H.J. Stephens's Blog, page 3

Australian Anti-terror Raids – Creating Fear and Encouraging Terror.

Is it just me… or is Australia preparing for war?

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the proposed Data Retention policy. There hasn’t been much on that front since the initial proposal, but now another disturbing situation has arisen.

Last Thursday, the largest counter terrorism operation  in Australian history took place. More than 800 police officers raided homes across Brisbane and Sydney. 18 people were arrested, though over half of those have been released from custody since then and only two have been formally charged. The reason for these raids was to prevent a suspected terror attack in which a random civilian would have been kidnapped, wrapped in a ISIS flag, and publicly beheaded. It has not yet been confirmed if these plans were indeed to be carried out as has been widely promoted.

On Friday Australia’s National Security level alert was raised from ‘Medium’ to ‘High’ for the first time ever. This level of security is usually only reserved for times of war. The last time most Western countries had a High Alert security level was during the World Wars.

Since the raids there has been mass protests and riots. Media channels have kept a steady flow of stories expanding on the issue. Stories featuring Muslims that usually wouldn’t make the news are flooding news channels. This doesn’t help the situation at all. It is only driving the hysteria, encouraging others to drastic action that isn’t necessary.

I understand that the Government has a duty to protect the Australian people, and the prevent any kind of terror attack from happening. That is their job and I admire them for taking it so seriously and with such dedication. But I don’t understand why they have to create this level of hysteria and fear. Aren’t we, by allowing such a high level of fear to immerse itself into our communities granting the terrorists victory?

Terrorism cannot be beaten by creating more fear. This will only encourage it. It cannot be beaten by enforcing laws upon people that create emotional torture. Terrorism exists as much in our minds as it does in flesh and blood. By creating a society that twitches at the slightest interruption, we are creating a society that serves terrorism. 

There are much more common atrocities happening on Australian soil everyday. Domestic violence is a horror that faces 1 in 5 women and children and is yet basically unheard of. Wouldn’t the massive amount of resources currently being dedicated to this apparent terror threat be better served combating this other much more prolific issue that is actually affecting Australian citizens right now?

Even if the Government wishes to combat terrorism, there are better ways to do it. Most of Australia’s terrorists that go overseas to fight in the Middle East do so because they know no better, they are disillusioned. The acts of the so called Islamic State aren’t even following Islamic law. The mass beheading of women, children and innocents goes against everything Islam stands for. By educating the Muslim youth, especially young men that are easily enticed by overseas glory, we could save ourselves and many families the horror of a terrorist attack here in Australia and overseas.

It’s not just the Government’s responsibility either. The greatest influence on anyone comes from their homes, our communities. We shouldn’t keep to ourselves. Multiculturalism is a good thing. Interfaith dialogue is extremely important. We as the people of this Earth, Muslim or otherwise have so much more to live for than murder, hatred and atrocities in the name of justice. It is not justice, nor the will of God to behead people that have committed no crime. It is not justice, nor the will of God to line women and children up and murder them. ISIS is an organisation that preys on naivety and ignorance to achieve actions of the greatest evil. We must do everything in our power to stop them.

But it is not a solution to bring terror into our homelands in the name of preventing it. Anti-terror raids do nothing but create fear. The solution lies in eradicating this fear, in denying the attempt to terrorize victory. This can only be achieved in strengthening and educating our communities; communities of all faiths and colours.

Say NO to terror.

Say YES to stronger communities.

Tell Me Little Soldier Boy

Tell me Little Soldier Boy;

Are you proud of what you’ve accomplished?

Are you proud of the sight,

Of people lying still and cold?

Silenced by your hands,

Silenced by my voice?

I ask you Little Soldier Boy;

Are you happy with your lives deeds?

Are you happy with the tears you have brought,

Upon a mother

Whilst her son lies in the sand,

Buried at eighteen?

You laughed at her pain,

Did you mean it?

You keep telling others,

That you’re bringing glory to your country;

To your home.

Your family.

What is glory, Little Soldier Boy?

Where is the honour,

In killing others?

Killing people that are only defending,

Their homes?

Their families?

Why Little Soldier Boy?

Why treasure my existence?

But not the lives of your brothers?

Haven’t you a heart?

A soul?

A care for your race?

Your world?

Your family?

Why clean my already gleaming surface every night?

When a little girl stands behind you,

Alone and afraid.

Coated with a second skin of mud?

Please Little Soldier Boy;

Why the thirst for blood?

For pain?

For war?

Why don’t you go home?

To your mother?

Sisters?

Brothers?

Why stay on the battlefield?

Surrounded by death and despair?

Return home Little Soldier Boy.

Where you can laugh in the rain,

And play in the mud.

Without fearing an attack.

Go home where you belong.

Let me free!

Release me from my bondage;

Don’t let me slay the innocent.

I beg you Little Soldier Boy,

Go home!

Leave me behind.

I’m nothing but a tool for murder;

I watch the flash of fear,

In a child’s eyes.

Before we unite,

And wipe all life off their little faces.

It doesn’t always work that way though, does it?

Sometimes their faces stay the same.

Haunted,

Even in death.

Let me free Little Soldier Boy;

It’s my only wish.

But I know you won’t stop.

So I’ll always be here,

By your side.

You holding me in a firm grip;

Sometimes in fear,

Sometimes in despair,

Once or twice in joy.

I stay,

Because you’re my Little Soldier Boy.

And I’ve got nowhere else to go;

No purpose,

But as the saving force of your life.

The saving point of your sanity.

Your purpose.

As the weapon in your hands.

Data Retention: Really the Solution?

In the last few months, a new law has been proposed by the Australian Government. This law, called the ‘Data Retention Policy’, has been created in the name of preventing terrorism on Australian soil.

I’m unsure as to the logic behind this proposal.

The fact is; it has been nearly 30 years since a fatal terrorist strike on Australian soil. Since the first appearance of modern terrorism in the 1960’s, less than 20 people have died in Australia. So I wonder why we need such a policy, one that will be treading on our civil rights to basic privacy.

For those of you that are unaware of what this law could mean, I’ll explain. The Data Retention Policy makes it a legal requirement for ISP’s (Internet Service Providers) to retain data history on their clients for a set time period, usually two years. In other words, every phone number, every email address, every ISP number attached to your person. This collected data is then made available to security and law enforcement agencies to identify possible threats to the public.

What if you are a high-school student that has to write an essay on terrorist groups for social studies, or investigate explosive chemicals for science class? How would one conduct proper research over, say, the internet or discuss the information over the phone to a classmate over a long duration and not be highlighted as someone planning to blow something up?

In the past decade both the USA and several European countries such as England have also undergone similar proposals. After much public backlash a voluntary scheme was implemented in England. The proposal has been dropped or shelved in most of the other cases as a violation of human rights.

Data Retention Policies like the one now facing Australia violate basic civil rights to privacy. Once a law such as this one is passed what is preventing a future law being passed that enforces the examination of web history? What is preventing our every text, email and communication being analyzed for a darker intent?

How far do we go until we are no longer considered citizens of our country, but suspects?

The first thing any invading force will do is restrict the movement of the people it is occupying. Curfews are often implemented, lists of who lives where/is involved with who are created and those that are identified as troublemakers are removed. This has happened all through history. It happened in the World Wars. The most important thing here, is that information is gathered. When you know your opposition, it makes it that much more easier to make things happen the way you want them to.

This ‘invasion’ is not one of land or country. It is one of simple privacy.

The Data Retention Policy may be being proposed as a way to fight terrorism, to prevent further lives lost. I am full aware of the tragedies that have been conducted in the name of terrorism. It is a brutal and horrific thing. But I don’t believe that the Data Retention Proposal is the way to counter it. By building a database with that much information, you create something that can be hacked and/or used for less noble causes.

We have to ask ourselves how far we are willing to go to subscribe to ‘safety’. How high a cost are we willing to pay?

Author Interview

This week I have an interview I did over at 21st Century Muslimah to share. I hope you find it beneficial.

1. What inspired you to write WTNT?

I would love to say that it was one particular moment in my life that was the ‘light bulb moment’ but I have to admit that it was a great matter of things that inspired WTNT. The main thing that inspired me were the events over in the Middle East in Europe in the Global Financial Crisis in 2007 & 2008. It really proved to me how fragile the world we live in today is and how easily war and conflict can arise.

2. How long did it take to write WTNT?

I wrote the first draft in November 2011 in the National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) event. Basically that event encourages you to write a 50,000 word draft of a novel in the month of November. After I had the initial draft finished, I put it aside for a good few months, only coming back to work on it now and again.

I rewrote the first draft in Nanowrimo 2012 and edited that draft for publishing in the December/January following.

3. When did you develop your passion for writing?

I honestly can’t remember when I first started writing. I do know that it evolved from my love of reading. I began reading at a very young age and a lot of my early memories involve books and stories. Eventually I was inspired to write my own. I still have short stories I wrote in early primary, one-to-two page things that make little sense now but I was really proud of when I wrote them.

4. How do you get through problems like writers block?

Oh dear, writer’s block. I still haven’t found a cure for it! I know this sounds cliché, but I find the best way to conquer writer’s block is just to take a rest from the story you’re writing. Sometimes starting an entirely new story with a completely different theme/plotline helps get me back into the rhythm of writing. I can sometimes take months off from a particular story before I get inspiration back for it.

To be honest, I have at least half a dozen novels going at the same time. When I get stuck in one of them I switch to another. This probably isn’t as productive as focusing on finishing one; I have stories I started years ago and still haven’t finished, but I find it never allows me the excuse ‘I’m stuck’.

5. Where does your inspiration for character names come from?

I like unusual names for my characters, names like Susan or Anna don’t appeal to my creativity. This makes it quite difficult to find that perfect name. Sometimes I can find good, interesting names in other books, in real-life or on popular name-lists but sometimes I have to do some creative editing. In WTNT, my main character is named Kalina. I’ve always liked the name Katrina, but after the cyclone in 2005 it wasn’t as unusual or unheard of as it once was. So I did some tweaking, I cut out the t and r and added a l. Just by switching a few letters around in popular names can create new, interesting names!

6. Do you have any advice for young writers?

Just write! Find a topic that you are really interested in and just start writing. My main advice would to choose a topic that you are really passionate about. I can’t count how many times I’ve started a story because I thought it was a ‘great idea’ and then never finished it. Writing stories, especially novels, takes a lot of time. You’ll be spending ages, sometimes even years, with that topic. If you choose a topic that you don’t have a lot of passion about, it will become a struggle to keep writing. That reflects in your writing.

This said; don’t be afraid to explore new things. A few years ago I wrote nothing but historical fiction. Then, with all the disaster in the world happening, I found myself thinking more about the future. So I began to write about futures that I could see happening on the road we were taking. Now, I haven’t written anything historical for years. It’s all about finding where your biggest interest, your greatest passion and exploring all its potential.

7. Any news on the upcoming sequel?

I’m currently working on the first draft, it’s almost finished! I’ll then let it rest for awhile before I take another look at it and polish it up/rewrite it a little. I’m looking at a late 2015, early 2016 publication date but I’m hoping to get it out sooner than that hopefully.

In WTNT I focused on building Kalina as a character, perhaps a little too much at times. In the sequel I’m really looking at moving the story along and bringing some action scenes in. I’ll also be introducing some brand new characters too!

Originally posted at 21st Century Muslimah. Posted with the permission of the interviewer. © 2014.

That’s Not Me! Misrepresentation in the Australian Media.

A few weeks ago I was walking through Target in the Westfield Carousel shopping centre with my sisters, searching for a gift for my little brother. Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, was just a few days away from ending. Kids were starting to count the nights to Eid, the Islamic equivalent of Christmas. I stopped in an aisle, listening to my sisters bickering as to whether Lego or a remote control car would be better, when this woman stopped behind us. She had enough room to go around, but I stepped back anyway to let her pass. Instead of moving past us she glared at me before swearing and marching off.

“Islamic weirdoes.” I heard her mutter as she turns the corner, followed by another string of expletives. I wanted to run after her, ask why she said that, what reason there was to be so hostile to my sisters and I when we weren’t doing anything offensive. But I didn’t move. As sad as it seems, I’m used to it. Because even though my family and I are Australians by birth and British by decent, we risk stares, glowers and verbal abuse every time we step outside our front door, just because we are Muslim. In a country that celebrates multi-culturism, cultural intolerance is seemingly rampant.

According to Australia’s 2011 census, only 1.7 per cent of our population is Muslim. 38 per cent of those Muslims were born in Australia. Despite their minority status, Muslims form a regular presence in our media, the majority of such coverage framed in a negative light. This constant negative representation affects communities all over Australia, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.

Terrorist. Hijab. Indonesia. Foreign.

These four words were the most commonly specified words in a recent nation-wide survey where Australians were asked to supply words that they immediately think of when they hear terms relating to Muslims or Islam. When another survey, this time aimed at Muslims living in Australia, asked what were some words they would use to describe Australians, again a clear pattern emerged, certain words consistently appearing.

Multicultural. Intolerant. Laidback. Mis-informed.

The key word here, I think, is mis-informed. If we look at media portrayal of Muslims, they are very particular in their representation. When asked how she felt about the media’s representation on Muslims one participant stated, “I feel frustrated, angry and embarrassed. The media reports in a headline attention grabbing way that stirs emotion, making the viewer feel personally threatened. They don’t seem to report the same way when Muslims are not involved.”

Stories revolving around Muslim communities commonly focus on the negative. They also often place emphasis on the differences between these groups and Australian culture. Unfortunately, as Michael Usher from 60 Minutes stated in a 2011 story covering Sharia law in Australia: “Nothing divides opinion like multiculturalism.” However, Australia is made up out of multiple cultures. It is not something we can ignore any longer.

Jan Bell, school teacher and educationalist, has interacted with many people who have followed various belief systems. In our interview she explained why some people are so indisposed to question what they hear in the media, “The mainly uneducated and poorly read population believe what they hear, don’t bother to evaluate the real truth behind the news and are eager to spread the word. Others investigate the truth behind what they hear, evaluate facts from misinformation spread by the media and come to their own conclusions. Unfortunately, these conclusions are often built with a foundation in stereotypes.”

A stereotype is classified as ‘to categorise’ or ‘identify’ something. Barney Zwartz from the Sydney Morning Herald has stated, “When Muslims complain that the media stereotypes them and provides false perceptions, I say that sadly this is true. We [the media] stereotype everyone.”

In an interview with John Dobson from the Weekend Courier I asked if he agreed with this assessment. “Stereotyping is commonplace in the media, it is something that needs to be changed,” he responded. “Minority groups in particular are often stereotyped, only making the headlines when there is conflict involving them.”

The media holds a huge position of power over the Australian people in the way they are able to sway opinions and form perspectives. One perspective that they continuously reinforce is the separation between ‘us’ and ‘them’.

“Most Australians fear, all that is the unknown and the different,” stated Jan Bell, before outlining cases in history where Australian’s shunned and held stereotypical views on nations like the Japanese, Italians and Greeks. “Aussies had a very narrow world view and lived isolated and sheltered lives unlike in Europe where other countries surrounded you and impacted lives. This lack of accepting differences was apparent across all aspects of life including politics and religion and even footy teams. As a young child in Melbourne I remember going to the footy. All the fans from the one team were on one side of the oval; and the other team on the other. You didn’t get mixed up with the other team or you would get your head belted in… Aussies didn’t like new or different, so they didn’t listen.”

She goes on to say that times have improved: “Our multicultural nation has changed and the diverse cultures and different people have become part of our community… There was a lot to gain, especially on the food side. The richness of our food has increased amazingly, even through my lifetime.”

In the survey, 78 per cent of non-Muslim Australians acknowledged that media representations had altered their perspective in regards to Muslims, but only 7 per cent said that they believed that the media’s coverage was accurate. These results lead us to believe that though viewers acknowledge that representations are wrong, they still impact their perspective because they have nothing else to base their views upon.

Traditionally, Muslims are portrayed in the media as not being ‘Australian’. The media cultivates this sense of unfamiliarity between cultures in the forms of poor choices in interview subjects, such as Islamic extremist Anjem Choudary who features often in the media, thereby presenting a negative role model for people to form opinions by. The media also uses subtle context to further heighten the sense of distress in viewers, such as in a recent story coverage by 60 Minutes where the reporter discussed a ‘new form of terrorism’ whilst casually strolling down a heavily Muslim populated street.

“It makes me feel that they are not accurately portraying the average Muslim,” one young participant stated when asked in the survey what she thought of the media’s choice of Muslim representatives. “It’s upsetting and frustrating that the media looks at and seeks out extremist or non-practising Muslims to interview and tells people ‘this is the norm’.”

One such chosen interviewee is Anjem Choudary, former spokesperson for Islam4UK and self-proclaimed extremist, regularly features in UK and Australian news. The statements he makes in the name of Islam angers non-Muslims and Muslims alike. Still, he continuously appears as a spokesperson of Muslims living in the Western World, and despite the growing anger and discomfort of both Muslim and non-Muslim viewers, the media continue to allow it.

A British Muslim by the name of Muhammad Ali has had enough of the media’s tolerance for such speech. Three months ago he started a petition, asking Britain’s press corporations, journalists, writers and producers to stop providing Anjem Chaudary with a platform from which to speak. “He neither speaks for us, nor does he have any authenticity to speak about Islam or the British Muslim experience,” his statement declares. “We ask journalists to take a more proactive and a more responsible stance when it comes to representation of other communities. Giving the platform to Anjem and his Un-Merry Band of Attention Seekers only fuels hate and Islamophobia.”

Indeed, further results of the survey reveal that 65 per cent of Muslims fear harm may come to them or their families due to media representations, though this number fluctuates with every new media story featuring Muslims. Only 42 per cent of survey participants declared that they felt Muslims were welcome in Australia.

“It makes me feel as though we are not recognised by our country,” a participant commented. “I want to know that no matter what happens in other parts of the world that the Government will proudly identify us as Australian Muslims and not let any harm come to us.”

The terrorist attack of 9/11 and subsequent media inflation of the event challenged the Australian perspective towards Muslims. As Jan Bell explained, Australia as a country has always had a fear of invasion. This fear develops from a need to preserve our standard of living. Minority groups will only reach national headlines it provides emotional value to the story and attracts the attention of the viewers. As a result, minority groups such as the Muslim community only feature in the media in times of conflict and turmoil. Sometimes however, it works in the opposite way; stories dealing with minority groups aren’t reported in the media due to stereotypical views of it being ‘the norm’.

John Dobson rationalised this by relating an example where the media skipped over an important story. “Recently in WA, a young Aboriginal man was charged with murder for brutally bashing his partner to death in a northern WA township. His partner was young, about 17-21 from memory. This story received minimal coverage. Compare that to the murder of Dawesville teenager Jesse Cate or the Melbourne murder of Jill Meagher. Both were young Caucasian women, the stories made national headlines. It seemed to me that the media believed that the case involving a young Aboriginal man was probably common place in remote communities where alcohol and drug abuse is common.”

This story did not provide the sensation media outlets look for in a story. It simply complemented the stereotypes Aboriginal communities face.

As Jalal Fussell, prominent business owner and multicultural employer stated, “News thrives on fear. If the audience is naive to the truths they wait for more info; even if it is false.” Misunderstandings between Australian’s and minority groups such as Muslim communities are often due to a lack of familiarity with each other and a fear of the unknown.

It should be the media’s responsibility to introduce these minority groups to the nation as a large, and should encourage assimilation and positivity between cultures. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen.

“Good aspects about most cultures don’t make big news sales so they are not sought after.” Jan Bell clarified, “If there was a good news story and a disaster came along, it [the good news story] would be bumped. As the saying goes, ‘bad news travels fast’, and editors want to maximise their sales.”

There’s another issue with writing good news, you need to find a willing party to build the story with. As John Dobson stated, some community newspapers such as the Weekend Courier that have attempted to present a positive story on Muslim communities have struggled to effectively connect with Muslim communities. Many Muslims do not want to appear or feature in a news story due to a fear of a negative response.

“Most fear being mis-quoted or made to look ignorant,” Jalal Fussell explained, “Mis-representation is a major fault of the media, but not just for Muslims.” Many other minority groups are often mis-represented or ignored by the media.

John Dobson commented on this, “Often the only articles about the Muslim community will unfortunately focus on terrorist cells or whether the Burqa should be allowed to be worn in public while there are only a minority of stories that would show the Muslim community in a positive light. There is a problem with mainstream media and its treatment of minority groups. The media could do so much more to influence public perception of Muslims. The same is the case for the Aboriginal community and African communities, particularly the Sudanese.”

In such a multicultural country, minority groups are a common phenomenon. Media’s coverage of these groups is often framed in a negative light. Though there are some cases of positive representation, such as an occasional story in the newspaper about a Muslim that has done something good for the community. There are also strong spokespersons and role models for Australian Muslims, such as AFL player Bachar Houli and Human Activist Sabah Hadid.

Unfortunately, these symbols of positive representation are few and far between. More effort needs to be made by the media to present a more realistic image of Muslims living in Australia. Interviewees need to be re-considered. Do the people contribute the story at hand realistically, or are they feeding social stereotypes and breeding fear? As Jan Bell stated, “they need to provide a more balanced point of view to improve people’s current uneducated perspectives.” Jalal Fussell expands on this declaring, “The media could show Muslim’s as a beneficial part of the community, rather than presenting them as a separate group.”

Jan Bell explains how beneficial a positive change in media coverage could be. “Australian people are very accepting, so long as they know and understand who and what they are dealing with. Fear of the unknown and ongoing portrayal of negative activities by extremists does nothing to assist it [cultural familiarity] to develop any faster.”

98 per cent of Muslims and 79 per cent of non-Muslims that partook in the survey stated in the affirmative when asked if they believe an understanding between Muslims and Australians can be reached. 87 per cent of Muslims and 78 per cent of non-Muslims stated that they would be willing to participate in a program to assist minority groups to assimilate better with the Australian public.

So how can Muslims help build trust and familiarity between cultures?

“Be more transparent,” Jalal Fussell stated. “And less secretive. We have an open, progressive society. We [Muslims] should show the accepting nature of Islam and be kind, not hostile and fearful of scrutiny.”

Jan Bell also stated that early education is a crucial part of breaking down barriers. A lot of world views are formed as children so segregating the children into different schools, Islamic and non-Islamic, helps to reinforce that sense of otherness. She also said that people need to point out the similarities rather than the differences, such as in the Qur’an and Old Testament.

The most important thing to keep in mind, she said, was that “all people have the right to have different beliefs.” No one should impose their beliefs onto others. This is something both Muslims and non-Muslims should consider when dealing with people of different belief systems.

Some ways the Australian public can assist further assimilation and better relations is by not believing everything they see. Listen and research over making assumptions. Ask questions. Give second chances. As the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover.

In a world where everything is at our fingertips and little information is kept secret, perhaps it is not distaste or racism that separates the worlds of Muslims and non-Muslims. Perhaps it’s not hatred at all. In a world where everything is supposed to be understood, Muslims provide a situation of unfamiliarity, one Australian culture cannot explain.

The idea of assimilating our cultures is not so far-fetched. To free our lives of the fear that comes with mystery, an understanding needs to be fashioned. Nothing looks as scary after it grows familiar. In fact, get close enough and it could almost look like home.

Whispers and War

The sky is silent, the tree line still

The people gather, drawn by the promise of battle’s thrill

You stand aside, and are seen as strange

But unlike them all, you see the true exchange

The promises of the whispers are near impossible to evade.

—

The stars glisten, promises of long ago

To others, warnings of a time still to show

As the people stray ever further

With no signs in sight of a law enforcer

The turmoil continues to grow.

—

Clouds approach, banishing blue from the sky

The ground turns dark as angels begin to cry

The earth poisoned by the mischief of men

Listening to the anger of the sword again

Starting war because of a word mis-spoken.

—

The wind starts to blow, the sound of the horn

The battle commences, and widows are born

The children are laughing; they think it’s great fun

Not knowing the real storm as it moves for the sun

Blanketing the earth in a world of sorrow.

—

The battle surges, man against man

Fighting because of something none of them understand

You fight and scream, and try to lead them away

But the whispers of promise clouds your display

Bullet meets flesh in a clash of pain

—

Watching from the top of the hill

His work nearly done, he’ll soon move in for the kills

Stands the fiend in all his glory

Taking joy in his great quarry

The blood flows deep on the meadow’s flowers

—

This great quarrel spawned on by his mischief

You stand to the side, a lone witness

You see what others refuse

The lies behind the clever ruse

The whispers of promise that will rot away

—

Always, forever; the whispers betray.

First World Problems

First World Problems are problems that aren’t really problems. For example, when you can’t decide what flavour ice-cream you want to eat, or what shirt to wear, or which movie you want to go see at the cinema… these are all First World Problems. They are not a matter of life and death; they are often enough a matter of too much choice.

I was faced with a First World Problem earlier this week when buying stamps. The problem in question: should I choose fish or Australian birds as a stamp design? Each were equally pointless. They were just going to be stuck on an envelope for payment for postage.

Thousands of stamps across Australia are used every day. I would imagine that number would be in the billions for the world. And yet these stamps never stay the same for long. New designs are constantly being implemented. That made me wonder; who actually makes the art for all these stamps? You can see on the box, and even on the stamps themselves that they are created by official artists and designers. People actually get paid to design stamps… something that is simply stuck on a folded piece of paper and carried around a bit before being thrown in the bin. They would work perfectly fine if they were just a plain rectangle with a value amount written on it.

In fact, most of what we use in our everyday lives doesn’t have to be the way it is. Your dinner plate would work just as well if it was made from white plastic instead of painted glass. Your bed would work just as well for sleeping in without colourful sheets and decorated covers. Your walls would serve the same purpose for shielding you from the weather with no paint.

The point is, nearly everything in our everyday lives has been taken that further step in luxury… a step that is taken to simply entertain and please our senses. Millions of people live with the bare necessities. For many of us in First World Countries… we don’t know what it’s like to live like that. Our entire lives are built around extra. This excess of colours, designs and materials creates a society that has too much. There are too many options, too much choice; too much colourful smoke shielding us from the rest of the world. We don’t know what it is like to go without.

I am not saying that we should throw out everything bar the bed we sleep on and the food we eat, the choices the modern world offer us is something we are meant to enjoy. But perhaps the next time you are debating a little too hard whether or not you should have a strawberry or chocolate milkshake you should instead think about whether or not the answer really matters in the wide scope of things.

New Blog Schedule!

To ensure regular and interesting posts, I have decided to create a blog schedule resulting in a new post every week. The schedule will go as such:

Every alternating Saturday (starting this week) there will be an update post, commenting on various world events/happenings.  

Every other Saturday there will be a creative post. For example: a poem, short story or art project.

I’m looking forward to implementing this schedule as it will give me encouragement to start regular writing again. See you next Saturday for the first world events post!

 

1st Anniversary Giveaway Results

The deadline to the 1st anniversary giveaway is here. Thank you to all who entered.

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The winners:

1st prize: Sara

2nd prize: Under_The_Mushroom

3rd prize: Khadija R. 

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The winner gets a signed paperback copy of When There’s No Tomorrow. The two runner-ups will get an e-book version in a format of their choosing.

Thanks again to all of you! Your support is greatly appreciated. :) 

When There’s No Tomorrow Giveaway!

A year ago today, When There’s no Tomorrow was officially published.  As such, I am announcing a 1st anniversary giveaway. The details as as follows:

To enter the giveaway, simply do one or more from the list below:

Follow this blog or join my mailing list (as can be done at the top right of this webpage).
Become a friend or fan on Goodreads.
Like my Facebook page.
Add me on Google+

If you’ve already done all of these, you can also enter the giveaway by telling a friend about it, or directing them to any of the above links. Simply answer this post with a comment and/or private message me on Facebook or Goodreads so I know you have done so and have a way to contact you if you win.

There will be one grand winner, and two follow-ups. The winner will get a signed paperback copy of When There’s No Tomorrow. The two runner-ups will get an e-book version in a format of their choosing.

The deadline to the giveaway will be the 1st of August. Winners will be announced then. If you have any inquiries, please don’t hesitate to contact me using the comments function or the Contact tab.

Best wishes to everyone, and I’ll see you all again in another post soon. :D