Who's off their Heads Now?

Yep Bazel here and this shit just got real.

Townsville now, willingly leads the epee centre of Qld to introduce a positive new approach on the sales and consumption of alcohol.

Gone are the days were we once staggered into a bar to 'meet the boys'. You would throw a couple of bucks down and the bar tender would 'slide over a nice cold one', you would scull it down and hail for the next.....the guy down the end of the bar sniggers and remarks at a comment he over hears, and you couldn’t help but pier over at the girl who hung off his arm and give her a wink....and before you knew it....it was on, a good ol biffo, all in!! The next day you would wake up and feel like crap, but the more you had drunk and the shenanigan’s from the night before, made for a great story at the bar the following week and shit.... that's what a good night was.

Old School

I have a saying...'There's no past you can bring back by longing for it'....and so be it. 

Time changes and wheather an individual thinks it is fortunate or unfortunate we all learn to just move with it. 

Waiting to 'maybe' get in. 'Studio 54' The most famous nightclub of all time (1977-1981) It was quoted the club earned 7 million in it's first year and only Mafia made more money. Shortly thereafter it was raided. The owners were eventually prosecuted for tax evasion, it was the first time anyone was ever prosecuted for a one year tax evasion and they were sentenced to 13 months imprisonment. The club closed with a final party on Feb 4th 1980. The owners sold the club in 1981.

OPINIONS!!!! Well there like ass holes, everyone has one.....and what we once, may have thought an insignificant issue is magnified along the way these days. With the help of media, social media and so on before we know it, that insignificant issue, relics a whole bureaucratic debate.

Hence the reason for the 'Townsville late night traders pulling together to install, what will now be known as the 'Townsville Liquor Accord'.

With the focus of media and bureaucratic attention brought upon what us 'party seekers' would call...'just a good night out'.

It is not the case for hard working venue's that are subject to constant criticism, rules and regulations. 

A patron enters a venue, because he or she 'wants to', they want to go out and let their hair down. They want to.....'With tongue and cheek', “get pissed", catch up with friends and whatever happens, happens! 

Roid Boy

The people 'injured, or mis treated, out of the thousands and thousands that revel in our clubs weekly, are misfortunate, they may have been susceptible to unruly behaviour and I totally condemn the extra-ordinary sensibilities of the mere minority who inflict such circumstances. Although behaviour of those minute few, cast a cloud of speculation on social behaviour and bureaucrats need someone to blame.

Hence the propaganda behind 'alcohol fueled violence and the unnecessary focus on the 'venues' that are here to provide entertainment, security and the best service they can to its 'willing' customers. 

Evolving is a cross section of over regulated rules, regulations and taxes on venues, thus governments  incapability’s on justifying an 'individual’s' behaviour associated with alcohol, drugs, a mental disorder, how tough they are or just plain stupid! 

Recently an incident occurred in Kings Cross where a blatant act of violence was inflicted upon a young man, who I say...'willingly' intended on a night out with friends. As he walked the street to meet his mates, he was 'king hit', terribly, his life was taken, this happened before midnight and not in a venue. The offender had jumped out to inflict harm also on previous pedestrians.

Was he mad? Was it alcohol, drugs, or was he having a bad day? This is an individual’s behaviour. A certain individual may have an inappropriate behaviour because they cannot control what society has created, surely this this is not a venues concern.

The media’s focus again was put on alcohol and the venues, within the Kings Cross late night precinct, which in hand focused on all late night venues selling alcohol.

Who's to say the offender wasn't simply unstable, drug affected or pre-loaded elsewhere before his actions? 

The accord is pulling together to voice their concerns. Speaking with the minority of the accord, they say the government never seem to take into account pre loading. Bottle shops can advertise, sell cheap liquor and the rules are bent.

Personally and realistically I don't think we are ever going to stop people having a few drinks at home before heading out.....although this entails more rules, in this case what’s good for the goose is good for the gander and maybe bottle shops should to, follow suit. 

There are so many different drugs these days which affect a person’s social behaviour.

Major concerns are the ever popular use of steroids now, which assist in obtaining the fantasised look of perfection. Which in turn builds testosterone, a lot of these people love the party scene, their liver and heart bursting at the seams, not only with steroid use, but alcohol and social drugs, when provoked, can they control there temper?

......'hey roid, look out for the rage'.

Whose fault is this?

Not the venue owners!

Or then there's the benders of the sleep deprived ice addicts!

To even want to touch this drug, you have automatically possessed a downhill spiral upon yourself.

I suppose the venue owners are accountable for them to?

Then there are the regularly used drugs of choice within the party scene and parents, sorry to break it to you.....but you are totally naive to think your teenage kids and young adults are 'Never' going to be exposed or be introduced to other revellers  associated with one or all of these drugs!

You need to get your head out of your ars and accept reality.

There's ecstasy which are called 'e's' or 'pingers', then there's caps, cocaine and so on.

I am told when taken in moderate, small amounts can counteract the effects of alcohol and put people in a happy and loving mood. Such is known, the 'circle of love'. 

Ecstasy or Pinger

Although.... it is not accepted, is also an illegal offence and can sometimes lead an individual with an addictive personality to a pathway of harder drugs.

 Also known as the party drug.

Society has made alcohol a legal, socially accepted drug, which has been around since before Noah played half back for Jerusalem. The highest profile people, to the derelict bum on the street, love a drink and the majority of times, consequences are socially accepted.

So I ask you again, how is a business that provides a service for the 'willing' majority, accountable for an individual and what they choose to do. 

Need I say the media also broadcasts shows that earn huge ratings, like Underbelly and the MMA fighting, which project an image of......wow that's cool! 

Wake up bureaucrats and stop pointing the finger at people who are trying to do the right thing within their venues and earn a buck just like you. 

The venues have that many restrictions on them now, they foresee a future of the 'Fun Police' wrecking it for the majority and business's will have to eventually close......I guess we could always have out of control house and street parties, where there is no security and smash as much alcohol and drugs into us, music as loud as we can, to piss all the neighbours off and the police and ambo's would get called out to places everywhere to control these unsupervised environments........ Maybe that will help!

A big night guys?

To show Acknowledgement to the never ending innuendo that is blamed on late night traders, Townsville venue owners have pulled together to create a force and voice of their own.

They have introduced their own rules, which relate to responsible service of alcohol, no shots after 2am, no multiple free drink cards, no 2 for 1's and no excessively cheap spirits. It also helps counteract the cut throat and ridiculous competition, trying to compete for your patrons by offering alcohol, basically for non-profit revenue, just to 'hopefully' be able to hold some of those customers, in hope they eventually stay. Before they realise it’s time to move on to the place next door who are doing $2 drinks. 

So when I said previous, we need to move on and not long for the past, I guess this is the time. 

I have to agree and support the venue owners for taking their stance and setting a minimum price of $5 for a spirit. Not only does this serve a purpose of assisting in responsible service of alcohol it also assists with the ever increasing costs to run a venue. It also decreases the animosity of them undercutting each other to the point of eventually having to close their doors for good. 

So I guess times have changed and hopefully for the better. 

My only qualm is the government need to stop pointing the finger and make the small minority of individuals causing trouble more accountable for their own actions. 

Apparently the latest police statistics and reports for Townsville's Flinders St show very little assaults and offences. The two main ones were for public urination and abusive language. 

Well there's no where else to pee.

In which the council really need to get off their hands. Public toilets are a necessity and of high importance. If the government insist on a 3am lockout and people cannot get into a venue to use the bathroom, then council need to turn to the government for assistance with funding. After all they made the rules.

Apparently it was also brought up by the traders and requested for the police to provide reports on major assaults within the venues. Why would venues ask this I here you say ......because they know themselves incidents are few and far between.

Venues don’t force a patrons hand, they do it themselves. 

Its ashame the current world is always looking for someone else to blame other than themselves.

We have all gone mad with Rules and Regulations.

 Don't forget this weekend (Friday and Saturday) is your last chance to win the Ford Fiesta at Consortium, someones key will open that car door this weekend, do you think they are going to be a bit excited, no doubt they will be in for a huge one! Also the 2nd last home game of the year Cowboys V's Warriors, the same night. Its gonna be HUGE!!! Until next time...

Cheers Bazel