The King is Dead

Ever since I heard ‘Scallops’ by The Herd, I fell in love with this Aussie Hip Hop collective.

They are never afraid to be political, and have come out with such classic lyrics as

Wake up – this country needs a fucking shake up
Wake up – these cunts need a shake up

77% – The Herd (2003)

I have seen them live 3 times and they rank as one of my favourite live bands EVA.

They have just released a new single as they prepare to release the new album ‘Summerland’ on their own label.

It’s called, ‘The King is Dead’ and it represents the fall of John Howard. Very close to my heart and very cool lyrics.

Go and download it NOW!

We danced like new years eve
We danced from sheer relief
Everything must change

The people that you projected as
We were nothing of the sort it sold us all short
Put down the champagne
No toast to the legacy(no way)
And all the propaganda of prosperity
That’s what a machine does and they don’t need therapy
You turned us into a nation of haters
Far right appeaser
believer in whatever get you leader
Dog whistle through the speakers
see who bites it
I noticed a hell of a lot of people liked it
An ethical choice is simpler if you price it
Conquer by dividing
that’s why you admired him?
unless pushed we would never have retired him
Fuckin pirate history will damn him
once it seemed like nothing can damage him
[UNKLE HO MANDARIN – ??]
Crook, you got your arse played in Mandarin

Finally the King is Dead,
we cried off with his head
Everything must change, Everything must change
We danced like new years eve
We danced from relief
Everything must change, nothing stays the same
Nothing stays the same oh, Nothing stays the same oh

Yeah Cats I know are feeling just like the rapture
I can tell who this mood is failing to capture
It’s like somebody finally did light that match up
And burn down the parliament, learned from the argument
Can’t be non-partisan, when you’re an artist
And you put your heart in it,
and that’s not even the half of it
Like my man said, we’re talking butter and bread
Better if his words were never uttered again
Mostly vindictive, who could have predicted
Just a few tax breaks to keep us all addicted
The dickhead dictator leader imitator
Made me feel immature when I said “I hate ya”
Did you read the paper the day after and hear the laughter?
I’ll read it to you, it starts with M McKew and ends with you
No broader view from the people on your ship that you used to call crew
Huh! That’s typical, now I guess it’s difficult
For the type of person who only thinks of individual
No residual, you’ll see our resilience
Take your bat and ball and head for the pavilion

Finally the King is Dead,
we cried off with his head
Everything must change, Everything must change
We danced like new years eve
We danced from relief
Everything must change, nothing stays the same
Nothing stays the same oh, Nothing stays the same oh

Just promise me this,
no rose petal glasses,
quickly confine him to part of the past

11 Years of Shame.

The 11 years of John Howard will be a time that I personally want to forget.

The fact that every living former Prime Minister plus the Governor General were present in parliament today to hear the sorry declarations except for one John Howard speaks volumes about the mean spirit and nastiness of the man that ran this country for too long.

I don’t really care though. I don’t want to ever see his face or hear his voice again.

Even watching old clips of him makes me shudder.

I enjoyed hearing him the K Rudd speak. His re-counting of his meeting with a member of the Stolen Generation was well told and I liked his honesty about what really happened.

He did well and this day will go down in history.

Photos courtesy of Daniel Boud at Boudist

Democracy. Only We Can Make It Work.

Ok. I can’t take much more of this.

4 MORE SLEEPS till the fucking election and I have turned the TV off. No more campaign ads. EVERY SECOND AD is something about the election.

I’d rather watch an ad for the bloody Carpet Court, the new Mazda or anything other than the current round of bullshit ads on today.

Are you still a swinging voter? What is going to help you make up your mind?

Are you going to take the million ‘How to Vote’ cards that will be shoved in your hands on Saturday and even look at them?

Are you going to stride in to the booth, draw a box and write Ricky Ponting beside it and tick?

Are you going to seriously go into that box and vote for a Liberal government AGAIN?

Ok. All I need is a minute.

1. The Liberals have had 12 years. Some 18 year old who are voting today would not even recognise Paul Keating’s face in a line-up.
2. The Liberals have lied. Not once. Not twice, but MANY times over those 12 years.
   1. GST
   2. Children Overboard
   3. Reasons for going to war in Iraq
   4. Interest rates
   5. We’ll be better off with Work Choices
   6. Howard (not) handing over to Costello even when he told him he would
3. The Liberals refuse to give equal rights to gay couples. Labor have promised to give gay couples the same rights as heterosexual couples (however, still not marriage)
4. The Liberals have jumped onto the Climate Change band wagon because of the polls. Not because they believe in it. Howard’s backflip in the last 6 months has been ridiculous, but still he can’t admit that change needs to happen NOW.
   1. Kyoto has not been signed.
   2. The Liberals have not accepted wind power or other renewable resources as a viable alternative to coal.
   3. Nuclear Power is still being considered.
5. John Howard is out of touch, old, stubborn and needs to retire NOW.

Make it happen people.

There is more to life than big-screen TV, a shiny new car in the garage and an annual trip to the Maldives.

Think about issues that will affect you in the years and decades to come.

Think about giving this country a voice again, instead of a self-serving dishonest dictator.

I’m not saying to vote Labor.

I am just saying to NOT vote for the Coalition.

Make them last.

Make ‘us’ last.

Election Campaign 2007 – Day 2

I’m already scared.

Channel 10 News last night were reporting that Rudd needs to secure a number of swinging seats in QLD to have any chance of winning the election. WTF?

I have to not get excited yet. I can’t let myself believe.

Can someone tell me? Is this election in the bag or not? Is Howard going to scare the bejeebers out of everyone and then hand them a few measly bucks a week as compensation?

FUCK THAT. The last election was all about greed and back pockets.

People were (are?) more concerned about their summer house, their holidays, their new cars and their super to even give a second thought about environment, human and gay rights, education and health.

Money. More important than a decent society?

Don’t believe him. He’s a snivelling little toad.

And look, I agree, Rudd’s voice is already annoying, but fuck, GET RID OF HOWARD.

Call it Tomorrow?

Hypocrite Howard.

Stanhope agrees with McClelland

I agree with McClelland’s comments.

A life is a life. No-one has the right to take someone else’s.

Be it an Australian’s or not.

Howard is an alien though isn’t he? That changes all the rules.