9. Jamie Oliver - Stafford Hildred, Tim Ewbank

One of two Jamie Oliver biographies I received for Christmas, although I believe they’re both by the same authors. This one covers his early life and first part of his career – until the end of the ‘Naked Chef’ series’. It does so in a glamourised manner, glorifying Jamie Oliver and making him sound so perfect. Don’t get me wrong, I believe he is a talented guy and probably just as nice as he appears on TV, but biographies are supposed to cover all aspects – the good and bad. This is the main reason I didn’t like this book, it was simply to perfect, and written in a similar manner to the celebrity gossip magazines.

I do however, like knowing more about people I admire and as I read this with a pinch of salt, I believe I do now know more about the person and his attitude to cooking. I’ll probably leave the other biography for a little while because it will simply be too overkill and my brain will more than likely disintegrate with lack of use!!

Dumb dogs, and their dumb-er owners

With more and more stories coming out about certain breeds of dogs attacking young children - and even in one case, an Alsatian killing it’s adult male owner, it makes me think about how stupid people can be (and trust me, it happens a lot!!)

Just because an animal has been ‘domesticated’ and may be a family pet, it is not safe. Most of the owners of these dogs in ‘unprovoked attacks’, claim that their pet is very good-natured and usually docile so it shouldn’t have to be on it’s lead all the time. Now, I’ve lived with cats all my life, and they could be perfectly happy and purring one minute, and then suddenly I’d have claws in my hand. There would appear to be no explanation for it - I’d been patting it for minutes already, I hadn’t changed the motion or anything, but it’s an animal - and as such, I am aware that they have unpredictable, inexplicable behaviour at times. And this is what dog owners seem to be forgetting.

All domesticated dogs have evolved from what was once, a wild dog. Now, would people approach a wild dog that wasn’t on a leash, with a small child in tow? Probably not. What people need to be remembering, is that as an animal, there will always be potential for a ‘regression’ to this wild behaviour, whether provoked or not, whether the calmest and most docile of dogs.

I don’t honestly know who in their right mind would have a dog, of a certain breed known to be aggressive at times, off it’s leash and in the vicinity of a small child. It just does not make sense. You can’t watch a child 100% of the time anyway, and with an animal (not the child, the dog!) around, you never know what could be happening. It makes much more sense to have the dog restrained or separate from the child at all times, and if situation calls for them to be together for any reason (and there shouldn’t be), watch them like a hawk. Have the child within your reach so you can save them at a moment’s notice from the behaviour of what is, and always will be, an animal. No matter what stupid jackets, hats and boots you make them wear.

Last of 2007

So I finished my 365 photos of 2007, 1 picture everyday. Unfortunately after I’d uploaded them all my count reached 363. I’m not sure where it’s gone wrong, I think possibly when I flew over here. I’m still looking into it! Anyway, here are some of my favourites from the last couple months.

Flinder’s Street Station. An iconic station and view for Melbournians. This is the first proper photo I’ve taken at night here - I must do more!

Rain on the way to work. I’ve always found rain such a refreshing change - much more so when the country hasn’t been getting enough!!

Art in Richmond. Another thing I’ve been meaning to do - check out the graffiti in the city. Until then, small things like this can keep me satiated.

And another from Richmond. A view toward the city and the MCG.

This project has really made me think, it’s a lot of pressure to take a photo everyday especially when I usually go through phases of wanting to take photos. Trying to come up with something new each day - especially with the monotonous routine of work - is definitely a challenge, but one which I’ve relished and am glad to have completed. At the very least, thankfully I haven’t been put off taking photos!

3. Happy Baby - Stephen Elliot

Written in reverse order, it takes a few chapters to get used to the style and is harder to follow than movies such as Irreversible and Memento, which are done the same style. It is a very accessible style of writing, and at first I didn’t realise that it was a faux-memoir of sorts - as it was simply done in such a creative way. The language used to very simple and easy to read, but that also kept me stuck into it - it’s like ‘The Da Vinci Code’ in that sense.

However, also like ‘The Da Vinci Code’, it was hard to believe and had too much going on. There was a striking similarity between this and ‘A Million Little Pieces’ by James Frey, in that some of the things happening were just surreal. Believable at a stretch, but surreal. It differs however that it goes all the way back to his childhood - when he once naive and reasonably content. It’s saddening to think that many other kids are growing up in a similar way these days. The reason it went back all the way was so that the reader could be shown how, from a conventional kid, he grew up to something different as a result of his upbringing.

It reminded me of many of the other books out these days where ‘real’ people write their stories of their upbringing and how horrific it was for them, as a sort of counselling for themselves. However, this differed in the way that the author didn’t seem to be focusing on the bad, he didn’t make the reader feel sorry for him and the way it was written is definitely more fictional. To a certain extent, I liked this book, but as it goes on, you begin to think that it is just another story written by somebody feeling sorry for themselves which put me off slightly.

Coming soon…

‘Happy Baby’ and ‘The Book of Death’

2. Until the Final Hour - Traudl Junge

Since the writing of this book, the memoirs of Traudl Junge have been made into a movie about Hitler’s private life (from her perspective), and his last days in the bunker in Berlin, up to and after his suicide. A movie entitled ‘Downfall’ (Der Untergang). Junge wrote her memoirs in 1947 as part of herself trying to come to terms with herself and her guilt. She started working for Hitler in her early 20s, and despite her absent father being a member of the party, she had little idea as to the political side of German life.

Her memoirs are written in a rather simple way, with little attempt to make it sound more fictional or more intelligent. She simply writes what has happened, as she remembers it, and does not try to justify herself which helps to make it seem like an account rather than a reflection of the time. As she describes instances she dined with Hitler and Eva, and socialised with his dietician and valets, the language used to describe Hitler is very unexpected. It is written affectionately, as she has mostly positive memories of these times. She was not involved in the meetings with the military, and knew nothing of the horrors of the war. She wrote reports of death-counts and damages for her boss, but asked no questions, which to some extent could put her to blame, that she chose to ignore what was happening.

While reading it, it puts the people involved in the horror of WWII, in a more personal light. You see that they were only human, and when faced with hardship, people will take any option they can to get out of it - in this case, the German people dismissed the racism and discrimination in the hope that Hitler would improve the financial state of their country. Recently pictures were released of the leaders of the Auschwitz camp at their summer house nearby, socialising with their wives and enjoying the weather - these have a similar effect. The people commiting the atrocities were simply that - people. And when pushed, some people can change immensely, in this case Hitler can order killing and torture in a meeting in one room, and then act as an amiable host in the next. Highly recommend it.

1. The Rough Guide To Melbourne

The first book of the year, and I thought I’d go for non-fiction. Technically I started it just before the 1st Jan, but the marjority was read after!

I’ve always loved the Rough Guide series, having done so much travelling using them. The reviews and features in them are usually very honest, and if an infamous sight (eg. The Eiffel Tower or Tower Bridge) is boring, expensive or just overrated, it will say so. But rather than use it for a short getaway to a city or country, as I’m used to, I’m putting it to use in a city that I live in. Having settled into Melbourne and started working, I’ve realised I still haven’t done or seen many of the things that I want to and figured that this book would be the best way of getting ideas.

It describes each area of Melbourne, usually grouping 2 or 3 suburbs together, and gives a good history. It also explains how the history has had an effect on the current atmosphere of the area. The CBD is described in detail, and I’ve realised that I haven’t seen very much of it at all! One of these days I will have to get my backpack out and walk around the city with a camera and this book, doing the tourist bit. It also gives good info about the main sights and things to do.

The surrounding area is also given it’s fair share of pages, describing towns such as Geelong, and the Dandenongs. Thankfully it gives both public transport and driving instructions, so it is catering for all type of tourist (or resident!).

All in all, it’s made me realise that I live in a very interesting and historic city, and need to get out more.

Books and reading

This year I’m making a renewed effort to read a lot more. Last year I had several friends try to read 52 books (one a week for those who can’t count), but most failed. So rather than put pressure on myself, I’ll just read as much as I can, especially books that I’ve been meaning to read for a while now (classics like Bronte etc.). I’ll try to write a short review of each and post it on here as I go, but as usual, I may fall behind in the posts and it’ll probably just end up as a list!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/10/2135324.htm?section=justin

The removal of Ama Sumani from the UK back to Ghana has angered me greatly and will take pride of place as today’s rant!

Now with estimates of over 500,000 illegal immigrants living in the UK, and increasing rapidly, the government attempts to introduce measures to prevent them overstaying visas and such. So the Home Office suggests that they send a text message to remind people their visa is expired. Sure, it might work in the honest cases where people simply didn’t realise and they’ll leave of their own accord. So next, they decide to limit the stay of non-EU people to only 3 months (bringing in line with most other Western countries) AND impose a ‘deposit’ on family members sponsoring previous offenders who wish to return. If these families are struggling so much in their own countries that they want to move to the UK, family members already there will probably not be able to afford this. If they can, and the person disappears into the underworld of the immigrants, those relatives are left to foot the cost.

So far, so bad. But anyway, the Home Office is obviously so on top of the problem that they have time to trace down the most notorious of criminals that have moved over to the UK, involved in illegal people trafficking and such. No no, wait, that’s wrong. They find a vulnerable and innocent terminally sick widowed mother of three - who, by the way, is in hospital receiving treatment to help prolong her life - and remove her (in a wheelchair) back to the airport, throw her on and back to Ghana she goes. Where there is a health service that only the wealthy can afford, so she is likely to die within a matter of weeks.

This strikes me as yet another crazy move by the government which is tackling the problems in entirely the wrong ways.

Quote: Britain’s Border and Immigration Agency said it carried out all removals “with courtesy and dignity”.”Part of our consideration when a person is removed is their fitness to travel and whether the necessary medical treatment is available in the country to which we are returning,” a spokesman added.

So courtesy would be the taking them away from the life-prolonging treatment they’re about to receive, dignity would be the wheelchair and 5-person escort out of the hospital, and necessary medical treatment available in the COUNTRY - but not necessarily accessible. Kudos Brown, you’ve done it again.

Cricket’s been unsettled for a while now, with the good ole Shane Warne telling the Australian squad to prepare for a fall and poor umpiring decisions being made left right and centre. With Harbhajan having just been given a three test ban, I thought the kids might behave themselves more. But boys will be boys, and with an Indian reporter baiting Ponting, criticism from fans that the ‘banter’ should have been left alone, and the Indian players claiming Hogg was using inappropriate language, it looks like the average mental age of the players is about 10!

The claims from fans and sportsmen alike that the ‘banter’ should have been ignored is really quite worrying - it’s not a big step from making a racist remark to a physical retaliation (especially given the general maturity at the moment). If members of this society believe that it’s perfectly ok to call somebody a monkey due to their race and appearance, these are the same people who you pass everyday in the street. They say that it’s a different environment in the game, but it could be justified that with a bit of alcohol at the pub on a Friday night is a different environment and it’s okay there too. Of course, at that point it’s probably much more risky with people’s judgement impaired - but let’s be honest, Symonds was holding a pretty hefty bat at the time and his adrenaline was probably running high. If anything, we should applaude his self-control and quick-thinking to report it to Ponting, who in turn made the right decision to inform the umpire. Even if the umpire was making very poor decisions on play at the time (and yes, Symonds should have been out).

The retaliation of the Indian players that Hogg has been using ‘abusive language’ seems rather ludicrous. Rather than saying so at the time, it comes out after Harbhajan’s ban and, quite clearly, appears as knee-jerk reaction. ‘Muuum he hit me’, ‘But Mum, he was pulling my hair’ . As I said, a mental age of about 10.

Players should be growing up and playing the game in friendly and competitive manner, without the ‘abusive language’ (although it is unclear whether directed at somebody) and the racism. Commentators (I’m looking at you Tony Greig), should support players for following protocol and taking the moral highground when faced with disgusting comments. And Harbhajan, if you did do it, take the punishment like a man, not the little boy that you’re acting like.