tcpip: (Default)
Diary of a B+ Grade Polymath ([personal profile] tcpip) wrote2010-02-03 04:08 pm

Last Days in NZ, MBA progress

After Wanganui headed back to Wellington. Alas, the fair town had been taken over by thousands of beer-swilling bogans going to the AC/DC concert and every hotel, motel etc had been booked (even the expensive ones). After a desparate tour around, even to Seatoun, Karaka, Maupuia etc, we gave up and headed north again to Porirua, the location where the classic Peter Jackson film Bad Taste was shot. Staying a dire motel (Jade Court) we made our way back in the early hours of the morning, lost three bottle of duty-free purchased booze at customs, and stumbled into Wellington international airport which, if possible, was more dire that the motel from the night before. To add poison to it all, the 'plane was extremely late and without announcement of this status.

Returning to Australia I received my results for my assignments for Information Systems and Marketing; credits for both. I was hoping for something higher (my default grade with minimum effort is a distinction), but given that I wrote both assignments whilst sitting in the OpenBSD hackathon with no prior preperation I shouldn't be too surprised. Exams are next week at which point I have completed a Grad Cert in Management (Technology Management).

In other news, received a delightful hand-written letter from [livejournal.com profile] bingo_mcdingo. I have a small mountain of reading material to get through, including that sent by [livejournal.com profile] mr_figgy and [livejournal.com profile] taavi, who will hopefully forgive me for my late response, especially given that I have just finished the grotesque historical fantasy The Sad Tales of the Brothers Grossbart; review pending.

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2010-02-03 06:18 am (UTC)(link)
I don't like most fantasy either. Now something like science fantasy (e.g., Moorcock) or historical fantasy.. That's an entirely different kettle of fish. :)

[identity profile] mr-figgy.livejournal.com 2010-02-04 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
Well, you're not in for Hogwarts.

[identity profile] tcpip.livejournal.com 2010-02-04 10:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, according to the author, that's not fantasy :).

To which Terry Pratchett's gave a classic response..


His full response to Rowling's admission that she did not think Harry Potter was fantasy as she was writing it, was:

"I would have thought that the wizards, witches, trolls, unicorns, hidden worlds, jumping chocolate frogs, owl mail, magic food, ghosts, broomsticks and spells would have given her a clue?"


More: at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4732385.stm


Although I do confess I've been pondering on the marketing success of Potter and Twilight. My thoughts on popular culture swing between total disdain and detached analysis