Although you may go flying no more, surely you will go on in our hearts and our imaginations. Forever will we look at the sky and wonder the dream you saw with those tiny eyes filled with hope. Godspeed little Spacebat... Godspeed.

http://i.gizmodo.com/05173385/shuttle+riding-bat-dies-the-most-glorious-death-imaginable%22

...I spent the morning at the dentist today getting called 'AlexanDER'. They even put the emphasis on the 'der'. Arrrg. I kept trying to correct them but they just tilted their heads and played dumb.

=_= 'Duuuuh'

So far, over 130 dead. These are now the worst fires in Australia's history. It's horrific, far too horrific and scary. Australians are strong people, but fire is the one natural disaster that scares us more than anything. There are so many stories out there of people trying to shelter from the flames and those who didn't have any warning. People in their cars trying to outrun the fire and getting caught on the road - either crashing from being blind in the smoke or the flames catching them. There are burnt-out shells of cars all over the place. Whole towns have vanished off the face of the Earth like Marysville. Worst yet are the thoughts that perhaps these are the result of arsonists taking advantage of the heatwave that just affected Victoria, and that there may yet be fires to deal with in other places around the nation. Sydney has had fires flare up as well.

The Red Cross and the Salvation Army are taking donations, and likely many other places. If you can donate, please do. If you're overseas and can find a way to donate, it would be even better because your dollar is likely worth more than ours.

Happy Thanksgiving all my US buddies, this one's for you:

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=2bfNgekJG4M

Will Smith is going to do a remake of The Karate Kid.

D:

*sigh*

So, looks like I'm going to have to start looking for a new job. People haven't been spending, and so that means less hours at the bakery. Though I'm at tafe, and can still take the afternoon shift, that shift has been pretty much outed. The boss only needs two people a day rather than three now it's been so quiet. I'm still on roster, just that there's no shifts. So unless someone gets sick, nothing for me. I went around asking a couple places about jobs after talking to the boss, but everyone in the plaza seems to be doing it tough. It took me at least a year to find a job in the first place.

I'm seriously in the dumps, this was a horrible time for this to happen. My family has been suffering from a lot of illness this winter, we've got to move out soon to a smaller house (I might be forced to give up a lot of my things like my old sketch books which I've had with me forever), I have education debts. And I was just about to go to Animania in one of the rare times I get to go on a little holiday by myself. Maybe if I'd known beforehand this was coming, I might not have gone. But every thing's already been paid for.

I feel like I've lost a little of my independence now, and there's nothing I hate more than mooching off my parents. I can't even pay for my share of the rent anymore.

I hate the second part of the year, everything comes crashing down during it.

I've got like... two shifts of work for the entire month. July wasn't kind to me. I caught a cold at the end of June, but it cleared up okay. But then about a week or so later, I caught it again and I've still got it. It's possibly the worst cold I've ever had. It's keeping me short of breath at times. I've even been cutting off from dairy products, but it's still here. I blame my brother. He's had it the entire month, refused to give up drinking ice coffees, and it's just being passed around constantly because of his poor hygiene.

Back on the subject of sucky work though: I missed a couple shifts from being sick; and then when I was in the cinemas watching The Dark Knight (I had to move from the back row because two HUGE guys sat right in front of me when there was many more places to sit), my dad's phone goes off - right in the middle of the interrogation scene. Yeah, great - and it's my mum, with the house phone in her other hand because my boss rang up asking if I could work the night-shift, which was starting at pretty much that exact minute.

I'll get a couple things straight - my dad didn't want to give me a lift out, so I'd have to walk all the way back home and then pass back along to the shopping center, and I also wouldn't have a lift back home that night since my brother had soccer refereeing to do - hence I'd probably have to walk back home in the freezing night in a place I'd rather not be. And frankly, I paid to see The Dark Knight and I don't go to the movies that often, and it still had like an hour and a half to go.

So, I said no. Big mistake, I think.

Tuesday about a week back, I suddenly get a phone call from work. I'm supposed to be at work. Now. I look at my schedule that I got last week on my last shift and I'm not supposed to be on. Uh-uh. Apparently the boss had changed the timetable without informing me. She basically tells me nothing now and I'm only on during the cold lonely hours of night when nobody else is in. I have a very lonely job (even worse that the radio is busted so I have no background chatter to listen to while I'm waiting around).

Anyway, I was late. And now, because of this horrible month and my boss being an evil psycho who likes her vengeance, I'm hardly getting any money. And I have debts and Animania to get to. I was thinking of not going... but this is the only time of year I get to go see MK-chan since I'm no longer very welcome at my grandparents' because of that incident a couple Easters ago.

*siiiigh* The second half of the year is always really harsh on me, isn't it?

Well, look out Redfern, there's a big bunch of cosplayers and anime fans heading your way. If you beat someone up, please make it not from my group.

...Is it just me, or has there been a backlash against love songs in the charts? It seems like now more than ever, songs about love are in the minority and people are branching out into different subject areas.

But then, I still don't really listen that much to the charts except when I'm at work. And that's pretty much the same couple songs over and over again every day. =/

Funny story about work. The newest girl we got didn't realise she was pregnant until about 4 months into it, and she didn't learn of that fact until after she was hired. She tried to ease my boss into the situation by saying "Oh, I love babies".

My boss hates kids with a passion. Her response was "I have a hole in the backyard I like to bury them in". Joking, of course, but it was simple to get the point across. Regardless, the new girl had to tell her despite the awkwardness.

So anyway, I guess she'll be leaving in a couple months or so to have the baby and we're going to have to find another new girl. It gets a bit tiring with the turn-over rate...

And I told the new girl off for not quitting smoking. Cancer sticks and babies do not mix well.

Ugh, still not feeling all that well... If I think of particular foods I just suddenly get a headache and feel queasy. It's a really horrible feeling.

Of course, things haven't been going my way recently. As soon as my dad reached the uni to pick me up (we've only got one car at the moment, *sigh*), smoke started pouring out from the hood. I guessed that it was really steam from the radiator though. At least I was right there, but still, the radiator had gotten a few rust holes so we had to take it to get repaired... AGAIN. That car is killing us. We needed to get back home though, so the mechanic, who's a pretty nice guy, offered us a lift back in one of his trucks.

Uh, now I should tell you this isn't any normal mechanic shop. It's specialised in 4WDs - specifically for really off-road stuff. The guy giving us back a lift helped out on that Paris to Beijing show. I think maybe he's had something to do with the Dakar Rally too.

So anyway, it's me, my dad, and the dog and we're looking round at what he could possibly be giving us a lift back in. I joke it's the XBOX HUEG ute covered in mud with only two seats. Guess whaaaaat? BINGO. And guess where I end up sitting? Yup, in the back tray on a tiny little seat on the side surrounded by a big dirty wheel and all other uncomfortable stuff - even the dog knew we were in for a hell ride and was squashing up on the little seat next to me with his paws draped over my leg so I wouldn't let him go. He didn't even move the entire time and needed a lot of reassurance when we finally got home. Oh, and my hair was a mess.

But I guess it was kinda cool. =_=;

Let's hope tomorrow is better. I pretty much slept all day today because I just keep getting so dizzy.

21st today... -.-

Went to the video shop to get a video, girl didn't give me my change so I had to run back from the petrol station to get it so I could pay for my food. Then I discovered in my rush back I had dropped my $5 note. Luckily some guy had picked it up and was waving it around, and I managed to get it back (not that he looked happy about it).

And we seem to have a little Redback outbreak at our place. I killed one trying to make a web behind the speakers, then I spotted one today crawling along the sideboard (you can always tell it's a Redback from the way they walk). And just now when I thought it was over, I find a big one living right outside my window. D: I don't like using the bug spray, especially when there's fly screen involved, but I don't want to wake up and find that thing dangling over my face.

What's worst is that I'm not feeling all that top-notch today. I had some kind of ice cream thing last night and since then my stomach has just been feeling like it's churning all over. Whatever kind of chocolate they used for that coating must have done it, I can still taste it. Cheap, nasty stuff! And now I have no idea what's planned for tonight, but I'm hoping they don't bring out all this sweet junk because I might hurl. =/

I think it's funny though, nobody ever usually makes such a fuss over my birthday. Since I was 15 and my family went bankrupt then, I learnt just to not expect anything. Suddenly all these people keep calling me and stuff like that and wishing me a happy 21st. It's a little overwhelming.

Erm, yeah: http://www.megavideo.com/?v=FOP9H4ES

When Germany does Sesame Street.

Wait, wait, what?

http://garfieldminusgarfield.tumblr.com/page/1

Garfield is funny if you remove him entirely?

Okay, so I lost my friend Jack the Spider (he made one appearance, helped get rid of a fly and vanished off the face of the windowsill), but now I've gotten some new resident and I have no idea what it is. It looks a bit like a tiny black cricket of some kind. It's entirely weird, but he seems to have a schedule - somehow crawls through the window into my room around midnight, follows a path up and around where my computer is, goes towards the bookcase, has a sniff around, and then disappears. Then he's back the next night.

o_o

Oh well, my rule still stands. Don't bother me, and I don't bother you. (It's actually kinda cute to watch him running around the place)

I don't think I'll bother naming him though, I shouldn't get attached. D:

Julia dropped by the shop last night before close. It's funny, but I was glad to see her despite all what happened last year and all the tension that was between us.

After she left, it really made me think about how things have changed. It's only been a short amount of time, but I feel I've at least found my place at the bakery and I don't have much to worry about. I'm talking to the head girl now like we're friends. I never thought that'd happen.

Even my worries with the new girl seem pretty insignificant. I guess I should elaborate there though - she has a history with my church since her parents attend. For reasons I have very little idea about, she despises everything and everyone associated with it. Of course, if she found out I go, that'd include me, and I have heard some things about her that worries me. I decided perhaps to keep thing strictly "professional" and make no mention of it. So far, so good, though some hints have been dropped. I have no idea how she hasn't noticed yet, but then maybe she's either ignoring them or I'm extremely lucky. I'd rather have her first see me as I am, rather lump me in as a part of something.

I know something will eventually happen, but I'm strangely calm about it. I guess if she goes off at me, that's gonna be her problem to deal with because I'm not going anywhere.

My favourite keyboard died. It wasn't even that old. Now I have to use the one that came with the computer and it's killing my hands to use. :(

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About 10 years ago, Australia Day was just a day when you went to a barbecue and hung out. Maybe if there was a carnival on you'd go to it, maybe you'd go down and have some fun at the beach, and you'd end up talking to people you've never met before. All were welcome, and everyone was able to have a laugh.

10 years later, things have changed. People drape and clothes themselves in the Australian flag and the word 'UnAustralian' is thrown around haphazardly. Beaches aren't places you go to for fun anymore - you go there to get drunk and leave bottles and cans all over the ground, along with various bodily products. Shops use it as a day to stick little toothpick flags in food and people go 'oh how cute! I'll get 20 of them!'. And worst of all, those who appear to be 'foreigners' are given dirty looks, as if they do not deserve the right to celebrate and be thankful to be in this country.

I saw all of these things today, and I am at a loss. I may be only 20, but what happened to the Australia Day of my youth? I surely don't remember people using the Australian flag as a sarong, let alone as a design for every piece of clothing available. You don't need to be wearing or waving a flag to celebrate being a citizen of a country, or certainly not telling someone they're 'UnAustralian' for deciding to buy a red cupcake instead of a plain white one with a little flag in it.

And I definitely don't remember crowds of teenagers drinking at the beach, yelling insults at people and vomiting on the sand. I do not remember people leaving behind piles of cans and broken bottles on their precious country's landscape.

I could say this started with the Cronulla Riots, but then, it seems every public holiday has become more materialistic and closed-in on itself. Worst of all, it seems all things revolve around alcohol. It may be a right to drink, but it is not a right to be irresponsible.

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Personal fangirl rant that probably will get me into trouble:

Why do so many people care about Itachi's character development at the moment? All this time we've been hardly given anything in the manga which dictates how and why, and when we're suddenly given something, people start going crazy because he's not what they thought he was. You expected him to be the same 'cool, calm and collected' villain in every appearance? He's gotta show some emotion sometime, people! If it just happens to be a little over-the-top, so what? The guy murdered pretty much every family member he had - I don't think he's exactly a rational person.

TL;DR: Crazy Itachi is crazy.

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Just heard that Heath Ledger was found dead in his Soho apartment.

Whatever the cause, it was definitely a terrible loss. :(

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