Fractal picture zooming

Very cool

[TV/DVD] Tru Calling

Slow to get started (Eliza Dushku kept me watching :) this show really hit its stride when Jason Priestly joined the cast. Unlike Polarbear and Ando, I didn't go all weak because JP was back on the box, but his character really adds a lot to the conflict/tension of the show, and provides plenty of interesting opportunities for the writers in Season 2.

Apparently the second season has barely begun in the US and is already in danger of cancellation, but considering the first series was supposed to be cancelled three separate times and still survived, I'll wait and see.

The DVD boxset has some OK special features (number one being not having to work out when Prime is showing it, and not having to deal with a thousand ads in a midnight timeslot... but I digress). Deleted scenes for each episode (nothing too earth-shattering), commentaries on 6 of the 22 episodes (mostly just indicating that the cast had a lot of fun making the show) and some brief featurettes.

[Music] Mish Mash - Regurgitator

The latest release from Regurgitator is like every other 'gurge album I've listened to, one-half excellent rock/pop/alternative fun and one-half boring/slow/weird noises. Considering all but the first single were put together while the band was in a televised bubble, it has some really good stuff. A listen to this album will give you: Some 70's funk, a bit of Blondie, flat-out punk, Weezer sound-alike, whistling/trombone and Devo.

7 out of 10. It'd be higher without the 5 out of 14 dud tracks, but that's why I only bought their best of, Jingles, previously.

A Scott Baio Christmas

As a big fan of "Charles In Charge" (OK, I really watched it for Nicole Eggert), I thought this was hilarious (and amazingly accurate).

Keeping positive on the down low

I really have to stop talking about anything positive! Found out on Monday that I have a "very nasty" chest and sinus infection, meaning I'm currently on a course of antibiotics (and praying that they don't destroy other aspects of my health again, while they hopefully fix the infection). My cough does seem to be easing, although I've had a splitting headache for the past few days, as well as occasional dizzy spells, and some other unpleasant side-effects.

My enthusiasm hasn't been quite so high, due to the stumble on my path to an empyrean health target. I'm not depressed, just unfocused and uninspired. I've had enough of watching DVDs and killing time till my brain is able to clear the sinus pain fog. I'm hoping to wake up with less pain tomorrow morning, so I can return to work. That's all I want right now, to be able to do my job.

Slow progress but life is good

Well I wouldn't say I've reached the ne plus ultra of health since my last entry, but one thing I've been really pleased with is that the pre-Streets health I'd been enjoying seems to have been something lasting. Despite having a 5 day period with only 8 hours sleep total, my energy levels stayed high, and I remained positive. I've now managed a couple of half days of work and, even though the incessant coughing hasn't reduced too much, and I'm still not sleeping consistently as a result, I'm just glad to be back doing the work that I want to do.

A chest X-ray and another trip to the doctor next week will hopefully sort out whatever is preventing a full recovery from this latest health roadblock (steroids and Ventolin alone haven't sorted it out). In the meantime, my enthusiasm is at a real high and, since I can't get back to exercising yet (a big no-no on 1.5 lungs), I'm throwing myself at making some concrete achievements in the Identity and Access Management project I'm heading up at work.

Streets is banned

No, that title's not bad grammar, it's my none too happy statement about the latest labelling f**k-up from the food industry. A few weeks ago I was introduced to the tastiest ice-blocks I've ever had. Suspicious they tasted too good to not have milk in them I checked the ingredients repeatedly, and was satisfied that I was safe. So with summer starting to hit, I happily started having the Streets Cyclone on a daily basis. The day of my last entry I started getting a bit of a headache, which I attributed to the weather change. The next day I started getting my nausea back, as well as a persistent cough. Headed home from work early, and went to bed, expecting to be over the worst of a mild cold, and ready for work by morning. Had another ice block to ease my sore throat, as one would when confident it contained nothing one is extremely intolerant of. The next day I felt even worse and it was 38 degrees, so I had more ice blocks. Worse still on Wednesday, still worse on Thursday. After spending an entire night coughing and throwing up, I decided I'd avoid any more ice blocks, as I thought maybe the fruit was causing my nausea. Didn't make much difference and still felt shit all of Friday.

Today I find out that the Cyclone "ice block" has been recalled from stores because it actually contains milk. Just a minor little oversight. Nothing that would, say, cause vomiting, nausea, and a recurrence of my asthma that I haven't had for 20 years because I never go near milk!!! So when I paraphrase Jay and say "<expletive deleted> Streets! <expletive deleted> them in their stupid <expletive deleted>!" you know where I'm coming from.

The good news is that, hopefully, another day or so and most of the symptoms should ease off. Hopefully my newfound health, pre-Streets debacle, will mean I can make a speedy recovery, and I can get back to enjoying my life again.