What the Fark, Australia

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I spent some of my time today trying to catch up on the Aria awards, which aired last night. One of the things I noticed was that Channel Nine promo-ed the shit out of Taylor Swift, Russell Brand and Nicki Minaj’s somewhat flyby appearances ahead of any other Aussie artists. Hence, the above photo.

Now, this is something that I’m used to seeing from Australian television and, indeed, Australians themselves. We tend to think that anything made overseas is better than anything that we could ever produce.

I don’t know where this inferiority complex stems from, apart from the fact that the UK and the US have much larger markets for creative material. But the stuff we produce, in relativity to the amount of people in this country is nothing to sniff at.

Why do we have this sickness? An inability to celebrate home grown talent with the accolade it really does deserve.

I’ve read a few blogs today having a go at the fact that we are insecure as a nation and it’s true. But one of the things that they haven’t pointed out is that we really have no reason to be. 

 Yothu Yindi reppin' it.

The music produced in Australia is some of the best on the planet and I’ll be bloody damned if anyone would try to tell me otherwise.

I don’t get nationalist about much folks. I can’t stand seeing the Southern Cross – mostly because it’s usually tattooed on the neck of a bogan. I don’t wave the flag on Australia Day, because I think it’s weird that we see fit to celebrate a day of genocide and embedded racism throughout generations.

But I will testify to the glory that is local Australian music and art, not forgetting, our occasionally awesome TV, too. 

Can I also just make this sidenote: I don’t even like ‘Somebody That I Used Too Know.’ I LOVE Gotye, but the guy’s been making amazing music since I was a kid – I hate that song, though! Why is it so popular?  

My point, brethren of the Land of the Hills Hoist, wake up and stop hating yourselves for long enough to realize that we do pretty OK. Orright?

Get Civilized, Bro

Recently, I was watching a British panel show called Mock the Week, when I heard a comment made by one of the regular comedians. He just made a passing joke about American history by pointing out that “(England) had civilized government before (America) was discovered.”

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m usually game for a bit of American bashing. Only because it’s fun to laugh at someone who doesn’t generally laugh at themselves, which I know is a stereotype. But let’s face it, every stereotype is always a little bit true.

What I took offense with was the claim that America hadn’t ‘been discovered.’ Which is a ridiculous claim to make, considering that it definitely had been discovered by American Indians around 9, 000 – 10, 000 BC.

I have always been a little bit shocked by this discovery that British people and people here in Australia believe that cultures that existed before white people came and ‘destroyed the joint’ – to put it in Twitter terms, ‘don’t really count’ as far as civilization goes.

Now, I’ve seen pretty bad racism. I grew up in Queensland, for Christ’s sake. But this kind of racism is the worst kind there is. It’s the scary, leaping out at you from an alleyway kind of racism.

I studied Aboriginal customs and traditions in school (like most of us) and uni, and I’ve got to say, the first thing I thought wasn’t: ‘wow, these guys seem really backwards.’

Nope, the first thing I thought was: ‘this is really complex and detailed. Wow, Aboriginal society throughout history was amazingly large and structured.’

I haven’t studied American Indian society, but from what I understand they lived off the land very much like Aborigines and had established agricultural and medical ways of doing things thousands of years before England had even hit the dark ages.

The moral of this rant is: being different isn’t necessarily being less advanced and it’s time we threw out the tired and racist stigma associated with the word ‘civilized.’

So, much of this mentality reeks of the inner workings of an insecure 16^th century Englishman struggling with existential bullshit.

A Media 'Smack Down!'

So, I’m a bit late to the party but I wanted to share a few of my highlights that have occurred since, what has now been dubbed as, the PM’s ‘smack down!’

I really very much enjoy a good feminist rant, especially one done by our female Prime Minister. I think it’s about bloody time that someone called Tony Abbott on his highly offensive, turn of the century, “shine ya shoes guv?” idea of women in society.

If not by the Labour party, at least by more sectors of the current press. If I have learned anything from watching the most current season of The Newsroom, it’s that journalists should definitely cut politicians down a lot more with smart questions about stupid, stupid comments. Like, the stupid, stupid ones Tony Abbott makes on a regular basis.

All the same, it was a woman in power that managed to bring ol’ Abbott to his knees. Here’s the thing though, the most disappointing, heartbreaking thing out of all of this that has managed to occur.

Gillard’s speech was entirely political. But am I wrong to think that the PM’s political timing should, in any way, take away from the power of the message she was bringing?

I’m a bit jaded, but I will certainly take optimism where I find it. And I found it in Gillard’s speech.

I will give the Australian opinion articles of the moment, credit where credit’s due. The speech was definitely one for feminists to jump behind and cheer on a Prime Minister whose policies they are probably neither familiar with or care about.

But does that really mean that ANY ONE is saying that the PM is now going to try and fall back on the sexism card every time she gets flustered in Question Time?

If she were going to do that, she would have pulled out the sex card from day one. And to be frank, I’ve never once seen her do it (until recently).

Even then she wasn't so much using the sex card as she was taking away the 'sexism' card from Tony Abbott.

I don’t believe Gillard is a victim and in every interview I’ve seen I don’t think she’s ever tried to paint herself as a victim. Well, not because of her sex anyway. Certainly, because of the tirade of an opposition leader like Tony Abbot, which is to be expected from any opposition leader (although Abbott really is in a class of his own).

You know what I’m offended by? A public sphere which in anyway pushes the agenda that Gillard somehow ‘set back women’s rights’ because no one will take her seriously now or ‘should have considered her male voters.’

This just enforces to me that we still have a serious problem with sexism in this country and it needs to continue to be seriously addressed.

To quote Crikey’s ‘Dog On the Moon’: “today we’re all offended by sexism.” And so we always will be.

Greer-ing Hell

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As a self-identified feminist, people like Germaine Greer fascinate me. She is everything that neo-feminism, as I presume it might be referred to, does not wish to associate itself with. Yet, at the same time, there always seems to be a method to her underlying eccentricity and madness.

Her comment’s on Q&A about Julia Gillard’s bum, in my opinion, were more than fine. As it turns out she was merely trying to assure the prime minister that it’s perfectly natural to have a big bum.

What irked me was that she tried to draw attention to Julia Gillard’s clothing in the first place. There is no denying that appearances play more than a large role in modern-day politics. But any keen follower of any government across the globe might notice a slight inequality in the focus of appearances when it comes to male and female politicians.

I’m sure that Germaine Greer might bring this back to an interesting point about the fairness of commenting on both men and women in the media.

However, while female politicians struggle with the comments they receive, which are to do with their gender and their gender alone. Comments from respected feminists like Germaine Greer still irk the hell out of me.

What do you think? Is there a method to the Greer madness?

Review: Mad Dragon Tattoos

Lately I have been spending a lot of time chilling out and relaxing with different TV shows. This being because of two reasons: I’m taking a break before I start uni next year and I’ve not got much else to do. 

Lately, I’ve been watching several different TV shows. I mostly recently started to enjoy the televisual delight that is Mad Men. I see the appeal of the show generally, but certainly not the characters. Don Draper is a giant penis of the advertising world, and not in a nice way. His supporting players aren’t that much better. 

                                   

The only reasonably un-detestable character in the show is Peggy Olson and even she seems one screw short of a screwdriver.

The show also brings me back to the good ol’ days. The days when we thought 20 packs a day glamorous, sometimes even cute. Also, when advertising was fresh. Having spent some un-glorified and god-awful days as a copywriter for a small online company, I’ve been around the vacuous block a bit. But these copywriters seem to live on a much higher salary than I did. They also enjoy inter-office sex far more than I even considered doing.

To put it more politely, this show is mostly not my style.

On the more noteworthy page, I also recently watched The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I began by reading some of the book, but it was taking to long, so I cheated a little.

Apart from the obviously disgusting rape scenes, I enjoyed it. There’s far too much for me to take in at once, so I think I’ll end up finishing the book after all. 

Media law has been one of my more nerdy obsessions in the past few years, so a libel case tainted with a murder investigation makes for hearty wholesome fun in my family-friendly opinion (NB: you should definitely not see this movie with your family).

Stay tuned for developments on the book.

Just Another Mole

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A lot has been said recently about Gina Rinehart’s comments in the media. Personally, I think that Gina Rinehart probably couldn’t put a foot right even if she tried too. Being a powerful woman she is instantly bound to receive criticism in the press even if she was a saint. ‘Yes, she’s saving babies from burning buildings, but that outfit! What WAS she thinking?’

But she doesn’t try to put a foot right. She doesn’t even try to be accessible. I wouldn’t exactly call her a troll. Maybe world’s biggest mole would be more suitable. The reality is that a woman like this is never really going to do any right, so she needs to be kept in check. But she doesn’t need to be sprayed with light bullying. Where does that ever get us?

I think the world’s media need to spend more time talking about the movement’s of this woman. Who does she own? What does she own? And what sphere of influence does she have on the people she owns?

I was watching Can of Worms a few days ago. Although, the host Chrissie Swan directly addresses the fact that Gina Rinehart is a shareholder in Channel Ten, I was shocked that they didn’t address her comments as a question on the show.

The reality is that where there is money, there is the ability to inform public opinion. So, I think it is about time that we worry less about our public opinion of Gina Rinehart and worry more about her ability to inform public opinion generally.

Tax Bomb, You're My Tax Bomb

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Here’s what I don’t get about the carbon tax. Yes, it’s proposed to be good for the environment, yes it’s a step forward, so to speak. However, the carbon tax doesn’t act as the overall deterrent that it’s supposed too. The way I see it, if you’re going to introduce a piece of legislation that is going to piss off the public, do it properly. Really piss people off, because that’s what the carbon tax was SUPPOSED to do.

What is the point of changing the balance of the economy, if you’re not going to really hurt our hip pockets that much. I’m not saying this is entirely the fault of the Labour party. Essentially, they are acting under the pressure of the stupendously stupid public and opposition in conjunction with the pressure of the Greens/ Independents. And they have done a fantastic job of finding a perfectly insignificant middle ground. Brava to them for being entirely political.

But it’s time that politics is taken out of the laboratories of the planet. Just like religion doesn’t belong in a science classroom and guacamole doesn’t belong in a sundae, politics doesn’t belong in a peer reviewed scientific theory, which has the power to affect the very course of humanity.

That’s my schtick for the evening. What do you reckon? I reckon I wanna hear what you reckon.

The Rainbow War!

I can’t believe I have to write this blog post. But I think that the time has come for me to write it. Last weekend, thousands of people across Australia marched for marriage equality. One of those people was me.

The reason this blog post exists is because gay marriage is STILL not nationally legalized. I can’t even begin to try and understand why because it just upsets me.

The reality is that more people in Australia want it to be legalized than people that don’t. That’s A LOT. And the government have acted on statistics far less significant in the past. I point you to the Rudd-stabbing-back-saga.

This shouldn’t be a controversial issue and the only reason I can possibly think to understand why some sectors of society might think that it is, is because it probably was a few a generations ago.

I think what some baby boomers of the Gillard government don’t get is that if there is one topic that’s NOT controversial amongst my generation, it’s gay marriage. We’re mad for it. Climate change might divide us, as might refugee policies – but NOT gay marriage.

And what my generation might not get is that, only a few generations ago young people were protesting against the fact that women didn’t have the right to vote. At the time, that seemed a bit loopy too, but I don’t think any one regrets that.

Embrace it Gen Y! We are bra burners, except this time we’re covering ourselves in rainbow war paint and embracing sexuality.

But if there is one thing I’ve learned its that trying to convert those who aren’t ALREADY converted it will be a bit of a lost cause.

The radical right really seem to love their arrogance and ‘set-in-stone views.’ And when it comes down to it, you just can’t talk sense to someone like that.

It’s a bit like Grandpa and computers. Just does not compute right? That’s not to say that older generations haven’t played their role in embracing gay marriage, they have. But the older generations are more statistically divided on the matter.

The fact is that gay marriage will soon be nationally legalized and recognized and one day in the not-to-distant future, it will be something that our children can look back on and say: ‘Oh my god Mummy/ Daddy, you mean gay people COULDN’T get married before?! That’s weird.’

The only way we will get there though is by consistent, but peaceful acts of force. The mentality amongst my generation of ‘love for all humankind’ will be one that we will pass on to our children and that will be a brighter future indeed.

Whatever Happened to Sisterhood?

A few nights ago, during my, what seems to be monthly visit to the Cross, I came across some unusual behaviour. And no, I’m not referring to the general population that makes up Kings Cross, but different behaviour – still crazy, just unexpected.

I was grinding on the dance floor, because you know, I love to dance and ‘busting-a-move’ makes me feel less like my life is moving away from the semblance of my youth. I didn’t notice at the time, but I accidently bumped into a man behind me and, let’s face it, you can’t really attempt to move in a club moshpit without bumping into someone.

All this said, a woman, clearly on some kind of paranoid trip grabbed the man, proceeded to hug and kiss him, and then spent the rest of the night glaring at me in a threatening manner.

I’m not trying to make out I’m the saint in this situation, I don’t mind dancing with the odd guy on the dance floor, particularly if he’s a good dancer, but never anything more. And I certainly wasn’t interested in dancing with this man. Fist pumping, dude? I’m sure you thought Jersey Shore is legitimate television.....

I digress.

I receive this behaviour from women a lot. And whenever I explain this to other people their instant response is: ‘Jemma, you’re a good looking girl. Women are just jealous. You’re going to have to get used to it.’

Now, don’t get me wrong, I know this is just to make me feel better. But I have had this auto-response drilled into me from a very young age. But in the light of day, or the real world aka ‘not the high-school playground,’ I wonder what continues to drive this mentality.
What does any woman have to be jealous of? And what threat do I, or any other woman on this planet, pose to the constituency of other woman exhibiting this bitchy behaviour.
It seems to me, that as soon as the concept of men or finding a mate for life enters some women’s head, the rest of their fellow gender instantly become nothing but competition in the race to find that right ‘Stan, who really loves footy and kicking it with the boys, but will ultimately stick a rock on your finger and make you eternally happy’ guy.

I don’t think I’m exempt from these feelings. Every time, it feels like things are not going right with my boyfriend, I have those fleeting ‘shit, I’m going to die alone. Insert feelings of paranoia here_____' thoughts.
But these thoughts don’t instantly translate into - all women are the enemy.

I fail to see why in a society where women are STILL marginalized and treated as a lesser gender, we make an enemy out of each other. And for what? Usually, it’s to please men – the gender doing the marginalizing.

For example, whenever you see women shy away from the ‘feminist’ tag, it’s because they’re scared of being seen as ‘hating men’ or if a woman labels another woman a ‘slut’ it’s because they’re perpetuating a mentality created by men – because ‘really I’m, like, one of the boys. I love men, really.’


All I think when I hear or read comments like that is: ‘you are clearly so scared of offending a patriarchal society that it actually dictates your ideologies and behaviour.’

"Do you have a vagina? Do you want to own it? If yes, then you’re a feminist." – Caitlin Moran

And if whacking revealing clothing over your vagina is what you want to do then that’s your choice. Bloody good on you for making a decision for yourself about the body you own, because you have the right to own it.
Don’t demonize your fellow gender.

Get angry – but not at each other. We’re in this together. As a group and gender, we need to get angry at society. We need to get angry at a society that encourages us to pit ourselves against one another, when the real problem lies in the way we are treated as a group.

Whatever happened to sisterhood?

Hungry Jacks, The Bullshit is Better

So, if you’re like me at the moment, you can not be bothered to keep up with popular culture aside from occasionally pretending to read the news, or sighing and nodding knowingly when someone brings up a topical issue. ‘Them Syrians…maybe they should stop being so mean to each other. That whole issue in Turk-…estan…really needs to get sorted. Not intervention obviously because who are we to tell them to eat pork…what…that’s not right is it?”

Or, you know, something along those lines. So, here is my short re-cap of the past two weeks.

·      Fairfax will now solely be writing articles on why mining magnates ‘aren’t really that bad after all’ and why, in particular, Gina Rinehart looks really pretty under the right lighting (sponsored by Hungry Jacks: the bullshit is better….and harder to spot).

·      Gosh, that Justin Beiber…..I, literally, I just can’t.

·      Politicians in this countries administration are still not as mature as my 14-year-old brother.

·      We’re all dumb, drunk, and racist and it doesn’t look any better through the eyes of Indian tourists than it does through the eyes of the producers of The Shire.

·      We’re all dead. Or at least we will be soon. Sure we may not have noticed any REAL effects from the carbon tax, but I PROMISE you we will be in a real crisis, veeeeery soon. Just you wait. I mean the carbon tax is such a big problem that it's actually causing Labour politicians to sing out of sheer fear and terror. Soon, the whole Labour caucus will be forced to sing the entire soundtrack to the first season of Glee because Liberal politicians are genuinely just that FUCKING STUCK IN THEIR WAYS WITH THEIR FUCKING SCARE CAMPAIGNING THAT IT WOULD DRIVE ANYONE CRAZY. Can you see me? Am I real?

·      Tony Abbott remains the biggest dickhead in Australian politics. At least Bob Katter is legally mentally challenged. Wait…he definitely is right? (Disclaimer: He definitely isn’t. That is definitely an insult to the mentally challenged community).

 So, if you can be bothered. There’s my recap. But who really cares? Next week will be exactly the same.

The White-Middle Class Syndrome

The white middle class syndrome filters through our society like a river of disdainful comfort. One great man, or I like to think of him as great, the Irish comedian Dara O’Brian said that “there is no laughter in Utopia.” So, what do you do when you have found it…Utopia. You look for laughter, obviously.

‘Hipster’ is a term that is thrown around a lot, however, if I were forced to describe hipster, the way I believe others see the ‘Hipster.’ I see a sad white and middle class person, a person who has found such happiness in their life that they don’t have much else choice but to find sadness.

The white middle class syndrome in my opinion is the ‘Hipster’ whether they purport the cultural brand or not. See us clever little human beings have managed to make middle-class life so comfortable, so utterly easy that we have no choice but to look for emotion elsewhere. Whether that be pretending to actually care about the little Africans whose images we are bombarded by 50 times a day or whether it is choosing to live a slightly more uncomfortable life by rejecting modern science and attempting to live in the dark ages.

I’ve not been on this planet for very long, but if there is one thing I don’t need to even pretend to understand but know is true at the very bottom of my life experience database, is that it is a fact of the human condition that we can never be happy with simply being happy.

We must create a sickness. We must see misery where we cannot otherwise see it. Otherwise, life would be boring and there simply wouldn’t be any laughter.

We Don't Ride On A Sheep's Back....We Ride On A Farkin Dump Truck!

"'And what do you do Sir? I DIG A FUCKIN' HOLE! Now give me some Camembert cheese and Pinot Noir, chop, chop!'" - Dave Thornton

The mining boom in Western Australia has sparked a significant amount of debate of late as to what effect the new demographic of young people earning over 100k will have on Australia.

No doubt you’ve heard of them - the ‘cashed up bogans,’ but are our Gen Y miners really deserving of this term? And are they really such a threat to the cultural face of Australia and even the future economy of these wide-brown plains as the media would have you believe?

Well, the statistics don’t lie, and there is now a much stronger link between having little education and earning big bucks. In fact, tertiary-educated individuals are now far less likely to earn even half as much as non-tertiary educated people.

Suddenly, being a ‘cashed-up bogan’ isn’t looking so bad right?

Culturally, figure-heads like Gina Rinehart aren’t really giving young miners much of a chance, however, Gen Y miners actually come from a diverse background.

Many people from industry backgrounds such as education, unions, manufacturing, transport and wholesale trade are turning to mining fed up with working hard for a comparatively measly paycheck at the end of the week.

So, what are these young people from diverse backgrounds (and now incredibly, let’s just come out and say it - rich) people spending their money on?

Well, according to the authors of the book Things Bogans Like, recent statistics show that young miners are investing their money and are far less likely to throw it away than the majority of Gen Yer’s in other professions. Studies in the book even show that these cashed-up youngens are even drinking less than those in other professions.

Call them what you want, it seems Australia would be lost without this super-breed of money-smart and sensible twenty-somethings cashing in on what is currently one of this country’s most profitable professions!

A Kings Cross State of Mind

So, here’s what sickens me about the recent Kings Cross shooting story that has been floating around the news of late: the mentalities of those reacting to the it. You hear about a story of young boys going for a joyride in a car, and then being shot by police, taken OUT of the car and beaten – the consensus? Police reacted to a violent situation in the correct manner and that will teach them a lesson. Really?

A 14-year-old boy lies in hospital today after being un-lawfully and, can I just add, without due reason, beaten senseless by the lawmakers of this country. He was charged by police for his criminal actions and the talk of the town in this lovely ol’ city is: justice is done! “Teach them hooligans in Kings Cross. Something's got to be done ta stop them!"

Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions here, but when I see people as young as 14 doing things that are harmful to others or themselves, my first thought isn’t ‘oh what a horrible person’ – my first thought ‘oh, what a horrible upbringing they must have had.’ People at that age are still trying to find their footing in the world and they act out because that’s what they are taught. Yeah, yeah you might scoff and say teenagers should know better but the reality is that they are in fact still a victim of their conditioning: so is everyone until they learn that there are options out there – adult ones.

I think what people don’t realize when they complain about the dangers of the Kings Cross area is that Kings Cross in itself is a mentality. Kings Cross is one of those parts of the world where survival is being a criminal – that’s just how it works and that’s just what you do. You have to change the area before you change the mentality otherwise like all mentalities they just continue to repeat themselves – in different ways or in the same way. But for Christ’s Sake, don’t take it out on juvenile kids who are merely repeating the washing machine cycle of the Kings Cross mentality adopted by their forebears, especially when they still have the ability to be apart of this change! Here's my message to the Sydney justice system: grow up!

Euro-Australiana

Anyone that lives in Sydney right now would probably notice that there seems to be more Europeans than Australians. I live and work predominantly with Europeans and have now become accustomed to being called ‘Jemma: The Australian.’

I have been informed of a Europe-based financial crisis, but the true impact never really affected me in a big way. However, I have been informed that Australia is truly lucky compared our European brothers and sisters. My French, English and Czech flat mates tell me that they and all other Europeans are here in an attempt to escape the financial crisis.

Australia has become the new golden child or financial promise-land in the aftermath of the GFC and apparently everyone wants a piece. However, I didn’t realize that the conditions were genuinely THAT bad. I have heard horror stories of the competitive job market, high un-employment and the general gloomy weather that adds to the overall depression that has apparently swept the psyche of Europe.

I feel even more lucky to be a part of the a brilliant country like this, and even more frustrated by whiney Australians who think the economic conditions are actually bad right now. Guess what guys? You know nothing of nation-wide financial turmoil!

We don’t give the Rudd government the credit it deserves for getting us through the hard yards. So, lets all appreciate a little more just what we take for granted Sydney-ites! Hopefully, you’ll think twice about complaining about the price of your next lunch.

The New Dirty Word

Those of you who saw the recent comments made by Karl Stefanovik on the Today Show regarding feminism will understand that there is much work to be done in this country when it comes to this philiosophy. Sure it’s all fine and dandy to sit here and say ‘yeah, we’re good now, let’s abandon the idea of feminism,’ but the reality is we’re not ‘all good now.’ The reality is so far from this.

Don’t take my word for it, but there is still considerable amounts of inequality in the workplace. We still don’t have a standard for paid maternity leave, for example. Like Mia Freedman and Lisa Wilkinson so bashfully pointed out: the feminism of the ‘60’s paved the way for what we have today, and we still have a long way to go.

But you want to know my idea of optimal equality?

A journalist and a female in the public eye like Mia Freedman being able to comment on someone else’s personal identification with feminism without being bombarded with ignorance of an almost angrily defensive quality from the opposite gender.

Oh well, I guess ignorance and idiocy will always exist in the public sphere. I will personally never abandon the ‘F’ word, or any feminists before me because they are reason I have the right to voice my opinions as I do now.

Thoughts for the Day

So, I have decided to start blogging about my life. I fail to feel passion about any one particular topic at the moment, so I’ve decided to start blogging on a daily basis about everything and anything that happens to come whizzing into my consciousness. If you manage to get even half of what I hope to get out it then mission accomplished! One of the big things pissing me off lately is the whole election spill thing. Honestly, I just can’t stand that shit at the moment. Media beat up? Perhaps, but guess what else it is. More destruction within the labour caucus. Was there ever a time when polli’s just thought to themselves what are we doing to each other? Why don’t we give the public a break and make things a little simple for the voting public.

If you don’t follow the news this whole Ruddy wanting to take back the prime ministership even harder to comprehend. Who are we really voting for here? Gillard or someone else that is going to take over power? I say let’s get Wong in. I feel like she represents, if nothing else, the political views of my generation. Yes to gay marriage. Yes, to strong climate action. On a sidenote, has anyone in Queensland seen the latest advertisements for the Bligh government in relation to the upcoming state elections? Milking the flood clean up process or what? Poor PR move in my opinion. Any Queenslander with half a brain can see through that strategy, and any Queenslander that truly did suffer will feel their experience is now cheapened. Boo Bligh! You used to be cool.

On a sidenote, I’m moving to Sydney tomorrow. I will soon be a NSW voter. I do love me a bit of scandal.

Do You Speak My Culture?

To put it simply, Tony Abbott put his foot in it. After all the speculation surrounding the Tent Embassy, I think we can come to the conclusion that there is still a serious sense of miscommunication between white Australia, and indigenous Australia. The first example of this miscommunication was Tony Abbott’s comment “we need to move on from the Tent Embassy,” which was interpreted by the Aboriginal and TI community in the area as being entirely literal. Then Tony Abbott suggests that perhaps the need for Tent Embassy is outdated. Whether or not Abbott actually meant that he believed Australia had reached its goals in terms of ‘bridging the gap’ is still somewhat under speculation. However, he didn’t make an attempt to clarify his comments in a way that was directly aimed at the Aboriginal and TI community. He could have firstly explained that by moving on, he didn’t mean that the group at the Tent Embassy should be moved out of the area as many members of the Aboriginal and TI community are often used to hearing. Nor did he make much of an effort to properly explain why he thought that the Tent Embassy was no longer relevant to modern Australian society.

I think this is a perfect example of the gross miscommunication that occurs constantly between the government and the indigenous peoples of this country. White people, or I should probably more accurately say, European people, throughout history have always that mentality that the best to create equality between themselves and indigenous people’s of any given colonized country is by imposing their way of life upon them and expecting them to follow in line just because they where given the same amount of food stamps. However, I don’t see this as true, and rightful equality, because in a political sense, it can be argued that all equal things must share the same value. With the constant ‘nanny-stating’ that has been happening in this country lately, has the government stopped to ask what the indigenous people value most? It seems as though what the western democratic world wants is what everyone else wants too. Am I the only one that thinks it’s time the government learns to jump off it’s elitist ‘working class Australian’ horse, and starts learning to communicate better? Or even more importantly starts learning to care more about the wants, needs, values, and culture that Indigenous Australians have struggled to preserve.

Women Are From Earth....And So Are Men

Something that has been plaguing me a lot lately is the great women and men divide – I’m from Venus, and he’s from Mars and all that. I have spent a lot more time lately attempting to understand the workings of the male mind. After spending so much time digging through the mess of my analytical brain, and attempting to truly figure out what makes the male mind tick, I think I can come to one conclusion. Ladies, pay attention to this one because it may come useful for the future. Men are human beings. Shocker! I know. They are insecure, they’re dumb, smart, emotional, fragile and everything that you have ever been. I can’t help but think sometimes that women love to put men into a different singular category, because it helps them to deal with the fact that they are afraid of being vulnerable. For example, if “all men” do something then it wasn’t a human being with thoughts, feeling and emotions that just completely writed you off, it was “all men.” So to women everywhere, wake up to yourself, stop using this stupid categorizing system and get on with it!

SIDENOTE: I apologize for the content of this blog, I am aware that, bar a few terrible puns, I may as well be Sarah Jessica Parker right now – this was just something I had to get off my chest.

SOPA Who?

So, the past few weeks when it comes to the proposed SOPA and PIPA laws in the US have completely taken off. I couldn’t believe when I first heard that a new law was going to effect online pirates, and any website that is consorting with online pirates. Now, with the risk of sounding like a typical, naïve, ‘me me me’ Gen Yer, what does anyone use the Internet for more than social media, and other forms of user generated websites such as Youtube? Sites such as Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook are hugely dominated by copyrighted materials. I understand that online piracy is a serious problem and steals billions of dollars from content creators, but the proposed legislation aimed to shut down any site that had just about ANYTHING to do with online piracy. Perhaps, I’m overreacting here, but, to me, that, that seems the equivalent of shutting down an entire office building just because one guy was stealing staplers.

Of course, by now, we have all come to the realization that the Internet isn’t the Utopian global community many predicted it would be. Us humans have managed to find a way to economize nearly everything on the net, and fill nearly every user-generated site with references to our own shit - literally! However, sites such as Youtube, and Twitter have played an important role in furthering democracy and re-installing it. I was personally disgusted that the United States of America – “land of the free” hand on my heart, ‘God bless our cunntry!’ and all that would be willing to jeopardize the status of these sites just to catch a few nine-year-old kids uploading Robot Wars on the weekend. I’ve done a Journalism degree, so I’ve had this sort of thing drilled into me, but I think it is very important for everyone to remember that freedom of information should not be seen as a privilege it should be seen as a right. Censorship jeopardizes our rights, and especially, in America where this is a foundational part of the constitution. The US government has dropped the proposed legislation for now, but I don’t see this going away just like that. Believers in a free and open Internet should continue to fight for our right to freedom of information.

The Black March against Internet censorship will take place between the 1^st and 31^st of March. Hit media companies were it hurts and refrain from buying any products or seeing movies etc. legally or illegally. Help send the message that the world’s biggest corporations cannot jeopardize our liberty.