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The Rat Haven
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| | Time: | 06:55 am | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/twotone/hamsters/enthralled_hammy.gif) impressed |
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| | Here is your word of the day: Synallagmatic - (Law) creating mutual obligations, as opposed to unilateral (thank you, Macquarie Dictionary). | comments: Leave a comment   |
| | Time: | 04:55 am | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/twotone/hamsters/worried_hammy.gif) anxious |
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| | Am awake at shriek o'clock to edit paternal PhD thesis (112,000 words). Am freaking out about deadline being just over a week away, ARGH. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| The tennis was brilliant, wasn't it? :D Go Nadal! How amazing must it feel to have won Wimbleding at the age of 22 (and not 12, as I first typed :P ).
Not so brilliant was finding out that some fudgeknuckle had lobbed a brick over our wall during the night, chipping the windscreen and denting the bonnet on the waSaabi :( We're so pissed off about it. Since we moved here, we've had a bike, a café chair, assorted bottles and now this brick chucked over the wall/fence. On Friday night some passing idiots chucked a shoe over the fence and the owner of the shoe, a drunk girl, climbed over our incredibly spiky fence to retrieve it, and then hurt herself climbing back over again. Not seriously - she still managed to weave off down the road with the rest of them - but she did do something that made her look rather uncomfortable. Silly bint.
I don't know what to expect next. It worries me to have seen someone climb over the fence, because if a drunk girl can do it, then anyone can, and who knows what damage they'll do then? There's nowhere in the carpark that's safe for our cars any more. It's only a matter of time before someone decides to chuck a brick at one of our lovely, large, smashable office windows.
Ok, tired. Going to bed. | | comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Time: | 02:06 pm | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/twotone/hamsters/sleepy_hammy.gif) sleepy |
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| | The weather is disgusting today - hot and humid and spoiling for a fight (or a storm, at least). I feel like such a wimp - I don't think the temperature's reached anything like what we might get in Perth, but I'm about ready to chuck in the towel and go and sit in the bath with a book, cool drink and a moody look on my face (like the Muskrat in Comet in Moominland). Hmmm, maybe after a nap though - I'm falling asleep at my desk. I'm somehow managing to do my work on autopilot (for a given value of 'managing' - my typing while asleep tends to go somewhat awry). | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| Oh dear, one of the underwires on my scaffolding bra just popped out. That's probably a metaphor or something. Now I'm going to be all lopsided, at least until Friday when I can go shopping again (unless I pull the other one out, but let's face it, I need all the help I can get these days - maybe I should just leave it in).
In a fit of desperation, I bought another plant yesterday. It's a houseplant, with a funny little bulbous trunk and a sprawling tuft of leaves like hair. I thought it was cute. I may go back to the shop to get some other plants later - they had some nice lily things (I think they were lilies), and also some miniature orchids.
About a million years ago I mentioned working through Stephen Fry's Ode Less Travelled. Predictably, the moment I mentioned it, I stopped. >:| However, I've started again, and this time Arni and his work colleague Liesbeth are doing it too, so that should be coooool. I've already been busy with the first two exercises, and am having fun writing ridiculous lines in iambic pentameter. I am looking forward to learning about enjambment and caesura. Enjambment sounds like something that happens to bread. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| For no other reason than just because: Adam Hills sings the Australian National Anthem to Jimmy Barnes's Working Class Man:
(You've gotta admit, it's a big improvement :D ) | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | Time: | 11:33 am | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/twotone/hamsters/crying_hammy.gif) crushed |
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| | Oh dear. A caller just told me in a snooty sort of voice that she couldn't understand my Dutch. At that point, all I'd said to her was "[company name], goedemorgen." I feel all balloon-popped and uitgefizzeld now :( | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| This is worrying: Small Publishers Feel Power of Amazon’s ‘Buy’ Button (gacked from ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif) officialgaiman)
PARIS — Amazon, the online retailing giant with a fast-rising share of the consumer book market, has adopted the literary equivalent of a nuclear option for rebellious publishers who balk at its demands.
In the latest in a series of disputes over the division of revenue from online sales, Amazon has disabled the “buy now with 1 click” icon on its British Web site for hundreds of books published by the British unit of Hachette Livre, from back-list Stephen King novels to, naturally, “The Hachette Guide to French Wine.”
The button allows registered users to purchase titles instantly, with free shipping. Customers can still buy the affected books, but they have to navigate to an open marketplace that links them to third-party sellers of new or used books. And they have to pay for shipping.
The struggle comes at a time that Amazon’s power as a bookseller is increasing, with sales growing online in an otherwise tepid global book market. Some publishers fear that with the introduction of Amazon’s Kindle electronic reader, the company will rise into a position to be able to demand more concessions.
“The buy button is their weapon of choice and that’s how they impose market discipline,” said Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild, an American trade group that also briefly lost the buy icon, for titles sold from BackinPrint.com, a print-on-demand service for infrequently purchased works. “This is such a clear indication that once they have the clout they are willing to use it to the full extent that they can. It’s ugly with Amazon and will probably get uglier.”
I don't know why I'm surprised. I do know, however, that we will not be using our new-fangled credit card thingy to buy anything from Amazon.
Oh yeah. We have come thundering into the 21st century and have a credit card *is nervous* | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | Time: | 03:38 pm | | Current Mood: | crushed |
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| Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Pulls Out of Runoff
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Zimbabwe's opposition leader says he is pulling out of Friday's runoff election against President Robert Mugabe.
Morgan Tsvangirai says this is because of mounting violence and intimidation against the opposition during the campaign.
Tsvangirai announced his decision during a news conference in Zimbabwe's capital on Sunday after thousands of ruling party militants blockaded the site of the opposition's main campaign rally.
The opposition says that police in full riot gear and soldiers have taken over the site of the rally.
:( :( :(
I can understand why, but I'm so disappointed. I really feel for the Zimbabweans who braved the polling the first time round, had their hopes raised by the promising-looking results, and then had them crushed by Mugabe, and now this. And the arrogance of that disgusting man, who's stated that "only God" can remove him from power. How can this be happening??? | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | Time: | 11:45 pm | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/twotone/hamsters/sad_hammy.gif) sad |
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| Russia 3, Nederland 1.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! | | comments: Leave a comment |
| So. Basel has generously, and perhaps a little unwisely, invited the entire Netherlands over for a barbie for tomorrow night's NL vs Russia match. If the local traffic is anything to go by, a lot of people are taking them up on the offer. Several of our friends and colleagues are going that we know of. I hope everyone behaves themselves! (Oh god, how old am I??)
We are staying home. Basel sounds nice but perhaps not the place for a baby at the moment. We shall shriek "Hup, Holland, Hup!" from the comfort of our sofa tomorrow night. Well, we'll scream it quietly since Emrys will be asleep in the next room.
It's been a nice day today. I repotted all my plants, and brought most of them upstairs. Some are inside and the rest are on the balcony. They look a little pathetic out there by themselves; I think I'm going to have to buy a few larger plants to fill in the gaps. I've left my Gran rose downstairs a) because the pot's too heavy and b) because it seems very happy where it is, and looks a lot healthier than it has for the past two years. I'm not gonna mess with that.
In other news, Emrys appears to be getting the two middle teeth on his upper jaw. But then, maybe not. He's been having teething-ish sort of behaviour and sleep disturbances, but nothing's really obviously appearing - we only think we can see a couple of bumps on the gum. Ah well, no rush. I'll just chuck a couple more bite-rings in the fridge...
My Dad has sent me his PhD thesis for editing. It's about 112,000 words (eek). | | comments: Leave a comment |
| Court overturns father's grounding of 12-year-old
A Canadian court has lifted a 12-year-old girl's grounding, overturning her father's punishment for disobeying his orders to stay off the internet, his lawyer said.
The girl had taken her father to Quebec Superior Court after he refused to allow her to go on a school trip for chatting on websites he tried to block, and then posting "inappropriate" pictures of herself online using a friend's computer.
Er...WTF??? Aren't there better things the Court could be doing with its time than helping a 12 year old disobey her parents?? The details in the article are a bit thin, so maybe there's a lot more to it than meets the eye, but still...this seems a bit ridiculous. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | Time: | 06:40 pm | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/twotone/hamsters/smiling_hammy.gif) happy |
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| I just had a little go of mah Beeeetle :D Arni's been working on it today (putting the carpets in and such), and when I went downstairs to look at it, he suggested I take it for a spin around our parking lot (one of the advantages of living above the office is we've a nice big parking area). Anyway, I got in and started it up, found Reverse after a couple of false starts, and then drove twice around the car park :D The funny thing was, I didn't even notice I was driving on the wrong side of the car, i.e., it didn't feel in the slightest bit weird to be on the left hand side, and operating the gears with my right hand. This bodes well for my licence-getting, I think.
Oooo I'm all excited now, I can't wait to get started! Next weekend we're going to use Arni's Saab and the rubbish bin to make a parking space for me to practice parallel parking (the bane of my life). Might also try backing around corners (again using the bin to simulate a corner). Any practice I can get is going to help, even if it's not on the road (learner drivers aren't allowed to do practice here - the only time they're allowed to go driving is with an instructor. Boo! Hiss!).
I love mah Beeeetle :D | | comments: Leave a comment |
| This is brilliant:
The Chooky Dancers are an Aboriginal group who in this instance have mixed Yolngu dance moves with Greek music, to great effect :D The full story is here: Online success all Greek to Yolngu dancers
Here's their appearance on Australia's Got Talent (I like the original version better, but I'd love to see where they go with this sort of thing in the future :D ):
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| Interests meme; comment to the post and I will ask you to explain seven of your interests as listed in your userinfo. If none of you do this, I will be forced to write a long post detailing how difficult it is to draw Toki Wartooth and nobody wants to see that.
(NB: threat stolen from ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) piratemoggy since can not feasibly threaten to make flist change Emrys-style Atomic Nappy, said flist all being virtuous virtual.)
( meme under the cut )
Well, that was a nice and eclectic stroll. Thanks, piratemoggy! :D | | comments: 3 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Time: | 10:40 pm | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/twotone/hamsters/backflip_hammy.gif) excited |
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| Holland just totally trousered France in the football, 4-1 :D :D :D
HOERA!!! | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| Took Emrys to the consultatie bureau yesterday (all the details are in his LJ). I asked a question for myself too - about whether I could dye my hair again, and the nurse said it was ok, so yippee! I'm going to try and do that this weekend :D All the grey hairs are really starting to bug me. I didn't realise how many I had until I got pregnant and had to stop dyeing. I know I shouldn't worry about it, but I do feel a bit self-conscious about it sometimes, mainly because I don't feel old enough to have so many greys. Well, I don't even feel my own age, let alone grey-hair age!
In weather news, it's been bloody boiling hot here for the last couple of days. Well, it's probably not actually that hot, but I really feel it because my part of the office roasts in the afternoon, and since we have no sunshade upstairs, our sitting room roasts also, right up until the sun finally drops behind the apartments across the street (around 9pm or so). It's a bummer, because the time when we most want to sit about in our lovely lounge room is when it's at its least comfortable. Not much fun for Emrys either. We are looking into getting some kind of sun-visor installed, but apparently the gemeente might kick up about it because it's an ancient house and they want to keep its character. Bah, I say. Besides, you can get all sorts of sunshades now, so there's no reason why we couldn't find one that suited the house. Fingers crossed.
In other news, am fat and blobby. Moving to this house has deprived me of my favourite walk route (well it hasn't deprived me of it, it's added another ten minutes onto it, and I'm being spectacularly lazy of late). So I have not done any exercise since we got here. Not a scrap. Am not v. happy about this. Must haul bike out (have inconveniently parked it right down the back behind the barbecue and garden furniture, grrr) and go for long rides in the evenings. Yeah, right. Ok, so short rides then. Or at least long enough to get me breathing like one of those Special Telephone Ladies. Anyway, I need to move more. Agreed? Good.
In other other news, I have set in train the unstoppable juggernaut that is Rijbewijs Halen, i.e., I am Going For My Dutch Licence. I walked to the driving school yesterday evening (it's conveniently situated 500m from mah front door :D ) and booked in. If all goes to plan, I'll do my theory test on 17 July. After that I will start having lessons. I hope it doesn't take too long. I guess the main part is coming to grips with being on the wrong side of the car and the street. All the rest I'm sort of accustomed to from driving in Australia. Mostly, I just want to get the damn thing so I can drive mah Beetle :D Mr Squirty-Trousers and I are going to have such fun, charging around the countryside together :D His baby seat will have to go in the front - it doesn't fit well in the back, and there aren't any seatbelts in the back yet, to fasten it. We need to get those installed.
In other other other news, we are making another pilgrimage to England :D We are going across in September for the Duxford Airshow (not the Suxford one, as I typed :P ), and then we'll spend two weeks driving around looking at things. We're planning on seeing bits of Wales, and some other stuff that Arni's been industriously looking up on the internewt. More on the Dread Travel Plans as and when.
And now, it's 11:15pm 0_0 so I'm off to bed! | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
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The Rat Haven
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![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/twotone/hamsters/devious_hammy.gif)
mischievous