• On Science-Fiction

    I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it.

    I don't think I'm alone when I say I'd like to see more and more planets fall under the ruthless domination of our solar system.

    - Jack Handey, "Deep Thoughts"
  • In education as elsewhere, the broad primrose path leads to a nasty place.

    - A. N. Whitehead
  • A great war leaves the country with three armies: an army of cripples, an army of mourners, and an army of thieves.
  • English is a language that lurks in dark alleys, beats up other languages and rifles through their pockets for spare vocabulary.
  • True words are not beautiful,
    Beautiful words are not true.
  • Bishop of Bath and Wells: You fiend! Never have I encountered such corrupt and foul-minded perversity… Have you ever considered a career in the church? Blackadder: Yes, but I couldn't get used to the underwear.

    Blackadder the Second
  • What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.

    - Samuel Johnson

  • Terry Pratchett

    That seems to point up a significant difference between Europeans and Americans. A European says: "I can't understand this, what's wrong with me?" An American says: "I can't understand this, what's wrong with him?"

    "It's still a lie. Like the lie about masks."
    "What lie about masks?"
    "The way people say they hide faces."
    "They do hide faces."
    "Only the one on the outside."

    Maskerade

  • Balzac a dit:

    Mes avis sur vos relations avec les femmes sont aussi dans ce mot de chevalerie: Les servir toutes, n'en aimer qu'une.

    Le véritable amour est éternel, infini, toujours semblable à lui-même; il est égal et pur, sans démonstrations violentes; il se voit en cheveux blancs, toujours jeune de cœur.

(Busy busy busy)

Posted on 27 April, 2008 by Jon Whyte

The past week’s been a bit crazy. A few friends of mine went to Canberra which wasn’t received well by the media (Again? No…) and that ugly mob mentality reared its ugly head. Some pro-Tibet supporters were heard to say that they were terrified of the Chinese students there. Well, how do you think the [...]

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British comedy duos (video heavy)

Posted on 19 April, 2008 by Jon Whyte

One of my secret loves: British comedy duos – double the humour without the crassness associated with arse jokes and swearing. No, who am I kidding, it’s even more amusing when they do the arse jokes and swearing because it’s so much more amusing with a British accent.
So – in my day and time (sorry [...]

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A small guide: Whiling away the afternoon

Posted on 18 April, 2008 by Jon Whyte

I decided that it was high time I gave myself a break from the tedium of University/commute/home/work, so I hung around the Melbourne CBD for an hour after this afternoon after lectures. The wife was there with her Medicine friends from Monash and I met Charlie and G on the tram to Melbourne Central.
Charlie, G [...]

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Understatement: It’s a prickly issue

Posted on 16 April, 2008 by Jon Whyte

Finally, a word (literally – it was about a sentence long) of mention in regard to the Chinese student protest on Sunday in the Age today.
I’ve been trying to defend the Chinese community’s support of the torch relay for a long time and I’ve just got to say, this article makes them look like violent, [...]

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I’ve seen them around too

Posted on 15 April, 2008 by Jon Whyte

I shouldn’t really laugh but then I read it aloud and couldn’t get past the second statement.
Non-native presenting for speech class: Everyone has cows in their life. Cows at home. Cows at work. Cows in our families. Cows can take over everything. But how do we get rid of the cows?
Teacher: Chaos. It’s pronounced ‘chaos’.

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What did we learn in life today?

Posted on 15 April, 2008 by Jon Whyte

My star sign indicated that I should “think before [I] act this week” leading to much philosophical self-analyses about when I’ve put “my foot in it” so far – starting from Monday because I’m an unrepentant heathen. Hmm…the signs don’t bode so well. Ah, I shake my proverbial fist at thee.
This probably means that I [...]

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Doll Face

Posted on 14 April, 2008 by Jon Whyte

I caught this on YouTube the other day and thought it was absolutely beautiful:

There’s a sharper quality video here: http://www.andrewthomashuang.com/MOV_Doll_Face.htm

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Spoken too soon

Posted on 14 April, 2008 by Jon Whyte

I take back yesterday’s words of a well-prepared mind and give you today’s (toned down) vicious thoughts.
Happy with my media? Bah humbug.
Fair and unbiased? Poppycock.
Honest representation? Pooh-pooh.
So what’s with all that rubbish on the news lately about anti-China demonstrations the world over and not a word to say about yesterday’s Chinese students’ Anti-Media Distortion demonstration? [...]

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at (relative) peace with my media

Posted on 13 April, 2008 by Jon Whyte

Lack of posting due to workload from Uni, so here’s something that’s been on my mind for a while.
Transferred over from my LJ:
For the previous month or so I’ve been inundated with media reports of the violence in Tibet, the ‘Big Brother’ style Chinese government, the trigger-happy Chinese armed forces, the poor, impoverished and culturally [...]

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