Monday 31 August 2009

Proud to be Liberal





















[Horsey]

x
JAG

Monday 24 August 2009

Naughty, But JAG

It's Not All JAG, JAG, JAG You Know...

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OK, so it is. Tagged on FB, so re-completed for more hilarity.

Go to: http://thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi
Put your name in, and generate slogan after each question.
Tag 20 people including me.

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1. What do you say to yourself every morning?
It Takes a Tough Man to Make a Tender JAG (damn straight it does!)

2. What do you want other people to say about you?
Wouldn't You Rather Be JAG? (Yes yes you would)

3. Someone asked you out, your answer is...
Obey Your Jag (I wear the pants, but there's no need to call me Mistress)

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4. How would you answer a booty call?
You Press the JAG, We Do The Rest

5. How would you introduce yourself to someone you really like?
Things Go Better With JAG (you'll never want anyone else)

6. To someone you dislike?
Designed For JAG, Engineered To Last (I'll outlive you, bitch)

7. You're in a conversation and you suddenly feel the need to pee, how would you excuse yourself?
JAG Is What We Do

8. Your parents ask you why you got home late, you say...
Central Heating for JAG (aka bedtime!)

9. You're failing a subject, you say...
When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be JAG Overnight

10. The love of your life asks you to marry him/her, what do you say?
You're in Good Hands With JAG (too right y'are)

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11. Your bf/gf is breaking up with you, you tell him/her...
Spreads Straight From the JAG (I'll get over you)

12. Someone told you you're an asshole, you tell them...
Just Like JAG Used To Make

13. What are the best words to describe you?
Bring Out The JAG (and the partay will start!) :)

14. If you're going to have a movie about your life, the title is...
Who Would You Have A JAG With? (JAG, obvs! The one and only...)

15. Your last words before you die...
Doing It Right Before Your JAG

16. Your message to a special someone..
Tense, Nervous, JAG?

17. Title of this post will be...
JAG, Born and Bred

Go wild!

x
JAG

Dear People Who Live In Gingerbread Houses,

(From the genius who is The Rhetorical Letter Writer)



Do your "Home, Sweet Home" doormats read, "Sweet Home, Sweet Sweet Home"?

Sincerely,

The Rhetorical Letter Writer


***

Dear Creative, Religious Rabbis,





Are you offended when people refer to your style as "unorthodox"?

Sincerely,

The Rhetorical Letter Writer

***

x
JAG

Saturday 22 August 2009

Cutting the Arts is a Sin, Glyn

OK, so, yesterday I went to my first protest! Because I'm an arts students and I'm all hardcore and stuff. And totally left of centre, obviously (and I mean in terms of politics as well as my state of mind.)

But people made of even sterner stuff had literally set up camp outside the VCA this past week:



















Despite the weather, they were dressed to the nines...





































...Resplendent with outrage, indignation and clever banners:





































Check it: they even cordoned off Swanston St for us and escorted us to Parliament!



















There were performances





and speeches, all in the good name of the VCA:








OMG OMG OMG I don't think you people UNDERSTAND. It's GEOFFREY RUSH, who, like, didn't even GO to the VCA (but then again, neither do I and I still care!) and he gave a super inspiring, well-thought and fairly balanced speech about his point of view which, I cannot stress, was super-mega-awesome, not to mention like heart pumping. GEOFFREY RUSH, PEOPLE, DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERY DAY.




This is the part where we dramatically slow-walked past Flinder's St Station to the theme from Chariots of Fire. The Final Countdown is now stuck in my head, because that's what the band - and the van played - as we commenced the march (it's sadly oh-so-fitting.) They also - appropriately - played R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

News segment here




























(From the free newspaper daily rag distributed on public transport)

I don't know if we saved the VCA, but we certainly brought it to a lot of people's attention, including, hopefully, Kevin Rudd and Peter Garrett. I want to believe that maybe, in some small way, we changed something, for the better of the future of the VCA.

x
JAG

Friday 21 August 2009

If I Were a Flower...

I'd probably be a daffodil. Or a tulip. Because, let's face it, they're bright and sunny and the optimistics of the Flower Kingdom. Like, they're the ones that go "pick me! PICK MEEEE! Because I don't care if I DIEEEE I will see things and go places and do STUFF!" And they're the ones that open widest to the bees because they want more progeny.

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ANYWAY. I make this point because in a week from today it's DAFFODIL DAY and I bought a bunch (of daffodils) in Coles today and they make my room bright(er) and shiny(er) and (more) cheerful.

(See?)
























I don't know - is Daffodil Day a worldwide thing, or just an Aussie thing? Not important. If you have a mother, father, sister, brother or best friend, there’s every chance your life will be touched by cancer. No matter who you are, Daffodil Day is for you.




















My grandfather - on my father's side, who recently passed - was diagnosed with cancer in 2005. I remember, because I was in year 10, and the way my father phrased it was "your grandfather's dying." We were out to dinner, and I promptly burst into tears. It was debilitating, but only physically (only is a relative term here); fortunately, he kept not only his sanity, but most importantly, his personality; his stubbornness, his incredibly generosity, his inappropriate sense of humour, his kind and jolly attitude. It was his second stroke that killed him in the end, but he lived longer than we dared hope.

I came across his obituary the other day, online. It's so beautiful and brings me such joy that he remembered so fondly. The article was a tribute and testimony to his good character, sound judgement, firm principles, and giving nature; the nicest thing a friend said about him was along the lines of "I never met someone who didn't like him."

My grandmother (his wife) is visiting us, and I'm going home next weekend to see her. I went with to pick her up from the airport, and when my father and grandmother started talking about him all the wonderful, funny, irreverent memories came back and it was so down heartening to remember I'll never see him again, but my comfort is in my memory. My grandmother in and of herself is an incredible, inspiring, amazing woman; I rang her about a month later, around my birthday (which was the day after his, but the same time in terms of time zones) to thank her for my gift, and she sounded so strong and upbeat I could hardly believe it. But that's probably where my innate optimism comes from.
























Buy a daffodil in the hope that future You will never have to know anyone touched by cancer.

x
JAG

Thursday 20 August 2009

Girls' Night Out



















Which one do you think is me? (Yeah my photography skillzzz are the shiz right? I totally missed our faces...and I wasn't even drinking...)

We went out on Brunswick St on Friday night to the Night Cat and Perseverence. It was, essentially, a man-hunt, but only one of us hooked up. Hooking up for the sake of kind of bothers me. I had a great night - I've never really been out on Brunswick St, except to Bimbo's (several times), so it was nice to see some new places. Perserverence was awesome - well, the music was; the dancefloor, not so much (tiny and crowded) - it was 90s night. The Night Cat - yep, the one and the same Cat Empire named themselves for! - was very cool, where a live band played a Latin-American kind of salsa-jazz. I had a really great time, and fortunately none of my friends got rip-roaring drunk (like vomit-in-the-gutter drunk).

Much as I love going out, being the only sober one and having to look after my friends is a little frustrating, to say the least. It's selfish to say so (and I love all my friends dearly), but I just wish once I could go out and have a good time and not worry about whether someone is throwing up in the bathroom or being felt up by some creepy guy (neither of which is an often occurance but you get my drift.)* I'm just saying: moderation is key, people.

But then I looked at my friends, being silly and giggly and uninhibited, and I almost wanted to feel like that. And I realised I probably could, if I wasn't so cheap. But then it occurred to me; I like being in control. Of myself. I love that I won't (necessarily) fall over in the middle of the road, or be able to stop a guy groping because I'm too drunk to notice, or wake up the next morning and not remember parts of the night before. It continues to frustrate me that people say "I wish I didn't need a few drinks to be confident and comfortable" (because you don't, dammit.)

Anyway, that's my moral aside, and I'm not preaching, promise.

*I should add that quite a few of us went out for dumplings on Saturday night - yeah, big weekend I know - for a friend's 20th, and then went out after. Because I was leaving early (for a wet, wild and windy Open Day at 8.30am the next morn, woot!) it was very relaxed for me, and quite lovely. Drunk freshers were someone else's problem.

x
JAG

Wednesday 19 August 2009

SAVE THE VCA

You'd be surprised, but there are some people who don't realise that Melb Uni - international institution greedy corporation it has become - is on the verge of merging with gobbling up the poor little VCA, who really doesn't stand a chance.

"The configuration of the VCA is a source of envy among international art schools. Nowhere else in the world are the six creative art forms taught together on the one campus, in the heart of the arts precinct of an appreciative and sophisticated city. The two models that informed the founding of the VCA in the late 1960s and early 1970s were Cal Arts and the Julliard School in New York."

I know you're begging - what can I do? Oh please, tell me, I'll do ANYTHING to prevent the Melbourne Model from spreading its evil disease!* Well, Friday is the uber-rally, when prominent industry members like Cate Blancett and Geoffery Rush are going to be there. 10am, St Kilda Rd entrance to the Southbank Campus (behind the NGV).

If you're not a Melbournite, apart from the obvious (what's WRONG with you?!) --> sign the petition! Yoo who, over here.

*My problem isn't really with the Melbourne Model; although I have epic issues with it, these are largely related to its infancy, the Arts cuts at Parkville (ZOMG don't even get me started on jobs and subject cuts^) and its inflexibility. I just don't think it belongs at the VCA.



x
JAG

^I'm not kidding - about half the lit subjects "aren't being offered in 2009" (read: suck it students this class is FINITO) not to mention almost all of the philosophy classes I was interested in taking and ALL of the now-defunct Diploma of American Studies classes except the overseas intensive one I was lucky enough to take over the break. It's getting to the point where I want to take all my second semester subjects of choice this year because I don't know if they'll be around next year!

Discuss



















[Click to enlarge]

The 20 happiest nations in the World are:


1. Denmark
2. Switzerland
3. Austria
4. Iceland
5. The Bahamas
6. Finland
7. Sweden
8. Bhutan
9. Brunei
10. Canada
11. Ireland
12. Luxembourg
13. Costa Rica
14. Malta
15. The Netherlands
16. Antigua and Barbuda
17. Malaysia
18. New Zealand
19. Norway
20. The Seychelles


Other notable results include:


23. USA
35. Germany
41. UK
62. France
82. China
90. Japan
125. India
167. Russia

The three least happy countries were:


176. Democratic Republic of the Congo
177. Zimbabwe
178. Burundi


Now ask yourself the same question: "all things considered, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?"

x
JAG

Tuesday 18 August 2009

Conflict of Interest



Hate the man, love the music. Can't get this song out of my head.

x
JAG

*Le Sigh*

One of the few books to hold the distinction of being able to make me cry (even on re-reads) is coming out November 5 (Down Under - you damn Americans have it already, you don't know how lucky you are!) starring not one but TWO of my favourite swoon-worthy actors; Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana (insert massive amounts of Aussie pride here.)



I'm not sure how I feel about the film, given I love the book so very very very much and I have made a point of not seeing My Sister's Keeper because the book (which also made me cry, but is so beautiful and heart-breaking) because 1) they changed the ending 2) Cameron Diaz is not the lawyer-mother of the book and 3) it just seems like an injustice to the book. Much as I may love McAdams, she's not the bookish type I imagined Clare to be. Eric Bana can do little wrong for me (I haven't seen The Hulk so we can pretend that never happened) but he's not the womaniser Henry is supposed to be either. Also, although the special effects for his time travel aren't as awful as Twilight's "sparkling" Edward (oh god, the hilarity!) I'm not sure they're quite what author Audrey Niffenegger had in mind when she (or I) visualised him disappearing. But I really can't resist, so even if this film sucks compared to the book, I can drool.

And check it out: the title translates to Te amaré por siempre in Argentinean spanish, which means I will love you forever. Aw. And in German they actually have a word for time traveler; it's zeitreisenden.

Also: does a certain someone remember a young, dorky looking Bana from The Castle? Ha ha.

x
JAG

Monday 17 August 2009

Must See



So you're all going to disown me out of shame, but...I've never seen a Tarantino film. *Ooops.* But this looks like one I can stomach, happily.



OMG! It only looks like the sweetest movie ever!

x
JAG

Saturday 15 August 2009

Surprise Surprise

My Political Views
I am a left moderate social libertarian
Left: 4.57, Libertarian: 1.07

Political Spectrum Quiz

x
JAG

Wednesday 12 August 2009

Shhh - I'm a Feminist

Wednesday the first week of semester I crashed a fantastic lecture called Nymphs, Sluts and Madonnas (I know, best class name ever, right?) which is a subject all about feminism and how women are represented in the media. The name derives from the idea that women have typically and historically been stereotyped as one of the three - nymphs, sluts and madonnas.
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"Is this the state of feminism today - Britney and Christina pashing Madonna for a bit of attention? Christina on all fours, kneeling next to Dave Navarro's crutch as he triumphantly plays the guitar solo from her song?"
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"American women are wealthier, healthier and better educated than they were 30 years ago. They’re more likely to work outside the home, and more likely to earn salaries comparable to men’s when they do. They can leave abusive marriages and sue sexist employers. They enjoy unprecedented control over their own fertility. On some fronts — graduation rates, life expectancy and even job security — men look increasingly like the second sex."

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"What is a woman? ‘Tota mulier in utero’, says one, ‘woman is a womb’. But in speaking of certain women, connoisseurs declare that they are not women, although they are equipped with a uterus like the rest. All agree in recognising the fact that females exist in the human species; today as always they make up about one half of humanity. And yet we are told that femininity is in danger; we are exhorted to be women, remain women, become women. It would appear, then, that every female human being is not necessarily a woman; to be so considered she must share in that mysterious and threatened reality known as femininity.
"Thus humanity is male and man defines woman not in herself but as relative to him; she is not regarded as an autonomous being." Simone de Beauvoir
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What is liberation for women? Is it the freedom to flash our tits, or is it the right to reserve our desire for sex?


Ariel Levy argues that women have built their own prison, that with the rise of raunch culture and the feeling that women are empowering themselves through their own sexual liberation, stripping, posing nude, etc means that femininity and sexuality are becoming commodities; sexy is a product, and women are selling it - and themselves - short. To what extent are we perpetuating our own derogative stereotypes?
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Germaine Greer is now seen as an opinionated woman who is behind the times, a loudmouth who wants to make a fuss. When did feminism become a dirty word? Are we no longer proud of our femininity, or do we simply think we have 'made it' in terms of equality between the genders? OR are we in fact regressing with a generation whose motto is if you've got it, flaunt it?
Most of us would consider ourselves progressive-thinking, open minded women, right, who don't judge each other but are in fact united against the sex that has supressed us for so many years? But I was struck by the fact a few days before this lecture, when moving back into college, a dear friend of mine was pointing out a girl from another college who she sniffed at and said "she's slept with all the boys in her college." We want to be treated with respect, as the same, but we're not willing to do the same of ourselves.
Is the media to blame - "Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse [are] getting more publicity and kudos from their bad behaviour than they ever did before." After all these years of feminism, girls still get judged by their looks, not to mention their reputation. Is it the (so-called) exploitation of women by lads' mags? Is it "role models" like Paris Hilton, who is supposedly sexy? Or is it because we've become ultimately content with what be an increasingly neo-feminist society that still condemns women who feel comfortable enough to "sleep around," a phrase that in itself carries negative connotations, because we feel like 'feminism,' whatever that may be, has been 'achieved'?
Is feminism what defines us, what we let define us, or how we define ourselves?
More to the point; are you a feminist?


x
JAG

Tuesday 11 August 2009

OMFGG WTF?

Teasers, season 3.













x
JAG

Sunday 9 August 2009

Dedicated to the One I...















Damn it girl Imma goin' miss youuuuu!

x
JAG

Wednesday 5 August 2009

Well Hel-lo, Sherlock!



Who's excited about Christmas Day?!

x
JAG

Monday 3 August 2009

Pride

I want need one of these shirts, dammit.





































Thank you, American Apparel.

x
JAG