Liresius' Journal

Explosion at Fukushima plant

liresius — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 09:25:27 GMT

Explosion at Fukushima vid We are not sure if it is the reactor or another building but 1015 micro sieverts per hour recorded at time of explosion - about the same amount as the human limit for one year (NHK).

Earthquake

liresius — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 05:26:08 GMT

Wow, devastation is almost indescribable! I woke from the 6- shock at 4:36 this morning but haven't felt any of the other hundreds of aftershocks.

Some interesting science-y facts about this quake from the Vancouver Sun and the USGC.

Earth's axis has reportedly shifted ten inches as a result of the quake, and Japan's coast is said to have permanently shifted 2.4 metres.

Nice to see DH on Twitter being positive about Japan in response to a follower's nuclear-related criticisms.

I'm okay!

liresius — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:24:18 GMT

Just popping into Lj to say I am fine. The earthquake was a long way up north, although it is the longest earthquake I have ever experienced - it went for 3-4 long minutes (or so) and I was kind of stunned and scared about that. I checked the Jpn meteorological site for the details and then went to the loo and it was STILL going! I kept anticipating it stopping - but No! It didn't! ... for what seemed like an incredibly long time I kept looking outside and watching the lamp post sway madly and my building was doing the same, which is a good sign.

Swaying means rubber in the foundations or some such high-tech building thingy. Japan has excellent earthquake- resistant tech, building codes and much better responses since the Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) quake. It wasn't hugely strong where I am (just looong) and nothing shook loose. Nagoya is also protected by peninsulas, so we didn't get tsunami either.

Hope everyone is well!

Thank you!

liresius — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:51:59 GMT

Hello all my lovely friends! I know! work, work, work - such a dull girl! I do read you all though, pretty often, so I keep up with what you are up to!

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who wished me Happy Birthday, especially so because I have dropped out of doing the same.

Thanks darling bluespirit_star for the sneak peak snippet of the 1930's story you've got done for Big Bang! I loved it - plus glitterati shades! Also sweetie iadorespike for the half nekkid optimist/pessimist b'day card, which made me laugh! And dear tarlanx for the cupcake - hmm, they featured in iadorespike's card too - I think there's a theme getting up here ...

Hmm, I hope I didn't miss anyone ... I might have ... Please tell me if i missed you so I can add you to this thanks post.

*many hugs*

p.s. I am being lazy and using last years birthday gifts icon. But hey I haven't used it in a long time!

Thank you!

liresius — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:29:46 GMT

Hello all my lovely friends! I know! work, work, work - such a dull girl! I do read you all though, pretty often, so I keep up with what you are up to!

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who wished me Happy Birthday, especially so because I have dropped out of doing the same.

Thanks darling bluespirit_star for the sneak peak snippet of the 1930's story you've got done for Big Bang! I loved it - plus glitterati shades! Also sweetie iadorespike for the half nekkid optimist/pessimist b'day card, which made me laugh! And dear tarlanx for the cupcake - hmm, they featured in iadorespike's card too - I think there's a theme getting up here ...

Hmm, I hope I didn't miss anyone ... I might have ... Please tell me if I missed you so I can add you to this thanks post.

*many hugs*

p.s. I am being lazy and using last years birthday gifts icon. But hey I haven't used it in a long time!

Female PM!

liresius — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:35:50 GMT

W00t! Yeah I know with party politics it's not that much of a change, but at least that 'last' high ceiling has finally been broken through for Australian women, and thankfully we are not the last among the English speaking western nations. I know KR worked his arse off, but he was too much of a cardboard cut out fake for me - he's a Queenslander after all, so I know his rough roots only too well. A certain amount of sublimation of the real self is necessary in politics, but I think he became lacklustre and uninspiring to the nth degree as a result.

Hope JG does better.

pokes head up

liresius — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:47:17 GMT

iadorespike ... Thank you for the tulips! You are such a darling!

I have been so inundated with work - it's never ending and just seems to pile up and up. I went to work today (Sunday) - it's university entrance exam time so we had to be on hand for that - same thing tomorrow and then Tuesday we have the Faculty meeting to vote on accepting successful applicants. Even when I come home, I still do work via email. Have to get our new Department's inaugural Journal out soon, so I had it write an article for that. I didn't have the time to write anything original so kind of forced an article out an an old assignment I did for my master's - square peg/round hole kind of thing re genre. I'm not happy with it, it's not nearly focused or pared down enough, but it will have to do. *sigh*

Hope everyone else is well.

pokes head up

liresius — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:47:11 GMT

4th Mcfleece post ~ Manip: Second Skins

liresius — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:42:34 GMT

This is an old manip I made, but I have newly superimposed the fleece as a second skin. I love what the shiny, harder, but still supple leather and the woolly, 'creature of comfort' squishiness of fleece say about John and Rodney's personalities.

3rd Mcfleece post, 2009 ~ Manip: McFleece It Better

liresius — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:32:02 GMT

2nd Mcfleece post 2009, Rodney's Sekkrit Algorithmic Obsession Project

liresius — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:18:22 GMT

Rodney's Sekkrit Algorithmic Obsession Project (and John is determined to find out WHAT it IS!)

1st McFleece post 2009 - Manip: Take My Hand

liresius — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:06:15 GMT

I posted this to mcfleece, so just reposting here to get my duck down fleeces in a row.

1st McFleece post 2009 - Manip: Take My Hand

liresius — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:06:09 GMT

I posted this to mcfleece, so just reposting here to get my duck down fleeces in a row.

Reciprocity PLUS!l

liresius — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:38:14 GMT

I started feeling mildly guilty about never having sent a v-gift in my life and moseyed on over to send some back to those wonderful friends who had sent me one!

And there I found that the snowflake is free! Yay! So I went berserk and sent out a flurry of flakes! LOL! That was a nice discovery!

graphics tablet

liresius — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:42:00 GMT

I've been thinking for a while, I'd like to get a graphics tablet and try my hand at drawing - Berlinghoff's adorable mcshep and team stick figures first made me seriously think about it and bluespirit's mcpenguins have given me another push. Now, it's christmas and I could easily justify it as a Christmas present to myself! LOL! So mighty, all knowing flist ... what do you recommend? Does everyone buy Wacom? Any other recommendations? Money isn't an object really - although I don't want to go broke over it. I don't want something too big either.

snowflakes!

liresius — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:31:25 GMT

Thank you causette,lavvyan and berlinghoff79 for the pretty snowflake v-gifts! *hugs you*

I'm sick with the flu right now, so they really brightened my day!

ETA: W00t! And from casett too! *hugs*!
ETA2: AND from vida_boheme and oran!! *HUGS*
ETA3: And now saldemonium, neevebrody, velocitygrass, zinfic and zooz. Thank you!
I now have a neat row of 11 snowflake cookies/bikkies!

snowflakes!

liresius — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:31:22 GMT

NCIS S07E02 Reunion Review

liresius — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:35:56 GMT

Ok, first and most importantly! Gibbs's headslaps are back! That's gotta be a good sign, right?! It was kind of a standard one - nothing particularly outstanding about it, but still ... PLUS, Tony gets an earlier backslap! Big YAYS!!

I enjoyed this ep - the banter was fairly good, and the Ziva element was nicely balanced in with a good ol' straight case. I liked that together Vance and Gibbs didn't make it easy for her and Gibbs made her address all her lack of loyalty/trust issues with the team. I was glad Ziva got roasted by Abby. She deserved it, it had to be said out loud, and it was satisfying seeing Abs deliver - even the interspersed 'on the other hand/in hindsight' stuff - didn't dilute it too much.

I liked the emotional key they struck overall. I wanted it to be hard for Ziva, but I also felt for her. Glad to see the whole team in, with Ducky and Jimmy as well.

How much do I love that Gibbs controls Tony's body functions so effortlessly (I own your body type possessiveness *gg*), piling on the pressure with the drinking lol, and clearly Tony is a very obedient slave, although I did cringe at his body language when he was released to go shake it!

Susan Boyle - Wild Horses

liresius — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:34:02 GMT

I guess anyone who is interested has already heard this track right?

I like it! Actually it's very beautiful, and I I love it. It's in slow time, a bit over stylized for my tastes but there's pain in the way she stretches out and ululates in parts. Voice quality is wonderful, the high notes soar and the song showcases both high and low ranges really very well. She nails it, IMO.

It's an interesting and well thought out arrangement with the low in the last line of the 1st verse, contrasted with coming in on a much higher octave in the last lines of the 2nd and 3rd verses. It's strange and interesting that those last lines fit the chorus better than they do the verses to which they 'belong'.

The very first line

is easy to do sounded like it's easy to and ... incomplete? I wondered it it was intentional or a diction thing and felt like it hadn't been finished. I was waiting for another syllable.

But still, beautiful.

Up to speed on True Blood

liresius — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:49:15 GMT

Okay, I'm all caught up with True Blood. I didn't do much else but watch the 2 seasons over the last 2 days - what a slob I am! LOL!

It's great! Totally off the wall, and bonkers. I like the Southern nuttiness and melodrama. Character-wise Sookie is very spunky, but being such a golden girl, she doesn't really fascinate me. Bill is OK, but again I'm not really drawn to him. And despite the fact that I don't usually go for blond guys, I am more interested in Eric. He seems more mysterious and complex, so I am looking forward to a more complex menage a trois, or something along those lines, since the suicide bomber and blood tasting that Eric tricked Sookie into. I am drawn to the human fascination with the the vampires too. Some of the Bon Temps characters are brilliant - Jason for being dumber than bricks allows for a lot of humour, especially when he just doesn't have a clue what people are saying and blunders in idiotically, or uses the completely wrong word. He's such a mess - good hearted though. So is Hoyt - real sweetie. I adore Lafayette and get a real kick out of the the town sheriff and the detective - for their interactions with each other. Hm, I think the whole Maenad thing has gone on too long - I think the whole town in orgy/zombie mode got irritating - maybe because I watched them all back to back, and the shock value was lost. I knew Rene was suspect from very early on in the piece and same for the Shifter (deer) girl.
As for the Queen of the Vampires - she reminded me of 1940s Hollwood starlet. I would have liked her to have more gravitas, and I would like to know why she in particular is Queen.

So I guess next week's ep will be the season 2 finale?

*

True Blood

liresius — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:45:46 GMT

Mainlining S1 and lovin' it. Thanks for the rec causette and xanthe!

Japan summer festival

liresius — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 09:16:43 GMT

There's been an annoyingly loud megaphone blaring outside for about an hour. I finally went to check it out from verandah, thinking it was those pesky pollies driving around (I think there's an election happening - the one where the pundits say the LDP might fall?) and annoying the hell out of everyone, but no ... it's actually some community tug-o-war event. The seriously thick rope is about 25 metres long and there are lots of tiny tots and adults involved. The third heat of the ones I watched had about 15 tiny tots ranged against 7 teenagers/adults and the tiny tots won! LOL! Made me smile ... :-)

some sga art

liresius — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:49:48 GMT

I don't think I had ever read the complete 'In the City of Seven Walls' by auburnnothenna before this summer. I know I had read bits and pieces, but this year I got to the finished story and the audiobook, and greatly enjoyed them both.

I made some art - for the end scene of the epilogue - it's not exactly as described in the novel, but hope it captures some of the sense of it. Click on the image for the full size.

aaahh, I needed me some ...

liresius — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:11:00 GMT

Tao!

Sam the Koala dies

liresius — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:25:55 GMT

Sam the Koala dies
Sam the Koala to be stuffed and put on display

Sad, but I'm not surprised. So many koalas suffer from chlamydia. :(

Goodbye, Sam!