A few Conversational Snippets

Snippets of conversation can be bizarre.

The folks next to me appear to have just met, and in the time I've been sitting here, they have discovered that she has, at her 21st, hooked up with his cousin. And she sounds like a Queenslander.

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This morning, during the extremely long wait for the bus, I heard a discussion between two girls that went something like this:

"My arms get sore, after like, 4 hours of playing the drums.
Oh, do you play the drums?
Ya, I'm pretty good.
Oh wow, I only play guitar. How good are you on the drums?
Well, I can go really well, but only on easy.
Ya, I was going to play the guitar yesterday, but the batteries were dead. I had to plug it back into the console."

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Definitely the most annoying voice, and the one most commonly heard causing unpleasant train trips for all on the north shore and western line, is the heavily american influenced 'North Shore Girls" accent. The one I like to think of as almost always saying:
"Ohmygod, like totally, fallout boy. No way, really? Fallout boy? Oh. My. God. Fallout boy." etc
I simply cannot stand it. Often I simply leave the carriage is search of somewhere more peaceful; be it quiet, other general babble, or drunken shouting and abuse. Anything is better than that voice.

One particular quote I heard at NIDA the other night (when it was not lit up nicely like in the pic) was in that very voice:
"I know, it's like, I totally can't stand american accents. Like, British ones are just totally so hot, but oh-my-god, I can't stand like american accents; you know?"
I could barely stop myself from telling them. Luckily my politeness got the better of my urge to share the irony.

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Recently I heard about an hour of a conversation, right here, where I'm currently sitting, on this very couch on Level 10 of UNSW Library tower. The discussion, when I sat down, went something like this:
"So, your baby is 18 months old. He was breastfed for the first 6 months, then he went onto formula. He isn't on any medication and has been brought up in a non-smoking environment. He had a rash at around 12 months old, but it cleared up with medication from the hospital. Has he been to the hospital any other times?"
This conversation continued in a similar vein for about half an hour, and I thought perhaps they were adopting. At this point however, the roles changed, and the mother started asking her interrogator questions about her child. It took me some time to figure out: they were nursing students, doing role plays.
Sorry that story is anti climatic, I found it so as well, and wished to share my disappointment when I figured it out.

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Anyhow, I have things to do, and should probably stop procrastinating and get on with my work.

Take care,
M'

With some urgency

Please do sign the above petition. Hopefully I'll see you at the rally tommorow on the lawn of parliment house in the ACT.

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Today I forgot my iPod, so I'm on the train listening to music on my laptop (with headphones). It is for this reason that I've found time to post.

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An aside before I so even start; I recently joined the microblogging Twitter subculture.

I was in an educational psychology lecture; these are a very slow kind of lectrure that crawls along, turning slow circles such that over the course of an hour, nothing is really said, but unrealted examples are given. The lady sitting next to me distainfully pointed out one student who last lecture sat infront of her with his laptop charger plugged into the presenters concole, microblogging his way through the lecture on twitter.
At this point, I decided I should get a Twitter account, as I thought microblogging lectures was a great idea.
Due to a restriction on the number of characters, I couldn't get surroundsound5000 as my Twitter name, so I had to go with Surround5000.
Anyhow, Twittering is just like status updates on Facebook, but without the Facebook attatched. It seems to me a little silly to be randomly changing your status; to quote Adam Hills:
"Barry is at the Adam Hills show."
"Barry is laughing."
"Barry has stopped laughing."
"Noone likes barry."

It's a lot like that.

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Finally, I was in Chatswood today, and noticed they have expanded their parking restrictions, but this is one for the better. In Chatswood Westfield, along with the Disabled parking and the Prams priority parking, they now have Hybrid vehicle only parking. I think it's a fantastic idea. In application, it's probably fairly pointless (if hybrid owners park in the convenient locations, and drivers of inneficient vehicles have to drive to the top level and lap the parking lot looking for a spot), but the idea is definately sound.

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Also, if anyone has tips to improve my samosas, I'd appreciate them. Currently they're a little bland.

Peace,
M'

Backlog

It has been a very long time since I posted last. This is not because I have had nothing to post about. Far from it. My life has effectively started afesh. The reasons for my lack of posting are twofold: I have had an ideas backlog that became so large I simply couldn't think what to write first, (and couldn't put in day to day updates for the lack of chronology) and secondly I haven't had the time.

I have scribbled a few things down, and now is probably the time to get them out.

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From (I think) late last year (Written on my phone):

I have never liked Newcastle as a city.
It is only because everyone I speak to seems to think it is so nice that I even considered living here. Every time I come, I remember how sad town it is.

Today has been a typical newcastlo day. It is too hot, I an bored and hungry, I have wandered aimlessly for most of The day, and I cannot find out the info I came for.

I was sitting on some steps when I saw a sign fall over, and felt so dejected by the atmosphere of the town that I simply let it fall . I didn't move to pick it up until I saw someone else struggling. When I helped him, neither he nor I said a word to each other. I fear this seems to typify the town. In fact, I have been here for a few hours now, and not one person has said a single word. Now, I an beginning to wonder; is this really where I want to live?

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As a result of this boring day, I decided I'll be moving to Sydney. See you there.

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If you are searching for love: this is not the way.

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In the past few weeks, I have seen a few good bands, a few good comedians, and a few good movies.

The bands include Grinspoon, Old Man River and The Herd, amongst many others. I really need to get back into the habit of bringing my camera to gigs. This post is long and boring without photographic interjection.

One of the comedians was Wil Anderson, who gave a hopelessly underwhelming show. Another was Adam Hills, who'se show was one of the best I've seen. There were others who were generally either good or bad or good and then bad. I'd like to go into detail, but I'm too tired, so I'll leave it at that.

As for movies, I saw Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing" last on Monday (which left me desperately craving pizza), and last night saw two more films. One was "The International", which has one of the best action sequences of any film I've seen, and overall makes for reasonable mindless viewing. The other was NOTORIOUS, which was more interesting than I expected, but I didn't expect much.

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Also since moving to Sydney, I got a job doing odd jobs and helping out in an office (on a two day contract, which then became three weeks - egad I'm good), finished up there, and now have a part time job. I'm contractually bound in confidentiallity, so I best not post details on the interweb.

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Well that should get the ball rolling again.

I feel I just needed to get started and maybe now I'll be able to get posting more frequently.

Take care,

Carpe Diem (We all need that subtle reminder once in a while),

M'

Thought for the day

OK, here’s my thought for the day. I was at the new kebaberrie in town (they just got a new one of those tools they use for cutting "the finest cuts of chicken" from the big spinnin' stick) enjoying my vegetarian gozleme, when two law enforcement officers entered, just after a kebab and a salad. It interests me how everyone becomes uncomfortable around police. This is the question that arose:

Why is it necessary when one goes to purchase a kebab, to arm oneself with a firearm, a taser, handcuffs, a baton, a combat knife, a gas grenade, amongst other things? And why must this arsenal be strapped to oneself in a 5 inch think braided leather belt?

It seems that our police officers go to lunch dressed as if going to war. I think the tension this causes contributes negatively to their image in the community. How can they expect to maintain good public relations when they cause such unrest with their mere presence? It is no accident that they are perceived as such threatening members of society.

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Two posts in two days. Wow. How unlike me. Also: the gozleme was quite tasty. I've had better i probably will stick to the ones with spinach and avoid the less specific "veggies" from now on.

Over,
M'

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.