mood: tired.
state i'm in: ready for a not so well-earned sleep.
tune: dead silence.
from the ghostly quiet streets of brisbane, where all is missing is a few pieces of tumbleweed...
merry christmas all.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
get home now!
mood: pretty flat.
state i’m in: about to hit the pool.
tune: marvin gaye “what’s goin’ on”.
twice this morning, australian terrorist suspect david hicks, now held for five over five years in guantamo bay without charge, refused to take a call from father terry. mr hicks is now convinced his son is suffering severe mental problems, exacerbated by spending the past nine months in solitary confinement.
"he's really struggling, he's just not coping. for him to do that, it shows he's just not right. the emotional stress on him must be terrible, mr hicks said.
“we have been worried about david's mental state for three years. this shows he's not as well as everyone says he is. the australian government says he's okay ... but they're cold, they have got no heart, they don't care about him."
i’m afraid i have to agree with mr hicks on that.
melbourne psychiatrist prof paul mullen, part of the legal team trying to convince the nation’s highest court that the what the australian federal government is doing, in its neglect of an australian citizen, is illegal, added, “no one is going to survive unharmed for this length of time. he doesn’t know if he is going to be out next week, or never get out. it is totally destabilising,” he added.
remarking on david hicks’ mental state, prof mullen commented, “last time i saw him, i think you could call it fragile”.
get this poor silly bastard home now!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
dearest suffien...
mood: SADAFACES.
state i'm in: all lonesome and shit.
tune: jill scott "it's love".
happy birthday to you,
happy birthday to you,
happy birthday dear suffien,
happy birthday to you.
miss you lots baby.
j. xoxo..
state i'm in: all lonesome and shit.
tune: jill scott "it's love".
happy birthday to you,
happy birthday to you,
happy birthday dear suffien,
happy birthday to you.
miss you lots baby.
j. xoxo..
Friday, December 15, 2006
from kim to kev
mood: feeling a little more lifted.
state i'm in: almost cyanotic.
tune: ed harcourt "she fell into my arms".
i haven't had much chance to voice my opinion about political matters of late, but i couldn't let a change in the leadership of the australian labor party pass by without throwing in my two cents.
essentially, i'm very happy about it. whilst well-liked in the ALP, it was time for kim beazley to depart - his used by date had well and truly expired. as a leader, he was never going to win a federal election. the man is simply too verbose, rarely able to connect with the australian people, whilst simulataneously appearing too passive in his convictions. mr beazley never seems resolute when speaking his opinion to the media
in his place comes kevin rudd, whose political career i have been watching with a keen eye for some years. exceedingly intelligent, forthright in speech, and with a wardrobe of snappy suits and ties, he has always shown promise. what's more, when considering any dirt from the past that could be brought up to discredit a blossoming political career, it appears as if mr rudd has a clean nose. during the visit of the chinese president, hu jintao, in 2003, mr rudd addressed the man in fluent mandarin. jealous parliamentary onlookers described him as le poseur.
personally, i believe the country needs mr rudd as prime minister. he has the brains and the political brawn to bring the country back to a more positive heading. some i speak to beleive there is no avoiding a wreck now for the australian economy, but i think they are wrong. for every loss we bear from a weakening american economy, asian consumerism props us back up. i am not merely referring to australia being china's mine, but by the insatiable appetite of both asia's consumer and industrial sectors keeping the world afloat in general. this is the case for the world economy as a whole, and australia, i think, will happily drift along with it. however, at a personal level, many australians are at risk of financial ruin, which inevitably leads to higher rates of morbidity. i think this can be avoided with the superior economic and industrial relations policy that mr rudd will bring.
i also believe that mr rudd will be somewhat less dogmatic than john howard in his quest for any vindication of social reform agendas he might have. where mr howard recently demonstrated his despicable attitude by declaring "we have won the culture war" on issues relating to traditionally christian values, i beleive mr rudd will be more open-minded to what the whole political party, as representatives of the entire australian electorate (and not just the older generation), has to say.
where mr rudd has his shortfalling, is that he is so damn smart. is he too smart for the australian people to vote for? hopefully that's where deputy leader julia gillard comes into the equation. ms gillard talks straight, without much dull or trailing rhetoric. she has scarcely had her feathers ruffled as shadow health minister, opposing none other than so-called 'head-kicker' tony abbott. now ms gillard gets a position where she is more at home; as a former industrial relations lawyer, she should be even more comfortable as the shadow industrial relations minister. yes, she is a woman, but not at all in the vein of 'shoulder-pad brigade' stars like amanda vanstone or bronwyn bishop - ms gillard is sensibly feminine. in mr rudd's deputy, one can find brains, as well as an ability to talk directly to the average person on the street. very importantly, she can easily engage a commonly neglected 50% of the electorate - women. it's just a shame the media has been more concerned with her hairstyle and the colour of her skirts than what she has to say.
add this to the electorates increasing disgruntledness with the governments unpopular policies on the war in iraq, climate change, [lack of] work choices reforms, interest rates, 'market fundamentalism', as well as constituent's detachment from mr howard's so called 'culture war' rhetoric, and there is an apparent shift in public opinion. people are talking; there is excitement in the political landscape, the likes of which haven't been seen since mark latham's star dramatically rose and fell. this time, however, the star is a lot more stable, and the excitement feels a lot less misplaced. i believe there is a lot more public confidence in mr rudd to go the distance and to serve with a keen public interest.
watch this space!!
ps. i met mr rudd in 2004. he came into where i previously worked (and was fired from under new IR legislation) and purchased from me a few classical cd's. well dressed at the time, taller than i suspected, and possessed of an aura of power and intellect.
fuck optus
mood: a little low.
state i'm in: almost frozen in the new biol library.
tune: everything but the girl "two star".
ok, another two weeks have drifted by, and i still have no internet at home. four fucking weeks! now they say, "ok, the modem must be faulty". now i have resorted to taking my little iBook down to uni and hooking it up there. feels so good to be pluggin away on the flat keyboard again.
coincidentally, optus called to see how the service had been (some quality control bullshit). my roomie told them what we thought.
optus chickie (this time an aussie): "and have you considered changing to another provider in light of the service you have received"
leah: "yes, we're going to"
the message: optus sucks. indian call centres suck (although indians are normally lovely people, of course), having no internet sucks big time!
the moral: don't go with optusnet!
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
set adrift on memory bliss of you
FROM 28.11.06
mood: happily sombre.
state i'm in: mellowing right out.
tune: pm dawn "set adrift on memory bliss".
this song, pm dawn's "set adrift on memory bliss", always gets me a little reflective and emotional. specifically, the song's about letting go of past attachments, allowing them to take their place in the recesses of one's memory. lyrically and musically rather avant garde for an early 90's hip hop artist.
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
baby you send me, baby you send me,
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
baby you send me, baby you send me,
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
the camera pans the cocktail glass,
behind a blind of plastic plants;
i found the lady with the fat diamond ring.
then you know i can't remember a damn thing.
i think it's one of those de ja vu things,
or a dream that's tryin' to tell me something.
or will i ever stop thinkin' about it.
i don't know, i doubt it.
subterranean by design,
i wonder what i would find if i met you,
let my eyes caress you,
until i meet the thought of missess princess who?
often wonder what makes her work.
i guess i'll leave that question to the experts,
assuming that there are some out there.
they're probably alone, solitaire.
i can remember when i caught up
with a pastime intimate friend.
she said, "bet you're probably gonna say i look lovely,
but you probably don't think nothin' of me."
she was right, though, i can't lie.
she's just one of those corners in my mind,
and i just put her right back with the rest.
that's the way it goes, i guess.
baby you send me, baby you send me,
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
baby you send me, baby you send me,
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
careless whisper from a careless man,
a neutron dance for a neutron fan;
marionette strings are dangerous things,
i thought of all the trouble they bring.
an eye for an eye, a spy for a spy,
rubber bands expand in a frustrating sigh.
tell me that she's not dreaming.
she's got an ace in the hole,
it doesn't have meaning.
reality used to be a friend of mine,
'cause complete control, i don't take too kind.
christina applegate, you gotta put me on.
guess who's piece of the cake is jack gone?
she broke her wishbone and wished for a sign.
i told her whispers in my heart were fine.
what did she think she could do?
i feel for her, i really do.
and i stared at the ring finger on her hand,
i wanted her to be a big pm dawn fan,
but i had to put her right back with the rest.
that's the way it goes, i guess.
baby you send me, baby you send me,
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
baby you send me, baby you send me, baby you send me, baby you send me,
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
mood: happily sombre.
state i'm in: mellowing right out.
tune: pm dawn "set adrift on memory bliss".
this song, pm dawn's "set adrift on memory bliss", always gets me a little reflective and emotional. specifically, the song's about letting go of past attachments, allowing them to take their place in the recesses of one's memory. lyrically and musically rather avant garde for an early 90's hip hop artist.
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
baby you send me, baby you send me,
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
baby you send me, baby you send me,
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
the camera pans the cocktail glass,
behind a blind of plastic plants;
i found the lady with the fat diamond ring.
then you know i can't remember a damn thing.
i think it's one of those de ja vu things,
or a dream that's tryin' to tell me something.
or will i ever stop thinkin' about it.
i don't know, i doubt it.
subterranean by design,
i wonder what i would find if i met you,
let my eyes caress you,
until i meet the thought of missess princess who?
often wonder what makes her work.
i guess i'll leave that question to the experts,
assuming that there are some out there.
they're probably alone, solitaire.
i can remember when i caught up
with a pastime intimate friend.
she said, "bet you're probably gonna say i look lovely,
but you probably don't think nothin' of me."
she was right, though, i can't lie.
she's just one of those corners in my mind,
and i just put her right back with the rest.
that's the way it goes, i guess.
baby you send me, baby you send me,
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
baby you send me, baby you send me,
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
careless whisper from a careless man,
a neutron dance for a neutron fan;
marionette strings are dangerous things,
i thought of all the trouble they bring.
an eye for an eye, a spy for a spy,
rubber bands expand in a frustrating sigh.
tell me that she's not dreaming.
she's got an ace in the hole,
it doesn't have meaning.
reality used to be a friend of mine,
'cause complete control, i don't take too kind.
christina applegate, you gotta put me on.
guess who's piece of the cake is jack gone?
she broke her wishbone and wished for a sign.
i told her whispers in my heart were fine.
what did she think she could do?
i feel for her, i really do.
and i stared at the ring finger on her hand,
i wanted her to be a big pm dawn fan,
but i had to put her right back with the rest.
that's the way it goes, i guess.
baby you send me, baby you send me,
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
baby you send me, baby you send me, baby you send me, baby you send me,
set adrift on memory bliss of you...
stess weed
FROM 28.11.06
mood: mellow.
state i'm in: melloooooow.
tune: q-tip "even if it is so".
urbandictionary.com defines 'stress weed' as:
pretty much the crapiest weed around. it's usually brown, dry, and full of seeds. it doesn't have that nice, danky weed smell either. doesn't get you very high unless you smoke a shit load of it and even then, you can only get so high off of it. stress is also known for giving you a headache and making you sleepy during the come-down. the only plus about stress is that you get a lot of it for cheap, but most people don't even want a lot of stress. lots of newbies to the world of weed will buy stress because they choose quantity over quality.
dude 1: dude, i've got some bud.
dude 2: ha-ha! fuck yeah!
dude 1: i've got like, 9 G's! we're gonna get fucked up!
dude 2: nine G's? damn! how much you pay?
dude 1: $15
dude 2: what? fifteen bucks...aw, man! you didn't get stress did you?
dude 1: i don't know... i guess...
dude 2: hand me the sack.
-opens sack-
dude 2: *sniff* yup, this is stress alright...man...
dude 1: oh. so, should we smoke it?
dude 2: might as well..
mood: mellow.
state i'm in: melloooooow.
tune: q-tip "even if it is so".
urbandictionary.com defines 'stress weed' as:
pretty much the crapiest weed around. it's usually brown, dry, and full of seeds. it doesn't have that nice, danky weed smell either. doesn't get you very high unless you smoke a shit load of it and even then, you can only get so high off of it. stress is also known for giving you a headache and making you sleepy during the come-down. the only plus about stress is that you get a lot of it for cheap, but most people don't even want a lot of stress. lots of newbies to the world of weed will buy stress because they choose quantity over quality.
dude 1: dude, i've got some bud.
dude 2: ha-ha! fuck yeah!
dude 1: i've got like, 9 G's! we're gonna get fucked up!
dude 2: nine G's? damn! how much you pay?
dude 1: $15
dude 2: what? fifteen bucks...aw, man! you didn't get stress did you?
dude 1: i don't know... i guess...
dude 2: hand me the sack.
-opens sack-
dude 2: *sniff* yup, this is stress alright...man...
dude 1: oh. so, should we smoke it?
dude 2: might as well..
bon voyage scotty
FROM 22.11.06
mood: just happy.
state i'm in: realising my dependence on the net for pretty much everything.
tune: a new funky generation "the messenger".
scott left for melbourne indefinetely today. i guess it won't really sink in for a while that he's gone. we can chat on the phone still, and on msn (when optus gets its shit together). but no more bottles of wine over dinner, no more pizza cafe, no more movies, no more hanging out at the pool, and a host of other things we do every so often.
farewell to the conversation - the arguments, the drunken rants, the passionate debates, and the wholehearted agreements. farewell to the speaking of soooooo much shit also - gonna miss that. farewell to someone who i know i can rely on when i need, and a friend in need at other times; someone that i know inside out, so well, and so comfortably, where to say nothing in one another's company is to speak a thousand words with someone else.
we have shared love and laughter, tears and trauma, sin and shame, fun and fantasy, innocence and imbecility. in all, we share an immense friendship that through hard work has endured a great deal, and will continue to do so. 1700 kms will hardly be the biggest hurdle to face our bond.
i guess i could say 'good luck', or 'take care', or 'you know where i am if you need me', and all would be true. but on the subject of our bond, and also scott's life ahead, i would prefer to let winston churchill's words speak on my behalf. granted he was speaking of britain's condition in the second world war, but then scott himself says 'it's war' when concerned with his struggle with mediocrity in life.
'this is not the end. it is not even the beginning of the end. but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning'.
bon voyage boy. xoxo
mood: just happy.
state i'm in: realising my dependence on the net for pretty much everything.
tune: a new funky generation "the messenger".
scott left for melbourne indefinetely today. i guess it won't really sink in for a while that he's gone. we can chat on the phone still, and on msn (when optus gets its shit together). but no more bottles of wine over dinner, no more pizza cafe, no more movies, no more hanging out at the pool, and a host of other things we do every so often.
farewell to the conversation - the arguments, the drunken rants, the passionate debates, and the wholehearted agreements. farewell to the speaking of soooooo much shit also - gonna miss that. farewell to someone who i know i can rely on when i need, and a friend in need at other times; someone that i know inside out, so well, and so comfortably, where to say nothing in one another's company is to speak a thousand words with someone else.
we have shared love and laughter, tears and trauma, sin and shame, fun and fantasy, innocence and imbecility. in all, we share an immense friendship that through hard work has endured a great deal, and will continue to do so. 1700 kms will hardly be the biggest hurdle to face our bond.
i guess i could say 'good luck', or 'take care', or 'you know where i am if you need me', and all would be true. but on the subject of our bond, and also scott's life ahead, i would prefer to let winston churchill's words speak on my behalf. granted he was speaking of britain's condition in the second world war, but then scott himself says 'it's war' when concerned with his struggle with mediocrity in life.
'this is not the end. it is not even the beginning of the end. but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning'.
bon voyage boy. xoxo
monkey med
FROM 21.11.06
mood: quite contrary.
state i'm in: i love days off :-)
tune: sandy rivera feat. haze "changes" ben watt's lazy dog remix.
sandra's intern boyfriend david described cardiology as "monkey medicine" when we were discussing it saturday night. i couldn't agree more.
it's not that i dislike cardiology. it's great actually. you get to make an instantaneous (if only temporary) difference to a patient. they think that the doctors and nurses are the bees knees, ending the crushing pain their chest, and the feeling of impending doom. but there is no real thinking, no deep reasoning. perhaps in a bygone era?
patient comes in with chest pain, in a painfully typical pattern. ST elevation on ECG? T wave inversion on ECG? troponin elevated? pain responds like magic to GTN under the tongue? yes, yes, yes, yes! hey presto, you have an MI (aka heart attack). the patient gets an angiogram, then likely a stent, and with their 3 point plan (to which they are remarkably unlikely to adhere) to better carvdiovascular health in the future in hand, walks gingerly out the front door.
it's all so simple. sure there is the odd interesting case, where the patient's recovery is compromised by some complication such as diabetes or renal impairment, but the work is largely just plumbing.
not sure if i want to be a plumber, even if it is a rich one.
--------------------
hired a car (a mitshubishi 380, not bad, the leather was sweet) and took a pleasant drive with suffien up to the sunshine coast. first through the hinterland (where suff's "wow!!!" became louder and louder the higher into the mountains we got), then back down the blackall range through nambour and to coolum beach. deepfried seafood and chips for lunch and spent the afternoon relaxing on the beach as the sun set over the hills behind us. it was a really nice sunday.
dropped into mum and dad's on the way home for ice cream with the muscat we bought at one of the wineries along the way and to play around with the 380. mum and dad had a drive each, then i hopped into dad's recently tuned up pug 306 - even though it's not the sporty model (a la the red XSi - RIP) it was still like getting out of a 747 and into a fighter jet. the pug's responsive and alive - what you ask, she does, and with precision. a brilliantly put together machine.
here's some sunday pics…
on the way up the blackall range.
coolum beach - genu valgus in the background (med joke, sorry).
me.
bloody asian drivers.
mood: quite contrary.
state i'm in: i love days off :-)
tune: sandy rivera feat. haze "changes" ben watt's lazy dog remix.
sandra's intern boyfriend david described cardiology as "monkey medicine" when we were discussing it saturday night. i couldn't agree more.
it's not that i dislike cardiology. it's great actually. you get to make an instantaneous (if only temporary) difference to a patient. they think that the doctors and nurses are the bees knees, ending the crushing pain their chest, and the feeling of impending doom. but there is no real thinking, no deep reasoning. perhaps in a bygone era?
patient comes in with chest pain, in a painfully typical pattern. ST elevation on ECG? T wave inversion on ECG? troponin elevated? pain responds like magic to GTN under the tongue? yes, yes, yes, yes! hey presto, you have an MI (aka heart attack). the patient gets an angiogram, then likely a stent, and with their 3 point plan (to which they are remarkably unlikely to adhere) to better carvdiovascular health in the future in hand, walks gingerly out the front door.
it's all so simple. sure there is the odd interesting case, where the patient's recovery is compromised by some complication such as diabetes or renal impairment, but the work is largely just plumbing.
not sure if i want to be a plumber, even if it is a rich one.
--------------------
hired a car (a mitshubishi 380, not bad, the leather was sweet) and took a pleasant drive with suffien up to the sunshine coast. first through the hinterland (where suff's "wow!!!" became louder and louder the higher into the mountains we got), then back down the blackall range through nambour and to coolum beach. deepfried seafood and chips for lunch and spent the afternoon relaxing on the beach as the sun set over the hills behind us. it was a really nice sunday.
dropped into mum and dad's on the way home for ice cream with the muscat we bought at one of the wineries along the way and to play around with the 380. mum and dad had a drive each, then i hopped into dad's recently tuned up pug 306 - even though it's not the sporty model (a la the red XSi - RIP) it was still like getting out of a 747 and into a fighter jet. the pug's responsive and alive - what you ask, she does, and with precision. a brilliantly put together machine.
here's some sunday pics…
on the way up the blackall range.
coolum beach - genu valgus in the background (med joke, sorry).
me.
bloody asian drivers.at home in the iLC
mood: hollow, but filling with relief.
state i'm in: the gutache has passed, now i know i am not getting any results today.
tune: the hum of 40 eMacs.
ok so things are still up to shit with the home internet. in the UQ iLC now hoping to get exam results, but alas, SoM haven't released any yet... i mean, it has only been 5 weeks since exams concluded. give them some time i suppose.
just me and the hum of near on 40 apple computers and a beasty air conditioner.
i have brought a bunch of blog entries on my usb stick from home that i had intended on posting by now. so without further ado...
state i'm in: the gutache has passed, now i know i am not getting any results today.
tune: the hum of 40 eMacs.
ok so things are still up to shit with the home internet. in the UQ iLC now hoping to get exam results, but alas, SoM haven't released any yet... i mean, it has only been 5 weeks since exams concluded. give them some time i suppose.
just me and the hum of near on 40 apple computers and a beasty air conditioner.
i have brought a bunch of blog entries on my usb stick from home that i had intended on posting by now. so without further ado...
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
a.w.o.l.
mood: hot and restless
state i'm in: sticky, but about to jump in the pool... aaaaaahh.
tune: care of poddles jr, donny hathaway "the ghetto".
ok so my home internet has been down for over a week. i am told optus are at work fixing it, should be done within a couple more days... a couple more days!! scoundrels!
back in a few days then, til then, i'm a.w.o.l.
state i'm in: sticky, but about to jump in the pool... aaaaaahh.
tune: care of poddles jr, donny hathaway "the ghetto".
ok so my home internet has been down for over a week. i am told optus are at work fixing it, should be done within a couple more days... a couple more days!! scoundrels!
back in a few days then, til then, i'm a.w.o.l.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
US mid-terms
mood: deflated.
state i'm in: finished "embracing the trash" for the night.
tune: gabrielle "sunshine".
can i say that i am pretty darn happy with the results of the midterm elections in the US this week. despite the fact that the democrats are pissweak, it's just great to see the republicans cop a "thumpin'" across both houses. i suspected the house of representatives would go to the dems, but didn't expect the senate too also.
clearly george w bush has failed in iraq - further to this is the resignation of donald rumsfield, bush's man in the pentagon. i have to wonder now that US policy toward iraq is in tatters, where my little country stands. we have no policy, other than to follow mr bush as a dedicated 'coalition of the willing' member. if the US changes it's policy, will john howard backflip moments later also, as if on commmand? just a reminder of how truly useless our government is.
my favourite little tidbit from the midterms however has to be the outcome in some backwater county in south dakota. democrat marie steichen won the race for county commissioner of jerauld county, SD. only problem is that ms steichen has in fact been dead for two months. for some reason her name remained on the ballot paper, and constituents sure as hell weren't going to vote for some lame duck republican one more time. so, out with the old, in with the dead. congratulations ms steichen.
state i'm in: finished "embracing the trash" for the night.
tune: gabrielle "sunshine".
can i say that i am pretty darn happy with the results of the midterm elections in the US this week. despite the fact that the democrats are pissweak, it's just great to see the republicans cop a "thumpin'" across both houses. i suspected the house of representatives would go to the dems, but didn't expect the senate too also.
clearly george w bush has failed in iraq - further to this is the resignation of donald rumsfield, bush's man in the pentagon. i have to wonder now that US policy toward iraq is in tatters, where my little country stands. we have no policy, other than to follow mr bush as a dedicated 'coalition of the willing' member. if the US changes it's policy, will john howard backflip moments later also, as if on commmand? just a reminder of how truly useless our government is.
my favourite little tidbit from the midterms however has to be the outcome in some backwater county in south dakota. democrat marie steichen won the race for county commissioner of jerauld county, SD. only problem is that ms steichen has in fact been dead for two months. for some reason her name remained on the ballot paper, and constituents sure as hell weren't going to vote for some lame duck republican one more time. so, out with the old, in with the dead. congratulations ms steichen.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
wow
mood: worn out.
state i'm in: one of the most amazing days ends.
tune: lionel richie "easy (like sunday morning)".
got into scrubs... washed hands... masks, hairnets, gloves... in go me and nic... patient gets prepped... cut, cut, cut... through layers of fat, faschia, mucles... pop goes the uterus, amniotic fluid like a little fountain...
out comes a brand spanking new baby. it takes its first breaths, lets out a small cry, cord is cut, neonatal examination, bub goes pink, rugged up like a caterpillar and safely in arms of mum and dad.
one very amazing morning, seeing two beautiful bundles of innocence arrive into the troubled world. one day they will walk; maybe one day they will rule. a blank slate.
for a good 15 minutes after each birth i remain completely speechless. mum touches Baby G's face gently... no words for this, i just feel a small tear well in the corner of my eye. i guess you had to be there.
the power of new life. new life.
state i'm in: one of the most amazing days ends.
tune: lionel richie "easy (like sunday morning)".
got into scrubs... washed hands... masks, hairnets, gloves... in go me and nic... patient gets prepped... cut, cut, cut... through layers of fat, faschia, mucles... pop goes the uterus, amniotic fluid like a little fountain...
out comes a brand spanking new baby. it takes its first breaths, lets out a small cry, cord is cut, neonatal examination, bub goes pink, rugged up like a caterpillar and safely in arms of mum and dad.
one very amazing morning, seeing two beautiful bundles of innocence arrive into the troubled world. one day they will walk; maybe one day they will rule. a blank slate.
for a good 15 minutes after each birth i remain completely speechless. mum touches Baby G's face gently... no words for this, i just feel a small tear well in the corner of my eye. i guess you had to be there.
the power of new life. new life.
Monday, November 06, 2006
good, clean fun!
mood: same as before.
state i'm in: also same as before.
tune: heather small "proud"
a passing thought before i mention my elective.
saddam hussein's trial has come to a head today, the 6th of november. the american mid-term elections are tomorrow, the 7th of november. presently, the republicans stand a very good chance of losing the house of representatives, maybe even both houses of congress. i just wonder if mr hussein's sentence will give the impression of "progress made" in the pushing of shit uphill that is the american campaign in iraq.
a pure coincidence of dates i am sure.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
my favourite quote of the elective thus far:
Dr O: "yeah, young mr R fell and hit his head hard on the machine as he was being put into the MRI."
Dr H: "well, no better place to do it really."
-----------
whilst on the subject, here's some random funny MRI pics. for those unaware, this thing is a giant magnet that can suck a pacemaker our of your chest, or a metal hip from your pelvis. unfortunately, tragic accidents have happened.
----------
neurology is pretty cruisy. everything is 10 or 15 minutes late, free lunch on offer if you need it, take a couple of hours off to go shopping, see some patients, head home early, have a chuckle at the PWT (not exactly a medical abbreviation), wish Mrs P a safe journey home to england.
rarely are the patients "sick" so to speak. true they have their share of problems: demyelinating disorders, such as multiple sclerosis; neurotransmitter receptor deficiency disorders such as myasthenia gravis; electrical disturbances such as epilepsy. but these patients are suffering with chronic debilitating disorders, not sicknesses, and tend to do so with remarkable resilience that i have immense admiration for. there is no shit, piss, spew, snot, blood, or anything else dirty for that matter. all in all, good clean fun.
----------
second favourite quote thus far:
as "the stroke team" (that includes me, hehe) scurries around the wards we pass a bed with the curtains drawn.
Dr H: "ooh, there doing a lumbar puncture..."
we all peer in, and a second later:
Dr H: "struck gold!"
a few drops of cerebrospinal fluid drip into a waiting test tube. the patient glances toward us with half grin, half grimace. not sure if she shared Dr H's candid approach to the sharp iatrogenic pain in her lower spine.
----------
best part of the elective thus far:
Mrs P is an 81 year old woman from england. she was in australia when she had a stroke affecting her left side and also her ability to express herself adequately in words, a condition called dysphasia. my first thought when i read about her was what on earth is an eighty-odd year old woman with risk factors doing travelling to the other side of the world.
when i finally met Mrs P, other than the difficulties mentioned above, she was a spitely and clever woman, feisty yet eloquent. i had just been having a long chat to one patient, and was about to leave that room to find another patient to talk to when Mrs P caught my attention. she was in the bed by the door and was smiling at me with a face i could not refuse. so we had a chat, and i got to know why she was here, and about her delayed flight home. i was very impressed in her character, as she spoke with pride about the achievements of her daughter in telehealth, where health advice is given via telecommunications to those in remote parts of the state.
had another good chat today, and she spoke (with increased ability compared to last week) about some of her life thus far. she studied natural sciences at cambridge from 1943-46, before working in a research institute in the united kindgom. then her and her literati husband took off to the united states. she changed direction, moving into ecology and conservation biology of the salt marshes of the eastern seaboard. global warming poses an immense threat she believes.
Mrs P told me that she appreciated me encouraging her to speak about her past.
the medical history is the important history to the medico, but it is a different history that matters to the patient. in the medical setting, i believe both need to be respected. all the best Mrs P.
state i'm in: also same as before.
tune: heather small "proud"
a passing thought before i mention my elective.
saddam hussein's trial has come to a head today, the 6th of november. the american mid-term elections are tomorrow, the 7th of november. presently, the republicans stand a very good chance of losing the house of representatives, maybe even both houses of congress. i just wonder if mr hussein's sentence will give the impression of "progress made" in the pushing of shit uphill that is the american campaign in iraq.
a pure coincidence of dates i am sure.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
my favourite quote of the elective thus far:
Dr O: "yeah, young mr R fell and hit his head hard on the machine as he was being put into the MRI."
Dr H: "well, no better place to do it really."
-----------
whilst on the subject, here's some random funny MRI pics. for those unaware, this thing is a giant magnet that can suck a pacemaker our of your chest, or a metal hip from your pelvis. unfortunately, tragic accidents have happened.
----------
neurology is pretty cruisy. everything is 10 or 15 minutes late, free lunch on offer if you need it, take a couple of hours off to go shopping, see some patients, head home early, have a chuckle at the PWT (not exactly a medical abbreviation), wish Mrs P a safe journey home to england.
rarely are the patients "sick" so to speak. true they have their share of problems: demyelinating disorders, such as multiple sclerosis; neurotransmitter receptor deficiency disorders such as myasthenia gravis; electrical disturbances such as epilepsy. but these patients are suffering with chronic debilitating disorders, not sicknesses, and tend to do so with remarkable resilience that i have immense admiration for. there is no shit, piss, spew, snot, blood, or anything else dirty for that matter. all in all, good clean fun.
----------
second favourite quote thus far:
as "the stroke team" (that includes me, hehe) scurries around the wards we pass a bed with the curtains drawn.
Dr H: "ooh, there doing a lumbar puncture..."
we all peer in, and a second later:
Dr H: "struck gold!"
a few drops of cerebrospinal fluid drip into a waiting test tube. the patient glances toward us with half grin, half grimace. not sure if she shared Dr H's candid approach to the sharp iatrogenic pain in her lower spine.
----------
best part of the elective thus far:
Mrs P is an 81 year old woman from england. she was in australia when she had a stroke affecting her left side and also her ability to express herself adequately in words, a condition called dysphasia. my first thought when i read about her was what on earth is an eighty-odd year old woman with risk factors doing travelling to the other side of the world.
when i finally met Mrs P, other than the difficulties mentioned above, she was a spitely and clever woman, feisty yet eloquent. i had just been having a long chat to one patient, and was about to leave that room to find another patient to talk to when Mrs P caught my attention. she was in the bed by the door and was smiling at me with a face i could not refuse. so we had a chat, and i got to know why she was here, and about her delayed flight home. i was very impressed in her character, as she spoke with pride about the achievements of her daughter in telehealth, where health advice is given via telecommunications to those in remote parts of the state.
had another good chat today, and she spoke (with increased ability compared to last week) about some of her life thus far. she studied natural sciences at cambridge from 1943-46, before working in a research institute in the united kindgom. then her and her literati husband took off to the united states. she changed direction, moving into ecology and conservation biology of the salt marshes of the eastern seaboard. global warming poses an immense threat she believes.
Mrs P told me that she appreciated me encouraging her to speak about her past.
the medical history is the important history to the medico, but it is a different history that matters to the patient. in the medical setting, i believe both need to be respected. all the best Mrs P.
right out of my mouth
mood: yep, still relaxed.
state i'm in: full of chicken & salty fish frid rice :-)
tune: jamie cullum "get your way".
i am not an avid 'family first' supporter. not a supporter at all actually. occasionally the party tosses policy ideas at the media that sound reasonable, and as though they have the interests of many australians (especially those that are members of a nuclear family, of course) at heart. but these are generally just fodder for the masses at best (e.g., a strong stance on petrol prices). other policies are complete hot air; party leader steven fielding's policy on asylum seekers for example - tell me precisely what does "a strong system, but a fair system" mean when mr fielding puts forward the party's policy on the matter. doesn't actually tell me anything really. and the remainder are just verification of the parties firm roots in the christian right. forgive me if i am wrong, but i was under the belief that church and state were separate.
last week a hacker managed to infiltrate the party's website and post the following page on mr fielding's blog. more embarrassing still was the fact that it was at the advice of 'the age' newspaper that family first became aware of the event.
click for larger image
took the words right out of my mouth 'mr campbell'.
state i'm in: full of chicken & salty fish frid rice :-)
tune: jamie cullum "get your way".
i am not an avid 'family first' supporter. not a supporter at all actually. occasionally the party tosses policy ideas at the media that sound reasonable, and as though they have the interests of many australians (especially those that are members of a nuclear family, of course) at heart. but these are generally just fodder for the masses at best (e.g., a strong stance on petrol prices). other policies are complete hot air; party leader steven fielding's policy on asylum seekers for example - tell me precisely what does "a strong system, but a fair system" mean when mr fielding puts forward the party's policy on the matter. doesn't actually tell me anything really. and the remainder are just verification of the parties firm roots in the christian right. forgive me if i am wrong, but i was under the belief that church and state were separate.
last week a hacker managed to infiltrate the party's website and post the following page on mr fielding's blog. more embarrassing still was the fact that it was at the advice of 'the age' newspaper that family first became aware of the event.
click for larger imagetook the words right out of my mouth 'mr campbell'.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
alternate routes
mood: a little inebriated.
state i'm in: staring into a puddle.
tune: turin brakes "the road".
this time about a year ago, i was counting down to the day i would hop on a jet plane and take off for distant continents, on a life-affirming journey (although i didn't want to think of it as such at the time).
how different life was. simple, yet infinitely more reckless.
it strikes me how differently we live our lives depending on the social circumstances we find ourselves in.
imagine your life, and how it might be, if some things had have been different. if you didn't get into that course, or took a different job, or dumped that person a year or two earlier than you did? would it actually be different, or merely superficially.
if the boyfriend or course or job was different, would your life have been significantly different or superficially so? the same life can be led largely the same regardless of the specific partner/course of study/job. you will lead the life you want to lead, given what lies ahead can be knowingly predicted to a fair degree, even if not in the enth detail.
subcounsciously, we make it for ourselves every day, and the so-called "centres of our world" are only incidental, chosen by us to suit the direction in which we have chosen to take. do we then go on to make them the true centre, or do we remain the centre, and adjust these variables to suit the flow? are we selfish if we remain the centre around which we place the "variables" of our life? are we magnanimous if we place a thing other than ourselves before all else? is one more human than the other, unique to a particular generation, or a type of personality or character, or would anyone do the same under the same circumstances?
state i'm in: staring into a puddle.
tune: turin brakes "the road".
this time about a year ago, i was counting down to the day i would hop on a jet plane and take off for distant continents, on a life-affirming journey (although i didn't want to think of it as such at the time).
how different life was. simple, yet infinitely more reckless.
it strikes me how differently we live our lives depending on the social circumstances we find ourselves in.
imagine your life, and how it might be, if some things had have been different. if you didn't get into that course, or took a different job, or dumped that person a year or two earlier than you did? would it actually be different, or merely superficially.
if the boyfriend or course or job was different, would your life have been significantly different or superficially so? the same life can be led largely the same regardless of the specific partner/course of study/job. you will lead the life you want to lead, given what lies ahead can be knowingly predicted to a fair degree, even if not in the enth detail.
subcounsciously, we make it for ourselves every day, and the so-called "centres of our world" are only incidental, chosen by us to suit the direction in which we have chosen to take. do we then go on to make them the true centre, or do we remain the centre, and adjust these variables to suit the flow? are we selfish if we remain the centre around which we place the "variables" of our life? are we magnanimous if we place a thing other than ourselves before all else? is one more human than the other, unique to a particular generation, or a type of personality or character, or would anyone do the same under the same circumstances?
Sunday, October 29, 2006
this time there really are WMDs
mood: comfortably and happily relaxed.
state i'm in: excited about starting elective tomorrow.
tune: kinny & horne "sacred life".
what to do with mr kim jong il and his rogue state.
i believe that the time is nigh for suggestions of a military campaign on the korean peninsula. north korea needs to be deterred from its present course, or ought to be punished with invasion, a massive political dilemna no doubt, and subsequent reunification with the south, a massive logistical dilemna no doubt.
as currently stands, the state has weapons of mass destruction. mr kim first announced his intentions to the world, then followed through with an explosion. the man detonated a nuclear bomb, a weapon of mass destruction, suspicion of possessing the likes of which other nations have been invaded for (or so the story goes). mr kim has made the threat to lash out with a "merciless strike" against american allies japan and south korea, and speaks of new sanctions against his state as a "declaration of war". rhetoric no doubt, but when the man is nearing possession of the means, one has to wonder what course of action ought be taken next.
china has always appeared to be an obstacle to resolution on the peninsula, but i don't think they will stand forever in defence of north korea. it looks as if wounds between japan and china might just be beginning to mend, under the stewardship of newly party-elected japanese prime minister shinzo abe. it is of immense value economically to china that these wounds do continue to heal.
sanctions are unlikely to do anything to resolve the issue. the morality of punishing poor people who live in a boycotted autocracy is dubious to say the least. it will do nothing to help the people, and is only likely to strengthen the popularity and power of the regime.
so where does the international community go? do we continue to impose sanctions? the ones imposed thus far are feeble, and the suggestions of condoleeza rice to russia, china, japan, and south korea on recent visits, even if acted upon, aren't a great deal stronger. or should we just wait until seoul or sapporro goes up in radioactive smoke before acting? probably not awfully likely in the near future, but it is a scenario that might be somewhat more likely in coming years, and needs to be averted with action now.
if this is not a suitable course of action to take, i would appreciate hearing suggestions otherwise. i am not a warmonger, in fact i am almost a pacifist, but options for the people of north korea, and potentially their international neighbours, are getting thin on the ground.
state i'm in: excited about starting elective tomorrow.
tune: kinny & horne "sacred life".
what to do with mr kim jong il and his rogue state.
i believe that the time is nigh for suggestions of a military campaign on the korean peninsula. north korea needs to be deterred from its present course, or ought to be punished with invasion, a massive political dilemna no doubt, and subsequent reunification with the south, a massive logistical dilemna no doubt.
as currently stands, the state has weapons of mass destruction. mr kim first announced his intentions to the world, then followed through with an explosion. the man detonated a nuclear bomb, a weapon of mass destruction, suspicion of possessing the likes of which other nations have been invaded for (or so the story goes). mr kim has made the threat to lash out with a "merciless strike" against american allies japan and south korea, and speaks of new sanctions against his state as a "declaration of war". rhetoric no doubt, but when the man is nearing possession of the means, one has to wonder what course of action ought be taken next.
china has always appeared to be an obstacle to resolution on the peninsula, but i don't think they will stand forever in defence of north korea. it looks as if wounds between japan and china might just be beginning to mend, under the stewardship of newly party-elected japanese prime minister shinzo abe. it is of immense value economically to china that these wounds do continue to heal.
sanctions are unlikely to do anything to resolve the issue. the morality of punishing poor people who live in a boycotted autocracy is dubious to say the least. it will do nothing to help the people, and is only likely to strengthen the popularity and power of the regime.
so where does the international community go? do we continue to impose sanctions? the ones imposed thus far are feeble, and the suggestions of condoleeza rice to russia, china, japan, and south korea on recent visits, even if acted upon, aren't a great deal stronger. or should we just wait until seoul or sapporro goes up in radioactive smoke before acting? probably not awfully likely in the near future, but it is a scenario that might be somewhat more likely in coming years, and needs to be averted with action now.
if this is not a suitable course of action to take, i would appreciate hearing suggestions otherwise. i am not a warmonger, in fact i am almost a pacifist, but options for the people of north korea, and potentially their international neighbours, are getting thin on the ground.
Friday, October 27, 2006
summing up
mood: very relaxed.
sate i'm in: can't believe i can do so little.
tune: karen ramirez "people make the world go round" (not bad, but it's not the sylistics).
so what can i say about the last few days. how about a quick summary...
MSAT on saturday was pretty good i think. not much examination, mostly communication, a.k.a. warm fluffy psychy stuff, a.k.a. nicola's heartland. can't really complain.
tuesday's exam on the other hand, i will complain about. public health everywhere... what the fuck?!!! talk about rubbish. ok, i know public health is important, suffien could remind me if needed, but to have the biggest question be on some kind of bullshit safety in the workplace (not even a hospital/health-related workplace) was just a load of bollocks really.
wednesday's exam was a lot better. respiratory was great, renal was even better! and male reproductive anatomy, as if i needed to be tested on that! and abortion... i never thought i would say the words "thank god for abortion" - how wrong that must have sounded to a passer by. nice to end it with a decent exam, where i could confidently answer the majority or questions. spent too long on the essay component, but still worked out ok for time. just in time to beat the rush to the pub.
ok, exam done at midday. by 5pm i had a GCS score of 6 i think. that's a coma scale to the non-mediwankers... sort of means i could have been mistaken for someone with some pretty serous brain damage, or worse. but it was a fun afternoon. didn't make it to the function that night, didn't really intend on doing so.
last night was another social night... nicole's 21st, photos below (with a file photo of nicole, featuring david, from his 21st). nicole said some touching words in her speech that i could identify strongly with. she was speaking of the friends we have all found in each other in med. such an intelligent, witty, and personable bunch of brilliant people. it is the cohort that really makes the course enjoyable.
david, myself, jack, tian, and adalbert... don't mess with adalbert.
me and suffien.
nicole and david from david's 21st.
other then getting a new job for the holiday break (and maybe longer) at sunglass hut, today was just a dodgy subway sandwich for lunch.
elective starting monday - 2 weeks neurology, 2 weeks cardiology.
more substantial stories in the pipeline. peace out.
sate i'm in: can't believe i can do so little.
tune: karen ramirez "people make the world go round" (not bad, but it's not the sylistics).
so what can i say about the last few days. how about a quick summary...
MSAT on saturday was pretty good i think. not much examination, mostly communication, a.k.a. warm fluffy psychy stuff, a.k.a. nicola's heartland. can't really complain.
tuesday's exam on the other hand, i will complain about. public health everywhere... what the fuck?!!! talk about rubbish. ok, i know public health is important, suffien could remind me if needed, but to have the biggest question be on some kind of bullshit safety in the workplace (not even a hospital/health-related workplace) was just a load of bollocks really.
wednesday's exam was a lot better. respiratory was great, renal was even better! and male reproductive anatomy, as if i needed to be tested on that! and abortion... i never thought i would say the words "thank god for abortion" - how wrong that must have sounded to a passer by. nice to end it with a decent exam, where i could confidently answer the majority or questions. spent too long on the essay component, but still worked out ok for time. just in time to beat the rush to the pub.
ok, exam done at midday. by 5pm i had a GCS score of 6 i think. that's a coma scale to the non-mediwankers... sort of means i could have been mistaken for someone with some pretty serous brain damage, or worse. but it was a fun afternoon. didn't make it to the function that night, didn't really intend on doing so.
last night was another social night... nicole's 21st, photos below (with a file photo of nicole, featuring david, from his 21st). nicole said some touching words in her speech that i could identify strongly with. she was speaking of the friends we have all found in each other in med. such an intelligent, witty, and personable bunch of brilliant people. it is the cohort that really makes the course enjoyable.
david, myself, jack, tian, and adalbert... don't mess with adalbert.
me and suffien.
nicole and david from david's 21st.other then getting a new job for the holiday break (and maybe longer) at sunglass hut, today was just a dodgy subway sandwich for lunch.
elective starting monday - 2 weeks neurology, 2 weeks cardiology.
more substantial stories in the pipeline. peace out.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
can i get a raincheck on my habeas corpus?
mood: rushing on adrenalin.
state i'm in: thank fuck MSAT is over. frayed at the edges right now.
tune: naked music nyc "it's love" joshua's mo' love vocal mix.
definitions:
habeus corpus - the name of a legal instrument or writ by means of which detainees can seek release from unlawful imprisonment.
raincheck - seller's commitment to sell an out-of-stock item at the advertised price as soon as it becomes available.
thank you scott. please watch this video. an extremely well put together synopsis of one of modern history's darkest hours. it might be in regard to an american government, but please, how far removed are we in this era from being merely a footnote to US foreign policy.
commentator keith olbermann is a science graduate, basaball fanatic sports commentator, with a lot of backbone (literally, the man has 6 lumbar vertebrae lol), and is a formidable news anchor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqxmPjB0WSs&eurl=
please do not elect a government that will nonsensically sheep along with whatever master says, regardless of the compromises made on its subjects' liberty, autonomy, freedom. howard out, please. it's the least we can do for ourselves.
state i'm in: thank fuck MSAT is over. frayed at the edges right now.
tune: naked music nyc "it's love" joshua's mo' love vocal mix.
definitions:
habeus corpus - the name of a legal instrument or writ by means of which detainees can seek release from unlawful imprisonment.
raincheck - seller's commitment to sell an out-of-stock item at the advertised price as soon as it becomes available.
thank you scott. please watch this video. an extremely well put together synopsis of one of modern history's darkest hours. it might be in regard to an american government, but please, how far removed are we in this era from being merely a footnote to US foreign policy.
commentator keith olbermann is a science graduate, basaball fanatic sports commentator, with a lot of backbone (literally, the man has 6 lumbar vertebrae lol), and is a formidable news anchor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqxmPjB0WSs&eurl=
please do not elect a government that will nonsensically sheep along with whatever master says, regardless of the compromises made on its subjects' liberty, autonomy, freedom. howard out, please. it's the least we can do for ourselves.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
could have been
mood: even more f'ed.
state i'm in: well done.
tune: deborah conway "it's only the beginning".
for the first time in as long as i can remember, maybe first time ever, i am not feeling so grateful about the personal experiences of my life for the 8 years before this one. always thought the old adage "you learn from your experiences, from your mistakes" applied well to my early adult years.
now thoughts pointing to the value of "learning" from early mistakes are beginning to elude me. could i not have just gotten it right first time around - mistakes everted. if only i really knew what i wanted, and what it meant - when ideas of what i wanted were less precise than what they could (should?) have been. it could have been as simple as it seems now, i honestly believe that. it seems so simple now. so pure and right and easy.
it's not a polarisation of thoughts, just a case of embracing something simple, yet as fulfilling as anything complex.
rambling, am i? maybe.
could be the meagre three hours sleep i managed to clock up last night, mixed with an unhealthy dose of oncology and musculoskeletal examinations. who the fuck texts you at 6am! kiddo deluxe does, that's who - thanks so much, em. and with walls as thin as water crackers (while my big wooden bed creaks like an old barn door in a storm, but that's not for here) finding sleep after about 7am is a lost cause. fuck i'm fried.
hmmm, i'm becoming one of those bloggers lately, aren't i - but really, other than the indefinite closure of brisbane's major expressway, what else exciting is happening right now? is my world too small right now?
mmmm, penfold's bluestone tawny... my special study buddy.
state i'm in: well done.
tune: deborah conway "it's only the beginning".
for the first time in as long as i can remember, maybe first time ever, i am not feeling so grateful about the personal experiences of my life for the 8 years before this one. always thought the old adage "you learn from your experiences, from your mistakes" applied well to my early adult years.
now thoughts pointing to the value of "learning" from early mistakes are beginning to elude me. could i not have just gotten it right first time around - mistakes everted. if only i really knew what i wanted, and what it meant - when ideas of what i wanted were less precise than what they could (should?) have been. it could have been as simple as it seems now, i honestly believe that. it seems so simple now. so pure and right and easy.
it's not a polarisation of thoughts, just a case of embracing something simple, yet as fulfilling as anything complex.
rambling, am i? maybe.
could be the meagre three hours sleep i managed to clock up last night, mixed with an unhealthy dose of oncology and musculoskeletal examinations. who the fuck texts you at 6am! kiddo deluxe does, that's who - thanks so much, em. and with walls as thin as water crackers (while my big wooden bed creaks like an old barn door in a storm, but that's not for here) finding sleep after about 7am is a lost cause. fuck i'm fried.
hmmm, i'm becoming one of those bloggers lately, aren't i - but really, other than the indefinite closure of brisbane's major expressway, what else exciting is happening right now? is my world too small right now?
mmmm, penfold's bluestone tawny... my special study buddy.
brain = friable
mood: f'ed.
state i'm in: oh, how the peanut slab glistens under the desklamp.
tune: gabrielle "sunshine".
well, i'm officially fried. just feel cruddy today. went up to the library to get a book, bumped into a big embrace from my good friend angel and another old friend kate, both from the old science days. my face just felt weird to be talking - my muscles of facial expression have become superfluous in these last few days. my brain felt even worse. i had to think about more than one thing, in more than one direction. the conversation was ruling the tangent of my thoughts, and i wasn't coping well. what a bloody effort!
got the book, came home, back to the sanctuary of my room and ibook, where no one but me can alter the direction of my thoughts. and i will keep directing them in the direction of my studies, coursing through the body system by system. if i need company, i've always got the forresters and co. at 4:30 each afternoon.
physically not too good either. feeling sluggish. muscles are wasted. stomach is looking swollen, can't possibly be fat. my normal intake of food is not compatible with the level of (in)activity i am slothing in. no fatty stuff today. or tomorrow. or the next day. held a little whittaker's peanut slab in my hand a few times today, but have now put it on my desk, with a red delicious apple sitting, as if a guardian, between me and it. must... be... strong... if i am going to eat, it will be because i am hungry. if i am hungry, i will eat the apple. hmmm, sound a bit like my mother...
ok, i know, this is one of those wanky, all-about-me, like-you'd-give-a-fuck, blog entries. going now.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
distributive justice anybody?
mood: tiring a bit now.
state i'm in: getting close to reproduction.
tune: brand new heavies "get used to it" album. amazing stuff guys!
wow, been a while i know. sorry, exam study in full swing. high as a kite on green tea, funky soul on the speakers, and an oceanic breadth of knowledge to be swallowed.
just a quick one, to get brains ticking...
why should the "socially infertile" be excluded from access to assisted reproductive technology? by socially infertile, i am referring to single mothers, and lesbian couples. it seems sensible that mr and mrs jones be given first preference over miss jones or ms and ms jones right? but why? is there a genuine reason? or is it time we jettisoned some more patriarchal baggage?
state i'm in: getting close to reproduction.
tune: brand new heavies "get used to it" album. amazing stuff guys!
wow, been a while i know. sorry, exam study in full swing. high as a kite on green tea, funky soul on the speakers, and an oceanic breadth of knowledge to be swallowed.
just a quick one, to get brains ticking...
why should the "socially infertile" be excluded from access to assisted reproductive technology? by socially infertile, i am referring to single mothers, and lesbian couples. it seems sensible that mr and mrs jones be given first preference over miss jones or ms and ms jones right? but why? is there a genuine reason? or is it time we jettisoned some more patriarchal baggage?
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
you're wrong, wrong, so damn wrong!!!
mood: very very content.
state i'm in: resilient.
tune: incognito "this thing called love".
i picked up the courier mail on sunday. no, i didn't buy it, i say "picked up" literally, it was on the floor. that's probably the best place for it, other than out of print. front page story was "FAILED! The schoolgirl who refused to write about living with gays". naturally it was typical redneck fodder, the likes of which the courier mail seems to excel at churning out.
a year nine student was failed for refusing to complete an assignment designed, in the words of an education queensland spokesperson, "to encourage students to think about diversity, culture, and belief systems". to my knowldege, there are many topics schools can choose from, using scenarios based on living as one of various minorities, based on ethnicity, sexuality, religion, etc. the school at large chose one pertaining to living as a heterosexual in a homosexual society.
heres what some of the people cited in the front page article had to say:
year 9 student at the centre of the story:
"i didn't want to do the assignment because i don't believe in homosexuality."
the student's mother:
"she was being challenged, but she should not be challenged like that at her age."
federal education minister julie bishop, who is intent on wresting control of curriculum content from the states:
"this is another example of a politically-correct agenda masquerading as curriculum. ...parents need to be confident their children are receiving a high quality education that is also consistent with their values."
state opposition leader jeff seeney:
"(the) system tries to tell kids what to think instead of teaching them how to think. it is not the job of our schools to politicise our children. it is their function to provide our kids with the basics, like reading, writing, and maths."
christian lobby state director peter earle:
"the assignment was not about education, rather a teacher or school pushing their agenda on young minds. the subject matter was totally inapropriate."
my familiarity with the EQ program, whilst certainly not complete, is that this is an assignment with an interest in promoting tolerance, acceptance, the virtues of diversty, and egalitarianism - a.k.a. promoting basic human rights. not, as those quoted above would have you believe, the pushing of "a politically correct agenda".
little miss year 9 doesn't believe in homosexuality. what exactly does that mean? either a parentally indoctrinated bigot in the making, or a young lass in denial of homosexuality's very existence. her mother cries "she shouldn't be challenged like that at her age". news flash sweetheart - there are likely homosexual children in your daughter's class; perhaps she is even one, denial is a hallmark after all! the pollies and lobbyists claim this is the pushing of an "agenda" onto young minds. their claim is that this is unfit to be spoken about. get fucked!
perhaps had they have completed the assignment themselves, and taken the time to appreciate what it is like to be (not even considering growing up as an adolescent who is) gay, or ethnic, or disabled, they might realise the merit such a project has. take the blinkers off people!
----------
from here, i suppose i will get a little emotional. all of this just reinforces a feeling that constanly burns low at the back of my mind. i am not unstable, nor am i depressed, nor do i feel even slightly lousy about who i am. but i get annoyed.
there is always many people there to tell me i am "wrong". how i live is "wrong". my beliefs are "wrong". by views on morals are warped, "wrong". my ability to raise a child is inept, "wrong". my capacity to fulfill many responsible positions in society is inadequate, "wrong". the thoughts in my head are "wrong". the places i sometimes go to socialise are "wrong". i will be judged harshly in the afterlife because the way i behave is "wrong". how and who i love is deranged, "wrong".
but i am not "wrong".
it is others who disprespect one's autonomy. it is others who display maleficence, and fail to show beneficence towards others. it is others who deprive who they can of justice. (thanks to my medical education for the big words.) i wish they wouldn't, for it hurts those people. that is not in anyone's best interest.
i strive to do the right thing by my family, by my friends, by my society (howsoever undeserving it may seem sometimes!). i work hard at my studies, i care about those close to me, and would go to lengths to ensure their happiness and safety. i uphold strong principles about how one ought to treat others, and their environment - tread lightly people. i maintain the dream that if each of us was to put into our society more than what we take, as much more as we can muster, our society would be immensely enriched. how powerful would we be together.
but still they claim i am "wrong". they are not the only voices out there, perhaps not even the majority, but they are nonetheless loud. "wrong" they say, over and over. a weaker person might fail under their relentless pressure. but i won't.
for i am "right"!!
state i'm in: resilient.
tune: incognito "this thing called love".
i picked up the courier mail on sunday. no, i didn't buy it, i say "picked up" literally, it was on the floor. that's probably the best place for it, other than out of print. front page story was "FAILED! The schoolgirl who refused to write about living with gays". naturally it was typical redneck fodder, the likes of which the courier mail seems to excel at churning out.
a year nine student was failed for refusing to complete an assignment designed, in the words of an education queensland spokesperson, "to encourage students to think about diversity, culture, and belief systems". to my knowldege, there are many topics schools can choose from, using scenarios based on living as one of various minorities, based on ethnicity, sexuality, religion, etc. the school at large chose one pertaining to living as a heterosexual in a homosexual society.
heres what some of the people cited in the front page article had to say:
year 9 student at the centre of the story:
"i didn't want to do the assignment because i don't believe in homosexuality."
the student's mother:
"she was being challenged, but she should not be challenged like that at her age."
federal education minister julie bishop, who is intent on wresting control of curriculum content from the states:
"this is another example of a politically-correct agenda masquerading as curriculum. ...parents need to be confident their children are receiving a high quality education that is also consistent with their values."
state opposition leader jeff seeney:
"(the) system tries to tell kids what to think instead of teaching them how to think. it is not the job of our schools to politicise our children. it is their function to provide our kids with the basics, like reading, writing, and maths."
christian lobby state director peter earle:
"the assignment was not about education, rather a teacher or school pushing their agenda on young minds. the subject matter was totally inapropriate."
my familiarity with the EQ program, whilst certainly not complete, is that this is an assignment with an interest in promoting tolerance, acceptance, the virtues of diversty, and egalitarianism - a.k.a. promoting basic human rights. not, as those quoted above would have you believe, the pushing of "a politically correct agenda".
little miss year 9 doesn't believe in homosexuality. what exactly does that mean? either a parentally indoctrinated bigot in the making, or a young lass in denial of homosexuality's very existence. her mother cries "she shouldn't be challenged like that at her age". news flash sweetheart - there are likely homosexual children in your daughter's class; perhaps she is even one, denial is a hallmark after all! the pollies and lobbyists claim this is the pushing of an "agenda" onto young minds. their claim is that this is unfit to be spoken about. get fucked!
perhaps had they have completed the assignment themselves, and taken the time to appreciate what it is like to be (not even considering growing up as an adolescent who is) gay, or ethnic, or disabled, they might realise the merit such a project has. take the blinkers off people!
----------
from here, i suppose i will get a little emotional. all of this just reinforces a feeling that constanly burns low at the back of my mind. i am not unstable, nor am i depressed, nor do i feel even slightly lousy about who i am. but i get annoyed.
there is always many people there to tell me i am "wrong". how i live is "wrong". my beliefs are "wrong". by views on morals are warped, "wrong". my ability to raise a child is inept, "wrong". my capacity to fulfill many responsible positions in society is inadequate, "wrong". the thoughts in my head are "wrong". the places i sometimes go to socialise are "wrong". i will be judged harshly in the afterlife because the way i behave is "wrong". how and who i love is deranged, "wrong".
but i am not "wrong".
it is others who disprespect one's autonomy. it is others who display maleficence, and fail to show beneficence towards others. it is others who deprive who they can of justice. (thanks to my medical education for the big words.) i wish they wouldn't, for it hurts those people. that is not in anyone's best interest.
i strive to do the right thing by my family, by my friends, by my society (howsoever undeserving it may seem sometimes!). i work hard at my studies, i care about those close to me, and would go to lengths to ensure their happiness and safety. i uphold strong principles about how one ought to treat others, and their environment - tread lightly people. i maintain the dream that if each of us was to put into our society more than what we take, as much more as we can muster, our society would be immensely enriched. how powerful would we be together.
but still they claim i am "wrong". they are not the only voices out there, perhaps not even the majority, but they are nonetheless loud. "wrong" they say, over and over. a weaker person might fail under their relentless pressure. but i won't.
for i am "right"!!
rosy cheeks
mood: happy.state i'm in: little vegemite.
tune: gabrielle "don't need the sun (to make me smile)".
stopped by chai's convenience store on the way home - needed a loaf of bread. after much internal discourse, i opted for a loaf of fluffy white bread. it's been many months of wholegrain and i just felt it was time. one beautiful and soft vegemite sandwich coming up for lunch. one of those little pleasures.
walked under the melaleucas in bloom on the way up my street, smelling so sweet like honey, breeze blowing brown leaves down from the canopy above, and with the prospect of someone making a nice home cooked meal for me tonight, today is looking pretty damn fine.
Monday, October 09, 2006
candle up to the sun
mood: contently flat.
state i'm in: the emotional rollercoaster is really kicking into higher gears.
tune: josh pyke "feeding the wolves" ep.
le chatelier's principle states:
"if a change is imposed on a system at equilibrium, the position of the equilibrium will shift in a direction that tends to reduce that change."
now whilst henri le chatelier was describing effects on enzyme kinetics when he coined this principle (one of the guiding principles of chemistry), just broaden your mind to imagine how much of life it in actuality applies to...
----------
this is going to be one of those posts, where i skip around a bit from one topic to the next...
singer-songwriter josh pyke is brilliant. i would have liked to have shared this a long time ago, but my overall mood veered away into more stable and happier times before i could, and it just felt inappropriate to be dedicating posts to largely sombre and/or reflective music when the songs i were playing were farthest from.
the following lyrics from his track "staring down the sun" off the "feeding the wolves" ep just ring in my ear so loudly when he sings them. that feeling, unspecific as it is, is always so warm in my memory - when he sings this verse it comes back to the surface like bubbles in a slow-boiling pool of mud.
"not too sentimental, but i want you to know,
that i drove past your street tonight on my way back from a show.
i was less than one hundred footsteps away from you i suppose,
and i could feel your sweet eyes, watching headlights roll by,
maybe you noticed one, swept by a little too slow,
and on down that road.
on down that road."
perhaps for me the most poignant, but really just one of many such moments from his ep. how many times i have done it i cannot recall. in my mind, i have done it many more times. one can never quite let go of an experience when is is the experience itself that grips you tight.
----------
and to change topic again, the announcement of a tragic event in the world of bold and the beautiful. darla einstein-forrester died this afternoon on the show due to complications from massive head injuries sustained when she was hit by a car. this sucks i think, 'cos darla was one of my favourite supporting characters, and it also signals the further fading of memories of the once stong spectre empire. only clark garrison jr. and sally spectre herself are now left from the clan.
but, should have seen it coming, she was happy, and we can't have that on b 'n' b.
----------
stay tuned for a bit of howard-bashing in the next couple of days. the little turd has pissed me off... again.
state i'm in: the emotional rollercoaster is really kicking into higher gears.
tune: josh pyke "feeding the wolves" ep.
le chatelier's principle states:"if a change is imposed on a system at equilibrium, the position of the equilibrium will shift in a direction that tends to reduce that change."
now whilst henri le chatelier was describing effects on enzyme kinetics when he coined this principle (one of the guiding principles of chemistry), just broaden your mind to imagine how much of life it in actuality applies to...
----------
this is going to be one of those posts, where i skip around a bit from one topic to the next...
singer-songwriter josh pyke is brilliant. i would have liked to have shared this a long time ago, but my overall mood veered away into more stable and happier times before i could, and it just felt inappropriate to be dedicating posts to largely sombre and/or reflective music when the songs i were playing were farthest from.
the following lyrics from his track "staring down the sun" off the "feeding the wolves" ep just ring in my ear so loudly when he sings them. that feeling, unspecific as it is, is always so warm in my memory - when he sings this verse it comes back to the surface like bubbles in a slow-boiling pool of mud.
"not too sentimental, but i want you to know,
that i drove past your street tonight on my way back from a show.
i was less than one hundred footsteps away from you i suppose,
and i could feel your sweet eyes, watching headlights roll by,
maybe you noticed one, swept by a little too slow,
and on down that road.
on down that road."
perhaps for me the most poignant, but really just one of many such moments from his ep. how many times i have done it i cannot recall. in my mind, i have done it many more times. one can never quite let go of an experience when is is the experience itself that grips you tight.
----------
and to change topic again, the announcement of a tragic event in the world of bold and the beautiful. darla einstein-forrester died this afternoon on the show due to complications from massive head injuries sustained when she was hit by a car. this sucks i think, 'cos darla was one of my favourite supporting characters, and it also signals the further fading of memories of the once stong spectre empire. only clark garrison jr. and sally spectre herself are now left from the clan.but, should have seen it coming, she was happy, and we can't have that on b 'n' b.
----------
stay tuned for a bit of howard-bashing in the next couple of days. the little turd has pissed me off... again.
Keg IV
mood: pretty happy all things considered.
state i'm in: head down bum up.
tune: the bucketheads "the bomb" armand van helden re-edit.
friday night's keg IV went well. a great success, enjoyed by the partygoers, and judged very well organised by the UQMS executive. this makes me happy, because i was one of the organisers.
so all it takes for a successful party is a decent sized space, 300 sausages and bread, 6kg of onions (and swimming goggles for cutting), a karaoke machine and sound set up, and some generous volunteers - oh, and 600L of beer and 70L of wine, how could i forget.
thought i would throw down a few images from the night...
predictably, sol with a couple of blondes
cheng, random guy, and nat
suffien on wine duty
the winkmeister on beer
jack, junior, and tresillian (the man resposible for the subject of the final photo)
random girl, leonie, and nick
michael tresillian's master work - drip tray for the bbq, and property of the herston med school cafeteria (not sure if they liked what we did with it?)
state i'm in: head down bum up.
tune: the bucketheads "the bomb" armand van helden re-edit.
friday night's keg IV went well. a great success, enjoyed by the partygoers, and judged very well organised by the UQMS executive. this makes me happy, because i was one of the organisers.
so all it takes for a successful party is a decent sized space, 300 sausages and bread, 6kg of onions (and swimming goggles for cutting), a karaoke machine and sound set up, and some generous volunteers - oh, and 600L of beer and 70L of wine, how could i forget.
thought i would throw down a few images from the night...
predictably, sol with a couple of blondes
cheng, random guy, and nat
suffien on wine duty
the winkmeister on beer
jack, junior, and tresillian (the man resposible for the subject of the final photo)
random girl, leonie, and nick
michael tresillian's master work - drip tray for the bbq, and property of the herston med school cafeteria (not sure if they liked what we did with it?)Saturday, October 07, 2006
this conflagration consumes
mood: a little ragged.
state i'm in: still recovering from keg IV.
tune: 2pac "pain".
our inward power, when it obeys nature, reacts to events by accommodating itself to what it faces - to what is possible. it needs no specific material. it pursues its own aims as circumstances allow; it turns obstacles into fuel. as a fire overwhelms what would have quenched a lamp. what's thrown on top of the conflagration is absorbed, consumed by it - and makes it burn still higher.
marcus aurelius "meditations" book 4; 1.
state i'm in: still recovering from keg IV.
tune: 2pac "pain".
our inward power, when it obeys nature, reacts to events by accommodating itself to what it faces - to what is possible. it needs no specific material. it pursues its own aims as circumstances allow; it turns obstacles into fuel. as a fire overwhelms what would have quenched a lamp. what's thrown on top of the conflagration is absorbed, consumed by it - and makes it burn still higher.
marcus aurelius "meditations" book 4; 1.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
just learn this...
mood: lightly sauteed.state i'm in: working well, late night after all.
tune: pete rock & c.l. smooth "appreciate".
"just learn this little diagram for 1 mark out of 600,000. it's as simple as that..."
why does it feel this way?
Friday, September 29, 2006
hong kong brisneyland
mood: satiated (is that a mood?)
state i'm in: on track, not sure if moving fast enough however.
tune: peggy lee "i've got the world on a string".
well, one more jurisdiction's discriminatory laws have been overturned...
last august (2005), william leung appeared in court in a judicial review seeking to overturn legislation making it illegal (and carrying a sentence of life imprisonment) for gay men to engage in intercourse. the current law in hong kong makes it illegal for individuals under the age of 21 to have anal intercourse (the law does not specify the gender these laws apply to, but i think one can extrapolate what the law was in effect legislating against). vaginal intercourse is illegal for individuals under the age of 16. mr leung won.
of course, that ruling was appealled against. however, the government of hong kong has failed in its attempt to have the landmark ruling overturned. the court ruled that the laws were "anti-gay". judge michael hartmann ruled that the laws “discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation” and “are demeaning of gay men who are, through the legislation, stereotyped as deviant”. thanks mr hartmann! :-)
mr leung's solicitor knew it was a tricky case. “i’d been thinking about (the age of consent) issue for some time... the ordinance was obviously draconian. life in prison... for what? for being in a loving relationship!” he said. he needed someone who was an average young chinese man, not an activist, not a chinese who had spent his life thus far in the (all-corrupting) west, and certainly not a white guy! he got it in billy leung.
and so history has been changed in honkers.
but what of little old brisvegas?
interesting to note, but such a law exists right here in queensland. although it does not carry with it the threat of life behind bars, it is illegal for individuals under the age of 18 to engage in anal intercourse, whilst the age of consent for vaginal intercourse is 16. in fact, queensland is the only state or territory in australia not to have an equal age of consent for heterosexual and homosexual intercourse.
so what does that mean? well, obviously, there is the issue raised by judge hartmann in hong kong, that such a law is demeaning to gay men. but what of the fact that minors, who might be engaging in such sexual acts, are generally unable to gain a great deal of safe sex information on anal intercourse through the usual channels. such material is unavailable to minors, as it is an illegal act. not really good enough at a time when significant rises in STIs (including HIV) are being noted in queensland.
true that the law is likely unenforcable as it is grossly unconstitutional, but why will the state government not erase it completely? premier peter beattie and attorney general linda lavarch maintain their standpoint that "the issue of the age of consent is a vexed one in which there are deeply held and opposing views".
well, homer simpson once said it: "boy, you've learnt a valuable lesson today: if something's too hard, then it's probably not worth doing". now, tell me again, who's running queensland, mr beattie, or mr simpson?
state i'm in: on track, not sure if moving fast enough however.
tune: peggy lee "i've got the world on a string".
well, one more jurisdiction's discriminatory laws have been overturned...
last august (2005), william leung appeared in court in a judicial review seeking to overturn legislation making it illegal (and carrying a sentence of life imprisonment) for gay men to engage in intercourse. the current law in hong kong makes it illegal for individuals under the age of 21 to have anal intercourse (the law does not specify the gender these laws apply to, but i think one can extrapolate what the law was in effect legislating against). vaginal intercourse is illegal for individuals under the age of 16. mr leung won.
of course, that ruling was appealled against. however, the government of hong kong has failed in its attempt to have the landmark ruling overturned. the court ruled that the laws were "anti-gay". judge michael hartmann ruled that the laws “discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation” and “are demeaning of gay men who are, through the legislation, stereotyped as deviant”. thanks mr hartmann! :-)
mr leung's solicitor knew it was a tricky case. “i’d been thinking about (the age of consent) issue for some time... the ordinance was obviously draconian. life in prison... for what? for being in a loving relationship!” he said. he needed someone who was an average young chinese man, not an activist, not a chinese who had spent his life thus far in the (all-corrupting) west, and certainly not a white guy! he got it in billy leung.
and so history has been changed in honkers.
but what of little old brisvegas?
interesting to note, but such a law exists right here in queensland. although it does not carry with it the threat of life behind bars, it is illegal for individuals under the age of 18 to engage in anal intercourse, whilst the age of consent for vaginal intercourse is 16. in fact, queensland is the only state or territory in australia not to have an equal age of consent for heterosexual and homosexual intercourse.
so what does that mean? well, obviously, there is the issue raised by judge hartmann in hong kong, that such a law is demeaning to gay men. but what of the fact that minors, who might be engaging in such sexual acts, are generally unable to gain a great deal of safe sex information on anal intercourse through the usual channels. such material is unavailable to minors, as it is an illegal act. not really good enough at a time when significant rises in STIs (including HIV) are being noted in queensland.
true that the law is likely unenforcable as it is grossly unconstitutional, but why will the state government not erase it completely? premier peter beattie and attorney general linda lavarch maintain their standpoint that "the issue of the age of consent is a vexed one in which there are deeply held and opposing views".
well, homer simpson once said it: "boy, you've learnt a valuable lesson today: if something's too hard, then it's probably not worth doing". now, tell me again, who's running queensland, mr beattie, or mr simpson?
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
99 green bottles...
mood: pretty happy.
state i'm in: well, i don't have dysdiadochakinesis - that's good.
tune: craig david "hidden agenda" takes me back to cairns '04.
ok peeps, med school keg IV is coming up, and who else will be organising it than yours truly, in conjunction with jack, adalbert and ben. date is next friday, 6th october (2 weeks out from MSATs!! eeek!!!)
8 kegs of beer and a shitload of cheap brown brothers later and it will all be over. between then and now will be the cutting up of many onions, the turning of many snags, some pathetic renditions of '80s hits, and watching sol chat up some unsuspecting blondes.
if anyone wants to help, please do. lord knows we need all the help we can get. ladies, if you're keen to hang out with a real-life hottie, maybe you'd appreciate knowing that winkel has already signed up his services for the night :p
--------------------
changing topic to something scotty brought to my attention tonight, first noted by mediawatch. the seven network posted this lovely obituary of the death of motor racing legend and public figure peter brock.
i especially love the line "as seven returns to coverage of V8s and bathurst..." now, network seven, that wouldn't possibly be a cheap plug would it? you'd never use such a tragic event as the death of mr brock for commercial gain would you?
aaaah, the media. ever the virtuous and incorruptible pillar of society.
state i'm in: well, i don't have dysdiadochakinesis - that's good.
tune: craig david "hidden agenda" takes me back to cairns '04.
ok peeps, med school keg IV is coming up, and who else will be organising it than yours truly, in conjunction with jack, adalbert and ben. date is next friday, 6th october (2 weeks out from MSATs!! eeek!!!)
8 kegs of beer and a shitload of cheap brown brothers later and it will all be over. between then and now will be the cutting up of many onions, the turning of many snags, some pathetic renditions of '80s hits, and watching sol chat up some unsuspecting blondes.
if anyone wants to help, please do. lord knows we need all the help we can get. ladies, if you're keen to hang out with a real-life hottie, maybe you'd appreciate knowing that winkel has already signed up his services for the night :p
--------------------
changing topic to something scotty brought to my attention tonight, first noted by mediawatch. the seven network posted this lovely obituary of the death of motor racing legend and public figure peter brock.
i especially love the line "as seven returns to coverage of V8s and bathurst..." now, network seven, that wouldn't possibly be a cheap plug would it? you'd never use such a tragic event as the death of mr brock for commercial gain would you?
aaaah, the media. ever the virtuous and incorruptible pillar of society.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
rocky bound
mood: as before, more tired now.state of mind: tummyache abating.
tune: incognito "autumn song".
one more important thing to add before i finish the week. suffien left for rockhampton to do a dairy cattle prac. gonna be up early, milking cows, getting some experience in cow medicine hopefully, and things like that. he'll be gone until next sunday, that's his whole holiday the poor fella.
he really is a special guy, and i am going to miss him a lot while he is gone. take care babe!!
the weekend in pictures 2
mood: as before...
state i'm in: pain in gut is subsiding, slowly.
tune: a new funky generation "the messenger".
sunday, i was a little worse for wear. the old cask wine went down easy, a little too easy. something that cheap should never be drinkable. what better way to get over it then bacon and eggs for brekkie at 11am, then head off down river on the citycat, with a bottle of wine and a couple blocks of cheese.
emma j's birthday today, so celebrations were in order. new farm park, in good company. had a blast just relaxing by the river, watching the passing parade, and laughing at all the people who just had to come and give em and clay's two beagle pups a pat.
here's some highlights...
state i'm in: pain in gut is subsiding, slowly.
tune: a new funky generation "the messenger".
sunday, i was a little worse for wear. the old cask wine went down easy, a little too easy. something that cheap should never be drinkable. what better way to get over it then bacon and eggs for brekkie at 11am, then head off down river on the citycat, with a bottle of wine and a couple blocks of cheese.
emma j's birthday today, so celebrations were in order. new farm park, in good company. had a blast just relaxing by the river, watching the passing parade, and laughing at all the people who just had to come and give em and clay's two beagle pups a pat.
here's some highlights...
jun, em, and nic, looking sunday beautiful.
and now the real reason why we all came, bella and monte... they love their mummy!
that eye-liner really sets off your eyes bella, absolutely gorgeous darling.
scott that paisley panama akubra is just stunning!
clay, wtf are you doing or saying to the poor girl...?
now that's a little better. what a cute couple! altogether... "aaaaaaaaaawww!"
the weekend in pictures 1
mood: scattered.
state of mind: lethargic from overindulgence.
tune: the 6ths "winter in july" cutest japanese electro-pop, thanks mr renfan.
karl is leaving tonight, about 11:30, singapore airlines. brisbane-singapore-seoul-vancouver. lucky SOB. i'm gonna miss that kid so much. had a bit of a family and frieinds do last night at his parents' place, plenty of cask wine and laughter going 'round. then a quick trip out to the sticky wicky.
bit of boogie, bit of beer, and a bit of some random guy coming up to me to tell me about cosmology. he saw me from the other side of the pub and thought i looked interesting, spotted me as something different. rant rant rant he went, and imparted a lot of shit, coating a pretty poignant message. other than that, bumped into a few old acquantances, including someone i snogged about 8 years ago. random!
tonnnes and tonnes and tonnes of hugs later, and i finally said good bye to karl. best of luck, i will miss you sorely. i love you so much!
here's some highlights...
mido, sayaka, me, and karl. sayaka being a tart as usual, the breezers are kicking in. random brats.
state of mind: lethargic from overindulgence.
tune: the 6ths "winter in july" cutest japanese electro-pop, thanks mr renfan.
karl is leaving tonight, about 11:30, singapore airlines. brisbane-singapore-seoul-vancouver. lucky SOB. i'm gonna miss that kid so much. had a bit of a family and frieinds do last night at his parents' place, plenty of cask wine and laughter going 'round. then a quick trip out to the sticky wicky.
bit of boogie, bit of beer, and a bit of some random guy coming up to me to tell me about cosmology. he saw me from the other side of the pub and thought i looked interesting, spotted me as something different. rant rant rant he went, and imparted a lot of shit, coating a pretty poignant message. other than that, bumped into a few old acquantances, including someone i snogged about 8 years ago. random!
tonnnes and tonnes and tonnes of hugs later, and i finally said good bye to karl. best of luck, i will miss you sorely. i love you so much!
here's some highlights...
nikki, sayaka (lieing), brad, me, karl, mido (standing), another brad, and puss-ua on the table in the foreground.
and now for a retarded shot everyone! except mido, you can just keep looking cool.
much lovin' with mr karl. xoxo.
wordup to nanna! much love here.
mido, sayaka, me, and karl. sayaka being a tart as usual, the breezers are kicking in. random brats.
me and spunky mido.
mr pitkin: "now we've finally got karl out of our house, we're gonna get you two out next, deported as soon as possible".
this one's just for karl... "those fuckin' prawns, hey!"
Thursday, September 21, 2006
california love
mood: more relaxed than i should be!
state of mind: california dreaming.
tune: mylo "emotion".
just been in a cali mood today. not sure what triggered it. my friend karl is off to canada and the states for 16 months or so, maybe it is getting me sentimental. everything seems to be pointing to cali right now. something subconscious happening.
so i guess i feel like reflecting. heres a few narrated pics from san fran, san juan bautista, and santa barbara. i really felt quite at home in these places. they had a quintessential californian vibe, which isn't really that different from east coast australia, especially when you can smell the eukalyptus oil from all the eukalypts they have planted over there.
san fransisco was awesome. easy to get around, weather was fantastic, clubs were too much fun, downtown was cool. stayed in mission district, which made for some interesting sites, really got an idea of the latino slant on frisco life.
downtown frisco viewed from the western aspect of alcatraz. for a little rock with such a brutal past, it sure is photogenic.
this pic sums up the backstreets of mission to a tee. primarily a lower SES latino area, it just has the most awesome aura. pimped up rides with salsa and meringue blaring out of them, cheap cons, and some damn good fried chicken for breakfast - latin ghetto style.
says it all really...
--
san juan bautista, a small town about an hour and a half drive south of frisco. my "family for a day" insisted on lunch here, at a little place they think is the best mexican from san fran to LA.
the old spanish mission, one of seven or eight left in california. the whole site is a 'national historic landmark'.
from left: me, judy, grace, and john. my adopted cali family for the day, outside the old mission. john and judy , acupuncturists, had just been to a natural medicine conference in frisco - how west coast! they accepted my hitch hiking ways on the grounds that they were paying their dues from all the times they did it back in the 70s. wonderful people.
the plains and mountains to the east of the town. just out of shot in the foreground is the old narrow dirt track that the spanish missionaries (including san juan bautista - st john the baptist himself) travelled along.
--
santa barbara, apparently america's most beautiful town or so i was told. not that santa barbara is unattractive, but if it is the MOST beautiful, america is an ugly place.
the offshore oil rigs viewed late at night from the end of stearns wharf.
the offshore oil rigs viewed in the morning from the end of stearns wharf.
the drainage creek disappearing under e cabrillo blvd before entering the pacific. the palms really give it away.
state of mind: california dreaming.
tune: mylo "emotion".
just been in a cali mood today. not sure what triggered it. my friend karl is off to canada and the states for 16 months or so, maybe it is getting me sentimental. everything seems to be pointing to cali right now. something subconscious happening.
so i guess i feel like reflecting. heres a few narrated pics from san fran, san juan bautista, and santa barbara. i really felt quite at home in these places. they had a quintessential californian vibe, which isn't really that different from east coast australia, especially when you can smell the eukalyptus oil from all the eukalypts they have planted over there.
san fransisco was awesome. easy to get around, weather was fantastic, clubs were too much fun, downtown was cool. stayed in mission district, which made for some interesting sites, really got an idea of the latino slant on frisco life.
downtown frisco viewed from the western aspect of alcatraz. for a little rock with such a brutal past, it sure is photogenic.
this pic sums up the backstreets of mission to a tee. primarily a lower SES latino area, it just has the most awesome aura. pimped up rides with salsa and meringue blaring out of them, cheap cons, and some damn good fried chicken for breakfast - latin ghetto style.
says it all really...
--
san juan bautista, a small town about an hour and a half drive south of frisco. my "family for a day" insisted on lunch here, at a little place they think is the best mexican from san fran to LA.
the old spanish mission, one of seven or eight left in california. the whole site is a 'national historic landmark'.
from left: me, judy, grace, and john. my adopted cali family for the day, outside the old mission. john and judy , acupuncturists, had just been to a natural medicine conference in frisco - how west coast! they accepted my hitch hiking ways on the grounds that they were paying their dues from all the times they did it back in the 70s. wonderful people.
the plains and mountains to the east of the town. just out of shot in the foreground is the old narrow dirt track that the spanish missionaries (including san juan bautista - st john the baptist himself) travelled along.
--
santa barbara, apparently america's most beautiful town or so i was told. not that santa barbara is unattractive, but if it is the MOST beautiful, america is an ugly place.
the offshore oil rigs viewed late at night from the end of stearns wharf.
the offshore oil rigs viewed in the morning from the end of stearns wharf.
the drainage creek disappearing under e cabrillo blvd before entering the pacific. the palms really give it away.
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