Saturday, April 8, 2006

Later
It's late and I will do a proper update later, I've just been introducing my housemate to OtakuBoards.

Anyhow, here's the one song that I find incredibly appropriate for Liam in SYF3. It's a bittersweet song that just...fits.

It's called "The Spoken Wheel", from Flogging Molly's album, Within a Mile of Home


Your passin' broke the silence
On that dark October day
The sun was headin' for the west
As it did I heard you say
I set my sail for a gentle breeze
Now I leave this world as it was meant to be
And you, did you listen to anything I said?
Did you ever listen to me?

Though now it seems you'll never know
But every lad to a man must grow
Till winter comes to celebrate
Then proudly chills the bone
When at last they bury me
Into this ground you'll someday see
And you, did you listen to anything I said?
Did you ever listen to me?

Though the face we wear
Sometimes seldom speaks
From the babe that cries
To this grown man's feet
May the hand still write
And its' heart shape keep
Till our fathers, sons and daughters agree

So I will pave this road till glory
Sets our broken spirit free
From every cross-soaked nail pours endless rain
With tears no eye should see
But they could fill our highest ocean
And the rivers in between
With every blade that flowers must grow
then drown
With love our cruelest sea

It's a haunting piece that you should be able to listen to on the official Flogging Molly website at www.floggingmolly.com [caution: bandwidth heavy]

You may not think it appropriate, but it's what I feel fits. To me, I can just play this track on my MuVo and automatically just start brainstorming. Iono, things just click sometimes..

bbl.
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Tuesday, April 4, 2006

'Ship builder in the America's, ancient times, people settle South America, and he decides to explore north? Possible drawing of inspiration from Eric the Red' [Random story idea written in the train]
While on the train I listen to my music [whether Triple J radio on my phone, or my mp3's on my MuVo] and peruse my notes. Generally it's a 15-25 minute period that I have to myself and I can really think or chill out.

For example, after my late shifts, I crank up the music and really contemplate where I'm at. I'm too tired to bother understanding the importance or significance of chemolithotrophs*, so I start to think about what I can do to improve myself or my attitude. Generally this time is spent reading my scriptures or [as is the case with my current subject quote], I think of my story ideas and development. Currently the back of my Physiology lecture notebook has about 2 or 3 pages of notes on SYF and PHT. These aren't the major plot ideas, but rather various little things that act as delicious morsels along the way.

Quite a few fun PHT things [most of which won't pop up for a while] is currently in there, along with quite a sombre PHT moments. I can't say much that I haven't said before, but suffice it to say that my Physiology notebook could very well act as a tiny little almanack of baby-author-Liam goodness. A handful of ideas for other stories [or current ones, remember Loaded and Eden?] have been written in there also. As I go along I'll decide which ones I can declassify and put up here without spoiling too much.

Anyhow, apologies once again for my absence. I have been rather busy with work and university. I have a Microbiology exam on Friday, Biochemisty Prac Exam Tuesday, and Cell+Molecular Biology and Physiology exams on Thursday of next week.

I do know my stuff, but I do not feel that I have an unshakeable foundation of knowledge on all of those subjects. I have developed an understanding, but this little things escape me sometimes. [ie: Tetrodotoxin is the toxin isolated from the puffer fish, it prevents the generation of action potentials by blocking the flow of Na+ into the cell]

So yes. I have the knowledge in my head, but it needs a little prompting to get it pop up and be clear. The important thing here is that I absolutely love it, all of it. I mean, I start to nod off in my lectures because of my late shifts, but I kick myself afterwards for being so slack. All of this knowledge is absolutely fascinating and I'm a little overwhelmed that I'm actually participating in all of this stuff, and that people actually look to me as being a valid source of information.

It's kind of weird, I know. It feels petty to say it, but I honestly enjoy people coming to me and asking me to check their answers or understanding of a topic. During highschool I was the loser that had to ask for help all the time because I understood naught, generally I relied on Harley and Mark to be the smart ones and help me out when I stumbled.

Crazy how things change.

I mean, the other week I was wandering aimlessly around the careers fair, and Masood [Bahcelor Medical Science, 2nd year] came up to me and dragged me over to a booth or two. I got talking to the girl at ACPFG [Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics] and she quite happily handed me her card and told me to look her up in third year for advice on my electives or for a possible placement in the company.

Masterfoods seemed promising also, but I'd have to specialise in biochemistry and organic chemistry. The idea of working for the company just gives me an incredible rush, [I'd have to move to Wodonga NSW or Ballarat VIC, but they'd pay for all that], but I find biochemistry to be more of a tool than a life choice.

What was my point?

Right right. It seems that I have valid career choices in my life if I decide not to go through with medicine.


Somedays it just hits me how much I've really grown up in the past year and a half. Living away from home on my own paycheck, studying a university degree, looking at professional job prospects...iono...it's all a bit overwhelming. I feel like such a geek, because I just keep thinking of myself in highschool and what a dork I was when it came to the learnin'

Another harrowing thought is that people [ie: my brother] actually are looking up to me and using me for a role model. I don't think I've ever been used as a role model, to my knowledge. I just seemed to look up to others and think, "wow, I wish I was as good as them at this."

Now, at university, the playing field has dropped away and I've got nothing but myself to draw on.

Growth factor +2.

All that aside now

So I went back to the musical at Downlands [it's becoming a tradition now], and it impressed me. It certainly made up for last year's "Sherwoodstock" and the year before that's "Divorce me Darling," I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were ups and downs, but it ended up on a positive.

The definite highlight of the evening was seeing some of the peeps again, and needless to say that Katy and I almost smothered each other in love. It'd been a long time since I'd seen my lovey, and it was just a wonderful experience to see her again. ^_^

Blair has grown so much, and I'm terribly proud of him. He only has 2 more years of highschool yet, and that's just crazy how quickly time has passed. He seems honestly happy now, and from the looks of things he is the darling of the musical department. Mrs Timbs and the other musical teachers gushed to me how wonderful he is, and it's so good that he's grown up and found his niche.

[I'm also very, very, slightly perplexed/jealous that the first thing most teachers said when they saw me was how great Blair is going, lol. It's okay, the looks of fear and awe showing in the young'uns eyes as I wandered around the music department made up for it ^_~]

~~

I've been perusing the boards more and more now, and I even posted a few times [shock! Horror!] in some threads that interested me or just struck a chord with me. One thread I didn't post in was "Your Religion" or whatever the title was. I remember the day when I was *bam* stuck my hand up in there and said quite happily "I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, (I'm a Mormon)"

But now I'm more...well, not bitter...but wary of doing that. I looked at the post [and searched back previous topics on religion], and found myself very much disheartened at how people reacted to the Church, my Church.

I mean, people have mentioned their Faiths and the members [unsurprisingly] generally responded with maturity, or at least avoided being offensive. Either way, very impressive considering the potential nastiness that can be unleashed on the internetz.

I noticed, however, that whenever my Church was mentioned, there was an automatic response of "it's all lies. They stole everything. Read this "anti-mormon literature.html" It's a stupid religion"

*sigh*

I would have responded, should have responded, but there isn't much point. From reading the posts, it all seemed very aggressive, like it was almost goading "us" to say otherwise.

I don't know, but reading people's opinions on it just breaks my heart. I should understand by now that people are entitled to their own opinion, especially in the freedom of the internet, but to say such things with an obvious lack of understanding or [empathy?]...it just left me depressed.

I'll never deny my faith, and I'll happily answer any questions asked of me, but I'm not sure I wan't to leap headfirst into those threads anymore.

Okay, one thing that irked me. Someone [deliberately not naming names here] mentioned that person x was a member and that they more or less really sucked, and by default their impression was that the entire church was filled with said sucky people.

I'm sorry, but that's just not true. That's like walking into a Woolies, [Best Buy *insert shop here*] and coming across a moody sales clerk, and automatically saying "I'm never associating myself here ever again. The service is apalling"

I'm sorry, but isn't it possible that it's that one person that is apalling? It may not be the entire customer service?

Sorry. I don't usually go on and on about religion here. It is myOtaku after all, I guess, so I'd distract you all with my feelings on the topic.

I was going to post something similar to this in the thread, but I didn't like the idea of starting something there that will leave me even more depressed.

I'll probably be mentioning a few more things about my Church in the coming weeks/months, depending how much time I have. This may be an indication to some of you to use your scroll mouse and skim a lot, lol, but it doesn't really matter. I'm putting it up there so people can understand how I really feel on the topic. It's more of a selfish thing than anything else, I guess, but I'll make it up to you in SYF goodness

*love*

~~~

C2

Rayvin I'd love a tropical nap. With holidays coming up, I'll hopefully be able to invest in some serious nappage on a beach somewhere. We all know [*glares and shakes fist* All! lol] that I have a variety of premier knowledge and sources on the topic of piratage, and I'm happy to delve into it whenever asked ^_^

Harley Yeah, fits in with our schedules. Mind you though, I wouldn't mind it moving slightly more quickly, lol.

Sere If he's been eaten, then he has a wireless internet connection with him, he mentioned a week or so ago that he'll endevour to post...so fingers crossed that it'll be soon.

RANDOM BONUS NOTE!

..isn't it crazy how PHT only has 4 replies, but over 200 views? That's an incredibly high ratio when you compare it to the other threads on that list..o.O;


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Thursday, March 23, 2006

Agh I need a week long nap
It's up

Second post! Only took a month. What happened to drix?
(>X.x)>
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Thursday, March 16, 2006

Sitting in the library, books at my side. Not a whisper, and yet my companions speak and deride
I'm downstairs in the computer labs doing very important LSB358 Physiology lecture stuff, and I discovered something that I could share. It accurately summarises the unusual flavour of humour that seems to eminate from these biology types.

This is quoted directly from the end of my online lecture from the second week of uni:

"The critical thing for you to grasp at this stage is that if the membrane is selectively permeable to one ion species (i.e. only channels for this ion are open) then the membrane potential will be equal to the equilibrium potential for that ion (which in turn can be calculated from the Nernst equation). If you understand this concept you are well on your way to grasping one of the most complicated aspects of physiology and are once step closer to gaining total enlightenment!"

I personally find it thrilling that I perfectly understand the concept [for once] and would particularly enjoy engineering a situation where I could play with some nerve synapses and exploit this recently inherited knowledge.

It also doesn't hurt that, as an added bonus, I'm one step closer to enlightenment. However, considering my field of study, my enlightenment will most likely be akin to Plato[?] and his statement that "a wise man is he who, through his years of learning and education, admits he knows nothing about the ways of the universe"

Just lettin' y'all know that I'm following a wise man's words and not letting a system get me down, and I'm trying to enjoy my big city life.

[A cookie to whoever can cite where that pop culture reference comes from..]

Just for your information, this message has been brought to you by Day-time Liam, who is yet to work a 5 hour late shift. I'll be sure to keep my trap shut after tonight, unless anything particularly untoward happens..

^_^

EDIT: Ha, lollerskatez

"Excitable tissues are traditionally considered one of the toughest topics in human physiology. For the most part the principles of electricity are not popular with biologists (who may indeed have turned to the life sciences because of a dislike of the physical sciences)."

EDIT 2: Also, because I needed a breath of fresh air in my head, [and because I am a kind and benevolent being] I wrote this up for you all. It didn't feel good to leave this hanging for so long and then work on PHT

^_^; [yes that will come also. Patience please]


SYF
It was as though the air had suddenly been sucked out of the room and replaced with a cold vacuum. What team morale that was left had been snuffed out of existence. Liam could see his own feelings of helplessness being reflected in their faces. A lump of fear was now freezing him to the spot. Inside of him a very small voice was screaming for action, with all the force of a suffocated shrew.

As one, the group stared out of the window at the plume of smoke on the horizon. The only sound in the room was Eve’s sobbing.

Click.

The door opened as Zharra and Bradley sidled in, Zharra pocketing a credit card that she’d used to open the basic lock. Bradley walked closer, eyes fixed on the billowing smoke.

He whistled and muttered to Liam, “damn! Did we do that?”

Liam snapped and grabbed Bradley, seizing him close so that they were eye to eye.

“Don’t you even dare start with me. I’m pretty close to slapping you around right now, just so that I can warm my hands up. Do you hear me?”

Bradley shuffled under Liam’s grip, and quailed under the ferocity of his glare.

“Right. That’s better.” Liam pulled him closer, so that his forehead touched Bradley’s. “We are in a bad way, to put it incredibly lightly. We have possibly just lost our extraction point, lost one of the targets we were supposed to be protecting, down one team member, and our only source of defence is sitting inside the computers in that conference hall that you just came out of.”

Liam knew he was acting on borrowed time here. Zharra would surely be sizing him up for extermination; he had to get his point across, and fast.

“Did I also mention that the police are also now rushing here to investigate a disturbance?”

In the distance, there were the sounds of sirens, but it was difficult to tell if they were getting closer or heading to the source of the smoke.

Liam set Bradley down and straightened his jacket, smoothing and righting the tie that he had ruffled. There was utter silence in the room as he did so, and he could feel all eyes on him as he tried to formulate a plan.

“Zharra, Bradley. I need you to go back into that conference hall and start the power point presentation on the CD inside my bag. It should be titled with today’s date. This will give you time to quietly open up the cases and remove the side arms that Callum so graciously brought for us.”

Bradley nodded, taking a few steps back so that he was under Zharra’s protective wings. They both turned, Zharra giving Liam an acid stare, before quietly entering the conference hall.

“Ryan, I need you to take these two and find a safe place to hole up in. It needs to be on the bottom floor on the east side, near that open patch of grass. You need to be able to exit that safe hole through a medium sized window, not a door. Understood?”

Ryan crisply saluted, “sir, yes sir.”

Liam nodded. “Once you have found it, call for Zharra and Bradley to sneak their way down to you. Things are going to get very hot here, very quickly. Avoid any human contact at all costs, we can’t risk anyone finding us.”

“What will you be doing then, Liam?” Rae asked.

“Finding us some transport,” he replied.

They were standing in a foyer of sorts just at the top of a set of stairs. To one side a, now broken, set of doors lead to private classrooms and chambers. To the other, it was an open corridor that lead to the public restrooms. Directly behind them were the large and impressive doors that lead to the main conference room.

Carefully, with the others waiting behind him, Liam cautiously made his way down the stairs. He found a few slumped bodies with heads that sat at unpleasant angles, the security team had met with an unfortunate demise.

He rolled the nearest man over onto his back, ignoring how the head lolled around completely independent from the body. There were the all-too-familiar puncture wounds in the chest, tense expression, and the obvious look of a man caught by surprise. Over time the expression would fade as the muscles relaxed and embraced death, Liam sincerely wished he wouldn’t give up so easily.

Liam himself would, no doubt, have no appreciation for the subtle nuances and details of physiology that made such things inevitable. He found it helped to keep himself above such things.

“Son of a…these guys were just rent-a-cops…what did they do?” Ryan muttered, dragging Eve along behind him.

Liam answered that by picking up a crushed radio and tossing it aside. Without saying a word, he jumped over the counter and rifled around for a while. He pulled open draws and carefully disturbed papers and folders, so as to keep the contents looking untouched.

He looked up sharply at Ryan, Eve and Rae.

“What are you still doing here?” He demanded, putting a small Samsonite case up on the desk.

“Just wondering what you’re doing.” Ryan muttered, looking at him carefully. “We don’t have time for this, you know.”

“Exactly.” Liam replied sharply, opening the case and policing the spare ammunition clips inside. “You need to get out of sight, right now. Do you want to get shot?”

“Do you?” Rae asked. Her eyes were growing cold again, but Liam ignored it by succumbing to his personal mission momentum.

“I’ll do what it takes.” He answered, ducking out of sight to examine another body.

It was the same as the others, but he was in luck this time. It appeared that the unfortunate fellow had managed to unholster his gun, albeit slightly. His hand still clung to the pistol grip, but it was definitely unstuck from the holster.

Liam had pinned from the start that each of the guards had a regulation Glock side-arm, complete with an innovative holster system. He knew the Australian Police Force, amongst others, had them in use to deter criminals from drawing an officer’s gun on them. The holster’s unique lock and catch system meant that, owing to the correct angle and amount of pressure necessary, only the person wearing the holster would be able to release the weapon. In any other case, Liam would have to play around with the corpses for quite a while before he’d be able to remove the weapon, taking up precious time.

He stood up with the pistol and cocked it, tucking it into his belt.

“It amazes me how you always seem to find a little gun somewhere.” Ryan said, shaking his head slowly in melancholic disbelief.

Liam said nothing and leapt over the counter.

“Come on, Rae.” Ryan said, turning his back to Liam to drag Eve to her feet. “We need to get moving.”

Rae frowned and looked hard at Liam, causing him to falter and freeze under the intensity of her stare.

“You always have to work on your own, don’t you?” She asked, gently. “Even in a team, you’re running off after locking us away? We have to hide and sit on our hands whenever it goes bad. What would happen if you were to die?”

Liam turned slightly, stepping toward the door. He smiled faintly and turned back to her, replying softly;

“Then you wouldn’t be the first to know.”

Swiftly and quietly, he stepped over the last guard and out into the sunlight.
~~~

As always; thoughts, questions, wild speculation?
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