P's equal degrees baby!

I passed accounting! Finally, I can move on... to the next accounting subject.

But in brighter news, I got a credit for business law, and a distinction for IT! So relieved, so happy, no summer course for me! Hehe. It also means I passed that open book law exam, so I'm not such a dumbass after all.

This means I can focus on getting a casual or part time job before uni starts back on March 1st. Wish me luck!

I managed to get in contact with one of my potential cover artists, she's been very helpful so far, and I should be able to afford art from her after New Year. It's exciting, it just means I need to write a lot more.

Again, wish me luck!

jobs jobs jobs

I miss working. I miss earning my own money. I miss the feeling of self-sufficiency that comes from being out on your own, working to keep yourself in a home, with food on the table.

I've been applying for jobs, but I've only had one interview since I've been back in Bathurst (I totally choked). I'll admit I've been getting pretty down on myself about it all. I know I'm studying, but that's a poor excuse really. So hopefully I get another interview or two soon. And I'll try my very best not to choke this time.

I need to get writing again as well. I have a couple of ideas but am still finding it hard to put them into words. I am aiming to publish sometime next year, but I need to get some money together before I can commission cover art and publish. I have two possible artists in mind, and I wouldn't mind commissioning art from both either.

Actually, I need to get in touch with them both to find out prices and timeframes. Eh. Fingers crossed this all works!

internet filter = epic fail

The Government's internet filter legislation has been given the green light, despite objections from everywhere I look.

According to StephenConroy, the point of the filter is to ensure the safety of all Australians, particularly children, from material deemed unacceptable for society. Aren't most children supervised when accessing the internet? And what exactly is unacceptable? I understand that pornographic images would be classified as such, but what about things like religious beliefs? Extremist sites are deemed unacceptable, but how long will it take for other sites that disagree with Christianity to become blacklisted? How long before political commentary that opposes government policy is added to the list? Honestly, if you're going to open up this can of worms, there's no telling where it will end.

Minister Conroy says that the filter is 100% accurate. I laughed. Innocent sites have already been blacklisted in the trial, and IRC channels and peer-to-peer clients remain unaffected by the filter. If that's full accuracy I'm absolutely dying to see what 50% looks like. It's an absurd claim.

Is this just a ploy to gain censorship power by the Government? Many would say yes, myself included. Apparently I am not a responsible enough person not to access sites that would scar me for life or be deemed criminal. Apparently no Australian is. Will it turn out a few years from now that my blog will be blacklisted for speaking out against the filter? Possibly. Many fear that Australia is slowly turning away from democracy and becoming a police state. Maybe it is.

I'm all for ridding Australia of child pornography, it is vile and is all about the torture and victimisation of kids. But surely the filter can target only these type of sites? And what good is a filter that doesn't stop file sharing clients and IRC channels?

All I know for sure is that I wholeheartedly object to the filter, but whether or not my opinion and the opinions of so many others makes a difference is yet to be seen.

Twitter-bug

I'm well and truly bitten by the Twitter-bug.

I started using Twitter as a way to keep in touch with some of my online friends, meet new poets and artists, and to shamelessly advertise my blog. Now though, I love Twitter for a whole new reason.

Celebrities who tweet back.

I have become a fangirly girl.

A couple of months ago, Simone Simons (of the dutch metal band Epica) tweeted about a corset she modelled. I happen to have a love of corsets, so I naturally took a peek. It was stunning, and she looked stunning it so I tweeted her to let her know. Imagine my surprise when I received a tweet back! Admittedly, all it said was how to enter a comp to win the corset, but still, I was thrilled. One of my idols actually acknowledged the post I sent her.

I was on a high for awhile after that, hehe.

Now, last night was the free-to-air premiere of Stargate Universe in Australia. I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the character of Eli Wallace (played by David Blue). I mentioned David in a post about it, and when I woke up this morning I had a reply: aw. Thanks!

I find it refreshing that an actor with nearly 100,000 followers takes the time to reply to the people who tweeted him. Plus he was just so darned polite about it! He well and truly has a new fan now.

Twitter isn't evil, and it certainly doesn't need to be about every little aspect of your life. Most celebs simply use it as a medium to keep in touch with their fans and make them feel involved. So screw you Miley.

Too harsh? :P

Follow me on Twitter, I'm not nearly as opinionated there as I am here: @SkybieMack

the dreaded ex

Lately, for some reason beyond my comprehension, my exes have been prominant in conversation. My family have been mentioning them, my friends have been running into them (a shame not literally in some cases), and sorting through old photos has provided some unpleasant surprises.

But I've realised something.

It is so much easier to deal with an ex when there is someone currently in your life. No matter what they say or do, you're happy without them. It really is quite gratifying, knowing that they can't hurt me anymore.

By complete coincidence, I bought myself a Kate Miller-Heidke album and took a bit of a look at her official youtube channel. And wouldn't you know what I found... a song about exes wanting to be your friend on Facebook. Good timing for me, and I got a good laugh out of it.

Her album, Curiouser, is amazing. It's pop, without the sugary sweet lyrics, or slutty dancing. Her lyrics are something else. I particularly enjoyed the song entitled God's Gift To Women. It mentions guys reading The Game, preening and strutting around, thinking they're God's gift to women. To take a line form the song, "if you're God's gift to women, then God got it wrong."

I have a new crush.

ignorance is bliss

... until you're the person being ignored. Then it isn't very nice. A little rant here, about how people only talk to me when it suits them.

I'm so tired of being nice to people who are my "friends", only to have them cut me off till it suits them to have me in their life. I know the saying about choosing friends, but this is ridiculous! The same people doing the same thing to me again and again, choosing to ignore me till they need something.

For the record, if anyone happens to read this who falls into the above category, I am done with it. Talk to me when you want, just don't expect a very warm reception from me when you want a favour from me.

Oh, and social networking has turned me into quite the narcissistic bitch.

I guess I should be thankful for all this, it provides me with some kind of writing inspiration. On the down side, they won't be particularly cheery poems. But breaking the writer's block is definately a plus.

pressure

What a week!

My hot water system suddenly stopped working, so I called the real estate who said they'd get ahold of the landlord who would contact me. No contact came. I called the real estate this morning, and guess what? They'd forgotten all about the urgent repair request after they couldn't reach the landlord after one attempt.

Thankfully I have a generous neighbour who allowed me the use of their shower.

Anyway, the landlord is awesome, and the thermostat is replaced, and he's coming to fix the pressure release valve in the morning.

And then tomorrow afternoon is my business law exam. I'm thinking there is more pressure with this exam, seeing as it's open book. If I fail, I really must be a dumbass.

You know, no pressure or anything.

blockhead

Writer's block is my nemesis, and his name is Bill.

I need to figure out a way to overcome him and quash his evil influence over my creative muse, Robin. Poor Robin hasn't had the chance to flex her creative muscle in such a very long time.

Seriously though, I'm behind schedule. I needed another six or seven solid poems added to the book by now and it just hasn't happened. I don't even have a single one completed since July! At this rate I'll have a cover commissioned and finished before I have the book done.

So please, share with me your tips for kicking Bill's pudgy derrière out so Robin can spread her wings again... or at least give me some topics to work with. I'll even credit you!