planeterry.
Thursday, February 28, 2002
Article on effect of blogs on google, interesting...
Today good. Went to an orientation day and won a CD case. Wanted another prize too, but stall closed ran out of prizes and disappeared. They had these little folding mirrors which would be perfect for cutting stuff on if you did that kind of thing, but they're like labelled "Drug Aware" on the outside. Amusing. Thought it might be a nice present for someone.
Also did some work today!
Had minor coffee craving a second ago.
Must be time for beer soon.
Spa party tonight, looking forward to it...
A! looka!
"Never-ending" ski slope planned for Wales
17:21 22 February 02
A giant revolving ski slope could be built in Wales within a few years, if a UK company is granted planning permission. But not everyone is convinced by the design.
Enclosed within a huge dome, the 13-storey high "Ski-Trac" slope would resemble a record player on an incline. Skiers travel down the side of the revolving slope at the same time as it moves upwards. The result is that the ski run is effectively much further than the actual 300-metre length of the incline.
Australian inventor Kevin Feriss believes that when at its maximum speed of 30 kilometres per hour, some skiers would experience a "never-ending" trip down the slope.
We'd NEVER have to reach the bottom!
Wednesday, February 27, 2002
also started filling in all the essential info in new 2002 diary, social plans for next month, birthdays, important peoples contact details - have been lost for past 2 months without one...
ALSO just did major purge of one of my main email accounts - twas a major effort to get it under quota again :P sheesh, don't know how i managed to let it get so out of hand.
nb. was also feeling quite edgy and jittery last night, possibly the caffeine (had one cup coffee yesterday, plus one cup tea) or maybe just psychosomatic - in any case, am going to avoid the evil drug for a little while.
Tuesday, February 26, 2002
also - 2 cups of coffee yesterday - a little trouble getting to sleep. should be more scientific about checking cause-effect.
haha - it's so funny when my office-mate asks about random unix or matlab stuff and i actually know the answer, it's happened like several times recently. very weird. freaks me out.
Monday, February 25, 2002
darn used to have a couple of pages which charted past stock fluctuations/trends... where is it? hmmm.. they all seem to be unavailable... blargh. oh well. shouldn't dwell on them anyway, s'not like i'm actually playing it.
ooh, am checking stock prices now - first time in aaaages (like months) - lessee... oh yeah, that dodgy telecommunications company was bought out by someone else, and isn't going by that stock exchange code anymore - wonder what code they use now? Do i really want to see how badly they're doing? But my (haha) banks are doing well (well, one is well, other is actually pretty boring, but at least it isn't haemorrhaging). Retail doing okay too. Other dodgy telecommunications co is crap though. Surely they're too big to suddenly disappear taking my money with them? (bloody Enron, shattering my illusions - so inconsiderate...): 18.460, 4.503, 5.250 and 12.200).
yes. have been forgetting experiment. had 4 coffees last week i think. and one so far this week. but have another waiting for me now. currently: 54 bpm.
But what i was intending to write about before le meeting petit mort, was that last night i went on a field trip with our oceanographic dude guru and a couple of colleagues (including BN, AntK). We went walking on the bottom of the ocean somewhere. There were really strong benthic currents, and the ocean-floor, covered with a nice fractal size distribution of purple-bluish-grey pebbles, was undergoing some major transport, with mini-highways of this sediment whizzing by in all directions around our feet.
We had one piece of special field equipment, a booth with a viewport on one side at eyelevel, apparently with some ability to analyse the spectrum of the different areas you were looking at. You entered the booth from behind and looked into what looked like a television screen. When I went in, there was someone in there, watching the cricket. He left, and I turned channels to the footy, then just channel surfed looking for something interesting, I think I finally found a documentary about raves, which just made me all nostalgic, and I decided to leave. On exiting the booth, I found there was a line outside it, including a friend from school (NF), so I went and said hi and shook hands and made small talk. i realized the booth was actually placed just near the ref courtyard, which had somehow gained some amphitheatric aspects. And there was a rave going on in the inner closed off courtyard! But the music could be heard outside, and it was really good! There were some cool ravers hanging around outside, and some of them were dancing. I think it was about 6pm or something quite early, and I realized it was Thursday, which seemed to be an unusual time to have a rave, and then i noticed a sign, saying that they were going to have a party there every evening for 6 days in a row, from 5pm to midnight. Cool! I really wanted to go in right then, but knew I shouldn't just skip the rest of the field trip, so I helped take our equipment across the oval back to the field lab, thinking, I'd go back later and have a good boogie. Maybe I'll go tonight.
whoa - and just got asked into meeting with latest results, of which i don't have any!
go in, on edge, prepared to bluff at any moment. but! happy day! i'm mostly ignored! double-phew!
argh! get in at 9:10 am this morning, and there's a meeting in the tearoom as i walk past. i notice supervisor and coworker in there, and wonder what it's about. get into office, and begin to remember meeting which would usually be tomorrow (wed) was going to be changed to today or thursday! argh! go back and peek through my office door across atrium to glass fronted conference room - yes, a couple of other people i'd expect at wed meeting are there - d'oh! go check my email for last info, hmm... no. last info is asking which date would be preferred, today or thursday, and nothing from anyone after that. so. maybe they don't want me there? nah. anyway, meeting would've started at 8:30, so I'm NOT going in now. sheesh. good news on work though, model still running from last night! phew.
Sunday, February 24, 2002
um. had last burst of work on friday arvo. typically, pc crashed as i was waiting for things to finish compiling and generating before going to the pub. pc pretty ok, has only crashed like a handful of times in last couple of years (maybe 18 months), but it seems to occur disproporitonately on a friday afternoon...
anyway. um. went pub. had pint. and a half. then went for dinner at a friends place in cott. went for a dip first. at dusk. when the sharks come out to play. but dinner good. ate flesh. which was so-so, but felt healthy for me.
sat - up early - to gym (pump). not too crowded. good. home, brekky. library. got a couple of good ones (_thief of time_, pratchett, finished already). and saw book on how to improve your croquet, which seemed to be a good idea for birthday present for friend who's birthday it actually was (on sat). did 2 loads laundry. lunch. groceries and sundry items. looked for book on croquet. 2 angus and robertsons, a dymocks and another quirky bookstore which looked a likely possibility, but wasn't. oh well. home. meant to go to work and do some stuff. but didn't. went and returned some stuff to dad's place, then went to beach for another quick dip. sun still up this time though. quite nice. had a good float on some choppy swell quite a bit out to sea. but then home for a quick bite (broccoli, lime and cashew stirfry) before bbq/drinks for going-away for P-housemate-S. Two long-neck Coopers, plus punch. drank much. trashed. quite nice time, but plan didn't quite come together, was supposed to go check out this guy, who i met a couple of weekends ago, dj at this pub. but it was way out, and i was drinking so couldn't drive. housemate supposed to meet me at party after a movie, and i was going to convince her to drive us there and check it out, but she didn't come :( oh well... just as well, too trashed to be in public really. home. bed...
Thursday, February 21, 2002
oops. forgot about second cup of coffee sitting there. is lukewarm now.
put sugar in this one, despite possible secondary effects on experiment. too bad. 54 bpm.
remembered heartrate this morning: 46 bpm.
had one cup of coffee already, and just made my second cup. am i going for exponential increase?
currently 54 bpm.
nb. dunno if just psychosomatic, but had a bit of trouble getting to sleep last night. should probably look up some refs re: period of caffeine physiological effects.
sheesh - still feeling a bit edgy from coffee this arvo - hope it doesn't insomniate me tonight.
SO not waiting for this file to generate :P home. dinner maybe. dammit, didn't make it to gym today either - 2 days in row. and friday is often day off - ack.
argh!
should it really take this long? a whole hour (more?) to generate a 3D data file for use in my simulations, and then it seems like another half hour just to ftp it over to a spare machine i can run it on, and then if it doesn't work, ANOTHER whole hour and a half to regenerate the file and ftp it, and retry - bleah! and does it really have to be half a GB in size? it really seems excessive.... bloody three dimensional modelling...
should i go camping this weekend too? two weekends in a row! that'd be like hardcore survivalist! kinda! maybe!
but so much to do here. and a couple of parties on sat night. and stuff.
fiinally blogger lets me in :)
well. um. remembered to take heartrate before i actually got up this morning - 46 bpm. am sure i could've gotten it lower if i'd concentrated. just had second coffee of week. now at 52 bpm.
other excitement, just got two seven letterers in a row in scrabble :) happiness! but half cheating, was only cos i got an 's' and a blank in both turns.
Wednesday, February 20, 2002
oops. am supposed to be in a seminar now. but had a meeting like until 15:35, and had all this stuff to do and check when i came out of that, and then i started wondering why no one was sending me email, or having their turns on sf scrabble, and suddenly realised it was 16:25, and it must be because they are in the seminar i'm supposed to be in too. and it looked kind of interesting and everything (at least moreso than usual). darn. and i went to the loo and one of the manager types saw me and probably knows i'm supposed to be in the seminar. pfah. anyway, they only told us it was on this morning. they should give us more notice. even though that wouldn't have made any difference to me missing it.
haven't managed to make myself have a coffee today. just didn't really feel like it. will do it properly next week.
Monday, February 18, 2002
hmmm... was thinking just one cup a day. but maybe two might be better (in name of science).
at the moment: still 52 bpm. am feeling buzzed off the coffee. heart *feels* like it's pounding harder, but yeah, well...
suppose should finish off weekend away report.
so, swam back to beach. eat gingernut cookies. read. walk briskly to shuttle stop. luckily bus late, so we manage to get it.
went to bakery for lunch - i have a jam donut and a steak and kidney pie. donut good. pie average. then to cafe. have soy cappucino - ooh! caffeine! oops. well.
anyway, then caught ferry back to the mainland. got lift home with spike and her brother in amusing bandanna (actually, i didn't think it was that amusing, but spike and cordy gave him shit for it).
housemate home. half unpack, but then ask housemate if she feels like going to beach with me. and she does. so sunscreen up, and head off for a quick dip. ocean much warmer that it was over on island. but beach much windier. sand too much when we get out, get a layer of fines stuck all over me, bleagh. so home. grab a sixpack of crowns on the way as a prez for guy i borrowed tent from (and whose birthday party i missed sat night), home. housemate to shower. me to friends place, only just gotten up, a little hungover after party previous night, give beer, return tent, have chat. apparently F5 got much more trashed than she has in a while - feel sorry i missed it :( ah well. home and have major shower. layer of sunscreen and fines quite recalcitrant. eventually get most of it off. -ah- much better. more food. some reading. some tv. eventually bed...
Sunday, February 17, 2002
forgot to take heartrate all weekend. and this morning. currently: 54 bpm.
so. am supposed to start caffeine this week. don't know if i really feel like it.
and need to decide how much - just one cup a day? or go all out, and have as many as possible?
-ah-
weekend good. very good. so much sun and beach and pub.
we were quite religious in use of SPF 30+, and yet i have obtained a singlet tan-line :P
um. so friday, we left work early (3pm) to get ferry. everyone with full packs. heh. for two nights. ferry trip nice and quick, most of a pack of pizza samboy crisps (not very pissaish), half an hour. think it used to take an hour (in year 7 camp, a little while ago). off. to pub for a jug ('pitcher'). they have tooheys old :) then off to campground to set up tents and have dinner. tents up (eventually). then, doritos. hummous and carrot sticks. pasta salad. bean salad. yummy rice and tuna and tomato and cuke and lemon. back to pub. with travel scrabble - yay! but i lose - boo! but no one feeling hardcore, and back to tents. giles's tent doesn't zip up properly, and a quokka is inside. time for washup and sleep. ground nice and flat, but a little hard. think i have bruises on hip from trying to sleep on side. other tent has several quokka forays during the night. sleep intermittently and occasionally until it is light. 7am, saturday, hear people up and about, so decide to get up too. nice and light. pot of water onto stove. muesli out. brekky.
took free shuttle to geordie bay. extensive beds of seaweed. mostly i just went wading in the shallows (B (name suggestions anyone?) and Giles went for an actual swim). dead crab. large green sea slug. eventually had a proper dip. quite cool. but ok. then everyone just lay in the sun (or shade) and read on the beach. back to main town area to meet Spike on 10am ferry. Then back to campground for lunch - yummy felafel patties on fresh bread rolls, rice salad, and sweet potato, tomato, celery and fennel seed grilled stacks - nice. Wash up.
Spike and Cordy off to cafe/pub to write stuff. rest of us off for more beach action. hire umbrella. buy a sixpack. catch the bus out to parker point, only a couple of groups of people within the bay, but i spy a little sandy cove we might be able to reach if we wade around the cliff base - reach it easily, and lay our stuff out, put up the umbrella, and cracked some tooheys old. got out the snorkel masks, sea so salty and good. huge beds of dense seagrass. too shallow to swim through in some places, but once past that, gusts of warm and cold water brush past in the deeper water, mini reefs dot the sand. covered in coral and weed. am glad i found my snorkel and mask - saw many many fish - very long pipe fish, big bottom-dwelling fish, schools of fingersized fish, colourful parrotfish, stripy angelfish. but eventually too cold for me, toes start cramping up. have vigorous swim back in. the near-beach shallows have become pleasantly warm. after another old, a bit of sandcastle action, we have to catch the bus to get umbrella back to umbrella guy before he closes at 16:15. it does a loop of the island, so we check out some other beaches along the way. but back to town, then walk to camp, have cornchips and beandip while we cook tortillas and tacos and refried beans and chop tomato and cuke and open salsa and guacomole and cheese. yum. food.
pub. several jugs. one proper game of scrabble. then a couple of games of dirty scrabble. very fun.
wake early again. pack up tents and packs and put out for collection. have brekky. check it's no prob to catch later ferry than the one we said. catch shuttle to geordie bay then walk to little parakeet bay, turns out to be about 15 mins . the sea is quite bracing. more reef. more fish. stingers out in force, almost swam into a swarm of box jellies - strikingly picturesque, very jaques cousteau. this flotilla of translucent, lit from the surface, outlined in white, boxily geometric, floating figures, all oriented in the same direction, just below the surface in the blue, blue, deep blue, ocean. observe a moment, then turn and head to back to beach. on way back, get stung about 3 times...
Thursday, February 14, 2002
so. what else? took mum to airport on wed. collected housemate from airport this morning. last minute grocery shopping for weekend away last night. also borrowed 4 person tent. bulkier than anticipated. packed for trip, packed too much. apart from tent, mostly food i think.
Wednesday, February 13, 2002
nb. anecdotal evidence (friend at circuit last night, normally has up to 4 cups of coffee a day) indicates giving up coffee may decrease heart rate 10 bpm.
-aw- i'm "other" - i quite like that! but no, not endurance freak (heartrate 28-40), never had heartrate below 40 in my life. crap! imagine having a resting heartrate of 28!
finally remembered to take heartrate first thing on waking: 48 bpm. not as much lower than just normal resting heartrate than i wanted...
bodypump-circuit double last night was good. glad i did it. but committed to circuit tonight, forgetting i'm supposed to do pre-camping-weekend-away shopping. should be able to do both though.
can't find snorkel and mask. maybe at dad's place? better check. check for spare goggles too maybe. also get bottle of cab-merlot while there.
Tuesday, February 12, 2002
argh haven't been to gym in 3 days :P
must do double tonight.
although - still on tail end of cold.
but too bad.
argh. wed already. was supposed to have this section to supervisor last week. bah!
not to even mention chapter. double-bah!
Monday, February 11, 2002
Last night, had Chinese New Year Dinner. Mum organized it at the home of one of her friends, just around the corner from me. Chinese New Years eve dinner is meant to be a big family type affair, but as our family is somewhat split (no siblings in town, Mum and Dad don't really hang), it was me, Mum, and some of her friends/de facto family who also don't have much family around. So, mostly grown-ups. Except for Glenn, the 4? 5? year old of our hosts, who I played cars with before dinner while the grownups chatted in the living room. So two pairs of family friends, plus another friend of my mum's, and a PRIEST! The priest was pretty cool actually, quite normal, unpompous, irreverent. Everyone there (excepting self) was really very Catholic. Quite interesting conversation, reasonably amusing, although very tame and conservative. Discussed the recent Vatican announcement that illness was a result of badness, and everyone concurred in it's ridiculousness, and I was glad I trawled enough general contemporary news to have picked up that bit also. We also discussed the use of indulgences from the middle ages, and by Pius XII and I was a little pleased with myself that I was well read enough to know what they were talking about. Oh yeah! we also had a massive discussion about women keeping their maiden name when getting married - the priest usually advising couples getting married by him that the women don't need to change their names, that's not a part of the religious tradition, and that nowadays Aust govt regulations are ok with it too, and most of the women wanting to change their names anyway "because they love him". Me mum was somewhat of a pioneer in this area, since when we came to Aust in the late 70's, the govt made her (under protest) take her citizenship under my Dad's name, but as her medical qualifications were under her maiden name, she got to continue to use it in practice as a doctor, and that gave her an avenue to let her keep using it most other places too. I think she changed it back as soon as they let her (not that many years ago). General conclusion - an archaic English artifact...
Ate quite a lot. Started with some Chinese New year tradition I'd never heard of, where you put all these ingredients (including raw fish, greens, various seasonings) into a big dish and as a group toss it and mix it with your chopsticks, and eat it as entree. Then there was roast duck, sweet and sour fish, two curries, a shroom tofu and vegetable stew, and braised chinese greens with egg and gluten. For dessert we had a lemon tart. How chinese!
Sunday, slept in, and was supposed to go to Yum Cha for lunch with N and G and B, but I'm *sure* N said she'd ring me in the morning as they didn't know what time they were going to make it into town. But she didn't. I totally should have called her instead, but didn't really feel like going out. Stayed in. Read more. Slept. Ate. And was supposed to go picnic at concert in park at 6pm. But couldn't be bothered making food for it, so didn't go. Slept.
Anyway. A big double-D'OH! for forgetting AGAIN to start my heartbeat measuring :P sheesh. argh. and heartbeat way up now. I blame it on the stress of forgetting to do it in the first place - 66 bpm. Maybe also guilt and lost fitness from not going to gym yesterday. Totally wanted to, but then realised since dinner on at 7, I wouldn't have the time.
But...
So to minirave. Bouncer seems nice, is chatting with friend, and says hi as I walk past. Go in, E is chatting to doorperson, who I haven't met before, and somehow manage to not meet all night! but big hello hug to E. Go in, pass mass of people on couch as I go in, see a grin from the darkness, but can't identify it so just grin back, they say hi, but I'm dragged in by E, and never identify random person.
New people who I feel ok identifying here as I may never meet them again, they're unlikely to find this entry, and people reading it aren't likely to know: Paul (good dancer, in white "Lost in 94" rave T), whom I apparently met at last one, but don't recall... Belle (with a bit of a story, not sure whether to elucidate here) and her friend Brendan, Lochie (dance compliment - yay!), Chris (good dancer, in red T), Bronwyn - a friend of Belle's, but I didn't realize is corset girl and Lisa's friend! (also dance compliment). Spencer there agin, nice to see.
Anyway, didn't really get moving until middle of Leonard's set, maybe 1ish. M5 told me a couple of times that he was really enjoying the music, and F5 was dancing quite a bit too, so I was happy too. Got very sweaty. Went outside to walk F6 to her car, and have nice chill and chat to F5 and M5. Lots of dancing and lots of talking rest of night. Due to incipient headcold, was only intending to stay till 3ish, and that was mainly because I'd previously told a friend (M2) who wanted to come later that I'd be there "at least" until then, but he didn't come anyway. But the music was really good, and I kept dancing mostly (Simon's set also good, but smoke machine went mad and then you couldn't navigate in there - was quite fun), interspersed with conversation (including a much too intense conversation with D - overindulging as usual - about setting up an intellectual creative commune type warehouse workplace with some of our smartypants/academically-inclined raver friends out of the rather lucrative proceeds of his current mining work) until it was suddenly 6am. Quite light. E and Paul started to take down decorations, so I helped. Go in for a last dance. Tunes really good still, but too tired. Say byes. Home. Shower. Bed.
Hmmm... was sure I ended last entry a little more informative than that. I know I at least wrote that I'd have to finish later because I was due at a Chinese New Year dinner - Gong Xi Fat Cai! Happy Year 4700 everyone!
Saturday. woke late. went library. got books. went gym. lifted stuff. went uni. checked email. F5 and M5 drop by. go shopping. bought groceries. went home. try to stave off cold can feel coming on. read first novel in ages. sf. "shadow of the hegemon", o.s. card. readable. i enjoyed it, apart maybe from a slight preachiness re: right to have as many kids as you want, and which I'd probably let slide as a character viewpoint if not for knowing author's militant mormonism. glad it was at library, as i'd decided ages ago not to buy any more of his books once i heard about his somewhat publicised sexism, homophobia and iirc racism. made dinner (mmm... broccoli). got ready for housewarming-birthday party. 80's theme, but was going out after, so didn't dress up. and don't have any 80's stuff to dress in anyway - like, was in school, too young to actually go out anywhere requiring more than jeans and tshirts. don't know why my friends do - older siblings maybe. some good efforts though. Hostess, F4, pleated short skirt, big teased hair under black leather cap, legwarmers, etc. M3, in reality quite punk-alternative, in very short cutoff denim shorts, exposing more skinny white leg than has been exposed for a decade, white socks, black shoes, tshirt, and a dodgy baseball cap worn with beak very flat and turned up. F3 - lots of bangles, headscarf, fluoro fishnets, 80's hair. etc. very nice. avoided the karaoke room. mostly out on porch with gang. had bbq shapes and cheesecake.
then...
to minirave organized by friend E. arrive midnightish.
[whoa - bit of a break, if only it indicated I was busy doing work...]
Anyway, CL was delayed, but no one was in a particular hurry, so it was only when he arrived, that we realized it was 6:45, and that we'd better hurry if we wanted to take full advantage of the FREE DRINKS. So anyway, after quick intro's (in which CL uncomfortably singled me out upon introduction to me "Ah, so you're Terry"), we all (Scooby gang plus CL) went back to my place for everyone to get dressed. I drove Cordy's car with Giles and Spike (?), leaving Cordy and CL to drive ALONE in his car. I suppose they didn't really have time to do anything though, and once at my place, we all got ready in record time, picked up Willow, and made it to the venue by 7:15 or so. Truly a phenomenal effort by all parties (esp. Giles and Cordy), and we should be congratulated. We managed to accumulate a little stash, despite the best efforts of the bartenders to restrict our orders. But once our stash was depleted, we'd previously agreed, dinner would probably be a good idea. We tried out a recently redone Indian restaurant just across the road, previously done in colonial wicker and tropical Indian, it now has a trendy, colourful, packed, loungey type ambiance. I thought the food was quite good (although the serves were rather small), however I think some fans of the previous incarnation (namely F5 and M5) believe it has gone culinarily downhill.
After dinner, a little guilty at deserting "the party" so early, we went back for a little boogie to some contemporary pap(pop). For lack of any better options, CL suggested we could go back to my place to drink the wine I'd brought along just-in-case for dinner (but restaurant had turned out to be licensed). So we did. And the other bottle I had in fridge too. Spillage by numerous parties (I think I started it). Should probably vacuum up the salt and check out the damage.
In any case, I had a good night.
CL appears to be normal.
BridgetJonesly - Friday: Fell off wagon. 1 pint Kilkenny, 1 pint Redback, 2 stubbies Tooheys Old, 1 stubby Carlton Cold, 3 (larger than standard) glasses Salisbury cab-merlot.
Sunday, February 10, 2002
OK so Friday - Pub, not the usual one, a bit further, but with bigger, possibly nicer beergarden. More people than usual as was colleagues birthday. Plan was to meet Cordelia's latest there, and then head to a Valentine's Day party for free drinks from 7 to 7:30.
oops! forgot to measure heart rate this morning! D'OH!
But right now, it's: 56 beats per minute timed on 30 secs. Shoudl've planned out experimental procedure before this. So *should* do first thing in the morning, maybe on 15 seconds I think (just retimed, 13 beats in 15 secs = 52 bpm), ok, maybe try 30 secs.
heh. and continuing Friday's scrabble game with the office mates, I just got a double-triple-word-score in a place which the previous player thought he'd cut off (with 'gave' right up to the triple), with 'agave', which i knew was a word, but didn't consciously know the meaning of (turns out it's a plant, cactusy, maybe I know it from Robinson's Mars series?), and also 'liana' across. hee. 42 pts and all i had were 1 pt letters :)
well. it's midday Monday already. I've done no work. However, I've checked email and sent a couple of substantive missives also. But first - must update blog on weekend! If I had any sense, I'd make it a reward as Giles would, but no - instant gratification for me...
Friday, February 08, 2002
Thursday, February 07, 2002
oops. just had another bowl of muesli with company milk. which i think is supposedly reserved for tea and coffee. i rationalize to myself that since i rarely have either tea OR coffee, and that when i do, i take them black, i'm merely diverting the milk to a fair alternative. but maybe i'm just a bad bad person. cool!
Yesterday morning, after Play School, ABC screened a show on blood-sucking vampires!
OK, it was actually a David Attenborough documentary, Islands of the Vampire Birds. Yes, there seems to be a relatively recent strain of finches on the Galapagos that have begun to feed on blood. Flocks of these finches hop around eerily (somewhat reminiscent of Chinese hopping vampires!), with bloody beaks, and peck holes in baby booby's (and sometimes even in the adults), and then lap up the blood. They seem to be developing longer beaks than in their forebears. Evolution in action - how cool is that!?
thought about starting experiment early when i woke up this morning. but didn't have stopwatch (any watch) handy).
oh. Just remembered though, had a caffeine flashback Tuesday night, got all buzzed when I got home after seeing F5 and M5, totally felt like a caffeine buzz. Hope flashbacks won't affect experiment.
Personal experiment for next week: effect of caffeine on heart rate. Initiated by Giles (of course), who is measuring heart rate when waking up in the mornings on her normal coffee regime for a week to get background levels. Then decaffeinating for a week and measuring change. I had a coffee on Monday AND on Tuesday (bad!), but hopefully will be over their effects by next Monday, and will measure my uncaffeinated heart rate for a week, then switch to a regular coffee cycle. How much coffee? Will cross that bridge when I get to it. Maybe go all out and drink as many as I can stand.
Wednesday, February 06, 2002
My - how would you manage that? And he wasn't even a senior trader, so he wouldn't have had a very high trading limit - he would've needed BILLIONS to lose that much on currency trading!
crap - i know it's a blog, but i'm still disturbed by total strangers visiting here. i mean i haven't told anyone apart from the two friends who are also blogging with me, i haven't put my name down anywhere, i can only think that this thing must pop up on the blogger "recently updated" list, and that's where people are coming from...
Tuesday, February 05, 2002
"that knife" being the good actual cutting knife?
i like how that entry is currently followed immediately by first entry yesterday about stealing ugrad coffee.
somewhat of a theme.
a view into the mind of a klepto if you will.
Argh. A couple of months ago, a couple of people and I spent an afternoon culling an old bookshelf full of mostly obsolete software and hardware manuals from multiple editions (up to 6 editions for some), trying to retain the most recent versions. There was no order, and it was dusty and annoying, and we volunteered mostly because we felt sorry for the people who were trying to do it, and it was slightly more relevant to us (although still relatively irrelevant). And now, because someone has taken over the room in which these things were stored, they've decided to just throw them all out anyway. Very annoying that we could've just done that in the first place. Inefficiency. Blargh.
hmm. more to write. conversation with Cordelia and Giles regarding my pimp status requiring hairier chest has led me to recall traumatic experience last night.
Sitting on the floor after the circuit last night, I was doing some stretches with my good friend S. We discussed various aspects of circuits and weights and stretching. There is a momentary lull in conversation as we concentrate on a hamstring stretch, and then he inquires as to why I shave my legs down to a few inches below my knees.
"It seems like a bit of a weird place to stop.", he says.
Huh? I look at him for a moment, suspicious, before I realize he's serious. A little dumbfounded, I look at my legs a moment. Until now, I had just taken for granted that the hairs on my lower calves are somewhat thicker and more noticeable than the hairs on the upper portion of my legs. I look at him.
"Um," I say. "They're not actually shaved." I pause, my mind still a little behind in processing the fact that he actually thought I would and did shave my legs down to the middle of my calves, and then just stop.
"Um. If you look closely, you can see I still have hair higher on my legs, it's just a lot finer - it's genetic, it's just the way it grows." I look at him through the corner of my eye. "I can't help it." I hope my tone has not become too plaintive - I feel like I should begin to feel a little insecure about my leg hair - have other people also assumed I shave my thighs, knees and upper calves? But I still can't quite believe he could have been serious. Nevertheless, a concerned furrow forms on my brow as I wait for S's reaction.
S looks at my legs a moment, then looks back at me. "Oh," he grins, "you're a freak."
Nose really runny. Always happens after ocean swim. Body trying to equalize electrolytes? Measurement of mucous salinity vs known tissue salinity concentrations may assist in ruling out this hypothesis. More likely just histamine reaction from overactive immune system.
forgot to mention, between gym and meeting shaz and macca, did very quick stirfry of broccoli with lime juice and garlic, plus some roasted cashews. very nice. must use lime juice more.
Um. Uh-oh. Personal anecdotal evidence too? Hmmm... but they were just speaking with the researcher (George Patton) on the radio this morning, and he said they didn't find anything for use once a week or less.
Anyway, last night after gym, got to catch up with some best friends (lets call them) Sharon and McCleod (alternatively known as gang members F5 and M5), just back from 3 weeks in Thailand on Monday night, and straight back into work on Tuesday. They had dinner at a comfortably downmarket food court, and I joined them as they were finishing. They had some cool stories about motorbikes and sea lice and boating and sinking and malaria tablets. I think I actually missed them, even though I'm sure I regularly go without seeing them for a month at a time. Shared a pot of some non-herbal (English Breakfast) tea with Sharon, don't *think* it was related to slight insomnia last night.
And this morning, early!, like 07:15, went to the beach! Was lovely! Beautiful blue sea and sky. Water a nice temperature. Very flat. Had a good swim for maybe 40 mins (including an amount of just floating). Saw many fish in reefy area. Also saw a couple of jellyfish, the stinging kind - um, what were they? ::wracks brain for year ten biol terminology:: ctenophores? no. um... maybe with sea anemones - cnidarians? Bumped into (lets call them) friend Emily (who I used to see at gym regularly) with her friend Graeme (who has very sharp sideburns) and had good chat. Dried in sun for a bit, then home for shower. Should have left salt in hair - quite like the texture, oh well.
Kind of want to go to gym at 17:00 and do double body-pump-then-circuit. But it feels so early (how can it be 16:30 already?) - should probably hang around here till 18:00, and go circuit, then weights if I feel like it.
Etiquette question: yesterday a friend emailed a joke forward to me and a bunch of others whom I don't really know, regarding Oz's refugee stance. Today, I followed it up (replied to all) with a seriousish suggestion that "if interested in the refugee debate" (and future immigration issues) - they could submit their views to the forum, or snail mail Ruddock at:
Director
Economic and Environment Section
Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
PO Box 25
BELCONNEN ACT 2616
Was this totally bad etiquette? I apologised first off as I'm only actually friends with two of them, although I may have met a couple of others (out of the maybe 9 people), but still... and worse thing is, I left the rather long joke appended at the end so they'd be clued into what I'm replying to, in case they'd forgotten this email from yesterday. I feel kind of rude.
Monday, February 04, 2002
K - couldn't you have substituted the white powder for icing sugar while it was just sitting on dining table?
Went to inspiring and depressing talk by John Pilger (award winning journo, yada yada yada) yesterday arvo (globalisation, war on terror, suharto, east timor, third world labour, etc.) -sigh-. Good turn-out (esp considering it cost $20). A good speaker, lots of interesting anecdotes and facts: Suharto as mass murderer of 1million people, multinat corps conspiring with that corrupt government in exploitation of the indonesian people, US$8-10 billion in loans from World Bank to the corrupt govt disappearing! Embarassment of World Bank and IMF bureaucrats in Pilger's latest movie. Am glad i went.
Sunday, February 03, 2002
okay - so have spent morning thus far drafting comments to "2002-2003 Migration and Humanitarian Programs - A Discussion Paper". Damn that Ruddock! He's such a meanie! Anyway, some of it's okay, but some of it (stuff on refugees), the way it's written just makes these assumptions which kind of support the Australian government's current unhumanitarian stance and behaviour. Makes my stomach feel funny. Did whoever write this write it this way deliberately?
Saturday, February 02, 2002
Saturday, slept in till like past 11. And was supposed to meet people 11:30ish, so very hurried brekky, and call during from people I'm supposed to meet (K and P, although if they'd prefer alternative monikers I would be happy to provide them), saying I could meet them at bus-stop just a couple of blocks from me for the 11:30 bus. I hurriedly stuff a couple of things in a backpack and take my vegemite and cheddar sandwich on the road. Only a couple of blocks, but by the time the stop is in sight, i look at my watch and it says 11:31! oh no! and there's no one there either! But as I approach, I see there *are* actually a couple of people sitting within the actual stop, previously hidden by the windbarrier or whatever it's supposed to be, and I heave a sigh of relief. Get on the bus and wend our way to a rally to free the asylum seekers currently incarcerated in Australian "detention camps" - i mean, "concentration centres"... Very inspiring, I think they only took a week to organize it, but they had a reasonable turnout, looked like a couple of hundred people. Speeches by a QC and a pollie - the pollie was a very good speaker, but her shady past makes me ambivalent about her worth as a spokeswoman/representative in this area - is she just jumping on a bandwagon? is it just a political move to her? They went on a bit though (also speeches by various lefty groups, and then open mic). Then there was a march through the city centre, shouting slogans, etc. Unfortunately I'm not much of a shouter. Somewhat related, I'm probably low on passion for things too. I like to view things dispassionately, and get a rational answer, and base a measured, considered response on that. Shouting just seems unprofessional. But I'm very glad I went (thanks for telling me about it P). And then we went to a Japanese place and I had a big scoop of green tea and a big scoop of red bean icecream for lunch.
While in town we also checked out the contemporary art gallery, then I went and ran some errands, then home. Did laundry. Made hummous. Yum. Used last of lemon juice, must get some more. Read latest Time Mag. Hung out with housemate once she got out of bed (a little hungover from previous night and tumultuous reunion with ex-not-ex-boyf).
An arts festival is currently on, and about 22:30ish my housemate and I went into the city to meet friends (GBR+N, possibly referred to previously) and check out some allegedly disco funk live music at a temporary stage/installation built over what is normally a largish pond and fountain in the centre of an amphitheatre. The duo started out rather nicely, very funky, a disco flavour, very danceable. My friends, of course, were the first to breach the lonesome dancefloor, and soon after it filled up, but never got too packed. Unfortunately the disco beats seemed to get a bit lost, and the mood went a bit breakbeaty and even techno-ey, a bit more northern soul may have been appreciated. But I got to have a really good boogie, ran into a heap of people I know, and met some of their friends, exchanged a couple of email addresses and so have some new dancing buddies. The place closed at like 03:00, and G+N+T and me went for drinks at a bar-cafe.
But ready for bed by then. Didn't get up till 12:30 today. :)
okaaay! Sunday now. Should be at beach. Woke up at like past midday for the first time in ages.
So! Friday night was lovely - caught up with "the gang" (a certain clique of old friends who do actually refer to themselves as "the gang") for the first time since our Christmas dinner I think (wherein we did the Kris Kringle thing and I totally scored in the prez department - got a wind-up toy which trundles around and produces sparks, PLUS a brushed metal CD rack in the shape of a Tyrannosaurus Rex!). I think I will refer to gang members as gang girls (F) 1 through 6, and gang guys (M) 1 through 6.
Anyway, I picked up a couple of the gang (F6 and M6), and then we went to meet up with the rest (F1-4, M1, plus four of F4's non-gang friends) at a newish restaurant near the port. The restaurant is a huge converted warehouse deal, very open and airy, one side is devoted to a brewery (beer and restaurant bearing the same name), at the front is the bar, down the centre is the kitchen, and on the other side and some al fresco outside both front and back are tables and booths. I tried the amber ale (a midstrength since I was driving), and it was quite nice, although I tried M1's pilsner and I think it was just a tad nicer. The menu was heavily pizza oriented, and although I had a yen for the pear, blue cheese and rocket (but maybe without the blue cheese - ew!), I ended up ordering the eggplant tapas - this turned out to be slices of grilled eggplant rolled around feta and sundried tomatoes, with some red capsicum pesto. Quite nice, eggplant not oily at all. The pesto could have been a little sharper. Afterward, we went to Madonna's. The popstar served us cappucino's and cake. I believe F6, who organized our get together was actually hoping to head out for a big night after this, but M6 (her other half) and most of the rest of the poorasses^H gang was tired. From the organizing emails earlier in the day, I'd had the impression we were just going out for food and drink anyway. Poor F6. Had a lovely night catching up with everyone, they're all so fun.
About:
I do: Sciencey-research, but don't discuss that here.
I like: People, dancing, cooking, and stuff.
I am: Procrastinating.
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