Got to love this. He he he.
Archive for April, 2003
Get out of gaol free card
April 30th, 2003The difference between a rock and a grenade
April 30th, 2003The US military show why simple logic should be universally taught. This classic line from a Lieutenant Colonel Eric Nantz who stated when asked to explain why his men had fired on a group of Iraqi civilians – killing 13 of them – “There were a lot of people who were armed and who were throwing rocks. How is a US soldier to tell the difference between a rock and a grenade?” Perhaps because a grenade explodes and a rock doesn’t? If it is a grenade and they have already thrown it then shooting the person who has thrown it becomes a bit redundant. It’s still going to go boom. If it is a rock and therefore miraculously doesn’t explode then you have just refrained from shooting an innocent civilian. The military mind is an amazing thing.
Brain not in gear
April 30th, 2003Brain still not in gear. Focus is all over the joint. Some elements of brain activity quite good if I concentrate and analyse carefully the potential risk of opening my mouth and actually communicating. Thus far today it’s been a successful run of not saying anything too stupid or confused. Of course I make no guarantees for the rest of the day. I am also expected to make civilised and intelligent conversation at dinner tonight with people who are usually capable of considerable articulation. Could be trouble. Otherwise watching the world go by.
Well that lasted for about ten seconds
April 29th, 2003Well good mood lasted for about ten seconds. Back to normal broadcasting – depression, alcohol, further depression. Whilst some friends happy – others not so happy and I, in typical fashion, have added their woes to my own. A couple of rocky relationships and a couple of bad personal decisions from several people have contributed to the overall malaise. Add to it a raft of work problems – which whilst all surmountable look like a bloody big mountain to climb. Only good thing was new Michael Connelly novel – a Harry Bosch one this time – and the new Dave Barry book. Both of which provided some entertainment last night as I proceeded to demolish wine and cigarettes. Bloody cat also got stuck in neighbours roof again and I had to go get her. Which resulted in numerous scratches on back and neck as she clawed me as I was getting her. Being cute but peanut brained means she couldn’t work out that me picking her up and taking her down the ladder was a good thing. Even after yowling for three hours that she couldn’t get out. Grumpy.
‘Excuse me, I have to go pray’ – Lukas Hart III from Bob Roberts (1992)
April 27th, 2003Watching Bob Roberts. Had forgotten what an insightful film it is. A subtle film whose message remains relevant in American society and politics. Perhaps even more relevant given the United States’ current leadership and its objectives. Lukas Hart III would have been happy to dine with Donald Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney whilst George W. Bush would be happy tapping along to Bob’s tunes.
Happy child
April 27th, 2003Had several cheerful conversations with people today that made the world a somewhat more well rounded place. Very happy for one friend who seems to have gotten a part of her emotional life back that she was missing. Indeed a few happier people in the world have added to my own overall well being. Even offered some relationship advice – which I find in later life I seem to somewhat better at than I used to be. Almost level headed in fact. Of course none of it probably works if applied to own relationship but some of it is remarkably good – even if I do say so myself. *grin* Otherwise restful day – sleep patterns all over the place but hey what’s new? Keep falling asleep at odd moments without realising I am sleepy and then waking up all confused.
Hung over
April 26th, 2003I spent the day very sick. Mixing drinks. Never a good idea. Getting caught up with my book and reading until 5am also not good idea. Still feel awful. Not much more to say.
SARS
April 25th, 2003UK scientists have predicted that SARS could infect up to one billion people in the next year and be more devastating than AIDS. Not that this should be a surprise – HIV, though lethal, is a remarkably fragile little virus that is quite hard to catch. It requires blood-to-blood contact that makes it transmission considerably less effective than most viruses. It’s slightly ironic that after a decade of fears that the next killer bug would be some exotic Ebola-variant the actual danger will come from a good old respiratory illness. Of course SARS is a lethal little respiratory illness but then all the big killers of the past have been – TB, influenza, pneumonia. Even the Black Death killed a lot of its victims through secondary infections of the respiratory variety. It’s good to know the old killers still have legs. *sigh*
Rebuild
April 24th, 2003Bloody Linux box playing up. Weird problems. Going to have to rebuild box. Grumpy and annoyed. Sorry to all I have been grumpy with today.
Subtitled Madness
April 23rd, 2003Watched a great film called Le Pacte des Loups – The Brotherhood of the Wolf. Great little action flick. Though tragically dubbed. Like another French film also released in the US – The Crimson Rivers – which also starred Vincent Cassel. Very, very annoying. A large portion of American studios seem unable to believe that American audiences can cope with a subtitled film. So they badly dub an otherwise great film. Otherwise an idle day only broken by some emailing and thinking about work’s new site design.
