“You Can’t Ask That” is a great series. Just watched the Indigenous and sex workers episodes, both made me cry and laugh.
It’s interesting because the ABC is often accused of being “politically correct”, but here they deliberately open up discussion to all the questions that are likely to offend people. It’s even good to watch the stupid questions, because we can see how people get exasperated when they are pigeon-holed by ignorant stereotypes.
Watch it over on ABC iView, so you’ll never have to ask these questions again.
It’s also making me think about the term “politically correct”, and why people hate either what they perceive the term represents, or the way the term is used.
There’s a few more layers of complexity in this idea.. not sure i have the brainpower to tease it out right now, but it’s definitely a point of division in Australian political debate. Probably better to just watch the rest of the episodes. I’ve been told to watch especially the ones about Muslim people and Dwarf people.
Magical work from Melbourne’s Gretta Ray, who has just taken out the TripleJ Unearthed High best in class award. I saw Gretta play last year with If You See Her Say Hello, and she is really great. Here’s an old video from Sofar in July 2015. Can’t rave enough about this singer-songwriter; her lyrics and vocals are astonishing and beautiful.
Oh wait, here’s the “surprise” video from TripleJ, with Amarina and Mim somewhere in the background, because they are her awesome teachers.
Busker Stories is a relatively recent production from Mashup Pictures.
Episode 1 features Tash Sultana, whose name has been getting a lot bigger lately, talking about how street performing affects her art and audience. I like the way they’ve put this show together.
“I was born at a time when the Australian government knew how many sheep there were, but not how many Aboriginal people.. I was 10 years old before the 1967 referendum fixed that. The first 10 years of my life were spent as a non-citizen.”
Linda Burney is the first indigenous woman to be elected to the federal House of Representatives. She’s the member for Barton, and has previously been deputy leader of the NSW opposition. Here’s her maiden speech to the Australian federal parliament.
Lynette Riley, who made the cloak, sings from the gallery around the 8 minute mark.
A few people have posted an extract, so i went looking for the full speech
Also transcript and audio here http://goo.gl/A5iPB2
#SovereigntyNeverCeded
This woman is extraordinary. She’s reclaiming “Freak” as one of her own performer identity words, which is challenging for some because of how sideshows used to deliberately exploit people with disabilities. I love the underground sideshow circus that’s been growing strongly in recent years, and Sarah Houbolt is an engaging performer.
Bed of Nails, High-Flying, all kinds of amazing skills, and all without the benefit of vision.
Honestly i don’t know what this woman is doing, i wish i could write a complex and reflective review, but this piece just takes me to a place where i have no logical understanding. Seriously, listen to this.
okay that’s a bit gushing, right? If i was being critically reflective, i would say.. i need more of this. What happens next? it’s too short in time.
last.fm top albums since 2007
So my good friend Amarina tags me on FB, with this request that i share the 12 albums that have affected me most deeply. Don’t think too much about it, just what springs to mind. And yes, i should have kept that initial list, but i had to think about it, didn’t i. Pretty soon that top 12 blew out to 50, and i’m wrestling with the order, trying to get them all to fit into the magical number limit. “I’m choosing 13,” i told her, breaking all the rules.
2020 – b(if)tek For the Roses – Joni Mitchell Diva – Soundtrack Plastic Letters – Blondie Buena Vista Social Club South Bronx Story – Esg Touch – Eurythmics Exit Planet Dust – Chemical Brothers True Colours – Split Enz Confessions on a Dance Floor – Madonna Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris – Soundtrack Rodgers & Hart Songbook – Ella Fitzgerald Gossip – Paul Kelly
Let’s Get Killed – David Holmes Nestegg – Spoonbill Multiply – Jamie Lidell The Albatross – West Side Circus Dogs in Space – Soundtrack Love and Entropy – Lisa Salvo Colour the Small One – Sia Demon Days – Gorillaz Kicking against the Pricks – Nick Cave 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 – Midnight Oil Kick – Inxs Sign o the Times – Prince Let It Die – Feist
Ok Computer – Radiohead The World Won’t Listen – The Smiths Recurring Dream – Crowded House Signs of Life – Penguin Cafe Orchestra Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel Treasure – Cocteau Twins Aladdin Sane – David Bowie Leftism – Leftfield Back to Black – Amy Winehouse Geogaddi – Boards Of Canada G Love and Special Sauce – G Love and Special Sauce Lemonjelly.ky – Lemon Jelly New Skin for The Old Ceremony – Leonard Cohen
Made of Bricks – Kate Nash Koyaanisqatsi – Soundtrack Cold and the Crackle – Not Drowning Waving East – Cold Chisel Messenger – Jimmy Little Bing Bing Bing – Charlie Hunter Trio Madonna – Madonna Mars Needs Guitars – Hoodoo Gurus Pin-ups – David Bowie Horses – Patti Smith Grease – Soundtrack
This was a truly beautiful project to be involved with.. i played in the opening with many other people, and then First Chorus had a season singing next to the pianos as well. This video shows great community engagement not only in the city, but also in community centres around the outer suburbs. We had over 20 pianos all playing together in the opening. (There i am in the video, around 3:56, woohoo!)
The summer was stinking hot, but it was still a delight to walk around the city from piano to piano and play for a while. Had a couple of great days, playing keys with Sarah and David, and then another time playing characters with Jules and Stevie.
Time for some good news. i’ve just been reading Pitchfork Design .. where Sam talks of a new project up near Swan Hill; and her inspiration is this amazing tale of greening the desert in Jordan.
This video is so worth watching, from desert to fruit trees and oasis: “You can solve the problems of the world in a garden,” says Geoff Lawton the permaculture artist behind the project.
3years later they’ve revisited the system to see what’s happened:
and here’s Geoff Lawton talking more about the project:
.. and read up on Sam’s projects too, she’s doing amazing work rebuilding the gardens in schools around Victoria. go Sam!
Via Sydney Indymedia, news of a plane crashing with 3-6 tonnes of cocaine. Several people seem to believe that this plane “belonged” to the CIA; and also that the same plane had been frequently used to transport enemy combatants to Guantanamera Bay.
(Whole story was reported in ‘daily Kos’)
Can you imagine what the CIA would be doing with that much coke? When you follow the discussion, you find that a number of people are taken by the idea that the US govt is actually in charge of the illegal drug market. And that major banks are laundering cash from the whole thing.
Bizarre! i’m aghast and flobbergosted. Who would believe such things. Does this mean we can’t trust our governments here in the West? But i thought we lived in a civil society, a democracy. Surely this is just paranoid ranting?
The government, that runs a war on drugs, supports a covert drug smuggling operation? But wouldn’t that be hippo-critical ..?
