Monday, October 31, 2005

Telemarketing is teh sux0r

ahhhh time for a nice relaxing rant.

The humble telephone. Think on it for a moment...

What a wonder of modern technology it is. Think of all the people who have sacrificed their blood, their sweat, their time, their social life nay their very lives all so we could have a reliable global communication network.

Now consider what it is used for in our modern society, this paragon of modern technology...

Ramming useless shit down our throats in our own homes...

"Hi my name is *insert barely intelligible Hindi word here* and I am ringing to inform you that your number has been selected to recieve a free mobile phone..."

7 times, in the last 14 days, I've heard this.

7 frikkin' times.

And my housemates have recieved it at least twice.

I actually listened to what they had to say the first time. Then, rather politely I thought, I informed the person on the other end that I wasn't interested. She then proceeded to try and convince me to take it, in a tone of voice that told me I was obviously retarded for not. I then, remaining calm, tried to explain that I was already on a 24 month contract with another carrier and that if I did take her phone I would have to still pay the $33 a month I already pay plus whatever calls I made on the new phone.

She remained unconvinced...

God only knows how.

Then when she finally understood she wasn't getting anywhere, I could tell cause I could hear the pout, she got very brusque and hung up on me.

Since then I have recieved more of the same, some claiming to be giving me a free phone before explaining there will be a monthly fee...

So I have 3 pointers for these telemarketing companies before they try and sell me anything...

1. English is the Official language in Australia. Hindi is the Official language in India (plus 17 other national languages). Try to remember that talking over the phone can be hard at the best of times, talking to somone with an accent can make it nigh on impossible. Try and employ well spoken individuals who are fluent in english.

2. Teach your personnel how a plan works. Namely this is a contract signed by me that stipulates that for the period of the contract I will continue to make monthly payments. Should I opt out of the contract before the period of the contract expires I am obliged to pay, in a lump sum, the remaining monthly payments. This means that if your phone costs me anything, anything at all, I. Am. Not. Saving. Money. Even if you tell me three times that I am, I'm not.

Once they understand this they will quickly learn to admit defeat when they hear the phrase "I'm on a plan sorry..."

3. Listen carefully to this one... I. Don't. Buy. Shit. Over. The. Phone. End of story.

So now ya know, and I swear to Vishnu that if I get one more garbled call from some half trained phone monkey offering me a mobile I will call for India to be wiped off the map.

You've been Warned.

Friday, October 28, 2005

Who am I..?

In the true spirit of procrastination I have found many and varied ways to entertain myself today including...

Sleep

Reading online comics for three hours straight

Taking the Myers-Briggs personality test...

According to the test I am an ENFJ or Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging or, alternatively, an Idealist Teacher.

Apparently this archetype only occurs in 2-3% of the population...I guess that makes me special or something. I've done the test twice now, once last night after my V and chocolate binge and today after I'd had some real food and some sleep. Both times I got the same result so I guess its official now...

Go here and here for a more in depth explanation of my archetype.

Some famous ENFJ's include Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Michael Jordan, Johnny Depp, Sean Connery and last but not least...

David, King of Israel...

o_0

This must be a really, really old test...tho you would think it would be called the Habakkuk-Zephaniah test or something

Seriously tho, I suspect they may have gleaned something of his personality from his writings in the Bible

Its 2:51AM...

Yep its 2:51AM and I'm sitting here in the 24hr Computer Lab here at QUT trying to focus on my assignment. As you can prolly tell I'm not being too successful at the moment...

Added links to Neurotically Yours the home of Foamy, my favourite squirrel, and also to Ruthless Reviews which is funny...'n' shit.

As you can see the lack of the sleeping is slowly bludgeoning my vocabulary to death...'n' shit

I have well and truly exceeded the safe dosage of 'V', by two bottles, which I then washed down with about half a kilo of M&M's, so I'm feelin kinda queasy...'n' shit

Vision blurring...stomach churning...bowels clenching...

not...

much...

time...

*collapse to the floor twitching*

...'n' shit

I wonder if this counts as an altered state of consciousness?

meh...

Will I regret the strangeness in the morning? Look at me getting all Introspective...'n' shit

I AM THE LIZARD QUEEN!

Thursday, October 27, 2005

OK Something About Me...

Well...

Lets See...

Hmmm...

Ummm...

Ooh I know! I got a job!

Wait...No...already posted about that...

I'm nearly finished my degree!

Wait...already posted about that...

I...got...a girlfriend?

Did I Post about that?

No?

Hmmmm well ok...ummm...Her name is Alice (Female. Check!) She is of Dutch ancestry (Human...I'm going to say Check!..tho not Czech just Check.) Her chest rises and falls in a rythmic fashion (Breathing. Check!)

She is graduating from UQ with a degree in Microbiology this year and is hoping to do her honours in the area of Virology and Human Disease. Fingers crossed for her interview with Dr John Aaskov on tuesday :-) go here to learn a little about the Arbovirus program at QUT. She enjoys long walks on the beach, the pathologic basis of disease...and Dance Music. *shudder*

Also she has an inexplicable fascination for cheese bordering on the morbid...

Overall I'd have to say I'm pleased with the situation.

See? Only one link and it was one I went and got myself...

I will try and post more about interesting stuff I do more often

Procrastination...

Ok first of all does anyone remember the Starbucks joke in Shrek? You know, peasants escape destruction by fleeing from a starbucks, across the road...into another starbucks.

Well apparently its actually pretty common in the real world...

Also I thought this was amusing.

Additionally I have added more links to things that are good...

I hate doing assignments...

Post Posty Post Post...

Hey all,

Just added a few new links because they amuse me so...

You'll note the addition of the ever entertaining Darwin Awards as well as 4 new comics

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

I never knew...

Normally I don't like to post in 30 minute intervals but seriously WTF?

I gotta stop goin to the links people put up on their sites cause this just creeps me out.

Even if you are one of the growing number of people that don't believe that HIV/AIDS exists why risk Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia, Herpes etc.?

And as far as that first article offering a £1000 for proof that HIV exists...go talk to a gene therapist, its being used as a vector...

for those non-biotech people out there that means that they are using HIV as the delivery vehicle for inserting genetic material in an effort to fix genetic diseases...

Jaw Dropper...

Seriously this just kicks my arse...

Every time I go back to it I am shocked and awed.

My brain turns to goo. My hands feel like arthritic claws. My guitar mysteriously tries to escape when it is reminded it will NEVER be played like this...hard and fast, just the way it likes it...

Even if you is not into the guitar at all...

Seriously have a play with the mapped keys in the lesson section.

Now if only he could write a song...

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Oh. My. God.

Ok now before you go to the link I am about to provide...

I MUST WARN YOU!

If you are easily offended or hell even if you are not easily offended tread carefully with this link...

WTF?

o_0

Seriously WTF? Is it a joke? Is he serious?

Anyways I'd just like to say that I found that site through this webcomic...I didn't know what I was in for...and frankly I think there should have been some kind of warning attached...


I need new material...

Apparently the fax that was supposedly sent to the Seattle PD's Chief was in fact sent to everybody but the Chief.

In other news, had the last LS50 (LS50 is the course code for my degree) meeting ever yesterday.

Very sad :-(

On the bright side I did manage to steal almost 2 pizzas from the feast that was provided for us.

On the down side I prolly wont see most of the people I know from my course, outside of exams and the post exam party, again...

So 'tis the end of an era...

I'm gonna try and hand in my honours project by December 12 and then I Graduate in February or March...

Then it's on to another honours course, this one taking a year and then I'll have 2 degrees both with honours.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

The Saga Continues...

Yep Wacko Jacko (the non kiddie molesting one...so far as we know) has taken things up a notch

Head on over to here to see a copy of the fax he sent to the Seattle Police Department calling for the arrest of Tycho and Gabe.

Did anyone else notice he got the URL for the Penny Arcade site wrong?

He claims that they have started a harrassment campaign against him.

Everyone else seems to think he sent the letter because of this...


Incidentally this is not the first time he has tried to have the operators of a gaming related site arrested head on over to here to see a humourous rundown of that story...

Anyways have fun...

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Ok this is gonna take a while...

Ok kiddles I just thought this was awesome and highly entertaining so I'm gonna try and share the whole story here.

Firstly there is this man named Jack Thompson...I know some of you may be thinking of the veteran Australian actor of the same name but the Aussie Jack is like a billion times more cool than this guy. that should give you enough background to go on with but don read the whole thing.

Next as some more background there is this kick arse little discussion between a supposed 14yr old kid and Jack.

What a little trooper if he is 14.

Then came Jack's little spat with Mr. Ramsoomair over at VG cats

Then Jack made a proposal to the gaming industry

Tycho and Gabe over at Penny Arcade! got in on the act after Jacks proposal came out. (look for Jack Thompson and Jack headlines)

A response followed from Jack...

Ably ridiculed by PennyArcade!

Followed by several events...

1) the Founder of The National Institute on Media and the Family releases an open letter telling Jack to back off...

2) Several groups of modders get together and release a couple of mods of GTA: San Andreas that answer Jack's challenge. (I would link to one but their site appears to be down)

3) Jack refuses to cough up the money he had offered because he says his statements were "satirical"

4) Tycho and Gabe give $10,000 in the name of Jack Thompson to the charity they feel the recipient to be, Paul Eibeler, would have chosen, the Entertainment Software Association Foundation...

5) Jack threatens them with legal action for defaming him...

In summing up...

Jack Thompson...

What a Tool...

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Creamy Bacon Carbonara

Just added a link to NewScientist.com over in the cool links section.

So yeah check this out...

In other news the intense heat of my microvaeable pasta meal appears to have melded the bottom of the ice cream container I made it in with the varnish on top of my desk...

Getting a wonderful chemical aroma wafting up as I eat...should prolly stop eating near it...

Meh...can't be bothered

Saturday, October 15, 2005

I want to be the Vice President of the USA...

I want to be the VP of the USA

check this out.

Holy god what an Arse...

Friday, October 07, 2005

This is so frickin' cool...

Head on over to here and check out the red blood cell that's been fitted with an artificial tail.

My thanks must go to Greg for drawing this to my attention.

On another note 2 more weeks of lectures...ever!

Soooo good. Exams will be over a month after that and then it's on to my double honours...

I've figured out that by the end of 2009, if all goes to plan, I will be...

*deep breath*

Dr Dan Nathan Levi Abrahmsen B. BiotechInnov (Hons), B. AppSc (Hons) PhD

I can't wait for my business cards...

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Epic...

yo...

this may in fact be the greatest movie ever made...I shit you not.

I almost cried when i read this

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Fan Poll...

Just out of curiosity which one of these best represents me as a south park character?

yes thats right you can have your say by voting now!

Yo...

I know i promised photos of the party but seeing as i had included 15 photos in the post i was doing up yesterday before blogger was down for maintenance and i lost the post i don't really feel like doing another one. Suffice it to say a good time was had by all...

Except the ladies who were ogled...

and not in a good way...

I'm out...

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Ahhhh the hilarity....

Hey kiddles...

You have to check this out and when you is done check this one out. Ahhh... i have to admit i was forced to laugh out loud or 'LOL' in the common vernacular by these pages. I consider myself somewhat of a metal fan but that stuff is retarded. Its like some extremely repressed angsty kids got together and tried to figure out what would freak people out the most...then got it wrong.

on another note, last night during Lyss' party, i found a cd that i had imported from the netherlands and that i thought i had lost...so yay!

on the party side of things there should be photos forthcoming...