Another...

Alien

2005-08-23T17:26:00.000+10:00

Spinning
Originally uploaded by al greer.

To me it looked like an alien, to you it might be neon lights or something else... Aliens seem to be quiet elusive. And yet there is millions that claim to have seen them or been in contact with them, daily strange sightings are made and rumors abound - nothing has ever been confirmed. Now as you might have realized, if you are one of the rare (well almost extinct by now) regular readers of this blog, that I am cynical. I am a skeptic concerning aliens.
Firstly, why, if they were friendly, would they not come and help us in our evolution/development.
Secondly, if they are indeed hostile, why not kill us before we get anywhere near their technological standards, unless they are cruel and they want an exciting little match.
Thirdly, why must aliens necessarily be superior to us? They might just be humans stuck on another planet.
Well its all rather fictional to me. And with physics telling us that the universe is constantly expanding, at some exponential rate it all becomes rather difficult and complex.
If they do exist, and I doubt they do, then they would be another evolutionary error like humans. And they would most likely be self destructive like us too. If we were to concentrate on collective research and such, we would be lightyears ahead of where we are at the moment. So I guess its just a flaw that comes with being atop the food chain and being an irreversible mistake in evolution - you might have guessed but I am atheist.

Fate

2005-08-09T18:25:00.000+10:00

dealing | the cards
Originally uploaded by liliths_nymph.

Fate is what some people believe determines your life. I personally do believe that "what will be, will be" (... man I'm starting to quote lyrics, very bad) but I concede that I am a hypocrite, as I see a number of flaws in the fatalistic view of the world. Take for example the following situation: You sit under a chandelier which is just about to fall off. A true fatalist would accept a fall of the chandelier as his destined death, but any rational person would attempt as soon as the chandelier falls to get out of the way ie save their lives, which in turn may mean cheating fate. Its complicated and I just realized that the quality of my posts has been steadily declining, too much Maths work I hope.
But do I need fate to lead my life? No, definitively not I will do my best and if I fail I will try again, I like to think that I make my own destiny and create my own future. I am currently an atheist, although born catholic, and the only religion I would contemplate practicing would be Buddhism. The existence of a god for me would mean that I am or could be little pawn, and it would also mean that I have to accept the concept of fate. Cynical as I am I also don't see how a benevolent being such as god (and god is benevolent in just about every religion) could let a corrupt and self destructive society as ours continue to exist and slowly eradicate all other forms life on this planet.

Blackout

2005-08-09T18:13:00.000+10:00

An opening...
Originally uploaded by GustavoG.

Once again I have been lagging behind in posting new stuff, and that even though I did receive feedback and suggestions, which I'm very grateful for by the way - so thanks to all of you who have left a comment - much appreciated.
Now on to the reasons for my virtual absence, I know excuses, excuses but they must be made. Now firstly it's busy at school, exams are approaching. Secondly, my PC completely blacked out, as in nothing worked and since I can't remember my passwords I was stranded in a world without blogger. Well that's just about all I can come up with.
And just as a note, I had my Y12 formal last friday - it was great, gargantuan, awing, and many other big words. Now it's back to the routine of updating half regularly.
Before I finish this rather blunt post, I just want to whinge about all those people that somehow find a lot more to write about me and have a lot of visitors. I want that too!

Change

2005-07-28T17:32:00.000+10:00

Inside of a bottle
Originally uploaded by Degno Di Anima.

You guessed it, the pun is intended. Indeed. Now you may have noticed that the frequency of my posting has fluctuated heavily over the last few months, now that is because I find it harder and harder to find inspiration for posts in the way I have started. Education, is the first in a number of posts that will instead of musing about the picture, muse about aspects of society or others and then find a pic. Now please! please! comment, most of the things I will raise are controversial and up for debate. Tell me what you think about the topics, and please give me more suggestions for new topics!

Education

2005-07-28T17:28:00.000+10:00

A New Japanese 7th Grade Classroom
Originally uploaded by A is for Angie.

The perfect education system - where do we find it and what does it mean? Questions that have plagued students and teachers for millennia (not quite but still, a long time).
So here are my thoughts. Education should be about excellence, I personally cannot perform unless I am under tremendous pressure, time-wise and achievement wise. I need competition to keep me going. Teaching methods have been greatly debated, should teachers be slow and use plenty of visuals to support their lessons? In my opinion, no. They should give us information overload, so that we must look through all the knowledge to find the essentials, trains analytical skills along the way. Sport is another big issue. I am not a jock, I think it should not be compulsory, sport is good but unlike academics it is harder to compete if you lack the ability, for academics you can always study (now, you may argue a bit on this). Excellence should be rewarded, and while this is all elite, it is in my opinion the best way to separate high achievers from lower achievers, one exam at the end of the year can easily be failed due to random events or occurrences. But if the elite is recognized from the beginning, and more are added as the years pass, exams would not be necessary, while also getting rid of the "it's not a finals year yet". So that's what I can think of at the moment.
Some argue strongly for a privitization of the education system, let schools found themselves through things like renting out the canteen to MacDonalds, or selling the results of the best students to big corporations recruiting the next generation of managers. As long as there is no financial cost to the student that may prevent him from going to a school I don't mind. But putting a price on education should not be allowed, it is a right to receive education, putting a cost on it is unacceptable and prevents the system from giving everyone a chance, as well as possibly overseeing a lot of talent that could then go to waste. These are my thoughts, feel free to discuss.

Smile

2005-07-20T19:55:00.000+10:00

Originally uploaded by kk+.

In our hectic lives we seem to see less and less of them - smiles. As people become preoccupied with more important stuff they forget to look after themselves. Having a goal or a dream is great, but if we loose a part of ourselves or sacrifice our happiness in the process it is not worth it. Happy people are rarer by the day, and most of the smiles one does still see are fake. It is as if they have been commercialised. So cheer up! And give us a big smile.

Rebel

2005-07-19T19:05:00.000+10:00

Originally uploaded by kk+.

This lone man on the streets somewhere in America is a rebel. Rebelling against authority and the structure of society. Traditionally it is up to the young to take up the protest and fight against old and inflexible authority that has corrupted with age and greed. However, and as sad as this is, in today's age more and more students feel that they are just one amongst 4 billion that think otherwise and with the increase in the label 'terrorist' being used as a way of creating support with the masses it has indeed become difficult to stand up against the increasingly paranoid and protective (of themselves anyway) governments. With a reduction in privacy and the rights to privacy the very mentality of rebelling is undermined as insecure students seek peace by joining what they cannot fight. This is unacceptable! We must fight for what we believe in - not with weapons but with words - after all that is what democracy is all about, and yet the governments that advocate democracy become increasingly hypocritical challenging the laws they set down themselves. Give protest a go and don't let prejudice could your judgment, some change may be for the better.

Hope

2005-07-17T20:26:00.000+10:00

Mikael loves the rain
Originally uploaded by vice1.

We all seek something, some unattainable goal. We cherish it and all that keeps us from giving up is hope. Hope, the feeling that gives many of us power and strength in the darkest hours. Hope feeds us, a glimmer of hope is to some more than anything else. Men have rebelled hoping for change. Communism was created in the hope of founding a utopian society. Hope is the belief that all humans need to fuel their desires and ambitions. Without hope there would be no ambition after all what is hard work if there is no glimmer of a possible change? Hope is important and sometimes it is all we have. Don't crush it or you may take more from some than you intend.

Love

2005-07-05T13:13:00.000+10:00

balloon
Originally uploaded by grabigail.

Like a balloon it is elusive, and many of us search for it for most of our lives. But what is love? What is true love? These are all questions that need answers. It isn't easy to define something that is purely based upon perception - I mean some might think that true love, or love is all about a healthy sex life. So let me put it this way, love is elusive, yet we all crave it, we search for it and as it is a thing humanity holds as one of the penultimate feelings it is worth searching, and finding. Now that said, my definition of love would have to be that you complete each other, your partner is the other half of you; you don't have to share every characteristic or have all your likes and dislikes common, but once the person leaves the house in the morning for work, a void should appear that cannot be filled until that person returns. Many of us fail to find love and are stuck in unhappy relationships, then there is the commercial side to love, relationships for money of a career, all they do is leave you irritated and emotionally drained as it is no more than a lot of lies and pretending. Never pretend to be someone you are not, if you aren't accepted as who you truly are then the love isn't reciprocal and is no more than an obsession on your behalf, love requires two parties, and can only work if both feel the same way. Love is hard to find, indeed most never find it and to compensate seek happiness (Freud would now say that this is where fetishes are born, things that remind us of something we crave or have lost and are used to fill that void - at least partially). So if you are lucky enough to have found love, hold on to it. But never overstep the line, as love, especially blind love or obsession can have disastrous consequences.

Void

2005-07-04T17:45:00.000+10:00

barnBW
Originally uploaded by compassionateeye.

...It has been a long time since my last post - for that I am sorry. It is simply that inspiration is currently hard to come by, a rare and limited resource if you like, and like a good capitalist I must make good use of it. So this is my first post for a long time... The creative depression has passed, and I will again begin writing avidly, I hope you guys can understand that one must place some things above others. Anyways, I am back - if you have anything, anything you would like me to write on please don't hesitate and post it as a comment. I love feedback.

Moral Fibre

2005-06-22T19:44:00.000+10:00

Bind
Originally uploaded by lil.

We live following rules of our social code. To follow the guidelines, to be truthful, incorruptible even is to be in possession of moral fibre. Moral fibre is the stuff of our law enforcement heroes. They are upright, they walk tall. If we lack moral fibre we are chaotic, erratic and don't fit in well with our social code.

Castle

2005-06-22T17:49:00.000+10:00

Originally uploaded by vice1.

The stark outlines define the shape of the distant castle against the dying rays of sunlight - Dracula immediately springs to my mind.
... Now to my actual point - fear. We all have secret fears, we are scared of things. In general we are scared of just about everything we don't understand. Of course there are those childhood fears, such as acrophobia, but I mean the fears that spring from ignorance. Ignorant of something, you immediately fear that it may be harmful or superior to yourself in some way, and instead of trying to comprehend it you begin to fear it, to loath it. And racism and a million other things are born. We are all afraid, but never be afraid to seek the truth, to understand something or in your vain attempt to escape the truth you will unwillingly join the rank of those who run and hide. Face your fears, conquer them and you will 'become something more than man'. Fears, uncertainties and a lack of comprehension cause many a problem in our societies, these foolish misunderstandings can and must be solved or we will descend into a pattern of hate and fear that will stay with us for ever.

The Wave

2005-06-21T20:07:00.000+10:00

Rock Wave
Originally uploaded by Paul Watson.

There are things that sweep us off our feet, emotions or events that are so strong or so far beyond us that we lose control. Like a wave they sweep us away, until we wash up on some shore. Like a way emotions are relentless but never eternal. If you recently lost someone, always remember that there is a tomorow and that life does and indeed must go on. Get swept off your feet and go with the flow. However if we live our lives following the strongest currents we will end up pretending to be something we are not - we lose our character and personality as we just give in to the notority of the eternal flow of life, unaware of our surroundings... So watch carefully what path you walk upon.

Prayer

2005-06-20T18:52:00.000+10:00

Prayer candles
Originally uploaded by lil.

Whether we believe in a God or not, we all pray to something at some point in our lives. It is interesting how people in bad situations find faith. Throughout history of mankind/womankind (I don't want to be sexist) we have had ritual or ceremonies to celebrate our belief in something that is beyond our comprehension. However prayer or faith is not only a thing of devotion but also another indicator of humanities weaknesses. We pray for forgiveness, by praying to a being (if such a being does exist) and are absolved - no questions asked. Some cling to their faith to make up for something they have lost, others blatantly abuse it to relieve their own dirty conscience. So if (and only if) you pray tonight spare a thought to what faith is all about... if you don't pray thing about it anyways.

The Puzzle

2005-06-19T18:30:00.000+10:00

Daily Inspiration
Originally uploaded by rAndoM AliAs.

Life is a puzzle, it confuses use, it is diverse and every single piece is different. To piece it together takes a lifetime. As we grow old we assemble pieces and put them together - they make up our memory of what was. It is beautiful once complete but none of us enjoy the success for long, as life takes its toll. I like to think that we all die happily, but even so there is always a dark side to everything. But the overall picture is colourful. So cheer up if you are currently brooding in a particular dark patch and look forward to the next. There is always beauty if you look for it hard enough. One must make the most of every minute.

Hide

2005-06-18T17:03:00.000+10:00

Originally uploaded by vice1.

To safe guard us from the terrors that are out there we need a though hide - something that will allow us to take some hits and still cruise along, an armor if you like. To protect us from all the insults, insolence, ignorance, violence and millions of other things that make this place what it is.
You never know who will be the next to strike - I know this is kind of cliche - so trust no one, unless you have certainty that what you reveal about yourself will not be used against you in the future.

Sadness

2005-06-18T17:00:00.000+10:00

cry
Originally uploaded by Fotos Yadi.

A feeling of distress, loss and a cry for sympathy sadness is one of our most faceted emotions.
The art of crying is mastered early on by children, they know that the appeal to parental emotions by the sight of their distress is one of the most powerful messages they can bring across without words. Then there is the sympathy vote - looking the loser or victimized, to gain sympathy in order to achieve something, such as getting a girl... are common daily occurrences. But sadness is usually our expression of being distraught because of something - and when sad we all deserve some form of encouragement.

Networking

2005-06-15T15:50:00.000+10:00

Originally uploaded by vice1.

It is vital for all things to function that there is a network of people to fall back upon, be it friends or the boss who owns you one. No matter what we aren't made to stand alone, facing the storm. We need a healthy support network, contacts, colleagues and friends to keep us upright. If one thing doesn't work out we have someone to go to and ask for help. They don't have to be your best friends, they have to influential (if you are looking for a job) or one of those people who know about everything. They open you doors, and allow you to regain your balance after you took a pounding. They are vital for success. We all need them for something. And just like plumbing they can be very complex - but don't be afraid to be ruthless, after all you are trying to achieve something. Exploit every opportunity you have - it might be your last.

Moving

2005-06-14T20:45:00.000+10:00

on the escalator 2
Originally uploaded by jensphoto.

We keep moving, we feel lost without a sense of direction and a destination to move towards. Inertia drives us forward and we build up speed.
Without a sense of movement in our lives we feel lost. We need somewhere to go, such as aiming for money. Without a vision of what may be in the future we lack motivation and the necessary drive - we stagnate. The momentum we build up also helps us overcome any obstacles along the way. And yet this movement is only fueled by enthusiasm. Some of you may be stuck in jobs that you don't enjoy or be doing work that you dislike. You will know what I mean when I say if there is no heart to it, it is difficult to accomplish even the most simple of tasks. Now the lesson is that we need both enthusiasm and momentum. A goal in a dead end of motivation will get you nowhere.

History

2005-06-13T15:58:00.000+10:00

20050611114
Originally uploaded by John Carleton.

History, the compilation of humanities achievements and failures. We are meant to learn from it, study it and realize where our faults lie and try to improve. But humanity doesn't learn. It doesn't want to learn. No matter where you look in history, it repeats itself - greed leads to death and destruction, wars are fought due to passion. And while in today's age we might not assemble our local army and go out to kill our rivals in the quest of love, we see plenty of examples of irrational behavior that is a reflection of previous historic mistakes made. We don't learn - or at least we don't learn as a collective. We pride ourselves on learning, studying and our education but we still fight each other over differences of belief or social values. Truly it must either be that our leaders do not represent us well, or it must be that as a collective we are very much different than as an individual.

Rust

2005-06-13T15:38:00.000+10:00

88
Originally uploaded by bitmask.

Rust is a bit like modern day corruption. Under the peeling paint rust is revealed, uncovered.
Corruption is very hard to fight and impossible to eradicate. Human nature is not incorruptible and most people readily give in to temptation in their quest for something - be it power or money. And like rust, it is only discovered - if discovered at all - too late, after the onset and is very hard to get rid of. But corruption must be fought, it creates an imbalance and the profit, albeit illegal, that come with it disadvantage honest people. And it cannot be that those that are dishonest or deal in morally corrupted things get an advantage of those that follow the rules. Bending or breaking rules should be punished, it is on this basis that our society can prevail. Rust can be 'cleaned', you can scrub it off. It takes time and considerable effort but it is possible. If we don't rid a metallic structure of rust it will eventually collapse, unable to support its own weight. The same applies to society. Corruption must be rooted out or order as we know it must adapt to the presence of corruption, preventing it somehow.

Another drop in the ocean

2005-06-12T15:29:00.000+10:00

Originally uploaded by vice1.

People are a bit like a dam. The dam symbolizes their restraint - their ability to keep control. Behind the wall emotions fight for predominance. On the other side lies everything else, others and the world around them.
Every offence, every insult adds to the building turmoil that we try to keep under control. They are like a drop into the ocean, insignificant - after all we are talking about a dam that has been created through years of experiences and realizations. However, at some point even a little drop is too much. It boils over and seeps away the dam, stripping us of inhibitions in the process. Whatever emotion had dominance behind the dam now has predominance over our actions, accountable to no-one.
At a party recently I discovered that alcohol is a quick way to get a quick fix of irrational behavior - not through personal experience (I don't drink and won't drink out of principle) but through observations. People loosen up, and the next day they remember at most 80% of last night. Now it can be a great thing to loosen up a bit let go of inhibitions for a little while, but we always should have some kind of control over ourselves - and that is partially why I don't drink.

Thank you!

2005-06-12T15:00:00.000+10:00

I felt a bit guilty not giving some of the excellent photographers enough credit on the blog, so this is to thank them for providing me with great shots to muse on.
Please have a look at their galleries, there are other great shots that I havent linked to yet.

rAndoM AliAs - she is the largely the creator of the excellent minimalist images I have used

vice1 - the creator of most of the fascinating black and white shots

mijzelf - creator of the fractals I have used

Preserved

2005-06-12T14:49:00.000+10:00

Clear
Originally uploaded by Pumpkin Chief.

In this crystal clear lake in Canada these logs will remained preserved for a very long time.
However nature isn't the only one cherishing and preserving something of beauty (or ugliness for that matter). We do too. We preserve things in our memory, such as fond memories of our first love or other important events or occurrences in our lives. We also remember nightmares and scenes of horror or terror. We might say we preserve things in a balanced way, the good and the bad combine to form our memory of things in the past. This balance is the very nature of the wild. The good and the bad combine to form something that we may perceive - sorry I just love this concept of perception - according to preferences and previous experiences. Cherish memories, whether the good or the ugly as they are important. And whether you want to remember them or not they will stay with you for the rest of your life. So accept memories for what they are, the acceptance makes it easier to cope...

The Adams in our world

2005-06-10T16:57:00.000+10:00

Scary Look
Originally uploaded by Pumpkin Chief.

Ok, now if you are an Adam don't take this personally. This is in response to ONE Adam. When he reads this he will know that this is about him.
Now, there are decent people and then there is people like this one Adam. They selectively remember just about everything they find helpful in the formation of their prejudice against poor individuals (ie. in this case me). They repeatedly try to ignore any kind of change in yourself or others and live in a world of their own disposition, filled with their prejudice and opinions. They don't want to learn and they won't learn. Ignoring any mistakes on their own behalf they seem - in their own opinion anyways - to soar above everyone else. Well it is time for them to open their eyes to the reality that surrounds them. People can change and the past is NOT the only way to judge people. I know that Adam has changed but nevertheless I wanted to pass on my experience. You have to face any problems head on. 'Laisser faire' is not the way to go about it.

Red!

2005-06-10T16:41:00.000+10:00

Its Right There Labelled And Everything
Originally uploaded by rAndoM AliAs.

Gore, violence, brutality, abuse and destruction. They are all part of our daily dose of media. The news are filled with disastrous news, nothing good. They only show the bad stuff - better for ratings - and we get a dark and twisted image of our world, all death and destruction. You get desensitized after a while. It is all so far away from home - people dying in Iraq, again? - and this is detrimental to human compassion. Recently we had the tsunami disaster. Due to its proximity everyone contributed - a monument to human compassion - but all the while people die by the dozens in Africa, but it seems only few care. The media has been passing reports on the devastation in Africa for a long time. So long and so graphic that people become desensitized. Media, the great informer is both a curse and a blessing. It is controlled by corporations and is always bias in some way, it only cares about ratings or sales, not about the news. And yet it is our only source of news. However blogs are sprouting up. We begin to inform ourselves. It is time we see the real world. Blogging is born!

Swirl

2005-06-10T16:21:00.000+10:00

fish
Originally uploaded by mijzelf.

A mix, a swirl - the most frequent state of our emotions. Just like this fractal, emotions are made of many things. Pieced together from predispositions, prejudices and experiences. Perhaps you might remember reading Peter Carey's Peeling - stripping the inhibitions until nothing is left but the very essence of humanity: a white china doll. Surrealism is an expression of emotions that can not be summarized using rationalism, rather it is an expansion of what is still strange and amusing to us. It makes us wonder instead of making us realize. Ponder on this.

Hand

2005-06-10T16:16:00.000+10:00

Originally uploaded by vice1.

The hand that guides us, the hand that reaches out. It is as much a symbol of hope as of support.
The hand that smites us, the hand that submits us. It can also be an image of violence and brutality.
The hand is a symbol of many things. Humans use it to convey meaning and it possible to communicate soly relying on sign language. It is the most sensible part of the body too, and one of our most nimble and agile. The hand is a many things, never ignore it if someone reaches out to you. As I said it is sensible, and you will possibly hurt them if you reject them. Help is always be a good thing. Remember and value your friends and they will be there to help and catch you if you fall - if you don't you will be alone in a crisis.

Stress

2005-06-09T21:47:00.000+10:00

Originally uploaded by Giraffe Lover930.

The reason for the lack of updates - I know more excuses - was my exam period. Mid-year exams, I had one exam that counts for 33% of my year's total mark (in biology) and a few SACs as well as the GAT (General Achievement Test). So that's my excuse.
Talking about exams, I find stress is a good thing to muse about. Stress is experience by all. Pressure from all sides results in stress. In my opinion stress is a sing that we are either underprepared for something, or that the workload is too high. Either way it indicates an imbalance. So stress should be avoided. Medically too stress has negative side effects, too much of it can be detrimental to our health. So next time you have something important coming up, such as a deadline, start on the work early - no last minute cramming. Good luck to you if you have anything important coming up, and remember there isn't always a last minute available - you might get sick after all. As my current school motto for year 12 goes: "no regrets". Get it done and get it done on time, do all you can and you will avoid stress.

Maths

2005-05-28T21:24:00.000+10:00

2nd order differential eq 1
Originally uploaded by recurrence.

Maths, you might consider it the most worthless subject taught at school, well I guess there is those of us that enjoy differential calculus. However, let's not underestimate the relevance of some mathematical concepts applied to real life. Take probability for example, most things in life are fairly random, and luck - or chance - can derail any train, no matter the amount of preparation. So think back to those days where you were suffering the interminable amount of useless information they taught you in school and reflect upon its relevance. I did, it turned out to about 0.00001% - that accounts for actually thinking mathematical on purpose like now.

Luck

2005-05-28T21:13:00.000+10:00

four-leaf clover
Originally uploaded by mimbrava.

Chance is a finicky thing. It is elusive and occurs randomly. Yet we all crave it, we seek it and most often we fail to find it. Luck is a thing for the desperate, relying upon luck to make up for their own shortcomings, luck is also a thing to tip the balance in favor of someone. Ironically, luck usually finds us and when we least expect it. We put faith into our ability to draw luck to us, but the truth is luck is a thing of chance, random, and no one has more or less of it than others. So don't go find luck, let luck find you - therefore, do your work not regret anything.

Protest!

2005-05-27T17:37:00.000+10:00

lame-o lomo
Originally uploaded by sashamd.

The unfortunate serendipity of me not posting for the last two days has its roots in the current actions of the Australian government. They broke their election promises. I knew they would and personally would never have voted liberal in the first place (that is if I were 18), but you can't change some things. It's a bit like Bush in the US of A. Any way, my blog description promises daily updates, and I have broken that commitment, but let me assure you that it will not happen again.
Secondly I am entering mid-year exam time. Wish me luck or not, and I am sure some readers of Clublife would not - but that is a different matter - I have to double my current efforts in terms of studying and workload. The current record for my year level's most studious person is 38h of studying on top of which come about 1-2h of homework a night... That is a lot, but then competition is high. So it's either risk your health, or risk your ENTER (our final score in Victoria).
Anyway, my protest period finished, I wish to assure you that I will post every day at least once.

Religion

2005-05-24T20:25:00.000+10:00

113_1330
Originally uploaded by Philgarlic.

Religion is a strange thing, after all there is all sorts of them and all of them claim supremacy. Then there is different cults and all struggle to establish their ulterior truth and beliefs. Meanwhile, the 'faithful' interpret religious text differently again and you have yourself one hell of a lot of people thinking something similar but rejecting any but their own beliefs. Now be it God, Allah or Buddha, they are all the same and yet no one sees that. There are war fought over names and religious systems. Really incredible the human capacity for the obstinate search for power. While religion might be used to justify their struggles, it all comes down to power. Humans do not have the integrity to handle any kind of power or position of influence without being corrupted or pervaded. Humanity is self-destructive indeed, I guess its our way of survival of the fittest seeing that we are above and beyond the food chain. Sad really. I will leave you with Conrad's words:
"The horror, the horror"

Death

2005-05-24T20:18:00.000+10:00

Heights Chapel 14
Originally uploaded by youaintseenme.

The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways - I to die and you to live. Which is the better, only God knows
- Socrates
Death is inevitable, and therefore one should not be afraid of it. That might sound fatalistic but it is true. However this certainly does NOT mean that life is not worth living, so if you have the choice choose life, for it is worth living. However when your time comes accept defeat. The death fiend is unrelenting.

The hidden posts

2005-05-23T17:42:00.000+10:00

I have come to realize that only a limited number of my posts actually is displayed at any one point. So if you are just visiting, there is another 20 posts that are currently not displayed... I am going to collect perma links so you can view them anyway. Sorry.

Ok here is a list of all my posts (including the ones already visible):
I am angry! ; Time ; Boredom ; Friends ; Failure ; Fire ; Walls ; Women ; Victory ; Water ; Success ; Loner ; on beauty ; Crossroads ; Sick ; Graffiti ; Construction ; Subtlety ; Eye of the tiger ; Biology ; Romance ; Imports ; Work ; ...to statcounter or not ; Tired ; other kind of chick ; Chicks ; Zen ; Abstract ; PC ; Spices ; Ants ; more cool ; "coool" ; Shadows ; Shifty-frog ; Weathering

I am only posting this because I cannot be bothered to archive weekly... finicky and capricious I am.

I am angry

2005-05-23T17:40:00.000+10:00

Bush
Originally uploaded by Will_Tom.

There is not many people I truly hold a grudge against, but Bush and the Americans who voted him into office are some them. I cannot believe people can vote for such a dumb, irresponsible and childlike president. He is a warmonger and I am not even going to start on corruption. But who people would want such a man to represent them is an enigma to me... Just imaging he is in office a few more years! How many countries would be declared war against? And how many false claims would be issued? The USA are the only superpower, and it is said that ultimate power ultimately corrupts, that is true...
I am not saying Hussein is a good guy, but for god's sake, going without the backing of the UN, not submitting themselves to the international court is a bit too much.

Time

2005-05-23T17:33:00.000+10:00

Half past five - time for tea?
Originally uploaded by Xerones.

you might have noticed that I like talking about time a lot... So I decided to make a post about it.
Time is precious, rare, and certainly not renewable. Time wasted can never be made up for, "no regrets" do what you want to do and don't regret a single thing - no this does not mean you should go and kill your mother-in-law - it just means that you should use your time wisely. Every second should be used for a purpose. Time will not stop for anything, not for love and not especially not for any little martial art stunts you want to try. We age all the time, and we are still mortal. So be conscious of your decisions and don't waste any time.

Boredom

2005-05-23T17:28:00.000+10:00

closed
Originally uploaded by lil aNNa.

What is the worst thing that could happen to you? Being bored, time is precious and usually we don't have enough of it to do what we plan to do but in some cases we have too much time or are too lazy to do anything. Another reason for boredom is the "I don't feel like it" excuse, wasting precious time doing nothing, or doing something useless. There is no worse way to use precious time. Let's put it in economic context, firstly when you don't do anything you are unproductive, therefore you harm the efficiency of what ever company you work for, secondly you might get fired. So really being bored is just an excuse for being lazy or lacking imagination to do something with your time.

Friends

2005-05-22T21:29:00.000+10:00

Guys
Originally uploaded by BrockLi.

Some the most inspirational things you will ever hear are from your friends. Recently I had a 10 minute discussion with a friend of mine, that had a greater impact than any professional motivation speaker ever could. Friends do many things, they help you out when you are in trouble, they are there when you need them and they give you random advice. They are the best people in the world. So here is a big THANK YOU!!!

Failure

2005-05-22T21:21:00.000+10:00

itgetsworse
Originally uploaded by mark.madsen.

Failure is one of the most frustrating things one can encounter in life. It leaves one frustrated, feeling impotent and angry with oneself. Unable to solve a problem leaves one miserable and dissatisfied. The anger builds up the more you try, until it reaches a point at which you explode. When you explode you admit your failure and the frustration of it gets the better of you. When that happens you can get carried away, and a good council would be to get as far away from anything breakable as possible (this includes other people).... You don't want your own problems to make other peoples lives worse, after all it's your fault not theirs you (are a) fail(ure).

Fire

2005-05-22T09:10:00.000+10:00

IMGP2197
Originally uploaded by MrTechno.

The all-consuming fire. Unstoppable, angry, violent and efficient are just a few words to describe the most volatile of our elements. It is associated with outbursts of violent things, like anger and aggression. It burns with a ferocious intensity until there is no more to consume and the fire slowly dies out. Images of war cross one's mind when thinking of fire, and it is true fire cannot be appeased, or reasoned with. It is very primordial. The only way to stop it, is to stop feeding it. It is the same with anger, take away the source of anger and it will collapse.

Walls

2005-05-21T22:39:00.000+10:00

wall
Originally uploaded by _kico.

I thought my previous entries were a bit average. So I thought about walls. We like to isolate parts of ourselves, build up walls, impenetrable to hide things from others. Walls are to protect us, keep things private, so as to remain an individual in a global society. Those walls are also a bit mysterious, they hide something, indicating secrets which as curious beings we must investigate. This only leads to more walls being constructed. Usually the walls don't last long, and we find something we never wanted to know about, leaving us shocked and the owner of the thoughts, fearing for his reputation/image/relationships. It is always a good idea to leave some walls intact. The human soul is a dark thing. And some secrets are better off buried.

Women

2005-05-21T22:05:00.000+10:00

madchen3
Originally uploaded by franz josef.

Women, they have been repressed by males, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries. Those of you that have read Heart of Darkness, might know why. Women are incredibly powerful by nature. There is not a thing a male can do to combat feminine charms (usually anyway) and with the power comes fear. Males have feared this power that comes so naturally to women, apart from the increased intelligence and sensitivity, they seem superior. Therefore they were suppressed. In a show of brute force, males exerted their own 'superiority' and confined women to a world of their own.
Now this view is a very feminist one, and there are many arguments for and against it. One thing is true however. Women HAVE been worship in history, many primitive cultures revolved around women. Nowadays, the problem has grown in complexity though. With the equal rights movements, it seems to a few men that they are loosing their purpose, a bit like the bee drones after copulation, and therefore vehemently oppose the move. So feminists out there please consider the impact your movement is having on the opposite sex.
By the way I am not a macho. I came up with this topic to spark discussion! So please post comments!

Victory!

2005-05-21T21:56:00.000+10:00

Looking over Hero Square
Originally uploaded by Chugach Man.

Being victorious is one hell of a feeling. It affirms that as an individual one is on top of Darwin's evolutionary theory - fit for reproduction and passing on of one's DNA... That is a very dramatical and very rationalized view of victory. But victory is a lot more than that, it gives us hope and confidence. It tells us that either we are powerful (eg. you play football against a 9-year old and win...) or that we are better than our peers at someting. Everyone has a talent, or a gift so we all experience it, some more than others, but in the end the more you have of it the less of an incentive it is. It's a bit like money, once you have all the money you need, and could possibly want, there is no real incentive of getting more. Being victorious is a great thing, but for those that are allways winners, remember that there are always loosers.

Water

2005-05-20T18:11:00.000+10:00

Fountain
Originally uploaded by maxw.

Water is a precious thing. It is rare, a resource we love to waste, and getting expensive. We all need and use copious amounts of water every day. However, only few stop and thing about the beauty of it. Water is one of the most versatile things in life I find. It is precious and slowly we are depleting this precious resource of ours. So next time you shower for 45min think about the consequences, and I am not going into detail, like the fact that heating your water for 45min adds to global warming :P
Anyway, take care and think about the consequences of your actions.

Success

2005-05-19T16:52:00.000+10:00

ladder_of_success(short)
Originally uploaded by Saltation.

Success is a strange thing. Like the saying goes, the higher we climb the lower we fall. Success and failure are inseparable. Now, this little cartoon perfectly illustrates the difficulty of achieving success. There are interminable and innumerable obstacles hidden along the way, and yet there are always those who achieve success. People look up to those up the top and envy them, but few of ever do, they think, they ponder, they wish and they dream but they never risk. Without risk there is no success. It may seem that the obstacles are impossible to master, and all odds are stacked against oneself, but usually seems harder than it actually is. No risk, no gain.

Loner

2005-05-19T16:42:00.000+10:00

chat
Originally uploaded by youp youp.

Loneliness is a thing we all experience at some point in our lives. It is a time of reflection and introspect, but many of us ignore the importance of times where we can reflect on our actions. Again it is a choice we make, do we loose ourselves in tears and get depressed, or do we look back at our actions and learn from our mistakes. A few of us also ignore that there are always two to everything, there is needs to be two to start a fight, and there need be two to be lonely. This might sound paradoxical, but everything is relative. And like this cat, people some times require isolation to think clearly. Times of retrospect and loneliness can be a blessing.

on beauty

2005-05-18T18:03:00.000+10:00

detail
Originally uploaded by alfarman.

Isn't beauty fragile? Delicate and beautiful, yet so fragile. We must preserve beauty or it will break and fall apart. Our nature is one of the best examples of beauty and its fragility. Perturb it and an entire eco-system may collapse.
But the major drawback of beauty is that it is temporary, even Ms World will look frail and old, with wrinkles at one point. Therefore beauty must be preserved, so it can be shared with others. That means taking good care of it and protecting it.

Crossroads

2005-05-18T17:54:00.000+10:00

crosswalk
Originally uploaded by lneuma1.

We have all had our times when we were at the crossroads, the choice between one or the other road. Now crossroads offer us a choice, and life is all about choices. That choice can either fundamentally affect your life or it might only be a small thing such as which restaurant to go to. However the choices we face determine where we go. And the choices we make throw light on us as individuals. You can tell a lot about someone from the choices he makes.

Sick

2005-05-17T10:07:00.000+10:00

Fever Pad
Originally uploaded by My Little Rascal.

I am sick, came down with a violent cold yesterday night... And that even though my SAC is still on! Now I have to do it with a runny nose and dizy spell. Well wish me luck. moris out.

Graffiti

2005-05-16T20:42:00.000+10:00

Queen Bathurst alley
Originally uploaded by gojumeister.

Is it art, or another form of vandalism? I must say that it is certainly a form of art, and a very diverse one at that, but most graffities are created without the prior consent of the owner of the precious 'canvas' space. There lies the problem. Most graffiti artists are talented and some of their work is really impressive. However their art becomes vandalism as soon as they start tagging public spaces or repeatedly strike in local areas. I say yes to graffiti art, and would gladly give one of my walls for an artist to use (if I had a house that is). But senseless tagging is not art, it doesn't even look good, it is plain vandalism and I condemn it.

Construction

2005-05-16T20:32:00.000+10:00

Originally uploaded by vice1.

There is a point in our lives where we all live in disorder, trying to piece things together. Construction works are always something fascinating. You can virtually witness the changes taking place, as something is reshaped or build up from scratch. The same applies to lives, piecing one's life together after a difficult separation, or coming to terms with the death of someone close. However, this change in one's life can be for the better as well. Change is certainly not something to be afraid or depressed about.

Subtlety

2005-05-15T15:21:00.000+10:00

Subtlety Is Overrated
Originally uploaded by rAndoM AliAs.

Subtlety gives communication a whole new level. It allows for elusive suggestions. Women are the epitome of subtlety. They give men the slightest hints, and even those hints might mean just about anything. When you look up subtle in the dictionary it gives you following: sly and devious. I would go as far as saying that many women are both. Many of the subtle hints women give men in the dating game, are lost on their more direct counter-parts, and the women who believe who's subtle hint was misunderstood or just completely overseen is shattered. The stereotypical: "You don't love me! *sob sob*" comes to my mind.
I am certainly not macho, all I am saying is that women do indeed make it real hard for men.

Eye of the Tiger

2005-05-15T15:09:00.000+10:00

Originally uploaded by vice1.

This man is focused on the tasks ahead. Apart from it being an awesome image, I like the overall feeling of determination this picture conveys. Makes you want to turn around and start work immediately. Anyway, concentration is focal to success. Just like motivation, concentration is necessary to finish a task at hand, especially if you are on a tight schedule. Now back to the eye of the tiger. Firstly it's a good song, secondly it is true that many battles can be won, just with a cold determined stare. Look into someone's eyes long enough and either he/she or you will avert your eyes. And after you have won the staring contest, you will find that your opponent will be far more willing to do something for you. You might even find them quite subordinate. It's a bit like a physical fight, just without the pain.

Biology

2005-05-15T11:08:00.000+10:00

grey light 1st
Originally uploaded by mijzelf.

The image might not be a photo of Mycobacterium tuberculosis but it looks strange enough. You might have guess that my biology SAC (school assessed classwork) is on tuberculosis. It's quite interesting. If you want to know a bit more about it check out The textbook of bacteriology

Romance

2005-05-14T19:37:00.000+10:00

Sunset III
Originally uploaded by moris wind.

I thought I might have to write about this at one point. Love and Romance! ahh, so dramatic and sweet. We all know it, most of us seek it but only few find it. In our hectic modern world we forget about all too often, or it is a choice between career or a relationship.
Personally I had neither (relationship or career) but I know I want them both, and soon at that! Anyway, if you are happily involved with someone then that's great, good luck. If not, get out there! stop working for a bit and have a look around! there is beautiful women (men... well I can only guess) around. If I am well informed there is actually more women than men out there! I have read enough to know that it has inspired men throughout time, we should all experience it at least once.

Imports!

2005-05-14T19:30:00.000+10:00

Absolutely Empty
Originally uploaded by east3rd.

Imports, everyone loves imports - except for governments that is. They make prices fall, if your local currency is strong prices fall even further and they make holidays real affordable.
However, think of those poor fellow citizens in your country, working hard but unable to compete with cheap imports. They loose business and eventually their job. This then drains on welfare payments which isn't a good thing for the economy. So think before you buy, don't go buying every second product you see during a commercial break on TV. There is usually a less known local produce available. As we say here in my country: "Buy [your country], and buy young [citizens/co-patriots] a future"
Yet none of the above means we should stop globalization, on the contrary, competition from overseas is great for consumers as quality of products increase and prices fall.

Work

2005-05-14T19:21:00.000+10:00

paperwork
Originally uploaded by seanhfoto.

This morning at 3 AM am my alarm clock went bezerk - time for work. I work as an assistant baker, I start at 4 AM and work 'till 10 AM. Positive things about starting work that early: you get to have the rest of the day to do as you like, nice people to work with and I get to take some of the bread home with me after work.
Bad thing about work that early: you have to get to bed early and are totally coca-cola dependent for the rest of the day.
Now tomorrow I have a lot of work to do, but that will be homework (therefore the picture). I have English and biology to do...
Now work, be it paper work, school work or just a plain old office job, you have to love it. If you don't then you will loose motivation, your performance will deteriorate and most of all you will lead a sad life as you constantly reflect on the senseless job you have.
I learnt that the hard way; love work, learn to love it or suffer the consequences. I practically did no work at all last term for school - may I remind you at this point that I am in my last high school year - and consequentially suffered enormously: I got crap grades and am now behind, which leaves me with a lot of work to catch up and putting pressure on me for the rest of the year which I would gladly have forgone. However, I did learn the lesson and have begun to work. While I still don't love all my subjects I am slowly getting there and believe me, it works.
Try it for yourself some time, just be enthusiastic about something that's actually really boring - you will notice a considerable increase in productivity and quality.

...to statcounter or not?

2005-05-13T17:04:00.000+10:00

idiot
Originally uploaded by eyecaramba.

I just can't get away from this! It seems like my mind always returns to new exciting things to put on my blog...
So, no rest for me. Anyway I posting this because I am wondering weather it is worth getting a stat counter. I know it might be fun to see how many people visit your site, but I guess it can also get real depressing if you check once a week and no one has gone and had a look at the blog. The only 'unique' visitors, are you, yourself and you again....
So is it worth it? Common guys, even if you are never going to come back to this blog give me some advice!

Tired

2005-05-13T16:38:00.000+10:00

zzZZzzz
Originally uploaded by mjutabor.

You might have seen that today I have been hyperactive, posting a total of 7 new posts within 2h... Now that normally shouldn't have happened, but I enjoy it and I get hooked on the image searching and writing of short pieces. There is soooo much out there! So because I have a bit of homework still, this is going to be the last post for the day. All of us must rest at some point.

The other kind of chick

2005-05-13T16:27:00.000+10:00

Half
Originally uploaded by Pumpkin Chief.

.... Thought to post this as a contrast to the previous post. And I really feel like another disclaimer! So here it goes:
iaminnoway
associatedwiththiswomen,
donotknowher

Now that that is out of the way, let me say that the image randomly came up and from all the images I looked at this was the best self-portrait.

zen

2005-05-13T16:18:00.000+10:00

zen
Originally uploaded by brocket jenny.

Tranquility, inspiration and inner peace of mind are all words that spring to my mind when the word zen is mentioned. And yet as this image demonstrates zen is a lot more than just tranquility or inspiration. It also implies - to a degree anyway - strange and sentimental music (you might want to call alternative...) and rest. It certainly carries heavy connotations of meditative states. Both a religion and a form of contemplation zen is a new way to find calm and to relax. Try it, stare at the image long enough and you will doze off at one point ;)

Abstract

2005-05-13T16:13:00.000+10:00

(D)Red
Originally uploaded by rAndoM AliAs.

Now this is abstract. I actually don't have a clue of what this really is...
Nevertheless, I feel like writing about it. Abstract means out of the norm, in other words, a bit unique. The hole might be anything, maybe its a bullet hole and the whole thing is red because it is drenched in blood! Maybe it's some kind of fabric and the hole indicates a burnt spot. Anyway, abstract art gets your brain working. That is the one aspect I like about abstract art, it could be anything or nothing. Just use your imagination!

The PC

2005-05-13T15:44:00.000+10:00

Originally uploaded by KE4.

The PC is a wonderful contraption. As the image demonstrates as often an object of desire and envy as a desire of frustration and anger. And well, some of us, as the image testifies, are better when it comes to anger management than others... This one is one of those who likes to solve all things with brute force - or what some might call 'cave-man instincts'. Anyway it must have been a costly bout of anger.
Back to the PC part, they are great tools when they work. Without one we wouldn't have things such as the blog and or the rest of the wonderful thing that the internet is. Now the internet and the PC are great but everything comes at a cost. In the case of new technologies such as the PC it comes at a great cost to the environment. So next time you trash a PC in anger or if you are one of those people who upgrade their hardware every two weeks, think about the environmental consequences...

Spices

2005-05-13T13:04:00.000+10:00

Spices
Originally uploaded by moris wind.

Spices, flavours or in short different aspects. Once again I return to my all time favourite - perception and appearance. Now spices are a good example of perception, some like it salty and some like it hot, but in general we can all agree on what is good food and what is not. However there are always preferences and 'tastes'.
Spices add a great deal to food, just like individuality is a great thing, spices allow people to give food a unique taste.
The photograph was taken in Sydney, in one of its many museeums. The focus (as you can see if you follow the link and view the large image) is on India and spices. The silk and spice road comes to the mind, and indeed even with our continous change to a global and open wide world, with the effects of globalism felt at every corner of the earth, there are things such as 'exotics'. We still consider far eastern food 'exotic' and the same applies to holiday destination in the tropics. It is this flair of the completly different, different culture and different people. Spices are a great thing, they challenge us to try something different each time.

Ants

2005-05-13T12:54:00.000+10:00

Ants
Originally uploaded by moris wind.

Ants are quite incredible creatures. They work relentlessly and always seem buzy - really enviable when you think of it - Like bees, ants toil away for the good of the colony. They live to an extent in a communist society. No individuality and the focus is on the autocratic leader.
Ants are admirable, firstly they never complain and secondly they are incredibly efficient at what they do. A boss' dream.
But then again: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." So once the honest work is done, give yourself a well deserved break.

more cool

2005-05-12T20:08:00.000+10:00

cool dude
Originally uploaded by moris wind.

Just wanted to add this picture. It really demonstrates what I mean by cool and relaxed - note the bent back (horrible posture really) -

"Coool"

2005-05-12T19:54:00.000+10:00

penny
Originally uploaded by Shadow Traveller.

Now, as can see I have a bit of time on my hand tonight - unfortunatly that isn't always the case.
Now lets talk about coooool, you 'gotta' make sure that you make it a long 'o' like 'smooooooth'. Now that we have the pronounciation right lets go and have a look at what being 'cool' is all about. As a high school student I know a lot about 'cool' - at this point I would like to make the following statement: iaminnowaycoolandasageekonlytalkfromandobserverspointofview (to at least keep part of my humility and pride the above statement will hopefully take too long to decipher so that you actually never read it)
Firstly, you have to wear your pants low... real low, so that people can see a bit of your underwear - or your crack, depends on what kind of cool person you are -
Then you need to always seem calm and relaxed, for example there is a surprise test and everyone is having a sudden panick attack, in this situation the cool kids just go: "ohh man, who cares!" to their mates and to the teacher: "Oh miss! I feel sooo sick all of the sudden" The teacher knows that it is a farce and therefore will simply ignore the remark. But the 'cool' statement has been made. Every cool person is in some way a rebel, only grudgingly accepting authority and generally disliking study and work. They would rather surf you see?
Any way, now that I have made a few statements on cool, I must clarify the statement I made above - I actually don't know a thing about 'cool' so please just disregard all of the above as random rambling to pass time, and as my own statement of rebelliousness.

Shadows

2005-05-12T19:22:00.000+10:00

Outline
Originally uploaded by moris wind.

We all have something to hide. Shadows - and darkness - symbolize the "other". That is what we are learning as we study "Heart of Darkness" in Literature, that however is off the point.
My point is that shadows are a blessing and a curse. They allow us and our activities to remain hidden and private, but they sometimes also result in the truth being hidden or obscured.
We can see that today there is a thin line between privacy and security, with national security on the mind of politicians privacy - or shadow if you like - gets compressed as authorities try to shed light on the "other". Now no one here says it is not a good thing to prevent terror, but how far do we want to illuminate the night? the shadow? I will let you readers ponder on that...

Shifty Frog

2005-05-12T17:50:00.000+10:00

Frog_1
Originally uploaded by frog head!?.

...The shifty frog - others might call it an opportunistic frog. I would rather call it a lonely frog.

People can be many things, but it all comes down to perception. As demonstrated by the little frog here, perception and appearances lie at the heart of may misunderstandings... So let's try and be perceptive, put yourself in other people's shoes before judging anyone too harshly.

Weathering

2005-05-12T17:45:00.000+10:00

Weathering
Originally uploaded by moris wind.

Time flies, and takes its toll - even on old bolts in a beach hut's door...
And so it does for us. We grow old and frail. And for those of us fortunate enough to still be at school... time flies and if you at one point had a project due two months away, the deadline suddenly rushes closer and if we don't pay attention, passes us by.
Time is a dangerous thing and one has never enough of it.

Wind-kite surfer

2005-05-11T21:28:00.000+10:00

Wind-kite surfer
Originally uploaded by moris wind.

The same surfer, but this time the shot is better framed and more balanced. Just to add to what I said in the last post, the beach might be something to look forward to for some, but I just don't like it: it takes time to get there, there is NO chicks and just nothing to do (but to take pictures of other people)....

Wind Surfer

2005-05-11T21:24:00.000+10:00

Wind Surfer
Originally uploaded by moris wind.

My parents always have to drag me along to the beach, and while there, my only solice is the digital camera. While a complete and utter amateur I just love all the different possibilities photography offers. In this case a b&w photo of a passing wind surfer.

About this Blog

2005-05-11T20:56:00.000+10:00

Hey guys,
this is going to be a photo/journal blog. I am going to post all kinds of images here and I will also write short journal entries. Just have a look around!