Tactical Ninja

08:13 am - I hope my brain never gets old

Overheard this morning from an early-elderly man to his wife:

"Y'see that's today's thinking - a lot of rubbish."

I resisted the urge to approach him and tell him my Dad used to say that too, he'd be about 20ish years older than this guy and so probably thought that his thinking was a lot of rubbish back in the 1980s when Dad was in his 60s.

See, I have self-control sometimes! Also, may I please never get to the point where I dismiss 'new' thinking uncritically. I don't like it when people reinforce stereotypes.

Today I'm in a workshop with a bunch of other qualifications geeks. Ph3ar us!

And, half of my user icons have been failing to show (little x's ftl) for the last couple of days. Including my 'distraction' one, damnit! Anyone else having this problem?

10:58 am - Compare and contrast time

10:50 am - WHY

Why do people wash cats?

Inspired by this:

10:38 am - In which I pose a potentially unpopular viewpoint

Why the hell not? It's my week for it!

Wednesday was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. I like the idea of having these days. White Ribbon Day is a brilliant idea, and I love that so many men are jumping on board to lend their support to this. It's because of awareness-raising campaigns like this and things like Take Back The Night that the statistic at the bottom of the White Ribbon Day article exists.

"What?" you say. "That statistic says that family violence has increased by 15%! How can that be a good thing?"

( Here's how )

And no, none of what I said can, or should be, equated to 'hitting women is ok', no matter how much some people might want to think it says that. Personally, I think hitting people is wrong. I love the awareness campaigns, they've done a brilliant job, and they should continue.

But where's the one that says the amount of violence my father, my brother, my partner, my son have and will suffer in their lives is wrong and should stop?

10:39 am - RIP Whale

So last night I shore Ronny, Timmy, Freckles and Checkers again, along with 15 of their cousins. Ronny and Freckles are two of my oldest clients. This year I'm happy to report that they have both actually lost some weight and had much less trouble breathing while being shorn. Meanwhile, the Whale of Woodburn Drive is no more. I knew going into winter that his teeth were a bit munted and warned them that he might not make it (this because he was thinner and for this sheep to lose weight, something must be wrong, so I checked). Grace and Lucky were in good nick though.

The folks who didn't know they had a ram now only have two sheep, one of which is the ram, who is now a fine 2-tooth. I warned them that in a few months he'll probably start to get stroppy with their kids. This in the forlorn hope that they'll replace him with something smaller and less testosteroney before he tops 100kg. The owner of the Johnsonville pub now has 6 ex-tailenders from last year that you can barely see for the amount of grass he has. He needs about 20 more of the same, because tailenders need that extra grass and he could finish them nicely on what he has. As it is, it'll mostly go to seed and lose its goodness.

It was nice to do the Woodburn Drive run and catch up with the people. I went to 6 farms and shore 19 sheep. One of them in the middle of the paddock, where we just walked up to it and did the job.

( On the retention of goodwill and its dollar value )

[EDIT] As pointed out by beagl, my maths up there *points* is FUBARed. This is me laughing at myself. But you get the idea, right?

In other news, I want to live here:

10:13 am - This is not good for my disposition

I have seen far too many SURPRISE!genitals pictures this week. Don't ask. Rob Brezsny is no help: "Your story is taking a hotter and wetter and
more cosmically comical turn." Thanks dude.

Further to the cyclist thing the other day, this morning I encountered possibly the same guy, in the same place, only this time it was me that he had to cut off to perform his manoeuvre-of-choice. I drove defensively, slowed down, even hand signalled for him to 'please, do your thing, I see you and it's ok' - and nearly got rear-ended by the person behind me who was following too close.

( *sigh* )

Anyway, in happier news, the sun's out and I have 20 sheep to shear tonight. This will bring it down to only 20 to catch up before the KB work weekend. *phew*

Also, I might be doing 2 fire performances on Saturday now, one in Ashurst and one in Wellington. Yikes.

I'm liking my house in the spring. The morning sun comes in, the afternoon sun comes in, it's warm and nice and you can actually have doors and windows open without freezing. And there are flowers. ;-)

09:56 am - On substantial reading material and my desire for it

Watching ewes and their young lambs after shearing is funny:

Lamb: You smell like my Mum but you don't look like my Mum. You're not my Mum! Wah! *runs away*
Ewe: I AM your Mum! *followfollow*
Lamb: STOP STALKING ME YOU CREEPY STALKER WITH A WEIRD HAIRCUT!
Ewe: *sigh*
Lamb: OK hungry now. You'll do. *buntbuntbunt*
Ewe: *drums imaginary fingers and rolls eyes*

And they say sheep aren't like people..

( *sings* It's raining again )

After that lengthy preamble and explanation, I would now like to ask for recommendations for new people. Usually I don't start reading people unless I've met them first, either online or in person. But folks, I'm desperate, and I'm willing to *gasp* make the first move by friending people I don't know, for the sake of good, interesting reading and the potential to spark up my friends page.

So, who would you recommend for Tats to read? Who's funny, interesting, posts about things that make you think, obnoxious? Who should I go friend?

PLZ HLP. BRD HR.

* This is me proving that I can labour an analogy nearly as well as ferrouswheel. I'm going for my black belt next week. How'm I doing?
** I think this is so they can make sure their watch is still in time.

11:10 am - Trying to avoid running over cyclists

Yesterday we went to see Moon. Not to be confused with New Moon! Instead of sparkly vampires playing baseball and watching people sleep in a creepy way, we have a cast of anything-but-thousands (I counted seven actors) and a guy working for three years as sole operator of an energy-harvesting base on the moon, with only a robot named GERTY (played by the ever-convincing Kevin Spacey) for company. Near the end of his tour of duty, he starts to hallucinate, which causes him to prang his moon vehicle, and everything goes a bit haywire after that. It's worth seeing, makes you think, and is based on a good story with good acting instead of relying on action scenes and CGI to maintain interest. Also, it's haunting me. And it's on at the Penthouse right now, in the theatre that has COUCHES!

I thoroughly approve of couches in theatres.

( It rained on Saturday )

We bought a vacuum cleaner. It has Super Suction Powers! In that you can see it lifting the carpet as you go, it's that sucky. We are most pleased with this developement. Also, it's nice that someone realised that an extra 3m of cable means you can reach the whole house from one power point. I approve.

Things I also approve of: The Kid's latest batch of friends-that-came-to-stay. They were pleasant, polite, engaged, and actually spoke to us. I liked them and they're welcome back. Whoah.

09:44 am - Can I let First eat it?

It also means that in order to catch up (I'm now 50 behind due to the weather), I'm going to start shearing after work. I can probably do 15-20 in an evening without too much trouble, and so 2-3 days of that will catch me up.

Repeat after me: I will NOT be shearing after Christmas.

PS Dear neighbour,

Congratulations, you have managed to teach your puppy a nifty trick, by bringing it in whenever it barks. Now, whenever you put it out, it barks constantly till you let it back in. YOU may be able to ignore it, but it's about 2m from my bedroom window when it does it.

Please do not be putting your puppy outside at 5:30am and 11:30pm, no matter how much it's annoying you. I have a subwoofer.

Be warned.

I also know how to train her to be quiet but I'm not sure my offer would be appreciated given the way I'd deliver it at 5:30am after being woken up by said puppy

08:03 am - Rain!

Which means I get a reprieve and may actually have some life at the psy party tonight.

Today will be productively spent buying a vacuum cleaner and playing computer games.

10:22 am - Sturf

Last night there was girly gathering in the park, with extra added salty fatty carbohydrates and nutritious conversation. Normally when fuvenusrs, rivet and I gather, we're forced to stay a couple of arms' lengths apart due to having hoops rotating around our middles. It was nice to just sit and talk in physical proximity like normal people. I learned about the toes of ballet dancers, and how I probably wouldn't want to meet them in a dark alley while walking home.

And then, as I was walking home, my cellphone rang. It was a client wanting advice about castrating lambs. The conversation lasted my entire walk up the hill (6 minutes) and it wasn't till the end of it that I realised I'd been doing that farmer Shout Into The Phone thing. So now all my neighbours know that if you want to castrate a lamb that's reached sexual maturity, it's really a job for the vet, but if they're younger I'm happy to help. O.o

( Ponies! )

Last night I dreamed about Happy. Dude, I'm glad you're not like that in real life. ;-/

10:58 am - Linkorama day

I found my cellphone! Well, actually pombagira found it using the age-old method of ringing it and following the noise. It had somehow fallen down behind the books on the bottom shelf of the bookshelf by our back door when I was putting the recycling bin back on Tuesday night.

I'm pretty sure my phone doesn't like me very much. As evidenced by the way it uses '28' in predictive text every time I type 'at', and instead of 'for' it says 'Ems'. And for 'go', we have 'in'. So last night, one of my clients got a message saying "Shall we in Ems Monday 28 4:30?"

*snarfle*

( Things that make you go 'hmm' )

Finally, I love xkcd.

That is all.

10:41 am - All games have a bastard sword!

So after two sessions with Baldur's Gate, I have concluded that:

1) There are a Scot and and Irishman who stay in full time employment playing the voices of bartenders in computer games.
2) Some game making companies save money by using the same "Right you are" and "A simple task!" responses for character-clicks in a variety of games. I think they also trade between companies. I'm pretty sure that my main in this game (the imaginatively named Dude) says the same things as the sapper in Commandos.
3) It would have helped if I'd played D&D at any point in the past.

( Where's the party? )

In other news, look Mum, I made it rain! I was supposed to be shearing some sheep up at Horokiwi tonight. Rain gives a pleasant reprieve, that is tempered by the knowledge that this means they will still be there waiting to be done when the weather warms up. Since Sunday two new clients have called me - the sheep are currently lining up faster than I can shear them, and rain holding things up means that my finish date will be later. I like to get them all done before Christmas if I can.

PS I seem to have misplaced my cellphone (which is helping with the not taking on new clients thing, but is ultimately a pita since I can't contact the existing ones). I have a couple more places to look before I get the number cut off and go buy a new one that will not be an iPhone.

02:25 pm - Labelling theory EXPOSED!

Can someone please explain to me the logic behind putting labels in tops that sit just on the tickliest part of your ribs?

I thought maybe it was to stop the 'tag sticking up' problem. But NO! The top I'm wearing today has a neck tag AND a tickly-ribs one. I.. don't understaaand..

11:47 am - Dragons please! Big red ones!

So I walked to work this morning with a copy of Baldur's Gate tucked under my arm. Yes I am that cool - I had heard of it but never played it. While I consider myself to be a gamer, I tend to find a game and play it to death* (ie explore all possibilities, story threads and characters) rather than dabble in a variety. Thus, my knowledge of the huge list of available games is somewhat limited.

( So what brought this on then? )

In other news, shearing Polwarths yesterday reminded me that it's been nearly a year. The day I did these sheep last year was the day before my first date with Dr Wheel, and the clients asked me about it yesterday. I blushed. Seriously.

Also, today is the anniversary of my very first LJ post. Apparently I was in one of my 'trying to be like everyone else' phases then, as evidenced by the reference to beer. 6 years and counting..

I am sore.

[EDIT] While I'm at it - gamers! What's your Top 5 and why? Looking for recommendations here..

01:56 pm - That time of year yet again (5 years now and counting I've been doing this)

I ground my shearing gear. It involves large (14 inch) plates with emery paper stuck to them, spinning at high speed. You then apply the flat side of the combs or cutters to the emery using a device called a pendulum, the sparks fly and it gets ground nice and sharp. Tomorrow is the first shearing day of the season. I am not fit for it. There's nothing you can do to get fit for shearing, except shearing. *gulp* But it's only 18 so a nice easing into it gently.

Grinding my gear always makes me feel strong and capable and stuff. It's heavy machinery (45kg) and there are sparks. Most people think I'm using a bench grinder and it is, but I guess you could call this a bench grinder on steroids. Vis (9 sec video):

11:01 am - Dodging the rattly buckets

I'm feeling kind of spiffy today in my lace-trimmed military style fitting jacket thing that I bought in Africa, and a short blue-and-green skirt. Colours! Spring!

I'm told the weather is going to crap out but currently it's lovely. Unlike two other days this week, I came prepared with stockings so the weather can do its worst and I'll still be warm. Nyah.

( Running the gauntlet )

Related - I read somewhere that a study was done comparing the donations from appeals for animal welfare vs women's refuges. I can't find it right now, but apparently animal welfare charities consistently get more money than domestic violence ones. Food for thought.

My weekend is shaping up to be all about sheep. Turns out I won't be stilting on Saturday night, since a) the only stilts with shoes that fit me require someone with larger legs to be firmly attached, b) it would not do the company's reputation any good to have me sprawling across the bonnet of someone's BMW due to not being fast enough on my.. er.. feet? spikes? amongst a crowd of potentially drunken revellers, and c) I'm shearing the next day and the pain from the aforementioned wobbly stilts would potentially make this harder. A good decision all round, I think.

03:13 pm - They did it again

Dollhouse has been canned. This is not really news.

But as I've been reading the wailings and teeth-gnashings of fans around the internet, the question WHY keeps popping up. Firefly died a similar death, despite having a strong cult following.

And I wonder if Joss Whedon's stuff has an appeal to a certain segment of the population that is small but keen, and if that small but keen segment of the population happen to be geeks, with broadband access to the internet and progressive views about copyright. The mainstream masses who'd watch show as broadcast on TV instead of downloading it, and thus make money for the networks, just weren't that interested.

Which to me, begs the question (and here is where I get out of my depth a bit because I'm not a downloader of series) - are networks making series available for download at a price as they come out? Because if they aren't, they should be - the financial support of that small but keen segmant of the population might be useful for keeping shows like Whedon's being made, but if the show's not available to the people who want it in a timely manner, they'll go find it somewhere else and the network will get nothing.

Just thoughts..

10:53 am - So

I got my A for CRIM212 - and it's not even the 14th yet! I recommend the course to anyone interested in the topic. They were onto it from the word go in terms of keeping us informed, getting results back and generally giving our money's worth*. The lecturer, Liz Stanley, is engaging and informed.

( Meanwhile, back at the ranch )

* Yeah, I actually do care about how much it's costing me vs the value I'm getting from it. Possibly this is because I'm paying up front for each course. If I had a student loan, adding $2500 to it would seem like a drip in the ocean and I'd be less inclined to think about the cost of it - this way, I'm all "I paid $800 for this course, make it worth it!" Hehe, ph3ar my Yorkshire blood..

PS I'm kind of saddened by the Stupak amendment to the US healthcare plan. I understand that it's a compromise that's been made, probably in order to get the rest of the plan through, and that in the long run it's detrimental to some in order to benefit the majority. But it's also sending a message that the government values morality over health and that it believes women should only have choice around reproduction if they can afford it.

09:41 am - House of cards

So three more drug advisors have quit the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (UK), in support of the sacked Professor David Nutt.

"In this situation members wish for clarity and assurances about how the ministers view the council's advice and will view the council's advice in the future."

Looks like Alan 'OMG Where Did That Egg Come From I Better Go Wipe My Face Now' Johnson wasn't able to give them those clarity and assurances. Funny that. It's not as if politicians ignoring the advice of scientific bodies in favour of political agendas is anything new (remember Mad Cow disease?) - but now it's been brought out into the open, and it's about bloody time.

This issue isn't just about drugs, it's about the integrity of governments - about politicians acting in ways that aren't in the interests of their constituents, contrary to the advice of experts, and ignoring facts. About doing it blatantly, and about using power to silence those with opposing viewpoints. These things tend to go against most people's concept of democracy, and even your average Joe who doesn't think about drug issues at all while sips his pint will likely be incensed by that kind of behaviour from a politician. And for that reason this is getting quite a bit of traction in the media, which for those of us who DO care about drug policy, is a good thing.

( Dancing? Oh noes! )

Meanwhile, I'm being overcome by an urge to do outrageous and borderline socially-unacceptable things. Will you be my partner in crime or my conscience?