boyfriend of tuxette and I graded successfully to P5 in Krav Maga on Thursday. Next up is G1 and we won't be allowed to grade to that for at least another year :-)

Just so I can boast about it here as well... I'm going to Svalbard next week! :-D

For business. But still...

Let's see...

- The new job (started 3rd of March) is going OK though there are still quite a lot of adjustment pains. At the very least I have close to a carte blanche when it comes to going to external courses and conferences, which is quite cool.

- It's finally warm enough to start running outside. Yay!

- Still doing Krav Maga. Some of you know I missed out last semester due to an injury, but now everything seems to be OK. I'm not sure if I'll go up to P5 this semester though.

- I met an ex-slashdotter/Multiply refugee in real life, making the total to three.

- I've been taking lots of bird photos lately, but I really need to learn how to use my camera properly. It's good to know I'm not short on subjects :-)

- I have mod points :-D

How are you all doing?

I want to see these little miracles of evolution! :-D

here's the proof

You know you're in for a training from hell when the instructor says that he's going to whack you with the stick of pain if your tempo (when doing drills) is too slow...

It was a good training though :-)

I've written about Nebbeline on Multiply. Thought I'd share her with everyone over here...

And don't forget to visit Wolfgangkloof ;-)

Wolfgangkloof - http://wolfgangkloof.myminicity.com/ :-)

read it and laugh at the stupidity

At least he admitted he was a dumbass...

Read about it here

lots of photos to whet your appetite and make your RoFs go stir-crazy ;-)

I got a lensbaby! :-D

The 2.0 to be more precise. I can't wait to start playing around with it...

If you don't know what a lensbaby is or what it can do, click on the product link, or perhaps check out the lensbaby flickr group...

I also got penguin jewelry - the silver one. Apparently, it was the (plush) penguin and owl families that insisted I get this ;-)

Boyfriend of tuxette got one of these, so that he can find himself :-P

More crashes in the full moon

Statistics show that a full moon really can "bring out the beast," at least in Norway, where the most collisions between cars and moose occur when the moon is full and the weather is cold.

Norway's state statistics bureau SSB reports that 1,321 moose were killed in traffic accidents during the past year. Most of them occurred in the winter: Statistics reveal three times as many collisions between moose and vehicles in January than in the summer.

Torstein Storaas of Hedmark College, one of Norway's foremost experts on moose, told newspaper Aftenposten that it's not just because it's easier for the moose to move alongside open roads when snow is lying deep in the forest.

It's also, Storaas said, because the moose prefer to eat the twigs and branches of pine and low shrubbery during the winter. "Therefore they need to emerge from the deep fir- and spruce forest," he said. "Unfortunately many claim they also are attracted by the salt spread on highways by road crews."

The moose is also most active during a full moon, although it's not entirely clear why. Moose tend to wander more than usual during a full moon, and not just because the moonlight guides their way. Studies show they're just as active when cloud cover blocks out the moon.

Motorists are thus advised to use extra caution during full moon periods in the wintertime. Subfreezing temperatures, snow in the forest and dry air draw the moose towards roadways, and that's when driving is dangerous.

Many drivers involved in collisions with moose claim the animal suddenly darted across the road, and they didn't have a chance to brake in time. Storaas said that's because the moose are easily stressed by the noise of traffic and headlights, making them unpredictable. They also have trouble moving on hard, icy roads and want to get across as quickly as possible.

Collisions between cars and moose are generally more serious than collisions with other animals, because the moose are so large. They're generally hit in the legs, and then land with full force in the car's passenger compartment.

I didn't finish using the last set I got. And I've only been here a very few times since I wrote my last JE. What gives? ;-)

SPRRRRRRRRRRRRINGBOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ENG 6 15 RSA

Whoa... very close match. Scoring only by kicks. Both sides came soooo close to the line but never made it... wow... !!

What was up with the trophy falling apart during the awards ceremony? Hmmm...

I posted this on multiply; forgot to post it here. Freshly Ground is a South African group...

watch and listen - it's one of the most beautiful music videos I have ever seen...