oh my ears and whiskers!

An important thing to remember for the future...

When I dream that I'm hanging out with the Breakfasters from 3RRR Radio, and they're all busily chatting away, but I mysteriously can't get a word in edgewise...

What is actually happening is that I'm sleeping through my alarm again, and the Breakfasters from 3RRR are, in fact, blaring from my clock-radio. What this means is that I should have got out of bed some time ago.

This has happened twice now.

This morning, I sprang awake when Fee, Sam and Tony were pondering what the next Sigur Rós album will be called. "Takk " I thought as my eyes burst open, "The album is called Takk !" Then, upon the clock my bleary eyes fell. "Holy crapmunkeys!" said I.

It was 6.47. I start work at 7. It takes me twenty minutes to drive there. I was still in bed. You do the maths.

Bugger.



~~~~~~~

friends of flesh and friends of felt

Another pleasant weekend was had by Mr Munkey, in the face of rising uncertainty.

On Friday night, Ms Snazzles celebrated the arrival from the good folk at Amazon.com of her The Muppet Show - Season 1 DVD! Hurrah. *muppets-are-NOT-just-for-kids munkey* So Snazzie, Mme Moodles, Lady Lili, Mistress Corrie, PlantMan, Ms Carla and myself all settled in with plenty of wine to indulge in the antics of everyone's favourite felt entertainers.

(And a quick shout-out must go to PlantMan for his dazzling appearance during Channel Ten News's weather on Friday. Your botanical charisma put that try-hard Mike Larkin to shame.)

Saturday night was the 21st birthday party of Ms Andrea. We met at Transport in Fed Square, where I chatted with Andrea's lovley man Mr Phil, and presented her with the necklace I'd bought her from the lovely Koko shop in Brunswick St. She seemed to like it. Then we all headed off on a bit of a wild goose-chase to find somewhere else to kick on. We ended up at Retro Club on Lonsdale St... a very, shall we say, "interesting" crowd. But it was fun to guzzle alcohol, abandon all sense of decorum and dance to trashy 80s music. *no-shame-after-a-few-gin-&-tonics munkey* Anyway, hope you had a great birthday, Andrea!

Despite the amount drunk on Saturday night, I was awake and assembled nice & early on Sunday, in order to venture up to Sassafras with Snazzles and Moodles. There, we indulged in a fantastic brunch at Ripe, wandered the op-shops, scared the shit out of Mu with a big hairy spider-puppet... you know, the usual.

While I'm here, I must also backtrack to last Tuesday. I was going to talk about Ms Cait's school concert once I had some photos to put up, but none have been forthcoming. Anyway the Grade 3/4 production of Robin Hood went off with nary a hitch, and Ms Cait delivered her lines with oomph and panache. Well done, sister. We may have another performer in the family yet.

As one final note, I'd like to say a huge thanks and give a big warm eHug to all the friends, msn buddies etc etc who have had to endure me stressing and ranting over the last week or so. It means a lot.

~~~~~~~

where is the line?

I don't know what's going on. I don't even know what I want any more.

At what point do you draw the line?

When do you say: "This is not the way things should be. I deserve better than this." ?

~~~~~~~

did you ever know that you're my hero?

Not too much to report. Had kind of a crappy day yesterday. The "in limbo" feeling is really starting to get to me. It's hard having so many questions and feelings and thoughts about something, yet being completely unable to deal with or work through any of it, because the person who it concerns is on the other side of the world. At the moment, I kind of feel dejected ... like I've been shown I'm not particularly important to the person who is supposed to be my loving partner. Not a nice feeling to have.

In nicer news, I spent a lovely evening with my Snazzles last night, eating pizza, drinking wine, talking to Maria and watching TV/DVDs. Hurrah! On the pizza menu was a fantastic vegetarian potato-and-punkin extravaganza from the divine Crust Gourmet on Church St. On the TV menu was Neighbours (of course!), At The Movies, a bit of Inside Idol (I know it's lame, but Go Millie!), Little Britain, Futurama and my personal favourite Australian TV show of the year: We Can Be Heroes.

So the finalists for Australian Of The Year are child-sponsor Ja'mie, ear-drum-donator Daniel, physicist-cum-performance-artist Ricky and cross-country-roller Pat. Thank Christ jumping-castle-rescuer Phil has been eliminated, although I'm sure there are plenty more cringe-worthy antics from him on the cards. Personally my heart is with Pat to take out the prize, and let's hope to see her back on her feet (or rather, back on her side) before too long!

Anyway, thanks Snazzie for a wonderful evening. It's great to have friends who are so readily willing and able to cheer you up when you're shitty.



L to R: The "cast" (all played brilliantly by Chris Lilley) of We Can Be Heroes ; Matt Lucas and David Williams showcase the bizarre world of the British in Little Britain.

~~~~~~~

munkey's-eye view: LES CHORISTES

~~~~~~~
Dead Poets Society x Sister Act + Au Revoir Les Enfants x To Sir With Love ≈ Les Choristes
~~~~~~~

Les Choristes - translated variously into English as 'The Choristers', 'The Choirboys', 'The Choir' and 'The Chorus' - is the extremely likeable feature debut for director Christophe Barratier. Famous as a producer on collaborations with Jacques Perrin such as Microcosmos and Le Peuple Migrateur ('Winged Migration' / 'Travelling Birds'), Barratier has crafted a delightful feel-good drama which achieved worldwide success and was nominated for 2 Oscars in 2005, including Best Foreign Language Film.

The plot revolves around Clément Mathieu, a failed musician-turned-teacher who defies his headmaster's strict (and largely unsuccessful) regime of punishment-based education, at a school for problem boys in 1949. Conveniently discovering a way to get through to the abusive and occasionally violent students, as well as finding an outlet for his abandonned musical talent, Mathieu assembles a chorus. And of course, before long he has his students singing - and behaving - like angels.

It's fair to admit that the material here is nothing particularly original. The new teacher who wins the hearts of his hardened students by bucking the traditional system, is a long-held movie plot staple. And as always in this kind of film, there is a reasonable level of disbelief to be suspended; it pays not to ponder just how there happen to be thirty professional-quality singers among a home for wayward boys. However, the charm and genuine warmth of Les Choristes renders these limitations largely irrelevant, as the film effortlessly engages the audience in its gently uplifting narrative.

Playing M.Mathieu as well as serving as producer, Gérard Jugnot mortgaged his Paris apartment in order to finance Les Choristes. The gamble payed-off however, when the film became the highest grossing French movie of the year, and made the little-known Jugnot the highest-paid French actor of 2004. He delivers a charismatic performance, never falling into over-emotional schmaltz, but always maintaining a believable empathy and quiet sense of humour. His young co-stars are a seriers of first-timers who - though mostly cast for their singing ability rather than acting talent - consistently portray strong and believable characters.

The all-important music for the film is composed by Bruno Coulais, a long-time collaborator with Barratier and Perrin. As evidenced on his beautiful score for Le Peuple Migrateur, Coulais is a master of choral arrangements, in particular for boy sopranos. He makes full use of these talents here, creating several stunning pieces for Mathieu's increasingly-accomplished choir. Particularly remarkable are the soprano solos, performed with spine-tingling beauty by newcomer Jean-Baptiste Maunier, who plays Pierre - a particularly troubled student who discovers his own confidence through his performances with the choir.

The film is hampered by a few minor screenplay problems - for example characters who seem to be established as important but are then forgotten, a somewhat over-the-top portrayal of the cruel and hypocritical Headmaster, and largely unnecessary book-ending sequences showing Pierre as an ageing man. However these are minor blemishes in a well-executed film; it moves at an entertaining pace, never becomes bogged in earnest self-importnace, and offers plenty of likeable characters, moments of humour and believable relationships. Les Choristes is a highly enjoyable movie, capable of filling the heart with music and putting a smile on even the sourest of faces.

3½ (out of 5)


L to R: M.Mathieu (Gérard Jugnot) tames his rowdy charges by allowing their hearts to sing; the angelic Pierre (Jean-Baptiste Maunier, third from left) reluctantly takes the limelight.

~~~~~~~

pee.ess.

While i'm having this ridiculously prolific day on my blog, i'd just like to take this opportunity to say...

HOW CUTE ARE HEDGEHOG BABIES?!?!


~~~~~~~

happy birthday, river

Believe it or not, the wonderful River Phoenix (1970-1993) would have been 35 today... (well, the 23rd, which it still is in the US). 35! Who would believe it? Imagine what amazing performances we may have seen from him, if only he had lived. *sigh*

"It was as though, cut off in the prime of manhood, he was cheated of that final phase of development which permits a man to harmonize his warring selves. Operating under a curse for the major part of his life, fighting with all his powers to find egress into the clear, open spaces of his being, he is beaten to earth for the last time just when one feels that the clouds were lifting."
~ from Henry Miller's The Time Of The Assassins , River Phoenix's favourite book

Well anyway, happy birthday River.

~~~~~~~

mindlessmunkey's non-sabbath sermon of the week!

Lovers and dreamers, hear the new calling. Thanks to Lady Lilikens, I have finally seen the light. The new path of righteousness has finally been made clear to we mere mortals. The time has come to abandon the heresy and treachery of "science" as well as the hypocrisy and lies of established "faiths".

God did not create the world. Jesus is not your Lord. Mohammed is not your prophet. Abandon this foolshness and accept the truth into your heart... THE FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER is the all-powerful being to which we owe all that we see, all that we feel, all that we are.

Flying-Spagehtti-Monsterism has a grounding in scientific fact which rivals even that of Creationism. And it relies on none of the pesky empirical evidence and reasoned debate of Darwin's theories. So join the growing ranks of Pastafarians everywhere in the fight to have The Truth of human creation acknowledged and taught in our schools, that our children may let our true Creator into their hearts and minds.

Rejoice! Rejoice! His Noodlyness flies above us!

~~~~~~~

tuesday blues

Salutations.

What is it about Tuesdays? I had a great weekend - including my Monday RDO, hurrah! - and yet today I feel kinda crap. Not tired or sad or sick (or civil as an orange) but just... flat. Empty.

Anyway, Friday night was fantastic, celebrating DrDaveGoo's birthday and meeting his lovely boyfriend Mr Raymond as well as the wonderful Ms Lisa, Ms Jodi and many other of his entourage of friends. We started at the Xchange (another pink venue to tick off the list) before wandering up to the Glasshouse... which left me wondering about Melbourne's young dykes. The Xchange was jumping, rollicking and generally going off, but the Glasshouse was practically empty, drab and kind of depressing, to be honest. Is it just that lesbians generally have other ways of entertaining themselves? Or was I just at the wrong lesbian bar? Are there others which are more hip and happening? Curious. Anyway it was a great, and very drunken night. Happy Birthday, Dave.

And speaking of birthdays (and lesbians), on Saturday I made my way down to the far distant haven of The Gurdies for another birthday bash ~ the 50th birthday celebration of Ms Carmel, mother of Dame Snazzlepops. It was another fun and intoxicated night, where I got to catch up with Snazzy's family again, as well as meeting quite a few new people. I indulged in quite a lot of wine, a spliff or two, and far too much dessert... and apparently snored all night, keeping everyone in the room with me awake. They should have punched me and told me to turn over. I wouldn't have minded.

I went to patermunkey's house on Sunday afternoon, having a lovely roast dinner and staying the night. I ended up spending all of Monday there too, staying home with Ms Cait who unfortunately has a nasty coughy chest-infectiony thingy. To be honest I spent a ridiculous amount of these last two days sleeping, making up for my partying earlier in the weekend. The one useful thing I did on Monday was see my doctor, with whom I have devised a plan to phase out my meds. Yay! *poster-boi-for-mental-health munkey* Well, maybe not quite. But yay for me not being on meds anymore.

And almost as if the chemicals in the brain could hear and understand what I was planning, here I am feeling down today. I just feel kind of dejected and disoriented about a certain boi and a certain trip to a certain foreign country and the certain ramifications that might have on our certain relationship.

Anyway, take care and love to all.


Go Go Lexapro! ...it's been emotional:

~~~~~~~

intelligent? i don't think so

So the push to teach the "science" of Creationism in schools is back. Only this time it's being called "Intelligent Design" and yes, president George W. Bush has specifically expressed a desire to see it taught alongside evolution as a legitimate part of education. Yeehaw! And of course, the mindless sheep of the Australian Christian right have jumped on board.

Congratulations, lovers and dreamers, future generations might find themselves being taught IN SCHOOL that an all powerful Christian God created the world in seven days, 6000 years ago, and specifically - "intelligently" - designed each and every species on earth. Especially humans! Because we're God's special creatures! His magnum opus! Dont let anybody tell you that we evolved from filthy apes through a series of gradual advantageous adaptions over a period of hunderds of thousands of years. Ignore the fact that we share 98% of our DNA with chimps. Ignore the fact that we kill, eat, fuck and shit like all the other beasties of the planet. We are God's supreme, intelligent creation. Here are some of my personal favourite elements of His design:

The appendix! Don't pay any attention to the fact that the appendix is a shrunken, useless version of the organ herbivores use to digest plant matter. It should be obvious to anyone that God specifically created this tiny, irrelevant organ... which serves absolutely no purpose other than to occasionaly become enflamed and explode causing horrendous amounts of pain. All part of God's plan, obviously.

Wisdom teeth! Those crazy evolutionists would have you believe that the human jaw has actually SHRUNK over the last few millenia. Madness! Obviously God deliberately planned these excess teeth, at least one of which becomes painfully impacted in 90% of adults. Wisdom, indeed!

Narrow birth canal! Ladies, next time you're pumping out a squalling new sinner, you know who to thank for all the pain... God! He designed it that way intelligently. And we all know why. Damn that saucy bitch Eve and her fruit fetish.

Male Nipples! Why? NOT because all foetuses are created female then become male later during development... that would contradict the Adam's rib story, and we can't have that. So why do guys have nipples? Because they're fun! Oh but wait, that's dirty. Nipples are erogenous zones, inspiring fornication. Maybe they're there to tempt and test our Christian resolve? Or maybe... ?

Hybrid Reproductive/Excretory Organs: It was very clever of God to make men piss through the same organ they use to distribute their genetic material. And women piss right next to where they give birth. Genius! Not the fallibility of random evolution at work, ladies and gents, but intelligent design.

and my personal favourite...

The coccyx! True proof that God has a sense of humour... in designing His supreme creation - completely separate and unique among all his creatures - he added a tiny little internal tail! What a joker!

(with thanks to whitehouse.org which inspired the above content)

What the fuck is happening to the world? What decade are we living in? Let's face it, dear readers. Evolution is a scientific law, supported by truckloads of empirical evidence. Creationism (or Intelligent Design) is a story from a 2,000 year old book.


We're all munkeys. Deal with it!

~~~~~~~

when evening falls so hard ... i will lay me down

Well, things are a little more tranquil in MunkeyLand now. I had a chat to Ryan and discussed some of the problems and issues that have been stressing everyone out since his departure. Basically, he's determined to have a good time for three weeks, and deal with it all when he gets back. And above all, he doesn't want me or any of the rest of us back here to worry ourselves about it.

So I guess that's the best I can hope for. We can't turn back the clock and undo what's happened, and he can't now avoid any of the forthcoming circumstances... but at least I know he's okay, and whatever happens, he's confident he can sort it out upon his return. What else can a munkey do?

So I'm breathing deeply, counting to ten and imagining myself floating gently on a calm, blue ocean.

Many thanks must go to the lovely Lady Lili and Mistress Corrie who visited Munkey Towers last night avec vino and cheered my heart with the sharing of pizza and good conversation. Thanks ladies. I drank just the right amount of wine - i.e. not so much that I felt like crap this morning - and had an excellent night's sleep... and I'm feeling quite okay about everything. However things eventuate, I'll be okay.

So here's hoping the calm lasts! I've had enough of freaking-out. Frankly, it's unbecoming and unladylike.

~~~~~~~

p.s. A very happy birthday to DrDaveGoo!!!

~~~~~~~

and lo and behold, the excrement hath hit the fan

~~~~~~~
1. when the shit hits the fan Expression - Used to describe a set of circumstances where events become enflamed to a point that control is lost.
2. when the shit hits the fan When an action takes place bringing about a number of undesirable consequences.
~~~~~~~
1. clusterfuck Military term for an operation in which multiple things have gone wrong. Related to "SNAFU" (Situation Normal, All Fucked Up) and "FUBAR" (Fucked Up Beyond All Repair).
2. clusterfuck
To have everything possible go wrong at the exact same time.
~~~~~~~

I feel scared and tired and sick and stupid and angry and worried (and a whole bunch of other things i can't even begin to put into words) all at the same time. It's kinda exhausting. I need a lie down. I need to scream. I need to take out my brain and all my internal organs and give them a good scrub. I need to know where the fuck on this little green planet my boyfriend is...

***EDIT***: I have heard from Ryan at last... he is safe and well in New York City. He's going to have some pretty serious cleaning-up to do when he gets back, but at least he's ok. And I hope he's having a fantastic time... after all the trouble it's caused, he better make this trip worth it!

~~~~~~~

holy trinities

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY
1. mindlessmunkey
2. Ashton / Ash
3. another one that only people in real life know

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF
1. usually easy-going & accepting
2. loyal & faithful
3. honest

THREE THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF
1. lack motivation, procrastinate too much
2. sometimes lack assertiveness
3. sometimes lack self-confidence

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE
1. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
2. Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England
3. the intelligence and compassion of my parents

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU
1. the thought of being buried alive
2. the current trend in world politics & foreign policy
3. cancer

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS
1. sensible shoes
2. pineapple juice
3. a comfortable place to lay my head

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW
1. glasses
2. boots
3. shirt

THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE BANDS OR MUSICAL ARTISTS (at the moment)
1. Radiohead
2. Devendra Banhart
3. Neil Young

THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS (at the moment)
1. Gagging Order ~ Radiohead
2. Things Behind The Sun ~ Nick Drake
3. Flugufrelsarinn ~ Sigur Rós

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP
1. love
2. trust
3. respect

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX (or the same) THAT APPEAL TO YOU
1. eyes
2. smile
3. a pulse

THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN’T DO
1. ride a bicycle
2. play sport
3. lie without conscience

THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO
1. watch films
2. sleep
3. cuddle

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW
1. hear from Ryan
2. sleep
3. rewind the clock by 48 hours

THREE CAREERS YOU’RE CONSIDERING
1. multi-media megastar
2. slacker
3. international man of mystery

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION
1. Jamieson
2. Marseille
3. Scotland

THREE CELEB CRUSHES
1. Elijah Wood
2. Nick Stahl
3. Gonzo the Great

THREE KIDS' NAMES
1. Toby
2. Sarah
3. Stephen

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE
1. direct a feature film
2. release an album
3. write a novel

(With thanks to sexykristen from whose space this was liberated.)

~~~~~~~

start spreading the news

Well, we all knew my boyfriend was a spontaneous guy.

As I type, Mr Ryan is in a Boeing 747, somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. If all goes according to his hastily-made plans, he will spend the next three weeks gallavanting in the US of A, and won't be returning to Oz until the 11th of September.

The backstory: well, it's complex... It basically involves Rye lending a large sum of money to someone in the past, with no real expectiation that it would ever be repaid. But, completely out of the blue, the loan was repaid. Now, if you know Ryan at all, you can imagine that a sudden infux of cash isn't going to stick around for long. Saving? pah!

Another important point of note in the sequence of events is that Mr Ryan has a life-long dream to visit New York City. Who can really say why, but there it is. Ryan longs to be a wriggly little worm chomping its way through the biggest apple on the planet.

Now, you've probably already put two and two together. So Ryan used this repaid money to buy himself a trip to New York. Correct. 20 points. However, I don't know about you, but even if I found myself in this situation - where a long-yearned-for dream suddenly became a tangibe possibility - I would perhaps book my plane ticket for... oh, let's say... a week's time. At least. Not Mister Ryan Mac. Ryan was repaid the money yesterday morning, walked into a travel agent at about 2pm, and was on a plane at 10.30 this morning.

Of course, as one would expect with such a random, sudden trip, there are still many uncertainties. Rye has someone he can stay with for the first week, but after that, who knows what he's going to do with himself. And of course, all of this is dependent on his actually being allowed into the country in the first place. We all know the US isn't exactly the most open-doors nation, and what with Ryan's chequered past, there's a reasonable chance he'll be put straight on a plane back home... alternatively in a more melodramatic universe, I'm kind of dreading receiving a postcard from sunny Guantanamo Bay. But really, Rye seems to be one of those kitties that always lands on its feet ~ so whatever happens, I'm sure he'll be okay, and back with me before too long.

So anyway, here is munkey, feeling somewhat abandon-ed (*clink*). To be honest I'm in a bit of a state of vague shock. It's all just happened so quickly, and even though it's only three weeks, i must admit my head is kind of spinning and my heart feels a bit foggy right now. But that will pass, and really to be honest I always knew this was on the cards, if the opportunity of a NYC visit ever suddenly arose for him.

So have a great time, Rye. I hope your adventure lives up to the dream that gave it wings.

~~~~~~~

tv democracy doesn't work.

Okay... this is going to be a pathetic reality-tv-related post. Forgive me...

I am REALLY REALLY fucking mad that the cunting fucking LOGANS won BigBrother. It seems to happen every year (although I can't speak for last year, as I didn't watch any of it) that the most absolutely fucking TEDIOUS of the final three housemates wins the show ~ and I'm SICK TO FUCKING DEATH OF IT.

But this year in particular, BB (i.e. the producers of the show) have some serious explaining to do. Firstly, it was a completely unfair advantage to have two people working together as one housemate from the very start. And this was emphasised time and time again during the finalé show last night.

Secondly, Logan David - one of the potential winners of BB - was evicted from the show several weeks ago, and has been in the outside world ever since. Now, doesn't it follow that, if you were on the outside but still in the competition, you could quite reasonably spend several thousand dollars voting for YOURSELF, knowing that it would be covered by your winnings at the end of the series. This was completely unfair to Tim, and completely contrary to the supposedly fair-play of the show. David openly admitted in his interview last night that he had been voting for "the Logans" since his eviction. It is clear, in the interests of fairness, that David should have remained in lockdown since his eviction... or at the very least, been banned from voting for himself.

Quite simply, lovers and dreamers, insignificant as it might be in the great grand scheme of the universe, the result of this year's Big Brother was FUNDAMENTALLY UNFAIR.

But really, I should be used to this crap... and with far more important things too. Afterall, didn't John Howard win the last election. And George W. Bush won his first election in even more ridiculously riggged circumstances. I guess I just held out hope that pop-culture would retain some dignity and honesty. What a fool am I.

Well, for what it's worth, I think you're fantastic, Tim. The only housemate who was consistently honest, respectful, entertaining and eloquent... and above all, the only person on BB with a true social conscience.

(With apologies to Ms Jellyfish from whom I stole the above pic, and to lefty Ms Snazzles whom I would never really replace in a million years.)


Cuntscuntscuntscuntscuntscuntscuntscuntscuntscuntscuntscunts.

~~~~~~~

stop the presses

I'd just like to take this opportunity to send out three rousing "Rah!"s, a few "Huzzah!"s and a "Hip Hip Hip Hooray!" for Ms Andrea who is going great guns in her placement at The Age.

Cheers and congrats, luvvie.

~~~~~~~

mindlessmunkey's non-sabbath sermon of the week!

***this entry is not suitable for children or hypocrites***

This weekend, I had a frustrating conversation with an "open-minded" right-wing Christian, who after telling me he had no problem with the gay community, then announced homosexuality was a sin, and any church which condoned homosexuals was simply "wrong". Of course, he had no response once I retaliated, other than to say "Read Leviticus!" (although he pronounced it "Leviticans") ~ obviously prefers hiding behind a 2,000 year old book than arguing his own point of view. Further discussions regarding his chosen night-time activities provided an interesting - and dare I say 'predictable' - perspective on the old homophobia/identy thang. So here is my lesson for the week... may it be a comfort to that scared, sad, angry young man ~ and indeed to all of us, in times of need:

And that's fine... Just deal with it!

~~~~~~~

markets, bars, restaurants, lighthouses and cathedrals

"Give me a call when you wake up," I had told Mr Ryan while watching the death-defying feats of Big Brother's Friday Night Games together over the phone. And, after a long week at work, we both slept till 11am on Saturday morning. After the afore-planned phonecall, we finally dragged ourselves from our respective beds and met up... and who'd a thunk, we set out on yet another Rye's Aimless Drive™. Lo and behold, this time we ended up at the South Melbourne Market. So we had a fun morning/early afternoon wandering among the various stalls, munching sushi and oggling things we couldn't afford to buy.

Later that afternoon I finally met my long-time msn-buddy Mr Timothy. Rye and I arrived in the city prematurely and spent a very dangerous few minutes perusing the $10 CD shop on Swanston St (get along down there y'all) and killing time in ACMI before meeting Tim and his friends Mr Marco and Mr Adam in Fed Square. Thence, we had a great chat & gin session in the chilly breeze outside the Transport Bar. It was fantastic to meet Mr Timothy at last, and I hope it will be the first of many hilarity-filled outings together.

We hurried off from Fed Square to Hanover Court to the abode of Mistress Corredina and Lady Lili, where we also met Madame Mu, Joshu-kun and Dame Snazzlepops. Our merry band then traipsed off to Mao's on Brunswick Street. (Hurrah for Brunswick St). There our conversation - including topics such as pop-culture, world affairs and impromptu golden showers - sparkled in the air among the flirty waiters and $18 spinach (!). After dinner and much wine, we mosied further up the Street of Brunswickiness to the posh surroundings of Polly bar. After a couple more beverages, Rye and I bade our compadrés a semi-early adieu, ahead of an early Sunday start.

The next morning, it was off to Bendigo for munkey and Ryan, to visit the Bendigo Lighthouse crew. The occasion was a birthday celebration for one Ms Katherine, and it was great for Rye to catch up with all the gang (and for me to meet them for the first time) especially the wonderful Ms Michelle and her gorgeous daughter Ms Renee. There was much preparation of food, in which we participated, and we also had a bit of a chance to drive around the lovely town of Bendigo, explore the catherdral, etc etc. As the afternoon wore on, and we were thouroughly stuffed with Michelle's excellent food, I left Rye there to spend the night with his old friends, and made the lonely journey back to Munkey City.

I had barely touched base at home, when it was time to rush off for dinner avec patermunkey, Ms Cait and Electroboy, along with my aunty Ms Sheila, her husband Mr Ian, Grandmas Ashton & Miller, cousin Ms Jodi, her partner Mr Mick and their now-3-month-old bundle-of-joy Mr Max. Sheila and Ian are about to jet-set off to Europe for the first time ever - this will be the first time Ms Shiela has returned to her homeland in England since the 60s - so it's very exciting! Thus, a big munkeyblessing™ upon them for safe travel. I'm sure they'll have a wonderful time amongst the original Yorkshire munkeyclan.

So that was my weekend, lovers and dreamers, and a quite lovely one it was at that. On one final note, I have a personal message for everyone out there who decided to vote Vesna out of the BigBrother house:

~~~~~~~

everything new is old again...

In case you didn't get the memo:

Hispanic is the new black.

Terrorism is the new Communism.

Oppression is the new freedom.

Kabbalah is the new scientology.

Flat white is the new latté.

and, most importantly...

PENGUIN SWING is the new THROW ROCKS AT BOYS!

How far across the ice can your abominable snowman bat a tuxedoed waddler? My top score was a whopping fluke of 321 metres. By the way, I'm sure no penguins are actually harmed in the game... in fact they seem to quite enjoy it.

~~~~~~~

this looks like a job for...

MindMunkey™

With the aid of a WEBSITE, I have decided this is what I would look like if I was a superhero. I don't think i'd be one of those hulking, muscly, beat-em-up, leap-tall-buildings-in-a-single-bound kind of heroes. So this, lovers and dreamers, is MindMunkey... defender of the free, offender of the powerful ~ friend to the downtrodden, foe to the opressor.

I have the power to not just read, but control the thoughts of my enemies (hence the hypnotic mind-waves emanating from my cranium). I also have a MagicMunkeyRing™ which protects me from brainwashing. It is my ultimate defense; remove it and I become an ignorant, mentally-pliable fool gathering all "facts" from the Herald Sun and tuning in every evening to let Ray Martin tell me what to think. But with my MunkeyRing, I am guaranteed the purity and individuality of my own unique mind.

And if all else fails, I have a nice solid gun™.

(Open auditions for CuteSidekickBoi™ will be held from 9am tomorrow. All applicants must provide their own costume; crotch-emphasising lycra is essential.)

~~~~~~~

ollie, the boobie-tree, water from a pipe, a train, wasps, water from a pond

~dream diary~

Turin Brakes are singing. It's kind of live, and kind of on TV at the same time (you know how it is, with dreams). Ollie is cute, and the other one is being wacky. (EDIT: Gale! That's the other one's name, now I remember. Ollie and Gale. Of course. Bless 'em.) Someone is with me, and can't remember which one it is that I think is hot. I tell them "Ollie, of course!" and point him out.

I am driving with Mr Ryan, Ms Snazzles and Ms Lili. Mr Ryan and I are in one car, the gals in another. It is night. We have stopped at that spot just outside of Mansfield where there is a tree with breast-like bumps on the trunk, that someone has spray-painted with a fluoro pink bikini (this boobie-tree, and the graffiti-bikini are real, by the way). We are wandering in the forest just behind that tree, looking for something (I can't remember what now). There is a multi-track railway lane crossing the highway at this point. There is also a huge, rusty water-main pipe which runs through the forest at ground level, and has cracked so that the water spills out and flows around the pipe (neither the railway-line nor the water conduit exist in the real world). The noise of the water running along the rusty metal is loud, clear and beautiful.

The car Ryan and I have been driving is parked over one of the railway tracks. As we clamber back up the hill and get into our cars, a train is coming. But there is no fear. The train clicks onto another track at an interchange just before it reaches us, and speeds past on one of the other tracks, missing our car by mere inches. But we were never in doubt.

I am in my family house. patermunkey isn't here, but Ms Cait is around somewhere. There are four European wasps buzzing menacingly in the family room. I have flyspray. It's difficult to spray them, as they are flying around quite erratically, but eventually I manage to get them all. As they begin to slow and die, I realise there are another four wasps in the front room. I attack them with the fly-spray as well - again, it isn't easy to get a clear shot at them. By the time I've sprayed them all, the room stinks of fly-spray.

The four in the family room have fallen to the ground now, but are still squirming. I know you shouldn't let dead wasps lie around inside, because they exude a pheremone which calls the rest of the nest to their whereabouts. So I carefully pick up the dying insects in a thick piece of paper-towel, and take them to the toilet, where I flush them away.

There, in the bathroom, Ms Cait (or, rather, it is either a much older version of Cait, or a cross between her and Snazzles) is standing in the bath. On the vanity bench at one end of the bath, she is examining a large sample of green pond-water under an ingenius microscope set-up of her own design. This Cait/Snazzles young woman (who quite possibly contains elements of matermunkey as well) is telling me about all the natural wonders to be found in the microscopic, underwater world.

~~~~~~~

words of wisdom

Mohandas Karamchand "Mahatma" Gandhi (1869 - 1948) is one of the most important figures in 20th Century history, if not in all human history. No short spiel knocked-up by me here could possibly serve as an adequate introduction to this inspiring man and his achievements, so check out Wikipedia for detailed information. Here are just a few short samples of Gandhi's words:

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"A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave."

"Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary."

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
(describing the stages of establishment response to non-violent activism)

"My effort should never be to undermine another's faith but to make him a better follower of his own faith."

"Honest differences are often a healthy sign of progress."

"I do not want my house to be walled in on sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any."

"We must respect other religions, even as we respect our own. Mere tolerance thereof is not enough. "

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

"You should be the change that you want to see in the world."

"Truth alone will endure; all the rest will be swept away before the tide of time."

~~~~~~~

And just for interest's sake, here are some quotes by others, about Gandhi:

"Generations to come, it may be, will scarcely believe that such a one as this, ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth. " ~ Albert Einstein

"A lot of people are waiting for Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi to come back -- but they are gone. We are it. It is up to us. It is up to you." ~ Marian Wright Edelman

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write like a girl, then throw rocks at boys!

Here are some juicy items fresh from the WWW.

First up, the GenderGenie which will tell you whether you write like a male or a female. Simply submit a chunk of your writing, and let the GenderGenie tell you wether you're trying to achieve a literary phallus, or expressing your inner labia.

After that, you can take out your gender-related frustrations with Throw Rocks At Boys ...the most theraputic game on the net!

With thanks to Lady Lili for sending me the GenderGenie and Mr Gareth (no, lovers and dreamers, not THAT Gareth) for the rock-at-boy-throwing game.

Fare y'all well, and take heed of the old Thai Proveb, ladies and gents: "รักฉันต้องรักหมาฉันด้วย"
Translation: "Love me, love my dog."
Which is to say: "If you love me, love me with all my faults."
Right on!

~~~~~~~

wallowing in my sickness

Well, it's been another movie-filled weekend, so for all those of you who have yet to take my Movie Madness quizzes, here they are one last time: PART ONE & PART TWO. I thought I'd made them easy, but apparently not. Oops! *obscure-film-snob munkey*

On Friday night I met with Madame Moodles for beer, dinner, chat and Ring Of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story. Emile Griffith was a very famous boxer in the sixties and seventies. In one terrible incident in 1962, he unintentionally beat his opponent - Bennie 'Kid' Paret - into a coma. Paret never regained consciousness and died a short time later. This film was a great documentary about Griffith - a gentle and simple man - and his career... as well as the lead-up to and aftermath of the Paret tragedy.

Saturday was a big clean-up day. Munkey Towers had been spiralling into a state of ever increasing squalor *slob-without-supervision munkey*, and it was time to clean up my act. So with Mr Ryan's help, we worked half the day away until the pad was sparking and fresh once again. That dealt with, we had a trip down to Coles to stock my languishing fridge and cupboards, and settled down on the couch to watch The Ring and The Ring 2. Now, I've not seen the Japanese originals, and I'm not a big horror-movie fan, but I have to say I was impressed. They're well executed and genuinely creepy thrillers which rely more on good story and atmosphere, as opposed to teenagers getting cut to pieces in incrteasingly ridiculous ways, like so many films of the genre these days.

After our DVD fun, we decided to go for one of Ryan's patented Aimless Drives™ and ended up at Beacon Cove, watching the Spirit Of Tasmania prepare for departure. We wandered out onto a jetty thingy and behold, we saw a UFO! No, lovers and dreamers, do not fear... I'm not saying it was an alien spacecraft, and I'm not about to launch into a mind-boggling story of abduction and probing (that stuff's private!). However, it was a flying object which was unidentified by us. Therefore, it was a UFO. Basically it was a very bright light ~ too bright and low for a normal satellite, and definitely not a plane or helicopter. It moved quite quickly across the sky, then changed direction, gradually slowed down to a standstill, then disappeared without a trace. Spooky! Be Alert, not alarmed! Watch the skies, everywhere! Keep looking. Keep watching the skies!

We were up bright and early to meet my poor sick patermunkey, and take Ms Cait off his hands for the morning. We headed off to Collingwood Children's Farm for the Horses' Birthday family day. Unfortunately, there weren't many horses present, and the weather was crapness-maximus, however we still had a good morning of cow-milking, tractor-riding and horse-shoe-decorating amidst the quiet country atmosphere of the Farm... you'd never guess you were in the bustling inner suburbs of Melbourne.

That afternoon, I joined with Ms Snazzles, Lady Lili, Madame Moodles and Joshu-kun to attend our final film of this year's Festival: 3-Iron. From the director of the wonderful Spring, Summer, Autumn, WInter... and Spring, this was a very peculiar but strangely absorbing tale about a young man who goes about squatting in people's houses while they're on holiday, and thoroughly making himself at home ~ and useful. He teams up with a battered wife (and steals her husband's 3-Iron golf-club, from which the film takes its title) and a subtly strange series of events begins to unfold. It's wonderful to see a movie which can convey such a wealth of character-based story and relationship development, with such a minimal use of dialogue. In fact, the protagonist never speaks once in the film. While not quite as moving or meaningful as Spring... it was still a great, and very different film. After the movie, we all trundled off to farewell Ms Jellyfish, who is going overseas for 10 weeks, at the Napier Hotel. A few ales and some fine food later, I took my tired bones home for a well-earned early-night.

Monday was a very relaxed RDO for mindlessmunkey, and that evening - just for something outlandishly different, I went to the movies! Lady Lili had scored a double pass to a preview screening of Millions. It's a great film, directed by Danny Boyle of Trainspotting fame, and while Millions showcases the visual flair seen in his previous work, there are no junkies or dead babies to be seen here. It's a family-friendly joy ~ a tale of two very different young brothers who find themselves in posession of a whole crapload of money, and no idea what to do with it. It's one of those great films that manages to be heart-warming and feel-good without ever descending into the syrup that drowns so many Hollywood family flicks.

Well, adieu until next-time, my dear readers. And remember, as Francois Truffaut said: "Film lovers are sick people."

p.s. Speaking of sick people, I hope you're feeling better soon, patermunkey!

~~~~~~~

munkey's-eye view: DEVENDRA BANHART ~ REJOICING... / NIÑO ROJO

"It's like finding home in an old folk song that you've never, ever heard."

~~~~~~~

Devendra Banhart's history is almost as unique and intiguing as his music. Born in Texas in 1981 and named by an Indian mystic, he spent much of his youth surrounded by poverty after moving to Caracas, Venezuela following his parents' divorce. Moving back to the USA, this time to Los Angeles, he recieved a scholarship to study at the San Francisco Art Institute at the age of just 12. There, his gay roommates asked him to sing a hymn and an Elvis song at their wedding, and Banhart's unconventional musical career had begun. The following years saw him enter a wandering-minstrel period, moving to Paris and back to San Francisco again, recording songs on old 4-track casette recorders and friends' answering machines, and performing anywhere that would have him - bars, cafés, restaurants - with American venues often having to sneak him in as he was not yet 21.

Ultimately, he was discovered by Michael Gira, owner of alternative label Young God Records, who was overwhelmed not only by Banhart's talent, but by his attitude and personality as well: "He's the most genuine, least cynical and calculated artist I've ever known... He's also one of the most innately talented, magical performers I have ever heard." Under Gira's wing, Devendra moved to New York - still homeless, squatting and couch-hopping - to commit his astonishing sound to professional recordings. Since then, the simple power and open honesty of his music has earned him legions of loyal fans and a huge change in fortunes.

Listening to Banhart's albums is like stepping back in time. His life's tale as a homeless, wandering folk singer may sound like an anachronistic story from the 1930s, but that's perfectly appropriate to his old-soul charisma, grass-roots musical style and echo-from-the-past voice. Backed by the picking and strumming of a battered-sounding acoustic guitar, his voice is a rich, tremulous warble - part blue-grass veteran, part seventies hippie, part children's television host. Meanwhile his songwriting contains echoes of the Appalachian Mountains, strains of the Deep South, and more than a whiff of Venezualan exoticness.

Recoicing In The Hands Of The Golden Empress and Niño Rojo are both cut from the same recording sessions. Although released six months apart, they could almost be considered two volumes of the same album. Indeed neither stands out as an offcuts or leftovers album, but rather both contain examples of Banhart's fuller, more developed numbers, interspersed with simpler, smaller tracks which feel more like sketches than songs. But this seems to be the way he writes his music. Whether a structured exploration of a theme, or just a little musical expression of an observation or thought, whether anguished, overjoyed, playful or downright bizarre, Devendra Banhart's songs have an immediacy and unmistakable "olde-worlde" resonance to them.

Gira and the technicians who worked on the albums have been careful not to destroy the rustic reality of the songs in the transition from scratchy, no-budget home-recording to studio polish. The embellishment of Banhart's guitar work on many of the songs, such as lush strings on "It's A Sight To Behold", catchy brass on "We All Know" and a more modern rhythm section on "Be Kind" enhance and enrich the sound. But nothing of the warts-and-all, home-grown feel has been sacrificed. Meanwhile most tracks have been left simple and unadorned, allowing the ancient ghosts that inhabit Devendra's guitar and voice to shine in songs like "Wake Up, Little Sparrow" (a haunting cover of a 1960s children's song), while "Autumn's Child" utilises a devastatingly moody solo piano.

Some have criticised Banhart for his lack of diversity, and it's true that the musical pallette of his recordings to date is limited. However this is a curse plagueing all truly unique artists; their music is so individual, the only thing it can truly be compared to is itself, and thus a cursory listen may leave it all sounding the same. However the currency of artists like Banhart is their subtlety. Give albums like Rejoicing In The Hands and Niño Rojo the time and space they deserve, and every song reveals its own delicate personality, and leaves a gentle but profound effect on the listener.

4½ (out of 5)

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more movie madness

In recognition of the final week of the Film Festival, here is the second part of my QUIZ all about my favourite films. Have fun!

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a whole lotta nuthin

I just keep stumbling upon these things. They're interesting to do though, and hopefully also interesting to read. The internet really IS the best therapy around, I tellsya.

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Current mood: Hunky dory.
Current music: My windows media player is on random. Right now it’s Björk and Thom Yorke duetting “I’ve Seen It All”.
Current taste: Tastefully eclectic.
Current hair: Short, dark-brown, no product, slightly unkempt.
Current clothes: Black leather boots, red explorer socks, white cKs, black pinstripe trousers, purple & pink striped shirt, long black coat, necklace, glasses and three rings.
Current annoyance: I need to shave and my stubble is making my chin itchy.
Current thing I ought to be doing: Probably writing a smash hit musical, Booker prize-winning novel, or something of the sort.
Current windows open: msn messenger, internet explorer, mozilla firefox, microsoft word, windows media player
Current desktop picture: A photo Rye took when we were driving in the mountains. It was a freezing day and suddenly the cloud descended all around us and hung amongst the trees. It’s a great photo.
Current favourite band: There are so many, but overall I guess I’ll have to go with Radiohead, as usual.
Current book: “Stranger In A Strange Land” by Robert Heinlein. I'm not very far into it yet.
Current CD in stereo: The lounge one has Miles Davis’s “Bitches Brew”, the bedroom one has a compilation of Michael Nyman film scores… but neither is playing right now.
Current crush: Apart from Ryan, just the usual: Elijah Wood, Nick Stahl, Gonzo the Great…
Current favourite celebrity: in light of last night, I'll have to go with Jónsi from Sigur Rós… he’s Icelandic, gay, blind in one eye, sings like an alien angel and plays electric guitar with a cello bow. Need I say more?
Current hate: The Herald Sun.
~DO I~
Smoke?: only occasionally.
Do drugs?: only occasionally.
Have sex?: I’m in a loving relationship with a 19yo guy… what do you reckon?
Give oral sex?: see above.
Receive oral sex?: see above.
Have a dream that keeps coming back?: No. There are recurring themes, but not a whole dream that recurs.
Remember your first love?: Of course, but I realise now that it wasn’t really love.
Still love him/her?: No.
Read the newspaper?: I flick through the Herald Sun at work most days, just to make myself angry.
Have any gay or lesbian friends?: Would you like a freakin' list?!
Believe in miracles?: Not really. It depends how you define it, I guess.
Believe it's possible to remain faithful forever?: I certainly hope so.
Consider yourself tolerant of others?: Absolutely. I can get along with just about anyone.
Consider love a mistake?: I suppose in some situations it can be. But certainly not in general. Even if it goes wrong, it usually makes you a better/stronger person in the long-run.
Like the taste of alcohol?: Most kinds of alcohol.
Have a favourite candy?: I’m not fussy. If it’s bad for you, chances are I like it.
Believe in astrology?: I’m a bit of a sceptic but I’ve looked into it a little and it is quite interesting, to say the least.
Believe in god?: Not in any conventional sense of the word.
Have any pets: My family has pets, but I have none of my own. I can barely keep a plant alive, so it’s probably not the best idea, at this point.
Go to or plan to go to college: Been there. Done that.
Have any piercings?: Nope.
Have any tattoos?: Nope.
Hate yourself: Nope.
Have an obsession?: Many. I’m an obsessive kind of person… but not in a scary way.
Have a secret crush?: Nope.
Do they know yet?: Isn’t this question redundant? If they know, it isn’t a secret crush anymore. Duh!
Have a best friend?: Yes. Luvya Snazzles.
Wish on stars?: Occasionally, but I don’t really expect it to come true.
Care about looks?: Not too much. There is a special something that makes someone gorgeous, but it’s nothing you can define, or find in a glossy magazine.
~LOVE LIFE~
First crush: Simon W. We were in IT Programming class in 10th grade, and we programmed a Muppet computer game together. It was love at first byte. (Oh my God I can’t believe I actually made a pun that bad.) Alas, I was repressed and he was straight, so nothing at all ever happened.
First kiss: Michael B. It was an intense weekend in the wilderness that ended in tears. Lots of tears. I liked him much more than he liked me. But I got over it and he became a closetted yuppie. Ain't the world a funny place?
Single or attached?: Attached.
Ever been in love?: Yeppers.
Do you believe in love at first sight?: You can meet someone and know instantly that they will be a part of your life forever, but I think real love takes time to develop.
Do you believe in "The One?": Things happen chaotically, when you least expect them. Sometimes two people just happen to fit perfectly into each others’ lives. It’s too simplistic to say they’re “The One”.
Describe your ideal significant other: Someone who enriches my life in ways I never imagined possible, without even trying… and for whom I can do the same in return.
~JUICY STUFF~
Have you ever played a game that required removal of clothing?: Not that I can remember. I’m not that comfortable being naked in front of people, so it’s the kind of thing I avoid.
Have you ever been intoxicated?: I wish I had a dollar for every time.
Favourite place to be kissed?: It has to start with the lips, but when things heat up, there are lots of other interesting places. Teehee.
Have you ever been caught "doing something?": Kind of.
Are you a tease?: No. I'm not attractive enough to be a tease, even if I wanted to be.
First move?: Rarely. I usually lack the confidence.
~APPEARANCE~
Hair: Dark brown.
Eyes: Dark brown.
Height: Pretty average. I’m about 178cm I think (5’10.5”)
~LAST THING YOU~
Bought: Meals, booze, petrol for my car, the usual boring stuff. The last significant thing was probably the complete DVD set of the British "Queer As Folk"... $45 ~ bargain!
Ate & Drank: Roast pork roll & pineapple juice.
Read: I think the last book I read was “Life Of Pi” by Yann Martel. But the last thing I read was an email from Mr Adrian. (In fact, if you want to be pedantic, the last thing I read was this very question.)
Watched on TV: part of the News last night.
~EITHER / OR~
club or house party: House party. I like to have more interaction with my fellow partiers than just bodily gyrating.
beer or cider: Beer. I think cider is a UK thing that has yet to really catch on here.
drinks or shots: Drinks.
cats or dogs: Dogs. You don’t want to get me started on cats.
single or taken: Taken.
pen or pencil: Pen.
gloves or mittens: Gloves. The use of my fingers is important to me. (and no, that’s not meant to sound dirty)
Food or candy: Can’t I have both?
cassette or CD: CD, but my car only plays cassettes, so I need both.
Coke or Pepsi: If you can tell the difference, you haven’t added enough bourbon.
this or that: You say potato…
~WHO DO YOU WANT TO~
kill: Rupert Murdoch, and all his minions.
get really wasted with: Sarah, Ryan, Dad, Josh, my cousins… the list goes on…
look like: Sufjan Stevens.
be like: My Mum.
avoid: A couple of really irritating people I work with.
~LAST PERSON YOU~
talked to: My Dad, on the phone.
hugged: Ms Snazzles.
instant messaged: Mr Kenny.
kissed: Mr Ryan.
~WHERE DO YOU~
eat: At my table if it’s tidy enough, otherwise on the couch, or sometimes at the desk if I’m on the computer at the time.
cry: Usually by myself, in my room. Or while watching a movie.
wish you were: Somewhere very peaceful where I could just laze about with friends and loved-ones all day.
~HAVE YOU EVER~
Dated one of your best friends? I’ve gone on dates with people who ended up becoming friends… but never the other way round.
Loved somebody so much it makes you cry? Only when they didn’t love me in return, or treated me badly, or both.
Drank alcohol? Yes, but I’m sober enough to realise that should say “Drunk alcohol”.
Done drugs? Nothing more serious than smoking dope.
Broken the law? I guess so, but not in any major way.
Run away from home? Nope.
Broken a bone? Nope.
Played Truth or Dare? Don’t really remember. Probably once or twice.
Kissed someone you didn't know? Knowing their name means you know them, right? Seriously, I’ve never kissed someone I haven’t at least had dinner with.
Been in a fight? Nope. I’ve been beaten up, but never in a fight.
Come close to dying? Not particularly. Although if you want to get deep, everybody is a hair’s-breadth from death, every moment of their life.
~WHAT IS~
The most embarrassing CD in your collection? I'll probably have to say the "Titanic" soundtrack.
Your bedroom like? It’s very cosy. Full of random pictures & random objects that reflect who I am. I feel very at home there.
Your favourite thing for breakfast? Bacon, eggs, pancakes and those little breakfast sausages, all with maple syrup. With a glass of freshly-squeezed pineapple juice. mmmm
Your favourite restaurant? Don’t really have one, that I can think of.
~RANDOM QUESTIONS~
What's on your bedside table? A lamp, an alarm clock, a couple of books, a little box with a few photos & knick-knacks etc, my mobile phone (when it’s charging).
What do you eat when you raid the fridge late at night? My fridge is rarely well enough stocked to be worth raiding late at night.
What is your secret guaranteed weeping movie? There is no movie that guarantees a cry, but your best bets are probably “Dead Poets Society” and the final “Lord Of The Rings” movie. Although you never know - when the mood is right, I sometimes find myself weeping at very improbable things.
If you could have plastic surgery, what would you have done? Facelift, lip pump, rhinoplasty, liposuction, full body botox... Actually, on second thought, I’d really rather not.
What is your biggest fear? Falling into a huge pile of cotton-wool balls. Those things give me the creeps.
What feature are you most insecure about? I guess I’d have to say the extra flab I’m carrying at the moment. But I'm a lot more secure in general than I used to be.
Do you ever have to beg? No. What an odd question.
Are you a pyromaniac? Fire is fun and exciting to a degree… but I’m sensible with it.
Do you have too many love interests? Only one. Which is just the right number. : )
Crushes? Haven’t we already covered this?
Do you know anyone famous? Not really. But I once made Rachel Griffiths (from "Six Feet Under") cry. And my best friend writes for the country’s most successful drama series. And my boyfriend has been one of the subjects of a TV documentary.
Describe your bed: Comfy. I wish I was in it right now. With Ryan. (He's comfy too. heehee)
Spontaneous or plain? I resent that these are considered opposite. I’m neither.
Do you know how to play poker? Nope.
What do you carry with you at all times? Wallet, phone, keys… a well-refined taste for the obscure and a finely-sharpened sense of the ridiculous.
How do you drive? Sensibly, for the most part. With music blaring.
What do you miss most about being little? Never having to think about money.
Are you happy with your given name? Hmm not particularly. I don’t really think it suits me. But it could be much worse.
How much money would it take to get you to give up the Internet for one year? I dunno. I could cope without the Internet, if I had to.
What colour is your bedroom? Walls are white, carpet is greyish, curtains are purplish-grey, bed is either purple and black or blue and black (depending on which sheets are in use and which ones are in the wash).
What was the last song you were listening to? media player is still randomising away… currently it’s “Owen’s Lament” by Augie March.
Have you ever been in a play? Many times.
Your best friends? These questions are dangerous, coz there has to be a cut-off point, and you always offend someone by not including them. My best friends know who they are.
Do you talk a lot? Sometimes. About certain things.
Do you like yourself and believe in yourself? Increasingly.
Do you think you're cute? Not particularly, but I don’t think I’m ugly either. I live happily somewhere in Average-Looking Land.
Do poor, homeless, or starving people sometimes annoy you? I wouldn’t presume to generalise and judge them personally. But it does make me uncomfortable to be asked for money in the street.
Do you consider yourself to be a nice person? Sure.
Do you spend more time with your girlfriend, boyfriend, or your friends? Boyfriend, but I see my friends a lot as well.
What is the first thing you think when you see two gay guys or lesbians holding hands? “The children! Won’t somebody PLEASE think of the children?!” Seriously, though, I’d think it was great. In fact, I'd probably be one of them. : )

Thanks to Mr Ad-man from whose blog I stole this set of probing questions.

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við vorum sammála um það sammála um flesta hluti

Last night Ms Snazzles and I saw Sigur Rós, live in concert at Hamer Hall. Hurray! Hurrah! Huzzah!

We met at the Forum bar, had a quick dinner at Kim Sing and found our way to the Concert Hall, among a vast crowd of attractive and intriguing alternative types, all flocking to the opportunity of seeing one of the most unique and brilliant bands in the world.

The first support act was Australian singer-songwriter Iota, who performed an accomplished but - to be honest - somewhat unremarkable set. He was followed by the amazing Amina. These four stunning Icelandic ladies formed the string section for Sigur Rós's ( ) album, and have gone on to become a dazzling band in their own right. As well as their beautifully concocted string arrangements, they have a literal table of tricks including children's music-boxes, a series of glasses of water, various xylophones and keyboards, and an instrument unknown to me, which resembles a very small harp laid flat on the table, but with horizontal strings rather than vertical. While the Sigur Rós influence is plainly audible in their sound, they truly are an act all of their own.

And at last, emerging in showdows and smoke behind a muslin curtain, the main attraction took the stage.
Lead singer Jón þór Birgisson ("Jónsi") - although the band's oldest member at 30 years old - resembles a pubescent creature from outer-space, an other-worldly man-child sawing at his electric guitar with a cello bow and emanating his ethereal wails like a call to the heavens. Georg "Goggi" Hólm and Orri Páll Dýrason form an inventive and brilliant rhythm section, Goggi occasionally attacking his bass with a drum-stick, and Orri defying all the rules of conventional rhythm in his percussion work. Meanwhile Kjartan "Kjarri" Sveinsson - probably the band's most accomplished musician, responsible for all their glorious string arrangements - rules the keyboards and additional guitars like a quiet God.

There's little that can be said about Sigur Rós in concert. You've all heard me gush my guts out about how much I love their recordings, and the visceral immediacy of hearing and watching them in concert was an amazing experience. Accompanied by Amina's gorgeous strings, the band performed much-beloved tracks from their Agætis Byrjun and ( ) records, as well as some from the lesser known first release Von and the forthcoming album Takk. Needless to say, there's one little munkey who's very much looking forward to that particular release.

Sitting in awe amongst the sold-out crowd, I was riding every moment from the tender whisperings of gentle harmony, to the explosive outpourings of perfectly symbiotic sound. All time and space outside the auditorium seemed to fade to irrelevance as Sigur Rós unleashed their torrents of aural majesty. I almost felt like I could ascend to the realm of the music, and live as a creature of light and sound in a place beyond the tangible troubles of the everday world.

Clockwise: Amina on strings; Kjarri on piano, keyboards, guitar & flute; Jónsi on vocals, guitar & synth; Goggi on bass & xylophone, and Orri on drums & keyboards.

~~~~~~~

more nonsense...

From a semi-automatic blog generator, on that "rum and monkey" site i showed y'all a few days back...

~~~~~~~

I got out of bed
running late because i slept through my alarm.

I feel
impatient for the working day to be over.

I'm so
excited about seeing Sigur Rós tonight.

Last night I had to
umm surf the net, watch Neighbours, BB & Oz Idol, have dinner and pick up Rye from work... but none of that was compulsory.

I want to tell the world
come on people, now... shine on your brother! Everybody get together, try to love one another right now.

I am
drinking strong black tea and listening to Tom Waits.

I want to say thanks to
the Academy.

I went to the doctor yesterday, and he said
I have a terrible skin disease which prevents me from coming into contact with other human beings. And bipolar disorder.

That's enough for now. But I'll leave you with this thought
- sharing your life with strangers on the internet is the cheapest form of therapy available. Leave a comment and tell me I'm beautiful.

Created with the Gregor's Semi-Automatic LiveJournal Updater™. Update your journal today!Powered by Rum and Monkey

~~~~~~~

a very merry unbirthday to me!

~ dream diary ~

We are living in my old house ~ my childhood home where I lived until I was 12.

Matermunkey is throwing me a birthday party!

There is much to be done, baking cake, decorating the house... I help matermunkey prepare the goodies and games.

The party guests include Mr Kenny, DrDaveGoo and Mr DavidBeekeeper.

My! It's going to be such fun!

...although it's a little strange that we're all in our 20s.

~~~~~~~

truth is in the eye of the blogger

Okay, i think i'm supposed to mark these as either true or false. So let's see...

1. I miss someone right now.
several. but one in particular. (see q.58)
2. I watch more television than I used to.
no, not as much since i moved out of home.
3. I love olives.
sure, why not.
4. I love sleeping.
yes, yes i most certainly do.
5. I own lots of books.
depends how you define lots. quite a few.
6. I wear glasses or contacts.
yes. glasses.
7. I love to play video games.
nope. never been any good at it.
8. I've tried Marijuana.
much more than tried.
9. I've watched #### movies.
i'd estimate somewhere between 500 and 1000.
10. I've been in a threesome.
no. no desire to.
11. I've been the psycho-ex in a relationship.
no.
12. I believe honesty is the best policy.
absolutely.
13. I have acne free skin.
most of the time.
14. I like and respect Michael Jackson.
meh. he made some great records i guess, but now he needs psychiatric help.
15. I curse frequently.
fucken ay!
16. I have changed a lot mentally over the last year.
spooky. have you been talking to my shrink?
17. I have a hobby.
i spose i have a few.
18. I've been told I have a nice butt.
only in jest, i'm afraid.
19. I carry my knife everywhere with me.
my knives stay in my kitchen.
20. I've broken someone else's bones.
not to my knowledge.
21. I have a secret I am ashamed to reveal.
not that i can think of.
22. I love rain.
yes.
23. I'm paranoid at times.
nope.
24. I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost, and scar free.
no way.
25. I need money right now.
well i get by, but i wouldn't say no to more.
26. I love sushi.
i have grown to love it.
27. I talk really, really fast sometimes.
sometimes. especially when i've been indulging in queston 8.
28. I have fresh breath when I wake up.
i always clean my teeth before bed, but still probably not. does anyone?
29. I have long hair.
i have been known to, but not at the moment.
30. I have lost money in a Casino.
no more than $5 in my entire life.
31. I have at least one brother/sister.
one of each.
32. I was born in a country outside Australia.
nope.
33. I wear make-up.
only when i'm in costume for some reason.
34. I have a twin.
of course. HE's the one who does all the bad things. I swear it!
35. I couldn't survive without caller ID.
no, i'd really be fine.
36. I like the way I look.
no use complaining.
37. I have lied to a good friend in the past 6 months.
not that i can think of.
38. I know how to do cornrows.
not if my life depended on it.
39. I am usually pessimistic.
no, not usually.
40. I have mood swings.
not really.
41. I think prostitution should be legalised.
i thought it already was.
42. I think Britney Spears is pretty/hot.
skank.
43. I have cheated on a significant other.
never have. never would.
44. I have a hidden talent.
hmm i guess i have a range of talents. some are well known, others not so much.
45. I am always hyper, no matter how much sugar I have.
not particularly.
46. I think that I'm popular.
i am usually liked by the people i like. that's enough for me.
47. I am currently single.
no. yay!
48. I have kissed someone of the same sex.
as often as possible. hehe
49. I practically live in trackies or PJ pants.
not at all.
50. I love to shop.
for some things.
51. I would rather shop than eat.
no way.
52. I classify myself as ghetto.
no. really not.
53. I am bourgie and have worn a jumper tied around my shoulders.
no.
54. I am obsessed with my blog.
obsessed is a strong word... but yeh.
55. I don't hate anyone.
i try not to. i mostly hate people i've never met, like J.Howard, G.W.Bush, etc.
56. I am a pretty good dancer.
i got rhythm; i'm a "unique" dancer.
57. I like some weird, kinky stuff.
not particularly... but it's all relative, i guess.
58. I'm completely embarrased to be seen with my Mum.
i never was, and i would give anything to hang out with her again.
59. I have a mobile phone.
yes, but i don't pay for it. yay!
60. I watch MTV on a daily basis.
no. but if i had cable i probably would.
61. I have passed out drunk in the past 6 months.
i don't pass out, i just go to sleep.
62. I currently have a crush on someone.
does loving my boyfriend count?
63. I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.
i have many ideas.
64. I want to have children in the future, but not the near future!
definitley, but not sure how that's gonna work, yet.
65. I have changed a nappy before.
yes, my sister's, several times.
66. I've had the cops call on me before.
once, but i wasn't doing anything wrong, so they left again.
67. I bite my nails.
used to all the time, but hardly ever now.
68. I'm not allergic to anything.
not that i'm aware of.
69. I've tasted beer.
much more than tasted.

Thanks to a guy called Jonathon, upon whose blog I stumbled, from which i perloined the above content (the questions, not the answers, obviously).

~~~~~~~

roots into the earth, strings into the heavens

A most pleasant weekend... almost entirely spent with Ryan which was lovely, as always. Let's see... on Friday night we just bummed around at home, as usual ~ ended up watching Bend It Like Beckham on the telly, just because it was there and we were there and Jonathon Rhys Meyers (or whatever his name is) has the kind of bone-structure that dreams are made of. So thusly inspired, we went on to watch Velvet Goldmine to enjoy more of the aforementioned Mr Meyers, with Ewan Macgregor and Christian Bale also thrown into the mix. mmmmmm

We hauled ourselves into the world bright and early on Saturday morning, taking care of various necessities to do with eyesight and overseas travel, before spending the afternoon hanging out with Rye's friend Ms Nelufa and her gorgeous little daughter Jade. We then tramped up to Clifton Hill to enjoy dinner and a Neighbours marathon with Snazzles and Moodles. *soap munkeys* My, wasn't it wonderful to see Izzy get her comeuppance, Dr Karl finally realising what a DAMN FOOL he was for ever drifting from Susan. That'll learn y'all! You don't mess with Susan and expect to get away with it!

It was up with the chickens (well, not quite) once again on Sunday to take part in National Tree Day (or something) for which Ms Nat had organised a Lighthouse contingent. So munkey - as an official honourary Lighthouse hanger-on - went along with Mr Ryan to Burnley Park, to plant lots and lots of plants and shrubs all around the park... hopefully to provide mucho enjoymentness for years to come. It does feel awfully good to get mud under your fingernails and introduce a living thing to a new life in the soil.

After nurturing my inner Pinko Treehugger, I trundled off again to the Film Fest, joining Lady Lilikens to see Childstar. The film was introduced by Writer-Director-Star Don McKellar with a witty and clever speech (which became even more hilarious once the film began, and it's in-joke quality became apparent) and it was a great little movie... an offbeat and amusing view into the world of a twelve-year-old movie star and his entourage.

After the movie, we met with Mistress Corredina and enjoyed a few "reassuringly expensive" Stellas at the Festival Bar, before having dinner at The Lounge. As they headed off to catch Princess Raccoon (those crazy Japanese), I made my way back to Munkey Towers and had another quiet evening *schloof munkey*, watching Big Brother (how could they evict Kate?! She might be irritating, but Melanie is drying-paint personified!) and settling down for a good sleep.

I headed into work for a half-day on Monday, skiving off early to meet Lili, Ms Jen and Mr Joshua and attend another film: Strings. Okay... so imagine a Shakespearian tragedy crossed with a Victor Kelleher novel, then picture it all in a world populated by string puppets. No, lovers and dreamers, we're not entering Thunderbirds territory, we're talking damn classy marionettes, beautifully designed creatures, elegantly performed. And the most remarkable thing, which I wasn't expecting ~ the story is not only performed using puppets, but is self-referentially set in a marionette world; the fact that all the characters are string-puppets is the crux of the story's philosophy and mythology. The film opens with an old king ending his life by severing his own head-string. Palaces and cities are built with no closed-in doorways or rooves, allowing the all-connecting strings to move about freely. These literal lifelines bind every person to each other and to the heavens. Very interesting concepts, and a very beautiful film.

Rushing as best I could out of the cataclysmic city peak-hour chaos, I finally made my way to Endeavour Hills for a lovely dinner and catch-up session with patermunkey and Ms Cait. So we enjoyed a pork roast, I met Cait's Sims, we watched Mythbusters - hurrah for those crazy guys and their penchant for destroying things. And thanks to pop and cat for a great evening. As much as I love living the inner-suburbs, independant life, I do miss you guys like crazy.

Love to all, more soon.

~~~~~~~