From Doomgurl:

If I were a stone, I would be: granite
If I were a tree, I would be: karri
If I were a bird, I would be: sulphur crested cockatoo
If I were a machine, I would be:
If I were a tool, I would be: screw driver
If I were a flower/plant, I would be: carnation
If I were a kind of weather, I would be: sunshine
If I were a mythical creature, I would be: pegasus
If I were a musical instrument, I would be: piano
If I were an animal, I would be: horse
If I were a color, I would be: aqua
If I were an emotion, I would be: depression
If I were a vegetable, I would be: potato
If I were a sound, I would be: pinggg
If I were an Element, I would be: air
If I were a car, I would be: WRX
If I were a song, I would be: Dance Magic
If I were to trade places with another person, it would be: liz
If I were a movie, I would be: The Princess Bride
If I were a food, I would be: meat
If I were a place, I would be: Sydney
If I were a material, I would be: velvet
If I were a taste, I would be: sugar
If I were a scent, I would be: jasmine
If I were a religion, I would be: Christian
If I were a word, I would be: stress
If I were an object, I would be: candle
If I were a body part I would be: eye
If I were a facial expression I would be: smile
If I were a subject in school I would be: maths
If I were a cartoon character I would be: astroboy
If I were a shape I would be a: star
If I were a number I would be: 1
If I were a month I would be: December
If I were a day of the week I would be: Saturday
If I were a time of day I would be: 10:00
If I were a planet I would be: Earth
If I were a sea animal I would be: dolphin
If I were a direction I would be: north
If I were a piece of furniture I would be: bean bag
If I were a sin I would be: greed
If I were a historical figure I would be: Neil Armstrong
If I were a liquid I would be: Baileys

I finally got around to seeing the Matrix Reloaded today. Not too bad. Had heard a couple of "it was a bit disappointing" reviews, so didn't expect too much from it. Had to see it alone, as I had a single Greater Union voucher which needed to be used before 5pm today, and I didn't have any other movies left that I wanted to see. Another day, another stoopid shopping centre parking setup.

Spent most of the day at my nana's house. She's moved into a hostel and the contents of her house are up for grabs to all the kids and grandkids. Got a bunch of tupperware and some food. Among the goodies are some icing sugar (unopened) with a use by date of November 97, and some golden syrup (also unopened) with a use by date of April 94. :)

It's pretty scary just how much stuff is there (and how much history). I have to remind myself to not get old, or at least clear out clutter every so often so whoever has to clean out my house when I die doesn't end up just throwing everything out.

Yesterday I got 8 little neon tetras for the small tank (forgot to post yesterday). So far they're doing ok.

The other tank is plodding along swimmingly also. No more deaths this week yayy :)

I was thinking about getting some guppies for the little tank. They'd be a good source of live food for the other fish.. ;)

Last weekend I bought a couple of Siamese Algae Eaters (siamensis) and in a week they've munched through the vast majority of the dark green algae covering the leaves of the plants in my tank. They're doing such a good job I'm worried they're going to eat themselves out of a food supply! I may need to get algae blocks they can nibble on.

I also had a light tube give out on me this week, so I wandered over to Strictly Aquariums to get a new one. The dude was a bit surprised when I told him that tubes and hoods made by the same manufacturers were 8mm different in length.

My male danios are colouring up dramatically at the moment. Their anal fins are turning a golden orange. One of them is torn though, maybe the other males are chasing him a little vigorously :)

1. File taxes as early as possible, or wait until the last possible minute?
I always mean to get them done early, but somehow they always get done at the last minute
2. File electronically, or mail paper forms?
E-tax! Haven't filled in a paper tax return in years
3. Prepare your own taxes, or have someone do it for you?
Do it all myself
4. Are you a saver or a spender?
Saver
5. Do you prefer to carry cash, or pay with plastic (credit/debit cards), or by check?
I tend to prefer plastic
6. You're broke and desperately need a job, but the only places that are hiring are retail or fast food places. Which would you pick?
If I were that desperate for a job chances are I wouldn't have a choice anyway. But anyway I don't think care whichever of those two
7. Keeping track of your money: are you more meticulous or careless about it?
I'm fairly careful
8. What do you do if you find yourself with a lot of change weighing down your purse/pocket/wallet? Do you try to spend it to *get rid of it*, or do you put it in a jar or a piggy bank?
I spend it, I try to buy things using exact change when possible
9. Which form of fake money do you like better...Monopoly money or those chocolate coins covered with gold foil?
I like the thick wads of cash you can get with monopoly money, but nothing beats being able to eat your cash :)
10. Thought-provoking question of the week: You find a wallet containing $5,000 in cash, as well as several credit cards and the owner's drivers' license. Your rent is due tomorrow and you're short $200. Do you take the money (some or all of it) and mail back the wallet anonymously...or do you return the wallet with all contents intact?
I'd return it contents intact. Although I'd be sorely tempted to ask the owner for a small bonus for finding it

It's still Tuesday in oz.. normally we don't see the This or That's til Wednesday..

1. Sexier (female)...Pamela Anderson or Jennifer Garner? Well Pamela Anderson is a bit of a turn off, so Jennifer Garner I guess
2. Sexier (male)...Ben Affleck or Matt Damon? Neither really do it for me, but probably Matt Damon more
3. The better piano player...Billy Joel or Elton John? I've seen Billy Joel in concert once and it was awesome, so I'll say him
4. Funnier...David Letterman or Craig Kilborn? Don't watch either
5. The dumber cartoon cat...Stimpy (of *Ren & Stimpy*) or Tom (of *Tom & Jerry*)? Dunno
6. A better news anchor...Tom Brokaw or Dan Rather? Who writes this stuff? More international people, please, some of us have never heard of these dudes
7. A better TV chef...Emeril Lagasse or Jacques Pepin? See above
8. The trashier talk show host...Maury Povich or Jerry Springer? Who knows, never watched them (I don't even think they're on in australia)
9. The worse fast food burger joint...McDonald's or Burger King? I think Burger King makes slightly better burgers (more veggies), but McDonalds have perfected the French Fry
10. Thought-provoking question of the week: Only a handful of U.S. Presidents have been considered to be *great* Of the following two, which one do you consider to be greater...Franklin D. Roosevelt or Abraham Lincoln? Why? Well I couldn't even tell you what Roosevelt achieved in his lifetime, so I guess I'd have to say Lincoln

Well that was a rather silly one (again). If this poor standard keeps up I probably won't keep up This or That.

Lacking inspiration tonight (well actually I had a few ideas that I might have talked about, but one in particular is one of those stories that might come back to bite me if anyone I knew read it), I tried blogideas.com. Their idea for the day is "How long do you think you will live?"

I'm actually hoping not to get old. I don't think I could cope with not being able to take care of myself or get myself around. Especially as my prospects of having family to take care of me are next to zero. When I was doing my honours year I was working such fun things as Ethidium Bromide, which is a lovely carcinogenic chemical that works by getting right into your DNA. It also glows under UV light, hence it's use in genetics work. I was convinced at the time I was going to die young of cancer.

I still think I'm just as likely to die of cancer, or more likely, heart disease - I eat far too many fatty foods!

OK I'm thoroughly sick of cockroaches. Even though I've been pretty good lately about not leaving any food lying around, there seems to be no letup in the number of these little nasties running around. Worse is that they're coming into my study a lot more, perhaps because I have baits in the kitchen. The aquarium provides them with a source of water, so they've taken up residence in here >:(

So I'm now on a quest to find fish-friendly, chemical free methods of cockroach extermination. I've yet to try any of the following methods, so any comments on their successfulness would be appreciated!

Some methods I've found on the web include:

• A bowl of cheap wine placed under the sink will kill roaches; they drink, fall in and die
  
• Set out water and dry cement where roaches visit; they will ingest both and die
  
• Cedar, Japanese mint, scotch spearmint, and bay leaves are good natural repellents and make good barrier treatments
  
• Woodstream Corporation’s Victor Poison-Free Ant & Roach Killer� uses a 4% Japanese mint essential oil blend as an effective knockdown treatment for American and German roaches
  
• Ordinary soap sprays or solutions that use common dishwashing liquids can also be used against roaches for similar knockdown effects
  
• Dorsey Inc. (Shellshock�) is a desiccant made up of 85% diatomaceous earth and comes in a squeeze dust applicator. It is slower acting (six weeks or more), but roaches will stay away longer
  
• Desiccants such as silica gels and diatomaceous earth products stimulate roaches and other insects that come into contact with them to immediately seek out a moisture source. Without a water source, they will quickly dehydrate and die
  
• Dorsey Inc. (Repeel�) is a desiccant made up of diatomaceous earth and citrus oil from orange peel and is useful as a barrier treatment
  
• Silica gel and diatomaceous earth can both be used inside houses to treat cracks, wall crevices and voids, and attics to repel roaches and deny harborage in these areas
  
• Organic Plus Inc. (Organic Plus�) is a desiccant registered for home and garden use for roach control
  
• BioLogic produces a gel formulation (BioRoach™ and Roach Stopper™) which contains live nematodes in bait stations which can be used in areas where roaches frequent. Roaches are attracted to the water in these baits, and are then infected and killed by the nematodes. Nematodes are microscopic parasitic worms that are harmless to humans and animals, but are able to infect and kill insects
  
• Garlic oil is highly repellent to German roaches
  
• The use of talc with citrus oil soap sprays will facilitate cuticular penetration and control roaches more effectively
  
• Insects can be trapped and killed without resorting to dangerous chemicals: generally a poison nontoxic to humans is mixed with a food that insects find attractive, and spread in the infested area. Examples are oatmeal (attractive) and plaster-of-Paris (poisonous), and cocoa powder and flour (attractive) and borax (poisonous)
  
• Apparently if you mix a dish of plaster of paris with sugar the cockroaches head for it like bees to honey. You place next to it a small amount of water which the cockroaches drink (I didn't know that cockroaches drank personally), and then the water hardens the plaster of paris and they simply harden from the inside out
  
• Sanitation is the key to keeping cockroaches from taking over. Don't leave food uncovered. This includes pet dog food. Pour a little bleach down drains. Cockroaches keep away from the smell of chlorine. Keep drains covered--roaches love to use drains as watering holes.
  
• Diatomaceous earth is mined from the fossilized silica shell remains of diatoms, microscopic sea animals. The advantage to this substance is that it is virtually non-toxic to humans. Because it has an abrasive quality, diatomaceous earth degrades the waxy layer causing the insect to dry out and die. It is important that only natural diatomaceous earth be used for insect control not DE treated for swimming pool filter use, as this contains crystalline silica, a dangerous respiratory hazard. One source of DE may be found at feed stores for horses and cattle. A member of the staff here at EAD uses this and says that it is easy to use with good results.
  
• Silica aerogel is a non-abrasive, chemically inert substance that is used as a dehydrating agent because the small particles absorb moisture and oils. Sometimes small bags of silica aerogel are inserted in electrical equipment packages to prevent the accumulation of moisture during shipping or storage. Silica aerogel is also used in the florist trade and often can be purchased from a florist. The silica aerogel particle has a static charge that enables it to stick tightly to the cockroach body. Once on the body, the aerogel absorbs the waxy protective coating which desiccates and kills the cockroach.
  
• Prevention is the best protection - see the section on Prevention. Additionally, you can try mixing 1 part borax, 2 parts flour and 1 part icing sugar, add enough water to mix to a thick dough and then knead well. This can be used on cracks behind skirting boards and cupboards, but remember borax is poisonous. Clean thoroughly behind cupboards and stoves - cockroaches also love electrical equipment.
  
• An open bottle of eucalyptus oil or tea-tree oil can be very effective in cupboards or near susceptible areas. Non-Chemical Sticky traps are available commercially (try a health food shop first). A heat gun which emits very hot air can be used to flush out and kill cockroaches or alternatively close windows and doors, turn on lots of heaters to get the temperature of the house to 50�C for three hours - obviously the middle of summer is an ideal time to try this. Try a bait of icing sugar and borax in a jar placed near cockroach run. Fill a margarine container three quarters full of water: add a dessertspoon of cooking oil which will float on top of the water: the cockroach climbs into the container, but the floating oil makes it very difficult for it to escape. Place near cockroach sites.
  
• Make a non-toxic roach bait and set it out in roach infested areas:

  1/2 cup sugar
  1/4 cup shortening or bacon drippings
  1/2 cup chopped onion
  1/2 cup flour
  8 ounces baking soda

  Combine sugar and shortening. Add onion, flour, and baking soda. Mix in just enough water to make a dough-like consistency. Put small balls in plastic sandwich bags (other alternatives: spread some on margarine tub lids, or put in a lidded plastic container with small roach-sized holes cut in the bottom of the sides for the roaches to use to get in and out but that will keep pets out) and place in roach-infested areas. The bait creates gas in the roach when eaten. Because roaches can't belch, their digestive tracts explode.
  

Sites referenced:
http://www.symbios-witticism-page.com/bug.htm#6
http://www.darlingsindiapers.com/Mothers2Mothers/dangeroushomes02_iaw.htm
http://www.web-therapy.com/cockroach.htm
http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/EnvAffairs/wqts/pest.htm#COCKROACHES
http://www.ecwa.asn.au/info/altpest.html#cockroaches
http://www.anapsid.org/pestcontrol.html#roaches

If anyone has any more creative solutions for killing cockroaches, and that's safe to use around tropical fish, post a comment! :)

I've been feeding my fish different things, including a granular food. However the granules are just that little too big for the neon tetras, and so after feeding them, you may see half a dozen neon tetras swimming around with a pellet of food hanging out of their mouths, waiting for it to disolve enough for them to eat bits of it. It's the funniest thing.

No wonder my fish tank water has been so brown the past couple of days - check out the pic! That filter wool started off white two months ago. The picture shows the results of scrubbing the top part of the filter wool, with the bottom part a lovely chocolate brown.

I just happened to look under the hood at the top of my tank this afternoon and noticed that first well in the filter was filled with water and was siphoning back into the tank without being filtered. So I pulled it out and spent the next half an hour scrubbing it between my fingers. The old tank water from yesterday's water change is now so brown I can't see the bottom.

Of course all of this stirred up a whole pile of particulate matter that was obviously at the bottom of the first well because there wasn't the water flow to push it out previously. But hopefully now the filter will have a bit more "breathing room" to clear it out fairly quickly.

1. Soup or salad? Salad
2. Hot or cold sandwiches? Hot
3. White or whole wheat bread (or rye, etc)? White
4. Pack a lunch for work/school, or buy it? Buy it
5. If you eat out...fast-food chain, or mom & pop type place? Depends on the occasion
6. Tuna or chicken salad? chicken
7. Cheese: Swiss or cheddar (or American, etc)? Probably cheddar
8. Mustard or mayo? Depends what you're putting it on
9. Sandwiches: wrap/pita pocket, or regular bread/roll? Probably regular bread roll
10. Sweet stuff: cookie/cake or fresh fruit? Coookie!