Here’s an interesting article about the complex diversity of America’s new First Family, on Michelle’s side as well as Barack’s. The article talks about how this sort of diversity reflects the real complexity of most people’s lives and histories - not the cookie-cutter stereotypes we’re so often fed as “normal”.
Yesterday I went to the Retro Market at Sugar Blue Burlesque in Northbridge, right near the Retro Vinnies. I got there about 10 minutes before opening time, and the line stretched six or seven shops back from the doors, getting longer. Everyone near me in the line seemed to be talking about how many people there were, although we shouldn’t really have been surprised given that 988 people had said on Facebook that they were going. After a while the line started moving, and it wasn’t to long before I got in, paid my $3 entry and was free to join the people ahead of me, who were rushing around and excitedly looking through the racks and boxes of clothes. It rapidly got packed, as the rest of the line worked their way up the stairs.
About an hour later I emerged, hot, sticky, tired and thirsty, $53 poorer, and the proud owner of an awesome topstiched brown jacket ($30), a funky double-breasted jumper ($7), a dress with big brown, yellow and blue flowers ($5), an awesome long sleeved mod-style dress ($5), and a cupcake ($3).
I headed back into Perth to buy a drink and to spend another hour fruitlessly searching the shops for some clothes to fit the work/smart casual category, where I have discovered a bit of a lack (Yes, I know I said “no buying clothes”, but this is an actual need (and cool retro stuff that’s super-cheap doesn’t count - I saved up for it from my lunch money)). BTW - I hate shops, they never have anything that fits me, especially not anything I like. But I suppose that’s where the sewing skills come in 
I’ve got some alterations to do to my new dresses - they both need to be taken in a bit under the arms. The flowery one will be easy coz it’s sleeveless, but the mod dress will take a bit of thinking, time and effort. Luckily I won’t be able to wear it till winter anyway, so that’s not a problem. The jacket won’t need anything - it fits perfectly, and is totally awesome. For the jumper, I just need to figure out the poppers that close it at the front I should get my fabric stash sorted out and see what I can do about the work clothes issue. Does anyone have some spare shelves or cupboards they want to get rid of? And would anyone like a single bed? (It’s taking up my cutting out space).
Last night Steve and I walked to the park to look for the International Space Station. We weren’t sure where to look. We spent a few minutes theorising about orbits and speeds and the direction of the Earth’s spin, and then spotted it mid-conversation. It was very bright, and moved right over the top of us. Double bonus: it was going approximately the same way we’d figured it would be 
It was really cool to look at it and realise that there are people up there in that thing. What were they doing up there? Sleeping, eating dinner, working? Pretty cool.
The rest of the internet is busy writing deep and meaningful new year’s posts. I don’t think I could be bothered, but I’m stuck at uni waiting for the printer to ponder a very large file, and I’ve run out of stuff to do…
So, here’s what I’ve been thinking about 2009:
Honours. This is the big one. I have many worries about how this will go - I’ll have to spend the whole year talking to people, often people I wouldn’t ordinarily talk to. I’ll have to get them to tell me stuff, I’ll have to ask them questions that will get useful answers. I’ll have to make some sort of sense of what they tell me, and then (*whimper*) write it up into something that a) makes sense, b) is good, c) doesn’t miss any important methodological and theoretical stuff, and d) gets proof-read by several people. I don’t like people reading what I write… And how will I ever get a high distinction for the theory unit? The thing I’m most worried about though is keeping myself unstressed and relatively sane. Because if I can do that, the rest follows without too much trouble. If I can’t, it will all be very very difficult. And honours will be hard enough without fighting myself the whole way.
So, how to avoid the badness? Here’s what I’ve gotta do:
So, that’s my plan.
THE 99 THINGS MEME
from Con’s blog
Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font
1. Started your own blog. - duh.
2. Slept under the stars. - If tents count, then yes.
3. Played in a band. - If Guitar Hero counts, then yes.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower. -If one big-ass green meteor that lit up the sky counts, and I think it does, then yes.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world.
8. Climbed a mountain. - how much of the mountain had to be actually climbed? and you mean a real proper mountain, right?
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo. - If my single line in a primary school play counts, then yes. A most useful experience, as I’ve never forgotten that seven threes are twenty-one.
11. Bungee jumped. - Is there a way to indicate heck-no-not-for-a-million-dollars?
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. - Who’s at sea, me or the storm? Either is fine
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. - I’m claiming this one, as I’m teaching myself two arts (crochet and dressmaking), nearly from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train. - But I have slept on 2 overnight ferries.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. - I’ve seen Victoria Falls, so there.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. - This needs clarification, but probably no.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language. - I’ve picked up some Japanese from anime…
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. - Not while there’s a fabric shop I haven’t emptied! No, not really. But I’d like to have a bit more money than I have now. Pity about the corresponding Real Job.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person. - We skipped Florence because we were exhausted. I find I don’t really care.
41. Sung Karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa. - I was born there too. Beat that!
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing. - fishing, bleh.
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud. - I don’t have a particular incident in min but I’m sure I have.
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class. - If Tai Chi counts.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood.
65. Gone sky diving. - another heck-no-not-for-a-million-dollars
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a cheque. - Never written a cheque. Never likely too either, I think.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. - you don’t even need to ask me this. Level 80 Hoarder.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar. - bleh.
72. Pieced a quilt. -I’ve made a quilt, but it was all one piece, not patchwork.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone. - Not a big bone - just my knuckle, after accidentally punching a wall as I fell offmy bike.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. - Never been on a motorbike.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper. - Only the Community News, as a teenager. Hooray for science fairs.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox. - And whooping cough. Together. Fun, fun.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury. - I’d really rather not…
91. Met someone famous. - bleh.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one. - If pets count, and I think they do.
94. Had a baby. - Damn you evolution for making me so clucky. Now is not the time, ok!
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee. - Enough times to a) get a bit allergicand b) be really nervous around bees
There’s a story in The Australian today about a proposal to abolish the “leap seconds” that keep “official” time in line with the turning of the Earth around the sun. Instead, “official” time will be tied to the oscillations of Caesium atoms, and we’ll wait till there’s a whole hour’s difference before adding a “leap”.
The story mentions in passing that this change would have significant cultural implications: “We’d be decoupling our clocks from what the Sun is telling us”, says Robert Massey, of the Royal Astronomical Society. I think this thought could (should?) be more thoroughly explored.
We define things by what we think is most important. That technical details and oscillations of atoms are more important than the length of time it takes the actual Earth to rotate and to orbit the actual Sun suggests to me that the “real world” is less culturally important than the “technicalities”. The model is more important than the reality that it is modelling. More than that, it suggests that the real world is not just less important, it’s unimportant. And a culture which prefers conceptualisations rather than the “real” world has the potential to get itself in big trouble.
Just look at our current financial crisis, for example. The “model” for wealth and success - capitalism, consumerism, share prices and image before all else - has not matched reality. The trouble is that now we need to break out of our comfortable little model and look hard at what’s happening in the real world. We also need to look at the definitions our model gave the word success and importance. An exclusive focus on money, at the expense of ethics, fairness, health, etc, has produced a model that judges success by money alone. The new model we need needs to start from some different and more socially aware definitions of “important”. Even better, our new model would include “looking clearly at reality” as something that’s important.
* Pun intended.
I <3 this skirt. Not sure if I could pull it off though… I’m also imagining it in a soft drapey fabric, with the zig-zaggy bit at the side front, or maybe even centre back.
But I have enough projects on! No more, at least till the Christmas presents are done.
Edit 10/12/08 - Sorry, broken link :p Click the image for a link to a slightly bigger pic
What? Posting again? That’s, like, three times in a week! Crazy!
Anyway, this is cool:
It’s meant to be for keeping your ears warm, which isn’t really a problem at the moment, but it is still cool. Will have to add that to my Things To Crochet list. Maybe with some cool patterns or textures….
This one is very cute too. I know of a few kids-in-the-making who might like a cool small hat…
There’s another kids’ hat I found a while ago which is totally cute as well, but I can’t find the link 
I’ve gotta get me some sewing and crocheting done, but seeing as I’m about to move house, I don’t think it’ll be soon. My little posting spree will also come to an end, while I wait for new internets to be connected.
PS - yes, I know that these two are knitted. Thank you.
It’s weird looking at the pictures of the floods in Venice, because I’ve actually been to the places I see in the pictures…
This is Piazza San Marco, with the basilica in the background. The place was full of tourists, feeding the birds and being told off for sitting on the steps by little old Italian ladies, employed by, I think, the local council. It was hot and muggy.
This is a very similar view I saw today. No sign of the famous pigeons, nor the milling crowd of tourists. It’s hard to tell how high the water is by comparing the images, except for those restaurant tables on the left.
Then there’s this slightly freaky picture of a probably famous bridge whose name I don’t remember:
We had dinner at a restaurant just over the bridge and back this way a bit, and sat right at the edge of the canal. Looking at this image I can’t help imagining sitting at that table up to my elbows in water:
Here’s a view from (our) water-level, just on the far side of the bridge from the picture above, on this side of the canal. Notice the cute little lot of tables? Now underwater. That cool set of stairs down to the water? Probably has matching warning tape to that you can see on the other side of the bridge two pictures up. This little place really caught my eye, and is the first thing I thought of when I saw that other picture.
Hopefully the water goes down soon, and the tables and the tourists and the pigeons can come back out…
