Everyone feels...

Every eye sees it's own special vision
Every ear hears a most different song
In each man's troubled heart, an incision
Would remain a unique, shameful wrong.

Stranger finds here in human guise
than reside in the valleys of Hell
But goodness, kindness and love arise
in the heart of the poor beast, as well.

Its Alive!! And I'm turning nerdish!!

For my 18th birthday I requested my own computer, seeing as I had been using my mothers since I was 8 and was sick of not being able to download what I wanted. And so I got the much desired computer and used it for a whole month... until my internet was disconnected. Now I have 3 computers in the house; my mothers, her fellas and mine and, of course, mine is the only one without the internet connected. WANG! So I never used it.

After about a year, I decided I'd like to play some games on my much loved computer. I turned it on, loaded the game and comenced playing. I was really enjoying the game, what it was I can't remember, when my computer died. Yes, it just died. It seems that if you leave computers off for a long period of time, they collect dust and that dust clogs the fan in the power supply and they stop working. Had I known this, I would have left it running for a year.

And so, my much loved machine went without use for a further 6 months or so until I decided I would like to use it again. It was then sent to [olivebranch]'s seeing as he is the nerd of the two of us, so that he could fix it for me. The offending power supply costing by our estimation, a whole of $50 (which is not that much). But still my beautiful tower sat gathering more dust under [olivebranch]'s computer desk.

Finally, after the both of us worked hard for a couple of weeks, I decided it had been sitting long enough! That's right! My brand new computer, had been sitting idle for a year and a half and I finally decide to do something about it. I made [olivebranch] drive me to the nearest computer shop and buy me my power supply! If I had known that it was only going to cost $25, I WOULD HAVE DONE IT SOONER!!!!

And so, it was done. Simple, quick, I coulda done it myself! And I was sooo happy, that I went out and bought speakers and an ergo keyboard! (before you go, 'ewww ergo keyboard' I actually need it, I have Tenosynovitus or something in my right wrist, yucko!) And next week I plan to buy a bigger hard drive so that I can download stuff, legally of course! Computer parts are soooooo cheap now!

The problem I had next was convincing my mother that a 56k connection just wouldn't cut it for 3 computers! Easy you think, but I have tried this before and my ideas were rejected. So, I called up ISPs and got quotes and even offered to pay the difference (so that mum could continue paying what she is already paying for dial-up) and the setup fee (which isn't cheap I might add) and low and behold, SHE AGREED!!! X-cellent!

Now we are both on the net, Mum researching better broadband connections and me writing my blog. Some things do go the way I want them too. *sighs*

HH Holmes and The Murder Castle

HH Holmes, born Herman Webster Mudgett, was one of Americas first known serial killers. He was born in Gilmantown, New Hampshire in 1860.

Holmes and his business partner, Ben Pietzel, planned to fake Pietzels death in order to collect a $20,000 life insurance policy in Holmes' name. Unfortunately the insurance company did not want to pay up and so authorised an investigation. Pietzels wife, Carrie, had been told about the arrangment and was awaiting the reunion with her husband and three children (whom were under the care of Holmes).

After following Holmes' trail halfway across America, Detective Frank P Geyer found the bones of the two missing little girls, Alice and Nellie Pietzel. They had been gassed then buried in one of many rented houses of HH Holmes. After that discovery, Geyer also discovered the bones of their younger brother in a stove that Holmes still had sitting in his office.

In 1989 Holmes purchased an empty lot across the road from his pharmacy and planned to build a hotel, the rooms which he would rent out to tourists who would come in the thousands to Chicago's World Fair. The hotel was built, largely foir free because Holmes believed that the builders were not working to his standards. This was thought to be an excuse so that no one would know the complete lay out of the hotel. After the finding of the Pietzel children, the police searched the Hotel.

The hotel, nick named 'The Murder Castle', had a lot to hide. The first floor was made up of shops; a pharmacy, jewelry shop, cafe and sweet shop. The second floor however, was a mass of secret passages, doors that lead to nothing but brick walls, staircases that lead to large drop offs, rooms that could be sealed air tight by shutting the door, plus other rooms which had gas fixtures that could be controlled from Holmes personal quarters on the third floor. Then there was the basement; pits of acid and lime, a crematorium, gas chamber and torture chamber.

Bones were found in the crematorium, blood was all over Holmes' surgical table and over 50 people mysteriously disapeared from the World Fair. Holmes was found guilty of the death of Ben Pietzel and sentenced to death by hanging. The trial lasted 7 days and during those 7 days, Holmes used the media frenzy to create a large, mostly fabricated story of 27 murders that he had committed. Looking back, Detective Geyer noticed a lot of people, particularly women, who had something to do with Holmes, just up and disapeared. Too many for me to list here.

I dont know why I wanted to write and entry about this sad sack. It was just interesting to me how he built his house and went around killing people for a number of years before any one noticed. He was a smart killer, that interests me I spose. Check out the house here!

Quotes - Interesting!

1. "All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal or fattening!" - Alexander Woollcott
2. "God made the cat in order that man might have the pleasure of caressing the lion" - Fernand Mery
3. "Maybe this world is another planets Hell" - Aldous Huxley
4. "I haven't failed. I've found 10, 000 ways that won't work" - Benjamin Franklin
5. "I want either less corruption, or more chance to participate in it!" - Ashleigh Brilliant
6. "Philosophy means looking at things which one takes for granted and suddenly seeing that they are vey odd indeed!" - Irus Murdoch, Philosopher
7. "When the going gets rough, you are obviously in the wrong place!" - Miss Piggy
8. "Everything is funny, as long as it's happneing to someone else!" - Will Rogers
9. "Those who dance are considered insane by those who can't hear the music" - George Carlin
10. "If thou thinkest twice before thou speakest once, thou will speak twice the better for it" - William Penn

DnB Rocks My Socks!

Last year, Nokia supported a competition run in Australia to find talent, not unlike American Idol really. Entries are sent in and judges pick out a final 12 to be voted on by the Australian public via the net or SMS. This year they are doing it again, and this year they are including all kinds of beats! Ie. breaks, house, techno, electronic! And this year, some good friends of mine made it to the final 12!!! How exciting!!

Last years winner, Brisbane's My Ninja Lover, went on a whirlwind tour of the UK and met with several record labels. Their first EP 'Silk and Daggers' is out in Australia now!

Any way, back to my friends, Group Therapy. Go to www.connectingbeats.com.au and check out the 12 finalists. If you read their bio, Group Therapy has been around for a while. I've seen them play live a few times and they are some funny fellas. They played for me at my 18th birthday (one of those obscure house parties with mandatory police presence!) for a carton, and they rocked the joint! WooHoo! I'm pretty damn excited for them, the winners recieve:

• Studio mastering of their EP or single with full CD cover art
• Their track distributed via the Nokia Connecting Beats CD (available FREE from Sanity stores!)
• Their track and bio published on www.connectingbeats.com.au
• The opportunity to play alongside some amazing acts on the Terminal9 tour which travels through Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne
• A return trip overseas to meet with the record label of their choice!

The 12 finalists have been published and voting lines close at midnight (EST) on July 6th 2005 so hurry up and VOTE! Go Group Therapy!!!

P Plater Restrictions

As some one who has not yet got my licence (because I'm slack!) it is important to me to know what I will have to do to get it. Now it is looking important for me to get it before the new laws are passed. It is a pretty simple process at the moment but due to the percentage of P platers who are involved in fatal crashes on the roads of Australia, it will soon be a lot harder to get a licence.

For me to get my licence at the moment, I would have to go to any Licencing Centre and sit a written multiple choice test (which costs me $50 I might add). The quiz consists of 30 questions and I think it is only 3 or 4 questions you are allowed to get wrong before you fail. A learner's quiz is available to take online here. (It is not official, you still have to go into a Licencing Centre, unfortunately)

If the written test is passed then it is on to the next test, an eye test. If I had to wear glasses to pass the eye test, then it must be displayed on my Learners Permit that I must wear my glasses when driving at all times. I must also declare any medical factors or medication which may affect my driving, then it is up to the Customer Services Officer to decide whether I need to undergo a Medical Test as well. If not, then I am given my Learners Permit and am allowed to drive as a Learner.

Learners are not allowed to drive by themselves, but with a person who has had their licence for four or more years in the same catagory as that displayed on the Learners Permit. They must display L Plates on both the front and back of the vehicle. These L Plates must have an L in black and a yellow background and must be 150cm x 150cm. Learners are not allowed to exceed a speed of 100km/hr and are not allowed on any of the freeways or in the boundries of Kings Park. (I must note that this is Western Australian rules.)

Once I am confident enough, then I would go back to the Licencing Centre and take my Practical Driving Test. This test must be booked beforehand and costs $50 (payable even if test is cancelled). I would be made to perform a series of driving skills in the company of a driving instructor. It is unusual to pass this test first time, though I do know people who beat the odds.

Next, I must accumulate 25hrs of driving skill, recorded in a Log Book. The person accompanying me must sign the diary to confirm what the Log Book says. (It is common to lie during this period, most people I know have done about half the amount of time they are suposed to.) Once I have the 25hrs, I can go back to the Licencing Centre and complete the Hazard Perception Test after which I would be granted my P Plates.

Now all that may not seem like much, and indeed, a lot of shortcuts are available to young people wanting their licnces, but our government is making it a hell of a lot harder for us.

The Propositions:

• They want us to have our L Plates for a minimum of 6 months
• The hours will be upped to 125 hrs in the Log Book before being able to take the Hazard Test
• P Platers get 4 demerit points insted of the current 12
• P Platers will only be allowed a certain amount of people in the car with them on their first year of driving.
• P Platers will have a night-time curfew.
• P Platers will not be allowed to drive cars with eight or more cylinders.

It is understandable to take another look into youth driving but some of these are ridiculus. As a young person working a crap job, I have to say that 125hrs is a lot of time and money. If you have no one to teach you to drive, then lessons can be anywhere from $20-$50 an hour! How can our youth be expected to afford that?!? My parents arent going to pay for it and I sure can't afford it. It would take me a year to get my P's and that's how long I have before my L's run out. Some of these need to be rethought.

However, some of these points have good reasons to be instilled. Just yesterday, a 25 year-old P Plater was pulled over four times in as many hours for speeding. On the first incident, he was clocked at 156km/hr in a 100km/hr zone. Because of the long weekend, ie. double demerits, he lost 12 demerit points straight away, which would mean his licence. The man was driving a supercharged Holden Commodore in wet conditions and police said he was lucky not to have caused an accident.

New figures show that drivers under 26 account for 15% of licences but are involved in 36% of all fatal crashes. A P Plate driver is killed every 6 days in Western Australia.

Inspiration

COWARDICE asks, is it safe?
EXPEDIENCY asks, is it political?
VANITY asks, is it popular?
BUT CONSCIENCE asks, is it RIGHT?

-Martin Luther King

Welcome I guess...

Wow, didnt think I would actually ever create one of these things, yet here we are. I plan to use this blog as an overview to any books I read, movies I see, things I do; just general things really. I wasn't a big fan of blogging, am still not really so who knows if this will be any good. I got the idea from my boyfriend who's blog is now going strong @ http://olivebranchoptimism.blogspot.com

This first post is more of an introduction to me I guess. My name is Georgia, hence the nickname Gee-Oh. I live in Perth, Western Australia with my mother and her fella. I am not a student, tho I hope to be one day, I have yet to decide what I want to study, perhaps this blog will shed some light on that for me. I work a meaningless job that I am not happy with but I dont really have a reason to complain. Spending a lot of time with [olivebranch] has taught me that there are a hell of a lot of people who are worse off than I am and that perhaps I can help in some small ways. His blog is worth the long read for those of you who are politically minded, even if youre a bit silly on the situation (like me) his latest posts are easy to understand and you can tell by just reading it that he cares and is trying to help those who need it. Perhaps you can help too? Just ask...

Enjoy! (I hope so)

Hotel Rwanda (movie)

When the world closed its eyes, he opened his arms

This movie is based on the true story of Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), manager of a four and a half star hotel, Mille Collines. This ordinary man saved over a thousand Tutsi and Hutu refugees by bribing and blackmailing Military and Government officials, as the rest of the world stood by and did nothing, most hardly even noticed the genocide of nearly a million Tutsi's killed in Rwanda by the Hutu Militia, Interahamwe ("those who work together").

Hotel Rwanda, released in 2004, is rated PG-13 but there are some rather disturbing images that you may not want your kids to see. I found it very upsetting to see the people left to fend for themselves. Hundreds of Rwandan people could have been saved if only the rest of the world had given a toss and UN Peacekeepers were allowed to help instead of pulling out all the 'whites'. We have some powerful forces in the world but why were they not in Rwanda in 1994?

The Rwandan massacre started at the colinisation of Rwanda by the Belgians. They deemed that the taller and thinner Tutsi's were superior to the Hutu's; who both lived in Rwanda, spoke the same language and shared the same culture. The Belgian rulers therefore favoured the Tutsi's for positions of power and a feeling of resentment began to grow with the Hutu's.

In 1962, when Rwanda gained its independence, a Hutu government was installed and the Tutsi's were blamed for all unfortunate events. In 1994 when the Hutu presidents' plane was shot from the sky, the country was 85% Hutu and 15% Tutsi; the Tutsi rebels were blamed and so began the culling of nearly 1 million Tutsi people.

The word 'Genocide' was never used because under the UN Geneva Convention outside countries would then have been obliged to intervene. It is said the world veiwed the devastating act of Rwanda as an ancient tribal feud and so were reluctant to get involved but because of the limited media coverage, a lot of the people of the world did not even realise what was happening until too late.

Hotel Rwanda was nominated for 3 oscars;
Best Actor, Don Cheadle
Best Supporting Actress, Sophie Okonedo
Best Original Screenplay.

Running time: 121 minutes