Not an Angry Rant #48: Something different.

I haven't written up here in a long time.

I haven't being paying close attention to the news as of late - well, not enough to be able to actually form a solid, thought out, well-developed opinion piece. I guess it's because I moved from a position where I could actively follow and comment on things every day - something that I wanted to turn into my career, but things didn't work out. I wanted to get into journalism, you know, be a writer, writing cool stories about cool things for lots of people to read and think "hey, that's pretty cool".

Unfortunately, I don't think life can turn out the way you plan it - think of yourself as a captain trying to steer a boat through a storm in the middle ocean - without a rudder - that's life.

Although, my boat is missing a Tiger. Dayum.  

I not sure how many of you went to university or are doing post-grad studies. The whole idea behind Universities presenting the organization as elitist ones is something that I could not quite get my head around - so that's the idea that everyone is equal but only the people who teach and get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to, or the kids straight out of university who borrow 45k from the government to perpetuate this idea further, can actually discern what is and isn't equal.

I can remember very clearly my graduation - the robes, $95 to hire, the alphabetical order, the weird gowns worn by all of the university's most senior people. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be Harry Potter-esque place, but when the whole ceremony turned into some lecturer about their LACK of funding, my ears pricked up.

So you study communications, you end up getting a job in sales, then you end up working your arse off doing something you didn't study, with people you never wanted to work with, and head down in a boring job you slowly begin to get better at - all the while, still paying the tuition fees for a degree and the dream job of yours that never eventuated. So after all of this, your passions slowly begin to get further and further away from you - all those "opportunities" that were promised to you never happen, you just become another hound for "The Man".

What I want to figure is how we tip over from that place that we feel that we are stuck in now, to where we want to be. Is it hard work? Persistence? Some other third thing? WHO KNOWS! All I know is that I'm still climbing that mountain and I need to get to the top before I begin the awesome slide down towards a career that is actually interesting and means something.

What I imagine the slide will be like.

What's funny is that I'm currently writing this within the walls of my new office sounded by a mountain of paper - I have two computer screens, one a laptop and cable feeding to a monitor so I can have a dual screen set up. I'm sitting inside because outside feels like a sauna, wondering what exactly I want to do with my life. How many people just sit and think about this? I lean back on this high-backed leather chair and wonder how the fuck I ended up here, when two years ago I was so adamant on back-packing across the world and seeing everything with no end date - yet, here I sit, trying to find a reason as to why this hasn't happened yet. Perhaps that was just an ignorant old self of my that I'm struggling to let go - there's a part in everyone that never wants to be tied down to career that they have no interest in - but at the same time, you know that without, life would be very difficult. At this stage I'm not sure what's worse - being told you can do anything you want because you've been to university, surrounded by a bunch of hipsters from Newtown OR the realization that everything you were actually taught growing up was more important and at no point ever set you up for failure or disappointment.

What's ironic is that I just realized this turned into a rant - how humorous. Perhaps my passions aren't dead after all.

Don't believe the lies and spin.
JM

Angry Rant #47: Happy New Year!

Hello my children,

I have just had about 3 months off writing and getting my opinion out there to the people that read it. Honestly, I'm not too sure why. It might be the overwhelming factors regarding how many people I get through to or what constantly occurs in mainstream media - after many long months of media scrutiny, I needed a longer than normal break, to clear my head and get back onto the band wagon. It's tough working 9 to 5 and trying to write 1000 words of over-opinionated "fuck yous" to anything worth writing about.

So Media Watch, get off you lazy arses and get back to work - that means you Jonathan Holmes.

Naaa I'm just kidding, you're ok. 

So...the NDAA huh?

From what I know, and what I've been reading, the NDAA or 'National Defense Authorization Act' gives power to the military to detain, indefinitely (for as long as they want) any US citizen suspected of being a terrorist, without a warrant and figure out if terrorizing is their profession  *cough* WATER TORTURE IS TORTURE *cough* - it essentially cancels out all their rights they have as US citizens.

Now Obama, in a White House press statement, acknowledges the fact that he doesn't agree with the whole bill affirming that:

"I have signed this bill despite having serious reservations with certain provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation, and prosecution of suspected terrorists."

and

"I want to clarify that my Administration will not authorize the indefinite military detention without trial of American citizens. Indeed, I believe that doing so would break with our most important traditions and values as a Nation."

Nice save huh?

So he signs the bill anyway on the 31st of December, when everyone was too drunk to care or even remember anything. It's a bit like introducing a new gun law so everyone can have gun, acknowledging the fact that guns kill people, but signing it in anyway. Why sign a bill you don't entirely agree with? Here are some possible terrorist suspects below:

What's stranger is how mainstream media seems to be avoiding the whole issue like the plague. It's still early days though...

Watch this space.

Don't believe the lies and spin.
JM

Angry Rant #46: "Oh yeah, I wonder how all those people are going..."

Do you remember...

The Christchurch earthquake?
The tsunami in South-East Asia?
The Japanese quake AND Tsunami?

Are you aware that 750,000 people could die from starvation in East Africa in the next two months?

It's easy to forget these disasters that killed and are still killing thousands upon thousands of people, when mainstream media avoids it like the proverbial plague. Journalists sit around in their offices, waiting for the next press release to come in from AAP or Reuters or some other news wire, waiting for something to write about.

They think to themselves - "Should I write about death and destruction in a world full of it or do I report on the birth of a new baby Elephant at Taronga Zoo?" What do they classify as news and how do they find out what people want to read about?

Hmmm...

I know that I regularly hack on the media for a lot of different things - from beefing up news stories, to just plainly making shit up or shameless plugging something. Now, don't think that this is turning into some sappy "I have changed my views on the media" because I haven't - if anything, I'm more disgraced by what they do. I more disgraced by the fact that the media industry is seen as a business, compared to something that actually informs the public - and doesn't try to sell them anything.

Now bear with me here!

Raarr!

I completely understand that the media industry is a business. Journalists write because they enjoy what they do, but also because they need to money to live - even if that means doing something or writing something that don't completely agree with.

Except Peter Overton - he's just a plain ol' fucktard.

I also understand that the media industry believes that for something to be "news" it needs to be "new". But because the media industry has such a large influence over what the people think, I can't help but get worked up when I see "news" programs trying to sell me something or when they misinform people.

You might be wondering why I'm writing this today and honesty, it wasn't because I saw something in the news today that reminded me of those natural disasters, but because the "anniversary" of 9/11 is coming up and I keep hearing it being described as the "World's Greatest Tragedy".

Let's not forget, in a world full of Americanization, the MLB is called the
"World Series".

I very much doubt there will ever be a "10th Anniversary" for the Japanese Tsunami. It's just a thought I've been having, take it as you will.

Don't believe the lies and spin.
JM

Angry Rant #46: AGAIN with the beef.

And....we're rolling.

It's seems mainstream media hasn't changed in my month off. The media still spins things blindly out of proportion in an effort to keep viewers watching and their sponsors happy - not to mention all of the advertising that occurs in their12-hour coverage - think Jessica Watson and her boat.

Channel Nine Reporter: "So...how's the weather?"
Jessica: "It's ok, but let's not rock the boat."... (crickets)

When it comes bomb threats, you know there are going to be helicopters buzzing around the joint all trying to catch a glimpse of that first explosion - trying to get a those perfect pictures. If someone is acting erratically the media feels that it's up to them to try and figure out why - even if that why only comes down to two options:

1. Extremist Muslim
2. Bomb threat.

So when it comes to the crazy guy running around Parramatta acting..well...crazy, you have to wonder why exactly he's doing it. That's the first thing - not, "the guy has a bomb" even when police haven't confirmed that it even was a bomb threat or even if he has someone hostage!! They jump to conclusions, they write provocative headlines and they lie to their readers and viewers.

Meanwhile, fat news directors sitting in their expensive leather arms chairs add fuel to the fire by adding eye witness accounts of people on the street and turning what they think is going on into Fact. They sit there and scream...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJdMjRHRLfg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

More time, more money, more cameras, more people, more viewers, more sponsors, more advertising, more worry, more fear, more hate, more spending, more money.

The media industry in this country needs to be turned up-side down and all the loose change needs to be shaken out.

Don't believe the lies and spin.
JM

Angry Rant #45: Skinny, as she goes.

Alex Perry came out today in quite some style - accusing an 18-year-old girl of being "over-stuffed luggage."

"Whom might this girl be?" I hear you ask. Well, this is a picture of the girl below:

"Over-stuffed luggage"

I've said it before and I'll say it again - ANYONE who works in the industry and is so obsessed with body image is a disgrace. Alex Perry needs to take a very long walk off a very short plank in pit of fire from which he can burn for thinking that he alone can judge what looks good and what doesn't, all the while filing the minds of young women in this country with the idea that being thin isn't thin enough.

I look at the picture of this girl above and I try to understand what he thinks his idea of perfection is. In fact, his idea of perfection DOESN'T exist. He's constructed this idea within his own mind based on years upon years of manipulation by a sexually driven media and advertising industry. What exactly does this Perry filth deem to be attractive? Do women with their bones showing acting like walking clothes hangers do it for him? Women in this day and age are used to sell goods - they are not seen as women, but as tools to line the pockets of rich CEO's and self-obsessed fashion designers.

I say women, not models, because the idea that being skinny and flaunting their sexuality is not just something limited to the catwalk. Young women take on his perceptions of what women should look like and, in turn, try to be like the models portrayed by buying the same expensive clothes and trying emulate everything that they do - including being overtly thin.

Here's one prick I'd be happy to hear that dies a horrible fiery death tomorrow

So how do we change this? Stop buying clothing labelled with his name? Voice our opinion on blogs or his websites? Protest an his fashion shows? He did apparently tweet his apology saying that her "posing skills" where like "over-stuffed luggage" and that his insults had nothing to do with her weight.

Ha.

Nice try.

I guess it's a hard issue to combat when even the leading women's magazines in this country are just as focused on how thin women are and creating perfection where it doesn't exist. It's difficult to combat when the person on the front cover of their magazine is seen as item of clothing.

My thoughts on the issue? Boycott this pathetic excuse for human being and hope his next plane ride has a lot turbulence. Women should be treated like human beings - and not like this.

Don't believe the lies and spin.
JM

Raging on #44 - The commenting revolution.

This was a brilliant comment on the last post I did that was good enough for it's own post! You can read the original post here.

Religion - the accepted insanity. 

By SB

I can not, and will not ever be able to comprehend what some people can justify as "right". If you can murder, discriminate and hurt others in the name of an imaginary man who created the world and himself, then you must be smoking crack. It will never be clear to we atheists, what can possibly make somebody believe a nonsense story about walking on water or a story about a man who lived in a whale. Honestly? And to use this story to justify immoral acts, and to 'kick out' somebody who tried to make a stand..... What can we say? What can we do, when a large fraction of the world is delusional?


If you call yourself a Christian how can you say that you don't tolerate prejudice, hate, inequality, when the very foundations of christianity (the bible) features so many incidents including these elements?

I dont understand it. But I do however, understand, that when people such as Peter Kennedy are "kicked out" they must be doing something good (see the SMH story HERE) There is NO evidence for religion, but you can't talk to some of these people when their minds are so corrupted because they won't see reasoning - and that's a fact!


I'm not going to try and change your opinion, because there will simply be no changing mine.

Thanks.

SB

Angry Rant #44: So you want to be a good person?

Dismissed because he promoted "Equality" and the Church can't have that! 

Go!

You might have seen that story that went buzzing around a little earlier today about that Catholic Priest, Father Peter Kennedy who was dismissed from the church back in 2009 for among other things, feeling that men and women should be equal. The other things include, calling the story of Jesus a "fable" and blessing same-sex marriage.

So here is person who believes that everyone, no matter what sex you are or race, says people should be equal. So why do other idiot Christians like Fred Nile (Christian Version of muslim extremist) get away with saying that Islam is immoral when their own religion does the same thing? Then, they cut those out of the picture that say otherwise?

I wonder how much longer it will take for these people to finally wake up to themselves and truly see the world through their own eyes and not distorted by the words of some misogynistic, contradictory, anti-democratic story written by a bunch of power-hungry men who wanted more control.

Kennedy makes a pretty valid point however - if God is some all powerful being, can do everything and knows how we think, then why did he CHOOSE not to save the lives of innocent children? If all life is sacred, then why did he allow kids to be shot up and left to bleed to death under his so called control?

If you believe in God and believe that some "all powerful being" controls your life, then you, just to put it bluntly, are a fool. Your mind has been played with - seeing the world to you must be like trying to focus on your hand underwater - I feel sorry for you - and I stand by this.

Any group, person, being or whatever other collective that promotes inequality and violence in return for "salvation" is morally wrong. Religion in all of its many shapes and forms is just simply wrong. You want to be good person? Become an atheist and treat everyone with respect and equality that they deserve.

...and lets not forget that Anders Behring Breivik, the man who murdered 76 people over the weekend in Norway was also a Christian and did it because hates Islam.


Here's a little parting quote from Max Born to get you thinking (Kudos to MC): 

   "The belief that there is only one truth and that oneself is in possession of it, seems to me the deepest root of all evil in this world"

Try and change my opinion - I dare you just to have go.

Dont believe the lies add spin.

JM