grouchiegrrl's Journal

4:54pm: Go Shep Go!
 Seriously, this guy is becoming a hero of mine. Shep Smith, being sane on Fox, yet again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ6091yQ_fM

But, I am wondering how much longer he will have a job on Fox at this rate....

2:53pm: Feminism fail
So today's legal theory lecture was on radical feminist jurisprudence.

My lecturer opened the lecture by telling us he got his wife to check his notes before giving the lecture.

Then a bit about how he and his wife were a team, and that he did dishes.

Then he told a story about how he was at an academic conference where he was critiquing a feminist, and she got very upset, and I was worried about how upset she was getting, so I stopping critiquing her views. (with me saying 'as women are want to do'... but I don't think he heard me).

Dude, feminism fail. and how.

but there was more. Betty Friedan was a stallinist. when at college. At SMITH. In like the 40s. He also noted that Catherine MacKinnon went to Smith (funny that. what with it being the cradle of american feminism and all).

There was a weird bit about pornography being addictive, and very bad for men. And some real cherry picking of quotes from Simone de Beauvoir (who was NOT married to Sartre, right?), Helen Gurley Brown and Gloria Steinem.

Then a re-hash of an argument he has made before, about people who criticise the culture they live in. He suggested that Unger should return to Brazil, where there is little respect for rule of law, rather than live in the US and criticise rule of law. Today he suggested that Catherine MacKinnon should be sent to the Taliban and write her feminist screeds there. Which is, I suspect, an unfortunate phrase rather than an actual 'send the bitch to deal with a really women-unfriendly culture' intent.

but seriously, it is pretty normal for people to criticise the culture, politics, legal structure, economics whatever that they live with. It is what they know best if for no other reason. He himself writes articles about how people of faith have no place in the public discourse anymore.... so perhaps he should consider moving... where? The middle east has people of faith running the govt, but it is not a christian faith so I suspect he wouldn't see the parallels. 

Perhaps any US state currently being run by Republicans. See if he likes it better.

Oddly, I actually think this guy is not misogynistic. But my goodness that was a bad lecture. I left before he finished, because I was just irritated. So I have to listen to it AGAIN! 

7:45pm: sad
Maurice Sendak died. At least, according to Colbert.

:(

I guess he is where the wild things are now. 

7:55am: Boo!
I have hit the part of this 'where law meets theology and philosophy' course where we are at radical jurisprudence theories. So Derrida and Foucault have re-appeared in my life. I really never wanted to deal with them again.

Mind you, I always loathed dealing with Marxism too, and I survived that! Kind of helped that the lecturers take on it was 'stupid legal theory that wasn't a theory of law in any way shape or form. It was just mob rule'.

Wonder what he will make of Critical Legal Thories. I kind of like Unger so far, I will be fine with the feminist jurisprudence stuff (cause I always like Mill) but postmodernism is going to want to make me scream, and for the same reasons. You can't have a legal system with certainty if you can't agree on the meaning of things - and if you are arguing about whether reality is all in your head, you really can't have a sane agreement on how you will structure a legal system. 

6:05am: Hallelujah!
 For two things - one for the board of examiners not making me wait forever to get my research paper mark, and secondly

For my HD! 81% baby!!!

oh thank goodness - that is SUCH a relief. 

now onto more Ds and HDs... yeah, maybe.

8:24pm: weekend
This was the weekend of much much children.

the main noteworthy bits;

- the police are excellent at ending tantrums (I did not know this before this weekend)

- I 'won' a 2 year old's birthday party (as in of the 20 or so gifts she recieved, mine was what she carried around for the rest of the day - *win*)

- there are some utter geniuses in Canada who have taken a bunch of stock footage from things like tips and mine sites and so on and have created kids shows called 'mighty machines' which show kids how dump trucks work and all the machines on ski fields and mine sites and so on. I am awed by the brilliance of it - my god-son sits there mesmerised for hours (if you let him). genius.

- there is a thai restaurant in perth were it is apparently cool to just let your kids run amok, screaming and getting under everyone's feet. and aside from some interesting facial expressions from some wait staff, noone complained or anything. hmm.... I am going to get take away next time though. If I have to eat dinner to high pitched screaming, I would like it to be my own damn fault (like it was on friday night).  

12:18am: it was nice while it lasted
There is this period every  semester, where (after going nuts) you hand in all your assignments, and there is this lovely time between that, and when they are marked and returned. I have been known to stretch this out by simply not picking up my assignments - usually til after my exams. which everyone seems to think is nuts, but as I rarely have two assignments due in a semester, I don't need to read the comments, I just need to prepare for exams. And as I am not a great writer, and I am a terrible procrastinator - assignments aren't my strength - and I would rather not get depressed and stressed before exams.

The uni mainly stuffed me around on this front by either handing them back in class, or now, by lodging my results online. and I don't seem able not to look once I know they are there.

anyway, what is whinge in aide of? Well it is because my lovely relaxing period between all my assignments going in (can it only have been last week?) and the results starting to turn up will soon be over. My summer research supervisor emailed me tonight to tell me it is marked and the results are with the examiners - and she can't tell me what they are. She said very nice comments though, so I am hopeful. and today in class my legal theory prof promised they will be done soon (with me going 'oh take your time, don't stress yourself' and other things like that). Haven't heard a thing about my CJS one - which is fine, cause that is the one worth the most - and the class I would really like to do well in.

and here I am awake in the middle of the night. I get up at 5am - how is it possible I am awake still? 

9:00pm: and then...
every once in an eon, Fox News is awesome....

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/shep-smith-politics-weird-and-creepy

Apparently I would like this guy. He has been written up as the something like 'the only sane and increasingly bewildered voice on Fox'. 

8:44am: Who am I?
I have always wondered about that thing where women supposedly shop to elevate their mood. It turns out I have been doing it wrong. I was always trying to buy clothes, which is depressing. But when you are buying CARS it turns out to be a whole other thing. I bought a spanky shiny car this week. Wanna see?

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/volkswagen-golf-2004-12474984?base=1216&vertical=Car&Range=Price:Min,Max~0.5&eapi=2&sort=default&cr=1&__N=1246%201247%201252%201282%204294962746%204294962677%20904%201216&silo=Stock&find=white|CarAll

Only, I am a little worried about who my love of my new car is turning me into. I got up this morning and dug out the car cleaning enjo kit we were given, and washed my car. Then I got out the hard core industrial dustbuster type vacuum that someone else gave me to vacuum out the car. 

which is *ahem* a bit unlike me.

and then I accidentally tracked in dirt all over the carpets that my cleaner left immaculate yesterday afternoon, so I went and got the vacuum and cleaned that up. and yesterday morning I got up early (well, actually I always do that, so I got up) and spent and hour and a half tidying up and getting stuff off the floors and doing dishes and putting things away - I have become someone who cleans before the cleaner comes.

yikes.

So, back to watching the rest of this climate doco, then off to markets and having friends for dinner tonight. Bit of writing up lecture notes and reading for classes this week, bit of decluttering. And occasionally looking at the window at my speccy new car. loves.....




 

9:03pm: Quote of the week
Travis Smiley on Colbert tonight - Colbert says 'rich guys like him trickle... and make job opportunities for others. Travis says, 'yeah, I think most people actually feel tinkled on'.

That is fabulous. I hope the yank left makes up bumper stickers using that! 

4:44pm: unexpected bliss
You know how you find those little moments of unexpected bliss in strange places - I am going to add one to the list - getting on a train and finding it empty or at least quiet. Utter bliss. 

6:32pm: Found it
The stupidest name ever given to a kid. Abcde - said Ab-see-dee. 

I mean really. Like that kid isn't in for fun at school!

Mind you, how about this one? T-a. Go on, see if you can guess how it is said. ( pronounciation ) 

10:23am: Also
Best freakin endorsement EVAH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34phsb4e6Eg

Oops!  

8:54am: what the hell happened?
I watched the first season of 'Game of Thrones' having never read the books - I then read them over Xmas. Good thing too, as I just watched the first ep of season two... and I have no idea how you be able to follow what is happening if you haven't read them.

When I read the first book I found a more detailed story, obviously, but I didn't notice anything major missing from the series. But season two - they don't orient the view erwhen they jump to a different story thread, and when you consider that at least one thread (Dragonstone and Stannis Baratheon) didn't exist in the last season, that seems a bit silly. They do little to explain the religious issues that start in this season/book, and you have basically no idea who anyone on Dragonstone is - other than the opening sequence that shows it for the first time.  

They don't really clarify that the scenes in 'the Wall' thread are now beyond the Wall, but they did intend to go north at the end of the last season, so I guess that explains that. Maybe I should re-watch the last ep to see if they set up the segues, but I still think that a little exposition would go a long way to ease through the viewer who haven't read the second novel. Hell, even a caption with a location when they jump would help. 

I guess if you haven't bothered to read the books at this point, tough - silly because TV will always capture viewers who won't read the books - especially sci-fi or fantasy (actually what catagory does this fall into? alternative medieval history? fantasy I guess - Dragons would have to equal fantasy wouldn't they?) I should think. 

( this bit definitely has spoilers... )

My... I guess review (?).. is that it is as well made and acted and so on as the last season (and Peter Dinklage still steals the whole thing, although I really do like Jon Snow and I can't imagine I will like Aria less) but that you will only really enjoy it if you have read the second book. Otherwise it will be confusing as hell, and I would wait until there are more episodes as it may be easier to follow the story if you can watch it in big chunks.

*I was wrong, they did set up the final scenes in the last episode of season 1. 

3:10pm: Best. Typo. Evah.
I just got the weekly 'what's happening' email from my uni. This week the fitness centre is apparently having a free fitness fair - that is open to the wide community.

really?

only the wide?

LOL

Actually, they also note something great. They are soliciting pre-loved sports equipment for FAiRGAME - which is apparently a non-profit that recycles equipment for disadvantaged communities in WA.

Cool.

6:46pm: Bring me dancing girls
and mangos. And drinks with umbrellas. And young boys to wave feathered fans and me. and...other ludicrous things. My paper is done and submitted. It might be utter rubbish at this point, I am so cross-eyed and plot-lost that I don't care (I will tomorrow. Probably at about 4am).

IT IS DONE!*

*there is a caveat to this. It is that in a month when I am done with my other assignments, I will have time to take a breath and take into account my supervisor and other academics pointing out that I have found a gap in the research and I should look at re-doing it with an eye to publishing. Which seems ludicrous... but still. meh - go away brain and let me sleep. Or watch americans. same diff.

9:26pm: Best line (of the night)
Jon Stewart on the Daily Show about yesterday's GOP elections....

"anywhere you can get to in a winnebago, Santorum won, any where you need a jet or a yacht to get to, Romney won".

brilliant.

4:24pm: The awesomeness
that knows no end...
http://thebloggess.com/2012/02/youre-ruining-nathan-fillion-for-me-nathan-fillion-alternate-title-but-i-forgive-you/

and even better .... I was talking about Brian freakin Boitano at uni the other day! Nothing to do with this whatsoever... and then he gets in on the twitter hilarity.

8:09am: Smile
Penn Gillette, Jeri Ryan and Wil Wheaton are totes awesome. thebloggess.com/2012/02/youre-ruining-nathan-fillion-for-me-nathan-fillion-alternate-title-but-i-forgive-you/

see? Sadly, Nathan Fillion less so, but he was delightful on Ellen so we forgive him. 

I actually doubly love Penn Gillette at the moment, because assorted american political commentators that I like are using him as the example of a real libertarian to show how Ron Paul is not a libertarian. Not a libertarian at all. I am looking at you DB - NOT a libertarian, you hear me? 

Also, while I am here, anyone know where I can rent a kayak or wave ski for a half a day?

8:35pm: Ahem
So. It turns out that doing boot camp on a monday morning is a bad idea.

6-7am at a local park being turned into jelly.

7am race home so Wookie can get car in time to get to work.
7.10 jump into shower, dress, pack bags etc
7.30 get on bus, then train then bus to uni
8.30 - 3 hour criminal justice lecture

this would be where I realised that this was a bit much.

11.30 grab lunch with E
12 find a spot in the library to study
4 print out notes in prep for lecture
4.30 Corp law lecture
8.30 - fall out of class, cold, hungry, legs like jelly, falling asleep and brain dead. Thankfully wookie picked me up with food and warmness, so I didn't have to deal with public transport.

( planning to deal with monday madness )

( good things )I am so tired and sore and rubbery and brain dead tonight that it is not funny. It is not often I need to have a hot shower before going to bed but tonight is one. No chance I am going to be riding tomorrow, that is for sure! Which is kind of a shame actually.

6:42am: Foot update
So there was a chance that I had fractured the top of my foot when I came down on it - it hurt in a way that is not normal for when I go over on my ankle (and this happens fairly often). And some other people like the nurse and my friend who has broken lots of bones thought I had fractured it too.

But after an afternoon and night of it being elevated and iced, it is a lot better this morning. I definitely sprained it, and can still feel that when I flex or extend my foot, but I am pretty sure it is only sprained, and not terribly badly so. My friend A is going to loan me a walking stick, and I suspect by the weekend I should be back to normal - which is good cause there is a market this weekend!

So, still never broken a bone!

2:08pm: Day from hell
Urgh. First my bus pass was broken and that delayed me this morning. Then I had one hassle after another at uni. Then I fell off a step and hurt my foot and was sent home by the nurse. My neighbour collected me from uni and has put me on my couch with an icepack and an elevated foot.

meh, what a day. Plus I can't figure out how to get food! 

4:11pm: Exercise
So rode to work this morning - 7.2kms. I got a kind of score riding down Aberdeen this morning in that a female cyclist was just ahead of me all the way, so I could kind of see what others do in certain situations on that bit of the ride which was nice. Burnt off about 430 kcals, but then when I got to work I found our bins weren't out, and the truck had just come past  - so I stowed my bike and went for a run with the bin after the truck (see, I am about function, definitely not form) and ended up racking up 600 kcals in this morning's exercise session *grin*.

Off to pilates this afternoon - but I got an extra workout in by accident. Went for a walk this afternoon to pick up a gift for a friend's child's birthday, and the bike shop has moved. Moved way further than I thought. So I probably walked about 2km in the heat. Meh. Won't be using that bike shop again.

Looking fwd to the ride to uni in the morning - I will be able to see how far it is. Think I have my alternate route plotted from Leech - just duck up to Murdoch Drive and ride the cycle path all the way to uni. At least, it looks like that would work on the maps. Will need to carry a fair bit with me, so it will be panniers and a backpack to get everything there. I want to get home in time to catch the friend's with the birthday kid, but I can't see how I can finish uni at 4.30 and be home by 5.30 - doubt I can ride home as well, and can't take the bike on the train then, and can't get picked up. Veeeeery tempting to drive tomorrow - need to kit out my locker, have a friend returning a pile of big heavy books, will need to take food and buy some stuff at the bookshop, and get home in time. But no - the kid is one, ze will be more interested in the wrapping paper than actual gift. So I don't need to be there. I can stay at uni and study til I can come home on the train.

7:28am: New kit
So first run with all the new kit. Possibly I should have picked either new shoes or compression pants to really be able to judge each individually, but I really don't think like that, do I?

( discussion of new gear )

( difficulties with tech )

So my monitor claimed I only burnt 300 kcal - but I assume it was at least 400 based on prior runs and assuming another 10 min of exercise.

8:53am: Cycling
So I rode my new route today - it is about a half a k shorter, and much easier. And, consequently, much less kcal burnt! I got to work and my watch only said 320 - so I went for a walk around the suburb until it was over 500.

and now I am treating myself to the delicious breakfast from one of the posh cafe's down the street. Pannacotta, nuts and seeds, fresh fruit (peach and nectarine today) and a teenytiny amount of toffee. yum. Bad choice really - as I am having lunch with a friend today, so will eat out at lunch as well.

UPDATE: OMG that was soooo worth it. Absolutely fantastic breakfast - there was even more fruit buried at the bottom of the bowl- mangos and strawberries, and more nuts and seeds than the last time I had it. Utterly fabulous breakfast and now I am not hungry - so I feel better, but I also have that lovely post-really-nice-meal soothed feeling.

and some seeds in my teeth. hmm.