Today's post, regular readers may realise, is just reposts from my old personal blog. This is because Windows LiveSpaces seems to be going away: I had to pick up these from the google cache, which is never ideal. Interestingly enough, the last post on the old blog was also on the 3rd of May.
Cradle Song
Though the night is dark and the wind blows cold
Dragging nightmares clammy from places of old
Though the shadows gather and unspeakable things creep
Though the Kraken stirs in his lair in the deep
Though scorpions scuttle and lizards crawl
And spiders web the outside walls
Though the dawn looks frighteningly far away
And the pitch black dark seems here to stay
And though all manner of ghastly things:
Vampires and demons with bat-like wings
May haunt the eerie still outside
Sleep tight and warm, my little child
For in my arms you lie, becharmed
No swarm shall harm your gentle form
And I will keep you safe and warm
And I will keep you safe and warm.
Best content has been copied up the top, you can stop reading here if you like.
Until next time,
Be Excellent.
Be Excellent.
03 May
Transience
It was just another evening in the city of Auckland, and I was walking to catch a bus. If you know me well enough, you probably know that I don't drive a lot. As a consequence, catching the bus is a daily ritual for me, and just for fun I try to inject a bit of interest in my commuting by varying the stops I catch my bus from.
On this particular evening, I'd decided to catch a bus at the Britomart Station, and so I was walking down Queen St when I saw a tourist on the road. He was dressed in tourist-like clothes and was burdened with a backpack too large for a student, and he had a camera with him. As I walked past him, I observed him taking photos of what to me were pretty average shop fronts.
And that's when I started wondering: why was HE so interested in these shops, and I not? What must that strange tourist feeling be like, to see a place for a first time, where everything is filled with wonder. I tried to recall the first time I had seen Queen St (during my first Santa parade, probably about 7 years ago now), and how new everything had seemed. For the rest of my walk, I tried to recapture that weird sense of newness that a tourist would experience when seeing our city for the first time. Trying to imagine how a tourist would see the same sights I do every day was a very interesting experience for me. There are so many things that I take for granted and just skim over.
That's when it occurred to me that sights probably make more of an impact on a tourist than to someone who actually lives there. When I say tourist, I don't mean the clichéd tourist commonly portrayed as being shallow, vacuous and often disagreeable: I mean someone who takes the time to actually get involved in their destination and have an authentic experience. Sometimes even the most boring places can become mysterious and numinous. For a tourist, their destination is wreathed with this mystique, simply because of their pilgrimage to it. When immersed fully into the experience, there is no difference between a tourist and a pilgrim.
Another reason that tourists might appreciate their new surroundings more is because they know they will only be in that same place for a limited time. They have a deadline for leaving and are aware of it, which prompts them to cram their short stay full of experiences.
If that definition is extended further it could be said that we are all tourists; we all have a fixed term of residence on this planet, and though we may not know when exactly our flight off this holiday destination will arrive, it must eventually. Each one of us purchased return tickets. I don't mean to say this in a morbid or religious way. It's just that every experience we have in this life is relatively fleeting.
To extend this even further, even death is not the most pressing deadline we have on our journey. We all advance through time at the rate of one second, every second (barring relativistic effects or time-travelling powers). Strange happenings can take place around you and be over before you fully realise what's going on. It's like being on a whirlwind guided tour of a museum, where the tour guide knows he's running behind schedule and keeps on hurrying you past the exhibits just a bit too quickly. Every time-place is left just a bit too soon.
Therefore, every second of life is a place that will never be visited again. It's important to make the most of now, because all too soon now is then.
But there's always a new now.
In other news, my final year undergraduate project interim report to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is due tomorrow. I have made some progress on it and I am confident that I will be able to finish it, unless I get distracted and procrastinate.
One might ask why, in the face of such a deadline am I here on my blog, posting about it. I do have an answer. Writing a report requires a certain mindset, and I have tried to get into that mindset using this blog as an exercise. I love to write--as most of you would probably have gathered from the fact that I maintain an intermittent blog--but there is always a higher activation barrier when writing something that is required of you, instead of what your fancy wills. In this post I've tried to gather the momentum I need to finally complete that interim report.
Until we meet again, may your baggage arrive safely and may the locals be friendly everywhen you go.
==============
Breaker count: 2
Deja-vu count: 3
Technomancy count: 2
==============
On this particular evening, I'd decided to catch a bus at the Britomart Station, and so I was walking down Queen St when I saw a tourist on the road. He was dressed in tourist-like clothes and was burdened with a backpack too large for a student, and he had a camera with him. As I walked past him, I observed him taking photos of what to me were pretty average shop fronts.
And that's when I started wondering: why was HE so interested in these shops, and I not? What must that strange tourist feeling be like, to see a place for a first time, where everything is filled with wonder. I tried to recall the first time I had seen Queen St (during my first Santa parade, probably about 7 years ago now), and how new everything had seemed. For the rest of my walk, I tried to recapture that weird sense of newness that a tourist would experience when seeing our city for the first time. Trying to imagine how a tourist would see the same sights I do every day was a very interesting experience for me. There are so many things that I take for granted and just skim over.
That's when it occurred to me that sights probably make more of an impact on a tourist than to someone who actually lives there. When I say tourist, I don't mean the clichéd tourist commonly portrayed as being shallow, vacuous and often disagreeable: I mean someone who takes the time to actually get involved in their destination and have an authentic experience. Sometimes even the most boring places can become mysterious and numinous. For a tourist, their destination is wreathed with this mystique, simply because of their pilgrimage to it. When immersed fully into the experience, there is no difference between a tourist and a pilgrim.
Another reason that tourists might appreciate their new surroundings more is because they know they will only be in that same place for a limited time. They have a deadline for leaving and are aware of it, which prompts them to cram their short stay full of experiences.
If that definition is extended further it could be said that we are all tourists; we all have a fixed term of residence on this planet, and though we may not know when exactly our flight off this holiday destination will arrive, it must eventually. Each one of us purchased return tickets. I don't mean to say this in a morbid or religious way. It's just that every experience we have in this life is relatively fleeting.
To extend this even further, even death is not the most pressing deadline we have on our journey. We all advance through time at the rate of one second, every second (barring relativistic effects or time-travelling powers). Strange happenings can take place around you and be over before you fully realise what's going on. It's like being on a whirlwind guided tour of a museum, where the tour guide knows he's running behind schedule and keeps on hurrying you past the exhibits just a bit too quickly. Every time-place is left just a bit too soon.
Therefore, every second of life is a place that will never be visited again. It's important to make the most of now, because all too soon now is then.
But there's always a new now.
In other news, my final year undergraduate project interim report to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is due tomorrow. I have made some progress on it and I am confident that I will be able to finish it, unless I get distracted and procrastinate.
One might ask why, in the face of such a deadline am I here on my blog, posting about it. I do have an answer. Writing a report requires a certain mindset, and I have tried to get into that mindset using this blog as an exercise. I love to write--as most of you would probably have gathered from the fact that I maintain an intermittent blog--but there is always a higher activation barrier when writing something that is required of you, instead of what your fancy wills. In this post I've tried to gather the momentum I need to finally complete that interim report.
Until we meet again, may your baggage arrive safely and may the locals be friendly everywhen you go.
==============
Breaker count: 2
Deja-vu count: 3
Technomancy count: 2
==============
12 April
Busy busy busy
All of a sudden, I find myself buried under a large mess of Things That Need Doing (and I'm sure a large number of my readers (Ha--Both of you!) can sympathise with me, finding themselves in a similar position). I am currently in my second week of the Easter holidays. Judging by how the last week went, I really need an order of magnitude improvement if I am to meet the deadlines I've set myself (and been set by others).
To make matters worse, I've managed to give myself a cold, which always results in wonderful results. I seem to be really week to colds: that is to say, I may not get them very often, but when I do they really hit me hard. I'm lucky I have tomorrow off, or I'd have the unappealing task of dragging myself to uni tomorrow, or worse, have to miss classes.
With this whole lot of work to attend to, I started thinking of working environments, and how precious they are. Perhaps I am a bit spoiled, having my own room at home, but it was recently brought home to me exactly how disruptive it can be to try to work in a noisy workplace. Now, I cannot say this without feeling ashamed myself, because I know that I too have in the past been extremely disruptive when working around friends. I aim to stop doing this in the future, especially after I've realised how annoying it is when someone interrupts you with some inane question when you're trying to keep a lot of state in your head. Many professional fields are just as exacting as mine, requiring the ability to track dozens of variables (in the most general, non-computer sense) at any given time. Then someone in the cubicle next to you starts discussing the squishiness of her breasts out loud, and all those eggs you were juggling come crashing to the ground. (True story, this actually happened in the Grad Labs)
The case may be made that working under stress and subject to distractions trains the mind, giving you the ability to focus that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life. I agree with this wholeheartedly. Yes, I am also going to try to stretch my ability to concentrate.
However, I believe that while there are possibly some benefits that come from being forced to work in a noisy, crowded area, it is not the ideal situation. My belief is that it's all well and good to extend yourself by practising running, but in a real race, use a car if you're allowed.
In other news, I've been sleeping badly lately thanks to a whole new brace system that's been installed into my mouth. The pain has subsided significantly now, but the metal band sits on the inside of my teeth, interfering with my pronunciation of coronal consonants. I can't even say consonants, without focusing really hard on it.
However, this may be a blessing in disguise.
The philosopher Demosthenes was born with a weak voice, and had trouble getting himself heard by other people. Although his father had left him a large inheritance, his guardians mismanaged it, and he saw but little of it. There is a legend of how he practised, tenaciously and fervently, day after day, with pebbles in his mouth, to try to master his tongue. In the end, he was able to sue his guardians and win back a portion of the property that they had embezzled from him.
Just as Demosthenes practiced with pebbles in his mouth, so am I being force to practice speaking through these lisp-inducing braces. Who knows, I may become a famous orator yet.
===================
Breaker Count: 1
Deja Vu Count: 3
Technomancy Count: 3
To make matters worse, I've managed to give myself a cold, which always results in wonderful results. I seem to be really week to colds: that is to say, I may not get them very often, but when I do they really hit me hard. I'm lucky I have tomorrow off, or I'd have the unappealing task of dragging myself to uni tomorrow, or worse, have to miss classes.
With this whole lot of work to attend to, I started thinking of working environments, and how precious they are. Perhaps I am a bit spoiled, having my own room at home, but it was recently brought home to me exactly how disruptive it can be to try to work in a noisy workplace. Now, I cannot say this without feeling ashamed myself, because I know that I too have in the past been extremely disruptive when working around friends. I aim to stop doing this in the future, especially after I've realised how annoying it is when someone interrupts you with some inane question when you're trying to keep a lot of state in your head. Many professional fields are just as exacting as mine, requiring the ability to track dozens of variables (in the most general, non-computer sense) at any given time. Then someone in the cubicle next to you starts discussing the squishiness of her breasts out loud, and all those eggs you were juggling come crashing to the ground. (True story, this actually happened in the Grad Labs)
The case may be made that working under stress and subject to distractions trains the mind, giving you the ability to focus that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life. I agree with this wholeheartedly. Yes, I am also going to try to stretch my ability to concentrate.
However, I believe that while there are possibly some benefits that come from being forced to work in a noisy, crowded area, it is not the ideal situation. My belief is that it's all well and good to extend yourself by practising running, but in a real race, use a car if you're allowed.
In other news, I've been sleeping badly lately thanks to a whole new brace system that's been installed into my mouth. The pain has subsided significantly now, but the metal band sits on the inside of my teeth, interfering with my pronunciation of coronal consonants. I can't even say consonants, without focusing really hard on it.
However, this may be a blessing in disguise.
The philosopher Demosthenes was born with a weak voice, and had trouble getting himself heard by other people. Although his father had left him a large inheritance, his guardians mismanaged it, and he saw but little of it. There is a legend of how he practised, tenaciously and fervently, day after day, with pebbles in his mouth, to try to master his tongue. In the end, he was able to sue his guardians and win back a portion of the property that they had embezzled from him.
Just as Demosthenes practiced with pebbles in his mouth, so am I being force to practice speaking through these lisp-inducing braces. Who knows, I may become a famous orator yet.
===================
Breaker Count: 1
Deja Vu Count: 3
Technomancy Count: 3
30 March
A weekend inversion
Interestingly enough, I've noticed that I treat the middle of the week as a weekend rather than the ends. Sunday is, to me, not enough of a day of rest. Filled with commitments that I have made already, it is become like just another week day: in fact, more of one, since I am invariably moving around a lot more on Sunday than on a typical weekday.
In contrast, a weekday such as Tuesday is far more restful because it is lazy and sparse with lectures. This perception of mine is only exacerbated by the propensity of the academic staff to schedule assignment deadlines to fall on Mondays, thus cancelling out any relaxation that might be expected from a weekend.
A happy consequence of this is that I don't dread Mondays as much as other people. Instead of the dull blue dread that society expects me to feel on Monday, the grinding purple drudgery as Wednesday, or 'Hump Day', rolls around, and the scintillating orange joy of thank-god-it's-Friday, I experience each day based on it's own merits.
While I have not looked into it too closely, I am unconvinced that the artificial construct of the week is not ultimately harmful to society. I am unaware of research in either direction, but I do not see that there is any benefit to the week, while the strong correlation between Mondays and heart-attacks is well-known.
In fact, the only justification I can find for a seven-day week comes from a passage in Genesis, which no longer in my mind holds the weight it once did. Perhaps a more "ergonomic" design to spread two weekend-days around a seven day week would be 2-1-3-1, so that there is not as big of a crash on the weekend.
I would love to hear your views on this.
In other news, I need to be more disciplined about writing here more regularly. In fact I need to be disciplined about a lot of things, but more on that topic may be entertained later.
==========
Breaker count: 5
Deja-vu count: 4
Technomancy count: 4
==========
In contrast, a weekday such as Tuesday is far more restful because it is lazy and sparse with lectures. This perception of mine is only exacerbated by the propensity of the academic staff to schedule assignment deadlines to fall on Mondays, thus cancelling out any relaxation that might be expected from a weekend.
A happy consequence of this is that I don't dread Mondays as much as other people. Instead of the dull blue dread that society expects me to feel on Monday, the grinding purple drudgery as Wednesday, or 'Hump Day', rolls around, and the scintillating orange joy of thank-god-it's-Friday, I experience each day based on it's own merits.
While I have not looked into it too closely, I am unconvinced that the artificial construct of the week is not ultimately harmful to society. I am unaware of research in either direction, but I do not see that there is any benefit to the week, while the strong correlation between Mondays and heart-attacks is well-known.
In fact, the only justification I can find for a seven-day week comes from a passage in Genesis, which no longer in my mind holds the weight it once did. Perhaps a more "ergonomic" design to spread two weekend-days around a seven day week would be 2-1-3-1, so that there is not as big of a crash on the weekend.
I would love to hear your views on this.
In other news, I need to be more disciplined about writing here more regularly. In fact I need to be disciplined about a lot of things, but more on that topic may be entertained later.
==========
Breaker count: 5
Deja-vu count: 4
Technomancy count: 4
==========
26 February
The singularity is imminent.
Welcome back, the holidays are nearly over. It is time I started posting on this blog again. Expect more over the next couple of days as I finish my summer project.
In the meanwhile, discuss the following:
Strive always to live in harmony,
but if you must, then fight
Fight only when it's worth the cost
Not simply when you think it's right.
All counts reset.
In the meanwhile, discuss the following:
Strive always to live in harmony,
but if you must, then fight
Fight only when it's worth the cost
Not simply when you think it's right.
All counts reset.
19 December
Where have all the posts gone?
It has been a long time since I last posted to this blog. A very long time. And I regret this, because I did enjoy writing here. I imagine a few of you may have been troubled by my lack of updating.
The reason for the lack of updates is because of the heavy rush associated with the end of term exams and then my summer jobs starting. For those of you who don't know, I'm currently employed with the University of Auckland, where I've been granted a summer stundentship. I have also got a position at Unifriend.co.nz (Psst, check it out! ) which is fun usually.
So between these things and my penchant for indulging in computer games, both online and off, I've had very little time to write here. To all my dedicated readers, apologies. I assure you, not much has happened in my life so far, or at least not much that I want to share with the world yet.
For those of you I shan't be meeting before then, Merry Christmas! Or, non-religiously specific Seasons Greetings, if you'd rather have those.
Speaking of religion, when I was a young boy growing up in school, there was a song we'd sing on special days (at Mass: this was at St Stanislaus' High School, at Catholic School for boys, run by the Jesuits, in Bandra). It was a really lively song, and as a preteen, I'd sing it without giving a thought to the lyrics, which to me, these days, sound almost crusadic. Though not in a bad way.
The song was in honour of St Ignatius of Loyola, a soldier who turned into a saint after he was injured during a war, and went on to co-found the Jesuit order with St Francis Xavier.
Now, a few months ago, I googled the song, and nothing came up, which gave me the idea to put the lyrics in my blog, so it would be preserved on the interwebs for posterity. Checking more recently, I see someone else has had the same idea; however since their Xanga page has a black font over a black background, I feel that that this niche isn't filled :P
So, here it goes
Hymn to Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Noble Knight, leader of a brave array,
Lead us on, oh, lead us on
We will fight 'neath thy sway--
'Neath thy sway!
What though foes gather near,
We'll not fear, we'll not fear!
We'll not shun, we'll not quit this our noble career.
We will fight ever true to God, to thee--
True to Faith, to God, to thee--
True to thee!
Lead us on, gallantly; ever on, valiantly,
'Neath thy banner to fight for the Church and its Right.
All for God's own greater glory is our cry..
Battle cry
Not in vain, nor in pain is our strife in this life
But for Christ who is our King,
All our hearts, to him we bring
But for Christ who is our King,
All our hearts, to him we bring
Stronger and stronger as fighting lasts longer and
Purer and purer to make Heaven surer with
Crosses and trials and many denials we'll fight
But to die...
Ever true to our King on High!
Ignatius lead us on TILL WE DIE!
It's amazing how memories of your childhood can stick with you for so many years. Not for nothing did St Francis Xavier say, "Give me a boy until he is seven, and I will give you the man." Or something similar, I don't know the exact quote.
Until next time,
Danver Braganza
06 September
Break, break, break
This is going to be a short blog post, for serveral reasons.
First among those, I haven't posted for a long time now, and I need to get back into the habit.
Secondly, these holidays have been rather lacklustre and not entirely as awesome as I'd like, (what with several appliances that I rely on breaking, me getting sick and not getting a whole lot done) and I would like to limit the quantity of the negatively-toned posts I make (which is not to say that nothing good has happened since the last time I wrote--far from it).
Thirdly, I have started playing Discworld again, (although nowhere near the quantities I used to play last year), and time is starting to look very precious indeed.
Reasons four through several may or may not exist, that's for me to know and for you to wonder about.
So, that's all all for now, folks. Hopefully something a bit more interesting (and a bit less incoherent) will be here for you the next time you tune in. Until then, drive safely, and remember, only You can stop the overuse of catchphrases.
Danver
--
==============
Too long since the previous post, all counts forgotten
==============
29 July
In defense of Slytherin
Nearly a week has passed since my last entry in this online journal, and in the grand scheme of things, this week has held no great significance. However, this is not to say that this week has not been enjoyable. A vast number of things have happened this week, both pleasant and terrifying, and some of those events have given rise to memories I will treasure for years to come, if not until my dying day (or closest Tuesday that is not a Bank Holiday). However, these are not the focus of this post.
This week, I finished the last Harry Potter book. To maintain some consistency with the disordered way I've read the first five books, I made sure I didn't read the sixth book before the seventh. At least, that's my official explanation, the real reason I didn't read the sixth book was because I found the fifth unbearable, and the sixth looked like more of the same. The seventh book was wonderful, however, and she seems to have returned to her old form.
The one thing I want to rant about (without giving away too many spoilers, although if you haven't read the book already you deserve to know that Hedwig dies) is the way that Slytherin House is portrayed in the books. Slytherin House is famed for it's ambition, and it's desire to acquire power. However, this does not necessarily make them evil, as they are usually shown in the books. All of the Slytherin cronies are depicted as big, thuggish and unintelligent, qualities that I daresay would make them more likely to be in Hufflepuff.
I guess my point of contention is that ambition does not necessarily make one bad. The desire to excel, to be the best one can be, that's ambition. Slytherin seems to be the house where knowledge meets work, where the how and the who are put together. With the wit of a Ravenclaw and the dilligence of a Hufflepuff, a Slytherin seems equally balanced in the green overlap between blue and yellow.
And what is so wrong with that?
Now winter is on the wane, a message I wanted to share with everyone is losing its relevance. Therefore it's imperative I add it here while I still have reason to. The idea for this message crystalised in my mind when my friend T mentioned his fondness for drinking Iced Coffees in the coldest winter days. This got me thinking about my own habit of having ice creams on some cold days. This thinking eventually led to a theory, that goes as follows:
A body loses heat at a rate proportional to the difference between its temperature and the temperature of its surroundings. This is a formula we learned in physics and in stats in school. Therefore, if I am very hot, I get cooler quicker. To stop this from happening, I eat icecream. The icecream cools me down, dropping the difference between my temperature and the temperature of the surroundings, which means I lose heat less quickly. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my theory of why I like eating icecreams in winter.
My sister has a different theory. She says it's just because I'm wierd.
Yours icily,
Danver
--
===============
Breaker Count: 7
Deja Vu Count: 2
Technomancy Count: 3
===============
I have a nasty suspicion these numbers aren't accurate for this week.
23 July
On Top of the World
As I sit here waiting for my computer to finish its second defragmentation of the day, I have a chance to sit back and reflect on how nice the first week has been to me.
The weather, for one, has been very nice. Refreshing rain ("It's good for the plants"™) mixed with sunny days bright and delightful (*cringes only _slightly_*) Albert park in particular looks so beautiful, it's enough to make you want to hug a tree!
The courses we have this semester look like they're going to be a lot of fun. There's one that seems to be completely comprised of Logic Puzzles, another that's debugging + Java + 6th Form Design Tech, and there's even one that seems to be all about Excel and Word. In fact, so far, the most heavy-looking paper we have this semester makes us learn a programming language called Tickle! How cool is that?
Today has gone by really quickly, it seems. Over the weekend I intended to get 2 things done:- get Liero working, and install Linux on my Laptop. So far, I have gotten Liero working, and I can always install linux later.
As you can probably tell from the tone of my post, I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation. ^_^ Let's just hope I don't fall...
Balancing Carefully,
Danver
==========================================
Breaker: 3 (or 4, can't shake this feeling I've forgotten something)
Deja Vu: 2
Technomancy: 3
==========================================
14 July
The Return of the King
Yes, it's official. I am back!
No matter how hard they (whoever 'they' might be) tried to stop me, I have managed to make it back to Auckland, and am writing this from the (relative) safety and (absolute) comfort of my own bed. But to begin the tale from the end is poor form. If I am to catalogue the activities of the past week, it's best if I start with our arrival in New Plymouth.
The day we arrived was sunny (ick) and the weatherman promised at least two more days of the same. All phengophobia aside, the weather of the first few days was outstanding. We didn't really do much more than get unpacked on that first day, if I remember correctly. Most of my time was spent stringing a net across the dining table and using it as a makeshift ping-pong table. We had a lot of fun playing mini-table-tennis over the week, although I heard a lot of complaints about how the table was far too small to have a proper game on. The way I see it, it's like those runners who train with lead weights attached to their feet. Getting used to a smaller table should give us a big advantage when we move to a bigger one, giving us a greater confidence with placing our shots and so on.
NB: Don't let the paragraph above give you any misconceptions about me being a outstanding tabletennist (?). This was only about the third time in my life that I've played this game.
After Mass on Sunday, we went about seeing the sights of the place. The weather continued fine for two more days, and both days were spent similarly. We had a nice long stroll along the Coastal Walkway, which is, surprisingly enough, a walkway along the coast. To see the sunset over the sea something especially wonderful (moreso than sunsets in general, which are pretty wonderful in themselves).
The weather was so fine and the wind so still, we even played Badminton (or a version of it: given that we lacked a net, a court, and an understanding of the rules of the game) on the front lawn.
It was on one of those two days that we suffered our first power failure of the week. As exciting as that sounds, this was not one of the 'proper' Taranaki blackouts:- the fault was eventually traced to some lazy wiring by an electrician, and the only victims were ourselves and the family staying next door. The family staying in the holiday home next door were kind enough to give us a candle (we'd forgotten to bring one along) and so we were able to see without relying on torches or cell-phone backlights. I was almost the whole way through Neil Gaiman's Stardust (a book worthy of its own Blog post, if only there was time) and couldn't stop, so I was reading it by the light of a streetlamp outside my window until the power came back on again.
The blackout would return twice more before the cause was properly tracked down and laid to rest.
For the next few days, the weather turned sulky and dark. The wind got wilder and stronger, so we weren't able to play much more badminton and go on long walks, so we took to staying inside more. No big loss there, however, as we spent a lot of time playing card games like Seven Hands and Hearts together. On the few occasions we did go out, random people I'd meet on the street/walkway/supermarket would comment on the weather, mentioning how cold it was, or how windy. Either they were simply being polite, or it really was extraodinary weather.
One remarkable thing I noticed about the holiday was the sharp difference between the carnage and wreckage I expected after seeing the images on the News, and what New Plymouth was really like. I got a look at the Placemakers that had been wrecked by the Tornado, but apart from that there wasn't a lot about the place that was obviously damaged. Life still went on as normal. This point was brought home to me doubly over the later half of this week when I saw on the TV the news about the storm that lashed Auckland. After hearing all that talk of roofs collapsing and power outages, I think we were fully prepared to see the roof of our house blown away when we got back. However not only had a freak gale failed to lift the roof and a torrential flood failed to wash away the rest: there hadn't even been an interruption in the power supply to our house as my bedside alarm clock still showed the correct time (instead of 12:00).
Lesson learned: Don't trust the News.
There is one memory of this trip that will always stay with me: I finally got to see snow! Well, sleet would be a more accurate way of describing it, but that's just pedantry. We went to one of the lookout points of Mount Taranaki, however the same cloudy, brooding weather that was delivering the snow also made sure that the only view we got was one of a grey misty nothingness. It was quite cool to be surrounded by the cloud, although the photos probably won't do justice to the feeling. There's a difference between actually being there and experiencing it, and being shown a rectangle filled with #333333
The last exciting event happened on the very last day of the trip, on the journey home. Friday the Thirteenth (ie today) managed to live up to its reputation: just as we were half an hour out of New Plymouth we had a blowout. The blowout was extremely strange, however: the tire was torn completely to shreds, and the rubber flapping around on the wheel managed to rip off the mudguard, tear the wires out of one of the indicators, and knock the front bumper askew. We spent about two hours on the side of the highway waiting for help to arrive. The weather had gone back to being fine, and there wasn't a single cloud in the blue sky. As we waited on the side of the road for the guy from AA to show up (our car had no spare), I got out my guitar and started playing. It must have looked really odd to the motorists passing by on the highway; I know I got a few odd looks from one or two of them. It was a lot of fun, though, and we were lucky that it wasn't too cold, windy, or raining. Soon enough, we were on our way.
And that brings us to the end, which is what we started out with: the circle is complete. It has been an extremely wierd and interesting week, and so I think it's time I got some much deserved rest.
Exhaustedly Yours,
Danver.
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Breaker Count: 5
Deja Vu Count: 8
Technomancy Count: 2
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07 July
Hiatus
Well, this is it. My bags are packed, and tomorrow, I shall be away on a week-long trip to sunny New Plymouth. Yes, this is the same New Plymouth that readers of this blog might have heard of on the news. The same New Plymouth that has during the course of this tranquil week been ravaged by a tornado.
Of course, dodging twisters is the least of my worries on a long vacation like this. The lack of a ready access to the intarwebs can be excruciating. Wikipedia, YouTube.. how I shall miss you both! And of course I'll miss you lot too. Being cut off from ready access to you friends is extremely saddening.
Still, this week promises to be one to remember, even if all of the twisters have passed and tamer weather prevails. It's good to have a week away from the distractions of the WWW and TV, and just spend time with the family playing a game or having a sing-song. Ah, that reminds me, I need to move my guitar upstairs so I don't forget it.
Right, having done that, all that's left for me to do is sign off, go to bed and awaken tomorrow to a week of the simpler pleasures in life.
Wot Larx,
Danver
Danver
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Breaker Count: 3
Deja Vu Count: 2
Technomancy Count: 4
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Breaker Count: 3
Deja Vu Count: 2
Technomancy Count: 4
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02 July
RSS--Don't Hate, Aggregate!
Well, this one is for those of you who have said that my blog doesn't look enough like a Software Engineers! Today, we shall be introduced to the joys of RSS.
RSS stands for, among other things, Really Simple Syndication. All it is, on the simplest level, is a web feed that notifies your computer if there's been a change on a particular website. As my good friend Wikipedia says, "RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that's easier than checking them manually."
To get RSS up and running, you need some kind of feed-reader or "Aggregator". The one I like to use is an add-on for Firefox called Wizz-RSS. I found it really simple to get up and running, so it should be a breeze for you too! The online help is very useful.
Once you've got an aggregator up and running, all you have to do is link it up with the feeds you want to be informed of. Not every website, blog or webcomic has a feed set up. Only an elite few do. *cough* Like mine *cough*
Yes, I monitor my own blog for changes. I guess some people would think it's lame, but what if I forget that I've updated my blog today already? I'll have my trusty Aggregator letting me know that it's been recently changed, saving me from the horrible faux pas of a double post.
And that's all there is to it, folks! Remember, it Really iS that Simple! ^_^
So, before the traditional paranormal event count, here are a few testimonies from people about RSS and how it changed their life.
"Dude, got any RSS on you? Nah?... it's all good bro. My mother will give me a hiding." -
-Some wierd guy I met on the bus
"You're all chiefs, bros. You've got the RSS, the mana, the power. It's really inspiring."
--Some wierd guy trying to sell a group of friends and me his bike.
"Have you given your life to RSS? Because it loves you. You can try to deny it, but RSS loves you. And it will follow you, all of your life!"
-- This other wierd guy I met at New Lynn.
"RSS changed my life, and I'm sure it will change yours. Here, just take this book and read it. It will make a lot of sense."
-- Yet another random encounter at New Lynn, this time with a girl.
"Hey, *mumble mumble mumble* Murder! *Hehehehehe*" -
-Okay, there aren't even enough coherent words in that quote for me to overwrite one with RSS. What's with random people on the street talking to me, though? That last guy was at a bus stop, just last week, and leered at me as I went past. It sounded like he was _accusing_ me of murder, too. And he had this creepy, high-pitched laugh and really, really wierd eyes. *shudders*
Crazy plebians. I need to turn my random-encounter magnet off.
Yours in syndication,
Danver J Braganza
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Breaker Count: 4
Deja Vu Count: 3
Technomancy Count: 1
===============
28 June
Cradle Song
Though the night is dark and the wind blows cold
Dragging nightmares clammy from places of old
Though the shadows gather and unspeakable things creep
Though the Kraken stirs in his lair in the deep
Though scorpions scuttle and lizards crawl
And spiders web the outside walls
Though the dawn looks frighteningly far away
And the pitch black dark seems here to stay
And though all manner of ghastly things:
Vampires and demons with bat-like wings
May haunt the eerie still outside
Sleep tight and warm, my little child
For in my arms you lie, becharmed
No swarm shall harm your gentle form
And I will keep you safe and warm
And I will keep you safe and warm.
Danver Braganza
Didn't have anything in particular to write about today, so I came up with this to fill some space. Hope you like it.
Negative Ingredients and Boring Persons
I was watching TV the other day, when it hit me. No, not the TV. I don't have a force-feedback television, or whatever the concept would be called. What hit me was the realisation of how much our society has become obsessed with the contents of food, and the peculiar way this manifests itself.
There was a time when food was eaten because it contained ingredients we desired. Rice and wheat had carbohydrates, vegetables had vitamins, rocks had minerals. People ate them and were glad of it. Recently, however, I've noticed that it's more fashionable to advertise food on the basis of what it does not contain. Fruits with no pesticides. Wheat products with no gluten. Dairy-free and egg-free cakes. Products which emphatically contain no trans-fats, no added sugar, no preservatives, and no additives. Definitely no MSG.
In fact, my Snickers bar has to tactfully mention that it may contain traces of nuts:- it's a pity they couldn't leave them out because otherwise it would be twice as big a seller as it would be.
I'm not saying this is a bad thing, mind you. I'm aware of the different reasons for this practice. I'm just intrigued by the thought that there are so many ingredients widely used in foods today that we'd be better off not having. Perhaps the evolution of food will eventually drive the offending products off the market, and so eventually we won't see the "No added thingy" label because it won't need to be said. That might be a good day for us all.
Either way, we humans are fascinating people.
Which brings me to my next topic. How fascinating people are. Each unique individual has some quirk that would make them stand out in a crowd. Everyone is different, and therefore special.
I have discussed this with my friends time and time again:- time and time again we have concluded that each of us is wierd in some way, but that that wierdness is what gives us character, and makes us all the more interesting.
But even someone who is far more mundane than that is interesting. The way people think, the way they make decisions and react to such little crises as someone entering a room or eyeing their food, each of these is enough to make them a worthy candidate for hours of study.
In fact, even a truly boring person is fascinating in their own right:- if only for their rarity value. And one can, in watching a boring person, realise what they're doing wrong and avoid those mistakes yourself. :P
So, gentle reader, the take home lesson for tonight is, "You don't have to be interesting, just be yourself."
If you feel strongly, one way or another, please leave a comment.
Until the next time, then, I bid you all a fond farewell.
Danver
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Breaker Count: 0
Deja Vu Count: 1
Technomancy Count: 0
===============
26 June
Notes from a LAN Party
This is going to be a pretty short article for today: I'm a bit mentally exhausted after the LAN Party I had yesterday/last night. I got zero hours of sleep, but then I guess that is typical when you get a group of teenage guys in a room with laptops, lan cables, and computer games.
Of course, another reason for the lack of sleep could be the wonderful concoction devised by us (although we might not have been the first to come up with it). Berocca + Red bull. It's fascinating to watch as the pale amber Red Bull and the light orange Berocca tablets fizz together to make a startlingly dark red drink. Also fascinating is the twitchy looks on my friends faces as they drink down the overpoweringly sweet liquid.
All in all, a fun time was had by all.
More updates in future, please keep checking back.
Yours truly,
Danver
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Breaker count: 3
Deja vu count: 1
Technomancy count: 0
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24 June
Nature's Wonders and Nvader's Blunders
Today's weather has been fascinating. Perhaps it is because the sun is almost as far from me as it gets, but I actually could go out into the garden today and marvel at the vivid blue-ness of the sky and the vibrant green-ness of the trees. The birds were singing so sweetly and there was just that hint of winter in the air: invigorating without chilling. It almost felt too good to be true, as though someone had done a Photoshop job and pasted it to my eyeballs.
Of course, this being Auckland, it was pouring with rain just a few hours after that. Cue mad dash to bring in all the clothes from the washing line. No sooner is that done, than the sun comes out again! Life can be like a sitcom, sometimes. *is amused* At the moment, the sky is pleasantly overcast, and the plants certainly look all the better for this morning's rain.
In other news, my body seems to have taken a dislike to me, and is trying to express it in an entirely immature and ultimately self-destructive way. Last night, I took a small spill in the garden, grazing both knees. Today, I jam a finger in the car door. What next, I wonder. Of course, all these events were really my fault, but usually my clumsiness involves other things being damaged, not myself.
I will look upon this as an opportunity to raise my pain threshold. Hopefully having a wounded right-mouse-button finger won't slow me down too much at DotA. There's a big Lan Party coming up tomorrow, and I want to be at the top of my game!
Until the next chapter in this saga unfolds,
Be well, gentle reader.
--
Danver.
Danver.
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Deja Vu Count: 1
Technomancy Count: 1
Breaker Count: 1
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22 June
Holidays, Solstice and Rainy Walks
Holidays are here, and happiness is in my heart. Three weeks! Three glorious weeks where the time is all my own and I can spend it as I wish. Well, not -quite- true. I've already got a couple of things that need seeing to, but it's feels extremely good to be able to finally learn things that I want to, rather than things I have to. I've got a list of things I want to learn that accumulates over the term. I probably will only get time to work on half the things I want to, but then such is the way of the world.
I also probably need to get a Job. This would be easier to achieve if I wasn't going to go away for a whole week in the middle of the three weeks I have free. It would also be easier if I actally knew how to use SJS, or I was motivated enough to learn. There is such a high activation barrier that's stopping me from taking the first move: however this will probably be surmounted by motivation from financial considerations.
Today, I got caught in the rain not once, but twice. Entirely fitting for winter solstice, I think. It is such a liberating feeling to have icy cold rain pouring down on you from a friendly grey sky. It's also very refreshing: really woke me up in the morning. The odd hailstone only adds to the experience, although I would have been able to enjoy both drenchings better if I didn't have my Laptop here with me to worry about. Still, I thank God for well-made waterproof laptop bags. There seems to be no damage done, so it's all to the good.
I saw Shrek the Third today. You needn't skip ahead, there are no spoilers here! Despite prior intimations from a friend to the contrary, I actually found it to be a really, really good watch. There was never a dull moment in the movie, it seemed to flow well and the humour was top-notch.
All in all, an enjoyable day. Here's to many more of the same to come!
--
Danver
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Deja Vu Count: 0
Technomancy Count: 3
Breaker Count: 4
================
20 June
The Wrath is Unleashed--Tomorrow.
You've heard of the CompMom. You've all cowered in fear from CompDad. Even CompBro was pretty ruthless when he was backed into a corner. But the baby of the family was always considered just that: a cute, pretty girl who was harmless. Not any more: those smiling eyes belie a heart willing to kill and a soul as cold as the coldest state table formulated in the frostiest depths of outer space.
She has the most to prove, and tomorrow she will prove it.
She will hold nothing back.
Tomorrow, all shall quail before the Wrath of the CompSys. (dun dun DUN!)
Translation: CompSys exam tomorrow, and I'm not feeling 100% confident about it. Although, if it's anything like last year's exam, I've got far more than a fighting chance. We can but hope and pray.
As days go, today has not been particularly interesting. Exams are like black holes in that they distort space/time: all the fun stuff ends up on the other side of the distortion, while the drab dry boredom of sheer hard work gets left on this side. But getting to the fun stuff involves crossing the event horizon, and being crushed to a pulp.
Still, by this time tomorrow, I will be a far happier, freer man. This is one of the best features of the time stream. You don't have to actively move forward in time: simply wait, and the current of the river will carry you forwards. Although, this can be quite a worrying thing as well: there is no way to swim against the current to avoid life's waterfalls.
I shall leave you with that thought. As for me, it is time for me to get back to study.
19 June
Lolz, first post.
Right, all jokes aside, this is a momentous occassion. Why so? This marks my first foray into the highly saturated world of "blogging". This is not the first time I've contemplated setting up my own blog, but I doubt that I will be able to bring myself to post consistently. There is just something about my life that doesn't lend itself easily to description in a website. On one level, (ie, the real world) it is not very interesting, but on another level (ie, the world inside my head) it is a fascinating life to live. But writing too much about the latter might lead to me being locked up in a padded cell:- and I value few things more than my freedom.
So, I guess a more mundane starting point would be an introduction. However, I am not entirely sure who I am:- it seems to vary from day to day. Also, I am not very good at self-description. Although, in saying that, I just described myself perfectly--or imperfectly. I will pause for a few moments and let you contemplate that.
I think that for my first blog, this is enough. I don't want to tire myself out on my first try--Baby steps, that's the ticket. See you folk whenever I can be bothered to provide a sequel.
Yours Truly
Danver
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Deja Vu Count: 2.
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