So, for those of you not in Australia, let me keep it brief. She's a conservative politician who has been a prominent figure in the Liberal party (Australia's Conservative party) whose had a high profile since the nineties. In addition to that high powered blonde spatula do, she's as tough as nails and even unleashed her daughter onto TV audiences during the nineties (Angela Bishop was an entertainment reporter back in the days when nothing but entertainment tonight ever mattered). Since the unfortunate ascent to power of Liberal Tony Abbott to the Prime Minister's office, Bronwyn Bishop has once again been in the spotlight. She serves as the speaker in the parliament and is known for her bias in a role that otherwise demands fairness. Travel distances in Australia are famously long. It takes eight or nine hours to drive from Melbourne to Sydney or fifteen or sixteen hours to head from Melbourne o Brisbane for example. Bronwyn, who was attending a Liberal party event/fund raiser, needed to travel. From Melbourne to Geelong (a coastal city that comes as a distant 2nd to Melbourne as the biggest urban centre in the state of Victoria). It's about an hour by car. But Bronwyn is an important woman with needs and a lifestyle that go beyond those of her constituents. In all her wisdom, she decided she needed to make that journey not by car, but by helicopter. And then charge it to the tax payer ($5,000 seems to be the going rate). We've seen lesser infractions of personal judgement and expense rorting lead to pollies being booted. And the Liberal party, who in its current incarnation and from its time in opposition has claimed more than its share of scalps, is under immense public pressure right now to fire Bishop (who racked up $800,000 in expenses last year). Her latest dodgy claims add yet more fuel to a fire started by other members of the government that suggest it is out of touch with voters (and when it comes to the divide between the haves and have nots is beyond salvation). But the bright side? The memes that have been popping up suggesting just how out of touch many perceive the very partisan Bishop to be: they're trending and getting a hell of a rise from the general public who are fed up with this kind of nonsense from its pollies.
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There was no blood shed at the J Open in South Africa but those images of Aussie Mick Fanning and that shark were blood curling. The first thing that came to mind after the relief that Fanning wasn't hurt (and he handled the situation with great aplomb) was the fact that Aussies seem to be unable to escape the association with sharks even outside of their own waters. People curious about Australia always ask me a couple of guaranteed questions: how long does it take to get to Australia, what's it like and of course, is it true what they say about Australian beaches and sharks? My answers change all the time depending on who asks. ;) A round up of statistics on shark attacks, Fanning's extraordinary efforts and the story of his mother who was watching her son on TV, horrified when that moment struck and that shark fin appeared on her screen right next to her son here. NOTHING like a place that comes out of its slumber in the summer months, when it is overrun by tourists and visitors. The tiny, cobbled streets of the historical centre of Lecce are brimming day and night with tourists. They make for a great stage for people watching when I can pull myself away from the nearby beaches. This July is turning out to be one of the hottest on record- and the summer is yet to peak with August still around the corner. Lots of cultural events lined up over the coming months: music festivals and film festivals alongside dozens of sagra where all kinds of foods are pedestalled and celebrated. More on that over the coming, hot weeks. WHEN the press reminds you that you have the midas touch, it's basically their backhanded way of telling you to enjoy your time in the spotlight because, tick tock tick tock, you've peaked and you're already on your way to being last season's clutch. I like Diplo. If you're a fan of M.I.A or Santigold, then you're also a fan of Diplo by extension, because he was such a key element to theirs, and so many other people's music. As such, he's had the midas touch now for the best part of a decade, even if the press are only cottoning on to him now because he's in the mainstream. He brings that kind of American South/Caribbean sound to life. I'm personally going to hold him responsible for twerking. Yeah, I know that that kind of idea has no connection with reality but that's your problem not mine. :) So, Diplo is Mr. Midas Touch these days. But you get the feeling that he chooses his battles and his clients to some extent. There seems to be some warped logic behind some of is choices, especially because he's got a bit of a give a shit mentality to it all and seems to be up for a challenge. And I guess his view of the mainstream world of music is based on his personal connections with the people he works with. He's a bit like a really cool otaku, which is the Japanese term for a nerd, and so his social media offerings kind of run the range of super cool and super geeky kinda stuff. I find that kind of thing really endearing in a person even if it doesn't seem to always be consistent with who he chooses to partner with. Diplo more than any of the other DJ producers is a reflection of the social media age. That's only a good thing cos if you're on Twitter or Instagram, cos if you follow him, at least you can see a humour tangent in his postings. And so watching his fans come up with funny GIFs or memes in his honour is just as entertaining as watching him step into the fray against Taylor Swift's legions. Yes, it's petty and childish, but it's a worry that so many people have a voice and nothing original to say. It's so futile that so many people are just on those platforms to hang shit on others and basically whittle their time away trying to make their favourite pop stars into untouchable gods. It's so depressing that our perception of artists is now so coloured by their "fans" (and I say that cos I'm not a shrink and I don't know the right term to use for them). I think the world was a better place when Stans didn't have such a voice. But back to Diplo. I think one of the few positives that has come out of Madonna's whole Rebel Heart campaign has been the obvious friendship that he and Madonna have formed. I dig that he really has stepped up and is sticking up for her and calling people out on the new level of negativity that she's been subject to. Again, it's a case of choosing your battles and your loyalties, which is a kind of nerdy way of looking at things too. But then, at least its a contribution to something positive for a change. Diplo on Madonna et al here. Worshipping of his Instagram here. I guess Adam Levine won't need to worry about choosing just the right passport photo for his Chinese visa. There's talk that a Maroon 5 concert, scheduled for September in Shanghai has been cancelled due to one of the band members having tweeted birthday wishes to the Dalai Lama. Can I just say how cool it would be to live in a world where you can get out of your commitments simply by tweeting a birthday wish to someone? It would make those awkward family events, or those invites where your friends are staging a play and you have no interest whatsoever in feigning interest unnecessary. Simply tweet away and be unceremoniously uninvited. Presto! If Maroon 5 would like any consolation from the hit their bank account is about to take (the concert was sold out), then at least they can consider the fact that they are joining the ranks of Bjork and, um, Kenny G. More here. FROM the deepest, darkest despair of depression and addiction, a convicted (but now paroled) armed robber and prodigious talent, Nigel Milsom has just won the 2015 Archibald Prize, taking home $100K in the process. His portrait, of his own barrister, Charles Waterstreet, was the winner with the judges at this year's prestigious Archibald Prize. Milsom, who is an extraordinary painter, is not a stranger to the awards circuit. In 2013, his portrait of Uncle Paddy, took home the main prize at the Moran prize, another prestigious portraiture prize in Australia, and in 2012, just weeks before holding up a 7-11 store in Sydney (high on ice, heroin and prescription drugs and armed with a knife, an axe and a fake gun) Milsom won the Sulman Prize. The Sulman is yet another prize for painters in Australia but with a variety of categories that are considered and awarded. Milsom's rap sheet is not as important as his training. Before being convicted he was already on his way to being recognised as an artist of major importance. He originally earned a Bachelor of Visual Arts from the University of Newcastle, but went on to do a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honors) at the University of New South Wales, which he then followed with a Masters. Before the events of 2012 unfolded, Nigel Milsom could have been any one of Australia's most promising artists dealing with depression and mental illness. Unfortunately in his case, adding illicit drugs into the mix brought about a swift and appalling fall from grace, which by all accounts he seems to have now overcome. In a reasonably recent interview, Milsom credited his time in prison with having given him the tools to address his mental illness and what he refers to as being the sickness that came with his drug addiction: an affliction which effectively compromised his values and his ability to keep life events in perspective. There's a bit of footage here of Milsom being awarded the prize and some reflection on larger than life Waterstreet. Congratulations. In the middle of a bit of a heatwave the best thing to do is to keep cool, stay calm and dip into your photographic vaults. |
Dave
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Dave Di Vito is a writer, teacher and former curator.He's also the author of the Vinyl Tiger series and Replace The Sky.
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