I know where you went but I don't know how you got there

Actually I do, you were wearing these...

And everyone along the way said you were fucking cool.

Vivienne Westwood x Melissa, so of course they're rubber, and like SOOO comfortable and squishy. They look kind of grey in my shitty camera but really they're that weird purple/green colour that changes from different angles. They're like Alice in Wonderland mixed with burlesque mixed with industrial. And they were in the clearance section of some shop in Perth. I am VERY VERY HAPPY RIGHT NOW.

On Ruts and New Years Whatever

So it's coming up to that time of year when I start thinking about how new years resolutions are stupid, and how I never fulfill any of them, and how I'd like to be a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON next year, and then there's a montage in my head involving fairy floss, carnivals, and cutting paper into works of art that make people cry. And then inevitably I'm fantasising about living in an old two story townhouse in East Brunswick with wood floors and burgundy curtains.

So while I haven't cried, given up and decided to become a professional 'person who waits for Diablo 3 to come out,' I thought I'd have a think about what my realistic dreams are. As the well known anonymous Coburg job centre employee once said, "You just finished an arts degree, and you want to work in retail?"

1. Go on a journey

I was thinking about this last night. I'm going to go on a journey, or several, or they're going to be part of the same journey. It's going to be a journey that takes me through inspirational things, and leads me to ideas that I can become excited about. And goddamnit, I am actually going to do it this time! I feel like a lot of people feel the same way as me - that they're artistic, but unmotivated and lazy. That they could be doing things if they felt like it, but they just don't for whatever reason. And that they want to skip to the end of being a famous artist without doing all the hard stuff. Well you know what? That's just fucking lazy. Get over it.

2. Do more making shit

Also lazy am I for knowing that I am happiest making, and never making. Making begets more making I believe. So while I am being optimistic, I pledge to make heeappps of shit next year, in any and all spare time I have, and also in some of the more non-spare time. As a known lazy person, I will conquer my laziness by making whatever comes to mind with whatever is in the house. No excuses, and no getting addicted to like five tv shows at the same time. And no point, apart from the knowledge that it will do something for my sanity.

3. Less obsession with other people

Is this possible? Who knows. I had one of those tiny epiphanies today where I realised that dressing, and being concerned with clothing, is another way to embody other people when you're not as comfortable with yourself. Whenever I feel like I'd rather be someone else (which is often) I can just put the clothes on that a confident/interesting/whatever person would wear, and pretend that I am someone else. Which is pretty unhealthy and teenagerish. So maybe less thinking about other people and more accepting that I am one person and not everyone.

4. More bike riding

Duh.

5. You know what? I'm having a pretty hard time of thinking of anything concrete to aim for next year let alone ever, so I might leave it at that. I kind of think those top three are my ongoing life goals anyway, and have been forever. Well, let's make it happen this time instead of bumming around under the pretense of studying.

Actually,

6. Take more photos.

Because I seriously am not documenting any of the people around me enough. I know there's the whole, 'live in the moment rather than taking photos' thing but I have a reallly bad memory and I know I will be upset when it's all gone. And I don't take any so a few couldn't hurt my enjoyment of moments.

Oh yeah... and maybe one of these:

Photo courtesy of someone on fyeahsticknpoke.tumblr.com

Arguing with stupid people: channelling your inner Richard Dawkins

Maybe it's a coincidence that I'm staying with my parents for Christmas and I decided to write this post, maybe it isn't. It obviously isn't but I was thinking maybe some people also feel this way at the dreaded close-familial-proximity time known as December.

So - arguing with stupid people! Fun fun! Right? WRONG. It is fucking soul destroying. We all know those times when you're talking to someone who literally doesn't understand logic, and so uses arguments against you that have no basis in reason. It is really, really hard not to lose your shit. For example:

Stupid person: I have this stupid opinion.

You: Really? I don't share that opinion, here's mine.

Stupid person: GOD, everything you think is so simplistic/apathetic/leftist/extreme/ridiculous/WRONG. NOT EVERYONE (insert something you didn't mention.)

You: I wasn't even saying that, why are you getting so angry about it?

Stupid person: (condescending "quiet" voice) I'm not angry, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Not everyone has your opinions and That's Ok. You need to stop trying to control everyone. You need to have more respect for people's beliefs.

You: Ha, ok. (Head explodes)


The reason I mentioned good old Dick Dawkins earlier is because whatever you think of him and his opinions, he has definitely been in a lot of recorded debates which go a lot like this. Stupid people will just use words - any words, familiar words, words that sound like they're to do with the topic, and all the other stupid people think it's a logical argument. Everyone claps, Richard facepalms, the end. I've seen him in these situations time and time again and his patience is preeettty admirable. I would be red in the face and anger-crying by then. That's because I haven't learnt to channel him.

Today, having a similar argument to the one above, I found myself almost in the anger-crying phase and knew I had to do something about it.  It's like a zen mind control game where you're trying to meditate while someone is constantly insulting you, loudly. There's only so much "Calm ocean, calm ocean, calm GO FUCK A TREE. LITERALLY FUCK A TREE RIGHT NOW." that you can take.

Where am I going with this? Basically, today during that conversation I realised that although nobody in the room could see my point of view, and everyone in the room was being ultra superior, I knew I was still right. And I thought about Richard, in his debates, and I knew that the stupid people were all clapping for each other, but that still didn't make them right. They were using words the only way they knew. And perhaps I should just leave it this time and save my brain power for a conversation in which people have brains.

DISCLAIMER: It may seem like it, but I am not talking about all religious people when I mentioned the debates Richard Dawkins had. He's had a lot of debates with intelligent people too, religious or not. I was talking specifically about the stupid people, who are from any and all belief systems and whatever.