The Passing.

Keeping astride
The winter is calling
Walking with pride
So many have fallen

The tide is low
The tide is high
So little we show
When time to die

But memories and truths
Merged all into one
Like images of youth
And, fleetingly, love

Be not sad
For moments once had
Now lost, like love,
Still remain forever.
- posted by syed-m @ 9:36 AM

 

Music, the mirror into your soul?

The music you listen to at any given period in your life tells a great deal about your emotional dispossession. For most of 2003, when I was lulled into a false sense of unrequited love, my theme song was 'The Scientist' by Coldplay. Just the other night I was at a restaurant that was playing 'The Best of Creedence Clearwater Revival' and I was instantly transplanted back to Year Twelve, when I endlessly listened to that album as I furiously prepared for one or another assessment task. I seemed to recall playing 'Fortunate Sun' on a ritualistic basis almost every late night. It always got me charged up and ready to burn a flag.

For the past half decade, I've been an avid listener to electronic dance music, particularly melodic and uplifting trance. I've always had a soft spot for electronic dance music. Indeed, even now I tend to be partial to most genres - breakbeat, drum and bass, and hard house, even the occasional gay disco track, just to name a few examples. The cleanliness of my bathroom and kitchen area, not to mention my freshly vacuumed carpet can largely be attributed to the almost mystical energy this music gives me. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. Were it not for my wonderful mp3s and powerful computer sound system, I'd have probably been on sick leave for most of last year. Although increasingly infrequent (now there's an oxymoron), I often find myself literally half-conscious on a work-day morning, with my subconscious endlessly trying to convince myself that I really should stay at home. All I need to do is pump out a favourite track, and hey presto! My face gets magically shaved, my teeth get brushed, and my lunch gets packed. It's really that simple! Noting that, here's my latest...

Top Ten Favourite Tracks

1. Rapture (Armin Van Buuren remix) by Iio (An incredibly powerful, driving vocal trance track. If I ever DJ live, this would definitely be my 'peaking' track. :-P)

2. Eye of Horus (Ronski Speed Mix) by Aly & Fila (A showcase for the genius of uplifting, melodic trance. Simple yet catchy in a subtle, ever-changing way.)

3. Force of Gravity (Ferry Corsten Remix) by BT

4. The White Room by Adam White

5. 7 Cities (Armin Van Buuren Vocal Mix) by Solar Stone (The first time I heard this track I felt all tingly as though I was falIing in love! Incredibly, I was completely sober. Well, apart from the influence of cinnamon fumes - I was cooking pumpkin soup.)

6. Emit/Collect (Rennie Pilgrim's Agatha Stomp) by Zero

7. Sand in my shoes (Above and Beyond remix) by Dido

8. Find (Original mix) by Ridgewallkers feat. El

9. Rush (Super 8 vs Orkidea remix) by Aalto

10. Master Blaster (Jammin') by Stevie Wonder (Is it cos I is black? ah, brown? have stylish facial hair? ok, I confess, it's just a thumping song.)

- posted by syed-m @ 12:52 AM

 
Job Description

Title
Senior Bureaucratic Officer

Classification
Executive Level 1

Branch/Division
Various Branches,
Legal Trivia and Banana Division

Security Clearance Required
Protracted

Salary
$68,502 - $83,350 per annum

Reference
1234/FRW

Selection Criteria

GENERIC SELECTION CRITERIA - all essential

Ability to think several different unrelated things at one

Ability to achieve limited results over a long time frame

Ability to develop unproductive working relationships

Demonstrated lack of tact

Inability to communicate effectively

POSITION SPECIFIC SELECTION CRITERIA - Essential or desirable (as indicated)

Peculiar body odour from an Australian territory or State or a comparable overseas jurisdction, which in the opinion of the Secretary is appropriate to the duties of the position (essential)

Ability to talk and chew foods simultatenously (desirable)

Ability to harass female staff (desirable)
- posted by syed-m @ 3:27 PM

 
A potted history of indigenous social justice from Mabo to the present...

White Fella (WF): Oh black man, it so pains us to discover that, all those years ago, you were indeed dispossessed of your land. (Muttered aside) Although I hear stories of aboriginal kids being removed from their parents have largely been fabricated.

Black Fella (BF): Ah, jeez, thanks Mr WF. I'm really pleased to hear that. Could you recognise our sacred connection to our traditional land and waters?

WF: Sure, of course, why not? Anything for you, my brother.

BF: And some rights over them old pastoral lands, where those squatters came willy nilly all those years ago.

WF: Ah, um, well, ah..

BF: And rights in the sea...

WF: (still searching for words)

BF: And, real rights, like rights in minerals, to trade, to sell licences to fishermen to access our sacred sites.

WF: Look, there's been a long line of authorities in the Court against such things, and your situation is very complicated. We need to make sure that nothing we accept prejudices our other Australian brothers and sisters who, for so long, have worked so hard to turn our rugged terrain into one of the great economic and social wonders of the world.

BF: So what are you-

WF: So, whilst we are willing...

BF: ...saying?

WF: ...in-principle, to negotiate a settlement with you, wherever possible, we must ensure any recognition of native title, or what you incorrectly refer to as land rights, is consistent with the law, and leads to sustainable outcomes for all parties involved.

BF: (searching for more words)

WF: Now... have you ever considered selling your traditional lands? You know, I think this bushy scrub you have over here would look quite remarkable if it was flattened out, and you built a wonderful three bedroom house with a nice green lawn, patio in the back...

BF: (still searching for some words)

WF: Do you have a pen? I know a great landscaper and architect. Trust me, once you've built that house everything will be fine! If you're lucky you might have enough saved up afterwards from all that 'equity' to buy a car, a mobile phone, and join the rest of your civilised brothers and sisters in this great nation.
- posted by syed-m @ 4:35 PM

 
The death of romance

Hey Rita,

thanks for having dinner with me yesterday, it was a blast! I was so glad both your flatmates were also able to join us. Thanks for suggesting that. It really helped make the whole thing that much more intimate. Not to mention making it even easier to get to know you better. I think the highlight of the evening was the fact that, despite dinner being your idea, I didn't even know if it was still on until I rang you today to confirm. It just goes to show what a sensitive person you are. That's something I really look for in a girl. How about next time I invite you to see a movie and then not speak to you for a few weeks? If distance makes the heart grow fonder, perhaps excommunication makes the heart swell? Even burst?

I really enjoyed listening to the three of you talking about people I have never met, and cracking jokes about things only the three of you know about. I can't wait to do that again. I know you're really busy, and it might be difficult to line up a date the three of you can make. But the two of us hardly know each other. Hell, we don't even have that much in common. So I can see the utility in bringing along people you're more familiar and comfortable with than I. Besides, you're female, I'm male. I think that means something, something special. Right? Oh, and I know plenty of big words. So I'm willing to try and make it work.

Take care,

Syed-M.
- posted by syed-m @ 2:52 PM

 
Interpreting media reports on the US-Israel relationship

Today I've decided to prepare some cheat notes on a report in today's Sydney Morning Herald on talks between President Bush and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon...

Bush talks tough with Sharon over settlements

President George Bush has warned the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, that the US opposes any expansion of West Bank settlements. It would be contrary to the Middle East road map plan and could prejudice negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, he said. [Note no mention of Israel's obligations under international law, viz settlements are illegal. Note further that whilst the US 'opposes any expansion' there's no call to reduce US funding to Israel, funding without which said settlements could not exist.]

After a two-hour meeting at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Mr Bush said he had told Mr Sharon "not to undertake any activity that contravenes the road map for peace".

"Israel has obligations under the road map, and the road map clearly says no expansion of settlements," Mr Bush said.

Last week Mr Sharon had said that Israel would eventually build 3500 new homes in the West Bank to make the Maale Adumim settlement, which has a population of about 30,000, "contiguous with Jerusalem.

But while Mr Bush urged Mr Sharon to fulfill Israel's obligations under the peace plan, he reaffirmed US support for the state retaining some of the larger settlements on the West Bank as part of any future peace deal. [Read - the US supports the expansion of the most significant settlements, over the most valuable occupied land and waters]

This will disappoint and anger many Palestinians who believe that while Mr Sharon is prepared to abandon Gaza, he is planning to expand settlements on the West Bank in order to make a viable Palestinian state almost impossible to achieve. [This stance 'disappoints and angers many Palestinians', as opposed to just anyone with even half a conscience. Very similar to saying the invasion of Iraq 'disappoints and angers many Iraqis'. The word play is obvious. The subject of the sentence is not what Israel is doing with US support, but the reaction of 'many' Palestinians (again, as opposed to 'most' or 'all' - after all which Palestinian wouldn't oppose it? Maybe a dead one?). Further, the report states that 'Palestinians believe' that Sharon is planning to expand settlements. The reality is, Sharon is expanding settlements. Indeed, a few months ago, the Herald even reported that a study conducted by the Israeli Government indicated that the widespread expansion of illegal settlements was continuining unabated!]

Some observers close to the Administration said Mr Bush wanted this chance to convey his strong support for Israel's commitment to the removal of 21 settlements from Gaza in July and also to let Mr Sharon know he understood the pressure he was under from his own party and from right-wing groups that once considered Mr Sharon their hero. At a joint news conference after their meeting, Mr Bush also called on the Palestinians to work with Israel to co-ordinate the Gaza pullback. [The para paints Sharon in a favourable light. Oh the sacrifices he has made by insisting that some of the settlements be pulled despite the risks to his Prime Ministership. Imagine reading this - Mr Bush (Snr) wanted to convey his strong support for FW de Klerk's commitment to end apartheid despite the pressure he was under from his own party and from right-wing groups to strengthen the present security regime (ie apartheid) and extend Nelson Mandela's jail term.]

"I applaud the Prime Minister's courage," Mr Bush said. "To me, that's where the attention of the world ought to be: on Gaza. This is the opportunity for the world to help the Palestinians stand up a peaceful society and a hopeful society."

Mr Sharon again made what seemed to be contradictory statements about the settlement issue, at one point saying he would heed Mr Bush's call to freeze their expansion, but later saying that big Israeli population centres on the West Bank would remain in Israeli hands "with all related consequences".

Earlier Mr Sharon told NBC that the atmosphere in Israel was "something like before a civil war" and when asked if he felt personally threatened, he said he had always defended Jews from attack and now he needed to be defended from attack by some Jews. [Note interestingly that this statement is quite critical of far right-wing Jews. It's a good example of the fact that the media can be critical of Jewish people. It is further evidence that the media doesn't simply blindly report the Israel/Palestine conflict in a pro-Jewish manner. In my view, there's a simple reason for this. Whilst an important element in Sharon's coalition (at least in the recent past, maybe in the future), the extreme right-wingers are relatively geopolitically insignificant and something of a liability in PR terms. Further, painting them as recalcitrant extremists and Sharon as some sort of centrist, peace negotiator is a useful propaganda device.]

Mr Bush is due to meet the Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, in Washington next month.
- posted by syed-m @ 1:58 PM

 
Being egalitarian means removing your shoes

A significant diplomatic row has erupted between Papua New Guinea and Australia after PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare was asked to remove his shoes by security at Brisbane Airport. Australia has refused Papuan demands for an apology. Here's our foreign minister's explanation for Australia's refusal...

One of the characteristics of Australian culture is that we are fiercely egalitarian, one the characteristics of Papua New Guinean and Melanesian culture more generally is that they have notion of what they call 'The Big Man'.

So, whereas the Papuans exalt their 'Big Men' and dare not subject them to security checks, egalitarian Australians require all foreign visitors to be subjected to the same treatment.

Despite such culturally sensitive explanations, a few glaring questions remain.

Are all foreign visitors required to remove their shoes on arrival at Australian Airports? What about foreign dignitaries? For instance, did President George Bush have to remove his shoes when he arrived in Australia last year? Did Prince Charles? What amount of discretion do airport security staff have in requesting individuals to remove their shoes? Does everyone who enters Australia have to remove their shoes?

It is worth noting that the media has not seen fit to investigate these questions. I should further point out that there probably is some merit in subjecting 'dignitaries' to the same level of security checks as the rest of us. The only problem is that in this instance it seems an unusual coincidence that the dignitary who has been made a victim of our egalitarian culture comes from a developing nation that is heavily indebted to Australia.

It goes without saying that the next time a high Australian official visits Papua New Guinea it will be interesting to see how our media reacts.
- posted by syed-m @ 2:23 PM