Cate Speaks

Politics, Poetry and Reviews

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Politics: Preferences and Family First

September 27, 2004 / / 0 Comments

Politics is depressing me today. I got a heads-up from the Greens that both Democrats and Labor are preferencing Family First ahead of the Greens (so did Liberal, of course, but this is no surprise). Family First being the strongly Assembly-of-God linked ‘Christian family values’ party. It looks suspiciously like a bi-partisan effort to keep the Greens out of Senate. Those who like to go on at length about the evils of Family First claim that this party is funded by AOG churches in the US, and is trying to make abortion illegal. Careful checking of their website shows them trying to stay well away from this image, but succumbing to it when they absolutely must – they will mislead and misdirect, but they will can’t bring themselves to lie outright, which is something, at least.

I have to say, I can see why Democrats put Green last – Greens and Democrats are fighting it out for the same ecological niche, politically speaking, so naturally you want to give the competition as little help as possible. But I’m very disappointed in Labor. I feel betrayed, in fact. Family First scare me, and I wish that one of the major parties at least would stop helping them.

I do not want a scary Christian political party holding the balance of power in this country. I have no problem with Christianity, even the scary kind, as a private religion, but I do not trust any religion once it starts developing legislative power. I love Australia and I love its diversity and general tolerance of (or should I say, complete lack of interest in?) many different kinds of religion.

Sorry, this is getting repetitive, but the whole thing really frightens me. Not least because my choice of profession has made me feel obliged not only to be Pro-Choice but to be actively, openly so. I was going to add commentary on that, but I’ll leave it for now. Most people reading this know my views and why I hold them, and if you don’t you are welcome to ask.

Anyway, I’m scared. And I’m wondering how hard it would be to move to New Zealand…

Oh, and I’ll be restarting the politics project shortly. Things are quiet today, so I have no excuse.

Politics: ALP Policies for the 2004 Election

September 15, 2004 / / 0 Comments

I don’t know why I am suddenly quite so fascinated by Australian politics. But I seem to have decided that I must now find out everything I can about all the parties I dug up yesterday, and report back. We’ll see how long this enthusiasm lasts. In passing, I note that my friends appear to be quite a politically active mob. On quite a lot of different sides, too. Definitely a good thing. I am currently trying to arrange to do how to vote cards at the same booth where another friend is handing out cards for Labor. My evil side can’t help wondering if I can convince my democrat, liberal, socialist alternative and Scary Christian friends to hand out cards at the same booth… keep each other company, you know. Because surely it is a good thing when people on all different sides of politics can find common ground? This is, of course, a hobby horse of mine.

I also wonder why politics is meant to be such a Thing Not To Discuss. My parents didn’t even discuss it with each other, and my mother got quite upset once when I asked her how she had voted. It just Wasn’t Done. Partly, I think, because my father was a swinging voter with working class sympathies and my mother was much more conservative. But it seems to have been a wider social rule. Maybe I’m just lucky in having friends who are happy to discuss politics non-heatedly. Or maybe it’s just that everyone who knows me has by now realised that I ask out of rampant curiosity, not to pick a fight.

Anyway, if you don’t ask the people you respect who they are voting for and why, then how are you supposed to find out what the different parties have to offer people of intelligence and integrity? Or why a particular person feels represented by a particular party?

Back to the policy documents.  I’m going to start with the ALP, because I went there yesterday.

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Politics: Looking for Policies…

September 14, 2004 / / 0 Comments

It’s been bugging me that you can’t just go somewhere and read all the different parties’ policies.

So here’s a list of all the parties listed by the AEC, and all the websites I can find for them. If I’ve missed any, or you can fill in any blanks, please let me know.

And yes, I am feeling a trifle obsessive-compulsive today…

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Politics: Accidental Volunteering, and Deliberate Reading

September 14, 2004 / / 0 Comments

This time, it’s political…

I’ve been reading the Australian Greens’ policy document today. All 92 pages (online, of course) of it. This seemed an appropriate step since I accidentally volunteered to hand out how to vote cards / do scrutineering on election day. Well, not accidentally. But certainly in a spur of the moment, hey look, the Greens’ campaign office is at this tramstop, sort of way.

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The Gas Heater Song (with apologies to Hall and Oates)

July 29, 2004 / / 0 Comments

Our hot water system died.  The pilot light had been blowing out pretty consistently, and then it started doing alarming whoomphy flames when I re-lit it.  I was explaining to a friend that it only blows out at night, and suddenly I heard the opening bars of the Man Eater tune in my head…

She’ll only blow out at night
The hot and tricksy type
Nothing is new, I’ve been out here before
Freezing and listening
Ooh, she’s looking alright, but the pilot light’s no more
And nobody here can see
If the flame is on and the gas flows free
She’s cranky and old, and quite untamed by the threat of a gas-fitter
No more hot water
If you’re after a shower
You ain’t gonna get too far

(Damn, there she goes)
Watch out boy, she’ll blow you up
(Oh there she goes)
She’s the gas-heater…
(Oh there she goes)
Watch out boy, she’ll blow you up
(Damn, there she goes)
She’s the gas-heater…

I wouldn’t if I were you
I know what she can do
She spouts blue flames, she could really blow your house apart
Freezing the weather
Ooh, the fire is there but the cold is in her heart

(Damn, there she goes)
Watch out boy, she’ll freeze you dead
(Oh there she goes)
She’s the gas-heater…
(Oh there she goes)
Watch out boy, she’ll freeze you dead
(Damn, there she goes)
She’s the gas-heater…

Ooh,
Damn, there she goes
(No hot water!)
Watch out boy, she’ll blow you up
Damn, there she goes
(It’s cold)
Ancient gas heater!
Damn, there she goes
(Poor old gas heater!)
Ooh, she’ll blow us up
(Oh there she goes)
There she goes, no more gas heater
(Damn, there she goes)
(Watch out)
She’ll only blow out at night, ooh
(Damn, there she goes)
Late at night –
Good-bye gas heater!
(Oh, there she goes)
(She’s the gas heater)
When you’re in the shower – brr!
(Damn, there she goes)
There she goes
Watch out boy, watch out boy
(Damn, there she goes)
Oh, it’s cold, it’s cold, it’s cold, it’s cold
(Oh, there she goes)
Yeah yeah ancient gas heater
(Damn, there she goes)
(She’s a gas heater)
She’s biding her time ooh
(Oh, there she goes)
Oh, evil gas heater…

 

Sonnet: Blanket-Monster, or the Faithfulness of Cats

May 3, 2004 / / 0 Comments

She stalks her foe on silent, night-black paws,
Eyes wide and black to catch each hint of light;
Alert ears, focused whiskers, sharpened claws;
Still. Waiting for her summons to the fight.
The slightest blanket-twitch and she is there!
Fierce, fearless, she protects against the beast.
Man’s ancient enemy caught unaware –
Quickly subdued by nimble paw – deceased.
For man’s best friend cannot defeat this foe;
Slow, gullible, he does not know its face.
And man, ever ungrateful, bellows ‘No!’
And in her loyal protection sees disgrace.
Yet faithfully her nightly watch she’ll keep:
Bast’s daughters in their duty do not sleep.

Sonnet: In Memoriam (a sonnet for Marla)

January 23, 2004 / / 0 Comments

This is a wrong that nothing can amend:
Today, when all of life should lie ahead,
Replete with joys and challenges – instead
We say farewell to sister, daughter, friend
This is a wrong that nothing can redress.
What right have I, a stranger, to complain?
I did not know her. This is not my pain.
And yet her loss has made each of us less.
How dare death waste this life, turn morn to night?
It is a wrong that cannot be undone.
She was courageous, talented and bright –
This should be the beginning, not the end.
Five years she fought, and thought the battle won.
This is a wrong that nothing can amend.

Sonnet: Ista’s God

January 16, 2004 / / 0 Comments

This sonnet was written for a character in Lois McMaster Bujold’s brilliant fantasy novel, Paladin of Souls.  It’s a gorgeous, gorgeous book, which I recommend to everyone and anyone.

 

The Gods’ great curses come to us as gifts
Of bitter hope, in answer to our prayer
Safer by far the silence of despair
Than damnèd sainthood, ruin that uplifts.
Let others try to mend what has been done
Your riddles are too cruel for my belief
They’ve left me empty, riddled with my grief
My cup is shattered. Lost. Leave me alone.
You, Bastard God, I am not yours to use.
The hostages your Mother had are gone:
I am bereft of husband, mother, son
Nothing to force my choice – yet I must choose.
And strangely, now, it seems I’ve found my place:
I’ll serve you well – and curse you to your face.

The Emu Song (with mild apologies to Mariah Carey, though I’m not convinced the original is better)

November 3, 2003 / / 0 Comments

This was composed under the influence of essays and sleep deprivation, and has no other excuse.  You can sing it to Mariah Carey’s song ‘The Hero’, but I’m not sure you should.

There’s an emu.
If you look inside your heart
You don’t have to be afraid
Of ostriches
They are flightless
And they readily dissolve
With the proper lysozymes
They’ll melt away…

And then an emu comes along
With a silly emu song
And, you’ll cast him to the sky
‘Cos he swears that he can fly.
And when the landing goes all wrong
Gather feathers, and be strong
And you’ll finally see the truth
That an emu lied to you…

Song: Santa Claus is Watching You (with apologies to Sting, but none whatsoever to J. Fred Coots)

October 24, 2003 / / 0 Comments

Did anyone else ever think that ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ was kind of creepy?

To be sung to the tune of ‘Every Breath You Take’, by Sting

Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every toy you break
Every pet you shake

I’ll be watching you

‘Til it’s Christmas day
Every word you say
Every game you play –
From my deer-drawn sleigh

I’ll be watching you

O I can see
From the Christmas Tree
Whether you’ve been good
If you’ve done what you should

I am taking notes
I am writing quotes
I am counting votes
Sorting sheep from goats

I am watching you

Made a list and I’m checking it all twice
When you’re awake, I will know it in a trice
When you’re asleep I know when you close your eyes
That’s how I find out who’s been naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming back to town…

Oh, don’t you pout
Don’t you scream or shout
Oh you’d best watch out
For you need have no doubt:

Every time you fight
Be it day or night
While the snow is white
From the chimney’s height

I’ll be watching you.

Every move you make
E very toy you break
Every small mistake
Asleep or awake

I’ll be watching you.

Sitting in my sleigh
Until Christmas day

I’ll be watching you

Santa’s watching you
Santa’s watching you
Santa’s watching you
Santa’s watching you….

Spoken: So be good for goodness sake…

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I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which I was born and live, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

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