Inspired by Lake George over many years, artists Christine James (represented by Beaver Galleries), Anita McIntyre (represented by Beaver Galleries), Micky Allan (represented by Helen Maxwell Gallery), Katherine Campbell and Pete Smith have been gathered together for this exhibition by Philippa Kelly. Showing at the ANCA Gallery, "Lake Gathering" is part of the 2008 Weereewa Festival of Lake George program. Works in painting, drawing, mixed media and ceramics explore the individual artists interest in and responses to the elusory and moody majesty of the Weereewa landscape. During the opening, which begins at 6pm on Wednesday 19 March, celebrated cellist David Perera will perform in the ANCA Gallery courtyard. His a composition "Lake Ghost" results from recent collaboration with painter Micky Allan. The ANCA Gallery is at 1 Rosevear Place, on the corner of Antil Street in Dickson. Direct inquiries to 6247 8736. "Lake Gathering" continues until 30 March and is open to the public 12 – 5pm Wednesday to Sunday.
Top (L to R): Hand:Out of Reach, Brain, Female Torso: Alma Mater, Bottom (L to R): Eyes: Out of sight out of mind, Heart: The Heart of the Matter, Leg: Dry Land
In this rich and complex exhibition Canberra based tapestry weaver, Brenda Goggs takes a humorous look at nomenclature. "Australia: in naturalibus (Australia Uncovered)" she says, "is about naming the Land" She asserts that "myth and reality are often hard to separate when a new land is discovered and named. Past experience is applied to the present. " and "The whole constitutes more than the sum of its parts. This is a humorous look at nomenclature, familiar sayings and taking ourselves too seriously." The exhibition consits of sixteen tapestries, each embelished with a Latin saying with reference to Australia during the period 1996 – 1999," The works are woven by hand on a frame using left over donated and otherwise scrounged materials. This aspect of Goggs’ practice makes reference to the "make do" colonial, pioneering and depression textile traditions of the 19th and 20th century. They are various sizes approx 55 x 70cm. The exhibition continues at the ANCA Gallery at 1 Rosevear Place (corner of Antill Street) Dickson until 16 March.
Hello again and welcome to your Weekly Wot’s Wot in Folkus…
ed.
At long last the political race in USA is starting to get "interesting" … A doddery, 71 year old hawk, still fighting the Vietnam war becomes the preferred Republican nominee and Hillary & Obama are neck and neck & starting to get down and dirty … Let’s hope some common sense prevails.
INDEX
1. This Week in Folkus
2. Next Week in Folkus
3. Parish Notices
4. The Comics
5. Sport
1.
This Week In Folkus –
THREE MORE BIG SHOWS @ The Folkus Room, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, & SUNDAY….
(operates out of The Serbian Cultural Centre & Club) 5 Heard St. MAWSON ACT .. eastern side of Southlands Centre and just off Athllon Drive..
there are not enough words to properly describe the musical fields and styles of these three shows… Just google their names and go to their web pages if you want to find out more about them before getting along to The Folkus Room for a weekend of quality entertainment …
All shows start with doors & bistro from 6.00pm. Support act from 8.00pm and main act from 9.00pm
Friday 7 March .. Folkus on Blues. Guy Davis (USA) + Craig & Simone
"Like the best early blues men, Guy Davis is, at heart, a storyteller. A master at setting intimate, richly nuanced tales to stomping acoustic blues backing, often with folky accompaniment from mandolin, banjo, and accordion, he helped revitalize the state of country blues in the 1990s with a string of critically acclaimed albums for Red House Records." … Blues Revue
Saturday 8 March .. Folkus on Women. SONiA (USA) + Rachael Cooper
“On her new CD, "Tango," Baltimore folk-rocker SONiA takes the opposite tack, daring to offer original songs in four languages — English, Hebrew, Arabic and Spanish — and inviting the whole world to dance. In the hands of another musician, such an effort could seem like a gimmick — but from the socially conscious SONiA, who has such an obvious passion about promoting global harmony, the result is nothing short of magic.” … THE PRESS & SUN BULLETIN CHRIS KOCHER
Sunday 9 March .. Folkus on Folk. George Papavgeris (UK) + The Cashews
"songs you feel you’ve known all your life, or that you wish you did" … Hamish Currie, Tudor Folk
"I wasn’t prepared for the emotional experience of his performance. His presence was compelling" … Bryn Phillips, Woodman FC Review
2.
Next Week In Folkus … beauty in spades
Friday 14 March .. Michael Kennedy; Vasek & Vendulka
Saturday 15 March .. Saturday Arvo Jazz 2pm – 5pm with "Antiquity" & "Kooky Fandango"
3.
Parish Notices……..
3a. The Folkus Room is offering annual subscriptions. see website for details
3b. If through some quirk of the universe you cannot get to The Folkus Room on Friday nights .. ArtsoundFM is launching a new roots and acoustic program called BLUEBIRD on Friday nights from 10pm to midnight. Bluebird, presented by long-time ArtSound FM presenter Krista Schmeling, will have a range of music from 30’s and 40’s American delta blues, country blues, folk, and lots of modern music that pays homage to those older styles – it’s music that’s got a soul, a history and a story and it’s still being told…….it’s roots music! Krista co-presented Route 927 with Libby O’Loughlin on ArtSound in 2006, and has been a fan of community radio for many years. She has always had a soft spot for beautiful harmonies, and has sung in a few groups in Canberra over the years including the Worldly Goods a Capella choir and the Honeybells. Her concept for creating Bluebird came out of the idea to have a mix of music that incorporates some very soulful old sounds, from syncopated African-derived rhythms and soulful blues to beautiful gospel and bluegrass harmonies – with not quite in the mainstream ‘country’ music and even a touch of funk thrown in for good measure (if you didn’t think that was possible, you better tune in!). Bluebird will feature musicians and singer-songwriters from the local area and from around the world, including the likes of Bessie Smith, The Carter Family, Leadbelly, The Beautiful Girls, Xavier Rudd, Ben Harper, Jolie Holland, Gillian Welch, Chris Smither, Ry Cooder, Harry Manx, Steve Earle, Sufjan Stevens, The Waifs, The Cashews, Guy Davis, The Saltwater Band, Miriam Makeba, Ali Farkah Toureh and MANY MORE. So if you’re near your radio on Friday nights from 10-midnight, check out Bluebird on Artsound (92.7 or 90.3 FM).
3c. Advertise here .. cheap rates apply
3d. The notice with depth C21…. Advertise here .. cheap rates apply
3e. The 4th National Australian Folklore Conference will be held at The National Library of Australia on the Thursday preceding the National Folk Festival and promises an interesting mix of speakers and themes. The conference is free and is a great opportunity to listen, contribute and have a yarn about folklore in Australia. For further information please contact Graham Seal at [email protected] or Rob Willis at [email protected] ………..
4. … a bit of a theme going on here based on last week’s comics …
Two women were playing golf. One teed off and watched in horror as her ball headed directly toward a foursome of men playing the next hole. The ball hit one of the men. He immediately clasped his hands together at his groin, fell to the ground and proceeded to roll around in agony. The woman rushed down to the man, and immediately began to apologize. ‘Please allow me to help. I’m a Physical Therapist and I know I could relieve your pain if you’d allow me, she told him. ‘Oh, no, I’ll be all right. I’ll be fine in a few minutes,’ the man replied. He was in obvious agony, lying in the foetal position, still clasping his hands together at his groin. At her persistence, however, he finally allowed her to help. She gently took his hands away and laid them to the side, loosened his pants and put her hands inside. She administered professional, tender and artful massage for several long moments and asked, ‘How does that feel now’? He replied: ‘It feels great, but I still think my thumb’s broken.
Hope
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune … without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I’ve heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me. … Emily Dickinson
Stay Well & Truly Silly Gentle Folk
Bill Arnett
The Folkus Room
Canberra’s Acoustic Preference
61-2-62627265
0407 434 469
"No Strangers Come Here – Just Friends We Have Not Yet Met"
Enjoy bowling? Friday morning bowling classes for seniors take place every week in Phillip. It’s a great way to get some fresh air, to socialise or to just look on! Contact Frank Millburn on 6286 1495 for more information on how to join the group.
Taking place at the Phillip Bowling Club in Phillip the session starts at 10:30am every Friday.
The world’s most successful tribute band, Bjorn Again are back in town! Returning to The Canberra Theatre on Saturday 8th March 2008 for their 18th Anniversary Tour. Bjorn Again are the only ABBA tribute to be endorsed by ABBA themselves.
Recognised as one of Australia’s most successful exports, Bjorn Again are currently celebrating 18 years of touring which includes 5000 shows in 70 countries world-wide. Established in Melbourne in 1988 they are without a doubt one of the most entertaining live rock shows ever to grace the stage.
“Fans had better make the most of Bjorn Again, because that is the closest that they are going to get to seeing ABBA. ABBA will never reform” Benny Andersson, live on Capital Radio London Feb 1999. “The best of luck. I always thought that someone who looked like me ought to have a successful career!” Bjorn Ulvaeus, Sweden 1990
Venue: Canberra Theatre
Duration: 135 minutes including interval
Prices: All Tickets: $41.50
Performance: Saturday, 8 March 2008 @ 8:00 PM
This weekends clash between the CA Brumbies and the Waratahs looks to be a mouth-watering encounter. Both teams have nine points from three matches with two wins apiece. Add to the mix the traditional rivalry of these two teams and you have an encounter to savour.
The Waratahs are looking much stronger than last season and have hit the ground running. Lawrie Fisher is fielding a young side who have shown already that they have what it takes.
The clash takes place at the Sydney Football Stadium @ 7:40pm on Friday 7th March 2008. Tickets available from www.ticketek.com
Professor John Guillebaud, University College, London
One of the world’s leading experts on family planning and environmental sustainability, Professor John Guillebaud of University College in London will deliver the keynote address to a major conference in Canberra in March.
But the professor will still be in England.
Professor Guillebaud will be speaking from Oxford through a video link with Rydges Lakeside Hotel where the conference is being held. The several hundred delegates to the conference will see and hear Professor Guillebaud in real time, and will be able to ask questions and take part in discussion with him at the close of his address.
Professor Guillebaud says that, while he is an enthusiastic participant in the conference, he could not justify the flight to Australia. “Every long distance flight is seriously destructive of the world’s atmosphere,” he says. “As a matter of urgency, we must limit flying to essential business only – and with modern communications it’s a simple matter for a virtual ‘me’ to attend a conference anywhere in the world.”
Professor Guillebaud – who rides a bicycle as a matter of course – says that he has been a life-time campaigner for not damaging the environment. “As a doctor there can be no more appropriate medical specialty than Family Planning: to minimise the relentless increase worldwide in the number of environment-damagers (ie humans),” he says.
Professor Guillebaud was a leading contributor to the recent Inquiry by the UK Parliament into "Population Growth: its impact on the Millennium Development Goals".
He will be one of a number of local and overseas speakers at the major international conference"Population, Peak Oil, Climate Change: their impact on the Millennium Development Goals" 14-15 March 2008 at Rydges Lakeside Hotel, Canberra, organised by Sustainable Population Australia.
Anyone interested in registering for the conference can download the conference brochure at www.population.org.au/events or call conference organiser Jenny Goldie on 02 6235 5488.
Almost everyone today accepts that human activities are having an effect on our small and finite planet. Professor Will Steffen has the sort of mind which isn’t satisfied to accept a proposition: he wants to know more. How much? When? What can we do to improve the situation?
Will Steffen is Director of the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the ANU, and he is one of the astonishing gathering of speakers at Canberra’s Rydges Lakeside Hotel on March 14-15 for a public conference organised by Sustainable Population Australia (SPA).
Australia is one of 189 countries to sign the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in 2000. The eight goals include eradication of poverty, universal primary education, improvement of maternal health, and ensuring environmental sustainability – all to be achieved by the year 2015.
A report in 2007 to the British Parliament concluded that there was little hope of reaching the goals. The report says: “The MDGs failed to take into account the population growth factor. This has significant negative effects on socio-economic development, human health, regional stability and the environment.”
Professor Steffen says that climate change is now accepted as a fact, and the important questions are what effects it will have on our way of life, and what can we do to lessen these effects.
“Sea level rise may be a matter of metres not centimetres,” he says. “Acid seas will be hostile to all the creatures who use calcium – shellfish, sponges, millions of micro-organisms. Extreme events, such as floods and droughts, will become more frequent and more severe. Cyclones will increase in ferocity. Rising fuel prices will cripple world transport.
“In this context, achieving the Millennium goals is not just socially necessary, it becomes critical to human survival that we reduce our impact on global resources,” says Professor Steffen.
The conference will focus on environmental sustainability, health, climate change and peak oil, with speakers from Australia and overseas from many disciplines. The final session, with Anglican Bishop George Browning, Catholic historian Dr Paul Collins, and Buddhist environmentalist Dr Colin Butler, will look at the ethical and moral dilemmas faced by all of us in a threatened world.
Organisers say that the SPA Millennium Development Goals conference is not scientific or technical. Anyone interested in registering can download the conference brochure at www.population.org.au/events or call conference organiser Jenny Goldie on 02 6235 5488.
Hello … did you miss me last week? … I was at Cobargo and it was GREAT!… didn’t want to come home… many, many special moments… Their organising committee have a little gem in that festival and I can see it being a "must do" for some years to come.
INDEX
1. This Week in Folkus
2. Next Week in Folkus
3. Parish Notices
4. The Comics
5. Sport
1. This Week In Folkus –
THREE BIG SHOWS @ The Folkus Room, SATURDAY, TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY….
(operates out of The Serbian Cultural Centre & Club) 5 Heard St. MAWSON ACT .. eastern side of Southlands Centre and just off Athllon Drive..
there are not enough words to describe these doyens of their chosen musical fields and styles… Just Google and go to their web pages if you want to find out more about them before getting along to The Folkus Room for one of the best weeks of entertainment of the year thus far
Saturday 1 March … Hans Theessink + Ami Williamson
Tuesday 4 March … Danny O’Keefe + Kristina Olsen & Pete Grayling
Wednesday 5 March 2008 … Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill
2.
Next Week In Folkus … Three more big shows
Friday 7 March … Guy Davis (USA); Craig & Simone
Saturday 8 March … SONiA (USA); Rachael Cooper
Sunday 9 March … George Papavgeris (UK); The Cashews
3. Parish Notices……..
3a. The Folkus Room is offering annual subscriptions. Check out our web site for details www.thefolkus.org.au
3b. CORINBANK …. a stellar line-up of folk talent, with particular attention given to supporting local musicians. Our bill includes: Madviolet, Kate Fagan, Jackie Marshall, Lucie Thorne, Heath Cullen, The Cashews, The Andi and George band, Jessica Paige, the Lawnmowers, Dahahoo, the Crooked Fiddle Band, Rafe Morris, The Fuelers, Xavier Rudd and much much more.
3c. Advertise here .. cheap rates apply
3d. The notice with depth C21…. Advertise here .. cheap rates apply
3e. The 4th National Australian Folklore Conference will be held at The National Library of Australia on the Thursday preceding the National Folk Festival and promises an interesting mix of speakers and themes. The conference is free and is a great opportunity to listen, contribute and have a yarn about folklore in Australia. For further information please contact Graham Seal at [email protected] or Rob Willis at [email protected] ………..
4.
A woman and a baby were in the doctor’s examining room, waiting for the doctor to come in for the baby’s first exam. The doctor arrived, and examined the baby, checked his weight, and being a little concerned, asked if the baby was breast-fed or bottle-fed. "Breast-fed," she replied. "Well, strip down to your waist," the doctor ordered. She did. He pinched her nipples, pressed, kneaded, and rubbed both breasts for a while in a very professional and detailed examination. Motioning to her to get dressed, the doctor said, "No wonder this baby is underweight. You don’t have any milk." I know," she said, "I’m his Grandma,… …but I’m glad I came."
Water Lilies
If you have forgotten water lilies floating
On a dark lake among mountains in the afternoon shade,
If you have forgotten their wet, sleepy fragrance,
Then you can return and not be afraid.
But if you remember, then turn away forever
To the plains and the prairies where pools are far apart,
There you will not come at dusk on closing water lilies,
And the shadow of mountains will not fall on your heart. Sara Teasdale
back to the top
Stay Well & Truly Silly Gentle Folk
Bill Arnett
The Folkus Room
Canberra’s Acoustic Preference
61-2-62627265
0407 434 469
"No Strangers Come Here – Just Friends We Have Not Yet Met"
The Smith Family’s annual Government House Open Day will take place on Sunday 2nd March 2008. Running from 10am – 4pm this is a great opportunity to see beyond the gates of an Australian institution. Enjoy live entertainment from Hayley Jensen (Australian Idol Finalist), the National Capital Orchestra, DJ & The KarismaKatz.
In addition there will be 200 + local artworks on display. Bring a picnic and enjoy face painting, the dunking machine, Kenny Koala, the AFP Mounted Police and much more.
Entry is $8 for Adults, $5 for concession and $15 for a family pass. Call 02-9085-7116 or visit www.thesmithfamily.com.au or www.gg.gov.au for more details
There’s a genre of movies that I wish DVD stores would devote a shelf to, maybe in between drama and horror, because that’s what it’s like trying to get through a confusing movie.
You might know what I mean – any film that has more questions than credits and merits some kind of warning like “Only watch this if have some basic understanding of the Middle East peace process.”
So, why do confusing movies exist, what is their place in cinema, and how can the audience enjoy them?
+++What is a confusing movie?+++
You know you’re watching a confusing movie when your mind is scurrying about with more questions than a Trivial Pursuit deck. Like, ‘why did that happen?’, or ‘I must be so dumb arggggh I’m not getting this!’ Memories of high school aptitude tests return – except you can’t just colour in ‘ABBA ACDC’ for the entire film.
+++What’s so confusing?+++
Mind messiness can be caused by one or both markers of such movies: what it looks like and what it’s about; direction and plot.
If directors and editors opt for techniques such as split screens (Kill Bill) shaky cameramen (Bourne Identity) and subliminal cut shots (Fight Club), then it’s brain overload, given that we’re typically only used to anything as flashy as Cameron Diaz’s white-as-light smile. Directors like to tease with false hints, like leaving the camera on a piece of paper for too long, or slipping in a crescendo of ooh-ah music.
As for plot, when the characters all look the same or talk the same, they become ‘that guy with the bad moustache’ (CIA dude in Charlie Wilson’s War) or ‘Leonardo di Caprio’ (The Departed). That’s even if you can understand what the actors are saying with their patois of potty pommy such as in Snatch.
Witty scriptwriters flex their knuckles with glee when writing any script with time-shifting and flashbacks. The audience is left to function on a Friday night’s worth of brainpower to determine when the hell they are, let alone what is going on (Memento, 12 Monkeys).
+++Why do confusing movies exist?+++
So then, if the audience folds origami frowns in foreheads, why do studios produce confusing movies? Because it makes the film seem arty – “Oh well, it must be a good film because it was on so much a higher level.” However, just because something seems smarty-pants does not make it entertaining.
+++Confounding can be astounding…+++
All that intense thinking needed for confusing movies though can be entertainment – anything you have to watch more than once to understand is like hiring two DVDs. Plus, there’s the smug feeling of “Oh of course it’s so obvious now.” Who remembers watching The Sixth Sense the second time and seeing how it was all done? Pretty clever hey. And Fight Club – well, if you weren’t offended you’d be commending how the script, editing and direction all came together.
+++But perplexing is too vexing+++
What happens though when the tricky elements don’t come together? Unless you’re watching Inconvenient Truth for education, or a WWF Smackdown ‘documentary’ for post-lobotomy recovery, most films fall into that happy medium of entertainment to keep one occupied for a couple of hours. What a confusing film does to upset this aim is to spark arguments and popcorn fights when the less clever/awake moviegoers forego cinema etiquette and rasp out too many ‘who was that’s’ and ‘I don’t get it’s’.
And, just as Dada artist Duchamp rotated a urinal 90 degrees and called it art, some films are just as much a joke – and just as much piss-takers. Producers know the plot is dodgy, so they make it look arty to draw in crowds.
+++How to enjoy a confusing movie+++
Until such time as the Office of Film and Literature Classification runs a statement of ‘Warning, may cause wrinkles’, what is the humble moviegoer to do to ensure they understand what’s going on?
1. —Read the reviews first. If words such as ‘artful’, ‘complex’ and ‘confounding’ crop up, prepare yourself by watching the trailer on the internet. You may even need to read Homer’s Greek epic ‘The Odyssey’ before seeing George Clooney in ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’ to get more from it. And for Georgy boy again, read several issues of The Economist to understand what he’s up to in Syriana.
2. —Stay awake. Do not drink red wine before seeing such a film. Go with caffeine, but not too much to need a trip to the loo in those crucial scenes.
3. —Damage control. If you’re in the cinema wondering why some guy went into a hotel room and whether the scene is in the past, present or future, then keep quiet. Even if everyone else is stirring their grey matter into a tangle, imagine if they all started whispering “who was that” or “why did he do that”. You’d then miss the next line, protracting into an echo of “what did he just say?” Remember, there’s no rewind button between choctops and super soppa sodas.
4. —Recover. Just get it out on DVD and hope that dinner parties for the next three months don’t involve any intense conversations about how extraordinarily delightful that eight Oscar-nominated film is.
+++Studios should shape up+++
Perhaps the studios would make more money if people weren’t so intimidated by confusing films – it is possible to get the balance right. So I plead to the honchos of Hollywood to consider some factors in their confusing films. Give your characters names that are distinguishable and memorable. If you must tell a story that requires watching SBS news every night, just pass it off as ‘based on true events’ and leave it at that – or do a Star Wars style text intro. Keep the fancy editing to a minimum and please, if you’re going to use accents (The Wind That Shakes the Barley), shout us all a Guinness beforehand so we can get native.
Next time you’re thinking about what kind of movie to see, consider something a little more engaging than a chick-flick or action blockbuster. Confusing movies needn’t be a drama or horror story for audiences; by knowing how to follow a convoluted plot, excellent entertainment value is possible.
We have recently been informed of concerns by the government about the homeless, aboriginal welfare and of the necessity to increase the time young people will be spending at school. It is these issues which relate to what I would call our ‘welfare culture’. By this I mean those children who grow up in families or communities where possibly up to three generations have depended on welfare because they cannot support themselves through work. Unfortunately, these persons, regardless of race tend to come from lower socio-economic areas.
Our sense of accountability and auditing really works against resolving such inequalities. Inevitably, to fully address these issues, requires the utilisation of resources far in excess of similar intervention for the rest of our society. Today our democratic and bureaucratic structures struggle with such imbalances in a world of anti-discrimination.
Since 1967 we as a community have ‘thrown’ money at Aboriginal settlements but has it helped? As a community we should be sorry for the past injustices, however, will compensation really help to overcome these past wrongs? Equally, when you understand that 75% of homeless people in Sydney have psychiatric problems, will building more places for them to hide really help? All too often so many people end up in jail with psychiatric illnesses because they can’t manage their conditions without support. Building more public housing is good but will this really address the issue?
Jesus Christ lived, walked, healed and taught among the dispossessed in his society. So we need to work with people as they are, by addressing their special needs. We can’t break the cycle of ostracising generations from the education system and it certainly is not going to be solved by lengthening the period at school. While It is true that those with minimal education are almost unemployable within our society, this has created other problems. We need special schools and gifted teachers who are skilled in breaking this cycle. How do we get these assets to the right areas in today’s world? In the past, teachers could get accelerated promotion by serving in the country and this meant outback schools were well served by very good teachers. All these good structural arrangements came to naught with the Anti-Discrimination Legislation and now these people will not ‘go country’ fearing that when their children need higher education they may not be able to obtain a position back in a large city.
We need to inject resources not by some standard into these areas but by their desperate needs. We must be driven by the sense of fairness of results not the fairness of resources. We have to be driven by needs and not by statistics of the number of houses built.
To solve any of these problems requires further analysis of the causes, how culture may be changed and how in the end new futures can be built for such people. This must not be done for them, instead they must be given help to help themselves achieve their goals. This will be neither easy or straightforward. While mistakes will be made we need to be there to support them as they work their way through all the traps of our modern society. My great fear is that we always look for the easy solutions which look good rather than the means by which we truly can help these people to help themselves as was done in the past. We really need new approaches which value and respect the people rather than to see them as the flotsam of our world.
So we wait and see if this Commonwealth can overcome the resistance of the system and really help all these people.
Adrian Van Ash
Minister
Scots Church, Sydney.
"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened." – Douglas Adams.
"I’m astounded by people who want to `know’ the universe when it’s hard enough to find your way around Chinatown." – Woody Allen.
"Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together…." – Carl Zwanzig.
"Computer programming is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the universe is winning." – Rich Cook.
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." – Bill Watterson
