The Leaky Brain

I was still half-drugged when the doctor spoke to me after the endoscopy on Monday, so I can't remember most of what he said. I do remember him saying that he found a hernia, some pockets of something, and something else. I was too addled at the time to ask him to repeat himself, so I won't learn the details until our next appointment in early March. The important thing is he said that it was "nothing serious".

It's a relief to know that all this pain and discomfort I've been feeling hasn't just been in my mind, and that we may be able to do something about it.

The endoscopy itself was relatively hassle-free. The two hours (or so) of preparation that morning wasn't much fun (and the day before was awful), but the sedative they gave me was so effective that when I woke I almost asked the nurse to make sure that I'd actually had the procedure done because I couldn't remember a thing.

The best part was when they started pumping oxygen directly into my nostrils. Yum.

Okay, how on Earth did Hellboy 2: The Golden Army not receive Oscar nominations for Art Direction, Costume Design and Visual Effects?!?

And how was Wall-e not nominated for best picture? On Metacritic it has an average rating of 93%, putting it a good 11 points higher than anything else (The Dark Knight at 82%) and even further above the films which did receive nominations. On that note, why no best picture nomination for Dark Knight?

I don't get it.

Here are some mini-reviews of DVDs I've seen over the past few weeks (yay for holidays!):

The Golden Compass - 6/10
I haven't read the books and came to this film with very few preconceptions, but I was somewhat underwhelmed. Visually the film is gorgeous, with some wonderful location and vehicle designs, and there are some memorable moments, but for the most part the film felt rushed, disjointed and unengaging. It should have been an hour longer to properly develop the story, or should have simply dropped certain plot points which didn't seem to serve the story at all. Most likely, this is the result of the dangers inherent in translating a story from book to film. With such a stellar cast, it must have been the Director/Screenwriter, Chris Weitz, who dropped the ball as most of the characters feel empty and lifeless.

Curse of the Golden Flower - 5/10
I had high hopes for Curse of the Golden Flower, directed by Yimou Zhang who also directed Hero, one of my favourite films, but was both surprised and dissapointed by this bizzare film. What starts as a somewhat interesting (though slightly melodramatic) story of court politics and family intrigue suddenly transforms into an epic martial arts splatter-fest with little of the artistic flare of Hero. While the entire production is lavish and grand on an almost obscene level, it failed to draw me into the world of the Forbidden City. Curse of the Golden Flower ultimately felt empty and meaningless, and the ending left a very bitter taste in my mouth.

Stranger Than Fiction - 9/10
A wonderfully crafted and incredibly clever story which manages to be funny without being crass, cerebral without being heartless. Great performances all around,  excellent direction, and full of rich ideas which you'll continue to think about long after the credits roll. Strongly recommended.

Every day I wake up with good intentions, bold plans, ideas that will change the world. Every night, however, I fall back into the same dark well of loneliness and despair.

I lie in bed lamenting the harm I have caused others, all the unintentional cruelties and betrayals, and it eats away at me like acid. Am I a better man than I was ten years ago, than that wretched, pathetic little slip of a man-thing that I used to be? When I think of the people whom I called friends back then, I am astonished by how patient and tolerant they were of me.

And yet, whenever I think of how far I have come, I also think of how wretched I am still. I am short-tempered, impatient, intolerant, selfish, lazy, greedy, lustful, bigoted and arrogant. I want to be loving, I want to patient, kind, generous and humble, but every day I fail. I feel like a mountain-climber who, at an altitude of fifty-feet, is already sucking down oxygen canisters and advancing at a rate of three feet per day - if I'm advancing at all.

I'm weak, and tired, and so very much afraid that my sole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others.

But in this dark well there is one single light: The knowledge that my salvation depends not on my strength, but on the grace of Jesus Christ. Where I would willingly run from God into destruction, Jesus came and pulled me back against my will, his hands burning me like brands. This is an extraordinary injustice, that a stain on the world like myself should be forgiven and brought home.

Praise Him.

Remember that episode of Buffy where Tucker trained a pack of Hellhounds to savagely attack anyone wearing formal dress?

I wonder if the same principle could be applied to santa hats...

Third trimester has just begun, and the awesome news is that it now seems very likely that I'll be able to transfer to Game Design next year, from Animation. I originally enrolled in Game Design this year, but transferred to Animation when it became clear that the GD course wasn't going to run. So far I've been mostly happy with my grades. Okay, when I say mostly happy, I mean that there was one subject where I only got a Distinction instead of a High Distinction, and I'm a bit upset about that.

Favourite subject this trimester: Game Level Design
Least favourite subject: New Media Business Compliance

Meanwhile I received an e-mail last week from someone who had a piece of my artwork tattooed onto his shoulder. While it's flattering to know that some guy thinks my artwork is worth forking over $700 to a tattooist, plus seven hours of pain, I'm a little disappointed that he didn't consider sending any of that cash my way.

I've lost more than 10 kilos so far this year.
Now my pants keep falling down.

From jocelyncee 

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed."
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them ;-)

WATCHING MOVIES DOES NOT COUNT!!!
( Cut for booky goodness... )

Every now and again a news story comes along which restores my faith in television producers, and makes me think that maybe some of the people in charge actually *do* know what they're doing. Earlier this year, the announcement that Fox has renewed the Sarah Connor Chronicles was such a story.

Now another such story comes along: Steven Moffat will take over as Showrunner for the new series of Doctor Who once Russell T Davies steps down at the end of 2009.

Halle-bloody-lujah!

Moffat's episodes are, IMO, the only ones worth watching in the entire new series - he *gets* Doctor Who in a way which Davies has completely failed to do. Furthermore, after watching Moffat's six-part mini-series "Jekyll", I am now firmly convinced that this man is on course to be the next Joss Whedon*.

Finally, my grim outlook on Doctor Who has been replaced with optimism!

Now I just need to pester the ABC about airing season 4 down here. Sometime this YEAR would be nice :/

ETA: *Not that there's anything wrong with the current Joss Whedon...

I'm now a week into my three-week holiday, following the completion of my first Trimester of college. I think it's time for some reflection.

Overall my feelings about college are somewhat negative. The Sydney campus of QANTM is still relatively new, and it shows. Of all the lecturers/tutors I had this trimester, one was genuinely good, two were competent, one was less than adequate and one should never be allowed in a classroom again. And, of course, the only one who was genuinely good ended up leaving halfway through the trimester. So far the quality of teach has done little to inspire confidence.

Furthermore, I've been very disappointed by the college's failure to go through with the promises/threats that were made on orientation day regarding attendance and behaviour. If the college had been serious about carrying out its policies, then less than half of the class would have made it through to the end of the first trimester - leaving only those who are actually serious about learning. To my utter frustration, the college seems more concerned with helping students pass, rather than actually *teaching* them - driven, no doubt, by a hunger for tuition fees.

But that doesn't mean that college is without its merits. The course itself is quite well structured, and most of our teachers are more than happy to work with us one-on-one if we're having any trubles. Some of the material we've covered has been genuinely enjoyable, as well as informative. Plus some of my fellow students are a pleasure to work with.

Hopefully the second trimester will be an improvement. If not, I may have to consider other options. At least my scholarship means that I'm not actually paying for this tripe.

One of our final assessments for this trimester was to shoot a short film in groups, and then individually edit the footage together. For our group, I was writer and director (as well as editor), and here's what I put together:

Meme from moorina
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Name your top six shows right now before reading the questions.
1. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
2. The West Wing
3. Firefly
4. Doctor Who
5. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
6. Babylon 5


1. Who is your favorite character from #2? (The West Wing)

Toby.



2. Who is your least favorite character from #4? (Doctor Who)

Rose. I can't stand that girl, and I don't understand why so many people seem to like her.


3. What would a crossover between #1 and #5 include? (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex)

Wow... that's tough. Technically speaking, Ghost in the Shell takes place *after* Judgement Day, so there's no continuity between the two shows. However I can imagine a tension-filled encounter if Sarah Connor were to ever meet Major Motoko Kusanagi. Sure, Motoko is a human, but the only aspect of her which remains organic is part of her brain, the rest is cybernetic. Physically speaking, she's *less* human than a terminator. Sarah would have a very hard time trying to accept that Motoko could be one of the good guys.

4. Who is your favorite ship from #6? (Babylon 5)

Marcus/Susan. These two were always tremendous fun to watch when they were alone together, and I love the way Marcus managed to thaw out the cold, hard commander a little.


5. If you were to set one person from #3 and one person from #6 on a blind date, who would they be? (Firefly, Babylon 5)

Inara & Captain Sheridan. She'd be much better for him than Delenn. Inara is a calming, intelligent voice, but also more than willing to criticise when necessary - the perfect partner for a seriously stressed-out captain in charge of 250,000 people. And I think she find his blend of toughness and boyish-charm quite endearing.


6. If you could meet one person from #4 and spend the day with them, who would it be, and what would you do? (Doctor Who)

Romana (either 1 or 2, but I must confess to being partial to 2... dang she's cute). It was so nice to see the Doctor with a genuinely bright, intelligent companion whose knowledge often surpasses his own (and it was so much fun when they argued). She always had an unusual take on things, strangely insightful and observant, and I think could make for great company.


7. If you could change one thing about #2's plot line, what would you change? (The West Wing)

I'd keep Toby in the West Wing right up until the end of the series. Season 7 was excellent, but suffered from not enough Toby - it could have been perfect.


8. Explain a relationship between two people (not necessarily romantic) from show #5, and why you like the relationship between them? (Ghost in the Shell: SAC)

I've always enjoyed the relationship between Motoko and Batou. On the simplest level it's about mutual respect: They both take their work very seriously, and are both excellent at what they do. But on a deeper level there's a powerful tether between them, one that's formed as a result of all the drama they've been through together, and they both play an anchoring role in each other's lives. Though both staunchly independant individuals, they've formed a relationship where they both know that they can turn to the other when times are rough, but also respect and understand the other's need to walk away for a while. It's a kind of independent dependence.


9. If the lead title characters (first name in the credit sequence) from #1 and #3 were both drowning, and you could only save one, who would it be?  (Firefly, The Sarah Connor Chroncles)

I can't remember who is credited first, but I'm going to assume it's Mal and Sarah. I think I'd have to save Mal - Sarah's doomed anyway.


10. If you could change the title characters' order in the credits for #4? (Doctor Who). 
The order is fine, but when it says "Written by" I'd like to see that always followed by the words "Steven Moffat" - he's the only person to have written consistently good stories for the new series.


11. If you were able to add a new character, any kind of character you wanted, to the storyline for #6, what would the character be? (Babylon 5)

Nothing comes to mind - Babylon 5 already has a broad range of interesting characters. Any additions would be redundant.


12. What happens in your favorite episode of show #2? (The West Wing)

Josh, recently shot and injured by an attempt to assasinate the President, sees a trauma therapist... against his will.


13. If you could kill off one of the characters in #1, who would it be and how would you do it? (The Sarah Connor Chronicles)

I wouldn't kill any of them, I think they're all fascinating in their own way and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go from here. Mind you, given the nature of the series so far, I don't really need to kill anyone off at this point - the writers will take care of that.


14. If you got the chance to visit the set for either show #3 or show #5, which would you choose? (Firefly, Ghost in the Shell: SAC)

Firefly. First of all, to do so would mean that show is currently filming (wouldn't that be nice?). Secondly, they look like a fun crowd. Plus I'd get to meet Joss, thank him for everything, and then knee him in the groin for killing Wash.

Unbelievable, mind-boggling, earth-shattering, kitten-strangling news:

Fox has recognised a quality sci-fi series for what it is, and decided not to axe it!

Last night I watched the season finale for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and my first thought was "If Fox doesn't renew this show, heads will roll." I expected that guillotines would be involved. But today I saw over at Slice of Sci-Fi that it now seems almost certain that T:TSCC will be renewed for a second season, and this has made me very happy.

I've been surprised by the number of people who have scoffed at the mere mention of the series, deriding it as a pale imitation of the movies. In every single case, however, they had never actually sat down and watched an episode. Perhaps it is the traditional Australian resistance to anything Sci-Fi (I noticed that none of the posters for the series at Penrith Plaza featured any sci-fi content whatsoever), but people don't seem to be giving the series a chance and I think that they're really missing out.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles is very well written and directed, with a brilliant cast, engaging and surprising characters and impressive visual effects. Plus Summer Glau. What's not to love?

Well my flatmate built a Windows Media Centre, and I bought an X-Box 360, and with them all networked together we now effectively have a DVR and digital television. Thus it's time to update my "What I'm Watching" list.

Monday-Saturday
Scrapheap Challenge (ABC2) - I only recently discovered this bizarre yet strangely compelling series in which two teams build weird and wonderful machines out of whatever scrap they find lying around the junkyard. Good fun.

Monday
Mythbusters (SBS) - repeats at the moment, but there are some I haven't seen
Media Watch (ABC1) - as always, essential viewing
Red Dwarf (ABC2) - repeats, of course, but this show never gets old

Tuesday
Time Team (ABC1) - one of the highlights of my week
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (NINE (bleargh!)) - so far I'm calling this the best new show of 2008, but why does it have to be on channel Nine? They treat sci-fi like rubbish. Have I mentioned that I'm madly in love with Summer Glau?

Wednesday
Spicks & Specks (ABC1) - possibly losing some of its shine as the novelty has now well and truly worn off, but still good fun.
Newstopia (SBS) - Finally, a brand of aussie humour which I actually find funny!
At The Movies (ABC1) - David and Margaret are always good value.

...and that's it apparently. Wow. Why is most of the good programming crammed into the beginning of the working week?

I am not one normally given to overt displays of glee, so please appreciate the significance of the following statement:

YAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!! Yipee, wooooooooooh!

QANTM College just informed me that I've been awarded a scholarship!

I had orientation at college yesterday. If you're curious, I've set up a separate blog which I'm devoting to college and gaming related topics, while this Livejournal is going to focus on more personal matters.

Meanwhile, I want to sing the praises of WIRES - the NSW "Wildlife Information and Rescue Service". Yesterday I once again called upon their services, this time because I came home to find an injured Sacred Kingfisher on our porch (probably immature, judging by the brown mottling). It appeared to have hurt one of its wings, as it was jumping around and trying to fly away - but one wing was hanging limp by its side. I picked it up and put it in a box, and after  a few phonecalls, someone from WIRES drove here and took the bird to a specialist in Emu Plains.

Before he left, however, I had to take a photo:

Here's what's been happening:

* No root canal, thankfully. I went to a better dentist who decided to fix the filling, and did an excellent job of it. The first time I've not felt the drill! Sorry Sophie, no CJ quotes for you :P

* College starts in just over a week's time, with orientation this Friday. Sadly, "Games Design" isn't running because there weren't enough enrollments, so I've transferred to Animation.

* A few weeks ago I had a nasty bug which made me throw up for a day, and left me feeling nauseous for a couple of weeks. I'm over it now, but I still eye all food with suspicion.

* I have an X-Box 360 now. Mass Effect rules! My gamertag on Live is "The Least One"

* I'm looking forward to the Sarah Connor Chronicles. It has Summer Glau as a killing machine from the future, so it already wins.

From triphicus

The rules are:

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!)
Find Page 123.
Find the first 5 sentences.
Post the next 3 sentences.

"However, Hektor was the son of Hekabe, queen of Troy, the single largest benefactor of the Temple of the Horse. Under no circumstances would the sisterhood do anything to cause offense to such a great power. No, they would greet Andromache warmly, then place her on the next ship for the eastern mainland, probably under guard." - David Gemmell, Lord of the Silver Bow

I saw the dentist today, and heard the two words I dreaded most: "Root Canal". It turns out that my one and only filling, which I had put in when I was a kid, has somehow become dislodged and allowed an infection in. I've had some X-Rays done, and we're folllowing up on it tomorrow. Since it's a molar, he's said that if the wisdom tooth is impacted then he'll just extract the molar and let the wisdom tooth fill the gap - otherwise it will have to be a root canal operation.

::whimper::

While eating dinner last night, part of one of my teeth broke off. It's my recurring nightmare made manifest!

Seriously, of all the dreams and nightmares I've had in my life (and there have been countless thousands), by far the most common theme is that of teeth either breaking or falling out. I suspect it goes back to when I was a kid, and my baby teeth refused to fall out even though my adult teeth had grown through. For a time, I had two rows of teeth, like a shark (as I was proud of declaring). But the baby teeth started to simply disintegrate in my mouth, pieces of them breaking off as I ate, so my parents took my to the dentist who proceeded to remove them all at once.

Understandably, I hate going to the dentist.

Yoinked from moorina

(hmm, LJ cut doesn't seem to be working, sorry about the long post)

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
NaNoWriMo. 55k words in a single month.

2. Did you keep your NYs resolutions, & will you make more for 2008?
I didn't make any then, and I won't make any now.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes. I swear there must be something in the water.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. My Gran (who was my last surviving grandparent).

5. What countries did you visit?
Only those which exist in my mind.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Direction, confidence and determination.

7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I'm not good with dates. The weekend of the Federal election stands out in my mind - I had a big goofy grin on my face for much of that Sunday morning.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
NaNoWriMo, and never missing a single update for Crimson Dark.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not managing to make Crimson Dark enough of an income stream to live off, and failing to find alternative means of financial support.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
TWO infected sebacious cysts in one year - the first on my back, the second on my shoulder. Both required daily visits to the medical centre for multiple weeks. I really hope I don't have to go through that a third time. Meanwhile, we discovered that my spine is bent.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
The Witcher - a fantasy RPG for PC with a remarkably long and engrossing single-player story.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My incredibly patient and generous flatmate, and my mother who has had a fairly rough year thanks to Gran's deteriorating health and eventual death.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Militant, hysterical right-wing Christian groups around the world, especially Fred Nile's shameful remarks in Camden recently.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Food and rent.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
...to be honest, nothing comes to mind.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Roughly the same, but Summer is the worst time of year to try and measure my happiness.
ii. richer or poorer? Possibly slightly poorer.
iii. thinner or fatter? Possibly slightly thinner.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Writing.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Not writing.

20. How will you be spending the holidays?
Hiding in my air-conditioned bedroom, trying to get as much work done on Chapter 6 of Crimson Dark as possible before I go to college in February.

21. Which LJ people did you meet this year?
None that I had not met before.

22. Did you fall in love in 2007?
I generally try to avoid doing that these days. It complicates matters.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Time Team.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, I already hated the entire world last year.

26. What was the best book you read?
Fall of Kings, by David & Stella Gemmell - book three of the Troy series.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
FourPlay string quartet.

28. What did you want and get?
A car.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
I haven't really seen any films which were special enough to mention here, but I missed a lot at the cinema.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 29, and... I can't remember. I did something with Mum, I think.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Earning enough from Crimson Dark to live on.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Whatever's comfy.

34. What kept you sane?
Working on Crimson Dark, and keeping it on schedule.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Summer Glau.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Mohamed Haneef. The Federal Government's handling of the matter made me ashamed to be Australian - hence my answer to question 7.

37. Who did you miss?
I'd rather not say.