I got back to the states yesterday. I miss the UK so much, it hurts a little. I especially miss Scotland, the beauty and the people. The English are friendly but the Scots were amazing. I could easily live in Edinburgh, or the Highlands (Inverness maybe). Maybe someday...and I can find a Scottish guy ;)
Anyway, I wrote up a journal while I was there. I'll probably type it up in my journal (before writing it in another journal book). So I'll start the official photo spam then. I'll get your curiosity spiked with this photo though :)


From the airplane. I vow to take Virgin wherever they fly! Virgin America and Virgin Atlantic is awesome.

I'm typing from the hotel computer in London.

Not going to update much, just a few little blurbs for you.

There's an insane amount of Potter stuff in the British magazines so I've been having fun picking and choosing which magazines to buy! I didn't have to buy one magazine though. The in-flight magazine on the flight from Edinburgh to Birmingham had Dan on the cover, so I swiped that (as did the rest of the group!)
We've been going all over, seeing so many Potter locations. It's been absolutely exhausting but it's so worth it! Here's a quick run down so far, I'll definitely do detailed posts when I get back home.
Scotland
Hagrid's hut
Black Lake/Hogwarts backround
Glennfinnen Viaduct, from CoS (google it, you'll recognize it!)
Other little spots from the movies

Gloucester Cathedral
Cloisters! Various Hogwarts halls are filmed in the Cloisters. Example, we get a first glimpse of the troll in PS in the Gloucester Cloisters

Lacock Abbey
Flitwick's classroom, Mirror of Erised room, the courtyard where Harry walks with Hedwig in the winter (PS movie), more Cloisters for other shots. Also...Snape's classroom! We got Sorted there, rofl. I'm in Ravenclaw :)

London
The corner where Harry and Arthur take the phonebooth down to the MoM. The phonebox isn't there :(
Also, the market Harry looks out onto when he stays in the Leaky Cauldron in PoA. King's Cross/St. Pancras Station. Platform 9 3/4! :O

Tomorrow we go to three locations in Oxford; Christ Church, New College, and I can't remember the other one.
I'm sure I'll see where McGonagall meets the kids in the beginning of PS (before they're Sorted). I might also see the courtyard that was prominent in GoF (Malfoy in the tree).
Also? Tomorrow I'm riding the Hogwarts Express to and from Oxford! Omg. Also....Stanlisov Ivaneski tomorrow night! He's Viktor Krum. Excited!

( HBP movie spoilers )

Just a brief post...
Got a hideous burn from Paris. Like a moron, I forgot to pack my normal sunscreen. I had SPF 35 that I grabbed though...not enough.

Hopefully I don't peel too dreadfully.

Eiffel Tower is overrated even if it is nice to look at. Notre Dame is not overrated.

I've had my hair long for years and years, always to mid back or lower. Today I got it cut. Some might say I didn't get much cut off since my hair is still long...but it's only to my shoulders! I like it, I need to get used to it thuogh.

Yesterday's date with Jackson was...nice. lol


( it's close to midnight, something evil's lurking in the dark )

Question!
Do I need to use different telephone numbers to update LJ, Facebook, and Twitter from the UK? I also had to rent a phone, will that make a difference? Why, oh why, am I looking this up two days before my flight!

This is my song, I just love this song and this video.
This is the original video <3
I still say I will do this dance at my wedding!

• 03:22 snuggeling a cat & reading a JAmes Rollins book #
• 15:22 Holy shit, Michael Jackson is dead. #
• 15:30 Twitter, Facebook, and LJ are all acting sloooow because of everybody going "OMG JACKSON!"
  I still don't 100% believe it, not until CNN says #

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Wow, I can't believe Michael Jackson is dead. I will mourn for the talented man he was. :(


This is how I will rememeber Michael.
RIP Mike.

Now I'm crying :(

• 19:24 Bored #

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Frozen waterfall in Turkestan. Very awesome :3

One more for good measure...

• 00:15 We're with you Iran #

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I'm cross posting this to spread the word. I'll more then likely be there, will anybody else in the LA area join me?

Anyone want to join in a PEACEFUL, RESPECTFUL counter protest on Friday June 19th at Noon to 1:00 P.M. against the hate mongering,racist, anti semetic, gay bashing Westboro Baptist Church?

Protest and Donate for every minute that they protest THEY will be raising funds for those who they hate!
When the Phelps group comes to L.A. to protest Fairfax High School, they will actually be raising money for the school’s Gay Straight Alliance group.

Driving Equality is hosting a Phelps-A-Thon to counter Fred Phelps’ hateful message. For every minute the “God Hates Fags” clan is protesting, we will be collecting donations for the Fairfax High School gay/straight alliance.

In case you want to protest them at other times on Friday the entire Westboro Baptist Church itinerary which can be found on their schedule of hate at http://www.godhatesfags.com/schedule.html shows them doing the following:

10:45AM to 11:20 AM at Beth Chayim Chadishim, 6000 W. Pico Blvd.
11:30 AM to 12:00 PM at Westside Jewish Community Center 5870 W. Olympic Blvd
12:15 PM to 1:00 PM at Fairfax Senior High School, 7850 Melrose Avenue

1:30 PM to 2:15 PM at ADL (Anti Defamation League) 10495 Santa Monica Blvd.

I suggest that you can make your own picket sign and we can gather as a group at the Southwest Corner of Spaulding & Melrose just a block away at Noon. From there we can choose the most prudent way to PEACEFULLY counter their protest. If you can't join us please consider donating to counter the hatred.

• 02:55 Ugh, 6 more days until my birthday. #

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"FUTURAMA" RETURNS TO PRODUCTION
WITH AN INITIAL ORDER OF
26 NEW EPISODES TO PREMIERE MID 2010

Emmy Award-Winning Animated Comedy Series
Confirmed To Run On COMEDY CENTRAL;
Broadcast Network Run Also Possible


NEW YORK, June 10, 2009 -- 20th Century Fox Television, the animation powerhouse that brought "Family Guy" back from the dead five years ago, has done it again: Matt Groening and David X. Cohen's brilliantly subversive animated sci-fi comedy "Futurama" will return to production on 26 new half-hour episodes more than six years after the series aired its last original episode. The move comes on the heels of the series' blockbuster performance on DVD and on COMEDY CENTRAL; the announcement was made today by Twentieth Century Fox Television Chairmen Gary Newman and Dana Walden, and David Bernath, senior vice president, programming for COMEDY CENTRAL.

"Futurama" was a staple of Fox's Sunday night animation block from 1999 to 2003 before ceasing production on original episodes. In June 2006, COMEDY CENTRAL acquired the rights to the existing 72 episodes of the series, which the channel began airing in January 2008, and four recently-produced extended length "Futurama" adventures: "Bender's Big Score," "The Beast with a Billion Backs," "Bender's Game" and "Into the Wild Green Yonder," which enjoyed enormous success both on COMEDY CENTRAL and in DVD release. This new deal marks the show's return to episodic series production on original episodes. "Futurama" becomes only the second series in the history of the medium to go back into production based on the strength of its DVD sales and repeat airings on cable.

The new episodes will be available in mid 2010 to be shown on COMEDY CENTRAL. Twentieth Century Fox Television retains the option to license the original runs of the new episodes to a broadcast network.

"We are excited to continue our relationship with Matt, David and 20th Century Fox TV and to be able to offer COMEDY CENTRAL viewers the first opportunity to see new episodes of 'Futurama,'" said Bernath. "As evidenced by the strong performance of the extended length epics, there remains a deep and passionate fan base for this intelligent and very funny show that matches perfectly with our audience. It's fantastic that we can add brand-new installments of Leela, Fry and Bender's adventures to our existing library."

Quipped Matt Groening, "We're thrilled 'Futurama' is coming back. We now have only 25,766 episodes to make before we catch up with Bender and Fry in the year 3000." Added David X. Cohen, "We're excited and amazed that the show is coming back, perhaps due to some sort of mysterious time loop. We look forward to working with COMEDY CENTRAL and 20th Television to make this the best iteration of the loop yet!"

"When we brought back 'Family Guy' several years ago, everyone said that it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing - that canceled series stay canceled and cannot be revived," commented 20th Century Fox TV Chairmen Gary Newman and Dana Walden. "But 'Futurama' was another series that fans simply demanded we bring back, and we couldn't have been happier when Matt and David agreed that there were many more stories yet to tell."

"Futurama" focuses on the life of Philip Fry (Billy West), a 25-year-old pizza delivery boy who accidentally freezes himself on December 31, 1999 and wakes up 1,000 years later with a fresh start at life and a "diverse" new group of friends including Leela (Katey Sagal), a tough but lovely one-eyed alien and Bender (John DiMaggio), a robot who possesses human characteristics and flaws. The series aired for five seasons on Fox (1999 to 2003) earning Emmy® nominations each season while winning three times, including "Outstanding Animated Program" in 2002. It featured guest stars such as Sarah Silverman, Hank Azaria, Bob Odenkirk, Pamela Anderson, Beatrice Arthur, Lucy Liu, Beck and Coolio.

"Futurama," created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen, is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television, with Rough Draft Studios, Inc. contributing the animation.

http://www.comedycentral.com/press/press_releases/2009/061009_futurama_returns.jhtml

OMG! OMG! *deep breath*
Sweet zombie Jesus!

Who else is excited!?

I went to Whimsic Alley today and got stuff for my Potter trip. I wanted to take house robes but I knew that was impractical , big bulky and heavy robes in one suitcase? No! Instead I bought myself a Ravenclaw scarf, tie, and two pins (Ravenclaw Prefect and Seeker). My mom said I should just go as Slytherin since I have the scarf for them...I bought the scarf mostly for the colors. I'm all for inter-house unity but in that big personality\sorting test I would have done well in either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff...Ravenpuff\Huffleclaw! Since I don't want to look like a bumblebee and I like blue I got the Ravenclaw stuff. I also bought a snap hair thing that has Hedwig on it, as well as a light up wand. They're made of plastic but..they light up! I have a real wand from Alivander's but it's pretty fragile, I don't want to risk it breaking! I wanted Harry's wand but they were out, so instead I got Ron's. None of it is very large nor very heavy so it'll be alright for packing.

I am beyond excited by this point, less then a month to go! If that weren't enough, Stanislav Ianevski is going to be there! *spazz*

I really enjoyed the awards this year. I wasn't at all surprised that Billy Elliot won best musical, yay!

The Hair performance was awesome!

• 04:44 So Sims 3 is officially addicting. My gay couple just adopted a baby and my straight couple are having issues with the plumbing. #

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1. How many songs are in your Library? 6423
2. What is the "total time?" 52.1 days
3. What are the first 5 songs on your Recently Played list?
Duel of the Fates-John Williams, The Candy Man-Sammy Davis Jr., The Girls of Rock N' Roll---Chipmunks movie, Violent Love-Oingo Boingo, Grind-Alice In Chains
4. What about on the Recently Added*?
21st Century Digital BOy-Bad Religion, Wrong-Depeche Mode, Instant Karma-John Lennon, Angels & Demons Soundtrack, The Feel Good Drag-Anberlin
5. Have you made any playlists? I'm very anal with my music, it's all in playlists.

( You don't need diamond rings or 18 carat gold. )

• 23:34 preview.tinyurl.com/oop6ev
  I guess I need to get myself a Wii! Don't really want one but for Zelda I'd buy it! #
• 23:34 @kwoh
  What? You were here? #

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President Obama visits Buchenwald
The president said he saw — reflected in the Nazi brutality against Jews and the other impounded outcasts — Israel's capacity to empathize with the suffering of others. He said that gave him more hope Israel and the Palestinians can achieve an equitable and lasting peace.
Powerful article

U.S. Judge cancels hearing in Shell-Nigeria trial
BAH! Shell and Exxon are two places I won't get gas.

Paleontologist will get 60 days for dinosaur theft
Idiot. I saw the special on Leonardo, the most preserved dino in the world, it's so fascinating!

Whaling Commission head says Japan must compromise
*SIGH* Whaling news always upsets me.


Last surviving Titanic passenger dies in London at age 97
Aww :(

2,000 year old preserved brain found

Scientists track penguins from space from their poo
this article makes me smile

Some city rats roam far from home
It amuses me that the photo they used is of a fancy russian blue rat :D

Million year old Mammoth found in Serbia

Tasmanian Devil listed as endangered
Er...it's only now being put on the Endangered Species List? *boggles*

Skeleton reveals oldest case of Leprosy
Ooo, ancient medical news! Awesome :)