For some lazy Sunday entertainment, or perhaps Monday morning office-relief (do not get caught!), try this rather addictive game out… and find out exactly how much you do not know.
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Two of them are installed atop two short blocks in the Docklands, one set of lights to a block. They start doing their stuff a short while after the sun sets. Boys and girls, mystery solved.
New laws were introduced this month by the Victorian parliament limiting sales of aerosol paints to minors and requiring stores carrying such products to hide them from view. Graffiti was also elevated as a ‘serious criminal offense’. These are all affirmative actions designed to curb the increased presence of graffiti and graffiti ‘tagging’ in Victoria (notably in the Melburnian precincts).
Is graffiti as serious a problem as the Victorian government suggests, however? Sure, graffiti ‘tagging’ is just plain ugly, but some graffiti, particularly the larger, more elaborate ones, are rather good art, and has become a prolific, artistic expression of contemporary Melbourne. It will be a pity to see them go.
It’s hard to focus on anything else when the Grand Final is on but there are a few things happening this weekend.
See players from both sides go down Swanston St. Surely, the city will be packed with Geelong fans.
A multi arts festival which comprises of comedy, shows, cabaret, art, and everything in between.
The best time to go in terms of crowds is on Grand Final day.
A yearly event where punks gather at the Arthouse and drink at various places around the city.
The world’s 7th-ranked Arts programme is literally crumbling as more restructuring (read: subject cuts) is being planned. This follows a harshly critical review by a Queensland academic (…why are we even listening to Queensland?) that revealed a significant number of subjects being over-specialised.
The Arts faculty is seeing a projected financial deficit of some $12 million, and obviously, jobs (apart from more subjects) are expected to be lost soon.
I sense my coursemates are going to take it to the streets again, soon.
There is something about Melbourne I genuinely love: The possibility of smililng at any random stranger and receiving a smile in return.
It is this romantic notion of friendliness that truly captivates me, and the idea of how it encapsulates the social being in three seconds of expressed goodness lends me belief in the innate niceness of people. It is as if to say: Sure, your day may be crummy; but here comes a smile to cheer you up.
Admittedly, my friends think I am weird. I smile at the person in queue beside me, attempt to talk to the chap who shares my table at dinner, and am constantly trying to be friendly with cashiers at the supermarket. Smiling is after all, so easy, and I walk about seemingly with a smile plastered and an eagerness to share it.
Dear reader, try doing it yourself, and pray tell how it goes.
Note: The author is considered a freak back where he is from.
I am surprised no one picked this up and screamed murder: The Victorian Transport Minister has proposed an amendment to the Equal Opportunities Act to ban complaints by international students over transport concessions. International students, once the amendment is passed, can no longer argue their case over discriminatory grounds (which I presume is, perhaps, the only ground).
This trinklet of news passed by with little furore, less the action taken by the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) – I am figuring that students were mostly either too carried away with their semester break, too busy with their assignments, or perhaps they have given up with their little ‘concession discontentment’.
Full-fee transport is inevitable, and until the public transport sector starts making a proper profit, the foreigners will always be on the bad side of the equation. Perhaps, this will require a serious structural overhaul – for example, fixing the fare evasion problem and having to hire less tram inspectors, or maybe just having trains run on time.
However, banning discontent is just not the way to go. Shutting people up is just such a demonstration of administrative power. It makes us appear little different from our corporate giant, shiny-towers cousin in the East.
Perhaps, being an international student myself disqualifies me from this statement – but I am certain my Australian (read: ‘White’) relatives, ironically from the before-mentioned East, will agree that, while disagreement is one thing, a complete cap over the matter is questionably authoritarian. Is it fair to have rights to ‘freedom’ so easily taken away?
Note: The author does not actually take public transport… Perhaps he should be banned from representing international students on this issue.
I seriously have no clue why hanging your shoes over power lines makes a statement, but hey I like the idea. Heck, I subscribe to it.
So, what gives? The shoes aren’t just thrown over the lines, they’re nicely laced up as well. How the hell?
Melbourne Marathon, Go for it!
This year’s Melbourne Marathon is being held on Sunday October 7th. Why not join in on the fun? There are several different events, other than the full marathon. There is the half marathon, the coffee cup 10 km run as well as the 5.5 km Yarra run or walk.
Join in the fun or enjoy the challenge!
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