So...

...You Think You Can Dance. Started last night, and we watched it on a group of my friends' weekly Vegas/Poker (formerly Heroes) night. We started thinking up other concepts for the tv show. I might just ramble some off the top of my head, as quickly as I can, starting... NOW! (9:55 AM)

So you think you're from France?
So you think you've got pants?
So you think you've got hot pants?
So you think you've got shpants?
So you think you've got shpoveralls?
So you think you've got shpoverandals? (Apologies. In-joke. Shorts + Pants + Overalls + Sandals = the greatest one-piece outfit of all time.)
So you think you can imitate a kitchen appliance?
So you think you're a truck?
So you think you're Optimus Prime?
So you're kidding yourself and can't dance?
So you think you can make up other amusing concepts for the "So you think you can..." idea, and then fail?

Well, that was embarassing. Now I'm going to Phillip Island for the weekend. And am doing my 40 Hour Famine... ARMLESS. Awesome. Hopefully I can get someone to film me doing some stuff with no arms... and hopefully not when people kick me in the back so that I fall on my face.

Armless challenge starting... NOW! (10 AM) I typed this senternmcer with mmy feet and nodzse. YAY! yes i dfid jusdt usde twoop ffeert foprt the erxccllamation mnaarrkj!!!!!!!!!

Mafia

Language warning on this one. But still, hilarious. Check out the website for some more amusing videos. I recommend the B-Boy Stance and Pennyweather Lemonade ones. Some are rather rude. But still... amusing.

Fundamentalism

This week we're doing an interesting topic in International Studies on Religious Fundamentalism.

What got me to write this post though was something someone said in my tute yesterday. They are a very (self-confessed) science-oriented person. This is what they said: "In my view, religion and religious people are just so close minded, because they're all like, 'Do what we do or you'll go to hell', blah blah blah, crazy dancing and shouting and stuff."

It made me really angry because this person had clearly not even attempted to explore religions of all types and have an understanding before criticising. They had just taken what they had seen on tv and film - like the guys in Borat, and society's stereotype and adopted it on their own to try and seem clever. How close minded was that?! Here is a clip, which is pretty much about the very same thing, from everybody's favourite show, Family Guy.



I left the beanbags bit in there because it makes me laugh.

I am hesistant to even comment on other denominations of Christianity, let alone the numerous other faiths in this world. I respect them, and I intend to do some exploration in this lifetime, but until then I am not going to badmouth them with no real grounds to stand on.

What I wanted to say at first was really angry and attacking, but I didn't say anything. Firstly, because I didn't want to start any conflicts and have to awkwardly deal with them for the rest of the semester, but also because I didn't want to seem like the crazed fanatic she was so quickly labelling those who follow a religion. That said, we are talking about it again next week, and I am thinking about things I can say that are constructive.

There have been quite a few instances of comments like that at uni. Sometimes people are just cynical for the sake of being cynical or trying to sound intelligent. It's not unintelligent to sound hopeful and optimistic. In any case, I don't mind if they are against some things, or lots of things, as long as they have grounds to back it up and aren't wildly slinging accusations or just adopting a very broad generalisation from media representations. I understand that you can't help but be influenced. But at least try and be informed too. That's one of the fundamentals of a good, constructive discussion. Instead of inviting a heated argument.

Quotes

I didn't blog much last week because I've had five assignments to knock out. Finished them all, but they got progressively worse.

With a title like "Quotes", you'd presume I'd write some inspirational things that affected me, or something of the like. No. In the week of extreme stress, I have sort of reacted by being immature and silly. Here are some things I've said:

(Before Garage)
Transvestites... men but in disguise. (to Transformers theme)

(At a play)
Person: We should give them a standing ovation!
Me: More like give them a standing ovulation!

(In German class)
If you can call someone stingy a tightarse... can you call somebody very generous a loosearse?

Am I silly? Yes. I was somewhere between amused and intrigued - amtrigued, that I didn't get angry or anything during the week. Usually that's my stress reaction. But not this time!

... and that completes today's pointless post. I am aware it is useless and there's not really much interest in it. Whatever. This one's for me then.

PS. 40 Hour Famine is officially done, but I am still doing it. Sponsor me please? Email me if you will, you may have already. I'm considering 40 hours voiceless, sightless (again), or arms-less. Unless there are other suggestions?