A little sanity

In which Amithea discovers something random

2007-02-10T22:53:28Z

If I took all the characters, plotlines and words I worte in my so-called RP carreer, I could have written at least three somewhat decent, if slightly cheesy romantic (because hey, that's me) novels.

Dude.

EDIT: I so, so hate starting a story. Introducing the hero, that's what I usually get stuck at. *toddles back to introduce the hero, or try to*

So I made it home last night after all

2007-02-09T10:18:53Z

I was just too tired to post, so I will do so now.

Our American Studies teacher called class quits before time to let us try and at get home because the NS had said everyone should try to get home before rush hour. By that time the snow had stopped and it was just freezing cold and everything was either white or slushy. So we (me and some people I know) took a bus to the trainstation.

In trainstations, we have this big board that says which trains leaves when and where. Almost all trains were cancelled except some who were supposed to take everyone to the stations where they needed to go. Now get this: usually the trains I have to take to get to the city where I have to switch trains come six times an hour. SIX. And they're the big ones.

Now there were two every hour and they were the small ones, Can you imagine trying to fit everyone of usually three big trains in one small train? Let me tell you: it isn't pretty. But hey, I got in, a standing place and with just enough to actually breath so I was happy.

Then the trains leaves the station. Ho boy. Even before we crossed the bridge there was this "boom" and a flash. The engine stalled, but they got it working again so no problem. We just keep on going, stop at the next stop, people get out and more get in ~~dammit I want to BREATHE~~. The train leaves and yet again another "boom" and a flash.

Not good.

The train stops.

Definitely not good.

It took them about half an hour to get the train working again. And all that time we were standing in the cramped space and the airco in those trains really isn't good. It got uncomfortably hot and very headache-inducing. But hey, they got the train going again. Only to get this message through the system: "Well, as you can all see the train is moving again. We didn't know how far we'll get but let's just cross our fingers and hope we get to Arnhem."

Dammit, that is not a comforting message. It's not and I wanted out right then and there. But we got there and after that I got to my home town. Yay for me.

I get out of the train and almost slip on the last step because of the ice on it. That pretty much set the trend for the walk home. It's a twelve minute walk if you put a bit of speed in it, this time I took over half an hour and I kept on almost slipping.

So as you cans ee: when I finally got home I was tired.

I'm still happy, though: I got home! Yay!

Yay snow!

2007-02-08T08:33:06Z

Apparently, there's a weather alert out for today on account of heavy snowfall during the late afternoon/early evening. Possibly 2 to 4 inches. Personally, I don't think that that's something to get your panties in a bunch over, but the railway organisation apparently does. So right now I'm hoping that once I get our of class (half past four in the afternoon) there will still be trains and/or busses heading to my hometown, because I don't want to get stuck here in Nijmegen.

Never done it before, but something tells me I'd rather leave that in the list of experiences I've never experience.

Just to be sure, I did pack up some extra stuff for today so if I get stuck I'll have a) food and b) something to do. I don't think two Belgian Waffels from a machine count as food, but who cares? They're good and make me happy.

Expect a report this evening/tomorrow on how it went :)

Note to self

2007-02-07T13:13:14Z

Covering a place with a roll of soft, warm fabric to make it lovebird repellant does not work. Especially not when you lovebird tries to make a nest or something in it.

Seriously. >.

Seriously: WTF?!

2007-02-06T07:55:49Z

Alright, I am pissed. Seriously, seeing red, almost murderously pissed.

Why, you may ask? Let me tell you why.

This morning, I grabbed a free newspaper to read while waiting for my train to arrive and guess what I read? When the new government takes effect gay-marriages can be refused by officials. WHY?

How on earth can they even consider doing that? It will only lead to discrimination and a right can and will be refused to the Dutch gay community. Alright, so I don't want to get married, but there are countless others who do and now they depend on the whim of government officials?

And who decided this? The two christian parties who were elected and the one for the workers just goes along with it. I'm not saying anything bad about christians in general, I know plenty of christians who never made a fuss about my being gay. One even tried to set me up with someone, but these guys.

Gah, it's not even 9 am and I'm already pissed!

I'm so boring

2007-02-05T07:54:29Z

Apparently, without going to university, my life is far too boring to write about. It's not that I don't want to write, it's just that I don't want to bore you with idiotic stuff.

What did I do during the holidays and the last three weeks? RPed with people on AIM, collected gold on Gaia (my eyes still hurt from some people's abuse of the English language), made a chocolate mousse cake and bought new clothes.

I actually bought new clothes. Twice if you coundt the first time where my father had to kidnap me in order to buy new trousers that I apparently needed. The second time, well, I'll post a picture of what I bought when I get home this evening.

And I don't care that the NS says that the new schedule makes it less busy in trains, because it doesn't. You have your averag trains and you have your 'I move entire towns, because I'm so big' trains. When I have to stand for the entire trip in the latter train, trust me: it's busy in those trains.

If I'm not entirely dead when I get home (at 7 pm!!!), I'll post something more coherent. I promise.

EDIT:

First icon tutorial thing . . .

2007-01-16T13:13:22Z

To celebrate that I am now 20 (and have been since last Sunday) and because I've been so bad and totally ignored my LJ for so long, here we go: my first icon-making-tutorial! ~~And it shows~~

I'll be taking you from this to in this tutorial.

Program: Photoshop 8.0 (I used selective colouring)

Level: Medium?

1. Crop the picture and make certain that you have room to the right for the text. Sharpen/other preperations it if need be.

2. Add a new layer and fill it with #407798, set the layer mode to Soft Light with a 100% opacity.

3. Add a slective colour adjustment layer with the following setting:

Cyans
Cyan: -40%
Magenta: +68%
Yellow: +34%
Black: -58%

Blues
Cyan: -42%
Magenta: +44%
Yellow: +53%
Black: -74%

Neutrals
Cyan: +56%
Magenta: -22%
Yello: +53%
Black: -84%

Method: Relative

.
4. Paste the lightexture above (made by me) on a new layer and set the mode to screen, then erase the part covering the face. Reduce the opacity to 80%, duplicate the layer and reduce the opacity of the copy to 40%.

.
5. Add the next light texture on a new layer and set layer mode to Screen, reduce the opacity to 75%.

6. One more adjustment layer, a Hue/Saturation this time with the following settings:

Master
Hue: +3
Saturation:-25
Lightness: 0

7. Rotate the canvas 90 degrees counter clockwise and type the text you want in #195D6F before rotating the canvas back 90 degrees clockwise. I used Scriptina as a font for this.

.
8. Place the minitext in #195D6F on a new layer, rotate that 90 degrees clockwise and place it a little to the left of the text. Set the layer mode to Hard Light.

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9. For the finishing touch, on a new layer, I drew a one-pixel-wide border in #222729 and set the layer mode to Color Burn.

Well, there you have it, the first icon-making tutorial I ever attempted.

Why my family is my family

2006-12-29T18:36:59Z

Just an example of a conversation during dinner.

Dad: I have a new question-list for you. (1)
Me: Oh, about what?
Dad: Vacations.
Me: But . . . but . . . I always get that. Why can't I have something more exciting? Like about sex?
Dad: Why don't you ask them.
Me: Yeah. Right. I write an email to them saying 'I want sex' and I'll get the answer 'We all want sex'.
Sister: *shakes head and wonders why she is in this family*

1. Dad listed himself and the rest of the family to get these lists with dumb question we fill out and then we get these points, which can be exchanged for gift vouchers.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-24T22:30:55Z

Hopefully, everyone will have a great christmas and a wonderful new year. And I made a card too! In OpenCanvas :)

Get it into your heads that it is just a GAME people

2006-12-22T18:02:36Z

I am not locking this entry because I DON'T CARE what kind of responses this going to get me. This is how I think about it and I don't hide my thoughts.

Gah gah gah and DOUBLE gah. I don't get it, I really don't get it. Why are people getting so wound-up over a fucking game. Oh dear, my ficticious character did not get the ficticious dragon I waaaaaanted. You know what? You don't always get what you want. That's life for ya, hon. Life is a bitch and don't tell me I don't know anything about it.

If people are getting their panties in a twist over not getting what they wanted in a game, I do believe we have a word for that: SORE LOSER. If a game is so important to them to behave like four-year-olds and send out letters to members asking them to leave the game because of that, there is something seriously wrong in my opinion.

Hons, listen to me: the internet is not a first need in life. Step away from the computer and go outside. Look at the birds or something but goddammit people, put things in perspective! Do you want to get all gung-ho and make (poorly made and horribly spelled) websites about something, do it about children starving to death, about how in a lot of countries homosexuals aren't safe to even consider being themselves or about the gross violations of human rights in parts of this world. This however does not speak on behalf of the people that are accusing this game, if I hadn't been convinced already by the private e-mail I have now been convinced that these people are being spoiled brats.

Also: I run a Weyr myself with two good friends. It's named Ista and the whole reason I am even as angry as I am now is that they mentioned an Ista Weyr, I know of one other Ista, but there are people who think they did mean my Ista. They didn't place a link, so we can't be certain but it disgusts me that they even think they can behave this way. In private, sure. Sulk all you want but once you take it public you went from some what normal sulking to being incredibly rude, hurtful and most of all spoiled. I have no respect for the people who started this slandering and as far as I am concerned they can get a wooden shoe up where the sun won't reach it. ~~You gotta love being Dutch~~

p.s.: I got Yu-Gi-Oh Stairway to the Destined Duel for my GBA from my dearest yennadon but I have no clue on how to play it. Tips, anyone?

Now this is a baby I like

2006-12-18T10:48:11Z

Bungee baby's umbilical bounce
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Bungee baby
Ashleigh Fennelly and her parents: boing boing

A newborn girl has given new meaning to the expression 'bouncing baby', after a being delivered in a frantic 'bungee' style in a hospital corridor.

Ashleigh Fennelly shot out of her mother at such speed that her father failed to catch her, and instead she skidded across the floor and bounced back on her umbilical cord.

Mother Sharon Taylor had gone into labour early in the morning, but after several false alarms, thought she would have time to get to hospital.

But, to the 35-year-old's horror, her baby's head had already started to appear as she reached the hospital car park.

Her partner Nick Fennelly said: 'It was raining and I didn't want her to be born outside. We screamed for help but nobody was around. We had just reached the last doorway when she came out.'

Ashleigh was born last Tuesday in the corridor of the maternity unit at Calderdale Royal Hospital, West Yorkshire.

Mr Fennelly said they had nicknamed her 'bungee baby' after the unusual delivery.

Ashleigh was checked out and given the all clear although she still has a small bruise on her head from her crash landing.

Her parents, who live in Halifax, already have three children together – Nick, nine, Rebecca, eight, and Ryan, five.

Mr Fennelly said: 'I got the best Christmas present I could have asked for.'

I so need to make an icon for that.

I found this one for an assignment for university. This being the last week before the new year, I have some assignments I need to finish. This is one of them: I needed to review six newspapers for my British Culture and History class. This was the final article, it's from the Metro.

All shiny and new!

2006-12-16T18:11:15Z

My new computer is so very, very lovely. It actually works quickly, no problems and it's just so shiiiiny :). I am completely broke now, but that won't be for long. I have actually been able to play WinAmp and keep two other programs running without it slowing down that a slug would catch up with it.

Still have to install a couple of programs, but I wanted to share my happiness. I think I'll even post a new part to my Savage End stories, there's been a bit haunting in my head for a while which should explain the whole issues between the two main characters. And some added UST, because I am a sucker for that.

Read my lips: SOCIALIST.

2006-12-12T21:10:38Z

I am a socialist. I am not a communist. Socialist does not equate to communism. Believe me: communism in my point of view is all kinds of bad and I have yet to find any kinds of good in it. So forgive me for getting a little pissy when people use socialism as a synonym for communism.

Socialism is a form of society based on equality, social justice and solidarity. Just because certain communist countries claim to be socialists does not make them so. Hell, I can claim to be the toothfairy but I am not.

P.S: I know I promised an extra long post but I am so unbelievably tired it's not funny.
P.P.S: Uterus for sale. Perfect working order, a little too perfect if you ask me.

I liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive

2006-12-12T09:28:43Z

Somewhat. I'm getting a new computer soon, if all goes well and the discount still counts, otherwise it's three more months of hoping and praying that my golden oldie won't die on me just yet. Anyway, this was just a note to show that I am still alive and this evening, when I get home, I will post more a bit more and I will dig through the friend's page. I promise.

No matter how evilly OpenCanvas tries to lure me into exploring it. ~~I have no willpower~~

Things I found out today.

2006-12-07T18:29:11Z

1. Murphy's law does apply, even to me.

2. My English Grammar, Writing, and Translation teacher is sadistic.

3. Inanimate objects pack quite a punch.

4. Whoever makes those sushi packets for the Aldhi should be hanged, drawn and quartered.

5. IT BURNS!

1. The one day I leave my rain-jacket at home it pours.

2. I knew this a bit longer: the whole murder and death in his assignments for translation were a bit of a hint. We were checking our interpunction assignments, so we read out everything. From ever comma to every period. It was my term so I painstakingly take care, someone did not hear that I said period and thus asked the teacher who explains that I had said it and then explains the question. The very next line he turns to that particular student and asks: "Did you hear that?" With this jighly sadistic little smile.

3. A cardboard box's flap hit my nose. It was a nose-grabbing-"aw fuck, my nose!"-moment. It was a clean moment of why you shouldn't be lugging boxes a third of your size in winds strong enough to make you stop for a moment.

4. Gah! I do not know what they did with it but it was so unbelievably stale. Gross.

5. Wasabi. Nuff said.

Bad plotbunny! Bad!

2006-12-06T16:17:25Z

I am one of those people who believe that anything can be done right, especially when it comes to writing.

Yes, one of 'those'.

Now I've seen a lot of self-insert ficlets where the writer gets sucked into Naruto (or any other fandom, but I'm using this for example) and I admit: they are icky at best. I have yet to find a good one, but the possibilities for chaos are endless. Especially if the non-dubbed version is a language you don't know.

I mean: what would happen if you ended up in, keeping to the example, Naruto? And did not understand a first word of Japanese? A trip to Ibiki, me thinks, and that on its own would be either scary/hilarious as hell. You end up in a world you don't know all that much practical things about (for example eating with chopsticks or whatever they call those things), don't speak the language, in the case of Naruto I can bet you all my money ~~which isn't much I admit~~ you are not going to be a ninja or be able to do fancy chakra attacks. Surviving would be a tough job all on its own.

There is so much potential right there. Why do people keep screwing it up?!

*shuffles to the back to kill the plotbunnies hopping around*

I think not

2006-12-05T22:26:22Z

MEN! I am so glad I'm gay. What brought this on? It may sound childish but just the principle of the thing!

For grammar class we have to translate a small text every week and hand it in by monday 4 pm. We're supposed to work in groups of two, the boy I agreed to work with said he wouldn't be there on monday, now he has my MSN so he would have to contact him so we could translate it online.

Monday: no contact. So I translate the text, sign it with only my name and drop it in the appropriate box. I am annoyed, but not pissed off. Today I ask him if he handed in his assignment because since he didn't work with me I didn't sign his name.

What do I get?

"Oh, I had expected you would sign my name."

The fucking gall! If you don't work for it you don't get the credit, simple. I am not signing your name if you did exactly zilch and I am not that soft hearted to pretend we worked together. Nope, not me. Been there, done that and moving on. What really pisses me off is that he actually expected me to sign his name too. I am not that much of a softie and he should know that. I am not dragging his sorry bum through university on my credit! I don't care how much of a friend he is but I am not going to let him try and pull this kind of crap on me.

Ouch, just ouch

2006-12-04T10:11:02Z

I swear: people are going to think I had an altercation with a pissed off hamster. I should've called him Edward Elric instead of Sokka: he's tiny and has a wicked temper. I don't care about how Sokka-like he behaves when he's sweet, the bird's a holy terror. He bit me four times this weekend and two of which actually drew blood!

AKA: Amithea attempted to tame him enough to sit on her hand and he Does Not Like Hands.

He doesn't seem to mind cloth-covered hands, though and my hand doesn't mind the extra protection either.

EDIT: because he seriously deserves his own icon. Next up: one of the original Sokka. Preferably on cactus juice.

Something on a Dutch tradition

2006-12-02T16:06:31Z

Two days ago I explained the tradition of Sinterklaas to a French exchange student in my work-group. Apparently she unwittingly got caught up in the arrival ceremony on november 25.

Sinterklaas is kind of like Santaclaus, I imagine, only instead of elves he has Black Petes (don't kill me for that name: it's the actual name!), not a sled but a steamship and originally he's from Turkey but he lives in Spain.

After his arrival, which gets wide media coverage here, children get to put their shoes next to the chimney or the heating system after which they sing a few Sinterklaas songs. They also leave a carrot for Sinterklaas' horse, and some water. The next day they find small gifts in the shoe. Children often leave a letter too with what they want this year.

The actual celebration is on december 5. Children get to stay up late and usually there is some kind of family gathering. There is a loud knocking, or rather pounding, on one the front door, back door, or the windows after which one of the parents goes to see what is going on while the children recover from the start. The parent then returns with a big bag filled with gifts for the children, chocolate letters and other assorted candy.

The other way it is often celebrated is by a kind of Secret Santa. However, most of the time we don't just give a gift, but the person who gives the gift makes an elaborate package around the gifts which is supposed to make a little of good natured fun of the receiver. Then there is the poem, the giver writes a poem about the receiver which is also supposed to make a bit of fun of that person and of how he/she behaved during the last year.

That was... a lot of work

2006-12-02T12:45:50Z

Wellll, I just finished getting my site back up and I put it open to members. Being a member allows people to comment on my drawings, post in the forum (yay forum!) and once I get my download items back together they can download stuff too.

I put it so that members have to be validated by the Admin (which would be me) to keep certain idiots that wander around the internet out. Like those that only register to stir up drama. I hate drama and there shall be no drama on my site.

*stares at memberscreen*

It's baaaack

2006-12-01T17:57:05Z

It's back :) I just deleted my whole site and installed the newest version of PHP-fusion and I am now working on getting everything back up to what it used to be.

However...

I also want to make the forum active. Now keep in mind that this site is mainly a showcase for my drawings (no matter how horrible they may be). What kind of boards would you like on the forum if you wanted to join? I'm just looking for ideas that would work so hit me with your best shot!

Meme thing!

2006-11-30T18:33:56Z

Comment and I'll give you a letter. You, then, have to name ten things that begin with that letter.

I got hit with the K by dia_aren_marie

1. Kale
2. Kedgeree
3. Killer whale
4. Kikuyu
5. Kraken
6. Kojak
7. Koala
8. Kryptonite
9. Knuckle
10. Kohlrabi

My family appears to be out for my blood

2006-11-29T20:54:07Z

So I kinda passed my cold on to everyone else in the family for the umpteenth time. They're getting pretty tired of my catching a cold, getting better within a few days and their getting it from me and suffering for days on end.

I've been threatened with solitary confinement the next time I so much as sneeze in their presence. Never mind that it'll already be too late by then anyway.

The presentation went pretty alright, my English pronounciation was horrid, as usual when I stand in front of a crowd, but my nerves weren't as bad once I was finally up there. I scored pretty well so I'm not complaining and people liked the song.

Gah melts into a puddle of nervous goo

2006-11-29T08:17:07Z

I have a presentation! I am so so so dead. Yeah, I knew I had the presentation and I even prepared for it but why-oh-why did I decide it would be a good thing to do a presentation on Ray Stevens' I'm My Own Grandpa?

I am dead beyond dead. What made me think I can spoof a university assignment? No time left to explain, I'll do that when I get home, train was delayed and fifteen minutes waiting for the bus makes very little time left to actually post.

Now if you'll all excuse me I'll go and die in front of a class of thirty people... *whimpers*

Tired, cold and a serious WTF moment

2006-11-28T07:47:04Z

In my infinite wisdom, I have found out that it is cold at 6 am when you're outside. Very cold. That cold also extends to the train and the bus. And I love the security guards at the university building I'm in right now because otherwise I would have been a popsicle.

The building technically opens at 8 am, and I showed up here at half past seven. Luckily they'd already opened up and it was warm. So I could sip on the chai I made back home, comfortably situated on a couch waiting for the computers to turn on. There is goodness in the world and its name is chai.

So, while sitting there, waiting, I opened the free newspaper (we actually have two free newspapers here that are handed out every morning at trainstations and the like) and saw this: "The arrested person should be treated as a guest by the police." Wait wait wait. WHAT?! A GUEST?

Turns out the article is about a new prison-complex thing in Friesland, which is a part of the Netherlands and is inhabited by VERY stubborn people. According to the article, the arrested person can play computergames, watch Discovery Channel, National Geographics and Eurosport. It's even got floorheating. I don't even have that and I'm certainly not even arrested!

What are they thinking? People there have been arrested for a reason and I don't think that reason should allow them to play computergames and watch television when they should be punished. That's not punishment, that's entertainment. I don't... this just fails. Massively.