What's More Important - I'm Not Sure Either Is

Hello my most darling blinky. I am sure when I look back to contemplate why it is I fail my physics test on Monday I will probably blame my procrastinating ways on here. Please remind me at that point that I am writing because I am stuck and my head hurts more than I am writing because I wilfully wish to procrastinate.



I am not sure how much I take a liking to today's topic though. What's more important, where you live or what you do for a living? I'm not entirely sure if what you are asking is a chicken or the egg question of a question of my personal values and what I value more.



I suggest chicken or the egg because what you do for a living controls where you live and it is a widely held social opinion that where you live controls what you do for a living. I am certainly of the opinion that what you do for a living has a much more concrete connection on where you live than the other way around but certainly there is some impact on what you do for a living based on where you live. You don't get many professional fisherman in the middle of the dessert.



In short, which one has the greater controlling factor on the other I'm going to say what you do for a living... but that is probably not what the question is asking you.

Shanghai day 9, Apartment Building

Ok what is most important to me personally - where I live or what I do? Is it ok to say neither? I am much more inclined towards it being WHY I do it and WHO I do it with. I've lived in everything from single room with shared facilities to a 4 room cottage in North Carolina with my mum and brother to my family's home in suburban Caboolture. I have to say that neither geographical location nor physical space or 'stuff' has much to do with it.



What I do for a living, its handy and certainly I couldn't live very well without it, even my location of where I live is dependent on my job. To quit would be to move. Nobody goes to work and has a good day vs a bad day over the amount of money they earn - unless you work for commission then the two concepts probably do overlap. A good day at work is more meaningful that that - and if its not for you I recommend you find a new job.



A good day at work as often as not for me is achieving something productive, or sometimes simply having a good conversation with a friend is enough to lift my day up. Certainly not getting into trouble and not encountering some new assignment or whatever makes it good.



I'm going to cut myself short at the this point to get back to work but put simply. I work to have money, to live freely, and so long as I have a bed, a computer, food and good company I'll be happy enough where-ever I am. Though Australia is my first preference of course. A beautiful eucalypt against a rich blue sky there isn't any view better... Life is short and heaven is better than anything I could have upon this earth. Friends are the ones who stand the most chance of being forever.

The Many Levels of Swearer

Where do I stand on bad language? It has been a while since I have looked a plinky with both the time and the inclination to write - and I scored an awesome topic. To swear or not to swear.



Well I think it is a little bit more gray scale than the black and white picture they are trying to put it here. In the words of the plinky prompt Some people love to swear. For others it makes them cringe. There are far more levels to it than that - take it from somebody in a profession of heavy swearing.



So for the rest of this post I am going to show you the different levels of swearing that I see in my daily life and I am going to explain why I don't give a rats about swearing anymore. Why I do it perhaps more than many but less than so many more.

The levels of swearing - I think I'll start at the bottom.



Oh Ye of Innocent Ears These are the people so far at the bottom of the swearing food chain it is pretty much completely over their heads. They will know a couple of swear words (and cringe when they hear them) but there will also be many more which provided the swearer uses it fluently they won't understand the word or realise that it is swearing.



Sugar, Spice & Everything Nice Well... minus the spice... These are the well behaved misses (I'm sorry but I simply haven't met a guy with this kind of perspective on swearing) who keep rough enough company to have heard most swear words. However they refuse to let anybody get away with one little word without a page long in depth complaint about how bad using that word is.



The Conscientious Objectors You'll probably never hear these guys (and by guys I do mean both men and women ok) let a swear word drop but they see the sense in just letting the words flow around them. They may occasionally object to significant unnecessary swearing but more often than not they just leave people to their own expressive devices.



Stressed-Out Swearer These are some of the more fun swearers. After all when you make them swear you know you've gotten them to stress out, freak out or get frustrated. This is probably a subgroup of the 'Conscientious Objector'. They try hard not to but in the end they can't help it.



Social Swearer These guys will swear in the right (or should that be wrong) company. They wouldn't normally say it but they don't mind their friends swearing and more than that they don't mind doing it a little themselves. Though they try to constrain themselves in more generalised company.



Consistent Swearer These guys don't live and breath swear words but you are pretty well guaranteed to hear one or two while you are talking to them. They will have particular uses for each of their swear words and as such will just use them much the way they would use any other word in their vocabulary.





The Chain Swearer You've heard of the chain smoker? These are the chain swearers. They use swear words about as often as they use normal language. Hell if you think about it you can't even work out how they FIT that many swear words into such a short sentence.



Me... While I'd like to say I am a Conscientious Objector... I was once upon a time now I am a Consistent Swearer. Though I would like to suggest that is a rather broad category and I hang about at the bottom end. Sometimes when people use swear words unnecessarily I will speak up against it... but that is very rarely after all I use them rather too frequently myself to get mad at others.



I guess I slipped into the habit because I hated the overreaction of some Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice people and I at the time failed to see the middle ground Conscientious Objector option. It was a reasonable slow slide after being surround by a group of people made predominately of the last two categories... I know a number of chain swearers.



I'd love to stop swearing... it makes me feel a little bit guilty when I think about how much more I swear compared with most of my friends - I don't mind swearing but I would prefer not to be 'the swearer'. However stopping swearing is like trying to train your self out of using the word 'like' in a sentence (Yes I know I am speaking about a specifically gen Y language construct there) - I like mean using it like like like like... you know how it sounds and I admit to still having the occasionally extra like though I was never particularly bad for it and I trained it out many years ago...

The Trick is Knowing What you Learned...

Something I learned recently... really? You couldn't be more vague could you plinky. The only challenging part about this particular topic is the number one. One thing I learned recently. I could list a hundred things easily but to narrow the list to one would require thought - and more importantly a worthy topic...



Thinking...



Nope I give up. I will provide two or three things I have learnt in the last week.

Ghetto angular data collection

Electro-magnetics makes my head spin. I know I know bad form for the electrical engineering student to admit this one. I had one of my friends explain our lesson the other day to me in such dumb terms I think I did something similar in grade 10 physics (and back then I was top of the class I feel inclined to add). It is very much a 'mighty have fallen' feeling for me. Not because I am full of myself simply because in the way of all high level students you come to rely on your ability to comprehend things... On a high note I can now do the right hand rule... that has to be something ;p. (I suppose that counts for a second thing I learnt)



That ethical theory is entertainingly ridiculous. One of those subjects that uni says you have to do but you don't want to do. I have learnt about utilitarianism (lets party hardy guys), Kantian Ethics (how would you like it if that happened to you?) and Virtue theory (be a good person (or simply think of a good person) to make good decisions)... There may have been more to it... but really I just like that different theories can give some ridiculous answers to some ethical dilemmas...



Sitting with the guy I have a hopeless crush on is just as exciting now as it was in high school. There isn't really much to this one. Except to say... I wish I was past these kinds of things but apparently I am not.



Onenote is useful for more than screen clippings. Seriously? I love having a touchscreen laptop. Best thing I accidentally bought on a whim and a lot more useful that some teach yourself spanish cds... Yes I know I need to control my spending sprees... Nevertheless... I don't get it out often but sometimes (and for obvious reasons) I need to use a computer without the procrastination tool that is internet. But I have had it out (the only copy I currently have of the physics text in electronic) and much fun to be had I must say lol... I think I still prefer post its though...



And finally, with direct and shameless reference to some of the other answers to this plinky question some people don't get better at telling you 'what they learnt today' with age. By that I am referring to the age old 'What did you learn at school today?' question that no child who is relatively normal will have an answer to. (Well small children do I guess regaling you with tales of playing with the blocks but then the question is more what did you DO today.)



To all those people still unable to decide something they learnt today... I learnt that such-and-such clique is true - I think in 90% of cases this is a lie... you may have reaffirmed the fact but really? you totally already knew that... If you want to do that at least make it entertaining. 'Today I learnt that toast doesn't land butter side up every time - however the ten second rule can always apply.' Gross but it would have made me smile (as a note I don't eat toast... or even bread very often and certainly not today).

In The Dark Of The Night

It is getting harder to make time for this kind of time wasting since the uni session is really getting going... Never the less some topics are interesting enough (and I have more spare time on wednesdays than any other day) to make it worth my while.



Thunderstorm arrives, power outage! How do you occupy your time?



Fun times... First off I am guessing that this is wanting me to think after dark power out. You realise thunderstorms are often an afternoon event and excepting for gloom you could get away with continuing to do any number of activities except computer/playstation/wii/television etc... Some would say it is going back to the dark ages (hahah... oh i crack myself up sometimes).



Never the less your run of the mill power outage which occurs somewhere between 6-9 at night (i'm going to be honest and say that after about 9 at night you simply go to bed and assume all power will be restored come morning). I am thankfully not one of those poor soles cursed with an intense fear of storms. It is amazing how many people get antsy when the thunder starts rolling and I am talking about adults here.



Now I am pretty sure a previous era of human would suggest going for the candles as a first option. Not anymore. That is why everybody has a mobile phone isn't it? Sure if you do happen to have some industrial candles lying around it might be nice for some more long term light but most of those bidly decorative ones i don't think are worth the effort.

Power Outage..

Lets not get the opinion I am not a fan of light though. I am a real big fan of light... and I have a sizeable dislike for the dark. I don't generally go so far as to use the word fear. After all 5 year olds have a fear of the dark. It just makes me even more jumpy than usual and yes I do (when I am outside) feel the need to check over my shoulder every few steps. I am fine in most peoples and certainly my own room.



But before I digress too far. Occupying my time. Well I could get my sound powered home phone out and ring one of my other friends who still also has one (whether you use it as your main phone or as an emergency phone) and laugh about all our friends with digital phones who are now cut off... Well I am guessing their mobiles still work... Well that ruins my fun now doesn't it.



Basically when the lights go out. You just don't do anything. You sort of sit there thinking to yourself - are they going to come back on? When they don't you think that again and wait again... and that cycle continues for a good 15-30 seconds longer, if you really want the power back.



After this point you call out to anybody and everybody who is in the house. Just in case in the 2 seconds in which the lights when off everybody in the world except you died - who knows that is a plausible reason for a power out if you ask me. You usually group together... in the kitchen... I don't know why... probably because you are looking for those candles I already said you don't need.



After the point at which you have realised you no longer remember where the emergency candles are or simply could no longer be bothered to find the matches you now realise were not kept with said emergency candles, you just talk. If the storms a good one you sit by a window and watch it for a bit. But generally though it depends on the people specifically but they give up small talk and random chatter and go their separate ways (very very slowly) to bed. Probably getting lost at least once on the way.



So in the most general sense - when the power goes out.... I go to bed!

And The Eyes Have It

Eyes have to be one of the coolest body parts and not just because without them you'd lose one of your senses... I am not saying that isn't a really cool feature. They are some of the most detailed passive sensors on the planet - certainly camera technologies still stuggles with the elusive 3D we take for granted with our eyes.



More than all that. Eyes are simply so integral to human iterations. You can communicate so much with your eyes. Making eye contact or intentionally avoiding eye contact tells the person you are talking to... and often even the other people around you... more than you really wanted to give away.



Certainly I feel like I am giving entirely too much away when my eyes connect with a certain male friend of mine. One of my friends noted our verifiable staring contest during a game of cards not long back and I have become entirely too aware of it. I don't like not knowing how much he can discern from my eyes.



Of course sometimes you want to give all away. For instance when you are clearly frustrated with a person.What's guaranteed to make my eyes roll?

Apparently I used to be worse at the ole eye roll. But then I think the height of most people's eye roll days occur during high school. I know my younger brother is the worst for it.... I can certainly tell you what makes his eye's roll... Just about anything our mum has to say will set that off.



My own eye rolling tendencies are not as obvious. Then I have been told numerous times by my mum that I have an expressive face in general. Eye rolling just isn't one of the things I utilise I on a regular basis. But certainly stupid people saying stupid things a second or third time is liable to make me roll my eyes... though twitching my lower eye-lid is much more likely...



When I actually roll my eyes? When I am reading a book... in fact this is probably the most genuine and frequent eye-rolling. Anybody who can read a romance novel without rolling their eyes or all out burying their head in a pillow to prevent the horribly cliqued (or just plain ridiculous) words... Well to be perfectly honest I don't believe you. I am a great lover of the romance genre but it is hard not to throw away the book at times to prevent the horror of the outrageous.



Other times I roll my eyes. When somebody is rude to my face. Not necessarily the best plan because it only serves to piss them off more... So I do it less than I used to. Still when somebody has done something clearly wrong and decides to give me a chew out. I can't help myself. It is my You are clearly a bitch and I'm not listening reaction.



Nevertheless there are far more interesting things to be done with eyes. Reflect your unspoken emotions whether to show sympathy or beg for forgiveness. To show somebody you love them or let your hatred show without having to resort to actions or harsh words. Eyes can be used in so many ways... I am certainly glad I have them ;P

Not A Prophetic Dreamer

Ok Plinky... I'm a little bit disappointed in this topic. I am not saying it is not possible. But to imply that every member of the human race has had a prophetic dream is expecting a little much. Experienced de ja vu (however thats spelt) yes but recall of a specific memory or dream in which it has happened before sadly not.



Describe a dream that you have had that was prophetic in nature. Perhaps you are expecting me to have dreamed the September Eleven bombings as a 10 year old child? Or maybe have predicted winning some award at the high school assembly (I did randomly do that once but it wasn't a dream merely a bizarre thought so I don't think that counts). Apparently I got it simply so the house leader could put a face to a name.



Never the less I don't have actual dreams that are prophetic in nature. Why? Probably because if my dreams came true life would be entirely too weird. To illustrate this I will describe instead my most bizarre dream of this year.

broken mario kart

I am going to go ahead and assume anybody who has managed to stumble upon this piece of goodness in the wide wonderful web knows what Mario Kart is. Car racing computer game favoured by children and the children-at-heart around the world. With me so far?



Everybody who has ever played these games will know the hard levels. For the various Mario Kart reincarnates there are slightly different levels but the one thing the hard levels have in common is generally the much larger proportionality of meaningless points, jumps and potential free falls. High lights I would say were the Yoshi track (where there is a maze of potential roads provided you don't fall off), the donkey kong levels where it flies you to the top of the hill and you ride back down (is it my memory or has there been more than one of these tracks?) and the rainbow road - everybody has at least tried to make that darn short cut.



Anyway back to my dream. The donkey kong level is important. I didn't dream about it specifically but it was definitely a donkey kong level. I was driving up and a round a hill and there was a really big barrel on my left at one point (yes it was a remarkably vivid dream which i remembered when i woke up).



So I was driving my kart... it was one of the latest generation karts cuz i had a double partner but I can't remember who it was... I just know they were throwing bananas on the road at one point. And I was looking for my dogs... I think this was my brains way of missing my pugs who still live at home while I am not.



I was racing some undetermined enemy to get my dogs as well as needing to get them off the road before they were run over or something similar. So for a while it is simply a Mario Kart race. Then I spot them.. or at least one of them... She is easy enough to get to. The other one however is around up the corner.



I spot her. It is going to involve a rather detailed manoeuvre to get to her though. She is on another track which is running off to my left and she is heading the other direction. There is one place where I can switch tracks. A small break in the barbed wire fence (yep... the rabbit proof fence is making an appearance - perhaps not quite) coming up on my left and I have to get through it or my enemy will have killed my pet.



Wait a second where did Sady go? I have lost the first dog I picked up... Nevertheless wherever she has disappeared to she must be safe for she is no longer relevant. I go into this amazing drift manoeuvre my tire sparks are blue, then red... I am going to make it through this gap... and I wake up...



You can understand I really REALLY wanted to go back to sleep that night... I don't remember them often but the dreams I do remember are nothing if not elaborate.

Lollies and Chocolates... and Bears Oh My!

Plinky... your killing me here... What is your favourite comfort food, and why? I am making a concerted effort to eat healthy at the moment. I don't call it dieting I am not eating less or much differently. Perhaps a good term for it would be retraining. I am retraining myself to few junk food as an almost never food rather than an almost everyday food - that is all.



Still having to pick my favourite comfort food when I have been trying NOT to think about these kinds of foods for just over a week (my friend tells me it gets easier after 3 weeks and I hope she is telling the truth) its pretty hard. Already I want to eat the caramello koala I have in my cupboard. I won't though.



Not that that is my favourite comfort food. Actually I am not sure if I have a favourite comfort food. I have a lot of different ones depending on my mood, why I am needing the comfort food, what is available in the general vicinity. At this point I admit to being an emotional eater, and a pretty bad one at that.



Funnily enough I did a brief on emotional eating and lifestyle diseases only yesterday with our fitness instructors. This seems to be the week for targeting my emotional eater tendencies.

Chocolate pieces

Well I am probably going to have to say that most often my comfort food is chocolate. Everybody knows that all the fun chemicals in chocolate generally make you feel pretty good - and most people eat it enough that their body knows that too. I have a particular weakness for coconut chocolate (coconut rough or similar) but I will happily eat most - I mean who wouldn't?



Just the same I often crave for food which is not chocolate. I am not referring to a particular food that happens to not be chocolate; literally a food which is not chocolate. At those times I simply don't want the texture of chocolate rather something more crunchy and generally go for the good ole packet of salt and vinegar chips.



I am going to stop now before I break down and am forced to comfort myself with my delightful caramello koala. I just hope that reading these answers don't make you feel in need of some pick me up comfort... be strong!