Really don't mind if you sit this one out.

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:04:06 GMT

Ghaj

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:46:40 GMT

Bleh. Feel like crap. Not certain what caused this. I'm sure I'll upswing soon.

The Pig Who Bought Too Many Umbrellas And Convinced The Playground It Would Soon Rain

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:32:39 GMT

I've never been particularly good at expressing my thoughts in a convincing or even cohesive manner. I tend to write things as they come to me, not having planned their order beyond, perhaps, the sentence they reside in. I don't know, honesly. I just figure all this frustration pent up inside me needs to be released with words, so here we go with a mishmash

In the fields if IT, one of the reigning droplets of wisdom is that you can't make a problem go away by throwing money at it. This goes double when you factor in the sneaking suspicion that there was never really a problem to begin with...

Thank God Tony Abbott, for all his resemblance to a Jim Henson creation, has the balls to ask 'Just what is the Carbon Credit Tax being used for, and thus why is it deemed necessary to implement?', because at the moment most people seem to think that the climate change debate is over, due to a combination of lazy research and environmental jingoism. We have been pounded with buzzwords like 'global warming' and their kin for so long that we simply accept this phenomena exists, rather than being rational thinking people and actually...y'know, researching it. I'm not talking about the scientists who are researching it at the moment, of course, I'm referring to everyone else who spouts climate change carbon offset blah-di-blah's without even lifting up a book on the subject. I'm not talking about learning what's here or there, but just basing yourself with things like the properties of carbon, naturally occurring compounds that have carbon in them, the carbon cycle, etc.

Not certain what my point is, really. I do, however have severe reservations about the impact that our carbon emissions are having on the planet's climate. One could even describe me as a cynic. Or perhaps a skpetic...but I hate labels based on ideas. This leads them into the lofty regions of religion and politics. Anyway. Luka, climate change skeptic.

The reasons for this relate (but are not limited) to why I think it is a political issue and not a scientific one. Of course, there is science up and down the field that disassociates climate from carbon levels (this is not strictly true, carbon levels operate as a function of climate and follow it, not the other way around) but very few people research this radical view. Why would they? After all...

The nature of the climate change community reacts very, very badly to criticism and questions, referring to cynics as anything from Nazis to the Church during Galileo's time under house arrest. This rabid jingoism is a result of politics, and everyone who questions climate change must be a terrorist/capitalist/oil company representative/knuckledragger...I find this an amusing irony really, as the climate change community has the hallmarks of a cult of personality. They, then, would be the Nazis with their totalitarian politics, they would be the Church trying to silence Galileo for his theories about the Earth rotating about the Sun. And of course, years after his death, people slowly became aware of this new way of thinking. Circular logic I know, but my point here is that the community of climate change supporters are very insensitive to outliers in their research. In science, the hypothesis is invalidated, scrubbed and rewritten to try and explain better observed natural phenomena. R In politics, people simply raise their voices louder and start throwing mud. Rather than attack the research, they attack the researcher. This is the hallmark of a political debate, not a scientific one.

Which brings me to labels...people take their sides and refer to themselves as groups. 'Supporters' are the virtuous good, the crusaders of moral superiority and global change for the better...and there are 'denialists', far-right dissenters with their hands in the oil companies' pockets and who give not a care for the planet, with a 'you're with us or against us' approach. How very stirring and stark the two words compare to each other...support and deny...

Which sounds very political to me, and not scientific at all. Water vapor cannot form alliances, it just does what it does. The scientific theory holds no friends.

The loudest mouth when it comes to climate change is our good friend Al Gore, who is...well, for lack of a better word, preaching, this new danger and what must be done to stop it. And of course, this is at his own expense and for no material gain whatsoever.

Oh, wait, apart from being chairman of a company set to make the most money off carbon credits and investments in future technologies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Investment_Management

I'm honestly surprised more people aren't as irritated about this as I am. Maybe this just hasn't been reported all that much, which is strange because it's certainly newsworthy!

I mean, let's think back a few years to the beginning of the Iraq war...the liberal media's stance implied very strongly that George Bush went to war so his oil tycoon friends would reap the benefits, as well as giving Dick Cheney's old company Halliburton, which specialises in oilfield technology and services, a little boost in business.

Well, now we have a man who is poised to make a fortune on the ill-researched, cult of personality jingoism of junk science doled to the masses in jarring seven-second snaps! Even if (and we're talking a very big if, here) by some force for irony he does end up saving the world, he will have made a fortune on top of it. Perhaps he's just very good with money, like...he's investing in the future or something. For everyone! Brilliant, that. I didn't know he was an economist as well as a scientist. However, at this point I'm just resorting to rhetoric and am heading toward slander avenue at a brisk pace. Let's avoid that, shall we.

Oh, man. I'm on somewhat of a roll. Eh, maybe I'll continue this later. I need to collect my thoughts.

Just, people. Never ever stop questioning anything! Heck, even question me and my dubious stance with my dubious words! I don't care, just get out there and open a book! Or a scientific journal! (Note: Blogs are NOT research. :p)

Ah fungus.

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:21:30 GMT

I turn 24 in a week. brb, panic attack.

Also, text messages! FROM EVERYONE. :D

Addendum

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:18:07 GMT

I have no idea why, but I'm feeling a little down for some reason. I was up for most of today. It could be the anticipation of work tomorrow, or my body shutting down for sleep. Whatever it is, I'm not that happy.

This entry brought to you by the number Pie and the letter Space

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:31:44 GMT

I haven't updated in quite a while. This isn't due to the fact that nothing of interest has really gone on in my life, just the opposite in fact...but I haven't really found the time or motivation to update. I'll get the impulse several times a day to write something strikingly interesting or significant, but I am always away from the computer when this happens, and when I return to said computer the motivation has waned.

The most important thing I should remark on is my employment with Chadstone Shopping Centre. Not any shop inside said shopping centre, but for the centre itself, as a door greeter and wandering information point. Though we're technically not required to know the locations of shops, I still find myself assisting a great many people find what they're looking for (Chadstone now has about 530 shops across two levels and people have a tendency to get lost). It's not the most challenging work in the world, but I enjoy smiling and greeting guests to the centre, especially at the Tiffany & Co. entrances. I've done this for about two weeks now and I hope to continue with it past the christmas period and into the new year...

And that's all she wrote. Apart from work my life has been fairly uninteresting, apart from a visitation to the mainland by Jess, Tess and Brodie during Madman Finals (Whoo Siera), Hope's recent and delicious birthday dinners (Happy Birthday, darling!), befriending the proprietors of a Mrs. Fields' Bakehouse franchise at Northland...

Huh. I guess there really isn't much to remark upon. My life is definitely more interesting than my journal would have it seem, but I can't remember everything that's happened to me since I updated last. I wish I could, I'm sure it would have made for interesting reading.

Current Music : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c1xvZ6KapA

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:02:29 GMT

Today I embark on the first of a series of challenges.

I'm going to walk to Melbourne.

Report after I get back!

Colors I've none, dark or light, red, white or blue.

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:13:01 GMT

I've been on somewhat of a baking bent for the past few days. I've tried to steer away from the familiar territory of cake town and into the rough-hewn pastures of flan land, with my first attempt (chocolate-hazelnut tart) being somewhat of a success (but with little failures inside it) and my second (pecan pie) baking slowly currently and smelling divine. I still suck at blind baking though, as pie shells are inevitably on either side of perfection, being either too soft and not cooked, or (in this case) the base having puffed up higher than the top of the tart pan.

Still, I'm enjoying cooking a lot more these days now that I have a few lovely toys to play with, like new cake tins, a pair of beaters, as well as a renewed taste for ever-more interesting recipes. Things I'd like to make in the long-term are Devil's Food Cake, Croqembouche, as well as perfecting the recipe for epic Chicken Lasagne...I'm close! Really close! *laugh*

Let's see...also Southern Fried Chicken, Westfall Gumbo, and...

Ah dude. I just remembered my epic idea of writing a WoW-themed cookbook! With recipes named after recipes from the game, as well as even geekier asides such as information about various dishes and their histories, ingredients, etc etc...

Oh man, Would that sell? I don't know. Certainly a cookbook aimed at nerds might sell if it explained recipes in a free-flowing style with a lot of direction and explaination of techniques rolled into the method...hurm.

Only thing is, what recipes should I add? Selected ones from the game, ones made up myself with Warcrafty names (or souveniered...) or a combination of both? Hmmm?

EDIT: http://www.taurenchef.com/ ...fuck. Still, this is unofficial. MINE WILL BE OFFICIAL. Hurr.

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:09:39 GMT

Keep the 5th of December free! It is the weekend between mine and Luka's birthday, and we are having a party, hopefully at the Scout Hall across from our place. There is a "Wear a Costume or Something Epic (or Sexy!)" theme.

MOAR DETAILS TO COME. Hurrr...

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:07:55 GMT

Arachronymnorism - an out of it's time, spider related, acronym.

I'm floundering.

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:57:40 GMT

I'm somewhat torn. I know I should persue IT, but I feel like my interest lies more in finance and accounting.

I also really love to cook. As in, I could see myself doing it for a career.

Yeah, torn.

I also want to work full-time for a while and enjoy life a bit, as well as support my lovely girlfriend more than I currently am, which is suffice to say not too damn much.

Yeah...

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:47:50 GMT

Dear internet
http://www.everythingisterrible.com/
That is all.

Work work work!

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:44:29 GMT

In a bout of nostalgia, I renamed my iPod and uploaded a small amount of songs onto it I haven't listened to in years.

*goes for an epic run around the lake*

HARDXCORE HOMEWORK

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:52:27 GMT

I am doing Homework TO TEH EXTREME

Also, I have decided on next year's cosplays. Raphael Sorel, Valor Form Sora and that dude from Bible Black.

BACK TO STUDY

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:03:25 GMT

Anyone who wants to know what I looked like at Manifest.

http://s235.photobucket.com/albums/ee184/Sin-Harvest/Manifest%202009/Sunday/?action=view&current=IMG_1260.jpg

Oh ho ho ho...

Post-Mortem

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:24:18 GMT

Hope, Nicole, Mina, Lexis, Georgia, Emma, Morgan, Tannie, Lili, Aly, K...

Thankyou. All, so much. I love you all. You all helped turn what was destined to fail into something amazing.

So tired. But more than that, relieved and happy.

The toxins!

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:50:29 GMT

I am getting high of whatever fumes are produced by cutting polystyrene with a hot knife.

...highly toxic, eh?

...*moves to beneath the rangehood*

Writer's Block: Proven by Science

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:17:52 GMT

Do you believe everything has a scientific explanation?

Submitted By mesnyder_92

View 513 Answers

Indeed, however we do not understand everything there is to know yet. Things that used to have no rational explanation now have one. The process will continue until we understand everything about everything, or we die.

Rawrhurr.

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:55:34 GMT

And here slip I, dragging one foot in the gutter
in the midnight echo of the shop that sells cheap radios.
And there sits she (no bed, no bread, no butter)
on a double yellow line where she can park anytime.
Old Lady Grey; crash-barrier waltzer
some only son's mother. Baker Street casualty.
Oh, Mr. Policeman, blue shirt ballet master.
Feet in sticking plaster, move the old lady on.
Strange pas-de-deux, his Romeo to her Juliet.
Her sleeping draught, his poisoned regret.
No drunken bums allowed to sleep here in the
crowded emptiness.
Oh officer, let me send her to a cheap hotel
I'll pay the bill and make her well - like hell you bloody will!
No do-good over kill. We must teach them
to be still more independent.

'Baker Street Muse, Edit #4'

- - - -

University updating because I can't be bothered to not update. Finished a relational database assignment that started out crap but as my cells began to absorb one of the the two cans of Mother I have with me, chain reactions began occuring in the brain and the material began to be understood. Easy assignment, in the end.

Drinking-drinking fest on Friday night was several shades of awesome. Ring of Fire is an awesome game. I just have to ensure next time that the tops stay on...I think Heather looks for reasons to get hers off. o.o

Just a little note - I did a tiny bit of sewing! Like, for the first time ever. Learned how to thread the sewing machine and wind the bobbin, Hope pinned the hem she wanted me to sew and I did it! Didn't look too bad, either. I still need a lot more practise to understand the grain of the fabric, stitch tightness and lengths, hemming and whatnot...but the only way that you get experience is by doing it, right?

I shall have my epic Paladin skirt in no time.

I got the chance to flex my cooking muscles (which have been somewhat wasting away from equal parts laziness and neglect) last night by cooking lasagne, and it was amazing. the only gripe is that I hadn't cooked it for long enough so the pasta will still a little al dente. As long as Hope enjoys my cooking, that's all that I need to be happy though.

Thorim tonight...I predict another two-hour wipefest but hey, first time any of us have faced these bosses so far so we're bound to cut ourselves on the sharp learning curve a little. Speaking of which, 3.2 kicked my mana regeneration in the taint. Illumination runs at half-capacity and Divine Intellect has been knocked back by 33% to 10% (from 15%). Eh. Beacon procs from the full amount of heal now, I gues that's alright (especially because being the caster with the fecking huge Holy Light heal, sometimes a player will need a fuckton of healing in the space of about 3 seconds and HoTs and priest heals can't keep up).

Also, Paladins have a HoT. Oh hurr hurr hurr...

Blah blah mp/5 buff. I've always used mp/5 plate in addition to crit regen. I knew this would happen.

God, my life must sound boring. :D

Argh

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:37:25 GMT

Ugh, I'm getting wildly unfocused again, looking at accounting degrees and such. No no no no no no no no! *smacks self*

The universe bends to her will. Damn it.

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:07:05 GMT

So, this evening was Emma's birthday, and although the evening was a little on the short side (next foray to the finest whorehouse in Melbourne will be longer) it was still an amazing experience. Dinner at Tokyo Garden with Hope, Morgan, Emma, Georgi(na) and another of Em's friends whose name eludes me at the moment were fantastic company and the food was as delicious as usual. After dinner we went to Madame Brussels', a bar that occupies what used to be Melbourne's 'finest whorehouse'. It was a little packed, but...

...well, our formal attire drew the attention of a waitress whom asked weather we would be interested in being seated out 'the rear', which was a fantastic room with an atrium ceiling and a little bar. We ordered some drinks and I ordered a cupcake, which I'm thinking may in fact be Madame Brussel's old term for 'gay' because the manager seemed to be very, very interested in me - placing his hand on my shoulder and offering free cupcakes. Emma thought that it was her charms that had brought us to this delightful little nook, but be redoubted our theories after the manager brought us a free bowl of salted cashews (usually $6), and later we realised the amphora of cocktail Hope and I had ordered was a large rather than small, so he had given us a $55 jug of cocktail for $30. We left a sizeable tip. A few drinks were drinked, storied were told, and all in all it was a delightful evening. Must do again. Must. :)

Dad brought down an old desk and chair of mine and cut the desk down to size a little so it would fit in the nook of the Epic house designated for it. It feels wonderful to have a lovely large desk and my old executive chair again. I feel a lot more able to do homework with a vast desk before me. I should get a pot plant for the corner, nice foliage, and some stackable cubes for book space.

Sleep time. Spent a LONG time this afternoon doing work in the backyward and I'm'a gonna sleep 'til midday.

Also, heya Kao, I should check your own journal out and see what's been happening with you. *zoom*

We're all clear on the rules, then?

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:36:08 GMT

I feel like going down to the driving range and practicing my Golf swing. Or rather, developing a golf swing and practicing that. Chea.

*puts on plus fours and flatcap*

SO UHM LIKE

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:50:13 GMT

I know this will interest practically NONE of you, but last night Valhalla defeated two Ulduar-10 man bosses on their first attempts ever, The Iron Council and Auraiya. This was the source for much, MUCH joy amongst us, especially veterans of Valhalla.

This week, we shall attempt at least two watchers...probably Hodir and Thorim. Mimiron can suck a lemon, and Freya can...go and get nerfed slightly because there's no way we're that co-ordinated at the moment. With that said...

We have high hopes to get Yogg-Saron down within the month. If that happens, we'll be one of the top 10 guilds on the realm, until we try hard hard modes...

And yes, we have Algalon in our sights. If we can routinely do the hard modes required, then why not? We'll probably never actually defeat Algy...but it can't hurt to try, right?

Blah, blah, University, etc.

Rawrhurrr

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:28:10 GMT

I think that KFC would be a really indulgent lunch that I should really consider getting.

There's a short list on the 'To do' list for today, but the sun is shining and it's beaaaaaautiful out!

Flee the icy Lucifer, oh he's an awful fellow.

ramirez_murphy@hotmail.com — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:35:44 GMT

I was scared about checking my University results to the point where I was planning of putting it off until the end of the year, but that sort of thinking ends up with me being even more paranoid about them, so the best thing to do was look at them as soon as they came out, and of course I did quite well, getting solid distinctions. Not as well as I could have done, but well nonetheless.

Manifest schedule's been released! I was having reservations about not being able to host like Nicole and I had originally planned on the Sunday (I mean hey, we're organising it, lawl) due to participating in cosplay chess, but...apparently my team is playing on Saturday (DERP DERP) so I don't have to worry about that anymore and things can go back to normal and Brad won't have to worry about overtaxing his workload and chronic fatigue with the filming and DDR and stuff. :) It was nice to hear from Brad last night though, haven't heard from him in aaaaages, 'twas awesome. Not sure why he thought Lexis and Georgia were shy though, as they're really anything but! *laugh*

Manifest in just over a month, guys! Remember, cosplay this year is PRE-REGISTRATION ONLY! You MUST pre-register in order to participate! This is a new system being trialed by Nicole and I that will hopefully mean less headaches for...well, us.

SIGN UP HERE OR PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE of cosplay.

Uhm, in other news, our guild is currently 4/14 in Ulduar. 10-man.

We've defeated the Flame Leviathan, brought down Razorscale, deconstructed the Deconstructor and brought the colossal Kologarn down to size...we're sort of bumping heads on The Iron Council and Ignis is a little too hot to handle. Ah well.

EDIT: A Passion Play is awesome. Really awesome. I have have have to quote a tiny bit of it, here and now.

The Funeral, and afterward.
-
"Do you still see me even here?"
(the silver cord lies on the ground.)
"and so Im dead, the young man said" --- over the hill
(not a wish away).
My friends (as one) all stand aligned
although their taxis came too late.
There was a rush along the fulham road.
There was a hush in the passion play.
Such a sense of glowing in the aftermath, ripe with rich attainments
(All imagined)
Sad misdeeds in disarray, the sore thumb screams aloud,
Echoing out of the passion play.
All the old familiar choruses come crowding in a different key:
Melodies decaying in sweet dissonance.
There was a rush along the fulham road
Into the ever-passion play.
And who comes here to wish me well?
A sweetly-scented angel fell.
She laid her head upon my disbelief and bathed me with her ever-smile.
And with a howl across the sand I go escorted by a band of gentlemen
In leather bound, no-one, but someone to be found.