Author: Miriam

fallAssist blog is up

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The blog for Naomi’s HSC Design and Technology major work is up and running. There hasn’t been much recent activity as we’ve been waiting for the end of term 4 to get stuck into it but things should be heating up shortly. We’ll be including everything from diagrams of the basic design through to videos of prototype testing as it happens.

The design work is all Naomi’s brilliance however I’ll be providing technical advice and teaching her how do design the control system so I’ll have a pretty steady involvement in the whole process.

The device Naomi is designing is a fall alert system for the elderly aimed at reducing the time it takes for help to reach elderly persons living away from nursing homes in the event of a fall.
She hopes that this will give piece of mind to the families and allow the elderly to remain as independent as possible.

Anyway I hope you all check it out!

fallAssist

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The rise of the girl crush

Miriam5 Comments

The ‘girl crush’ seems to be hot property at the moment. Cosmo declares on the front cover of its January issue that so and so is their ‘Greys Anatomy girl crush’, an American company seems to have cashed in on the craze with a bunch of kids hairstyling items etc, and a couple of months ago I was accused (rather patronizingly I thought) of having a girl crush on Misha Barton.

Officially a girl crush is:

when two women have strong feelings for one another, but not in a sexual way. A Girl Crush is strong infatuation that one woman has for another woman who seems beautiful, sophisticated, charming or accomplished. It usually refers to heterosexual women.

Which is where the problem arises. Having a crush on a girl can be very confusing for someone who thinks she’s straight.

Take my friend for example. In years seven through nine (ages 13 to 15) she had a big crush on me. Only she confused this totally non-sexual ‘girl crush’ for a somewhat more sexual crush. So she spent a good couple of years reacting fairly badly to other friends of mine, being jealous and possessive and occasionally violent (she kicked me across a room once). Then one day when I was staying the night at her place she jumped me, I turned her down and she was fairly hurt.

Turns out a couple of years later she realises that she’s straight after all and was just going through a confused phase and I realise that I’m bi and was just in denial the whole time.

Girls are complicated huh!

Then there are the ‘girl crushes’ that turn out to be something else altogether. See I had a friend at school who was basically a blond Angelina Jolie only taller. Dominant, strong, very charismatic and totally hot. I had a ‘girl crush’ on her for years. Then in year 12 I start to realise that I was actually fairly in love with her and told her as much. Fortunately for me she’s fairly open minded and isn’t even the slightest bit awkward around me.

The point is that in this new era of open mindedness I think terms like ‘girl crush’ are fairly patronizing and unnecessary. I don’t see why we need to attach a label to a girl-girl infatuation to make it socially acceptable.

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Music

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Yesterday Colin connected up the VCR. This wouldn’t be very significant if it weren’t for two videos which are fairly important to me. I have two videos of performances (and performance exams) from year 12.

For my entire pre-Melbourne existence, music was my life. I had lessons in four instruments, I took part in 5 (at one point 6) extra-curricular music groups. I was preparing for my Amus (advanced diploma of music) in voice, 6th grade AMEB piano and had an organ scholarship. Now, I play guitar when the fancy takes me, cello rarely, and I no longer have a piano (something which is driving me crazy).

At school I practically was my voice. Everyone knew me because of it, I was a fucking celebrity to the prep kids after my role in Dido and Aeneas. It seems weird that no one in Melbourne thinks of me as a musician None of them have heard me sing. Not even Colin has seen me perform.

I no longer have the effortless control of my voice. I don’t remember developing it but in those days if I could think it I could sing it. I never considered a piece to be difficult to sing, I never encountered a piece I couldn’t master in days. Now, I attempt to sing the same music and my voice falters, I don’t have the high notes, the diaphragm control, the vocal stamina.

I want to start singing again. I want to work towards the Amus I never completed; get back into performing.

Everyone thought I would be a professional singer. It would be a shame to throw away the one thing I was the best at.

Buy Nothing Day

Miriam2 Comments

I headed over to Bourke St Mall this morning to check out Buy Nothing Day. It was a bit of a non-event. Two people handing out fliers at a table and a bunch of bored passers-by throwing them into the bin.

I did spot Cam though. He’s quick for an old bloke. I spotted him on my way back from Dick Smith (researching not buying) chatting to the people at the Buy Nothing Day table and was heading over to say hi. Turned my head away for a second and he’d buggered off! Couldn’t see him anywhere. Strange, strange man!

So other than an excuse for not unpacking boxes at home it was pretty much a waste of time. Nothing exciting happening at all! Except that apparently the Myers Christmas window display is already up. Something to do with wombats… Christmas wombats…

One thing I’m trying to figure out is why Cam hasn’t made mention of the G’day World birthday bash yet. Its like a week away… Some people actually need notice of these things… Also booking a table would be advisable given there’s probably a reasonable number of us attending.

Anyways I guess I’ll go back to unpacking boxes… Fun fun!

Btw Cam looks somewhat less sophistimicated in a black tshirt and baggy jeans rather than a suit.

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