Words Thoughts and Sparkly Things: 2009

I've spent the past week listening to stories from my parents about people they work with or associate with and all I was thinking was aren't adults supposed to have glimpsed some wisdom or understanding, not act in ways reminiscent of their high school years? Stories about petty workmates who do everything to make themselves seem all important and better than anyone and everyone... everything other than actually doing their job. And then their are those workers who employ their own caste system! In NZ... are you kidding me? The people who are 'better' because they have a higher perceived status than others so are allowed to make their lives hell! I can't really go into detail as I don't want to name these people or put my parents into awkward situations... but it really disgusted me. Especially the caste system person. The absolute racism and hate he directed toward one of my dad's good friends who happened to be Māori and a groundsman was staggering. Why are janitors, groundsmen and custodians labelled as stupid, lower class and unintelligent? Some of the ones I have met (and I have also worked as a janitor) have been the wisest and most caring people. So they may not have a university degree. Some of the stupidest people I have met have a PhD. Qualifications may show people you are smart in a particular area but they do not make you more intelligent, wiser or have more common sense than anyone else.

The more I open my eyes to the world, the more I am disillusioned with people's narrow mindedness and hate. But it does make my resolution to treat all people with love and respect all the more important. I MUST COUNTERACT THE NEGATIVITY!

Cupcakes and Mace

Came across this jewellery designer from Welly, NZ just accidentally. But wow, LOVE her pieces! So fresh, colourful and fun! Sometimes simplicity is key... and I'm a sucker for sweet silhouettes :)

Check out her profile at Etsy here and her blog here. These are some of pieces I really liked... enjoy!

The Laramie Project

The Laramie Project is a play by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. It was written in reaction to the 1988 murder of 21-year old student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. He was brutally beaten and left to die alone in a field, simply because he was gay. The play looks at the aftermath of the murder on Matthew's friends and family and the rest of the town. Absolutely stunning, harrowing and thought provoking. You need to see it, read it or watch it (a film was made 2002).

In my 7th form year (2005), my drama class performed the Laramie Project. It was an absolutely amazing experience. I learnt a lot from the play. Introspectively it made me think of prejudices and the absolute hate that some people harbor. And not only individuals, but whole communities. Communities who hide behind religion in the sexual orientation debate. That really baffles me. I was brought up Catholic. For a short while I was involved in Evangelical Christian community. But not once did I ever think that those who were gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender were evil, possessed or diseased human beings. I only use that terminology as a lot of the talk surrounding these issues were discussed in terms of evil spirits or mental illness (so was depression which is another, yet just as ridiculous, story). I guess I just don't understand the religious movements that attempt to convert the whole world, that is their mission. Any means necessary. If they don't, it makes them unworthy. Yet the Catholic values I learnt growing up, and keep with me now even though I am no longer a practicing Catholic, were of acceptance, love, peace. It scares me how you can twist messages of humanity, forgiveness and love into discrimination, hate and condemnation. Matthew Shepard was my age. A student. A friend. A son. He was killed because of one characteristic he had that someone didn't agree with. I can't bring myself to believe that an all powerful and ever-loving God would condone violent actions (both words and behaviour) and look graciously on those who hate and hurt people with such a vengeance.

There needs to be a lot more love and peace. A LOT more.

Be happy that you have found God, spirituality and understand your place in the universe.

Let others find their place in peace.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation

http://www.matthewshepard.org/site/PageServer

You know it's Christmas when...

... The Pogues 'Fairytale of New York' is playing. My favourite Christmas song by far. My brother and I do a mean duet :)

Hope everyone's holiday season is shaping up to be a good one!

Starbollocks Coffee...

Oh Starbucks, you make me laugh. Not that you make me happy (your 'coffee' is crap), rather laugh in a cynical disapproving way. I just read a tweet that is making the rounds at the moment about World Aids Day. Obviously a very important topic which I am extremely glad is a well supported and acknowledged issue. (RED) is a well known campaign with many endorsements from celebrities like Bono (U2) to clothing companies like Converse and (this is where the laughing comes in) Starbucks. Starbucks' A Gift of Hope project will donate money when you buy their coffee. Their "Love Project" is a beautiful and ornate campaign with white peace cranes, wishing for love and hope this Christmas for those in Africa with HIV Aids. I only laugh at the irony of this. Yes, support the Aids cause. Definitely. But Starbucks, what about the hundreds of thousands of people in third world countries you have displaced from their homes and livelihoods? Did you forget about them? You know, the families who had been self-sufficient with their land and crops, supporting many generations. The whole communities you forced into bankruptcy and poverty, eventually taking their land and monocropping it. The families who were forced into slums, the children who you forced onto the street just so you could cheaply grow and crop your coffee beans. Remember those guys? The ones you and the IFC's suckered into getting a loan from you (as you increased the prices and tariffs on essential items) but then made repayments so high they lost everything. The same people you occasionally let harvest the crop for money and VERY generously paid them about 3 cents for every bag of beans they harvested.

They don't deserve a mention at Christmas? They don't deserve a prayer, wish or good will thought during the holiday season?

So when you buy your grande soy mocha latte and smile as you support the fight against aids, perhaps you should also spare a thought for the people you are condemning to poverty.

I know I'm thinking about them.

Why not lend your support to corporations that actually help.

Greenpeace, Red Cross, Oxfam.

Paul "I'm-so-important" Henry

This man is a twit.

He's a 'famous' New Zealand talk show host.

He's not good. He's not intelligent. He's not funny.

He IS abrasive and judgmental.

Good work Paul.

Screw intelligent conversation, let's just insult everyone with badly thought up quips.

His latest dive into stupidity are his remarks against Susan Boyle and intellectually disabled persons... yeah, because that's a population who fully deserves hateful remarks...

I really don't like him.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE journalism that asks hard questions and gets to the root of social problems. Society needs people who can ask those in power what the rest of us wish we could.

But thick 'privileged' people like Paul anger me.

His reaction to the controversy (which has led to 200 complaints to the Human Rights Commission) was "duh... what's the big deal... duhhhh... people with intalektuell disap-diseb-disabilateees are called retarded..." (I did edit that comment slightly...)

He needs to be whacked with a trout.

Paul, you are an idiot.

Much love,

Kasia.

For Fans of Back to the Future

Brick by Boring Brick

I love this song. The video is amazing and slightly creepy...

Added Info (Nov. 29): Paramore have just announced NZ tour dates! Auckland March 4th and Christchurch March 5th. Go here for more shows + tour info.

And the nominees are...

Congrats to TJ McDonald who was just nominated for the 2010 Billy T Award.

The NZ Comedy Trust viewed 13 comedy acts from around New Zealand and whittled it down to just 5 nominees. These 5 will each perform a 1hour solo comedy show in next years International Comedy Festival. The winner will be announced on the 16th May.

TJ McDonald is well known in the Wellington and Auckland comedy circuits as a solo act and in group performances with the Comedy Cure and successful duo Monkey vs. Robot. TJ recently was a finalist in Radio New Zealand's 'Stand Up and Be Counted' comedy series.

Check out Comedy Cure skits on their youtube channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/ComedyCure

TJ McDonald's webpage -

http://www.facebook.com/pages/TJ-McDonald/162388628729

Other nominees -

http://comedyfestival.co.nz/news-article/quest-for-the-hallowed-towel-nominees-announced-

All the best for all nominated, especially TJ.

Shoes!

LOUBOUTINS!!!

I bet they're crazy expensive... but they're heaven!

Maybe one day...

Imogen Heap

I came across this song ('Hide and Seek') after I heard it sampled in Jason Derulo's song 'Watcha Say'... not a big fan of his song but I LOVED the chorus... my brother told me he had heard it as another song so we hunted it down. Now I'm obsessed with it! I had heard of Imogen Heap before (saw a brief interview with her on E!) but had no idea about her style of music. I think it's probably an acquired taste. There are no instruments. Just Imogen singing with an auto-tune vibe happening. But it's so striking!

Check it out!

Benefit Cosmetics...

I am in LOVE with Benefit Cosmetics.

Gorgeous makeup!

Apart from the stunning packaging the product is FAB!

Jean and Jane Ford created the brand in 1976 in San Francisco.

"who says makeup has to be serious to be good?"

They combined their beauty boutique with a whimsical candy store attitude.

I heard about them through Pixiwoo makeup tutorials on YouTube.

Now I can't stop ordering their stuff!

Check out their super cute products here :)

Fireflies

The song 'Fireflies' by Owl City is my new obsession.

It's such a cute song.

Happy, upbeat, head nodable.

There needs to be more happy music.

Check it out! :)

Agreed.

65th Anniversary of Polish Children Arrival in NZ

This weekend (October 31st - November 1st) marks the 65th anniversary of 733 polish children and 105 adults arriving in New Zealand.

After Germany invaded West Poland in 1939 and the USSR following suit in later that year, taking the East, millions of Poles were deported to concentration and labour camps. My grandfather and his family and my grandmother and her family were among those deported by the USSR. As all their records and belongings were burned during their journey, not much is known about my family heritage. We do know that my grandfather was deported to a labour camp in Siberia and my grandmother somewhere in the Ural mountain region. After months and months of forced labour, starvation and deprivation the Poles were granted 'amnesty' in 1941 by the USSR (as they declared war on Germany). During the long journey through the USSR into Persia, both my grandparents lost their parents and most of their siblings to typhus or malnutrition. Around 6 million Poles perished in total. After a stay in an orphanage in Iran, my grandfather and his sister and my grandmother and her brother along with 800 other Poles made the long journey to New Zealand on the warship General Randall, arriving 1st November 1944. They lived in the Pahiatua Polish camp until they eventually settled in different parts of the country. Both my grandparents made their way to Wellington where they married in 1958. They had 4 children.

My grandparents are the strongest people I know, unaltered by the horrors they lived through. I am proud to be their granddaughter. I can only hope that I can live to be half as strong as they are.

kocham was

Maja Ivarsson

I admit, I have a MEGA girl crush on Maja. She's a hardcore Swedish rocker with a massive fierce voice. She fronts The Sounds, one of my favourite bands :)

'Night After Night' is an awesome ballad. So sad. So addictive.

Enjoy!

x.

(not actual video, they never officially released the song as a single)

Adele

I love, love, LOVE her voice!
Can't get this song out of my head...
Enjoy!

x.

Annie Blackberry

I got my necklace!! And I loves! :)
Check out Annie's other gorgeous pieces here!

x.

There is a Leak in My Inspiration Tank...

So I hunted down some inspiring images :)

These are courtesy of gradientmagazine.com.

Photographer: Chenman

Photographer: Paco Peregrin

Photographer: Iain Crawford

x.

Colour.

Wellington fashion pretty much consists of black and grey. And while, admittedly, I am a fan of the monotone on occasion (or in my blog format)... I do get massive urges to splash out, dye my hair bright orange, wear rainbow leg warmers and roam the streets throwing glitter everywhere... That's why I love designers like Carly Harris who don't believe in the dark side. And although probably out of many price ranges (including my own), window shopping costs surprisingly little and similar items are easily found at Glassons (it's oh so classy... and yes I shop there too). I did buy a dress from her the other week which my bank account nearly divorced me for... but it makes me happy :) I am currently only wearing it around the house as any damage to it would most probably cause my early demise...

Colour can also be found in makeup and ChiChi is the prettiest. Thanks to Alys and Andrea I now have enough eyeshadow to last me and future generations for many, many years.

I think I'd love to visit Japan where colour is the norm and creativity is standard. Perhaps I'll get there one day (once I stop buying expensive dresses...)

Moral of the rant: be colourful, be happy.

x.

Kiwis in Space!

Astrophotographer Fraser Gunn snapped this shot which is in the middle of the Milky Way (about 26,000 light years away)!
Go the Kiwi :)

x.

1:1.618

I learned today that the ratio 1:1.618 explains perfect beauty of both people and the universe :) The ratio pops up everywhere, the ratio of the width of your nose to mouth is generally 1:1.618, same as your body above your naval to the rest, and in nature like the Nautilus shell, flowers and (apparently) distances between the planets.

So instead of calling people hot/pretty/beautiful... I'm going to start handing out mathematical ratios :)

x.

Yayoi Kusama.

Yayoi Kusama is an artist from Japan who was HUGE in the 1960's. She's a pop art/installation art/sculptor who uses lots and lots of dots. She was also big on protesting for peace.

"Love Forever" is her motto.

above: Fireflies on the Water

above: Metamorphosis
below: Narcissus Garden

She's magical.

x.

Moi

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