Tastes like happy...

This is going to be a short update. I just wanted to post photos of the most amazing thing I have ever tasted. I don't remember exactly what it was called, but it's available at Loving Hut (a vegan chain-restaurant...cafe...). I went there with Sascha on Monday afternoon, we were both very hungry. The restaurant (or rather, cafe) was very nice. It wasn't busy, but I think that's because we didn't 'hit it' at peak time, which is always nice. Very clean and presentable (which is the way it should be, when food is concerned). We ordered our meals and shared a little, it was nice, but I only took photos of dessert because I forgot I actually had my camera with me until I saw what this looked like....

Isn't it brilliant?
I'm rather sure this is the first milk-shake type beverage I've had in at least three years. The novelty of non-dairy whipped cream never wears out (then again I think I've only ever tasted it once before...). I know I will be going back for more of this.

Here's a photo of Sascha and the Cheesecake she ordered. I know, the formatting of this post is a little odd. Oh well.
I highly recommend Loving Hut to anyone and everyone, whether you are or aren't vegan, it's amazing...and they're everywhere.


So, in other news, I start school again in...27 days, but I'll post another blog about this later. Enjoy.

Hello 2010

So, totally ignoring the fact that it is the New Year, I have finally gotten around to uploading pictures from my camera to the laptop. These would include, but are not limited to: Green Day (my third time seeing them..always worth it), Vegan Cheesecake (made by the one and only me) and some other random shenanigans. Without further ado, I bring you my vegan lemon cheesecake (which I couldn't help adding an assortment of berries to).

Buyer's Remorse

Good evening. We, or rather I, am currently 2 hours and 10 minutes (give or take) away from 2010. I'd like to take this moment to express a big F*@^% you to 2009 and the ridiculous idea that with the new year comes new opportunities and whatnot. It's just a calendar day, not very much more. What's even worse, is the notion of a New Year's resolution....If you want to make a life change, why on earth wait for the New Year? Do it the moment you want to make the change, rather than sitting on your lazy behind complaining about it.

On a (not so) happier note, earlier today I paid a lovely visit to a place I call Sunflower Music (because that is its name). Haven't been there in over two years, somehow I managed to get there with little problems. I decided it was time to buy the new AFI; Crash Love. Another funny and slightly related story; I had a nice conversation with the lady who served me at the cashier about AFI. She would have been in her late 30s, early 40s I'd say. Thought that was pretty awesome, kinda made me wonder from what 'era' of theirs she first got into them. We then discussed the Soundwave Lineup (which includes AFI, along with a bunch of other pretty good bands). In terms of Crash Love though, I'm slightly disappointed- though I don't really understand how I expected it to be as great as what I expected. Don't get me wrong, it's a great album... I just expected it to be a little more 'bad-ass', for lack of a better word, I suppose. I think it's just an album that will take a bit of time to grow on me. Medicate was definitely a good choice for the first single though. I think at the moment, that and "The Beautiful Thieves" are my favourite songs on it, though admittedly I had already downloaded those and another track off of Crash Love. Which seems to cause confusion as to why I would then go and 'pay money' for it. Uhh, because I like it, duhh...and I think that if I like someone's music, then I should have the common decency to, you know, pay for it, 'cause I'm not a freeloader and I respect the fact that that is what they do for a living.

Enough of that now. So. New years. Hurray? So, the 'tradition' I suppose would be to look back on 2009. Ok. Thanks 2009 for bringing me to the realization that wow, I'm kinda screwed! Oh, and for opening up my eyes to the fact that 90% of the 'friends' I have made throughout the course of grade-school were never really my friends to begin with. All of this has little to do with the fact that it was 2009, but moreso with the coincidental transition from High School to University. To be honest, as frustrating as it all was, it was much more liberating. I suppose I'm just a lot more prone to being irritable now. Could be the heat, though. I thoroughly despise summer. Some people we're going into another ice age soon...That would be lovely.

Yeah, I still don't know what to make of this CD... Seeing as I've been listening to Sing the Sorrows for the past week....You almost wonder if it's the same band, heh. Ehh, it'll grow on me.

So, I was about to say "dude, wtf, no one's online"....Uhh yeah, it's New Year's Eve and everyone else in your life actually has a life. Hmm. What an intersting observation. I was actually invited to a gig tonight.. Would have got in for free too. So why am I here? Suppose I'm not feeling particularly sociable. Perhaps I've had enough of driving on the Freeway for one day.. Perhaps both. Perhaps I'd just prefer some better company right now, but it seems I'm stuck with myself. Hurray. Here's a toast to the New Year! (for which I shall have a sip of water).. Ugh, might I add stale... Anyhow. We'll see how things work out. My 19th birthday is in less than 6 months- apparently some dramatic changes are suppose to occur in my life around then, or so says astrology. That'll be interesting, I suppose.

Bet you didn't see this coming...

This is so adorable, I can't contain myself.

Longtime

Good morning cyberland!

It is now 1.36 AM and I am bored out of my mind. Usually, I'd be chatting to Roadee, or Zac (mostly Roadee)....But they both seem to have lives, or at least, tonight they do. My bad, it is 12.36 AM... Hmm, perhaps the fact that I seem to have misplaced my ability to correctly read the time should be a key indicator that it is time for bed. Nay! I think not. Though, I do plan on going to bed early tonight.. By which I mean before 2AM... Which was my plan last night (actually, last night the plan was before 1AM...) but then turns out I got accepted into QCA (Queensland College of Art) and uhh decided to enroll etc etc which took forever because the Griffith University website (they 'own' the art school) is lame and really REALLY slow... Seriously. It took me 2 and a half hours to enrol....and I happen to know that my Internet is not that slow.

So, what's news? Yeah, that is right, I transferred... Uni SA can eat my socks.. Not really, but there was some weird union thing going on over there that caused them to put some kind of ban.....which entailed withholding students' grades..meaning I missed the first offer round for my transfer and freaked out thinking they'd totally screw me over and not give my my grades in time.. But it all worked out in the end. So, here's hoping I will like this course better? I am now doing a Bachelor of Fine Art (as opposed to 'Visual Art'...). It doesn't look like I have an explicit theory course this semester either...Sweet! I'm so sick of lectures (already!). Then again, they always were great for catching up on sleep.

As you have probably noticed by now, I have nothing worthwhile to report. What have I been up to in the past month since I last posted? Handed in the last of my assignments (what a relief) and am now officially on my summer break. I moved house, which was about as stressful as it was each time previously, and attended a Green Day concert (and I may or may not have mentioned these things in chronological order). 'Green Day?' I hear you saying.... My reply: yes. For the third time. Their act never gets boring.. and that drunken rabbit that opens the show never gets old (there's a guy-or actually I think it may have been a woman..this time at least- dressed in a pink rabbit outfit who stumbles around the stage 'drinking' beer... at least I think they're pretending, and pretty much rallies the crown and whatnot before Green Day come on.) I got some amazing photographs... Some even show lame teenage girls screaming and crying because of the 'awe' that is Billie Joe Armstrong. I mean, he's awesome, but get a grip, girly. The crowd wasn't bad. I might upload some photos in a later blog (of the band, not the crowd).

Do I have anything else worth mentioning? I've been driving a reasonable amount lately. Needless to say, my car is amazing!

Yes, this was a terrible summery of what I've been up to. Who gives. I'm out. Peace.

Well, that's one weight off of my shoulders

Good evening. It seems I've been slightly busy during the past week or so. Turns out, I haven't logged onto Twitter in a while (though I have tweeted from my phone via SMS).... That usually means I'm busy, I suppose. Last Friday I miraculously finished that essay for a class named "Visual Art and Culture in the Modern Age" or "VACMA" as I like to say, because the abbreviation sounds just as ridiculous as the tutorials for it. Let me tell you about this essay; 2500 words. It was a head ache, believe me. I chose the topic "Abstract Expressionism", the exact question I cannot recall (nor do I need to, as I am done with it!). I felt reasonably good about said essay after having finished writing it, but after I printed it out and handed it in, it dawned on me.. I may actually not have addressed part of the question, or at least not as well as I could have.. Though, I tend to feel this way virtually after every essay that I write and I always do well. Still, I think I actually have a reason for this one. I guess we will see what happens. Once the essay is marked and given back to me, I will perhaps upload it to the Deer Log. I would upload it now, but I also submitted it online through a program and checks for plagiarism. It would suck if it came back 100% plagiarised, just because it picked up the same essay written by the same person, posted on their blog.

In other news, earlier today I handed up my last project (perhaps last ever?) for Sculpture. I say this, because, although I like sculpture, I did not enjoy this course and failed to see how much of it actually related. Somehow I actually stuck with it and didn't drop it for another subject, something I seem to have a knack for doing. I will perhaps upload some photos of it. I guess I should, I took them with my phone which I have here right next to me. I suppose I shouldn't be lazy and should just upload them... (PS.. these are three different sculptures, though one would perhaps be better suited as 'installation')




It isn't party time yet. I still have work to do for two more classes. Though that should (hopefully) be less stressful. I shall now sign off on this post, as I am making Falafels.

Peace.

Hello October (of which there is four hours left)

Hello cyberspace!

So, it's been over a month since I last blogged. In fact, if I had waited another week it would have been a whole two months and a bloggless October. So, here's a rant for you savvy readers (of which I am quite sure there are only 2).

I'm a little confused as to what's (still) with the hype about H1N1 (Swine Flu). To my understanding, the main reason there was a big freak-out about the virus is because certain groups of health professionals were afraid it would mutate into another, worse virus. Okay. So what's with the vaccine? As I am sure everyone knows (actually, no they don't which is a shame) once you are vaccined for something (for the moment ignoring the blasphemy of the H1N1 vaccine) you are only protected against that virus. I will try to make this explanation even simpler. If you're vaccinated for H1N1 and it turns out at some point it mutates into a new strain (as flus generally do), then the original vaccine wont protect you against that. Anyhow if I proceed with this point, it will just go in circles.

My point is that I find the idea of the shot ridiculous and the fact that in some places on this planet they are thinking of making it mandatory (or have they already?) scares me. I mean, other than the fact that it's still untested-or unapproved, I can't quite recall. Perhaps both.

Besides, how likely is it that you're going to contract Swine Flu? And even so, how likely is it that it will kill you? I remember having read someplace that the percentage of deaths from the regular flu strains is higher than that of the Swine Flu, however this could be wrong. My point is, I don't believe it is as bad as the picture is being painted.

The fact that it contains squalene, which shares a known connection to guillain-barre syndrome, which is (in short) an autoimmune disease (where the body starts attacking its own cells), google that one for more specifics as I'm not writing an essay here (on second thought, it might turn out that way...). The shot also contains aluminium which I'd hope the majority of people would know is bad for you..Then again, it is in most commercial deodorant and other hygiene products that virtually everyone uses and either knows it is in there and do not care, do not know it is in there (is it that outlandish to read the ingredients on things?) or do not know how terribly bad it is...? I don't remember if I was asking a question or making a statement, so I put a question mark just in case.. What else was I saying? Oh yes. I remember now. It also contains....Formaldehyde (I'm suprised I remember the spelling). As far as I understand, that stuff is used as a fixitive or something along those lines in photography (thank you, art school!)...and otherwise (again, to my understanding) when consumed in some way or another, is generally seen as being a contaminant. Don't quote me on that last part, as I'm not (yet) a chemistry dictionary. Perhaps I should have studied Chem at University...But even so, it would have only been for my benefit to know what all those ridiculously disgusting additives are. I would never for the life of me work in an industry where I would be making those things and putting them in places where people can get poisoned (ie. Vaccinations?)

Anyhow... To get to the point of what I was saying... Nothing particularly infuriated me about the contents of this vaccine. Drugs are drugs, they're not going to contain anything that is actually good for your body.... The point is, I did some further reading on this. Turns out, the vaccine uses an egg base. I already had no intention of getting this shot, but knowing that last piece of information worries me a little more. It is probably the least harmful substance (in terms of, for the human body) in the whole concoction, but perhaps it is my ethical beliefs and moral obligation that comes into that part.

The real issue is, if this shot becomes mandatory, life is over as we know it! Okay, that was a little over dramatic, and maybe I shouldn't refer to myself as 'we'. I mean, one can refuse and refuse as much as one likes, but the fact is, this is a capitalist society; no money = well, go figure.... Perhaps I skipped a bit far ahead and missed the point I was trying to make.... It seems like one of those things, that if it is made mandatory, then generally a lot of employers would not like to hire you...yada yada yada...Oh, why is everything in life so political?

I just had a thought... Why does this worry me? I plan to (in the future) be self-employed anyway.

Disclaimer: I'm not actually a scientist, but that doesn't mean that I don't know what I'm talking about. Also, this post turned out to be a lot longer than intended.

Some further reading (a list I might add to when I have more time):

This is definitely worth reading: http://sacredessence.com.au/blog/swine-flu-the-facts/ (Note where it says more people have died from the vaccine than from the actual virus itself)

http://www.fluscam.com/Vaccine_Package_Inserts_files/Novartis_A-H1N1_2009_Monvalent_VaccinePackageInsert_BasedOn1980Approvalfor%20Fluvirin_UCM182242.pdf (The insert that comes with the vaccine)

http://thebirdflupandemic.com/archives/h1n1-swine-flu-vaccine-insert-admits-it-causes-guillain-barre-syndrome-vasculitis-paralysis-anaphylactic-shock-and-death

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/29/Swine-Flu.aspx (Not sure I fully agree about the krill oil though).