Sunday, April 30, 2006
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Something Awful Makes Me Cry
My new favourite site.
If there is one thing i like more than eating a whole packet of Mint Slices while watching Richard Dean Anderson under the thrall of a mind controlling alien is laughing at people being horribly cruel and mean to L0oz3rs.
Fashion SWAT
Fulfills all my needs in this area. Think Threadbared meets Go Fug Yourself but not as polite.
I loves them all but Street Style, MySpace, Tattoos and Halloween are my favs.
Plus it makes me feel better about myself.
If there is one thing i like more than eating a whole packet of Mint Slices while watching Richard Dean Anderson under the thrall of a mind controlling alien is laughing at people being horribly cruel and mean to L0oz3rs.
Fashion SWAT
Fulfills all my needs in this area. Think Threadbared meets Go Fug Yourself but not as polite.
I loves them all but Street Style, MySpace, Tattoos and Halloween are my favs.
Plus it makes me feel better about myself.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Baby Fronti
Okay. I'm sure someone said somewhere that Fridays are for gratuitous posts of pets. So here's a picture I've been meaning to post for ages. This is my 'larger' kitty road testing Speedy's pram. It was at our place so Mr Tops could fix a weld on one of the axels.
Fronti loved it. He was lost for a little while without it. But we can confirm that the pram is good up to 10 kgs.
Fronti loved it. He was lost for a little while without it. But we can confirm that the pram is good up to 10 kgs.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Sunday, April 23, 2006
It's really not funny, but I had to laugh
Poor Private Jake Kovco, 25. (Yahoo 7 article)
It came on the news headlines on ABC tonight. The poor bastard accidentally shot himself in the head while cleaning his pistol. I did laugh because it's so rediculous.
Not that I assume Private Jake Kovco, 25, was an idiot. He, at least, wasn't only 19. Maybe he was hungover? Maybe he'd just had a row with his girlfriend on the mobile? I'm sure he was aware that the first step of Gun Maintenance 101 required checking that the damn thing was unloaded! Maybe his buddies were playing a prank?
(Or it's just occured to me that maybe his girlfreind dumped him on the mobile and he was so distraught he got pissed with his buddies then shot himself in the head)
This comes in the middle of a barrage of shows and documentaries that laud our Australian heroes that survived or died at Gallipoli.
Now, you know, I can't see that poor old Private Jake Kovco, 25, is any more or less of a hero than any other poor fucker that took a bullet or died of dysentry in service to their country.
They all say that Gallipoli was a defining moment in the history of our nation. Fuck that!
I'm really not keen on the idea of a nation that sent thousands to die at the orders of incompetant foreign commanders. It's not a legacy I'd choose as a highlight for my country.
Don't think I'm denegrating the memory of the heroes. I'm not. There were real heroes at Gallipoli (just as there were real people who shat themselves in terror or died screaming for their mums). There just shouldn't have had to have been any.
And when any politician calls on our brave legacy when they send some more poor fuckers off to war it makes me want to puke.
It came on the news headlines on ABC tonight. The poor bastard accidentally shot himself in the head while cleaning his pistol. I did laugh because it's so rediculous.
Not that I assume Private Jake Kovco, 25, was an idiot. He, at least, wasn't only 19. Maybe he was hungover? Maybe he'd just had a row with his girlfriend on the mobile? I'm sure he was aware that the first step of Gun Maintenance 101 required checking that the damn thing was unloaded! Maybe his buddies were playing a prank?
(Or it's just occured to me that maybe his girlfreind dumped him on the mobile and he was so distraught he got pissed with his buddies then shot himself in the head)
This comes in the middle of a barrage of shows and documentaries that laud our Australian heroes that survived or died at Gallipoli.
Now, you know, I can't see that poor old Private Jake Kovco, 25, is any more or less of a hero than any other poor fucker that took a bullet or died of dysentry in service to their country.
They all say that Gallipoli was a defining moment in the history of our nation. Fuck that!
I'm really not keen on the idea of a nation that sent thousands to die at the orders of incompetant foreign commanders. It's not a legacy I'd choose as a highlight for my country.
Don't think I'm denegrating the memory of the heroes. I'm not. There were real heroes at Gallipoli (just as there were real people who shat themselves in terror or died screaming for their mums). There just shouldn't have had to have been any.
And when any politician calls on our brave legacy when they send some more poor fuckers off to war it makes me want to puke.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Kinda disturbing perhaps, but actually very cool indeed
Well. We are all doomed.
I have borrowed *cough* this from Mattley but I can't think of people to whom it more applies.
Yes, we are all doomed! But that, apparently, is a good thing... Read on.
----------
You have a 50/50 chance of having a specific parasite in your brain.
Specifically, the Toxoplasma gondii bacteria.
Which is fine, of course, because the human immune system will kick it's ass, so if you've got it, you'll probably never know. It doesn't even particularly want to be there, since it can't lay eggs, or transfer to it's preferred hosts or vestors.It prefers to live in a cat's digestive system, eating cat food, and laying eggs. So when the cat does it's business, the eggs end up on the ground waiting for other animals - let's call them vectors. Like, say, rats.
When Toxoplasma infects a rats' brain, you see, it makes changes to the rat's brain. Normally, if a rat bumps into anything smelling like a cat, it'll freak and run away. Toxoplasma infected rats, though, actually like the smell of cats. Cat pee makes them curious. They'll hunt for hours looking for the source.
Which is a cat.
Which eats them.
And that makes Toxoplasma happy, since it *really* wants to live in the stomach of a cat.
But nothing like that works on humans, right? Well, here's the strange thing. No one's *quite* sure what Toxoplasma does to human beings. But: when researchers observed a bunch of people with and without Toxoplasma, gave them personality tests, watched them, interviewed people who knew them, that kind of thing, this is what they learnt.
Men infected with Toxoplasma don't shave every day, don't wear ties that much, and don't like following social rules.
Women infected with Toxoplasma like to spend money on clothes, and they tend to have lots of friends. Apparently the rest of us think they're more attractive than non-infected women.
In general, the researchers found that infected people were considered more interesting to be around.
In contrast, people without Toxoplasma are more likely to follow the rules. If you lend them money, they're more likely to pay you back. They show up for work on time. The men get into fewer fights. The women have fewer boyfriends.
Maybe it's just that people who like having cats around always hated getting to work on time, and cats wouldn't if they had any work to go to. They adopted cats, and then got Toxoplasma.
Either way, it's fascinating.
----------
So. Hands up?
I have borrowed *cough* this from Mattley but I can't think of people to whom it more applies.
Yes, we are all doomed! But that, apparently, is a good thing... Read on.
----------
You have a 50/50 chance of having a specific parasite in your brain.
Specifically, the Toxoplasma gondii bacteria.
Which is fine, of course, because the human immune system will kick it's ass, so if you've got it, you'll probably never know. It doesn't even particularly want to be there, since it can't lay eggs, or transfer to it's preferred hosts or vestors.It prefers to live in a cat's digestive system, eating cat food, and laying eggs. So when the cat does it's business, the eggs end up on the ground waiting for other animals - let's call them vectors. Like, say, rats.
When Toxoplasma infects a rats' brain, you see, it makes changes to the rat's brain. Normally, if a rat bumps into anything smelling like a cat, it'll freak and run away. Toxoplasma infected rats, though, actually like the smell of cats. Cat pee makes them curious. They'll hunt for hours looking for the source.
Which is a cat.
Which eats them.
And that makes Toxoplasma happy, since it *really* wants to live in the stomach of a cat.
But nothing like that works on humans, right? Well, here's the strange thing. No one's *quite* sure what Toxoplasma does to human beings. But: when researchers observed a bunch of people with and without Toxoplasma, gave them personality tests, watched them, interviewed people who knew them, that kind of thing, this is what they learnt.
Men infected with Toxoplasma don't shave every day, don't wear ties that much, and don't like following social rules.
Women infected with Toxoplasma like to spend money on clothes, and they tend to have lots of friends. Apparently the rest of us think they're more attractive than non-infected women.
In general, the researchers found that infected people were considered more interesting to be around.
In contrast, people without Toxoplasma are more likely to follow the rules. If you lend them money, they're more likely to pay you back. They show up for work on time. The men get into fewer fights. The women have fewer boyfriends.
Maybe it's just that people who like having cats around always hated getting to work on time, and cats wouldn't if they had any work to go to. They adopted cats, and then got Toxoplasma.
Either way, it's fascinating.
----------
So. Hands up?
Friday, April 21, 2006
It's all about me
If you want to see photos of cunning things what have been made for Torbenspang, you should go here
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Jetlag
3+ hour drive and several hundred years.
Turning up to work this morning to discover that yesterday the toilet/shower on the floor above sprung a leak and was still dripping behind my desk... and that in the process of trying to fix said leak they had buggered up another pipe the contents of which ended up dripping ON my desk.
Can I go back now?
Turning up to work this morning to discover that yesterday the toilet/shower on the floor above sprung a leak and was still dripping behind my desk... and that in the process of trying to fix said leak they had buggered up another pipe the contents of which ended up dripping ON my desk.
Can I go back now?
Well we went, we drank, we fought, we ate a lot of meat, we laughed and we got a whole lot of new "No shit! There we were..." stories.
There are a bunch of photos on my Flickr account- SCA set. (it starts from the end, but i'm sure you guys can work it out)
Here are a few for your perusal and pleasure.
Posing with our new toys, which were a hoot to use and even mostly effective.
For Battle- We had both types.
It wasn't all war. An army needs a balance diet of meat, eggs, chocolate and beer. None was lacking in our campsite. The most cunning clockwork spitjack made by Mr Tops/Corin and the Iron Chef doing strange things with eggs.
The children taking back thier fort from the Knights, was compared to 'Lord of the Flies' crossed with a Zerg rush. One of the funniest thing i have seen.
I could put photos up all day, but check the rest out on Flickr if you wish.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
It's a sick sad world
I was looking at the tres amusement Needs to be Glassed site and they had a link to a Marie Claire article about men who 'have relationships' with dolls. NotBarbie dolls but blow up dolls. They claim that they've been unlucky in relationships before and this way they can be fulfilled. At no point do they seem to realise that they are complete freaks who shouldn't be allowed out.
'I bought Rebecca a few months ago with the money left from my redundancy payment,' he recalls. 'In my imagination, she's 14 and earns pocket money by working in her school library. 'She's very important to me,' he continues. 'I feel affection for her which goes beyond sexual desire.'
One of the lines used by a maker of these things is;
The way Malcolm speaks of Rebecca leaves you wondering whether, at best, he is a fantasist or, at worst, psychotic with paedophile tendencies. Psychologist Ron Bracey is alarmed that these dolls allow their owners to indulge in fantasies that would be criminal acts in the real world. 'Who knows where consciousness begins,' Malcolm muses, worringly. 'Think of the Frankenstein monster, made from bits of dead bodies and brought to life by a flash of lightning. Is he dead or alive? A lot of people treat their dogs like children, so why is it mad to imagine a doll has feelings when she looks far more like a real woman than a dog looks like a child?'
Uhm, maybe because a dog can actually express emotion.
Now I need to go and scrub myself with a wire brush and dettol just to feel clean again
'I bought Rebecca a few months ago with the money left from my redundancy payment,' he recalls. 'In my imagination, she's 14 and earns pocket money by working in her school library. 'She's very important to me,' he continues. 'I feel affection for her which goes beyond sexual desire.'
One of the lines used by a maker of these things is;
The way Malcolm speaks of Rebecca leaves you wondering whether, at best, he is a fantasist or, at worst, psychotic with paedophile tendencies. Psychologist Ron Bracey is alarmed that these dolls allow their owners to indulge in fantasies that would be criminal acts in the real world. 'Who knows where consciousness begins,' Malcolm muses, worringly. 'Think of the Frankenstein monster, made from bits of dead bodies and brought to life by a flash of lightning. Is he dead or alive? A lot of people treat their dogs like children, so why is it mad to imagine a doll has feelings when she looks far more like a real woman than a dog looks like a child?'
Uhm, maybe because a dog can actually express emotion.
Now I need to go and scrub myself with a wire brush and dettol just to feel clean again
Monday, April 17, 2006
lemmings, the next generation
The new lemming grand pooh-bah in waiting. Too cute not to share! (I may be biased though)
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Who's With Me?
11 August - 10 September
Tickets are $99 A Reserve down to $59 C Reserve, $10 cheaper Friday arvo at 4, $10 dearer Friday evening or weekend. I'd like to book soon, and don't much care what day. Who's with me?
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Gathering A Shite Load Of Moss
Just when i was coping with the hordes of Royal Easter Show peeps, with thier road blockades, thier over sized pink fuzzy hats, thier shambling under a tonne of show bag crap. Well it just got worse.
I managed to find one of two remaining carparks in the Aquatic Centre and Gym, wondering why the crowds and cars had tripled and gotten alot, lot, lot older.
Then some one mentioned some band was playing at the Telstra Stadium...ahhh whateves i thought, she'll be right.
Leaving after my workout, it took me near 30 minutes to go what is normally 5 minutes.
Yes Amanda i'm looking at you and your ilk....i was trying to spot you within a sea of tight black jeans and tshirts with big tongues as they ambled past.
Hope it was a good show, next time go to China....
I managed to find one of two remaining carparks in the Aquatic Centre and Gym, wondering why the crowds and cars had tripled and gotten alot, lot, lot older.
Then some one mentioned some band was playing at the Telstra Stadium...ahhh whateves i thought, she'll be right.
Leaving after my workout, it took me near 30 minutes to go what is normally 5 minutes.
Yes Amanda i'm looking at you and your ilk....i was trying to spot you within a sea of tight black jeans and tshirts with big tongues as they ambled past.
Hope it was a good show, next time go to China....
Friday, April 07, 2006
History will take its revenge, and retribution will not limp in catching up with us.
In one of those little moments where a name which has always lurked in the background as an unspoken part of your own back-story suddenly leaps into the spotlight, I watched Good Night, and Good Luck tonight, and Edward R. Murrow came to call. As the opening credits rolled, I knew the name, but couldn't place it. McCarthy of course I know, and Murrow was that guy, right? With the stuff and the words? Oh yes, this man had the words.
The movie is well done, being more-or-less a reinactment of Murrow's speech to the Radio Television News Directors Association with referrences from Murrow's life, particularly around the McCarthy era. If you have seen this film, and are somehow having trouble with the flaming-half-brick-in-a-sock subtlety of its parallels to the more recent "wid me er agin me" school of American internal politics, then just nip off and read that speech; its pretty much the movie word-for-word. If you haven't seen it yet, I heartily recommend it - Clooney writing and directing (and playing essentially a bit part) manages an artful cast in re-telling the spirit of Murrow's intent by re-arranging his own words to better effect.
No, seriously; go back and read the speech.
No, ALL of it. Its worth it.
Everything he said 50 years ago still applies, only moreso. I say this knowing full well that at least half of my audience couldn't be bothered to own a TV anymore, but honestly couldn't you just see it coming when he says "We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information." and "television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse and insulate us"? Michael Moore? Michael Moore had hardly been BORN yet. Clooney may be just using an eloquent man to tell a current tale, but honestly who could blame him? Its a good story, and they're good words. If you have a taste for Murrow's language and your stomach isn't easily turned by a phrase, listen to his account of visiting a German concentration camp in 1945. "If I have offended you..." he says, "I am not in the least sorry." More than anything, this movie reminded me that maintaining power through fear isn't a new trick; its been going on since the first caveman did a bad wolf howl just outside the cave - and it'll keep on working unless you watch em close.
"This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box."
The movie is well done, being more-or-less a reinactment of Murrow's speech to the Radio Television News Directors Association with referrences from Murrow's life, particularly around the McCarthy era. If you have seen this film, and are somehow having trouble with the flaming-half-brick-in-a-sock subtlety of its parallels to the more recent "wid me er agin me" school of American internal politics, then just nip off and read that speech; its pretty much the movie word-for-word. If you haven't seen it yet, I heartily recommend it - Clooney writing and directing (and playing essentially a bit part) manages an artful cast in re-telling the spirit of Murrow's intent by re-arranging his own words to better effect.
No, seriously; go back and read the speech.
No, ALL of it. Its worth it.
Everything he said 50 years ago still applies, only moreso. I say this knowing full well that at least half of my audience couldn't be bothered to own a TV anymore, but honestly couldn't you just see it coming when he says "We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information." and "television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse and insulate us"? Michael Moore? Michael Moore had hardly been BORN yet. Clooney may be just using an eloquent man to tell a current tale, but honestly who could blame him? Its a good story, and they're good words. If you have a taste for Murrow's language and your stomach isn't easily turned by a phrase, listen to his account of visiting a German concentration camp in 1945. "If I have offended you..." he says, "I am not in the least sorry." More than anything, this movie reminded me that maintaining power through fear isn't a new trick; its been going on since the first caveman did a bad wolf howl just outside the cave - and it'll keep on working unless you watch em close.
"This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box."
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Never seen Titanic?
Neither have I. Now, thanks to cs at LP (post by Cristy) you don't have to. Watch it all in 30 seconds here, with bunnies. If you passionately love this movie, you may want to go to Cristy's post at LP (first link) and defend it cause most at LP can't seem to see the point of it. Kinda glad I never watched it now.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Monday, April 03, 2006
Pwerfect!
pip says: Ohohohhhooooh
pip says: But but but, whenever you work out what you are or arenot doing etc etc...
Meg says: ?
pip says: i have to lend you something
Meg says: yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
pip says: any guesses?
Meg says: nooooooooo.......................................
pip says: okay, think of a funky song....
pip says: happy funky song....
pip says: got one?
pip says: ?
Meg says: yeeeeeessss
pip says: Right. Who is it by?
Meg says: Cat Empire ;-)
pip says: Right!
pip says: So, guess who has a new album out that hasn't been advertised at all that i can see, except to put posters up in music shop windows up and down kingSt?
Meg says: AERGH
pip says: And.
pip says: guess who owns it.
Meg says: i love you
pip says: But but but, whenever you work out what you are or arenot doing etc etc...
Meg says: ?
pip says: i have to lend you something
Meg says: yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
pip says: any guesses?
Meg says: nooooooooo.......................................
pip says: okay, think of a funky song....
pip says: happy funky song....
pip says: got one?
pip says: ?
Meg says: yeeeeeessss
pip says: Right. Who is it by?
Meg says: Cat Empire ;-)
pip says: Right!
pip says: So, guess who has a new album out that hasn't been advertised at all that i can see, except to put posters up in music shop windows up and down kingSt?
Meg says: AERGH
pip says: And.
pip says: guess who owns it.
Meg says: i love you
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