Through a series of very fortunate events, I was able to start up my old laptop long enough to transfer everything onto an external hard drive and then onto the new laptop! Still keeping the old one in case it can be fixed someday, though apparently it won't boot into anything other than Safe Mode without crashing, so it'll need a liiiittle more TLC than I anticipated. XD;

Went home for fall break, which meant doing lots of nothing as I got over my cold; however, I did get to see 9, for which I had been waiting quite some time now. I liked how some of the concepts from the original short made it into the film. Lots of neat little ideas they had. Also, Astro Boy this month! I've been more than a little apprehensive about it for the years that it's been in production, namely because it's ASTRO BOY Imagi is attempting to live up to, and also because I just didn't really like what they did with TMNT... :< I hope it does well, if only because they're tackling Gatchaman next... or should I say, Eagle Riders!

Saw this a while ago and wanted to shaaare. <3

EDIT: It's 10am and I just finished my hour and a half lecture. **;;; I actually can't believe I stood in front of a class for so long without passing out, roffle.

---

SIGH. Long story short, I've been dealing with my laptop's power jack problems over the past year or so, and while I've weathered the random crashes relatively well, recently it's taken to shutting off after 10 minutes, then 5 seconds, and now it won't turn on at all. Sad as it is for me, I think this is the end of my dear Mephistopheles. It hasn't quite hit me yet that I've lost everything (transferred everything important from my old computer for fear that it would fail; oh, the irony); I'm either in denial or hoping that one day I will have the money and resources to extract everything from the hard drive. However, if I owe you art, please don't worry; I will get things done! I luckily have backups of my art programs, so once my new laptop gets in, I will be back to work asap. Ughughugh the prospects of a shiny new computer are exciting, but figuring out how to pay for it is making me rip my hair out; I already work two jobs...

He was shrinking back in his cage when I first saw him, so I knew he was going to be a bit of trouble; because he was so aggressive, my prof actually went back and got cloth gloves, which I didn't end up using. He calmed down a LOT after some handling, so much so that my prof asked if I had switched pigeons, haha, so I think we shall be friends from now on. The hands in the photo belong to this guy:

ROFFLE I have had two classes with my partner before, and while we don't know each other at all, I find him utterly hilarious. First day of Behavior of Learning Pigeon Class he was stroking his freshly grown beard and offered it to my prof to do the same ("Just grab a handful, it feels awesome"). The general consensus is that he is perpetually stoned, but I have faith in him.

The little birdy is currently filed as 593, so of course I want to name him... Adam suggested a word in Arabic which apparently translates to "mini bitch," but I called him Little Buddy, and he likes the sound of that, too. Who knows! I had named my cockatiel Prettyboy (oh, the originality), so I might need some time to brainstorm for this little guy. XD;;;

Just FYI, we don't actually do anything to the pigeons, we just place them in Skinner boxes and attempt to modify their behavior. The rats for the Behavioral Neuroscience class do get drugged and then decapitated though... :c

Excluding my pigeon, this semester sucks bowling balls; on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have class/work/meetings straight from 8:20am to 9:00pm and 8:20am to 10:00pm+, respectively. There's an awesome two-hour break on Tuesdays, but only a half-hour one on Thursdays... Then again, this must be a blessing next to working for CORPORATE AMERICA, so Imma treasure my years as an undergrad while I can.

Pidge out!

P.S. HOMGHOMGHOMG DO WANT

"A new Jan-term study tour, EPE 1134 Animating Life will explore the history of animation from Disney to Pixar while identifying the techniques that allow the animators to make animation so life-like. As part of the class, we will travel to the Walt Disney World Resort for 7 days. Space is limited to 23 students."

I VANT TO GOOOOO _{wishmeluckplz ;;}

First off, sub?! What the fudge ! Oh my goodness you are absolutely crazy for buying me one. Ilu, you silly girl! 8 8

But what the eff dA. Recently, I haven't been recieving updates from a number of people on my watchlist; editing my Friends List doesn't work, nor does rewatching them. Anyone else have this problem and know how to fix it? D:

School is starting now and I feel awful for not managing my summer better and not uploading anything major before this semi-hiatus, but I'm quite proud of cleaning up the 2000+ devs that had amassed over last semester. I have sooo many saved to comment on . Now, I'll be attempting to survive the Semester From Hell well enough to keep on track to a good graduate school. Eeep. To my future self and anyone else facing near-lethal amounts of stress: HANG IN THERE.

Tagged by the lovely and .

◆Your name?

Shh, it's Raquel.

◆If possible, your age?

19, but I usually forget and say either 18 or 20. D8

◆When did you start drawing?

I think everyone doodles when they're little, and I was no different. My grandparents and parents would teach me to draw simple things, like a hammer with arms and legs, a tulip, or a chicken. I drew lots of realistic and cartoon animals after that, and cartoon people, mostly Powerpuff girls, haha.

◆Which hand do you use for drawing?

I'm a righty.

◆Which is easier to draw - male or female?

Ladies! Loved drawing them as a kid and I still do now. My males are unbearably awful.

◆Which is easier to draw - long hair or short hair?

I have a harder time with short hair because I'm not quite sure what it is supposed to look like. My men's hair is always so fail. D8

◆Is it easier to draw the head facing towards the right or the left?

I definitely have an easier time drawing things looking to [their] right.

◆Is it easier to draw the side view of the face or the front view?

Profile. Symmetry is the bane of my existence. D:

◆What do you have problems in drawing?

Pretty much everything. xD

◆What do you like to draw?

Pretty/cute things.

◆Are you a traditional artist or a digital artist?

Definitely more digital experience since it's hella cheaper. For traditional materials, I like pencil and conte crayon.

◆Where do you start drawing from?

I always start with the head and work my way down from there.

◆What is your drawing habit that you are aware of?

I usually mimic the facial expression that I'm drawing... it can make for some weird situations. :x

◆Any tips for coloring/shading?

Reference! (Haha, I should take this advice myself; I'm always making shit up as I go.)

◆How long does it take to finish a piece of art?

Finished pictures usually take me days, probably why I like scribbling more.

◆What music do you listen to while you draw?

I have playlists for characters of mine, so I usually listen to those if I want to draw one of them. For everything else, I listen to whatever. Sometimes lyrics will inspire a sketch, otherwise what I'm drawing overwhelms what I'm listening to.

◆How long does it take you to come up with an idea?

My head is full of random things I will never be able to execute. 3:

◆Your favorite drawing utensils?

My mechanical pencil with eraser top, now and forever.

◆Your favorite color/the color that you use a lot?

Cerulean is my favorite color, but I never use it. I use bright colors a lot, though; my gallery looks like a rainbow threw up on it.

◆Your favorite style(s)?

I like stylized cartoons... Bruce Timm and Junko Mizuno come to mind.

◆What kind of artist are you aiming for?

I'm not really sure. Just being pleased with something I've done is enough for me.

◆Thank you.

Now please fill in the next columns by writing the names of the artists that match the criteria. Artists tagged must fill in this baton. Do as you please, I just wanted to link people. xD

Cool：

Cute：

Stylish：

Unique:

Moe:

Tasty：

Smart：

Sexy：

Admirable：