Who should I vote for?
So the NZ elections are coming up, and as of today I can cast my special vote (cos I'm "special"). The problem is, not living in NZ, I haven't been following politics there very closely. I thought I more or less knew who I was going to vote for, until I realised there are 19 parties!
So here is your chance to influence my decision. If you feel strongly about any particular party, I would love to hear your opinion on why you definitely would or wouldn't vote for them. Thanks!
R.
I'm bound to fall in love with old Cape Cod*
I'm off to New York City in a couple of hours, woohoo. I only have a couple of hours there though and then I'm driving with my friend up to Cape Cod. Another friend is getting married there on Saturday. I have no idea what Cape Cod will be like but everyone tells me it's beautiful, and it has lobsters. I'm expecting it to be hot and sticky like a real summer, unlike what we get in Berkeley. I'll be NYC again Sunday night and then fly back early on Monday.
In other news today I officially accepted the lectureship position in Australia and I leave the US on Halloween.
Gotta run, got a plane to catch.
R.
*song lyrics, more or less, from "Cape Cod"
Evil things
1. TV. My new housemate has a habit of forgetting what he was doing, or where he put something. This is my theory as to why a television turned up in my room - he was probably just getting it out of the way and then forgot about it. It's no problem, there's room for it. The problem is that even though it's not plugged into an antenna it picks up a couple of channels fine. In three nights I watched way more episodes of Elimidate than anyone needs to see in a lifetime. TV, especially TV in bedroom, is
evil.
2.
Sudoku. This is entirely
Portugesa Nova's fault. I guess I ignored at my peril her comment that it is an evil addiction. I can confirm that it is both.
R.
The Onion stole my idea!
In this week's issue of
The Onion:
Evangelical Scientists Refute Gravity With New 'Intelligent Falling' Theory. This link will only be good for a week or so, so here is some of what the article says.
"Things fall not because they are acted upon by some gravitational force, but because a higher intelligence, 'God' if you will, is pushing them down," said Gabriel Burdett, who holds degrees in education, applied Scripture, and physics from Oral Roberts University.
...
"Traditional scientists admit that they cannot explain how gravitation is supposed to work," Carson said. "What the gravity-agenda scientists need to realize is that 'gravity waves' and 'gravitons' are just secular words for 'God can do whatever He wants.'"
Back in March, I said on this very blog: "to me, saying you don't believe in evolution is a bit like saying you don't believe in gravity".
I guess it just shows that both The Onion and myself have an incredible sense of humour.
R.
Car camping
I've been camping for the last weekends, exploring bits of northern California before I leave these parts. Both times we were meaning to go to Tahoe, but Tahoe keeps on evading me. So the weekend before last, I went with my friend La Parisienne to a place called Duncans Mills on Russian River. This Duncan bloke must have been quite a big shot - there was also Duncans Beach, Duncans Cove and The Place Where Duncan Liked to Sit and Have a Bit of a Think.
As it turns out, La Parisienne and I have very similar camping styles. We ate out in the nearby town at every meal (i.e., real coffee, gourmet food), stayed up late yakking and drinking, and slept until nearly 10am. We ended the weekend with a dip in the river and lunch at Korbel's winery (champagnery) before heading home.
This weekend just been, I went with 4 friends and 2 dogs to Olema, about an hour north of San Francisco. Being on the coast, it's cold and foggy there most of the time - just a mile inland it's hot and sunny. So no swimming this time but plenty of meandering around Point Reyes - we went to the lighthouse, took the dogs for a walk (and five poops for just one dog within a 15 minute time span, I kid you not. And they were humungous poops too) on the beach, saw an elk in the distance (and a stuffed elk up close) and discovered why there seem to be a few roads and things named after Sir Francis Drake in the area (he made it as far as Point Reyes looking for a passage, but was forced to turn back because of the fog). And we also did plenty of sitting around the campfire and drinking and such.
Here are some photos of the campground.
To the west, a couple of other campers.
To the north, a really cool tree.
To the east, some pretty trees with hills behind them.
And to the south, just next to our tent site...
R.
Congratulations Violet!
Big congratulations to
Violet and the Boy on the birth of their baby. Eagerly awaiting the details... C'mon Violet, I know you've just given birth, but your blogging public demands attention! What's more important, the blog or your baby???
R.
Meme me me me me
Violet tagged me for this meme. There's plenty of things I'm meaning to blog about, but this requires less effort. So here goes.
WHAT'S YOUR FULL NAME? Dr Flying Kiwi PhD
WHAT ARE YOU READING AT THE MOMENT?
Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver and
Jingo by Terry Pratchett
WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Don't have a mousepad
WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD? The moment you find out someone has died.
FIRST THING YOU THINK OF IN THE MORNING? "Why is my housemate being so loud when it's only... oh, it's almost 9am"
HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE? As long as it takes me to check who it is (if it's the cellphone that is).
FUTURE CHILD'S NAME? Meandering Rivulet. Well, not actually. Obviously.
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN LIFE? I don't know. If you figure it out please let me know. I think it's something to do with leaving the world a better place than you found it.
IF YOU COULD PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I play or have played (with varying degrees of success) flute, piano, violin, saxophone, drums, bass guitar, ukelele (I played that in a band, so it definitely counts), and possibly various other instruments. I would like to learn French Horn.
DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE FAST? No. Also, a friend pointed out that my driving speed is inversely correlated to how much I'm talking i.e. I slow down a lot when I'm yakking.
DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? Well, actually I have this beautiful woven red and white fish on my bed that my aunt made. But it gets tossed aside when I sleep.
WHAT TYPE WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? A Vauxhall Chevette.
WHO DO YOU WISH YOU COULD GO BACK AND TALK TO? Myself when I was a kid. Like in
The Time Traveller's Wife. Wouldn't that be freaky?
FAVOURITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK? Oh, all of them. Depending on the occasion / weather / mood / colour of my socks, I like a good Pinot Noir, mojito, G&T, dacquiri, hot cinnamon schnapps, mead, alcoholic ginger beer. Etc.
WHAT'S IN THE BOOT OF YOUR CAR? Aha. Was this question planted here just for me? In the boot of my car, there is a paper bag with my dreadlocks in it. I
still haven't decided what to do with them.
DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI? Yes.
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB YOU WANTED WHAT WOULD IT BE? I have to go with what Violet said here, and say travel writer as well. Or, alternatively, the job I'm already doing: academic research with a bit of travel thrown in.
EVER BEEN IN LOVE? Yes
IS THE GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL? Half full.
DO YOU TYPE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON THE RIGHT KEYS? Yes, I touch type.
WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED? Nothing.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE NUMBER? Four. But I think it's only because when I was little, it was my sister's favourite number, and in the spirit of competitiveness and lack of originality, I used to always pick the same favourites as her.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SPORT TO WATCH? Not a sport fan, but I have to admit AFL (Australian Football League) sucked me in when I lived in Oz. Could be something to do with those short little shorts and tight tops...
IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE ANYWHERE WHERE WOULD IT BE? Hmm, difficult choice. Maybe Queen Charlotte Sounds in New Zealand.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING? My green and purple paisley doc martins. I hardly ever wear them, but I love them.
BEACH, MOUNTAINS OR CITY? All of them. A city on hills by the beach... sounds like Wellington. Or San Francisco!
TECHNOLOGY OR ART? Why are you making me choose? Technology.
COMEDY OR HORROR? Comedy
FAVOURITE PHYSICAL FEATURE OF THE OPPOSITE SEX? Depends who, surely. Eyes.
FAVOURITE TIME OF DAY? A warm evening.
WHERE'S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO BE? swimming / diving in a warm ocean (preferably
sans tsunami)
FAVOURITE PLACE TO BE MASSAGED? Head
WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, STRONG IN MIND OR STRONG IN BODY? Mind
WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? Around 8.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN AN AFTERLIFE? Sometimes.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SEASON? Early autumn, when the evenings are still long but it's not super hot
YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Time travel.
WHICH DO YOU PREFER - SUSHI OR HAMBURGER? Definitely sushi. I don't eat meat but I loooooove sushi.
IF YOU HAVE A TATTOO, WHAT IS IT? I have three. A moon (belly), a star (thigh) and a spirally snaky yin yang thing (shoulder). I'm thinking of getting another, but I have this thing that tattoos should be an odd number, so if I get one I have to get another.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE DAY? My birthday!
The Editter. Tag, you're it.
R.
Fun with Latin
The Editter posted a verse in Latin with her stab at translation, which included something about arguments in a Fiat and virtuous butter substitutes. I've always been proud of the fact that I was able to translate all the Latin in the
Bayeux tapestry, but then again that was 16 years ago, and I haven't exactly had much use for Latin since then (except that it helped me learn Spanish rather quickly!).
So I cheated a bit and downloaded a Latin translator. Here is the original verse, and QuickLatin's suggested translation:
Funde flores, thura crema,
Omne sit laetitiae thema,
Facessat quicquid est amari.
Tuba sonet et tormentum
Grande fiat argumentum
Invicti virtus Olivari!
Pour your flourish, the frankincenses the gruel,
Each may be the joy/happiness the theme,
May do the quicquid eats to be loved.
The trumpet will make a noise/sound and the windlass
Let it be done the full-grown proof
The unconquered strength/power of Olivarus
And with a little more help from QuickLatin, here is what I think it should be, more or less:
Scatter blossoms, burn frankincense,
All are joyful themes
That may make anyone fall in love.
The trumpet sounds and the windlass,
Make great the evidence
Of the unconquered power of Olivarus
It doesn't really flow, though, does it. Amari also means bitter, so maybe it's not about falling in love at all. And tormentum means windlass, instrument for twisting/winding, engine for hurling stones, any torture device.
Hmmm
R.
Surely not for real
Kind of related, yesterday on campus a police car pulled up, two officers got out and went to inspect an "abandoned" backpack that had obviously been reported as suspicious. A few minutes later a kid playing frisbee noticed what was going on and went to rescue his bag - I imagine he got a severe talking to. Poor kid.
R.
Six Feet Under OMG
Anyone here in the US watch Six Feet Under on Sunday?
Without doing a spoiler all I can say is:
OMG OMG OMG. I'm still thinking about the episode 2 days later.
And only 3 episodes left.
R.
