Faded thoughts
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Below are the 10 most recent journal entries recorded in the "J. H. Zombie, esq." journal:[<< Previous 10 entries]
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08:34 pm
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Wasn't too bad for a day.
I handed an essay in today. It was meant to be 3000 words or 20% less or 10% more. My one ended up being 2660, which at first I thought was just over 20% under, but then realised later that 20% of 3000 is 600, so it was reasonably well over the lower limit. It makes no difference as it was crap, but sufficiently non crap enough to get at least 40%. I hope. Oh, how embarrassing, and oh how I have "fallen" over the years. And the lecturer (who is a giant teddy bear of a chap) is younger than me, which somehow makes it worse. And I'm friends with the tutor. Sigh.
But, ironically given my failure at maths, it turns out that I did ace the recent stats test (for the paper on in which I missed and failed some assignments). That made me feel better, in the "I am a smart cookie" way (this is stage 3 stats you know, and it wasn't multi-choice, and the mean mark was about 74%). Okay, if I didn't get close to 100%, considering my prior PhD history, it would be a bit sad, but still, it was nice.
I got 5000 more flyers printed. Tomorrow it's a day of no uni stuff, just pure unadulterated letterbox stuffing.
When I fed the colony cats tonight there were three things of note. First, someone had left lots of milk for them to drink, which surprise surprise, they hadn't touched (the whole milk and adult cat thing is not something I've experienced as every actually being conducive). Second, to add weight to a suspicion that someone else is tending to these cats other than the group I'm part of, two of the cats have the tops of one of their ears chopped off - which means they have been desexed by the SPCA. I don't think would have been facilitated by one of "us", as we've gone out of our way to ensure that the cats don't get their ears "marked" that way, so I'm wondering who might be behind this (I'll email the "boss" person tomorrow to check).
Third, while I was there there was another car of chaps who were lounging around behind the back of an industrial area (where the cats live). This lead me to ponder that great wonder to me - "homo social" relationships - which is something I thought often about in Australia - being confronted with packs of middle-age men riding their motorbikes, and men who spend all evening with each other down at the TAB (place you go to gamble on horses...). I of course wonder about such things because it's not something I often do. I was thinking on the drive home from the cats about the notion of shared experience, where the point is to just experience an event with someone else, and that with gender being a dividing factor in our society, for many to experience an event equivalently being of the same gender is vital. Driving around on the open roads on your motorbike, as a man, with other men, is different to driving around on a motorbike, as a man, with other people, some or all of whom may be women - even though nothing else changes in the experience. Is this shared experience thing something to ponder more? Have I only thought of this now because I myself fail to engage in such shared experiences (the only thing that springs to mind may have been playing networked video games, in a social setting - but I haven't done that for years - am I missing something vital).
Near my car I found a torch. I found this strange, but it made me think - did the person who broke into my house and car, and find nothing worth stealing, in fact drop their torch, creating a net loss out of the whole event?
Tags: colony cats, flyers, men, random, random thoughts, stats, study, uni
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10:42 pm
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Fail.
Well, I've started delivering flyers regarding my election. Yesterday I did about 400, and got bit by a dog, and today I did 600 and did not get bit by a dog. I'm all out of flyers so tomorrow I'll get another 5000 printed (but with adjusted borders). I figure that with full concentrated effort I will be able to deliver 2000 a day.
Other than that, my German Philosophy essay has gone rather terribly, I've only written 1000 words, and it's due tomorrow at 4, and needs to be 3000. I know what the write, but I really can find the inspiration. I've read too much and now my brain is slush and can't organise anything. Hopefully tomorrow I can organise my thoughts a bit better. The essay is worth 50% of my grade, which means I'll probably fail, and will definitely fail if I don't get anything submitted tomorrow. I automatically loose 10 marks (out of 100) because I'm two weeks late. I really should not have done this paper this semester, and certainly not as a stage 3 version (stage 2 would've been just fine). Probably should have done Philosophy of Mind instead (something less intense on the mind...). But if I can scrape 40% essay mark (=30 as 40-10), that'll give me 15/50 marks so far, and then I'll only need 35/50 from the exam, and 70% in the exam is possible, so all is not lost (if I can write something reasonable tomorrow).
The last few papers of my BA are going to be the hardest...
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11:52 pm
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Great. No really. And tomorrow my computer breaks.
Woops. Too late - need sleep.
Day: programming, stopped by copy shop, lecture, Reclaim the Night event, watched episode of Stargate.
Moral: when you think your door is fine, the lock really is busted.
Speaking of busted locks in driver side doors, let it also be know that the passenger side door is a bit bung at the moment. Concluding remarks: the only way into my car at the moment is in through the rear "hatch". Monkey, peanut. Indeed.
Tags: not the neighbours, quick, worms in my brain
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09:43 am
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Morning post
A few other bits of information to be glanced over:
I found my GP2X Wiz. Yay.
Yesterday, it appears that someone broke into the house I live in! I did not realise this at first, because nothing has been touched (the doors to all bedrooms are locked separately). I did notice when I returned home last night that back door was wide open, which puzzled me, but I thought either (a) I'd not closed int properly (though I remember explicitly doing so), (b) my flatmate had left it opened (but she wasn't home when I left, and wasn't there when I returned, and she wouldn't do that anyhow), or (c) the landlord who had visited had decided to enter the house (without notification), and left the door open.
But... after I wrote the entry last night I went to my car. And the "door open" light was on, so I thought I must've not closed it properly, which probably meant the battery was flat (as I haven't driven the car for two days, and the battery is probably not at full power). On closer inspection, the door was not just not properly closed, it was actually quite clearly open. I looked inside and someone had been through the glove compartment, the ashtray area (where I keep some cards, and a few coins), and had knocked crazy bear onto the floor (crazy bear may only be known to those who've had the misfortune to be driven by me). After all that, nothing had been taken (not even the few coins), and the lock on the door was perfectly intact.
My car is very open, you can pretty much see everything that is in it, including the boot. It is obviously in need of some TLC, and it clearly has a mono AM radio, and nothing else. Apart from stealing it for joy-riding, and subsequent trashing, it seems difficult to imagine anyone putting in the effort to break into such a car, all while apparently having also broken into the house (without breaking anything).
All very strange. My flat of course doesn't really have anything of value, except maybe my Mongoose MTB, which is getting a bit old school now, and is in need of fixing, and the computer I'm currently using, which isn't really worth that much. Having nothing to steal always helps, and my place is quite easy to break into (you just have to hit things in the right place - I'll be fixing this soon), which means intruders don't have to damage much.
The big question is who was it? My address is plastered on any web related thing I have regarding the election (as someone has to authorise stuff, and leave their actual address) - does that make me a target? Maybe the political enemies I'm bound to make are preemptively targeting me to get some dirt on me? (I doubt that). I actually suspect it's my neighbours kids - my neighbour has a key to my house and car (but the key is for the front door - the back door has no key), and when I came home I passed her two sons and they said "good luck", with regards to the election I suppose, and I said thanks. It seemed a bit odd at the time, as in the that didn't quite make sense, but didn't seem that odd way.
I just wonder to myself why whoever did it, didn't just take the time to shut the door to the house, and tidy the car and close the car door. The amount of effort taken would have required approximately 10 seconds total, and then I would never have known anything had happened.
BTW: to all casual readers of this journal I will probably move to friends only posting in the near future (and will make all previous posts friends-only) - if you wish to continue reading, please create an LJ account (you can probably use your FB/MSN account for an Open-ID login), and add me as a friend.
Tags: car, flat, social conditions for crime
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08:27 pm
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Slight improvement.
Still feel overwhelmed at the moment. I visited a copy place today to get a quote on things. I was supposed to stop by One Tree Hill, and take a photo of a cow, but I forgot. I'll do it tomorrow. I also forgot to top up a bank account. Sigh.
But, my stats test went well. Or at least it seemed too. Maybe full marks, fingers crossed.
I went to see mayoral candidates talk in the uni quad today. John Banks and Andrew Williams weren't there. Len Brown seemed nice enough. I'll undoubtedly vote for him. I don't agree with him on everything, but he's the best of the bunch for me. Colin Craig annoys the hell out of me.
Afterward I ended up meeting someone whom I only know through Facebook, and also talked to a candidate for the Health Board. She didn't even know about the elections2010.co.nz website, and her pamphlet isn't "authorised", which means she is breaking the rules. Still, I'll probably vote for her, because who knows anything about people running for the health board? It really is true that it makes the difference if someone actually interacts with you.
The owner of my flat apparently visited today (I only got notice yesterday, which I think is breaking the rules a bit - I'm supposed to have 48 hours I believe). I thought they were coming to check up on the structural faults to the house, but instead they left a letter saying I have 10 days to tidy the property up. The garden is a bit overgrown. Apparently the neighbours have complained (can't be the direct neighbours as their lawn is worse).
It annoys me a bit because the main problem is that the house hasn't been painted in many many years and looks abandoned - and the owners never do anything about it - there's a whole in wall for goodness sake - I think that may be more what the neighbours dislike. Still, I'll make it look as pretty as possible. I might get some spinning fake flower thingies to add colour.
Tags: cow, election, flat, stats
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10:52 pm
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3 is the magic number.
Grrrr. Shit day.
Yesterday I did not quite manage to finish my stats 201 assignment, I got into uni a few minutes past the handing time, and then I couldn't find the handing box. Checking with the student centre it turns out it's due not on the 20th but on the 30th. Poo. Time to learn to read numbers.
All this means is that (a) I can actually improve on the crap I did yesterday, (b) I could've spent more time on the stats 325 assignment due today (as in really due). What I did I actually enjoyed, and so I got disgruntled at the fact that I hadn't spent more time on it. It's only worth 3% of my grade, but I missed the last one so it matters - I wanted an "A" in that paper. The test is tomorrow. I should be okay for it, I haven't studied, except fervently for the assignment, which should be good enough. Will do more tomorrow.
My back is a bit sore, thanks to the pig costume in the weekend. I must stress that this pig is rather large, and rather heavy. I thought at the time that I was going to do my shoulders in, but they are fine. It was the leaning forward to actually see people (my head reached just below the nostrils that act as portals to the outside world. The instructions specifically state that it is designed for someone around 6 foot tall. I'm a fraction shorter than 6 foot (6 foot with shoes). It had Crocs where the feet go. How embarrassing.
I went to the gym today (I went yesterday briefly as well). I haven't been going much, and I've lost a bit of strength (actually, a significant amount). Poo.
It'll be good when this election thing is all over (9 October), unless I win, in which case I'll be screwed for the end of year exams (I'm not realistically putting my hopes much higher than getting "C" and maybe a "B" for each subject).
I still have a 3000 word essay worth 50% due on Monday, which I have not started. But, I know what to write, so I should be able to pull off some magic, and produce a piece of crap that might just scrape up enough marks to make getting 60-70% in the final exam enough to pass the paper. I'm friends with the tutor, so that helps, we can all have a laugh. (I'm older than the lecturer too - how depressing).
I don't know where my GP2X Wiz is. I had it just before I went to Tonga, and almost took it with me, then I decided not too, and then put it somewhere safe, and out of the way. Thus, I haven't a clue where it is. I miss playing Atomic Runner under Mame. :(
Oh, and a taxi almost drove straight into me today. I was cycling along on the road, and they were coming out a car park. I got annoyed at myself for automatically giving them the finger when they waved an apologetic wave, but when face with imminent collision by a driver who seems to be paying no attention to your existence, it's hard to control one's feelings. It was right next to the hospital, so all would have been well...
At least I was only mildly rained upon.
Tags: angst, cycling, gp2x, gym, injury, safe, stats, study, uni
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12:04 am
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That was funnier than I thought.
Yesterday was a bit odd. I went to a Spring cycling celebration, where I almost bumped into other candidates in the election (though in a different subdivision to me). I'm pretty sure they recognized me.
I arrived late and left early. I didn't like the vibe. It's hard to explain, but I'm not really comfortable with the Auckland cyclist and environmentalist scene. There are some race and class issues going on there. Maybe they are just dickheads (maybe I am - you're the tramp balls though, not me).
I stopped off on the way home at the SAFE shop and had a good chat which put me in a good mood.
Last night I almost further acted in a social manner, but instead half-heartedly worked on my assignment for applied stats, which I don't find so exciting as the theory stuff (I think I've said that before). Of course, I have a theory assignment due the following day, and because I've spent so much time on the applied one, I won't finish the theory one - which I need to as I missed the last one (due to forgetting about it). I will have to focus tomorrow.
The lights on my car are getting worse. I need to take it to the shop. Won't be until Wednesday. Oh well (it's other people that suffer, which sux).
I helped out with SAFE stuff at the Pet Expo on the Shore today. At one point I was enticed into getting into the giant pig costume, which until today I had not realised was in fact a costume. I just thought it was giant pig model. It was rather amusing to try and walk around in - it was almost impossible to move forward by more than an inch at a time, and I guess that makes one look entertaining from the outside, without having to try.
I ended up buying a bag of cat biscuits, and nicking a kids activity book for a new film coming out about owls by the people that brought you "Happy Feet". It seems to be the type of film to which you would expect there to be a similar film about owls from a competing studio. Ants, volcanoes, asteroids, penguins - owls are the next it.
My skin is definitely clearer at the moment, and you are not going to guess what seems to be the reason. It's not something I ate, or did not eat, in Australia that made the difference, or similarly what I ate in Fiji or Tonga - it seems to be related to another activity that I did while travelling (and during summer), but I haven't done for the last few (winter) months - put sun block on. I'm not sure what it is, but I suspect some compound in the sunblock I use (Hawaiian Tropic lotion - my sunblock of choice for many a year).
Or maybe my facial skin is just really sensitive to UV? There is perhaps some precedence for this. I spent many years putting hydro-cortisone cream on my face, and then moved to an even more evil steroidal cream, when the pharmacy stuff stopped being effective. It took me a month to break the addiction my skin developed to that later cream (a very red time indeed), and that cream had the side effect of thinning my skin. The summer about 6 years ago was hell for me, I literally lived in fear of the sun, as I guess my skin was so thin. Maybe it has never quite recovered?
The skin on my hands has peeled. That was my bad from the sunburn in Tonga. (What kind of fool goes to a tropical island with a pittance of sunblock? Me).
Tags: late, safe, skin
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08:11 pm
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Market food
That was weird. I had a headache, and was finding it hard to concentrate, and then I took my sunglasses off (which were on top of my head, and pressing against my headphones). Suddenly I felt much better, and the pain I was previously feeling wasn't exactly where the sunglasses were (which is why I didn't suspect them) - it felt more like the muscles in my neck. Gosh. Isn't physiology amazing.
Today I did some study, went for a run, and made a draft of my election flyer (which will be A5, and probably on card, not paper - have to see the cost). It's very simple, doesn't say too much, but gives some detail, and directs people to websites, emails (matthew@votegoode.geek.nz), and phone numbers. To get a draft done, and it's pretty much good enough for me, is a huge relief - even though it'll take me until the end of next week to get it printed off. Once they are I'm pretty sure I can get a number of people help deliver them, and I know that I'll be up for delivering a fair few (it's lots of fun). I'll be able to go door knocking next weekend!
This weekend I'll be working, for SAFE, at the Pet Expo on Sunday. PET EXPO!
So far this giant storm to be hitting NZ hasn't been that spectacular, but that's because I think Auckland isn't the place to be for such things.
Tags: short
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08:04 pm
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Tonga - Day 3
Written 10 September 2010
( More cycling, and very sleepy )
Tags: cycling, eating, exhaustion, tonga 2010, travel
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07:40 pm
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Tonga - Day 2
Written on 9 September 2010
( Cycling West! )
Tags: cycling, race, tonga 2010, travel
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