How long has it been since I wrote here? May and June have passed by very quickly -- I should have made better use of them.

I'm posting this from the hotel in Washington, D.C. that's hosting us CLS participants; while there is a lone USB cable in the lobby that provides free Internet access, Wi-Fi or ethernet cables come with extra charges, so my browsing freedom is restricted. It's difficult to adjust to, given how easily I can access the Internet at my university or at home! (And considering how plentiful Wi-Fi must be here, why do hotels get away with making their guests pay for it? It was to be expected, I suppose.) It will be more difficult to get on the Internet in Vladimir, but hopefully I'll be able to purchase a Wi-Fi card or make other arrangements -- I want to stay in touch with my family, and tell you about what happens there, too.

My flight leaves today at 4:55 p.m., and will arrive in Moscow at 10:55 a.m. To be honest, I'm pretty scared.

Still, we had a good and detailed orientation (it lasted nine hours!), and I've received a lot of emotional support from my family and friends, so I should do my best to be brave. It's a study trip, not a military assignment.

( Now for some frothy fandom talk! Frothing monsters not included. )

Since I've been away for so long, can you please tell me about how you've been doing? Are you all doing okay? What exciting adventures have you undertaken, or are about to undertake? An inquiring mind wants to know!

All classes are proceeding smoothly, even if I can't speak up in POL 286: Conflict Resolution as much as I'd like to. That said, I wish I knew what went through our Japanese professor's head when one of the students asked her if she would like to drink some homemade cookies.

Speaking of foreign languages: I received financial aid for the Middlebury Summer Language program! The school raised its tuition rate, and the aid I received covers only about a third of it, so I'm currently looking into the FAFSA loan they offered. When all is said and done, there's a good chance that I'll be going to the Russian school this summer. :`)

( Some useless information about my current health... )

( ...a slightly more useful handwriting meme... )

( ...and some entirely useless thoughts on Fandom Development! )

That aside, how have you been?

I've had much less time to read about current events at school than I did over the summer, and it shows.

Anyway, President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. Though the Nobel Committee cited his establishment of a "new international climate" as the main reason for their choice, it seems that the award was given more out of the Committee's expectations for the President rather than what he's actually accomplished--and that just smacks in the face of all of the journalists, politicians, relief organization staff, and activists who have provided more concrete support for the peace effort. (I know, I know this is similar to the Republican complaints against the President's accomplishment, and that the Committee must surely have had good reason for their choice, and that I don't know enough about international politics to make any worthwhile comment.) Thorbjorn Jagland's comments on the decision certainly reflect the idea that they're waiting for President Obama to accomplish great things, and that the prestige of this award will contribute to that.

As a more worthwhile contribution from me, here are two articles about remarkable people who have striven for peace: an essay about U.N.H.C.R. officials in Chad, published early this year, and a shorter piece about Ko Ko Gyi and Min Ko Naing, the leaders of 88 Generation Students in Burma.

( And now, for that TRC review I've been planning on writing... )

( ...with a note about Kobato. )

As some people have requested them, here are all of the large scans that I've colored since January (i.e., when I first started making icons). You can use them for whatever purpose you like--banners, profile images, and possibly even courageous headbands. There aren't too many, since I prefer working with smaller bases, and some of them are jagged and unpleasant to the eye, but I hope you can put them to good use!

[03] Kobato.
[11] Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE
[05] xxxHOLiC
[04] Miscellaneous CLAMP works (Chobits, Tokyo Babylon, and X)
[09] Miscellaneous works (After School Nightmare, Bleach, Cheong Hang Gi, otona・pink, Yasashii Ryuu no Koroshikata, and Vampire Knight)

( Shield your eyes! 32 colored scans behind the cut. )

After over two months, the requests are finally finished! If there are any changes you would like me to make, or if you see any mistakes with your request, please tell me.

The icons are arranged alphabetically by the names of those who requested them, with the exception of icons no. 6 through 14 (hebba18 and laury_kos requested the same image) and icons no. 118 and 119. Note that icons no. 19, 45, 46, 54, 55, 62, 83, 84, and 99 are nonshareable; they've been marked in green. If you want your icons to be nonshareable as well, then don't hesitate to tell me! Please keep in mind that if you received a large amount of icons, some of them by necessity will have to be kept shareable (as no one should hoard icons).

On to the requests!

[06] After School Nightmare
[07] Bleach
[09] Cheon Hang Gi
[07] Chobits
[20] Kobato.
[13] My Girl
[07] Tokyo Babylon
[08] TSUBASA RESREVoir CHRoNiCLE
[05] Vampire Knight
[10] X
[05] xxxHOLiC
[06] Yasashii Ryuu no Koroshikata
[16] Miscellaneous (Angelic Layer, Code: Breaker, Dogs: Bullets & Carnage, Gakuen Alice, La Corda d'Oro, otona・pink, Pandora Hearts, Scuro, and Skip Beat)

Preview:



( 119 icons beyond the cut. )

First and foremost: I apologize to those who weren't looking for more Syaoran and Sakura icons. In order to set things right, I'll be accepting requests here! As an example of what a filled request may look like, I've included all thirty of the icons I made for jlarinda to celebrate her predicting a certain plot twist in an otherwise unpredictable story.

Setting that aside, please enjoy the icons! If there are any changes or improvements you wish to be made, then don't hesitate to tell me.

[06] Angelic Layer
[09] Card Captor Sakura
[05] CLAMP in Wonderland Ex.
[07] "Happy Ko" from TV Senshi
[94] TSUBASA RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE
[09] Miscellaneous (Kobato., xxxHOLiC, and Stock)
[30] Requested icons


Preview:



( 160 icons beyond the cut. )

These were made over the course of four months, so the icons span a range of quality and styles (i.e., some look as though I've ripped off CLAMP, others look as though I've ripped off scape, and still others look as though they were tossed into the pop blender of peril). If there are any that you think can and should be improved, please tell me! I'll try to fix them for you.

On to the icons!

[04] Angelic Layer
[20] Card Captor Sakura
[06] Clover
[11] Kobato.
[48] TSUBASA RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE
[43] xxxHOLiC
[06] Miscellaneous CLAMP works

Preview:



( 138 icons beyond the cut. )