Spinster Aunt

For their tenth birthday, Google have gone vintage and put their January 2001 index back up online.

On a whim, I tried heritage googling "Obama". There are 4420 results, the second of which is a Japanese tourism site for what seems to be a spa in Nagasaki.

The second search of my series-on-a-whim was "Osama", which yields a slightly more respectable 69,600 results in Jan 2001. The first seems to offer a generously sized 6 meg email account: yourname@osama.0me.com. The FBI lists him as "Usama" in the 10 most wanted list.

Now, of course, the results are a little different (just a touch: "Obama" and "Osama"), though Osama seems to have jumped the shark of newsworthiness with three of the first four being for a 2003 Afghani film, and the image results being mostly parody & pop culture references.

Crossover: "Spa" now hits Osama's first page results (but I don't speak any Italian so I have no idea what it says), as does Obama, courtesy of "Obama Girl Kills Osama Bin Laden?" on youtube.

But it's an honour just to be nominated.

I'm having such a squee-full geek-out over this.

I'm shortlisted at #6! Hooray!

So on the one seat we have Harry Pearce, Adam Carter, Henry Tilney & Capt. Wentworth. Le swoon.

Youtube video ( under the cut )

Following on from the Bullet Point meme going around my flist:

• Happy Birthday cynthdiane! Have a fantastic day.



• My Gruen Transfer ad for Gruen Beauty.
  "Be ugly. On the inside." I could have used an editor, but it was fun to make nonetheless.



• For the Amelia Peabody fangirls (of whom I am one):
  Youtube video of a sword parasol! Or at least a parasol that makes a sound like a sword. That is so cool. Geeky cool.



• From Dylan Moran's standup routine whch I saw on 27 March last year:
  "My wife is a smart and capable woman. The kind of woman it's fun to try to win arguments with."
  Is it any wonder I'm a total fangirl?



• Video: How To Speak
  I have sat through some stultifyingly useless presentations, sermons, lectures and meetings in my time. Speaking skills are vastly underrated.



• From Boundless on DIY & the virtue thereof:
  Science-fiction author Robert A. Heinlein once wrote: "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
  
  I had to look up what "conn a ship" meant, but I am somewhat comforted that I'm in the middle of attaching binding to my corset.



• Knowledge & Information
  "It is possible to know too much. It is possible to care too much. Hunger for information can become gluttony."
  
  A good reminder to myself that my time & attention is limited, so I need to be discerning in what I choose to read/listen to/watch etc. Information clutter is just as much clutter as anything else.



• And more on clutter from the SMH: "Clutter, the persistent curse of the acquiring classes"
  "The alternative to cluttering up our homes is simply to avoid acquiring unwanted or useless items in the first place. Among other things, this requires a more conscious approach to shopping: buying what we really need and will use."



• Unclutterer: Organising work files.
  “This organization was here before you were a member and will continue on after you graduate. If your files are messy, it’s fine for you now, but you’re not thinking of the people who are to serve after you.”
  
  Word. I've recently had a deadline come in late because that tiny extra bit of information that we're sure is in the office somewhere took SIX DAYS to find.



• More from Unclutterer: Confirming my decision to cull and be disciplined about acquisition
  "I used to be the type of person who held onto every object I deemed sentimental. I eventually realized that holding onto so much stuff came with a lot of stress, worry, and financial expense, and that I wanted a different way of life."
  
  That's exactly what happened to me. I'm still rather fond of my "If my house burned down, would I replace this?" evaluation strategy.



• From Dressing in the Dark: Lessons in Men's Style from the Movies by Marion Maneker
  "Do you know that scene in The Thomas Crown Affair," Frank Rostron, a British shirt maker once confided to me, "the one where Steve McQueen's wearing a beautiful Prince of Wales checked suit with a powder blue shirt and a royal blue tie?" Once I'd confirmed that I too appreciated the importance of that moment in film history, the tailor rolled his eyes back slightly, his lids hooding to help him savor the memory. "Seeing that," he went on, "made me want to become a tailor."
  
  Truly, I hear you on that one. ::swoon::



• Wicked! Costume design: A three page article in the SMH on the costume design for the show, opening in Melbourne soon.
  "I love the way clothes are constructed. Dior and Galliano were very much interested in the way clothes are constructed: they are unbelievable engineers."
  
  I'm much the same. Whether it's knitting or sewing or any other kind of textile work, I'm all about the construction.



• And to finish off, a Tip of the day:
  If you're planing on holding up a pub with machetes, you'd best make sure there's not a Bikies meeting going on next door.

Wow. So much is happening right now. Here are some edited highlights:

• First, Pimping a show: The Gruen Transfer, ABC1, Wednesday night.
  30 minute show about advertising, including tactics used by the industry, analysing different campaigns, and my favourite part: "Selling the un-sellable", where two agencies are briefed to come up with an ad for an utterly un-sellable product. (Think: Baghdad Tourism.) And because Aunty is awesome when it comes to new media, the entire thing is vodcast. Check it out.



• New Glasses! ( Pic under cut )
  
  
• Australian universities are starting to get in on iTunes U. So far they have ANU, Griffith, Uni of WA, Uni of Melbourne & UNSW. Come on, Sydney. Get your act together. I'm happy to listen to Economics or Shakespeare or History from the US. Law...not so much.



• I randomly went to a lace exhibit at a local gallery, and ended up randomly moderating a group discussion on the difference between "Art" and "Craft" and presenting the results to a group including curators at the Powerhouse Museum and presidents of the guilds. I did not embarrass myself.



• I graduated from MTC, and on the night my friend mentioned she was going to do a short course at NIDA. I was reminded of the other short courses at NIDA and...



• I enrolled in a corset making class at NIDA. Two weeks in, one to go. I have something resembling a bodice - I need to put the boning in. Pics here



• Went to the Stitches & Craft show on Saturday. Bought some beautiful green laceweight yarn...mmmmm.... Don't know what I'll use it for yet. ( Pic under cut )
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• My Feedback got read out on Filmspotting! Top 5 Best Dressed Characters. Of course that <i>would</i> be the subject upon which I am most opinionated and articulate when it comes to film...) Check it out here: I'm in for two minutes starting at 40:30)

I've recently bought a digital camera and finally set up a flickr account, so it might actually be worth friending me on Ravelry.

I'm moorina over there too. I know others on my flist are on there - can you comment with your screen names so I can find you?

I've got pictures of my stash up (it seems that I do rather like blue...) and my WIP - Son of A.R.A.N.

A TV related post. 

After reading basbleu's latest post concerning television (flocked here)and watching the German film "Reclaim Your Brain" where the ethics of activism were as questionable as the ethics of the TV shows they were protesting, I thought I'd take the opportunity to pimp some of the good stuff.

1. At The Movies
I've recommended this one before but it's recently gone Vodcast, so I'll give it another plug. Intelligent movie reviews from Margaret & David. 1/2 hour each week - a must for my ipod while at the gym. Also, David's recently released biography is called "I Peed on Felini". What more recommendation do you need? 

2. Summer Heights High
I heard that Chris Lilley's latest project has been picked up by both the BBC and HBO.  It's a mockumentary satire set in an Australian high school with Lilley playing all three main characters:

Ja'mie, a bitchy, snobby year 11 student on exchange from a private school. "Without makeup girls would be really fugly."

Jonah, a vulgar Tongan year 8 bully. "I said 'Puck you'. With a P."

Mr G, a totally self-involved drama teacher. "We're encouraging some of the sluttier girls to audition..."

It's very well done. The only other person I know of who can so completely inhabit completely different characters is Sasha Baron Cohen's trifecta of Ali G/Borat/Bruno. I recently found my old high school principal on facebook. He was in the group "The Summer Heights High appreciation society". Keep an eye out.

3. Underbelly
A based-on-a-true-story crime drama about gangland killings in Melbourne in the last 15 years. Slickly produced and the most engaging thing on Australian TV at the moment. Not being broadcast in Victoria due to a court injunction concerning ongoing criminal trials. Court injunction = utterly useless

4. East of Everything
Sunday night ABC drama (also vodcast) miniseries set in "Broken Bay", based rather closely on the real life "Byron Bay", a haven for millionaires and hippies. It hooked me with the line "I'm buggered if I know how to bribe a Buddhist." Very much going for the SeaChange market, but I'm happy enough to go along with that. Stars Richard Roxburgh, whom you would most likely know as The Duke in Moulin Rouge. Don't worry, he's utterly unrecognisable ;-) Six part miniseries.

5. Media Watch
Since this is a post about TV, let's get a bit meta. Every media market needs a show like Media Watch. As is always said, everyone loves it 'till they're on it. Vodcast. 15 minutes once a week.

And under the cut, a TV meme from a while back that I nicked from dm_lunsford, hollywdliz and rosiewook:

( Name your top six shows right now before reading the questions. )

Tomorrow is Sorry Day. I'm sorry. We're sorry. I support the apology to the Australian Aborigines to be read inparliament tomorrow.

The full text was tabled in Parliament today.

A Welcome To Country Ceremony was held to mark the opening of Parliament earlier this morning, the first time the traditional owners of the land in Canberra have done so.



And this is how the apology should have been done eight years ago (as seen on The Games):


So when my facebook status changes to "is sorry" tomorrow, this is why.

Edit to fix links.

As heard on Richard Glover's drive on 702

Sort Of Dunno Nothin' by Peter Denahy

Richard Glover's list: How do you tell if you are a true Aussie?

15. You think "Woolloomooloo" is a perfectly reasonable name for a place.

16. You're secretly proud of our killer wildlife.

17. You believe it makes sense for a country to have a $1 cointhat's twice as big as its $2 coin.

18. You understand that "Wagga Wagga" can be abbreviated to"Wagga" but "Woy Woy" can't be called "Woy".

( Cut for length )

Via Austenblog:

Plots and Proposals: a Parody of Pride and Prejudice
Featuring Alan Rickman! Mwa ha ha ha ha!

I went to see Atonement tonight. The following is dedicated to everyone in the row behind me:

Crinkle, crinkle little chips
'specially through the quiet bits.
In the row you sit behind
Making noise like no one minds,
Crinkle, crinkle little chips
Those who eat them are all gits.

Special Hell, people. Special Hell.

Consilio non impetu
- By wisdom, not impulse

Sapiens dominabitur astris
- The wise will rule the stars

He said, "Will you marry me?"
She said, "No".
And they both lived happily ever after.
- Not quite sure where I picked this one up.

('executive producer' is an all-encompassing job description whose meaning can range from 'made one telephone call' to 'stopped the whole thing falling apart').
- quoted in Peter Jackson: From prince of splatter to lord of the rings

Nicked from dm_lunsford

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Threw out books. Deliberately. Anyone who’s a bibliophile will know what a big thing that is. Having come through the other side, I don’t regret it at all.

2. Did you keep your NYs resolutions, & will you make more for 2008?
Didn’t make any that were “official” NYRs, but made some decisions I stuck to – tough ones, even – and I hope to make more. My focus is on not committing the Sunk Costs Fallacy.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yep. ‘tis the season of life for many of my friends.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. 2007 was mercifully funeral-free.

5. What countries did you visit?
None. I was totally domestic this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Good preaching.

7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Not a date so much as an event – The Chaser’s APEC stunt will live long in memory.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Leaving my church and finishing my Diploma of Biblical Studies.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not having found a new one. Or, indeed, having left it so long to leave.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Only the usual during flu season. Nothing so entertaining as the Whooping Cough of last year!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
NOTHING. I’ve been on consumerism detox since April, buying only replacements or perishables. It’s been hugely liberating. Four exceptions have been made:

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (premeditated).
2. The House Of Eliott season 3 box set (premeditated).
3. Absolute Power series 1 & 2 dvds (spur of the moment)
4. Keating! The Musical CD (spur of the moment).

They’ve all had high rotation in my media diet.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Those in my old church who were kind and unexpectedly supportive of my decision to leave.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The Liberal party in the week following the federal election. That’s no way to be a strong opposition, people.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Savings & investments.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. And being right about my big prediction! Whohoo! (And only a little bit wrong)

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
On The Floor from Keating! The Musical.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier, but I maintain happiness is overrated.
ii. richer or poorer? Richer.
iii. thinner or fatter? I still fit into all my clothes, so I’m going with “no change”.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Sensible reading & formal study.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Dithering. And putting up with dithering in other people.

20. How will you be spending the holidays?
Hibernating. Avoiding people. And apparently chasing bloody chickens around the bloody garden. I hate chickens.

21. Which LJ people did you meet this year?
Only those I already knew in RL.

22. Did you fall in love in 2007?
No. I remain content in my situation.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
New favourites: Doctor Who, Summer Heights High. Old favs that I’m still watching: Boston Legal, Top Gear, Spooks, The Chaser.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, ‘though I confess some irritations have increased.

26. What was the best book you read?
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. Go and read it!

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Heh. Keating! I’m attempting to memorise the longer insults to use at opportune moments for reference.

28. What did you want and get?
Space on my floor back.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Death at a Funeral. Haven’t laughed so hard in ages.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Don’t remember what I was doing, but I was 28.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having settled on a new formal course of study. For something. Anything.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Black pants, white shirt, red lipstick, 40cm necklace.

34. What kept you sane?
My local library. Library love!

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
The usual, with the addition of David Tennant.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Lindsay flyer-gate. I ranted about that at length.

37. Who did you miss?
Some of the families from my old church.

The Pretty

It's a little bit old, but so what? 

The Simpsons Go To Paris wit Linda Evangelista

And FTW, Karl Largerfeld posing next to a print of Homer...as Karl Largerfeld. 
That, my friends, is how you get street cred. 

This top is sold out, but is very reminiscent of the Gondorian necklines in RotK.  I've always thought they were pretty nifty with the crossover bit, and it's nice to see it done in a modern context.  With a button, no less!  Were I a hoodie kind of girl, I'd be trying to recreate this one. 


The Smart:

Just finished "E=mc^2: A biography of the world's most famous equation" by David Bodanis. 
p239

"Einstein's...study of Hume readied him for seeing how arbitrary the woven definitions thatphysicists used were, and so how far they could someday be stretched;his love of Spinoza was a constant, urgent reminder of the orderedbeauty waiting in our universe.  Goethe, by contrast, was almost alwayspoor at using philosophy in science, and wasted years on a theory ofvision, simply because he was convinced it "should" be true.  As the old saying has it, to do mathematics you need paper, a pen, and awastebasket; to do philosophy, the paper and pen are enough." 

I also read A Brief History Of Time, just so I can say that I have.  I understood about half of it.  That pleases me greatly. 


The Funny (and pretty, and smart, and musical, and Aust. Politics):

I went to see "Keating! The Musical" this week, which was FANTASTIC. 

(For those who don't know who that is, Paul Keating is a former Australian PM from the early-mid '90s.)  My Keating love is all about the suit.  Zegna was his brand of choice.  'Cause I've never had a problem with arogant, intelligent men in suits who have a thing for antique French clocks (see icon). 

( More under the cut )

Election wrap up

Labor government? PM looses his own seat? Liberal party lead by neither Howard nor Costello? A week is a loooooong time in politics.

Existing Liberal government was defeated by Rudd-Labor (NB: it isn't referred to as "The Labor Party" or ALP any more, but "Rudd-Labor". Or Rudd!Labor. Or Rudd/Labor. Part of the Kevin07 branding, methinks.)

The Liberal campaign in my electorate, after having been so stunningly derailed with those involved treating us as a bunch of racist westie bogan rednecks (insulting, much?) had a 11.6% swing against them on primary votes and 9.9% on two party preferred. And Chas was around on Saturday in his Osama costume, stalking the candidate with the fake flyers. (Go Chas!) I hope he gets a frequent renter's discount on the outfit. And Jackie Kelly herself was the recipient of the Grand-Mal award for media stuff ups on the campaign trail. To her credit, she did accept it in good grace.



Along with the election, the PM himself has actually lost his seat in Bennelong, which is hugely embarrassing for him.

The Libs have since imploded. The long-spurned deputy leader, after being anointed as Howard's successor in the concession speech, has given them the political finger and declined to stand for leadership. The Nationals' leader has also stepped down.


Annabel Crabb, writing for the SMH, with some of her gems from the campaign.

"It's difficult to think of anything weirder than a whole theatre full of Labor bleeding hearts cheering hysterically for a man who's just told them he's going to run a knife through social spending ... It's lucky Mr Rudd's handlers got him out of there before he started closing hospitals, or he might have been kissed to death."

More Annabel Crabb

"A NEW rule of thumb has emerged for Coalition press conferences.

If the principal appears at the lectern flanked by his wife, it means he's pulling the pin.

If he appears solo, it's a dead cert he's making a bid for the leadership."

And my favourite part of all this: As part of the new government, Australia now has a MINISTER FOR BROADBAND. Seriously. I'm waiting for the inter-departmental sub-committee on YouTube buffering.

Now that the government has spent the last news cycle of the election campaign having to distance themselves from a fictitious Islamic extremist organisation, here are some other groups on which neither major party has a stated policy:

* SPECTRE
* KAOS
* The Syndicate/Consortium
* The Illuminati
* The Watchers' Council
* Priory of Sion
* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
* Galactic Empire

I'm not even particularly upset that it was a dirty tricks campaign. I get that it's all part of the game. But it was just so poorly conceived, managed and executed.

And constructed. I spent at least as much time ranting to my family about the spelling, grammar and design of the "alleged" pamphlet (thanks again for that gem, Jackie Kelly) as I did about the strategy behind it.

I think one of the base requirements for good government is being able to run a competent smear campaign.

************

Random fact about Australian elections for those who don't know: Voting is compulsory.

If I don't go and get my name marked off at a polling place today, I'll have to either provide a good excuse (ie - I was in a coma etc etc) or pay a $50 fine. Of course, what I do with the ballot papers once I've collected them is my business, but I am obliged to attend.

::beats head against ballot box::

Story 1
This is Jackie Kelly, my current federal MP. My elected representative. Retiring after this term. SHOOTING HERSELF IN THE FOOT.

PDF Link
This PDF is the pamphlet in question distributed by her husband which says the Labor party supports Islamic terrorism.

Story 2
This is the PM trying to distance himself from it and Jackie Kelly claiming it was a "Chaser-style prank".

Story 3
This is the Chaser offering Jackie Kelly a job, but insisting on bigger props and an Osama Bin Laden costume.

Story 4
This is Prime Minister John Howard getting questioned about it at the National Press Club.

No, Jackie. a "Chaser-style prank" would have been both a) Funny, and b) Taxpayer funded.


ETA: Someone has listed Kirribilli House up at domain.com.au. Mwa ha ha ha ha!