Cultural commentary

This evening I am doing a little revision and having an Australian cultural experience. There is nothing quite like cultural commentary. Nor is there anything quite like Australian wit and sarcasm. Perhaps next weekend I may watch the sequel (there was even a third made).

Today

Reality 1:It's a beautiful day today.

Reality 2: I am stuck in the stupid law library, with a bunch of stupidly loud people making a lot of stupidly loud noise, while I attempt to study for my exams. Further, the faculty have decided to conduct tours for new students today. I know what I would like to say to these young, naive and impressionable individuals - I'll hold my tongue today. I am on the administrative law train. I don't like it anymore. I may be in a bad mood, but i will not be having a hissy fit (at least today.) It's like happy hour around here...i just can't locate the bar.

Meanwhile, the sun in shining, the weather is warm, the water temperature is about 22 degrees, there isn't much wind and I am sure the beach is exquisite. (That would be outside, NOT inside the library.) The best part of today was walking down to market square to get a coffee and a packet of chewing gum (i'm not really into labels today so I'll keep the brand to myself). I will spare you the pain of telling you the worst part(s) of my day.

I'm looking forward to next weekend. I will have completed my examinations (but I may not have passed) and I will be anticipating my Sydney safari with Sabrina!

Brain Drain

Apparently I am officially on swat vac. I have been for a week.

This means i am preparing for my pending examinations and the submission of my rather large paper. However, it is late Friday night my head is hurting and i wonder if it has absorbed anything today, yesterday, this week or perhaps all semester (well apart from the sugar and caffeine hits resulting from the consumption of copious amounts of coffee, chocolate, peanut M&Ms, sushi, apples and carrots.)

I am not alone - brain drain is contagious.

This was bought to my attention when i bumped into my friend Louise. Then continued when I had dinner with Erin. They both showed symptoms of brain drain. Come to think of it Cate was showing side-effects of this sickness on the weekend. It is only in the last hour that symptoms associated with this illness have appeared and affected my disposition. I have taken some time out hoping that my immune system can overcome this potential problematic and very contagious illness. A few months ago the aches and pains of the flu passed around Campus, now the flu epidemic has subsided and drain brain has emerged as the 'it' illness.

I have Administrative Law and Employment and Labour Relations Law exams on Wednesday. Smack bang right after one another (thanks kindly to those thoughtful people who composed the examination timetable - so thoughtful.) I am hoping for a miracle. Or, in the alternative, the infusion of volumes of knowledge via mental telepathy, guardian angels, ESP or some similar means. Administrative Law is interesting. At this point in time I am finding it enjoyable. Employment Law on the other hand is simultaneously frustrating and puzzling. Why? The government decided that in the year of an election (and the year in which I have taken this elective) that the Workplace Relations Act (1996) wasn't good enough.

The federal government craved more power. It wanted to take the power from the states and implement a uniform federally administered industrial relations system. I can see the advantages of federal, rather than state, administration. However, what the government came up with - Work Choices - well it would be a dramatic understatement to say it isn't great.

The constitutional validity of these substantial amendments have been challenged in the High Court. The Judges of the highest Court in the country are presumably still mulling over their decisions. Their findings may be handed down until next year. To their credit these Judges are presumably considering many cases and working hard to ensure that justice prevails in this, the great land down-under.

Perhaps, one, two or even three of these learned individuals might like to fly up to the Gold Coast and provide me with some guidance on my pending examinations and how I could manage to obtain a 'decent' result. Actually, on second thoughts I wouldn't want them to waste their time.

Anyway I better see if I can broaden my horizons and learn more about these changes that have created considerable public outcry and animosity. I believe the key resources are recently published journal articles, loose leaf and internet resources. There has not been time to publish a substantial text on this subject and hopefully (if only for the sake of all the trees sacrificed to print a book) nobody will bother with this until the High Court makes its mind up.

Back to the books.
Watch out for the brain drain, apparently it can be deadly at this time of year......

Reward offered

The Kid has not been heard or sighted since dawn. Whether he sent this image before or after the first Qld solo flight has not been disclosed. Let's hope he hasn't disappeared like former PM Harold Holt.

Apparently this is the flight hanger at Archerfield where he flies.

Hoping he is alright, given the poor track records of small planes lately. If anyone has seen this individual please notify a member of his immediate family. There may be a reward offered, if you keep him the offer shall increase. I will keep you posted as to the outcome of the flight and also when he will be taking passengers up (a small donation to AmmA Inc will be required if you wish to fly with the Capitan.)

Family Matters

Tomorrow the Kid (aka my brother, Big Jim, tiny Jim, Ando, the prodigal son, the golden child, Moose and jesus) takes off on his first solo flight in Qld. I should be a good sister and cook him breakfast or something. I wont. You probably wouldn't either if it meant getting up at about 5.00. Far too early!

This is a photo of James and my Dad in Melbourne when he was heading off to flight school there.

James wants to be a commercial pilot. Sometimes this scares me. Especially when he is using flight simulator software on the computer plays the Top Gun soundtrack and knows all the one liners by heart.

I hope he doesn't crash. There have been two light aircraft crashes in the past two days. One occurred in Victoria and one in Queensland.

Dad and my sister attended an art exhibition this evening. Sarah (my sister) is friends with one of the exhibitors. The Gallery, Pieces of Eight is Brunswick Street, North Fitzroy. 'Goodbye Robot' was Nid Kelly's exhibition. Dad was rather chuffed that Nid recalled he'd cooked her breakfast at the Wilson Road Beach House. He enjoyed it and promised to provide me with a more detailed account. He was rather tired and still had to put the bins out. (An outing with Sarah can be exhausting!). Tonight Dad is staying at the unit without his wife and her baggage (animals), so probably wanted to get off the phone to enjoy 'the serenity.' I got the distinct impression he was looking forward to this.

So yes, my sister Sarah has returned. She had an 'experience' lecturing in Bangkok but has returned home and is now lecturing at Latrobe University. She seems to be enjoying this. I am hoping when I go home next she will enjoy making me a pair or orthodics for my running shoes!

My Mum is having another week off work. She is staying at our family outpost in Healesville, located in Yarra Valley. She has just been overseas. First she flew to Thailand with her husband to see my sister in Bangkok. It was Sarah's birthday. 25 years old - Happy belated birthday Sar. Dad then flew to Chaing Mai and Mum flew to Malaysia to meet her friend Sue. The two ducks went to Sabah and saw Orang-utans in the wild. Mum said it was amazing. I am sure it was. After catching up with her I may write a blog about her little adventure.

The other children went on 'a holiday' when my parents went away. The children got to stay here and Mum stayed here. I know my preference. (I think I shall refer these children to the family union rep. The Anderson Family Union AFU - is a force to be reckoned with.)

......

Kerry O'Brien Delivering the News

Kerry and my friends at the ABC's 7.30 Report came through with the goods. Made available today was the transcript of the report on many of the problems with the Australian Telecommunications Company, Telstra. Apparently Australians are content with the current broadband speeds? Really? Try telling the Canadians at Bond there is no telecommunications nightmare in this county. (On second thoughts don't. Subjecting anyone to an hour long monologue on the problems they have with Australia would be horrific.)

A picture paints a thousand words....

Above - Graffiti Gold Coast Style

Graffiti Melbourne Style

Postman Pat

I just retrieved the mail from its box. This could be seen as equivocally me !

The mail today consisted of:
1. A pamphlet on living in the Varsity Lakes precinct. This is a Delfin Lendlease development. My friend Meg studied places like these when she was studying landscape architecture at University. She did a project on how these companies didn't sell houses, but sold and marketed a lifestyle. If I had the choice I don't think I would choose this lifestyle. However, it is very close to Bond and that's a very well designed campus. It was designed by Arata Isozaki, a Japanese Architect.

Yes, to all my friends in Melbourne Delfin are the same people who brought you Caroline Springs. This place is not very different. Perhaps it has a slight advantage being 5mins drive to the beach. Never did I imagine living in lego land, but for my legal education I would not be here. It's not too bad. I should look on the bright side of life, I could be living in a shanty town in India and all my brothers and sisters could be malnourished and my dad could have been shot dead and my mum could be having another kid and I would be given the task of looking after the remaining ones. But perhaps that wouldn't be so bad. There is good and bad in everything.

2. An account from the University. I have no money!

3. A pamphlet from the Local Council. It seems the Gold Coast City Council are having a problem with graffiti. In fact it is obviously such a problem that they thought it necessary to mail-drop a double-sided glossy 'fact sheet' entitled 'Graffiti Prevention - A guide for residents and business owners. ' They think graffiti is 'illegal,' 'a crime,' and that people who graffiti are 'vandals' who 'have no respect for private or community property and no regard for the negative impacts of their actions.' Then they give you some tips on how to remove it. A lot of people would not agree with the Council and its Mayor. The Council argue that "Graffiti that is left intact attracts more graffiti - and the longer it remains, the greater the gratifiation for perpetrators. It also suggests a community that does not care or is unable to deal with the problem." I think this might be propaganda.

Petro Georgiou doesn't sit on the fence

Petro Georgiou is, or was (depending on where I currently reside), the local minister of federal parliament. On the issue of asylum seekers he has not sat on the fence.

It is anticipated he will cross the floor (or jump the fence) when the coalition attempt to pass the Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill. In fact the Age quotes him as saying:

"(This) is the most profoundly disturbing piece of legislation I have encountered since becoming a member of parliament."

This proposed legislation does not make me proud to be Australian. If it is passed it will be another episode in Australian history that is shameful; we had the opportunity to do something better but we didn't. The opposition spokesman on immigration, Tony Burke, said something I agree with: "Australia is better than this bill. This legislation before us today undermines our sovereignty, is offensive to our decency and makes a mockery of this parliament."

I don't normally agree with people. Politicians frustrate me. This is not a new issue. If this legislation is passed it will be a sad day for Australia's humanitarian record. This is difficult to deny.

Big Brother is Monitoring You

The 8th of August 2006 is Census night in Australia. The census is the government's way to gather information about people residing in this country. I could probably just give them the information required, rather than wasting all the time money and effort put into such a task.

My brother and I had an entertaining evening documenting our details, circumstances, beliefs and ideologies. We were planning to invite about 30 people over, preferably to make the results on our form slightly more interesting. This did not eventuate. While we entertained imaginative ways of filling out the census we didn't even put these into action. Boring! Oh well now some poor individuals will have to collate all the data and publish it. Then you will be able to access it on the web! http://www.abs.gov.au and it's all for free....mmmm. Post exams I may conduct my own census.

Now I can tell you that according to "the population clock" the current resident population of this country as of 10:26:56 (Canberra time) on the 9th of August 2006 is/was predicted to be 20,596,900. ABS also informs me that "we're living longer, working harder and using more energy."

While its commentary on Victoria could be a little more entertaining, failing to provide an image that this state is home to second most livable city in the world, I appreciate what the ABS says. However, its statistics on Indigenous Australians I shall take more time to consider. You can also access the Australian Year Books via the ABS. These can provide hours of frivolous entertainment....and yes provide a possible means of procrastination when preparing papers, exams and presentations.

The news today

I am not a fan of people who sit on fences.

I hope these people cross the floor. I disapprove of the Australian government's treatment of refugees. Perhaps people will stop hiding behind their picket fences and take a walk on the footpath. http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/asylum-laws-in-limbo-ahead-of-debate/2006/08/08/1154802885471.html

Today my mate Kerry O'Brien addressed the 'communication breakdown' that is Telstra. He doesn't sit on the fence. http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/ . Transcripts to Kerry's scrutinising and interrogations are not available immediately. I presume some lucky duck has to type them up. I'll see how quick they are.

This crash is not good news. My brother training to be a pilot. My mother freaks whenever she hears news like this. It has not been determined why the pilot crashed. My brother may shed some light on this tomorrow. I hope he makes the correct decisions when flying planes and doesn't sit on the fence when it comes to decision making. I am waiting until his plane has two engines before I consider heading up into the big blue sky with him. I hope he never has an accident. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200608/s1709509.htm

In exordium

In the beginning....

In the beginning I had no idea what a blog was. This was rectified. I have vaguely grasped what constitutes a blog, I have been banned from them, criticised on them, encouraged to interact with them and the list continues....

In a vain attempt to provide and contribute to the musings, melodramas, mysteries and mutterings that take place around me I have decided to make a hesitant entry into the blogging world. My parents will be furious...I should be studying for examinations...What a fantastic way to procrastinate.

What nature the commentary on this blog take will basically be dictated by what I feel like discussing. This may be travel ideas and hints, trivia, thoughts on the day, interviews with selected people, guest appearances and comments on daily life, law school, living with my baby brother, friends, others, work, global issues and anything else that happens to infuriate, entertain or bother me. It may, however, die a dismal death and not evolve far beyond this post!