Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Monday, October 24, 2005
No rest for the wicked
And the righteous don't need it.
I want it, though! I don't think I've had enough in the past week or so—too much time spent on talking, wandering, watching movies and whatnot *lol* But you know what? All of the lack of sleep was worth it because it was brilliant fun :)
It's fun having someone stay over.
And it made me realise that I am tired of being so solitary, even though it's what I'd thought I was happy with. It's just nice to have someone around the house who you can go, "Let's go out and do this/that/the other," and just do it. And no, I don't mean I want someone to marry or whatever for a perma-housemate :-p Just thinking in general :)
Plus it feels safer at night.
On another note...
Song of the Day: Groove is in the Heart - De'light
I want it, though! I don't think I've had enough in the past week or so—too much time spent on talking, wandering, watching movies and whatnot *lol* But you know what? All of the lack of sleep was worth it because it was brilliant fun :)
It's fun having someone stay over.
And it made me realise that I am tired of being so solitary, even though it's what I'd thought I was happy with. It's just nice to have someone around the house who you can go, "Let's go out and do this/that/the other," and just do it. And no, I don't mean I want someone to marry or whatever for a perma-housemate :-p Just thinking in general :)
Plus it feels safer at night.
On another note...
Song of the Day: Groove is in the Heart - De'light
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Lonely.I actually feel *lonely* o.0
That's something I NEVER feel. Usually I enjoy being alone and having solitary time to meditate, relax, watch bad TV, cook or whatever else, but right now I feel kind of lonely.
*sigh*
Oh well, give it another few hours and I probably will recover *lol*
And at least my dog seems happy to have me all to himself again. He's curled up sleeping at my feet at the moment, instead of sitting on the other side of the room, giving me looks that say, "And why aren't you paying attention to *me*??"
It's bizarre how when you've had people staying with you and they leave, the house seems so very quiet. Especially after you clean up and pack up bedding, do the washing, all of that sort of thing.
*sigh*
So quiet!
Oh well. The real estate agent is bringing some people through to do an inspection of this house soon, so it won't be that quiet for too much longer. Unless they're like the guys who came on Friday who said almost nothing, except for when one of them asked me if I was British because of my accent.
I wish I was sometimes.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Ugh...
I feel less like a cat and more like roadkill now...*crawls under desk*
Definitely feel like I've been through a threshing machine backwards. And I still have an editorial to write and there are three subjects that are wrestling about in my mind as to which one will get written on and it's not all that easy to choose!
Arrghhh!!!
I want to go home and lie down in bed with the covers pulled up.
And I will quite possibly break my code of never hurting wildlife if those two blue wrens keep bashing on the window at 5am onwards for hours and hours without stop. I will get a broom and chase them, the perverted little peeping tom birds! I don't want to have them smashing against the window OR frotting about on the ferns outside. It's just icky.
Silly birds.
Hurrah for sleep!
Even though I've been off of work sick for the past two days and am trying to cram everything into this day, I still feel like the cat that ate alllllllll the cream *stretches*
Mmmmm... Happy days.
I think it'd be a good thing to have more umm... cream... I guess you could say tonight *lol*
Sleep is not the enemy :-D
Mmmmm... Happy days.
I think it'd be a good thing to have more umm... cream... I guess you could say tonight *lol*
Sleep is not the enemy :-D
Monday, October 17, 2005
Always look on the bright si-ii-ide of life!
Okay, so that's not always easy to do with the looking on the bright side of life, but just when I was feeling all miserable 'n stuff, I was going through a folder and found this cartoon, which made me laugh.
Thank-you, Reverend Fun!
Laughter is good!
Things will get better.
God's got a plan... I hope. And if it doesn't show itself soon, I guess then maybe... well... who knows. But I'm not going to fly mecca anytime soon *teehee*
Today! Today! I hate you, Today! You're always...?
Today is a total walking abortion of a day.
*GRR!*
Woke up early, cleaned the house, feeling so nervous about it all - inspections starting there at "home" today and all. Gah!
Then at lunch time, we looked at the rental house that we got invited to check out last week and it would be perfect... and they want a bond PLUS a month's rent in advance. Not cheap, not cheap at all! But I really like the place and it allows pets and if we don't take it, who knows what will happen. There ain't no better option.
Then I fell up the steps at the post office. The steps are tiled and have no grip on them, so when my shoe hit them, I managed to do the spilts which was a total freaking dent to my pride - arghh! *cuss, stab, kill, cuss*
This afternoon/this evening, another friend is arriving and I have no idea about where we're going to meet or whatever so that I can guide them up the mountains to the little place I won't be calling home for much longer. ARGH!
Oh, and payment of our wages isn't going through until TOMORROW because of a computer malfunction thing.
I HATE TODAY!
*GRR!*
Woke up early, cleaned the house, feeling so nervous about it all - inspections starting there at "home" today and all. Gah!
Then at lunch time, we looked at the rental house that we got invited to check out last week and it would be perfect... and they want a bond PLUS a month's rent in advance. Not cheap, not cheap at all! But I really like the place and it allows pets and if we don't take it, who knows what will happen. There ain't no better option.
Then I fell up the steps at the post office. The steps are tiled and have no grip on them, so when my shoe hit them, I managed to do the spilts which was a total freaking dent to my pride - arghh! *cuss, stab, kill, cuss*
This afternoon/this evening, another friend is arriving and I have no idea about where we're going to meet or whatever so that I can guide them up the mountains to the little place I won't be calling home for much longer. ARGH!
Oh, and payment of our wages isn't going through until TOMORROW because of a computer malfunction thing.
I HATE TODAY!
IR reforms ads, please go away!
I'm getting tired of the government using out money to help rip us off.
These Industrial Relations ads have got to stop - no-one's falling for them, anyway. And all of their shiny let's-be-so-happy-that-we're-going-to-be-screwed-over-you-never-needed-to-spend-time-with-your-family-and-who-needs-weekends talk is just so see-through. Adding the word "fair" to the mix doesn't make it so any more than adding "a genuinely nice chap with the interests of Jews far and wide at heart" to the Hitler biography would.
We've already seen that John Howard has lied to the working public of Australia about these reforms, as well as a whole lot of other things. Saying that public holidays will be safe and now that they're on the chopping block is just another thing to tick off on the list of long broken promises and utter piffle the Howard government has come out with.
If the government seriously wanted us to believe anything about the potentially impending Industrial Relations Reforms, they should have started advertising long before the trade unions did. That's something that you'd have to call fantastic timing on the trade union's behalf - being released long before the reforms were even being seriously considered and debated by the Australian public. The government left it months before they bothered to start advertising.
Their loss.
Although the trade unions have isolated themselves somewhat from the general public in recent years. A lot of this has to do with legislation that restricts the activities of unions, though. Unions used to do a lot for the environment, other unions not related to their own specific area, rights of women for maternity leave, community and so on, but a couple of years ago, the Howard government pushed through laws that saw unions restricted in what they can do and say (generally meaning they're stuck to their own immediate area of interest now).
The IR reforms are potentially something that could be a good boost for trade unions here in Australia. It'd be an excellent opportunity to remind people of what the unions are there for, other than squabbling amongst themselves. They could organise some protests (even though we all know that regardless of how many people turn up for them, the Howard government refuses to listen. The entire population of Australia could march in mass protest against something planned by the government and it'd still be pushed through as legislation... psh...), do more ads, help people to truly understand what costs there might be for people in real terms and move away from the emotive ads to giving people more information and facts.
The Labor party also needs to work on a really public level with this and make sure that it's making noise about the reforms. This could finally be a time for the Labor party to truly represent the general Australian public who are concerned about the IR reforms and want to make sure that their jobs will be secure. They also need to show how the government has disregarded the needs and wants of the Australian public. If they can be seen to represent the people, then I think there could be a resurgence in popularity for the party, which has suffered a bit of a battering lately.
Let's see what they can do.
*ponders* And if they can't manage it, then maybe it is time to see that Kim Beazley isn't a good leader and there's a reason he's lost the leadership of the party before... Hmmm.
These Industrial Relations ads have got to stop - no-one's falling for them, anyway. And all of their shiny let's-be-so-happy-that-we're-going-to-be-screwed-over-you-never-needed-to-spend-time-with-your-family-and-who-needs-weekends talk is just so see-through. Adding the word "fair" to the mix doesn't make it so any more than adding "a genuinely nice chap with the interests of Jews far and wide at heart" to the Hitler biography would.
We've already seen that John Howard has lied to the working public of Australia about these reforms, as well as a whole lot of other things. Saying that public holidays will be safe and now that they're on the chopping block is just another thing to tick off on the list of long broken promises and utter piffle the Howard government has come out with.
If the government seriously wanted us to believe anything about the potentially impending Industrial Relations Reforms, they should have started advertising long before the trade unions did. That's something that you'd have to call fantastic timing on the trade union's behalf - being released long before the reforms were even being seriously considered and debated by the Australian public. The government left it months before they bothered to start advertising.
Their loss.
Although the trade unions have isolated themselves somewhat from the general public in recent years. A lot of this has to do with legislation that restricts the activities of unions, though. Unions used to do a lot for the environment, other unions not related to their own specific area, rights of women for maternity leave, community and so on, but a couple of years ago, the Howard government pushed through laws that saw unions restricted in what they can do and say (generally meaning they're stuck to their own immediate area of interest now).
The IR reforms are potentially something that could be a good boost for trade unions here in Australia. It'd be an excellent opportunity to remind people of what the unions are there for, other than squabbling amongst themselves. They could organise some protests (even though we all know that regardless of how many people turn up for them, the Howard government refuses to listen. The entire population of Australia could march in mass protest against something planned by the government and it'd still be pushed through as legislation... psh...), do more ads, help people to truly understand what costs there might be for people in real terms and move away from the emotive ads to giving people more information and facts.
The Labor party also needs to work on a really public level with this and make sure that it's making noise about the reforms. This could finally be a time for the Labor party to truly represent the general Australian public who are concerned about the IR reforms and want to make sure that their jobs will be secure. They also need to show how the government has disregarded the needs and wants of the Australian public. If they can be seen to represent the people, then I think there could be a resurgence in popularity for the party, which has suffered a bit of a battering lately.
Let's see what they can do.
*ponders* And if they can't manage it, then maybe it is time to see that Kim Beazley isn't a good leader and there's a reason he's lost the leadership of the party before... Hmmm.
Weekend highlights
1) Agreeing to marry my friend Danny if I'm single when I'm 25, which isn't a bad thing, because he's hot! *teehee!*
2) Downloading lots of songs that I love and having a Hendrix Sunday. Very tempting to redecorate the house in a 1960s/1970s style, but refrained because of there being house inspections starting today. Unimpressed about that, but such is life...
3) Cleaning the entire house. Not really a highlight, but it took lots of effort and it looks really nice.
4) Talked to a friend from England for hours and hours on the phone, which meant late nights, but never mind. It was so much fun, perhaps because when it's late at night/early in the morning, I do tend to go a bit bonkers (well, more so than usual) and laugh a lot...
5) My dog being allowed into the antique store in town. He's starting to be invited into more and more stores by shop owners here *lol* Isn't it amazing what you can get away with when you're adorably cute?
6) Making a cheesecake from scratch for the first time ever. Only ever done the packet things before, but I made and baked my own cheesecakes! Yay! And they're really nice, too. Raspberry and chocolate... mmmm!
7) Larie arrived!!! YAY!!!
8) Getting asked if I have children. I found it highly amusing. And it's the second time in about as many months that I've been asked if I have loinfruit *lol* I'm wondering whether people are thinking that I'm older than I am or something. Like the Telstra guy who came to fix the line on Friday assumed that I owned the house... hmm...
9) The ceiling in the bathroom FINALLY being fixed and finished after like, months. It looks nice. No more gaping hole in the ceiling!
10) Finally finishing my tax forms. Now I just have to hope that I've filled them out correctly and don't get arrested for my lack of knowledge about taxation stuff! o.0 *teehee*
2) Downloading lots of songs that I love and having a Hendrix Sunday. Very tempting to redecorate the house in a 1960s/1970s style, but refrained because of there being house inspections starting today. Unimpressed about that, but such is life...
3) Cleaning the entire house. Not really a highlight, but it took lots of effort and it looks really nice.
4) Talked to a friend from England for hours and hours on the phone, which meant late nights, but never mind. It was so much fun, perhaps because when it's late at night/early in the morning, I do tend to go a bit bonkers (well, more so than usual) and laugh a lot...
5) My dog being allowed into the antique store in town. He's starting to be invited into more and more stores by shop owners here *lol* Isn't it amazing what you can get away with when you're adorably cute?
6) Making a cheesecake from scratch for the first time ever. Only ever done the packet things before, but I made and baked my own cheesecakes! Yay! And they're really nice, too. Raspberry and chocolate... mmmm!
7) Larie arrived!!! YAY!!!
8) Getting asked if I have children. I found it highly amusing. And it's the second time in about as many months that I've been asked if I have loinfruit *lol* I'm wondering whether people are thinking that I'm older than I am or something. Like the Telstra guy who came to fix the line on Friday assumed that I owned the house... hmm...
9) The ceiling in the bathroom FINALLY being fixed and finished after like, months. It looks nice. No more gaping hole in the ceiling!
10) Finally finishing my tax forms. Now I just have to hope that I've filled them out correctly and don't get arrested for my lack of knowledge about taxation stuff! o.0 *teehee*
How Many Yuppies... Oh Wait, That's Another Joke...
How many members of the Bush Administration are needed to replace a light bulb?
The Answer is TEN:
1. One to deny that a light bulb needs to be changed
2. One to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the light bulb needs to be changed
3. One to blame Clinton for burning out the light bulb
4. One to tell the nations of the world that they are either: "For changing the light bulb or for darkness"
5. One to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Haliburton for the new light bulb
6. One to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on a stepladder under the banner "Light Bulb Change Accomplished"
7. One administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in detail how Bush was literally "in the dark"
8. One to viciously smear #7
9. One surrogate to campaign on TV and at rallies on how George Bush has had a strong light bulb-changing policy all along
10. And finally one to confuse Americans about the difference between screwing a light bulb and screwing the country.
The Answer is TEN:
1. One to deny that a light bulb needs to be changed
2. One to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the light bulb needs to be changed
3. One to blame Clinton for burning out the light bulb
4. One to tell the nations of the world that they are either: "For changing the light bulb or for darkness"
5. One to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Haliburton for the new light bulb
6. One to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on a stepladder under the banner "Light Bulb Change Accomplished"
7. One administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in detail how Bush was literally "in the dark"
8. One to viciously smear #7
9. One surrogate to campaign on TV and at rallies on how George Bush has had a strong light bulb-changing policy all along
10. And finally one to confuse Americans about the difference between screwing a light bulb and screwing the country.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
And the last test for the night...
| Veggie Pizza |
 Upscale and trendy. You're the most likely to go for a gourmet pizza. You have impeccable taste in everything. You truly enjoy the finer things in life. |
Hellmark
Hallmark-style romance and poetry is just twee and should be hit with sticks!
*ahem*
That is all.
*ahem*
That is all.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
...and the sun's a bowl of Jelly Bellys!
Saturday afternoon relaxation after a delightful Saturday morning wander with my dog is complete with...Jelly Bellys!
Mmmm :) I think I have two more packets of them in the cupboard somewhere, too *lol*
But it's too lovely a day to be spending it inside! The weather's gorgeous, the sun's warm and it's definitely time to go outside with some blankets, a lot of books and something nice to eat for a late lunch.
Totally Plastered
Well, after a few months the hole in the bathroom ceiling has finally been repaired totally - now my landlord's just going to paint over the area on Sunday and that will be all. Happy days :)
But the plaster!!!
Oh the plaster... I don't know how, but there is plaster dust from the sanding and whatnot all around the house! I cleaned the bathroom this morning completely and it's still kind of dusty. But at least it doesn't look like it's snowed in there any more.
Icky plaster.
But the plaster!!!
Oh the plaster... I don't know how, but there is plaster dust from the sanding and whatnot all around the house! I cleaned the bathroom this morning completely and it's still kind of dusty. But at least it doesn't look like it's snowed in there any more.
Icky plaster.
Friday, October 14, 2005
*happy sigh*
Even though yesterday was hectic and kind of boring, yesterday evening and night kicked a$$!
I made chocolate and raspberry cheesecakes, which turned out really well. Definitely impressive 'cos I've never made cheesecakes before They made the house smell amazing when they were cooking!
And then I talked on the phone for hours with an old and very dear friend who lives in the UK and we laughed our a$$es off over British shows like Shameless and other such 'gems.' Finally hung up around 1.20am or so when I didn't think I could laugh any more but didn't want to say good-bye yet. Definitely the best time I've had in weeks.
Happy days :)
Today's been interesting, though. The guy came to fix the phone and it was a problem with the line, which had to be replaced. We had a good long chat about Telstra and lots of other things, and it was interesting to find out some perspectives about the potential sale and privatisation from someone who works for Telstra.
Real estate agent paid a surprise visit that I hadn't been told about. That was interesting. Thankfully I saw my landlord down the street when I was out paying bills and stuff and he mentioned to me about it then. Rushed home with him and his wife, cleaned the house in a hell of a hurry and it was all good.
The cheesecakes are really good, too! :-D
I made chocolate and raspberry cheesecakes, which turned out really well. Definitely impressive 'cos I've never made cheesecakes before They made the house smell amazing when they were cooking!
And then I talked on the phone for hours with an old and very dear friend who lives in the UK and we laughed our a$$es off over British shows like Shameless and other such 'gems.' Finally hung up around 1.20am or so when I didn't think I could laugh any more but didn't want to say good-bye yet. Definitely the best time I've had in weeks.
Happy days :)
Today's been interesting, though. The guy came to fix the phone and it was a problem with the line, which had to be replaced. We had a good long chat about Telstra and lots of other things, and it was interesting to find out some perspectives about the potential sale and privatisation from someone who works for Telstra.
Real estate agent paid a surprise visit that I hadn't been told about. That was interesting. Thankfully I saw my landlord down the street when I was out paying bills and stuff and he mentioned to me about it then. Rushed home with him and his wife, cleaned the house in a hell of a hurry and it was all good.
The cheesecakes are really good, too! :-D
Thursday, October 13, 2005
#4537
Why am I dissatisfied with the Australian Federal Government? Reason # 4537 - Reactive rather than proactive anti-terror laws.
And where do these laws get us?
To this point: "Locking people up or seriously restricting their liberty when they have not even been charged are characteristics of dictatorship, not a democracy," [Brad] Adams [Asia director of Human Rights Watch] said. "Unjust measures are likely to alienate the very communities whose cooperation is vital to an effective counter-terrorism strategy through the criminal justice system," he added.(from Human Rights Watch slams anti-terror laws, The Age)
Instead of taking careful and considered precautions earlier, stupid laws get created in an hysterical panic and rushed through without a chance to debate or discuss their merits, faults or anything else. But I guess that our Federal (and State governments, who are equally guilty in this travesty) just like to p*ss all over human rights and democracy.
Frankly, it's embarrassing. We're meant to be a nation of friendly, sane and tolerant people who welcome others well enough and have a great spirit of community where we all help each other and are "mates." Instead we're starting to look like a bunch of idiots who live in a variety of wannabe-police state run by neurotics who abuse human rights rather than upholding them as part of our democratic principles (do we still have those or did they slip down the back of the couch at Parliament House?).
The Americans actually have the point of government summed up well with the "By the people for the people" statement. Who knows how long it's been since the Prime Minister has really listened to the people - and not just the people who agree with him on every point. And I mean actual listening where he doesn't just pat the person on the head and say, "That's so nice. Now have a lolly and go away."
*sigh*
Roll on the next election... but I guess things won't change - people seem to like voting for the current government, even though they've lied to us about lots of important things (GST, children overboard, reasons for Iraq invasion, elements of the industrial relation law reforms, etc) and taken away some of our human rights. How embarrassing.
And where do these laws get us?
To this point: "Locking people up or seriously restricting their liberty when they have not even been charged are characteristics of dictatorship, not a democracy," [Brad] Adams [Asia director of Human Rights Watch] said. "Unjust measures are likely to alienate the very communities whose cooperation is vital to an effective counter-terrorism strategy through the criminal justice system," he added.(from Human Rights Watch slams anti-terror laws, The Age)
Instead of taking careful and considered precautions earlier, stupid laws get created in an hysterical panic and rushed through without a chance to debate or discuss their merits, faults or anything else. But I guess that our Federal (and State governments, who are equally guilty in this travesty) just like to p*ss all over human rights and democracy.
Frankly, it's embarrassing. We're meant to be a nation of friendly, sane and tolerant people who welcome others well enough and have a great spirit of community where we all help each other and are "mates." Instead we're starting to look like a bunch of idiots who live in a variety of wannabe-police state run by neurotics who abuse human rights rather than upholding them as part of our democratic principles (do we still have those or did they slip down the back of the couch at Parliament House?).
The Americans actually have the point of government summed up well with the "By the people for the people" statement. Who knows how long it's been since the Prime Minister has really listened to the people - and not just the people who agree with him on every point. And I mean actual listening where he doesn't just pat the person on the head and say, "That's so nice. Now have a lolly and go away."
*sigh*
Roll on the next election... but I guess things won't change - people seem to like voting for the current government, even though they've lied to us about lots of important things (GST, children overboard, reasons for Iraq invasion, elements of the industrial relation law reforms, etc) and taken away some of our human rights. How embarrassing.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Holy calamity, scream insanity!
100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990 - 2000 (in America)
This list is of the books most requested by people in America to be banned in libraries. Some seem to have a point, but others truly make me question the mental stability of America as a nation.
There's got to be something crazy going on when people are wanting to ban books including:
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, which was part of the year 10 curriculum in English at my High School.
Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson, which we studied in Year 9.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. A classic, something of childhood and Summer afternoon reading... why would you want to ban this book!?
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I remember nearly crying my eyes out when I read this book, and was glad that I'd decided to read ahead and finish the book rather than waiting to go chapter-by-chapter with the class in Year 9. The story is wonderfully sad and beautiful and leaves something with you when you go away from it.
The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger. Oh dear oh dear oh dear... sheer madness...
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous. I think this is the diary of an anorexic, and if that's what I'm thinking it is, it's really sad to read but also very important. Brutally honest.
The Witches by Roald Dahl, which really should be compulsory reading for all kiddies, along with the rest of Dahl's books for children. I loved them when I was growing up. Maybe it explains why I'm as warped as I am as an adult... *lol*
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. To want to ban a book as brilliant as this is sheer insanity, and I'm so horrified by the thought that anyone would even think about wanting to ban it that I can't articulate my disgust. I first read it when I was 12, and was blown away by it, and that was just compounded when we studied it in High School.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Will the insanity never end!?
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. It's a boring read, to be honest, but explores some interesting issues.
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney. I'm assuming this is the same as the movie of the same title, but I could be wrong. The movie was incredibly moving.
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Obviously the insanity will never end...
Lord of the Flies by William Goldring. Yes, yes, disturbing and scary but such great social commentary!
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. You would have to be bonkers to want to ban a classic novel like this!
As a totally dedicated book lover (who owns somewhere between 500 and 600 books), I can't imagine why people would want others to not be able to read something. Clearly people have choices about what they read and it should be up to the individual to choose their material for reading. When I was younger, my Mum and I would go to the public library basically every Sunday and borrow mountains of books to take home and read. I started out with a total love of Each Peach Pear Plum (and can still recite it by heart) and grew up through various books and styles and genres, expanding my perspectives, learning new things, developing an appreciation for the world and the people in it.
There are some books that make you uncomfortable for the wrong reasons. But then there are also books that make you uncomfortable for the right reasons - they make you think, they challenge things you do, they challenge you and your beliefs - and it's a shame to see that there are a lot of the "right" kind of uncomfortable books on this list.
This list is of the books most requested by people in America to be banned in libraries. Some seem to have a point, but others truly make me question the mental stability of America as a nation.
There's got to be something crazy going on when people are wanting to ban books including:
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, which was part of the year 10 curriculum in English at my High School.
Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson, which we studied in Year 9.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. A classic, something of childhood and Summer afternoon reading... why would you want to ban this book!?
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I remember nearly crying my eyes out when I read this book, and was glad that I'd decided to read ahead and finish the book rather than waiting to go chapter-by-chapter with the class in Year 9. The story is wonderfully sad and beautiful and leaves something with you when you go away from it.
The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger. Oh dear oh dear oh dear... sheer madness...
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous. I think this is the diary of an anorexic, and if that's what I'm thinking it is, it's really sad to read but also very important. Brutally honest.
The Witches by Roald Dahl, which really should be compulsory reading for all kiddies, along with the rest of Dahl's books for children. I loved them when I was growing up. Maybe it explains why I'm as warped as I am as an adult... *lol*
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. To want to ban a book as brilliant as this is sheer insanity, and I'm so horrified by the thought that anyone would even think about wanting to ban it that I can't articulate my disgust. I first read it when I was 12, and was blown away by it, and that was just compounded when we studied it in High School.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Will the insanity never end!?
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. It's a boring read, to be honest, but explores some interesting issues.
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney. I'm assuming this is the same as the movie of the same title, but I could be wrong. The movie was incredibly moving.
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Obviously the insanity will never end...
Lord of the Flies by William Goldring. Yes, yes, disturbing and scary but such great social commentary!
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. You would have to be bonkers to want to ban a classic novel like this!
As a totally dedicated book lover (who owns somewhere between 500 and 600 books), I can't imagine why people would want others to not be able to read something. Clearly people have choices about what they read and it should be up to the individual to choose their material for reading. When I was younger, my Mum and I would go to the public library basically every Sunday and borrow mountains of books to take home and read. I started out with a total love of Each Peach Pear Plum (and can still recite it by heart) and grew up through various books and styles and genres, expanding my perspectives, learning new things, developing an appreciation for the world and the people in it.
There are some books that make you uncomfortable for the wrong reasons. But then there are also books that make you uncomfortable for the right reasons - they make you think, they challenge things you do, they challenge you and your beliefs - and it's a shame to see that there are a lot of the "right" kind of uncomfortable books on this list.
Creative integrity
Sometimes there are articles about issues facing Christians that are just so twee! Like an article I read this morning about facing challenges which basically said to lie back, don't think about the problems and let God do all of the work without getting involved yourself. *insert appropriate puzzled lost for words look*
Ever heard of being proactive? We have to help ourselves as well, you know! We can't just expect God to miraculously do everything for us, even though He could. We've got to get out there and help things along, as well as realising that often God's answer isn't, "Yes, right away!" to everything we ask for.
But there was an interesting article on Relevant.com called Confessions of an Elitist.
Some people ripped into it a bit, but I think there are some important points happening. Why should we like some well-marketed thing if it's crummy? Why is everything homogenised, processed, pressed down and packed into one mould when it comes to what's popular?? From books to clothes to music to movies to words even!
Good art of any variety is good regardless of its popularity. There are a lot of "no-name" artists out there who produce truly fantastic and inspiring work, while there are Sydney Nolan paintings hanging in galleries that look like he's painted them with the brush up his rear end. The current peasant/hippy thing happening with fashion has some perks but mostly it's not all that fantastic. Most movies that are being made are bollocks - think of Stealth for one and you wonder just what producers, writers and directors are thinking.
Mass-produced music where lots of the artists sound exactly the same, have no real meaning in their songs and don't have a whole lot to say because they're too busy lip-synching is another thing! Okay, I'm a music snob at times, but that doesn't mean that I think that other people shouldn't be allowed to listen to whatever they want. Just don't expect me to want to listen to it voluntarily. Beauty is in the ear of the behearer after all!
Balanced critiques are important (but that's not something I go into with TeleVixen because there are some shows that simply do not deserve balanced views because they themselves don't present any) (which reminds me, Australian Princess is on again tonight and the Etiquette B*tch looks to be in full flight if the ads are to be believed, which is starting to cement my belief that it doesn't matter how well you know how to fold the towels in the bathroom, if you are a savage old witch it simply doesn't matter - your personality truly is the thing that "shines" through).
Creative integrity is equally important. People should be trying to produce things that come from something inside them that inspires them, moves them, challenges them - something that has a meaning. And not just a meaning that's slapped on like, "This fork stuck on a banana represents the struggle and pain of the masses who feel like they are trapped beneath the iron dictatorship of the ruling classes and are crying out for freedom." Works of beauty should also be appreciated. If we couldn't admire works like Circe Invidiosa by JW Waterhouse (my favourite painting in the whole world and the one up in the above left-hand corner) or The Priestess at Delphi by John Collier or The Mona Lisa by Leonardo Divinci or Poplars along the River Epte, Autumn 1891 by Claude Monet or Sunflowers by Vincent van Gough, there would have to be something wrong with us.
We're made to appreciate beauty and pleasure and fun and enjoyment and happiness :)
Be werry, werry qwiet, we're hunting houses!
Hurrah for Reverend Fun!There's such a lot of house stuff going on at the moment. Last night, the Welsh repairman guy came and started fixing the ceiling in the bathroom. He's a Dr Who fan and a vegetarian, so that was interesting.
I spent a chunk of the evening on the phone to Telstra because my phone line has decided to go nuts after the stormy weather last night, and they gave me the oh-so-useful response of, "We can't find anything wrong with your line. It must be the handset... Oh, so the line drops out when you're on the internet too? Ohh... Well, we'll send someone on Thursday between 8am and 12pm. What? Oh you work then??? Good Lord, shouldn't everyone drop everything for us and fritter away four hours when they could be working to wait for a tradesman? Where is that AWFUL static noise on the line coming from?!?! Oh alright, Friday. Between 8am and 12pm..."
We turned down the house that I looked at on Friday, too. If it had been in a different town, or on the other end of that town, I wouldn't have had any problems signing for it. However, when I mentioned to my boss about where it was, he got a look of horror on his face and immediately told me to talk to other people at work about the area. I was kind of worried about the area to start with and the extra info I found out about it just put me off of it totally.
Rang the agent and apologised but explained why, and he said that it was understandable (which made me wonder why he didn't mention any of the stuff about that particular area when I asked if he knew about the sort of things that were going to be concerns in relation to the area) (sales vs honesty, round one...).
So fingers crossed for another property..!!!
And not a tent!
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
"...got really high and wandered off..."
The thing I like most about South Park is that I can just imagine how much better and more hilarious it would be if one actually took drugs.
I mean, last night's episode with the towel that would randomly pop up to say, "Don't forget your towel!" "A towel is useful when you go swimming..." etc was just so... so... hmmm... so much like some of the stuff some of my dope-smoking friends would come up with and laugh at crazily (until they're lying on the floor, crying with laughter and you're just standing there going, "Riiiiiiight... I'll go away now...").
"But then one day Towelly got high and wandered off..."
And Towelly was created by evil aliens who'd come to invade Earth and take it over and I just thought that I should have posted this on my TeleVixen blog, but what the hey... it's here now *lol*
I mean, last night's episode with the towel that would randomly pop up to say, "Don't forget your towel!" "A towel is useful when you go swimming..." etc was just so... so... hmmm... so much like some of the stuff some of my dope-smoking friends would come up with and laugh at crazily (until they're lying on the floor, crying with laughter and you're just standing there going, "Riiiiiiight... I'll go away now...").
"But then one day Towelly got high and wandered off..."
And Towelly was created by evil aliens who'd come to invade Earth and take it over and I just thought that I should have posted this on my TeleVixen blog, but what the hey... it's here now *lol*
Why is it that in the times when I am definitely searching for answers and having huge issues with things, the eDevotion from the South Australian Conference's youth department always has the answers or at least some guidance and comfort?? Seriously, it's starting to freak me out.
This is today's devotion (apt, considering all of the issues with the house stuff):
An Appeal for Guidance
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Send out Your light and Your truth;
let them guide me.
Let them lead me to Your holy mountain,
to the place where You live.
There I will go to the altar of God,
to God-the source of all my joy.
I will praise You with my harp,
O God, my God!
Why am I discouraged?
Why so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise Him again –
my Saviour and my God!
Psalm 43:3-5
Being lost in the darkness can be a very frightening situation. But imagine if you were also being pursued by people who were out to kill you! This was the psalmist’s urgent dilemma, and he didn’t know which way to turn. But he did know to whom he should cry out for help. He asked God to show him the way, to guide him in the truth, and to lead him to the Lord’s presence.
Pray that God will guide your steps. Set your sights on your final destination – God’s dwelling place – and encourage yourself with the prospect of living joyfully in the Lord’s presence.
Dear God, guide me with Your light and Your truth…
This is today's devotion (apt, considering all of the issues with the house stuff):
An Appeal for Guidance
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Send out Your light and Your truth;
let them guide me.
Let them lead me to Your holy mountain,
to the place where You live.
There I will go to the altar of God,
to God-the source of all my joy.
I will praise You with my harp,
O God, my God!
Why am I discouraged?
Why so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise Him again –
my Saviour and my God!
Psalm 43:3-5
Being lost in the darkness can be a very frightening situation. But imagine if you were also being pursued by people who were out to kill you! This was the psalmist’s urgent dilemma, and he didn’t know which way to turn. But he did know to whom he should cry out for help. He asked God to show him the way, to guide him in the truth, and to lead him to the Lord’s presence.
Pray that God will guide your steps. Set your sights on your final destination – God’s dwelling place – and encourage yourself with the prospect of living joyfully in the Lord’s presence.
Dear God, guide me with Your light and Your truth…
Monday, October 10, 2005
Cold feet..? What cold feet? Ohhh, mine!
Yeah, this house thing just looks worse and worse the more I think about it. I mean, if the house itself was in a different area and not in the town it's in, I wouldn't really have so many worries about it.
BUT I do have issues with it where it is. The area's dodgy, I don't want to live there and in fact, don't want to be anywhere near there. But then what to do? There aren't many other options. Actually, there *aren't* any other options at the moment.
ARGHHHH!
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't the pressure on to sign the contract (by tomorrow), but there's stuff in the contract that doesn't gel well with me either (and no, I don't mean the stuff about not using the house for illegal activities ).
Grr... Now I don't know what to do!
I want a house that I fall in love with like I did when I first saw the house that I'm living in now. I don't want to have to debate it with myself.
$*#&*@#&^$@*!!!
BUT I do have issues with it where it is. The area's dodgy, I don't want to live there and in fact, don't want to be anywhere near there. But then what to do? There aren't many other options. Actually, there *aren't* any other options at the moment.
ARGHHHH!
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't the pressure on to sign the contract (by tomorrow), but there's stuff in the contract that doesn't gel well with me either (and no, I don't mean the stuff about not using the house for illegal activities ).
Grr... Now I don't know what to do!
I want a house that I fall in love with like I did when I first saw the house that I'm living in now. I don't want to have to debate it with myself.
$*#&*@#&^$@*!!!
What a day..!
Uninspired!Disinterested!
Listening to 1980s music!
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes producing offspring (okay, I knew about that on Thursday, but couldn't bring myself to ponder that until today - it's like terrorist acts or other events that rank up there on the shocking horror scale) (although it might be a fake baby, just like the fake engagement) (but ewwwww, so very very ewww!)!
House hunting is oppressively not fun! Okay, so we got offered a house, but I'm really not sure about it. Have to sign the contract soon. Am going to spend tonight thinking it over. Some elements I'm not really happy with. And then what happens with moving and whatnot? Arrghh!
I wish I could buy a house!
But no! Renting! And renting blows goats of all sizes!
I need a holiday!
Arrghhhhhhhhh! *kicks things*
But I'm now listening to Your Jeans Are Too Tight by Paul McDermott and GUD and the line, "I gave Osama a 69!" is making me laugh. Thank heavens for comedy, or I think I would simply hurl myself under a bus.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Sonnet 47
Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is took,
And each doth good turns now unto the other:
When that mine eye is famish'd for a look,
Or heart in love with sighs himself doth smother,
With my love's picture then my eye doth feast
And to the painted banquet bids my heart;
Another time mine eye is my heart's guest
And in his thoughts of love doth share a part:
So, either by thy picture or my love,
Thyself away art resent still with me;
For thou not farther than my thoughts canst move,
And I am still with them and they with thee;
Or, if they sleep, thy picture in my sight
Awakes my heart to heart's and eye's delight.
- Shakespeare
And each doth good turns now unto the other:
When that mine eye is famish'd for a look,
Or heart in love with sighs himself doth smother,
With my love's picture then my eye doth feast
And to the painted banquet bids my heart;
Another time mine eye is my heart's guest
And in his thoughts of love doth share a part:
So, either by thy picture or my love,
Thyself away art resent still with me;
For thou not farther than my thoughts canst move,
And I am still with them and they with thee;
Or, if they sleep, thy picture in my sight
Awakes my heart to heart's and eye's delight.
- Shakespeare
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