all things me

First of all, Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Yesterday I managed to catch some sort of a cold by sitting my back to the back door of the bus. A slight breeze came from there, actually so noticeable that I thought the door was open. This morning, when I got on the bus I, of course, got a coughing spell.
No use in sniffling either, there’s an awful stench of paint here, and I can smell it. Guess who’ll have a headache by the end of the day. \o_ thaaaat’s right – I

I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut (or fingers tied) to let one day pass without blogging…

@ 13:14
¿Qué? “Wrought” is the past tense/past participle of “work”

I don’t understand II and a half
– why people ask questions and won’t bother checking with Google first (I’m referring to “stupid” questions on a translators’ mailing list)

(- why do I go to bed at 10:30 pm in order to get more sleep if I’m still awake at midnight…)

Have you noticed that if you see some word several times (stare at it), you start to question if it’s spelled correctly? This happens to me every time I design a birthday card with “Hyvää Syntymäpäivää” (Happy Birthday) and am choosing the perfect font. After a couple of fonts the ‘hyvää’ is starting to look really weird. Once it got so bad I even checked the dictionary

Just now I saw the word “many” (I just wanted to see how many people have used the word “many-many” which my prof had used in a documentation) and after a while I wondered what that meant and if that’s really how it’s written…

Is it just me?

This morning when I came to work, our servers were down. Luckily Windows worked. Now, at 10 am one of the project people arrived and the servers were still down. She had only Linux on the computer so she decided to leave because she would’ve had to leave early anyway. Almost instantly after she had left, I noticed the servers were back up.
I should’ve just kept my mouth shut (I told her the servers were down) so maybe she would’ve taken enough time to settle down and the servers would’ve started working by then.

@ 12:25
New word (I knew it before but didn’t know how it’s spelled): brouhaha — uproar

A professor just asked someone if they knew Windows well and when he said no, the prof said “or at least you’re not going to admit it” …

Everybody always trashes Windows and Bill Gates. I wonder why. Who would be using computers today if it wasn’t for Windows? The nerds. And would there be nerds if they weren’t introduced to computers via Windows or similar easily graspable systems at an early age? The graphic interface allows lay(wo)men to use the computer without having to know dozens of different commands and their usage. And when they realise and learn that there could be a better OS than Windows (better in the areas they appreciate), they get interested in others.

OK, I don’t know if that’s what happens, but I like Windows and I’m not afraid to admit it. I don’t know if I would like computers if I had to stare at the light blue text on blue screen of a Commodore 64 or the black screen of DOS all day (I know they can be customised… but you get the point), or type commands and check how the arguments had to be written again.

And besides, games work on Windows.

And Bill Gates. It’s not like he keeps all the money he’s made to himself. He and his wife have foundations. I think they contributed money even to the Finnish libraries for the exceptional work they’ve (the libraries) done to give public access to computers and the Internet.

@ 12:38
I’m hungry so I could’ve gone to eat to an actual Unicafe, but… there are two cafes close by, one is closed for the summer and the other one had only steak and omelette. I don’t eat eggs and I’m pretty sure the steak would be pork, which I don’t eat either. Lucky me.
So, cheese rice cake it is…
I could go … no, shoot … Mum just baked yesterday (or the day before that) I would’ve gone via some bakery on my way home and buy something really really good for coffee.

Ehm… a dictionary claims that “hard cheese” means “bad luck” … does it? I can’t find anything for or against. And I don’t have my Idiom dictionary with me.

@ 13:22
* singing *
Should I stay or should I go now…. if I stay it will be trouble, if I leave it will be double. Or the other way round. I really don’t remember the lyrics…

It feels like everybody’s leaving… I’m afraid I will be locked in. Actually I *was* locked in A girl who left the “sub-room” (a tiny room where you have to go to through this one) closed the door (to this room) and after a while she came back and opened it.

I’ll leave at 14. Forgive me, for I’ll sin. (I should be here till 16)

Updates: the buttons and links to the 3 newest fanlistings I’ve joined — found in the right column

Had a Memento moment this morning (oh yeah, I watched Memento yesterday. I bought it “ages” ago…). I came to work thinking (OH! Another thing… I’ll tell about it soon) I need to wash my hands (there was a hobo in the tram; could smell him 3 meters away) so, I walked by the toilet on the way to my room. When I was going to get my daily water I thought “doh, I forgot to wash my hands” so I went by the toilet again. But, the sink was wet and there was a paper towel in the trash. The building is pretty empty this early in the morning (and probably everyone is already on holiday — although I did notice our study councellor was here and she should be on holiday). So, I think I washed my hands the first time around after all.

The other thing. About.. 2–3 weeks ago I saw a guy in the traffic lights with a backpack that said “Jack Wolfskin” and “X-File” on it… I have no idea what that backpack was about… And every morning since then I’ve remembered that I should google it and every morning I’ve forgotten about it by the time I get to the department. But NOW, now I will remember it.

*goes off googling*

OK, so, it’s some actual product name. Most of the sites are German. That is just so odd. Why choose a name like “X-File”?

A new word I’ve learnt recently: vanilla – basic or ordinary

Protege mailing list (http interface) doesn’t work.

Protege 2.1 won’t open my ontology (not like I need it to open it but it would be nice now that there’s a new release and not a beta anymore)

The smell of coffee drifts into my nose. Too bad the taste is shocking.

While I’m at it (“complaining”). I’m veeeery annoyed by the use of 3rd person singular verb with 3rd person plural. In Finnish, that is (we have different verb forms for each of those, 1st p. sg to 3rd p. pl that is — in case you didn’t know). It’s like using non-3rd person singular verb with 3rd person singular noun (“she say”; and that is in use as well). I know that some people are annoyed with the colloquial personal pronouns which I am “fluent” with (but I would NEVER use them in writing — hardly ever in the “internet speech” either, or text messages.. oh, no) and sometimes (in speech), I have to admit, I might slip a passive with “alkaa” (shame on me). But if that (either wrong number in verbs or that passive thing I mentioned) ever becomes acceptable, like the scary rumours I’ve heard could suggest — I’ll probably drop dead on the spot.

Now, enough bitching, time for coffeeing.

He-hey! There was sugar! (for coffee) This makes the taste not-so-shocking.

I bought (or Dad, I’ll pay when I get my pay) Radeon 9600 Pro today (wheee, the “special offer” was a Pro!!) but we didn’t get it working yet. Simon (my computer) is quite old, 3½ years give or take and I haven’t updated it much (other than Windows and virus scan stuff; only new driver for Geforce 2 when Splinter Cell wouldn’t work) so there was some glitch and the computer started beeping when we started it (after replacing Geforce with Radeon). Probably the problem is with the CPU to AGP controller… or how could I know… Dad found some service pack which I installed, but we didn’t try changing the card yet (it’s sauna night and I understand that he doesn’t want to crawl on the floor fresh out of shower). So, I’m still holding my thumbs up (as we in Finland do; or keeping my fingers crossed as it is in English) and hoping all will be well tomorrow. Oh yeah, Simon’s gutted His left side is wide open, I can see his intestines!

In fact, now I don’t have ANY graphics card installed. Or, GF2 is *in* there (I wouldn’t have anything to plug the monitor in if it wasn’t…) but the configs have just a VGA driver and no fancy stuff.
(Oh my goodness, that big-eyed smiley is hilarious!)

In the meantime I’ve been doing new buttons to fit my new layout. I don’t have any affiliates yet and I doubt I ever will, but a girl can hope, right? No one probably ever reads these anyway (except for Mum, hey Mum! *waves* ). Well, if someone does, they never leave anything behind which is a shame.

Hmm… I wonder if the word “disappointment” comes from someone cancelling an appointment; the person they should’ve met would’ve got disappointed. I only have a Finnish etymology book.

Finally decided to join the clique A Year of Reading. I’ve been reading DT5 crazily to get it read in May (one of the rules, one of two, is to read one book per month (at least try) and I was determined to do that even though I wasn’t in the clique) and because of that I’ve stayed up preeeetty late. I have 4 days to finish it now but I only have about 300 pages so it’s no biggie. I’ve been reading Everything’s Eventual for my translation studies paper but I don’t know if I’ve really read it or just skimmed for the appropriate words (realia). Some stories I’ve read and some just skimmed. Maybe I’ll be true to myself and admit it doesn’t count as reading. Besides, I’ve read it before. I am going to read Carrie — and EE in *Finnish* — after the paper’s done, though. Cause I can keep them till (*checks To Do list*) mid-June.

Luckily I’m working for the summer, so I get to read Black House on my way to/from the department. I know nothing keeps me from reading my backpack books in more places than bus stops, buses, train stations, trains, trams, University, cafes… but when I’m not in one of those places (or similar), I’m at home thus I can read my bedside book.

A bit silly, but I updated previous entries. I noticed I had forgotten to add some things to the new layout’s blog after writing them to the old one (i.e. written while I was making the new layout). Anyway, nothing serious, just some spider stuff. Check out May 14th and 22nd if you want.

@ 13:50
Quote of the day: Purple sold scary books better than any other color, Mike had been told. — Stephen King: Everything’s Eventual, 1408

@ 23:18
Day 5 without my TV: I hope the Stand they showed on Estonian Channel 2 ended last week cause my tv is the only one which shows that channel…

I started wondering how many games I do in fact have installed… Let’s see: 1. Black and White, 2. Blair Witch II, 3. Desert Storm, 4. Enter the Matrix, 5. Ghost Recon, 6. Globetrotter II, 7. Half-Life, 8. Half-Life Blue Shift, 9. Half-Life Counter Strike (haven’t played though, cause it’s only multiplayer), 10. Half-Life Opposing Force, 11. Hitman I, 12. Hitman II, 13. IGI II, 14. Iron Storm, 15. Monkey Island III, 16. Grim Fandango, 17. Max Payne I, 18. Max Payne II, 19. Morrowind, 20. Need For Speed Porsche 2000, 21. Need For Speed II, 22. No One Lives Forever I, 23. Outcast (it’s a great game, must play again sometime), 24. Prisoner of War, 25. Quake II, 26. Rogue Spear, 27. Starsky & Hutch, 28. The Longest Journey, 29. The Sims (plus extensions), 30. Sum of All Fears, 31. X-Files, 32. Splinter Cell, 33. Tomb Raider II, 34. XIII.
Eh…. maybe… I could… uninstall… a few… I mean, most games keep their saved games so I wouldn’t have to worry about starting everything from scratch…
Got rid of some other programs as well while I was at it.

Word of the Day: Meh – verbal equivalent of a shrug, means indifference (and other similar things). I’d never seen that word written before last night and I think it’s so comical. I don’t know know why, maybe I connect it with something funny where I’ve heard it. A bit like ‘knackered’ makes me always think of Jamie Oliver and when I see the word I can “hear” him say it

There was a truck parked on our neighbour’s front lawn for quite some time (since autumn) and a bird had made a nest under it. Mum told me that yesterday when they came to tow the truck away after it wouldn’t start, the bird was just going to take a worm to the “kids” but it didn’t dare go near the truck cause there were people around. After they towed the truck away the mother bird didn’t understand where the nest had gone and it kept flying around the place where the truck had been. That’s so sad.

@20:36
Updates: Joined Blue Cheese Fanlisting
Day 4 without my TV: Watched ER and taped some new restaurant reality tv show thingy… Rocco something [edit] never got around watching it though[/edit]. No problemo.

@ 23:54
Decided to try a step bigger font for all things me; it means that the pages are longer but at least you can see better

Started playing Morrowind (Elder Scrolls III) today. I haven’t played much RPG (Final Fantasy 8 only I guess — on Play Station 1) cause I don’t really find it interesting, but I have to try. The game has been sitting in the shelf for ages. (hmm… as if I didn’t have enough games installed on my computer already…)

Oxymoron¹ of the Day: Rational fear

[added; had this in my previous blog but forgot to move it to the new layout’s blog ]
Hmm… I was reading yester’s entry and wondering, could ‘cough’ be spelled ‘coff’ when it describes the sound of couging… That’d be nice.
OK, on with the show (bachelor’s thesis; I have a couple of auxiliaries to wipe off the face of the ea…computer screen and a couple of words to spin around). Sounds fun, ¿huh?

Been freaking out: (not related to the oxymoron; that came when I was thinking about my presentation on this coming Wednesday, bachelor’s thesis presentation) I’m convinced that the huge spider (huge by our, Finnish nature, standards) that is living above the door in my toilet is going to jump on my head one day.
[/added]

1. [oxymoron] noun, putting together words which seem to contradict one another