Sunday, April 29, 2007

Ten Down.

posted by Jess @ 3:17 AM 0 Comments

House of One


Around 4 months ago I moved back from Toowoomba into a unit by myself. I'm not really lonely at all; I don't have cats but I have pet fish...

Observations from a house of one:
:: I spend more time online and on the phone.
:: I’m too short to change the lightbulbs, even with a chair.
:: Milk and bread don’t last long enough for it to be consumed.
:: I don’t listen to music as much, even though I can have it as loud as I want.
:: My life is more spread out; I do my hair in a separate bathroom to my shower and study moves from the kitchen counter, to the table, to my bedroom.
:: I spend more time with catching up with old friends.
:: I still don’t know any of my neighbours.
:: The dinner parties have started.
:: There are no more drunk people staying over after pub night.

posted by Jess @ 1:19 AM 0 Comments

Thursday, April 26, 2007

I'm easily amused.


This man releases a new album on June 5. And a tour.

How ex-SOI-ting!

posted by Jess @ 3:50 AM 1 Comments

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

There and back again.


Back there in 9 days.
Update April 30: I've just realised Monday is a public holiday in Queensland (very blonde). Extra day in Sydney!

posted by Jess @ 3:29 AM 1 Comments

Monday, April 23, 2007

CNN

I was just flicking through channels and stopped at CNN for the global weather report.

I was surprised to see they had an in-depth discussion on Australia's weather - traditionally all that will be covered is the temperature in Sydney - but today it was around 2 - 3 minutes analysing our climate and making predictions.

It's one thing to hear Australian politicians finally talking about environment, and to see these issues (constantly) on the covers of our newspapers - but its totally different to see that it's earning some serious global airtime.

posted by Jess @ 5:23 PM 0 Comments

Got newbs?

I had the shocking realisation today that I can now delegate tasks to team members. Something that hasn't happened since October 2006.

And even more exciting, they're set for an incredibly full on next few months.

posted by Jess @ 3:38 AM 0 Comments

Saturday, April 21, 2007

HoB'r

When I first joined @ Queensland the House of Blonder (HoB'r) was a party institution. Almost every weekend it was the centre for our social calendar and respite for the hungover.

'We're going out to the City... are we kicking things off at HoB'r?'
'The City is full of drunk college kids... can we go back to HoB'r?'
'I am going to have a rotten hangover in the morning and I need a place to sleep... are we crashing at HoB'r?'

Then for a time, it stopped. Activity migrated.

Last night was the grand opening of the 'Land Street' brewery - located beneath HoB'r, and marking a new era of the house. Very swish ribbon cutting ceremony for the few who attended. Kezz and I had a great night celebrating accompanied by a Russian named Smirnoff.

Next weekend the house is hosting 'Century Club' on the lawn. Great, messy bonding for the new guys.

Good times ahead.

Note. In my wiki search for Century Club, I came across this hilarious entry for funnelling.

posted by Jess @ 6:52 PM 0 Comments

Friday, April 20, 2007

James Thomson Photography

Andrew Stockdale from Wolfmother


Chris Cheney from The Living End

These are two above photos from James Thomson; a music fanatic/groupie cum professional photographer based in Canberra. Everytime I speak with him it seems like he's going to a new gig or interstate for photos, and the bands keep getting bigger. Keep an eye on this one.
Check out some of his artwork here. A very, very cool job. If you can get it.

posted by Jess @ 7:32 PM 0 Comments

Murray- Darling Decision

John Howard’s decision yesterday that access to the Murray Darling Basin (for any internationals, it’s the nation’s largest river and artesian system in Australia) will be shut off if it doesn’t rain significantly in the next six weeks.

The implications of this decision are impossibly huge.

35% of Australia’s food production is based in this area and will halt.
75% of Australia’s irrigated crops and pastures will no longer have water.

There’s a ridiculous article from abc.com that ‘PM concerned food prices could rise’. Suggesting that it’s only a slight possibility. I can’t even fathom the cost of a) supporting the displaced rural communities, and b) importing food.

Update April 21:
A CM article states that the PM has warned of a 500% price rise in food and wine in the coming months.

posted by Jess @ 4:22 AM 0 Comments

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Laid back.

My last two evenings have been laid back and generally comfortable.

Last night, on the phone to this gent, who is currently living it up over-yonder-upwards in China. And I'm very glad to hear that the Chinese MC somehow received a copy of his lapdancing antics from July '06 in Brisbane.

Tonight, an impromptu Thai-ish dinner with my two friends Laura and Hannah, with back-up icecream just in case our dinner went horribly awry. All was well, except for the coconut rice...which ended up as grey pudding.

All in all, its served as a great recovery from last weekend's State-zoom-QYP-pademelon-ladel-State overload.

posted by Jess @ 7:28 AM 0 Comments

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

APCS


I want to see this conference swarming with Queensland AIESECers.

The last APCS attracted:
  • 869 delegates
  • 123 cities
  • 41 countries

Speakers at the 2005 summit included:
The Honourable Fidel Ramos, Former President of the Republic of the Philippines
The Right Honourable Jenny Shipley, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Honourable Tim Fischer, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
Mr Martin Cooper, Chairman and CEO of Array Comm. Inc., USA
Ms Rosemary Feenan, European Director of Jones Lang LaSalle
Ms Kathy Sierra, Vice President and Head of Network, Infrastructure, The World Bank Group

Applications open Monday for '100 emerging young leaders' to attend for free.

posted by Jess @ 4:23 PM 0 Comments

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

In the media.

I just got a call to let me know a family friend had heard my name on the radio. Press release can be found here.

posted by Jess @ 2:26 AM 0 Comments

Sunday, April 15, 2007

The weekend.

I’ve just come out of probably the busiest few days I’ve had in some time.

Queensland State Conference 2007

Another State, come and gone, and we all survived the freezing temperatures and the suicidal mountain drive. A great conference with some big parties, the usual messy, messy sledge (mostly Naomi), ladels and Zoom.

QYP

At 5am Saturday morning I was very, very, very much regretting crawling out of bed with a hangover to drive two hours for parliamentary conference sessions. I was kept awake on the drive home looking out for native fauna after I accidentally ran over a pademelon a few kilometres for the site.

Youth Parliament was very different from an AIESEC conference, mostly in the level of energy, skill of facilitators and generally, delivery. I know that I’m going to gain a lot from the 5-day residential; 5 days sitting in parliament arguing bills, and also from my team who are some pretty dynamic young people.

The night ended with a formal presentation at Parliament House, which didn’t get off to the best start, but in the end I met my local MP (one of only two or three MP’s who were there) Ian Rickuss, who also happens to be the Shadow Minister for Environment.

After this weekend I don’t advise anyone attempt the ‘double conference’. However, I’m stupid enough to do it again – I’ve got back to back conferences in July. 5 days of QYP Residential, followed immediately by a flight to Melbourne and 5 days of July National Conference.

New South Wales

On my way back to conference, very late into the night I missed the turnoff and took a minor detour via New South Wales.

After driving about 30 minutes in the wrong direction, I came across a sign reading something similar to ‘Welcome to New South Wales - by quarantine law, no agricultural products may enter without permission of the NSW DPI.’

So, I turned back around and set to finding someone to give me directions. After images of a Wolf Creek- style ending to my evening, I came across a (as luck would have it) a DPI Conference Centre with around 30 or 40 cars parked out the front. Lucky for me, the Lennox Head Christian Youth Centre was having their annual conference and helped me on my way.

Elo’s Fuckover

Nakey and I have now had two years of successful fuckovers (and the ensuing clean up) I didn’t know if we could top 2006’s effort of flour, oil and lard on Brett, Zara, Penny, Mel Mel and Mei, but 2007 has. To recognise Ms. O’Mara’s Irish heritage, we decided on a green fuckover, which included (but was not limited to):

Mushy green peas
Bottles and bottles of green food dye
Soggy Weet-bix
Mint sauce
Gherkin paste
Expired custard (+ one week in Nakey’s car)
Green jelly crystals
Flour
Cornflour
Lime cordial
Lime soft drink
Icing sugar

Trip Home

Even the trip home was eventful. The RB and some of the older members stayed around to clean up and headed off quite late. Nakey was out of fuel and ended up coasting down from the site in neutral. Scary times. Arriving back in Brisbane meant unloading a sleeping Mel Mel and helping out the OC wrap things up. A really long weekend.

Daz
Daz just deserves his own paragraph. I left for work early this morning, leaving Daz to let himself out and get to the airport with Kezz. He managed to lock himself out of my apartment, and we had to organise a hasty rescue mission. Fortunately, we got to the airport JUST in time, and made his flight. Nice work Daz.

posted by Jess @ 9:05 PM 1 Comments

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Today is for Pen.

Because this time, 5 years ago we were gallivanting through Europe. France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy then Greece. A very memorable trip.
:: Getting lost at the Palace of Versailles
:: Snowball fights on the roadside in Germany
:: Shindler's List and Dachau in the same day
:: Being trapped in a German elevator
:: Accidently ending up in the Red Light District in the Netherlands
:: Finding no waffles in Belgium
:: Otzi in Austria
:: The pizza in Italy
:: The accommodation in Greece

A rainy day in Rome, just before visiting the Colesseum.

Dancing at Mycenae (dancing at historical sites was a continuing theme throughout the trip)


Shopping at the Isle of Capri in Greece

posted by Jess @ 2:09 AM 3 Comments

Thursday, April 05, 2007

It's dry.


Living in Brisbane, I had forgotten how bad the drought has become. I live in the Lockyer Valley; between Brisbane and Toowoomba; a place traditionally known as the ‘salad bowl of Australia’.

Today I drove through what is usually thousands of square kilometres of produce. You’d usually see nothing but boom irrigation, backpacker labourers, convoys of trucks and green, green green.

Now, all there is ploughed dirt. A few rows of silverbeet. A small paddock of broccoli. The odd bale of lucerne, a sign that farmers are trying to keep their heads above water by supplying feed for stock. I saw two farmers trialling a boom, but the water was on and then off again in the few seconds I’d driven by.

I can’t even imagine what this is going to do for food prices. I can only see prices rising, and with our utterly monopolised market chains, they’ll continue to do so until we bend to importing.

What. A. Mess.

posted by Jess @ 1:08 AM 1 Comments

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Trippy.

The change from QUT to UQ has been challenging, as has the shift from NLT to EB. But nothing tops the trippy realisation I had tonight that I'll be chanting for UQ in skolling...

...Hell... I might even be on the team...

posted by Jess @ 3:49 AM 0 Comments

Monday, April 02, 2007

Lesson of the Day - #1

Networking pays off.
Like. Knowing people really pays off.

posted by Jess @ 9:12 PM 2 Comments

Democratic Workplaces

I stumbled across this tasty piece of information on the AI blog:

WorldBlu; a list of the world's most democratic workplaces; and AIESEC ranks among its 2007 list!

This is the first annual list that WorldBlu has released.

The full list is located here. It includes Linden Lab (creators of Second Life for you computer nerds/ virtual reality junkies out there).

posted by Jess @ 5:32 AM 0 Comments

Sunday, April 01, 2007

News travels faster.

There have been reports of a tsunami due to impact Australia, Indonesia and PNG this morning originating from the Solomon Islands.

8:25am First release by BOM
8:35am First warning email
8:44am Second warning email
9:04am First news update on ABC.com
9:05am Second news release from BOM
9:18am Second news update from ABC.com; first reports from the Solomons
9:29am Report that evacuations have been completed

I'll keep you posted.

posted by Jess @ 4:48 PM 0 Comments

Friday.

IPCC 4th Assessment Report: AR4

The UN's report on climate change is being released on Friday. This report is highly anticipated as segments have been 'leaked' over the last week. Turnbull is assuring us that the report contains nothing we didn't already know, while Rudd is calling for our own 'Australian' Stern Report.

posted by Jess @ 2:55 PM 0 Comments

These guys rock my world right now...

'The Magic Numbers'. A gorgeous poptacular version of the Kings of Leon...

'...she don't love me like you...'

posted by Jess @ 5:46 AM 0 Comments