Faint praise!

Some weeks ago I restructured my bank accounts with BankSA. This involved opening one account and closing another. I subsequently got another piece of plastic which surprised me, but nevertheless when I went to activate it today. I was greeted by a voice which topld me that this Call Centre had won the Best Call Centre in the WORLD!!!! award in 2008. (Seemed unbelievable since members of the family have worked for this organisation in the past and their work practices seemed appalling...still I am wise enough to know that being the Best Call Centre in the World has probably got nothing to do with work practices!!)

Anyway. although inviting me to 'activate' the card, when I got to the point where I had to enter the Activation Code it announced that the Activation Centre was not available....at 2 p.m. on a Friday afternoon!!

I tried again and it was still not available. So I tried a circuitous route. This time I was invited to say what I wanted...so I said "Card"...we went through to stage 2. It asked "if you want  to activate your card" push 1. So I did and was promptly disconnected. 

Tried again...this time when I said "Card" it didn't even invite me to push 1 I was just disconnected.

This was now the fourth phone call.

I tried again and just sat. And waited for an operator. When I told her what I wanted...I also said and "I want to complain about the Best Call Centre in the world" she accepted the complaint, without asking my name or address or contact number!

When I asked her if she had processed the complaint she said "Yes!" I resisted the temptation to say that she must be not telling the truth!

The business was however completed, not completely...I had to go to the branch to effect the final changes to suit my particular needs. I could perhaps have saved myself the bother and gone there first.

World's Best Call Centre, my foot!!!

Who's training whom?

There are days when you have so many routine things to do that you wonder if you can actually go about the day's business.

One of the things that I am, in the middle of doing is training Alto (he is a great dog) but he is a puppy, and a beagle. Which means jumping up, catching rabbits, and finding drugs!!!

The slow process of training him to sit, and to walk properly seems to be going OK....he is very responsive...but in a way too smart for me.

Just when you think everything is going well he seems to take control and invent some new game to play.

Each feeding time is extended because I need to make him..sit and stay.. and he seems to have got it today.

But as my erstwhile colleague once noted, when she told me why she had rejected puppy school, you wonder who is being trained. There is no doubt about it the owner needs just as much (if not more) training than the pet.

I cling to the belief that I must have within me the capacity in this life to train one dog...or at least to be trained to train!

Hideous

Hideous docu-drama on SBS last night, The Road to Guantanamo. Essentially about British guys who may have got caught up in the whole shemozzle. They may have course have been guilty though the film makes a good case for them not being so.

But, in a way that is irrelevant.  Even if they were guilty as sin, and even if we acknowledge that only half of the abuse suggested on the film was true it was still too much.

The deliberate confining and restraining of people so that their minds would be strained, and their bodies broken; their dignity assaulted, and their basic human rights assailed...all this gives the lie to any idea that the captors were civilised.

While it is easy to suggest that (if they were guilty) these people may have been threatening lives, as soon as we commit atrocities in the name of 'justice' then the forces of evil have won.

If the civilised throw away their basic sense of decency and goodness, then they themselves have become the enemy...or should I say we ourselves have become the enemy.

Not agreeing with Iain

Our rather good local MP Iain Evans has been touting round the idea that serial truants should be penalised by not being able to apply for their Driver's Licence until they have worked out some sort of agreed penalty time for each day of truancy. (perhaps a week for a day)

This has a rather seductive appeal. Largely because the 16-18 age group  is notoriously difficult to penalise in any significant way. So why not punish them in a way that hurts, so that they might perhaps realize that if they do not take responsibility for themselves then there will be consequences.

The difficulty with the idea, it seems to me, is in using an unrelated activity...driving... to address another issue altogether...truancy. 

The problem then is that we think we have addressed the issue, but the truth is that we have not done anything at all to address the root cause. We do not even name the root cause instead all we do is deflect it.

If, for example, the cause of truancy is bullying at school; or drug addiction; or poor parenting or (God forbid) the failure of the school to seriously engage non-conforming adolescents ...then how would delaying the driving licence actually address that issue.

Further, it would seem to me, that it is a very bad principle to do something draconian because it is notoriously difficult to do something meaningful.

Attractive, seductive..yes. But quite wrong headed.

Agreeing with Alex

No one will be more surprised about my agreeing with him than the former Foreign Minister, but writing in yesterdays Tiser he berates the press, for its incessant whining on behalf of idiots who flaunt the laws of foreign countries and then expect to be bailed out by our Government.

The latest example of a woman who spent days in a Thai jail because she allegedly tried to pocket a "beer mat" (or had it put in her bag!!) is the case in point.

Downer notes that: "After about 10 minutes as foreign minister I was a little surprised to learn I was "responsible" for miscreant Australians who got into trouble in foreign countries."  

And  his heart went out to the current minister over the case in point.

He notes, and I can but agree with him, that we need to take responsibility for ourselves if and when we travel overseas.

There is a worse side to all this. The way the press beats up the legal system of Asian countries as if all are by definition corrupt and well.....just wrong!

Despite the fact that a crime for which a person may well have been jailed in Australia had allegedly taken place...stealing and/or abusing and/or attacking the constabulary; some how we are to believe that because it happens to an Australian in Thailand it is wrong.

There is more than just a little anti-Asian prejudice here!

No, I agree with me old mate Alex.....(I am trying not to gag)...we need to be some what more responsible if we are to be taken seriously as travellers overseas.

The Millennial Blog

I have not been teasing you dear readers. There is a certain sense of irony in that since I realised I was about to write my 1000th blog , I have not so much suffered from blogstipation as busy-ness and fluey-ness, with an intervening Synod, Quiz Night; up and coming Parish Council, Confirmation (I can hear you all saying "poor you!"-take those tongues out of your cheeks-)
So here it is.
The ever steadfast Thom Merton provided me with an insight this morning which is worth reflecting on (All the more amazing because he was writing three decades before anyone knew what a blog was):

There are not a few who are beginning to feel the futility of adding more words to the constant flood of language that pours meaninglessly over everybody, everywhere, from morning to night. For language to have meaning there must be intervals of silence somewhere, to divide word from word and utterance from utterance. He who retires into silence does not necessarily hate language. Perhaps it is love and respect for language which imposes silence upon him.

Merton was of course writing about things deeper and profounder than I usually manage to pontificate about.

Thanks to all who read. Here's to the next 1000!!

On not getting it!

One suspects that Rugby player and (former) media personality Matthew Johns is in for a rude shock today or soon in the wake of his 'apology' for participation in fairly aggressive group sex behaviour. He just doesn't get it
Last night on A Current Affair (ACA), I thought interviewer Tracey Grimshaw made a good attempt at asking the hard questions. Johns also did well at fending off some of the difficult ones.
When, for example, Grimshaw asked him whether or not a 19 year old girl who began what may have been "consensual sex" in a room with two men and ended up participating with considerably more than that, was subject to a power imbalance he just seemed to ignore it. Either he doesn't get it or he knows how to play the media. Perhaps both.
Increasingly as I have participated in more and more of this sort of education I have understood that sexual abuse is firstly about power, and only secondly about sex.
When Grimshaw used the expression 'sexual abuse', Johns steadfastly asserted he had not been involved in abuse. He just doesn't get it!
When you can use your status, physique, and charisma to influence the consent that others might give there is potential for abuse.
The footballer's wife, Trish Johns, looked tragic......one fears that her pain will not be easily resolved. He does get that no amount of apology will undo that woman's pain.
Whilst agreeing that the moment the woman's inappropriate consent to have sex with two men became something worse when others joined in, he was asked to identify the other participants. Out of seeming team loyalty he was obviously not going to name those persons. Even though, as it was pointed out, those other persons are possibly guilty of sexual assault and/or rape (since the woman did not consent to have sex with them). He just doesn't get it.
Former Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Pru Goward, noted that the NRL should not condone Johns' refusal to pass apropriate evidence on to police (that may of course have been done).
There is of course the deeply disturbing issue that we may be witnessing damage control by the NRL and/or Channel 9. One suspects that the complainant will be already be being spoken to and great wads of cash are being waved at her.
Nor should we be satisfied to think that if the NRL deals with this then that solves the problem. It cannot be thought that this attitude towards women is confined to male sporting bastions.


(POST 999!!!!)

The same coin-different sides

The great temptation with a Budget is to politicise it. It is painful to hear the Opposition whine on and on and on about how the deficit that this Budget will inevitably have is caused by bad fiscal management.
The truth is that even the most dyed in the wool liberal isn'tgoing to accept that as fact. It is clear (as always) that we are a tin-pot little country, totally at the whim of the winds of the super-economies. China sneezes and we catch a cold...or something like that.
So it makes Turnbull, Hockey and Bishop just seem pathetic when they whine on in this way. They are continually challenged to say what they would do if they were in power (and they aren't) they never answer the question. They only ever say, our job is to make sure that every dollar (over) spent is spent as well as it can be.
This begs all sorts of questions.
Equally well the government needs to be wary of using the economic crisis to justify its incompetence. I personally don't think we are seeing incompetence, but they do need to recognise that they should not use super rationalisations such as "the global crisis" to begin a pattern of treating the electorate with contempt and assuming they can dish up any old potage and it will do. We have had enough of being so treated by the former regime.
Would that things were different. But they are not.
Would that the present government would not just slip into patting the voters on the head and saying "there there".
On the whole I find the performance of both sides pretty lacklustre to date.
Me old mate Tom Merton warns from the isolation of the cloister

Today, with the enormous amplifications of news and opinion, we are suffering from more than acceptable distortions of perspective.

I think many would agree.

It depends on your point of view

I am interested in the spin that is preparing us for next week's budget. We are being told that the need to increase pensions to aged and other pensioners will be a major driving force in making this a harsh budget. Tax cuts will be lessened or forgone in order to pay for increases to pensions.
Isn't it just as true to say that the commitment to massive increases in military spending are a major contributing factor?
I don't hear our beloved PM or Treasurer saying you will have to forego your tax cut so we can buy more weapons.



(Post 997)

25 today

My friend today celebrates the 25th anniversary of her profession as a religious sister. This is an achievement and a gift.
She characterises a faithfulness to vocation which is noteworthy in the world of transient values. She works too hard (I made this comment when she was commissioned as a priest in the parish where she now is) and it is easy to get caught up by the all-devouring monster which is parish life.
Her support for me over the last few years has been much appreciated, she is one of the few I can talk with frankly and openly and fly a few kites with; and also be told this is reality or this is fantasy.
Well done and prayers for every day to come
(POST 996)

Military Spending

I have been trying to think of something to say about the recent announcement of massive increase in spending for the military. It is difficult to be dispassionate about this, few people are prepared to argue against big military budgets.

But I was reflecting  that it took a while for people to begin to question whether the "stimulus strategy" was the appropriate way to deal with the current economic dilemma. ie. is giving people more money to spend and encouragement to spend it an appropriate strategy to solve a problem that is allegedly brought about   by people overspending!

Is spending more money on military might the best  strategy to end the warring madness of the world?

The dogma that "The price of peace is eternal vigilance" is so unquestioned that it stands more as a testament to our paranoia than our political astuteness.

We think that unless we have a big gun to frighten (probably) the Chinese that they will be down upon us. 

But I would wish to note that I don't see the Chinese queuing up to rape New Zealand, which has adopted a much less strident military policy than our own.

My great sadness is the inordinate amount of money that military equipment, (everything now measured in millions and billions) is glossed over so easily. Yet when we talk about education, health, refugees, third world aid and so on every single drop has to be squeezed out.

(POST 995)

Coming up!

My steadfast blogger roll tells me that this particular manifestation of my ego will reach a thousand in the next few days.

Should I have a party to push the button to launch the 1000th post?

Will we ever get over the Holocaust?

Yet another person I know was deeply effected by the simple little film The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. 

It is almost facile, though when I read the slender book a couple of months ago I did so in one sitting, and in the end was late for an appointment because I had to finish it.

The film, which youngest S and I went to see, is easy to get into. And is annoying in the way that 8 year old boys can be annoying. But seldom have I sat in a theatre at the end of a film and felt so much Angst, there was deathly silence, and the youngest S (who hadn't quite known what she was letting herself) in was quite upset. At 15 she should know what Auschwitz was all about.

Though you can see the end of this film coming a mile away it is nevertheless deeply shocking.

I keep wondering what the real theme of it is. It is more than just never forgetting the Holocaust. (though I am inclined to think we never should)...if we look at each character as echoing the same thing it is about how easily we lose control of our lives, and how evil can overwhelm even the best of us. That life is disorienting and we should be on our guard (1 Peter 5:8).

None of this should surprise us. But it still has the capacity to shock

A serious misgauging

Bikies, often calling themselves 'bikers', have seriously misgauged their level of community support. Their show of strength descending on the city of Adelaide yesterday was exactly what they shouldn't have done.(here)

The trouble with pathetic social liberals like myself is that while I am disposed to say that we should not pass draconian laws which limit peoples' freedoms of association, we are also scaredy cats and we don't much like being being intimidated by very big beardede men in leatrher jackets, prone to beating up (a popular perception with much evidence to support it). Shows of force do not appeal to us.

It is rather like sending 200 brown shirts goose-stepping through the mall and saying that we should endorse Nazism.

While people like me are most likely inclined to say that a proper process through the courts in which laws are challenged properly is something I would support, (I mean hasn't anyone spotted that totalitarianism begins by preventing freedom of association...McCarthyism, anti-Communist laws for example, ...Australia steadfastly refused to ban a legitimate Communist party) at the moment I just think :Good on Media Mike for standing up to bullies.

You've gotta laugh - creating a Rudd mythology

Last night's Q&A continued to show that this show is good for a laugh, and has a totally different style from much of the dreary garbage that passes for pacey debate between politicians.

Much of the action comes from the almost random throwing together of diverse politicians which last night included the Nationals Barnaby Joyce(left) and Labor's Peter Garrett. There was also Green's Sarah Hansen-Young, and Liberal Pru Goward. Along with black playwright, director and dramaturg Wesley Enoch  the mix was right for many good exchanges.

One thing that interests me is the way that the right has obviously been advised to create a Rudd mythology. This has many aspects. One of them is that he is too smart for his own good...and by implication ours. And that he talks incessantly.

So I had to laugh when the "never backward in coming forward" Senator Joyce accused Garrett of taking lessons from the PM and creating a "wall of sound"  ie. talk, talk talk and never allowing discussion. 

I don't think this is true, I think this is the mythology that they are trying to create.

What was farcical was that Joyce had himself talked down almost everyone on the panel throughout the show, Ms Goward, ever perceptive and articulate, was getting quite annoyed by the end. The main "wall of sound" was coming from Barnaby Beagle  himself.

He also added to the creation of the Garrett mythology ("what has happened to Peter Garrett activist Rock star?")  by jokingly, persistingly and embarrasingly interrupting the Minister "OOOh where's Peter Garrett, where's Garret...he's disappeared."

As I say to my children, funny once not funny twice!

In the end this sort of perception-creating politics is not about  truth, it is about creating perception. And the two are not necessarily the same. They are more about manipulating the voter.

I suppose it happens on both sides; Turnbull is maligned by his opponents (as Andrew Lloyd Webber says about Cameron Mackintosh..."isn't he rich...richer than me" (You tube here))...while Ruddy is just as rich. The politics of perception and mal-image is not helpful