of my all-time favourites. I'd even put it on my 'recommend it to people who don't watch anime' list.

Let me tell you why. The animation and the direction are fabulous, and haven't really dropped in quality at all throughout the series so far. And the plot is captivating; it's all some crazy mix between psychological disorders, spirituality, psychology, religion and neuroscience. The story telling, and the brilliant way that sound effects are used all come together to make this a show that is not to be missed.

So I feel a little unfair. It's Gundam00 that I'm always talking about, because the release of Ghost Hound episodes is slightly slower, and I don't follow the fandom, but Ghost Hound is by far the better of the two.

Sorry for the sudden outburst, but I just realised that I don't give this show nearly enough love D:

So I finally finished my dissertation proposal. Good God, that was the hardest 750 words that I've ever had to squeeze out. I hope the 15,000 words of the actual dissertation won't be as difficult as this. I think the problem lies with the fact that I still have no idea what I'm doing *flail flail* Clarity where are you?!!!!

Also, I need subs of Gundam00 episode 21 like a person with a headache needs painkillers. Rarrrrrrh.
Speaking of which, I think all that standing in the cold on Friday has made me ill because I'm kind of snotty and (possibly unrelated) my nipples hurt TMI.

I've got to write up my dissertation proposal today. Don't believe me? Check my list:

Things to do today:
- Write dissertation proposal

Do you see? But I don't want to because it involves thinking hard and even though I spoke to one of my lecturers last week I'm still worried that he'll think it's a rubbish idea. And I don't want to think about it because it scares me.

Come on. 1000 words. I can do that. Easy.

Also, I still feel a little funny after getting frozen yesterday.
Also also, I don't want to run into any Gundam00 spoilers since the raws of the next episode are out, so I'm having to do the internet version of sticking my fingers in my ears and singing 'lalalala' until the subs are here. Which makes procrastinating on the internet much harder.

Hmmm, maybe I should write my dissertation proposal in lolspeak; that would make it more fun.

Dis mai dissurtayshun proposal:
1. How u archive computr?
2. Research dis
3. Dis vry importnt topik
4. Referensezez
I can haz MA nao?

Let me recount my day to you, and keep in mind that I've got a lot of dissertation proposal that I should be writing.

- wake up after not enough sleep - 7am
- go to library, re: dissertation proposal - 10am
- go to watch Deborah abseil off the side of her building - 1pm
- wait around in the cold and the rain for the abseiling - ages
- it's finally Deborah's turn to abseil off the building, by which time I am absolutely freezing cold - 3:30pm
- go home and drink lots of hot drinks + sit in a blanket + have a warm nap under my duvet - 5pm

So, um, I didn't get much work done. But I was so cold that I really had to recoup lots when I got home. The good news is that I did warm up, and when I woke up from my nap (7pm) I felt all fuzzy and cosy and comfortable. And then I got an idea to draw fanart (click for big):

You see, I have come to believe, in my own fandom canon, that Tieria can be really unwittingly adorable when he forgets himself (like when he's just woken up).
I also like to think that he is so bitchy and snarky and unforgiving because he just doesn't know any better. He has no empathy at all, and I like to think that this is because he was made/programmed/unleashed into the world not too long ago, and that he doesn't have much experience with dealing with other people. But he's learning, and that shows from his smile and 'so this is humanity?' when he sees Lockon forgive Setsuna; he's probably never seen forgiveness before, and it has a big impact on him. In other words, by the end of the series I reckon Tieria will be a happy bunny (if he's not dead, that is, but if he does die it will probably some significant sacrifice, personal growth, yadda yadda, I hope it never happens).

tl;dr, Tieria is cute when he yawns.