Here's a preview of my new digs:
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Meeting in the Aisle has moved
You know how it is, not enough space, too far to public transport, dodgy hot water system, whatever the reason, sometimes you just know it's time to move on. The time for this blog to move, stretch its legs, and decorate other walls has come. From now on you can find Meeting in the Aisle at Tumblr, come drop in, say hi, and even stay a while. I'd love to hear what you think.
Here's a preview of my new digs:
Here's a preview of my new digs:
Thinking in threes #1 :immigration, solutions for the first world & teletweeting
While I was taking Sally, the family beagle, for our afternoon walk around the neighbourhood today, I decided to experiment with narrowing down all the information I come across each day into the three most interesting/noteworthy things I've come across that day. It's an exercise in focus, and day one is proving quite challenging, but here goes:
1. Why are Australians so afraid of immigrants?
This question actually has its origins in my dismay at the public discussions going on surrounding Asylum Seekers at the moment. Yesterday, I decided I would try and find out how Australia compares to the rest of the world, but then Dr James Arvanitakis wrote this blog post, doing the hard work for me. So now I know for certain that what we are dealing with in Australia is so, so minimal when compared to the rest of the world (big, sweeping generalisation, but not by much), I looked instead to what I worry are the underlying causes.
One of them is racism. The other is patriotism (and the sense of ownership over 'nation' that can accompany it). And the last one is fear. Fear of the other, fear of the unknown, fear of fear even.
And that scares me.
2. Design for the First World
This project is seeking solutions to first world problems by people in the developing world. After my year in Bangladesh, I can certainly vouch for how full of problems our society is from their point of view, and I think it will be fascinating to see what comes out of it. Watch this space.
3. The experience of teletweeting
Last night I was one of the many people both watching and tweeting about Q and A on the ABC. It's not the first time I've tweeted as part of my TV experience, having joined the Crikey Oscars blog and the twittering going on during the Rudd v Abbott health debate. I couldn't help but notice how much more fun it was to watch TV 'with the crowd', laughing at quips, nodding at sound judgment calls and questions, and generally feeling part of a nationwide discussion, live. Bugger the next day water cooler, I reckon, teletweeting is way more fun, and has even encouraged this TV skeptic to reconsider how satisfying a night in front of the box can be.
1. Why are Australians so afraid of immigrants?
This question actually has its origins in my dismay at the public discussions going on surrounding Asylum Seekers at the moment. Yesterday, I decided I would try and find out how Australia compares to the rest of the world, but then Dr James Arvanitakis wrote this blog post, doing the hard work for me. So now I know for certain that what we are dealing with in Australia is so, so minimal when compared to the rest of the world (big, sweeping generalisation, but not by much), I looked instead to what I worry are the underlying causes.
One of them is racism. The other is patriotism (and the sense of ownership over 'nation' that can accompany it). And the last one is fear. Fear of the other, fear of the unknown, fear of fear even.
And that scares me.
2. Design for the First World
This project is seeking solutions to first world problems by people in the developing world. After my year in Bangladesh, I can certainly vouch for how full of problems our society is from their point of view, and I think it will be fascinating to see what comes out of it. Watch this space.
3. The experience of teletweeting
Last night I was one of the many people both watching and tweeting about Q and A on the ABC. It's not the first time I've tweeted as part of my TV experience, having joined the Crikey Oscars blog and the twittering going on during the Rudd v Abbott health debate. I couldn't help but notice how much more fun it was to watch TV 'with the crowd', laughing at quips, nodding at sound judgment calls and questions, and generally feeling part of a nationwide discussion, live. Bugger the next day water cooler, I reckon, teletweeting is way more fun, and has even encouraged this TV skeptic to reconsider how satisfying a night in front of the box can be.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Human Rights Arts & Film Festival
Human Rights Arts & Film Festival making its way around Australia from 23rd April to 30 May, with this film from CARE Australia being screened alongside some other cool offerings. It's going in the diary.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
on cliches
"People always whinge about the price and the quality of cocaine in Australia as they put half a Jetstar flight to Japan up their nose. Such complaints are a consequence of distance and market size: there simply aren't enough advertising executives in our cities to convince a ring of ass-kicking, goldtooth-grinning, machine-gun-slinging South Americans that a proper drug cartel export to Australia is worth their while."
- Chris Barton at Two Thousand letting down the usually witty and enviable style of the Two Thousand team with this cliched copy.
- Chris Barton at Two Thousand letting down the usually witty and enviable style of the Two Thousand team with this cliched copy.
why planes aren't flying
"...lots of dead people are very, very bad for brand value."
-Ben Sandilands in 'Ashes and angst as airlines navigate holes in the clouds' on Crikey
saturday night slip ups
Me: [to girl in the Kudu Lounge ladies loo with can of hairspray]: Wow, hairspray? I'm impressed!
Girl: Um, yeah, I thought it was a hairspray kind of night
Me: I can't be bothered to bring it out with me
Girl: smiles [dealing very well with my public dissing, upon reflection]
Me: [pause] you know, you look so much like this girl from a band I really like, Bridezilla
Girl: Um, I am the girl in Bridezilla
Me: Oh, wow, well no wonder you look like her. Um, I never would have said that if I thought you really were the girl
Girl: [graciously] I'm impressed you've even seen us
Me:.....[embodying sycophantic creepy slightly drunk girl in stupid shoes, laughing awkwardly] Oh, yeah, at the Annandale, I've seen you a bunch of times!
Girl: Yeah, cool [looks for escape]
Me: Yeah, cool [looks for escape]
Girl: Um, yeah, I thought it was a hairspray kind of night
Me: I can't be bothered to bring it out with me
Girl: smiles [dealing very well with my public dissing, upon reflection]
Me: [pause] you know, you look so much like this girl from a band I really like, Bridezilla
Girl: Um, I am the girl in Bridezilla
Me: Oh, wow, well no wonder you look like her. Um, I never would have said that if I thought you really were the girl
Girl: [graciously] I'm impressed you've even seen us
Me:.....[embodying sycophantic creepy slightly drunk girl in stupid shoes, laughing awkwardly] Oh, yeah, at the Annandale, I've seen you a bunch of times!
Girl: Yeah, cool [looks for escape]
Me: Yeah, cool [looks for escape]
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Tuna: to eat or not to eat?
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