 This free promotional postcard from the Commonwealth Bank intrigued me. It was one of those moveable postcards where the slit shows you something different as you spin it. This postcard had sayings in Greek, Spanish, German, Italian, and French with three important phrases relating to money... well, it is a promo for a bank. The 'English-language' one was for phrases to use in the States. Now, while I understand that Americans have culturally different phrases... I didn't think they would have spoken a completely distinct language than the English that we speak in Australia, like what the Commonwealth Bank promo ads are assuming. Then again, I've seen worse when Americans and English people are trying to write in 'Australian' - adding things like mate and cobber after every sentence. However, it's good to know that I've picked up three phrases from other languages concerning how to pay for things. Very innovative postcard. I won't do my banking at the Commonwealth Bank, but I'll still love your free postcards. ~Paul~ Age: 26 years, 4 months, and 19 days.
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
 |
|
So today I had to travel to Scoresby to learn how to use my oven. And since I was already that far away, I figured I might as well meet up with an old schoolfriend who lives in Endeavour Hills. Which meant that today was a big public transport experience, with a total of three trains and four buses (it would have been four trains, but I got a lift home from choir). ( In which Melbourne performs cunning weather tricks, and is far too clever for Connex )
In other news, I have been ruminating on the nature of gossip. It seems to me that the really best gossip is the kind you get when a situation is still in a state of flux. Or active in some way. Unfinished. Which means it is at its most interesting at a time when the gossip itself may have an effect on the thing or person being gossiped about.
I am ruminating upon this, of course, because a truly magnificent specimen of the same has come into my possession. If things go as pear-shaped as I fear they may, it will be very public and much talked about, and my little mite will be merely be a footnote of 'I knew about that'. And if things do not go pear shaped, it will be quite permissible to talk about it, and not at all interesting.
Of course, talking about it really could make it worse (or, just possibly, better, but this would involve a degree of chance which I think is highly unlikely). So I can't. Which means I am sitting here, positively seething with unspoken news. And my better self hopes that it will all blow over and stay boring.
But my worser self can't help musing wistfully on just how big and exciting a story this is, and how much fun it would be to be able to tell it...
(I'm not really a very good or nice person. I'm sorry if I'm disillusioning anyone here.)
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
"Tony Abbott, Sophie Mirabella, Tony Smith and Senators Nick Minchin and Eric Abetz have all quit their portfolios because they cannot vote for the [ETS] legislation."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/26/2754654.htm
5 Comments | Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
Holy crap, you could not pay for this kind of comedy.
I eagerly await the formation of the breakaway New Liberals - presumably followed by the formation of The Mighty Liberals, The Dark Liberals, and The Lack of Initiative (National Party).
Next year's election is going to be hilarious.
1 Comment | Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
What's the best music (i.e. CD, record, etc.) store in the CBD (or immediate surrounds)? I used to be a fan of JB but lately I've been getting kind of poor service from the folk there, and more often than not I have to order in CDs I'm after which can take a few weeks. I'm in to all kinds of music so I'm not after a specialty store, just a cool place that has popular and lesser-known music, and nice staff who can recommend good music and order in CDs if need be.
Thanks folks!
17 Comments | Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
I frequently hear, "If I was to (verb)... as opposed to "If I were to (verb)... Am I just being "old school" applying grammar rules that are no longer in use?
I cringe when I hear "if I was...", but I do know that acceptable grammar usage does change through the years, so am I just being out of tune with current changes?
Sign me,
Old Lady Former ESL Teacher
10 Comments | Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
I won NaNoWriMo today. I even posted a Twitter status to prove it.
Currently I'm sitting at 51,249 words (according to MS Word) or possibly 51,539 words (according to the official NaNoWriMo word counter) and have been for the last hour or so. I'm contemplating to myself whether I actually want to continue with this travesty (to write, say, the last few scenes in my outline that I was sort of looking forward to, inasmuch as I looked forward to any scene) or whether I want to stop now and return to my other project that I've barely touched since September.
I don't actually think my current project is all bad. Like I'm sure I said before the month even began, I thought this "first draft" was going to be more of an exploratory project. Feeling out the idea, so to speak. I haven't quite finished feeling it out (which is why I contemplate persisting with it until my outline runs out), but I've made a lot of progress.
And yes, as I was writing, the plot evolved in unpredictable spurts. The character of the prime minister, for instance, became much more malevolent than I'd originally contemplated. To a certain extent he became sinister and calculating... kind of like I imagine Kevin Rudd being, behind closed doors, but even worse. At some point in the outline there was supposed to be a ramping up of efforts to prosecute the robots and their supporters, and this turned out to be a far greater ramping up than I'd originally intended. One character who was supposed to be arrested and released for lack of evidence (despite being guilty) turned out to be arrested and detained until she signed a confession, because it seemed the most logical way for the plot to go.
There's some weirdness with the chronology I need to fix up. The events recounted by each of the main characters are so close together that they actually overlap at times and confuse me. My outline didn't necessarily list the chapters in chronological order, either -- more in, "this character hasn't had a chapter for a while so I'll give them one" order. I need to fix that one up, even if it means someone doesn't get a chapter for 20,000 words. Chronological order is more important. It'll also, hopefully, eliminate the feeling that some of my chapters are mere padding.
I tend to think I'll write the remaining scenes that I actually want to write until November ends, and then I'll go back to my other project in December. If I do do that, then despite my terrible start, I'll actually write more words this month than I have in any NaNoWriMo prior to this.
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
1. End of an End (6:55)
2. Farewell gig in Amsterdam (9:15)
3. Sad passion (3:35)
4. Thirteenth Space (4:55)
5. Last Flight (9:55)
6. How do you do (4:00)
Jean-Jacques Goldman - electric, acoustic guitar, vocals (1,2,3,5)
Stephan Caussarieu - drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, vocal
Michaël Jones - vocals, bass, electric & acoustic guitar
Pascal Wuthrich - keyboards
Khanh Mai - electric & slide guitar, vocal (2,5)
Johnny Sehlhoff - acoustic guitar (2)
Michel Gaucher - Tenor saxophone (2)
( Read more... )
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
1. Bitter Street 3:31
2. Satin Doll 5:21
3. It's Impossible 6:11
4. Speak Low 5:47
5. Now's the Time 3:04
6. Out of Nowhere 4:38
7. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life 5:32
8. Toe Jam 3:23
9. On Green Dolphin Street 4:36
Rhoda Scott - Organ
Kenny Clarke - Drums
AMG:
"Originally recorded in Paris at a pair of two-day sessions in 1977 and then released as a BarClay Records LP that same year, this fine duo set features the sturdy soul-jazz organ of Rhoda Scott paired with Kenny Clarke on drums, and together they create a remarkably full sound. It is worth noting that two of the best numbers here are Scott originals, 'Bitter Street', which opens the album, and the funky 'Toe Jam'."
( Read more... )
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
 |
|
Hmm. There is little to report, beyond starting to get over my cold, and doom. My seminar paper is due two weeks tomorrow, and that's what I'm spending my Thanksgiving break doing. In theory. Of course, I spent this evening cooking and reading the internet and watching What Not to Wear and then hockey.
I'm trying to decide whether I should spend the morning again tomorrow at Starbucks reading, or if I should take a stand against places being open on major holidays, and stay home. I'm likely to be more productive at Starbucks, but on the other hand, why should shops be open 365 days a year, evil corporate overlords?
I'll probably go for productivity, but I will feel suitably guilty.
Anyway, right now my low-brain evening activity is updating my CV. I updated it mere days before the great hard drive death of summer 2009, but the update was, alas, lost. And the annoying thing is that I know I thought up a clever way to include my recently-acquired M.A. without making it look like I'd done a separate M.A. programme, but I can't remember what it was. Bah.
Once I'm done that, it will be time for bed. I have to get up early, because those 933 pages of The Proprietary Church in the Medieval West won't read themselves, as I demonstrated today by only getting through the first 110 or so of them.
Oh, and I cooked a pretty tasty pasta, Swiss chard, bean, and tofu sausage casserole this evening. NOM.
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
Received a bunch of photos in the mail, which are now adorning my wall here. And emailed clips from Wave Gotik Treffen, along with demands.
Right now a three-stop tour of Germany, a mad outdoor festival, followed by a return to Finland and a mad outdoor festival sounds pretty damned... perfect. And then a month working on a farm with nothing but sunshine, rolling forested hills and good company.
That last bit is probably the first dream I ever had. I need to make this happen, dammit.
Actually, if anyone has any advice on clever/lateral ways to raise travel cash quickly I'd love to hear it.
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
It's that time of year, so if you would like a Christmas Card from Down Under leave your details as a comment on this post. All comments will be screened. So get to it!!!
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
This entry is a crosspost from my "main" blog. The original entry can be found at Jayeless » Taliban at the table, and it was posted there two days ago.
This entry discusses an article from The Australian, Taliban at the table. If, by the time you read this post, Rupert Murdoch has shut off public access to this article and tries to force you to pay up, I apologise in advance.
What this article seems to ignore is that the Taliban is a hideously oppressive organisation. Allowing them to resume governance of Afghanistan would be to say, "We're happy for governments to terrorise and kill and harm their citizens, just so long as they don't bother us."
Is that really what we want to do? Do we really want to keep to that non-interventionist line and allow other human beings to suffer through that? Personally, I don't. If I were a world leader, I'd keep fighting the Taliban until they were utterly annihilated.
Which is not to say that I think the Western world is being very clever with their strategy. Air strikes that kill civilians... yeah, that'll totally shore up support. Supporting corrupt governments? Yep, yep, same. Excellent strategy, guys. Clearly it's only a matter of time before that one works out.
I think this article overestimates support for the Taliban. Admittedly I must qualify this statement by pointing out that I have never been to Afghanistan nor spoken to anyone from there, and this person probably has, and while I know other people have discussed just how unpopular the Taliban really is, they're going to be biased by the fact that they want the Taliban to be unpopular. As human beings we tend to jump on evidence that confirms our view and blank out the rest.
But.
I do not see any reason why the Taliban in and of themselves would be popular. We remember the intensity of oppression in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, don't we? We remember the public executions, the frequent beatings, the oppression of women, the banning of most forms of entertainment (like sport)... don't we? Do we really, truly believe that that kind of governance is popular with the people of Afghanistan?
That said, I can see that nationalist movements -- ones which want an Afghanistan free from foreign control -- would be popular. The solution is not to legitimise the Taliban as a "nationalist movement", but to (firstly) respect the Afghans as an independent group of peoples, and (secondly) to allow them to take over the running of their own country, and assist them in this (rather than dictating terms). What do the people of Afghanistan really want? I am guessing they want the violence to end, and a better standard of living.
And I also think that if improvements were made towards those goals -- independence, an end to violence, better living conditions -- support for the Taliban would melt away. They have the support they have because they seem to be the only group that cares about the Afghan people, despite their unsavoury side, and people feel they have no choice.
That means there has to be an Afghan government that makes progress this way -- not foreign troops (although they could support a government that did so). Which means that Hamid Karzai's regime is probably not the best one for Taliban-beating purposes.
Anyway, I am rambling. The main thing I wanted to get across was that just because the Taliban has suggested they wouldn't shelter al-Qaeda if restored to power in Afghanistan, does NOT mean it should be counted as a possibility.
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
amused![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
pleased
lazy