Tuesday 22 September 2009

yo QUT, I'm really happy for you and i'm going to let you finish but...


So you think I need to learn economics do you QUT? Think it will help me in my career as a surveyor?

Well if I ever need to know if my market competition is an Oligopoly, I'll fucking pay someone to tell me.

Thursday 10 September 2009

Nanny State




IF YOU LIVE IN QUEENSLAND YOU SHOULD BE VERY PISSED OFF AT YOUR SHITTY FUCKING GOVERNMENT.

New laws have been dreamt up to MAKE EVERYTHING SAFE YAYYYY!!!! At a huge cost to the general community and to personal choice/liberty/rights and skaters.

"Dear Rachel Nolan

I am writing to say that I think the new wheeled recreation device laws are ridiculous, for several reasons which I would like to draw to your attention.

Firstly, you say that these laws are not anti-fun, but pro-safe. This in my opinion is a dense statement. If it is too dangerous for someone on a wheeled recreational device to be on a suburban street after dark (one without a median line, as the previous law states), then it should also be too dangerous for someone to walk on a road or street after dark.

I see no difference to a bicycle being ridden, a pedestrian walking, or someone using a WRD. If lack of visibility is a safety concern, then implement laws requiring pedestrians and WRD users to wear high visibility garments/flashing lights, as cyclists are required to do. Banning them outright is simply ridiculous.

I believe your statement claiming that rollerblades and skateboards cannot be fitted with flashing lights and reflective equipment is outright stupid. There is more than enough room on any WRD to fit a flashing light, and there is certainly enough room on a human body to fit a flashing light or reflector. I think it would be far wiser to create a law making helmet wearing mandatory for WRD users. This would a), increase the SAFETY of users, and b) provide the possibility for users to place flashing lights and reflectors on them, to increase their visibility and SAFETY.

If the QLD government claims to be trying to do things to better the general health of the community, and the current health care system shows that unhealthy people are a huge burden on the state, then why are such laws restricting people from exercising after dark being implemented?

The QLD government also claims to be trying to do things to increase traffic congestion, and deal with global warming by encouraging public transport use and alternative Green transport options. Removing the ability for a normal working adult to travel after dark using a WRD is both hypocritical and morally questionable.

I happen to agree that WRD should not be ridden on roads with a speed limit of more than 50km/h, and coupled with restrictions on roads with a median line, and a general increase in community safety and awareness in relation to WRD – this should be more than sufficient to ensure the safety of all road users – without impeding on the rights of Queensland citizens to exercise and travel in an environmentally friendly way.

There is a huge public outcry to these laws, and if you are truly a government of the people then they should be amended at once, as they stand to better the community in no conceivable way. Yours Concerned citizen"

send to:

email:

rachel.nolan@queenslandlabor.org

transport@ministerial.qld.gov.au

GPO Box 2644, BRISBANE QLD 4001

UPDATE:

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25257468-952,00.html

Our beloved transport minister is also a lead footed driver.

What these people are doing is fucked. Some of my best times have been had out skating the 'burbs on a summer night, I'm just happy its only a $40 fine, would pay that for a night skating, you'd pay more than that for a night out in the Valley.

These are not good signs.

NSW is trying to ban energy drinks because some year 7 girls drank them and felt dizzy. Holy fucking shit, nice going guys.

Ban fucking scissors because someone cut themselves once. Ban fucking chairs because if you are fat from not being able to skate it may break and you might get hurt. Ban FUCKING water because you might choke and die.

Ban everything; ban personal liberties and rights. The concept of personal responsibility?Not important. Concept of parents making sure their kids don't drink 7 V drinks and die? Parents can't be trusted. ALL HAIL THE ALP AND LIBERAL PARTY, YOU KNOW BEST FOR EVERYONE.


Welcome to the future, everything is rosey fucked.

Sunday 6 September 2009

Duotone Moonbeam (Squarepusher - Just A Souvenir)


(thomas pugh photograph, all rights reserved)


Still playing Just A Souvenir by Squarepusher to death. It really is a fucking insane album. Each track needs to be played and played and dissected and left for a bit, and then plunged back into - understanding a bit more. Getting a bit more out of it than just crazy jazz noise.

Its like playing someone something from Zappa's Grand Wazoo, and wondering why they have this strange disapproving look on their face when you are sitting there casually, enjoying the music. To a degree, its music that needs to be familiarised with before you can really enjoy it, because to the new listener, its just insane.

First time I played through Just A Souvenir I was sitting in the uni library killing time, and suddenly when the first track started playing I had this stupid grin on my face - it took me back to being 13 and discovering some outrageous Zappa jazz composition, like Theme From Lumpy Gravy or something... and being so euphoric and also having the feeling that there's a lot more to it, and a lot more to come.

And thats been the story of this album for me, the more and more I listen to it, the more I get out of it - and that for me is what makes a brilliant record, and what makes a brilliant record timeless.

Now to start tracking down and listening to the rest of Squarepushers discog, and hopefully find some of it on vinyl.

Thursday 3 September 2009

Album Reviews


I'm going to start posting regular to semi-regular album reviews and recommended listening on here.

My knowledge of musical theory and technical aspects of music is limited to a primary school level and all the extra things you pick up being a passionate and avid listener/follower/collector of music... so pretty piss poor in other words.

Therefore my reviews/opinions will be based purely on sounds, feelings and moods - and technical comments will be made only where I feel I can pull it off without sounding like someone who's talking shit and trying way too hard. These things, when it comes down to it, seem to be the more important anyway.

One thing I can't often stand is negative album reviews. You don't tend to see it in music blogs which is great, mainly because the writer is picking to review material which they want to review, not because someone has sent it to them for that purpose. This is how it will work; if I get an album and don't like it, I certainly won't be listening to it again, but at the same time I'm not going to tell you in great detail why I didn't like it, because that would involve me dissecting something I don't like, which is just plain painful. And the point of this will be to tell whoever is reading what I think is an album worthy of their acquisition, and for what reasons this is based on - not what not to listen to and why not - seems pointless.

Anywho, thats about it. Should be updating soon. First up for review will either be brokenCYDEs new record, or maybe Waking The Cadavers. (lul) Or maybe a top 500 tracks of the decade before the decades even over... but with really horrible tracks (mostly) instead of deserving tracks - oh wait, some idiots have already done that. Dayum.