we can't make it here anymore...

James McMurtry NAILS IT !!!

He nails it HERE..

global haywire...

Saw Bruce Petty's movie Global Haywire today.

Bloody brilliant!

The bastard has obviously plagiarised this blog!

Seriously, though... Do yourself a favour and try to catch up with this film sometime.

Brilliant...

researching mead...

I've been drinking a bit of mead lately. SWMBO queried this and my reply was "I'm doing research, dear." I don't think she believes me.

Back in the days when I could be found meandering the hallowed halls of the University of New South Wales in a totally irrelevant and underpaid fashion, I came across posters in several labs which proudly proclaimed the fact that "If we knew what we were doing it wouldn't be called research."

I second the motion...

googling...

"fuck" = 196,000,000 hits
"fucking" = 152,000,000 hits
"fucked" = 63,000,000 hits
"god" = 487,000,000 hits
"fuck god"= 825,000 hits

What does this mean?

Whatever you want it to...

we're paying them to brainwash us...

Modern media/entertainment. TV, movies, etc. There are few programs which do not shape (often very subtly) the way we think. Ergo, brainwashing. But who's paying? The viewer, that's who.

But since it is also true to say that we choose the shit we watch, it must follow that we don't mind paying to be brainwashed.

Also, a lot of the stuff we choose, we choose because it fits nicely with how we are already brainwashed. Ergo, not only do we not mind paying to be brainwashed, we also don't mind paying to have our brainwashing reinforced.

But it's soon going to get even better than that. Soon your news will be filtered to give you only that stuff which reinforces the way you think. Your TV will offer you programming which contains only stuff which will reinforce the way you think. Your online world will automatically shape itself to reinforce the way you think.

Soon you will get the idea that you are in touch with the Absolute Truth when what's really happening is that your totally fucked mind is being mirrored back at you in a way that turns you into a mega-bigot.

Why am I telling you this? No idea...

you are invited...

You are welcome onboard the Peace Boat to enjoy an evening of arts and music, floating on Sydney Harbour.

Performances include:

Veli Toprak (Kurdish musician)
Russell Smith (Brolga Boys)
Arabic Spoken Word Poetry
Presentation by Peace Boat’s Global University students
Peace Boat dance performance
Promotional advance screening of “Soldiers of Peace”
Photographic exhibition and raffle

Food & Beverages available for purchase

See you there...

Together we'll celebrate the positive energy of the arts as an antidote to war.

Date: Tues 15 April, 2008
Time: Embark from 6pm (photo ID required), Festival 7-9pm
Venue: Onboard the Peace Boat (TSS The Topaz), Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay

Entry is free but REGISTRATION (BY 10 APRIL) IS ESSENTIAL

Contact: peacefestival15april@gmail.com by Thurs 10 April 2008

Website: http://neveragain2008.wordpress.com/category/festival/

Peace Boat is a Japan-based international non-government and non-profit organisation that works to promote peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment. Peace Boat is visiting Sydney on 15-16 April as part of its 108-day 60th Global Voyage for Peace.

While in Sydney, Peace Boat is joining with the Sydney Peace Foundation, the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney, and Macquarie University’s Centre for Middle Eastern Studies to hold a 2-DAY CONFERENCE at Sydney’s Customs House called "IRAQ NEVER AGAIN: Ending War Building Peace." Anyone interested in attending the conference should register online at http://www.usyd.edu.au/neveragain

The conference and festival will mark the milestones of the 5th Anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, the 20th Birthday of CPACS and the 25th Anniversary of Peace Boat.

the teachings of diogenes #2

In winter Diogenes walked barefoot in the snow. In summer he rolled in the hot sand. He did this to harden himself against discomfort.

"But aren't you overdoing it a little?" a disciple asked.

"Of course," replied Diogenes, "I am like a teacher of choruses who has to sing louder than the rest in order they may get the right note."

Stolen from David Quinn's home page (well worth a look)

Update: I do not condone Quinn's views on women. I retract my recommendation that people read his website.

perfect harmony...

In the seventies, Coca Cola put out an advertisement which featured a song which, in parts, went something like this: "I'd like to teach the world to sing... ...in perfect harmony."

Well, in India they're starting to sing in perfect harmony... You can use this link to send Coca Cola a fax and thereby add to the harmony....

Enjoy!