Metior August by Murdoch Guild of Students

METIOR

Murdoch Empire Telegraph & Indian Ocean Review

FREE

Edition #5 2011

Murdoch Empire Telegraph & Indian Ocean Review – Since 1975 Edition 5, 2011 Metior acknowledges that this is and always will be Aboriginal land. Metior is a Murdoch University student publication. For latest Guild news, events and info go to www.the-guild.com.au Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/metiormagazine Want to catch up on previous issues? Go to www.the-guild.com.au/metior Editor Sonia Tubb Graphic Design Karmen Lee Photographers Duncan Wright - Photographic Director Philipp Sebastian Aidan White Alex Aitken

Our undying everlasting gratitude to... Michelle Stanley Alex Aquino Chloe Reynolds Clint Little Declan Luketina Michael Cadby Kate Collier Anne Onymous Rebecca Stephanie Camilo Mejia Jessica Littlewood Nicola Sheridan Michael James Jenai Tomlinson Rodiyah Fiedorowicz Regi Swift Jez (Krause Komics) James Ahern

Metior’s deadlines for the remaining two issues of 2011 are 19th September & 17th October If you’d like to contribute writing, photography, poetry, illustrations or ideas please email us at metior@the-guild.com.au Editor Sonia Tubb

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Address Murdoch University Guild 90 South Street, Murdoch WA 6150

CONTENTS President’s Notes.................................................2 Editorial................................................................2 Hands Off My Stash.............................................3 Things That Grind My Gears................................5 Paying the Price...................................................6 To The Loved Ones...............................................6 Andrew Sinclair....................................................7 Cover Photographer: Duncan Wright..................8 Procrastination is Art.........................................10 Get Your Swing On!...........................................10 Dear Cunt...........................................................11 Photographer: Phillip Sebastian.......................12 Making Tracks....................................................14 Sex!.....................................................................16 Plaza Indonesia..................................................18 Crazy Milky Loops..............................................19 I’m Hungry For Some Kids.................................20 Popping Your Vox!.............................................22 Omanian Nights.................................................24 Welcome To The Arena......................................26 So You Went There............................................27 Someone To Watch Over Me: Part 2.................28 The Waiting Game.............................................29 Five Pints Down.................................................29 The Secret Of Beetroot Juice.............................30 Photographer: Alex Aitken................................32 Where To Find Us...............................................33

Disclaimer Metior is published by the students of Murdoch University, under the governance of Murdoch University Guild of Students. Content should not be regarded as the opinions of the Guild unless specifically stated. The Guild accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any of the opinions or information contained within the magazine.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT Words by Brodie Lewis I like shoes. I have many pairs. My Yellow Tigers are my favourite. I’m on the lookout for a new pair cause I’ve worn through the soles. My yellow shoes get comments – like “wow, they’re bright” and “you’re wearing those with that?” Yes. I am. Why am I telling you about my shoes? I’ve been doing this job for over a year now, it’s starting to get to a point that I understand the place, know the staff, love all of you, and I’m about to leave. My shoes are one of the things that everyone first notices about me. Well, when I started in this job, The Guild was a bit dull, a bit boring. We’ve been working tirelessly to brighten up the place. Yellow was kind of the inspiration. What, now? We’re about to launch The Hub, the next redevelopment on our list. It’ll have opportunities for Volunteering and NFP connections on campus. We’re sending 180 students over to the Gold Coast to compete in UniGames, on the back of our 8thplace last year. We’re working on what The Guild, and your campus, will look like next year, with a possible change to student service funding still being figured out in Canberra. It’ll look a lot like it does today, just bigger, louder and much, much brighter.

EDITORIAL Words by Sonia Tubb Hi. What’s been going down? It’s week 6 and already I feel like I’ve come off the tail end of a three day bender – permanently. If you feel like this all the time and not because of study or work but ACTUALLY because of excessive amounts of late nights, substances etc (aka feeling like a UWA Law student?) maybe take a break? OR if you’re clever enough; you’ll locate the ‘with compliments’ crate of Redbull in your boss’ office, pinch the lot a few while he’s not looking and carry on. While goings-on at Murdoch seem to have settled down and the first years have lost their smile, know where they’re going and have tackled the early morning; things at Metior only seem to be getting crazier. A wave of students are submitting their pieces (yay!), our ‘timeline’ exhibition in the Library has ended and the next deadline is looming up faster than ever! I want to say thanks to the Media School and the library staff for all of their efforts and help. You are amazing! Once again my desperation for people to read Metior makes obvious my hope that you like this issue. And want to write for us.

KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY STASH NANNY BARNETT Words by Chloe Reynolds

Effects Of New Weed Laws There has been a lot of hoo ha about cannabis possession lately in Western Australia, because now, if you’re found with 10 grams or more of the ol’ Mary Jane, you’re a criminal. As of August 1st just 10 grams finds you a maximum $2000 fine or 2 years jail. Heavy, right? And to top it off a nice little criminal record to go with it. Get caught with less than 10g and you’re in for a mandatory counselling session. The new penalties have sparked an outcry from responsible users across the state. On the day the new marijuana legislation was instated there was a peaceful speak out held in Solidarity Park, across from Parliament House, organised by a small local group headed by David Gillett and Buckley Christopher. They were expecting a heavy police presence to show up and kick them out of the park, but all remained calm and the rally ended with a spirited rendition of John Lennon’s classic, Give Peace A Chance: “All we are saying, is give weed a chance”. The Police Minister Rob Johnson was invited to speak but did not. What is interesting is the stigma that is created by criminalising marijuana and its users. They’re not your usual criminal, they tend not to harm others, generally don’t instigate violence, and a lot of users carry on a very normal, productive life. Unfortunately the mainstream media constantly blather on about all the worst case scenarios, in a bid to frighten us into acceptance of the laws, instead of providing us with un-biased information so we can make up our own minds. Recently in New York there was a key panel that consisted of former heads of state, a former U.N Official and a business bigwig that conceded the ‘Global War On Drugs’ has failed. According to a new report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy, more harm stems from drugs like marijuana being criminalised; with the effects of that harm being reflected back in society . According to Sir Keith Morris, from the advisory board of the International Council on Security and Development in the United States, countries “should look at the huge costs of incarcerating large numbers of people, [and] the damage its done”. The Western Australian Government and Police could get clever here and explore the idea of legalising and henceforth, taxing and regulating the supply of Marijuana. Rather than focusing on a relatively peaceful few, how about they further point their attention to the clandestine drug labs that are popping up around suburbia like toadstools. Imagine the revenue from decriminalising and regulating the sale of weed! Especially for commodities like hemp that is bound up in red tape at present which could do wonders for the environment as well as the capitalist back pocket. The profits from the tax could even go back into the community instead of the dealer. How about that idea?

For spam and other such welcomed messages, email metior@the-guild.com.au

LITTLE RED

Krause Komics

On Saturday 23rd July ‘Little Red’, the first Forest Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo ever to be born in a nest-box, and the first ever recorded to be born on the Swan coastal plain, finally left its nest. Why is this important… BECAUSE IT WAS BORN AT MURDOCH!!! ‘Little Red’ is now happily flying and screeching around campus, eating flowers and preening its Mohawk. Metior congratulates the Murdoch Environmental Restoration Group for their success and we hope this won’t be the last baby in a box born at Murdoch. In fact, you can send your unfertilised eggs in to c/o Michael Cadby at Metior, I’m sure he can find something to do with them.

THINGS THAT GRIND MY GEARS Words by Kate Collier

Bankwest Student Account

No monthly account fees for students

Annoying Things That Get Under My Skin Whilst these are all small, petty Western problems, they still irritate the crap out of me and I wanted to share the frustration around. And sure, my complaining will most probably annoy the crap out of you, but if you agree with even one of my little issues, then my job here is done. Tall people that stand at the front of crowds This logic makes absolutely no sense to me. It may just be because for the majority of my life I was standing at a below average height, but even still, I feel as though it is pure common decency to allow someone of a lesser stature to stand in front of you at a gig or whilst watching a magician or that sword swallowing guy in Fremantle... whatever floats your boat. I understand that the tall people of the world would also like to be at the front to see their favourite band and don’t always like to sit at the back of the movie theatre, but I’m not asking you to go to the back, just take a little squiz around you first. Check to see that there isn’t a smaller person on his or her tippy toes, straining their neck to see over the heads and shoulders in a sea of people just to get a seconds glance at that attractive lead singer or guitarist.

Enjoy a fuss-free student account that’s packed with features! No monthly account fees No minimum opening balance Unlimited electronic transactions 24/7 online banking & phone banking Exclusive Bankwest Student Edge Debit Card as an option Optional Debit MasterCard®* so you can shop online with your own money

√ visit the Murdoch University store on campus at Bush Court 0 201 11 20 BANK OF THE YEAR

Important things you should know: This product is issued by Bank of Western Australia Ltd ABN 22 050 494 454 AFSL 236872. You should consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and whether the product is right for you. A PDS is available from your local Bankwest store, from bankwest.com.au, or by calling 13 17 18. The Bankwest Student account is an account for full time secondary, tertiary and TAFE students, apprentices and trainees. Joint accounts are not available on the Student account. *Debit MasterCard is only available to Australian Citizens, Permanent or Temporary Residents over 18 years of age with an Australian residential address. MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. Ad132 020911

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 MONDAY

TUESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

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6.30am 

12.00pm

WEDNESDAY

* 8 week course

Nee

 Robyn (40min) 12:15pm

Paula (30min) 12:15pm

Jenny

Chrissie (30min) 12:15

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4.15pm

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Katy M

5.20pm 

Joni

 Chrissie

Robyn

Carmel

Jake (45min)

Nee (45min)

5.30pm

6.30pm Katie L (45min)

Jenny

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Rachel

Ginormous lines outside bars/clubs You wait in line in the cold, sometimes the rain, second hand smoking with drunk girls heels scraping the back of your ankles, only to find that there is plenty of room inside the venue. There is all this mumbo jumbo of the venues legal capacity, yet by the time you make it inside, the joint is only half full. This makes me sad. I’m an impatient person at the best of times, and during most nights out, by the time I reach the bar/ club my bladder is well and truly full, yet I don’t seem to realise it until I have safely secured a spot a third of the way up the line. This leads me to my next complaint... Full Bladders Those crafty little buggers. When you were little your mother always told you to go to the bathroom before you left for the extended car ride. Oh no problem, you went not long ago. You’ll be fine, it isn’t that long a drive. And then bam, not 10 minutes in your bladder feels as though it’s going to burst. You cross your legs, you sit perfectly still and you concentrate with all your might on not urinating. THEN, someone catches on and decides to remind you about waterfalls and running taps and my personal favourite... “Think of someone punching your bladder like a punching bag.” Oh boy. Obvious Facebook Statuses Example: “It’s raining!” Really? Is it really raining? I honestly didn’t notice that loud thunder, the water falling from the heavens, pounding on my roof and rattling the windows. But then it doesn’t stop. Someone else decides to point out that it’s raining too and then someone else etc, etc. Then some wise guy decides to do the whole sarcasm thing and post what everyone is thinking...“oh is it raining? I never would have guessed”. And there is always that one guy that says, “Pointless status about the weather”. And they say that social networking is a form of news. Situations such as these make me think otherwise.

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All fitness classes are 55mins (unless stated) & are included in fitness centre memberships (except B.O.O.T) CASUAL VISIT – (Guild Members): $9.00 class/ 10 Class Pass: $80.00 CASUAL VISIT – (Non Guild): $12.00 class/ 10 Class Pass: $108.00 PH: 9360 * B.O.O.T – is an 8 week course requiring registration before commencement, next course starts 12th October- No casual sessions are permitted.

Everyone wanting to move to Melbourne I agree, Melbourne is wonderful, I myself am considering another trip in the near future. But holy crap, every man and his dog would like to relocate to the other side of the country, in particular Melbourne. I hear people complain about how small Perth is and in turn how boring and crap it is. Sure if you hate it that much then go right ahead, move away. But I’m not fond of hearing people go on and on about it. If you don’t like something, then change it. You are all perfectly capable members of the community. Sure, us Perthians suck at merging and for the majority of us, it’s a $50 taxi ride to get home after a night out, but at least the weather is nice. Perth isn’t going to get any less boring if no one does anything about it. Introduce something new, do something different, crawl out from underneath your rock. If you actually took the time and effort to look around, you could find so many wonderful things to do, in so many wonderful places around Perth.

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PAYING THE PRICE

ANDREW SINCLAIR

Words by Jenai Tomlinson

Words by Sonia Tubb

Animals Pay High Price For Fashion

Interview With Perth Muso

It’s no secret that people can become suffering victims at the hands of the fashion industry, but when do we spare a thought for the unsung casualties of this industry? We often don’t give a second thought to animal welfare when shopping for the latest trends, but after researching animals and fashion I was shocked to discover the results. I, like many others, believed that the fur coat era was over. However over 50 million animals are still slaughtered each year for the international fur trade!

Tell me about your musical training. I’ve been playing the cello since I was nine. I really loved the cello and ended up getting a music scholarship to Perth Mod and going from TEE music at Perth Mod to Composition at WAAPA. When I got to WAAPA I got more into what music actually means, what it means to make new music today. Like how to depict things within music and how to create your own individual language in music which I think is really important.

Most of this fur is coming from China, where there are no animal welfare laws in place. It is estimated that two million dogs and cats are killed for their fur in China each year with many more rabbits, mink and other animals acting as voiceless victims of this cruel practise. Though cat and dog fur was officially banned as an import in Australia in 2004, recent tests have discovered misleading labels have resulted in this fur being sold in Australia in a deliberate attempt to fool consumers. Policing of this is near impossible because of the difficulty to distinguish between the different types of fur. In some cases there have been claims the animals are skinned alive. Sometimes they are skinned alive because of the belief that it results in a more subtle leather product, something highly desirable when manufacturing exotic skin fashion accessories. Karakul lamb wool is another big trend on the catwalks, as they are luxurious and highly valued. However, the wool is taken from lambs that are either killed as newborns or while still in the womb. The curly wool begins to straighten within a couple of days after birth, hence why it must be taken at such early stages. As many as four million Karakul lambs are slaughtered per year to sustain the demand. It’s sad to think that these issues are still apparent in 2011, and considerate consumerism is the only way it will change. We have a choice between being kind or cruel.

TO THE LOVED ONES Words by Rebecca Stephanie No more of pain No more of anguish No more of darkness As you battle the pain that enshrouds you We stand here unable to come to your rescue As the wind blows your anguish We stand here knowing that you have been cherished As you bid darkness a reluctant goodbye We stand here only to cry When the breeze brings about a sudden tranquillity An unexpected emptiness floating amidst that oh-so calm, oh-so silent reverie To the loves ones that we have lost, Rest in peace and we have forgotten you not.

So what do you think ‘music today’ is? I think it’s really anything you want it to be. I don’t think you can really make anything that’s new; I don’t think anyone’s going to make a new genre.

Photo: Duncan Wright

...the wool is taken from lambs that are either killed as newborns or while still in the womb.

Why is that? I guess over the last 100 years or so music has reflected technological advances, like rock music became good when the studio was properly invented, and changed when we started getting pop music, then house music then drum and bass. There can’t be anything as ground breaking as those kinds of things anymore.

the sky is quite bright? Everything takes on this bright characteristic and I feel not many other places have nights like that, at least not that I’ve experienced. It’s not really about specific memories it’s more just about trying to create a musical language for these places and feelings that I think are really specific to Perth and growing up in here. I grew up in Kalamunda, and in high school I’d go to a lot of parties around Kalamunda. To get home you’d have to walk through the bush. There’s no light for kilometres around you so you’d be walking through the bush at 3am. I had all these shortcuts where I’d actually cut through the bush. You just hear all these really strange sounds and can’t see anything.

I always have this debate with people about inventing a new colour; I don’t know how you would do it. Do you think creating musical genres is like that? Yeah it is kind of how I think about it but I think the misconception is that people think that they’re stuck in a cage, like you can’t do anything. And my experience of being at WAAPA is a lot of musicians are frightened. Everyone wants to be a ground breaking artist and they don’t feel like there’s anywhere you can do that. But what I think it means is that you just have a larger palette to work from. All the artists that I can think of that are working now they’re not necessarily doing anything new but they’re doing things that are specific to them.

What?! How do you walk through the bush without being able to see? Dedication, just wanting to get home *chuckles. I have a very specific picture in my head of what that felt like and I don’t live in Kalamunda but I want to cling to those memories. Through music maybe I’m trying to put those memories into a diary because I don’t think I could write that down. I guess I come from a really impressionistic angle when it comes to music in that I don’t really want to do something specific. I like the notion that music is a phenomenon. No one can really explain how it does what it does but you can do so many different things with it.

I always kind of intended to do stuff by myself but never really got around to it. I just decided I wanted to start doing it and it started out I wanted to make an EP that was about this notion I had of summer nights and trying to make music that sounded like the feeling of that notion. What kind of summer night? You know those great Perth summer nights when the air is really warm, everything is really still and

PHOTOGRAPHER Duncan Wright

Picture from my recent trip to Canada. If you want to see more, head over to friendsonfilm.com

PROCRASTINATION IS ART Words by Declan Luketina Procrastination As An ‘Art Form’

Alexander Fleming, who worked in a trash filled lab decided to tidy up however science was his mistress and he had to attend to her every cruel whim before he could find his misplaced assistants. Eventually he discovered Penicillin, all thanks to his procrastination skills surrounding cleaning. There are many other famous people whom I will research in a week or a month, or not.

If musicians are artists and the artists are, well, artists then surely the procrastinators are as much an artist as the aforementioned. I’m a procrastinator and on numerous occasions friends and tutors alike have told me that I put in too little effort. But first allow me to distinguish the difference between procrastinators and lazy people. Lazy people can’t be bothered and pray to their deity to hope that their strong belief in laziness pays off. We WANT to get the job done but we will start in a few weeks or perhaps a month. But right now? No, we have better things to do.

Like any other artist if they’re not painting, writing or rapping they would be doing something constructive like ice fishing or watching flowers bloom instead of sitting on the couch or fishing normally. Spend your time procrastinating doing something that you won’t regret as if it were a bad hangover from a great party.

All the while others are constantly stressing, chewing their pen into oblivion or missing out on going to Disneyland as they take days writing an essay, we begin it hours before its due. We relax, and then type the title, then we stare at Facebook and THEN we write the essay.

I had another few paragraphs to write but I think I will submit that next year. In the meantime I have a painting to complete…or I do have those papers that need sorted…or maybe I’ll just look at those birds outside for another two hours. Then I’ll get back to work, again.

However procrastinators are very different.

GET YOUR SWING ON! Words by Rodiyah Fiedorowicz Swing Dancing For The First Time It seemed to me that swing dancing might just be the latest addition to a love of all things vintage and quirky. But recently I discovered swing has been teaching cool kids sweet moves since the roaring 20’s and has undergone changes in style, audience and musical influence. Quite the little battler. It seemed it was made for someone like me, who had never excelled at team sports (make that any sport), is partial to a spot of nostalgic fashion and was in desperate need of some form of physical activity, aside from walking to and from Cafe Kadj, my much needed caffeine hotspot on campus. I was a little unsure about what to expect, as my YouTube search had left me with clips of swing dancers in retro gear executing amazing spins and flips at breakneck speed. Gulp. Deciding to go casual in a jeans and tee combo seemed like a smart idea and despite a few lovely ladies that had slipped into 40’s get-up, complete with pussy bow blouses and pencil skirts, I wasn’t all alone in my comfy fashion choice.

I’M GONNA SIT DOWN AND WRITE CUNT A LETTER Words by Michael Cadby

I have a bit of a gripe with those who want swearing in public banned, especially those whose main problem is with the word Cunt. Cunt has been a close friend of mine since high school and when I hear people badmouthing it I can’t help but feel I’m watching a defenceless animal being flogged. Surrounded as it is by so much scorn I thought I’d write Cunt a letter, letting it know I was behind it all the way. My Dearest Cunt, I know you as others do not, as a beautiful and innocent four-letter word. In your essence you are nothing but passive and neutral, bound up with no one, no thing, especially no gender or class. And yet you have a terrible reputation, don’t you Cunt? Perhaps you’ve spent too much time around soldiers and the back alleys of the bad parts of town. Its ok, I forgive you, for you took it as your role to relieve stress and uplift the spirits of those who are down. Without you our troops would suffer from a lower morale; by allowing them all to join in you give them a special bond they might otherwise never know. However, some people seem unaware you allow such positive emotional release and instead they use you as a negative term of abuse and insult. You are unfairly labelled as offensive language when what is really offensive is the speaker’s attitude. When used in good spirits your name provokes about as much horror as a rabbit licking its twitching nose. I was recently told your name is used more by men and directed more at women than the opposite. Bollocks to that Cunt! Men are likened to you all the time and you slide off the tongues of women just as easy. Yet some women believe you are vulgar and keep their distance. Why do they resist? Playing with you is only natural. Oh divine Cunt, you make me feel like Dionysus, I want to rub champagne over my body and hear the plucked strings of angels’ harps. But you aren’t young anymore and your bloom won’t last forever. Inevitably you’ll wear out from over-use and afterwards become a tedious exercise for those who persist. Others, who currently complain and try to suppress you, only succeed in fixing your meaning. If you are allowed to be free, the bad smell which follows your mention will be cleansed by the winds of change and your meaning will evolve over time. Just as Punk referred to prostitutes and gay prisoners before being used for hooligans, so too could you undergo a sex change, or refer to no sex at all.

As the class progressed we were taken through a variety of lindy-hop moves, a form of swing dancing originating from the 20’s and one of the major forms of dancing along with Charleston. My partner seemed as nervous as I was, which reassured me slightly until I realised as a ‘follow’ I was relying on him to lead all the moves! This sounds easy, but in practise was so complicated. Nothing like Count Basie to get you in the swing mood! We focused on a simple eight-beat swing-out, a staple move in lindy hop. It’s deceptively easy and took me the whole hour to get my feet and hips working together. But by the end of the class I had my swing-out down pat, despite a few knocked knees! Success!

My poor Cunt, you have been slapped so many times and by so many people it amazes me you still expose yourself at all. Hopefully people will learn not to abuse you anymore as an insult, and use you instead for your best qualities - excitement and unadulterated fun.

Yours faithfully, Michael Cadby

PHOTOGRAPHER Philipp Sebastian

Here are some photographs of people I met and things I saw in Vietnam, Hanoi and North. I hope you enjoy them and I wish them to make you want to go on adventures!!

MAKING TRACKS Words by Alex Aquino

Methadone As A Route To Redemption It’s 8:57, David and around 20 other regulars wait outside Next Step in East Perth for the gates of the dosing centre to be unlocked. Little is said. Anticipation, satisfaction and impatience surround this group of dependant opiate users. All walks of life are represented here, people who have not much in common apart from their need to be at Next Step. David sits with his legs crossed on the grass opposite the gate. Claire the triage nurse unlocks the gate at 8:59, and two single file lines form. The mood lifts as the line moves. Claire greets the clients by first name, small talking with them about details of their lives. David is still on the grass, sitting and waiting for the crowd to clear. He watches people with vastly inflated doses, complain about the 10-minute wait to be served. Thoughts about his approaching seven - week reduction schedule float through his head. He tells himself quietly “seven more weeks of this shit, then I’m free!” Australians with opiate dependence have had access to prescription Methadone for 40 years. The 2007 edition of an annual Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing report entitled ‘A National Pharmacotherapy Policy for People Dependent on Opioids’ states the aim of the treatment is, “to reduce the health, social and economic harms to individuals and the community arising from illicit opioid use.”

MAKING TRACKS Words by Alex Aquino

“Thanks, seeya tomorrow Claire” said David as he walked past the surveillance camera, pressed the door release and made his way through the remaining patients. After Next Step, the next step is university. On his way to McIver train station, David was calculating. “If I go down by 2.5 megs a week, and I’m on 17.5 megs now, then I have six weeks and five days to go.” David has been on the methadone program for just over a year. He is tired of waking up every morning knowing that the first place he has to go is Next Step. He sits on the train while it stops to pick up and drop off passengers. He catches a glimpse of his past life in three teenagers hanging around the station, one of whom looks like he’s asleep. David, drug-savvy and aware knows this opiate induced, unnatural stupor for what it really is. The train takes off, slowly but steadily. David reflects on his methadone-supported switch from a destructive, dangerous track onto a healthy creative path with endless possibilities and opportunities. He feels the gradual forward motion of the train as it carries him towards his destination- the University library.

The 2008 edition of this report records 1,995 Western Australians registered on the program. Most of these people ‘dose’ at one of 233 local pharmacies. The statistics show the number of registered users peaks in the 30 – 39 age group. The methadone program has existed as a tightly regulated, community based practice since 1969. It serves a very small percentage of the drug dependent population. It is not a cheap or soft drug option for anyone who decides on impulse to give it a go. A nurse and then a doctor evaluate users suitability before they are approved for the program. ‘Dosing’ costs around five dollars a day. Statistics also suggest that by around age 40, many users may have cleaned up their lives and moved away from drug use. In an interview for the ABC’s Radio National show ‘Health Matters’ Dr Richard Mattick, Director of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales indicated that medical opinion on the value of methadone had not changed much over the forty years of the program. He commented that, “the earliest trial done was in New York and it showed very convincingly that methadone stopped people from injecting heroin, stopped them from going back to jail, they didn’t get charged with drug possession and dealing. And none of the lessons have changed; its effects are quite marked.” Methadone use like drug use is generally a misunderstood and mythologised issue in the community. In 2010 Anex, a non-profit public health organisation conducted a national survey on drug related issues. Anex CEO John Ryan summarised the research findings as showing that “rather than having a rational understanding of drugs and the effects of drugs, the general public are fearful and tend to want to put distance between themselves and the problem,”

Krause Komics

However, ‘Sarah’ who distributes daily methadone doses to up to 17 registered users at a Pharmacy in Perth’s southern suburbs, sees the public in her local community as generally tolerant of the program “They are curious, but don’t seem to look down upon the people they see dosing.” She also views the program as positive, commenting that it is “quite rewarding” to watch her patient’s paths to cleanliness. Sarah acknowledges that patients who attempt to ‘divert’ their daily dose from their pharmacy for illicit resale, or incorrect use can be a problem for Pharmacists operating dosing points. While it is not a problem at her Pharmacy, Sarah acknowledged the potential for conflict associated with this behaviour “when patients attempt to divert in other Pharmacies, staff has to be firm with them…it’s sometimes hard when it’s a huge guy.” Opiate dependency happens for a variety of reasons. Without doubt it can result from recreational use spiralling out of control. However, it can also happen to people who come to rely on and abuse prescribed opiate based painkillers. The stereotypical image of the sunken, decaying heroin addict simply doesn’t fit the majority of the registered methadone users queuing up outside Next Step.

SEX! Words by Jessica Littlewood So many questions go unanswered because the media are too worried about political spin, rather than actually scrutinising our leaders about their policies. Actually This Is An Opinion Piece About The Environment

In a press conference held by the Australian Conservation council last year, both President Ian Lowe and CEO Don Henry expressed their concerns with regard to Australia’s failure to approach renewable energy as a serious alternative to our current energy problem.

I know most of you would prefer to read an article about sex however this one will not follow in the footsteps of the current media by putting unimportant issues above those of vital significance.

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“If Australia was serious about it, we could reach our target or using clean renewable energy to fuel all of Australia’s power needs by 2020” Mr Lowe Said.

So, now that I have your attention, the environment is an issue we must address, even if the current media won’t.

In fact the Australian government has known for the last 20 odd years that this target was achievable.

Out of all the current topics dominating news around the country, it seems that issues surrounding our environment have taken a backseat.

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So many questions go unanswered because the media are too worried about political spin, rather than actually scrutinising our leaders about their policies.

Quite simply, the ground we walk on is under threat. As the world makes rapid use of our land via the many mines dotted around our state, it hasn’t once been pointed out to the people of Western Australia what environmental impact this will create for our future generations.

It essentially comes down to the concept of agenda setting. Who is setting the media’s agenda? To put it simply our politicians control what they want the public to know. Not only through the endless political jargon, but by the media not adequately performing the role of the “watchdog”.

Current Prime Minister Julia Gillard has taken a practical approach to combating the environmental demons including the phasing out of dirty power stations and the proposed introduction of the Trading emissions scheme.

Our media is supposed to provide a service to society by asking those hard questions, and providing the public with the answers they deserve. Instead the media is too focussed on what they are being fed by the politicians to be bothered to ask those questions.

“We’ll make sure we invest $1 billion in bringing the clean energy of the future from remote parts of the country – the north of Queensland, Western Australia, the Cooper Basin in South Australia – to our very own homes.” Ms Gillard said.

I believe it’s time for the people of Australia to stand up and start playing the ‘fourth estate’ for the ‘fourth estate’. It’s time to question the alliance of our media to the public, question their priorities and most of all start asking the questions that will help our environment, because if the government won’t do anything about it, and the media fail to hold the government accountable, who else will?

If this was true then why is it that instead of looking towards wind and wave power, both ‘clean energies of the future’, the state government has been seriously considering the proposal of more dirty coal mines and even more disturbing given the lease of a large chunk of our oceans to offshore oil exploration?

PLAZA INDONESIA

Words by Camilo Mejia

Youdou ordered an espresso. The waitress’s uniform seeped into the white marble floor surrounding Café La Moda. This was not the ideal setting for our conversation, but we wanted to get out of the heat and humidity. The only adequately air-conditioned places in downtown Jakarta were the lobbies of over priced hotels or soulless shopping centres like this one. Plaza Indonesia. The shops, like the tables around us, were mostly empty. To our left, next to the stairs leading up to the other five levels of the plaza, a woman sang vapid jazz tunes accompanied by a man playing piano. The only colour in the entire building was in front of me, Youdou, but he was beginning to fade into the pale walls around him.

‘So you will buy them here and sell them back in Japan?’ ‘No, I will give. I have a web design company, and we have donations from Japan and American people. But I have a problem.’ From his a vest pocket he pulled out two pieces of paper. The first was an email from an Indonesian company addressed to Youdou. The two week-old email apologized for the delay in the delivery of 162 Geiger counters, there had been some issues with the packaging and it would be rectified immediately. Youdou’s face tensed and his breathing quickened as he explained how the manager, a Mr. Gordon, had ceased all contact after that. Concerned, Youdou flew to Kuala Lumpur to visit one of Mr. Gordon’s offices, only to find that the address did not exist. The next day he was on a plane to Jakarta. The second page was a receipt from Mr. Gordon’s company confirming the order and payment of the Geiger counters, the total was US$29,189.

‘Is ok?’ He asked, motioning his cigarette. It was. He lit it inhaling half of it back into his lungs, expelling the smoke in a sustained sigh. He picked up his phone and tried calling the lawyer again. I had only met Youdou the night before, standing in the endless customs queues of Jakarta airport. He’d been approached three times by a security guard offering an ‘express visa’ for a minimal fee. He declined all three propositions remaining in line behind me. I turned around and gave him a smile.

‘I think this address in Jakarta also fake.’ He said, pointing to the letterhead. Sitting at Café la Moda, Youdou carefully sipped his espresso. Around us, people were beginning to pour into the shopping center on their lunch break. Earlier that morning, a visit to the Japanese embassy had confirmed his fears. The address of Mr. Gordon’s company did not exist. The embassy supplied him with a contact list of translators and Japanese lawyers based in Jakarta.

It was his appearance that had attracted the guard. Youdou was in his mid-thirties and resembled a hiking advertisement from Kathmandu. His baggy clothes and new hiking boots were complete with a vest sporting six pockets overflowing with documents, pens, cables, two mobile phones and a map. A DSLR camera, with its commanding lens, hung over his right shoulder.

‘I have a meeting with lawyer in one hour. He is Japanese. Maybe he can help. Maybe.’ He smiled without conviction.

‘Are you here on holiday?’ I asked. ‘Eh…no…’ He apologized for his broken English and motioned for me to wait.

As we waited for the bill he lit another cigarette and leaned in towards me. Right now in Tokyo, there are about 3 million Geiger counters sitting in boxes at the airport. Counters that the government had promised the public, but due to some bureaucratic fuck-up they had been sitting untouched for months. A hollow sadness permeated his story. I had offered him help, but there was little I could do. It was my first time in this city, I didn’t speak Bahasa, and I didn’t have any ‘contacts’. I’d only come to visit my dad for a few days. Youdou pulled out his iPhone to translate a word he didn’t know; he spoke softly into it and showed me the display. It was ‘Helpless’.

‘I’m here for this.’ A small device, not much bigger than a Pager, sat in the palm of his hand. ‘A Geiger counter.’ As he bridged his broken sentences with hand gestures and a translating program on his iPhone, his story consumed our waiting time. Shortly after the tsunami had hit Youdou’s city of Fukushima, radiation concerns plunged Japan into a Geiger counter buying frenzy. The ability to detect radiation became a hot commodity and, by May, most cities had sold out.

The midday sun, along with the unrelenting wall of humidity, hung over the city as we hailed a taxi and made our way to the meeting. In front of us, thousands of motorbikes and cars circled— in what seemed to be a perpetual rush hour— the roundabout of Jalan Budan Hi.

passed a man in a homemade, wooden wheel chair maneuvering through traffic begging for money. Youdou told me about his life in Fukushima, his family and how he wanted to be an alien. ‘You mean from Japanese society?’ I asked. ‘No’, he replied, ‘from the world.’

Mr. Koga’s office was a world apart from the lively chaos that lay beyond his tinted widows. A small water feature in the corner intermittently drowned out the soft music coming from the speakers on the walls. Mr. Koga entered the room. With both hands extended, he exchanged business cards with Youdou. The middle-aged lawyer then greeted me in English before delving into a long conversation in Japanese with Youdou. I didn’t understand much, but the body language was clear, there was little chance of retrieving the money. Youdou thanked him for his time and we left.

The next day Youdou visited the police with all the information that he had about Mr. Gordon and his fraudulent company. They took his details, but there was little they could do for him. The money had disappeared. That afternoon I picked him up outside Plaza Indonesia, he accepted the offer to stay the night with my Dad and I. On his last day we visited Sunda Kalapa, the old harbor of Jakarta. The port is lined with hundreds of beautifully built Pinsi, a traditional two-mast wooden ship, used for inter-island freight service throughout Indonesia.

That afternoon we drove to Cikini, a suburb just outside the city center, to find him a cheap hotel. Through the high-rises and low slums of Jakarta we

In the thick afternoon air I walked him to the main road. Exhausted, he shrugged his shoulders and smiled, ‘I will try again’, and waved goodbye.

CRAZY MILKY LOOPS Words by Michael Cadby I had a dream the other night: I was a ‘crazy’ in a cell. My eyes would constantly blink under fluoro tubes and I was addicted to this milky, watery liquid. I don’t know how, but a vial of this stuff would always be in my possession. I’d tip my head back and toss it down my throat, sending alarms off and red lights flashing. A nurse with a crisp uniform and big tits would barge in and try to remove it from me, but I’d pull against her tugs, straining my neck forwards to try and reach it with my lips. She’d win it off me and scold me like an untrained dog, but I’d whip it back off her as soon as she’d turned, guzzling it violently, splashing it everywhere. Men would charge in, throw me in the corner and lock the barred doors. I wasn’t alone, a girl was there too. She wore a grey suit and kept her head on her knees. But when I shuffled over her hunched body yawned open like the boot of an old station wagon and I’d curl up inside her and shut the door. Then like an optical trick I’d be upright with another vial in hand, blinking from the man-made brightness, coating my lips in fluid, until the alarm went off and milky water sopped onto tits and my arms bruised and my head hit the wall. I’d crawl back in the boot of the girl in the grey suit and feel her breath on my hair, her finger in my navel and the hum of her heart idle against my cheek. Then everything would slow to a drag, to a stop, and I’d click the door shut. But there was no end. I’d grip the cell-door bars and look at the guards across the room, hear the nurse’s heels, see the hunched girl smirk. They’d all revolve around me in a dizzying spin, faster and faster until the lines merged and the colours blended and the fabric that bonded everything began to rip. Then the alarm would go off

I’M HUNGRY FOR SOME KIDS Words by Michelle Stanley Interview With Hungry Kids Of Hungary - Dean (Lead Vocals)

One show only

that. We’re fairly agreeable sort of bunch of people. You do have differences of opinion now and again but I really think the reason that it was such an easy decision to bring (Remy) on as a full-fledged member was because we all got along so well. He’s a guy that we’ve all known for quite a while before he came on tour with us so we knew what we were getting ourselves into with him *laughs*. It was a really natural fit.

Your album Escapades was hosted on Triple J as one of their feature albums. What effect do you think this kind of airplay has on your success? First and foremost, it’s giving people an opportunity to hear our music. Making yourself recognisable and putting your name out there makes such a massive difference. For us, when we started out we weren’t together for very long as a band before Triple J started playing our music and before Unearthed happened. Before we’d gained that attention, we were struggling to book gigs and struggling to get people along and as soon as you get that sort of recognition and start being played on the radio, it opens up a lot of doors instantly. It’s hugely important.

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Since the beginning you’ve done quite a bit of touring and stage shows with the album tour, appearances at festivals like Big Day Out, Laneways, Southbound – just to name a few. Clearly you guys enjoy the stage, what do you like about playing live? Everything! It’s an opportunity to travel, it’s an opportunity to get away from home and see a different place. You mentioned festivals – a great thing about festivals for us is we get to catch up with all the bands we know from touring around the place so it’s always a really good day out for us which is always really nice. Playing live is such a massive part of what we signed up for with this band and it’s

You have a relatively new addition to the band – Remy, on guitar and vocals. How did his inclusion come about? We finished the record last year and we were organising the launch tour and we came to the conclusion that we’d made this album and there was

You do have differences of opinion now and again but I really think the reason that it was such an easy decision to bring (Remy) on as a full-fledged member was because we all got along so well. so much sound on it that it might be a good idea to bring along an extra member just for the tour to help fill out the live sound and yeah it worked out so well that we decided to keep him, so he’s a full time member now!

something that we really enjoy. Every time we get up there we have a real fun time. Do you have a favourite festival to play at or artist you’ve played alongside? The Falls, Southbound and Sunset Sounds run was a lot of fun for us. There was a heap of bands on that bill who we absolutely adored and a lot of friends of ours were playing it as well. It was just that thing where it was go along and have a good time and once our show was finished we’d go and watch all these other amazing bands. We were treated really nicely by the organisers and everything was really well run so that was great.

Has it changed your sound or direction? Definitely, for me, writing new material now is fun because I know that I can write with two guitars in mind. Yeah, it sorta frees me up – I know that I’m not the only guitar in the band I don’t have to do as much. I can delegate when I’m writing. Do you have to work hard to make sure everyone sees eye to eye? We’ve never really had too many problems with

Buy online at murdochwomenscollective.yolasite.com or the Guild Bookshop. All proceeds go to V-Day and the Incest Survivors Association.

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POPPING YOUR VOX!

Words by Kate Collier

We Asked For Your Opinion

There’s a lot of youth on the streets that aren’t really doing anything. Didn’t it start as a sort of protest? And all these other people just jumped on it because it was an opportunity to riot?

What do you think about the presence of homosexuality in Sesame Street as expressed by the ‘alleged’ ongoing relationship between Bert and Ernie? Sam Macauley (English and Creative Writing): I think if you could construe that as homosexuality, then I guess I don’t have a problem with it. But having grown up watching Sesame Street, I never thought there was anything homosexual going on there. I think that’s just someone else’s opinion. Nunurul Rosali (Bio Med): I think that’s wrong. Its Sesame Street, it’s a kids show. It’s supposed to present a certain image for kids. And especially at that age, I think that’s wrong. Tammy Alatas (Prep course at ECU): Yeah, yeah that’s wrong. Josh Burrows (Games Tech & Maths): There is one? Reece Holmes (Cyber Forensics): That is so cool! J: I knew they were hiding something. R: They’re puppets; they sleep in the same closet, now they’re out of it. That sounds awesome. Nathaniel Killick (Biological Science): I have no problem with it.

After much confusion and debate about which riot it was, and college humour, one of the answers we finally got was: Reece Holmes (Cyber Forensics): Answer not available, not enough information. Kate Willoughby (Theatre & Drama, Screen Production): I think I overheard from a friend’s colleague that it was because of the ‘anger of oppressed black people,’ which was probably from the Daily Mail or something. Violence doesn’t solve anything, but it’s obviously showing how angry people are. It only takes so long for people to crack and for it to result in violence. It only takes so long to put what you’re fighting for in the wrong light, so it doesn’t really do anything. What would be your reaction if an event similar to the London riots occurred within Perth right now? Sam Macauley (English and Creative Writing): Wow, I was actually thinking about this the other day. I guess I would want to be a part of it, I would want to go out into the streets and see what’s happening, but I don’t think I would be breaking windows and stealing things. Maybe if everybody else was, I might even consider it. I think it would be really exciting to be honest, I think it would be like sort of when you imagine a zombie apocalypse sort of thing, it’s kind of like the closest thing you would get to that, so I would get kind of excited and scared at the same time. Michelle O’Loughlin (Gender & Culture Studies): There’s definitely a link. The stop and search laws for one. I can see it happening. My reaction would be, I wouldn’t be too surprised, I don’t think there are as many people here that are as angry about that yet but in several years time maybe. If there’s more discrimination based on that. I wouldn’t loot things but yeah I’d get rowdy. Sarah Bagharib (Journalism): I would just stay safe, I would stay away from it. But I would want to be a part of it, from a journalistic point of view, because I could write something interesting about it. But as a person I would try my best to stay away from it.

What do you think about legalising gay marriage in Australia? Nunurul Rosali (Bio Med) & Tammy Alatas (Prep Course at ECU): Yeah, definitely, go ahead. Billi Veber (Field Assistant): I am a tax payer here and a permanent resident, so I will go ahead and give my opinion on that. But I did not grow up here so whether people want to say I don’t really have a right to say so or not...I find it really distasteful to try and deny people the right to live the way they want to. I don’t know why people spin themselves into such negative persons, or why people need other people to be exactly like themselves in order to feel safe in the world. So I’m for legalising gay marriage absolutely. Neil Goldsborough (Hon. Environmental Restoration): Not against it. What do you think was the main cause behind the London riots? Anthony Smith (Theatre & Drama, Screen Production & Philosophy): I suppose England’s not a very financially stable place at the moment, I think they have a really big rift in society between the people that have a lot of money and the people that don’t.

From Left to Right: Sam Macauley, Nunurul Rosali, Tammy Alatas, Josh burrows, Nathaniel Killick, Reece Holmes, Billi Reber, Neil Goldsborough, Anthony Smith, Kate Willoughby, Michelle O’Loughlin & Sarah Bagharib

OMANIAN NIGHTS Words by James Ahern Interview With Perth Skater Robbie Partington

where you went in Oman. What do you do besides skating? I study commercial architectural drafting at TAFE and I’m really enjoying it at the moment. I finish at the end of the year too which is also pretty exciting. I like the odd game of supagolf (which is just a shorter version of golf with fake balls and clubs) and I enjoy getting my art on and taking photos. Apart from that I just spend my time being an idiot with my friends and having a jolly good laugh.

Age: 22 Stance: Goofy Sponsors: Momentum Skate Shop, GMTA Skateboards and Circa Footwear How long have you been skating for and how did you get into it? I have been skating for 10 years now. I got into it by playing Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 on Play Station which I used to play all the time. I was constantly watching the videos at the end on a loop to psyche myself up, which at the time was all I knew about skating because there were no skate shops where I lived in Oman. Just 3 or 4 other people in my class skated and also played video games. They were into skating and were better than me, so I would tag along with them.

Where do you live and what is your local skate park? I live in Applecross at the moment, and my favourite and local skate park would definitely have to be Melville. I have skated there for almost as long as I’ve been skating. It’s the most mellow and it’s a real pleasure to skate there; the locals are always friendly too and rip hard! My other local is Fremantle, which is so ghetto but that’s what makes the park so good. It’s not built like a regular skate park; the coping and the banks are a little more challenging than a regular perfect skate park and I love a challenge!!

How was skating in Oman? It seems kind of deserty to me... It was pretty hard but in a fun way; you could only skate for 20 minutes tops during the day seeing as temperatures reached 35 to 40 degrees or higher on the average day. So when we would go skating it would be in the very late afternoon or night time. We would skate this dingy wooden box with ramps on either side of it and of course the complimentary huge wooden half pipe. They were both painted fluorescent green and were situated next to the ocean, so that was pretty cool. We would skate at that place or the dusty curbs in front of my house. Dust would always be on your grip no matter

Photos: Aidan White

Photo: Duncan Wright

And finally what are your plans for the future? Get a life/job... hahaha, move out of my parents house and into another pad with a few homies. Once I’ve saved up enough money I want to start a little bit of travelling; to Sydney, Melbourne or even China. As long as I’m skating and having a good time then I’m set for the future! WOO!

WELCOME TO THE ARENA

SO YOU WENT THERE

Words by Michael James

Words by Anne Onymous

Kimberley Gas Hub vs Whales

Sex With Musicians...

Every year, whale parents-to-be swim up the coast of the Dampier Peninsular to have their babies. Anywhere from south of Broome right up the peninsular the pregnant females give birth. The families hang around until the calves become strong and the time for travel comes upon them once more and they leave for the south.

Add these together and you have a “Broomer”. “The cops did it!”

So you had sex with a musician. I can’t help but laugh at your choices now. We’ve all been there! And as the tale goes ‘Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘n’ Roll’. Or, are we just tricked? Once you get through your first, second, third... it’s pretty easy to say that musicians use the stage as a platform to sell their product. And no! I do not mean their music! God, you can go down to Mills and buy the Cd! Or better yet, stream it from the net. Not that illegal activity occurs on the very computer this piece was created...sssh, now is not the right time to divulge the porn collection or nude photographs of your ex...goddamit what did I tell you?! Anyway, rewind, back to the tortured artist/s (the option of one or multiple experiences wandering down this alley is dependent on your *cough* appetite) who make your left eyebrow perk with their hip thrusts, melt-worthy voices and long, curly hair. You meet them. Ask a few questions. Accept an invitation to that after party and BOOM. Next thing you know you’ve scaled an apartment building (mid-construction) and it’s obvious he’s going home with you (for god’s sake, you CANNOT go to his house! He could be a crazy after-all!). There’s a little makingout, then a lot of making out and a lot of visible skin. He’s charming. Why? Because he works in the music industry for fuck’s (pun not intended) sake! It’s all about charm, good looks and dare I say it...talent. But whatever, not important right now. Things are getting steamy (dude, open the window) and you’re wondering how loud you can be before your housemates hear you through the paper thin walls (yes, this was back in my ‘student village’ days). There’s scrambling, all sense of bed linen is rejected and it’s as if the rabbit mating season has just begun (cue Bambi soundtrack). Slap (not literally), bang and Bob’s your uncle...he’ll also be at your baby shower if you don’t get the hell down to the chemist and purchase a ‘Maybe Baby’ test. Considering you don’t eat carbs, how will you deal with a potential bun-in-the-oven situation? Four minutes later (enough time to make an appointment with your local nurse for the ole’ swab approximately three weeks from today) and phewf, wipe that sweat drip away! Now, where were we? Oh right...it’s 12pm, you have shit to do and why is there a dead to the world drummer in your bedroom? Best move? Call his lead singer and ask him to come and drag that *bleg out of there.

The Department of Environment and Conservation is investigating.

* When the back slopes into the leg due to lack of gluteus maximus

With the $30 billion gas hub at Price’s Point being proposed the question is how the construction of the port, breakwater and dredging of the shipping channel is going to affect the whales. If you think that you already know who the good guys and who the bad guys are, think again. This one has the lot. It is green, it is black, it’s white, it’s pindan red. It is noisy, passionate and parochial, with a few level heads and a cacophony of voices that descend into babble. “The whales do not travel close to the coast.” “Yes they do, you can see them from the beach. “The survey said ‘No’.” “The methodology was flawed.” “The construction will stir up sediment, kill sea grasses and hurt the whales.” “No. The whales will swim around it.” “The ships will hit them.” “It won’t happen.” Last month a police boat got too close to some whales. Later someone reported a pregnant female dead on the shore.

People are talking the police down calling them all kinds of names because they broke the 30 day blockade stopping Woodside vehicles getting on site. They call them the black shirts because it sounds heavy. It was heavy. Nobody liked seeing the old bloke bite the dust on page 7 of the West. None of the blockaders have explained what the police should have done. Goolarabooloo Law Boss Joseph Roe is still leading the fight to stop the gas hub. Former Midnight Oil front man Peter Garret might have his hands full with government business but his former band-mate Rob Hirst is singing up a fuss with a new single about Roe. Save the Kimberley activists have crawled out from under their neon signs and, just when their relevance was under question, some real people started to give real interviews. They have certainly got under the skin of the Premier.

Krause Komics

With the $30 billion gas hub at Price’s Point being proposed the question is how the construction of the port, breakwater and dredging of the shipping channel is going to effect the whales.

SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME

THE WAITING GAME

A Work of “Fiction” by Anonymous

Words by Nicola Sheridan Becoming A Published Author

It didn’t take long for the cops to rock up and when the kicking and screaming Jeremy was hauled into the back of the paddy wagon he shouted that he’d always love me and that I’d never be alone again. I should have taken him at his word.

Part 2

but it was the “shot through the heart” bit that I found the most disturbing. Merry Christmas indeed.

I thought I’d seen the last of Jeremy when I discovered him lurking outside my kitchen window late one night. He’d been harassing me for weeks and as I washing up after dinner and looking forward to sitting down to some Desperate Housewives, there he was, touching himself in the rain in my recently planted bed of Azaleas.

I woke early the next day after only a few hours of not terribly restful sleep. The tax office was closed due to the public holiday but I had 24 hour staff access and I was on a mission. It’s amazing the kind of information a lowly office assistant in a government department has access to. For example it turns out that along with being a creepy weirdo Jeremy was fastidious in filing his tax returns, but not as it turns out in keeping up with his child support payments to the ex-wife I didn’t know that he had.

I could have sworn that my body temperature dropped by a degree when as I was scrolling through Jeremy’s confidential information I read that his latest employer was a furniture importing business based in Darwin. When I looked up the company website and searched for staff profiles, there he was again. Jeremy Wilson, Cane-Co’s Chief Import Officer.

Six months later it was the middle of summer and I’d almost managed to forget about Jeremy and his general air of creepy oiliness. All it took was a restraining order, a move interstate from Perth to Darwin and changing to a new university. Darwin was about as far from the rest of the world as I could feasibly get to. I got a part time job at the state tax office which paid enough to cover my bills, the pace of life was refreshingly slow and I was largely content in my tropical solitude.

Looking back over his tax dept profile it said Jeremy had managed to update his employment details but in what I’m sure was an innocent oversight, he’d neglected to notify the Child Support Agency about his new gig. Which I’m certain had nothing to do with the $27,000 he owed in back payments. However, with a few deft taps at my keyboard, I was able to correct Jeremy’s little mistake, ensuring that not only would the agency be able to accurately begin garnishing his wages, but should he have any plans to travel internationally a CSA officer would be at the airport before he cleared customs. Jeremy’s presence at Cane-Co’s January conference in Bali is looking doubtful.

When I received a delivery of flowers at home on Christmas Eve I assumed they were an early gift from my mum, who was the only person that I’d given my new address to. The message on the card read, “Shot through the heart and you’re to blame, darling you give love a bad name, Merry Christmas”. Oh Fuck! Instantly I knew they were from Jeremy because he’s always had a thing for cheesy 1980’s hair bands

So much about being published is about waiting. Patience in writing is much more than a virtue – it’s a virtual necessity. You wait for your contract, you wait for edits, you wait for release day, then you wait for reviews – and after all that, you’re probably waiting for your next book to be accepted. A writer, therefore, needs to develop certain attitudes to cope with tight deadlines thrust in amongst months and months of waiting. I practice “Mindful Meditation” nearly every day. In a book about it, I read about “essential attitudes”. These attitudes, when applied to writing and publishing, are really very helpful. The first necessary attitude is patience and as I explained earlier, this is essential. Be patient with yourself, the publisher and your editors. “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and nor will your writing career. Next is nonjudging. Don’t allow the judgements of critique partners, publishers or editors to bias your work. Accept opinions and be attentive to them, but to not allow judgements (good or bad) to affect you personally. Then there is the beginners mind. This means enter into what you’re doing with an open and inquisitive mind. Whether you’re at the beginning of writing or you’re getting your thirty-first book published, treat every experience as a new one – because it is. This attitude allows and encourages personal and professional growth. The fourth attitude is trusting. Trust yourself and the belief your tale is good enough to be told. Trusting in yourself will give you the strength to continue (no mean feat when you’ve been rejected 8 times). Next is acceptance. This attitude is obviously quite important, if you’ve been rejected by a publisher, don’t send an abusive email – it’s disastrous and will only guarantee that you will never get another chance at that publishing house. Finally, is letting go. Sometimes a story is not a winner, so maybe it’s time to shelve that one and start on something new – you can always revisit it in a few years time. Adopt these attitudes and the ups and downs of writing will always be bearable and an interesting learning curve too.

FIVE PINTS DOWN BEFORE MY LECTURE Words by Anonymous

Hi guy and/or girl, I’m a psychology student at Murdoch and a reader of your stuffs. I really enjoy most of the articles and have tried my hand at some poetry. This is basically the first time I have shared anything I have written with anyone and am only doing so because I am still intoxicated and have time before my lecture. I think of myself as someone who is completely honest (unless deliberately deceiving) so this comes directly from my thoughts and I have tried not to filter it at all. Five pints down before my lecture Probability of retaining information little to none Hoping the inebriation points level my smoothness Changed my lecture time in chance of talking to a girl Hopes girl is impressed with clumsy conversation and general awkwardness Might pull my cute face, This surely should work Note: You may think this person remains ‘anonymous’ so that their lects won’t know they attend class drunk. But after some investigation is was confirmed “I was thinking more to avoid future lady friends knowing my super awesome tactics for successful copulation.”

THE SECRET OF BEETROOT JUICE

Words by Regi Swift

This is dedicated to Dngela Gildenhuys, my angel. Somehow I’ve lost myself, I feel as if I am playing a game of snakes and ladders. Except every time I roll, I slide back down again. I try to keep myself afoot, for years now I’ve been roaming; aimlessly. A wash, a barren landscape, I want the best I need the best. But the anchors bound to my feet drag me to the depths. For so long now I’ve looked. I’ve looked in the darkest hours and the brightest sparks. Through myself I know; I need you. Your beauty immense your eyes intense, your face is lightened by a smile that I can see from the other side of the globe. And although you’re gone I only have to close my eyes to see... And although my mouth is sewed shut, there are pearly white teeth, a silver tongue and blood to bleed. Beneath this hardened exterior, lies a fragile broken soul. You fix me. You offer love. I offer myself and your wish is my command. We entered into a love that cannot be, a love that was destined to fail; doomed from the start. Life’s not what it used to be and although at times I may fail, you have me fully. I am yours and you are mine. You say control, I say love. You say overbearing, I say please. I have finally come to know who I am. I searched the world and came back to you.

Birds made of steel

Words trapped in my head

Left in darkness

As the sky begins to fall, the world stands still

Separate by seas

Held in the hand of time, my tongue freezes still

There’s longing in my eyes

No thought, no moment, without the sight.

This is dedicated to a great woman in my life ‘Eileen Blythe’. A young couple sit side by side, hands locked in a helpless embrace. The room is pale, people in white coats bustle. 409 consumes your nose, eyes taken by tubes and bags. Her hair brush isn’t what it used to be, collecting dust as much as hair. The outcome inevitable, a log welling deep in the bush, the couple have chosen this place to consummate their love. They vowed to and fro, laughter and tears. Petals fell like that of rain, an everlasting love, an entry into love everlasting. The bride sits weakened and nauseated, it is time. The smell of death fills the air, as birds consume her. The young grief stricken groom, dashes forth. An empty vessel, all that remains is a tiny baby bird. As the murder takes flight, the groom fecund the time had come realises his fate. The road became his home. As the stubble grew and blue ringed eyes overcame his jaundiced body. He knew he could never be free. The years have taken their toll. As once again the bush called his fate. Where two chairs sat, one gathering dust, an old man placed his tired body. It was time to rest. As his old eyes had once seen, a baby bird sat beside him. With a chirp and the flutter of wings he was engulfed. Two chairs sat in a room. Both chairs filled by two baby birds. Love everlasting, everlasting love.

The clatter of feet, walls and floors that can tell stories of years of this depressing brown faded in patches but welcomed in mind. I am walking the road well travelled where the shuffling herds have marked the bricks. Buildings of silence with nothing but halls of illusions, we are all wandering aimlessly, in an attempt to find ourselves. This path my yellow brick road; winding forever toward the emerald city, this charade that can save me. Walking in a nexus, as walls crumble and lungs become tight. I can see the end of this tunnel. Papers cut and printers whir, inkless pens rattle on the pattern less floor. Scared quiet, busy faces; all attempting to hide from prying eyes sit in dark corners. But still this endless brick path; depressingly brown, but happily the same.

Never thought it would happen to me, the weekend warrior; everything in moderation; including moderation. With another sleepless night and another empty wallet, we all fall victim. Like carrion in the sun, it will be your turn soon. It will be your turn to fall, your turn to fail. We all have vices, how long will it be before your vices eat you alive? Or maybe they won’t? As another bowl is filled and so are my lungs... filling the void... grasping at a bandaid. Reaching inwards for help; it’s hard to lift yourself. As my body fails and my rooms are emptied, my mind prevails, perplexed in anticipation. What’s next? Where can I turn? We all have the power, we all have vices, and we all have a choice.

You can never recognise your saints. They walk among a sea of demons. Your friend, your foes, even yourself. We all have a choice, a guide programmed into us; the TV guide to right and wrong. You may never recognise your saints, however remember always welcome them when they walk through your door. I walk down a deserted road, tall buildings tower around me. All I see is bricks and glass. Spider webs fill the frames. This void of inner direction, suddenly the ground is covered in grime. Old hobos gather near a fire, garbage cans littered the ground like empty tinnies. The smell of filth, the city, people would sooner see you die than help. The herd marches on, draped in red, white and blue. They sleuth on the pavement, predators stalking their prey. One man steps out and asks me for some change. I give him what I have. Suddenly I’m the prey, the predators circle like frenzied sharks. Clouds over bear as the sky light darkens, the vultures are ready to swoop. The horde swirls closer; a tornado of hate. ‘Why help?’ they ask, ‘Don’t eat at our feedlot’ they scream. The mind should recoil in horror, however from nowhere a man dressed in white appears. The man “I knew you would need these coins, to kill the beast.” RECOGNISE YOUR SAINTS

The drinks spill Voices blend We are young; money slips through our fingers similar to the hour glass Our time is now CHEERS

PHOTOGRAPHER

METIOR DISTRIBUTION

Alex Aitken

Taken inside the Coogee Powerstation and an afternoon at Munchies skatepark in Fremantle. To see more go to: aitkenphotos.tumblr.com

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