Well, after having an extra long weekend (with Monday and Tuesday off work), and then having to spend at least 2hrs on each of those days at work, I'm feeling a little bit sorry for myself. Granted that it's doing my job, but it's still a little annoying.
That being said, not nearly as annoying as one other thing that happened today. One of the warrant officers on my ship (we'll call him MC), happens to be in charge of our vehicles. When I arranged a vehicle to go into work and arrived to collect the keys, he gave me a fuel card, asked me to fill up the car I was using if it needed it, and then to pass the card onto one of the people on the ship. Not thinking and in a hurry to get to the ship, I planned to fill the car up on the way back. Obviously (to anybody else), this was not going to work, as I was to give the card to someone on the ship, so I didn't fill the car up. In hind sight, it makes little difference anyway, as there is still 1/3 of a tank, so by definition the car does not require filling up.
That aside, when I (quite congenially....I had no reason to be rude) explained the situation, and that we had a third of a tank anyway, I was then very rudely told "That's why I told you to do it on the way in"......actually his words were: fill up the van if it needs it...... then something to the effect of "This is what we call giving orders and why we follow them".
Now I understand that I'm in a rank based organisation, and after nearly 17 years, I understand exactly what that entails, however in a situation like that, you just have to question exactly how gauche is a person who feels the need to invent parts of a conversation to then justify rubbing their rank based (and only rank-based) superiority in your face, and carrying on like that without provocation can only inspire a complete lack of personal respect.
I'm utterly appalled and mildly disgusted that this person was so unnecessarily abrasive. Up until he came up here to Singapore, I had quite a lot of personal respect for, but I think you'll all agree, that it's difficult to maintain any form of personal respect for anyone who so succinctly demonstrates a complete lack of the same.
On one hand, I want to wait for him to try to make small talk with me and say something like, "After you showed such complete personal contempt for me, I'd prefer if you only spoke to me in a professional context, as I no longer have any personal respect for you, and therefore have nothing to say to you on a personal level". On the other hand, I realise that this person has also been taking a beating as far as public opinion on the ship is concerned, which would have to have affect your ego, and you'd be inclined to try to boost your ego in any way you could.........hmmmm bitter resentment versus the better side of my nature. Thankfully I'm only human, so am not expected to be perfect all the time!
Well, apart from that, my day has been nice and relaxed, with a few new albums downloaded, and Radioheads new album being a completely unexpected sound. Granted that I'm not much of a fan and only know a couple of their earlier songs (like Creep), and downloaded it just for interest sake, I was expecting it to be a bit maudlin and rock-ish, but it's got a whole lot of electronic sounds and thick and chunky electronic baselines that I didn't expect, and for that reason has much more personality that I'd thought it could. It still has qualities that I associate with Radiohead (from my limited exposure to the band), in the lyrics and vocals, but the second track on the album could easily have cheesy female vocals and be a pop-styled track.
On another tangent, I watched the Dixie Chicks documentary "Shut Up and Sing" last night, and I don't want to generalise, but it really doesn't do a great deal to increase the public image of the average American intellect. Apparently, the front-woman of the band made a comment to a London Audience (just after they - the British people - had held an anti-war rally in London), that she was on their side and as an afterthought made a flippant comment that the band was embarrassed that the president (George W Bush junior) was from Texas. (forgive me if you know the story, but I was only half aware of it, and the doco stunned me).
A London paper printed the quote, then the US press picked up on it, and (in short), the American people black-listed the band, their album sales dropped 42%, literally overnight, and a death threat was sent to the singer that had made the statement. A vast number of country radio stations were refusing to play their music, and it appears that it wasn't until Bush started to lose his popularity that the American people finally forgave the band, and their sales picked up again. The absurdity of the story was that in the documentary, they had footage of actual people saying that that (from that one sentence) the Dixie Chicks were unpatriotic, and that they weren't supporting the US troops, and my favourite........one person holding a placard that said "Dixie Chicks should be tried for treason" or words to that affect.
Please.....can someone explain to me how being morally against a war, and embarrassed by someone who will be shown by history to be one of the better examples of governmental idiocy, is reason to be tried for treason, demonstrates a lack of patriotism, or makes any statement at all about those people fighting in the war?
I'm in the Australian Defence Force and I'm morally against war. I've also been appallingly embarrassed by many of our leaders in my lifetime......let's be honest, the vast majority of politicians tend to have a somewhat lubricated grasp on the truth when it comes to election time, and they have all done things in the international arena that have made us groan (Paul Keating/Queen Elizabeth II being my standout.....speaking of lacking social polish!). That doesn't detract from the fact that I am willing to do my part to defend the shores of a country that I love, and I doubt that any of you believe that I should be tried for treason, or that I don't support my own organisation and myself!
Now, I don't want to suggest that the average American is an idiot, but the facts of this story speak for themselves, and their own media really doesn't do them any favours! Here are a people who pride themselves on freedom, however when a public figure makes a statement they (quite mindlessly) disagree with, they attempt to stymie that persons freedom of speech!
Sadly, I heard some years ago from a friend who lives in London, that we as Australians are being referred to as the "New Americans" overseas, and throughout Europe.
Given the general image that we have of Americans as being loud, overbearing, ignorant and vulgar, I'm very embarrassed that we're seen as the "little brother" of American culture. While there are vast similarities between our countries, it's very sad, that we are letting ourselves become so Americanised. There are many truly great American people, and I've met a lot of nice, affable and intelligent Americans in my life, but we really need to show a bit more pride in our own culture, and stop mimicking what the American media tell us is cool and current.
One of my least favourite of our cultural habits is our mimicry of American music. Listen to so many of our musicians, particularly a lot of our country and pop singers, who sing with an American accent. Being a country as young as we are, we don't have a lot of sounds that are distinctly Australian, so we have to mimic many overseas styles, but we most definitely DO have our own accent, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with singing in that accent.
Herein lies the reason that The Waifs, Missy Higgins and Paul Kelly will always be some of my favourite Aussie Muso's. Not only are the all great singers, they are also all great songwriters, which is the true mark of a musician, someone who actually creates music and lyrics (anyone with a decent singing teacher can be a mindless voice) but when they sing, "can't" rhymes with Aunt, not with Pant.
I love and respect that they're not trying to be something that they're not, and in that one little nuance, are affirming a pride in themselves and their country, that too few of our own musical icons are willing to display. (John Butler excepted by his background.....he is a great musician in the Australian industry, and an example of a very talented American with a mind and moral conscience....It's good to see someone demonstrating the counterpoints to, and dispelling some of, the stereotypes that we've been exposed to for so long).
Well, there's my opinion for the day, I hope everyone is having a great week. Take care Friends.
