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Is there any redeeming features whatsoever to the cultural phenomenon known as the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival? Apparently Australians don't know about fine art and literature, great film and theatre, or fashion and music but they do know about get drunk on champagne, dress badly and spend their ill-earned dollars on a horse race.
Of course, Australia is such an egalitarian society, so we can engage in such frivolities, isn't it? We don't have a situation where the top twenty percent of households earn fifty percent of the income, or the one percent of households holds 12% of the household assests, and where the top 20% holds some sixty four percent. No, we can sip champagne, wear silly frocks/suits and watch horses being flogged to run around a track.
Not to suggest that Australia is alone in such behaviour. In other parts of the world the supposed pretence of formal political economy still has the structural effects of legal and economic racism. Hmmm.. Scary graphic, isn't it? And one wonders why "race theory" is still seriously discussed there.
OK, rant over for now.. There is other news. Not the least being that I am now I recipient of business welfare, having been awarded a grant from DEWR last week which basically acts as income insurance for the next twelve months. It also means that I have a Cert IV in Business Management, which is hardly a big deal either. But hey, a few extra dollars and extra piece of stiff cardboard doesn't hurt.
The second issue of Red Friday, my ICT newsletter has come out which goes to prove that it was not a crazy one off-issue, but rather a continuing act of madness. This issue has a special article on database design and quality and, appropriately, an SQL tutorial. I must mention I'm very happy with the positive feeback I've been receiving. Thanks!
Also on to it's second post, the Ten Thousand Islands roleplaying campaign is going well with the initial scene being set and with subsequent initial character interaction. This particular form of rpg , play by email, is proving to be an OK medium and I'm finding the use of the web journal with text and pictures to be quite helpful. On the downside, one of the players has had to drop out so if someone could take their place it would be most appreciated - it's not an onerous task and it is fun!
Managed a modicum of socialibility in the last week, or rather last Saturday in particular. Went to the extremely well attended (52 people by my head count) triple birthday picnic for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
smilesnspiders, raven_ (whom I didn't talk to as much as I should have - sorry darling!), and Samantha at the Victoria Gardens in Prahan (delightful place). Spent most of the time chatting with baralier, caseopaya, with passing yarns with horngirl, adricongirl and txxxpxx.
The second gathering was the wedding of17catherines and jesusandrew (who was simply dashing) which was at Coburg lake. Was deplorably late, but you get that when you go to two events on the same day. The rats (Monte and Harley) almost stole the show by being adorably cute. loki and ananas2003 had plotted a "wedding book" of stories, photos etc. My contribution, which I can finally post, was a Tetum mythological story tailored for the young couple. This story, it should be mentioned, is consistent with Tetum mythic themes and beings.
Speaking of mythic stories, Timor is, of course, next door to Flores where in the past several days the remains of a new human species was discovered with the remote possibility that they were still around as little as several hundred years ago. Imagine life as a 1 metre high person in a land of volcanos, crater lakes and komodo dragons.
Brain breaker of the week (apart from the above) wasn't a good one. From pirate radio stations to BBC DJ for the pasty fourty years John Peelprovided a voice for alternative music when others were merely meat packers (to make a comparison from thereddragdiva. It is not unreasonable to say that he was extremely significant in the promotion of (take a deep breath) T-Rex, David Bowwie, The Undertones, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Fall, The Cure, The Cocteau Twins, Joy Division, Pulp, Orbital, etc etc etc. You did a fine job, Mr. Peel. You'll be missed.
Of course, Australia is such an egalitarian society, so we can engage in such frivolities, isn't it? We don't have a situation where the top twenty percent of households earn fifty percent of the income, or the one percent of households holds 12% of the household assests, and where the top 20% holds some sixty four percent. No, we can sip champagne, wear silly frocks/suits and watch horses being flogged to run around a track.
Not to suggest that Australia is alone in such behaviour. In other parts of the world the supposed pretence of formal political economy still has the structural effects of legal and economic racism. Hmmm.. Scary graphic, isn't it? And one wonders why "race theory" is still seriously discussed there.
OK, rant over for now.. There is other news. Not the least being that I am now I recipient of business welfare, having been awarded a grant from DEWR last week which basically acts as income insurance for the next twelve months. It also means that I have a Cert IV in Business Management, which is hardly a big deal either. But hey, a few extra dollars and extra piece of stiff cardboard doesn't hurt.
The second issue of Red Friday, my ICT newsletter has come out which goes to prove that it was not a crazy one off-issue, but rather a continuing act of madness. This issue has a special article on database design and quality and, appropriately, an SQL tutorial. I must mention I'm very happy with the positive feeback I've been receiving. Thanks!
Also on to it's second post, the Ten Thousand Islands roleplaying campaign is going well with the initial scene being set and with subsequent initial character interaction. This particular form of rpg , play by email, is proving to be an OK medium and I'm finding the use of the web journal with text and pictures to be quite helpful. On the downside, one of the players has had to drop out so if someone could take their place it would be most appreciated - it's not an onerous task and it is fun!
Managed a modicum of socialibility in the last week, or rather last Saturday in particular. Went to the extremely well attended (52 people by my head count) triple birthday picnic for
smilesnspiders, raven_ (whom I didn't talk to as much as I should have - sorry darling!), and Samantha at the Victoria Gardens in Prahan (delightful place). Spent most of the time chatting with baralier, caseopaya, with passing yarns with horngirl, adricongirl and txxxpxx. The second gathering was the wedding of
17catherines and jesusandrew (who was simply dashing) which was at Coburg lake. Was deplorably late, but you get that when you go to two events on the same day. The rats (Monte and Harley) almost stole the show by being adorably cute. loki and ananas2003 had plotted a "wedding book" of stories, photos etc. My contribution, which I can finally post, was a Tetum mythological story tailored for the young couple. This story, it should be mentioned, is consistent with Tetum mythic themes and beings.Speaking of mythic stories, Timor is, of course, next door to Flores where in the past several days the remains of a new human species was discovered with the remote possibility that they were still around as little as several hundred years ago. Imagine life as a 1 metre high person in a land of volcanos, crater lakes and komodo dragons.
Brain breaker of the week (apart from the above) wasn't a good one. From pirate radio stations to BBC DJ for the pasty fourty years John Peelprovided a voice for alternative music when others were merely meat packers (to make a comparison from the
reddragdiva. It is not unreasonable to say that he was extremely significant in the promotion of (take a deep breath) T-Rex, David Bowwie, The Undertones, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Fall, The Cure, The Cocteau Twins, Joy Division, Pulp, Orbital, etc etc etc. You did a fine job, Mr. Peel. You'll be missed.