We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars

-Oscar Wilde

Reawakened

These Brilliant photos are given to us graciously by my favourite photographer, David LaChapelle.


Other favourites include the Disaster photos and his many celebrity shots. Actually, everything he does i am in awe of...

Not to mention his film- Rize

Seriously, watch this now if you haven't yet. MY GOD.

All images 2007 David LaChapelle

Selection

Just a very select few of some designs I'm totally digging. And want, but know i could never have...



Christian Lacroix

(no other words, but I WANT)

(unfortunately for the hair...)

(I really think this line is amazing)

(i really have no witty comments to add. I'm just in love)

Alexander Wang

(yeah, the two pieces everyone loves. Though i don't get why his models look so, um, trashy?)

(A close to perfect dress? Sorry but i hate the shoes!)

House of Holland

(If i died in the pants I'd be happy)

(or in this. Aggy gets all the fun!)

Karl Lagerfeld

(Perfectly shaped and simple and the wrist 'protectors' really jazz it up)

(I semi swooned over this!)

Proezna Schlouer

(Those glasses, like wow!)

(Midriff, what more can i say)

Stella McCartney

(it's like heaven under a jacket)

(it's like knight meets pixels)

(an ultimate LBD)

images: style.com

The Busker

one, two, three. head swaying side to side from side to side. eyes closed, staring at back of eyelids. in the dark colours form to follow the note. red, red, yellow cool purple. tumbling over one another racing to be forwards, grabbing their tails in an endless conga dance. the beat speeds colours blur into lights intensity to equal the passion of the musician's breath. rumba on the sidewalk, heels dug deep. grinding in to push out the horn of fire. you can feel in extremities the warmth of pulse of the notes. drumming, thumping, pounding. hitting the rhythm of the natural vibrations. at the point where bridges sway. concrete melts away to elastic acid. you give him a dollar but you owe him your soul.

So i caved

And commented on the website previous mentioned, on this post here: http://www.menarebetterthanwomen.com/top-ten/

This is the exchange that occured between me and one other avid reader-

Emma:

I’m still not entirely convinced that your website is not a joke. Good parodies do exist on the internet, but unfortunately this would not fit under that category. You are enouraging the suppression of women amongst men who have a predisposition to sexism or being a chauvanist. Any intelligent person- man or women, would realise the obselete theories you’re presenting.

This post convinces me further of the fact that this really is a joke.
It is utterly nonsensical and the arguments very flawed.
Destroying things? not a good thing, what will you men inhabit when you destroy earth itself?
Hating a boyfriend or wardrobe is not racism, so it seems to me you don’t actually know the definition of the word, or are purposely oblivious to it to create another point in your list.
It’s really a pity you’ve mentioned as number 1 that males do have male sexual organs. If you haven’t realised this area is where a man is most physically vulnerable. Hit a man in the testes and you can deprive him of all his strength.
And finally, a male sheep is called a Ram.

Joseph:

Ok to sum up then, you’re not convinced this site is a joke, but you’re further convinced this site is a joke. Have I got that about right toots?



Emma:

no actually, you don’t.
“I’m still not entirely convinced that your website is NOT a joke”
One little word makes all the difference.



Joseph:

Well by golly you are right!

Gentlemen! I’ve been bested by a broad! Fuck me.

Toots, when a man is wrong, he admits that shit.

OK well you are on the right track then. The site is satire. Satire is always based on reality. And, while the posts Dick makes are extreme, the core of truth lies within. You yourself know that women pull all sorts of things mentioned in this and other posts. It is for that reason that we are chauvinists.

And a chauvinist, unlike the majority of women, understands that he will make mistakes, and fesses the fuck up.

Only request I have for you, is separate out your blocks of text into paragraphs. If you have a list of questions, put some spacing between them. Other than that I’m awarding you 25 manpoints for correctin’ my shit and your otherwise decent writing technique.

Emma:

Cheers, i will really treasure those manpoints you have found in your graces to award me.

Luckily for you i’m still a teenager so my writing skills will only improve from here.

Personally i don’t think it’s women who ‘pull all sorts of things’.
It’s people. And to be as general as yourself, men too have a long list of ridiculous things they perform. Furthermore, women do understand mistakes are made, both by themselve and others. And so, i forgive you for misreading my comments.

However, my issue is more aligned with the encouragement this blog gives, provoking sexist attitudes. Many men will not see it as ’satire’ (just as many women do not).

But the purpose of satire is evoking change, and what change to you perceive will come of this? I can only forsee a further division between sexes, which will cause more radical feminists to emerge. I would personally think that’s quite opposite to it’s aims.

I hope you approve of my paragraph spacing ;)

Joseph:

Lucky indeed, because if you write this well now, WHILE DISSENTING to so polarizing a topic, then one can expect you to only improve. I invite you to look at the comments of women on this site, you will find them digsustingly lacking in content and quality. The horrid lack of writing skills is simply one thing that lends credence to any claims. Of course when someone like you, or Grace Murray Hopper breaks these stereotypes, all the better. You’ll note we’re not complaining about skilled and useful women, just the opposite.

You might find the grammar and spelling of some men on here with some mistakes. But to a man, every one of these is foreign, English being often a third or greater language for them. There is no excuse for native English speakers to be so appalling failures with the use of their own language. Nice to have an exception to the rule here.

(Well sorta, you ARE breaking the rules after all. But well put ideas, EVEN DISSENTING ones, make for much more tolerable DISAGREEMENT. Not to mention they lend to possibilities of agreement rather than focus on shitfucked writing.)

We quite naturally agree that men are on the back end as well. You’ll read many comments about how men are abusive or idiots or criminals. Indeed, one could not make a post decrying the idiocy of women that take up with an abusive boyfriend, who is willing to beat her and her child, if one does not acknowledge that men like this are shitfucked too. Agreed?

Now, that having been said the premise of the blog and most of the comments from men is that men are better than women. The site goes over this in a satirical manner, but it is a logistical fact. It is similar to me saying, Miami is warmer than Boston. It is a GENERALIZATION. This means it is GENERALLY, but NOT ALWAYS true. So too with women and men. GENERALLY men are as a group better than women as a group. There WILL be instances that a specific woman is better than a specific man.

So then what does this mean, better? Well we’re talking plainly about what people DO. How they ACT. Men build just about everything. They dominate in all fields. They are at the top of everything endeavor. Now, I know your immediate reaction is to state the mind numbing claim made so oft, that women are unable to dominate BECAUSE men KEEP them down. Well, even if that IS true (it is not) then men are STILL better than women. Just as the other team, that is able to keep my teem from scoring, is better than my team.

But I will use a real life example. I am involved with a number of Free and Open Source Software projects. This link explains FOSS:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

The gist is that FOSS is distributed with licenses that grant you freedoms to run the program for any reason you want, modify the program as you see fit, and distribute your modifications. Most work on FOSS is volunteer. Because ANYONE can get the source, ANYONE can modify it, and even fork it, to create their own project from it. Thus, there are no RESTRAINTS from men upon women. NONE. ZERO.

We would expect then that qualified women would flock to this model then. They would be able to STAND OUT UNHINDERED. And yet, we find that only 1% of developers involved in FOSS are women. Some of the women that ARE involved claim it is because men are essentially jack asses and treat the women like shite. This is, in fact truthful. But they do not treat only the women like shite. They treat each other like shite as well. So this excuse fails. Besides which, any woman could grab a project, make her own project out of it, and leave the men behind with a giant fuck you. But women do not do this.

So then why? Why are there many women involved in COMMERCIAL software (owned by corporations) and so few involved in FOSS? Well the answer is simple. In foss, there are no LOWERED STANDARDS. A project rises or falls on the SKILL of the developer and the QUALITY of their output. Whereas in a corporation, when can rely on TITLE VII of the Federal Code. This is what you know as AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. It REQUIRES that certain percentages of women fill roles in companies. Often they have a DIFFICULT TIME finding women to fill these roles. That leaves them only one choice. LOWER the STANDARD and fill the job with any warm body. So we have it in Information Technology at least, that Men are indeed better than women. (With some notable female exceptions such as Grace Murray Hopper, all grace and praise be unto her).

Of course hopefully you admit that most men are better than most women at physical activities, including sports. And, while the top women competitors will often beat the lowest male competitors, they only VERY VERY rarely beat the top male competitors. It is for this reason that we secregate sports. Otherwise, in something as simple as a marathon, women would never be winners. Indeed recently a girl won a high school golf championship against the boys. But she was only able to do that because she was granted handicaps the boys were not. And STILL she is convinced she was BETTER than they are. Receiving a 5 stroke handicap does not make you better.

Just as with your writing. I hold you to the same standards that I hold men. You have met them. Would you feel as skilled if I allowed for poor writing skills to pass as something as good as someone else’s better skills? Based on what I have seen so far I would suggest the answer is no. I’m convinced you seek to BETTER yourself. That means by definition you are going to be better than others. As a GROUP women that write well, are BETTER than women that have shitfucked writing.

(Couple other tips you can use caps for highlighting. But only use swearing if it works for the topic. I shitfuck my writing all the time because it bemuses me. No you’ve not done either yet, just letting you know in advance)

Cheers and good paragraph spacing. Good points. Keep that shit up.

Emma:

I’m glad i’ve met YOUR standards, for really, just in that i’m going to excel in life.

However, i realise that nothing i say on this site really means anything, the comments i have previously added are just for arguments sake.

So now, i do not fold, rather move on. And achieve what i want in a more productive and meaningful matter. To me, this blog is below what we should consider human standards, not in writing, but in theory. And i don’t want to waste any more time with it.

Thanks for the stimulating conversation.

I feel good to get that out of my system

http://www.menarebetterthanwomen.com/

After being led to this blog by a friend I am horribly appalled.
The site itself is not entirely what horrifies me. Clearly it's basis is purely in opinion and it's not even so much as a sexist man who's behind it, rather one who was unsatisfied with his life and chose to seek attention, in this case by drawing conclusions as to why men are better than women (and really insulting everyone's intelligence). He's found a simple solution to make some money and himself infamous, he realises that there is a group of people who support these ideas and he's exploiting and pursuing that fact.



(Oh luckily for us Dr Phil is a 'real' Doctor...)

What it is that infuriates me the most is what he is encouraging. It's likely that at the core of Dick's heart is sexism, but by creating the type of posts that he does he's creating an environment for true sexist men to vomit out and expand their prejudiced ideas of the 'superior sex'. Reading through various comments I've come to realise the type of people who take his blog too seriously (even women included), and my conclusion is simply, they are stupid.

Unfortunately though this blog does exist and it makes it impossible for me to sit comfortable and trawl through the numerous comments about the incompetence and inferior qualities of woman.

Personally i think over zealous feminists are almost as bad. Their opinion's are the same as a chauvinistic male. However, these feminists have emerged from the need of women's rights. Looking back in history women have always been suppressed, why? Sure, physically we are generally weaker, but if your argument is that men in history are smarter then women, it's because the women themselves were never permitted to an education. All this stemming from what, the bible? It was Eve who committed the original sin. Anyone who would read the old testament now days would realise it has expired. As with this logic.

Humph, this fires me up a little. I'm not a supreme feminist, but i do acknowledge the need for less radical variants of them. And i do acknowledge the remaining need for improving conditions for women. And i do acknowledge the need for a little more eduction to be given to certain males so that the sexist chain will cease to exist in their family- where the man thinks it's okay to hit the woman (so she stays in her place, of course!) and that there is such thing as rape in marriage.

I'll just leave you with this:



Really, what a giant joke. Have a quick look at his website and his inability to create a sustained argument about his 'thoeries'

Jabberwocky

In the Theme of Alice in Wonderland (though the previous poem isn't about Alice in Wonderland, merely references it). i thought I'd add in her Lewis Carroll's poem "The Jabberwocky"

In my opinion, he's a fantastic author and poet, his sense in nonsense theory I really appreciate.

So here it is, Enjoy!

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

The Queen of Hearts

dirt under the nails gets flicked out
after scrounging through mud and muck and mess
burying in deep holes the long forgotten promises
i was made
propaganda gets spat in faces, greedily dined upon by most
their cavernous mouths feast upon the feces
simple questions could uncover the mirage of delicacy
but covered too are such questions
why can't i leave the shelter?
gas will come raining down from space to flatten my spine
-off with her head

Australia Day

Along with celebrating the wonderful country that is Australia (though it damn rained!!)- it is a time for listening to the 'best' songs of the year, as voted by YOU on JJJ. Since moving to Sydney I've really stopped listening to the radio. Maybe I'll tune in to FBI every now and then, but really I've found it to be quite bothersome. Thankfully though, i've managed to say sane and remained on good terms with Kings of Leon and MGMT because, well, i haven't heard them being slogged off on every station in Australia. I've been able to leisurely put on the CD when I desire. It really irks me, though, that i found MGMT through the use of Myspace almost a year ago. And now commercial radio stations have been getting in on the act speaking of this great new bands they've recently discovered. It's the same for everything, i knew The Wombat's and the Pigeon Detectives about a year before they got played on our shores. Now Ra Ra Riot or maybe even Bears Repeating will be on high rotation. Of course these fantastic bands DO indeed deserve the radio play, but the obnoxious commercial station hosts shouldn't claim this 'new' bands has just hit the airwaves. I'm even being a little obnoxious here, yeah contradiction smontradiction, but reaaallyyyy, it's my blog, so screw you!


So I've decided, dear folks, to add in a section of the new bands I've been listening to recently (and newly found by me). It's likely you already know them, but when you're in a country so isolated as 'Down Under', it makes things slightly difficult. But hey, I'm just sharing personal taste, and finding new bands that really turn your dials is a great past time of mine!! By the way, i really am not music reviewer, i do not really know about stylistic characteristics of music, or really anything technical about music at all. So what i like has no basis in anything specific, just what graces my ears with delight!

Ra Ra Riot- i had to wait months for their album 'The Rhumb Line' to get to the local JB-HIFI, but was it worth it! Beautiful songs.
www.myspace.com/rarariot

Bachelor of Arts- even though they are an Australian band I'm yet to have seen them live. But the Gothic aspect to their music i just find so deliciously appealing!
www.myspace.com/bachelorsonline

Bears Repeating- luckily i stumbled upon this page, honestly i have no idea how, but it really mesmerises me. Pay special note to 'Doctors' and '225', actually, all of them...
www.myspace.com/bearsrepeating

The Process- I saw these guys as a support for Mercy Arms, and the singers energy was just amazing. His dance really reminded me of Ian Curtis' awkward yet charming dance style. Actually, they are pretty Joy Division-esque. Another great Australian band (that isn't The Presets!)
www.myspace.com/processprocess

We Smoke Fags- so utterly danceable, yet really really hypes you up. Plus I'm diggin' on their style!
www.myspace.com/wesmokefags

WhoMadeWho- are a band i only really heard of lately, yet I'm certain have been known by some of my friends for some time. Shame i wasn't informed. And i shall hopefully be seeing at Playground Weekender (along with soo many others) very soon!
www.myspace.com/whomadewhomusic

Beau Monde- I saw these guys play on Crown Street.. one sunny day. They stopped many a motorist. I was blown away. "Fiery Redhead' really applies. Excellent proof that girls can make brilliant music!
www.myspace.com/mybeaumonde

Mercy Arms- for you non-Australians who may not have heard of this group. One of my favourites easily! Have seen them live uncountable times. Including at Club 77 every week for a month! Seriously, just listen!
www.myspace.com/mercyarms

I guess that will do for now, but I'm imploring you to just click the links and turn up your speaker- headphones if you're at work. Amen!

Let's Plough!

My slight infatuation with British comedy has stretched further with the new addition to my collection- season 1 of Green Wing.
I'd never heard of it until a random conversation was sparked with a new acquaintance at Field Day, who suggested it.
I thought I'd give it a go and i did a quick YouTube search, finding the following:



I've watched it numerous times and it never ever got tired. So today, i went and bought it, shall make for delicious viewing this evening (though i should be packing!). New home on Friday!!

On the topic of great clips, here is my favourite clip ever out of any movie, ever!

Duckie miming and dancing to Otis Redding's version of 'Try a little tenderness" in "Pretty in Pink". Such a fantastic song, and boy oh boy doesn't Duckie dress well! The hair, the shoes, the jacket, the accessories. Everything!! Who would have known this endearing character would be the neurotic, awkward Allen in "Two and a Half Men"

The Big Move

I move to Broadway on Friday.
Woah. Superly thrilled to be getting out of home.
I packed up some clothes into a brilliant suitcase i found on the side of the road. It's huge. Upon filling it with less than half my clothes i realised i have a lot. So much i don't wear. Should go to vinnies. I'll do a big sort out after i move. Will be much much easier.
I did find this lace midriff top that i forgot existed which will definately be coming out to play soon.
Yipee! But i have to start paying rent and cooking and cleaning. Am i ready? Probably not really, but i am so so keen!

Onsie Lovin

Mumma's got a new bodysuit.
IT's true.
Lace- tick
Black- tick
Boning- tick
Brilliant?- Tick

I also plan on investing in a full body suit, ala AA

Colour? No idea. Some AA stuff really is great, but some i find horribly tacky. Most likely over priced too, but you can't control the corporation!

What i would most desire in all the world is this:

Katy Perry's quite signature look, but where do the regular people find it?!

Diggin' on this to:

She's a total babe. And separated at birth from Zooey Deschanel (who is much much greater)

I mean she doesn't sing about kissing girls or temperature. Plus Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy anyone?

Dear Television

I hate you. I really do. You add to my increasing paranoia.
Air Crash Investigation you add fuel to my flying fright fire. Especially as soon I'm flying to port in a not large plane. Why must you tell me that these planes failed. I'm already worried enough as it's a giant hunk of metal flying through the air.
Crime Investigation Australia. Last night you showed me a man brutally murder a family. With a tomahawk. There was rape. And head smashing involved. This was real. In Australia! I don't want to know this. Why don't you let me be obliviously peaceful. Now I don't want to go to the countryside. Or sleep. Anything.
News- with wars, natural disasters and murders and robbery and shark attacks- (3 in 2 days). Jesus oh Jesus, why must i be so pitifully scared. It prevents sleep. Why must you do it to me.

Therefore, i beg you please cease. Give me rest, allow for calm.

Thanks.
Love Emma

Waiting

waiting waiting waiting for my soft machine and nova express copies to arrive. So keen to read them. Almost finished Kafka's 'The Trial'- he's a goddamn brilliant man.

Have decided to give into the trend and have been recently found sporting a red lipstick of my own. Though, the problem with me is the lips are so big and my nose is so long that when i smile, they touch. I don't want a lipstick covered nose! Alas, it must be dealt with. I have also followed on by rip tearing up a pair of red skinnys. Damn all you with black ones. I'm different...! It's much cheaper doing it yourself then by buying it, but my fingers are paying for it- jeans are tough to rip.

I really should follow all this with relevant pictures. Aye, i will when i move out aka less then two weeks now. Sucks to be sharing a room with a sister. Broadway baby- here i come!

Lovely boyfriend gave me a bollo tie. Big red stone- not some ugly texan eagle (though it's possible that could look good anyway). Actually, i'm very eager to get pictures. Make this thing look more interesting.

I'm hungry.

Not so long

Have not added anything to here and much time. Because i'm a lazy sob, basically. Spent my 11 days off work doing absoloutely nothing, and loving it. But cheers to me for getting into my course at UTS- writing and cultural studies and international studies.

Here i am now, sipping my chai, unable to come up with anything for a poem. Or a little ditty. Received a 3disc collection of Ginsberg reading his stuff and i'm trilled!

Field Day was a blast, despite me being the only sober on there. Why was i? God, i have NO idea. But i still had a great time. So many kids in horrible and fantastic outfits. No doubt most hated mine (see below on right). Who said swimmers can't be worn on the bottom as is?! Who says!

Fcuk i need a tan.

Full time work blows.