Hmm, Not A Good Sign

Just One More Thought

Just was reading this story, and thought it was quite umm sweet may be the best word.  The Gaza Strip is basically a huge prison, but on the beach is a haven, release or whatever.  Some nice thoughts from the Middle East for once.

Toast and Jam and Cup of Tea - Song Title Anyone?

Hey all - just a quick one as I am having breakfast and my morning half hour on line thing.  Not much happened yesterday, another frustrating but interesting one - so much so, frustrating wise, for the girls that they wandered down the pub, and yes umm I wandered along with em - Mel and Lisa this is.  I don't want to become a regular or anything, but the other option is to do the stay at home thing, and I just feel I do enough of that already in my regular life LOL.  It's not so much drinking as making friends of workmates, away from the office.

 

Full day training today, ugh.  More pubbing afterwards no doubt LOL, but just a quiet one hopefully, cos I wanna go see Fahr 9/11 this weekend.  Oh, and I saw Danielle twice yesterday, quickly, just smiling at her in the 'tuckshop' - lol the nearest and only cafe out the front of the building, there is Woolworths and a few shops out the back but further away LOL.

 

Okies, like I said, just a quick one LOL

Paul

WodensDay Already

Hmm, not much happening so far this week.  Work is frustrating, but in an interesting way, rather than the braindeadedness of last week (if that is even a word).  Is good for socialising though, and I feel it is a cruise, once I get to know all the possible pitfalls LOL.  I feel I will always do well at office work :)

 

Apart from that, going through a protracted disagreement with the best friend.  Less said about that in here at least the better.  Has been on my mind a lot though - lol and used the phrase significant other when further explaining why I didn't give the usual oh fine response to the morning how are you from Lexie.

 

This week has been dragging on so long - oh mi god, we have a full day's training on Friday - will be needing the beer after the four hour stretch 12.30 to 4.30 - yeah, already thinking of pubbing LOL.  Regular two week thing isn't too sad surely?  And then the rugby on Saturday and wanting to watch Fahr 9/11 sometime this weekend - mmm political movie that includes Iraq - starts drooling already LOL.  OMG, Shaolin Soccer, just the Movie Show on SBS at the moment, looks so funny, in that Monkey, cheap Crouching Tiger kind of way.

 

Mmm only seventeen days until the Olympics, drool - twenty three and a half hours coverage on one channel, and fifteen hours worth of coverage on the other - Seven is going to be Aussie Aussie Aussie I am sure, and SBS will be having the more international view.

 

Anyways, talking local TV, that's always a chink in my overall interest level LOL.

 

More later

Paul

Monday - Need Coffee LOL

Hey all - just a quickish one, not too much to write about today.  Was so pissed off at work though, for maybe the first time at this new place - I had done an hour and a half of work and I was five minutes before going home - so maybe I was rushing it a bit, maybe not - and the computer ate my homework LOL.  Well, that's what it felt like - think I swore or something, and wondering what I said LOL, could have been very bad.  Eh, strong language, used sparingly, is alrightish LOL.

 

Rachel was sick today, with a migraine apparently - Sharon told me this on the lift upstairs, just before work, looked at each other and I said job interview and she said yup.  With Konrad gone, and Kim off recovering from the Byron Bay music thing, was fairly quiet today.  Sandy was going around like a headless chicken as normal, and we didn't have a trainer at all for about an hour there, was interesting.  Eh, the best I can do is try and engender confidence that I know what I'm doing LOL - advised almost everyone today - well apart from Wayne - mostly adviced that I wasn't sure, and wait for Sandy LOL, but I do my bit.  Not trying to be the alpha personality not at all LOL.

 

Schumi won again, and this time it was Raikonnen with the massive and spectacular spinout, was good viewing.  Walked away unscathed, but very pissed off - you don't expect the rear wings to just disintegrate.  Lance Armstrong won his sixth Tour de France in a row - lol would say how boring to see perfection in a narrowly given field, but then again, look at Formula One at the moment.  It is just scary how dominant Schuhmacher is, and can you really see him just pottering around in retirement LOL, gardening or something?

 

Could go into politics, but not feeling like it, don't want to get myself down LOL.  Maybe tomorrow.

 

Laters

Paul

Sundee - Not Quite the Lazy Afternoon of the Song Yet Though

Wow, in the interesting but what practical application box today we have the discovery of the world's smallest vertebrate (animal with backbone) - the stout infantfish from the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland.  The male is only 7mm full grown, the female 8.4mm.  And again I ask, the practical application of this knowledge LOL - is good in a new discovery way though.

 

Had a few weird dreams again last night - first one was me and the workmates were coming back to Brisbane from somewhere on a train, and there were three carriages in the train and seemed all different classes.  Rachel was in the first one, Lisa and Kim were in the second one with me, and Sharon was in the third.  Although she was in the third she had a dessert course, which the second carriage didn't LOL - full service I guess, well apart from the dessert.  Then the next dream was me trying to reset the foundations of the house - each time I did it (must have had Superman powers I guess), another part of the house came close to coming off the foundations on that side, and all the while the main support beam was sagging more and more.

 

Third dream of the night was that I had suddenly gotten a promotion within my current company to driving around and selling phone services on the road - felt that I had Dad's work van instead of anything Telstra like though, and there were his tools in the back.  After doing a call in to a construction company I walked outside the office and there was a huge flood, and I was worried about Dad's tools in the back being swept away - not only was there lots of water but lots of mud as well - there goes my suit I guess LOL.  As soon as I got out of the yard though, the mud and flooding went away, was still a wet road, but driveable.  Very strange to have three nutty dreams like that in one night eh.

 

Another good, but depressing, article about Iraq, this time from USA Today.  About how the Marines think Ramadi is the key to keeping the peace in Iraq, and saying that one of the camps in the city is the most exposed and dangerous in all the country.  That sort of description makes me think of that camp on the Cambodian border in Apocalypse Now.  You know, where they are protecting a bridge that each day the Marines build, and each night the Viet Cong destroy.  Not a nice part of that movie actually, very surreal and insane.  Not a particularly inspiring article either - but support the troops, hack away at the politics of the war.

 

Saturn's rings in natural colour are a bit of pink, a bit of grey, and a bit of brown.  Nice piccie in this other USA Today article.  Mmm, Cassini, I am sure we will be friends over the next four years of your mission LOL.

 

Went and saw I Robot yesterday afternoon.  Was good, but wasn't Blade Runner, which all robots running amok and evolving movies must be judged against.  Will Smith was good in it, but again, he just wasn't the world weary Harrison Ford/Deckard.  Where San Angeles was always raining or night time, Chicago is far too sunny LOL.  Will put together a pen portrait of it over the next couple days I am sure.

 

And then OMG, watched the rugby - New Zealand v South Africa from Christchurch.  The Boks got a first minute try, which shocked everyone apart from themselves, we came back with a couple of penalties, but then another two tries to the Africans, maybe not against the run of play, but very much from broken play and our defence was scattered.  Half time was 21 to 12 to the Boks.

 

After half time, a penalty to us after about ten minutes.  Then another penalty with about fifteen minutes to go.  South Africa always looking dangerous on the counter attack though.  The last five minutes we were camped in their 22, three points down, I was thinking of the draw, drop goal.  With a minute to go, South Africa did a head high or something, the ref started playing advantage.  The forwards scragged it into about three rucks to chew up some time and try to give me a heart attack, and then the ball was spun wide, three on two overlap.  And Dougie Howlett scored with ten seconds to go.  I was well happy I can tell you :)  Last minute friggin try OMG I don't mind being noisy then...

 

Wandered to Hungry Jacks for a Whopper combo, no flirting from the staff today LOL, caught an earlyish train home, and slumped in the lounge with Mum and Dad watching the Queen 1986 Wembley DVD.  And yeah, that was my day yesterday :)

 

Later peeps

Paul

Review - Spiderman 2

Spiderman 2 may well be for comic book adaptations what Jerry Maguire has been to sports movies.  This is less a movie about superheroes battling villains, business as usual, as about the fact that momentous events happen right in the middle of people trying to have normal, complicated lives.  Relationships, work, college, they all continue as normal even as Doc Ock attacks Manhattan.



The central theme of this movie is the development of the relationships between the three leads – Peter (Tobey Maguire), MJ (Kirsten Dunst) and Harry (James Franco).  In addition to the continuing and complicated relationships between the leads, this movie is painted in love, in its many and varied forms.



Obviously, the seemingly hopeless love Peter has for MJ – to the extent that he doesn’t notice other women at all, even when they show interest – but also the love for a dead father shown by Harry, the love of a dead partner shown by Aunt May, the hero worship the city has for Spiderman (brilliantly shown through the deputy editor of the Bugle), and the almost wordless love between Doctor Octavius and his wife.  When they do speak, about their very different college degrees, it shows a love not diminished from when they first met.



Set aside all this emotion, the action scenes seem almost cartoonish.  Surprisingly, the violence factor is quite high – there may be no blood, but all that is needed is a little imagination to make certain scenes gruesome, especially Octavius at the surgery.  Although, putting the two elements together to make cartoon violence, this could be a nod to the director’s ‘Evil Dead’ series.



Maguire, although it hurts to say it, has a range in this movie from happy goofy to puzzled goofy as Peter Parker, and, as with the first movie, he seems to emote better with the spandex on.  Dunst shines, as usual, but the best performance of the leads goes to Franco, tortured by the death of his father, driven by a hatred of Spiderman, while still trying to fulfill the alpha male role expected of him.



In the bit parts, Bruce Campbell as a snooty usher, and Dylan Baker, as a campus professor, deliver the goods as only they can.  Bill Nunn, as deputy editor of the Bugle, also impresses out of any proportion to his screen time.



‘Superman’ was all about truth, justice and the American way.  ‘Batman’ (the early movies at least) was very good to excellent but almost solely about Bruce Wayne, not including anyone else.  ‘X-Men’ has been all about the team, with a flirt now and then not hurting either way.



Spiderman 2 has real life and real emotion, almost pushing the action to the background, and thus is a good movie on its own two feet, not solely to be seen through the expectations of the comic book or action genres.



Bring on Spidey 3!

Satdee Morning

Had a weird dream last night - can't remember too much of it, but what I can remember is hmm - started off me walking across a bridge in a city, and the city itself morphing between Brisbane and Ottawa and Quebec City and London.  I thought it strange that give us a map right way up and you can recognise a city layout quickly enough, but put it upside down, pointing due south and you would get very confused very quickly - and I thought that was a dastardly northern hemisphere plot to reinforce the supremacy of Europe and America LOL.  Then I crossed the bridge to the North Bank of whichever river it was (Brisbane, Thames, St Lawrence, Ottawa LOL) and met up with my workmates.

 

We were being given a guided tour of the city by our boss (who wasn't the boss we have in reality), and he went over to a Tower of London guard (what do they call them?) and a Calvary Horse Guards dressed up officer - so London it was for this milli dream part LOL - and got them to answer dumb tourist questions.  I did my usual thing of hanging back in the conversation while my workmates asked dumb questions (what was the best show to go in the West End blah blah), and then we went into an underground fort, and suddenly I had the feeling I was in Quebec City, and I finally asked a question of the two soldiers or tourist guides whatever they were, what was the worst war the Poms had fought in, and they said War of 1812 - although that was probably my subconscious pro-Canadianess coming out - by this stage of the dream I was trying to control what was going on - that good dream feeling that usually ruins it within a second of your conscious self being aware of it.  Got out of the fort, and then seemed back in this part of the world again, there was a Bledisloe Cup parade going on LOL.  And then fade to black.

 

And another dream I had a couple days ago - not sure whether I mentioned it here or not - just a quickie, was at work and was doing work and Sharon came over and asked how fast I was doing work, and I said cancellations about fifteen minutes, and new connections about half an hour, then Rachel came over and I could tell they didn't believe me.  Sad sad that I'm dreaming about work LOL.  But kinda understandable, have probably learnt more the past six weeks in a six week period since like schol or something :) - of course have learnt more in longer periods of time, but not in that time period, so of course some of it is gonna leak into my subconscious.

 

But I wasn't going to talk about dreams this morning, this is my websurfing time set aside for diarysing LOL, if that is spelt right.  First up, OMG fourteen people have died building Athens Olympic sites, and it still isn't finished - and that is the official count, the unions are saying that the real toll is far worse - but then they would say that, wouldn't they.  But yeah, sadly they are believable this time around - evidence of poor safety standards, no protective clothing, and only twenty days to go - no working days considerations this time around, this is timing til Xmas thinking LOL.

 

Mmm, the latest from Saturn - a billion kilometres away, if not more.  Cassini has found lightning on Saturn, OMG even though it has hardly any practical application I can think of off the top of my head, isn't that great in a discovery kind of way?  Is this the way sixteenth century Europe thought of the 'discovery' and conquest of the Americas?  Let's just hope that there aren't any Incan or Aztec civilisations on Titan or Phoebe or where ever to ruin this time around.  Sorry if that has taken the wind out of the sails of the pure discovery thinking, but it is still awesome in an OMG kind of way the discoveries being made out so far away.  In one phrase, Outer Space Exploration Is Kewl (OSEIK) lol.

 

Bleah, listening to the top 40 on the TV - yes, listening, not watching - and Jessica Simpson is ruining Take My Breath Away.  That wouldn't be a good enough version of the song for Iceman, let alone Goose or Maverick LOL.  If I have the right original movie soundtrack in my thoughts :)



Oh, and bought a book last week - World War 2.1 where 2021 technology gets time travelled back to the Battle of Midway, and becomes a third force in that crucial battle - yeah, I know, it sounds a bit schlocky, but it was the one that jumped out at me from the bookshelves - Australian author, so probably not released worldwide.  OMG found a link!  Good to see that Colleen McCullough has finally released a follow up to her Julius Caesar books - of course, finally released meaning that it was released in 2001 and I hadn't noticed the series since 1998 LOL.

 

England are becoming a pretty good cricket team - beating us three nil and then having a good two days against the Windies.  Second best in the world I'm unsure of, they are playing at home blah blah, but they are improving and it is good to see.  Just didn't need to see a three nil test lost for the Kiwis, we got them back in the one dayers though :)  Not even thru to the final - hehehe.

 

Iraq is still a slow bleed for coalition forces, sad to see.  I hate the I told you so thoughts I have almost every day I think about the mess over there.  Wish I could find that diary entry I wrote just before the war broke out, but then again, no, it would bring things up too freshly again.  Of course, the Iraqi public is getting it a lot worse, and the foreign civilians aren't having a great time of it as well, lest we forget that in amongst all the soldiers dying.  Did Fox News really say 'Do not fall into the easy trap of mourning the loss of US troops and asking out loud why are we there' as indicated in a strip of Doonesbury this week?  OMG if true, and Doonesbury usually has it right.

 

Hmm the Sept 11 enquiry.  Scary stuff.  Just the editorial from the Guardian from today or yesterday am putting a link to here.  Especially remembering that INS (Immigration) sent Mohammed Atta a new residency visa to replace his student visa six months after he died hitting the WTC.  And another good Sept 11 article here, looking wider at the actual report, and saying how bad the communication between the FBI, CIA and INS was - and the rest of the wider government.  Sad looking back, scary looking forward, to Next Time.

 

Okies, that's about it for this morning - will catch up again later - perhaps tomorrow - I Robot and rugby to go to this afternoon evening :)

 

Paulie

Another Weekend Upcoming

Hi all, and not out this Friday night, having a quietish one in - hearing Aussie Big Brother in the background.  Oh, that's what I was thinking of writing about, how little difference there seems to be between Australia and New Zealand.  Like, for all intents and purposes, apart from the politicians, I am in the same country - apart from their inexplicable love of Aussie Rules football.  I will probably never, for the life of me, ever figure that game out...

 

Example, as Samuel L Jackson says in Pulp Fiction - for instance, there is a Defence Forces floor in our building.  On the lifts a couple of weeks ago I did a double take seeing their lapels - when I saw Australia I thought oh, an exchange officer - but then I realised, oh, it's me that's the foreigner LOL.  And what the feck am I thinking that for anyways, I am working for an AUSTRALIAN company LOL - it just feels like the politicians are interchangeable and whatever, but apart from that I could be living in Auckland (slightly warmer, at least in winter LOL).

 

Today was OK - brain dead at work, lots of crappy stuff order wise, but it will all be good in the end I am sure.  Rachel is overstressing, as usual, Jo is just so over it and is just around to get through it I think, Konrad is the first casualty, but eh, he was only an intruder or mole or the other tribe (depending on your reality TV faves LOL), Sharon seems to be getting on fine, Kim hmm, is quiet, but has been ill a lot (ill and at work, the little petal LOL), Ann seems OK, Lexie I think is struggling, Wayne is Wayne LOL, Mel is cruising and Lisa will get through, the we all learn differently I think.

 

Went to the pub for lunch again, got wedges this lunchtime - Jo, Lisa and Mel and me.  Things seem good, and the suggestion went up that we as a team get together after 'graduation' and have a dinner out or something.  We will see what happens with that one - I have been in lots of groups at work that one person will put the blinkers on (if I have the right phrase) regards group functions, but it's all good so far.  Wayne said that his girlfriend's uncle or something had broken his arm seriously last Friday afternoon so that's why he didn't come out.  Give him a third chance and then hmm LOL, we will take diplomatic sanctions LOL - oops back to Foreign Affairs language LOL.

 

Want to go see I Robot this weekend, and maybe catch the New Zealand South Africa rugby match.  Apart from that nothing much planned - LOL WWE Smackdown show is coming down this way, was looking at the ticket prices, cheapest $49 and maybe not the best view, most expensive ones are $350 and you may get spit on by Kurt Angle LOL.  Good tickets would probably be about the $85 mark - but who to take with me to the ball, Cinderella.  Would be a good night out though :)

 

Okies, outta here for now - oh, just one more aside, lol on the train home I wasn't wearing my sunnies and I was doing the glance and look away act with this cute cute girl (probably only eighteen though if that) who was directly to the side of me on the other side of the aisle.  Had this huge grin on my face by the time I got off - the train you perverts - but just the simplicity of it all - of course, she was probably thinking hmm sexual harrassment.  The line is just so fuzzy nowadays.

 

Later taters

Paul

Another Quickie

Mmm, Metallica on the way into town yesterday again - that music has been bouncing around my head basically the past forty eight hours, there is worse than Sad But True music wise out there.  And yes, I admit that sometimes there has been J-Lo and Britney songs in my head as well :)  WITH the sunnies on this time around on the train in - glasses are acceptable at work, but in the train hmm LOL.  Not that I was perving I hope you understand...  LOL

 

At work, hmm not much happening - had a meeting that took up the morning, Sandy is going around spending about half a day with people, making sure we are vaguely up to speed with our assessments a week and a bit ahead LOL.  Some people are stressing, I'm not, the only thing that I had to change yesterday was give a bit more variety to my email folders, I don't think one or two that are basically 'Shit forwarded that I might need to know sometime or just as likely not' is a good look LOL.

 

Was funny when I left work yesterday, for the first time in a while I was first out of the door, that Mel and Lisa both said 'bye Paulie' at exactly the same time.  And then I was in a convo in the lift with Kim, and she uses like in her conversations just as much as I do, and it was like OMG like I better stop this like habit, it's getting very funny self conscious ah give a rats LOL.

 

God I hate these two minute slots I allow myself on the diary, I really should have done this last night eh.

 

Laters

Paul

A New Dawn?

LOL a reference to the fact that I wore my glasses to work, voluntarily even, yesterday.  That is a HUGE step for me, as I hated my old glasses with a passion.  Just took the new ones in because I wanted to give them a test run.  Not really much comment put on them, apart from were my eyes tired.  Good start to the morning yesterday, Metallica's Black Album on the Walkman mmm, Metallica LOL.  But not having my sunglasses on in the train OMG I felt naked almost - people could see where my eyes were, and I had to make an effort not to lazily swing them around, like I do with the sunnies - and no, I DON'T perv.  Just sometimes my eyes rest on aesthetically pleasing forms, with no thought of ever umm breaking the spell by maybe talking or anything LOL.  Actually, a couple days ago, I saw a girl that hmm out of the week, month whatever on the train could be called sex on legs.  But with my sunnies off, she wandered down the other end of the train bleah - I shoulda talked instead of just lazily admiring aesthetics perhaps LOL.

 

Tuesday was kinda boring at work, so I didn't write a diary entry for that day, and yesterday was OKish - had a bastard of a piece of work to do, that with checking and stuff I had to redo three friggin times, and even THEN I saw something I did wrong, well actually two things, one thing came back to me and I fixed it, but there is another issue.  Bleah, had spent more than enough time on it anyways.  Looking around socially, things are settling into a pattern - Konrad sick, Rachel wanting to be the overachiever, Lisa asking lots of questions, Mel and Kim being Mel and Kim LOL.  Actually dreamed about work just before I woke up this morning - Sharon and Rachel were disbelieving of how fast I could do orders?  I have NO idea what my subconscious was trying to tell me lol, should I be trying to appear to struggle?  hehehe

 

Spent a while after work in town, bought a book, time travel back to WW2 kinda stuff, and the Economist.  Hardly get any time to even just wander downtown during the lunchbreak, and it will get worse when we are back on half hour lunches, so needed to vent some purchasing pressure LOL.  May go to see I Robot either tonight or over the weekend, looks good.

 

Bleah hardly any time in the morning to do anything, let alone take up most of the time with a diary entry, damn not being online last night LOL - combination of late getting home, dinner, dessert, reasonable TV programs, and phone calls.

 

Later taters

Paul

Manic Monday

First off, I don't usually start off my night time entries with a news article, but Five Days In The Life Of An Invisible War from the Guardian today is damned good.  It deserves a much wider readership than it is going to get.  One of the reporters spent a week with the Marines in one of the backwater towns just out of Fallujah, and, it makes me remember to support the actual troops - I support the troops over there, but the politics that got them over there is SO fucked up.

The day away from the newspapers has been pretty quiet.  Finally backed down and wore an ugly jacket to work today, LOL it WAS only four degrees when I got up.  The girl that is the best aesthetically on the eye at the train station sat down next to me on the actual train today, but I went with the walkman again LOL - maybe by the time she sits down to me after another couple times, we will maybe talk :)

Got to work and did the typical two and a half hour brain drain training session.  Finished it off for three weeks now though, so Sandy the trainer will be one on oneing with us over the next couple weeks - she also said that too much work was being done and not enough training, so I basically took that as stop doing real work and just concentrate on training, which I basically did all day.  Was OK I guess, did the whole wander around at different points of the day, trying to chat to everyone LOL - oh mi god am I becoming the alpha in the group, shit I hope not.

Hmm, what else is going on - eh, there is a major thing going on, the ex trying once again to cut all contact (I don't like losing complete touch with ANYbody), but I don't really want to dwell on it in a diary.  Yet, anyhows.

Laters, Paul

 

Nice Piccie/Story of The Day

Awww, what a nice piccie.  The text is actually a google translation of a German site, but you kinda get the idea :)  Is the winner this week of the best feeling in my heart website LOL, previously won by the IOC for their celebrate humanity and JPL/NASA for the Saturn probe piccies.  Not as much back story in the orangutan pic as the other two, but still an awww moment :)

Take Two Of The Previous Entry

Okies, take two LOL.  The day at work was OK enough, Sandy, our regular trainer was away so we had Phil come up from Corporates, along with Mylie is going to slot into a coach role the next couple of promotions within the coaches that happens or something.  Bundle of energy and very relaxed style during the  day.  And personally, did a mix of requests (new lines and cancellations) so that was good and relaxed and all.

 

As noted before, Jo, Lisa, Mel and myself went for a lunchtime ale LOL, well I was there for the plate of chips and of COURSE the beer was gotten accidentally.  LOL Lisa spilled the top of her beer over her pants, and Jo waited five minutes for the particular brand of beer to be re-kegged and then had a huge head on it, but she pounded it down :) and got froth all over her nose.  She moved into her new place on Wednesday and is all excited about it - was supposed to have been built in May I think, but building overruns bleah, so the last couple months she has been living in a caravan with the boyfriend.  A house would so be a change after a caravan LOL, and Jo has a drill and a newfound love for domesticity and renovation shows on Saturday evenings.  Scary LOL in a friendly kind of way :)

 

And then after work, Jo, Mel, Sharon and myself headed down to the pub again.  Hell, it was a Friday after all.  Wayne said he would definitely come this week, but we must have missed him again LOL.  Mel said she would give him hell for it come Monday, comedy version of hell I mean, but we will see.  Then she said well he probably will like being left alone after all the queries I have had LOL.  Phil came in, our trainer that day, and had a couple beers with us, he had only just been made permanent a while back after only a year with Telstra, well not even a year, nine months with the balance being spent with the girlfriend in Montreal - which then led to an ice hockey comparison, with Sharon a Canucks supporter as well LOL.  Discussion of fave movies with Mel and Sharon and Phil - oh, Lisa had gone early, after looking at her watch, looking at her glass and challenging me to a sculling comp, bad Paul bad bad, I won though LOL.

 

Sharon went about two hours after she had brought the subject up LOL, and Phil wandered off, and then Ursula bounced over.  Half Maori girl, although Australian citizen now, and is on our floor, I think I mentioned she has just gone through the training we are doing herself.  She introed us to members of her team, Kirsten, who is on the way back to Timaru with, Simon and his partner (a he one) who Mel started a deep and meaningful with.  And, just as I was thinking of heading home, the suggestion went up that we go on to the Valley, a bar there.  And everyone who knows me knows how easy it is to twist my rubber arm LOL.

 

So, we ended up at Mel's usual haunt, off Brunswick Street.  The other guys drifted home pretty quickly, but hmm I got up dancing and then Mel got me up dancing and then she met one of her good good friends, or maybe an ex or something, I dunno, but she was pretty, Amelia I think the name was.  Then we got thrashed twice at pool - well, we got to the black one time, and I screwed up my shot - the others were on one ball and the black at that stage and they got it, and the next game we only got one ball down.  Then back to the dancefloor for a bit, and by this stage I was clockwatching for the last train home LOL.

 

Hugged Mel a couple times, and of course, the dancing was pretty close as well, and I can't remember who initiated the hugs but they felt good once they got started.  And I air kissed her on the cheek while she actually made lip (and teeth?) contact with my neck - was very nice from memory.  Music was fairly good as well, although the only song I can remember was Crazy Like That by Beyonce (remembering Ottawa) and that was while I was getting a round in.  But I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten up to a bad song when Mel took my hand - hey, wasn't it supposed to be me that led LOL - but yes, workmate situation you don't lead in those do ya Paul...

 

Don't worry, this talking to myself and doubting about these sort of situations happens a lot.  Mel is a friend, becoming a good one, and is partnered up and playing for the other team.  LOL the partnered up itself is warning enough for you Paul :)  And yes, she is only twenty as well, so I guess she is pretty green life experience wise.  I will work on the friendship and keep an eye on other stuff - with an eye to stopping it LOL if anything gets more than it should...  I don't think I have explained myself too well though.  But hopefully you get the idea :)

 

No Danielle last night, worst luck LOL.

 

Got a quick Maccas on the way to the Valley station, and then got home at about quarter past one.  Feeling the worse for wear LOL.  Had a few hours sleep, switched on the TV for music vids, had a shower and was feeling fine and everything, but as soon as I started multi tasking on the computer, I felt VERY queasy.  Feeling alright now a few hours later so will see how we go.

 

Mmm, Bledisloe Cup match tonite, go the All Blacks, after last night, will be watching it at home LOL, all my weekend excitement vouchers were used up last night.  There is a suggestion of going out and hiring some vids or DVDs, but not sure about that at this stage.

 

Spot you all later

 

Cheers, big ears

Paul

Another Good Nite Out

LOL please don't speak too loud, my head is feeling a bit tender this morning, but will get some writing done no doubt :)  Smoked a few ciggies though, so my mouth is adding to the whole OMG I shouldn't be here thinking :)  But the night was worth it :) 

 

Actually started out at lunchtime, because Jo couldn't do after work but still felt like a beer.  Basket of chips and a beer later, with Mel and Lisa as well - all good - and hmm beer is beer, Jo waited while they put a new keg of Toohey New on, instead of getting another beer.  Took about five minutes and then there was a big lot of froth on it when it did arrive.  Jo went in nose first LOL, she needed it by the looks - beer I mean :)

 

Then after work Lisa, Mel, Sharon and I wandered down.  Lisa tried to beat me in a drinking game LOL, geez it has been a long time since I sculled (only an itty bitty glass thank goodness) but I won I won LOL.  Sharon kept saying oh I better go I better go, just one more LOL, she's umm got an open way about her when she is talking socially - there is no way I would discuss previous sleeping arrangements with friends in front of workmates, even on a Friday...

 

Our trainer for the day (our regular one had the day off) came by and had a couple beers with us.  After Lisa and Sharon left, Mel wandered over and saw a mate and I got talking to Ursula, another temp who is about two weeks into her actual team, from training, and her bunch.  Mel came back over, and was talking to a Simon dude, while I talked to Kirsten, another temp, another Kiwi, but who is headed back to Timaru next week - but working right up to the flight basically, but her last Friday in Brisbane.  Had a bourbon (eek) and was thinking of going when the suggestion went up of going to a bar in the Valley.

 

So off we went, to Mel's local basically - and yes, it was/is apparently a gay bar, but didn't look any different or anything to me.  Hmm, I'm wondering whether Mel is taken with me or was just umm happy tipsy - she got me up on the dancefloor a couple times and hugged and umm kissed my neck?  She said it was the first time she had kissed a guy (even though not mouth to mouth blah blah, pretty and all but gods a - not a workmate this early in and b - have other ppl to consider LOL) in years hmm.  It was nice though - but yes, always have to think of the Monday consequences if things had gone further LOL.

 

Anyways, I am feeling VERY ill here, and will head off.  May even need some bed time LOL.

 

Laters, will be more detail later I hope :)

Paul

Web Stories Of Interest

Wow, that was quick, and unexpected - the US Senate has already had a vote on constitutional amendment on gay marriage, and blocked it - the whole 2/3s thing I think shoots it down. The Prez going on about 'activist judges' indeed, pfft, better than activist politicians!



Wow, Paraguay beat Brazil in the Copa America (South American football champs). Then again, the Brazilians didn't bring their A squad to the Copa, but still, bragging rights in South American soccer goes on for decades LOL. And Paraguay only had ten players as well.



Bleah, the Butler Report. LOL Tony Blair pleading for the public to understand that he didn't WANT to say the 45 minutes til Armageddon claim. Bleah, that's all I gotta say on that. Less Iraqis and less coalition troops dead if war hadn't been started. But, have said heaps on that before, can't wait to see Fahr 9/11 :) Oh, and here is the Economist's spin on the topic - not saying nuffin more LOL :)



Okies that is that as far as I can see for now. My day went OK otherwise - Mel and Kim were both back yayyyy, so no drop outs so far. Our temping agency person did a wander around and also the first one on one chats, just seeing how we were going, I gave the A OK response, sure there are messy things but they sure as hell aren't stressing me. Drinkies probably tomorrow, so that is a good thing :)



Laters taters, a not much doing day

Paul

Wow The Week Is Already Half Over?

Yesterday was a REALLY positive day. Was buzzing with energy by the end of it and no, not cos I'm finally back on coffee with the cold receding LOL, but just in a good good mood.



Started the day off at work missing Jo, Kim and Mel - Jo was moving, Kim and Mel's reasons are a bit uncertain. Mel I can see not caring one way or the other about the job, but I would hope and think that Kim was just sick and hasn't thrown in the towel - she seemed to me like a stayer...



Was stuck with one order all freaking day - thirty eight cancellations, and they wanted it backdated, so I had to check back up to a year in the billing screens to see when the phones were used last. Had a second order, but awaiting customer info, lol, I wrote the nicest email I could think of to this person, very professional and all, she is on holiday but is the only one allowed access to the account. At least it gave me backdating experience :) Oh, and was complimented on my dark grey check shirt by Sandy, always good being complimented on your clothing :)



So yes that was work, and yes, Lisa is a complete doll :) and no, not in the I would like to do her terms, but just her personality is so nice, and she is dedicated to learning and stuff, as opposed to others that are just whinging :)



Best thing of the day was when I went and picked up my new glasses - woohoo, am wearing them now and it seems that they will float off my face they are that light :) When I was in the optometrist's Celia (my eye doctor) wandered past and said hi - scoreeeeeee LOL, kiddinggggggggg - but she is pretty in a glasses wearing kind of way :) She recognised me, when I have only been there a few times and she has a lot of other patients LOL... aww gosh and gee Paul LOL, you are a babe magnet now (logical Paul decides to go and shoot himself for that statement now LOL).



After the glasses pick up, went to Hungry Jacks for a quick burger - last time I was in there, I was sure that the manager (female) quickly flirted with me, LOL who gives additional information at a burger bar? About a month or two ago, if the diary entry is here - anyways, last night the girl was in a bouncy mood, I chose the latest promotion and she said have you had one of these, I said no, and she said oh, it's good to try a new thing every day. Unfortunately, my wit factor had been all worn out by seeing Celia, so I couldn't do the witty yet flirty comeback that I thought of thirty seconds later, when she was already onto her second customer after me LOL.



Then went and saw Spiderman 2. Good good movie, much better than the usual comic book adaptation, and I can't remember back to the first, but I think it was better than that? Anyways, I will belt out a 500 word review of it over the next couple of days and put it in here and email to some friends - lol I love pretending to be an amateur critic :)



And ended the day listening to 80s Madonna on the way home, once I got off the train I felt like dancing even, so yes, a very positive day. The glasses look good without the obstruction of the contact lenses to blind me as it was in the optometrist's, so we will see how we go. Bubble bubble bubble.



Let's hope the positivity rubs off on today as well :)

Paul

Australian Idol

The quest starts tonight - the second series of Aussie Idol starts, and no doubt the first few weeks they will plug away at the worst singers.



Therefore just a quick one - work grrr, is it only Tuesday? Mornings start off well but quickly braindead with the theory sessions - a la Top Gun, I only wanna go and fly baby fly - Gooooooooose!!! LOL anyways, yes the morning basically gets wasted, and then everyone is doing work and there is only one trainer around and yes, I do my best to hang back and not crowd the trainer's time, so I slow down. But at least I am not getting as frustrated as some others in the place - I could name names but I won't :)



Work, am almost so over it already for the week LOL - definitely gonna float the idea for drinkies on Friday :)



Paul

Catching My Eye

All The News That I Am Interested In At The Moment - LOL, let's start off in Austria, with news of yet ANOTHER Catholic priest scandal, this time fondling trainees and child porn at a seminary. Bleah, enough already, but it did catch my eye.



Secondly, a Congolese uranium mine has been flooded. Only later on in the story does it say that security is so lax there that it could be a target for the Other Side in this war on terror thing - eek - and exactly as I type this, it comes up on the radio news - spooky huh...



Next, Sony are bringing out Playstation 3 for display next May at one of the tech trade fairs. Hmm, I have always been meaning to get around to buying a PS2, wonder how much better the next generation will be?



The AIDS conference in Bangkok - more discussion about abstinence versus condoms and which is better. Saw a quote in one of the stories yesterday, Groucho Marx when asked about sex said 'it's here to stay' LOL good one Groucho, so yeahhhhh on the abstinence front...



A paragraph from the story from the A side of the ABC debate -



'"In some cultures, sexual intercourse is so elaborate that condoms are a hindrance," Mr Museveni [Uganda's president] told a conference plenary session. "Let the condom be used by people who cannot abstain, cannot be faithful, or are estranged." '



Interesting quote LOL. Okies, my half hour before work is up - see you all again after workies (if anyone reads that regularly LOL).



Paul

Quiet Weekend, Nice Monday

Hi all - spent the weekend recovering from my cold basically. Since I always try to look my best in public, even if it means wearing summery clothes when it's not really summery thing, over the weekend I wore about five layers of my warm ugly clothes LOL as well as taking lots and lots of meds - Codral, Strepsil, Dilantin, hmm lucky I didn't drink THIS weekend :) Think it has got the cold on the run though, which is a good thing.



Only time I left the house over the weekend was to go shopping, didn't feel like going to the movies (Spiderman 2) in the end. Maybe sometime this week. Stopped off to see my sister's new flat, quite nice in a next to a railway line and major highway kind of way - keeps the rent down at least, and away from the parents :) So yes, the shopping, got a nice shirt, nice tie, and nice sunglasses - not too nice of anything, there is no point especially with the sunglasses, since the lifespan of those around me seems to be a year LOL. Could have got nicer shirts, but $80 or $90 I think not. And ties are ties, you can always find a good one if you take long enough looking :)



Was good on Saturday night especially, my parents were away visiting friends on the Gold Coast, and NO not cos of THAT lol, but had the rugby from back home on the Net radio, and also live times for qualifying from the British Grand Prix. Mmm now if only I had broadband I could put together CDs as well as all the other good stuff :) Stayed up to watch the Grand Prix last nite, but really, even though I love Shumi winning, once he takes the lead it's all over red rover. Good crash by Trulli though :) woke me up as I was dozing off...



Work today was reasonable - you will probably hear that a lot from me. Reasonable is one of my fave cover-all-situations words :) Two hours of theory in the morning, three orders done, one of which was a duplicate, a fourth handed over to our coach to sort out tomorrow morning. Kind of a relaxing day actually, getting used to my window seat again bleah. Bugger all social stuff - Rachel came over for a chat, had a couple mins chat with Kim at the breaks, not much else. Easing into the week perhaps. Had a quick glimpse of Danielle in the lift, but nothing earth shattering - oh, did a bit of alpha maleing, about contacting the agency about our move from 2 to 7. Felt TOO relaxed almost.



Over the weekend, New Zealand won in rugby, cricket and basketball. Amazingly, was NZ's first one day cricket match EVER at Lords, and OMG is Chris Harris STILL playing LOL, he has been around so long geez it seems like he may have been one of the signatures on the Magna Carta LOL. Mets are taking one step forward and one step back in their campaign for a pennant, better luck next year already LOL, as we head into All Star break. Not a biggie in this part of the world, but always in the background on TV in winter it seems, le Tour :) I like Lance Armstrong, but he concentrates on one thing, le Tour, and he's good at it, but any other road cycling? Eh, if you felt the same way about Michael Schumacher LOL, it's the same thing. Mmm, Michael in Nascar or CART or V8 Supercars, now that would be something :)



Talking of cycling, huge issues around the Aussie Olympic squad - young kid, got done doing drugs, got a two year ban first off, and then got a life ban. How fair is that - especially since it looked like he got the life ban for speaking out about the other riders. Anyways, another cyclist has been caught out - and by the way a weightlifter isn't taking drug tests so got kicked out. Appealing, but just over a month til the Games... no, better not have any more go at my kind of adopted country just yet...



Hmm, will hope to report on news stories I am following tomorrow - today has been kinda a sports entry, as well as the work thingy :)



Laters

Paul

Olympic Spirit

The Games themselves come and go, and the way the IOC selects cities is somewhat cryptic and very political sometimes, but the Olympic Spirit and the thought behind the games OMG is so universally good. These ads are wonderful, and cut away all the cynicism in me, and dammit, make me cry sometimes when I think deeply about them.



Can you imagine a world without the nations of the world coming together to have a sports festival? Can you really imagine a world without the Olympics?



There are also the 2000 and 2002 campaigns linked into this page. Say what you like about the IOC, they do damned good ads - or is that just the soppy side of me?

Weird Dreams Lately

Hey all - just thought I would ask for assistance trying to figure out what a couple of dreams I have had lately mean. Last night's started off with a scene from Friends (a show I have hardly seen in the last five years) with Rachel about to get married, not to Ross - and don't even mention to me whether they got together in the end, cos I don't care LOL - and then the fiance saying all the sex acts that they do during the courtship and engagement will be banned when married because of his religion (Jewish?), and Rachel having a screeching fit (you KNOW what I'm talking about) because of this late announcement, how can we get married now that you have hid this from me blah blah that sort of thing.



Then it transforms to the backyard of Dad's parent's place in Bidois Road, and Alex and Pam's baby is crawling around - no, not like in Trainspotting LOL - and Dad is watering the lawn or something, and I pick up the sprog and cuddle it - have a sense it is male, but it's a dream there's a fifty fifty chance I'm right LOL - but hold it like I do the cat... hmmm.



And then the dream switches to a US embassy somewhere in the MidEast (Bahrain?) that has recently been attacked - in the timeframe of my dream, not in real so far. They had installed an auto brick wall thing with the flick of a switch that morphed out of the pavement - damned stealth technology LOL. Didn't work the first couple of switches thing, but then it did and I went out and it had built basically a HILL - that had trees and grass and butterflies and everything - had a vision of a staffer who looked like Dido being hit on unwantedly, and I realised she needed assistance from a friend (ie me) and then we went and had a coffee, and that dream faded...



And one that I had a couple weeks ago that I have been meaning to write down ever since was I was on the border between the US and Mexico, and the actual border crossing was a bridge between the 102nd stories of two skyscrapers, one skyscraper was US and the other was Mexican. I crossed the US border well enough, but then before processing thru the Mexican side realised that I had left something back in the US - so I went back, but I got stopped by US Immigration, even though I had been in the country only ten minutes beforehand. They then went through my passport page by page and the officer was a woman, and wanted to know what all the Arabic entries meant (my MidEast trip in 98), and then hmm I was taken aside and the rubber gloves came out. Not sure whether I fainted or passed out or umm the ultimate (death) but I didn't react to the procedure well. Mix of WTC (height), stories about harsh US Immigration and Abu Gharib I think added to that dream. Eek.



Laters

Paul

Another TGIF Entry

OK, my email isn't coming up - damned web based yahoo email - and I have finally admitted that I am sick. Bloody cold has been stalking me all week, and it has just been getting worse bleah. To the point where it feels like I actually have a cold rather than am bravely and successfully battling one, if you can see the difference. Hopefully the email will be up tomorrow feck it. And two full days if I don't feel good to START feeling better - wanted to have a day out or something, but if I am ill, better to stay home. Spiderman 2, new shirt and tie, book and sunglasses on the shopping list if I DO get out.



Work today was fairly ordinary again. Think its to do with me feeling less than a hundred percent. Was buddying up with Rachel today, and whereas I am very laissez faire - if that is the correct phrase - thinking that if I stuff up the worst that can happen is a mistake, and I shrug my shoulders, Rachel is very much a perfectionist, and will take a two hour stop if she doesn't know the process completely backwards and forwards. Nice girl and all, but a perfectionist when for heaven's sake we are still just in training :)



Moved again, after yesterday being told that we wouldn't - oh, and also were told that we may not even be going to the section that we were hired for, just in the general area in which we are currently. Anyways, moved onto floor seven instead of floor two, and I have a window seat, grr, always like seeing the hustle bustle of the corridors LOL. But not the worst cubicle mates I could have landed, have Wayne, Mel and Lisa in there. Lexie is over the partition from me, along with Ann in one of those pokey corner areas, and Rachel is by herself all the way on the other side, so that leaves Jo, Sharon, Konrad and Kim in the other full pod. Goodbye level 2 permanents, hello view out to the Valley LOL.



No one seemed in the mood to go out drinking with workmates tonite, so just came home - may drum up some enthusiasm for the idea next Friday. It would be OK to stay at Ann Street though, rather than move to Creek Street - he says as he thinks of certain Billing staff that hugged him last week LOL.



Anyways, just a quick one before I retreat back to bed.

Paul

Just Some Random Thoughts

Yay, the Mets won - are only one game back in the National League East, which shows you how crap the division is LOL - harsh but true, the leading percentage today is only 0.539 - but I wub my Mets LOL.



The Democrat Dream Team is up and running. What a contrast with the current mob, especially thinking of the Veep, you wouldn't think there were only twelve years between Cheney and Edwards would you? Maybe it's a thing of five years of political experience versus being an intern in the Nixon administration LOL.



Oh Canada, our home and native land indeed. University of New Brunswick wants a Quebec blind student to retrain his dog in English. Viva la Bilingualism LOL. Well, it beats the election in entertainment value :)



Okies, that's it for the links for tonight. Work was pretty well braindead - had lunch with Kim and her mate Rhiannon (isn't that a Fleetwood Mac song?), no sign of Danielle, am still fighting off a cold, and Rachel seems about to blow a gasket - putting too much pressure on herself. I am bouncing along quite well though, methinks.



Talk later

Paul

Ooh, Back To The Grindstone

Someone sack me now LOL kiddinggggggg. No not really, but today made another Mondayish twist to the week. New trainer, new training system, hopefully this one will stay with us for the next however many weeks, we will see how it goes. Laying down the law and all, break times are break times, no personal emails or phone calls in work time, you have to learn all this stuff and oh, we won't give you added time cos you have been fucked around with the last two weeks. Whatever.



And then hmm we should be back in groups or something at least for the doing work part of the day. Our new trainer takes half an hour to immerse herself in an issue, and thus lets the other trainees flounder for that time - yes, even me LOL, damned system :) Patience is a virtue, but omg some ppl were getting pissed off, LOL and when I couldn't even fecking send a fax grr grr. But then from somewhere this cute trainer girl arrived and helped our Real trainer. Not Danielle, but eh, easy on the eye, didn't catch her name though...



Socially bleah - not up to much. Few words with everyone during work, had morning and arvo tea upstairs, needed hot liquid to try and kill an oncoming cold, and had a quick lunch by myself before trying to buy a book, but ten minutes is not enough time to find a good one :)



So all in all, stressful day at work, quiet one socially, bought the Economist though, so it wasn't a complete waste LOL.



Paul

Reminiscing

Just remembered to put this in - was listening to Metallica Ride the Lightning CD on the way to work the other day, or from, either or, and goodness it brought back memories. Could almost taste the keg beer, and having fun with mates, and waking up at their places feeling less than ordinary. All brought back by a few songs LOL.

Forever Tuesday Morning

Good song that :) Without you my life's gonna be, forever Tuesday morning - no won't google it just yet, but may come back and link in the lyrics LOL...



But no, that's being slightly down about Tuesdays - today was fairly good, especially compared with yesterday - god, freaking IT desks LOL and making it up as they go along before bringing out the manual - god, I could have looked at the manual. Anyways, bygones - which show was that out off? Geez am I having a pop culture blank here or what LOL.



Work was good, got to do some good stuff during the morning, and then most of the afternoon was either reallocated or withdrawn - people phoning in or double requesting cos they couldn't wait for the email queue to sort itself out. Ohhh, Ally McBeal, that's what bygones was out of... what a silly show that was, but quite attractive women, apart from Ms Flockhart :) anyways, back to the topic.



Be interesting tomorrow, had our last day with John, and will be umm Sylvia tomorrow - all bounce, let's have fun, let's share knowledge, let's have lots of meetings, let's do things my way - for chrissake, what is wrong with going for a coffee OCCASSIONALLY between breaks? I agree with the in and out and break times being adhered to, but coffee police, FFS - and no, that's NOT fee for service LOL. Hmm, let's have fun indeed, heard that from bosses before, hmm a strict motivator, you will have fun. I can deal with strict, I'm not too keen but can live with motivators, but the combo, with fries HMMM...



Socially, Danielle flashed me a smile (reciprocated of course - very much of course!), had lunch with Sharon, Rachel and Kim, and Kim sat on my desk while we were having a meeting. Yes, I am stretching but it's a nice stretch :) Lisa and Mel are nice as always...



Still looking for forever tuesday morning, will google until I get it I think... am I mad, there IS such a song isn't there? Or has the Matrix wiped it from the net and most of human consciousness LOL. Oh gods, no wonder I couldn't find it, it's a Kiwi song, and no not the fruit - lol out of the twenty odd google sites, this is the most relevant...



Now I can go to sleep happy LOL

Paul

Monday - Need I Say More

Hey all - still things from work bouncing around in my head. Not a good thing a couple hours after the event :) but I guess it could be worse... it was all going along swimmingly until lunch, and we got bored of just doing one thing per five people and decided to do one each simultaneously. And the other group was encouraged to do so as well. The work wasn't that stressful, but it wasn't a good thing being on the phone to IT helpdesk for about an hour and a half, while the person on the other end of the phone looked through the manual himself - hell, I could have done that!



Then an order changing after I had made it, and the IT guy faxing three copies of the same fax to this person, and that order was the changed one so I had to do an updated fourth - gee, I look like a dickhead to that company now I am sure LOL. And not to be negative, but then my mind was on Mel's order instead of doing stuff myself. God it's a hard thing to be a quick picker upper of knowledge LOL. Like I said, head in five different places at once, and hmm then a friend seems to have found my work not personal email, and as a temp I do NOT want to get into trouble about personal emails, maybe I sent back a more terse reply than I meant... eh, things will calm down, didn't even have time to LOOK at my personal email today :)



Socially, it was just as rushed - Lexi, Sharon, Anne and Wayne for two minutes before work, didn't go out at either morning or arvo tea, and then for lunch sat with Rachel and Sharon, but hardly spoke. No sign of Danielle today - don't want to overdo things though, especially since I am NOT looking LOL. Would be nice to make friends though :)



Oh, and no mention of pink hair today, which may be a good thing... will see what the rest of the week brings :)



Later taters

Paul

Websurfing of the Day

Mmm, Shaparova won Wimbledon, well the women's side of it - beating Serena Williams in two sets. The only reason I went to the Wimbledon site first is that the news station that I listen to in its sport report said that Sharapova was really pretty - lol no bearing on how she won the match, but there ya go LOL. But only 17, a bit dodgy to be thinking she is THAT pretty LOL - although she is...



Good Op-Ed piece in the New York Times (actually from yesterday, which is why I've gone from the BBC so quickly), about how Michael Moore's movie is doing well in both red and blue states, kind of amazing, I thought it would only be considered pure liberal watchability. Krugman, the author, is saying that the movie is nowhere near perfect, but has messages that have to be mentioned because the mainstream media is so cosily stereotypical (ie Kerry rich and out of touch, Bush a cowboy and down to earth). Not wanting to get political here, but just if you want to read the article :) Bleah, and Aussie has to wait until the 29th to see it.



More arguments over what to do with Ground Zero/former WTC site. Nice architecture, shame about the price tag, let's just do a couple of boring office buildings (even more boring than the WTC was in the first place, design wise) and screw the waterfalls or the footprint or whatever, we have a business to run here. Bleah, I know it's Manhattan and everything, and mega expensive real estate, but why not have a downtown parklands, kind of like Central Park? The federal, state, city governments contributing to buying the land? I know, it's such a way out thought LOL, but three thousand people died there - would you consider putting an office building on the battlefields of Gettysberg or Shiloh? It's all very well saying just rebuild the towers, but would you actually want to work or live in them personally?



Marlon Brando died. I only ever saw him in Apocalypse Now and Last Tango In Paris, I guess he was a better actor in the 50s? And yes, I haven't seen the Godfather yet - I'm ashamed of myself LOL, nah not really :)



'We're happy little vegemites as bright as bright can be, we all enjoy our vegemite for breakfast lunch and tea...' don't ask me how I got onto this one, but I did LOL - oh, I know, it's because I had vegemite on toast for brekkie just now. Yum, but is definitely an acquired taste LOL. 'It puts a rose on every cheek!'



Ooh, Keira Knightley is playing Guinevere in a movie, she's a very pretty girl, and thank goodness she is over 18 now - not that that helps with the eww factor with the Olsen twins LOL. Mmm, the article was a puff piece kind of, but it's Keira Knightly hehehe :) Oh, and here is one about Christopher Walken - very very good actor in my mind - but as it says, he plays the wackos best :)



OMG how can people write about their partners dying in such horrid detail? This story is about a free dive (without access to air tanks unless necessary?) that went badly badly wrong, written by the husband of the person that died. Is in pretty graphic detail, and yes, it is just like watching a car wreck, so horrid I can't stop reading...



I have tried to shy away from the whole Iraq mess lately - am getting sick of having my thoughts from before the war demonstrated every single fucking day, with not much getting better, but this is a damned good article. Saying basically try to think of it from the Iraqi's point of view, instead of imposing Westerness on them (if westernness is a word LOL or a Scottish duchy!). And memories of another war, here is an article about the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 - horrid horrid, but lest we forget.



Woohoo, the Mets have won two matches in a row against the Yanks. OMG OMG can we possibly hope that there will be a series sweep LOL. Nahhh, surely not :) And more on sport, this guy is golfing across Mongolia for his summer break. Just because he can LOL. Better than bombing the place of course - very nice story :)



More Cassini news - imaging of Titan mmmm... :)



Okies, think that is about it for my surfing, as you may be able to tell Saturday was fairly quiet :)



Paul

And Another

Humanity quiz



'Your score as a human being is 92.5.



You are a pleasure to be with and a pleasure to be. Your friends do not envy so much as admire you, and you lead your life with grace, honor, and dignity. This site is humbled to have you take a test on it.



Which brings one to wonder, what are you doing goofing off on the Internet?'



Yeah fucking right LOL! I would say I just do my best :)

How Accurate Is This

Personality Quiz



The following is the result I got - sounds good to me :)



'You are a WRCF--Wacky Rational Constructive Follower. This makes you Paul Begala. You are unflappable and largely unconcerned with others' reactions to you. You were not particularly interested in the results of this test, and probably took it only as a result of someone else asking you to.



You have a biting wit and intense powers of observation. No detail is lost on you, and your friends know it--relying on you to have the facts when others express only opinions. You are even-tempered, friendly, and educated. Foolish strangers may mistake your mildness for weakness--they will be surprised.



You entire approach to life is enviable. You will raise good kids.'

Well That Was Well Worth The Price of Admission

Danielle hugged me - WOOHOO! Now, to explain how this came about LOL. Okies, pub after work, me passing by to go umm to the bathroom (or maybe from), and she held her arm out and took my hand, brought me in to her (not TOO close LOL) and gave a personal thank you for the email I sent thanking all the trainers for their patience the first two weeks, said I was sweet, agreed that simple thank yous aren't said often enough. And then hugged me :)



And then as I was passing by her way again (still in the pub) I asked how her grandfather's 'thing' had gone - her grandfather had just passed away the morning that she was training us, and I kinda felt bad I think I may have mentioned it in here, that I had just said see ya around at the end of the day rather than hope the 'thing' goes OK... so I did that last night instead, well, as well as I could after the fact - Danielle's very easy and open with her hugs and hand touching and stuff. I said I hoped we hadn't been too harsh on her that day, but she said she had gotten better as the day went on - she had only been told about her grandfather fifteen minutes before we got in for 'class', and she said that if I was going to stick around Telstra, I would go far - I guess with my diplomatic style and stuff? I said I wasn't a bailer, and I think there was another hug or two in there somewhere.



This for a guy that is usually very protective of his personal space, and from someone I basically have hardly met, first social encounter :) Just like enquiring after her health blah blah, being friendly, not in her face blah blah - lol getting name brand recognition as it were rather than hard selling :P bleah and have been in that situation TOO many times in the work environment - but hopefully the combination of my life experience and the not supposed to be having alcohol thing will stop me getting TOO stupid.



But yeah, was talking to Mel, Jo and Lisa, who were the only ones to turn up to the pub, when the expectation was that most of the group would. Eh, other opportunities at other times - I turned up a bit later after picking up my contact lenses, and was the optometrist JUST doing small talk while waiting for the lenses to settle - she is quite flirtworthy in a non professional environment LOL. Just got that Talking Heads lead singer when he went solo, David Byrne(?)'s song in my head - I got girls, girls on my mind, I think about them mostly all the time :)



Anyways, enough of Celia (for now at least), Mel, Jo and Lisa. Jo went pretty early on, and she was looking at her train schedule for the right times - oh, had rung home and said don't keep dinner for me LOL, I'm off ta pub :) No hits at all (in baseball terminology) with any of the girls in my intake in the single stakes - Mel was my last hope and she had invited her girlfriend along to the pub LOL. Yes you read right, gf, but eh, that is fine by me - Lennie I think her name is... if you have read enough of my diary, you will (hopefully) get the impression that I am pretty liberal in my views.



And oh, with the personal space thing, Lisa was leaning to the side a lot and umm putting her arm around me, in a sideways hug kind of thing. And I awkwardly started doing the same back, never initiator though LOL, there are boyfriend considerations to take in. And I didn't think I had made that much of an impression yet, but Lisa and Mel both seem to like me lots (as a workmate) LOL. Mel actually asked if being called Paulie pissed me off, but it's done as a term of friendship I think, so it's fine :) Discussions of Britney v Christina, Gwen Stefani, hair colours and styles, the difference between league and AFL - oranges and apples Jo, oranges and apples LOL. And somehow the idea of me having pink hair came up - I shrugged my shoulders said why not LOL, and Lisa said that she had a pink tie and would I mind wearing it - I said no and she just cracked up (in a good way) I think at how easy going I am. LOL the term my arm is very easy to bend came up.



Was a good night out, and tried not to talk too much of Europe when Lennie and Lisa started up, because I don't think Mel has been overseas? LOL me always taking as far back a seat as I can - well, except when I can hardly read the whiteboard, or want to be up close when Danielle was winking LOL. Silly Paul silly. Actually broke one of my rules and gave frank opinions of other workmates LOL, but seemed all good. Walked to the train station with Lisa (Cleveland line as well) got a quick Maccas - it's OK cos I wasn't going to have a second meal within an hour - and then hopped on and sat with her and her boyfriend. Was a nice end to the week.



Oh mi god and during the actual work day OMG. Jon was supposed to be our trainer but had other things to do so Carla came down again, and with all the bitching that had been going on decided to basically ditch our side of the partition and work most of the day with the other side. Not that it seemed to help all that much Lisa was saying. But yeah, we could basically do anything up to committing the order and a quick check from Carla seemed to suffice. And by the end of the day with the easier orders (cancellations) we weren't even getting checked. Seemed to be working though.



I hope that I wasn't too forward with the suggestions though, a couple of times Wayne, the most forward of our group, was distracted or away and I kinda took over? And you know how I hate doing that :) Have picked up the different screens and programmes mostly I feel, at least for these baby orders LOL. Anne was talking to Rachel at lunch (I hardly went out for the breaks) and she/Rachel is thinking of bailing already. Hmm, just a touch of impatience I think.



What else with the day hmm. Oh, I did 90% of an order - well helped out - that Anne had at the end of the day, when Wayne was on the phone with the helpdesk. Knew Anne wanted to get rid of it before the day was up, and it was about forty minutes before the end of the day when we picked it off the system. Thirty five minute order, that's pretty good for a live systems first week? LOL let's see the errors drop out shall we?



Woke up at about quarter to four this morning (got home at 10.30) and couldn't get back to sleep, pretty normal for me after drinking, so instead of making noises like modems and keystrokes I read a few more chapters of the Shining. Saw the movie last week, and bought the book to see how much change there was - so far, the movie is better, surprisingly. And OMG, they have remade Every Little Step I Take already? I just did a google search and it was Bobby Brown or Aaron Carter who sang it first, hmm isn't it too recent to make a remake - damned Mercury 4 LOL.



Later taters

Paul

Another Day Another Dollar

Hi all - am in a better mood coming home today than I was yesterday, less exhausted methinks. Not to say that the stuff we were doing was any easier, but perhaps more accustomed to it. Bit of umm discussion shall we say over the distribution of deputy coach Carla's time. I don't think our side was really bitching about the lack of attention, and I think that she was splitting her time pretty evenly, but I think it was more the dynamics of the other group that was umm interesting shall we say, rather than just a straight splitting of time. Not that I want to make it an us v them thing, not at all, because we are all one training group together, in my mind at least.



Just that there may be some stroppy members of the group mingled in with the more tangential (if that's a word) thinking members in the other mini group. Our side of the cubicle wall seemed to be able to putter along easily enough even when we hit snags, without going to the four corners of the floor. Is actually quite fun doing REAL work, which I think I mentioned yesterday, and being in the live system.



Socially, was with Sharon, Anne, Mel and Wayne for pre-work, stayed upstairs for morning break, ate by myself but then wandered over to sit with Kim and Lexie at lunch, and sat upstairs at arvo tea - was coming down after an especially stressful (for me) request. Passed Danielle coming back from the lunch bar and she smiled in recognition (I was walking with Kim), so hmm possibly interesting there... Made my contact lens appointment for tomorrow afternoon after work, and there are suggestions of barring it after work as well - hope they would stick around for at least an hour LOL. One drink limit remember Paul, with your pills and all.



More in a bit, din dins time here!

Paul

In Colour Even

Latest pic of Saturn from Cassini, about five hours until insertion into orbit - isn't it grand?