Hey there, thanks for stopping by! :)

My journal isn't much, but at least it's mine. :) A quick glance at it might lead you to think that I mostly post rubbish here, but don't let that fool you. It's not a friends-only journal, but despite that, a lot of entries are friends-only anyway. In general, only the impersonal or non-sensical entries are open to the public. So, if you wish to get to know me on a deeper level, then you're most welcome to friend me and leave a comment here - I will very likely friend you back. I always enjoy meeting new people (with or without mutual interests) on the Internet. :)

Well, I guess that's all I needed to say, really. In any case, thank you for being here and wasting your precious time on my humble journal. ;)

* The Buffy/Giles picture in this entry is from a screencapture taken by myself. In itself, it's copyrighted material (Joss Whedon owns all), but the editing (colours and stuff) was done by myself.

Just came across this (click here!), after which I positively died and went to heaven (and came back here to tell y'all about it ;-)). *happy sigh* Be sure to check out the comments as well, because there's one hot .gif there as well. *fans self* God, I love that man! :D

I wish everyone in my friends list (and whoever else is currently reading this) a very happy Christmas; may you have a cosy, relaxed time with your family and friends - and get some terrific presents as well. :)

A little over a month ago, I started work on my very first Buffy/Giles 'shipper music video titled "Crazy For You", which I am proud to announce was finally finished today. :) From the very beginning, my intention had been to keep the music video more or less light-hearted, therefore I only used material from seasons 1 to 4. I had envisioned the music video to be pretty general, bringing out the subtext as 'shipper music videos ought to - but to my pleasant surprise (since I did not consciously intend to), the video turned out to be mostly from Buffy's POV. That is pretty neat, considering that most B/G music videos (the ones that I've come across, at least) tend to highlight Giles' POV. :)

Either way, if you're interested in viewing the video, then here is the place to be:

http://buffy.fanvids.co.uk/viewstory.php?sid=2324

(If the link doesn't work because, for example, the website's server is down, then you'll have more luck here.)

If you access the Internet via a LAN like I do, then it should take a little over a minute to download the video to your desktop. :)

N.B.: The video is a 4:18-minute-long WMV that was created with Windows Movie Maker. I packed it in a WinRAR archive, so you'll be needing WinRAR (or an other utility that opens rar-files) to unpack it.

Well, I hope that I have more or less succeeded in making a decent B/G music video: it certainly doesn't rank up there with Koala's famous videos, but I hope it will nevertheless give you some entertainment. :)

Should you feel like it, constructive feedback is always appreciated - especially tips about what tricks I could have used to make my music video even better. I'm always eager to improve my vidding skills. :)

Dear friends list,

If you hate the new layout of the profile page as much as I do, please voice your dissatisfaction at lj_design in this thread. Also, it would be great if you could join changeitback, which currently has over 900 members. I hope we can still have strength in numbers these days.

Thanks in advance!

W.T.F. just happened to the LJ layout of the user information?!?! It's SHITE! It makes me want to poke my eyes to mush with a needle! >:-(

*not amused*



more animals

YAY! :D I'm very glad and relieved that the American people have chosen Barack Obama as their new president. :) I must admit that I was a little bit apprehensive, despite polls from previous days saying that Obama was the most likely to win; because after all, since George W. Bush had been elected a second time, anything was possible in my view. But fortunately, the Americans made the right choice this time, for which I thank them, as does most of the rest of the world with me. I hope we can look forward to a brighter future for America, and thus also, the rest of the world. :)

I also want to take a moment to say that I thought that the speech that John McCain just gave in Phoenix was very beautiful, poignant and heartfelt. I felt a little bit sorry for him, because he truly loves his country and I think there were a few moments where he had to fight to keep his emotions in check (the same goes for Sarah Palin). I also felt a bit sorry for him because he's an old man: to have fought so much and so long at that age, and then to lose, is pretty much heartbreaking. I don't know why, but older people always touch me a bit - I know they're not pathetic or helpless or anything similar, but well, I hope you see what I mean: I don't mean to be offensive in any way. :)

Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing the chapter George W. Bush closed and I hope that the world will soon become a better place again, closer to the way it was before George W. Bush was first elected president of the United States. Thank you America, for making that possible. :)

One of the finest actors that has ever graced this earth, Paul Newman sadly lost the battle with lung cancer yesterday, at the very respectable age of 83 years.

Since he is one of my favourite actors, I am sad and shocked, even though I had known for some time already that this was coming. My heart goes out to his family, friends and other close contacts, for the loss is greatest and most heart-breaking for them. Without the presence of his warm, interesting and philanthropic personality, I think the world is a lesser place. But he will live on, not only in our hearts, but also through his immediate family, his films, his company and other philantropic activities.

I take some comfort from the thought that he is no longer in pain now: may he rest in eternal peace.




Paul Leonard Newman

* January 26, 1925
+ September 26, 2008

I've received yet another virtual LJ birthday gift, this time from wayward_celt. Thank you very much! :D It makes my user info look shiny, lol. ;)

A big thank you to dracschick for giving me a virtual LJ birthday gift! :D It's a tad early still, but I don't mind at all! ;)

I've never had one before, so I was like: "Ooooh, so *that's* how a virtual LJ gift looks like!" I think it's neat. ^^

Again, muchos gracias! :D

Ah, Valentine's Day. That means witless (and mediocre) romantic films all over the commercial TV channels, so nothing worthwhile for me to watch (apart from an episode of the Dutch series "Wie is... de Mol?" on a non-commercial channel). I prefer to watch something that doesn't make my brain cells die an excruciating death, thank you very much.

But, let's talk about something more positive interesting that is also slightly related to Valentine's Day. Thanks to kiratollan, I have a renewed interest in the Romas 'ship. That is, the relationship between Rose DeWitt Bukater and Thomas Andrews from "Titanic." A few years ago, at Shippers United or at White Flag (I don't precisely remember which), Kira and I started talking about how much more right Thomas was for Rose than Jack ever was, which eventually resulted in a thread dedicated to the pairing and an "analysis" written by me (reproduced here). Unfortunately, the 'ship was not very well-known in general and so there was little material (fanfiction, fan art, etc.) to keep the fire burning. Until recently, that is. Kira pointed me to new material: a few Romas-oriented music videos on YouTube. That proves that there are more Romas 'shippers out there, and with videos it is much easier to imagine a pairing - so that means that the videos will corrupt a fair number of people, heh heh. ;) I'm looking forward to seeing the fandom grow - maybe someday I can create a community for them, but for now I think the thomas_andrews community will suffice. :)

Of all the music videos on YouTube, my personal favourite was this one. Simply heart-breaking, gave me goose bumps all over. *wistful sigh* This one (click here) is great also, and I also like this tribute to Thomas Andrews. I realise these videos aren't top-notch - I've seen much better music videos for the Buffy/Giles 'ship - but that's because there isn't much film material available for Thomas and for Thomas and Rose together. It's better than nothing, especially if you think about how small the fandom for Romas still is. :)

Hmm, I still have some old ideas for a Romas fic lying around somewhere - perhaps I will someday get around to writing a full-fledged fanfiction story. This reminds me that I also yet have to write one for Victoria/De Soto from "Zorro", too. Because, you know, the greatest fun in supporting unconventional 'ships is that you - in the words of Captain Picard - go where no one has ever gone before. I think it's great to explore uncharted territory, to be able to corrupt people to the 'ship and to set an example to them. :)

By the way, I have created 3 music videos in my roughly 9-year-long 'shipping career - which I have now uploaded to MegaUpload.com. I had uploaded them to YouTube once, but the automatic conversion to the .flv video format during the upload process damaged the quality of both picture and sound - so I felt that people couldn't watch the videos as they were meant to be watched. I kept them on YouTube anyway (until they were removed by YouTube staff for copyright infringement), because I didn't know where else to upload them. But fortunately, now there is MegaUpload.com, where one can temporarily (90 days) host big files for free - so I can once again make my videos available to the public. :)

For those bored interested, more information about my videos can be found under the cut.


( Music video information right here. )


Well, let's move on to non-'shipping matters now. :)

Last Tuesday (February 12th), I went to see "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street" at the Calypso in Nijmegen. For most people, Johnny Depp is reason enough to want to watch the film - I mostly went to see it for Alan Rickman. Too bad that Alan played a dirty old pervert in the film, but his portrayal of Judge Turpin was superb nonetheless. A very welcome, unexpected bonus to the film was that Anthony Stewart Head had a cameo in it - I almost squealed out loud with delight in the cinema, tee hee! ;) Too bad Tony didn't get to sing, though! :(
For the rest, the musical was pretty good (I shan't talk about the plot, because I don't want to spoil anyone). I couldn't really hear the music of the songs in the cinema (it works better for me to watch this type of film with a headphone on), though I could hear the dialogue just fine. Definitely need to rewatch this film once it is out on DVD, so that I can get a really good impression of Johnny Depp's singing abilities. His Sweeney Todd was terrific - I really do hope he wins the Oscar for Best Actor at the 80th Academy Awards later this month. *crosses fingers*

While watching the film, did anyone also feel a bit like they had stepped into some sort of distorted "Harry Potter" universe? I mean... Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew), Alan Rickman (Severus Snape)... I couldn't help but think of "HP" everytime I saw them.

Oh, and did Sacha Baron Cohen's obvious bulge in his tight pants also distract anyone? I mean, it was unavoidable, impossible to ignore even if you very much wanted to. Normally, I wouldn't really complain, but I thought it was a bit icky because a) I never really liked Baron Cohen and b) the character he played was already icky enough on his own. Now, if it'd been Alan's or Tony's, I wouldn't even have gotten out of the cinema alive (I'd have choked on my own drool or died of cardiac arrest, heh heh heh). *dreamy sigh*

Anyway, late in the night of that same day (February 12th), I watched "Buster" on BBC 1. Even though I'd heard that it was a mediocre film, I wanted to see it because I wanted to see the acting abilities of one of my favourite singers (Phil Collins) and because it is the film for which Phil had covered The Mindbenders' "A Groovy Kind Of Love" (Phil's version is my all-time favourite song). I'd also seen clips of "Buster" in the official music video for "A Groovy Kind Of Love", so naturally I was curious about the film.
It turned out to be a very nice film, actually. The plot wasn't too predictable, the film had some funny moments and the acting was good (although typically '80s at times). I thought Phil's acting was decent and believeable - but for me personally, Julie Walters stole the show. A few years prior to "Buster," she had already given a terrific performance in "Educating Rita", which is a film about an alcoholic university professor (Michael Caine) who finds new purpose in his empty life when he starts to teach English Literature to a woman from the working class (Julie Walters) and eventually falls in love with her. And in "Buster", Walters once again gave a very good and enjoyable performance. I just love that woman - definitely one of my favourite actresses. :)

Alright, that's enough about films for now. :)

You probably didn't notice, but I've been away from the Internet for a couple of days. On Thursday (February 7th), I tried to format my main hard disk (I had two of them at the time, 30 GB each - the main one is the C-drive) but the setup programme wasn't able to complete the setup process because my hard disk was "probably damaged." The setup programme advised me to format and then install Windows XP on the other hard disk (the D-drive), which I couldn't do, because Windows is always best installed on the C-drive. After a few more attempts, my DVD-ROM drive didn't even want to read the Windows XP installation CD anymore and kept throwing it out, so that's when I gave up and decided to call a computer repairman. He came only yesterday afternoon, so I've been unable to do anything with my own computer before that time. Fortunately I went to my parents' in the weekend (my mother celebrated her 46th birthday on Friday, February 8th) and so I still had access to Internet. I stayed there until Monday, and I mostly did some cleaning up at my place in order to while away the time. I managed it just fine: computer withdrawal symptoms were limited to mere impatience and restlessness. ;)

This particular problem wasn't unfamiliar to me, by the way: it first occurred about half a year ago. Back then, my computer started to make this high-toned alarm while in the process of formatting and eventually it turned itself off without even having finished the formatting process. This had never happened to me before (previous attempts at formatting had always been successful and uneventful), and I didn't know what the hell that alarm was all about. Later, I found out that it was a warning signal for when the temperature in the computer gets too high (mine turns itself off when it has reached 80 °C).
After that happened, I couldn't properly format my hard disk anymore (I received the same error message that I had written about earlier) and so I brought it to a computer repairman (not the same one as yesterday's). He opened up my computer and removed all the dust in it, so that the temperature wouldn't get so high anymore. He solved the problem of the DVD-ROM drive throwing out the installation CD by disconnecting the drive of the burner. Once the burner was disconnected, the DVD-ROM drive obediently read the CD and the error message suddenly didn't appear anymore after the formatting process. Once the formatting process was completed and Windows XP was installed, one could connect the burner again and everything would function as it should. So that's how it was solved at the time.

In the time that followed after that visit to the computer repairman, my computer didn't make that alarm sound anymore for about six months; after that, it started again and then I had my CPU fan replaced. Apart from that, I was able to successfully format my hard disk several times with the computer opened and the burner disconnected.
Last week, however, something had mysteriously changed and I was not able to get to the setup programme when the burner was disconnected. I found myself forced to try to format while both the DVD-ROM drive and the burner were connected at the same time. I knew it would probably fail, I knew I probably would get that error message again (which I did), but I had to try and see. When the formatting process failed and the DVD-ROM drive eventually refused to read the installation CD, I thought: "Alright, I'm going to get myself a new hard disk. I've always wanted a new one and since this one appears to be damaged, now is the time to do it."

So, when the computer repairman came yesterday, he removed the faulty one of my two 30 GB hard disks and replaced it with a 160 GB hard disk. So, I now have a C-drive of 160 GB and a D-drive of 30 GB, which is a total of 190 GB of space on my computer. That may seem very little compared to the standards of nowadays, but it's more than enough for me. I will never ever be able to fill that much space (I don't play games or do other things that take up a lot of space), so it's all I need.
The problem with the DVD-ROM drive and the burner remained, however - so the computer repairman got around it by making the burner the master and the DVD-ROM the slave (it was the other way around first). It's a temporary solution: I think I will need to replace my DVD-ROM drive in the future (it apparently doesn't read CD's and DVD's very well anymore), but my working burner is good enough for me at the moment. The burner can also read most CD's and DVD's, so the need for a new DVD-ROM drive is not that urgent. :)

Everything is now finally up and running again (I've had to re-install many programmes) and I'm glad that I'm able to use my computer again. Hopefully no new problems will occur, because a computer repairman is always rather expensive. :-/

Well, that's it for now, I suppose. :) I'm tired now and I want to go to bed, so I'm gonna go - but not before posting a few nice memes (somewhat related to Valentine's Day, to add a little bit to the spirit). ;)



ESTJ-The Supervisor

You scored 75 I versus E, 80 N versus S, 80 F versus T, and 60 J versus P!

Your ideal partner is known as the supervisor. As a romantic partner, this type communicates very clearly their strong opinions so their partners always know where they stand. They are dependable, responsible, and rock solid. They can be rather inflexible about giving up any control and insist on keeping a schedule, although they have great energy and enthusiasm for planned adventures. They have difficulty seeing others' points of view and their biggest downfall in a relationship is dismissing their partner's feelings as illogical. They feel most appreciated for being trustworthy, efficient, and productive. They wish to be thanked tangibly for the ways they keep your lives on track.

The group summary: Guardians (SJ)
The Type Summary: ESTJ

My test tracked 4 variables. How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 68% on I versus E You scored higher than 90% on N versus S You scored higher than 85% on F versus T You scored higher than 35% on J versus P

Link: The Best Personality Type for You Test written by unpretentious2 on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Your Five Variable Love Profile

Propensity for Monogamy: Your propensity for monogamy is high. You find it easy to be devoted and loyal to one person. And in return, you expect the same from who you love. Any sign of straying, and you'll end things. Experience Level: Your experience level is medium. You probably have had a couple significant loves. And you may have even had your heart broken. But you haven't really dated a wide variety of people. Dominance: Your dominance is low. This doesn't mean you're a doormat, just balanced. You know a relationship is not about getting your way. And you love to give your sweetie a lot of freedom. Cynicism: Your cynicism is high. Sure you believe in love, but you know it doesn't come easily. You scoff at "love at first sight" and "soulmates." You rather take the real thing, as unglamorous as it is. Independence: Your independence is medium. In relationships, you need both "me time" and "we time." You usually find it easy to be part of a couple. But occasionally you start to feel a little smothered.

The Five Variable Love Test

ISTJ - The Inspector

You scored 0% I to E, 52% N to S, 52% F to T, and 26% J to P!

Your type is known as the inspector, and the single word that describes you is superdependable. You also belong to the larger group of guardians. You look carefully at the people and institutions around you and notice every last detail. You feel it is up to you to make sure those around you uphold certain standards of attitude and conduct. You are down-to-earth, with a distaste for fanciful things. You prefer things practical to new-fangled. Your word is your bond. You have no problem with detail. You share your type with 10% of the population.
As a romantic partner, you are dependable and predictable. You usually like things done in very specific ways. You tend to appreciate tradition, and you work hard to achieve goals. You have trouble sharing your feelings, though. In your eagerness to be organized and productive, you can also be unwilling to examine or embrace alternative points of view. You like to be appreciated for your practical contributions, your common sense, and the efforts you make to keep your life on track. You like to be thanked often, both informally and formally and are most likely to be upset when your partner forgets a tradition you hold dear, such as an anniversary.

Your group summary: Guardians (SJ)
Your Type Summary: ISTJ

My test tracked 4 variables. How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 0% on I to E You scored higher than 68% on N to S You scored higher than 55% on F to T You scored higher than 13% on J to P

Link: The LONG Scientific Personality Test written by unpretentious2 on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

You Go For Brains!

You want a guy with a big... brain. And of course it would be nice if he were a total hottie, but you're not counting on it. What's on the inside is what counts for you. (Besides, you can always change the outside later!)

Do You Go For A Guy's Brains or Body?

To everyone who has ever seen the "Once More, With Feeling" episode of "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer:" take a minute to watch this video on YouTube, heh heh heh. It sure cracked me up (especially when Tara starts to sing)! :D

By the way: it's Super Tuesday! :o I'm torn between Hillary and Obama, I wish both of them would remain eligible. I'm not an American, so I don't get to vote, ofcourse. But I think I would eventually vote for Hillary, because she has far more experience than Obama (she has, after all, been a First Lady). Plus I think the country (or the world, for that matter) needs a woman's touch in that typical men's world. I also think was Bill was a great president (one of the best America has had in the previous century, and I look at his professional life rather than his personal life to determine that). With his experience, he would be a great support as First Man (or First Gentleman? LOL) and very valuable for forging closer ties with foreign countries. I feel like it is easier to predict what good can come from Hillary as president, than with Obama. I don't really like unpredictability, at least not when there is so much at stake (it's so important that the right president is chosen this time). So, yes, I would most likely pick Hillary. :)

I'm crossing my fingers for a good outcome today.

Just an old music meme to while away the time....

( Let me wrap you in my warm and tender love... )

Whoa, look - I got my very own stalker! :D

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Top Commenters on dying_dreams's LiveJournal
(Self and anonymous comments excluded from rankings)

1	freddiebear	167
2	autumnsparkle	63
3	kiratollan	58
4	dracschick	45
5	twan_1983	33
6	vampiresetsuna	26
7	b_schmilsson	21
8	sir_hellsing	19
9	derniere_danse	18
10	lupinlover	18

( 11-59 )
Total Commenters: 61 (2 not shown)
Total Comments: 979
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If there are one or more people on your friends list who make your world a better place just because they exist, and who you would not have met (in real life or not) without the Internet, then post this same sentence in your journal.

And shocked doesn't even cover it in the slightest. I just switched my computer on (after tossing and turning in my bed for several hours; I couldn't sleep) and I immediately saw on BBC News (which is my browser's default home page) that Heath Ledger has passed away. My jaws dropped and I simply couldn't believe the headline. After I read the circumstances in which he was found (suspected drug overdose), I found it even harder to believe. He always seemed a very down-to-earth fellow to me, which Australians usually are (in my experience, at least). I will always remember him as Snowy from "Sweat", and it's difficult to believe that that boy from back then has passed away at such a young age. Not to mention that he left an infant daughter behind, for whom it is perhaps most tragic: she will never truly get to know her father. :(

I can't help but think that his death must have been accidental. Some say it might have been intended suicide, but I find it difficult to believe that he was so far gone that he would leave his daughter fatherless. It is believeable, however, that he was depressed about his separation from Michelle Williams. But it's like Brad Renfro all over again, except that you didn't see this coming at all (I don't remember ever having read that Heath had a drug problem).

Whatever might have been the cause, this remains a great tragedy. It is such a shame that so much talent and promise has been lost - he would have made many great films and eventually have become one of Hollywood's top stars, I believe.




Heath Andrew Ledger

* April 4th, 1979
+ January 22nd, 2008


May he rest in peace.

Rules:
- Bold all of the following TV shows of which you've seen 3 or more episodes.
- Italicise a show if you're positive you've seen every episode.
- Asterisk if you have at least one full season on tape or DVD.
- If you want, add up to 3 additional shows (keep the list in alphabetical order).

( Long, long list under the cut. )

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year! ^__^ May 2008 be a better year for you than 2007 has been, and I hope that you will achieve as many of your goals [that you have set for this year] as possible. This goes especially for those that have New Year's resolutions: good luck with keeping them, because I know it isn't going to be easy. But you can do it, if your heart truly is in it. My thoughts will be with you. :)

Once again, all the best for 2008! *smooch* ;)

And now I'm going to bed - it's high time, methinks. :P

Sleep well, and see you later! :D

Under the cut, an extensive 2007 meme that I took from autumnsparkle. :)


( Goodbye, 2007. )

Well, my Christmas was pretty much blah, as was to be expected. The only things that I truly did enjoy were the food and the game of cards we played after dinner with my mum, my sisters, my grandmother, my aunt and my cousin. My dad, my grandfather and my uncle all stayed in the lounge to watch TV. That's rather typical - whenever there's an event at my paternal grandparents' house, things usually happen separately (even dinners, with the exception of Christmas). The men have their own domain (the lounge) and the women as well (the kitchen). There is little interaction between the two sexes on such events. That's a bit odd, I know - I've never given it much thought before, but now that I do, it's a bit odd.
Part of it mostly happens for practical reasons, I think. Separated dinners, for example: my paternal grandmother's family is really big; she has 9 siblings, of which two are deceased (one died in infancy and the other died last year). Her three sisters and one of her brothers (who is now deceased) usually show up at the birthdays (*with* their spouses in tow), so that's already a bit much when you think that my grandparents' children and grandchildren also have to attend such events. But still, the separation by sex (which happens more unconsciously than it does consciously) is rather old-fashioned - but understandable if you observe the time in which my grandparents grew up in. It's not as if it's forbidden to enter the domain of the opposite sex, but no one ever stays in the other domain very long. Funny, really. :)

At least I don't see this happening in my maternal family, but then again, my maternal grandmother's house is rather narrow. ;)

Well, let's move on to something else now. :)

I went to see "I Am Legend" last Wednesday (saw "The Golden Compass" on December 9th, by the way), as I have a thing for post-apocalyptic films. With Will Smith in the leading role, I didn't expect too much of the film (he never truly comes across as serious to me, plus I always think of his lousy acting in the wortless film "Wild Wild West"). But the film turned out to be rather good, actually - at least, in the first half of the film. The second half was rushed through and I wasn't particularly happy with Christian morals being stuffed down my throat at the end ("God told me to turn on the radio! God brought me to you! God told me there is a survivor camp in Vermont!"). And then, miraculously, the atheistic lead character suddenly sees the error of his ways towards the end. Jeez. What an anti-climax to a film that started out so promising.
Also, the CGI was really bad - but it appears they didn't want to make the mutants as realistic as possible because the film would receive a R-rating otherwise. For the rest, I failed to connect with the film or the lead character emotionally (the only one I cared about was Sam the dog!). Despite the inferior special effects and few action scenes, little was invested in actual emotional development - it felt like the director and the crew just had a list of obligatory elements and checked them off without any true feeling(s). I felt like I was watching business, something manufactured sheerly for the money and not out of artistic purposes. But well, that might just have been me.

Overall, the film isn't a complete waste of time, but I would rather recommend "28 Days Later." "I Am Legend" felt like a copy of that film, even though the storylines aren't exactly the same.

At the message board for "I Am Legend" on Imdb.com, I made a thread about why such post-apocalyptic films always have men in the leading role of sole survivor and never a woman (that was something that had just occurred to me). I got some rather sexist, narrow-minded comments on that (though I must admit that some had some truth in them), which I found a bit depressing. I mean, to me it showed that despite how emancipated nowadays' men may be, most of them secretly, deep down, still think themselves superior to women. Grrr.

Anyway, enough about that. :)

I've carefully browsed through my huge icon collection and uploaded pretty much all of my favourites. There are 94 icons (the limit is 102), so if you're looking for some new icons, you might want to take a look at them. Most of them feature Buffy, but a fair number also feature Derek/Meredith (from "Grey's Anatomy") and Disney characters. There are some text icons as well.

Just thought you might want to know. :)

I'm going to the barber's at 2:00 PM - just in time for the new year. :) I always grow a bit restless when my hair becomes too long, especially at night - when my head is resting on the pillow, I always feel the hair prickling in the back of my neck. :/
My hair is wavy when it becomes too long; curls will appear when it is even longer. I might have been an adorable curly-head when I was very young, but I don't think it would fit me well now that I'm an adult. I haven't got the face for it anymore. So, I rather keep my hair ultrashort instead of medium short (which means curls) or even long (which is even worse!). There's not really something else that I can wear, I think. But well, I'm not bothered by it, since short hair is very practical. I'm always glad that I don't have to invest as much time in getting my hair in order as my sisters do. :)

Well, that's enough for today. :) I'm going to go now, but not before I have posted two memes (I stole the first one from hjsnapepm, but found the second one myself). :)

Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz The higher of these two numbers below indicates which side of your brain has dominance in your life. Realising your right brain/left brain tendancy will help you interact with and to understand others. Left Brain Dominance: (9) Right Brain Dominance: (12) Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convincing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What kind of intelligence do you have?

I stole this very extensive meme from mypetconcubine. :)

Harry Potter Character Compatibility Test created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Severus Snape You are Severus Snape. You are solitary, subtle, and secretive. Very few people truly know you. You do not give your loyalty easily. It is difficult for people to analyze you, for you refuse to betray your inner feelings. Severus Snape 84% Neville Longbottom 75% Luna Lovegood 72% Hermione Granger 66% Draco Malfoy 63% Remus Lupin 63% Albus Dumbledore 59% Sirius Black 56% Bellatrix Lestrange 53% Ron Weasley 50% Percy Weasley 47% Harry Potter 47% Lord Voldemort 31% Oliver Wood 22%

I must say I'm not at all surprised by the outcome: I've always known that I had a lot in common with Severus Snape. Not on the outside, perhaps, but on the inside - and there are similarities in our lives' events as well. :)

Heeee, I'm so excited! You know why?

Well, on Saturday evening, I received two e-mails from LiveJournal. The first one said that six months of paid account time had been added to my account, and the second one said that I had also been given the add-on of extra userpics - meaning that I can now upload a total of 102 userpics. First I was like: "WTF?!" O_o Then I was like: "Wow, nice Christmas gift from LJ to all its users!" ;) But then I read the two e-mails again, more carefully this time - and then I saw that it were two anonymous gifts. I went: " Someone has given me two gifts!!" I was quite surprised, I can tell you that. ;) I even wondered if it actually was for me, thinking that that certain someone might accidentally have pressed the wrong button or something. But no, that doesn't appear to be so.

I find myself very curious as to who this mystery person is - it's most likely someone who is in my friends list at this very moment, but I cannot say for certain, ofcourse. :) There is also the fact that it are anonymous gifts for a reason, and I certainly respect that person's wishes. But I wish I could return the favour, you know. I feel a bit uncomfortable receiving gifts and unable to actually do something for that person as well - but I suppose the least I can do is to continue posting here and to make full use of those six months. :) Once Christmas is over and I'm back at my own place again, I'll start digging through my extensive icon collection and upload as many icons as possible!

Mr. or Miss X. must certainly be reading this now, and I want to tell you this:

Thank you very much for the gifts! I really appreciate them and they mean a lot to me, because thanks to you, I have a bit of Christmas after all. Thank you. :)

Well, that's it. ;) I'm going to grab me a bite to eat now, because I haven't eaten very much today yet.

Meanwhile, I hope everyone has a good time tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. See you all later! :)

Stealing these from scratchingpost1 while I attempt to wake up properly. :)

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What Time Of Day Are You?

What Your Soul Really Looks Like

You are a warm-hearted and open-minded person. It's easy for you to forgive and forget. You are not a very grounded person. You prefer dreams to reality. For you, it's all about possibilities. You believe that people see you for how you are, not how you look. But deep down, you know that's not exactly true. Your near future is in a very different place (both physically and mentally) from where you are right now. For you, love is all about caring and comfort. You couldn't fall in love with someone you didn't trust.

Inside the Room of Your Soul

Your Love Element Is Earth

In love, you have consistency and integrity. For you, love is all about staying grounded and centered. You attract others with your zest for life and experiences. Your flirting style is defined by setting the scene, creating a unique moment in time. Steady progress and stability are the cornerstones of your love life. You may take things too slowly, but you never put your heart at risk. You connect best with: Fire Avoid: Wood You and another Earth element: need each other too much to build a good foundation

What Element Is Your Love?

You are a Self-Discoverer

You're not religious, but you've created your own kind of spirituality. Introspective and thoughtful, you tend to look inward for the divine. You are distrusting of all forms of organized religion. You especially dislike religious gurus and leaders, who you feel are charlatans.

What's Your Religious Philosophy?

You are an Old Soul

You are an experienced soul who appreciates tradition. Mellow and wise, you like to be with others but also to be alone. Down-to-earth, you are sensible and impatient. A creature of habit, it takes you a while to warm up to new people. You hate injustice, and you're very protective of family and friends. A bit demanding, you expect proper behaviour from others. Extremely independent, you don't mind living or being alone. But when you find love, you tend to want marriage right away. Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul and Visionary Soul

What kind of soul are you?

Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.

A very happy 2007 to everyone in my friends list! May this year turn out to be better than the previous one. :)

Hmm, gacked this from missparker. Fun little quiz, though. :)







Yeah, that's me alright....

Bri-chan made me see that Alice and the Mad Hatter (from Lewis Carroll's "Alice In Wonderland") are an odd, but definitely adorable couple. I mean, check this out! :D

Shut up and kiss me

Tea for one

Valentine kiss

Just a few memes. :)

Your World View

You are a cautious type, neutral, and rather insecure. You would agree with the idea that everybody has his price... And in your own case it would not be high. You are ruled by an inferiority complex and not easy to assess. How do you present yourself to the world? An idealist, a moralist, a conformist keeping up with the Joneses?

What Is Your World View?

WHITES are motivated by PEACE, seek independence and require kindness. They resist confrontation at all costs. (Feeling good is more important than being good.) They are typically quiet by nature, they process things very deeply and objectively, and they are by far the best listeners of all the colours. They respect people who are kind, but recoil from perceived hostility or verbal battle.

WHITES need their quiet independence and refuse to be controlled by others. WHITES want to do things their own way, in their own time. They ask little of others, and resent others demanding much of them. WHITES are much stronger than people think because they don't reveal their feelings. WHITES are kind, non-discriminate, patient and can be indecisive, timid, and silently stubborn.

When you deal with a WHITE, be kind, accept (and support) their individuality, and look for non-verbal clues to their feelings.

What Color Are You?
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You Have a Phlegmatic Temperament

Mild-mannered and laid back, you take life at a slow pace. You are very consistent - both in emotions and actions. You tend to absorb set backs easily. You are cool and collected. It is difficult to offend you. You can remain composed and unemotional. You are a great friend and lover. You don't demand much of others. While you are quiet, you have a subtle wit that your friends know well. At your worst, you are lazy and unwilling to work at anything. You often get stuck in a rut, without aspirations or dreams. You can get too dependent on others, setting yourself up for abandonment.

What Temperment Are You?

Your Seduction Style: Au Natural

You rank up there with your seduction skills, though you might not know it. That's because you're a natural at seduction. You don't realise your power! The root of your natural seduction power: your innocence and optimism. You're the type of person who happily plays around and creates a unique little world. Little do you know that your personal paradise is so appealing that it sucks people in. You find joy in everything - so is it any surprise that people find joy in you? You bring back the inner child in everyone you meet with your sincere and spontaneous ways. Your childlike (but not childish) behaviour also inspires others to care for you. As a result, those who you befriend and date tend to be incredibly loyal to you.

What Kind of Seducer Are You?

You are Milk Chocolate

A total dreamer, you spend most of your time with your head in the clouds. You often think of the future, and you are always working toward your ideal life. Also nostalgic, you rarely forget a meaningful moment... even those from long ago.

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all-around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realise.

What Flower Are You?

Your Element is Water

Your power colors: blue and aqua Your energy: deep Your season: winter  Like the ocean, you evoke deep feelings and passion. You have an emotional, sensitive, and spiritual soul. A bit mysterious, you tend to be quiet when you are working out a problem. You need your alone time, so that you can think and dream.

What Element Are You?

Go to Wikipedia.Type in your birth date (no year!). List three events, two births and a death happening on that day in the world's history. Post this in your journal.


February 28th


Events:

364 - Valentinian I is elevated as Roman Emperor.

1922 - The United Kingdom accepts the independence of Egypt.

1986 - Olof Palme, Prime Minister of Sweden, is assassinated in Stockholm.

Births:

1833 - Alfred von Schlieffen, German field marshal (d. 1913)

1948 - Bernadette Peters, American actress and singer

Death:

1941 - King Alfonso XIII of Spain (b. 1886)

It's been a while since I last posted some memes, so.... knock yourself out with these. :)

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extraversion: You have low extraversion. You are quiet and reserved in most social situations. A low key, laid back lifestyle is important to you. You tend to bond slowly, over time, with one or two people. Conscientiousness: You have low conscientiousness. Impulsive and off the wall, you don't take life too seriously. Unfortunately, you sometimes end up regretting your snap decisions. Overall, you tend to lack focus, and it's difficult for you to get important things done. Agreeableness: You have low agreeableness. Your self-interest comes first, and others come later, if at all. In general, you feel that people are not to be trusted. And you're skeptical that anyone else really feels differently. Neuroticism: You have high neuroticism. It's easy for you to feel shaken, worried, or depressed. You often worry, and your worries prevent you from living life fully. You tend to be emotionally reactive and moody. You're either flying very high or feeling very low. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is medium. You are generally broad minded when it come to new things. But if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it. You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

The Five Factor Personality Test

Your Values Profile

Loyalty: You value loyalty a fair amount. You're loyal to your friends... to a point. But if they cross you, you will reconsider your loyalties. Staying true to others is important to you, but you also stay true to yourself. Honesty: You don't really value honesty. You do value getting your way, no matter what. And if a little lying is required to do that, no problem. A few white lies never hurt anyone (at least, that's what you tell yourself!) Generosity: You don't really value generosity. Your needs always come first, no matter what. And you'll possibly help someone else out... But only if it helps you in return. Humility: You value humility a fair amount. You tend to be an easy going, humble person. But occasionally your ego takes over. You have a slight competitive streak - and the need to be the best. Tolerance: You value tolerance a fair amount. You are open to new cultures, beliefs, and ideas. You have very few prejudices that you're aware of. And while you are tolerant, you do stand true to what you believe.

The Five Factor Values Test

You Are A Relationship Doormat!

Surprise, you ruin relationships. Bet you didn't see that one coming :-) While you're a nice, understanding, and caring girlfriend - you don't put your needs first. And deep down, it's probably because you worry about getting dumped. So speak up for yourself, weed out the losers sooner, and you'll find a guy that *deserves* you.

Do You Ruin Relationships With Men?

What Your Face Says

At first glance, people see you as warm and well-balanced. Overall, your true self is passive and thoughtful. With friends, you seem dramatic, lively, and quick to react. In love, you seem energetic - almost manic. In stressful situation, you seem like you're oblivious to the stress.

What Do People Think Of Your Face?

You Are a Night Person

For you, there's nothing worse than having to get up and moving early. In fact, you probably don't hit your peak until well after the sun has set. So if you're struggling to make it on a normal schedule, realise it's not your fault. You just weren't meant to do anything during the day!

Are You a Morning Person or Night Person?

Men See You As Understated

You are an intriguing mix of girl and woman. You're feminine, quiet, and a total mystery to most men. Yet they often feel the urge to protect you, even if they don't know you. You *are* a flirt, but you usually only flirt with those you know well.

How Do Men See You?

Star Wars Horoscope for Pisces

A typical Pisces, you have your head in the clouds. You're self-sacrificing and a bit too passive to stand up to the dark side. You become fairly pessimistic when put under pressure. You are a chameleon - wanting to change your scenery on occassion. Star wars character you are most like: Lando

What Is Your Star Wars Horoscope?

Cynical Idealist You Consider Love To Be 57% Idealistic, 0% Positive, and 0% Important.

You are the Cynical Idealist. You see love as negative yet also idealistic. For example, you may feel that there is probably more to love than just a physical connection. Not only that, but you probably feel that sex should always involve love. You also probably associate love with much heartache, pain, and negativity. Thus, while you view love as something ideal and perfect, you also feel it is quite painful. As a result, you also feel that love is not very important. You have written off love because it is so painful, and no doubt find pleasure through other things in life. Most likely, you have been burned before in a relationship, and this has given rise to your negative view of love, despite your tendency to retain an idealistic outlook in regards to the nature of love. To sum it up: You think love is more IDEALISTIC, NEGATIVE, and UNIMPORTANT than others. Please note that your percentage scores for each variable (found at the top) are a much more accurate reflection of your love attitude than this category description, which is highly speculative. The other categories: Anti-Cupid Jilted Cynic Realist Loving Realist Cynical Cupid Idealist Cupid

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 40% on Idealism You scored higher than 0% on Optimism You scored higher than 0% on Importance

Link: The Love Personality Test written by saint_gasoline on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test