A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Another meme, because I don't want to write anything meaningful

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 13:54:10 GMT

1. pick a band and answer only using the band's song titles: The Electric Light Orchestra

2. are you male or female: Mr Blue Sky

3. describe yourself: The Diary of Horace Wimp

4. your best piece of advice: Hold On Tight

5. describe your last relationship: Another Heart Breaks

6. describe your last crush: Need Her Love

7. say something to someone you have a crush on: Shine A Little Love

8. say something to an ex: Don't Bring Me Down

9. say something to someone who hurt you severely: Turn To Stone

10. how do you feel right now: Standing In The Rain

Bow before the might of the Alpha Nerd!

Mon, 29 May 2006 14:59:33 GMT

Hooray for memes!

Mon, 29 May 2006 05:20:59 GMT

You scored as Pink. People with a pink personality are in tune with romance and self discovery. They are confident and comfortable with their own bodies and understand that sex and romance are important parts of humanity. Seeing as pink personalities are not uncomfortable with such personal issues, it is safe to bet they are outgoing, social individuals who, like so many of us, are on a life long journey to understand who they really are.

</td>

Pink

81%

Blue

75%

White

75%

Brown

69%

Red

56%

Green

50%

Black

50%

Orange

31%

Purple

25%

Yellow

25%

What Is Your Personality's Color?
created with QuizFarm.com

Regrets, I've had a few

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 11:53:16 GMT

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way!

Remember all those people who told you that the most important thing was to be yourself, and follow your dreams, and then everything would be alright?

They lied.

Sometimes, being yourself means being someone who doesn't belong in the real world, who doesn't fit in anywhere, whom only a small handful of people actually want to be around.

Sometimes, following your dreams means spending four years making yourself virtually unemployable, when you know you could have studied something else and been raking in the cash by now.

I'm sure there are all sorts of wonderful philosophical arguments as to why being yourself is the most important thing. It won't make you happy, though.

Some things man was not meant to know. For everything else, there's Mastercard.

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:14:02 GMT

Oh Great Cthulhu!

I have been an extremely assiduous devotee this year.

In May, I made a burnt offering to the Dead Dreamer (100 points). In October, I prepared an ocean voyage to R'lyeh (200 points). In March, I wore an Elder Sign (-10 points). Last week, I called down the wrath of Yog-Sothoth upon kittenmorag (65 points). In December, I rescued wayfarers_lodge from being sacrificed (-200 points). When the stars were right, I legally changed my name to Randolph Carter (-40 points).

In short, I have been very good (115 points) and deserve to be eaten first.

Your humble and obedient servant,
angry_scientist

Submit your own plea to Cthulhu!

I think this just about says it all

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 08:44:42 GMT

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	4.8
Mind:	5.1
Body:	4.9
Spirit:	5
Friends/Family:	3.8
Love:	1.4
Finance:	5.2
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Here's the part where I would normally argue with the results and point out how inaccurate they are.

...

...

Anyway. More updates if something happens.

P. S. Now that I think about it, I don't get why "Friends/Family" is rated so low. I have great friends and a supportive family. That just doesn't make any sense.

I was going to write one myself, but somebody beat me to it...

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 13:38:41 GMT

You scored as Nawat. You are Nawat! New to the human world, you are still trying to find your place, but that doesn't mean you don't understand how things work. You hate it when people don't give you tasks equal to your skill level, but you'll always do whatever is necessary to protect your friends and flock-mates.

</td>

Nawat

94%

Cleon

75%

Kel

69%

Aly

63%

Daine

63%

Numair

56%

George

44%

Alanna

38%

Which Tamora Pierce Character are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

I saw this one coming, didn't I? Hmm? Finally, a quiz that actually agrees with me!

Update on my actual life:

Unemployed, believed unemployable. On the bright side, though, I've got an appointment with a Sydney sleep clinic for Tuesday night, so I'll at least be able to get a diagnosis out of that. It'd be nice to be able to survive on less than ten hours of sleep a night.

Not going to Conclave. I could, but the cost was dangerously approaching $1000, and I'm not convinced that I'm enjoying the new chronicle enough to justify that sort of expenditure. It would have been really nice to meet everyone, though, and that's what I'll really miss.

Generally, though, things are alright. Gaming is as fun as ever, and I'm actually cooking halfway healthy food at home. There are good days and there are bad days, but overall, I'm doing well.

I would have thought I was more geek than that

Fri, 26 Aug 2005 10:31:54 GMT

Tri-Lamb Material
78 % Nerd, 39% Geek, 78% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd and Dork, earning you the coveted title of: Tri-Lamb Material.

The classic, "80's" nerd, you are what most people think of when they think "nerd," largely due to 80's movies like Revenge of the Nerds and TV shows like Head of the Class. You're exceptionally bright and smart, and partly because of that have never quite fit in with your peers or social groups. Perhaps you're realized, or will someday, that it is possible to retain all of the things that you like about being brilliant and still make peace with the social cliques around you. Or maybe you won't--it's really not necessary. As the brothers of Lambda Lambda Lambda discovered, you're fine just the way you are and can take pride in that. I mean, who wants to be like Ogre, right!?

Congratulations!

Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in either of the following:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Professional Wrestling

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 90% on nerdiness

You scored higher than 52% on geekosity

You scored higher than 99% on dork points

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on OkCupid Free Online Dating

I really should get around to seeing these Revenge of the Nerds movies one of these days, shouldn't I?

I lied

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 06:33:28 GMT

Aphrodite/Eros

?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla

No, really. This is totally what I got, without making up answers or anything. Don't laugh, it's true!

Not much to talk about lately. Lost my job. Am now living with parents in Sydney. House gives me hayfever. Sleep still difficult. Life generally lousy.

On the other hand, friends are as loyal as ever, and have been to two L5R tournaments in Sydney already. So it's not all bad.

Last quiz for a while, I promise

Fri, 22 Jul 2005 08:44:30 GMT

Your wings are BROKEN and tattered. You are
an angelic spirit who has fallen from grace for
one reason or another - possibly, you made one
tragic mistake that cost you everything. Or
maybe you were blamed for a crime you didn't
commit. In any case, you are faithless and
joyless. You find no happiness, love, or
acceptance in your love or in yourself. Most
days are a burden and you wonder when the
hurting will end. Sweet, beautiful and
sorrowful, you paint a tragic and touching
picture. You are the one that few understand.
Those that do know you are likely to love you
deeply and wish that they could do something to
ease your pain. You are constantly living in
memories of better times and a better world.
You are hard on yourself and self-critical or
self-loathing. Feeling rejected and unloved,
you are sensitive, caring, deep, and despite
your tainted nature, your soul is
breathtakingly beautiful.

Image is a painting by Natalya Nesterova,
source:ca80.lehman.cuny.edu/.../
images/fallen_angel.jpg

*~*~*Claim Your Wings - Pics and Long Answers*~*~*
brought to you by Quizilla

Hmm. A bit excessive, I think, but far closer to the mark than most results so far.

And stay tuned, a real update should be forthcoming soon.

Typical...

Sun, 03 Jul 2005 07:45:52 GMT

Jon Bon Jovi
You are 80 manly!

You get it, mostly. No one is going to confuse you with Humphrey Bogart, but they don't think you are Elton John either. You know how to fit in at a poker game, but your friends occasionally get in a little crack about you being in touch with your feminine side. I wouldn't worry too much, you probably get laid more then they do.

My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 21% on variable 1

Link: The Knowlege of Male Rituals Test written by m_malcontent on Ok Cupid

Hands up who's surprised that most women will score more highly on this test than I did. Not that I hate my life or anything.</bitter>

Getting closer...

Mon, 02 May 2005 15:11:25 GMT

You scored as The Phoenix Clan. You are a member of the Phoenix Clan! You enjoy a good book, and are well-versed in a number of topics. You're well-educated, and don't like violence. While you don't like being pestered, you get annoyed when people don't respect your opinions.

</td>

The Lion Clan

83%

The Scorpion Clan

83%

The Phoenix Clan

83%

The Dragon Clan

78%

The Crane Clan

67%

The Unicorn Clan

67%

Ronin

61%

The Crab Clan

56%

The Mantis Clan

45%

What Legends of the Five Rings Clan are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

I suppose I can live with this one. Much as I would have loved Lion, Phoenix does actually make sense.

But the third one that's at 83%... Scorpion? SCORPION? I demand a recount!

Then again, at least Mantis is at the bottom.

One last chance to get it right...

Tue, 26 Apr 2005 14:20:14 GMT

You scored as Fox. You are the Fox. You are quite intelligent and use it to your advantage. You are a diplomatic person and use that to help your friends in times of crisis, not choosing sides. You are also very patient, waiting for what you want.

</td>

Deer

83%

Fox

83%

Dog

67%

Wolf

67%

Bull

58%

Crow

58%

Eagle

58%

Ram

58%

Salmon

50%

Snake

50%

Bear

42%

Dragon

42%

Horse

33%

Stag

33%

Which animal totem best suits you?
created with QuizFarm.com

... and no. I really thought either Crow or Snake should have been up there, but no, I had to get something cute and furry. Which I suppose isn't so bad.

I feel a bit guilty for having so many inane quizzes with no real posts lately, but... well... nothing's changed. Nice things have happened, but no real change in overall status.

Philosophy?

Wed, 20 Apr 2005 08:41:16 GMT

You scored as Divine Command. Your life is directed by Divine Command: Your god and religion give you meaning and direction.

“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.”

--King James Version of the Bible

“Even as a tree has a single trunk but many branches and leaves, there is one religion--human religion--but any number of faiths.”

--Mahatma Gandhi

More info at Arocoun's Wikipedia User Page...

</td>

Divine Command

80%

Utilitarianism

70%

Existentialism

65%

Kantianism

55%

Hedonism

55%

Justice (Fairness)

50%

Apathy

30%

Strong Egoism

25%

Nihilism

What philosophy do you follow? (v1.03)
created with QuizFarm.com

Oooooookay.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the primary result, given how black-and-white a lot of the questions were.

But 65% existentialism? Hedonism over justice? 55% in Kantianism when I don't even know what it is?

See previous posts, re: these quizzes have it in for me.

These quizzes don't like me, do they?

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 00:04:07 GMT

Angel Goth -- Something about the fallen angels
calls to you. You might even name your first
child Lucifer, regardless of sex.

Which Gothic Stereotype Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Now I'm confused.

Fallen angels, the dark side of the force, a guitar... eiher I have some inherent resistance to quizzes, or the Internet is trying to tell me something. Whatever it is, I fully intend not to listen.

What am I doing taking a "what kind of goth am I" quiz in the first place, who am the last person one would expect to see in anything vaguely black or metallic?

The fact of the matter is, I know that there's something deeply wrong with one of: me, my life, or the world. Possibly all three. It'd be nice if I had some way to express that. I don't think there is, though. Rather, the way in which it could be expressed basically involves shutting myself off from the rest of the world - not something I actually want to do right now.

I don't know. I'd just, for once, like to be the kind of misfit who actually fits in somewhere. I imagine that would be a nice feeling.

Not that I should really complain. I'd rather have a few good friends - which I have, and if you're reading this you're probably one of them - than some broader social group who don't really know me. Still, is it too much to ask?

Working 9 to 5

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 05:30:54 GMT

What a way to make a living.

Everybody's been asking me the same question for about a month now, so I thought I'd better give a definitive answer. That question being, "So how's work going? What do you do exactly? How are you finding the hours? Do you enjoy it?"

Alright, so that's four questions. Nevertheless...

For those of you who didn't already know (and since there are only four people confirmed as reading this journal, I don't think there is anyone who doesn't know), I started work at IP Australia, the Australian patent and trade marks office, on the 7th of February. I've been there for a month now, so I've got a pretty good idea of what it's about.

What do I do? Right now, I'm mainly being trained, in both general legal principles and the application of patent law specifically. I'm a scientist, not a lawyer, but I'm actually finding the material on case law and precedent quite interesting.

Ultimately, the training is to make me into a fully fledged Patent Examiner, somebody who looks at applications that people write to get their ideas or inventions patented, and points out the legal and technical flaws in their applications, so that valid ideas get the IP protection they deserve, but nothing that's not properly original gets through.

I'm spending most of my time on training, although I am working on my first case at the moment too. It's all good.

The working conditions are quite nice too. My "office" - it's really a cubicle, but it often feels like an office - has a nice big window with a lovely view of a building site across the road, but at least it's natural light. All of my coworkers have been very friendly and welcoming, which is a great relief.

The hours are painful - 9 to 5 every weekday! Honestly, whose idea was that? It's taking a bit of getting used to after six months of idling, but I'll manage.

We get to see some interesting stuff. Pretty much everything that comes through our department (A3 - physics and electronics) can be linked back to something I studied in university, so it's really nice to be able to make use of my degree in the real world. (Take that, engineers!) Yes, we still get applications for perpetual motion machines every couple of years. Or time machines. All good fun.

So, all in all, employment is really working out well for me. I can't complain at all.

But I don't like the Dark Side!

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 12:47:43 GMT

Why this meme? Who knows?

Thu, 13 Jan 2005 10:13:52 GMT

<td>You are a guitar.

You are a musical genius... congratulations. Most people think you are a little obsessed with music, but that's okay. You don't care what other people think. You are independent, and would rather have a few good (and weird) friends than a lot of not-so-good ones. You may feel that people run down your eccentricity, but that's only because they're jealous. You will most likely become very successful with your musical talent. \m/ Rock on!

Most compatible with: Drumstick.

Click here -- What Random Object Represents Your Inner Self?
</td>

Hmm...

No. I don't buy it. Musical genius? Having had some of the most open-minded people I know tell me that my opinions on most of the music of the 20th century are objectively and unequivocally wrong, I think "musical lunatic" would be more appropriate.

Still, it's just a meme. Am I the only one for whom the picture isn't even working?

And so this is 2005...

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 16:31:11 GMT

New Year's Resolution: Start fewer sentences with conjunctions. I do it far too often, and it's starting to creep into documents other than personal emails. I don't want it to show up on anything professional.

There. That isn't too ambitious, is it?

NYE was okay. Big thanks go out to the proprietors of Boogie Wonderland (I know at least one of you has an LJ, but I can't be bothered rummaging around to figure it out) for hosting a very nice party. I had a good time. She wasn't there, but I didn't think she would be.

I do actually have some vague New Year's Resolutions. Mostly I'm going to try to take control of my life. I intend to get out more, play more sport (yes, lawn bowls counts), start singing again, go and appreciate nature more, explore the city in which I live more. Mainly, I intend to get up earlier and actually *use* the time that this gives me. Being lazy is all well and good, but it doesn't get me anywhere.

I figure that if I can get this to work, it'll make a big difference in my quality of life. It can't hurt to try, at any rate.

It should be noted that "get up earlier" means "except for tomorrow", since it's 3:30 and it's New Year's Day. Sleeping in is par for the course. Don't even think about calling me before noon. Goodnight.

Another year gone

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 02:04:40 GMT

Well, that's that.

Career-wise, it probably wasn't a great year. Or maybe it was, depending on how you look at it. It finally became obvious that I wasn't cut out for doctoral-type research work, at least not at this stage in my life and not with that particular supervisor. I do hope that I'll go back some day. (By "back", I mean somewhere, not necessarily ADFA. Although it was quite a nice place to work, actually.) But right now, it's not going to happen.

Instead, I have myself a job. From all indications, it's a good one. (And whoever said that the public service superannuation scheme was awesome - you were right!) I'll have to see how it goes once I actually start, but I'm pretty sure it's something I'll be able to handle. So that's all good.

Christmas came and went, as it does every year. Hmm.

They say that when it comes to giving Christmas presents, it's the thought that counts. What if that thought is "boy, I'm glad I've finally finished my Christmas shopping for this year"? If buying presents becomes a chore, surely there's something wrong? On the other hand, sometimes it's worth it for the off-chance that you'll get somebody something they really, really like, and you get to see their face light up. When that happens, it's worth it. The rest of the time... I mean, I'd rather just ask someone what they want, and get them that. What's worth more, a few moments of "Oh, what a lovely surprise!", or an indefinite extended period of "Gee, thanks for getting me this! I love it!"?

This problem is, of course, compounded by the fact that I'm trying to buy presents for people I don't live with and only see a few times each year. The fact that they're my parents doesn't give me some intuitive understanding of what they want. It means I love them, sure, but I haven't lived with them for six years now. I don't know what they want. Nor do they really know what I want. They made some decent guesses, I suppose, but surely there's a better way to do this...

I can't complain, though, really. Christmas was nice. Just because my family doesn't understand me doesn't mean that it's not nice to spend the holidays with them. Just as long as they let me go back to Canberra again afterwards, because I really couldn't live at home again. Not yet.

And now it's New Year's Eve. The day which has the potential to be the second most depressing day of the year, short of Valentine's Day. (Be prepared for a lengthy sermon on that come February, too.) I say potential, though, because unlike February's Day of Mourning, I can take it one of two ways. I can compare my life, and the year's events, to the happy shining successful people who have it all, and get horribly despondent. Or I can compare my life to where I was a year ago, which, on reflection, is a pretty favourable comparison. And then just spend the night with some good friends, and dance and sing and drink and eat and stuff, and it's generally all good.

I actually have a party to go to this year, as opposed to last year, which I had to spend at home in Sydney because I was working at Lucas Heights over the summer (yes, I know, nerd, shut up already). And this one looks good - unless I miss my guess entirely, it should have quite a high proportion of people I can actually stand to be around. I'll probably end up spending most of my time in the kitchen, but that's the story of my life anyway, so no surprises there.

And who knows. Maybe she'll be there. It's possible. I'm not holding my breath, though.

And it occurs to me that I start far too many sentences - paragraphs, even - with conjunctions. Or is that a problem?

New Year's resolutions? Yeah, I've got a few. We'll see how well they work.

So a Happy New Year to everyone, and see you all in 2005!

A continued lack of events

Fri, 17 Dec 2004 14:20:52 GMT

I'm really only updating my journal so that it's not quite so empty. And it's coming up to the Christmas/NYE period, so I should probably say something about my plans.

Plans. Gee, that's an overstatement. It implies, for example, that I've already started my Christmas shopping. Not a chance.

Still, I vaguely know what I'm doing. Going home on Sunday, then... coming back... some time... see, that's the funny thing. Now that I've quit at ADFA (well, I should really tell them about that formally some time), there's no particular reason I should stay here. Except that I've put down some serious roots, and it's where all my friends are. And, of course, I've got a job now. And, let's face it, I don't *want* to leave. So I won't.

Still haven't figured out what I'm doing for NYE. I'm sure that if I ask around a bit, I can find a party where I can stand in the kitchen studiously avoiding talking to anybody, since that's what I usually do at parties. Of course, if I'm going to do that, I might as well just stay at home. But even I don't want to spend New Year's Eve at home by myself.

All in all, then, I'm just killing time until February when I start work. It'll be a bit of a shock to the system, fitting back into the 9-5 routine after six months off. But I'm sure I'll manage.

Oh, and it's nowhere near as hot as it was last time I wrote. That's something.

An inauspicious start

Tue, 30 Nov 2004 16:26:14 GMT

Well, I've been badgered into getting a real LiveJournal (you know who you are), so this is it.

Let's see. It's 2:13 am, and it's 29 degrees. Somehow nights like this never bothered me overly much in Sydney, but this week it's really getting to me. My ploy of sleeping through the heat of the day would probably work better if the heat didn't stop me from getting to sleep. Or if I didn't get three calls at the ungodly hours of 11am and 1pm today. Do these people have no comprehension of my lifestyle?

It's unfortunate that the heat is so unbearable, because the plan was to get all sorts of things organised (like my desk, for a start) before I start work in February. As it is, I can barely even think.

So enough about the weather.

Well, most of you who know who I am probably know that I got that job at IP Australia. (And if you don't know who I am, why are you reading this?) I'm very glad of this. I'm finally going to be able to put my skills to good use in the field.

In unrelated news, there is a beetle crawling over my mobile phone. The heat must be bringing out the insects, or something.

Well, that's it. What do you expect from a (currently) unemployed ex-student at three in the morning?