General Election 2010

So polling closed not long ago in Britain after the 2010 General Election. Exit polls unfortunately suggest the Tories have a good chance of getting enough seats to get into power, but that a hung parliament is more likely. Disappointing really, but time will tell if the outcome is a good one or not. Actually remembered to put my football tips in this week, went for all the home sides except melbourne, wondering if i should have gone Sydney over Geelong though...that should be a good match. Only just got the bus this morning, dad had to drive me round to The Avenue because the bus left Blackburn just as we pulled up. Some girl was running across the crossing, waving at the bus driver, and he still drove off. What an asshole! So uncharacteristic of bus drivers, most of them would stop, so me and dad were both surprised. *Seventeen by Jet just came on the radio. Eeeee! <3 * Played pokemon on the bus, to try and build up my Gyarados up a few levels so i can take on the gym leader with Dragon type pokemon, as my Gyarados is the only one who knows any ice moves. Craving a lamb roast thanks to mmm Hot Breakfast having Slammin' Sam on the show this morning. I got very excited whenever @mmmhotbreakfast responds to my tweets, i don't know why. I keep harassing them with tweets, they are probably so sick of me. Sorry person who runs that twitter account :( . Loving 'The Independent' newspaper from the UK, keeps me up to date with whats happening overseas. Had one of those dreams where you try to run really fast, but you can't move. It so annoying, because everything then takes forever to do in your dreams. I was trying to run up my driveway because my aunt, my cousin and her boyfriend where in a car waiting to pick me up. Also, for some reason Bella was with me. but then i said 'won't Bella have to wait in the car whilst we eat at the restaurant (for some reason, we were now going to a restaurant)' and they said 'yes', so then i had to take Bella inside and then i woke up to Bella barking in my ear. Weird dream, very weird. Damn, i've let ANOTHER coffee go cold whilst surfing the interwebz. Streaming radio over the net is fun, and doesnt waste my phone's precious battery! Huzzah! Anyone know how i can convince my mother that going to the NRL match on Sunday would be a great way to spend Mother's Day? You're so right, there is no way to convince her :( Guess that means i'll have to wait until whenever the next Melbourne home match is to have my first taste of live NRL. Still annoyed that the Rabbitohs v Storm match is in fucking Perth. Fuck you Perth, you suck as a sporting city. Other than that, you are quite nice though. I'm running out of ideas to talk about. The link (if you were wondering) is to Cracked.com , specifically an columinist who regularly takes comic strips and edits the speech bubbles to make them hilarious (i think so anyway). Quote for you? Direct from Twitter, Bill Bailey (@RealBillBailey) - hung parliament looms..let's decide the outcome with a three way Total Wipeout style bounce-off
JC

Newsflash: media ads -gate to a scandal

fuck the media. Seriously. There is important stuff happening like elections, wars and fucking mental scale oil spills, but instead the australian media decides to focus on fucking twitter. Oh, and guess what they've called this twitter centric scandal? (hint: see title of this post) That's right, fucking 'twittergate'. How fucking original. Also, fucking stupid. Also, Watergate was a major political scandal with far reaching implications where the name made sense. 'Twittergate' is a couple of comedians, making jokes (imo they were hilarious, especially Mr Anderson) about an awards ceremony for australian television. And for some reason people are suprised and offended? For fucks sake people, get a sense of humour. Remember, freedom of speech is afforded to everyone, not just those you agree with. You do NOT have the right to not be offended stupid people, no matter how tough/sensitive you are. On a lighter note, after i washed my hair last night i gave my dog a hug. She licked my hair, then began to gag on the shampoo taste. It was so cute because she sat on the ground making a spitting sound whilst she tried to lick the couch to get the taste off her tongue. I'm definitely falling in love with Top Gear now. I think its Richard Hammond. Watched a giraffe dissection on SBS last night, so that was interesting although i then forgot to turn back over after then news to watch the human anatomy show. Get to watch Sir David Attenborough in Animal Diversity today #excited. Sorry, i'm starting to twitterify everything :P. Oh no, now im inserting emoticons into my blog. How unprofessional! Im now off to the age website to read their reasoning for firing Ms Deveney, because i have a feeling its going to be pathetic. Good luck finding a new place to write your columns Catherine, i've always found them entertaining and informative. Quote? How about an 'offensive' (read: hilarious) twitter logies quote from Wil Anderson? Brilliant! "Do you think it would be bad taste to arrive at the #logies being carried in a gold-plated coffin?"
JC

Fuck, its May

How the fuck did it get to May? My brother is now an adult and we are less than a month away from winter. Went and got a mothers day present for mum today. It's a personalised photobook, full of pictures of mum and us (us being me, nick, dad and other family and friends). So we'll see how that goes down on Mothers Day (aka marketing brilliance day masquerading as a holiday celebrating females who fulfilled their biological purpose in life and how wonderfully wonderful that all is) next weekend. No progress has been made on the novel or screenplay i've started writing, because i am both really lazy, and really shit at writing. Wondering when Adam, Gemma, Alex, Caitlin, Victoria, Emma and I are getting together to edit that video...i really want to finish it. Also, Collingwood are fucking legends and Sharrod Wellingham is both attractive and awesome. Also, he may be God, but further research will need to be undertaken before this can be confirmed, denied or left undetermined. Also, Cameron. The End...oh wait, quote. Ummmm, hang on, im gonna search for a quote about someone called Cameron, by someone called Cameron, or if all else fails, about a Butler. BRB. Ok, here is a quote from Cameron Diaz (yes, its a female cameron, but the other famous camerons had cameron as their surname) : I don't care how smart a kid you are. The only way you learn what's not right is from experience.
Ok, NOW its the end.
JC

Buses and broncos

Surprised to wake up this morning with no panda eyes, despite having gone to sleep with heavy makeup. Why was i wearing such heavy eye makeup? No real reason, i just felt like experimenting. The bus driver tried to shut the door into (no, literally into) my face because he failed to see me. That made me feel a little bit of an emo, because i was like, am i THAT invisible? Also, seeing people running to catch a bus, and then making it, makes me feel really warm and happy inside. Am very excited about the weekend, as Awesome vs Loser is coming (oh, im sorry, i meant Collingwood vs Carlton. I forget other people can't read my mind. Then again, i dont think it was that hard to interpret) so im super awesomely excited. Love that so many of my friends are Collingwood supporters, which automatically makes a person awesome, although in Cameron's case he is slightly less awesome because he goes to Liverpool, who lost their match against Atletico Madrid about 20 minutes ago and are also going the fuck down on Sunday against Chelsea, who are Gods. Also, when Collingwood destroys Carlton on the weekend, Cameron, Aaron + other Collingwood supporters going to footy, must mercilessly mock Steegs for his supporting a terrible (although compared to Richmond, brilliant) team. Moving on from sport and back to the UK election, its so exciting that there is actually three viable options. I wish Australia had a third option, but at the moment the Greens only have one platform and are too uncohesive to form a viable alternative. So yeah, hopefully the Lib Dems do well over in the UK. As long as it isn't the Tories, im good. Also, if the BNP manages to win a single seat, i'm going to become a republican (you know, people who want Australia to be a republic, not under the Queen.). Jumping trains of thought, i blame Triple M for my Green Day obsession revival. Also, i thank Triple M for remindig me about the May 9 Storm vs Broncos match. Im so going if i can, it'll be my first NRL live match, so awesome. Hahahaha, sorry i just laughed again when i heard Liverpool had lost on the radio. It makes me happy. Side Note: managed to get 30/30 on my Animal Diversity miniquiz, yeah! OK then, quote time? I'll find a sports one considering most of this has been about sport. "Tell him he is John Coleman and send him back on"
- Jack Dyer, when told by medical staff that a concussed player 'did not know who he is'
Brilliant!
JC
****ok, forgot something! Why is everyone so upset at the ads for Essendon vs Hawthorn? i thought most people only went to the footy because they were secretly (or not so secretly) hoping for someone to be pollaxed. Surely it isnt just me...BRING BACK THE BIFF!

Twitterified

It's happened. I am now just as addicted to twitter as i am to facebook. *slams head into desk* Hang on, give me a minute...that really hurt. Ok, good now, moving on. Triple M morning broadcasts are getting better and better...actually, Triple M broadcasts in general are now awesome since they revamped the whole thing. Amused to find Zoe had been stalking my profile last night on facebook whilst procrastinating as i was unaware that anybody actually viewed any of my photos. I operate on an 'assume nobody even looks at anything you do' basis, which means i am very open perhaps to the point of stupidity sometimes, because at some point, someone will read/view something and i'll be like 'oh shit'. Moving on again, i am loving the term 'bigotgate', refering to Gordon Browns 'gaffe' (in my opinion, the woman was a bit of a dick and england needs to grow up and get the fuck over it) calling some dumb bitch a 'bigot' and later 'that bigoted woman'...which was accurate IMHO as she was both a bigot AND a woman. People are just too fucking sensitive. On a lighter note, im already extremely excited about the upcoming lunar eclipse! So exciting! I know, i know, im such a science nerd. I'll survive. Also, Nick turns 18 on Saturday, thats in TWO FREAKIN' DAYS! TWO! OMFG! MY BABY BROTHER IS NEARLY A FUCKING ADULT...physically (sorry for shouting). Also, i got my hair cut and coloured and feel like me again. Also, awesome article in Aust. Sky and Tel. this month (may/june 2010 issue) about the possibility of planetary orbits going fucking mental (apparently there is a once percent chance Mercury's going lose its shit before the sun dies). So thats awesome and all that. Would you like a quote? Ok, how about an astronomy one? With every passing hour our solar system comes forty-three thousand miles closer to globular cluster 13 in the constellation Hercules, and still there are some misfits who continue to insist that there is no such thing as progress.
- Ransom K. Ferm
Love
JC

Wharrgarble

Is it strange if i heard a girl sneeze in the library today, but my first thought was that it was my dog growling? I very nearly called out at the poor girl to stop growling and be quiet, thank heavens the rational part of my brain interceeded before this could happen. Am amazed at how many people misunderstand what freedom of speech actually encompasses, or bias freedom of speech towards their own freedoms and against others. Have found myself becoming more and more obsessed with Richard Hammond, although this may or may not be directly correlated to my growing interest in Top Gear overall. Got halfway through a supernatural fanfiction last night before it turning into a wincest fest. There was no warning, NO WARNING! needless to say, i flamed the work, as i find wincest to be extremely disturbing and was hoping instead for some Dean/Cas loving.Have become highly excited about the movie script i am writing, which is absolutely dreadful but totally fun. Also, im writing a novel, which is also terrible, but gives me something not-social networking or playing pokemon to do. Have decided that Wil Anderson is the funniest person on the entirety of twitter, perhaps only rivaled by Josh Thomas or maybe Nathan Fillon. Question: Why is the conservative party of the UK called the "Tories"? im too lazy to look it up and i dont really care all that much, but it just makes me curious. Also, thanks to Andrew Hanson on twitter, i found this : http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/british-avatar-fan-pays-people-to-see-the-film-and-only-dates-blue-women/story-e6frfmvr-1225858424139 . Priceless, absolutely priceless. If i wasnt in public, i would be laughing out loud (no abbreviations on THIS blog...today anyway). Suddenly realised that the library, which i have been in for two and a half hours, was completely empty when i started and is now quite full of loud people. How did i not notice this? Surely twitter and facebook isnt that absorbing? is it? oh no...
Quote for today: We can never be sure that the opinion we are endeavoring to stifle is a false opinion; and if we were sure, stifling it would be an evil still. ~John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, 1859
JC

ANZAC Day

I would have posted this yesterday but i left home at 3:45am and didnt get back until midnight, so i was too tired to figure out how to turn on the computer, let alone type anything resembling a coherent sentence. Yesterday was my first experience with an ANZAC day that wasnt simply waiting until 2:00pm to watch some Essendon vs Awesome football. Arriving at the War Memorial at 4:45 am, unsure what to do or what to expect. My dad and I stood around 15 rows back from the front and wondered how many people would turn up and what the service would entail. Not long after arriving, a man dressed in full army uniform stood next to us with his mother, and sister and possibly his girlfriend, i think. He was no older than 30, with wonderfully shiny black shoes. He told an interesting tale of the taxi driver, whom had lived up to the reputation of melbournes taxi drivers being unknowledgable idiots. Having booked the taxi and dressed in his uniform, he had waited for it to arrive. Upon its arrival he had directed the driver to 'the War Memorial". The driver had no idea what he was talking about. 'ANZAC day? The Dawn Service? Soldier in uniform? Nothing? Just go to St Kilda Rd.' Off they went. Reaching ST Kilda Rd, the driver remarked on 'all the people' and the closed roads. 'Just follow the people'. Mr Uniform instructed. How exhilerating for him. Moving on, the service was brilliant. It began with wonderful stories about those who had served our country and really brought home what it was we were remembering. The service itself was fantastic, everyone was so respectful. Later, on the news, they showed a man who had never been to a service, despite having served over half a century ago, because the memories had been too raw. His pure emotion and thankfullness towards all those who came to pay their respects and give tribute to those who sacrificed was touching. I thank him from the very bottom of my heart, as i do to all those who have served or are currently serving. The music was amazing, with the brass and the pipes being particularly well played. My legs began to ache as the time passed, but it was worth it. I had a wonderful morning. Unfortunately, being so early, practically nowhere was open for breakfast, and so mcdonalds had to do. Spent time in Dad's office as he sorted through old files, whilst i trawled facebook and twitter for ANZAC day mentions. Left to watch the March at 10:30, which meant it had already been going for an hour and a half. People were lining the tram tracks, which were fenced off, 2 people deep, sometimes three, whilst others stood back off the road, even though it was blocked off to traffic. Others took advantage of the arts centre balcony to get a better view. Each time a new group of people walked past, with medals on their chests, the crowd would applaude. Those in wheelchairs, or on mobility scooters would often get extra applause for their effort. It was a bittersweet experience, for we were giving these people the recognition that they deserve, yet we also saw so many who were alone, marching for those that had fallen and those who had only gone in recent times. Many times, i felt on the brink of tears. Some faces were sad, eyes swimming with tears, others were joyous and old hands waved to the crowd, smiling at all the young people who had come to support them. I stood there for 2 and a half hours i was told, although if you had asked me i would have guessed at 45 minutes. I was so thoroughly absorbed in these men and women marching past that i had completely lost track of time. We only left after the tragic accident, occuring only 100 meters down the road from us, leaving 6 people injured as well as 2 more critical after a car accelerated jammed. I only hope that this does not mean cars will be banned altogther in next years march, for a fault with a single car. If there are concerns, perhaps better vehicle saftey checks should be enforced instead. I felt terribly sorry for those who had not finished the march, most of whom where the foreign soldiers such as the South Africans, Rhodenisians, Americans (and i assume, French as i couldnt see what came after the americans) who were at the very end of the parade, had waited hours to march, but never got to finish. They may not be ANZAC's, but i respect them no less. After this sad conlusion to the march, my dad and i went to Myer, to purchase pods for our Nespresso coffee machine, then had lunch at a lovely cafe on Elizabeth street. Arrived home halfway through the first quarter for the ANZAC day match, Essendon vs Collingwood (aka Awesome), with Collingwood absolutely dominating play. Collingwood easily won, as did my NRL team the Rabbitohs in a thrilling second half comeback. The Storm showed that they still had plenty of fight, and their supporters showed their critics how much NRL meant to Melbourne. Up in the Northern hemisphere, Celtic FC won 2-0 against Dundee and much later that night (really, this morning) the wonderful blues, Chelsea FC defeated Stoke City by an astounding, record breaking, 7-0. I joined my mother's younger sister and family for tea that night, chatting away, joking and becoming pleasantly buzzed off two sparkling wines and two sav blancs. Yesterday was a long day, but a good day. I will not hesitate to attend the dawn service again next year, for it was one of the best things i have ever done. Perhaps one year, if i can afford it, i will go to Gallipolli. For now, all i have to say is "Thankyou', to all soldiers. I am anti-war, but you have risked, or given, your lives for what you believed in, for the values of your country and your people. I may owe my very way of life, my very freedom to type this blog, to you. I am not sure that there is anything i would give my life for, as i do not believe in an afterlife. This makes your sacrifices all the more important to me. I cannot properly express my gratitude to you, as soldiers and as fellow human beings, for what you have given for me. So i once again say "thankyou", which we all know, is really not enough, but it is all i have.
I would like to leave you with this quote, author unknown, " I would thank you from the bottom of my heart, but for you my heart has no bottom."
JC

Thoughts and musing

Posted two status updates last night on my facebook account that were of an politcal and ethical nature. I expected it would be ignored by my friends in prefence of the plethora of David Tennant & Supernatural loving updates (not that there is anything wrong with either Mr Tennant or Supernatural) or the influx of Melbourne Storm WTF? statuses. I underestimated the intelligence of my friends, and i apologise for this. When i posted a link related to abortion in Oklahoma http://www.smh.com.au/world/antiabortion-bill-to-block-foetal-test-results-20100421-szqu.html . i was stunned by the mature and well thought out comments my friends left. Heartened by this successful discussion, i posted this status update Capital punishment is a terrible violation of human rights and i am so glad we no longer condone it under Australian federal law.. Again, my friends responsed with wisdom and insight. I'm so very glad to have friends that can both discussion the gorgeousness and sheer talent of Mr David Tennant, argue about football teams like children , and also discuss heavy topics that cover multiple issues and contain deep ethical issues. If only more of the people i met were so willing. Why do so many people shy away from discussing politics, philosophy, religion, and ethics? you can learn so much about yourself and others by discussing and debating issues, yet so many people do not. Why? Most commonly, i have heard people say its 'boring' or 'doesn't affect me' *note, if i have should have used effect, i am sorry. Please correct me*. Boring? Well that is a subjective thing and it is quite likely that a few of these people honestly have no interest in discussing weightier issues. But it is my experience that it is not uncommon for these people to have never actually given it a go, or have had a singular bad experience. It is such a shame, because they are missing out. The second argument however, is the most frustrating. If someone perceives something as boring, it is a mindset and can be extremely hard to change. But to state that a political issue or moral debate does not affect you is so wrong, it is hard for me to comprehend how anyone could make honestly believe it. Politics affects everyone. There are no exceptions. Admittedly, some are more directly, and more intensely effected than others, but anyone that lives in a society with any ruling system (monarchy, democracy, dictatorship etc) is influenced by the politics. Moral/Ethical issues should be important to all of us if we wish to claim we are a fair and just society. Philosophy and religion are key factors in the actions and emotions of others and if one lacks an understanding of this, then one cannot interact as effectively with those around them. Finally, i would like to share this delightful little cartoon with you all. http://chaospet.com/comics/2009-04-07.png
JC

Um, OK

It dawned on me today that i had created a blog. And that i hadnt posted in several months. Hmmm, this daily diary thing is hard. Too hard. Its time for a less time consuming approach (after all, my time is almost completely taken up by assignments, facebook and now twitter as well). Found a website for astronomy jokes...when i refind it, i'll post the link. Wondered if anyone would mind if i hunted down the person who decided to call the temporary dental staffing agency 'Temp Fillings". Also wondered how anyone would know their was an aquarium near Syndal Station, what with the total lack of signage and all that (/sarcasm). Trying to write a novel but keep changing my mind about everything - characters, interactions, storylines etc. I think i should stick to science. Also, i've finally determine where the Blackburn bus goes after it leaves Monash on its way to Middle Brighton. Is it weird if i felt uncomfortable the whole time? It just doesnt feel right to be on a bus going the opposite direction to where you normally head. Realised my mind is like a sieve, as i keep jumping trains of thought. I have no idea what i was going to say, so i'll just make it up. Actually, i was just making it up as i went along anyway, so this probably wont be any different. *Remembered! Thanks brain!* What's a Cichlad? I presume it is some kind of aquatic creature as there is a Cichlad specialist at the Syndal aquarium. It seems this must be a desirable member of staff for an aquarium to have. Off to wiki to investigate (you can wiki it youselves. i wouldnt want to ruin the thrill of discovering something on wikipedia for you all. Is it a sad thing if traffic is so bad your bus consistently gets overtaken by the same running guy for about 15 minutes? After nearly running up the bum of a tiny car? I realised the other week in ecology that i had never thought about what a juvenile crab looks like. I just assumed it was a perfect minature version of an adult crab, but now im not so sure. Can penguins lie? How large would a pair of wings (and the resulting breast muscles) be to enable human flight? Is it dangerous to eat the non-kernel inside of an ear of corn? I think therefore I am? I see "I Am" and think of bible study and the gospel of John, where "I Am" was a reference to Genesis, with "I Am" being a declaration of being God. Does this mean I Think therefore God? Or alternatively (and more in line with my own philosophy) I Think, therefore I Am God?
Until we meet again (/cliche)
JC

Its Wednesday

Welcome to Wednesday! I slept in until 12 this morning, despite that meaning i missed all of my uni classes. Oh well, its just two lectures and i can listen to them later. Head straight onto facebook and grepolis. Find out my alliance on Grepolis wants a new leader for my ocean as the last one is a traitorous asshole. I decide to request to my new ocean leader to be co-leader, since this guy seems like he actually knows stuff. Cool. At 1:50, Nick heads off to the doctors to get his peristant stomach ache checked out. X-rays are suggested and he goes off and gets them done. No idea what the hell is wrong yet, so for now its all fine. Mum brings me home a coffee, which is awesome. I keep thinking i should go to the shops and buy new underwear, but im too lazy. Im also too lazy to work on my Cons. Bio assignment, so i keep surfing the net. It appears Sen. Bob Brown has called for less smear tactics and more transparent political stuff. Good for you Bob, i like you. Laugh at my cousin Drew becoming a fan of Justin Bieber. Also laugh at some douchebag on Judge Judy who thinks he can somehow claim he wasnt being drunk and disorderly when he trashed this chicks car, despite being convicted of being drunk and disorderly. Nick then reminds me he has an English SAC tommorrow and i promised to help him prepare. I stare blankly at the paper with the possible topics on it, cursing my laptop for being a piece of junk and refusing to work (meaning i cant access the notes i made when i was in yr 12 english). So im sitting here, trying to remember quotes, but instead procrastinating by typing up todays blog entry. Off topic, is it true that some prison innmates (i think its the ones convicted of multiple rapes and/or murders we're talking about here) do not have the right to vote? What the fuck? Really? isnt that a violation of human rights there? I understand they are horrible people who have done horrible things, but that doesnt mean we get to go taking away their basic democratic rights does it? This is why i am against the death penalty. Two wrongs do not make a right. End rant. Quote for the day is "Is minic a bhris béal duine a shrón", an irish proverb that means 'its often a person's mouth that breaks his nose'. I thought an irish proverb would be suitable given its St Patricks Day. Unfortnately i do not get to go out and celebrate due to my chiropractic appointment and my two remaining early starts for the week. Also, it seems a bit racist (i've seen a lot a leprauchaun jokes about pots of gold. also lots of stuff about ireland being defined by drinking and catholocism. really? seems offensive, especially coming from Mr Abbot and PM Rudd...) to be all 'lets pretend we are irish by bringing up any stereotype we can find' for a day. Really, its just an excuse to get drunk, isnt it? Mmmmm. And with that, i'll leave you all until tommorrow (you all, who am i kidding, no one reads this. goodnight me)

Astronomy Musings

I'm sitting at my computer yet again, contemplating the universe. Not about why i am here or even about how i got here. Not about my purpose either. Its about the beauty and wonder of the universe. About what i can see and what i can't. About the beauty of the constellations and the fragility of their existence. It will only be thousands of years before humans (if they still exist) won't be able to recognise the current 88 constellations. So lets look at the now, the present and what there is for us to see out there. There are plenty of places to go if you're at all interested in astronomy, or even just art considering the colours and shapes of some of the night skies hidden treasures. My absolutely favourite site for finding satellite imagery is http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html because it not only gives you amazing images, but also gives detailed explanations of whats happening in the picture. A cute website aimed at getting kids excited about astronomy is http://www.kidsastronomy.com/ although it is not recommended for anyone seeking serious information. As expected, a fantastic source for information about star charts, deep sky objects, planetary viewings, equipment, satellite viewing etc is www.astronomy.com , the website companion for Astronomy Magazine. As far as magazines go, Astronomy is really good, easy to comprehend but not dumbed down enough for you to wonder why you even bothered. Other decent magazines are Astronomy Now and (if you're an aussie like myself) Australian Sky and Telescope. For the best results with planet viewing times, star charts and meteor falls, pick a magazine from your hemisphere. A good star chart site (especially if you are from South Australia) is http://www.assa.org.au/observing/ which includes an introduction to astronomy and explains how to use a star chart. Updated monthly, http://www.skymaps.com is fairly good also, despite the large volume of advertising. If you are interested in the stars, galaxies, nebula and other space objects then there are plenty of places to go and get information about them. Enjoy :) And remember, "This dead of midnight is the noon of thought, And Wisdom mounts her zenith with the stars." — Mrs. Barbauld, 'A Summer's Evening Meditation.'

Tuesday March 16th

So we start of this morning waking up at 9:25 to my alarm clock. Annoyed, i turn it off and try to go back to sleep. After 5 minutes i give up, just in time to hear my phone loudly go off. That's right, i forgot i set an auto alarm for Tuesdays. Good thing im already up. Head straight for the computer and jump on facebook to discover my friend Matt totalled his car doing his paper run this morning. Bad luck mate. Also, my friend Alex thinks Barry Hall is a cock. Agreed. Muck around on Facebook and Grepolis for a while before deciding to head off to uni at around 11am. Upon reaching uni am annoyed to discover the day ticket parking is full until i remember there is more day ticket parking in the engineering car park. I head round there and up to level four, which takes way too long. Am greeted at the entrance to the 4th level by a parking officer who informs me there is no day ticket parking left. Fuck. But its OK because i can buy a ticket and park in the carpool parking. Thank god. I park terribly angled, so it looks like no one will be parking next to me. Score one for me. Also, i realise it is very hot today and im wearing track pants and a three quarter sleeve top. Fuck. Its going to be hot. Text Victoria to let her know im at uni then head to the HAL for my first coffee of the day. Am happy to see that the guy who makes good coffee is working. Am not disappointed when i get a well made flat white. Head upstairs to try and determine if i have an ecology lab today. I decide i dont. Looks like its only Animal Diversity lecture today. Get bored so i go downstairs and read a few articles in Nature and New Scientist. Apparently we are getting pretty close to making sound lasers. Awesome! Head to Campus Centre because i feel like some Pocky. Also because the HAL is not air conditioned and its hot. Get the pocky and finally recieve a response from Victoria. Meet up with Victoria and subject her to my boring retelling of everything i did over the weekend. Consider buying a monash jumper but cant be bothered trying any on for size so i just head to animal diversity. Get the to find Laz, Asian Paul (real name: Errol) and some dude who may be named Josh already there. Chat about how hard the quiz was (it wasnt hard if you can read and comprehend wikipedia, the fountain of sketchy truths) for this week. Make fun of Josh who wants to prove he is a genius by solving a genius difficulty sudoku. Listen to lecturer Ross talk about flatworms. Am utterly repulsed by the images shown of parastitic flukes and tapeworm. Notice with amusement plenty of people squirming uncomfortably. Also, i begin to feel aches and pains in my legs, arms and head everytime a new symptom of flatworm infection is brought up. Dammit Ross, this isnt funny. We are then subjected to a pop quiz, where we fill in a simple table about what phylum, symmetry and level of organisation that sponges, jellyfish and flatworms have. It is insanely easy, but around 90% of the class is too dumb to remember anything Ross has said in the past 2 and 1/2 weeks. Laugh internally at my dumb classmates. The lecture ends and i head to the HAL to start working on my Stakeholder Position Statement for Conservation Biology. Realise it is boring and instead jump on facebook where i am delighted to discover that John Watson, the honourable doctor, has commented on my status update. He has suggested that i should not base the completeness of my life around my friendship with two people (himself and Mr Holmes) and that there were several Scotland Yard detectives whom would be pleased to make my acquaintance. I quickly request the friendship of Professor James Moriarty and Detective Lestrade. Decide maybe i should do SOME work and so write part of an intro to my SPS. Once again get bored and jump back on facebook. Am delighted to discover Prof. Moriarty and Det. Lestrade have already accepted my friend requests. Decide i am not going to get anything useful done so i pack up and head for the car. Laugh internally as i watch a girl in high heels totter towards the stairs, her right ankle in particular wobbling. She trips on the first stair and her heels overbalance. Somehow she remains upright despite her ankles reaching an angle of 90 degrees compared to her shins. She takes such a long time to walk up one flight of stairs i decide to take the other set seeing as there is another three flights to go. Get to the car and begin the drive home. Get stuck behind a few dickheads and enjoy swearing loudly to myself. No real problems until i try to get from Eastlink onto Maroondah HWY. For some reason, the traffic lights decided to refuse to work and so the turning lanes sat there for 3 light cycles facing a red arrow. Cars kept building until they were past the set of lights at the previous intersection. Finally, we all give up on being law abiding citizens and just drive through the red arrow when it SHOULD have been green. Again i swear at the dickhead in front of me who cant see parked cars and just moved across into my lane when he reached them. When he finally decided to stick in my lane, he seemed to not realise his indicator was still on. What a wanker. I start to drive like a bit of a douche due to my pent up anger. Luckily, i made it home safely without any more dickhead drivers. I came in the door to find my dogs waiting for me. Cute! My mum greets me with a 'you're home early' so i explain that i didnt have eco lab. i then hurry straight to the computer and type this blog whilst checking out QA, Facebook and Grepolis. To conclude this entry, i would like to quote Abraham Lincoln "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power".

In the beginning...

So today, i am hopefully starting a journey to follow in my idol, Michael Palin's footsteps and create a day to day account of my life. I'd like to move back to last Friday if i may, and begin there as a few thoughts linger and i would like to put finger to keyboard and record them, in the same way that Dumbledore used the Pensieve in Harry Potter. Alas, i am rambling as per usual, so let us begin. Imagine that today is Friday the 12 of March, 2010. I am exhausted after a week at uni yet i am excited about what the day holds. I decide to get to uni early so i can find the room for my workshop as i have no idea where it is located. With some difficulties i finally locate it, and am free to sit through 2 hours of confident boredom (that is, i felt confident in my own progress and contributions, but was bored by the workshops content and style. why i did not say this to begin with, i do not know.) Happily free to go to my Conservation Biology lecture i soon come to regret my enthusiasm, as despite lecturing on a topic i hope to pursue in later studies, i find the lack of charisma on the part of my lecturer, Paul Sunnucks, to be an utter disappointment. I spend the next few hours working on the material for the Conservation Debates in my Cons. Bio. lab later in the afternoon. I manage to drink my first coffee of the day, a large cappuccino, thus satisfying caffeine addiction temporarily. Next, its off to Ecology and Biodiversity, for an hour of attempting to stay awake despite being essentially a zombie. My phone vibrates in my pocket in the middle of the lecture. When i check it, it turns out to be a message from my cousin Meghann, reminding me that i had promised to go out that night with her and her brother Thomas (he is in the navy and was back home for a three week break). Shit. I am tired. Then i realise she is also tired and working all weekend. Hopefully, this means it wont be a late night. Oh well, never mind that for now, i have a debate to win. I arrive in the Cons. Bio. lab to discover out of the 11 people taking part in the topic i have researched, i am the most knowledgable and thus make a great impression on the lecturers who are walking around listening to our debates. Unfortunately, due to the weak position of the party i was assigned to represent, our result is not strongly in my favour (then again, the aim was to reach a compromise. i do not like compromises). I leave feeling exhausted but triumphant in my awesome prepardness. Now, that long bus ride to the station, where i succeed in maintaining an awakened state for a whole 40 minutes. Luckily, just as i am dozing off, i reach the train station, where i wait several minutes for a train that terminates two stations before mine. Bastards. Apon arriving at said station, i realise that the next train to my station has been delayed, thus allowing me the time to call my mother and arrange for a pick up at the station. Silver Lining! No second bus or walking! Hurrah! I get home to realise i have no idea what to wear tonight, but decide to go casual because hey, its just a damned bar we've chosen to go to. Arrive at my cousins house a few minutes late, but it turns out that we werent leaving for another hour or so. By the time we do leave its nearly 9 and im ready for bed. Dammit. Luckily, a donut and several excellent (truly, they were divine) cosmopolitans elevate my mood so that i am very happy and chatty by the time we meet up with Thomas' friends. Am amused to note that the bartender is able to go around making cocktails and fetching beers with a bottle of Chambord balanced on her head. When Meg congratulates her on the achievement, she informs her that the Chambord bottle is easy due to the bottom. I feel slightly dejected as i realise if i tried to balance the bottle on my own head, i would have $60 worth of alcohol in a puddle on the ground amidst smashed glass. Later in the night i look across to see her balancing 6 water glasses on her head. What a show off. Bitch. At 11, Meg and i head back to her place, leaving Tom and his friends to kick on. Feeling pleasantly buzzed by the time we get to her house. We pull into the garage (from which there is a door directly into the house) and i comment on the fact that i have never been in her garage. I am impressed by this bit of trivia, but it seems that she is not. Oh well. My dad arrives a few minutes later and is treated to my ramblings until we arrive home. I then head straight to bed as the depressant part of the alcohols effect and my prior tiredness take hold suddenly. My dog jumps up and settles at my feet and i fall quickly into alcohol disturbed sleep.
Saturday, March 13: I woke up at 4am with intense pain in my right leg that lasts for a minute before subsiding into a dull ache in my whole calf muscle. Annoyed, i roll over, wince in pain, and go back to sleep. Wake up feeling slightly nauseous and dizzy, so i lie in bed for a bit longer. I'm glad my dad and my brother (Nick) are out (my brother was in the semi finals with his tennis team) as it meant they didnt have to see me drink several glasses of water or stumble into the shower. After hydrating and cleansing myself i feel quite refreshed. Spend several hours on Grepolis and Facebook before getting changed to go have afternoon tea at my aunts house. As i am getting ready, i decide to try using a muscle pain soothing gel. I apply it liberally, as per the instructions and wait. It appeared that nothing would happen until all of a sudden my leg grew very warm and tingly, which my mother informed me was the point of the product after i voiced concerns. When my father and Nick get back from the tennis we head off to the afternoon tea. Get there a little bit early with my mum and my dad, my brother having refused to accompany us. Watch the V8 Supercars top 10 shootout rather excitedly as it was the first time that my cousin Stephanie's fiance Tony had qualified in the top 10. Yay! Well done. Soon, my grandmother, my great aunt Marg and my aunty Lynn have arrived and the joint is jumpin. Sort of. All the girls, with the exception of me, crowd around the dining table and look at photos of some wedding. I prefer to instead watch the car racing with Tom, my dad and Tom's dad Greg. After a while, a pot of french earl grey tea is made (mmmm!) and we discover a delicious lemon tart that my Aunty Dianne (the mother of Tom, Steff and Meg) has made. Compliments are given and recipes exchanged. Everyone then discusses what there plans are for the night. It seems everyone but Uncle Greg has plans. Leave later than we expected and have to stop in at the supermarket to get some sparkling wine, meat and coleslaw for the Parkwood Tennis Clubs social event thing. Arrive at the tennis club at 10 to 7, wondering where the people who were bringing the other stuff where. There is heaps of alcohol supplied, but the turn out was poor. Other than the committee who organised the event and their partners (or in my dads case, wife AND daughter) 4 people turned up. Out of a possible 200. Hmmmm. Apparently, most people who play tennis care about going to social events thrown by the tennis club. Towards the end of the night, was highly amused by a few of the more merry of the attendants as they made some strange comments, slopped wine and generally laughed like lunatics. Was very glad to be going home at the end of the night, despite having felt kind of guilty about missing my friend Gerit's party to go hang out with a bunch of middle aged people. Oh well, too late now.
Sunday 14th March: Slept in til midday. Got up and found that dad had picked up our new TV. It was a 48 inch flatscreen LCD. It had awesome reception when it came to ABC and SBS, but terrible coverage for the commercial stations. Dad said the days of using rabbit ears were over, and he was going to get someone to come and install a proper anntenae, like normal people have. I then inform dad that we should go and get my book order from Dymocks. Dad didnt realise that i had even ordered a book. I told him it was the first volume of the Michael Palin diaries (the Python Years, 1969-79). Dad told me he would take me, but first we would have to go to Harvey Norman and Harris Scarf to price check a Nespresso coffee machine. Get to Harvey Norman where the coffee machine section is really crowded due to a 3 day sale being on. The price is still expensive however, so we decide to leave almost as soon as we arrive. Dad was amused to hear a saleswoman and her customers interacting, as the customer said she would 'think about it' and the saleswoman responded with an oh-so-classy "i wouldnt think about it too long love, ive only got 2 left". Elegant. On to Harris Scarf, where we were greeted by an awesome 'Hi ho, Hi ho". Right On, Soul Brotha! Head to the appliances section and search for the coffee machine but instead find a tiny shelf with maybe enough room for 3 units, that was empty. Disappointed, we then picked my awesome book order and headed home where i proceeded to spend the rest of the night on facebook and Grepolis.
Monday 15th March: Finally, we are up to today. Woke up at 7:30 by Nick to drive him to school so he can get the bus to the atheletics day. Thank god im not at school anymore because i hated sports days. I then go home, let the dogs in and climb back into bed. My mother calls from work at 8am to check if my brother made it to school on time. I informed her that he had and that i had gone back to bed to try and sleep. Mum apologised before making me write down a list of things i had to do that day. She knows if i dont write it down, i WILL forget. I hang up, and go back to bed, again sleeping until midday. I get up and once again jump on facebook and Grepolis, this time with the added tab of QA. I do this for an hour or so before completing the tasks i had been set. By the time i finish it's 2:15 and i head to the shops to grab a coffee before i pick mum up from work. Take the Palin book with me and am amused by an entry describing a slightly intoxicated Michael Palin and Terry Jones returning to a hotel room after several beers and Terry giggling so loudly and for so long that a colleague thought that Palin had a woman in his room. Then realise that i am late to pick up mum and hurry back to the car, cursing the slow speed of people walking in shopping centres. Feel my phone vibrate as im driving and swear. Get to mums work 15 minutes late where she informs me that Nick tried to ring me. I feel slightly better knowing it wasnt mum. When she asks for an explanation for my lateness, i cannot give her one. Coffee will sound lame, so i pretended i was just lazy. We stop back in at the shops and i deposit some money into my bank account and then stop by JB Hi Fi to check out the games and celtic CDs. Mum purchases a new game for herself and i refrain from buying a Dubliners CD. i then con mum into buying me some food and a coffee (yes, another one!) as we flip through a book on travel destinations she bought whilst i was at the bank. I glance into the ABC shop and see an ad for the End of Time episodes of Doctor Who. I spend the next few minutes thinking about the awesomeness of David Tennant. When we get home, i head back onto Facebook, Grepolis and QA, before deciding to see if there was any new House/Wilson fanfiction on fanfiction.net . (its embarassing and i would never admit it to anyone in person, but i am a huge fan of House and Wilson as a couple). Realise at 9:30 i have missed most of Good News Week. Damn. and that canadian lesbian commedienne was on and i like her. Bugger. After a while of looking up groups/pages on facebook such as "being alive", "40km/hr is a good cruising speed for pedophiles", "The floor is lava" and "not being a sparkly vampire", i was pleased to find out two things - 1) i am not alone in my love for David Tennant or Astronomy and 2) Mr Sherlock Holmes accepted my friend request. Then, my friend Alex (ALEXXXXXX!!!!!!!!) posted a link to HER blog and i thought, yeah, this is my opportunity to share the mundane stuff that i think, say or do with people who dont know or care about me at all. Awesome. So i spend 40 minutes typing up this entry and realising that my life is certainly not as awesome as Michael Palins (for one, i dont know Eric Idle and Graham Chapman, nor do i get to make funny sketches and movies) and that i do far to much stuff in a day to list absolutely everything. I seriously did not realise that even on a slow day, i do too much stuff to write about. That fascinates me almost as much as the Moon (which is a LOT). So, we end today with a quote from Aristotle in Nichomachean Ethics; "Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods". Conclude this entry of Mashed Potatos.