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July 29, 2005
Almost intellegent
I have 1/6 of a degree. It's offcial, I've passed my first "year" if you will, got a B, would've like higher, but I'm out of practise with this education thing. Leaving at 6:something am tomorrow to go to Brighton for a week, and before you say "How lucky are you, that's where Mr Slim (Fatboy) lives" ....it's for university. I get to spend a week on some campus and work with radioactive rock (yay, go me) and proper labs (which I am actually excited about).
So...lots of stories to tell when I get back from my adventures with the other Science geeks. See you all on the other side.
Note to self : Must pack camera and toothbrush
Posted by kat at 7:57 PM | Comments (0)
July 27, 2005
COLA ....C -O -L -A, COLA.
Feeling rather despondent. Disinterested in everything really. I try to blame it on the moon phases, but really, since when has a waning gibbous caused any werewolves to appear, or craziness to happen? I should be looking forward to meeting other Scientists and working in real labs for a week....or at the very least be planning my outfits for the week, but not even that seems to perk my interest.
I blame it on the sugar [C(6)H(12)O(6)] and caffeine {C(8)H(10)N(4)O(2)]. Been drinking way too much cola, ok a 500ml bottle over 2 days, but my body's not used to it and now I think I'm on some sort of come-down or withdrawl of that sugary nectar.
Just keep chanting "my body is a temple", don't think of the lovely, cold, sweet liquid......"my body is a temple, sugar is bad, caffeine is bad"
Posted by kat at 4:44 PM | Comments (0)
July 21, 2005
As I turn the last page, and discover there's no print on the other side, a strange sort of sadness descends. Not because it was a very emotional book, which had me crying at times....no, it's because I have just finished the latest Harry Potter book, and will have to wait at least a year and a half until the final one is released. Panic comes over me. "What will I do after finishing the final book?", "Is there life beyond Harry Potter?", and "Will I ever read another book as long as I live?"
Sad, but true. I become completely enthralled with the Harry Potter books. I remember reading the first book when I was 15, and thinking "My boarding school's nothing like this". Ok, it was an all girls' school, and we were living in the real world, not much to go on. I would wait eagerly for the next book to be released. Getting it before everyone else as my dad brought them back from his travels abroad. It's the only time I lose myself to another world. The imagery is so vivid, that you have to remind yourself you're not there with them, standing as an onlooker. It feels like you've grown up with them, and can understand how they feel. That's why I can't help shedding a tear everytime I think there's only one more book left.
It feels like losing a friend. Not that I would trade any of my friends with Harry Potter, but you know what I mean!
Posted by kat at 5:46 PM | Comments (0)
July 19, 2005
Experimentalism..ism
So...tomorrow's the big day. I'm finally let loose onto the world of Science...well at least in my world. Yes, the world is my oyster, the kitchen is my lab, and the potato is my victim. Like mission impossible I have been given my assignment which I *gulp* have to pass. Ok, 40 % shouldn't be hard to achieve, but there's always that element of "what if I completely misread the question and spend 7 hours watching liquid potato drip through a test-tube for nothing?".
The mission is to elaborate on the previous experiment of dripping potato watching, and design a new one with different controls and factors that may affect the experiment, with hypothesis and null-hypothesis included. Sort of got things organised on paper and in my head for the big day. Going to have a bath now, read my Harry Potter (courtesy of amazon ) and then have an early one.
Will post pics of stupid hair and big science goggles....and drippy potatoes, thats Solanum tubersum to you.
Posted by kat at 7:25 PM | Comments (0)
July 12, 2005
Fatty-nation
So I have this incredible craving for peanut brittle. Being the lazy sod I am, I don't walk downstairs to look in a recipe book, I stay up in my room and use the trusty Google-meister. I type in "peanut brittle" in the hopes of finding a decent recipe, as I know there are some peanuts in the pantry screaming to be boiled alive with hot, sticky, sugary goo.
But, alas, there was only one link to a peanut brittle recipe , which, no offense to anyone, was an American site (American's use different temperatures, and measurements and actually measure the temperature of the boiling sugar-now I don't want to go downstairs to get the recipe book, I'll be damned if I'm converting anything).
The other 10 pages seemed to link me to online sweet shops, that posted sweets to you. Not fancy sweets you can't get anywhere else....no flake bars, and crunchies, and "happy world of " Haribo sweets. Now, I'm thinking, in the this day and age of obesity killing the young and the elderly being robbed and beaten, surely walking to the shops to get your sugar fix is a little better than having it delivered to your door? Should we not be promoting fitness and healthy living?
Well, i suppose this is coming from someone who can't be arsed to go down the stairs to fetch a book. In my defence though, I did get the wrong bus home today (not used to public transport) and ended up walking an extra 20 minutes so I'm justified.
Do us a favour and type in your favourite sweet and then next to it "buy", see how many sites will deliver them to your door? Now to go downstairs and find me a British recipe.
Posted by kat at 9:23 PM | Comments (0)
July 9, 2005
My beautiful island
Piccies from the balcony at sunset. It had a slightly oriental feel, to go along with my slightly oriental hair-style that I have now. Will post pic's of that soon.
Posted by kat at 9:35 PM | Comments (0)
I'm melting....melting
Since relocating myslef on this side of the hemisphere, I have decided I may well be related to the wicked witch of the east, or was the west? Needless to say, I come into contact with the tiniest bit of sunlight, and I become restless and irritable, I feel like I'm melting. It really hurts my brain too....I now despise summer, and all sunshine that rears its ugly head in winter too. I don't think I can handle any temperature above 20'C.
Sad, isn't it? I used to love going to the beach and checking to see how the tan was coming along. Now I'm translucent, and have adapted to my pale and interesting look. I suppose living in the UK, you get put off tanning by the orange people that walk around this place.
Posted by kat at 9:17 AM | Comments (0)
July 6, 2005
......
Also Happy Birthday Mr Lama.
Posted by kat at 10:58 PM | Comments (0)
London 2012
So London will be hosting the Olympic Games 2012, go them! It's got me thinking though..what will I being doing in 7 years time? Firstly I'll be 29, like adult age. I still don't consider myself an adult. It comes with being the baby in the family I guess. What will I have achieved? Will I have finished studying (at this rate I don't think so!)? Will I be doing a PhD? Who knows what the future holds....
On a lighter note...George Bush rode over one of Britain's finest policemen this evening whilst enjoying a leisurely cycle. He came away with a few scratches, the policman, however, was taken to hospital. Go the Bush!
Posted by kat at 10:51 PM | Comments (0)
Do you speak whale?
This is one bit of scientific research I'm not for. Please sign up if you care. Oh, and also, they're planning to breed neurally deficient mice , and then implant human stem cells into their heads, so they'll grow human brains. It's Pinky and the Brain, Pinky and the Brain......
Posted by kat at 9:18 AM | Comments (0)
July 4, 2005
Damned if you do, damned if you don't
I woke up this morning, and thought..."Today will be a good day". I got to work, did everything I needed to get done before the holiday tomorrow, even the customers got an extra joke thrown into the mundane conversation today. I woke-up very happy, and am going to bed less happy. This will be my first and, hopefully, last serious post.
People wonder why I talk to my cats, it's because they listen so attentively, and don't take offence to every single word I say. If they don't like it, they wonder off and do their own thing. One could argue that they don't have the interlect to understand such complexities as conversation, but I've had many a chat where my cat has promptly answered back to me, so it stands true in my mind that they can understand, but just chose not to.
They also have incredible forgiveness, you stand on their tail, they sulk for a few minutes, or until it's dinner-time, and then are more than willing to give you a nudge or a paw as a token of friendship.
Maybe it's just me, but the human race have been given a power they do not deserve > intellect. What good has it brought us, but to think of ways to make money, exploit others, and cause pain. This is not a stab at the G8, to be honest, I've given up on feeling remorse and guilt for the less fortunate nations. Nature has its way of culling, and unfortunately, it is survival of the fittest. I don't see us donating to the zebras that died of hunger last summer due to droughts. We're all animals, right?
So...where does this rambling lead me to? People should start acting like animals, they're not so bad afterall, they've been around alot longer than we have. They may have something to teach us, like tolerence, and teamwork, and maybe even a working economy. Survival of the fittest remember!
I think people are the ones who need culling, not the elephants in Kruger for over-popluation, or the cows with BSE because they may infect one other. Funny 2 of the biggest problems in the human world, would be sorted out by culling in the animal world.
I'm sorry if I have offended anyone, I'm not trying to be the next Hitler, I'm just angry with the human mind and the complexcities of how we live our lives, when they could be so much simpler if we took some notes from the animal kingdom, hell, even the plant kingdom if we must (only if we REALLY must, please). It would save alot of pain and suffereing, not only in poorer nations, but in our everyday lives too.
Please, use your minds wisely, and take a step back in an unpleasant situation and think "What would an animal do?"
Posted by kat at 8:09 PM | Comments (2)
July 1, 2005
Still boring
Yip...plants are still the least interesting organisms I have yet to encounter. I think I've bettered my record > 2 pages in 2 hours. Go me
Posted by kat at 8:43 PM | Comments (0)