Clarity and Passion

Either August will kill me or I will kill it.

In addition to my actual studies, I'll also be:

• leading the Melbourne NMMNG support group
• Contributing two talks to the Australian General Semantics Society National Conference in collaboration with AGS members with valuable assistance from Media Ecology Association founder and Fordham University Professor of Media and Communication Dr. Lance Strate
• Attending the United Nations DPI/NGO Annual Conference on Global Health representing the Institute of General Semantics
• Writing my sarcastic as hell columns on the insipid and tasteless AU federal election for Onya Magazine
• Gearing up Melon Race for production, writing and shooting.

I'll probably need a drink at some point. Its also come to my attention that a candidate for the Secular Party of Australia is running in my electorate against incumbent Simon Crean who holds Hotham with a 13% margin. Since I don't want to vote for or even preference the ALP, Liberals or Greens or (shudder) Family First in the Lower House it makes sense to vote informal to avoid my vote going to a party I disapprove of. Then there's the dilemma of voting for the Secular Party to grant it some measure of public campaign funding for the next election and their ambiguous policy on "banning religious attire at schools" (Yarmulkes? Hijab? Crucifixes? what?) which seems to contradict their call for maximizing civil liberty. Though I have decided to preference Stephen Conroy dead last in the Senate Group Voting Ticket (below-the-line) I'm still undecided as which party to preference first. I am of course leaning toward the "Triumvirate of Libertarians" - the LDP, the Australian Sex Party or the aforementioned Secular Party. It seems politics, like everything else in life, one size rarely fits all.

Melon Race Sketch #1

Our (Ace and I) first sketch is raring to go on YouTube. A rough draft of what's to come, surely. I learned how to use Adobe Premiere and everything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XUIuEkDYWk

Comment, rate and thoroughly rip to shreds!

You and he were...buddies, weren't you?

Watching Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, a timeless cult classic which I thought I had seen to absolute death still cracks me up after watching three times in a row (once with "directors'" commentary.)

I had a good time at the Darkplace party last night; partying 'til 6am felt good again (even if I did take a break during a showing of The Lost Boys.)

I really hope I get one of the jobs i've applied for soon; however K-Rudd doesn't really fill me with confidence. Although I will take his/our money, just for the record.

Guardians and Monsters

Thanks to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday today (especially Elyse, who deserves special mention for sending me international well-wishes.) I'm sitting like a Buddha as I write, stomach distended from too much food (I ate like it was my last meal today. Maccas breakfast, meat and potato lunch, lasagne dinner...I felt my body decaying too much to refuse the salad put in front of me) ... bring on the party this Saturday.

I am also absolutely sick to death of the promotion for Australia at the moment. I know what I'm technically doing is giving them more free marketing, but if there was ever an extensional definition for overkill, this campaign would be it.

Doggmatic Cinema

I was perusing the local supermarket catalog today and chanced upon their "bargain DVD" section which was advertising the sale of this film:


SOCCER DOG: THE MOVIE. As highly conceptual and intriguing as this tale of canine triumphs over adversity and biology doesn't sound, I actually want to fork out the $12.97 to witness such Z-grade motivational shlock that wouldn't even pacify the kids its supposedly meant to entertain - purely for the fact that someone (or some people) financed its eventual creation. (It also comes with Soccer Dog: European Cup! Trans-continental mayhem ensues!) Berserkerfox is my new favorite band. I will be writing their book when they've done too many women, beers and c-c-c-cocaine, struggling to reflect on such a sinful yet satisfying heavy metal career. Clean living is for chumps!