Chalk it Up, Charlie!

Every driver will have at least one during their driving career. An accident. What's that? Yes, I was involved in a car accident. It has a high speed head-on crash with a small truck, that was also speeding, whereupon both me and the other driver suffered horrendous injuries and the wreck suddenly combusted creating a small mushroom cloud that nearby onlookers reported a nuclear explosion to the police. I sit now in front of the computer screen, typing with my left pinky and right big toe, paralysed from the waist down and swathed in bandages due to the massive amount of skin burns.



Seriously.


Nah, just joking, I just scraped the bumper of the other car in my haste to leave the carpark. Anyway, I apologised to the person and his first response was "Sorry isn't good enough". After resolving this incident and in hindsight, I began to reflect on that phrase. "Sorry isn't good enough". My first thought was "What is?” Massive aggro? Turning back time? Seppuku? "Sorry isn't good enough". Well it could be true. Sorry may not be good enough but what can be done to reverse it? Nothing. One of the simple facts in life is shit happens. When it happens, there is nothing much you can do but accept whatever bother or trouble is causes you and move on. Instead of getting unnecessarily angry or rage about it, something should be done to resolve it. It seems in life that there are more people who cry 'wolf' rather than offer or carry out solutions to stop the wolf from doing more damage.

Example. The QLD government is planning to build more dams to resolve the water crisis. Seems simply enough. However, when they announced it and a list of possible sites, everyone there went psycho and starting to opposing the idea. Now that is within their right. However, what bothers me is that no person seems to offer an alternative solution to solve the water crisis. They could bring up a thousand reasons not to proceed, but they could not bring up one alternative solution. You have to look at the bigger picture. We have a water crisis and something should be done to stop it effects from digging in deeper. My point is that doing something is better than doing nothing.

Since realising this, I have been trying to think more about the big picture. I have been trying not to let incidents get to me personally. Yelling the crap out of the other guy may be satisfying, but it is not productive. It is difficult yes, and life always likes to put the occasional edge into some random incident. All I could do is shrug and say sorry. Because I could do nothing else. And nothing else seems good enough. Except maybe comprehensive car insurance.

Woah, what a rant. It's been a long time since I ranted. To finish off the tale, the other driver called my dad and said the repair to the scratch on his rear bumper was $2000 and if my dad paid $1500, it will be all good, it would be settled privately. My dad offered $1000 but the guy refused. My dad said he would call back. He was a bit suspicious that the scratch would cost so much. He thought it would be a lot cheaper. Anyway, he called NRMA Insurance and went ahead and lodged a claim. Since I'm under 25, we have to pay a $900 excess, and NRMA deals with the rest, the repairs and stuff. My personal thought is that the other driver was still pissed, and tried to rip us off, so he could have some extra cash in his pocket. There's no proof but I'm just speculating. Instead, we pay $900 to NRMA, his car gets repaired for whatever, and he doesn't get extra cash. It was a good plan, but the price was just too high.

So that little incident is chalked up to experience. Wisdom comes from experience and experience comes from mistakes. I made a mistake and now I'm wiser. About what happens and what to do. My dad was just happy that it was only a scratch and I wasn't involved in some high speed crash. You can fix cars back to perfect condition, but fixing humans is a lot more complicated.

Will of Iron? Nah, Will of Caffeine.

Tired as hell today. I had three 2-hour lectures. That last lecture was a killer, because the room was fully air-conditioned to the point that the temperature must have dropped to sub-zero temperatures. I got through the day with a well-timed dose of caffeine, but relying on it to give a boost for the long term is probably not a good idea. Perhaps switching it out for Gatorade to rebalance my electrolytes...

The coolest class for me was the "Preperation for Practice". We had the split into different groups in preperation of presenting a slideshow assignment. It was messy, since you had to find your student number, thus finding your group number and then finding the rest of your group. I'm in lucky number 13. So in my group we have Andy, Denise, Jenni and Brendan and our final member is still MIA. All of us are in Diagnostic Radiography, with only Jenni doing Radiation Therapy. They're cool people. But then again, lots of uni people are. It's like some people reached a level of maturity that grants automatic coolness or something.

I bought my labcoat today so I'm ready when we have anatomy practicals. Fortunately, we're only looking at bits and pieces of a human body, not a whole cadaver. If we were dissecting a whole cadaver I would probably gross out.

Paintball on Sunday! My parents gave me the okay, but said I had to finance it with my own money. My reserve levels are still acceptable, so I should be okay. But I should really get a job. I don't want to dip too low (STAGE FIVE MONEY RESTRICTIONS!!!) so a job would be cool. Still searching...

Off to a quick nap.

Your Standard Gun in a Pen

First day of uni was interesting. I didn't start until 2pm and ended at 5pm, so it was going to be a short day, with only an hour break. But that was just the start.

I drove to uni but despite circling around a few times, there was no parking space for me to luckily park into. So I parked about a kilometre away next to this small park. The walk wasn't that bad, and it'll probably count as good exercise.

The first lecture was supposed to be an hour, but only went for ten minutes. Yes, ten minutes. The lecturer mainly told us about the online WebCT/eLearning thingo, and told us about our textbook. So we walked out rather suprised and with much more time to spare than originally intended. We (as in me, David V, Nishan and Mike) visited the campus bookshop to see the price of the textbook and it weighed in at $140. So yes, quite expensive. I could buy it straight off, but I'm waiting for my rewards card so I get a discount. So asian.

We spent time talking a bit, then headed to the library to check it out. Now I now the Cumbo library is probably tiny compared the main campus, but it was still hella cool. All the books, journels and magazines on pretty much all the health sciences offered at Cumbo. I could seriously spend some time just reading. Now I know why we have to get degrees from Uni and can't just go on Wikipedia. Ah well.

Last lecture wasn't really a lecture. It was more explaining on the course outline, and eLearning. Saw My Hoa (Vision Sciences) at that lecture, because a whole bunch of courses do the same on. It did go the near full hour, but that was because the lecturer was being more thorough in explanation. I stopped quickly for a Pepsi and then drove home. It took a bit of time due to traffic and wet weather.

I have to buy a labcoat soon for the practical lessons to check out dead bodies. I've seen pictures of what the dissections look like, but I know it's nothing compared to the real thing. So quietly nervous on that.

Bah! 8am start tomorrow. But I'm out by 3pm, so not that bad I guess.

Doctor Who Season Three starts 31st of March. Watch it.

A Kinda Final Solitare

O-day at Cumberland wasn't, as I had feared, a complete waste of time and effort. The information and tours were very useful, and now I feel more confident at navigating the expanse that is USyd Cumberland. That said, it's still a small campus, and getting lost is almost impossible, unless you have a terrible sense of direction.

I drove to Cumbo and got there at around 8:30am. It was a bit early so I waited until 8:45am before I went in. Then I found out that there were two groups divided based on the courses. So my group didn't actually "start" until 10:30am. I met up with David Vuong (Diagnostic Radiography) and Sophia (Speech Pathology) and we had a quick tour around the campus. My guess was that there were around 1000 undergraduates present. With a total student population of ~5000, Cumbo was big, yet still quite small. The Sefton student population at Cumbo for undergraduates is tiny, compared to UNSW (with all the commerce & engineering people) or USyd main (all those pharmacy people). If I remember correctly...

• Me (Diagnostic Radiography)
  
• David V (Diagnostic Radiography)
• Nishan (Diagnostic Radiography)
• Sophia (Speech Pathology)
  
• Amanda (Speech Pathology)
• Rachel (Speech Pathology)
• Nam (?)
  
• My Hoa (?)
  

Yeah, only eight Seftoners here. But the campus is small, so I guess we'll run into each other. Plus with David V and Nishan with me in Radiography, I guess we can cover each other in note-taking and whatnot.

After all the lectures and information flooding, Nishan, David V, a friend Mike, and I decided to grab some free lunch. Except the line was hella long, and it was certain that food wasn't going ot get into our stomach anything soon, at least not in the next 30 minutes. So we called it a day. The other guys took a bus, while I drove away, still feeling distinctly hungry. I was going to go home, but instead diverted to Parramatta Westfield. Grabbed some food from the food court, and picked up a few new books. I had gone to Parra on Tuesday to buy books as well. My now favourite bookshop is Borders on Lvl 4. It has a massive collection of books, especially sci-fi, my favourite genre. So, including the books bought on Tuesday and yesterday, the list stands at:

• Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
• Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
• Dis Information (and other Wikkid myths) by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
• Neuromancer by William Gibson

Night Watch and Day Watch are very cool books detailing the uneasy truce between Light and Dark set in post-Soviet Russia. And contains musings on what is good and evil, the boundary between, and where that boundary exactly is. Highly recommended, very great plot and even greater writing. Dis Information basically refutes a number of myths, like there is no adverse reaction when mixing alcohol and most antibiotics. Very cool and interesting read. And Neuromancer is a sci-fi cult classic. The very first cyberpunk novel dealing with possible technology before it was cool and pioneered the dystopia setting. When I say classic, I don't mean those English canon books written all those centuries ago. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a classic, along with the Sprawl trilogy by William Gibson (which includes Neuromancer as the first in the trilogy) and the Dune series by Frank Herbert. Cult classic books right there.

Now my only remaining Uni problems are textbooks cost and transportation. Textbooks costs are be dealt with, but I intend on getting that rewards card so I can get discounts. Transportation is different. Since all available and convienient parking is gone by 9am, and I don't have class until 2pm, parking will be a problem. By the time I get there and find a place to park, I might as well bring a bicycle to get to uni. Public transport is a possible idea, but altogether it'll take an hour or so. Not sure how to solve it, but I'm thinking of driving and parking near Lidcombe station and using the bus to get to the Uni. And home time, I take the bus back to the station and pickup my car. Still in progress there.

Until next time, I have reading to do.

A Professional Moron or Just A Gifted Amateur?

After many snakes on a plane, notes on a scandal and one epic movie, I finally I have my P's. Technically, it took two tries, since I failed the first time but passed the second but that's dicounting the 2 times the test didn't proceed because the brake lights were dead. So yeah, I'm licensed now.

Hell, midway during the test, as I did a kerbside stop, I hit the kerb and was shitting myself as a result. So when I reversed angled park in front of the RTA, it was hella wonky. Still, when the examiner said I passed I was pleasantly delighted.

Open Day tomorrow for me. I'm looking forward to it, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. Hopefully, I'll locate all my classes and won't get lost on the first day there.

Phuong's going on how fonts are getting smaller. That may be true. But I haven't changed the font here since the beginning, so my font isn't getting smaller. Besides I break things up into nice paragraphs.

Keeping this short, since I'm still capped. Another 12 hours to go.

It's Pi Time

Just a few more days until I'm uncapped. The net has been so slow for the past few days that it's unbearable. Cable, or at least ADSL, is the way to go. People still on 56k should really switch, and enter a world from which no return is possible. Anyone who has experienced broadband will cry if they're forced back to 56k.

Weather's been mixed to day, very unsettled. It starts off okay, then decides to rain, then stop, then rain again. Right now it's pouring. All I hope is that the catchment area is getting some rain so dam levels might inch upwards. I hardly remember a time when it was anywhere near 80% capacity.

I've been looking at some job listings now that I have my timetable, but haven't seen ones that suit me really well. It's a catch-22 when you want to get a job. To get a job you need experience, but to get experience you need a job. I can probably rely on my work experience way back in year 10, but sometimes I wish getting a job was easier. Hah! If that happens, everyone would have a job.

Those readers who play Warcraft 3 and indulge in DoTA should try out Wilderness Survival by KuulGryphun3. It's quite a difficult game initially but with a bit of practice, it does get easier somewhat.

I really want to do something besides staying at home. Maybe a quick jaunt down to Parramatta? Buy books or watch a movie? Except I'm lazy and indecisive right now. Maybe, if the weather gets better.

Till I'm uncapped.

Faster than the Speed of Light

Finally, finally, finally, the timetables were available online and I got my hands on my own timetable. Many thanks to Kathy for telling me that the timetable server was now online. It took them long enough.

My first look at the timtable was horrible, because I though I had 8am to 5pm days. Then I saw the gaps. Then I saw that I had all of Friday off. Then I saw that some classes were on certain weeks. So for the first day of uni on the first week, I start at 2pm and end at 5pm with a 1 hour break. So only 2 hours of lectures. I pretty much end most days by 2pm, except in the 8th week onward. It's not that bad actually.

Take a look. Apparently Pharmacy is a bit more hectic. Which reminds me. Check this little thingy out. It's the history of medicine in a paragraph.
"I have a sore throat."
2000 BC : "eat this root"
1200 AD : "That root is heathen, say this prayer."
1500 AD : "That prayer is superstition, drink this elixir."
1800 AD : "That elixir is snake oil, take this pill."
1900 AD : "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic."
2000 AD : "That antibiotic is artificial, here why dont you eat this root?"

Still capped. Until next time.

A Stitch in Time

I had planned to go to the UNSW O-week tomorrow, but I might not. Because I'm lazy, but who knows. I'm in that rare mood of indecision with lots of swaying back and forth. I'll try to make it, but right now, I can't be bother. Well, anyway, that means UNSW is maybe out. Not that I'll miss much, simply because I'm not going to UNSW.

I've finished reading basically all the books in my house. So I've been relying on the TIME magazine I subscribe to. But it depends on what's going on in the world. Sometimes, nothing is happening, so the topic are rather dull. I do however have one book I haven't tackled yet. The Collins History of the World in the Twentieth Century by J.A.S. Grenville. It's a massive book, but suprisingly good. That will keep me occupied until Uni starts.

Over the past few days I've been capped. And with a week to go before the next month, I've been mostly playing DoTA, since it doesn't lag too much even when capped. I'm also playing trivia on IRC. The channel is #trivialoft, they have a website at trivialoft.net. I've been finding out some weird things during my time there. Like did you know that the youngest recorded age of a male ejaculating is eight years old. 0_O! What the hell indeed....

Browsing Youtube is such a pain, but I have found some gold. So since I'm keeping this post short, enjoy this 8 minute skit involving Rowan Atkinson:

Over the Top

Well now, what to say. Since I haven't got my license yet, due to the examiner being extremely strict and absolutely a bitch, I'm in a bit of a depression. My brother managed to get his Ps, even though he's a crapper driver. Just goes to show that you don't need an instructor and having an understanding examiner can go you way. Still, at the very least, one of us has our Ps.

And, Land, Youtube is an excellent resource that should be used. It is one of the greatest collections of human genius and stupidity gathered in once place. I may watch it a lot, but if something is worth doing, it is worth overdoing. So there.

UNSW O-week beckons, even though I'm not going there. I'm not really sure if I want to go or not, but with nothing else to do, and being capped, I might go along. I know Charles and co are going on the 22nd. What dates are everyone else going on? I might pick two days to go, and have some fun. Post away.

Just for fun, I turned my speakers up high and upped the bass. The music was LOUD. I could hear it in the streets. And now matter where I was in the house, the music sounded clear.

Why is it that no matter how much you pee into the toilet, it never fills up?

Does, if I calculated correctly, SLINKY + ESCULATOR = EVERLASTING FUN?

Naruto Shippuuden is here, bitches!

And here is something funny:

Damn It! Damn It All to Hell!

Down once more to the dungeon of my black despair
Down I plunge to the prison of my mind
Down that path into darkness deep as hell

Damn am I pissed off. How unlucky can one guy get? And is this an omen? Don't want to talk about it.

At least this cheers me up a little:

Give me sight beyond sight!

TB testing wasn't that bad, well, so far. I walked in, the nurse stabbed me with a needle and now I have to put up with some itchiness since then. I don't know how they determine whether you have TB or not, but by Friday I'll find out. Now wait a moment, I just checked Wikipedia and now I now. Don't just you just love Wikipedia? My thoughts are why go to university or whatnot when everything you ever want to know is on Wikipedia. Still the day that Wikipedia is sourced in court cases is when Wikipedia becomes the leading authority on everything.

Finally shaved off my beard today. I hadn't shaved in 3 weeks, so I was developing a beard Abraham Lincoln-style. Considering that it was a good 1 cm deep, shaving was a real pain. It took way longer than usual becomes I had to stop for frequently to rinse. It doesn't matter much anyway, because tomorrow it'll start growing back. Of course I could shave more frequently, but I'm just too lazy. These holidays ahve really made me lazy. When I start going to uni there will be hell to pay. Having to go to lectures on time and on schedule.

Also, I'm starting to think about playing World of Warcraft. I kind of regret now joining in early with Jack and friends, but I didn't feel like joining in. Now that Burning Crusade is out and I have a slightly heftier wallet, I might take the plunge. Or I could finish off FFX and think about playing FFXII. Ahh, decisions, decisions, decisions. Of course, I'm thinking of buying a next-gen console. There is a whole bunch of good games, but they are split between the Xbox360 and the PS3. A hard decision, although the Xbox360 is winning points because it is cheaper. Still, I'll just leave the decision for a later time.

Apparently Jack, Lesley, Bianca and someone else went back to Sefton to talk to the 07 12's about the HSC. For some reason, my brother wasn't impressed with Jack and Lesley. He said Jack talked about World of Warcraft. Well, possibly, but I'm sure Jack didn't talk about Warcraft for all of 30 minutes or whatever. And Lesley made the after-HSC period sound bad by saying something along the lines of "you work hard for 6 months, then take a break for 3 months'. Knowing Lesley's style I know what he means. Anyway, my brother judges people too quickly sometimes. He'll take one look and say "he's a bitch" or whatever. So don't take it too hard guys. It takes a bit of guts to overcome holiday laziness to talk to the 07's.

Naruto fillers has ended. Soon they'll be starting the new Naruto storyline. About time to you bastards. That filler gap was probably the longest gap ever. I would watch the older Naruto episodes, but the english dub is so badly butchered I can't take it. They remove all the blood and violence that sometimes the actions don't make sense. Maybe they shouldn't market to children, what about teens or young adults. There should be like a dedicated anime channel or something. Yes, dub the anime in english if you want, just don't butcher it. Evagelion is on the borderline. Sometimes the dubbing is alright, sometimes it's bad. Listening to the original Japanese, Gendo doesn't come off as a bastardly evil genius as in the dub. It's a more subtle evil, maybe not even evil, just he has a different goal than everyone else.

Here's a little something I found on Youtube. It's a clip of the comedy show Blackadder in its 4th season. Here Edmund Blackadder is pretending to be insane to get out of the trenches and he is explaining to Baldrick (the idiot servant) and Lt George (Hugh Laurie way before House) about how World War I started. Gold, pure gold.

Two Morons > One Genius ?

One thing that I hate with a passion are those "administrative tasks". They usually involve paperwork, paperwork and actual work. But I accept the fact that it is like cleaning you house. Pretty sucky but absolutely necessary.

So I'm getting my vaccinations and stuff done way before I'm going to actually do some clinical placement. But I'd rather get it done now, rather then later since now I'm still on holidays. Apparently TB screening is done with a skin test and results are in threee days later. So that's cool. This is one of those administrative tasks, but then again I don't want to be struck down by TB while in the hospital.

Now on to some rumours. Apparently, the Cumberland campus of USyd is going to be sold to UWS, and thus all USyd Cumberland students will have to move to the city campus. I don't know how true this is, as it is all hearsay (Damn you Wild Swans!) but supposedly, USyd is already constructing replacement buildings at the city campus. I just hope that if it is true, then the deal is going to take a while. This is selling an entire campus here. Maybe it will take 4-5 years for it to eventualise. By that time I already have my bachelor's and have no interuppted learning.

Another rumour of the mill. My brother mentioned that this years year 12s (the 07 12's) may not have a year 12 concert, since our previous concert by the 06 12's was "too explicit". Those last words coem from Cree. I was at first outraged, then patted myslef on the back until I calmed down. The sticky point is our final act, which was supposed to be a coordinated dance with some guys in skirts became...over-saturated...with people who joined in for fun and so made some new "moves" for it. That final act apparently freaked out the administrators (my word for the school's top brass, principal, deputy principals and whatnot) that they may not allow the 07 year 12 concert.

That said, the 07 12's seemed to be cursed with a bit of bad luck. Remember in year 10, when pretty much everyone in our year took early leave? Then the next year they forced everyone to stay at school? If the 07 12's concert is cancelled, then that's another notch of bad luck. Still, they get to be the class of (2)007, so that's fair. Their concert would have been good but not as good as our one. Hmmm...I recall saying that our final act couldn't be beaten because we had guys with skirts. If there is no 07 concert then that will ring true.

Massive rain for the past couple of days. It rains like hell, then stops for a while, then rains again. The repetition is pissy, but we need the water. If dam levels keep dropping, you better hope the desalination plant is finished or we might have to drink treated effulent. I don't have anything against it. I just reckon it should be more of a last resort option, if all other plans have failed.

Still haven't got my timetables. Has any USyd person got their timetables or received any hint about it? I just wonder what takes them so long. If UNSW can do theirs by now, then surely USyd can.

And something funny I've jsut discovered on Youtube. The CBS channel has put up clips from the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. It contains these stand-up jokes, mocking the news and US politics, some which would have been dynamite for MCing during the year 12 concert. I'm putting a clip below, but you do need some knowledge of recent and past events in the US. I get plenty of that through TIME magazine.

A Phantom Lance

Can I just say now that Robin Hobb writes some damn good stuff? Her novels balance character development, plot and magic. My order of books arrived yesterday and since then I've been reading Shaman's Crossing like a madman. Finished all 631 pages a few hours ago. And I want more. I want to know what happens next. The people who watch anime or read manga or whatever know this feeling. You get to a point where every ending is a cliffhanger, because you desperately want to know what happens next. It's a very good book, Shaman's Crossing, and all fantasy lovers should be buying any book with Robin Hobb on it like hotcakes. Read it and love it. I still have Doppelganger and Warrior and Witch by Marie Brennan to read. It's a mix of action and magic and the first few pages are quite good. Yes, very good indeed...

Still haven't got my timetables yet. It's kinda pissy, but there's nothing much I can do. I've mainly been getting all the vaccination and stuff out of the way. Since I will be doing clinical placement in hospitals, I have to get the proper vaccinations, and I need to screen for tuberculosis. Where the hell is my local chest clinic? If I can get a phone number, I'll call up and ask what needs to be done. I think I might as well get this over and done with by the end of February so I don't have to worry about it anymore.

And here's a little joke that can be done in any university. Seriously, I would pay money if someone did something similar to this:


Till next time.

Disorientatedly

Arrgh...Forest Mage by Robin Hobb is out of stock with Infinitas. So I have to wait for several months. Still the other three books were there so I'll have something to read in February.

I inadvertently fell asleep after lunch. By my reckoning, it was only for an hour but I hate this weird dream. It felt so real dammit, and now I'm feeling a bit off. It had something to do with this object that gave power but I had to die soon, and I was tampering with it, but the demon was like "rawr! I want your blood!" and I was like "eat shit and die!" and I somehow changed my pillow into the angel-like thing but the demon went straight through and was shaking me. I woke in a panic, and was punching the air randomly until I realised it was a dream. I hate those eeriely realistic dreams. It just ruins my sleep. The aftermath is that I feel a little sick, but that should pass I hope.

My tv decided to protest and call it quits. Well not really, I can still get sound and other functions but there is no image. The electron guns must have died, which is crap since the TV is only like 10 years old. The last TV was like 20 years old dammit. So how the TV has to be replaced or repaired. The basic plan is to repair it, but if it can't be repaired, then we'll buy a new one. Maybe an LCD or plasma, but the screen has to be around 80cm if it is to fit on the tv cupboard or whatever it's called.

I have this sudden urge to buy a trench coat. Don't know where it came from. But trench coats seem dificult to find. Then again I'm probably not putting enough effort into searching. Something Matrix-style but not to flashy. I found a place that sells Matrix replica trenchcoats but the prices range from US$235 to US$1316. Fuck. I'll have to save up a hefty amount for that. Oh, and they sell replicas of Trigun trench coats that Vash the Stampede wear. They look cool too.

UNSW O-week is from February 19-23. So I can tag along and chek out UNSW and see why so many Seftoners are going there. Now to find a few groups to tag along....

I'll see you guys topside.

Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh

Just finished watching The Phantom of the Opera. And I really enjoyed it. The story is cool, the acting great and the songs were kickass. Maybe one day I'll actually see a stage production of it. Apparently it's still going in the US and UK. So half a chance that someday I'll be able to see it.

Ordered some books from Infinitas. Two books from the new Robin Hobb series, Shaman's Crossing and Forest Mage. I wanted Polity Agent by Neal Asher, but the hardcover copy is not in stock and they have to order it which takes (plus delivery) 1-2 months at best! The paperback copy comes out in July, so I guess I'll wait until then.

Besides that, the month is not exciting as I thought it would be. I guess the books I've ordered masked most of the feeling, but it hasn't arrived and I'll finish them quickly. Anybody organising a day out or something?

Besides the books, I'll probably resist spending my money on anything else. As a habit, I don't buy anything that I don't really need and hoard the money, eventually putting it into the bank and letting it build up. Chinese New Year brings some hope, but I'm not expecting that much money anyway. Getting a casual job would be nice. Ideally, work at a games or computer shop would suit me best, but I'm not too picky. Unfortunately, timetables still haven't come out, so I can't commit to anything. But more money would be nice, so I can hoard more.

Still it's a good month to formulate long term plans. I would like to get a new computer, take advantage of Vista and all that jazz. But that's furthur down the road, maybe near the end of the year or early next year. And regarding education I'm thinking that after I graduate, I'll get a job and continue part-time studying. Or maybe continue long-term studying if I can keep the pace.
But that as well is down the road a fair while, so I still have time.

Only played a few hours of FFX. Still haven't been able to get into a rhythm. I left it for such a long while. I tried playing Day of Defeat: Source but it feels so weird after playing DotA for so long. Ahhh well...

The cicadas are pissing me off. I don't know about other places, but the cicadas start their droning buzz and it starts to get louder. Imagine the buzzing of the cicadas. Now imagine that the sound gets louder and louder, until you can't hear the lawnmower next door. Then imagine the sound keeping up so you starting screaming in a cold sweat, but no one hears you since the the buzzing is so loud. Then the buzzing cuts, and your ears are now ringing from the deafening silence. Rinse and repeat. Arrgh....

So yeah, someone plan a day out or something. City, net cafe, whatever. And give us our damn timetables USyd, you mugs. Anyone does anyone have a few RAV4s or something, because here's a splendid idea for some fun:

Music of the Night

Occasionally I find myself utterly unable to sleep at night. No matter how much I toss and turn, my eyes refuse to shut. So I hop onto the net and surf to the dark recesses of the internet. And I have struck gold! Gold my friends! Well, at least to me. Infinitas is an Australian bookshop, specialising in 'sci-fi, fantasy, horror, speculative fiction, roleplaying gaming, popular science and other books, artwork, games and figurines'. Say goodbye to the boring month of February because now I know where to spend some cash. I already have my eye on some Neal Asher and Robin Hobb. Now, if only I could find a casual job for some more cash...

I know Charles knows of a prospective job at his workplace, but until I get my uni timetable I can't commit to anything. Damn USyd! Give us our timetables already! UNSW students have their timetables, what about us?

Has anyone seen a tv series called Black Books. It's hella awesome. It's some comedy gold. Do note that it does clever wordplay and some surreal situations, so if you're more into slapstick or Jackass antics, it's not really for you. But watch it anyway. Since it rules so much. So hard to find some decent comedy sometimes. Ever since The Sketch Show was taken off air, the standard hasn't been high.

I ran across this trailer for The Phantom of the Opera, a 2004 remake of the musical, which is based on the book. The trailer looks hella mad and since I haven't really watched or know much about it, I'm trying to get my hands on it. And the music is quite good as well. Oh, and on that subject, someone made a 'Vader of the Opera' on Youtube. Obviously, this person(s) have too much time on their hands. A link is at the end.

And on a random note, you know that commercial for Maccleans Lemon Mint toothpaste? What about other flavours? Like chocolate? Or sweet chilli? It will make brushing your teeth fun. Holy crap...I think I'm onto a winner of an idea here...

Sporadic Times

So what's happening everybody? Right now, I'm bored and the month of February is starting to offer the same. At the end of the HSC, I was like "hooray, 3 months of holidays!', now I'm like "let something happen.."

So what do people do at home during this time, when they are not out and about and having fun? Playing games, reading books, obsessing over things...me? The ocassional game, cricket and chores. It seems that I spend most of my time now cleaning the house, doing the laundry, scrubbing the dishes. Since my parents are off at work and I have nothing to do, I've taken over the main role of mess exterminator. Which is a tough job for someone who creates mess like me. Granted though, this role has given me an epiphany. Cleaning sucks, but necessary. When I buy a house, I'm going to put my vote for a single-story house. Can you imagine trying to clean a two-story house, juggling a job and children. The future is far off but fills me with dread.

But messy is the new neat. According of Eric Abrahamson, a professor of management, 'moderately messy systems outperform extremely neat ones'. Apparently, people who have extremely neat and organised systems (read:rooms and tables) devote energy to cleaning it up when that energy could be put to more better use, like family time or creative stuff. Finally scientific evidence against cleaning my room. Hey dad, mum! I'm not cleaning my room at this moment because it is more efficient! That said, it does note that a moderate amount of mess is productive. Too much and you won't get anything done because you can't find what you want. The professor has a book out about this subject; A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder. Sign me up for one.

A friend of mine was going through his history stuff, cleaning it out and so on, when came around some notes he had copied. Funnily enough, one part stood out. HitlerxMussolini. For those not in the know, in fan fiction, authors sometimes romantically pair characters together using this format so for example taking Naruto as an example: Sasuke and Sakura becomes SasukexSakura or Sasukura, like TomKat or Bradgelina. The pairing doesn't necessarily have to be straight either. Ironically I did find a single line of HitlerxMussolini, but it was rather disturbing. Basically involves Hitler's moustache. *shudders* Let's leave it at that, ok?

Waiting until tomorrow. I'll be uncapped then. I think House season 3 is not up to episode 11 and I'm waiting of Doctor Who season 3 to be released, but it probably won't come until April-May.

And I think Phuong has deleted her blog, again. I'm assuming anime addiction. At least, I hope it's anime addiction.

Hey, there's a ceiling in here

Back from trip and it was okay. It wasn't a mindblowing experience, but it had its fun moments. We went camping at Blacksmiths, which is a little suburb just on top of Swansea. The first day was hella boring. A little bit of driving around Lake Macquarie (which is a hella big lake) then stayed at camp until sundown then slept and whatnot.

Second day was more exciting. We met up with some other family friends and drove to the Stockton sand dunes. There is nothing more exciting then driving on the sand dunes, with the possible exception of paintball and getting shot at. 4WDs only please. The key is to lower your tire pressure (14-16psi should do) and never ever stop or slow down. Once you slow down especially on the steeper slopes, you will get stuck. And forget about pinpoint control. You pick a destination and point the car in that direction. The sand can get very soft and steering becomes hectic.

We wanted to slide down the sand dunes, and so my cousin, my brother and I debated about whether it was possible to do it with a bodyboard. The bottom was a bit rubbery, but we decided that enough speed meant enough momentum to overcome friction between board and sand. We were wrong. I took a running start, threw myself forward and then stopped. Well, the board stopped and I rolled down the sand dune. So I was covered in sand and hella dizzy. And it was rather windy. So when we returned to camp, our portable gazebo was literally blown away.

Today would have been quick, except after leaving Woy Woy (where you can find the BEST fish'n'chips) we got stuck in a massive traffic jam. But while this little trip was fun, an issue keeps bugging me. The prejudice we encountered while driving in the sand dunes.

Generally, Australia is pretty cool. Except Tasmania. Probably the worst place. We have these CB radios so our convoy can communicate to each other, generally in Viet. But the furthur you travel from major city centers (like Sydney, Melbourne etc) the worse the prejudice becomes. It's like the people who live there are ineducated bogans who don't understand shit about Australia and how great a place it is. So while in the sand dunes, there was a variety of insults aimed at us. These insults are fairly common and don't vary too much. I wanted to counter-insult but my dad wouldn't let me. But if I ever get the chance I will. Below are the insults I have encountered.

This next section of text contains profanity and material that may offend some viewers. These comments are not aimed at everyone, but to the bastards that bring a bad name to Australia and the people who live there. This situation is not common to all of Australia and I wish to advise that the idiots here comprise only a small part of the Australian population. If you are easily offended, you may want to skip this next passage of text.

• "I don't know if you know, but you're in Australia and we speak English here. So why don't you stop talking shit and speak some fucking English like the rest of us, you gooks." (Usually shortened to "Speak fucking English." or any variation of the above)
• "Why don't you go back to your own country you fucking chinks!" (Or any variation of this)
• "HAHAHA! SMALL PENIS! HAHAHAHA" (very common insult)

My response? Well I don't know if you know, but we're in Australia, which is a free and multicultural society. Freedom of speech means I can speak in whatever language I damn want and I'm speaking in Vietnamese because my friends and family are more proficient in it. You should shut up or better yet change to a different channel. You are ruining Australia's reputation and this kind of behaviour is unacceptable and unAustralian. Australia is my country and I am an Australian. So I can't go back to my country because Australia is my country. And the last insult? You should see someone about your possible low self-esteem. My counter-insult for the last one would have contained loads of swearing, facts about the population of Asia and Australia and some racist overtones so I'll hold back on that one.

Damn, thats good to finally get out of my system. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell these idiots will continue to exist. Multiculturalism will only get Australia so far in my opinion. These idiots are rare in the city but become more common as you travel furthur away from cities. That is to say that you shouldn't venture out of the city. You should. Australia has some beautiful flora and fauna and it is well worth seeing. Just get out there and maybe with more contact with other races, these idiots might rethink their ways and become a lot less common.

Damn idiots.

Versusity

I'll be out of communicable range until Sunday evening. For the Australia Day long weekend, my family is going camping in Swansea and indulge in a bit of fishing. A few other families will be going as well. I say camping, but it's not in the wild bush or anything. It'll be in a caravan park so there will be showers, toilets and kitchens.

Had one of those deep sleep moments last night. I went to sleep at 11pm and then woke up at 5am, feeling perfectly refreshed and ready for the day. It was a deep dreamless sleep, and I felt fine today. Hmmm...6 hours of sleep only? Usually I need and few extra hours.

Those of you who do medical courses or whatnot that require clinical placement will undoubtedly receive some notification about getting all your vaccinations shots of the most common diseases. So today I went to the doctor to get a blood test to see what shots I need. And I have to find a Chest Clinic eventually to screen for tuberculosis. But what about the uncommon-but-common-in-hospitals diseases? I keep hearing about MRSA and that sucks man. Oh yeah, and I need to get a first aid certification somewhere along the line as well.

Overall the confirmed number of people going to USyd Cumberland has increased! David Vuong is going and Sabrina is going. That leaves Sophia and Nam to be confirmed, but since Sophia is doing Speech Pathology, she's probably most likely to go to Cumberland as well.

So now the fever of enrolment is over, it back to boring days until Orientation swings around and then finally Uni!

My Way

Enrolment can be summed up in one word: LONG. Or maybe BORING. It's basically filling out forms, then getting the forms checked, and then handing them in.

I came in early, and started filling out the forms. There are a whole bunch on enrolment, criminal checks and a whole bunch of notes on vaccination and whatnot. Filling them all out took around 20 minutes. I probably could have finished faster, but I was reading the forms carefully for info and mistakes. Apparently, my suburb is Rosehill. Had to change that.

Then it was waiting in line for the forms to be checked. So far the waits had been minimal. Then came the student ID card. One of the machines crashed and it was taking ages for cards to be processed. After waiting for 15 mins, without moving forward, I hopped out and paid my student contribution. $3000 a semester which is $6000 a year, which is $18000 for the entire 3 year course. Ouch. I hopped back into line, and then waited for an hour before I could get my ID.

You're standing there waiting, and its boring as hell. I struck up a few conversations, but they didn't last too long. So it was a broing wait.

*sigh*

Orientation is on the 1st of March, but since Cumberland is such a 'little' campus, the main USyd campus basically doesn't want to know about us (officially) and refuses to acknowledge our existence (unofficially). So all the cool O-week stuff on the USyd site is for the main campus, not us.

Timetables come out in the first week of February and the good thing for DiagRad is that for the first year I don't have to choose any subjects. The notes and stuff look so hardcore. I already know the Structure, Function & Disease A is going to be a bitch. Might as well start buying notebooks.

Is anyone else going to Cumberland or know someone who's going there. So far I know that David V is going (saw him at enrolment), Nam might be going (pure hearsay) and since Sophia is doing Speech Pathology she might be going as well (pure guesswork).

So give a shout if you are, so I can meet up with you all at Orientation.

Wave and Dance

[quote] i need help - what's with this no.of units?? and what's diagnostic radiography??[/quote]

In response to Sabrina's question, let me answer the second question first with a bit of cut'n'paste:

Diagnostic Radiography provides optimal diagnostic images and health care during a range of radiographic investigations. It involves the use of many digital imaging systems, the most advanced being Magnetic Resonance Imaging. This is a very sensitive method of imaging some parts of the body and is a rapidly expanding speciality which allows the radiographer to be 'on the cutting edge' for advances in technology and associated research. Diagnostic Radiographers are in high demand in Australia and overseas. This course is accredited by the Australian Institute of Radiography.
-from USyd website

To answer the first question...well...I'm sure you know that for Uni you have to choose subjects to study within the course you've chosen. For example, in my course, I have to choose subjects like 'Image Processing', 'Integrated Diagnosis' and 'Treatment or Structure, Function and Disease'. The subjects are all worth a certain amount and each semester, it is expected that you complete a certain amount. I'm assuming it's the same for whatever course you've chosen. Actually from what I can decipher and analyse from the handbook and other sources, I don't have to choose units of study for the first year, since the lessons are shared initially in Medical Radiation Science. MRS is encompasses 3 streams; Diagnostic Radiography, Nuclear Medicine and Radation Therapy. So hopefully, I just have to enrol. I'll probably check with the MRS people on enrollment day.

On a side note, I've been having these weird, trippy dreams. I don't remember details, but I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, wondering 'what the hell was that all about?'. And some of these dreams seems so real. Damn. I think it all started when I watched that Sony Bravia ad on Youtube with all the exploding paint.

Far out.

And here's a little something-something that's been floating around Youtube. 11+ million views can't be wrong. It may be NSFW, so take care with the volume, eh?

I bid three twos

Offers out yesterday, and I managed to get my first choice offer. I accepted it right away. It's a Bachelor of Applied Science at USyd, in Medical Radiation Science, studying for Diagnostic Radiography. The x-rays, MRIs and CAT and stuff. Medicine-related, without actually doing medicine itself per se.

It was pain trying to log in though. 60-something thousand anxious students hammering both servers of UAC trying to find out what offers they had got. It took me half an hour to finally get in. Now I have to enrol on Tuesday 23rd at the Cumberland campus. Today was spent trying to understand the terminology of university and getting the paperwork done for my tax file number. I kinda wish that I got my number at school; it was so much easier. The crap thing about applying to the tax office is that it takes 28 days to get a tax file number. I have to make do with a certificate of application.

On the way back from the tax office, I stopped at ARC and grabbed a new Geforce 7600GT, replacing my old Radeon 9600 Pro. Hooray! For now I can run Splinter Cell Double Agent, when I get it. Ironically, I haven't been playing games so much. mainly studying about units of study and HECS-HELP. Which leads me to...

I don't know about everyone else, but the USyd handbook for health sciences (including my course) is crap. The online version is basically a copy of the paper version. I know that we have to choose units of study to fill out the semester or whatnot, but the handbook doesn't make it clear how credits worth of study units to choose, and what we can choose and what we can't. Obviously the weekends will be spent analysing the handbook in detail so come enrollment time, I can choose the right units.

Unfortunately, it seems that the majority of Seftonites are going UNSW in the city. Which kinda sucks since I'm relegated to the the Cumberland campus of the University of Sydney. Apparently, David Vuong and Nam are going there, but it'll be pretty lonely for Seftonites down there.

Ive been talking to people about the offers and it seems that a few are indecisive about what course to choose. Both courses (or more) are very good and they just can't decide. One of them asked me what course they should do, but hell if I'm supposed to know. I focused on my choices, I'm going to be an imaging technician, not a engineer or whatnot. But best of luck to the people still deciding. I'm sure you will make the right choice.

Well that's all. I'm making DVDs for my mum. She's loves watching 24 and missed the first season, so yeah.

Borderline

Unfortunately, mission not accomplised. Didn't pass my driving test today. The main reason given is that I don't do enough observing when driving, which I'm a little suspicious of since I went out of my way to check and double check before turning and stuff. So yeah, a little bummed out, but as that saying goes 'Shit happens'. I've rebooked for the 16th of February, but I might book earlier.

Anyway, besides that I've been kinda bored through this month. There's nothing much to do and Doctor Who doesn't come out until autumn at least. So when an email popped up from Land and Phuong calling for a trip out to the city, I decided to go. Not only would I get out and maybe be entertained, but also for the reason to give Phuong the Doctor Who Christmas Special she wants so much.

The group was smaller than I expected, only me, Phuong, Gloria, Ricknam, Shuai, Julia and Danny. We went to the movies first, watching Happy Feet. It was pretty good. Animation was slick, voice work was terrific (especially Robin Williams), and the plot was decent. For a moment, it had a saddish ending, and I thought' Holy shit, a director with the balls to have a sad ending in a kids film'. But, of course, it did have a happy ending. Didn't go with popcorn this time, instead I bought a packet of malteasers. Phuong and Julia invested in popcorn, but wanted my malteasers instead. Julia grabbed a handful, but I didn't know if she shared.

Next was Galaxy World in Market City and half of it was full of kiddies style games. I spent most of my credits on shooting and racing. They only had Time Crisis 3, not Time Crisis 4 that I saw at Timezone at Surfers Paradise. Eventually we tried to collect tickets, and in the end we nabbed quite a few. There was this roulette style game where if the ball landed on the right colour you selected you won anywhere from 15 to 75 tickets. We managed to hit 40 tickets prize a few times. The next was a light spinning thin, where you had to hit the button when the light reached a certain point. If successful, this turned another wheel with numbers to see how many tickets you won. 500 was the max, but i managed to hit 40 then 60 tickets. Some lucky bastards hit 500 though. Most of the tickets went to the girls because the prizes where like kiddies toys.
I think in the end, we had 700ish tickets altogether.

Had Macca's for a late lunch, then went to Kinokuniya which I didn't know existed. It's a massive book store, but it also stocks a large collection of manga. So there was a large group of people reading. I wandered around a bit (mangas not my cup of tea) and settled for two books to buy.

• The Chaos Point: The World at the Crossroads by Ervin Laszlo
• Brass Man by Neal Asher

Neal Asher writes some brilliant hard sci-fi, with great plots, detailed science, although character development is a bit lacking. Hard sci-fi tends to concentrate on the science and technology, often extrapolating future techs from present technological advancement. The other book is a bit of a philosophical treatise on the future of mankind, either total breakdown into violence and decay or breakthrough to the next level.

After, everyone started to leave. Danny and Shuai left early. Julia stayed for the manga. And the rest of us left for Town Hall. I think Phuong bought Battle Royale, the book.

So what now? Offers come out tonight. I have to get my tax file number. And maybe some Day of Defeat: Source. Except my brother keeps hogging it.

Till next time.

Shimmering

So I just want to has this right off the bat. The 2006 Doctor Who Christmas Special rules. It perfectly blends action, story and character development.

Holiday to Queensland was fun, but nothing worth recounting. We did the usual rounds and went to the usual places. Australia Zoo was quite good, but its main show is a stark reminder of just how cool Steve Irwin was. With his tragic death, the shows seems a little flat, even though they were really good.

Using my own funds (hell yeah!) I bought the Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum boxset. All the episodes including 4 new director's cut edition, and a swag of special features, though it was the commentary that I really like. Hearing the english voice actors for Eva is really informative on the process of dubbing Eva although it's kinda weird, especially for Asuka and Misato, since their voice actors still sound exactly like the characters, even though it has been ten years.

My brother bugged me into buying Counter Strike: Source, which is starting to get addictive. Blasting terrorists and defusing bombs. My gaming time is currently divided between DoTA, CS and FFX. However, my brother has been hogging the PS2 to play Bully (or Canis Canem Edit) and I'm not playing FFX for as long as I want. I'm thinking of buying a new video card soon. Maybe within the next few weeks?

Haven't seen many movies, but I managed to watched Snakes on a Plane and DOA: Dead or Alive. Snakes on a Plane was hella cool. I really liked it while DOA matched my expectations and maybe exceeded it a little tiny bit. I was expecting the movie to mash all or most of the fighters in the Dead or Alive series, with a tiny bit of plot and a whole lot of action. Which is what the director did, except he twisted it a little bit to focus on the five main females fighters and turned out a mediocre yet enjoyable movie. You won't find deep meaningful themes or extensive profound character development, but it's nice quick ride.

And how about the weather? Whew! It's definitely kicked up a notch. December was still Springy, sometimes Autumny in weather, but now in early January, the temps have rocketed. You take a shower to cool off and within ten minutes, its effects have completely worn off. So I spend as much time as possible in the living room with the aircon on, with dashes to my comp to play a few games.

And here's a quick trailer of the 2007 series of Doctor Who, showing how cool it's becoming.

Tired Out

My body clock has kicked me awake now, and I'm still tired after the massive trip now, mainly because we took the longer New England Highway, instead of the Pacific Highway. So give me a few days to recover.

Serena, don't worry about it. If you can't go, then I won't go. It won't be much fun going alone. However, it was one of the days I have free. The other gig on Friday is iffy. It depends on whether some family friends decide stay or leave. So I might not be able to come on Friday. Sorry about that.

That of course, leaves Phuong without her Doctor Who Christmas Special for 2006. I don't know when I can give it to you, but if you're really desperate, I think someone has uploaded it to Youtube in several parts. Load up a part, have a coffee, whatever, and wait for it to load. Seeing how your dial-up, it may be your last desparate resort. I'm attempting my driving test on the 17th and if I pass I could deliver it to you if you really want, if you can wait that long.

Now sleep...

Lost Conditions

Tomorrow, I'm abandoning the dreary and cloudy Sydney in favour of the constant warmth and sunshine of Brisbane. If I manage to find a net cafe, then I'll hop on and post an update or two. Ideally, I'll be back on the 8th of January. But a few things to clear up.

Phuong, the Doctor Who Christmas Special came out on Boxing Day Australia time and, yes, I have a copy of it. It's around 700megs so I might be able to fit it on a CD. The problem is getting it from me to you. I'm attempting to clear our the 13th as I want to go to the Annandale Hotel to see a music show. So that's a possibility if you come along. And assuming I get my first choice offer, on enrolment days for USyd Cumberland campus, I'll be there as well. If worse comes to worse, I'll see if I can go to your house and deliver it.

And Serena, about the travel arrangements for the 13th. Are you driving? Maybe you can drop me off? I still want to go and I don't think anything will keep me from going.

Leave a comment here and I'll get back to you and we'll figure something out.

It's 2007, a new year and a new start.

Battlecry

Tired, tired and tired. Having a BBQ is a lot of fun, but it takes a lot of effort. You have to do the initial set up, maintain the pace and then pack and clean it all up. Everytime we have a BBQ, it seems to become slightly more troublesome each time.

But then again, it's more likely my teenage rebelliousness surfacing more strongly. It's amazing how parents can drive you to the border of insanity and you start to wonder whether it's just you or if they're somehow doing it deliberately or both.

Now that I'm older, my dad delgates most of the setting up to me. Which wouldn't be that bad, if he doesn't overrule me on every single decision I make and completely ignores what I'm saying. At first, I was thinking "it's probably me, just calm down..." then it becomes obvious that it's not just only me, but it's my dad as well.

So I have the BBQ out, and then my dad asks 'do you think that's enough?' and I'm like 'yeah, totally'. Then he goes 'nah, take out the other bigger BBQ as well', so I go along thinking 'so we're cooking more meat..'. Then my dad explains his decision, reasoning that 'we should only cook as we eat', that is we cook the meat at a pace that can supply the demand, no oversupply or undersupply. Now this is the same reasoning at all our BBQs, it doesn't matter the size of the BBQ, but that rate of cooking. Now I'm pissed because the other BBQ is enough and I know it is enough because I do the cooking and the reason he gives doesn't change anything. When I point this out, he tells me to 'be quiet and stop being a smartarse'. What? I'm a smartarse because I point something out? I was right in the end. We didn't even use the second BBQ.

It doesn't end there. He calls me over and starts going on about how I didn't arrange the tablecloth properly. You know what was wrong? A smallish wrinkle that I didn't smooth out properly. Fair enough, but it's nothing that you should start making a big deal about it and go all out on the person who did it. Sheesh.

Finally, he tells me to setup the BBQ to suit me, since I'm doing the cooking. So I do. Then my dad comes and starts to rearrange everything to 'better suit me'. What the hell? I know what suits me. That's period. But I didn't want to fuss too much. So I just rearrange it again to suit me. Then my dad chucks a fit, and starts fixing and yelling, saying stuff like 'not like that, like this!'.

I probably sound a bit bitter. I'm not. Just incredibly fustrated and annoyed. I'm extremely pissed off though at the smartarse counter. Just because someone younger than yourself, pointing out something in a calm, logical manner doesn't mean that they are a smartarse. Parents know that they've been outmanoeuvred, so they hit with the smartarse counter.

Still, plenty of good people are coming over, so it won't be that bad. Plus I just registered my savings account to Netbank, so I can transfers funds and buy stuff off the net that accepts bank deposits. There are some anime stuff that I would like to get. Evanglion Platinum boxset tops the list. And now I can search and maybe buy something of eBay. Probably have to do after my return from holidays on the 8th of January.

Happy New Year people!

...and Appear on the Dark Side of the Moon

The bus was late as usual, so the planned relaxed browse for PS2 games became a more frantic treasure hunt. We ended up with two games, with one that we regret, NBA Ballers and King of Fighters NeoWave. My brother loves basketball, so guess the one that we regret.

City Hunter was fun. Only Paul Tran showed up, probably only because he had some free time, rather than my leet *cough* organising skills. My brother eagerly jumped on the many games on offer, but his friends never showed up. Apparently, they woke up at 2pm, and thus considered 11am way too early for some reason. Now look here, 11am is anything but early. It's almost noon, for heaven's sake! But then again, I'm not out partying or gaming until 3am...

Anyway, on that quick trip to Westfield, I saw a box collection of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex for $119.95. I didn't buy it and when I got home I kinda wished that I did buy it. Hell, I'm not to impulsive. But my mother needed to go to Westfield to refill on makeup or something, so I tagged along and bought the box set for only $70. Apparently, it was reduced.

Shopping isn't something that men do often. We rarely shop, we usually go buy a specific thing. Like I need a new shirt or two, or I really need a fan for the office. But when Westfield, or at least the stores, have thought ahead some. They know that guys rarely shop and when they get dragged along by their mother/wife/girlfriend/female friends, they don't fit in very well sometimes. That's not to say that all guys hat shopping with women. But a sizeable majority do. Thankfully, in major "female" shopping areas of clothes or cosmetics, there are these nice soft, comfy seats, that men can sit and wait, rather than being pulled in a comestics area, the mysterious hostile zone that defies many a man's mind.

Arrgh, that box set is just taunting and tempting me to watch it. Well, the only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.

Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun...

The book-cd-dvd sale thing at Homebush was again huge but overall not that spectacular. The books were cheap and the large selection was pretty much trash. There were definitely treasures though. I picked up three great books. There was this fantasy book that was really good, but it was part of a trilogy and it was the second volume. I mean, I don't need the entire trilogy to start reading, if that was true I would have never read Harry Potter, but I definitely need the first book to start off. Anyway, the books that I bought are as follows:

• How to be a megalomaniac (or, advice to a young politician) by Mungo MacCallum
• The Miocene Arrow by Sean McMullen
• The Electronic Whorehouse by Paul Sheehan (the same dude that wrote Among the Barbarians.)

So anyway, City Hunter Burwood tomorrow. I hate organising shit, having to make sure that there are so-so people coming along. So I'll keep this brief. I'm going, so is my brother, other people may be coming, if you want to play some games and have some fun, you should come along to. Be there tomorrow at 11am or so.

Besides the books I snatched up at the sale, I managed to snag a copy of Eldest, the sequel to Eragon, of a friend. It's not a bad sequel and I like it immensely. But I've been hearing rumbles about the movie adaptation. Still, it is my firm belief that the book is always better than the movie, with the sole exception of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. That trilogy of movies broke all the rules (and probably a few bladders, 9+ hours altogether, whew!) and is the lofty ideal that I think no other book-to-film conversion will ever achieve within my lifetime.

Well, I hope you guys and girls out there have some fun. Until the offers come out at least.

Keep on Lifting

The person that posted a comment about my spelling, see the the comments page of the previous post for my reply.

It's been dead boring these couple of days. Parents are at home on these public holidays and that means I can't play the PS2, since they don't know it exists. I'm falling behind on FFX, man! Come on! Give us a break.

Went to a Christmas Eve party on Sunday, and it was pretty cool. The food was quite decent and I managed to have a little chat with a university student on what the campus of USyd at Cumberland is like. According to him, it's very small and you get to know everyone pretty well. Sounds like my kind of place. Entertainment was sparse, until we found the owners big tv and sound system. We ended up watching Samurai Champloo, which was pretty good anime. But the size or zoom or whatever was kinda screwed and we couldn't get the video to size up exactly with the screen. And the subtitles were out of sync. It got kinda tiring, and soon, it was only my brother, my cousin and I watching. Then we discovered Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.

I heard about this movie from Jack, but never really got around to seeing it. Sounds like the time Jack gave me Infernal Affairs. I still haven't watched that. But White Castle was really cool. A basic road trip type of story, it's about Harold, this Asian guy, and Kumar, this Indian, trying to get to White Castle, a fast food joint, but are put through a series of misadventures along the way. It touches lightly on racial discrimination, not enough to get you riled up and throwing boulders, but enough for you to take notice. Unfortunately, we had to leave before we finished the movie. That's it, I gotta find the DVD.

So boring week, what's a guy to do? Well take a leaf out the girls' book and go shopping. There's this ad on TV going on about the really cheap books, cd, and dvds sale going on at Sydney Showground tomorrow, so that's where I'll be. Don't know what time I'll be there, most likely around 10am - 11am. So if you come and long and happen to meet, I'll say hi to ya.

And on the 28th of December, a Thursday, my brother wants to check out City Hunter Burwood, grab his friends and play some DoTA and CS:S. If anyone wants to tag along, you're welcome to. We'd probably get there at 11ish am, grab lunch at the Hungry Jack's nearby and stay until 2-3ism pm.

And I'm going to Queensland on the 2nd of January to the 8th, so I'll be out of communication until I return. And I think there's a band thing event at the Annandale Hotel on the 13th of January. I'm 70% certain to go, so tag along as well!

Have a Happy New Year everyone!

Touch of Jazz

3 sleeps to Christmas. 12 sleeps to holiday to Queensland. I've been to Queensland so many times. All those trips to Surfer's Paradise, Brisbane and so on, well, it must be my 6th trip to the Sunshine Coast. Not that I'm complaining. Once you get there and settle in, it's a very relaxed place. You sit on the balcony and just watch the wind and the waves, and forget the spectres of the past, the stress of the present, and the terror of the future. Plenty of friends on this trip, so it'll be fun.

But until then it is going to be a bit boring. I mean, the euphoria of the UAI has faded away and now I sit, listening to music or playing FFX. I've been trying to expand my musical taste. Usually, when I hear a song that I like, I listen to it obsessively then stop since it has become so familar. So I'm trying to find some new tracks and albums that I can sink my teeth into. A new band that has popped onto my radar is The Temper Trap, courtesy of Serena. Check out the song My Sun either on their mySpace or Youtube.

Getting 92.45 is pretty good, considering that just months ago I was scared as heck with the possibility of getting a UAI in the 80s. But some last minute focusing poked it above 90. Thinking back, I definately could have done better, by studying harder and whatnot. In hindsight, the HSC wasn't that bad. It wasn't the 'end-of-the-world' thing that most people seemed to be predicting.

So now the relatives are going to reward me. Granted, it's not that much compared to if I got 99 or something, but since I have no job, I've been trying to maximise gain, not just for me, but for other close friends as well. I know my aunt is guaranteed to give me some cash. I'd probably shove some into the bank, but I have no idea what to spend it on. I have some vague ideas on upgrading or replacing my computer, but now is not the best of times with Vista, the new Windows, being released next year. I have plans though.

My tutor was happy with my mark, though disappointed since he expected me to do really well. But I was a lazy student, so I didn't study that much, yeah. I told him of my plans to study diagnostic radiography, and he said it was alright. Except it didn't pay a lot of cash compared to other jobs and kept recommending pharmacy. I'll think about it, but pharmacy seems beyond reach right now. I'd have to do very well in my first year of Uni before thinking of switching courses. But for now, I'm sticking to my path. Plenty of time.

Oh, and I found this techno cd that Kevin Tran gave to me way back in 2002. The 27th of May, 2002 if the date is correct. Right now, I'm blasting this at max bass on my computer. It's a hella different to the ultimate acoustic guitar collection I was listening to before.

Ninety Two Point Forty Five

So lets get this said straight out.

Wait for it....

Now, it is finally over.

The HSC is done. I know we jumped the gun a little bit when we finished testing in November, but now that we finally have our course marks and UAI, I think it is safe to say that it is finally over. All you guys, congratuations on your marks, and I hope you can now get into the course of your choice. And thanks to Phuong, for telling me that the UAC line was open at around 8:30am.

Today will definately be a celebration. Forget about the enormous bad luck with the aborted driving test, I'm happy with my UAI and that, as they say, is that.

My last words on this?

"Maths makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. Maths Extension 1 makes it harder, but when you do, it blows away your whole leg. And don't even talk about Maths Extension 2..."

So now onwards to Christmas.

It's Only Natural

Do you believe in bad luck? Or karma or whatever? I'd like to think that when something happens, it happens for a reason. The laws of cause and effect coldly apply. Not today. Today, I think some bad luck decided to strike.

I was supposed to take my driving test today, and when the examiner was checking out the car, she noticed that the rear right brake light wasn't working. So the test had to be cancelled. Which sucked because I had checked the lights yesterday and everything was working fine.

*sigh*

Well, as the saying goes, 'shit happens' or as some others say 'excreta occurs'. So the test is rebooked to the 17th of January next year. I know there may be some comments going 'oh snap! sucks to be you' and lots of repetitive uses of 'noob', but well, I'm past caring at this point.

Anyway, moving on from the bad news, the side mirror was fixed quite easily and cheaply. The mirror was taken to this shop that cuts glass and the guys there measured and cut out a piece of glass and stuck onto the mirror. And it cost a mere $25 compared to $260 for replacing the entire mirror.

Well, hopefully some good news later, eh?

Melodic Melodies Merge Merrily

1.) Put your music player on shuffle
2.) Press forward for each question.
3.) Use the song title as the answer to the question.
4.) NO CHEATING!!!
Translate them if necessary.

1.) How am I feeling today?
Within Temptation - Jillian

2.) Where will I get married?
Nickleback - Hero

3.) What is my best friend's theme song?
Harry Gregson-Williams - Metal Gear Solid 3 Main Theme

4.) What is/was highschool like?
U2 - All Because of You

5.) What is the best thing about me?
Utadu Hikaru - Simple and Clean (really? I'm not so sure...)

6.) How is today going to be?
Peter Frampton - Do You Feel Like I Do?

7.) What is in store for this weekend?
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn - Waiting For You

8.) What song describes my parents?
Hoobastank - The Reason (wtf?)

9.) How is my life going?
The Game feat 50Cent - Hate or Love It

10.) What song will they play at my funeral?
Franz Ferdinand - The Fallen (oh yeah..)

11.) How does the world see me?
U2 - Beautiful Day

12.) What do my friends really think of me?
Rogue Traders - We're Coming Home

13) Do people secretly lust after me?
Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice

14.) How can I make myself happy?
Evangelion OST - Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win

15.) What should I do with my life?
Remy Zero - Save Me (how utterly appropriate...i'm ignoring that)

16.) Will I ever have children?
John Legend - Save Room

17.) What is some good advice?
Meja - How Crazy Are You?

18.) What do I think my current theme song is?
Wolfmother - The White Unicorn

19.) What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
Chris Cornell - You Know My Name (wtf?...the new James Bond intro song?)

20.) What type of men/women do you like?:
Kanye West feat Jamie Foxx - Golddigger (Now this is a bad sign of things to come)

21.) Will you get married?:
Franz Ferdinand - You're the Reason I'm Leaving (maybe not....)

22.) What should I do with my love life?
AC/DC - Big Balls (now this is funny...)

23.) The original poster forgot this one so I'll just make one up. What's up?
Bambee - Bumble Bee

24.) Where will you live?
lostprophets - Rooftops

25.) What will your dying words be?
The Killers - When You Were Young

Triangular Situations

Has anyone Viet seen the latest Paris By Night 84? No, not the Paris Hilton sex tape. To explain to our non-Viet readers, Paris By Night is a Viet concert thingy, where a bunch of songs are sung, a few skits are acted out and some information is throw in to enlighten the audience. It has its competitors though, like Asia. In recent memory, Asia been trying to court the old crowd, playing old, classic Viet songs, harking back to the good old days before the Communist takeover. The problem is that the old crowd is dying off, so Paris By Night is trying to lure the young crowd by transforming itself as the "passport to music and fashion", with mixed results.

Basically, all contemporary Viet music can be classed into two group: 'sad/romantic/missing a lover/emo/about love/etc' and the 'others'. Watching these concerts gets kinda boring, when 90% of the music is of the former group. Very occassionally, an artist will spice it up and do something different, but very rarely. You also get some young Viet performers who sing in English, but for some inexplicable reason still sing about lost love/romance/whatever. Where is the Viet version of The Killers, Eminem or AC/DC? Where are the bands or artists that sing about Viet parents, the pressure of being an Asian and why rice has to be white? Damn it all to hell.

And the fashion? Well, it's slightly better, but the women either end up anorexic, slutty or so-so (to me anyway). Actually this Paris By Night was not that bad. With the greater emphasis on fashion, most women looked pretty good, except for the few that looked so damn thin. I mean, there's a fine line between slender and too thin. It could be worse. There were no Nicole Ritchie types who only weigh 30 kilos or so.

It never rains, but it pours, eh? My brother was driving home from tutor and as he turned into our street there was another car. So he moved furthur to the left, a bit too close to a parked truck. The other car signalled him to move forward and my brother accelerated and now the left side mirror is completely screwed. All the glass has shattered off. And my driving exam is on next Monday. So that has to get replaced. Also, the laser printer has finally run out of ink, just when my brother needed to photocopy some stuff. Bad luck seems to follow him around like the plague.

I'm fairly confident about my driving test (or DART - Driving Ability Road Test), and I've gone through the guide and stuff and I think that as long as I stay cool and keep below the speed limit, I'll be alright. So fingers crossed.

Also, I've been discovering that Final Fantasy X is proving way bigger than expected. I mean, there's a lot of stuff you can do, all these secrets and treasures. Damn, looks like it'll take a bit longer than expected.

And how is this for comedy gold? I found it in bash.org :
|TrivBot| Question 3. A man's beard grows fastest when he ______?
|_Cozmo_| shaves it
|emul8or__| shaves
|RatAway| jacks off
|TrivBot| Here's a hint: antici
|Rjx| anticipates sex
|TrivBot| Rjx got the answer: anticipates sex. In: 5.7secs.
|Rjx| wtf?
Yeah, I'm like "WTF?" too. Hey! They should test this on Mythbusters!

And some parting words or wisdom:
Love is blind,
Lust is deaf,
But psychosis is obvious.

Diversion Inversion VI

"I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
"But what...is it good for?"
- Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip
"Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same."
- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Solitary Desperation

I only have one thing to say. Ahem.

PAINTBALL IS FRICKEN AMAZING!

We went to Advanture Quest Paintball Skirmish, with a massive group of 34 with a mix of Viets and Lebos. Started the actual game close to 10am. It was intense. You hiding behind a tree, paintballs are flinging themselves towards you and you desperately try to find the shooter. Getting hit by a paintball at a distance didn't hurt that much. But when you start to get to the 5-10m range, then it stings. It leaves a mark like you wouldn't believe. Apparently, some marks can take a couple of months to disappear fully.

The basic gear were camo overalls, throat protectors and a mask. Since the group was all guys (and one girl), most people invested in a groin protector or brought along their own. Getting hit in the balls with a paintball is not fun at all.

Lunch was basically snags and salad, but it was unlimited so you could go for thirds and fourths. Our package was different from the standard ones. It was $31 for clothing, lunch and 100 shots. To but more shots, you had to use your own money. The ammo is expensive, $22 for 100; $40 for 200 and $90 for 500. My recommendation is to go big early. Some people bought an extra 700 shots and didn't have to worry about the cost of refilling. I went for 200 extra shots and that runs out hella quick. Altogether I used 800 shots, but some guys were reaching the thousands mark.

Games were variations of team deathmatch, two teams eliminating each other. Viets were on side with the Lebos and some Viets on the other, at 17 people in a team. There was a capture the flag games, and my favourite was to kill the enemy general. The arena was smaller and you didn't worry about being outmaneuvered. However, the best game in my opinion was the free-for-all. Well, technically is was pure team deathmatch. It was supposed to be free-for-all, but sticking in teams was better and safer. You don't have to worry about being backstabbed or ganked. The Lebs split into two groups with one up the hill and one down the hill in a corner. Using covering fire, we surrounded their group. Imagine 10 Asians surrounding 4 Lebs, with no escape and at around 6 metres. We just stood there and rained paintball hell onto them. It was a slaughter.

Anyway, here's a little 10 tips for when you decide to go paintballing.

1. Bring lots of money
   Paintballing can be quick expensive, since you use ammo so quickly. Check the prices and bring some cash or better yet, a credit card. I used $130 worth of ammo and would have probably used more if I had more cash.
2. Conserve your ammo
   A standard paintball gun will hold 200 shots. If you're not careful, it can easily run out in less than 10 minutes. Try to shoot when you have a clear shot and don't let rip a massive burst, 3 shots is a fine enough burst.
3. Accuracy by volume
   This may seem a bit contradictory to the above, but paintball guns are not accurate. A wind, a cough or even a butterfly flying past can divert your paintball. When you are close to your opponent, let it rip. They can't fire back under the withering amount of fire and chances are you hit them too.
4. There is no 'I' in 'team'
   Teamwork is key. Stay in a unit of 3-4 friends. Yell out when you see an enemy. Concentrate your fire. Teamwork is essential. No Ramboing. It'll get you killed in 10 seconds.
5. Covering fire!
   Winning a match is easier if you advance relentlessly towards the other team. Use cover fire to ensure 1-2 friends can safely reach the next rock or tree. Fire on the move. Just make sure that while your moving, the enemy can't fire back.
6. Stay low and go
   Standing up makes you a sitting duck. Find some cover and stay low. The barricades has slots to fire out, and with enough patience, you can put shots between those gaps and hit someone. Try to keep moving.
7. The better part of valour
   Don't be afraid to hide or even retreat. Too many deaths were brought about by reckless advancing. Wait when the enemy runs out of ammo, or use covering fire.
8. Be like the wind
   Outmaneuvered the opposition is more important than any other tactic or advantage. They may be stronger, more ammo or whatever, but attack from the left and right usually means victory.

Paintball was awesome fun. And not only for guys. The only girl in our group nabbed some decent kills, and sent most of guys running with accurate shooting and cover. The only crap thing was that I only knew about 2-3 people there. But it was fun. You guys should do this. Try to arrange a large team, it's more fun that way.

Exit Strategy

Plenty of time for regular blogging, that's good. While everyone else is off working or minding younger siblings, I'm at home with almost nothing to do. Actually, scratch that, I have plenty of stuff to do. I'm taking regular driving sessions to strengthen my reverse parking and three-point turning for my upcoming driving test. Hopefully, I should do okay. And I'm digging through Jung Chang's Mao: The Unknown Story as well. But I'm not sure about it. I mean, she spends most of her time laying out the scene, then dissing Mao. It's like, "look, he's a bastard when he was young, so he became a bigger bastard later on..." Damn Eng Adv, now I'm analysing this book and reading and all that. What book after that? No idea, but my dad has this autobiography of Che Guevara, so I'm covered.

Cricket/soccer/sports tomorrow with the boys. And a whole bunch of ex-Sefton uni students as well. These sessions are always fun. Last time I went, we played cricket in the morning and ended up playing golf in the afternoon, using cricket bats as clubs. So fun all around. If anyone wants to come it's at Guildford Park, corner Oxford and Marian Street, at around 10am. Bring money for KFC and $1 for the cricket ball. Everyone welcome.

Now I had a quick whip-around the blogs, and Phuong's recent post is a horror story. Not only is she stuck with a younger sibling but an entire family of relatives are coming to stay and no one except her mother knows them. Now that is so Asian, cramming people in one house. I kinda know the feeling. A few years ago, my mother's brother's family came over and stay at my place and it was kinda crowded. Still, it wasn't that bad because we could all talk Viet and I learned a lot of their stay. Still, find a reason to get out of the house, even if it's for one day.

Now Casino Royale is coming out tomorrow. So the cinemas are going to be packed. I want to see it. So do a lot of other people. We should organise a day to go watch. Not this Saturday, I'm off at paintball and I think Sabrina is having some party. Maybe Sunday or Monday? Well, lets see how the next few days pan out, okay?

There was a recent Doctor Who concert, where they played live music from the two series from the Children in Need charity. And I snagged a copy of the music. Damn, does it sound good! Especially when they start hammering out the theme song. The original soundtrack studio version will be released within the next few days, and I plan on getting that.

Finally, check out this 60 sec ad on Halo 3. It rocks. Gotta start saving some cash....

The Face of Boredom

Well, Anonymous had a go at guessing the books, but can you believe the cheek of this person?

1. Ernie and the Alien(s)
2. Under Siege
3. Physics Jacaranda (or Excel, and the like)
4. The Pied Piper of Hamlin
5. The Heart of Darkness

I bet whatever the titles are, mine are better. :) .

I'd like to dispute that. But come on, Physics Jacaranda/Excel? Who the hell still has that on their bookshelves. Yes, I still have the books but their on my brother's bookshelf now. Still, I guess I'll reveal the titles, so all the millions (cough cough) of readers don't have to live in constant suspense.

1. Hegemony or Survival by Noam Chomsky
2. Eon by Greg Bear
3. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
4. Men At Arms by Terry Pratchett
5. Only the Heart by Brain Caswell and David Phu An Chiem

Granted Only the Heart and Heart of Darkness share a one word similarity, so half a mark.

I'll be away on Saturday December 9th so participate in some paintball action. I used to do martial arts and the entire group is basically Viet. Some guy there booked a session for some time now and he now needed more people because it's 15 people a team and he wants to have a Viet vs Viet match. Something about the Aussies being sore losers and starting fights. Still, I'm sure it's an overreaction. Aussies aren't that bad, they're just a bit more spirited.

In other news, our Daihatsu Terios was fitted with a new CD player. My brother received it as a gift and since I'll be eventually driving the Terios (it's a manual so I have to wait to my P2 license). But then my mother started to really like the player because it can play MP3/WMA and she has a bunch of Viet stories narrated by Nguyen Ngoc Ngan that she can listen to. Viet readers will now who NNN is. If not, ask your parents. And watch some Paris by Night 80-something or latest one. And I'm not referring to the Paris Hilton sex tape. So now my mother convinced my dad that the Toyota Prado needs a new CD players as well, so if we go on long trips, they can listen to Viet stories. And he reluctantly agreed. My dad, he's just, to borrow a term, 'financially prudent'.

Oh yeah, and I finally managed to snag a copy of Eragon. It's not a bad book, so if you like fantasy, this would be pretty good. Lots of Lord of the Rings type stuff and a bit of Star Warsy stuff thrown in. *minor spoilers* But Arya is such a Mary Sue. I mean, do we really need another know-it-all, hot elf chick so is the possible romantic interest of the protangonist and whom the author spends more time describes her looks than her character? That's probably the only flaw the book suffers from. But read it. It's good. *end spoilers*

And far out, House Season 3 is shaping up to be a killer. Best line so far?

"I'm going to need 30 pieces of silver..."

Something to Pass the Downtime

So, how's everybody? From the general feeling I'm picking up, some people are getting bored. I mean, we've finished the HSC and now...we have nothing to do. Except the people with jobs and they're getting money. So what's a person to do? Well I am playing Final Fantasy X but this is a quick break for me. Sitting in one place for a few hours staring at a TV and having radiation bombard your eyes isn't healthy. So to pass the time, here's something I picked up from Land's blog:

1. Take five books off your bookshelf.
2. Book #1 -- first sentence
3. Book #2 -- last sentence on page fifty
4. Book #3 -- second sentence on page one hundred
5. Book #4 -- next to the last sentence on page one hundred fifty
6. Book #5 -- final sentence of the book
7. Make the five sentences into a paragraph:

A few years ago, one of the great figures of contemporary biology, Ernst Mayer, publsihed some reflections on the likelihood of success in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Electronic sensors had been placed around the building. We also now have evidence for several other black holes in systems like Cygnus X-1 in our galaxy and in two neighbouring galaxies called the Magellanic Clouds. "Eater of rats!". I know it by heart.

Go ahead and knock yourselves our to guess the five books.