web-goddess

According to the World Terrorism Index, Australia is currently the 38th most likely to be hit by a terrorist attack in the next year. The USA is sitting pretty at #4 and the UK’s at #10. Hey, at least we moved in the right direction, right?

In Australia you can say the F-word on television. (Well, after 8:30 anyway.) In fact, you can pretty much say anything you want. For instance, we get uncensored episodes of Sex and the City and The Sopranos on normal free-to-air stations, and Aussie Big Brother even has a special “Uncut” episode each week where they show all the boobies and curse words. I sorta assumed that it’s always been this way, but instead it turns out that 1997 was the year when everything loosened up. Why? Four Weddings and a Funeral. Ha!

I just found out that a Fernwood Fitness Centre will be opening up at the Broadway, which is relatively close to our new apartment. These are a chain of “women only” gyms and they look pretty neat. My first impulse was to sell off my existing gym membership and join Fernwood. Upon reflection though, I don’t think I need to. I can’t honestly say that the men at my gym bother me at all. I don’t feel uncomfortably ogled or intimidated. I wonder how much of that has to do with my burgeoning self-confidence (courtesy of weight loss and better fitness) and how much has to do with the fact that the men at my gym are predominantly gay. 🙂

Do you think segregated gyms are a good idea? I can see where some people might be more comfortable with that, but it sounds a little ridiculous. Like, are “men only” gyms then okay? The only good reason for them, as I see it, are in places where the big bodybuilding guys feel like they have a right to the equipment and little girls don’t. Maybe I’m just lucky that my gym isn’t really one of those places.

Me: “Holy crap, Snookums! Thylacines (Tasmanian tigers) have been spotted in parkland not far from Melbourne’s CBD!”
Him: “Aww, somebody probably just painted stripes on their dog.”

All joking aside, that’s pretty friggin’ cool. The thing’s supposedly been extinct on the mainland for over 2000 years, and now they’ve suddenly got credible evidence that it might still be around! This country is pretty amazing.

I knew there’d be a catch with the new apartment. I called the agent today and asked about the possibility of pets. No go. I just felt like the time was right to go find our little Dr. Alowicious Jones kitty, but it’s not to be. Crap.

When I first heard the Flaming Lips’ song “Fight Test” I immediately recommended it to the Snook. “You’ll like this,” I said. “It reminds me of ‘Father and Son.’” I guess I wasn’t the only one to make the connection. The Lips have agreed to split all royalties from the song with Cat Stevens. I’m not sure I agree with that. I didn’t think they were trying to rip him off; I felt like they were quoting him, making a reference, and possibly even continuing on ideas from his song. That’s legitimate “fair use”, as far as I’m concerned.

Friday Five:

1. How much time do you spend online each day?
Hmm. Well, I jump on as soon as I get up to check my e-mail and comments… and then there’s eight hours at work… and then probably at least another hour at home… Good grief. Probably 8-10 hours a day. And believe it or not, that’s actually an improvement over my life in London.

2. What is your browser homepage set to?
At work, Google. At home, My Yahoo. I like to read the news.

3. Do you use any instant messaging programs? If so, which one(s)?
I use iChat AV, which is Apple’s IM client for AOL/Netscape Instant Messenger. You won’t find me on it as much these days because the firewall at work doesn’t allow it and the whole time difference thing makes coordinating chat difficult.

4. Where was your first webpage located?
I started my very first webpage in 1996 when I was a sophomore at Notre Dame. I just used the Internet Wayback Machine to look it up, and here is it: Kristine Howard’s Page O’ Wonders. (I so wish I was joking. What a nerd. Although I’m not the only one.) You can also see the very first version of the Roald Dahl Home Page, featuring the extra-cool javascript thingy that scrolls text at the bottom of your browser. Yeah, I was cool.

5. How long have you had your current website?
As you can see from the archives, web-goddess has existed since the beginning of 2001. That’s two and a half years!

I really, really want a Silpat.

We think we’ve found an apartment! *fingers crossed* You knew we were looking, right?

Update: We got it! We’re moving in three weeks! Ugh, there’s so much work to do… but it’s an awesome place.

Wow! Apparently the blackout extended all the way to Ohio and people got stuck on the rollercoasters at Cedar Point! My Dad was researching this for me yesterday when he came across even more shocking news: they’re going to dismantle my favorite ride, the Schwabinchen! I am really, really disappointed about this. Maybe I should mount a “Save the Schwabinchen” campaign.

Update: That kid’s video footage (from the first link) got showed on the news here in Sydney tonight!