That Time Again

Last year I remember specifically sitting in our hostel in Prague in the wee hours of the evening using the internet and suddenly being flooded by people all keen to tell me that, after years of waiting, my favourite band Rammstein were finally coming back to Australia for the Big Day Out. I didn't even care who was on the rest of the lineup. Heck I still didn't really care when I went to both Sydney BDOs this year and got to see them twice.. ahhh.. memories. What I'm saying is that most times you can remember the circumstances that led to you finding out the lineup for the Big Day Outs you want to remember.

As I'm sure you're all aware, given the twitter trend and the non-stop radio/facebook bombardment this morning, the BDO 2012 first announcement has been made. I'll admit I was casting an eye over the lineup as Triple J confirmed each band, one by one, through twitter and I have mixed feelings about the lineup. Whats that you say? Please continue? I will..

Before I turn into my cynical self perhaps I should start off with what I enjoy about the lineup. Considering the complete lack of Rammstein you'd be surprised to learn that there are a few things I'm excited about. First of all, for fucks sake, another band I can finally cross off my bucket list (unless the BDO falls through like SWR - my one hope to see Van Halen) is SOUNDGARDEN! I remember my friend Hayley giving me lifts to our Tertiary Educational Facility back in the day (because I was too lazy to drive) and furthering the admittedly surface-level love I had of the band. I cannot WAIT to hear them cut loose on stage and I have little doubt they'll fucking ROCK! Booyeah. Then theres also Foster The People - a band I was introduced to by Triple J and a mate, who I stupidly didn't even bother going to see at this years Splendour. They excite me and should excite you also.

Then there's the phenomenal, mind-bending, mathematical and truly brilliant Battles, who I remember catching a couple of years back with Pix and some of the others as Silverchair played in the main arena. Pssht. The performance Battles put on validated our decision to NOT see Daniel Johns. The inclusion of Mariachi El Bronx will probably surprise alot of people. I only got introduced to them last year through the sexual Mr. Chapman but I can guarantee that these guys will provide a beautiful atmosphere for getting some beers and chilling in the afternoon sun. Unless scheduling fucks it all up. Architecture In Helsinki have been on pretty much every festival this year and look like continuing into 2012 and I'm also excited. Kasabian will be good even though they don't get me THAT excited. Then of course there is the return of the one, the only, Australia's best festival openers; the offensive, hilarious and ALWAYS entertaining Frenzal Rhomb. While I'm not that familiar, the songs I have heard and the hype surrounding them leads me to believe that Boy and Bear will be good wholesome fun as well. So far, so good, it promises to be a fantastic day. That being said... (here it comes) there are a few things I'm NOT happy about...

Every lineup needs its traditional filler acts. The acts that a majority of people will go to not because they've got a new album out, but who they want to go see based on a live reputation and because you really like the old songs (read: The Living End and Hilltop Hoods) and I don't begrudge these guys anything. They've been around long enough to know what they're doing, they'll be fine, and so will you if you go and see them. Umm.. I don't know where I was going with that. Lets just get straight to the things that shit me.

One act I will be going out of my way NOT to see is Girl Talk. I know alot of people that compliment this guy, go nuts for this guy, say he's revolutionary, groundbreaking, etc. He is NOT. He is SHIT. The ONLY thing this guy does is MASH UP SONGS! If I wanted to hear that I'd just listen to most FM radio stations on a Saturday night. Or go to a shit club. You might be thinking by reading this that I'm just some cynical critic and while you may be right, I have SEEN Girl Talk live. He comes out on stage, grabs a whole bunch of people up on stage with him, and then basically plays a mixtape while people consider him a man of brilliance. I hear you now saying "well if its so easy and shit Javid why aren't you out there touring the world and doing it?". Thats a good question. Perhaps I should. To me, Girl Talk is Andrew WK without any redeeming quality. He goes around taking credit for other peoples work like he's groundbreaking when really he's just a fucking DJ that should be playing Phriction on a Friday night. Seriously, I just don't get it.

He bought that Hennessey with YOUR money. Want a sip? Too bad

My other gripe is (thats right, you guessed it) the inclusion of Kanye West on the bill. For a multitude of reasons. I'm not a Kanye hater. I've got My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, hell it even made it into my top 3 albums from last year. Not only that but I saw the guy at Splendour in the Grass this year and admittedly, the production of his show was phenomenal. The autotune solos and strength of the mans ego however, were not. It was a show I was glad I saw, but had I known he'd be coming out for the BDO a couple of months later perhaps I would have saved myself the effort and perhaps a few people that paid to go to Splendour might have saved themselves $400 odd. We were told it was his only Australian show so for him to come back 5 months later for a tour is a bit of a Jip. But thats more just petty reasoning, because god knows there are more people out there excited about seeing him then there were at Splendour. There are two more things about Kanye playing that I have a problem with.

1. This will, undoubtedly, just like Splendour, result in a massive ticket price increase whether we like it or not. It's common knowledge that the cost of a ticket has gone up every single year and it wouldn't surprise me if we see prices like we've never seen before. It's a good lineup, sure, but will it be worth whatever fee we have to pay to cover whatever it cost them to get him out here? He'd BETTER be in the boiler room with Soundgarden closing the main stage or I'll be PISSED.

2. This will, also, undoubtedly attract a large amount of fucking idiot teenagers who don't understand what a festival is like. If you look at the rest of the bill you could almost call this a music-lovers festival. The acts are mainly very talented musicians which is great to see, bands that are worthy of praise and attention. What we don't need is a bunch of flouro wearing teenagers and southern cross fuckwits who are there to spend the whole day getting pissed and becoming rowdy so they can watch Kanye at night. Yes I know that, to a certain point, they're going to be there anyway. The point I'm making is that by putting Kanye on the bill they have automatically guaranteed an increase in attendance for these type of people. Why? Because they couldn't afford $400 to get to Splendour. I WILL, almost without a doubt, not be seeing Kanye at the BDO. Not because he's not fun to watch (he is... to an extent) but because his crowd will be so full of douchebags and kids its not funny.

The fact that the sexy Gin Wigmore is only playing in NZ is also disappointing but oh well. With more acts to be announced it promises to be a massive BDO. I'm pretty sure it won't disappoint either way and if you've suffered through my opinions I congratulate you. But I swear to God.. if Kanye closes the main stage I will be PISSED OFF!

Until next time..

Being Hospitable

Sorry to leave you waiting, I know you've all been yearning for more learned ramblings from the insufferable... me.. but well, I've been busy. Plus that last letter to JB Hi Fi actually garnered a bit of interest so I thought I'd leave it up for a while. Still waiting for them to send me some free shit.

I always wondered what the guys from 'popstars' were doing now...

Anyway the purpose of todays blog is to teach you some of the things I've learnt over more than 5 years in the hospitality industry. If you don't work in the industry, first of all you're a lucky person, but chances are you also know someone who does. Who knows, you might even be able to identify with one or more of these facts as you read. It may well end up turning into a series. Anyway here goes, enjoy!

1. It exacerbates insomnia and skews your sleeping patterns
I was always a bit of an insomniac, or night-owl (are there even day owls?) as the term goes. When I started working in hospitality I didn't immediately notice the difference given my already existing sleeping hours. But slowly over the years these have been drawn out to the point that, unless I'm next to someone, I CANNOT sleep before 2AM. At the earliest. In some jobs you don't even close and get home till 6 in the morning. I'm sure shift-workers can identify with this problem. The key to it lies in the fact that when you come home at an already late time, you can't just automatically switch your body off and go to sleep. If you can you're one of the minority but kudos to you. On top of that dinner normally takes place sometime between 11 and midnight which doesn't help. Ultimately I think it comes down to the fact that when you get home after a long day of putting up with other peoples shit, all you want to do is have some time to yourself, even if that time happens to be in the early hours of the morning. Unfortunately it will ALWAYS get to a point where you start to notice it having a detrimental effect on you in general, from being tired as soon as you wake up, to turning the whole elaborate, tiring and inconvenient process into a routine that weaves its way into your weekly roster.

2. You will forget the meaning of weekends

One of the joys of working in hospitality is that, when everyone else has time off (be it evenings or weekends), your job is to serve them. This means that you work these hours and days, sometimes for penalty rates, sometimes not, and (as mentioned in point 1) until all hours of the morning. At first you might not mind, you'll even justify it to yourself by thinking 'I'm making money, AND I'm not spending any' (by going out). This is folly. While the naivete of the idea will get you through a few months, maybe even a year or two, you eventually start to realise things. You never see your friends anymore, bar for random occasions. Your friends don't bother inviting you places because they know theres a 98% chance that your response will be work-oriented. You miss birthdays, engagements, weddings, christenings, going away parties and generally the human contact you forget that you were used to before you started working in hospitality. This is more your fault than theirs. Instead you end up socialising and befriending the people you work with because, lets face it, there's a chance they're in the exact same boat as you are. They might also be the only other person you know with Tuesdays and Wednesdays off.

3. It will ruin dining out
So maybe 'ruin' is the wrong word to use, but let me say this; Most people, who don't work in hospitality, but consistently go out to restaurants, do so because of either a love of food, socialising, or the fact they have too much money and/or can't cook for shit. When you have worked in a restaurant for a long time, whether you like it or not, you start being overly analytical of everything that goes on when you dine out yourself. You notice the professionalism of the servers, their personality (anyone can just follow a process and smile [though some can't do that], its what they do to make it their own) and levels of attentiveness (from none whatsoever to servers so damn clingy I wish I'd stayed at home). You scrutinize the food, the decor, the ambiance, the music, the cleanliness, everything; comparing it to the standards your restaurant upholds and the personal standards you hold as a server/chef/whatever. Many times you'll be so cynical you don't even stop to enjoy the fact that you're dining out. Would you be like this if you DIDN'T work in a restaurant? No. Are expectations a bad thing? No. What one must realise is that everyone has their own way of doing things. Some good, some not so good. We are comparative creatures, we compare our lot to that of the person next to us and so on. Thats why you have to envy the oblivious nature of the many many people who don't work in this industry.

4. It will teach you social skills
You say social skills these days and most kids probably think of how many likes they've had on Facebook for that witty status update or why someone is no longer your 'friend' on a website. This in itself is a sad observation of the state of social interaction in society, albeit true among the generations now infecting our school system. Whether you've got good skills or not, hospitality can be the industry to bring them out in you. You have to talk to people, be able to engage people, DEAL with people, or you're not going to survive in the industry. There are more to social skills than just talking but that in itself (talking) probably explains why its a female-dominated industry. It teaches you how to deal with women and matriarchy (inevitable in the industry) and also teaches you how to juggle many precarious relationships with various people, and the sects and groups they establish for themselves. It also teaches you that 90% of todays teenagers are fucking idiots who don't care about the quality of their work, or the fact they're even supposed to be there is to work. They will spend most of their time 'socialising' not with the customers, or in any productive means, but within themselves in the hope that they can do it for as long as possible in the hope they get through to sign off time having to do fuck all. Maybe todays teens will be the subject of another rant. Basically, this industry can set you up with a valuable set of interpersonal skills, IF you want to learn it. If you don't, then please just fuck off and stop making me angry.

The tragic, bouncy future of silver service

5. It makes relationships difficult to manage and maintain

Once again, as a teenager this probably isn't as problematic, as chances are you get to see your boyfriend/girlfriend at school or at least multiple times a week anyway. Working in the industry does start to throw spanners in the works though when things start getting more serious. To tie into point #2, there's a chance that your partner will be one of those people with a 'normal' job. This means that while they work, you're at home, and as you leave for work, they're coming home. When you get home they'll be tired and ready for sleep and work the next day, and as much as you try, you won't always be ready to sleep as well. To tie into #2 again it means you may often not be able to accompany them to the previously mentioned weddings, family events, special moments in peoples lives. As much as both of you may be committed to the cause of trying to make it work, the fact that you scarcely get to see each other apart from maybe 2 nights a week and the fact that you (personally) would rather spend those 2 days with the person and not their friends are detrimental. While your partner goes out on weekends with friends they'll be getting asked "Wheres (insert your name here)?" After a couple of weeks, maybe months, maybe years, their friends will get sick of this, and chances are your partner will too. I'm not saying a job in hospitality will COST you your relationship, it will just make it significantly more difficult to manage, especially with a 'needy' partner. Then you think to yourself "maybe i'll get into a relationship with someone I work with" - bad idea. While not seeing enough of someone can potentially cost you a relationship, seeing TOO MUCH of someone is in many cases worse. Where's the alone time you sought in #1? You have to live every moment of life with that person to the point you can't breathe. Not only that but if you DO get in a relationship with a colleague and it doesnt work out, given the volatility of hospitality workplaces, it may force one of you to resign for the sake of the other. Then again, if you did that, you probably wouldn't have these problems anymore. This isn't just the bf/gf relationship I'm talking about I guess. I never see my parents or my brother, I scarcely see the large majority of my friends. I don't blame anyone for this, it's just an inescapable fact.

I'll leave it there for today. Some of you may have a hospitality job and go 'wtf are you talking about?' - and thats fair enough. If you've found a way to make it all work I applaud you. Nor am I saying I HAVEN'T found a way to make it work. If you've never encountered any of this then you either haven't had the job for long enough or you're oblivious to them. Hospitality is a rewarding industry, a rewarding job (even though the pay is a pittance compared to some people [who do a shitload less]). These are just some of the inescapable facts. Feel free to share your own experiences or call me an idiot. There WILL be more of these.

Until next time..

An Open Letter to JB Hi Fi

Okay. Part of the reason I started this blog was because I'm generally an angry person, but not angry in the way that makes you fear for your life. Angry in the way that many other people find amusing unless you're the one receiving my ire. Its been a while since I've felt the need to directly vent my spleen at anyone but given the last few days I think its time, and today's victim - JB Hi-Fi.

always cheapest, but at what cost?

Now, let me first quantify a few things. In my many years in the hospitality industry I've realised the value of good customer service. Not just for pilfering tips off soft targets but being polite, because 9 times out of 10 sincere politeness and manners is a significant part of what makes someone have a good dining experience. You are the face. If the chef fucks the steak you're still the one that the customer is looking at, and venting at. This may even be a case of that, but thats another entry for another time. I also need to quantify that I live in Western Sydney. Don't use that as a basis for judging me but moreso the type of people I'm dealing with. I also need to quantify with the fact that I have WORKED at JB Hi-Fi. I know what the job takes and its not fucking rocket science. If anything retail is the retarded cousin of hospitality. Anyway, time to begin.

The new Primus album 'Green Naugahyde' was, according to the JB Hi-Fi website, supposed to come out last Friday. Filled with excitement and vigor the first thing I did on Friday was head down to Mt. Druitt (I know, I know) to get my hands on a copy. There are normally a minimum of 2 people per section (CD's/DVD's, etc) and one was out on the floor helping a customer. I couldn't find the Primus album myself so I waited for the girl to finish talking to whoever she was talking to and thought she'd be able to help. Immediately after serving the customer, and KNOWING I was waiting to talk to her, she turned on her heels, said nothing to me, and sped out the back to the 'staff only' area. Annoying. At the time I thought 'she's probably gone out the back to get something and will be with me in a moment'. I walked past the door and could count at least 3 people sitting back there. With no clear visible evidence to suggest that any of them were doing anything. One was sitting on a table ffs.

5 minutes passed...

10 minutes passed...

Not a SINGLE PERSON came out onto the floor. Not a single person. YOU'RE A GLORIFIED FUCKING LIBRARIAN YOU PIECE OF SHIT. Anyway, I went up to the front counter, where there were 2 more girls both dealing with customers. Like I say, I've worked at JB and I've got a rough idea of what needs to be done, and most things were not being done. After 5 minutes of waiting in line and suppressing the urge to start breaking shit like a 4 year old I walked out, irate, using my eyes to DARE the fucking security guard to think I'd stolen anything, and went to my car to stew in my own anger.

ironically looking for "I still haven't found what I'm looking for"

Not knowing whether the CD was actually in stock after all that I decided to CALL the Penrith store (about 15-20 minutes away but hey, I wasn't driving there for nothing). I was immediately directed to and helped by Robert (I'm pretty sure I actually used to work with him) and he told me that, alas, MGM had not delivered the albums. He was also nice enough to inform me that Mt Druitt and Penrith were on the same delivery line so one wouldn't get it without the other. He even defended MGM! Saying that they were doing the best they could. He also put my mind at ease by saying he hoped they would have it by Monday at the latest. After the fiasco that was Mt Druitt it was nice to know there was still someone out there who could uphold the morals of customer service.

The weekend came and went, I worked and slept and other stuff, but didn't particularly worry about the CD. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have arrived over the course of the weekend anyway. That brings me to this morning. I woke up after a considerable and well-deserved sleep in and decided that, instead of wasting my time entering junkie town for perhaps nothing, I should call them. So I did. I got the cheerful response from the front counter girl straight away and asked to be directed to CDs. I was put on hold... for over 2 minutes. This seemed strange to me given Fridays experience. You seriously expect me to believe they were all busy for that long? There? On a MONDAY? Most of the junkie population in Mt Druitt (which is most of them) wouldn't have even been up and functioning yet, still scattered from the night before. Anyway I was eventually taken off hold and this is the conversation that ensued. FF = fuck face, ME = well, me.

FF: Software, this is fuckface (or whatever his name was)
Me: Sorry, did you say software?
FF: Yep
Me: Oh OK, I actually asked for CD's...
FF: Yeah we take care of both (its hard to convey how condescending the cunt was)
Me: Fair enough, anyway I was just wondering if you guys had received the new Primus album yet as it was...
FF: Nuh. MGM still haven't sent it
Me: Oh...(leave a pause for him to say something about maybe WHEN they'll get it, if he knows what the go is, etc.)
FF: ...
Me: Fair enough then...
FF: ....................
Me: *click*

OK. Let me say a few things about this because like I said, it's hard to convey how it all went down. This guy sounded like, wherever he was, he did not want to be there. He sounded like my phonecall had created a massive inconvenience when it came to him sitting on his fucking ass doing nothing. Secondly I asked for CDs, so they would have paged CDs. The uniting of CDs and software is obviously a recent development but how was I to know? If he knew I had a CD inquiry why did he have to be a smart-ass and try to make me feel stupid for not knowing? If he DIDN'T know it still doesn't justify him being a sarcastic prick. The audible annoyance in his voice when I asked about the CD was also incredibly agitating - once again, how was I supposed to know? And then the complete lack of any helpful suggestion or any feeling other than 'leave me alone' at the end of the conversation made me want to reach down the phone and beat the shit out of him with his own ass.

Another bad experience. And I can promise you that, at least until my anger subsides and I get lazy, I will never be setting foot in Mt Druitt JB Hi-Fi again. BUT WAIT, THERES MORE!

After that horrendous experience, and still knowing that they were on the same distribution line, I tried Penrith again. Greeted immediately on the phone, asked for CD's. Instead of waiting for 2 minutes I had a different, almost comical experience where first someone from Car Audio answered within 30 seconds, apologised, then someone from DVD's answered within another 30 seconds and apologised for picking up again before someone from CD's finally answered. I asked my question and was caught entirely off guard when the girl told me that YES! The album had in fact arrived this morning "better late than never". I thanked her for the good news and will be going down tomorrow to pick it up. But then, still bitter about my previous experience, I started to think.

I don't know for certain but I would have to assume that MGM deliver from the city (if you know, please correct me). From the City to Penrith is a long drive, but on the way is Mt Druitt. On the way to or from Penrith, the next nearest store for delivery would undoubtedly be Mt Druitt! Its an inescapable fact. So while I may well be wrong, my anger is compounded by the fact that there is at least a 75% chance that Mt Druitt HAD in fact received their MGM order and this guy was just too lethargic to check or too high to remember. I wish I could remember the guys name so I could post this profanity-laden rant on a JB message board or something.

What do I want after all this? Some good customer service, some honesty, some friendliness. One of the big things that shits me about JB, even when I was working there, is that half the staff take the dog tag they wear as a fucking status symbol. It does not mean you know shit, it doesn't mean you're cooler than everyone, it means you work at JB, in retail, in a job that is (much like I said before) that of a GLORIFIED FUCKING LIBRARIAN. Except you don't even need to know how to read. Which works out well for this next generation of fucking idiots.

I should have expected what I got from Mt Druitt. I know nice people that live there but the place really is a scumbucket. I live 10 minutes down the road so I may well be scum too, but MT DRUITT is the scum THIS piece of scum wipes off the bottom of his shoe. So to any of the JB Hi-Fi staff with superiority complexes - GET THE FUCK OVER YOURSELF. And to the people of JB Hi-Fi, what the fuck is your hiring policy? Maybe you need to retrain your staff on the BASICS like CUSTOMER FUCKING SERVICE. I may be an angry douche alot of the time but when you put me to work in hospitality I treat every fucking customer with a level of friendliess, courtesy, and god forbid - PROFESSIONALISM. You may be able to offer great prices but your staff don't offer any fucking soul. Not the ones in Mt Druitt anyway. Sort it out or burn it to the ground. We all hate our jobs on different days, but its their job nonetheless. If you don't like it go and get on welfare, smoke crack and loiter around carparks and methodone clinics like the rest of your junkie neighbours. Bottom line is that if you live in Western Sydney, and if Mt Druitt is one of your two closest JB Hi-Fi's, go to the other one. You'll save yourself anger, frustration, and the possible contraction of an STI.

JB Mt Druitt employee of the year 2011

So what was the point of this? To get it out and feel better of course, and I surprisingly do. And of course to make you laugh, or get angry, or relate in some way or another thanks to ridiculous customer service at some point. You may also just think I'm petty, in which case you're missing the point. Until next time.

Refugees for Dummies

Yesterday and today have seen developments regarding the biggest issue in this country at the moment (apart from our governments incompetence) - refugees, asylum seekers, boat people, whatever name the people in your town have currently given them. It all means the same thing as far as middle-class white Australians are concerned.

So what is a refugee exactly? A black person on a rickety boat? That band that Wyclef was in? (no thats the Fugees) A refugee, as defined by the UN Convention is "a person who is outisde his or her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his or her race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable to avail themselves to the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution"

I'm sure that doesn't really need too much explaining. It's pretty straightforward. If you live in a country where you're being persecuted, you get the hell out, it's as simple as that. Now, on to Australia. A couple of years ago (2001) a man named John Howard put in effect the Pacific Solution, which involved the excising of our migration zone (literally changing our borders so that people could be stopped without having entered our territory) and using third countries to detain refugees. While it may have been dubbed racist, immoral and such there is NO DOUBT that it worked, significantly reducing the number of boat arrivals post-2001.

Now remember Kevin Rudd, that guy that you all elected on the back of populist rhetoric and who was fired by his own party. One of his election platforms was to dissolve the Pacific Solution. Essentially a noble idea I guess but what was the plan? Just hope the boats wouldn't start coming again? Because they did, and having shut off our previous options the onus was now on Kev to come up with something new. It wasn't new, but what Kev brought us was a focus Christmas Island. Since then the Island has burned, been overcrowded, witnessed hunger strikes, death, suicide attempts, violence towards children and the boat crash in December last year that killed 30 people on the rocks on the islands coast. And the boats are still coming.

Christmas Island, burnt by the people it was built to accomodate

Then came Julia Gillard. Our current PM. The only person in the world it is possible for me to hate more than Kevin Rudd (next to Rob Oakshott). Our ONLY Prime Minister to have held office twice and NEVER with the majority support of we, the Australian people. In the lead up to last years election, sensing the Refugee issue would be of concern, Julia offered the services of our good friend East Timor. The only problem was, East Timor hadn't really been consulted and to be honest, they didn't think it was a good option for themselves, having far too many internal issues of importance to deal with. Fail.

So now we reach the current situation - MALAYSIA. The government is intending to put in place a deal that means we send 800 Christmas Island refugees to Malaysia and in return get 4,000 processed applicants ready to be settled. Pro-Refugee activists probably see this as a great deal but there are a few things to consider -

Malaysia is NOT a signatory of the UN Refugee Convention. This means they aren't obligated to treat the refugees the same way that other signatories are. When the Howard government used Nauru to process refugee claims, the ALP opposition at the time lambasted the arrangement for a similar reason (and funnily enough, Nauru is now a signatory to the convention). Malaysia also employs the use of caning and other forms of punishment. These factors and more led to David Manne, our prominent refugee lawyer, taking the deal between the two nations to the High Court. He won overwhelmingly and now we're back in purgatory waiting for something to happen.

Yesterday the Gillard government came out and said that they plan to push through legislation making the offshore processing of refugees legal. That way the courts cannot get involved and the Malaysia deal can go through. Now much of the attention is diverted to opposition leader Tony Abbott, and he's in an awkward position. If he joins the Greens and says no to the legislation, Gillard can then put the responsibility for the boats back on him, and it may well hurt his own, and strengthen Gillards, election prospects. So now is a tough situation.

Ultimately, Howards policy was not the friendliest, but it got the job done in the eyes of most Australians. It stopped them coming and hence we weren't in the quandary we are now. How do I feel? I'm from Western Sydney. Personally I don't see the point in these people coming here and then burning down the places we put them in while we process them. It seems awfully ungrateful to me. And if these people really ARE fleeing persecution and shocking conditions then wouldn't they look at a detention centre as freedom and somewhere to stay while they wait for the inevitable relocation? We're on the UN convention so we can't send them back to their homelands, why are they worried? Unless they're not genuine refugees.. but how do you tell? Thats my double-sided and confused view of the mess we're in. If you asked me what we should do now, i'd say SCRAP the Malaysia idea. Sure Nauru has the stigma of the Pacific Solution all over it but it has recently signed the convention, is a local nation and already HAS established facilities. It's legal and more morally just to send them there than to send them to Malaysia. But not everyone will agree with me on that.

But ultimately, the two major parties at the moment are using these refugees as nothing more than chips in the eternal poker game that is vote-getting, and thats the biggest disappointment for me around this issue. Regardless of how you feel, these people are human beings. If Australians don't want them here, shouldn't we at least give a shit where they end up?

The Beginning of the End

Welcome, reader, to 'Thinking Out Loud' - the potentially offensive ramblings of a madman. My name is Javid van der Piepers and I'll be your host, so to speak. I essentially started this blog because I enjoy writing and I'm an opinionated little git, so putting the two together makes sense. I already contribute to Australian Music Blog whiteboydancefloor but I'm looking to broaden my horizons. The hardest part, I'm learning, about starting your own blog is figuring out where the hell to begin. This will be personal, this will be musical, this will be hilarious (and potentially offensive), this will be political. Basically it's limitless until I work out how to define the damn thing but here we go with.... entry number one.

"this in-flight meal is horrible.. is that a McDonalds in there?.. uh oh"

I don't need to tell anyone about the fact that yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York, Washington and that field in Pennsylvania (take THAT cows). But a few questions need to be asked.

1. Does the whole western world really need to stop and remember the day? Apart from the US of course
2. Is it yet appropriate to make light of the situation?

And I suppose, if you were asking me, these are the answers I'd give you

1. No. Whats that you say? 9/11 was an affront to the entire Western World, everything we capitalists stand for? If they hit one of us they hit us all? Bullshit. Does the world stop to remember the subsequent attacks in London, Madrid and many, many other places? No. The primary result that the perpetual remembrance of 9/11 brings about is a hatred of Muslims and Islam. Yes some Saudis and fellow members of the Arab world may have attacked the United States in their own territory (or maybe they didn't in the first place) but what about the 99.9999999999999999% of those that didn't? The subsequent wars on Afghanistan and Iraq were attacks, not only on the 0.000000001% that were involved or associated with the act but all of those who were not. The only difference is, after September 11, the US has not seen anything even remotely on the scale of the WTC attacks. Yet since 2001, US and allied forces have occupied Afghanistan, and still do.
The mission of fighting terror is a never ending cycle. By staying and occupying other nations the US is breeding the negative sentiment that causes the attacks in the first place. "What about our freedom?" you quip - what about theirs?! You live in a capitalist society, and live comfortably (if you're reading this, I dont expect the socio-economically disadvantaged to relate), with minimal fear of someone suddenly taking over and telling you what to do (outside of your own government anyway), and theres a slim chance of that happening in the next few years anyway. These people, already living under autocratic dictatorships, have to suddenly deal with foreign forces coming in and readjusting their social structures, trying to 'modernise' people who are probably quite happy to NOT be. Most people in this world end up realising and accepting the conditions of their own existence. There is culture and history to be considered, and many of these societies hold these two things far more dearly than our western cultures do.

You might also say "but you live in Australia - another country involved in this 'war on terror'" - but I'm happy to offer my opinion there too. As a student of politics I've come to learn the historical significance of the US-Australian alliance. They're the big boy, the world power, and we're the Western nation sitting on the doorstep of Asia, and the most populous Muslim nation in the world - Indonesia (home to nearly 13% of ALL Muslims). I don't have a problem with this personally, I'm not going to disrespect people for having faith and if anything I see Islam as far less corrupt than Catholicism. The primary reason we fight alongside the US though, despite the populist rhetoric, ultimately comes down to the fact that if we are ever suddenly invaded or attacked, we're going to need help. Preserving a convenient friendship does not suddenly mean we have to be invested in their own national misery every year.

2. Its been 10 years, so why the hell not? I don't know anyone who knows anyone who suffered personally so I have no misery to feel. That might sound like a shallow thing to say but what do you want me to do, wallow for a bunch of people I never met, who died in an incident on the other side of the world, apparently caused by another bunch of people from another part of the world? I can offer empathy but really, what is that going to change? Any way you look at it the date is but a mere celebration of the true start of the schism-related violence.
Humour has come a long way, and much humour has become very offensive. Go type in 'Frankie Boyle' on YouTube and enjoy. Or who can forget the classic Family Guy deleted joke 'Must have been a female pilot'. The day is so revered and respected, and for what? Why must we not make light, or get over the whole American situation when hundreds of people are LITERALLY dying every day in the Horn of Africa from starvation and illness? Or Palestinians are being abused and mistreated by Israel? Or Iran subjects Baha'is to religious persecution? Or we Australians treat our own natives and foreigners with contempt and racism? Hell I can guarantee you most Australians don't even remember the date of the Port Arthur attacks.

Essentially what I guess I'm trying to say is, while the 9/11 attacks were easily the most significant event of our lifetime (for now), why do I still have to be sad about it 10 years on? Why do you? If someone makes a joke you shouldn't have to feel guilty for laughing. Because it's just that, a joke. You don't have to like it, but don't go trying to make me feel bad about it either. If you want to see it as a day of mourning, the day the west lost its innocence or however the hell you want to construe it, that's fine. But get some PERSPECTIVE. The USA is no longer the most important nation in the world, and either way they've got it pretty damn good compared to some parts of the world. Whats that? A recession? Tough economic times? Loss of freedom? Awww. Try telling that to an Ethiopian whose family has died and for whom the next meal isn't a matter of 'when', but a matter of 'if'. I should have quantified a long time ago that I am NOT anti-American, although I'm sure people reading this don't believe me now either way.

In New York they just have iPads...

We should stop hating the Arab world and, as we all should know, start worrying about the inevitable future Soviet/Chinese alliance. THEN we're fucked.