Rats of Tobruk

I just watched the sale of the Rats of Tobruk hall in Albert Park for 1,730 000 dollars.

Every time a building gets sold in my suburb, every time a shop closes and a chain opens, we call it the ‘end of the era’. In fact, just last week I jokingly suggested that the installing of new check-out counters at the local IGA should be marked with a minutes silence for the old ones. The changes in Albert Park have been so slow and at the same time so fast that we have had many ends of many eras. The only difference this time that somehow, this time, I think it might be true. The sale of this building is indeed an end of an era.

My experience of the Rats building at the end of my street, was, for a long time, one of mild confusion. As a small child walking home form the school bus I was always slightly bemused. What is that building? Who are the rats? Why would rats need a building anyway? Despite not understanding its importance I always enjoyed seeing the building with is wrought iron gates and its mysterious stained glass windows. It was a hallmark of my neighbourhood. A familiar sight that meant that home was 'not long now'.

Having studied much world war two history I now have a much better understanding about the Rats of Tobruk, their significance, and why that little hall has been an important meeting place for 50 years.

As a cultural heritage student I have a much better understanding of what the building means. Standing next to the new owner of this place as he bid (or at least the man sent to bid for them) I looked at him, wondering what is in store for the Rats of Tobruk. I am curious and hopeful that they might be able to do justice to the important site they now hold and a little sad that it can no longer be the place that I remember.

Bully Boys

5 teenage boys from Xavier College bully their classmate by sticking him in the 'wheelie bin of terror' and pushing and kicking the bin until he falls flat on the ground. They video it and distribute it to their mates. Xavier development director Graham Sharp describes it as "a prank that got out of hand".

Nice.

Now thats what I call developing 'reflective, compassionate and articulate men of Christian faith and hope, who will give service and leadership in our world'.

Well at least we can rest assured that, given its Xavier, half these boys will probaly be drafted into the AFL in the next couple of years. One can only wonder what they'll be able to do once they have a massive disposable income and too much free time.

Political Inclusion?

Julia Gillard spoke at the Melbourne University Centre for Public Policy last night, on the topic of ‘Labor's framework for social inclusion’. She spoke knowledgably and engagingly about what is essentially weet-bix dry public policy. It clearly not a particularly sexy topic because, the public lecture was not nearly as packed out with punters (and whackos) that an event like this would usually be.

I have long been a fan, but that was based almost entirely on the fact that she was a woman and a Melbournian. There was no rational basis on which I had formed my opinion.

Last night I was hugely impressed with her as a speaker and even more impressed with the depth of her knowledge of policy and ideas outside her own portfolios. During a Q&A session she fielded questions about gay & lesbian policy, the budget, indigenous affairs, women’s affairs, infrastructure and IR with ease and it was quite apparent that unlike certain minister within the current administration, she actually reads things that are given to her.*

Its not really a surprise to me that the punters didn’t turn out in droves to this lecture, because social policy, and particularly policy surrounding social inclusion, is just not sexy. This is for two reasons. One, is that its really, really hard to find anything that works and twice as hard to pay for it. And two, its about helping the old, the poor, the uneducated, the disabled, migrants and aboriginal people, and most of the population couldn’t give a stuff about any of them.

But it turns out Julia Gillard does. She actually believes in social policy and that we have an obligation to invest in social inclusion while the economy is strong enough to pay for it. It warmed my heart to see someone working within the government (or at least the alternative government**) talking about the things I care about and saying the sorts of things I like to hear. It has been a long time.

Like Tom, I am struggling to contain my pessimism (the dees season is quite obviously ruined and its only round 3) about the coming election and my disillusionment with the political climate in general, but last night’s lecture was a nice reminder that some of my values are also held by some of the politicians, some of the time.

*She also had this very clever way of mentioning the shadow minister for whichever portfolio she was talking about, a bit of a ‘getting to know the gang’ kind of a thing.

** I am enjoying the way Special K has started calling it the ‘alternative government’ makes it sound like they actually are an ‘alternative’ not just an ‘opposition’.

You can now get a transcript of this lecture from here.

You light up my life

Oh, my god, are you for reals?

This is quite possibly the silliest thing I have ever heard.

The game is now so fast and so controlled that nobody in the stands can tell whats going on. So what we'll do is turn the lights on and off to make it more theatrical... so the supporters dont get bored.

Problems with game? Nah.