Saturday, October 17, 2009

monkey says no

Earlier today I got the camera out. I was going to take some shots of one of the neighbours cats. He didn't comply, but when I came inside Junior was sitting there looking cute. I don't have that many photos of him, so I thought I'd grab a couple. I got down to his level and was trying to get him to look down the lens when Monkey came along.

Monkey has never had trouble posing for the camera, and if I didn't know any better, I would say that Monkey felt strongly about Junior having his photo taken.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

sour

I would like to write something.

Hmm.

Some time ago it came to my attention that as part of my ongoing residence requirements for the UK, I would need to sit a test. A citizenship test! Yes, that test. The Life in the UK Test. The same test that many people born and bred in the UK, had they need to take it without first studying the official guide, would fail. Australia has a similar test.
I'm not sure how I feel about the test. On one hand it has just been a rather stressful and annoying element of the box ticking that needs to be done for my Unlimited Leave to Remain. On the other hand, I am gobsmacked at how difficult it is, and I actually fail to see what it ultimately achieves. Well, no, I don't fail to see what it ultimately achieves. I don't like what it ultimately achieves.
The test, in essence, is designed for only a certain section of the community to be able to pass it. First, you need to have a very good understanding of the nuances of written English, as some of the questions are not simply worded. All fine and dandy for me, an Australian, but not so great if English is not your first language. I'm left wondering what kinds of people they are trying to eliminate with the test, and frankly I don't want to talk about it out loud, as it makes me feel dirty.
On Wednesday morning, there were people in that testing centre who probably failed the test. Thirty three pounds and twenty eight pence later, that's a pretty lucrative fail on behalf of whichever department the funds ultimately end up supporting.
There is an alternative for those who are not capable of reading or speaking English to the level that the test requires, and that is a course, which I understand has a test at the end of it. I have not researched this course or its ultimate requirements, so I can't comment on what it might or might not achieve, although I wouldn't be surprised if it hoped to achieve the same sort of chaff sifting that the Life in the UK Test seems to be designed for.

Ultimately, I should just shut up and be happy, as I passed the test. Selfishly, what should I care about the people who took the test with me on Wednesday? The thing is, I do care. In the weeks I took to study the test, it was constantly playing on my mind that there would be people who would not be able to pass this test. My own mother, for example, does not have the kind of study or memory skills required. How many other peoples loved ones just don't have the right kind of aptitude for something like this? It worries me. On a very basic level, the test just isn't humane, and is actually intellectual snobbery at its most vile.

Friday, September 25, 2009

holding pattern

It have been very quiet. Inside and outside the blog.

It has been a time of re-evaluation for me, though I haven't come to many conclusions about life. I guess you could say I am pretty confused. I have always had a 'plan'. I have always been working toward something. Life is now full of so many uncertainties, so many things that are seemingly out of my control, that I am a bit bereft of where I should be channeling my energies. I just don't know where to point my nose, and I am a bit out of sorts for it.

We are in Spain at them moment, on a mini break to see my sister-in-law. We are spending one night in Barcelona as well, and that is where I am writing this from. The hotel has wi-fi. We've had great weather thus far, and it (the weather) really reminds me of Brisbane.

I have a few ideas on what I want to do, or what I should be doing. It is just a matter of doing them.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

last night i dreamt i was a dog person


Some months ago, Pussle took to sleeping on my pillow at night. Smack bang in the middle of it. She moves in on it when we go to bed, and if I move her off it before I go to sleep, I will only wake to find that she has put herself back there at some point.

As annoying as it is, I'm not complaigning. She's getting on, and it isn't like she's going to be around to annoy me forever.

commentary

So. Over at dooce.com, home of one of the Internets most influential bloggers, there has been a shit-storm of monumental proportions over the way #26 wielded her Twitter power when being treated poorly by the very posh washer company, Maytag.

The shit-storm erupted when people decried her use of her influence to 'get what she wanted'. Try as I might to understand these peoples points of view, I'm struggling.

Let me get this straight. Lots of people are upset because Heather used her influence to pressure a multi million dollar corporation into...giving her some customer service?

In her post about the issue, Heather almost seems to apologise for her expectations, insinuating that there might have been fewer Tweets from her on the subject had she not been so sleep deprived due to the newest addition to their family, baby Marlo. What I would like to say to Heather is this. It doesn't even matter that you were sleep deprived, and I hope you come to realise this. All you did was rat out a mega corp for shitty customer service.

Early doors in the comments on the post, someone calling themselves 'Jane's Mom' writes:

3. Jane's Mom said:
I watched the whole thing unfold yesterday and it is my opinion that you were unjustified in ranting on Twitter about it. I know you were sleep-deprived and god knows I've been there because I have three kids and life sucks sometimes. But I think you should have known better. And your husband too. Anyway, cool idea from mommymelee and kudos to you for seeing it through. Hope your washer works okay from here on out.


To Jane's Mom I would say this. If it was the end of the world, and only you and Heather were left, and you were fighting over the last Snickers bar, Heather would not only beat you to that last Snickers bar, she would deserve it.

There was a scene in the film 'Serenity' (nerd alert!) where on planet Miranda the atmosphere was pumped full of a 'peace gas', in an experiment in controlling violence. And all the humans have died from apathy.

May the world never be filled with the likes of the apathetic 'Jane's Mom'. It's because of people like her that we remain in this diabolical mess of corporation control.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Hello Internet.

Monday, August 10, 2009

anything you need to confess?

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