I am a refugee

LOT’S WIFE EDITION 7 2013 CONTENTS 6. Letters to the editors Thanks 7. Editorial To our super sub-eds: Hannah, James, Chris, Sam, Nic, David, Pat, Tom C, Allison, Michelle, Tom W and Neg. Especially to Chris for writing another 8. National Affairs ‘Science Lessons From...’ (you knew it was coming), to Neg for our favourite cover of the year (!!!) and to Hannah and James for helping us with the layout 18. International Affairs and lots of editing. We luv yas all! and Raymond the pizza man. 20. Student Affairs No Thanks Ratfuckers. 28. Science Apologies 31. Music In the last edition of Lot’s Wife ‘Stories We Tell’ was incorrectly attributed to Kemal Atley, the author was Kemal Atlay. Also, Tom Hvala was accidentally left 34. Film & TV off our section editors list, he is an Online sub-editor. Also to the various authors who went to print with misspelt headings. 36. Performing Arts Cover Art 38. Creative Space Thomas Alomes 45. Culture Section Editors National Affairs: Thomas Clelland and Elizabeth Boag International Affairs: Carlie O’Connell Student Affairs: Hannah Barker Science: Nicola McCaskill Music: Dina Amin, Augustus Hebblewhite, Leah Phillips and David Nowak Film & TV: Patricia Tobin and Sam Blashki Performing Arts: Christine Lambrianidis and Thomas Alomes Creative Writing: Allison Chan, Michelle Li and Thomas Wilson Culture: Hannah Gordon and Christopher Pase Online: Julia Greenhalf and Tom Hvala Web Design: Choon Yin-Yeap and Jake Spicer As you read this paper you are on Aboriginal land. We at Lot’s Wife recognise the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nations as the historical and rightful owners and custodians of the lands and waters on which this newspaper is produced. he land was stolen and sovereignty was never ceded. Lot’s Wife Student Newspaper est. 1964. Monash University Clayton, VIC. Lot’s Wife does not condone the publishing of racist, sexist, militaristic or queerphobic material. he views expressed herein do not necessarily relect the views of the editors or the MSA. Submitted articles may be altered. All writing and artwork remains the property of the producers and may not be reproduced without their written consent. T: 03 9905 8174 W: lotswife.com.au @lotswifemag www.facebook/lotswifemagazine lotswife2013@gmail.com don’t look back. © 2013 Monash Student Association. All Rights Reserved. LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 5 LETTERS We would love to hear from you. Email your thoughts, grievances and marriage proposals to lotswife2013@gmail.com Dear Lot’s Wife, I would like to express my appreciation for your recent piece, or However, I feel the need to point out the incredible irony of his article. As I understand it, Lot’s Wife is funded by the MSA, which in turn guide rather, on the current state of party politics within the Australian is funded by money collected through the Student Services and Ameni- Federal system. It is not often that an article delivers what is promised ties Fee - essentially the newspaper is funded by the Monash student in a headline, but “Who Should I Vote For?: Party policy to help you community, just as community welfare programmes that are run by the through the Federal election” (Edition 6) was, for me, an instrumental Australian Government are funded by John Q. Public. tool in exercising my democratic right to vote. The wonderful beauty in this, of course, is that without financial I am sure I represent the view of many Australians who feel support for Lot’s Wife, the newspaper would not exist, Sukrit Sabhlok’s overwhelmed and flummoxed not only by the sheer vastness of differing article would never have been published, and his opinion would never policies, but also by parties constantly changing what should be enshrined have reached an audience. It’s a remarkably simple demonstration of how in their core ethos of ideals. Party policies are no longer clearly defined funding derived from a community can easily generate positive feedback as they once were, and this has caused many people to forsake their right in that community, creating opportunities that would otherwise be inac- in exercising democratic agency. Your guide to the world of Australian cessible, and Sukrit’s, article, I’m sorry to say, is a simple demonstration of politics remedies this disillusionment to some extent. an inability to apply a political ideology to other aspects of society. Focusing on the predominant policies of education, the economy, refugees, equality, and healthcare, the article seeks to differentiate the objectives of the three main parties and seek to rebuild the walls of demarcation that have been blurred in recent times. Both pieces on the major parties recognise inherent flaws within their policies and this is what gives the article credibility. It reminds us that no party will ever have perfect, impenetrable policies that reflect the views of the entire electorate. Despite the negativity that permeates the piece on Liberal policies (a notion that has come to personify Australian politics), the article in its entirety was an insightful and helpful approach to the “burden” of voting. It is just a shame that we as a people are unable to vote solely on the premise of individual policies, rather than being required to vote for a party that is unlikely to correspond with all our values or opinions. Living in such a political environment of organized chaos however, should not deter us from seeking change and exercising the sole source of democratic power that we possess. Contributing writer, Fabrice Wilmann Dear Lot’s Wife, Re: ‘How The Welfare State Corrupts The Moral Fabric Of Society’, by Sukrit Sabhlok, Edition 6. Firstly, I would like to applaud the Lot’s Wife editors on publishing the article. It is important that student media remains an accessible forum for all students and their opinions, regardless of their political skew. Marshall Edgeworth. EDITORIAL FLORENCE RONEY & MATTHEW CAMPBELL Did you vote Liberal? C’mon, fess up. Was it because you don’t know a from the total ruin Labor supposedly left it in. We’ve gotta look after lot about politics and the names of the parties helped you through this ourselves first right? meddlesome electoral chore we call ‘democracy’? Did you approach While by no means perfect, speaking in economic terms, Australia the ballot paper like it was a menu written in a language you don’t is actually doing pretty well, coming in at #1 on the Organisation for understand, hoping like hell you’d choose something palatable? ‘Labor’? Economic Cooperation and Development’s Better Life Index (of 34 Fuck that, I’ve already made the trek to this goddamn primary school and countries) for the second year in a row. Other data suggests that even the snags aren’t even that good. ‘Greens’? I hate vegetables! ‘Liberal’? despite the dreaded carbon tax, our cost of living under Julia Gillard’s That means freedom, right?! Labor Government was at a 25 year low. These days the major parties are so far estranged from what their Carolyn Bond, in her September 19 article in The Age, ‘Legal respective names suggest, they warrant completely new ones. The aid cuts a worrying sign from the Abbott team’ points out that “[legal] Australian Party for Mining Magnates? The Australian Front Against services generate financial, social and health benefits by stopping unfair Boat People? Or how about Mark Latham’s famous appraisal of the Liberal evictions, ensuring people access their lawful wages and preventing Party under John Howard: ‘Conga Line of Suck Holes’? Notice we didn’t family violence”. The upshot, she notes, citing a cost-benefit analysis bother specifying which of the above names would better suit either party. commissioned by the National Association of Community Legal Centres The point is, no one’s going to vote for you if you admit you’re not really is that “every dollar spent by government on community legal centres into equality, basic human rights a vibrant culture. Words are important. returned, on average, $18 in economic benefit to society”. $142 million And, evidently, they helped a lizard-faced gimp onto the Prime- cut from legal services? Really Tone? Ministerial throne. So, in the spirit of one of our favourite columns from Apparently, someone in the fifteenth century hit the nail on the last year’s Lot’s Wife, Interesting Etymologies, let’s take a look at the origins head: etymonline.com reckons ‘liberal’ was taken to mean “extravagant, of the word ‘Liberal’ and where Tone will take it in the coming years. unrestrained” in a bad sense. ‘Extravagant’ invokes images of Clive According to etymonline.com and some other extremely reputable Palmer being escorted on an Egyptian litter supported by malnourished Internet sources like Wikipedia, the word ‘liberal’ and all its constituents manservants, while the latter describes the business interests that got him originate from the Latin liber meaning ‘free’. Obviously we can’t really there in the first place. hold our forefathersandmothers accountable for how a word translates But a quick contrast with Google (type ‘define liberal’) reveals that in the context of modern politics. But Jesus, they got us here in the first we’ve clearly regressed in our understanding of the word: “Open to new place, and the word seems to have weathered the test of time far better behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values”. Maybe than, say, ‘Ratfucker’ (an American slang term used, variously, to describe that’s what Tony meant when he decided to take on women’s affairs at the a politician who engages in sabotage or dirty tricks or someone who federal level against a backdrop of announcements of a male-dominated screws people over) which seems to be struggling to gain traction in our cabinet with only one female minister. political discourse even after our former PM proclaimed (this one’s from In the few short weeks Tony has been PM, he seems to be on the acclaimed journalist David Marr) “Those Chinese fuckers are trying to warpath against everyone who is not a wealthy, middle-class male. With rat-fuck us!” during tense negotiations at the 2009 Copenhagen Climate that in mind, we’d like to offer our Lot’s-Wife-approved definition of Change Summit. ‘liberal’: “freedom for some but not for others”. Anyway, fourteenth century England – as late as sixteenth century While ‘ratfuckers’ or ‘ratfucking’ don’t receive a single mention in on some accounts – saw a ‘liberal’ person as someone who was “generous”. this edition outside this editorial, there’s some great analysis and satire Hmm. With Abbott vowing to cut $4.5 billion from foreign aid, $42 surrounding the federal election and after, with plenty of ridiculous million from Indigenous legal services and an expected $100 million from analogies. We thought it’d be a bit dull of us to not at least try and get legal aid given to asylum seekers, we think our English ancestors, albeit some satire in before the end of the year, and Bren and James have deceased, have little to say about liberalism in contemporary Australian stepped up to the challenge quite well. Next edition will be our last, and society. in the interests of not wanting to end on too serious a note, we cordially This seems like the perfect time to take some weight out of the oft- invite all satirists to contribute. parroted claim that the Liberal Government is set to save the economy LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 7 NATIONAL AFFAIRS AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN? “Ultimately, the student politician of today is the potential federal politician of tomorrow” Thomas Alomes In 1976 two extremely significant events occurred in the history of time. He was a fierce political writer and used the student newspaper Australia: The Angels released their pub anthem “Am I ever gonna Honi Soit to voice his various views, including in 1979 where he was see your face again?” and Tony Abbott lost an election. The impact on quoted as saying “I think it would be folly to expect that women will ever Australian society and (pub) culture of the former was readily apparent; dominate or even approach equal representation in a large number of the impact of the latter, however, would not be felt for quite some time. areas simply because their aptitudes, abilities and interests are different for Tony’s first experience of a political loss was for the University of Sydney Senate. Obviously disappointed at the result, he took out physiological reasons.” In 2010 when pressed about this quote Tony replied that “Ah, I his frustrations by kicking in a glass panel of a door to the Student don’t want to repudiate what was said, but I don’t want people to think Representative Council (SRC) building. But this first bitter taste of defeat that what I thought as a 21 year old is necessarily what I think as a did not kill off Tony’s political ambitions. Instead, it was an ignominious 52 year old.” Whilst I am inclined to agree with Tony that 30 years is start to what would prove to be a long, divisive and ultimately successful enough time for views to evolve or mature, values expressed in such a career in both student and federal politics. Many commentators from the left have bemoaned that the next three years (at least) are going to be a dark time for anyone not cut from the same cloth as big Tony. Only time well tell, but the Liberal/ National Abbott government are off to a flying start at proving those lefties’ fears correct. Highlights include a cabinet that has fewer women in it than Afghanistan’s (a country well known for it’s endearment formative stage of life are still relevant “There are many dedicated, hard working and intelligent people who see the positive impact they can have on the student body by running for elected office. But the problem is, if you let a vociferous minority of student political hacks set the tenor for discourse now, then 30 odd years later you get guys like Tony setting the tenor for political discourse nationally.” towards women in positions of power), and in understanding the person they create many years later. This is especially so when they’re unwilling to renounce those views. What relevancy does this have to the upcoming Monash Student Association (MSA) elections? Ultimately, the student politician of today is the potential federal politician of tomorrow. It’s where many learn the skills for politicking but not necessarily the skills to govern or to lead. The argument cannot be made that all a folio reshuffle that has axed the Minister for Science whilst creating the student politicians are raving political hacks hell bent on getting to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC. lodge, quite the opposite in fact. There are many dedicated, hard working But in perhaps the most bizarre cabinet appointment, Tony has and intelligent people who see the positive impact they can have on the chosen himself for the role of representing women and their interests student body by running for elected office. But the problem is, if you let a in Australia. Which is pretty much akin to crowning Cory Bernardi as vociferous minority of student political hacks set the tenor for discourse Grand Marshall of the Mardi Gras Parade. Although I am stoked as a now, then 30 odd years later you get guys like Tony setting the tenor for white straight middle class male to have my interests fully represented political discourse nationally. in the new cabinet, it begs the question of Tony: where all those lovely ladies at? Further to this we must raise the current standard of political discourse whilst stamping out the grubbiness and aggression that’s seen To begin to understand the real answer to this question, we need to within elections for the MSA every year. This needs to be done for the hop in a time machine (possibly the same one that Bob Katter uses to get sake of current students and for potential positive impact it can have on his policies) and travel back to the 1970s when an undergraduate Tony the state of politics in the future. Abbott was cutting his teeth and making his mark on Australian student So before you cast your vote this week ensure you scrutinise politics. He was tearing through the radical left and any walls, door the policies of each candidate. But more importantly, scrutinise their panels or people that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong character. You never know, they could be Prime Minister one day. LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 9 NATIONAL AFFAIRS THE 2013 FEDERAL ELECTION: FESTIVAL OF DEMOCRACY? James Brooks Elections are sometimes referred to as ‘festivals of democracy’: a reminder Before the festival had even ended, the 44th instalment of the AEF that the right to vote is precious and ought to be celebrated by those who was already drawing criticism from fans. A scheduling error meant that enjoy it. What if the recent federal election really was a festival though? Wayne Dropulich and Ricky Muir, two high school students that won In January, the 44th Australian Election Festival was announced a Triple J competition to appear at the festival, performed in front of for 14 September 2013 by festival organiser, Julia Gillard. The line-up thousands of fans on the main stage. Dropulich and Muir were “stoked” included a host of festival-favourites spanning the genres of Labor, the to play in front of such a huge crowd; however fans expressed their Coalition and the Greens, as well as a record number of emerging artists, outrage on Twitter at being forced to listen to two “nobodys” (sic) due to many of whom will play their chosen instruments for the first time. Some the mishap. There will be pressure on incoming festival organiser, Tony pundits questioned the timing of Gillard’s announcement, accusing her Abbott, to take steps to ensure this blunder is not repeated next time of trying to steal the limelight from another popular festival, the Ratings around. Festival. Julia Gillard herself was scheduled to co-headline alongside Tony *** Abbott, the prominent Liberal artist whose performance at the 43rd AEF was only second to Gillard’s. However, in June, after a series of poor Ok, enough of that. On a serious note, the recent federal election sideshow performances, Gillard was replaced by her predecessor, Kevin was anything but a ‘festival of democracy’. Interest among the Australian Rudd. Rudd was initially welcomed back into the limelight, until fans public was low, the two major parties’ policies were remarkably similar realised that, like Meatloaf, Rudd’s musical skills had deteriorated with and, months before polling, the result was already a foregone conclusion. the passage of time. For young Australians, in particular, there is little to celebrate about the Fans pleaded on social media sites Facebook and Twitter for Tony Abbott to be replaced by Malcolm Turnbull, whose style is said to better 2013 election. At the time of writing, several House of Representatives and Senate compliment that of Rudd. No change was made to the line-up though. seats are yet to be determined. The ABC predicts that the Coalition will However Rudd stamped his authority on the festival by changing the date win 91 seats in the House of Representatives, Labor 55, the Greens one to 7 September 2013 to better suit his own fans. and Katter’s Australia Party one, with the remaining two seats to be held At the festival, Tony Abbott easily drew the biggest crowd. Abbott by independents. Of the 40 Senate seats contested at the election, the performed a set of reliable classics, including the radio hit ‘Stop the Coalition will likely win 17, Labor 12 and the Greens four, while the Boats’ that features the dog whistle instrument synonymous with Liberal remaining seven seats will be split between seven ‘very minor’ parties. music. Co-headliner Kevin Rudd often abandoned his own personal The upshot of all this is that the Coalition will have a clear style, shifting ever closer to Abbott’s. At other times, Rudd experimented majority in the House of Representatives. Remarkably, the Greens’ Adam wildly with new musical ideas, much to the chagrin of fans. The crowd Bandt retained the seat of Melbourne despite Labor and the Coalition’s was so unimpressed by Rudd’s performance that attendances at other combined effort to unseat him. Due to the Coalition’s clear majority, Labor artists’ sets suffered also. Bandt will not have the same power that he had in the hung parliament. Like Rudd, AEF sophomore Jaymes Diaz also performed poorly In the Senate, the Greens will retain the balance of power until leading up to the festival. In one bungled gig, Diaz forgot several lines to July of next year when the newly elected Senators take office. From July, his own hit song, ‘Six Point Plan’. Video footage of the blooper went viral assuming Labor votes against the Coalition, the Coalition will need and Diaz cancelled all remaining appearances for the year. Fans were more support from five minor party Senators to pass legislation. This support forgiving of emerging artist Clive Palmer though. Despite several poor is likely to come from several of the very minor parties rather than the performances throughout 2013 and launching a racist tirade on stage, fans Greens. still turned out to see the festival newcomer in droves. 10 Having secured the right to form government, Tony Abbott and LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 NATIONAL AFFAIRS his ministry were officially sworn in by the Governor-General, Quentin Liberal Democratic Party, Palmer United Party, Nick Xenophon Group, Bryce, on 18 September. Julie Bishop, who will take on the role of Family First Party, Australian Sex Party, Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Foreign Affairs Minister, was the only female named in a cabinet of 19. Party and Australian Sports Party. Several of the above parties received This figure is a poor one by Australian and world standards. There were only a tiny fraction of the primary vote but achieved the ‘quota’ needed six women in Kevin Rudd’s second cabinet and there are currently two in for election due to preference flows from other parties. the Afghan cabinet! There have already been numerous calls for reform, to prevent What makes the lack of women in Abbott’s cabinet inexcusable is parties with so little primary support from getting elected to the Senate in that there was no shortage of women available for him to choose from. future. Even if one accepts that there is a problem to be fixed, the broad Despite the Coalition’s continuing poor record on female representation range of possible reforms will make the process of reform a lengthy one. in parliament, it’s not like there’s no women in the Coalition at all. Elsewhere in this edition, Monash University Senior Lecturer Dr Nick Abbott named four women in his outer ministry and appointed one Economou urges would-be reformers to proceed with caution. According female parliamentary secretary. Collectively, these women have 52 years to Economou, it’s the vote and not the voting system that is to blame for of parliamentary experience. Senator Mathias Cormann, Abbott’s newly having elected such a diverse Senate (see p.12). appointed Finance Minister and easily the biggest winner of the cabinet Calls for reform of the Senate will no doubt be a constant while the announcement, has only six years of parliamentary experience. Why was incoming Senators remain in office. Whether this translates into actual there room for Senator Cormann in Abbott’s cabinet but no room for reform is less certain though. A brief look at the history of electoral experienced female parliamentarians like Sussan Ley or Senator Marise reform in Australia reveals that successful electoral reform only occurs Payne? when the party in government stands to benefit electorally. When the To top it off, Abbott named himself as the minister representing Hawke-Labor government introduced ‘above the line’ voting in time women’s affairs, albeit assisted by a woman, Senator Michaelia Cash. The for the 1984 election, it did so to combat the high informal vote in the irony of Abbott’s appointment is almost unbelievable when one considers Senate, which had until then disadvantaged Labor. Australians should be that only 11 months ago Prime Minister Gillard delivered her famous sceptical of any proposal for Senate reform. misogyny speech. There is seemingly no end to the bad news stemming from this Little solace comes from knowing that Abbott would have added year’s election outcome. Tony Abbott’s cabinet will be the first since 1931 another woman to his cabinet if Sophie Mirabella had won re-election in to be without a Science Minister, casting further doubt over Abbott’s the Victorian seat of Indi. Of course that was not to be, as independent already feeble commitment to deal with climate change. The Coalition’s candidate Cathy McGowan spectacularly defeated Mirabella in a close ‘border protection’ policy and planned cuts to Australia’s foreign aid contest. budget will go ahead, while a vote on marriage equality almost certainly Voters all over Australia watched closely the marathon vote count in Indi in the days after polling before the Abbott government officially took office. The voters of Indi had clearly lost faith in Mirabella, who was will not. On the issues that matter most to young Australians, the 2013 federal election failed to deliver. Former Labor Senator John Black, writing in The Australian aloof at the best of times and disregarded her constituents at worst. But to recently, said that the 2013 federal election result was not an left-of-centre voters everywhere, Indi carried symbolic weight. McGowan endorsement of the Coalition but a denunciation of Labor. Labor’s had the ability to deliver something of a parting shot to the Coalition on internal dysfunction and its failure to distinguish itself from the Coalition their behalf, by unseating one of the Coalition’s most hated figures. on important social issues - like asylum seekers - guaranteed early on Paradoxically, while Australians rejoiced in McGowan’s victory, we that it would lose the 2013 election and that a conservative government have not been as accepting of the record number of Senators elected from would be elected instead. Not only can young Australians let down by outside the Coalition-Labor-Greens paradigm. At the time of writing, the Labor not celebrate in the election result, there was no incentive to join following very minor parties are on track to secure one Senate seat each: in the festival of democracy itself. LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 11 NATIONAL AFFAIRS SENSE OF PROPORTIONALITY NEEDED IN CRITIQUING PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. Dr Nick Economou Commentator alarm over the possible outcome of the contest for half the moment the GTV came in in time for 1984, and had been responsible Australian Senate has almost overwhelmed the news that Tony Abbott’s for denying NDP candidate Peter Garrett a Senate seat in NSW in 1984, Liberal-National coalition has won majority government in a landslide. and for freezing out a host of One Nation candidates in 1998. So, too, The preoccupation with the Senate stems partly from reports of the has the occurrence of the election of senators with paltry primary votes – imminent election of candidates other than those endorsed by the ALP, and not all of these have been minor party candidates. A review of past the Coalition and the Greens. Described variously as “nutters”, “whackos” Senate results show that the second candidate on the Labor ticket, and “a circus” and/or a “barnyard”, the lament is how could candidates who the second and third Liberal candidates regularly get elected even though polled such miniscule primary votes sully the august Australian Senate. they poll around 1,000 primary votes (or 0.01 percent). The reason for The answer to this, of course, is because it is allowed to happen this, of course, is that the STV process allows for the massive vote that under the Single Transferrable Vote (STV) method that is pivotal to our the first placed candidate on the ticket receives to be allocated to the electoral systems. The STV allows voters to cast preferences for all candi- next preferred candidate. dates, and that these preferences can count until such time as all vacant positions have been filled. Surpluses and preferences can only get candidates elected if they get enough votes by way of primary vote, OR primary plus surplus, OR pri- In lower house elections with single member districts, the threshold mary plus preference. The 2013 Senate contest is a case in point: the Mo- a candidate needs to win is 50 percent plus 1 of the vote cast. In propor- tor Enthusiast Party candidate may win a seat because the candidate gets tional systems, however, the threshold for election is much lower – 14.4 the preferences of the 16 percent or thereabouts of Victorians who did percent in the case of Australian half-Senate elections which have used not vote for Labor, the Coalition or the Greens. If those voters weren’t STV proportional representation since 1949. For much of this time Labor happy about the minor parties cross-preferencing each other, they could and the Coalition dominated Senate outcomes. After the Labor split have voted below the black line, and 16 percent is more than enough to in the 1950s, the DLP was able to win some seats, and, from 1977, the win you a seat where the quota is 14.4 percent. If the Motor Enthusiast Australian Democrats were also successful. Party candidate wins a seat, it is because the party received in excess of The appearance of a different type of minor party in Senate configu- the 14.4 percent of the vote cast after the distribution of preferences and rations coincided with major reforms to Senate voting in time for 1984, surpluses – the very same process that elects the second Labor senator and including ‘above the black line’ voting and the use of official party tickets the second and third Liberal senators. in determining preference allocation (the so-called ‘group ticket vote’ The first round of the debate about the Senate – driven by those or GTV). It began with the success of the Nuclear Disarmament Party who, for political, ideological or elitist reasons, don’t like the predicted (NDP) which also won a seat in 1987. Since 1984 the following par- result – has focussed on the electoral system which is blamed for an alleg- ties have had at least one senator: the Valentine Peace Group, the West edly rogue outcome. This critique may be misdirected. It is the vote, not Australian Greens, the Australian Greens, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation the voting system, that is responsible for the predicted outcome. The fact and Family First (the DLP returned to the Senate in 2010). is that a very large number of Australians – 20 percent nationally – chose In all cases bar some Green successes in Tasmania and Victoria, not to vote Labor, Coalition or Green in this election and that is why and the One Nation success in Queensland in 1998, these minor parties the major parties have failed to achieve a total hegemony over an upper won seats even though they won quite small totals of primary votes. The house that is, after all, supposed to be proportionally represented. election of Family First’s Steve Fielding drew attention to the crucial role preference agreements under the auspices of the GTV play in helping Dr Nick Economou is a senior lecturer in the School of Political and Social candidates elected even if they polled less than 2 percent of the primary. Inquiry, Monash University. Of course, strategic preference allocations had been used from the 12 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 NATIONAL AFFAIRS ALBO V. SHORTEN: A POSITIVE CHALLENGE FOR THE ALP Kat Hardy - Monash ALP Club Secretary In the aftermath of their loss to the Tories in the 2010 election, the UK and Kingslayer, Bill Shorten. In other words, two serious candidates with Labour Party prepared itself to go straight back to the polls. Not to redo significant policy achievements and ministerial experience are going to the election, nice as that would have been, but staring down the barrel travel the country explaining their vision for the future of the party, and of some long, hard years in opposition, the party needed to choose a new asking the rank and file to get behind them. Then the party will demo- leader. Unlike the Australian Labor Party at the time, UK Labour had cratically decide. Speaking as a member, I have to say I’m pretty excited. a model that allowed for 33% of the vote to go to local party members, Which makes it all the more frustrating when this contest gets and 33% to go to members of affiliated trade unions. In other words, the portrayed in the media as just more ALP infighting, or as a bad thing people who cared about the party and the movement had some agency for the party. Given the strength of the Australian economy, important over its future. There were televised debates, tens of thousands of new reforms such as the NDIS and Gonski, and the much stronger policies for members, and a genuine discussion about the future of the party. Compare an NBN and paid parental leave, many ALP supporters are struggling to that to the last two times the ALP leadership changed. Whatever your understand why the Australian public saw fit to appoint a misogynistic opinions on the merits of either Julia Gillard or Kevin Rudd (I have lizard-man to the office of Prime Minister. Yet we have to recognise that plenty), no one could reasonably argue that the spills and speculation that a large portion of the blame for this defeat lies with the party itself, and occurred under the last government were good for the party or for the unless some serious internal change happens, the history of nation build- country. ing reform enacted by Labor could be at risk. ALP rank and file members have sat in angry shock as the party bickered and backstabbed its way out of office, and now we want a chance to do something about it. These reforms are not perfect, nor are they enough. There needs to be a place for trade union members to have a say if the party wants to continue representing working Australians, and we should also return to a system in which caucus elects the ministry. Yet this is a good start, and a necessary one. The ALP that wins back government in three years should be a changed beast, ready to fix Abbott’s mess and to continue to be the strongest force for progressive change in Australian politics. Whatever the result of the leadership election, this is a positive step for the party. It is with that in mind that this time around, the ALP is doing things a bit differently. Following rules introduced by Kevin Rudd in his most recent foray into Prime Ministering, the Federal caucus vote will only be worth 50%, with the remainder of the decision made by all members of the ALP who had joined by September 7. The party has a month to conduct the ballot, with the membership vote happening first and being conducted via postal ballot. Although MPs have until Friday 20th to nominate, in all likelihood this will be a contest between our most recent Deputy Prime Minister and avowed Tory-hater Anthony Albanese, and past Minister for Education LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 13 NATIONAL AFFAIRS BY THE NUMBERS: THE RACE FOR ELECTION GLORY Bren Carruthers It has unofficially been the longest Federal election campaign in history, but finally, this momentous marathon event has been run and won. And much like the first-time marathon runner, Australia has only just made it over the finish line, and is now bucking at the knees and dropping to the ground in agony, scarcely able to breathe and vomiting what little stomach contents it has left into a small, acidic pool surrounding its $279 Indonesian-made cross-trainers. Thankfully, in our duties as Australia’s most trusted (i.e. non Murdoch-owned) news source, Lot’s Wife is here to dust the nation off, hand them the water bottle of knowledge, and recap the whole affair, including wondering exactly where those chunks of carrot now dispersed around the nation’s ankles came from. In an election that has been so pre-occupied with numbers, with endless poll-pushing and dollar-crunching, it only makes sense to summarise by the numbers. Let’s begin with One Nation. Even in 2013, Pauline Hanson and her party are still thrashing about and trying to make political noise, despite the fact that their core issue during their halcyon days in the late 90s – strict immigration and border protection – is now in largely in line with Labor and Liberal policy, making the party an archaic hangover as relevant as “Who Let The Dogs Out”, only more interested in keeping them out. And the Asians, the Muslims, and anyone else who isn’t already a jingo-slinging, flag-waving Australian. But in perhaps the first example of an Australian current affairs TV program doing anything relevant in twenty years, an awkward interview with candidate Stephanie Banister, in which she demonstrated a complete lack of cultural Sophie Mirabella: Last seen in a state of distress, wandering in thick bushland outside Wangaratta. Approach with caution and concern. Image: Lock The Gate Alliance. 14 – and more importantly – political knowledge, derailed the party significantly. She withdrew within 24 hours, but the damage was done. Nonetheless, we look forward to Pauline ’16. Conversely, after entering the political fray on relatively short notice, it appears that Clive Palmer’s humbly-titled Palmer United Party will take two seats, with former Rugby League thug Glen Lazarus securing a Senate role, and Clive himself tentatively ahead in the count for the seat of Fairfax at time of print. But aside from Clive’s love of digging holes and being a professional eccentric, we know very little of the PUP. There was a candidate for every position in the country, but who are these people? What do they stand for? The colour yellow? No one truly knows. The success of the Palmer United Party proves that you don’t need policy; all that all you need is a stack of mates, an easily identifiable colour as a brand, and a streak of insanity... which, on reflection, sounds remarkably like student politics. How fortuitous for Tony Abbott to be constantly surrounded by the “sex appeal” of his three daughters throughout his election campaign, which has clearly now made him qualified enough to hold the portfolio for women in his own Cabinet? Bridget, Frances, and occasionally Louise were omnipresent on the Abbott roadshow, accompanying Dad to functions, events, baby kissings, openings of chip packets, and generally anything that might be seen by a member of the public. We sincerely hope, for their sake, they weren’t required to accompany him to any public toilets, too. But with Tony constantly accusing Kevin Rudd of running a “presidential campaign” based on a cult of personality, you can only wonder – if he wasn’t hypocritically using his family image to help run a presidential campaign himself, it can only mean that Tone wanted to threaten us with the knowledge that he is a virile, spermatozoa-shooting machine. If that isn’t a thought that stops the boats, then surely nothing will. It appears that when all the vote counting is finally completed, Labor will have registered a slip in the two party preferred vote of between four and five percent. What went wrong? Where did the Labor supporters go? Political autopsies are horrifically boring, so let’s instead try to analyse the loss through the scope of a metaphorical house party. You, the potential Labor voter, walk in the door expecting a Triple-A rated night, but you already sense the depressing environment. Kev is rattling on endlessly about everyone owes him money for the pizza, and about how grateful everyone should be that he is even here. You TONE฀ABET฀WINS฀IN฀•฀2013 NATIONAL AFFAIRS Senator Ricky Muir, shown here simply to assist the 99.5% of bemused Victorians who did not vote for him in identifying precisely who the fuck now represents them. Image: Facebook. expect some familiar faces, but most of your old friends aren’t even here. Emmo and Garrett left the party ages ago, so no-one is singing or dancing. Combet was immediately gone as soon as the party climate changed. And there are rumours that Adam Bandt is throwing a much better party somewhere in the city; a small affair, a bit wild, but plenty of green. And all the while, the lifeless corpse of Julia Gillard goes completely ignored, floating face-down in the backyard pool. Despite best intentions, track record and highest expectations, sometimes parties just suck. The Labor Party of 2013 appears to be no exception. Leading up to the election, the Coalition’s six-point plan to stop the boats was easily one of the most public policy proposals put forward by the Coalition, and a vital aspect of their election strategy. Sadly, someone forgot to forward that memo to the Liberal nominee for the seat of Greenway, Jaymes Diaz. In what must be one of the most humiliating on-air political deaths on record, not only could Diaz not summarise the six-point plan to stop the boats, but he could barely construct a six-word sentence in the ensuing embarrassment. Broadcast internationally, his gaffe was only compounded further by the fact that he was cradling a copy of the Coalition’s Real Solutions pamphlet during the interview; a pamphlet which contained that exact information. Diaz was the only Liberal candidate in Western Sydney to fail in winning a seat. Now with much more time on his hands, he is now said to be looking forward to catching up on his reading. There are always losers who find themselves thrown to the wolves after every Federal election, but spare a thought for Dr. Tim Flannery. Eight years after being announced as Australian Of The Year in recognition of his work as a conservationist and world-leading climate scientist, it took less than a week of official business before the new Government dissolved the Climate Commission, an organisation that Flannery has presided over since its inception. Taking their plans to virtually eliminate foreign aid spending, and to continue the human rights violations of asylum seekers that the UN recently charged Australia with, we can only postulate that the Coalition feel they can combat climate change themselves solely through their frosty exteriors and natural cold-heartedness. Look for a third ice cap forming over Canberra in coming months. Special recognition for their contribution to the election season must go to TV powerhouses Seven, Nine and Ten, who bravely rejected advertising money when they would normally otherwise be begging for small change for their dying industry. Get Up!, a politically independent group which staunchly encourage democratic participation in Australia, took exception to the actions of (former Australian) media mogul Rupert Murdoch, as he pulled no punches in promoting a very anti-Labor opinion through his newspapers. Armed with significant funding from Get Up! members, and a short advertisement depicting an actor scraping up dog poo whilst telling viewers, “don’t let the crap decide your vote”, Get Up! were swiftly rejected by all three networks. Was it the image of faeces on TV that the networks found so reprehensible? It seems surprising that the three major commercial networks could be so adverse to showing a piece of shit, yet still insist on broadcasting such cultural touchstones as Slide Show, The Big Bang Theory, and The Bolt Report. Dealing with Rupert is like dealing with an elderly, incontinent family member - everyone can smell it, but no-one has the courage to point it out. Finally, one last number: 1100. That’s a rough estimate of the likely number of days until the next Federal election. Regardless of your political persuasion, and whether you found any pleasure in the election results, we’re all going to do it again sooner than anyone really cares to acknowledge. Start training again, exercise your politics regularly, and let’s all make sure the next election is a supreme demonstration of political athleticism, and not another excruciating struggle for survival against a backdrop of malaise, ambivalence and public weariness. See you at the starter’s gun. Bob Katter retained the seat of Kennedy, surviving a sixteen percent swing against him, but only with the help of preference votes received from his hat. Image: Matthew Kenwrick. ABANDON฀THE฀NATION฀IN฀•฀2014 15 COMMENT THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF CORPORATE MORALITY David Heslin “Where’s the Hentai?” I asked, puzzled, confronted with a sizeable gap in commodity. Negative brand association means lost customers means lost the shelving and a couple of taped-up boxes on the ground. “Head office revenue. Companies are increasingly wary of alienating ‘the public’ lest called it all back,” my manager replied. “We can’t sell it anymore.” they face a backlash. For the six months I’d worked at the Canberra branch of a major One school of thought is that this is very much a good thing. DVD retailer, the anime section’s top row had been adorned with images Beyond competition and government regulation, it’s the only significant of cartoon women in various states of undress. I had never quite under- means of corporate accountability. To some, therefore, this is merely an stood the whole deal with Hentai, but was aware that it had quite a cult extension of the democratic process to the marketplace. following amongst certain sections of the population. Now, courtesy of a Unfortunately, that isn’t entirely true. Although corporations often mysterious upper management directive, they were gone; no longer to be become more (ostensibly) ethical, politically correct or environmentally slathered over by geeks or offered as joke Christmas presents by middle- friendly over time as cultural expectations shift, the direction isn’t always aged female co-workers. progressive. Far too frequently, knee-jerk PR-oriented decisions seem to One thing this was not, however—in any real sense—was some carry a substantial streak of wowserism. These are not decisions taken in triumph of morality over profit. Capitalism, in its purest sense, is amoral. order to foster a more representative society; they are a method of avoid- Whatever atrocities it may incite, whatever inequalities it may perpetu- ing the ire of shock jocks and tabloids. Even commercial media outlets ate, its first and only objective is profit. That’s a principle that explains themselves can’t afford to print or broadcast anything that might lose everything from the price of a hamburger to Ronald McDonald House sponsors. Charities. Most (if not all) corporations work according to this rationale, The inevitable result is an environment in which PR has far less and I can’t imagine the rules of the game are thrown out of the window at to do with the public than the media’s conception of the public; a few my former employer’s board meetings. offended customers far less of a concern than a manufactured outrage This wasn’t the last time that this corporation would take the moral campaign in The Herald Sun. It’s highly unlikely, after all, that an angry high ground on DVD-related matters. A couple of years later, someone mob would have ever descended upon a JB Hi-Fi store protesting against relatively high up in the company made the call to boycott A Serbian its trade in animated Japanese pornography; yet, the threat of a spot on Film. In many ways, it seemed counterintuitive: as in the previous in- Today Tonight was far more palpable. The process is so familiar that stance, hadn’t the Australian Classification Board approved this title for the public, playing its role or not, hardly even needs to be called upon. general sale with an R-rating? Why did a DVD retailer feel the need to Perhaps, in a way, it’s poetic justice that someone like Alan Jones should second-guess them? have found himself on the wrong end of this phenomenon. That doesn’t I questioned the directive then, too, and was told that “it wasn’t the sort of content [they] wanted associated with the business”. Sounds rea- make it any less concerning. From the signing of the Magna Carta to the civil rights movements sonable, perhaps, but where do you draw the line? There have been plenty of the ‘60s, declining government power has been ostensibly accompanied of films with disturbing material emerging from Europe over the past by an increase in individual freedoms. In the last few decades, however, decade or so—Irreversible’s nine-minute rape scene is one of the more that decline has only paved the way for a sideways shift; the rise of a new notorious examples—and the horror genre is full of boundary-pushing, behemoth, the commercial sector. The evidence is clear wherever you often morally questionable depictions of violence. Clearly, the fact that look: the failure of successive prime ministers to properly tax the mining JB Hi-Fi or EzyDVD stock such films does not equate to endorsement; industry; the ability of commercial media outlets to direct the political instead, it simply recognises the fact that, to put it bluntly, there are many agenda. In the United States, big money more or less has its own major different kinds of films out there that people want to watch and will fork political party; the same, perhaps, can be said for Australia. Perhaps we out money for. are already consumer/employee first and citizen second; if not, the trend Of course, it’s a retailer’s prerogative to choose what it does or doesn’t sell. This, however, was no ordinary commercial decision. Hentai certainly points in that direction. Companies’ ‘moral’ decisions will take on heightened importance sells; so, as I’m sure a few other retailers would have discovered with A as societal power bases continue to shift. Rather than cultivating a freer Serbian Film, does notoriety. The only plausible inspiration for this head society, this transition runs the risk of returning it to a more conservative office directive could be that the possibility of bad publicity was consid- and repressive place. Little, after all, threatens progressive thought so ered to outweigh the benefits of selling a few more DVDs. much as institutionalised taboo. The caprices of the Classification Board In the 21st century, PR (public relations) is a valuable, tangible 16 are well-documented; in time, however, we may have cause to miss them. LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 COMMENT SEX AND THE MODERN CHILD Lowering the age of consent Fabrice Wilmann Trigger Warning: This piece contains reference to highly controversial While this may be a sensitive subject for many, healthy and informed ideas focussing on childhood/adolescent sexuality. debates based on evidence and rational, objective thinking should never be overlooked. In Seriously guys, it’s time to talk about sex (Lot’s Wife Edition 6), Ellen Advocates of lowering the age of consent espouse similar arguments Flach espoused the idea of a consistent implementation of sex education to those expressed by supporters of sex-education in schools. It is argued within Australian schools. Talking about sex is a necessary part of life and that if the age of consent was reduced, children would no longer be illiter- it is indeed the obligation of our school system to provide children with a ate on the subject of sexual relations. The stigmatisation associated with comprehensive view about one of life’s fundamental organic practices. childhood sexuality would slowly begin to dissipate, and discourses relat- However, the concept of sex education generates an inevitable question: when will talking about sex turn into engaging in sex? The purpose of education is to put the lessons we learn into practice, but the opposite ing to sex would become commonplace in the education of children. Statistics show that nearly 30% of children under the age of sixteen have already participated in some form of sexual activity. A majority of approach is taken with sex education. Young people are taught to abstain these children are sexually illiterate, mainly due to inadequate sex educa- from sex for as long as possible – age of consent laws are put in place to tion. Few receive detailed advice on sexual intercourse and contracep- solidify this ideal, effectively telling our society that children under the tives, with many having no ready access to condoms. The only sex educa- age of consent (16 in Australia) do not have the emotional maturity to tion that is divulged to children is vague, euphemistic and often useless. consent to sexual activities. Age of consent laws generally apply to sexual Parents, teachers, and health and education services fail to promote the assault of children by adults; at least here in Victoria, they do not prohibit obvious alternative to intercourse – oral sex and mutual masturbation. two individuals under the age of consent engaging in sexual activity if Although both of these substitutes reduce the risk of HIV infection and they are both over the age of ten, and if the difference between their ages prevent unwanted pregnancies, adults may not suggest them for fear of is two years or less. being accused of encouraging sexual and illegal behaviour. British hu- Despite this, age of consent laws still endorse the idea that children man rights activist Peter Tatchell insists “this withholding of practical are incapable of expressing sexual liberty. Law, and by extension, society, information is partly due to the unrealistically high age of consent, which regards children as not having the psychological capability to consent to criminalises under-age relations.” sexual interactions, even if they express a willingness or desire to do so. Reducing the age of consent to coincide with the onset of puberty This need for society to safeguard children coincides with the modern is an essential step towards freeing children from the constraints of an concept of childhood innocence. But at what stage does a child stop overprotective society. American teacher John Holt believes that “many being a child? And does this stage signify a readiness to engage in sexual of us… still believe and need to believe that children are ‘innocent’ and intercourse? ‘pure’, that is, asexual, untainted by sexual thoughts, feelings or urges.” The debate over the age of consent has raged for centuries across a We as a society must stop viewing children as asexual beings, and begin range of countries, cultures and religions. By definition, the age of consent to distinguish them as sexual creatures that need to learn their place in a is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally capable sexualised world. of consenting to sexual acts. In traditional societies, the age of consent The views expressed here are not necessarily indicative of the views of the was not governed by law, but rather by families who used puberty as a writer. These arguments are presented to encourage and facilitate debate and temporal indicator to indicate sexual liberty. Due to changing societal discussion on a sensitive issue. attitudes in the Western world, laws regarding the age of consent were gradually introduced, with ages between ten and thirteen regarded as acceptable in the mid-19th century before being amended to sixteen at the beginning of the 20th century. Britain was recently in uproar over barrister Barbara Hewson’s call for the age of consent to be lowered to thirteen in order to “end the persecution of old men.” Though her extreme suggestions were at times obscene, vulgar and at best problematic, she touched on some crucial issues that have been championed by many academics and health professionals. LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS NOT THE WEST’S WAR Bradley Serry The ongoing conflict in Syria is incomprehensibly tragic. The recently Then, almost a year to the day after the redline was drawn, the alleged chemical attack has only added to the misery felt by those trapped major chemical attack occurred. The logical conclusion to draw is that between the warring parties, and has also been used in justifying calls for Assad is seeking to question the legitimacy of America and its desire military intervention. Intervention, however, would benefit neither the to be seen as the upholders of global standards of justice. As such, an Syrian people nor the would-be Western coalition. There are a number of intervention on the part of the United States would be as much about reasons why this is the case. preserving its own credibility in the region as it would be about protecting Given the seemingly conclusive evidence that the Assad regime was behind the recent chemical weapons attack, there is a persuasive innocent civilians. Recently, a potentially significant diplomatic development occurred argument for humanitarian intervention. The flagrant disregard for the when US Secretary of State John Kerry made a seemingly innocuous rules of war demonstrates the regime’s willingness to use any means to comment. Asked what Syria could do to prevent an intervention, achieve their end, and the central ethos of any authoritarian government: he remarked, almost sarcastically, that they could turn in all of their that survival of the regime is supreme. However, chemical weapons – before adding that it would prior to the recent attack, estimates suggested that never happen. Surprisingly, both Russia and Syria over 100,000 people had died in the course of the war, which began in 2011. This means that a very small percentage of the deaths have been caused by chemical weapons. So why is there talk of an intervention only now, and never earlier on in the war? Whilst a chemical attack on such a scale is unspeakably horrific, it is strange to think that the world would only react now, particularly as this has been a conflict littered with atrocities since its inception. Moreover, the relatives of the deceased “The logical conclusion to draw is that Assad is seeking to question the legitimacy of America and its desire to be seen as the upholders of global standards of justice. As such, an intervention on the part of the United States would be as much about preserving its own credibility in the region as it would be about protecting innocent civilians.” seized upon the comment, and now an agreement is in place to remove the chemical weapons. Whilst this is promising, it is important not to rush to deem this event as a game-changer. In theory, it is a positive move forward, however in the context of a raging war, it is difficult to see how inspectors could confidently say that they have found and removed all of Assad’s vast cache of chemical weapons. Moreover, the deal does not end the conflict because it will not stop Assad from using similarly would not differentiate their grief in terms of devastating ‘conventional’ weaponry. Still, it is the deaths by gun or by toxic gas. first significant international move on the crisis, so The real impetus behind the push for intervention seems to be President Obama’s warning that the use of chemical weapons by Assad would constitute the crossing of a ‘red -line’. Obama has been any development, even minor, should be gladly accepted, albeit within perspective. In spite of the above agreement, the possibility of intervention understandably hesitant to put ‘boots on the ground’ anywhere during his remains, if for example, the deal falls through. As such, it is important to Presidency, cautious not to replicate the pitfalls of his predecessor, both ask what may be the outcome of an intervention. Should the intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, with his ‘red-line’ comment, he has proceed, it will be a small-scale surgical attack, targeting regime seemingly backed himself into a corner. Assad, as ruthless and cruel as he strongholds and artillery. At best, it tips the scales of the war in favour of may be portrayed on the international stage, has proven himself a savvy the rebels, and at worst, it delays the inevitable victory for the regime. If political operative. By releasing very small chemical weapons attacks on that is the case and Assad maintains power, the winners would include various occasions, he sought to gradually undermine Obama’s statement, Hezbollah, the militant Shiite group in Lebanon receiving support from given the President’s reluctance to get involved. In short, he called the Syria and currently fighting on the regime side, and Iran which has an Americans’ bluff. interest in the status quo in Syria. Russia also supports the regime, and 18 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS has some national interests invested there. Further, the Alawi minority to as genuine if it was led by the people who have grown up within the which Assad belongs would probably maintain its dominance in Syria. circumstances. Fancy Syria telling us how to handle a crisis; we would not The losers from Assad staying in power would be everyone else. take kindly to it. So why expect they would listen to us? Alternatively, the opposition could overthrow the regime. The clear However the war ends, Syria seems destined for a leader hostile to benefit of losing a vicious dictator is tempered by indications that many Western interests and resistant to democracy and the needs of the people. of the rebel opposition groups have been infiltrated by hard-line Islamists Moreover, if the West/United States did intervene, it would be spun as who may themselves push radical policy upon the downfall of the current a negative, given the depth of disdain for the West in the region. If the regime. Herein lies the greatest unknown: if Assad remains, the world has West intervenes but Assad still wins, it would be criticised for doing too a brutal dictator it must deal with, but that, at least, is a known quantity. little, too late. If the West intervenes and causes regime change, it could The risk if the rebels assume power is that we simply do not know who mean hard-line Islamists take power, whose default position is strongly they are. Having said that, it must be conceded that they are unlikely to anti-West. If the West remains clear of the conflict, it would be criticised be much worse than the current regime. for sitting idly by as Syria implodes. It is a tragic, no-win situation. The only way to create lasting change would be to fundamentally The mounting death toll certainly adds weight to the argument for alter the nature of the country, a process that would take generations. getting involved and trying to stop the bloodshed. But the reality is that Moreover, change would only be viewed as legitimate by locals if led no country is willing to invest the manpower required to actually change by locals. The idea that democracy can be installed in a country which the scene on the ground, because it is just too risky a venture. As such, lacks the institutions for it to function has been thoroughly refuted any involvement on the part of the West would have limited lasting in Iraq. Furthermore, the Syrian war is about more than removing an effect. This is a situation where the world must continue to exhaust all illegitimate government; it harks back to tribal tensions, and includes a diplomatic options, of which some still exist. This should include turning myriad of other local grievances. To suggest that these could be fixed by over the chemical weapons to Russia and the United States. It may also intervention from an external force, who, rightly or wrongly, garners little include imposing the harshest economic sanctions possible in an attempt respect when mentioned in the region, is folly. This is a Syrian conflict to isolate Assad. One thing, though, is clear: military intervention is not – a regional conflict – and as such the people would only deem a solution the answer. LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 19 STUDENT AFFAIRS REFUGEES, SURVIVORS AND EX-DETAINEES: A PARTNERSHIP WITH WHOLEFOODS “The people themselves from detention influenced me a lot to open an organisation like RISE because when I was in detention centres (and when I was outside) there were no organisations who ethically believe who we are and where we come from.” Liam Neame I first met Ramesh Fernandez after he was including the marginalisation of refugee voices positive side in your life. Most of the people released from detention in 2004, not long by refugee advocates and humanitarians. go through barriers in networking and making after mass protests for refugee justice were held community connection, but Wholefoods was around the country, including from within Ramesh and I talked about the partnership a big turn around in my life. There were a lot detention centres such as Woomera and Baxter. with Wholefoods, and the days when he first of students who were really friendly to me and He had fled Sri Lanka as an asylum seeker and came to volunteer around 2004: putting up with my very narrow minded beliefs had spent time on Christmas Island and Baxter. that I had at that time, about certain things, There is a photo of the two of us in the back “I first heard about Wholefoods through my especially about white people. I went through a yard of a friends place at this time: he has long friends and family. My [adopted] sister [Shen policy where I was targeted as a sub human and hair, and I am wearing a disagreeable rainbow Narayanasamy] was part of the MSA, she Wholefoods gave me a different perspective on jumper. This is how I remember Ramesh from used to be the President, she was the one that life. So many people out there are very caring this time: quiet moments chatting, his soft introduced me. My brother [Aaamer Rahman] about refugees and asylum seekers.” voice and fast words. also introduced me to my involvement at Wholefoods at that time so that’s how I got to As part of the relationship with RISE, establishing an organisation to address In 2009 Ramesh, with the view of know Wholefoods. I still remember the first Wholefoods will be working with RISE the needs of refugees, launched Refugees, year I was introduced to Wholefoods, getting members in a number of capacities. Survivors, and Ex-detainees (RISE) from the introduced to all the people, who were happy RMIT library. It is the only refugee governed and welcoming. This was through the political “I think that as an ex-detainee, when I came advocacy and welfare organisation in Australia. activities and attending protests organised out…what was given to me - and the friendly Earlier this semester I worked with by Wholefoods [people] and also some of the nature and the very accepting of people when others to establish a partnership between RISE refugee protests. After that I was volunteering we walk out of the detention centres - was and the student run, non-for-profit Monash at Wholefoods, making coffee, doing food a positive influence on our lives. It was very restaurant, Wholefoods. On the request handling, and also doing other activities. necessary to be part of that network. I think of RISE, we have established a foodbank, Wholefoods was an important part of my life that people who are involved in Wholefoods, collecting dry food and cash vouchers, with at this time, it actually gave me so much of hopefully they will come into positive food to be distributed from Wholefoods. my skill and also because of the nature of the interaction with a diverse range of people. And Wholefoods, it gave me a different side of also it is important for people to skill up in on the absolute right to seek asylum and the Australia that I had experienced in detention what they can give to the community, with the need for systematic change to the inhumane centres: friendly, warm, very welcoming and help of Wholefoods I think we can increase the policies of successive governments. This has also it actually, increased confidence in my life. skills of asylum seekers because it adds so many This relationship has been predicated been a relationship of solidarity and justice, “When you come out of detention levels of opportunity, so I think that that is the not charity. We have used this partnership as centres, being detained for such long periods most important reasons why we decided to be a vehicle for discussing justice for refugees, everything is grey and you don’t see the partners with Wholefoods.” 20 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 STUDENT AFFAIRS calls, or emails, saying don’t talk so much agents that want to be a partner, want be the Refugees on bridging visas and in community about politics, just talk about the needs that voice for our needs - when this comes from detention are in an extremely vulnerable you have. How can you address the issue the community itself it is more unique. That’s situation. There are no rights to work or of welfare, without addressing the broader why I think that it is really important that an education. There are no rights to Centrelink: issue of advocacy: we can’t agree because at organisation like RISE is not only run by the people receive around $200 a week through the end of the day we want to get rid of this people - refugees - but also governed by them the Red Cross asylum seeker scheme. There stereotypical belief in the public about how and that the decision making is made by the are no rights to public housing and there is they think about us, yeah? So when we voice refugees is really important because at the overcrowding in share houses. There are our opinion it is an issue for the public, because end of the day it is our needs and this is our high levels of homelessness. Many refugee the public themselves are not ready to accept community and I strongly believe we need to organisations have eligibility criteria linked the oppression of the community: of what we express how we feel about that. Using RISE as a to funding that preclude some people from face in our country [when before we were here], medium actually brings a level of strength to the accessing services. Wholefoods began its but not in Australia. So, the minute we try community. That’s why I think it is important to RISE foodbank at the beginning of this and talk about it everyone thinks we are ‘too have an organisation like RISE.” semester. political’.” “After the government introduced bridging RISE is propelled by the needs of refugee visas without work and study rights in August and asylum seeker communities as defined 2012, about 700 people registered to access by those communities. This includes creating the foodbank for RISE. So…on average, we a space where members feel safe as well had about 200 people walking into RISE to as keeping a check on the self-proclaimed access the foodbank [every day]. So what we leaders and humanitarians of the refugee then decided was that rather than have it at movement that silence refugee voices. RISE only, we expanded to different locations – one is in Dandenong and the other one is in “The Werribee. So basically people who live in that influenced me a lot to open an organisation people themselves from detention area can go and access the foodbank. And also, like RISE because when I was in detention as of last month we also started at Monash Uni. centres (and when I was outside) there were no Our foodbank doesn’t have eligibility criteria organisations who ethically believe who we are for those who want to access it. As long as and where we come from. Also the voice of the people walk into RISE tell us that they want to community is really important and also to create access the food program we will provide them, a safer space for people to walk in to express and also it doesn’t exclude any sort of refugees their views on certain things is really important. or asylum seekers based on [an organisational There are so many refugee organisations that selection] criteria.” failed to do that. We started an organisation For further information: RISE: riserefugee.org.au and on Facebook. Wholefoods: rise-refugee. tumblr.com & ‘Monash Wholefoods’ on Facebook (look for the event ‘Refugee Foodbank Support’.) Regular food donations for the Wholefoods/RISE foodbank can be dropped off in the Wholefoods space. Cash donations can be made near the cash registers. from the community for the community, this RISE is incredibly popular both with its was supporters and advocates as well as its important. really members, but it is lacking in resources. There So there are is a direct correlation between their lack of a funding and being outspoken advocates. in the public, stereotype and around “People are very fond of listening to the facts the globe, but also people want us to be thankful that we that asylum are here, to not talk about political influence seekers … are of how we are oppressed in Australia. So the not capable of minute we open our mouth and talk about voicing it, discuss it, and write our opinion, that opinions, there makes a lot of people very uncomfortable. are Because we’ve constantly been getting phone agencies their always and LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 21 STUDENT AFFAIRS FOSSIL FREE MONASH? IT’S AS EASY AS DIVESTING Laura Aston The newly formed Monash division of the field. Once the playing field is leveled, there 5% of the university’s share portfolio, in line international Go Fossil Free campaign is should be nothing preventing the clean energy with the proportion of global assets that is advocating for Monash University to sell its technologies from enjoying a similar advantage required to bolster the renewable energy fossil fuel investments – a process known as at the expense of the old technologies. industry. Fossil Free Monash also has a view to divestment. Whether you identify as left or The tipping point for this to occur is introduce the Monash community to resources right of the political spectrum, divestment is estimated at around 5% of the $70 trillion to help them take charge of personal finances, an approach to environmental sustainability in superannuation, insurance and sovereign such as superannuation and savings. that has the potential to be palatable. wealth funds. Some people are commonly misrepre- The Go Fossil Free campaign identifies Globally, 300 educational institutions, including Harvard, Stanford, RMIT and the sented as being ‘climate sceptics’, as a result three key organisational categories that have University of Melbourne have taken the of hesitation to support action on climate significant assets. Universities/colleges is one divestment campaign to their administrators. change, due to a belief in the creative capacity of these, along with cities/states and religious Over 100 cities have committed to the of humans at the eleventh hour. They hold the institutions, and a category for ‘other’ groups. campaign, and the recent pledge to push view that once it is really in our interests to The assets held by such institutions have for state-wide action by Northampton City put a value on nature, the market will spawn significant social visibility, which means they council, Massachusetts, is just one testament to all kinds of eco-centric innovations. Divest- will be influential in establishing a norm in the growth and feasibility of the movement. ment works within this market framework, en- asset accountability. Although the investments couraging individuals and institutions to take of an institution such as Monash are power to prevent the obscene and insidious ownership of their investments and allocate incomparable in scale to the $70 trillion tied overconsumption of environmental resources, them to valued causes. up in various funds, they will be a key launch- the effects of which are unforeseeable and Individually, we do not have the The greatest obstacle to the expansion pad for a movement which seeks to shine the imprecise. In tune with the grassroots nature of of renewable energy is the unfair advantage spotlight on finances that have hitherto been the 350.org program, divestment is an aspect enjoyed by dirty energy companies in both written off as someone else’s responsibility. of transitioning to a more sustainable future investments and public subsidies. The The Fossil Free Monash campaign has just that the layperson can not only get their head divestment campaign targets investments, in begun to take form, from the same grassroots around, but also realistically contribute to a manner that echoes Lord Stern’s advocacy global institution that spawned the Australian simply by speaking with their networks and for harnessing markets now, in order to Youth Climate Coalition’s Power Shift 2013 investigating their finances. mitigate the long-running, amplified impacts Conference. Unlike campaigns of the same of climate change. By selling investments origin in the United States of America, the Head to www.facebook.com/ that prop up gluttonous, unsustainable and Fossil Free Monash branch does not stop at FossilFreeMonashUniversity to keep up to date, dirty technologies, emerging, renewable divestment. It asks Monash to re-invest in and contact Josh at jdshe6@student.monash.edu if technologies will be given a level playing renewable industries, such that they represent you want to get involved. 22 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 STUDENT AFFAIRS ON YA BIKE, SQUIRE! Hannah Barker There are many facilities and services hiding in plain sight around turnover it generally breaks even on costs, with no resounding profit or campus at Clayton. There’s the Monash Uni Student Theatre, there’s the loss recorded over the last few years. Were he to have access to more Community Garden, there’s Wholefoods, Sir John’s Bar, Radio Monash, resources, Matt says he would love to increase The Bikery’s opening Lot’s Wife… The list goes on. hours to 9-5, five days a week (currently it is open from 9:30-4, Monday One of these valuable, little known, resources is The Bikery. to Thursday during semester). He would also like to expand the trade Let’s face it: Clayton is not an easy campus to travel to. Unless you live at halls, Monash is at least an arduous bus ride away, and more often the trek involves a train or two on top of that. Even if you happen to own services to include onsite welding and cutting tools, and offer more creative opportunities for his volunteers to engage with. In conjunction with the Monash Community Bicycle User Group a car, you face an exorbitant fee for parking privileges – either that or a (McBug), The Bikery helps to run various cycling events throughout the perpetual battle over a free space down the road. year – including a weekly social ride on Wednesday mornings that anyone How many times have you considered the possibility of making the is able to join. Matt also built and maintains the hundred-odd blue and journey, if not more direct, then at least more environmentally friendly green bikes around campus, which are available for use by staff and hall and interesting? How many times have you dusted off your old set of residents respectively through the Environmental Sustainability club wheels, ready to ride to uni, only to stop and worry what the safest route (TOES) at Monash. would be, where you might securely leave your bike when you arrive, The Bikery was founded back in 2004 when the MSA employed a where you might take a shower before class, and what you might do if you Transport Officer, and has been subject to several location shifts since. If were to puncture a tire along the way? you’re something of a permanent student or a long-term staff member, you Luckily, our friends at The Bikery have us sorted. Tucked away at may remember when it operated out of what is now STA Travel, or what the back of the Short Courses building right behind the Campus Centre, is now Boost Juice, or what is now a miscellaneous office on the first floor The Bikery is a one-stop-shop for all your cycling needs – and the only of the Campus Centre. one in or around Clayton at that. Late last year it also suffered a temporary closure at the hands of the Not only do The Bikery team provide a comprehensive service at MSC, from mid-November until late December. Though a reason for this minimal cost including puncture repairs, brake fixes and gear adjustments, closure was never officially stated, members of the executive committee they also distribute free maps outlining the best cycling routes to and implied that the space was underutilised and that the majority of its users between Clayton and Caulfield, inform you of appropriate road rules and were staff members. In fact, around 70% of the Bikery’s stable customer tips, offer expert servicing advice and refer you to an external commercial base is made up of students, according to Matt. business as required. You can even pick up some brand-new accessories such as helmets, pumps, lights and tubes while you’re there. They also accept donations of used bicycles and parts, which are rebuilt and sold second-hand for an average of $60, and no more than $150. Unusable parts are recycled in accordance with The Bikery’s sustainability ethos. You can follow The Bikery’s news and events by liking the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/monash.bikery, or checking out the MSA website at www.monashstudentassociation.com/Services/TheBikery. And of course, drop by and say hi to Matt in person if you have any questions. Just follow the signs from Union Loop Road or the Lemon With a squad of around 20 volunteers behind him, Matt Bowden Scented Lawns. So what are you waiting for? On ya bike, squire! is the only paid employee at the MSA supported initiative. Matt started as a volunteer himself in 2006, before taking over the reigns as manager in 2009. He has a Certificate 2 in bicycle mechanics, and takes great pleasure in recruiting and training his gang of helpers, who each put in a maximum of four hours assistance between classes every week. Anyone, staff or student alike, is eligible to register as a volunteer regardless of experience. Matt insists that basic technical problem solving skills are the only prerequisite, and recommends the venture as a stress-free way to spend spare hours on campus. It’s a fantastic alternative lifestyle for students who aren’t inclined toward more booze-related campus events, he explains cheerily. The Bikery is funded by the MSA, and at its current level of trade LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 23 STUDENT AFFAIRS Ben Knight Ben Knight, the MSA’s Education (Academic Affairs) Officer and current showed the increase in opening hours for this period would only result in undergraduate student representative on the University’s Academic Board increased expenditure of a few thousand dollars each semester. This is also provides an update on a recent success in the 24 Hour Libraries at Monash ignoring the fact that 24 hour study spaces are already offered to students campaign. from a select few faculties despite problems such as cleaning, access to food and drink and security access still being present for these spaces. As the MSA’s Education (Academic Affairs) Officer, I initiated one of The MSA’s survey results revealed that the Matheson Library was the MSA’s key education campaigns for 2013 – to lobby the university to the most used library on campus, with the greatest need for extended increase the opening hours of the Matheson Library to 24 hours over the operating hours during SWOTVAC and the examination period. When busy SWOTVAC and university examination period. The campaign has asked, 93.7% of respondents suggested that they would utilise a 24 been one of the most prominent and engaging campaigns the MSA has hour library after hours during SWOTVAC. A majority of respondents run in recent history, garnering more than 2,500 survey responses (almost studied between 6-10 hours a week during semester and over 20 hours 1 in every 10 students studying at Monash’s Clayton campus) which during the SWOTVAC and examination period. More importantly, most asked students to detail their study habits and usage of study spaces on respondents indicated that they utilised the library study spaces for quiet campus. By the completion of the survey, the result was clear – increased individual study, but also for collaborative group study, where appropriate library hours were desperately sought after by the student body, with many study spaces are difficult to find outside university libraries. responses indicating that hectic work schedules, inferior study spaces at After months of continued lobbying, the MSA was contacted home and inadequate access to the Internet and study resources made earlier this month and informed that, as a result of the 24 Hour Library access to on-campus study spaces vital to the quality and accessibility of campaign, the University was instigating a trial into extended opening their education. hours during the SWOTVAC and examination period for semester two of Despite the clear empirical evidence that 24 hour study spaces 2013. The trial will extend the normal operating hours in SWOTVAC, on campus are needed, the University took several months to be and three weeks of exams from Monday to Thursday by two hours, convinced that students legitimately needed access to such spaces. When meaning the library will be open from 8am until 2am in this period. meeting with University representatives in person to discuss the results While this is not an immediate offering of 24 hour study spaces accessible of the survey, it was clear that while concept of an ‘all-nighter’ was to all students, it is an enormous win for students, and will allow the acknowledged as being apparent in the study schedules of many students, University to ascertain the demand for after-hours study spaces and will it was not something that the university wanted to facilitate in extending provide necessary traction to make a continued argument for 24 hour operating hours of study spaces. This is despite the fact that many study spaces in the future. students indicated that their need for study spaces was not a matter of This announced trial spells out a move into the 21st century choice; but instead resulting from several impediments that young adults for Monash, which is currently one of the only Group of Eight (Go8) face in accessing higher education in Australia. universities that does not offer extended library operating hours. If The university also indicated that welfare and security concerns Monash extends this trial to a full 24 hour library service, students will were a key factor in their hesitation to implement longer opening hours, be able to stay later, arrive earlier and enjoy a higher quality and more despite the MSA providing accurately costed documentation that accessible education. 24 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 STUDENT AFFAIRS MSA OFFICE BEARER REPORTS on helping integrate a student based worker’s hemisphere to offer a Queer Scholarship. This rights service which will hopefully touch on is a great step in improving equitable access student welfare as well as promoting union to education for everyone – regardless of their services. More recently, I’ve begun some of the individualities or backgrounds. preliminary work for my most substantial pro- I have also successfully lobbied for the Univer- President: Freya Logan ject – the 2014 Budget! While everyone will sity to increase its training of staff in relation Hi everyone! It’s been a super busy month for no doubt be busy, it’s important to keep active to IT, as well as other crucial learning and everyone! So I hope everyone is looking after with MSA events and campaigns, and I look teaching aspects. These will begin in 2014. themselves. forward to continuing to engage with MSA This will increase the quality of teaching, as departments and students with these. well as making learning easier, with lower In the past month I have been aiding with our education department in running the amounts of unnecessary distractions. NUS Unlock Your Vote campaign which was If you have any queries or concerns, email me trying to engage youth in issues that they cared at ben.knight@monash.edu – no question is a about in the election. silly one! As I write this report we have just witnessed a change in government and it is more important than ever that you come out Secretary: Ben Zocco and support your MSA. Underneath the last Hi Lot’s Wife readers! Welcome to spring – it’s LNP government we saw student organisations been great to see the wind die down and stu- crippled and unable to provide you with the dents flock to the sunshine out on the Menzies support, advocacy, activism and just general Lawns in the last few weeks! At the MSA, fun that you need at university. With this we’ve been busily working our way through news, we are starting to prepare the MSA for the semester to continue securing wins for Education (Public Affairs): any future funding issues. When your union is students. You might have noticed the new Sarah Christie & John Jordan under attack, so are you. charging stations for mobile devices springing Semester 2 is flying along and Edpub have around on campus in the last couple of weeks been busy as ever! This past few weeks we have to the sector under any government and con- We are also committed to fight any cuts – this is a project myself and the rest of the been working mostly on the campaign for Fair tinue to fight the cuts imposed by Labor. Executive have been working on throughout Fares and Unlock Your Vote. Fair Fares is a the year, and it’s great to see it finally come to campaign for international and postgrad stu- you with, but I hope everyone is getting along fruition! I’ve also been working closely with dent concession cards. The positive response well, and looking forward to the mid-semester Samantha – the MSA’s Treasurer – on the be- to this campaign has been overwhelming. It break. ginning the process of planning for the MSA’s has become very clear through this campaign 2014 budget process. If you have any questions that Victoria needs support international and about the work of either myself or the MSA, postgrad students. We are hopeful that this please let me know! campaign will be continued next year and be- That’s a bit of a bleak message to leave Freya (msa.president@monash.edu) come a major issue in the state election. Edpub has also been working closely with the NUS officer bearers to promote the ‘Unlock Your Vote’ in the lead up to the Federal Election. Treasurer: Samantha Towler This campaign brought issues such as penalty Hi Everyone. I can imagine everyone is busy rates, HECs debate and pay equality to light on and active as usual, which is why it’s been fan- campuses around Australia. Additionally, NUS tastic to see such an engagement with events, Education (Academic Affairs): Ben Knight produced a report card which we were able such as One World Week and the cross- Hi all!Over the last month or so I’ve been busy to promote to students. Feel free to contact campus NDA which was great to be a part meeting with University representatives. Due Edpub if you have questions regarding these of. In between my regular routine of sign offs, to all of the student support, Monash Univer- or any other upcoming campaigns at sarah. requisitions and meetings, I’ve been working sity is now the first University in the southern christie@monash.edu! LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 25 STUDENT AFFAIRS Environment & Social Justice: Rory Knight & Tamara Vekich nership between the refugee governed RISE The MSA Queer Dept. has had a very suc- and Wholefoods. They are working together cessful semester, and recently wrapped up towards justice for refugees and asylum seekers an amazing Queer Week (Week 7) that was in the community. Regular food and cash dona- jam-packed with social events, workshops and tion can be made at Wholefoods. For more info topped off with the infamous Queer Ball. Queer visit: http://rise-wholefoods.tumblr.com Ball attracted a record 150+ attendees, who ripped up the dance-floor and partied the night away. The Queer Dept. is currently continuing Hey everyone! to work on organising Queer Collaborations for The ESJ department has been up to a lot of 2014, with the Committee mostly formed and stuff… Here is a list of campaigns/going ons the vision for next year beginning to unfold, we so feel free to join some or all, or just to get are excited about the opportunity for Monash in touch for a chat: enviro.msa@monash.edu. to host the conference. If you’re interested in We are holding regular ESJ collective meet- getting involved in our Organising Commit- ings at 4pm, Wholefoods, on most Mondays, Male Queer: Asher Cameron tee, come along to one of our meetings or for so come along - that’s another way you can get Queer Week has been in full swing, and if you updates ‘like’ us on facebook at https://www. in touch! missed Queer Ball II: Video Games on Friday facebook.com/MSAQu •Sustainable฀cooking฀evenings฀in฀conjunction฀ night, then you’ve probably missed the best with Monash Community Farm (MUCfarm), night on campus all year. Maybe next time! We are on from September 18th, every Wednesday had fantastic workshops covering topics such at 4pm, Wholefoods, Campus Centre. Visit as polyamory, rope bondage and trans* 102. IHi all, its been a busy time recently in the the ESJ Facebook page to find the sign up link, Gaymes Night in Wholefoods (because every- Welfare Department. The Cheap Eats guide, a or type this in to your browser: www.goo.gl/ one likes to play) was lots of fun too! guide to eating on a budget has arrived and is Sv8Cwu Apart from the awesomeness of Queer •Regular฀social฀justice฀and฀environmental฀re- Week, we’ve been writing a Student Mental lated documentaries will be screened at Whole- Health Guide (in conjunction with MSA foods every Tuesday at 3pm, with subtitles. So Welfare) which you can find online (msa. come along, get comfortable on a nice couch monash.edu) and moving forward with the and get a cuppa while you watch. Informal Ally network together with Monash Equity & discussion is encouraged after the documentary Diversity. Keep an eye out in the near future for screening. Ally training, events and advertising to provide •Fossil฀Free฀Monash฀Uni฀campaign฀–฀banner฀ more support for students of queer identities. painting and other activities coming up! These Our events for the semester are wind- Welfare: Alexandra Bryant now available from MSA Reception. A launch at Free Food Mondays was planned, however has had to be delayed, due to the power outage guys are a group of passionate Monash students ing down after Queer Week, with the regular this week. The fact that Free Food Mondays committed to putting pressure on the uni to scheduled programming of Morning Tea and was unable to go ahead is a shame, partially be- stop investing in fossil fuel and invest in renew- Queer Beer and an occasional movie night cause I don’t when it hasn’t run every Mondays able energy instead. Contact Josh jdshe6@ to satisfy the queer craving. Keep in touch in the last few years. student.monash.edu or while procrastinating though, as Collective Meetings still happen on facebook type in: FOSSIL FREE MONASH every Monday from 4pm and Queer Collabora- health in the Welfare Department at the mo- UNIVERSITY - http://www.facebook.com/ tions Organizing Committee will meet every ment. Currently gearing up to help out with R FossilFreeMonashUniversity. fortnight getting ready for next year, both are U OK? Day, which will already have occurred •We฀are฀organising฀criminal฀justice,฀animal฀ open to any Queer students to attend. on September 12th when you read this. How- experimentation alternatives, Tarkine forest Huge shout out in congratulations to There is also a bit of a focus on mental ever it’s always good to check in with friends and other information sessions/stalls/whatever Elle and Freddie, Queer Officers-elect for next and family to make sure that they are okay. If we can think of… So get in touch if any of year! We hope to train you up and support you you or a friend is having any issues MSA Wel- these issues interest you, we would love your through the nightmare FUN that will be Queer fare is always able to find you whatever help is ideas and input! Collaborations Monash 2014! necessary. •Lastly฀we฀encourage฀you฀to฀check฀out฀Wholefoods Food Bank if you are passionate about Further to that alongside the Queer Female Queer: Cam Peter refugee rights. This is a newly established part- 26 Department I am helping to develop a mental health pack, as an easy guide to help students LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 STUDENT AFFAIRS navigate university while dealing with mental Clubs & Societies: Luke McGreevy health issues. Finally the NUS Disabilities office is some policies over others. If you are told that one party has been As many of you will have seen by now, the “in discussions with clubs and societies”, or running a National Student Mental Health Monash Student Association elections will be has proposed policies after discussions with us, Survey, so whether you have or haven’t dealt occurring shortly. Clubs & Societies encour- please know that no such discussions have, with mental health issues please take a minute ages you to engage in the festival of democracy or will, occur. C&S will gladly work with who- out of your day to fill in the survey: that will occur. ever is elected to run the MSA, and will not https://docs.google.com/forms/ However, it has come to the attention of attempt to influence the election in any way. d/1Qufi0vCWcxYH2Pbm_yuknt5P3uixX- the C&S Executive that parties in this election 1CxZXXv0N37EuE/viewform have referenced C&S in their advocacy for will advocate increasing the services and increased club funding. While this increase is a funding we can provide to clubs, as our con- noble goal, C&S would like to make it crystal stituents. This may include an increase to our Hard link to type out? Find it on the MSA facebook page/ Finally, if you are having any issues at all I would like to make it clear that C&S clear that we are an apolitical institution. budget, with enough money added to meet just drop by MSA Welfare and we’ll help you This means we do not support one particular the growing demand from clubs and students. out. party above another, we do not give opinions However, we will do this after the elections, on the election, and we will not be supporting engaging in proper, apolitical processes. Women’s Department: Edie Shephard & Sally-Anne Jovic After a hectic Women’s Week, the Women’s Department is settling back into its normal stride. The Women’s Room is fully stocked with tea and coffee making goodies, and full of lovely people and new furniture! For the rest of semester we’re finishing up a few projects that have been ongoing this year, including finalizing a policy for Content Warnings in course content, and we’re always looking for those who want to be involved. If you’re looking to get involved, or have some ideas about where the Women’s Department could go for the rest of the year or even next year, message us through the Women’s Department facebook page (facebook.com/groups/MSA.Womens. Department/) or email (msa-womens@monash. edu). Activities: Amy Clyne & Eliza Gale Activities has been a whirlwind of events this last few weeks! We’ve been busy organising Oktoberfest, with tickets now on sale at MSA reception. It’s shaping up to be a fantastic night, full of German culture and lots of fun! Our launch was a huge success, so thanks to all those involved! We’re also in the beginning stages of organising AXP II, so keep your eyes peeled. Otherwise, it’s business as usual for us, so duck in and say hello whenever you’re around the Airport Lounge! LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 27 SCIENCE SCIENCE LESSONS FROM… HOLLYWOOD Christopher Pase Let’s look at some of Hollywood’s greatest 30m further than his regular drives, but was Championships. Jones needed to put on around scenes and see if the science behind them wildly inaccurate. Running up to the ball gives 10kg of muscle, with more upper body strength actually holds up (warning: contains spoilers). you forward momentum and enables a greater needed to push a bobsled than to jump hurdles, rotation of the shoulders-key to achieving more and still required an experienced driver to guide Movie: Scarface -Tony Montana’s last stand. power and distance in a drive. Harrington’s the bobsled down the course. Fuelled by a mountain of cocaine, Al Pacino’s back swing was identical on both the ‘Happy Tony Montana takes on an entire cartel as they Gilmore’ drive and his regular style, but the successful sled team are a steady driver, and assault his mansion. Hit a couple of times in ability to rotate his upper body through the three strong runners to push off down the the torso and upper body, Montana fires away, shot was the deciding factor in gaining extra ice... ICE? Ice! laughing like a madman “You need an army you distance. One can only assume that with hear! An army to kill me!” More bullets hit him Happy’s extensive ice hockey background he TV Series: Seinfeld - The psychology and but he doesn’t fall, yelling “I’m still standing, would be far more adept at perfecting this norms of society. huh?” It takes all this plus a shotgun blast swing, and that he would be able to achieve Seven dates with someone and you need a from close range to bring Montana down as he more than 30m gains on the rest of the field. face-to-face breakup, the biggest step in a male crashes into his indoor water feature. So does cocaine really give you superpowers? The short answer is no, but it does Verdict: Oh, man. That was so much Verdict: The key elements to a relationship is “helping a guy move”, a bottle easier than putting. I should just try to get the of wine is acceptable to bring to a dinner party ball in one shot every time. (Pepsi is not), and glasses make you look more create feelings of euphoria and focus. Montana intelligent by fooling people into believing would have had increased alertness and energy, Movie: Cool Runnings - Can sprinters really you spent too much time reading books and feelings of supremacy and strength. Cocaine is make a decent bobsled team? blew out your eyeballs. Seinfeld taught us these a powerful nervous system stimulant, and just Since this one is based on a true story, the lessons and more about the “very complex... maybe Montana had snorted enough to protect science behind it is pretty strong. A faster start fabric of society”. his body from the shock of being riddled with and you’d have more speed to attack the first bullets. Cocaine usage in military and militia corner and so on down the course. You would colour-blind. While we claim ‘not to see worldwide is prevalent, but it’s used to maintain still need driving skill to take the corners through colour’, this often seems insincere to alertness rather than to rush headfirst into fire smoothly and maximise this start advantage, those hearing it. Jason Alexander’s George without fear of death. This one is plausible, or else a good start could be blown by a poor spends an entire episode trying to convince his the science aided by Al Pacino’s amazing first bend. Also, the ice provides less friction African-American boss Mr Morgan he isn’t performance as the immigrant drug lord who than an athletics track and could prove difficult racist. He tries to make black friends to prove strove to make the world his own. for an Olympic sprinter to put down all their his offhand remark Morgan looks like boxer Verdict: Every dog has his day power. While the real Jamaican Movie: Happy Gilmore - Happy Gilmore’s bobsled team used sprinters incredible long drive. from the Army, American track Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore transfers his and field star Lolo Jones has power in striking an ice hockey puck into shown a successful crossover driving a golf ball ridiculously far. With a between Summer and Winter running start Happy unleashes, scoring the Olympics is possible. While occasional hole-in-one where everyone else the Jamaican team made the needs two shots just to make the green. next few Olympics after the Every golfer has attempted a ‘Happy famed 1988 campaign, but Gilmore’ shot of their own, with ESPN’s Sport failed to qualify for events in Science putting professional golfer Padraig 2006 and 2010, Jones won a Harrington to the test. He averaged around gold medal at the 2013 World 28 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 And try as we might, we’re not 100% SCIENCE Sugar Ray Leonard was not a reflection of the waiter, an African-American man, responds eating a black and white cookie is that you racial lens he views the world in. His elaborate “Sugar Ray Leonard can eat here on the house”, wanna get some black and some white in plan involves calling an African-American proving George right all along. Thus, Seinfeld each bite. Nothing mixes better than vanilla man who once exterminated fleas from Jerry’s showed us how difficult it can be to navigate and chocolate. And yet still somehow racial apartment and taking him to crash Morgan’s social situations and the psychology behind harmony eludes us. If people would only dinner. When Morgan exposes the plan and human interaction. look to the cookie, all our problems would be storms out, George asks for the cheque. The THE FLIP-SIDE OF GLOBAL WARMING? ANCIENT ARTEFACTS DISCOVERED IN NORWAY Maia Coghlan Verdict: You see, Elaine, the key to solved. The artefacts, including Neolithic arrow and pollen that he would have ingested from and bow fragments thought to be around 6000 years old and a woollen tunic dating to approxi- drinking stream water. The team working on Oetzi’s body believe mately 300CE (AD), provide a missing link that their methods in analysing his blood cells between the Romans and Northern Europe and will be of use to modern forensics workers, as give insight into an ancient civilization that we it is often difficult to determine the exact age know very little about. of blood samples. This means that Oetzi is not The tunic, found on the Lendbreen glacier just a cool find for historians, but he has also in Norway, is one of only a few examples of provided significant research tools for modern textiles from this period of history. It is the first science. insight into the warm clothing worn by early Each of these finds has been made possible Scandinavian hunters. Made from two different due to the melting snow and ice caused by glob- types of sheep’s wool, with visible signs of wear al warming and climate change. If our planet’s and two repair patches, this piece of material temperature wasn’t significantly changing, the Global warming has taken its toll on our planet has provided us with an incredible glimpse into Neolithic weapons, Iron Age shirt and even for many years now. Although our understand- these mysterious ancient lives. Oetzi could have gone on another few thousand ing of the phenomenon has come a long way Martin Callanan of the Norwegian Uni- years under the ice without discovery, and most from declarations that ‘there is no such thing as versity of Science and Technology has identi- likely would have been just as well preserved a global warming’, discourse surrounding global fied the bow and arrow finds as strictly unique. few millennia hence. warming is still mixed and tentative: some The ability to discover these never before seen industries may even benefit from it. artefacts is a clear indication that the world for historians, archaeologists and scientists, it It is now generally accepted that it’s not While these finds are incredibly exciting is changing. While more and more ancient gives one an ever-present sinking feeling at the just a fad: the last two decades of the 20th artefacts are being discovered in various places, same time: as we have climate change to thank century were the warmest in the last 400 years, the trick is to find them before they begin to for these discoveries, what kind of long-term and 11 of the 12 years between 1995 and 2007 degrade due to exposure. price is being paid for these insights into the were recorded by the United Nations’ Intergov- Norway isn’t the only place where incred- lives of the ancients? ernmental Panel on Climate Change as among ible artefacts have been found due to the melt- the hottest years since 1850. ing snow. Oetzi is a 5,300 year old man found bourne with a bang, Victorians can look back in the thawing Italian Alps in 1991. While on their hottest year since temperature record- has been melting at an alarming rate. We’ve not a recent find, his discovery has allowed for ings began. Our hottest summer on record was all heard about polar bears dying out due to the unprecedented scientific research that is still soon followed by the warmest winter we have degradation of their natural habitat. But what continuing today. ever experienced. With recent bushfires causing With temperatures rising, snow and ice if it wasn’t all bad? What if there was a flip-side Last year, researchers studying Oetzi’s body As September brought spring to Mel- evacuations in Sydney, as we move back into to global warming, as insignificant in scale as it discovered red blood cells around his wounds. summer again, I’m sure I’m not the only one might be? Often described as the world’s oldest murder dreading the Christmas weather and quietly mystery, Oetzi was found by hikers with an wishing the earth’s conditions were such that in the Norwegian mountains, and snow patch As well as in the Arctic, snow is melting arrow in his back, and his incredible preserva- ancient artefacts in Norway could remain under surveyors have discovered various ancient tion has even extended to the blood he shed the snow for a few more centuries. As fascinat- artefacts in the melting ice. These discoveries before dying. Scientists have even been able to ing as they are now, nothing could influence our are unprecedented in number, age and quality of determine what his last meal was – meat from opinion of global warming so much as to make preservation. both a wild goat and a deer, barley, cereal grain, it a positive. LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 29 SUBHEADING SCHMEAT: SCIENCE FICTION BECOMING SCIENCE FACT Amelia Moulis Remember Star Trek’s Replicator, where food was synthesized on demand? eat the breast or wing, by growing these parts separately under a suitable Maybe not, but earlier this year, NASA channelled funding into a new medium”. research project aimed at creating a 3D food printer curiously akin to the Is the way we consume meat an absurdity? The benefits of in vitro Replicator. Although this printer won’t yet be able to source the appropri- meat make it seem so. In vitro is the only real meat product that is com- ate subatomic particles needed to build objects literally out of thin air, it pletely vegetarian. No animals killed, no animal parts wasted. Whether will be able to combine specific powders needed to produce food with the or not it counts as kosher is yet to be decided, but as PETA spokesperson structure, texture, and even smell of its intended form. Is this the food of Ben Williamson so subtly puts it: “The meat industry, as it stands, causes the future? enormous animal suffering and environmental damage”. The stats back In 2013’s latest instalment of ‘life imitating Star Trek’, scientists in him up: livestock production is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse the Netherlands have managed to manufacture a slab of meat from one gas emissions, 27% of the global water footprint, and 33% of global land syringe full of cells. Taste testers in London last month described the use. And although I do enjoy a regular farm-fresh steak, it’s hard even for world’s first lab grown burger as “close to meat”, with intense taste and carnivores to deny the tragic unproductiveness of mining land to grow perfect consistency – just not that juicy, owing to the absence of fat cells. crops, feeding the crops to animals, then feeding the animals to humans. Manufactured meat leans more towards science fact than science Julian Savulescu, a professor of ethics at Oxford, declared: “we have fiction, yet the processes involved are equally as perplexing. This latest a moral obligation to support this kind of research”. It’s impossible to project began (after a hefty donation from Google co-founder Sergy Brin) contest the negative impact of meat consumption, and cultured meat pro- when Professor Mark Post extracted stem cells from the shoulder of a cow vides the possibility of drastically reducing energy, land use, water use and and placed them in a petri dish. Borrowing medical science know-how, greenhouse gas emissions, without compromising for tofu burgers. Not to he applied a growth-promoting hormone to induce the tissue to self- mention the most obvious benefit: the living animal is left to live out the replicate, and the product was a tiny strand of meat. Post then knitted entirety of its life slaughterhouse-free. 20,000 strips of this cultured muscle tissue into one burger, adding some So why does such fervent public resistance still remain? Science egg powder, beetroot juice, breadcrumbs, salt, saffron, flavour and colour fiction may offer another answer here, in reference to such manufactured to the otherwise white meat. fodder as Soylent Green (the ‘high-energy plankton’ rations of Harry Schmeat. Test tube meat. Frankenburger. Call it what you will, but Harrison’s dystopian New York). Humans innately hold connotations in vitro meat may be our dinnertime destiny. The Frankenburger was not between what is ‘natural’ and what is ‘good’. How do we know we aren’t the first of its kind. In 1996, two artists in Western Australia started an devouring some lip-smacking [Soylent Green spoiler alert] fellow humans? experimental art project called Tissue Culture and Art. In one instalment, Yes, maybe that’s slightly extreme, but we as a society are already so Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr grew frog skeletal muscle over biopolymer for oblivious to the processes that bring our food to our plates, that adding an food consumption. The installation culminated in a feast of sorts, where extra, highly complex, biomedical step to food production is undoubtedly the art became the hors d’oeuvres. an unsettling prospect. Yes, experimental art gave us the first laboratory-grown steak, but But let’s frame it this way: the ability to produce a steak from a col- this is more than pure historical precedent. The artists’ intentions to lection of cells may provide astronauts with the sustenance needed in or- probe the “apparent uneasiness people feel when someone ‘messes’ with der to travel to Mars. Should we deny these food technologies the license their food” leap frogged simple genetic modification and challenged of ‘playing God’ for reasons we can barely put a finger on, or should we public apprehension even further. Such a food future was even predicted suppress our instincts and accept them as a logical solution to a sustain- by Winston Churchill in his 1931 essay, Fifty Years Hence, contending able and knowledgeable future? I guess the answers are in the stars. “we shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to 30 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 Image: David Parry/PA Wire MUSIC MELBOURNE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Lizzie Boag For a Monday night, it was a dedicated crowd that came to the Mel- with a full round sound showing the strength of Schubert’s symphony. bourne Recital Centre to savour the delights of some classical music, Incredibly virtuosic passages could be heard throughout each section, played by the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra (MCO). The group, adding depth and vitality to the performance. The piece was directed by directed by William Hennessy, made light work of difficult pieces by principal Violin and concertmaster, William Hennessy, whose energy and Bach, Schubert and Beethoven. Each piece gained more musicians and enthusiasm as conductor translated to the musicians and audience alike. momentum until its spectacular finale with piano soloist Aura Go. The Melbourne Chamber Orchestra is comprised of guest musi- Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Op. 15 was without a doubt the highlight of the evening. Piano soloist Aura Go joined the cians from professional ensembles including Orchestra Victoria, Mel- stage along with conductor Michael Dahlenburg and a larger selection of bourne Symphony Orchestra, and Sydney Symphony Orchestra along instruments including clarinets, trumpets and timpani. They successfully with alumni from the Australian National Academy of Music and other brought a greater expressive range to the orchestra, to compliment the tertiary music institutions. many stringed instruments creating a fuller sound. Aura Go was stunning in a black floor-length dress, as she impressed The program, entitled Brio, consisted of three pieces: the audience with her complete control of the piano. Her sensitivity and Bach –Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 technique created a strong empathy with the orchestra and audience, as Schubert – Symphony No. 5 her inspired cadenza showcased her depth and talent. It is easy to see why Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 1 she is in high national and international demand. Dame Elizabeth Murdoch Hall at the Melbourne Recital Centre was displayed excellent timing and control despite the inherent complexity of Throughout the entire performance the orchestra and soloist alike the perfect setting for this classical program. Similarly, the unique twang of the harpsichord transported the audience back in time while the strings the work. The work culminated in an impressive finale that was full of energy produced a warm, rich sound in Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6. A and resonance. The audience erupted in applause, appropriately acknowl- smaller group of MCO musicians were featured in this piece, creating a edging the sensational soloist Aura Go, until she had taken no less than more intimate and delicate sound. It also featured two violas as soloists, four bows. The musicians of the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra were also performed by guest musicians from the Sydney Symphony. The sound of invited to stand multiple times, much to the audience’s delight at their two violas playing together in close counterpoint provided an interesting, incredible playing throughout the nights performance. rich blend of sound not often heard in such an intimate setting. The second movement ‘Adagio ma non troppo’, was much slower allowing the wonderful playing of principal cellist Howard Penny to soar beautifully on top of the viola sound underneath. The final movement picked up the pace with the ensemble playing with great energy and finesse through the many technical passages throughout. The next piece saw the full string section take to the stage in Schubert’s Fifth Symphony in Bb Major D485. Woodwind and brass instruments including French horn, Oboe, Flute and Bassoon also enhanced the overall sound, adding great dynamics and depth to the piece. The second movement ‘Andante’ was beautifully phrased, with a focus on the woodwind section that was lovely to hear. The MCO achieved a beautiful contrast between this and the faster paced ‘Minuetto: Allegro molto’ movement that directly followed. The final movement ‘Allegro vivace’ was the strongest of the four, LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 31 MUSIC REVIEWS ARIANA GRANDE Yours Truly Fabrice Wilmann If you’re yet to hear the name I rather make a song they can play on the radio that makes you wanna Ariana Grande, this album will grab your lover’s hands.” emblazon not only her name, Piano ballad ‘Almost is Never Enough’ featuring The Wanted’s Na- but also her angelic voice into than Sykes is the most poignant moment on the album, offering the only your minds. The young starlet, glimpse into the emotional vulnerability of Grande. The track is reminis- only 20, already has a large fan cent of Mariah Carey’s duet with Boys II Men, ‘One Sweet Day’, which following in the U.S. as a result of her role as Kat Valentine on the Nickelodeon sitcom Vic- retains the record of longest weeks at #1 on the US Billboard charts. Ariana Grande seems perfectly at home amongst such illustrious torious. But don’t let her bubblegum pop image company. And whilst her powerful voice and fondness for old school or association with Nickelodeon fool you – R&B will always draw comparisons with the awe-inspiring Mariah Carey, Grande is a serious artist. One need only listen Grande should not be overlooked as a distinct artist in her own right. to her debut album Yours Truly to discover just 4 Stars how talented she really is. Bursting with a colourful variation of both classic and contemporary R&B beats, Yours Truly elevates the traditional R&B genre into a wonderfully modern interpretation. Her album is driven by the indulgence of nostalgia, though her voice ensures that her songs never feel out of date or insincere. LONDON GRAMMAR If You Wait Maria Saltapidas Powered by a commanding, Broadway-honed voice, Grande is able London Grammar are a trio from, yes!, London, consisting of Hannah Reid, Daniel Rothman and Dot Major. Their debut album If You Wait to seamlessly weave between soft breathy vocals and a striking tonality is truly a mesmerising wonder. From the very that soars with power and believability. Grande’s bravura, yet gentle first track ‘Hey Now’, with its beautiful musical vocals have been consistently compared to one of the greatest vocalists scarcity and Hannah Reid’s ethereal vocals, of all time – Mariah Carey. you realise you will be drawn into an instant Her debut offering only solidifies this association, as she infuses love affair with this album and band. The deftly tender vocals into urban pop songs that call to mind an ear- smooth guitar riffs on ‘Stay Awake’ in combi- ly-day Mimi – not surprising given that songwriter Kenneth “Babyface” nation with the accompanying cymbals work Edmonds, who co-wrote several Carey songs, serves as both writer and surprisingly well, afterwards leading beautifully into the guitar picking producer on the album. on the third track ‘Shyer’ where the synths blend in softly to highlight Opening track ‘Honeymoon Avenue’ introduces the listener to a chorus of classic doo-wop styling that sets a ruminative R&B flavour for Reid’s voice. ‘Wasting My Younger Years’ is perhaps the best song on the album. the remainder of the album. The production on this song is reminiscent From the beginning of this song you sense you are in for an orchestral of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Pusher Love Girl’ (off The 20/20 Experience), journey and indeed that is where this track takes you – a journey with a positioning Grande as a female equivalent to Timberlake’s similarly mix of pianos, guitars, and is that a violin thrown in there as well? That smooth R&B style. is a definite yes to the violin, as we learn from the album credits that the The singles off the album highlight Grande’s ability to fuse pop strings are performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. and R&B effortlessly, not unlike how Mariah Carey has throughout her What a perfect synthesis of Reid’s vocals to this musical arrangement. career. Lead single ‘The Way’ featuring Mac Miller has already proven Beautiful. Just Beautiful. hit-worthy, becoming Grande’s first top ten hit on the Billboard Hot The fifth track ‘Sights’ begins with a piano, leading into Reid’s vo- 100. Here, she utilises a deep resonant tone with hints of a pitch perfect cals with a subtle guitar in the background; this combination is effective whistle register that pierce through playful piano riffs and old school in allowing Reid’s voice to carry through, almost like riding a wave. This R&B beats. track along with the next, ‘Strong’, showcases Reid’s amazing vocals. Standout tracks on the album include the up-tempo R&B On ‘Strong’ she roars out (analogous to the lion in the song) “if a child song ‘You’ll Never Know,’ which blends throwback 90s beats with a cries, would you not listen!” Track 7 is a solid performance of a cover of light-hearted delivery of vocals. ‘Piano’, meanwhile, is a pure pop song French house artist Kavinksy’s ‘Nightcall’ with Reid’s vocals being the that sparkles with a clapping beat and a sparse undertone of piano loops. main focus here. This leads into ‘Metals and Dust’, definitely the liveliest The song is easily classifiable as a summer beach jam with lyrics like “but track on the album in which you find your body unconsciously moving 32 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 MUSIC to the tempo. Track 9, ‘Interlude’ with piano and vocals would translate the dreamscape wandering to give us a soothing respite in ‘A Moment’s perfectly as a live track for the band. ‘Flickers’ is the most alternative Grace’. sounding song especially with the use of bongos giving it an exotic feel The song breaks from the rock vibe to give you a softer, more but it still manages to blend with Reid’s vocals and seems to work. The contemplative sound that makes you stop and become aware of your album finishes with ‘If You Wait’, which sees Reid’s vocals slowly rise and surroundings before returning to the start of your journey. fall, eventually fading out until the end of our journey. If you want to ‘End of the Line’ soon picks you up with its upbeat and joyous mel- give your ears some amazing sensory pleasure, then listen to this brilliant ody and takes you on a different path in the second half of the album, all debut. the while staying true to the nostalgia with ‘Back Down the Black’. ‘Real Estate’ and ‘Stranger’ pay tribute to the blues-rock legends of BOY & BEAR Harlequin Dream Kemal Atlay In 2011, Boy and Bear cemented decades past before finishing up with the easy-going acoustics and crisp their place in the Australian music drum beats of ‘Arrow Flight’, which would not at all be out of place on scene with their debut album, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. Moonfire, and took home five Boy and Bear manages to please old fans and win over new ones by ARIAs to boot, allowing them to showing that an evolution of sound does not necessarily mean a break vastly expand their fan base from from one’s roots. These home-grown heroes can only go up and it will be the meager hipsters who worshipped their EPs exciting to see what surreal journey they in store for us in the future. to an entire generation of young music lovers who fawned over the band’s Mumford and Sons-like feel. Ben Cummings may be a sing- the indie rock-folk band is back with their BEN CUMMINGS Devil’s Blood EP long-awaited second album, Harlequin Dream, Samuel Blashki the clichés we have come to Fast-forward to August, 2013 and to reassert their dominance in the folk-rock scene. er-songwriter but his debut EP, Devil’s Blood, contains few of expect from the genre. There The Sydney-based quintet seems to have refined their sound by moving away from, but still staying faithful to, their folk roots and heading in a direction with a fresh take on rock, with a good measure of blues and a dash of pop thrown into the mix. are no multi-layered harmonies or heavy doses of reverb to be found on this stripped-back acoustic release. The tracks on Devil’s Blood were recorded by Cummings himself. Subtle guitar fingerpicking serves as his loan accompaniment and con- If Moonfire was a tale of the musings of the heart, with lyrics like “you took my only one, when I only wanted love/ when I only wanted tributes to the sparse, intimate sound of the EP. Cummings’ lyrical content seems to traverse familiar singer-song- love”, then Harlequin Dream is but a rare glimpse into the depths of the writer territory, dealing with themes of “transgressions, guilt and sub-conscious and boldly asks the question “did you ever find that carcass compromise,” in his own words. Yet he does have an intriguingly truthful of your dreams?” turn of phrase and a voice that carries the songs with an honesty and The opening track of ‘Southern Sun’, which was described by intensity worth hearing. ‘You Say You Know’ is a particularly beautiful singer and songwriter David Hosking as “the creative process and that song that illustrates Cummings’ strong vocals as well as his restrained moment of inspiration where everything comes together”, immediately guitar playing. sets a nostalgic tone for the first half of the album with its Fleetwood Mac meets Band of Horses style of rock. Listing Neil Young as one of his influences, it is clear that Cummiungs draws inspiration from musical legends. Devil’s Blood may also draw “I was lucid and conscious and hovering like a firefly” laments comparisons with the work of Australian singers like Patrick James and Hosking in between the highly-addictive guitar riffs that take you on a Josh Pyke as well as the English Ben Howard. Yet Cummings’ sound is journey through an obscure and hazy dreamscape. far more minimalist and significantly less produced, using emptiness to The head-nodding bass and drum beats of ‘Old Time Blues’ and the saxophone solo in ‘Harlequin Dream’ showcase Boy and Bear’s versatility create depth. While many may think that the homemade sound of Devil’s Blood in producing a sound that transports you to the golden era of California contributes to its charm, the EP is possibly raw to a fault. The tracks, folk-rock, interspersed with elements of jazz that came to define East- though packed with potential, scream ‘demo’ rather than ‘polished final Coast American music. product.’ From the faint breathing occasionally audible under the singing Hosking’s unique vocals, which simultaneously bleeds of sorrow and joy, allows Boy and Bear to stand out from its counterparts in the ever-growing collection of indie folk-rock bands. to the inconsistent vocal levels, this EP could have benefitted from some professional input before its release. Nonetheless, Devil’s Blood represents the beginnings of an excellent The daringly blunt guitar solo in ‘Three Headed Woman’, and the beautifully apt mention of a “cocaine footprint” in ‘Bridges’ concludes local talent. Ben Cummings has huge potential and in time, may well become a significant name in Australian music. LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 33 FILM & TV IT’S NOT TV, IT’S HBO Serena Walton Home Box Office (HBO) is almost to work, as it’s a subscription-based service. content such as drugs, explicit language, singlehandedly the reason critics now say HBO’s goal is to make their brand worthy of violence and sexuality. television is more interesting than movies and subscription, so they reward quality without why thousands of Australians buy and steal so the weekly concerns other networks have Rectify and USA Network’s Suits are a clear many TV series off the net. In the late 90s the such as appeasing advertisers and keeping up example of more and more channels producing US cable channel redefined the TV landscape ratings. Because HBO receives this premium original content. It will be interesting to see by producing a number of original programmes subscription revenue they can create higher how long this trend will last. themselves such as OZ, Sex and The City, The quality content. More money doesn’t always Wire and The Sopranos. equal better content, but there is certainly a Two TV shows that may have missed your correlation. radar (because they’re not on HBO...) The Sundance Channel’s recent show Creative Freedom HBO tries to show a typical three act story Quality TV Suits: USA Network’s version of Game of each week, giving each show more of a HBO’s TV series doesn’t use standardised Thrones set in a law firm. Everyone wants traditional movie or play format. The benefit formats but instead developed a new genre their name on the door, and there’s a lot of of a television schedule is that producers have called ‘Quality TV’. Quality TV is a term used manoeuvring and politicking to try and get time to develop characters and their motives, by television scholars, television critics and there. What distinguishes Suits from other so that unlike a movie (which is digested in broadcasting advocacy groups to describe a legal drama series’ is that there’s rarely any one sitting) you’re forced to ruminate on the genre or style of television programming that courtroom scenes: it’s about negotiation characters to the extent that you feel you they argue is of higher quality due to its subject settlements, allowing the characters to put on know them. HBO also allows artistic flexibility matter, style, or content. weekly dick measuring contests full of bravado when it comes to adult content such as explicit Quality TV’s pedigree is evaluated by a and ego. language, sexual themes and violence. This number of subjective calculations and value means some shows are much better artistically judgements. According to the US group original series from the producers of Breaking realised than they would be on free-to-air TV. viewers for Quality TV is: “something we Bad. The show centres on Daniel, a man that anticipate...[it] focuses more on relationships... has been sitting on Death Row for the past 19 It’s not TV. It’s HBO. [and] explores character, it enlightens, years for the rape and murder of his teenage The slogan ‘It’s Not TV. It’s HBO’ was challenges, involves and confronts the viewer; girlfriend. Due to new DNA evidence he is introduced in 1996 as a smart way of it provokes thought...” released back into his small town community differentiating a HBO series from its HBO have pushed forward a new era of Rectify: Is the Sundance Channel’s first which he no longer knows. His re-entry into competition by distinguishing its original series quality television. Their model has allowed the outside world may prove as unforgiving as something unique and of value – something many other cable networks such as AMC as prison. The first series does not indicate audiences cannot get elsewhere. (Breaking Bad), FX (Sons of Anarchy) and whether or not Daniel is innocent or guilty, it Showtime (Dexter) as well new media such instead plays on the viewers’ minds, making model. HBO’s business model doesn’t rely as Netflix (House of Cards) to produce high them question if they would allow him back on ratings for the financial side of things quality programming that explores adult into their community. This slogan defines HBO’s business 34 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 SUBHEADING THE FILMS OF XAVIER DOLAN Linh Nguyen A film prodigy; a self-indulgent narcissist; an enfant terrible; a precocious Schneider); an alluring, yet unreadable, blond Adonis. The two friends auteur; a self-inflated hipster; a cinematic wunderkind – Xavier Dolan find themselves fixated by their new acquaintance, and quickly descend is equally revered and reviled for his prestige and flair. Call him what into consuming, baseless infatuation, both vying, unsuccessfully, for you may, the Quebecois film-maker has produced three exuberant, Nicolas’ affections. stylish, and ambitious films in the space of just four years. His sphere of Dolan’s visual vocabulary evokes the style of the French New Wave, control extends to set design, art direction, score selection, and even and directors such as Wong Kar Wai or Pedro Almodovar. The primary costume - a unique meticulousness uncharacteristic of today’s film-makers. criticism against Heartbeats – and Dolan as a director – is that the film is Melbourne’s Speakeasy Cinema showcased Xavier Dolan’s films – what he more indicative of ‘style over substance’. Of course, as a fan, I disagree. calls his ‘Impossible Loves’ trilogy – back-to-back in a single, eight hour While the film is certainly hyper-stylized and visually overstated – long, long screening. Along with my fellow cinephiles and Dolan enthusiasts, I slow takes of Chokri smoking elegantly in slow motion are plentiful – I embarked on a movie marathon and a cinematic experience like no other. find the film’s lavish aesthetic and imagery to be emotionally engaging, I admit that my fascination with Xavier Dolan undeniably comes partly from a place of envy. At the tender age of nineteen, Dolan blasted serving to compound the artifice and superficiality of romantic yearning. Laurence Anyways is Dolan’s most recent feature, a film that he calls onto the scene with J’ai Tué Ma Mère (I Killed My Mother), a film which ‘his Titanic’ – an epic, operatic love story spanning over a decade, and he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. Screening in competition approaching almost three hours in length. Set in Montreal during the at the Director’s Fortnight, it went on to win three awards at the Cannes late 80’s/early 90’s, the story centers on Laurence Alia (Melvil Poupaud) Film Festival, and was selected as Canada’s submission for Best Foreign and Fred Belair (Suzanne Clément) as their relationship is thrown askew Language Film for the 2009 Oscars. when Laurence reveals his desire to live as a woman. I Killed My Mother is semi-autobiographical in origin, depicting an Dolan chronicles the trajectory of Laurence’s transformation as he explosive, tumultuous relationship between a teenage son and his mother. faces the inevitable pitfalls and prejudices from the outside world: from Dolan appears in the film as 16 year-old Hubert Minel, an adolescent his family, his colleagues, and his profession. If this sounds like a political who struggles to reconcile the intense, paradoxical emotions of love film, it is not - at its core, Laurence Anyways is a humane story, a narrative and hate he feels towards his mother. “I wasn’t born to have a mother,” on the potency of unbridled love. Xavier Dolan has a remarkable Hubert declares to the audience. “I could love anyone else but she.” attunement with characters who see themselves as outsiders; characters Self-consciously and purposely styled, the film is interspersed with flights who are different, who exist on the borders. Poupaud and Clement of fancy reminiscent of Jean-Luc Goddard, and sombre, black and white bring the film to life with an intense vigor and passion, revealing, confessional videos in which Hubert speaks candidly to the camera. with incredible nuance and vitality, profoundly intimate and complex The film is almost unbearably claustrophobic and insular, revealing Dolan’s remarkable ear for dialogue and language. He provides an interactions between two lovers at odds. Dolan is a film-maker who exhibits an expert instinct for cinema: uncompromising, intimate view of bitter domestic fights, demonstrating for powerful imagery; for style, tone, and composition; for an assured, bold the vicious way we utilize words as ammunition. Dolan isn’t afraid to use of colour; for an impeccable musical score; for command over the portray Hubert as emotionally aggressive and realistically self-centred; medium and the form. He is able to fuse audacious, experimental style yet, he also imbues Hubert with painstaking vulnerability and keen self- with emotional restraint, and his films are infused with an exceptional awareness. It is telling, however, that the hero of the film is undoubtedly authenticity and sensitivity. his mother, Chantale Minel, played beautifully by Anne Dorval. Dolan’s second film, Les Amours Imaginaires (Heartbeats), traverses His fourth feature, a psychological thriller called Tom at the Farm, premiered at the Venice Film Festival this August, and may well be a different terrain altogether. A meditation on youthful obsession and departure from his signature romanticism. Rumour has it, Dolan will unfounded passion, the film elicits the bitter-sweet nature of unrequited finish directing his fifth film at the end of this year...which leaves me to love. Heartbeats focuses on the friendship between Francis (Dolan) and wonder if the man ever sleeps. Marie (Monia Chokri) as it is disrupted by the presence 0f Nicolas (Niels LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 35 PERFORMING ARTS MUST PRESENTS: OF WAR AND WOMEN Sharna Cousland “Sometimes I think I have a capacity for great ished by war, the men and women are plagued violence in me…” by their own demons and desires. A society obsessed with control smothers its citizens to imagination of audiences. This new work is bound to leave a lasting impression and a few unanswered questions. This September Monash University Student breaking point. Unable to conform to their Theatre (MUST) will be presenting Of War world and its inherent expectations, their Thurs 19 - Sat 21 & Tues 24 - Sat 28 September, and Women, written by Genevieve Atkins and desires violently react against their family, 7.30pm. co-directed by Sharna Cousland and Gene- comrades and neighbours. $11 MSA / $13 Conc / $17 Full vieve Atkins. Adapted from the Greek tragedy Three distinct storylines weave together Join our Facebook page. Search: MUST Pres- Women of Troy, this haunting piece of theatre to create this sensual and visually stunning ents: Of War and Women portrays the suffocating presence of invasion new work. Book now via the MUST web page: msa.monash. and is sure to challenge notions of gender and sexuality. Each year, hundreds of students help oversee the development and production of a diverse range of performance works via MUST, Cassandra (Anna Burley), a young teen edu.au/must or the MSA Reception Desk riddled with eccentricities, begins to explore Enquiries: 9905 8173 her sexuality, distancing herself from her wea- The MUST Space ry, controlling Mother (Emily Keene). Grnd Flr, The Campus Centre (BLG 10) Meanwhile, her not-quite-newlywed Monash University, CLAYTON a department of the MSA. MUST aims to neighbours find themselves caught in stagnant Contains stage violence and adult themes. create vibrant, innovative theatre for Monash domesticity. A barrage of empty hopes and Information on sensitive content available via students and the wider community. The 2013 groundless fears fill a desperate housewife’s mustcontentwarnings.weebly.com season commenced with the outrageously fun psyche as all the while, a war is raging behind Psycho Beach Party, directed by Trelawney the white picket fence. Edgar, and a multitude of bold work has since Comrades in war are followed; from the hellish contemporary dance governed and restrained; they work In the Fires, We Weep, choreographed compromise their morals for the by James McGuire, to the dynamic adaption sake of their country. A sadist, a of two Ibsen classics with Yvonne Virsik’s masochist and a solemn philoso- Nora and Hedda, and the new verbatim work pher reveal their darkest secrets Columbine, created by Daniel Lammin and an and their deepest fears. ensemble of MUST performers. Recently, MUST launched The Contain- Binding these storylines together is the presence of a er Festival, a brand new enterprise presenting torrid woman. She is a fantasy, ground-breaking work of all shapes and sizes a ghostly presence, a darkened in shipping containers around the Clayton memory of years past. Exquisite campus. Curated by Yvonne Virsik and dreamscapes with evocative Anastasia Ryan, the festival was a resounding sound design complete the success. Hundreds of student artists and or- experience. ganisers helped to fill these unique spaces with A visceral journey, Of music, dance, performance, circus, burlesque, War and Women delves into the exhibitions and more. The community and absurd and the confronting. A assistance surrounding MUST is what makes dark humour fills the stage, the development of new works like Of War and bridging the line between trage- Women possible. dy and comedy. The suggestion Of War and Women places the suburban ideal on the frontline. In a country demol- 36 of words unsaid and scenes unseen will further capture the LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 COLUMBINE SUBHEADING COLUMBINE Nicholas Ringin Kemal Atlay On the 20th April 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into to ensure that Columbine became more of a historical record than a Columbine High School and killed 13 of their fellow students and one traditional play. teacher before turning their guns on themselves. Columbine, the latest One major theme of the play, such that it is unforgivingly pushed MUST production, is an attempt to make sense of the massacre that onto the audience, is that of aggression. Actors screaming at each other continues to haunt the scarred survivors as well as the family and friends across the stage, the cast stomping about in unison, contorted faces and of those lost at the hands of pure murderous rage. bulging muscles, and the blaring of the lights, turning people on stage The two-and-a-half-hour performance - written and directed by into ominous silhouetted figures. Daniel Lammin - uses official documents, police-call transcripts and “The whole event was permeated with such aggression, and in personal accounts to retell the horrific events that we still remember to order to do justice to the event, I felt we needed to address that,” this day. Lammin said. “In 1999, when the Columbine High School massacre occurred I had just started high school. The massacre had a profound effect on However despite the aggressive overtones, the production is free from any physical violence whatsoever. me even at such a young age,” tells Lammin. “I instinctively knew that one day, I would theatrically respond to the massacre, if only so I could The human experience of grief, anguish and mental instability are also explored in two deeply moving monologues at the close of both acts. personally come to grips with it.” “I felt liberated,” Nick Madders explained, who delivered the Lammin, a recent graduate from the National Institute of Dramatic first monologue in his acting debut, in which he recounted the indirect Art, brings five months of extensive research together with an ensemble human toll of the Columbine massacre – a student’s account of a friend cast to immerse the audience in the chaos and raw human emotions that who, haunted by the shootings, took his own life. have come to define the Columbine High School massacre. There are no set roles in Columbine, nor are there any props, “I got to tell the story of an exemplary individual, and I was proud to tell his story,” he said. “It was important to me he wasn’t forgotten… costumes or sets. Taking a minimalistic approach to the production, just because he wasn’t a victim of the tragedy, he (still) deserved to be Lammin uses a simple platform, a blinding array light and smoke, and honoured and remembered.” near identical cast members dressed in jeans and black singlets to set the tone for the performance. The attention to detail was crucial in re-enacting the actual events of the shootings and made for a goose bump-inducing experience, Musically, the soundscape was varied, with everything from the as though the audience were watching a documentary. melancholic ‘The Sound of Silence’ by Simon Garfunkel to the grungy noises of ‘Closer’ by Nine Inch Nails. The ruthless nature in which Lammin conveys the chaos of the massacre with various mini-performances scattered about the stage “The overarching aesthetic approach to Columbine was that it should look like a rock concert,” Lammin said. tasks you as a member of the audience, to grab hold of whatever bit of information you could in order to piece together the events of the Interestingly, every single spoken word from the production – shootings. including the music - was taken from historical sources, official records, personal accounts or cultural sources relating to the massacre “Verbatim theatre is a very particular style, only using people’s words,” Lammin said. “So much of what we had created was reliant on the presence of an audience,” Lammin said. “It was just fascinating to see what happened when people were finally sitting in front of the cast and in the mosh pits and whether some of the more daring decisions actually worked.” Verbatim theatre is a form of documentary-style theatre that relies When asked about future projects, Lammin hopes to not only heavily (sometimes entirely) on the reconstruction of precise words further develop and refine Columbine, but to also make another historical spoken by people pertaining to a particular event or issue. play. In this case, Lammin spent five months researching and collating many different types of primary sources about the Columbine massacre “History has no shortage of horrors or catastrophes to explore,” Lammin said. “I’m sure there’ll always be something to get my interest.” LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 37 P O E T R Y MAGIC, I WILL KEEP SUBHEADING HOSPITAL Marcus Littlewood Spent cigarettes line the path, To the place where good health is found. Sit down to wait with the sick seeking hope, They’re all slipping down and dying slowed Jack the Doc he calls for you Marcus Littlewood No longer you’ll be left to stew. What kind of shock could he bring to me? There is nothing more sure than a door A big sharp nurse poking under your skin, for a door always knows what it’s for, Check your heart and know you’re alive. and since the first tradesman bore A sullied cough and dirty smile doorish frames from an old two-by-four, Not looking good we’ll have to go deeper. it’s been the same to the rich or the poor: A clean white bed with a dirty floor. a door can open, or shut, no more. Leaving you to wait and see what left here. Deshani Fernando For macaws or a boar or a Moor or a whore, The speedy push of your bed into the limelight. for cats that paw, crows that caw or rats that gnaw, A quick sullen whisper The sounded rush of sweet gas filling those holes. for a carnivore, herbivore or omnivore, Echoes through the halls A blackened lung with stained hands, for lions that roar or eagles that soar, The darkness surrounds Resting and waiting for that sting. all doors must obey the same simple law A distant owl calls Men put knives through other men’s skin. to open or shut, no less, no more. These kinds of horrors lie within. His thunder erupts Even before, in the days of yore, Frames slide off his nose Wake up now, we haven’t got all day. when doors were inscribed with mythology and lore, The love of his mother Here’s what you need to feel whole when we tore off to war seeking bloodshed and gore, Is all that he knows Trust me, your meds are on that pole. doors were all quite the same when it came to their core. They knew they were not like a table, and nor Though hardships sneer did they think they were part of a tree anymore, And dangers do lurk or even like other wooden things, such as oars, The darkness that falls CHILL WINE NIGHT they were doors, and proud of their one basic chore Has no place to smirk Hilary Davies to let us pass through, or to stop us before. The battle draws nearer Slip gently into the chill wine night Delusions of grandeur all doors do abhor, The battle to be won As the stars weave their gossamer clouds overhead content to protect us from wind, frost or hoar. Though good will hold the power And the trees shape their thunderclouds They open and shut, that’s what they’re for, Hope was nearly gone Along the horizon of the dark. and though every pore in the doorjamb’s rubbed raw Drunk then, on that elfin breeze when you wore it away with that slamming of yours His laughter we’ll miss Lighting soft on arms and face, the old weathered wood will still be bounded by four, His howl is no more Stirring memories in the spaces and with hinges and frames it will still be a door. And his mad eye did see Where the starlight does not touch All that came before Wander the world’s long roads Now I can keep talking till I’m sore in the jaw, Trace that elusive shadow or bore you until you are dead on the floor. To those whom tried To its source- But there is one thing of which I am most certainly sure: To cast off belief But no that for a door that is sure what it’s for Hold true to your hearts Fleeting, fleeting is the night there is nothing more sure than a door. Their magic we’ll keep. And long the days And love, in harsh sunlight Blinded out. 38 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 CREATIVE SPACE LITERARY NOTES I AM A REFUGEE MD. Roysul Islam It has been a long walk, A journey marred by tyranny and blood, Where homes were burned Thomas Wilson And dreams were crushed. It has been a long time WRITING WISDOM: MELBOURNE WRITERS FESTIVAL (COURTESY OF EMILY LAIDLAW) Since being treated as humans; The hopes of generations were lost When the oppressors shot their guns. •Ruth Ozeki: I’m compelled to write fiction because reality isn’t enough for me •Lloyd Jones: Writers are predatory like magpies, they’re constantly on the lookout for snippets of stories. I am a refugee, •Jay Griffiths: Daydreaming is just as important as an adult as in childhood. It’s A child born from the womb of misery. the best way to channel creativity in writing. I am a refugee, •Marina Warner: Narrative is a tapestry in which people come together to A human ceased of my destiny. weave meaning. •Ramona฀Koval:฀Our book collections are like archaeologies of the self. I want to taste freedom •Junot Díaz: The average person on the street can write a novel, but not Like those who thirst for water; everyone has the heart to. I want to breathe freedom •Tavi Gevinson: Most of my world is a composite of the works of others. These Like a newborn’s first touch of its mother. are mostly Beyoncé lyrics. •Alison Croggon: Good writing speaks to inner desires a reader is unable to I want to fight for my right articulate. On the paths of righteousness; •Junot฀Díaz: Reading opens a space of deliberation where we encounter our I want to live in peace human selves. Without hunger or mortal threats. •Chandrahas Choudhury: Anyone who seeks the answer to life in a sentence or two is bound to be disappointed. I want to feel freedom PUBLISHING NEWS AND BLUES Inside every bone of my body, Until death takes me away, Amazon. Again: Amazon has launched a new initiative called Matchbooks, Far from this mortal decay. giving users access to ebooks of physical books they have purchased from 1995 onwards. Publishers worldwide shuddered in response. O humanity! ALP promises $12bil for National University Publishing Consortium: Well Hear my prayer and take my hands, … Let us stand together, side by side, MWF 2013 makes money: Attendance and tickets sales were up, and hence a And face our foes with our heads held high. record-breaking box office haul has been made at this year’s Melbourne Writers Festival. The line-up, which saw 500 writers taking part in 367 events, was also the largest in the festival’s history. Want your creative writing featured in Lot’s Wife? Send all contributions to lotswife2013@gmail.com No experience required! REFINING READS- The Emerging Writer: An Insider’s Guide to Growing Your Writing A series of essays from speakers at the 2013 Emerging Writers’ Festival and edited by Andre Dao, this book is aimed at writers who are just starting out. There is a slice of enlightenment for everyone, with advice all the way from Shaun Tan to Zoe Dattner. LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 39 CREATIVE SPACE DUST From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of any particular interest. But for us it’s different. Consider again that dot, that’s here, that’s home, that’s us; on it, everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero Kit Mun Lee and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilisation, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals , every corrupt politician, every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint and sinner of our species lived there … on the motive dust suspended in a sunbeam. The earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood, spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and triumph they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner. How frequent their misunderstandings; how eager they are to kill one another; how fervent their hatreds. The boy whispered to himself in the dark abyss of night. His eyes were open, like orbs reflecting the stars filled with the sparkle of hope and possibility, his mind was racing. Tomorrow was the day. At last, he would be found, rescued from the dregs of loneliness and a dispassionate neglect. In his eyes reflected the sifting of the ages, the fulfilling of his life, played out like a play on the grand stage of this cosmic arena. What lay ahead of him … what hope guided him? What drew his breath and sustained the stars in his eyes? Was it hope? Could he escape? He had to believe that he could. With every inch of his being, he had to believe that he would find a way out of this labyrinth, this maze of endless toil, that he would be saved and rise anew, transformed by the fire in his heart. With all his soul he had to believe, because if he did it would be true. If he knew it to be true, then he would be free. Free from his cage of doubt. The sunlight beamed through the hallways of the stained windows. Like shards of tangible gold they spilled in, filling the length of the hallway with a quality; the dust suspended in the sunbeams visible and oblivious. Today was the day and he knew it. But somehow he didn’t feel as if he were there. Passing through the hallway, his steps clacked on the wooden boards somewhere far off. The warmth of the sun upon his skin felt foreign and strangely discomforting, as if it were too hot, as if tiny insects held in the light were biting down causing his skin to itch. The orphanage was a solitary place, at least for him. No-one stayed long enough to make friends, and those that did were of a type that didn’t run well. Theirs were the ones whose parents died. They were the ones who had no light in their eyes, their grey faces vacated and empty. So the boy was alone, with no-one but the ghosts to keep him company, to remind him of how important it was to escape. The dull thud of a door calmly closing shook him from his stupor. “Are you ready for your big day?” A fake smile hid behind those fake teeth. But he nodded anyway, to the apparent delight of the staff worker. “They’re waiting for you”. The stage was set, the dreams were becoming realised, were being lived. The boy beamed his heat out, that’s always what they wanted to see. He answered their questions with a youthful exuberance, just like he had practised. His was a mind of enthusiasm, of constant optimistic gestures and hopes. What they could do for him, what he wanted to do; but he didn’t want to sound too pushy, too desperate. He laughed. Was that his voice? He didn’t know he sounded like that. It sounded good, so he didn’t worry about it too much. The boy kept his eyes down. If they could see the desperation in them they would found out. He tried to chuckle but all that came out was a pitiful puff. In that instant, that moment somehow transfixed in time, he forgot how to smile. Laughing was an alien concept. He looked up, the beams in his eyes fast fading. They weren’t impressed, he could just tell. The gouging doubt itched and fingered a line of white hot down his back. Maybe it’s a little early; maybe the time is not quite yet. But those other worlds promising unforetold possibilities beckon. The open road softly calls. 40 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 CREATIVE SPACE CHILDREN OF INYANKAWATOL Joshua Reinders The shaman sat down in the dirt and crossed his legs. “I am going to share with you now one of the oldest, most treasured stories of my people,” he said. “It is a story that has been passed down from generation to generation for a very long time. It is a story that teaches us of the secret origin of the universe, of the very dust that we are sitting on now.” He swept his hand through the dust and gathered up a palmful of it, thin trickles of it sifting through the cracks between his fingers. “I will begin to tell the story now,” he said, glancing at each of us in turn, and then he raised his dust-filled palm to his lips and blew the dust into the air. “It was the beginning of time, my friends, and sleepy little Inyankawatol, The Great Feathered One, had grown very very weary from flapping his little wings all the way across the Ankankonontom, The Great Night Sky that is Above and Below and in Front and Behind. “Luckily for Inyankawatol, at that very moment he happened to look down and see that a tree had started growing at the centre of the universe. “Wanting very much to rest his tired wings, Inyankawatol swooped down and landed on one of the branches of the tree at the centre of the universe, and there he began to build a nest out of the twigs that he gathered there with his beak. “Once the nest was finished, Inyankawatol, still very weary from his long flight across the Ankankonontom, hopped into his nest and began to preen the stardust from his feathers, which the twinkling stars had shaken onto him when he was soaring amongst them at the edges of the Ankankonontom. “Once Inyankawatol’s feathers were preened, his little bird eyelids fluttered shut and he went to sleep. “In Inyankawatol’s sleep, he dreamt of many things that he had never seen before when he was awake. He dreamt of a whole forest of trees, and of a whole flock of birds that sang in those trees. “For a very long time Inyankawatol dreamt only of the flock of birds that sang in the forest of trees. “But Inyankawatol’s dreaming was not over yet, because then he dreamt of a strange type of featherless bird that liked to sit in the shade of the trees and watch the soaring of the birds and listen to them sing. “The strange and featherless bird could not fly and he could not sing. The feathered birds had a name for him—they called him Man. “In Inyankawatol’s dream, Man sat in the shade of the trees and wondered at the birds for a very long time. “Inyankawatol liked the dream with Man in it so much that he decided he never wanted to wake up from it, and over time the dream became more complicated, because Inyankawatol could not help dreaming of new things for Man to wonder at. “It is in this way,” said the shaman, “that the warm sun was made and the soothing moon and the cool rain and the sweet air that we are breathing now.” He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. “I know that Inyankawatol is still dreaming, that he has not woken up just yet—because otherwise we would not be here to share this story.” He opened his eyes and glanced at each of us in turn. “So you see,” the shaman said with a smile, “according to the beliefs of my people, we are all just a small part of a bird’s dream.” He uncrossed his legs and stood up. “It is for this reason that in our language we say ‘Inyankawatol must be having a nightmare’ whenever someone is experiencing a bad day. It is also for this reason that when we celebrate our religious festivals we like to go into the forest to sit down in the shade and wonder at the birds in the trees.” He looked up at the sky and started fingering one of the bleached bones dangling from his necklace. “This is also why, in my language, we call birds manina Inyankawatoli—which means ‘children of Inyankawatol’.” Want your short stories featured in Lot’s Wife? It’s easy, send submissions to lotswife2013@gmail.com no experience required! LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 41 ANNALISA D’ORTENZIO ASHLEIGH HOSKIN PHOTOS IN FOCUS LEAH MCINTOSH 44 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 LOVE ADVICE WITH... KARL MARX - The advice column with class Dear Karl, My partner and I have been together for four years now. Deep down, I think we both know we’re not right for each other in the long term; we have too many fundamental differences - we both want very different things in life and share few of the same values and goals - but we do have fun together. At what point do you sacrifice fun for the future? Lot [Editors note: ‘Lot’ is the pseudonym the writer of this letter chose, we didn’t alter this] The problem in your relationship is the same as the one in capitalism. Namely, what in dialectical materialism we call ‘determinate negation.’ This can refer to how an idea entails contradictions, which make it inevitable that the idea will come to an end. For example, one contradiction in capitalism is that it demands ever-increasing consumption, while our planet has only a limited amount of natural resources. Something has to give – and it obviously can’t be the planet – so capitalism must be expected to end eventually. Is this not similar to your romantic relationship, where the contradiction between your values and goals and those of your partner is irreconcilable? Something has to give here too, and I’m afraid to say that it will be your relationship. On the other hand, capitalism hasn’t ended yet. Despite many predictions from my comrades that capitalism was entering its final ‘late stage,’ it has managed to drag on, though it does seem to become increasingly vulgar over time. I won’t judge you if you stick around with your beau, for ‘fun’ as you say. But I encourage you to imagine what could come after. Perhaps a deeper and more meaningful relationship is possible. Perhaps there is someone else out there waiting for you who could meet all your needs. If you leave ‘fun’ to pursue such a dream, some people might call you idealistic or utopian, but they called me that too. Don’t settle. A better politico-economic system is waiting out there for us, and so too is a better partner waiting for you. Now, getting back to that term ‘determinate negation,’ which I mentioned earlier. This originated with the philosopher Hegel, who often described it as a process, using the German word aufheben. This word has often been translated as ‘to overcome,’ ‘to transcend,’ or ‘to supersede.’ Perhaps the time has simply come for you to aufheben. Yours, K. M. Marx is back, and I’m not just referring to the increased academic attention his thought has been receiving in the wake of the global financial crisis and the concomitant failure of more hegemonic paradigms of thought to explain the event - I’m also referring to the return of his love advice column. CULTURE PENCIL THIS IN: HIGHLIGHTS FROM MELBOURNE WRITERS’ FESTIVAL Patricia Tobin The 2013 Melbourne Writers’ Festival ran from 22 August to 1 Septem- Summer noted how the national media completely wiped Gillard off its ber, inviting writers, illustrators, poets and intellectuals from Australia pages. Hence, during the session, Summers successfully created an arena and all around the world. This year’s festival motto was ‘Enquire Within’, for lively discussion and riveting examination of Australia’s first female and with a diverse range of topics covered, it certainly left festival attend- Prime Minister. ees a lot to ponder over. Speaking of girl power, Tavi’s World featured seventeen-year-old As the festival occurred during the federal elections, politics was all blogger extraordinaire and editor of Rookie magazine, Tavi Gevinson. the talk. Big Ideas consisted of various thought-provoking sessions like Screaming teenage girls sporting floral crowns were a common sight dur- Alan Missen Oration: Border Vigils, a commentary by border policy spe- ing the evening, but that did not seem to faze Tavi at all. Smart, charm- cialist Jeremy Harding. Together with Liberty Victoria, Harding assessed ing, down-to-earth and, all-in-all, a pretty normal teenager, Tavi gave Australia’s position on asylum seekers in the global context. Harding an entrancing talk about the merits of ‘fangirling’. Be it obsessing over noted that even though twenty-first century globalisation has led to a Beyonce or JD Salinger, being a fangirl can be a tool of empowerment and “borderless” world, nations have become more determined than ever to self-identity, and that’s pretty rad. Tavi definitely proved herself to be a tighten border control – Australia being evidently guilty of this. girl to watch. Another gripping Big Ideas discussion was given by writer Anne Another remarkable international guest was Taiwanese-American Summers in Feminism, Misogyny, Power. Summers tapped into Julia writer Tao Lin who chewed over culture and heritage in Global Voices. Gillard’s role in Australian politics and the media, primarily Gillard’s Along with Australian writer Laura Jean McKay and Monash’s own Ali speech on calling out Tony Abbott’s misogyny and sexism. A firm sup- Alizadeh, the discussion covered how multiculturalism affects their own porter of Gillard, Summers was proud to have conducted Gillard’s very respective writings. The debate immediately picked up after Alizadeh’s last interview as Prime Minister. With Gillard’s leadership now lost, declaration on the futility of the term ‘multiculturalism’, which Lin 46 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 CULTURE agreed with, while McKay kept an ambivalent stance. Lin was rather music’s constant struggle to sound both familiar and new is, unfortunately, reserved throughout the session, but there was, surprisingly enough, a fair killing its mojo. All these issues soon appeared minuscule compared to amount of fanboys cheering and laughing over Lin’s endearing aloofness. Fred Watson’s Guide to the Universe, in which astronomer Fred Watson A terrific session on words and text was A is for Aphorism, featuring wove an engaging story of man’s growing understanding of the universe. composer Andrew Ford and philosopher and writer Damon Young. From From astronomical observatories to black holes; the Large Hadron Col- modern Australian poetry to Nietzsche, both Ford and Young explored lider to astrology jokes; galaxies light-years away to our neighbouring this linguistic playground and their appreciation for concise, astute planet Mars, Watson displayed an infectious enthusiasm for space and observations. To Ford, music can be the perfect platform for aphorisms, science. Watson’s enthralling ideas and relentless passion could be seen in but for writer and music historian Simon Reynolds, music is something many other creative individuals throughout the festival. else altogether. In Retromania, Reynolds deliberated over pop music’s The Melbourne Writers’ Festival was not only a celebration for addiction to its own past and whether this was destroying innovation and literature, but also a highly engaging platform for readers, writers and creativity. From Daft Punk to thrash metal, Reynolds highlighted how thinkers. MWF’S DIGITAL DRIVE IS A MIXED BAG Emma Nobel Behind the closed doors of the Wheeler Centre a workshop of writing The workshop picked up again to a full room after lunch, when hopefuls sat, a world away from the CBD streets, still recovering from the the writers hit their stride. Freelancing for Online Publications, with exploits of the previous night’s revelling. Judging by the smell, the guy in Melbourne writer Ben Pobjie and dailylife columnist Clementine Ford, front might as well have brought Cherry Bar itself along with him. was a standout. Pobjie and Ford shared their insightful experiences of Digital Drive was an all-day event presented by the Melbourne breaking into the Melbourne writing clique, and actively encouraged Writers Festival, featuring hourly discussions between notable local and audience involvement to facilitate their conversation. The afternoon international writers covering the industry shift in writing and publish- session’s speakers were confident and engaging, taking advantage of their ing with the digital page. Deliberately broad discussions, ranging from high profiles within an audience of writing hopefuls. podcasting and eBooks to the importance of Twitter for emerging writers, American romance author Sarah Wendell, alongside Crikey writer meant the day was comprehensive to the point of being overwhelming. and film critic Luke Buckmaster, followed with Audience Development: Those who favoured the half-day ticket might’ve been onto something. How฀to฀Find฀and฀Keep฀an฀Audience. The pair took to the stage with The workshop spanned over seven hour-long conversations between infectious charisma and inspiring honesty in a talk on engaging readers a total of fourteen different writers who also fielded questions from the through social media, demonstrating the forethought they had invested audience. Some speakers outperformed others in charisma and rel- in the panel by providing a link to pre-drafted notes. If the rapturous evancy, others were let down by Digital Drive’s bizarre sessional format- applause they finished on was anything to go by, Wendell and Buckmas- ting. Sydney-based freelance journalist Antony Loewenstein and Perth ter, who have a total of 50k Twitter followers between them, were the eBook author Annabel Smith, of the Words Beyond the Page, took on an superstars of Digital Drive. oddly somber tone, perhaps feeling dejected by the many rows of empty MWF’s Digital Drive offered insightful advice and encouragement seats at the 10am session. Fortunately attendance picked up again in the for authors writing in the digital age but let itself down with a haphazard afternoon session where late-comers were unceremoniously shunted to lineup. The afternoon session was still worth checking out. the back. Fashion blogger Lady Melbourne and Melbourne eBook author Darrell Pitt’s mid-morning panel about blogging and publishing online seemed poorly considered. The two shared little common ground and the conversation felt forced at best, and confrontational at worst. A better suited pair to tackle the Publishing Online: Books, Blogs and Beyond forum might have been Lady Melbourne and Antony Loewenstein, both with social media-savvy backgrounds. Similarly, given Darrell Pitt and Annabel Smith’s mutual experience as young adult eBook authors, it’s a shame Digital Drive didn’t consider pairing them up for the morning’s first panel. LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 47 CULTURE 48 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 CULTURE CONSERVING CONSERVATION? David Charlwood Joel Sartore, intrepid National Geographic photographer and author, While these are laudable efforts, how are we to focus on other species that has been on a tour covering Australia and New Zealand with his show also play fundamental roles in maintaining our planet’s biodiversity, such Grizzlies, Piranhas and Man-Eating Pigs: On Assignment with Joel Sartore, as that of the humble earthworm? Even my description of the earthworm which I was fortunate enough to see in Melbourne recently. A wildlife as ‘humble’ is humanising it, presenting it in a positive light to make up photographer and traveller since his college days, Joel certainly had many for its apparent insignificance or unattractiveness, when as we know it unusual anecdotes to share: One particularly gruesome one involved being plays a vital role in the rejuvenation of ecosystems. isolated for three weeks because of a potential infection caused by bat droppings while shooting in Egypt. Not surprisingly, Sartore sees his work as not only bringing to people stories of exotic animals, but as a message of conservation. Things are looking decidedly grim these days for those wishing to protect nature’s biodiversity; with humanity’s population tipped to reach 10 billion people this century (a conservative estimate) our demand for resources will inevitably increase – resources which will require us to enter unknown lands and push their current inhabitants further out into the Sartore attempts to bridge this empathy ‘gap’ with “As a photographer of wildlife, you are permitted to show cute pictures of furry animals, but mention climate change and you are being ‘political’ and straying from your expertise.” fringes of our awareness. Conservation is obviously not his Photo Ark project, which can be accessed at www. joelsartore.com/galleries/the-photo-ark. Photo Ark is an attempt to “level the playing field” by taking close-up photos of a wide variety of species with a plain background. He has so far documented over 2600 species, and scrolling through the list revealed, at least to me, my ignorance of almost all the species it contained. Some of these shoots take many hours of work to prepare, as a short video shows (hilariously) on his website. Overall, Sartore attempts to merge the old and new. His Photo Ark project combines the old message of a new idea, although it is one that has become increasingly ‘politicised’. conservation with the digital immediacy required to stay relevant to Despite evident causes for the dramatic increases in rates of species a fickle audience. He manages to straddle the fragile divide between extinction and declines in animal populations, it is apparently taboo to entertainment and lecture mostly successfully, although his response to mention them. As a photographer of wildlife, you are permitted to show one audience question (“What should we do about older generations who cute pictures of furry animals, but mention climate change and you are stubbornly refute climate change? Probably wait for them to die off”) being ‘political’ and straying from your expertise. lays bare his frustrations with those armchair critics who dismiss climate Humanity’s efforts to save our fellow creatures on this planet have focussed largely on animals with an advantageous ‘photogenic’ trait over change while he is outside witnessing its effects. A frustration I am sympathetic to (despite my very comfy armchair). their peers – some good examples being the panda, the dolphin or the polar bear: animals that are synonymous with conservation movements. LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 Images: Joel Sartore 49 GAMING POKÉMON X AND Y: A Francophile in Japan Fabrice Wilmann “I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was; to catch them is my real test, like France, but also features a myriad of iconic landmarks that have to train them is my cause… come to personify the country. These include the Eiffel Tower, the Pokémon, it’s you and me; I know it’s my destiny.” ancient Carnac stones of Brittany, and the palace of Versailles. And it seems as though France and Japan share a symbiotic relationship These immortal words still ring true today in the hearts of all 90s ‘kids.’ – within Europe, France represents the largest market for manga and Ever since the release of the first Pokémon game fifteen years ago, we as a anime, and it also hosts the annual Japan Expo, a European celebration generation have grown alongside these ‘pocket monsters’ – our pets, our of Japanese culture. killing devices, and ultimately our cherished friends. With the image of Whilst many parts of France are embedded within Kalos, Paris in the immortally young Ash Ketchum as our exemplar, we travelled the particular was utilised as the fundamental paragon of French culture – lands, yearning to fulfill one ubiquitous desire, one destiny: to become “naturally we were very detailed on our research into Paris. We have the very best. incorporated Parisian elements everywhere.” As Pokémon moves into a new phase of its life this ideal remains Exciting new elements have also been introduced into Pokémon X constant. What has changed is the world that surrounds it and the and Y in an attempt to further revolutionize a game that already stands mechanics through which the Pokémon universe is experienced. Pokémon as the second best selling video game franchise of all time (behind only X and Y represents the ultimate stage of evolution, and even though we Mario). A much-discussed topic has been the revelation of a new type may have fallen out of touch with this beloved enterprise throughout of Pokémon – fairy type. This eighteenth Pokémon type will not only be the years, it seems as though our attachment to Pokémon is immutable. applied to new sixth generation Pokémon, but also to standard favourites The world stands waiting in anticipation for October 12 when the latest like Clefairy and Jigglypuff. The most striking aspect of fairy Pokémon is chapter in the Pokémon legend descends upon us – and as the flag bearers that they are super effective against dragon types – an odd yet thrilling of Generation Y it is our solemn duty to welcome the new generation of prospect that turns fairy Pokémon into fear-invoking dragon-slayers. Pokémon enthusiasts. Pokémon directors have also made the controversial move of The Pokémon series has experienced extreme growth in several introducing a new feature of evolution into the game. Referred to as areas throughout recent times, especially in regards to location. The ‘mega-evolution,’ certain Pokémon (most notably Mewtwo, Blaziken Unova region of the preceding Pokémon Black and White game was and Ampharos) will be able to temporarily alter their appearance whilst modeled after New York City, breaking the run of Japan-centric regions also increasing their stats and abilities during battle. The move has been Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh. This shift is indicative of the criticized as an appropriation of Pokémon’s arch-rival Digimon, with many worldwide popularity and influence of the Pokémon microcosm. critics also recognizing a similarity between Mega-Mewtwo and Dragon Pokémon X and Y follows in this tradition, introducing a new region, Kalos, that was designed as an ode to the beauty of France. Ball Z’s Frieza. Despite these early critiques of Pokémon X and Y, the new The director for the latest installment of the Pokémon games, Junichi installment in the Pokémon series promises to combine the best of Masuda, is the man responsible for ushering the Pokémon series into this our childhood memories and amalgamate these with electrifyingly new era of Francophilia. Masuda discussed the rationale behind this – innovative ideas, thus cementing a universal legacy. “first of all we decided to use beauty as a game theme. We were inspired by one country in particular. A country that is reported to be the most visited in the world. It is a country that is very particular about fashion and the aesthetics of their cuisine, a country concerned with the beauty of words. We thought of France.” The desire to emulate the French landscape stems from Masuda’s own infatuation with the country, which originated during his first voyage to France in 2000. After visiting the various regions of France again ten years later, Masuda decided to explore the intricacies of France and its culture in 2011 on a proper research tour with the Pokémon staff. As a result of Masuda’s research, the Kalos map is not only shaped 50 LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 GAMING THE RISE OF THE HUMBLE INDIE BUNDLE Jake Spicer I remember the first time I saw one of the Humble Indie Bundles: four subject, Jefferey Rosen, co-founder of Wolfire Games, has said: “When brilliant indie games (Braid, Osmos, Machinarium and Cortex Command) considering any kind of DRM, we have to ask ourselves ‘how many available for whatever price I desired. I probably paid around five cents, legitimate users is it OK to inconvenience in order to reduce piracy?’ The but since then I have avidly followed each new bundle, often paying well answer should be none.” above the recommended price. The Humble Indie Bundle was the first of Humble Bundle Inc. have found this system to be so successful that its kind, creating a strong emotional connection between buyer and seller they are now venturing into other mediums. In 2012 they released the that had yet to be leveraged. Humble Music Bundle, with music by They Might Be Giants and Jona- Pay What You Want (PWYW) pricing systems, as used for the thon Coulton, and the Humble eBook Bundle. This year they released Humble Indie Bundle, have been used by businesses for some time. Some the Humble Comedy Bundle, with audio and video from Louis C.K, restaurants host “pay what your heart feels” nights, relying on customers Maria Bramford and Tig Nataro’s legendary ‘Cancer Set’. to spend a reasonable amount for their food. Radiohead boosted aware- The Internet has allowed much greater freedom for distributing me- ness of the technique with their album In Rainbows, available as a digital dia, giving video game developers, authors, comedians and musicians the download from their website in 2007. In Rainbows was a huge success, ability to directly release content to their audiences. The Humble Bundle reportedly selling $1.2 million downloads on the first day. PWYW systems is just one of the brilliant examples of this new economic freedom, releas- allow businesses close emotional contact with their audience, creating a ing material in creative and ethical ways, all while bringing out the best bond that significantly strengthens the buyer/seller relationship. from consumers. Wolfire Games organised and managed the original Humble Bundle, raising over $1 million in revenue. After this incredible success, Wolfire set up Humble Bundle Inc.. The original bundle was partly inspired by the video game World of Goo, developed by 2D Boy, which celebrated its first anniversary by offering a PWYW download. The Humble Bundles goes further than this. Each payment can be split three-ways between the developer, Humble Bundle Inc., and one or more charities such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Red Cross. Each game is also strictly digital rights management (DRM) free, meaning the games are not tethered to anti-piracy software. The Humble Bundle has stripped away much of the rationale behind piracy such as cost, ethical reasons and lack of direct flow of money to the creators. And yet people still pay the bare minimum (as I did several years ago). Piracy is made easier by the fact that these games are DRM free, making it impossible to tell the difference between someone who has pirated the games or paid for them legitimately. Speaking on this LOT’S฀WIFE฀EDITION฀7฀•฀2013 51