Happy sweet 16th Flying Sppaghetti Monster

http://www.venganza.org/

So I have got that going for me, which is kind of nice.

Spanish crap

this is the crap that Spain presented in the Eurovision this year.

Supervisors

Click to enlarge.

Here is a poll question

Should Muslim countries that ban women from competing in the Olympics be barred?

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/19/opinion/edahmed.php

Austrian Death Metal

Then there was the 90s. Who can forget Austria's contribution to Death Metal with Pungent Stench's classic 'Been Caught Buttering'

Featured music: New Wave

Sorry I didn't forget about the blog... well, maybe I did. But here I am back and thought I might as well put up some new music. This time, in lack of something better, I offer you a selection of the music you wish had never existed: New Wave. The transition from the 70s to the 80s seems to have been really tough... well, everyone did the best they could amidst the confusion, mixing punk, ska, reggae and going 'electronic'. A special paragraph is due for the clothes and the hairstyles that beg for scissors, or at least a merciful beanie. Take for instance the chaps of Sound Committee right there in that photo. Isn't that white jacket a crime against humanity? Aren't those colour combinations a kick in the nuts of any pair of eyes with a brain behind them? Can we agree with David Hume when he postulated the ideal aesthetical critic as having a mind "free from all prejudice"when someone dares to proudly show off those plastic Casio watches?

No, no, no... don't worry. Just listen to the music and take it easy.

A new portmanteau to add to the list, the bobos!

So there are pomos and woo~woos, but now there is a new one: the bobo!

Here is the wiki definition

Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class And How They Got There (ISBN 0-684-85378-7) is a book by David Brooks, first published in 2000. The word bobo, Brooks's most famous coinage, is a portmanteau of the words bourgeois and bohemian. The term is used by Brooks to describe the 1990s' descendants of the yuppies. Often of the corporate upper class, they rarely oppose mainstream society, claim highly tolerant views of others, buy lots of expensive and exotic items, and believe American society to be meritocratic.

Bobo is often used in place of the word yuppie, which has usually negative connotations. In fact, even Brooks uses yuppie in a negative sense throughout his book.

Brooks's thesis in Bobos in Paradise was that this "new upper class" represented a marriage between the liberal idealism of the 1960s and the self-interest of the Reagan era. Critics of Brooks's thesis argue that he did not provide an argument for why this elite was specifically "new," and that the bobo trend merely represents changing tastes and preferences of a pre-existing upper class (not a product of social mobility).

Bobos are noted for avoiding indulging in high acts of conspicuous consumption in favor of spending the greatest amount possible on the "necessities". Brooks argues that they feel guilty consuming in the way typical of the so-called "greed era" of the 1980s so they prefer to spend extravagantly on kitchens, showers, and other common facilities of everyday life. They "feel" for the labor and working class but may refuse to buy American made goods. The term "bobo chic" was applied to a style of fashion, similar to "boho chic", that became popular in uptown New York in 2004-5.

Bobos often relate to money as means rather than end; they do not disdain money but use it to achieve their ends rather than considering wealth as an achievable end in itself.

The New York Times has written about the changing tastes of bobos: "'Made in the U.S.A.' used to be a label flaunted primarily by consumers in the Rust Belt and rural regions. Increasingly, it is a status symbol for cosmopolitan bobos, and it is being exploited by the marketers who cater to them."^[1]

Fuzzy Logic science show 2XX FM98.3

G'day!
Did you know that there is a weekly science show called 'Fuzzy Logic' presented on 2XX FM98.3 on Sundays from 11.30 - 12.30am? I thought it might be of interest to some of you bloggers, particularly those more verbose than moi, because there is the opportunity for you to have a go and have possibly millions of people listen to your wise words.
I went along to the studio in the Griffin Centre in Civic this morning to see Jeevan and Brook (Ento) and Caitlin (Plant Industry) present it. The discussion is based on recent news in science and today it came around to the topical aspects of Caitlin and Brook's PhD work.
There's a blog and podcasts of some earlier shows here http://fuzzylogicon2xx.blogspot.com/
If your inner broadcaster has been stirred, I can put you in touch with the group that runs the show. They have a monthly meeting and it seems they're always looking for fresh voices.

September 16th time to geek it up

Greetings from the Midwest

Hello all just thought I would touch base. All is well in here in Minnesota. I found a house which is a 15min bike ride from work. The place has a very large pool, and a lake which I have been jogging around. I am living with a 60 year old woman who is a complete woo~woo; acupunture, homeopathy you name the nonsense, and her son who pops around regularly, is a fundamentalists evangelical creationist christian that has attempted to witness me on several occasions. I am finding the cost of living surprisingly cheaper than Australia, specifically Canberra. The food has been good, in particular the sourdough breads and there has been a fantastic selection of inexpensive locally made beers. The punters of this blog will be pleased to know that health care systems appears to be top-notch, free medical and dental through the university cover plan.

Bye for now

La Choune a boeuf

Chilean Volcano II

Good stuff Leah!! That picture is great, it was in the news papers a few days ago.

If you are following the news you are be probably aware of the magnitude of the eruption and its consequences. The ashes travelled hundreds of kilometers and even affected air traffic in Buenos Aires.
Check this satellite image:

If you (like me) enjoy watching maps, check more satellite images
here.

chau!!

JP

Chilean Volcano

Check out this amazing photo of the Chatien Volcano currently erupting in Chile. The vast amount of ash particles entering the atmosphere are apparently generating the electrical storm.

Aitana in Australia!

Aitana Barrero Alonso is here mates! 3,190 Kg. 49 cm. Olé!

Tonight we have been sleeping mainly all the night!