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J O U R N A L
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Sunday, June 30
[Germany and friends]posted by peter at 23:48 .......I'm disappointed that Germany lost the world cup final, but I did expect that to be the case.
I'm trying to set up blogs for my friends Lisa, Gossy and Janine, but things aren't going according to plan.
I should be in bed... did no study today whatsoever. Spent quite a lot of time in Brighton, which was delightful as always. Mum and Dad also visited, which was splendid... I don't see them all that often these days, as Jamestown is such a long long way away... I wonder where Sonia is – possibly in Hobart? Or is that in the next few days? Who would know?
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[Marking]posted by peter at 10:41 .......I'm supposed to be marking 115 essays, each 1000 words long. 115,000 words. Like a novel or something. More than a thesis. However, I haven't received them yet, despite having been expecting them since monday, and asking for them since tuesday. Next week I have to study for an exam, work two full days, actually sit my exam, pack and ultimately leave for New Zealand. Thus, it would seem that this weekend is my last opportunity to mark them. But since I don't have the essays, I'm not sure what I can really do.
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[Threads]posted by peter at 15:57 .......It seems that one current theory suggests that the basis of all matter is threads... if you could see the smallest possible elements of matter, they would be threads. I'm no physicist, and I cannot recount the details, but conceptually I love this theory. What with threads intertwining all of our lives and binding the universe and all that. Although apparently these threads would be infinitely heavy, or something. I don't want them anywhere near me if that's the case.
It struck me when hearing this theory how easily science becomes a religion. What we have here is speculation on unobserved (and possibly unobservable) phenomena, around which meaning and discourse is constructed. I wonder whether perhaps even hope is attached to such theories. Don't get me wrong, I find scientific discoveries fascinating and illuminating, but what annoys me is how quickly many scientific commentators laugh off spiritual beliefs, when in actual fact they've built their own alternative.
It's far easier to prove that something is untrue. Truth often remains elusive.
[Sleep]posted by peter at 15:40 .......Evidently studies have shown that 7 hours is the optimum amount of sleep per night. Any more or less supposedly increases your chances of dying sooner. Gotta love a good statistic. If this is true, I'm not doing too badly. I've found that I've required much less sleep in recent months – I've been coping on four or five hours every now and then, but that really kills me. I tend to think that somewhere between 7 and 8 hours is what I need.
I fell asleep on the couch today while trying to study for my exam, which I think is more an indication of boredom than tiredness.
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[Odd]posted by peter at 21:54 .......I'm a big fan of late night shopping, however a weird thing happened in the supermarket tonight. I felt like some chocolate – not unusually – so decided to purchase a Hershey's bar. The guy at the checkout, who admittedly I did recognise, but certainly don't know, remarked that I seem to buy that particular product every single time I go to the supermarket. Somewhat taken aback, I replied by stating that actually this was not true. The reality is that I would have bought about four of these things in the last six months.
This story may seem inconsequential, but it was actually quite creepy because I felt that in some way I had been noticed, and information had been collected about me. And I'll make no secret of the fact that I hate the concept of falling into a routine; yes it leads to efficiency but it also leads to dull repetition and a dreary existence. So with both my privacy invaded and the suggestion made that I was some sort of routine shopper, I actually felt quite annoyed.
Little wonder my friends all tell me I'm paranoid.
[Weather systems]posted by peter at 15:56 .......What an amazing day! It has been characterised by intermittent bursts of torrential rain that created rivulets on the footpath, and cold, blustery wind which has made me reach for my jacket! It reminded me yet again of my pressing need for an umbrella – the last one turned inside out during heavy rain so in frustration I threw it directly in the bin.
Beajaye and I tried a new cafeteria today, at a hospital contiguous to the Women's and Children's. We'd been moping on about our own caf for a while, so thought we'd brave the elements and go a bit further in search of a delicious lunch. My foccacia was very nice, but it was a bit of a raw onion festival which isn't really my cup of tea. We've decided that the only thing for it is to step into the glorious world of North Adelaide cafe society far, far more often.
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[Follow]posted by peter at 08:37 .......More fun with flash can be found at NOOFLAT. Do check it out.
[Kyoto]posted by peter at 08:18 .......More news regarding our lame PM this morning... Australia's failure to ratify the Kyoto protocol has attracted more international criticism. I am sickened by this decision, which effectively communicates to the world that Australia couldn't give a toss about the possibility of global warming. Hello, we're the ones beneath the ozone hole, methinks we should be extremely concerned about atmospheric pollution.
But, no, our PM just sucks up to the US one more time. I don't know why he bothers – the rest of the world couldn't give a damn about Australia except for the fact that we're a good holiday destination and that we have super red wine. In fact, when he spoke in congress recently, most of the congressfolk didn't even bother showing up; evidently his audience consisted of trainees and the like. Hope they enjoyed it.
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[Junk food]posted by peter at 23:10 .......Today goes down as one of the worst in recent memory for the consumption of pure refined sugar and other unhealthy foodstuffs. I didn't start out too badly; had a healthy breakfast and so on. But then lunch was a festival of chocolate, with a chocolate muffin, a packet of Droste Pastilles and then a Rich Chocolate Vitasoy. Then I progressed to a cafe at which I consumed coffee, pita and dips, a glass of red wine and a bottle of Grolsch. I returned home and finished off a tub of Belgian Chocolate Häagen Dazs and then I felt guilty (or rather Deb made me feel guilty), so I ate an apple.
[New job]posted by peter at 22:57 .......I'm really anxious about starting my new job tomorrow, and I don't think there's any reason why I should be. I think primarily it is because I am beginning quite some time after my 'induction' (or whatever) and thus I am struggling to remember the objectives of my first session. All I am doing is meeting with the principal and a teacher, and I will have one of my bosses there to support me. I think what I fear most is how I have to somehow assimilate into the school culture – those places are like another world. I think once I have gotten it all over and done with I will feel a lot more settled, and hopefully I can wait until next term before my next session. (Although then probably all the momentum will be lost.)
[Glow]posted by peter at 14:02 .......Apparently the US Drug Enforcement Administration attempted to ban the use of glow sticks, claiming that they constituted 'drug paraphernalia'. Fortunately reason prevailed, and it was decided that inherently legal items cannot be banned simply because some people use them to heighten the effects of drugs. I'm somewhat surprised our own loser of a Prime Minister didn't throw his support behind the concept; he seems to want to replicate every other lame notion originating from that nation.
[Tasty scam]posted by peter at 13:40 .......Well I've gotta hand it to Foodland in North Adelaide. Full marks for ingenuity. Why not advertise something on special for a few weeks, all the while secretly charging 15c more than the advertised price? I already told them once. And in actual fact the scanning code of practice states that I would be entitled to the item for free. But to be honest, I couldn't be bothered with all the rigmarole.
I'm writing in a very fragmented fashion today. Must be careful with that sort of thing – the results can be misconstrued.
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[Carbon]posted by peter at 11:22 .......I've just printed all of my lecture notes for e-commerce technology. Since I only attended about 4 lectures during the semester, there was quite a backlog. I feel like a living carbon isotope... very very unstable. I wish I could find out how I did in my final assignment. If I got a good enough mark I wouldn't even have to bother studying for the exam. But at this point I just can't risk it.
I'm gonna go and look at some backpacks now... then spend the afternoon studying. I won't procrastinate. I just won't.
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[And London's swinging...]posted by peter at 17:19 .......Life must be elsewhere, somewhere far from here. Friggin' Noonday Underground are making me want to move overseas all the more.
[Absurdity]posted by peter at 17:14 .......We saw a fascinating woman in a cafe today. I guess living in Unley I should expect this sort of thing. She was dressed in faux-fur and sported a Versace handbag which had a large, spangly metallic emblem. Utterly overstated. We reached the conclusion that in actual fact these brands are just the Adidas (or worse still, Tommy Hilfiger) of the lame rich. I'll happily wear good quality clothing, but the concept of branding just doesn't sit well with me. This woman would have been much better off parting with her thousands on something subtle and stylish.
Mind you, if I found a branded shirt by A Bathing Ape here in Adelaide I would buy it in a flash. Why I didn't get one in Hong Kong defies explanation. So really I'm a complete hypocrite.
So many targets, so little time. That's what I always say.
[Sydney]posted by peter at 17:06 .......Sonia is in Sydney, again. I never know where she is. One minute we're having coffee on Unley Road, the next I get a phonecall from some miscellaneous interstate destination. Oh well, keeps things interesting I guess. And while I'm on the sister thing, it seems that Miriam might be heading back our way (from Fiji) sometime soon...?
Actually I intend to go to Sydney soon, possibly sometime in August. Sonia's got the whole thing planned. I just need to somehow scrape together the cash. Oh, that's right, I've got a credit card now... :)
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[Function]posted by peter at 17:10 .......I have to admit that the back-end of this site is horrendous. Dreadful file organisation and so on. Still, it works, and I don't think that something like this needs to be the epitome of website management. I get enough of that at work. But the good news is that I've worked around the server template problem (see last post) and now have operating archives. The bad news is that my house is still a filthy mess and the job of tidying it up looms ever nearer.
[Bear with me]posted by peter at 15:03 .......Seems the problems I'm having getting my archives to work are, according to Blogger: "due to an intermittent problem with the server the templates are stored on." Apparently they're currently trying to fix it. So please don't hate me when you find broken links! :)
[LTJ Bukem]posted by peter at 14:22 .......Well I certainly enjoyed seeing LTJ Bukem play last night. It was an excellent set, very long too. As per usual, the night was filled with strangeness, but good nonetheless.
When I got home, one of the transformers in our street had exploded, and all our lights were dimmed, before going out completely. I didn't hear the explosions, but apparently they were quite unsettling. Thank goodness our supermarket is open during the night, as it was possible to buy candles.
I need to stop letting friends come around at 5am, it's way too tiring.
Final piece of news: I bought Golden Sun for my gameboy advance yesterday. I haven't played it yet, and I'm not sure that I'm even interested in playing it for a while. Maybe after exams. Maybe this afternoon.
[inappropriate]posted by peter at 14:10 .......Hee hee, the funniest thing occurred last night. Deb was incredibly upset after England lost their soccer match against Brazil. She spent quite some time lamenting the loss, and while we were in a local shop she audibly exclaimed that she was so upset that she didn't know whether to cry or vomit. A nearby woman, who was dressed up in all the splendours her affluence provided, turned around and said "oh please, just cry", to which Deb responded "don't worry, I'll take it home luv"!!!! Hee hee.
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[telefon]posted by peter at 09:30 .......I don't know why, but for some reason I am often reluctant to make phone calls to strangers. Like if I have to organise something for work, as I have to do this morning. I much prefer email, but it's a bit too impersonal sometimes.
As for the archives on this site, well I haven't got them working yet. I just haven't had time to try. Not that there'd be anything in them yet, this being so fresh and new and all. I think I can live with the current 'page not found' or other runtime errors for a few more days.
This morning I have to go to Harvey Norman's. Part of my insurance claim was handled through them, and I have to go and finalise my account, as I still have around $18 left over. Perhaps I'll buy a toaster. I'm sick of having to use the grill to make toast because it's energy ineffecient and takes ages. And there are only so many times I can barge into the neighbours' house carrying a plate and slices of frozen bread before they'll start getting annoyed. Mind you, if they're going to leave solitary shoes lying around in our lounge and spill coffee on the floor all the time then I need feel no guilt.
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[Pleasant times in the 'fild']posted by peter at 09:13 .......I wached Pleasantville last night. It was one of those films that I'd seen before, but the viewing occurred at a party so I was too busy talking to really grasp the gist of the film. Upon second viewing, I actually really enjoyed it; the acting was good and it was really entertaining. Perhaps it tried to embrace a few too many themes though... not sure.
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[S... L... O... W...]posted by peter at 10:40 .......Ok, I realise that unfortunately this site loads slowly. That's because it's being served via a modem. And I'm not particularly interested in further optimising my images. I'm not a fan of blocky jpegs. Maybe I'll look into serving the images from a different, faster location. At least browser image caching works in this site's favour...
How difficult has it been to get washing dry lately? Temperamental weather and a shortage of time has led to the pile of washing that I'm gradually working my way through now. I hate twin tub washing machines. What I wouldn't give for one of those new-fangled automatics...
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[Leaving on a jet plane]posted by peter at 23:30 .......Bye bye Italy, Korea kicked yer ass!! How incredibly brilliant. And the moral of the story is: playing dirty gets you nowhere :)
[Korea...]posted by peter at 22:53 .......Oh my gosh, Korea have just equalised, it's about to be extra time, I can't handle it.
[Madness transpires]posted by peter at 21:44 .......This evening my flatmate Deb decided to belt a plate of spaghetti with a cooking utensil. She actually hit the still-warm foodstuff with a metal implement. Needless to say, it splattered all over the kitchen. Soon afterward we were cleaning thick red liquid from the walls and other kitchen surfaces. It actually looked really ace; kind of like a volcano, but slower. And of a much smaller magnitude. :)
Although messy, it was worth it for the laughs generated.
Sonia and I did go to The Store, which was delicious and suprisingly friendly. Then we migrated to Zambracca for hot drinks, biscuits and wine. What an ace cafe... the staff were so friendly, as was the atmosphere. I've been there heaps of times before, but it's never been this good.
It would seem from the shrieks emanating from downstairs that the World Cup game between Italy and Korea is extremely exciting. I feel compelled to go and watch it. I'm clearly barracking for Korea. They have cool hair.
Oh yeah, check out pippa's website. It's delightful. As is pippa. :)
[Begin existence]posted by peter at 16:35 .......Well I've finally gotten this online journal thing up and running, and it's been a bigger task than I'd thought. Not really difficult, more tedious, always having to upload/alter/ftp/whatever. Anyway, it's just about done now, just a small amount of fine tuning and it'll be finished. And i think I'll tweak the design a bit more too. In amongst study for exams and that sort of thing.
Tonight I'm going out for dinner with Sonia. She's picking me up in a few short moments, and we'll be going to The Store on Melbourne St, which is always delicious but the staff always rude. I've set aside this week for doing nothing related to uni, so this dinner excursion is a step in the right direction there :)
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