As Fi Bows to Peer Pressure

So I was humming my way home yesterday when my oh-so-excellent Creative mp3 player played this song for me. Katie put the Elizabethtown soundtrack on it ages ago and this is the first time I’ve listened to one of the songs properly. It’s not a style I’d normally like but it’s simplicity, lyrics and generally harmony appealed and so I’m recommending it. As always, the title links to a 30 second sample.

Hard times - eastmountainsouth (Elizabethtown soundtrack)

let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears
while we all sup sorrow with the poor
there's a song that will linger forever in our ears
oh, hard times come again no more

'tis a song… a sigh of the weary
hard times… hard times come again no more
many days you have lingered around my cabin door
oh… hard times come again no more

while we seek mirth and beauty
and music light and gay
there are frail ones fainting at the door
though their voices are silent
their pleading looks will say
oh, hard times come again no more

'tis a song… a sigh of the weary
hard times... hard times come again no more
many days you have lingered around my cabin door
oh, hard times come again no more

'tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave
'tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
'tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
oh, hard times come again no more

'tis a song…a sigh of the weary
hard times… hard times come again no more
many days you have lingered around my cabin door
oh, hard times come again no more
oh, hard times come again no more

I feel like making a list. [Now edited to balance things out]

Things that currently make me angry:

1. Silly songs
2. Mondays
3. Fingers
4. Dresses
5. High heels (they were invented by the military, need I say more)
6. Blisters
7. Clothes and shopping
8. Lack of sun

Things to make up for the above:

1. Chicken and chorizo paella
2. Enough work to keep me busy
3. More sleep
4. Rose hip oil hand cream
5. Chocolate
6. Everything people wrote in the comments
7. Hokey pokey biscuits
8. I don’t have live ammunition inside me

Why won’t my profile update?

I’ve been a tad on the busy side, as I mentioned last week, but there have been a couple of very funny moments during the caos.

I was told about both these videos at work and I’ve hunted them down for your viewing pleasure (it really is well worth it).

The first one is in Flemish (from Belgium). Not that it matters that it’s in Flemish, you’ll get the gist anyway. All you need to know is that the man being interviewed has just had a part of his body removed by mistake.

The second is funnier . . . and quite a sweetly amusing story. A lovely young business studies graduate from the Congo, called Guy, turns up to the BBC to apply for a high level IT job. While at reception, the receptionist is asked to find Guy Kewney for an interview on downloads and mp3s or something similar. Guy Kewney is Editor of NewsWireless, European Wireless Editor of eWeek.com, does a regular back page column for IT Week, and the regular lead column for Personal Computer World.

Unfortunately receptionist makes the fatal mistake of confusing Guy, the business studies graduate from the Congo, with Guy Kewney, and Guy from the Congo is taken off to be interviewed live on TV. His expression as he realises the camera is going live and he’s supposed to be this IT guy is priceless, but he manages to pull of a stellar interview and I seriously hope the BBC hired him on the spot. Silly BBC and poor, poor guy!! See it here (thanks to the Mail for publishing this!)

Please note - this should in no way be considered as condoning laughing at others misfortune :o)

It’s a bad sign when you can’t remember when you last blogged. Especially when it was only six days ago!

This is a big week for me:

• I turned 22 on Sunday. I had yummy cake and I got to hang out with my family and Dave and it was nice.
• Yesterday, Dave and I celebrated our one year anniversary. We had a delightfully silly evening and watched MI3 and ate cake. Where did they get the baseball shooting machine???
• Tomorrow, all of last years interns will be gathering for a catch-up/graduation dinner and drinks. Should be fun fun!
• On Thursday, I’m going to graduate again. Parade (hopefully, please be nice weather!!) and my grandparents, aunt, parents, sister and Dave are all coming along. Plus Sylvia and Pete and lots of other Honours buddies are graduating at the same ceremony!! YAY!!!!It is also exactly 4 months until I leave for London.
• On Friday, Dave graduates!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even more graduation fun!!!

I think I shall relax on the weekend. Well, it kinda depends on Heather actually . . . I hope you get better Heather!!!

What a boring blog post :o)

Today is totally exciting for me because United Future finally has new interactive website content. I must totally thank Michael and his brother Simon for the work they did in doing the PHP for the income splitting calculator. It’s sooo awesome to see these changes happen. YAY!!!!!!!! 

Now get playing with it all people, you’ll be the amazed how effective income splitting can be . . . and comment on the discussion forum because that’s the point of it :o) YAY!

United Future has launched new interactive content for its website, including an income splitting tax calculator and a discussion forum.

“I particularly look forward to the discussion and debate that occurs on the new United Future discussion forum. It is truly exciting to see the United Future website become more interactive, ” said Mr Dunne.

“The maker of M&M candies has teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to raise funds through the sale of their new “pink and white” M&M candies.

For each 8-ounce bag of the special candies sold, the makers of M&M (Masterfoods) will donate 50 cents to the foundation.  The next time you want a treat, please pick up a bag (now sold in stores nationwide).  You will be donating to a great cause and satisfying your sweet tooth.  Just think … if each of us buys one bag or two …. how much will be donated.  Buy a bag for a friend.  Please pass on to all your family and friends.”

Who would have thought you could buy M&Ms and contribute to such a worthy cause. I like the idea of pink and white M&Ms although I think it’s just the fact that I totally love M&Ms in general.

1. Harry Potter and the Uneventful Year When No One Tried to Kill Him.
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Kidney Stone.
3. Harry Potter and the shameless Tom Clancy Crossover.
4. Harry Potter and the Uncomfortable Oversexualisation of Minors.
5. Harry Potter and the Hendersons.
6. Harry Potter and the Things You Have to do to Get By in Prison.
7. Harry Potter and the Chamber Pot of Secrets.
8. Harry Potter and the Prisoner Detainees of Azerbaijan.
9. Harry Potter and the Wand of Franchise Extension.
10. Harry Potter and the Order of the Pizza.

I love this silliness . . . they made me giggle :oP

(Source: Sideswipe - NZ Herald & www.capnwacky.com)

Yesterday was a pretty exciting day for all sorts of people:

• Gordon spent a lot of time on radio, including a short spiel on Classic Hits
• The Government announced it would unbundle the local loop. YAY for UF policy!!
• Large earthquake = nearly a tsunami
• Trevor Mallard was called a pest (I think I heard the supp right) in a rather cheeky question (albeit accidentally)

Now what concerns me the most is that I woke up this morning to hear that there wasn’t a tsunami. This is good news indeed. If only I’d known that there might have been a tsunami, I think I’d feel a tad safer.

Given that the Earthquake was 3:40am-ish, what were people in NZ doing listening to the radio??? Not only any radio station, but a foreign one . . . someone has said that hundreds of Gisbourne residents evacuated themselevs.

What were hundreds of Gisbourne residents doing listening to foreign radio stations at 4am?