Yesterday Seth and I were sitting in the lounge room enjoying a lovely breakfast when a tiny little bluebird, no bigger than a mouse, flew right up to the window and hovered there. A blue flat edged tail like a Willy Wagtail and a striking white and bright blue bonnet, this was the cutest bird that I have ever seen up close.
And it wasn't ramming into the glass or anything, it actually looked like it was just watching us from the outside; gently hovering from side to side with its tiny wings fluttering so fast that it was impossible to track the exact movements. It was almost like it was trying to find a way into us. We were both absolutely awestruck by the beauty and grace of this little bird. It was one of the most beautiful things that I have ever witnessed an animal do, and it lasted for a full minute or so.
You see birds all of the time, but you rarely see pretty little blue ones, and I have never seen any wild bird behave like that before. It was truly fascinating. So, you can imagine our surprise when we saw it again this morning as well. Behaving in the same fashion, fluttering up at the window and trying to get in. There must be a reason for this I thought, perhaps it is seeing its own reflection in the glass and is performing some kind of a mating ritual. However, I was wrong, because later in the day I saw a group of them in the yard and I think that the males and females are actually quite different, so unless this bluebird is in love with itself, (which could be possible) it seems unlikely that it is a reflection thing. 
Google told me that a bluebird is a harbinger of happiness in many cultures and its symbolism dates back thousands of years. And universeofsybolism.com said that a bluebird beckons simple pleasures and sings the song of happiness - it is the gift that you give to yourself. If you are going through dark times a bluebird is a reminder that brighter days are ahead and when a bluebird appears to you it can be bringing messages of love from heaven. According to all accounts really, the bluebird is only ever seen to be a positive omen. 
So, just as the song 1946 Disney classic tune says:  
Mr Bluebird on my shoulder
it's the truth
its actual
everything is satisfactual - 
zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-A
Wonderful feeling, wonderful day!
Now it seems almost spooky that only the day before I first saw that bluebird, that I chose to watch this movie, weird! 

Rejoice! The spring school holidays have commenced, and not a moment too soon. There were many staff and students limping across the finish line on those final days of term that's for sure. After a term of inclement weather and widespread illness, the break really could not have arrived a moment sooner. At this point, I believe that everyone appears to need a cleansing rest period to reset their thinking and also their physical wellbeing and to really shake off the Winter blues. 
Unlike other holiday breaks where I have barely left myself with a minute to think, I have purposely given myself a really lazy and mostly free two week window to rest at home and totally recharge my batteries. It certainly appears that we are in for another massive and jam packed final term, so a recharge is imperative. However, I am remaining completely optimistic, because aside of the possible future challenges, term four also comes with loads of other terrific benefits that you don't get in the first three terms of the year; like Summer, graduation and all of the celebration and anticipation that arrives with the countdown to the silly season. 
So, this spring break I am planning to use my free time for self restoration, which will no doubt involve some extra long lunches, TV binges and sleep ins, as it should. Time to paint something, make something, draw something, read something and grow something - and that is my aim for the next two weeks.
And it is not selfish or overindulgent to take time out for yourself, it is wise and self preserving, and a lot of the time absolutely necessary for wellbeing. So I feel no guilt whatsoever when I say that  I am going to what I want to do, when I want to do it and I am not going to feel obliged to do anything over the next two weeks that doesn't interest me or that feels anything like work. My obligation switch has been flipped to the off position and I have no intentions of flipping it back on for the next forteen days. 

I couldn't function without music. It is my second love after cinema and I always have music playing when I am at home or in the car. I like to read to music, paint and draw to music, bathe to music, cook and eat to music and I especially like to listen to music when I am drinking. Music is so therapeutic to me and I don't know what I would do without it. 
Lately I have been sorting all of my fave tunes into playlists, which has taken me some time, but with some help from Spotify I have got my music sorted out into some pretty sweet playlists. Basically, I like to sort my playlists by mood so that I have a soundtrack for every occasion. I am not literal about it, it's not like I have a happy and sad playlist or anything that daft, but do have playlists called 'easy' and 'shake what ya mamma gave ya' to name a couple. 
I am constantly on the hunt for new music, which is the reason that I listen to Triple J. They are pretty reliable for new discoveries, but I also love it when I discover something new on my own, without any prompting from anyone. Which is a weird thing to get chuffed about I know, but I do love it. I really don't want to sound like an asshole when I say that, because I do value the recommendations and opinions of others, but discovering things for yourself is really hard to beat. 
Unearthing things on my own reminds me of some of the best times that I have had in my life; a time before the internet and social media, a time when everyone had to discover everything for themselves, and it is an experience that feels really lost in today's society. Sometimes I feel like I am literally being spoon fed new discoveries and opportunities because they are always some one else's first, and I am really not into that at all. It's probably the reason that I still don't have a facebook page and probably never will.
I still love to hear about things first hand and straight from the horse's mouth, I still crave first discoveries and I do love to uncover something new and fresh on my own, but I guess -who doesn't? It's pretty hard to beat that first rush sensation of a new discovery or experience, it's one of the best free things in life, and as far as I am concerned, we all deserve to have as many of those discoveries as we can get. 

This weekend, between drinking too much alcohol and going to see the David LaChapelle photography exhibition, I had an extensive  colour consultation done to find out which colours suit me the best and enhance my natural colourings the most. Turns out, much to my surprise, that I am a 'Warm Summer' person, which basically has a colour palette that resembles the colours that you might see in The Mists of Avalon, really muted tones that have very little saturation and generally look like they have been a bit washed out.
This came as a massive surprise to me because a lot of my wardrobe is far from what I would call muted, so I have clearly not been dressing to my full potential when it comes to colour. Does that mean that I am going to toss out my entire wardrobe and start again? Good lord no! Not only do I not have the resources to do anything that drastic, but I really don't want to do that either because I actually like a lot of my very loud and bright clothes; but it has given me some food for thought and I will definitely be pulling out my 'Warm Summer' colour palette when I go clothes shopping from now on. 
When you are wearing things from your personal colour palette you just look healthier and have more of a glow about you. The wrong colours can make you look pasty, yellowish or even green; and certainly do not give you a glow but will instead make you look blotchy, puffy and generally unwell. Who knew that the colours that you wear could have such a huge affect on the way that you look? Believe me, I didn't, but after seeing a variety of very wrong colours on me compared to right ones, I can see how it does indeed make a huge difference. 
Some people may call it malarkey, but there is most definitely a science to colour and knowing which hues will make you pop is a very useful weapon to have in your arsenal. So as much as I love to rock out in monochromatic looks, turns out that they are most definitely not what I should be rocking out in at all; and my usual way of dressing may need a bit of an overhaul over the next twelve months. I do love a good purge, and this feels a lot like a an opportunity for reinvention! 

​​​SIDEWAYS
Release Date: 2004
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 126 mins 
Alexander Payne delivers the quintessential road trip 'buddy' movie with a mature, fresh and charming new spin, that I found absolutely delightful. Speckled with a good measure of humour, this tale of self realisation comes on like a good Pinot Noir and never flounders or feels forced in any way. This is truly unmissable, intelligent drama. 
Miles and Jack, two middle aged friends, embark on a road trip through California's wine country in a final hoo-rah before Jack gets married. 
Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church are at their absolute best here, in what is essentially a character study movie, where friendship and life truths are set beneath the microscope. Strong support is offered from Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen, but at the end of the day, this film is all about the two men and their struggle to accept the realities of their own lives. 
FINAL SAY: If they want to drink Merlot, we're drinking Merlot!
4.5 Chilli Peppers ​

If you haven't already read the book Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture by Ariel Levy, you really should. It is a terrific book that discusses the conflict between the woman's movement and the sexual revolution, which has generally made women extremely confused and often diminutive towards men as a consequence. 
By definition a 'female chauvinist' is any woman who patronises, disparages or otherwise denigrates males in the belief that they are inferior to females, and thus deserving of less than equal treatment or benefit. And there are a lot of women out there that are actually female chauvinists and they have no idea that they are; they actually think that they are just feminists, but that could not be further from the truth. 
It is important to remember that to be 'pro-women' does not mean that you also need to be 'anti-men', and I think that that is a huge and often common mis-conception about feminism. Feminists DO NOT hate men, they hate male chauvinists, and not all men are chauvinists. Feminists want equal rights and equal pay, they do not want to destroy all men, that has never actually been a part of their true agenda, and anyone that says that they are a feminist and that they also hate all men is pretty suspect if you ask me. 
A female chauvinist pig has no qualms about pointing out supposed weaknesses in men. They make bold and sweeping statements about male 'inadequacies' which really piss me off to be honest, and it is not just because I married a man or that I have also brought one into the world, it is because I really like men and I value them just as much as I value women. I do not see men or women as superior, I think that both sexes are of equal merit and value and I would prefer to see neither a patriarchal or matriarchal society in our future, but rather a fraternity where every sex is equal and the oppression of any gender is seriously frowned upon. 
We have sadly not even gotten close to that perfect ideal, because instead we currently have a culture of very confused women and men that really don't know how to treat each other at all. Women are encouraged by females in the media to be sexual and alluring to men, and then they get slut shamed by other women and treated like whores by men when they follow that message. And men are encouraged to harden up and grow a pair of balls and then they get slammed or being emotionally insensitive and unsympathetic by their own wives and mothers and can end up on the wrong side of the law when their balls get too big for their own good. 
We are really getting it wrong somewhere along the line here aren't we? And in my mind, the bottom line should really be this, that no chauvinist, be it male or female should ever be tolerated in our society for any reason. We should not excuse the intolerant comments or denigration of any sex at any moment, and we should all be fighting for the rights of each other at all times, regardless of our sex.  And then hopefully, in the future, there will be no need to fight for anyone's rights or equalities any more, because it will be just be the state of things....and what a wonderful world that would be. 

THE BEGUILED
Release Date: 2017
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 94 mins 
Sofia Coppola delivers the ultimate American Southern gothic with her adaptation of the novel of the same name by Thomas P. Cullinan. Originally made in 1971 by director Don Siegel, Coppola offers a more restrained and beautifully realised interpretation that will either hypnotise or frustrate viewers with it's incredibly slow burning tensions.
During the American Civil War, a young girl happens across John McBurney, a wounded corporal in the Union Army. The girl brings the soldier back to the Farnsworth homestead that is currently inhabited only by women and girls. The corporal quickly becomes an object of great interest and affection amongst the women, which in turn leads to great turmoil within the family home.
The acting here is just terrific with perfectly delivered performances from Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Colin Farrell and Elle Fanning. Like all of Sofia Coppola's films, there is a lushness and beauty to this film that makes it seem completely ethereal and otherworldly, even though the things that are happening are quite everyday and the characters are at times mundane. Overall, I thought it was a fascinating character study and an enjoyable slice of melodramatic cinema. 
FINAL SAY: We can show 'em some really Southern hospitality. 
3 Chilli Peppers ​

We have all been asked the question 'if you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?' And this questions always gets people chattering, because there is a lot of difference between choosing the animal that you would like to be, and choosing the animal that you are really most like.  
Who doesn't want to be a majestic eagle, or a graceful dolphin or a fiercely proud lion? We all do, and if I was going to choose a animal that I would most like to be, it would without a doubt be a cat. Some lovely looking, domestic, pampered puss that gets to sleep on a bed all day, eats exceptionally well and gets patted all the time. Much like my own cat, only not as old because she is ancient now. However, if I was keeping it real, I would most certainly not be a cat. Cats are lithe, fast, graceful and clever; so no, I could never pull off a convincing cat, Garfield perhaps, but not really any other sort of cat.  
If I was keeping it real, I would have to say that I could probably manage a kookaburra, due to the loudness of my laugh and the fact that they are usually just seen hanging around not doing a great deal except cracking up and eating the odd meaty morsel, and they are early risers like me as well. Not really sure about being an air animal though, I am not a huge fan of heights and I am definitely a land lubber, so perhaps not a kookaburra after all. 
So, in the hope of finding some clarity, I went online and took some tests on the topic, and here is what I found out​.
Spiritanimal.info said I was a lion, a relentless fighter with courage and strength, often wild and difficult to control.
Brainfall.com said I was a whale (thanks brainfall.com!) because I have a strong inner voice and I am in touch with reality.
Playbuzz.com said I was a buffalo because I am strong, reliable and tenacious.
Whatismyspiritanimal.com said that I am a bee because I can co-exist in peace and create abundance. 
Spirithood.com said that I am a wolf because I am social, loyal and highly intelligent. 
So....after all that I really don't have any idea what my spirit animal actually is and I am not any closer to finding out because there was no overlapping animal there at all.
However, as I predicted, not a bird in sight so I am probably not a kookaburra! Perhaps I am just a combination of all of those things at different times, maybe as humans we cannot identify as one animal anyway because our lifestyles allow us to be so changeable. I know that on some days I certainly feel more like a whale than a lion that's for sure! 

Don't you hate it when people borrow things and then never give them back? 
I can't even begin to tell you how many books, movies, CDs and items of clothing I have lent to people over the years and how many of those items were never, ever, seen again. Don't get me wrong, I love to share in the joy of my findings and have no problems with lending things out, but when I never see a lent item ever again, well I'd be lying if I said that I didn't get a little annoyed. 
I also really hate asking people for a borrowed item to be returned, it's so bloody awkward. That shit is way out of my comfort zone and it is not something that I like to ever have to do, but on a number of occasions I have had to ask for an item back because I have legitimately needed it for some reason and god, actually asking for it back - it is so horrid, I really hate doing it. I always feel like such a total asshole asking for a borrowed item back, even though it is technically mine, it just feels bad to ask for it, like I am taking it before they are done with it, which totally defeats the point of lending it out it in the first place. 
I have been known to lose the odd book that has been lent to me, I'd be a liar if I said that I didn't, but I am usually very reliable with my borrowing because I know how much it sucks to have things that you love just disappear from your life. In truth I know that hoarding items and having attachments to things (especially inanimate things) is not healthy, but I must be honest and say that when I purchase an item and I love it, be it a book, movie or crappy cotton scarf, then I don't want to lose it forever; besides in many cases it also means that I need to replace it because I loved it so much; that too has happened to me many times before.
The most heartbreaking thing that I borrowed and lost forever was a pair of earrings that I loved, I still don't know what I was thinking lending them in the first place to be honest. They weren't expensive earrings, but they were not replaceable because they were vintage, so alas I lost them forever. I also lent a jacket out once that I really loved wearing and never saw it again either, that one hurt too; but if you borrow then you run the risk of losing things forever. So I suppose the ultimate message that I am trying to send out here is pretty simple really, never lend out anything that you can't stand to lose. Now if I could just follow my own advice I would probably save myself alot future heartaches. 

There has been a lot of discussion and open debate in our household about the ethics of cyber intelligence. I started the conversation some weeks ago after listening to a radio discussion about realistic sex dolls. Apparently dolls are now being manufactured to be more of a 'life companion' rather than just being a glorified sex toy; and they have been given emotional response abilities to make them appear more human. These very expensive and advanced dolls are basically a lifelike synthetic cyborg that is specifically designed to meet a client's every 'pleasure' need and to also provide them with companionship as well. I personally, see no problem with a lonely person accessing this type of technology, it doesn't bother or offend me at all. In fact in some circumstances I see it as a terrific thing to have access to.
Do I want one for myself? Well no, I don't want or need a sex slave doll/ companion in my life, but I would definitely use a maid or cleaner variation if one came onto the market, which no doubt, in time, they most definitely will. And this story of the humanoid sex doll has led to much discussion and debate about how human-like is too human? And whether or not is it ethical to have cyborgs in slave roles if they have been given emotional capabilities? 
After much debate, I must agree that it would appear that we do possibly face a fundamentally huge problem when it comes to artificial intelligence. Putting emotional capabilities into companion dolls is one thing, but how emotionally intelligent do we really want cyborgs to be? It is not ridiculous to foresee a future where robots are looking and behaving exactly like humans, and with the ability to process much faster than us and problem solve better than we ever can and perhaps even generate realistic emotional capabilities that not only appear to be highly evolved, but feel very real for the cyborg; well the question is, is that a good or bad thing? Is that just going too far?
What if these highly developed artificially intelligent beings eventually surpass us and then identify that they are clearly more superior than us in every way and as a consequence of that, see no need to keep us around with all of our pathetic human insufficiencies? I'm talking Terminator stuff here, but seriously, are we actually putting ourselves at risk by creating such highly developed, emotionally intelligent beings?
I know this sounds totally whacky, but it turns out that some of the smartest people on the planet are actually having these exact conversations. People like Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Stephen Hawkings and Nick Bostrom (author of Superintelligence) are actually already warning that these seemingly innocent, perhaps even endearingly interesting early examples of artificial intelligence could potentially spiral out of control and be cataclysmic to humanity in the long run. 
You see the trouble is, that is we don't give AI robots emotional intelligence and they surpass us with their knowledge, then they will not care about eliminating us is we are deemed useless. However, if we do give them emotional intelligences then are we being unethical or playing God? And in light of these possible outcomes, an ongoing discussion has developed in our home about the ethics of creating cyborg maids and sex dolls that have super intelligence and highly evolved emotional ranges when they are only going to be living a life of servitude. I argued that they would only be wires and mechanics and that they could never match our emotional range, but what if eventually they could? As Zoe pointed out to me, just because it is blood and bone, it may not be better than wires and silicone, it's all just material in the end, and once the connects are made....well, they are made, and they become real for that being. So it is quite a realistic possibility that sometime in the future there will be artificially intelligent beings that are impossible to detect from humans because they are so like us, only better than us in every way. Wrap your head around that one, how does that make you feel? 
It was unanimously agreed that giving 'slave' role cyborgs evolved feelings is both maniacal and totally unethical, but at the end of the day it is ridiculous to think that some people won't be doing that if they are given the opportunity. There would however certainly be some roles that an intellectually and emotionally evolved cyborg would be terrific at; like elderly care, additional needs care and respite, nursing, therapists, drug rehabilitation and child care professionals to name but a few. And then again the question arises about how ethical it is to have robots fulfilling the emotional needs of humans. As I said, I am most definitely not opposed to the idea, but it's a big concept to imagine. 
Craig pointed out that the theory of an evolved artificially intelligent species wanting to destroy us could actually be completely unfounded, that perhaps in their highly evolved state they would see no reason to destroy anything at all, but would in fact become more sentient and enlightened beings that actually wanted to help us to improve. Perhaps these emotionally intelligent AI models will in fact be the key to humanity's salvation and not humanity's destruction at all.
​Who really knows for sure how things will play out? But I do know that we would be pretty naive if we didn't think that cyborgs will be playing a much larger role in all of our lives in the not too distant  future.