Subliminal

1. Hollywood:: Nights
   
2. Censor:: Ship
   
3. Nascar:: Races
   
4. Lube:: Change
   
5. Mortgage:: Broker
   
6. Freedom:: Fighter
   
7. Champion:: Chess Player
   
8. Reality TV:: Addict
   
9. New York:: New York
   
10. Tease:: Please
    

10:15:00 PM

 
am such a grot. muffin crumbs *everywhere*.
9:41:00 PM

 
Although I totally blame the lime cordial we were drinking it with, it wasn't the vodka, it was all the sugar overloading my kidneys (liver?).

"Men have four kidneys, no hangovers
February 27, 2004

TWO Bosnian brothers who say they can drink as much as they want without feeling drunk have been told they each have a spare set of fully functioning kidneys.

Josip Galic, 69, from Kucetine in Bosnia said: "I had a car accident and doctors discovered I had four kidneys.

"That surprised me, but at least it explained why I could drink all my friends under the table, and never had a hangover."

He added it was a further surprise when his brother found out after a visit to the doctor that he had four kidneys as well."

No hangovers, but poor guys, "without feeling drunk"? Why would you bother?
7:44:00 PM

 
Thank (whoever invented it) for pseudoephedrine. Am feeling almost human again. Loud sms'ed me that she and Muso broke up last night, gave her a ring, and she was in quite a state, so I went home to comfort her and we ended up drinking all the beer in the house (there were only 4) and then starting on the vodka (The Bavarian left two half bottles). V bad. Hangover this morning. Just had the first nap on my office floor ever. Must must must get shitloads done today.
8:53:00 PM

 
It's so dark and overcast today.
5:45:00 PM

 
And bloody (lovely) housemates (bastards) - they called last night to try and convince me to come home early and drink beer with them. Haven't hung out with them in so long. Was so so tempting. But managed to resist. Tomorrow I might allow myself a little socializing.
4:34:00 PM

 
Grr - do we just have different ideas about what actually constitutes a "discussion"? *Frustration*.
4:33:00 PM

 
Am currently a little sleep deprived. This might actually be a good thing, as it probably impairs my decision-making ability. My decision-making faculties often lock-up (and start looping) when it's faced with a difficult decision on (for example) taking someone's ambiguous/open-ended/or-possibly-just-naff editing advice, so any change to the status quo helps break me out of the decision loop.
4:19:00 PM

 
[*whinge*] ...does he even notice I've tried to order it so one paragraph leads to the next and each section has proper joiners also? He chops and pastes and switches and deletes things around with no regard for the flow and structure, and it seems as if it was edited in a whole lot of separate parts so that often he loses track of what's gone before and has no awareness of what's coming up... :(
3:01:00 PM

 
Oh - latest relevant news with DVD descrambling is of course that the "California Supreme Court last year ruled that one could apply preliminary restraint on publication of a computer program only in very narrow circumstances." DeCSS is no longer a potential "violation of trade secret laws". (via the EFF)
4:32:00 AM

 
I get a serious case of geek worship when I go here (gallery of descramblers for reading encrypted dvds). God these guys are cool. Whoa - an eight operator Turing-complete language! And if you follow the link you can get to the first known illegal prime number! And the ideas just go on and on...
4:28:00 AM

 
Dammit - another bloody weekend gone! Just like that! Grrr...
12:43:00 AM

 
Blurgh - am such a clutz. Don't you hate it when you get blood everywhere?
5:27:00 PM

 
atm card left at bottleshop last night [*sinking feeling*].
went by this morning, but they didn't have it [*hopes dashed*]!
anticipated loss of cash and bank shenanigans [*annoyed anxiety*].
but (hooray) just got call saying they found it [*relief*]!
3:57:00 PM

 
This week's Friday Five:
When was the last time you...
1. ...went to the doctor?
Um... apart from my Mum (who I last saw a year ago), about 12 years ago - Oh! but that's not counting the MRI guy who took pix of my arachnoid cyst (at the beginning of last year) - well, I assume he was a doctor, but we didn't really converse.

2. ...went to the dentist?
A year ago! (Before I came here) Before that it had been about 4 years.

3. ...filled your gas tank?
Monday night.

4. ...got enough sleep?
Hm - have been trying to sleep in on the last couple of weekends, but keep getting woken up. I can't remember the last time! (Although...maybe?)

5. ...backed up your computer?
Urgh. Well, archived the *really* important stuff a month ago. But if the office burnt down, the cd's would go too. But have the really really extra important stuff on a thumb drive in my backpack which might survive.

Last week:
1. Are you superstitious?
No.

2. What extremes have you heard of someone going to in the name of superstition?
There've been a few recent sacrifices going on - some poor boy got his eyes taken out for a black magic invisibility spell - where's that url? And I suppose how about 9/11, or any religious conflict for that matter? I guess war would be the extreme.

3. Believer or not, what's your favorite superstition?
Karma.

4. Do you believe in luck? If yes, do you have a lucky number/article of clothing/ritual?
Well, kind of. I believe natural coincidence will end up favouring people heterogenously. And there was also that study where people who thought of themselves as "lucky" performed better in lab tests offering a prize of some kind, than people who regarded themselves as "unlucky". This was attributed to the "lucky" people actually trying in the test, whereas the "unlucky" people gave very cursory effort to the assigned exercise (not believing they'd win a prize), or got flustered (because they thought they were unlucky) and performed less well.

But I don't have a lucky number/piece-of-clothing/ritual.

5. Do you believe in astrology? Why or why not?
Nope. Um, because it's stoopid? :)
9:50:00 PM

 
I like Salon
"So Justin exposing Janet's boob is a sin, but White House staffers exposing Valerie Plame is a win. Profiting from porno is a sin, but Halliburton's wartime profiteering is a win. Two men getting hitched is a sin, but Cheney and Scalia shacking up in a duck blind is a win. Telling students condoms can prevent STDs is a sin, but lying about WMD is a win. And so, apparently, is GOP staffers hacking into Senate computers and Tom DeLay illegally funneling corporate money to Texas politicians."

Even though sometimes I whimper when reading it. I can't imagine how sick I'd feel if I was actually an American and reading about this.
11:28:00 PM

 
*Blurgh* And yes, colleague and boss *were* talking about me (or at least how the client took the results I presented). The three of us just had a meeting. And yes, not so satisfied. I may have lost sight of the bigger picture stuff about how they may want to eventually apply the results... :P Will have to add stuff I was planning to add sometime anyway, but is annoying to be told to focus on it... [hm - too bratty? "don't tell me what to do!"].
9:27:00 PM

 
So yes, did an all-nighter Sunday to get the "real work" project under control. It's still not as complete as I'd hoped for by this stage, but I had some reasonable data to present. Didn't get enough sleep last night - bed tonight will be lovely.

Now I just have to finish that Other Thing :P Supers dropped into town on other business yesterday and flew out this morning. He wanted to meet this morning, but with my real-work meeting first thing, it just wasn't a possibility.

Other news, took E for a chocolate tasting course on Saturday afternoon. Promised her this as part of her birthday prez back in Nov when I was *sure* I wouldn't be so busy by this time! Totally didn't realize it was also V-day (I *think* it might be a bigger deal over here than it is in Perth), until the day before, luckily we weren't inundated with lovey-dovey choc-tasters.

It also had to be the scorcherest of days in which I was actually out and about rather than under the airconditioning vent in my office (as has been usual on my Saturdays of late) - think it got past 41ºC. We had lots of lovely dark Valrhona (and a bit of Lindt et al., plus a couple of other brands). I'm afraid the darkest-of-the-dark (70% cocoa solids) may have been a touch more lovely texturewise than Green & Blacks, but I might stick with them anyway (although should write to Valrhona and exhort them to get FairTrade accredited). There was also an 80%er by a local chocolatier called the CatSpoon? (um... or something like that), which was also quite delectable, and the couverture (only 53%) which was quite acceptable (and which is apparently the chocolate that chefs use in baking, etc. and which I must try using myself).
9:19:00 PM

 
dammit - i *know* they're talking about me! :P

Meeting this morning wasn't disastrous (although much longer than expected), but they weren't as happy with my results as I was (well, Okay, I was more just relieved that I actually had some results). Now my colleague from here who was also at the meeting is talking with my boss. I *know* they're talking about me...

7:11:00 PM

 
heh. urgh. heh (a bit long, 3.8MB).

http://www-ccrma.stanford.edu/~peer/Soundfiles/bushwhacked.mp3
9:25:00 PM

 
Friday Five (from exp_err)
1. What's the most daring thing you've ever done?
Am v risk averse. Honestly can't think of anything v daring I've done. Like once tried cliff jumping (off cliff, into water), which felt a bit wild cos it was miles from civilization and not run by any commercial interest we could sue, and it seemed quite high (maybe 10-15 m?), but there were like a dozen other people doing it without paraplegia.

So yeah, am a big scaredy cat and probably wouldn't do anything I *actually* thought of as risky.

2. What one thing would you like to try that your mother/friend/significant other would never approve of?
Um... nothing really. As I said, v risk-averse. I guess there're probably a couple of things involving health-type-issues (drugs, sleep deprivation, general excess, lard) which Mum might be worried knowing I've already done (but what she doesn't know...). And my friends would be more daring than me.

3. On a scale of 1-10, what's your risk factor? (1=never take risks, 10=it's a lifestyle)
[Bravado]: 3? [ok, maybe 2]

4. What's the best thing that's ever happened to you as a result of being bold/risky?
Nothing, unfortunately.

5. ... and what's the worst?
Nothing, happily!
7:54:00 PM

 
Didn't manage an all-nighter last night, despite my intentions. But did get to jump-start my car and recharge the battery. I probably haven't mentioned I left my headlights on all day Monday :P Was v annoying. But considering I've left the lights on all day twice in the last few months, and had my battery hold out for ignition when I left in the evening, I'm doing pretty well.
7:12:00 PM

 
Ate too much for lunch - feel sick.
7:12:00 PM

 
Ok, like stuff. Might be a long one.

Um... had a welcome 2-3 week break from thesis cos Supervisor (Supers hereafter) was pretending he was reading it. Course email sent last week then said something about "going over it one last time" - Ha! Meaning he hadn't actually looked at it yet. Anyway, had a chance to try and catch up on real work in meantime. Am supposed to wrap up one project next week - am *So* Behind. Don't think it's going to get done. "Wrap-up meeting" next week is already an extension I asked for weeks and weeks ago when I was under illusion I'd be Done by now. And of course, report I rushed to finish before Christmas has come back for additions - fingers crossed that's done with now.

BUT I let myself have a modicum of fun in the meantime. Newish housemate (Adgirl or maybe Superknitter) had a housewarming Saturday before last. A friend dj'd, set up a great system in the backyard. Had lanterns everywhere. BBQ area made a reasonable dancefloor. Everyone in house invited friends, so a good turnout.

Police visited 3 or possibly 4 times. I only saw them the first time. They were really nice to me, and everyone else agreed they were really nice too. However apparently the Landlord (who lives next door) was Not Happy. Am pretty sure the dj stopped by 1am, and we moved inside. Of course, I was totally wrecked (a friend's words the next day) and may be misremembering. I really shouldn't mix alcohol with other substances. Had such a good time though. Possibly too good a time - accidentally snogged a good friend. For most of the night. In the middle of the dancefloor. Was muchos embarrassed the next day. Have been working long hours since though, and aren't sure if there'll be any fallout - doubt it though.

The Landlord and his wife were giving guests who were leaving the evil eye the next day. Fortunately we timed the party just after the last rent-day, and so he'll have a month to cool off before we have to see him again (and have pretty successfully avoided casual encounters so far).

I had to stop for a nap about 9 or 10am. People still around when I got up at 2pm-ish. A couple of people still around, plus people coming back from dayclubs and things. Ended up with 8-10 people in our living room at 4pm when I went to the pub for a couple of hours with friends, and there were still people hanging out at 7 when I came back :) Was pretty good.

[skip in between work stuff...]

And then last week, The Bavarian got back from her summer travelling. She went back to Germany this morning. So on Friday, she had a going-away dinner at "The Stokehouse" down in St Kilda. I had a beautiful whole baby barramundi. And again had a bit to drink. AFterward we went to a couple of bars. One had a pretty cool funky jazzy band, and me and The Bavarian and Loud and Muso got to have a bit of a boogie. And then we moved onto The Esplanade - I think there was some band The Bavarian wanted to see. Was already quite trashed, then The Bavarian started buying jugs.

I checked out the rest of the place (have only been in the front room before), and it turned out that there was a big back room with v v cool beats: dj's and live electronica. Girl with a flute. Drums, etc. V v danceable. So I stayed there, and eventually everyone else joined me. Stayed until the music stopped at 3am. So so need to go for another boogie - just a couple more weeks! (Have been bloody saying that for months!)
1:58:00 AM

 
Hm - is a scorcher today (38 C). Wish I could go to St Kilda Fest.
8:44:00 PM

 
So finally got heard from the supervisor after a couple of semi-restful weeks in which I got to try and catch up on real work (am meant to try and tie up real project in Two Weeks!). After some v v annoying file transfer shenanigans got actual feedback on The Thing - it's not bad (so far, of course, he hasn't done The Dodgy Chapter yet) , but am feeling overwhelmed again. Think "overwhelmation" is mainly because of real work though, the TwoWeek deadline, plus the report I did for other project before Christmas is back for additions ASAP. Hate ASAP.

Other frustrating thing is that I did make some changes on The Thing whilst waiting for supervisor's feedback, and now I'm trying to integrate some of the changes he's made with some of the changes I made, some of which conflict or repeat or diverge.
3:26:00 PM

 
Hm - can just hear boss talking about me on the phone... can't quite make out what he's saying...
3:25:00 PM