The Realm

Abbott and the Lama

2009-12-03T13:32:25Z

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/03/2761321.htm

Whoa, I'm very surprised. The first thing Abbott does* and... I approve of it? How can this be?!

(Not including voting down ETS, which I also approved of).

That's 2/2. I'm shocked. I hate this guy, why is he doing good things :\
Maybe the Liberals won't be as bad as I imagined.

Politics

2009-12-01T05:11:01Z

zOMG! Tony Abbott??!!

Sigh. And why is the media so happy?!

I guess they want a Rudd v Howard rematch.

And so the liberals return to conservatives. Does this mean that idiot Minchin will stick around? Grr. And everyone was so happy about his resignation too.

The End

2009-11-19T13:19:59Z

Relationship now over :( Saw it coming for a while now, but still sad that it's over. It was great fun while it lasted :)

The weather

2009-10-31T05:41:46Z

26 degrees my arse! It's at least 30, I swear.

Summer

2009-10-19T10:28:57Z

Winter is all snuggly and comfy, with jumpers and heaters. But tonight it was nice to be able to go out in a t-shirt to the gym. I forgot that I liked summer too.

eviltom @ 2009-09-26T01:21:00

2009-09-25T15:22:37Z

Blah, so very blah. Apathetic, pathetic, run out of willpower, no energy, no life. Not even thinking about exams which I have to cram for in 2 weeks.

Anecdotal

2009-09-08T04:22:11Z

I was in the computer lab today at Deakin and overheard part of a conversation.
Two guys were playing the Akinator game, where you try and make the computer guess which famous figure you're thinking of.

Guy 1: "Hey do Julia Gillard"
Guy 2: "Who's that?"
Guy 1: "The.. whats it called.. leader of the Opposition."
Guy 2: "Oh the ranga?"
Guy 1: "Yeah.. the next in line."

Sure, Gillard's proper title is hard to remember, but I feel sorry for Turnbull.

Magic Cards

2009-08-24T06:41:45Z

"we felt the world of Zendikar needed traps. (And yes, you can expect to see a number of Traps in Zendikar.)"
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/53
Unfortunately not the delicious kind.

Exam Timetables

2009-08-24T05:53:48Z

Hooray for a great exam timetable!

No exams in the first week, and then Competition Law (60% exam) on the Monday in the second week, then dreaded Tax law on the Thursday (100% exam), then my arts subject Terrorism on the Friday (around 30%-40% only).

That's awesome because they're spaced out, and it means I get an imprmptu swot-vac, which I wouldn't otherwise get because of Deakin's new trimester system.

But still, I need to start studying ;-;

Today

2009-08-13T14:38:30Z

I traded in Street Fighter 4 at GAME towards Batman Arkham Asylum Collector's Edition pre-order.

Hurry up and fix my Xbox, Microsoft! Stupid RROD >.<

Video Piracy in 1979

2009-07-16T02:30:40Z

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2009/07/video-piracy-was-big-business-in-1979/

If You know anything at all about piracy in the modern day, or you've ever downloaded an mp3/tv show/movie, you should watch this.

CRAMCRAMCRAM

2009-06-16T08:39:50Z

LAST EXAM TOMORROW! (For trimester 1, anyway)

Still gotta crap 3 more weeks worth of law. Argh.

In other news, I want to buy a bean bag. Any recommendations?

What is wrong with the world? Answer: So very much.

2009-06-15T14:34:27Z

Green Dam it: Chinese software blocks Garfield

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/15/2598999.htm

The Government says it will force manufacturers to install software called Green Dam Youth Escort in all new computers that go on sale in China. Officials say it is designed to filter pornography and violence, but internet users testing the software have found that it blocks photos of babies, pigs and even the cartoon cat Garfield.
- Yep that's overblocking, a standard problem inherent to censorship filtering.

Free speech advocates argue the software can be used to block activist groups and those the government deemed to be undesirable influences.
- No way! Free speech advocates in China? I'm genuinely surprised. Why haven't they been rounded up and shot yet?

Rebecca Mackinnon from Hong Kong University says the ranks of people opposed to the software get bigger every day.

"I imagine the Chinese Government probably is caught by surprise at the outpouring of outrage and indignation over having mandatory software being foisted upon all computer users in China," she said.
- Surprise that the Chinese people have any free will left in them. The secret police have been dragging their collective arse! Then again, education is to blame too; not enough patriotic brainwashing. FREEDOM IS BAD. LOVE MAO. LOVE CHINA. THIS IS 1984.

Government spokesman Qing Gang told a Foreign Ministry press conference that the internet in China was open and that officials are "actively devoted" to promoting the healthy development of the internet.

But he went on the offensive when asked about the new filtering software.

"Do you have a child?" he asked reporters.

"If you have a child or you are expecting a child in the future, I think you would understand the worry and concern of parents over the spread of harmful content on the internet."

- Ah, it would seem that Qing Gang has been taking lessons from our Australian minister for Broadband Stephen Conroy! If you're against the internet filter then you're a child pornographer!

I'm so glad we live in a Western Democracy, full of freedoms and liberty.
PSYKE!

China and Australia will grow close under Comrade Rudd. Welcome to 1984.

nocleanfeed.com/

The Cheerleader

2009-03-29T09:46:41Z

OMgomgomgomg I got to ask Hayden Panettiere a question at the Q&A and they were like "We're out of time for questions... we'll do one more" and everyone put their hands up and I put my hand up really high and they picked me and I was like omgomg!!!!!YAY!

I'm back

2009-02-24T04:59:04Z

Back from Japan now. I'm pretty tired. Photos have been going up on my MySpace page if you missed that. CBF doing a post or anything at this point in time, but thanks to those who offered advice and such.
Extra-big thankyou to A-chan for the Sweetness Paradise tip, that place is awesome! I wish we had one here.

PS. Customs wanted to check out my 'magazines' (hentai lol) >.> grr baggage check.

Summary

2009-02-12T23:36:37Z

So I've been lazy and haven't really posted.

Tokyo is a pretty cool place. In a lot of ways it's very different to Melbourne, but it's also similar in a few ways.
Tokyo is really a bunch of cities lumbped together rather than one big city.The rail network that bridges them is complex but excellent. It is, like everything else, expensive.
It's still a modern city though, bu it is a lot more convenient than Melbourne. The vending machines really are everywhere (but you get better value from a convenience store).

I've spnt most of my shopping time in various anime & doujinshi stores, especially Mandarake (but also a little in Tora no Ana). I checked out Animate yesterday too. Mandarake is the best so far.

On day 1 - the flights were fine, but we got stuck in QLD airport for age while they organized documents apparently :\ plane left late so we got in late. Once we got to Narita we were excited to be off the plane but it wasn't until we got off the subway system about 2 hours later that we were realy in Japan. By then it wasy super late, so we grabbed some nearby food and went to bed.

Day 2 I got up early, explored the surrounding area, got breakfast, then we headed to Shinjuku for lotsa anime shopping. Spent the day exploring around there mostly.

Day 3 we went to Nakano, and I bought lots of manga/DJ. I hope I can fit it into the weight limit of the suitcase. Nakano is a lot quieter in general, but the Broadway Center was quite busy. It also had a high concentration of anime shops which was good.
Yesterday we went to Shinjuku briefly, then shibuya for the rest of the day. Dinner was awesome, we went to the Lockup restaurant. Go here to have a look http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g528910/
It was expensive but realllly good and heaps of fun.
After that we went for drinks at a pretty cool little bar that was playing SOAD, Death Note, Slipknot and other cool music. At 11.30 we headed back home to sleep.

Pictures have been going up on my Myspace site still.

Today is Akihabara! Then tomorrow: Kyoto by shinkansen!

Rundown

2009-02-12T02:44:08Z

Monday - spent day on planes then trains. Got in late.
Tuesday - Went shopping all around Shinjuku
Wednesday - went shopping in Nakano at the Broadway Center, bought a whole heap o manga & doujinshi.

Today we're going to Shibuya. Oops slept in a bit >.>

Flickr Sucks

2009-02-10T16:10:27Z

As if I'm going to pay for a full flickr memberhip to upload photos. Photos are going on MySpace now.
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=96500890&albumId=2615618I'll do a journal entry in the morning updating the last two days. Too tired now.

Tullamarine - Melbourne Airport

2009-02-08T17:02:37Z

Free internet! Despite there being paid internet too. Thank-you Telstra! I'll have to give this one to Peter & Sam.

We got here way too early (3am), we weren't able to get our boarding passes till about 3.40. Rees-Lee's had a misspelling that wouldn't allow him to collect his LOL

So this is the first post of my Japan trip, hooray!

Staff are just starting to roll up. They're making annoying noises with the metal detector!

I've taken 3 photos so far, I think I shall upload them to flickr at some point. Maybe soon if nothing continues to happen.

Thre's been a lot of preparations up till this point, this shall be a fun and exciting trip ^^

EDIT: Photos will all go in here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/95377352@N00/sets/72157613481486511/

JAPAN!

2009-02-05T05:44:28Z

I leave Monday! Woo!!!

I'm going to Tokyo, then taking the shinkansen to Kyoto, then regular train to Osaka (then back to Tokyo) over 2 weeks ^__^

Today I bought my yens, and everything is organized (except for finding a bloody 3-pronged earthed Australian to Japanese power adapter, they're all 2 pronged, where the fuck do I find a three-pronged one :S).

This is the audience pariticpation part! Suggest places for me to go, or things to do!

Also, where are the best places to buy hentai and yao- I mean doujinshi? ;3

Comment away, my otaku friends!

Japans

2008-11-19T15:38:14Z

Can anyone recommend cheap Tokyo accommodation? Please ask around for me if you can. $100 per night is roughly my cap.

E-Games 08

2008-11-16T09:05:30Z

E-games today was pretty fun. I spent the last 3 days working on my costume, which involved visiting op-shops, spotlight, building the weapon and painting blood all over everything. Unfortunately only a couple of people knew who I was.. more people need to play Bioshock!

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out :D
And..

Hehe

I lol'ed :DI didn't take many pics, but you can see them all over at: www.flickr.com/photos/95377352@N00/sets/72157609183508415/ (along with pics of the other cosplayers)
That reminds me, I still haven't uploaded Armageddon photos. Must do that.
Cosplay contest was done well even though it was done by Animavericks - they didn't really actually have anything to do with running it though. Anyway that was good.

I played a few games of RA3, I beat 2 noobs in 2vs1 then got my arse kicked by a friend who has played more than me :P

I bought some $50 Sennheiser headphones too, which I'm listening to at the moment :D

*yawn* I'm tired.

WOOHOO!

2008-11-12T02:42:31Z

EXAMS ARE OVER!
WHEN I GOT HOME, RED ALERT 3 HAD ARRIVED! AWESOME TIMING AUSTRALIA POST!

AND THERE WAS AN EMAIL FROM "COMMBANK" IN MY INBOX TELLING ME I HAD ACCIDENTALLY RECEIVED A LARGE SUM OF MONEY, PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK TO LOG IN AND FIX IT HAHAHAHA <reported to CBA>

GAMING BINGE START! :D:D:D:D

Oh God

2008-11-08T07:58:37Z

I despise politicians using religion to gain votes.
However, this latest news story surprised me:
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/08/2414281.htm
I didn't think I'd like Turnbull, but he's turning out to be quite a champ.
Rather than preaching to the choir, he actually defended libertarian rights - in front of a bunch of homophobic fundamentalists no less. I'm very impressed.
So lately I've been in full support of Turny. If/when he takes a firm stance against internet censorship, he'll be my idol in politics.

Of course they have to have that throwaway line right at the end there, "Rudd has also politicised his christianity" - well fuck that. Rudd has proven himself to be a total dudd, the sooner he's gone, the better. I for one will be welcoming the Liberal Party back into power (if they keep up this awesome work).

In other news, last exam on Wednesday, yay!

Hooray!

2008-11-05T03:45:45Z

One exam down, two to go!
But my next one is tomorrow, not much time to prepare >.>
At least I have a week till the last one.