This was a few weeks ago. I forgot to post it.

So, yeah, I pulled an all nighter and finished Harry Potter 7. Mostly because some ill-timing meant that I got to read two chapters in the afternoon and then settled in to read the rest after 8.

DO NOT KID YOURSELF, DO NOT READ SPOILERS
( And here they are! )

Hey guys, I got a permanent account! I debated over it, asked Frank, and he said go ahead, so here I am! And only 4 days shy of SEVEN YEARS ON EL JAY!

(oh, and if you buy, donate to Witness! It's Peter Gabriel founded and Meaghan approved!)

I haven't been posting much public stuff. Pretty much everything has been private because I never quite finished the entries - we went on a two week vacation, I've been doing fabulously, garden is phenomenal, husband is extra adorable, etc.

But here are some fun things I'm sharing:

Frank playing hockey on YOUTUBE. Yes, I finally posted something there. And of course, I set it to the overture from Barber of Seville. An acapella version.



( Big drawing under cut: )

Um, and I went to see a Rugby game tonight between the Ottawa Harlequins and the NB Black Spruce (which is a way cool team name). It was gorgeous outside, though raining off and on. We got two rainbows at one point, one complete that we could see both ends of - one end was directly on a house, in fact. We really should have raided it, but there was rugby to watch!

Weds just told me Jerry Falwell died, so yes, before everyone else does it - my Jerry Falwell reaction:

I went to college in Lynchburg, but only ran into the guy once. We were in the midst of reviving the Greek Play and were in the dining hall in costume. I can't remember if we were doing promotion or just goofing around after rehearsal. For whatever reason, I was in full Antigone dress, which included a white mask and really curly black hair (doll's hair, I think) and at some point during a night rehearsal in the cold, I'd worn gloves and then loaned one glove for someone else to have at least one warm hand and suddenly I was Michael Jackson.

So a bunch of us were up there when Falwell showed up, presumably because we had the best college dining hall in the country. As mature women at college, we decided to do something really childish, like run around and yell in greek. Since we were in masks.

So I tend to think happy thoughts about Falwell, because he makes me think of all my girls (and Lynchburg wasn't awful, though I do describe it still as a "two wal-mart town".) That plus Via had a Tinky Winky doll and I'm pretty sure she was the one who told me that he had a collection of them because so many people had given them to him. Yeah, all my recollections are humorous. If you don't do something funny in your life, I will not remember you!

Hey, I already have a "dead guys" tag!

EDIT: LOL, best response so far:
I believe his death was a punishment from God for failing to stop the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and lesbians.

I see no reason why grass can't be a house plant!

Now that the last of the snow is really, truly gone and it's in the 20's for the most part, I'm really, really, really in the gardening mood. I'd already been planting seeds inside, but now I've been tidying outside and making beds for tomatoes and whatnot, clearing away junk. In the front yard, there was a lot of snow-hidden litter to clean up.

Daffydills are blooming already and the tulips are really ready to go as well. Hooray, it's going to be pretty outside again!

So you guys are just now getting to see Drive? Do so. Frank and I (and, in fact, the entire house) are hooked. It's like Firefly in a truck in a race. No, it's totally not, but I'd watch that too.

I am completely sick of my drawing right now. I'm pretty sure it's this half-start spring regressing back into winter weather that's got me down, but I'm just randomly depressed and I really can't do a single line that I don't think is horrible. And I have stuff I need to draw. I've been working through it, but I hate it.

Frank and I saw Blades of Glory and it was very funny. If it hadn't been raining it would have cheered me up for sure. Cursed SADS.

Um, Thrashers lost both home games, but they're not out by any means. We really did so much better our second game and really only lost by a fluke goal. Moose was so hot last night, too. Our D shut down the rangers, too, for the most part. We just didn't put the shots in like we did the first game. There's gotta be a way to balance it out. Hartley will figure it out.

I'm really sorry, but everything is hockey.

We missed LOST last night because we were of course watching day of playoffs and having a Frank birthday thing.

Leafs are out of the playoffs, and it's all NJ's fault. OK, it's their own faults.

Time to get a Kari Lehtonen icon, I guess!

EDIT - didn't find a good Kari pic yet, but now I've got a Kozlov and Hossa one! WOOO!

Sorry, I really shouldn't be posting while on my third of these. It's a black and tan with Guinness and Keith's, so pretty much the quintessential Frankenmegs beer.

BUT WOOHOOO! Wellie, Kabbie and Darcy providing the screen! We is winning!!! But Carlo got hurt D: poor hobbit.

GO LEAFS! WE NEED PLAYOFFS!!! (I say because Atlanta is already secured :D!!!!)


EDIT: CARLO'S BACK YAY! 6 minutes left O_O



EDIT EDIT: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! STILL HAVE A CHANCE!!! WIIIIINNNNNN!!!!!! =DDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!! ahahahahaha

Holy smokes, this is a crazy game. Argaghdsagdhsa, GO LEAFS!!!

We have the peeps lined up in a flying V, which seems to have helped. Carlo scored the most adorable, hobbit-liek goal, as he is the most adorable, hobbit-like player in the NHL.



And then Andy called right before the 3rd period and then WE TIED IT UP AND OH YEAH. PEEEEEEEPS!!!!!!!

So, new Harry Potter cover?

My reaction on seeing the whole thing, front and back: "Hey, they're not really facing each other.. it's more like they're facing something else.. in some sort of coliseum, with shadowy people watching. OMG HARRY AND VOLDIE TEAM UP! AND FIGHT CRIME!"

I had preordered the UK regular version, as this is Canada, but seeing it, I'm not so sure, as it's slightly ass-looking. Too busy and someone has glazed Ron's face, including freckles. And as Weds pointed out, everyone is kung fu fighting. But UK Adult cover has smug JK Rowling on the back, though classy. So I kinda want to get the US version, what with TEAM HARRIMORT! VS THE SHADOWY OBSERVERS!

OK, it's hockey time again and I finally remember to check out Poni's website. Which has the BEST video that loads immediately. Evidently Nik Antropov is the actual Kazakhstani comedian. MOVE ASIDE, BORAT, NIKKI IS... uh... oh man, all the hockey terms sound a little too sexual. Uh huh huh.

Tucker shaved the chin beard and is now hotness on ice again. Shut up. Frank's the one who picked up a magazine with Joe Bowen on the cover and told me I needed to put it up next to my bed and stare at it as I go to sleep.

Anyway, I now have a Poni desktop wallpaper. Hooray Poni!

Um, so, yeah. Updates. I have this baseball cap I got at some party I went to at APC studios that says "We Do Stuff". That's me, too. Stuff.
I finished a big comic project a couple of weeks ago and then did a massive charcoal and goache thing for the living room as a follow up. And then I launched into doodling on the computer for some fun. I should put some of that up. And some character design for speakerwiggin , which is very fun and only he gets to put up, sorry! This weekend Frank and I want to go out for a nice dinner for a belated V-day or something plus project completion.

Fun stuff: This was extremely funny. I never watch any Mad TV, so I have no idea if it's always this good. Come for the Apple jokes, stay for the political jabs! Via The Agitator.

Speaking of political jabs : Mona explains why it may be okay to let Republicans compare themselves to Lincoln. And then digs herself into a hole over "chattel slavery" in the comments. The best point in the comments is about the "cost" of human life (link here):

This same logical error underlies the Lincoln cult. Lincoln instigated and fought a war that killed roughly 2% of the population, leaving crippled another 2% or so, most of whom were men in the prime of their lives. People naturally reacted to that strongly, one way or the other. Lincoln must have been a saint, because he led a holy war. The war was holy because it was fought for holy ends. The ends (whatever they were; Union I guess) must have been holy because they cost so much: my leg, my father, my son.

I've always sort of been a Lincoln fangirl, being very interesting in the American civil(-ish? haha) war. And like so many of my other favorite historical power figures, he had a way with words, some serious brains, good intentions, and then had to act outside of them because of certain situations and hands being tied, etc.

Also, Gangs of New York is a halfway amazing movie. The parts with DiCaprio and Diaz are absolutely eye rolling, but the rest is oh so very good. I still need to read this, really.

Speaking of good intentions, there's this awesome Lou Rawls song by that name that I love, but could not find the lyrics anywhere. So I'm breaking the cardinal rule of Unannoying LJ Entries and ( posting lyrics below the cut )
Hopefully giving you the song as well with make up for this transgression. Lou Rawls - Good Intentions
Fine Brown Frame, too!

THE WHOLE ALBUM IS SO GOOD.

Edit: still reading these damn comments:

The American Republic was specifically constructed with rebellion in mind. Its founding documents recognized and celebrated the right of citizens to throw off any oppressive chains that might form. Part of the reason for the the limits on the power of the federal government was to allow a rebellion to take place.

But you only get one shot. If a group of people rebel against their government, and the government fights back and wins, they’re going to do whatever it is they have to do to make sure such a rebellion doesn’t happen again. Which is precisely what Lincoln did, and precisely what any other individual in his place would have done.

The tragedy of the American Civil War - well, a tragedy - was that we wasted our one shot at rebellion defending slavery of all goddamn things.

I don't really like reading UO most of the time, but when they get into something good, they have excellent comments. I really LIKE disagreeing with libertarians, and I really like when they disagree. Like most libertarians, I'm happiest when people aren't agreeing too easily.

EAGLES ARE AWESOME.

OK, so the fridge. When we moved into our house, it came with ye olde crappy fridge from 1927. It's tiny, a little moldy (despite cleaning!), and kind of inconsistent with temperature. We'd been talking about getting a new one, espcially since we bought a really nice one for the upstairs kitchen. And this week we were in Home Depot getting wood for building shelves in the bathroom and saw a deal on a fridge about what we wanted in terms of size and energy efficiency. Frank went back on his own to Home Depot (keep in mind I'm pronouncing it Homie De Pot), and looked at it again while he was out picking up some ramen for his sore throat and asked a few questions about it and then bought it. It was in fact a deal and it's pretty darn efficient so it'll definitely save us money. And the old fridge is ginourmously crappy.

Pictures!

New fridge comes wednesday, I think. Aaaand it's snowing again.

Ha, I just got a phone call from my husband. First he wanted to say he was all right, because he'd been gone with the car, on what was supposed to be a small errand to the grocery store, for a while now. Then he says he bought a fridge.

My favorite president is, of course, William Henry Harrison. That's some minarchy there! Actually, I like Jefferson (DUH), but mostly for his non-presidency work, since he was slightly hypocritical in office. "Powers should be limited by what is expressively blah blah... oh, Louisiana for how much? HIGH FIVE!" The original GW was surely tops as president, though. His precedential presidency.. or presidential precedence... uh... he did good.

I'm doin' okay, too, though not necessarily stepping down when offered a crown. I was feeling pretty awful this weekend, but now I'm back in top form and drawing my ass off again. I got up early and exercised and drew a few pages and cooked bacon - and what more can you do in a morning?

OH, this is good. From Hit & Run's GW birthday thread, with favorite/least favorite president questions:

5. In 1968, according to An American Melodrama, George Wallace asked Colonel Sanders to be his running mate. If the colonel had said yes, and if you were able to cast a ballot that year, would you have been tempted, if only for a moment, to vote for Wallace, just to get Sanders within a heartbeat of the presidency? Be honest.

6. Also in 1968, the Yippies nominated a hog named Pigasus to be president. Would you have liked to see Col. Sanders debate the pig? How about a pork-and-chicken taste test? Why isn't that in the Constitution?

And for your on-topic listening enjoyment: Elbow - Leaders of the Free World

SO TIRED.
( drawinsfdsfdsfdsfdvcv )

And frank drew something really pretty for the comixpedia cover and then I colored it pretty badly because I was just worn out and had just a few hours to actually do it. And I am absolutely terrible when I'm tired and under pressure. This is why I like to get things done way ahead of time and be all planned out, because then I can be good and not just "done".

This is a fabulous song.

The Very Quick Play-Count Meme

For this little three-question game you'll need some sort of play-count record on your mp3 library. No guessing!

1) What's the most-played track in your mp3 collection, and how many times has it been played?
"Home" by Jethro Tull: 229

2) Divide that play count in half and round up. What's the nearest song?
"Cloudless" by Peter Gabriel: 115

3) Divide that play count in half, and round up again.
"Ms Dynamite of Benbecula, The Alewife T, Little Cascade, Culders Rant" by Battlefield Band: 57
also "The Town Halo" by AC Newman, "Please Please Please" by Fiona Apple, "Love, Reign O'er Me" by The Who, and "sincerly" by Tsutchie -- all clocking in at 57.

4) Care to explain yourself?
"Home" is on a couple different playlists, especially "Walking" and "Daydream", which get the most play and skew the results. "Cloudless" used to be on Daydream, for instance, until it got rotated out. Actually, I just rotated out "Home" because I'd heard it too much. Still an amazing song and the whole "Stormwatch" album gets a lot of play, which bumps up its number.

also: I've got 183 songs over 50 plays, but only 30 over 100. And then I have about 1000 I've never played, according to itunes, but that's probably because about half of my cds are in there, and all the numbers got reset a year ago. I only got "Stormwatch", the Tull album "Home" is on last spring, huh! Total songs is over 5000.


Evidently the PBS station we get here isn't playing Masterpiece Theatre, so no Jane Eyre on TV for me. Good thing I watched it months ago. We did very much enjoy last night's Heroes. The show started off strong, despite a few quibbles, and has continued even stronger.

And I just cleared my art desk, for the first time since we moved in, really. I have this big ol' desk, which is why art desk was topped with papers and junk, but I'm using a ruler on the stuff I'm working on now and I really need the space. Ah, art-not-on-the-computer, I am so not used to you! But =D

Best political cartoon I've seen in a while : One Act Iraq Opera
It actually be more funny as an opera cartoon than political, but oh man, the backwardness!

The Gapminder is WAY FUN. For no good reason.

The Love Songs of Thomas Hardy. Some great thoughts on why Hardy's romantic poems about his recently deceased wife who he'd pretty much ignored were totally awesome.

From Hit and Run:

If you read only one random essay on health care policy esoterica by a cantankerous wonk today, make it Clark C. Havighurst's response in the latest Cato Unbound forum. Havighurst, who is capable of writing sentences like "the true vices of the tax subsidy are three," nonetheless lays out the awe-inspiring dysfunction of the current insurance system in nine short paragraphs.

Just because I liked both the link and how it was linked to.

Jane Eyre is finally on Masterpiece Theatre tonight! Hooray! See icon for much-too-hot Rochester. It took me a while to recognize the actor as the way-too-hot Duke Orsino in the best Shakespeare adaptation ever, Twelfth Night.