I would watch this. Actually I'm almost tempted to write it.

Oh and re my previous post? The Soft Kitty came back into stock and I ordered it and the plush Enterprise. Yesss! [rubs hands]

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Current Mood: dorky

First of all, today (Friday) is the birthday of Buzz Aldrin, Tom Baker, and DeForest Kelley (making it two doctors, no, three since astrogirl2 tells me Buzz Aldrin has a PhD). Many more good years for two of them anyway!

And here are two geeky plushies from thinkGeek which I rather fancy. Why yes, I've put my email in to be notified of when the first one is available again.

A soft kitty that sings the Soft Kitty song (from The Big Bang Theory)
A plush Enterprise which will go with my plush Kirk and Spock :-)

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I enjoyed Sherlock despite having a couple of issues.
( Spoilers )
That aside though, it was a vastly entertaining ride and I love the musical score. I look forward to the next two.

I also saw Tintin and enjoyed it a lot. Of course it was in 2D for me (since Greg can't see 3D and let me tell you, it was hard to find an evening 2D session). I liked that it diverged from the canon story because and added elements from other stories as then I didn't know what would happen next. I kept wanting to go back and watch bits again so I'll be buying the DVD. (And in other news on that score, we will be getting Blu-Ray capability in this house soon.) BTW that cat? Was so very Jasmin.

We also started watching Person of Interest, mainly because of Michael Emerson's presence in it. I rather like it; I'd rather see murders prevented than solved.

Last night we caught Eternal Law, a new British comedy-drama about angelic lawyers. Yes, lawyers who are also angels (not only a contradiction in terms, but I'd have thought a very limited way of helping people, but hey). I'm not too sure about this one yet but I figured that the British wouldn't get too soppy about the concept and they didn't. Plus, Samuel West! And Ukweli Roach is rather gorgeous and convincingly naive.

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I wrote pitifully little in 2011 but I read about 80 books. I can only list 69 of them here because almost all came from the library and my on-line reading history isn't complete (for the first time ever): several just say "no information available". I have no idea what's missing. The Patrick O'Brian books I own, the entire collection bought second-hand, and I just inserted those at intervals.

I've bolded the ones I liked best, but really, I enjoyed all of them but one which I stopped reading fairly early on and therefore deleted from the list. I doubt I'll read as many this year I now have a Proper Job, but it's a good trade-off.

Feel free to ask me about any. :-)

( List of books )

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Current Mood: relaxed

It's 2012 here but the only fireworks are in my icon because the rain clouds are too low.



We do have champagne though, so cheers!

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Current Mood: cheerful

It is new year's eve here which means that Sherlock is only a couple of days away so now might be the time to reveal a theory I have.

( Pure speculation )

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Current Mood: seculative

Awww, two of the Itty-Bitty-Kitty Committee kittens have been adopted by Vorkosigan fans: they named them Miles and Cordelia. :-D

Which reminds me of two people I met at Greg's work end-of-year dinner. They have a dog called Ziva and were delighted that I recognised the name and told me that they were exercising her in the park when someone with a dog called Abby heard them calling her and came up to introduce themselves.

And then there were Bodie and Doyle, the terriers I met at the vet's a while back.

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Current Mood: enchanted by the cute

Congratulations to all of you others who knew answers, and to astrogirl2 who got 7/10.

I'm surprised no one got #8 though. The name stuck for me because they named the computer that as Sigourney Weaver was doing the voice and that was the name of the computer on the Nostromo in Alien.

( The questions )The answers

1. Joe—first published in the March 1946 issue of Astounding Science Fiction.
   
2. Dr Chandra—this was from the film 2010.
   
3. Hari Seldon—in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series.
   
4. Zen—there was also a portable AI with attitude called Orac. The computer on Scorpio was called Slave.
   
5. The Ultimate Computer, written by D C Fontana, episode #53, in season two.
   
6. Hex, created by Ponder Stibbons and some student Wizards in the High Energy Magic building, first appearing in the novel Soul Music.
   
7. The Tomorrow People which first ran between 1973 and 1979.
   
8. Mother, voiced by Sigourney Weaver.
   
9. Earthsearch, written by James Follett, and first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between January and March 1981.
   
10. Mr Smith, at his core a Xylok, a member of a crystalline race which crashed to Earth as a meteorite some 60 million years ago.

kernezelda

First up, have a look at what a 5Mb flash drive looked like in 1956. :-) Greg calculated it could store the equivalent of 63,000 punched cards.

And now, for anyone casting about for a challenge during their time off, a quiz about fictional computers which I nicked from a local SF magazine. I will publish the answers in a day or two. No cheating and looking answers up! I will confess that I only knew five.

Quiz: Computers in SF

1. In one of the earliest fictional descriptions of a device analogous to a personal computer, in a 1946 short story by Murray Leinster, it was called a 'Logic'. What was its name?
   
2. Who programmed the Hal-9000?
   
3. Who designed a computer-like device called the Prime Radiant to store the psychohistorical equations determining the future development of humanity?
   
4. What was the name of the Liberator’s computer in Blake’s 7?
   
5. Which original series Star Trek episode featured an experimental computer designated M5?
   
6. What is the name of the magically powered and self-building computer housed at the Unseen University?
   
7. In which TV series was a biotech computer named TIM a major character?
   
8. What was the name of the ship computer of the Axiom in WALL-E?
   
9. ANGEL 1 and ANGEL 2, the Ancillary Guardians of Environment and Life, are the control computers of the starship Challenger in which radio series?
   
10. What is the name of the extraterrestrial computer installed in the attic of Sarah Jane Smith's home in The Sarah Jane Adventures?

A power company here has been running a series of ads in their "same power, different attitude" campaign in which despots, pols and generally bad people are depicted as AU versions of themselves in a better, kinder world.

The first one I saw was a peacenik Nixon with afro on the local bus stop, and I have to say it worked: I was intrigued as I drive by, enough to find out who the company was. Over this year they've also done:

• Kim Il Jong (now of overtly lamented memory) doing a fund-raising sausage sizzle for a school
  
• Saddam Hussein collecting for refugees
  
• Rupert Murdoch (I think) as a gentle Hindu
  
• Richard Nixon giving the peace sign (I couldn't find one online with the ad copy)

Our department had a champagne breakfast this morning followed an hour later by mince pies, lolly cake, chocolate brownies, and liqueur chocolates with more champagne! When I got back to my desk after that our department all had huge tinned plum puddings from our manager. I think I'll keep mine till winter. We finished at noon and not much work actually got done.

Then I came home feeling mellow and ready to relax and do as little as poss with seven library books stacked up ready to read.

So far so good.

My sister (you remember, the nutty one who has all sorts of bizarre obsessions like magic water) is going to India for two weeks to volunteer in an orphanage with five other people. No, I can't see just what they'd do to help in just two weeks, but what do I know? She wants to come up tomorrow to buy some cotton Indian clothes to wear till she can buy something there. She wants me to go shopping with her but I have several days of reading and knitting and chilling out planned and besides, it's embarrassing just being with her. I know what she'll do: tell all the shopkeepers she comes across her life story and just why she's going to India. Oy. You need a fish slice to fit a word in edgeways.

Anyway I've managed to talk her out of schlepping me along and reduced the contact to lunch out so I might escape the sister-induced migraine.

So far fairly good.

However there have been two more big earthquakes in Christchurch (probably with loads of people out shopping too) and Greg's on the phone to family about it. His mother got "thrown around a bit" but she's OK and, as ever, unwilling to leave her house in the red (demolition) zone. The latest is that there are no fatalities but some injuries. Those poor people down there; a lot of them just can't take the stress any more and are moving out. I heard a woman who won a CD on the radio this morning saying how lovely the weather was down there. And now this. :-(

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Current Mood: anxious

I haven't posted much lately. I've been feeling a bit tired, probably a combination of extremely changeable weather (hot, cold, wet, dry--sometimes all in one day like today), learning a new job, end-of-year rush to get things finished at work before we close down for two weeks, various social outings.

There are various things I've been meaning to post about and just haven't got round to, so here's a brief catch-up.

( Various recent things )

I will just add: LJ, what the hell were you thinking? Is the whole idea of customer service completely alien to you?

Oh and Hanukkah sameach to those who celebrate it! [has eaten three doughnuts tonight]

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Current Mood: tired

It appears that NZ Post no longer delivers parcels. This is the second time in a month they've left a card at my door to say that I have to pick up a parcel at the depot--and their hours are the very friendly 6am to noon. They also say that any parcel uncollected after a week gets returned to the sender.

WTH? The whole idea of a postal service is, I'd have thought, to you know, actually deliver the stuff. They're going to get a rollicking from me tomorrow morning, I tell ya. It's enough to put me right off ordering clothes etc online, my preferred method of shopping. I'd have had the thing delivered to work but they're closing down for two weeks on Friday and I didn't want to risk it.

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Current Mood: furious

In the news today: a seal pup wandered into a home via the cat door and made itself at home on the couch, not at all fazed by the resident cats and dog. The house owner thought she was hallucinating and called in a neighbour who, yes, says the words in the subject header. Here's the article complete with seven photos. Eventually the DOC (Department of Conservation) put the little guy in a net and a box but that didn't stop him; he escaped into the front seat and turned the radio on. Maybe he hoped he was on the news.

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Current Mood: highly amused

One of the cool things about work is having a desk right by a window, something I haven't had in most offices. This is what I can see.

( Two photos and two volcanoes )

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If you don't like insects, just pass on by, nothing to see here.

Wetas are what Weta Workshop is named after, and I rather like them. I had a pet one as a kid and fed it on apples and buried it in the garden in an old chocolate box when it died.

A couple of years ago I posted about a dead weta one of the cats brought in (scroll to the last picture). That was a normal-sized one like the one I had but this is a wetapunga, a giant weta from Little Barrier Island. Apparently it's the biggest insect on the planet (the species, not that particular one); they weigh in up to 72g, as much as a sparrow. It's apparently an example of something called island gigantism, and the genus name, Deinacrida, is Greek for terrible grasshopper which amuses me. The Tyrannosaurus Rex of the insect world.

The icon BTW is of Brian the Spider from Blake's 7, a much bigger kettle of fish eggs which probably should have been called Brianette.

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I meant to post photos of what I can see through my windows at work but I deleted them from the camera under the mistaken impression that I'd already downloaded them. So I'll have to wait for a sunny day and take more. Because today is wet and miserable and the next few days probably will be too.

We were supposed to go my company end-of-year bash today, originally planned to be a combined adults' and children's outdoor thing at a park, satisfyingly separate according to the email. However it's now in a school hall and we weren't keen on sharing it with a crowd of noisy kids; I have a lot of things I'd rather do on a wet Sunday afternoon. Like reading the new Marlows book (Spring Term by Sally Hayward), having tea and sultana scones, knitting...

I have now met my first unpleasant person at work: some sort of sexist white supremacist judging by his comments who thinks everyone should have the right--and habit--of bearing arms in case they want to take down the government. I was warned about this guy and as soon as he started talking to me in the lunch room I guessed who he was. He is now up to his second wife from the Philippines; enough said. Luckily I don't have to have anything to do with him and if I come across him again in the lunch room, I'll just have urgent work to get back to.

What else can I tell you now the pressure of picowrimo (OK, I know several of you did nanowrimo and succeeded) is off? I have to go to Greg's end-of-year dinner on Thursday and have hopes of the restaurant being air-conditioned since it's in a hotel since I usually broil at those things. Today's quite cool (20C in here) but yesterday was so hot (30C) I broke out the portable aircon for this room and Sebastian has mastered Ashley's technique of charging and leaping through the small gap between the exhaust hose (jammed in the slightly open ranch sliders) and the venetians. As long as he doesn't do a Jasmin and try to go up the exhaust hose; he's far too big and would be difficult to extract. :-P

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I've been reading and commenting but not posting because I've been getting into a new job (which is still interesting and fun!) and when I get home I only have time to catch up with my flists before Greg gets home and it's dinner and TV/DVD time.

Then yesterday I worked 13 hours in the general election as an issuing officer which is a fun if long day and a nice little addition to the bank account. We had to issue for two electorates as I was working in a polling place on the border of my electorate (Tamaki, a died-in-the-wool National one) and our team finished the vote counting for Tamaki quickly and accurately one hour after closing. However the other team, Maungakiekie, were 10 votes out on their reconciliation and had to recount while we waited around being bored and tired so we could help clean up when they'd finished. And after all that the election returned National. Sigh. Labour had such a good platform; I can't understand why people didn't go for it in greater numbers. The Greens did well though which is pleasing; pity they and Labour together don't outweigh National. Why do people continue to vote for the oligarchy? OK, enough politics already.

So today I'm knackered and not feeling much like trying to catch up on picowrimo but I may force myself to. I should also post photos and various other things I've never got round to but I just want to have a prolonged nap. I was counting on today to hit my 5k target too. [procrastinates badly by cruising Thinkgeek and loading up wishlist]

[Edit] I knew this was my only chance to reach my target before the end of the month so I steeled myself and made an effort and wrote over 800 words. I have done it! I met my target! [Rests on wilted laurels. Or wiltedly rests, whatever.]

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Current Mood: tired

Happy birthday to kerravonsen! I hope you're having a great day.



My journal also has its birthday today: 8 years old! I'm so glad I started it and got to know so many great people through it, like kerravonsen. :-D

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I went to the doctor yesterday and now have antibiotics; I already feel a bit better. I hope I'm a lot better tomorrow at work. I don't think huge bouts of coughing give a good impression.

I need to take some books back to the library tomorrow. One of them is a Meg Langslow mystery by Donna Andrews. I enjoy these; they're light and funny and often geeky. Meg is a blacksmith who solves crime and has a very eccentric family, and various books have been set at renaissance faires, a fan convention (of a fictional fandom), and a computer games company. :-)

I mention this one because somehow no one proofread the back cover.

( Front and back )

Another of the books is Patrick Rothfuss's The Wise Man's Fear, the sequel to The Name of the Wind. I'm loving this series for its characters, story, humour, adventure, and fascinating world. Just saying.

And I'm picking up another Mary Russell book, yay.

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They had another Newmarket viaduct segment signing today (see here for the first one featuring Ceiling Cat) so we went in and signed the insides of two. As it's also Sebastian's estimated first birthday, one of them got signed as "Sebastian's Birthday Seggie".

( Photos of cats, viaduct, Big Blue Thing, and a Scotsman )

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It's Friday evening at last! It's been a steep learning curve (I was meant to be trained in two days when a lot more than that is needed) but I think I have it all pretty much sussed now. I still have a bad chest infection so I've been feeling pretty knackered at the end of the day, and it's embarrassing hacking away in the office. Not that I'm the only one but I think I'm the worst. I'm seeing the doctor tomorrow.

Anyway. This Rugby World Cup things that's on has resulted in different Auckland suburbs being assigned teams to support (e.g. Remuera is Scotland) and at least one car in ten flying national flags, or in our case because we have a crap flag, a black one with a silver fern on it. Several offices I've been in have different branches or departments doing the same thing in a company competition, and where I'm working that's the case too.

They went all out today at work. Examples:

• 'Russians' were dressed as ballet dancers in white tutus (the hairy-legged men too). They were a bizarre sight lined up on the roadside buying coffees from a van mind-morning.
  
• 'Australians' were in akubras (Aussie hats), some of them festoooned with corks. They also had an electric barbie in the lunch room at lunch time, frying up sausages and onions.
  
• 'Canadians' were dressed as lunberjacks. If they sang the Lumberjack Song, I didn't hear it.
  
• 'Japanese' were in martial art gear.

I wrote two Multiverse stories this year.

Necessary Force (Blake's 7 / Star Wars)
The Time Traveller Trap (Stargate Atlantis / Doctor Who)

They haven't been beta-read due to my beta reader being on holiday, so if you find any typos that slipped by me, do tell me.

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Today has actually felt more like early summer than spring. Flowers are starting to come out in the garden, though more than a month later than usual.

And it's daylight saving tonight! I love daylight saving (unlike most Americans I know) for the extra hour of light in the evening.

( Four photos )

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Back in June I posted about the tiny kitten at the vet. She looked about 4-6 weeks old then, but was actually about three months old. The nurse who adopted her brings her to work and at that stage either had her on the desk or carried her round in her pocket.

I now know more about her due to an article in the vet practice's newsletter last week, with two photos.

( Two photos and Garfilly's story )

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Ashley came home yesterday afternoon, complete with a bright pink bandage where the IV had been. She was delighted to be back and straight away ate some soft food which was very encouraging. Her mouth is still swollen and she has an incipient abscess under her chin which they thought might go away due to the antibiotics we're dosing her with, but I think I'll be taking her in tomorrow for them to look at it.

She was in our bedroom this morning eager to look out the window which showed how much better she was feeling. I took a photo of her last night in her pink bandage and two today to show how much better she's feeling.

( Three photos )

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It seems to be spring at last! There are usually flowers around and the magnolias were out last month, but for me it's the weather that indicates spring: it's been fine and warm lately and it's also time to refill the automatic insect repellent squirters since I've seen a fly already. :-(

The rugby world cup starts tonight and I've seen loads of All Black and Tongan flags, and this afternoon a woman wrapped in a South African flag. I have not the slightest interest in thugby but I'll watch the opening ceremony on TV and the fireworks from a vantage point just down the road (our trees have grown too tall). Said fireworks are meant to be magnificent with pohutukawa flowers and nikau palms and other local images. I have yet to see anything as wonderful as the huge ringed Saturn I saw several years ago but tonight might be the night.

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