Saturday, December 24, 2005

The eve has come... late night Dec 24th


It's too late to write: I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. ^ - ^


posted by Anonymous @ 11:10 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Update

Inspiring title, isn't it?
I've learnt a lot from those irritating email fwds these last few days. I'm 'cool'. ;-) Hmmmmmmm. Well, that proves it. Irreputable evidence.(On the side: I'd be happy to give out 'cool' labels to anyone who wants one. Just don't tell on me, or I shall be damned!) *laughs*
Ahh! Mum's old-style Patti-Pagesque singers are horrible with a capital 'H' (and more than a few cliches). Ick! Ick! Ick! *pause* The ironic thing is that I'll probably end up liking them, enthusiastic as Mum is. We all become our parents eventually.

I don't feel like talking about myself today. It gets boring! Right, so on to... Art appreciation, with a few of the hundreds of fantastic pics that have gathered in our PC.
(c) Burton Pritzker - Steer #7 from 'Texas Rangeland'
His website had a lot of gorgeous, atmospheric work in black & white.

(c) apatrick - from 'covered up'
A FILE Gallery of the abstract beauty in covered-up graffiti-tagging.

(c) Huntingdon Witherill - Calla Lillies #27
Colour, light and form: natural photography beyond desciption.


(c) Angus Oborn - Jesus.
Simple appeal.

Xmas countdown: 5 days

posted by Anonymous @ 10:43 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Paradox appreciation

manipulation by me ^^ & gallery coming soon!

I have the lingering feeling that perhaps adding 6 more hits to my webpage through editing isn't the best way to go about it.

It's too much. Israeli air strikes on Gaza got two paragraphs in the newspaper today. On page 4.
66 people have been killed in suidice bomb attacks in Iraq in the last three days. I'm almost glad the ODT doesn't run much of it: my head would explode. Surely there must be something good going on out there - what about the G8? That hasn't had setbacks, to my knowledge (which, obviously, isn't that broad).

Cynicism isn't healthy! *slaps hand* I'm going to stop right there. Back to my little world of holidays and venison sausages... paradoxes are too much. Another paradox. I think I'm growing to like them. (And even though the exact paradox isn't clear, I am unwilling to delve deep and find the words to explain them properly. You shall have to guess.)
Xmas countdown: 11 days

That's cheered me up a bit. ^ - ^ It's too late to be posting... *rubs eyes* *yawn*

The tree is up! We've decorated it with all the traditional stuff: tiny presents wrapped in tin foil, silver and gold baubles, tinsel, wooden bears, fuzzy woolen stocking made to hold the yummy homemade chocolates that come out of grandparents' kitchens this time of year. :-) At the very top is a gorgeous little teddy bear which looks a lot like a whippet... We're very fond of him. He's a lot lighter than the dove, too: the top branch doesn't keep falling down. --- FAMILY! --- Christmas!
I'm so much more normal than I thought I was... *shakes head* (Negative comment edited out for my own sanity.)
Ah, yes: image made! :-D My muse makes its return.
Present checklist:
Mum. Done.
Dad. Satisfied but awaiting further input.
Jessie. Done and done!
Hmmm... who else? Ah, cards for:
Aunty Pam / Alex
Aunty Lauren, husband and kids :-P
Whitney, Kathrin, Adele, Sarah, Sam, Alana, Andrew (?) and Nana.

posted by Anonymous @ 11:25 PM 0 comments

Monday, December 12, 2005

Thoughts on human nature

Sydney, Australia: "Thousands of young white men attacked people of Arabic and Mediterranean background on Cronulla Beach on Sunday.
The fighting injured more than 30 people, including police officers, and at least 16 people were arrested.
The clashes follow an assault on two lifeguards last week, reportedly by youths of Middle Eastern origin."

[ Full Article: BBC ]

What the hell is going on in this world? How is it that Australians can return to the white-power, mob mentality we all hoped had been left behind? Can't humans, even being human, move beyond secular thinking? It's disgusting!!! The idea of it happening just next door, in a country many New Zealanders see as family, is almost incredible. That 5000 bloody people could turn that way!!! It's as bad as the KKK thinking of 1950's America; blatant, unashamed racism. The rioters cited a belief that land belongs to one particular group, one particular race, and should be free of the "invasions" of anybody else. It's absurd! HOW can they blanket the innumerable differences in human personality under the cultural identity or appearance of a person??? HOW???
Even the generalisation I'm making now, talking of 'the rioters' as a single group with identical motivation, is flawed. What is not flawed is the fact that this behaviour does nothing but hurt, divide and ostracise parts of society. It almost does not matter what the intentions of those who took part were, when the outcome is this terrible. People, innocent people, could have been killed. Worse, prejudice and violence have provoked more prejudice and violence in return. Can those men and women who cornered victims on the street, who set on strangers in gangs of a dozen or more, who beat a woman for merely speaking, not see that they are acting the same as the very worst of human rights abusers in the 'middle-eastern' world they claim to refuse??? The willingness to hurt other people, to cause other, innocent people harm for an idea which has no basis in fact is the most frightening part of the human character. It's al-Qaeda. It is shallow, close-minded thinking.

Being white, black, asian, mexican, cuban, whatever, does not make you superior. In any way. You have no prior claim to land simply because of the colour of your skin. I believe that it means nothing: simple appearance tells no truth of a person's soul.

Many Australians are ashamed to be identified with those who took part in the riots. I am ashamed to be human; or rather, to be one and the same as those who refuse to learn the lessons of history. People have the capacity to amaze, to create works and do good beyond comprehension. Why do we insist on retreating into the closed, claustrophobic realms of belief? Do we mistake their suffocation for security?
Why do we always, always need an enemy?

To break down another is to break down yourself, to deride your very humanity. It is a mistake. More than the solid facts about refugees, the need for escape, the idiosyncracies of employment and impossibility of some situations, we need to realise this. There is no 'Us vs. Them'.
We're all us.

posted by Anonymous @ 8:13 PM 0 comments

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Photo blow-out


What can I say? (Rather a lot, actually, as you can see if you care to scroll down.) I've been online for far longer than I should have been... *laughs* Well,I'll just update and then get off; maybe that way my sister won't be reduced to beating me with a rolled-up warehouse catalogue.
Scott Gordon Photography
www.sdgordon.com




Xmas countdown: 17 days

posted by Anonymous @ 6:06 PM 0 comments

Monday, December 05, 2005

Clearance

The LPHS senior year is officially over. It was an iffy day... Where'd all my happiness go??? Today I discovered that after years of having a best friend, someone who I could count on no matter what (my other half, you know?) I don't think I have one any more. I've got 3 good friends, but none of them are as close as I've been used to. It's kinda strange.
I've decided not to be slack these holidays. Might go woolhandling with Dad (farm work in Canterbury) or... *considering conspicuously absent options* hmmm. I will go woolhandling.
 Dad, don't let me bunk out!!! No... me, don't bunk out!

I got invited to write an essay for the Rodney Walshe Ireland Essay Competition next year; shall work on it over the holidays. Ah, sweet something-to-do-with-my-time... (Can't think of the right word *whacks head*) It's appreciated, anyway. The top prize is is a trip to Dublin in July 2006 to stay with an Irish family for three to four weeks and attend summer school; 2nd and 3rd are Waterford crystal. Up-market stuff. ^ - ^ Probably the best bit is that the conflict in Ireland at the start of last century was an NCEA topic in History this year, so I have some knowledge to work from. Mr Wallace suggested the spread and influence of Irish culture worldwide (which connects on to background info about the Potato Famine, hehe) and I might do that. Maybe the Catholic/Protestant thing, though how I'd have no clue how to fit that into 1200 words; a girl from LPHS last year did Sinn Fein, so that's out. *thoughtful face*
Having a purpose is wonderful. ^ - ^

Xmas countdown: 20 days
above image (c) annette botarro-walklet

posted by Anonymous @ 3:11 PM 0 comments