Monday, August 29, 2005
w00t
For the first time in my life I was excited to go to work on a Monday morning. My new computer arrived, very snazzy with a huge monitor and best of all, the little green box with SuSE Linux Pro! I'm so excited, I'm walking around with this huge grin on my face all morning. The IT person is installing Windows on it now (tfu, I don't know why I'm installing it but they are pretty adamant that I should have it there, oh well). Then it will be my turn to get the Linux going. I've never actually installed Linux before so this will be a learning experience. Everything I've read about SuSE has calmed my fears though, it should be a breeze. Plus I have the book and also installation support if I get stuck. I can't wait. I've been using this tiny little Mac iBook and I'm about ready to chuck it out the window.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Petrol
So I was filling up petrol this morning, getting dizzy from the fumes (or was it the price?) and I'm thinking to myself, why haven't they got that little thingy that holds the petrol pump handle down in Australia? In America you stick the pump in, press the lever, and lock it in place with a little metal clasp. When it's full it pops shut. Here you have to hold the lever yourself the whole time, and for some reason it keeps popping, when I hold it, every 3 or 4 litres, and I have to constantly check to see if it's really full or not.
That, and Trader Joe's, are the two things I miss most about America.
That, and Trader Joe's, are the two things I miss most about America.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Can you resist the power of the Dark Side?
Here's something cool to keep you amused for a while: test your mental capacity to withstand the Dark Side of the Force: one-on-one with Darth Vader.
Lord Vader claims he can beat anyone at 20 questions. We were flabbergasted that he guessed 'rhubarb' in only 17 questions!
Lord Vader claims he can beat anyone at 20 questions. We were flabbergasted that he guessed 'rhubarb' in only 17 questions!
New blog
So what's up with this blog?
I used to write a different blog but I abandoned it for several reasons. It was not especially anonymous, and I had read all these horror stories about personal blogs haunting people who move on to new jobs or whatever, and I decided that maybe it's best to be anonymous. This would also give me more freedom to write about stuff that I might not want to otherwise.
Also, my mom was an avid reader of my old blog and frankly, this just totally killed my desire to write. Whenever I would sit down to write a post, I would imagine her as my audience and this caused some serious writer's block.
I've also got a new house, and a new job; makes sense to start a new blog, don't ya think?
I used to write a different blog but I abandoned it for several reasons. It was not especially anonymous, and I had read all these horror stories about personal blogs haunting people who move on to new jobs or whatever, and I decided that maybe it's best to be anonymous. This would also give me more freedom to write about stuff that I might not want to otherwise.
Also, my mom was an avid reader of my old blog and frankly, this just totally killed my desire to write. Whenever I would sit down to write a post, I would imagine her as my audience and this caused some serious writer's block.
I've also got a new house, and a new job; makes sense to start a new blog, don't ya think?
Go VSU
I work at an Australian university and I support the Liberal party on most issues. This means that I'm part of the majority in Australia (whew), but considered a weird right-wing fascist pariah in my workplace. Most of the students and staff don't exactly share my political opinions. That's fine, people can have whatever opinions they want and I have no problem with that. I try not to get into any political discussions though, just to keep things comfortable.
The big issue on campus now is VSU, voluntary student unionism. The government wants to pass a law that will stop universities forcing students to join the student union and pay compusory fees. The students, for some reason, are vocally against this. They want to continue to force everyone to pay them fees. They say that this will keep things like discounted food, childcare, and other services available for students. It will also allow lots of people to continue making all sorts of political statements (invariably anti Howard, Bush, America etc.) while getting conveniently paid.
I can't wait for this VSU bill to pass already, I'm so sick of seeing their posters and protests and slogans written in chalk on the sidewalk proclaiming the end of civilisation if students are allowed to choose whether to join the union or not. Don't they have classes to go to, or papers to write?
Even the Labor Party agrees that forcing people to join a union is just wrong. (It's also against the international human rights treaty!)
On the other hand, stories like this about Australia's lefty teachers pushing their agenda on students really makes my blood boil.
The big issue on campus now is VSU, voluntary student unionism. The government wants to pass a law that will stop universities forcing students to join the student union and pay compusory fees. The students, for some reason, are vocally against this. They want to continue to force everyone to pay them fees. They say that this will keep things like discounted food, childcare, and other services available for students. It will also allow lots of people to continue making all sorts of political statements (invariably anti Howard, Bush, America etc.) while getting conveniently paid.
I can't wait for this VSU bill to pass already, I'm so sick of seeing their posters and protests and slogans written in chalk on the sidewalk proclaiming the end of civilisation if students are allowed to choose whether to join the union or not. Don't they have classes to go to, or papers to write?
Even the Labor Party agrees that forcing people to join a union is just wrong. (It's also against the international human rights treaty!)
On the other hand, stories like this about Australia's lefty teachers pushing their agenda on students really makes my blood boil.
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