2K6: The New Year's Curse.

2006 Is going to be the year that I am going to hate. Nuff said. I hate you, 2006.

Bring it on.

OZ Babarians - Cronulla Beach Race Riots; Civilisation No More

Story: On Cronulla Beach, Sydney Racial Attack


In Sydney...Sunday 2005 December 11

According to ABC News, the initially festive atmosphere rapidly became violent:

"Earlier in the day the atmosphere had been party-like despite the large crowd, which some estimates say numbers 5,000 people. That changed when a man of Middle Eastern appearance was chased into a hotel bistro. Within a minute the hotel was surrounded by several thousand people screaming and chanting. About a half an hour later a fight broke out across the road and police led away a man with a shirt over his head as the crowd lobbed beer cans at him".


On Sunday, a mob of 5 000 white men, many of them drunk, attacked men they
believed were of Middle Eastern descent in retaliation for the assault a week
earlier of two volunteer lifeguards, allegedly by youths of Lebanese descent,
although police say there was no apparent racial motive.

Police arrested 16 rioters and said 31 people were injured, including a man stabbed in the back
by an assailant officers said was a man of Arab appearance.

Prime Minister John Howard called the violence "sickening," but denied it was
underpinned by a vein of racism running through Australian society.

"I do not accept that there is underlying racism in this country," he said

Mr Iemma today described the behaviour as "stomach turning" and said it would not be tolerated.

"I saw yesterday people trying to hide behind the Australian flag, well they are cowards whose behaviour will not be tolerated," Mr Iemma told Channel Nine.

"That was the most disgraceful, disgusting behaviour that I've ever seen."

A 23-year-old Maroubra man was taken to Prince of Wales hospital after he was stabbed with a sharp implement, believed to be a stick or nail, in the hip.

Later, a second 23-year-old man was stabbed in the back by a group of males, described as being of Middle Eastern appearance, at a golf club at Woolooware, in Sydney's south.

He was taken to hospital in a serious condition.

Riot police were also called to Brighton-le-Sands, in Sydney's south, overnight to control a group of about 200 brawling youths who had reportedly thrown projectiles at police.

Twelve people were arrested at Cronulla. They will appear at Sutherland Local Court at a date to be fixed.
-NZHERALD




Two man of Middle Eastern looking was attacked at Cronulla Station
Photo: Nick Moir


Image hosted by Photobucket.com
A man was surrounded by a big group of Aussie and severly beaten
Photos: Andrew Meare



In Wellington..

Posters calling for people to show "white power" and riot Australian-style have appeared at Wellington railway stations.

"If Sydney can do it so can we ... let's take back our land," say posters at Johnsonville and Khandallah.

Train commuter Brent Cantwell said he was appalled.

"It's just terrible, it's awful," he said. "It's fear-driven - fear of having something taken away which they have no control over."

Another commuter, John Grant, said the posters were shocking but he did not believe race riots like those at Cronulla Beach in Sydney would happen here.
- NZHERLAD


Full unbiased full stories on this event is available at Wikipedia.com
Search for 2005 Sydney race riots

In Malaysia

Malaysia will welcome Prime Minister John Howard to the annual East Asia summit with the message that Australia must confront the racism and xenophobia revealed in Sydney's riots.

Mr Howard is due to arrive in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, this evening to take part in the first East Asia summit.

Malaysia says Sydney's race riot shows Australia has to deal with the problems of racism and prejudice.
-ABC News


Aftermath:


Anti Racism protest after the incident
Photo: AFP


Word 'sorry' written on the sand as a message of regret to what have happened
Photo: Reuters


A fellow protestant treaten the police with a beer bottle

This is going to be the saddest news I have heard this year. Sure thing, racism has been a sensitive issue but most people take it as a joke. I mean we have to take it as a joke because we are always the target of racism and if we take it too personally, we end up getting hurt. But this riots is not a joke. It is a serious issue and is totally unacceptable. It shows a pitfall of moral issue concerning a society and a country. Australia is not unknow for its racism history and I have heard many stories, yes many stories of racism in Australia from my mates who happen to study there. I have been told that there are a distinct difference between the white community and the non-white community there, but as far as racism go, there arent many physical discrimination shown. I guess it is pretty much the same as New Zealand. There will always be a dividing border between white and people of colour. However, not many have the balls to bring out the issue of racism. Yes, 4 years in New Zealand, I have been called "a Fucking asian" and have taken many judgemental looks from the white community but it is something inevitable because we are always being tought as "the fucking immigrants" or "land invader" and I fully come to accept this fact.

The point I am trying to make is that there will always be racism in every single corner of the world because of cultural background differences and the race Riots at Cronulla Beach at Sydney just proved how serious this issue is and how pathetic it is. What made the matter worst is that in response to the weekend's events in Cronulla, Aussie Prime Minister John Howard has attempted to deny the existence of “an underlying racism” in Australia. Instead Howard has tried to explain the events as nothing more than a question of law and order, saying, "violence, thuggery, loutish behaviour, smashing peoples' property, intimidating people - all of those things are breaches of the law and I don't think the actions should be given some kind of special status because they occur against the background of this or that.” He claimed that Australia is a NOT racist nation. How stupid he is. We often choose to ignore things that are bad for us although it is true simply because we want to protect our self image. But things like this had happened and every single person can cleary see that this is a race-based attack and one most powerful person in Australia denies it. How PATHETIC!

Regardless who denies what it is in fact that racism isthe defining essence of Australia's nation culture.

Yeah and again...So Much for Cultural Diversities huh.


Illustrations by Tandberg

The Official Broken Beaker TOP 40 Singles of 2005 [No.1 - No.10]

No.1 M83 - A Guitar And A Heart (FR)

Single Release Date: 08 January 2005
Can be found in: Before The Dawn Heal Us (2005)

The title says it all, it only take one's heart to really love this song of powerful guitar riffs that takes you to an uncertain realm and left you begging for more. First single released from the album Before The Dawn Heal Us, A Guitar and A Heart is easily one of the most powerful link in the album. Like my review on the album, it is a nicely coreographed cinematic-themed album of passion, anger and love and this song is the peak of the album. This song qunches my thirst for a powerful, mind-blowing song in a long long time and hence, my number 1 single of 2005.

No.2 The Servant - Cells (UK)

Single Release Date: 2005
Can be found in: The Servant (2004)

I would never have heard of The Servant nor this song if their "Cells" hasnt been used as the official song for SinCity trailer. The self titled album was released back in 2004 and was a market disaster. In 2005, the movie Sin City employed the Instrumental version of Cells for their official Theatrical Trailer and since then, Cells has became one of the most search-ed and talked about song of the year, and has gained The Servant a significant fame not only in Europe and large in America as well. Initial plans was that this song will not be officially released as single, instrumental or not and will not be featured in the Sin City official Soundtrack. However, due to large request on this song The Servant featured the instrumental version of Cells on their website and will only be availabe to those who suscribed to their mailing lists. News has it that the amount of people suscribe to them has tripled. They have also re-released their debut album this year. They are currently working on thier second album.

No.3 Mew - Special (DK)

Single Release Date: 19 September 2005
Can be found in: And the Glass Handed Kites (2005)

The four-piece from Denmark is here to prove one point; that The Darkness is nothing but a piece of shit. Though Mew has not been all that successful compared to other bands, they have certainly gained respect of music critics. Their 2003 release, Frengers has been awarded "Album of the Year" and "Band of the Year" in 2003 Danish Music Critics Award Show. Their lastest album has also recieved tremendeous success. Special, the first single from And the Glass Handed Kites is is prog 2005 style, blending rock and pop. It's a layered delight of mellow melancholy shoegazing and is balanced perfectly by an infectious energy. Special is a likeable, perhaps even loveable at first listen and will have a huge impression on you and dont worry, its still loveable upon 100th time of listen.

No.4 British Sea Power - Please Stand Up (UK)

Single Release Date: 13 May 2005
Can be found in: Open Season (2005)

After the disasterous debut The Decline of...British Sea Power, Open Season offers something that every listener wished for. The second single off Open Season, Please Stand Up delivers a more mainstream, pop-oriented and produced sound for the band. Please Stand Up finds BSP at their shimmering, poppy best, lyrically brilliant side. The vocals have a whispery, yearning and breathy quality over echoing guitar and there is a sweet mesmerizing feeling to it.
Please Stand Up was banned in The United States for having a line A little excitement makes us wetter wetter.

No.5 Editors - Blood (UK)

Single Release Date: 11 July 2005
Can be found in: The Back Room (2005)

“Blood runs through your veins, that's where our similarity ends

There's nothing believable, in being honest

So cover your lies up, with another promise"

Having Editors compared to Joy Division and Interpol is simply something stupid to do. 'Blood' is actually a very good song, angular and interesting, which isn't nearly generic enough to translate into sales. As promised this song has a dark quality to it, a sinister methapor perhaps and like their style, this song has a much more retro feel to it than other songs in the album. It takes time for this song to grow on me and it ended up being one of my favourite of the year.

No.6 Hard-Fi - Cash Machine (UK)

Single Release Date: January 2005
Can be found in: Stars of CCTV (2005)

The britpop anthem of 2005, brilliantly written and listener friendly.

No.7 Colder - Wrong Baby (FR)

Single Release Date: 27 June 2005
Can be found in: Heat (2005)

A psychedelic 70's tunes from this French desiger is one of the best sound of 2005.

No.8 Doves - Snowden (UK)

Single Release Date: 9 May 2005
Can be found in: Some Cities (2005)

No.9 Hard-Fi - Tied Up Too Tight (UK)

Single Release Date: 18 April 2005
Can be found in: Stars of CCTV (2005)


No.10 Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure (UK)

Single Release Date: 21 February 2005
Can be found in: A Certain Trigger (2005)

The Official Broken Beaker Top 40 Singles of 2005 [No.11 - No.20]

No.11 Interpol - C'Mere

Single Release Date: 11 April 2005
Can be found in: Antics (2004)


No.12 Coldplay - Speed of Sound

Single Release Date: 23 May 2005
Can be found in: X&Y (2005)


No.13 Bloc Party - Two More Years

Single Release Date: 03 October 2005
Can be found in: Two More Years/Hero single (2005)

No.14 Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends

Single Release Date: 13 June 2005
Can be found in: American Idiot (2005)

No.15 Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #2 (Laika)

Single Release Date: 28 March 2005
Can be found in: Funeral (2004)

No.16 Sigur Rós - Sæglópur

Single Release Date: 15 August 2005
Can be found in: Takk...(2005)

No.17 Röyksopp - Only This Moment

Single Release Date: 27 June 2005
Can be found in: The Understanding (2005)

No.18 The National - Secret Meeting

Single Release Date: 19 August 2005
Can be found in: Alligator (2005)

No.19 The Futureheads - Hounds Of Love

Single Release Date: 21 February 2005
Can be found in: The Futureheads (2005)

No.20 Editors - Munich

Single Release Date: 18 April 2005
Can be found in: The Back Room (2005)

The Official Broken Beaker Top 40 Singles of 2005 [No.21-No.40]

Here are my favourite official singles that were released in the year of 2005.



No.21 Doves - Black and White Town

Single Release Date: 07 February 2005
Can Be found In: Some Cities (2005)

No.22 M83 - Don't Save Us From The Flames

Single Release Date: 08 February 2005
Can Be found In: Before The Dawn Heal Us (2005)

No.23 Sleater-Kinney - Jumpers

Single Release Date: 23 August 2005
Can Be found In: The Woods (2005)

No.24 Athlete - Wires

Single Release Date: 17 January 2005
Can Be found In: Tourist (2005)

No.25 Dredg - Bug Eyes

Single Release Date: 05 May 2005
Can Be found In: Catch Without Arms (2005)

No.26 British Sea Power - It Ended On An Oily Stage

Single Release Date: 21 March 2005
Can Be found In: Open Season (2005)

No.27 Keane - Bend and Break

Single Release Date: 25 July 2005
Can Be found In: Hopes and Fears (2004)

No.28 The National - Abel

Single Release Date: 2005
Can Be found In: Alligator (2005)

No.29 Coldplay - Fix You

Single Release Date: 05 September 2005
Can Be found In: X&Y (2005)

No.30 The Mars Volta - The Widow

Single Release Date: 14 March 2005
Can Be found In: Frances The Mute (2005)

No.31 M83 - Teen Angst

Single Release Date: 06 June 2005
Can Be found In: Before The Dawn Heal Us (2005)

No.32 Missy Elliott - Lose Control

Single Release Date: 20 June 2005
Can Be found In: The Cook Book (2005)

No.33 Bloc Party - Banquet

Single Release Date: 25 April 2005
Can Be found In: Silent Alarm (2005)

No.34 Hard-Fi - Living for the Weekend

Single Release Date: September 2005
Can Be found In: Stars of CCTV (2005)

No.35 Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot

Single Release Date: 22 August 2005
Can Be found In: Employment (2005)

No.36 Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)

Single Release Date: 2005
Can Be found In: Funeral (2004)

No.37 Interpol - Evil

Single Release Date: 24 January 2005
Can Be found In: Antics (2004)

No.38 Audioslave - Be Yourself

Single Release Date: 06 June 2005
Can Be found In: Out of Exile (2005)

No.39 The Cardigans - I Need Some Fine Wine and You, You Need to Be Nicer

Single Release Date: 21 September 2005
Can Be found In: Super Extra Gravity

No.40 Garbage - Run Baby Run

Single Release Date: 18 July 2005
Can Be found In: Bleed Like Me (2005)

Previous TOP Singles

2004 : Interpol - Slow Hands


2003 : Radiohead - There There


2002 :Interpol - Obstacle


2001 : Coldplay - Dont Panic


2000 :Coldplay - Troble


1999 : Blur - Coffee & TV


1998 :
Madonna - Drowned World (Substitude For Love)
Hole - Malibu
Spice Girls - Viva Forever


1997 : Third Eve Blind - Semi Charmed Life


1996 : No Doubt - Don't Speak