Hey. I'm not stupid. I don't think that the be all and end all of life is a good shot. I was just saying (in my last post) that it's nice when it happens. The same kind of nice when a partner you've been in a relationship for nearly ten years with looks at you the way she used to.
The same kind of nice when a stranger helps you when you need it, not because it's their job or because they were afraid of being caught on a reality show being heartless, but because they wanted to help.
Today I visited an ancient Bora Ring at Nudgee. Nearby, in the Nudgee waterhole park, there was a sign listing events relative to the area. For example, they had a 1922 Gravel Pit opening. And an 1867 'Bishop Quinn is granted all nearby land". And they had 40,000 years of culture summed up in a paragraph.
I know there's no way to do justice on a sign to such an era, but think on it, will you? I look at what Western Society has gone through in the last century and wonder where we will be in a decade. Then I try to think of a culture that managed to sustain itself and perpetuate for 30,000 years. Unbelievable. Our society measures growth in terms of technological progress and milestone achievements, like landing on the moon. But if you take a step back and look at a simple trait like survival, Aboriginal culture wins hands down. 40,000 years of harmony with the environment.
The waterhole has a council seat made from recycled milk bottles - 1500 of them. This was the first time in my 35 years that I had sat on a completely recycled product, despite hearing of and living with recycling for the last 15 to 20 years. So why do we see successful results so rarely? I would love to walk past twenty recycled objects every day between my workplace and where I have lunch. I know it would make me happier. Maybe I do already, and don't know it, so maybe the problem is just education.
Went to Dave McPherson's 50th last night upstairs at the Alliance (St Pauls' Tce and Boundary Rd). HIs band, the Pits had already played and with my limited social skills I was gone in under 30 minutes after presenting Dave with Arcade Fire's Funeral and speaking with Greg Wadley, Nek M's ex from Melbourne, he of New Waver fame. He promised to send me his latest CD if I emailed him.
Maybe I will get back into that music scene if I am alone in a few weeks. I enjoyed it and it's creative, even if I am not a very creative person in some ways.
I want to make a watercolour Arcade Fire lyric of "..remember the bedrooms of friends..." line. It resonates with me, as the pretentious people say.
Sim scribbles fashion designs at the glass coffee table, seeking inspiration for a range of clothing to enter into her Italy trip competition. I know she'll do well but she will stress a lot in the process. That's just who she is. I hope she doesn't leave me but if she does then itwill be final. Like Sal David (Q) and Sly once over it's over, has become my motto.
M7D's D had a birthday yesterday, blowing 1500 on gabo. It's nice to have a nice birthday now and then.
Found a new author called "Jeff Noon". Read 'Vurt' (written around 93 I think, it won the 1994 Arthur C Clark Sci-Fi Award), my first book by him. Sean at Bent Books in West End rang me at work to tell me that I'd like his work. And he was right. Maybe one day I'll look back at this entry and smile, remembering when I first discovered Mr Noon.
Princess and the Warrior (Tom Tykwer) - great
Eyes Wide Shut - Kubrick - OK
Meet Joe Black - Brad Pitt beautiful, the girl, annoying with her blinking and breath voice
Band of Horses
Arcade fire
VB.NET edits to my bai2aba app
XSL edits to the stylesheet for the above app. I love xsl, always a new way of tackling data problems.
Building a gumby fileserver at work to take pressure off my PC. Not running Server but XP Pro - the case is a beast! Thermaltake, I will definitely take a pic and post it when it's done.