The princess and the peaheart

Went to the Mature Age & Postgraduate Course Evening at The University Of Notre Dame Australia on Broadway. (That sentence looks downright Victorian, but then I will insist on capping every word in titles.) I liked the sound of the undergrad history and behavioural science programs, as well as the postgrad law degree. ND is a definite fallback option if I don't receive an offer from one of the four local institutions to which I've already applied. Rather than having to go through UAC, you're assessed by a combination of academic record, personal statement and interview - with admissions open right up until classes start! Although the Sydney campus is only 5-6 years old, my impression of the faculty and facilities was favourable. I felt welcome.

Nobody knows why

BEST ... OF THE YEAR

Album: The unhurried, uncompromised art of Kate Bush is always worth the wait. "50 Words For Snow" is uniquely gorgeous.

Book: Ernest Cline's cyberspatial hunt for '80s anorak treasure (with a touch of Willy Wonka), "Ready Player One".

Film: Traveller boxing documentary "Knuckle", pieced together over 12 bloody feud-filled years by Ian Palmer.

Graphic novel: Quirky Asian-American yarn of duty vs. digital dreams "Level Up", by Gene Luen Yang and Thien Pham.

Live event: UFC 127 at Acer Arena (now known as Allphones Arena). It didn't hurt that I was seated Octagon-side!

TV: The perfectly cast adaptation of GRRM's "Game Of Thrones" by a thousand leagues. Roll on April and Season 2.

Videogame: "El Shaddai - Ascension Of The Metatron" on the PS3 entertained me longer than the rest, if that's any guide.


The hypertonic for what ails ya - http://bit.ly/hmRzkr
Finally - http://bit.ly/s6sPZm
Kenny G walks into an elevator...and says, "This place rocks!" (Ta, MR.)
Dangerous dubbing - http://bit.ly/t7FTI8 (Cheers, DL.)

What's a dreamcatcher to you is a dust trapper to me

T/W/T/W/T/W..."The Armstrong And Miller Show" - best sketch comedy in yonks; "Welcome Interstate Managers" (2003) by Fountains Of Wayne; time off in lieu; "The Learners" (2008) by Chip Kidd; evacuating the building for a false alarm; the "Picasso: Masterpieces From The Musee National Picasso, Paris" exhibition at the Art Gallery Of NSW - such variety! Such a mind expansion!; "Doctor Who: 100" (2007) by Rayner/Shearman/Lidster/Cornell - that stupid Caesar story has ruined companion Evelyn for me; "Peep Show"; Missy Higgins reconsidered; the "Jeffrey Smart: Unspoken" exhibition at the USyd Art Gallery; indulging an urge to splurge at Utopia; Bell Shakespeare's production of "Julius Caesar" (as recommended by DW from poker) at the SOH Playhouse; GH's 50th dinner in Mayfield - we each did the 1.2kg steak challenge at Grill 32 and got our names on the honour board; lifting my alcohol ban after four months; catching up with the oldies in Warabrook; driving in AP2's brand-new secondhand Lexus; JH and SH's combined 40th party in Morisset; "Fruit Ninja"; the "Persons Of Interest: The ASIO Files" exhibition at the Justice & Police Museum - the suspects weren't totally spies :-); pretty Irish barmaids with their lovely accents; a competent staging of Oscar Wilde's "An Ideal Husband" at the Genesian Theatre; and I can't stop yawning.


Additional actors/actorettes on the right - http://bit.ly/qW36nJ

Grimhilde

T/W/T/W/T/W..."Graceland" on repeat; "Judge Dredd Crime Chronicles: Stranger Than Truth" (2009) by David Bishop - a lively, metafictional romp; caps that fit; the restarted "Beavis And Butthead"; Season 1 of "Portlandia"; white peach and passionfruit lemonade; "The Cheese Monkeys: A Novel In Two Semesters" (2001) by Chip Kidd; offloading excess possessions to friends/neighbours/charity; "Angry White Pyjamas: A Scrawny Oxford Poet Takes Lessons From The Tokyo Riot Police" (1997) by Robert Twigger - quote below; being out'n'about all day, then realising that at some point you got red paint on your trousers; "The Big Issue No. 393" (Tintin cover); revisiting "Eerie, Indiana" again; "Unholy War" (2002) by John L. Esposito; nicking my fingers more often than a long-sighted butcher with the DTs; the M:TG worlds; daring to get my hopes up for the CS Lewis-inspired "Doctor Who" Christmas special; rocket, cashew and parmesan dip on corn crackers; UFC 139; and SBS's "PopAsia" (knew about the digital radio station, but just discovered the Sunday morning clip show). Not bad for a week in which I spent 55+ hours toiling away in the office!


Twigger on enlightenment: "A Zen priest told me when I first arrived in Japan, 'There are two kinds depending on your type. One type of man has many mini-enlightenments. The other has one big enlightenment.' 'What if you have no enlightenments at all?' I asked. 'Such a man does not think to ask this question,' he said."


Let my people go (by tram) - http://bit.ly/oS3Ceu

Schedules of students at various UK unis - http://bit.ly/rrVsS5. The Oxbridge ones are the most interesting, by virtue of being the most different to the Oz experience.

Julius Pringles

T/W/T/W/T/W...UFC 138; "New Zealand's Next Top Model"; receiving a letter to say I've been added to the jury roll and may be selected for service; the WSOP 2011 final table; fruit smoothies; heavy rain (the meteorological phenomenon not the videogame); a preview screening of "Immortals" with AM; Dad and Uncle J. staying here from Wed.-Sat. so as to spectate at the Australian Golf Open; "Fatal System Error: The Hunt For The New Crime Lords Who Are Bringing Down The Internet" (2010) by Joseph Menn; a wunderbar new Symphony Of Science tune; the T-shirt slogan "PLEASE BE QUIET"; Test cricket craziness; Salt & Lemon (it's going strong, BS, no shortage of fish OR chips :-)); Sammy Davis Jr's cover of "The Candy Man" x 1000; and UFC On Fox.


--> BBC Four's comprehensive and, if you like synthesiser pop, irresistible 2009 doco "Synth Britannia" (1.5 hours) - http://bit.ly/jaDF6M. So much priceless footage.

Parasol stars

This spring day in the eastern suburbs is like summer. Taking my weekly constitutional, I passed at least six people of Asian ethnicity carrying umbrellas - men and women. I can dig it. Better to attract stares for your brolly than for a skin cancer burnt/cut off your face later in life. A glint at my feet on a paved pathway revealed a "diamond" in a metal bezel. Quote marks because it failed the scratch test (dispelling a vision of me heroically returning it to its distraught owner). Coincidentally - diamonds, feet - my copy of the expanded and remastered "Graceland" arrived this week. I bought Paul Simon's masterwork on cassette in 1986 and wore it wobbly. Will be good to revisit the album for its 25th anniversary. Most of the visitors to this webs(h)ite hail from, in order: Australia, the US, the Netherlands, Russia, South Korea, Germany, Malaysia, the UK, France and Latvia. World music?

Micro-emotions

T/W/T/W/T/W...the sobering public lecture "Population, Environment, And The Millennium Alliance For Humanity And Biosphere" delivered by Stanford University's Professor Paul Ehrlich; free postcards to decorate my cubicle; listening to "As Neat As A New Pin" (2009) by Empty Set; picking the winner of the Melbourne Cup (bet $20, won $125); witnessing a scam attempt^^^; Season 2 of the "Venture Bros." 'toon and Season 1 of the "X-Men" anime; loving and hating in equal measure "The Mad Square: Modernity In German Art 1910-37" at the Art Gallery Of NSW; misplacing a thumbtack in my apartment that I'm yet to locate; pigeon-racing...um, reality challenge, I suppose you'd call it, "Taking On Tyson"; Turkish Delight Tim Tams; catching a company trying to slug me with a late fee for a bill I didn't receive (fee waived); renting "Your Highness" (2010) and not regretting it; a poker night with CM, AM, DL, DW and AP at which I was runner-up to AP in both tourneys (doubled my dough, though); "Prognosis #18" and audiobook "Robin Hood: The Witchfinders" (2009) by Rebecca Levene; Bloomberg Television; and an attack of extreme lethargy.


^^^A woman came into a restaurant where I was eating and asked the lady manager for help. She said her car was in a nearby parking station and she couldn't get it out because she'd accidentally left her wallet at home. She offered to leave her contact details if she could please borrow the money ($27!) to pay for the parking. Then, she said, she'd drive home, get the wallet and return to refund the loan. The restaurant lady took her at face value as she seemed distressed, but wanted to send a staff member along for the ride, to collect the cash. That suggestion didn't go down well. Oh no, the wallet was in [far-off suburb]. There was no need for someone else to travel all that way, too. At this point, the manager knew she was being lied to. She advised the woman to go to the police station for assistance. The woman pleaded her case again, saying she didn't want to bother the police over it and insisting she'd be straight back with the money. When the manager replied firmly that she was sorry but could do no more, the woman's demeanour changed. She launched into a torrent of abuse and racial slurs, sticking her middle finger up as she exited the scene.


Innistrad Von Zarovich pre-cons
1st - "Spectral Legions" (U/W) - 3 matches, 8 games
2nd - "Repel The Dark" (G/W) - 3 matches, 7 games
3rd - "Carnival Of Blood" (B/R) - 2 matches, 6 games
4th - "Eldritch Onslaught" (U/R) - 2 matches, 5 games
5th - "Deathly Dominion" (B/G) - 0 matches, 4 games


Put things into perspective (ta, TG) - http://bit.ly/cQfu6q


"I agree. Now, let me tell you why we're wrong..."