Answers:
This is not an attack on the Greens; I have some questions that I cannot find answers to on their site. I support the Greens for what they are trying to achieve, but my vote and heart lies elsewhere.
1) Do the Greens support Methadone as a way to reduce the number of people on Heroin? If so why. If not; do they have another option for those who want help beyond safe injection rooms.
2) Are the attacks on Garrett connected to a perception that he has somehow betrayed the Greens by supporting the party he is now a member of or an attack because he no longer is a Green but jumped ship (did a Kernot) in the hope of raising the profile of environmental issues in Australia?
3) For a group that advocates many of the same things that the Democrats do why are they dividing the vote between the two parties and not trying to reconcile the differences in a hope of gaining more power? (Historically my understanding is it has been the Democrats who open a topic in Parliament and the Greens who get the publicity; if we could harness this I feel we must surely be able to become a strong viable third party option. Is this my naivete? First person to raise the royal fucking over we got from a former member when she was leader gets tied down and talked to about Liberal policy and voting vs. selling out and being screwed over.)
4) Must you vote along party lines if you are a parliamentary member? Why?
5) Is it just media bias in the way they report the aftermath of a Green defeat or are the Greens totally unable to accept that some of the not getting people in to Parliament blame lies within the party? (As I said; this is not an attack. I feel the bias against reporting on the Dem's is costing us as much as some bull shit decision from ten years ago, so i can understand how the Greens might perceive it. I'm mostly curious.)
Admission:
OK; at about this point I should probably ask someone to edit this to remove wordiness, pretty up presentation and try to reduce the poorly worded thought processes. I'm not going to as I will be away from the computer for about a week (Honeymoon and Wedding.)
The last time a political piece I wrote was edited by someone other than me it was manipulated to fit a meter that didn't exist and resulted in stanzas not making sense so I am paranoid about editors too. (Hey, you try to get attention to a party not ALP in a Labor safe seat and tell me how you'd do it? Beyond eating pies and cross promoting Jester's Pies; animal products and gluten :( prose seemed a natural choice for me, especially as I was a regular performer at the Dan Poetry on Saturday for a year or more.) The fun one site has had with the poem amuses me. (Concatenate for those curious.) Still I stand by every poorly worded line in that piece. (FUCK! I think I've just really come out of the political cupboard... still, anyone using my full name will be edited. Unfair? Yes, but I respect others right to be anonymous to their own degree, I hope others will respect mine.)
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Rehearsal And Table Settings
OK, so we survived the rehearsal on Sunday with only a few hiccups.
Up for sale is one mother who insists I get my full name but contracts her own. Going cheep, well, she is an old bird.
Next item for consideration; three nervous children; very cute with early signs of stage fright. It should be OK on the day, but until then...
We had the future in-laws over to sort out table placement last night. My family plays happy family with undercurrent of animosity very well; but from the outside it's impossible to spot. We always assumed it was 7 children with very different personalities. The Boi's family have less underlying issues; but are more vocal about it. *Sigh* So table settings were fun.
One reshuffle of friends, one reposition for my family, and reorganise most of the Boi's side. This is cool. The final tables aren't far off what I wanted so I'm happy. Only one thing I'd have done differently; but that involves locking two people in a room and only letting the survivor emerge, or both when they've sorted their issues out. Family is fun.
Off to pick up dresses.
Up for sale is one mother who insists I get my full name but contracts her own. Going cheep, well, she is an old bird.
Next item for consideration; three nervous children; very cute with early signs of stage fright. It should be OK on the day, but until then...
We had the future in-laws over to sort out table placement last night. My family plays happy family with undercurrent of animosity very well; but from the outside it's impossible to spot. We always assumed it was 7 children with very different personalities. The Boi's family have less underlying issues; but are more vocal about it. *Sigh* So table settings were fun.
One reshuffle of friends, one reposition for my family, and reorganise most of the Boi's side. This is cool. The final tables aren't far off what I wanted so I'm happy. Only one thing I'd have done differently; but that involves locking two people in a room and only letting the survivor emerge, or both when they've sorted their issues out. Family is fun.
Off to pick up dresses.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Hens Night
Lots of fun had by all.
Lots of food problems; the vegan option wasn't, the gluten free wasn't, the desert was covered in peanuts. Rectifying all 3 caused more hassles than worth.
Venue shut at 1, sadly so did everything else in Richmond.
Cute guy doing raspberries in my ear and on my neck for part of night: 1.
Cute guy being someone I consider annoying little brother made this so icky; but very very funny.
Theatre restaurant performance was cliched and fan geekdom to the max; we sat there picking the movies and shows. (Head cast member came over and congratulated us on the picks as he heard some of the discussions.)
Unfortunate incidents involving body fluids: 2.
I cannot handle tequila, one shot and I threw up. (Stress, tequila and gluten not a good combination.) Splashed shoes and feet.
No toilets after everything shut so I went in an alley way. Splash on shoes and feet doubled with mysterious squelching noise under feet.
Embarrassing head wear/ hens wear: 2. One tiara, one flashing sign.
Most frequent Internet check ups: Election results, cricket score.
I had the best night. Pity the Boi wasn't there to share it.
Sleep now. Rehearsal tomorrow.
Final word to Luenig:
Lots of food problems; the vegan option wasn't, the gluten free wasn't, the desert was covered in peanuts. Rectifying all 3 caused more hassles than worth.
Venue shut at 1, sadly so did everything else in Richmond.
Cute guy doing raspberries in my ear and on my neck for part of night: 1.
Cute guy being someone I consider annoying little brother made this so icky; but very very funny.
Theatre restaurant performance was cliched and fan geekdom to the max; we sat there picking the movies and shows. (Head cast member came over and congratulated us on the picks as he heard some of the discussions.)
Unfortunate incidents involving body fluids: 2.
I cannot handle tequila, one shot and I threw up. (Stress, tequila and gluten not a good combination.) Splashed shoes and feet.
No toilets after everything shut so I went in an alley way. Splash on shoes and feet doubled with mysterious squelching noise under feet.
Embarrassing head wear/ hens wear: 2. One tiara, one flashing sign.
Most frequent Internet check ups: Election results, cricket score.
I had the best night. Pity the Boi wasn't there to share it.
Sleep now. Rehearsal tomorrow.
Final word to Luenig:
Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Six things I hope to achieve in the next 6 years, 6 ways and 6 quotes.
Aspirations:
1) Have a child.
2) Own our own home.
3) To run my own counselling practice; or to be in a place where I can earn through sales of hand crafted products.
4) Be published and paid for the piece they publish.
5) To fit the "Purple dress"; so that means I need to lose 15kg and not gain any back.
6) To be on my way to getting a degree in humanities or science.; philosophy (theosophical), literature, politics, forensics or psychology.
How I can achieve each:
1) IVF, hope and belief.
2) Find the right place and let the universe take it from there, with lots of hard work thrown in as well.
3) Get off butt and do something about it.
4) See 3; risk others criticism and send things off again; get a decent editor.
5) See 3 and 4. EXERCISE. Dietary changes.
6) Improve my skills as a writer and learn to study. Also learn how to write academically.
Quotes:
Greg Anderson:
When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing -- then we truly live life.
1) Have a child.
2) Own our own home.
3) To run my own counselling practice; or to be in a place where I can earn through sales of hand crafted products.
4) Be published and paid for the piece they publish.
5) To fit the "Purple dress"; so that means I need to lose 15kg and not gain any back.
6) To be on my way to getting a degree in humanities or science.; philosophy (theosophical), literature, politics, forensics or psychology.
How I can achieve each:
1) IVF, hope and belief.
2) Find the right place and let the universe take it from there, with lots of hard work thrown in as well.
3) Get off butt and do something about it.
4) See 3; risk others criticism and send things off again; get a decent editor.
5) See 3 and 4. EXERCISE. Dietary changes.
6) Improve my skills as a writer and learn to study. Also learn how to write academically.
Quotes:
Greg Anderson:
When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing -- then we truly live life.
Leo Burnett:
When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get them, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either.
Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.
Les Brown:
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
Robert Schuller:
You are what you think about all day long.
Les Brown:
Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Fast Food Nation Trailer
I recommend people read the book as well as see the movie. My understanding is that the movie tries to dramatise what is happening in the book much in the same way that they dramatise the impact of quantum physics on the players in "What The Bleep". I read the book on the strength of the trailer (as I couldn't wait to see the movie). BTW I know this intro is clumsy; I'm about to run out the door at any minute so that the Boi and his friends can have a Buck's night here. I'm basically killing time till people arrive so that the Boi can get some sleep, he worked night shift last night and has not had much rest today.
Do You Want Lies With That?: McDonalds vs. FFN.
The stuff in bold is taken from the McD's website. The rest is my opinion. I don't know how objective I can be as a vegetarian, a coeliac, and a person who doesn't buy things at large corporation owned fast food establishments. The book upon which the movie is based changed my eating and buying habits.
The reality is that these movies are aimed at awakening awareness in the US market not the Australian one; but some of the practices discussed in the book upon which the film is based occur here. Sadly, people will see the film or read the book, and they'll forget it all unless an image sticks with them (mad cow disease from cows, herbivores, being fed beef; fecal matter in food products; disfigurement of workers in plants that supply the large corporations.)
Ok, I'm off to bed with hot water bottle and honey lemon drinks. (Laryngitis is now head cold that is impacting upon tempreture.) Good luck and good weather to all those marching to raise consciousness about G20. Once again Miss Politic's Australia has the information you need and has put it so well that I won't bore you with repitions.
Our understanding is that the movie Fast Food Nation is a fictionalised thriller and features a storyline based around a fast food restaurant in the US.
Fiction? Read the book on which it is based; it is one of the better sociological impact studies written up in a manner that is easy to read and presents the information in such a way that it opens your eyes to the deeper damage done by corporations like McDonald's. It's only fictionalised in that it does not name corporations directly in the film (to my understanding; I am hoping to see it soon.)
Whilst this movie isn't about McDonald's, as so often is the case, by virtue of our size, we are the centre of debate.
Once again: READ THE BOOK! The book does not only attack McFecal Matter in Burgers but any of the corporations that actively campaign against OH&S laws in the US, primarily employ migrants with poor English and pay below poverty line wages. It is the size of McDonald's that makes it an easy target; but it's hypocrisy that makes it such an attractive one. ($1 from one product sold on one day to help the families of sick children? How much revenue does the RMCH make you each year?)
At McDonald's Australia we welcome an objective and fair discussion about issues important to our customers.
Issues important to our customers? It's important to me that if I buy a strawberry milkshake I get real strawberries and not an artificial strawberry flavour that includes nail polish remover. It's important to me that my fries aren't cooked in animal fat or coated in beef tallow so that they taste the same as they did in the 1950's. It's important that the people who serve me get a decent wage and have the right to join a union to protect their rights. AND not just in Australia but in other countries too.
We are proud of the journey we have been on over the past few years and while we don't have all the answers; we are committed to continual improvement.
Suggestions for continual improvement: Don't put meat in all your salads; especially that reconstituted kabana crap. Make gluten free products readily available beyond sundaes, shakes and chips for your main menu; and have gluten free vegetarian friendly stuff at the cafe that is not just cake or friands. Don't put adds on TV during kids programs that pay lip service to kids getting active. How about biodegradable packaging? Put back in to the community what you take out. Stop having one day a year to "Support charities" you own or better still have your one day but ALL MONEY MADE ON THAT DAY GOES TO CHARITY; and I mean Open Family or the Bronte Foundation.
We have received much praise with the changes we have made but with praise comes criticism. We invite you to explore our website, check out the facts and make up your own mind.
The reality is that these movies are aimed at awakening awareness in the US market not the Australian one; but some of the practices discussed in the book upon which the film is based occur here. Sadly, people will see the film or read the book, and they'll forget it all unless an image sticks with them (mad cow disease from cows, herbivores, being fed beef; fecal matter in food products; disfigurement of workers in plants that supply the large corporations.)
Ok, I'm off to bed with hot water bottle and honey lemon drinks. (Laryngitis is now head cold that is impacting upon tempreture.) Good luck and good weather to all those marching to raise consciousness about G20. Once again Miss Politic's Australia has the information you need and has put it so well that I won't bore you with repitions.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Something to consider...
ONE: The burning of coal used in fuel to generate the electricity to desalinate the water so we can drink it creates pollution. Coal when on fire uses huge amounts of water to cool it down.
Why can't we put in place sustainable options? Free water tanks for every home with incentives to use this water in more than the garden (Eg. rebates for plumbing it in to houses). Tougher laws on building and bathroom renovations so that houses must be able to utilise grey water somehow. Better education so people learn how to use a broom to sweep a drive and not a hose. Plant more trees (I vaguely remember something in Biology about trees and the water cycle). Use recycled water for public conveniences (flushing toilets) and fountains. Better funding for aged care facilities so you don't have to run water for half an hour to get it warm.
I don't claim to have answers, but burning another finite resource and damaging the environment in a manner that is thought to be contributing to the cause of the drought to remove salt from water doesn't make sense to me.
TWO: Rather than eliminate Zone 3 why not put money in to improving the infrastructure so that trains can run more than every half hour to places like Pakenham, Cranbourne, Lilydale and Belgrave?
THREE: If the idea of Fundamentalist Christian party Family First gaining more power is so abhorrent to so many people why not encourage support of other smaller parties; like People Power, The Greens, and my personal choice the Australian Democrats.
The Fundamentalists in the US have a huge lobby and large amounts of power over the government, they influence many humanist debates from a warped interpretation of the Bible and enforce it on people who do not hold their beliefs (I know that statement is clumsy but I hope it communicates what I mean). If you do not want to see that kind of thing increase in Australia than think about who you are really voting for?
Oh; and as pointed out by Ari Gary Pinto; former City of Dandenong Boys member (Yes folks, that's what CDB stands for); is running in Prahran for Family First. If this doesn't make you stop and think...
FOUR: If you vote the same way as your parents do, why? I have never understood this. You don't dress like them, you probably don't listen to the same music as them. So why vote like them?
If I voted like my parents I would of voted Liberal and supported the GST; I would of voted One Nation and ignored racism; I would of put in a Counsellor who thinks all Muslims and non Anglo Saxon people should be deported.... the list continues well beyond this but I think you get the idea.
FIVE: Are people so stupid that an hour after getting a voucher from a local community aid organisation for "emergency relief" they try to sell it back to the Volunteer that handed it to them at a reduced price so that they can "buy petrol" ? I know people need petrol but if you ask for food help then you get food help. If you ask for petrol vouchers then you get sent to where they are available (Often with the assistance of a free zone 3 ticket). And how much petrol do you think you'll get for $5 anyway? (We give $10 vouchers out; on the rare occasions we have them.)
OK; That feels better now. Vent over.
Why can't we put in place sustainable options? Free water tanks for every home with incentives to use this water in more than the garden (Eg. rebates for plumbing it in to houses). Tougher laws on building and bathroom renovations so that houses must be able to utilise grey water somehow. Better education so people learn how to use a broom to sweep a drive and not a hose. Plant more trees (I vaguely remember something in Biology about trees and the water cycle). Use recycled water for public conveniences (flushing toilets) and fountains. Better funding for aged care facilities so you don't have to run water for half an hour to get it warm.
I don't claim to have answers, but burning another finite resource and damaging the environment in a manner that is thought to be contributing to the cause of the drought to remove salt from water doesn't make sense to me.
TWO: Rather than eliminate Zone 3 why not put money in to improving the infrastructure so that trains can run more than every half hour to places like Pakenham, Cranbourne, Lilydale and Belgrave?
THREE: If the idea of Fundamentalist Christian party Family First gaining more power is so abhorrent to so many people why not encourage support of other smaller parties; like People Power, The Greens, and my personal choice the Australian Democrats.
The Fundamentalists in the US have a huge lobby and large amounts of power over the government, they influence many humanist debates from a warped interpretation of the Bible and enforce it on people who do not hold their beliefs (I know that statement is clumsy but I hope it communicates what I mean). If you do not want to see that kind of thing increase in Australia than think about who you are really voting for?
Oh; and as pointed out by Ari Gary Pinto; former City of Dandenong Boys member (Yes folks, that's what CDB stands for); is running in Prahran for Family First. If this doesn't make you stop and think...
FOUR: If you vote the same way as your parents do, why? I have never understood this. You don't dress like them, you probably don't listen to the same music as them. So why vote like them?
If I voted like my parents I would of voted Liberal and supported the GST; I would of voted One Nation and ignored racism; I would of put in a Counsellor who thinks all Muslims and non Anglo Saxon people should be deported.... the list continues well beyond this but I think you get the idea.
FIVE: Are people so stupid that an hour after getting a voucher from a local community aid organisation for "emergency relief" they try to sell it back to the Volunteer that handed it to them at a reduced price so that they can "buy petrol" ? I know people need petrol but if you ask for food help then you get food help. If you ask for petrol vouchers then you get sent to where they are available (Often with the assistance of a free zone 3 ticket). And how much petrol do you think you'll get for $5 anyway? (We give $10 vouchers out; on the rare occasions we have them.)
OK; That feels better now. Vent over.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Tuesday Twosome: Location
It’s all about location…
1. Name two things you love about the city/town you live in: The changeable weather, Melbourne truely can have four seasons in one day. I also thinkI live in the most beautiful city. If you open your eyes in Melbourne the beauty and surprises are so apparent.
2. Name two things you dislike about the city/town you live in: It's a little bit too sports focussed. The public transport system beyond zone two.
3. Name two cities/towns you would live in if you couldn’t live where you are now: Hobart, or any part of Tasmania. Part of me would like to live in New York, but I think that this is the fantasy of the bohemian lifestyle epitomised by old movies set in Soho.
4. Are you a “true local” (born and raised) or a transplant of the city/town you live in? Melbourne girl born and bred (Thick round the middle; smart in the head. ;p )
5. Do you like to leave your city/town when you have a long weekend or do you like to stay home? I like to explore the city I live in; I love being a local tourist. I do want to see the world though.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
6 Films I Love And A Quote Or 2 From Each
Rugrats In Paris: the scene at the start where Chuckie watches all the other babies dancing with their mummies makes me cry. I just want to adopt Chuckie and look after him so he has a mummy at this point. By the time the end reaches I'm crying because he gets one. The Boi knows this is my "excuse to blub" movie. (Yes, I know it's a kids animation. Yes, I know admitting to this probably wins me Nerdette of the year.)
Chuckie Finster: Over my dad's potty!
Breakfast At Tiffany's: *sigh* George Peppard looking yummy, Audrey at her most gorgeous, heart warming story, what's not to love.
Holly Golightly: He's all right! Aren't you, cat? Poor cat! Poor slob! Poor slob without a name! The way I see it I haven't got the right to give him one. We don't belong to each other. We just took up one day by the river. I don't want to own anything until I find a place where me and things go together. I'm not sure where that is but I know what it is like. It's like Tiffany's.
Paul Varjak: Tiffany's? You mean the jewelry store.
Holly Golightly: That's right. I'm just CRAZY about Tiffany's!
Holly Golightly: I'm like cat here, a no-name slob. We belong to nobody, and nobody belongs to us. We don't even belong to each other.
Practical Magic: I love chic flicks. This has to be my all time can watch on repeat and not get bored by it chick flick; close ties are Sweet Home Alabama and Just Like Heaven.
Sally Owens: All I want is a normal life.
Aunt Frances Owens: My darling girl, when are you going to understand that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage!
Pretty In Pink: Two words; John. Hughes. I'm a child of the 1980's so a list of films has to have at least one John Hughes in it. I know Breakfast Club is the better crafted story; I know St Elmo's Fire has the better plot line (and isn't a Hughes). Pretty In Pink has James Spader at his worst, Jon Cryer as Duckie, and Harry Dean Stanton. Case rests.
Duckie: You know what an older women does for me?
Iona: Changes your diapers?
Duckie: Touché.
Dogma: Kevin Smith. I love his humour, direction, writing, philosophy, cute little tushy and irreverence. In this he peaked. (Fuck, Underline stuck on, sorry.)
Nun: You don't believe in God because of Alice in Wonderland?
Loki: No, "Through the Looking Glass". That poem, "The Walrus and the Carpenter" that's an indictment of organized religion. The walrus, with his girth and his good nature, he obviously represents either Buddha, or... or with his tusk, the Hindu elephant god, Lord Ganesha. That takes care of your Eastern religions. Now the carpenter, which is an obvious reference to Jesus Christ, who was raised a carpenter's son, he represents the Western religions. Now in the poem, what do they do... what do they do? They... They dupe all these oysters into following them and then proceed to shuck and devour the helpless creatures en masse. I don't know what that says to you, but to me it says that following these faiths based on mythological figures ensure the destruction of one's inner-being. Organized religion destroys who we are by inhibiting our actions... by inhibiting our decisions, out of... out of fear of some... some intangible parent figure who... who shakes a finger at us from thousands of years ago and says... and says, "Do it - Do it and I'll fuckin' spank you. "
Metropolis: This was the irst silent film I ever saw and began a love affair I still have with the films of the 1920's. It also has a philosophy and beauty to it that haunts. My bias and pretension is to say no better science fiction film has ever been made; but that is a massive call and a can of worms I'm only willing to buy shares in not open.
I also love any Lon Chaney Snr films and the German films like Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari. Films like The Cat and The Canary and Freaks still manage to scare me. I have as many of them as I can find on DVD. I'd dearly love A Trip To The Moon and other early shorts but do not know where to find them.
Maria: There can be no understanding between the hand and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator.
Chuckie Finster: Over my dad's potty!
Breakfast At Tiffany's: *sigh* George Peppard looking yummy, Audrey at her most gorgeous, heart warming story, what's not to love.
Holly Golightly: He's all right! Aren't you, cat? Poor cat! Poor slob! Poor slob without a name! The way I see it I haven't got the right to give him one. We don't belong to each other. We just took up one day by the river. I don't want to own anything until I find a place where me and things go together. I'm not sure where that is but I know what it is like. It's like Tiffany's.
Paul Varjak: Tiffany's? You mean the jewelry store.
Holly Golightly: That's right. I'm just CRAZY about Tiffany's!
Holly Golightly: I'm like cat here, a no-name slob. We belong to nobody, and nobody belongs to us. We don't even belong to each other.
Practical Magic: I love chic flicks. This has to be my all time can watch on repeat and not get bored by it chick flick; close ties are Sweet Home Alabama and Just Like Heaven.
Sally Owens: All I want is a normal life.
Aunt Frances Owens: My darling girl, when are you going to understand that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage!
Pretty In Pink: Two words; John. Hughes. I'm a child of the 1980's so a list of films has to have at least one John Hughes in it. I know Breakfast Club is the better crafted story; I know St Elmo's Fire has the better plot line (and isn't a Hughes). Pretty In Pink has James Spader at his worst, Jon Cryer as Duckie, and Harry Dean Stanton. Case rests.
Duckie: You know what an older women does for me?
Iona: Changes your diapers?
Duckie: Touché.
Dogma: Kevin Smith. I love his humour, direction, writing, philosophy, cute little tushy and irreverence. In this he peaked. (Fuck, Underline stuck on, sorry.)
Nun: You don't believe in God because of Alice in Wonderland?
Loki: No, "Through the Looking Glass". That poem, "The Walrus and the Carpenter" that's an indictment of organized religion. The walrus, with his girth and his good nature, he obviously represents either Buddha, or... or with his tusk, the Hindu elephant god, Lord Ganesha. That takes care of your Eastern religions. Now the carpenter, which is an obvious reference to Jesus Christ, who was raised a carpenter's son, he represents the Western religions. Now in the poem, what do they do... what do they do? They... They dupe all these oysters into following them and then proceed to shuck and devour the helpless creatures en masse. I don't know what that says to you, but to me it says that following these faiths based on mythological figures ensure the destruction of one's inner-being. Organized religion destroys who we are by inhibiting our actions... by inhibiting our decisions, out of... out of fear of some... some intangible parent figure who... who shakes a finger at us from thousands of years ago and says... and says, "Do it - Do it and I'll fuckin' spank you. "
Metropolis: This was the irst silent film I ever saw and began a love affair I still have with the films of the 1920's. It also has a philosophy and beauty to it that haunts. My bias and pretension is to say no better science fiction film has ever been made; but that is a massive call and a can of worms I'm only willing to buy shares in not open.
I also love any Lon Chaney Snr films and the German films like Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari. Films like The Cat and The Canary and Freaks still manage to scare me. I have as many of them as I can find on DVD. I'd dearly love A Trip To The Moon and other early shorts but do not know where to find them.
Maria: There can be no understanding between the hand and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator.
I'll leave the last word to my favourite critics.
Gratuitous Bosco Looking Cute Pictures & A Quote I Like
Warning: Cat Blogging.
"Never underestimate the value of doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."
Friday, November 10, 2006
Secrets And Sequiter.
OK; this has been a very busy week; finishing last assignment, work, wedding, health on decline again (losing voice for second time in as many weeks)...
*starts croaking off key to "My Way"*
excuses, I've got a few,
but then again,
they've had a mention...
I've lived my life too full
I've lost the plot
Of this I'm certain...
Reality fairy stops where this is going and drags attention back to task at hand
Cough cough, um, sorry.
I won a copy of Secrets today in a "Lucky dip" as an end of class thank you from the teacher.
It's part two of "What The Bleep" according to the teacher (I thought this was Through The Rabbit Hole). I'm looking forward to watching it.
I think that it says something about the counselling course I have just finished (well, one essay and an exam to go) that we studied quantum in relation to holistic psychology and the mind-body connection. I'm not sure what it says but it says something. ;p
OK... bed time so I can be all awake for my last class for this course. And maybe for my throat to get better so I can shake the last of this "pharyngitis".
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Tuesday Twosome:
Comments are mine; not the party I am a member of.
Election Day
We don't vote in Victoria until the end of the month, and some of our electoral processes are different from the US. I'll try to explain as best I can for those not reading this in Australia. I don't like commenting on how other countries run themselves as I feel we only get a limited amount of information. I'm open to being told how my views are misinformed; but because I don't live in the US I would ask that people don't take my comments as US bashing (they're not) and respond to them using facts not opinions; e.g. websites with the information not just name calling. I am open to being educated.
1. Are you registered to vote? Explain why you are or are not registered to vote?
Voting is compulsory in Australia from the age of 18. I have friends that argue that enrolling to vote is an option but I have yet to find evidential data on this. So; Yes. I'm enrolled because I have too, but also because i think you cannot complain about the results of the process if you have not been a part. Its also too important a thing not to vote.
2. Did you vote early (if your state offers this) or are you voting on election day?
I'll be voting on election day; which is also my Hen's night.
3. Do you truly believe your vote counts or are you not convinced that “every vote counts”?
Yes, every vote counts. Especially in a country like America, you cannot get true change until the people have a true voice. I don't think that optional voting gives a true indication of what the people in the US really think. I read somewhere that if the Black American population voted more that the US would already have its first black President, less civil rights violations and better funding for education and health rather than one of the poorest (financially) health and education systems (according to people like Bryson, Moore, and many of the more prominent sociologists).4. Did you make up your mind about what candidates to vote for a while back or within the last two weeks?
I belong to a political party, so I know who I will be voting for. I support the Australian Democrats (completely different from the ones in US) for their policies on education, health (especially in the areas of stem cell research and mental health), women, indigenous Australians, the aged, the environment, refugees and the war. I do not support the GST; which is why I voted against the Liberal party and was hurt when one of our senators crossed the floor.
Sadly the GST furore has hurt the party deeply with a large number of people blaming the Democrats for what happened but continue to vote for the major party that implemented them. I am also aware of many cases where the Democrats have laid the ground work for a project to have it taken over by another party and given more publicity.
Voting Democrat makes sense as they are also one of the only minor parties on the left not in the hip pocket of a major party, (Labor and Greens; Liberal, Nationals and Fundamentalists First). They are also truly separate from religious influence (Think Liberals think white protestant; Labor was strongly Catholic at one point; I won't insult people over the Fundies.)
5. Compared to your parents’ views, are you voting the same as or different from them? Are you more liberal or conservative than them?
I vote differently from my parents (One is Labor, one is Nationals.) My influence comes from my father who taught me the importance of Unions and a party that gives the workers a voice; something I also feel that the Democrats do. As I grew older I realised that environmental concerns were also something I felt passionate about; so I became more politically active on these issues and then sort-of drifted into representative positions (student council, board member on various charities, etc.) I guess my left leaning attitudes make me a small l liberal.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Six Books and a a Saying.
Six books that have had an impact on me.
Terry Pratchett: Small Gods.
Belief gives things shape; it is the strength of belief in a thing that makes it what it is. In Small Gods it is the strength of belief Brutha has that keeps the great god Om alive; even though Om has the largest number of people who subscribe to his religion.
Eric Maisel: The Van Gogh Blues.
This book normalised depression for me. Maisel theorises that it is the loss of meaning that results in depression in creative people. The methods he describes have allowed me to express how I am in the depression. When I miscarried I drew mothers with ghosts following them; when the first cycle IVF didn't work I painted wombs as cemeteries; poetry, photos, sketches, building, finding a new formula, writing... what ever your creative expression of self, artist or scientist, when depressed you can use that to show meaning and find meaning. See the review/ counselling piece in Crayons.
Aside: In homeopathy Post partum/natal depression is thought to be caused by the mother feeling she had meaning while pregnant but looses sight of that once the child is born. The rejection of the baby (common sign of PND)) is connected to an ill formed differentiation of the birth mother from her own mother.
Richard's Encyclopedia Volume 13, published 1958.
It had everything! Fairy stories, mythology, mind puzzles, word games, stuff that would not normally be in an encyclopaedia! As a kid I'd spend hours pouring over this one volume. The fairy tales were not dumbed down or Disney-fied. The puzzles were a challenge; and you got something new each time. My favourite page was a picture of flowers; you had to name them all. They weren't flowers in the picture though. You had two lips for tulips, a picture of row after row of corn for rose. I think I'll go visit mum and get it. I think its sitting in the garage somewhere... should save it for my kids.
Bill Bryson: Notes From A Small Island.
This book began my love affair with travel novels. I cannot afford to travel the world yet but these books let me see things I never would of known about. Ones like Holy Cow by Sarah McDonald let me see India, Lonely Planet's Smallest Countries showed me the many kingdoms that exist, (Including a few in Australia, Hutt River Province I think was one.)
CWA Cookbook
I learnt how to bake from these. I'm one of the three in my social group who gets requests for food when parties are coming up. My melting moments melt on the way to your mouth; my ginger biscuits get requested most often; I was using m&ms in biscuits before they came in mini and become fashionable.
I find baking relaxing. I find substituting and experimenting so that vegans are able to eat what I make a challenge. I hate that I cannot try as I go like I used to, as not everyone wants GF biscuits and cakes. One day I'll throw recipes up somewhere. They are not health foods but heart foods, and I think that is as important.
Emily Bronte: Wuthering Hieghts
This showed me that not every book my mother told me to read was about Australia when she was a child and helped me to learn to respect others opinions. She's right; it's depressing in parts but the greatest love story. My Father gave me the love of books and taught me how they were an escape; my mother showed me the importance of reading things that make you reflect. My father taught me to read everything; my mother made sure I had practical interests; sewing, knitting, baking.
Saying: Mr Feeny, my year 12 Literature teacher, told us to memorise poems and plays. He said it would give us something to do while we were stuck far away from a book and bored.
: I believe we write our own stories. And each time we think we know the end - we don't. Perhaps luck exists somewhere between the world of planning, the world of chance, and in peace that comes from knowing that you just can't know it all. You know, life's funny that way. Once you let go of the wheel, you might end up right where you belong.
From: Little Black Book.
Terry Pratchett: Small Gods.
Belief gives things shape; it is the strength of belief in a thing that makes it what it is. In Small Gods it is the strength of belief Brutha has that keeps the great god Om alive; even though Om has the largest number of people who subscribe to his religion.
Eric Maisel: The Van Gogh Blues.
This book normalised depression for me. Maisel theorises that it is the loss of meaning that results in depression in creative people. The methods he describes have allowed me to express how I am in the depression. When I miscarried I drew mothers with ghosts following them; when the first cycle IVF didn't work I painted wombs as cemeteries; poetry, photos, sketches, building, finding a new formula, writing... what ever your creative expression of self, artist or scientist, when depressed you can use that to show meaning and find meaning. See the review/ counselling piece in Crayons.
Aside: In homeopathy Post partum/natal depression is thought to be caused by the mother feeling she had meaning while pregnant but looses sight of that once the child is born. The rejection of the baby (common sign of PND)) is connected to an ill formed differentiation of the birth mother from her own mother.
Richard's Encyclopedia Volume 13, published 1958.
It had everything! Fairy stories, mythology, mind puzzles, word games, stuff that would not normally be in an encyclopaedia! As a kid I'd spend hours pouring over this one volume. The fairy tales were not dumbed down or Disney-fied. The puzzles were a challenge; and you got something new each time. My favourite page was a picture of flowers; you had to name them all. They weren't flowers in the picture though. You had two lips for tulips, a picture of row after row of corn for rose. I think I'll go visit mum and get it. I think its sitting in the garage somewhere... should save it for my kids.
Bill Bryson: Notes From A Small Island.
This book began my love affair with travel novels. I cannot afford to travel the world yet but these books let me see things I never would of known about. Ones like Holy Cow by Sarah McDonald let me see India, Lonely Planet's Smallest Countries showed me the many kingdoms that exist, (Including a few in Australia, Hutt River Province I think was one.)
CWA Cookbook
I learnt how to bake from these. I'm one of the three in my social group who gets requests for food when parties are coming up. My melting moments melt on the way to your mouth; my ginger biscuits get requested most often; I was using m&ms in biscuits before they came in mini and become fashionable.
I find baking relaxing. I find substituting and experimenting so that vegans are able to eat what I make a challenge. I hate that I cannot try as I go like I used to, as not everyone wants GF biscuits and cakes. One day I'll throw recipes up somewhere. They are not health foods but heart foods, and I think that is as important.
Emily Bronte: Wuthering Hieghts
This showed me that not every book my mother told me to read was about Australia when she was a child and helped me to learn to respect others opinions. She's right; it's depressing in parts but the greatest love story. My Father gave me the love of books and taught me how they were an escape; my mother showed me the importance of reading things that make you reflect. My father taught me to read everything; my mother made sure I had practical interests; sewing, knitting, baking.
Saying: Mr Feeny, my year 12 Literature teacher, told us to memorise poems and plays. He said it would give us something to do while we were stuck far away from a book and bored.
: I believe we write our own stories. And each time we think we know the end - we don't. Perhaps luck exists somewhere between the world of planning, the world of chance, and in peace that comes from knowing that you just can't know it all. You know, life's funny that way. Once you let go of the wheel, you might end up right where you belong.
From: Little Black Book.
One Million Candles.
I used this format before to let people know about a way they could help with funding a cure for breast cancer. Others have also used it to alert about political petitions, animal welfare causes and environmental issues. So, click on the links, learn more, light a candle and help fight child abuse.
The innocent victims of Internet child abuse cannot speak for
themselves.
But you can.
With your help, we can eradicate this evil trade.
We do not need your money.
We need you to light a candle of support
<http://www.lightamillioncandles.com>.
We're aiming to light at least One Million Candles by December 31,
2006.
This petition will be used to encourage governments, politicians,
financial institutions, payment organisations, Internet service
providers, technology companies and law enforcement agencies to
eradicate the commercial viability of online child abuse.
They have the power to work together. You have the power to get them to
take action.
Please light your candle at lightamillioncandles.com
<http://www.lightamillioncandles.com> or send an email of support to
light@lightamillioncandles.com.
Together, we can destroy the commercial viability of Internet child
abuse sites that are destroying the lives of innocent children.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Cutting the cats' nails
Warning: This post includes Cat Blogging and Proud Owner Being Dull About Cute Acts.
The Boi cut the cat's claws tonight.
This is my take on the events:
Nutty: Hiss; Bugger off! I like long nails!
Much like me; I like my nails long and hate cutting them. We are also both fastidious about them being clean.
Bosco: Hiss; She objected I should! Rowr! Oh woe is me; how could you! *Playful attempt to disembowel Boi and claw out eyes.*
Two hours later;
Her; still ignoring us.
Him; Sitting on paws, which he never does. Also very responsive to pats from the Boi.
I must admit I respect Nutty's stubbornness more than Bosco's pat slutting.
We really should get them a scratching post to save the furniture and the cat fights.
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