I Love Your Bloodstained Heart

Yeah, I know it was a few days ago now, but I don't care, happy Valentine's Day!

Darren Hayes loves you :-)  (and so do I...  a little :-P )

Another Absence

Hi!  The weather has been so depressing here lately that I haven't been motivated to do much other than cook and sew and crochet.  This is why last week's Links of the Week have come out today (and have last week's date on them).

I have finished my friend's birthday present scarf, and have to finish edging it, then block it, then send it.  The copies of my thesis that I had bound weeks ago are still sitting on the floor behind the couch waiting to be sent.  My gnome picture that was the stitch along at Feeling Stitchy LAST month, is still going (I even finished a whole flower yesterday), but I have realised that the beads we got at Spotlight last week are too big to use for everywhere I wanted to put a bead, so when Mum goes to the hospital for x rays (her doctor thinks she might have arthritis!) on Monday, I will tag along and pop into Spotlight again for some smaller beads.

I made a recipe from World of Cake that, if I had followed the instructions properly would never have worked (please people, check your quantities before recipe books go to the printer!) because it listed 1c of flour for about 3 or more cups of liquid, and assumed a bread-like dough would result.  Three extra cups of flour were, luckily, in the cupboard.  I made another recipe from that book and it turned out fabulously, so I stand by my claim that the book rocks.  I made this (delicious!), and also these (best chocolate chip/chunk biscuits ever!).

And today I am listening to hours of podcasts, broken up by listening to Bjork.  I will try to be better about posting more regularly again.  I was doing so well, too!  What are you up to?  Is anyone reading this enjoying the freezing weather here in NZ?  I'm sure we could amuse ourselves by asking everyone we talk to how many layers they're wearing (thermal singlet, t shirt, two jumpers, two pairs of pants, socks, thermal socks,...  does a wheat bag count as a layer?)!

Links of the Week: August 13

Animals:  Sand Kitten in Israeli Zoo at Zooborns

I would sincerely like to apply for permission to have one of these gorgeous cats sent to me for Christmas.  Does anyone know how I can do this?  I'm sure s/he would make a great friend for the lion cub I'm trying to convince my friend to bring back from Africa for me.

Music/Comedy:  Bohemian Rhapsody in 25 Annoying Voices at Youtube

This guy is amazing.  He is in New Zealand at the moment with his one-man play that takes characters from the Simpsons and uses them to play out Shakespeare's MacBeth.  Sounds awesome!

Cartoon:  Why They Cancelled Eureka at Nerd Approved

Eureka was becoming one of my favourite running tv shows, and will now be relegated to 'shows they cancelled too soon', along with Firefly, SG:A (and SG:U which I haven't seen yet), and seaQuest (among many many more, obviously).  I think this cartoon is quite funny, I bet this is how it really happens too.  My idea for the future of tv?  Networks produce many pilot episodes, as already happens, and the viewers pledge money to make more episodes happen (that they can then download and keep in return for their pledge).  If enough money is raised, the network produces the season.

History:  Important War Records Finally Found at Stuff NZ

Imagine, if you can, that you are a prisoner of war, watching men (and these days women) around you suffering and dying, or simply disappearing one day to the next.  This was reality for the man in this article, who thought past his own position to empathise with the families of the men he knew in the camp.  He kept records as meticulously as he was able to of the fate of these men.  These records were then given to the British military when he was rescued at the end of the war, and shortly after, they disappeared.  But they have finally been released.

Awesome:  Rukhsana Kauser at Bad Ass of the Week

Imagine a terrorist knocks on your door and he and his baddy buddies, armed with rifles, demand that you become a member of his harem.  Your Mum and Dad stand up for you and are beaten up in return.  What would you do?  This story is so awesome and told in a really awesome way.  Rukhsana Kauser is BADASS.

Music Video:  Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 

(this live video shows why I like this song:  they don't use a vocal manipulator!)

Links of the Week: July 30

Amazing Animals:  The Christchurch Goldfish at NZ Herald

I saw this on the news last night and thought it was so cool.  It's great to see a story come from Christchurch that is about something good happening, and apparently this story has been picked up world-wide.  See?  People do like happy news!

Libraries:  Paying Kids to Read?  At TVNZ

The happy news continues!  In an effort to enable kids to continue using the library, New York Public Library has decided to wipe $1 worth of fines from a child's account for every 15 minutes of reading they do.  They say that this will help 'in these hard economic times' (why isn't there an acronym for that yet?  ITHET?), which is good, but I'm pretty sure not fining them at all would be an alternative.  Like our library!

Music:  Noel Gallagher's New Song at NoelGallagher.com

When Oasis split, half of me burst into tears and the other half said "it won't last, you know how crazy those two are".  Now each of the brothers have released music with their own bands, and I still have that voice saying Oasis isn't over forever.  So, while I continue thinking that, here's Noel's new song :-)

Craft:  Solid Perfume Pocketwatch at Design*Sponge

This is such a great idea!  I love how the author introduces the post with a statement about her lack of feminine beauty.  I looked around the rest of her site and am surprised, because her site is so beautiful.  I love when people are oxymorons.  But I digress; I really would love to make this, I think the fragrance would be just as pretty as its presentation.  So that's going on the 'one day' to do list!

Recipe:  Risotto Balls at World Kitchen

We don't like mushrooms in our house, but I tried a risotto ball for the first time at a friend's party not long ago and am desperate to try to make some myself (the party was catered, so I can't ask my friend).   I love World Kitchen, and am so glad I found the show shortly after I came back to NZ in 2009.  Mum and I agree that a lot of the appeal is the attitude and smile of the presenter.  She is always keen to try anything - whether it be eating a snail, or trying to make baklava - and no matter the outcome she laughs and has fun.  A great example to live up to!

Art:  Wall Tentacle

Talk Talk Talk

I thought I had already mentioned this, but I must have just gushed on twitter about it.  Darren Hayes' new album is coming out soon and I am so excited.  I love Darren Hayes, and his last album, This Delicate Thing We've Made, is my deserted island soundtrack.  I try really hard to not listen to it too often, because every time I put it on I hear something new in it and don't get anything done; just sitting there (or dancing around the room), actively listening.  His new single, Talk Talk Talk, came out a week or more ago, and a live performance from Australian tv has just popped up on youtube.  It's an awesome song, and it makes me even more excited for the album, if that's even possible!  Listen to it twice and if you're not smiling and singing along, I'll give a full refund.

The Official Video

The Live Performance

See?  He's awesome.  No need to thank me, just go out and buy all of his albums if you haven't already.

PS:  He twice replied to me on twitter!  This makes him even cooler (and thus me cool by association).

(The second message is because I basically went all teenage fan girl on twitter about how he replied to my question)

Links of the Week VI

Because a picture's worth a thousand words, I'm adding one extra link to the Links of the Week from now on:  Image of the week.  :-)

Maths:  Champernowne's Constant at Io9

This is a really short article, and easy to understand, so don't be put off by the title!  This simple number confused early computers.  I think it's awesome when people fool computers, therefore, this constant is awesome.

Music:  Robbie Williams Flashes Crowd at TVNZ news

Yes, I know I'm juvenile, but this made me laugh.  Robbie is such a dood.

Marine Biology:  Penguins and Populations at TV3 and TVNZ news

I wish I could go visit the penguin, I mean from a distance, obviously, but how cool would it be!?  And then a very sad story about the fate of the ocean's biodiversity.  It makes me really mad to think that the people in political and corporate power care more about money than about the future of...  Sorry, I won't start a lecture.  I couldn't even finish the article without getting really mad, so if you feel strongly about this too, you are warned; but this might cheer you up a bit.

Inspiration:  Quote from Mae Jemison at No Country for Young Women

I love the pearls of wisdom that come from people who were the first to do something or invented something.  I think this quote is something we all must keep in mind when we listen to the wisdom of others, to "reevaluate the world for [ourselves]".

Fabulous Fashion:  Red Shoes at Kris' blog

Kris used to work with my Mum and she's awesome.  This is an example of why.  Her blog mostly talks about plays that she's been to, but this month she's posting at least once a day for a challenge, so her posts have varied to awesomeness like this.

Steampunk:  Monsters of the Sky at Steampunkr