Against Happiness...

Eric Wilson laments the effect of happiness on art. [via ALD]

"When we, with apparent happiness, grab hard onto one ideology or another, this world suddenly seems to take on a static coherence, a rigid division between right and wrong. The world in this way becomes uninteresting, dead. But when we allow our melancholy mood to bloom in our hearts, this universe, formerly inanimate, comes suddenly to life. Finite rules dissolve before infinite possibilities. Happiness to us is no longer viable. We want something more: joy. Melancholia galvanizes us, shocks us to life.

Melancholia pushes against the easy "either/or" of the status quo. It thrives in unexplored middle ground between oppositions, in the "both/and." It fosters fresh insights into relationships between oppositions, especially that great polarity life and death. It encourages new ways of conceiving and naming the mysterious connections between antinomies. It returns us to innocence, to the ability to play in the potential without being constrained to the actual. Such respites from causality refresh our relationship to the world, grant us beautiful vistas, energize our hearts and our minds."

Vision(s) for Australia..

Here's an interesting and encouraging article mentioning what many people have been up to over the last few months.

One host told me her meeting in Balmain - of people ranging from a full-time mum to teachers and a banker, none of whom was a member of a political party - expressed relief that there was a means of talking to government. "There was a general feeling of not wanting the Labor Government to go the same way as the Howard government and stop listening to people," said this host.

That a bunch of "basket-weavers" thinks this way might be scoffed at in Canberra, but the same views came from groups in Rooty Hill and Thirroul, Dubbo and Woy Woy, in Tenant Creek and Alice Springs, Kalamunda and Kununurra, Caboolture and Nambour. Some people drove for an hour to participate, which suggests a level of engagement significantly beyond what is required to simply "click" an online petition.If you want to have your say, GetUp! are running a campaign about "the people's agenda" where you have a chance to rate the issues which are important to you. [Priorities for the new Government]. Interestingly GetUp have alsobeen running a campaign for people to have a say in the 2008 Budget (NB: this closes tomorrow). It will be interesting to read the speeches when Parliament resumes on February 12th this year.

On America

A happy new year, maybe - I was really intrigued by this article about American attitudes to 2008, and wondered what a similar survey would reveal about us?

Postscript: Here's a similar article about Britain.

Here's another site to watch, if like me, you are intrigued by the real life drama of the American Presidential Race.

As the dust settles...

Wow, who would have thought the cricket would cause such a stir, and it is a shame that we struggle to remember the five days of great cricket (from both the Indians, and the Australians). Certainly less feeling would have been stirred up had the test been drawn.

While I do agree with a lot of the sentiments in Peter Roebuck’s piece (; – I’m not entirely convinced that Ponting should be sacked. Without question, given his piece in The Australian, Ponting needs to take a deep breath and develop a greater understanding of how the ‘spirit’ Australia plays the game in is seen outside of their own dressing-room (see these pieces from Cricinfo, the BBC, and The Age); because as the team has been quoted as saying, “perception is reality”. It’s interesting to read past Australian players such as Neil Harvey and Geoff Lawson’s comments.

Here’s a few pieces from the Age with a great suggestion of what should happen (after we all take a deep breath). I also should note that Ponting’s piece in today’s Australian does give hope that the team has learnt something from this episode.

Hopefully we’ll get back to talking about great cricket after the third test begins on Wednesday in Perth.

Questions...

While we were in Melbourne, I saw quite a fascinating book: What are you optimistic about?, put out by Edge, in the books they pose a question, and then ask a number of 'thinkers' to provide an answer, after looking at their website, I discovered they pose a question each year.

The three recent questions were:

:: What are you optimistic about, and why? (2007)
:: What Is Your Dangerous Idea? (2006)
:: What We Believe but Cannot Prove? (2005)

And the question for 2008 is: What have you changed your mind about? Why? I'll have to have a look for these here.

~~~~

Incidentally, in case you were wondering 2008, is the International Year of Planet Earth, the year of the Potato, and the year of sanitation.

Technology at the Cricket...

So summer comes around and with it the newspapers turn their attention to the errors of those in the chair (perhaps, more often than the errors of those at the crease, or on the court). I’m a traditionalist; I prefer to have the umpires make the decision. Human error is part of sport, the error of the players and the errors as the umpires, and even perhaps the error of a batsman walking; and a fielder saying I’m not sure I caught it. I guess I also like the what-ifs too – if Symonds or Ponting be given out earlier would it make any difference in the end.

Given Symonds comments yesterday (paraphrased as – “I was lucky, I was out”); I wonder if all of the captains of the test playing nations should get together and create a code of conduct – claiming catches, encourage players walking if, like Symonds, they know they were out.

It is quite interesting seeing players stand their ground, while appearing to know they are out, and eventually leaving cursing when they are given out (when they aren’t). I was encouraged when during the Sydney test Ricky Ponting expressed doubt over a couple of catches, which encouraged me a touch more than his behaviour when he was eventually given out.

Perhaps along with being a traditionalist I’m also an idealist. Maybe I need to get over this romantic notion, seeing sport has entered into a professional era, and the money involved has increased, the spirit has walked.

The road to The White House

One of the many things that The West Wing has taught me is that there is a long (and tough road) before gaining your parties nomination. We saw the first steps today with the first Caucus (in Iowa), leading up the ‘Super Tuesday’ (Feb 5). Obama gained 37% of the vote with Edwards and Clinton getting about 30% each. While the nomination is by no means decided, its would be quite a moment if Barack Obama was to gain the Demorcrat Party's nomination (here's an op-ed from the NYT, with Obama and Clinton's speeches).

While the actual nominee will be declared at the conventions during August (Democrats) and September (Republican) hopefully the picture will be clearer before then.

Perhaps surprisingly though, looking at the polling data – it looks like Clinton is most likely to get the Democratic nomination (over Obama), and Huckabee or McCain the Republican nomination.

If Clinton was to get the nomination (and of course win the November election) – would it be the closest we’ve been to a dynasty in U.S. politics – with the previous Presidents being: George Bush Snr- 1988-1992; Bill Clinton - 1992-2000, and George W. Bush - 2000-2008?

I was surprised to hear that in January 1992, Clinton had around 3% of the vote at this stage in 1992 – and we all know what happened.

.. and I think, I found, what I’m looking for ;-) …

So, here’s my second post about the year which was 2007, and this one is about music. Here’s a few CD’s which I don’t consider in my year's best (best of's, soundtracks, and reissues). In December, I bought Christmas Songs [Jars of Clay], which is a collection of Christmas carols (some of the less frequently heard ones), and original songs, and yesterday, I found (after looking in a few too many shops, and being told by a Melbourne shop-assistant "I was dreaming" trying to find it) the Deluxe re-issue of The Joshua Tree (which includes a bonus CD of b-sides, and a DVD of a concert from Paris in 1987), and on the soundtrack front – Once.

Moving on, my favourite albums released in 2007 are: Cassadaga (Bright Eyes), Neon Bible (The Arcade Fire) and In Rainbows (Radiohead) Young Modern (Silverchair), and Brooke Fraser’s Albertine can count here. A number of CD’s released that I would like to hear but haven’t yet include: Time on Earth (Crowded House), Rise Up (Abby Dobson), Sky Blue Sky (Wilco) and Our Love to Admire (Interpol) are among them.

So here’s my top five of 2007

(5) Young Modern – Silverchair
It is good so see one of Australia’s great bands return – and Young Modern is quite impressive (and eclectic collection of songs, with a variety of influences).

Stand out tracks: Reflections of a Sound, Straight Lines, Waiting All Day

(4) Neon Bible – The Arcade Fire

Quite an impressive follow-up to Funeral, and I would almost rate it above Funeral. Its quite an impressive collection of songs, and one which flows from the first track to the last. I’m seeing The Arcade Fire at the Enmore Theatre later this month, and I’m really looking forward to it, as I keep getting told how special their live shows are.

Standout tracks: The Well and the Lighthouse, [Antichrist Television Blues], Intervention

(3) In Rainbows – Radiohead

I was hoping for a new album from Radiohead during 2007, and I have to admit by the middle of the year, I thought 2008 was more likely. Then there was a flurry of news with the news that In Rainbows would be available for download on October 10. It was possible that the hype surrounding the CD would lead to disappointment. But needless to say my first impression was really positive. It is perhaps a cleaner and more accessible record than some of their more recent cds.

Standouts: All I Need, Videotape, Nude.

(2) Albertine – Brooke Fraser

I’ve written about this CD before. So I won’t repeat myself here – but I find Brooke’s songwriting to be rich, insightful, and challenging. I’m looking forward to seeing her develop as a musician and songwriter.

Standouts: The Sound of Silence (Cover – on the Deluxe edition of Albertine), CS. Lewis Song, Shadowfeet

(1) Cassadaga – Bright Eyes

Another artist who was one my list at the beginning of the year – and after the fantastic “I’m Wide Awake…” I had high expectations. I was not let-down. There is something unsettling in a young artist delivering such moving and evocative music. I had no idea that Conor was 27~!! It is a rich collection of songs touching on America. Cassadaga goes back towards a country type song, and in amongst a number of great albums released last year Bright Eye’s Cassadaga is my favourite.

Standouts: Four Winds, No one Would Riot for Less, Lime Tree

Five Songs for 2007
:: No one would riot for less – Bright Eyes
:: All I Need – Radiohead
:: Drifting Further Away – Powderfinger
:: Albertine – Brooke Fraser
:: Wave of Sorrow – U2 (released with the reissued Joshua Tree), is a gem.

Best Australasian album of the year
Albertine – Brooke Fraser

Favourite gig of the year
The Frames // Metro (August)

Favourite “new” Australian artist of the year
Abby Dobson (Rise Up)

Favourite “new” artist of the year
During 2007, through Skin and Bones, I got into the Foo Fighters for the first time.

On the horizon…
I’m excited about the release of Accelerate (the new studio album from R.E.M.); and Here is What it is (Daniel Lanois). A new album from U2 is on some anticipated released calendars but I’m not optimistic given the four years between All that ... and How to... but we’ll see.

~~~~~

And for another year end list try: here, here (and here).

the i-window to the modern soul?

While it has long been said that the eyes are the window to the soul, in this day and age, it may well be the screen of the ubiquitous iPod or any other MP3 player.

You show me your iPod, I'll show you mine [SMH]