My friend JJ gave me a birthday card yesterday. From the front it look like a normal card, with a self-drawn picture on the front (he drew the words MCFLY in bubble letters).
It's purple with pink, green and white words. It says: Recipe for a perfect birthday celebration: Friends + Food + MCFLY without a shirt on, just standing around looking pretty, (it said David Beckham under the taped over McFly word), anywayyy.
When you open it, it ROARS and start singing James Brown's I FEEL GOOD.
As a lover of blu-tac and the wonders it can do, I stuck all my cards from last night onto my wall before I went to bed. I put a little dab of blu-tac inside the cards so they won't flap open. The wind was pretty strong this morning I guess, it blew on JJ's card and flapped it open... since I went to bed at about 2am yesterday, I was sleeping soundly when the card flapped open. And as soon as it roared, I bounced up and almost fell off my bed, scared shitless.
I was all: WTFFF!!! WHO THE HELL PLAYS JAMES BROWN THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING? (It was actually about 11am)... Needless to say, my brother ran into my room and thought I went psycho... as an naive little child, he thought if you drink too much, you turn mental. Not really, he just wanted to know whether I was okay.
Anyway, that concludes it, my weird encounter with a singing card.
Tiffi
It's official. I did it.
I lost my clubbing cherry. Within four minutes of walking into the Met I had encountered two females making out, felt the thud thud of loud music pulsating through the room and noted the crowds lined up waiting for bags and IDs to be checked before entrance. It was meant to be scary, something I could never see myself doing, but, in the same way we get through each day it doesn't really matter how crazy the rest of the world is if you've your own comfortable circle of friends. It's surprising how easy it is to block out noise when you're sitting by a fish tank having cozy conversation in the dim light.
Yesterday was awesome, beginning with walks through South Bank dressed in Semi-Formal gear and ending with a ride home with some of my best friends.
Tiff, Happy Birthday. Thank you - for being you.
On a slightly random note, I realised last night that sometimes the things that make the most sense to you are the hardest to explain. While that's not an issue at all, it makes me glad that I can say I know where I came from - even if I'm still filling in the blanks. It just makes it everyone else's viewpoints very, very interesting.
Yesterday was awesome, beginning with walks through South Bank dressed in Semi-Formal gear and ending with a ride home with some of my best friends.
Tiff, Happy Birthday. Thank you - for being you.
On a slightly random note, I realised last night that sometimes the things that make the most sense to you are the hardest to explain. While that's not an issue at all, it makes me glad that I can say I know where I came from - even if I'm still filling in the blanks. It just makes it everyone else's viewpoints very, very interesting.
Life's greatest question: Chicken or the Egg?
What comes first, the chicken or the egg?
Different people answers this question different ways, some people, like Danny Jones, just points at the camera and yell: THE EGG (McFly Interview).
Other would yell THE CHICKEN!
Chicken Run (2000) addressed this question as they closed the film:
“If you don't have a chicken, where are you going to get the egg?”
“From the chicken that comes from the egg.”
“Yeah, but you have to have an egg to have a chicken.”
“Yeah, but you've got to get the chicken first to get the egg, and then you get the egg... to get the chicken out of... ”
“Hang on, let's go over this again?”
You can see they failed to answer the question adequately.
It's one of those questions you eternally pounder on if you're uneducated or extremely religious (GOD CREATED CHICKENS, THEY CAME FROM NO EGGS! NO BELLYBUTTONS!).
An educated evolutionist (or a high school graduate who did biology) would tell you:
Chickens evolved from a tiny life form which then slowly adapted to life on land. Due to protection of the young... blah blah blah blah.
You get my point.
So this conclude my close examination of the chicken and the egg.
I shall now finish food and then get ready to go out!
Still poundering,
Tiff.
Different people answers this question different ways, some people, like Danny Jones, just points at the camera and yell: THE EGG (McFly Interview).
Other would yell THE CHICKEN!
Chicken Run (2000) addressed this question as they closed the film:
“If you don't have a chicken, where are you going to get the egg?”
“From the chicken that comes from the egg.”
“Yeah, but you have to have an egg to have a chicken.”
“Yeah, but you've got to get the chicken first to get the egg, and then you get the egg... to get the chicken out of... ”
“Hang on, let's go over this again?”
You can see they failed to answer the question adequately.
It's one of those questions you eternally pounder on if you're uneducated or extremely religious (GOD CREATED CHICKENS, THEY CAME FROM NO EGGS! NO BELLYBUTTONS!).
An educated evolutionist (or a high school graduate who did biology) would tell you:
Chickens evolved from a tiny life form which then slowly adapted to life on land. Due to protection of the young... blah blah blah blah.
You get my point.
So this conclude my close examination of the chicken and the egg.
I shall now finish food and then get ready to go out!
Still poundering,
Tiff.
First Blog
So apparently I am supposed to contribute to this blog. I have nothing interesting to say currently, but I am bored out of my mind studying Math1051 so I thought I would write something. Janelle just logged onto msn I wonder if Math1051 is driving her nuts too.
I've noticed Mitch has a lot of time on his hands if he manages to carry out an experiment at work. I must say I don't have that sort of time at work. I'm not allowed to stop working. I'll tell you of my observations at work. There is this one couple, who come in one a week, guaranteed. *Note* Apparently Janelle hasn't started studying yet. Anyway back to work. So this couple come in, and the woman always orders a Margarita. No joke. Every single time. I pretty much don't need to ask them what they would like to drink. Except I can never remember what type of beer that man orders. I always reckon I could write a story about my time at work. Maybe some rules that customers should follow, ie. don't be rude to the waitress, we do have the ability to spit in your food o_O not that we would. I have never done that. I wouldn't even have to eat the food to be repulsed by the fact that there is spit in it.
There are some really dishonest people out there. I'm not sure if its just Ipswich people but seriously, there are. This one guy called up and basically claimed last time he had ordered takeaway, one of the Beef and Black Bean's had been cold. He had ordered two Beef & B/B. How the flip could ONE of them be cold when they are cooked at the exact same time in the same wok. He then asked for delivery because apparently we had delivered to him before so it wouldn't be any trouble for us to delivery again. He's an idiot - we have a GPS system which records all previous addresses entered. His wasn't in there. Tosser.
Have you ever just walked down the street and observed the people passing? I did this at uni the other day. This really short kid walked past, I reckon he looked about 10, but he gave the impression that he was supposed to be at uni. So either he was just really short and young looking, or he is frickin smart! Pretty sure Aggie just burped... Anyway, you then get the people at uni who are dressed in suits. We discussed this the other day and concluded that maybe they are businessman and have to go to work after uni. Or, and this is my conclusion, maybe they just want to feel above the rest of us delinquent children.
Well, Math1051 calls me. Not really. It bores me. Riverfire tonight. Maybe I should blog about that when I get home.
I've noticed Mitch has a lot of time on his hands if he manages to carry out an experiment at work. I must say I don't have that sort of time at work. I'm not allowed to stop working. I'll tell you of my observations at work. There is this one couple, who come in one a week, guaranteed. *Note* Apparently Janelle hasn't started studying yet. Anyway back to work. So this couple come in, and the woman always orders a Margarita. No joke. Every single time. I pretty much don't need to ask them what they would like to drink. Except I can never remember what type of beer that man orders. I always reckon I could write a story about my time at work. Maybe some rules that customers should follow, ie. don't be rude to the waitress, we do have the ability to spit in your food o_O not that we would. I have never done that. I wouldn't even have to eat the food to be repulsed by the fact that there is spit in it.
There are some really dishonest people out there. I'm not sure if its just Ipswich people but seriously, there are. This one guy called up and basically claimed last time he had ordered takeaway, one of the Beef and Black Bean's had been cold. He had ordered two Beef & B/B. How the flip could ONE of them be cold when they are cooked at the exact same time in the same wok. He then asked for delivery because apparently we had delivered to him before so it wouldn't be any trouble for us to delivery again. He's an idiot - we have a GPS system which records all previous addresses entered. His wasn't in there. Tosser.
Have you ever just walked down the street and observed the people passing? I did this at uni the other day. This really short kid walked past, I reckon he looked about 10, but he gave the impression that he was supposed to be at uni. So either he was just really short and young looking, or he is frickin smart! Pretty sure Aggie just burped... Anyway, you then get the people at uni who are dressed in suits. We discussed this the other day and concluded that maybe they are businessman and have to go to work after uni. Or, and this is my conclusion, maybe they just want to feel above the rest of us delinquent children.
Well, Math1051 calls me. Not really. It bores me. Riverfire tonight. Maybe I should blog about that when I get home.
Tales From The Pool Boy
Here i sit on at least a 15 year old office chair which periodically lurches up and down due to a malfunctioning gas piston. I ponder about the inner workings of a pool, pumps, filter baskets, which product is the best for removing iron/copper stains and general sanitiser levels when it dawns on me. For year i have seen people scanning items in stores with one of those red barcode readers and on movies like "Employee Of The Month" i have seen that they behave as a laser and can scan items from long distances >20m. I feel it is my duty as a pool service man to find out the truth behind the scanning devices, and as such have devised an experiment.
Observations
The round bottle compared to the square bottle seemed to have little effect in the ability to scan the barcode in that the algaecide and Pool Perfect both failed to scan at 30cm. A greater impact seemed to be the roughness of the surface being scanned. The BP200 was packaged in a sachet and did not provide a smooth surface when scanned with the barcode reader. This appeared to have reduced the distance of positive scanning by approimately 5cm. The size of the barcode itself appeared to not have a an impact on positive scanning as the BP200 had the largest of all barcodes and was unable to scan the same distance as the other two products tested.
In comparision to the movie "Employee Of The Month" and the scene where the cash register employee is able to scan a barcode from approimately 20m this at first glace seems not likely. The barcode scanner used in the above experiment appeared to not behaved as a laser (monochromic, low divergence source of light) and more so a diverging source. As such increasing the distance attempted to be scanned from meant a reduction in the intensity of light hitting the barcode surface. Though even using a laser barcode reader would still possibly not yield improved performance. A barcode scanner, despite the name, actually reads the barcode. As such the light emitted from the scanner hits the barcode surface, the black line regions absord the light and the non black regions bounce the light back to the scanner where it is assumed, a sensor detects the light waves and determines from them the original scanned barcode. With an increase in distance the reflection angle would become more apparent and more likely than not the reflected light would not hit the sensor surface of the barcode reader. For increased performance as seen in the movie, major modifications would need to be completed in order to get 20m distances. A laser light source would need to be used in the barcode scanner. The sensor mehcanism would need to be improved to allow for a greater area for reflected light to be gathered and finally the barcode would need to be placed get best scanability, directly infront. It is unlikely a common business would use a device with such modifications and the cashier in the movie is a lying bastard scanning an item with an ankle mounted scanner below the counter while appearing to be scanning the real item at a distance.
Please if you have any information regarding this topic, the scanners used in your store or general engineering knowledge of barcode readers post back :P
Observations
The round bottle compared to the square bottle seemed to have little effect in the ability to scan the barcode in that the algaecide and Pool Perfect both failed to scan at 30cm. A greater impact seemed to be the roughness of the surface being scanned. The BP200 was packaged in a sachet and did not provide a smooth surface when scanned with the barcode reader. This appeared to have reduced the distance of positive scanning by approimately 5cm. The size of the barcode itself appeared to not have a an impact on positive scanning as the BP200 had the largest of all barcodes and was unable to scan the same distance as the other two products tested.
In comparision to the movie "Employee Of The Month" and the scene where the cash register employee is able to scan a barcode from approimately 20m this at first glace seems not likely. The barcode scanner used in the above experiment appeared to not behaved as a laser (monochromic, low divergence source of light) and more so a diverging source. As such increasing the distance attempted to be scanned from meant a reduction in the intensity of light hitting the barcode surface. Though even using a laser barcode reader would still possibly not yield improved performance. A barcode scanner, despite the name, actually reads the barcode. As such the light emitted from the scanner hits the barcode surface, the black line regions absord the light and the non black regions bounce the light back to the scanner where it is assumed, a sensor detects the light waves and determines from them the original scanned barcode. With an increase in distance the reflection angle would become more apparent and more likely than not the reflected light would not hit the sensor surface of the barcode reader. For increased performance as seen in the movie, major modifications would need to be completed in order to get 20m distances. A laser light source would need to be used in the barcode scanner. The sensor mehcanism would need to be improved to allow for a greater area for reflected light to be gathered and finally the barcode would need to be placed get best scanability, directly infront. It is unlikely a common business would use a device with such modifications and the cashier in the movie is a lying bastard scanning an item with an ankle mounted scanner below the counter while appearing to be scanning the real item at a distance.
Please if you have any information regarding this topic, the scanners used in your store or general engineering knowledge of barcode readers post back :P
Bus conversations are amusing.
Sometimes it's nice thinking that, in this crazy world, it's okay to be crazy. Although some people exploit that a little too much, like these bogan school kids having 'philosophical' discussions about good, evil and Harry Potter.
Kid 1: "Yeah, they spread rumours about her being dog ugly."
Kid 2: "How do you spread rumours about someone being ugly? Like, if they're not?
I sat there in the fourth row from the back, trying hard not to crack up. Two minutes later I overheard a girl in red speaking on the phone two rows ahead of me and to the left. She was waving her hands around excitedly, really getting into the conversation.
"I know! It's amazing!" she said. "I've been trying to be more organised!"
She spoke of her attempts and successes for a minute or two, and I tuned out. Five minutes later she was at it again.
"Wait. This is on the SIXTH?" Uh-oh.
Her chirpy 'OMG! Lyk!' voice changed tone instantly.
"SHIT!" she said. "I have a wedding! I'm a BRIDESMAID! I thought it was the first!"
Soon after that, the kids in the back were continuing their deep and meaningful on life, love and sexuality.
Kid1: "So you were joking about asking her out, and now you're going out? But you don't even like her! That's sad!"
Kid2: "I couldn't decide!"
For a while I was under the impression Kid1 had at least a little bit of sense. Anyway, in the next part of their discussion I realised there was a girl sitting quietly with them, occasionally joining in. This is where Harry Potter makes his appearance and, somehow, at least in their minds, becomes mildly pornographic (because rumours, dating, Harry Potter - it's all logical conversation here).
Kid1: "Dumbledore dies in that one, hey? No, he can't, he dies in the Deathly Hollows."
Kid2: "I don't know. I don't really read them. I read the last page."
Kid3: "Yeah, everyone only reads the last page."
Kid2: "Yeah. Harry Potter has sex with a student. That's sad! Who sleeps with his best mate's sister?"
Kid1: "How do you know that?"
Kid2: "Because they had kids!"
Just when I thought it couldn't get more ridiculous, and that maybe Kid1 was at least more sane than Kid2, I was greatly disappointed. I'd began drifting off when conversation peaked once again. This time, it was about their theories of good and evil, and that you can't have good without evil because lions eat deer and cows eat grass and trees eat apple juice -- or something equally ridiculous about 'the chain of life'.
Kid1: "Spirits, they can't hurt you. They can only scare the fucking shit out of you!"
Kid2: "They can't hurt you unless you let them!"
Sigh. Thirteen year olds make me laugh.
Kid 1: "Yeah, they spread rumours about her being dog ugly."
Kid 2: "How do you spread rumours about someone being ugly? Like, if they're not?
I sat there in the fourth row from the back, trying hard not to crack up. Two minutes later I overheard a girl in red speaking on the phone two rows ahead of me and to the left. She was waving her hands around excitedly, really getting into the conversation.
"I know! It's amazing!" she said. "I've been trying to be more organised!"
She spoke of her attempts and successes for a minute or two, and I tuned out. Five minutes later she was at it again.
"Wait. This is on the SIXTH?" Uh-oh.
Her chirpy 'OMG! Lyk!' voice changed tone instantly.
"SHIT!" she said. "I have a wedding! I'm a BRIDESMAID! I thought it was the first!"
Soon after that, the kids in the back were continuing their deep and meaningful on life, love and sexuality.
Kid1: "So you were joking about asking her out, and now you're going out? But you don't even like her! That's sad!"
Kid2: "I couldn't decide!"
For a while I was under the impression Kid1 had at least a little bit of sense. Anyway, in the next part of their discussion I realised there was a girl sitting quietly with them, occasionally joining in. This is where Harry Potter makes his appearance and, somehow, at least in their minds, becomes mildly pornographic (because rumours, dating, Harry Potter - it's all logical conversation here).
Kid1: "Dumbledore dies in that one, hey? No, he can't, he dies in the Deathly Hollows."
Kid2: "I don't know. I don't really read them. I read the last page."
Kid3: "Yeah, everyone only reads the last page."
Kid2: "Yeah. Harry Potter has sex with a student. That's sad! Who sleeps with his best mate's sister?"
Kid1: "How do you know that?"
Kid2: "Because they had kids!"
Just when I thought it couldn't get more ridiculous, and that maybe Kid1 was at least more sane than Kid2, I was greatly disappointed. I'd began drifting off when conversation peaked once again. This time, it was about their theories of good and evil, and that you can't have good without evil because lions eat deer and cows eat grass and trees eat apple juice -- or something equally ridiculous about 'the chain of life'.
Kid1: "Spirits, they can't hurt you. They can only scare the fucking shit out of you!"
Kid2: "They can't hurt you unless you let them!"
Sigh. Thirteen year olds make me laugh.
How logical.
I lost my password for one of my old Hotmail accounts. I couldn't remember the answer to my Secret Question and was given a second option.
The address scribbled out in blue was of the account I'd forgotten the password for.
I'm going to hope that's only because I didn't provide an alternative address.
The address scribbled out in blue was of the account I'd forgotten the password for.
I'm going to hope that's only because I didn't provide an alternative address.