tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:57:12 +0000Formerly xtn,etc. and before that, A to Z of XTN. There's nothing random about this blog.http://xtn.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (xtn)Blogger284125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-4387279423669830739Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:45:00 +00002008-04-20T03:00:25.172+10:00that her dream is to one day quit whatever she was doing and open a small cafe where she would hold readings and philosophical discussions in the corner. And the way she explained it and then got embarassed when she caught herself babbling about it for just a little too long. If I could write this story any better, then I would be a much better writer than I am. Oh, how could that NOT be worth ahttp://xtn.blogspot.com/2008/04/that-her-dream-is-to-one-day-quit.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-3009718244102473313Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:23:00 +00002008-02-13T01:35:05.891+11:00just found on Facebook this old friend of mine that I lost touch with. We had a short but nice bond for a little while and now it seems she's married. To the guy who, when we last spoke, had been a total dickhead to her. I mean, really bad...I guess maybe they figured things out. Or maybe he changed his spots. Or maybe dickheads do finish first... seems to happen a lot.But I gathered this info http://xtn.blogspot.com/2008/02/just-found-on-facebook-this-old-friend.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-4483249644636671937Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:56:00 +00002008-02-07T00:04:47.565+11:00even though you know it's not really real, it's still nice. It's still nice to think someone cares. Someone loves you. Someone thinks the world of you. And yes it's not real. Only foolish people and those under the age of fifteen should expect anything other than that this game must end at some point. And most likely in a fizzle or a fit or a ful-blown tragedy.But that doesn't really mean it http://xtn.blogspot.com/2008/02/even-though-you-know-its-not-really.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-1188035373535373879Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:00:00 +00002008-01-31T01:38:13.904+11:00These are but tiny little sparks.Let them breathe and they will grow.Keep them in darkness and they will still shine.But may they never be smothered or crushed or discarded.May they never grow old and tired and stale.May they never be ignored.May they never be forgotten.May they never die.http://xtn.blogspot.com/2008/01/these-are-but-tiny-little-sparks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-5396957005443738577Mon, 28 Jan 2008 10:52:00 +00002008-01-28T22:19:41.733+11:00like his role in Monster's Ball where he died early. He was brilliant. A standout in that film, and then his character was snuffed. Suddenly. Unceremoniously. And it made a hole and left me, as the audience, wanting. Yeah I'm pretty bummed about Heath Ledger's death. I mean, not that I'm I'm crying or anything but I do feel it. He was young and he was very very talented. At 28, I dare you to namehttp://xtn.blogspot.com/2008/01/like-his-role-in-monsters-ball-where-he.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-637157808668458862Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:34:00 +00002008-01-14T21:46:38.786+11:00that work is normal again. I'm on top of things there. At least for a while. There's a To-Do list in my head that I feel I should complete. Some of the items are quite easy and others aren't. And maybe not all of them REALLY need to get done.Writing more is one of them. But I am having a problem of not really caring. About anything. I just feel like having fun for a while.I just watched Little http://xtn.blogspot.com/2008/01/that-work-is-normal-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-1825946238038104328Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:04:00 +00002008-01-11T00:05:57.276+11:00so was walking after work around the city. I went to the comic store like I do every Thursday (which is shipment day), but this time I went on. Wondering the city made me feel a little Holden Caulfield, except without the fascination with death. Actually I can’t really remember how much death was involved with the book but I just remember that it made me depressed to read it and I didn’t like it http://xtn.blogspot.com/2008/01/so-was-walking-after-work-around-city.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-8675414781806560604Sun, 26 Aug 2007 13:16:00 +00002007-08-27T01:00:32.880+10:00Nothing much to reportI haven't touched blogs for ages. I have written or read any in a while, and I'm not sure that anyone still reads it except for Joeii. God bless her.So, since the conjuctivitis, it's been fun fun fun. First there were the nose bleeds. In a period of three days, I had five nose bleeds (though I think they all stemmed from the first), which may not sound that amazing except http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/08/nothing-much-to-report-i-havent-touched.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-6840163038770376396Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:30:00 +00002007-07-24T21:38:06.647+10:00Adventures in ConjunctivitislandI probably should have gone home on Friday but I persisted with the trivia night even though my eyes were already bloodshot by then and excreting a sticky substance that looked like a cross between pus and snot.On Saturday morning I woke up and had to peel the green crust that had locked my eyes shut tight. And my left eyelid was swollen and the redness was gettinghttp://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/07/adventures-in-conjunctivitisland-i.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-4023534149717091283Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:59:00 +00002007-07-10T00:04:21.179+10:00Federer is really really goodI like Federer. I think he's the most likeable sporting superstar of my generation (and by superstar, I'm talking upper upper echelon once-in-every-20-years-type stars). Michael Jordan was too relentless, Tiger Woods plays too boring a sport, Michael Schumacher still is a dickhead and Ian Thorpe sells pearls.Last night, Federer beat Nadal in a very tough 5-setter to http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/07/federer-is-really-really-good-i-like.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-7190566158005317876Tue, 29 May 2007 14:06:00 +00002007-05-30T01:39:25.909+10:00I’m a geekSo the most exciting news to come out of last week was the hint (yes, just a HINT) from George Lucas that there might be a new Star Wars movie in the works. Speculation says that it will be set way in the past, in the golden age of the Old Republic.Now why is this exciting?Only because that’s the setting of the GREATEST COMPUTER GAMES EVER!Yes, I wasted many many hours playing Knights http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/05/im-geek-so-most-exciting-news-to-come.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-6293675196361031684Wed, 23 May 2007 13:26:00 +00002007-05-24T01:15:32.239+10:00Talking with Sleepwalker 23.05.07 7:24pm or thereaboutsSometimes you frustrate me.Other times, it's really nice and I laugh.It's good to laugh.Although some consistency would be nice.But I guess that's not what I like about you.And I do.- What is that? A song? A poem?- Maybe.- It sucks.- Thanks.- You use 'nice' too much.- I like 'nice'.- I can see that.- I'm not much of a poet.- I can see that http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/05/talking-with-sleepwalker-23.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-2211060046635748841Sun, 20 May 2007 12:42:00 +00002007-05-20T23:07:38.138+10:00Two really badly-written reviews of sortsI have no idea why the movie is called The Science of Sleep because I couldn’t spot any ‘science’ in it. But I think it would make a perfect date movie, except I wasn’t on a date, which is a shame I guess. But I still really loved the movie.My friend wasn’t as enthused as I was about it. She said it was nice but there weren’t any memorable scenes in it. I http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/05/two-really-badly-written-reviews-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-4988391578846497761Wed, 16 May 2007 15:30:00 +00002007-05-17T01:38:35.045+10:00Christian, David and Paul[Spoiler warning to anyone that might be watching the play]The reason why I generally hate watching or reading true stories and biographies is that I end up spending a lot of time wondering how much of it was truly true.To me, fiction is king. I say never let truth get in the way of a good story. And anyone who thinks that truth is stranger than fiction probably just http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/05/christian-david-and-paul-spoiler.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-7887247825628784945Tue, 15 May 2007 14:39:00 +00002007-05-16T00:45:16.299+10:00The highlight of my dayA: Have you guys seen that Wild Hogs movie?D: What's that?A: It's the one about the middle-aged guys who go out on Harleys. It's got John Travolta and that guy from Fargo.D: Who?A: And it's got that black guy. What's-his-name.D: Danny Glover?A: No. Um... Martin somebody.D: Martin Glover?A: No...D: Martin Sheen?A: No... black!http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/05/highlight-of-my-day-have-you-guys-seen.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-2358386304305318177Mon, 07 May 2007 12:59:00 +00002007-05-08T02:18:17.098+10:00Memoirs of a hack writer (or... The love that dares to speak its name)The very first story I can remember writing was about a ninja. He went into hiding as a child and then didn’t come out until he was thirty, by which time he had become an incredible skilled fighter. I don’t quite remember how the rest went, but I assume he killed a lot of people.The second story I remember writing was pretty http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/05/memoirs-of-hack-writer-or.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-7054346129283467023Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:16:00 +00002007-04-29T21:47:03.327+10:00Word of the dayIrony is like the Where's Wally? (or Where's Waldo? for all you North American readers... I'm sure there are lots of you... ahem) of the English language. People love spotting it and then telling everyone else that they've spotted it.It makes them feel smart. S-m-r-t. Smart.Unfortunately, spotting Irony is often more difficult that one suspects and when you think you have found onehttp://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/04/word-of-day-irony-is-like-wheres-wally.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-6869499195374582297Wed, 25 Apr 2007 13:18:00 +00002007-04-25T23:56:29.502+10:00The best Anzac day everI gotta be honest with you, I don't feel Anzac day. It's just a day off for me. I have no real emotional link with the Anzacs and won't pretend to. But I do enjoy the day off. And I enjoy clocking off early and having a beer or a few on Anzac day eve.So that's what I did yesterday. Went to the RSL, had a few drinks. And I won a meat tray.Yes, a MEAT TRAY!Do you realise how http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/04/best-anzac-day-ever-i-gotta-be-honest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-191603221897783025Wed, 25 Apr 2007 12:55:00 +00002007-04-26T00:10:49.507+10:00 Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™From Beckyhttp://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/04/read-my-visualdna-get-your-own.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-8994072812110907198Sun, 22 Apr 2007 12:58:00 +00002007-04-22T23:34:47.062+10:00Stuff about books and stuffI have a problem.I love reading books and I love buying books.But I am such a slow reader that it takes me weeks (and sometimes months) just to finish one book.So I have this huge backlog of books that I've bought and haven't read.Actually, I have another problem.When I read a good book, I find myself wanting to read other books of that ilk, so those outside that genre http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/04/stuff-about-books-and-stuff-i-have.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-1496936496587735659Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:04:00 +00002007-04-18T03:03:46.723+10:00Lynching like it's Salem 1692It's like this.BloggerA writes a very short comedic piece about losing her sunnies in a dept store and then buying some plates or something. And she names it after a James Blunt song.Not long after, BloggerB also writes a very short comedic piece about losing something, except this time it's about an IPod, I think.You know, it's that whole 'I can't live without http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/04/lynching-like-its-salem-1692-its-like.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-2284786525572389463Fri, 13 Apr 2007 17:10:00 +00002007-04-14T04:28:22.377+10:00 God bless you, Mr VonnegutKurt Vonnegut Jr. was my hero.In so many ways, I've wanted to be like him.When I first read Cat's cradle, and then Slaughterhouse V shortly after, I felt a connection that I had never felt before to a novel. His narrators are so weary of the world and the motions we go through every day that we call life, and yet they care so much. They can't help but care. It was like http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/04/god-bless-you-mr-vonnegut-kurt-vonnegut.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-4856609209329638475Mon, 09 Apr 2007 12:11:00 +00002007-04-09T23:07:40.036+10:00Happy EasterEaster is not really something that people go out of their way to celebrate the way that we do with Christmas. I've always suspected that the reason could be as arbitrary as the fact that Christmas occurs at the convenient time of the year's end, but I dunno.In terms of my faith, however, Easter is a lot more important. Christmas was the start of Jesus' journey, but Easter was his http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/04/happy-easter-easter-is-not-really.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-7384123607863378941Tue, 03 Apr 2007 13:46:00 +00002007-04-04T01:28:32.880+10:00Pocket universesI was exchanging emails today with a few friends and it really struck me how little I could relate to what was being said. One guy, for example, has this thing for really nice and expensive headphones at the moment. But he also rarely (if ever) buys actual CDs (blank CDRs don't count) and he says he doesn't listen to entire albums. Which only leaves pretty much the hit songs. Now,http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/04/pocket-universes-i-was-exchanging.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483221.post-2659796017319903301Thu, 29 Mar 2007 13:29:00 +00002007-03-29T23:35:19.347+10:00I'm big in the PhilippinesApparently so.As of last night, I've received four Friendster 'friends' requests from teenaged girls in the Philippines.I don't get it. Is this a joke? Is it a scam? Are they real? What do they want?I haven't replied to any of them.And they don't even seem to be friends each other, which makes it even more puzzling.What am I missing here?Is this happening to anyone else http://xtn.blogspot.com/2007/03/im-big-in-philippines-apparently-so.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (xtn)2