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October 28, 2004

stuart hall raaaawks

i'm doing a lecture on my work in the researching media audiences subject the supervisor takes. next week. i have done nothing except think about some clips i'd like to show.
i have only 20 minutes. which is nothing when you add in clips.
sheesh.
but i'm getting paid. and this is the first time i've been asked to lecture on my own research (rather than to speak about other people's stuff). excellent.
time for me to do another paper, though...

otherwise, i'm rocking through the media/diaspora stuff. it's really interesting and wonderfully complementary to the fan studies stuff. i have a couple of articles by stuart hall to follow up, which will no doubt raaaawk, because he raaaawks.
NB: my first supervisor, frances, was supervised by stuart hall for her phd at the birmingham open university. that's very exciting.

i love researching. i love this stuff i'm working on. i just wish i was more disciplined.

"stuart hall raaaawks" was posted by dogpossum on October 28, 2004 1:54 PM in the category

October 27, 2004

this'll be a piece of cake

it's time to get into the chapter writing hardcore. no more stuffing around. no more reading exciting things. there are a couple of references i'd like to chase down (mostly stuart hall stuff, but heck. there you go), but it's time to say Stop. Get On With It.

so i am. yesterday i wrote a chapter outline. today i've looked at the chapter outline. i know it'll be a good chapter. i know it. now i just need to get into it.
this is the hard bit. starting to write. i know i can pull 13000 words out of my bum hoo-pah! no worries. but getting started... and i need to get it done because editing will take ages. it always does.

i'm also thinking about getting involved in this. the deal is that you write a 50 000 word novel in a month. not that hard for me, actually. that's about 1600 words a day. piece of piss for me.
so of course, to procastinate over writing the thesis (55000 words or so left), i decide to write 50 000 words worth of a novel.
nice one, sistah. very clever.
maybe i should take the challenge and write my thesis's 50 000 words in this one month? over november.
hmmm. now that's likely. the mlx is on at the end of november, so i can write a week off there, what with visitors and dancing and all. my birthday is on the 11th, so there'll be some days there where i'll be 100% distracted. my mother is coming up to stay on the 14th or so. my dad is up on the 9th or thereabouts.
sure, this'll be a piece of cake.

"this'll be a piece of cake" was posted by dogpossum on October 27, 2004 1:43 PM in the category thesis

October 19, 2004

he's my man

today has been a slack day. i've only got two books left to work through from my latest library trawl. i'm pretty sure i want to take on stuart hall's work on globalisation and diaspora. now i need to find more of his stuff and of stuff by people who also dig his work.
so of course i've procrastinated all day.
a late start, a little time over breakfast. some internet play.
the of course, i had to go to the gym to go for my first ever swim in my new togs, in melbourne, at the gym.
i was brave about what is, essentially, semi nudity in a public place. if i was a gay man i'd have some anxiety issues. but seeing as how i'm not, no one was looking at me, so i'm cool... not that the baths are anywhere near as popular with the gay blokes as the valley pool in brisbane was. but still. a pear-shaped chick in modest black togs (even if they do have a particularly spiffy zip up the back. note to self: attach string to zip for easier escapes) is really not even a blip on most people's radar.

at any rate, it was quite lovely. the water was a little warm for my liking. this was outside, so i'm a bit concerned about the summer temperatures. and i did 30 laps of the 50m pool. so i'm now, officially, an athlete.
ok, so i'm still not hugely speedy. but i'm fitter than i was last time i was doing laps (in brisbane). and i still have a decent stroke, so i'm not shaming myself.
the whole strong-in-your-center thing is very useful in swimming (is there any physical activity for which it's not useful?): a more stable center makes for less wasted energy in the pool. hence the 30 laps, rather than, say 20 or 25.
i am also interested in the kick boards, as they make we work my legs a whole lot more. and it's harder to stay centered. i do so much upper body work in the gym i figure it's time to pound my lower body.
between that and dancing i figure it'll all be good.

other than that, i've not done much. i did wash my light quilt. hoorah. and i ate a nice sandwhich for lunch. home made. and i watched 2 episodes of angel, from season 4 or 5 or whatever it was.

yes, it has been a busy day, hasn't it.
i will try to do better tomorrow.

meanwhile, i would like to get through this second last book. there's stuart hall in there. and he's my man.

"he's my man" was posted by dogpossum on October 19, 2004 7:17 PM in the category

October 18, 2004

meanwhile

i've perfected my pattern for 30s berets. the perfect accessory for a neat 30s women's outfit. very chic, especially with a pair of long, wide legged trousers. this is a very nice look.

i've been making lots of clothes for lotte, which require a beret. this is the sort of look i've got going for her:

she's actually proportioned like the women in these pictures, so these outfits look awesome on her. the early 30s are her era.

i also like this look:

similar sort of style. lotte isn't as androgenous, but the style is nice. lots of excellent trouser. and a lot more interesting than the mainstream, late 30s american fashion. this french stuff rawks.

though we're also planning some overalls like the orange ones in this photo:

i've bought some turquoise fabric, rather than orange, will be just as good. they didn't have any of the fabric in the orange. it's a very lotte colour.

this is the other idea for overalls:

this is actually a 40s pattern. that orange one is a later 30s (post 1935) pattern.
40s stuff is very chic with swingers, very swing, but i tend to associate it with the west coast in the 40s, the movement of lindy hop into the mainstream and the whole white appropriation of the dance. i'm really digging the 30s era on the east coast a whole lot more. i prefer the dance itself (a la whitey's lindy hoppers etc), i prefer the fashion of the 30s, and i know lotte does as well.

so it's all cool.

"meanwhile" was posted by dogpossum on October 18, 2004 7:12 PM in the category old sew and sew

finally

a decent pattern for men's 30s trousers. this one is from 1934.

i did have this one:

which is a picture of 1933 oxford bags, but it's a bit much for your average swinger. The Squeeze adores his, though. of course. aren't they huge? like giant 70s flares. and doods were wearing these in the 30s. originally over plus 4s, which were a little riske at the time. especially on oxford university's campus, where they were banned. blokes wore oxford bags over their plus 4s to hide the illicit shorter trousers.

while plus 4s were far more radical than the large trouser, they've not had a big revival in melbourne swing. i can think of only one guy who's ever worn his out in public.

i've been looking for a decent pattern or picture to inspire a pattern so i can finally make a pair of trousers for a friend who requested them aaages ago.
i'm still scared of making men's trousers. goddamn The Squeeze. he's ruined my confidence in my sewing for men...

"finally" was posted by dogpossum on October 18, 2004 6:56 PM in the category old sew and sew

what is it that i'm saying that encourages a male demographic?

i just looked at a blog that had a post with 486 comments. can you believe that? 486. shee-it.

talk about popular kids.

well, i'm happy with my sum total of about 5 readers. i have nothing to prove. morissey loves me just as i am.

but i do sometimes worry about the fact that all my readers are blokes. i mean, i know there are a couple of you faithful chicks who tune in now and then
a) to see photos of yourselves
b) to make sure i haven't died down here in melbourne or
c) to see pictures of the clothes i'm making for you so you can answer awkward questions about numbers of buttons.
but really. blokes? what is it that i'm saying that encourages a male demographic?

"what is it that i'm saying that encourages a male demographic?" was posted by dogpossum on October 18, 2004 6:32 PM in the category dogpossum

October 14, 2004

even The Squeeze watches it

ok, so now i need to know why every bloggging woman in australia is obsessed with chanel (which i keep reading as channel).

why do people like her? she really irritates me - she's a bit smug. and not nearly as 'out there' as she'd like to think. just because ms hines thought that portishead song was really obscure, doesn't mean it actually IS. i mean, it did rank in the mainstream charts for quite a while, if i recall (possibly incorrectly).

in fact, i don't know why people watch this show. even The Squeeze watches it. he who declared that reality television was 'amoral' before stomping out of the room mid-way through big brother last season.
my mum even watches this dire program.

gawd.

it's not like they do anything interesting. they just go on telly and preen and sing songs and cry. even the boy-toy hosts suck.

having said all that, that star search show is actually the closest i've come to teenager fashion in a while. i'm continually shocked by the toyboy hairdos.
and at uni yesterday (after giving my lecture TRIUMPHANTLY and triggering spontaneous applause and moderate audience participation) i saw a guy whose fashion was so ludicrous it made me laugh out loud.
now, i do have a history of laughing inappropriately, but gawddammn. WHAT is with this 70s surfer boy fashion revival? it was ridiculous in the day. and now, on the bodies of young wipper snappers who were born, like less than two decades ago (that means they were born in the EIGHTIES), it's absolutely ridiculous.

sheesh.

yes, i am turning 30 next month. no, i do not have any 'issues' about it.

"even The Squeeze watches it" was posted by dogpossum on October 14, 2004 5:26 PM in the category television

October 11, 2004

i'm a crap blogger

i have been doing so much computery stuff lately i have a really sore right hand and wrist. i've had to request absolutely-no-wrist-holds from leads out dancing. including the squeeze, who had to be reminded a few times. unlike every other dance partner.

so anyhoo i'm doing the lefthanded mouse thing. i learnt to mouse with my left hand (using a south paw's computer). but those skills are now long gone.

i like using this tiny laptop. it's nice. a nice alternative to the pc, which is more hassle. i especially like supernerding it up and setting them up next to each other.

i'm also the dullest blogger in the entire universe.

i can't help it. i don't have time to write interesting things. i'm too busy fussing over free swing press. well, i would if i had time. i'm too busy with this lecture. or else i'm too busy with my thesis.
i'm very boring these days.

"i'm a crap blogger" was posted by dogpossum on October 11, 2004 1:29 AM in the category

October 10, 2004

sewing update

now i'm making trousers for dachelle (with plans for a pair of very short sailor pants style shorts), spent some time altering some old trousers of mine for corinne (with plans to help her figure out how to make them for herself), have done a bit of alteration for doris and still have multiple projects on the go for lotte.
i have pair of denim pants on the go for me, but i hate altering my own pants. and it's denim: too much work. i think i have an idea for a dress for me, but i'm still ruminating.

dachelle will colour my hair for me, corinne has been very good about lifts places, and doris provided an excellent afternoon tea. dachelle's past life as a cook has been a bit of a score as well.
this seamstress gig ain't so bad.

lotte's projects have changed. i've had a shitty time with the sleeves on the jacket of the suit, so i'm ditching it. or else making it sleeveless.
she has a pair of maroon trousers, a blue gingham tie-waiste, buttonup, sleeveless shirt, a blue collared, sleeved blouse done, and i've got a black and white striped shirt in progress, with plans for a pair of black sailor pants style trousers. those i'll make a bit quirky. lotte's not really into full on vintage, so i'll make them sailor suit themed, but actually kind of quirky. make the buttons out of alignment and different sizes (rather than a row down from each hip). i'll use a lighter, softer fabric so they're comfy. high waisted of course. though actually all these 'high waisted' trousers are actually normal waiste height. just feel high with today's fashions...

we also have plans for a pair of late 30s/40s overalls, high waisted, in a bright colour. orange or blue or turquoise, or red. in that order of preference. with a little contrasting colour blouse underneath. this is a very lotte outfit, which i know she'll adore. i'll match it with a bright headscarf.

for the black and white ball outfit i need to make a red beret to bring colour up around her face as she doesn't look so good in black and white. i'm also planning a red necklace of some sort. savers here i come.

there's also a blue blouse to buy to go with the blue plaid skirt i found in tasmania. i might also make up some white frilly knickers for that outfit (tres swinger).

and sorted!

what will i wear at mlx? oh, i don't know. clothes i hope. who cares.

"sewing update" was posted by dogpossum on October 10, 2004 10:34 PM in the category old sew and sew

lotte reckons we should make it into a sauna

ok, so i'd be going nuts if i wasn't numb. another three years under howard. with free rein in the senate.
oh man.

i guess it's time to jump ship, really. things will get worse. very doom and gloom, but really. i'm ashamed to be australian at the moment, re everything from refugees to iraq.
on rrr this morning the spin people made the comment that it suggests that we're living in a more conservative country now. i wonder if this means we'll start getting more politically active on the left. get into some demonstrating. i'm about ready to get into the rallying thing.

if i finish this thesis (i will, i will) i will quite happily go overseas to work...

i'm working on this lecture for tuesday. still. but it seems under control. now i have to do the powerpoint thing, which will no doubt take heaps of time.

the garden is nice. we have planted a bunch of native shrubs in the front yard, to get a bit more privacy. the squeeze has dug over the back garden patches and planted some seeds (bit late, really). he's also very proud of having recently 'plumbed' his greenhouse. he's added a line from his irrigation system which he's run through his greenhouse and is watering the seeds in there with fine drip attachments. it's all very technical and i know he likes this part far more than the other gardening bits. i gave him the irrigation system and the greenhouse (which is plastic, portable and pretty ace. lotte reckons we should make it into a sauna) as birthday/xmas presents and they were a great success. i'm not sure how i'll top them, so i'd better get thinking...

"lotte reckons we should make it into a sauna" was posted by dogpossum on October 10, 2004 10:24 PM in the category domesticity

October 6, 2004

30s fashion

we're having technical difficulties over at free swing press.

uh-oh. problems with images...

"30s fashion" was posted by dogpossum on October 6, 2004 10:36 PM in the category old sew and sew