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Blanks Slates and Building from Scrap
Oct. 6th, 2008 08:40 pmI just finished reading Naomi Klien's Shock Doctrine.
It's quite depressing, but not terribly surprising, especially in light of the current economic nightmare in the States. Reading through the economic collapses of places like Argentina and Chile after the application of ultraconservative economic policies was much like reading the current finacial news.
You can read a good chunk of it online here, but it's published by Penguin and is dirt cheap, and is well worth contemplation.
It's quite depressing, but not terribly surprising, especially in light of the current economic nightmare in the States. Reading through the economic collapses of places like Argentina and Chile after the application of ultraconservative economic policies was much like reading the current finacial news.
You can read a good chunk of it online here, but it's published by Penguin and is dirt cheap, and is well worth contemplation.
Whoa, Easy Sushine - You Read a What Now?
Jul. 13th, 2007 10:52 pmDuring my riveting eleven hour shift at our two most quiet stores, I polished off Chuck Palahnuik's new book Rant, and I am pleased to report that it is most excellent. It's a massive improvement on Haunted, which was more or less an excuse to cram some short stories together and then pad the rest with gross-out scenes. It's tight, very intelligent and very stylish. I enjoyed it enough to give it its own special LJ post, rather than just condeming it to Son of Pile, which is now 26 books high.
It's Awesome.
It's Awesome.
Yay Books!
May. 10th, 2007 12:35 pmYesterday my bus was late making me late for work, whoever distributed this month's issue of Fiend forgot to make sure that my newsagent got the CDs, my flu got worse and then my lunch leaked teriyaki marinade all over the contents of my bag. My flu got worse and I broke an inch of nail off my left pinky, so I can't type properly, and then to top it all off I'd left my glasses at home so I spent the day in an evil squinty funk that left my eyes sore and my head aching.
Then I got home and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bunnitos had left some books at my house! Yay books! Yay bunnitos!
All better!
Then I got home and
bunnitos had left some books at my house! Yay books! Yay bunnitos!All better!
Well, it being three weeks or so into the New Year, it's probably as good a time as any to let y'all know how I went on the 50 Book Challenge.
The List
You'll notice that the top dozen books do not have little links to call their own. This is because I have not actually reviewed them. Yup, I have seventeen books, six of them massive role-play supplements, all wedged on my desk
( This is what procrastination looks like. )
The List
You'll notice that the top dozen books do not have little links to call their own. This is because I have not actually reviewed them. Yup, I have seventeen books, six of them massive role-play supplements, all wedged on my desk
( This is what procrastination looks like. )
What ho, good intarwubz!
I had a marvellous night last night. I wandered tomiss_sol's exhibition in New Farm, and was most pleased at the little gallery. It's an intimate little place, with a perilous spiral staircase and many nifty little rooms. We then went forth to Shock Treatment, and it was good.
How good, do I hear you ask?
Wee tiny little cover. $5 daquiris. Excellent music. Stumbling distance from Brunswick St Station. 2-for-1 spirits and beer before...11? (I don't remember. I love daquiris.) Huge dance floor. Many pool tables. Did I mention the excellent music? The sort of fabulousness I haven't heard out at a club in years. And then there's always the nostalgia factor of loitering outside theVirginian Rockerfeller's between songs. I had a fantaaaaastic time. Fantaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassstiiiiiiiiiiiiiiic!!
Ahem.
There were pancakes involved too.
Also of note are two new 50 Books entries: Will Elliot's The Pilo Family Circus and Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys. I'm toying with my format, since the older link-rich ones take me ages to do, and I have a massive backlog to get through.drjon, forgive me. Anyway, y'all will be seeing a lot more of old Nullsy the Procrastination Stag in the coming weeks.
I had a marvellous night last night. I wandered to
miss_sol's exhibition in New Farm, and was most pleased at the little gallery. It's an intimate little place, with a perilous spiral staircase and many nifty little rooms. We then went forth to Shock Treatment, and it was good.How good, do I hear you ask?
Wee tiny little cover. $5 daquiris. Excellent music. Stumbling distance from Brunswick St Station. 2-for-1 spirits and beer before...11? (I don't remember. I love daquiris.) Huge dance floor. Many pool tables. Did I mention the excellent music? The sort of fabulousness I haven't heard out at a club in years. And then there's always the nostalgia factor of loitering outside the
Ahem.
There were pancakes involved too.
Also of note are two new 50 Books entries: Will Elliot's The Pilo Family Circus and Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys. I'm toying with my format, since the older link-rich ones take me ages to do, and I have a massive backlog to get through.
drjon, forgive me. Anyway, y'all will be seeing a lot more of old Nullsy the Procrastination Stag in the coming weeks.It's Nice to be Loved
Nov. 4th, 2006 12:25 pmTake careful note my lovely flisters: This is my first ever update from work. Well, kind of - I'm writing this on the pc at the Valley Store,(10am Friday morning) but I'll leave off actually updating until I get home. So, I'm managing to be both the good employee and a total slackarse. I look busy with an important document, just in case some schlub wanders in off the street, but I'm not actually doing anything even remotely productive.
I'm feeling proud. I'm also hoping none of my fellow porninatricies spot this, or I'm in for a flogging.
The Valley store is turning out to be a weird, slightly fucked-up place to work. I've been getting the usual mixture of weirdos and muns* that we get at Annerley, but with the dial turned up till it falls off. Our muns are so middle-Australia they curdle my brain a little, and as for the weirdos... This is the Valley. There are many people of interesting persuasions living in the area and who pass through, and they all want to come and gibber at me. We've already had one penis pump "return" (ie. a not-so-cleverly contrived attempt to get the girl at the counter to manhandle the grotty unwashed thing, which resulted the offending fellow being politely told to wash it and bring it back with the receipt later, if there is in fact a problem with it), a dressing-room groping and two bounces. My luck has held, however, and all this fun happened to our trainees, and most of that to poor Paul, our one and only male employee. The manager here decided that we'd best get some huge guy to do the weekend closes here, and ironically enough he's attracted the most shit thus far. He's a big softie, though, which could account for it, despite looking like your standard-issue 6 foot plus metalhead. They can smell weakness, I tells ya. Even in my girliest of girly girl moments, I must still have the sort of aura that leaves no room for fucking about. I did have one guy try and get me to talk dirty at him over some pumps when we opened, but I gave him the hard eye and we haven't seen him since. Hopefully that aura will hold while I'm working here.
Speaking of Paul, he came out with The Man and I on Halloweeny. Regrettably, no photos of me in my costume have surfaced yet, though that's probably for the betterment of mankind given how lurid it was. But for those of you with more curiosity than common sense, here is an artist's impression (also done at work) to comfort you till any real photos come to light.
( Aaargh! My Eyes!! )
Yes, that is meant to be flurescent green. Yes, it's paired with flurescent pink. In fact, the pink on the image does not even begin to do justice to the cornea-melting vividness of the actual costume. And all the grey on that image is just to define different layers of black; I was wearing two black bras and two petticoats with my cincher, and a green mesh and ribbon camisole thing over the top. I had my reservations when the Muse slotted the image of what could be done with it into my head, but the cami sat beautifully over the rest of the gear. I did glow rather disturbingly under the black lights once we got to Lovecats, but I took great pleasure in it. I may even wear the getup out again.
That's providing I ever see the inside of a club again. I'm still doing six day weeks, but I keep picking up Saturday shifts. This weekend coming I'm covering at Taringa for Red Beck, as her youngest daughter has a birthday party, and then the weekend after I'm covering for Manager Bek at Annerley, as she has a wedding. That'll be a fun day, since not only is Malaclypse playing the Columbia bar, but there's an ExCom on too. I foolishly told Paul from Work that I'd take him along to the Malaclypse gig, since he was lamenting the lack of metal in Brissie, but I love Excom to big rubbery bits, so that's a given too. I should probably wrangle the Sunday off.
Finally, as usual, in leiu of actually writing up my 50 Books posts, I present a short list of the ones I have to write up: I still have to do Pratchett's Wintersmith, John Birmingham's Weapons of Choice, Ananasi Boys (null procrastinatum, Night Watch, by Sergi Lukyanenko, and the eight Mage sups, plus Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliot, which takes the cake for the most deranged book I've read all year.
Peace out, y'all.
*Muns: Standard issue mundane humans. Usually slightly afraid of the stock, the employees and the other customers. They need cuddles but would run away if one were offered.
I'm feeling proud. I'm also hoping none of my fellow porninatricies spot this, or I'm in for a flogging.
The Valley store is turning out to be a weird, slightly fucked-up place to work. I've been getting the usual mixture of weirdos and muns* that we get at Annerley, but with the dial turned up till it falls off. Our muns are so middle-Australia they curdle my brain a little, and as for the weirdos... This is the Valley. There are many people of interesting persuasions living in the area and who pass through, and they all want to come and gibber at me. We've already had one penis pump "return" (ie. a not-so-cleverly contrived attempt to get the girl at the counter to manhandle the grotty unwashed thing, which resulted the offending fellow being politely told to wash it and bring it back with the receipt later, if there is in fact a problem with it), a dressing-room groping and two bounces. My luck has held, however, and all this fun happened to our trainees, and most of that to poor Paul, our one and only male employee. The manager here decided that we'd best get some huge guy to do the weekend closes here, and ironically enough he's attracted the most shit thus far. He's a big softie, though, which could account for it, despite looking like your standard-issue 6 foot plus metalhead. They can smell weakness, I tells ya. Even in my girliest of girly girl moments, I must still have the sort of aura that leaves no room for fucking about. I did have one guy try and get me to talk dirty at him over some pumps when we opened, but I gave him the hard eye and we haven't seen him since. Hopefully that aura will hold while I'm working here.
Speaking of Paul, he came out with The Man and I on Halloweeny. Regrettably, no photos of me in my costume have surfaced yet, though that's probably for the betterment of mankind given how lurid it was. But for those of you with more curiosity than common sense, here is an artist's impression (also done at work) to comfort you till any real photos come to light.
( Aaargh! My Eyes!! )
Yes, that is meant to be flurescent green. Yes, it's paired with flurescent pink. In fact, the pink on the image does not even begin to do justice to the cornea-melting vividness of the actual costume. And all the grey on that image is just to define different layers of black; I was wearing two black bras and two petticoats with my cincher, and a green mesh and ribbon camisole thing over the top. I had my reservations when the Muse slotted the image of what could be done with it into my head, but the cami sat beautifully over the rest of the gear. I did glow rather disturbingly under the black lights once we got to Lovecats, but I took great pleasure in it. I may even wear the getup out again.
That's providing I ever see the inside of a club again. I'm still doing six day weeks, but I keep picking up Saturday shifts. This weekend coming I'm covering at Taringa for Red Beck, as her youngest daughter has a birthday party, and then the weekend after I'm covering for Manager Bek at Annerley, as she has a wedding. That'll be a fun day, since not only is Malaclypse playing the Columbia bar, but there's an ExCom on too. I foolishly told Paul from Work that I'd take him along to the Malaclypse gig, since he was lamenting the lack of metal in Brissie, but I love Excom to big rubbery bits, so that's a given too. I should probably wrangle the Sunday off.
Finally, as usual, in leiu of actually writing up my 50 Books posts, I present a short list of the ones I have to write up: I still have to do Pratchett's Wintersmith, John Birmingham's Weapons of Choice, Ananasi Boys (null procrastinatum, Night Watch, by Sergi Lukyanenko, and the eight Mage sups, plus Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliot, which takes the cake for the most deranged book I've read all year.
Peace out, y'all.
*Muns: Standard issue mundane humans. Usually slightly afraid of the stock, the employees and the other customers. They need cuddles but would run away if one were offered.
Nanowrimo: An Early Warmup
Oct. 13th, 2006 03:04 amSummer is here at last, as always a good two months ahead of time. I know this to be true, because I sit in my underwear trying not to cause a sweaty puddle at my computer. Ice water at hand, and a can of insect repellent for the ants.
Well, it's been a hairy month here on Planet J. Let's break it down into its components:
( This is the Bit About Work )
( This is about the Lovely M'Becky coming to stay. )
What else...I have four books to write up for 50 Books: Pratchett's Wintersmith, John Birmingham's Weapons of Choice, Ananasi Boys (still) and Night Watch, by Sergi Lukyanenko. I also plan to do a summary of the eight odd Mage: The Ascension books I've read this year, since though they are by and large quite well written, I do not want to torment the world with eight blow-by-blow RP sup reviews.
I've been having picknicks with friendly people in my back yard, much to the dismay of my neighbours.
I am dismayed by the lengths some people will go to when using a deep fryer.
I'm definitely planning to hit Faith tonight. I don't think I'll be able to do Halloween this year, since it falls right in the middle of the week Tiff is in China, and besides I really really need to blow off some steam. Enduring three six day weeks certainly warrants some sort of club-related shenanigans.
Well, it's been a hairy month here on Planet J. Let's break it down into its components:
( This is the Bit About Work )
( This is about the Lovely M'Becky coming to stay. )
What else...I have four books to write up for 50 Books: Pratchett's Wintersmith, John Birmingham's Weapons of Choice, Ananasi Boys (still) and Night Watch, by Sergi Lukyanenko. I also plan to do a summary of the eight odd Mage: The Ascension books I've read this year, since though they are by and large quite well written, I do not want to torment the world with eight blow-by-blow RP sup reviews.
I've been having picknicks with friendly people in my back yard, much to the dismay of my neighbours.
I am dismayed by the lengths some people will go to when using a deep fryer.
I'm definitely planning to hit Faith tonight. I don't think I'll be able to do Halloween this year, since it falls right in the middle of the week Tiff is in China, and besides I really really need to blow off some steam. Enduring three six day weeks certainly warrants some sort of club-related shenanigans.
Some 50 Books entries for your reading pleasure: Pamela Todd's The Pre-Raphaelites at Home, number 28 and full of shiny shiny pictures, and Chuck Palahniuk's Survivor, number 29 and full of handy household hints and planes falling out of the sky into the desert.
It's nice to actually achieve something at the moment. I still have no photo ID, since my Medicare card hasn't arrived yet and I need it to get my new 18+ card. I subsequently can't start househunting till I get it, either. I've tried getting onto our landlord to have the lease extended a fortnight or so until I get it, but I haven't heard back yet, and the lease expires in a week or so. It's stressing me out a bit, and I can't even buy myself a stiff drink to get over the situation.
Hasn't, can't, haven't, can't - it's been the reoccuring theme this week. I even cleaned our living room on Friday night, in a fit of self-conciously neurotic behaviour, since it was something that I could do. At that point my weekend was fucked, the landlord hadn't phoned and my internet connection was inexplicably playing up so I couldn't check my mail to see if she'd emailed me instead. Mucking about with my pc was proving fruitless, so I wrote it off as a bad lot and started dusting. You know you're in trouble when you're bleaching a table, well aware that the desire to do so is pathalogical, but you do it anyway, because it just feels so damn good.
Tommorrow is another day.
It's a work day.
But! I havebjoose popping round tomorrow night, if he's done all his homework and is allowed out to play, and I'll run around and kill things with my favourite sociopathic Lasombra. Nothing de-stresses like chopping things into tiny bits with a big sword, especially if there's no cleaning up to be done afterward. And on Tuesday I have the day off, and am going spend most of it in a bubble bath. I'm also running a big of Mage, if the fates are still willing.
And I don't plan to clean a damn thing.
It's nice to actually achieve something at the moment. I still have no photo ID, since my Medicare card hasn't arrived yet and I need it to get my new 18+ card. I subsequently can't start househunting till I get it, either. I've tried getting onto our landlord to have the lease extended a fortnight or so until I get it, but I haven't heard back yet, and the lease expires in a week or so. It's stressing me out a bit, and I can't even buy myself a stiff drink to get over the situation.
Hasn't, can't, haven't, can't - it's been the reoccuring theme this week. I even cleaned our living room on Friday night, in a fit of self-conciously neurotic behaviour, since it was something that I could do. At that point my weekend was fucked, the landlord hadn't phoned and my internet connection was inexplicably playing up so I couldn't check my mail to see if she'd emailed me instead. Mucking about with my pc was proving fruitless, so I wrote it off as a bad lot and started dusting. You know you're in trouble when you're bleaching a table, well aware that the desire to do so is pathalogical, but you do it anyway, because it just feels so damn good.
Tommorrow is another day.
It's a work day.
But! I have
bjoose popping round tomorrow night, if he's done all his homework and is allowed out to play, and I'll run around and kill things with my favourite sociopathic Lasombra. Nothing de-stresses like chopping things into tiny bits with a big sword, especially if there's no cleaning up to be done afterward. And on Tuesday I have the day off, and am going spend most of it in a bubble bath. I'm also running a big of Mage, if the fates are still willing. And I don't plan to clean a damn thing.
There's a Link Here Somewhere...
Aug. 18th, 2006 11:49 pmWhat ho, all!
I've got another 50 Books for you all - Jan Bondeson's Freaks: The Pig-Faced Lady of Manchester and Other Medical Marvels. Interesting title, no? It's a good read, and not as nasty as the title would suggest. At number 27, it also means that I might just get to fifty after all.
In other news, who wants to scar their babies?
EDIT: Oh, and did you all know that aliens use Firefox?
I've got another 50 Books for you all - Jan Bondeson's Freaks: The Pig-Faced Lady of Manchester and Other Medical Marvels. Interesting title, no? It's a good read, and not as nasty as the title would suggest. At number 27, it also means that I might just get to fifty after all.
In other news, who wants to scar their babies?
EDIT: Oh, and did you all know that aliens use Firefox?
Two new 50 Books for your veiwing pleasure: An appropriately epic review of Raymond E Feist's Magician, and the significantly more insignificant The Devil Wears Prada, by Lauren Weisberger.
Also of an interesting and literary bent is The Journal of Mythic Arts. Lots of interesting articles on mythology and representation. I'm really looking forward to getting into them.
Also of an interesting and literary bent is The Journal of Mythic Arts. Lots of interesting articles on mythology and representation. I'm really looking forward to getting into them.
Two 50 books for your reading pleasure:
Stephen King's Bag of Bones, which is a huge leap away from King's usual stuff. It's a tale about a writer experiencing the supernatural in Maine, and once I washed the glib off it cane in at Number 23.
Number 24 is a special book. It's Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, a historical thriller with a dash of the vampiric, and it's also the last book on the pile next to my keyboard.
I have no more backlog! Woo...
Well I do, kinda. I read through the Mage sourcebook and two of the tradition books as well. But I'm not going to rush those till I've had a few games using the systems. Time 5 man, I can take as long as I want...
*grins*
Still woo, though.
Stephen King's Bag of Bones, which is a huge leap away from King's usual stuff. It's a tale about a writer experiencing the supernatural in Maine, and once I washed the glib off it cane in at Number 23.
Number 24 is a special book. It's Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, a historical thriller with a dash of the vampiric, and it's also the last book on the pile next to my keyboard.
I have no more backlog! Woo...
Well I do, kinda. I read through the Mage sourcebook and two of the tradition books as well. But I'm not going to rush those till I've had a few games using the systems. Time 5 man, I can take as long as I want...
*grins*
Still woo, though.
*gasp* I Read A Book!
Jul. 21st, 2006 05:40 amNew 50 Books: Mario Acevedo's The Nymphos of Rocky Flats. It's only taken me, what, two months?. I'm not pleased with the rate that I am updating. I've got two more to do. I'm not going to say what. Instead I am going to try and get them done on Saturday. So much for not procrastinating.
That is providing I'm not too hung over.tristemepher and I are going to Faith.
That is providing I'm not too hung over.
tristemepher and I are going to Faith.
