australia.. the dumb blonde

pandora

dumb blondes are endearing

catefrances

pandora wrote:

dumb blondes are endearing

no theyre not. theyre dumb and tiresome.

catefrances

Jason P wrote:

Yahoo Serious did not do Australia any favors. I think he personally set Australia's image and culture back 50 years.

nope he did not. but you need to be able to laugh at yourself otherwise youll just take yourself way too seriously and start invading other countries.

our most endearing national hero was a bushranger.

Jason P

catefrances wrote:

Jason P wrote:

Yahoo Serious did not do Australia any favors. I think he personally set Australia's image and culture back 50 years.

nope he did not. but you need to be able to laugh at yourself otherwise youll just take yourself way too seriously and start invading other countries.

our most endearing national hero was a bushranger.

I always liked his goofy movies. :thumbup:

Personally, I can't wait to visit Australia and New Zealand. I've never met anybody who has had a bad thing to say after visiting. Too bad airline tickets are so expensive :(

catefrances

Jason P wrote:

I always liked his goofy movies. :thumbup:

Personally, I can't wait to visit Australia and New Zealand. I've never met anybody who has had a bad thing to say after visiting. Too bad airline tickets are so expensive :(

well imagine how we feel living so far away from so much. it cant always be about 6 months in a leaky boat.

stardust1976

catefrances wrote:

Byrnzie wrote:

Germaine Greer
'...I have to admit that if I hadn't been studying in England, if I hadn't been living in the genuinely multicultural society of postgraduate students in Cambridge, I might never have grasped the absurdity of Australians mounting street demonstrations against the South African Springbok tour in 1971. And might never have glimpsed the Australian situation from an international perspective.

It was not until I was half a world away that I could suddenly see that what was operating in Australia was apartheid: the separation and alienation South Africa tried desperately and savagely to impose on their black majority, we had achieved, apparently effortlessly, with our black minority.'

that was nearly 40 years ago steve. and i might add growing up in the 70s as i did, i came into contact with many indigenous peoples simply because they 'lived amongst us.' they werent the majority but they certainly werent invisible. and yes i know this wasnt the case everywhere.

No, it's not the case everywhere, just as the alcoholism isn't the case with every Aboriginal. They aren't invisible, and yes, they 'live amongst us' here. There are many many Aboriginals who expect no special treatment because they are indigenous, and who study, and work, just like there are many many white Australians who are basically 'dole bludgers'. Which is the point I was getting at earlier (and clearly failing miserably to get across). There is racism throughout the country, as there is in EVERY country - but to suggest that every Australian you've ever spoken to IS racist, is more than a little extreme. I was not being racist when I stated that there is a major problem with alcoholism and the like in Indigenous communities - I was being real. It's a fact, and not a single Australian, white OR black, can deny it. For the vast majority of Australians, we would be happy if every person here got equal treatment, and made of it what they may. Take opportunity that is given to you and run with it. This is not being racist to suggest that a lot of Aboriginals don't do this, the same as it's not being racist to suggest that a lot of white Australians don't do it. It's simply stating facts. But saying that every Australian only says derogatory things about our indigenous people, well, that's far from fact, and you know it. To suggest that Australia lives in an apartheid state is very wrong. It's not the case, and if you lived here, you would see that, and understand it as well. Not suggesting there aren't problems, but please, give us some credit - you seem to be convinced that we are all horribly racist people who would like to lock all the Aboriginals up and throw away the key, and not think about them anymore, simply because you have read some things that someone who no longer lives here, has written about. THis is a big part of what irritates me about her - she writes things from a VERY one-eyed viewpoint.

catefrances

Byrnzie wrote:

...
New Zealand has embraced the Maori culture, so why can't Australia embrace it's Aboriginal culture?..

different circumstances. different indigenous cultures.

stardust1976

catefrances wrote:

Jason P wrote:

Yahoo Serious did not do Australia any favors. I think he personally set Australia's image and culture back 50 years.

nope he did not. but you need to be able to laugh at yourself otherwise youll just take yourself way too seriously and start invading other countries.

our most endearing national hero was a bushranger.

And don't we just love Ned? I actually have done several paintings of him (well, his helmet really!), and my kids favourite paintings are probably the 'Ned' ones by Sidney Nolan. They're so awesome! Pity he was Irish = but oh well...

catefrances

stardust1976 wrote:

catefrances wrote:

Jason P wrote:

Yahoo Serious did not do Australia any favors. I think he personally set Australia's image and culture back 50 years.

nope he did not. but you need to be able to laugh at yourself otherwise youll just take yourself way too seriously and start invading other countries.

our most endearing national hero was a bushranger.

And don't we just love Ned? I actually have done several paintings of him (well, his helmet really!), and my kids favourite paintings are probably the 'Ned' ones by Sidney Nolan. They're so awesome! Pity he was Irish = but oh well...

right now im looking up at the wall above my desk and there is a pic of the zoemonster with a large black rectangle painted over her head with a postbox slot in it so all i can see are her eyes. replicating an 87 photo of nolan himself. aussie history comes alive!

p.s. nolan was born in carlton.

stardust1976

catefrances wrote:

stardust1976 wrote:

And don't we just love Ned? I actually have done several paintings of him (well, his helmet really!), and my kids favourite paintings are probably the 'Ned' ones by Sidney Nolan. They're so awesome! Pity he was Irish = but oh well...

right now im looking up at the wall above my desk and there is a pic of the zoemonster with a large black rectangle painted over her head with a postbox slot in it so all i can see are her eyes. replicating an 87 photo of nolan himself. aussie history comes alive!

p.s. nolan was born in carlton.

Carlton? Really - huh, for some reason I thought he was from NSW - must be getting him confused with someone else. I was talking about Ned Kelly being Irish though. Always did have a thing for Irishmen...

catefrances

stardust1976 wrote:

catefrances wrote:

stardust1976 wrote:

And don't we just love Ned? I actually have done several paintings of him (well, his helmet really!), and my kids favourite paintings are probably the 'Ned' ones by Sidney Nolan. They're so awesome! Pity he was Irish = but oh well...

right now im looking up at the wall above my desk and there is a pic of the zoemonster with a large black rectangle painted over her head with a postbox slot in it so all i can see are her eyes. replicating an 87 photo of nolan himself. aussie history comes alive!

p.s. nolan was born in carlton.

Carlton? Really - huh, for some reason I thought he was from NSW - must be getting him confused with someone else. I was talking about Ned Kelly being Irish though. Always did have a thing for Irishmen...

who doesnt.

re:nolan.. id call you a dumb blonde aussie but youre not blonde.

stardust1976

catefrances wrote:

stardust1976 wrote:

catefrances wrote:

right now im looking up at the wall above my desk and there is a pic of the zoemonster with a large black rectangle painted over her head with a postbox slot in it so all i can see are her eyes. replicating an 87 photo of nolan himself. aussie history comes alive!

p.s. nolan was born in carlton.

Carlton? Really - huh, for some reason I thought he was from NSW - must be getting him confused with someone else. I was talking about Ned Kelly being Irish though. Always did have a thing for Irishmen...

who doesnt.

re:nolan.. id call you a dumb blonde aussie but youre not blonde.

nope - not currently, but have been!!!! And it's ok - I don't take offence to being called that every now and then, hehehehe...

pandora

catefrances wrote:

pandora wrote:

dumb blondes are endearing

no theyre not. theyre dumb and tiresome.

to those that don't constantly judge others on their less than.... they are endearing
it's all in how you accept others and attempt to love them.
None of us are perfect remember?

Hugh Freaking Dillon

reading all of this has really given me an education about Australia. I didn't realize they treated their aboriginals the same, NEARLY IDENTICAL, historically as we did in Canada.

it's insane the similarities, good and bad, about our two nations.

catefrances

Paul David wrote:

reading all of this has really given me an education about Australia. I didn't realize they treated their aboriginals the same, NEARLY IDENTICAL, historically as we did in Canada.

it's insane the similarities, good and bad, about our two nations.

but totally understandable considering.

catefrances

pandora wrote:

catefrances wrote:

pandora wrote:

dumb blondes are endearing

no theyre not. theyre dumb and tiresome.

to those that don't constantly judge others on their less than.... they are endearing
it's all in how you accept others and attempt to love them.
None of us are perfect remember?

:roll:

who is constantly judging? sorry, i dont find dumb people endearing. i find it frustrating. and i dont have to love them, i dont have to love everyone, just respect them as people. which is what i do.. doesnt change the fact theyre tiresome and frustrating for me.

but you know whats worse? ... people who act dumb.

TriumphantAngel

I came from the dream time, from the dusty red soil plains,
I am the ancient heart - the keeper of the flame,
I stood upon the rocky shore, I watched the tall ships come,
For forty thousand years I'd been the first Australian.

We are one but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come,
we share a dream,
And sing with one voice,
I am, you are, we are Australian.

ONCE DEVIDED

Byrnzie wrote:

ONCE DEVIDED wrote:

so she can write papers based on what experience.
she would need to be here for that.

Why?

When's the cut off point when someone's opinions can be dismissed just because they've lived in another part of the world - despite the fact she makes regular trips back there and keeps up to date on political and cultural developments?

one year?
two years?
10 years?

I've not lived in England for four years so can my comments on anything to do with England all be dismissed out of hand now?

the piont is you seem to take her opinion from the other side of the world over people who live here, experience the culture, endure the society.
its people like greer who continue the stereo type of bronzed aussie males and bonzer sheilas. and I can tell you its far from the truth.
these days an average aussie may just look asian or middle eastern, or a blend in between.
and a good 30 year gap is enough, that nearly my lifetime and I can tell you in my lifetimes there has been monumental change. massive change

Byrnzie

ONCE DEVIDED wrote:

Byrnzie wrote:

ONCE DEVIDED wrote:

so she can write papers based on what experience.
she would need to be here for that.

Why?

When's the cut off point when someone's opinions can be dismissed just because they've lived in another part of the world - despite the fact she makes regular trips back there and keeps up to date on political and cultural developments?

one year?
two years?
10 years?

I've not lived in England for four years so can my comments on anything to do with England all be dismissed out of hand now?

the piont is you seem to take her opinion from the other side of the world over people who live here, experience the culture, endure the society.
its people like greer who continue the stereo type of bronzed aussie males and bonzer sheilas. and I can tell you its far from the truth.
these days an average aussie may just look asian or middle eastern, or a blend in between.
and a good 30 year gap is enough, that nearly my lifetime and I can tell you in my lifetimes there has been monumental change. massive change

It's o.k, I get it: She doesn't live there now so she has no idea about the place, despite frequent visits, and having family and friends there, and keeping up to date on cultural and political developments.

I'm not saying that her every word is sacrosanct - I was just throwing it out there. And I'm all for tearing people's arguments apart, but to dismiss her comments based simply on the fact that she doesn't now live in Australia doesn't cut it.

pandora

catefrances wrote:

pandora wrote:

catefrances wrote:

no theyre not. theyre dumb and tiresome.

to those that don't constantly judge others on their less than.... they are endearing
it's all in how you accept others and attempt to love them.
None of us are perfect remember?

:roll:

who is constantly judging? sorry, i dont find dumb people endearing. i find it frustrating. and i dont have to love them, i dont have to love everyone, just respect them as people. which is what i do.. doesnt change the fact theyre tiresome and frustrating for me.

but you know whats worse? ... people who act dumb.

It doesn't feel like respect, your words don't ring respectful. When you say someone is tiresome that sounds disrespectful and judgmental. And like you'd rather not engage.