Some of my more regular refined readers might remember my highly ironic coversation with iPrimus earlier this year regarding my brother's internet connection. If not, the Blog entry is down there somewhere; I think I called it "cyclic phone conversations", which was certainly true. So here, as a continuation of that story of irony, is a tale of absolute bureaucratic bloody-mindedness to make you laugh, cry, and leave Optus forever. I know I'm getting pretty sick of them.

 

Here's the story. Optus sends out, at irregular intervals, little advertising messages to tell you about deals that really don't apply to me, such as the latest rate change on certain Credit deals. I'm a prepaid man myself, so it really isn't necessary to tell me about it. At the end of the message, it informs you that you can unsubscribe from text advertising by calling a certain number. Fair enough.

 

Now, just to put this in context, let me say that I've had my phone number for a long time. A really long time, in fact. In fact, it was my mum's number before it was mine; the SIM Card is so ancient, it came from a Nokia 5210 (brick phone). So eventually I get bored of receiving text messages that just waste my time, and call the number to unsubscribe. That number, for reference, is 1300 555002. The first thing the auto-voice asks me is, "What is your PIN number?". I, of course, don't know this; I probably didn't even know what a SIM Card was when my mum got the phone. So I can't get it. No worries, thinks I, I can just call customer service and find out how to get my PIN number back.

 

So I call customer service, and wait for the auto-voice to tell me how to speak to a real voice. Right at the end of the list of options, it informs me that, "to speak to a customer service personnel member, please call 1300 555002". Hmm, no help there, evidently.

 

So I go to the website, and find the FAQ of what to do if you've lost your PIN number. What's the answer? Oh, that's right. "Call 1300 555002 for all PIN-related enquiries". Still no help.

 

Then I try emailing them. They've got a very nice little form to fill out before you can email them about anything mobile-related. Guess what question one is? You guessed it: "What is your PIN number?" Of course, you can't email them without giving up your PIN number. I wrote them a very acerbic complaint letter regarding this topic. Funnily enough, you don't need a PIN number to flame them.

 

So then I decide to try guessing the PIN number. It doesn't eat your SIM card if you get it wrong, so I figure I've got nothing much to lose, except time. After a few tries, entering 4-digit numbers that either rung bells for me or just seemed likely, I get in. Viola! It was as though the world just opened up for me! Auto-voice tells me all of my options, and I select the one most likely to take me to the "unsubscribe from text advertising" section.

 

So finally I get to talk to a real person, and, of course, the first thing they ask in my PIN number. Which is redundant; I just entered it to get this far. Anyway, second questions include my name and address, basically trying to authenticate who I am. Which is fine by me. Until...

 

"I'm sorry sir, but there doesn't seem to be an account matching your name." says he.

 

"Oh, of course," says I, "the account is in the name of my mother. It was her phone once upon a time."

 

"Is she available to talk?"

 

At this point my stomach is sinking pretty low, but I continue on regardless. "No, I'm afraid I haven't lived with her for well over a year now."

 

"Ah. Well, I'm sorry sir, but you'd need her to come to the phone before I can unsubscribe you from this pointless and infuriating advertising material". He didn't really mention the pointless and infuriating part, but I'm sure he knew it was.

 

So that's my story. I'm still going to be getting this pointless and infuriating advertising material, until such time as I can get home to my mother dearest, and get her to identify herself to them. But, how ironic is it, that you need your PIN number to retrieve your lost PIN number, and you can't enquire about it, even through email, without your PIN number. Is that stupid, or is it just me?

Yep, the day of judgement has been and gone. Actually, it was a period of about seven hours, but I have my resolution. Some of you may have guessed it, but you might not believe it...

...

..

.

..

...

I'm not going to buy the bloody phone. You're right. All of you. I don't need it, and really, I don't even want it that much. It was just a moment of desire, a brief outburst of wild passion (per se, hehe), and it won't happen again. Besides, I actually realised that I like my phone so much more because it's unique (almost). And, after talking to you, I realised how right you are. I kinda do have everything I want, need, and then some. Well done, says I.

 

And, now that I think about it, if I save most of the $500 from my birthday, and then the around $700 I'm going to be getting from my tax cheque, that's over $1000 extra in my bank account by July =D Hmm, all that money... What can I buy with it?

 

I'm kidding, of course.

So. Birthday has been and is long since gone, and among the more physical presents I've been gifted with slightly in excess of $500... That's a very decent sum of money, and I'm very happy with it. Very. This presents something of a moral dilemma for me, because... see... there's this phone. Quite a nice phone. In fact, it's absolutely a bloody good-looking phone. And I now have enough money (and then some) to buy it outright, which of course means I'm not committed to a plan and can just stick in my own Sim Card and keep my number and contacts. This phone is really, really shiny.

 

And therein lies the angst: I don't need it. I've already got a good phone. In fact, it's a great phone. The new phone doesn't do anything that the old phone does, and in fact the new phone doesn't have the flashy lights that my current phone has. Oh, in case you were wondering, my current phone is the Nokia 3220, and if you don't know what it looks like don't worry; they're a rare breed. Which is nice, because it makes me that little bit more unique. In fact, check out Webcam Folio #2 for a few pics of my phone. And the new phone is the Motorazr V3. You know, that really ultra-thin phone with the aircraft-grade aluminium casing and the super-sleek design? Very shiny. Nobody has that phone either, because it's just so expensive. In fact, it's cheaper to buy outright than many other phones out there, but for some reason buying it on a plan cuts to the bone. I don't get it, but I don't need to.

 

And thus does my point emerge. Do I take the ideal approach, which is that birthday money should be used to spoil yourself, and buy the phone, or do I take the realistic view and say that the money could be better used to pay my rego at the end of the year...  I don't know. I can't decide. Somebody give me a simple, obvious solution, because I can't find it.

Preface: The time stamp says 11:43 for me... It's around 1am, but the computers of NSW are still in disarray about Daylight Savings, so if the stamp comes up as 11:43 on the Blog, it's wrong. It's much later than that, unfortunately.

 

Holiday time, come on, don't hold out on me now... Holidays, oh holidays, wherefore art thou holidays?

 

Every one of my colleagues has done more than is required to deserve it, even the Mothers. Especially the Mothers: anyone who can wade through all this shit we go through and maintain a family at the same time has my respect right from the start, though that doesn't give them the right to be snappish and time-Nazis one and all. Especially the uber-Nazi-psycho-bitch primi gravidae in one of my endless Collaborative Learning groups.

 

She's a right nightmare, to be sure. And she will be muchly unimpressed when at least half of our CL group fails to show up later today for our Science tutorial, but that's life. Sometimes things don't go the way you want them to.

 

Mmm. You might notice a distinct lack of birthday-related content in this Blog entry, yes? Well, that would be because it's NOT a birthday Blog. Not at all. Nuh-uh.

 

I mean, I might be writing this to procrastinate from doing my Art essay, which I have loopholed to being due on Thursday (happy dance!), or it might be that I'm just over tired and want naught but to sleep, but it's most certainly not a birthday Blog. It's not even as though today (or even yesterday, that being Monday) is my birthday...

 

Oh, who am I kidding? All the people who actually read this were online at some point during my birthday, and if you're reading this and don't know that my birthday was on Sunday, then you're obviously a random, and need to post a comment. Hell, post a comment anyway, just for a change.

Or don't. I really don't mind. But I really don't like these two people at the moment. Which isn't to say that I'm going to kill them, because I'm not. But if one of them were suddenly to vanish from the face of the planet, preferably David first, I would not be complaining one bit.

 

Okay, I'm over it now. The mood has broken. Particularly thanks to a certain person or people (you know who are), but also due to the fact that that fateful fusion of paper, toner, metal and plastic is now far from my jurisdiction.

 

So break out the paper hats and munch on a rat or two  (look closely; he's eating a rat)

Have you ever had one of those days where everything around you just seemed to be there to irritate you, like a file grating against your nerves? I think this week must be getting to me, because I've had it since Monday afternoon, and I hate it. I don't want to snap at everybody around me, that doesn't help anybody, least of all myself. And yet, if I don't continue to feed my irritation by completing my assignments, I will be behind in my workload, which can only make me more irritated...

 

I think I need to go to the beach. That would help me. Anybody up for a beach trip? Speak up; I need the distraction.

 

Support Azukar's mental wellbeing, and take him to the beach. Any beach. Even an English beach made of rocks would be good enough for the moment, though Coogee would be the preference.

 

No, seriously. I need the water. I'm going to go mad if I don't. Sydney-bound friends, especially those anywhere near the water, help me out, please... It's a mood most foul I'm in, and I want out.

 

mors est certa, cur desperandum. You can't go around living your life in the shadow of a fact, else you might as well be dead already.

Certainly not where my housemates and I were, that's for sure. The whole story is a long one and convoluted one, so if you want to know about it (you do, you really, really do) just ask me ;-)

 

I'll give you a hint: It was nowhere near Bathurst, we left at around midnight, and we have photos and souvenirs from the event... And if THAT doesn't let you solve it, well then you can join the other [population of Earth]-4 people who also have no idea what it's supposed to mean.

Oookay, well some of my reasonable readers will know that the coming week (between the 20th and 26th of March) contains my birthday. A select few of those readers will be aware that said week also contains the birthday of one of my housemates. And probably all of my readers (at least those with whom I have spoken in the last few weeks) will be aware that this week also contains a very large amount of assignment work for me. And for my housemate, of course, so given that his birthday comes first I think I've got the better end of the deal.

 

So. What do my birthday and a lot of work have to do with one another, I hear you ask? Hopefully nothing, says I. On the other hand, I'm going to continue my pattern of being off-centre in my Space useage, and not actually have a " My Birthday" Blog... Now now, calm down people, it's only one entry, there will be others. So expect to be hearing about my birthday only through other channels, either in person, on the phone or on MSN. If it's on MSN, ask me for a Webcam convo while you're about it; I figure I've only used about $4 of its cost so far... Go on, you deserve it.

Yes, my ridiculous readers, Azukar has caved to the social pressure and has bought a webcam. Very shiny, and very not cheap, and I want to get my money's worth out of it as soon as I possibly can. So get online and see me in all my slightly grainy, questionably contrasted glory (I'm still figuring out the specs).

 

Now, I've noticed a protocol that seems to follow the purchase of a webcam; that is, that it is soon followed by the release of a "Webcam Pictures of Me" photo album, posted on the person's Space.

 

Now I don't know about you, but I don't go in for putting up personal images on the net. Not for any reasons of privacy or anything, I just don't. So even though I can't fight established protocol, I'm going to put a different slant on my first webcam folio. Enjoy. Comment, too. And get online and demand a webcam convo!

Alternate... Conceptions... Episteme... <twitch, spasm> pedagogical awareness... science <twitch, uncontrollable shaking>... prescientific model... geocentrism <involuntary stabbing motions>... sidereality... curricular restructuring... constructivist learning... <twitch, twitch>

 

Oh, the pain, the glory, the terrible terrible pain and gloriously glorious glory. Just don't mention the words "alternate conception" within earshot of my for a few days and I will be totally okay. I finally finished referencing , which took far longer than expected, due to the fact that my colleagues can't actually reference in their own work properly, which meant that I ended up having to update their references to something that won't award me an instant Fail mark on terms...

Now, a couple of people over the past few weeks have questioned why I ever learned Latin in the first place. You know, given that it's a dead language and all, and I will never find a person to converse in it with. Yes, this is true, and yes, I will never find a sweet Latin-speaking female to woo with my Latin-speaking ability, but if you look closely, you may well find that Latin is still alive and well in certaibn aspects of society, and knowing it can give you the edge in certain situations.

 

1) Medical nonsense. Doctors use Latin all the time; when I bought my Latin dictionary last year I was asked if I was a doctor (not training to be, but was I now). So I don't know about you, but I think it would be nice to know that when a doctor prescribes you an infusion of "saccharumflumen vivum", you should find a new G.P..

 

2) Legal terminology. I don't plan to ever be the defendant in a court case, but if I happen to be, I would also like to know that when the prosecuting lawyer starts pleading the precedent of Adamus Cum Flabella Dulci, I am going to win.

 

3) Academic bullshite. This ties in with Legal terminology a little. In an environment where so much Latin is being thrown around needlessly, (I mean, who says "marks will be be deducted on a per diem basis" instead of just "you'll lose marks on a daily basis"), a bit of the Old Language thrown in here and there, especially when even the lecturer doesn't understand it, practically guarantees an HD for the assignment... Terms like "modus operandi", "lingua pura" and "quanti canis ille fenestrae" are all helpful in this respect.

 

So, dead language yes, forgotten language no. Anyway, quoting in Latin is far more interesting than English...

 

Remeber: "maior risus, acrior ensis".

Until next time, my refreshing readers, good night.

This Blog entry is going to  make me sound ungrateful, so I'll preface it by saying that I was not actually expecting anything, so I was just shocked, okay?

 

You might think that, in the interest of scale, the quality of a "free gift" accompanying an item you've just purchased to be proportional to the cost of the item itself.

 

So, when I took the car for its first service, I was promised a "free gift"... According to the proportionality law of item/gift relativity, $15000 worth of car should have landed a gift worth approximately $80. Possibly a little less.

 

So. I've hung around Orange for a few hours, and I head back to pick up the car. And the smiling lady behind the counter smiles again and hands me my free gift. What is , I wonder... In a package that shape and size, it must surely be a mini Mag light, or possibly an MP3 player... (Actually, I wasn't thinking any of those things, but anyway...)

 

It's a corkscrew. GO AZUKAR! Woo Hoo! I got a CORKSCREW! I'll add that to the pile of other ceremonial corkscrews I've received over time (totalling three now) and live for the day when I drink enough vintage wine to actually go through three corkscrews. Admittedly it also had a more-or-less blunt knife that slips out through an otherwise innocuous hole in the end, but that's small consolation.

 

So, for all those of you who put bets on the nature of the gift, you all LOSE! Admittedly, I don't win either, so I guess all bets are off. Now come over to my place and let's get open a nice vintage. With my new Canobolas Holden bottle opener...

of MSN, that is. A bit of random web-trawling on my part landed me this interesting list of observations and rules to abide by when using MSN. I liked it so, apart from the accompanying quotes (which were lengthy), and my fixing up some spelling and syntax, I've taken the liberty of reproducing it here. If the owner reads this and takes offence, then she or he need only speak up and I will withdraw it. Otherwise, here it is.

 

As some of my more prescient restive readers will notice, I've got a new set of pictures. Feel free to download them and share the love, but please tell people where they come from if you do... Of course, if you want the full version, just drop a comment or, if I don't know you, leave a comment with your email and the pics you want.

 

More are to follow, so if you have an idea drop a comment here or write an email to me

 

(don't bother using my Hotmail as I never check it, but emails to my Gmail accounts will find me in short order)

 

and I shall see what can be done.

but not speaking of mice, I headed out to Orange on Wednesday for the first of my mentoring sessions. Results, you ask? Verdicts, even?

 

Highly positive. I think Wednesdays are going to be a high point in my week (although right now every day that doesn't start with "Tues" is pretty good for me). I really enjoyed myself, and my two mentees were responsive, positive and seemed fairly enthusiastic about increasing their marks. Good stuff says I.

 

Now, I can't go into specifics for three good reasons. One is that mentoring sessions are totally confidential, unless of course a mentee tells me he's about to jump off a bridge, in which case I inform the school coordinator. Either way, I cannot give out any information about my mentees. The second reason is, of course, that I won't give out any identifying information on the net. Certainly not of people that aren't me (And there are a lot of you). And lastly, by certinalu not leastly, I just wouldn't do that sort of thing. So don't expect anything juicy, my ravenous readers, because I won't give it to you.

 

But I can say some things. I've got one male and one female mentee (as you knew). The girl is... attractive, to say the very least, but I'm more ethical than to even consider trying anything. Besides, I don't know for certain, but I'm fairly sure she's not 16 yet... We don't have a lot in common, really, but I think my duty with her will be balancing her social and extracurricular lives with a study routine.

 

The guy, on the other hand, has a bit more in common with me. My plan with him will be to explore a range of options for him after he leaves school, as well as making his study schedule a little more rigourous, because I think he can be doing a lot better than he is. Which sounds a lot like me at that age, when I think about it...

 

Muchly enjoyable; I certainly liked the first week. Sans  the occasional awkward pause, perhaps, but we have been told not to fear small silences now and again, which is true. I look forward to the next encounter.

what you see here. A slight twist on the normal "100 questions about Azukar", so I like it. Here are some of the results from the tests I took (in no order)

 

The "which movie villain are you?" test

Confused Villain: So are you good or bad? You can't make up your mind and often regret your situation as the love-stricken bad guy. But hey, at least you're hot! The movie character here is Lestat (Vampire Chronicles)

 

The "box of chocolates" test

You are a praline cascade: A creamy blend of finely ground hazelnuts and bits of biscuit covered in white chocolate and sprinkled with candied sugar.
Ah, the praline cascade, a mountain overflowing with creativity and passion. You are open-minded and have your moments of open-heartedness as well. That's probably not a word, but I don't care. Generally, you are a good person and you definitely have a lot to offer in terms of insight and optimism. Don't be afraid to get a little wild and spread the love just a little bit more...you know what I mean.

 

The "medieval achetypes" quiz

The Magician is free and full of energety. Magicians like to entertain. They like to change things. They seem driven by some invisible force. Things that never change quickly become boring to them, as they live fast-paced lives. They are very creative and able; many successful people are Magicians. Magicians, as the name implies, are often very talented and capable of performing feats that seem impossible. Although they are very artistic, they aren't usually introspective or philosophical. Magicians prefer to live in the minute. Although they really like people and even devote a portion of themselves to the world, they need their space. You can't corner a magician. He'll disappear in a puff of smoke.

 

The "angel" test

Archangel Raphael is the Angel of intellect, creativity, healing, joy, courage and hope. This Angel will bring guidance and sustenance to anyone feeling lost, whether physically, emotionally or spiritually. He is called "The Illuminator," because he provides a "Torch of Angelic Light" to help humans light their way through life so they can more effectively avoid hurdles, overcome challenges with less effort, and see the opportunities and spiritual rewards that lay ahead. He encourages self-motivation in becoming who we’re meant to be, and reminds us to seek truth in all we say and do. As we light our way into the future, a sense of courage will naturally come to us.

Students as well as teachers are in good hands if Raphael is watching over them. He inspires a heightened creative visualization and allows us to better focus on a particular activity to achieve a specific goal. Raphael is the Patron Angel of doctors, scientists, writers, and anyone working in the field of endeavour in the liberal arts or sciences. Being the leader of the Angels of Healing, Raphael offers cure of all kinds for humans, animals, and nature. He is a protector of children, and that goes for your inner child, too. He teaches us to laugh easily, and to enjoy life. Raphael is said to be the friendliest and funniest of all the Angels.

 

So there you go. Now you know even more about good ol' Azukar

What a week it has been. It's hectic, and still planned to get worse. But, reset readers, I am getting by for the moment. I feel like the workload has finally sunk in: my house mates and I spent some three or four hours together last night, working together to finish the most recently due assignment. Good stuff, and we all felt pretty good afterward (although we are all still sore from the intense gym sessions we've been through lately).

 

Now, most of my registered readers will know that my Tuesday is a shocker of a day - eight hours of classes between 8am and 6pm, with a measly break between 9am and 10am. It's not the most fun of days - by the time the PDHPE lecture rolls in at 1pm, we're all about to fall asleep. But that's what you get for putting all your eggs in one basket... Anyway, so Tuesday morning rolls around, and I'm up first. I head into the kitchen and see what might have been a flicker of movement near the microwave. A fly? A cockroach? A flesh-eating zombie hell-bent on feasting upon my sleep-deprived brain? So I look under the microwave, and what do I see? A bloody mouse! Tiny little thing it was, about the size of a large walnut, or a small egg. Sitting down there, bold as brass, surrounded by a scattering of mouse poo. Very pleasant.

 

So naturally the question arises: what am I going to do about this? Nobody likes sharing their house with a mouse; in any case we've already decided that the only pets in the house will be the two guppies owned by my female housemate. In the end it spent a day in the otto bin before heading, well, who knows where... It really freaked out my housemates though - you should have seen them!

My female house mate asked me to fill out a page on this "friends probe" book of hers. So I did, and after I'd dragged up some very humourous and slightly unwanted memories, I thought I'd transcribe it for my recent readers to know a little more about me (or not)

 

Naturally, all names excpet that of Catherine Zeta-Jones have been changed. My male house mate will be referred to as Alan, and my female house mate shall be Sara. My good mates should know who they are.

 

Name: Azukar

My cool friends call me: Umm... Azukar

I live at: Bathurst, with Sara! (and Alan)

Phone me on: We have no phone...

Mobile: I don't much want to give out my mobile number on the net

Fax me on: ...

Email me at: yamatospirit @ gmail . com

My birthday is: 26/03/1987

My star sign is: Aries

Fav flick: Team America/Kill Bill

Fav celebrity: Catherine Zeta-Jones

Fav clothes: white shirt, shorts

Fav colour: red

Fav snack: Sara's coconut cookies!

Fav place: beach, any beach!

Fav guy: George

Fav sport: swimming

Person I'd most like to be stuck on a desert island with: Catherine Zeta-Jones

Cause: Guess... lol

Person I look up to: anybody taller then me

Best turn on: (See "fav celebrity")

Most spunky TV star: Someone from O.C.?

Worst habit: cracking joints

Coolest Talent: Japanese?

The thing I'm least likely to do is: Eat sewer muck

Most embarassing moment: ... Just ask me

Best ever advice: If an opportunity comes, grab on with all four limbs and DO NOT LET GO! Remember: maior risus, acrior ensis

I can't resist:

My obsession is: nihonteki na

Coolest experience: many many many

Most way cool person I know is: Sara!!

Cause: She'd whack me if I said "Catherine Zeta-Jones" one more time

Coolest chick I know: (see above)

The most way out corny thing I've ever done is: Dining in Xlnc (dont ask or I won't tell)

Most fun loving chick: dunno...

Hottest Band: Seether

Best buddy: Larry/Josh/Brad/Alan/Sara/Peter

Hottest tip: don't eat yellow snow

Most spooky dream: butchers coming to eat me

Guy with the best bod is: Brad Pitt (Sara said so)

But the most drop-dead gorgeous babe is: C Z-J

Best day of my life: too many to choose from

Worst white lie: "Hey! I study philosophy!"

Most juicy secret: just ask me hehehe

I freakout when: I don't know what I just bit in to...

Worst blunder: Dining in Xlnc

I've got a crush on:

Most sneaky tactic: (see "Worst white lie")

 

So there you go. Probably that raises more questions than it answers, but if you want to know, just ask me  or if you're reading this but don't know who I am, add me to MSN and ask me there .

 

Until next time, realigned readers...

It seems that the focus for this semester is the "collaborative approach to learning", as it applies to teaching and reflective practice.

 

The idea is that professional teachers do not teach alone. They teach in collaboration with many other teachers, both within the school and across the state, and should be in a state of communication with them. By working together, we can explore ideas that would not have occurred to one person alone, and are exposed to viewpoints that may complement and differ from our own. Naturally, such a broad-minded teacher will be far more able to effectively teach his or her students than one who has no contact with the rest of the world.

 

To introduce us to the concept of collaboration, most of our assignment this semester from all four subjects are to be done in groups. As I mentioned in the last entry, many of these assignments are ongoing, and are completed over the course of the terms. In this way, us young naive student teachers will begin to understand the nature of collaborative practice, and how effective it is at producing results that are greater than the sum of their components.

 

So goes the theory. Back in the real world, meanwhile, Azukar and his 103 fellow educationeers face the daunting task of having to meet with a total of three different groups of students, one for each of the collaborative subjects we have. We need to meet with all three groups regularly to fulfil these assignments, and we need to work this in around a total of eleven lives and tute times. Oh, and if we don't put in the hard yards to make all this happen, we will fail, make no mistake about that. And don't forget the non-collaborative assignments we have to complete as well, which ironically we can fail if we do collaborate with other students. Welcome to Charles Sturt University: the Home of Mixed Messages.

 

Still, nil desperandum my righteous readers, because although it seemed around one in five third year students failed one or more of these subjects last year, if my old dorm-mate can manage to make it through without failing a subject, we should pass with colours flying.

 

In other news, the guarana challenge is on hold, due to the opressive workload we have shouldered during the past seven days. Even my house mates agree it's too much to do right now. But the holidays are slowly, slowly approaching...