A little boy's dream comes true...at last...

Hey hey! Check out my new webpage at: http://web.aanet.com.au/wayland/ (opens in a new window)

It's a bit rudimentary at the moment...not too much flesh to the proverbial skeleton just yet but don't worry I'm working on it. In fact, my current FTP uploader expires in 30 days (gasp!) so I will have to either get it finished in the next month (will be hard with exams and everything) or I will have to find a freeware FTP program (recommendations are open).

Oh, and although I currently use Mozilla Firefox (I heartily recommend it to everyone out there), to see the most out of my webpage, you'll have to use IE...there's no getting around that unfortunately, as currently I don't think Firefox supports some of the effects (well only the fixed background and status bar scrolling effects) I've added.

Anyway, hope you guys find that mildly amusing, and I will try to get it updated every now and then. As for me, it's back to learning how badly cigarettes f*ck up your lungs! Oh joy!

Oh my God you're delirious!

NOBODY expects...the Spanish Inquisition!

Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come in again.

Biggles! Fetch...THE CUSHIONS!
Cardinal! Poke her with...the soft cushions!
Hm! She is made of harder stuff! Cardinal Fang! Fetch...THE COMFY CHAIR!
So you think you are strong because you can survive the soft cushions. Well, we shall see. Biggles! Put her in...the Comfy Chair!

Anyway, that aside...this post actually has something to do with something. The title in fact is in reference to the inquisitive nature of human beings, which incidentally is the topic of this post (what a twist huh? Bet you didn't see that one coming...[ok enough references for now]). I was just asking for opinions actually. What do people think is the cause of our (supposed) higher order thinking? I mean, all animals can carry out the basics: eat, move, "speak" (or at least make noises with their throats and mouths) etc., but no other animal possesses the same kind of thinking apparatus as we humans do. Why is it that by putting this mass of neurons together we call a cortex that we are able to ponder such intricate issues as the nature of the universe, why we are as we are and be able to ask very complicated questions about everything (as I am doing now) . I am by no means a religious person, and I don't intend to be (the whole God idea and me don't mix well, but that's a topic for another discussion). I am open to all suggestions, but please, if you're going to suggest something, make sure it is detailed and sufficiently deep. I'm not looking for answers such as "Because God deemed us to be so" or something simple like that. I realise that to spite me at least one of you will put that exact line in the comments section (I have one particular person in mind who I believe is likely to do this but I won't name this person)...but by all means, prove me wrong ;-).

My thoughts on the matter? Well I haven't really had a chance to think it through properly, and I dare not propose anything yet. And oh, sorry for this turn of topics from a cheery website celebrating stupid deaths to sombre reflections about the human mind (which I'm guessing will be covered next semester). But well, such is the nature of this blog and its author :-).

Well, happy hunting!

Darwin in action!

For the unenlightened, there is a wonderful site that celebrates one of the most important men of the 19th century (and I dare say one of the founders of modern agnosticism). Of course, you guessed it, I'm talking about Charles Darwin. His book was possibly the most controversial in all of scientific history, not only going against religious dogma but also possibly insulting the entire human race, although now we're much more open minded to these things. Well onto the site.

It doesn't actually have much to do with Darwin himself, or his works. Rather, it is based on his theories through a loose definition of it. In fact, you could call it a charter of human evolution in action, or as they put it the site aims to "commemorate those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it". In short, it is a collaboration of stories in which people find a way to kill or maim themselves in a funny and utterly stupid manner.

But enough talking, here is the web address: http://www.darwinawards.com/

The way some people find to selflessly remove themselves from the gene pool is mind-boggling and I'm sure most of you will get a laugh or two out of it. Or at least a chuckle. Perhaps a head shake or two then?

I'll give some examples in case some of you aren't convinced. I remember reading about an armed criminal who was being chased by the police. Now, so that be wouldn't be slowed down while trying to deter the police (by shooting at them) he had a stroke of genius and decided to shoot backwards. For a reason that escapes the limited mental capabilities of the author, this man somehow managed to shoot not the police, but himself in the head, and ending his criminal activities once and for all.

I remember this other man who, in order to pull off an insurance scam, decided to enlist the help of his cousin. Now the plan was for the cousin to, believe it or not, amputate this man's leg using a chainsaw, and then for the man to save himself using his knowledge (limited, as it turned out) of first aid. Expectedly, things took a turn for the worse when the man discovered that the bleeding was in fact too profuse for him to stop, and he promptly expired, to the obvious shock of the cousin, who fled but was later apprehended by police (I think he might have turned himself in actually, but memory fails me).

And I remember more than one case of people trying to open hand grenades and other explosives (e.g. landmines etc.) with various forms of saws in order to access the gunpowder inside or see how the thing works. Well, what a surprise for them when they blew up in their faces huh?

Well that's enough from me. Go check it out now!

Ode to lack of ideas (see I'm very creative)

Um, first things first this post will not be an actual ode. Yes unfortunate I know but I can't be bothered first finding out what an ode actually is (I know it's a sort of lyrical poem, but beyond that I'm lost) and then actually writing one. Especially when I can learn all about the acetabulum and how the hip joint has mobility without a sacrifice in stability blah blah blah...It's actually really interesting, just often confusing.

Anyway, I was sitting here reading blogs and making some comments when I realised I always seem to have something to say about other people's blogs but never much to say on my own. Or rather I can be bothered commenting but not posting, because posting requires me to actually make an effort and think of a topic, instead of just adding to an already present topic. Maybe I'm just lazy, but more likely I might be unimaginative *gasp*. Damn you TV! You've ruined my...um...ah well *turns on small portable television*.

Anyway, so instead of actually posting about something I thought I'd post about nothing! That's right this whole post is gonna be a collection of random ramblings that goes nowhere of interest (yes that's right you can tune out now...but beware of the pirhanas in the moat on your way out...they've been starved for a few days now and the moment you wade in you risk stepping on the many pouches of blood that line the floor of the rather shallow body of water. I should've paid the digger more). Now I've lost my train of thought. No matter I'll come up with something. In the meantime please enjoy this informational interlude.

"The arms and legs both rotate 90 degrees during development but in different directions. So, in an adult in the anatomical position the flexor surface of the upper limbs are anterior whereas that of the lower limbs are posterior. This makes sense really, I mean imagine if your legs bent the same way as your arms! Geez you'd look like a freak! Hehe, you wouldn't be able to walk properly, at least not with the gait you have now. Plus you'd be able to kick yourself in the head! Wow what a great party trick! And wouldn't it be freakier still if your arms and legs were switched? But hey, then we'd all have big biceps and triceps and then all people would have to worry about working out are the quadriceps and the hamstrings, and they're already big! And did you know that your hand has 1 more bone in it than your foot? Interesting huh? So on an X-ray the simplest method of telling a hand from a foot would be to count the bones! Wow! Who knew it was all so simple? Now let's not worry about those anomalies or the fact that it's difficult to identify the individual bones on an X-ray of the distal limb."

Nope, still hasn't come back. But I think I'm just about done with this post. Maybe a quick update on what's been happening lately. Um, not much. Okay see ya!