Why so serious.

Well I had a pretty cool weekend. Hanging out with Neil and Haku is always a great laugh, mostly blazing GTA races, Ikaruga and the usual Naruto 3.
MCM was its usual self, but continued the declining level of enjoyment I recieve from each one. It's still amusing enough to see all the cosplayers and have a look at what's on offer, and in the end it's something for us to do other than sitting around playing games all day. But the annoying kids, socially awkward shut-ins and arrogant assholes that take themselves too seriously were out in full force, and that'll certainly put a downer on any event.
After Neil left on Sunday I went to see the new Indiana Jones film with Haku and Paul, on a totally spur of the moment thing, and found it to be a surprisingly good movie. Still no patch on the classics, and could have done with a whole lot less of George Lucas and his novelty characters and sci-fi overkill, and a whole lot more of Steven Spielberg and his quality skills.

I started watching Ichigo Mashimaro a few days ago, and it's just as funny as all the hype suggests. I'm really having to pace myself so I don't blast through the unfortunately short 12 episode series too quickly.
I also started watching Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, an absolute blast from the past which has really surprised me with how addicted it has me. At first I just wanted to check it out along with Tenchi Universe after reminiscing about the good ol' Toonami days of school, so many years ago. I was just expecting some nostalgia lulz and for that to be the end of it, especially as it's a lengthy 49 episodes, but the classic art style, unfiltered nostalgia and typcial Gundam politics has got me hooked. I think this'll be an awesome series for me to encode and put on my iPod to watch during my lunch breaks.

Tomorrow I'll be heading into London with Bertie and the clan for some shits and giggles at the X Factor auditions. After managing to charm his was past one of the co-owners of SONY he's in for a chance to face David Cowell and test his worth. In the name of the Emperor I pray he gets that oppertunity.

Winning

So I passed my test, good times.
Headed out, was a bit busier than I was expecting, did a turn in the road, reverse around corner and emergency stop, went back, said it was a good drive, happy days.
I really am so god damn happy I've got my licence now. When I was in the waiting room for the first test I suddenly got absurdly nervous, the only time I ever remember being anywhere near that nervous was back in the lower years of primary school when I was doing my first school play, doing the typical "I don't want to go out, bawwww!" routine. I was that apprehensive purely because getting my licence is the only thing I think I've ever actually cared about, in my entire life.
Of course there's been other stuff I've wanted, winning competitions, tournaments and games, doing well in various pursuits, but of all those things it wouldn't have really made a massive difference if I'd failed or not got the result I wanted. Getting my licence and driving, it's all I've ever really given a damn about, other stuff comes and goes and I've never really been tied down to anything, but driving is everything to me.
Man, I'm starting to sound like Takumi.
Anyway, I've got my licence and now just need my car. I've got a few lined up to look at and have been in contact with people, so it's only a matter of time now.

Got the next MCM on Saturday. I had no interest in going until I met up with Jess and that lot in London and they gave me a new reason. Neil's coming down from Liverpool tomorrow, and Haku'll be coming back to mine from MCM, so the usual good time gaming and hanging out will be had, especially as I have a free house for the next four days.
I was put off MCM because of all the absurdly childish faggotory from all the hyperactive 14 to 17 year olds, but I guess there's a lot of good to it too, and for the most part it's what you make of it with the people you're with, so I'll just try my best to persevere that bullshit.

All wings, report in

GENTLEMEN.
It's been a long time. I have summoned you here today to discuss the liquidation of cyclists.
But let's back up for just one second, where did it all go wrong?
I arrived at Blackpool on Sunday just over a month ago, stepping off the coach I was immediately hit by what a dive it is. Seriously, the boulevard was like Las Vegas meets Chernobyl, and one steet back from that was the ghetto. Just like anywhere else in England, it had its nice areas too, but why anyone would want to come here on a 'holiday' I will never know.
The one thing Blackpool had going for it was the fact that it's street racer central. Everything everyone's said about cars being cheaper up north is so absurdly true, you'll see very few modified FWDs and a silly amount of Jap imports. Within an hour of being there I saw an R34 GTR, so I was sufficiently impressed.
My instructor was pretty cool, which I was very worried about, as getting stuck with a bad instructor for a week would've been hell. The other guy I was paired with was alright, a total builder but we all got on great.
The week went pretty quickly, driving during the day and either reading on seawall or playing my DS in the hotel during the evening.
Failed my test, all because I overtook a fucking cyclist without leaving a 'safe distance'. If I was going to fail I wanted to put the car on its roof or into an orphanage, not a stupid little thing like that.
Ahh well, I've been driving with Andrew's old instructor since I got back, who really knows his stuff. Got my test next Wednesday morning, and if I fail that I really don't know what I'll do.

I met up with Ellie and a bunch of other people in London the Saturday after Blackpool. It was rather strange as I'd been on the coach all night and had managed no sleep at all, but I still wasn't tired at all even after walking around London all day.
We did a tour of some pretty cool shops, and I managed to bag volumes 23 to 29 of Initial D for £2 each out of a bargin bin, now I just need to buy volumes 13 to 22 to catch up...
I met some really cool people (and some real elitist pricks) and generally enjoyed it. We spent the second half of the day at the Namco arcade which was pretty awesome. I'd been there before, but when you're just passing through is totally different to when you properly stop and take your time. Best part of it was the Wangan Midnight: Maximum Tune 3 arcade machine. Which while having a silly amount of catch-up turned on, proved to be the most awesome arcade racer I'd ever played. I spent a lot of money on that with Pill, who while having no previous interest in motorsports was really enthuiastic about the racing games, definitely a potential getaway driver. Also hung out a lot with Jess, who seems to share pretty much all my interests and has a delightfully overenthusiastic fan-girl side.
I'll be seeing all these crazy cats again at MCM next weekend.

Started watching a bit more anime again recently, although I've dropped Moyashimon and haven't been able to bring myself to watch any more Baccano! yet.
Most notably I watched the six episodes of Golden Boy, which is freakin' hilarous, quite possibly the funniest comedy anime I've ever seen.
I also blasted through the entirety of Infinite Ryvius alarmingly fast, I really didn't expect it to grab me as much as it did. It's basically Lord of the Flies in space as it follows a ship full of stranded teenagers left to sort themselves out for six months.
Now I'm watching Toward the Terra, which has also really grabbed me, although it certainly has a lot of things that really do not appeal to me. It's main attractions are the situation the main character finds himself in and the sci-fi genre. But the thing that really gets on my nerves is how some of it is so blatantly aimed at pleasing fan-girls, which shouldn't be surprising as it was recommended to me by a serious yaoi fan, but there's only so much eye rolling I can do at the heart-throb mentor and his antics, luckily he's on the verge of death, so hopefully he'll kick the bucket and get out of my face soon enough.

I've left out a lot of junk that I've been up to, but I guess that's what's gonna happen when I don't update for a month. Hopefully I'll have nothing but good times next week and will get back on the ball, we'll see how things go.