I am also on the hunt for a new computer. My last two have been laptops but this next one will be a desktop; desktops are easier to upgrade and improve upon, not to mention more bang for the buck. I was thinking that maybe one day I’ll invest in a netbook (oh how trendy) for something easy to move around with and do basic things like email, Word, surfing, etc. I’m looking forward to a new computer because then I can use newer version of Photoshop (Nik can help me out with that I’m sure…) and being able to play Sims 3 in my bedroom and not in view of the whole family.

I bought a hot glue gun today and hot glue sueded Caraline.  It  makes a difference, let me tell you. Of course now she’s a wee bit squeaky, hehe, but I’m the only one to hear. I mean she’s a doll, it’s not like she’s going to be walking around. Or if she is, at least now you can hear her coming which is a scary thought so I’ll just leave it there.

I’m halfway through the forth book of A Song of Ice and Fire.

My hair grew longer.

My copy is currently in the hands of my mother, and has been for a few months, so I might have inadvertently given it to her. No matter! I have here two of my favorite scene (although there are more) so I can laugh even if the book isn’t in my hands.

Now constipation was quite a different matter. It would be dreadful for the whole world to know about troubles of that failure. She felt terribly sorry for people who suffered from constipation, and she knew that there were many who did. There were probably enough of them to form a political party–with a chance of government perhaps–but what would such a party do if it was in power? Nothing, she imagined. It would try to pass legislation, but would fail.

That last line is so simply but come on! It was great timing.

This next part is a little long, but it all works together to form a great passage.

Sex played no part in her life now and she found that a great relief. She did not have to worry how she looked; what people thought of her. How terrible to be a man, and to have sex on one’s mind all the time, as men are supposed to do. She had read in one of her magazines that the average man thought about sex over sixty times a day! She could not believe that figure, but studies had apparently revealed it. The average man, going about his daily business, had all those thoughts in his mind; thoughts of pushing and shoving, as mend do, while he was actually doing something else! Did doctors think about it as they took your pulse? Did lawyers think about it as they sat at their desks and plotted? Did pilots think about it as they flew their aeroplanes? It simply beggared belief.

And Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, with his innocent expression and his plain face, was he thinking about it while he looked into distributor caps or heaved batteries out of engines? She looked at him; how could one tell? Did a man thinking about sex start to leer, or open his mouth and show his pink tongue, or… No. That was impossible.

“What are you thinking about, Mr J.L.B. Matekoni?” The question slipped out, and she immediately regretted it. It was as if she had challenged him to confess that he was thinking about sex.

He stood up and closed the door, which had been slightly ajar. There was nobody to overhear them. The two mechanics were at the other end of the garage, drinking their afternoon tea, thinking about sex, thought Mma Ramotswe.

Below are the New Spring versions of Moiraine, from three different artists. Different styles but you can tell they are all the same woman.

Moiraine in New Spring

However, in Eye of the World girl is looking demented and not at all like the little hot Cairhienin old man Thom lusts after.

Moiraine?!

At least Rand looks decent.

Hmm, where to start? For the most part I actually enjoyed the book. Or should I say the overall effect of the book was one of enjoyment. The exposition of the book was a drag on par with The Wheel of Time. Ron, Hermione, and Harry traveling, camping out, complaining about traveling and camping out. I find it odd that the book is considered Year 7 when they didn’t even go to school. I was really disappointed about having to read about people sleeping in tents instead of actual, you know, Hogwarts fun.

Now, it would seem some people were surprised by Ron/Hermione and the revelation about Snape. I wasn’t surprised about Ron/Hermione, in fact I had thought it was already established they would end up together. Of course, I haven’t read any of the books except from when I first got them, so Lord knows what was actually in the books and what I just invented in my head.

Snape could have gone either way. At the end of the sixth book I did believe he was a good guy in hiding, but for most of book seven I wasn’t so sure. I wanted him to be, but it wasn’t until his death scene that my hopes were confirmed. Also, James Potter was an ass.

I loved, loved, loved, LOVED Molly Weasley kicking ass. She is now officially my favorite character from the series.

Dobby’s death was sad for me. I got a little teary, I admit. And no, I didn’t give a crap about the stupid owl! Anyway, Tonks/Remus…I never liked them as a couple. When I read that Remus had left Tonks (for however briefly) I was so happy! I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. And then he went back. So them dying was fine with me! Besides, the movie Tonks isn’t as soft and pretty as the book Tonks is in my head. So die, Tonks, die!

*coughs*

Who else died? Oh yes, Fred. I was surprised but not emotional about that. Actually, Dobby was the only one to get me a little teary, so there you go.

When Harry said “I am about to die” I felt a wave of emotion; it was fantastic writing at that point. That quickly went away when Harry “died” but then came back. Felt so cheated! However, I did like how Mrs. Malfoy lied about Harry’s death in order to save her son’s life. So from that point to when Molly kicks ass I was enjoying the ride.

The epilogue…the epilogue was horrid! It was a different style of writing and there were random names being thrown around like so much garbage. Ginny not getting to pick any of her kids’ names was sad, and naming a brother and sister after a husband and wife was weird. It wasn’t a very satisfying ending, and I would have liked it better had it ended maybe a year after the events or even just after a mass funeral or something. Although I guess the epilogue did end all the shipper debates.

Oh, which reminds me! Within hours HP fans all of a sudden became fanatics of the next generation of wizards and of course had to team them together. Teddy and Albus, though?! A boy who is almost 20 with a kid who has just turned 11?! These people are worse than WOT fans, and that is saying something.

I read this book last year, maybe even the year before, but I looked it over again the other day whilst cleaning and realized how bitter I was over how she ended this novel. She is obviously talented if she can upset people the way she did: if she hadn’t created a believable cast no one would have cared. So in my own mind I have decided to pretend that ending didn’t happen and make up my own. I feel better that way.

Then there is Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series. It started out so strong. So nice and fun to read, with just the right hint of sex to spice it up. I picked up one of the more recent books and, wow. Just wow. Every freaking chapter there are pages and pages and PAGES of full on pornesque sex. And it’s the same kind of sex every damn time! Anita is a whore. Apparently she is a whore in love with all her men (she’s up to seven at the same time. Yeah.) doesn’t help. It just makes her greedy especially since she wouldn’t want her men to sleep with other women, and she’s undecided on letting them sleep with each other.

So she says she’s “in love” and that Richard should accept sharing her. Ok, wait, so he should share you and be happy about it, but god forbid you share! It’s ridiculous! I did not start this series to read a bad soap opera gone even more wrong, I read it to read about a kick ass zombie killer! WHERE ARE ALL THE DAMN ZOMBIES?! She says her job is her life and I’m a little over half way through this novel and she has yet to go to work. She has sex. A lot of sex. She wakes up and has sex. She has sex before bed. She has sex at noon. Sex sex sex sex. She manages to avoid saying “penis” so the sex scenes read like a romance novel. Only with far less tact and entertainment.

As much as I complain about WOT and Rand and his hos, Hamilton has made me realize how much I prefer them to, well, Blake and her sex slaves. At least Rand knows he’s an ass and doesn’t have all three in the bed with him. Yet.

I received and read Jan’s first novel (awww!) and yes, Jan, I did enjoy it. She all ready knows this, but for those who don’t, my favorite characters are Chiyo and Ariba (hope I spelled that right!). I like Noah well enough, but he’s not my fave or anything. But then it’s very rare for main characters to make it on my favorites list.

The more I think about it, the more it seems I will be buying vBulletin instead of upgradting to phpBB 3, assuming that project ever sees the light of day. I never thought this day would come! But I am seriously thinking about, and how to go about testing a conversion. I have a feeling the members will like it more; aside from Jan and Niklas and their “open-source!” club. I even thought of making Jan create a vBulletin skin for the forum, but that’s because I’m lazy. I hear it’s easy to do, so it’s not like she can complain! I’d make Kate do it, but she no love us anymore.

My OFB ships tomorrow!!!! w00t! Oh, and I do get spring break off so that means lots of sleep and lots of Sims. And maybe even lots of homework to catch up on. poo on that one.