Go Anna Rose

Anna Rose photo from AYCCI went and listened to Anna Rose speak today.  She is a young climate activist who co-founded and chairs the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC).  She was also featured in the documentary/reality show that was produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation titled I Can Change Your Mind About Climate.  She and former Finance Minister Nick Minchin, on opposite sides of the 'climate debate', took each other to their pick of sources for their side of the argument, to see if they could convince each other of their perspective.

What an inspiring young woman (the AYCC actually strikingly shows considerable young female leadership).  I also find her to be a lovely, committed, a great listener and speaker, a clear presenter and obviously (together with others in the AYCC) as pretty damn good at organising a political movement and campaigns.  THIS is where hope lies.  And pragmatism, as Anna said today, "I have to have hope, people won't join a movement without hope".  Pragmatic hope, strategic optimism.

The tutorials that I taught today were coincidentally on coverage of global crises such as climate change in the media.  We discussed the idea of 'false balance', where the journalistic norm of balance actually means that those who support a minority view from a scientific perspective are given a disproportionate amount of airtime.

The premise of I Can Change Your Mind About Climate has been criticised as itself providing a false balance, which I think stands.  However, this is where the AYCC wants to step in and educate people about the science, and how to talk to others about the science.  Anna's talk today is a part of a three-month tour to promote her book and present on this topic.  The book is called Madlands and is about her experience of doing the documentary.  You can get it from the AYCC site.

In a broader sense this connects with thoughts and feelings about hope, depression, choices, and work.  Those thoughts are a little more embryonic.  And maybe there is no one right approach, maybe humans just do get hopeful, depressed, overwhelmed, alarmed at different moments, particularly in response to global crises.  In the meantime, it's about making chocies and doing work, and being occasionally peppered with a little hope.

Danny Trejo: Champion

Some of the film-making was a little clunky, but I felt the man through the screen.  Reminded me of all of the people I know who do good stuff with kids and people, and how that's important.

Danny said in the film:

"There's basically two kinds of people in this world, those who want to make a difference, and those who want to take up space".

Basically the only time I agree with a categorising statement like that.

He also said:

"Everything good that's happened in my life has been a direct result of helping somebody else".

New Old Good

I really liked this article about conscious hip hop and a world urban youth conference in Vancouver.  It's well written, but perhaps 'old' seeing as 2006 can be the before time.  However, old can be good and sometimes the rush rush of now now can blind and blinker.  So, check it.

Heaps Decent: Props and Profound

Heaps Decent are awesome.  Volunteer DJs and such who facilitate music workshops with underprivileged kids, indigenous kids: with production I would love.  Seriously.  Inspiring to hear this shit done well, profound to hear the voices and rhythms and stories from the mall and Mount Druitt and Moree and jail.  Really nodding my head like while driving home.  Impressive, liberating and hopeful.

Go you inspired artists making shit happen.  Go FBi for featuring this.  Go you kids.

M Phazes Tour at Wollongong Unibar

I was so down down disappointed by this gig.  I had been reasonably looking forward to it and made serious effort considering other aspects of where I was at that night to get there.  However.  I didn't find any of the MC-ing inspiring at all.  Perhaps Mantra, although unfortunately he had voice issues, or, more, that he kept saying he had lost his voice, has good lyrics but I couldn't make them out much.  And of course all of the boooyyyss can do the entertaining game.  But the wall of onstage and offstage boys did feel very much not fun for me.  Noticeably different to Elefant Traks gigs.  And none of it was that amazing in terms of actually being wordsmiths.

Wasabi can cut, and I was enjoy watching people be the creatures that they are.  The vocalist with Mass Effect had a good voice: although I hope she claims her confidence and steps centre stage and doesn't keep performing with boys who literally stand in front of her all the time.

Dialectrix I was really looking forward to, and he has staggering skills, but no-one's ideas hit me over the head. Which must be part of what I am wanting with MCs.

I know I know frontin' is part of the hip hop game but on this night I just found it really, really boring, and often unwarranted.  I must not be the target audience for 20 year old boys.  And I'm actually quite prepared to support 20 year old boys, why not?  But when the attitude and the level of inspiration don't match: sorry.