Missing The Point

So we enter 2013, and as most people are probably aware this means that we’re finally back into an election year. The fiasco that was 2010 seems so long ago and it’s interesting to watch the trajectories of both candidates since.

"Oh Balls! Someone hacked my Minecraft account..."

Julia Gillard has maintained a relatively steady level of public disapproval over the last 3 and a bit years, with low popularity, the breaking of election promises and the implementation of the ‘tax to end them all’, while Tony Abbott has become little more than a naysayer, like his post-election plan had actually involved the requirement for another election as a result of the hung parliament. He probably should have watched the recent anti drink-driving advertisements. You need a plan B, and unless he’s got something amazing up his sleeve we won’t be seeing one in 2013. It will be much of the same as the last campaign, in the hope that a slightly bigger margin will give him a majority government. Up until recently, the polls supported this philosophy... I reiterate - up until recently.

While it has been hilarious, frustrating, maddening and saddening to watch the landscape of Australian political discourse shift over the last Prime Ministerial term, there is one aspect of it (who am I kidding, there are many, but let’s just go with one for now) that has raised my ire.

Why I Quit Vodafone

5 Months ago I did something I haven’t done in years – I changed my mobile phone provider. This wasn’t because I found a better deal elsewhere, had reached the end of a contract, changed where I lived or anything of that ilk. I left Vodafone Australia for a multitude of reasons that essentially came down to the fact that they couldn’t even provide me with the basic services most people take for granted. Since doing my own reading around social networking I’ve realised that the term ‘most people’ needs to be redefined to ‘people who aren’t on Vodafone’.

I joined Voda a while ago, from Optus. My ex girlfriend worked for them and could get me a good deal on a prepaid package and a new handset when it really was time for me to get one. I should have seen it coming then to be honest. I got the phone home and within a week I could barely get half a bar of reception in my own house. The ex and I returned to my local Vodafone store to receive no analysis of ANYTHING, I was just handed a new handset. For a while this seemed ok until it all started again. I know from back in the early Optus days that my house seems to be at the fringes of about 4-5 different reception areas, and the phone constantly changes between them depending on what room of the house I’m in and no doubt which way the wind is blowing. I ended up taking my SIM card out of the phone and putting it in an older model I got off my brother, and for a while things were fine..... For a while.....

Enough With The ImPOTUS

It’s been a while, but I’m still here. I have a multitude of blogs to write and there’s a chance that many of them will probably seem outdated and irrelevant by the time I finally get to post them, but today I felt the need to say my piece before the world celebrates/commiserates/whatever. As with most of my writings I don’t know where I’ll be going with this, but I’ll see you on the other side:

The last few weeks here in Australia, and no doubt in many other countries around the world, have seen an abundance of information, reports, statistics and much more regarding the soon-to-be-held US election. On the internet this is even more rampant. I’m not sure what the reaction is on Facebook but on Twitter it’s practically non-stop. Everyone is an armchair American. I don’t blame the majority of people – the media saturation has almost been enough to make us forget what country we’re living in, but I’ve come to a point where I feel the need to say something to people who are getting on social media and distinctly telling Americans, or pleading with them, how they should vote.

‘Why?’ I hear you ask? Well, if everyone else gets to have an opinion and wars with people on Twitter and such, I might as well try and get my piece in before the results are in.

I’m not pro-Republican or pro-Democrat, I honestly don’t give a shit how their country is run. Given the reaction of many other people I would, however, seem to be in a minority. Perhaps I should contextualise first.

Strolling Along

Over the weekend my attention was drawn to an article about a Melbourne Cafe and the offense they caused some of their patrons by installing a 'No Pram' policy on weekends - read the article itself here.

The argument essentially goes that the Cafe owner has asked for no prams in the restaurant on the weekend due to the fact its a peak period and that, at capacity, perhaps there is little or no room to facilitate the use of prams without incurring potential risk to either the baby in the pram, the people around it, or god forbid the staff as well.

Caffe Panette (the name of the restaurant), whether you agree or disagree with the policy, has brought it to the forefront of hospitality issues and as you can probably expect, it's time for me to contribute my thoughts on the matter whether you want them or not.

There are a few things that need to be said about prams. I understand that they are necessary, I understand the purpose that they serve and I don't think parenting is easy. I want to make that clear, I am not against the function that prams serve, nor do I begrudge parents their rights to obtain one. I am not calling anyone a lazy parent for having a pram.

Desert the Sand-o

Last week I happened across a blog written by Brendan Maclean regarding the closing of the Sandringham Hotel in Newtown (you can find it here), and was subsequently lead to the response from the Sando and one of Sydney's most prominent, long-lasting venues, the Annandale Hotel (and you can find THEM here)

Essentially, this is how the conversation went. Maclean bemoans bad treatment and conditions he has received there, and given the stories he recounts it is, in many ways, understandable. Every performer deserves to be facilitated and assisted by the venue that is helping them ply their trade. That being said, every venue also deserves as much help as possible from the performers. Neither side of the fence should sit there and feel like they're doing the other a favour. The response from the pub owners cited a range of issues, including the amazing bureaucratic nature of Sydney, and asked for support instead of snide comments from people who can make a difference, such as Maclean.

Why I Quit Facebook

Nowadays it’s hard for the majority of people under the age of about 30 to even consider their lives without Facebook. It’s wonderful world of social networking has kept you in touch with old friends you thought you’d never see again, before reminding you why you never thought you’d see them again. It lets you share what you’re thinking, at any time, and in any place, with a whole bunch of people who are apparently interested. It lets you do so many things – and for so little apparent cost.

 
In early March this year I deleted my Facebook profile. I wasn’t entirely sure how it was going to work out, nor was I sure that it was the right idea given the amounts of personal history I’d amassed on that site via photos and writing. It’s all tied to significant parts in your life. The longer you’re on there, the more personal info you amass and the more you feel attached to your ‘profile’ – subsequently when it comes time to terminate it these are the things you realise. Not only that, but when you attempt to delete your Facebook profile it asks you a variety of things – like are you SURE you want to delete it, and if you’d like to back up all the info you’ve saved on there over the years. The purpose of the latter is to make you realise how much you have on there, how long it would take to back it all up and to generally stir up the warm feeling that comes with thoughts of friends and the last few years. It is designed to stir these feelings up in you so that you don’t delete your profile. Anyway I digress, there are, for some people, valid reasons to keep a Facebook profile.

The reason I’m writing today is to explain to you why I quit.There are a multitude of reasons that I quit. Some are personal, some impersonal, but I consider all of them valid.

Durst the Worst

Most people out there are probably aware that we're reaching the end of the Summer festival season. Many festivals touring the country, catering for all tastes and keeping the masses happy. The most recent festival to make its way through town was none other than Soundwave - the alternative festival for all the people that like their music heavy or punk-y, either way - loud!

While I'll save the majority of my thoughts about the festival for my official review (which will probably be up on the weekend at this rate) there are a few things I have to say in particular, about one of the surprisingly more popular acts of the afternoon - Limp Bizkit.

You're probably thinking to yourself 'Limp Bizkit? ewww.. what the hell were you doing Javid? I thought you had credibility' - first and foremost you'd be wrong about the credibility part but that doesn't bother me. Yes Limp Bizkit are a bit 'ewww' - that being said I didn't mind some of their stuff back in the day and I think it was more the curiosity factor that brought people like myself to the main arena. I'll also say now that there is a spoiler alert so if you're still going to one of the other Soundwaves and you're actually keen to see Limp Bizkit then maybe not read this until after.

Eleven years ago was the last time Limp Bizkit were in the country. I saw them there, at the 2001 BDO (they were just after Rammstein) and yes, that was the fateful day that Jessica died in tragic circumstances. There were court cases and much publicity but you can be guaranteed that the events of that evening, while not meaningless, have certainly escaped peoples minds in the more than a decade that has passed since. It did result in a rethink of Australian festival safety and has led us to the system we have now.