Friday, September 10, 2004

Rock my Socks

I'm in the process of buying a new wardrobe. Not as in the big wooden piece of furniture, but the bits and pieces that would be to go in, were I actually to use it properly. I found a great website for nice bits of clothing- black workshirts with big dragon pictures on, or some nice Tribal designs ^_^. I like them, even though the people at NGC Magazine tend to look down on them. I'd get a Tribal GBA SP. Beats a normal silver one. Maybe they just objected to the fact that they were advertised by muscular, half-naked men. But I doubt wrinkly, half-naked grannies would give the right impression. So yes, I'm buying new clothes. Among these what I need, are socks. Every pair I put on seem to develop a hole by the end of the day, which is kind of expecte after you wear the same ones (on rotation) for two years. They've lasted pretty well, especially considering the punishment theyv'e had to put up with. I feel I need some new trousers, too. I only seem to wear two pairs at the moment, and I could to with something black with pockets. But not very baggy. I refuse to wear something that looks like a pair of wind-socks sewn together. Normally I'd go into Chichester for these sorts of things, but at the moment there's nothing in any of the clothes shops that I want apart from the underwear. And it's not as if I show that off regularly. Not that I buy clothes to show off anyway; I want to feel good in what I wear, and at the moment I just don't like what's in the shops. I wouldn't feel good wearing it. I'm still thinking of ways to modify this other jacket of mine. I really really want some inside pockets, and hopefully we'll be able to transplant leather over the top half to give it some texture. And fit in one of those tattoo embroidered designs. Maybe some black or red piping... Have you ever designed your own piece of clothing? At the moment I'm looking at designs from various anime-esque characters to see what's there that I like. Lloyd's double-breasted red jacket (Tales of Symphonia) looks nice, including the long white bits trailing from his collar. I'd wear that happily enough ^_^ I can understand why people cosplay, to an extent. It gives them the chance to wear some clothes they really want to wear. Although... when it comes to things like Man-Faye I do begin to wonder just how much you can realisticaly pull off (or keep on, for the sake of everyone else around you o_o;). I'd really really like a cloak, too... I'd be tempted to wear that out in public if it looked fashionable enough. They're selling them in the local One-Legged Jockey, and they said they should be getting in some long leather coats which fan out impressively at the base ^_^. I'll have look out for them, heh. Do you have a favourite piece of clothing? Mine's probably one of my armada of jackets, or my Cyberdog T-Shirts. I wear them pretty regularly, because they have exactly the type of design I like: contrasting colours in the shoulders and sidepanels, and a big cyber-goth design on the front ^_^ Coolies nice. Hmm, I always seem to be spending money. I've decided not to apply for this job at MVC because they'll want me to increase my hours towards the Christmas period, at a time when I need to be increasing my hours at college to get ready for our January production. It's just not practical for me. I just need another source of income to fund vaious things... I'm sure something'll turn up before too long, heh.

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Thursday, September 9, 2004

Whooblies

I bought these funny exercise things today. Ecxept the point is that you can use them anywhere. They're called Microtoners, and they're basically little electronic thingummies which you stick to your skin and they send an electronic pulse through whichever muscle you're trying to tone up and it makes it contract up to 800 times in fifteen minutes, depending on the intensity of your workout. And you're supposed to be able to use them anywhere. Reading a book, while walking, even when talking to friends or cooking dinner. The idea's nice, but the practicality's quite funny. I tried them out earlier today on my upper arms, which flop about more than I'd care to mention. It started off alright- gentle buzzing of the skin- it felt almost as if I were leaning against a car engine. And I thought "Yeah, I could do this while I'm on the computer! No problem." Snap-snap-snap-snap "AAHWHATWASTHAT?" If you want a vigourous working out of the muscles, you need more than the buzz of the skin. That snap is the noise it makes when the impulse increases, and if you're not expecting it it comes as quite a shock. And it's uncomfortable. Whoever thought you could read a book while doing that is obviously one of the same people who enjoys reading books in the back of a fighter plane. It wouldn't work. While the buzzing is relaxing, the snaps are incredibly agitating, so your book/conversation would be interrupted by moments of moderate discomfort and accompanied strained noises. I'm still planning on using them, but I'll need to find a quiet moment (and place) to do it in, heh. I'm hoping they'll be able to decrease my stomach girth. As I've said- it's not bad, I just want it to be better. Even though when I look in the mirror it's alright, when I look or sit down I see splurge, and I don't like it. It's a personal thing. But that doesn't mean that I approve of people going too far to look thin. It's a matter of self-esteem rather than actual health, because being too thin is incredibly bad for you. One trademark I've noticed of yaoi pictures is that the men tend to be almost disgustingly thin and with ample muscles, when I'd feel much more comfortable seeing them with normal, healthy-looking bodies. And the same goes for women- I've seen some who are so thin you could pretty much fax them from one place to another, and I hate it. They look like walking skeletons. My advice: Do what you want, so long as you're happy with yourself and aren't damaging your body for the sake of everyone else's point of view. Ignore them. Do it for yourself.

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Wednesday, September 8, 2004

Heh

Sometimes I really can't be bothered with titles. Or subjects, for that matter. It's not that I don't want to post, I'm just starting to run dry on ideas. This is why I didn't post every single day- sometimes I just didn't have anything much worth reporting, heh. Um... oh, my infection's flared up again. I say 'infection' because it sounds far less disgusting than 'fungal rot'. It's annoying that it only took one hot day for it to revert to worse than what it was before I'd started treating it. Anther annoying fact is that the lemongrass you have to put on it bloody stings in no uncertain terms. I always seem to end up with these really complicated things in odd places- nothing simple like a cold, flu or a bird stuck in my ear. I get pilonidal silases and stupid cysts. Still, it's all good. Well, it isn't actually, but it's one of the things I say. Pain doesn't bother me very much any more- I'm pretty tolerant to it. Shattering your hip bone will do things like that ^_~ Someone once told me that 'Pain is only weakness escaping the body'. While I think the tolerance to pain can increase over time giving perhaps a stronger will and/or a greater pain threshold, it doesn't necessarily make you physically stronger. I suppose you just get less agitated by it. It's still rather inhibiting, though. I was going to do some sit-ups tonight, but since this is so painful I can't do it, nor would I try in case the honey and lemongrass splurged out. The chest thingy should be okay to use, though. Time to work out my chest and shoulders, then ^_^ And *pokes DDG excitedly* my GC Digimon Rumble Arena 2 should be here soon ^______^. I can't wait, hehe. I'll post a review when I've had a decent play on it.

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Tuesday, September 7, 2004

More of the Same

But that's not a bad thing, hehe. I've written part 2 of Hope's Temptation (yes, they have official part names now), and there should be a third on the way pretty soon. So comment here or there (someone needs to comment there- I don't really want to double-post, heh). College started yesterday forme, and save for the odd ice-breaking exercise it's been pretty dull. It was boring the first time round- now I'm being told where everything a second time it seems downright pointless. But there is an important difference: our room isn't what it was. It's now a much smaller, even more poorly ventilated room. Blech to that. Still, the people on the course are really nice ^_^ Doing Goodwood with a few of them really helped forge stronger friendships, and even though I'm still incredibly tired I'm glad I did it for that reason. The photos are good too, but that was another perk, heh ^_^ We only know of one production we'll be doing so far, and that's an adaptation of The Epic of Gilgamesh, possibly the oldest text in the world. The story's at least 7,000 years old, and the first documentation about 5,000. So it's a well-told thing. And it's going to be in a similar style to Haroun, in that there'll be no set and we'll all be dressed in black. There's no specific lead role this time though, so I won't be getting top billing this time round, heh ^_~ Another play we really want to do is Picasso at the Lapin Agile, the one by Steve Martin. That'll be really decent if we can pull it off (and if I can find where I put my script >.>) Should be a really decent year ^_^ Except I've been given this bastard of a written assessment to do for next Wednesday. There won't be too many of these, but I despise having homework. That's one thing I hadn't figured about the Stage Management course I'm planning to do next year... Hmm. In Other News... I almost crashed into a van today. Having a mock test in the middle of rush hour can be quite disorientating. The amount of errors I made have actually gone down quite considerably, but some of the ones I did make definately would have failed me. I'm glad we went over everything afterwards, and that I still have about six lessons to get myself fully together. Even one hour before the test might be enough to get me right. Let's hope so. It's not for another month yet, but the earlier I psyche myself up for it, the better prepared I'll be. Ah, 8:30. Time for some music, then more writing ^_^

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Monday, September 6, 2004

Zombies!

I really don't feel like writing this post tonight, heh. I'm knackered, hot and hungry, but I want to keep up with TehSillyCircus2 for as long as I can before finally collapsing to defeat. Shin'll pwn everybody's arse in it anyway, seeing as he posted pretty much every single day before that anyway. You cad, you. Sen and Ben (heh) will beat me too, but Ben always updates too early in the morning for MyO to register- the annoying thing about the day separation is that it's on an American time, so any posts between when I go to bed (often after midnight) and 4am I completely miss because apparently it's still whichever day it was when it wasn't the one it is now. A timezone option would be nice, to stop from missing those posts that deserve not to be missed. I don't see enough of Ben anyway- I can't be doing with missing his posts too. I need to write letters. I finally have stickers again, so I can decorate them without worry now ^_^ But... there's another thing I have to do that I don't know if I'll be able to get done in time. And I'll really kick myself if I don't, but lately I've been too tired and/or busy to do anything. Fishcakes. Still, I made a promise. And I've vowed never to break another promise. By the way, can anyone tell me when the next round of the Literati tourney starts? I need to know when I'm required to go up against Azure.

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Sunday, September 5, 2004

Under the Spitfire's Wing...

That's where I spent a great deal of my time today and yesterday whilst at Goodwood, trying (and failing) to shelter myself from the sun. I wasn't underneath it while it was flying, obviously- only when it was on the airfield. It was lovely just lying on the grass, keeping cool... But I still have the worst sunburn I've ever had on my face, neck and hands. What makes my neck feel worse is that fact that I have an irritation caused by my blunt razor, too, so even putting soothing cream on hurts... *winces* Never mind. I'm too tired to complain now. It doesn't bother me that much. At least I'm out of the sun now, heh. I'm bloody exhausted, though. Ya! A new running joke with the Intensive Actors is saying "Ya." at every possible opportunity. It's poking fun at the guy who was directing the photoshoot on Friday and he'd say it literally every other word. Even when he wasn't saying anything, he'd still say it. Or at least, he'd be thinking it. You could tell. It's not a nasty thing- it was more the way he'd say it rather than anything else. Funny stuff, heh. Lawrence had me in agony today. It was probably down to the heat, but everything he said or did made me burst into hysterics. My sides hurt so damn much >.> I've not laughed like that in such a long time. What didn't help was that I was trying to eat at the time. he successfully made people laugh water out of their noses and collase on the floor. He's an amazingly funny person and deserves everything that's given to him. Party Hearty My god... the party last night was an amazing experience. Our brief was to hand out as many masks and hats to the guests as possible- the gigantic marquee was decked out like an 18th Century Venetian carnival, with guests arriving in masquerade dress, like that scene in The Labyrinth where Jared takes Sarah into that dream. Not everyone was as extravagantly dressed, but there wasn't a hint of 'common' anywhere. These people had money, and weren't afraid to show it. Didn't give me any though, bastards >.> Still, it started so quickly I hardly knew what was going on- every time I went to give a new arrival a mask, three more would appear behind me trying to pick some up. I had to carry them all around with me so as to save everything on the stall from falling over. But even then I just got stuck in the middle of the room with people trying to take the masks from me. And since my own took away all of my peripheral vision, I had no choice but to suddenly swivel my entire body round just to see what was going on, more often than not bumping into some exceedingly tall gentleman in a suit and tri-corn hat. And there were celebrities. Not many people will know who I'm talking about, but I saw Damon Hill (dressed up fantastically in a green velvet outfit, hee) and Rowan Atkinson (in a suit, no less). The highlight of my evening was when Gareth Evans from How 2 spoke to me ^_______^ I was so happy, heh- he's really really cool. It wasn't much of a conversation, but I was honoured anyway. It's odd that people get like that about celebrities. I guess it's because they've seen them and have either a very good or very one-sided view of what they're like, and knowing that they're that kind of person makes them act in the way they do. Stirling Moss was also there as was Rolf Harris, but I didn't see either of them. We ran out of masks so quickly. They hadn't provided us with enough, and people were asking for ages afterwards. There were two types- black and gold, elegantly shaped, or yellowy-gold, more of a Dame Edna thingy. Of course, pretty much everyone not wearing yellow wanted the black and gold ones, and those went in a flash (which was a shame, because both Holly and I wanted to keep one each for ourselves); and then the yellow ones disappeared as well. people even nicked the ones that were glued to the top of the stall, which had no sticks to hold onto. And even though the hats were 'one size fits all', people would spend ages trying to find one that fit better than the others, even though the differences were probably so minor it's more likely it was purely psychological whether one was bigger or not. But still. After an hour of crowded bustling, jostling and being given evil looks when explaining that there were no masks left, the guests had to make their way to the dining hall. *speechless* Nothing I say will be able to do justice to where the main evening took place. It was truely spectacular. Inside this warehouse/marquee, was a reconstruction of the square in venice, either side of which was an open stairway to plush red dining areas. In the centre was a stage about the same sort of dimensions you'd expect for a meduim-sized theatre, in front of which was a performance space and lots of tables (presumably where the most prestigious of the guests sat- they were in the middle of everything). Next to, opposite and above the stage were even more tables separated by archways. Everything was lit red/yellow/orange, with candles, theatre lights... absolutely breathtaking. Once they'd all sat down we escaped into fresh air for a bit (very cold fresh air- I was wearing my Pierrot costume from Oh What A Lovely War and it gave no protection whatsoever), played around with a swooshy cloak (I now have critically-acclaimed swooshing technique, hehe ^_____^) and was told which area of the dinner I'd be collecting raffle tickets from. The idea was that people bought tickets for this ludicrously expensive raffle and the proceeds went to charity. Except not many people wanted to donate. Our job was apparently to try and cajoule them into giving no less than £20, but it didn't quite work out like that. If they wanted to give money, they would. If they didn't, you said nothing and left them alone. Enough said. Jez had had one person tell him to "F*** off" earlier that evening, and they will always do that because they think they're more important than you because they're rich guests and you're just some git in a costume. Arseholes. They're not all like that, but you have to assume they are and watch incredibly carefully how you step and what you say. That aside, the opera and indoor fireworks started. Yes, indoor fireworks. The place was that bloody huge. They were fantastic to watch, but at that time I was more eager to get home and collapse into bed than watch something explode. The Means to an End, and a New Beginning Today was the last time I'll see John for... I don't know how long. It's a shame that he's moving to France, because it's going to make seeing him that much more awkward. but he'll always do Goodwood, and I will for as long as I'm able. He's such a lovely man and I'm honoured to have met and studied under him. Not just as a student but as a friend, too. I wish him all the best, heh. I start college tomorrow. Things are going to be pretty different to last year, but I'm really looking forward to it. New tutors, new classmates, new approach... looks like fun ^_^ Sleep well, everyone.

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Saturday, September 4, 2004

Write Stuff

I’m writing this post on Friday because I simply won’t have time on Saturday, heh. I’m not entirely sure what to say- having just written up today’s I’m a little MyOed out, heh ^_^; I hope people who read this know how much I appreciate them, though. There are times I’ve felt down and people’ve helped me feel so much better so quickly and I’ve looked back and thought ‘Why on Earth did I think that?’. But we all get like that sometimes, heh. When you’re stressed, all the tiny things just escalate into unbelievably huge crises and everything you perceive to be wrong about yourself makes things so much worse. Armed to the… arms! I’m taking some books to aid my boredom today. They’re really old ones- by Raphael Sabatini. He’s a really good author for swashbuckling stuff, apparently. And it’s pre-1940, too, so I can read them without any worries of inaccuracy, hee. I’ve not read a book all the way through in ages. I guess the last one was probably Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. There are lots that I want to read, but for whatever reason I just don’t do it. I can’t sit still long enough, really, unless it’s a really decent book. The Anne McCaffrey ones are highly-acclaimed, and my sister recommended two to me by a different author: Hunter’s Moon and the one I can’t find right now. Brian Jaques is a very good writer, as is Robert Rankin for comedy. The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse was great, great stuff. So funny, heh. I’m sitting in a library and I think I’ve read fewer than 5% of the books in here. Well, there are the children’s ones in the bookcase, but we recently sorted those all out and got rid of most of them. I’ve had a few read to me, and I know I’ve read a fair few, but not as many as we have. But they’re all 60’s/70’s science fiction. Not exactly my type of thing. Oh, there’s Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, but even then I’ve not read through their entire collections yet. I will, someday. I will force myself to, or Sara probably will. Since this post isn’t as good as my usual ones, I leave you with two questions: What was the last book you read? Which is your all-time favourite? Answer if you like ^_^;

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Friday, September 3, 2004

You may have stolen my girlfriend, but I drank your coffee!

Well, the first day of Goodwood didn't turn out as bad as I'd feared *hugs people*. I really enjoyed it, in fact, although I did get pretty sunburnt on my nose and neck. Getting up at 6am wasn't fun, especially as the first thing I had to do was shave. i don't like it much in the first place because my razor's crap- it pulls hairs out instead of cutting them and isn't very thorough. I then had to have a shower, which I don't like having when I'm still half-asleep. I prefer them when I'm woken up. but meh, it's done now. Didn't have time for breakfast, as shaving and showering took about half an hour longer than I'd anticipated, so I had to go straight off to Chichester station to be picked up by Sue, our Wardrobe Witch. She calls herself that, heh- she's a lovely person ^_^ In truth I didn't mind not having breakfast that much- I don't usually eat until about 2pm anyway, so it wasn't much skin off my back. but if you've been on your feet all day it can get pretty tiresome. I love wearing the RAF uniform, too. I've had literally hundreds of photographs taken by people from the press, punters and general people with cameras. All we're doing is sitting at the edge of an airfield in dilapidated chairs trying to play cards with half the deck missing. Apparently we're meant to be awaiting scramble, but this is exactly what they did. They were always ready, but it's not as if you can sit next to an aircraft for 24 hours a day waiting for a phonecall that might not even happen teling you to jump in the cockpit and get shot at. So we got hot. Very hot. And got bored. Very bored. But two of the girls and I managed to blag a ride in a 1940's US Army jeep around the site ^_^ That was great- I rode in the front and looked important, they rode in the back and looked important and pretty. We even went inside this tunnel- it was great- reminded me of Stargate where all these military vehicles are coming out of a concrete tunnel thing to fantastic music ^_^ Great experience, heh. I want to go for another drive tomorrow... Lunch was pretty decent, then came more of the same stuff we'd been doing all morning, except this time i didn't have a chair. I I walked and stood in these bloody uncomfortable shoes (not as bad as the Evil Shoes of Pain, though) until it was time for our photo shoot. I'm ready for my close up now, Mr. Somethingoranother... Yep. I'm going to be in some Goodwood magazine thingy, in a huge composit picture that is the most staged thing in the entire world. In one scene, not only do we have a Spitfire plane about to take off with a pilot inside, but we also have a mechanic checking the plane, a jeep with an Ack-Ack in the back of it, a soldier kissing his girlfriend goodbye, a guy on a field telephone, a Land Army girl (completely out of context), two female RAF officer looking inside a bag and a box respectively, a pilot drinking his last dregs of coffee before jumping into his airplane, the Commanding Officer in his car with his wife/girl/thing and a huge dog. Tell me that's a realistic scenario. Anyway, I was due to be the pilot kissing his girlfriend goodbye, but since the guy drinking coffee was taller and had a much more heroic figure, we swapped places. So he got the girl, I got the coffee. Can't say fairer than that... Since we had to do so many shots to try and get the right one, we had to keep moving in and out of our positions, making sure we held them for a short while inbetween. I had to look like I was half-getting out of my chair, which is a bastard to have to stand still like for anything more than 3 seconds. When we'd finished, my right leg was twitching and I couldn't walk on it easily. I complained a bit, but I didn't mind too much. I enjoyed the opportunity of being in the photo. And with a coffee cup, no less ^_^. There wasn't any coffee in it, but it's the principal ofthe thing. We ate sarnies after that. Damn fine ones, too. And had wine, but that wasn't so good. I'm home now, tired and achey. I want to go to bed... But I was on local TV for a second and a half ^_^. Goodwood's the largest event of its kind in the world, so it gets a lot of coverage. There was a shot of us on the airfield, and promptly I got up and walked off-screen ^_^; I had no idea we were on camera, heh. but trust me to disappear. Me'er mind. there'll be plenty of other opportunities, heh. Spot of Bother, Old Chap? I've found out what my college days are for this year, and they've changed from what they were before- now I do Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Not Thursday or Monday o_o; It's really bizarre. Most of those days I have to miss because of driving lessons the first few weeks, and my test is slap bang in mid Friday 8th October. Ah well ^_^; I guess I'll have a bit of explaining to do when I start... But don't think for a minute that I wouldn't miss those days for the event I have coming up in September ^_~ See yaz soon. EDIT: 4001 Visits! WHEE! ^_________^

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Thursday, September 2, 2004

Lookitme!

For those of you who can see UK's terrestrial Channel 4, watch The Worst Jobs in History on Saturday, 8pm. You might catch a glimpse of me. Lawrence's Personality Test programme is on right now- they're following a whole load of people around a day they spent together now- I briefly saw him once or twice, but I don't think he has a lot of screen-time. We joked that we'd find out it was all about him, but it's not ^_^; I get the feeling that people notice him a lot more than me, because they always seem to talk to him more despite the fact that I might be with him too. It's... I'm not jealous (well, perhaps), I'm just a little disappointed that I don't seem to stick in people's minds as much in this sort of way. People who know me remember me, but in largish groups of people I pretty much disappear. People asked him when his programme was, and he said. I'd filmed (and got paid) for mine some while beforehand, but nobody asked. And I didn't want to say "Hey, mine's on Saturday!", because I thought it'd be rude to steal his thunder. And it's on Saturday anyway, at a time when we're all collecting money from rich people at a party for charity. So there wasn't a whole lot of point, especially as I won't be as recognisable and I'll probably have even less screen-time than Lawrence did. He's being offered jobs, given better parts... I guess this is the first steps of competitiveness within acting; or if not that, favouritism among audiences and directors. People even said he and I would make a great new Morecambe and Wise. Ha. I assumed that to mean that Lawrence was funny and I hang around with him. Great. I don't know. I guess I'm just stressed out at this Goodwood thing. 30 hours of being in character and I don't even fully know what a bloody Leading Aircraftsman does, let alone what the bits of a Spitfire are. And they will ask, oh boy will they ask. See you tomorrow, heh.

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Wednesday, September 1, 2004

*hits stuff*

Don't you hate it when things stop working for no reason? The second (and, I hasten to add new DVD player was working fine for ages- the pre-disc screen was even in colour, heaven forbid. As soon as I put the disc in... ...the image changes to black and white speckles. And no matter how many times I try and switch it back, it refuses to believe that it can show colour. Which I know it can because I saw it with my own eyes, unless my eyes were in some anti-colour phase, or something. It just really pisses me off when things refuse to work for no reason despite the fact that they'd been working perfectly only a short while before. The big TV did that a few weeks ago, as did the Sky Digibox (which turned out to be one of the crap ones that got recalled anyway- for some reason we were left with it). And my sister's computer, and way before that, my big Beast Machines Jetstorm suddenly lost all faith in trying to hold its plastic missiles in its missile chambers and won't hold them for anything. Why? I'm sure there's some technical pixie floating around our house waiting to fine the most inopportune moment to strike and make things very awkward for people wanting to use a particular object at a particular time, just for kicks. I hate you, pixie. In Other News... I want these boots!** I know I told John I wouldn't get into big strappy boots, but to be honest when I said 'No', I wasn't entirely sure that I wouldn't develop a taste for them anyway. Observe the aqua colouring! Mineminemine... when I have money -_-; **P.S.- Ignore the 'Secure connection' thing that comes up. It's a link to an item on an internet shop, and they must have a secure connection thingummy. Don't be alarmed, heh.

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