Still working on it! Search by Name is working, though it's case-sensitive and you can't partial search. Meaning you'll only get results if you put "Bulbasaur" exactly for Bulbasaur (ie not bulbasaur or bulba or something). This may be something to work on in the future but for now it's just going to stay like that.

Started working on List by Type; I have to make a ton of arrays (17 to be exact), so this will take a while to get running, but now that I've figured out how I'm going to do it it shouldn't be difficult.

The first 59 Pokemon are in it. I'm going to wait on finishing List by Type until I have the first 151 in, that way it will be more convenient to test, with multiple pages of Pokemon names.

In addition, my R4 came today so I've spent all day playing with it. Pocket Physics and Colors! are totally awesome. I also downloaded a browser and DSAIM but my DS can't connect to the internet at the moment (my router stinks) so I haven't been able to test that. BUT the important thing is I tested the PokeDex and it works! It works perfectly, just as in the emulator. It's so neat seeing my work on the little DS screens.

Hopefully I can get this Pokedex done fairly soon and get to work on some real demos =)

Still working on it, not much to say. Search by No is working. I just have to put in all the pokemon data x.X; The first 46 or so are in. Only ~430 to do? @_@;

In a bit I'll do Search By Name then hopefully get the type listings working.

Another screenshot:

( hard work beyond here... )

Soooo much work done, and a million times more to do still, but it's really going well! I just hope this thing will fit/run on an actual DS...

I've started over AGAIN, this time using PAlib, but it is so much easier it's not even funny. I'm serious. It's like Java to assembly... or something. Maybe I'm exaggerating. But I worked on it pretty much all day today (after a few bumps yesterday) and I'm much farther than I was before. You can search for a pokemon by pokedex number! Yay! Of course, the only pokemon in there right now is Bulbasaur, but still...

It's absurd how proud I am of the silly little graphics I've made for this:

( Screenshot already and some rambling )

I've discovered that there's a big, amazing homebrew library for programming for the DS, which is amazing. Since I got a DS Lite for Christmas, I've decided to try and make some programs for it, since I already know C++. I figure it'll be a good thing to show employers and stuff since I'm graduating soon, and get some experience programming for an actual console!

Anyway, my first project should be pretty simple. It's a Pokedex! It will display all the important information about a Pokemon like what you would find on serebii.net or something. Things like locations, evolutions, and moves gained as the Pokemon levels up; useful things, not like the silly things you get in the actual Pokedex. I feel like this would be useful if you can't get online and really need to know something about a Pokemon. Plus it'll be like having a real Pokedex, which you know you always wanted!

I've gotten started already; it took me an entire day but I got the screen to print out some info about Bulbasaur. Two pages; you can switch between them by pressing A! I'm going to work on getting some graphics in there. We'll see how this works out.

( cause random quizzes are fun... )

Honestly I thought I'd be Chaotic Good, but neutrality suits me, I think XD; It's kind of funny how I got even scores for Chaos and Law. Fun!

I saw the Golden Compass yesterday. It was all right. It was very nifty to look at, and the main character was clever and proactive, which was really nice to see for a 10-year-old girl. The bear fight was sweet.

I only have two complaints: 1. It felt rushed. It was almost 2 hours but it didn't feel that long (to me anyway); the ending kind of springs up on you, since it's supposed to be the first part of a trilogy, but the characters start talking about what they're going to do next and then the movie is over. 2. DANIEL CRAIG WAS ONLY IN THE MOVIE FOR TEN MINUTES! What?! I was upset about that because Daniel Craig is great, and his character is interesting from the get-go. But he literally has 2 scenes. BOO. But it seems he will have a bigger part in subsequent films (if they even get made).

Apparently they totally shied away from Pullman's atheist themes. Come on you guys! This movie is PG-13! It's not a film for little kids; it's okay to be a little controversial! But maybe I'm biased. I'm going to read the books once I get a chance.

Interesting article: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200712/religious-movies

In other news, Heroes is over for a while, which is disappointing. All I have to say about it is that it better get better. Last season this show was a perfect storm of things I love; this season it was just kind of dull, but it's still trying to be character-driven superhero drama, so I'll watch it til the very last episode no matter what. I just hope it gets to be more enjoyable.

Introduce them when they find Sylar in the road in Mexico. In fact, reintroduce Sylar when they find him in the road in Mexico (backtrack later for the Candace-killing). They are wanted for murder but don't display their power yet. This would make their entry less isolated and help shake the idea that everyone Sylar encounters that hasn't already been introduced is dead meat (unless of course Sylar kills them in the next couple eps).

Give the backstory in 4MA. It is now a necessary piece of information instead of somewhat interesting origin story killed by too much repetition of the same scene of Maya losing her shit. Holy crap, these people have a cool power and they can kill lots of people! Sylar might actually have a problem here!

PROBLEM SOLVED!

If only I were so good at fixing problems in my own stories.

BRAWL IS GOING TO HAVE WIFI PLAY!

AS IF I COULDN'T BE ANY MORE EXCITED ABOUT THIS GAME!

Only... how long? Eleven weeks? GAH!!!!

Also: I am playing Okami, and it's friggin' amazing. AMAZING I SAY!

Book 19: The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell -- Lillian Jackson Braun

I borrowed this from the clubhouse at one of my pools and polished it off in a few hours. Where was the plot? Where was the mystery? I don't get it D:

Book 20: A Game of Thrones -- George R. R. Martin

Martin is a genius, and this book is fabulous. Oh my goodness. It's just so intense. I need more time to discuss. In the meantime I'm starting on A Clash of Kings. It's killing my pace, but they're so good!

Unrelated news: Resident Evil 4 for the Wii is friggin scary and also friggin awesome. Shotgun wooooot~

IT'S OVERRRR ;_;

And the last book was amazing and wonderful and exciting and fabulous. And I'm SO GLAD I went into it completely spoiler-free.

I'm so sad it's over, and at all the deaths ;_; weep!

15: Maskerade, Terry Pratchett

Witches! I may have read this way back in middle school, when my friend and I would exchange Discworld books, but I'm not sure. It seems familiar but at the same time it felt new. I've never had that happen to me before.

Anyway, it's fabulous, a nice little parody on Phantom of the Opera, and actual opera, and musical theater. And it has Greebo! So good times all around. Not my favorite Pratchett book, and not mind-blowingly fantastic, but still solid.

16: Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett

Now THIS is mind-blowingly fantastic. The latest on my Pratchett rereading spree, ToT is just full of cool shit. It's COOL. It's like the Matrix squared. It needs to be a big-budget movie. It's just so AWESOME.

It also has a lot of what (well, one of the many things) Pratchett's good at, examining human nature and what it means to be human. It's interesting but also quite entertaining (the Auditor trap!).

This book also has a unique mix of elements from all over Discworld. I mean, this happens in pretty much every book, but I feel like this one had it moreso. Like Nanny Ogg's fairly major role in a book largely concerned with Susan; I mean, it could have been any old witch from Lancre, but the fact that it was Nanny Ogg adds a nice dimension. And of course the History Monks are fabulous, and their introduction makes Night Watch (one of my very favorite Pratchett books, and arguably the best one) possible.

Awesome, awesome book.

17: Teckla, Steven Brust

Wow, Brust really steps it up a notch here. The first two Taltos books are entertaining and fun, but this one actually gets a bit serious, in a good way. The world and characters become so much deeper in this one, with all sorts of conflicting views being thrown around, and Vlad being forced to pick sides in a conflict where everyone's right and everyone's wrong. Good stuff.

Unfortunately this means I have no more Brust to read, but I'll have to pick up the next volume when I get a chance.

Two days until Potter 7!!!!!!!! So that will constitute my Saturday. After that I may pick up some Robin Hobb because I've heard she's good and my fantasy collection needs some new blood, desperately, since I'm running out of Pratchett. I guess I'll be going back to Martin for my work-reading until Saturday, maybe I can put a dent in A Game of Thrones o.O;

13: Soul Music -- Terry Pratchett

AKA MY MOST FAVORITEST BOOK EVAR!

Seriously, it's so awesome. The Band With Rocks In! Come on! It's so good! And it's got Susan, too! I love Susan. I love this book~! And the ending... wow.


14: Yendi -- Steven Brust

Back into the realm of books I haven't actually read before. I liked it a lot. I liked Jhereg better, but this was still good. Brust is really different, and I like that. It's not my favorite series ever -- they don't really grab me like some others (see above) do -- but they are still quite enjoyable. My one gripe is that every chapter ends with Vlad and Cawti having sex, but whatever. They're pretty cute otherwise, and it didn't really annoy me, which is saying a lot considering how bitter I am about certain things at the moment.

Also: "You wouldn't want her to turn you into a newt." "I'll get better."
Monty Python reference ftw?!

So yes, more very good books being read, which makes me happy. Next up is Pratchett's Maskerade, which I think I haven't actually read, but I can't quite remember.

Two words: human Greebo.

XD!!!!

I found out that Greebo becomes human in Maskerade, also! O.o This is the next Pratchett book I'm picking up, tyvm. In fact I think I have free two-day shipping from Amazon for the next month, so whee!

I love Pratchett. Soul Music is next, because it is amazing and I love Imp and Susan and Death.

Number three in the avatar incarnation series... Ramuh for Mithra!

( CLICK! )

It's secretly because I hate Mithras and Ramuh is my least favorite. Haha just kidding. Sort of.

(Mithras stink!)

I think I like Goblet of Fire better, but this one is definitely up there. It's much more subtle and serious, getting a deep look into the past life of Voldemort. And it's so sad =( While reading it I never really felt as if it were just a lead-up to the final book, even though that's kind of what it is. And who is R.A.B.?! Gah! Unsolved mysteries = annoying.

Can't wait for Deathly Hallows! Just 17 days! o.O;;

Next up are a few Pratchett books, 'cause I'm in the mood.

Another installment on the Harry Potter-thon! Only one book left before the wait begins for book 7...

The first half of this book can be quite tough to read, between Harry's understandable-but-still-really-annoying whining and the pure seething evil that is Umbridge. But Harry chills out and Umbridge gets what's coming to her, so that's nice.

What I really liked about this book, and didn't realize until my third run through, is that moreseo than the other books, Order of the Phoenix takes two of fantasy's biggest cliches and makes them work. The first is the whole prophecy thing. First off, the prophecy is actually a real, proper prophecy -- it foretells something without being too vague or too specific. But what makes it really work is the fact that it is, in a way, self-fulfilling. Voldemort hears half the prophecy and sets off to stop it, but it's this very act that causes his downfall and fulfills the second part of the prophecy. It's a conscious decision of Voldemort's that chooses Harry and causes the prophecy to be fulfilled. As Dumbledore says, it could have easily been Neville that became the "chosen one."

The second big thing is the prophetic dreams. They have a very specific and clear cause and effect, which is why they work rather than inducing some serious eye-rollage. Also, the dreams turn out to be a manipulation on the part of Voldemort. So it works!!

The books are really so rife with cliche, but you don't even notice them not only because they're done so well and logically and purposefully, but each and every book is just bursting with personality. Every character, every animal, even every object has a life and an attitude. Rowling could write a book about rocks with more personality than a lot of other characters I've read.

The movie comes out next Friday!!!!!!

Boy do I love Harry Potter.

I've always said this one's my favorite, but I'm not sure why, and that was before Half Blood Prince came out (indeed, before Deathly Hallows comes out). I like the tournament thing. Dragons are a plus. Charlie Weasley is a major plus, he seriously needs more "screentime." Because I love him so! Oliver Wood makes a final, brief appearance.

Moreso than the awesome little things is the fact that this book is a huge turning point. This is where the series starts getting Serious. Someone actually dies -- a student, a good kid. There are Consequences. Voldemort rises again and that means some bad shit is gonna go down real soon. And the last chapter is called "The Beginning," how cool is that?

I remember liking HBP a whole lot, though, so when I get through that I'll make a final decision. Right now it's Order of the Phoenix time, which will be finished by the time the movie comes out (especially if all this rain keeps up!), which I am SO EXCITED about by the way, and hopefully I will survive Harry's CAPS-LOCK HAPPY RANTS OF DOOM! Blah. Hopefully Harry's emoness is a little toned down in the movie. But just a little cause it IS realistic, heh.

After Harry Potter's done I think I'm going to go through some more Pratchett. Mmmm, Pratchett. Or maybe back to Brust, since I AM in the middle of Yendi, after all...

Um, it's Harry fucking Potter!

I love Harry Potter.

I am reading 3-6 (because I can't find 1 or 2) before the 7th book comes out July 21st. I'm excited. I am also counting them because yes, I've read them before, but I'm still reading books, dammit! And the latest three are quite long...

After that, I dunno. I'll be in the teens with a whole lot of catching up to do, haha...

Also, note to self: "One day you'll be glad you saved Peter Pettigrew's life..." -- Dumbledore