Yay, another delicious shipment of comics from home!

My mum is so much cooler than your mum.

My day has largely been spent with my head buried in web pages about encryption, wiretapping and the Communcations Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994. I know, how fascinating. I think I'm turning my group's paper a wee bit anarchistic here. Here's to hoping for like-minded individuals.

Listening To:Lithium - Nirvana

Looking Forward To:Checking out these books.

I'm getting better at this Photostop thing. New desktop wallpaper. Lovin' that cover.

I go sleep now.

Listening To:Mountain Town - South Park

Looking Forward To:Sleeeep.

Extreme tenacity (or stubborn bull-headedness) prevails! I have conquered the UNIX lab despite their best efforts! Booya!

...I think I'm going insane.

Listening To:Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Frankie Valli

The school's UNIX server is being dorky this afternoon. Typical, when I want to do my lab is when it chooses to lag all to blazes. I think I've spent 5 minutes just waiting to read this e-mail.

I guess it's a "good" thing that I still have software design to do and I can come back to UNIX later. Still,I remain irked that I can't do what I'm in the mood for. Curse the world for not conforming to my every whim and desire. Curse it!

Listening To:Ru-Ru-Ru-Russian Roulette - Dirty Pair

Looking Forward To:Seeing what the hell this e-mail is.

Another week over. As far as school is concerned, anyway. What the hell happened to May? This month has flown by, it's most disconcerting. I mean, I have finals in two weeks. Bloody finals. Yipe.

I'm enjoying Adult Swim's new between-shows stuff. The old "Okay kids, out of the pool" stuff was getting old. Low budget and amusing, I can dig it. What I can't dig is the intensely irritating Lupin III dub. Time to find an MST3K tape to put in, methinks.

Listening To:Said intensely irritating Lupin III dub.

Looking Forward To:New comics tomorrow!

Just registrated for the Fall term. I'll be taking the next Math, English Composition (required), Java Programming I, and Intro to Visual Basic .NET.

Mmm. Programming.

I'll be Mike's personal gaming bitch in no time.

Listening To:Truth - Utena

Looking Forward To:Stuff.

Chris Claremont on the current status of Rogue and Gambit:

Unless, of course, I change my mind. They're married, she has a straight job, he's gained fifty pounds, loves his BarcaLounger, season tickets to the Mighty Ducks, she helps out at the Co-Op, totally preggers and loves it, long strolls hand in hand on the local boardwalk, she has the minor hots for Tony Bourdain (Cook's Tour, Food Channel) except when Jamie Oliver's available, Emeril being so five minutes ago and Iron Chef so last century. He's into SpongeBob.

He's an evil man. We love him so.

Listening To:I Can't Break Away - Big Pig

Looking Forward To:Yummy packages.

All told, this was a good weekend. Saturday afternoon, Mike and I went to see X2 again (now that really is a first). Aside from the motivation of the viewing itself, it was a good chance to escape from the heat for a while. Even better, by the time the movie let out, clouds had rolled in and the temperature had dropped considerably. It's been a pleasant temperature since then. Let's hear it for no sun!

Later Saturday, I had a breakthrough in my UNIX homework, and got all of that finished up, much to my relief. Today on the scholastic front, Mike helped me out with some weird algorithm stuff, so now I can stop feeling like the heat leeched away all of my smarts. Even better, I don't have class again until Wednesday, when I only have Computer Science. So I pretty much have the next three days free and clear, and Mike's off Monday too. You can't beat public holidays when you work for a bank.

We took advantage of the nice weather (nice in my eyes, anyway), bought a loaf of bread and went to feed the ducks. I think Spring is the best time to do anything with wildlife. Besides the normal swarm of ducks and geese, we were treated to a small platoon of goslings. But even better were the ducklings. Talk about adorable. They're cute enough in the water, but this one in particular was obviously displeased to be seperated from its mum, so it managed to find its way to land (where we were surrounded by the birds) and ran over to us. Of course, ducks don't so much run as they waddle. That's cute on an adult duck, but diabetes-inducing for a duckling. Add to the mixture that adorable little "peep!", and we were both nearly doubled over by the cute.

As for tomorrow, we're thinking about a movie marathon, get these DVDs back to Netflix (solely to get the next batch of course). It's nice to be able to have an extra day.

Listening To:Ueno Love Story - Tenchi Muyo!

Looking Forward To:More ducklings!

Well, it's taken me several hours, but never have I felt such a sense of accomlishment from a random number guessing game program.

It's only 70 degrees outside, but it feels much hotter. I think we're going to head to the movies or a mall or something later today to escape for a while.

Hm. I forgot to eat again. I guess that's why my stomach is complaining so much.

Listening To:Mike defend the clan from a raid. (That was be the MUD.)

Looking Forward To:Maybe seeing X2 again. <drool>

Good GOD it's hot in here. I love my computer, but she kicks out a crap load of heat. I've had a headache since I woke up this morning, and I have homework to do, so I can't not be in here. ARG. *bitch*whine*moan*

I've had a kind of dead week when it came to blogging. My bad. I'm feeling better now, though, so there will hopefully be more of wonderful, glorious me-ness to spread.

Yeah.

Anyway, I have spent an inordinate amount of time working on this week's reviews, so if you're so inclined, stop by Flatscan Files. There is much for your reading pleasure.

One quick bitch: It actually hit 80 degrees today. Bleah. How long until autumn?

Now I must go figure out what to have for dinner. Hopefully something cold.

Listening To:A Sorta Fairytale - Tori Amos (in my head)

Looking Forward To:A three-day weekend with Mike.

I had a weird dream last night. I was living in my old house in Louisiana, and somehow or another I was bitten by a snake. A Boom Slang, in fact. I have absolutely no idea what that snake looks like, so I was probably channelling The Crocodile Hunter for that one. (Upon reflection the snake actually looked more like a Puff Adder, but I remember me calling it a Boom Slang specifically.) I managed to get the snake off of my hand and then ran outside to the yard. Then I threw it over the fence, ran back inside, and drove myself to the hospital. I presume I was given an antidote, as the next thing I remember was me coming home. I saw the Boom Slang again, outside the gate, but the gate was practically non-existant, so I knew it could come back into the yard again any time it wanted. However it was otherwise busy attacking another snake, obviously a different species. I walked into the gate, and somehow the battling snakes managed to beat me to the back door, because they were fighting there now as well. The two snakes fell into a mud puddle, so I couldn't see exactly what was happening. I felt guilty for this, but I hoped that the Boom Slang would beat the other snake and eat it, so it would be too busy digesting to come inside the house again. The Boom Slang did indeed win, so I moved to go inside, but the snake saw me move and started towards me. I hurridly closed the door, but the snake instead went into some sort of unseen opening in the wall. I knew that it was back in the house and that I would have no way of knowing when it would bite me again.

And then I woke up. Very peculiar. Anybody want a shot at that one?

Listening To:Mike typing.

Looking Forward To:New Evolution episode tonight.

This may be a record, but we went to see The Matrix Reloaded earlier today and I've already done the review. The short version? Ugh.

Listening To:My teeth chatter. This sure doesn't feel like spring.

Looking Forward To:My package arriving Monday.

We decided to not go to see Matrix: Reloaded today after all. Mike got out of work a little bit late, but by the time we were approaching the theater, the odds on us getting good seats was pretty slim. Instead, we're going to go tomorrow and get there in plenty of time for the prime seats. It's also good that we're waiting, as it will give me a chance to shake off this abysmally foul acid-spitting mood I appear to have found myself for no particularly good reason.

Listening To:Roxanne - The Police

Looking Forward To:Getting my homework done. Notice a weekly theme of that?

Hey, I'm getting quicker at these reviews. I just zoomed through Unlimited #38 in about half an hour. Of course it wasn't particularly wordy ... A Claremont book is a bit more difficult. But still, doing well.

Tonight we're going to rewatch The Matrix in preparation for the movies tomorrow. I haven't seen it since we got the DVD a while back, so I could do with the refresh. We're going to see about catching the 4.15 or 4.30 showing. Mike's easily as excited about this as I was about X2. It's actually shaping up to be a pretty good summer for stuff. I mean, who can forget that the new Harry Potter book is coming out next month?

Listening To:Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen

Looking Forward To:New comics!

Just a bit of unsolicited friendly advice: I do not recommend shoving your foot underneath your refrigerator. There are lots of jagged metal nasty things. So don't do it. Not even accidentally. It's ... painful. Very. Pain. Ow.

Listening To:Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve

Looking Forward To:My new "Traffic Jam Blues" MP3 CD for the car. Should be done in a few minutes.

<yawn> I went to bed earlier and slept later than I have all week, and I'm yawning my head off. That's whacked.

Let's see, what's been up these past few days. Mum's sending me a care package with some of my issues from home, which makes me happy. I'll then have all of X-Treme, Ultimate, and an Uncanny run from 382 to present. Lots to review. I'm going to have to see about picking up a longbox this week, though. The area around my computer desk is starting to look like my old room.

Mike and I finished Cowboy Bebop earlier this week as well. I've had the last two DVDs sitting around for over a year, but we simply never got around to watching them. Now we have and ... well, it was a little off to me. Maybe it wouldn't have been if we hadn't waited as long as we did to finish it. But we did, so it was. I know that there's a movie, so I'm a bit confused as to how that meshes with the series, but I'll just wait until I have an empty Netflix spot and find out. I'm not that crazy to know.

Anime simply hasn't done it for me for years now. I swear, it's like the entire genre peaked for me with Fushigi Yuugi. I haven't seen anything since then that's been even close to as good. I dunno, maybe I'm just not watching the right things. Matt was kind enough to send me a list of recommendations, which I admittedly haven't checked yet. Maybe I will.

I also finished the X2 novelization. Not only is a darned good read in and of itself, but I highly recommend it for anybody who enjoyed the film. You get 400 pages of Claremont goodness, and a lot more insight into the film. If somebody did or didn't do something and it seemed off to you, then Claremont probably explained it rationally. All of the characters, developed quite well for the most part on the screen, come across much more fleshed out. And there are many more cameos to boot, including some fantastic scenes for Peter. Oh, and an entirely new ending. (I'm guessing the ending of the movie must've been changed sometime between the novel and filming.)

I did my final check of my credit cards, and they have indeed all been paid off. I even have about $35 in credit coming back to me. So it's confirmed: I am now 100% debt-free. Damn, that's a good feeling.

School again today. We're getting close to the end now. My final computer science homework was posted, due at the end of the month. April seemed to virtually crawl by, but it's already the middle of May. Time's a funky thing.

Listening To:Cry - Def Leppard. Got a video idea for this sucker.

Looking Forward To:Thursday.

Registration for the Summer term started today for degree-seekers. Sort of took me by surprise, I swore it said the 15th, not the 12th, but what I wanted was open anyway, so that's all good.

I'm only taking one course -- another Math -- during the summer. I'm so behind on my math that I really can't afford to not take them every term until I catch up to the needs of my curriculum. I'm tickled that I'm actually understanding shit this time around, but I still have a ways to go.

I'll be attending class from noon to 1.40pm Monday through Thursday. So much for that 2pm start twice a week. It should still work out okay, though. I could, in theory, sleep in until 11am and be there with time to spare, so my current average sleep schedule of 4am to 9.30 or 10am shouldn't be too affected.

I was thinking about signing up for an English that I have to take as well, but decided against it in the end. The Math is pretty concentrated -- almost two hours four times a week for eight weeks. And given that it's not my strongest suit, I could probably use the devotion to the class.

One bright spot is that, as I stated, the class is condensed into eight weeks, ending on 14 August. The Summer term itself doesn't actually end until 6 September, and the Fall term doesn't start until 21 September. Yup, that means a month off. Whoo!! I may actually get some writing finished.

Listening To:Mike cooking dinner downstairs. As it should be.

Looking Forward To:Reading through my glut of comics received today. Look for Flatscan updates soon.

Mike and I went to see X2 again today. This makes the first time that I've ever paid to see a movie twice.

Okay, that's not technically true. I did see Godzilla twice, but I was coerced, so I declare that it doesn't count.

Brrr. Godzilla.

Anyway, much like the first time through, I enjoyed the hell out of this movie. I actually got to pick up on a few more things this time around. A couple more names on the list Mystique accesses in Deathstrike's office (spotted Xian and Moira this time, while Mike saw Dani), and I heard that the guy Hank is debating with on TV is none other than Sebastian Shaw.

That aside, my weekend was pretty uneventful. As I said yesterday, I spent most of Saturday working on homework, and today was the movie followed by a spirited debate about things which would make me sound even more geeky than I'm sure I already do. I do want to mention, however, that we went nearly insane trying to remember Super Saber's name. I'll say no more.

Listening To:Family Guy on Cartoon Network.

Looking Forward To:Getting a package tomorrow.

Well, it's taken me nearly 24 hours, but finally all of my homework is done, plus some that isn't due until the middle of next week. Whew. I think I'm due for some quality vegging time in front of the TV.

Listening To:My computer spit out my CS homework.

Looking Forward To:Not thinking for a while.

It's been several years (and several concentrated days) in the making, but I finally have it up: I invite all mutie lovers to visit Flatscan Files, my home for copious X-Men reviews.

...Okay, not copious. Not yet, anyway. Currently I have only Ultimate #7 and X-Treme X-Men #25 up for your reading pleasure, but soon. Yes, soon. I actually would like to get the latest Uncanny up tonight as well, but since I only got four hours of sleep last night, I'm not sure how realistic that is.

Still, I have high hopes and expectations that updates to this section will be regular. New issues as they're released, old issues as time permits. And even if nobody likes reading them I like writing them, so there.

Unfortunately, as has been previously discussed, most of my collection is still in Louisiana, but I'll get those scans up as soon as they return to my hot little hands.

Comments are, as always, very welcome.

This makes me want to kill someone.

It took me a while, but my reviews for Phone Booth and X2 are finally completed and online.

I'm working on a new section of the web page. I'm pretty stoked about it, I hope to have it up soon.

Listening To:Nanka Shiawase - Flame of Recca

Looking Forward To:Working some more on my new section.

I have got such a headache. And groggy, too. I guess that staying up until 4am for two nights in a row will do that to you, especially when you find it unacceptable to sleep beyond 10.30am. I think I'll be heading to bed early tonight, lest I start being unable to function.

Listening To:A dull buzz.

Looking Forward To:Shaking off the cobwebs.

I dug up and have been rewatching my old X-Men: The Animated Series tapes. You know, the one from 1992. It's 10 years old and does indeed show its age (the hair in particular amuses), but I'm enjoying the heck out if. I'd forgotten how good some of the dialogue and voice work is in this thing. Also of great enjoyment are the commercials. All of my recordings are from the original airings, so you can imagine some of the stuff that I've been able to capture.

Season 2 just started. You know, I so very much miss bad ass villains with funky names like Mister Sinister. And then there's the Friends of Humanity. Damn, I'd forgotten all about them.

I can't wait to get my books back.

Listening To:Sinister posturing about his Summers obsession. Such familiar deja vu ...

Looking Forward To:Finishing my movie reviews.

I wanted to throw out a big public THANK YOU to my mother, who just sat on the phone with me for two and a half hours sorting through my comic collection to find out where my Uncanny holes are (and discuss shipping possibilities, yay!!). Tirelessly, she sat on the floor in my old room, crawling under my bed and pulling comics out of dusty old boxes that haven't been touched since I moved and had to leave them behind. Thanks Mum.

My current run stands at #140 to #350, with only eight holes up to #395, which was the last issue I got before moving.. After this order is placed, I'll have a complete run up to the present. Later down the road, I'll get #139 and can complete the run from #133 to present. After that, it's a slow, expensive track backwards to seal the remaining holes. Not that I expect I'll ever have a full collection. Not without becoming filty rich, anyway. But still, I draw pride from what I do have. It feels good to be working with them again.

Listening To:Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Looking Forward To:Getting the homework I didn't do Friday done. :\

This morning I was dreaming that somebody was incessantly knocking at the door. Turns out that it was the woodpecker. Unfortunately it took me forever get back to sleep after that (which was around 7am), and I'm feeling really wiped out at the moment. I think I'll be going to bed extremely early this evening.

We made it to TFAW today and put in our order. It's been too long since I got comics on a regular basis, I'm looking forward to it. I got a membership card and everything. Feelin' special.

Tonight Mike and I started working on a project. More news as it develops.

Listening To:Cars in the rain.

Looking Forward To:SLEEEEEP!!

I have seen X-Men 2. So good, so goooood ...

I just finished rewatching X-Men. I actually hadn't done anything more with the DVD than watch the school scenes trying to pick out characters, and I hadn't watched the movie in full since it was out in the theaters, so it was a very enjoyable time. And more than that, I found ... DELETED SCENES!! Much w00t. They hinted more at the approaching Dark Phoenix, which I'm guessing will be further implied in the second movie, judging from the trailers.

Now I really wish I had my comic book collection here with me. Not that I can't remember just about every thing I liked about each issue. Hell, once upon a time I could quote practically every single detail from every single issue from Uncanny #168 ("Professor Xavier is a JERK!", post-Brood, Kitty gets demoted to the New Mutants) through to the current issue. Of course, that was current for the time, which was probably right around #247 (when Rogue gets sucked into the Siege Perilous. That was an important day in my youth. I remember picking that issue up in the comic book store. Thursday, 20 April 1989. I know this because I wrote about it in my diary and I just checked it for the date. I would share the entry itself, but I was so very young and it's so very embarassing). However time has eroded my memory, and I'm left with little pockets of useless trivia. There's simply nothing like holing yourself up somewhere comfy and reading through over a decade's worth of excellent stories.

Maybe I can convince my mother to bring them with her when she comes back up in September. I'm sure she won't mind lugging two or three giant comic boxes with her. Right? Riiiight.

Listening To:Jett growling at the hallway. She's really starting to freak me out.

Looking Forward To:Still tomorrow!

What an unrestful night. I have no idea why, but I didn't sleep for more than 45 minutes at a time all night long. I'm surprisingly not that tired, but I get the feeling it's going to hit me pretty hard later tonight.

Jett's been acting pretty strange lately. You know, I half think that there might be a spooky thing in my apartment ... <suspicious look>

Listening To:Ducks quacking outside.

Looking Forward To:Tomorrow!

We just finished Zoolander. (You know, I think I've watched more movies in the past few weeks than I had in entire year previous. Netflix, I love you!) I had mixed feelings about the movie going into it. On the one hand, when the movie came out, it definitely had its moments that made me laugh. The scene with the scaled model of the "Derek Zoolander School For Kids Who Can't Read Good", for example. On the other hand, it looked very much like one of those movies that shows just about every funny scene in the trailer.

The last half of the movie was indeed pretty slow -- after all, this movie is little more than a handful of skits and gags loosely bound together with a hair-thin plot. But the first half held some brilliant moments, and for those, I'm glad I saw it. The entire movie was worth it for the brainwashing scene. "Obey my dog!"

Listening To:Justice League. It's no Super Friends ... Thank the gods.

Looking Forward To:Having all my homework done by Friday night for a free and clear weekend.

It looks like they have X-Men 2 showing on three screens at my preferred movie theater. That means that I could probably bully my way in there on Friday, but I think I may wait until Saturday instead. Maybe catch the 1, 1.15 or 1.30 showing. Matinee prices, but not too early.

I'm really stoked about this movie. Having been an avid X-Men fan since, oh, 1987 or so will do that for you. I'm really glad that they seem to have finally gotten comic book movies right.

Mayhaps I'll rewatch X-Men before seeing the sequel. I can doubly savor all the mutanty goodness.

Now we just need to get Rogue back into an X-Book.

Listening To:MSTed Century 21 Calling. "It's just phones!!"

Looking Forward To:Guess?