dirtycamel

Thorpedos and such

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:17:08 GMT

In case anyone hasn't been following the news, or doesn't live in sports-mad Australia, "swimming great" Ian Thorpe has quit swimming. The ABC news story is here. Good on him. But more to the point, I noticed some corker quotes in the above news story:

On a possible return to swimming in the future: "I won't rule it out, I never rule anything out, but it's just not going to happen."

Well, I'm glad we cleared that up.

And on his priorities: "Those important things I don't rank or order in a list, but swimming falls somewhere short. It's not up the top of that list..."

Lucky he didn't make a list, eh?

rant

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 22:06:32 GMT

I can't help it. I have to have a rant. Read this story. Well done to Steven Ciobo there. Drug users should pay for their hospital treatments? What is the rationale for that?

A) That they're stupid for taking a risk? So do we make drunk drivers who have a crash pay for their medical bills? What about people who break a bone falling from a ladder that they weren't using properly? Electric shocks from stupidity?

B) That we shouldn't pay for addicts problems? What about alcoholics who have liver problems? Smokers with lung cancer?

I wonder if Ciobo wonders why he's not a minister...

classic

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 05:19:02 GMT

Check out this story.

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 21:25:07 GMT

It's been a while since I've updated and I'm not going to fill everyone in on what I've been doing. That'd take too long and it'd be boring.

Yesterday was Australia Day and the stupid shopping centre that I work in, ever consumed with greed, decided to open normal hours - 10am to 6pm. The greedy bastards. I'm pretty sure the general manager and other high-ranking figures in the DFO world did not work yesterday. *grumble*

On a plus though, we had talisen and emmaco over last night for a barby. Turned out well if I do say so myself. Ammy (the kitten) behaved herself and was rewarded with some juicy steak. It was the first time we've really entertained since we moved here and I think it went ok. Had Boag's St George beer for the first time and thought it was pretty good - quite fruity, almost like a white-wine sort of taste.

And now I'm updating my journal at 7:15am since I had to get up early to take minorearth to work and can't bring myself to go back to bed. If I do I might not get up again for work!

Sun, 24 Jul 2005 10:46:33 GMT

It's that time of year to wish emmaco a happy birthday. Hope you had a good one!

about time

Wed, 20 Jul 2005 19:17:52 GMT

well i think it's about time i wrote in here again.

so much has happened but you can follow it in my gorgeous wife minorearth's journal, as well as talisen and epeeaus - great name by the way.

looking forward to heading back to start a new life in Brissy. excited and a bit scared. lots of new things to experience. at the moment stressing about packing and visas and all sorts of things. i can't help but stress anyway (much to minorearth's chagrin). most stuff is done now though, just got to pack (boxes being delivered tomorrow). counting down the days now.

what a day

Sun, 24 Apr 2005 17:36:56 GMT

what a beautiful day today! the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the birds are singing. if only that wind would stop blowing. for those in brisbane, it's like one of those beautiful winter's days. here, it's a fantastic spring day.

we did a lot of walking. went to a continental market in st enoch square, bought a shedload of stuff - olives, cheese, sausage, cider, sweets... the list goes on.

i hope the rest of the spring/summer is like this (or warmer - more than 15 degrees would be nice!)

dc

life is fragile

Wed, 19 Jan 2005 16:55:58 GMT

How do you come to terms with the sudden death of a friend? It's just impossible to comprehend. Without warning, one day you are talking away happily, the next they are gone. It makes no sense. I know it's a cliche, but it really does make you realise how precious each moment is.

stupidity

Mon, 14 Jun 2004 15:12:17 GMT

well i have to say that i'm the stupidest person i've ever met. i was playing around with backing my thesis files up and irretrievably erased all of them. every single one. all 78 pages of my thesis. and all this at a time when, due to havoc with the network, the complete daily backup of the system has been off for 2 weeks. thankfully i have a hard copy of my current version, so i'm spending the next x hours comparing the 2-week-ago version with a print-out. joy

feel really stupid now

goings on

Wed, 02 Jun 2004 08:17:32 GMT

first, what do you think about the pic... is it me?

i feel like a big weight has been lifted from my shoulders. i believe i have finished my research part of my phd. now all that's left to do is various forms of writing! wow that feels good.

the weather today is beautiful! how could anyone not want to go out in this. almost reminds me of brisbane. just finished speaking to various family members, which is always nice. everything seems to be going fine over there except dad's dog is continuously digging her way out of the yard.

spent the weekend with minorearth which i alway thoroughly enjoy! we found a flat we really like, but there's the problem of timing, with us not wanting to move for another couple of months.

anyway, guess i should update this thing more.

ps talisen am i getting age of empires soon?

telly and things

Tue, 25 May 2004 18:09:15 GMT

just been watching this show called Get a New Life. it's about families who decide to pack up and move to australia. although i think most of the people on those shows are idiots for packing up and moving a whole family without doing the proper research(today's show wasn't too bad, but sometimes those people are complete morons!), it is interesting to hear an outsider's view of queensland, where they were today. they were focussing on montville, mooloolaba and coolum. talisen if you're heading up to montville check out a restaurant called Papagenos and tell the owners you saw them on the bbc, just for a laugh!

finished my research today, or just about anyway. now i'm onto writing a paper and then the big ole thesis!

went out on the weekend because the weather was so glorious. sunny (if a little windy) weather makes glasgow almost bearable!

a sad weekend

Mon, 17 May 2004 11:02:53 GMT

on thursday i recieved some quite saddening phone calls

my dad phoned, first to say that my nana was quite sick and had days to live. then, just before 6am brisbane time, she passed away. this took me quite by surprise and i was quite upset. i didn't go to work on friday (i had hardly been able to work on thursday after my dad's first call) and fixed minorearth's computer. then on saturday i hired a car and we drove up to loch lomond. on saturday we had a picnic lunch at a beautiful place called firkin point. just a little picnic area but very nice nonetheless. on sunday we bought a disposable bbq (yes, that's what you do over here) and took it up for an early dinner. we also took up a bunch of flowers and a candle and found a secluded spot on the beach. we lit the candle and released the flowers into the loch, each representing a memory we had of nana.

she was creative, alway doing something with her hands. when we visited her in march, minorearth was amazed by the crocheted bunnies that she was making for a charity raffle.

she was a great cook, and my memories of her will always include fruit mince tarts (mince pies for you brits) and trifle at christmas. i think it really upset her when she couldn't cook any more.

she was the matriarch of, in terms of this day and age, a huge family (5 kids, 16 grandkids and 8 great-grandkids (i think)), but she never forgot anyone and always remembered all the birthdays.

she always had great stories. i could go into them now but i really don't have time. suffice it to say that i will remember them for a long time.

she was, for her age group, one of the most accepting, open-minded people i have ever met. a lot of that generation of australians harbour huge resentment for past wrongs. i don't think i ever heard nana utter a bad word about anyone.

it's funny really. although it was never in my conscious mind i always just accepted the fact that nana and grandad were there. it was impossible to imagine them not being there. some of my earliest childhood memories are of their house in hendra (a brisbane suburb) near the airport. they had a house on stilts with a low-roofed room downstairs and a strawberry patch. it's just hard to come to terms with the fact that i'll never be able to see them again. however i know they're together and at peace now and that makes me happy.

ho hum

Tue, 11 May 2004 13:34:14 GMT

well i've managed to finish a rough draft of a thesis chapter. feels a little bit good, but i know that there's a long way to go. so onwards to the next chapter, then the next, then...

went out on friday night to a friend's place and played board games. almost as fun as the old D&D evenings, but slightly less involved. played some games i've never heard of... citadels and settlers of catan. good fun.

spent my weekend with minorearth which is always a pleasure. mostly just wandered around town/stayed in the flat enjoying each others company. ah life :)

have decided to try for a post-doc here at least until my esteemed fiancee finishes her course, but probably longer. the pay's better than any other job i'd get and i like the work. it's quite stress-free.

oops longer post than expected. get back to work

slack bastard

Thu, 29 Apr 2004 09:35:43 GMT

just realised that it's been a month or so since i last updated. where did april go? i hope i don't get this all through writing up, 'cause i'll never finish if that's the case.

so what have i been up to? well minorearth and i went down to newcastle (the uk one...) to visit her parents for easter, and to tell them that we're engaged. that went off without a hitch (excuse the pun) so that was good.

apart from that i have been, in this order, working working working. got to try to finish that phd thing some time before september.

was sick the other week and spent a couple of days at home watching dvds with minorearth. we saw Ned Kelly, Young Adam and Love Actually. i wouldn't rate any of them amongst the best films i've seen, but most were watchable. young adam got quite boring toward the end.

found a news article that may interest some out there (stole it from urbankat actually)

back to work

Fri, 02 Apr 2004 16:12:38 GMT

So minorearth and I arrived back in glasgow on Monday night, safe and sound. Back at work, almost into the swing of things. It's nice when things work, I'm sure I've noted before. Just came out of a meeting which lasted more than an hour in which my last 2 research topics were discussed and i should only have a tiny bit more research left, then writing writing writing. In that order.

It was good being in oz for a nice holiday, and to see talisen and others. Hopefully we will see them all again real soon.

In other news I'm still addicted to computer games and, much to my chagrin, coffee. Woe is me. I hate addiction :(

milestones

Mon, 01 Mar 2004 15:43:56 GMT

this week will be a week of milestones. today, minorearth and i have been going out for 6 months. it's been 6 of the best months of my life and i'd like the world to know how happy i am.

also this week, minorearth will have many milestones, including (but not limited to) first time overseas, first time in a plane, first time in australia, first time meeting any of my relatives and i'm sure many others.

but first i have to give a research talk and do lots of work.

only 2 more sleeps!!!!

so bloody tired

Fri, 27 Feb 2004 16:42:56 GMT

argh so tired! and sitting in front of the computer trying to write a talk all day doesn't help very much either...

and it's freezing cold (for glasgow anyway)

not long now till we'll be enjoying the sun and sand. i cannot wait!

we rock!

Thu, 26 Feb 2004 15:36:05 GMT

well it's been a big fencing week since i last posted. first we had the student individual championships, which we were hosting. lots of running around and stress later we actually got to fence. did pretty poorly in foil (25/35) but c'est la vie.

then yesterday we had a big day - the busa shield last 16 knockout. we were fencing against leeds uni, away! it took 4 hours to get there, we fenced for 2.5 hours then another 4 hours back. but we kicked there arses!!! the score was something like 97-133. oh yeah! and i thought i fenced reasonably well as well.

lecturers and research staff are on strike today so i'm at home. have been intending on doing work but have been procrastinating something shocking. i've cleaned my room for the first time in about 3 months, burned a cd of photos for a mate which i've been intending on doing since november, fixed the gas/electricity bills and written in lj. :P

oh yeah and the boiler is back boiling again. yay for warmth!!

better work.

letting agents

Fri, 20 Feb 2004 10:21:41 GMT

well at the moment i'm cold. i was cold last night because there was no heating in the flat. the boiler decides to cut out whenever it feels like it, usually just after i've gone to sleep and it gets coooooold in my room. just called the letting agents for the second time to get it fixed and they said they'd send out a tradesman ("engineer") this afternoon. which of course means that i have to stay home from uni, putting me back a day in my work. i wonder what would happen if they were letting to someone who had a job and couldn't just stay home?

anyway i have a day off and no work at home.

such is life.

in other news

Thu, 19 Feb 2004 12:52:35 GMT

it's a lovely sunny (but still chilly) day here in glasgow. we've been pretty lucky this month as far as sunny days goes. as my office is south-facing and double-glazed, after a short amount of sunlight (even clouded over) it feels like early spring in brisbane! maybe not like it is there at the moment (41 degrees predicted this weekend. awesome!) but comfortable nonetheless.

our fencing team has drawn an away match against leeds uni next week for the last 16 of the busa shield comp. that means that we have to travel god-knows-how-many hours there and back for a couple of hours fencing. great. we'd better win after all that! it should be a good match since they are first runners-up in their division and we won ours no worries.

and the shock news of the week: two of my oldest friends who were going out, one of whom was my first high-school mate, have split up. i think they started going out about the beginning of 1999. i'm sorry to hear about it. keep smiling both of you (don't think they read this but anyway maybe talisen can pass it on).

stress

Thu, 19 Feb 2004 11:33:01 GMT

i think that living with someone who doesn't share your views on things such as cleanliness must be one of the most stressful things in life. i'd be stretching to find a handful of things i find more stressful than coming home from a long day to find that last weekend's rostered cleaning still hasn't been done and it's wednesday! i think what really gets to me is the "when i feel like it" attitude that shows absolutely no respect for other people. that sort of thing is fine when you live alone but other people might not fit into your shedule. for example one of your flatmates might want to cook between the time when you use every available pot, pan and piece of bench space and the time you decide to clean it up (which may or may not be the same day) (not to mention that there is only one saucepan since you've failed to replace the one that you destroyed). do it as soon as you can (not meaning when you've finished watching your 3 hours tv and fart-arsed around on your computer for another 3). what makes it even more frustrating is that the particular flatmate in question thinks that he's a clean, tidy person and that whenever i chat to him about the above (using much more pleasant language of course), he thinks i'm being arrogant and unreasonable. i could go on but it's just too stressful.

rant over - for now...

eq and sq shite

Thu, 19 Feb 2004 08:18:15 GMT

so i did the little testy things which sasori posted. i am exactly what people always tell me i am. my eq was 31 which is below average and my sq was 41 which is above average. both tests mentioned aspergers in my range. draw your own conclusions. that is all

waste of time

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 18:59:56 GMT

hate realising that i've wasted hours of my day finding a mistake that i shouldn't have made in the first place.

also

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 15:22:07 GMT

i've been playing dk2 far too much to be healthy. damn you dk2!

work et al

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 10:50:46 GMT

although, as i wrote last time, it's frustrating when shit goes wrong, it sets you up for a thrill when things go right. so hopefully i've fixed the mistake, which didn't effect too much, and i can get on with it. it's nice when that happens!

for anyone who noticed and/or cares (minorearth?), i'm sorry that i was such a grumpy arsehole on the weekend. i need to learn to deal with my stress better and not take it out on people around me who i don't want to hurt.