The Black Rock

Ok. so here it is.....

2006-01-16T20:10:00.000+11:00

At long last, THE NEW BLOG!!!!!

http://thelifeandtimesofminivinnieme.blogspot.com/

Yay yay yay.....go have a look.

(please)

(pretty please)

(cherry on top)

New Blog Probs

2006-01-15T23:21:00.000+11:00

OK OK. So here I was on Friday getting all 'yippee' about setting up this new blog.
It had its inaugural post and all.

However......
There seems to be a slight issue with it.

It won't let me post. 'Is all fucked up.

Y'see, it lets me log in. then, on the dashboard page, in the little toolbox where yo u click on what you'd like to do, (post, settings etc), well that part isn't there.

Basically, it's letting me log in, but nothing more than that.

Does anyone know why?

ARGH.

........Ok, so I'm cranky and this is really starting to shit me now....I've even requested all my account info off blogger, but, are they sending it to me? NO! Does this stop my crankyness and irratability from ever increasing? NO! So, therefore, blogger is fucked and sre they doing much to help out? NO!

Blogger.......Just let me in, for fuck's sake.

*****Ok. So, here is what I have managed to somehow do.....As, you can see, I changed te template on this blog.
That, my freinds, should tell you one thing......
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING WITH THIS BLOGGER THING.

I do think this looks betterer though than that other old thing. Hmmmmm.

Oh well.

NEW BLOG NEW BLOG NEW BLOG

2006-01-14T00:17:00.000+11:00

Thats right, I have a NEW BLOG.

I will not be continuing this blog.....please go to thelifeandtimesofminivinnieme.blogspot.com/for my new, (hopefully) improved blog.

To all those who visited here regularly, and even bookmarked this blog on your blogs, I cannot thank you enough. I hope you'll follow me over and support me over at mini-vinnie-me.blogspot.com as well as you have here.

That link again......
the life and times of mini-vinnie-me

NEW BLOG NEW BLOG NEW BLOG

2006-01-13T22:12:00.000+11:00

Thats right, I have a NEW BLOG.

I will not be continuing this blog.....please go to 'over here' for my new , improved BLOG

To all those who visited here regularly, and even bookmarked this blog on their blogs, I cannot thank you enough. I hope you'll follow me over and support me over at the new one as well as you have here.

Here it is again.....the life and time of Mini-Vinnie-Me

Thought I had it bad.....

2006-01-13T16:35:00.000+11:00

with spiders. See my old post about that

Here

This poor bugger here had a bit more trouble than I did, he broke his leg in an arachnid killing spree.

Courtesy THE AGE

While your at The Age, this look at Victoria is awesome.

The AGE best pics of Victoria '05

Oh, and say "Hi" to mah Babies too.....

Mah Babies

Right now though, I'm just killin this blog. Why? Cos I'm as bored as batshit with it and I need to do something with it. But, seeing as how I have NO IDEA about what I'm dooing, I'm more than likely to need to transfer everything over to a new template before the evening has passed.

Ahhh. let's see how goes it eh.

Darfur: the conflict in Crayon

2006-01-12T21:35:00.000+11:00

Australian Human Rights researcher, Dr. Annie Sparrow has been working in the Darfur region in Sudan, documenting sexual violence against women.

While she has been there, she has gotten the children of women she speaks to to draw, just by giving them crayons and a scrapbook.
The resultant drawings, and more relevantly, the tales the children tell about the drawings, well, are just heartbreaking. If this is not yet another reason to stop ALL wars, then I don't know what is. Take a look at them for yourselves.

Darfur: the conflict in Crayons

(From The Age, Melbourne)

There is also a brief history of the conflict included.

Dr Sparrow is over there in Sudan, working for the organisation, Human Rights Watch. Below is their website.

Human Rights Watch

And here

, again is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (From Amnesty International.)

Remember, the War in Iraq is only one of many Wars, ALL of which should end, NOW.

Gettin' Busy

2006-01-11T20:10:00.000+11:00

And I don't mean like that.
I mean the year is starting to pick up a bit of momentum.
So today, I'm just gona quickly go over a few things in brief that constitute "whats going on".

Well, union has of course begun. We ran our first Council Meeting for the year on Monday.
I put my hand up to go an 2 committees......1) a committee to plan to encourage students to join the union voluntarily when VSU comes in. To come up with strategies basically to ensure the survival of student unions at least at Swinburne. And
2) Student Rec facilities Committee to ensure students have half decent recreational facillities on campus rather than go off campus during breaks and go off 'up the road' somewhere.

Tabula Rasa's first deadline for the yeaer is coming up real fast...as in this later this week. So, gotta get busy there. Then go straight onto issue number two for the yea, which will also include membership and contributor drives

Classes start back soon of course. Feb 6 I believe, or the week of anyways. Bring on the Diploma year I say, then I can go onto my Media Degree.

Just general union/rep stuff.

And this morning, around 5:30am, a tree in my brother's front yard dropped a major branch. No damage, just a bit if work cleaning it all up. ANd by major branch, I mean branch the size of a small tree.

So, yeah, been busy this week, and gettin' busy.......
But not in that way.
Which is a lot of a pity really.
Oh well, woe is me.

Ramdomness

2006-01-08T13:54:00.000+11:00

Randomness is good.
It is a good thing.
Good things come out of Randomness.

Ahhhh, I have nothing.

Actually, I'm going to go and find a quizz.
BRB.

So far so good,

HERE

is a whole bunch of quizzes......

OK ok. After much ado, I found one. Here goes.....

You Are 100% Weird

You're more than quirky, you're downright strange.
But you're also strangely compelling, like a cult leader.

How Weird Are You?

I hope you find this all as informative as I did. Cos I did.

The randomness though, continues.....
I just added, over ------------------------->>>>>>> There somewhere, in my sounds links, a link to.......

Fu Manchu

Climate change and Behaviour change

2006-01-04T22:34:00.000+11:00

The year just passed, 2005, was the hottest year on record.
Temperatures in Australia were 1.09C above the hottest year here (1998, which was 0.89C above avg), and worldwide, the temperature was up by 0.48C.

New Year's eve here in Melbourne was a tad over 43C (which is something like 130F) and that was only December, by far not our hottest month. All over Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia, firefighters were battling the high temps, super dry conditions and tens of bushfires, some of which are still going.
But this isnt so unusual for this time of year. It is summer after all, and the south east of Australia, the three states and one territory I just mentioned, are amongst the most fireprone areas in the world. The regularity and intensity of bushfires here can be worse that devestating. Ash Wednesday in 1983 when over 70 people died in a single afternoon here, the Northe East fires that burnt through a million hectares of North Eastern Victoria in 2003, Black Friday in 1939....the list goes on.
Local fire authorities are warning us to expect and prepare for a long hard summer this year, a year in which we may well have to fight for our own homes.

However, over in the US, where it is winter, record fires are also burning as the result of record droughts. This follows a record cold snap and a record hurricane season.
Over in the UK, record low temps are being felt. Snow and Ice have covered the continent.
Major (dare I say record again) floods, and now mudslides have hit Sumatra in Indonesia.

Now, remember what the 'experts' said when they first warned us of the impending disaster...this Global Warming phenomenon?
Severe weather extremes with a gradual increase in temperatures, followed by rising sea levels as ancient glaciers and the polar ice caps and melted away. Deserts would expand as droughts eventually eroded the land away. Immense floods and fires the have never been seen before.
Sound familiar?

I personally don't see how people can even vaguely begin to deny the existence of these new global proccesses. Global Warming IS occurring.

The Kyoto protocol, and it's targeted carbon emission reduction, is one part of the solution. Just a week or so from now, leaders from the USA, China, India, Japan and South Korea, all leaders in pollution creation, converge here in Aus, another leader in Pollution creation, for the inaugural meeting of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, to dicuss sharing 'clean energy' technologies.

Kudos I say. I also sat that the USA and Australia should sign the Kyoto protocol. Lets attack this problem from every possible angle.

More importantly, we, as the people of the world, hold the biggest responsibilty of any group. We all, as individuals should be doing something to sustain the life of the planet.
How is up to you-------
It doesn't have to be a giant protest action.
It doesn't have to make the nightly news.
It doesn't have to take all of your resources.

It's as simple as catching a train instead of driving. "But the trains are crappy?" I hear you whinge. Well catch them anyway. Lets all chip in and produce a greater demand.... supply will have to increase, it's their own 'market forces' at play.
Ride your bike then. "Oh but there's no safe way to do it". Again, use their market powers against them....they will see there is a way to make money out of it, bike lockers for example, and will improve services.

Buy your products ONLY in recyclable containers.

Refuse plastic bags.

Keep your Cigarette Butt in a film canister till you come across an ash tray or bin.

Keep the chip packet or bottle on you till the next bin.

Plant a tree, or bush. If you have the time to commit, join your local community tree planting group, the ones that do revegetation plantings.

Make sure ther is a Recycle bin around the office for discarded paper.

I could go on,
But won't for today.

YAY

2006-01-02T20:58:00.000+11:00

Yay.
Back to normal.
Well, even if I'm not, the real world kind of is back to normal anyway, which means that we can get on with stuff again. Yay.
Things like Union, Tabula Rasa and job hunting etc can carry on now. As a matter of fact, Tabula Rasa meets tomorrow for our first production meeting for the year. Our first deadline is the 14 of Jan (i think).
As my term as Disability Rep on the Uni union has now officially begun, I can now make a start on getting work done on that too. Yay. I've began lobbying the Fed Government alredy to increase spending on Mental Health services. They are predicting a $14bn budget surplass this financial year, but rather than using the money to the benefit of all of us, the Fed Govt are talking up vote winning Tax cuts and using the money to the benifit of themselves.
I've written to the Treasurers office, and they of course have passed the buck to the Health Minister's Office. So, I will write to them. I'll also write to the Opposition members who hold the Shadow portfolios, and to the respective State Ministers and Shadow Ministers. I'll try to get Mental Health organisations onboard, and where I can, and as much as I can, try to get some media attention on the issues of Mental Health and the funding crisis. I'll also be spending a fair bit of energy trying to de-stigmatize mental health issues, particularly Depression and Anxiety related disorders - OCD, Schizophrenia etc, and see what I can do with eating dosorders - some of the dibilitating but not obvious non physical disabilities, plus of course, looking after the needs of the physically disadvantaged.

Of course with the Liberals VSU (Voluntary Student Unionism) legislation having gone through Parliament, and the new laws coming into effect for the second sememster, it is going to be a fairly difficult year - for both the Union & Union associated activities, and also for my beloved Tabula Rasa, the union magazine I write for and edit.

So, as happy as I am that it's finally here, Oh-6 is going to be as hard as it is exciting.
But thats ok really, cos there's still plenty of coffee in the world.

I hope you had good nights for New Years. I did end up staying home and watching Cable - speaking of which.... I watched this awesome movie this morning called Willard. Anyone seen it? Its got Crispin Glover as a guy who becomes freinds with a rat. Fuckin awesome film...See it if you can. It probably sounds a bit kiddy and Stuart Little from that, but its not.

Anyhow.....
I will go now.

HNY

2005-12-31T20:10:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year everyone.

I really hope Oh-6 is a better year than 2005, on every level, and for EVERYONE.
I don't think I need to go into the whole list, we all know the main shit that went wrong, that has affected us all in one way or another this year, so I guess once we add all our individual stuff on top of that.....mine anyway and yadah yaddah; bad year, hope for a better one, starting with yaddah yaddah.

Personally, it has been a tough year, summed up by spending most of today watching a Will & Grace marathon on cable. What exactly that says about my year I don't know, but I'm sure its wrong wrong wrong.
It was bullshit hot today also...43C (approx 120-130F), so even if Will and Grace weren't on, I'd have stuck down in front of the TV anyway.

Currently deciding whether or not to go into the city and watch the fireworks tonight, but I did that last year - which was truly the beginning of a crappy Two Thousand an' Five, besides, seen 'em once yaddah yaddah. Double besides, providing the smaller fireworks are fired off around the Bay (the fire weather plus Fireworks are not a good mix), I'll see them from home.

On the other hand, it's gonna be damn hot again tonight, which of course means no sleep anyway, so I may as well do something.
But on the other hand yet again, which I think takes me to hand number four or something now, the city will be crowded and unless one has good company, it'll actually be boring as hell just waiting around for a few minutes of fireworks then getting a train home at 2 or 3 in the morning again.

So, I'm tipping I'll be staying right here.

Anyhoo, time to shower (again).

I truly hope you all have a great night and a great Twenty-Oh-Six.

UPDATE>>>>

Oh...PS

In another signal of what my year amounted to in total, I went through my wardrobe today and did a massive bunch of washing and clothe sorting.
That's all.

Glad its over!

2005-12-28T22:53:00.000+11:00

Seriously.
Now we can get on with the other 364 days of the year.

I hope yours was all good and that you had good days' and the Santa was good and stuff, but I'm just so over it.

What I got....A ticket to Boxing Day of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
A Monty Python, The Meaning of Life DVD.

The Test ticket was of course used on boxing day and the DVD is still waiting to be viewed.

Boxing Day....Well, to any one from Melbourne, I'll tell you now, the new Ponsford Stand at the MCG is HUGE. And by huge I mean totally breathtaking. And surprisingly comfortable. There were 72,000 ppl at the ground on Monday, and it really didn't feel like it.
For people not from Melbourne, I'll sum up briefly.
The MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) just had a $435M upgrade to three of its stands. They were actually knocked down an replaced by one huge, HUGE stand - Partly for the Commonwealth Games here in March.
The groung will now hold about 100,000 again.
It was good to get back to a Boxing Day Test though, I haven't been for years.
Anyhow....

Bactracking further....Christmas Day.
How Fuckin Boring. Seriously. I was woken to open presents, went back to sleep, woke up for lunch, read/listened to music/dozed till it was time to go to my brother's place (that was cool, definately the highlight of the day), then to my horrible cousin's horrible house, in a horrible place to spend time with horrible people, get horribly bored and hate it.

I seriously dont understand Christmas.
Why do we do all this?
Like, ya go to virtual strangers homes once a year, or they come to yours (in the ten year cycle or whatever), everyone exchanges pleasantries then sits there acting all nice, wishing they were somewhere, anywhere else. The Tv is inveribly on to supply at least some sound to the otherwise 'uncomfortable' silences, then we eat, then pretend we're all 'happy happy joy joy' till an appropriate amount of time has been spent, (not to short a time, but hopefully not too long and 'overstaying the welcome' too), then the subtle cues and restlessness wash over and it's time to go home and go to sleep.
In the meantime though, we've still managed to hate the time we were their and proclaim that next year, "I'd prefer to stick my head in a hydraulic vice and just let it go".
Let's face it, if Christmas was a first date, the end of the species would surely be well on its way.

Or is it just me?

*******************************************************************

I wa gonna go on a whole big spiel on Christmas and being a Non-Christian, but, I'll do that one another day, right now I'm just sick of the actual day and stuff.

So, I guess now that I've successfully spread more of the cheery vibe, I'll leave you now feeling all cheery for the world and stuff.

Bye for now.

Inspirational Person #1

2005-12-24T20:16:00.000+11:00

I went to see my Nanna today. Which is a rare thing to do as she lives about 2hrs away on the other side of the city, and, sadly, may well be the last time I see her.

About 6 years ago, she had the first of many strokes, which have had her knocking on "the Door" since about '99.

However, typical to her nature, she will not give in.
Even as recently as the last few days, she has fought her way back to relatively good health. In the six years, she's had countless further strokes and a few heartattacks - No-one knows for sure how many, as some have gone undetected, but every year or so, she'll have one worse than the rest. A fortnight or so ago, she had another bout of serious illness and another heartattack, which sent all her blood pressures way down and badly affected her blood, organs etc. She was unconcious for over a week and was not expected to see this Christmas - She was moved to palliative care - the last step.
However, as I said earlier, true to her tough fighting spirit, she fought back, and has recovered to a relatively good point, although she is still unwell.
She probably won't see next Christmas, although, again, we've been saying that for 6 or so years now.

But, with her life history, we are lucky to even have her.

Y'see, she's Russian.
Not that that condemns one to an early death; but, my Nanna was part of a fairly wealthy Russian family pre-Stalin. So of course, when Stalin got into power, my Nanna's family had to split up and run for survival. They were the prime candidate material for Stalin's purges. With that instinct for survival, a heap of wit and even more luck, they survived the onslaught of the Stalin era Russia.
Then came WWII. My Nanna was captured by Nazi's and sent to either Aushwiz or Dacau concentration camp (I can't remember which), where, she saw the horrors of WWII, Nazi Terror and just the general worst 'humanity' has to offer. It goes withtout saying that this is a time of her life we don't know much about, as she is understanderbly hesistant to relive and talk of these times. As many stories do tell though, the best of humanity also was seen in the camps.
After a time there, she somehow managed to escape.... a rare enough feat on it's own.
Apparently during her escape, with about a dozen others, she was shot in the leg by Nazi soldiers. With the only alternative being to stop and be caught, ana therefore returned to the camp, she continued to somehow just keep running.
Eventually she was found by American soldiers....I don't know the details, and rescued. She was saved from the war. I'm not sure, but I believe she was one of only a couple of survivors from the dozen.

So, after the war, she was homeless. She couldn't get back to her native Russia, or even Poland where she'd lived for quite some time before the Nazi invasion. In 1952, and with two children (my Dad and his Sister), she (meaning the family-herself, her Polish husband my Dad and Aunt) were moved to Australia, where she settled and after a no doubt torrid time, made a home and family, including a set of twin daughters.
In 1973, one of those twins, my Aunty, was killed in a car crash. This was a month or so before I was born. This is something no parent should ever have to do, bury their own child, but she did.

Then, after 26 years of 'normal' life, including finding the remnants of her Russian family after the demise of Soviet Russia, plus and the ups and downs of normal life she had the first of those strokes.

This is where that old fighting spirit and stubborness has resurfaced and dug in...that tough fighting spirit that warded off Stalin and Hitler, and not only survived, but thrived on the move to not only a foreign country, but for a Russian in the 1950's moving to Australia with its heat and dry and unrecognisable culture and language, would have been a foreign world, and all the daily pressures of raising a young family.

One is proud to be of her bloodline. It is old tough blood and more than that, it connects one to a person who has lived an extrordinary and inspirational life through some of history's toughest challenges.

I look at my Nanna, and think to myself, "Wow!"

I only wish I could do her justice in my words.

ARGHHHHHHHH! I HATE SPIDERS!

2005-12-22T17:44:00.000+11:00

I found this huge mutherfucker of a spider in my room last night, about the size of a handspan, and it was taunting me, so I had to go on a killing rampage. That took about 20 minutes....worst thing - The little bugger was RIGHT ABOVE MY BED.
That left me no option, and failure was NOT it. That spider had just made the BIGGEST (and last) mistake of its life.

ARGHHHHHHHH! I HATE SPIDERS!

Sure, it was only a Huntsman Spider, nothig drastic, I mean it'll hurt if it bites, but won't kill ya, but it was IN MY SPACE.

And I hate killing things, even spiders, but this is how I see things:
If I were to put my hand in an ant or spider's nest, it/they would undoubtedly bite me, and most likely (if it was a Redback or something), cause me a great deal of pain, misery, illness or even Death; all in the name of defending it's nest.
For example, if I'm Whipper Snippering the yard (which reminds me-I gotta get a life), and I hit a BullAnt nest, which I have done; well, you should see those little critters go. For those who don't know...... BullAnts are an ant we have here, about an inch long, black and red and shiny, with pinchers big enough to see and a stinger like a wasp, extrememy aggressive, and HURT LIKE HELLFIRE IF THEY BITE. Fortunately, they do there bidding singularly rather than as an army, so to see them race out to defend the nest is quitet a sight actually, but you'll run a mile if you do see it. Anyhow, I'm getting of the topic....
So, the way I see it, that little bugger, the spider from last night, didn't just put it's hand in my nest, it invaded my nest with ALL of itself.
That left me that "no option" situation. I had to act, and act quickly. So I killed it.

I know, I know. An Eye for an Eye is fuckin obscene, especially when it comes to a creature that has no conciousness (sorry to go on about that too, I shoulda had a nap), but it was a spider. I had to pre-emptively strike.

I'm so tired and sleepy today for some reason. Maybe the weather? Maybe the half-a-can of Mortien it took to kill that little bugger. I feel sooooo bad for killing spiders.

Now its gonna get all its mates onto me.

ARGHHHHHHHH! I HATE SPIDERS!

NUMBER 50

2005-12-21T15:02:00.000+11:00

That's right.

POST NUMBER 50.

I don't believe i've made a blog last this long. Oh wow. I'd like to thank Mom, Dad, my agent, my manager, my label, my family, my version of the omnipotent being-whether or not He/She exists, and most of all, YOU, my loyal fan(s) without you, I just wouldn't even exist.

Actually, maybe I don't.
Maybe my posts, these posts that you read, or stumble upon by accident, like this one for example, are machine generated. Maybe they are generated somewhere out here in CyberSpace, and they just appear on your screen.

Maybe, they don't exist at all, and you think they exist, and I along with them, because I am a small part of your conciousness, appearing in your singular reality from time to time as a construct of your deep, inner self; a deep inner self that you are unable to grasp on a surface level, which is why maybe, it (that deep inner self, too substantial to grasp), manifests itself in the "blogosphere", or on a train or whatever you percieve to be the reality outside and independant of yourself.

Yeah, I reckon that's it. I'm just a part of your conciousness. Nothing more and nothing less. Just as you are a part of mine.

Anyhow....

HERE is post #1 from way back in July 2005

In other news....Today, I cut the grass in the yard. Now, if you remember, I had more than a little trouble with the Whipper Snipper/Brush Cutter last time I went to do the lawns.

Here is the post that explains this in more detail.

Well, the Ol' Man went out and bought a new monster of a machine and the job that took 5 or whatever hours and a hell of a lot of rude words last time, took only an hour and a half and NO rude words.
I know a good tradesman is never supposed to blame his tools, but lets face it, A peice of shit is a peice of shit. Besides, I never went to Trade school and therefore am NOT a tradesman, so I reserve the right to blame whatever problems I have on whatever machinery/tools I like. AND I will.
Suffice to say, the new Whipper Snipper is a dream to use, especially on our steep, rugged block of land.

Any hoo, ppl out there in the realm of MY conciousness are probably getting bored now with my ravings about a glorified lawnmower, and my exploits of glorified lawn mowing, and are no doubt thinking, "Dude, get a life. It's only cutting grass..."etc, so I will now be leaving you to your own explorations of YOUR conciousness.
Oh, and be sure to laud me on my efforts of reaching this incredible milestone, and check back in for number 51.

Catch.

Bored Bored Bored

2005-12-20T23:59:00.000+11:00

Nuh, that's it. Just
Bored
Bored
Bored

Gibberish #6

2005-12-18T23:20:00.000+11:00

Y'know? One thing I've rarely written about here is music, and my love of it. Which is quite strange, as there are people out there in the world who know me only as a musician, well who used to know me as a musician anyways, as since I left my last band nearly a year ago, I haven't been around those traps and seen those people.
So just some backstory on me. I played bass in a few bands.
So, now I'll cut to now....

Really, all I have to say today is that I am sitting here listening to

Tool

and surfing random blogs....
And loving it.
That's all I have to say for today.

Oh and this.....
Be cool to each other!

Degrassi High and Growing up

2005-12-16T17:47:00.000+11:00

HeY peeps.
How is ya? Me is, well ....

Coincedences are a funny thing sometimes. I got a comment the other day from the delightful Miss A, about my post last week, in which I mentioned Gilmore Girls.
In it she told me she thought it was better that I was watching Gilmore Girls rather than Degrassi: the next Generation.

Well it just so happened, that whatever night it was this week, I switched on the Tele and low and behold, to my astonishment, there was Snake. I was amazed. Actually, I'd seen one episode ages ago with Snake in it as a teacher, but paid no more attention to it than that really.
But then a curious thing happened in the story line, both of the show, and my post for today. Someone mentioned "Joey". So I looked a bit harder, and sure enough, it was Joey, the real Joey, from the original series. Not only that, he had just asked Caitlin to move in with him.
So there it was right in front of me, Snake, Joey and Caitlin; all from "old Skool" Degrassi. And yes, I believe it was also the real Caitlin.
Now, this may not seem a terribly great deal to anyone who strays upon my li'l blog by random, BUT, to me it did.

Ok, so recently, as some may know, I have been going through one of those little patches one hits from time to time in one's life. Y'know the one, the money is all gone (ie ALL), no job/income, no cigarettes etc, and way too much time; one of those times where you have a real, REAL good look in the mirror and stuff.....Have a good look around, check the co-ordinates, wonder about the future, question the past, have internal committee meetings and working parties of all kinds evaluate the outcomes of all the policies and decisions so far, what to change and not change, how to implement change and new policies and all that yummy kinda self reflective critiquing etc.
SO, yes, I've been doing all that lately... plenty of questioning the past, asking myself if the decisions I've made were the right ones etc, what would I do differently, what have I learnt; the simple stuff really.
And wondering about the future...Where AM I going? What Do I want to do when I grow up? What do I still want to do before I grow up? How to reconcile the two, now and being grown up, and maybe do something I like in life that I like, something more than a job, someting to live for; How to do what I love to, and make enough from it to pay the rent and keep my belly warm? How to ..... You get the picture.

So, here I am, asking myself all this, when I switch the Tele onto Degrassi: The next Generation (Couldn't they come up with a better name? It's all a bit too Star Trek to me).
And that's when I see Snake, Joey and Caitlin, all the same age as me, having gone through their "lives" since High School. I insinctively wondered, "What have they been doing all these years"? I mean, I know they're fictional characters, but we (as in the characters and myself) are all the same age and ended High School around the same time. (Co-incedently, there was a fire at the school in the episode I saw the other night, oh and Caitlin actually left Joey and is moving away - I'm so glad I got to see her just the once, and that she was still looking great...Yes I had a crush back then).

It was strange to see these TV characters, old friends in a sense, as grown up adults. So, naturally, I projected my concerns about my life onto them..."What were the last 15 or so years since High School like for them, and what did they do with those years"? and "Where are they going in their lives now"? I know I know... it's only TV. "Are they happy? Are they going where they want to?"

So I sat there, on my bean-bag, and just watched Degrassi, wondering.
The weird part though, is that they really did seem to be grown up and making the decisions that influence their futures, and I, well I was still just sitting there watching Degrassi, just as I was 15 or more years ago.

With so many things to do, and so many other things to do, and a living to be made, I guess probably the biggest question to answer really, is...
"How does one start answering the questions?" and "How does one take those first steps of action?"

Anyhow,
Ciao.

Sydney Riots.

2005-12-13T23:51:00.000+11:00

Sydney Riots!

An Eye for an Eye is Fuckin Obscene.

I never thought I’d see the day Race riots happen here in Australia. Actual Riots, between two races, with the police in the middle.

We’ve had civil unrest before, two major and recent instances that spring to mind are the riots in Sydney’s Redfern a couple years ago – the local Indigenous community were outraged and took out that anger on police after a 14 year old boy was killed while being chased by police– similar circumstances to the trigger of the recent riots in France; and on Palm Island in Queensland about a year ago, when another Indigenous man died after being bashed in police custody (not an uncommon occurrence here, in fact another major problem in its own right, but I can write about this another day), the local community took out that rage on the Island’s police station, Court and a few other Government buildings.
One will argue that in both of these cases, genuine grievances were being dealt with by the local communities who were trying to make the rest of us hear their call for help in the only way they had at their disposal at the time.

Tensions have been rising now between Anglo Australians and Muslim Australians for quite some time though. 9-11, the mainstream media and our right wing Government fuelled paranoia have helped that schism widen. The problem we now have is between Aussies and Lebanese, not a grieving local community and the police.

9-11, as we all know, was the beginning of the “war-on-terror”. It was also the beginning of the wholesale marginalisation of Muslims and people of “Middle Eastern appearance” in the west, including Australia.
This marginalisation not only formed the divide between White Australia and Muslims, but ALL people of “Middle Eastern appearance”; that is Persians, Christian Lebanese and others that aren’t Muslim but are from Middle Eastern countries. Anyone else who has Olive skin, an accent and possibly a beard fits into this current stereotype of “them”.
For example, two young fellas set upon by a mob of Aussies yesterday in Sydney were in fact Bangladeshi; not even of “Middle Eastern appearance”.

On the other hand, the Lebanese have threatened and attacked people going about normal domestic tasks; one man was beaten in front of his ten year old while taking the rubbish bin out. A restaurant owned by a Chinese lady was attacked.

There is no need for any of this behaviour….An Eye for an Eye. Our blindness only leads us further down a dark, dark path.

Our Government is far from blameless in all this too. Their policies, the new Anti-Terror laws for example aggravate the racial divide. We all know who they are directed at.
Then there’s “Our Illustrious”, J.W Howard telling the World the riots are not based on race.
What exactly are they based on then Johnny? You’re policies on Social Equity then? Hmmm, I doubt that.
You’re stance on Iraq then? Sending troops over there to protect us and make us safer? Safer from who, what?
Maybe you’re use of wedge politics has paid off then, you have divided Australia.

All this, as it just so happens, on the Eve of the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia and the WTO meeting in Hong Kong. Australia needs to be seen as a tolerant country, especially during this of all weeks, and to admit that we have racial problems here would be pretty bad PR. So, “Our Illustrious” simply denies a problem.
Then there’s Opposition Leader Kim “Rollover” Beazley, saying that the riots are “embarrassing” Australia.
Embarrassing? They’re a DISGRACE, not an embarrassment. I turn a funny shade of red when I’m embarrassed, then a little later, I’ll see the funny side and have a chuckle. Right now, I’m hanging my head in shame.

As for the Media, well I won’t be able to say enough here about just how well they’ve towed the Government line. Very few of our media outlets openly and seriously question the government here anymore. And why should they? Murdoch owns something like 70% of our media now.
In this current crisis, Blind Freddy could almost see how slanted the coverage is of the crisis. Well, if it weren’t for the anger the media were blinding him with that is. ABC and SBS seem to be the only two of the televised news services trying to offer a fairly balanced view, however, the majority of Aussies have already had their views formed for them by Ch 7, Ch 9 and Ch 10. All are looking at the crisis though, and I fear none are looking at the issues involved, the reasons behind.
Granted, that the main and most pressing issue at the moment, particularly for the NSW Police force and the State Government is to regain order and control of the streets of Sydney.
One wonders though, in the fallout of the riots, what sort of honesty, and how critical the media will be of its own part of the bigger picture. Same goes for State and Federal Government.

Also, earlier this evening (our time) Stanley “Tookie” Williams was killed. He was murdered by the State of California, under the guise of Capital “Punishment”. Apart from never admitting to killing the 4 men he was accused of killing, he left his admitted violent ways behind and reformed.
However, discounting the possibility he may actually be innocent, the “Governator”, Arnie, an ACTOR was the final person to look over all of the evidence and make the final decision about whether Tookie should live or die.

Not just for these reasons, the death penalty should be abolished wherever it is part of Law. It is no more than Murder by the State.

An Eye for an Eye is Fuckin Obscene.

Sad news, Bad news and a Statement of HOPE!

2005-12-11T13:13:00.000+11:00

Well, first of all for today, I gueass we're all seddened by the passing of

Richard Pryor

He passed away this weekend of a heart atack at 65 years old. Had suffered MS for most of the 90's, but previously had changed the we look at many many things.

To the Bad news. I found some disturbing images last night, that I am NOT going to link to, from Iraq. These were imsges of dead Iraqis, that had been killed by American troops. The photos that were displayed on the website, showed the bloodcurdling injuries, with captions such as "All iraqis should look like this" or, as one caption proclaimed (under the image of a badly mutilated body) "Don't mess with the US Army".
The pictures themselves, as bad as they were, I could just handle - yes, hours later my skin was crawling - The most disturbing part was the captions. Not just the words - words are just that , words - but the fact that human beings can actually do this to each other, THEN BRAG ABOUT IT.

Fuck War. ALL War should end, not just the war in Iraq.

I also found some images, as they are starting to pop up also, of "Willie Pete" injuries.
Willie Pete = White Phosphour, a incendiary device the US Army apparently uses to light target areas in battle. This is of course, not to be confused with actual weapons, that kill and maim. Using White Phosphour as a weapon would be using it as a chemical weapon, and that wouldn't happen would it.
Have you seen these pictures too? The ones where White Phosphour "hasn't" been used as a weapon?
Well don't! Because, apart from anything else, it hasn't been used as a weapon, so these photos, obviously don't exist. If they did though, and WP had been used as a weapon (which again, has not happened), the photos (DO) show a violent painful death.
Again......Fuck War. It all has to end.

All this and don't forget....Depleted Uranium.
Fucking War.

And now, here is the bit I promised about HOPE!

Yesterday, the 10th Decamber, was the 57th Anniversary of the signing of the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Here it is in its entirety:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly Resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948

Preamble
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedoms,

Whereas member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now therefore: The General Assembly Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11
Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13
Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State.
Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14
Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15
Everyone has the right to a nationality.
No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16
Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
Marriage shall be entered into only with free and full consent of the intending spouses.
The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17
Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20
Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21
Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his country.
The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organisation and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23
Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26
Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27
Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29
Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

No doubt, one of th e most important documents ever written in the history of th especies.....Lets hope it goes part way to saving us from ourselves.

For more Info etc...

Amnesty International

You can find your nearest Amnesty here.

Any hoo, I'm going now.......We can change the World and make it a better place, in fact, its entirely up to us; WE have to. No-one else will.
Bye for now

Gibberish and randomness and whatever else Springs to mind in No Particular Order.

2005-12-10T19:11:00.000+11:00

Hi. How are Ya's? Me is ok.

Before you read on, I'd like to take a moment to mention that none of this post (as opposed to my "normal" posting) makes any sense what-so-ever.
SO BE FORE-WARNED.
(and, if you're lucky, I'll aft-remind you too).

Anyways, here "we" go............

First of all, it's 25 years since the assination of John Lennon. A man no doubt sorely missed for both his music and his political stance.

Well, I haven't smoked a single cigarette since Wednesday or whatever and IT SUCKS. Hardcore. As I've explained before, it is not through choice that I have not smoked, so if anyone out there has "spare" cash, get in touch, I'll happily give you my PayPal details and I'll be happy and the world will be all the better for it.

I just finished a new short-short story a few moments ago, that I now will look for a publisher for....No I don't like to publish fiction here, although I AM starting another blog over there (-->
------------------------------------------------------------->>>>) somewhere to put up some custom, blogworld fiction.

I am hungry, I think I will go fix myself something in a minute. Again though, if anyone would like to donate to my Paypal account, so that I can dial up a nice big "Upwey Pizza" pizza, that would also be well appreciated.....If anyone has eaten my food, you'll agree.

Looking at/Cleaning up my Cameras earlier tonight too. YAY. Except, my old Canon A1 has decided to die. I knew it was in the "dying way" for a while though. Sad really....It is by far my Fave Camera and easily has given me the best quality shots I have....For B&W anyway.
My old Ricoh seems to be ok though, in need of a new battery, but ok. It's an ok Camera for Colour, but not as good for B&W. Also, the Canon has a 28mm lens (Wide Angle), one of the many reasons I love it so, whereas my old Ricoh has not. I have a 70-210mm (which I'm not a fan of), for the Ricoh, so the ol' standard 50mm will have to do for now.

Oh, while I think of it, CH 7's TodayTonight and CH 9's ACurrentAffair Current Affair programs BOTH broke my poor little heart by not getting back to me.
I guess NO-ONE likes me at all. If you have no idea of what I'm talking about, and I imagine you don't click on

This link to catch up.

The Liberals' VSU as gone through.....I'll save all this for a big post for during the week. Suffice to say though, NOT HAPPY, JAN.
NOT HAPPY AT ALL.
In the last two weeks...IR changes have gone been passed, Welfare To Work, VSU and the Anti-Sedition laws have all been passed. NOT HAPPY.

Any how. I promised myself I wouldn't get all political today, but I did. So I am gonna get going now. To do what? I hear you ask. Or is that just the voices in my head being all cynical of my own behaviour? Hmmm. Good question I hear, well, someone asking.
Well, just in case it was you asking, being the lone stray reader of my less than humble blog, I will tell you.
I am going to eat. Then, and I guess I can admit this here, as no-one reads this, or admits to reading it,.....or something; I'm going to watch Gilmore Girls. I know I know. And yes, I know it probably sounds Gay too.
But I assure you I know all that, and no I'm NOT Gay.

Ah well. I told you today was going to be a mass of gibberish.
Anyhoo, I'm going.

GONE!

Actually, before I do go, and I nearly forgot this, in a bout of boredom I had earlier this afternoon, I found

....this blog. I don't know if it's comical or sad, but it IS disturbing.

Anyhooooo,I'll leave youwith it, because I AM going now.
Bye.

One of my Favourite of Aesops Fables.

2005-12-08T16:16:00.000+11:00

MERCURY AND THE WOODMAN!

A Man was felling a tree on the bank of a river; and by chance let his hatchet slip out of his hand, which dropt into the water, and immediately sunk to the bottom. Being therefore in great distress for the loss of his tool, he sat down and bemoaned himself most lamentably.
Upon this MERCURY appeared to him, and, being informed of the cause of his complaint, dived to the bottom of the river, and, coming up again, showed the man a golden hatchet, demanding if that were his. He denied that it was. Upon which, MERCURY dived a second time, and brought up a silver one. The man refused it, alleging likewise that this was not his. He dived a third time, and fetched the individual hatchet the man had lost; upon the sight of which the poor wretch was overjoyed, and took it with all humility and thankfulness.
MERCURY was so pleased with the fellow’s honesty, that he gave him the other two into the bargain, as a reward for his just dealing.
The man goes to his companions, and giving them an account of what had happened, one of them went presently to the river’s side, and let his hatchet fall designedly into the stream. Then, sitting down upon the bank, he fell a weeping and lamenting, as if he had been really and sorely afflicted. MERCURY appeared as before, and diving, brought up a golden hatchet, asking if that was the hatchet he lost. Transported at the precious metal, he answered, Yes; and went to snatch it greedily. But the god detesting his abominable impudence, not only refused to give him that, but would not so much as let him have his own hatchet again.
THE END.

I’m not going to pontificate over it. I like it and that’s that.

24 Hrs and no Cigarettes. NOT by choice, but by financial (or rather lack of) reasons. No job either. All the interesting ones, that I'd like and be good at, are all like "you need 12 months of this and 2 years proven experince of that" etc. GRRRRRRRRRRRRh. What will one DO? oh well. I'll work something out.

While you're here though, check

THIS OUT.

If this don't scare the pants off ya, nothing will. (IT did me, even though, strangely, I already knew it)...Will be adding it to links soooooooooon.

Catch.....

More Gibberish

2005-12-07T16:11:00.000+11:00

Ok. Christmas is well on its way and there's nothing we can do about it. Just hang on tight I guess and open our eyes up in a couple weeks, maybe it'll all be over by then and we can get on like normal.

I am out of cigarettes. I guess I have no hope in Hell of conning Mum into buying me more......That leaves one option. I gotta get me a job. A job? I hear you ask. Good question. No, seriously, cos I have no idea.

Cashless Society?
That's what the whole idea was of having all our money on plastic was right? If that's the case, then I have the CashLess bit down to a tee. However, I am real short of plastic. I need plastic, not money, not a job. I have a plastic cup. Can I trade that for a pack of Marlboro Lights? How 'bout the plastic bit of a pen, cos I got heaps of them. It seems to me the whole casless society thing was a con. Damn. And I bought it too.
Not only did I buy it, but I thought I was leading the way.
"Follow Me People," I was calling, "I will lead the way to the New World, The Cashless World."
Fuck I'm dumb.

Catch.....

December

2005-12-01T23:48:00.000+11:00

Being the first of the month, and being a man of Tradition, I must do,
THIS................................

Oh YAY. December. Just L-O-V-E-L-Y.
God, I HATE December.
With a vengeance too. Seriously. Christmas? - Blah-de-fuckin-BLAH!
I hate warm I hate hot. Gimme winter and gimme cold and gimme rain ANYday.

I hate Christmas lights.
Why do people insist on that? Why don't people do something WORTHWHILE with that money, including the money that goes on the next electricity bill? Why not hand it over to the Salvation Army? Or Oxfam? Or the local church for their community lunches? Or any number of other organisations that WILL do something worthwhile with that money? Y'know, maybe like, feed, clothe or shelter some of the people who have absolutely nothing. Give THEM a bit of a break once a year too. Make Christmas mean something to them. Hand over some change to - no better yet; buy a "bum" a meal. Spend an hour with "them".
Donate to LifeLine or something; it’s not only retailers and hospitality workers who are at their busiest this time of year, but crisis workers too. Spending and "good cheer" go up, but so do suicide rates. For most people it is the best time of year, but for some, it is the most painful and the hardest time of year.
So, before spending up big on lights and all that crap, think about the "others", people who don't have it as good as you.

Ahhh, there are SO many things I don’t like about this time of year. It is so wrong wrong wrong.
And it’s more than my tradition of paying out on whatever new month it is too. There are so many things to write about this month. You’ll see my mood change a lot too.

Anyhoo, a pinch and a punch, for the first of the month.

Catch ya’s.

I was thinking.....

2005-11-30T00:49:00.000+11:00

I was thinking,
I gotta get a life.

I sent the link to here to one of my classmates earlier tonight.
Then I thought to myself....Please don't go there.
Why??????????????????????????????????????????????????
Cos there really is nothing of particular note to read here. Just some ramblings about..... Well, I don't actually know.

So I figure I gotta go out and get me one of those life thingies.
On the other hand, I just wrote 2000 words to finish off an essay.

Catch.......

Listen up Johnny! 85,000 Signatures!

2005-11-29T00:15:00.000+11:00

85,000 signatures, and Lil Johnny is STILL not listening.

If I could just get you to cast your minds back to last Tuesday, and my post (hopefully) directing you to the "Your Rights At WorK" website and the petition to Senator Barnaby Joyce.....
Well, 85,000 signatures were collected by the website over just 5 days.
Firsly, well done to everyone who signed it and passed on their Anti-IR sentiments.
Secondly, does this still not tell the Australian Government that we, the people of Australia OPPOSE, unequivocally the Industrial Relations Reforms?
IF I saw the Rallies of a fortnight ago, attended by up to 500,000 people, then saw an online petition that had collected 85,000 signatures in 5 days, I'd be paying attention. At least a little bit. But no, not Lil Johnny.
What does this say about the state of democracy in Australia, when our elected officials are obviously not listening?
Another half-a-million people rallied against our involvement in the War in Iraq, but did our Government listen?
Again, obviously not.
So where exactly IS our democracy?

Onyx73, not sayin' Goodnight.....
Just sayin'....

Here's a Corker.

2005-11-24T17:20:00.000+11:00

Yes. I AM doing my work.....I was doing some legitimate work when I found this little gem.
OK, I was a little bit disracted, but seriously only a little bit.
I was searching for a specific comment from Johnny "The Deputy" Howard (Sieg Heil) on an ABC news site, and I saw this link the took me in a round a bout way to

HERE

What can I say, I'm a curious little bugger, so I couldn't resist. So, here I was, in the Lab, pissing myself laughing with everyone looking at me like I was the weird one. Ha! If only you knew people....

And how do I know I'm a curious little bugger I hear you ask?
Well, let me use THIS anecdote to explain.....

I was sitting here, in the lab, working away, Kyuss on my headphones, minding my own business earlier this afternoon. A person, (J), approached, who has a presesntaion due tomorrw on the economic ramifications of Global Warming. I know he's been having trouble with it, he's got to fill 20 minutes. I don't see that as being terribly difficult, but then, you gimme a newspaper or two and tell me to spin shit about something for 20 minutes, I reckon I can do ok. In fact, you'll be tellin me to SHUT THE HELL UP, pretty soon after I start.
Anyways......
He (J), comes up to me and says, Onyx73 (of course, (J) used my blog name, not my real name, which actually is Onyx73 - which is just too long to use in conversation, so I "allow" people to use my psuedonym), anyways, he says quietly to me, (I also think he might have thought I would have thought he was being rude), so anyways, he says to me, "Onyx73, can you do me a huge favour tomorrow?"
"I won't be here", I reply, being straight up and hopefully avoiding any potential confusion (I'm actually going away for the w/end), "but if I can, sure."
He looks at me and says, "oh, ok, um, I was gonna just ask, cos you're a pretty curious guy, if you could not ask me any questions about my presentation tomorrow."

So there you go, I AM a curious fella.

Onyx73, not saying goodnight,
Just Sayin'......

The Great Australian Fight......

2005-11-22T20:30:00.000+11:00

Johnny Howard, you can go and stick your IR “reforms” up your arse.
I know that may be difficult, with all your corpirate bosses’ hands up there, directing you on what to do etc, but seriously, you can stick the reforms up your arse.

210,000 people took to the streets in Melbourne (the biggest political demonstration in Melbourne’s history) last Tuesday (15th Nov) alone, half a million Nationwide, and still you ignore us, the people of Australia.
You and your business cronies claim that 95% of us “ignored” the protests and went to work anyway. Well, I don’t think so. I would reckon everyone I have spoken to is opposed to your Industrial Relations reforms, or “WorkChoices” as you try to sell it to us (with $55Million of OUR money), and these aren’t just “Leftie, Commie, Tree-huggin’, Hippie Trouble makers”, these are normal, mainstream voters, some of whom voted you into Government last time. I would like to know how many workplaces held Stop-work meetings to be a part of the Sky-Channel link up from Federation Square here in Melbourne. Business leaders claim $30 million in lost productivity in Victoria. Doesn’t THAT tell you something? Did I mention workers standing at the rally, WITH their bosses, who also oppose these draconian laws?

“WorkChoices”, for those that don’t know, is a plan by “our” Government and the business community to strip workers’ rights from them, including minimum wages and conditions and the right to collectively bargain and put all workers onto individual work contracts.
How, is one lone worker, with no bargaining power as an individual, going to gain a decent wage, decent working hours and conditions and a fair hearing? If you do remove the current unfair dismissal laws, as you intend, what is that person going to do when they are sacked for no good reason, or “operational reasons”? Oh, and the “Fair Pay Commission? You’ve put a card carrying Neo-Liberal who is going to leave all his decisions to God, instead of the current, independent Industrial Relations Commission to “guide” employers on what makes a fair wage….. While removing minimum wages.
Essentially this puts workers in Australia on par with workers in China or Viet Nam. NOT by improving the working conditions of developing nations to the equivalent of ours, but by bringing down our working conditions to the level of those in China or Viet Nam.
It is a part of the Neo-liberal plans of making two classes; the grotesquely rich, and the Army of Working Poor. We do NOT want this to happen, we want a fair days pay, for a fair days work. We want an equitable dividend of the riches, for ALL working people.

People, get involved. Australians, go to

You Right At Work

and sign the petition going to Senator Barnaby Joyce, the last real hope of DEMOCRACY in OUR Country. Anyone else, just keep an eye in your ‘papers, cos if this does get through here, YOUR Governments will also be trying this one out.

Not saying Goodnight, Just Saying…….

Gibberish # 5

2005-11-18T19:38:00.000+11:00

I have no idea wht I am saying.
I just wanted to drop into the Blogosphere basically to say HI.
So here it is folks:

HI.

I've had my head down in work all day today and been in bed crook for the last two. Tuesday was an enormous success, that is the Anti Industrial Relation Reform Rally. 210,000 people braved potentially bad Melbourne weather to tell Little Johnny to stick his "reforms" where the sun don't shine. I'll speak more about this next week. Proud to be Melburnian though.

Signing out for now......

The Year 2000, missing Years and Bar-B-Ques

2005-11-15T23:54:00.000+11:00

I could, but won't, argue in this blog (today anyway), that time is not lineal, that everything happens in an instant - just like a thought.

To answer a question posed though, concerning the year Christ "will return", evidence has been produced showing that the year 2000, was in fact the year 1997. There are disputes ongoing as to exactly what year it is in the Biblical sense, as there are conflicting ideas, as to what year the year 'Zero' actually was. Apparently, a couple years have gone astray along the way too. How does one lose a year or two I hear you ask?
Well, I have no idea. I can only use this anecdote to relay to you how this MAY or may not have happened. Here goes....
I used to work in a warehouse. A fairly big warehouse. A "Distribution Centre" to be precise. In this warehouse, we stocked Auto parts. We had a fairly comprehensive computer filing system that kept track of all the stock in the warehouse and between our warehouse and our customers and so on, so that, at any given time, a part number or order number or part description could be entered into the system and the status of every part (for example) could be found easily. Sound simple so far? Good. Well anyways, one Friday, the bosses had planned a staff BBQ for us - about 150 of us at the time. Yeah, like I said, it was a reasonable sized operation. So, the meat was bought, the drinks were bought, the time set (y'know extended lunchtime etc), everything was great, everyone was happy and exited. Everyone was in a good mood.
I noticed a couple of the bosses though, wandering around, looking lost and quite bewildered. This was in my section of the Warehouse, a section I knew pretty well. I would in fact say, very well, so I approached the bosses and asked, "Hey. What's up? What are ya looking for?", feeling confident that if I didn't know where it was, it wasn't worth knowing the whereabouts, because we probably didn't have one, it, some, them or whatever.
"Oh nothing"
"Oh, you sure?" I asked.
They looked at each other , quite guiltily, like little kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar. "Um, you haven't seen the BBQ have you?"
"Why no" I reply, no second thought.
They looked at me blankly....."Nowhere at all?", knowing that I actually knew the whole warehouse pretty well.
"Um, no" I replied again, as dumbly as usual.
Then a thought occurred to me. "Why are they asking me this?" Then another, "Why aren't they cookin meat? Isn't it nearly lunchtime?". Then the flood gates opened, "Why are you asking me where the BBQ is? Why are you asking me where the BBQ is this close to lunchtime? Why are you asking me this this close to lunchtime while no-one is cooking meat? WHERE IS THE BBQ?"
So you see, it IS pretty easy to lose something as simple as say, a year or two or a Bar-B-Que.
It must be noted though, that evidence has also shown that the year 2000 was also 2003, 1994, 2007, and everything in between. So make of that what you will.
Singing OUT……….

Ethiopia

2005-11-14T20:19:00.000+11:00

Again, Ethiopia is in the news, or at least should be;

I was forwarded a worrying E-mail this morning concerning recent events in Ethiopia. I have looked into this matter a little further myself, to get some background/confirmation, and it seems to be legit. And so I have contacted you, to alert you, in case news hasn't got to you yet, of this situation.

It is about the use of force by the controversially elected Prime Minister, Mr Meles Zenawi to quash opposition supporters who have held Anti-Government demonstrations over late last week and into the weekend.
According to Reuters, State Run television is reporting 42 deaths in the clashes. As many as 4,000 people have been incarcerated, many of whom have now been released, and state television are running with claims that 300 people had been injured.

Conversely though, the e-mail I received reports that hundreds of students have been killed at an otherwise mainly peaceful rally at the Mercato Market in Addis Ababa and that as many as 13,000 students have been rounded up by the Government and taken away. Newspapers (State run) have apparently not been printed since Wednesday of last week, internal flights (State run services) have not been running and the TV news in Ethiopia has apparently shown students clashing with police, ie throwing sticks and stones, but has failed to show the local police firing into the crowds.

Zenawi closed down the country's Universities in May, after the last election was held, to disenable students to communicate the voice of dissent. Opposition leaders, most of whom are also currently behind bars awaiting trial on charges of treason, claim the election results were fraudulent and that up to 85% of the vote was against Zenawi.

The Email, written by a person who has left Ethiopia within the last day and a half or so, claims that food is drying up, taxis and buses have stopped and the streets are empty - The tension is "ever so present".

Further to this, Eritrea, the country with which Ethiopia was in a bloody war with from 1998 - 2000 over territorial boundries, which claimed 70,000 lives, is arming up its border defences again. Ethiopia has predictably replied by bolstering its border guard.
This is a situation which has the UN quite concerned. Not only for the fact that tensions are mounting between the two nations outright, but they (the UN) have 3200 peace-keepers holding down the de-militarised zone which encompasses the border, 3200 people at direct risk of being caught in the crossfire if tensions between the two rival nations reach a meltdown. This understanderably is their primary concern - the safety of the people under their command, but the ultimate fear is that another war could erupt, killing tens of thousands of people.
Eritrea has a population of 3 million.

Let's hope, that this can be sorted peacefully.

Oh, I also got onto the Website of the Ethiopian Government, and conveniently, the email link was not working. There-fore, I guess government comment will not be forthcoming.

Signing out........

Cyber Crush

2005-11-13T22:54:00.000+11:00

Something occurred to me tonight, something scary. And I have to discuss this or I WILL go M-A-D.

I’ve begun to wonder; is it weird to have a "cyber-crush"?

Let me tell you the story;
I was going through some bookmarked blogs earlier tonight, and came across one I hadn't seen for quite a while. In fact, the last couple times I’d tried to look this particular blog up, the writer had deleted all her material. She had kept the address in her blog’s name though, so, yes, I kept trying the link out occasionally, y’know, just to see.
But, going a little further back in time, to when she was writing on it regularly. From her picture, her writing and her content, I felt myself quite drawn to the blog, and to her.
Yes, she’s cute. Well, as far as I could tell from the one, lone picture she has on her profile page, she’s cute anyway.
Her blog was full of smart and witty entries, or posts, and I just liked reading her blog; she had some really interesting stuff in it. Nothing particularly special, just rants, raves and observations from her very own perspective, the stuff oh so many blogs are made up of. Yet, she had cool things to talk about and a unique take on things, a take I could relate to. Needless to say, when I went to her blog one day and saw that she had discontinued it, I was bitterly disappointed. I hadn’t then the slightest inkling of what I now know.

Now, I should say here, something to defend myself, so that you don’t all immediately think that I am weird, but I can’t, so I won’t. I’ll let you work it out.
Apart from anything else, this un-named woman lives in LA, and I of course do not. I live about 10,000 kms away, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean and then some.

So anyways, as I was saying, I was going through some of those bookmarked blogs and came across hers.
Yay, I thought to myself. And read through excitedly. She has not only updated her blog, but, as she had made the conscious decision when she abandoned the blog in the first place to keep all her saved files, all her original posts have been re-posted.
So, as I was reading through these with my heart-light re-ignited, something horrendous dawned on me……
I was reading these posts in a way I probably shouldn’t have been.
“Why am I thinking this way?” I asked myself. “Why am I so happy this woman from LA, a total stranger has re-commenced blogging?”
I was getting a little concerned.
Then, a further realisation hit me, like a cold fish across the face on a wet, cold winter’s afternoon.

I HAVE A CRUSH.

I have a crush on this poor woman from LA. This woman who doesn’t even know I exist. A crush on this woman whom I have never, ever met, nor am I ever going to.

WHOA! I not only have a crush on a woman I don’t know, but worse still, I HAVE A CYBER CRUSH.
Yes, oh my word, it freaked me out.

So, now I sit here, not looking at her blog thinking to myself, “Am I really that weird?”
“Have I really tipped the scales of sanity and blurred the lines between real and surreal?”

Yes, I am a 32 year old single man, and she is, as far as one can tell from reading this woman’s blog (and that one, lone photo that may or may not actually even be her), this 25 year old woman from LA is damn cool and smart and interesting. But come on. This has to be wrong doesn’t it?

But then I think to myself, “Maybe I’m not so weird. Maybe this is just a reflection of the world we live in today”.

Signing Out……

Democrazy

2005-11-11T21:39:00.000+11:00

Just picked up a copy of Margo Kingston's Not Happy John.

In it she has a critical look at how Honest John has effectively stolen OUR democracy.

She outlines (as if we didn't already know - this book was published in 04 though) how we were dragged into the war. I say dragged because I for one was NOT led. To have been led implies that I willingly followed my leader. I did NO SUCH THING.
Even through the lies I objected, as did many many of my fellow Australians, yet we were still DRAGGED, by the scruff of the neck, into a war we did not want (or need) to be involved in. The voice of opposition to the war was strong, yet he dimissed, even ignored that voice.
And that is OUR democracy? Or is ir Johnny's democrazy?

Needless to say, Not Happy John is not going to be an easy book to put down.

Signing off.......

Gibberish #4

2005-11-10T23:13:00.000+11:00

I still have NO ideaa what is wrong with my code. Ah well.
A-Current-Affair and Today Tonight are STILL ignoring me. Ah well.

I am having trouble thinking of anything intelligent to say. Actually, anything to say.

I STILL have no life. Ah well

NO Surprises

2005-11-08T22:47:00.000+11:00

Well firstly, neither Chanel 7's Today-Tonight nor Chanel 9's A-Current-Affair have replied to my e-mails.
I guess they must BOTH be pretty busy putting out Propaganda at the moment, y'know, with the Anti "Terror"/Anti Sedition Laws, The Terrorist raids, I.R. etc. So I'll give it a few more days before my heart breaks.

On the other hand, I did one of those online tests.....
No surprises here either.....

Disorder	Rating
Paranoid Personality Disorder:	Moderate
Schizoid Personality Disorder:	Moderate
Schizotypal Personality Disorder:	High
Antisocial Personality Disorder:	Low
Borderline Personality Disorder:	Very High
Histrionic Personality Disorder:	Low
Narcissistic Personality Disorder:	Moderate
Avoidant Personality Disorder:	High
Dependent Personality Disorder:	Very High
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:	High
-- Take the Personality Disorder Test -- -- Personality Disorder Info --

I have known the Borderline thing for ages.
Dependant? Hmmm.
So, plus these with Anxiety/Depression.
He he he he.
But if you know how to answer these quizzes, they can be manipulated.
I've done soooo many of these that say writer/teacher/Journo for a career though too. Which IS pretty cool. Hmmm.
I'm not actually saying anything here am I?
Hmmmm
I guess I'll sign out....

Gibberish #3

2005-11-07T15:18:00.000+11:00

Well, I can't really think of much to write today - apart from some general Gibberish, so I'll just let some random thoughts out.
I hope you don't mind.

So, it's Monday. Hmmm.
My weekend was pretty ordinary.
I "Whipper Snipped" or "Brush-Cut" the yards on Saturday. This was an excercise in futility if ever there was one. My Dad has a perfectly good heavy duty Brush cutter hanging up in the Garage and this really cheap lightweight one he insist in me using.
Let me tell you people (or stray, singular person), that this is a dumb way of doing a good job of a big job.
Instead of me just hooking in and getting the job done effeciently and easily, I had to use this crappy lightweight machine that I had to stop every 5 minutes to repair.
Which A) probably wouldn't need to happen on a small block of flat land and B) probably wouldn't need to happen with a good, reliable, capable machine.
Let me set the scene: The block of land I live on, and have to mow, is about 2/3 of an acre and steep. By steep, I mean that from the bottom of the block to the back, it rises about 50 metres. Which I LOVE. And can't be cut with an ordinary push stle lawn mower. However, this machine was pretty much designed for a suburban block that you'd only ever brush-cut a couple times a year, around the edges, fences etc. NOT a big, steep, full block of wild native grasses.
So, the normally 2hr job (with the good machine), turned into a 5 hour epic. It was hot, and yes, I swore a lot.
So, once it actually broke down (a bearing has seized) I politely told my Papa that the job wasn't going to be finished that day.
He's half agreed to buy a new machine, one that hopefully, will be capable of doing the whole job in one hit and in less than half a day.

Anyhow, Sunday consisted mainly of a series of naps, kips and snoozes, which was ok.

Also, please let me express a sentiment my Dad did offer on the Government's current proposed Bill on Industrial Relations (IR)......
"If it's that fuckin good, why isn't it just incorporated into the EBA's?" ("It being the IR reform and EBA's being the union negotiated working conditions).
I must say, that I think he may have a point.
Or maybe employers wouldn't introduce the IR to EBA negotiations because they know how fucked they are and they know that workers would NEVER vote on a union motion to pass the IR section into their own workplace agreements.

But, who am I?
I am just a simple man, writing a blog whilst studying and because my Government is so screwed, of course my opinio means NADA. And, because the Democracy in this country is SO efective, neither do anyone elses.
*I sigh now*
Oh Well
That is enough of my ramblings for today.....
Signing out.....

PS. Iseem to have accumulated a bug somewhere in my code, which is making my blog look like this ---------------------->
with that massive gap down to my profile/links etc.
Does anyone know how I can fix this?

T-T and ACA

2005-11-03T16:41:00.000+11:00

Well, I STILL haven't heard back from Today Tonight. They must be REEAALL busy.
So, I took it upon myself to remind them of the Emai I recently sent them.
I also took the liberty of editing it a little, and passing it on to chanel 9's

A Current Affair

Here is the Rejigged email that I sent to our beloved ACA.

*************************************************************************************
There is a Television program that I think should be investigated and brought to its knees. My most serious concerns relate to plain bad "journalism", skewed, biased and sensationalist reporting of issues it sees, or rather, topics the producers push as being “issues” (while ignoring the deeper root problems and their causes, and, it may be argued, adding to the problems our society faces), for pandering to collective fears for the sake of ratings and driving neo-liberal Government agenda, and for commercial advertising thinly disguised behind the premises’ of being investigations into whatever the service/product claims to do for us. Conversely, this program also, I feel, aims to discredit any opposition to it or its commercial allies.

The program in question blatantly disregards ethical and moral considerations when producing stories and airing them, preferring, over good journalism, profit for the company and therefore ratings and advertising revenue.

It may well be argued by the Executives of this program, and the network that this is what people WANT to see, rather than all that depressing stuff about war, the reasons behind drug abuse, crime and perhaps climate change and the potentially devastating effects this will have, so therefore, this program delivers. They would probably even cite their ratings over those of say, the 7:30 Report, Lateline, Four Corners, (ABC) or the Cutting Edge (SBS).But let’s face it, you put any easily digestible fluff in front of most of this programs’ “loyal” viewers, at 6:30 in the evening, and they’ll pretty much buy it (re: Today Tonight 7 network)

So basically, I was wondering, if you, the producers of such an influential branch of the media tree, could find it in your hearts, to send a couple of your hardest hitting reporters out to investigate and bring to their knees the perpetrators of the crime that is: A Current Affair?

Thank you.

*************************************************************************************

So hopefully, even if one IS too busy, the other might be able to help me out.
Signing Out.......

November

2005-11-01T14:44:00.000+11:00

In the long standing tradition I have forged of posting about the new month, today I am going to post about the new month.
Ready folks?
Here it is.....

November. Oh YAY. How I love November!?!?!
Yippee
oh yippity fucken Yay.
Christmas decorations go up....Yippee.
Melbourne Cup....Yippee.
Warm weather....Yippee.
The Anniversary of Gough getting sacked...Damn Liberals. (Some of us still celebrate Gough's acheivements though).

Seriously though....when are they just going to declare this whole Melbourne Cup week a public holiday.
I hate the Cup, don't get me wrong. But, let's face it, how productive is the Monday between the weekend and Cup Day? It's not.
I know. I have worked well long enough before coming back to Uni to know, that NOTHING is done on the Monday. Every one ELSE is off from work to make the long weekend and there is NOTHING to do wherever there are people "working". People even call the Monday part of the "long weekend". So why don't they just declare the Monday a Public holiday as well.
Then there's Oaks Day on Thursday...."Ladies Day"
Women from all over Melbourne take full advantage of Ladies Day. And why shouldn't they? It is their Day.
So. Monday, Tuesday and Thursdary are all days where productivity all go downhill. So let's just declare Thursday a public Holiday, then the fella's can all go down to Flemington as well and get drunk and ogle the ladies. (I'm sure they go on the Thursday...I would if I could).
So that leaves Friday.
Well, why make people go to work on the Friday of this week? If Thursday becomes a public holiay, then will anyone go to work on the Friday? I didn't think so either.
And that leaves poor little Wednesday.
Are we so cruel that we will force people to work on Wednesday? Make people work for just one day of the week?
The Liberals might be, but come on. This is Melbourne we're talking about here. In the tradition Melbourne has of being the "Sporting Capital", and the home of AFL, we could make Wednesday the "Half Time" public Holiday. A rest day. No ponies, a bit of physio and some oranges.
Whatd' ya reckon?

Over and out.....

PS. I am SICK of Mikybe Diva, however it's spelt.

Just a quick bit of Activism to end the week

2005-10-27T23:17:00.000+10:00

Hey ppl.
In a new twist, I've just decided to write once a week in my humble little blog, of an issue and provide links to relevent websites.

Today, I'm going to (hopefully) direct a little of your attention to an incident that occurred in Bhopal, India, in 1984; and the consequences, with which hundreds of thousands of people still live today.

On the 2nd Dec 1984, an accident in a Union Carbide chemical plant in Bhopal, India, released a toxic cloud into the atmosphere that, within only a short day or two, killed as many as 20,000 people. The toll is still rising today, with one death per day in the Bhopal region being attributed directly to the initial disaster. Many more deaths are occuring through the longer term environmental damage that was caused. Many of these have come about through the toxification of the local soils and water.
Gruesome birth defects, disease and cancer, and the injuries sustained by the original survivors plague Bhopal and the surrounding districts.
And 21 years later, the company in control of the operation at the time, Union Carbide, and the curent owner Dow Chemical, are both STILL weedling their way out of facing up to the responsibility they have of the clean up of the environment, the health needs of the local population and the laws thhey have broken and subsequent charges that have been laid. In fact, both companies, and the people in charge at the time of Union Carbide, have not even had the decency to appear in the Indain courts to at least answer to the charges: while at least 300,000 people STILL SUFFER.
Sounds like they have something to hide if you ask me......
But you didn't.

For more information/more detailed information, have a look here ----->

Justice For Bhopal

You will also find a petition on the website. Please sign it and together we can aply pressure to the "powers that be" that wherever it happens in the world, they will not get away with it...

Some people.....

2005-10-24T20:15:00.000+10:00

Some people were born to infuriate me. I'm 100% convinced of that.
Our Media "Representative" has actively set out to destroy our Student Mag, Tabula Rasa.
Why? Who knows? Maybe he's a Liberal in disguise.
And why, you may ask, did I use "" around the word Representative? Because HE is the one trying to destroy us, instead of being the one trying to protect us.
He is NOT representative of me.

For anyone from outside Australia who may stumble across my humble little blog, let me clarify; Liberal here, is a reference to our current Government, the Liberal Party, which is the conservative side of politics. And yes, they are conservative. The Liberal in their name signifies their stance on market liberalisation, NOT human liberation......But that is for another day.

I was actually looking forward all day to having just a good ole whinge about the sorry state of my sorry little life. But NO. I got an email describing our Media "Reps" latest moves to close down our Magazine.
So instead, I spent an hour writing the following e-mail, which I've edited here, as you won't know all the gory details.
Here it is......

**********************************************

Fellow Tabula-ites,
It's a grand ole thing to see our REPRESENTATIVE standing up FOR us, and fighting FOR us, and REPRESENTING US, rather than making life a misery.

To anyone reading this, yes I am yelling, cos I am angry as hell.

Personally, I would have thought the MEDIA REP would have been proud of their media outlets' independence, and would be the one fighting tooth and nail to preserve that independence; TR, SSR and Swin TV.

However, this sadly seems not to be the case. Am I disappointed? No.
If there are people in this world, intent on causing more problems than there need be, then these individuals deserve far LESS than my respect, and will receive far LESS than my respect. I cannot be disappointed by an individual that I do not respect.
An individual, coincidently, who has had ample time and opportunity to bring any of these issues up, with any of the TR Editorial staff he feels comfortable speaking with throughout the year, but has not. Why? I cannot answer that question, our Media rep is the individual who has saved all these issues up, until now, and taken matters out of our hands, rather than addressing the issues he has at more appropriate times; ie when they have arisen, so that they could be addressed promptly.

Now, before people start calling me a hypocrite for bringing administration (and I use the term loosely in this case) and "politics" into the TR egroup, I would like to say, (no not that, this IS a public forum), that OUR egroup IS the place for TR members and contributors to discuss TABULA RASA issues, not the place for an individual to air their personal vendetta.
This motion is a TR issue, which TR members need to know about, to discuss, and to FIGHT.

IF, our illustrious media rep has anything to say to me, I would ask that he say it to me privately and NOT engage in a public flame war. I am merely fighting for a publication that I am proud to be involved with and proud of, and will continue to do so vocally, and do NOT wish to be involved in a public slinging match.

*******************************************

And it gets worse.....
I just found out how seriously the UNIVERSITY is taking his bullshit, and is threatening to not give the union ITS OWN MONEY for the magazine.

Independent, Student Media, is NOT the University's business. It is OUR business.
This fight has only just begun......

And, Today Tonight still havent replied. I guess they must be REAL busy.
More soon.

Well Surprise surprise!

2005-10-20T21:15:00.000+10:00

Wouldn't ya know it?!?!?!

Today Tonight haven't replied to my email (see below) asking them to expose the fraud that is, commercial current affairs programming.
Why not? Well, maybe it's because it's in the queue still and hasn't been gotten to yet, whhich is perfectly fair enough, I'm more than willing to wait my turn and don't want ot push other people's stories out. But I'm hoping they do get back to me. Fingers crossed.

WE could also visit this website

adbusters

to change the world.

Lets do it people.

Today Tonight

2005-10-19T00:30:00.000+10:00

For those who don't know, from outside of Australia, we have a "current affairs" program that is aired nightly at 6:30 pm, in the evening called

Today-Tonight

Basically, they go over the days events, run their owners' agenda etc, the usual "current affairs" programming crap. At least in the commercial network world anyways. It's main competition/rival is on the Channel 9 network, "A Current Affair".

So earlier tonight, I was looking at a friends blog, who has linked to some footage of some of the off air shenanigans of Today-Tonight. He also had a link to the website, where, in one section, they ask for the viewers ideas for stories. Well, I couldn't help myself. So here is the story idea I sent off to them.
I hope they can help me out in exposing the terrible, terrible fraud.....

"OK. Here is my story idea/the scam I want exposed......

There is a show on Television, that I think should be investigated and brought to its knees for just plain bad "journalism", skewed, biased and sensationalist reporting of issues it sees, or rather, pushes as being “issues” (while ignoring the deeper root problems and their causes, and, it may be argued, adds to the problems our society faces), and for thinly disguising commercial advertising that this program hides behind the premises’ of being investigations into whatever the service/product claims to do for us. Conversely, this program also, I feel, aims to discredit any opposition to it or its commercial allies.

The program in question blatantly disregards ethical and moral considerations when producing stories and airing them, preferring over good journalism, profit and therefore ratings.

It may well be argued by the Executives of this program, and the network (Channel 7), that this is what people WANT to see, rather than all that depressing stuff about war, the reasons behind drug abuse and crime and perhaps climate change and the potentially devastating effects this will have, so therefore, this program delivers. They would probably even cite their ratings over the ratings of say, the 7:30 Report, Lateline, Four Corners, or the Cutting Edge. But let’s face it, you put any easily digestible fluff in front of most of this programs’ “loyal” viewers, at 6:30 in the evening, and they’ll pretty much buy it (re: Big Brother).

So basically, I was wondering, if you, the producers of such an influential branch of the media tree, could find it in your hearts, to send a couple of your hardest hitting reporters out to investigate and bring to their knees the perpetrators of the crime that is:
Today Tonight?

Thank you."

Now I await their reply. I so hope they can help me out.

ELECTION IS OVER !

2005-10-15T03:07:00.000+10:00

AND WE WON!
WooHoo!

Mostly, Misspolitics is the President of our Union. She's done a wonderful job in a difficult year and deserves the "top job".
The Union and the student body will be much better of for her efforts.

WE also won the VSU battle against the Federal Liberal Government.
WooHoo! for Student Unions in general, not just ours, and to Senator Barnaby Joyce who had the balls to cross the floor and vote against the party line.

It's been a big week, a tough week, but it loks as though we've made it through.
So, in about 10 seconds, I will be fast asleep.
Goodnight, and speak soon.
YAY.

One of my favourite things.

2005-10-13T02:19:00.000+10:00

One of my favourite things is.............
Spelling Errors.
Even the word itself smacks of indecision. (re: just say maybe)

You could; er, err, er,
Or: or, or, or.

err or. The guy who came up with this word was a fucking genuis.

Now, I'll move on to spelling errors.
I love Spelling Errors.
I could (but won't) do it all day.

Errors Errors
Errors Errors
Errors Errors

See what I mean?
Wow.

Elections begin tomorrow, so the shit fighting has begun today.

2005-10-09T19:39:00.000+10:00

OK, I can see many many posts here in the next few days, even a few a day. AS i said, the shit fight has begun:

Can someone explain to me how we will save another $200 dollars each AFTER VSU, when and IF it comes through?

If VSU is passed in the Federal Senate, which is NOT guaranteed, as a number of Nationals are still opposing the bill, at least in the caucus rooms (this I know for fact. I can back my claim up, but will NOT reveal my sources), then it is the GSF the University no longer collects. From the GSF, the University then allocates an amount to the Union. THIS IS WHERE THE UNION ATTAINS IT'S FUNDS, NOT A UNION FEE. The Union has to anually fight for this money. So, no GSF = no money for the Union. The Union does NOT collect money from us via a "Union Fee".

So, again I ask - where will this $200 come from? And how will it be a saving to us even IF VSU comes through? Will Jono, and others from the so called "coalition of independants" be paying us $200 each from their own coffers? Please explain?
And what good will this do to Union services, INCLUDIN clubs, activities and independant student media (the place, one feels, these issues should have been brought up in the first place. ie the legitimate forum rather than your egroups)

And, on top of that, have all the parties that have been promised by the Liberals been funded? (I mention Liberals because the form of "Campaigning" these ppl are using is so so reminiscient of Liberal party campaigning). Where will this money come from IF VSU goes through AND they will be saving us a FURTHER $200 each?
Where are the policies BTW? Or are we to just beleive the PDF poster?

I apologise for bringing this into your groups' forums, where this sort of behaviour does NOT belong, but I am asking these questions here because other people see it fit to discuss these issues here.
There is also one other person running for Media and Activities rep. Where is that persons sanctioned propagana?

Voluntary Voting in Australia

2005-10-07T01:27:00.000+10:00

I think:
Aust has a high turn out on Election Day, but how many of these people, the so called "voters" actually vote, rather than get crossed off the role and drop their paper in the Ballot? Yes, it is a right to do that. But, how many of the voters actually think about their vote or where it goes? How many just go by what is in the biased media, owned by neo-liberal corporate pigs with their own agendas?
How many even vote without “how to vote” cards? Or decide in advance of arriving at the polling booth where their vote is going?
Did people know you can actually do that? Yes, you can actually make up your own mind on who you vote for, who your preferences are and how you place each candidate on YOUR VOTE! On YOUR Ballot paper!
You don’t need to vote on stupid shit like “That’s a pretty how to vote card”. That is probably an extreme example; however I’m sure it happens. How often does it happen though? Then, the same people complain that they’ve lost this that or the other service. These are the people that shouldn’t be voting. Not excluded…..don’t get me wrong…..ALL people should have the right to vote.
Just USE it, DON’T ABUSE IT.
I’m convinced, that if only the people who took part in our democracy, who had an interest and paid attention voted, the following may not be troubles for us. At least not to the extent they are.

These things WERE voted for, by you, the unthinking, unquestioning majority, 1 year ago:
Telstra. Industrial Relations Reforms. VSU. Unethical Foreign Policy that is brining war to our doorstep, not to mention us being involved in wars on other lands based on LIES. Increased HECS.
Remember this little gem people…Interest Rates will NOT rise under a liberal Government. They obviously forgot to mention insane fuel prices and the longer term effects of that one…..prices of everyday items UP, everyday living expenses UP, and yes, most likely, INTEREST RATES UP. Are we better off?
Don’t forget these ones either; Anti Abortion, Anti Gay marriage. And we call ourselves a liberal society.
Don’t forget either, the fact that our “illustrious” leader is nought but a Butt-puppet for George W. and his war mongering, neo-liberal cronies.

Do I support Voluntary Voting? Hell yeah. The gullible who only vote because it is compulsory will stop voting, and the rest of us can get on with proper and true Democracy. Leaving only the people who actually deserve to vote, those of us actually engaged with politics and policy, people with something to add...even those I disagree with.
This will also give me, a voluntary voter, one more right;
The right to tell the whingers to “Shut up and DO something about it if you don’t like it. Don’t complain to me”
Any how, I’ll go now.

What am I?

2005-10-06T23:23:00.000+10:00

This is what I am......

A liberal arts student
A writer
A sub-editor
A Student Union Rep
A son
A mate

These are some things I have been......

A musician
A photographer
A writer
An Artist
A Blubbering Mess
King of the World!

A Martial Artist
A Pupil / A teacher
A Winner / A guy having a bad bad day

I've been,
A printer
A Storeman
An Inventory Controller
A labourer
A Driver
A forklift Driver

A leader / A follower
A boss / A worker
In Charge / Out of control
trying to be ME!

....These are some of the things I have been.
But....
What am I?????????
What Am I going to be, when I grow up?

October

2005-10-05T00:55:00.000+10:00

October eh People?
Who named October OCT? Oct is eight. As in OCTagon. OCTagonerian, or however the rest of it is spelled.

I'll leave you with that to ponder, or ignore, whatever your preferance may be.

Oh yeah. Back safe and sound from Newcastle.
More on that a little later......

Gibberish #2....Oh, and some news.

2005-09-28T00:51:00.000+10:00

Hey people. How you all going? Me is ok.

Just say Maybe eh? That is off an old Smashing Pumpkins –shirt I dug up the other day from a few years ago. I’ve been listening to the Pumpkins a heap again lately. Mainly “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness”

Y’know, it really is a pity how the Pumpkins ended. The Jimmy Chamberlain, Jimmy Melvoin OD and heroine affair. The Smashing Pumpkins though, especially in retrospect, were one of THE great rock bands. In the true sense of a rock band. The self destructive tendencies, the music and the attitude IN the music, the struggle to cope with and the ultimate rebellion against their own success…everything. Even D’arcy ending up in gaol for drugs. The honesty though, in Billy Corgan’s lyrics and voice were both just second to none, again, especially in retrospect. A true rock’n’roll story – tragedy, success, the lot.

As Billy himself quotes,

“My life, has been, extra-ordinary, blessed and cursed and won.”

Onto other business………

My nomination was accepted for the role of Disability Support Rep in the Uni Elections and, as I was the only nomination for that seat, I have been officially “Hereby declared elected.”

So, I am now Disability Support Rep Elect, as the role does not begin until next year.

I am exited, pleased and nervous as hell.

I am exited to have a role in which I can hopefully make a change and do some positive things.

I am pleased, that, in my specific role, I will have the opportunity, and resources to again, hopefully, shed some light onto the issues involved with, and on Mental Health / Mental Illness.

As a sufferer of Depression and Chronic Anxiety, I see first hand the need for people to be made more aware of what it actually means, and what it is like to live with Mental Illness. If I can get some one to seek help for their own needs, if I can help some one understand the life of a Loved one who suffers, or if I can even just make one, ONE person with nothing or little to do directly with Mental Health issues, see that it IS an issue of great import, then I will have done my job.

Thirdly, I am nervous as hell, neigh, Shit Scared is a more appropriate term I think, because, the very prospect of screwing up is just so intimidating.

But, I am not going to think about that.

Two days to go.
That's right, two days until the National Student Media Conference in Newcastle(nsw). Actually, one day to go, b/cos we leave on Thursday morning, and it's technically Wednesday morning here now.
Three of us are going from my Uni, one other guy from Tabula Rasa, and one from the Uni student radio station.....and I don't know how many other peopl from Uni's around the country. So four days of mixing it up and talking MEDIA. YAY.
Looking forward to it ......

Anyhoo, until next time.

Just say MAYBE

2005-09-26T00:23:00.000+10:00

Just say

MAYBE!

Gibberish

2005-09-25T00:04:00.000+10:00

Ok. So it's 12:05 am EST Sunday Morning/Saturday night.
And I'd like to write something Earth-shatteringly intelligent, but I'm just not capable.
Sorry folks. But no-one reads my blog anyway.
So, I don't actually know what to write, or write about.
Um.
Sydney Swans won the AFL Grand Final today...Go Swans. Better the Swans, a formerly Melbourne based club and a club still based on the East Coast rather than a West Coast club; The Eagles. I would love to have seen my Blues (Carlton) do it, but I fear that may not happen for many a year now, especially when one considers the former "powerhouse" is now 16th, (out of 16), and was 16th (out of 16) but two short years ago.
Congratulationd to the Sydney Swans.

Um.
It's now 12:13 am EST.
My holidays are good. Been lazy, but als obeen busy enough to actually get out of bed and do "stuff".
What stuff you may ask?
Well, I could tell you, but, as the saying goes, then I'd have to ......... Y'know, 'cos I'm an International Man of Mystery and stuff, so I just can't say.
Ok, I can.
So here's a little......
Did a big bunch of writing on Tuesnight, wrote a(nother) story for Tabula Rasa. (Tabula Rasa is the Student Magazine i am proud to be a part of - I am Political Sub-editor and a staff writer)
Went to school on Wednesday.....even though I'm on holidays. Did some stuff for Tabula Rasa. Had a long overdue coffee with Miss A. She's a cutie. Were "interupted" by her friend "S" though, and the delightful Miss A had to go......Damn shame that was. Oh well, I'm sure there'll be mo' coffee.

Thursday, went in to School/Uni again, to sign some paperwork pertaining to the National Student Media Conference I'll be attanding in Newcastle (NSW) this week. WAY looking forward to that. Will be getting our itinery on Monday so will be ablle to tell you more about that then, and don't hold out on me, 'cos I know you're hanging with baited breath for more info.
Um....
I will have some more to say this week about a couple other things too, so, until then, Checkin Out.

PS....just found this: http://bigbloosky.blogspot.com/2005/09/loud-doesnt-mean-right.html
Well worth a look.

Aarrrrr...!

2005-09-19T13:05:00.000+10:00

Aarrrrrrrrr..! me mateys. Tis International Talk Like A Pirate Day.
Coures 'Twould be as Pirates have no boundries, or borders; as I say, "Pirates sans Frontiers".
For today me swash-buckling mateys, and to you buxom wenchs, my name is Bloody William Bonnet.

And i am a:

You are a Pirate Second Class

Do you remember the last time you took a chance? I do. It was when you decided to leave the security of your mother's womb and headed for the bright light. It's time to head for the next bright light, my friend. Creativity is not your strong suit. You are good at doing what you are told to do and that, in itself, is a gift. It's not a gift to you, mind you, but rather a gift to those who will be there to tell you what to do. You like long walks on the beach and cuddling, but would never admit that to your Guy friends who think you are okay but can't always remember your name. Tapioca pudding seems a bit extreme for a fellow such as yerself, what with all the bumps and stuff. It's a good thing ye be on a pirate%

Aye. So there ye have it. Merry Talk Like a Pirate Day to yers.
Check out the Website http://www.talklikeapirate.com and have ye a good day o' bilge rats, chumbuckets and nailing yer bosuns feet to the poop-deck.

More soon.
Aarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...!

HI

2005-09-13T20:29:00.000+10:00

Hello.
Well it's Tuesday already. The weekend went so quickly - almost as quickly as the Ashes.
It's good really....Australia being knocked off the pedestal a little. Our little cricket team, it seems is NOT so invincible after all.

Melbourne and her people have been threatened by terrorists. Along with LA.
Melbourne? one asks. Bit obscure isn't it?
Well fuck 'em anyway. They aren't gonna make ME change the way I live...I am going to go about my life and my business as I have any other day of my life.
MY WAY...
which i must concede, usually consists of at least 8 hrs sleep, plus the 10 I get at night leaving them only 6 hrs to mess with, but seeing as how I'm too lazy to leave the house most days, really means that they'll have to get me while I'm in bed, or on the couch to change anything.

And if they do strike Melbourne....
That very next day, I will be back living MY life MY way. Even if there is infrastructure problems. I, in fact we all, will get around that somehow. And besides, as Steve Quartermain (Melbourne sports journo/presenter) reportedly told Van Damme when Jean Claude had a crack at his missus... "Don't Fuck with the Melbourne boys".
Why?
'Cos it'll only make us band together even tighter and stronger.

In other world shattering news......
My nomination has gone in for the Union Elections, as Disability Rep. So now I gotta get some work done. Get my plans in place, and do the campaigning.
I've never campaigned for an election before, and I hate doing that sort of thing. But, if I'm going to get in to do the job properly (as the current rep seemingly hasn't), I have to do the flesh pressing stuff too.
I'd much rather just get in and do the job.
It'll be good though. I'll have chances to explain what it is exactly I plan to do and to get to know what other people feel we need to improve.
I wrote out my nomination speech for the Uni paper today, but I don't have it here, so when I do get it, I'll post it here.
Also,
Been asked to travel to Newcastle (NSW) for a University Media Conference, as a rep of our magazine, Tabula Rasa (of which I am a sub-editor and writer). People from Uni media all over the country go and I don't actually know what happens....I guess we discuss media.
There are workshops, forums all kinds of things I believe, so I'm looking forward to that. Be a good chance to meet other people from media and to learn from them all too. Plus, a week away up in Newcastle won't be wasted either.

Anyhoo, i will go now and spare you some, um, whatever it is i'm taking from you that you are trying to save.
As Abu says...
"Thank you. Come again."

Friday

2005-09-09T20:15:00.000+10:00

No, I'm not gonna rant on about how much I hate Fridays. So gimme a chance here ok?
What I am gonna ssay is Yay.
It's been a long week and is finally over.
Wasn't feeling 100% for most of it. Had trouble getting up on Tues and Wed, but it's ok now...I think. Was pretty down too. "Oh woe is me"

Got a bit done for the magazine, got no real work done and that was about as productive as I got.

I did get asked to run as a rep on a ticket being put together for the upcoming Student Union Election though.
It's a pretty left-leaning progressive ticket so that will be cool. I know a few of the people involved already and they are definately of fairly similar views and values as I. Social Justice/Equality, listening to people rather than blindly judging them etc, good stuff and in it to help people out rather than get a good CV.
So I said Yeah. He-He.
I have NO idea how that one is gonna turn out. I've never actually run in an election before. It should be all ok though, just some hard work, a lotta learnin and the rest I guess will, well I don't know. And some more learnin.
I've put my hand up to run for Disability Support. Hopefully if I can get that, I will be in a position to raise awareness of and take steps toward de-stigmatising Mental Illness issues.....I have plans already. *evil laugh*
An issue I have experince in and really want to help facilitate change in, however small a change that may be.
Raising awareness of and destigmatising any issues that come up will be my goal.

Anyhoo, I must run along now. And, after 3 weeks, "V" messaged. YAYYYY
She IS ok. I was really, like really beginning to worry.
She says we should maybe "refrain", with her being how she is at the moment. That's ok, although, how she is, with her recent experiences with the hospitalisation etc, really doesn't bother me. Anyhow, that is her call. The main thing is that she is ok.

September

2005-09-04T22:02:00.000+10:00

September.
Yay you all think. Winter is over and spring begins. Well, it doesn't yet. Not until the Spring Equinox - the 22nd of Sep. So there.
Besides, I happen to actually LIKE winter. So - Go on, call me weird. I don't care I like winter.
And, I'll say it again ... I LIKE WINTER.

The dark, the cold, the short days, the long nights. Rain. I like it all.
So summer is on its way. Big deal. Does life really look like a Coke ad?
No. Be real people. Summer is a big fat con.
It's hot, dry and light. The car overheats. You get stuck waiting in blistering hot sun and heat at the train station, waiting to get on overcrowded trains with people who are just as irritable as the next guy, who also happens to LOVE summer. Then everyone complains about the heat and turns on the A/C. You really LOVE summer don't you all.
Yeah, let's see Coke use that in an ad. It tastes great, but it can't sell that lifstyle can it?
Place...A hot dry platform.
Man/Woman gets onto crowded train.
The guy she STANDS next to stinks to high heaven.
The fat woman to her right has NO understanding of personal space and keeps pressing against her.
The school-kids chattering/sqwaking away relentlesly at a thousand painfully high pitched decibels rip through her already pained (from the heat) head.
And a Coke will fix it.?
Yeah she reaches into her bag (unintentionally half exposing herself), trips on her heel and falls into a third fat smelly irritable guy, but manages to grab that coke.
So everything will be fine and dandy now won't it?
NO. Be real people, IT'S SUMMER, a big fat con. It's stinking hot, and all she wants is to get home, to the A/C and have a cool shower.

Also, summer means Christmas.... OH WHOOPDI DOO.
I like Christmas as much as I like summer, which is NONE.
Just gimme back winter....Please.

Just the one concession to summer, wandering around at night with "V". That's cool...If she ever speaks to me again... Which, by the way, is evidently not gonna happen. Why? I dunno. I kissed her, but she kissed me back. It takes 2 to pash.
So, why isn't she talking to me?

The Nature of Nature.

2005-08-31T23:15:00.000+10:00

I was doing some work before on an essay entitled "The nature of Nature" (Seddon G, The nature of Nature, Landprints, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, 1997 pp 7-14).

This is what I concluded. Language is the major problem in defining what nature/natural and un-natural are.
For example; in the conclusion to this particular essay (or chapter in the context of this being a book), he points out the paradox of setting aside "Wilderness Parks/Areas".
I will expand on this a little...

By naming a wilderness park a "Wilderness Park", we have, through language created a wilderness park as a construct; we have placed our values on it, tied our emotions and ideologies to it and placed cultural significance on it.
By naming it, and naming it a "Wilderness Area", exempt from human intervention, we are intervening, removing "Wilderness" from it and replacing "Wilderness" with "Cultural", or "socially constucted area of apparently no human intervention".

The same language problems occur when in Spring and Autumn, the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) conduct fuel reduction burnoffs. (For those outside of Victoria and Australia generally, it is a practise used to reduce the risk and severity of bushfires during the fire season). Controlled, low temperature, heavily monitored fires in State Forests which reduce the amount of fire fuel on the forest floor.
Some groups call for the banning of this practise as they see it as "Interfering with Nature". Other groupps will call this "Design with Nature" and others yet, "Living with Nature".
Which is correct?
Some native plants here need fire to germinate...They only germinate after fire has passed through the area. It does indeed reduce the amount of "discarded" vegetation from living plants on the forest floor.
The Aborigines used to also conduct controlled burnoffs well before Europeans landed on these shores. According to Seddon, "Aborigines from South Western Aust had about eight different words for "burning-off"...since they did it in different ways, at different times and for different purposes.

So is Burning-off, Interfering, Designing or Living with Nature? What if it is done in a "Wilderness Area"?
Hmmm.

Anyhoo....Still haven't heard a word from "V". I must be in trouble and in deep.
But Bye for now.

Hey.

2005-08-30T17:33:00.000+10:00

There is another reason I've been slack......
I kissed "V" and it has totally freaked me (and her) out. I didn't mean to. It just happened. It was great though. I'd waited SOOO long.
So I was stressing about that heaps.
Y'know, the whole did I do the wrong thing etc...
I still don't actually know, as we haven't spoken properly since. Neither of us have run away though. I guess that's a good thing. I still have no idea what she is thinking though.
I know I'm happy with it...and with following that path, but is she?

THAT my freinds is the BIG question.

Condolences too to the people who've lost loved ones in the Hurricane "Katrina". And to the people who've lost everything...even if all the loved ones made it through.
Living in an area where bushfires are the main threat, I can empathise with the people who love living where they do, despite the dangers.

Bye for now...

I been even slacker

2005-08-29T16:38:00.000+10:00

Hey all
I been even slacker than usual over the last couple weeks.
Why?
Well i haven't needed to use comp so I've avoided it while I can sorta thing...But I'm back around now, so expect (or alternatviely, avoid) more.
I may even have time later on to put something up here.

But, until then...Cheerio.

Just another Hi

2005-08-13T21:15:00.000+10:00

HI.
How you all going? Me is ok.
I have been busy as this week which why I haven't posted, but the work I did during the week will be posted here over the next week or so. So keep tuned.

"V" been taken to a psych ward but will be out during this week..I hope.

Touching Base

2005-08-03T00:44:00.000+10:00

Hey all. Just dropping in to touch base. Not much to say today.
Heard from "V". I didn't think I would ever again. She sounded pretty keen to get in touch. She sms'ed me tonight. I called her. She sounded pretty pleased to hear from me.
As pleased as me?
I doubt it.

Volunteered to be a part of "Indymedia". Independant, non corporate, non government media outlet. It's quite funny. I was watching "Outfoxed" earlier tonight too and was on the Indymedia site looking some stuff up anyhoo. So I put my hand up to volunteer. What will I do?
I dunno.
I've added a link here too... Find them in YOUR city.

I saw this...

2005-07-29T18:49:00.000+10:00

I saw this sprayed onto the footpath on my way to the station yesterday. It was made with a stencil....Someone has thought about it.....

We must
TALK
to terrorists
There must be a
REASON
for their anger.

Maybe more of us could think about it too.
Did someone say something about 'occupation'?

Right...Lets get stuck in.

2005-07-28T20:48:00.000+10:00

So.
The Federal Government here want to install surveillence cameras to "stop" Terrorists.
How will that work?
Ok. So they'll be able to track the movements of suicide bombers, after the fact. As we've seen in London and Madrid, a lot can be learned about their cells, and this information, important information, can be followed up on. Perpetrators rounded up and criminal charges laid. But how will it prevent attacks? Maybe I just can't see the link.

So. The State Government here want to introduce powers that will enable Police to carry out random bag searches without warrants.
I'm sorry, but again, I have to ask how will that actually prevent/deter suicide bombers from jumping on a train and blowing it up?
Picture this. Hypothetical....
Person "A" is carrying a bomb.
Officer "B" approaches person "A".
Officer "B" says to "A"; "Excuse me sir. Would you show me the contents of your bag."
Person "A" (our suicide bomber) is not going to say; "OK Officer. You got me", and just hand their bag over are they? I didn't think so either.
Is this just a way to crack down people who disagree with them or their policies?

So. The US has furthered the Patriot act. They can now go through your borrowing records from your Public library. "So what?" you may say.
Well, let's say you have your book about the Bush dynasty. A book outlining the events of 9/11. An old "James Bond" video...as many students may well have at any given time.
It may not mean much, to you or me, but those kind of materials, well, they could mean "unpatriotic", "independant thinker" "Dissident".
And we don't want those sorts around now do we?

So. Let's put all three together, as it wouldn't need a long stretch of the imagination to do.

I am "watched" as I enter my public library.
My records are scanned for the types of books I read and they may, or may not, have dissent written all over them. (Not literally of course)
Then I am found to be quite innocently carrying my copy of "Farneheit 9/11" or even my copy of Ray Bradbuy's "Farenheit 451". (When my bag is searched)
So does that make me some kind of "bad guy"? NO
But, if we let things continue along the current path, that is what will be happening.

Oh also...I learnt stuf at skool.
Ciao.

2005-07-27T18:44:00.000+10:00

Hey peeps.
Just dropping in to say Hi.
I'm trying to do some of my school-work right now, so won't get to involved in anything.
I have been slack in keeping this blog, the one that I said I would keep up-to-date, but so far have not, as I haven't been online for a few days.

Please excuse my poor spelling in my last post as I was hurried and did not check.

Post soon.

Here We Go...

2005-07-19T18:52:00.000+10:00

Ok ppl. Here is the real deal.
This is NOT my first blod. You don't need to knowthe other ones, but this one WILL be maintained, and hopefully reasonably interestin, (at least to me).
It will also be a little cathartic as I will vent here, rant, rave etc.

I will try to disseminate a small amount of infformation to you that you will (hopefully) find interesting, or amusing.

Most of all I will try to have a little bit of a laugh.

More soon...