OMG. So many things is happening right now that I don't know what is going on. Hence the reason why I haven't been updating this place because I don't know where to begin.

So just under one week ago I was panicking that I will never ever get a job and that I will be broke until the end of my university days. Today, I am bombarded with job prospects and interviews and sold paintings!... Man. Why can't these things happen progressively over the time of say THE LAST 3 UNEVENTFUL MONTHS? And preferably not so near EXAM period??

But don't get me wrong. I am not complaining about this flow of income and the prospect of income. I really need that income (!). But the fact that I have so much to do in such a short period of time and having to work everything around these job interviews at the same time worrying about these job interviews hoping that maybe I will get the job and what to wear to these and when am I going to get time to study and paint at the same time whilst getting some sleep and how I'm going to finance my 10 cups of coffee a day at uni... uh, you get the drift.

My brain hurts and so I must run. But before I go, I want to say that Melbourne is quite a cool place. On Saturday, I hiked the entire city's dodgiest alleyways looking for alternative art spaces. I found a few gems and therefore quite pleased with myself.

Today I bought a notebook that says "Funkadelic" on it!! How appropriate. MAGGOT BRAIN, Y'ALL.

xx G

I have just found out that John Frusciante will be releasing *six* solo full-length albums this year, one after the other starting in June til the end of the year. I am absolutely dying of some compulsive FIT right this moment. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read about it. All albums will be released on both CD and Vinyl. Vinyl! Absolute BLISSness!

The next album is called "The Will To Death" and check out the album artwork!



It's so Brian Eno! Ahh! God, I love that! I guess John decided to use an Eno styled cover because of the title of the album is sort of related to Eno's "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts"

The good stuff doesn't end here. Before you think that this series of album releases is just a way of earning more money, it isn't. John doesn't believe in ripping off fans for music and if he could have it his way, his music would all be free. This was reflected in 2001 when he released an internet album, free from his website.

And now, he has released a complete acoustic version of his entire most recent album "Shadows Collide With People", downloadable FREE from his website. This is what he said.

"I’m releasing this acoustic version of the album because there was so much production on the record -- there's so much layering of different types of sound and things -- that I just thought it would be nice for some of the fans who prefer a more raw, stripped down sound. They will just hear the songs in their raw form.

Also, on the last album I put out, we did acoustic shows and those went over really well. But I'm not doing those this time because I'm spending my time recording. So I figured I'd do a little performance in my living room and put it on the internet so people could hear me doing those songs the way I would if I were doing an acoustic show - JF."

What a legend. Every single fan can listen to this "living room" gig for free and so easily accessible.

B-sides and outtakes from the album are also available for free.

John is my hero, not only is his music my salvation, but also the fact that he does these things that make me feel so proud to be a fan - the fact that he isn't out there to rip us off. We don't have to buy singles or alternative versions of the same album just to own the outtakes. I know people who have 6 or more versions of the same album JUST because they are different tracks on them.

Artists releasing songs and whole albums on the internet is not a revolutionary thing. But the fact that this is FREE and no fuss is made about copyright, etc, is definetly a precedent that all other musicians should ought to follow.

I agree whole heartedly with John's opinion that music should be enjoyed freely or atleast affordably by everyone. Music shouldn't be a commodity which is sadly what the commercial music industry has made of it.

A John Frusciante fan forever and EVER. And proud of it.

www.johnfrusciante.com

There's a lot of really amazing things happening at the moment in Melbourne for art. There are lots of things that those interested can participate in and experience.

Right now there is the Next Wave Festival which will run until the end of the month (or early June). The theme this year is "Unpopular Culture" and there are a stack of exhibitions, screenings, performances all around the city of Melbourne to the extent of Geelong for this festival. Visit their website to see the program. I am going to some of these and if you'd like to come along, please email me and we can go toghether! Yes, I am looking for people to go with.

On top of that, there is Noise, a Qantas sponsored event that discovers young artists and provides them with media exposure. If you're anywhere in Australia, and got some work to submit, go to their website to set up a new profile and submit your work. Your work will be looked at, and if accepted, it will be featured on the website. Not only that, you have the chance of winning $5000 cash and $5000 worth of plane tickets. There will be an exhibition in October where your work will be featured too. I sumbitted about 5 today and they are still under 'pending' mode. Haha. This is so exciting. I am so happy that there is stuff like this going on for young artists to show their stuff. If you don't have anything to submit, check out the website anyway. There is some really good art there.

In late September and early October, there will of course be the Melbourne Fringe Festival - an art festival for everything that's not mainstream. Loads of stuff happen during this festival and they are calling volunteers! I have already submitted my application. If you want to be involved in setting up exhibitions, selling tickets, manning galleries, hosting, launching, meeting great people, etc, go to their website and fill in the form! Quick, because applications close next Tuesday.

Just when I thought the Melbourne art scene was getting boring and uneventful, all these cool things come up! And I want to make the most out of it given the opportunity. I suggest anyone interested in art or just wanting to participate in exciting yet creative community events, get involved with these.

Oh, and don't forget! This winter, straight after the Carravagio Exhibition, the National Gallery of Victoria will be hosting "The Impressionists" exhibition. Heaps of works from the Musee d'Orsay in France from artists such as Van Gogh, Sisley, CEZANNE, Monet, etc, will be sent here to Melbourne. This is the very first time that the Musee d'Orsay has lended so many valuable pieces to any art museum in the world. So make sure you check it out!

And if you want to get involved with the art culture even more, do check out The Program. It has every art related event summarised in one website. Perfect!

Haha. I've seen the Which David Bowie Are You? test around before but never actually went to try it out. Well, I'm proud to say... that I am the David Bowie that made me become a Bowie fan... the LENGENDARY...



Oooh sonofabitch eyy?! Haha. Bisexual alley cat! Haha.
I LOVE ZIGGY, don't you?!

What I found absolutely hilarious (but quite apt in some cases) in the quiz was the following answers to these questions:

When you wake up, the first thing you grab is...
A mirror and a rolled up hundred.

Your first love was...
A schoolboy, neatly fucked in my bedroom

You most closely see yourself as...
Britain's first fascist prime minister and heir to Crowley

You're having a bad day. You're first instinct is to...
Write a cryptic song about it, with lots of metaphor and gay slang.
Slam your porsche into someone else's car over and over again.
Crawl into a bottle of scotch and cry yourself to sleep.
Take a cruise or buy a small island.
Hand the crying baby over to Iman.

You prefer to wear your hair...
Bright red, with a mullet that would make any hockey-jock proud.
Slicked back, immobile under three pounds of mousse.

Your favorite activities include...
Banging groupies.

Your loved ones would best describe you as...
The nazz, with god-given ass.
Paranoid, delusional, and psychotic, with frequent nosebleeds.
A rock'n'roll legend who mysteriously defies the aging process.

Haha. I love the David Bowies. All of them. Except maybe the one that had that huge wave of a hair style that towered fifteen feet with that spider made of glass.

The next time you drive your car, use an escalator, do the laundry, walk over a platform or bridge, take a trip on the plane or train, pump your car tyre, or whatever, pause for a minute and thank the engineers for saving your life.

It has not hit me until recently just how much is involved in every bit of mechanical design just to keep people, like you and me, safe. So much maths, calculations and hours of testing to make sure that the cables holding the lift you are standing in will not snap and the floor would not buckle and fail beneath you.

Just on Monday, in design, we were designing a heavy duty clamp used in manufacturing plants. Previously, I would have thought that would be a pretty basic and easy thing to do but I was wrong. The lecturer went through almost every single mathematical equation under the sun in order to design this damn thing. Ok, so maybe I'm over-exaggerating a little, but seriously, I was stumped to the ground and beyond. Every single component of the clamp, and there aren't that many, required some rather complex mathematical calculation to figure out the right size and specification so that it will not fail when in use. Do you know the hole where the threaded cylindrical bar sticks through so you can screw the clamp tighter? Yeah, even THAT had to be calculated. So can you imagine what is involved in designing a CAR?!

Since that day, we students had to design instantaneous braking systems for laundry tumble dryers, an arm that carries logs onto a conveyor belt and a materials tensile testing device. And there is just so much work involved. It really uses your brain to the farthest extent (well, mine anyway because I'm not that smart) and draws on everything that you've learnt in physics, mechanics and maths. All for the purpose of functionability and most importantly, safety.

So hats off to all engineers. I believe it should be the highest paying job not only because I will be an engineer one day (haha) but because of them, life is so much more convenient and we are not falling off bridges and blowing up in flames in our cars. I had always taken these things for granted. I assumed that when I drive over a bridge, it will not collapse. I assumed that when I look at the computer screen, it will not blow up in my face. It wasn't until I actually HAD to design such things that I realised that engineers are really really cool (and undeniably smart) people.

So the reason of this blog is to allow you folks to be more aware of everything around you. We have so much to thank engineers for our lifestyle. From convenience to safety. So from today onwards, for everything you use or see, thank the engineers for their time and effort in making your life a much better one.



A few old folks chatting about how cool the engineers who designed this elevator really are ;) ;).

The reason why bootlegs exist is because of this:

David Bowie - Dublin DVD.

01 Rebel Rebel
02 New Killer Star
03 Reality
04 Fame
05 Cactus
06 Afraid
07 All the Young Dudes
08 China Girl
09 The Loneliest Guy
10 The Man Who Sold The World
11 Hallo Spaceboy
12 Sunday
13 Under Pressure
14 Life On Mars?
15 Ashes To Ashes
16 The Motel
17 Loving The Alien
18 Never Get Old
19 Changes
20 I'm Afraid Of Americans
21 "Heroes"
22 Bring Me The Disco King
23 Slip Away
24 Heathen
25 Five Years
26 Hang On To Yourself
27 Ziggy Stardust

Disc 2 contains a documentary plus 4 Easter Eggs
01 5:15 The Angels Have Gone
02 Days
03 Battle For Britain (The Letter)
04 Fall Dog Bombs The Moon

Ok, some good stuff there, but where are the legendary LOW songs?! Where is Fashion?! And his fantastic rendition of Let's Dance?! What about Starman? Ok ok, so maybe some of these songs weren't played in Dublin... but I reckon that this shouldn't be a "Dublin DVD", but "A Reality Tour DVD" instead. Then we can have some footage of The Supermen, Station To Station, Quicksand as well as Panic In Detroit - songs added to the setlist post-Dublin. Official releases should take the initiative to by far surpass bootlegs. They should offer the stuff that fans REALLY want and can't get too easily.

But I'm not going to complain further because as Bowie himself says that he is still reviewing the content. Note to David: ATLEAST SOME LOW SONGS, PLEASE. This DVD should really be capturing the essence of the A Reality World Tour, and not just one single show. As I said, his world touring days are numbered and this DVD should be something really special to commemorate that. It also would be a good compensation for those who missed out on the tour or the latter half of the tour.

Atleast though, we are finally seeing something 'live' having an official release. It just would be better if it included the other songs too. Yes, this is very cliched, where every single release gets some hard ass comments back at it. But the fact is, if you're going to release something, why not make it something utterly superb at the same time? With the digital age of today, it is no longer that difficult.

And may I take this apt opportunity to express how much I would love to see the release of the Diamond Dogs tour.

Anyways that aside, it is good to see my Red Hot Chili Peppers with the great man himself. I wish John Frusciante was in these photos. But oh well. Don't Anthony and Flea look so proud? ;) I'd be looking like that with that cheesy smile on my face if I got the opportunity to take a photo with Bowie. Haha.







xx G

Let's make sure white stains. As much as I shouldn't be, I am absolutely dying in my seat each time I hear that David Bowie played the Station To Station. Yes, just recently in the setlists. And Sister Midnight. And The Supermen.

I am truly lucky to have seen him twice in Melbourne yet I still can't get enough. And it's not just because of these brilliant songs. There is something about that man that completely draws every inch of my attention.

For example. On Friday night I was at my friend Sarah's house to watch movies. After watching Hedwig And The Angry Inch, we watched some Bowie song clips. We were chatting through the first verse of Life On Mars but when the chorus started... "As they asked her to focus on SAILORS FIGHTING IN THE DANCEHALL...", we completely shut up, heads turned towards the screen and eyes mesmerised by this this this man that that is Da-David Bowie. And we were talking about something rather exciting too. I have seen these clips a million times over, but they never fail to make me completely awestruck. The man is powerful.

I hope that I will get the chance to see him live again. For his young fans, we are truly lucky to have him still making brilliant albums, touring, and still be as cool as ever. I hope that when I go over to the US, he'll do a few shows, and I'll get to see him again. As much as he says he's not going to retire any time soon, his touring days I believe, are numbered. Especially those down here in Australia. His daughter is growing up. He's going to have to be at home more. No more of this crazy world tour business. And that is reality.

That aside, when I'm in the US, I know I will be spending my money on such items:





Photos thanks to Tracy aka Fallingsky888@davidbowie.com.


And not to mention if there is an Oscar Wilde version too. Now that would be as camp as a row of tents!

Today I went to pick up an application form so I can start applying for Buffalo University. Before that, I went to my engineering course advisor to check whether my subjects are okay, and that I will be able to finish my degree on time. And it's all good! My fingers are itching from excitement.

Also, I'm starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel in terms of me finding a part time job. Ever since quitting Safeway Supermarket as a Deli chick since early this year, I have been jobless, and $$$-less. Myer has gotten back to me asking me to do an online test!! It wasn't easy, but I did a pretty good job - I scored higher than 92% of all participants. Whoo! So maybe I'll get to the interview stage and get myself a job (that doesn't involve food) finally!

I have also applied for a job at David Jones. The store in Chadstone is hiring. Hehe. David Jones. David Robert Jones. Aka David Bowie. Hehe. God I am sad.

People who have seen me with my digital camera know how much I play around with it taking pictures of 'unimportant' things. An example: "You go to a motorshow and you take pictures of the FLOOR?!". LOL it's because I like to draw out beauty from things that people don't usually pay any attention to. When you look at something really carefully or differently, you see things that you've never seen before and you appreciate it better. That's what I do in my still life studies which I'll probably blog later.

Today I took a break from study and went outside with the camera. I was sick of taking nature shots in the garden and so I headed off to the lovely rubbish bin sitting by the curb.

Here are some photos that I had promised. There weren't that many, seeing I wasn't the one carrying around the camera (Haha, I tend to take many photos when the camera is in my possession!).
But here are a few...

I have exhausted the lyrics to Andy Warhol already so I haven't used it again for this post ;).

Last night was the opening for my very first group exhibition and it was absolutely wonderful! I had the most fantastic time and I don't know why I was so nervous! I had absolutely no reason to be. But I'll tell you guys about it from the start.

I went to the gallery early to help out the other artists and staff with preparations for the opening (i.e.: food, drinks). A bottle of white wine managed to fall out of the fridge causing a sea of wine on the floor of the small kitchen! We spent most of the time cleaning it up... but at the same time enjoyed the sweet sweet smell of wine everywhere ;).

Then I walked into the gallery to check it out. I haven't seen it yet since the works have been put up and my first impression: it has not been so colourful and diverse EVER. There was this huge installation that spanned from one wall to the centre of the gallery which I thought was fantastic. That was the first thing that caught my attention before my eyes started to dart around looking for my own work. And there it was! At that moment... I couldn't believe my work was actually up there on a gallery wall. For a split second I felt as though I didn't even paint them. It's surreal in a way, y'know? Because these paintings used to just sit at home, tucked away in a corner growing dust, and now suddenly they are up on this smooth white wall with all this wall space around it making it look so professional. The paintings look so much better when they are displayed like that! It was just unbelievable - a dream come true. I am just so grateful to have this kind of opportunity... and at the age of 19. Consequently, I felt rather guilty to a certain extent but I know I shouldn't be.

Then I looked around at the other works - all really great stuff. There was a huge mix of media of piantings to prints to jewelery to that installation... all in one single gallery. All very colourful too. There was no specific theme at all for this exhibition yet all the works seemed to compliment eachother very well.

6pm. The guests started arriving and soon the gallery was really busy. The moment I saw my family and friends walk in, I was just so happy and couldn't believe I was feeling so nervous before. I am so grateful for the people who came to show their support. You know who really cares for you when they take the effort to come. Some travelled as far as Langwarrin (!) to come to this! So, thank you so much to each and everyone of you. It really means so much to me and the night wouldn't have been the same if it you guys weren't there. In a way it is very different from a birthday party. Actually, VERY different and I still need to figure out what it is that makes it so. I think it is the fact that all the people who came knew about my love for art and how much it is my dream to become an artist. Having them there (and actually wanting to be there and being interested in my art) just makes me feel that my strong interest is not a silly thing and I am respected for it. That sense of acceptance is very motivating and inspirational for me and especially coming from the people who mean the most to me. So I guess that is the reason why the night was just so special. Thank you... your presence has done more than you'd ever know.

And for my friends on BowieNet - thank you so much for all your support. You guys are the best. It sucks doesn't it when all of you are scattered around the world and when I would love it for you guys to come to such events, you can't... for obvious reasons. One day... when plane tickets fall to the mere dollar we'll have a big gathering ;)

As inspired as I am to do more art right now, I cannot. I am still piled under a whole lot of university assignments and study. I HAVE to start studying. My exams are coming up in less than 3 weeks and I haven't done anything about it yet. I am really screwed. Yup. I've also got this Engineering project due in 2 weeks that requires a whole lot of design and detailed drawings. And even if I love to draw, this is not what I really enjoy doing. It is highly technical and arggh! Just very technical... :(

I will post some photos from the gallery here later... so please check back for updates! :) I will be trying to update this blog almost everyday now so please do check back often!

Til then...
xx Georgina

PS: For those of you who couldn't make the opening, its still not too late! The exhibition will run for one month from yesterday, so yeah - if you're in the area, feel free to pop in! The gallery is open from Wed-Sat Noon-5pm.

PPS: Although I already have, I just want to say it here in a blog (haha) that I am very grateful for my parents' efforts into helping me get the food, inviting people and especially for their support. I stink up the whole house when I do my painting and they NEVER complain. My easel and canvases take up an entire section of the living room and yet they never tell me to take it away. As much as they want me to finish my Engineering and Commerce degrees, they show a lot of support for my art and I am so grateful.

PPPS: And a special thank you to Dennison - who wore eyeliner... on his own initiative ;)

It is funny how yesterday I had decided to get back to being more aware about world events and that same night, go to watch The Dreamers. My friend Sarah took me to Rivoli to watch this arthouse film about three arty farty kids my age shutting themselves out from the world and just spending time in their apartment playing around and talking about cinema (this was set in the late 60s). They pretended that they cared about the political issues going on in France, but really didn't want to have anything to do with it. They preferred to live in their own world as if nothing was going on.

I say it is 'funny' because before yesterday, I was going through a phase of which I had no idea what was going on in the world around me. I knew these issues mattered to an extent, but I didn't feel that they concerned me. I felt my contribution in anything political (voting, standing up for refugees, etc) wouldn't make much of a difference and so I didn't really care. I just immersed myself in my own interests of music and art and University. But I came to realisation yesterday morning that I am part of this world and I can't escape from that fact. I have just about the same responsibility as everyone else to care about the world and where society is heading.

Having watched that film last night just confirmed everything that I was feeling yesterday was true. And it is such a coincidence.

Overall, apart from that strong message that I gained from it, it was a pretty weird film with some really strange relationships that I had never really thought about before. They were not surprising to me but I am rather fascinated. Yeah, that's it. The film fascinates me but it doesn't mean that I like it. To be fascinated and to like are two different things.

That aside, tonight is the opening for my exhibition. I am quite nervous because I don't know what to expect. I have not been to an opening before so I have no idea. And especially being one of the artists... it's even more nerve racking. I don't even know what is appropriate to wear... should I go all arty looking? Or go smart? Should I explain to people looking at my art about what the piece trying to convey? Or should I leave it to the viewers to figure it out themselves? Oh man... I'm freaking out!.... *deep breath*.

Wish me luck!!

Having just recently getting back into the swing of things and reading more about current world events, I am appalled by the fact that our Prime Minister, John Howard, has no say in the abuse of prisoners in Iraq.

Apparently his excuse is that if Australia takes action or mention anything about it, the Australian troops would take offence and think we're blaming them. What kind of lame responsibility is that? It was his idea to involve Australia in George Bush's war and when something like this happens that is utterly morally wrong, he has nothing to say. Howard can't pretend that Australia has no responsibility in what's happening in Iraq and we must ensure that these prisoners are being treated properly. Bringing Australia into this war means that we too have direct responsibility in everything that happens, do we not? Yeah, so Australia may not have the legal obligation to these prisoners as its not the official detaining power but it doesn't mean we don't have a say. Everything that's been going on in the prisons, not only the abuse but the degradation of human beings to such an extent, is so obviously wrong. And besides, doesn't Australia have a legal agreement that it must protect the welfare of prisoners handed over to Coalition forces?

So why isn't Howard going to say anything? Is he afraid of stepping on George Bush's foot and tainting their 'wonderful' relationship? I am so sick of John Howard's sucking up to Bush. The slogan of late "Australia, young and free". This implies a nation that stands up for itself and thinks for itself. Not a nation with the Prime Minister that sucks up to one of the world's greatest powers to get places.

And now that George Bush says he is "disgusted" by the treatment of prisoners, I'm sure we'll be hearing something from John Howard in the near future with a similar statement. The Aussie troops in Iraq wouldn't be surpised. In fact, they would probably wonder what took their leader so long.

What I am wary of right now is why George Bush seemed so surprised when he found out about these abuses. If Australia's coalition authorities were being warned about this last year, why wasn't the US? I find it hard to believe that George Bush didn't know that these abuses are taking place and I am miffed at Australia for not saying something about it. Why must the US be the first to take action?

Before, even with my disgust at Howard's decision to involve Australia in Bush's rugged idealism, I had this little *tiny* hope that it was a noble decision for our country. But now it is clear that we're just suckers of another huge nation.

This upcoming election will be the first time I get to vote (the last election I was still under 18). Finally I will get my little opportunity to help choose a better leader for this country. Someone I can be proud of.

Check out my new Blog layout!!
It took me forever to get things right. The coding that Blogger provided me was so screwed up! I had to tweak almost every little parameter to get it looking like this. I'm really bad with all this coding crap, I don't really get it. But it's all good now! Hope you guys like it.

I will post a new post later this arvo. Right now I am heading to Chadstone to apply for a job at Dangerfield. They are hiring. Fingers crossed I get the job!...

Oh btw, there's this new feature where you can add comments to my posts! See to the right at the bottom of this post, you'll see "0 Comments". Click on it and add a comment to make it "1 Comment"! ;) I reckon its a cool feature, so if you've got something to say to me regarding a post, write it there. Also, don't forget my very neglected ShoutBox to the left. Adios!

Before I go on about my exciting exchange next year, I just want to make it clear that my last post *makes whipping noises* was not meant to offend anyone personally. They are just my thoughts and if you took it the wrong way, then too bad for you. ;) Haha. But really, I think what annoyed me that day (and still does) was the lack of individualism I see around me and people who allow others to dictate to them how they should live their lives.

Moving on, I have decided on which university to attend next year in August for my Study Abroad program!! And that's the State University of New York at Buffalo. There were a number of universities around that area to choose from that Monash had offered. They were Clarkson University, New York; Virginia Tech, Virginia and a few others of which I've already forgotten. I chose Buffalo because it has all the subjects I want to do and offers a great range of art history subjects too. I don't want to spend all my time doing engineering subjects so I'm going to take up some art history - something I've always been interested in. There's this subject called "Contemporary Chinese Art" and it basically studies the art movements in China during the 20th Century and especially during Mao's Communist rule. How cool is that?

I spoke to my course advisors and I can credit up to 3 subjects there so that means I can still finish my course on time! Yes! So when I go, I'm gonna spend a few weeks in New York City, then head off north to Buffalo for the Fall semester, then go back to NYC for a month (which my family will most probably be joining me!) and celebrate Xmas and New Years Eve. I'll also travel around the East Coast to places I really want to go to like Philly, Pittsburgh (Warhol Museum, man!), New Orleans, Boston, Washington, etc. Then maybe pop over to LA.

Yea, man I'm all PUMPED about going. Now to apply ;). Yeah, I haven't applied for it yet because it's still a bit early. But I'm not worried about not getting in because my grade average is still quite good.

What I am ALSO very excited about is that I'll also get to meet my awesome BowieNet buds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally!! It's so good to know so many fantastic people there, it makes my whole going away from home thing so much less intimidating... knowing that I'll meet people who I already know so well and who are already excited about my invasion... haha. :) :)

I can't believe its still such a long time in between now and when I leave. More than a YEAR!... Grr... Y'know what? Class over there starts on my 21st Birthday!!... the 29th August 2005!... SHIT. *sob*. What a great day to spend it hey? ;)

xx Georgina

The media shits me.

Not a new revelation for many of you people reading this, and certainly not for me. But I started a rant that was supposed to be posted in the last entry... it got a little inappropriate for the heading, and so I thought I'd dedicate a whole new entry just for it. Just like the media dedicating a whole lot of newspaper space for a whole lot of useless shit.

So anyways, it went a little like this...

I am also glad that the newspapers have moved on in terms of the whole 'Beckham scandal' - Oooh, BECKHAM SCANDAL. My Ass. I find it sad that newspapers would give up whole two two-page spreads for such a story and only dedicate about a quarter of a page for real events like the train crash in North Korea (oh, which by the way had killed only about 3000 people). Who the fuck cares about Posh and Becks? Just leave them alone and let them sort their lives out. It is this obsession that newspapers have with celebrities that puts me off reading them. They are so distracting to start off with and the important stuff are always tucked away in the corner where you actually have to make an EFFORT to read them. Not to mention how dryly they are written. It sells the paper, though. And that's what's important, right?

I am not talking about every newspaper in Australia. I am talking about a particular tabloid that not only shits me, but is the most widely read paper in Victoria. I'd hate to think that the reason why people buy it so often is because of its content. Well, duh. Of course that's the reason. And the same thing with television. Like the god-awful Big Brother: "Will the surprise affect the way the housemates interact?!" - Well fuck of course it will! Otherwise what would the surprise be?! Extra toilet paper?

In fact, the show Big Brother is really tainting the excellent book that is 1984. But y'know, it does its job. The show has a huge following now. Isn't it like the most anticipated reality show that Australia has to offer? The viewers worship the housemates like celebrities. Everyone who watches the show, loves the show. Trust me, people who don't like the show wouldn't go near ANYTHING associated with Big Brother. This small population of like-minded people, which includes me, also wouldn't go out yelling about how much we hate Big Brother because the masses would kill us. Virtually speaking. You either love it or hate it. Just like Big Brother in 1984. Huge following, lovers and haters. Haters getting tormented and drowned out because the unintelligent mainstream decides to do so. The show is a very mild version of the real 1984 Big Brother but it does the job nonetheless - to suck and play with the minds of its followers.

Reality TV seriously has gotten way out of perspective. I saw an episode of the Average Joe because I was in a country town and had nothing else better to do. It was the episode when a group of show-winning hopefuls were there standing waiting to see who's going to be evicted. Then suddenly the game CHANGES and a bunch of 'hot and sexy' men walk into the room. The show-winning hopefuls now have the word 'ugly' protruding out of their heads and they were all standing their with their legs all wobbly, hair standing on end, cheeks all flustered, and just basically infuriated but at the same time scared shitless. The 'hot and sexy' men start giving these 'ugly' shit saying stuff like "We're on a completely different level than them. They are inferior.", "I remember seeing the girl's face, she was so relieved when she saw us. How ugly are those guys?!" - Have you ever heard ANYTHING so DEGRADING?! And to have people finding this entertaining AND an important supplement to their daily lives is rather sad. I almost had a heart attack and can't believe I actually sat through that bullshit for almost 2 hours! I will never forgive myself for wasting my precious life away like that and will never do it again.

I haven't done it since, not that I did it very often in the first place - but Newlyweds was on once when I was doing the dishes. I think it was on straight after The Simpsons (Ha, Jessica Simpson show straight after the Simpsons). I'd watch a bit to see what the fuss is all about. I came to a conclusion: Why would anyone want to watch this musically insignificant blonde girl worrying about nonsensical things like "Oh, my boyfriend danced with a girl in his video clip. He's cheating on me!". The WHOLE one hour episode, or however long it was, was based on that topic! WTF.

And Australian Idol? Pft. Give them a guitar or a piano and they'll stand there stunned.
And what's up with this William Hung dude or whatever his name is? It's so sad that untalented people like him get all this media attention when REAL musicians, who work so hard at writing ORIGINAL material and PLAYING their own ORIGINAL material, are left undiscovered.

There's a whole lot of good music out there. A lot. And 99% of it is not on commercial radio. There's also a whole lot of better things you could do with your lives than waste it in front of a TV watching bullshit. I wish people would stop listening and watching shit that the media forces down their throat. Don't get me wrong by saying that if you watch Big Brother every week, then you're a shithead. No. It is that there are some people (in fact a lot of people) that allow the media to rule their lives and dictate to them what is important. Or in layman's terms "What's hot and what's not!". Even though I do want these people to stop being ignorant and to find some real purpose in their lives, I feel rather special amongst them. It makes me feel more of an individual with them around, y'know? Not being part of the masses is such a great feeling. Ha, the masses. Like the girls who wear clothes according to what the store Sportsgirl sells. Yes, fashion. The easiest way to tell whether someone is part of the masses trying to fit in. Some of the fashion seasons come up with the WORST possible form of clothing people can wear, yet EVERYONE wears it - no matter how SHIT it looks on them. When I see one of these people, its like "Aha! There goes another one!". It's easy to spot atleast 10 or more upon my first step into a shopping centre.

The masses shit me and they are the cause for stereotypes. The biggest example I can think of is America and George Bush. It doesn't mean that every American is an idiot because George Bush was elected President - a President who decides to rule the world at the same time. Some Australians, especially the people against the war, are very strictly Anti-American. Some wouldn't even go eat at McDonalds or drink Coke because it is American but most importantly, refuse to make friends with an American. Yeah, ok so Bush is a dickhead but don't let that fact turn you into a person with hate for everything related to that country. It is just that the unintelligent and uneducated mainstream decided to vote for him and leaving the intelligent minority (which really, is a very large large group of people) sitting around pondering on why these people are so stupid. So like good music, there's a lot of good people in America too.

The same goes to the Australians who label asylum seekers as terrorists and will harm our country if we let them stay here. Just because they are from Afghanistan doesn't mean they are terrorists for god's sake! The comments made by the rednecks up in Queensland supporting Pauline Racist Hanson are enough to make me puke.

Ok... so that concludes my little rant. It kinda changed topics halfway, but y'know, a rant is a rant - it just flows nonsensically. There's more where that came from, but I gotta leave and start working on my assignments. So, I bid you a fond farewell, ignore the media and be your own person to judge what's good for yourselves and our society... Adios, amigo!

"Would like to be in a gallery, put you all inside my show." and some music you should check out!

Today I coated my paintings to protect them, waited for them to dry and brought them to the gallery. Luckily they all fitted into my boot (it's a big boot!) and I didn't have to drive with canvases everywhere in my car. Maaan, I was so excited today! I am very pumped about this exhibition - my work is going to be seen!! I hope that I have made the right choice of paintings to display but I believe they are my best ones to date. Hopefully I can bring in a few more if space permits. Seriously though, this is a dream come true for me - to have my work up in a gallery!! It's not a huge thing, this exhibition, but you gotta start somewhere.

Been listening to these albums lately:

Prince - Musicology
Fucking BRILL! I love Prince, but after listening to this, I love him even more. A sexy funk fueled album that gets you groooooovin' but having some of those quiet tender soul moments too. Absolutely brilliant.

Franz Ferdinand
Check out this new band if you haven't. I have not been this excited about a new band for a very long time. Quality stuff! You may have heard their new single Take Me Out - but check out everything else on the album such as Matinee. God, these guys rock! It's great to see another rock album that is funnnkkyyy aaaaaas!!

Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Moutain (by strategy)
Brian Eno... do I need to say anything more? ;)

Air - Moon Safari
:) :) :) :) :)!

Radiohead - Hail To The Thief
I know this album came out ages ago, but I'm listening to it again and loving it just as much.

Depeche Mode - Violator
I used to be into DM a bit last year but have been really been neglecting them lately. So I thought I'd get back into groove and listen!

Just a side note... I came home today and read a new journal that David Bowie wrote on BowieNet. He's touring too much. He needs to be at home with his wife and daughter. Enough said!