Currently Reading The Genesis Code By John Case see related

Wow it has been quite awhile hasn't it? I feel so out of touch with the world in general now. I guess that's what I get for isolating myself during semester break and just working. Oh well. New news for me? Not much, I started working at a child care centre and the kids are so adorable. I love them so much and after working with them everyday for three weeks straight, comeing back to uni feels a bit weird. I miss them. I'm in the babies room so my kids are between 9mths and 2yrs and even though most can't talk to you and say stuff but they love cuddles, they just sort of run up to you, give you a hug and then go off and play again. Of all people to get sucked in by kids, I think I would've been the last person I'd think of but strange where we end up huh?

Psych is just as interesting and stressful as ever. Wait, I lie, I think this year it's more stressful if only because its' third year and we're all so close to finishing that to get kicked out of the course now would be such a waste. Oh well. It's really cool though, in communication and counselling, we look at non verbal communication and there are things you do when you're lying that even you're not aware of and if you learn to read these subtle twitches and changes in intonation, you can tell if a person is telling the truth or not. It's interesting and hopefully will help me in playing poker.

Harry Potter. For those who haven't read it yet and don't want it spoiled, don't read on. it's just my thoughts but i might inadvertantly spill something that shouldn't be spilled.

Snape. I still think he's a good guy.  I trust Dumbledore and I honestly believe that he had a legitimate reason for believing that Snape had abandoned the Dark Lord. So, despite everything and everyone, I think he’s still good. As for Dumbledore dying, as sad as it was, I think I know why he had to die. After book six, after everything he and Harry had been through in that book, Dumbledore had no more reason to stay on. as harshly pragmatic as that sounds, he had no more purpose, in fact, he would’ve kept Harry at Hogwarts and tied him down there instead of letting him find the horcruxes. So what do you think? And the thing with Harry and Ginny, I really wanted them to get together and so I was really glad when they did but it was so out of the blue-ish do you know what I mean? I mean, much as I liked it, it sort of came out of nowhere? And in the wake of Dumbledore’s death, I can see why they didn’t continue so I’m OK with that too. I’m kind of upset that they moved the release date of the fourth movie though because it was just in time for my birthday but now it’s been delayed til December!

Anyway, I should get back to proper work, I'll talk to you again.

Currently Reading Archangel By Robert Harris see related

Hi, I'm sick so I'm not in the best of moods--my planned work for the weekend got thrown in the bin when I couldn't read the words on the computer screen anymore. So yeah, didn't get much work done, spent Saturday watching Hillary Duff movies (A Cinderella Story and Raise Your Voice) which, much as it's uncool to say it, I rather enjoyed. Oh and I spent most of Saturday (as a result of prolonged exposure to Hillary Duff) speaking with an American accent. Not the proudest of moments in my life but hey--it's done. I'd hate to think how long I'd last with an Australian accent in the states if I pick up there's so quickly though. Anyway, this post was--is--going to be on things that annoy me. Things in general, things that have provoked me to think evil thoughts in the past couple of days, things that have made being ill even worse. So, here goes:

* people who walk in front of me and walk slowly. Dorothy has to get back to Kansas darling, she ain't got all the time in the world!

* cough medicine--the thing tastes dreadful

* walking in the rain and getting my jeans wet

* buzzing mosquitos and flies when you're trying to sleep

* people going on about GAMSAT (entrance exam for medicine and dentistry), actually it's more false modesty about GAMSAT, that just...nope, don't like that

* not getting a seat on the train

Actually this list is pretty crap, I'm not in that bad a mood right now to be able to make a list of things that annoy the hell out of me. Right now it's just people walking slowly. That--there's just no excuse for that. Walking slowly when your with friends or want to enjoy scenery fine, I won't begrudge you that, but people were rushing to uni and Redfern, I may not be very artistic in nature but Redfern doesn't have much by way of scenery. Yeah, so right now, that bugs me most. Other than that and maybe cough medicine, I'm good. I found some good books on Freud, I'm almost finished my novel (don't you love it when you're almost finished a good book and then hate it when you have finished it?)

Oh and before I forget, I got a job. No longer an unemployed bum. I'll tell more next time, got to go get some more books before other people steal them. Oh and another thing to add to my list of things that annoy Mel--people hiding books. Evil. I curse them. Actually I don't, mum and Susan say I'm bringing on bad karma if I do that so I should stop. Karma. OK.

Oh and before I go, the book's a historical thriller kinda thing, not religious. Not that that matters nowadays esp since the Da Vinci Code did so well. Religion seems to be the in thing.

Currently Watching House of Flying Daggers see related

Hello all

My mum has her moments of understanding and coolness. A friend of mine is dating this guy who’s apparently really rich, so much so that when they get married (yep, not a matter of if but when and I’m not even sure if they’ve been dating for long either) that her parents won’t have to work. I know she’s not in it for the money, but her parents are. Anyway, he’s ten yrs older than her but michelle saw them and said they seem to really be happy so for that I’m happy for her. Susan asked me though if there was now an expectation for me to find a loaded husband and I asked my mum that. She said no, on the contrary, she’d rather I work my way through life than find a rich guy. I’d rather do the same too, spending his money is not the same as spending your money. Plus, the guy’s telling her to quit school so that he’ll support her and all she has to do is be a housewife. Other than the fact that I don’t think I’d be much of a housewife, I love the world outside the house too much to give that up. There’s so much out there, so much knowledge waiting to be sucked (for lack of a better phrase), so many people to meet, so many experiences waiting. Cleaning up and breeding isn’t who I am and for no amount of money would I give up what my predecessors burnt all their bras for. I’m glad mum agrees though, I don’t think dad does, he likes the idea of not working so much that whichever method is the quicker route to his retirement (me graduating or me getting married) he’ll readily take.

Currently Reading Balance of Power By RICHARD NORTH PATTERSON see related

First day back at uni yesterday, so far so good… I hadn’t realized how much work third year was though, it kind of reminds me of going from year 10 to yr 11, the workload change in the psych department at least is pretty dramatic. I had learning in the morning, that was pretty good, we went over the basics, classical/instrumental conditioning, omission schedules, conditioned taste aversion. By the way though, I was curious, with rats, they’ll learn to respond to get a sucrose solution and then if you give them LiCl to make them sick (did you know rats can’t vomit? Can you imagine what would be included in rat vomit though? OK, distasteful topic, will move on) then they develop a taste aversion and not make the response for the sucrose solution again. Is that a permanent thing, like will they never touch that reward again because of that? Cos I know that when I found out that I get heartburn after eating crabs, I stopped eating crabs for awhile then I thought screw this and ate crab but just followed that with a whole lot of Mylanta. Is it the same for rats or is their CTA permanent? Just curious, probably not even a valid question but…oh well, it’s asked.

We had history and philosophy of psych after that and that was really interesting, we’re doing Descartes and dualism for the first two lectures I think and I was so proud of myself when I remembered what Cogito ergo sum meant from my philosophy course last year. I thought it was impressive. But then I love Latin, so it’d probably be something extraordinary if I didn’t remember J

Then we had perceptual systems and whilst I was never a fan of the lecturer in first and second year, she was really good, it was actually one of the fastest lectures that day.  Focusing on the somatosensory system and touch and that’s always interesting. There’s something about the way the brain works that continues to fascinate me.

Oh while we’re on psych, I had a moment with Freud the other night. You know how Freud reckons that dreams are wish fulfillment? Anyway, I gave up lollies for lent (candy in American—hey what do Canadians call lollies?) so yeah, I gave them up for lent and about a week into it I had a dream that I was stuffing myself with lollies. Wish fulfillment? I think so.

OK, everyone’s probably bored senseless now, I know psych lectures don’t fascinate everyone the way it does me so I’ll leave it here. My modem’s stuffed up, hence the lack of posts but I will try to get more up more often.

Mel

P.S: oh and the book I'm reading, much nicer cover down under. Really really good so far, read something by Patterson if you haven't already and you'll understand why I'm hooked :)

Currently Reading The Charmed Sphere By Catherine Asaro see related

Howdie,

Went out with Chris and Michelle the other day. Chris convinced me to walk into the arcade and do something other than watch. We played air hockey. Now anyone who knows me knows that when it comes to reciting dates and memorising formulae, Mel's the person to turn to but having fun and especially stuff like arcade games, Mel is...well, lets be honest, crap. There, I said it, forgive me ego. Anyway, I had fun and now my right arm is killing me. But that's OK, Chris let a rookie beat her. I am satisfied with that. I won! Yay, go Mel.

And then we saw Spanglish--reluctantly on my part. I didn't feel like a romantic comedy but it turned out too dramatic to be put in that category anyway. It was strange, it didn't fit into a specific genre. I don't know, I didn't walk out of it going OMG I love that movie, out of five, I'd probably give it a 3. That and when most people asked about it, my best description was it was long. two and a half hours. Not as bad as Titanic but...It's not horrible but not fantastic either. Maybe I need to see it again to get a proper, more decisive opinion eh?

That's it for new news I think. I'll write more later. Bye : P