gomad magazine issue 4
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GOMAD Magazine2007 Volume 1. Issue 4TRANSCRIPT
GOMAD
gomad media2007 Volume 1. Issue 4 - FREE
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mag5_2.indd 2 14/12/07 4:44:43 PM
GOMADM A G A Z I N E
Volume 1 - Issue 04 2007
CEOSean Fitzgerald
EDITORJenny Lui
DESIGNERSHayoung Lee
Alex Lui
MARKETING AND ADVERTISINGMoses Chikazaza
Mr GarroTino “Trigga” Gaka
CONTRIBUTORSClaude Borgoen
Allira CaddiesStefan Dohlin
Laura HarrisonMatthew Hieck
Katherine SteinemannShaun Tan
Xylish
GOMAD MediaGriffith University
Level 1 Community Centre, N661.31Nathan Campus
170 Kessels RoadNathan QLD 4111
All Enquiries:Phone: (07) 3735 7612
Fax: (07) 3735 4262Email: [email protected]
Web: www.gomadmagazine.com.au
Editor’s Letter
Get your shades on people because this issue is bright.
It’s our fourth glorious issue so far and our penulti-
mate for the year. We’ve sacrificed working for some-
one else to bring you this glossy little number so join
us and bask in the glory friends.
In this issue you can feast your eyes and expand your
mind. We share a few choice words with Miss Kate
Miller-Heidke on her Trash & Treasure Tour. We find out
the truth about the commonly misunderstood Hemp,
toy with the Nintendo Wii, question graffiti – is it art
or vandalism, confront our Nation’s addiction to TV
and get healthy with a video game. Who would have
thought?
Wonders shall never cease and the wonder of GOMAD
will echo through the ages. Well predominantly the
student ages because after all, we are a student mag.
So live it, breathe it and get in touch with your crazy
side…GOMAD. We love to and so should you.
Till the next issue…
Jenny LuiEditor GOMAD Magazine
Let me know your thoughts on GOMAD Magazine, email [email protected]
DisclaimerThe views expressed in GOMAD Magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily shared by the
magazine and its staff. All content appearing in GOMAD Magazine is subject to copyright and may not be
reproduced without written consent from copyright owners.
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mag5_2.indd 5 14/12/07 4:41:46 PM
07 Uni Chick
The journey of a fresh(wo)man
08 Event Calendar
What’s going on around Brisbane?
09 Words…
GOMAD has a few words with Kate Miller-Heidke
10 Cannabis: Industrial, Medicinal or
Recreational?
The truth about Hemp
11 Gadget
We get the low down on Wii
12 TR3ND
Cool gadgets and n things
13 Smashin’ Fashion
The Duck’s Nuts or the Dog’s Bog
14 Design GOMAD’s Front Cover
Go mad and create the next cover for GOMAD
15 Trender Benders
The styles and thoughts of some very mad cats
17 Whose Mad?
Who got loco and WON the MAD bomb?
18 Art & Culture
Is graffiti an urban art form?
19 TV: Drug of the Nation
The addiction for young and old
20 Health
Get in shape with Dance Dance Revolution
21 Travel
Travelling abroad – What not to take
GOMAD magazine 7
to which important event you may have missed most recently.
Additionally, you suddenly realise how many people ‘just missed out’ on going to uni and now have a rampant hatred of all things academic, turning previously friendly discussions about the incompetence of the government into heated debates about what’s wrong with the world and a challenge for you to defend all of that academic the stu! you just learned and are desperately at-tempting to forget. Conversely, intimate arguments which previously would have entailed responses along the lines of ‘ get out of my face idiot’ or ‘ f*@k o! ’ are now prolonged by this weird, educat-ed voice emanating from your mouth, which utters smart-ass phrases such as ‘ actually, if you consult section 7C of the penal code, it is asserted that...’ or ‘ from an equitable standpoint, it could be as-certained...’, deteriorating in to a strange sense that previously unused uni infor-mation is attempting to permeate un-invited in to all non uni-related parts of your life, with utter disregard for your personal boundaries.
Sending the kids to school on time – or even at all – doesn’t seem that im-portant, in that recognising your own children’s faces after 12 months of uni coma, seems somehow more pressing than sending them to classes which will merely prepare them for their own uni coma in another 10 years time...
Allira Caddies
Uni Chick
HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES?CALL 13 19 01 OR VISIT WWW.DEFENCEJOBS.GOV.AU
WE’LL GIVE YOU UP TO $31 ,900p.a. TO STUDY,FOLLOWED BY EXPERIENCE MONEY CAN’T BUY.
It’s that time of the year again – end of semester, and all the brakes are o!...students cramming, uni bars deserted and partners standing idly by, waiting in anticipation for the four month end of year uni break. Lecture rooms which were once packed with eager, new stu-dents are now sparse, empty spaces, gathering cobwebs and unused lecture notes while students sit holed - up in the uni library, dusting o! textbooks that were once purchased with the intent of studying but were lost in the haze of uni-club binge drinking and topless trivia nights.
Compulsory tutorials have become a mindless haven for over-worked HD stu-dents who have actually been studying throughout the semester and can enjoy the extra room in tutes as everyone else is stuck to their computer attempting to memorise three months of information overnight or are using the pretence of study to stay home and grow dope in preparation for the four long months of semester break ahead. People come to their last tutorials in holiday clothes, armed with backpacks/ suitcases (some-times with a weird, dressed-down and suit-cased friend) to get their name on the role and inconspicuously disappear somewhere between signing their name and sitting down.
Even the teachers are so sick of uni that they don’t even attempt to conduct a discussion on readings, throwing on a vaguely-relevant blockbuster rental and retiring to the back of the room to catch
a few precious Z’s before the mammoth task of marking begins.
Most misunderstood is the phe-nomena of the uni coma, which slowly begins to fade with every second that end-of-uni draws nearer, along with the realisation that while you have been stuck to your computer chair for the last two months, living on crackers and espresso and developing blood clots in your legs, you have managed to miss 5361 phone calls, a funeral, a bar mitz-vah and six birthdays (one of which was your own). Your "rst look in the mirror (post uni-coma) requires extensive retail therapy when you discover that the hair (on all parts of your body) has grown an inch longer, you have developed a mono brow and your ass has been awarded its own post code.
After your "rst shower in a month and a week-long hibernation in which you attempt to ready your self for the outside world (including extensive ses-sions of waxing, tweezing and micro-dermabrasion, followed by a 36 hour exam-free sleep) you are met with "lthy looks from non-uni friends who assume that you have a new exciting life at uni (hence the new hair cut and French nails), with new friends, new out"ts and a sudden compulsion to never sit down again. Every post uni-coma conversa-tion seems to start with catty remarks such as “ you missed this great...” or “ remember when you didn’t come to...” which alternate with long stony silences in which you are racking your brain as
mag4.indd 7 3/12/07 10:22:05 AM
E VENT C ALENDAR
>.
Nov 24
Nov 24
Nov 24-25
Nov 25
Nov 27
NOV 30
NOV 30
Dec 4
Nov 30-Dec 1
Dec 9
8 GOMAD magazine
Summer Vibes
Venue: RNA Showgrounds
Entry: Please check websi te for t icket pr ic ing
Contact : www.summervibes.com.au
Round & Round Festival
Venue: Ci ty Botanic Gardens, Riverstage
Entry: First re lease #59+bf/second release $69+bf
Contact : www.myspace.com/roundandroundfest ival
End Slate – QUT Film and Television Graduates Showcase
Venue: QUT Gardens Theatre, 2 George Street Br isbane
Entry: FREE
Contact : www.gardenstheatre.qut.com
Katalyst “What’s Happening” National Tour
Venue: The Zoo
Entry: $24 presale + bf / $30 door
Contact : www.katalystmusic.com.au
Swing at Southbank
Venue: South Bank Parklands, Suncorp Piazza
Entry: FREE
Contact : www.vis i tsouthbank.com.au
Lighting of the NRMA Insurance Brisbane City Christmas Tree
Venue: Br isbane Square, 266 George Street
Entry: FREE
Contact : www.br isbane.qld.gov.au
Armand Van Helden
Venue: The Family, Fort i tude Val ley
Entry: Please check websi te for t icket pr ic ing
Contact : www.thefami ly.com.au
Dec 2
Architecture in Helsinki
Venue: The Tivol i
Entry: $35
Contact : www.t icketek.com.au
Blink Speed Dating
Venue: Port Off ice Hotel
Entry: $59 per person
Contact : www.bl inkdat ing.com.au
South Bank Young Designers’ Market
Venue: South Bank Markets
Entry: FREE
Contact : www.southbankmarket.com.au
Icon Creative Summit
Venue: Roma Street Parkland, Amphitheatre
Entry: FREE
Contact : www.myspace.com/iconcreat ivesummit
magazine4.indd 8 30/11/07 9:46:48 PM
GOMAD shared a few choice words with the eclectic Kate Miller-Heidke while on her Trash & Treasure Tour. We discovered the roots of the down-to-earth muso began at the Woodford Folk Festival and that modern life can be silly, ridiculous, strange, funny and depressing.
GOMAD: Hi Kate, how are you?
KMH: Good, how are you?
GOMAD: Good thank you. Can you tell us a little bit about the Trash & Treasure Tour? Namely, why did you name it the Trash & Treasure Tour?
KMH: The name is reference to the new video clip coming out. It’s the second single o! the album, ‘Make It Last’. The video clip is set in a yard garage sale type of thing.
GOMAD: All your CD’s include the lyrics. How important are the words to you?
KMH: They’re extremely important you know. I mean in a way perhaps I’m most in"uenced by the folk tradition when it comes to story telling. Lyrics are personal and it’s what I love about song writing, you can melt language and music. I always include them because I feel kind of jipped when I buy CD’s and there aren’t lyrics in it. It pisses me o!.
GOMAD: Many of your songs such as ‘Apartment’ and ‘Shoebox’, all seem to be centred on our busy lives in modern society. Would you like to see us resort back to the good old days when things were a bit simpler?
KMH: Yeah, I’ve got another song called ‘Caveman Days’ that talks about the idyllic life of cave men. It’s probably simplifying the whole thing because a big part of our lives is thanks to them. I just #nd a lot of elements in modern life silly, ridiculous, strange, funny and depressing.
GOMAD: Such as?
KMH: Television, jobs, work, buying shit. I read an ad for something; I can’t even remember what it was now. I think it might have been for insurance in a Qantas magazine and it said our possessions de#ne us.
GOMAD: What do you think de#nes a person?
KMH: Well I think its very complex. I suppose there inner life force, their kindness, what they can create or give.
Words. . .K ate M il ler-Heidke
GOMAD: So personality is more important then possessions?
KMH: I think so, it’s not even personality just being human and being alive.
GOMAD: You’ve mentioned the Woodford Folk Festival is one of your most favourite places, is that right?
KMH: I grew up going to that festival, since I was about 15 or so. A lot of the artists that I saw there became huge in"uences for me musically and they were really the #rst festival to give me a break, live performance wise. I went there one year, well actually a couple of years and did the rounds of the chalk boards. I got up early and ran around to all the di!erent places and wrote my name down everyday. People just started following me around to my di!erent gigs and Woodford noticed so they put me on the bill the next year. We’ve been playing at bigger and better stages each year and last year I had my #rst gig in the Amphitheatre. It felt like an accomplishment, it’s just a great festival and a great vibe.
GOMAD: Do you prefer open-air festivals to stage gigs? KMH: They are just so di!erent. I am a big sucker for festivals but at the same time it’s really satisfying touring nationally and watching that grow and getting to play at great venues like the Metro in Sydney and the Corner in Melbourne. I think when people make the e!ort to come out and see you, not at a festival but when they actually pay to see your gig, that’s a pretty big compliment and they’re always really into the music. It’s a lot of fun as well.
GOMAD: How do you feel about the success of your music career so far?
KMH: I feel like I’m still I’m at the bottom of the ladder in many ways. It’s quite tough and it’s a lot of luck and it’s who you know and all that kind of thing. It’s great fun and it’s very unpredictable and that’s what makes it so fascinating. I love not knowing where I’m going to be in six months and just all the travel with a life in music. I feel really lucky, not many people get to do that.
GOMAD magazine 9
Summer Vibes
Venue: RNA Showgrounds
Entry: Please check websi te for t icket pr ic ing
Contact : www.summervibes.com.au
Katalyst “What’s Happening” National Tour
Venue: The Zoo
Entry: $24 presale + bf / $30 door
Contact : www.katalystmusic.com.au
Armand Van Helden
Venue: The Family, Fort i tude Val ley
Entry: Please check websi te for t icket pr ic ing
Contact : www.thefami ly.com.au
Blink Speed Dating
Venue: Port Off ice Hotel
Entry: $59 per person
Contact : www.bl inkdat ing.com.au
South Bank Young Designers’ Market
Venue: South Bank Markets
Entry: FREE
Contact : www.southbankmarket.com.au
mag4_1.indd 9 17/12/07 9:18:35 PM
Cannabis : I ndustr ial , M edicinal or Recreational?
Hemp is one of the most misunderstood and un-derutilised plants grown in the world today. One of the !rst plants cultivated by man, and maybe the most versatile one ever grown, Cannabis Sativa l. Cannabis (Hemp), has been used for thousands of years in China and Egypt as a medicine.
Criticised for the indulgent use of higher tetrahy-clrocannabinol concentration plants by some to dry or compress into marijuana and hashish, hemp attempts to gain respect in the worldwide market have been thwarted by its critics. It’s important to realise, howev-er, that industrial hemp is much lower in TCE, making it useless as a psychoactive substance.
For centuries this versatile plant was grown to make clothes, paper, ropes, medicine and fuel in most parts of the world. Until petroleum became a popu-lar source of fuel, most lamp oil was made from hemp seed.
Regardless of how some segments of the popula-tion abuse forms of hemp, the fact remains that it is extremely useful when grown for industrial purposes.
Hemp FabricHemp has been used to make clothing, rope
and canvas fabrics for centuries. Before the Indus-trial Revolution, most textiles worn throughout the world were made using hemp. Fabrics made from hemp are traditionally stronger, more durable and more insulating and absorbent than many other materials available. Hemp !bers last three times longer than cotton ones. Traditionally a coarser !ber is used to make canvas and rope. Advances in breeding the plant have resulted in a much softer and !ner fabric ideal for weaving into cloth for clothing. It is an excellent fabric choice for making clothing that must be durable and long-lasting.
Its Medicinal UsesIt is true that some people have abused the use of
high TCE-containing hemp products to make “mood” drugs, but the fact remains, in many parts of the world, the hemp "ower has been used to make medicines for centuries. Rich in nutritional fats and some vitamins, hemp is frequently used to make salves and balms, as well as nutritional supplements. Today, many over-the-counter medications contain hemp "owers, seeds or oils. One bene!t found in the use of hemp in medicine is the fact that it seems to be a non-allergic ingredi-ent. In thousands of years, there have been no docu-mented cases of death, overdose or allergic reaction to hemp or hemp products.
Although industrial hemp is legal to grow in 29 countries throughout the world, and exempt from strict international drug treaties and laws, some coun-tries continue to forbid the general production of hemp plants and products despite its long list of ben-e!ts. Some growers are allowed to grow the plants, un-der strict governmental regulation, while other coun-tries in the world allow free production of the lower TCE-breed of plant for industrial use.
Matthew Hieck
10 GOMAD magazine
mag4_1.indd 10 13/12/07 5:09:26 PM
Video gaming has become over the years an exclusive experience. The complexities of some of the newest games and consoles have alienated those who used to play but now don’t because the learning curve has steepened, mostly because of the growing complexity of the controllers and games. Nintendo changed that by creating, as they say “the most inviting, inclusive video game system to date”. Thanks to a unique controller, everyone regardless of age or skill level will be able to play games on the Nintendo Wii.
Nintendo’s President, revealed a prototype of the system’s game controller at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show in September 2005. The Wii won the Game Critics Awards for Best of Show and Best Hardware. It is Nintendo’s seventh-generation video game console and the company’s !fth home console. The project code name was called Nintendo Revolution since Nintendo expected it to set new gaming standards enabling a whole new level of communication between player and console.
At the heart of this revolution is a wireless controller system, a major feature of the Wii, which may be used as a handheld pointing device and can detect motion and rotation in three dimensions. The controller also contains a speaker and a rumbling device to provide sensory feedback. The controller acts more as an extension of your body capable of communicating motion and speed, Nintendo claims, will open up gaming d e v e l o p m e n t possibilities to a whole new level.
The new level of interaction between player and console is opening the doors
for the game development community and is where the real revolution will be coming from. Game developers won’t be limited to a complex non ergonomic controller for input. They now have the ability to read a whole new set of player inputs, taking into consideration three-dimensional body motions, speed of and relative positions of multiple players.
Wii will makes you feel less like a player and more like you’re in the game. Frenzied sword battles will no longer be con!ned to pushing buttons, actually now you will be swinging the sword. Forget about pushing a button to start a golf backswing now you will swing the club! And the console will monitor your back swing and your follow through as though you where on the fairway. This level of interaction will make this gaming the closest thing to the real thing but just as important will shrink the consol and game learning curves.
One draw back is the console will require more room to play since gaming will become a physical activity like never before. Expect to move or remove your co"ee table and your sofa so you have a playing area big enough to allow full body movements. When playing multi player games, room will be an even more important consideration. Your swordsmanship, your marksmanship, your golf swing and your
baseball swing will make a di"erence in your gaming success like never before.
The Nintendo Wii is in store and as Christmas approaches, shoppers should expect to pay a premium console price.
For those lucky souls who will get a chance to put their hands on one,
they will be in gaming heaven. I know what I want for Christmas!
Claude Borgoen
Gadget
GOMAD magazine 11
magazine4.indd 11 30/11/07 9:47:49 PM
Smashin Fashion
People who are ‘not fussed’ – These people are incredibly indecisive, have no taste,
style or !avour. As bland as soft serve and often double as Pikers.
Muscle Tees – Donned by beefcakes with steroid-raised brawn who most often
have a bimbo girlfriend, or at least one they talk about.
Sequins – The sure "re way to ruin an out"t. Often worn by girls with bed hair and
heavy blush; the ultimate ‘hooker after a rough night’ look.
Leggings in summer – Unless you’re trying for a yeast infection,
peel them o# ladies and gents.
Hairdressers with bad hair – Their hair is f*cked and they’re gonna f*ck yours too.
Lead by example people.
Service with no smile – Retail is not rocket science
so slap on a smile and be nice.
Sweating – Highly unglamorous.
Girls toting those enormous Country Road bags packed to the brim.
You look the part now but your back will be paying for that in years to come.
Vanilla Ice – Unlike Hammer, he got smart with his dosh and is still milking it. Yo VIP, let’s kick it with him at BBQ Breaks New Years Day!
Road trips to the Sunny coast or Goldy. It’s summer time and the living is easy so make a day of it and chillax.
O$ce X-Mas party tramps – Because they’re unashamed and highly entertaining. Go on, share another bevvy and get down on it.
Flip !ops – The choice of footwear for young and old. Go get them tiger, in every colour of the rainbow.
Plus size sunnies – They hide many nights of lost sleep and block out UV (Ugly Vegans)
Fedoras – For that oh-so sleek gangsta look. Team with suspenders and a Cuban.
Girls who are boys who like boys to be girls who do boys like they’re girls who do girls like they’re boys.
Kate Miller-Heidke – When you hear her coming you can hear a pin drop.
GOMAD magazine 13
mag4_1.indd 13 13/12/07 5:13:44 PM
Terms and Conditions*Entry is open to all Queensland TAFE and University students. *By submitting your work, you are agreeing to the disclaimer and terms and conditions. *Competition closes midnight Sunday 9th September. Deadline dates will be strictly adhered to, late submission will not be accepted. * Winner will be noti!ed by email, and design will be published in GOMAD Magazine Volume1 issue 04 on 14th September 2007. The winner releases GOMAD from any and all causes of action, losses, liability, damage, expense (including legal expenses)cost of charge su"ered, sustained or in any way incurred by the winner as a result of entering the competition. All care is taken with submissions; however no responsibility will be taken for loss or damage. *GOMAD’s decision is !nal and no correspondence will be entered into.
Are you an up and coming designer? Want to get yourself some exposure and get your design on our next issue?
Here is the chance to get your original creative ideas out there and receive recognition of your design concept
and a photo/bio of yourself in the next issue of GOMAD magazine. By entering you have the opportunity
to get your creative ideas exposed to students, lecturers, employers and the wider community.
designthe Next Cover for
GOMAD Magazine
Cover Design BriefTHEME : You decideFILE FORMAT : A4 SIZE. PDF format. CMYKDEADLINE : Midnight, Sunday,9th September.DETAIL : Online submission only with a brief design concept, short bio and photo of yourself. Email to [email protected]. Enter as many times as you wish.
*Remember to read the disclaimer and terms and conditions. If you do not agree with the terms and conditions, please do not enter.
14 GOMAD magazine
Cover Competit ion
magazine3_is3_revise.indd 14 3/12/07 9:20:05 AM
GOMAD magazine 15
Trender Benders
Name: jobot Age: 25 Occupation: Music Manager Your style: Tank Girl meets Nu Rave Favourite fashion item:My name necklaceWhat makes you GOMAD?
Colour and music in every-thing
Name: Milo
Age: 1000 000
Occupation:Being me
Your style:Punk
Favourite fashion item:
My personality
What makes you GOMAD?
I don’t f*ckin know
Name:VickiAge: ?Occupation: PhotographerYour style: My ownFavourite fashion item:
Socks’n’rock!What makes you GOMAD?Music baby
Trender Benders
Name: Alistair
Age: 17
Occupation: Woolworths
Your style: Hip Hop & Hype
Never be caught dead in:
Skinny Legs
What makes you GOMAD?
Sneakers
Name: Stuey
Age: 15
Occupation: Student
Your style: Unique
Never be caught dead in:
Metro clothing
What makes you GOMAD?
Pills
Name: EmmaAge: 16 Occupation: Student
Your style: Hippy Never be caught dead in:
FlaresWhat makes you GOMAD?
Boys
mag5_5.indd 15 19/12/07 5:48:41 PM
2 0 0 8R E D V I P C A R D C O M I N G S O O N
The Red Card was created in February 2007 as a student discount card o!ering concessions and special o!ers to a range of clubs, restaurants and retail outlets. The success of the card has led to the expansion of its membership to students and friends of the Red VIP Card MySpace.
In 2008, the Red VIP Card will o!er businesses more exposure and members better services. The Red VIP Card is not just card, it’s a culture based on providing its members with superior services and VIP treatment. The card provides VIP access or VIP discounts to the hottest night spots, trendy restaurants, high fashion and exclusive services. Why wait in line? Why pay full price? Why not get the services you deserve? We have created a unique card that you can’t leave home without.
How it works:Using this amazing card is very simple, just show your Red VIP Card to sta! where the card is accepted and you receive your VIP service, VIP treatment, VIP access or VIP discount.
How to get the Red VIP Card andjoin this VIP culture, go to:www.redvipcard.com OR www.myspace.com/theredvipcardYou need to send or email a message with your:1) Name2) Email3) Mobile number
This card is exclusive to students and Red VIP Card myspace friends only.
Please note: Only a limited number of cards available so join quickly.
mag4_2.indd 16 19/12/07 6:06:54 PM
Whose Mad?
1. Who are you?
I am Tapan, just call me
Tapan2. How young are you?
213. What are you all about?
Reading gross novels and
magazines, making imaginary
friends4. What are you studying?
Bachelors in Ladies
Management
5. Describe yourself in three words:
Nerd, classy and mad
sometimes6. How MAD are you?
Hmmm, get me drunk and
come see7. MADdest thing you’ve done?
Run through crowds of people
during Greek Festival8. What makes you GOMAD?
Anything that turns me on9. Ninja, Pirate or MADman?
Ninjaman10. Weapon of choice?
G-stringsThe Gomad TestGOMAD magazine 17
mag5_1.indd 17 12/12/07 7:16:09 PM
AR T & CULTURE
You can travel almost anywhere in the world, and you will probably see gra!ti. Although gra!ti art is usually more com-mon in big cities, the reality is that it can occur in almost any community, big or small.
The problem with gra!ti art is the question of whether it’s really art, or just plain vandalism. This isn’t always an easy question to answer, simply because there are so many di"er-ent types of gra!ti. Some is simply a monochrome collection of letters, known as a tag, with little artistic merit. A tag is quick to produce and small, it is one of the most widespread and prevalent forms of gra!ti.
Although tagging is the most common type of gra!ti, there are bigger, more accomplished examples that appear on larger spaces, such as walls and trains. These are often multicolored and complex in design, and so start to push the boundary of whether they should really be de#ned as gra!ti art.
If it wasn’t for the fact that most gra!ti is placed on pri-vate property without the owner’s permission, then it might be more recognized as a legitimate form of art. Most gra!ti art, however, is only an annoyance to the property owner, who is more likely to paint over it or remove it than applaud its artistic merit.
Many solutions have been put into practice around the world, with varying degrees of success. Paints have been de-veloped that basically cause gra!ti paint to dissolve when applied, or else make it quick and easy to remove. Commu-nity groups and government departments coordinate gra!ti removal teams.
In some countries you can’t buy spray paint unless you’re over 18. Cans of spray paint are locked away in display cases. In a nearby area the local council employs someone to go around and repaint any fences defaced by gra!ti. Certainly the amount of gra!ti has dropped substantially in the last year or two, so it appears these methods are working to a great extent.
But is removing the gra!ti doing a disservice to the artis-tic community? Maybe if some of the people behind the graf-#ti art were taken in hand and trained, they could use their artistic skills in more productive ways. It hardly makes sense to encourage these artists to deface public property, and so commit a crime. But perhaps there are other ways to coop-erate with the gra!ti artists rather than just opposing them. Gra!ti artists can create sanctioned murals for private prop-erty owners and get paid for it.
Maybe we need to start at a very basic level, and #nd a way to encourage the creation of gra!ti art on paper or can-vas, rather than walls. After all, who would remember Monet or Picasso if they’d created their masterpieces on walls, only to have them painted over the next day? Finding a solution to such a complex situation is never going to be easy, but as more gra!ti art is being recognized in galleries around the world, we do need to try.
Stefan Dohlin
18 GOMAD magazine
magazine4.indd 18 30/11/07 9:47:57 PM
Imagine a world without television? For many people worldwide, and in developing countries, no one owns a tel-evision, and the nearest television is kilometres away. Lucky bastards or unfortunate few? According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), ninety-nine percent of households in Australia own a television. I suspect the one percent that doesn’t, is by choice. Sixty-seven percent of Australian homes have two or more televisions and twenty-eight percent have three or more televisions. The average Australian watches three hours and twenty minutes of televi-sion a day. In the average household, the television is on for almost an entire work day. That’s 24.7 bil-lion hours of television watched annually by Aus-tralians. Just imagine the kind of things that could be accomplished in 24.7 billion hours? Staggering isn’t it? Now, if television is not some form of drug ad-diction, then I don’t know what is.
Which Ones Are The Bad Guys?Not to say that television is all bad. There are of course all
the educational television shows that have proven over the years to be good for our kids. Sesame Street has been a staple in many homes for years. And I’m sure there have been hun-dreds of thousands of kids that have learned to count with the Count. Learning your numbers from a vampire is got to be way more fun than some frumpy old kindergarten teacher with a run in her panty hose. And of course historic and mon-umental events, like landing a man on the moon wouldn’t
have had nearly the same im-pact if we all just read about it
the next day in the paper. It de!nitely has the potential for making a big
emotional impact not just on individuals, but on a nation, and the world as a whole. And that’s where it kind of gets messy. Not every event is as signi!cant as walking on the moon, but the networks don’t seem to believe that. With everybody and their dog on television these days, it’s really getting harder to tell the good guys from the bad guys.
Ethernet Killed the Video StarAs unfathomable as
it may sound, television is in for some serious competition these days. The internet is making serious inroads into the psyche of modern pop culture, and television is starting to pay the price. People like choice, and that’s where the in-ternet is chipping away at the mighty world of television. Ever since the day of the home VCR, things changed for the television industry, and the people who
watch it. The consumer could now decide, when and what they watched on television. Up until then you either watched what the networks had scheduled for you, or you went to the movies, and saw what they had scheduled for you. Now the internet is taking that even further. Not only can we watch what we want, and when. But now the population at large is becoming the producers of the content we watch. The popu-larity of video only websites is on the rise, and it’s content and shows are created by the people that watch them. It may be in its infancy, but as it grows, the big industry content providers should really keep one eye on the road, and one eye on who’s coming up the road behind them. It should be fun to watch.
T V: Drug of the Nation
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Health
Even though most people around us don’t have a healthy !gure, they don’t think much about exercising. It’s not that they don’t know the consideration of some physical exercise; the important reason is that they are not motivated enough to exercise. For someone who has led a more or less stationary life, ex-ercising can be a real pain.
But Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) has changed all that. Here’s a way by which people can exercise and be doing something most people enjoy, listening to music and playing a video game to boot! The concept of Dance Dance Revolution is simple. There is a game screen with an arcade game set on it. But instead of the regular joystick or the keyboard controls, there is a dance pad on the "oor. Yes, the "oor! The dance pad has the four arrow keys. The player has to step on these keys in order to play. So, instead of pressing the arrow keys by hand, the player has to step on the keys.
What’s more fun is that the arcade game plays to music, and you can select the music. People who look upon the Dance Dance Revolution as an exercise machine will do well to begin with a slow tune !rst. The game will play according to music and you control it by jumping onto
the dance pad. It’s actually jumping, but you can convert it into a kind of dance later on as you become pro!cient. You can loop the same tune so that you keep playing, or you can pause the game and shu#e the track. As you become pro!-cient at playing the game with slower tunes, you can move on to faster tunes that will give you more exercise.
There’s good reason to keep scores too. Te scores are on the basis of the hits and misses you have had in the game. Naturally, if you want to improve on the scores, you will have to play faster the next time, and that means more exer-cise. People drawn to the game tend to exercise more and more on Dance Dance Revolution because it can become ad-dictive when trying for a perfect score.
Some believe that people can burn more calories through the Dance Dance Revolution than with any other method that they can do indoors. There is a psychological reason for that actu-ally. Since people like the songs and the game keeps them hooked, they do not know that they are actually exercising. That means they exercise for a longer time than on other methods. Just about !fteen minutes of exercising on this machine can give very good results at weight loss, but with a Dance Dance Revolution in your home, you might certainly end up exercising much more than you ever intended to.
Shaun Tan
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TRAVEL
Anyone who travels regularly is aware of luggage and carry-on restrictions post 9-11. However, if you travel abroad, there are other considerations to keep in mind. No foreign country wants undesirable insects, rodents, or diseases to in!ltrate their population via border crossings.
Before reading further, remember that if you have outstanding police warrants or a criminal record, you should probably forget about foreign travel, period.
What NOT to Take With YouRegulations vary by country. The snacks you pack for a domestic "ight may
not pass customs inspection for an overseas destination. Start with a good dose of ‘common sense’ and you will quickly realize why most of the items on the following list are not permitted:
Beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages that have been opened • Pets without appropriate vaccination certi!cates • Native wildlife • Weapons - or toys and other items that look like weapons • Big game bagged while on your safari or hunting trip • Prescription drugs without an accompanying doctor’s prescription • Drugs, vitamins, or nutritional supplements with unreadable labels • Illegal drugs or paraphernalia - *DEATH PENALTY* in some countries • Potted houseplants, seeds, soil, pebbles, or sand • Natural products like seashells, pieces of coral reef, whalebone • Uncooked pork, poultry, beef, and other meat or animal products • Unprocessed or uncooked vegetables, fruits, tubers, roots, etc. • Hay, straw, oats, and similar items • Any other natural products that may harbor diseases or pests • Fireworks and incendiary devices • Clothing and souvenirs manufactured with any of the above productsSome prohibited articles may be allowed with appropriate permits or
certi!cation. If you don’t know for sure - don’t pack them or bring them back home with you.
Do Your Homework Spend some time doing research
on the internet before you travel. You should be able to !nd a government or embassy website that provides the regulations online. Do searches such as:
• customs regulations France• customs regulations Spain• customs regulations Brazil• customs regulations ChinaAdvance investigation may save
you considerable time, money, and e#ort as you pass through each border crossing.
Be aware! The resulting peace of mind will make your holiday much more enjoyable.
Katherine Steinemann
What you MUST Take With YouImagine your chagrin should you
go through customs on your return trip and discover that you must pay duty on your laptop computer, digital camera, and jewelry - even though you purchased them in your own country prior to your trip. Yes, it can - and does - happen. Protect yourself!
Pack copies of documents such as sales receipts, credit card statements, insurance policies, and appraisals for all valuable items to prove ownership and purchase date - especially for anything that looks like new.
No receipts or paperwork? Take a picture of each item next to a newspaper that plainly displays a readable date. Note the serial number(s) with each photo. Keep all photos and paperwork in a safe place along with your passport and other important documents. They will be invaluable when you !ll in customs declarations - both leaving and returning.
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22 GOMAD magazine
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