Goodbye, Milwaukee

Well, it has been probably been one of the most absurd and yet fulfilling months I have ever had. And yet, the ultimate conclusion is that my “home” is no longer here. By “here” I mean not just Milwaukee, not just Wisconsin, nor even the Upper Midwest, but the United States.

Regular readers will probably sigh and think that this is another one of my sly anti-American screeds, but this time, it has more to do with just where my life is at as opposed to politics. It really has more to do with (cue music) “when I think of home.” I think of seeing Karl Stefanovic make a tit of himself every morning; I think of ordering a Schooner while looking at Central Station; to be honest with you, I think of all the clichés of a Qantas advert.

Yet, going to my new home won’t be as simple as jumping on the Flying Roo. Actually, it’s going to involve a bit of work and travel across the US, Europe, and Asia. Therefore, this new chapter of this corner of the internet will begin with a travel diary. I’m not going to tell you where I’m going until I actually get there, but you can guarantee that the final stop will be Sydney.

Some parting thoughts on Milwaukee:

• I used to dream about living in Downtown Milwaukee, now that I’m staying Downtown, it’s shockingly dead. Considering that Tom Barrett (as well as Norquist) have done a lot to bring life to Downtown, there remains even more to be done. There’s only little bit of “there” here, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein’s famous comment about Oakland.
• Wisconsin is in the midst of both a Senatorial and Gubernatorial race. The Senate race is between Russ Feingold (D) and some cornball in-over-his-head company owner Ron Johnson (R). Johnson is one of those types who swears up and down that all Washington needs is “common business sense.” The funniest thing is that this lot seems to think that they are going to succeed where many others have failed. Frankly, after a failed MBA presidency (GWB) the last thing the US needs is another business owner.
• The Gubernatorial race is much more interesting. The incumbent Democrat Jim Doyle is running, so Milwaukee’s mayor Tom Barrett is running to replace him with Jim McGreevey-lookalike (and possible act-alike) Scott Walker running for the GOP. This race is going to be nasty as hell. Scott Walker seems to be playing the no-jobs and high-taxes card and Barrett is working sympathy (he got beat up defending a woman at the State Fair a few years ago). I will be very honest here and admit that I loathe Walker. He instituted a very comprehensive public smoking ban for one main reason: making money from the fines. He also just looks…dodgy. Seriously, Wisconsin politicians are either saints (Feingold, Kohl) or massive sinners (Thompson, Joseph McCarthy). I totally see a big scandal coming down the Walker path.
• After driving down to O’Hare for the last time, I truly believe like all of my fellow Statesmen and Stateswomen that Illinois drivers are insane.
• Apparently inter-political affiliation marriages are quite the shocker in Milwaukee. I made mention of this is in my eulogy and people were just SHOCKED that my parents married despite being political polar opposites.
• Milwaukee is still the best city to drink beer in.
• This last one is not so Milwaukee-centric, but more America-specific, but we really need to start taxing the churches. The clergy are getting away with living the high life while their flocks are stuck trying make ends meet. That’s not cricket.

Easy hint as to my first post-Milwaukee destination: It’s what Canberra wishes it could be, what Auckland thinks it is, and what "Pretoria" still is.

Vale

Well, to be honest, August was not a good friend of mine.

Late in July, I received a call from a family friend that my mother’s illness had gotten worse. I jumped on the first flights I could in order to get from Sydney to Milwaukee. From that point onwards, I was very fortunate spend the month of August with my mother. Sadly, last night (CDT) she passed away.

I would like to mention several of my mother’s accomplishments:

• She performed in the title role in a production of Carmen at Howard University.
• Also, while at Howard, she toured South America with the university’s choir (beating out an unknown Roberta Flack for a spot).
• She was one of the first ever management consultants to specialise in affirmative action in the United States, heading up her first business in New York City during the late 1960s.
• In the face of many local (Milwaukee) critics at the time, she was able to build her second business into a nationally respected firm surpassing the success of her first.
• She openly encouraged everyone that she met to truly believe that they can succeed at their dreams and aspirations provided they truly believe in them and work hard at it daily.

My mother & I, both being only children had a very special bond. You often hear about parents trying to be their children’s friend instead of being a parent. I can truly say that my mother succeeded in both areas.

Mother told me that upon hearing that her only child resided in Australia, people would express shock that she could feel comfortable with the situation. She would respond with a smile and state that it would be a sign of poor parenting if she never allowed her own child to go his own way.

Mother’s passing marks a major transition in my life, as you’d expect. You see, as an only child from a very small family (both immediate and extended), I find myself in the position of no longer needing to be in the US for any extended length of time in the future. She marked my closest and arguably sole reason to come here. Her passing now means that I have to say goodbye to the US as well.

My mother’s family has long believed that good parenting is that which allows the child to go as far as possible with the proper tools to deal with it.

I believe that I can deal with being away from the US for the rest of my life, courtesy of my mother. She will always travel with me no matter where life finds me.

Thank you, mom.

It’s Been A Rough Day

At least for me. The kind of a day where a little pop music list would just do the trick.

Via Twitter, I found out that Defamer Australia is doing a list of “The Greatest Australian Pop Songs of All Time.”  If you think Australian pop is all Kylie Minogue, think again.

As for our Antipodean cousins, take a look at NZ On Screen’s very thorough music video section.

Good for what ails ya!

RIP Satoshi Kon

Satoshi Kon, a real visionary of the anime world has passed away.

I’ve always enjoyed everything that Kon ranging from the TV series Paranoia Agent to films like Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, and Paprika.

His work was touching, but also thought-provoking. He eschewed the ultra-cute type of characters prevalent in anime, preferring instead to create multi-dimensional characters in fantastical, but very real situations and worlds. His work definitely inspired me as a scriptwriter and playwright, and I’m looking forward to seeing his final film.

In tribute, this is the opening of the TV Series Paranoia Agent.

Wednesday Jukebox Says Imitation is…

…the sincerest form of flattery…getting attention without effort.

At least in Korea.

It should be easy to guess which “controversial” video by two worldwide successful artists was the inspiration for Mamma Mia.

 

Good thing that the song isn’t too bad, though the video helps it…majorly.

Election Day Aftermath

Is it really an aftermath when to some extent it’s not decided.

The ABC News Homepage at the moment says “Deal or Deadlock.”

The House of Representatives is at 70 Labor, 72 Liberal/National, 1 Green, and 4 Independents. Convincing the 4 Independents and the 1 Green (Yay!) to side with either Labor or the Coalition will decide which party will rule, albeit as a minority.

Rational thinking puts Labor as the better suitor, but you can never rule out randomness in Australian politics.

So perhaps we’ll call it Election Day Ceasefire? Election Day Stalemate?

The really big silver lining: The Greens now hold the balance of power in the Senate, so I’d say that whoever does the courting would be wise to swing to the Left.

Australia will likely get Same-Sex Marriage before California.

Hours Away…Election Day

In the coming hours, Australia will either legitimise its first female Prime Minister or give it to a North Shore freak show who knifed his colleague.

Since voting is compulsory in Australia*, I won’t trot out my “voting is a right that many people have died for” spiel, but I would just encourage anyone in Australia to really make a concerted effort to think about what they’re being asked for at the polling booth:

• Should we do something more about climate change?
• In this day and age, should we continue to withhold rights from same sex couples?
• Do you feel that you’re sharing in the prosperity they are always talking about in the news?

* Technically it’s only compulsory to show up at the polling station to have your name crossed off on the electoral rolls, but most people do the right thing and vote.

Have a laugh before and after you vote…

Election Comedy in Australia

Via Daniel Burt, I found this selection of Lego comedy sketches about Election 2010. Nothing beats Australian political comedy.

My Little Political Dilemma

As this election season goes on, I find myself at a bit of a crossroads. Shortly after moving to Australia, I figured I was an Australian Democrat (centrist, although still rather left by American standards).

Then the Liberal Party (centre-right, although centre by American standards) put Malcolm Turnbull in charge. I started out indifferent towards Mal, but despite his Republican (as in turfing the Monarchy, not as in GOP) sensibilities, Scrooge McDuck background, and disinterest in same sex marriage, he actually seemed rather decent and willing to make the Liberal-National coalition more moderate. He also was more charismatic than Rudd.

Through some bizarre twist that oddly mirrored how Rudd fell, Mal got the boot in favour of Tony “Mad Monk” Abbott…by one vote. Poor Mal said that he was going to leave politics, but fortunately stayed. Still, he’s not leading the Coalition at the moment, so the Liberals got struck off my list.

As for Labor, I’ll be honest with you, I did not like Kevin Rudd at all. He seemed too socially conservative and travelled too much as opposed to dealing with domestic concerns. I was happy when Gillard took the reins (although as an American, watching Westminster-style politics in action is very strange…it comes across as almost too secretive and devoid of public input).

Now the AusDems are making a play for disaffected Liberal voters (particularly those who are horrified by the Mad Monk), and by all intents and purposes, I should be quite happy for the party to be gaining strength.

Yet, I now find myself attracted to a party that I used to be horrified by: The Greens.

As left as I am, I just always found the Greens to have their priorities in the wrong place. Call me selfish, but I’m “people over plants.” I care about the environment, but not enough to make it a political ideology.

The Greens must have heard enough people with similar reservations, because they have moderated their message.

Health, infrastructure, and in favour same-sex marriage, I’m sold…for now.

Just keep things sane, Bob. Please.

Running Scared of the Churches...in Australia?

Granted ever since Mark Latham started riding the crazy train, I generally ignore everything he says, but he has come clean on why he did support the ban on same-sex marriage during the Howard era: he was afraid of parish priests.

In one of the most non-churchgoing countries in the Western World?

Still, as the GayNZ.com article posits, what's Julia's excuse? She's an atheist and open about it, so the religious argument doesn't hold much water with her already being PM.

Monday Jukebox is Like A Queen

One last jukebox clip for today. I’ve posted the first person POV version of Like A Queen previously, but I discovered that there was another version which has its own charms. Enjoy!

For a Japanese jazz-pop video, both versions seem to be shot in Sydney, or a part of Japan that is very similar to it.

Recovery Jukebox Catches A Wave

After a day in hospital, and a day and a half of doing the fun logistics of insurance and home repair, I wish it was the early 1980s and I was a surfie listening to neo-Beach Boys pop as performed by Tatsuro Yamashita.

A Little Comedy Interlude

I was raised pretty much religion-free, and I pretty much intend to do so whenever I have a child. There will be some out there who might think this clip is blasphemous, but I think it’s hilarious myself.

Drum n’ bass and taking the piss? Priceless.

Thursday Jukebox Says Go-Go KPop

So there’s another Korean girl group…Wait!

Seriously, there is no need to run for the hills. The group’s name is Secret and their latest Madonna, is actually pretty decent. Apparently, the Go Go revival which Amerie and Beyonce began has finally caught up to Korea. If there’s any auto-tune going on in this song, then it’s pretty well-hidden.

Bonus: New Zealand has kind of a burgeoning soul music scene. Prime example: Fat Freddy’s Drop. This is their rather well-executed video for Boondigga.

My New Electoral Home

Yep, the other half & I have moved on up to the East Side…to Wentworth

I lurve Australian politics.

“Normal” Service Resumes

First, I want to thank all you out there for your patience during this unscheduled hiatus. Over the past few weeks, I’ve moved neighbourhoods (swapping Redfern for Darlinghurst) and now come across a bit of a bad trot health-wise.

Now onto the fun!

You know, I was eager to rip into Penny Wong with regards to her bizarre choice of toeing the party-line with gay marriage, but let’s start out with something uplifting…Antoine Dodson.

The sudden interne celebrity rise of Dodson first made me think that this would be yet another case of inner-city crime turned into hipster fodder, but actually, I’m quite pleased to find that higher profile is helping raise funds for him and his family via the iTunes auto-tuned version. (Buy it!)

Now, Ms. W®ong.

I think she’s done her soul a serious disservice by supporting the party line, but I think it’s also important for those not familiar with Australia to know a few things about the gay marriage debate in Oz.

In Australia, more than in the US, it’s ultimately a debate over the word “marriage.” Australia is one of the least religious countries in the Western world, and the idea of “shacking up” is not as frowned upon. Both gays and straights use the word “partner” to refer to their significant others.

What we Americans call “common law” marriages are called “de facto relationships.” These de facto partnerships effectively are equal to married couples in all the states and territories. For example, unlike the US which would require marriage for an American to stay with their foreign partner, the foreign born partner of an Australian can remain in Australia under the interdependency/de facto visa scheme (which interestingly enough is the same visa that many Australian men used for mail-order brides).

The interesting thing in Australia is that the popularity of de facto partnerships along with the Australian sense of fairness has led to a majority of Australians supporting same-sex marriage in poll after poll. So it really is an argument over a word, and in my opinion the government should either get out of the marriage business or declare civil unions (and de facto partnerships) for all. *

The religious argument that often colours the same sex marriage debate in the US and other countries doesn’t really hold much water in Australia. Case in point: a Family First senatorial candidate in Queensland has gotten a serious public bollocking in the media for homophobic tweets comparing same-sex marriage to child abuse. Queensland has a strong redneck reputation. It’s where Pauline Hanson (she who would gladly have the White Australia policy back and the Apology to the Stolen Generation rescinded) is from. If those comments don’t work in Queensland, they don’t work in Australia full stop. It’s also worth noting that a majority of Queenslanders also support same-sex marriage.

While my partner & I have considerably more legally enforced rights in Australia as a same sex couple than in the US, I am hesitant to paint the Antipodes as LGBT paradise. Why? Well, in New South Wales we have a bizarre law from 2000 which prohibits same-sex couples from adopting, but not LGBT individuals. This restriction may be lifted this month, as the Premier is going to allow a conscience vote on the issue.

The light at the end of the tunnel may very well be in sight.

Monday Jukebox Talks Fashion and Electropop

The comeback is not just lurching, it’s coming so fast I can feel it breathing down my neck.

But it isn’t here yet. (And after what Penny Wong said, my opinion gun is locked and loaded.)

No, today it’s another jukebox. Another Korean jukebox in fact.

I have no problem admitting that I like electropop, but as innovative as it can be…

…its success creates some shoddy imitators.

Se7en, for example has come back with a somewhat disappointing song, and even worse, either he and/or his management has seriously pissed off the costume department.

I am far from a fashionista, but everyone in that video looks like they are dressed in rejects from a Devo video.

And then there’s the new one from [god, I hate typing their daft name] SHINee. Ring Ding Dong wasn’t profoundly ground-shattering, but it wasn’t dross either. This time around they have a song called Lucifer (interesting lyrical theme) and outfits last seen from when The Village People went New Wave or the cinematic clunker The Apple. I think they must’ve pissed off the costume department too.

Shiny indeed.

Sunday Jukebox Says I’m Coming Back

Apologies for doing my due diligence on here, but I’m in the process of moving home (and suburbs), and not able to give my all. Still worry not! There’s heaps of things I’m eager to muse about on this corner of the internet:

• The Australian election: Julia vs. Mad Tony (Blair) Abbott
• How The Australia-US Free-trade agreement leaves some of our (Australian) channels with schedules that look almost exactly like the Z-list has-been programming on barely watched US broadcast channels (think WLNY/Channel 55 in Long Island).
• The weirdness that is Masterchef Australia

And guess who’s also making a comeback (to Korea), BoA, and her song and video for Game has SAW (Stock Aitken Waterman) meets 80s Swing Out Sister written all over it…in Korean. In other words, this is aural heaven to me, the video ain’t too shabby either. Enjoy.

Monday Jukebox Schools A Fool

Alright, I’m 31. I embrace it fully.

I am also in Australia, and embrace that fully as well.

That said, I nearly spat out my drink when someone (admittedly a twentysomething, but a music journo who still should’ve known better) told me he thought the “I wanna rock right now”  in Rock That Body was not sampling.

So kids, get in the time machine and experience one of the best rap songs ever.

Yes, we weren’t afraid of wearing lots of colours in those days.

Friday Jukebox Says What?

What a interesting video that arrived in my inbox today. It’s like the product of a diluted Thriller (Michael Jackson) and Frozen (Madonna).

I don’t know whether I like the song or the choreography, but from a visual standpoint, it’s rather impressive.