NE!

2009 October 30
by crystal

I went to Prahran today to visit the Chapel Street Bazaar.  I wanted an old phone.  One that doesn’t require power, so that I have a land-line phone during a blackout.  I particularly wanted one with a dial on the front, like the one we used to have when I was little.  Having checked local op-shops and coming up empty, the Bazaar was the only place I could think of that was sure to have one.  I found one, and in my favourite colour- green!  In fact it was exactly what I wanted!  Of course it cost way more than I was hoping (but not more than I expected) however it came with a three-month warranty, so I could take it back if it didn’t work.  Happy with that, I purchased it.

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No need to take it back, it works!!  Yay!!  And the cats should find it difficult sliding the phone off the hook like they did with my other one.

On my way to the Bazaar, I walked past Swinburne University.  My eye was caught by their sign.  My first thought upon seeing it was ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe they teach design there and they went with that!’  The design itself is not bad, it just reads badly. logoI don’t know how long they’ve had this design, but really ‘SWIN .  .  . BUR . . . NE’?  Swin burnie?  We are the students who say “Ne!” I bet the designer demanded to be paid with a shrubbery.

I do know a little bit about what I’m talking about, as I did study design at . . . eh-hm . . . Swin  bur  ne.  (Oh dear)

 

Foiled That Dastardly Cat! Take II

2009 October 9
by crystal

You may remember my ingenious creative solution to stopping my cat Fang from getting into the kitchen scrap bin.  It worked for some time, but now it seems he is able to open it again.  Seems he’s addicted to tea bags!

I’ve come up with a second even more ingenious solution.  I can’t see him getting this one open any time soon, unless he works out how to tip it over.

DSC00105Those rocks are glued on with Liquid Nails, so good luck getting them off Fang.

Two Highly Recommended Podcasts

2009 September 26
by crystal

Attention Gamers . . . The Black Panel’s podcast can now be subscribed to on iTunes.  Click Here.

If you love games and great conversation with people who know what they’re talking about then this is definitely for you.  I’m not a gamer so listen to Miztres who is:

The Podcast was pretty techie as you know, really above my level, but they kept the conversation to my level so I could follow along well enough.  For example the talk about a rumoured massively big Xbox360.  As soon as I heard that I went “Why?  What for?”  Well they told me what for….not that it’s really useful for most of us and certainly not useful for me. I can now speak confidently that I do not need to upgrade to the new Xbox if it ever turns up.

I liked the conversational style, I felt I was also in the room with them…just not contributing to the conversation.

The segments are cute.  Did you hear the one about screen names:  Metal Finger!  Tumourous Pizza?  I was laughing as I listened to the podcast and then had to explain myself to Catherine who couldn’t hear it.

I love Good Game on ABC and don’t miss an episode.  When the podcast reviewed games I’d seen on Good Game I could follow their review.  Their review brought out different aspects of the game that the Good Game guys hadn’t mentioned for whatever reason.  Pretty cool.

I will be listening in the future.

Now, if you love Star Trek, you love humour and you are a bit of a geek (hey dude, you just admitted to being a Star Trek fan), then you should listen to Wil Wheaton’s Memories of the Future Podcast.

I first started reading Wil’s blog after I thought I caught a glimpse of him in Nemesis (Don’t get me started on that film).  Wondering what Wesley Crusher was doing at the wedding party and in Starfleet uniform, I immediately hit the net.  I found that Wil Wheaton had his own blog.  I figured it sure to have something about the film in it.  I thought it would be just another celebrity blog that the actual celebrity has nothing to do with, but it was worth a shot.  It turns out that he writes it himself.  He turns out to be a really cool guy (for a geek).  I had no illusions he’d be like Wesley Crusher (in fact I never really gave Wesley much thought, not even enough to hate or like the character), but I didn’t expect him to sound just like any one of my friends.

Memories of the future is a book he is about to put out about The Next Generation.  He says it’s not a tell all book.  It’s more like going through a high school year book.  But if you listen to the first episode, he’ll describe it much better than I can.  Go on, go listen. Go!  Trust me, I’m a geek.

Here’s a link to the first three episodes (because that’s all there is at the time of writing) after that you’re on your own.

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Oh, and just by the way.  I was walking through the park on my way to work (by myself) listening to episode 3.  He made me laugh out loud!  So not only was I the crazy laughing lady in the park, but snot came out of my nose!

They Might Be Giants – Science is Real

2009 September 13
by crystal

Directed by David Cowles and Andy Kennedy. From TMBGs new DVD/CD set Here Comes Science. Available at iTunes and Amazon now! http://bit.ly/AmazonScience

Generally about me, is all

2009 September 4
by crystal

I seem to be suffering from a chronic sinus infection.   It has been hanging on since May.  Maybe even before, I had headaches before then.  I’ve had 4 courses of antibiotics.  With the third we added steroids up the nose.  It seemed to clear it up, only for symptoms to reappear three weeks later.  I finished my fourth course of antibiotics a week ago yesterday.  It appears to have helped, but I’ve had horrible sinus headaches the past week.  I’m giving it until Monday then back to the GP who will likely send me to the specialist.

All sounds like bad news right?  Well, despite all this, I’ve been doing exceedingly well at gym!  I am now able to do chin-ups.  Multiple times!  I did three sets yesterday.  Five, then three, then five.  Thirteen altogether!  (Apparently not many girls can do that) I am also competing in the Global Corporate Challenge, and managed to get a personal best of 24,010 steps!

This illustrates a change in myself.  A few years back I would’ve let the sinus infection beat me, and just lounge around and do nothing.

I feel good!  I’m in pain, but I feel good!

My Garden

2009 August 29
by crystal

DSCN0545My lovely garden.  Yes, those  yellow flowers are weeds but I like them.  I’ll weed the garden once they’ve died off.

Stickies

2009 August 22
by crystal

Does anyone use Stickies much?

I opened the app recently and found a note left for me.   I’m not sure who wrote it, but have my suspicions.  The  note was created in 2005!  I clearly have not found a use for them,  since.

Picture 1

It’s orange, might wanna get that checked

2009 August 18
by crystal

While walking down the ramp at the station, it starts to rain.  The guy in front of me sensibly decides to put his hood up.

He has no where to put his can of drink, so he puts it between his legs.

As he lifts his arms to pull up his hood, the can tips.

Orange fanta spews forth from between his legs.

I normally don’t laugh out loud at people on the street, but a snort escaped!

Can you see it, or is it just me?

2009 July 31
by crystal
Professor Adrian Franklin (From the ABC show 'Collectors')

Professor Adrian Franklin (From the ABC show 'Collectors')

The Nowhere Man "Yellow Submarine"

The Nowhere Man "Yellow Submarine"

Moon Anniversary

2009 July 23
by crystal

I couldn’t let July go by without making some mention of the Moon.  As we know it’s been 40 years this month since man first walked on the moon.

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has returned its first imagery of the Apollo moon landing sites.

Click on the  picture to see more, and larger pics.  (The arrow is pointing to the Lunar Module)

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