Qem's random history lesson time

Jun. 19th, 2013 09:51 pm
qem_chibati: Coloured picture of Killua from hunter x hunter, with the symbol of Qem in the corner. (A cat made from Q, E, M) (Default)
[personal profile] qem_chibati
Cut for manga page )

True story:
The capital of Australia is Canberra, because neither Melbourne (the largest city at the time) nor Sydney (the oldest city) could agree on which of the two should become the capital, so instead they scoped out an area that was approximately halfway inbetween the two to become the capital.

hmm

Jun. 19th, 2013 07:19 pm
qem_chibati: Manga character in desguise with a hankerchief over his head - - I'll Generation Basket 7 (Under cover)
[personal profile] qem_chibati
Trying to update the DW more regularly;

Random:

So the other day, I found one of those old "look up the top commentor in your journal memes" and I vaguely wondered if there was a version for dreamwidth (as far as I know, no).

But the xml that the other memes used is also generated by dreamwidth. I just haven't the foggiest how you get the username from the user id = http://www.dreamwidth.org/export_comments.bml?get=comment_meta&startid=0

I don't even know where to start looking for figuring that out, and on the one hand - CURIOUS! :3 on the other - EFFORT! D:




Cooking - preserved to make fun of myself 10 years from now;
Chokos! )

Manga:


I've just finished off Sibatora (a series about a youth devision detective who although he's an adult looks like he could still fit in middleschool) which I highly enjoyed, and it reminds me why I probably wouldn't do a regular reading meme; D: I'd actually have to face how much manga I read (15 volume series; 2 days; but it was sooooooooooooooooo good.) instead of just being oblivious. Incidentally, I'm trying to convince my husband to get rid of the fireplace so that we can put in a new bookshelf - I know what I consider to be a lot more useful, when it comes to purposes of holding up stuff. :3

Dear Qem;

You are too old to justify reading one more novel, one more chapter, one more novel, when it's way past your bed time.

No love;
Chibati

P.S I'm trying out the new update page again; and a feature I didn't realise from before - you can if you activate settings, rearrange all the different "items" like icons and so forth so I can make it a lot more intuiative for my own work flow. If it wasn't the fact that I sometimes want to cheat with RTF mode, I think I can see myself using the new update page permanently. (although, I still really, really wish that Dreamwidth would implement the queue posts feature for queuing your own posts in advance.
azurelunatic: cameo-like portrait of <user name="azurelunatic"> in short blue hair.  (Default)
[personal profile] azurelunatic
So a bunch of people I know have been reading Alternity, a piece of Harry Potter role playing game and collaborative fiction. Reader, I have been drawn into reading from Year One.

My brain latches on to the weirdest things, and even though it's only related because Harry Potter, it's been circulating a phrase.

Crude humor. )

IDEK.

Sewing machine recommendations

Jun. 17th, 2013 09:35 am
draigwen: (Default)
[personal profile] draigwen
I've decided I need a sewing machine but I have no idea what to get. I have a limited budget of an unset amount. I need a machine that does different pattern stitches for Scrapbooking - probably the primary use. But if also like to start making things - bibs and baby clothes, etc, so must do decent strong stitches. Must also be available in UK, preferably from somewhere that doesn't avoid paying tax.

Suggestions anyone?

(no subject)

Jun. 16th, 2013 09:04 pm
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[personal profile] leia_solo




I noticed when I was looking at the Billboard 100 playlist on Spotify that I really know who half the people were. So I clicked on some and discovered these two gems!

I watched True Blood tonight. Nothing too much really happened except Read more... )

Yay BFF

Jun. 15th, 2013 09:57 pm
azurelunatic: cameo-like portrait of <user name="azurelunatic"> in short blue hair.  (Default)
[personal profile] azurelunatic
Called the BFF today. It had been a while. My phone decided to reboot itself in the middle of the call.

He did figure out the problem with my number: he'd a very old number saved as my primary number, and my current number as secondary. I'd figured it was something of the like.

He had a hilarious exchange about laundry with his mother as well. They were singing little songs at each other.

Glasses hacks

Jun. 15th, 2013 12:07 am
afuna: Cat under a blanket. Text: "Cats are just little people with Fur and Fangs" (Default)
[personal profile] afuna

Glasses broke just before YAPC, so i repaired them with the limited resources available to me (two small rubber bands and a black marker).

Couple weeks later those gave out. Luckily this time i was with [personal profile] idonotlikepeas and [livejournal.com profile] girlgonemad We found out beading wire would help!

After that it was just a couple minutes with tweezers...

Craftin advice?

Jun. 14th, 2013 12:13 pm
hatman: HatMan, my alter ego and face on the 'net (Default)
[personal profile] hatman
I'm making slippers for a friend and his family. I've done the ones I know how to do, but the kids are into MLP, so I find myself in the position of trying to make ponies (specifically, Pinkie Pie and Vinyl Scratch) with fluffy manes. I've done Pinkie Pie's main body, but I need to do the head and tail.

As it turns out, there's a brand of yarn called Fun Fur which looks about perfect. I found it in just the colors I needed. But I don't know how to make it look right. My initial plan was to basically treat it like actual hair - have 4-inch lengths of furry yarn coming out of the fabric, knotted at the base and then allowed to fall free. That may yet be the best option. But this is yarn. It's designed to be knit or crocheted. And I wonder if it might end up looking better that way. (Of course, I don't know how to knit or crochet, but I could probably learn the basics. Maybe I could even have my niece teach me. She knits scarves and stuff.)

The makers of Fun Fur have free patterns and instructions online. I've opened a few (like this little fox here) in tabs to explore later. (Going to be AFK most of the rest of today. I'm also really incredibly tired because I haven't slept properly in weeks, even by my low standards.)

But it occurs to me that I've got some crafty people on my list around these parts (assuming anyone is still reading this blog) and maybe some of y'all might have some suggestions. So... do you?

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Jun. 14th, 2013 09:23 pm
qem_chibati: Coloured picture of Killua from hunter x hunter, with the symbol of Qem in the corner. (A cat made from Q, E, M) (Default)
[personal profile] qem_chibati
My flatmate is the best.

LOOK WHAT SHE GAVE MEEEEEE

Cut for Qem's swag )

Horrible plot bunny:

Jun. 13th, 2013 11:01 pm
azurelunatic: cameo-like portrait of <user name="azurelunatic"> in short blue hair.  (Default)
[personal profile] azurelunatic
Opposite sex relationships are banned because a "Nice Guy"gets a passive-aggressive monkey's paw.

Another 2nd Thursday, survived

Jun. 13th, 2013 10:51 pm
azurelunatic: cameo-like portrait of <user name="azurelunatic"> in short blue hair.  (Default)
[personal profile] azurelunatic
... and on insufficient sleep, as is my habit.

There were renewal shenanigans. My manager told me that something broke on the back end. I spent Wednesday intermittently calling helpdesk, and cleaning my own desk in between phone calls. I actually made a paper changelog for the wiki page with the supply cabinet inventory.

Having planned my strategy, I did in fact get a three hour job crammed in to one and a half before the meeting. I am very proud of myself. Instead of splitting the notes from the May meeting directly into the user headings of the June briefing packet, I split the May notes into an intermediary document under single-month user headings, and then slipped the prepared May-by-user blocks into the June briefing packet in accordance with the prophecy.

The copier gave me some bullshit, but not that much. Collation tray full my ass.

That Guy from a neighboring department (not Mr. Bad Username, but Mr. With-All-Due-Respect-Bite-Me) was technically present, but on the phone, not in person, so nothing untoward happened there.

By some miracle, I obtained rooms for the Pink Plaid Designer's upcoming three day meeting. Different rooms every day, but still, single rooms for the entire day.

My whiteboard status for 2nd Thursdays shall henceforth have to top "Is it on fire? If not, can it be emailed? $MEETING eats my brains." Then I had to explain to my Overlady why this concept is not wise: declaring that you're unavailable for emergencies short of a fire is an invitation to mild arson. And then I had to explain That Idiot Shawn vs. my ponytail. (Spoiler: Shawn will celebrate his 33rd birthday this month, so he did not die as a result of me stabbing him. Also I didn't actually stab him. Though I could have easily.)

I carefully calculated the rate of peanut butter egg delivery that I could maintain throughout the year. Math is sometimes helpful! I think I may have been delivering them more slowly than the supply is calibrated for.

I joined some of the local gamers for some pickup fun; the tall dude hailed me at lunch and asked if I'd known there was a pickup game planned for today. Nope, but it sure was appreciated! That was fun. Though after the first game I was exhausted and in pain. So I sat out, and then went home while I could still drive.

Toast Deli and I have been having some timing mismatches. Either I'm always there at the wrong time, or it might be closed. I went to House of Sisig instead. Tonight wouldn't have been a good night for kitchen duty.

And so, to bed.

Orange juice thirst

Jun. 13th, 2013 12:46 am
azurelunatic: Log book entry from Adm. Hopper's command: "Relay #70 Panel F (moth) in relay. First actual case of bug being found" (bug)
[personal profile] azurelunatic
When I was a kid, I found that after eating certain very salty foods, like frozen pizzas or deli meats, I would get very thirsty. No matter how much water I drank, even to the point of physical discomfort and peeing what felt like every fifteen minutes, it didn't seem to touch the thirst. It only resolved when I drank orange juice.

Over the years as I came to know my body's signals better, I was able to identify "orange juice thirst" a lot faster. A glass or two would fix it. It always seemed to come after things involving salty preserved meats, but didn't necessarily come after eating other dishes that were over-salted.

I got the orange juice thirst one day during the very broke years in Arizona. We didn't have orange juice. I couldn't just go out and buy orange juice, I was unhappy, and I was already drinking more water than usual due to the heat. I remembered that the active ingredient in orange juice is the vitamin C, and decided to try a dose of vitamin C to see what happened. Quickly, more quickly than water alone would have resolved it, the thirst was gone. After that I took vitamin C or drank orange juice as I pleased (or as was available) when the thirst came upon me.

One day I got curious. Some vague googling later, it turns out that one of the necessary chemicals to break down one of the common preservatives is in fact vitamin C. That's about as far as my non-chemist, non-biologist self feels like taking it, but it looks like there might be something to poke at. Which preservatives? Why? Does taking vitamin C in conjunction with those preservatives have any undesirable side effects? Is it a placebo effect? I'd be interested to see if there's any research out there.

Jellybean Crisis

Jun. 12th, 2013 08:01 pm
azurelunatic: cameo-like portrait of <user name="azurelunatic"> in short blue hair.  (Default)
[personal profile] azurelunatic
The Stage Manager has confessed to having picked through the jellybeans for all the non- green and yellow.

The joke is on him as that is it for the jar until I get more.

I like most of the greens and yellows.

I don't want to be the Hulk.

Jun. 12th, 2013 03:32 am
azurelunatic: cameo-like portrait of <user name="azurelunatic"> in short blue hair.  (Default)
[personal profile] azurelunatic
So it turns out that my ability to be made out of sweetness and light is almost entirely because I surround myself with awesome people who are not horrible.

When I spend time around horrible people who are not awesome, I feel angry and violent, and would really like them to disappear off the face of the earth (or at least off the face of the Internet).

I like the person I am around you guys actually a lot.

A cluster of tweets for 2013-06-11

Jun. 12th, 2013 02:58 am
azurelunatic: cameo-like portrait of <user name="azurelunatic"> in short blue hair.  (Default)
[personal profile] azurelunatic
Read more... )




#dwgoestoyapc

Jun. 11th, 2013 03:20 pm
denise: Image: Me, facing away from camera, on top of the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome (Default)
[staff profile] denise
(I need to email in these photos so I can link them from the news post!)

Photo #1: us outside our server hosting company, complete with bonus @dive and @cheyinka and their adorable tiny human. Photo #2: sunset over the Capitol building, as seen from our hotel room balcony. Both photos by the lovely and talented @sarah.

ack, forgot the cut! )
xnera: Icon of Noctis from Final Fantasy Versus 13, wearing a suit and looking upwards. (suit)
[personal profile] xnera
The big news is that Final Fantasy Versus XIII has been rebranded and is now known as Final Fantasy XV. Except this isn't actually that big of news as it's been rumored that this would happen for at least a month now.

But! The official announcement came with a new trailer, OMG! About time, as it's been four years since my original write-up of the teaser and first trailer, and two years since the last trailer was released.

Here it is. Watch!



trailer break-down )

The music draws less attention than in the first two trailers, but is still just as epic. I get the sense that like the others, it was arranged just for this trailer. I need the soundtrack to this game!

The trailer solidifies what we've already deduced from the teaser and first trailer. Noctis is a prince. He has some sort of mystical connection with Stella (they both see the light). The bad guys are after the crystal, and want to kill Noct. So, there's not really anything new here... except for a few new faces. Those are umbrella guy (evil), brown-haired guy (ally?), and black-haired woman (unknown). The most intriguing part of the trailer are the words "the fifteenth coming". The coming of what? I'd like to know.

I feel this trailer has less of a WOW factor than the first two. The first two really were excellent story-telling. This one has a bit less story-telling in it and more just showing off. About half the trailer is gameplay footage, which does need to be seen at this stage in the development. Although I'm less OMG! over this trailer than the first two, I think it's a solid trailer.

I am not sure how I feel about Versus becoming a numbered title. Can't help but feel that numbered titles should be turn-based, you know? But then again, 11 and 14 aren't turn-based, so I suppose it's okay. Heck, I'm just glad the game wasn't cancelled! For a while there were rumors that it had been quietly shelved. I can't see that happening now, not when they've upgraded it to be the next numbered title.

What are your thoughts?

10 tweets for 2013-6-10

Jun. 10th, 2013 11:55 pm
azurelunatic: DW: my eloquence cannot be captured in 140 chars (twitter)
[personal profile] azurelunatic
In the last 24 hours, I posted the following to Twitter:


Follow me on Twitter.