nothing better/the postal service

Bent Books, West End

I've been listening to random songs recently and 'Nothing Better' by The Postal Service continually creeps in. I've listened to it three times in a row already tonight! It's a sweet girl/boy interplay and the voices are so sweet and the music has that urgency I just love driving it. I love Ben Gibbard's words and phrasing.

The last few days have been full of strange and lovely emotions. Saying farewell to a friend/work colleague. Greeting and taking advantage of some time with my beautiful aunty. Seeing friends for the first time in a while. Viewing an amazing and hellishly emotionally real film (Hotel Rwanda, which I recommend for a sense of perspective).

My aunty was visiting Brisbane for business. My sister and I picked her up from the apartment she was staying at and we all went to West End for a lovely dinner in the warm Brisbane evening. We drank red wine and enjoyed our dinner of pizza and turkish bread. For some reason our conversation kept turning to our concerns for the state of the world. My shock of the details after witnessing 'Hotel Rwanda'. The horrible thought that a similar situation is occuring in Sudan. Our aunty told us a story of a 16 year old boy in Adelaide who was shot in the head by another boy simply because he was talking to his girlfriend. Our consternation at how helpless and useless you feel knowing that a family member or friend's family member suffers from Alzheimer's Disease or dementia.

The conversation meandered and we began talking about tattoos. My sister has some beautiful rainbow butterflies and a sun that she designed herself. My aunty's daughter has two tattoos of very mischievious cartoon characters. We were all describing what we would have done if we were brave enough. Then I heard the most amazing story that I had never heard before. My aunty said that she would like to get a tattoo of a white rose. Here is the reason why:

http://korean.bruderhof.org/articles/white-rose.htm

There have always been amazing human beings out there trying to make a difference and expose how Government's and Leaders actions and decisions effect the world. Humans who realise that what is happening is not right and stand up and speak out for what they feel and know is right. There are people like Paul Rusesabagina whose instincts and whatever it was that guided him during that time in Rwanda enabled him to save the lives of over a thousand refugees from being slaughtered so terribly brutally just as those one million were killed in the genocide.

I really am having trouble fathoming anything that happens in this world.

manchild/eels

It is sad and surreal to hear that Hunter S. Thompson decided to end his own life. Though he was quite mad, his madness and writing seemed to have a place in this world. His writing certainly inspired me. Rest in peace.

The Eels have always sat quietly and humbly in my collection of records. Just comfortably waiting amongst the others to be chosen and spun. Tonight was their night and everytime I put their record 'Beautiful Freak' on, I never understand why I don't listen to it more than I do. Mark's voice and words are sweetly childlike and very appealling to my soul. His beautiful songs are like that feeling you got when you were younger when you had a little pocket money leftover and were allowed to buy lollies with it. Like sherbet straws or candy corn.

I have a problem with Prince Charles today. Not so much with him personally as my feelings towards him are indifferent. With the cost of his visit to Australia of one million taxpayers dollars. And it was his idea to come on down. Is it just me or is there an extortionate amount of money bandied about by Governments for this type of thing? Is it possible that the one million dollars for Prince Charles' visit could be used constructively for the benefit of those of the Australian population who need it? I think so. How many programs could be funded? Oh, many.

i might be wrong/radiohead

photo by flutterby charlie

I'm in a very Radiohead mood this evening. Therefore I am very pleased to be listening to their song 'I Might Be Wrong' from Amnesiac. There is something in my psychological makeup that begs a Radiohead phase now and then. Maybe it is my dark side. The melancholy in me.

Here are some more of the interesting words I've learnt from 'The Clinton Wars':

recombinant - to put together again
shibboleths - a peculiarity of pronunciation, of a habit, mode of dress, etc., which distinguishes a particular class or set of persons
feckless - ineffective, feeble, spiritless, worthless
populism - political philosophy concerned with the needs of the common people

I've been working my way through all three series of 'Black Books', a great comedy series starring the fantastic comedians Dylan Moran (a man with a very, very, VERY nice Irish accent), Bill Bailey and Tamsin Greig. How funny and silly is it? I love it! PLUS it looks like it was so fun for them to make. It is so manic and full of physical gags and giggles galore. I've just read an interview with Dylan and he mentioned "There is a guy in a Dublin bookshop who provided the image of Bernard Black (Dylan's character). He looks like he’s swallowed a cup of sour milk and peed himself at the same time. He has this green bilious expression, years of displeasure have shaped his face." If you've seen the show you'd know that Bernard almost IS that guy!

I'm really chuffed about technology. I really enjoy being able to chat to family and friends on MSN, some who I normally wouldn't because we are all too slack to pick up the phone or put pen to paper. I've also recently discovered how to make my holiday footage into fun little movies and burn them to DVD. As well, of course, as a free blog where I am permitted to blah, blah, blah ad nauseum into the ether. It has all been embraced by me, when, six months ago I despised it or, more softly, disliked it for its impersonality. I have discarded that opinion and now believe that anything that keeps us in touch is a good thing.

On the flip side I also still feel that Western guilt. Which is an acknowledgement of the plain fact that I am one of a teeny tiny percentage of the World's population that has access to all of this. That can afford a computer, that can afford internet access in order to do all this.

All this and a sick car as well. What is it Tyler Durden says in 'Fight Club'?

The things you own end up owning you.