It's Not Illegal Immigration, If It Was Always Your's To Begin With ...

I was listening the other day to a show about how open America's borders are and how floods of Mexicans are pouring over the border to seek a better life in the US. in the conversations a key point was brought up that I never even knew about, the fact that California was once actually apart of Mexico, along with Texas and a few other colonies. So after losing land to the United States ... well, technically they're just taking back what was once their backyard, not by force but by simple economics. pity the Mexicans couldn't surf back in those days.

Wiki >
Before becoming a part of the United States, Alta California was colonized by the Spanish Empire, beginning in 1769. Alta California became a part of the newly independent nation of Mexico in 1821, and remained so until 1846. That year, an independent California Republic was declared. The Republic's first and only president was William B. Ide, who played a pivotal role during the Bear Flag Revolt. His term lasted twenty-five days and concluded when California was occupied by U.S. forces during the Mexican-American War. Under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848, Mexico formally ceded California to the United States. California was admitted to the Union as the 31st state on September 9, 1850.

On other news things are rolling along fast. Work may be changing, Comic Con is booked for, Richard seems to be eager to turn things to fulltime and Alec is about to become a Dad. all the best. oh and i almost forgot, saw the Police the other week, rocked well, but for those interested .... pick up an album called FictionPlane, you may be surprised.

More Than The Smell ....

A snapshot in time. while its on my mind, ive been having these childhood flashbacks lately, no not the clear as day hollywood cut scene types, but just the "hammer over the head" kind that stop you dead in your tracks, and make you think of things you long forgot.

i mean weird stuff. like digging for antlions in the back yard when i was 6. hiding out in tree clippings, acting like a castaway on the tv survivor series. even remembering the army surplus canteen i used to fill with cordial, yeh ... weird stuff. sure theres been more, and all have been triggered by related events nowdays, but why suddenly flashbacks to childhood stuff? mmmm strange indeed. trouble is half of the time it smacks me over the head and then the next day ive forgotten the event, but i can remember .... remembering ... something. haha.

ok im not insane. not yet.


James Jean : Process Recess

Moby ...

Whale hunting. this is just one of those stories where its blatantly one sided, you know it is, you know it will always be that way, but yet it still tugs at the heart strings. in the past 2 weeks the japanese whaling operations occurring through the Asia Pacific region have drawn attention due to the extravagant protests by a few Greenpeace activists, namely boarding a whaling vessel and chaining themselves to the deck for 3 days.

is it just me or this the same merry-go-round we've been on since ... they banned whaling down in our southern Australian oceans ? we bitch and moan every time the Japanese and Norwegians go out for their annual harvests, but yet i can't help seeing nothing being done about it? not only that, i find it completely hypocritical of us to voice our opinions on what and what shouldn't be killed by .... anyone.

ok ok, these whales are endangered, almost extinct, yada yada, but last time i checked we were still killing our native coat of arms? yeh that furry thing we call a kangaroo. come on, whats the difference between slaughtering millions of head of cattle for prime beef, and hunting whales. both are sought for meat, purely and simply. and both are harvested with the same degree of cruelty, picked out from the environment, head lopped off, bleed and butchered into teeny weeny pieces for hungry humans. more than that, the japanese whaling industry has been rooted in the Japanese culture for over a century, so who are we to intervene like vegan saints all of a sudden when ... with one single glance, our backyard is just bloody as theirs.

i mean just reflect for a second, how would we feel if suddenly the japanese began flying aircraft over our farming communities, with the intention of stopping us from farming cattle, claiming that we were over polluting the region and aiding deforestation. they could make up any reason they wanted, a parallel to the "endangered species" bandwagon. imagine that, yeh ... we'd be pretty pissed off too. funny thing is i do agree that we should stop hunting endangered species, i just don't think we have any right to impose our views on other nations, and continually slander them in every westernised media outlet for it, whilst we commit offences of our own, in the eyes of others.

Jigsaw ...

This year is going to be a strange one, a turn in the road i think. once again ive been static here, yeh ive been busy, normal life routines just eating up the days, but i've found its just so easy to cycle through 24 hours and figure ... well nothing happened so what the hell do i post on.

truth is plenty has happened, i just havent been aware of it or ive been to busy / lazy to actually think about it, let alone snapshot my opinion on it. so lets waffle a bit. first off, how shocking is that banner and colour scheme, i feel so outdated already lol, time to spruce that up again into something new i think, just a little tweek here and there. shame that blogspot doesn't let you alter things down to the css level all that easy.

like ive mentioned before this year im looking to secure work in some form of fulltime design employment. whether that be a balance of freelance or full scale agency work. the funny thing is im working up my lost time at my current location until i take leave in July, so it almost feels like im employed full time anyway. its extremly daunting to think that i need to lose this security blanket to move on. some money vs no money vs a decent salary.

on other news, my closest friend lost his Mum to cancer over the week. a story i won't dwell on, but a mark of respect to be mentioned. we will all miss Bev and her kind hearted nature, Mark you should be proud to have had such a special person in your life. to your Dad, your brothers and you, i wish you all the best, condolences from my family.

moving on, whats this i hear about Heath Ledger being found dead today in his New York apartment? man ... is the world sucking at the moment or what. it just goes to show, behind the mask that we all saw in the public eye of a fun loving aussie, a young vagabond, he might of been on a downward spiral after a marriage breakup and birth of his first child. not to mention he had just wrapped filming on the new Batman film, being cast as the arch villain "The Joker". fitting? or not? it kinda reminds me of Brandon Lee's death after "The Crow". a truly bright spark that decided to burn out now rather than face the world. i can't help feel that he was just getting started? and that his latest role could have been the cornerstone of a new path for him. such a sad loss. for anyone not privy, check out the trailer to The Dark Knight, and witness how well he seems (at this early stage) to channel Alan Moore's vision of the killing joke.

see so i guess a bucket load is happening, i just need to clear the head a bit more. a focus will be on my leave break over July for a trip to the America's. and we are only 23 days in ... of 365, or is that 366, or should we rather follow the Mayan calendar ? a thought to dwell on. with all this going on, the stock market crash of yesterday, billions lost, millions to be made, the scales seem more unbalanced than ever. am i a crazy to continue to see the stupidity in the ever present urge for wealth and needless possessions? this path that everyone follows. buying into invisible promises of security and safety, stocks, bonds, property, health and wealth, cures and dreams. for what? i won't be a part of that puzzle. i hope i wont be apart of that puzzle. i think we all just need to take a moment and realise life is there to live. see you in Arizona Bay.

Two Thousand And Eight ...

Hola. well its been kinda static here of late, but i'm not about to just let it drop. what have i been up to? well to quite literally put it ... nothing involving a computer, or work for a better term. ive tried to just relax and catch up on the things that ive enjoyed and missed out on through the majority of 07.

so reflecting on 2007, big year that it was, i recon it was one of the quickest to go by in a long time? was that just my imagination, or is time just speeding up to that great big stop sign of 2012. lol. who knows, all i can say is that it went by in a flash. i mean, i completed a University Degree, i moved house, etc etc all with less sleep than was humanly acceptable.

so what does 2008 hold. well alot i think, it feels like the chains are almost off and i can really jump ship for the first time if i choose to. and damn thats a scary thought. almost as scary as being static and comfortable. i sometimes don't quite know which would be worse. looking forward things which could happen ....

i'll strive to be employed full time in my industry without much freelance.
freelance could take over if the right doors were opened.
a job opportunity could open for me in Melbourne.
i could just sail off to some other metropolis for work.
a friend could become a father.
i could be enjoying Comic Con in San Diego.
a world trip part 2 is in the works. time and budgets are working against it.
Mexico, Guetamala, USA, Canada, South East Asia.

the doors are open. your discussions are welcomed. Miguel, your in that list of visits as well, time is too short and i'll visit within the next 12 months. thats the plan. ducks need aligning.

Did Morgan Spurlock find Osama bin Laden?

Rumors are flying that filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, director and film maker of "Super Size Me" and "30 Days" fame may have done what the United States government has failed to do for the last six years ... find Osama bin Laden.

The speculation first began at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, where Spurlock showed a select group of potential buyers 15 minutes of footage from his new documentary, "Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden?" The film follows Spurlock through the Middle East in his search for the elusive leader of al-Qaida. According to Slashfilm.com, The Weinstein Co. quickly snapped up the picture after seeing the clips.

Adding to the belief, Daniel Marracino, the film's director of photography, is quoted in Variety, saying of the movie, "We've definitely got the Holy Grail."

Whether this is just a genius publicity ploy or if Spurlock actually found bin Laden has yet to be revealed, but the answer should come next year, when the documentary is slated to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

SLASHFILM : story

Canadians are just wak!

Ok what happens when, after trillions of Olympic Games, people start to run out of ideas for animal mascots? well ... thats when crazy Canadians just say CRYPTO MUNDO ! and decide its time to make Bigfoot and Thunderbirds their official 2010 Winter Olympic Game mascots.

How freakin cool is that! To be exact ... the cryptozoological beasties are Quatchi the Sasquatch, Miga the Sea Bear, and Sumi the Thunderbird. The mythical creatures are the work of Vancouver-based Vicki Wong and Michael Murphy of Meomi Design.

None of the mascots actually exist in real life: Miga the Sea Bear is a combination of an orca and a Kermode bear that her designers say likes surfing and snowboarding, and lives off the coast of Vancouver Island. Her black costume includes a fin coming out of her head.

Sumi, the Paralympic mascot, is a horned-hat-wearing Thunderbird from Whistler that likes alpine skiing.

And Quatchi is the first Sasquatch in history to actually make an appearance before human beings. The young sasquatch, complete with blue earmuffs, likes hockey, photography and travel, and, given his hulking size, dreams of being a goalie.

FULL STORY : canada global tv
OFFICIAL SITE : Vancouver 2010

Blue Tongue ... Green Pockets

Where do you draw the line between corporate sellouts and successful business practices? Bluetongue Brewery, a boutique beer brewer on the east coast of Australia has just been bought out by none other than .... wait for it. Coca Cola, well Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) to be exact.

For me its a shame, seeing such a brand fade into the giant multinational corporation hands of the world famous Coke ribbon. what keeps these brands successful in my eyes is their independent ethic, and niche practices that get squashed as soon as people try and compete on a larger scale against the Calton United's of the world. i mean you've gotta ask the question .. what’s more important, selling more product for profit? or losing the very character which makes your brand successful. I guess when the men with deep pockets come a knocking for buyouts, not many "do it for the love" anymore .... but then I guess we all saw it coming when they sold a 50% share to the Singleton Group (headed by Advertising and Banking executives) can anyone say ... Buy Sell, Buy Sell.

THE AUSTRALIAN:
COCA-COLA Amatil's push into the alcoholic beverage market has gained momentum with the company's Pacific Beverages joint venture acquiring NSW boutique brewer Bluetongue.

"We have been looking for a local premium beer brand for some time, and we couldn't have found anything more authentically Australian than Bluetongue," CCA chief executive Terry Davis said.

Mr Davis said the capacity of the existing Bluetongue brewery would be expanded by about 50 per cent initially but would ultimately be used to produce smaller-run and speciality beers. The flagship Bluetongue lager would switch to PacBev's new operation, a 50 million litre brewery to be built somewhere on the east coast.

"We just couldn't make enough beer. We could have built a new brewery, but we'd have been up against Lion Nathan, Foster's, a resurgent Coopers and now Coke is building one, so I'd rather let production be someone else's worry," he said.

Another sellout I won't be supporting.

Another Mans Treasure ...

Hola ! to all and welcome back. been on pause for a bit, while i wrapped up the school year and completed my final year exhibition for Curtin University. all in all the year went swimmingly and seemed to just take off in speed towards the end, kinda crazy really. i almost feel as if i've been in a time warp and its now the end of 07. EEK!

anyway, thanks to all those who helped along the way, your assistance and time was hugely appreciated. thanks also to all who came by to view the work and to add their feedback. lastly thanks to the few who were interested in my work and are keen for more, you know how to contact me.

ok so what now i hear? much of the same really till 08. work now takes on a juggling process between consistant part time work and my freelance work. im currently up and running doing a job for "Creative Spaces" in Freo, on a 6 panel outdoor shelter, recognising Aboriginal settlement in the Bibra lakes area. Cheers to James for this. apart from that i just need more sleep as usual :)

last but not least .... while surfing through Flickr (yeh im addicted i'll admit it, now join in) i came across this guy who is a sculpter of raw recycled articles, combining them in new ways to form anything you can imagine, from dogs, robots, cars, and faces. check his work out, wouldnt it be cool to see the things he see's in the everyday ...

LOCKWASHER DESIGNS
FLICKR : LOCKWASHER

The End Is The Begining Is The End ...

CURTIN DESIGN GRADUATE SHOWCASE 2007

Opening Night Thursday 15th November 2007 @ 6:30 PM
Building 201 Kent Street Bentley, Western Australia 6845

Curtin University of Technology's Department of Design
would like to invite you to its 2007 Graduate Showcase
Included in the exhibition is an assortment of disciplines

* Advertising Design
* Graphic Design
* Illustration Design
* Multimedia Design
* Photography Design
* Product & Furniture Design
* Post Graduate and Honours

Open .......................................
THURS 15.11.07...... 6.30pm to 10.00pm. - Exhibition Night
FRI 16.11.07.......9.00am to 5.00pm.
MON 19.11.07.......9.00am to 5.00pm.
TUES 20.11.07.......9.00am to 5.00pm.

email me if your planning on coming through, all are welcome and the more the merrier.

We Need Another Change ...

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

Why The Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

The Modern Man .... George Carlin

Delayed posts due to a feverish end of year production line for an upcoming exhibition.
yet still enough time to exercise some grey matter. George Carlin, what a champion ... an outspoken comedian who has the energy of a teenager. check this clip out for a wake up call on how messed up our "modern everyday" really is. just reflect on it.

Jacobs creature ...

Are we closer than ever to capturing Bigfoot? this new string of images and information coming from Northwest Pennsylvania USA seems to say yes.

These images were obtained with a Bushnell trail camera in Northwest Pennsylvania on the evening of September 16, 2007 by R. Jacobs. Jacobs had placed the motion-sensing camera on a tree along a game trail in a remote forest area in order to photograph any deer that might be using the trail.

The area in the foreground was baited with a deer attractant mix and a mineral lick block. In the first image (the one with the bear cubs) the mineral lick block can be seen sitting on a large black plastic plate. One of the bear cubs is apparently licking or sniffing the mineral block.

Several minutes elapsed between the image of the bear cubs and the images showing the ape-like animal (see the time stamps in the lower right corner of the images).

The second image shows the ape-like animal from a rear-side angle, with its head obscured by its shoulders. In the third image the ape-like animal appears to be smelling the ground near where the deer attractant mix had been scattered. Several anthropologists and primate experts in the US and Canada are now looking at these photos. The ones who have offered initial impressions to the BFRO say the later two images do not show a bear, but rather a primate.

Could this be an acurate capture or another modern day Patterson Film. Either way its a change from all the news running around regarding 2008 Presidential races and invading 911 truthers. more on that one later.

FULL ARTICLE: BFRO

Idiotic Proposal of the Week...

Speed Limits are once again being reviewed in residential zones, for the alternative to switch from 50Kph to 30kph. This just goes beyond stupidity and infuriates me to no end ... putting it lightly, this is one more measure to enforce a law which will lead to easier penalty fine infringements being issued and more revenue to fill the pockets of those in high places. Don't be fooled, this isn't about saving Granma's as they cross the street, its about milking you for every cent you have ... and making it seem "legitimate"

FULL ARTICLE : click here

SPEED limits on all urban streets should be reduced by a further 10kmh - to as low as 30kmh in busy pedestrian zones - to save hundreds from death or injury every year, road safety experts say.
They also state it makes cities more pleasant, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists, without significantly affecting motorists' travel time. But the campaign has its critics in the Roads and Traffic Authority and the NRMA, both of which rejected any change to speed limits last week.

Jeffery Archer, of the Monash University Accident Research Centre, called on governments to follow the Swedish capital, Stockholm, where the limit on residential streets was reduced to 30kmh this year. Its slogan promoting the change is "Are you man enough to drive at 30kmh?" ..... come on you can't tell me we can all fall for that 12 year old mentality of are you "Man Enough". When exactly was the last time you ever heard of someone running down a pedestrian or killing someone in a crash in a residential zone? it just doesn't happen. not enough to warrant a limit of 30kph and more opportunities for fines and revenue raising.

Harold Scruby, of the Pedestrian Council of Australia, said reducing the speed limit was the only way to make cities vibrant. ..... HAHAA... ahhh excuse me while i choke. Is this guy serious? Here's a tip Harold, how's about you plant a few more trees around your urban landscape, now theres a "vibrant idea for ya"

Don't be fooled by this again people. Let's promote driver safety and education over simple speeding enforcements, that never change driver mentality, it only promotes them to get more aggressive when restricted behind traffic that co-operates. how about we teach people how to drive in the first place, and stop treating pedestrians like mindless road loitering cattle. i mean you cant even get out of 2nd gear @ 30kph .... whats next? no driving in residential zones between the hours of 6pm to 5am?

Bravia's New Addition ...

Enjoy Alec :)

Its Right Outside Your Door ....

Just when you thought it was safe to walk the streets, Big Brother sticks another eye in the sky and your personal freedoms go out the window. this week reports are flooding in about new surveillance "dragonflies" being spotted during anti war protests in both New York and Washington. yep thats right .... robot dragonflies, small enough to fit on your finger tips, created by humans to watch the skys.

Vanessa Alarcon saw them while working at an antiwar rally in Lafayette Square last month. "I heard someone say, 'Oh my god, look at those,' " the college senior from New York recalled. "I look up and I'm like, 'What the hell is that?' They looked kind of like dragonflies or little helicopters. But I mean, those are not insects."

No agency admits to having deployed insect-size spy drones. But a number of U.S. government and private entities acknowledge they are trying. Some federally funded teams are even growing live insects with computer chips in them, with the goal of mounting spyware on their bodies and controlling their flight muscles remotely. The CIA was among the first to tackle the problem. The "insectothopter", developed by the agency's Office of Research and Development 30 years ago. ..... what the hell are they up to now? and who funds this.

FULL ARTICLE: Washington Post

Uplifting Force ...

"Uplifting Moments" hehe, Day One at the 2007 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, just 700 Hot Air Balloons, 100,000 people, and making its first appearance in the United States, the Darth Vader balloon. May the force be with you. The Balloon Fiesta is one of the most photographed events in the world. something cheerful for today.

OFFICIAL SITE: here

Shades of 99 ....

The incredible has occured in the space of 24 hours in France, world cup 2007. England, a team beaten to a pulp by the South Africans in their pool match have come from no where to squash the flickering hopes of the gold army in Australia.

Then, as if time just took a shift to 99, France, came up against New Zealand once again and proved, with passion, heart and belief, anything is possible. coming back from a 13 / 3 half time margin the french truely rose to the occasion and the Kiwis flaked like old lead paint in the hot sun.

France will play England in an all-northern semi-final in Paris next Saturday, after dumping the favourites New Zealand out of the tournament 20-18 in Cardiff. but who do they truely have to thank? well lets just say a missed forward pass is all it takes to shift time and history. maybe it set from the start .... having to see the kiwis play in a grey tone strip, they were never ... All .. Black.

a pleasure to see competition and unknown results come to fruition. but that needs to stop with a Springbok victory. :) the green machine now have a different outline to face towards a world cup victory.

Slowing Time ...

My headspace this morning, 4:30AM.
killing the hours with UNI work.
4 weeks left.

BUSH: WARM MACHINE.
I memorise the basics
Making strange faces
Tread slowly for i know
There's a thousand miles to go
Without blinking
Gravitate spacewards find a home for the head from my basement
No darkness ever left
This is the night this is the sound here comes the warm machine
Such a warm machine
Feeling warm
Some days are playful
Making play faces
But we will not let it through
The darkness and the sense
Of being born to lose
This is the night this is the sound here comes the warm machine ...

INSPIRATION:
FLICKR: click
OFFICIAL SITE: myspace