Capricorn with something something rising.

I entered my name (or a version thereof) and date and place of birth, into a ‘free astrology chart‘ website for shits and giggles… and this is what it spat out in milliseconds.   I don’t know whether to be impressed or alarmed!

astrological chart

Rising Sign is in 19 Degrees Scorpio
You tend to be quiet, reserved, secretive and, at times, quite difficult to understand. Others notice your deep emotions and feelings and wonder how to draw you out. Stubborn and tough, you fight for any position you believe in. You are very resourceful and formidable when you become angered or upset about something. You enjoy living life at the cutting edge – for you life must be experienced intensely and totally. Quite courageous, you are willing to take calculated risks. Easily hurt by others, you often strike back with bitter sarcasm. Sensitive and curious, you are concerned with the deeper mysteries of human psychology. Once you have become interested in any subject, you pursue it with total fanaticism.

Sun is in 19 Degrees Capricorn.
Extremely serious and mature, you are capable of accepting responsibilities and do so willingly. Others expect you to be dutiful as a matter of course. You tend to get angry when people get rewards after not having worked anywhere near as hard as you. You are goal-oriented and an achiever by nature – you’re a hard worker and are justifiably proud of the tangible results of your efforts. You tend to have “tunnel-vision” – this allows you to block out extraneous matters that might distract others and to concentrate totally on the matter at hand. As such, you are the ideal one to manage or administrate any ongoing project and to be practical and efficient at it. You are not a fast worker, but you are quite thorough. You are known for being totally persistent, tenacious and tireless in reaching your goals.

Moon is in 11 Degrees Scorpio.
Your feelings are very intense, never superficial. You tend to be either very angry or very sad or completely and totally happy. Your moods are deep, extreme and not always completely understood by yourself or by those with whom you have to deal. Emotionally, you tend to live at the cutting edge of life, pushing your reactions to the ultimate extremes, even if the results are dangerous or upsetting. You are easily suspicious – you require a great deal of emotional reassurance. A good detective, you are very curious about deep and mysterious things, especially human nature and motivations. Be careful not to be ruthless, tactless or too overly frank or you will meet with much resistance from others.

Mercury is in 28 Degrees Sagittarius.
Your mind is very curious and inquisitive, always seeking information on a wide variety of topics. The broader the subject matter (philosophy, science, religion, metaphysics), the more it will appeal to you. You prefer to deal with abstractions — the small but important details associated with any subject tend to slip your grasp. You are known for being blunt, honest and truthful.

Venus is in 22 Degrees Aquarius.
You are a friendly and outgoing individual, but close relationships are difficult for you to maintain due to your fear that they will cause you to lose your freedom. You attract friends and associates who are exciting, different and sometimes a bit odd. You are popular with others and enjoy working within a group toward group goals.

Mars is in 09 Degrees Aries.
You are very independent and self-assertive, and you have lots of physical energy. You are not satisfied unless you can be the first to do something. As such, you are more comfortable in leadership positions than you are as an underling. When you are challenged by anyone for anything, you delight in the competitive process and will fight long and hard for your beliefs. You are bold and courageous but rarely act without thinking. At times, in your zeal to get ahead, you can be are tactless and offensive – learn that cooperation with others can often bring you nearer to your goals quicker because of the support you will get.

Jupiter is in 24 Degrees Sagittarius.
You have a very strong sense of ethics and morality. You are widely read and may also be widely traveled because you are sincerely interested in expanding your knowledge of the world about you. At times, you have an annoying tendency to be self-righteous and preachy about your belief system. You are usually quite idealistic and you demand the right to be able to explore the entire world of experiences yourself. Remember to grant others the similar right – be tolerant, not dogmatic.

Saturn is in 29 Degrees Taurus.
Complete freedom of choice makes you ill at ease. You must have a firm, ordered, secure foundation in your life in order to feel comfortable. You do not adapt easily and tend to fear the new and untried. You constantly fear that you do not have enough (love, property, material things, etc.) and this makes you tend toward being selfish, withdrawn or stingy. If you try to surround yourself with supportive people in your environment, you will become more emotionally self-supporting.

Uranus is in 18 Degrees Libra.
You, as well as your entire peer group, have a very free, unstable and unconventional approach to relationships and emotional commitments. You will be attracted to experiments in marriage and shared lifestyles. Personal freedom is more important to you than entangling emotional bonds. In the realm of art and aesthetics, you are attracted to the bizarre, shocking and unusual.

Neptune is in 04 Degrees Sagittarius.
You, and your entire generation, are heavily involved in investigating and idealizing foreign and exotic intellectual systems and religious philosophies. The most extreme ideals will be pursued with gusto. You will be at the forefront of humanitarian attempts to improve the lot of those who are in need of assistance. You will be comfortable with the concept of the “global village.”

Pluto is in 02 Degrees Libra.
For your entire generation, this is a time of radical changes in society’s attitude toward marriage and interpersonal relationships. There is a general fear and awe at the power inherent in making emotional or contractual commitments – they will not be entered into lightly.

N. Node is in 05 Degrees Aquarius.
As long as someone else (or a group or organization) appeals to your intellectual sensibilities, you’ll try to ally yourself with them in some way. You may find that you always seem to get involved with many wide-ranging groups – so much so that you find it difficult to fit them all into your busy schedule. Your many friends and acquaintances provide you with needed stimulation. You’re loyal and fair-minded – you try to spend time equally with all your friends, never concentrating on just one or two for any length of time. Although probably quite conservative yourself, you’re attracted to those who are a bit offbeat or eccentric – you enjoy watching their minds work.

Never pick a fight with the Grammar Nazis

  • I love the internet – You never know what you are going to find.  For example, I clicked through to a IFLScience link about some guy in a Mentos suit being dropped into a tank of diet soda to see what would happen.  There was a very short and disappointing .gif, but the internet trolls still provided plenty of entertainment.  Love it!
    haha true but still too short.

    thats what she said
    Avatar “That’s what she said.”
    Avatar  Spell-check guy, thank heavens you’re here. Oh wait did I spell that right? Thank-you spell-check guy, the world is a better place with your trustee spelling skills.
    Avatar  “trusty”
    Avatar  another spell-check guy. I’m guessing you a little thick when it comes to irony. Oh wait lets address this with Irony-guy.
    Avatar  You’re* let’s*
    Avatar  wait while I’m here, please let me run my essay in with you guys, this is awesome! always admire a free service, now while your carefully scrutinizing my every letter of every word that I’m typing, I just wanted to say thanks and I feel privileged.
    Avatar  Ah, screw it. “Wait, while I’m here, please let me run my essay by you guys. This is awesome! I always admire a free service. Now while you’re carefully scrutinizing my every letter, of every word that I’m typing, I just want to say, “thanks and I feel privileged”.”
    Avatar  You just comma spliced…
    Avatar  Actually he didn’t. It’s just a complex sentence.
    Avatar  Congrats u corrected grammar in your native language…something I was told Westerners were taught in gr. 5, yet is not important in a casual commentary. You and everyone who “liked” this need may need an education? You can then contribute something to a thread/convo. Maybe something funny on an intellectual level instead of a fifth grade level. (ps. Eng is my fourth language please feel free to correct professor…or is it “Professor” as spelling and grammar are more important than ideas in your world). These people who correct spelling and grammar rather than speaking on ideas need to expand themselves……….that is all…until you or someone else comment on my spelling/grammar so I can show my English class how English speakers respond to online errors in commentary. lol (that’s laugh-out-loud right? Or is there an error?
    Avatar  Actually, I just thought the corrections by others was humorous and decided to continue. Hence, the “screw it” comment. However, since you brought it up, when I speak or write German or Russian, I actually appreciate those who correct me so I can be better at speaking or writing the languages I am trying to use. I would not take offense as much as use it as a learning tool. And I would also add that language is important even in commentary as you are still trying to be understood in any language you use. Maybe I am correcting because the act of correcting solidifies my ability to speak the language as English is a difficult one and one others who are native speakers still have problems with well into adulthood. Furthermore, I had no indication that he is not a native speaker and was not doing it to ridicule, so your comments and attempts at insults have no place in a reply to me. Having said all of that, bite me.
    Avatar  “Having said all of that, bite me” You sire, you winneth the internet.
    Avatar  Are you calling him a king, or are you calling him a man in a respectful manner?Avatar  I don’t care what these people are saying. Your comments were the delight of my day. Thank you sir.
    Avatar  English to me is the 3rd out of 5 languages and, indeed, i highly appreciate being corrected as it helps me learn and further develop my skills. Also, I do mind it when people cannot use their own language properly, even in an informal comment/ conversation. As for your last sentence, I am now officially a fan of yours <bows>.Avatar  “Actually, I just thought the corrections by others were* humorous..”
    Avatar  Here’s some additional help Patrick “and” or “but” are conjunctions, used to to connect clauses and not to start them (no problem starting with a conjunction properly). Let’s make all threads an English lessons :). Please correct me. I’m here to learn how to speak/write not read an article about mentos/coke explosions. Avatar  Sure, I’ll give it a go! “Here’s some additional help, Patrick.” Your sentence was ended. “And” should have been the start of a new sentence.
    Avatar  You don’t start a sentence with “and”…
    Avatar  Actually in that sentence, you most definitely do:  “Here’s some additional help Patrick. ‘And’ or ‘but’ are conjunctions, used to to connect clauses and not to start them.”  Think about it. The “and” in quotes is not functioning as a conjunction. Avatar  Actually, in this particular case you do start it with an “and. It should go: “And” and “But” are conjuntions, bla, bla, bla… You are providing information about the language. In this particular case, “and” is not being used as a conjuntion… It’s being merely used as an example, it must be between “” or in italic…. 🙂
    Avatar  I’d have gone with a colon, personally.
    Avatar  wow you’re english is so goode. Golde star! (You stfil didnt use “and” proparly no mater how hard you try to deflecte)
    Avatar  (A different Patrick) You can actually begin clauses with ‘and’ or ‘but’ however it’s advisable to practise it sparingly.
    Avatar  oooooohhhh, I see you, felt these English speakers needed “help”…….. it was a big misunderstanding. You wern’t trying to be smart. You had me until that last comment. smh
    Avatar  Don’t we all need help at times? The truth of the matter was in the first sentence. I thought it all very funny. The rest was just points for him to ponder. I don’t dismiss anyone’s point because of grammar but if you are going to write, why not try to be “better”.
    Avatar  ^ *were humorous” I hope the correction helps you “become better at speaking or writing” as you suggested.
    Avatar  See? You make my point. That’s a good catch on your part.
    Avatar  Since you’re so concerned about meaning, the meanings of the word “your” and contraction “you’re” are ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.
    Avatar  Yep, that’s true. It’s very important to know the difference between knowing YOUR sh*t and knowing YOU’RE sh*t. 😉

A Reminder of Why Australia Was Great.

An Impassioned Story on Facebook by Nhuy Lam*

Screen Shot 2014-05-14 at 9.48.30 pm“I never really use Facebook to make long, heartfelt posts because I try not to bother people. I will this time, though, so here goes nothing. I’m sorry if thereare typos and I’m sorry if I offend anyone… it’s like.. super late right now as I’m typing this.

After the release about the budget, I’m really freaking out about the state of the country. LOL. Isn’t everyone?

My parents and I are refugees. When I was a child, they told me that Australia is a wonderful country. It’s a country where the government is kind and will look after its people; that’s why it’s called the lucky country. My parents got divorced, something very normal in this day and age. Being a child at the time, it was a big thing for me, because suddenly dad was no longer there and my mum was in a deep depression. We were surviving on her disability pension. Hmm… There were days where I my little brother and I would go hungry. Those were bad times, but the school came to the rescue and were wonderful enough to provide us with food (funding for that got cut in my senior year, I think.)

There was another time, when I was younger… in year 7, I guess. So, 11-12 or so? My little brother got very sick and we had to walk to the doctor’s. I clutched my mother’s green health care card in my hand like a lifeline because that flimsy plastic card was what allowed my little brother to see a doctor without the money we didn’t have. I remember I scrounged up 10 dollars that day so I could buy him cough medicine and have a bit left over for cough drops. I wonder what will happen to people in my shoes now that you need to pay money to see a doctor. Seven dollars means a lot to a family in need.

At 16, I applied for Youth Allowance and got it! I was over the moon! I could buy groceries! I could help my mother pay for bills and going hungry would be a distant memory. If I was very, very lucky then I would have enough money left over to spoil my little brother.

I cried in my senior year. I was worried I couldn’t go to university because I couldn’t afford the books. It was like a weight was lifted off my chest when I was told about HECS, about the extra bonus that would be used to pay for books. I couldn’t wait to go to university, to grow up and pay taxes (yes, yes… taxes) just so I could return the money to the country that has held my hand for so long. A country that protected me and allowed me the privilege of an education. I wanted to grow up and pay taxes so the money could be used to help other people in my shoes.

My friends from overseas tell me about how bad their country is, how heartless, and I would think to myself, “Australia isn’t perfect. But at least it cares for the people. That’s what matters.”

WELL. That went out the flippin’ window.

Australia’s coat of arms is a kangaroo and an emu. I thought this is because they are the two animals that are unable to take steps backwards. It was meant to show that Australia is a progressive country, and that it will always continue to move forward.

Tony Abbott has ruined that. He’s ruined so many core aspects of being human, he can’t even be considered Australian. I refuse to consider him as such because no human being would destroy the lives of so many in the name of a surplus to fight against a crisis that isn’t even real.

For as long as I can remember, I was proud of my country. I had faith in my country. I’ve lost that now and I blame him, I really do. It might be unreasonable of me to blame a single person or their political party, but… at night I worry about not being able to find a job straight after uni, of six months in limbo and having no money while I look for a job. I’m not a religious person, but I’m definitely praying to someone or anyone to put a stop to this.

Guys, it’s not Facebook Likes that the government hears. That button does nothing but make people feel as if they’re doing something. It’s action, standing up and protecting your rights that gets you heard. It’s screaming (peacefully) at the top of your lungs that this isn’t right that gets you heard.

I know I’m not alone in this. I’m one Australian of millions who will be affected by the cuts and changes proposed for the 2014 Budget, whose lives were made better by a government that helped provide for our education, that took care of us when we were ill and had nowhere else to turn to. They gave us a brighter future when all else seemed bleak, and now we don’t have even that.

If you feel the same way – share your stories too, speak up. So we can reach out to others like us, to move others to action, to make a difference.

So let’s do it. Let’s get heard.”

*For some reason, Facebook wouldn’t let me share this status, but I really wanted to keep it to remind myself of the ideology Australia is founded on and the precepts we hold dear, and the government that has currently decided that these things, and these people, no longer matter.

Complete List of Facebook Emoticons

After years of trying not to use MSN emoticons on Facebook, I finally find a useful list of Facebook emoticons to relearn.  Some of them are case sensitive and some have more than one shortcut to get the emoticon to appear… So here is a complete list of Facebook chat emoticons and their keyboard shortcuts.

Shark (^^^) Shark with sharp teeth out.
Penguin <(“) Penguin looking to the left.
Robot :|] Robot face.
Happy : ) A happy smiley face.
Sad : ( A sad and frowning smiley.
Tongue : P Sticking tongue out.
Grin : D A big grin and laughing.
Shocked : O Shocked and surprised.
Winking ; ) Winking.
Nerd B) Nerdy smiley with glasses.
Cool B| Cool smiley wearing…
Upset >:( Upset and angry.
Unsure :/ Unsure or doubtful emoticon.
Crying :'( Crying emoticon with tears.
Devil 3:) Laughing devil emoticon.
Angel O:) A blushing angel with a halo.
Kiss :* Girl sending a kiss and a wink
Heart <3 A red heart emoticon.
Keke ^_^ Kekeke happy emoticon.
Bored -_- Annoyed, sighing or bored.
Confused o.O Confused or WTF emoticon.
Angry >:O Upset, angry or shouting…
Pacman :v A Pacman emoticon.
Cat :3 Cat faced smiley.

Just don’t argue. Full stop.

NEVER ARGUE WITH A WOMAN WHO READS! 

goodwill librarian
One morning the husband returns after several hours of fishing and decides to take a nap. Although not familiar with the lake, the wife decides to take the boat out. She motors out a short distance, anchors, and reads her book. 

Along comes a game warden in his boat. He pulls up alongside the woman and says, “Good morning Ma’am. What are you doing?”

“Reading a book,” she replies, (thinking, “Isn’t that obvious?”)

“You’re in a restricted fishing area,” he informs her.

“I’m sorry officer, but I’m not fishing, I’m reading.”

“Yes, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment. I’ll have to take you in and write you up.”

“If you do that, I’ll have to charge you with sexual assault,” says the woman.

“But I haven’t even touched you,” says the game warden.

“That’s true, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment.”

“Have a nice day ma’am,” and he left.

MORAL: Never argue with a woman who reads. It’s likely she can also think.

-Author Unknown 

(via the Goodwill Librarian Facebook page)