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(no subject)
Jun. 25th, 2009 | 01:17 pm
From:trish and rikki <kirimaia@xxxx
Date:06/16/2006 08:28 PM
Subject:love from tai
ppppppppppppmmmmmmm z .vee
o,fu0l4,ldcc;;ydf;5g3xs7i3cxc333333z////
gvc9clllll3;a.sxzxp/'''y6'dfrrrrff''''''
add drool, and it's a pretty truthful rendition of tai's love affair with buttons (just like kahu, who now also has the tv remote worked out)
xx
this is the only commication i'll get from tai as he passed away in his sleep from a liver condition a few weeks later. i miss that little fella, he was a smiley, cuddly treasure. It was the 1 year anniversary of mon and dave's baby mahzira birth and death on wednesday. i'm sad that never got cuddles from her; there's a space in my heart that will always miss these little ones.
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old gen star trek
May. 22nd, 2009 | 09:53 am
- sexism: there were no female figures of authority, the women's federation uniform was a racy red mini shift dress with knee high boots; the only female characters was a very pretty, talented language expert (love interest of main male character, didn't say much but looked very cute and was supportive and smart and chaste) and a few gentle submissive loving mothers. the men preserving hearth and home were central motivations to much of the action.
- racism: the white guy with unintelligible accent whose computer couldn't understand his login, the eccentric scott, the black submissive woman...
- favouritism based on who captain kirk's father was, and some not entirely meritous promotions/ promotions based on display of overly "masculine" behaviours and demotion based on more "feminine" traits- spock had to stand down because he was deemed "too emotionally attached" to lead appropriately.
- there was also a bit less science nerdism than you get in next gen.
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Higher Education Legislation Amendment Bill 2009
May. 21st, 2009 | 09:17 am
It looks as though the Proposed Higher Education Legislation Amendment Bill is set to be debated in the Senate this week.This bill concerns the Student Services and Amenities fee which, under the Howard Government was made voluntary when VSU was introduced in 2005.
If this bill goes through, it will not be a return to compulsary student unionism (which means that all University students, upon enrolment are members of their Student Union/Guild) but it will mean that Universities will be able to charge all students a compulsary fee (the Services and Amenities fee) which is capped at a maximum of $250 per annum, per student. This will go towards the upkeep of student services like health clinics, parking, childcare, counselling, academic support on campus as well as amenities such as food, bookshops etc. It will also be at university discretion to provide a portion of these funds to student-run organisations like Unions or Guilds which provide representation and advocacy services to students. The new legislation also includes the option of a HECs style loan that will allow eligible students to borrow funds from the government to cover the A&S fees.
Since the introduction of Voluntary Student Unionism four years ago, Universities have lost $170 million that should have gone towards these vital services that saw costs on campus skyrocket – (I can attest to this, it cost me fifteen bucks just for a coffee and a salad at the cafe the other day D: ….) Shops and cafes that had previously been subsidised are now far too expensive for most students to afford.
It also means that Student Guilds have suffered – and this is bad news not just for the political upstarts and loudmouthed campus activists that we’ve all come to know and love, it means that Student Guilds no longer have the resources to provide essential services to students. Without the proper funding, student organisations have lost the ability to run at the capacity needed to fufil their roles. For example:
* Providing students with a voice on campus that allows them to appeal unfair academic decisions with appropriate representation. At ECU we employ several full time Education and Welfare Officers who are responsible for supporting students with academic concerns such as student appeals, legal advice, food vouchers, emergency loans, visa information (particularly with International Students), second hand books and computers and so on. Without the necessary funding we will not be able to afford to employ these people and certainly would not be able to provide this essential assistance to students.
* Running anti-poverty initiatives (ECU Guild Provides free tea, coffee, toast and cereal to students that may not be able to afford the cost of living, as well as running campaigns about the high levels of student poverty).
* Running student Volunteering services and job opportunities.
* Providing students from Equity Groups with adequate support and representation. This can include Indigenous students, students from rural or remote areas, Female students (sexual harassment and assault on campus are not things of the past, and most student Guilds have a women-only support space or Women’s collective), Students with Disabilities and Students of Diverse Sexuality and Gender (The GLBTI Departments of just about every student guild I’ve ever seen have always been the most active – possibly because they are sometimes the only places where some students have felt comfortable expressing their sexuality or gender identities without fear of harassment or prejudice).
* Organising Social events and charity fundraisers s for students like sports days, band competitions and gigs and on campus games that contribue to campus community and university experience.
* Facilitating Student Clubs and Societies – At ECU we have student groups for just about everything - a DJ collective, an anime society, a Student Party Association, a number of religious groups, sports clubs you name it.
I could go on until the cows come home. The point is – we do stuff. We do some pretty crucial stuff. And that’s just ECU - some Guilds do more. But most don’t have enough money to do even half of that. The only reason that ECU managed is because we were clever, we worked our hands to the bone. And we were very very lucky.
Anyway, obviously the Government is pushing this (With Minister for Youth Kate Ellis at the helm), and the Opposition doesn’t like it one little bit. Not suprisingly – afterall, it was the Libs that introduced the VSU legislation back in 05, caterwauling about ‘freedom of choice’ (because providing representation and support services to students is such a breach of liberty..) and how student Unions were a breeding ground for Labor supporters and seditious student activists. OHNOEZ! *flail*
So, there’s little hope of many of them supporting the Bill in the Senate. The Greens are on board – but with a few very legitimate concerns. There is no concrete assurance that any of the money provided to Universities by the Services and Amenities bill will actually go towards Student Organisations – or that there will be any real accountability and transparency in the process.
The real sting in the tail is Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce. He is threatening to block the bill unless – seriously – wait for it – unless the funding is used for sports. And sports alone.
Yeah. For rlz.
According to Senator Joyce, Universities are more than just learning institutions – they exist to ‘enrich the person as a whole‘. Agreed – but I’m wondering how taking away much needed funding to student support services and sending representation down the toilet enriches anyone besides the campus jocks having a kick around while the rest of us have to deal with overpriced food, books and no representation or voice on campus.
Also – possibly at risk of dredging up old highschool memories of being picked last for P.E and silently wishing death on the sadist who made me run laps around the school oval – but has it occured to Dear Barnaby that perhaps sports aren’t that much of a priority for a huge number of students? What about students with disabilities? There’s more than one way to enrich one’s experience at university – and they are infinitely more varied than the contents of a gym room locker.
The vote will rest upon Joyce, Independent Nick Xenophon and Family First Senator Steve Fielding. The next few days will be crucial in determining whether or not this Bill will pass. ECU Student Guild has put together a Lobby Package that includes all of the important information about the bill and what it will mean for Students and Universities, plus contact details for the three senators on which the vote will ultimately rest.
Please, if you are a student and you value your voice and your representation and your life on campus then take a few minutes to call or email one of these three people and let them know how important it is that Student Unions and organisations receive the funding they need to continue supporting and advocating for students. Just one phone call, just one email – it takes ten minutes and every little counts.
Phoning Members of Parliament
Nationals Senate Leader – Barnaby Joyce
Parliament Contact
Phone: (02) 6277 3244
Fax: (02) 6277 3246
Independent Senator – Nick Xenophon
Parliament Contact
Phone: (02) 6277 3552
Fax: (02) 6277 5834
Family First Senator – Steve Fielding
Parliament Contact:
Phone: (02) 6277 3711
Fax: (02) 6277 5713
EMAILING MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
Nationals Senate Leader – Barnaby Joyce
Via Contact Form
Via Direct Email
E: senator.joyce@aph.gov.au
Independent Senator – Nick Xenophon
Email: senator.xenophon@aph.gov.au
Family First Senator – Steve Fielding
Email: senator.fielding@aph.gov.au
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amazing amazing
May. 5th, 2009 | 09:22 pm
in that time i was also job hunting somewhat ambivalently, doing an application here and there. and climbing at the gym, training at the powerhouse, yoga and heaps of other things, my days were always pretty full.
today i started back at the office for youth again. i was emailing everyone i knew with my CV and they gave me a call. i'm currently there til 30 june but there might be more work after that. i'm working on some funding that is part of $6 billion from the commonwealth to deal with homelessness. it's unprecedented, amazing. the white paper seems to me like they really get it, recognising mental health, DV, child maltreatment, exits from child safety, justice systems, drug centres... it's so incredible to go to work and actually work with funding that can actually address a problem. the office has just moved to mary street, right down near eagle street. it's a lovely part of town, today i went for a walk at lunchtime along the river, in the sun. the building is much airier, and is nowhere near as cold as the old building where I used to wear scarves, woollens, coats and rugs and hug a heat pack.
me and james have had plans to holiday next week so i get a week off right off the bat! unpaid of course... but i'm glad we're getting away as his job has been intense for the last 6 months and that wears anyone down eventually. we've decided to go out to frog butress and nail ourselves on some hard climbing and get in form for the climbing season. yay!
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evening the score between forest and lantana
Apr. 6th, 2009 | 10:41 am
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feelin good
Mar. 24th, 2009 | 09:06 am
i'm excited about climbing again. me pete and james c did ruby of india on saturday. it was a terrific day, perfect weather, coolish in the morning but steamy once we started the steep 1 hour hike in. on the 200m climb it was windy and really cold. i had my rain jacket on to keep the wind out but still was really quite cold on the belay ledges. i led some of the easier pitches, 1 and 6, and had a lovely time on the belays. we started climbing at about 9am and i think we topped out at about 4.30pm, after 6 pitches. we had a quick detour to the summit and got back to the car just as it was getting too dark to walk without head torches. it was a long day and we all were weary but a great time had been had. pete took lots of snaps, i'll upload some when i get to access them.
when we got back to our tent at frog buttress we found a creature had pissed all over the front bit of the tent, all over my tarp, james' boulder mat and our tootbrushes. the tarp was skanky so i threw it out with the toothbrushes on the way home; unfortunately the boulder mat was totally bombed by urine too, but it will have to be washed as well as possible.
i woke up early on sunday but we had a slowish start. it got stinky hot by the end of the 2 pitch warm up. we tried a few more things but without a lot of enthusiasm or success. still managed to leave fairly late because of chatting and stuck gear.
got home to find out that yes, queensland can vote for a female premier. i was worried that it wouldn't. and a woman from the labour left to boot, hooray! my housemate kate was running the labour campaign for indooroopilly so heard about some of the election nasty stuff, seems to bring out the not-so-nice in some people. anyway, ronan lee, who defected to the greens effectively split the progressive vote in the electorate and the national/ liberals won the seat.
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sleepy fella
Mar. 11th, 2009 | 07:57 am
last friday night i had timmy pee, stevie j, my circus friend picsta and james over for a spot of tea and games. it was a hilarious night! we ended up playing charades of all things, and crikey it was funny. saturday was lovely and sunny so we drove down to the goldie and hung with trish and mikey. they are only a month or 2 away from moving into their new dream house! they subdivided their block in miami (the house was more or less condemned) and built twin duplexes. they hope to sell one to fund the building of the both. on sunday me and james went out to slider, a sport climbing area on mt tibrogargen. he's climbing really well, i'm feeling a bit average but am slowly improving. i do notice the gym is helping though.
the weekends take it out of me a bit; i'm so glad i don't have a job! i did have an interview on monday which went ok but i haven't heard back yet, i guess it comes down to how experienced everyone else was. it would be a very intensive job if i got it though but i would have made some good cash for my NZ summer 2010 dreams. in the meantime, i am well placed to get a good tax return come july 09 so i'll just have to live like a cheepskate til then.
me and some good local friends (housemate waff, her partner karen, timmy pee and susan pee harvey) have set up a car share arrangement with my car, so if it works well it will help with keeping that on the road (which costs over $3K a year). i guess i don't really need a car as much as really appreciate the convenience. take last night- my car is at the panel beaters (someone tried to break in with a screwdriver and messed up the passenger door) and i managed to get a flat tyre riding my bike home from dropping the car off. i have high pressure tyres on my bike and i didn't realise how much i had to keep them pumped up. the tyre kept deflating and i missed philosophy. to be fair, i had all afternoon to try and fix that but i was a sleepy fella and totally engrossed in my upcoming book club book, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (i took the wikipedia reference out, it is a total plot spoiler) .
what a book! i got so caught up in the book that i read it in a day and a half! what a way to tell a story, i was on the edge til pretty much the last page, such exquisite dramatic tension. definitely one of the best books i've read in a while.
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Super weekend
Feb. 22nd, 2009 | 09:42 pm
on saturday i woke with the inspiration to cook, so i got a fry up underway and called over maciek, ben c, and suse p (oh james joined us eventually after a big sleep in) for some polenta bread, grilled eggplant and tomatoes, fried onion and eggs, with avacado and turkish bread. it was quite a feast. whilst we were brekkying, my wonderful friend devaki from the gold coast rings to say she's on her way to brisbane to go to the gallery of modern art's exhibition called optimism. now most of us had already been, but there is this marvellous room in the exhibit which is composed of fluffy white trees! ever since going there, i have longed to do a photoshoot in there. so a few of us decided to go along and sneak in some props and cameras. unfortunately they are on james' camera but i intend to download them as soon as i can.
after galleries we had a few hours at the indoor climbing gym which was fun. on our bikes back to my house we passed maciek again who was going to the joynt, a cute little bar right near the gallery in south brisbane. so we rode home, showered and went right back out again. tallgilbo came joined us as well, and was post boy for some delightful birthday beads from dear monee in uganda. i will write a proper thank you letter soon. at about 830 we got grumblies in our bellies so ordered some vientnamese take out and ate it at my house.
sunday (today) me, james and a friend of a mutual friend went climbing out at slider. on the drive up we were psyching the weather to be good and dammit it worked for hours! we had the normally very busy place all to ourselves and it was overcast and cool and mostly not rainy. we got in 3 or 4 routes in before the rain set in. and had fish and calamari for dinner. magical weekend.
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pumpkin baby and exciting no job prospects!
Jan. 30th, 2009 | 01:07 pm
firstly, the pumpkin vine which popped up months ago near our compost has procuded a beautiful baby pumpkin. which we have been watching the progress carefully are very proud and happy . i took some photos this morning but won't probably get to add them for a couple of weeks because....
I'M GOING TO TASSIE (very early) TOMORROW!!! for the tasmanian circusfestival! almost 2 weeks of workshops and performances, it's going to be awesome!!! it also involves camping and flying, and thus careful, careful packing and other feats of organisation. but i have pulled in some late nights and gone through lots of lists and think that i still have time for a few social things tonight.
in an awkwardly coinciding event, today is also my last day in the office for youth. so not only am doing all sorts of things to organise up my personal life, i am also desperately tying up loose ends from my 3 months or so in my current stint at the office. i did have such good plans to file, notate and so on, however it's easy for me to respond to the highest priorities in this job, and carry over the lower priorities from one to do list to the next.
the GFC (global f**cking crisis- everyone's doing it!) has affected the qld and all other levels of government quite significantly, and there is a freeze on recruitment and backfilling of jobs which will probably occur for some time. which makes it a bit tricky for people like me who like to take short-term contracts and avoid long-term ones!!! s'ok though, i have been tucking all my spare cents into a savings account, and have been thinking about doing some more study for ages (if only i could decide on one thing or area!)
sorry for all the exclamations, i'm running on adrenaline, excitment and a lot less sleep than normal =D
will post after the circusfest, yaaaayyyyyyyy!!!!!
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(no subject)
Jan. 28th, 2009 | 07:11 am
| Blog: |
| This Janettee Life |
Topics: |
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magic does happen
Jan. 27th, 2009 | 01:30 pm
my sister cate and i woke to a packet of spaghetti strewn all over the laundry. cate asked me what it was doing there; i had no idea why it was there though. she then said well i guess i will sweep it outside then, and proceeded to do that.
hayden woke up soon after, and wandering outside through the laundry, he spotted the spaghetti outside and yelled out excitedly:
GRANDMA! SOMETHING MAGIC HAS HAPPENED! ALL THE SPAGHETTI WAS ALL OVER THE LAUNDRY AND NOW IT'S OUTSIDE!!!
apparently he and ashleigh had been playing some kind of game the night before with the noodles and he was amazed that they could have moved by themselves.
i guess that magic is in the eye of the beholder. it was extra cute because he actually says it "gwandma"
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a very aussie long weekend
Jan. 27th, 2009 | 10:48 am
we made a beeline to the beach friday night and camped up at the sunny coast, once again. i've sure been there a lot this summer, it's just so lovely. this time quite a crew followed up on saturday afternoon and evening, maciek and a friend of his dan, and a few of my climbing friends too. on sunday tim and the frenchies- aurore, sylvan and delphin- also arrived, so it was quite a full house!
despite the early morning drizzle we were dragged out of bed before 6am on sunday by super keen climbers and drove out to tinbeerwah. of course the rock was soaked and mossy, but some of the super keen ones did some top roping; the rest of us just had a nice look around the crag and then scooted to noosa national park. james surfed and we all swam and swam and swam. it had turned into the loveliest, sunny day, and of course tea trea bay is dreamy beautiful.
after a big swim we checked out the bouldering, but, with the mats, shoes and chalk in the car, we were a bit hesistant to try too much, with the very hard landing and wearing flip flops and crocs. after the requisite gelati in noosa, we all headed back to the beach house and in the afternoon headed up to mt coolum, where there were hoards of locals and visitors trying to get up the steep, steep climbs, with varying success. i just chatted, the climbing is stupid hard, it's a bit discouraging to not be able to do the first move of a climb, even if it is a 26.
we inherited a few more climbers for dinner on sunday night, and maciek organised an awesome seafood bbq feast! i don't care for seafood much, but even i was won over by his calamari and fresh fish. there were heaps of big prawns too that went down a treat.
monday was much a cruiser day, with a much later start, and a mid morning bbq breaky, with a huge fruit salad, banana pancakes, eggs, mushrooms and more. with full bellies, we cruised down to the beach for more swimming, and then back to sit around with beers ets and listen to the hottest 100. my sister nicky was staying upstairs and got a fit of aussie inspiration, and made meat pies and lammingtons, which were nice to share with the frenchies and hungarian. so all up, a very fun, and very aussie weekend! as usual, i took my camera but it remained right at the bottom of my pack all weekend! i'm cursing that now!
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women driving = unholy. everyone knows that
Jan. 27th, 2009 | 10:43 am
Saudi woman arrested for driving a car
Saudi religious police have arrested a woman in the region of Qatif in eastern Saudi Arabia for driving a car. The 47-year-old woman was spotted by agents from the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice after other men reported the woman, said Saudi daily Okaz. The woman was later released after her family posted bail, and will now be put on trial. There is no law in Saudi Arabia that prevents women from driving. However, fatwas or religious edicts, have been issued by Wahhabi scholars saying it is sinful for women to drive. (08/12/08)
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i miss JT
Jan. 20th, 2009 | 04:04 pm
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Human Rights Overboard
Jan. 20th, 2009 | 09:33 am
some more shameful australian history.... this time it is a legacy of our most recent former prime minister, john howard. this article is from the Tamborine Times, Thursday 15/1/2009
The People's Inquiry into Detention was set up by the Australian Council of Heads of School of Social Work (ACHSSW). It heard heartbreaking evidence about asylum-seekers' journeys to Australia, their refugee determination process, and their life in and after detention. In total, around 200 people testified to the inquiry, and a similar number of written submissions were received. The Inquiry was in response to the narrow terms of reference of the Palmer inquiry. This was based on a view that ordinary Australians have an obligation to act when our government is unwilling to do so. The first report can be downloaded here. They later made a detailed submission in August 2008 to the federal governments "Inquiry into immigration detention in Australia" which is available here.
Also a book has been published this year called "Human Rights Overboard" by Linda Briskman, Susie Latham and Chris Goddard. Several RAR members have read and been deeply moved by its stories and the outcome of the People's Inquiry. The following release notes by the publishers (Scribe Publications) are accurate in the description of the book.
"Clearly and comprehensively presented, the book is a haunting journey guided by voices from every side of the fence: former and current immigration detainees, refugee advocates, lawyers, doctors, psychiatrists, and former detention and immigration staff. Taken together, their stories record a humanitarian disaster that sounds a warning to current and future policy makers, both here and overseas. With a foreword by prominent humanitarian lawyer Julian Burnside, Human Rights Overboard is an essential book that will resonate for years to come."
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expensive airport pick up
Jan. 19th, 2009 | 10:38 am
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eww i put that on my face??!
Jan. 9th, 2009 | 10:58 am
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Book club 2009
Jan. 8th, 2009 | 12:06 pm
we decided to map out our book club books for 2009 for book club to assist with planning etc. a few people still haven't made their choices yet; the general process is that if it is at your house, you get to choose the book.
i'm looking to round out my reading repertoire, and am looking at prize lists and also lists of best books of all time.
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she works hard for the money
Dec. 22nd, 2008 | 12:23 pm
not
i'm at work, it's the last few days of the working year, and i'm not doing much. i don't think anyone else is either. we're having morning teas and lunches, doing christmas shopping. i'm writing and reviewing to do and packing lists. i took an early lunch break to avoid crowds and got a new head torch- i packed for camping last night and my quite new peztl one is dead. it's the third i've gone through, i'm giving up on that expensive junk. i got a candle lantern too. my family is not doing christmas presents again this year and it's such a delight. if i want something (like a candle lantern) i just go and get it.
so now i'm half packed for the beach and camping. i'm thinking of going to woodford for a couple of days, a lot of my crew are going so it will be nice to hang out with monee and dave, gill and jordo, maciek, adam j and a number of my other circus friends, sister sues and many other friendly folk. i kinda swore off woodford after last year, but with so many of my fun friends going, it should be pretty good. frankly i just want to go there and hang with my buddies at camp!
yay for working in the middle of city in an airconditioned building, it's been scorchingly hot recently, although i has cooled down to under 30 degrees now. on friday it got up to 37 degrees, it was icky outside. i spent the weekend down the goldie with my fella, it was pretty mellow i didn't really do much except for sit around on the beach reading the weekend australian and the watchmen.
on a unrelated note, i just read a lovely article about making the most of the economic downturn.
tonight i'm having dinner with jen tsen and few others to celebrate the festive season. JT has some news, you should email him if you want to find out, i'm not going to steal his thunder. hope y'all have some terrific holidays. and we can't be with all the ones we love, but hopefully we can be with at least some of them. otherwise there's always email and skype!
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funny sunburn swirls
Dec. 15th, 2008 | 03:14 pm
it's been a typical brisbane summer here, where it is over 30 degrees most days, and there are regular afternoon storms. so i've been spending a lot of time at the beach. even if i would contemplate climbing when it's this hot, i can't really cause i've managed to mess my left pointer finger up and it's still hurty. i might have already mentioned it in a previous post.... thought i slamming it in the car door might be a fun and glamourous thing to do, but it wasn't.
i did actually go for a climb on friday night, i organised a bbq with some climbing friends down at kangaroo point which was pretty fun. however i was pretty tired and a bit strung out by the end of last week, with housemate dramas, new housemate interviews and working full time (yeah i'm a sucker but $$ is good), along with all my usual training and things. it was great to top rope a few things, just to get my head out of my head.
saturday morning was hot by 7am so it was straight to the beach for me, james and maggie the dog. it was a stinker of a day, so i put layers of sunscreen on, but still managed to miss a bit and have a weird swirl on my chest that everyone has been commenting on.
yesterday i had the morning to myself and ended up in a domestic blitz. it was a perfect washing day after daily storms, so got through the backlog and decided to air mattresses, wash doonas and underblankets and sun the very dusty rug from under my bed. in the middle of the day i had a family christmas lunch with aunties and grandparents who i won't be seeing on christmas day. i spent a lot of time in the pool with the kids playing dolphins and other goofy games. had a yummo bbq lunch too, compliments to my mother once again.
and after quite a bit of work, we have found a nice new housemate. we met some really cool people in the process but cate seems like a winner. 3rd time lucky!! and last night in my lovely aired bed and pillows and washed covers, i slept like a dead thing.