Martin Scorsese Is Really Quite A Jovial Fellow

Well, somebody clearly shook somebody for a certain amount of time

2010-04-22T19:42:00.010+10:00

Sarah Taylor from The Taylor Project recently welcomed an as-yet-unnamed baby woman into the VPS, I mean the world. This is a momentous event, yet I feel a small cringe of guilt. Prior to the happy event Sarah and I had gone to see AC/DC live in Melbourne to get in touch with our inner (or not so inner) bogan. More or less as a direct result, several of the presents at her baby shower had AC/DC

Wagons at Northcote Social Club, Cup Day 2009 redux (aka I am a lazy fuck)

2010-01-31T20:47:00.006+11:00

So it's only been about 3-4 months since this event, but since Wagons are awesome all year round, have some more. Drive All Night Till DawnSamsonIf I may put on my disgruntled hipster douchebag hat on for a minute, Wagons are sounding a little poppier than when I discovered them and fell in love with their old school, everyone-dies country and western (if you play Draw Blood backwards, assuming

Wagons at Northcote Social Club, Cup Day 2009

2009-11-28T21:52:00.005+11:00

You know this fuckin' chorus... it's two words!!!Nutrient levels like a vegetable soup dish. Love Me Like I Love You WagonsThe Rise and Fall of GoodtownBuy at ReadingsBuy at Amazon

Ron Asheton Tribute, Cherry Bar, 21 March 2009

2009-04-04T08:47:00.009+11:00

The Stooges are one of those bands I like but not enough to do much about (I own one album), but when I heard Kim Salmon was playing with Mick Harvey at this belated tribute to the late Ron Asheton I thought I'd better go and see that. I never saw Bored! during the early 90s - the whole "Geelong scene" left me pretty cold, me not being interested in scenesters - so I had the always interesting

Tex Perkins, James Cruikshank & Charlie Owen (with Tim Rogers) - photos & video

2009-03-29T20:56:00.003+11:00

I bought a new camera, and took a few photos at this gig. If you've read this blog before you know I occasionally whinge about how such-and-such a touring band didn't play MY favourite album track that no-one else gives a shit about. I had no such problem at this event - Can't Say No, Hard for You, even Psycho! I didn't get film because I prefer to enjoy myself at these things. :)For your

Bushfire epilogue

2009-03-29T20:09:00.004+11:00

I visited my family last week, and had lunch at Eludae, a nice little place apparently recommended for coeliacs (I have a cast-iron stomach so can only go by what I hear). After a sumptuous and filling tapas spread (pic below), my parents showed me around where the fires had hit Healesville. I am so glad I didn't know how close the fire got when it was happening. As it was, I spent about two

Victorian Bushfire Appeal

2009-02-09T21:39:00.010+11:00

Look, you don't know me and I don't know you. You might have come in here from my latest (or even a really ancient) review from JayIsGames. You might have finally found that long-elusive copy of the Furry Men of the North's I Like Looking At Naked Men on the Hype Machine. Maybe you're a bored Kingdom of Loathing veteran with nothing better to do than flick idly through fellow /vet's profiles.

One Hundred Pushups

2009-02-08T10:04:00.007+11:00

I don't really like sport. In fact, I'm not much into any physical activity that doesn't involve lifting weights 12 ounces at a time, or bench-pressing some late-20s hottie with my inner thighs. I don't like sports people, seeing them as much more like Wayne Carey than John Landy. Thankfully, I've been surrounded by people who are genuinely interested in fitness and health, rather than in being

Taylor Project - co-workers who don't suck

2009-01-16T21:47:00.021+11:00

Back in the late '90s, when I had no job skillz worth speaking of, I worked at an accounting firm. It was, shall we say, a subculture free zone. When I mentioned that my boyfriend was in a band (a shite band, to be sure, but a band that had original songs nevertheless) my cow-orker responded "Oh yes, my boyfriend's in a U2 covers band". All I could do was nod and smile. I don't think I've really

I have lost 13 kg in 9 months

2008-11-23T20:29:00.022+11:00

A while ago I spent a pleasant evening trying on old clothes that I've kept for five years, hoping I will someday fit back into them. For the most part, it was a highly gratifying experience - "ZOMG I HAVE THE SAME WAISTLINE I HAD FIVE YEARS AGO!!1!". I did a pretty large wardrobe cull, ditching the sort of clothes I bought because I was both fat and poor - in other words, they're shit but

Oh... My... God... Chinese Democracy

2008-11-23T20:09:00.005+11:00

That's not the good kind of Oh My God.Are any of you old enough to remember when Guns'n'Fuckin'Roses were the Greatest Band On Earth™?What the fuck happened to the band that gave us hilariously overblown rock bombast like Coma and November Rain? It's still overblown and bombastic... but it's not hilarious.(It's too much to dare hope for the band that gave us Night Train, It's So Easy, or even

Reels/Models, Prince of Wales, 25 September 08

2008-09-28T14:34:00.007+10:00

It's been a while since I've been the youngest person at a rock show, so this gig was rather special for me. Paying $9 for an Asahi was a sure sign that I'm a real old person now - fortunately I was prevented from any further financial stupidity by the massing hordes of Reels fans refusing to let me get back to the bar.I was never into the Reels when they were big - I was too young (I had my

New AC/DC! And it's not totally shit!!!

2008-08-29T23:29:00.003+10:00

AC/DC's Myspace page features the new single Rock 'n Roll Train. Is it up to the standard of Back in Black? Don't be an idiot. Is it better than Blow Up Your Video? Most assuredly. Is it at least as classic as Thunderstruck? Yeah, I'd say so. Man, I am so excited - I've never seen AC/DC live, so I feel like I'm only an associate bogan. I've seen the Angels, Rose Tattoo and *sob* Guns'n'Roses,

Quickies

2008-08-28T20:24:00.002+10:00

I came down with the flu today, much to my disgust, but whilst making it worse by staring at a CRT I tripped over some things.1) Interview on JJJ with DC Root2) Discussion of The Greatest Power Pop Songs Ever. What, no Blondie?You Don't Have a Boyfriend Because You are Too PickyYou have no problem attracting guys - and even dating a littleIt's just around second or third date time where you start

George Carlin's 7 Words You Can Never Say On Television, for the last fucking time

2008-08-10T18:33:00.008+10:00

This is entry number 5, and final, in my Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television challenge. The idea is/was, type each of George Carlin's Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television - shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfuckers and tits - into the search box of iTunes and see what comes up. This is the final entry because a) my inner adolescent boy has had a wank, rolled over and gone

Spreading the, er, love

2008-08-05T22:25:00.000+10:00

I took the "hindu goddess" personality quiz on gURL.comi am...LakshmiLike Lakshmi, you are naturally blessed. You might not have a bunch of money, but what you do have are multiples of wealth in other ways, perhaps made up by great friends or a supportive family. Chances are you also like to spread your fortune...Read more...Which Devi are you?

Lady Love Your Brain - George Carlin's big 7 continued

2008-07-27T09:43:00.013+10:00

As a feminist I've spent most of my life trying to emphasise that I have other features than a cunt (and, OK, tits), so the whole Cunt Love thing leaves me pretty cold. I sit on it, I wee through it, every once in a while I get to stuff a kransky into it. My brain, however, enables me to do all sorts of fun shit like writing Investment Logic Maps and being an appalling indie snob who spends her

Ideological purity is no substitute for a can of Ajax and some elbow grease.

2008-07-27T09:17:00.002+10:00

It's a sitting duck, but this Armagideon Time post on Objectivism made me giggle.

No shit

2008-07-08T22:12:00.001+10:00

In Which A Whimsical and Cute Idea Turns A Bit Maudlin - George Carlin's Bogus Journey

2008-06-24T22:59:00.003+10:00

I was sorry to hear about George Carlin's passing, but 71 is a very respectable run for a guy who not only turned "Shit piss fuck cunt cocksucker motherfucker & tits" into poetry, but probably "nicotine valium vicodin marijuana ecstasy & alcohol... c-c-c-c-cocaine!!!" as well. This weekend, pull some bongs and watch Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey in his honour.All of this faff

Oh fuck - Carlin dead at 71

2008-06-24T22:54:00.001+10:00

God, I hope it wasn't anything I did.George Carlin, Comic Who Chafed at Society and Its Constraints, Dies at 71

IQ Adventure Test

2008-06-13T20:58:00.003+10:00

http://www.okcupid.com/iq-adventure-test?score=1263504531This is the first and probably only time I will ever have a highest score for spatial analysis, so I'm going to enjoy it. The link is to my scores for OK Cupid's IQ Adventure Test - a horrible amalgam of IQ test and Choose Your Own Adventure, where a decision made at the beginning of the game determines the puzzles you'll be asked to solve.

Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television, But Radio? Go Nuts.

2008-05-25T10:05:00.012+10:00

The challenge - type each of George Carlin's Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television into iTunes and see what comes up. Post some kickin' tunes. This week, the word Piss doesn't seem to be used a lot by my favourite artists (or even the ones where I've just gone "Meh, that looks interesting" on Hype Machine then forgotten about), but what lacks in quantity we make up in quality.Jon Cougar

Jock Cheese Alive & Well

2008-05-02T23:07:00.003+10:00

For the many folk who have been coming here on the search "Jock Cheese", it is not Jock Cheese, the bass player of TISM, who died (despite what the Age and Beat magazine have to say), it is James Paull, the guitarist known as Tokin Blackman (but known to his friends as Jock) who has died of cancer at the age of 51.http://www.smartartists.com.au/artists/jock.php

Seven Words You Can Probably Say On Television Any Time You Like, Part I

2008-04-28T20:51:00.016+10:00

So here's the deal. I want you to type George Carlin's seven words you can't (OK, couldn't - this is 2008, and on Australian television you just need a warning before the show) say on television, one at a time, into the search box in iTunes (or another player if that will work). Post a list of what comes up, and post some of the more interesting tunes.This will probably work better on punk rock

Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television

2008-04-28T20:29:00.001+10:00

OK, here's the start of my meme. Watch and listen! Tomorrow you'll have homework.

A few quick bullet points

2008-04-27T21:52:00.009+10:00

Hello. I haven't blogged lately because I've been having too much fun. I do have what I hope will be a tremendously exciting internet meme coming up very soon, but in the meantime, here are some squibs.Old School Unionism - In which an old school Fabian has Ms .45 punching the air and going "Fuck yeah!". It's about the continuing decline in union membership in Australia and the unions' frankly

Surviving the Coming Zombie Invasion

2008-04-12T21:55:00.007+10:00

Kingdom of Loathing player Watts is hosting a competition in May - submit your zombie survival plan for three different situations (local, national and worldwide zombie infestation) and win great prizes! It's world-wide - if your entry wins, Watts will visit a website that delivers locally to your country and buy you the prize. The prizes are:Resident Evil 4, for whatever system suits youA copy

You Got Nothing I Want - Cold Chisel 101

2008-03-30T12:07:00.007+11:00

Back in December '07, Bitterandrew from Armagideon Time posted a summary of an old issue of Hit Parader from November 1981, which rather intriguingly mentions Cold Chisel as "an Aussie rock outfit deemed 'likely' to follow in the footsteps of AC/DC and Air Supply". I asked if he'd actually heard any Chisels and he was curious, so I thought I'd remedy the total lack of Cold Chisel on The Hype

Matador Intended Play sampler 2008

2008-03-30T10:34:00.004+11:00

I'm not the kind of person who buys everything on a label - I'd like to think people are over that by now - and samplers are often, erm, samply, in the one-song-is-awesome-the-rest-are-pants sense. But I downloaded Matador's annual sampler for 2008 (warning: that's a 70Mb zip file) in a flurried frenzy of downloading in preparation for Cherryrock08, and there's quite a range of decent stuff on it

Hark! A Vagrant, eh?

2008-01-13T22:02:00.000+11:00

Please to be noticing in the Not Music column to the right, a link to comic website Hark! A Vagrant! It's Canadian! It's Catholic! It's hilarious! (fails to think of synonym for 'very funny' beginning with a hard-c sound, can't be arsed looking one up)Click on Tesla to read about more famous historical figures. Margaret Trudeau, Geoffrey Chaucer, Henry VIII and Marcel Duchamp provide fun for the

Casual Gameplay Game Design Competition #5

2008-01-03T22:33:00.000+11:00

They're at it again in a seemingly endless series. Jayisgames' new Game Design competition gives you eight weeks to design a Flash game with the theme "Upgrade". There are great new prizes but also new entry requirements, so be sure to read the entry form carefully. Good luck!

Popular culture no longer applies to me - Art Brut, Corner Hotel, 19.12.07

2007-12-20T21:21:00.000+11:00

I didn't know this when I went in, but support act Telecom won their slot by entering a competition on RRR. They sounded like the sort of band who win competitions - quite competent, with nothing overtly bad about them. I think you know what that means, but you decide.Plastic Palace Alice were a tiny bit more interesting, but not my sort of thing. At first, from my position sitting on the floor

When you're around, I'm always laughing - The Church and Divinyls, 16.12.07

2007-12-17T00:23:00.000+11:00

I probably should have known this before, but Steve Kilbey is frickin' hilarious. I only know two Church songs, and I think you know what they are*, but I thoroughly enjoyed The Church's set without knowing any of the music. It was a bit prog but not offensively so, and Kilbey is not afraid to take the piss out of himself and the audience. Like so:Because Sydney is better than Melbourne... [

ROOT! Supposed He Was Out of the Question

2007-12-09T21:53:00.000+11:00

Having seen ROOT! several times over the last few months, it was inevitable that the album wasn't going to be as awesome as the live shows. Whereas on stage DC Root sounds angry, or as angry as he ever gets in public, on the album he sounds like he's on Play School. It's like Tony Martin's story about seeing Neil Diamond live, but in reverse - whereas Diamond failed to deliver the line "Good Lord

I'm not the revolution, I'm just your boyfriend - new Electric Six

2007-11-27T21:49:00.001+11:00

It took me about four years to get into Electric 6, mainly because Danger! High Voltage! is, if not a novelty song, close enough if you need one. What converted me was the discovery that E6 are basically AC/DC on acid and possibly sleep deprivation. They bring the riffs and every other song is about fucking, with the additional benefit of strange, original and thought-provoking lyrics (admittedly

Ding dong, the witch is dead

2007-11-24T23:55:00.000+11:00

I'd like to believe that we have a new government because of this (slightly outdated, it's from a couple of years ago)......but to be honest, I think people just went "Ooh, shiny".I'm also less than stoked by the landslide majority in the House of Reps, but the really interesting place is the Senate, where the conservative parties (Liberals, Nationals, Family First) have 38 seats, the "left"

More voting fun

2007-11-21T19:04:00.000+11:00

GetUp have created a rather nifty little website called HowShouldIVote.com.au, which allows you to fill in a quick quiz to establish roughly how you should fill out your preferential vote card for the House of Representatives. (Such an exercise for the Senate would require SETI to power, which is why they don't offer it.) It's not 100% foolproof - my results had the CEC ahead of the Greens and

My life as a rockist

2007-11-18T20:06:00.000+11:00

I'm not gonna pretend I had an idyllic childhood - it frankly sucked - and, like all bullied children, I had my refuge. Others had dungeons and dragons or SF - I had rock music. If, for any reason, I'm ever called on to discuss my religion, I'll say I'm an atheist or agnostic (depending on whether it's a nice day or I've gotten laid recently), but it would be pretty reasonable, given the role

Voting above the line - will it bring on the apocalypse?

2007-11-18T11:57:00.000+11:00

Last Federal Election, I spent a great deal of time printing out "how to vote" pdfs from the Australian Electoral Commission to reassure myself that I hadn't done anything that might have caused Family First's Steve Fielding to get elected. In fact, I hadn't - I'd spent a good ten minutes painstakingly voting below the line, numbering my preferences from 1 to about 15 or so, then going the other

Your hide will make a fine poncho!

2007-11-15T15:35:00.000+11:00

image hosting by b3ta.cr3ation.co.uk

TISM for non-TISM fans

2007-11-15T12:53:00.000+11:00

This is a range of TISM mp3's for people who haven't heard any TISM or who have only heard stuff like Greg! The Stop Sign! They're in chronological order, and were originally intended to show the diversity of TISM's oevre... then I realised that I'd just picked comparatively obscure songs that I like and that weren't so topical they were outdated or incomprehensible to anyone outside of

Live Guns'n'Roses

2007-11-08T00:47:00.000+11:00

Darren over at He's A Whore has a post devoted to 1987, the year I stopped listening to commercial music (actually, that's frogshit, I didn't really jump the fence until Nevermind was released). Of particular interest is the live set of Appetite for Destruction - scroll down for pure live pleasure.(Oh yeah, there's some U2 for the people who like that sort of shit.)

Jock Cheese, TMBG & Macaca Mulatta

2007-11-07T22:41:00.000+11:00

In response to a reader posting (and by posting I mean "grovelling pathetically"), I'm posting a few tracks from a hard-to-find side project, Platter, by TISM's bass player Jock Cheese. A bit more information about this album can be found here.Up There CalisiLa TraviataDon't Burn 'Em All JDDave Grainey's Country Idyll (highly recommended)Free file hosting from File Den~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The album, not the country

2007-11-04T21:23:00.001+11:00

I haven't had a chance to pick up the belowmentioned Electric Six album I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being The Master, as I'm saving up to move house and will need the first month's rent and bond. I did buy a copy of Switzerland a while ago, and on searching blogs for it, was a little surprised that it didn't do very well. It doesn't have any obvious iconically

Pencils at Dawn

2007-11-03T12:30:00.000+11:00

I haven't laughed out loud in quite some time, for reasons I prefer not to get into here. Pencils At Dawn made me laugh out loud several times.

This Post Has No Title

2007-10-29T23:03:00.000+11:00

I was looking for a recipe for a chickpea salad - not that anyone needs a recipe for chickpea salad, and in fact I ended up doing exactly what I was going to do in the first place, which was cut up a stack of crunchy things and pour vinegar over them - when I found the delightful blog Veggie Friendly. Veggie Friendly was originally a restaurant review site, and they do still do them, but the

Got a ROOT! out of it

2007-10-29T01:07:00.000+11:00

ROOT! on Best of the Brat, 3RRR, 60MbI have no idea how to do streaming audio or any of that fancy-schmancy shit, so there you have it - 1 hour of the singer and guitarist from ROOT! playing their top 5 rooting songs. Highlights include The Legendary Stardust Cowboy and the exquisitely named Smegma (played with the spindle in the wrong hole...).The next ROOT! show is at the Retreat Hotel, Sydney

Dick.... That's an interesting name. "Dick".

2007-10-16T21:47:00.001+10:00

There is a new Electric 6 album out. It's called "I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being The Master." This appears to be the first single.If you've really missed TISM, but are more interested in the prosciutto and melon-like pairing of rock and disco than in lyrics that "make sense", I strongly recommend uncritically absorbing all of the Electric 6's oevre. Or egg.

Restaurant review: Nights of Kabul

2007-10-05T18:11:00.000+10:00

I must confess I went to Nights of Kabul more out of morbid curiosity than any expectation of quality. The last time I went to an authentic Central Asian restaurant in my area it was, uh, a little bit too authentic - we were basically served perfectly-cooked meat with pickles and not much else in an environment which accurately reflected the country's history as a Stalinist republik. (That

4th Casual Gameplay Design Competition - entries unveiled!

2007-10-04T21:30:00.000+10:00

Entry time is over and playtime has begun! Jay will be posting a new entry every few hours or so, so start playing and thinking about how you're going to distribute your votes. For anyone new to JayIsGames.com or the competition, basically, Jayisgames puts out a call for entries with a theme for game designers to integrate into their game - this time around, it's "ball physics". It's up to the

Stereo Total vs drug withdrawal

2007-09-15T08:54:00.000+10:00

I had an awful day on Friday - I'm trying to come off some prescription drugs, and the side effects are quite yucky. I had to go home from work in the middle of the day, costing me $100 in lost wages, and I wasn't entirely sure if I had gastro (caught from visiting my grandfather in hospital) or it was just the pills talking. I went home and slept for 6 hours, then miserably contemplated losing

Play games, find your purpose in life

2007-09-11T08:54:00.000+10:00

This is cute: play ten old-skool computer games such as Simon, Snake and Duck Hunt to identify your career path. You don't have to become a member of OKCupid to play, unless you want to keep your score.The Fun Way to Pick a Career Test written by harpoleers2 on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

War Nerd - Iran, Iran so far awaaay

2007-09-07T00:07:00.000+10:00

I haven't been so entranced by masculinism since discovering the online version of Cracked, but Gary Brecher's War Nerd column is seriously addictive. This Super War Preview from 2005 (but, frighteningly, not seeming at all dated) explains why strikes against Iran would blow many chunks: Of course all the NeoCon crazies are peddling the old story that "once we invade, the people will rally to the

Stereo Total!

2007-08-25T17:31:00.000+10:00

I'm not sure how to describe Stereo Total, so I'll let them do it...40% Yéyétronic, 20% R'n'R, 10% Punkrock, 3% electronic effects, 4% French 60ies beat, 7% genious dilettantism, 1,5% Cosmonaute, 10% really old synthesizers, 10% 8-bit Amiga-sampling, 10% transistor amplifier, 1% really expansive and advanced instruments, a minimalist production, meaning a home- made- trash- garage- sound crossed

Human Brain Cloud

2007-08-25T17:18:00.000+10:00

Oh my god... I discovered Human Brain Cloud this morning via JayIsGames and I've been addicted all freakin' day. Basically, you load a word and type in whatever you associate with it. I got up to 1294 words on the leaderboard (look for Ms 45).

Math Mountain

2007-08-12T16:04:00.000+10:00

Math Mountain is an addictive arithmetic game wherein you climb a mountain, competing against another person or the computer, by answering arithmetic questions correctly. It's only BODMAS (without any brackets - Happy Bodmas!), so you don't have to worry about remembering high school algebra, and the questions vary from very easy (1 / 1 = ...) to fairly hard (123 - 75 = ...). You as a geek may be

Could you have Asperger Syndrome?

2007-08-11T22:03:00.000+10:00

Those of you who have wondered whether their geekery actually tips over into pathology can now whip yourselves into a frenzy of self-doubt with the Asperger Test, although if you're in a frenzy of self-doubt it's probably safe to assume you don't have it.I was simultaneously relieved and confused to get a "Typical woman" score. Given that I've been accused of being autistic (thanks Dad) and a

Spill blog

2007-08-11T20:14:00.000+10:00

Greg Wadley of the Spill record label (and, far more importantly, legendary loser-core band New Waver) has started a blog called Letters to the Editor. It's rather good, so check it out.New Waver:Dying Patients4'33" Techno RemixOn Prozac

Free Play Indie Game Developer Conference

2007-08-09T21:57:00.000+10:00

If you've come here from Jayisgames.com, chances are you're in the US and can't attend this event, but you may get some joy from looking through the schedule and blog for the Next Wave Free Play Independent Game Developers Conference. If you are in the area, it's a one-day conference held in Melbourne, Australia, with a bargain basement price.Topics include:Can't Touch This, 11amMove on from game

JayIsGames Flash Game Design Competition #4 - "Ball Physics"

2007-08-07T13:32:00.000+10:00

We've only just concluded the third competition, but already JayIsGames has announced the fourth Flash Game Design Competition, with a nice distant deadline of October 1st 2007, and the theme "Ball Physics".I am a bit Beavis and Butthead, and have an idea for a game that involves a wet, twisted-up towel...

Yay Wouter!

2007-07-29T00:54:00.000+10:00

Congratulations to Wouter Visser, who won both the JayIsGames.com Casual Game Design Competition #3 AND its Audience Award with Gimme Friction Baby (named for a Turbonegro song - you frickin' rock, Wouter!).If you enjoyed the soundtrack to Gimme Friction Baby (ironically, the music is kind of shoegazey, quite the opposite of what you'd expect from the title) the band responsible are We vs. Death

JayIsGames Competition #3!

2007-07-23T21:05:00.000+10:00

The third annual JayIsGames Flash Game Design competition - themed "Replay" - is parading the entrants as we speak. It's too late to enter, but you can play the games and vote for the winner of the Audience Prize. The first and second prizes are chosen by JiG reviewers, but the Audience Prize is chosen by PayPal donations of at least USD $1.00 and can add quite a jolt of cash to a talented

Turkish Sign of the Cow

2007-07-21T10:52:00.000+10:00

Turkish women attempt to increase their parliamentary representation.I wish them well, but what I really want to know is: what the hell is this woman doing?I'm gonna take a punt and guess that a devout veiled Muslim lady isn't calling on our semi-inflated dark lord to support the women's parliamentary bid, but then I'm not sure that she's calling on the support of Lita Ford, Joan Jett, Pink et al

Consult Me For All You Want To Know

2007-07-17T23:44:00.000+10:00

Sam Turner is a prolific blogger whose latest blog (one of five he has going) posts highlights from a 1900 book of household management. It's only just started, so head over there and show some love. Especially for the one where it recommends drinking wine boiled with ginger... to treat diabetes.

mp3s yay!

2007-06-28T21:25:00.000+10:00

I'm on an downloading spree at uni before I lose my library privileges this Sunday, and have grabbed some awesome stuff recently.Our Monk - A Little Monk (bandwidth stolen from Sandwich Club, a great blog of Aussie music that you should totally check out)Our Monk are from Sydney, and this is a great, Beatle-y track with jangly piano and a jaunty melody suitable for walking out in your zoot suit

Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeesisssssssssssssss

2007-06-24T17:21:00.000+10:00

The G. W. Bush Administration's Freedom Agenda for the Middle EastI've done it. I'm free. I haven't totally humiliated myself (although, if you read that document, you may be able to work out exactly where I threw my hands in the air and hissed "Fuck it").

Non-Stick Plans

2007-06-18T21:32:00.000+10:00

Non-Stick Plans is a daily blog of charming cartoons based on terrible puns. This one's called "Supposit Account" (arrrrgh).

Yet more procrastination....

2007-06-18T10:12:00.000+10:00

Er... I'm doing my laundry...What Famous Student Are You?

A Minute or Less - more tracks

2007-06-14T12:33:00.000+10:00

I posted about A Minute of Less nearly two years ago - but, being such short songs, there's 72 tracks and I haven't gotten around to posting all the good ones. Here's some more.The Worms - Happy Day - cheery indie pop.Slurper - Shy Girl - ditto.Those Acapelicans - Dragoncalf - acapella from Sime Nugent's old band.Trabampoline - Lions and Tigers and Bears - weird sample madness.Poohbum - Kennett -

Ed Husain

2007-06-14T11:56:00.000+10:00

Ed Husain is the sort of person who is one of the most important weapons in the Global War On Terror (or whatever the hell we're calling it this week). Husain is a former Islamist (author of, funnily enough, The Islamist) who seeks to expose extremism in supposedly mainstream Islamic organisations, and he does this from the perspective of one who remains devout, which gives him somewhat more

Sharia - it's not all about getting stoned

2007-06-14T11:10:00.000+10:00

This Guardian article about divorce and British Muslims is a good introduction to the breadth of sharia law. It is mostly focused on the tensions between civil and religious marriage, but also gives a glimpse into other issues such as halal food and financial interest.One slightly upsetting aspect is not with sharia at all, but with British civil law -...the British courts do not recognise

Blair's media whinge

2007-06-14T10:23:00.000+10:00

Whilst I have a small amount of sympathy, Tony Blair's screed against the modern media is not really anything new. He is, in effect, whining about news values -Tell me how many maiden speeches are listened to; how many excellent second reading speeches or committee speeches are covered. Except when they generate major controversy, they aren't. If you are a backbench MP today, you learn to give a

Two weeks to go - Still procrastinating

2007-06-11T22:46:00.000+10:00

I took the "Women Warriors" quiz on gURL.comMy woman warrior is...LakshmibaiWhen Lakshmibai went to battle, she often consulted all types of political strategists, whether they were books or seasoned warriors. She was also very smart and literate in more than three languages.Read more...Which woman warrior are you?

The Fauves 1000th Show

2007-06-01T23:59:00.000+10:00

My first encounter with The Fauves (aside from liking Henri Matisse in high school, I mean) was when their single "Misguided Modelling Career" was first spun on JJJ. I was attracted to the unique whininess of Coxy's voice and the spiky, off-kilter rhythm. Over the years The Fauves became more 'alternative' - that is, commercial - but, at least for a while, this was in a good way.One of the

Monem freed

2007-06-01T09:35:00.000+10:00

The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood is happy to report that Abdel Monem Mahmoud and several other MB detainees will be released from prison in a couple of days.Monem FreeThis is a surprise event, with no explanation of why they are being released. The presence of comment in the Western press, including the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal (!), may have helped here.Now, as Monem's lawyer points

Muslim feminists and Hirsi Ali

2007-06-01T08:41:00.000+10:00

Good little article in the Age today about the tragedy of high profile ex-Muslim feminist campaigners vs low profile Muslim feminist campaigners:A hatred of Islam will not aid reform, Hanifa DeenUnfortunately, Hirsi Ali's continual trashing of Islam alienates many Australian Muslim women activists who also see themselves as agents of change but who are not prepared to turn their backs on what

Root exclamation mark comma the band

2007-05-29T18:24:00.000+10:00

An exercise in both kinds of music (country AND western), which TISM fans may find oddly familiar...ROOT! The Band(For the benefit of non-Australian readers, the word "root" is a slang term.)A gig is being played...Sunday 17th JuneSpanish Club 59 Johnston Street Fitzroy (Melbourne, Australia)2pm kickoff$15 - it's a big show including Bob Log III, The Meanies, Adam Simmons of Toy Band fame, and a

Persepolis - The Movie

2007-05-22T21:52:00.000+10:00

OMG I am so excited! One of my favourite comic books, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, has been made into a movie (in French!), and it looks just as fantastic as the books did. The elegant sharp-edged black and white loses nothing in animation and may actually be improved. For instance, the female hijab-police who pull her up for having exposed hair and (gasp!) a Michael Jackson badge move like

games!

2007-05-19T14:22:00.000+10:00

Understanding GamesThis excellent little series, apparently inspired by Scott McLeod's legendary Understanding Comics, is a kind of half-game half-Flash movie experience that explains the principles that make games worth playing. That link is to the first installment, but links to parts 2, 3 and 4 are on that page. Each Flash movie is mostly just that, but at some point in the presentation allows

Does she get her job back now?

2007-05-18T11:12:00.000+10:00

For Wolfowitz, a 2nd Chance Dissolves Into FailureExcellent article about the real issues involved in Paul Wolfowitz's being driven from the World Bank with pitchforks.I feel really bad for Shaha Riza, because I agree that she shouldn't have had to leave her job. Consider this:Mr. Wolfowitz contended that it was hypocritical for bank officials to allow Mr. Zhang’s wife to work at the bank but to

The greatest power-pop band ever, redux - Pash

2007-05-10T23:12:00.000+10:00

I have posted this stuff before, but I'm going to do it again because I'm outraged that utter shit (which I am far too superior to name) clogs our airwaves while great bands like Pash go unnoticed. Not all of these tracks are gems (the eponymous track and its remix mostly annoy me), but 'The Force' is quite possibly the greatest power pop non-hit in the history of utter anonymity.The ForceFriends

“if you are amused, you may laugh; if you like it, you may buy the recording.”

2007-05-10T18:25:00.000+10:00

John Cage performs "Water Walk" on American game show, 1960This is utterly charming. (One of the commenters prefers "delightful", which I also find an acceptable description.) John Cage performs a piece for a completely non-avant garde audience (at least, I think so: you never see the studio audience), so the host is obliged to try to explain Cage's work and status (the word "controversial" is

Abjeez, "Arranged Marriage" (Khastegari)

2007-05-10T17:18:00.001+10:00

A good 50% of Google searches leading to my blog are related to Abjeez in some way (they've been on tour in the US over the past month, see). In response to my (well, their) adoring crowds, I'm posting this rather charming video. If I'm interpreting the visuals correctly (I don't speak Farsi), one half of the video shows the young man being introduced to the prospective bride, the other half

Cute indie pop necro

2007-05-08T22:58:00.000+10:00

Quite a while ago I posted a selection of tracks from an album called A Minute Or Less. Anyhoo, I'd noticed a couple of hits from people looking for that and the Triantiwontigongolo compilation, and I thought I'd update the post with valid links to the songs. Note that I've only updated the "cute indie pop with funny lyrics" sections - I'm not that interested in the noise electronica. Look out

The Moodists

2007-05-08T22:08:00.000+10:00

I had the privilege of seeing the Moodists perform "We Had Love" with Kim Salmon at the Corner Hotel a couple of years ago. They have a distinctive bouncy sound that goes well with a dark, beer-smelling, smoky room and a BAC of about .03.Burnin' Me Some ThingChatter ShapesFrankie's Negative (Live)The Disciples KnowTaken from the CD Two Fisted Art.

Crying Wolfie

2007-05-08T18:32:00.000+10:00

Good little article at Dar al-Hayat about the underlying problems surrounding Paul Wolfowitz's adventures at the World Bank. It's by well-known aid critic William Easterly and is sponsored by the Cato Institute, so caveat lector, but I'm happy to see that there's someone else out there who's noticed that it's not like the WB was this paragon of ideal Weberian bureaucracy* before Wolfowitz's

JayIsGames last.fm group

2007-05-07T20:54:00.000+10:00

If you've come here from JayIsGames, do consider joining the spanky new JayIsGames group at last.fm. If you've never used last.fm before, it used to be known as Audioscrobbler and is a small and inoffensive plugin you add to your music player (iTunes, Winamp etc). As you listen to music, last.fm records the tracks you've listened to, builds up a profile and recommends music you might like and

Ms Riza speaks

2007-05-05T01:35:00.000+10:00

Statement of Shaha Riza Before the World Bank Board of Executive Directors, Ad Hoc CommitteeShaha Riza StatementBoard of Executive Directors, Ad Hoc CommitteeApril 30, 2007 I come before you today with my counsel, Victoria Toensing, at your request to assist you and the World Bank in resolving a problem that is not of my making. Let me summarize quickly what I consider to be the key facts of

Atheist Tabernacle Choir, Redux

2007-05-03T00:26:00.000+10:00

Excellent post at 3 Quarks Daily discussing why the new Militant Atheists are a pack of nimrods.Hitchens Weighs in, Now On The Religion DebateI am particularly taken with this comment:...they are committing what might be called Marx's Fallacy: criticizing a system without a viable altenative. Hitchens: don't expect the rest of us to listen to your angry, destructive ranting just because you're

The Atheist Tabernacle Choir

2007-04-30T21:10:00.000+10:00

I have declared Monday to be the atheist Sabbath. Here are a big stack of songs about god or religion.The PoguesIf I Should Fall From Grace With GodI'm going to leave it to the audience to discuss amongst themselves to what extent Mr. McGowan may have fallen from grace with God.The Doug Anthony AllstarsGo To ChurchCommies For ChristLittle Gospel SongKRSNAJohnny CashOh, Bury Me NotWhy Me Lord?

Thesis and eccch

2007-04-28T03:06:00.000+10:00

This is great. Today, I wrote 750 words (see post below) on something that will gain me no credit anywhere, and less than 200 words on my thesis. (And nothing on my essay, although I'm less worried about that.) I have a really bad head cold and I'm not really up for writing anything substantial. It's such good timing - I have one week to hand in my essay and I'm a groaning ball of snot.Economic

Conservative infighting over the Muslim Brotherhood

2007-04-27T21:03:00.000+10:00

This is a very interesting discussion. Conservatives have taken up the cause of Western approaches to the various Muslim Brotherhoods in different countries (including Britain and France as well as Middle Eastern countries), using Reaganite reasoning that moderates protect against radicals, and that approaching China was successful in sidelining the USSR. For instance:European Social Democracy

What I've done so far

2007-04-26T00:52:00.000+10:00

This is for the thesis. It's short and crap.Chapter 4 Issues surrounding US democracy promotion to the Arab Middle EastVery few Western commentators have had the sheer nutsack* to come out and say "Democracy promotion is a terrible idea - autocracy is far better". Arguments tend not to be against the promotion of democracy as such, but about its timing, structure and the nature of democracy

Fauvist goodness

2007-04-24T22:45:00.000+10:00

The Fauves' most recent B-Side of the Month is my favourite Fauves song ever, 'Suitcase of Carter Brown'. I actually recieved a copy of the 'Self Abuser' single back when I was doing my print zine (strangely enough called Ms. 45) , along with a t-shirt and a stack of freebies. Yay! Hurry up and download it before they replace it with something else - this is one of the Fauves' smoothest songs

Cracked.com - The Shallot

2007-04-24T20:45:00.000+10:00

Back in the '80s, Cracked was a lite version of Mad magazine. Today, it's a lite version of the Onion, a sort of JJJ to the Onion's RRR (I'm sorry, that's an Australian analogy - I don't really have any way of making it comprehensible to readers outside of, um, Melbourne). Still, I've only just discovered it, and if you love the Onion AV Club's Inventories, you'll be able to spend fucking hours

...and on with the procrastinating

2007-04-23T00:23:00.000+10:00

A quick post before I go to bed.Firstly, I draw your attention to a new blog in the right-hand column ------> called I Rock Cleveland, which, as its name suggests, is all about the middle Americana. I've just downloaded a fuckload of stuff from there and it's mostly pretty good.Secondly, I move from rock to electronica. I started downloading Femme Fatality's Octavia's Love Song a few minutes ago,

9000 words in 40 days (including 4000 words in 13 days)

2007-04-21T17:52:00.000+10:00

I have stuff to write. Specifically, I have a 6000 word essay about the relationship between democracy and terrorism due in on the 4th of May, and a thesis about the Bush Administration's "freedom agenda" for the Middle East due in on the 1st of June. I don't know that I'm gonna make it, especially since I'm supposed to have a draft of the thesis in to my supervisor at about the same time I hand

Free Monem!

2007-04-19T15:42:00.000+10:00

A while ago, I posted about the arrest of Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer on charges of "insulting Islam" and "defaming the President". Recently, a level of absurdity has been introduced as the authorities arrested Muslim Brotherhood activist Abdul Mon’em Mahmoud, presumably on charges of being a member of the illegal Brotherhood. Human rights activists suspect Monem was probably arrested for

Blog Orgy II: A quick one, please please please please please

2007-04-19T13:30:00.000+10:00

Dave Bloustien, Beastly, Imperial Hotel, Cnr Bourke & Spring Sts, Melbourne, 7.15pm (Sun 6.15)Dave Thornton, EuroMission, Trades Hall, 54 Victoria St, Carlton South, 9.15pm (Sun 8.15pm)Dave Bloustien is a nice, gentle guy and Beastly is a nice, gentle show. It didn't help that I'd already seen a number of the jokes at a show Dave did at Three Degrees a couple of weeks ago ("Does anyone know the