Results

It has been a long while since I've last posted, this is because my life has been sporadically busy: I've been either too busy to post on the blag, or lifes been so mundane to post about.

So, anyhow, here's my results:


Engineering Studies
91 (Band 6)

English (Advanced)
81 (Band 5)

General Mathematics
97 (Band 6)

Physics
80 (Band 5)

Software
89 (Band 5)

Entertainment Industry
91 (Band 6)

I'm glad to have gone well in engineering, because I wasn't sure how it would work out once my marks were moderated relative to the folks below me in the class group (I was ranked second). Also, I didn't finish the exam (I spent about an hour drawing a picture on the back page, meaning to take a half hour break, but lost track of time).

As far as I know, there was not a single band six in our english class, which is surprising.

A 97 in maths is quite pleasing, especially considering that
- I only enrolled half way through the course
- I was put in the bottom class for the begginning of this priod (wich may as well have not been a class at all)
- When I was finally put in the top class, I wagged alot
- Even when I was there I spent about half the time listening to my 'pod
- The other half of the time I was listening to Shane's 'pod
- If I had have listened, I wouldn't have learned much, as our teacher was incompetent
- On top of her incompetence, she also lacked dedication (See post re our last day, when she sent a sub to avoid us)

I'm glad to have gotten at least a band 5 for physics. It was a difficult course, and I really didn't work as hard as I should have. But I had fun in the course, and that's what matters to me.

The school has never achieved a band 6 in Software, I'm kind of glad to continue the tradition. Obviously, the extra mark would have been nice too. Again, if you note my post about the examination, it contained content we hadn't studied, and (more annoyingly) had typos as well.

Finally, entertainment. I'm happy enough with this mark, although it would have been nice to get a really impressive mark. Mainly because I'm going for a VET scholarship. This was one of the most fun subjects (most of it, anyway). The most exciting outcome of this course is of course that I have achived a Cert III in Entertainment Live Prodution Theatre and Events Technical Operations: along with my RSA and St Johns Ambulance Senior First Aid Certificate, I'm hoping to get the chance to work at a few different festivals over the next few years. Possibly starting with the Peats Ridge festival over new years.

Here endeth the results section for today, if I remember, I'll update tomorrow with how I go on the UAI front, and I'll let you know if I make the honour roll (hehehe).

---

Yesterday I got up early and headed to Landsdowne Public School, where some of my old man's students were performing at their end of year presentation ceremony, and I ran the PA for them (just setting up and mixing). I also filmed it, but I don't think I'll be able to post the footage on youtube, because it's kids in a school, you know how it is.

Anyhow, I was editing the film and burning it to give to the kids when I got a call from Crowdy Head Public School, inviting me along to their presentation ceremony/ chrismas party/ farewell for Pip Thomas (who's leaving to have a kid). It was a fantastic event. They had some very impressive student performances, and a really nice atmosphere. It is such a nice community, and I'm so glad to have been a part of the school.

Remember Live and Loud is on tonight if you are in the area. I wasn't involved in organising it this year (for the first time ever) so I don't know who's playing or many other details. I'm fairly sure, however, that there will be good music and free pizza. See you there.

Take care one and all,
- Mick

Freedom of the 'Net

You've all seen the permanent link unit in the top right of this blag, (unless you syndicate). Well, no longer is it just about informing yourself. The time has come for action. Hit this link, which will take you to http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/SaveTheNet/442 . This is very important.

I've just done a mass email, so I can't be bothered to retype it here. You know the deal, and if you don't, try this fact sheet.

EPA Carbon Regulation

The deadline for the EPA to decide on carbon dioxide regulation is Friday. I just gave them my opinion:

Dear EPA,
This is your chance to save the world, in a very real way.
Remember, don't give a license to pollute. Carbon permits and carbon trading are not real soloutions.
Implement a carbon tax; with no discount for industry or electricity generation (it would be senseless to enact the tax and then strip it back where it's needed most!)
Good luck in making the right decision,
Michael

Be sure to give them yours too.

Hope my SDD exam is marked by a is a digital freedoms activist

This morning I sat for my final Physics examination. I'd only studied starting the afternoon before, which for a subject like physics really isn't enough. I was already a little out of form because I have wagged so many classes. I remember the last day of K-Dog (an awesome music teacher), when we all (about 12 of us) piled into his car and went on one final Maccas run. I was wagging physics, and it was on this day that the class covered laser diffraction in the form of a lab prac. Of course, that formed the basis for several further lessons ("You all remember the prac we did on laser diffraction? Well this is just like in the prac... oh right, you weren't here...").

I also managed to miss about three weeks of physics (I attended some classes, I just played solitare on my phone when I was there), the whole first half of the quantum physics section. Luckily on the morning of the exam I read through the quantum physics section of the textbook, because there was a lot of quantum physics material in the exam. I think I did quite well, all things considered.

Following this, after about an hour's break, I had another exam; this time on Software Development and Design. This is a poorly taught subject, and the course really needs to be scrapped, and be replaced with an industry developed course in my opinion (Oh, that's right, it's called a Cert IV).

I was reminded just by chance to check where it was held a few minutes before I headed off for it, and it's lucky I did, because it wasn't where I thought it would be (Thanks Kate!). By the time I was about halfway through, there was only about 4 or 5 people left in the whole exam room. I make a point of doing my best to manage my time in exams, which in my case means going as slowly as possible to try and fill the time. I filled 6 booklets (most people write the equivalent of between 2 and 4).

At the conclusion of the multiple choice, just as I begin the short answer section. I find myself violently writing an essay, page after page, about how software piracy laws result in a waste of effort by programmers and developers and restrict creativity, and they only exist because people have a malformed vision of ownership over intellectual property.

I am a fan of the open source movement. Somehow I don't think the syllabus/marking center will agree that intellectual property is a farce and reverse engineering is a God given right. I think they are more into following licensing agreements and the like. I snapped out of this, realised it was only a 2 mark question, and moved on.

I continued my slow, long handed, thorough question answering to the end of section II, the penultimate part of the final question in this section was a list of syntactical definitions in modified extended Backaus Naur format (EBNF).

Now the basis of this course is semantics. If there's a dot in the wrong spot, or you forget to capitalise a letter, or you use a new line when you shouldn't have, or you misspell a word, all hell breaks loose. That's just how programming is (with the exception of 5GL. How frustrating, then, when in an algorithm we're supposed to desk check, they have written "IFF" instead of "IF". Furthermore, they substitute "" for "". In a fit of rage, and perhaps not my best judgment, I scrawl across the paper in bright blue "Proofread your exams for Christ's sake. This is the H. S. Fucking C!", and fling the examination booklet to the ground.

Oops.

The exam supervisors seemed impressed with my passion, but somehow I don't think that's classified as in keeping with examination conditions. They said nothing till after the exam, which is probably good, because I would have just screamed at them and broken something had they intervened.

I don't want to let a post go by without a photo, and I've been wanting to try my new photobucket account; so here is a picture of the fine mesh the paper is made from. It kept me mesmerised during the exam.



Now, unfortunately, I need to study for my next and final exam tomorrow; engineering studies.

Peace be with you,

- M

Death, walking, and photos

Almost got in two post in the one day (but this is Monday morning, technically, because the internet is going slow). Most unlike me.

I was out walking. I put on a pair of studio quality monitoring headphones, plugged them into the music in my pocket, strapped a camera to my back, and headed for the cliff. I went ambling through the streets, with my music up full, listening to the wind blow scream through the power lines. I was looking at the fallen branches, watching people through their windows. Seeing them flicker different colors as they absorbed the commercials.

All of a sudden I looked up and saw an incredible pole with a streetlight. No doubt I've passed it many times before, but the way the light fell on the timber caught my eye. I stopped to take a photo.

My camera batteries died before I could get the picture I wanted, so I headed home to get some 'freshies' out of the charger. I reloaded, and decided to cycle instead of waling, since my bike was already out of the shed. On my way up the hill to the pole, I noticed something lying in the grass. I went back to see it, and it was a bird. It was dead. I decided I would have to photograph it; I always feel compelled to do so, just to document that it was alive. Here you can see the ants already hard at work on the beak, which clearly was badly shattered upon impact.

While I was trying to find the right angle for the picture of the pole, I heard a loud noise down the road, over the music. I turned to see that in the time I'd been shooting, another bird had fallen, not two meters from the first. I went straight down, and shot a snap of it. It fell from the power lines, and landed on the tarmac and blue metal, so I decided to shoot it with a flash to capture just how raw and inhuman the results of our human society are. Enough wank, here's the photo:

HSC ampersand

So it may sound like poor form when I say the reason I haven't posted in almost a month is because I'm doing exams, it is worth noting that the HSC is renowned around the country as being one of the most stressful, rigorous, time consuming examination there is. Every year, it leads to suicides.

Even after all this time, this post will be a short one. I still have four exams over the next few weeks; I have sat three and they all went fairly well.

It's funny: having started the HSC, I've found myself cycling more, going to the beach more, playing more music, watching more TV, checking blogs and webcomics for updates several times a day. (I've just started using iGoogle, it's great having all my feeds in one place).

Also, I have put up some more photos. Here's two of them:

Last Week

Thursday was our last official day, so Wednesday became the last real day. I was pretty busy setting up for Thursday, but I didn't miss the whole day. I was half an hour late, but that still left 15 or 20 minutes. It was Mr. Pinson's birthday (Mrs. Webster tipped us off), so when he popped out of the room, I hopped up on the front table and conducted the class in a glorious loud rendition of Happy Birthday To You, after which the lesson resumed as normal. We spent our final class together covering syllabus dot points. It was really quite a mundane affair. In Engineering Studies with Mr. Watts, it was much the same situation: we worked through past HSC questions just like any other class period. More than half the class showed up for Maths, which is a pretty good turnout all things considered, but Ms. Bitchgerald showed her true colours by sending a substitute (F. Dog) despite the fact that she was at school. Needless to say, noone hung around for that class. I didn't go to Software Design, I hadn't been for some time: why stop a good thing? English was pretty heavy: we did work, and got a lecture. Again much like every other class. Entertainment was pretty well the same as evr, we did work and mucked around. It was a little less outrageous than usual, but all in all, fairly normal.

On Thursday Rhys gave me a lift into town to arrive early, and dad made us bacon and egg rolls to start the day. I set up the PA (which hasn't been working for a while - the new music teacher couldn't get it to work despite his best efforts over the past months; it took me about 5 minutes to get it working) and the JBL speakers facing out the windows, playing good music until about 8:15, then an air raid siren till 9:00. That really completed the whole affair. We also put the piano out on the upstairs outdoor walkway. There were a variety of other goings on which I wont go into except to mention that Mr. Edwards van tires got deflated (he had that coming to him), and Ms. Bitchgerald had a laminating sleeve left open on her windscreen all, 32 degrees hot, day. Also, we photocopied several thousand tiny messages from year 12, and stocked all the printers in the school with footer'ed paper (under a hundred odd plain blank sheets, so it will take a while before people notice).

Following this was the 'Final Assembly', after which about 70 of us went out to the beach near my place for the afternoon. That night, we had a presentation at the MEC (got to catch up with Kooriel again). I recieved 2 firsts, 2 seconds, some OAs (Outstanding Achievement, not Order af Australia), a VET award (with cash), a year advisors award, and the 'Above and Beyond' award: an inaugral award created this year, just for me :) .

On Friday, I went to the beach 5 times, cut my toenails, and did those things that seem to get left behind the rest of the time. It's nice to have some time off, but I dont think I'll be able to get back into it...

It's now Monday night, and I haven't yet really done anything.

Ah well, I'm off to watch Top Gear and Mighty Boosh.

How about that weather

It is truly astounding how Saturday was winter, and Sunday was Summer; just like that the season changed. It was a splendid Sunday. First day I actually swam at the beach in weeks (months?), first day in a long while that I was able to really lay on the driveway dripping salty water, and just dry out by baking in the sun without getting cold. It's something I've really missed: the heat. But now it's back, right? Hooray.

We move forward a mere dozen hours, and it's Monday. No longer am I chillaxing at the beach, I now find myself in town, lurking about the concrete jungle. The morning was a splendid warm one, but by about 11:00AM, it was getting hot. By about 2:30, I was pouring liquid nitrogen over my face, neck, wrists and ears to keep cool. (We got a tank of it from the vets.) Sweet relief.

Driving home on Monday afternoon the weather was just perfect. A nice baking heat, the sun setting behind us, a warm breeze circulating through the car, really nice, adjective-obsessed-author-writing-Bradbury-Dandelion-Wine-style-narrative stuff. Within the space of less than two minutes, this weather was gone, and replaced with unrelenting rain and a gale force cross wind. I was quite aware that the car tires were fairly balding, so I sat at about 50kms on the highway. It's amazing how quickly the weather can turn on you.

This afternoon, just as I got off the bus and was walking home, a friendly neighbor was looking for her kids who'd wandered off despite her best efforts to keep them penned up in order to keep them away from the construction site at the end of the street. Just as I headed up the driveway, Rory headed past on his way to the beach (with boardies in his bag). I went in, threw on some boardies, grabbed a towel, jumped on the bike, and headed along down. Just as I arrived, it began to rain. Only lightly, but it was getting cold. "No guts no glory" he proclaimed, and we headed in to the surf.

I must say, I don't see the point in beaching on sunny days any longer. We had the beach to ourselves (just how I like it), with the exception of Betty, who was jogging by and decided to join us for a brief 10 minute splash. Sitting at home, after a nice hot shower, with a mug of soup and a hot bread roll, in front of the heater; I'm one happy camper.

But enough about the weather.

Today was our 3rd last day, so we organised for a photographer to come, so we could get one last photo. Liv, Sam and I, amongst a few others, wore suits. There were a few interesting outfits: Hulagirls, schoolgirls, bogans, a doctor, Hermoine Granger, Dracula, a lifeguard, and so on and so forth. But one piece of attire (or should I say "onepiece attire') that stood out above all others: Rhys, who come along in a relatively mundane dressing gown (which he intended to wear until the last minute). Beneath his modest gown, lurked his mankini. Which he wore with a strange misplaced pride. Photos of said outfit are sure to circulate through myspace for aeons, ensuring he never attains any serious employment. For your sake, I've chosen not to post those pics here.

P.S. Just to keep you posted, I still have no power (It went out on Sunday afternoon). I have about 15 appliances in here, all running off the one faulty extension lead.

That's more or less it for now, I have some stuff to do, but will surely post again soon.

Trial Results

So, I posted my way through the trials (mostly), now is the time for their results; did you guess from the title? Anyhow, here they are.

English:
Paper one section one: 13/15
Section two: 9/15
Section three: 12/15
Module A: 17/20
Module B: 12/20
Module C: 18/20
I'm happy with my Section 1 result, and got what I deserved in Section 3; but I must say I was disappointed with my Section 2, I felt it was quite good (Read it here).
I was well above average in Paper 2 (The modules) with the obvious exception of the Harwood module (B). This is unsurprising, as I gave it only about 5 minutes of study before the exam, and spent about 20 minutes writing the essay.

Physics:
61% - Not a great mark I admit; but it was second place.
I worked through the "Revise HSC Physics in a month (Read: Weekend)" book; and managed to make some fantastic summary notes.

Maths: I was one of the four who passed, thankfully, with a mark of 80/100. That mark should improve by at least 10 by the HSC.

Engineering: I treated this exam as a bit of a joke, and came second, with 66.5%.

Software: 72/100, & I was the only person to achieve above 50.

Entertainment:
I am yet to get my results back.

Apocalypse Twensday

Morning:

Wow. Today is not just Liv's birthday, not just another Wednesday, and not just another day in particle physics. It is in fact his 18th (birthday of birthdays) - so, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Also, it's Twensday. Twednesday occurs every 20 Wednesdays, and is the the greatest Wednesday ever in any twenty week period. Furthermore (and it's particularly relevant because I'm currently sitting in physics), today is also the day that the large hadron collider gets turned on.



Afternoon:

Well, a black hole didn't "Eat the planet from the inside out", as predicted by Professor Otto Rossler. Nor did gravity disappear. Liv' gave everyone gifts to celebrate his own birthday, including some wonderful letters, which everyone agrees were thoughtful and brilliant. Honestly, thank you Liv', it was a beautiful gesture.

This afternoon, from schools end onwards, I sat my Entertainment Studies exam. While others sit exams in quiet, supervised exam conditions, I sat mine in a loud server room, on my own (with Internet access!). Yes, we take training and assessment seriously. The exam was ludicrously easy, and was a purchased exam from the Catholic exam making people; they went way too soft. Anyhow, the results for all trials will be up within the week (hopefully).

Happy Twednesday.


toothpastefordinner.com

The Start of a Journey

It's been a busy week, I've meant to post here about half a dozen times, but simply haven't had the time. I'm writing this on my phone; sitting in the sun catching rays and soaking up the vitamin D. Certainly beats my regular posting place; in the cold corner of Neil Locker's office, under a poor quality wall mounted heater, after having climbed through the ceiling.

Anyhow, the point of my post is this: I have a new baby, a double bass. A gift from Mum, Dad, Clare, Asher, Keda, Sanjay, Tim and Jen, for my 18th.

It is MASSIVE: that is, it's full size. I am yet to find a place to put it.

And this is the start of my journey.

This gorgeous bass sounds absolutely stunning. It has not yet fully sunk in.




P.S. Check back soon, as trials results will be forthcoming in a day or two.

Tuesday

Well, yesterday was my birthday. And I didn't just party, I redefined the word!
I redefined it to mean "Sat the biggest/most important maths exam I've ever undergone, and ever will ...and then studied physics for the rest of the day." I had a whole bunch of things I'd meant to mention about the maths exam, but I've forgotten them now.

Today, however, I sat physics. I spent my weekend covering "Revise HSC Physics in a month", and making notes on it, and reading through a few other text books as well. Not very exciting. I was late to the exam, and didn't get to read over my notes (which were brilliant, I might add). The exam was exhausting. It was supervised by substitutes, because of the strike. My Red Bull was confiscated half way through. One of the supervisors had REALLY loud shoes, and walked around alot. I drew a diagram of an experiment in a magnetic field, and used an entire page to draw that field, including lots of detail of all the flux. We were also expected to draw a sine curve that would result from an experiment, but I drew a much more complex and detailed graph, showing the results of discrepancies in their diagram.

At the moment, I should be in my Entertainment Studies exam. I chose not to go on the grounds that I'm too tired and have no way to get home after it. We'll see how that pans out. Ughh. I'm so tired.

Trials [A negative post]

Well, the first three exams are finally over, which means I'm finished for the week.

My fist exam was an English Paper One, which I feel went well. I didn't focus on the right things in Section One, but I felt my response in Section Two was well constructed, effective imagery, good construction etc., I'm just not sure I actually demonstrated the concept (though I did integrate the question better than I have in the past). Finally, in Section Three, I feel I did O.K.. I said everything I wanted to say, remembered all my quotes, and got it all down in the allowed time; but I did mix Stephano and Trinculo: I knew I was as I wrote, but I decided I'd go back later and fix it up, then forgot to. Hopefully the marker fails to notice that rather glaring error. Each section is supposed to use one writing booklet (8 or 10 pages), and I filled six, so I don't think length is too much of a problem.

On Wednesday, I had the Engineering Studies exam. It didn't occur to me how unprepared I was until the Tuesday afternoon, so I did it with minimal study. It is quite a hefty exam, weighing in at three hours. The multiple choice is supposed to take twenty minutes, I finished it in five: never a good sign. One of the questions required a great deal of calculation, and I had forgotten the required equation for calculating the second moment of inertia (Ixx). The question, after listing all the figures and details said "..would this truss be of appropriate strength in this situation if a Factor of Safety of 2 is required?", to which I responded "S'fine". We'll see how that one goes. There was also a question on mechatronics, my response to this relatively short answer question was about a page and a half (small writing) story about robots who live in the drains. They are mechanical (robots) intelligently programmed (think for themselves) electrical devices; I think they epitomise mechatronics, but we'll see what the marker says.

Today, the infamous Modules exam: English Paper Two. With wayyy not enough study, and a can of V, a kit-kat, a mars bar, a litre of water, half a dozen pens and some tissues, I gave it 'a burl'. I wrote a book full about how Working Dog Productions (Frontline) use the same techniques as Mark Ecko, and how Rob Sitch is concerned about the same things as Jack Johnson. Then I wrote about how Aldous Huxley crafted paradoxes to debase humanity, and how Ridley Scott created whole new juxtaposition between humanity and humans creations, filling a book and a half. With twenty minutes or so to go, and very little knowledge of the core texts, I wrote about how Gwen Harwood sustained meaning in her poetry, and how that makes it great. Well, writing in my biggest, curlies chicken scratch, I still only manages to fill six pages. I spoke about how

"...dropped
and dribbled..."

shows imagery, alliteration, onomotopaiea and enjambment (I get my money's worth out of quotes - one of the quotes I used from the Tempest: "...celestial liquor...". I write about it for pages, and don't mention the word celestial.) I did a similar thing for the other poem. I then filled the rest of the booklet talking about feminism and Marxism, and how interpretations from these perspectives add meaning, which, in a roundabout sort of way, allows the poem to enjoy sustained reality.

So, with those three out of the way, I only have Physics, Maths, Software Development and Design and Entertainment (although I don't think I'll bother with the trial for this, it has a 0 weighting, and I have an exam the next day) to go.

Then, it's off to Sydney to catch up with the fam'. Then again to race the solar boat (we won the international championships last year*). Then again to see Bill Bailey.

-Mick


*Since we are from a public school, our international championship win was played down by the organisation. As a result, our official team photo doesn't appear on their photo gallery, but there is a shot of us here (Ben (the wranger), some kid, me, Shane (yawning), Sam's arse (standing), Sam (with sunnys) and Angela. Also, our boat in in the background of this photo. Strangely the several thousand dollar prize collection was distributed amongst the runners up and divisional winners (Daaang. Was sime nice music gear donated by Roland).

Pic-a-tures

Wow. I was just perusing and found some of my photos cropping up on the internet:
My marigold on Plantwire and my weeds on Green West Magazine. How fantastic.

Also, I've finally gotten around to loading a couple of piccies on Flickr. Here is one of them.




P.S.
I also added a video on youtube. It isn't very good, I was bored yesterday afternoon, so I decided to play with a few pieces of software and see what they could do. If I put some time in, I'm sure I could create something worthwhile.

Speech I gave a while ago

A few weeks ago I was asked to speak at a Youth Leadership summit. They asked me to speak about my own youth leadership experience, but with only 24 hours notice, I figured anything I wrote would have to do. Anywho, Keda asked for a copy of the speech, as did a few others, so I decided I'd just stick it here on my blog (It's about time I posted something - I've been busy).

Firstly I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land we are on – the Biripi and Worimi people I acknowledge that this land was stolen, and that Indigenous sovereignty was never ceded.

For those of us currently studying for the HSC, these exams are coming at us like a Mack truck full of Areas of Study, Modules, Cores, option topics, and practical examinations.

But I’m finding myself facing questions that are much broader than those I’m likely to face in the HSC examinations in about 100 days. Our planet is undergoing rapid levels of dangerous climate adjustment; glacier retreat, ice shelf disruption, sea level rise, changes in rainfall patterns, increased intensity and frequency of hurricanes and extreme weather events. Scientists across the world are saying we need cuts to greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%, and we need them by yesterday at the latest. Now the questions we all must ask ourselves are these: Do I care? And what am I willing to do?

I do care. And I’m trying to do something. But as a great man once said: “Do or do not, there is no try.”

It is up to us to inform ourselves about the causes of climate change, the science, the impacts and the solutions. I don’t believe I can rely on my political leaders for answers, they are too distracted by gaining political and economic advantages. So it will be up to us, the future leaders, to bring about change

Change of course is difficult, but it is happening, in one form or another. No-one asked you whether you wanted to perpetuate climate change. But we as Australians are the world’s highest emitters of greenhouse gas pollution. No-one asked you whether you wanted to be part of the generation facing the climate crisis. Those decisions appear to have been made for you. But one very important decision hasn’t been made for you: what are you going to do about it?

I believe that our we are entirely capable of being part of a big, informed, creative global public movement that is mobilising against the causes of climate change.

Two hours south of here in sunny Newcastle, is the world’s largest coal export port. The State government is seeking to expand it to more than double it’s current size. Last year a number of concerned community members entered the port to halt the machinery there and to send a strong message to our business and government leaders about the urgent need to stop new coal and move to renewable energy. These people have made the decision that they will not pretend that nothing is happening; they have not disengaged from their future. They can and will make a difference.

Every single one of us has to decide what we are going to do with our skill and energy. We are young we have many decisions ahead. I believe the decision that we need to make is about how we are going to choose to live our lives after we finished school.

"The time has come, well and truly come ... for all Australians, those who are indigenous and those who are not to come together, truly reconcile and together build a truly great nation."

This quote is taken from Kevin Rudd’s speech given as part of the national apology. The apology was great. It was all the more poignant because it was not too long after the introduction of the erroneous war started by the previous Australian government, right here on Australian soil. Few may understand just how perverse the Northern Territory Intervention really was. Indeed, many appear to have forgotten it is even still taking place.

When the Howard government announced that it would send in the police and the army as a result of the “Little Children are sacred report” to ‘protect’ the children from abuse, co author of the report Pat Anderson said that there was no relationship between the recommendations she had made in the report and the Federal government’s response.

The parliamentary acts that protected these people have been removed. The Aboriginal land rights act and the discrimination act have been suspended in these areas. The government has enforced compulsory land acquisition and put business managers, reminiscent of the mission managers, into some of the more strategic communities.

The legislation, which is supposed to address child abuse, hardly mentions children. The only policy relating to children who have been abused was the policy of compulsory health checks, which they had to drop because it was classified as abuse.

Pornography, alcohol, and gambling, have all been banned in many aboriginal communities. In some communities with people of different nationalities, only the houses of aboriginal people are affected by these laws.

Thousands of NT Aboriginals have had their welfare quarantined, and given out in vouchers (similar to being paid in tea and sugar for working on the missions).

With no public transport, covering the vast distances can cost $440 in taxi fares to get to town and join the queues; often hundreds of people long. Sometimes Centrelink runs out of vouchers, leaving families without food for their children; the ones the intervention is supposed to protect.

I’d like to now tell a story about Julie. Julie is from Galiwin'ku, Elcho Island in the Northern Territory. Julie has been helping whities in the community to intergrate. She’s been helping them learn the language and traditions of the Yolgnu people. Julie saw attendance falling at her local school, and decided to get a job there in order to encourage her grandchildren to attend. With a job at the school she could take them to school and be with them all day. Last year Julie suffered a stroke and was unable to continue working. She began to receive the Centrelink invalid pension.

In April income management was forced on all people receiving Centrelink payments and living on Aboriginal land, including Julie.

She was rightfully outraged that half her pension was isolated without her permission, and at being treated like a child. She was under the belief that all Australians, black and white on Centrelink payments were being income managed. Centrelink had given her a food card to swipe at the local store, but for weeks and weeks she struggled and limped into the store to swipe the card, and for weeks and weeks there was no money in the food card. Upset, and with her pride and dignity severely hurt she threw the card away.

After discovering what income management really meant Julie asked a white friend of hers, John, to assist her gain an exemption from Income Management. He became a nominee to enquire on her behalf, and not long after, was visiting Galiwin'ku and called in to the Centrelink office. He asked the officers the reasons why Julie’s pension was being income docked. One officer replied, 'it's a response to the Little Children are Sacred Report'. John responded, 'You must think she is a child abuser. I want Julie exempted from income management.' The officer asked, 'What are the reasons she should not be income managed?'
John thought, then asked, 'First you tell me the reasons she's on it.' At first the officer couldn't answer, then eventually he replied, 'because she lives on Aboriginal land.'

John went on to explain that Julie had never touched alcohol, which is not surprising given that all the Aboriginal townships in north-east Arnhemland are dry and always have been, she has never smoked, never gambled, has never abused children or any of the other things that the Federal government has labelled Aboriginal people as having done in the Northern Territory. The officer then said so far there have been no exemptions to IM. As John later found out, the only valid reason is 'not to live on Aboriginal land. The effect of this blanket targeting in the case of Julie and her familiy is debilitating and dehumanising. It is becoming clear that income management is having a severe and negative impact on the spirit and the psyche of Aboriginal people.

A quote now that was passed on to me from John: “an elderly matriarch rang a couple of days ago and said this:

'the tide is in, we are drowning. Why don't they just come and shoot us?'

Many people have made a stand. It’s hopeless for the victims of this campaign to try and protest against a military invasion, but we, in the comfort of our homes, can write the letters, make the phone calls, sign the online petitions, and donate to those organisations who are fighting for what is right.

If we want our future to be one in which all people enjoy human rights and basic services, and one free of the current climate burden, then it is up to us to campaign against these things, to join together to demand a better future for all people in Australia.

We all have the opportunity to be leaders for change; we just need to make the decision to make a difference. I don’t want to lead a life where I don’t have hope for our future. I want to know I tried to make a difference for a better world. How about you?

I saw your rabbit

This is the poster I have stuck up about the place:



I spotted this rabbit the other day on my way to work. I shooed it away from the car before leaving, but didn't know what else to do as I was in a rush to get to work. Today I stepped out the back and spotted the same beast again in the same spot. I took a few photos and stuck this up in the hope that someone will recognise the animal and be reunited with it.


View Larger Map

This map shows roughly the area the beast was sighter, but the actual lane is missing from google maps. Do you know Valetta lane? It runs parallell to Elizabeth St, alongside the rail corridor near Artarmon station. If you come down the station stairs, then turn right, then turn left before you get to that new thai place (Little Thai Place) you'll find yourself out the back of the greatest pizza shop known to man (LCC)

If you need better directions etc, email me: 'poi' three times, at gmail dot com.
(ie. poipoipoi@.) Note that I haven't got a hutch and don't even know what to feed such a beast, so it is still roaming free about the place, and is not neccasarily here still, but it was today (12.6.09), so it probably isn't a bad spot to look around.

Explosion on a rainy day

Well, today I was involved in an explosion. It wasn't a dramatic bomb or something, much duller, and a little less cool. I was innocently expelling urine, and when finished, pressed the flush button. Now, this is not something I always do in public toilets; if a few hundred people a day push the same button within seconds of defecating or urinating, well, forgive me for not rushing to be a part of it. Anyhow, I felt it the right thing to do in this circumstance, for whatever reason.
How was I rewarded for my good deed? Putting my personal hygiene on the line for the sake of the greater good? With an exploding cistern. The pipe inside must have broken, and water was spraying up into the roof with rather profuse force. The top half of the cistern had fallen in front of the water supply tap, so i had to pick it up and shift it before turning the tap off. The tap, by the way, was turned completely on - that is about fifteen turns, when surely one or two would suffice to allow maximum water flow?
Walking back along the corridor, dripping with toilet water and in a demonstrable rage, I passed a few mates who were just coming back from the parking lot, where they had been trying to SlimJim their way into a car; and they took great delight in heading off to examine the cubicle. Well at least they were entertained; but I, still very cold, and very wet, was less so. Particularly because the fan was on.

Wow, way not to finish with a point eh?

"The Flat Cat"

Last night, at about half past one, I met our new cat. It came running inside the flat after having followed us home from the train station. Tonight I discovered that he actually followed our neighbors upstairs home a few hours before us. They proceeded to feed it canned tuna, whilst another neighbor of ours has put it out a basket with blankets in which to sleep. I quite like the idea of a communal cat living here, shared between the different flats.
The cat has since been hanging around, meowing until late into the night. Hmm, anyone missing a black cat in the North Sydney area? (Time to locate a vet in walking distance and get this guy scanned for a microchip).
P.S. I also saw a bush turkey running around in the late out the back to day. Since when do they live in the city? Ah well, Its better than the inundation of hairy caterpillars our neighbors were invaded by the other day.

The Courthouse

Last night I was amazed to discover that there is a park called the courthouse. Less amazingly, it is near a courthouse. My sister and I went there to visit a graffiti exhibition and met someone whom I've named cat woman, as she had a cat on a lead, Hazzy Bee, whose album I'd been listening to earlier that afternoon (I had a guitar with me, and he gave us a live song before continuing on his way), Phil, who divulged several of his movie scripts to us all, Yukoll (or something to that effect, he was quite quiet and difficult to hear, an African guy with cool hair who jammed with me playing the djembe (which I also brought along) and Phil filmed on his phone. Also present were Mim, Joe, and a ton of others who wondered through.

First post!

I've decided it's traditional to simply burn the first post, and post nothing of interest. Hence, I'll do just that.