|
|
|
11th of July, 2009
01:31 am - Happy birthday Nikola Tesla
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/happy.gif) impressed
|
23rd of June, 2009
10:12 pm - The changing face of online journalism
A friend of mine sent me this image. It's sad because it's true.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/annoyed.gif) cynical
|
24th of January, 2009
01:19 am - Gung Haggis Fat Choy
Now THIS is multiculturalism.
Todd Wong is 5th Generation Canadian, but people still ask him if he's Chinese. As a teenager he started introducing Chinese New Year celebrations to friends. When at university in the 90's he was asked to help with the organisation of the annual Robbie Burns night (which falls on the 25th of January each year). Realising that Chinese New Year was only 2 days after it that year he combined the two and thus was born Gung Haggis Fat Choy and Toddish McWong.
Do you think if we make it "Gung Haggis Fat Choy, mate" we could combine Australia Day into it? I mean the tradition meat pie has about as much actual meat as your average haggis.
Love the outfit though :-)
Current Mood: impressed
|
22nd of December, 2008
12:08 am - Pundit Kitchen can be educational
LOLcats, Failblog, Engrishfunny and a few others are sites which post pictures with captions.
Occasionally you learn something. Like the Ukranian Army doesn't allow women to serve in the active military. So their reservist women usually end up in support roles.
Though it's possible they're Belarus Police women.
Interesting uniforms though.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/yawn.gif) tired
|
12th of December, 2008
03:39 pm - Valé Bettie Paige
The epitome of the pin up girl, Bettie Paige, has died, aged 85.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/sad.gif) sad
|
6th of November, 2008
12:17 pm - Valé Michael Crichton
A man whose novels Westworld, Jurrasic Park, and Timeline seemed to imply some pathological hatred of theme parks has died.
Some people have written that he was anti-science. I always viewed his writing that it was not the science that was at fault but that what corrupt people will do with that science that was the problem.
I always enjoyed his books. I'll miss him.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/sweat.gif) busy
|
23rd of October, 2008
08:26 pm - What does it say about Australians?
I was listening to some discussion on the radio this afternoon about the fact that since his death in 1967 there have only been two biographies about Harold Holt, neither of which have been regarded as particularly reliable.
However while discussing the upcoming Cinema Studies essay with one of my classmates today, she mentioned she had a reference for her Australian Cinema top a book called Sheep and the Australian Cinema.
Not sure what this says about Australians but it's interesting none the less.
Current Mood: busy
|
28th of September, 2008
08:37 pm - Valé Paul Newman
Maker of great movies and great pasta sauces has lost his battle with cancer. Road to Perdition was the last movie of his that I saw (I still haven't seen Cars). He seemed like a great bloke and not some "celebrity" that many Hollywood actors turn into.
An outstanding career.
*tips hat*
Current Mood: sad
|
27th of July, 2008
01:04 am - New footage of Metropolis
While browsing the net this evening I stumbled across an interesting little tid-bit of news.
It seems that a 16mm reduction negative of the original cut of Metropolis has been rediscovered in Argentina. This is not just a couple of extra scenes. The existing cut of Metropolis runs at 90 minutes. The 1990s restored version runs at 80.
This version runs at 210 minutes. That's 2 hours more footage than has previously been thought to exist.
It's apparently badly scratched and will take a huge amount of time and effort to restore it but I think it will be worth the effort. Even today Metropolis is visually stunning and voices a social commentary we still haven't resolved.
More information here
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/blank.gif) blah
|
19th of July, 2008
04:43 pm - Melbourne Open House
So anyone else interested in going to any of Melbourne Open House tomorrow?
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/confused.gif) curious
|
9th of July, 2008
09:25 pm - Things what I learnded from today's trip into the city
The Myer foodhall is gone. So is nearly all of their toy department.
The former Telecom exchange on Little Bourke Street is now a large hole.
The former Allan's Music store on Bourke street has moved to the old Virgin Megastore building and it's previous building is in the process of being demolished.
The architecture inside the Rendezvous hotel is amazing and will require a return visit with camera in tow.
The Asian food court under the Welcome Inn has been replaced by the Ether Function Centre.
Classic Comics has closed down.
Job's warehouse is STILL there.
Current Mood: tired
|
3rd of June, 2008
05:01 pm - Chinese futurism (or steampunk)
While hunting for things on the web, today I stumbled across a reference to an post on Jess Nevin's blog about some turn of the century Chinese SF that included Airships and flying cars.
From the post:
"In this tale, Europe is a Chinese colony and it describes the Chinese government’s suppression of an uprising planned by European "restoration" rebels. The Chinese Emperor orders the generalissimo in charge of Europe, Wen Suchen, to suppress the rebellion with flying warships. Generalissimo Wen not only conquers all seventy-two European nations but continues on to the moon and Jupiter as well. The most marvellous part of this tale is that Jupiter is described as being covered completely with gold and abounding with flora and fauna–the perfect destination for migration. Wen is then appointed Governor of Jupiter. From then on, the means of communication and transportation between Earth and Jupiter is, naturally, by flying ship."
The story? Lu Shi'e's Xin Ye Sou Pu Yan (1909). A shame it will never be translated--I think it'd make for fascinating reading, if only as a counterpoint to the Victorian colonialist sf.
Now to try and find a copy of this and convince some of the Asian Studies students to translate it.
Current Mood: curious
|
25th of May, 2008
12:15 am - Things you discover while researching your archaeology essay
Seems there's been a lot of blinking and scratching of heads at a dig in Corofin, Co. Galway in Ireland. For the most part it seems Early-Christina burials. But the second photo on the blog has people coming up with interesting theories.
Don't piss people off before you die.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/amused.gif) amused
|
20th of March, 2008
12:09 am - Wikihistory
"...everybody kills Hitler on their first trip."
Found this story via the Girl Genius group, who found it via Boing Boing.
http://www.abyssandapex.com/200710-wikihistory.html
Very funny :-)
Current Mood: amused
|
19th of March, 2008
01:24 pm - Valé Arthur C. Clarke
Another SF legend goes into history.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jfE8qUikNEG6MVWqYku2k8BD_RcgD8VG4VI00
I think my first encounter with Clarke's work was the TV series Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World. It only added to my fascination with the odd, the strange and the "Fortean" (though I didn't know the word existed at the time).
I've always felt that his SF was the sort that tried to keep within the possible. Sure he had weird technobabble in things but he never seemed to delve into the Space Opera style, or at least from what I read of his.
He'll be sadly missed. He was a futurist who still seemed to be an optimist, and someone who understood technology, rather than just "making shit up".
Current Mood: sad
|
13th of November, 2007
08:51 pm - Perfect arse?
You'd think that a competition for something like that would have at least rated Philip Ruddock an notable mention.
But no, when looking for the best arse, Sloggi underwear manufacturers were more interested in shape than in ethics.
Who has the best bum? 19 year old Kristina Dimitrova from Bulgaria apparently.
And it's just netted her €100,000 or €50,000 a cheek.
I wonder if that would be considered resting on your laurels?
Current Mood: amused
|
5th of March, 2007
01:21 am - Long overdue update
The first week of Uni is over and I'm already behind. There is a tonne of reading still to do. Thanks to my History stream shoving everything onto the Monday, and being able to make my Archaeology tutorial on the Wednesday I now only have to attend 3 days a week.
And in a bizarre twist, thanks to German classes I'm also technically a student at Melbourne Uni. Which means more logins and forms and email addresses.
The travel is a pain. It seems I need to allow a good 1.5 hours to get there. So for I've been late to 2 of my 3 German classes and this is only the first week. :-(
Mondays history tutorial showed that the Universe is not going to let me forget how old I am. The first class was primarily a meet and greet the other members of the tute group. So we we partnered with the closest person and had to ask them questions about themselves and present this information to the group. I am the oldest person there. I've got three years on top of the Lecturer. The person I was partnered with? A girl straight out of High School who is due to turn 18 on Thursday. Yeah thanks. Ha Bloody Ha.
Second life continues to suck lure me back. I've made some very nice friends there, a few of whom I've become quite close too already. A Canadian friend I've spoken too in real life while viewing her webcam via Skype. I don't have a webcam so she had to make to with stills :-)
It's also an educational place, though not always for the better. One of my other friends is a full time "pixel mistress" or virtual escort. While this is still really a variant form of cybering it seems that if it's done well it would be quite a lot of fun. However, discussion arose on distinctions between Dom/Sub, B&D and S&M cultures which I had honestly thrown all into the same pot. I'm now learning there are differences and some people can get very shirty if you get them mixed up. Said pixel mistress is of the opinion that I would probably make a good Dom, though I admit to my scepticism.
I've also discovered the term *Gorean*. It's apparently based on the John Norman Gor books (yes those rather tacky 70s testosterone filled fantasy novels) which put women on a par with a pair of boots. I find it distasteful. I can almost understand why some men (boys?) want the whole power trip thing. But I'm still not sure I understand the women who enjoy being a slave - even if only in a virtual world. Obviously it's a mindset.
On the plus side other friends have put me in contact with friends of theirs. I've met a guy who for a living teaches 15th century cavalry to re-enactors. How green is this envy? We're also having the occasional history group discussion on and off. I've also been given the opportunity to DJ for one of the area's informal dances at some stage. All the various things are in place I just need to make sure the transmission will work.
Must sleep. Procrastination is easy but rather detrimental.
Current Mood: indescribable
|
23rd of January, 2007
09:06 pm - Educational day
Today I headed into the city to take some architectural photos. Well more reference photos. I'm hoping to use this building on the corner of Collins and Russell Streets as a template for a building in Secondlife.
Me? Nerd? And your point?
In an attempt to try and find out a little about the history of the building itself I headed into the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. Unfortunately the image archivist was busy trying to put together the newsletter and was flat out but suggested I email in my request and he'll see what contemporary photos they may have. While I was there I thoughts I'd have a little hunt through the reference material myself and see what I could find.
Things wot I learnded:
The building used to be addressed as 116 Collins Street East but is now 139 Collins St.
The CBD street numbering was revised in 1888.
Melbourne's postcode system prior to World War II was similar to the UK one with things like S.12 or E.16 as postcodes.
Exhibition Street used to be called Stephen Street prior to the opening of the Exhibition Buildings in 1880. Not a real surprise but I didn't know what it was called beforehand.
The owner of the building, Dr. James G. Beaney MLC. FRCS, was known to advocate cod-liver oil for pulmonary tuberculosis and alcohol, especially champagne, for most disorders, both of which were then conventional therapeutic agents. This, coupled with his penchant for wearing diamond studs, ruby rings and a gold watch earned him the nickname "Champagne Jimmy". He was also tried for the murder of Mary Lewis in 1866 after he performed an "illegal operation". He was acquitted of the murder but subsequently retried and again acquitted.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/cool.gif) accomplished
|
22nd of January, 2007
10th of December, 2006
12:44 pm - Heat & fires
Yesterday we cracked the old scale of 100 F (37.8) today it's already at 39 C. It's not much help motivating me to pack boxes.
This link shows you just how bad the bushfires are.
I remember the Ash Wednesday fires and the destruction that they caused quite well. The current lot apparently make them look tame.
And it's not even halfway into December yet...
Current Mood: hot
|
7th of December, 2006
05:15 pm - Some history links for the day
The question of whether the Bamiyan Buddhas could be rebuilt or even should be rebuilt is being asked.
Paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey is fighting the Kenya's Pentecostal congregation, who are trying to have the National Museums of Kenya de-emphasize the importance of its world-famous collection of hominid fossils.
Archaeologists have unearthed what they say are the only existing Imperial insignia belonging to Emperor Maxentius.
The discovery of a rare Roman sarcophagus containing a headless skeleton at the site of London's historic St. Martin-in-the-Fields church, has prompted some to look further at the Roman history of Britain and others to look at the history of early Christianity.
Late last month saw the unveiling of a working model of the Antikythera Mechanism. The ancient Antikythera Mechanism doesn't just challenge our assumptions about technology transfer over the ages — it gives us fresh insights into history itself.
Scientists have finally solved the 500-year-old mystery of how German alchemists from the Hesse region produced world-renowned crucibles that could withstand exceptionally high temperatures and destructive elements used in alchemy.
Current Mood: busy
|
30th of November, 2006
06:11 pm - Lang mey yer lum reek
Let's see, IRN BRU, Billy Connolly, Haggis, porridge, kilts, pipes, Nessie, Shirley Manson and whisky.
Happy St. Andrew's Day to all the Scots and their kin.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/bouncy.gif) bouncy
|
12th of November, 2006
01:12 am - A Pittance of Time
Via ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) canticle
On November 11, 1999, Terry Kelly was in a Shoppers Drug Mart store, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the store's PA asking customers who would still be of the premises at 11:00 am to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us. Terry was impressed with the store's leadership role in adopting the Legion's "two minutes of silence" initiative. He felt that the store's contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable.
When eleven o'clock arrived on that day, an announcement was again made asking for the "two minutes of silence" to commence. All customers, with the exception of a man who was accompanied by his young child, showed their respect. Terry's anger towards the father for trying to engage the store's clerk in conversation and for setting a bad example for his child was later channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, A Pittance of Time.
|
5th of November, 2006
01:29 pm - Boy boot drool
Normally a lot of my friends post links to really nice clothes or things that, while very cool, are not really something I'd want for myself.
This time however I've found some boots the *I* want.
Reproduction men's button boots. Sadly the site's in Japanese and I haven't a clue about pricing (though I am reliably told that I will be getting an abbreviated translation).
The pictures are enough to have me turning a rather envious shade of green.
Mmmmmm.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/envious.gif) envious
|
19th of October, 2006
01:40 pm - Family history
Went into the city yesterday to supposedly redistribute some DVDs. One didn't bring their back, so I could pass it on to a second and a third didn't call me back to let me know their work address.
So I found myself in the State Library and after waffling with cold_echo over her Boxer Rebellion essay I thought I see if I could access Great Great Grandpa's journals. They're part of the manuscript collections and have to be requested specially.
When they finally arrived my mother's description of them as so many chicken scratchings seemed harsh but apt. The first year of 1851 is an actual book. The entries are sadly written in pencil making it very difficult yo see them though the handwriting is legible. Entry for Monday 29th Oct is interesting: took breakfast early @ home & bade farewell for a short time to our household gods & goddesses. Started off with picks, shovels, [?] on our shoulder, in great trepidation that we should be late. I was surprised at the use of @ as an abbreviation being used back then. But he was a business manager.
From the book of 1851 the collections jumps to 1858. The later journals are all indian ink (now turned brown) written on a thin blue paper that bares an embossed "COMMERCIAL POST" mark in its corner. Each page is a double "quarto" in length and reminds me of old airmail paper. The sheets are folded to the size of a single quarto sheet and are written on all *four* sides. The pages, being so thin, show through the writing from the opposite side enough to make distinguishing of the Victorian copperplate handwriting style difficult at best. With these journals I think I can decipher one word in three which makes for rather hard going.
I'm supposed to be going back in today but have yet to extract the digit. Must get a move on.
Current Mood: distressed
|
1st of October, 2006
09:00 pm - Television programmers
I know saying TV Programmers hold their audiences in contempt is like saying the sky is blue but it really gets up my nose. Channel Nein this week pulled the plug on the Rome series after all of two episodes (though apparently Sydney only got the one).
Tonight ABC follows this evening's episode of The Worst Jobs in History with the announcement that it is the last of the current series. They must think people can't access Channel 4's website from Australia or something as it plainly shows there are another two episodes to go. Had they said they were suspending further episodes until after their run of *Opera Idol* then I wouldn't have complained. As it is it's just another reason to say "screw you all" and download the bloody thing from a torrent.
Buncha knobs the lot of 'em.
Current Mood: annoyed
|
29th of September, 2006
12:58 pm - Politicans who don't know their history
NSW Police Minister Carl Scully defied a ruling that a demonstration of a Taser stun gun inside Parliament House breached parliamentary rules. The rules date back to the time of Charles I.
Scully then claims, "My message to the upper house president is this: I have no doubt that if Cromwell's troops had Taser guns, Charles I would not have been executed."
Sadly it just shows that not only does he come off as arrogant, his grasp on history is a little rusty.
Full article here.
Current Mood: cynical
|
11th of September, 2006
07:33 pm - Ah America
Award-winning documentary 9/11 was due to be broadcast on Sunday night in the US. But due to complaint from the American Family Association about some of the language used by Firefighters during the rescue attempts on the day CBS pulled the screening altogether.
They amaze me over there. They can screen a "docudrama" like The Path to 9/11 which quite clearly makes-up stuff to try and discredit Clinton but show them actual footage and the holier-than-thou types get all affronted.
Maybe they should just make Alaska a religious zone and send all the fundies there.
Current Mood: disappointed
|
4th of September, 2006
04:40 pm - Crikey! He's Dead!
Steve Irwin is dead.
Killed in a freak accident by a stingray barb that went through his chest and reportedly into his heart. He was swimming off the Low Isles at Port Douglas filming an underwater documentary when the tragedy occurred.
Reminds me of the Scared Weird Little Guys song Deadly Animals with the chorus of "Come to Australia: you might accidentally get killed."
Current Mood: restless
|
1st of September, 2006
12:35 am - Geeks dispair.
For over 60 years model company Airfix has been producing model kits of aeroplanes, ships and tanks. Bought by rival modelling firm Humbrol in 1986, today it looks as if it may be over as Administrators move in to take over Humbrol.
The intellectual property and brand names, which also include Plasticine, Supercast and Young Scientist, are up for sale.
There's nothing digital in a model plane so most kids aren't interested any more.
Current Mood: sad
|
26th of August, 2006
01:59 am - Last thoughts on Pluto (for the moment)
While I can't say I'm thrilled with the changes to the definition of a planet, one thing has been puzzling me: if the International Astronomy Union consists of over 9000 members why the hell are we changing the definition based on the votes of the 424 members who remained at the conference until the final day? And even then only 237 of them voted in favour of the change.
*Humph*
I'll just leave you with this:
Current Mood: grumpy
|
25th of August, 2006
01:54 am - Pluto, Planet no longer.
For purely emotional reasons I'm disappointed that Pluto has been axed from the planetary register.
Now we only have 8 planets.
At least they didn't go with the "plutonoid" name that was being bandied about.
Current Mood: sad
|
23rd of August, 2006
04:12 pm - Interesting links
It seems in the Chinese village of Huangyangtan hosts what must be the strangest military installation have built. A 900x700m scale landscape of the disputed area on the Chinese/Indian border.
Long-lost Jacques Cartier settlement rediscovered at Quebec City. The remains of the fort that predate the 1608 founding.
George Bush now says Iraq had ‘Nothing’ to do with 9/11. Sort of like Weapons of Mass Destruction...
One for mortonhall. New York, done in Lego. I'd love to see and aerial shot of this. It must be huge.
And lastly Red-Hot and Filthy Library Smut. No, not that sort. Perfectly work-safe. Though I'll admit to getting rather excited at some of the photos.
Current Mood: blah
|
17th of August, 2006
11:13 pm - Links in lieu of content
While most people now better than to rely on an online translator not so Council officials in Wales.
The debate over what constitutes a planet may soon come to a head with the possibility that the number planets may officially be upped from 9 to 12. Though I'm not happy with the name of "Xena" being atrributed to UB313 as all the planets are named after deities not pop-culture TV shows (Are we going to have planet Erkle? Planet Webster?)
Flying Spagetti Monster sighted!
And not only are British airport security staff refusing liquids on planes, all electronic devices have been banned. Especially USB drives with material by the well known subversive Shakespeare on them!
Current Mood: distracted
|
4th of August, 2006
03:34 am - Recent deaths
My news reading has been pretty erratic for the last month or so and it looks like I've missed the passing of a few notable people:
Barnard Hughes on the 11th of July, star of The Lost Boys, Tron and the little known Mr. Merlin.
Red Buttons died on July 13th
Mako Iwamatsu, who seemed typecast as the Japanese Officer in any war movie you can think of, died on July 21st.
And mystery author Mickey Spillane died on July 17th.
Current Mood: tired
|
30th of July, 2006
12:08 am - Valé David Gemmell
Fantasy novellist dead at 57. I enjoyed what I read of Gemmell's works and he seemed an interesting chap.
Current Mood: sad
|
7th of July, 2006
12:52 pm - One year on
Just thinking that it's been a year since the London bombings and how little things seem to have changed in London. Admittedly I'm not living in London so I can only speculate based on news reports and comments from London friends.
I suppose when your city has been the target of IRA bombing for some 80 years prior to that a couple of religious idiots of a different flavour really don't make that much difference.
I shall have a celebratory cuppa and toast London.
May I be back there someday soon.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/thoughtful.gif) thoughtful
|
4th of July, 2006
11:00 pm - Archaeology roundup.
Turkey's Islamic-rooted government has ordered a 500-year old Latin inscription believed to have been carved by the Knights of St. John erased from an old castle, newspaper reports said Tuesday.
Scientists believe they have solved the mystery surrounding a piece of rare natural glass at the centre of an elaborate necklace found among the treasures of Tutankhamun, the boy pharaoh. They think a fragile meteorite broke up as it entered the atmosphere, producing a fireball with temperatures over 1800C that turned the desert sand and rock into molten lava that became glass when it cooled.
A painting of an Egyptian queen by Howard Carter, the man who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen, has sold at auction for £13,000.
A drawing of the head of an old woman bought by an Italian collector in Venice in the 1970s has officially been attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, the daily Corriere della Sera reported on Saturday.
Restoration work on the Acropolis monuments has hit "another small delay" but this should not hinder the overall course of the project, Culture Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis said yesterday after touring the ancient site.
A new documentary by a Canadian Jewish filmmaker argues that the Exodus did happen, but that it occurred around 1500 BCE, about 230 years before the date most commonly accepted by contemporary historians.
Modern archaeology re-examins the romantic myth of Masada and finds that much of Yigael Yadin's 1960's excavation is a matter of interpretation rather than fact. And even those facts were pretty malleable.
A unique Anglo-Saxon sword, discovered in an old suitcase in the attic of the archaeologist who unearthed it nearly 50 years ago, narrowly avoided being dumped in a skip by workers who were clearing the house of the archaeologist and broadcaster Brian Hope-Taylor after his death.
Archaeologists exploring one of Rome's oldest catacombs have discovered more than 1,000 skeletons dressed in elegant togas.
Current Mood: curious
|
10th of June, 2006
11:22 pm - Weird things you discover on the net
While trawling the net this evening looking for steampunk references I discovered something rather odd.
If you've spent much time on the net you've probably heard of, if not seen, Hentai and tentacle porn. And while I'd never really thought about it's origins I'd assumed it was something fairly modern in line with Anime itself.
Not so apparently.
 Katsushika Hokusai, best known for his painting The Wave and 36-picture set Mt Fuji Views also produced a variety of prints with women and octopi in intimate situations as far back as 1814.
His [NSFW] Woman diver and Octopus is one of the few I could find on the net.
There are even examples of [probably NSFW] ivory carvings from the 18th century.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/wideeyed.gif) surprised
|
|
|
![[NSFW] Woman diver and Octopus](http://pharyngula.org/images/hokusai_octopus.jpg){kind=link}