september 30, 2004
$2 or trade
[I might be projecting my feelings onto my hometown when i say this, but] Adelaide's favourite zinester ianto.tripod.com/" target="_blank">ianto Ware is featured on The Program.
The interview is mainly about Australian zine producers and perzines so they there's not much information about ianto's music. You can download a couple of mp3s iantoware" target="_blank">here. No Sleep Et Al, ianto's latest release, has been one of my favourite cds this year.
There are a number of songs about boats on that cd.
Here's a picture of ianto's head:
And Eleanora Martinez's stomach.
pipstar @ 06:27 PM | link | Comments: *
september 27, 2004
excuse me, mister
I just wanted to make you aware that if the Liberals return to power after the election, I will cry.
I'll cry because of the effects of their last two terms in office.
- the lack of realistic, effective and socially equitable policies regarding the environment, health and education
- the lack of active Reconciliation between Indigenous Australia and the rest of the population
- the poor treatment of asylum seekers
- the disrespect of international law
- the priority placed on the economy and defence
And particularly how our country had an opportunity to shape a strong, modern identity, but instead we've clung to the shirt tails of the current United States leadership and followed their lead in so many aspects of politics, both internally and internationally.
You know the pre-nuptial agreement also known as The Free Trade Agreement?
Well, I think that we've been had. And the sad thing is we won't realise the true extent of what we've been signed up for until we try and loosen our ties with America.
But I'll cry most because a victory for the Liberal Party will appear like a blessing for what has come before, and will provide them with a mandate for future disrespect of the electorate.
Which will meant that we'll all be crying for many years to come.
So use your vote wisely.
pipstar @ 01:54 AM | link | Comments: *****
september 27, 2004
an absolutely huge book
Last year I was driving up to uni when I heard a book reading by an Australian author. I was intrigued, but held off purchasing the book until it came out in paperback.
This wasn't just because paperbacks are cheaper, it's because I'd get sore wrists while reading a 900 page hardback novel.
Today I finally started reading Shantaram.
Shantaram is a novel based on the life of the author, Gregory David Roberts. In 1978 Roberts committed a series of robberies while addicted to heroin, and was sentenced to nineteen years’ imprisonment. In July 1980 he escaped over the front wall of Victoria’s maximum-security prison, in broad daylight, thereby becoming one of Australia’s most wanted men for what turned out to be the next ten years.
His journey took him to New Zealand, Asia, Africa, and Europe, but his home for most of those years was Bombay — where he established a free medical clinic for slum-dwellers, and worked as a counterfeiter, smuggler, gunrunner, and street soldier for one of the most charismatic branches of the Bombay mafia.
Phew!
That's going to take a long time to get through.
pipstar @ 01:22 AM | link | Comments: **
september 23, 2004
penguin's day off
Apparently, there are some days when penguins just don't go out fishing. They'll waddle around, slipslide on ice or just sleep. It seems like a good deal.
Throughout my formative years, like any smart thinking teenager or penguin, I'd try and miss school. I was a good girl, so I'd use sickness as a potential excuse.
I didn't watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off until year 12, so I didn't have an understanding of the fine art of convincing parents that I was ill. I had to use bona-fide symptoms to raise my mother's sympathy. Unfortunately I was usually quite healthy.
But I'd regularly wake up with a slightly sore throat and run off to collect a torch and a spoon so that my mum could check the state of my tonsils.
"Say Ahh."
"AAAAAAAAGGGGH!"
Every time my mother would patiently tell me, "It's just a little bit pink, you'll have to go to school."
And it was only when I had pus coming out of my tonsils during the end of year 11 that I was given the greenlight to stay home. Finally.
It turned out that I had Glandular Fever (yep, The Kissing Disease) and I spent the most of the final term and sadly, the summer holidays, in bed barely conscious while hours of soap operas seared my brain.
Though one day, my mother found a hopping mouse in the garden and brought it inside to entertain me. And it hopped right out of her hands, onto my bed and under my cupboard, which meant that we had to buy a mouse friendly mousetrap to remove the mouse from my room. Obviously I was entertained, because I still remember that day, though the memory is surrounded by the overwhelming exhaustion that followed me around for months.
But I digress.
By year 12, my mother's tough stance on days off was weakened. My younger brothers have no idea of the effort that I went through for them. Sure, Nick missed many days of school because of mental illness, but my mother would spontaneously give Alex, the baby of the family, Penguin Days Off just because she felt like it.
He has no idea how lucky he is.
Anyway, today is my Penguin's Day Off, my Mental Health [Sick] Day. I woke feeling tired and really flat. And truth to be told my concentration has been poor all week. It would be a waste of time for me and everyone if I came into work. I'm happy, but I need time to myself.
So today is all about calm. About books and cups of tea, yoghurt and honey, word writing and plant watering. And I am going to make a serious yoga and meditation effort as I truly need to center myself.
But only after I've had a nap.
pipstar @ 04:49 PM | link | Comments: *****
september 20, 2004
5 x 5
Please set aside the morning of October 9 to vote.
And then set aside the afternoon for my birthday celebration, which will most probably be held somewhere in our fine Botanic Gardens.
I'm not sure what we'll do if it rains.
Go back to my place and watch the election coverage?
pipstar @ 02:28 AM | link | Comments: **
september 17, 2004
while you're away
I've been waiting for the next New Buffalo album to come out ever since I first heard the e.p. About Last Night a couple of years ago.
I just picked up The Last Beautiful Day from Big Star only half an hour ago.
And already it's a cd I love.
patterns in static present...
saturday october 23rd @ the jade monkey, adelaide.
NEW BUFFALO (solo) + DELORIS double album launch
with: no through road
pipstar @ 04:51 PM | link | Comments: ***
september 16, 2004
you broke my heart and killed my bonsai!
I've had to catch up a couple of times and write two or three days worth at once, but I'm halfway through my first batch of 100 Words.
And I'm feeling confident that I'll actually get through this month.
So confident that I think maybe I'll write 500 words a day throughout October... Or maybe that should be 800? Because I have to prepare for NaNoWriMo!
[Ideas for bestselling novellas gratefully accepted. Though I'd prefer it if you participated as a NaNoWriMo buddy!]
pipstar @ 02:27 AM | link | Comments: **
september 15, 2004
gmail invites
I have GMail invites up for grabs. Does anybody want one?
pipstar @ 02:55 PM | link | Comments: *****
september 13, 2004
daydream believer
I'm heading into a dangerous, consumption heavy phase of my life...
I bought a bag I've been lusting after. A very excellent bag that smells of saddles (though minus the horse smell) and looks damn good. A bag that cost $143. [And that my dear friends, was half price. Already.]
Add to that a perfect pair of green shoes - $130 and an $89 tshirt that are all on layby. As well as much needed cutlery - $100.
New shoes and tshirt? That means that I need skirts, pants and dresses to flesh out my increasingly cool summer wardrobe.
And now that I have an MP3 enabled mobile phone I'm considering investing in an IPod, and while I'm at it why don't I get a sexy Titanium Powerbook at the same time?
But logic tells me that I may as well stick with my PC, but only if I invest in an LCD screen because my 17" CRT is quite frankly, driving me nuts. I admit that the only reason I'm being driven nuts by the CRT monitor is because it isn't a good piece of design.
So there goes another $700 on a new display.
But I can spend that $700 in a far more reasonable way on a washing machine, a machine that would take care of my fancy new clothes, reducing my need to drive to clothes washing enabled homes, meaning that i could take a bus...
Or maybe I could get a scooter?
I blame that idea on a rather elegant magazine about scooters, and so I've spent the last 24 hours imagining how cool it would be to drive around town on a mint green Vespa, only to stop, walk into a cafe with my fancy new clothes on and then I'd write witty blog entries on my laptop, posting using Adelaide's CitiLan.
This post is in no way inspired by my upcoming birthday on October 8. It is merely a list of things that I wouldn't mind owning, own already or am in the process of purchasing.
Though if you were wondering... I like books.
pipstar @ 07:53 PM | link | Comments: ****
september 12, 2004
[the new] macromantics...
The glory of Azure and moblogging is that you can post when you want to, not just when you power up your PC.
Not even ten minutes ago i saw a very cool set by Macromantics. Apparently there were technical difficulties, but i didn't notice. Romy was able to hold her own in a largely acapella set. And when Amy the dj was able to play, the beats and samples worked well, Danny Elfman's Nightmare Before Christmas even got a work out.
It was exciting and inspiring to see a woman on stage speaking her mind.
The cd, Hyperbolic Logic is burning a hole in my pocket. I'm tempted to leave early and walk home through the rain so i can go and play it straight away!
pipstar @ 12:07 AM | link | Comments: **
september 10, 2004
photo friday :: blossom
Happy 5th Birthday Sasha!
pipstar @ 05:39 PM | link | Comments: ********
september 10, 2004
friedrich: yes, liesl is hot...
I make no secret of my love for The Sound of Music, and I've been known to go gaga over the kids at McSweeney's.
So I was very amused by David Ng's The Von Trapp Children Speak to a Geneticist.
And I think you will be amused too.
NOTE: Advanced knowledge of Von Trapp family would be helpful...
pipstar @ 10:57 AM | link | Comments:
september 08, 2004
pipstar[dot]battlecat[at]gmail[dot]com
that's my new email address. Feel free to email me, particularly if you've never emailed before.
pipstar @ 11:55 PM | link | Comments: *
september 07, 2004
100 words
It's 22.49. Not too late, but my eyes are feeling heavy and my feet are cold.
Rain fell all day, quite heavily for Adelaide and it reminded me that the weather will still be fairly wet when my birthday comes along.
So I bought a new umbrella, having abandoned a broken one this morning and looked at summer clothes, aware that I won’t be able to wear them just yet. Maybe for my birthday party?
I have to reheat the wheat bag now. Increasingly, the days are sunny and it feels quite warm, but at night my feet are cold.
Most of my writing energy is currently being directed towards the 100 words project. I'm hoping that I'll develop some good habits such as restricting my tendency to ramble, and writing every day.
But you'll have to wait until the end of September to see what I've written.
pipstar @ 11:55 PM | link | Comments: *
september 07, 2004
new phone
New Camera.
New Mirror Shots.
pipstar @ 11:06 AM | link | Comments:
september 07, 2004
remember to...
...Change your address on the electoral roll...
Today!
Forms are available from post offices.
pipstar @ 07:42 AM | link | Comments:
september 07, 2004
jasmine.
When walking down certain streets at this time of year, you can catch a lovely smell drifting past.
The rest of the year I drink a lovely Jasmine green tea, but I find that smelling the actual flowers makes the memories evoked when drinking the tea so much more special.
I love the change of seasons.
pipstar @ 12:02 AM | link | Comments:
september 06, 2004
testing
Testing Azure.
pipstar @ 05:57 PM | link | Comments:
september 06, 2004
phoenix claws
I love yum cha, but have always avoided the more scary dishes like tripe and the ubiquitous chicken's feet. However, on sunday i bravely did go the phoenix claw.
I don't think that I'll revisit that dish as it's very obvious that one is consuming a foot... With tiny little bones...
What did it taste like? Chicken of course.
© 2002 - 2007 Pippa Buchanan