No Sleep 'til Vodafone

Next Tuesday. D'you think I can stay awake 'til then?

It's true: unionised workers get more sex!*

Can someone explain Lefty Tim to me, please? When did a former Big Brother housemate become a spokesperson for my generation?

I'm asking because he was one of the 'celebrities' throwing down in support of Australian workers yesterday. I'd assume that you were all there, but who (besides the Shadow) knows what darkness lurks in the hearts of one's friends and neighbours? I’ve noticed that as people age, their prejudices tend to ossify, and formerly relaxed, community-minded and thoughtful people become more scared and large-L Liberal once they hit the marriage-mortgage-kids belt.

"I'm too busy" just doesn't cut it, people - there'll be plenty of time to be busy next year once these reforms become law and you enjoy fewer leave entitlements and are under increased pressure to work unpaid overtime.

Anyway, I don't hate Tim. He seems like a perfectly reasonable, intelligent fellow, sincerely committed to the causes he espouses. Probably the most intriguing thing about him is his incredible capacity to cope with mind-numbing, soul-destroying boredom; he hacked 12 weeks in the BB house, surrounded by an especially - even by the low standards of reality TV - moronic and useless gaggle of homophobes, rednecks and chauvinists. Though who is the bigger moron - the BB housemates for going for the golden ring of fame and potential fortune, or me for having watched enough BB to have formed opinions about them? Hmmm...

I'm just boggled by the response he's engendered. Some women have expressed the desire to marry him (or very least have him touch them intimately). Many others wish that he was their best friend, and have spent time making little banners attesting to this:

One blogger felt as devastated by Tim's loss of BB to one of the Logans as s/he did by the Howard Government's election victory last year (unfortunately I can't remember who or where, but trust me, ‘kay?).

A long, tall glass of perspective, anyone?

In particular, why is he so popular with the laydeez (excluding the two nurses standing behind me at the rally today, who had no idea who he was)? I can't believe it is just because of his political views. Sharing the politics of a potential mate is nice and all; it’s something over which you can bond or jerk each other off as you realise your superiority over less thoughtful and committed mortals. But is it enough? There's lots of commentators with palatable views on politics and economics, but I don't really want to sex Tim Colebatch. Or Michelle Grattan. I'd certainly give Christopher Hitchens a red hot go, but this would likely be a hatefuck given his inexplicable support for the war in Iraq. Or possibly a Children of God-style attempt to flirty fish him back to reality. Either way, I am very confused and feeling somewhat betrayed by the current incarnation of my favourite intellectual.

I suspect it's it more to do with the fact that Tim has a modicum of fame. Fame makes men more attractive to women; it's an evolutionary psychology and -biology thing to do with alpha males that tchick can probably explain a whole lot better than I can. Let me state my case in pictures:

Exhibit A**:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

(Only the most special kind of fuckwit have their own names tattooed on their person).

Would any of these guys have hordes of chicks throwing themselves at them if they were not famous?

Would Lefty Tim?

Check him here.

* Nightclub appearances a) don't really count as work and b) tend to contraindicate this phenomenon

** I feel bad about this. Poor Dave Mustaine.

Do you ever actually do ANYTHING on Friday night, 'cause I've never seen you out

Tuesday's post urged you to do something righteous; thanks to all who made submissions. I'm aware that it will do sweet fuck all, bit it's still important that our dissent go on the the record. (And it's certainly not the end of this fight, as least if Aleks has anything to do with it).

Today, on the other hand, I'm urging you to do something hedonistic and sinful. What are you doing on Friday night if you are not coming to the From Hell album launch?





















For the measly sun of $8, you'll get:

Catwalk Syndrome (rock fury!)
Sons of Lee Marvin (rock fury!)
Devilrock Four (rock fury!)
FROM HELL (psytrance fury!)*
Psycho 78 (Melbourne's premier Misfits tribute act!)

So, what are you waiting for? That's a whole lotta great bands, and of course there's Benno channelling the spirit of Cliff Burton. Unfortunately, the proposed Satanic marriage of Ando From Hell and Roxy the From Hell mascot won't be occurring because we decided that a loud, smoky club full of drunken rock pigs was no place for a small and rather sweet dog. Any other time, Ando. I'm licenced and I am ready in the name of Euronymous, Fenriz and Baal.

Oh yeah, starts 8ish at the Green Room, Elizabeth Street.

* Not psytrance, more rock fury. Sorry to those who may have got their hopes up.

The Price of Rights...

... is eternal vigilance.

Go here and make a submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Workplace Relations Amendment (WorkChoices) Bill 2005 .

You have until tomorrow. I doesn't have to be long, but I can't urge you enough to register your rejection of the the changes to the IR system proposed by WorkChoices.

If you believe that employees and employers have relative bargaining power, I want to come and work with you. Are you on a commune where you have a stake in the management of your enterprise, because I doubt that you work anywhere in Australia, or that your particular work environment is representative of anything other than your personal good fortune.

There's a reason that a body of law and regulation around child labour, the minimum wage, hours of work, workers' compensation, penalty rates and similar was developed. It's because left to their own devices, employers exploit employees - and this happens regardless of the colour of your collar.

*here ends the public service announcement*