Spring has sprung in Melbourne. It is the most beautiful day here. It’s late afternoon as sit writing this out the front of the Prince of Wales pub in St Kilda. The sun is streaming through the trees. People are sitting around chatting. Locals and backpackers mix. A positive vibe is all around me. I have a cold beer and I should be in the best of moods. However, I’m not. I’m in a fucking foul mood.

People are the worst. They are rude, inconsiderate, unkind and generally unpleasant people. I know I’ve spoken about this before, as has Jimmy James. We are meant to be living in civilised society. I could quote Hobbes or Locke (John, not some two bit marketer). I’m not going too though. You know how to use Wikipedia? Yes. Good. Then do your own fucking research. (Now, I know some smart arse will say that the above comment is “rude, inconsiderate, unkind and generally unpleasent”, but they can go and self fornicate… and in a bizarre way, it proves my point). Now, those who know me will have endured one of my rants about this topic, will know where this is headed. It’s not negativity though, as I have been accused of being so, it’s reality.

Now, somewhat surprisingly (or then again, perhaps not), I work in the service industry. It is, alas, a students lot. You see and speak with a lot of people. Over a decade of working in this industry has only confirmed my views. There are of course exceptions, there always are. However, people are becoming more and more self centered, more inconsiderate. It’s why our Prime Minister can lie his arse off, but the only thing that upsets people is higher fuel prices and rising interest rates. It’s why pensioners lie dead in their cars for over a week before somebody rings the paramedics (as if it would help). As for Oz and the sharing of his iPod, some sick fuck is more likely to stab you for it. The chromer on the other side of the tram most likely!

Indeed, despite my past posturing and self aggrandizement , I know I’m flawed. It is my humanity that is both my greatest gift, but also my greatest flaw. But I’m trying. I make the effort. Sometimes though, I really wonder. Why do I even bother…

I like to think that one day, I will sample the crazy life that obscene wealth brings with it. Fucked if I know how I will actually achieve this, but the journey is never what really matters, is it? It’s all about being there, BABY!!!

Yes, I did have an Austin Powers-esque smile on my face as I typed that…

‘What’s your point, Oz?’ As someone seems to be in a rush, anyone know where Marbella is in Spain? No? Good, ‘cos neither did I. It’s in the south, along the Mediterranean coast. It also happens to be the celebrity holiday destination where the Saudi royal family keeps a modest holiday palace… that has a nice ring to it: holiday palace. ‘Who cares. What’s your fucking point?’

Well, King Abdullah is apparently tightening the vacation pursestrings. Observers (who the fuck are they, anyway?) expect the royal family to spend a month in Marbella, and should only drop a lazy £10mil ($25mil AUD) during their stay. £2.5mil per week. Did someone say budget? Wish I had a budget like that for my holidays. But get this - the King’s half-brother Fahd (the previous monarch and deceased for about a year now) used to drop £60mil over a couple of months. Granted there are approximately 1500 assorted royals holidaying together (hello? personal space?) and they’ll employ 300 local servants, but how do you even begin to spend £2.5mil in a week?

I guess that’s one of the myriad of challenges presented to people with obscence bank balances. Who am I kidding? A lot of them probably own banks. No need to keep your money in an Illy tin, is there? I think I just said a whole lot without actually saying anything.

What do you think?

I’m on holidays at the moment. It’s really fantastic. I’m hiding away down at my parents’ beach house in Blairgowrie, which is about an hour and twenty minutes out of Melbourne. I went for a walk along a trail that led to Bushranger’s Bay. In true holiday style I forgot to pack one thing - my camera. These were taken using a Nokia 6230i with a 1.3 megapixel camera. Not bad for an old phone. (more…)