Getting local for a minute...

Queen Street Mall. The middle. The newsagent, the Hungry Jack's that insane people buy food from, the place where policemen stand around and chat. You know the area? Well, just to the left of the photos above...

I couldn't find a photo of it, but recently completed in that spot is the refurbished public toilets. Work was being done there for quite some time. You couldn't see in to find out what they were doing. I'd assumed they were getting rid of the public toilets, which no person in their right mind ever entered. Some public art, maybe? A small take-away coffee store?

I was wrong. The public toilets remain. And it looks ten times worse than it did before. Who the fark designed this piece of shit? Concrete. Drab concrete. Walls of it, as well as on the ground. With green dots throughout. And, it looks custom-made for the dregs. I'm in the city almost every day, and it's become not only a major eye-sore in the dead-centre of town, but a gathering spot for undesirables. I've seen them call out comments to passers-by, ride around on the wheelie-bin (which has taken up a permanent place there), and contribute to their apparent goal to create a cigarette-butt hill.

What a disaster. The design is pure shit. And now the offscourings have a perfect spot for occupation - right in the middle of the mall, which, let's face it, is Brisbane city.

I accept that people have a right to sit/stand wherever they want, for however long they want. But what can I say? I guess my views change when I'm in the Queen Street Mall. I become a hypocrite, given. I become a little conservative, even. People will stand outside that Hungry Jack's for hours, and they won't move an inch for a soul. Get the hell out of the way and go find a life, people. It looks really really bad. (And they're usually either try-hard homies or 16-year-old girls who think it's 2016).

And these refurbished toilets have only enlarged the joke that Brisbane city often tends to be.

(I promise the old fogy in me will be gone by the next post...)

London's Daily Mirror...after the 2004 result

I particularly like the "US Election Disaster", down the bottom... What a headline!

Massacre

There's a very disturbing story that's come out of Iraq, of U.S. Marines having shot and killed twenty-four unarmed civilians - including women and children - in their homes, last November. The details are pretty horrific and revolting.

Details of the incident, and the subsequent investigation after the revelation this month...
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1198862,00.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060527.IRAQ27/TPStory/TPInternational/Africa/
http://www.progressiveu.org/032415-marines-slaughter-children-in-iraq

Here's what Moby had to say about it...

May 27, 2006

on november 19th marines in haditha killed innocent men, women, and children in response to a lance corporal who had been killed in a suicide bombing.the marines apparently shot, in cold blood, the women and children who were trying to shield their husbands and sons.

that's it. we have no more moral authority in the world. we, the united states, have squandered any moral authority that we ever had. the war in iraq should end tomorrow and the troops should come home and we as americans should apologize to the world for entering into this disastrous and bloody quagmire. america needs to do a moral inventory upon itself, and enter into a period of humility and contrition.

george bush should apologize to the world and say, 'we're bringing our troops home. these men and women have been asked to serve in unspeakably brutal conditions and in service of a war that was started on lies and falsehoods. we will fund the iraqi government as it puts it's security forces in order, but the troops are coming home. and i, as the president, apologize to the to the troops, to the iraqis, to my fellow americans, and to the world for ever starting this bloody and disastrous war.'

when i hear stories about americans killing innocent civilians in cold blood it makes me deeply saddened and ashamed to be an american citizen.

http://www.moby.com/journal

Kate Bush

About six months ago, I discovered Kate Bush. I'd heard of her before, knew she was a singer, but was not familiar with any of her work as such. The Weekend Australian carried a large feature article on her (either late last year or earlier this year) after the release of her latest album, Aerial. I read the article, and decided to learn more about her and hear her music. She's now one of my favourite artists. She has a magical voice, and her songs are very creative and, well, very different to anything the mainstream radio stations play.

She was 'discovered' by David Gilmour, a member of Pink Floyd, emerging in the late 1970s with her debut album, The Kick Inside (1978). This album featured one of her better-known songs, Wuthering Heights - an exhilarant number. Her music videos are quite abstract and interpretive. They are really very unlike anything that is made today. The ones I've seen take no use of any over-the-top special effects or extravagent sets. Here's a couple...

Wow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKh-HhzMXGE&search=kate%20bush

Babooshka: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz07Hf5htfY&search=kate%20bush%20babooshka

The lyrics to Wow - a superb song that I would recommend to the ears of all - have me intrigued. It seems to hint to pretense, competition and homosexuality in the acting industry.

We're all alone on the stage tonight, We've been told we're not afraid of you,
We know all our lines so well, ah-ha, We've said them so many times,
Time and time again, Line and line again.
"Ooh yeah, you're amazing,We think you're incredible"
You say we're fantastic
But still we don't head the bill

Wow, Wow, Wow, Wow, Wow, Wow
Unbelievable

When the actor reaches his death, You know it's not for real
He just holds his breath
But he always dives too soon, Too fast to save himself
He'll never make the screen, He'll never make "The Sweeney", Be that movie queen
He's too busy hitting the Vaseline.
“Ooh yeah you're amazing,We think you are really cool"
"We'd give you a part my love,But you'd have to play the fool.”

WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW,
Unbelievable.


Kate Bush is not for everyone. She may even be an acquired taste as far as music goes. But it's her originality, and her incredible voice, that make her a pretty amazing artist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Bush

Greer on Aborigines

The front page of The Australian today has this article,

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19213838-601,00.html

highlighting the problem of overcrowding in the houses of Aboriginal communities. The photograph, which I can't seem to find on the Internet, displays a very unpleasant kitchen in a three-bedroom house occupied by ten people - apparently commonplace in the communities concerned. In my eyes, it is a problem. But then the issue of interference arises. Are Aborigines happy to live in conditions that we ourselves would refuse to be subjected to? I for one do not think so. But, who am I to know?

Where should the governments of this country draw the line? I have no strong stance on what the approach to Aborigines should be, the reason being that I simply do not know what the answers are. But Germaine Greer said something to Andrew Denton on Enough Rope in 2003 that really got me thinking, and it's stayed with me since.



GG: ...we agonise about Aborigines, but we still think of them as our problem.

AD: And what are they?

GG: They're themselves. We're their problem. And WE are the problem that WE can solve.

AD: And how do we solve it?

GG: Well, I'm saying, "Think." Think about different ways of doing things. Think about a different set of priorities. We keep raising… Every 10 years we have a new solution for the Aborigines. We've driven them half-mad with our mad solutions.

We're going to be separatists. We're going to be integrationists. We're going to be…we're going to load you with money, then jump all over you because you don't know how to spend it. We'll give you our own nominees to run your society, then we're going to tell you that they're corrupt. Well, why do you think they got the job in the first place? This is Australia. Jesus! And the unfortunate Aborigines are just saying, "Listen, we…you give us a new set of forms to sign every five years, and we've done it. We've played every game."

It's just unspeakable, the misery we put these people through. Stop thinking about them as our problem to solve. Try a really novel thing, try leaving them alone! And instead look at why we first of all deny our closeness to them, deny the extent to which they've interpenetrated our society, so that it's a big startlement, you know, when a popular talk show host turns out to have history, everyone goes, "Oooh, oooh, oooh," as if he's suddenly grown horns. There's much more interpenetration between our communities than people are prepared to admit.

We are alike, but I would rather think of us as an Aboriginal nation than as of some sort of mad colonial country with zoos for the containment of the original inhabitants.

Robert & Robert

An interesting clip & a funny clip.

Clip 1: Robert Reford on Larry King Live in his capacity as an environmental activist, discussing alternatives to oil and promoting the 'Kick the Oil Habit' campaign.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6MWoVZyh58&search=larry%20king

Clip 2: Robert DeNiro on Saturday Night Live, as the homeland security spokesperson. He names suspected terrorists the U.S. are tracking down, such as Graabir Boubi and Haid D'Salaami.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHT9XVMW3LE&search=de%20niro%20

Upcoming...

There are three films I am highly anticipating.

The first is Candy. An Australian film, it co-stars Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish and Geoffrey Rush, among others. It's based on the novel of the same name by Luke Davies, and is directed by Neil Armfield. Aust release: 25 May.

Official Site: http://www.dendyfilms.com.au/candy/

The second is A Prairie Home Companion. This is directed by Robert Altman and features a rather well-known line-up of actors, including Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly, Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin. Aust release: ?

Official Site: http://www.aprairiehomecompanionmovie.com

The third is The Devil Wears Prada. This film is also based on a book (by the same name). A still from the film is above. The cast includes Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt. The image is from www.simplystreep.com. Aust release: apparently not until September.

Official Site: http://www.devilwearspradamovie.com The trailer should be up very shortly. At the moment, there is a short clip from the film up on the site, but it downloads quicker at http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/thedevilwearsprada/.

12 months of bloggage

Being May, it is twelve months - one year- since I began this site.

A friend began a blog (that was abandoned only weeks after starting), and it was that which made me begin my own. And I'm glad I did. It really is a good outlet. A really effective way to convey one's own thoughts on the world.

Thank you again to the primary comment-leavers: Sarah, Hayden, Lisa and my newly-found fellow Meryl Streep worshipper, Jennifer. Thanks also to David, Kieran and Ryan.

Howard in Washington

Our prime minister, as you may know, arrived in Washington on the weekend. On Monday, he met with the guy who currently lives in the White House. It's his seventh visit to Washington as PM.

I heard some commentators complaining of a seemingly over-generous reception for John Howard. And yes, I agree, it is nauseating to see the Howards and the Bushes hugging and shaking hands and patting backs and looking genuinely thrilled to be in each other's company. But I heard a radio broadcaster comment that the same people who were upset to see the evidence of an extremely close relationship between John and George would have been equally upset had our PM been greeted by an intern, taken through the back door for a cup of coffee, then shown the way out. In other words, we should be thankful that the leader of the Australian government has been acknowledged this well and this openly in America.

Indeed, John Howard has always enjoyed very warm receptions in Washington, particularly during the years of the Bush White House, and even moreso since the beginning of the invasion of Iraq. And you would hope so. He did, after all, send Australian troops off to die in the name of a danger that never existed. But more than John Howard as an individual, the families of the troops deserve some sort of recognition. So a cold, dull and rushed welcome for our prime minister would be much worse than the alternative. And I know America is more than capable of all-but-ignoring visiting world leaders.

But though we will never be able to mind-read and can only assume, the question has to be asked...do they really give a shit about the deaths caused by their decisions? It is difficult to imagine them going about their duties without, at some point each day, thinking about the suicides and the missed bomb targets and the kidnappings and the scores of human beings massacred: all as a result of this stupid war, of which they are the architects.

I really hope it's got to the stage where they need the help of sleeping pills at night.

(By the way, sorry I didn't keep my promise on shutting up about America.)

President Gore on Saturday Night Live

I found the link to this amusing clip on Michael Moore's website. I want this man to re-run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN667Xz89ZI&search=gore%20snl

(I promise to shut up about America in the next post...)

Our Americanisation

There are several ways in which Australia is becoming more like the United States. One way that I notice the most is in local language. Slack old me does not have a driving license yet, so I am a regular bus-catcher/taxi-hailer. It is on buses that I hear many people (usually aged between 13 and 25) reflecting, in the way they speak, the very real influence that America has on our lives and this country's identity.

The other day, three girls aged around 18 got on the bus. They sat several rows behind me and spoke as many people on public transport seem to...with the intention of letting the entire bus listen in on their conversation. The amount of times I heard the word 'like' in each sentence spoken was nothing short of incredible (and irritating). It was, like, really, like,...He was, like, um, yeah...She was like, um, okay...They were, like,...Like, I said, like...

One sentence I heard was: "My dad and I used to get on. Like, I would tell him about smoking pot and, like, stuff. But now I'm just, like, you're an asshole, I hate you."

Yes, she said ass. As in mass. Not arse. Ass... That pissed me off.

Alright, so I haven't counted out the possibility that perhaps these girls had American parents, from whom they had picked up this occasionally-revealed accent. But this incident was not an isolated one.

I suppose the obvious ways in which American influence is transferred is through newspapers, magazines, music, film and, of course, the overwhelming number of American television programs on Australian televisions. And I suspect that most of us display the effects on a daily basis, and we are probably unaware of it. I don't doubt that an expert could go through the posts on this blog and find evidence of my own Americanisation. And I'm certain that I myself am guilty of 'like' on a daily basis as well.

It's a worry. As a nation, we are still, in many ways, trying to define ourselves. But maybe it'll soon be all too late. When asked about our identity, we will only have to point in the direction of the USA.

Many of us are more familiar with the goings-on in American news (...people like me). We can name the first US president, but have no clue as to our own first PM. We eat McDonald's and KFC and Subway. We have colourful, moving captions on our news programs. Channel Nine excites us with the news of the upcoming 'Survivor XXXVII'. And, as John Howard can attest to, we do what America tells us to.

John Kerry on Free Speech

I think perhaps I need to stop checking what John Kerry has been up to. Because each time I do, I come across some brilliant statements of his that make perfect sense and display a very intelligent, sharp mind.

Though he may not have been quite the right person to take on the ruthless Bush Administration in 04, I can't deny that he may have made one of the world's best leaders had he been victorious. Whatever you think of him, I recommend you listen to the highlights of a recent speech he made on the importance of free speech and the Iraq war.









Links to the excellent speech can be found at http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2006_04_22.html

Can the Democrats afford a Hillary nomination?

(Top: Democrats Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden; Bottom: Republicans John McCain, Rudolph Giuliani)

Sorry to return to foreign politics here, but I've been doing some thinking about the 2008 presidential election. Sometimes, you'd think it was coming up next week, with all the polls and dicussions and debates and predictions. Of course, it would be great if it was next week. But there's a little while to go yet, sadly.

I have certainly before, and not just on this site, expressed my support for Senator Hillary Clinton and my hopes that the Democrats nominate her for president in 08. She is a superb politician. One American columnist remarked that she "can make Republican colleagues sound like star-struck teenagers". There is no doubting that she is one formidable woman, and carries a large following and support base. But can she really become the US president?

I'm having serious concerns over the feasibility of a President Hillary Rodham Clinton. She is one of those 'love-them-or-hate-them' figures in American politics. In this sense, George W. Bush is the same. Polarising. And whilst this doesn't mean an inability to win, it means a mighty challenge.

A presidential race with Hillary Clinton as a candidate would be very nasty, making the 2004 race look lame. But you can rest assured that the Clinton camp would be quite happy to bring out their own artillery in such a situation.

Some say she's too far to the Left (which unfortunately equates to a disadvantage in countries like theirs and ours). But to understand her stance on issues is to realise that she belongs to the "hawkish, interventionist extreme" of the Democratic Party and is a "confirmed free-trader". She's very similar to her husband in this way. She remains, however, popular with the small-l liberals in the party, and is famous for her strong support of abortion and women's rights.

But something tells me Hillary Clinton just would not be able to win in 2008. The Republicans will choose a very strong team for the White House in 08. And my confident prediction is that the ticket will almost certainly consist of Senator John McCain. Every poll I've read that attempts to foresee who would win in a Clinton v. McCain race has favoured with the latter by a relatively comfortable margin. Rudy Giuliani is also a possibility for the Republican ticket in 08, and we all know why he's so popular.

Whilst I understand that both McCain and Giuliani are so-called moderates, the Republican Party simply does not deserve the White House. The world does not deserve defenders of the Bush Doctrine determining United States foreign policy.

Let me say that I think a Biden-Clinton ticket in 08 would do well. A Gore-Clinton ticket would also. Even a Clark-Clinton would be in with a very, very good chance of victory. But as nice as another President Clinton would be, the Democrats deserve to win in 2008. They should have no reason to fear another loss.

(This is not my most eloquent post ever. I'm in the latter stages of a disgusting cold and am not thinking quite as clearly as usual. But I had been thinking about this subject, and wanted to update the site.)

Randomonium

There's nothing jumping out at me, except for the same old depressing things. So here is some randomonium...

Woes of all sorts

I gotta say, there hasn't been a whole lot politically that has inspired me to post lately. I mean, there's been quite a lot going on, but nothing that wouldn't provoke the same sort of thing that I and others have already been saying. The Howard government face a lot of problems, and continue to have a heck of a lot to answer for. But we hear more about the Labor Party's inability to take advantage of the government's woes than the inability of the government to rectify its monumental mistakes.

Latest polls show that Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd would both receive higher public approval ratings as leader of the opposition than Kim Beazley currently does. Well, that wouldn't be hard. I used to quite like Mr. Beazley, but I'm beginning to resent him for sticking around in hope of a miraculous turn-around. If he really cares about his party and its prospects of winning the next federal election, he will soon face the facts.

Perhaps the problem, as a friend suggested, is a conservative society reluctant to face change in times already uncertain. Perhaps an allegedly healthy economy really is the be all and end all...?