Monday, January 31, 2011
Further to the last
Actually, when you think about it, Disney's Tarzan had more in common with Disney's Beauty and the Beast than with Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan... That's a bit odd, too.
Strangers Like Me
The Disney version of Tarzan is all a bit odd, really. For one thing, there are enough elements of the book in the original 1999 film to make it clear that someone, at some point in time, actually read the novel. And yet, they've changed things for no apparent reason (making Jane British, altering the role Clayton plays in the plot, getting rid of D'Arnot), which is a bit odd. They've converted the animal characters into classic Disney animal characters (especially Tantor), which is to be expected from Disney, I guess, but still a bit odd. And it's a musical in which only some of the numbers are performed by the characters, with the rest being performed by Phil Collins - which is considerably odd, when you think about it.
As a Disney fan, I found the film annoying as it fell short of what I expect from Disney. As a Tarzan fan, I found the film annoying as it didn't really add anything to the Tarzan cannon, and basically just took a few areas that were already muddy and made them muddier. So, I found it disappointing from both a Disney and a Tarzan perspective, which is a bit sad, seeing as it was a Disney Tarzan film...
Even though I think the entire concept of the stage musical version is daft, I'd still be interested in seeing it just because the characters would be performing the song (as opposed to Phil Collins - I don't actually object to Phil Collins, I just think having him sing all the songs was a bit odd).
I'm quite fond of the song "Strangers Like Me" (which is performed here in Sweedish), and can't shake the feeling it would have been much better in the movie if it was a proper musical number, rather that just a song over a montage.
I've been thinking about that song lately while reading about Quakers - particularly the writings of Rufus Jones. It's a bit of an interesting experience - "hey, there are these people you've never really heard of, and they agree with you about a lot of stuff". Strangers like me, indeed.
I had, obviously, heard of Quakers before hand. It's kind of hard to read books like Jane Eyre (where her appearance is described as 'Quakerish'), and not hear about them, but I've always put them in the same basket as Puritans and never paid much attention. It's always the things you never bothered looking at that prove most interesting.
But, yeah, Disney's Tarzan. Disappointing, but not the worst version of Tarzan I've ever watched. Just far from the best.
As a Disney fan, I found the film annoying as it fell short of what I expect from Disney. As a Tarzan fan, I found the film annoying as it didn't really add anything to the Tarzan cannon, and basically just took a few areas that were already muddy and made them muddier. So, I found it disappointing from both a Disney and a Tarzan perspective, which is a bit sad, seeing as it was a Disney Tarzan film...
Even though I think the entire concept of the stage musical version is daft, I'd still be interested in seeing it just because the characters would be performing the song (as opposed to Phil Collins - I don't actually object to Phil Collins, I just think having him sing all the songs was a bit odd).
I'm quite fond of the song "Strangers Like Me" (which is performed here in Sweedish), and can't shake the feeling it would have been much better in the movie if it was a proper musical number, rather that just a song over a montage.
I've been thinking about that song lately while reading about Quakers - particularly the writings of Rufus Jones. It's a bit of an interesting experience - "hey, there are these people you've never really heard of, and they agree with you about a lot of stuff". Strangers like me, indeed.
I had, obviously, heard of Quakers before hand. It's kind of hard to read books like Jane Eyre (where her appearance is described as 'Quakerish'), and not hear about them, but I've always put them in the same basket as Puritans and never paid much attention. It's always the things you never bothered looking at that prove most interesting.
But, yeah, Disney's Tarzan. Disappointing, but not the worst version of Tarzan I've ever watched. Just far from the best.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Bismark Herrings
Every now and then I decide it's silly to dislike something without even trying it. Dismissing without experience is one thing. I'm happy to dismiss all sorts of things I never intend to try. Cocaine, for instance. Disliking something without trying it is completely different.
So, after a couple of years of fostering a knee-jerk reaction to the concept of preserved fish (of any description) for breakfast, I decided I couldn't just say "ew!" without actually trying it. After all, thousands of Europeans seem to think it's a suitable breakfast food. And there are many other things I have tried and enjoyed that did not seem like a good idea previously.
During my brief sojourn through Estonia in 2009, pickled fish of some sort or other was one of the staples that kept turning up on the breakfast table - usually with sour cream - and I couldn't bring myself to try it at the time. However, I try to make an effort to "grow" and "improve" over the years, and one of the ways I try to do that is by challenging my own preconceptions and prejudices.
So, today I decided to have bismark herrings for breakfast.
And, you know what? After trying them, I really must admit that they are a horrible thing to eat for breakfast. For one thing, they are just a little bit horrible to start off with. Kind of like a dish my grandmother used to make* only not very good.
But I also think my fortitude isn't quite strong enough for such things first thing in the morning. I spent the next hour feeling as if those fish were trying to work their way back up...
I might wait a few weeks before trying stir-fried noodles for breakfast, I think.
*My grandmother used to make a dish that involved pan-frying fish in a light batter, then pickling them in with onions and carrots in a mixture made from vinegar, tomato sauce and vegitable stock. It was quite nice - expecially for a picnic. She called it "scrumpi", and I've never been able to work out why. I've never found any reference to the dish by that name in any culture. I've found variations of the recipe in a few different places, but never with any name even remotely resembling "scrumpi".
So, after a couple of years of fostering a knee-jerk reaction to the concept of preserved fish (of any description) for breakfast, I decided I couldn't just say "ew!" without actually trying it. After all, thousands of Europeans seem to think it's a suitable breakfast food. And there are many other things I have tried and enjoyed that did not seem like a good idea previously.
During my brief sojourn through Estonia in 2009, pickled fish of some sort or other was one of the staples that kept turning up on the breakfast table - usually with sour cream - and I couldn't bring myself to try it at the time. However, I try to make an effort to "grow" and "improve" over the years, and one of the ways I try to do that is by challenging my own preconceptions and prejudices.
So, today I decided to have bismark herrings for breakfast.
And, you know what? After trying them, I really must admit that they are a horrible thing to eat for breakfast. For one thing, they are just a little bit horrible to start off with. Kind of like a dish my grandmother used to make* only not very good.
But I also think my fortitude isn't quite strong enough for such things first thing in the morning. I spent the next hour feeling as if those fish were trying to work their way back up...
I might wait a few weeks before trying stir-fried noodles for breakfast, I think.
*My grandmother used to make a dish that involved pan-frying fish in a light batter, then pickling them in with onions and carrots in a mixture made from vinegar, tomato sauce and vegitable stock. It was quite nice - expecially for a picnic. She called it "scrumpi", and I've never been able to work out why. I've never found any reference to the dish by that name in any culture. I've found variations of the recipe in a few different places, but never with any name even remotely resembling "scrumpi".
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tucker
It's about this time of year I find myself muttering nonsensical things about neenish tarts and stale lamingtons.
Neenish tarts are one of the few "Australian" deserts that don't have any other countries trying to claim them (unlike pavlova, which those sneeking Kiwis keep trying to nick for themselves).
Granted, I'm not sure why any other country would feel compelled to claim neenish tarts, unless there is some long forgotten race of Neens out there somewhere, but still.
As for the stale lamingtons - well, lamingtons are supposed to be stale. They were invented as a way to make stale spongecake worth eating. I personally think they taste better when they are two days old.
So, for your Australia Day celebrations, I hope you find the time to partake of some neenish tarts and stale lamingtons. Trust me, there are few things you could stick in your mouth (with the exception of kangaroo) that could be more Australian.
Neenish tarts are one of the few "Australian" deserts that don't have any other countries trying to claim them (unlike pavlova, which those sneeking Kiwis keep trying to nick for themselves).
Granted, I'm not sure why any other country would feel compelled to claim neenish tarts, unless there is some long forgotten race of Neens out there somewhere, but still.
As for the stale lamingtons - well, lamingtons are supposed to be stale. They were invented as a way to make stale spongecake worth eating. I personally think they taste better when they are two days old.
So, for your Australia Day celebrations, I hope you find the time to partake of some neenish tarts and stale lamingtons. Trust me, there are few things you could stick in your mouth (with the exception of kangaroo) that could be more Australian.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Villette
Crazy idea that just might work if only someone would give me the money to make it happen number 8632:
Film adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's Villette, changing the setting to the cattle towns of North Dakota and making it a bluegrass jukebox musical.
I don't know why I want North Dakota and not, say, Tennessee, which would fit better with the bluegrass. I just like the northern cowboy style better than the southern cowboy style.
Film adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's Villette, changing the setting to the cattle towns of North Dakota and making it a bluegrass jukebox musical.
I don't know why I want North Dakota and not, say, Tennessee, which would fit better with the bluegrass. I just like the northern cowboy style better than the southern cowboy style.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
From Denmark to the South of France
So, I've been thinking more about how big Queensland is compared with Europe, and it's just driving home how completely ridiculous our food supply is.
We've been hit by floods basically from Rockhampton down for the last few weeks. Now, not all of that is still under water, but it's pretty much all flood damaged. It's affected a large number of the crops and industries in an area about the size of France. That's pretty impressive.
However, it's also stupid.
Why? Because most of the food consumed in the northern part of the state comes from the south-east corner. This includes the food produced in Northern and Central Queensland. We actually ship most of our fresh produce down to Brisbane for the markets, then have the "buyers" ship it back up to us.
This is all so massive chains like Woolworths and Coles can do most of their work out of the main "center". Unfortunately, that "centre" is actually on the other side of the state. Cairns, Townsville and the surrounding towns and regions are almost totally reliant on the south-east corner to stock our grocery stores.
Let's just put that in perspective, shall we? Imagine, if you can, that most of the food produced in Denmark is trucked to the south of France. From there, it is trucked back to Denmark in order to stock the shelves. Should something happen to any part of France or Germany, the shops in Denmark will struggle to provide staples such as milk, bread and vegetables to the people who live there. Even if the food hasn't been trucked down yet, the supply chains simply aren't designed to put Danish produce directly onto Danish shelves, so it involves a lot of fuss and bother on the part of stores to figure out how to put the locally produced bread into the local shops.
Now, apart from the fact that the food miles are ridiculous (does a banana grown near Cairns really need to travel twice the distance between Cairns and Brisbane in order to be sold in Cairns?), the very thought that a disaster over 1500 kilometers away can stop the milk from getting onto your shelves is ludicrous.
Granted, that doesn't happen very often - but it shouldn't happen at all. It shouldn't be able to happen. I've always been angry about the fact that we get food that's a) older than it needs to be, b) travelled further than it needs to go, and c) is basically what's left after Brisbane has picked over it. Now it's becoming clear that it's also potentially crippling to the economy of the entire state.
This is what I think we should be doing after this particular disaster (are you listening, Anna Bligh?). We need to divide the state up into food catchment areas (FCAs). Each FCA produces all of the staple foods to be consumed within that FCA. So, we have bread, milk, juice, eggs, meat, fruit and vegetables all being produced locally within the FCA, and all going to supply the stores within the FCA. The surplus from those local providers can go to other markets after the local stores have been stocked.
This way, when an emergency like the 2011 floods happens, the rest of the state will be able to help the part that is being afflicted. Isn't this better than having the entire state's food supply compromised because something happened in the south-east corner?
Now, obviously, this doesn't include "luxury" items and things that we wouldn't be able to grow locally anyway. If you can't grow apples in the Ingham FCA, then apples aren't considered a "staple". So long as there is a nutricious selection of locally produced fruits and vegetables grown in the area and supplied to the area, then the exact make-up of that selection is irrelevant. Stanthorpe's excess apples can be our apples. Our excess bananas can be Stanthorpe's bananas.
As long as we send our bananas to the "local" market before sending them on a thousand-plus kilometer journey we'll be making an improvement over the system we currently have.
We've been hit by floods basically from Rockhampton down for the last few weeks. Now, not all of that is still under water, but it's pretty much all flood damaged. It's affected a large number of the crops and industries in an area about the size of France. That's pretty impressive.
However, it's also stupid.
Why? Because most of the food consumed in the northern part of the state comes from the south-east corner. This includes the food produced in Northern and Central Queensland. We actually ship most of our fresh produce down to Brisbane for the markets, then have the "buyers" ship it back up to us.
This is all so massive chains like Woolworths and Coles can do most of their work out of the main "center". Unfortunately, that "centre" is actually on the other side of the state. Cairns, Townsville and the surrounding towns and regions are almost totally reliant on the south-east corner to stock our grocery stores.
Let's just put that in perspective, shall we? Imagine, if you can, that most of the food produced in Denmark is trucked to the south of France. From there, it is trucked back to Denmark in order to stock the shelves. Should something happen to any part of France or Germany, the shops in Denmark will struggle to provide staples such as milk, bread and vegetables to the people who live there. Even if the food hasn't been trucked down yet, the supply chains simply aren't designed to put Danish produce directly onto Danish shelves, so it involves a lot of fuss and bother on the part of stores to figure out how to put the locally produced bread into the local shops.
Now, apart from the fact that the food miles are ridiculous (does a banana grown near Cairns really need to travel twice the distance between Cairns and Brisbane in order to be sold in Cairns?), the very thought that a disaster over 1500 kilometers away can stop the milk from getting onto your shelves is ludicrous.
Granted, that doesn't happen very often - but it shouldn't happen at all. It shouldn't be able to happen. I've always been angry about the fact that we get food that's a) older than it needs to be, b) travelled further than it needs to go, and c) is basically what's left after Brisbane has picked over it. Now it's becoming clear that it's also potentially crippling to the economy of the entire state.
This is what I think we should be doing after this particular disaster (are you listening, Anna Bligh?). We need to divide the state up into food catchment areas (FCAs). Each FCA produces all of the staple foods to be consumed within that FCA. So, we have bread, milk, juice, eggs, meat, fruit and vegetables all being produced locally within the FCA, and all going to supply the stores within the FCA. The surplus from those local providers can go to other markets after the local stores have been stocked.
This way, when an emergency like the 2011 floods happens, the rest of the state will be able to help the part that is being afflicted. Isn't this better than having the entire state's food supply compromised because something happened in the south-east corner?
Now, obviously, this doesn't include "luxury" items and things that we wouldn't be able to grow locally anyway. If you can't grow apples in the Ingham FCA, then apples aren't considered a "staple". So long as there is a nutricious selection of locally produced fruits and vegetables grown in the area and supplied to the area, then the exact make-up of that selection is irrelevant. Stanthorpe's excess apples can be our apples. Our excess bananas can be Stanthorpe's bananas.
As long as we send our bananas to the "local" market before sending them on a thousand-plus kilometer journey we'll be making an improvement over the system we currently have.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Vanda Hadarean for Wonder Woman?
If this woman can a) act, and b) pull off a generic American accent, she's my pick for Wonder Woman in a movie:
Former Olympic Gymnast turned fitness model. Looks like she could be from a tribe of *ahem* "Southern Europeans". Looks muscular and powerful without seeming "unfeminine". Can smile sweetly. It's a good fit.
Former Olympic Gymnast turned fitness model. Looks like she could be from a tribe of *ahem* "Southern Europeans". Looks muscular and powerful without seeming "unfeminine". Can smile sweetly. It's a good fit.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Size of Germany and France
So, I was watching the news last night and Kevin Rudd said something about the international interest in the flood affected areas. He said that, when you point out an area at least as big as the size of Germany and France combined has been affected by severe flooding, it really captures people's attention.
I have to say, it really captured mine.
I keep forgetting how small Europe really is. Or, rather, how big Australia really is. You always see maps in which the state or country in question takes up the entire page, so you never really get the sense that the state of Queensland actually is roughly the same size as Germany and France put together (and probably Switzerland, Austria and parts of Northern Italy, as well).
Not all of that is flooding, though. It's all pretty wet, but I'd say the actual flood waters are only covering an area about the size of the Czech Republic. Or, perhaps, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands put together.
Still, if you realise that we've got water covering enough land that it would wipe out three countries if it was happening in Europe, that kind of sounds really impressive - even if it isn't strictly the equivalent of France and Germany combined.
I have to say, it really captured mine.
I keep forgetting how small Europe really is. Or, rather, how big Australia really is. You always see maps in which the state or country in question takes up the entire page, so you never really get the sense that the state of Queensland actually is roughly the same size as Germany and France put together (and probably Switzerland, Austria and parts of Northern Italy, as well).
Not all of that is flooding, though. It's all pretty wet, but I'd say the actual flood waters are only covering an area about the size of the Czech Republic. Or, perhaps, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands put together.
Still, if you realise that we've got water covering enough land that it would wipe out three countries if it was happening in Europe, that kind of sounds really impressive - even if it isn't strictly the equivalent of France and Germany combined.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Italian
I just want to make it clear: I am not learning Italian.
I'm already learning two languages, and when I'm reasonably proficient with those I'll think about learning some more. And the "next on the list" spots are already taken with useful languages like French and Russian.
I don't really need to learn another language that is only spoken in one country. (Well, it's also spoken in Switzerland* and technically San Marino and Vatican City are also Italian speaking countries, but whatever). I'm already doing that with Estonian. I want languages with mileage. Granted, Italy is much bigger than Estonia, has more people in it and a bigger diaspora, so it technically offers more mileage than Estonian, but that's beside the point.
Oh, yeah, and I guess a lot more people here in Australia speak Italian as a first language (especially in North Queensland) than Estonian, so technically it has more mileage even in my own, English speaking country.
But... but...
But he doesn't know the territory!
Oh, sorry, that was a line from The Music Man. I'll try to make sure future outburst make more sense.
Anyway, this existential linguistic angst is all the iPod's fault. That, and Rex. I've been exploring the wonderful world of Learning Languages via podcast ever since I got the iPod to play with, and one of my favourite discoveries is ItalianPod.com. You have to pay for the full programme, but you can get most of the "newbie" lessons for free.
It's such a lovely, simple concept - they have a few key words, which are incorporated into short dialogues. The dialogues are repeated three times, then the grammar and vocabulary are discussed by the "hosts" of the programme. Then you hear the dialogues another three (this time knowing exactly what it means), and there's a bit of a cultural discussion. That's it. Fifteen minutes later you're finding yourself saying words like "andiamo" and "è vicina".
And then, of course, you catch some Italian televion or a movie, or hear someone talking in Italian in the street, and you hear "andiamo" and think - "Hey, I know that word!" And you do. It's not just that you've heard it before, you actually do remember that "andiamo" means "let's go". Because it wasn't just presented, but was actually discussed in a conversation, the word sticks with you.
Oh, and despite my best intentions, I've started watching Rex in Rome. Turns out even the unlikely spin-offs of Kommissar Rex are more entertaining than most of the pap they show on TV these days. I really should keep an eye out for Stockinger if they ever show it on SBS again.
So, yes, I'm kind of learning a little bit of Italian completely against my will - but that's only because one of my main sources of German** audio-linguistic input is now Italian, and the Praxis language people responsible for ItalianPod.com haven't got a German version. They've got French, Spanish and Chinese, but not German. I'm bitterly disapointed, because I like what they do enough to be willing to pay for the full package. Heck, I'm sorely tempted to pay for the Italian package anyway.
But I won't, of course, because I'm not learning Italian.
Presto, scappiamo!
* I find it interesting that it doesn't really matter what European language you learn, you will probably be able to use it in Switzerland.
** Okay, so it was Viennese, not strictly German. Who cares? It's better than nothing, and Rex rocks.
*** Do you realise that if you learnt the languages used in both versions of Inspector Rex, you'd be completely set for living in Switzerland?
I'm already learning two languages, and when I'm reasonably proficient with those I'll think about learning some more. And the "next on the list" spots are already taken with useful languages like French and Russian.
I don't really need to learn another language that is only spoken in one country. (Well, it's also spoken in Switzerland* and technically San Marino and Vatican City are also Italian speaking countries, but whatever). I'm already doing that with Estonian. I want languages with mileage. Granted, Italy is much bigger than Estonia, has more people in it and a bigger diaspora, so it technically offers more mileage than Estonian, but that's beside the point.
Oh, yeah, and I guess a lot more people here in Australia speak Italian as a first language (especially in North Queensland) than Estonian, so technically it has more mileage even in my own, English speaking country.
But... but...
But he doesn't know the territory!
Oh, sorry, that was a line from The Music Man. I'll try to make sure future outburst make more sense.
Anyway, this existential linguistic angst is all the iPod's fault. That, and Rex. I've been exploring the wonderful world of Learning Languages via podcast ever since I got the iPod to play with, and one of my favourite discoveries is ItalianPod.com. You have to pay for the full programme, but you can get most of the "newbie" lessons for free.
It's such a lovely, simple concept - they have a few key words, which are incorporated into short dialogues. The dialogues are repeated three times, then the grammar and vocabulary are discussed by the "hosts" of the programme. Then you hear the dialogues another three (this time knowing exactly what it means), and there's a bit of a cultural discussion. That's it. Fifteen minutes later you're finding yourself saying words like "andiamo" and "è vicina".
And then, of course, you catch some Italian televion or a movie, or hear someone talking in Italian in the street, and you hear "andiamo" and think - "Hey, I know that word!" And you do. It's not just that you've heard it before, you actually do remember that "andiamo" means "let's go". Because it wasn't just presented, but was actually discussed in a conversation, the word sticks with you.
Oh, and despite my best intentions, I've started watching Rex in Rome. Turns out even the unlikely spin-offs of Kommissar Rex are more entertaining than most of the pap they show on TV these days. I really should keep an eye out for Stockinger if they ever show it on SBS again.
So, yes, I'm kind of learning a little bit of Italian completely against my will - but that's only because one of my main sources of German** audio-linguistic input is now Italian, and the Praxis language people responsible for ItalianPod.com haven't got a German version. They've got French, Spanish and Chinese, but not German. I'm bitterly disapointed, because I like what they do enough to be willing to pay for the full package. Heck, I'm sorely tempted to pay for the Italian package anyway.
But I won't, of course, because I'm not learning Italian.
Presto, scappiamo!
* I find it interesting that it doesn't really matter what European language you learn, you will probably be able to use it in Switzerland.
** Okay, so it was Viennese, not strictly German. Who cares? It's better than nothing, and Rex rocks.
*** Do you realise that if you learnt the languages used in both versions of Inspector Rex, you'd be completely set for living in Switzerland?
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Hope you get to spend some quality time with your family today.
Hope you get to spend some quality time with your family today.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Email Help
Dear Students,
For our convenience we have decided that all assistance with the new email system will be conducted in Esperanto.
We will only respond to email related enquiries if they are written in Esperanto, and sent using the email account you wish to access.
We do not actually read or write Esperanto, but as you cannot access your email account anyway, we do not perceive this will be much of a problem.
Thank you for your time,
The Help Staff.
For our convenience we have decided that all assistance with the new email system will be conducted in Esperanto.
We will only respond to email related enquiries if they are written in Esperanto, and sent using the email account you wish to access.
We do not actually read or write Esperanto, but as you cannot access your email account anyway, we do not perceive this will be much of a problem.
Thank you for your time,
The Help Staff.
Monday, January 3, 2011
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