BLACK TUESDAY

Today will go down in history as the day when Heath Ledger died. All very sad, but the headline of the Herald today was BLACK TUESDAY. So, just thinking out loud here, if Heath Ledger hadn't died, would it be known as Black Tuesday Two? I'm not saying this stock whatsimiggigy is going to turn into another depression (heck, i can hardly understand what exactly the articles pertaining to this event say is being affected), but actually i've forgotten my original point in trying to word those brackets. However, and i have possibly been affected by a section i read in my book ('Going Postal' - Terry Pratchett) today, everything affects what the future population will be reading about. I think the example of today was a very bad one, as the day will be remembered in different circles for different things BUT do you see my point? Actually, again thinkign outloud, i've just realised what a poor point this is unelss you take a wild, unlikely-ever-to-happen-example, such as the attempted assasination of the President of America (a cliche i know but i couldn't think of anything) by, of course, an American, or it would clash with my next point, being, the actual assaination of the president by a foreigner from a country without very close ties with America, whcihc results in WWIII (familiar anyone? Yes i know WWI). Surely the attempted assasination is forgoten next to the huge event that happens not logn after resulting inmuch worse consequences?
Anyway, wasted enough time speculating on bad points, later.

It's easier to move up Down Under

THE great American dream of going from rags to riches is more of a reality
in Australia, although we are less inclined to believe it, a new study has
found. . . "It is easier to move from rags to riches in Australia than it is in
the United States," Dr Leigh said. "Particularly for those who begin in poverty,
Australia offers a greater chance of rising up the income ladder."

-Sydney Morning Herald, Jessica Irvine, Economics Correspondent, January 19, 2008

Hm i wonder why. Or at least i would've not 7 days ago, but since discovering how anti-socialist America is, I'm inclined to just laugh at this article for the suggestion that the above would not be true.
Resources, i.e. funding, are not distributed equally among districts in America. The tax money from one area is spent only on that area's health, education and other infrastructure, which means its not unsuprising that it's harder to go from being poor to rich. There's no public health fund, all services are owned by some private sector (which is the way we are sadly going here in Asuralia). As an Australian moving more and more towards beign Labour minded i just stared at my mother in unbelief when she told me this. I guess maybe it's something to do with the Australian "Fair Go" slogan and my own ideas that the government should have control over public services and distribute tax money equally (giving everyone a fair go, i'm not a communist), but this just made me more indisposed towards Amercia as a country. Not the people, i like them as a whole, but the governing body.

INSECT

I just discovered this little gem of a poem i wrote on the 6 december 2005, and i thought to myslef, why not share it. You guys have coped with all my terrible poems so here's my acrostic poem on insects.

• Incessantly buzzing around my head
• Never ceasing to beat its tiny wings
• Slaters, flys, mosquitoes, cockroaches
• Exceeding my patience
• Cowardly it flees from my prescence
• Terrified it escapes my wrath

And what's more i just realise how stupid i was two years ago, spelling the plural flies with a y and sticking an extra c in presence (actually that is something i'd do today).

---

Find it at www.seek.com.au Your Future Starts Here. Dream it? Then be it!

"um, democracies don't have queens"

Indeed, Rilla dear, it is a pity that he [Woodrow Wilson] has no one
near him to give him good advice, as it is clear he has not, in all those
Democrats and Republicans. I do not know the difference between them,
for the politics of the Yankees is a puzzle i cannot solve, study it as i may.

-Susan Baker, Rilla of Ingleside
Three things about this quote.
Firstly, Susan in this book is like this the whole way and i find it quite amusing. Nice writing by L. M. Montgomery.
Secondly, the first half of this quote could be applied to many world leaders (not least of which would be the present leader of the country in question, above). I guess not even only leaders, a lot of people.
And thirdly, the second half of the quote was a hoot for me, sums up my thoughts on American politics, uh, exactly. I've said it since I watched west wing earlier this year, I've said it in a speech earlier this year, I've said it during this ridiculously drawn out, year long campaign that's presently occurring in the U.S. American politics is much too complicated. See, our official election campaign runs only for a month or less (I say official because, of course, all year they are bidding for the votes of the public), yet America has this process whereby the public chooses the candidates (state by state mind you - if you're going to insist on this method, at least let them all nominate at the same time!) and than votes again for the winner. Why not just vote once? Well it does give the newspapers something to talk about for more than a year i suppose.
And there, I've had my online rant for the day and it'll have to last me 11 days now, I'm going away!

A Load of Claptrap

Is our 'contirbuting' to global warming. Is global warming being a problem. Is the Greenhosue effect causing global warming. Is climate change a problem. Yep, all a load of complete and utter claptrap. And it greives me to see a world so misled by scientists who ar enot climatologists professing it all to be true. But alas, i am not one either, and i am not one known for expressing my thoughts the best way possible and always gettign it right. No, i shall leave it to the webistes below to convince yout hat global warmng warmign is part of a cycle in climate change and the greenhosue effect keeps us form freezing to death and that, low and behold, carbon has a cycle,a dn doesn't stay int he atmpsphere al the time! Yes, i may have got some minor details wrong just then, which is why i urge you to go to these sites!

• Global Warming: A closer look at the numbers
• Global Warming is not due to man made cabron dioxide emissions
• Global Warming Petition Project
• The Global Warming Test

I bid you good day.

(TAKE THE TEST, IT CONTAINS USEFUL INFO!)

What more to say?

For money you can have everything it is said. No that is not true. You can buy food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health; soft beds, but not sleep; knowledge but not intelligence; glitter, but not comfort; fun, but not pleasure; acquaintances, but not friendship; servants, but not faithfulness; grey hair, but not honor; quiet days, but not peace. The shell of all things you can get for money. But not the kernel. That cannot be had for money.

-Arne Garborg, writer (1851-1924)

Like I Always Say: Minority Wins

We can't ignore the blood just because it's a minority, can we Foreman?

- Dr. House, House M.D

So is this to be my phase? Quoting things I've heard in the day and writing down my train of thought as a post? I think so! Anyway, i have just now thought how strange it is that everyone is trying for equality and no racism and yet, particularly in reference to equality here, we use terms like minority. Yeah, so minority sounds nice but why can't we just say . . . African Americans, etc etc, or am i just reading something into this that isn't there? Are groups we term minorities really minorities? Maybe that's what I'm really thinking. Are they not that much of a minority and yet we still apply this term to them, because deep down we harbour feelings of superiority to other races? Or is it not a result of unaddressed racism, but simply ignorance, in thinking only of that race in terms of their population in one country? whereas, maybe we should be thinking of global population. Then i think we wouldn't really have as many minorities, if we're thinking, Caucasian, African, Asian and large groups like that. Well, this is my new thing i think, pick a quote and see what i can make of it. That's my musings for today, have a nice weekend.

A Melancholoy Message to Rain on Your Sunshine

I don't know what any of you know about Kenya at all but right now it's in post-election chaos and generally this would be yet another disaster to add to my list of things making the world crappy, but there is one thing that's making this whole situation a lot more real. We have friends who are over doing work in Kenya and have been for nearly six years. Really brings stuff home if you just have friends there. This, and a couple of other things, have led me to really consider the huge differences in lives all over the world, and that we are just SO incredibly blessed to be here, in Australia right now and that we really shouldn't take it for granted, though we all do.
Pray for Kenya.
Pray for all troubled areas in the world.
But really pray for humanity - it's better than just grieving for it.

What is a Classic? is it a tune or a timeless piece of writing? Or a catch?

What is love? Is it a fancy or a feeling? Or a Ferras?

- Marianne Dashwood, sense and sensibility movie

Ahh Sense and Sensibility. Pride & Prejudice. North & South. Wuthering Heights. Persuasion. Jane Eyre. The movies and books alike are some of my favourites. and they are 'classics'

Where would the world be without classics? Moby Dick. It teaches us about obssession - or so I've heard. Oliver Twist. It's about a poor boy right? These are all Charles Dickens . . . well, Piano Man? Nice song, everyone knows it. Harry Potter? Sure to go down as one. James Bond. The thing about classics is, every knows the name, even if they don't know the tune or the story line - but mostly people do. This is just a train of thought but, why is it that there were so many classic books from the 19th century, but no so many after? And there's so many classic songs from 2, 3, 4 decades ago but i'm quite sure not so many will be made in my generation. And how cool would it be to go down as the author of a classic. For everyone to know your name or your works name . . .

And that's my thought for the day/week/fortnight/month/year (depending on my next update).

Have a nice day.

2008

Happy New Year!!
Let's see what we can make of it, despite the fact that it doesn't have a seven in it and I'm not turning 15 . . . . huh?

Fireworks are overrated.