Some things

When I saw Bush awarding Howard with the 'highest civilian honour' (interesting, that phrase is used in all the ceverage I've seen. I wonder what the medals title is..?) it occured to me, like an epiphany, our ex-pm and their ex-president should fuck off to the same nursing home together so they can sit about and congradulate each other on jobs well done. "Hey, without you, I never could have gone into that war. Just imagine how many 'mooslims' would still be alive?" "Gee, thanks for screwing the world economy by the way dubya. If you didn't, everyone would have realised that Australias artificially inflated economy was a short term soloution". "I started missing you John as soon as Kevin went and signed that Kyoto 'bill'." "By the way, what is the G20?"

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Funny story this:
There's a track I use along the back of the Northside beach to get down past the crowds over the silly season. The first half is 2WD driveable, the second half is fairly soft deep sand. This particular day, I just rode the first half, because I was only there for a quick peek at the surf (I'd just been to Southside, the surfing beach, and it was a bit average). Anyhow, I saw a kid catch a wave and thought it might make a nice shot, but I figured I'd watch another set before I got my camera out.

Along the beach folks were playing in the sun, having a hit of cricket, putting their skin cells in trauma, sitting under giant parasols or in those silly little pop tents. Right in front of my spot in the bushes were a few blond girls in bikinis sitting on their towels looking out to sea. This is the other reason I was reluctant to get my camera out. From my relatively 'discreet' location, it could have looked quite suspect.

Anyhow, all of a sudden, Kaleena turned around. Turns out she was out enjoying the beach, and just happened to be right in front of me. Anyhow, that was a nice chance to catch up, and I otherwise wouldn't have gone in. So that was nice.

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In the present though, I'm watching letterman and catching mosquitos, and soon (probably around 1:00 AM) I'm going to roll up and feed the horse. By the way, don't you hate when you open your hand to see if you got the mozzie, and then it just flies off? Very annoying.

Peace be with you,
M'

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P.S. This post is only here to get out of the constancy of people telling me to hurry it up; I started writing a post a week and a half ago, and it's on my phone still (I need to stick it on the computer to edit and write the rest.)

P.P.S. An American comedian just ripped off Wil Anderson's sketch complaining about losing Howard, and substituting Bush; he passed the whole sketch off as his own! What a tool! That is all.

Results

It has been a long while since I've last posted, this is because my life has been sporadically busy: I've been either too busy to post on the blag, or lifes been so mundane to post about.

So, anyhow, here's my results:


Engineering Studies
91 (Band 6)

English (Advanced)
81 (Band 5)

General Mathematics
97 (Band 6)

Physics
80 (Band 5)

Software
89 (Band 5)

Entertainment Industry
91 (Band 6)

I'm glad to have gone well in engineering, because I wasn't sure how it would work out once my marks were moderated relative to the folks below me in the class group (I was ranked second). Also, I didn't finish the exam (I spent about an hour drawing a picture on the back page, meaning to take a half hour break, but lost track of time).

As far as I know, there was not a single band six in our english class, which is surprising.

A 97 in maths is quite pleasing, especially considering that
- I only enrolled half way through the course
- I was put in the bottom class for the begginning of this priod (wich may as well have not been a class at all)
- When I was finally put in the top class, I wagged alot
- Even when I was there I spent about half the time listening to my 'pod
- The other half of the time I was listening to Shane's 'pod
- If I had have listened, I wouldn't have learned much, as our teacher was incompetent
- On top of her incompetence, she also lacked dedication (See post re our last day, when she sent a sub to avoid us)

I'm glad to have gotten at least a band 5 for physics. It was a difficult course, and I really didn't work as hard as I should have. But I had fun in the course, and that's what matters to me.

The school has never achieved a band 6 in Software, I'm kind of glad to continue the tradition. Obviously, the extra mark would have been nice too. Again, if you note my post about the examination, it contained content we hadn't studied, and (more annoyingly) had typos as well.

Finally, entertainment. I'm happy enough with this mark, although it would have been nice to get a really impressive mark. Mainly because I'm going for a VET scholarship. This was one of the most fun subjects (most of it, anyway). The most exciting outcome of this course is of course that I have achived a Cert III in Entertainment Live Prodution Theatre and Events Technical Operations: along with my RSA and St Johns Ambulance Senior First Aid Certificate, I'm hoping to get the chance to work at a few different festivals over the next few years. Possibly starting with the Peats Ridge festival over new years.

Here endeth the results section for today, if I remember, I'll update tomorrow with how I go on the UAI front, and I'll let you know if I make the honour roll (hehehe).

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Yesterday I got up early and headed to Landsdowne Public School, where some of my old man's students were performing at their end of year presentation ceremony, and I ran the PA for them (just setting up and mixing). I also filmed it, but I don't think I'll be able to post the footage on youtube, because it's kids in a school, you know how it is.

Anyhow, I was editing the film and burning it to give to the kids when I got a call from Crowdy Head Public School, inviting me along to their presentation ceremony/ chrismas party/ farewell for Pip Thomas (who's leaving to have a kid). It was a fantastic event. They had some very impressive student performances, and a really nice atmosphere. It is such a nice community, and I'm so glad to have been a part of the school.

Remember Live and Loud is on tonight if you are in the area. I wasn't involved in organising it this year (for the first time ever) so I don't know who's playing or many other details. I'm fairly sure, however, that there will be good music and free pizza. See you there.

Take care one and all,
- Mick

Freedom of the 'Net

You've all seen the permanent link unit in the top right of this blag, (unless you syndicate). Well, no longer is it just about informing yourself. The time has come for action. Hit this link, which will take you to http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/SaveTheNet/442 . This is very important.

I've just done a mass email, so I can't be bothered to retype it here. You know the deal, and if you don't, try this fact sheet.

EPA Carbon Regulation

The deadline for the EPA to decide on carbon dioxide regulation is Friday. I just gave them my opinion:

Dear EPA,
This is your chance to save the world, in a very real way.
Remember, don't give a license to pollute. Carbon permits and carbon trading are not real soloutions.
Implement a carbon tax; with no discount for industry or electricity generation (it would be senseless to enact the tax and then strip it back where it's needed most!)
Good luck in making the right decision,
Michael

Be sure to give them yours too.

Hope my SDD exam is marked by a is a digital freedoms activist

This morning I sat for my final Physics examination. I'd only studied starting the afternoon before, which for a subject like physics really isn't enough. I was already a little out of form because I have wagged so many classes. I remember the last day of K-Dog (an awesome music teacher), when we all (about 12 of us) piled into his car and went on one final Maccas run. I was wagging physics, and it was on this day that the class covered laser diffraction in the form of a lab prac. Of course, that formed the basis for several further lessons ("You all remember the prac we did on laser diffraction? Well this is just like in the prac... oh right, you weren't here...").

I also managed to miss about three weeks of physics (I attended some classes, I just played solitare on my phone when I was there), the whole first half of the quantum physics section. Luckily on the morning of the exam I read through the quantum physics section of the textbook, because there was a lot of quantum physics material in the exam. I think I did quite well, all things considered.

Following this, after about an hour's break, I had another exam; this time on Software Development and Design. This is a poorly taught subject, and the course really needs to be scrapped, and be replaced with an industry developed course in my opinion (Oh, that's right, it's called a Cert IV).

I was reminded just by chance to check where it was held a few minutes before I headed off for it, and it's lucky I did, because it wasn't where I thought it would be (Thanks Kate!). By the time I was about halfway through, there was only about 4 or 5 people left in the whole exam room. I make a point of doing my best to manage my time in exams, which in my case means going as slowly as possible to try and fill the time. I filled 6 booklets (most people write the equivalent of between 2 and 4).

At the conclusion of the multiple choice, just as I begin the short answer section. I find myself violently writing an essay, page after page, about how software piracy laws result in a waste of effort by programmers and developers and restrict creativity, and they only exist because people have a malformed vision of ownership over intellectual property.

I am a fan of the open source movement. Somehow I don't think the syllabus/marking center will agree that intellectual property is a farce and reverse engineering is a God given right. I think they are more into following licensing agreements and the like. I snapped out of this, realised it was only a 2 mark question, and moved on.

I continued my slow, long handed, thorough question answering to the end of section II, the penultimate part of the final question in this section was a list of syntactical definitions in modified extended Backaus Naur format (EBNF).

Now the basis of this course is semantics. If there's a dot in the wrong spot, or you forget to capitalise a letter, or you use a new line when you shouldn't have, or you misspell a word, all hell breaks loose. That's just how programming is (with the exception of 5GL. How frustrating, then, when in an algorithm we're supposed to desk check, they have written "IFF" instead of "IF". Furthermore, they substitute "" for "". In a fit of rage, and perhaps not my best judgment, I scrawl across the paper in bright blue "Proofread your exams for Christ's sake. This is the H. S. Fucking C!", and fling the examination booklet to the ground.

Oops.

The exam supervisors seemed impressed with my passion, but somehow I don't think that's classified as in keeping with examination conditions. They said nothing till after the exam, which is probably good, because I would have just screamed at them and broken something had they intervened.

I don't want to let a post go by without a photo, and I've been wanting to try my new photobucket account; so here is a picture of the fine mesh the paper is made from. It kept me mesmerised during the exam.



Now, unfortunately, I need to study for my next and final exam tomorrow; engineering studies.

Peace be with you,

- M

Death, walking, and photos

Almost got in two post in the one day (but this is Monday morning, technically, because the internet is going slow). Most unlike me.

I was out walking. I put on a pair of studio quality monitoring headphones, plugged them into the music in my pocket, strapped a camera to my back, and headed for the cliff. I went ambling through the streets, with my music up full, listening to the wind blow scream through the power lines. I was looking at the fallen branches, watching people through their windows. Seeing them flicker different colors as they absorbed the commercials.

All of a sudden I looked up and saw an incredible pole with a streetlight. No doubt I've passed it many times before, but the way the light fell on the timber caught my eye. I stopped to take a photo.

My camera batteries died before I could get the picture I wanted, so I headed home to get some 'freshies' out of the charger. I reloaded, and decided to cycle instead of waling, since my bike was already out of the shed. On my way up the hill to the pole, I noticed something lying in the grass. I went back to see it, and it was a bird. It was dead. I decided I would have to photograph it; I always feel compelled to do so, just to document that it was alive. Here you can see the ants already hard at work on the beak, which clearly was badly shattered upon impact.

While I was trying to find the right angle for the picture of the pole, I heard a loud noise down the road, over the music. I turned to see that in the time I'd been shooting, another bird had fallen, not two meters from the first. I went straight down, and shot a snap of it. It fell from the power lines, and landed on the tarmac and blue metal, so I decided to shoot it with a flash to capture just how raw and inhuman the results of our human society are. Enough wank, here's the photo:

HSC ampersand

So it may sound like poor form when I say the reason I haven't posted in almost a month is because I'm doing exams, it is worth noting that the HSC is renowned around the country as being one of the most stressful, rigorous, time consuming examination there is. Every year, it leads to suicides.

Even after all this time, this post will be a short one. I still have four exams over the next few weeks; I have sat three and they all went fairly well.

It's funny: having started the HSC, I've found myself cycling more, going to the beach more, playing more music, watching more TV, checking blogs and webcomics for updates several times a day. (I've just started using iGoogle, it's great having all my feeds in one place).

Also, I have put up some more photos. Here's two of them: