The randomest thing happened when I was getting my haircut yesterday.
One of the other hairdressers (not even the girl cutting my hair) came up to me and said:
"You've got model's hair..."
He went on to talk about how thick it was, and that it goes straight down to the ears (ie. not receeding from the side up) and other random stuff that I didnt really listen to.
This disturbed me for 3 reasons:
1. That a male hairdresser would make that comment to me. At least if it was a girl I could take it as a compliment - but this guy didnt even seem gay - it was just really akward. Its not like im homophobic coz I would've accepted a compliment like that from a guy who is overtly gay.
In all fairness to the guy it was at quarter to 5 and there was noone else in the store - he was probably just trying to make conversation.
2. There are actually Hair Models - and they fully have competitions and stuff where the hairdressers not only cut the hair but also have to dress up the model and get them to walk the catwalk. Im seeing a mix between Idol and Search for a Supermodel - only gay.
3. That these Hair Models must actually be some pretty ugly models if I could be mistaken for one.
No offence if anyone out there is a Hair Model, but honestly, if you are - get a real job. (this coming from a 23-year old with probably another 10 years of study ahead of him).
"I think I killed a duck"
Dont you love when theres actually a good movie on TV?
Like, I just randomly looked at the TV guide at 8:25 tonight to find that my favourite feelgood movie of all time was on: About a Boy.
The first time I saw this movie I thought it was nice - but since then it just keeps getting better everytime I watch it.
Hornby makes a really simple point: "No man is an island" - but despite its simplicity I think it does sum up a lot of what life is about: that the worth of our life does not come down to how much we earn, or what we do (or dont do) for a living, but rather our relationships and the virtues we use in these relationships: honesty, tolerance, consideration, humility, joyfulness etc.
And the whole Singing with your Eyes closed - how good is that?
"I heard he sang a good song..."
Reminiscement
"Back at school we used to dream about this everyday
Could it really happen - or do dreams just fade away?
Then we started singing, and they said it sounds smooth
So we started a group and here we are,
kicking it just for you
Motown Philly back again
Doing a little East Coast fling
Boyz II Men going off
not too hard, not too soft."
(sorry nothing better to write)
Foozball
Today, us and another family from our Baha'i community visited our old neibhours Vahid and Azita who have moved down to Secret Harbour. (sweet place).
Visit Mazza Reys blog to check out the food and other stuff.
I just wanted to comment on their foozball guys.
The picture isnt entirely clear (it was my phone - and 2megapixel just isnt what it used to be), but these are the ugliest foozball guys ever.
1. They have a massive 1950's combover
2. They have scary little chubby faces
3. They have a screw sticking out of their chest - now thats just wrong.
Hope
Go back a few weeks ago, and Im not sure if many of us could see such a rapid ending to the current hostilities in the Middle East.
I dont know a lot about the workings of the UN, or about the recent conflict, but i just had a read of Resolution 1701 - passed last friday. (How cool is that btw. that the UN has all the Resolutions so easily available to the public). I believe that it has also given more power to UNIFIL - the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, that was created in 1978.
Its got a whole bunch of roles but part of its new mandate includes:
"By this resolution, the Council also authorized UNIFIL to take all necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind;"
Today from BBC News: "The UN has expressed cautious optimism that it can deploy an initial 3,500-strong force within two weeks."
(3,000 of those troops are from Bangladesh and Malaysia - which from what I know is pretty standard for UN forces).
You can read UNIFILs daily press releases that give a pretty good summary of the past few days.
This is a summary of the last week:
Friday 11th - "Heavy exchanges of fire continued in the past 24 hours throughout UNIFIL’s area of operation. Hezbollah fired rockets in somewhat reduced numbers from various locations. The IDF continued shelling and aerial bombardment across the south."
Sat. 12th - "The military situation in the UNIFIL area of operation for the most part has remained unchanged in the past 24 hours. Exchanges of fire continued with same intensity."
Sun. 13th - "Exchanges of fire continued in the past 24 hours with heightened intensity throughout the UNIFIL area of operation."
Mon. 14th - "The cessation of hostilities, in accordance with UNSC resolution 1701, came into effect at 08.00 hours local time today."... "There were no reports of incidents or breaches of the agreement in the UNIFIL area of operations until 1300 hours today."
Tue. 15th - "There were no reports of incidents or breaches of the agreement in the UNIFIL area of operations until 1300 hours today since the agreement on the cessation of hostilities came into effect yesterday morning. The parties have ceased firing into the territory of or at the other side, and there were no attempts to occupy any additional territory."
Wed. 16th - "The cessation of hostilities was generally maintained in the past 24 hours, with three incidents reported:
1. An exchange of fire between the IDF and Hezbollah in Haddathah - with four dead Hezbollah members
2. IDF tank positioned on the Israeli side fired one round across the Blue Line into Lebanese territory .... There was no response from the other side and the situation in the area remains calm.
3. Yesterday afternoon, an Israeli aircraft violated Lebanese airspace in the eastern sector."
Thu. 17th - "In accordance with Resolution 1701, the Israeli Army started yesterday the withdrawal from Lebanese territory..."
For what its worth, I think thats a pretty rapid change following the Security Council Resolution.
Yeah its not perfect, and yeah, lets see how long this lasts, but in a global environment where its often hard to get this kind of hope, its another sign that the UN does, at least on some level, work and it is a pretty good foundation to be working on.
I dont know a lot about the workings of the UN, or about the recent conflict, but i just had a read of Resolution 1701 - passed last friday. (How cool is that btw. that the UN has all the Resolutions so easily available to the public). I believe that it has also given more power to UNIFIL - the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, that was created in 1978.
Its got a whole bunch of roles but part of its new mandate includes:
"By this resolution, the Council also authorized UNIFIL to take all necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind;"
Today from BBC News: "The UN has expressed cautious optimism that it can deploy an initial 3,500-strong force within two weeks."
(3,000 of those troops are from Bangladesh and Malaysia - which from what I know is pretty standard for UN forces).
You can read UNIFILs daily press releases that give a pretty good summary of the past few days.
This is a summary of the last week:
Friday 11th - "Heavy exchanges of fire continued in the past 24 hours throughout UNIFIL’s area of operation. Hezbollah fired rockets in somewhat reduced numbers from various locations. The IDF continued shelling and aerial bombardment across the south."
Sat. 12th - "The military situation in the UNIFIL area of operation for the most part has remained unchanged in the past 24 hours. Exchanges of fire continued with same intensity."
Sun. 13th - "Exchanges of fire continued in the past 24 hours with heightened intensity throughout the UNIFIL area of operation."
Mon. 14th - "The cessation of hostilities, in accordance with UNSC resolution 1701, came into effect at 08.00 hours local time today."... "There were no reports of incidents or breaches of the agreement in the UNIFIL area of operations until 1300 hours today."
Tue. 15th - "There were no reports of incidents or breaches of the agreement in the UNIFIL area of operations until 1300 hours today since the agreement on the cessation of hostilities came into effect yesterday morning. The parties have ceased firing into the territory of or at the other side, and there were no attempts to occupy any additional territory."
Wed. 16th - "The cessation of hostilities was generally maintained in the past 24 hours, with three incidents reported:
1. An exchange of fire between the IDF and Hezbollah in Haddathah - with four dead Hezbollah members
2. IDF tank positioned on the Israeli side fired one round across the Blue Line into Lebanese territory .... There was no response from the other side and the situation in the area remains calm.
3. Yesterday afternoon, an Israeli aircraft violated Lebanese airspace in the eastern sector."
Thu. 17th - "In accordance with Resolution 1701, the Israeli Army started yesterday the withdrawal from Lebanese territory..."
For what its worth, I think thats a pretty rapid change following the Security Council Resolution.
Yeah its not perfect, and yeah, lets see how long this lasts, but in a global environment where its often hard to get this kind of hope, its another sign that the UN does, at least on some level, work and it is a pretty good foundation to be working on.
Starbury
I dont think many of you know Stephon Marbury. He's an all-star NBA player for the New York Knicks (thats basketball), and for the last 10 years I havent had a whole lot of respect for him as a ball player. He talks himself up endlessly, doesnt provide the goods when it matters on the court, and he plays for the Knicks. (A team thats spends about US$300m on its roster, yet isnt even in the top 20 in the league).
Now, what has Marbury done that makes him worthy of a blog? This: www.starbury.com.
Most of you know, that to buy a decent basketball shoe costs around $200.
Now, that sort of price is all well and good for all of us - but Marbury grew up in Coney Island - IMO, the most famous Ghetto in Brooklyn. (You know from my map that Ive never been to the US - but Ive seen it in a bunch of Movies and TV Shows - stuff like He Got Game and Finding Forrester).
Well, $200 is a bit much of an ask for a lot of the parents in areas like this, and yet the kids play basketball like 8 hours a day (Ok, its the impression I get from movies, obviously not entirely true).
So, Marburys brought out a whole line of top quality (?) shoes for between US$10-$15, and Jerseys for $10. Thats is literally 10% of the price of Nike, and other, products.
In additions to provide affordable shoes, its also (IMO) a big finger up at "Nike etc." and their 1000% profit on every pair of shoes.
So, I just wanted to share my kudos about an NBA Player actually doing something effective to support their community.
ps. Australian basketballer Andrew Gaze (soon to be on Dancing with the Stars, complete with grey hairs) started a similar line of shoes a few years ago, but c'mon these are teenagers we're talking about - how many of them buy shoes from Kmart?
Now, what has Marbury done that makes him worthy of a blog? This: www.starbury.com.
Most of you know, that to buy a decent basketball shoe costs around $200.
Now, that sort of price is all well and good for all of us - but Marbury grew up in Coney Island - IMO, the most famous Ghetto in Brooklyn. (You know from my map that Ive never been to the US - but Ive seen it in a bunch of Movies and TV Shows - stuff like He Got Game and Finding Forrester).
Well, $200 is a bit much of an ask for a lot of the parents in areas like this, and yet the kids play basketball like 8 hours a day (Ok, its the impression I get from movies, obviously not entirely true).
So, Marburys brought out a whole line of top quality (?) shoes for between US$10-$15, and Jerseys for $10. Thats is literally 10% of the price of Nike, and other, products.
In additions to provide affordable shoes, its also (IMO) a big finger up at "Nike etc." and their 1000% profit on every pair of shoes.
So, I just wanted to share my kudos about an NBA Player actually doing something effective to support their community.
ps. Australian basketballer Andrew Gaze (soon to be on Dancing with the Stars, complete with grey hairs) started a similar line of shoes a few years ago, but c'mon these are teenagers we're talking about - how many of them buy shoes from Kmart?
West Side Story
Well, tonight someone randomly said a line from Les Miserables (from the revolution song, you know: Can you hear the people sing, say do you hear the distant drum...) and for about half an hour I couldnt stop myself mumbling the words of the song to myself. (or at least, those words that i did know... i ended up humming it mostly).
But yeah, that got me thinking about great musicals.
And IMO, the best musical ever is West Side Story. The fact that its Shakespeare helps, but the way they made it, and the issues that are discussed, it is just as relevent now as it was 40 years ago... and it hasnt lost a whole lot in terms of humour, and social commentary. (ok, maybe the dancing is a bit outdated, as is the attempt to play basketball at the start of the movie).
It was not only the music and dancing that made it great, this movie included, in my belief, the first ever "Your Mama..." joke.
Tony (=Romeo) is talking to Riff (=Benvolio)
Riff: "Four-and-a-half years I live with a buddy and his family. I think I'm diggin' a guys character... Boy, I'm a victim of dissapointment in you
Tony: "End ya sufferin', little man. Why dontcha just pack up ya gear and move out?"
Riff: "'Cause ya ma's got the hots fa me"
(CLASSIC)
Anyway, I havent figured out (/cant be bothered learning) how to put parts of a DVD onto YouTube, and I could only find a handful of actual clips on YouTube, one of which was this one:
"America" - song by the Peurto Ricans (=The Capulets)
(I had put this video up from YouTube, but then when I went to edit the post to write more text, it dissappeared - someone gimme a comment of how to put it up properly on my blog)
Theres two other videos that I'll link to:
"Officer Krupke" - a classic piece of commentary on youth (and still relevent).
And "Cool" - towards the end, after the murder sequence.
I wish someone would make a musical now that could go down in history in the same way as West Side Story, Fame etc. (the reason I singled out these two, is because using the medium of a musical, they both went fairly deeply (for their time at least) into a range of social ills affecting young people... Im not saying they're the only great musicals).
(Moulin Rouge may become one of these great musicals, but its too soon to tell. I need to watch it in another 5 years and then see how well it lasts)
But yeah, that got me thinking about great musicals.
And IMO, the best musical ever is West Side Story. The fact that its Shakespeare helps, but the way they made it, and the issues that are discussed, it is just as relevent now as it was 40 years ago... and it hasnt lost a whole lot in terms of humour, and social commentary. (ok, maybe the dancing is a bit outdated, as is the attempt to play basketball at the start of the movie).
It was not only the music and dancing that made it great, this movie included, in my belief, the first ever "Your Mama..." joke.
Tony (=Romeo) is talking to Riff (=Benvolio)
Riff: "Four-and-a-half years I live with a buddy and his family. I think I'm diggin' a guys character... Boy, I'm a victim of dissapointment in you
Tony: "End ya sufferin', little man. Why dontcha just pack up ya gear and move out?"
Riff: "'Cause ya ma's got the hots fa me"
(CLASSIC)
Anyway, I havent figured out (/cant be bothered learning) how to put parts of a DVD onto YouTube, and I could only find a handful of actual clips on YouTube, one of which was this one:
"America" - song by the Peurto Ricans (=The Capulets)
(I had put this video up from YouTube, but then when I went to edit the post to write more text, it dissappeared - someone gimme a comment of how to put it up properly on my blog)
Theres two other videos that I'll link to:
"Officer Krupke" - a classic piece of commentary on youth (and still relevent).
And "Cool" - towards the end, after the murder sequence.
I wish someone would make a musical now that could go down in history in the same way as West Side Story, Fame etc. (the reason I singled out these two, is because using the medium of a musical, they both went fairly deeply (for their time at least) into a range of social ills affecting young people... Im not saying they're the only great musicals).
(Moulin Rouge may become one of these great musicals, but its too soon to tell. I need to watch it in another 5 years and then see how well it lasts)
"Manic Depression is getting me down" and up, and down ...
Its been a whole weekend, so i figured it was time for a new blog.
Started Psych today, and this is something I learned:
Apparently, Nietzsche, a random german dude (kidding, but yeah I am really not into philosophy) said something like this:
"If someone doesnt lose their mind now and again, then you have to question whether they've got a mind to lose"
Ok, ignoring all the issues that raises about the validity of German philosophy, its still an interesting concept.
Anyone who's spent more than 10 minutes with me knows that I lose my mind all the time. (Does that mean that Ive got more of it to lose? hahaha)
I like to joke that i'm Bipolar (or Manic-Depressive in the old school, Jimi Hendrix, times - who the first part of the title is from)... but really thats pretty insensitive to those people who actually suffer from a Bipolar disorder, and im sure that im inside the wide range of what could be considered normal. (or at least, I think I am)
And I know that a lot of my friends go all wonky every now and again as well, and those who dont do it in public - I know its still happens.
But then what about those people who are never random, never obsessive, and always in complete control (I know they're out there). They definately dont all fit into what Nietzsche reckons, coz many of these people are those that im sure most of us all look up to greatly.
(so, more than anything, i think Nietzsche is just trying to make excuses for the rest of us)
But, Whats the difference between them and me(/us?). Is it a mental thing? a social thing? a spiritual thing? And does it even matter?
Is it worth even discussing? (probably not? I mean, what can I do but just look at my own life and try to change the way i behave?).
Well I've got the next 8 weeks to learn from patients who are truly suffering from psychiatric disorders, and Im sure that i'll get a bunch of insights into all this - and Ill probably keep this blog updated with more random thoughts along the way.
Started Psych today, and this is something I learned:
Apparently, Nietzsche, a random german dude (kidding, but yeah I am really not into philosophy) said something like this:
"If someone doesnt lose their mind now and again, then you have to question whether they've got a mind to lose"
Ok, ignoring all the issues that raises about the validity of German philosophy, its still an interesting concept.
Anyone who's spent more than 10 minutes with me knows that I lose my mind all the time. (Does that mean that Ive got more of it to lose? hahaha)
I like to joke that i'm Bipolar (or Manic-Depressive in the old school, Jimi Hendrix, times - who the first part of the title is from)... but really thats pretty insensitive to those people who actually suffer from a Bipolar disorder, and im sure that im inside the wide range of what could be considered normal. (or at least, I think I am)
And I know that a lot of my friends go all wonky every now and again as well, and those who dont do it in public - I know its still happens.
But then what about those people who are never random, never obsessive, and always in complete control (I know they're out there). They definately dont all fit into what Nietzsche reckons, coz many of these people are those that im sure most of us all look up to greatly.
(so, more than anything, i think Nietzsche is just trying to make excuses for the rest of us)
But, Whats the difference between them and me(/us?). Is it a mental thing? a social thing? a spiritual thing? And does it even matter?
Is it worth even discussing? (probably not? I mean, what can I do but just look at my own life and try to change the way i behave?).
Well I've got the next 8 weeks to learn from patients who are truly suffering from psychiatric disorders, and Im sure that i'll get a bunch of insights into all this - and Ill probably keep this blog updated with more random thoughts along the way.
Funny comics
I got this link from Shazza's blog - and I couldnt help but paste a few of the other pics into my blog:
www.kalani.com
I swear that this is all completely and utterly true:
from: www.kalani.com
For 30 years, Kalani has been a soulful place of refuge and renewal for guests from around the world.
Kalani's recipe for a transformative vacation:
- Keep your spirit high
- Awaken to new ways of living
- Let yourself relax and rejuvenate
- Attune with creative energy
- Nurture your body and soul
- Indulge in natural splendor
(but please, dont browse the site for too long - you might not like what you see)
Lost & House
Just saw the final of Season 2 of Lost on TV. (No, I havent downloaded them like everyone else on the planet) Looks to me like the producers learnt something from the response to season 1 and actually gave some answers.
I was expecting another ending without any answers - which probably wouldve gotten rid of any desire I had to watch the next season, but they've done a good job with this one.
The whole electro-magnet thing was unexpected, as was the ending - both the bit with Micheal, and the very end. (I dont want to spoil it for anyone who hasnt seen it).
The funny thing is, out of the whole series, the thing that interests me the most is the mental institution that Hugo and Libby(we saw her their briefly, once) were in. Why were they both there, and whats the significance of Hugo getting the numbers? It just doesnt make sense.
ps. if any of you have been a nerd and read through stuff on the net (I've avoided that with Lost coz I wanna watch it through at the right pace) - the if you post a comment, only mention stuff from series 1 and 2 - nothing new.
---------
House
I dont wanna toot my own horn, but on yesterdays house as soon as I saw him look towards the girls underarm (before actually seeing the bubo), I knew it was plague.
(I knew there must have some positive outcome of doing a whole unit on the History of Medicine and Disease) - and for those non-med people, yeah it is true, plague is still around in many parts of the world - kinda sucks that diseases like this, which to the western world are only really relevent in history books, are still around in the undeveloped areas.
The undeveloped parts of the world: and the USA
I was expecting another ending without any answers - which probably wouldve gotten rid of any desire I had to watch the next season, but they've done a good job with this one.
The whole electro-magnet thing was unexpected, as was the ending - both the bit with Micheal, and the very end. (I dont want to spoil it for anyone who hasnt seen it).
The funny thing is, out of the whole series, the thing that interests me the most is the mental institution that Hugo and Libby(we saw her their briefly, once) were in. Why were they both there, and whats the significance of Hugo getting the numbers? It just doesnt make sense.
ps. if any of you have been a nerd and read through stuff on the net (I've avoided that with Lost coz I wanna watch it through at the right pace) - the if you post a comment, only mention stuff from series 1 and 2 - nothing new.
---------
House
I dont wanna toot my own horn, but on yesterdays house as soon as I saw him look towards the girls underarm (before actually seeing the bubo), I knew it was plague.
(I knew there must have some positive outcome of doing a whole unit on the History of Medicine and Disease) - and for those non-med people, yeah it is true, plague is still around in many parts of the world - kinda sucks that diseases like this, which to the western world are only really relevent in history books, are still around in the undeveloped areas.
The undeveloped parts of the world: and the USABroken Flowers - "If it is broke - dont try to fix it"
I saw this movie last weekend called Broken Flowers. It stars Bill Murray, and the Blockbuster guy said it was decent (and the guy is normally pretty good with this stuff), so I figured it would be similare to Lost in Translation. And its directed by Jim Jarmusch - who's supposed to be this great director, and is so good that he had an SBS documentary about his movies.The movie is about an eternal bachelor, who randomly gets an anonymous letter that hes got a 19 year old son whos out looking for him... and he spends the whole movie visiting a few women he used to date in an attempt to find out which one is the mother.
You know how some movies are completely random, but in the end it all seems to work out, and you think back that it was an awesome movie? (Adaptation is one of those movies - if you actually think about what happened)
Well - for about 2 hours I was hoping that Broken Flowers would turn into one of those movies.
It got to a stage that I knew this wasnt going to happen - but I still held on to hope and kept watching the movie (more because it was late at night and we couldnt be bothered stopping it), and then as the movie ended I realised that this had been an absolute waste of 2 and a half hours (including the time to rent it).
Why do some film makers make rubbish, and then try to pass it off as art?
I know art is often about opinions - but im usually quite open-minded. (Like, normally when I think a movie is crap, I will still say that I can see why it appeals to some people). If broken flowers appeals to anyone - then they should check themselves into a psych ward. (Im doing my Psych term of Uni at Royal Perth for the next 8 weeks - I'll be sure to drop in and visit).
I know that "ART" is a very broad term, and can be created for a whole number of reasons - but im pretty sure that wasting peoples time is not one of those reasons.
I should sue Jim Jarmusch for 2 hours lost from my life (and then I could do the same to Blogspot.com)... and I just realised that this guy also directed Ghost Dog - one of the only movies that has ever actually made me WANT to sleep.
(4 posts in my first day - I think im getting the hang of this blogspot thing, or... its getting a hang of me)
Where in the world is Carmen Santiago?
In my time visiting blogs, this has been one of the best links. All it does is generate an image of the countries in the world that youve visited. (thanks Mrs Reyhani)
You have visited 13 countries (5%)
(3 of which were just airports, and 2 of was under the age of two)... so it really is a grand total of 8... something to build upon - I think i need to visit Africa and the Americas.
You have visited 13 countries (5%)Why Nelly Furtado isnt a sellout
In a recent comment at Shazza Reys blog, someone mentioned that Nelly Furtado was a sellout. This was a thought that had previously entered my head, but someone else saying it just made me furious (ok, not quite), and I immediately replied that to even comment as such was blasphemous to an artist who once held so much promise.
And as such, I was gonna right this whole long post about why Nelly Furtado hadnt become a sellout. But all I could come up with was stuff like: "She's canadian, AND hot", She still dresses nice, writes her own lyrics... but thats about all thats relevent now. (Except that Thin Line, which she did with J5 is still one of my favourite songs).
But you know what, it pains me to say it, but I have to agree with the opinion that she's a sellout.
... but nowhere near as much of a sellout as Kelis.
And as such, I was gonna right this whole long post about why Nelly Furtado hadnt become a sellout. But all I could come up with was stuff like: "She's canadian, AND hot", She still dresses nice, writes her own lyrics... but thats about all thats relevent now. (Except that Thin Line, which she did with J5 is still one of my favourite songs).
But you know what, it pains me to say it, but I have to agree with the opinion that she's a sellout.
... but nowhere near as much of a sellout as Kelis.
whats the point?
How I make the most of my time at hospitalWorst case scenario, i just wasted the last half hour, and wont ever look at this again. (and knowing my history, thats not all that unlikely).
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