Of Other Spaces

I came back here after years – to find the Sacred. Or as MF says: “All these are still nurtured by the hidden presence of the sacred”.While Foucault went off and constructed a discourse of perfection – I am keen to keep tings a bit more dynamic and fuzzy. The oposition is not important – [...]

Paper marriage

Yes the paper marriage does happen. And it is possible to go down this path.
I began by assuming that the ’spouse visa’ was being abused by all. So I began with a cynical view that the whole migration to Australia from deep Punjab was a racket and quite corrupt. Then I began talking to the [...]

Holy Cash Cows

Finally someone come up with the story. I have heard of this for years – as casual cab conversations – about the ‘bogus’ colleges being run by Indians.
Where work experience certificates can be set up. But outright purchase was new to me. This I guess is the ‘dilli wallah’ in Australia.

Four Corners – 27/07/2009: Holy [...]

Two Feathers Coffins and Caskets

The indigenous in rites of passage
Two Feathers Coffins and Caskets
Welcome to Two Feathers Coffins and Caskets. Our goal is to provide our customers with a coffin or casket that reflects their ancestry and beliefs.Our products are handmade by Native craftsman utilizing birch, spruce, maple and pine, and lovingly decorated by a Native artist. [...]

Aboriginal Links Page

A huge set of links with interesting project descriptions.
AMMSA’s Aboriginal Links Page – Your single source for links to Aboriginal sites and resources on the web!
One of the most comprehensive list of links on the web. If you start here, you may not need to go anywhere else! Currently off-line

Lenore Dembski

Lenore Dembski: Paperbark Woman

Lenore Dembski is a contemporary Aboriginal fashion designer influencing current trends. Her designs feature textiles designed and produced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and reflect her cultural heritage and contemporary focus.
For almost 30 years Lenore has been designing and manufacturing clothing. Lenore’s labels which feature men’s, women’s and children’s clothing suitable [...]

Symbols, motifs and ownership: marketing and copyright issues

The Powerhouse museum has a bit of material looking at the issue of indigenous design          
Symbols, motifs and ownership: marketing and copyright issues
Exploitation of creative work can be a problem for any artist. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders the problem is often more complex as the symbols and motifs used in their designs also [...]

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fashion design

Paperbark woman: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fashion design
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander designers are today expressing their cultures in graphic design, jewellery, textiles and fashion. Their work sheds new light on traditional themes and motifs, revealing contrasts between the different regions of Australia. The energy and imagination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander design [...]

Indigenous Australian Design

(picture above – David Lancashire)
On Monday I was asked to be a ‘respondent’ ( my first time as a respondent!) at this event – Culture Shift:

Culture Shift: An Indigenous Future for Design

There’s a global shift in design towards greater collaboration. In Australia, designers have learnt greatly from working with Indigenous communities. But as [...]

Writing workshop

I did a writing workshop for PostGrad students in Applied Communication. Seth in the group posted this(below) to his Blog.
I got all excited when I saw this post – so I sent him an email (reproduces below here in italics in serif).
WOW
… and WOW again
thanks for the post
I like the voice of assurance and the [...]

Roots of Design Education in India

I have till this point been looking at secondary sources for information on the impact of the South Kensington initiative/ report in India. This is an amazing document that hints teasingly at a 10 year period of a private institution, and at a blank period before EB Havell takes over. By 1896 we are sure [...]

Service design for India

Soumitri Varadarajan – Service design for India: The thinking behind the design of a local curriculum | Re-public: re-imagining democracy – english version
It was in the 1970s, a full ten years after the new design schools had been set up in India, that you see a lot of activity on the contextual discourse of design [...]

the emergence of post-professional society

A really great take on the post professional society. Reproduced here – with the link to read it
in an iPod world – the emergence of post-professional society.
On January 16, 2009, world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma has announced the grand prize winners of “Celebrate and Collaborate with Yo-Yo Ma” competition that he ran in collaboration with [...]

Alice’s Critical Synopsis extract

All images from here.

Alice Ciccolini wrote up a conversation I had with her a month or so ago. I remember different things about/from that conversation. But in her enthusiastic prose it all sounds marvellous. Have a read:
The establishment of design process as a critical manifestation of design itself has high profile figureheads such as Hilary [...]

Foreign Students from India in Highest Risk Group for Visa Violations

Australia: Foreign Students from India in Highest Risk Group for Visa Violations : Global Immigration Counsel
A review conducted by Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship regarding the student visa program found that Indian students breached their visa conditions at a rate three times higher than the average breach rate. As reported by The Australian, the [...]

History of immigration from India

Origins: History of immigration from India – Immigration Museum, Melbourne Australia
In the early 19th century a small number of Indians arrived in Australia as convicts transported by the British colonial government in India. Others arrived as labourers with British subjects who had been living in India. They included 14 servants brought out to Victoria in [...]

Spore Vehicle Editor Tutorial

Vehicle Creator tutorial

more about "Spore Vehicle Editor Tutorial", posted with vodpod

Mark Webber took his first pole position

At last!The Official Formula 1 Website
Mark Webber took his first pole position after changeable weather contributed to a gripping Q3 shootout at the Nurburgring on Saturday, which saw the Australian, Red Bull team mate Sebastian Vettel, the Brawns of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren all in contention for the top slot.

OBAMA TO MAKE ORGANIC FARMING ILLEGAL – HR875 and S425 Explained – STOP THE NWO!

This is a discussion – but it raies all manner of issues. I am not sure I agree with the conclusion. It looks like there is a clear food safety issue in the US – and this program doesnt really go there properly.

more about "OBAMA TO MAKE ORGANIC [...]

Three Questions: HR 875

Collecting HR 875 material.
Three Questions: HR 875 | Gaiatribe
HR 875 is food regulation gone wrong. This bill proposes a tremendous increase in inspections and other obligations. The problem is that, interpreted in certain ways, it could stamp out organic agriculture, small farms and businesses, even family gardens. A bill that’s worded so [...]

Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009

It all sounds so reasonable when seen from the perspective of legislation. And its all so wrong.
HR 875 – Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 | The Nourished Kitchen
HR 875, also known as the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, was introduced by Rosa Delauro – a democratic party member of the United States House [...]

Danone’s yogurt strategy for Bangladesh

BBC NEWS | Business | Danone’s yogurt strategy for Bangladesh
When French dairy food firm Danone ventured outside the troubled business climate of Europe and the US, it was not expecting to start a business that deliberately avoids paying dividends to shareholders.
But a meeting between Danone’s Franck Riboud and the founder of Grameen Bank, Nobel [...]

Spore in Wikipedia

Spore (2008 video game) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Spore is a multi-genre massively single-player metaverse god game developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright. The game was released for the Microsoft Windows and Macintosh (using cider emulation) operating systems in September 2008. Spore is also available for direct download from Electronic Arts.[7] A special [...]

Spore

Why SPORE?Well imagine that you had a software that came with a kit of parts and you put together your own product, vehicle and eventually creature too. That may be possible in the future.
Its certainly possible now in a virtual way. And I am very excited by [...]

Montreal has Bixi and a Great Bike Lane System

TreeHugger
As noted before, Montreal has its own public bike-sharing programme, Bixi, which is proving to be a great success with 3,000 bicycles in 30 different locations.
But Montreal was already a cycling-friendly city, with the Bixis complementing an already energetic scene. Not that many people seem to wear helmets but the city’s highly sophisticated system of [...]