Love it or leave it, just don’t try and better it
One of the slogans accompanying the crude Australian nationalism that has surfaced in recent years is “Australia: Love It or Leave It”. This reproach is commonly directed at recent arrivals, particularly those of identifiably non-Anglo Saxon descent, who dare to challenge the status quo in any way.
The irony of the appropriation of a foreign slogan (in this case, one of American origin) as a expression of Australian patriotism need not be pointed out. The real concern I have with this slogan is its totalitarian undertones, which are surely counter to the democratic ideals that are almost universally regarded in this country. We are all supposed to “love” an invariably narrow perception of what it means to be Australian, one which a good many people who were born here and have lived here all their lives would likely not satisfactorily conform to.
Public debate is an integral part of any healthy democracy. What could be more Australian than the new arrival who enthusiastically engages with and helps to shape their community? Healthy patriotism is not about making everyone conform to some arbitrary ideal. The true patriot is one who considers how they can help make their country, whether it is by birth or adoption, an even better place. Some of their ideas will have merit, while others may be roundly rejected or even condemned – but this is all part of the democratic process.
Laura Norder: Perth’s pinup girl
No, I’m not dead. I’ve just been preoccupied, that’s all.
We’ve just had a state election, one that added a new dimension to the word “uninspiring”. As is typically the case in this state, there was no small degree of chest-beating about “getting tough” on the criminally inclined.
If you were to read Perth’s daily newspaper (there’s only one), or watch a news bulletin on commercial television, you could forgiven for assuming that Perth’s streets are in a state perpetual anarchy and you are liable to be slaughtered should you be sufficiently foolhardy to leave your house after sunset. Lurid pictures and emotive headlines are par for the course, and naturally all reporting on crime trends has a negative slant, regardless of what the statistics are actually telling us.
So what are the statistics telling us? Well, first of all, and contrary to widespread belief, the state’s crime rate is not “soaring”, “skyrocketing” or “ever increasing”, to quote some of the adjectives I have heard used. The incidence of crime against the person has been relatively static in recent years. The incidence of crime against property has decreased markedly. However, there are some specific areas within these categories that have exhibited an increase – and unfortunately it is precisely these areas that the media latches on to when it wants to convince the public that things are out of control.
It is true that the incidence of crimes against the person is somewhat higher in WA than in the remainder of the country (the incidence of property crime is closer to the national average). This is despite WA having an incarceration rate well above the national average, and higher than that of any other state. Unfortunately, it seems that the best our elected representatives can propose to deal with this situation is more of the same – send yet more people to prison for longer periods, with the assumption that it will somehow make them better people.
It is my view that the argument that our relatively high rate of crime against the person can be attributed to inadequate judicial sanctions is one that cannot be sustained. Something else is clearly amiss here. Why does our rate of violent crime remain relatively high while we are sending a greater proportion of our population to prison than other states? I don’t know what the answer is. Perhaps we would serve ourselves better if we were to direct our efforts towards establishing and dealing with the causes of violent crime before it actually happens, rather than obsessing over how to appropriate retribution against the perpetrators. Unfortunately, though, there are rather few votes in this approach.
Wot’s a supergroup?
Here’s one that really grates me…
So, according to the prolefeed that is the commercial news media, the term “supergroup” refers to a band with the ability to readily (and often inexplicably) fill sports stadii with baying punters. Naturally, they are wrong. The truth is, it actually refers to a group made up of former members of other renowned bands.
In short:
- Crosby, Stills, and Nash were a supergroup
- Blind Faith were a supergroup
- The Traveling Wilburys were a supergroup
Conversely:
- U2 are not a supergroup
- Coldplay are not a supergroup
- Fucking ABBA were not a fucking supergroup
Hail mother motor, hail piston rotor, hail wheel
Ever had a multitude of ideas for a post bubbling in your head all day, only to find that when you finally get the opportunity to articulate these thoughts, you have lost all momentum? I suspect this is going to be one of those posts. Let’s give it a good Aussie try anyhow.
Now, the price of petrol is an issue over which a great deal of political discussion has centred this year. Fuel prices have been steadily increasing for some time, culminating in a price point that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Naturally, motorists are clambering for relief. It has been suggested that the government should reduce the excise it imposes at the point of sale. This is a misguided suggestion, for a couple of reasons, Firstly, the upward trend in global oil prices is going to continue regardless, so any relief will inevitably be short-lived. Secondly, it surely goes without saying that the shortfall in revenue that this would cause would have to be made up elsewhere.
No. Seriously, the only way we can lessen the effect of the vagaries of oil prices on our collective hip pockets is to reduce our dependence on the stuff.
Yesterday’s lead article in West Australian predicted a population boom in Perth over the next few decades, and gave pointed examples of public infrastructure that are unable to cope with our present population numbers. What I found concerning was that among these examples were references to the current degree of traffic congestion and the difficulty experienced in locating a parking space. If the goal is to create a sustainable and people-friendly city, then making it easier for people to drive is probably the worst thing we can possibly do.
Perth’s public transport renaissance needs to continue. The network’s coverage and efficiency have improved dramatically in the past twenty years, and this has been reflected in a substantial increase in passenger numbers. Still, there is a significant segment of the population who would never contemplate leaving their car at home, and the next stage of the revival should be to encourage these individuals to change their habits. It is true that the public transport network struggles to adequately service some of the more far-flung parts of Perth’s vast urban sprawl. However, it is also true that there are people who insist on driving even where public transport is a perfectly viable option. I attribute this attitude to a number of local cultural factors. Firstly, there is still an apparent perception among some that public transport serves, or should serve, as a residual system for people who are unable to drive for one reason or another. Secondly, the situation of being bound by bus and train schedules is often an anathema to those who are used to being able to come and go as they please – even where services are a mere 10-15 minutes apart. Finally, some people just don’t like sharing their personal space with strangers.
It is imperative that these attitudes be addressed as part of Perth’s focus on a sustainable future. Obviously it will never be possible to provide high-frequency public transport services to all corners of Perth’s metropolitan area – for this we can thank the short-sighted urban planning policies of the 50s and 60s. However, it is my ultimate hope that where the option of public transport does exist, it will be the natural choice for everyone.
The Political Compass
In describing the political beliefs of people, parties, and organisations, we have a habit of applying either a “liberal” or “conservative” label. This is a problematic dichotomy in that these labels can only be meaningful when considered in reference to the established norms of the society concerned. An individual who identifies as a “conservative” in one country may have a fundamentally different political perspective from one who is considered “conservative” in another. In many Western countries, the liberal/conservative and left/right distinctions are often used interchangeably, when in fact they need not necessarily refer to the same set of social and economic convictions. Further diminishing the meaningfulness of this distinction is the fact that in middle America the word “liberal” is widely, if unwittingly, used as generic term of disparagement.
The Political Compass offers an alternative continuum on which the beliefs of individuals may be compared. This system proposes two axes – the traditional left/right distinction, and running perpendicular to this, an authoritarian/libertarian scale. An individual’s political stance can be expressed in terms of where their beliefs place them on these two axes. This provides a more meaningful method of comparing individuals, being less open to ambiguity and consequent misinterpretation.
The site, usefully, plots the candidates in both recent and forthcoming elections in several different countries. It also gives the visitor the opportunity to plot themselves on the continuum by asking a series of questions relating to their personal beliefs. Obviously these questions can never be completely value-neutral, and hence some degree of cultural bias is inevitable (the site’s creators openly state that it is intended for use in Western democracies). Of course, it is also the case that even within a particular society, a proposition will be open to varying interpretations.
Naturally I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take the test myself, so here is my result:
The red dot is where I supposedly sit. So much for the moderate views motivated by a sound balance of empathy and pragmatism that I believed I held.
Sesame Street Old School – A review…and a rant!
These retrospectives of early Sesame Street episodes have encountered intense media interest. At some point it was reported – incorrectly – that the DVDs carry an “adults only” rating. Unfortunately, this claim has been indiscriminately repeated and has predictably given rise to much hand-wringing over “political correctness gone mad”.
For the record, the truth is that these episodes commence with a cartoon character giving a mildly tongue-in-cheek advisory that they are intended for an adult audience and may not suit the needs of contemporary preschoolers. You need only watch these episodes for a few minutes to see the truth in this statement. The pace of the early episodes is comparatively slow, and the animation is primitive by today’s standards. Furthermore, there is the small matter that the cast of human and Muppet characters is significantly different today, with at least two human actors and three Muppeteers having sadly passed on – a fact that would likely confuse small children. Finally, there is the undeniable reality that societal values change, and that scenes featuring a binge-eating Cookie Monster, a head-banging Don Music, or an anti-social Count, are unlikely to be looked upon favourably these days.
In all likelihood, this advisory was included purely as a commercial move to try and prevent parents from picking this set up along with the latest Elmo title and then complaining about its dated content.
Okay. With that squared away, let’s proceed to the review. I won’t evaluate the program content itself, as if you are interested in this set it will no doubt be because of your memories of the series. Rather, I will indicate what is included in the packages and describe the technical quality. At present, two volumes are available – Volume 1 covering the years 1969-1973, and Volume 2 covering 1974-1979. Each volume is a three-DVD set containing five full episodes as well as miscellaneous clips and other bonus material.
Volume One contains the all-important episode #1, originally broadcast on 10th November 1969, as well as #131 (1970), #276 (1971), #406 (1972), and #536 (1973). It also features an entertaining sales pitch, hosted by Kermit and Rowlf, aimed at promoting the program to television stations.
Volume Two contains episode #666 (hosted by the Count – eep!) from 1974, #796 from 1975, #926 from 1976, #1056 from 1977, and #1186 from 1978. Also included is an exceptionally primitive “pilot episode” that was shown in certain areas in mid 1969, in order to gauge audience reaction to the concept before the commencement of the series proper. I believe that there were as many as five of these episodes, so perhaps the remainder will appear on future volumes.
Available on Muppet Wiki is a detailed breakdown of the individual sketches in each episode:
From a technical standpoint, these episodes have made a remarkably successful transition to DVD. The street scenes in particular are pin-sharp, with excellent colour definition (of course, the sets were intentionally made to look drab to simulate the inner-city environment). Drop-outs are rare, and encoding artifacts unnoticeable. There is one issue that quite literally rears its head – as you may know, when filming Muppet scenes, conventional CRT televisions were used as monitors to ensure that the Muppeteer did not enter the shot. Depending on your TV, you may occasionally notice a stray shirtsleeve – or as in the rightmost example directly below, Frank Oz’s glasses and nose!
Gripes? Yes, I have a couple. Firstly, the DVDs commence with a preview of the Electric Company box set which cannot be skipped – an annoying trend in sell-through DVDs which should be nipped in the bud. Secondly, the incorporation of full episodes as the prime focus of the collection has resulted in a considerable volume of what I would regard as unessential material. Furthermore, there is some repetition of clips between episodes, and even within episodes. Some purists may prefer it that way, but I believe it would have been better to have included just one full episode in each volume, and to have filled the remainder with carefully selected miscellaneous clips or excerpts. I would also have liked to have seen some “behind the scenes” footage – perhaps this will be included in Volume 3.
All in all, though, an absolute must for anyone with fond memories of the program’s early days. Just don’t buy it for the kids…
So it’s come to this: The famous brand audio player shuffle meme
In the unlikely event that you have not previously come across this, the idea is that one sets their audio player to shuffle mode, then uses the selected track titles as answers to a predetermined set of questions. Presumably the answers are supposed to have some sort of cosmic significance. We shall see. At least it will allow me the chance to demonstrate my impeccable taste in music.
There are several variations on the question set, so I just chose one at random. Oh, and of course, cheating is strictly prohibited – no matter how embarrassing the selections are. Okay, here we go:
1. How are you feeling today?
Lola – Madness
2. Will you get far in life?
The Trial – Pink Floyd
3. How do your friends see you?
Carlsberg Special – Roy Wood
4. Will you get married?
Uncle John’s Band – The Grateful Dead
5. What is your best friends theme song?
Sunny – Morrissey
6. What is the story of your life?
Glosoli – Sigur Ros
7. What was high school like?
Return to Sender – Midnight Oil
8. How do you get ahead in life?
Every Little Thing – Transvision Vamp
9. What is the best thing about your friends?
Every Little Thing – The Beatles
10. What is in store for this weekend?
All I Really Want to Do – The Byrds
11. What song describes your grandparents?
Ticket to the Moon – Electric Light Orchestra
12. How is your life going?
The Sound of the Crowd – The Human League
13. What song will they play at your funeral?
Love Me Like You – The Magic Numbers
14. How does the world see you?
No Dancing – Elvis Costello
15. Will you have a happy life?
Everything Must Go – Manic Street Preachers
16. What do your friends really think of you?
Brainiac’s Daughter – Dukes of Stratosphear
17. Do people secretly lust after you?
Perfect – The The
18. How can you make yourself happy?
Lucky Lisp – Morrissey
19. What should you do with your life?
Bummer in the Summer – Love
20. Will you ever have children?
Rocket from a Bottle – XTC
Not quite as esoteric a selection as I would have liked. Oh well. Mmm – I wonder how I should interpret #20…
Waiting for the train that never comes
This railway station has always intrigued me. It is Esplanade Station in Fremantle, not to be confused with the new CBD station of the same name. It is a “ghost station” situated beyond Fremantle Station itself, and hence beyond the present limits of the Transperth network. It was constructed in 1986 to provide rail access to southern parts of Fremantle during Australia’s defence of the America’s Cup, and was presumably closed shortly after the Cup wended its way back to the States. Curiously, it still appears on many maps.
I don’t see any prospect of rail services being resumed to the station, for a number of reasons. The most obvious is that the electric wiring presently ends at Fremantle Station (at the time of Esplanade’s operation, the rail fleet consisted of diesel multiple units – the network was electrified in the early nineties). There are also a couple of tight corners on the short journey between Fremantle and Esplanade, and I’m not sure whether the current fleet of electric multiple units would be able negotiate them. What’s more, I believe and I’m sure most would agree that operating a heavy rail service in this area would spoil the aesthetics of the adjoining Esplanade Reserve and compromise pedestrian access to Fishing Boat Harbour. Finally, there is the question of whether such a service would attract sufficient patronage to justify itself. After all, this part of Fremantle is not that far a walk from the main station.
So here’s the bit that puzzles me. The station no longer has seating or rubbish bins, but otherwise remains more or less intact. When other stations have been decomissioned (such as Leighton and, more recently, Lathlain), practically all trace that the station ever existed was almost immediately removed – presumably to avoid passenger confusion. I realise that, as the station lies beyond the end of Transperth network, the Public Transport Authority does not necessarily have responsibility for it. It must be someone’s toy, though. So why is Esplanade still there? Does anyone know?
Teh evilution!!
Last Tuesday’s episode of Insight examined the proliferation of “faith schools” around Australia, and debated whether such schools genuinely encourage critical thinking or are mere institutes of indoctrination. The transcript of this episode does not appear to be available yet, but I will provide a link as soon as it is.
The classic difference between faith schools and other sectors (although by no means the only one) is the manner in which evolutionary theory is dealt with. On the program I witnessed the asinine spectacle of a Christian school science teacher offering his students Young Earth Creationism and Intelligent Design as possible alternatives to evolution as an explanation of our origins, with the justification that it was giving them the freedom to “make up their own minds”. Remember, this was a science class, not a comparative religion class.
This teacher committed a classic logical fallacy. His implication was that all the perspectives he indicated have merit and are worthy of consideration. On the contrary, we know the evolutionary process to be a reality. Whether it has a theistic or atheistic explanation is not a debate I intend to enter into here. The best scientific evidence we have overwhelmingly supports evolution as an explanation for the origin of the species. Any alternative positions must be firmly relegated to the fringe. Promoting such positions as having anywhere near equal merit is just bad science.
The hostility of fundamentalist Christians towards the ToE evidently stems from the fact that it is inconsistent with a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis. The Theory of Gravity and the Theory of Relativity do not encounter similar derision. The ease with which those who are not from a scientific background dismiss evolutionary biology invariably indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of the field’s key concepts. Even at the most basic level, a surprising number of people do not recognise the particular definition of the word “theory” within a scientific context.
I would be most interested to know what the science teacher’s excuse is.
Perhaps there is a need for greater regulatory oversight of what is taught in such schools – particularly in light of the generous public subsidies they receive. Objective reality does not vary according to one’s religious beliefs. It is unfair on the students attending these schools for their perception of the natural world to be distorted by the dogma of the instituion. We owe it to these students to instill in them the best scientific knowledge that we have, to give them a genuine ability to see through these ancient superstitions that have no place in the modern world.
Perth in summary
I’ll start with five points for each for now, but will no doubt add more as I think of them.
The good bits:
- Relatively benign climate, except for the occasional inhumanely hot summers day
- Fastest and most efficient suburban rail system in the country
- Decent beaches within easy reach of the CBD
- Superb local music scene
- Fremantle
The “could do better” bits:
- Parochial and insular attitudes remain common, although this is slowly changing
- Zero print media diversity – the sole daily newspaper is the most reactionary in the country
- Unhealthy preoccupation with sport (watching it of course, not actually playing it)
- Historically car-centric approach to urban planning – this is only now starting to be addressed
- The CBD, though modern, is rather soulless and devoid of character
