This is both a header to leave here for people to ask me to friend them (for some reason if I see a journal that hasn't been updated in a while and has no header I feel iffy about asking to be friended on an old post) (and really, there aren't many people I wouldn't friend on LJ, so go ahead, post just "friend me!" and I'd probably do it... or even if you just friend me, I just don't see why not unless you look like a company that would like to employ me).... 

This isn't exactly a public LJ, the public stuff is just stuff that I don't care who sees. But I'm fairly liberal about who I add as a friend.

Um, this journal alternates between the banal, the obscurely intellectual and the angst-laden. Occasionally there might be a meme or something that's actually entertaining and/or funny.

Also...

 So, I've been meaning to get a new HD for a while. I'd also been meaning to install the windows 7 RC sometime. On monday, my computer gave me a black screen with a cursor when I tried to start windows, so I figured this was a good a time as any. XP had been stuffing up for a while too, so I wasn't too sad to see it go, though I might reinstall it on a partition of my old drive (along with linux and possible a version of windows old enough to run dos, but probably not). And I might have to reinstall it anyway, since I might not be willing to pay for the proper version before the shutdowns start in March, and may not find a non-shutdown-y version.

Went through some craziness, what with not being able to access my files on my old HD for a while due to some weird permissions thing going on, and three separate downloads of audio drivers managing to give me errors when installing, but I managed to get through on both fronts :D also, yay windows 7!

I realised today that the year I finished school and the year I started are both palindromes. Kinda cool. I only know one other person who can also say that (it requires you to have graduated in 2002 and to have skipped a year at some point). </nerd>

In the time I spent not having my computer for entertainment, I looked at some old videos I had around, and found one I forgot I had: a concert of the Labeque sisters (pianist sisters), playing in an open-air concert in amsterdam: first the petit suite by debussy, then some west side story transcriptions, then carnival of the animals, with some friends.

I forgot how much I loved that. I was hoping I could find that concert on youtube, but no luck. I may have to find someone with a setup that can capture VCR and turn it digital, because it's kinda special really. Let me explain.

1. Two top class musicians (and later on, their friends) playing wonderful music, in...
2. An open air concert in Amsterday (this appeals to me muchly)
3. The performers are clearly loving every moment, especially Katia, who sings along with some of the Bernstein and flourishes and totally rocks along with the big chords
4. When they do carnival of the animals, they bring out STUFFED TOYS! How many times do you get serious classical musicians doing that?
5. They don't play carnival of the animals even REMOTELY straight, they interpret it the way they think will be the most fun, and it works brilliantly!
6. Katia's really kinda gorgeous... She's about 50 in the concert, and proof that women can age like fine wines too. Also, she made a rock band called "B is for Bang". I just found this out. I sorta love her even more now.

I really don't like the idea of people being notified when I look at their journal, nor do I really care who looks at mine (and really, why would I want people to worry about whether I can see them looking at my journal?). So I turned that option off, but I'd be interested to hear other people's opinions on the matter.

Today I pulled a sickie. I was up 'till 4 last night coughing (and watching movies, since I wasn't able to go to sleep anyway), and though I was a lot better in the morning, I was still pretty shit. Ah well.

I have been arguing on an okcupid forum thread where some people are trying to rationalise their bestiality. It wasn't so much the bestiality that got me annoyed (yeah, it's rape and animal abuse, and frankly, psychologically unhealthy, but it happens and will continue happening), but more the way they argued. Some people seem to think quoting the name of a logical fallacy is all they need to do in arguments. IT makes me want to write a logical fallacy FAQ:

( logical fallacy FAQ )

So anyway... Monday I went to chess and played the new guy that's been beating everyone else. We played two games, in the first he was easily winning, but overlooked a one move checkmate, so I managed a lucky win there. In the second game, we played an extremely close game - I'd say I had the advantage for most of it, but I didn't quite manage to convert that to a win. It was definitely the best draw I'd played. So my semaphore chess champ status is safe for another week. I'll admit he's probably got more skills than me, but I'm more savvy, so it's probably pretty even altogether.

AUCS - I'm taking this concert off. I've already missed a shitton of rehearsals, camp, and my voice still is only maybe 70%.

Last thing - the table tennis team I coach won on Friday 24-0. I was so proud :D There was only really one close game, with my most inconsistent player, but he won his next game easily.

Opera.doc is the word file (though I used open office to write it) where I analyse an extremely famous chess game, the Opera game between Paul Morphy (probably the most dominant chess player ever) and some nobles that bugged into playing a game at a Rossini opera (and because of the what's opera.doc theme I have here, I really hope it was Barber of Seville). He played perfect chess, does some amazing sacrifices and ended with one of the most beautiful and surprising checkmates seen, all in only 17 moves.

I wrote this in the spirit of fun, and with the opera theme, and hopefully simply enough analysis that beginners will understand the game, but with deep enough analysis so that good players won't feel patronised and will find some interest. If you don't know algebraic chess notation, here's a link to help you out. I'd suggest getting out a physical chess board to play this game, but if you don't have one handy, here's a website where you can manipulate the pieces - just click the piece you want to move, then click the square you want to move it to, and for castling, click the king and click the square where the king would end up, two squares over in the direction you're castling.

Hope you like it:

 

This has been on my mind lately.

J was my best friend from the middle of year 10 until the end of first year uni, so for about 3 1/2 years. After that, we caught up very infrequently until late last year when we stopped altogether.

We'd talk about everything. We could catch up just to catch up, not need things to talk about or things to do together, we'd be perfectly happy just sitting in a park talking all day. We used to love each other's company. We were brother and sister basically, and would say so often. We helped each other through our problems (mainly me helping her though, I'd have to say) and told each other absolutely everything. She was my first real best friend.

After first year uni, she very rarely made time for me to catch up. I still wanted to see her of course so I kept trying, but got frustrated very quickly and got angry then gave up. Months later I tried again and we met a few times after that, maybe once or twice per year, but at her 20th birthday I finally realised that there just wasn't any point, I was trying and she wasn't, so I figure that if we meet again, it will be on HER initiative, not mine, because I simply couldn't be bothered. About half a year after that I give another try (with some vitriol to boot aimed at her), I'm not entirely sure why, and we meet up once more for coffee and it is really nice, in fact it's just like the old times.

But after that, well, it's just like before. She'll do the SMS/e-mail/MSN thing of  "Oh my god we haven't caught up for AAAAGES, remind me so we can make a time to meet!" kinda thing over and over and nothing would ever come of it. Eventually I decide, once more, that if we meet again, it will be on her initiative and not mine.

Here is the part that makes me feel weird:

Last year, around september, I get an SMS from her saying that she needs another judge for a tournament of minds thing she's helping to run and would I be able to do it. I instantly erase her phone number from my phone and when I get home I block her from MSN. She never makes time for me, yet now that *she* needs help, she feels no qualms about asking me to help out with my time. I get a happy birthday SMS a few days later on my birthday (I still recognised the number).

And about a month after that, an chain-mail SMS from an unrecognised number that was probably her (by this time I'd forgotten her number and couldn't recognise it anymore) and I simply replied "oh god, not a chain-mail SMS"

And I haven't heard from her since, nor has she heard from me.

I should have been honest with her and told her that I didn't want to stay friends.... I mean, how do you do that? But I should have tried to be honest nonetheless. But as I see it, she treated me no better in all the time she was doing nothing to be friendly and I was trying to be nice, and that thing about asking me to help her when she had barely made any time for me in the last 4 years ticked me right off.

But I still feel guilty. And I miss her as she was when we really were friends.

I hereby declare war on the use of the word "glory" as a verb. I'm looking at you, catholicism. *glare*

It offends my sensibilities.

Heyo!

I done moved to Largs Bay (again). Whoo! 2 weeks earlier than intended, but whatever!

So now I'm within walking distance of the beach again, and best of all, I have access to my piano again! I had access to my mum's piano when I was living at Paradise, but that's a heap of shit, only useful for building up muscles really. For the last half a year I've only been able to use the uni pianos, which are good and all, in fact they're great, but they're not at home. My piano isn't flash or anything, but it's really cute and has a nice enough sound, but a lovely feel to it. It is what I got good at piano on. As soon as I move it to a good spot and tune it, t'will be awesome!

So, anyone want to re-christen my place with me? I still have birthday wine left ;)

What is with the hoodies and pullovers that have really ugly patterns on them that are too small to look kinda funky and chunky, and too big too look like a decent texture, and are usually in a repugnant colour. Did I mention that the pattern is ugly?

So many teenage boys seem to be wearing them.

Yep, we broke up. It was amicable, we're hopefully going to stay friends (no reason not to), it was mutual (though she said the words), and the reasons why are personal to her, so I won't elaborate beyond that it was making both of us upset to the fault of neither of us.

I don't like it, but somewhat of a burden has been lifted from both of us. And I'm sorta excited to be single again, because I've been preparing for this for a few days (like I said, it was mutual, I almost broke up with her yesterday).

So all is good. Check back with me in a day or two, when the sadness usually comes :P

My first serious girlfriend (by my standards anyway, I'm aware that by many people's standards I've never had a serious girlfriend), the only remembrance of her left is that I will probably never get back one of my favourite DVDs, meaning that in my 3 disk collectors edition of Donnie Darko, which is one of those 2-DVD-case-size cardboard thingies with a cool design on it, I have the original theatrical release disk and the Dune DVD, filling in space for the DVD case with the directors cut (which is sooooo much better) and the really rather awesome special features, which will probably never come back to me. And I can't help but be reminded a little not of a failed relationship, but of all the times I tried to be nice to her and got a bite in return, which hurt so much more than the breakup.

I'm seriously considering giving the case and the original release disk contained therein to her, because I don't like seeing it here. So, to storage instead shall it go, unless someone wants to borrow it for as long as they like, or at least, as long as they like unless the miraculous occurs and I get the rest back from her. So if you want to borrow it, let me know.

Sorry to those that wanted me to interview them in the meme, I'm feeling a bit emotionally flat at the moment, so thinking up personal questions that aren't boring to ask people is a bit out of my reach at the moment. I will eventually.

Comment and I will...
1. Tell you why I friended you.
2. Associate you with something - fandom, a song, a colour, a photo, a word etc.
3. Tell you something I like about you.
4. Tell you a memory I have of you.
5. Ask something I've always wanted to know about you.
6. Tell you my favourite user pic of yours.
7. In return, you can post this in your LJ.

(stolen from frankiefan13)

I missed my LJ's 1st birthday! And I'm up with no desire to sleep, but don't have anything to do.

Some memorable times:


If you've heard me called Admiral Queerbait, here's why, from when I was still going out with Clare (it only works when I'm taken). Also, because I dressed up as an admiral earlier this year.


Redefining my (lack of) religion due to keeping mind off stupid break-up crap.


Self-diagnosis as an arrogant prick


Fucking Crazy co-incidences


Post-camp entry. When our little group of insanity cemented ourselves as friends. I love you guys! Lots of comments,


This may be locked to you (custom friends group), so sorry for taunting anyone, I just had to be careful who I told this to. Anyway, it's an important one for my LJ.


The rant to end all rants. Probably the most angry I've felt in my life. And probably the most irrational. But I'm still right.


Probably my best intellectual rant on LJ. A nice break from the emotional rants that I make :P


My two January lists of things that I want in partners that seemed to spawn many other people's remarkably similar lists.


From Wednesday, this awesomely fun flame war with insanitypb  , which I'm sure I'll never forget.

No, dear LJ users, I'm not really angry at insanitypb, nor is she angry at me. It was all a big joke!


Geez guys, I thought I'd made it obvious when I said I wanted her to get an abortion, and when I accused her of sleeping with myself, all my friends, a football team and half of their supporters...

*hugs* sorry everyone, we didn't mean to make you that worried....

So, to set the record straight, yes, Elizabeth and I were having petty little arguments in real life, but only fun ones (like the LJ post said and exaggerated) like teasing her about AUCS, making silly little innuendo - and they were totally all in good fun, and good-natured. We were having such fun on Wednesday that we decided to have an LJ flame-war, and clearly got some people worried. Sorry again.

For the record, she is not pregnant with my baby, not has she slept with my or any football teams or the like. For the record, I think she's a lovely person and a good friend and HEAPS OF FUN!

So, to recap:

1. It was a joke!
2. Sorry if we worried you, especially canadian_kazz, solaris_foxx, tawg and theladylillith (excelisdecays was already in on it)
3. (to Elizabeth) *HUGS!!!* that was probably the most fun I've ever had over the internet :)

I love AUCS. I just love it. And I love all the people in it. I just fucking love it.

AUCS seems to attract the exact right kind of people. Open-minded and musical goes a huge way towards making me all hot and bothered. Crazy also seems to be my thing, sadly, but AUCS provides.

But that doesn't explain how stunning the people in AUCS are. Seriously, it's so strange. I had a look around today, and there are still quite a few really really hot freshers that I didn't even know were in AUCS. And it's not like the freshers are the only pretty people in AUCS... FAR FAR from it!

And strangely enough, AUCS seem to be beautiful in ways to suit my tastes: often, perhaps even most of the time, when I find a really pretty person, I'll have to think that I can see they're attractive, appreciate it and all, but not feel it because they don't appeal to my taste, but not so for AUCS.... not at all.

Also, just this once, I was a good boy today. I really was. Uncustomarily so.

*calms down and goes to bed*

But first, I'm so excited about the idea of being in the semichorus for the V-W mass, and I'm so in love with the Howells!!! It's sexy.

Short update again.

Camp was awesome. Made lots of new friends and got my hair sprayed bright pink in spots. I had the nickname of Spotty Llama added to my more usual one of Admiral Queerbait. I have also decided on my next two revue acts, which may both occur at the same camp... in fact, probably.

Now my hair is more purple, since my hair absorbs all that dares to enter it. apparently when the spray was done, it did a smoky effect within my hair-space. Must have been cool. Photos soon, once I get them off, well, everyone that took them.

Games of "truth or truth" and psychiatrist were enormous fun!

Revue was good, got to sing an awesome armenian motet and accompany eledhwen_20 while she sung George Gershwin! *giggles* and all the other acts were really great.

Downside: Practically no sleep.

Small highlight: I got to take a bass sectional for a while, which was really good.

After I got back from camp, I saw a movie with dimitaw and longlongwaytogo and her friend who I'm 80% certain is called Grant... anyway, it was hey hey, it's Ester Blueberger, and was quite interesting and fun etc. I was dead tired though at the end, and almost fell asleep many times.

Today was flash mob IGM then drinks and pizza and it was awesome, quite a cool bunch of people. Then I played cards at my Grandpa's with him and my brother, which was also great, it had been way too long. Then back hom I watched a rather weird SBS film. And now here I am with nothing else to write, because I have run out of things to write about.

The End (everyone living happily ever after remains to be seen, but is likely in most cases :D )

Easter was HELL - 4 consecutive masses from Thursday to Sunday! But I got to sing the Allegri Miserere, which is awesome, and some other amazing music. Also, the day after those 4 masses, I went to the Godless AGM. I still plan to wear an "have you hugged an atheist today" t-shirt from godless to cathedral choir one day....

Between the CA (clubs association), choir stuff, uni, tutoring, procrastination and sleep, I'm having a hard time finding any time for anything else. Let's not forget that I also took up a position on the Godless committee too. Gah. But it is nice, I helped AUCS get sponsorship and concerts, the CA is starting to function better, etc.

This weekend is camp! CAMP! It'll be like a holiday for me...

On Wednesday, I'm going with frankiefan13 and others to see the other Boleyn girl. It shall be awesome. all welcome that are on my f-list.

I'm also a bit excited about seeing danman80 again soon, it's been a while!

On a sad note, I have to miss a poker game I was going to play in this morning, and I can't find my poker set to bring along to camp, which is likely my dear brother's fault.

Ommmm.... Any questions?

Crap, just forgot I'll have the flashmob AGM on Monday. Which is my mum's birthday. And my grandpa's. But still, FLASHMOOOOOOOOOOOB!

Oh, anyone want to play chess with me? I am good but not a prodigy or something, and I'm looking to have a few games. Either facebook chess app or gameknot.com are good for me, or in person. I'm hoping I can find someone to play chess with me in between singing at the cathedral, I'm sick of reading...

Er, just to keep, um, danman80, insanitypb and solaris_foxx (and probably many more) happy, BOOBS! Gratuitous ones!

P.S. If you enjoy my drunken rants, get me drunk. At the moment, I can't afford it. Tired rants are the best you'll get.

PPS. I hate how I have to edit posts to make them public. I like most of my posts to be public!

I'm alive. I'm happy. A small part of me died on the bus ride home, and as a result, I'm happier.

I am now part of the clubs association executive, and I am (in that capacity) helping the flash mob make a uni club. I love flash mob from my 2 brief experiences. The people are awesome. The things we do are awesome. If you live in adelaide and the idea of doing a (seemingly) spontaneous conga line through the garden of unearthly delights appeals to you, you should ask me about flash mob, 'cos that's what I did Saturday night, and it was awesome.

AUCS is (as always) awesome, we have a huge number of women, many of whom are wonderful eye-candy. And the music ain't bad either - I'm aggressively pursuing a part in the semi-chorus for the Vaughan-Williams mass.. Having some authority is fun too.

I got to sing I was glad yesterday, and I get to sing the Allegri Miserere in easter for cathedral.

Table tennis at uni is in a big lull. I may have to do some advertising for kick-re-starting it.

Doing music and maths together was a very good decision.

My new student ID card looks horrible.

I have a new resolution.

I'm starting to be able to suck less at organ.

Done now - until next time, seeya!

HEY!

In the last few days I've been doing o-week, helping to run the AUCS stall, and it has been lovely fun. At the end of Monday, we had a drunken abuser - he asked whether we sold beer (because the clubs association banner, with coopers sponsorship, was still in our tent. then he asked if he could take one of our CD's, to which I replied "sure, if you give us $15". This is when he asked how we dared try to sell him religious stuff (as if we were actually trying - we were just informing him that it has a price and therefore can't be taken for free). Then it got more stupid.

Yesterday I had my 2nd organ lesson. It's tough, but I'm learning! Then, when I was going to woollies to get paper for AUCS and chocolate for me, and coming back, crossing north terrace, I was waiting at the lights with Lisa (one of Jenn's friends) and James (Jenn's ex/current). I tried to hide from them to avoid an awkward situation, but alas, Lisa saw me and waved, and James saw that and looked over at me.  But the funny thing is, he waved and said "hey, I know you... by face..." and as a million witty (but insanely mean) retorts flew through my head, the situation was saved by the lights going, so I merely said "mhmmm" and walked quickly off in front of them. And I was amused because I don't actually know how much he knows about what Jenn did in their "apart" stint, and I suspect the answer is "very little".

I was half considering finding a time that Jenn wasn't at the SPACED stall and just giving an explanation or something that I had nothing against any of them but I couldn't be friends and resented that fact, but I figured it would be awkward and unnecessary. But it's a shame, I quite liked some of them.

Later on, when I was tutoring my arrogant little student, he was fetching some books and I started wondering around and found that some people were trying to work out a textbook problem (including a teacher) and I saw and told that the diagram was wrong. Not long after, the teacher involved offered to set me up with other students! Then we had AUCS rehearsal, which was SO AWESOME!!! The BBQ was lovely, mixing with the new choristers and all, and rehearsal was lovely, coffee was insanely fun too! If things continue like this, AUCS will just be so awesome this year it isn't funny :)

Today Wilky and I went to unibar to talk to the new people there and we have some seriously awesome ideas about partnerships. We may be doing lots of little concerts there, so yay! And we got free beer!

On my way home, I saw Jenn for pretty much the first time since breaking up. I thought I would freak out at that, but nah. She looked very bored, waiting around while the aforementioned James fucked around with the video-gaming people. Which is something that she had complained about muchly to me even while they were still going out. So she gets a person with all the problems that she broke up with him for, and he gets a person that fucked someone else in their break and probably barely told him about it and is a angry little bitch, while I'm single, happy, awesome and sexier than either of them. SCHADENFREUDE!

Right now I feel very happy and loved and accomplished and... well, good!

Oh, and the just-out-of-highschool people that wear the most atrocious clothes for o-week are hilarious! Not so, the people that have been in uni for ages and have obviously learned nothing about anything. I don't care much about fashion or trends, but I know what looks good, and I know what looks awful (and laugh at it, and sometimes cringe in horror).