Becoming an Uncle

Yesterday I became an Uncle. Little Max was born yesterday (28th December 2009) at 4:45 in the afternoon. Both Laura and Paul are very happy at the arrival. For me it's a bit hard to belive that I am actually an uncle now. I drove down with Mum and Dad visiting Lewis on the way. On the day that we left Brisbane Laura went into labour. We were getting messages from Paul all the way down to Lewis’s. It was good to hear the news that Laura had had her baby and both were doing fine.

Me holding Max for the first time when he was one day old.

When we arrived in Melbourne we drove straight to Laura and Paul’s apartment. There we met Paul and even though visiting hours were finished, he took us to the hospital to visit Laura and the new addition to the family. It was amazing to see little Max for the first time. He was fast asleep and didn’t really even wake up when everyone had a hold. It is kind of strange to think of myself as an uncle. I’m sure the reality will sink in sooner or later. I spent about a week in Melbourne before flying back. Mum and Dad stayed a week longer before driving back up. Laura came back from the hospital on New Years Day. The next few days we tried to help Laura and Paul adjust to having a new baby in the house. I must admit that I didn’t do that much, but was there for moral support. Paul’s parents also came down to visit and on one of the days they were there visiting Laura and Paul, Mum, Dad and me went out for the day to give them some time together.

Is that a skink in that crevice?

When Stewart suggested heading up to Lamington National Park I lept at the chance. I'd wanted to go up there and take a few pictures of me feeding the birds and have a go on the tree top walk, it's always good fun. Stewart wanted to tick another one off his list that he'd seen before the end of 2009 and so I said I'd once again come along for the ride. This time we were in search of the eastern crevice skink (Egernia mcpheei) which is not a little brown skink. It is a brown skink and it is quite small, but not as small as Coup.

We set off about 10 o'clock and headed south along the back roads and up into the hinterland. About half an hour into the drive it started to rain. Not just drizzle, but pour. With wipers on full and my nose pressed up against the windscreen we continued along the winding road. Stewart was seemingly oblivious to the rain, was happily singing along to the many David Bowie songs that he has on his iPod. It was at this point that I noticed that the directions Stewart was giving me were a bit off the mark. It turned out that we were not, as I thought, going to O'Reily's but Binna Burra. Binna Burra has no birds to feed, no tree top walk and is distinctly the more remote of the two main sites in Lamington National Park. Not to worry I told myself. At least it will be a relaxing afternoon. Stewart had said that the skink could be found a short walk from the carpark. Next time I will have to clarify with Stewart the definition of "a short walk". As it turned out the short walk was not a short walk. The short walk was a long one. The short walk was in fact a 10 kilometre hike through undulating, muddy, leach-infested terrain. However, as we started our ascent I had no idea of this and so was only worried about driving in the rain.

As we reached the Binna burra visitors centre the rain had slowed to a drizzle. I pulled up and turned off the engine. As if they were waiting for us the clouds came in and rain once again started to fall. We got out of the car and sprinted over to the centre. Inside there were maps on the wall of the various walks, information about the animals that can be seen in the park and information about camping in the area. Each sign had pictures showing an enchanting wilderness with happy families walking to breath-taking vistas high above the canopy. I looked out the window. The canopy was out there somewhere. Unfortunatly in the pouring rain and low cloud, made it impossible to see. We hung around the visitors centre for about half an hour waiting for the rain to clear. Stewart spoke to the friendly lady volunteer about the lizards and snakes that she'd seen in the area when the rain was due to clear (it wasn't due to clear until Christmas day). In the meantime I busied myself finding a map of where we would be heading. I looked down the list of easy walking tracks, no it wasn't there, medium difficulty tracks, no, not there either. I was just begining to think Stewart had got the place wrong when I saw it. It was under the red track for experienced hikers only. My heart jumped a beat. I looked closer. Distance 34km. My legs automatically went limp and I nearly fell over. I grabbed the wall managed to catch myself at the last minute. I stared at it, my mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping on the deck of a fishing boat. WE ONLY HAD AN AFTERNOON! WHAT WAS HE THINKING! Grumple, grumble... As the criticisms of Stewart's plan of a 'short walk' bounced about my head I spotted something on the sign that made my heart leap. The section that we were going to walk would be a 10km return trip. I let out a sigh of relief and relaxed only slightly. It might not be 34km but it would still be 10km. That was not a short walk. I might say at this point that exercise is not my strong point. Since I'd started university two years ago, my level of fitness had declined to nearly non-existant. While I can walk, I much prefer to sit under the shade of a tree and eat chocolate. I shook my head and walked away from the board over to Stewart. The lady he was speaking to was pointing out the window. I looked at Stewart who had a smile from ear to ear. My mind set about imagining what they were talking about. It turned out that the lady had seen a land mullet (Egernia major) sitting outside on a log right at the front of the centre. I peered out the window and saw the large dark lizard sitting on a stump about 3 metres away. As the rain had once again turned to a light drizzle we went outside to photograph the skink and come come up with a plan for the afternoon. As Stewart was just packing away his camera the drizzle stopped and a ray of sunlight shon down through the clouds to where we stood. That settled it. We didn't drive 100km just to turn around and head back down the mountain. We were going to find that little brown skink!

A hairy tramp that was enjoying the view.

We picked up our bags and started down leaf covered track squelching in the mud as we went. The canopy closed in around us and soon we were wandering through the rainforest with only the sounds of squelching footsteps, calling birds and raindrops on leaves to be heard. We walked on. In places the path wound its way through eucalypt forest before heading back into the denser jungle. It was in one of these sections that we came upon a land mullet sitting by the side of the path in a bit of sunlight. We stopped. It was another good sign. We quitely passed and kept on walking. We crossed rocky outcrops and flowing creeks still the path went on. We passed signs telling of places both far, near and non-existant. Stewart strode ahead taking long strides and jumping nimbly over logs. I followed, stumbling and slipping along. "Mind that log" I heard Stewart call out. "What log?" I thought and with that went face first into the ground. I pulled myself up, brushed myself off and continued along the path as I followed Stewart disappearing into the mist singing quietly to himself. We started to climb, higher and higher. The drizzle started again and we became damper and damper. As I trudged along I saw a shape appear on the track ahead of me. I slowed. This was bunyip country, I had to be careful. The shape had big hair that seemed to come out of all directions. It stood there, bolt upright with its hands on its hips. I moved slowly closer looking for my glasses to get a better view. Luckily it was just Stewart. He'd found the spot where the skink should be. I sat down on the nearest rock I could find (albit still in a puddle) and took a big gulp of water between gasps for air. I felt mentally and physically drained after walking up and down ravines, squelching through mud and flicking off blood-sucking leaches that seemed to be sitting on the path waiting for you to step near. Stewart also sat down and didn't look it the least bit tired. This made me feel worse. Of course, Stewart soon was able to lift my mood. From his bag he handed me a fruit bar. As the sweet sugar melted in my mouth I could feel my energy returning and my spirits soaring.

After resting for a few minutes and waiting for the rain to ease we both got up and started searching the area. I'd been told that it was a little brown skink that liked to hide in rocky crevices. We searched for about 10 minutes but only managed to find a couple of marsh snakes (Hemiaspis signata) and quite a few leaches. "Crikey" Stewart yelled (or words to that affect). "There's the little fella". I looked over and saw the skink sitting on a rock not 2 metres from where we stood. It was a lot bigger than I thought. Still small but larger that Coup that we had found the day before.

Eastern crevice skink (Egernia mcpheei)

It was a great find and I'm glad that we gave it the chance. After about 15 minutes photographing it we turned around and head back to the car. Another 5 tiring kilometers and I looked like I'd spent the afternoon doing a military assault course. Mud covered my shoes, I had cuts over my legs and arm and leaches who were not just content to assult my shoes and socks but a few plucky members of the leach airborne squadron seemed to have parachuted onto my hat and were making their way into my hair. I'd like to say that the leaches and sore legs were well worth the afternoon of pain but really, would you go through all that just to find a little brown skink? I think not.

In search of a skink called 'Coup'

"You're mad!" I can still hear my words echoing through the damp rainforest somewhere on the top of Mt Nebo. I'd gone up there with my friend Stewart, as he was on a quest to see and tick off 250 reptile species that he has seen in Australia by the end of the year. And so on this morning we found ourselves walking through a combination of eucalypt and rainforest searching for the plain-backed sunskink (Lampropholis couperi) which we came to know as 'Coup'. You might be asking how does the plain-backed sunskink differ from your garden variety little brown skink that are found across Brisbane. The short answer is that for the general observer they are both little brown skinks. It was for this reason that I was informing of my thoughts. We'd driven 50km to look for a little brown skink in the middle of a dark, damp rainforest. The expression regarding a needle and a haystack automatically sprang to mind. Still I didn't mind tagging along. You get to see animals that the majority of people just don't see when you are out with Stewart. He seems to have an uncanny nack of finding what he sets out to find from obscure little brown skinks to amazingly coloured and dangerous snakes. Not only that, but Stewart also promised to treat me to a honeycomb Maxi-bon ice Cream if we found it. With that, I was in.

It was a nice walk through the rainforest. It had rained quite a bit throughout the week and so everything was lush and green (as opposed to the rainforests that are all brown and twiggy?) As we walked along we kept out eyes to the ground. We were looking for the slightest bit of movement in the leaf litter that would betray the presence of Coup. Stewart walked ahead of me using his binoculars to scan the ground. I can only imagine what anyone coming up upon him would think. Suddenly he stopped, "I've got one" he screamed. I quickly came over. Looking at where he was peering with the binoculars at the ground. It just looked like ground to me. There was no movement. "Where?" I asked. "I saw one" he said, "but its gone into the leaf litter". His shoulders sagged. We waited there for a couple of minutes but the little Coup did not come out again. Although Stewart was pleased that he'd seen one, I knew he wouldn't be happy until he'd actually seen if for long enough to photograph. With that in mine and me once again in tow, we moved off deeper into the forest. There were a couple of close calls along the path. I saw a little brown skin by the opening of a log. I called out to Stewart who came running over. In there I pointed to the spider web covered log. He stuck his head in and we both had a good look around the outside but the little skink had gone.

Finally we came to a large strangler fig with a board walk going around it. The tree was enormous and must have been about 10 metres in diameter. Around it the roots criss-crossed the ground under the boardwalk. I stared up into the canopy, lost in the leaves above. "Ryan, I've got one" came an excited scream from the other side of the tree. When I got there Stewart once again had his binoculars pointed at the ground and a big smile on his face. I looked down and saw the little skink wandering amongst the leaf litter, not paying us any attention as if it was an everyday occurrence. Stewart lept over the handrail and landed a distance away with a thud. Now my job began, this was my time to shine. While Stewart inched closer I kept my eyes of the prize and guided him in. I handed over his camera and flashes while he whispered to the skink. The skink looked up and stuck out his tongue then went back to wandering. As Stewart snapped away the skink did not seem to worry. I stood there on the boardwalk watching. I can understand about the thrill of the chase. Finding something new, that you've never seen before. I think it's exciting having another one to tick off. Another one to add to the ever diminishing list. It is good fun although my enthusiasm doesn't quite match that of Stewart. I take it back. He's not mad, just wildly eccentric.

Me and Advertising

Now at an age when I start shouting at television programs. I am able to answer any advertising claim that I see on the television with a response of ‘oh, rubbish’ or words to that affect. It doesn’t matter what they are advertising, how good the deal is or the style of advert that was used; it still gets the same response. None of them really seem to make me think, “I’d like to buy that”. The distrustful, pessimistic, cynical or vulgar responses comes out. I’m not worried. For some of them, it’s the best response that they deserve. I don’t know what it is about adverts that I see today, maybe I’m just getting old. They just seem to be trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator. One that I watched tonight involved a man urinating against a tree. That’s all he did. The 30 second advert involved him urinating against a tree while he explained how the beer he drank only contained natural ingredients. That was it. After watching that, please don’t tell me that that advert was trying to be classy!

Turn that music off!

Once again I have housemates that no respect for other people.  It's ten to one in the morning and the music is still blaring outside my door.  Corrina and Sandra are outside again with their friends talking shit as usual and being extremely noisy.  They don't seem to think that there might be people trying to get some sleep.  No that would be too much.  I'm just so frustrated at the moment.  I have to be up early tomorrow morning an they won't turn the music off.  I can't wait until I leave this place.  I'm sick of having to put up with other inconsiderate people.

Car Troubles

I've just got my car back from the garage. Last week it started playing up. When I say playing up, it just wouldn't start. I got it going once but after that couldn't. By the sound that it would make when trying to start it I worked out that it might be the starter motor. After calling out the RACQ guy to get it started I drove it to my local garage and told them to fix it. Nearly $800 and two days later I picked up my car and drove it away.

This little event got me thinking. Is my car on its way to getting everthing major replaced? I really hope not. Being a full time student I already have limited funds and with the major expenses such as registration and insurance taking up nearly all of my scholarship money that I am given ($2000 p.a.) it makes it hard enough to find the hundreds of dollars that are needed to pay for a service and replacement parts. If you have a car then you have to have a job. They are just so expensive!

Working in the Laboratory

This week was the last week of the holidays in the mid-semester break.  However, I was not on holiday but working hard at uni.  We had lab classes for Medical Microbiology and so for the first time we got to play with pathogenic bacteria.  It actually wasn’t too bad although at the end of the week I could see clearer than ever before the gaps in my knowledge when it comes to microbiology.  We had to identify some unknown organisms that were given to us at the start of the week.  We had to plate them on to selective agar and run several tests on them to determine what type they were.  By the end of the week however, I was no closer to saying for sure what they were.  I could plate the bacteria up and run the required tests such as coagulation, oxidisation and staining that were required.  I could say whether the tests were positive or negative, whether it was gram positive or negative and whether it was cocci or rod shaped.  However, this knowledge needed to compared to our knowledge of certain bacteria.  That is where my knowledge fell short.  I was only able to identify the bacteria when I used the computer identification tests and software.  Despite my poor performance at least it has given me an idea of what I need to know before the final exams.  Now I’ve just got to learn!

University, where free thought is discouraged.

One thing I've noticed about this university is that students are not encouraged to think freely about issues. As one teacher put it "everything you are going to think, has already been thought by someone else therefore everything must be referenced". It is an odd thought, but one that has been reinforced throughout my time at uni and not just in regards to referencing. The rebellious side of university life has gone. It is discouraged to be different. Change is now brought about by someone else, the student body only looks on. There are no campus groups promoting activism or even extra cirricular activities. You only come to uni to study, nothing more. How things change.

How do you see it?

I had a call from a one of my old work colleagues the other day. It was quite out of the blue but I was asked if I'd speak to someone from the Anti-discrimination commission about how he was treated at his last job. I said yes naively wondering what they were investigating. I was quite amazed to find out as you can imagine, that they were actually investigating a clam from this colleague regarding different treatment due to race. It was even more shocking as I thought he understood the real reason.

Before I go on though I should explain. This story is all about bush travel. My former colleague wanted to go out bush more than he did. It's true that among all the people in the office he got to go out the least, but did occasionally (very occasionally) get to go out. The reason that he wasn't allowed to go out as much as he would have liked was more to do with his attitude than race. The guy in question is quite black and white when it comes to doing his job. This is an asset is some ways but not in others. When someone goes out into the bush it is all about building a strong working relationship with the people out there. When he went out to a community I heard that he was very forceful and unmoving when it came to his job. Nothing happens quickly in the bush and you can't go out and treat them the same way as you would for the people in town, you have to work with them.

That's why when I spoke to the person from the anti-discrimination commission I told them exactly that. By old boss never in the 3 years I was out there showed any racism to him or anyone in the office. It was the bosses job to make that call whether it is a popular one or not. It was her job to make the call that was right and for the good of the whole program. I think she made the right call. That's why I could in no way shape or form support a claim of racism against my former boss. It just didn't happen.

I'm also amazed that my former colleague automatically jumped to the conclusion that it was because of his origins and not because of his conduct. Maybe he knew, maybe he didn't, maybe he knew the reason but didn't believe it could be true. I just don't know. Either way the claim of racism, in my opinion was not even remotely true.

Thanks Ipek!

I've just spoken to Ipek and I am now the proud owner of a Distinction in Microbiology. My grade was upgraded after I spoke to the teacher and pleaded my case. Apparently I was only 3 points short of a Distinction when my original mark of a Credit came out. Ipek (the micro teacher) had another look over my lab report and gave me an additional 3 points to scrape me in to a Distincion. Not bad! Of course, I only got 58 out of 100 for the final exam so that was a bit of a shocker, but up until then I was doing well.

Environmental Health Weekend

As part of my Environment and Health degree I have to take part in a weekend course observing various businesses and looking for environmental health issues. This weekend the course was run for the first time. Basically it involved heading around to certain manufacturing businesses and having a tour of the facility. We were based out at Imbil which is a little town about 75km from Mooloolaba and drove out there Friday afternoon. I had to skip my final lecture of the day, Health Promotion Foundations, but I wasn't too annoyed. I drove out to Imbil with a friend, and stopped at the Railway Hotel for a few drinks while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive. They were at the campsite setting up. There wasn't much to set up as everyone had cabins so we were surprised when they arrived about an hour later but not surprised that they too had stopped for a few drinks. Imbil is a nice little town on the Yabba Creek. Its your typical rural town. Nice and friendly. We had dinner at the pub (roast night!) before returning to the campsite. We had a capin that was quite spacious. After a few more drinks with some of the others in the group I climbed up into the top bunk and was fast asleep in no time.

The next day was a busy one. We first drove back down to Yandina to visit the Buderim Ginger Factory. We took a factory tour by one of the food safety engineers who showed us around the site and told us how their products were made and what went into them. After that we went back up through Malleny to Mary Cairncross Park were we went for a walk in the remnant rainforest. After that we had a tour of the Malleny Dairy. That was pretty interesting. We were given a talk on how their milk was produced and what they do with all the calves that are born. We were allowed to go into the dairy and see them milking the cows and goats and then shown how they process the milk (homogonisation and pasturisation) before loading it on trucks to be sent off to the shops. The best part was the taste testing. We tasted their milks, flavoured milks and yoghurts that they make on the farm.

When we arrived back at camp that night we all sat around the fire having a few beers while we listened one of the local animal management officers talk about the tracking, capture and problems of the feral vertabrate animals in the area.

The next day was probably the highlight of the weekend. We were given a talk by a man called Steve about the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam that the current Bligh government was trying so hard to push. After speaking to him and looking at the site myself it seems like a ridicculous proposal to build a dam there. Not only would they be destroying kilometres of endangered native riparian ecosystems, the site is all wrong for building a dam. The rock under the proposed dam is fractured. This would have to be filled drilled and filled with concreted. First however they would have to dig down 46 metres through sand to get to that rock. If it is build it the dam resivour would have an average depth of 5 metres and cover several small towns in the area. What's more is that the water source would not even be able to provide enough water and act as the back up to Brisbanes three main dams. The Wivenhoe system has a water suppy of about 4 years while if a dam was built in the Mary Valley it would be empty in a year and a half. Not much of a back up. I could of course go one about many other reasons why building a dam there is just stupid but I won't. All I can say though is that it was a facinating talk. I did some further research on some of the figures presented and found that even the governments own initial papers regarding the dam say that it is a poor choice. It now looks like it was just a political promise to the people of Brisbane to win an election. The government just needed to look like they were doing something about the water issues in South-East Queensland.

The empty words of Health Promotion

Thinking back to my Health Promotion Foundations lecture, another thing that started my mind wandering away from the lecture and it's subject matter was the first words that the lecturer, Jane Gregg, said when she finally started. She acknowledged the traditional owners and it's something that I've never heard any lecturer do this before. Now, I don't want to sound like a racist bigot but people who come into class and start the lecture with "I'd like to acknowledge the traditional owners the..." makes the person just sound like they are trying to be overly politically correct. I mean, if I was in somewhere like Scotland at a uni in a region that used to be owned by some clan I wouldn't start my lecture with an acknowledgement of them even if they had been forcibly removed from the area. Not unless, I was trying to present myself as concerned or ashamed about past government policies. The fact that I wasn't alive when they were made and had nothing do do with forcing the previous residents of their land would not make me want to let everyone know how I feel about the situation. Those policies were conducted with the support of the ruling population. It might not be right, it might have been wrong by today's standards, but it was done. There is a point where you have to move on from the past. We should try to rectify poor past decisions but empty words such as those I heard today, do little but trivialise the issues. That's what I felt the lecturers words were. Empty. By the way she said it you could tell that it was just a formality for her in showing that she was politically correct and nothing more.

Surviving the first week

I've survived my first week in of my new classes. I think I did relatively well considering what they are. I think that all up I'm going to like 3 of the subjects, Medical Microbiology, Environmental Health Risk Assessment and Food Laws. The one that I'm not too sure about is Public Health Foundations. The tutorial was pointless (as most first week tutorials are) and consisted of "team building" exercises with the rest of the class. I can accept that, it's the first week and it's good to get to know some more people. However, the lecture (which was today from 2 - 4) was another story. I expected too much thinking that it was going to relate to public health. The lecture started late and the first half (I only managed to stick it for the first 40 minutes), consisted of a slide show with pictures that were intended to be amusing with captions such as "ask for help" or "stay calm". I have seen these pictures many times before so they did not make me smile in the least. When it came to actually talking about Health Promotion it was not interesting. I'm not being unkind. It just wasn't, so I left.

And the shelves were bare

I'm now back at uni after 3 weeks break. The start of this semester brings new subjects and new room mates. My room mates have already annoyed me. At least one of them has at least. When I arrived back at the flat yesterday afternoon I found that someone had eaten half of the food I had left up there. Seriously, what kind of person eats food that without asking first. That put me in a bad mood for a start and so I've only spoken to two of my housemates quickly when I first arrived and haven't spoken to them since. I'm going to ask who took my food and do my best to get them to replace it when I get back this evening.

My timetable this semester is full of early mornings and full days. I have 2 days with 8 o'clock starts and Wednesday to Friday are all full days ending between 4 and 6 in the evening. At least I have Monday and Tuesday off so I'll be able to get a bit of study done then and if all goes to plan this semester I'll be able to get a job and therefore will be able to work on those two days. My first classes start tomorrow so I'm hoping that things get better.

Half way there

I'm now officially half way through my degree. The marks from the first semester of my second year came out at midnight today. I totally bombed out during both my exams so I wasn't too sure how I'd go. It's quite a relief to finally know that I have passed. I received a credit for public health, microbiology and justice and a distinction for planning and environmental law.

This semester was quite frustrating. I was doing two subjects that I see as a compete waste of time. I'm referring to Justice and the Australian Legal System and Health Promotion Needs and Assessment Planning. Both were frustrating in that not only were both courses poorly run with the grading expectations ambiguous, but also the content was not remotely interesting. I do not want to go into details but I am very disappointed with them and how they were run, not just my final mark. I would have liked to done better in Microbiology and believe my results in the final exam had a major affect on my final grade. In the exam I completed the multiple choice without too many issues. However, the second part of the exam, the short answer questions, was a different story. There were 5 questions each worth 10 marks each. My mind went blank and I could only write something for 2 of them. Before the test there were two pieces of assessment left, the exam and a write up of a lab activity. I was on 37% before those two were submitted. Therefore I must have performed badly on both. Once again I find the empty words flying around my head once again, "I must apply myself more next semester".

Later I found out that I received 85 out of 100 for the lab report (a distinction) and only 58 out of 100 for the exam (a pass). That's why I only received a credit and could have done so much better. If only I could remember what the western blotting technique was!

Respect thy Roommate... or else!

Has respect now full vanished in human society? I find myself constantly asking that question. Since Aretha Franklin's plea for respect in 1967 it appears that not much has changed. People just don't think about other people and it is a sad reflection upon today's lackluster society. What got me thinking about the subject was my room mate, Justin. This is a man, about 22 who puts himself first without the slightest thought of anyone else. Whether it's 7 o'clock in the morning with his loud music on, clearing his throat in the sink, hopefully missing the dishes waiting to be washed or leaving his half finished breakfasts, lunches and dinners scatter around the flat. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that he is really annoying.

I replay the situation in my head. I was at home studying. It was about 20 past 5 in the afternoon and the sun was just beginning to set below the horizon taking its warmth leaving only the cold of the winter nights. I'm trying to get a report finished for a uni subject. This is the start of the test week where most people are hitting their books trying to study as much as they can before the exams. But not Justin. From behind the door to my room I hear this 'thud, thud'. I don't even have to think about it. 'The Killers' are being blasted across the flat at full volume. Now, at the start of this year I used to like the Killers. Now, every time I hear their songs my forehead scrunches up into and involuntary frown. My housemate and his friend had come home with a couple of bottles of Passion Pop and were starting early. The music kept going. I could hardly hear the lyrics but the base was as strong as ever. Thud, thud. I decided I couldn't work like that and so got up to ask him to turn it down. He did not. It may seem like a trifling matter but after 5 months of the same constant annoyances, I finally snapped.

It's amazing the strength you get when you are annoyed. I went into his room, picked up his laptop and jerked it away from the desk. The cords that were attached flew out knocking his speakers off the desk. He followed me in and started talking. I'm not sure what he said and to be honest it didn't matter. I spun round swinging the laptop with all my mite and smashing it against the side of his surprised looking face. I hit him again and again. With each hit the laptop made a cracking sound. Again and again I lashed out. By the time I'd finished, the laptop was broken. He was laying half in, half out of the room. Blood pooling onto the tiles and his friend staring at me with a look of shock and terror on his face. I threw the laptop back into his room, stepped over his body, picked up my bag, said cheerio to his friend and left the house. To think, if he'd only just respected my wishes there would have been no problems.

And now here I sit in the uni computer lab, with a smile on my face, working on my assignment. I keep thinking, is that a bit ironic end. Being killed for playing the killers incessantly. Either way it tickles me. As I write this I can faintly hear the sirens sounding through the still night air. I expect they'll be waiting for me when I get back later tonight. Still, at least I can finish my assignment in peace.

NB: Of course this did not happen. I actually never asked, I just left the house. There actually was no one to ask. He'd left to go back down the shops for snacks leaving the music blaring once again. He's leaving in two weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to restrain myself for a little while longer. No promises, but I'll try.

Discrimination Questions

The dictionary defines equality as “the quality of being the same in quantity or measure or value or status”. When the Australian states granted women the vote starting in 1902, Australia started incorporating laws to instil equality into the Australian legal system. Equality in the law however, does not mean the same treatment for all. The purpose of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 is “to promote equality of opportunity for everyone by protecting them from unfair discrimination in certain areas of activity”. Therefore discrimination is allowable in certain areas. Under certain circumstances one can be discriminated against based on sex, age, marital status, religion, the list goes on. Does the anti-discrimination act actually stop discrimination or does it just muddy the waters? Discrimination is exceptable policy in order to promote equality for those who have a disability or being indigenous. However, is this really equality or just a massive contradiction?

Assignments and Exams

It is now the end of semester 1. Looking back it has come all too quickly. It seems like only yesterday I was wondering what the subjects were about. Today I'm supposed to know it! That of course isn't the case so over the next two weeks I will be doing 3 things.

1. Finishing my 3 assignments that I have due.
2. Trying to memorise everything about planning, environmental law and microbiology.
3. Panicking!

All I can say is that I'll be glad when this semester is over.

Welcome to Old Age...

Welcome to Old Age read a text I received from my brother wishing me a happy 30th birthday.  It's odd though.  I don't feel 30.  I don't feel 29.  To be honest I probably feel like I'm about 15 and still wondering what I'm going to be doing with my life.

One thing about turning 30 is that you have to reevaluate your life.  That's what I've started doing with a birthday resolution to get fit and healthy.  I've been 30 for 3 days now and the only thing I've done to get me towards that goal is only had one limited my fast food intake.  I've got to do more, I know that.  It's just getting started.  I've jotted down things I want to accomplish by the time I'm 30.  Some of the items are:

1.  Put more effort in to uni studies and finish all assignments with at least 3 days for proof-reading.

2.  Exercise every day for at least 30 minutes.

3.  Limit my intake of fast food and carbonated beverages.

So far I've only come up with 3 but I'm still working on them.  I know I've got to make changes to realign my life with what I want to do.  I've just got to work out how.

When it rains it pours!

Today it rained. Actually, It didn’t just rain. It poured. I woke up at about 5:30 this morning to hear it tapping against my window. Since then it hasn’t stopped coming down. I went down to the shops today and large puddles had formed over the road and a street near where I live had flooded. Water was over the road to about a foot in height. Since 6 am this morning 113mm of rain has fallen over the coast (the uni campus to be exact). That’s quite a bit for one day. The BOM also has a warning out which has been realized.

Sunshine Coast
Forecast for Thursday
A severe weather warning has been issued for dangerous surf conditions, flash flooding and local stream rises.
Rain periods with some heavy falls. Windy with fresh and gusty E to SE'ly winds. Dangerous beach conditions.
Precis: Rain periods, windy Max 24
UV Alert: 8:40 am to 3:10 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 9 [Very High]

It’s supposed to hang around for the next couple of days in the form of showers. Looks like I'm going to have to buy a new umbrella!

Queensland Election 2009

Today was the day of the election for Queensland and I've just read that the ALP has once again been returned to power with Anna Bligh becoming the first woman premier in Queensland's history.

I cast my vote this morning and voted first for the Greens candidate, with my preferences firstly going to the LNP and the the ALP.  I put my preferences like that as Jarrod Bleijie was at the Sippy Downs polling station.  He introduced himself, smiled and shook my hand as I entered.  That's the first time I've seen a politician at any polling station so for that, he got my vote.  

Even though I put the ALP last I'm glad that they got back in, but also that there was more than a 3% swing against them.  This means that there is more of an opposition and although Labour is still in it's not totally one sided like it has been in the past.

First Test of the Year

I've just come back from my first test of the year.  This week is only the 4th week in but the only study I did for it was about half an hour before bed last night.  This one was on microbiology and included things like how they multiply, different types, energy sources and reproduction techniques.  Once again speaking to some of the other people who took the exam makes me think I could have done better although I'll just have to wait and see when the results come out.

Coke

The price of coke went up in the uni vending machines today.  Before it was $2.40 for a 600mL and now there has been a massive jump up to $2.80.  It may sound small but for a student it is a massive rise.  Looks like it's being priced out of my market.

Library Shelver Interview

I've just come back from an interview to become a shelver at the USC library. I applied for it last week and didn’t really expect to hear anything back from them. After all, you look at the pay scales and see that people under 21 will get paid $10 an hour while those over 21 get pad $20. There are thousands of kids under 21 at the uni so I’m sure that a lot of them applied for the position. That was why I was surprised to get the call. It’s only 4 – 8 hours a week but it would be great if I got it. There is only one position and 200 people applied. Out of that I believe that they interviewed around 15. I went for the interview where they told me what they expected and asked me a couple of questions about how I would conduct myself if I was working there. Then there was a shelving test where I had to put a load of books in order and remove those that were for the reserved section. That’s where I always get worried. They were timing it so I had to be quick but I also had to stick them in the correct order. I think I did it okay although I only checked once. I know it’s easier to say but it was an interview and I felt nervous as I had to do it in a really fast time. Fingers crossed though! Now I just have to wait and see.

NB - I’ve just found out I didn’t get the position. I was told that I interviewed very well but made two mistakes with the shelving and only scored 28 out of 30. There was someone else who put everything in its place correctly so they were offered the position. Never mind… looks like it did come down to me.

Starting Class

My classes have now all started. I’m doing four all up, Environmental Planning and Law, Justice and the Australian Legal System, Health Promotion Needs Assessment and Planning, and Microbiology. They are all pretty heavy going and it seems like there will be a lot more work with these subjects than there was with some of the ones I did last semester. So far the planning subject is the most confusing one. I’ve been to two lectures and a tutorial and so far haven’t understood a word. It seems the subject, from what I gather by speaking to others taking the class, is about the merits of the planning system and how it tries to allow for both environmentally sustainable development and development that is environmentally sustainable. Believe me these are two totally different things despite sounding almost identical. If you read the definitions of the planning act they actually have these listed as two separate ideas or concepts. As I say, it’s quite confusing.

Back to Varsity

I’ve now been back in Varsity Apartments for a week after leaving for the holiday break last year. Uni started this week and so I’ve been heading to the lectures and tutorials of my new subjects. The return back to study has been quite uneventful. This semester I’m taking four different subjects. Environmental Planning and Law, Justice and the Australian Legal System, Health Promotion Planning and Assessment and Microbiology. Even though the first week has just finished, both of the lectures for my legal subjects were pretty heavy going. Even more so than microbiology. Acts and legislation isn’t that exciting at the best of times. The lectures consisted of the teacher explaining different sections of the planning act or how legislation gives power to enforcement agencies, however, if the words ‘where possible’ or ‘when possible’ are in there, a loophole exists that any solicitor or lawyer can get out of. This year I’m sure will be tougher than the last so I’m going to have to buckle down. I won’t be able to leave any until a couple of days before. Now I’ve just got to put my mind to it.

Laura and Paul's Wedding

Laura and Paul are now married and I went to their wedding as a groomsman.  I flew straight to Melbourne from Alice Springs a couple of days before the event.  Those days were pretty busy.  There were a few hiccups along the way but it all worked out well.  The wedding was held at a the registry offices with the reception at the grand Windsor Hotel a short walk from the registry offices. The day went off without a hitch and before you knew it we were outside on the steps getting our photographs taken.  The reception meal was quite grand but very tasty.  Before I knew it the day was over.  The next day Laura and Paul left for their honeymoon in Tasmania and Mum, Dad and me drove back to Brisbane via Bega, which is on the south coast of New South Wales, to visit Lewis.

Lake Broadwater

For the last couple of days I've been out at Lake Broadwater looking for Pale-headed snakes. That was the main species that Stewart wanted to see so I thought I'd tag along and see what I could see. It's quite fun going out there and finding things that most people will never get the chance to see. We went out there with Lee who is also interested in reptiles. After getting out there and then setting up camp we headed out to the northern part of the lake to see what we could find doing a bit of spotlighting. We were looking for pale-headed snakes which go out hunting on trees around the area at night. After 3 hours of spotlighting we'd only managed to find geckos and frogs. There wasn't a snake in sight. After a walking for what seemed an age Lee and I got bored with out findings and convinced Stewart (quite easily) to go out for a drive and see what we can find. I've found that that is the best way to find reptiles. We were on the road for about 5 minutes when we came upon our first snake. It was crossing the road and heading towards the lake. Stewart was pretty excited when he jumped out and found that it was a pale-headed snake. Unfortunatly though that was to be our only snake of the night. Around 11 o'clock we headed back to camp happy with our find. The next day consisted of an early morning due to the many cockatoos that were flying around the camp site. Their screeching lasted from just before dawn which is around 5 o'clock until around 8 o'clock. By that time it was pretty warm and they all left the camp site to look for a shady spot and probably rest their voices for the afternoon performance and the next morning.

On the second day we found a lace monitor, bearded dragon, a couple more geckos, skinks and frogs and killed about 10 000 mosquitos that seemed to be drawn towards us when ever we stepped into a shady area. That night we went out for a drive but because it got quite cool at night there was nothing other than a few frogs out. Even so it was a good trip out there as we found the pale-headed snake that we wanted to see although only managed to see a dead grey snake that had been killed on the road. Unfortunalty the one that was hit was gravid and so had about 8 little babies scattered around and coming out of her. It was not a pretty sight. The next day we drove straight home as I had to be back in the afternoon.

New Years 2009

It’s new years day today. The first day of another year. Another year of unchanging days. The same monotonous things will be happening as they did all last year and the year before that. I seem to say that every year. This year I’m going to have to really try and change things!