thorfinn

Finally got various shipments. Base liquid (50/50), nicotine (100mg/ml), various aromas and paraphernalia.

Playing around with this stuff is actually fun - a milli-litre of this, 10 ml of that, hmm, maybe 3 drops of #3... shake well, wait 2-3 days, try. Oh, and being able to achieve sensible levels of nicotine (the EU has made this impractical, if not outright impossible (google "TPD2"), but there's webshops that just don't care, so I've now got reserves to last me a couple years at least).

Currently on coffee+vanilla+cinnamon. Though not even close to beating the professionals (mm, creamy vanilla pudding).

Also, for the lulz or whatever: SWMBO (who quit smoking nearly a year ago) has now required me to vape in the living room, because she likes the smell.

vatine

Reread.

Approximately the Nth book in McGuire's Toby Daye series. Still a pleasant read. Probably start earlier in the series.

splodgenoodles

We might be building up to a thunderstorm today, I hope so.

I am sitting under my aircon, it's on the 'dry' function which I like to imagine as a big set of squeezy rollers.

Also, it's only October but I already feel I've been overdoing things a bit go me and my list of things.

*whimpers*

I need a few days of nothing.

Unfortunately I also feel a strong need to socialise more.

And also to fix that bathtub garden which is now home to several million mozzies in spite of both a water pump and fish. Once my homecarer has gone I'm going outside with a bucket. I'll be pulling the plug and catching goldfish as they appear. Then I'll be hosing out the whole thing and refilling.

Crossposts: https://splodgenoodles.livejournal.com/2177437.html

tcpip

Have arrived in BrisVegas (as it is known by many) for eResearchAustralasia, and am staying at the pretty acceptable Spring Hill Mews. The first day's arrival was spoilt by illness, I suspect because some fucker sneezed on me on the plane on the way over. Still, by the end of the second day I was feeling better and arrived for the conference welcome reception and then joined a group for dinner at Mucho Mexicano. Whilst it is early days yet the conference itself has been so-so from the first few speakers. Leeanne Enoch gave a good introduction to the conference, especially for a politician, and David De Roure's presentation on Ada Lovelace and computer-generated music was quite enjoyable. I suspect for the rest of this afternoon I'll be staying in the Advancecd Computing stream.

Before leaving Melbourne, I did have the opportunity to run a session of Eclipse Phase finishing the Chain Reaction scenario, which will then be followed up with the subsequent related scenarios. In addition, Karl B., has assisted with the final editing of Papers & Paychecks although, alas, I still haven't managed to track down Tim Kask to do the foreword. On my return to Melbourne it looks like I'll finally get around to seeing Blade Runner 2049, given that I am "a bit" of a fan of the original.

Prior to departure I also managed to see Peter Hook and the Light, at their final Melbourne concert, performing Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures and Closer (after selling my previous tickets to

fustian_. It was a great concert and in next couple of days I hope to have a review written for

reddragdiva for Rocknerd, which I'm sure he's looking forward to. Should also mention that I'm half-way through writing an article about that strange alliance that's grown between the Democratic Socialists of America and the Juggalos.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: Brisbane
Crossposts: https://tcpip.livejournal.com/246118.html

splodgenoodles

21. Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword.
22. Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy.

23. Tove Jansson, The True Deceiver/a> Guardian review. I don't think I would have known how to read this novel without the review. It was a peculiar journey, and I don't have the capacity to draw conclusions, I can only nod along with the reviewer and thank them for providing a context.

I did notice that I kept wondering if there was to be a tumultuous reckoning on the next page. But that's not what Tove Jansson is about, and that's where the book's power lies.

Crossposts: https://splodgenoodles.livejournal.com/2176393.html

leecetheartist

Are you hungry like the wolf? Or do you have to install microwave ovens or walk like an Egyptian despite your baggy trousers?

It's come to my attention that 80's Inc are playing at the Carine on Saturday 21st - that's this Saturday. Earl of the golden voice and Louise of the magic flute and sax gave Swancon attendees an energetic show this year, now come and see the whole of this impressive 6 piece band strut their Best of British 80's stuff.

My mum was so impressed she's coming with us!

We've seen them play several times and they're terrific.

The 'best of the 80s
– UK' show will feature songs made famous by the likes of Simple Minds,
Queen, Dire Straits, Duran Duran, Rick Astley, the Eurythmics, Depeche
Mode, Bananarama, Madness, The Clash, Wham , Tears For Fears and David
Bowie. Many other well known artists will be covered.

You can buy a ticky ticket here https://tickets.oztix.com.au/Default.aspx?eventId=77080

Band's website here - https://earlcolemusic.com/80s_inc/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/107887485468519838860/stream/d69cdeb4-cb1a-4572-b58c-9a9e22fe664c and scroll down for my reviews of 80's Inc shows from the past performances.

vatine

Reread.

Fourth book in McKenna's Tales of Einarinn series. It takes place simultaneous to book #3, With Ryshad as primary viewpoint character (and two or maybe three other characters as secondary POV characters). As usual, the primary POV is written in first person and the other POVs are written in third person, which works really well for me, as a reader.

Anyway, a most pleasant read. I would hesitantly recommend starting at the beginning of the series, there's a fair chunk of background, but it may be enough to sort-of catch up in this volume?

the_future_modernes

by that lady who did the really trash "Eat Pray Love"? I did. I tried it because the cover was so bloody gorgeous, all that purple! And I have been reading creativity books for inspiration. And you know what? This was a good one. No really. Now, as per usual with white folks, she manages to find inspiration in an mostly white canon of creatives; and as per usual the greeks and the romans are invoked as the beginning of creative history (insert eyeroll. And there is a story about Bali priests at the end that reads to me like she is defending cultural appropriation (its the way she talks as if there isn't a valid reason for concern in the situation that eveolved, even if in that case, it didn't work out the way it usually does when poc have something white folks are interested in). And I really dont agree with her that art is essentially useless and not that important to our survival. (She basically thinks that physical stuff like doctors nurses etc are important to our survival, while art is something that we choose to do but can live without. I find that her dismissal of art's catering to our mind's needs to be really weird for someone who is deep into spirituality. For me, art is just as necessary as the physical stuff. Not just bread but roses too, ya'll or in this case not just bread but art.

But the rest of it? Spot on. She takes the myth of having to suffer to create art to the woodshed. She talks about making creative work a devotion in a way that really synced with me. She addresses the idea of genius, and success and how if you are lucky to have one of your ideas take off, how to deal with the fact that nothing else you make is likely to be be as successful as that one idea (the answer: face that, acknowlege it and work anyway. Try to stay away from the idea of working towards success and try to embrace the actual creative process itself. She talked about working to support your art and how that helps to not put so much pressure on you to perform. (Though I started thinking about the many ways in which capitalism emands that you work so much that many folkd can't even get a minute to practice art at all and that's why a dream of many folks is to be able to make art that sells, cause they'll have some goddamn time to do so! ) And she talks about the fact that whatever path you choose, there will be associated shit that you will have to deal with. So pick the path. if you can, that has jewels that shine so brightly for you that you will dig thru the shit to get at them.

Her writing was lovely, light and casual and inviting. I really do rec this book!

the_future_modernes

cause iam gonna attempt nanowrimo this year!

rbarclay

Friday evening at a company event, I tried smoking a normal cigarette. Like inhaling an ashtray.

mnemonia

Update time!

I was able to pay off the entire trip a few weeks after my last update, but needed a little bit of time to rebuild my finances after the final bill was taken care of. Over the last month I've started tying off the remaining loose ends: accommodation in Santiago and Valparaiso in Chile, Mendoza and Buenos Aires in Argentina, and Auckland in New Zealand; the international coach between Valparaiso and Mendoza over the Andes, and the subsequent overnight coach from Mendoza to Buenos Aires; arranging travel insurance and airport transfers; and lastly - still to be finalised - arranging for foreign currency to take with me so I don't get slugged too badly by ATM fees overseas.

Accommodation in South America has proven to be a lot cheaper than I expected - that last time I was there was my trip to Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil in late 2013, but I was reckoning off the pound Sterling at the time - and I've even been able to book 1st-class VIP coach seats, hurrah! - but I hadn't expected New Zealand to be as expensive as it turned out to be, even for an ageing backpacker. Auckland has a reputation as an expensive city, but then again I'm in there at the beginning of summer-time just before Xmas, over a weekend, squarely in the city centre.

I've also had to buy a replacement for my old netbook - the one I bought in London in 2011 and that subsequently accompanied me over many thousand backpacker kilometres - that finally died a few months ago. So I've elected to go for a tablet for a change - Android-based of course - with a detachable keyboard (can't use a screen to type, I still prefer a physical interface to touch-type with), stylus and a 200GB micro SD card for storage. That wasn't cheap either, but it is light and fairly portable - which is why I bought a netbook originally and thought a tablet was the way to go this time - so we'll see how it goes.

At least consular issues have been relatively simple: I've elected to use my British passport and therefore side-step the fees levied against Australian tourists crossing into Chile and Argentina, so I don't have to run around Melbourne (or Canberra) arranging visas for a change.

So all I've got left is to scrounge up some foreign currency - which will have to wait until next pay - and all should be ready! Today is a month and counting, so now I'm allowing myself to get excited. :D

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: Empress Of - How do you do it

the_future_modernes

Watch on YouTube

the_future_modernes

yesterday and I am whining inwardly because I can't buy it. It has no arms you see and stops mid back. I also dont trust its comfort level for the truly ridiculous level of time I spend sitting. But I wants it so bad. *sighs* I am trying to find a desk chair that is gorgeously colorful, comfortable, has a tall back so I can lean my head on it and has arms. Apparently this set of specifications is next to impossible to fulfill. The makers of desk chairs seem to feel that most of them should be black or white or brown. Or if they are colorful they should be midback and have no arms. Or be the UGLIEST shade of that color that they can find. I am very confused as to their choices. Maybe I should learn to draw so I can learn to design so I can design my own goddamn chair and somehow get it made?

vatine

Previously unread.

Takes place about a year (I would say, give or take) after the previous book in the series. What happens if you kidnap the wife of the head of a government agency, and the first child born to any two members of said agency? In front of the mother's child?

I wish I could say "hilarity ensues", but I guess "calamity ensues" has about the same ring to it. I think I've said that I like this series? Hm? You probably want to read ALL of them. Right now.

vatine

Previously unread.

The third book in Spangler's Rachel Peng series. This time it looks relatively innocent, "just" a murder, and some suspected theft. Unfortunately, the crime scene is in the basement of the White House. Again, a most excellent read. I could try to say more, but, you know, I can't quite figure out how to say it while remaining both entertaining and non-spoilery.

Oh, yes, there's one thing. This is, I believe, a point where the bok series forks (in one fork, the next book is Greek Key and in the other, it is Brute Force, the latter will soon have an entry all of its own).

On the whole, I quite like this series.

vatine

Previously unread.

This is the second book in Spangler's Rachel Peng series. All in all, eminently readable. It takes place a few months after Digital Divide and starts with a series of explosions "somewhere in DC" (sorry, can't be more precise, there's a specific street mentioned, but, you know, I am sufficiently unfamiliar with DC that it pretty much has escaped my mind, now that I get around to do the write-up several books and days later). Not entirely surprising, this ends up being very investigated and we get a ring-side seat, as we see Agent Peng, members of the MPD and several other Agents from OACET follow up and try to solve the crime.

tcpip

Much of this week has been spent finishing the last several thousand words to Papers & Paychecks with a plan to send to printers next week, although I can't seem to contact Tim Kask, whom I would like to write the foreword (which I discovered many months ago, he wanted to do). It has also been a week of multiple gaming sessions with a new RuneQuest game with new GM on Sunday set in Questworld and incorporating the somewhat maligned Eldarad supplement, and then a committee meeting for the RPG Cooperative (we'll be off to see Blade Runner 2049 soon. It was followed up with an session of Elric! on Wednesday night, where we've started using and rebuilding The Tower of Yrkath Florn. Tonight was a session of Eclipse Phase which was based at an academic psychology conference.

This has rather curious parallels of course, as on Monday I attended the Victorian Directors of IT conference. Much of it was rather vague and high level, but there were a few good sessions, and the education-based keynote by Professor Liz Johnson was excellent. Liz has been kind enough to review the co-authored presentation I am giving at eResearchAustralasia in Brisbane next week. After that I'll be back home for a few days before going to the IEEE eScience conference in Auckland. I would actually like to spend several days at home in succession, and it all hasn't been helped by the fact that I have worked a little on the late side a few days at work, part of which included completing the PRACE HPC course.

There is a curious paradox at play; most occupational health research suggests that people (and especially men) should ease themselves into retirement - drop down to four days at 40, three days at 50, two at 60, and then one, then zero. However as you get older you also become more skilled especially in particular niche - and if you have any work ethic whatsoever, there is a motivation to work longer hours despite the negatie socio-economic effects this has, not to mention the toll on personal health. Indeed, it requires a significant degree of personal willpower these days to drag oneself away at the nominal close of business. I have significant doubts that this is part of my disposition.

Current Mood: exhausted
Current Location: Willsmere
Crossposts: https://tcpip.livejournal.com/245924.html

leecetheartist

Thunder!

rbarclay

Today is the first day in over 20 years (first in ~27, if I don't count a forced pause via hospital stay) that I didn't smoke even a single cigarette.

This feels strange.

Even stranger when I think that I did not buy this electric vapour-cloud-emitting gizmo to, y'know, quit smoking.

reddragdiva

I have an Android phone and tablet. The sound quality is eminently usable, and I have Skype to call people on!

How the arsing fuck do I record it?

There appears to be no standard option. Skype itself has no facility for recording calls. There are assorted extremely dodgy apps that claim to do the job, none of which I want to go near. I can Google for dodgy apps as well as you can — I’m not asking you to do a quick Google for me. What I want to know is — has anyone reading this done this personally, recording a Skype call? How do you do it? What do you use?

(Last time I did it on a Linux desktop — I had to run Audacity capturing the microphone and Audio Recorder capturing the speaker, then put the two recordings together. Hideous and stupid and I don't want to do that again.)

rbarclay

10 days ago I bought an electric cigarette. With which I do not have a bump-free ride up to now.
Some of the liquids are harsh on the throat, others on the lung, some work. Problem A is that each&every one that's ready-to-use (eg. contains nicotine) is harsh shite (probably because of a high propylene glycol (PG) content), problem B is that every liquid I have that's fine needs nicotine added as an afterthought.
Problem C is that I'm currently pretty much couch-bound with the flu, which includes a sore throat to boot, and prevents me from venturing out to aquire different liquids.

To add to this nice, problem-free experience, every liquid needs at least experimentation with different settings wrt.temperature, and probably one should test it with different heating coils, too.

So, in essence, some days work out fine, and I get by with 1-3 tobacco cigarettes (which, apart from the first one in the morning, taste like ash). Others this doesn't work at all.

Oh, and I managed to trip the smoke detector in the working room a couple times now. Guess I should switch to a different type of detector (CO/heat, methinks).

splodgenoodles

Those songs from years ago that you can't quite get nostalgic about, because you never managed to be quite there.

Things were always happening just around the next corner, it seemed.

Crossposts: https://splodgenoodles.livejournal.com/2175105.html

eleanorjane

I haven't watched Discovery yet, but I know Trek has been on peoples' minds as a result of its launch.

I have rediscovered, back in 2009, a series of posts I wrote summarising material gleaned from the Star Trek RPG then published by LUG and Decipher, as a primer to help people new to Trek pick up a bunch of canon-ish background material relatively easily.

As it's eight years old, I thought I'd give it a bump since Trek is back in the collective consciousness again.

The posts are on my canon: star trek tag. They generally haven't been updated to incorporate anything relating to AOS (except one bit), and refer almost entirely to the prime universe/timeline. Re-linked, since someone out there might find it useful.

azurelunatic

I see that a number of people are moving to Discord for chat, both in general and also because AIM is going bye-bye.

I'm Azz#2671 if anyone wants to chat there; I have it on the desktop but I'm not sure if I've installed it on the current phone.

vatine

Previously unread.

Leckie is back! We're in the same fictional universe, but we're not in Raadch space (I think?) and we're pretty much not seeing anyone we've seen before.

Anyway, our primary viewpoint character (and, thinking about it, I think only viewpoint chaarcetr) is Ingray, the foster daughter of a Hwae politician, second in line (as it were) to be named heir, after her brother Danach. And she has an audacious scheme to further her prospects of becoming the named heir.

Then, things outside INgray's control start interfering with her best-laid plans.

Eminently readable. I can't say if I like this better than the original trilogy, or not. They're all good, so it's hard to do internal ranking here.

vatine

Reread.

What happens if you let the US Military-Industrial Complex play with biocomputers implanted in people's brains? Maybe you get cyborgs with... interesting complications. That's certainly the tack that Spangler has taken in this book (as well as in the A Girl and Her Fed web comic). And I just realised I'd left this in "compose" mode for several days.

No matter, eminently readable book. Based on this, I bought the following three volumes the other day, going "you know, it's time I read the sequels".

splodgenoodles

Hmm.

I hope my goldfish don't eat themselves to death out there in the outside bath. Much mosquito larvae! I'll get some more fish fairly soon I think. Although I've also got the pump sorted, so that will help. Mozzies prefer their water nice and still.

I have sorted the freezer. And I have come up with a cunning plan: the prepared meals that I think are still okay are now all sitting sideways. That way, next time the door doesn't shut properly(it's a thing) I should be able to get some idea of how bad things are according to whether or not frozen meals are still in neat goops or whether they've found new levels.

Also, I'm about to go and place Hydralyte icy poles in a few strategic places at the back of the shelves. They're frozen at the moment, but should I ever find them thawed I'll know that the warmth has gotten well in.

The fact that this all seems clever and reasonable has me wondering if perhaps I have finally completely lost the plot.

~~~

Crossposts: https://splodgenoodles.livejournal.com/2174867.html

splodgenoodles

Okay so I've done stuff. But not the freezer emptying. Ergh.

It's like admitting I've made a horrible mistake. OTOH, if I don't face up to it I'm going to have quite a lot of stuff in there forever because I can't throw it out and can't bear to risk eating it.

Crossposts: https://splodgenoodles.livejournal.com/2174216.html

splodgenoodles

I had a hellnight last night for no reason that I can fathom except that I had an unpleasant day, also for no reason that I can fathom. So I had gotten myself into one of those ruts where I am too knackered to do anything useful, but also too knackered to cut myself some slack and switch off.

So you just stare at the internet and feel useless and frustrated.

I am in danger of doing this again today! And it's not like my brain's in gear for anything complex. So here's my plan:

1. Keep listening to the radio. Blues on a Sunday is a gift from above!

2. Throw out a bunch of stuff from the freezer. Last night I realised I'd left it open for a few hours. Or rather, last time I went to close it, there was something sticking out a bit and it didn't close properly. I'm pretty sure most stuff is okay, but the stuff up the top was defrosted.

3. Have another coffee and take it outside to check the bathtub. My two goldfish are out there now, keeping down the mozzies.

Crossposts: https://splodgenoodles.livejournal.com/2174201.html

Hmm, this could actually work #4

2017 - #98, "Once Broken Faith", Seanan McGuire

(no subject)

Viva BrisVegas, Games and Music

Reading, 2017.

This year Swanconners saw the duo, now see the whole band!

2017 - #97, "The Warrior's Bond", Juliet E. McKenna

Did I mention that I read "Big Magic"

I need to get my ass in gear re my outline

Hmm, this could actually work #3

South America and Antartica trip, update

(no subject)

I saw the most delicious purple desk chair

2017 - #96, "Brute Force", K. B. Spangler

2017 - #95, "State Machine", K. B. Spangler

2017 - #94, "Maker Space", K. B. Spangler

Gaming Updates and HPC Conferences

Do you hear what I hear?

Hmm, this could actually work #2

How doyou record Skype audio on Android?

Hmm, this could actually work

(no subject)

hey, neat! (trek stuff)

Discord

2017 - #93, "Provenance", Ann Leckie

2017 - #92, "Digital Divide", K. B. Spangler

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

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