Goddamn the flu.
NP - R. Kelly - The World's Greatest I hate this. Hate hate hate hate hate. Its sunday, I have an exam on wednesday, and I wake up feeling like a mucus factory. WHY??? My head is killing me, and I can't do any work. Luckily I've done most of it, Im just worried that, come exam, my head won't be working properly, and all my preparation will be wasted. And im SURE my flatmate is trying to kill me - last night he gave me this chinese herbal stuff, and it tastes like...it doesn't taste very nice at all. Any suggestions anyone? How do I fight this evil? I will not see all my efforts over the past 6 weeks go to waste - no WAY. What can I do to clear my head - even if only for a couple of hours...I want a clear head in the exam. My friend says I should smoke weed...''all will become clear''...I'm not gonna do anything like that (at least if I did, I wouldn't tell half the world on my blog :P), but theres got to be something less nuts that will clear my head. Help me!
Posted by illogicist at 1:30 AM
NP - Vintersorg - Universums Dunkla Alfabet Well, apologies for not updating, ive been busy with studies and that. Wait...why am I apologising...oh well. My brain hasn't been thinking about anything except stochastic dominance and decision trees and minimax and maximin and URGH, so theres no space left for any REAL cognitive activity. However, yesterday I read that thing on Enigmas blog about women in the work force, and then today I read this little piece in the New Internationalist magazine: ''Women and girls from all over the world are recruited to be domestic workers. Many leave children and families behind, choosing to care for others' children in order to feed their own. Filipina women make up the majority of domestic workers in Canada and around the world. The organisation GABRIELA estimates that between 6 and 8 million Filipina women are living abroad as families in the rich world rely increasingly on foreign domestics so that both parents can go to work.'' This can be seen as both an argument for and against the wife going out to work. But more importantly, we is it that we're living at such a pace that we cant support the family unless both parents are working? Whats going on in the world? Apparently our standard of life is getting higher and higher, but look whats happening to us - we're working harder and harder to make ends meet, neglecting our family lives just so we can stay afloat. I don't like it.
Posted by illogicist at 10:45 AM
Urghh
The days blend into nights blend into days and before u know it you have a week before the exams and everythings SCREWED!!!
Posted by illogicist at 10:08 AM
I Dont Feel Like It
NP - In Flames - Dead Eternity I don't. I feel like sitting here and doing fudge all. Which is exactly what I'm doing. Its a strange phase - a process of sorting your social life out. Right now I know far too many people, its bothersome. I have to pretend I recognise people that I don't. I've gotten to know too many ppl. The haircut's helped - people don't recognise me anymore. But I suppose more needs to be done. Its too troublesome.
Posted by illogicist at 1:28 PM
Thursday, the...17th?
NP - R. Kelly - The World's Greatest Its been raining all morning. I woke up at 7 and it was raining. Its 10 now. This isnt summer...well, its probably a warm rain...thats comforting I suppose... Was kept up till 3am by my 2 wacky, insane friends, who are probably nervous about their coursework due today. I was supposed to do maths last night, but didnt, so I did it this morning (its cool, because I made use of time I wouldnt normally have). Im not usually comfortable with 4 hours of sleep, but Im feeling alright so far...nice BIG glass of FRESHLY SQUEEZED orange juce always does the trick. Star Wars tonight!!! People say its good...so Im just gonna go with the flow, and enjoy the movie, even if I don't like it that much. After all, its star wars...
RISE, LORD VADER!!!!
Posted by illogicist at 2:04 AM
...and then there was none.
Interesting day. I got a haircut. I feel...naked. My neck is cold, and my ears are lonely. I also shaved for the first time in a couple of weeks. I feel like a little boy again :s Everybody says I look younger too...its interesting. The best part is, nobody recognises me in uni! Its hilarious, I get all these 2nd looks from people, people I know look at me and keep going...its hilarious :D Ahh, anonymity, good to have you back. I might post some before and after pics, once I'm comfortable with my new look, lol.
Posted by illogicist at 12:28 PM
Keys to my heart?
Found this on another blog. Dont know how accurate it is. Some is surely accurate, some doesnt seem to be.
The Keys to Your Heart
|
You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free. |
In love, you feel the most alive when everything is uncertain, one moment heaven... the next moment hell. |
You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring. |
You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please. |
Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with. |
Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. |
You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred. |
In this moment, you think of love as something you don't need. You just feel like flirting around and playing right now. |
Posted by illogicist at 2:28 PM
Ah!
NP - Pineapple Thief - PVS My blog is back! Had serious probs with the server, luckily Blogger dudes just fixed it. Cheers, blogger dudes! Up to my neck in work, its not even funny. Not much to say right now. Despite the work, my spirits are up. Friday the 13th sucked, but I dont remember why. Oh well. Anyways, will post an update later.
Posted by illogicist at 1:46 PM
Thoughts For The Morning
NP - Pineapple Thief - From Where Your StandingWell, I did go home, but I managed to do a couple of hours of work at home, which is brilliant :PI was reading a couple of things the other day, about government approaches to particular sexual issues. The UK apparently has the 2nd highest teen pregnancy rate in all of Europe. To tackle this problem, they want to teach these kids about 'other types of sexual contact' that doesnt result in 'intercourse'. So they want to try and encourage oral sex, as opposed to, well, normal sex I guess.I kinda stopped reading there. I was just thinking, is the situation so desperate, have we screwed ourselves up so bad that the only way to stop our CHILDREN from having sex with one another is to teach them another way to do it, hoping to distract them? Do they really think these kids will stop having sex because they can have oral sex instead? Do they really think that these kids dont KNOW about oral sex? These kids know about oral sex, apparently 'daisy-chaining' is getting increasingly popular in high schools in the UK as well (Im not explaining - if you dont know what it is, look it up).Another example which suprised me was in China. Because of a law in 1979 I think it was that only allowed families to have one child, China has 'lost', the word they use, some 200-300 MILLION unborn children (like the expression :P). As a result of this they are facing labour shortages. Thats interesting, but the more interesting thing is that apparently for every 100 girls born in China now, there are 117 boys. This translates into roughly 40 million males in the future having no mates...difficult, im sure. So, what steps are they thinking about taking to help this? Encouraging homosexuality (to an extent) and legalising prostitution.You know the world's in a state when we have to encourage sin to make up for our previous sins. Its because of us (collectively) that teenage pregnancy is so high, and we try to resolve the problem by encouraging yet more immoral behaviour. I don't know what can be done about that boy-girl problem in China, but encouraging homosexuality and prostitution is hardly the way forward, I think.---------------Another moral dilemma, on a more personal note. Most days I have breakfast at the uni cafeteria. Now, they have this vegetarian breakfast for £2 plus free tea or coffee. I dont usually drink the coffee, but I take it anyway. It struck me that maybe this was wrong, maybe I'm wasting. Since I dont drink it, I should decline!I dunno, maybe. I drink it sometimes, sometimes i drink a couple of sips. But hey, its free, thats justification enough, right? If I dont take it, I'm losing out. AND by taking it, Im helping the economy. Thats right, I'm consuming more coffee, the demand for coffee is going up, coffee suppliers sell more and make more money. And maybe some of that filters back to the 3rd world workers, who are breaking their backs to provide me with this coffee that I don't even drink. Who knows. Like all humans, I like to justify my actions.Or maybe I'm just thinking too hard. Who the hell gets a guilty concience over a cup of coffee?!NP - Spiritual Beggars - Dying Every Day
Posted by illogicist at 1:17 AM
NP - The background noise of the libraryMy phone's battery is nearly dead, so I can't drown out the noise. I'm in a little corner of the Cafe in the library, where theres a few computers hooked up to the net.I can't study. Its like this everyday. Get to the library fresh in the morning, 9am. Do about an hour or so of work, and rush off to a lecture. Come back, do some more work, and suddenly its lunchtime...its about 12-1pm by this time but I swear it always feels like 4pm. After lunch I'm heavy and I can't usually work. Go home to take a nap, promising myself to come back to the library afterwards. Never do, and the day is gone because I can't study in the dorms (too many distractions).Well not today. I WILL DO SOME MORE STUDY TODAY. I have a homework to hand in, and I cant not do it. I have some reading to do, and I cant not do it. I'll find a way...argh.Whats the bets my next post will be how I just couldn't do it? :P
Posted by illogicist at 6:44 AM
Life's A Soundtrack
NP - Porcupine Tree - TrainsIt's funny when you're walking around campus, or anywhere, with headphones in your ears. Nobody can hear what you're listening to, and you can't hear what anyone else is saying. You can't hear people's footsteps, snatches of conversation, laughs, coughs, everything you normally catch when you're connected. No, the world is silent, and you're the one who's in charge of all sound. The cool part is that you can mould the atmosphere to what you want. Just try it, really. Its beyond weird...it's hard to describe. Its like if you're listening to happy music, everyone is happy. The world is joyful, the birds are singing (even though you can't see them), etc. And if you're listening to sad music...everyones worried about exams, thinking about ex-girlfriends (this IS the UK - ''What? No girlfriend?...are you...you know, gay?'' *sighs*), etc.I exaggerate, but its still an interesting effect.
Posted by illogicist at 7:38 AM
..As Much As Fresh Meat Loves Salt
NP - Dream Theater - Stream Of Conciousness Theres this old story. An old king had 3 daughters. One day, he was feeling unloved for some reason, and he asked each of his daughters how much they loved him. The first said ''I love you as much as all the gold in the world.'' His head already bigger, he went to his second daughter, and she said ''I love you as much as all the silver in the world.'' (I guess in those days gold and silver were seen as having equal value). Finally the third daughter said ''I love you as much as fresh meat loves salt.'' He threw a fit, and kicked her out of Neverland (I dont blame him - its a pretty lame way of saying I love you). Anyway, a few years later, it was the oldest daughter's malka. So this youngest daughter sneaks in somehow, and convinces the chefs to add no salt to all the meat being served. So the King eats this saltless meat, and immediately remembers his youngest daughter, and realises that she loved him the most. I remember I used to love that story as a kid and used to repeat it as a kid. I dont know if as a kid I was stupid or what, maybe my anti-capitalist views were being developed even then...but I cant think of what the moral of the story is...nothing in the world is as important as...a good meal? Thats definitely persistent with my culture! Is it trying to say there are more important things in life than riches, such as good similes? What then of other poetic devices, are they not important? ''Oh father I love you as much as the fresh meat of guardianship? (ok somehow that sounded wrong) Perhaps she could have addressed her love to him as a Shakespearean Sonnet? Maybe I'm overreacting just a little...but I've more than once forgotten to put salt on my food. I'll tell, if you're hungry enough, it doesn't make an ounce of difference (pun intended).
Posted by illogicist at 9:38 AM
Summary of my day 5.5.5
1) Voting Day! NP - Blue Man Group - Time To Start Today is (was) election day here in the UK. I was a bit worried about queues and stuff (and pikeys at polling stations. Anyway, I arrived at the bus stop a little early, so I said 'hey let me see where this poll station is...it should be right around the corner...' And it was indeed. Literally 2 minutes away. However. It was in Church. And...I had to walk through a graveyard. It was quiet, too quiet. There was mist in the air, and the whisper of the trees as the wind shook their branches. 'Go away', they seemed to say. 'Leave this holy place'...The voices were accompanied by a wailing lament, the curse of souls calling for me to leave them be, to remove my foul presence from their resting place! The wind picked up, and the sky turned black. Torrential rain started to pour, and lightning struck the ground all around me. I bit my lip, and moved onwards. Ok, none of that happened obviously, but it was a bit strange. Because it was so empty. I was probably like the first person to vote. It was really interesting, because they didnt ask for identification of nothing, just my name and address. Got the voting paper, crossed 'Liberal Democrats', smiled, and walked off. I had just completed my journey from boyhood to manhood, and in time for breakfast. 2) Mr. Young VS Timothy Cavendish NP - South - Colours In Waves Im not quite sure what this post is meant to be about. I made a note of it, but I've forgotten. I do remember something about Mr. Young reminding me of Timothy Cavendish, from the book Cloud Atlas. I think because they are both grumpy old men who are slightly racist and more than slightly ignorant of the world around them, and yet both cute because of their snobbish charm and colourful use of language. Oh well.
Posted by illogicist at 1:57 PM
My Bracelet Broke
NP - Apocalyptica - Nothing Else Matters I was in the Lattes Cafe in the library with Sarah, and she was all upset about the whole ISOC elections thing yesterday (long story, basically she feels guilty that she made a big deal about something which, well, I think deserves to be made a big deal about). I was fiddling with my bracelet when it broke. Beads flying everywhere. This bracelet wasn't meant to break. It was made of little wooden beads...nothing so special...I've had it in the summer but it gained some importance in Easter...nothing major, but its breaking was a shock. Im actually glad it broke. Im going to cut my hair.
Posted by illogicist at 9:46 AM
Woah, its Tuesday!
Friday felt like Saturday, Saturday felt like Saturday, Sunday felt like Sunday, and Monday felt like Sunday. Today is Tuesday, and it feels like...Monday. Bizarre. I don't remember my schedule for today, but I have to fit in 3 lectures (I think), the end of my math homework, about 20 pages of accounting (reading), a chapter of game theory, and some shopping. Oh, and the ISOC AGM. Ugh, this is going to be a busy day. I think shopping will have to be forfeited, except theres nothing in the house. I suppose I could pick up some bread and milk on one of the Co-ops along the road, but its tiresome. *sigh* Ok, just got my timetable, it looks good actually. Its 8:30am now, first lecture is 9:55-10:40, I can have breakfast before that lecture and do some study after it till 11:55 (which is when my next lecture is, until 12:40), and then I'm done for the day. I can do another 2 hours or so of study, and then go to Asda to buy some eatables. Yeah, this rocks, I can do this! And I can make the gym at night too. Alright, rock on Z!
Posted by illogicist at 12:27 AM
10x10
NP - Spiritual Beggars - Dying Every Day ...man I cant get enough of this song. Its too good. Funky, soulful, angry and yet celebratory, it, put simply, rocks.Anyway, I stumbled across this website while reading a particular blog. I found it interesting. Seems like its not really worth the effort, but I guess with time and practice it could be a nifty tool indeed. Perhaps with more of a human hand it would become more relevant. I can't really be bothered to explain it, but the explanation is on the site. Essentially its a news site, it draws news headlines hourly from multiple different sites and puts them together in a really cool format. The techies out there might also be interested in how it works (as for me, I have no clue).Check it out:http://www.tenbyten.org/10x10.html
Oh, its taken from this blog:
http://fateofrhapsody.blogspot.com/
Posted by illogicist at 3:31 PM
Testing Image Upload...
NP - Julia Boutros - Wain Msafer 
SUCCESS!!
Posted by illogicist at 1:43 AM
