On my soapbox

Living below the poverty line in an affluent society.

by frogpondsrock on June 29, 2010

in good causes,On my soapbox,politics,real life

Been there done that got the badge.

Last night I was intrigued by this tweet from @gluckman

I have no idea how I’m going to last on just $2 of food a day! I eat SOOOO MUCH!!! #numnumnum #livebelowline

That plaintive tweet immediately reminded me of my own teenage son who eats his own body weight in food approximately every three days.

So I followed a link on @gluckmans twitter stream to find out why this young man was twittering about living on $2 a day in August of this year and came to this page Live below the line which explained about the global poverty project

If you want to donate you can follow this link to their fundraiser page

But this post isn’t just about raising money for a good cause it is about the broader issues of poverty in an affluent society like Australia. There is an underclass here in Australia that live in poverty and experience the despair that comes with it, we ignore our homeless and our charities are stretched to breaking point.

But even though things are tough when you are broke in Australia they really aren’t that tough. Not really.

We have access to clean water, to clean air, to free medical treatment and we aren’t being shot at or thrown into jail for our religious or political beliefs. Our children aren’t being kidnapped to be used as child soldiers or mutilated to make better beggars. Our girl children are allowed to live and we all have access to education.

I could bang on and on about this but I wont. In my time I have been hungry and I have been cold, I have gone days with out any money at all in my pocket, but I have always been safe. I have always been able to speak my mind, dress how I like and swallow my pride and front up to the Salvos for a food order.

So I have sponsored young @gluckman because I think it is a good cause but also, because I think it will be good for him and his friends to try and live on $2 a day.Whether they are able to achieve their goal within the safety of affluence is another matter but it will be a good learning experience and I say good on them for having a go.

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Thinking in public.

by frogpondsrock on May 29, 2010

in Arty stuff..,ceramics,dragons,environmental stuff,On my soapbox,real life

Yesterday was my last class with Dr Christl Berg. I cant remember the exact title of the class but in a nutshell Christl’s class was all about developing ourselves as artists as well as  learning to look at art critically. It was a valuable experience as we had lots of presentations from established artists describing their own art practices.

Our last presentation yesterday was from visual artist, Glen Dunn and I had a lightbulb moment during his presentation when Glen said,”That in essence, artists are thinking in public.” I realised that is what I am doing, I am thinking in public, I am having a public conversation with you. I know it looks glaringly obvious but I hadnt actually thought about it that way before. A couple of pieces of the puzzle clicked loudly into place yesterday and my mind is buzzing.

My proposal for the sculpture trail has been accepted by the friends of Chauncy Vale committee and I am really excited and terrified at the same time. Now I have to do more than actually think about making the eggs, I have to produce them. Eeek.

Just to add more excitement and terror to the mix, yesterday Glen also suggested that I should film the whole process. I was going to photo document everything  anyway but making a short film has captured my imagination. I have absolutely no idea how I am going to go about it at all but the thought of making a film is really exciting.

Now back to the idea of thinking in public. I hadn’t really thought much about the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico other than general, “gosh that’s awful”  type of thoughts until I followed a link on twitter to the Boston.com’s Big Picture, News stories in photographs and the images truly brought home to me the devastating impact of this massive environmental disaster.

The dragon eggs are a very public thought. The dead albatross bowls are very public thoughts. And now I want to make a couple of oily dragonfly plates. This dragonfly is trying to clean itself while it is perched on an oil soaked blade of grass. I cant get the idea out of my head that to the executives of companies like BP and Monsanto we are as worthless to them as insects.That the destruction of our environments dont matter as long as they get their fat paychecks and the shareholders get theirs.

How can BP compensate the world for the loss of a dragonfly? How much is a dragonfly worth?

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Save Edge Radio.

by frogpondsrock on May 22, 2010

in On my soapbox,real life

I have again taken a post straight from the Tasmanian Times. This is also important. Local independent radio is very important, if we lose stations like Edge Radio we have lost part of our voice.

I will post something that I have actually written myself tomorrow or possibly Monday. If you can help to Save Edge Radio could you please click onto any of the links provided in the post or attend the rally at Salamanca next week.

Edge Radio today launched its major survival campaign ‘Save Edge Radio’. The campaign calls on the Tasmanian community to help Tasmania’s only independent, youth, arts and culture focused broadcaster.
For the last seven years Edge Radio has made a significant contribution to the Tasmanian community with a unique focus on youth, arts and culture, but is now facing a dire financial situation and needs the local community’s help to survive.

Station Manager, Melanie Page, is confident that the Tasmanian community won’t allow Edge to disappear, but admits that the next few months will be critical.

“In the short-term, we have done all we can to reduce operating costs,” she said.

“We have made significant cuts to staff hours as well as hosting our first Radiothon to increase public awareness and to raise money.

“However, at this stage Edge Radio does not have the funds to continue broadcasting longer than the next few months, so we need to raise funds before the end of the financial year.

“Edge is financially viable as community radio station, but its dependence on sponsorship income and one-off grants results in budgetary fluctuations that impact on day-to-day operations,” says Page.

Edge Radio will continue to explore partnerships with State, Local and Federal Governments as well as the University of Tasmania, to secure ongoing core funding in order to ensure the station’s long-term viability.

This potential core funding along with current sponsorship will assist the station to keep broadcasting, but Edge needs the greater community to get behind the station and contribute financially. Edge Radio is a not-for-profit organisation that contributes over $20,000 per annum in the form of community service announcements and with a small dedicated staff and more than 100 volunteers and presenters it has grown into an important cultural asset.

“Edge is an important training ground for college and University students. It supports emerging bands and covers a number of Tasmanian events. Most importantly it also gives young people a voice of their own, which is priceless,” said Page.

The closure of Edge Radio would mean the loss of over 120 hours of locally produced content and a voice for numerous community and educational groups.
“One day we hope to be able to concentrate on making great radio and engaging more with the community, than trying to survive one week to the next and putting our energy into keeping the station afloat,” concludes Page.
Save Edge Radio will be officially launched at Salamanca Square on Saturday 29th May with a rally 11am – 1pm, encouraging the public to sign a petition which will be taken to Minister O’Byrne on Wed 2nd June.

To Save Edge Radio, log onto http://www.edgeradio.org.au/donations.php and make your tax-deductible donation before June 30th.

How You Can Help Save Edge Radio

Become a Supporter of Edge Radio
Head to http://www.edgeradio.org.au/supporter.php, pick your level of support, and sign up online using Paypal.

Make a Tax Deductible Donation Online
Alternatively, with the end of financial year creeping upon us, you might like to make a tax deductible donation here: http://www.edgeradio.org.au/donations.php

Sign the Save Edge Radio Petition Online
It’ll only take a minute of your time and if you can’t afford to become a Supporter or make a donation this is a great way of helping us.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/saveedgeradio/

Save Edge Radio Rally
Where: Salamanca Square
When: Sat 29th May, 11am – 1pm
We need as many people as possible to come and show support.
Please wear a red t-shirt or bring a red balloon.

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Field of women.

by frogpondsrock on April 22, 2010

in cancer,Hope,On my soapbox,real life

I have been asked to help spread the word about the Breast Cancer Network Australia’s field of women LIVE event 2010,which is going to be held in Melbourne.

It’s taking place on Friday, 7 May 2010 and will see 14,000 women and men standing together in pink ponchos to form the Pink Lady silhouette on the MCG, reflecting the number of women expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. The event aims to raise awareness and much needed funds to support women diagnosed with breast cancer (BCNA is a unique not for profit organisation, its sole focus is on providing complete support for women who are diagnosed with breast cancer and their families).

I remember the cold terror that gripped my heart when my twenty one year old daughter told me that she had a hard lump in her breast. I remember the fantastic relief when the lump was just a cyst.

My grandmother had a masectomy in her seventies and is still going strong at the ripe old age of eighty seven. I have had three lumps in my breasts over the years and they have all been benign.

So I am more than happy to help spread the word here on my blog and you can help as well my lovelies.

You can follow them on Twitter @BCNApinklady

You can join the Breast Cancer Network Australia Facebook fan page.

You can register to attend the event at www.fieldofwomenlive.org.au

You can provide a link to the event www.fieldofwomenlive.org.au on your blog and encourage your readers to promote this link on their websites and blogs as well.

You are more than welcome to copy this and post it onto your blog as well.

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We are all boat people here Mr Rudd, Mr Abbott and anyone else who has forgotten where you came from

by frogpondsrock on April 17, 2010

in blogging,headfuck,Hope,On my soapbox,real life

My ancestors were boat people. Irish convicts transported unwillingly to Australia. I grew up in a working class suburb full of immigrants. New Australians they were called then. My father was casually racist and his language was the language of his peers. I was taught to be wary of wogs, wops, krauts and coons. The New Australian kids were different and their sandwiches at lunch time smelled funny. So of course we teased them. Australia’s national food was the meat pie and everyone had a roast for Sunday lunch.

Then I grew up and so did Australia. I grow bok choy in my garden and make sushi for my grandchildren. Sunday lunch might be a Thai green curry or Moroccan lamb. Australia has benefitted greatly from our multiculturalism and there is a lot of hope for the future.

But I feel that there is a black cloud of doom lurking just over the horizon and it has to do with our politicians and the popular media’s attitude to this generation of boat people. If our leaders demonstrate intolerance and the media reports in a frenzy of protectionist nationalism what hope is there for ordinary people to be heard?

I was down at the market last year and my son and his mate where looking at tshirts with humourous quotes printed on them. Deeper into the rack of t-shits were some with, not quite racist but certainly horrible slogans such as, This is Australia we drink beer, play cricket and speak English and other such small minded intolerant shit written on them.

My son’s friend wanted to buy a t-shirt that said, piss off we’re full.

Anyone that knows me in real life knows that when something pisses me off I get loud and  *Hmmphy*.  I explained to my son and his mate exactly why I found the t-shirts so distasteful. The salesman enthusiastically pushed his view that the t-shirts were just a joke and I pushed my view that they were crap. I reminded the stallholder that we are all boat people here mate and he would do well to remember it.

I huffed off from the stall and loudly lectured the boys on tolerance, well aware that I was being extremely intolerant of the bogan twat selling the shirts.

The experience left a sour taste in my mouth and I have been meaning to write about racism and intolerance for a while now. But I really don’t have the words other than to remind those that cry the loudest about the perils of the boat people to remember where you came from.

To remember that except for the Koori people we are all descended from immigrants here in Australia.

To remember that we are all the same under our skins and that hate begets hate.

Fe photographed two opposing protests at the Villawood detention centre and the APP have been commenting on her blog post, The face of Racism

My friend Anne,also writes eloquently here in her piece, aptly titled the lucky country and I would recommend that you go and read both blog pieces and then tell me what you think.

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