My Philosophical Diary

Business Class...yeah baby!

2011-12-17T11:11:00.001+13:00

So yesterday I flew business class for the very first time. My dad upgraded my ticket to Melbourne with his air points and now I'm here!

Pre-Flight
Airport: You don't have to wait in long queue's and checking through customs is much faster.
Lounge: So it is a really nice and spacious area, lots of seats and tables. There is a nice dining area where you can help yourself to the food, and a very nice selection of drinks at the help yourself bar.

I tried a few things like mini shepards pie (good), chicken with cheese (dry), Slices of eye fillet with spring onions (yum) and Cold smoked salmon with apple and radish salad (yum). I down those with a couple of CC and drys.

Also in the lounge is a very lavish bathroom with showers and grooming areas. Towels, toothbrush and combs etc. are all provided.

In-Flight
Seat: The leg space! You can see immediately why you pay at least double for the ticket and it's because you get twice the space. The chair can vibrate and recline fully. Please watch this in-flight demo.

Service: Pretty much the service is amazing. You get a lot of one to one service. They are very friendly, know you by your last name, take your orders on paper and then serve it to you. None of this drag a cart and block up the lane crap.

Food: Pretty decent menu. I forgot to take pictures of the main courses tho =(
I got to have my cousin's dinner as he wasn't hungry, so I order for me Prawns and salmon salad and the Ricciole pasta with spinach and ricotta cheese (win) and I also ordered two desserts (win).

Lavender Panna Cotta


Lemon Tart but It was really a Lemon Cheesecake

So my first ever flight on business class was awesome. If I was only ever going one way to somewhere I would definitely consider it. It can get really costly though if you go both ways.

Hate is love. Love is hate.

2011-07-27T03:06:00.000+12:00

I love to sleep. I hate that I have to sleep.

I love to eat. I hate that I have to eat.

I love to love. I hate that love is far away.

I Heart Dilbert

2011-06-30T20:25:00.001+12:00

Haha...I love it when people take aim at iPhones.

Photo Challenge: Day 30 (Self Portrait..Also last one)

2011-06-30T20:22:00.000+12:00

My school art project is going to be the death of me

Photo Challenge: Day 26 and 27 (Close up + From a distance)

2011-06-26T21:01:00.000+12:00

Close up of my favourite series. Just thinking about them turns me on.

Flatmate Chris and Ruby. He's actually watching TV but it looks like he's having a nice sleep/cuddle here.

Photo Challenge: Day 17 and 18 (skipped 16)

2011-06-18T17:13:00.000+12:00

My favourite headphones

If you want some awesome shoes, get Mizuno...they are amazing

Photo Challenge: Day 13, 14 and 15

2011-06-15T21:00:00.000+12:00

Myself with 13 things

Audee's pretty eyes

Who doesn't remember these silhouettes?

Photo Challenge: Day 10 and 11 (Childhood Memory + Something Blue)

2011-06-12T18:22:00.000+12:00

I've had all three since before I was born and remember them being on exactly that bedside table back in my old house in Avondale.

Used to teach my cats a lesson.

Photo Challenge: Day 9 (Someone you love)

2011-06-09T19:59:00.000+12:00

1983

Photo Challenge: Day 8 (A Bad Habit)

2011-06-08T20:58:00.000+12:00

I am so addicted to the internet it is not funny. You would find me in the fetal position if I went without it for more than a day.

Photo Challenge: Day 7 (Fruit)

2011-06-07T22:17:00.000+12:00

Making overripe bananas for Fear Factor Gladstone Style!

Photo Challenge: Day 6 (From a low angle)

2011-06-06T22:05:00.001+12:00

RUBY RUBY RUBY!!!!!

Photo Challenge: Day 5 (From a high angle)

2011-06-05T21:14:00.000+12:00

From my deck

Photo Challenge: Day 3 and 4

2011-06-04T17:21:00.000+12:00

Cloudy skies and wait....UFO's?

Maybe we need Green Lantern to come and save us

Photo Challenge: Day 1 and 2

2011-06-02T18:30:00.002+12:00

My friend Megan put this on her blog and I thought I might give it a go. It is for the month of June. I did miss out yesterday, so two photo's today!

Me in my classroom. Look at the 3D shapes in the background!

I have quite a few t-shirts from threadless. This is definitely one of my favourites and the only yellow shirt I own.

What is life?

2011-03-26T14:41:00.003+13:00

I love my job.

I teach year 3 children, which means they come to be at age 6 or 7, and leave at the end of year age 7 and 8. I often tell people I love my job and that I am so happy to talk about my job and what I do, what shenanigans my children do. Yes, I do call them my children, all 28 of them.

I love my job. Sometimes I think it is what keeps me going day to day.

Outside of my job, I have good friends. I have money to spend on what I want, but often I feel like it doesn't mean much. I don't have anyone to look after and am too old...and not old enough to be looked after. I just don't have a responsibility outside of school life. Seems sad right?

I'm not sure if this is my quarter life crisis. I haven't had the urge to buy big things. Yet I feel that school life is what keeps me going even if it is over worked and you have to deal with crappy parents sometimes.

I hope I find my equilibrium soon.

Too Critical?

2010-11-11T21:00:00.000+13:00

I'm not being mean but my grandparents won't live forever; that's why I take time out of my schedule to see them. However, the cousins of my generation don't see things in my light. They see it as a hindrance.

I am quite critical of them. I am sad that they don't appreciate having the older generation around.

Yet, am I being too critical?

I am the oldest of my generation, and in Chinese families that is a big deal. Perhaps going to see them is my responsibility. Perhaps subconsciously I feel the need to be the authoritarian in this situation.

Is it because I am an only child and all my cousins have at least one brother and/or sister?

I will probably never know, but I know that I won't regret anything when my grandparents hit the bucket.

Will they?

Review: Smashing Pumpkins

2010-10-20T18:46:00.000+13:00

I cannot believe the time the tickets went on sale to the date they arrived. It was like there was no time to prepare. There I was, Tuesday 9am with the credit card out and fingers on the keyboard just waiting for the confirmation that I had purchased tickets to the Smashing Pumpkins.

The last time they came to Auckland I thought it was a once in a lifetime experience, because really...who comes to New Zealand? Yet the Smashing Pumpkins came again and I was delighted to see them again.

I was thinking that they would be playing an acoustic set because they were playing at the Town Hall which would only contain around 3000 people. The intimate venue would have been a perfect place for something such as an acoustic set. They didn't however.

Billy came on and blasted a new song called The Fellowship. It wasn't long after that singles like Today and Bullet With Butterfly Wings came on to amp up the crowd. I was very impressed with the array of songs they choose. There were songs from almost every album and it wasn't just singles they broke out. 'Shame', 'Glass and the Ghost Children', 'Eye' and an awesome more rock version of 'Stumbleine'. Yet, as with most concerts there would be many there that only knew the singles and every time he played one of them the crowd seemed to be subdued, which is a crying shame as there are many quality non-single songs they have produced.

Around the middle Billy introduced the band members one at a time, which is probably needed as Billy is the only original member of the group. Some say Billy is egotistic and arrogant. I say, why shouldn't he be? He is the heart and soul of the band.

The set he played (from memory, pretty sure I missed some...not in order) were, The Fellowship (new), Freaks (new), A Stitch in time (new), Song for a Song (new), Spangled (new), Today, Eye, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Zero, United States (which he played, stopped and played Star Spangled Banner and Moby Dick (Led Zep Song) and a drum solo for 10 minutes + before he resumed), Ava Adore, Cherub Rock, Shame, Glass and the Ghost Children, Tonight Tonight, Stumbleine, Stand Inside Your Love, Tarantula and an EPIC version of Gossamer.

My favourite part was most definitely the first two songs of the encore. Billy got out the acoustic and played one of his new songs 'Stitch in Time' and 'Disarm'. Just Billy and his guitar. Magic.

Would it be too much to ask for Smashing Pumpkins unplugged to come here? I've got a perfect set for him to play...maybe I should email him.

The War on Fat

2010-07-12T09:42:00.002+12:00

I am a big advocate of stopping youth obesity. There should never be a need for it and in a nut shell I think it comes down to bad parenting. Children do not have much choice when it comes to what is being put on their plate to eat, it is up to adults to decide what is best for their children. Yet, how right am I?

Here is a clip from the nzherald

"Leading doctors in Britain will today demand tough government action to curb the nation's addiction to unhealthy food, and so help halt spiralling rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Senior medical figures want to stop fast-food outlets opening near schools, restrict the advertising of products high in fat, salt or sugar and limit sponsorship of sports events by fast-food producers such as McDonald's."

Isn't this great? I'm not sure. I think the best way to curb child obesity and therefore adult obesity is through education. It is definitely the most effective in my opinion but it is one that takes a long time to see results and here lies problem; we live in a world where immediate results are cherished.

At the school I work at, I would estimate the children who are beyond the healthy guideline would be no more than 2% of an 800 child school. This is because the school has had a long standing education on healthy eating and good fun exercise. You would also think that this school has great parents as well.

"Mr Lansley received unexpected support from Professor Stephenson and Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners both strongly criticised parents for setting their children a bad example by overeating, serving poor-quality food and exercising too little.

"Parents are role models for their children. It's crucial that they set the tone for what the children eat and their physical activity," said Professor Stephenson."

STOP.

Did you think about the socioeconomic status (SES) of parents and the school when you were reading this post? I bet not. The school in mention is in the 80th percentile in terms of SES which means that families that go to the school are on average in the 80th percentile in terms of SES.

So where does this lead me? Bad parenting is only part of the reason why there is youth obesity. Those groups that have a higher rate of youth obesity also have a lower SES. The reason for this is...junk food costs less than healthy food.

SHOCK HORROR!

How can you compete with Fish and Chips which costs less than $10 to feed a family of 5. McDonald's may cost a little more but it is easy, tastes great (to most) and has toys to please the children.
Food courts has extremely good value for money but they aren't looking out for your interests.

To buy a healthy meal isn't astronomical in terms of price but it is a lot of effort. There are those parents who work their butts off for their children (and are in the lower SES). When they get home they are tired and it is easier to just buy the children something (we've all done it before, just not on a day to day basis). Bad parenting? Maybe, but you have to realise that we live in an ever increasing world and food is one of those products that just keep getting more expensive. This expensive world is punishing those lower SES families.

"They also want "fat taxes" to be imposed on foods that cause the most dietary harm and introduce cigarette-style warnings for schoolchildren about the dangers of a bad diet."

One way to force families to change their ways is to make junk food more expensive. Force them to look into alternative ways to feed their children. Yet we have to be careful because I've seen many children from different schools not bring any lunch to school simply because their parents didn't give them any.

I'm not a fan of "fat taxes" but cigarette style warnings may be a start.

I know that bad eating in conjunction with little exercise is the causation of the obesity rate but those things that lead to bad eating and little exercise...there are many factors and they are all correlated. It is hard to find the panacea for this epidemic but it starts with education, those children who have been brought up with this education will hopefully in turn, teach good eating values to their children.

Quotes taken from:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10658098

I try to be optimistic

2010-05-25T18:27:00.000+12:00

First time I've had a birthday in which I've been alone. Can't say that I like it much.

This morning was a happy time. I love my kids. Wish I could have just hung out instead of having to teaching them.

Real Disappointment

2010-05-21T16:40:00.000+12:00

I think for the first time in my life I've felt real disappointment. I had school assembly on this week and my class and I have been working frantically for a whole week.

Today rolls around and I wake up at 530am, it is raining and I can't get back to sleep because I am so excited for the children. When I get to school I got told that the children won't be there to see the assembly because it is too wet. We would have to do it in a near empty hall and then have it replayed back to the kids later.

Man was I shattered. I had prepared myself for such an awesome assembly that I did not even think about what if it got cancelled. Why was I so devastated? I think it's because of the work load at school. We have had a lot to do, reports, observations from upper management, reading tests, math tests and to top that off, I have to try and actually teach.

I'm not complaining about the work load, but when things get done and you see appreciation, it is all worth it. It's like washing the dishes at home, most of the time it is a thankless job that needs to be done. I wanted the school to see and appreciated what my class and I had done.

Obviously I couldn't do anything about it. The gods were not looking favorably.

Would I change anything? Nope...but it is definitely not a feeling I would like to feel again anytime soon.

My Kitties

2010-05-18T21:55:00.000+12:00

My two kittens are doing very well. They like to play a lot and do lots of hilarious things for me to laugh at. Recently I moved in with a friend of mine and he has been getting great entertainment from them.

Last week I got them both name tags to go with their collars. I've let them go outside for the very first time and I can tell you that I was very nervous. Just praying they would come back! Sure enough they do.

I do have a bugbear though. What is with the 5.30am face lick? I mean, the sun hasn't even come out yet and I get some coarse wet sandpaper scrapped across my face. I even try to cover my face, but Audee (the new kitten) just finds a spot to crawl under and recommence operation lick.

More than meets the eye

2010-04-08T10:26:00.001+12:00

Term 1 was a great term. It is so different when you start the year with a new class rather than taking over during term 3. At the end of Term 2 the whole school will be doing a UN show. I got lucky and got Japan uncontested (because no class could have the same country).
Thinking about this timeline
Written language → Samurai vs. Ninjas → Euros + WWII → Pop Culture (Anime)

Anyways, I have a lot of time to tinker over it during the holidays. Perhaps too much time, as I am getting a little bit bored. So hard when your friends have to work.

Oh. Got a new kitten to the family, her name is Audee (like Autumn). Ruby (old cat), is afraid and dislikes the new Audee, but am hoping she will be over it in a weeks time. At the moment Audee is trying to play with Ruby, but Ruby isn't having a bar of it. Lots of hissing and claws coming out.

Still a Pumpkins Fan

2010-03-15T22:20:00.000+13:00

Another new song from the Pumpkins was released today called "A Stitch in Time."

In other news, Smashing Pumpkins are yet looking for another new member. Ginger the bassist has left to raise her new baby. Of all the original members only Billy Corgan is left. The type of music they (he) is producing these days is very different to everything that has been released before. I'm not a big fan of the new music but at least it is something. Am hoping this isn't the influence of Jessica Simpson....ewww

Still a Pumpkins Fan, still a Billy Corgan fan.

Year 3 we're on camp camp camp, and we're feeling alright right right...

2010-02-13T13:12:00.000+13:00

What a couple of days. The kids were so amped for camp. The hardest part was getting 130 kids to sleep. It took around 1hr+ before they got to sleep. I slept on the hall stage looking down on the children. It was such a serene sight. So beautiful to watch 130 kids asleep.

I started to think that this is perhaps how it was like for a general looking down on his army before a battle. However, instead of the kids going to war, they slaughtered me the next day. Man was I tired. I went home, ate, slept for 2 hours (at 6pm). Got up....then went back to bed for another 9hrs.

Wish I had a picture of the whole hall asleep.

Mea Culpa

2010-02-07T12:16:00.002+13:00

The 'Internet Age' has given us many possibilities that we had never fathom before. From simple communication to buying groceries and having them delivered to your doorstep are just two of many possibilities. Nothing seems impossible now (especially with Google Inc. around).

Apple Inc. is one company who has really benefited from the 'Internet Age'. The iPod was the first big thing for them and later the iPhone. These devices allow music to be played on them, both requiring a piece of software called iTunes. iTunes is a music application which syncs music to your Apple listening device. iTunes also allows you to purchase music, digital music that is, and that is what I really want to talk about.

Buying digital music seems like a great way of purchasing music.
The benefits are immense:

Don't need to leave the house
You can listen to it straight away
It is cheaper
It reduces carbon footprint because there is no packaging or shipping involved.

Now, how could you pass that up?

My problem with this is, that the iTunes store, is a store in America. When you spend any money at the store, money goes from NZ to the USA. It does not get pumped into the local market. When your country is a small island nation of 4 million, little things like that could cause business to lose huge market share and eventually close down. Less tax is paid to the government, people lose jobs etc. etc.

This is just one example of money being handed to foreign shores. I have found a UK book site which sells books cheaper (after shipping) than books purchased in NZ retail stores. A clothing website based in the USA sells t-shirts for less than $20nzd (after shipping). Amazon (and now Apple) are the two main places to purchase e-books.

Eventually when everyone has the internet, more people will realise that there are many more options when it comes to shopping. NZ products can't compare to the prices of overseas items because of the inflated prices due to 3rd or even 4th party (middle men). Will our economy crumble in 20 years time because we don't support local businesses?

*Edit* After writing this post, I found out that iTunes redirects you to a NZ version of iTunes store, which converts some albums to NZD (while others aren't available in NZ). However, a $5 album in the states costs you $14 NZD....wtf is up with that? Anyway, I don't believe the money goes to the NZ economy. *Edit*

Homemade Scratching Post

2010-02-01T22:53:00.003+13:00

Finally got around to making a scratching post for Ruby (my kitten, like duh obviously...).

Materials Used:

Old Jeans
Carpet Off Cuts
Basketball and Vs. Cards
Unused CD Rack
Cellotape
Gladwrap
Nails
Coat Hanger
Bungy Cord
Staples

Tools Used:

Hammer
Staple Gun
Scissors
Blood and Sweat

This is an old CD Case that has been sitting there for years. Took it apart to use the large board as the base of the scratching post.

Pile these things together into "bricks" and cellotape them. Once you have your bricks, pile them into two even piles (make sure your bricks are the same size...it helps). Cellotape them all together and then gladwrap it a few times.

This is what it looks like afterwards.

The bottom of the "stack" is the CD board with carpet over the top and stapled in using the staple gun.

I then had to make sure that the stack was in the middle of the board. Turned it upside down and then nailed it. The stack of cards is a lot harder to nail in than normal wood, which was really surprising. I think it is because there is a bit of a cushion and my hammer hits were just being absorbed.

After it was nailed in, I cut off the legs from the jeans and just fit it onto the stack of cards. It was amazing how well it fit...lucky I guess. Both of the jeans legs are on the stack.

Once on, I stapled the top of it onto the stack.

The last thing I did was put a coat hanger inbetween the two stack of cards and then tied the bungy cord on the end of the hanger.

Day 1 Ruby only used the "toys" but I taught her to use it for scratching and she did so all by herself on Day 2!

Good vs Evil

2010-01-15T21:44:00.005+13:00

While reading a fantasy book, I came across a good piece of dialogue between two characters. It was a discussion about Good vs Evil. Once you have read it, you may think, like duh....obviously, but we probably wouldn't have thought of it if we had to ourselves. Just something for you to ponder about.

Background: Prince Robert is talking to Sir Neil (A knight). At this time Prince Robert is in talks with a country called Hansa about a possible alliance (thus peace), but Sir Neil is against because they have been their sworn enemy since the beginning of days.
---
"Until I came to Eslen, I thought my world was large. The sea, after all, seems endless when one is upon it, and the islands seem uncountable. But then I came to discover all of that could fit into a cup if the world were a table."
"Poetic" Robert said.
"In the little cup of the world I lived in," Neil went on, "things were pretty simple. I kjnew who I fought for, I knew why. Then I came here, and things became confusing. As I travel farther into the world, they became more confusing yet."
Robert smiled indulgently. "Confusing how? Did you lose your sense of right and wrong?"
Neil returned the smile. "I grew up fighting, and mostly I fought Weihand raiders. They were bad people because they attacked my people. They wer bad people becuase they gfought for Hansa, people who once kept my people inbondage and would do it again if they could. And yet looking back on itm most of the men I killed were probably not that different from me. They probably died believing their cause was just, hoping their fathers would look from beyond the world and be proud of them."
"Yes, I see," Robert said. "You may not know this, but there is a philosophy of considerable weight built on that same premise. It is not a philosophy suited to the weakminded, hoiwever because it suggests-as, in fact, you just suggested-that there is really no such thing as good or evil that most people do what they think is right. It's just the lack of agreemnent on what is right that leads us to believe in good and evil."
"Uou traveled great distances, Sir Neil. Leagues. But one can also travel, so to speak, in time, through the study of history. Consider the argument that sits before us now; I am vilified for trying to strenthen our bonds of friendship with Hansa and thus avert a war we can ill afford. My detractors point out that by doing so I create conditions that might allow a Reiksbaurg (Leader of Hansa) to take the throne a few years hence."
"Now, why should that be considered wrong? Becayuse Hansa is evil? Because they desire control of this kingdom? And yet my family, the Dares, wrested Crotheny from Hansa in a bloody conflict. My great-great-grandfather murdered the Reiksbaurg emperor in their Castle. Who was good and who was evil then? It's a meaningless question, don't you think?"

"I'm not as learned as you," Neil acknowledged. "I know little about history, even less about philosophy. I am a knight, after all, and my job is to do as I am told. I have killed many ,men I might have liked if we had met under other circumstances, because they weren't - as you say - evil. We were merely serving masters at cross-purposes. In some cases, it wasn't even that. To do my duty, I had to stay alive, and to stay alive sometimes means killing others.

"As you say, most people in this world are just trying to do the best they can, to protect the ones they love and the life they know, live up to their duties and obligations."
---

Keyes, G (2006) The Blood Knight (pg. 341-342). New York.

Bookmarks

2010-01-12T23:19:00.004+13:00

A bookmark is a thin marker, used to keep one's place in a book when the book is put down, and allows the reader to return to it with ease.

As I was growing up, a bookmark was something set in stone for me. It was a piece of paper or card and it was laminated. Now it is a different story. I was inspired to write this article after receiving what is probably the best bookmark in the world.

I want to breakdown the different types of common bookmarks people use these days.

I was going to say this is perhaps one of the oldest forms of bookmarks, but the more I thought about it the more I think I am wrong. It is perhaps one of the most recent forms of bookmarks, and the worst. Why is it the most recent? Well because paper and books were scarce a few hundred years ago and it would have been sacrilege to have bent pages in the book (I still feel this way about dog ears).

Pros: You don't need a real book mark.

Cons: I regard you as a lower life form than an amoeba.

Probably the oldest form of bookmark. A bound bookmark is usually a piece of thin fabric that is attached to the book itself. Prevalent in older books or books that are leather bound. Now it is usually found in bibles.

Pros: Right there when you need it.
Cons: Non-transferable.....unless you really want to

First used by the filthy rich and now by the most common of people. Quite a prevalent form of bookmark these days. Used because it is handy.

Pros: Usually readily available. You can also use the $1, $5, $20, $50 or $100 bill.

Cons: Don't use them for library books or borrowed books. You might find yourself poorer.

Laminated bookmarks are probably the most prevalent kind of bookmarks these days. They can be bought straight up from a store or they can be made. An excellent activity to do with your kids.

Pros: Looks good, can be personalised, lasts a long time.
Cons: Feeling guilty when you lose one that someone made for you, but then feel utterly relieved when you find it a day later on the street!

Probably the best bookmark in the world. Seriously. Just look at it! I received this from a friend for Christmas 09' and I must say, it has been my favourite. It is a little bit smaller than a small sized paperback and only a few millimeters thick.

Look at me rambling.

The fabric bookmark is becoming more popular these days. They come in different sizes and usually are in the shape of a normal bookmark. Felt is a common fabric to use and can be also layered with other different coloured felt to give it a cool effect.

Pros: Way more stylish than laminated ones. Also has all their pros.

Cons: Harder to make than laminated ones, can get dirty.

I hope that I've made you think a little more about bookmarks now. Yes I know there are other forms of bookmarks, but these are the ones that are worth writing about.

Just another reminder to look at my sexy sexy bookmark.

Albums of the Decade

2010-01-09T13:22:00.003+13:00

So while I was making a Yeah Yeah Yeahs CD, I came upon an article that lists the top 50 albums of the past decade, with The Strokes coming in at number 1 with 'Is This It'.

While I appreciate that music is very subjective and no ones list will ever be the same, I will attempt to make my top 10 albums of the last decade. My list should be quite interesting because it is similar to the above list yet not.

Top 10 List in no particular order.

The Strokes - Room On Fire

I'm not sure why NME have 'Is This It' above this album. In my opinion this one is clearly the best album, so much more refined. However, 'You Only Live Once' from the album 'First Impressions of Earth' is my favourite song from them.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell

It was a toss up between this and 'Show Your Bones'. Definitely my favourite band with a female lead singer and perhaps the find of the Noughties.

The Killers - Hot Fuss

Very surprised that this album...nay...this band was not on the top 50 list. Two of my favourite songs from this album aren't even singles!

Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

The first British Band to get me excited about British music since Oasis and Pulp. A very good listen and amazing for their debut album.

Muse - Absolution

'Plug In Baby' is the song that got my attention, the album 'Absolution' made me fall in love with them and their concert at the St. James Theater blew me away.

Kaiser Chiefs - Yours Truly, Angry Mob

This band surprised me with this album. I got it on the cheap and thought I would take a gamble. I scooped the pot.

My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge

I think the first song I heard of their was 'Helena' and it was a music video. The song didn't grab me but the video clip. It is gothic and reminded me of the Smashing Pumpkins. When I saw the lead Singer Gerard Way, I thought it was Billy Corgan with hair. I never looked back.

Radiohead - Kid A

Everybody was up in arms when this album came out. What were Radiohead doing!!! What happened to the catchy pop/rock songs. Well I got 'Kid A' as soon as it came out and am still listening to it now.

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say, That's What I'm Not

Another British band that has made it big thanks to Jools Holland. Raw and Loud. Just how I like it.

Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist

I just couldn't leave them out of it! Their first album in 7 years. Sure it wasn't really the Smashing Pumpkins of old without D'arcy and James Iha but it was a still good listen. If you didn't know, Smashing Pumpkins are releasing 44 new songs (all for free), one at a time on their website.

Honourable Mention:

The Hives - Your New Favourite Band

Technically a best of compilation but were relatively unheard of before this album.

Happy New Years!

2010-01-01T12:35:00.002+13:00

I normally try to stay away from energy drinks like V and Redbull, though I do have them occasionally. However last night, I had about 5 of them mixed with Vodka. What a fail.

Too many Vodka Redbulls = way too amped and no sleep.

Anyways, I had a great time with my friends at 'Our House' and even banged into some old friends who I would love to catch up with.

Happy New Years to all!

Ode To Ruby

2009-12-31T00:50:00.005+13:00

On my bed she sleeps

I come home, she is waiting

Marbles, toy of choice

Oh man...so it wasn't the Dragon after all

2009-12-23T14:36:00.004+13:00

Apparently the phone I wanted, the HTC Dragon, is not the Dragon after all but the HTC Nexus One.

However, technology comes out at such a fast rate. Since my last post, Google's phone (exclusively) is said to be released sometime in the first quarter of next year. What will that phone look like and will it be cutting edge technology?

I can't wait to donk off my roll to get a new phone early next year.

Hooray for Holidays!

2009-12-17T09:26:00.004+13:00

The big perk for being a teacher is that you get 6 weeks of holiday during the Christmas break. Not sure what I am going to do yet. I have plans up until New Years but nothing beyond. A break was definitely need. It was such hard work because the school that I am teaching at is so full on. I was wondering if I was going to get attached to the kids because I am such a sentimental fool, but I was alright. The only time I came close to losing it, was during the kids prize giving. I felt so proud of them all.

I am looking forward to teaching the younger ones next year. I've already gotten my class list and everyone has told me what great kids I have for next year!

Hoping to blog a little more during the holidays and post some more book reviews.

Ciao

There ain't no motive for this crime

2009-11-07T18:51:00.007+13:00

Singles promote artists. Radios play a hot single over and over again...6...8 times a day is not too many. Singles generate a lot of money for the artist and their respective music companies but it also makes sure that the artists are constantly in the music charts.

With the digital age came the ability to buy/download a single and only a single (rather than buying a whole album or even a singles "tape/disk" which came with b-sides) which came (possible) unforeseen consequences.

Good: Music is more easily accessible

Bad: There are less album sales

Good: Those reduced sales are offset by increased single sales

Bad: Artists' non-single songs are not being listened to

That last consequence is what lead me to write this article. I love listening to albums. You get so much more from listening to albums. Don't get me wrong, singles are great but there are many hidden gems in albums. If you never listen to albums then you never get to listen to a 'Concept album'. These albums have songs that are unified by a theme. The band that put concept albums to the forefront were The Beatles with St. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Wall by Pink Floyd and more recently The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance. These albums show you a lot about the bands as artists.

By listening to only singles, you lose so much artistic impression. However I may be barking up the wrong tree. Perhaps what I've said in this post is only true of Pop music where concept albums are pretty much non-existent so those that buy only singles lose nothing.

Thats probably why I don't listen to pop music (not really true, I don't like pop music for many more reasons).

To show my appreciation of the bands I like and non-singles. Here is my top 10 (no repeated bands) list of non-singles.

1) Mayonaise by Smashing Pumpkins

2) What Sarah Said by Death Cab for Cutie

3) Jenny was a Friend of Mine by The Killers

4) Skyline and Turnstiles by My Chemical Romance

5) A Certain Romance by Arctic Monkeys

6) Under Control by The Strokes

7) Showbiz by Muse

8) Soft Shock by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

9) Burn by The Cure

10) Holiday by Weezer

Honourable mentions: Airbag by Radiohead, She's Electric by Oasis, I Could Have Lied by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hey Johnny Park! by Foo Fighters, Relapse by Little Birdy

Can you come up with a list of non-single songs that you really like? It is harder than you think.

Digital Window Shopper

2009-10-29T23:18:00.002+13:00

I've been looking at buying a lot of things on the internet lately without actually buying anything.

I've always wanted a cool phone since the first every iphone came on the market but could never justify the money to buy one, especially being a poor student at the time of its release. Lately I've been having a few other ideas and have been wanting the HTC - Hero which looks sexy as.

My friend James Farrier is also a big phone fan and we've been swapping url links to different sites. With him being in Australia, the phones are cheaper and they get the latest models. However there is a new HTC that will come out soon and I think I might get it. I recently got a $500usd windfall so that can help take a big chunk of that.

This is supposedly a leaked picture of the HTC - Dragon.

1GHZ Snapdragon processor

Android v2.0

4.3inch screen with 800x600 resolution

Undie 500

2009-09-13T08:28:00.002+12:00

The Undie 500 is an annual event that starts off in Christchurch (NZ) and ends in Dunedin. It is an event held by students who travel in cars worth under $500. Sounds fun? Yeah it does. However, every year police have arrested many people because of riotous behaviour. This year was no exception with 20 people being arrested but it was a drop from last years number of 50 so that is a positive.

Well that's what police thought...

Last night another 60 people were arrested after police faced a mob of 600 people. They used so much pepper spray that they had to call for more.

I understand mob mentality but what I don't get is why people would want to join the Undie 500 knowing that it ends in riots. What I really don't get it why people would want a second night of it. These people who start the riots are not known criminals (well I don't think so) but university students who are supposedly semi-intelligent.

There must be something seriously wrong down there in the South Island because this isn't an isolated incident but happens year after year. Police have said that any arrested don't get diversion because of the no-diversion policy for the Undie 500.

I hope they all get convictions. Idiots.

10 things we hate to pay for....Yeah Right

2009-08-23T21:49:00.004+12:00

Read an article about your top 10 things you hate to pay for. I agreed with some while others I think is just a big meh. Here is the top 10 with a few random comments thrown in.

1 ATM fees

Using your ATM (Eftpos card) at a machine different from your regular Bank will cost you something from 75 cents to 1 dollar every time you use it. Banks make a lot of money this way because we are unsuspecting. However this has never really affected me as I have always been on a student account which means I don't have to pay those ATM fees. To other people who care...well you should planned to get money out before it was too late!

2 Movie tickets and refreshments

Totally agree with this one. I worked for Cirque du Soleil once selling popcorn etc and got abused by the customers because it was so expensive. $6 for a coke? $8 for Lion Red? Get out of town!

Carparking

The article talking about carpark parking (tournament parking) rather than street parking, which I think is WAY more annoying. When do you have coins? Sure you can use a credit card but they charge you 50cents just so you can pay them! Ludicrous

4 BYO at restaurants

Look, restaurants lose money when you bring in your own wine because they don't sell you any. They provide you with not only opening the wine (the only thing the article stated) but they have to provide you with wine glasses and that also involves cleaning them. So if they charge you a few dollars...why should you care?

5 Bottled water

Look your a sucker for buying it, and an idiot for complaining that you have to pay so much for it. Go buy yourself a sports bottle and fill it up from those metal thingee's in your house. I think they're called taps.

6 Holiday surcharges

"It doesn't change the fact it's annoying," said student Sara Blair, 22. "Why does French toast cost 15 per cent more? You're better off making it yourself at home."

The people who complain are the people who have a) never worked in the food industry or b) never thought about it. If a place makes $2000 a day. then 15% is only $300 extra. That place/cafe has about 5-7 staff that need to be paid 50% on top of whatever they already earn. Let's say they are all on minimum wage (unlikely because chef's aren't) then 6 (use the avg) staff; times 8 hours; times $12.50; equals 600. half of that is $300...the exact total of what they "make" extra. But remember kids I calculated everyone at minimum wage.

And anyways, wouldn't you kick up a fuss if every food place was closed on public holidays? Where would you eat?

7 Online ticketing

Buying an event ticket online is supposed to be a stress-free, comfortable way to gain access to an event. But is spending an extra $8 for a delivery fee or $5 for a "service fee" - even when you print your ticket at home - really worth it?

This one I totally agree with. There are so many expenses that these events don't have to spend on (printing, paper, staff, location), yet you have to pay MORE money when you take out those factors. What a joke.

8 Expensive dental fees

I'm surprised that this isn't higher in the list. They are only ever expensive because most of us don't go and get regular check ups.

9 Wedding surcharges

I have no idea because I don't have any experience in this area, but mention the word "wedding" to a florist, photographer or anyone and the price instantly jumps 4 fold.

10 Commodity price rises

Just about every time you head to the supermarket or petrol station, you're faced with a higher price. According to Statistics New Zealand, food prices increased 2.8 per cent in June - the largest monthly increase since a 3.8 per cent increase in July 1989, when GST was increased from 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent.

Electricity rates rose by 60 cents between February last year and June this year while petrol prices reached a peak of $2.11 a litre in June last year. And from October 1, we will be forced to pay an additional 3c petrol tax when we fill up.

Have these people not heard of inflation? It's been happening for quite a few years now...someone didn't get the memo.

What the?

2009-08-04T21:27:00.002+12:00

The government have recently said they can't afford $2.5 million dollars to fund therapy services for children with disabilities. Yet not too long ago the government (the same one) spent large sums of money bailing out Fisher & Paykel.

I don't get it...

Everyone should get a fair shot at life and those kids have got the short end of the stick so far and now the government want to poke them with it.

Sigh.

Herald article about funding cut.

Guess Who's Back

2009-07-21T21:53:00.003+12:00

I haven't had the internet for about 7 days now so I'm slowly catching up on things.

Started my new job on Monday and it was full on. It is such a difference to my last job. 9 kids becomes 34. A teaching staff of 1.5 becomes 40.

I'm waking up earlier 30 minutes before reasonable and going to bed much earlier than I'd like.

More work + earlier bed time = less time to do other stuff.

But it's good to have my own classroom again and have a routine.

Movement

2009-06-25T11:41:00.002+12:00

A movement is a motion, a change in position. To judge if you are moving or not you have to have something to compare to, a constant.

You have the perception of moving...are you moving or not? I'll choose a tree as my constant. Now am I moving away from the tree or is the tree moving away from me? Dumb question, of course I am. Therefore I am moving.

Age is like movement, a very slow movement, very much like when you are in a revolving restaurant. You know you are moving but you can't feel it. The only way you know you are moving is because the scenary outside is going around in circles. However how can you judge your age moving? The crows feet by your eyes? The protuding belly? Is it really down to physical appearance?

Many people say that you are as old as you feel, appearance has nothing to do with it. A great example of this is ageing sports stars that continue to show the young fellas how it is done.

The other day, I didn't feel old but I did realise that I was getting old. I had spent two days in a year 2 class and the children had gotten to like me very much in a very short amount of time. They respected me, adhered to me and liked me for the way I teach and how I interact with them. They gave me lots of hugs at the end of the day.

What I felt at that moment was, that they looked up to me, I am there to protect them, to teach them and to have fun with them. All of those things combined gave me a feeling of feeling old because I had a responsibility to them even if it was only for 2 days. I've had friend's children that love me and I spend as much time as I can with them but to them I probably don't protect them or teach them because they have mum or dad to do that. Attaching the teacher tag adds another dimension to myself and because of that the children respond differently.

I am sure that at different times in people's lives they will feel old. Different situations will make you feel old and you might not feel that way until you cannot sit down without groaning.

As to, did I like feeling older?

I very much liked the attention and the feelings that the children emitted to me. I don't mind feeling older as long as I can wake up in the morning without complaining.

Being around children gives you a lot of different perspectives but that is not to say children themselves are a good constant to gauge your age. I

Whakarongo mai! Listen to me!

2009-06-18T17:14:00.006+12:00

Today in the papers a pair of armed robbers held up a bank. They were apprehended soon afterwards. Not an unusual story, is has actually happened quite a lot recently in New Zealand (sad). However if you delve a little deeper into this story, it so happens that when the 'gunman' went up to the counter he had forgotten to put on his mask AND forgot his firearm (which was with his accomplice). He had to go back to where his partner was, get the gun and then proceed to rob the place.

No wonder it didn't take them very long to get caught since everyone in the bank saw his face!

What am I trying to get at?

The reason why these people are robbing banks is most likely because they are too stupid to probably hold down a steady job. In fact they are so stupid, they can't even rob a bank properly.

This then links to my next story. Perhaps something I wouldn't normally discuss in a public forum because I just don't like politics and I rather not discuss it but I find as I grow older and learn a lot more I find that I get passionate about more things and education is one of them. I have to speak up. Education is too important to let things slide by.

Peter Sharpels, a high profile politician for the Maori party who is advocating free entry into university. By 'free' he means that Maori are exempt from any prerequisites when entering university and not 'free' in terms of money. In retort, other MP's have rubbished his claim that this is setting up Maori to fail. Statements like 'they will pay 10 thousand dollars and not pass the course' 'they aren't normally qualified to get into university, let alone pass university.'

Now I'm not totally sure I agree with the above statements. I thought university helped me to re-find myself after my disastrous secondary school schooling. I said above that as you get older you learn more things, and if these Maori kids get the chance to go to university and they genuinely want to better themselves, then KA PAI! (good!) I hope they succeed in life.

However, that isn't what I want to complaining about. What I want to see are people like Peter Sharpels to stop thinking about the short term benefits. Think about the long term ones. Do you want lots and lots of Maori's failing at the 5-17 age group who will then fail in life? Do you just want them to get a free ride all their lives?

What about actually helping them at the lower level so they don't need that free entry into university? How about looking into ways of helping Maori whanau (families) and Maori tamariki (children) outside of the Te Kura Kaupapa Maori education system? (school's that are taught in Maori and have more understanding of the needs of Maori both physically, mentally and spiritually)

More additional help outside of Kaupapa Maori is needed.

MP's are too often looking for the instant gratification, that instant support of voters instead of thinking about New Zealand (their country) as a whole. Yes I know it is reality and all of them do it, but how can it change if people like myself just sit on their kumu (bum) and do nothing?

Kia Kaha Aotearoa! (Be Strong New Zealand!)

Anzac Biscuits FTW!

2009-06-14T21:36:00.005+12:00

My girl made some awesome Anzac Biscuits today. It was the first time either of us had baked anything sweet so it was extra exciting. We had flat thin ones and small fat ones because we didn't know what shape was the best (the instructions didn't really say). In the end, the small fat one was the better one because it was softer (that's my preference) but if you like it crunchy then make it flat thin.

The darker ones are just the underside of the cookies

Here is the recipe and instructions on how to make them (this makes about 10-12 small biscuits)

50g plain flour

50g rolled oats

50g coconut (flaked, dry)

100g caster sugar

75g butter

1 tablespoon golden syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

How to:

Heat the oven to 150C. Lightly grease two trays.

Sift flour, combine with other ingredients except the bicarbonate of soda, butter and golden syrup and set aside.

Cut the butter into small pieces, place with the syrup in a saucepan and melt together, stirring. Then remove from heat.

Combine bicarbonate of soda with 1 tablespoon of water and blend in with the syrup and butter mixture.

Gradually mix in dry ingredients, until you have a consistent texture, and spoon onto the tray in dollop sizes of your choice.

Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes. Cool slightly then transfer to wire cooling rack, and enjoy with a cup of tea!

To read or not to read, that is the question

2009-06-13T21:18:00.002+12:00

Finding it a bit hard these days to concentrate on reading. Its not that I am not reading, I am. However even when I am reading a really good book my attention will stray too quickly. I'll find something to do on the internet, troll through some forums or play stupid internet games.

I have written another 2 pages of my book tho. I think the word count is at something like 4K, another 900K to go. LOL

Also slowly getting a few hits on my site sleeping-with-books.blogspot.com

I think I need to start reviewing newish books.

No wonder I suck at life...I wanted to be a teacher

2009-06-07T20:00:00.003+12:00

Word of the Day #16: Bedlamite

2009-06-05T20:09:00.003+12:00

Pronouced: Bed-la-mite

Meaning: an insane person, a lunatic

Example sentence: I bet that man is a bedlamite.

Luckily I don't live in America

I ate a whole Zucchini!!!

2009-06-04T21:34:00.005+12:00

There have been three recent moments that has had me thinking about food and the evolution of food. Not in the sense of how food has developed over the years but how cultural foods have had to adapt once taken away from their home country.

"That's not real Italian food" Marco said

"What do you mean? It tastes great to me and it looks like Italian food"

"When you go to a Chinese restaurant do you think it is authentic Chinese food?"

This conversation (with my ex-Italian flatmate) was like an explosion in my head. How could I have not known? So simple....so naive!

"I ate a whole zucchini, I did well, I don't normally eat vegetables"

That is a quote from my friend Darryn who had dinner at my house one time.

The next time I got thinking about this topic was at a recent dinner I had with some friends of mine. We were in a Chinese restaurant and it was packed...absolutely packed with.....Europeans. In my personal opinion, if the place's patrons are not at least half packed with Chinese people then that place is shit. But doesn't a packed house mean it has good food?

Sure, it has good food for Europeans, but why aren't their any (many) Chinese people eating there? The simple reason is because to survive (make money) in this industry the smart move is to cater to the majority rather than the minority. More Europeans equals more potential customers.

It just won't do serving delicate subtle food. It just won't do serving exotic foods (such as stinky tofu, chicken feet or beef stomach lining). So therefore the Chinese foods have to adapt.

Sweet and sour pork is perhaps one of the most famous and well eaten Chinese dishes in New Zealand but is very rarely ordered at all by Chinese people. Braised pork, Braised lamb, Deep Fried Salt and Pepper and Fried Rice are on every Chinese menu in New Zealand. All these dishes have one thing in common.

Bold flavours.

This thinking lead me back to the conversation I had with Marco. What are Italian dishes like in New Zealand? Pizza's from the chains aren't subtle, they have heaps of toppings, lots of cheese and sauces. Bold flavours. Pasta's are full of cream and heavy sauces. Bold flavours.

When was the last time you went out for ethnic food that didn't have bold flavours?

All a Matter of Perspective

2009-05-23T19:39:00.002+12:00

I saw a man beat his dog outside my house the other day. He picked up his dog, slammed her back onto the ground, then with an open hand hit the dog in the face a couple of times and threw her into his van.

I called the police, they found the guy and talked to him. They also took his dog to the vet to get it checked out. The vet found nothing wrong with the dog and said they were happy to let the dog go back to its owner. Because there was nothing wrong with the dog, they just gave the man a warning.

So we have a couple of different perspectives. The vet sees nothing wrong with the dog.

The owner of the dog probably knew how he could beat the dog without causing injury.

To me it looked like a very brutal act which shouldn't happen.

To another it was discipline without mid-long term harm

To another nothing happened.

Guns don't kill people. Nut and Dairy allergies do.

2009-05-07T09:58:00.012+12:00

I remember when I was studying psychology at university one of the topics was about over diagnosing people with illnesses/syndromes. It looked at the trend that as time went by, the people being diagnosed with ADHD, Autism etc. etc. also increased dramatically. Doctors and researchers attributed this to...

People recognising their children having some sort of problem.
Their willingness to take them to a specialist.
The ability for doctors to diagnosis them with a condition more accurately.

The doctors had a guide to help them called "The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders". Over the years it has been refined, revised and has now reached to version 4.

Alright. Let's say we give this some credit. Lets look at something I feel is on the increase and it has nothing to do with psychology.

ALLERGIES.

I'm 26, and back in my days no one had allergies. Some kids had asthma, but there weren't many.

Peanut allergies?
Diary allergies?
What are they?
The only allergies I knew of was from Bee stings (thanks ‘My Girl’).

However, everyone has allergies now.

Friends of mine have kids that had both peanut and dairy allergies...death by peanut or death by ice-cream is not a good way to go out (not at the age of 2 anyways).

Get your child one of these if they have any serious allergy. It can save their life.

Schools and day cares have pictures of people with allergies on the staffroom notice, on their duty jackets so they know which kids have it. There are just too many of them with too many different types of allergies to simply remember who has what.

My question is why? 20 years ago allergy testing was as good as it is now (though there are many more ways to test it now).

So Why?!

I am going out on a limb and say it is because of the food industry.

The food industry has created a Probladox. While trying to keep up with food demands, they have made super chickens that grow 3 to 4 times faster than normal chickens, but not only that, they are larger than normal chickens. They inject animals with hormones to make them grow faster; they spray chemicals to make our vegetables safe from insects; they genetically modify crops to make them look prettier, taste better and grow faster.

Not only are our produce and meat affected, but things like mayonnaise, potato chips and the like are affected too.

An increase of allergies.

Food industry the causation? No, there have always been allergies.

Food industry heavily correlated? Yes

What do you think?

Book Porn: April Centerfold

2009-05-01T11:30:00.003+12:00

In Hard Cover... YAY! Now my set is complete

Walking contradiction

2009-04-30T10:00:00.006+12:00

To do your job well, you have to practice what you preach. A priest who regularly sins (deliberately) would not be a very good priest. He would be a leader in his community and to show such disregard would not bode well for the community.

I read today that a British Nurse got her residency application declined by Immigration New Zealand because she was too fat even though we have a long-term skill shortage in the nursing department. She weighed 134kgs with a waist of 131cm. Her BMI score was 55.2, which puts her in the morbidly obese category.

I say, good on you Immigration NZ. There reasoning was that she would cost NZ tax payers $25,000 over 4 years for health care.

I would rather think they denied her because she was a walking contradiction. How can she give health advice when she herself is a walking cardiac arrest? She claims to be fit...but how can you be at 134kgs?

To put it into perspective, a huge prop in Rugby would be about 129kgs. Big props would average 120kgs. Linebackers in the NFL are also around 115kgs (250lbs). Now these guys make a living from being big, they exercise, they drink protein shakes, they go to the gym, they eat 5-6 times a day....these guys are fit.

So don't tell me you are fit. You are not fit. You are the antithesis of fit.

Would you want a dumb teacher teaching your kid? What about an obese doctor telling your son to lose weight?

On a lighter note, here is a poem by 19th century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche

I hate to follow and I hate to lead.
Obey? Oh no! And govern? No indeed!
Only he who dreads himself inspires dread.
And only those inspiring dread can lead.
Even to lead myself is not my speed.
I love to lose myself for a good while,
Like animals in forests and the sea,
To sit and think on some abandoned isle,
And lure myself back home from far away,
Seducing myself to come back to me.

Delusions of Grandeur

2009-04-29T10:01:00.004+12:00

Goals: Something that we set ourselves to achieve. They can be short term goals or they can be long term goals. Short term goals consists of things like, doing well in an exam, playing a good game of footy or remember to write a blog post every week. Long term goals (a.k.a dreams) can consist of, owning a Porsche, going on a round the world vacation or setting up a business.

Goals are there for us to strive towards. It motivates us and gives us a little bit of meaning to our lives.

But I wonder about delusions of grandeur. Sometimes we can daydream. Maybe you daydream about doing something heroic. A bus crashes and you help some injured people off. A kid on a rugby field collapses and you are the only one that can give CPR. You score the match winning try for your team. You giving your boss his short comings.

Most of these delusions will never happen to a lot of us, but it won't stop us from daydreaming or subconsciously thinking about it.

So my question is, is it healthy to be having these daydreams? Essentially setting unachievable goals. In the former instances, they involve people getting hurt because you can' be that 'hero' without them getting hurt first. Would you rather be the hero or not have anyone hurt in the first place? Is it bad your thinking about people getting hurt?

On the other hand, these daydreams make you feel happy, even if it is only for that moment in time. So is there anything wrong with it? Your not hurting other people, it doesn't cost you anything tangible.

World famous in..........the Naki (Taranaki)

2009-04-23T22:03:00.004+12:00

In March I got to go to an Iaido Seminar in New Plymouth. It was an awesome experience and will hopefully get to go to another one soon.

Anyways, during the first day of the seminar there was a guy taking heaps of pictures of me. Not of anyone else....just me. Then I got interviewed for 'The Taranaki Daily'

Here is the pic and I'll type out the article too......don't laugh too hard.

FENDING four enemies off with a flashing sword is hard work - even if it's all in your mind. Experts in the Japanese martial art of Iai-Do gathered at Woodleigh School in New Plymouth last weekend to showcase their craft. There were about a dozen Iai-Do fanatics putting their long swords into scabbards and donning black outfits at the school's hall as they performed their routines. The sport focuses on the teaching of forms and does not involve direct sparring. "It is like dance, except with a deadly influence," Chris Jones of the New Plymouth Iai-Do Association said. "It helps develop strong personality, strong mind, good character and strong moral fibre." Mr Jones said he had always been fascinated with Japanese culture and martial arts because it was such an interior challenge. "Your only opponent is yourself." Fellow enthusiast Enchante Chang, of Wellington, had only been in the sport for about a year. He said he enjoyed not worrying about other people. "You're just perfecting really fine moves. It's really subtle." But just because it was solitary, the sport should not be seen as easy. "If you're not sweating, you're not doing it right," he said.

Word of the Day #15: Sibilant

2009-04-23T19:07:00.005+12:00

Short and sweet today (But double the pictures!)

Pronounced: si-bi-lant

Meaning: Hissing (words that end with s, cats, tables)

Example Sentence: His tone sounded sibilant.

Let me introduce to you my friend, PAIN!

2009-04-19T18:01:00.003+12:00

Pain. The signal that our bodies send to us that we are in physical danger. Some pain is of no consequence, others become injuries while others more so. Sometimes we blackout because the pain is too much. That is again another one of the bodies defensive mechanism's. When pain is too much the body makes us blackout to prevent us from experiencing more pain.

Because of Rugby, every week I am having a few niggles. My first week I hyper-extended my right ring finger and this week I rammed my knee into someone else's knee. He was bigger. My knee was smaller...I think even you guys know enough about physics to know the result.

So I've been icing up these past few days and feeling just a bit like an old bugger.

Here are some pain quotes that I have remembered.

"It's only pain, it'll go away."

"Pain reminds us that we're still alive."

"Pain is just the bodies reminder to us to stop being stupid."

Purgatory

2009-04-15T15:13:00.003+12:00

When is time wasted? Some may argue that anything leisurely is time wasted. Using my blog as an example. It doesn't really serve any purpose. It isn't for charity. I don't get paid for it. It doesn't further my job prospects. What it does do is make me happy; that I get to vent/rant/debate. People reading this might enjoy it.

Wasted? Perhaps this one is 'eye of the beholder' example.

Using a better example is time spent at university. A lot of us (me included) spent a lot time at university doing nothing. Yes. nothing. Sure we got some goatskin document reading Bachelor of Something Useless. Sure it was at a top 1% university in the world but really what I was doing and many other people were doing was wasting time.

I have a psychology degree. What did I learn? That I didn't want to be a psychologist. That I didn't like studying. I didn't like having no money. Essentially I was wasting my time. Why? Because at the moment I don't have much to do with psychology except for the every day kind. The one purpose my degree did was allow myself to enroll in a post graduate diploma in teaching, which takes one year (otherwise it takes 3 years). However, any degree would have been feasible. That means I could have done any degree, perhaps something that was more useful, something I would have enjoyed a lot more.

Other people have done degrees and post graduate work in a certain field and have gone on to become a personal assistant. Done a diploma in teaching moved to another country and have not taught.

Is this not time wasted? You can argue that every experience gives you some value. I can't disagree but how valuable is it? Was it worth 3+ years, stress, your money?

Yet without wasting our time, will we perceive time as such a valuable commodity?

Word of the Day #15: Friendship

2009-04-14T10:39:00.003+12:00

A word we all know, but sometimes we take these things for granted because like all things we like are there at a moments notice.

I find things like friendship (and family) become more important as you grow older and if you have to live far away from them. Since my move, I have missed my friends and family a lot.

You will get a lot of definitions of what friendship it and it has different meanings to different people, so is it really fair just to use the dictionary term?

Meaning: The state of being a friend; association as friends: To value a person's friendship

I really like this part from Wikipedia tho:

Value that is found in friendships is often the result of a friend demonstrating the following on a consistent basis:

the tendency to desire what is best for the other,
sympathy and empathy,
honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth, especially in terms of pointing out the perceived faults of one's counterpart,
mutual understanding.

Friendship is definitely a give and take relationship. I is taking because you need certain things from you friends, like companionship, advice, help you move house. But when you do 'take' you should have in mind that your friend is being altruistic. As a friend you should know not to take too much

On the other side, when you are the giver, you should be altruistic and help as much as you can within limits and to not expect something back. As soon as you expect something back it is no longer friendship and becomes an arrangement or alliance.

So here is my own definition of a friend and friendship. Yours could be the same or it could be different.

A friend is someone you can rely on.
A friend is someone you can trust.
Friendship is something that is forged over a long period of time (not in a vacuum of time)
Friendship is not bound by distance
In time, hopefully you get a symbiotic relationship out of it

Breaking the Cycle

2009-04-07T08:01:00.002+12:00

I think when you have done something for so long you forget what that something else is like. A co-worker (chef) I used to work with in a cafe once worked 27 days in a row because they couldn't find a 2nd chef at that time. He quoted "It's been so long you've forgotten what good feels like."

Finding a job has been tough. Not having much money has been tough. But the hardest thing is the waiting, the doing nothing, and the worst of them, the no replies from schools.

So it is a good thing I am going back to Auckland for Easter. See some famaliar faces, have some fun and forget my woes. Then come back with hopefully a slightly different perspective and slightly more luck.

See you soon guyz!

The Dalai Lama is coming.....I think....

2009-04-02T09:44:00.004+13:00

Just read that the Chinese government want New Zealand to not permit the Dalai Lama a visa into NZ.

Apparently South Africa denied him a visa because they didn't want to harm relations with China.

Seriously...F you South Africa!!! So typical. Stop letting big brother push you around (God knows you've been through too many years of that). The Dalai Lama has no criminal record, does a lot of good for a lot of people around the world, and you won't allow this man to enter?

I am sure John Key will let him in, I will puke if he doesn't.

In a world where we want to promote peace and tolerance, China is among those that defy that. I am fine with China being communists because it can work well if the government does a good job for the people, but to go out of your way to stop people from Tibet travelling is ludicrous.

I hope the Dalai Lama will come here. He will bring a lot of joy to people.

Buddhism is a way of life, it isn't a religion.

Word of the Day #14: Tilt

2009-04-01T11:45:00.012+13:00

The History of 'Tilt'

An interesting word and one that my friends and I use a lot.

To a lot of us, the word tilt has stemmed from poker. In poker terms it means to get angry/be annoyed. There are multiple ways to be "tilted" in poker notwithstanding: losing a hand on the river, folding to a big bluff.

But I asked myself the other day, where did poker players get this word from? The reason it has given me a bit of interest is because although the term is now used heavily around the word, it is still slang when referring to the word tilt as being angry. If you look up dictionary.com or a similar website you will get the usual meanings:

1) slope, incline

2) jousting

3) moving a camera up and down for photography

The Earth is on tilt!

I have no scientific reasoning behind this but I am going to assume that the word tilt comes from Pinball.

In Pinball machines, there is a mechanism that stops players from cheating. If you move the machine too much or tilt it upwards, the game will freeze for that 'ball'. It will usually flash the word tilt on its screen. Now players who have played pinball enough should know this and won't do this anymore, but usually when 'tilt' comes up on the screen is when players get annoyed/angry at the machine (ball goes straight up and down the middle, misclicking, mis-timed shot etc) they will hit/push and will inevitably cause the 'tilt' mechanism to activate.

"Causing a Slam Tilt (by hitting or attacking the door to the coin vault or other *very* violent behaivour towards the machine) immediately ends the current game for you and anyone else currently playing and is hence considered very rude. " - Patrik Lundin

Surely the word tilt comes from a poker player(s) who played a lot of angry pinball.

Little girls break my heart

2009-03-27T22:58:00.002+13:00

I recently went to an Iaido seminar in New Plymouth. Sometime before dinner time I asked my Sensei if he could only have one child, would he rather have a boy or a girl. Now the trick to this question for him was that he has had trouble having children and took him and his wife a while before they had twins! One boy and one girl even. He said that with all the trouble they went through and having both come at the same time, he couldn't possibly answer.

I retorted that if someone had asked me that same question 3 years earlier, I would have said definitely a boy. Now I would say definitely a girl.

I think I have wanted a girl for about a year. My reasons are that boys are fun and great, but when they grow up you can't really act the same way with them. Girls, even though their physical appearances change a lot, their demeanor to you doesn't change too much. I would love to have a daddy's girl.

Working at some childcare centres has really confirmed this for me. A little girl called Nikki attached to me the first time she laid eyes on me. I'm not sure why she did but all my paternal instincts just come out when she holds my hand, asks me for a cuddle or just talks in that baby voice. She literally breaks my heart, but so do a lot of baby girls.

It breaks my heart that I don't have a baby girl now.

It breaks my heart because I will have to wait to have one (I need to have a stable income and way of life, otherwise it won't be fair on her)

It breaks my heart because I have a 50% fail rate of getting a girl (could be more, the male gene is strong in my family)

It breaks my heart because the pinhole in my heart cannot hold off the poring love.

Word of the Day #13: Gossamer

2009-03-23T20:08:00.005+13:00

I think the sound of this word is very beautiful. It sounds eloquent and exotic.

I thought it was mostly used as an adjective but it is more of a noun.

Pronounced: Gos-sa-mer

Meaning:

(Noun) Any thin, light fabric; a thread or a web of the substance.

(Adjective) Thin and light

Example sentence: The faeries had tiny gossamer wings that looked too delicate to hold them aloft.

So much easier if it was causation

2009-03-19T10:23:00.004+13:00

When I was younger I remember being at school and had messages like, keep it green and be a tidy kiwi.

These days those same messages are being used but others that have seeped in are keep nz beautiful (a stolen phrase from Max clothing), reduce-reuse-recycle (used at the latter end of my school years).

I am sure that there are quite a few of us out there that make a consciencely effort to at least not litter or recycle. But the matter of fact is that it really is 1 rotten apple spoils the lot. If 10% of the population litter then that is 10% too much. It is much easier to destroy than build.

What amazes me is that New Zealand wants to be seen as this clean green environment but doesn't have big laws against doing the opposite of this. If you look at Singapore, there are heavy fines for spitting (I think like $500), chewing gum is banned (I'm totally for this), and littering is a huge fine too.

We have places like Wellington and Waitakere where rubbish bags need to be purchased so we can throw out our rubbish. My question is...why aren't wheelie bins used? Both require the use of a big truck to come and take our rubbish away but wheelie bins don't require loads and loads of plastic bags to be produced (isn't reduce one of the big R's?). Sure they could be biodegradable recycled bags but is recycle/reuse better than reduce?

It is easy to ignore a big faceless company (or city council) when they do things that in essence litter our country. But it is much harder to ignore it when people do this. I myself was a non-conscience litterer several years back and I was very embarrassed when a very good friend told me off about it one day, and I thank him very much for doing so. I now very consciencely try not to litter.

The people that I really want to focus on is actually smokers. These people in my opinion are the biggest litterers in our society. How many times have you seen one of these people flick their cigarette butt into the gutter, the road, out of their cars...everywhere. Sure the butts are quite small but how many times do they do this per day. If they can consciencely do this, what about normal litter? I think that a huge portion of litterers are smokers. Could we ever prove this? I don't think so, smokers being litterers is only a correlation, it isn't causation because we all know that non-smokers litter as well.

I'm just sick of seeing people litter....consciencely too!

Tiny Purple Orchids

2009-03-16T21:58:00.006+13:00

"Do you believe in fate?"

I read on someone else's blog. I replied with a defiant "NO!"

Then today while I was off to dinner with gf and flatmate. My flatmate exclaimed..."isn't this yours?" picking up a dainty bookmark off the ground.

Unbeknown to her...I had lost that bookmark not 1 day ago.... ZOMG...Like totally FATE.

However, I think it was through a series of luck and not so scientific explanation, I will break down the process.

* Yesterday was a very calm day. That means no wind....yes it is possible in Wellington.

* It was a Sunday, so trash pickers are probably not working.

* I lost it outside a non-child friendly cafe.

* The surrounding area to this cafe is also not child friendly and perhaps people around this area are not in to petty things.

Therefore with no wind, no people after petty things, no children and no trash pickers. It is only sensible to assume that the bookmark would not be more than 20 feet from where it was lost!

It is a bit scratched now (sorry Max and Ruby! I'll take better care of it this time I promise!) but I didn't hesitate to plonk it into my book.

Fate?

Yeah nah

Hot n Cold: Katy Perry

2009-03-13T10:18:00.004+13:00

I've always been asking people...rather be too cold or too hot?

I've never noticed but people actually answer this question wrong.

The typical cold answer is, oh I rather be too cold because I can just put on more clothes.

The typical hot answer is, too hot, because I don't like the cold.

First off, why doesn't anyone say...oh I rather be too hot, cause then I can go have a cold beer, find an air conditioned room and chill.

But my main point is people who typically answer I rather be too cold because I can just put on more clothes is actually not answering the question.

Isn't the idea of the question, which one you could suffer more? Not what are ways you can get around being too cold/hot?

My answer to my own question is I rather be too hot because I feel that the cold is more attuned to suffering, while being too hot is like the after effects of a big work out or sports, so I don't feel like I am suffering (tho if you put me in the middle of the Sahara.....)

Whats this to do with Katy Perry?

nothing...

she's hot tho

Word of the Day #12: Bucolic

2009-03-12T22:52:00.003+13:00

A word that I will rarely use I think, but good to know.

Pronouced: bue-co-lic

Meaning: sugguesting of a rural life, pertaining a country life style

Example Sentence: I would love to have a bucolic lifestyle.

Who is your daddy and what does he do?

2009-03-11T16:36:00.002+13:00

I wonder when a father stops seeing their son/daughter as a child (as oppose to seeing them as an adult). The thing is probably never.

Now you can look at it at the reverse and ask, when does a child stop being a child in their own eyes when their father is involved. I want my father to respect me and take pride in what I do. I also want to not present myself as a child and be reliant on him.

However I find my self wanting to sit a little lower in the car, so I can look up at my dad. I want to feel that nostalgia. When I get sick I want my dad to come and take care of me, to feel my head, to give some small words of comfort.

I'm not sure if others feel this way and I wonder when this 'want' will go away. Is it when I have children of my own? Will this also affect the way my father perceives me?

Word of the day #11: Hitherto

2009-03-07T04:04:00.003+13:00

Very interesting word in my opinion and another word I would never have come across until I read fantasy books. It sounds so knowledgeable to me when you say it.

Pronouced: hith-er-to

Meaning: up until now

Example sentence: Who knew hitherto, that I liked to book blog.

India was last seen tapping two blue mana

2009-03-05T09:38:00.004+13:00

I'm not too sure about the politics in the sub-continent. India and Patkistan have been at war since the time of stupid, and who knows what they are fighting about now. Most likely the conversation went something like...

"Hey my toes aren't fat!"

"Well my legs aren't chubby, Mohan said you said my legs are chubby!"

"..."

"arrrgghh, let go of my hair......"

"arggghhh my eye..."

But the fighting isn't just between those two countries, there is civil war in Sri Lanka and leaders are getting capped in Pakistan every year so it seems.

But one thing that all these countries have in common is that their number one sport is Cricket. The sub-continent is practically half the world's game and to think that anything to put that sport into jeoprady is insane.

Well the insanity has happened and a few days ago the Sri Lankan cricket team got shot at while en route to some venue.

The problem now lies in, why did they target a cricket team? Do the terrorists want some retaliation? Did they disagree with an LBW decision during their innings on a sunday game? Are they anti-cricketers? Were they picked last in school every day?

Word of the Day #10: Nice

2009-03-02T10:14:00.000+13:00

Yeah...nice....like we don't know what that means.....your such a moron Enchante.

Thats what I thought! But I think we have a lot of misconceptions of this word. yes we all know that it means good or pleasant.

Example Sentence: That was a nice hug.

But it also has other meaning.

Pronouced: Nice (Rhymes with mice!)

Meaning:
1) accurate

2) subtle

Example sentence:
1)That was a nice shot.

The misconception we have here is that we think that nice here means good, like good shot. But what it actually means here is that it was an accurate shot.

2) That was a nice distinction.

The misconception here is that we think nice here again means good. Like that was awesome how you picked out that difference there. But what it actually means, was that it was a subtle distinction between say, two jackets with the only difference being the cuffs on them.

So you see, such simple words that we didn't know how to use properly!

Frozen Yoghurt, I call it Fro-ghurt

2009-02-26T14:53:00.004+13:00

Being sick is ass. You feel terrible. (thats bad)

However, I don't have that guilty feeling of not having done anything today. (thats good)

You look terrible (thats bad)

You get to take pseudophedrine (thats good)

Gives me cotton mouth (thats bad)

I get to watch TV all day (thats good)

I don't get to read cause I can't concentrate (thats bad)

Ignorance is bliss

2009-02-25T14:34:00.005+13:00

You are the fastest person at your school. Then you had to high school and you are the 7th fastest.

This was such an awesome meal of Vietnamese, then you go to Melbourne and everything tastes worse.

This is the greatest book ever, until you read more than 5 books.

Seriously, there have been so many times in my life where I say something which is seemed so meaning and/or passionate, but then days/weeks/years later I realise what a fool I had been. Bigger than a fool sometimes.

Other times I look back on life and how things were so much easier. Your days were a constant cycle of happiness. Eat, sleep, play, eat, shit, play, sleep, eat, eat, eat, sleep, shit, play.

Now I eat less, sleep less, play less but funny enough shit more. Sometimes it come from my mouth, ranting on about useless stuff that gets me into a bigger pile of shit.

Ok, should probably tone down the swearing.

It is so much happier to be ignorant and yet we strive to make ourselves richer in both wealth and mind. We try to educate others to stop them from being stupid essentially. Yet are we denying them their happiness? Let crappy coffee taste good to them, don't take them for a real coffee. Let them dream of bad books and do not direct them to Borders or Amazon.

We are dream killers, happiness devourers. One are the ones that bring the shit to the ignorant.

Word of the Day #9: Simulacrum

2009-02-21T20:13:00.003+13:00

For so long I had thought this word meant robot or some sort. And perhaps the picture of this card misdirects us to think so.

But actually finding the real meaning has made me appreciate the card even more.

Pronouced: sim-u-lay-crum

Meaning:
1) superficial likeness

2) image or representation

Example sentence: This magic card is a simulacrum of Jens Thoren.

Probladox (My made up word for a solution that causes more problems)

2009-02-19T15:47:00.006+13:00

I remember when I was younger, I didn't read very much. I'm not sure why I didn't. I think perhaps it was because I wasn't good at reading, but then I remember reading some books that I liked and I never thought to myself "oh this is too hard."

I think that text based computers games helped me a lot with my reading and with those text based computer games came the internet. At the beginning stages of the internet, it was all very much fun, there was no internet lingo, ICQ was just starting to become big and all was fine.

I guess one of my first internet acronyms was a/s/l (age/sex/location). Yeah you know the one.

ah oh

Around this same time, cellphones were being more readily available to the wider market. I remember my first phone, it was an Alcatel and it was pretty much a brick. But when I first got it, it was one of the latest models and the kids at school were like oooo.... a little history on cellphones during this time was that most phones could not text in lower case letters and only the network provider would text you in lower case. So when I got a text saying "please tell your momma to move her ass, as she is blocking our satellite. vodafone." I had to really laugh.

I think that it was hard to meet people back in the days. The only ways to really meet people were school, work, social clubs. To meet with people you would have to ring them as well and talk....actually talk, we know how awkward it can be, how do we not sound like a dork, what do you say? I think that the internet has really helped the former problem. There are so many social networking sites, or websites to meet people. The cellphone via text messaging helped with the latter problem. However both of these solutions creates more problems. You would have thought that programs like ICQ would help people type more and thus get better at it and thus be able to spell better. [insert Tui Billboard here(New Zealand joke...sorry!)]. Instead what it created was internet acronyms and abbreviations; text language with cellphones. Both of these can create massive inabilities to be able to communicate with the other person.

I cbf xplanin evythg 2 u nw, bt maybe ltr.

It can lead to the inability to read a decent piece of text properly too, especially if any government in the world wants to legislate that text language be made into an official language even for a school test/exam. Jesus, who was smoking some serious shit when they put that idea forward. Then you get to the point of, god yes, this guys is terribly boring, what the fuck is he saying? Is he some kind of social dork? Is he trying to text me right now?!?!?! He seemed so interesting during texting (that's because we never get to practice speaking to real people much now do we?).

Or more recently, you get some psycho dude from the South Island who fakes things on the internet. Then when you get here from Germany, takes your passport away from you! Ok, that one is an extreme case, but you should get the picture.

I'm not sure how to solve the problem. Is there a solution....is there a problem?

Some of my friends would tell me to gtfo or stfu.

But seriously, in the world where we want to push and push for education, is the internet and cellphone more benefical or more harmful?

Beyond 2000: The medical edition

2009-02-16T20:04:00.002+13:00

For those of you that remember the Beyond 2000, I bet you are laughing now. Those of you that don't know what it is, it was simply a TV Program that would have "advanced" technology. The program would "promote" these new technologies that could/would be avaliable to you beyond the year 2000! What the program didn't know was that technology would advance exponentially. Things that were unfathomable, like decoding the human genome that was said to finished decoding in around 2025 was decoded in 2003...why? Because technological advancement in computers was so dramatic.

That leads me to my actual topic. Resveratrol.

Resveration is a new compound. Place most commonly found? Red Wine.

The compound is actually found in the skin of grapes. This compound functions by activing the longevity gene in animal bodies. This longevity gene helps us to lose weight, to fight off disease, to live longer. Study using overfed rats showed that those that were given resveratrol ran faster than other overfed rats and ran twice as far. Another factor was that, those that were given resveratrol gained less weight. WOW.

Then I think back, a while ago broccoli was the big find because it helped to prevent cancer! Where has that study lead?

Stem Cell research was the big thing, it got scrapped and now Obama is just reviving it.

I am just so skeptical now about these programs even though they are promoting such great and wonderful things. Don't get me wrong, I hope they succeed, I hope I proven to be an idiot, but my brain says, no.

The scientists in the program says that in around 5 years time reservatrol will be on the market in pill form. Definitely in our life time.

Tune in next time to Beyond 2000: The medical edition where we look at the pill that prevents diabetes.

Word of the Day #8: Austere

2009-02-15T11:15:00.005+13:00

I can't believe a word can have that many meanings, but this word "austere" has many meanings. The meaning I'll write down will be the one I'll use most frequently.

Pronounced: aw-steer

Meaning: lacking of ornament, grave, solemn.

Example sentence:

The was were no artifacts, no enchantments and no creatures, making his board feel austere.

Before they are hanged

2009-02-13T09:00:00.004+13:00

It is very ironic and sad that while New South Wales is flooding, that Victoria was emblazoned with wild devastating bush fires. I think the total number of dead has past 200 and around 1000 homes are gone. The worst thing? That perhaps there were multiple arsonists at work. What are these people thinking? What possible gain do they have for doing something like this? The good thing to come out of it is even though we are in a heavy recession, New Zealanders and Australians (especially) are donating a lot of money to help out the cause. Red Cross NZ has pledged more than 1 million dollars and are not deducting costs of admin and bank fees.

It is going to take years for those broken families to get over it, the land will be unusable for at least 6 months (could be a lot more, I'm not sure).

So far they have caught 2 arsonist, but they only caused small fires apparently (still killing 21 people). I hope they caught all the bastards, and then I hope the families forgive them...

But not before they are hanged.

Split personality

2009-02-12T09:50:00.001+13:00

Decided to move my book content to another blog. So if you want to get up to date on what I have read or my reviews or comments about books, you need to move to

sleeping-with-books.blogspot.com

20 Random things not about me

2009-02-10T20:26:00.003+13:00

It's harder than it looks! Copy to your own blog, erase my answers, enter yours.
Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real...nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.

1. What is your name : Enchante

2. A four Letter Word : Emit

3. A boy's Name : Eddard

4. A girl's Name : Erin

5. An occupation : Educator

6. A color : Electric Pink

7. Something you'll wear : Embroidered Jacket

8. Something you'll do : Eat

9. A food : Eggplant

10. Something found in the bathroom : Earrings

11. A place : Earth

12. A reason for being late : Essay assignment night before

13. Something you'd shout : Easy

14. A movie title : Eagle vs Shark

15. Something you drink : Eggnog

16. A musical group : Everclear

17. An animal : Eel

18. A street name : Egmont Street

19. A type of car : Echo

20. The title of a song : Everlong

Word of the Day #7: Sycophant

2009-02-09T13:53:00.003+13:00

I thought this word meant preacher, how wrong I was.

Pronounced: sic-oh-phant

Meaning: A flatterer, a fawning parasite, an ass kisser

Example Sentence:

I don't want to sound like a sycophant, but your awesome.

Ode to Nighteyes

2009-02-08T12:35:00.001+13:00

I had a dream last night. It was a funeral but it was very different. I remember there was a couple of 3 story apartment type buildings, and there was a man inside it who was still. He didn't move but his eyes pierced me. There were mourners around me, and I started to cry relentlessly for there was nothing else to do but cry. Was that man inside Fitz? Was I crying for him? I woke up and tried to feel the tears that surely must be a pool. There is nothing but the wind blowing and my heavy heart.

Word of the Day #6: Mawkish

2009-02-05T07:56:00.003+13:00

This is a really odd word in my opinion. It looks weird, it sounds weird and I don't think you could guess what it means.

Pronouced: Maw-Kish (adjective)

Meaning: sickly sentimentality, weakly emotional

Example sentences:

1) The comment she made seemed mawkish.

2) He whispered mawkishly into my ear "Goodbye beloved."

Sticky-Icky

2009-02-04T11:10:00.003+13:00

A know a few people who smoke pot and although I don't condone it, I won't go calling the cops when I see someone do it.

I think that it could be a good drug to help for medicinal purposes but beyond that, it's just like smoking to me.

I know it is a media thing, but I just hate how sports stars/celebrities get so much attention when they do something like pot (i.e. Michael Phelps), just let the police handle it and back the fuck off. They aren't murders or serial rapist so stop making them out like they are the big bad.

Word of the Day #5: Pantheon

2009-02-01T12:03:00.008+13:00

Pronouced: Pan-thee-on

This word has many meanings but the one I am refering to is this.

A place for heroes or idols of any group, individual or movement.

i.e. The Hall of Fame

Example Sentence

MacGyver should be placed in the Pantheon of TV History.

Book Porn: January Centerfold

2009-01-30T12:46:00.006+13:00

OCD

2009-01-30T09:01:00.016+13:00

In an earlier post, I directed your attention to the 3x3x3 Rubik's cube. Well my fascination of it has lead me to the 4x4x4 Rubik's cube, however, I a

m attempting to solve this one without any help from our friend the internet.

The following are a couple of pictures of my attempts to solve the 4x4x4 cube (key word is attempt here ladies and gentlemen)

With help from the petrus method which I learnt while trying to solve the 3x3x3 cube I manage to get to this.

EPIC FAIL!

All but the two that are flipped around the WRONG way.....

Still trying to flip the two around, spent 2 hours last night trying to flip the two around, but can't....pissing me off.

Word of the day #4: Pissant

2009-01-29T21:39:00.004+13:00

Before I get on with word of the day I have a story to tell. The other I was in the supermarket to get random things and while looking at the aisle signs I noticed one of the words: 'Haberdashery'. I smirked to myself and thought "I know what that means!" like the little boy I am.

Pronouced: Piss-ant

When used as a noun, it is a person or thing that is worthless or of no consequence.

When used as an adjective it means worthless or insignificant.

Darth Vader is awesome; Anakin Skywalker is a pissant.

Killing me softly with his words

2009-01-23T08:37:00.004+13:00

The current book I am reading is 'A Clash of Kings' by George R.R. Martin. I am actually re-reading it because hopefully (and I am being very optimistic here) 'A Dance of Dragons' is going to come out in October and by then I want to have re-read all of the other previous books.

It is such a joy to be back in the world of Westeros but there is a thing that's been making me feel a bit guilty. The amount of books I have read over my life time isn't a lot and there are still so many good fantasy/sci-fi books for me to read, so many different authors I haven't had the pleasure to get acquainted with and yet here I go whoring my soul in Westeros again.

With that said, it is a guilty pleasure and I'll be getting into bed with 'A Storm of Swords' and 'A Feast for Crows'

xoxo

Word of the Day #3: Cajole

2009-01-21T11:21:00.005+13:00

Pronounced Ca-jole

Meaning to persuade using flattery or promises.

Example Sentence:

My students cajoled me into reading them a story.

Where were you on the 20th Jan 2009?

2009-01-21T06:34:00.009+13:00

It's such a common saying when something big in the world happens.

I had doubted whether it could happen, I suspected that there would be too much stupidity, that there was too much hatred in America, that someone that 'could' be someone great would be denied by his own people. I shouldn't have doubted. The mob have spoken.

Today Barack Obama was sworn into the presidency and became the first African-American to ever grace the steps of the White House. A horde of 2 million people were gathered to watch him get inaugurated while millions more watched from their TV screens around in world (me included at 6am). I woke up because I wanted to hear a JFK speech, a Martin Luther King Jr speech, a David Lange (ex-NZ prime minister) speech but I was a little disappointed because I felt it wasn't one of those speeches. However, maybe it's because I am not American and so distant from everything that is America or maybe because he didn't want one of those speeches, he wanted to let America and the world to know that he doesn't have delusions of grandeur for himself, but he is here to help change America for the better and deluding us with fake speeches is not what Obama is about.

While watching the news the day before, you see a lot of Obama mania (there were lots before yesterday too) where people were selling, buying, making, praising anything Obama. He is probably the single most popular man in the world to date; there are people who have dropped everything to come to his inauguration; people who profuse their love for him.

You might ask why many people love him, why droves of people shout his name on the streets. There has never been an African American more loved since Martin Luther King Jr, never been a man more loved since 'The Beatles'. Why?

What is more powerful than anything in the world?

What can endure any hardship and cannot be beaten down?

What is it that wakes people in the hours of stupid to watch a man (and yes, he's just a man) say a few words?

Hope. The Hope that he is not just a man, that he can transcend not only America, but be the start of a revolution.

Good Luck Mr. President.

Most frequently used words from Obama's Inaugural Speech. Picture from www.readwriteweb.com

Ruby Ruby Ruby!

2009-01-19T21:04:00.007+13:00

Ok, that titled could mean anything! A girl named Ruby? My friends son called Reuben who's nickname is Ruby? The Kaiser Chiefs?...whats this...you want to tell us about a Rubik's Cube!

Yep.

I have seen them during my lifetime, have tried twisting and turning them around to no avail but no desire to actually sit down and figure them out either. About the last week of school a student of mine brought one in, and when he left it at school over night I grabbed it and messed around with it failing by epic proportions. Then it clicked. YouTube.

I got found this person called Dan Brown (no, not Da Vinci Code guy) who had made an amazing tutorial on how to do the rubik's cube in a very easy way, the 'Layer by Layer' method. It took me about a day to memorize all the algorithms. Then I went and bought one and tried to solve the cube as fast as I could and got to about 1 minute and 34 seconds. However as I have learnt now that I had no real understanding of the rubik's cube, to really understand it you have to look at each piece as it moves, don't just look at the piece you are moving, but look at the piece you are moving away (where does it go?).

I went to my friends (Shaun, Daz and Koray) house during the holiday and practically got them all into learning how to solve the cube (later on my girl wanted to learn too). Koray latched onto the cube as much as I did and we both would take our cubes when we went out and solved the cube over and over again. We went to Raglan with another bunch of mates. When we met up with one of our friends called Chris there, we asked him about the cube because earlier before, David (Chris' older brother) told me that Chris had learnt to solve the cube himself. Koray and I found out that Chris had figured out the cube in much the same way Dan Brown did except he used another way to solve the top (for all you cubers out there, instead of solving the cross first on the 3rd layer, Chris solved the corners first) and it turned out to be a lot quicker.

About 2 weeks later Daz bought Koray a 4x4x4 and 5x5x5 rubik's cube. Not only did they look very daunting to our untrained eyes but they also looked like a new challenge. Because Koray and I both essentially learnt the cube off the internet we were determined to try and solve either the 4x4x4 or 5x5x5 cubes by ourselves. Long story short, we failed (like duh, obviously). I only had a few hours to try it but I really got no where, this is because I had and still don't really have a good understand of the logistics of the cube.

I then had to go back to Wellington and I didn't have a cube other than my 3x3x3. So i decided I would learn how to solve the rubik's cube another way. I knew that there was a method in which you started from a corner and went from there (instead of the layer by layer method). So i looked it up (YouTube) and found out it was called the Petrus method and learnt to do it via a guy called Hobie. Hobie's video was not good as Dan Browns (no disrespect). The reason for this is Dan Brown actually embedded the codes/algorithms onto his videos, you could pause at certain points to try and do it yourself. With that said, Hobie's video was the best Petrus method video because he did his video's in many parts with a specific point in each video. Also the clarity (both visually and instructionally) were better than the others.

I found that the petrus method was a lot harder than the vanilla layer by layer method because I have to 'find' the right pieces at certain points, whereas the vanilla method you could go with the flow, solving each piece that is 'solvable' at any given time. But in conclusion the Petrus Method taught me way more about the cube itself because the Petrus Method limits your movements. Hobie talked about 2 or 3 degrees of freedom (because you can only move 2 or 3 of the 6 faces).

After doing all this I don't think I could solve either the 4x4x4 or 5x5x5 with any degree of success but I sure will give it a try when I get my hands on one. A video for fail blog perhaps?

Thanks Dan and Hobie. You've changed my life!

Word of the Day #2: Taciturn

2009-01-18T15:09:00.005+13:00

I picked this word because I felt it meant nothing like it looked and sounded.

Pronounced tas-i-turn

Meaning reluctant to speak, reserved in conversation, habitually untalkative and tempermentally disinclined to talk..

Example sentence:

The woman at the haberdashery was very talkative, while the man was taciturn .

Starting a new trend

2009-01-16T21:33:00.003+13:00

I find reading great; not just books; reading in general.

Yes, reading books has more value, you experience a much more vast variety of different words than say a tabloid magazine but that still doesn't that trashy girly mags have no reading value. Obviously those magazines sell by the bucket load because people like gossip but they still occasionally contain words with more than 3 letters.

Anyways, so I was saying...reading is great. To enhance myself, I am going to help enhance you!

Word of the Day #1: Haberdasher

A person who sells small articles for sewing, such as buttons, ribbons and zippers.

A Haberdashers shop is called a Haberdashery.

Sloth is the greatest of all sins

2009-01-15T21:26:00.004+13:00

A while back I had a very vivid dream about hybrid type vampires. I woke up and wrote down the main points of the story. As time has gone by I have had other ideas about the story and have also written them down. I want to write a bit more of this 'book', not so much as I think it will get published but rather I would feel rather proud of myself.

However, even with time on my hands I haven't tried to write more of it even though I really want to. I need some more motivation other than I will feel proud of doing so.

Perhaps some publisher out there wants a new vampire novel?

Harper Collins?

Tor?

Anyone...?

...

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.....

......

.......

........

.........

..........

...........

............Hello?

Enchante's Top 5 books of 2008

2009-01-13T08:42:00.014+13:00

This is the first ever time I have read enough books in one year to warrant a top anything book of the year. I think in total I read 29 books, 2 of them were short stories, 2 young adult books, 1 auto-biography, 1 non-fiction, 1 crime/thriller and the rest were fantasy/sci-fi.

I think last year not only did I read a lot of books (at least for me) but the quality of books I read was also quite superb. This is due to the fact that I am playing a lot of catch up on classics and also because the amount of quality fantasy writing has increased. It was really difficult for me to pick a top 5 not only because I read a lot of great books but some of them were read 300 days ago and my memory is failing me.

Anyways on with the show.

#5 Tuf Voyaging by George R.R. Martin

George R.R. Martin is my favourite author in the world. He wrote the series called a Song of Ice and Fire which has won the hearts of many. Too often when an author has a stand out series is that many of his other works go unnoticed or aren't mentioned very much and I have not heard anyone ever mention Tuf Voyaging.

As with most of Martin's earlier works they are more sci-fi orientated with a hint of horror and this book is no exception. The plot of this story is about a relatively poor merchant/transporter who is in love with cats. He accepts to take a group of 'scientists and mercenaries' to find a 'lost' technologically advanced ship which would make them all richer than the Sultan of Brunei, but finding the ship was the easy part, surviving the terrors on board and surviving each other will become of the utmost importance.

This story is very witty and funny. Martin spares no details when describing scenes/people and dead. An excellent story which I hope one day gets a sequel.

#4 Perdido Street Station by China Mieville

Don't judge a book by its cover and certainly not by someones first name. I had heard many raps about this book from BookSpotCentral.com before I read it and it certainly did not disappoint. Mieville creates this world called New Crobuzon where races of Bird men, Cacti men, Khepri (scrab people), mutants, humans and other strange races fill the living world of New Crobuzon.

The story starts off very slowly and pulls you along making you guess what the real story is about (unless you read the blurb at the back), developing the characters, the culture of this city and the city itself.

It is hard to describe this book because it is like no other fantasy I have ever read before. The races are different, the world is different (vastly), the technology available is neither here nor there. The main character is not your swash buckling long haired hero with a greatsword in one hand and a maiden in the other but rather a slightly overweight scientist who falls in love with a woman totally forbidden.

Be prepared to have your fragile little mind blown apart when reading this book and don't let it hit you on the head either, the book is thicker than your skull.

#3 American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Gaiman is known to comic enthusiasts as the author of Sandman. To movie goers he is known as the author of Stardust but to readers of fantasy he is known for Neverwhere, Good Omens a book he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett (recently knighted author of the Discworld series).

I picked up this book from the recommendation of my friend Leigh. I wasn't sure of the book at first but the more I read the more I couldn't put it down.

This story is about the Norse Gods, Odin, Loki etc. and how they are trying to survive in a world where no one remembers them and no one believes in them. However, when you have power you won't relinquish it easily and the Gods are preparing to rejuvenate their power and to do so they must take on the new generation of gods,the Internet, the Media, the American Gods!

Gaiman has definitely captured my heart and I am currently reading his Sandman Graphic Novels. I hope to read Good Omens soon, as it is getting lonely on my bookshelf.

#2 The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

I will always remember this book as the first 1st/1st Edition Hardcover book that I owned. I was so happy to hold it and turn the first page and finished it in about 3-4 days (quick for me).

The story follows Locke (in my mind Lock - e, and not Lock) Lamora an orphan who is bought by a blind priest of Perelandro to stop him from being executed. However the blind priest turned out not to be blind nor even a priest. Chains (the fake priest) was actually a thief, a very good one at that but an old one and he was building a tiny gang teaching them the ways of thievery, disguises, deception and cooking!

The story keeps you on your toes because every 2nd chapter goes back to Locke's past and Scott Lynch always left the chapter before on a semi-cliffhanger.

Locke is your typical main character who is smart, intelligent, gets away with the impossible and very very lucky.

Locke is not your typical main character because he isn't a striking man, when it comes to fighting he is actually really shit.

I loved how Lynch wrote with such a simple touch, kept to basics but made the characters interesting enough and Locke's background interesting enough to deprive me of sleep and social interaction. This book would also make a great TV series!

#1 Troy: The Fall of Kings

Gemmell at the top of your list? But once you've read one Gemmell book you've read them all! I keep hearing/reading that from people. Perhaps that is why this series has fallen under the radar a bit.

To my benefit Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow, was the first Gemmell book I read, since then I have complete the Troy trilogy, 'Legend', and 'The King beyond the gate'.

Fall of Kings is the 3rd and final installment of the Troy series ('Lord of the Silver Bow', 'Shield of Thunder' being the first two). David Gemmell died before the book was finished. Stella his wife was left with 14,000 words already written and a skeleton diagram of how David wanted the book to end. I could definitely tell where Stella picked up and she isn't as talented as David but it still did not diminish this series for me.

I can tell you that Troy is NOTHING like the first two books Gemmell had published (the fore mentioned books). There is a lot more character depth, twists to amazing legends that you may or may not know (perhaps from the shitty film called Troy), death to some of your favourite characters, betrayal, love and tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.

Books like Legend were great but won't make me miss Gemmell. Troy definitely has made me miss Gemmell. Go pick it up from the bookstore/library now. If you know me personally, ask me to borrow it, I won't hesitate and praise Gemmell for what I call his finest work. Rest in peace David Gemmell.

Honourable Mentions:
Last Arguments of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
Dune by Frank Herbert
Temeraire by Naomi Novik

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (not on my list because it was a re-read)

Plateau

2009-01-12T10:55:00.002+13:00

I find myself in a position I have never been in before.

I'm jobless, not studying, no income to speak of at the moment.

I deal with that, I know that there will be more jobs opening up a couple of weeks before school starts but right now I am sort of in limbo. I need to fill time in.

I can read sure, but I really need to be more productive. I want to go for jogs, but I hate jogging. I want to write some more of my book which is still in the embryotic stages, yet I feel the lack of motivation.

I have fallen and I can't get up

Your new favourite saying.

2009-01-12T00:01:00.003+13:00

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Fast becoming my favourite saying.

When did Ozzy become an actor?

2009-01-11T18:24:00.004+13:00

That line is from the song '1985' by 'Bowling for Soup'. I was reminded of it when I was walking through the EMO/PUNK aisle in JB-HIFI. You expect bands like My Chem and Panic at the Disco there but it made me sad that bands like Green Day were there. Bands like Green Day were rock/punkrock way before Emotional Music was Emo, before teen boys pretended to be teen girls

I think I'm getting old.

I gain 6 life.

2009-01-10T17:23:00.003+13:00

After having such an extended break from my friends (because I moved to Wellington) it was so good to see all of them for Christmas/New Years. Some of them have changed (for the better) and some of them are still the same, but all were just awesome.
Shaun my best friend is really growing as a person and moving out of the house is doing him wonders.
Koray changing his name back was the first big step towards normality but still has heaps to learn.
Daz was good fun and very welcoming even if I was at his house almost everyday!
Team Cumberpatch, always good to see you guys.
Leigh and Pat, no Cannelloni! Good to play Bball with you though Pat.
David great to see you, and I think your my new coffee drinking buddy!
James Farrier, was great hanging out with you dude.
Chang Family: Family is more and more important the older I get.

MIA:
Nik and Fern: Miss you guys heaps, come back soon?
My girl. See you soon, missed you heaps

Surprises:
Anna, James' girlfriend, sweet and nice, making a new friend is great

Melting my heart

2008-12-18T20:32:00.002+13:00

There was a program by Bill Cosby entitled 'Kids say the darnedest things'. I never watched it, didn't care but now I am a teacher and I deal with kids everyday. Now I'm not saying I am watching re-runs now but I was reminded of it when the kids in my class blurted out random comments or genuine thoughts.

---

M: I don't want you to go Mr. Chang, I'm going to miss you.
Me: That's sweet. It's nice to be miss.
M: Yeah, I will miss you, I miss you when I go home, I miss you at night and I miss you on the weekends too.

---

J: Mr. Chang, your my dad.
Me: I'm not your dad J, you have a dad.
J: Yeah, but your like my dad. You look after me.