So many events, so little time. And they haven’t even finished uploading the program yet. We’ll have to definitely start with the Opening Party on Thursday, the Double Happiness launch-fest on Saturday, and Unearthed – Rare finds in rare fields on Sunday. I think we’ll just wing the rest of it. I just wish we could stay for the whole thing.
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This morning I was actually crying. It’s not like I hadn’t expected Bush to win. I’ve been telling myself and those around me for months that it would be okay if Bush won the election because he’ll fuck up the country so badly that there will be no choice but to elect Hillary in 2008. But when the election was actually going on I couldn’t help but hope that people would surprise me and that Kerry would win. He didn’t.
I feel so hopeless about people. That people are selfish and stupid enough to vote for Bush (and Howard); to vote for interest rates and tax cuts rather than the economic health of a global world; for anti-abortion laws rather than anti-war and anti-poverty, disease and starvation policies… I like to think that there is value on all sides of an issue, that all philosophies and world-views have merit, but right now I just think Republicans, Conservatives, whatever party-name they go by, are evil. They either cannot and will not see beyond their own personal, narrow moral universe, are so desperate they need to feel morally superior, or ultimately understand that being tolerant, accepting diversity, giving women power and gay people equal status would totally destabilise the power structure as we know it.
And this election proves, to me, that no one is buying the Democrats are really Republicans thing. Just be a fucking Democrat - liberal and proud! Take back the word liberal and make Americans understand that there is no other way to be in a globalised, diverse and rapidly changing world other than to value tolerance, freedom (and I mean real freedom, not freedom to feel like you live in an all-powerful country) and to have basic human rights needs such as healthcare and education, housing and transportation, met by the people as a whole through effective government use of taxes.
My mom called me a couple days ago and told me that Christians were praying in groups for George Bush to win. How can he not win when all that positive energy is directed towards him winning? Lefties, liberals, Democrats, Laborites need to get passionate, get together and send lefty energy to the rest of the populace. If we are as committed to the rightness of our ideals as the Right are to theirs, then we can change the world. They have.
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On 16 October Rachel and I attended the grand re-opening of Impact Comics (formally Impact Records) - which sells more lip mags than any other Canberra store. I really like the new look / new location. I miss the music but this service is pretty well catered for at Revolution CD downstairs. Who doesn’t like cheap CDs? I have a lot of great ideas for Impact - if only I can convince the managers they want to support them. Like, having an issue launch party there. We could make it a dress-up event. Maybe this is a little nerdy, but could be fun. Prizes for the best costumes, get more girls into the comic book scene (a growing phenomenon, I’m sure).
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Well, I’ve finally got my account working so I can actually send my own blog! How many blogs are just excuses to complain in public? I could go on about how much I’m just not into working since I’ve come back to Australia (not that I ever was, but it’s worse now…): I was practically crying last Sunday because I had to go to work on Monday. But I won’t keep complaining. Instead I’ll tell you about a couple of events where you can come and see me and say hello. I’m going to be in Sydney on Sunday Nov 21 at the Publishers and Booksellers Fair at the NSW Writers Centre in Rozelle. I’ll be there by myself all day so I’m sure I’d love some friendly faces to come by and brighten things up. You won’t be able to miss me as I’ll be at the lip table, so if you haven’t met me yet, introduce yourself. I love meeting lip writers!
I’m also going to SOOB (Straight Out Of Brisbane) this year. I’m very excited as I haven’t been to the festival or Brisbane before. Well, I drove through Brisbane… I’ll probably spend a lot of time at the Festival of Ideas on the weekend of Dec 4. I’m even speaking on a panel, so check out the program at http://www.straightoutofbrisbane.com/. It’s not actually up there yet, but I suppose it will be soon. And once again, all you Brisbane lip writers: say hi! to me - I may not be in Brissie again for a long time.
Okay, signing off,
rachel
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