My first major uni essay, complete with footnoting and a bibliography that conforms to Melbourne University’s Art History Style Guide *adopts schocked expression*. But without the pretty pictures, sadly (though surely my alphabetisation of sources makes up for that!). Ahem.
Archive for August, 2008
The Viewer’s Perspective
August 31, 2008Diversification
August 31, 2008Considering I originally set up this blog so I could simultaneously share relevant literary witticisms and spruik my sole extant book and all future books, surprisingly little has happened in the way of that thus far. I blame teachers, school, VCAA, VTAC and any other large acronymed educational organisation that happens to stumble in my sights between here and that happy day in November when I accept my Northcote High medallion from whichever random Motivational Speaker they manage to drag kicking and screaming out of the woodwork. Until I’m done and dusted, though, no happy fiction news shall be forthcoming. So I’ve decided to diversify — yes *feel the excitement* from here on out I’ll also be regaling the world with any vaguely interesting essays I’ve been forced to write this year for another shiny red number on another shiny criteria sheet. In future I also plan to set up zine and Extra Stuff sections of the site, but until then dip into my fascinating musings on Hans Baldung Grien, Elisabetta Sirani and Range Murata [minus the pretty pictures] on the Essays & Articles page :D
Mobile n00b
August 27, 2008Not much happening this week, except I have a Mandarin SAC tomorrow that I should be cramming for, so obviously I’m blogging instead. Thankfully I have also acquired a new mobile phone (that’s “cell phone”, my USian friends) in the last 24 hours, and already it’s paid for itself in a purely procrastination-enabling capacity. The handset itself is swoon-coloured purple, and I’d just decided to call it Boris when I belatedly remembered that naming every electronic device in my family’s possession was not the done thing, despite Waldemar the TV Remote’s diode flashes of protestation.
So yes, I am now out of the realm of black and white mobile telephony, and with the help of various patiently exasperated friends, have since discovered how to send a predictive text message (no more onerous button mashing for me) and how to exchange files via bluetooth, both of which are not to be superseded by my realisation of the vital difference between “normal” and “silent” mode (one of those means you get dissed for having a crappy ringtone and/or get kicked out of class, while the other is a test of patience for the person trying to call you as you ignore your handset’s steadily increasing vibrations in favour of looking for examples of cataphoric reference in Virginia Woolf excerpts in gratitude for your teacher not kicking you out of class after that abrupt explosion of Zelda theme music from within the vicitnity of your pocket).
All of this makes me worry that I’ll become one of those wan-skinned, shrivelled-up creatures unable to turn their mobile off for fear of losing contact with people or no longer being able to listen to the comforting hum of its CPU thing. Yesterday’s paper to the rescue! One of the fantastically trashy lifestyle liftouts informs me of the existence of nomophobia.com, a website that gives advice to aforementioned shrivelled up creatures or generally anyone who has a fear of switching off. Unfortunately their pages seem a little too sparse for the truly phobic, so I suggest a twelve step group (or a 17 step group, because 17’s a cooler number). Maybe come graduation.
The Existential Strepsils
August 19, 2008
The things you do when you’re alone, bored and have a functioning webcam
August 13, 2008
It’s my Cousin Itt impersonation brought on by a sudden realisation of how much reading I have to catch up on after watching too much of the Olympic synchronised divers in their budgie smugglers. Great stuff.
Creative Hibernation Mode Initiated
August 11, 2008What excitement! It is now approximately 74 days until my first end of year exam, which means that from now until a month after then I shall be spending most of my time in Mum’s study, alternately freezing my ass off and turning on the fan heater and then feeling guilty about killing the world and not planting any trees and drinking too much orange juice for my already overloaded immune system. From this vantage point (desk > window) I also have an enviable view of our demented neighbours and their Target-denim-wearing spawn, which has provided endless entertainment for many a long hour otherwise spent hunched over deceptively slim textbooks with a font size of 3. But I digress from my main point, which is: NOTHING IS HAPPENING IN MY LIFE UNTIL DECEMBER. If I do indeed manage to somehow drag myself through to graduation, then maybe I will have something vaguely interesting to write about, and more importantly, time to write the damned book. Anywho, until I’ve finished high school this blog and the rest of my life will have to go on hold so that my 13 years of schooling can be neatly summarised into a state-wide rank that will determine my tertiary study-worthiness. Blah.
Until then, enjoy these artfully sliced hunks of camembert. I know I will.
