Hmmm...

Hmm, let's hope that the attempt to put a picture into this thing actually worked. The whole thing of being able to easily put pix in to the blog might tempt me to stay here, rather than simply doing everything at my blog on the tblog.com site, which has a much easier-to-use style (although not as aesthetically pleasing).

Well, back to work... I have to not use the 'net as much, I think. Especially for looking up Angus Oblong stuff *lol*

Not The Sunscreen

I love this ~ John Safran did it in reply to that kind of cheesy Sunscreen song that was around years ago. Finally found the John Safran one online, tho, and now I can listen to its depressing messages whenever I so please. Hurrah!

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '98,
People often ask me if I have any advice to offer
And when they do, I tell them this:

If you're unsure about what you're going to do with your life,
Try to remember, some of the most interesting people didn't know what they were going to do at age twenty-two or even at forty, and nearly all of them are unemployed drug addicts forced to live on cat food.
Also understand that friends will come and go, this is because of your irritating personality, nobody likes you. So if the only thing getting you thought the day is the misconception that people like you, end it now. (bang)
Learn how to smoke Whinny Blues, if you're under aged, get an older kid to buy them for you.
Get to really know your parents, they're good for money, milk them, then put them in an old people's home.
Travel as often as you can, live in New York City once, live in Northern California once, never live in Adelaide, It's a hole.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, if you do have children, lock them under the stairs.
Do one thing each day that scares you, sing, dance, jump in front of a car.
Do not trust anyone who tries to update Sheakespear for the kids, and if you see Quindon Tarver in the street, punch him in the face for me.

Chorus
Brother and Sister, we can be free (smack)

If you're worried about the way you look, try to remember, you're probably fatter than you think, maybe you should consider an eating disorder. Don't worry too much about the future. If you're nervous about an exam, ring up your school to schedule time, and make a bomb threat. If you're a girl, lie about period pains to get out of anything you don't want to do. Cheat if you think you can get away with it. Remember, someone with richer parents is getting private tuition.
Shop-lift as often as you can, Shopping Centres factor shop-lifting into their prices, so if you don't do it, it's like they're getting money for free.
When you're on work experience, steal a cab-charge, and take a Taxi to Perth.
Wear sunscreen, but only if it's that coconut oil that gives you cancer.
Keep your old love letters, if you see an old lover in the street, try to run them over in your car.
Don't mess too much with your hair, or else by the time you're thirty-five, you'll look like Greg Matthews.
Remember you can wear your underwear four times without washing them, Forwards, Backwards, inside-out Forwards, inside-out Backwards.

Chorus twice
(bang bang bang bang)

Congregate in gangs around train stations and shopping centres, it's a free country, It's public space. Skateboard on War Memorials.
Smoke in your School uniform.
Set off car alarms.
Plant Drugs on a teacher.
Join a cult.
Spike Drinks.
Don't flush public toilets.
Remember, only you will truly take care of you, so carry a concealed weapon.
Don't wear your 'P' plates.
Walk around with your eye lids rolled back.
Touch your tongue on the tip of batteries.
Be open to new love.
Remember, you can't get pregnant the first time you have sex.
Expect others to support you, it's easy to get the doll and still do cash in hand work.
Respect your elders, when your grandma dies, have her stuffed.
Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when you're knee capped by a loan shark.
Get revenge, don't forgive anyone for anything,
But most of all, don't aim too high, you're probably only suited to an office or factory job.
And trust me on the Whinny Blues.

Having a 'moment'

Stupid blog seems to be having a 'moment' as one of my lecturers from uni would have said.

Sometimes I really dislike technology!

:-p

~~final rant~~

When facism comes to America, it'll come wrapped up in an American flag - some former American state govenor.

Maybe it's the same in Australia.

I don't like being unsafe from terrorism. Osama bin Laden is evil. But then so are our Western governments. I don't like that our governments are increasing the hate and killing more people. Creating a climate of fear, hatred and xenophobia.

Instead of setting an example for peace and building community and making friends, they decide to bomb the f*ck out of countries.

I hate fundamentalists, of any variety. And you know what? Fundamentalist Christians are sometimes so much worse than fundamentalist Muslims.

The Right wing bothers me.

Sure, so does the Left. But in some ways, not quite so much.

Just we don't seem to get much of a middle-ground any more where anyone gets to have their say.

Where's true liberality? True progressiveness? True democracy???

Democracy has been hijacked. We no longer have true democracy, which saddens me. Particularly in Australia. Our government does whatever the f*ck it feels like, even though many of the Australian people don't want what they decide on.

The Federal government also blackmails the State governments in ways that are disgusting and quite simply evil! I mean, threatening States with no funding for drought relief because they won't support certain policies is wrong.

It'd be naive to think that politics has nothing to do with propaganda.

Our Australian Prime Minister has blatantly lied to the public about refugees, the war on terror, university funding, etc, etc, etc... Sure, politicians lie, but why the f*ck are we letting them get away with it without questioning them or writing to our representatives or NOT voting for the parties at elections???

Why can't we have someone stand up for the right thing? Why is it that only extremists make the noise? Why is it that people don't seem to care that our freedoms are being eroded?

I mean, here in Victoria, there are laws that restrict our freedom of speech. Federally, unions are having their rights to stand up for workers taken away.

*sigh*

There's such a difference between nationalism and patriotism. And I think patriotism has the ability to stand back, look at one's country and see when it has problems.

I love Australia. I love the world. It's a beautiful place, or at least has the potential to be. Guess we just have to make more of an effort.

Another Rant...

We are holding African children to ransom for the debts of their grandparents. - Bono.

I have to wonder what the point of third world debt is.

My thoughts are all over the place on this, but really, I think it comes down to us being way too greedy and governments not wanting other nations to have equality.

Equality is such a lofty ideal.

And you know what? I think it would be possible to have if we all stopped pretending that we were really living with it and actually got around to doing it instead... hmph.

We in the Western world and have plenty of money. Our governments can merrily spalsh billions of dollars around on weapons designed to maim and kill, yet they can't or won't do anything to help other people live.

Oh sure, we have give token amounts.

Or we give to token areas. Or things that look nice. Or people who will say thank-you enough to stroke our egos. Or popular causes.

But there would be a greater benefit to people if we just let the debts slide. I mean, some of the debts are so tiny in terms of Western thinking that it's ridiculous to insist that people keep them.

It would allow countries to start with a fresh slate, and perhaps be able to make more of themselves. It might help people to develop better lives.

Of course, then, you have the problem of how this might affect the world's resources with production and consumption and so on.

But something like 3% of the world's populations consumes 80% of all of its resources! How unfair is that? How unethical are we in our every-day consumption of goods and services?!

And we all probably don't even realise it.

*sigh*

Western Imperialism

Hmm... interesting interview on Lateline with a former British army head-honcho who was involved with the early days of the Iraq war/invasion, was given an OBE and is now speaking out against the war/invasion.

He had held high ideals about helping the Iraqi people with the 'liberation' and making sure that they retained their dignity.

Instead, he found that the leaders of the nations involved in the 'Coalition of the Willing' (now the coalition of the wilting...) had no plans for how this would really be done.

So, would it have been better to have actually had a plan prior to the invasion, or would it have been better to have left the originally American-installed Saddam Hussein in place?

Hmm.

And just how much of it is a problem of our Western imperialism? Why is it that we think we can thrust non-Eastern ideals (that are often contrary to what works for Eastern societies) onto the Eastern societies? Why do we just go around and use guns instead of conversation? Why don't we look for similarities in belief rather than always focusing on the differences and dehumanising others?

What makes our society 'better' than theirs? Why should we be able to terrorise them and excuse it as necessary political action?

Hmmm... too many thoughts for this sleepy time of the night. It just seems that the more we interfere when people in other countries don't want us to, the worse things become.

*sigh*

Robotika?

"In the nineteenth century the problem was that God is dead; in the twentieth century the problem is that man is dead. In the nineteenth century inhumanity meant cruelty; in the twentieth century it means schizoid self-alienation. The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that men may become robots."

- Erich Fromm (1900-80)
American philosopher and psychologist

Environmental Rant

Mankind is one family and we share the same destiny.

All headed for an economic, social and environmental disaster...

Unless we change our behaviour.

But oh, like that's going to happen, because hey, we're human and selfish, greedy buggers who are more concerned about why there's not anything decent on TV or in the fridge rather than thinking about what's happening outside of the house.

Global terrorism? Sure, it kills people to blow others up. But environmental terrorism? Hmmm... strangely enough that seems to be ignored! Or worse still, encouraged by governments and big business. Nothing like drilling for oil in a world heritage area or killing some more whales for 'scientific research.'

Oh, and here, have some Agent Orange...

To hell with keeping up with the Joneses.

A pox upon the inertia.

It's time to be responsible in our consumption. Not taking and taking and taking, but making sure that we only use what is necessary and ensuring that we work to return things to the earth as well to replace what we took.

Or there will be nothing left for your children and your children's children.

Happiness doesn't mean to buy more and more, progress isn't something that should excuse destruction and abuse.

ARRRGHHHHH!

*sigh*

Goldfish Mind

grave
Originally uploaded by dellabella.

Hmm...

I'd totally forgotten about this blog (due to blogging elsewhere usually... maybe I'll just start copying and pasting those blogs on to here and you can be blessed with my political rants rather than a deep black silence!).

Anyways, things have been pretty busy lately. Finally met the neighbours on the weekend, which was nice. They're really friendly and their son has a few piercings, which has inspired me to think further about piercings. At the moment, I have a list of eight things I want pierced. I'm considering starting on this weekend with a labret or Monroe piercing :)

Kind of scary and exciting at the same time!

Right now I'm listening to the Lola Rennt soundtrack, and felt like posting the lyrics to Wish (Komm Zu Mir):

I wish I was a hunter in search of different food
I wish I was the animal which fits into that mood
I wish i was a person with unlimited breath
I wish I was a heartbeat that never comes to rest

Komm zu mir
Come to me
Komm zu mir
Come to me
Komm zu mir
Come to me
Komm zu mir
Come to me

I wish I was a stanger who wanders down the sky
I wish I was a starship in silence flying by
I wish I was a princess with armies at her hand
I wish I was a ruler who'd make them understand

Komm zu mir
Come to me
(Komm zu mir)
(Come to me)
Komm zu mir
Come to me
(Komm zu mir zuruck)
(Come back to me)
Komm zu mir
Come to me
(zuruck zuruck zuruck)
(Back, back, back to me)
Komm zu mir
Come to me
(zuruck zu mir)
(Back to me)

Wir sprengten jeden Rahmen
We went beyond all frontiers
als wir zusammen kamen
when we met
war's wie eine Explosion
it felt like an Explosion
und ich schw?r'
and I swear
ich spur' die Erschutterung immer noch
I can still feel its vibrations
ich weiss du rennst und doch
I know you're running and yet
bist du erst nah und da
you won't be close and really here
wenn du in meinen Armen liegst
until you're right here in my arms
ich geh' zu Boden wenn du nicht mit mir fleigst
I will fall to the ground if you don't fly with me

Oh Baby, bitte bitte lauf lauf gib nicht auf
Oh, baby please please run and don't give up
ich hab' dich vermisst
I missed you so much
es fressen mich D?monen auf wenn du nicht bei mir bist
demons will eat me up if you're not here with me
ich tu' was du verlangst hab' keine Angst
I'll do as you say, don't be afraid
ich lass' dich nicht allein denn uns geh?rt die Welt
I won't leave you cause the world's all ours
wir k?nnen alles sein doch jetzt bist du auf dich gestellt
We can be everything we want to but right now you're on your own

I wish I was a writer who sees what's yet unseen
I wish i was a prayer expressing what I mean
I wish I was a forest of trees that do not hide
(komm zu mir)
(Come to me)
I wish I was a clearing no secrets left inside
(komm zu mir)
(Come to me)

...zuruck
...back to me
ich bin wegen dir hier
I am here because of you
zum Gluck bleibt uns noch Zeit bis zur Ewigkeit
we are lucky to still have time left till eternity
ein Stuck deines Daseins steckt in mir
a piece of your existence is present within me
und ich halt' es so fest doch die Erinnerrung bringt mich um
and I hold it close but it kills me to remember it all
weil es mich nicht losl?sst
cause it won't leave me alone
bitte bleib' bei mir, verzeih' mir
please stay with me, please forgive me
lasse es dich nicht zerst?ren
don't let it destroy you
wir kommen frei hier
we'll get out of here
wenn wir nur auf die Liebe schw?r'n
if only we swear on love
es gibt sonst nichts auf dieser Welt was uns zusammenh?lt
there is nothing else in this world that keeps us together
ausser dern was du mir gibst wenn du mich liebst
apart from what you give me when you love me

und deshalb Baby lauf lauf bitte gib nicht auf
and so Baby, run run, please don't give up
ich hab' dich vermisst
I missed you so much
es fressen mich D?monen auf wenn du nicht bei mir bist
demons will eat me up if you're not here with me
ich tu' was du verlangst hab' keine Angst
I'll do as you say, don't be afraid
ich lass' dich nicht allein denn uns geh?rt die Welt
I won't leave you cause the world's all ours
wir k?nnen alles sein sind wir auf uns gestellt
we can be everything we want to when we're on our own

Wir zwei beschreiben Stille, die jeden Krach umhullt
The two of us describe a silence that wraps up every noise
besitzen ein Bewusstsein, das jeden Raum erfullt
We both have a conscience and a confidence that can fill every room
auch du wirst mich vermissen, wenn keiner bei dir ist
you will miss me, too, when no one's with you
denn ich will von dir wissen wer du bist
cause I want to know who you really are

Ich brauch' dich doch auch nicht mehr als du mich
I don't need you more than you need me
Ich brauch' dich doch auch nicht mehr als du mich
I don't need you more than you need me
Ich brauch' dich doch auch nicht mehr als du mich
I don't need you more than you need me
Ich brauch' dich doch auch nicht mehr..
I don't need you more...

(Komm zu mir, Baby lauf lauf lauf!)
(Come to me, Baby, run run run!)
I wish I was a hunter in search of different food
I wish i was the animal which fits into that mood
I wish I was a person with unlimited breath
I wish I was a heartbeat that never comes to rest
(Baby lauf lauf!)
(Baby run run!)
I wish I was a forest of trees that do not hide
Komm zu mir
Come to me
I wish I was a clearing of secrets left inside
Komm zu mir
Come to me
I wish I was a stranger who wanders down the sky
Komm zu mir
Come to me
I wish I was a starship in silence flying by
Komm zu mir
Come to me

(Baby lauf lauf lauf!)
(Baby, run run run!)
Komm zu mir
Come to me
Komm zu mir
Come to me
Komm zu mir
Come to me

Ich brauch' dich doch auch nicht mehr als du mich
I don't need you more than you need me
Ich brauch' dich doch auch nicht mehr als du mich
I don't need you more than you need me
Ich brauch' dich doch auch nicht mehr als du mich
I don't need you more than you need me
Ich brauch' dich doch auch nicht mehr...
I don't need you more...
~~~

Anyways, I shall leave you with this thought:

"Der Mensch, die wohl geheimnisvollste Spezies unseres Planeten. Ein Mysterium offener Fragen. Wer sind wir? Woher kommen wir? Wohin gehen wir? Woher wissen wir, was wir zu wissen glauben? Wieso glauben wir überhaupt etwas?
Unzählige Fragen, die nach einer Antwort suchen, einer Antwort, die wieder eine neue Frage aufwerfen wird, und die nächste Antwort wieder die nächste Frage und so weiter und so weiter.
Doch ist es am Ende nicht immer wieder die gleiche Frage, und immer wieder die gleiche Antwort?"