Following my tradition of copying Katherine's New Years post, here is 2011, though she's managed to beat me this time.
1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
- Plenty of awesome technical (Sequencing) related stuff at work.
- Got to work with real Whole Genome Sequence data
- Attended a Scientific confrence
- Traveled (domestically) for work
- Found out that Cider is drinkable
- Joined a regular pub quiz team
- Went to a world cup rugby game
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for the next year?
- As always I'm still following
one from about 8 years back which was to make no more New Years
resolutions
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
- No
4. Did anyone close to you die?
- Still nope, thankfully
5. What countries did you visit?
- None unfortunately, though looking alot better on this front for 2012.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
- A lover or relationship deeper than a friendship, which unsurprisingly is the same as last year
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched in your memory, and why?
- Hmm Feb 22nd I guess, that's earthquakes two years in a row even though I was there for neither.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
- Getting the LIC PhD Studentship/Scholarship, (A new Job effectively for the third year in a row), this one's going to result in a lot of changes, less money medium term though much better long term prospects if all goes well, and effectively commits me to working for LIC for the next 6 or so years.
9. What was your biggest failure of the year?
- Same as last year probably to be more outgoing, failure to actively seek out new people or find a relationship
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
-None
11. What was the best thing you bought?
- Nothing really fills me with amazement, the tablet is cool and the books/games were interesting but that's it really
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
- A certain percentage of the worlds population involved in Arab spring and the Occupy movement.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Same as last year I guess.
14. Where did most of your money go?
-Rent, Savings, Books and Games
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
-The PhD scholarship I guess, everything's going to change. Nervous and excited at the same time.
16. What song will always remind of you of 2011?
-none
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
- Happier again I got to spend a large part of the year working with Sequencing data and other interesting problems at work and then was offered the PhD position a few weeks before Christmas!
b) fatter or thinner?
- No change from last year seem to have stabilised would be nice to drop a little more, even though
it's currently on the lighter side of a perfectly healthy weight.
c) richer or poorer?
- Richer, pay rises + a decent job tends to result in this.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
- Getting to know people/make new friends
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
-Spending money, as always and probably spending too much time sitting around in the flat.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
-With family in Chch
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
- I wish
22. What was your favourite TV programme?
- None really this year
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
- Not really, still hate stupidity, especially the religious type
- oh and any one who smokes, I really really hate smokers!
24. What was the best book you read?
- I've read so many I'm lossing track.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
- None
26. What did you want and get?
- The Studentship role at work.
27. What did you want and not get?
- Love/relationship
28. What was your favourite film of this year?
- Tintin
29. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?
-Turned 27, absolutely nothing different from a normal day
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
- Love/relationship
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
- Same as always, casual
32. What kept you sane?
- Books and Friends
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
- none, they're all idiots
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
- Talk of mining conservation land, first time I've written a rather annoyed email to a politico
35. Who did you miss?
- Not so many people this year, getting used to living away from everyone
36. Who was the best new person you met?
- A couple of new work colleagues, excellent people
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
- Hmm maybe jump at all chances, it's worth it even if you don't quite get there, though I guess I already knew that.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
- Uhm... I'll pass on this one
Monday, January 02, 2012
Monday, December 27, 2010
2010
Following my tradition of copying Katherine's New Years post, here is 2010, though this time I've rather preempted her.
1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
- Uhm a few technical things at work
- Started playing social Touch Rugby
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for the next year?
- There weren't any. No, technically you could say I'm still following one from about 7 years back which was to make no more New Years resolutions
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
- No
4. Did anyone close to you die?
- No. Never been to a funeral.
5. What countries did you visit?
- None unfortunately.
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
- A lover or relationship deeper than a friendship, which unsurprisingly is the same as last year
7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched in your memory, and why?
- September the 4th, not that I was in chch but family still live there.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
- Getting a better job, (for the second year in a row)
9. What was your biggest failure of the year?
- To be more outgoing, failure to actively seek out new people or find a relationship
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
-None
11. What was the best thing you bought?
- Another camera I guess, either that or my cellphone both are quiet awesome, or the multitude of books I've acquired
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
- No one really
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
- Certain local politicos who seem to think digging up nonrenewable resources from near pristine land is a way to improve the country
- The world leaders as usual with regards to politics and climate change
- Christian and all other overly religious and or fanatical peoples.
14. Where did most of your money go?
-Rent and savings
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- The Towers of Midnight
- Mass Effect 2
- The new camera
16. What song will always remind of you of 2009?
-none
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
- A bit happier I mean once again my job got better!
b) fatter or thinner?
- No change from last year seem to have stabilised on 70kg, hopefully a few more sports may drop that a little more, even though technically it's a perfectly healthy weight
c) richer or poorer?
- Richer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
- Getting to know people/make new friends
- Getting out of the flat and visiting cousins, friends and family in the North Island
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
-Spending money
20. How did you spend Christmas?
-With family in Chch
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
- I wish
22. What was your favourite TV programme?
- Star Driver and Big Bang Theory
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
- Not really, still hate stupidity, especially the religious type
- oh and any one who smokes, I really really hate smokers!
24. What was the best book you read?
- Either 'Under Heaven', or 'The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms' oh and 'Changes' was awesome
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
- Vienna Teng
26. What did you want and get?
- A better Job
27. What did you want and not get?
- Love/relationship
28. What was your favourite film of this year?
- Haven't seen many, none of those I saw stand out
29. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?
-Turned 26, absolutely nothing different from a normal day
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
- Love/relationship
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
- Same as always, casual
32. What kept you sane?
- Books and Friends
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
- none, they're all idiots
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
- Talk of mining conservation land, first time I've written a rather annoyed email to a politico
35. Who did you miss?
- Not so many people this year, getting used to living away from everyone
36. Who was the best new person you met?
- A couple of new work colleagues, excellent people
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
- Hmm maybe jump at all chances, it's worth it even if you don't quite get there, though I guess I already knew that.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
- Uhm... I'll pass on this one
1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
- Uhm a few technical things at work
- Started playing social Touch Rugby
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for the next year?
- There weren't any. No, technically you could say I'm still following one from about 7 years back which was to make no more New Years resolutions
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
- No
4. Did anyone close to you die?
- No. Never been to a funeral.
5. What countries did you visit?
- None unfortunately.
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
- A lover or relationship deeper than a friendship, which unsurprisingly is the same as last year
7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched in your memory, and why?
- September the 4th, not that I was in chch but family still live there.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
- Getting a better job, (for the second year in a row)
9. What was your biggest failure of the year?
- To be more outgoing, failure to actively seek out new people or find a relationship
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
-None
11. What was the best thing you bought?
- Another camera I guess, either that or my cellphone both are quiet awesome, or the multitude of books I've acquired
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
- No one really
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
- Certain local politicos who seem to think digging up nonrenewable resources from near pristine land is a way to improve the country
- The world leaders as usual with regards to politics and climate change
- Christian and all other overly religious and or fanatical peoples.
14. Where did most of your money go?
-Rent and savings
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- The Towers of Midnight
- Mass Effect 2
- The new camera
16. What song will always remind of you of 2009?
-none
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
- A bit happier I mean once again my job got better!
b) fatter or thinner?
- No change from last year seem to have stabilised on 70kg, hopefully a few more sports may drop that a little more, even though technically it's a perfectly healthy weight
c) richer or poorer?
- Richer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
- Getting to know people/make new friends
- Getting out of the flat and visiting cousins, friends and family in the North Island
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
-Spending money
20. How did you spend Christmas?
-With family in Chch
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
- I wish
22. What was your favourite TV programme?
- Star Driver and Big Bang Theory
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
- Not really, still hate stupidity, especially the religious type
- oh and any one who smokes, I really really hate smokers!
24. What was the best book you read?
- Either 'Under Heaven', or 'The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms' oh and 'Changes' was awesome
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
- Vienna Teng
26. What did you want and get?
- A better Job
27. What did you want and not get?
- Love/relationship
28. What was your favourite film of this year?
- Haven't seen many, none of those I saw stand out
29. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?
-Turned 26, absolutely nothing different from a normal day
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
- Love/relationship
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
- Same as always, casual
32. What kept you sane?
- Books and Friends
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
- none, they're all idiots
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
- Talk of mining conservation land, first time I've written a rather annoyed email to a politico
35. Who did you miss?
- Not so many people this year, getting used to living away from everyone
36. Who was the best new person you met?
- A couple of new work colleagues, excellent people
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
- Hmm maybe jump at all chances, it's worth it even if you don't quite get there, though I guess I already knew that.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
- Uhm... I'll pass on this one
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Rules of a Moral Life?
Here are a few rules for what might be a moral life, for those who can or are willing to comprehend them.
One should knowingly, do no harm to another.
One should avoid doing anything that may harm another later.
If one must do harm to another, one should make every effort to minimise that harm.
Self harm should be discouraged, because it indirectly harms others.
A lack of foresight is harmful.
To violate these rules is to loose the protection of them.
Unfortunately to apply these rules get complex incredibly quickly and requires a massive amount of thought.
One should knowingly, do no harm to another.
One should avoid doing anything that may harm another later.
If one must do harm to another, one should make every effort to minimise that harm.
Self harm should be discouraged, because it indirectly harms others.
A lack of foresight is harmful.
To violate these rules is to loose the protection of them.
Unfortunately to apply these rules get complex incredibly quickly and requires a massive amount of thought.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Goal of Existance
Is knowledge, science, understanding what we are, where we are and what has and will be.
Self knowledge is part of this, but mysticism as comfortable and fun as it may be has no part. What does it create do or contribute? What is the point of a heaven if all you do is stand around all day and worship. That'd get bloody boring rather quickly I'd hope, both for the one being worshiped and those doing so. And who cares if you might be reincarnated as a bacteria it's hardly useful to worry about that, your not going to remember.
Instead why not seek out real knowledge, how to help others or ones self. Seek to extend your days and minimise your impact while expanding or helping to expand our knowledge.
As in the end, all that may well remain of us is our contribution to knowledge, which should it reach the necessary levels, may end up sustaining us and allow us to remain as we seek to expand it and seek out new wonders.
After all the universe doesn't care about you and chance ain't going to hand you a free survival card just because you believe it should. Learn and grow, expand your capabilities and knowledge and you might just manage to stay ahead of the reaper.
But don't forget to bring the other living things with you, or you'll end up cutting your own throat with out even noticing.
Self knowledge is part of this, but mysticism as comfortable and fun as it may be has no part. What does it create do or contribute? What is the point of a heaven if all you do is stand around all day and worship. That'd get bloody boring rather quickly I'd hope, both for the one being worshiped and those doing so. And who cares if you might be reincarnated as a bacteria it's hardly useful to worry about that, your not going to remember.
Instead why not seek out real knowledge, how to help others or ones self. Seek to extend your days and minimise your impact while expanding or helping to expand our knowledge.
As in the end, all that may well remain of us is our contribution to knowledge, which should it reach the necessary levels, may end up sustaining us and allow us to remain as we seek to expand it and seek out new wonders.
After all the universe doesn't care about you and chance ain't going to hand you a free survival card just because you believe it should. Learn and grow, expand your capabilities and knowledge and you might just manage to stay ahead of the reaper.
But don't forget to bring the other living things with you, or you'll end up cutting your own throat with out even noticing.
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