Today was the first day for Drusilla (my vampire, blood-sucking bike) and I to encounter that great international phenomenon, RUSH HOUR. We both survived, but having got through that comparatively unscathed, I took her out for a spin down by the Yarra Bend park. Now for those of you in Malaysia, this is one of the delights of living in Abbotsford, a green stretch of parkland, with a real river (not those drains that run through central KL) running through the middle of it. We rode up to the bridge, but then I ignored the injunctions to *get off the bike* and continued riding. It was, quite literally, my downfall. So new scrapes and bruises, for once on my arms. My legs, at least, are relieved.
Helped out at 3CR today, first producing the Talkback show - producing being a fancy name for 'answering the phones', then doing reception (answering the phones, slightly differently) and then panelling for another show in the afternoon. The latter was a bit hectic but fun.
It's now getting dark and I'm going out for dinner. Given Dru's vampiric nature, I suspect it best to leave her at home....
Thursday, 31 January 2008
Sunday, 27 January 2008
Invasion day
Officially, Saturday 26 January was Australia Day. It commemorates the day the Captain Arthur Phillip landed at Botany Bay and instituted 200 years of colonial rule and genocide of the indigenous people - let's PARTY!
Oddly enough, I didn't join in the general revelry, but joined a rally through central Melbourne, then stayed on for a concert in a park at a place called Treasury Gardens. It started with a traditional welcome and a few speeches. One of the things that struck me was a sense of outraged helplessness that the seasoned campaigners seemed to have. Gary Foley, who's been working on these issues for 30 years, talked about how the struggle has become harder in that time, particularly due to the last 10 years of neo-conservative policies under the Howard government.
To me it underlines the importance of articulating as frequently as possible, and drawing attention to, the real costs of neo-con policies - even by their own terms - and, better yet, the alternatives. That these alternatives are not just the ramblings of people bent on securing power for its own sake, but can be seen in practice across the world.
I recently read an article, though, that says we need to examine not just why persistent struggle exists (from research on Malay peasants) but also why it doesn't succeed. I'd have thought that the answer to this was obvious - lack of resources (labour, capital and symbolic), combined with the fact that businesses persist. If I take on a corporation, you can be sure that even if I win, the corporation or the ideology behind it will live beyond me. And it will continue struggling against my victory.
I'm not sure the way out of this - but it isn't going to happen in Malaysia unless we can come together to articulate alternatives, and build new institutions outside the current defunct system. Perhaps what we need to do is boycott the elections AND run alternative elections. Let's see how that works! And have elections that are meaningful - to adopt the phrase from my favourite 3CR show (Anarchist World This Week) direct democracy not Parliamentary rule. What does this mean?
Extend Haris' Parliamentary initiative. Initiate people's councils. And have representatives that can be recalled by the voters if they support actions that 20% or more of the electorate disagree with.... okay, if you insist, 40%. It's the way it works in democracies not too far from us.
So much for avoiding politics. As a counter, I did go for a Bollywood dance thing in the park last night, which was fun. I may even take up Bollywood dance classes. Then went home and was invited to watch 'There's something about Mary' - which I can't stand. For political reasons. La la.
Did the Monday morning brekky show with Damaris and Dave this morning, had fun with the papers, but wasn't too happy with my interview and stuff. Frank Hytten, from Reconciliation Victoria (promoting ties between indigenous, non-indigenous Oz) made lots of great points, but I was not, as I told Zoe, particularly sparkly. One of the good points he made, and pertinent to my earlier rant was that the best thing non-indigenous people can do for indigenous people in Australia is to not interfere - don't think we know best, etc. Now, if we can only get ALL the governments of the world to see the same way.
Oddly enough, I didn't join in the general revelry, but joined a rally through central Melbourne, then stayed on for a concert in a park at a place called Treasury Gardens. It started with a traditional welcome and a few speeches. One of the things that struck me was a sense of outraged helplessness that the seasoned campaigners seemed to have. Gary Foley, who's been working on these issues for 30 years, talked about how the struggle has become harder in that time, particularly due to the last 10 years of neo-conservative policies under the Howard government.
To me it underlines the importance of articulating as frequently as possible, and drawing attention to, the real costs of neo-con policies - even by their own terms - and, better yet, the alternatives. That these alternatives are not just the ramblings of people bent on securing power for its own sake, but can be seen in practice across the world.
I recently read an article, though, that says we need to examine not just why persistent struggle exists (from research on Malay peasants) but also why it doesn't succeed. I'd have thought that the answer to this was obvious - lack of resources (labour, capital and symbolic), combined with the fact that businesses persist. If I take on a corporation, you can be sure that even if I win, the corporation or the ideology behind it will live beyond me. And it will continue struggling against my victory.
I'm not sure the way out of this - but it isn't going to happen in Malaysia unless we can come together to articulate alternatives, and build new institutions outside the current defunct system. Perhaps what we need to do is boycott the elections AND run alternative elections. Let's see how that works! And have elections that are meaningful - to adopt the phrase from my favourite 3CR show (Anarchist World This Week) direct democracy not Parliamentary rule. What does this mean?
Extend Haris' Parliamentary initiative. Initiate people's councils. And have representatives that can be recalled by the voters if they support actions that 20% or more of the electorate disagree with.... okay, if you insist, 40%. It's the way it works in democracies not too far from us.
So much for avoiding politics. As a counter, I did go for a Bollywood dance thing in the park last night, which was fun. I may even take up Bollywood dance classes. Then went home and was invited to watch 'There's something about Mary' - which I can't stand. For political reasons. La la.
Did the Monday morning brekky show with Damaris and Dave this morning, had fun with the papers, but wasn't too happy with my interview and stuff. Frank Hytten, from Reconciliation Victoria (promoting ties between indigenous, non-indigenous Oz) made lots of great points, but I was not, as I told Zoe, particularly sparkly. One of the good points he made, and pertinent to my earlier rant was that the best thing non-indigenous people can do for indigenous people in Australia is to not interfere - don't think we know best, etc. Now, if we can only get ALL the governments of the world to see the same way.
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
On air, alone
I've decided to change this a little. It'll probably still be political, but I'm going to try to keep my promise to make this a bit of an online diary. So starting from yesterday...
The day started with me limping up to 3CR, the community radio station where I volunteer, doing the Monday morning breakfast show. For the second time, I was doing the show solo. I'd spent large portions of the weekend preparing for this. I'd done myself a meticulous running sheet, including a good mix of stories, writing the script, just generally doing all the things that my students never did. I emailed the running sheet to myself - and then the Internet was down at the station.
Oh, but wasn't I professional. I panicked for a mere two minutes - until I realised that the Internet really was down and there was nothing I could do. I had to make it up. Fortunately, it seems, none of the listeners would have realised the advance state of panic had I not informed them. Which seemed only fair.
News of the day, as far as I was concerned, was on the expansion of the 'intervention' in the Northern Territory. Which seems to be Aussie for 'coming in and stealing indigenous lands'. The new Labor minister, in time-honored tradition, issued some blah statement saying how we now can all see the advantages of 'income management'. I wrote her a sweet little letter today, asking if she can manage my partner's income, as I fear that he spends too much of this on alcohol... now I'm kicking myself. It would have been so much better if I'd mentioned he was an ethnic minority.... ah well.
Played a few Malaysian bands - Azmyl, Sei Hon and Az Samad as well as Shannon from Poland.
Other than writing to the right hon. Jenny Macklin, today's been spent working on my thesis... which I'm really quite enjoying. And meeting the interesting Nic Maclellan. I interviewed him on the trade agreements that the EU has recently signed with Fiji and Papua New Guinea, which appear to be prime examples of big developed bully-boys roughriding over developing nations in ways that are likely to increase poverty etc etc. So met up with him today to discuss issues Pacific - hope to have him on the Monday brekky more regularly...
Other than that, I am mildly depressed by the number of people that think that voting Opposition will make a difference in the next General Election. Ah well.... I suppose I should celebrate the optimism, but seriously... why? Evidence shows that the Opposition are exceedingly unlikely to break BN's monopoly. I've asked LKS realistically, what percentage of the VOTE does the Oppostion need, and he smiles and refuses to answer... Given the BN strongholds, the noose around the media, the money and the machinery... the smile of course fades...
Am also looking forward to reading James C Scott, Domination and the Arts of Resistance. Does anyone have copies of his earlier works? And have been reading critiques of Foucault, and the space for emancipation within his theories of power, which is good for my research....
Oh, and rode my bike for about half an hour without falling off!
The day started with me limping up to 3CR, the community radio station where I volunteer, doing the Monday morning breakfast show. For the second time, I was doing the show solo. I'd spent large portions of the weekend preparing for this. I'd done myself a meticulous running sheet, including a good mix of stories, writing the script, just generally doing all the things that my students never did
Oh, but wasn't I professional. I panicked for a mere two minutes - until I realised that the Internet really was down and there was nothing I could do. I had to make it up. Fortunately, it seems, none of the listeners would have realised the advance state of panic had I not informed them. Which seemed only fair.
News of the day, as far as I was concerned, was on the expansion of the 'intervention' in the Northern Territory. Which seems to be Aussie for 'coming in and stealing indigenous lands'. The new Labor minister, in time-honored tradition, issued some blah statement saying how we now can all see the advantages of 'income management'. I wrote her a sweet little letter today, asking if she can manage my partner's income, as I fear that he spends too much of this on alcohol... now I'm kicking myself. It would have been so much better if I'd mentioned he was an ethnic minority.... ah well.
Played a few Malaysian bands - Azmyl, Sei Hon and Az Samad as well as Shannon from Poland.
Other than writing to the right hon. Jenny Macklin, today's been spent working on my thesis... which I'm really quite enjoying. And meeting the interesting Nic Maclellan. I interviewed him on the trade agreements that the EU has recently signed with Fiji and Papua New Guinea, which appear to be prime examples of big developed bully-boys roughriding over developing nations in ways that are likely to increase poverty etc etc. So met up with him today to discuss issues Pacific - hope to have him on the Monday brekky more regularly...
Other than that, I am mildly depressed by the number of people that think that voting Opposition will make a difference in the next General Election. Ah well.... I suppose I should celebrate the optimism, but seriously... why? Evidence shows that the Opposition are exceedingly unlikely to break BN's monopoly. I've asked LKS realistically, what percentage of the VOTE does the Oppostion need, and he smiles and refuses to answer... Given the BN strongholds, the noose around the media, the money and the machinery... the smile of course fades...
Am also looking forward to reading James C Scott, Domination and the Arts of Resistance. Does anyone have copies of his earlier works? And have been reading critiques of Foucault, and the space for emancipation within his theories of power, which is good for my research....
Oh, and rode my bike for about half an hour without falling off!
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