Owing Your Parents

When I was about 11 or so, I had a teacher ask the class a question.

"Who thinks they owe their parents a lot?"

He was one of those rare teachers who used to actually get us to think. Thanks again Mr. Fraser you were indeed an inspiration and I often wonder what you are doing now. Hopefully inspiring more kids to think for themselves. He often used to ask these kinds of questions and we all knew the drill - raise your hand for yes and do nothing for no. I was sitting at the front of the class and sat there without raising my hand.

I couldn't see the rest of the class.

I turned around.

Every other person had their hand raised. Except me.

To my credit I didn't raise my hand to go along with everyone else. He started asking people why they had their hand up. "They've given me everything I have, I owe them a lot" "They've fed me, clothed me, bought me things, I owe them a lot" "They buy me everything I want, I owe them a lot".

Over and over in the same theme. "...I owe them a lot". I was only 11, but I was really confused. "Owing someone something" implies a debt. It implies a debt that can be paid off. It implies that it is quantifiable and at some point said debt will be repaid and I imagine at that point you can sit back and say 'Yep I sure paid back my parents for everything they did for me, I'm done here time to move onto Nanna and Pop"

I was thinking to myself I don't OWE them. They're my parents. It's their job to feed me, clothe me, buy me stuff, love me, teach me, chastise me, show me. Only it's not a job, THEY'RE MY PARENTS. You can't repay that, it's done. It's kind of an unconditional thing. Just because I don't feel a sense of debt, does that make me ungrateful? Or was every other kid in my class suffering from some sort of conditional love kind of deal?

I wasn't aware of every other kid in the class and their particular relationship with their mum or dad. One girl - L - was arguing quite viciously that she owed her parents "a lot". She seemed particularly passionate about it. I remember feeling perturbed that she felt so strongly that she owed her parents so much.

I'd spent a lot of time at her house and had seen her relationship with her mum and dad first hand. L always got a lot of Easter Eggs, went to the Royal Show every year and got every single show bag there was to get, Christmas was completely over the top. She always had the latest, and most fashionable of everything. We played in the same basketball team. My Dad was the coach. Every single training session, L got a lift with us. Every single game, L got a lift with us. Her mum would come and watch the finals, but regular games she got a ride with us.

But she owed her parents 'a lot'.

The thing is, at that age, I thought her parents were shitty. L and her sister seemed to have to fend for themselves a lot. They were always getting fed at our house, they went home to an empty house after school and for the most part, her mum and dad were always out doing other things.

"Mum needs time to do things for herself"
"Don't make too much noise, Dad's trying to read his new books"


Fast forward 20 or so years and her mum that she owed so much to abandoned L and her sister to their own devices once L hit 19. By abandoned I mean, went to another country to be with her new boyfriend. L's relationship with her Dad was completely destroyed by her Mum as her Dad was The Bad Guy in the divorce. Truth be told I thought during my late teens that L's mum was going to turn out to be a lesbian she espoused that much hatred for men and bullshit feminist rhetoric. If a 16 year old can pick up that she was reading too much feminist rhetoric, that woman must have been one bitter twisted bitch.

"Mum's going through a tough time right now"

So here L is in her mid 30's. One fucked up relationship after another, desperate to find "the one". Every guy she picked was unavailable, either emotionally or physically. A string of on again off again relationships.

"John would commit, but things are just stressful at work right now"

"He's still living with his old girlfriend, but they're not together anymore"

Yeah, right.


So I guess in a way she does owe her parents. Not sure how you repay that kind of thing though.


I'll happily continue to not owe my parents anything. And they'll happily continue to be there.

Thanks Mum, thanks Dad.

The Mad Abbot strikes again

Dismay over anti-abortion 'bias' - National - theage.com.au


Can he even spell "conflict of interest"?


When the hell did this country start ignoring this rubbish?

Hmm

So I'm fooling with the formatting.

Think I need to get the colour wheel out.

Sweet jesus

So I figured I'd splurge and move to the new blogger. So you need a proper e-mail address to do that right?

Turns out you don't and I should know better than that. So aaaanyway I didn't bother to sign up for a gmail account at first and for about 45 mins my work email address was showing on my blog.

Not that anyone besides me reads it. But still.

Fuck!

testing performancing again

phew seems to have been the stupid antispam filter thingamy preventing performancing from working.

fingers crossed it works more betterer now.

Three chords and the truth?

U2 lead singer and human rights activist Bono wants to talk with Prime Minister John Howard about boosting Australia's aid to poor countries.

The Irish rock star, whose band opens its Australian tour in Brisbane tonight, said wealthy countries should donate more of their GDP (gross domestic product) to help combat global poverty, particularly in Africa.

But he said he wouldn't meet with Mr Howard if he wasn't serious about the issue.

Bohoo.

Don't get me wrong, rah rah Bono's causes and all that. But last time I checked he was a pop star.... Feel free to give your money, but really. Does this mean heads of state should clear diary time when Oasis come to town? How about the winner of Australian Idol?

And the country will sit back and vote them in again.

"The ABC has told the stars of it's high-rating show The Glass House that this will be their last season.

The national broadcaster gave no reason for the decision to axe the comedy show, which has been at the centre of a storm over allegations of anti-Howard Government bias."



The Age has best beware, before you know it they will be accused of being pro-anti Howard media reports. Given they will probably end up in the hands of Rupert or Packer I guess there is not a lot of chance that they would be able to continue any pro-anti-Howard sentiment.

The thing that is most disconcerting is "a day after Liberal NSW senator Connie Fierravanti-Wells said co-host Corrine Grant had been guilty of a serious conflict of interest because she was the public face of the ACTU's workplace relations campaign". She's an actor, is she to make editorial decisions on what work she will and won't take based on her politics?

Performancing

Okay so blogthis doesn't work anymore and performancing is having issues I suspect working around the firewall in the office.

Gah, now I'm having to post the old fashioned way.

On the plus side the in-built Firefox spellchecker is teh awesomeness.

And so it begins

Perhaps if George did an discernibly anti-Arab piece there would be less fuss.

Testing performancing

never could get it to work previously why the hell couldn't blogthis just keep working.

I need simple stuff dammit!

Torcie's Place

WTB Communications Minister

The woman is still an idiot.

Petrol tops Howard's fear list

If petrol is the top of his fear list we are in deep fucking shit.

The caring company

The Morning News :: Business Page

The irony of this bloody company is that they like to present themselves in business and management textbooks as the caring employer. "Our employees are our most valuable asset" kinda thing.

What a crock, profit is their most valued asset. As far as I can tell employess are just a number on the balance sheet.

I know half the world is below average

But why the fuck do they all have to work here.

Gerard was Peter's idea: PM - National - smh.com.au

Looks like no love lost between Petey and Johnny. Is JH burning everything just so Pete can't be PM?

Activist wants reason for deportation - Breaking News - National - Breaking News

And so it begins.

Osama has actually won, although the pollies haven't realised it yet. Oh wait, am I being seditious? Probably.

Push to ban 'offensive' TV shows - TV & Radio - Entertainment - theage.com.au

Ms Draper said that once the minister had a reserve power to pull programs from the air, it would encourage broadcasters to better observe the code of practice.

"We don't have that power now, but once we do have that ability, the self-regulators on commercial free-to-air will certainly be examining the code a lot more closely so that they don't end up getting their programs yanked from the air.

"I am concerned about children in Australia, quite frankly, and in my electorate, and there are at least 20 of us in the parliamentary party who will be pushing for this."

Uh? Who the hell voted for Helen Coonan's morality view of the world? Australia you got the government you deserve.

President stirs debate with evolution remark - World - smh.com.au

A debate between scientists and religious conservatives has escalated after the US President, George Bush, said the theory of intelligent design should be taught with evolution in public schools.

The President said both theories ought to be properly taught "so people can understand what the debate is about".

Erm..... this is like a new dark age.

Telstra boss runs foul of Howard on criticism - Business - Business - smh.com.au

Oh the irony.

Telstra would not be allowed to play "regulatory roulette" with future services to the bush, Senator Coonan said as the Federal Government's battle with the company intensified.

Hang on a minute, the government is battling an entity of which it owns 51%? Are we to assume that the final sell off of Telstra will be a good thing? They can't have it both ways - enforcing regulations on a private entity to ensure that the rural area is taken care of. This is exactly why these services need to be public. Infrastructure 101 morons!

US takes offence at cartoon stamp - World - smh.com.au

Gee the US wouldn't be feeling guilty about what it used to do with these kind of images? The US should worry about it's own internal policies without trying to dictate to a FOREIGN government what it should depict on it's stamps.

Row grows in late-term abortion case - National - theage.com.au

The man is an idiot.

Iranian president linked with US Embassy siege - World - smh.com.au

So what if he was?

Last time I checked George W. doesn't get to decide who is president of Iran.

Oh wait, who am I kidding?

Is Julian McGauran Insane?

He is known as the anti-abortionist senator. Great claim to fame, given that the abortion debate was allegedly settled over 30 years ago. Not only does he gain access to personal medical records by dubious means, he also has an interesting take on foreign affairs.

In arguing for the Iraqi war - he disparages the French:

Today, without American intelligence and military backup, the war on terror could not be fought, and we would all be engulfed in its horror. The United States have spent a century protecting and saving the world from tyranny. This alliance is in Australia's best interests and should not be picked apart by irrational anti-Americanism—in particular by the French, whose anti-Americanism is nothing more than a political attempt to set themselves up as an alternative power. But we should not be too hard on the French because they cannot help it. They are inherently treacherous. After all, they betrayed to the stake Joan of Arc—one of their greatest—and they have not changed since 1441. Joan of Arc, who liberated France, they betrayed. So this is not a black day for Australia, as described by the leader of the Labor Party; this is a great day for the war on terror.

Speech to parliament March 2003

Inherently treacherous????

Hmm a look around his website shows he isn't exactly the most prolific of speech makers. Half a dozen speeches are linked on his website and media releases (covering important topics such as flags for schools)aimed squarely at his electorate are about it.

I am surprised there is not a link to the treacherous French blaming them for starting the war on terror.

Beazley fends off Latham attack - National - theage.com.au

Mark Latham the spoilt child of politics. Just cus he couldn't do it, why should anyone else. Even if he honestly believes those opinions, and part of me suspects that he does - and who knows some of it may even be true. What the hell good does it do to spruik off about it?

He just damages the party he claims to love so dearly.

Moron.

Howard's great crusade - Shaun Carney - Opinion - theage.com.au

The outcry from the media is deafening. Are they so used to being spoon fed from Howard and his cronies that they don't care? Or is it that editorial interference - let's face it, it's the big employers who stand to gain the most from driving down real wages - that is causing the lack of protest?

Maybe they are too focused on causing a rift with Indonesia to bother.

Democracry Hard at Work

So the house votes for it, but the president says nuh-uh, no way.

Nice that Democracy works so much like a dictatorship.

Less than 12 weeks to go

And don't I feel every bit of those 28 weeks. What the hell did I do to deserve getting morning sickness back in the third trimester?

Bleh.

It might have swung poll: Labor - National - www.smh.com.au

No Kim, it is NOT the fault of the AEC, it is the fault of the Labor party for not dealing with the issue of interest rates properly. Any well informed fool knew Johnny was stretching the truth. Seems the fools running the campaign weren't well informed.

Reserve feared it was used as election pawn - National - www.smh.com.au

The media are so outraged by the lies of the government that they shove this into a small story. Just goes to show the inadequacy of the Latham campaign, that they didn't seize on the unease of the Reserve Bank.

Hmm John Howard makes the Reserve Bank nervous, yet the public are happy to elect him again.

PM steps into Ashes row - Cricket - www.theage.com.au

Of course he does. But where is he in intervening in kicking out of the country a 104 year old woman?

Absent of course.

US robot troops to go into battle - World - www.smh.com.au

"The Pentagon is spending $161 billion on a program to build heavily-armed robots for the battlefield in the hope that future wars will be fought without the loss of its soldiers' lives."

That would be without the loss of American lives. Obviously enemy soldiers don't count for anything.

So, I am wondering, do these count as Weapons of Mass Destructions and will UN Weapons Inspectors be despatched to assess the destruction potential?

16 Weeks down, 24 to go

Bush to take on 'darkest corners of world' - World - www.smh.com.au

Erm, last time I checked he was president of ONE country, not the world, not the UN and he certainly wasn't elected by anyone outside his own country.

This man is a menace and needs to be stopped.

Plan to convert orphans - Asia tsunami - www.theage.com.au

Arseholes.

Pivotal seats flooded with grant cash - National - www.smh.com.au

Where is the outrage?
Where is the questioning?
Where is the media?

Making a monkey out of Bush - World - www.smh.com.au

Free Speech hard at work in the land of the brave and the free.

Kelly keeps job despite breach - National - www.theage.com.au

So umm, the code of conduct means nothing does it?

What is the point of having those "items" in the code of conduct if it is okay to breach them?

Three more years of this garbage.

Bullied legal system key to Mugabe's power - World - www.smh.com.au

Any minute now George Bush is going to rush into Zimbabwe and restore democracy.

Well two days disappeared super fast

Heh.

Now s/he's due my birthday!!!

Almost 7 weeks

The next 33 are going to draaaaaaaaaaag by.

Bleh

Just one of those days, where everything is annoying me. Buster is fine, just causing me heartburn, and I suspect making me want to burst into tears every five minutes.

Not sure how much longer I can keep snapping people's heads off though. Bleh.

Hmmm

Spotting is normal right..... why do I feel like the other shoe is about to drop.....

'Alexander' under fire - Film - www.theage.com.au

Umm, but he WAS gay. I thought Alexander's sexuality wasn't in doubt. It was the norm of behaviour in ancient Greece. The love of a man and all that...

'I have a real problem with independents' - National - www.smh.com.au

"It's well know that I have a real problem with independents because I think they fragment the country voice ... I'm very passionate about that," he said."

No John, they fragment the National Party's voice, not the voice of those people who vote for the independants, they get exactly what they vote for. It's called Democracy.

Things that are not good about being pregnant:

1. Giving up smoking
2. Limiting coffee
3. Baby brain - I am not a moron, yet it is taking me 5 goes to get a print range right.
4. Heartburn
5. Requiring a nap in the afternoon
6. Feeling sick for no apparent reason
7. Only being able to take panadol for a headache
8. Forgetfulness
9. Heartburn
10. Being shitty for no apparent reason, although this could be due to the lack of cigs and coffee.

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

US bombs to be tested in Australia: report - National - www.smh.com.au

And this is what we have to look forward to for the next three years. Please ALP get rid of the factional hacks and save this country.

Stay out of abortion issue: Latham - National - www.smh.com.au

And so the moralising begins. Wait until sex-ed is banned in schools and we have religious ed re-introduced into public schools.

Guardian Unlimited Sport | American sports | Holy Red Sox! Boston's Babe curse is exorcised after 86 years of hurt

The fact that there are over 6,000 references to this in google news leaves me feeling empty....

We MIGHT have roused terrorists?

Erm Alexander, MIGHT?.

Ii guess it's okay to say it now the election is over. Cus sure as eggs in the next three years the stupid populace would have forgotten that you made the country less safe by engaging in an illegal war.

13 dead in multiple blasts

And how is this different from a terrorist attack?

Putin Lets the propaganda begin

Erm, they were from CHECHNYA. This is a civil war, hardly a war on international terrorism. Putin can't have it both ways, it can't be an international war unless he lets Chechnya have their independence from Russia.

Either, or. They are either part of Russia, or an international terror threat.

Grant (cough) Hackett

Why is he always sick? Surely he is doing something wrong if he is constantly battling a chest infection? He didn't seem to be complaining of an infection before he was almost beaten.

Just can't find myself liking him, at all.

More B Files

And she left at 3.30 today????

Whinge all day then leave early?

At least I don't have to listen to her whinge anymore

The B Files

Every single question she gets asked she responds negatively. Someone asks is size 13 for a teenage or a young boy? "Well it could be for a girl" She is soooo full of shit, and is soooo freaking negative.

Dogs seeking asylum?

These comments are totally outrageous, and goes to show the value that the Libs place on asylum seekers. They truly are xenophobic and insular in nature. Unbelievable, and Johnny is backing her up.

Australia to buy long range missiles

Give me a break. Who the hell would we want to launch long range missiles on. I am willing to open a book on the company that gets the contract. American based Boeing will win the contract by a country mile.


Exactly how long range are these missiles? Long range enough to reach North Korea, and will they be launched in response to an attack on Sydney?

Pffft.

Polygraph Lies
Puh-lease, it is generally accepted amongst the scientific community, i.e. psychologists and others in human measurement, that polygraph's give a pretty good indication of whether people are telling the truth. The spin doctors are at work already on behalf of their PM.

Labor trio paves way for FTA flip

Okay, why the use of the word flip? Where did they say they would oppose. Latham has constantly stated that he wanted to wait until the Senate committee reported, yet the headline is suggesting he has changed his stance.

Coonan argues against fourth network - National - www.theage.com.au

Is this woman a total moron? "I don't mind signalling now that I can't see a great need for a fourth network and, indeed, I think the sort of niche markets being talked about are largely being fulfilled through the Foxtel (pay TV) network," Senator Coonan told The Age. Uh, okay, so how about all those people who don't want pay TV, can't get pay TV, or can't afford pay TV.

Okay this statement stuns me:
"Telstra will not be able to rely on its legacy telephone business forever and I suppose at some stage, if not now, will need to look for new partners. To me that . . . does not seem something which should have caused such a fuss," she said. The fact that they would own such a huge chunk of communication methodology and the content of the communications doesn't bother her? Is she in the right portfolio? Sigh.

Herald Sun: Sudan government on alert [28jul04]

And the fact that Us oil companies have spent over $40 billion dollars on infrastructure has nothing to do with the push by the US to intervene. Although why have the companies walked away when Sudan has so many oil reserves.


However all oil sarcasm aside, this has been a devastating humanitarian crisis for a long time, and the UN need to get involved sooner rather than later, all opposition from Egypt and Sudan aside.

Herald Sun: No backdown on Downer comments [28jul04]

What the #@%#$%? Where does our Foreign Affairs minister get off passing comment on other governments policies? And the notion that withdrawing troops encourages terrorism.. does this possibly mean that sending troops discourages terrorism? It certainly seems to have reduced the threat of terrorism.

FFS all they have done is created yet another generation of fanatical defendants of their "terrorist" cause. How the hell can acts of war within Iraq by people opposed to the occupation be terrorism? The same acts during WW2 by French resistance etc. were freedom fighters, same thing here depending on which side of the war you are on.

Kee-rist.

PM condemns Filipino pullout of Iraq - National - www.theage.com.au

I really don't think Johnny should be offering foreign policy advice to the Phillipines.

Yes, the Phillipines are wrong to give in to terrorism. What if it was a friend of Johnny though? The families of hostages don't really give a toss about the global approach to terrorism. As PM he needs to protect Australian citizens first, then the interests of the US second... oh wait no intervention on David Hicks or on Habib thingamy... Guess he's not so keen on protecting Australian citizens.

Terror war may last a generation: Downer

Umm d'uh!!

Although how they manage to say in one release that going to war in Iraq diminished the terrorist threat and The white paper outlines the nature and international dimensions of the evolving terrorist threat to Australia. that it is evolving at the same time... uuuuh, can't think, head hurts.

Oops

Okay so I thought that the last post didn't take must be a bit of a bug issue with either firefox, or the work proxy server. D'oh guess that's what I get for blogging from work.

Bush appeal for gay union ban

Please, since when did the president get to legislate emotions and the validity of a relationship. Is he so out of step with the world that he hasn't realised family is no longer a man, woman, a dog and 2.4 kids?

Bush appeal for gay union ban


"I am deeply disappointed that the effort to pass a constitutional amendment affirming the sanctity of marriage as being between a man and a woman was temporarily blocked in the Senate," he said in a statement.

Who is he to define a relationship? And why the hell is Johnny jumping on the bandwagon, totally inappropriate to legislate emotions.

Howard knew about dirt unit: Latham

Ian Hanke has had his finger in the pie of every nasty piece of work undertaken by the Howard government, the perfect person for the job of dirt digger.

He should lose his position over this, but he won't.

Pfft JH says we need to be more polite

In an earlier speech billed as outlining his goals for the future, Mr Howard drew on the death of Test cricketer David Hookes and sex allegations against footballers to describe the problems facing the country.

So is it impolite to make allegations of sexual misconduct or is the act impolite? I would assume it is impolite to be killed by a bouncer....

Allies helped bin Laden: US officials - Global Terrorism - www.smh.com.au

*COUGH*

Umm didn't Ronnie help the Taliban to keep Russia out in the first place? And let's not forget the US financing of Iraq in their war versus IRan.

Jesus.

Now Latham is putting the big banks offside - National - www.smh.com.au

Ironically it was his party that caused all the bank problems in the first place. Thank you Mr Keating for being the Liberal policy maker we had to have.

Saudi police assisted abduction of US hostage: report - Global Terrorism - www.smh.com.au

Goodness terrorists with friends amongst the general populous??!!

Al-Qaeda 'weakened by killings' - War on Terror - www.theage.com.au

Is it just me or is the press neglecting to look at all the intelligence that suggests the success of terrorists groups is that they operate as cells? None of which require the leader to remain operational.

In this war, the terrorists have the advantage, there is no front, there is no normal tactics that armed forces train for. A traditional army can not fight terrorist cells.

O'Kane won't give evidence: PM - National - www.theage.com.au

Of course he won't let him give evidence. He might tell the truth that the defence department certainly knew something was going on at Abu Ghraib.

Teen health fears spark MP revolt - National - www.smh.com.au

The fact that John Howard feels he needs to legislate values and morals is reprehensible. The fact that he has 1950's values and morals is tragic. You can't ignore stuff and hope it goes away.

Pub ends live mouse-eating competition - National - www.theage.com.au

"Chewing a mouse and spitting it out is not entertainment, it is barbaric."

Uh not to mention the risk of disease. Has to be uncomfortable for the mouse.

Blech.

US warning to Labor on spy secrets - National - www.theage.com.au

Sorry, but this is totally outrageous. Since when does the US govt get to influence policy in Australia? Will we see another Whitlam effort after we pulled troops out of Vietnam?

But I don't think you can pick like an a la carte menu - 'I like the intelligence sharing but I don't like to talk about global policies', or 'I'd like a strategic relationship but I don't want to be involved with the economic'," Mr Armitage said on the ABC's Lateline program.

Sorry Mr. Armitage but you CAN pick and choose what you want to do. Last time I checked we weren't a US territory and we were permitted to develop our own policy. Johnny might feel all tough with his big buddies sticking up for him and telling the world how Mark Latham is a bad boy who won't play along, but I honestly don't think this is going to play out well with the Australian Electorate. Surely Johnny is smart enough to realise this?

Although the rest of the country didn't seem to share my personal outrage at the Tamap affair in the last election.

Has Bush doublecrossed an ally?

In February, the Iraqi Governing Council, which included all religious and ethnic groups, hammered out its only memorable work: a Transitional Administrative Law, which laid the groundwork for a constitution to be adopted later by elected officials in a sovereign state. Most important for Kurds, who have long been oppressed by an Arab majority, it established minority rights in a federal state - the essence of a stable democracy.

But as the UN resolution supporting that state was nearing completion, the Shiite Grand Ayatollah, Ali Husseini al-Sistani, suddenly intervened. He denounced the law as "legislated by an unelected council in the shadow of occupation". He decreed that mentioning it in the UN resolution would be "a harbinger of grave consequences".

The fact that Bush agreed to this goes to show exactly how highly they value their small allies. The fact that Bush agreed to this goes to show exactly how important democracy is to the whole Iraq process.

PM questions Garrett's credibility - Breaking News - http://www.theage.com.au: the basic right in a democracy is to vote"

But it is a right in a democracy, not compulsory. The "greatest" democracy of all has less than 50% of it's population who votes and it is normally around 30%.

Don't you have a right to NOT vote in a democracy?

John Howard: P.M.

Possibly the best political commentary on the web.

Zimbabwe to nationalise all farmland - World - www.theage.com.au

Obviously the US and the coalition of the willing will be stopping in to restore democracy any day now.

Media Watch is being closely watched - National - www.smh.com.au

A vocal critic of the stolen generations report, Dr Brunton was appointed to the board in May last year. ABC sources have told the Herald that Dr Brunton pays close attention to the station's news and current affairs broadcasts.

Great, another right wing appointment on what should be an a-political board. Guess it's jobs for the mates until time runs out.

Revisited - The Real Reasons for the Upcoming War in Iraq: A Macroeconomic and Geostrategic Analysis of the Unspoken Truth, by William Clark, updated: Jan 2004

My God, why hasn't his been fully reported in the mainstream media, and why do I have to keep stumbling on this stuff with random clicking of links.

Ridiculous.

I fully blame the demise of any real Current Affair reporting, it's all tabloid journalism about unemployed welfare welchers and pregnant drug addicts, or feuding neighbours. What happened to real investigative journalism?

Disney blocks Moore film - Film - www.smh.com.au

Ah the Freedom of Speech at work in the USofA.

Use my songs, says Bowie - Music - www.smh.com.au

Hehe, only a matter of time before the very industry it is trying to "protect" stops the record companies from controlling what it has no right to control.

Nice one.

It's time to get creative on Timor Gap - Opinion - www.smh.com.au

This is one way of looking at it, the other way of looking at it, is - umm it is EAST TIMOR's oil. For pity's sake saying "oh it's not much money and we certainly wouldn't quibble over only $US12 Billion - UMMMM HELLLOOOOOO???? We get all happy about a $1 billion trade deal, but $12 billion in oil is only petty cash? Gimme a break.

Look back in anger has negative results - Opinion - www.theage.com.au

Awesome article.

Laws accuses Jones - National - www.smh.com.au

And why the hell should we believe John Laws?

Then again I would believe that Alan Jones said these things.

So he went

So I got it wrong and Johnny went to Iraq - excuse me for being cynical in an election year, but puh-lease. I think the Flak Jacket weighed more than he did.

Companies say N word to lesbian TV show - TvRadio - www.smh.com.au

Umm - who the hell are this group and why on earth are companies responding to them. Please no no no no - the minute major corporations start listening to the Christian Right we are in big trouble.

The Australian: No need to flee Iraq: PM [April 13, 2004]


"AUSTRALIAN civilians working in Iraq had no need to leave the war-torn country despite the recent spate of hostage-taking, the Prime Minister said today."

Surely he can't want to make us safe, and ask aid workers to put themselves in danger. But if he tells them to get out (like every other country is doing) then that would then raise the questions of withdrawing troops. Is he going to pop in for a visit any time soon?

Ridiculous.

Hostage taking in Iraq jolts Asia | csmonitor.com

This is a pretty smart move by the anti-american forces. Small guerilla groups can snatch important people and hold them to ransom - and even better than can grab the ordinary people which makes for great press photo opportunities. Let's see them grab a couple of journo's and see what the headlines are in the pro-US papers.

Canberra blasted over deportation - SpecialsImmigration - www.theage.com.au

Nice to see that the spirit of Christianity lives on in the present government.

The New York Times > International > Middle East > U.S. Increases Efforts to Put Down Sunni and Shiite Fighters:
"For the first time since the fall of Saddam Hussein a year ago, the Americans found themselves fighting intensely against two main segments of the population, using warplanes, attack helicopters and armored units against the groups the United States had said it came to liberate when it invaded war in March last year.
In a further indication of widening opposition to the allies' presence, Bulgaria has asked the United States to send troops to reinforce its 450-member battalion in Karbala.
In Falluja, marines said they had waged a six-hour battle around the Abdel-Aziz al-Samarri mosque before calling in a Super Cobra helicopter, which fired a missile. An F-16 dropped a laser-guided bomb, Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne said.
Elsewhere in Falluja, American forces seized a second place of prayer, the Muadidi mosque, according to The Associated Press. A marine climbed the minaret and fired on guerrilla gunmen, witnesses told the agency. Insurgents fired back, hitting the minaret with rocket-propelled grenades and causing it to partly collapse..."

Key statement is the people they came to liberate are now fighting them. Isn't that democracy? These IRAQI'S who are not part of Saddam's army are fighting the armies who are firing back at them.... umm just leave.

Yahoo! News - The latest fashion must-have: eyeball jewellery

Righto, money well spent developing and implementing here.

Operation Iraqi Bloodbath: US prepares reprisals against uprising


It takes a while, but eventually you find news other than that presented by Murdoch. Why do I have to find stuff out on radical left sites? Why isn't the news reported as it is, instead of what they are 'allowed' to say.

Time to Cruise - People - www.theage.com.au

Okay, I shouldn't be glad this has happened, and I can't believe I even care, let alone had to click it as soon as I saw the link...

Goooo Nic.

East Timor: Australia's double betrayal

"Since the East Timorese independence referendum in 1999, the Australian government has received approximately $1 billion dollars in taxes on oil taken from the Laminaria Corallina field, which is fully situated in East Timorese territory.

During the same period, East Timor has received absolutely nothing from this oil field. One billion dollars is four times the amount of “aid” that has been “given” to East Timor through AusAID since 1999. "

Umm okay why do I have to stumble across this on a radical left website and it being the first I hear of it? WTF?

Packer and Murdoch owned papers don't care to upset the government?

Umm...

Balloon used to get rid of brain tumour - SpecialsHealthScience - www.smh.com.au


Wow!!

Why hasn't anyone thought of this before..

Unwanted - so it's hello, France - National - www.smh.com.au

Umm, are we insane? I mean totally insane? This is just ridiculous - and why the hell aren't the media making more of an issue about it? Christ it wasn't even a proper article, just one of those links on the side normally reserved for Dogs who travle 2,500 km to be with their owners.

So wrong..