Comments 31 August 2007

Tonight's blog commences here and ends up here.


Songs played while writing this entry:
"Zebra" John Butler Trio
"Everyone Needs A 303" Fatboy Slim
"Claustrophobic Sting" The Prodigy
"Stay" U2
"Life Support" Vitamin HMC
"The Mission" Carl Cox

Stalag Sydney

What you are seeing here is Sydney Harbour in preparation for APEC. Normally, visitors to Sydney are able to walk right up to the edge of the harbor and gaze out over the water, watching the numerous vessels passing by or to have their photo taken with the bridge or the house in the background. During APEC this is not an option, unless you have passed through a security check-point in the 2.8 metre high fence that will enclose Sydney for the duration of the summit.

In a recent post, I mentioned a number of the security measures and blatant disregard for the rights of Australian citizens being imposed in Sydney during APEC. Allow me to add a few more which have come to light since that post:

- People arrested during APEC will not be granted bail until the summit has finished

- Residents of certain suburbs will not be allowed to park their cars out front of their own houses

- The police have the right to stop, search and expel anyone from APEC restricted zones, including Bondi Beach

- Sydney-siders and visitors are being told they aren't welcome to watch fireworks over the harbour

All this because a handful of so-called leaders can't do their jobs properly. For fuck's sake, if you're so fuckin scared that people hate you that much, teleconference. Some of us have lives to live here.

On a lighter note, in true Aussie style, the SMH has posted this Aussie George Dress Up in honor of the royal shrub's visit. Personally, I think he makes a great Dame Edna (kudos to Colin).

Songs played while writing this entry:
"Release" Pearl Jam
"Holiday" Weezer
"Elctris" Woody McBride
"Come & Die" Therapy? & Fatal
"Judgement Night" Biohazard & Onyx
"LSD" HMC
"THX" Paddee
"The State We're In" The Chemical Brothers
"Emulator" Rotortype
"Breakfast At Sweethearts" Cold Chisel
"Speedway" The Prodigy

From the mouths of babes

I was planning on writing a post tonight about something or another, but spent too long reading some of my favourite blogs and following the immigration flame war on the Australian Blog Community message board. So instead, I'll share this oldie but goodie (and truthful) funny that dropped into my inbox today:

Son: "Daddy, I have to write a special report for school, but I don't know what Politics is."

Father: "Well, let's take our home as an example. I am the bread-winner, so let's call me Capitalism. Your Mum is the administrator of money, so we'll call her Government. We take care of your need, so let's call you The People. We'll call the maid the Working Class and your brother we can call The Future. Do you understand son?"

Son: "I'm not really sure, Dad. I'll have to think about it."

That night awakened by his brother's crying, the boy went to see what was wrong. Discovering that the baby had seriously soiled his diaper, the boy went to his parents' room and found his mother sound asleep. He went to the maid's room, where, peeking through the keyhole, he saw his father in bed with the maid. The boy's knocking went totally unheeded by his father and the maid, so the boy returned to his room and went back to sleep.

The next morning he reported to his father.

Son: "Dad, now I think I understand what Politics is."

Father: "Good son! Can you explain it to me in your own words?"

Son: "Well Dad, while Capitalism is screwing the Working Class, Government is sound asleep, the People are being completely ignored and the Future is full of shit."


Songs played while writing this entry:
"Great Big Gig In The Sky" Pink Floyd
"We Will Not Be Silenced" DJ Paul Edge

Newsworthy

"I read the news today, oh boy" The Beatles

Cooper over at Wonderland Or Not has written a very precise and inspiring piece regarding how bloggers have the opportunity to drive social awareness away from the irrelevant mass-market social drivel that now poses as "the News" and bring to the fore matters that are actually worthy of receiving attention. In her post, Cooper highlights the Jena 6 case - a shocking and horrific case of 6 black teenagers facing death sentences after being caught up in a fight that ensued after they arranged a peaceful protest for the right to sit under a tree. They wanted to sit under a tree for fuck's sake.

Now, in comparison, let's see what the reliable commercial media is bringing to our attention:

In amongst all the fluff and stuff there are a couple of worthy mentions that are provided some lip-service, but you have to dig past the local footy, Ray Martin (who?? I hear the rest of the world say), Amy Winehouse (who?? I say), 100 years of bras, and a NASA sex romp to find them.

Fortunately, some sources of news are fairly reliable when it comes to delivering the goods. Let's see what SBS, a broadcaster that's not owned by a corporation, is currently providing:

So rather than focusing on the comings and goings of individuals who have no real impact on our lives, SBS is focusing on the relevant, influencing stories. What a novel concept.

If you are a blogger and you truly are dedicated to implementing change through your words, then please, please, please stop being a collaborator of the insanity and start talking about the real issues in your life and this world.

.....ok, there is the Koala sex lesson story on SBS, but hey, you try reading the following quote and not chuckling:

"Chumbee hasn't stopped since he got here," said Schoenbrunn Zoo manager Helmut Pechlaner.
"It has been almost non-stop sex in the koala enclosure ever since, and now even our own male is joining in."
Zoo vet Hanna Vielgrader said Chumbee was unstoppable.
"The only break is to eat or sleep, other than that there's no stopping them," she said.

Songs played while writing this entry:
"Days Go By" Dirty Vegas
"Wish You Well" Bernard Fanning
"Are You There" Josh Winx
"Rave Africa" Tomahawk
"The Chain" Breeder
"Chump" Green Day
"Fatman" The Shamen
"Immortality" Pearl Jam
"Here I Come" CJD Project
"Skaing The Wild Controller" Tristan
"Poison" The Prodigy

Post 50

I have been putting myself under some unwanted and irritating internal-pressure since realising I was up to post number 50. What to write, what great pearls of crap could I lay out about what I've learnt since I started blogging, who to thank, where I'm going with this - all that shit. Then I realised, fuck it. I decided to post a bit of ramble, allowing life to resume to normal at post 51.

And so I did.

Say Something Damit!

I am sick to shit of crap content. How many blogs have you been to where self-professed blog experts are providing advise on how to best sell your blog? How many of these expert sites are covered in banners, click-throughs, widgets and other bandwidth munching cookie based paraphernalia that the so-called expert uses in an attempt to 'build traffic' and 'make money by blogging'. Fact is, if all you can do regurgitate marketing spin from marketing websites, then your blog is worthless to me. If I wanted to read an advert, I'd go to a commercial website.

I have no issue with people sharing their knowledge, experiences and recommendations - their knowledge, experiences and recommendations, not others'. I respect people who are successful in their industry for taking the time to share and discuss their opinions with readers - if they can back-up their claims to success by referencing reliable and industry recognised sources. But when I stumble across a Homer Simpson attempt at a blog where the author is claiming to be a hugely successful blog developer, my contempt flies off the scale. And more so when the author has the writing and grammatical skills of a 3rd grader. Spelling errors, bad punctuation, poor sentence structure are all accepted (and expected) on personal blogs - professional blogs on the other hand require a certain level of professionalism, such as the correct use of language.

I have no claims to being a professional blogger and have no aspirations to become one. I am, however, a blog reader and if you're seeking my readership, then offer me something to read.


Songs played while writing this entry:
"Surf Wax America" Weezer
"Out Ta Get Me" Guns N Roses
"The Test" The Chemical Brothers
"Return To Reality" Antarctica
"Lost In Emotion" John '00' Flemming
"My Happiness" Powderfinger
"Wish You Well" Bernard Fanning
"Pure Flow" Odyssee

Fuck George Bush

I'm back.

Hi.

Been away for a bit spending time with family back home. It was a long-overdue break from work spending time with those I love and getting my head back into human mode. I miss my family greatly and love them even more, so a trip home for me is always a joy. Yeah, there's the usual arguments, disagreements and tensions, but that just makes it all the more real and does not detract from the unity I share with my mum, dad, sister, brother and sister-inlaw.

Anyway, nough of that.

Those not living in Australia may or may not be aware that Captain Koo-Koo Banana Brains - aka George Bush - will be in Australia for the APEC summit in September. Big Fucking Whoop. I don't like the man, I think he is a deluded cowboy making decisions based on his own conservative fantasy agendas - but that's beside the point. He is the (loosely) elected leader of a nation, and if that's what the majority of American people want as their leader, then so be it. Who am I to argue, not being an American citizen and all? But I am an Australian citizen, and the last time I checked, the Australian population (myself included) did not vote George Bush President of Australia. In fact, we don't have a fuckin president - we have a weasel of a man that is so far up George Bush's ass that the White House chefs have been cooking for 2 for the past 4 years when preparing Captain Banana Brain's breakfast.

Back to APEC. Today, the all-mighty Shrub announced that he will be arriving to and leaving from the summit early. Now this, of course, requires certain changes to be made to the preparations in place for the summit. It's not a small matter of re-arranging the menus or changing what day to take the group photo on. Oh no. His honorable Brains-trust coming early means that the entire population of Sydney needs to adjust our plans. Don't expect to drive on the roads our taxes pay for. Don't expect the trains that we pay to use will run on time. Don't drive to the airport. And don't even think of having surgery. Instead, be prepared for road closures, delays to public transport and embargoes on business activities so that his fuckin emissary can be sheltered and protected from the real world. Hell, our own government is even urging us to leave town.

Do us a favour Bush - CANCEL. Do not come to Australia and fuck up the runnings of our largest city just so your capitalist, elitist, conservative sorry excuse for a leader self can continue to live in Bush-Land where the real people are merely a source of income and cheap labour, foreigners are Indians for your cowboy ass to play round 'em up with, food is free and plentiful (and cooked by slaves who don't speak), and traffic-jams are a myth.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not wishing any harm on the man and hope that his inevitable and unwanted presence here in Australia does not lead to the injury or death of any person. But when I hear the Australian media referring to him simply as "the president" as if he is our president, my blood boils. Little Johnny Howard may be a weasel suck-ass, but he's on his way out at last and he is no-where near as evil, manipulative and dangerous as the Captain.

I'm not visiting family again till December, so if I'm not back within 2 weeks......


Songs played while writing this entry:
"Missing" Everything But The Girl
"Jack Me Off" Funk D'Void
"We Shall Not Be Silenced" DJ Paul Edge
"Feel The Pain" Dinosaur Jnr
"Give It Away" Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Let Me Put My Love Into You" AC/DC
"Nightmare" Brainbug
"Darkness" Angel Alanis
"Come As You Are" Nirvana