Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Elephant Leg Neck Girl

So it's that time of year again where I show up another sketch i drew for no other reason than to be an active part of the wonderful self-indulgent tool we call blogging...so here goes nothing!

The days are slow and grey, like a scratched silent movie no one cares to watch. Only a handful of well-dressed folk would even stop to consider and appreciate the string of events unfolding before them...perhaps they will write essays. They may or may not follow deconstructionist theories on how the author was simply dealing with deep and complex 'daddy issues', or whether it was a Dadaist examination of the absurd and the meaninglessness of art, the universe and everything. They can deconstruct all day long...but before they know it they will go home to listen to their Joy Division records in the dark and drink their red wine. I must admit that I've never listened to Joy Division, but I know they are from Manchester.

Right?

I visited Manchester once. We played football in a park near my cousin's house. On the way to the park, we had to pass through a muddy undergrowth that was no doubt frequented by delinquents and homeless alike. There was a discarded mattress on the wayside. I wondered what memories lay coiled within the springs. If we were to ask those springs of their past, they would most likely jump up and sting us right in the eye.

"Ow my eye! I'm not supposed to get springs in it!"


The days are slow and grey...and yet before you know it, it's autumn. It's winter. It's spring. It's summer. It's autumn. It's winter. It's spring. It's summer. It's autumn again...and you're already a season older than you last remember.

Everything's the same...and then before you know it,
everything changes.

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I wish I could get some rest in the shade of the tree. I would join the little folk and rejoice under their goddess of the elephant leg- with her finely coiffured head of hair. We could all be happy together- singing, dancing, drinking and eating. Perhaps i would meet a girl and we would laugh and discuss quantum mechanics. She would introduce me to her brother and we would start talking about our love for music. Several months later we could start a band and play regular shows in the shade of the magical tree of idolatry (idola-tree?). We would touch eternity and embrace life in the fullest...but then I remember that it's just a crappy little drawing i made when listening to the new Howling Bells album.

They cancelled their aussie tour.

Here's the drawing.


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As a little footnote unrelated to my emo-ing it out with my stream-of-consciousness drivel, I watched Invisible Children last night. It was incredibly moving not just to see the Ugandan kids' resilience in horrendous situations, but to see how three average american dudes made a simple, honest video 6 years ago about their 'African adventures' and how that completely and utterly magnified into a global call for justice and action. Simply amazing. I recommend you watch Invisible Children if you get the chance. There are currently more than 3000 kids under the rule of Mr. Joseph Kony in northern Uganda. He is fighting a pointless war that has lasted more than 20 years and is kidnapping and terrorising without any sign of stopping. Unfortunately i'm not sure if i can join the rally in sydney on saturday, but it has woken me up to the need for change in this world.

And how one voice can make a difference. If you believe in yourself.

You can achieve anything.


(end cliche here)


Kloo

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Watching TV At 2am Never Felt More Important

It's rare in life that we get the opportunity to experience such an important moment and bask in its historical significance with the awareness that in 40 years time we can look back and say 'I was there'. I can only remember a few thus far in my life: the 2000 Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony, hearing about 9/11, watching the official beginning of the Iraq invasion...monumental events all through the television funnily enough. 

Well last night I was more than happy to watch Obama's inauguration (I was way too full to sleep anyway. Char Chen Teng peanut butter french toast. wow. doesn't go too well with pork though...). 

I read once that this generation has grown up knowing only one US government that used fear and ignorance to maintain its power. The invisible war on terror sparked by 9/11 has existed all around for nearly a decade. That generation has had suspicion and xenophobia written on their subconscious. War, or at least the consciousness of war, was prevalent throughout people's entire teenage years. I felt sorry for that generation when i read that article. 

Then i realised that i was part of that generation. 

This kind of makes me want to become an American just to skip out on the sociopolitical apathy of Australian culture. It makes me want to do and be a part of something bigger than myself (in the words of Obama). If the son of an African immigrant can become president, then truly anything is possible.  

Anyway, I never intended to write a political rant. I just relish the promise of progressive leadership on this dawn of a new age. I hope and pray that the hope and promises aren't empty.

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Going to see Mogwai tonight in KL with Adrian, PB and Keith. Bought their new album before leaving for malaysia, but it didn't import on itunes. And i forgot to put Young Team on my ipod so i am unfortunately unable to listen to any!

Of course this means i miss volleyball, but a couple hours of Scottish instrumental post-rock never hurt anyone! 

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A Poem

When a phone has no credit
When an ipod has no battery
Technology is useless plastic
And i get frustrated