I was on Google analytics yesterday, and learned that apparently people are still visiting this site. Rather than have Julian's party invite as the last post of this once-esteemed journal, I thought I'd post a collection of links to some of this blog's 'greatest hits':
Brown Jesus is a Buddhist
Australia Day '07: A self-indulgent photo essay
Kate slanders George
Alice shares the love
Valentine's Day '07 - A disturbing photo essay
The post wherein George used a naughty word, only to censor himself later on
Kate recalls losing her virginity
That bloody helicopter game
Kate lays down the smack - Andrew ridiculed
Fringe Parade '07 - a photo essay featuring shiny things
That time I provoked a much more famous blogger. Whoops!
The Power Rangers. Kind of.
Andrew slanders George
In snooty lawyer mode, Andrew whinges about coffee
Tintin gets a bit blue
Victor Harbour: a drunken photo essay
Chinatown, laksa and crazy people
Worst cocktail ever
The Rock Off!: a rockin' photo essay
George thinks he's funny - opinions vary
Walking home: the final photo essay
I hope these posts will make you smile one day when you've got nothing to do at work. For my part, I'm surprised how nostalgic one can become over events that happened less than a year ago.
Of course, we're all still around, so I propose to post below any noteworthy fragments of our continuing digital existence. Here's something to get us started:
Andrew spills the beans on Hindmarsh for Crikey.com.au
If youse guys think there's a link that should be posted here, let me know.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Hi everybody!!
..."Hi Doctor Julian!" I hear you cry in return.
Or something.
Anyway, being that it is the season of upcoming birthdays, I figured it's easiest to post it in here that I'm going to be in Adelaide just after my birthday, and am throwing an informal party.
'Twill be at my parents' place on Friday the 21st of September, and will be simply getting dinner of some description (possibly Indian; possibly Danny's Pizza), drinking, and probably stumbling down to Boho for more of the former. And donuts.
As for what time, I haven't officially decided, though there will likely be people around the house all day, so anytime in the afternoon onwards should be fine.
There'll also be various guests over from interstate, so you can either be sociable and meet people or just drink. Or both! :oP
So just bring yourself, some money for dinner and yer booze.
:o)
Apologies if this treads on anyone else's toes, but it's really the only night I'm going to be in Adelaide and free, as well as the interstaters visiting
Or something.
Anyway, being that it is the season of upcoming birthdays, I figured it's easiest to post it in here that I'm going to be in Adelaide just after my birthday, and am throwing an informal party.
'Twill be at my parents' place on Friday the 21st of September, and will be simply getting dinner of some description (possibly Indian; possibly Danny's Pizza), drinking, and probably stumbling down to Boho for more of the former. And donuts.
As for what time, I haven't officially decided, though there will likely be people around the house all day, so anytime in the afternoon onwards should be fine.
There'll also be various guests over from interstate, so you can either be sociable and meet people or just drink. Or both! :oP
So just bring yourself, some money for dinner and yer booze.
:o)
Apologies if this treads on anyone else's toes, but it's really the only night I'm going to be in Adelaide and free, as well as the interstaters visiting
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Here's something you don't know...
This morning I dreamt I was at the Rex. Andy from the Whitlams was playing a solo show. He sung really well, but his guitar was a bit quiet. The crowd listened very respectfully and with some sadness, because they knew as well as I that Andy from the Whitlams had died years ago, and he was playing to us from the other side. Then I was woken by the construction noises from next door, and I lay in bed a while.
Here's something else: this will be my last post on this blog. I was getting a bit frustrated of writing stuff that nobody was reading or responding to. At the same time, I wasn't really writing what I wanted to, when I wanted to, so it was kind of the worst of both worlds. I think a good blog has to have a certain critical mass of interaction, otherwise it's just someone's diary that (to the embarassment of both writer and occasional reader) has ended up on the 'net.
2 final thoughts, both earnestly held:
- Thanks, everyone;
- Go fuck yourselves.
Here's something else: this will be my last post on this blog. I was getting a bit frustrated of writing stuff that nobody was reading or responding to. At the same time, I wasn't really writing what I wanted to, when I wanted to, so it was kind of the worst of both worlds. I think a good blog has to have a certain critical mass of interaction, otherwise it's just someone's diary that (to the embarassment of both writer and occasional reader) has ended up on the 'net.
2 final thoughts, both earnestly held:
- Thanks, everyone;
- Go fuck yourselves.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Bad politics. Horrible web design.
So I was browsing the Kevin07 site today. Don't know why; it must have been a slow news day on the Internet. At least Kevvy seems to be saying all the right things, for example we now know that he doesn't much like sweatshops. What a brave position to take.
Anyway, on a political blog I was reading there was a guy paying Rudd out for being too slow to get in on the whole Internet campaign thing. Okay, maybe that's a fair cop. But this guy is apparently running as an independent for the Victorian senate, and he has a web site. You need to visit it. This is the future of the Internet, people. For further hilarity, read his policies. I dare not look at his video blogs.
...actually, I'm bored. I'm going to look at his video blogs.
[09/08/07 - Edit: oh.]
Anyway, on a political blog I was reading there was a guy paying Rudd out for being too slow to get in on the whole Internet campaign thing. Okay, maybe that's a fair cop. But this guy is apparently running as an independent for the Victorian senate, and he has a web site. You need to visit it. This is the future of the Internet, people. For further hilarity, read his policies. I dare not look at his video blogs.
...actually, I'm bored. I'm going to look at his video blogs.
[09/08/07 - Edit: oh.]
Monday, August 6, 2007
To Alice:
CHALLENGE GEORGE! It's for his own good, really. If we don't tell him off when he treats the English language like a pile of shit, he'll never learn.
[For those not in the know: George, Alice and I are playing a game of scrabble. George's latest turn involves the formation of the rather creative word 'tweeti'. Perhaps this is a peace agreement signed between two inbred Roman emperors...]
[For those not in the know: George, Alice and I are playing a game of scrabble. George's latest turn involves the formation of the rather creative word 'tweeti'. Perhaps this is a peace agreement signed between two inbred Roman emperors...]
Musings
So the Shins gig last night got me thinking about music, and about albums, and about how musicians put albums together. As Julian will attest, I have strong views about the structure of albums. I believe that great albums are more than just the sum of their songs.
More specifically, I got to thinking about what makes a good opening track for an album. I was thinking this because the Shins opened their concert last night with tracks #1 (Sleeping lessons) and #2 (Australia) off their most recent album. And that was pure genius.
My humble theory is that an opening track on an album needs to be a palate cleanser. It exists to make you forget any music you've just been listening to; to wake you up, maybe even shock you; to say 'hey, you're listening to us now. I think the best opening tracks are uncomplicated, simple, relatively short, and very melodic.
Some other great opening tracks:
- 'Hindley Street' off Powderfinger's Internationalist album
- 'Rockin' Rocks' off Powderfinger's Vulture Street
- 'One Crowded Hour' off Augie March's Moo, You Bloody Choir
- 'As I Sat Sadly By Her Side' off Nick Cave's And No More Shall We Part
- 'Jenny Don't Be Hasty' off Paolo Nutini's These Streets
- '2 + 2 = 5' off Radiohead's Hail to the Thief
Can you guys think of some other awesome opening tracks? What about closing tracks? What makes a good last track on an album?
P.S: for the record, the Shins were fantastic. They play a style of music that doesn't really lend itself to a live concert, but they were tight and the sound mix was fantastic. I came out of the concert thinking that it was a good but not great show. But that night I couldn't get to sleep for thinking about the show. The next morning I woke up hearing 'Australia' in my head, and with an intense desire to play some Shins music. Like a good film sometimes isn't good until you realise you're still thinking about it a week later, now I think it's one of the best concerts I've been to.
More specifically, I got to thinking about what makes a good opening track for an album. I was thinking this because the Shins opened their concert last night with tracks #1 (Sleeping lessons) and #2 (Australia) off their most recent album. And that was pure genius.
My humble theory is that an opening track on an album needs to be a palate cleanser. It exists to make you forget any music you've just been listening to; to wake you up, maybe even shock you; to say 'hey, you're listening to us now. I think the best opening tracks are uncomplicated, simple, relatively short, and very melodic.
Some other great opening tracks:
- 'Hindley Street' off Powderfinger's Internationalist album
- 'Rockin' Rocks' off Powderfinger's Vulture Street
- 'One Crowded Hour' off Augie March's Moo, You Bloody Choir
- 'As I Sat Sadly By Her Side' off Nick Cave's And No More Shall We Part
- 'Jenny Don't Be Hasty' off Paolo Nutini's These Streets
- '2 + 2 = 5' off Radiohead's Hail to the Thief
Can you guys think of some other awesome opening tracks? What about closing tracks? What makes a good last track on an album?
P.S: for the record, the Shins were fantastic. They play a style of music that doesn't really lend itself to a live concert, but they were tight and the sound mix was fantastic. I came out of the concert thinking that it was a good but not great show. But that night I couldn't get to sleep for thinking about the show. The next morning I woke up hearing 'Australia' in my head, and with an intense desire to play some Shins music. Like a good film sometimes isn't good until you realise you're still thinking about it a week later, now I think it's one of the best concerts I've been to.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Walking home
Last Saturday night, after the Rock Off, I took a bit of a drunken wander home. Luckily, I had my trusty camera with me. Unluckily it was dark and rainy, and I was drunk. Not ideal conditions for photography. Still, a few shots turned out nicely. Clicky for bigger versions:
The larger version of this one is rather... large. 1920 x 1200 to be exact. That's the resolution of my screens at work; I'm gonna get my backgrounds on. If you fancy any of these images so much that you want to use them for your background, let me know, and I'll give you an appropriately sized copy.
This is another big-style photo.
Warning: big one.
Another big one. The colour sucked in this one so I got rid of it!
Big. Don't say I didn't warn you.
It did occur to me while taking this shot that if anyone had spotted me at that moment, they'd see me standing in a bush taking rushed photos of one of the more important sites for Adelaide's electricity infrastructure. I might have been given a free trip to Cuba.
I am so happy with this shot. Drunk people just shouldn't be able to frame this well.
The larger version of this one is rather... large. 1920 x 1200 to be exact. That's the resolution of my screens at work; I'm gonna get my backgrounds on. If you fancy any of these images so much that you want to use them for your background, let me know, and I'll give you an appropriately sized copy.
This is another big-style photo.
Warning: big one.
Another big one. The colour sucked in this one so I got rid of it!
Big. Don't say I didn't warn you.
It did occur to me while taking this shot that if anyone had spotted me at that moment, they'd see me standing in a bush taking rushed photos of one of the more important sites for Adelaide's electricity infrastructure. I might have been given a free trip to Cuba.
I am so happy with this shot. Drunk people just shouldn't be able to frame this well.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
This thing here
Sometimes I think good journalism is a dying art. In fact, that's a thought I have most mornings as I read The Australian. But here is a cracker of an article. Almost journalism as art. If you've got a spare ten minutes, have a read.
A critique
Three - that's the number of 'mature age' students I've identified in my Law and Literature class after our first seminar. Now, I use the term 'mature age' as shorthand for any student who possesses the unshakeable belief that anything that issues from their mouth is insightful and fascinating to those around them. 'Mature age' students think that everyone turns up to class only to hear them speak. They will happily interrupt and contradict the lecturer if they think they can 'add' something to the discussion.
These additions often take the form of a long anecdote about some personal experience that is only tangentially related to the topic at hand. Occasionally they chuck in an embarrassing religious view or a sweeping statement on 'who is to blame' for the social problem at hand that does nothing to advance the debate.
As it happens, two of the three 'mature age' students in my class are mature age students. The other young woman has no excuse whatsoever. We've also got two emos. At this early stage, it seems like the emos will pepper the class with comments, some of which will be extremely insightful, but most of which will be... well, postmodern emo rubbish.
Now, don't get me wrong. I think it's great to have discussion-based classes at university. And most of the people doing law are intelligent, decent, and courteous human beings. A stimulating discourse is possible in such an environment. But when a few people monopolise the conversation just to hear the sound of their own voices, the signal-to-noise ratio drops dramatically.
If I was running a seminar, I'd employ a system whereby everyone could make a maximum number of comments per session. I'd suggest two per person per hour. That way, people would only speak if they had something meaningful to say. It would also let some of the less domineering people get more engaged with the class.
I guess the reason I'm a bit worked up about this is that Law and Literature looks like it has the potential to be a really interesting, thought-provoking topic. Here's hoping it doesn't get hijacked by the lowest common denominator.
Oh, and by the way...
...this is post #100 for our humble blog. Who would ever have thought we'd make it this far? Let's hope the next hundred posts are as enlightening and lively as this lot, and let's see some more participation from some of our less prolific members. Tell you what: the more you guys write, the less I will. Now that's an offer you can't refuse!
These additions often take the form of a long anecdote about some personal experience that is only tangentially related to the topic at hand. Occasionally they chuck in an embarrassing religious view or a sweeping statement on 'who is to blame' for the social problem at hand that does nothing to advance the debate.
As it happens, two of the three 'mature age' students in my class are mature age students. The other young woman has no excuse whatsoever. We've also got two emos. At this early stage, it seems like the emos will pepper the class with comments, some of which will be extremely insightful, but most of which will be... well, postmodern emo rubbish.
Now, don't get me wrong. I think it's great to have discussion-based classes at university. And most of the people doing law are intelligent, decent, and courteous human beings. A stimulating discourse is possible in such an environment. But when a few people monopolise the conversation just to hear the sound of their own voices, the signal-to-noise ratio drops dramatically.
If I was running a seminar, I'd employ a system whereby everyone could make a maximum number of comments per session. I'd suggest two per person per hour. That way, people would only speak if they had something meaningful to say. It would also let some of the less domineering people get more engaged with the class.
I guess the reason I'm a bit worked up about this is that Law and Literature looks like it has the potential to be a really interesting, thought-provoking topic. Here's hoping it doesn't get hijacked by the lowest common denominator.
Oh, and by the way...
...this is post #100 for our humble blog. Who would ever have thought we'd make it this far? Let's hope the next hundred posts are as enlightening and lively as this lot, and let's see some more participation from some of our less prolific members. Tell you what: the more you guys write, the less I will. Now that's an offer you can't refuse!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)