Friday, 14 October 2011

Epidemic of academic. A polemic.

So, in between playing tennis with small children, listening to Step Up soundtrack (something for which I will never be ashamed. Slightly more embarrassing was my week in which all I could listen to was Carrie Underwood songs, for which I totally blame Glee.), youtubing Bon Qui Qui videos, and inventing every way possible in which to insert "next minute" into a sentence while still remaining vaguely coherent, I have managed to write TWO PAGES of my dissertation.

I know right.

To be fair (though I have a feeling my supervisor would be less than sympathetic to any of these reasons), quite a considerable margin of my time has been taken up with constructing flow diagrams of rugby world cup probabilities, and writing short poems in iambic pentameter* about how stressed I am**.

But, now that it seems that NZ will be out at the semis (Joke! Joke! Don't shoot me!) and nobody has ever read Keats (and only seen the movie cos of Fanny Brawne, ding DONG!), it seems to me to be about time to finish up in Dunedin and move on out into the worrrld. Get a job in public health. A lovely socially-acceptable same-sex relationship (ideally involving a great deal of interior decorating and home-made preserves). A six pack like Jillian Michaels. All very likely occurrences. (Sarcasm here is variable according to political persuasion; I try to cater to all masteries of ironic cynicism. You hipsters. I have a bike, too. And one time I bought organic shampoo. It made my hair smell like like SBW's armpit in Ramadan (dead lemons mixed with rexona, for the curious) and clump in an interestingly vertical yet aesthetically displeasing manner).
(I also want to learn to spell occurrences without spellcheck, that is up there on the wish list, just beneath unpasteurised cheese and rhyming better.)



Babe, amiright. I would be fat anyday to put on gym shorts and be abused by her.

Anyhow;
[brief sojourn into apathetic politics.]

Do other people worry about these things?

I mean, not cheese so much. The future. Do you worry that you may not have matching sofa cushions one day? Or that you will never own a home? I am somewhere between the two. Unfortunately, I also acknowledge that it is not only what I do that will make me who I become; it is where I came from and the people I (and my family) know. I have been a little occupied, you could say. I'd like to do something about it. Explain to people that they are all part of a larger functioning society, and what is paid back comes full circle. But I will have to muster my thoughts somewhat. Cut down on Glee time. And maybe read something not containing "pooled relative risks were controlled for intra-examiner measurement error and eighty-three other adjustments, rendering the secondary analysis completely worthless haha shame you had to read 30 pages to figure this out, loser postgrad". Before I can figure out exactly WHAT is wrong (if anything) with the world.

[Over now. Well done. Continue.]

To conclude; I get to go in a plane on Tuesday. I am very, very excited.

Some people hate planes (David. Hysterical*** woman off Bridesmaids. Terrorists (I assume, from the evidence.) It is safe to say I do not. In fact, I get so excited by planes that one time Dad seriously offered me codeine in order that he would not have to play eye spy with me one more time. Eye spy (in the sky) is often difficult once we get beyond the regulars of W is for wandering albatross ("you did not!" "Dad! They fly more than 100,000km/year! They obviously move a hell of a lot faster than you can see, it's not my fault you're old and decrepit, one point for me. Hah!"), S is for slipstream, and C is for circulating air generating differential  lift.

I absolutely LOVE looking out the window. (I always request a window seat, and if anyone takes it I just look at them. Like this. Until they move. Heh.)

I ADORE free coffee! Even though it is very shitty and requires addition of three tiny sugar packets and UHT milk (fondly reminiscent of the time I accidentally ate melted spatula off the stove-top because I thought it was just old cheese.) and also makes me have to pee. Which I love as well! The hilarious noise! Vacuum-cleaner loo!

I TOTALLY get off on (inappropriate? Too late.) landing. So exciting! I know (from PHSI102, which I passed. I know physics gets all up in your grill disproving magic but I swear to the Higgs boson they were just impressed by my patronus. (It is a bear. Just in case you were wondering. One of those sunbears they have in Wellington Zoo that look like cuddly little snugglebuddies but would rather eat your kneecap than watch Gossip Girl with you. I assume. (Dear androgynous outmoded primitive self-help system, I want a bear. I will call her fluffypants and take her jogging and yes, maybe she will eat Jack Russells but I will kick her bone-filled poo off the path afterwards and give tearful ex-pet owners a stolen airline mint each.)) that planes stay up coz of like, the wind goes faster underneath than above? But still, YOU ARE IN THE AIR ON NOTHING! Awesome, right.

And I think this sums up nicely exactly what points I have been trying to make!

1) Tennis is fun. But do not play the day after you play squash unless you want to have to chase balls down Opoho hill for 20 minutes. Hannah, one day I will beat you. (Dad: you; I probably never will.)

1a) I want a job. (Employ me. I am fun and can make pina coladas. Fact.) But, I would like a bear more.

4) Cheese is the best thing ever. (Yeah really? Typical. And yes it is. I would totally rather have sexy cheese than cheesy sex. (This sounds vaguely unhygienic also.))

16) The end. Have a nice day.



*why do people not know things. It mystifies me.

**Hemm heeeemmmm:


Iambic pentameter thesis.

I did receive a mail that said to me



"I do believe the page has not been writ"


I hit reply "I fear it will not be...

complete before the date that was foretold."



My lecturer then sent another mail


"if you do not hand in on time; you fail."


I now return, from net to word, to try...


and type some words. Against my fate I rail.




***THIS is proper usage of hysterical. Thank you.


Wednesday, 12 October 2011

Cake, Caffeine, and Bookshelfporn

Hello. 

How are you? 

I made some kind of a flow chart because I should be studying today. It kinda sums up my life right now. 





I hope you're excited about pirates, cowboys, and vikings.

Maybe tomorrow I will get some study done.

LOVE

Liz Tritops

Saturday, 1 October 2011

Hipsters, dinosaurs, and pencils. (with 75% less dinosaur)

A short poem entitled "Are you calling me a hipster?"

...but...but... It is ME!
How can this be?
I've never thought myself a hipster,
but now, I worry,
that my op-shopped clothes,
not of poverty bode,
but of deliberate anti-fashion,
calculated disinterest in the "mode".

My liking for pencils
and long rambling (poe)ms,
my pensive diaries
and retro headphones.
My Tolstoy, my Kafka,
my copy of "out of africa"
my penguin classics library
and (not really) ironic love of Bridget Jones.

It's clear that this category
was designed with me in mind
(I even have a compost,
and write rebuttals in, average, rhyme)

But hear me, you people,
before you condemn me.
We're the way of the future
and although I'm condescending,

and judgmental, quite often,
on your choices of clothes
your appalling taste in music
("subjectivity" is not a word I know)

The world needs us! At least I think so...
White kids from the 'burbs
we re-invented social conscience,
choose to distinguish ourselves from the herd.

We like banjos! They are fun!
Tweed pants! Suit everyone!
Old movies, new photos,
black coffee, vegan samosas,

milky tea! democrats!
greenhouses! (not gases),
Music made in sheds!
Ironic hats!

So!
I do ride a bike
I choose eggs from happy hens
But if given the choice, dear jury,
I'd do it all again.

Friday, 30 September 2011

A feminist NEVER spills her drink.


Today I was thinking about feminism.
(cos I just read Caitlin Moran; like Germaine Greer with a sense of humour and also more of a babe).

More specifically, I was thinking about how awesome it would be if this happened.

I would buy this woman a drink.
(And then possibly try sleep with her.
But only if she let me cos she is obviously a self-empowered woman.
And also would kick me in the ovaries if I crossed that thin line between admiration and inappropriate touching.)


Also, on a vaguely unrelated note, this morning I went to the supermarket and bought bandaids and tampons.
Checkout guy: "Anything else?"
Me: "Hmmm, na. I think this should about cover it."

GOOD.

Peace out homos.
Ruby.

Tuesday, 27 September 2011

Nothing to be afreud of.


Kudos Jasper Fforde.

Today I was reading on the way to school, and tripped over and fell in a grave (I was walking through the cemetary).

Awkward.

My friend asked me (on our run yesterday. My first run in 2 months. I would probably have died except I'm not entirely sure what my parents would say if if their favourite daughter [you know it, puffin-face] had to have written on her death certificate "cause of death: alcohol and adipose tissue. Also chips". Possibly it would be something along the lines of... Can we get a refund? We have receipts covering the last hideously expensive 23 years.) if it is ok to get drunk in graveyards.
I said well, people in Mosgiel get drunk all the time.
Boom.
(But seriously. No joke. One time I was stuck there. FOR AN HOUR PEOPLE! I was nine months and three minutes away from obtaining a stroller, taking my shoes off, and opening that vivid lid.)

Have a lovely day you special people.
(Especially you, Liz).
Ciao
Ruby

Sunday, 25 September 2011

The unholy trinity

Recently I have been very stressed.
So I made this cartoon.
It seems to have helped slightly more than Glee and slightly less than tennis.
Have a nice day.
Ruby.

Tuesday, 13 September 2011

I Like Marsupials and Naked Cartoon Characters

Marsupials are supersweet. They have pouches.
Here are some of my favourite marsupials:

- Koala

- Bandicoot (mostly coz of a little dude named Crash. I like it how he spins like a tornado and destroys shit. I don't think other marsupials can do this?)


Hey, Crash. Where's ya shirt?

I love how cartoon characters dance to the beat of their own drums re: appropriate attire. Look at Crash! He's half dressed, and it's ok. Sonic only wears gloves and shoes. Badass. Squidward Quincy Tentacles doesn't wear pants, and the mice from Cinderella get to be fully naked (despite being in charge of making Cinderella's dress. Ironic or humbling?)

I'm confused. When is it alright not to wear pants?

I have a theory on Mickey Mouse (no shirt) and Donald Duck's (no pants) decision:

Mickey has a huge cock so he has to wear trousers, whereas Donald's is probably oddly positioned, small, and masked by his duck fur. Also, he couldn't get his webbed feet through most pants anyway. He would probably have to get them tailor-made, and who even knows if their are tailors in Duckburg. The poor little guy was banned in Finland for not wearing pants.








Going for the casual 'tie-only' approach, like Yogi Bear, is a secret life goal of mine. I feel like the tie is what makes him smarter than the average bear.

The only thing that trumps being half-dressed or tie-only is being able to wear pajamas all the time. I would trade in everything to be either Alvin, Prof. Farnsworth, or one of the Bananas in Pajamas. Not only do B1 and B2 get to be in pajamas, they also get to run down stairs, and they live on Cuddles Avenue. Nice. I bet it's cuddly there.

Back to marsupials.
I also like:

- Pygmy possum (I think anything in a pygmy version is ridiculous. Especially pygmy people. Be short in style.)
'Yo! I'm DeShawn, and these are ma mates Tyrone,
DeAndre and Jamal. We're short because we have evolved
to adapt to the low UV light levels in the rainforest. WIN'

- Wallaroo (it would be better if it were a hybrid as a result of a wallaby rooting a kangaroo. But no.)

Imagine for a minute that you have a pouch. You get to give birth to a micro-baby, then just chuck it inside your pouch. When it's ready, it can just jump out and hop back in.  When there's no joey inside, you could store your things there.
Also, female marsupials have two lateral vaginas, and the males have a double-pronged penis.

That's all.

Much love,

Liz
xoxo