A wild night!

This is from the older photos, but it does give you some sense of hoe much fun we had. No apologies for the various liquor brands on show!

 

Humidity

Sydney is so fucken humid!

'Waterloo' voted best Eurovision song. 23/10/2005. ABC News Online

'Waterloo' voted best Eurovision song. 23/10/2005. ABC News Online: "'Waterloo' voted best Eurovision song

The worldwide hit Waterloo by the Swedish pop group ABBA has been voted the best song in the history of the Eurovision song contest.

A special show marking the 50th anniversary of the event was held in the Danish capital Copenhagen, and was broadcast to viewers in 31 countries.

ABBA broke up acrimoniously in the 1980s and was not present, but other winners did perform.

The Eurovision song contest has a huge following with many fans revelling in what critics say is a mix of kitsch costumes, bad music, vacuous lyrics and second-rate performances."

Squeeze the Jesus

Hieronymous Wierix "Christ in the wine press" 

Ken, Oh Ken

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/comeback-ken-fights-for-barbie/2005/10/21/1129775933841.html

More more evolving

Caller, Carla, says the scientist earlier said God could have used evolution to creat the world and there was nothing about God creating the world in six days. She says in the Bible, after each creation, it was evening, and morning, and the day. She says Christianity is based on the Bible, God's word. She believes it literally. She says creation happened 6,000 years ago and carbon dating methods are not accurate. She says it is based 'on a constant variable'. She says evolution is based on mutations and they are always for the worst. Delaney disagrees. He says people are evolving.

More relgion

Caller, Marianne, says religion was never any good. It stands for destruction and revolution. She watched another horrifying segment about Auschwitz on the ABC. It is absolutely terrible. She says science is the natural way because the world creates and destroys itself. She quotes in Latin that the story of Christ is a fable. She says we will have no wars if we stop religion.

Science talk!

Delaney says a number of Aust scientists have written to express their 'grave concern' that 'intelligent design' might be taught in schools. He speaks to Mike Archer, who says ID is a new phrase for creationism. It is aptly described as 'creationism in a tuxedo'. He says it is an attempt by the religious right, from the US, to try and get religion to replace or undermine science understanding in the community because they feel it threatens their religion and belief systems. He says Austs are more rational and clear-headed than the average American. Delaney agrees but is 'worried about the future'. He says it is easy to say that they're promoting an alternative scientific theory to evolution in school but in fact it is not science at all. Archer says the structure is really a religious belief system. The model that whatever science cannot explain is a work of God is not a satisfactory thing to do - it is in fact a violation of the logical argument called 'false dichotomy'. He says some of the examples put forward by intelligent designers 'smack of ignorance'. He says many of the examples are not as they claim 'irreducibly complex'. Delaney says by its nature, a fact or belief is not real by its very nature. The religionists point out that evolution is itself a theory that requires faith and therefore only as valid as intelligent design. Archer says that point is built on a misunderstanding of what is going on in science. He says evolution is not a theory but a model, comprised of thousands of theories. Delaney and Archer discuss the creation of the universe by way of water and snowflakes. Organic molecules have 'a compulsive need to bond into more complex structures'. Delaney asks if this violates 'the natural principle of entropy' (the second law of thermodynamics). Archer says that Isaac Newtown's argument was only for a an enclosed system - evolution takes place in an open system 'driven by the engine of solar energy'. There is nothing to violate the second law. Delaney asks if anything in science disproves religion. Archer points to 'theistic evolution', the variant taken by the Catholic and other mainstream churches - that God created the methods of science. No scientist nor creationist can disprove this point. God could have used evolution as a method of creation. He says creationists come unstuck because of their Biblical literalism. He says it is important to separate science and religion as they are apples and oranges. He says science doesn't involve a belief in absolutes. It is in fact always vulnerable to change - its ideas are always liable to being thrown out if disproved by testing. He says it is a self-checking process. He says intelligent design may be theologically questionable too.

Ducks!

"Delaney says the star of a West End comedy in London has been kidnapped two days before opening night. It is a duck, Daphne. The musical is 'Ducktastic'. The police investigate the crimescene. The theatre is not very far from Chinatown, where there are many restaurants famed for their Peking Duck dishes."

USYD Fisher Library

I am so fucken pissed off at Uni of Sydney Fisher Library right now. They have no access to Libraries Australia unless you do it through the tedious librarian who has no idea of even how to spell ‘cosmopolitanism’. Then they refuse to order a book from another uni because they have it in their collection already, even though someone else has borrowed it and its return would take a week! Today’s events, and others in the past, have demonstrated to me that the FL is more interested with money and balancing etc budgets than with help students do their research. It must be a Sydney thing to do though… long gone are the days of Adelaide Uni where I could borrow gratis any book from UniSA or Flinders Uni. OUCHIES!

I am very determined to sit in front of Fisher and hand out pamphlets of what I think is wrong with the system. Instead of nailing theses to the door, I shall hand them out. I wonder if I have to speak to student council etc bullshit about such a move, or whether I can just get a chair/table and sit! Oh, and would Campus Security, which is of course contracted out, come and remove me? I think library reform is crucial to a properly functioning university.

Now I have to go to UNSW and pay $50 for an annual fee that expires on Feb 28 (not kidding) just because I want to borrow a book. Some cunt has borrowed almost the entire Kymlicka oeuvre out of Fisher. I think I may know who it is, but I’m not going to point the ‘dirty’ multi-culti finger!

Same old

So so tired. So so lazy. A woeful attempt at an oral presentation today. I really need to get off this internet stuff and onto my books or I shall regret it terribly much.

Had Happy Chef tonight, was okay! Must learn how to make it myself!

A weekend in the country!

Yes, yes.

 

My mate Brad drove me up to near Maitland. It's beautiful in this part of Australia. We went to an antique auction preview, which was nice. Then to the bowling club buffet where I pigged out, especially on the dessert menu.

 

It's so quiet here, and being woken up by birdsong is enchanting! I am so lazy, can't be bothered to do anything... which I guess is okay, but I can't help feel unproductive--not that I'd do anything to rectify the situation.

 

This birdflu problem in Romania is quite a worry. I hope they resolve it soon. Speaking of which, where the fuck is my passport for that country? I want it. I may call the consulate! Not sure what time we're heading back to Sydney and I'm not that game to ask. It's probably best I just let that decision be made by the driver. I wish the weather would warm up... I feel like going for a swim at out pool.

 

They have delicious sourdough bread here. It's so yum, I may take the kalamata olive variety back down to Sydney.

 

Well, enough for now. My fucking Nokia 7600 is still annoying me. I wonder if it's Optus' fault or the phone per se? I will pursue the matter when I have more time. I really should get more reading done.

Number of blind people drops: WHO - Yahoo! Australia & NZ News

Thursday October 13, 12:03 AM AAP

Number of blind people drops: WHO


Featured on Yahoo!
Celebrity news and gossipNEWS AND GOSSIP!
Celebrity special.
Office AttachmentsBRAND NEW!
Office Attachments.
Shane WarneSLIDESHOW:
2005 World Cricket Awards.

Top Stories
• Australia still low tax nation: Costello
• Possible police role in 2002 Bali attack
• Kerin confident of defeating challenger
• Bad weather hits quake-stricken Pakistan
• Howard rejects RSL's Anzac Day fears
• Tourism body pleads for $12m handout
• WTO talks take leap forward: Vaile
• Search to continue for missing sailor
• Joyce threatens to cross floor again

The number of blind people worldwide, including 50,000 Australians, has started to dwindle for the first time, a World Health Organisation (WHO) report shows.

Melbourne ophthalmologist Hugh Taylor, of Eye Research Australia, said numbers had decreased from around 45 million in 2000 to about 38 million people despite world population growth.
ADVERTISEMENT

He said the report showed the strategies developed by the WHO's Vision 2020: The Right to Sight campaign, were starting to impact.

Before the campaign, WHO had forecast blindness would affect 55 million people by 2020.

Professor Taylor said the latest WHO report, to be released on Thursday in Geneva, referred to work in Australia towards the prevention of blindness and vision loss on a global scale.

Yet he said of the estimated 50,000 Australians suffering from blindness and the half a million with visual impairment, up to three-quarters of their eye problems were caused by conditions which were either preventable or treatable.

"Although we're doing well, we can actually do one heck of a lot better," Prof Taylor said in an interview to mark World Sight Day.

He said around 40,000 Australians were on public hospital waiting lists for cataract surgery, some having to suffer for years before being operated on.

The husband of 79-year-old Thelma Goronszy, of Redcliffe, north of Brisbane, told earlier this year of how she died in January, 2004, while waiting for a cataract operation.

Herbert Goronszy, 81, said in July his wife was almost blind, which led to her making a mistake with self-administered diabetes medication, an error that resulted in her death.

Prof Taylor said the community could not afford to have people waiting too long for cataract surgery.

"The cost ... of the increased falls and fractures and demand on community services is enormous and cataract surgery is so cost effective," he said.

Anyone who noticed a change in their vision should have their eyes examined straight away, Prof Taylor said.

"You're not going to fracture your leg and say: `Oh look, it's not such a problem. I'll wait until after Christmas to get it examined'," he said.

"You'll go off and get it examined right away. If you notice a change in vision, don't put it off until after Christmas.

"If there's something that can be treated, it's important that it gets treated quickly so you don't lose vision permanently."

Prof Taylor said people at high risk of vision impairment, such as the over 75s, diabetics and those with a family history of glaucoma should have eye checks every two years.

Otherwise, he advised people to have eye examinations by an ophthalmologist or optometrist every five years.

A game of chess!

Well here’s an interesting match. I will try and get it up on chessgames.com—I realise the sense of vanity! But it was a really interesting game! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Event "rated blitz match"]
[Site "freechess.org"]
[Date "2005.10.12"]
[Round "?"]
[White "ozebloke"]
[Black "mallowisious"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1304"]
[BlackElo "1145"]
[ECO "D00"]
[TimeControl "300+2"]

1. d4 d5 2. e3 e6 3. Bd3 c5 4. c3 c4 5. Bc2 Nc6 6. Nd2 Nf6 7. f4 b5 8. Ngf3 b4 9. O-O bxc3 10. bxc3 Bd6 11. Ne5 Qc7 12. Ndf3 O-O 13. Qe2 Ne4 14. Bxe4 dxe4 15. Ng5 Ba6 16. Qh5 h6 17. Ngxf7 Rxf7 18. Nxf7 Qxf7 19. Qxf7+ Kxf7 20. f5 exf5 21. Rxf5+ Ke6 22. Rf2 Rb8 23. Rb2 Rxb2 24. Bxb2 g5 25. Rf1 Bb5 26. g3 a5 27. Kg2 g4 28. Rd1 h5 29. d5+ Ke5 30. dxc6 Bxc6 31. h3 a4 32. a3 Bd7 33. h4 Ke6 34. Rd4 Bc5 35. Rxe4+ Kd5 36. Rd4+ Bxd4 37. cxd4 Ke4 38. Kf2 Bc6 39. Bc3 Kd3 40. Bb4 c3 41. Bxc3 Kxc3 42. Ke2 Kb3 43. Kd3 Kxa3 44. Kc2 Be4+ 45. Kc3 Ka2 46. Kc4 a3 47. d5 Kb2 48. d6 Bc6 49. e4 a2 50. e5 a1=Q 51. e6 Qc1+ 52. Kb4 Qe1+ 53. Kc5 Qxe6 54. Kxc6 Kc2 55. Kc7 Kd2 56. d7 Qxd7+ 57. Kxd7 Ke3 58. Ke6 Kf3 59. Kf5 Kxg3 60. Kg5 Kh3 61. Kxh5 g3 62. Kg5 g2 63. h5 g1=Q+ 64. Kf6 Kh4 65. h6 Qg8 {ozebloke resigns}0-1

Rather, I think it is Australiana that is confronted by a woman in middle-eastern Islamic dress!! 

Art and About in Hyde Park... it's beautiful! 

Tired!

I had a mostly productive day today. I managed to read a bit, but the best news was getting extensions on two of the essays!! (That’s really good news!) I am quite tired now and have a headache. I went to Hyde Park and found something very interesting, which I will do tomorrow (I am so very tired). Had Italian Bowl tonight. Our strudel skills are improving each time we have a go!

Testing on Outlook

Well it's been an eventful day of tests to check out how make it all work, but this is the last one. If Outlook can deliver it, we're in business. Just had a bbq at Brad's place. I had Ocean Trout and it was delicious. Why must good things cost so much money? I am still recovering from it. Tomorrow I have to concentrate on homework... as the days/hours are escaping me. I wonder if I'll end up at 'The Happiest Place in Sydney'. I sincerely hope so.

 

Time to go to bed, as keeping my eyes open is becoming a battle.

Some delightful talkback from 2SM

Caller, Cedric, says Gary Stewart this morning had a lady on who was a Catholic who had married an Anglican person but it didn't matter. He says these days, when it comes to religion, rules mean nothing. He says in the secular world, rules and regulations are everything, if there's money involved. Delaney says the law applies to everybody but religious procedures and protocols don't. He says Christians have an indifference to their God, which is a problem. He says there is a snowballing effect of Islam going on. He says one should be worried about the release of terrorists in Indonesia. They discuss Abu Bakhar Bashir and his role in the Bali bombings. They discuss the possibility of reducing foreign aid to Indonesia. Cedric says Muslims are proud of their faith, but are not a proud people. He says most Muslims are nice people. They agree that there is some mistrust in the community about them, but this is often unfounded. It is the extremists who are a worry.
******
Delaney says Suzy Dent has written a book called 'Fanboys and Overdogs: the language report". He says the fanboy is a guy who's absorbed by a passion for comic books or computer games. The book looks at newly-coined words that will enter the dictionary in 10 years' time or so. It has examine the English language and its changes in the past 100 years. Last year's Word of the Year was 'podcasting'. This year's front-runner is 'sudoku'. He says in language today there is a tendency to 'big up' the language. Nothing is ever good or great, but rather 'over-wicked' and 'uber-buff'. Experts are 'meisters' and job titles have suffered this inflation. He gives various examples. The word 'crunk' is a conjunction of 'crazy' and 'drunk'.

Test x 2

Just seeing if this works... nothing exciting!

Testing using email post

I'm at work and kind of coping. That hot indian stuff from last night has sent me to the loo once so far. I wonder when the second bout comes? It was hot worth it! Ironically, having Indian again for lunch.

Epigramme du jour...

You ignore those who notice you and notice the ones who ignore you.

I have to work tomorrow!

I have to work tomorrow. Oh well, I really need the money so it should be fine. I had some really hot Chicken vindaloo from Tamana’s. I coped… but only just. Alan Jones is in trouble, so it should be good at work tomorrow.

I have to spend time on homework this weekend… and work out my three major essays…

Restuarant Twelve sux!

We went to restaurant Twelve just down on King St last night. It was far too over-priced for the shockingly bad level of service. The waitresses (no guys) were as if from a Mattel box. The food itself was okay, but the spinach gnocchi I could have had anywhere, and they would probably have been more perky. There was no atmosphere either. It was just loud and full of sharp lines and smooth, monochromatic planes. Not my idea of a good time at all.

The fact that Ms Accent forgot our order—she offered the dessert menu before the mains had arrived!—was a real let-down and held us up. I hate all these pseudo-Italian or pseudo-Euro places with Anglophonic chefs or owners names under the entrance. They’re thoroughly pretentious and if they can’t deliver a good night out and a decent plate of pasta for an entrée of $15 and a main of $20, well they should just be bombed out of existence.

I will attempt to do more reading today. I fell asleep yesterday whilst listening to 2MBS… I guess it was bound to happen. Must stay focussed!

These Christians will try anything... 

A yellow goodbye! 

Interesting shape... 

Perfect white! 

A field of red 

White is kind of pure and serene! 

Tulips a-plenty! 

This is a test-post of the yellow tulips at Bowral! 

Tulips at Bowral

Well, I went to Bowral today to look at tulips. It was a truly beautiful experience. The yellow ones remain my favourite. I have tried to post some photos using Picasa etc but it doesn’t seem to be working too well! Not sure about what to do. I may need some help, but not sure where to get it from. I made a cherry strudel using filo pastry. Mildly successful, but I forget the sugar! At least it didn’t fall apart like my previous attempts!

Beach-walking

We went for a long walk from Coogee beach up to Bondi, where I had some mákostészta at the Wellington Cake Shop. Beautiful!

I am excessively tired. Would have gone for a swim, except the building’s pool is not properly cleaned yet. All those leaves intimidate me a bit. Will be making spaghetti tonight… and old favourite, but done on a gas flame for the first time in ages. Quite exciting. Not sure what to do tonight. Tomorrow is a public holiday, and I am supposed to be going to Canberra for the tulip thing. I hope so much Brad is still taking me.

Test typing...

12. The Greeks in Ptolemaic Egypt

6. Deed of Divorce

BGU. 1103.                              13BC

Πρωτάρχωι παρα Ζωίδος τῆς Ἡρακλείδου μετὰ κυ-ρίου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Εἰρηναίου τοῦ Ἡρακλείδου καὶ παρὰ Ἀντιπάτρου [τ]οῦ Ζήνωνος. Συ[νχω-]ροῦσιν Ζωὶς καὶ Ἀντίπατρος κεχωρίσ[θ]αι ἀπ’ ἀλλήλων τῆς συστάης αὐτοῖ[ς συμ]βιώσεως κατὰ συγχώρησιν διὰ τοῦ [αὐ-]τοῦ κριτηρίου τῷ ἐνεστῶτι ιζ’ (ἔτει) Καίσαρ[ος] Ἁθύρ, ἡ δὲ Ζωὶς ἀπεσχηκέναι παρὰ τοῦ Ἀντιπάτρου διὰ χιρὸς ἐξ οἴκου ὅ εἶχεν εἰς φερνάριον ἱματίδια ἐν ἀργυ[ρί]ου δρα[χμαῖς]  

Air Force scares Santa's reindeer to death. 01/10/2005. ABC News Online

Air Force scares Santa's reindeer to death. 01/10/2005. ABC News Online: "Air Force scares Santa's reindeer to death

Santa Claus will receive $A6,571 in compensation from the Danish Air Force after an F-16 fighter jet frightened one of his reindeers to death.

Professional Danish Santa Olavi Niikanoff complained to the Air Force after a reindeer died of fright when a jet roared over the field where his animals were grazing.

Air Force spokesman Captain Morten Jensen says the Defence Force accepts responsibility.

'We acknowledge it was our fault and we have to pay compensation,' he said.

Capt Jensen says the Air Force regularly pays out sums of money to compensate for animals that die of fright when planes boom overhead.

- Reuters"

Had a really lazy day

Had a really lazy day today. Yum Cha at Sky Phoenix, which was nice. I like the way the food just keeps coming and coming, as if to overwhelm your capacity of making choices!

More Asian food tonight. May possibly be going to see tulips in Canberra on Monday, which is rather exciting! May go clubbing tonight, but have not yet decided. Have rediscovered the joys of SimCity4, but the little bugs make it frustrating. Their website does not currently sell the Rush Hour expansion pack, which is a pity!