I’ve always wondered why I blog on here. I have nothing to promote (other than Melbourne), no website to link to, and I certainty haven’t made a single cent (or 5cents). Well, walking down the street a few months ago, I saw my words printed up on the street and if that isn’t reason enough then I don’t know what is.

I’ve been wanting to do another followup on the accident that claimed Damian Cooper’s life a year and a half ago but haven’t until today. Tragically a life was lost but out of it Damian’s father Mark Cooper is now an advocate of reducing speed limits in busy shopping areas such as Lygon Street. He has been successful and the city is now in the process of reducing the limit to 40km/h in Lygon Street. As for the piece of scum who hit him, he is going to court in October on charges of culpable driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving while disqualified.

Only a couple of hours ago, just meters up the road, another fatal car crash occurred where two 18 year olds have lost their lives. It’s hard not to jump to conclusions when a P plater crashes into a parked car at such a speed that 2 people are killed and 5 people taken to hospital. A police spokesmen said “This is another example of what you could say (is) hoon behaviour, hoon driving and young people thinking they can outdo themselves and the results are tragic.” The road toll is up 13% from last year. I’m not sure if lower speed limits would have helped either situation but it’s a step in the right direction. It seems no matter what provisions are made, hoon drivers are just not getting the picture.

In any case, it makes me happy to think my words are going to a good cause although in tragic circumstances. I can only hope that the make shift shrine for Damian is helping to get the message out. Slow down.

Links:

Melbourne Metblogs: Update on Brunetti & Damian Cooper

Melbourne Metblogs: Another Day, Another Fatality

The Age: Speed blamed in Fatal Carlton Crash

Melbourne Leader: Lygon St 40km/h speed plea

Facebook: RIP Damo 

On a day when swopping your staid work clothes for a loud shirt shows your support for the hearing-impaired people, good senior citizens of Melbourne decide to do swop their everyday wear for a commando look.

Clearly, it seems the only way to get anyone in Melbourne to take notice is to go topless. No doubt inspired by our Indian cab drivers several weeks ago, I think it’s about time someone put an end to all the topless shenanigans. It’s funny now, old people going topless, but who gona laugh when there are topless International Students demanding concession tickets and equality with Australian students?? Or topless Sydenham line passengers wanting an extension to Zone 1 stations to Watergardens as Sydenham currently has the least number of Zone 1 stops? How about topless motorists staging a protest against higher fuel prices? Are we gona have a topless protest just coz Mr John Smith isn’t happy?

How about just going completely nude? That’ll make a statement.

Image from The Age.

Running until the 31st of May is The Next Wave Festival. The festival celebrates the “next wave” of young artists displaying their works throughout public spaces in the CBD. By works it could mean art or some kind of dance or anything in between. There is 2020?, a display of industrial waste destined for landfill. Open Embrace invites the viewer to experience the tango from the perspective of the dancer. One more to my taste is Pennies & Pints, a large-scale poster that brings to life the many maps, near misses, and apocalyptic moments of Fitzroy’s history.

Links:

Next Wave Festival

And good riddance! Queensland is welcome to have him for as long as possible. I don’t care if he was a great sports person.The only adjectives I have for describing this person are womanizing, drunken and druggie.

News Links
Herald Sun’s “Disgraced Wayne Carey puts luxury flat on market”

The Age “Carey moving to Queensland: report“

Spare a thought for those who have to venture out into the freezing nights or early mornings to go to work. The temperature are down into the single digits. Coupled with rain in the next couple of days, it will be really really cold!

Check out the current temperature for Victoria!

And now he sacks the both of them. Its all over the news. Ted Baillieu had his liberal party sacked two staff who dared write a blog against him. I can’t even read it because one needs to be invited. The crime committed is not letting the public have a read!

Liberal? My foot!

News Links
Herald Sun’s “Traitors sacked over Baillieu mud”

Blog site in offence “He who stands for nothing“

Roving police patrols at night targeting violent hotspots was a great idea but Premier John Brumby’s 2AM lockout is just ridiculous. Last week, Brumby announced a trial starting on June 3, that imposes a 2AM lockout in areas in and around Melbourne. Some areas affected include Fitzroy (i.e. Brunswick St.), the CBD, St. Kilda, and Prahran. Once you step out of a venue and its after 2AM, you will not be allowed back in. This is supposed to curb increasing violence in Melbourne. Licencees who breach this lockout will be face fines up to $6800. The only exception to the ban unsurprisingly is the government revenue maker, Crown Casino.

• Most of the late night violence has been occurring outside venues on the streets. By locking out patrons, this will just be putting more people onto the streets. More people means more fights.
• Want to go out for a smoke? Sorry, can’t come back in. Phone call? Nope. Designated driver? No way. Sorry, I lost my girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/sister etc. Sorry, can’t come in.
• First Floor, Bubble, and The Exford are three places that thrive in the late night. Take First Floor (Brunswick St., Fitzroy) as an example. It is open until the early hours of the morning but it only starts to get packed when most of the bars close on Brunswick Street. The 2AM lockout is thus removing late night licences.
• The city of Yarra consists of a large area including Collingwood, Fitzroy, and Richmond. Public drinking IS allowed. Yes, you heard that right. What do you think people will be doing on the street when they cannot get into a venue? Get ready for parks and street corners to be the new hot venue of choice.

You really have to wonder how our Victorian government comes to conclusions without any notice and without consulting with venues, patrons or generally reading any history on the issue. Only a couple of years ago, England repealed it’s 11PM closing law in order to STOP violence. It’s not just the lockout, only yesterday , the Brumby government announced that it was making certain roads in an around Melbourne, clearways during peak hour WITHOUT even consulting councils. I know the Beijing Olympics are coming up but I was pretty sure we are not living in a dictatorship government. I highly suspect that after the three month trial of this lockout, the government will come out with some skewed figures showing success and proposing that the lockout be extended permanently.

Have your say! Join the protest May 30th at Parliament House (5PM-7PM and 11PM-Midnight). Please don’t show up drunk or being an idiot.

Links:

2AM Lockout Website (an “impartial” site created by those great guys from Melbournepubs.coms )

Melbourne Locked Out (The official protest site)

Facebook Group

Facebook Event

Herald Sun: Protestors fight for their right to Party

I have to admit, it has been quite sometime since I wandered along Little Bourke Street. Thinking of enjoying some yum cha in the spacious Dragon Boat restaurant, I was bewildered when I encountered boarded windows and the entire complex in total lock down. What happened? I know the cinema was shut down some time ago but I was expecting the entire complex to be closed up.

Where does Mayor So go to for his meals now?

Bah bah bah…bah bah baaah…bah bah baaah…baah (Sounds of clapping). Yes, I realise it looks like a conversation with a sheep. Replace the bahs with sounds of a trumpet, a sax, and drums in the background and you have the Melbourne Jazz Festival. Starting today and ending Sunday is the annual jazz festival that features in venues around the city. If you have never been to Bennett’s Lane, now is a great chance to see this unique jazz venue. Hint: Great for a date (unless she hates jazz).

Links:

Melbourne Jazz Festival (whose logo looks very much like Ebay’s)

Melbourne Festival Jazz Ad (The bah bah baah from before)

I made this entry over fifteen months ago and my stance still remains the same: Give me a large cold glass of shit water anyday, mate.

A year has passed, and seems like the Government’s attempt to convince Melburnians to consume shit water has fallen shit short of their expectations.

Nothing seems to have changed. The Bracks Government were ridiculed back then, the Brumby Government ain’t faring any better. I think they really need to rethink their strategy if they wish to pursue this important matter. Whether it leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth (pun intended) is another thing altogether, but perhaps it’s time for Brumby and Co. to give the Victorian media another water cooler topic. They’re having so much airtime with their public transport debacle and terrorist bullshit, no thought is given to something that’s very close to all Australians.

Don’t get me wrong. I like to arrive on time in a non-crowded train and not be subjected to retinal checks when I’m at the airport. I don’t start doubting the Muslim’s intentions just because he prays seven times a day or his wife wears a hijab. Hell I’m sure terrorists exist in other religious denominations as well. The bottom line is, who needs a world class transport system and a terrorist-free country if there’s no water for consumption in the long run. We need to think long term. I’d rather be stuck in a hot, humid train, pressed against other sardines and am thirty minutes late. At least I have my delish cold bottle of shit water in my bag and not be worrying what my children will be drinking 30 years from now.