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July 25th, 2007
07:35 pm - Alive!
Cavendish Beach
Originally uploaded by Hypoxia.
Well, I survived my vacation out east - and as you can see, the sand in PEI really is red! Our cottage was about 500 metres from the ocean and less than a 10-minute walk to the beach, which rocked.
PEI is a very pretty island, full of storybook fields of wildflowers and gorgeous views. It's also very rural and very slow-paced. A great spot for a vacation but I don't think I could live there. The slow-pace - not to mention the lack of coffee shops and pubs - would eventually drive me insane!
The best part of the vacation for me was actually in Rivière-du-Loup. We did a whale-watching cruise and we saw seals, dolphins and Finback whales - which are the second-largest animals on the planet, after Blue whales. Unfortunately, my camera sucks, so I wasn't able to get any really good photos of the whales - but they were truly amazing to see up close like that!
You can see the rest of the photos - including one not-so-great shot of 2 of the whales - on my Flickr account.
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July 5th, 2007
11:23 am - Bluesfest
Hey, is anyone going to the Ottawa Bluesfest this weekend? If so, who are you going to see? The hubby and I are trying to decide which acts to go see.
PS: Just thought I'd share my favourite song lyric this week, from Zombina and the Skeletones: "And if I still had eyes then I would surely cry."
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/devious.gif) devious
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June 29th, 2007
11:18 am - Otherland
There is absolutely nothing better in this world than reading a really good book - except for reading a really good series of books! Right now I am about halfway through the second book in the Otherland series by Tad Williams. There are 4 books in total - and technically, as he explains it, it's really just one book broken into 4 pieces for practical reasons, such as being able to feed his family and not leaving his readers with a ginormous tome to carry around! Each book is about 800 pages, which was a little daunting at first, but they are so well written and fast-paced that you don't even notice how much reading you are actually doing. I haven't been this engaged by a series since I read the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons, which seriously changed my life.
In a nutshell, Otherland is about virtual reality. But it's about so much more than that. It's about science and religion, it's about globalization and the impact that has on us as a species, it's about history and power and politics and what it means to be human. Tad Williams is a fantastic writer. Like Dan Simmons, he has a natural gift for storytelling and he creates characters that are complex and genuine.
So yeah, many thumbs up for Otherland. If you have the time for reading this summer, I highly recommend getting your hands on these books. Oh, and don't buy them one at a time. You'll want to have the next one on hand. Trust me.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/happy.gif) content
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June 26th, 2007
01:02 pm - That's it - I'm moving to Germany!
Here's why:
Germany imposes ban on Tom Cruise
Current Mood: optimistic
Current Music: Hum of the Air Conditioner
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June 18th, 2007
01:14 pm - Where's the undo button?
Today I wish my life was an etch-a-sketch, so I could shake it clean and start over again.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/sad.gif) sad
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May 31st, 2007
11:22 am - Warning: Rant Ahead
Okay, I've been trying really hard to bite my tongue on this issue, but after yesterday, I really have to vent about this.
That little girl that went missing in Portugal. The British one, whose parents met the freaking Pope yesterday. You know who I'm talking about. If not, it's pretty easy to Google and it's been all over the news.
First of all, for the record, whoever took that little girl has some seriously nasty payback coming to him. Hopefully it will involve many years of torment that put him on the receiving end of whatever he has done to her.
Alright. Now tell me, what kind of parents leave their 4 and 2 year old children alone in a hotel room with the window open? Especially when the window is accessible from the ground and not 15 stories up in the air? Seriously. Kieran is 10 and I wouldn't leave him alone under those circumstances. What the hell were they thinking? I know they aren't responsible for the crazy person that took her - but what kind of responsible parent would leave their small children so vulnerable? All so they could go and hang out in the fancy resort restaurant? I don't get it. I really don't. And now they're meeting the Pope and attracting more attention than rock stars. I sincerely hope someone has taken the time to bitch-slap them for their irresponsibility.
And I know that they are probably tormented and full of guilt. I certainly hope they are. But considering what their daughter was likely put through, it barely scratches the surface.
In case you haven't figured this out about me already - the thing I loathe the most in the world is irresponsibility. People who are irresponsible can cause so much damage to the people that are close to them, and this case is such an extreme example of that. I had to say something before my head exploded.
/End rant.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/livid.gif) irate
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May 25th, 2007
11:16 am - Sometimes the little guy does win...
London squatter becomes millionaire
A HOMELESS pensioner who has slept rough in one of London's plushest beauty spots since 1986 was celebrating today after winning ownership of his plot of land, turning him into an instant millionaire.
Harry Hallowes, 71, secured ownership to a 800sq-m plot in Hampstead Heath, after a two-year legal battle with developers who tried to evict the pensioner from the grounds of a former nursing home.
A building developer had tried unsuccessfully to evict Mr Hallowes from his makeshift shack since March 2005 as it sought to transform the building into luxury flats.
The feisty pensioner dug his heels in and consulted lawyers who provided evidence which showed that he had been living unchallenged on the plot for 21 years, and thus could claim the land as his own.
The area around Hampstead Heath is well known as an expensive place to live, even by London's inflated property prices, and is home to many stars, celebrities and liberal professionals.
"Someone mentioned a million (pounds) and someone else said two million, but I'm not impressed with figures. I just wanted a place to live," a very composed Mr Hallowes said after hearing the news.
Mr Hallowes, who does odd jobs for local people including former Monty Python star turned firm director Terry Gilliam, laughed that he might now build himself a bigger residence.
"Maybe I'll build myself a house - everyone else around here seems to love building houses," he said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21792604-2703,00.html
Current Mood: optimistic
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May 17th, 2007
08:49 am - You know what I hate?
I hate waiting!
New Model Army summed it up best... Patience is a virtue that I never seemed to learn.
Aaaaarrrrggghh!! Must. Know. Now.
Deep breath.
Okay. I'm good. Back to work.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/bouncy.gif) full of anticipation
Current Music: The Matadors - Burning Desire
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May 1st, 2007
09:06 am - Phew!
I'm finished! I wrote my last exam yesterday - and I am so happy to finally have a break. I was all lined up to take a summer course that started tonight but I just couldn't do it. I took a summer course last year, so I guess I haven't had a real break from school in 2 years. Jebus! No wonder I'm so tired...
And in the fall I start my honours thesis, which will be a whole boatload of work, but it means I'm in the home stretch! I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon with a potential thesis supervisor for next year. He does research on the neurobiological basis of atypical development, which is very close to what I'm interested in doing in grad school - plus he went to McGill - so here's hoping we're a good match!
In other news, our Wayward Patrick is coming home on Friday!!! I'm so excited I can barely sit still. I've been spontaneously dancing whenever I think about it for the last two days. And on May 19 we're hosting the official Welcome Home - Here's A Turducken party. Invitations will be arriving in various Inboxes shortly.
And finally, I have to tell you that I have succumbed to a video game. This is the first time this has happened since I was a teenager playing the Hero's Quest game series. Ironically, I decided to try this new game because the couple that designed Hero's Quest highly recommended it. The game is World of Warcraft and I am an addict.
P.S. Waking up at 6:30a.m. two days in a row has turned me into a zombie. I really don't recommend trying it.
Current Mood: happy
Current Music: Koffin Kats - Red Alert
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April 11th, 2007
04:00 pm - This is how much I love my cats
Ready for the Freezer
Originally uploaded by Hypoxia.
I spent the day making cat food.
I've been considering trying homemade cat food for a while now - the Menu pet food recall was that final push I needed. Ms. Caelie couldn't be happier - Ms. Pixel is indifferent, but she's always been like that about food.
I got an electric meat grinder for the second batch, which makes a ginormous difference in time and how sore my right arm gets. That said, chopping up an entire chicken is a lot more work than you might think...
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April 4th, 2007
09:50 am - Jokes!
Some jokes imported from the Psychology community:
Freudian Slip - when you say one thing and mean your mother.
...
How many psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb?
Just one. But the lightbulb has to want to change.
...
and my personal favourite:
How many Freudians does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Two. One to screw in the lightbulb, and one to hold the penis.
I mean ladder.
Current Mood: chipper
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April 2nd, 2007
09:08 am - Movies!
As pilfered from ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) a_clear_job - I think I win the biggest loser prize. I've seen 127 of these movies.
SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun!
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/yawn.gif) sleepy
Current Music: Rain on my window
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March 14th, 2007
08:56 am - Birthday wishes
HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY spurkis!!!
Yep. It's official. You're a grown-up now.
Current Mood: perky
Current Music: Zombina & the Skeletones - Nobody Likes You When You're Dead
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February 20th, 2007
09:41 am - Mmm... pancakes
Happy Pancake Tuesday everyone!
I wish I had something more profound to contribute but I'm working through a lot of rage right now, so my conversation tends to degrade very quickly into something reminiscent of Bernard from Black Books... though never quite as eloquent, of course.
Instead, I'll leave you with this quote:
"You know what you are? You're a beard with an idiot hanging off it."
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/annoyed.gif) twitchy
Current Music: REM - Radio Song
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February 13th, 2007
09:11 am - The World is a F***d-up Place
Karla Homolka Gives Birth to a Baby Boy
That woman, aside from being one of the nastiest psychopaths in Canadian history, is also incredibly selfish and narrow minded. What kind of life does she think any child of hers will have? Being born with that kind of stigma, having a mother that was responsible for the death of her own sister, never mind the other crimes she participated in. This is, of course, assuming the child even makes it to adulthood.
On days like this, I want off this planet.
Current Mood: disgusted
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January 20th, 2007
11:35 am - Mmm... sausages
Nothing's better than a big greasy breakfast on the weekend. Except for sharing that breakfast with friends.
I wanted to say thanks to everyone that came out last night for my birthday celebrations. I had a great time! You all rock. And those of you that weren't able to be there - you were with us in spirit, I promise.
A variety of things were discussed last night, but the one that stands out the most is the apparently unanimous decision to actually cook and eat a Turducken. I especially liked the idea of doing it during Lent, just to stick it to the Catholics, but it occurred to me this morning that we should really wait and aim to do it when Wayward Mind returns to our fair soil. Perhaps a welcome home Turducken would illustrate just how much we missed him... We missed you the equivalent of three birds wrapped in bacon and stuffed inside each other like those Russian dolls. In case you're not sure, that's a lot.
Okay. I think I need more tea.
Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: Pixel purring
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January 11th, 2007
03:20 pm - *Blink*
2007, eh?
I'm not a New Year's resolution kind of gal, but I will say this: I resolve to never have another 3 hour class that starts at 8:30 in the morning ever again. After this semester. Seriously folks, who schedules a course like Psychometric Methods for 8:30 a.m.? Other than crazy people. My brain hurts.
So, aside from the brain damage I've suffered from dragging my butt out of bed way too early this morning, things are going well so far this semester. It's going to be busy but I've already unearthed an excellent resource for the survey/interview I am planning to do for my thesis next year, and assuming I manage to actually retain any information from the above-mentioned course, I will know exactly how to design it when the time comes...
I wish I could string together something profound to say about new years and new beginnings and all that crap, but I'm really, really tired. What I can say is that I'm awfully glad the holiday season is over.
As for 2007, well, I never planned pass 2005 when I was young, so my plan now is to enjoy the ride.
Current Mood: sleepy
Current Music: The Cure - Just Like Heaven
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December 15th, 2006
09:34 am - Pilfered from Qwittle
Nemesis
33% Extroversion, 100% Intuition, 55% Emotiveness, 33% Perceptiveness | You are a normally quiet person with very strong convictions and a marked activist streak. You have a clearly defined sense of right and wrong, and you like seeing people punished for their transgressions. You are Nemesis, goddess of punishment. You are a champion for the defenseless, you love poetic justice and, if karmic retribution doesn't have its say, then you'll have yours. You are astute, rarely fooled, and idealistic.
Your defining characteristic is your internal and inflexible system of morals. Because of your highly intuitive nature, you possess the theoretical nature required to define those morals, but you sometimes lack the ability to verbalize and expound on them, especially on the more nuanced parts of your worldview. Regardless, you have strong instincts which often prove to be correct, and rather than preaching, you act on them. You don't compromise -- ever.
You can sometimes be a person of great internal stress. You don't have double standards, and so you expect the same of yourself as you expect of others. You might find, sometimes, that you have just as hard of a time in living up to those expectations as the people around you. As a result, you are rarely at peace with yourself, but you're also likely to think of this in a positive light -- you're always forcing yourself to improve, and you avoid making mistakes.
You tend to be a private person, and don't like to talk much about those staunch morals of yours until, that is, they become violated. Once that happens, everyone is going to know exactly where you stand. You have a distaste of nihilism and intellectual relativism that will make you naturally compatible with scientists and certain kinds of philosophers, even if they don't share your activist streak.
Famous People like you: Goethe, Voltaire, Susan B. Anthony, Robert Burns
Similar Personality Types: Prometheus, The Oracle, Hermes, Orpheus
Avoid: Icarus, Dionysus, Agamemnon, Atlas
You may or may not be able to get along with an Odysseus -- it will depend on his/her upbringing. |  |
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/cool.gif) punishing
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December 14th, 2006
01:01 pm - Christmas goodness
Okay, I know I need to be stopped. Clearly I'm not adjusting well to having all this free time on my hands. But this made me laugh out loud.
Pilfered from liz_lowlife.
On the twelfth day of Christmas,  hypoxiaddict sent to me... Twelve brains drumming Eleven cats piping Ten boots a-leaping Nine bats dancing Eight mountains a-milking Seven politics a-modelling Six corsets a-dancing Five shi-i-i-iny things Four sleep disorders Three dan simmons Two sharp things ...and a schizophrenia in a sin city.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/amused.gif) amused
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12:18 pm - Warning: Rant Ahead
Okay. I know I've ranted about this particular topic before, but it's been a while and I'm good and worked up, so too bad.
What has me so worked up, you may ask? Well, it's Stephen Harper's backdoor "elected" Senate reform crap. It's crap. It's a copy of the American system and it's crap. Did I mention that it's crap?
Voter turnout in Canada has dropped to 60% (that's a 15% drop since the 1980s). In the U.S. it's even worse - House elections have a turnout usually between 50% and 60% and Senate elections have a turnout usually between 35% and 40%. So moving to an elected Senate in Canada would serve what purpose exactly?
My biggest problem with this issue is that when it comes to the topic of politics, people seem to assume that ELECTED means the same thing as DEMOCRACY.
Well folks, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but those two words are not synonymous.
Democracy implies popular participation. If you only have half the population participating, that's not democratic.
Stephen Harper - and the other politicians out there - ought to be focussing on why so few people show up to vote. My personal opinion is that there are two camps of non-voters. Camp one is made up of the disillusioned people, who would actually vote if there was someone that they felt was representing their issues. Camp two is made up of the disconnected people, who just want to spend quality time with their big screen TVs and don't really care what happens, so long as no one bothers them.
That kind of profound apathy scares the crap out of me. It makes it possible for people like Stephen Harper and George Bush to run the show.
We need to talk about politics more. We need to educate kids about politics. We need to teach people that it is possible to make a difference, if we could just take our collective heads out of our collective asses and look up for a little while. Make eye contact with your neighbours. Our government exists for us, not for the power hungry jerks like Stephen Harper or Paul Martin. They are there to serve us. It's high time people remembered that.
And before you start bitching about the evils of an unelected Senate - take some time to actually read the transcripts of the debates and the committees of the Senate. Many of our senators are dedicated to the work that they do and they always spend more time examining the issues and talking to witnesses than the House of Commons ever does.
Alright. End rant.
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