Speaking of poo…
And I’m sure someone, somewhere was (probably with a four-year-old), this article about sanitation, toilets and differences therein around the world is fascinating. It’s an interview with a woman who’s written a whole book on the topic.
Brilliant!
Voting in America… or not
I teach a bit about the issue of suffrage, and the efforts that people in the past have gone to in order obtain said the right to vote. It’s a right that’s listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Today, I read this article about the hi-jinks and general skulduggery of stopping people from voting in that supposed bastion of democracy.
Perhaps some aspects are exaggerated, perhaps some of the people ought to have been purged… BUT:
a) wouldn’t you have thought people should be told before they turn up to vote, that they’ve been purged? Maybe give them a chance to object?
b) those numbers are pretty huge… and the proportions of African-Americans and Hispanics affected seems disproportionate, to say the least.
My shreds of hope and optimism are being worn away.
Balance some rocks: I dare you
Seriously, this is so cool!
Le Chocolat
So last night I went out with my dear uni friends A and K. The night involved chocolate, singing, and dancing; the only way this was different from normal was that someone else was doing the last two (ha! boom boom).
I made a resolution this year that I would go to more Melbourne stuff. I have lived here for many years and have been to almost nothing! So I made my love come with me to the Great Debate, as part of the Melbourne Comedy Festival, earlier in the year. And A and K came with me to see “Le Chocolat,” as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
It was great. It was awesome. It was basically a play about flatmates talking about chocolate, break-ups, chocolate… and more chocolate. It was done at Trades Hall, in a little room, so there was about 30 of us in the audience. As K feared, there was indeed some audience interaction… but fortunately they were looking for a boy, to demonstrate how to teach boys about the joys of chocolate.
(Interesting point on that: on the programme, the bio includes favourite chocolate… the boys say things like Twix, and Timeout. How do they count as chocolate?)
The band was cool: violin, guitar, and drums – blokes who were allegedly from different countries, making a few rude comments – and the bass player, Musical Director and Translator for the other boys. Interaction there was funny and well scripted.
It was billed as a cabaret, and it really was. It was basically a series of vignettes, connected by the threads of being housemates and experiencing break-ups and chocolate. There were only a few songs I didn’t recognise; some were ‘as-written’, some had words changed to make them appropriately chocolate-y. The words to “Candy Man” still make me a bit embarrassed ;] There was also a bit of tap-dancing, which was fun.
Juliet and Vivienne (Carla Conlin and Diana Scalzi) were both very good. They clearly have a good rapport, and worked off each other – one a bit skinnier than the other, playing off that (“she works hard for the money chocolate…”), as well as the standard housemate bickering.
At any rate, it was a highly enjoyable hour or more of entertainment. Melbourne folk – for $16, it’s a fun night out!
I love fans
I love the internet, and I love fans.
Because truly, Star Trek as the A-Team? Does it get any better?
Just the titles… but surely this could be the start of something bigger?
A revelation
So, I had a minor epiphany a while back.
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise. After all, one of my high school teachers teasingly called me a Femonazi Godbotherer way back in Year 12 (it really was teasing, and not offensive, despite how it sounds). I’ve been a loud feminist for a few years now.
But it was only the other day that I realised, with something of a shock, that humanity’s default position is Male. When people think of Human, even women tend – I think – to imagine Man (I know, stereotype there), and then add/subtract to obtain Woman.
I’m not claiming that this is a new thought. In fact, it’s not even new to me, really, since I’ve read plenty and even written a little about Woman as Other. But I’d never really thought about it in such bald vocabulary before. Woman is different, other, unusual – not normal. Man is normal.
Until society as a whole can get its head around the idea that there are two different, equal, complementary forms of Human, sexism will always exist.
Bit depressing, that.
(And, of course, the default form is also the same colour as the thinker, I would guess.)
I’m back!
Yeh, so my daft blog did mad things for a few weeks there – months, perhaps. Yurk. However, the fabulous Dave – he who hosts this what you’re reading – managed to fix it.
It did lose my categories, though. I’m trying to figure out whether I should set up new ones, or not.
Meme love: I got tagged
The rules:
List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring summer. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.
Oh Sailor – Fiona Apple, Extraordinary Machine
Hot to Deff – Lyrics Born, Everywhere at Once
Great DJ – Ting Tings, We Started Nothing
Ruby Blue – Roisin Murphy, Ruby Blue
Buddy Holly – Weezer, Weezer
A&E – Goldfrapp, Seventh Tree
Creepin’ up the Backstairs – Fratellis (can’t remember the album)
I won’t tag anyone specific, but if you take up the challenge drop me a comment so I can read it!
Time Trial
So I went in my first time trial with VRR on the weekend: 8km, with a 7 minute handicap based on my last 8km effort (last month). I don’t understand how they figure out the handicap, since that seemed a bit insane for me! Nonetheless, I did it – and I did it in 55 min by the clock, so 48 min actual! My best time yet. I’m pleased.
Especially with the 10km RunMelbourne coming up soon. Which might kill my love and I. But we will valiantly struggle through – the course looks awesome.
Randomly Yours, Alex 