Today we were given time to edit our essays.

I’m so happy I had mine finished before today’s class so I could sit down with Adrian for feedback and so I could start editing the final.

These are my editing annotations.

The main thing that needed editing was some choice of words. For example, I stated that lists were a “simplistic” approach of organising ontography which isn’t true. It should be “simple” because simplistic implies that it should be more complex whereas simple is just how it is.

I also need to include a bibliography.

Now I can complete my final!!! Yay

 

This is what I noticed in class today. 🙂

The individual essay as part two of assignment two really through me off this week.

I struggled so much in knowing where to start in the essay, and what the topic was actually asking of me. I spent a lot (and I mean a LOT) of time going through the reading, highlighting and annotating important sections or key ideas that would assist my understanding. This worked well.

I found this essay quite challenging, in particular linking the topic to the soundscape. However I achieved it, and am overall proud of my efforts.

I have been CRAZY busy the past week.

It always happens – I go from one end of the spectrum to not having much to do in terms of uni (just the usual readings, blogs and mini tasks), not having any social events, and work is super casual, to the other extreme end of the spectrum where I have three essays due, working every day, five social events, plus the usual weekly uni work.

So yes, the past two weeks have been the extreme end of the spectrum where I struggle to even find time to sleep.

But it’s all good. I get everything done.

Unfortunately I haven’t been in Tuesday’s classes for the past two weeks but I’ve still managed to get work done and come to the Thursday classes. I have been really bad this week at blogging though. I’ve been so busy to notice anything new or if I do notice something, I forget it straight away as I don’t have my phone or computer with me to note it down to write for later.

But it’s a fresh start now. My essays are all done and I don’t have many social or work commitments for the next week. I can start to get back on track.

 

I’ve been in love with Client Liaison, a Melbourne electronic duo/ band for a while now. I first saw them live at the Falls Festival in December last year, and they were absolutely insane. So much fun on stage. I went to their concert on Friday night, which again was so awesome, but I was thinking. What does Client Liaison mean? I’ve heard liaison in conversation a few times before, but didn’t really understand the context in which this band exists with.

Client = a person or organization using the services of a lawyer or other professional person or company.

Liaison =  communication or cooperation which facilitates a close working relationship between people or organizations.

So it pretty much means ‘Links with People’.

I love their music not only because of the incredibly infectious beats and catchy tunes, but because they are so clever and so real. By real I mean a lot of the lyrics relate to Melbourne, as well as the Australian Government/ politics.

Here are some examples of song lyrics:

• “Living in model standards, with cities of soulless grey” – so true.
• “You can’t burst our bubble, we made our own scene, Collins Street’s the jungle, surf the CBD” – Melbourne references.

 

According to a little side note on this page: https://genius.com/Client-liaison-canberra-wont-be-calling-tonight-lyrics:

“Canberra Won’t Be Calling Tonight” perfectly incorporates Client Liaison’s culture of excess into their music. The track incorporates the sounds of kookaburras laughing alongside Parliamentary soundbites, utilising a heated exchange between Minister for Social Services Scott Morrison and Senator Kim Carr as an interlude.

It’s a part of the track’s greater imagery – riffing on the theme of Diplomatic Immunity, Client Liaison evoke images of secretive backroom political deals:

We’re no stranger to what we want

‘Cause we got diplomatic immunity

Ain’t no backbencher going to figure this out

Stolen sources won’t be calling me

Even the track title – “Canberra Won’t Be Calling Tonight” – makes reference to Australia’s capital, which, like Washington D.C., is first and foremost the seat of the federal government.

 

Their outfits on stage while singing ‘Canberra Won’t be Calling Tonight’ feature Australian references such as kookaburras and gumtrees:

This is a pic of my two friends and I and the two front men of Client Liaison, Monte and Harvey 🙂

“Alien Phenomenology” has confused me a bit since the beginning. Last week, I tried to sum up chapter one as best I could, and this is what I had:

• Idealism -> the world characterised by the way it appears to the self-conscious mind
• Speculative realism is an event rather than a position eg. The Big Bang
• The triple O —> Object Oriented Ontology. Putting thing in the centre of being.

Now this isn’t much I know, but it was the only key ideas I was able to draw from the reading and put into my own words; everything else just didn’t make sense.

I didn’t have any of my own questions from the reading because I didn’t understand enough to have any. I know that sounds silly, but I honestly didn’t. I didn’t know where to even start.

So after going through it in class and hearing everyones ideas, thoughts and questions, I began to have a clearer idea of where to start with the ideas and what it all meant.

Today in class we read chapter two of the reading. This is where the content became a lot more clearer and started making sense. The key ideas I wrote down were:

• ‘Ontology is the theory of the nature of existence and ontography is it’s description’
• All three approaches have one thing in common -> an interest in diversity and specificity
• Ontography involves the revelation of object relationships without necessarily offering clarification or description of any kind
• Ontopgraphy is an aesthetic set theory -> configuration is celebrated on the basis of its existence
• OOO = object oriented ontology. Puts things in the centre of being
• Lists = a way of linking things together, a structure that easily shows how things link

So yes, I had grasp of the main ideas that stood out to me, but still, what does it all really mean? What even is ontology and ontography? Is it an actual thing or a theory?

So my main question was:
How is ontography a description of ontology? How would we differentiate the two?

I figured once this question was answered, then I could know what else I didn’t know and could ask. This was a good starting point. So instead of waiting for Adrian to answer the question in front of the whole class, I thought I’d try answering it myself first.

In order to do this, I made a little mind map in my notebook with the key ideas in most simplistic forms of both ontology and ontography. Then I could visually see the difference between them and hopefully have a better understanding.

And it worked!!

I now finally understand the theory and the difference between the two, just by setting myself this little exercise.

Other questions in the class included:

• How do lists have anything to do with ontology and objects being the centre of being. Is it a way of organising them?What’s the difference between ontography and typography?
• Does Bogart want to find and identify relations between all things?
• How can I practice ontology outside of simply making lists?

Last week, one of my participation goals was to do 6 blog posts a week (one more than the set amount just so I can challenge myself in an achievable way).

So far this week I have done 4, so I guess in a way I haven’t yet reached my goal however I usually write one or two after Thursday’s class with a recap or things I noticed, and one on Friday about anything I have noticed at home, at work or just in every day life. So with this being said, by the end of tomorrow I technically would have reached my goal as there will be 6 blog posts for the week in my blog.

I am yet to meet my reading goal though…. I’ve been so busy this week I haven’t had a chance, but after today’s class I will read the 20 pages, take notes in my notebook and blog about the questions, challenges and key ideas.

I am however continuously keeping notes from Tuesday and Thursday classes in my notebook. I’ve really made a habit of this, so I guess that’s something I can commend myself on!! Go me.

NEXT WEEK:

My goals are the same: Read 20 pages of reading, take notes and blog about it. 6 blog posts. Write notes during class in notebook.

I’m probably not changing these goals for another three weeks or so, until i have made a habit in completing them, then I will be able to move onto other weekly goals.

 

 

 

I went to the incredibly beautiful and historical Regent Theatre last week to see ‘Ladies in Black’ (which was fantastic), and on the way out I took a magazine/advertisement for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

On the train on the way home I was flicking through it, reading all the different acts to go and see (which all look so funny) however this wasn’t until after I had studied the front page. The pink though!! It’s so vibrant! Such a simplistic front cover design that works so well in drawing attention. The contrast of the yellow font against the pink background immedientley drew my attention, and made me feel happy and excited without even having read any of the contents inside.

It also has a cartoon drawn by Leunig that seems to be a comedian juggling three balls whilst controlling a snake and a duck that’s holding a flower in it’s mouth? Not sure. But whatever it’s meant to be, it works.

I gave Leunig a google and came across his website. I know that he is renowned for the work he does in newspapers, however that’s about all I know.

I looked at his most recent work and this one was just so classic and accurate.

Because that’s literally what our world is coming to. I see it everyday, people crossing roads just looking down at their devices. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just interesting to notice, and think about how different it would have been 15 or even 10 years ago.

Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m a dag.

I have recently been so into crosswords.

They are so fantastic. Not only extremely therapeutic, but so incredibly satisfying.

And I don’t mean the intense literature crosswords that are in the newspaper or a crossword where you have to constantly check your dictionary otherwise it’s virtually impossible… I mean the magazine ones. The gossip ones. The ones that have film titles, actors, songs, animals and of course the occasional tricky word (but still easy).

Here’s the crossword I am currently doing

They are so underrated. Everyone should get on them!!!

This week has been the busiest week so far this year. By a mile. I literally feel as though I haven’t stopped. Waking up at 6.30am every morning for work, two different shifts for different jobs in one day, three uni assignments, three music concerts (Adele was insane…), my best friends birthday, uni classes followed by afternoon work shifts….. it’s all happening. And it’s only Thursday. Still have a whole Friday of uni followed by a shift followed by a music concert… Then working all day Saturday and all day Sunday. Awesome.

But it’s good. I really love keeping busy. It makes me work harder, makes me more organised and makes me 100 times more productive. It’s just a lot when theres uni assignments because you really have to squeeze in time to do them, and you want to do them well so it can be challenging and overwhelming, but it’s all good!