For about the last year, I've been following the blog of a person I only really know as AlabamaPink. A commenter at another website I visit, I started following her blog when she was diagnosed with leukaemia.
About half an hour ago, I discovered she lost her fight. And I find I don't know what to feel. I never actually met this person, and unlike other people I have met online, I've never had a conversation with her, or exchanged emails. We weren't friends on Facebook. She quite probably didn't even know I existed, although I commented a few times on her blog.
Yet I feel utterly devastated.
Maybe it's because I know she leaves behind a three year old boy. Maybe it's just because she was so determined in her fight that I never thought she would succumb to the disease. Maybe it's the harsh reminder that for every glamourous celebrity we see on the news, with a fabulous wig and perfect teeth saying 'ooh look at me, I survived cancer, aren't I great?' there are people who suffer and die and we forget that.
Rest in Peace, AlabamaPink.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
cuteness
Nothing to report, I just figured this monkey was so cute I had to share it...
source : http://news.ninemsn.com.au/glance/792870/tiny-elke-abandoned-by-mum
source : http://news.ninemsn.com.au/glance/792870/tiny-elke-abandoned-by-mum
Monday, March 16, 2009
Please excuse me whilst I write my thesis
Dearest readers (all 3 or so of you)
My honours thesis is due in 5 weeks. Subsequently, all my writing ability is theoretically going into that until it is written.
Thus, there will be no real blogs for at least that time. Yeah, like there's been any for the last, oh I dunno, month or so anyway. This does not mean that random news stories won't keep appearing. Mostly because I find the real world so freaking hilarious.
My honours thesis is due in 5 weeks. Subsequently, all my writing ability is theoretically going into that until it is written.
Thus, there will be no real blogs for at least that time. Yeah, like there's been any for the last, oh I dunno, month or so anyway. This does not mean that random news stories won't keep appearing. Mostly because I find the real world so freaking hilarious.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Monkey Business
Monkey kills master with coconut
An overworked monkey has taken revenge on his owner, killing him with a coconut.
Thai man Leilit Janchoom, 48, forced the animal to retrieve the fruit which were then sold for about 10c each.
The monkey, named Brother Kwan, reportedly hated being forced to climb as high as 50m but was given beatings if he did not do as his master wished.
It is believed that the frustrated primate eventually snapped, launching a coconut at Janchoom from a high branch at the Thai province of Nakorn Sri Thammarat.
He died at the scene from a head injury.
Janchoom’s widow said that Brother Kwan "seemed lovable" when they bought him for about $275, UK newspaper The Telegraph reports.
It is not clear what happened to the animal after the attack.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Best. News story. EVAH
I know I've blogged a lot of crazy news stories. But this is by far the awesomest...
Dr Who Dalek found in pond
A Dalek from Dr Who was found submerged in a pond by volunteers enlisted to clear it of rubbish.
The group had already fished out an old table football game and a skateboard when they bumped into the Dalek head, which was covered in weeds.
Sales executive Marc Oakland was pushing a rake around the bed of the shallow pool when he found the object with its distinctive eye stalk.
The 42-year-old said: "I'd just shifted a tree branch with my foot when I noticed something dark and round slowly coming up to the surface.
"I got the shock of my life when a Dalek head bobbed up right in front of me.
"It must have been down there for some time because it was covered in mould and water weed, and had quite a bit of damage.
"One of the dome lights was smashed, but the eye-stalk was intact and the head and neck stayed in one piece as I carefully lifted it out."
Pond warden Tony Brown, 70, was leading the volunteer squad clearing dumped rubbish from the pond, near Beaulieu, Hants.
He said: "We made a very thorough search of the rest of the bottom of the pond and there were definitely no alien remnants lurking.
"We've all agreed it best to keep the pond's exact location under wraps.
"The last thing we want are sci-fi fans descending on the pond frantically seraching for other Dalek parts."
Mr Brown, who trained as a pond warden with Southern Water, has been helping clear out the area for the past eight years.
He said: "We've dredged up everything from shopping trolleys, toys, and bicycles.
"But this is the first time a Dalek's appeared. We have no idea how it ended up in there, or how long ago.
"We discovered the BBC often took the Daleks out on location for filming, and they travelled to Hampshire on at least one occasion in the 1980s, when Colin Baker played the Timelord.
"Who knows, this might be the remains of one of the originals from the old TV series. I'm told they they were built to last."
link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/4935903/Dr-Who-Dalek-found-in-pond.html
edit: wow...I just now realised that every single sentence of that fits on a single line...bloody tabloids...
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Spiritual Atheism
http://www.pajiba.com/spiritual-atheism-buffy-angel-house-and-doctor-who.htm
Go read.
This is not to say I am suddenly an atheist, so don't go panicking about the state of my immortal soul.
I think there is a lot of truth in there about God. Which is odd, as it comes from an atheist.
A warning to those of you sensitive to strong language...it's in there. Don't say I didn't warn you.
also, in the comments section, you'll find the following joke. Which is awesome and I think sums things up very well.
'A man walks up to a famous athiest and announces, "I'm an athiest, too."
The famous athiest says, "Have you read the Bible?"
The man says, "No."
"Have you read the Koran?"
"No."
"Have your studied Hinduism or Buddism?"
"No."
The athiest says, "You are not an athiest. You are an ignoramus."'
Go read.
This is not to say I am suddenly an atheist, so don't go panicking about the state of my immortal soul.
I think there is a lot of truth in there about God. Which is odd, as it comes from an atheist.
A warning to those of you sensitive to strong language...it's in there. Don't say I didn't warn you.
also, in the comments section, you'll find the following joke. Which is awesome and I think sums things up very well.
'A man walks up to a famous athiest and announces, "I'm an athiest, too."
The famous athiest says, "Have you read the Bible?"
The man says, "No."
"Have you read the Koran?"
"No."
"Have your studied Hinduism or Buddism?"
"No."
The athiest says, "You are not an athiest. You are an ignoramus."'
Sunday, February 8, 2009
no idea...
I feel like I'm living in a state of complete shock.
I mean, this is Australia. A few measly bushfires should not cut this deep.
Except usually, fires might kill, what, 10 people at most? A death toll of 65 and rising and I just can't even fathom what I'm supposed to think. What I'm supposed to feel. How I'm supposed to react. I can't believe the horror of what I'm seeing on the news.
And frankly, this week I refuse to watch even one current affairs show. If I have to listen to some stupid reporter ask someone who's house has burned to the ground while they watched 'So, how are you feeling right now' I might go over the edge. Smashing things would definitely be in order. Screaming obscenities at the TV is a given. I don't see how anyone without half an ounce of compassion and human decency could ask that of a person who has lost everything.
But then, less than an ounce of human decency is probably in the job specs for a reporter on 'A Current Affair'. Anymore and you wouldn't bother applying in the first place.
Oh, and if you're living under a rock (or maybe in Spain? America?), this is what I am talking about. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/744864/worst-day-in-history-vic-fires-kill-14
I mean, this is Australia. A few measly bushfires should not cut this deep.
Except usually, fires might kill, what, 10 people at most? A death toll of 65 and rising and I just can't even fathom what I'm supposed to think. What I'm supposed to feel. How I'm supposed to react. I can't believe the horror of what I'm seeing on the news.
And frankly, this week I refuse to watch even one current affairs show. If I have to listen to some stupid reporter ask someone who's house has burned to the ground while they watched 'So, how are you feeling right now' I might go over the edge. Smashing things would definitely be in order. Screaming obscenities at the TV is a given. I don't see how anyone without half an ounce of compassion and human decency could ask that of a person who has lost everything.
But then, less than an ounce of human decency is probably in the job specs for a reporter on 'A Current Affair'. Anymore and you wouldn't bother applying in the first place.
Oh, and if you're living under a rock (or maybe in Spain? America?), this is what I am talking about. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/744864/worst-day-in-history-vic-fires-kill-14
Friday, February 6, 2009
huh?
I blogged yesterday about the fact that reading the news whilst at uni wasn't really a good idea.
Except this morning I found this awesome headline...just a snippet. I had to take a screen shot
Because when we think of Michael Clarke, obviously the first association that comes into our heads is the fact that he is Lara Bingle's fiance...not that he is vice captain (actually at the moment I guess he is acting captain) of the Australian Cricket team. Because that is obviously less important than being engaged to the star of a failed tourism ad campaign.
Ah, ninemsn, you do constantly amuse me. Less roasting puppies alive, more stupid headlines like this, please...
Except this morning I found this awesome headline...just a snippet. I had to take a screen shot
Because when we think of Michael Clarke, obviously the first association that comes into our heads is the fact that he is Lara Bingle's fiance...not that he is vice captain (actually at the moment I guess he is acting captain) of the Australian Cricket team. Because that is obviously less important than being engaged to the star of a failed tourism ad campaign.Ah, ninemsn, you do constantly amuse me. Less roasting puppies alive, more stupid headlines like this, please...
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Why procrastination is bad
Perhaps it is slightly contradictory to write a post about procrastination whilst I am in fact at uni. However, I have discovered in the past few weeks a drawback to one of my favourite forms of procrastinating at uni. Which is reading the news. You may have seen the results of this on my blog.
The thing about the news is...sometimes its ghastly. Really really horrifyingly why-would-anyone-do-that ghastly.
And when you're taking a break from work, reading about teenagers roasting puppies alive, or men throwing their 4 year old daughters off the Westgate bridge, or people kidnapping and eating children...well...it's not exactly incentive to do work. Or do anything, really. I hate the fact that I live in a world where people do these things. I also hate the fact that I live in a world where these things outnumber the genuninely good things people do. Or at least on news sites they do. Which leads me to hate the fact that I live in a world where apparently people would rather read about kids roasting puppies than they would about people doing good things.
It's enough to make a girl depressed, really...
The thing about the news is...sometimes its ghastly. Really really horrifyingly why-would-anyone-do-that ghastly.
And when you're taking a break from work, reading about teenagers roasting puppies alive, or men throwing their 4 year old daughters off the Westgate bridge, or people kidnapping and eating children...well...it's not exactly incentive to do work. Or do anything, really. I hate the fact that I live in a world where people do these things. I also hate the fact that I live in a world where these things outnumber the genuninely good things people do. Or at least on news sites they do. Which leads me to hate the fact that I live in a world where apparently people would rather read about kids roasting puppies than they would about people doing good things.
It's enough to make a girl depressed, really...
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Rant
I need a rant. There are several things I would like to rant about, but they may not be fit for the public domain. So I'm going to blog about something very Australian.
The Cricket.
No, not about the fact that we keep getting beaten. That is unfortunately inevitable if you play like a bunch of girls.
I'm going to rant about the double standards that have been evident this week.
It's fairly evident to me that Andrew Symonds has basically made a bit of a hash of it. He's a typical Aussie bloke who drinks a little more than he should, goes fishing and occasionally says something a bit off about the opposition. If this was the 70s, he'd be a national hero. To many, he probably is. The thing is, he said something he probably shouldn't have. I get that.
I also am familiar with the work of Roy and HG and know that if you go on their shows, whether radio or TV, you're going to say something stupid you regret later. It's that kind of show. Roy and HG have this way of goading you into saying stuff that maybe is better left unsaid.
And you end up left out of the squad for an international tour. Thems the breaks. You shouldn't, even in jest, bag out the opposing wicket keeper.
Nor should you accuse them of cheating. Yes, that's right, Daniel Vittori, I'm looking at you. How come Symonds can't make a joke, but you can in all seriousness call our wicket keeper's integrity into question, and get away with an apology via text message?
Because Roy doesn't exactly have a squeaky clean record, because he does things the traditional way. Which I'm not saying is right.
I'm just saying it's a double standard.
To me, this puts ol' Vittori right up there with the English and South African captains as the lords of Prawnville. This is something I have adapted from my brother, but by all accounts, he's right.
The Cricket.
No, not about the fact that we keep getting beaten. That is unfortunately inevitable if you play like a bunch of girls.
I'm going to rant about the double standards that have been evident this week.
It's fairly evident to me that Andrew Symonds has basically made a bit of a hash of it. He's a typical Aussie bloke who drinks a little more than he should, goes fishing and occasionally says something a bit off about the opposition. If this was the 70s, he'd be a national hero. To many, he probably is. The thing is, he said something he probably shouldn't have. I get that.
I also am familiar with the work of Roy and HG and know that if you go on their shows, whether radio or TV, you're going to say something stupid you regret later. It's that kind of show. Roy and HG have this way of goading you into saying stuff that maybe is better left unsaid.
And you end up left out of the squad for an international tour. Thems the breaks. You shouldn't, even in jest, bag out the opposing wicket keeper.
Nor should you accuse them of cheating. Yes, that's right, Daniel Vittori, I'm looking at you. How come Symonds can't make a joke, but you can in all seriousness call our wicket keeper's integrity into question, and get away with an apology via text message?
Because Roy doesn't exactly have a squeaky clean record, because he does things the traditional way. Which I'm not saying is right.
I'm just saying it's a double standard.
To me, this puts ol' Vittori right up there with the English and South African captains as the lords of Prawnville. This is something I have adapted from my brother, but by all accounts, he's right.
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