My mother has been teaching a new class this term, and they've been focusing on "Natural Disasters". So far, every disaster they've looked at has either happened just before or within two weeks of her lessons.
When Christchurch had its earthquake, do you know what she said? "Tsunami is next."
I'm beginning to suspect she might just have superpowers, and she might not be using them for the good of mankind.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, she says volcanoes are next on the list.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Readers!
At some point in the last couple of months my library has acquired a small number of German Readers!
This makes me very happy. Also, somewhat perplexed.
a) I usually scan the New Books emails for things like this, but obviously missed every single one of these (indicating they all came in the same week).
b) I know I didn't ask for them (I was looking at another company's books, but hadn't gotten around to ordering them). Does this mean the German lecturer actually listened to me when I said he could put in requests for material like readers? Does this mean he actually found some readers and ordered them?
Now, must work out best way to promote them...
Perhaps it's time to bring back the mini-displays?
This makes me very happy. Also, somewhat perplexed.
a) I usually scan the New Books emails for things like this, but obviously missed every single one of these (indicating they all came in the same week).
b) I know I didn't ask for them (I was looking at another company's books, but hadn't gotten around to ordering them). Does this mean the German lecturer actually listened to me when I said he could put in requests for material like readers? Does this mean he actually found some readers and ordered them?
Now, must work out best way to promote them...
Perhaps it's time to bring back the mini-displays?
Did you know...
... that heart failure can give you a cough?
Seems a bit petty, really: "Aha! I kill you! And I make you cough!"
Seems a bit petty, really: "Aha! I kill you! And I make you cough!"
Saturday, March 5, 2011
When a dog takes over control
I have to admit it, the Italian version of Kommissar/Inspector Rex is actually better than the original. The stories and acting just seems to have kicked up a notch since Rex moved to Rome.
More importantly, though, I can understand the theme song. I've never been able to quite grasp the theme song for the original. No matter how hard I try, I just can't make out all of the words. It sounds for all the word like this:
I see heroes without fear
Cowabunga, empty streets
Time to hide in dirty cages
Then you'll see how it's gonna be
When a dog takes over control
We'll be fine until the end
That's what they call a good friend
He'll always understand
That's what they call a good friend.
Which, quite frankly, doesn't make as much sense as it could. Particularly the "Cowabunga" bit.
I've tried looking up the lyrics online, but it seems no one else can come up with anything that makes more sense. A few of them have "killing thunder" rather than "cowabunga". So much better.
Is the song suggesting a possible future where dogs are in control and people are imperiled, but thankfully saved by one particular dog who likes us? If so, that really doesn't fit with the TV show at all.
Oh, and then (after Moser was killed and they switched to the second guy) they re-recorded the theme song. Unfortunately, instead of making it easier to understand, they just dropped several lines. Because, you know, that's likely to help.
More importantly, though, I can understand the theme song. I've never been able to quite grasp the theme song for the original. No matter how hard I try, I just can't make out all of the words. It sounds for all the word like this:
I see heroes without fear
Cowabunga, empty streets
Time to hide in dirty cages
Then you'll see how it's gonna be
When a dog takes over control
We'll be fine until the end
That's what they call a good friend
He'll always understand
That's what they call a good friend.
Which, quite frankly, doesn't make as much sense as it could. Particularly the "Cowabunga" bit.
I've tried looking up the lyrics online, but it seems no one else can come up with anything that makes more sense. A few of them have "killing thunder" rather than "cowabunga". So much better.
Is the song suggesting a possible future where dogs are in control and people are imperiled, but thankfully saved by one particular dog who likes us? If so, that really doesn't fit with the TV show at all.
Oh, and then (after Moser was killed and they switched to the second guy) they re-recorded the theme song. Unfortunately, instead of making it easier to understand, they just dropped several lines. Because, you know, that's likely to help.
Helen should keep her big mouth shut
So, we've been having an interesting week. Things have been going wrong. Technology has been failing. People have been slicing themselves open in freak accidents. Other people have been experiencing, shall we say, "slight technical difficulties" with their home lives. Things like that.
I personally blame Helen, who has been spending the last week saying "What else could possibly go wrong?" a lot. Like that isn't daring the universe.
Take yesterday's training session, for example. Somewhere between 200 and 300 people turn out on a Saturday morning (having paid for the privilege) to hear us tell them all about writing essays and doing research.
To begin with, the room is locked and we have to track down security to let us in (surely, if you book a room, someone should be on hand to unlock it). Then we discovered the presentation equipment was frozen and the projectors wouldn't work. Since all of our sessions were running off slide shows, that was a bit of a problem. About an hour into the session, just after we finally managed to get our "Plan B" to work, the projectors came back on... only the have the Internet cut out half and hour later (and a lot of what we were to show the students was on the 'net).
We spent the entire morning trying to teach without tools and fix the tools at the same time. There was a point when I was speaking to the crowd and I noticed people were taking notes. My brain was somewhere else entirely, trying to work out what to do next. I kid you not, I actually had the thought: "Hey, people are taking notes based on what I'm saying. I wonder what I'm saying..."
And, through it all, Helen keeps saying "Seriously, what else could possibly go wrong?"
Stop asking the question, Helen. We don't want to know the answers.
I personally blame Helen, who has been spending the last week saying "What else could possibly go wrong?" a lot. Like that isn't daring the universe.
Take yesterday's training session, for example. Somewhere between 200 and 300 people turn out on a Saturday morning (having paid for the privilege) to hear us tell them all about writing essays and doing research.
To begin with, the room is locked and we have to track down security to let us in (surely, if you book a room, someone should be on hand to unlock it). Then we discovered the presentation equipment was frozen and the projectors wouldn't work. Since all of our sessions were running off slide shows, that was a bit of a problem. About an hour into the session, just after we finally managed to get our "Plan B" to work, the projectors came back on... only the have the Internet cut out half and hour later (and a lot of what we were to show the students was on the 'net).
We spent the entire morning trying to teach without tools and fix the tools at the same time. There was a point when I was speaking to the crowd and I noticed people were taking notes. My brain was somewhere else entirely, trying to work out what to do next. I kid you not, I actually had the thought: "Hey, people are taking notes based on what I'm saying. I wonder what I'm saying..."
And, through it all, Helen keeps saying "Seriously, what else could possibly go wrong?"
Stop asking the question, Helen. We don't want to know the answers.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Losing Team
I have two hats with the word "Fury" on them at home. One is a proper cost-me-$25-from-a-merchandise-stand hat, the other is a $5 cheapy I picked up from an in-store display. I'm not sure they were actually meant to be for sale, but I asked and they sold it to me.
The "real" hat was my celebratory hat. I bought it when the Fury won their first home game, and decided that I would wear it whenever they won. The other had was sort of my way to still show support even if they weren't winning. I wore the cheap hat a lot.
I think I'm going to have to rethink my "winning hat" and "not winning hat" strategy from now on, due to the fact that my team has permanently lost.
The thing that really urks me - that urks all of us in North Queensland - is the fact that it was painfully obvious FFA had no real intention of letting us continue. This for the past six months.
For six months (at least) FFA has been dangling an impossible carrot in front of the team - effectively saying "oh, yeah, of course there's a chance you will survive, you just have to do this thing we all know you will never be able to do, without any real sense of support from us".
We all feel as if the FFA wanted to axe the team after the last season, but also wanted to look like they were trying to give us a chance. "Oh, look, fans of this team, we are supporting your team as much as we can, so don't hate us when we inevitably kill it."
It would have been so much fairer to everyone - especially the players and staff - if they had said "Right, this is definitely your last season. Make the most of it and find a new job next year".
Sure, we would have hated them for not giving the team a chance, but we hate them so much more for jerking everyone around.
Man up, FFA. If you're going to put the cat down, then put it down. Dragging out the process out didn't make anyone look good.
The "real" hat was my celebratory hat. I bought it when the Fury won their first home game, and decided that I would wear it whenever they won. The other had was sort of my way to still show support even if they weren't winning. I wore the cheap hat a lot.
I think I'm going to have to rethink my "winning hat" and "not winning hat" strategy from now on, due to the fact that my team has permanently lost.
The thing that really urks me - that urks all of us in North Queensland - is the fact that it was painfully obvious FFA had no real intention of letting us continue. This for the past six months.
For six months (at least) FFA has been dangling an impossible carrot in front of the team - effectively saying "oh, yeah, of course there's a chance you will survive, you just have to do this thing we all know you will never be able to do, without any real sense of support from us".
We all feel as if the FFA wanted to axe the team after the last season, but also wanted to look like they were trying to give us a chance. "Oh, look, fans of this team, we are supporting your team as much as we can, so don't hate us when we inevitably kill it."
It would have been so much fairer to everyone - especially the players and staff - if they had said "Right, this is definitely your last season. Make the most of it and find a new job next year".
Sure, we would have hated them for not giving the team a chance, but we hate them so much more for jerking everyone around.
Man up, FFA. If you're going to put the cat down, then put it down. Dragging out the process out didn't make anyone look good.
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