The Dark Knight Rises

Well.... I was going to write a post about travel and festivals today and absolute essentials that you have to take, partly for shits and giggles but partly because it's informative and will definitely change for me over time...

Instead, today, I went to the movies. I went and saw the movie now made so controversial by yet another senseless shooting in America and whilst this crossed my mind several times whilst watching, I felt just very lucky to live in a country where we have little worry of ever being a part of an event such as that.

And the movie was good.... great even. I think the word 'awesome' came out of my mouth as soon as it ended. I feel bad for the film makers, cast and crew that their hard work now seems tainted.

Then I come home after a brief coffee and one of my oldest radio pals come over and I tell him "you know there is a sign outside that cinema that tells people guns' aren't allowed" - over which we both baffle for a while, make some comments on such a thing and talk about the horrible event that occurred in Colorado.

When he leaves I turn back on my computer and look at email. There's a reply to my earlier comment on a video I watched earlier in the day, where one of my favourite youtube channels posted a video of a BBC interviewer talking to an apparently educated reputable person arguing against gun control yet again.

My original comment went something like this: Every time there is a big over the top and thoughtless shooting in the US there is this debate, and every time you all fail to see the importance of gun control... so... carry on then. Of course there are other things that would also need addressing in this arena such as mental health, but your issue is much larger than this. Give them up America, put down your weapons. (The fact that you even had to have a sign at a CINEMA stating the obvious is reason enough) - so now i've deleted this comment anyways because the responses were beyond belief to me.

And the response from one guy...You are missing the point. There is a lot more to this than the media (mainstream) is willing to let us in on. This week the United Nations small arms gun treaty ban is being voted on. Obama will sign it into law guaranteed. This incident smells of a false flag set up. How coincidental is this incident & the gun ban? Please remember, there are NO coincidences in government. If people were allowed to conceal carry in that theater that shooter wouldn't be alive today. Please educate yourself.

Well you know the guy has a point, I didn't know that and he just educated me. I don't agree it had bloody anything to do with the incident but either way. I told him we could agree to disagree as follows.... (oh look actually that comment has been deleted - something about the BBC being more reputable than US television stations and that of course the media is biased). Oh wait, here it is.... We can agree to disagree on this Steve. I understand and follow a lot of what your (and other) Government(s) have to say. Mainstream media definitely has a part to play in incorrect biased newscasting and assisting Government in pushing through their own agendas. My point is, why do you feel it necessary to have a gun in the first place? "right to bear arms"..? The BBC seem a lot more credible than most US news channels so it's interesting that some here are bagging them and calling them names.

Now.... to the comment that blew my mind...

the fact that there was a sign at the entrance informing the criminal that it was a gun free zone is the problem and made them an easy target. If the shooter thought the theater was packed with well armed citizens do you really think necrotic gave gone in there? Did you it hear the stats re: shootings in "gun free" zones? Do facts mean anything?

My response: Again... if you had no guns, there would be no needs for those "zones" in the first place. The rest of the western world that have gun control look at these incidents and think why do you let it continue?! I went to this film today and I had no fear walking down my street, walking into a cinema and watching a film with strangers. Fear. The most important word in this debate. Why is it normal to be afraid of your own countrymen?!

Okay so back to the persons original comment two paragraphs above.... and let me get this straight. The PROBLEM is that there was a sign saying NO GUNS allowed in this venue, making INNOCENT MOVIEGOERS an EASY TARGET. The PROBLEM is that other people TOOK THE ADVICE OF THE SIGN and therefore could not stop the heavily armed man in his act.

Hmmmm.... so the problem couldn't possibly be that you can walk into a Kmart and buy a gun and bullets. The problem couldn't possibly be that there is a problem with the mental health system. The problem couldn't possibly be that their media is screwed up. The problem couldn't possibly be that their whole society seems to be based on fear and they think a few words in their constitution have more weight than peoples lives being taken for no reason.

I feel freaking sorry for those families who now have to bury loved ones because of this or any of the many countless, continual, thoughtless shootings that have happened in the US in recent years.  I'm sure they are thinking now "oh yeah, it's okay, he had the right to bear arms". (add sarcasm; stir)

I can guarantee you that their only question is WHY? Perhaps; why did he have access to these weapons? What in his mind made him feel the need to do that to a random bunch of strangers? And sure there may be anger, calls for retribution and the like, but why the HELL would anyone think that MORE freedom in the carrying of guns solves this problem?!

It took one, horrific day on our soil in a similar incident in a public place to start the ball rolling on calling in the return of general civilian handguns / firearms in our country. ONE.

As much as I do love Americans and have American friends and will visit this part of the world in the future, this part of their culture absolutely baffles me.

End Rant.

Sometimes I sell things on ebay...

New round of random memorabilia etc etc here...

http://myworld.ebay.com.au/jfus3250

Do help me fund my trip to Canada and pass on some weird and wonderful things to collectors about the place.

If you have any buddies who might be interested in any of the items, please pass on the links.

Lots of love.

xx

lonely and sadly alone...

Well, you know I have to be honest here, on Friday I felt terribly alone, sitting in the lounge devouring red wine, after buying frozen sweet potato fries and baking some fish, then watching some dodgy movie on teevee that was neither fantastic nor offensive to me. You know those movies.

It could well be that 'festival remorse' is real. I mean let's face it, several times a year (well, okay, a lot of the year) I spend my time with my festival families. Then I have to leave them. All of a sudden it's "goodbye, see you next year" - as we're all transient bastards, let's not lie about it.

Spending a few weeks in Sydney was both overwhelming and lovely at the same time. Met a wonderful new crew of peoples, but also felt particularly out of place in that city. Everyone seems too well dressed, or perhaps it was just that I saw a lot of corporate people and that generally makes me shudder. There's a difference between a nice suit and a dude standing on a corner with one of those blue tooth headsets (i thought no-one used them anymore, turns out I was wrong) looking like he's talking to himself, but it being about something terribly important like the next big thing, or budgeting or some crap.

I did, however, enjoy the fact that a bunch of people were coming together to watch footage and ideas from across the globe in many languages. It really has reignited my fascination for film (like it was ever  really gone? i guess other things took precedence in recent years) and think fondly of those friends within that industry thinking 'bravo'.

And GO TEAM BOX OFFICE.

This festival remorse will become all the worse I am sure when I return to Canada soon to help out on Shambhala and have to head back to the Land Of Oz so quickly. I had such an amazing time there last year, even if I did sound like Darth Vadar for a few days and get hooked up to some oxygen therapy. And I had camping neighbours that had yip-yip costumes.

So... Festival Number 36 will you please stand up...

That continual feeling that I belong in that country instead of my own will probably never pass. I've got this strange feeling I will always regret leaving when I did, and always regret not checking out what the requirements would have been for me to stay.  I didn't want to work a lot when I was there, I made that choice, I developed other skills and kept everything flexible to fit in with my disappearing act type lifestyle.

We are so lucky here, and I get jack of people that complain and scare monger, do things for their own gain. Like SUCK IT UP all of you, we have low unemployment, medical care for all, a Government that is actually moving towards decreasing our environmental impact... I mean of course not all of these things are perfect, we are still fighting for many important things to be heard / passed / understood. But to whine and moan about pricing and such, think less. It's always more.

Do you really NEED 3 televisions, 2 cars, shoe hire, hot dog, fries and a coke?! To run your air conditioner or heater 24 / 7, then cry about electric bills?! Put on a jumper!

Our shitty media largely to blame for our over-consumption of just about everything. You need the latest gadget man, seriously, you do... *scoff*.

Look outside it, and get involved in what is local to you.

{ Actually can I ad that some of the television advertising I have seen lately REALLY gives me the shits. Clubs Australia trying to convince us that they are part of a solution... banks using high profile celebs to make them sound like a charity... mining companies trying to prove that they work along side environmental projects. Y'all make me sick. }

here ends the ranting...

so... what's been happening then...??

well it's been an interesting couple of months that is for sure.

firstly, it's so much easier to make money here. Making headway on debt and had a new contract with the Garden of Unearthly Delights, met some wonderful people and worked hard. Still, the reigning champion of individual sales wants her trophy ;)

I started living in a place with some nice people, that was until one of them turned out to be a knob-jockey with no control over emotions. Look, if you ask me a question, I'm going to answer it. Simple. And if you can't take what the answer might be, then don't ask the question. That's the brunt of it without going in to any more detail.

I've lived in enough share houses to know that having someone scream at you for no apparent reason is just NOT cricket.

The peeps at work and the others I lived with were a great support to me during this time, and I thank you all.

In other news, stupid body has been flaring up again. It was almost as if it rejected a job where I had to sit down sometimes, then again I can't say I've been as active as I was being overseas so therefore body went RAAR. Had some more scans on my spine and hips and happy to say that actually it seems that what was a 'broad based disc herniation' is now less severe. It's still putting some pressure on nerves but not nearly as bad. So it seems it is primarilly muscular and I hope with some help from therapists, that body will be less munty in no time.

Moving all my crap outta my house didn't help I suppose, but there you go.

So it's the first time in my life I've had stuff in a storage unit, and that feels kind of okay, but it's so transitional - though I suppose I am used to that by now.

The most frustrating thing is knowing I can't currently get back to Canada in any other way except as a 'visitor'. Lame. Totally LAME. There was rumour that they would be upping the limit on ages for work permits, but so far it hasn't happened. Very sad indeed.

I regret coming back early nearly every single day. I guess because I know my friends in Australia will always be here, and will never reject my insane decisions to disappear to foreign lands... and it's the same for those in North America. But I feel way more connected to Canada than I do to Australia right now.

Further, trying to decide on which course of study to take and all is frustrating me. I have many doubts about my ability to stay focussed because I have trouble deciding on which things to focus on in the first place.

Some things never change though: I really like crossword books. Feels like it keeps my brain active.

Looking forward to seeing all my Melbourne friends very soon, off there Tuesday for another Melbourne International Comedy Festival version of SHENANIGANS and a new challenge working up at the Trades Hall.

Remembering fondly though those we have lost in the past year as I return there... Ash and Dori, you are sorely missed and nothing will ever be the same. Both taken from us too soon. We love you.

xJ

I find it interesting...

that my beloved *scoff* one-of-four-big-banks threatened all sorts of bollocks when they decided to cancel my line of credit over a measly few hundred bux whilst I was overseas... and yet I have just had a credit report back and there are no problems with it.

to which i say... you're a bunch of dirty liars AND maybe I'll just stop paying you, a-holes.

xj

Our Fundraising Efforts...

Going quite swimmingly really!

So there is a team of six ladies currently on the home stretch for FebFast... raising funds for drug and alcohol programs for Australias youth including things like Street University.

You can find our team and make a donation HERE: http://www.febfastfundraising.com.au/hairy_bins

And thank you all in advance for your kind words and donations. Let's crack that $1000 mark! It's for a good cause.

xxJ

Dear...

one of the Big Four Banks...

You're about to lose me as a customer. You seem upset, almost shocked about this?! But why?

I've been your customer for nearly 8 years. I've had to call you a lot to sort out stuff ups, been charged many fees, even had my correspondence denied even though lodged through my OWN account in SECURE MAIL that YOU provide for your customers to talk to you. When overseas in slightly dire financial situations, you didn't even accept my correspondence; you wanted to talk to me on the phone. What part of 'I have no money' did you not understand?! Offering to provide back up documents to that effect?! Customer service my backside.

Now you go and charge me nearly 60bux for an annual fee on a credit card that no longer exists.

Well, you can be thankful you did that. Because I'll be sayin' bye bye birdie quite soon.

End Rant.
xJ

judgement day...

sounds like a bad Hollywood film... oh wait, that was independence day.

Sometimes I get this strange feeling that it's terribly hard for people to understand why I'm earning a living in the way which I have chosen. That includes family, though they do support it, sometimes it's pretty evident that I'm the odd one out.

Well to me, it's pretty simple. 13 years in what I always refer to as "corporate business" did my head in.

Now this isn't to say that I didn't have jobs that I didn't enjoy, the majority of them I did even if you do run into the occasional wanker (happens in any workplace, unavoidable); however I have to explain something. Being in roles that are more 'operational' than anything else, you know the day to day operations of a business whether it be accounting or student enrollments or publishing sales or keeping your sales reps on their toes, buying merchandise, buying stationery, organising a couriering system, booking travel, keeping track of bills (I digress... you name it, I've probably done it)... well this basically leaves you open to being trodden on.

For those that are further up in the hierarchy will barely consult you when it comes to cost cutting or changes in procedures, national frameworks and things that effect YOUR every day and not theirs. I had great passion for what I was doing - always. To get things done efficiently; to not be wasteful; to find the cheapest way to do something, the best deal; to be the 'general bringer of joy' in any tough situation.

But when you get shit on from above, like a giant crow crapping on your favourite jacket then squawking and flying off and letting you deal with the clean up, well the reality is I got jack of it.

I got sick of consistently having to clean up other peoples messes; sick of walking into jobs where they had assumed the person would never leave and so there were never any procedures or notes on anything you were responsible for; watching people get made redundant for no reason other than upper management screw ups or desperate scrambles to cost cut (oh yeah, that is screw ups); providing data you thought would assist, but in the end they didn't give a crap anyways. It was never my immediate Management I had trouble with.... it was always some imaginary douchebag up there on his or her little fluffy cloud pulling the strings.

Too. Freakn. Frustrating.

At times you know it's a great challenge, but when you are constantly banging your head against a wall - well, something eventually has to give. Usually your days become longer, the frown in your forehead more pronounced, and the liquor sometimes flows a little more ;)

There has been the odd occasion that I really have run into some nasty sorts in offices too. Like absolute insane asylum candidates. Alcoholics who decide it's a good idea to move in together after getting drunk and shagging one Friday after work, and then bringing every single argument into the office from then on in. Ex-secret service (not kidding) agents whose faces go bright red and start to peel when they get stressed. And customers who think it's okay to call and start their conversation with you by screaming down the phone (and I think I went through about 5 receptionists that year). Oh wait, that was all in the same job. Yes indeed, that was so much FUN!

Add sarcasm, stir.

There's just something about that routine too. Having the same hours every day makes me terribly complacent. I guess the 9-5 just doesn't really gel too well with me unless the content is something that I really really care about. It took me a number of years to work that out.

So I changed things. Started with one paid arts gig here and there, then two... then kerblammo quit all corporate realm and move to Canada. And what do I end up with?! Two jobs in things I like... a Hostel (meeting travelers from all over, never a bad thing - sometimes frustrating, overall enjoyable) and an old Theatre (be still my beating heart...).

I must admit on my first journey there, because of the cashed up situation I was in, I had the luxury of simply volunteering for a number of months - meeting a bunch of like minded people and exploring the new scene and new environment. However it did lead to three paid festival gigs in the following year and I thought "I Have Done It" - I'd even been headhunted once - on community / arts / music festivals in a foreign country. Like holy CRAP! Why did it never occur to me earlier in my life that it was possible to make a living off of this?!

Well who knows. Maybe it wasn't quite time. Maybe I needed to learn the lesson. Maybe I had that revelation of earning loads of cash often still equates to having eff all to show for it (except my intermittent jaunts overseas of course).

The abilities I have in an administrative sense absolutely help me every day, and keep me going on the in-between times (you know, winter...!) - temping's not so bad because there's generally an end in sight... and you know, I've got pretty mad admin skills if I do say so myself. Sort shit out I do...

but now I'm gosh darned determined to just bounce from Fest to Fest, no matter what the topic, check it all out.

All scenes, all mediums, in all parts of this beautiful world.

Now to finally work out the balance - my real purpose in life in 2012 I guess.

Find it, work it, keep it.

Balance, Repetition, Composition...

Sod it. I like the downtime between contracts; earning less money but getting more satisfaction (and actually, somehow, having more money at the end of it). Life's funny. Hardy Har. And that.

End thought.

xx

unpacking... duex...

well yes, although all of my stuff with the exception of a couple of boxes fit in my old car and was driven all the way from Bristanbul to RADelaide several years ago... well gee there still seems to be quite a bit of it.

Though I am the Tetris mistress from HELL.

Rant:

I've wanted a filing cabinet for years... maybe I felt like I could get more organised. And immediately a friend came to the rescue on that front after I mentioned it. "Hey, we've got one in the shed - it's been sitting there a couple years. We don't use it."

My friends, you ROCK my world! You ALWAYS come to the party somehow. The party, being mostly, doing awesome stuff for me for which I am eternally grateful.

So... said filing cabinet now lovingly filled with hanging files, named and all, with all of the festival related garb I've been doing over the years. This may seem like a small victory to many, but to me it's like FINALLY there is some HOPE that I can find things and not just put them in rad boxes and tins that I manage to find along the way.

New room, however, still slightly fuckified until I can get my old set of drawers out here. Been raining a bit so an open trailer and furniture ain't such a good combination.

Anyhoo... so how do I really FEEL about all of this? That's kind of undetermined. I like my new place to live and the people that are here. I'm excited about my new role learning about all things box office here.

But overall... kinda sad. Lost. Pining for Vancouver.

Todays word: Transition.

I was well aware of it, knew it would rear it's ugly head AND I know it sucks, it's just taking a little longer this time because the truth is, I don't know when I can get back there - and that is what makes it sad.

I admit to being mostly in hiding up until now. Slowly but surely catching up with the kids here in RADelaide which I'm enjoying. I just can't unfortunately promise to be always looking myself for the time being as things tick on and on in my head.

That is, of course, until next Festival kick off (very VERY soon) which will snap me right out of any procrastination and bring all my fun clothes and flair out of hiding.

Scarves and buttons and hats, oh MY!

xx

unpacking...

finding little bits of paper with notes written on them is always interesting...

here's an example:

Soul Coughing - El Oso "Blame"

www.naturalevent.com.au

"Wake in Fright" 1971

"Zombieland"

>myface>black fridays

volunteers - ocean care

paulo.... - letterman

Now some seem obvious, one seems incomplete. Oh well. best go hunting and see why I wrote these random things down!

hehe.

xx

Ah Hell...

Haven't finished my 2012 list yet. Well I've got a few hours left of January 31 to go so why not sort this out then...

RASP RASP

1. Clear Debt

2. Get Paid on at Least 10 Festivals (last year I aimed for 5 and did 8)

3. Volunteer

4. Practice Spanish

5. Travel to: New Zealand, Bali, Northern Territory or Western Australia

6. Read more books

7. Business Planning

8. Decide on Study

9. Practice Mexican cooking

10. Start and keep up with new weblog

11. Find a way to properly preserve all festival and music memorabilia...

12. TBC

x

FebFast

So my friend Frehd started a team. I joined said team.

Here is link to team: http://www.febfastfundraising.com.au/hairy_bins

Please head over and sponsor us on our mission to live healthily and support some great public programs across Australia.

We won't be boozing for all of February. I'll be attempting to stop poisoning my lungs as well. Ugh.

xx

i am a neglectful sod...

yes indeed i am. So much has happened since I last wrote in this thing.

Left Canada, didn't want to. Waah. Back in home town RADelaide, moving into a new enormous sharehouse this weekend which is exciting.

Worked Falls already, grand. new role. all good things.

Got a new job with the Adelaide Fringe. Way excited.

Been doing temping in between.

Centrelink sucks. But have been somewhat helpful.

My cholesterol went way down on my travels away. I still need to see the dentist.

I miss hockey and my Canadian family. I think I belong there. But can't do much about it now.

SAD. BUT HAPPY. PROGRESSIVE. STUFF. THINGS.

xJ