Are there science blogs on lj?

Do any of you follow any of them?

Hey folks,

I'm now taking recommendations for books, non fiction and poetry I should read.

I read as many as I could of the previous rec's and am chasing down others.

Now. New things?


Explanation goes here about how I am bored with my life and job and miss actually learning things at uni and having things to think about and work on. I'm seeking new hobbies, but in the meantime, will take book recommendations.


Also, mirrored_star posted a great list of quotes that I am very much enjoying here. Enjoy.

( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )

From my Holly Lisle writing list:

'Some people want to save the world through writing. This one is not only crazy, but also makes me shudder.'

Heh. Heh.

My bad.

You know, I've been working on the moving out thing, on and off, for months. And I'm still surprised by just how much stuff I have (really, not that much, but it takes a lot of organising), and by how much effort goes into packing up small areas.

Still. All my books are now in boxes, I have obtained large calico bags I intend to use to store my linen and clothes, and I'm close to making last trips to the Salvos to drop off stuff I don't need. I need to sort out my desk and a few remaining drawers, but bulk things are under control.

Now it's just putting things into actual boxes. And hanging on until I put things I use most often into bags. That needs to wait a while longer, or be orchestrated very carefully, since I still have three weeks to go.

Not looking forward to sorting out my desk and papers. But... maybe I can just stash the whole lot into one of the storage boxes I got earlier.

Last year I held the coolest job it has ever been my experience to have. It was a job far cooler, in fact, than the jobs of anyone else I knew. It had perks to the eyebrows, easy hours, very casual relations, and good pay. It was a fabulous job.

I got it by lying.

Specifically: I lied by saying that I, georgiaclaire, followed and knew things about popular culture. I wait now while you all laugh.

I don't follow popular culture. You should know this. By definition, if it's popular, it's probably appealing to some lowest common denominator, and I happen to think I'm better than that, even if the rest of you aren't*. Accordingly, you couldn't pay me to go to Big Day Out, I find talk radio boring, I don't watch reality tv other than to judge people, and as to popular music: DJ Tiesto? Is that a new kind of rum? Is Kings of Leon a video game? If asked who Empire of the Sun were, I'd take a guess at the Sumerians or ancient Egyptians. What do you mean, it's not a history question?

Eventually, you know, I did get found out. Mostly because, rather foolishly, while at a gig, I made a comment along the lines of "I would enjoy this song cover more if I knew the original". Apparently it was a famous song. I couldn't tell you, I don't remember the band, title, or any lyrics. In any case, they worked it out.

Thing was, other than that, no one ever would have gotten me. I lied, yes, I lied boldly, blatantly and exorbitantly about my knowledge about popular culture. I also somehow got away with it, armed only with a number of friends in
Circusoc, an unhealthy obsession with Threadless, and an ironclad grip on the rules of grammar, spelling, and the 'i before e, except after c,' rule. I had a successful year as a journalist, a creative and resourceful writer. I have discussed the possibility with others, and been reassured, that for that one year, the quality of my publication actually rose instead of loitering uneasily in the muck. I got away with it. And I made it better.

I don't advocate lying, in general and at large. However... I do think there are occasions when you can wriggle your way around apparent obstacles in your path. When what sounds like a sticking point is really just a negotiation. When, hell, if you're willing to do whatever the hell it takes to get something right, the details don't matter.

I guess I'm saying, don't give in. Don't ever give in because something doesn't sound quite right. You're bigger than that.


*snobbery intended with humour.

I'm moving out.

Thank you.

Among other things, I think I'd enjoy writing answers. so.

The problem with LJ: We all think we are so close, but really we know nothing about one another. So I want you to ask me something you think you should know about me. Something that should be obvious, but you have no idea about. Ask away.

Then post this in your LJ and find out what people don't know about you.

I need a new newspaper!

In recent years I have been an avid follower of the Sydney Morning Herald. I read it, I supported it, I followed it online, I believed in it.

And, in recent times, it's become less and less of a balanced commentary, and more of a trashy tabloid.

So. Other newspapers I could read/follow? Or else, news journals? I'm not hugely picky... I just want something that doesn't turn every. tiny. thing. into an extreme, sensational headline.

Ideas?

Also, I need recommendations for recent literature. Long story short, I won a book voucher in a writing competition, and now I need some ideas to spend it on. Given the book shop in question, they'll probably need to be fairly recent or else large titles. Anyone?

This new thing of mine, with the waking up at three and not getting back to sleep? Yeah, not a fan.

Dislike.

Also, Ellen Page stole my face. And it weirds me out.

( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )

So I found an awesome vegan brownie recipe lately, but it was like wow, calorie-riffic. I've been experimenting a little and think I've found a way to do this with about half the sugar and less oil and still have a fluffy chocolatey brownie. And SO easy.

- 250g self raising flour.
- 150g raw sugar
- 65 cocoa
- 300 mLs water
- 150mL vegetable oil
- 5-10mL vanilla
- crushed nuts to taste.

Take above. Mix. Pour into brownie tin. Cook at 200 degrees celsius for 30 minutes. Tip onto cooling rack, slice and eat. Makes 15 or so brownies.

- I also imagine you could make it either gooier by cooking less or more chocolatey by adding chocolate chips. This recipe however is working for me. :D

*sigh*

So in recent weeks, we've had the Death of the Iron, the Leaking Tap, the Broken Microwave, and this morning's triumphant conclusion; The Flooded Kitchen, courtesy of the 'Fixed' Leaking Tap.

It would suffice to say that THIS IS MAKING MY LIFE NO FUN.

And you know, most of it, I don't mind. I don't iron, so I don't care. I managed to clean up the initial flood today and put a bucket under the flooding tap until my brother bothered to get up and turn it off. And there are other taps!

But I WANT MY FRAKKING MICROWAVE BACK.

Why? Well without my microwave, I can't heat my heatpacks, and my shoulders hurt. I can't reheat food easily, or without drying it out. I can't heat my awesome taro dessert from the crazy chinese store near me. I can't make custard (okay I can make custard but dude, standing by the stove stirring? Not nearly as awesome as the microwave nuke). I can't reheat my tea when I forget to drink it in time.

In short, being microwaveless is kind of ruining my life.

Boo. Sucks.

( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )

Today's work related thoughts:

- It would be really easy/interesting to write a crime novel with an environmental scientist as the protagonist. We go everywhere. We look at everything. It wouldn't be that hard or unreasonable to stumble over something more seriously illegal than waste water dumping.

- I never needed to see that many dead farm animals. I was investigating a chicken farm (eggs and meat, barn and free range), and um, unsanitary.

Man, I saw Up tonight and I honest to God just cannot say enough good things about that movie.

Yes, it's a kids movie. But it's the best among kids movies. It's smart, and funny, and has a lot of adult jokes, and a lot of things that just had me rolling in my chair and howling with laughter. I loved it. It really is clever humour, and while I guess the ending is a tad predictable - yes, there IS a happy ending - it's still a wonderful, wonderful sweet path it takes to get there. With many unexpected glitches along the way.

Also talking dogs and the cone of shame. IT WAS WONDERFUL.

Also, getting in before anyone else does: Yes, this kind of thing probably will happen more often in the future post-climate change.

Yes, I will enviro-blog about why. With pictures.

Also, as a result of my working in the field with little internet coverage and no lj access, I am trialing twitter. I am still highly dubious about it. But it gives me a way to stay on lj, I guess.

You can find me here, I am geoclaire.

Dude, DUST STORM.

I have never seen anything like this. It's seven am, and I can't see the sun or the sky and it's dark outside, because there is dust over the world.

The sky is an uneasy shade of umber. When I woke up, confused and sleep deprived, it was red. I drove into work - I couldn't see more than two hundred metres ahead. It's like yellow-red fog, so impenetrable.

(I got sent home from work. We're meant to be doing field work all day. It's been cancelled, thank gods.)

It is, we're told, the result of sustained winds yesterday over dry and exposed areas of the interior. There's a gale winds warning all over NSW today - and all I can tell you is my windows were open last night and now there's dust over my keyboard and desk. That, and from five minutes outside, my throat is tickling and dry.

I took photos, will upload later, but meanwhile... this is insane. But we are okay. It is freaking me out, but we are okay.

(also: GLOBAL WARMING. There's never been a dust storm in Sydney like this before.)

So I finally got to watch the Battlestar Galactica finale last night.

( Cut for spoilers. )

Okay. I think that's all I've got.

Wow, that was intense.

g: Today I smashed up a balcony.
M: Er... Why?
g: It's my job!
M: ... What is it you're doing these days?
g: I'm an environmental scientist!

So I'm trying to fade a pair of pants. I know, not what you'd expect, mostly you want to STOP clothes fading. But I stupidly bought a couple pairs of black work pants, and they're really not good in the heat, so I'm trying to figure out how to fade them.

I thought the internet would be able to help me in this quest; sadly, whenever I google, all I find are ways to prevent clothes fading. So... does anyone have ideas? I imagine bleach is the obvious answer but I want to be a bit careful with that - my pants are heavy and strong to protect me from like, heavy metals and acids in my work place, so I don't want to accidentally burn holes in them or significantly weaken them.

At the moment I'm hanging the pants in the sun all day/every day, but I know that will take forever. I'm considering using either baking soda and water, or that stuff you use to remove dye runs - but using the one for whites instead of colour safe, it's stripped dye before, so maybe it will work on my pants.

Other ideas?

(Also, I updated my other blog, if you're interested. Suggestions for post topics will be contemplated).

So, new work means new work drinks. And all new work misunderstandings. And hilarity.

*georgia, tired, lolls back on couch*
Kelly: Georgia, I think we need to call you a cab!
georgia: I haven't been drinking!
Kelly: Then WHY are you so floppy?
Anthony: She's wearing make-up, she's actually Gumby.



I laughed so hard I may actually have choked a little.

Dude, I just watched Epitaph One - the extra episode of the Dollhouse - and dude, Whiskey's fate is the saddest thing in the history of the world. Especially her choosing to stay there alone, knowing... SO SAD.

*makes sad face to demonstrate*


Also... I know I'm going to regret this, but has anyone written anything about fanfiction as resistance, in like a post colonial or post structuralism framework? Like, professional papers? Because I'm sure there's a thesis to be had there, particularly fanfiction as post colonial resistance (and might serve to justify some genuinely terrible Mary Sue fanfic out there).