Warning Grandma, those tea parties and piano playing in the church will need security....

I've written a paper (yet to be made public) on the media beat up over violence in inner city venues and finger pointing that it's all due to the blow ins from the burbs.  Lord Mayor Robert Doyle believes "all Melburnians are heartily sick of these vicious cowards coming in and trying to take over our city, well we won't let them …. I think banning of people summarily from the city, moving them out of the city if they look like they are a danger or a problem … is a good solution.” He called on police to stop troublemakers from the outer suburbs travelling to the city.  My paper suggests some common sense, level headed strategic changes that may prevent violence.  But in the meantime, it appears regulators have decided to punish entertainment venues, with new legislation requiring any entertainment gatherings to have security, one per 100 people. So even if 10 people turn up, security must be present. And the security must be licensed, from a registered security firm (not cousin Vinnie from down the road).  This poses additional unforeseen costs to venues many of which are typically small, owner operated businesses that work on thin margins.

Proposed changes to the regulation of such events mean that even if a few grannies get together, say for a tea party in a local hall and someone there will be playing piano, they will need to hire a security guard.  Yep those grannies can get mighty whacky and wild!  And in the bush it's pretty hard to find licensed security guards.....  Is this the end of the country dance?


I emailed a submission to the Minister about the proposed changes. It's attached and was a near copy of a pro forma protest letter doing the rounds. I got a reply from the Minister, attached.  It basically says the protest is not relevant.  hmmm.  Is this buck pushing?  But there have been some wins, for example the Sydney City council appears to have been quite open to negotiation, cutting the need for another regulation that requires fees to be paid to Council to compensate venue owners for hiring additional security.


But in Victoria, it's not a case of lock up your grannies, the liquor licensors may do it for you....


!!! CALL SECURITY!!!!!!!

dome homes

igloo-like dome homes are interesting.  Won't rust, rot or attract termites. Also highly resistant to earthquakes and typhoons. The walls are treated with a flame retardant, emit no toxic fumes in a fire. Fast and cheap to make (why didn't the bushfire victims get them? - oh they're maybe not fireproof).  But I'm not sure about living in styrofoam.... and the fellow says they're cliched. 

getting about part 2

Just back from Perth and nursing a sore throat from yelling over the music at the Royal Perth Yacht Club on Thursday night.  It was a professional formal do, that became slightly less formal as the night progressed.  Been in Perth this week.  Pics below.  I've never spent much time there, it's usually fly in fly out for work. But this time I explored a little.  Did Northbridge at night, underwhelmed.  But on my last day there some music enthusiasts recommended a performance space there that they thought I'd like - it had the raised stage, dark velvet curtains, and a tiki volcano in the middle of the room. In the blur I've forgotten its name but will contact them again to remind me.  Got a good view of Perth from the top floor of Council House (a formal invitation from the Lord Mayoress to drinks there.  I'll send mum&dad the embossed invitation so they think I've finally achieved some sense of decorum) - a stunning example of late 1950's (I think) architecture that they were going to demolish but kept due to public lobbying (yay lobbyists). Uni WA is a 'sandstone' uni, one of the old ones, and the architecture had a mediterranean feel to it, lots of cloisters and inner courtyard ponds with fish in them, and peacocks walking around.

  

  

I was there for a conference and the topic was serious, food for sober thought.  My presentation went well I think.  Met some lovely people there, good vibe.   But still not a fan of Perth.  Until I went to Fremantle, which was delightful, sort of like a warm windy version of Hobart.  Really good community atmosphere, barring the blowins like me.  I found a vintage frock shop and met some creatives there who were the sort of community minded ethical entrepreneurs I really admire.  The owner sits behind an industrial sewing machine and can tailor the frocks to fit right there and then.  Perfect idea and I can't believe others don't do it.  I  think that's it for my 2009 travels, although I really should be in Sydney this week....

getting about

just returned from an eventful time in Sydney, presented at a comms conference, went to a wedding, missed my afternoon flight back the next day due to party-induced lethargy etc etc...  Firstly Sydney:

 I'm not a fan of Sydney but I managed to find some grime, as per the prior pic (no I wasn't staying there).  Also before dinner with a close friend on Friday night at Yulli's (vegetarian) I wandered around Surry Hills to the homes I used to live in many years ago as a young pup straight out of uni, with John, my partner back then.  One of them has been gentrified:   but our first home together as renters, in a tiny quiet culdesac a mere 2 blocks from the gentrified area, is still the same dilapidated but cute lime green, and the cactii out the front have survived, which brought back a flood of memories....  It's uplifting to see it has survived where all around it has been gentrified.  Truly tugged at my heart, as opposed to the prior place which is where I lived a lot longer and was a grand terrace with the wooden floors, high ceilings, plasterwork etc. but in gentrification the street had lost it's idiosyncratic soul... and didn't move me.

Went to a wedding of a fellow who has been to hell and back the last 2 years, met someone 3 months ago and is now married....  So we went to the casual informal ceremony with wariness and ... they are a match and the day/night was fantastic. We cried during the ceremony. Then he gave a speech later on and thanked me (amongst others) for helping him through the past 2 years and I quietly bawled all over again, and turned to hide, only to see most people there dabbing their eyes.  Very emotional but cathartic and ultimately joyful.  It was so uplifting to see him so happy after such depths of hell and his whole life has turned around in 3 months since meeting his partner. His partner is from Colombo so the celebrations included LOTS of salsa dancing until 3am.  Beautiful weather, fabulous night and they know how to party.

A lady in her early twenties was there, pale skin with black hair with a purple streak through it, and dressed in heeled Mary Janes and a black tutu.  She had razor scars all over both arms.  Hundreds of scars, more scars than skin and she had a couple of bandaids over fresh scars.   I don't understand self mutilation and was curious. So I approached her and started a conversation.  I thought she might be into some alternative goth or death metal scene, but although she said she like indie music, she didn't appear to be a scenester.  She works fulltime for a corporate in a sensible role.  She didn't seem to be shamed by them as was happily pointing to tattoos elsewhere on her body.  So I tried another approach, I asked .. actually I can't remember what I asked as I'm still blurry from the party, but I noticed her eyes lit up when I did.  I suspect she self mutilates to get attention.  So I suspect it's an illness and she's taken it way too far.  She's given it too much leeway.  She did say she's moving back in with her mum and dad so hopefully she has acknowledged it and is taking steps to address it.  I hope so as she was a sweetie and doesn't deserve it.  Apart from that sobering conversation the party was a energetic happy celebration.

Missed my flight back to Melbourne but the lovely Qantas lady helped me out for free. Good because it was entirely my fault that I was slow and befuddled from too much partying and little sleep and multiple 'debrief' post wedding catchups on who did what with whom and other mayhem....  Back in Melbourne, today went to an oral specialist today for some dental work.  He also specialises in pain management, and went into lengthy detail about pain and surgery and said the surgery another specialist has recommended for me is (he took a deep breath for pause effect)  "extraordinarily" (another breath for emphasis) "painful."  But then reassured me that at least it's far better than 15 years ago when they didn't have xrays and much of it was guesstimates.....  But he was very sweet about it all and I'd certainly recommend him, and he spoke very highly of the other surgeon. I'd been told by that surgeon the surgery was "more painful than childbirth" but didn't need it to be reinforced...  (and no the xray below is not mine):

and back on earth

I've been rediscovering the work of Oscar Niemeyer this week, courtesy of a university library where all the architecture and design books are in rows near the business books.  How much I love thee university library......

 - the Niteroi museum would be his most often referenced work, but I really like his use of white curves.  The building below is an exhibition space made of concrete and wood, inside is stunning but I can't find a pic online (check out too the church in back left of this pic which he did too and is gobsmacking): His work blends beautifully with it's environs - the architecture above is monumental and spacious, but he also designed to fit into urban landscapes, with city skyscrapers that sat on columns, and in residences.  Again his appreciation of curvaceousness is evident in his 1953 home with lots of curves, although again the pic doesn't do it justice:

More stimulating futuristic moderne architecture can be viewed on this highly recommended visual candy blog

poor man on the moon

I feel sorry for the man on the moonbecause pretty soon we're going to be mining the moon for water , putting solar panel farms on the moon and mining it for mineral resources to power our nasty artificial lifestyles. In all the scifi books I read as a kid I thought the world was going to be invaded by aliens wanting to use our resources, not the other way around.  Surely earthlings are not evil? .............  and if earthlings are evil surely we can pick on a planet our own size?  LAND RIGHTS FOR THE MOON.

Paris Pics

OK when most people go to Paris they take photos of the Eiffel tower, romantic stuff, cheese, baguettes and vino etc etc.  I took photos of old furniture in a street market.... the pics don't do them justice though - this furniture was huuuuuge and immaculate, for example the shelves below and curvaceous drawers (at back of 3rd pic below) were at least 180cm high:

and spent a lot of time conjuring how to purchase/steal and ship said furniture to Australia.  It's doable because my carved wooden bed frame is vintage from France - bought it from 2 guys in Myrtleford had a business where twice a year they'd go to a town in rural France, buy up furniture and ship it back in a shipping container, but I think for personal reasons they closed a couple of years ago, and now I would worry about the wasted energy from transporting it here (but it is such a beautiful bed)  (and I must confess on prior trips to Paris I have taken pics of the Eyeful tower)....

currently reading:

It's Saturday and delightfully hot so I've slept in and read some trashy old Hollywood glamour gossip.  If this book is to be believed Joan Crawford slept with any man who moved, and Bette Davis seems a prude.

and also reading about the symbolism of space.  It describes a lot of things I've been hearing about why people live where they do, the perceived need for personal space, social space etc.  And also looking at a library book titled 'Developing retail entertainment destinations'.... which I really should be reading for work.

... and reading lots of stuff my man has been sending me about the near end of the world via either a short ice age, melting poles causing the sea levels to rise, soaring heat and fires .......  such happy reading material....

and also have been on Amazon ordering DVDs (yay strong $AU!) including this ditty with Ann Corio in Jungle Siren, it's the only Ann Corio film I can find:

but now it's high noon, hot, I'm dressed and about to head off in pursuit of a vintage amp, yes the search continues....  and enroute will stop at Monsieur Truffe for a soy hot chocolate, their hot chocs make spoons stand upright and create sugar highs. mmmmmm  wickedly rich deliciousness....

the next MAD MAX

really should be Sam Worthington...

currently reading:

an EU report: Creative Content in a European Digital Single Market: Challenges for the Future (link opens pdf).  It looks at the potential for a single (EU) market in digital content, and IP protection.  Considerations include:
- more collaboration with ISPs to stop content piracy (bet the French put that idea forward);
- the need to look for alternate sources of remuneration (for whom?);
- freely accessible ownership and license info (now that's a good idea);
- collective rights management (but then it gets a bit bogged down);
- etc. etc.


It's interesting timing because someone at YouTube spoke today about the need for copyright legislation to catch up with digital technologies.

Heatwave

I'm quietly amused by Melbourne's trendies. Often amused. I've been giggling on the inside a fair bit recently. This week I've been amused by inner urban trendies who wax lyrical about exotic locations such as Palm Springs, Mexico, Cuba, South America, Spain, Hong Kong, Arizona etc... And yet at the first sign of any heat in Melbourne they wilt and wither and retreat indoors to aircon and curse the heat. This hypocrisy exposes a disconnect that might be explained by semiotics, that is, the influence of the signification of these places on their perception of reality. That is, the trendies are desiring a dream not the reality. They talk of lounging in Frank Sinatra's pool in Palm Springs but in reality would be fretting about sunburn and heat. Or dancing in Cuba but in reality would be curling their lips at the perspiration and smells. Or shopping in Mexican markets for 'Day of the Dead' paraphernalia but in reality would be swatting flies whilst under umbrellas and complaining about how the dirt is sticking to their sweaty legs. And it's not for me to expose them to that reality each time they go into lyrical raptures on the architecture of Palm Springs or streets of Havana or shopping in Mexico.... I quietly laugh on the inside and restrain myself from blurting 'get real'. Hmmm 2 critical entries in two weeks.... hope I'm not becoming a social killjoy.... I think the line is between inspiration and realisation?

Spent the weekend camping in northern Victoria in my delightful spacious 'Arabian nights' inspired tent. Saturday night slept with all the tent sides open so could see the sky of stars and a glowing orange moon in a still night. I'm LOVING this heat! I can finally turn to my summer wardrobe staple of wearing slips when at home aka. Cat on a hot tin roof inspiration....

although sadly I've missed some of the heat because I've been in Sydney where it's only 24 degrees celsius and clear blue skies.

Now happily back in Melbourne's warm embrace for a few days.

some viewing pleasure

to rest my brain before another several hours of work concentration ...   Phoenix Five, note, in the year 2500AD men will still wear brylcreem (and a good thing that is too - the stuff is indestructible!):

Melbourne Cup

yes it's on today, and fashions so far have curled my lip. Truly crass, little concern for sun protection, little concern for discretion nor style this year. To the point that I wouldn't be shocked to see something like this:

Ladies, many of you need to go back to basics and remember this checklist before heading out in public:

thought of the day

reading about the failing business model of mainstream newspapers online, especially the goal of being sensational to attract eyeballs, I decided a key thought:

In the attention economy noone knows you're a broadsheet.

So very true. I'm just adding this pic because I like it and I really really want a pet.

The devil and the music biz

how telling this old cartoon was: