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Life, Culture and Politics from BrisVegas
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Frist
Bush can’t stop being the worst USA president ever, in a rush to destroy the environment – what’s the chance he’ll declare another war by Xmas?
Planning ahead to make sure that my daughter Charlotte and I are at home by the time the storm hits today in Brisbane is the key issue. Also buying a torch.
Last Sunday, I happened to be in a Harvey Norman looking at giant TVs (relax, LPers, I wasn’t buying one) when a message went across the screen that a big storm was heading to the Gold Coast. While I didn’t quite know how big, it was enough of a cue to start making plans to get home, and I was home by 3:30 to watch the spectacle a it hit from 4:30.
Having been in Melbourne for the last two storm, I didn’t have have to plan around those, but making plans on weekdays to leave work by 4pm when it is possible has usually proved to be a good idea.
I watched “Children Of Men” last night … that’s a great film.
Having problems with one of Amazon’s booksellers. So far they have lost a copy of Peter Olover’s origins of the REebellion, or so they say – it never arrived – and nor has the replacement copy. (The book wasonly a couple of dollars; the postage cost more – but its the principle, if you know what I mean? ) Does this happen often?
@Paul B … I haven’t had any trouble with Amazon sellers before. But that’s not to say it doesn’t happen. I tend to use the UK Amazon (really it’s in Germany) because the Euros use DHL for delivery and it’s faster and cheaper than American options. British Amazon marketplace sellers often just use Royal Mail and again I’ve found that a lot more reliable than the delivery methods emanating out of the USA.
Following Gerry Harvey’s reprehensible comments about how donating to “bloody charities” is a waste of money, there is growing movement on the intertubes to boycott Hardly Normal during the Christmas season.
If money is the only thing that Gerry Harvey values, then let’s stick it to him where it hurts.
If there’s one thing that the global economic dowturn has proven, it is that we the people, more than ever before, have the power to vote with our feet and our wallets. So let’s send a clear message that maligning the most vulnerable and underprivelaged people in society, and those that strive to help them is not just unnaceptable it is grossly morally and ethically bankrupt!
more here.
This gem turned up unbidden on my Google Reader.
It appears that Strocchers has a doppelganger:
Am boycotting Harvey Norman and have circulated relevent sites to my extensive mailing list. Since money is the only thing he understands let him lose it. Have also been sending insane e-mails to this poor bookseller in the US and now am feeling unreasonable and paranoid about having done so. It is not a gooday inside my head, but I will recover. The book was lost in the mail for months, literally, and the replacement copy, currently due has not arrived.
reassuring to hear Amazon booksellers are generally reliable. Thanks, TR. i am a bookworm in distress.
I can’t boycott Harvey Norman because I wouldn’t buy anything there in the first place. What a pig of a man – no, that’s unfair to pigs.
THe Gerry Harvey thing boggles my mind. Is this man an absolute ignorant fool?
Giving money to homeless people is a ‘waste’. I suppose the same ‘unproductive’ mantra goes for aged care, disability services and mental health spending huh?
And this from the same man who will have his hand out for all the Rudd low income bonus cash next month ? I swear its just…unaustralian!
Apparently he claims he lives with a continual fear of going broke. Little wonder, as in his tragic Harvey world, unless you are rich, you are utterly worthless.
DO you think we could summon the Ghost of Christmas Future ? I know someone who needs a little visit.
Well, he won’t be getting any of my Xmas bonus. If I do decide to buy a set-top box I’ll get it anywhere but Harvey Norman, on principle. I bought a TV there about 2 years ago and as soon as the warranty expired it went bung. Never again!
Anyway, electricity bills are due to be paid in early December, so I’m betting a lot of people will be spewnding at least part of this munificent economic stimulus on utility bils. Is it purely a coincidence my Country Energy bill is due on 8 December? (Though, as usual, I’ll try to pay it off so doesn’t eat too much into book money.)
It must be my feeding my paranoia day. rechecked Amazon, now discover book has a new due date – 3 december.
So I’ve sent this poor bookseller abusive e-mails and I’m wrong.
here’s hoping Amazon doiesn’t ban me.
been reading sites on complaints about Amazon – very bad idea as they’ve only made me more paranoid.
Georgiou to quit politics at the end of his term
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/georgiou-to-quit-politics/2008/11/22/1226770787923.html
Also I’d have to agree about Children of Men, Zizek’s commentary of the film should be on Youtube.
Harvey is an odd sort of bloke, a real contradiction. His recent comments about the poor seem out of character with some of his prior conduct.
Some may be aware of this story:
Many years ago he went through a divorce, but unlike many in the business community, didn’t try and screw his wife over when it came to divvying-up the property. He entered into a very reasonable property settlement indeed, as a result of which the wife ended-up with something like half the shares in his business.
Now, they’d been married for years and I suppose she would have gotten a pretty reasonable slice from the Courts anyway, but what impressed me was his recognition of his responsibilities. There was certainly none of the kicking and screaming you usually get from rich, self-made prats in such circumstances. Just a calm and very fair settlement.
Over the next couple of decades, the wife (who held onto the shares) became a very wealthy woman indeed as the business grew.
Before people give me a kicking, I’ve gotta say that I’m not trying to defened the guy’ recent comments at all.
It just seems strange that a guy who has demonstrated in the past a pretty reasonable understanding of his responsibilities would suddenly come out with this sort of tosh.
“Apparently he claims he lives with a continual fear of going broke. Little wonder, as in his tragic Harvey world, unless you are rich, you are utterly worthless.”
Couldn’t agree more SC. I imagine those unfortunates who work for him feel the same way. But isn’t this sort of attitude largely ingrained in the extreme capitalist mindset?
If you aren’t spending money they don’t want to know and couldn’t care less. If you are it is your money not your satisfaction they are concerned about.
“Now, they’d been married for years and I suppose she would have gotten a pretty reasonable slice from the Courts anyway, but what impressed me was his recognition of his responsibilities. There was certainly none of the kicking and screaming you usually get from rich, self-made prats in such circumstances. Just a calm and very fair settlement.”
I think maybe Gerry was pragmatic enough to realise if he went to court he would not only have extra costs and risk a better settlement for the wife, but the resulting publicity may be detrimental to his business.
Maybe in this case he mistakenly thought the public would go along with him. Some people will still shop there even knowing this so maybe he’s right. I won’t be though.
Well reading through the full article too, he donated beds to a homeless shelter just earlier this year.
Does anyone still care about the Big Day Out? This year’s bill looks like the worst yet but unfortunately I’m thinking about going to it. The best band in the history of music Fantomas are supposedly just about to be added to the god awful bill and given that Fantomas won’t be playing any sideshows in Adelaide it looks as if I’ll have to pay $135 solely to see them and then leave.
Supposedly they will be playing their Director’s Cut album in full which are crazy interpretations of some of the best horror/thriller film scores in history like Cape Fear, Twin peaks etc. Also it doesn’t look like Dave Lombardo will be making the trip due to his commitments with Slayer and chances are it will be Dale Crover from The Melvins or possibly even Terry Bozzio filling in again.
I’ve seen Fantomas three times before but on their last Australian tour (2005) they didn’t come to Adelaide (neither did another one of Mike Patton’s projects Peeping Tom last year) so I’m pretty keen to see them again as it’s been five years since they were last here.
I did a smiliar thing back in 2002 when Tomahawk (another Patton project) played at the BDO and I paid about $105-$110 just to go and see them (incredible set) and leave immediately after but I’m finding $135 a bit hard to justify for a 45 minute set.
I’m not going to BDO, but I’m going to Melbourne [from adelaide] to see Neil Young, because he’s doing a standalone show there and I want to see the guy once in my life. I agree the line-up is very ordinary this year. I think the Laneway Festival is a better option for newer, more interesting sounds.
The Kevin Rudd memorabilia store!
I wanted to buy the “>Kevin Rudd Decisive Action Doll but the Checkout page was an attempt for people to forward the Liberal Party’s attempt at the funnies to their friends.
Gerry Harvey is a pillock.
Along with his appalling attitude to charities, he’s on the record a couple of years ago exhorting Howard to free up the guest worker program so he could employ staff at half rates. Where or how they were going to live on these wages in Australia I have no idea, although the prospect of GerryHarveryVilles instead of HooverVilles comes to mind (as long as the makeshift tents weren’t within sight of the store I guess it wouldn’t matter).
The tricky bit with boycotting his stores is that a lot of them are franchises, the Armidale one is for example. I would hazard a guess that the local owner and his staff probably don’t share his sociopathic world view.
DR,
Ah, so the franchise owners would suffer, David? Not good, but surely Harvey gets something out of it – he’s supposed to have these monthly returns telling him how much money he’s losing each month – he’s crying poor at the moment. So how do we make the bastard pay for his heartless attack on the homeless?
Not that I can talk, given the e-mails I sent to this poor American bookseller. But I apologised and was sadvised in the friendliest language that the book was air-mailed today/yesterday from the States. Should have it in the next few days.
Mad Armidale mistral still blowing. Tried to walk up the corner shop this morning but the fierce wind fairly took my breath away, so I gave up.Its still howling down the driveway – usually (I think) the winds have stopped up here by the end of August/early September. Climate change, anyone? Or just my imagination?
Jacques @ 19 … BDO is a waste of time as are in my opinion, nearly all big festivals.
Having said that, next week I’m going to Global Gathering to see Kraftwerk and (more importantly) The Orb.
Fugitive Pieces is worth the effort of a visit to a cinema. A dark, holocaust film it finishes on a note of optimism. My review is at: Fugitive Pieces: Laying the Ground Work
I had a conversation AT a Harvey Norman store with a colleague of the Harvey NOrman boss ages ago and he told me (with no detail unfortunately!) that GH does a lot of philanthropic work and also supports several quite innovative and even radical environment projects. What exactly were his comments on not giving to charity? There might be a grain of truth in there …
Marcia Langton has written a review of ‘Australia’ that makes me far more eager to see the film than I was previously.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/11/23/1227375027931.html
Leunigs’ great moments from the great movie Australia tickled my fancy.
“What exactly were his comments on not giving to charity? There might be a grain of truth in there …”
AdamRobertT this is the quote from the article in the SMH. I cannot see anything redeeming or truthful in his comments. He sounds like he would be happy for the poor to be left to die out. A most callous man, indeed.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/charity-is-a-waste-says-gerry-harvey/2008/11/20/1226770649462.html
“You could go out and give a million dollars to a charity tomorrow to help the homeless. You could argue that it is just wasted. They are not putting anything back into the community.
“It might be a callous way of putting it but what are they doing? You are helping a whole heap of no-hopers to survive for no good reason. They are just a drag on the whole community.
Yes, it would be cheaper and better for everyone involved to shoot the no-hopers. It would put them out of their misery and save us money.
Mark,
If you’re still looking for Labor In Power on DVD, you can get it from ABC Commercial.
http://www.abc.net.au/programsales/s2425467.htm
Fine,
Yes, the Langton review was great. Have decided to go and see it, despite the fact that apart from Romeo + Juliet Baz’s movies don’t do great things for me usually. I was left mostly unmoved by Strictly Ballroom and positively hated Moulin Rouge. (I loved Romeo + Juliet.)So maybe Australia will make it 2 out of 4.
But 2 and a half hours?
“The tricky bit with boycotting his stores is that a lot of them are franchises, the Armidale one is for example. I would hazard a guess that the local owner and his staff probably don’t share his sociopathic world view.”
They may not share his view, but they are certainly cashing in on his name and buying power. Certainly you would hope such people would personally voice their concern at his comments if only for the detrimental effects it may have on their business.
Retravision and Good Guys stores are franchises to as far as I know. Better to support these people IMO.