TFC.net

I am meant to be writing my 40 page report on the work I did in new york. Sadly, I currently seem to have the attention span of a tadpole, if said tadpole were trying to write a 40 page report about a genetically modified protein and it's future uses, which is particularly hard if the tadpole has broadband internet access and no hands with which to type.

I watched the first episode of the new series of Nighty Night yesterday. It makes me feel awful when I watch it, but it is funny. It's almost a morbid curiosity kind of thing. I wonder if everyone will die at the end of this series.

I've been watching more of Tsubasa Chronicle (I'm up to episode 6 now I think). This neither makes makes me feel awful nor makes me laugh. In fact, it does little. I think the problem is that it is so slow. Scenes which should be exciting seem to have huge pauses in the middle of them. But I shall continue to watch, it's almost a morbid curiosity kind of thing.

Also, I am ill. Not bad, just a cold. But it's annoying enough to be annoying.

Now to work! Proteins ho!
(You know, biochemistry would be so much more interesting if more people said "Proteins ho!", and maybe I could have a special sword too.)

Whew, it's been a little busy since I've been back in the U of K. Also, I couldn't access my hotmail account for a good few days, which was a rather frustrating business. Anyway, I'm back now (and procrastinating from writing my report), and I have lots of stuff to talk about.

Firstly, I've been watching the new series of the Mighty Boosh, which my Mum was so kind to record for me while I was away. It's good, but I'll wait to watch more than two episodes before I pass judgement. Mostly though, I think the moon is great <3

While waiting for my flight, I decided to buy a copy of Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. Seeing as I liked the Da Vinci code, I was hoping for some more of the same. Although, I have to say, I wasn't expecting it to be quite so similar! I am perhaps almost half-way through now, and the thing reads like an exact copy of the Da Vinci code, but just with a different love interest. Sadly though, it doesn't seem to be quite as interesting as the Da Vinci code, but some bits are interesting nonetheless.

As soon as I was in sight of a DVD player, I watched for myself my Tokyo Babylon OVA (I may have mentioned buying it, I forget). It was good, and I didn't have to worry after all, because it contained two stories, rather than just one. The second story, about the murders on the subway, was undoubtedly better than the first, and quite nerve-wracking in some places. I was worried that Hokuto was going to be annoying throughout the whole thing (that laugh!), but luckily she calmed down.
Seishiro was very good in this, in a 'kick-ass' sort of a way, which makes me warm to him a little more. Although this is all dispelled if I try to listen to the English dub; he sounds like an accountant!
The ending, especially of the second story, makes me sad in a pre-emptive kind of a way. I can't help it.

I also started watching some more anime. Now that I am not on a school network, I am quite happy to download all and sundry without fear of my internet connection being cut off. And so I am currently downloading the end of Gankutsuou (because I've been waiting for months to find out what happens).
I also decided to download: Tsubasa Chronicle! Yes, even though I heard it was awful, I wanted to try it out for myself. And, having watched 3 episodes so far, I can say that it is not so bad.
I was expecting the worst, so it doesn't strike me as horrendous. Admittedly some liberties have been taken with the storyline, and sometimes the characters are really ugly (Yuuko! My poor Yuuko!), and yes, there do seem to be a lot of scenes with exciting music, and nothing happening at all, but it's ok. Everyone knows that the book manga is always better than the film anime, so I don't mind it. Things I do like are, the music (yes I do!), the whole choral, tribal kind of sound is quite interesting, although it doesn't really suit Celes country that much, and I don't think too much of the comedy relief music. Touya and Yukito both looked good when they showed up, especially Touya. I don't mind the voices except Yuuko's Kurogane sounds like Kurogane should sound, as does Fay, which is a nice surprise, because I was really quite sure that he, if anyone, should be voiced by a woman. Fay's voice is soft, insincere and wishy-washy, so it suits him quite well, now if only he would open his eyes, I mean, I know he smiles a lot, but how on Earth does he see anything?! Mokona's voice is suitably annoying, and Mokona also makes a number of suitably annoying noises as well, but flying? Hmmmmm....
So yes, I shall continue to watch this, because it's not too bad, and I feel I should, as a fan of the manga.

Another thing that I have managed to get my grubby paws (lapa?) on since my return has been my X manga. I've been dying to pick this up again since I finished reading Tokyo Babylon, and so I read volume 8 in the space of, a very short space of time. I will now proceed to talk about it (click on read more for some mighty Volume 8, X spoilers, and spoilers for the whole of the Tokyo Babylon manga)

Full story »

I've been back for a few days now, and this is the first time that I turned on my computer since then.

I've hardly unpacked anything else though.

I need to go sleep and stuff, I'll check my emails and all that malarky tomorrow.

(note to self: change time on blog to GMT)

It's funny when you can fit your whole life into two suitcases.

Only 6 and a half hours until I fly. Eeep.

Deedledeedoo deedledeedeedoo ddeedledeedoo deedledeedeedoodoo....

No, before you start in horror, this is not a crass joke about the death of Richard Whitely. In fact, I choose the tune because it seems quite fitting, seeing as I only have *counts* roughly 24hrs left in the US before I fly back to the UK.
I am not quite sure what to make of this situation. I am currently fluctuating between excitement, depression and denial.

In less transitional news:
I updated Clematis

As I said on the page, updates are going to be slow-er from now on. All I can see ahead of me for the next few months is school work, so I don't think I'll have much time. But I'll see if I can try to squeeze some drawing in somewhere.

It turns out that the past weekend was a rather drawing-y one for me. Because I also drew a fanart for Clipped Wings (click for big)

Clipped Wings is kind of special for me, because I've been reading it for ages (read: over two years). It's, I think, the first good webcomic that I came across (I was delighted to find it, as I had some time to kill before an exam later that day, so I spent the whole morning reading it while playing 'Mad World' from Donnie Darko on loop, in fact I still find it hard to listen to the song without thinking of the webcomic and vice versa).
This picture is of Jonas, the main character, who is a rather unlucky soul. I wanted to try and keep the feel of the comic in the picture, hence the bird and the art deco (I wasn't sure whether to go for art deco or art nouveau, but I went for art deco because it feels more hotel-y to me (and you find loads of it around New York). I cannot realy explain the picture any further, except to say that I chose to draw a cockatoo because they always seem really aggressive to me and I wanted to add an unsettling feeling to the whole thing.

Now! To return to packing!
Deedledeedoo deedledeedeedoo...

No more work for me! (paid work that is)
I have now reverted back to the position of dirty slacker student. Sadly that means that I have no excuse not to do my coursework *shakes fist*

Moving swiftly on, a quiz:

You are Mokona Modoki.
Hyperactivity is your main trait; you constantly
annoy people, and they in turn annoy you.
But, in your circle of friends, you're admired for
your courage and loyalty.
You're quite friendly, always trying to make a
friend out of your enemy.

Which TSUBASA RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I'm quite happy to get Mokona. You see, Mokona amuses me no end, but also annoys me at the same time. Really though, Mokona is great, with being not only cheerful all the time, even in dire situations, but also for being the most lewd character in the whole manga. No really, both of Mokona=Modoki are filthy; I blame the parents.

So yesterday I met up with Mariya and we did some fun stuff. Firstly, I decided to throw some of my money away in Virgin Records. I bought Silent Alarm by Bloc Party; I really didn't mean to, but it was only $10! There's no way the CD would be that cheap in the UK. I also bought (I think) part of the Tokyo Babylon OVA (it seems there are two stories, and I only got one). I have heard that it's not very good, but I don't care because it's got Subaru in it I want to watch it.

And then we went for lunch at a sushi place (my second time eating sushi!), it must be a really popular place because there was still a queue to get in when there was only 10 minutes before the place shut for lunch. This was in the Village, which is a very nice place. We then followed a man in drag (as you do) for a while, and ended up in a festival. It was cool, there was a good band playing salsa and stuff and also a rubbish band, made up of drag queens, none of whom could sing.

Finally we went to a hookah (I said hookah!) bar. I can honestly say that I've never been to anything like that before. It was cool though, we drank mint tea from an ornate teapot and smoked Rose flavour tobacco. I was a bit worried, seeing as how I've never smoked before, that I might look like a loser and start coughing all over the place, but I didn't so it was all good. Hookahs (I don't know what the plural of hookah would be) are cool, and it's the closest to being Yuuko that I think I'll get, without doing all that opium business. So we took photos!

Tsk! Don't put your shoes on the furniture!

And today I went into Manhattan to do some fruitless clothes shopping. It's strange to think that it may have been my last trip into Manhattan before I go home. It's so soon now! I even dreamt about flying home last night, although for some silly reason due to local laws, we could only fly as far as New Jersey, the horror!

Edit: Added a link to Mariya's website on the links page. My FTP was playing up yesterday, so I couldn't add it before.

Tomorrow is my last day at work.

Tomorrow is my last day of work for a good few months, until I have to go out and actually do a proper real life job, like a career.

._.

On a completely unrelated note:
I really want to read a story that contains the line: "He looked at her with his meaty eyes..."
because it would make me laugh.

August, 20th:
Up betimes and to my bank, there to settle things about my return to England later this month. I was told that my account will be closed on the day I request it, and so I shall leave it for a few days, rather than carry my money around, which I fear, would put me quite in danger of losing it all. Then back home for a little something to eat before I, took a bus, to Manhattan. Alighted at 34th Street and to a mall that I never even realised existed before this day! Here, and then to Macy's, to buy a few things for my colleagues, with a mind to give as gifts upon my leaving work at the College this coming Friday. With time before the shops closed, I to Zara, where I was so taken by a jacket in the window, that I had to have it for myself, which I did presently buy. I am very pleased with this new season's fashions, they seem, in my mind at least, to be based on the style of the 16th, and maybe 17th, centuries. My new jacket is very much in this style, I like to think it is something that Samuel Pepys himself might have worn, but I think that this is just a fancy of mine, and yet it pleases me greatly to think of it. I then walked up 5th Avenue, despite it being quite humid, and to H&M. I had a hope of purchasing some more things in this new fashion, namely some pantaloons, and while they did have quite a few clothes in this style there were no pantaloons; I must have been mistaken to see them in the window. Yet, I was greatly happy to see that many of the skirts did fit me, and so did please myself with buying two, one of which I have a mind to wear to my friend Claire's wedding, and I will do so. Finally to another shop to buy more parting gifts for my colleagues before taking a bus home. I had a quick supper of some cold things and read a little of Magic Knight Rayearth, then to shower and to bed.

August, 21st (Lord's Day):
Lay long in bed this morning, though I had not planned on it! I worry a little that I am becoming more slothful, but I have had very little sleep of late, so perhaps it is warranted. I up at 12 noon and busied myself with the trying on of my new clothes. I see that I will have to buy some new boots, so as to go with one of the skirts, which does look funny without some, but this will have to wait until I return home. I am, as ever, pleased with my new jacket, and though I was a little unsure yesterday, I am now resolved to keep it. After lunch I recieved a phone call from my mother and father, and also my cousin Justin, and Charlotte, who were visiting with them, and we spoke a little. Then to the supermarket, where I bought some food for the coming week, and again home. Here I to read more of Magic Knight Rayearth and ate some supper. But lo! To see how little I have achieved all day! I am guilty to think of it. While I had not planned to go into work today, nor write any of my report, yet still I have done so little, when I could have spent my time drawing, or at the ironing of my clothes. There is little I can do about it now; I must endeavour to by more productive in the future.

The boys are back in town have gone home.

In fact, James and Nick flew back home over a day ago, but I've been recovering (and tidying, seriously, having guests is so messy).
I had a great old time while they were here, apart from the bits where I had to work, which was, almost all of their stay! That was annoying, but no matter.
It seems that, because I hadn't seen them in ages, I'd almost forgotten why we were friends. It is nice to be reminded. Yes, yes it is.

I really have been very lucky to have so many (well, 5) people come to visit me while I've been here in New York. I think that if they hadn't then I would have been a much more miserable person by now. As it is, I'm quite excited because there are only two weeks before I fly home. I'm sure I will miss it here a little, but it will be so nice to be home again *can't wait*

So when James and Nick were here we did stuff. Um...we went to Soho, which I had never been to before and is actually very nice. So I'll definately be going there again while I still have the chance. We also went to see Siân who lives in the middle of nowhere, otherwise known as upstate, and I went to my first out of town mall.
We ate Ethiopian food, which is unusual, and sushi, which I'm not sure really agrees with me, and fanjitas (fanjitas! har har har).

Among other things, we went to the cinema to see The Island. It is a film with an interesting concept, although not too original (Brave New world anyone? Even 1984 if you like), but with rather boring delivery. Perhaps I'm being too harsh. It started out interestingly, but once the car chases started lasting for more that 5 minutes it lost me completely. Do other people actually find car chases interesting? Anyway, Sean Bean was good.

On the same day we saw a Broadway musical, the Producers to be specific. I didn't know much about it beforehand, but I thought it might be mildly entertaining. I am glad to say that I was wrong, I really really enjoyed it, which is always a nice surprise. This show is so funny, really it is; a whole bucket of funny. The jokes seem to be more old school than new, but it doesn't matter, they are all funny. I think what makes it funny is that the timing is spot on, these actors know what they are doing. Did I mention that the show is hilarious? I nearly died.

One thing of special note is that I read a new book, although devoured would be more apt. Rarely do I read a book in a week, but i couldn't put this one down (something that hasn't occured to me since I read Crime and Punishment ages ago). And this book was? The da Vinci Code. I didn't really have any inclination to read the book beforehand, I'd heard mixed things about it. But Nick had brought it with him to read, and in a fit of boredom I read the blurb on the back of the book. I was astounded, it seemed like someone had written a book that contained exactly the type of story that I've been wanting to read for ages. I adore this kind of story; old mysteries and ancient secrets, finding clues where no-one would think to look, each one leading further and further into the past in some kind of intriguing treasure hunt. I love it; the thought that there are old secrets everywhere, in places that we would never normally notice. For example, I found it fascinating when, last year, I watched a programme about London on TV, and it told of a river, in London, that was built over, centuries ago, and no-one even knows of anymore. This tributary of the Thames actually still runs, through a pipe in a London underground station, you could walk right under it and never even know *_*
The book also contains secret societies; if you have spoken to me in the past year you will know that I harbour a fascination for freemasons. I watched another TV programme which showed that the buildings of Bath (namely the Circus) are filled with masonic symbolism. It's always exciting when I find masonic symbols on places (I've noticed some in New York even). I like to think that they are mysterious and secret and therefore really interesting. Of course, when you find out that almost every other person knows of someone that knows a mason and that they actually have a website, they become less secret and therefore less interesting. But it's still fun to look out for the symbols.
I think I was talking about the book somewhere, before I digressed like a good'un. It seems rare to find this kind of secret, ancient, mystery, treasure hunt that I like to see (although the Indianna Jones films have a little of it before they get carried away, and the computer game which I owned years ago, Broken Sword, is a great example). So the book did me nicely. The facts which it exposes about symbols and paintings and theories are insanely interesting, and it is all too easy to forget that this is a work of fiction. As for the rest of the actual plot, you know, with police and stuff, I don't care for too much, and think the book would be better without it. Also, I didn't really like the style of the writing, maybe it was just because I haven't read a modern novel in quite a while, but I felt like I was being talked down to. For God's sake! You don't need to have a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter to keep me reading! *exasperated* Still, it is a very interesting read; I think I am going to have to read Angels and Demons now, even though it seems to be an exact copy of the da Vinci Code, but with a different location and female love interest. And I get to look forward to the movie, which should be good considering the people who will be in it.
Maaan, I really want to go to London now and look at old stuff. Not even London, just a place with some history behind it (I'm sorry NYC, but you're just too new for my liking).

I have to really start thinking about all the stuff I need to sort out before I leave this city, maybe I should make a list.

Also, I just heard the new Franz Ferdinand single :D
'Well do ya, do ya do ya wanna'

And why have I eaten nothing but beef for the past three days? It's not right *feels beefy*

James and Nick are flying out to visit me tomorrow. Which'll be mighty fun and stuff. They're staying for just over a week, so I might be a little absent during that time.

On a completely unrelated note; I was at work today, as I am often, and I thought to myself:
'Imagine if the people working in this lab all lived in the lab as well. Wow, it'd be just like Big Brother, only with science!'
And this, my friends, is why I'll never be in charge of a TV station.

You might remember that on the 7th of July, there were some suicide bombings on the London underground.
And you might remember that I mentioned that one of the bombers came from my home town. With that in mind...

Today I found out that the wife of that suicide bomber from my home town, is a girl who used to be in my class at school until I was 12!!!

oAo

What on Earth?! *brain turned upside down*
I guess not too many people can say that they went to school with the wife of one of the London suicide bombers.
I remember hearing a few years back that she had turned muslim; and I thought that was an unexpected surprise.

Just, OMG. Words fail me right now.

*drastic change of subject time*
I'm going to go see Ross Noble do stand-up in December! Much thanks to Steve who got the tickets yesterday. Ah, it should be good, it should. I've only seen him do stand-up once before, on the TV, so I suppose that's not much to go by, but he was so funny (I felt kind of bad that I hadn't heard of him sooner). So that should give me a light in the middle of the tunnel of final year stress *excited*

*and doing a full 360 back to the previous subject*
O__o

Clematis has been updated.

*runs off to work*

'When you're sick so sad you cry, and in crying, cry a whole leopard from your eye.'

I bought myself a DVD today! Once again, I am a slave to amazon's will. But when they're having a sale and take 60% off a DVD of one of my all time favourite TV shows, then what can I do?
I was entirely happy when I realised that the series Jam had been released on DVD. OK, so it was released two years ago, but I wasn't really paying attention. It is now close enough in time, to me going home, that I'm having it sent to my home in the UK where it will await my return.

Jam is a very good comedy show (the line at the top of this post came from the radio series). It was shown on TV nigh on 5 years ago, and yet, to this day, remains one of the most innovative comedy programmes to be shown on TV.
But Jam is a weird beast, oh yes. It is odd, nay, far from odd. It is disturbing. Highly disturbing. So disturbing that you have to question whether it is in fact comedy that you are watching. You laugh, but you feel bad about laughing at what you see. And I'm not talking about League of Gentlemen style disturbing, that was much more tame than this. And yet, despite the questionable tone of all the sketches, it remains funny.

It is very much a work of Chris Morris. And I have to say that I don't understand any of his other comedy programmes, even his latest, Nathan Barley (which contained the members of the mighty boosh). But I do like Jam. The show also stars some actors/comedians who I really admire, those being; Mark Heap, Kevin Eldon (who both appeared in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, if only walking their dogs, and made me very happy) and Julia Davis.

Jam is unlike any sketch show I have seen before. It is certainly atmospheric; if by atmospheric you mean trippy. If you want an idea of what it is like, I think this site has downloads of all the bbc radio series 'blue jam' that came before the TV series. They have much the same tone, only less visuals.
But be warned! It is not for the easily offended (although part of me would love to have easily offended people listen to it just to see their reaction), it will disturb you, it will offend you, it might make you laugh. And if you are one of those that finds it funny, then boy is it good.
And to think this comes under the same genre as 'friends' and 'the vicar of dibley'!

So I'm excited about that. I haven't seen it in years! And it's only 7 pounds!

Also, this morning, I read all of the 'Ring 0 - Birthday' manga that I got for my birthday. It was sadly not as scary as I had hoped it would be, and I couldn't find myself to be too interested in this part of Sadako's backstory, and the art isn't anything special either. But it wasn't too bad, honest! A little interesting and a little freaky. Still, show me the film (ringu) any day, even now, years after I watched it, I still get scared. Especially in the shower.

Then ye are welcome...in blue jam...

The smoke alarm just bit me!

Ow.

If you are wondering, the title to today's post is a punchline from Black Books that has kept me grinning to myself all day when I remembered it. I even had to stop what I was doing for a few minutes at one point to have a little laugh to myself. If you can remember the scence from which this comes, then well done to you.

Speaking of comedy programmes; while my parents were here I watched a little TV in their hotel room. I don't have a TV myself, so I've seen very very little American TV (yes I know, I'm rubbish). So we were watching MTV and saw this programme that was really quite funny. I later found out that this was called the Andy Milonakis show. So yay for that, I wonder if I'll ever get to see it again.

My parents have gone home now. Yesterday I was upset about this, but today I am better. I think I may be swayed by my hormones at the moment, but it's hard to tell.

I had a good birthday. It wasn't a big fancy do like most people have for their 21st, but then I never wanted a big thing. It turns out that I had my parents here with me, and that's just what I wanted.

We did stuff while they were here. You know, New York stuff. I think they liked it.

We also went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It wasn't superfantasmic like I was half hoping it would be, but it was good. It was also better than the first film, although I may just think this because I saw the first one when I was young and impressionable and it freaked me out. I am very glad that the oompa loompas are different, they amused me this time. I realised while watching it, that all the good parts of the film come from the book. This is slightly dissapointing in some ways, but very good for a book purist like myself. It is nice that the good Roald Dahl stuff shines through.
It was odd when I would recognise sentences that had word for word come from the book. Now this I would expect from myself about LOTR, but Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? It seems that I know the book better than I thought. And now that I think about it, it is perhaps the only Roald Dahl book that I owned and didn't borrow from the library, and I can remember many times when I felt bored and just re-read the book (it's odd how this fact had completely skipped my mind). I think I was a fair Roald Dahl fan back in the day, but I never really considered it because, well, wasn't everyone? Seriously though, those are some good children's books there.
One theme I've noticed in all his books, and in the film a well, is that of relishing the imagination of children. So many times, the sensible adults are seen as dull, boring, and often, bad people. It seems that Willy Wonka is almost a personification of this childish fancy. Many of the things in his factory, don't make sense and would not work in the real world. The adults, and many of the children, call him up on this, stating that these things are stupid or impossible, but he just avoids or dismisses their questions. Of course these things can't be impossible, because they are there in his factory, and it is this kind of twisted logic that makes the factory what it is. We, the readers (and watchers) are being asked to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the fantasy. And this is what Roald Dahl tries to get across in so many of his books; imagination should be cherished rather than discouraged, and if people manage to keep hold of their imagination, then they will be all the better for it.
I must have been quite the fan when I was younger, as I seem to have taken this message to heart somewhere along the line.
So...the film was good but not great, and anyone who hasn't, should go read the book, and any others by Roald Dahl (the Witches was a favourite of mine).

I also went to the hello kitty store and bought myself a new bag.

It is excruciatingly cute. I love it.

And that is all of note that I wanted to tell to you today.