Hello sailor!

Got a new rubber ducky today (again). Can't help it because it is gigantic and 75% off (i.e., just $9!!!) Unfortunately my shelf has run out of room so it needs to sit on top of my mini stereo for now until room opens up (magically of course). Anyways, the rubber ducky came with a sailor hat which I don't really like & doesn't really fit the duck's hat. So instead I decided to put it on my dog instead. Here are a couple of the end results, hee hee hee... :D

Still marking assignments...

More ducks

I didn't know rubber duckies can be so popular. So here's a pic of what I bought in Taipei back in November. ;) Saw something similar today at Socrates but they were monkey heads. I think it was $9. My ducky ones cost only NT$90 (less than A$5!!)

Long weekend: sleep late, get up later

It's the Queen's birthday long weekend here in Aus. Saturday was also the night of my wii/dinner/games small-scale party. I've been preparing for this party for a little bit, cleaning & shopping all week long to get ready the house (like cleaning out my bookcase & changing the displays from softtoys to rubber duckies which used to hide in my wardrobe), games & food. I had to make last minute changes (from salad to roast veg) too as the forecast was downpour & cold (which it was). Ppl filed in from 5-ish (after the Swans win!) & the long games-feast lasted till half past midnight. It was great fun. We played wii for hours , chowed down on home-made pizzas, risottos, roast veg & soup (I forgot to take pics...) & then finished the night with pictionary (I won of course, ha ha). The house is still smelling like daffodils & jonquils from my flower displays. Hmm, spring... I've prepared so much food we're still eating leftovers almost 2 days later.

It was also the French Open finals weekend & needless to say we stayed up to watch. How can you not when such histories were on the line? We only caught the last game of the women's final because we were playing pictionary but the men's final we watched every point from start to finish. As (I) predicted it was a close 4 sets win to Nadal. Federer was simply too inconsistent & stubborn for this match. The history probably also got to him a bit too I suspect. He may have a better chance next year, but I think it'd have to come at a cost of not just not winning the US Open this yr but not making the US final also. Why not the US you ask? At present he is already setting records left & right for most consecutive grand slam finals, & with Wimbledon just around the corner that record no doubt will be stretched to 9 in a roll (& very likley 5th straight title). If he is to go on to win the calendar grand slam in 2008, it would mean 14 finals in a roll. Simply too much historic pressure. Having missed the US final, however, would mean a clean fresh start in 2008. By that time he should also have settled into the new coaching arrangements whatever they may be. So, that's my prediction. Let's see how that play out. I did get the women's final wrong though - I thought it would be 2 close sets to Henin rather than 2 easy ones.

Finishing my readings today & will start on assignments marking this week. Need to write out how I plan to inject exclusion/abjection theories into my thesis also... sigh...

Wii Mario

Walked by a video games shop today at lunch & they were having big sale. Some were half off, some were $30 off. Not that I bought anything because, (1) I've already been spending too much, and (2) the Mario games for Wii were not on sale or yet to be released. I found out that there are actually 2 Mario games soon to be released PLUS the Mario vs Sonic 1 that is to be released later this yr!! How excitement! I'm more inclined towards the Super Mario Galaxy (which is more old style Mario) than the Mario Strikers Charged Football. I'm afraid my puny little brain just won't be able to work out how the football 1 is played. There's apparently a Mario Party 8 but no release date in sight. Same with Super Paper Mario which is the oldest version but in 3D. the Mario vs Sonic 1 doesn't even get a mention in the aust'n Nintendo site!?!?! Fat chance getting that released here then I suppose!

Wii/mahjongg/poker/dinner party this saturday after the Swans game.

Cross breeding

platy swordtail x
Originally uploaded by ragde2507

As most people would know livebearers are pretty easy to breed. I was at this aquarium shop some time ago & the guy told me that it is actually very rare that swordtails & platies cross-breed. Having had both for quite a while, mine cross-breed all the time. A couple of weeks ago I finally managed to find a suitable subtray for my TV-quarium and yesterday I actually put it to use & installed it. I also reorganised the (real & plastic) plants & bubble screen. So, I decided to take more photos & this time focus on the cross-breeds. The 1 shown here is a red swordtail x yellow platy (more photos here). I've had the same cross before but they came out more yellow that than red. That 1 also didn't live as long as its parents (maybe 6-9 months. Can't really remember). The only thing I need now is a more powerful air pump since my current 1 isn't strong enough to work both the airated subtry & my bubble screen (thus lack of bubbles in this pic >_<). I need to go find a cleaner/catfish for the pond out back anyways...