Ready to Ramble

Frustrated

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 18:52:37 GMT

Sigh.

I've been waiting for an idea for my Witches of Slashwick icon to pop up, and I finally got one some weeks ago. I think it's quite fun, if I say so myself.

So, this afternoon I managed to force myself to do a bit of photochopping and produced an acceptable icon. YAY ME!

Well, I liked it, at any rate.

The next step was, obviously, uploading it to LJ. Easy, isn't it?

No.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, here. When I try to upload the image it appears a bit blurry, especially the text. And I need the text to be sharp and clear. And it isn't as if the original is low quality, either.

It's happened to some degree with all my icons. Generally I don't mind that much but, as I've said, I need this one to be crystal clear.

Can somebody lend me a hand, here?

Nevermind. I did it!

Turns out Photoshop has a feature just to the effect I was intending. ^_^

PS: Long time no post!

I can't believe I actually made it

Sun, 31 May 2009 22:42:27 GMT

I've just sent my final assignments this year. YAY ME!

I didn't expect when I started both the MA and the BA last year that it was going to be this hard. I managed to keep up with almost everything, but unfortunately I had to ditch Chinese because, even if I was managing to hand in the exercises on time, I wasn't able to properly assimilate what I was supposed to learn. I would have had my ass handed in a platter if I had decided to do the exam.

I've already done the French exam, and I expect to pass (not with flying colors, though).

Exams for the BA in Laws begin in 2 weeks. Since I've done all the coursework, I'll only have to do a small 30 minute test for each of the subjects. No trouble expected there.

There are no exams in the MA; my work is done there, for the time being.

So now I have to worry only about the Catalan course. It's quite a pain in the ass, because the classes drag on for five whole hours every Friday afternoon and there's still a whole month of them left. The good part is that there's a nice group of people there and we manage to have quite a lot of fun. Next week we have a dinner planned after class, and then they say they want to go clubbing. I suppose I'll join them for a while, but I'm not much of a clubbing person (who am I kidding? I'm a hermit). From an academic point of view, I shouldn't expect much trouble with this, either. I may seem a bit arrogant here, but I am obviously the best of the class.

I'm entitled to a bit R&R, right?

Right.

PS: I still haven't bought my new netbook. I want to go with my dad because that way I can get it at a discount, but our schedules aren't that easy to acommodate. Maybe next Saturday...

That's it

Sun, 17 May 2009 21:50:39 GMT

Today it's been the second time this week I wished I had a laptop or something similar. I, however, don't want to spend too much in a new laptop, since I'm not planning to replace the Frankenmonster just yet; I only want to be able to go to places and keep working on my assignments. Therefore, since the most important feature of this new computer must be its portability, I suppose a netbook is the best choice.

So I've decided I'm getting the Eee PC 1000H as soon as possible. It looks quite neat.

Oh well. I'm back

Thu, 14 May 2009 11:11:26 GMT

I had a great time in London, saw a lot of things I didn't get to see during my first visit. The weather behaved itself, mostly.

I also got myself some souvenirs: a couple of blisters, roughly the shape and size of each of my feet, and what I hope is a bad case of normal flu. I'll go see the doctor this afternoon.

Well, okay, the stuffed pteranodon I bought is totally for me as well.

Didn't have as much internet access as I hoped (the wi-fi connection was free; sadly, the use of the computers wasn't... I so want a netbook), so I have a lot of catching up to do... I'll put myself to it once I manage to do the assignments due this week and if I'm not quarantined or something.

Oh, I saw the Back to Back Jack teaser on the telly! Gah! I should have stayed a week longer!

Off to London I go

Wed, 06 May 2009 12:11:08 GMT

Finally we decided not to go to the football. Plane tickets are considerably cheaper now that we won't be arriving on time to get to the match.

It feels kinda weird, not having a clue of what we'll be doing once we get there, for once. This time, the one with the plan is my friend Marta. I'm just tagging along. Ah, yes, a whole week not having to think. I'm looking forward to it.

The days leading here have been a torture, I tell you. Having to finish the assignments due this week and the next and being too mentally exhausted to get to work... And I'll probably have to squeeze a few assignments in just a couple days once I get back (I arrive home on the 13th and I have two assignments due on the 15th).

Once this academic year is over, I swear I'll sleep two months straight.

I think I'll have some Internet at the hostel where we're staying, so I think I'll be able to follow JFM stories. ^_^

A twist in the plan

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:28:08 GMT

Ok,so the other day I went to see Gran Torino with a friend and, in the spur of the moment, we decided to travel to London next month and to Rome in July or August. Or September, maybe. We have time to decide.

Well, I'm a busy bee at he moment, so I had to check and recheck my deadlines to see if I could fit a week away from home somewhere in May. And I can, from the 6th to the 13th (only two deadlines to move). So, last Tuesday I called my friend (at 17.15 PM) to explain her my schedule, and she said it was OK.

That same evening I sat with my family to watch the football (FC Bayern Munich - FC Barcelona). Boring as hell, but the FC Barcelona got to the semifinals of the Champions League. This is relevant because the Chelsea also passed, which means there will be a Chelsea - FC Barcelona in London on the 6th of May.

So I called my friend - again - at almost 11.00 PM to warn her that the price of our plane tickets had suddenly doubled because of that match (we are supposed to fly from Barcelona, after all). None of us is a big fan of football, so wen she suggested we actually went to see the match, I was a bit O.o, but what the hell.

So, I'll have to talk to my uncle (he runs the one of the official FC Barcelona clubs in the town where I live), to see if he can get us some cheap tickets. Depending on the price, we'll go to see the match.

Who knows? It might turn out to be fun.

If it doesn't rain.

Damn DS9

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:47:25 GMT

I could make a couple of tents with the bags under my eyes.

That "But first, some DS9" of yesterday turned out to be an all-nighter. And the morning after. And some of the afternoon.

In the last two or three nights I've slept a couple of hours. In total.

Right now the bed is soooooo tempting... But I said I'd go to the movies with a couple of friends. And you just don't say no to free movie tickets.We're going to see Gran Torino. I hope I don't fall asleep.

Oh well. More ramblings tomorrow.

All in all, a very productive day, I'd say. *rolleyes*

I survived the Week of Doom

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:19:28 GMT

For the last week, my whole existence has revolved around the five assignments I had to turn in in as many days (two on the 25th, two more on the 27th, and the last one on the 29th). And I did it. I still don't know how, because I'm in the middle of one of my obsessive phases (this time is Star Trek DS9), but all the assignments have been turned in.

Sometimes, I amaze myself.

Now I'll have to catch up with the rest of my life (especially the Chinese course). But first, some DS9.

By the way, Bashir has the cutest accent ever.

Tales of the Frankenmonster. Episode... whatever.

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:37:24 GMT

It's not much the computer that's acting up as the printer (well, an all-in-one printer and scanner). The thing has always been a bit of a diva, but today I had to skip lunch because Her Royal Highness didn't want to scan an exercise I had to turn in today (some sentences in Chinese I had to write by hand).

I didn't anticipate much trouble because it only took three attempts (and one reboot) to print a page earlier, and the scanner had always been more sociable than the printer. But it turns out I was a tad too optimist in my expectations. I finally managed to have the exercise scanned and delivered just in time to get fashionably late to my French class.

Well, that was the last straw.

In an amazing show of self restraint, I haven't thrown the damn thing through the window yet, but it has to go. This weekend I'll buy a new one. I was almost out of ink anyway.

No one gets between me and my tuna (I ate if for dinner; it was quite good).

Btw, turns out I wasn't being paranoid the other day, and that there wasn't anything wrong with Yahoo. Well, to the ATSB people that I'm sure are reading this, I only have one thing to say: it's your loss.

PS: Totally pointless and non-spoilery Lost comment: Sayid's Spanish is beautiful. :D

Delurking

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:47:54 GMT

I have meant to post something for the last couple of weeks, as my life has (not unexpectedly) become pretty hectic lately.

Some of the plans I had for the first half of this year have been put to motion, and that means that right now I'm studying a MA in Translation, a BA in Laws, a French course and a Catalan course. And I'm still refereeing (is that even a word?) on Saturday afternoons. So I'm a busy bee (or I pretend to be).

I also bought myself a Nintendo DS Lite all red ad black and beautiful and I'm quite engrossed with Pokemon Pearl right now (I just caught Mesprit, Uxie and Azelf! Yay me!).

Sadly, what has brought me to delurk here is the A-Team Story Board. There is/has been a quite heated debate over there and I decided to have my say. The problem is that I wrote a second message two hours ago and it hasn't gone up yet. Probably it's just Yahoo playing havoc with the messages again, but it's enough to make a girl feel paranoid, you know.

Oh, well, I can't worry about this right now. I have other work to do.

Another great quote

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:54:51 GMT

Halfway through the second book of The Dresden Files, Fool Moon, I had to stop and laugh out loud:

"I hate it when a plan falls apart."

Oh, man.

Free at last

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 21:42:19 GMT

I've finished my essay, 25 and 1/2 hours before the deadline. Yay!

I have no idea if it fits the parameters we were given, though, but to hell with it. I study Translation; what kind of empiric research do they want me to do? So I did a paper on the theoretical context of videogame localization. In less fancy words: an introduction to videogame translation. There are very few published works on this area in Spanish.

Man, what a week! Not only did I have to write that blasted essay, the world seemed to be conspiring to bury me in absurd paperwork! Everything appears to be sorted out now, short of my registration on the Open University to retake my Law studies. I had to give a call to my tutor to get it sorted out, because the online application just didn't want me to sign up for a Chinese course (hmmm... a Chinese course? in Laws? Yeah, well, it's a bit long to explain). She just sent a mail saying everything should be ok in a couple of days.

Also? The best way to get me working is to allow me to get distracted. Between visits to Neopets and games of Mass Effect I managed to get that thing written.

I can't eve write two words in arow without making a typo... I'm beat!

But now I can play Mass Effect with a clean conscience! :D

Squee!!

Sat, 07 Feb 2009 00:04:19 GMT

I just watched some Lost tonight. Season 5, episode 4.

I wasn't expecting that.

Life is wonderful and full of joy. ^_^

Yes, I should be writing my essay.

¬_¬u

These aren't the droids you are looking for. Move along.

I beat the writer's block

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:30:18 GMT

Nothing like a deadline getting uncomfortably close and the threat of impeding doom to get the inspiration back on track.

I've been sitting in front of a blank screen for the last couple of months, procrastinating like there's no tomorrow, instead of researching and actually writing a paper I must turn in in precisely one week.

Finally, last Tuesday I decided I wanted to talk about video game localization. The best thing about it? I get to say with a perfectly straight face that all the time I spent playing Mass Effect, NWN2 and buying games on Ebay was, in fact, doing research!

My previous idea was to write about dubbing as a form of censorship during the Spanish dictatorship (1939-1975), but it has been done time and again from all perspectives already, and I didn't know how to approach the issue from a fresh point of view. The ideas I was getting were a bit too far removed from the domain of Translation Studies, I'm afraid.

Today I managed to write the introduction of the paper. I've already finished it; a couple of pages worth of rambling about why this essay absolutely had to be done and how I did it (or plan to), and, most of all, why is it so awesome and innovative and everyone should read it because it really says something new.

I hate it, but I have to follow the guidelines, and that's what they ask me to do.

It should be easier from now on.

I hope.

My fingers hurt

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:39:49 GMT

Today we had a family get together for my dad's birthday, and my sis has brought her PS3 and the Guitar Hero Aerosmith I gave her last Christmas. Gee, no wonder this game is so famous. It's fun, addictive and the pictures we've taken of us playing will be laughed at for years. She also has gotten hold of Legends of Rock, and she says her favourite songs to play are by Dragonforce and Slayer.

My heart fairly swells with pride.

Me and my brother are the metalheads of the family, and it's nice to se how my sis, being as posh as she is, has a little metal heart of her own.

Also, I didn't suck at it as much as I thought I would. My eye-hand coordination is somewhat... lacking, to say the least.

And Mini-Me is so beautiful it's hard to believe. We gave my dad a digital picture frame for his birthday, and it has already been loaded with a ton of pics of little Mini-Me. She already has a shrine devoted to her in the living room.

All in all, today was a very nice day.

PS: I'm liking Mass Effect so far, but I have some graphic problems... just like with NWN 2. I wonder if it's because of the ATI graphics card or just a Bioware thing? I should try to play games by other developers... It gets really annoying after a while.

Still alive

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:58:02 GMT

BY THE POWER OF ALL THAT IS EVIL, I COMMAND YOU TO AWAKEN AND MAKE ME A SANDWICH!!!!

Best quote ever.

Just sayin'

Geeky me

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:13:12 GMT

When I first read about Mass Effect, even if it was a Bioware game, I didn't think much of it. I really do love KOTOR I, but I'm not all that into sci-fi RPGs. I'm more of a high fantasy RPG kind of girl, myself. But then I discovered that Raphael Sbarge, who did the voice acting for Carth Onasi in KOTOR, also appears in Mass effect as one of the main NPCs... and one of the romantic options for a female main character.

And that's why I've just bought the game.

It should be here in a couple of weeks; I purchased it at Ebay to someone in Hong Kong.

Yes, I am that much of a nerd.

Hmmm.... It's been quite a while since I last ranted about my computer...

I have new Frankenmonster hardware: My brother gave me a new keyboard and a laser mouse for Christmas, and my dad bought one of those things to hang TVs (and monitors) on walls. So right now the Frankenmonster looks quite badass. Although I should probably buy a new case; the old one is pretty lame. I'm thinking black and chrome.

Oh, and I finally got news about an upcoming Dethklok album already being recorded (yay!) and that Metalocalypse season 3 won't air until next autumn (meh...). Meanwhile, I'm tiring pretty fast of the Metalocalypse fandom. It seems it's either slash or Sues with them.
And the fact that my OTP isn't the main one doesn't help.

Ah, well.

Happy 2010 to everyone...

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:34:58 GMT

... since 2009 seems to be a lost cause.

This year I hope to accomplish more things than I did lest year. I had some plans that didn't come to fruition. Maybe this year they will, maybe I need to re-evaluate them. Only time will tell. *shrugs*

Anyway this year hasn't been all bad, quite the contrary, in fact. Since I finished my BA and willingly left my job (and good riddance!) to become a full-time student six months ago, the feared crisis, for me, is mostly something other people talk about. My major concern this year has been boredom. I have so much time on my hands I don't know what to do with it, and I end up getting nothing done, not even the few things I <i>must</i> do. Things were much better when I had to both study and work and I had to get everything done on a very tight schedule. I didn't have time to procrastinate. Anyway, I intend to begin a couple of new activities in a few days, so I hope I'll be able to concentrate again with these new additions.

I do have some goals for next year, although I don't usually believe in such things:

- Get my Catalan Level D Certificate.
- Continue with my Laws Degree at the Open University. I left it unfinished when I began the BA in Translation three years ago.
- Start taking a Chinese course, also at the Open University, in preparation for the next BA/MA I want, Studies in Eastern Asia.
- Spend some time in a English speaking country (Even if it's just a month next summer and not a full year like I originally intended).
- Keep on going to the gym.
- Find a new job (next October). If I can manage it, it'll be as a government employee.
- Focus a bit more on the MA in Specialized Translation.
- Whatever I feel like doing next year.

Well, as I said, happy 2010, and may 2009 not be a complete disaster!

Long time no see

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 11:17:48 GMT

Well, things have been a bit slow over here for the last couple of weeks, hence the no-posting.

I'm mightily obsessed with the Metalocalypse fandom right now, and I've been doing some fanfic reading. It's mostly well written stuff, but there's just too much slash. Everything is either Suefic or slash in this fandom, apparently. Luckily some authors remember that Metalocalypse fluff should include blood and gore and severed limbs and substance abuse and double digit IQs. Even then, many of the fanfics are just too fluffy. We're talking about Dethklok here, after all. They're the most brutal thing ever. They're blacker than the blackest black times infinity. They only do things if they're appropriately metal and/or brutal. And despite the gay subtext (granted, there's a lot of that), they're a bunch of ignorant homophobes. :p

Mostly I rewatch episodes (the two finales especially, they're made of awesome) and listen to the Dethalbum. Really, a show so stupidly fun shouldn't have such a brutal soundtrack. Actually, the Dethalbum is the top selling Death Metal album of all time (although it's arguable if Dethklok is actually Death Metal or not).

Sigh. I can't wait for season 3. Because there will be a season 3, but nobody knows when.

And a second album. Yay!

Mini-Me is gorgeous and doing great. She eats and sleeps and doesn't give her mother any trouble at all. I need to find a not-quite-Christmas present for her and another one for her mother, and I'm out of ideas. Well, I hope my mom helps me out with this.

Aaand, some days ago I took an English test, the TOEFL. The results are online and I've done great with a score of 108 out of 120. I feel pretty accomplished right now. :D Now, if only I could use those results for something... :p

This is getting old, you know

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 13:23:40 GMT

The Frankenmonster is back home and now it has 3 GB RAM, as it should from day one. After a few minor problems with the Wi-Fi adapter, that I eventually solved with the help of my faithful screwdriver, everything was fine and dandy at long last.

Yes?

No.

The graphics card keeps misbehaving, so next Monday I'll have to take it out and send it back to the store to get it replaced. At first I thought it was because of the defective motherboard, but it seems I'm out of luck.

I'm in dire need of a facepalm icon.

In other, unrelated news, my new geeky fandom is Metalocalypse. I've just finished watching season 2. The season finale was made of awesome, and I can't wait for season 3. And I usually don't like Death metal, but I'll make an exception for Dethklock.

Please, not again...

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:12:34 GMT

Apparently, there's some sort of problem with the Frankenmonster's motherboard, so I've sent it back to the tech who built it (and the COC, and the old Beast). Right now I don't know when I'll get it back. Thus, again, I'm forced to work with the COC. The computer itself works far better than it did, with the old pieces of the Beast and such, but we still haven't changed the keyboard. Man, I hate the COCK.

In other, far happier news, Mini-Me and her mother are back home from the hospital. Both are perfectly fine. Now I'm off to buy a present for the baby.

Bye!

Don't mind the puddle of drool on the floor

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:22:22 GMT

As of today, I'm officially an aunt.

Little Mini-Me is gorgeous and, actually, not little at all. She weighed 4 kg. and measured 51 cm. That's almost one third of her mother's height (my sis gives the word "petite" a whole new dimension of smallness). But, surprisingly, it was an uneventful birth and both mother and daughter are perfectly fine.

Little Mini-Me is, at least now, calmness personified. And her mother was still high as a kite when I went to visit, so she was also very laid back and even cracking jokes.

*g*

Nighty night!

PS: BTW, today's troll at fanficrants is made of win. That script freaked me out for a while, and still now there are people falling for it.

I need to find a better hobby

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:37:23 GMT

Today I got up at the wee hours of the night to take a train to Barcelona (it's about 100 miles way from where I live) so I could take a 4 hour long English exam (the TOEFL). And I just did it for the heck of it, I don't need that certification anyway. I already have the Cambridge Proficiency Certificate. I did need that one to get into the BA in Translation (well, actually only I needed the Advanced, but in for a penny...).

I really shouldn't have such inordinate amounts of fun doing English exams. I mean... how nerd is that?

Well, it began an hour later than scheduled, so I ended up having lunch at four o'clock. And then I had to wait in the train station for a couple of hours before I could go back home.

You know, sitting in a train while the world rushes past shouldn't be so tiresome, but man, I'm beat!

In other no-news, I'm still not an aunt. My sis was due last Monday, but it seems little Mini-Me doesn't want to leave her mother's belly to face the big ugly world just yet. Smart kid, that one. I did just the same when I was her age. ;-)

I'm alive...

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:47:04 GMT

... and well, thank you.

I'm not enjoying NWN2 as much as I hoped. I kinda prefer the first one. And the visual bugs keep... well, bugging me. The NPC aren't helping, either. I'm actually thinking of restarting the game with a chaotic good rogue, so I can get rid of the rogue the game provides as companion. She's quite annoying. The dwarven warrior is cool, though.

And why is that, in RPG games, female players only can romance the lawful good NPC? I'm tired of abnegated paladins. I want a bad boy, for a change. It's like in Knights of the Old Republic. I love Carth Onasi to bits, but you have to be Light Side if you want to keep him. Only males get to have a chance to keep their love interest (Bastila, in KOTOR) whether they're Light Side or Dark Side. And it's not fair, dammit.

I'm playing the Games Master challenge at Neopets this week. There's two every year; this is the easy one. One week long and without much difficulty. The prizes and trophies are fun, though. Each day we're given five challenges and must play games in order to win prizes (one for every challenge) and a trophy.

Although I prefer the May/June Challenge: 30 days, 31 games, 32 prizes (one per game and one for completing the challenge) and two levels of difficulty (the prizes for each game are different for each difficulty). Only the best of the best can get the first final prize and the nice golden trophy. I can't.

Well, when I finish today's challenges I'm off to get my new glasses. The old ones are falling to pieces (they're... 12 years old?)

See ya.

Mmmm...

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:26:09 GMT

I finally was able to install Neverwinter Nights 2 on my computer. It's been sitting around on a shelf for the last year or so, waiting for me to change the damn graphics card.

Graphically it's a bit annoying;I keep getting visual bugs (but I've figured out how to get rid of them most of the time).

I'll give it a go, though. So don't expect to see much of me for the next weeks.

Also, I've got a new fannish obsession: the old series of the Biker Mice from Mars (I know, I know...). The fandom is small, full of Mary-Sues and surprisingly devoid of slash, considering the three main characters are all pretty hot. Come think of it, there isn't any het whatsoever, either. Just some silly fluff.

The second season hasn't been released on DVD, though, and it's damn hard to find those episodes. My favorites were all season 2. Damn.

Aaand, I'm reading the Abhorsen Trilogy, by Garth Nix. So far, I like it. The first book's main character, Sabriel, had all the ingredients to be a Sue, but she actually wasn't. I'm reading the second book now, Lirael. I don't quite like it as much as the first one, but the story has just begun.

Well, time to sleep now. G'night.