Woman and Child First

Sisterhood by Kate Wilson

Sometimes I find myself almost panicking about the media's narrow and twisted portrayals of young women, the sexualization of girls and the backlash against women that it all represents.

 I caught up with a precious friend from high school on the weekend and spent a number of moments panicking about it again. Chris assured me I would work it out.  

Another dear friend  Maree sent me this link today. I'm comforted, reassured and inspired by this. There are more of us than a tiddly wee few who want sharper awareness, change and guts shown by and for women.

A heartfelt and very strong poem performed by Kate Wilson:

 

Oh Oh New Songs!

Just when I thought the whole world had turned into miserable versions of Paris Hilton or Christine Freaking Aguilera (Please God, can you make them go away?) I discover these marvelous pieces of sound and picture.

They feature women doing something other than being porn stars. Rebellious hey. Who woulda, I mean who woulda thought. 

Ms Dynamite is even regarded as feminist in da rap and hip hop crib ugh. And Boy Does That Community Need a Feminist.

Here's Mark Ronson and The Business Intl. Female depictions are by MNDR and remind me in a delightful way of Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson of the B52's. But you know what? This is just a great and playful clip.

 Dy-na-mi-tee next folks. Try and get this one out of your head after you play it - it's gorgeous...

Fresh Visual Edibles

Saturday mornings are for wearing jammies and watching RAGE.

Ben, my favourite 10 year old drew my attention to this clip on Coldplay. Lashings of fun:

Ok back to bed for my mid morning snooze...Happy weekend!

Confessional: Apologies to Chrissie Amphlett.

II

It's true that I'm a big supporter of Australian music, films and art. It's because I live here and it represents my own experience oftentimes. It's also because I know how hard it's been for us to get an identity of our own.

You might say I was always like it. I like to give the impression I have been. But a deep secret within surfaced two weeks ago.

I never appreciated Christina Amphlett (Divinyls) all those years ago. Oh I had a passing interest, but I admit at the time if it came to girl/bands -it was the B52's for me.

Little did I realize, that we had a precious gem-girl in the form of Ms Amphlett.

Last week, I hit up youtube for some old clips and found her. The sexy, pissed-off, inyaface and funny Christina Amphlett. She of a greatness in stage performance: Bless that girl. She was very freaking good.

Oz bands still have to "proove" themselves, but it aint so bad now. The Divinyls really did have a lot to give, and damn they gave it, in an small and difficult local industry. More admirable now in hindsight. From 1984:

Photo of Christina from here, where she talks about her own experience of Multiple Sclerosis.

There's A Playfulness

"Cave has also relied heavily on an inner circle...Interestingly, given that he has lived overseas for best part of the last 30 years, they are mostly Australian.

'Australians are just better people,' he laughs. 'There is a particular attitude that Australians have. It comes out of the way they see the world. There's a playfulness.' "

Rolling Stone Australia Special Issue 687 2008/09

The Lucy Family Alphabet

"A is for Alcoholic

Shortly after my father died, I'm told that while entertaining a couple of friends I crawled into the kitchen on my hands and knees. When I asked if I'd been trying to be funny, my friend replied, 'No. You just wanted another bottle of wine, and that was they only way you were going to make it.

My attitude to drinking has been entirely formed by my parents. If your mother was essentially a humourless teetotaller and your father was a hilarious, some might say, alcoholic, who would you want to take after?" - Judith Lucy.

 

I'm reading The Lucy Family Alphabet by Judith Lucy: She is an Australian comedian.I've always loved her and she has the same hair as I do.

and In The End the Love You Take is Equal To the Love you Make

I just love this picture. It does great things for my brain and eyes. It delivers untold and deep levels of satisfaction to my general sense of well being.

You could say I'm a Beatles fan.

And by God, you'd be spot on, laddie. I do hope someone remembers to put this picture on the head of my coffin when I'm dead. Hee hee.

Link

Walking City Dress (Breathing)

Stunning!

by Ying Gao

Found on dear ada.

Take a close look at the fabric, It's like a breathing form of snow and ice together. Just beautiful.

And the video...Very Montreal...Very yummy.

Les Chats du Jour

Here we see feline celebritis.

In the coming days, it will become apparent that no-one in their right fashion-thinking-mind could be without a kitten like this one.

In Paris, this picture will become known as La Chat du Jour. Yes that's right. The Cat of the Day.(NB Please do not confuse this kitten with a menu item).

People from Cunnamulla to Paris, from San Fransisco to Jandowae, will be talking about this cat.

She is Minnie, our new kitten.

You know you want her. Or at least one like her.

Only this kind of style belongs to those of us with Le Spirit de le Chat.

And now, to your left, we have LE CHAT de la CENTURY:

              -Madmoiselle Velvet

Please notice the "kink at the end of her very long tail". ( Lynley Dodd's Slinky Malinki).

What a thoroughly marvellous and adaptable cat. So accomodating. She's just been wonderful to her protege and intruder, the kitten Min Pins. We've all just fallen in love with her again.

Ok, so she has slapped the little one around the head a bit, but she's the cat of the century, so she can do that.

Oh Happy Days! A Two Cat Household!

The Centre Of Art - Brisbane (Raucous Laughter)

Once upon a time, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia was a laughing stock.

Now it's just so cool, you could get intimidated just by walking around that big old country town. Um sophisticated city, I mean.

Now in my day...

Brisbane was regarded as a backwater

And in my day...

Joh Bjelke-Petersen was premier of the state of Queensland, at the time unhappily referred to as "The Police State".

But in my day...

I was a uni student doing street arts and hanging with the people who were doing things. Really interesting things that southern art cultures ( Oh! Like Sydney darling!) would enjoy snickering about.

Of course, all that good stuff was kinda forced underground, because you could get arrested for certain political pursuits, even if they were (art, darling).

Hey you could get arrested for lots of pursuits. Legal was illegal lots of happy times!

But in the underground we thrived and so did the Brisbane arts scene.

30 years on, and a long 30 years, Brisbane is just now downright sexy in the arts thing. So there.

"Bugs In Love" promotional poster from current exhibition of Silly Symphonies (Walt Disney 1929 onwards). I wanna see "Practical Pig" from 1939. You know, the only one of three pigs who built a decent house that even the big bad wolf couldn't shake. That's one practical pig alrighty! Phew!

at

GoMA .