Issues of Interest

Reaction to Peter Roebuck's death

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:48:31 +0800

I have been curious about how the media have reacted to the suicide of the well known cricket commentator Peter Roebuck. It reminds me of how people in the arts world treated rumours of molestation on the set of Hey Dad! That’s why I’ve posted these thoughts on my arts and culture blog.

Tony Curtis

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 22:33:00 +0800

Tony Curtis, one of the true stars from Hollywood’s golden era, has passed away. Not unlike war veterans, their numbers are really dwindling now. It won’t be long before they’re all gone.

He certainly had a mesmerizing quality on screen. As this article states, he was excellent in The Boston Strangler.

It was a very strange movie that - almost an art movie, with lots of snazzy editing including heavy use of a split screen.

It was a clever tactic to use someone that charismatic in the role. It certainly created ambivalence in the audience. I doubt that the real Albert DeSalvo was anywhere near as likable in reality.

The movie also takes huge liberties with the story, presenting the guy almost as a victim suffering from multiple personality disorder.

Still, if you’re as big a star as Tony Curtis you can make the role work. And he did. They don’t make stars like him anymore!

Posterous and Onsugar also worth checking out

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:15:24 +0800

Like many using Tumblr, I’m heavily into blogging, and have tried several different platforms over the years.

Needless to say, Tumblr is an excellent tool. And if you haven’t had a look at Posterous yet, then you definitely should. Onsugar is another user-friendly blogging site well worth checking out.

Thoughts on Mark Latham's reporting spot

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:35:00 +0800

Here in Australia there’s been a lot of talk about how former Labor leader Mark Latham did a spot as a reporter last Sunday night. He was almost universally derided for the segment.

However, I thought Latham’s Sixty Minutes gig wasn’t all bad.

Eddie Munster actor now dating long-time fan

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:14:00 +0800

Most of the stories we read about celebrities’ relationships are pretty depressing. They’re always breaking up or betraying each other. And whenever a fan enters the life of someone famous, it’s usually as a stalker.

That’s why it’s kind of sweet to learn that Butch Patrick, the child actor who played Eddie Munster, ended up dating a fan who wrote him a letter 45 years ago.

That said, the first meeting decades after their first contact must have been an odd experience. And I can’t help wondering if he was still wearing that wig …

Here’s a very lively debate between two Australian women...

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 23:31:00 +0800

Here’s a very lively debate between two Australian women diametrically opposed politically. They represent the Australian Sex Party and Family First, respectively.

It’s feisty, fast-paced and very entertaining. This is what you have in an open, democratic society in which women are free to express themselves and pursue their ideals.

Amazing that feminists still complain that women are oppressed by some mysterious patriarchy in the western world, yet are largely silent when it comes to the treatment of women in Islamic societies.

Would anything like what you see in this video ever be possible in, say, Afghanistan under the Taliban?

Montana Fishburne in porn flick

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:08:00 +0800

The daughter of respected American actor Laurence Fishburne has acted (if that’s the right word!) in a porno. Not surprisingly, he is not very happy about her decision.

She says that she didn’t do it to hurt her father. Of course it’s possible that she just did it without thinking. But she must have known it was going to hurt him. He’s a very well known man; her actions were sure to make headlines and damage his reputation.

I suspect there was some deep-seated resentment towards him in her decision, even if she doesn’t admit to it.

Kristy Fraser-Kirk versus David Jones

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 22:15:00 +0800

My jaw nearly hit the floor when I heard that Kristy Fraser-Kirk was suing David Jones for a massive $37 million because she was allegedly sexually harassed by the company’s former CEO.

Rather than highlight the problem the astronomical claim trivializes it, in my opinion. While she may have gone through some unpleasantness it was pretty mild in comparison to what is described in other sexual harassment cases, and a lot less severe than the suffering of rape victims. Needless to say these victims never ask for such massive compensation, let alone win it.

It looked like Ms Fraser-Kirk was desperately trying to draw attention to herself more than anything else. Just a publicity stunt, really.

Here’s a good Miranda Devine article in which she makes a similar point, and others.

Posterous blog

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:31:57 +0800

One site that often gets compared to Tumblr is Posterous. So to try that tool out I’ve started a blog there.

My first impressions are that it’s also very simple and user-friendly, Tumblr has more elegant design. It’s just more enjoyable using a site that is so user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing.

Change of approach

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:29:24 +0800

I’ve had a bit of a change of heart about this site. I started out with the purpose of just linking to quirky and interesting articles. But I think I might start to use it in a more freewheeling way and just write about anything and everything.

Amazing photos of sea serpents

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 10:31:08 +0800

Here are some amazing pictures of oarfish. The species can grow to an impressive length and it has a unique and quite spectacular head, crowned with long spines.

When you look at these photos it seems pretty clear that, as the page states, this was the inspiration for the “sea serpents” of times long past.

Human brains similar to those of parrots

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:49:55 +0800

It seems that human brains may have more in common with those of parrots than other animals closer to us in an evolutionary sense. They can mimic our language, after all.

They also seem to have rhythm. Have a look at this amazing video of Snowball the dancing parrot. He certainly feels the beat and can dance a lot better than I can!

Red, white and blue deemed to be racist colours

Sat, 29 May 2010 20:06:36 +0800

Yet another amazing case of political correctness from Britain. This time it involved a poster in the colours of the national flag. They were deemed to have “racist connotations”.

Full article here.

Widespread belief in alien life

Sun, 09 May 2010 12:24:14 +0800

It’s obvious that a lot of people are fascinated by the possibility of life on other planets. The huge popularity of so many science fiction movies confirms that. But it’s surprising just how many people actually believe that aliens exist and are present on Earth. This vast survey concludes that 20% of people do.

Pipe cleaner art

Sat, 08 May 2010 18:22:44 +0800

I just found another artist creating works from everyday materials. This one uses pipe cleaners.

Aging brain functions better in some ways

Fri, 07 May 2010 20:25:49 +0800

So many of the articles I’ve read about the health effects of aging are depressing. That’s why I was pleased to find this one, about how the brain actually does improve in some ways as you get older.

Cities made of staples

Tue, 04 May 2010 11:44:38 +0800

Here’s another unusual and highly original artist. His name is Peter Root, and among other things he creates small cities made entirely of staples.

Maybe he should have an exhibition of his work with this guy?

Internet audiences not segregated politically

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:45:05 +0800

Because the internet allows for the expression of very specific political points of view, it seems logical that web surfers would tend to find what they agree with and read that and nothing else. However this doesn’t seem to be the case, as this interesting article explains.

Experiences, not possessions, bring happiness

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:39:17 +0800

We’ve all heard that cliche that ultimately pursuing material wealth is a recipe for misery, or at least that it won’t make you happy in itself. Well, this has been confirmed by recent research.

It seems that experiences can bring lasting joy, while acquiring longed-for material possessions bring only short-lived feelings of happiness.

Human stare emits measurable energy

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 20:04:23 +0800

Everyone knows the creepy feeling that they’re being stared at - as well as the even creepier realization that the feeling was justified! But there has never been a scientific explanation for why that happens. A respected psychiatrist believes that it’s because the staring eye emits an energy beam, and that he can prove this scientifically.