My tickets have just been purchased for the special preview screening on Wednesday 18th of May... I get to see it before anyone else!
Nyah haah!
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Daneeka - Reassuring Physician
Decipher - The Art of Great Games
Yay yay yay!
One of the weak spots in my deck is that my big-ass Mission requires Biology, and I have to have both by Enterprises in orbit when I complete it in order to score all the bonus points I need to complete my 2-Mission win.
Although I have a number of tricks in place to get my Enterprises out quickly, I'm a little thin on the ground when it comes to Biology. Besides which, my tricks don't always work.
Dr. Daneeka here, from the new Strange New Worlds expansion, has Biology and scores me an additional 5 bonus points for completing the Mission.
This means I can manage without having the Enterprise E in orbit and still pull off my 2-Mission win! Redundancy redundancy redundancy.
To quote the immortal Nortan - "I am the win!"
Monday, May 09, 2005
What is the Matrix?
Throughout my adult life, I’ve had a problem when it comes to women. I suspect it has something to do with the fact that I was raised with three older sisters, but I haven’t really analysed it enough to figure out what caused it.
The problem is that I have a tendency to let them walk all over me. It’s been a real issue for me… if a woman asks me to do something I will almost certainly do it.
In my early adulthood it wasn’t much of a problem, but once I became involved in my first serious relationship it really started to get in the way. As a full-time student I was working two part-time jobs to support my girlfriend (who was not a student, and had only one part-time job). I was paying her rent, her air-time, buying her food and lots more. And at the same time I was putting up with more hassles from her than most guys would be prepared to deal with. But she was a woman, and she needed my help, so that was what I gave her.
I don’t think she mischievously took advantage of me, she just realised she could get away with it, so after a while she started taking me for granted. A normal reaction for just about anyone.
After we broke up I continued to find myself in situations where I was being taken advantage of. Again, I don’t believe it was malicious, or even intentional… women in my life soon found out that I would be prepared to do just about anything for them, so they started to rely on me doing just that.
On occasion I would become frustrated with myself for being so weak-willed, and even get angry with the women who were using me… but I’m not the sort to hold a grudge. And all any of them ever had to do was flash me a smile or a “You’re a star!” and all would be forgiven.
Although I have improved on that a lot, especially this year, I find myself in that situation once again.
My regular readers will be aware of the on-again/off-again nature of my relationship with Lily over the last few months. As much as it hurts every time I get kicked to the curb, the fact is it’s my own fault for letting her get away with it.
Case in point. Last Wednesday night she called me… out of the blue. She was terribly amorous and made all kinds of promises and guarantees that this time it would work. The following morning she changed her mind. I was furious, and I let her know it.
But on Friday night she called me again, once again being terribly amorous… practically begging to see me. I caved and visited her on Saturday evening. We had a nice time. This morning I got the, now familiar, break-up schpiel about how she’s not ready for a relationship blah blah blah.
Whose fault was it? Mine. I let her do it. So, although I’m grateful for the support I’ve been shown by some of you guys, I don’t deserve it… because I am to blame.
But this is it now. To quote Jean-Luc Picard “The Line must be drawn here! This far, no further!”
I’ve taken steps to ensure that I won’t even be tempted to hear her plea the next time she has a moment of weakness. I wish it weren’t necessary, but I feel the time has come that the Lily Chapter of my life is brought to a close.
Perhaps I will learn my lesson and not let myself get suckered into servitude again. Time will tell.
The problem is that I have a tendency to let them walk all over me. It’s been a real issue for me… if a woman asks me to do something I will almost certainly do it.
In my early adulthood it wasn’t much of a problem, but once I became involved in my first serious relationship it really started to get in the way. As a full-time student I was working two part-time jobs to support my girlfriend (who was not a student, and had only one part-time job). I was paying her rent, her air-time, buying her food and lots more. And at the same time I was putting up with more hassles from her than most guys would be prepared to deal with. But she was a woman, and she needed my help, so that was what I gave her.
I don’t think she mischievously took advantage of me, she just realised she could get away with it, so after a while she started taking me for granted. A normal reaction for just about anyone.
After we broke up I continued to find myself in situations where I was being taken advantage of. Again, I don’t believe it was malicious, or even intentional… women in my life soon found out that I would be prepared to do just about anything for them, so they started to rely on me doing just that.
On occasion I would become frustrated with myself for being so weak-willed, and even get angry with the women who were using me… but I’m not the sort to hold a grudge. And all any of them ever had to do was flash me a smile or a “You’re a star!” and all would be forgiven.
Although I have improved on that a lot, especially this year, I find myself in that situation once again.
My regular readers will be aware of the on-again/off-again nature of my relationship with Lily over the last few months. As much as it hurts every time I get kicked to the curb, the fact is it’s my own fault for letting her get away with it.
Case in point. Last Wednesday night she called me… out of the blue. She was terribly amorous and made all kinds of promises and guarantees that this time it would work. The following morning she changed her mind. I was furious, and I let her know it.
But on Friday night she called me again, once again being terribly amorous… practically begging to see me. I caved and visited her on Saturday evening. We had a nice time. This morning I got the, now familiar, break-up schpiel about how she’s not ready for a relationship blah blah blah.
Whose fault was it? Mine. I let her do it. So, although I’m grateful for the support I’ve been shown by some of you guys, I don’t deserve it… because I am to blame.
But this is it now. To quote Jean-Luc Picard “The Line must be drawn here! This far, no further!”
I’ve taken steps to ensure that I won’t even be tempted to hear her plea the next time she has a moment of weakness. I wish it weren’t necessary, but I feel the time has come that the Lily Chapter of my life is brought to a close.
Perhaps I will learn my lesson and not let myself get suckered into servitude again. Time will tell.
SitchinIsWrong
SitchinIsWrong
Cool!
What I find quite amusing is that even though this guy has a PhD in Hebrew Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages (which presumably would suggest that he is a rational sort of person) he sustains a keen interest in "ufology" - the pseudoscientific study of unidentified flying objects, along with all sorts of magical aliens and mysterious coverup conspiracies.
In other words, the way I see it, he is the kind of person who would be disposed to embracing theories like Sitchin's.
And yet he is still able to see with as much ease as I have that Sitchin is a fraud and a liar... or at the very least self-deluded.
It seems that all it takes is a modicum of knowledge about any of the subjects Sitchin claims to be an expert in in order to see how wrong he is.
Cool!
What I find quite amusing is that even though this guy has a PhD in Hebrew Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages (which presumably would suggest that he is a rational sort of person) he sustains a keen interest in "ufology" - the pseudoscientific study of unidentified flying objects, along with all sorts of magical aliens and mysterious coverup conspiracies.
In other words, the way I see it, he is the kind of person who would be disposed to embracing theories like Sitchin's.
And yet he is still able to see with as much ease as I have that Sitchin is a fraud and a liar... or at the very least self-deluded.
It seems that all it takes is a modicum of knowledge about any of the subjects Sitchin claims to be an expert in in order to see how wrong he is.
PUDDLE OF MUDD - SHE HATES ME LYRICS
PUDDLE OF MUDD - SHE HATES ME LYRICS
Another song I've been listening to in the last hour or so... equally apt.
Another song I've been listening to in the last hour or so... equally apt.
Du Hast - Rammstein
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du hast mich...
Du hast mich gefragt...
Du hast mich gefragt...
Du hast mich gefragt und ich hab nichts gesagt.
Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheide,
Treu ihr sein für alle Tage?
Nein!
Nein!
Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheide,
Treu ihr sein für alle Tage?
Nein!
Nein!
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du hast mich...
Du hast mich gefragt...
Du hast mich gefragt...
Du hast mich gefragt und ich hab nichts gesagt.
Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheide,
Treu ihr sein für alle Tage?
Nein!
Nein!
Willst du, bis zum Tod euch scheide,
Sie lieben auch in schlechten Tagen?
Nein!
Nein!
Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheide,
Treu ihr sein....?
Nein!
Nein!
I've been listening to this a song a lot this weekend. Seems very appropriate.
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du hast mich...
Du hast mich gefragt...
Du hast mich gefragt...
Du hast mich gefragt und ich hab nichts gesagt.
Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheide,
Treu ihr sein für alle Tage?
Nein!
Nein!
Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheide,
Treu ihr sein für alle Tage?
Nein!
Nein!
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du...
Du hast...
Du hast mich...
Du hast mich...
Du hast mich gefragt...
Du hast mich gefragt...
Du hast mich gefragt und ich hab nichts gesagt.
Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheide,
Treu ihr sein für alle Tage?
Nein!
Nein!
Willst du, bis zum Tod euch scheide,
Sie lieben auch in schlechten Tagen?
Nein!
Nein!
Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheide,
Treu ihr sein....?
Nein!
Nein!
I've been listening to this a song a lot this weekend. Seems very appropriate.
Friday, May 06, 2005
Confessions of Miss X@Everything2.com
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1720067
Wow. Words beyond that elude me.
(Sorry to disappoint, it's not pron or anything)
Wow. Words beyond that elude me.
(Sorry to disappoint, it's not pron or anything)
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Consumer Culture
I’ve decided there’s no point sitting around waiting for my life to change, so I’m being a little pro-active. One of the steps I’ve taken is to try and cheer myself up by beginning a search for a possible new relationship… the first and easiest place to look is online dating sites. My personal favourite is www.datingbuzz.co.za a local service. It’s quite popular.
I have many issues with how the site works, but I use it anyway. I may deal with those in another post, but something new just occurred to me.
When looking at buying something expensive, like a car, computer or cell phone, I’m the sort of person who will scour the web and check every specification of it. I’ll compare it carefully with other products of a similar class and pick the one that best suits my needs.
I realised today that in browsing the dating site I’m doing the same thing with women. There’s a copious amount of personal information on each person’s profile… from physical appearance to turn-ons and turn-offs. All that data essentially amounts to a set of specifications.
While it appeals to my geekish mind to be able to evaluate that information before making contact, I can’t escape the feeling that is removes a lot of the mystery.
Most of the fun of the dating process lies in getting to know the other person… learning about their family, their pets, their tastes and sense of humour; tasting their cooking; watching each other’s favourite movies.
There are many little Discovery Moments ™ that are eliminated because you are expecting them. If you have the break-down beforehand, things like seeing her wearing glasses for the first time, finding a hidden tattoo or hearing her launch into a conversation with a stranger in fluent Spanish won’t surprise you at all. I quite like surprises.
With my lifestyle it’s not easy to meet new people, so Internet dating sites seem the logical solution. But are they really worth it?
I have many issues with how the site works, but I use it anyway. I may deal with those in another post, but something new just occurred to me.
When looking at buying something expensive, like a car, computer or cell phone, I’m the sort of person who will scour the web and check every specification of it. I’ll compare it carefully with other products of a similar class and pick the one that best suits my needs.
I realised today that in browsing the dating site I’m doing the same thing with women. There’s a copious amount of personal information on each person’s profile… from physical appearance to turn-ons and turn-offs. All that data essentially amounts to a set of specifications.
While it appeals to my geekish mind to be able to evaluate that information before making contact, I can’t escape the feeling that is removes a lot of the mystery.
Most of the fun of the dating process lies in getting to know the other person… learning about their family, their pets, their tastes and sense of humour; tasting their cooking; watching each other’s favourite movies.
There are many little Discovery Moments ™ that are eliminated because you are expecting them. If you have the break-down beforehand, things like seeing her wearing glasses for the first time, finding a hidden tattoo or hearing her launch into a conversation with a stranger in fluent Spanish won’t surprise you at all. I quite like surprises.
With my lifestyle it’s not easy to meet new people, so Internet dating sites seem the logical solution. But are they really worth it?
Faith - George Michael
Yeah, I know GM is a big, fat loser... but I doubt he actually wrote this song himself.
Well I guess it would be nice
If I could touch your body
I know not everybody
Has got a body like you
But I've got to think twice
Before I give my heart away
And I know all the games you play
Because I play them too
Oh but I
Need some time off from that emotion
Time to pick my heart up off the floor
And when that love comes down
Without devotion
Well it takes a strong man baby
But I'm showing you the door
'Cause I gotta have faith...
BabyI know you're asking me to stay
Say please, please, please, don't go away
You say I'm giving you the blues
Maybe you mean every word you say
Can't help but think of yesterday
And another who tied me down to loverboy rules
Before this river
Becomes an ocean
Before you throw my heart back on the floor
Oh baby I reconsider
My foolish notion
Well I need someone to hold me
But I'll wait for something more
Yes I've gotta have faith...
Yeah, well, there it is.
Well I guess it would be nice
If I could touch your body
I know not everybody
Has got a body like you
But I've got to think twice
Before I give my heart away
And I know all the games you play
Because I play them too
Oh but I
Need some time off from that emotion
Time to pick my heart up off the floor
And when that love comes down
Without devotion
Well it takes a strong man baby
But I'm showing you the door
'Cause I gotta have faith...
BabyI know you're asking me to stay
Say please, please, please, don't go away
You say I'm giving you the blues
Maybe you mean every word you say
Can't help but think of yesterday
And another who tied me down to loverboy rules
Before this river
Becomes an ocean
Before you throw my heart back on the floor
Oh baby I reconsider
My foolish notion
Well I need someone to hold me
But I'll wait for something more
Yes I've gotta have faith...
Yeah, well, there it is.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
The curse strikes again
Out of the last five companies I worked for, four went under.
The only one that didn’t was the one I was with immediately before I came to the one I’m with now… and even they were showing signs of trouble when I left.
I don’t really believe in curses, but it’s a remarkable coincidence that this keeps happening to me, and it now seems to be happening again.
Today we got an email from the Powers That Be informing us that our division is undergoing some financial difficulties, that we won’t be getting increases or bonuses and that we are all to undergo a performance review (the thinly veiled point of which is to determine who will stay and who will go).
Why does this keep happening to me?
More to the point, what am I supposed to do now?
Truth is I don’t particularly enjoy my job. We have a team of good people who I like to work with, but the actual work isn’t interesting to me. Supply chain management systems might be fun to some people, but not to me.
The only reason I’m in this job is because I believed that working for a multi-national corporate would ensure me a certain degree of job security… even if only for a couple of years… long enough for me to develop a name, establish some contacts as well as get life’s little necessities going, like buying property. Now it seems that security is anything but certain. I have to ask myself why I’ve wasted the last year of my life doing something I don’t even like?
I feel like I should sue them for failure to live up to my expectations.
It’s yet another blow to my sense of security. Only a couple of months ago I was feeling very content… I had a stable job, a comfortable home, a blossoming relationship. Now my job is in jeopardy, my home situation is uncertain and I have no relationship whatsoever.
I have no base, no net, no support structure. I feel like I’m standing atop a house of cards that is being systematically disassembled from the bottom up.
The only one that didn’t was the one I was with immediately before I came to the one I’m with now… and even they were showing signs of trouble when I left.
I don’t really believe in curses, but it’s a remarkable coincidence that this keeps happening to me, and it now seems to be happening again.
Today we got an email from the Powers That Be informing us that our division is undergoing some financial difficulties, that we won’t be getting increases or bonuses and that we are all to undergo a performance review (the thinly veiled point of which is to determine who will stay and who will go).
Why does this keep happening to me?
More to the point, what am I supposed to do now?
Truth is I don’t particularly enjoy my job. We have a team of good people who I like to work with, but the actual work isn’t interesting to me. Supply chain management systems might be fun to some people, but not to me.
The only reason I’m in this job is because I believed that working for a multi-national corporate would ensure me a certain degree of job security… even if only for a couple of years… long enough for me to develop a name, establish some contacts as well as get life’s little necessities going, like buying property. Now it seems that security is anything but certain. I have to ask myself why I’ve wasted the last year of my life doing something I don’t even like?
I feel like I should sue them for failure to live up to my expectations.
It’s yet another blow to my sense of security. Only a couple of months ago I was feeling very content… I had a stable job, a comfortable home, a blossoming relationship. Now my job is in jeopardy, my home situation is uncertain and I have no relationship whatsoever.
I have no base, no net, no support structure. I feel like I’m standing atop a house of cards that is being systematically disassembled from the bottom up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)