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The long-awaited third issue.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Cannonball, Issue 3
Page 2: Cannonball, Issue 3

YES, WE’RE STILL HERE. Hey, it’s been a while. We arrived on the scene all shiny and eager to

please, and then Year 12 came down on most of us like a tonne of bricks

(oh wait, that was just our Chem homework...). For a moment, it was like

that scene in Revenge of the Sith where the newly christened Darth Vader

seemed destined for a slow, ignominious death, only to be rescued at the

last minute by the Sith Lord. Alright, so it wasn’t really like that at all, we

just got a little lazy – but I’m hardly one to turn down the opportunity to

make a Star Wars reference, however tenuously relevant1. Vader is, after

all – to employ the vernacular of generations past – one cool “seemingly-

irredeemably-evil-but-who-turns-out-to-be-good-in-the-end-when-he-

saves-Luke-from-Palpatine” cat.

But I digress. I’ll stop now, since I know you’ve all just been waiting with

bated breath for the return of Jury’sdiction. We even put it on the very first

page so that you wouldn’t have to flick through that sea of other material

we forced an infinite number of monkeys locked in a room with

typewriters to bang out and claimed as our own – the Eddy Current

Suppression Ring interview, the paean to the most important Lady in all

our lives (hint – starts with a “G” and ends with “aga”), the glorious

reminiscence of past Ignatius sporting triumphs, the images our resident

photog extraordinaire took at the Fair while you were too busy trying not

to barf up your lunch on the Wipe Out (holla, J-Cui). It’s no Hamlet, but it’ll

have to suffice. And don’t forget – the sooner you sign up to contribute to

CB, the sooner we can retire those monkeys to the glue factory!

Yen Pham

on behalf of the Cannonball crew

1 Excellent, that’s my quota for the day fulfilled.

Page 3: Cannonball, Issue 3

CB, pt. 3 Jury’sdiction

Top 10 Moments In (Ignatius) Sport

“I’d Rather Do It With Lady Gaga”

Eddy Current Suppression Ring

Days of Danoz

The Approval Matrix

The Uno Theory

The F Word

Penguin Picks

Fair 2010

Disclaimer: The opinions

expressed in Cannonball are

those of the authors alone and

are not necessarily

representative of those of the

publication or Saint Ignatius’

College as a whole.

THANKS TO: Mr Coffey and Father Davoren for their

continued support, Alby, for making

sure every day that passed without this

issue in your grubby little digits was a

painful one and Dirty Projectors, for

being Dirty Projectors.

Contributors

Lawrence Ben

Janice Cui

Alberto Di Troia

Alexander Jury

Yen Pham

Roger Parnis

Matthew Traeger

Camilla Trenerry

Sam Wiechula

Cover design: Roy Lichtenstein

print, altered by Sam Wiechula

Pictured photo: Marc Bell

Anyone looking for the originals of

either should, as Fr Kelly would

say, “Do a Google.”

Page 4: Cannonball, Issue 3

jury’sdiction We’ve long passed that point

in our friendship where

perfunctory introductions

are still necessary, no? So

here he is, the man himself in

all his glory.

Alexander Donateblood Jury Well hold me down and steal my toenails,

are you telling me that you cant give a few hours of your life to save the

lives of three people? You actually make me sick facebook users, you

deserve to have a fate worse than losing a shoe. DONATE SOME

BLOOD!

Alexander Donateblood Jury I have a lot of respect for my dad, he was

recently eaten by a hippo, which is ironic cos he had this fear of snakes.

Speaking of which DONATE BLOOD!

Alexander Donateblood Jury Well use a crossbow to kill a child, blood

donations is in less than a week, so you better sign up now and ensure

you soul does not suffer enternal damnation

Alexander Donateblood Jury Next time something bad happens to any of

you facebook victems, such as the loss of a hat or a limb, THAT IS

WHAT YOU GET FOR NOT DONATING BLOOD!

Alexander Donateblood Jury I was wearing some slippers the other day

when I realised something, DONATE SOME BLOOD!

Alexander Donateblood Jury I have created the ultimate antagonist: 'Nazi

zombies... from outer space', speaking of Nazis, how much blood did you

donate today? NOT ENOUGH!

Alexander Donateblood Jury The sooner everyone donates blood, the

sooner these annoying posts go away, speaking of posts, DONATE

SOME BLOOD, YOU DONT NEED ALL OF IT!

Alexander Donateblood Jury would like to remind everyone that donating

blood actually makes you more physically attractive, so DONATE SOME

BLOOD, for all our sakes, cause chances are you need it.

Page 5: Cannonball, Issue 3

Top 10 Moments in Ignatius

Sport (Insofar As We Can Recall)

by Camilla Trenerry

1. Intercol, 2009 – there has been no better moment in Ignatius sport – at least

with which current students would be familiar – than when we secured our

first ever overall Intercol trophy. The impressive margin (16-5) made our

inaugural victory that much sweeter.

2. Chess, 2008 – winning the Shield for best chess team in the SA Schools

Competition – with PAC and Saints having to relinquish their titles as the only

teams to have won it in 4 decades – reinforced the status of chess as one of our

school’s most successful cocurricular teams.

3. Cross Country, 2009 – winning the Ekiden relay after years of coming last felt

good; breaking the record (previously held by Mercedes) felt even better.

4. Jesuit Basketball, 2009 – after losing at the buzzer the previous year, we

came back and made it 2/3, winning in front of a home crowd.

5. First XVIII Football, 2007 – beating St. Michaels by a point playing away in a

hard fought windy match capped off a great season, which saw Iggies finish

11-1. It was the first win against St. Michaels in approximately 30 years.

6. Senior B Boys’ Soccer Intercol, 2009– it came down to the last penalty, and

Ignatius pulled through. The ensuing pandemonium was unforgettable.

7. Senior A Softball Premiership, 2009 – perhaps our best (but among the

most under rated – for the other, refer to 2.) sport, our Senior A Softball team

won yet another premiership, beating Mercedes despite having no substitutes.

8. Senior A Netball Intercol, 2009 – in a very physical game that went into

overtime, we made it 4 shields out of 5 with a 19-17 win. On a similar

triumphant note, the Senior B team also won in overtime, 30-25.

9. Senior A Girls’ Soccer, 2009 – clinched the minor premiership with an

excellent win against Loreto (despite lacking one of our best players). It was

the first minor premiership for girls’ soccer.

10. Debating, 2009 – anticipating defeat, the Ignatius A-Grade side

prepared nervously to lock horns with long-time rivals Seymour in a secret

topic debate. However, we managed to pull off a narrow victory which

lingered in the general consciousness for a whole week or so after.

Page 6: Cannonball, Issue 3

I’d Rather Do It

with Lady Gaga by Alberto Di Troia

Is Lady Gaga the first real popular music icon of the 21st Century? After a decade-

long parade of pop starlets, she is the first to actually have a recognisable and

unique vision for what she presents to her audience.

Her rise from Just Dance’s kooky pop mouthpiece to serious artist and entertainer

has been meteoric. When did we start realising that there was more to Gaga than the

vibrant pop, the surprising sexual double entendres? Was it at the MTV Awards

performance of Paparazzi, where fake blood spurted from her stomach and face as

she dangled one-armed from the ceiling? Was it the release of the epic Bad Romance

and its accompanying, monster-mashing film clip?

It is worth noting that underneath the outrageous sets and costuming Gaga is

actually a very, very good musician and performer. Not only does she write

everything she performs, she actually sings live, and sings very well too, which is

especially remarkable considering her intensely choreographed routine. She knows

her way around a keyboard, too (even if it’s sometimes disguised as a sink, the lovely

Lady herself perched atop a toilet); check out her solo performance of Speechless at

the VEVO opening if you want a prime example.

Yet music is only part of the show – she furnishes her songs with extravagant,

provocative and impeccably directed film clips, which are less promotional pieces

than polemic statements based on her stylistic ideals. Gaga has worked hard to

construct and maintain an image for herself, and fashion is a large part of that. And

while such doozies as the Kermit the Frog jacket and matching headband have been

dismissed as headline-grabbers, Gaga has rejected the perception “that I am artificial

and attention-seeking, when the truth is that every bit of me is devoted to love and

art.”

What has influenced the growth of such a unique performer? Surely Gaga’s

experience on the New York club scene was a defining period. Artistically, the most

obvious comparison is with Madonna, that other great doyenne of chameleon-like

style and the constant rotation of musical ideas. But Gaga’s real cultural ancestors

Page 7: Cannonball, Issue 3

are more people like David Bowie and Andy Warhol, shock-artists who lived their

concepts and shape-shifted ideas as beliefs, who started or were at the head of mass

cultural movements.

And while Gaga is yet to start a revolution, she is already in a safer place popularity-

wise than many of her contemporaries, whose inability to remain fresh and relevant

have led to the slow death of their careers. Britney Spears’ short-lived musical

resurrection ended when everyone realised once and for all that the girl couldn’t

actually sing, while Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani are missing in action. Only

Beyoncé is really capable of matching Gaga’s star power, and even she looked a little

uncomfortable in the Telephone film clip.

Gaga is able to mould and shift around a changing fan base, independent of the

tweens dancing to her film clips and then discarding her for the next video hit. She is

respected by even the coolest listeners, who are attracted to the sheer spectacle of

her performance, the excellent song writing and the anomaly of a genuinely freaky

mainstream performer.

This girl is changing the face of pop music, and creating a position for herself as the

biggest cultural icon of the new millennium so far. Coco Chanel once said that ‘in

order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.’ Lady Gaga is both.

Page 8: Cannonball, Issue 3

A Day in the Life of a Danoz Direct Addict by Roger Parnis

6:04 am:

The man on the television is selling something called PediPaws© today. It’s a special

nail clipper that gives dogs pedicures! It was only three easy payments of $19.95 and

because I paid by credit card I will get this nifty towel to go with it as well. It’ll be so

handy if I ever get over my allergy to dog hair.

7:00 am:

Daily routine. Showered, applied Slim Ice©

Body Gel and sprayed on the Firming Lotion

(it’s supposed to make me lose weight by

freezing the fat off my body. It says it works

in 30 minutes but I’ve been using it for days

and all I’ve got is a nasty rash... will persist),

used my PedEgg©, then brushed my teeth

with my Klear Activ Whitening Light©. All I

have to do is shine this light on my teeth and

my teeth are clean, just like magic. I think it

has something to do with radiation or something like that. It hurts a bit, but think of

how much I’ll save on toothpaste!

11:34 am:

The most exciting part of the day: my Danoz goodies arrived! Today I got a new

CardioTwister©, a machine for making enormous cupcakes (25 times bigger than

normal cupcakes!!!), a Swivel Sweeper G2© and another pair of Slim N Lift Jeans©.

They squish all my fat up to the top so it looks like I’m really skinny! It sometimes

cuts off the circulation to my legs and one time I passed out, but it really works! Got

to go, they take a little while to get into.

In my mind, there is only life post-

PedEgg©; nothing before.

Page 9: Cannonball, Issue 3

How is such a man to be denied??

1:23 pm:

While I was preparing lunch, my AeroGarden©

(for growing fresh herbs, salad greens and

more right on my kitchen bench) exploded! It

caused a horrible mess, cherry tomatoes were

all over the floor and it was muddy from the

water and dirt mixed together. Not to worry,

my trusty ShamWow© was on hand to clear up

the mess.

3:16 pm:

They are making Designer Snuggies©! Instead of

the boring old red and blue, they are now making Snuggies© in leopard and zebra

print! Of course, I’ve pre-ordered two. It’s just as well, because I always thought

Snuggies© looked a bit silly. Once, I was even laughed at when I went shopping in my

Snuggie©! But now that they’ve got these stylish

prints, I can wear them everywhere without

shame!

6:53 pm:

Cooked dinner with my Mr T Flavorwave

Oven©. It’s so amazing, it uses some sort of

infra-red technology to cook the meat from the

inside out. It leaves a funny aftertaste but hey,

it’s Mr T!

7:30pm:

The end to another exciting day! I embrace myself in my

warm Snuggie© and watch NCIS and various other crime

shows, waiting patiently for the late night infomercials. I

can’t wait!

11:37pm:

Just when I thought Snuggies© couldn’t get any better...

they’re making Snuggies© for Kids! I’ve already ordered

some for when I have kids some day... still waiting for Mr

Right.

My AeroGarden in a happier, more

prosperous time.

Someday soon...

Page 10: Cannonball, Issue 3
Page 11: Cannonball, Issue 3
Page 12: Cannonball, Issue 3

The Theory of Predictable Unpredictability

by Lawrence Ben

Uno. It’s the game that we bring out to end the irritating sessions of “I spy with my

little eye…” on those seemingly endless car trips and which you can always trust

your best mate Billy to brought along for those more tedious moments on school

camps. However, aside from the fond memories we have of the game, how can we

apply the principles of Uno to our lives in order to gain a deeper meaning and

understanding of which path we should follow in life?

The Theory of Predictable Unpredictability – more commonly known as the Uno

Theory, most easily simplified as “Lift yourself up off the couch and take some risks

you lazy...” – entirely based around one hypothetical scenario from a game of Uno.

The scenario is as follows: you have a hand of six cards. Five of those cards are Blue

& one is a Green 3. When a Blue 3 is revealed do you continue to place down Blue

cards or change the colour to Green? Do you continue to follow the status quo in

order to simply relieve yourself of Blue cards or do you take a risk and change the

colour to Green?

The theory’s most dedicated advocate is Christian Pagliaro. Over a number of years

he has exercised the Uno Theory with resounding success, not merely playing but

smashing that Green card. For example, in late 2009 the opportunity arose to host an

Oxford Uni student, Tom Curran. Seeing this as a chance to forge a new friendship,

Christian decided to host Tom & hasn’t regretted it since.

Furthermore, Christian & Henry DePoi decided to that they wanted to acquire their

boat licenses. Henry is also applying for his gun license & is currently assessing his

options with regard to various other licenses, with the options of helicopter, forklift

truck or minibus licenses looking to be strong possibilities in the future. Alex

Thorpe’s participation in baseball and American football are standout examples. Due

to his application of the Theory he is now being considered for selection in the state

and national American football sides. This can all be attributed to his initial

application of the Uno Theory.

The theory can easily be applied to any aspect of your life. Take the opportunity to

take up debating, play school rugby or apply for an interstate uni as opposed to

placing down the Blue card and taking the path of least resistance. The theory is far

isn’t restrictive in its application or understanding. When faced with an opportunity

or a difficult decision use the theory to aid you in your choice; take a risk and reap

the benefits.

Page 13: Cannonball, Issue 3

The F Word by Yen Pham

I’ll make it clear now that the intention of this article is to call for a more liberal

usage of the F word. I use it regularly myself, and, quite frankly, I don’t understand

at all how it came to have such offensive connotations.

By the F word, of course, I mean feminism.

What does the word suggest? For many, the old stereotype rears its quite literally

ugly head – the unattractive, embittered lesbian whose distaste for men is

superseded only by that for shaving. The association is so ingrained that even I, a

self-identified feminist, find the same caricature involuntarily called to mind. The

connotations attached to the word aren’t much better than those attached to that

other F-word. When the most durable image of feminism in the public consciousness

is so grotesque, it is hardly surprising that many are in no hurry to be identified as

proponents.

And I, for one, couldn’t blame them. Modern-day feminism, it would sometimes

seem, is an exercise in masochism – an innocent mistake that starts with a musty

copy of The Feminine Mystique on a rainy afternoon but ends soon enough with the

alienation of dinner party companions and being labelled a humourless harpy. In

this vein, I’m sure there are those who would dismiss my passion for feminism as

little more than a phase or youthful fad, not indistinct from the year I spent as a child

aspiring to marry a Backstreet Boy and build the world’s largest collection of Tazos.

And what does it matter that feminists are supposedly an endangered breed in the

throes of a drawn-out death? What use is there for feminism anyway? For as long as

I can remember, one has been able to count on a newspaper editorial and the

occasional blog post every now and then proclaiming that, for better or worse,

feminism is dead. If one takes them at face value, feminism has been dead for a very

long time and the regular basis on which the media insists on rehashing the whole

business becomes a little absurd; old Italian women don’t grieve like this. The media,

can never quite agree on the cause of death – some say redundancy: feminism has

achieved its goals, and we can all live happily and equally ever after. Others say that

feminism has achieved as much as it can, and any sexism which remains is an

inevitable and inalterable part of life. But I reject the notion that feminism is dead,

Page 14: Cannonball, Issue 3

either because it is no longer necessary or because equality, beyond giving women

the right to vote and pursue their own careers, is ultimately impossible. Feminism is

as pertinent as ever, just in ways more subtle than we’re accustomed to identifying.

There is no doubt that it has won many battles; the fact that, for example, women

are not only permitted but encouraged to seek education and make their own career

choices is important. The fact that women can participate readily in the democratic

process and that the Deputy Prime Minister is a woman is important. But we cannot

let the triumphs distract us from the fact that there is still work to be done – work

that needs a society no longer afraid of Virginia Woolf.

Because when nearly all the political power brokers of almost every nation are still

men, we still need feminism. When a women does run for political office and is not,

like her male counterpart, judged on policy as she should be but on her

attractiveness or dress sense; when she is questioned as to whether she can possibly

manage the duties of being both a mother and a leader when a man would never be

asked any such thing, we still need feminism. When one in five Australian women

will experience sexual assault in her lifetime, fewer than one in four will report the

assault and less than half of those still will take legal action, we still need feminism.

When Australia remains one of the only two OECD nations which hasn’t legislated to

provide paid maternity leave, we still need feminism. When a parliamentary inquiry

finds that women in South Australia are paid an average of 13.9% less than men and

17% less nationally, we still need feminism.

This is reality. Certainly it hurts, but the process of change can only ever start with

acknowledgement. Acknowledgement, for example, that such institutionalised

sexism is not, in fact, natural. That all these things can, and, I sincerely hope, will be

changed in time. The point of feminism was never to make those who believe in it so

afraid to be identified that they do not feel they can speak out about sexism without

adding, “but really, I’m not a feminist.”

Many distance themselves from the idea of feminism out of fear of the usual

stereotypes, but they do not realise that it is only them who can break them. The

misconception lies in the notion that feminism is an exclusive, homogenous club,

when in reality feminists need not be lesbians, liberal, atheistic or even

womenBecause essentially, feminism is the belief that women ought to have the

same rights, opportunities and powers as men. Nothing more, nothing less; a

concept simple yet, apparently and terribly elusive. I do not think I am making a

sweeping generalisation when I say that it is a goal everyone – whether male or

female – can agree with.

Page 15: Cannonball, Issue 3

Eddy Current Suppression Ring by Matt Traeger

Considering the Australian music scene's most successful export at the turn of

the millennium was Savage Garden, it could justifiably be argued that the only

way from there was up. However, few could have predicted the overwhelming

success many Australian independent acts would find overseas in the latter

half of the decade. Hard rock act The Drones sold out theatres across Europe,

while more electronically inclined groups such as Cut Copy and Muscles have

recently received glowing reviews from some of America's most influential

music critics. The latest local act to have found such success is Eddy Current

Suppression Ring, whose raw rock-n-roll stylings, enigmatic live shows and

punk ethic have been lauded by music critics and fans both home and abroad.

“The past few years have been massive for all of us,” remarked the band's lead

guitarist and producer, Mikey Young, when I spoke with him earlier this year. “It's

been great, but we have worked pretty hard for it, of course.” Young formed the

band with his brother Danny, on drums, bassist Brad Barry and singer Brendan

Huntley in 2003. However, their relationship as musicians began much earlier, when

they began playing together at fifteen. “Not that anything we ever did then is even

worth mentioning,” he laughs. “Then, later, between school and forming Eddy

Current Suppression Ring, we played together quite a bit. We had a funk band at one

stage, and later a hardcore band.” Although all of these musical ventures were short

lived, the band knew they were on to something special when they formed Eddy

Current Suppression Ring. “I worked at a pressing plant for a few years with the

guys, and we were the last ones left at one of the Christmas parties, so started to

drunkenly jam on the spare equipment there,” he explains. “We recorded it on a tape

Page 16: Cannonball, Issue 3

deck then listened to it the next morning once we had sobered up and thought, 'You

know what, this is pretty good'”.

“Most of our songs are written in half an hour... after ten

minutes, we'll turn round and say either “that's cool” or

“that sucks”. It's always been like that.”

And so it goes: By 2006 the band had independently released and distributed their

debut album, and, by 2008, had released a second, “Primary Colours” (not to be

confused with the Horrors album of the same name), which was recorded over only

two days. The album entered the top five of the ARIA Album Charts and went on to

win the Australian Music Prize, earning the band $30,000 to spend on, well,

whatever they wanted. In what would seem as an anti-Gun'n'Roses protest, the band

boycotted their recently bolstered bank account and recorded their third album for

absolutely no cost and in only six hours in their rehearsal room. So how did they do

it? “It's not as if we were racing to get it done in six hours or anything,” Young

explains. “We were in the rehearsal room and I just decided to put onto tape some of

the stuff we were jamming on. We play it all live and I record it all myself. We did a

few versions of each song and picked the ones that sounded good. I mean, I

personally think that if you can't play your song well after two or three tries, you

shouldn't be playing it at all.”

The result of that particularly efficient session was “Rush to Relax”, released last

February, which saw the band explore a number of new directions musically. “There

are a few longer jams this time, instead of just a bunch of three minute pop songs.

But we tried not to get too caught up with ourselves, become too indulgent.”

Although the sound may be different, Young attests that the process is the same as

it's always been. “Most of our songs are written in half an hour. I'll play a riff to the

guys that I've been working on at home, then we all jam on it together. After ten

minutes, we'll turn round and say either “that's cool” or “that sucks”. If we decide to

keep it, we'll then cut it down to around three or four minutes and fine tune it a bit.

It's always been like that.”

...the band have gained a reputation as one of Australia's

most dynamic live acts, enjoying every moment onstage

just as much as the crowd.

Page 17: Cannonball, Issue 3

“We feed off each other when we play and it becomes pretty mad really,” Young says

of the recording process. But such energy is not confined to the studio - the band

have gained a reputation as one of Australia's most dynamic live acts, enjoying every

moment onstage just as much as the crowd. “We haven't been to Adelaide very

much; we've been pretty slack. But we played Big Day Out there [in 2009] and I

remember that as being awesome.” The band will be taking their live show to the US

in June on the back of some highly positive press, including from the highly

influential American indie music website Pitchfork. Asked about what this means for

the band, Young answers, “Pitchfork probably isn't as much an influence on me as it

is many others, but I respect that it certainly reaches a lot of people. I'm confident

enough about the band that, if we don't get a great review, I really don't care. But the

good press definitely helps, especially overseas.” But Eddy Current Suppression Ring

aren't planning world domination quite yet. “I realise that, if we applied ourselves,

we could tour overseas a lot more and really make something of the good press

we've received. But, honestly, we're not twenty year old kids anymore, and we're all

busy outside of the band. The band isn't our life, and we're all happy at the pace

we're at.”

And at the current pace, it seems that for Eddy Current Suppression Ring, anything's

possible.

Wise Words from Mikey Young On new music

“There's so much great stuff around at the moment. I'm totally into this band

called the Electric Bunnies, they're from the US. From Australia – Kitchen Floor,

from Brisbane, are great. Also, I've just finished recording an album with these two

girls called the Wild Horses, they're pretty cool too.”

On the best albums of the decade past

“Probably my favourite album of the last ten years was “Antique Glow” by Kelley

Stoltz, but I also really like the Breeders' “Title TK”.”

On even older music

“When I was two all I ever listened to was KISS and Rod Stewart. When I was

thirteen I used to borrow heaps of tapes from the library, stuff like Hendrix and

Velvet Underground. That stuff still rocks, always will.”

Page 18: Cannonball, Issue 3

Year of the Penguin Compiled by Yen Pham

Jk, it’s actually the Year of the Tiger. But seriously folks, the new series of Penguin Classics2 (or, as Father Hogan refers to them, “those novels you find at the post office”, or, as I refer to them, “those novels Sportsgirl sometimes places in their windows to seem worldly”) slated for release this July is very impressive indeed. We forced some of the writers more vulnerable to coercion here at Cannonball to take their pick of the litter.

Keep the Aspidistra Flying – George Orwell (Matthew Traeger)

I first read Keep the Aspidistra Flying in Year 9. I struggled through it (considering it was the first novel I had read since the glory that is “Holes”, I hadn't been prepared awfully well), but enjoyed it enough to pick it up again last year and more fully appreciate the insight with which it provided me. The novel itself may not exactly be groundbreaking, but it is certainly an enjoyable and often comic take on 1930s London. Following the life of Gordon Comstock, a struggling poet, it details his war against all things monetary, his state of living slowly eating away at his sanity – much to the dismay of his on/off lover, Rose, his dealings with whom are affected most significantly by his venture into the “simple” life. It wasn't so simple after all, but it does make for a very engaging novel.

Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll (Alberto Di Troia)

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a children’s literary classic and a particular favourite of mine. Carroll basically improvised the story on the request of his young friend Alice Liddell during a picnic, and was later persuaded to write down and publish the tale. Strangely enough, Carroll was actually a mathematics professor at Oxford, who, it has been written, was “very fond of children and had many child friends” (make of that what you will). Whether he was also acquainted with the “white rabbit” (wink, wink) is debatable, but certainly likely: the book is a surreal journey through a land of hookah-smoking caterpillars, babies turning into pigs, oyster-murdering walruses and flamingo-wielding queens. It’s pure escapism of the kind that’s never too late to visit (or revisit).

Communist Manifesto – Karl Marx (Lawrence Ben)

For Hender.

2 Despite what it seems, we are not actually being paid royalties for gross product placement (refer also to “Day of Danoz”). However, we are in need of funds so we can print more issues and reach more people, so look out for a Cannonball fundraiser which, knowing us, will not be organised until some point in the distant future!

Page 19: Cannonball, Issue 3

Fair 2010

photography by Janice Cui

Page 20: Cannonball, Issue 3