AutumnDreams2006

I Have Moved

2011-03-05T18:42:00.001-08:00

Just a note to let you know I have moved. I don't know if anyone is even following this blog, but hey, we'll soon see.

http://rafafan2011.livejournal.com/

Copy and paste the above link into browser to visit my new blog. I will no longer be using this blog to post.

Derek Percy Makes New Grab For Cash

2011-01-27T20:57:00.000-08:00

But this is a cash grab I support him on. Despite the fact he's a cold blooded killer, the law is the law.
The mother of one of his victims, Jean Priest, who's daughter Linda is believed to have been abducted and killed by Percy. Priest took Percy to court in the hopes of forcing him to answer questions about her daughters disappearance, but she lost the case. Under the law, if she loses the case, she must pay court costs:

CASHED-up child killer Derek Percy is crying poor as he makes a fresh demand on a suspected victim's mother to pay another $48,000 in legal costs.

The latest insult comes as Premier Ted Baillieu and Attorney-General Robert Clark yesterday ignored calls to help pensioner Jean Priest, who must already pay $32,247 to Percy.

The Supreme Court has issued orders, by consent, that Ms Priest pay Percy's legal bill after she lost a bid to force the killer to give evidence about her daughter Linda Stilwell, 7, whose body has never been found. She was abducted from St Kilda in August 1968.

Hundreds of readers offered support for Ms Priest and pledged financial help after her plight was revealed in the Herald Sun.

"I just want to thank everyone who has wanted to help. I just feel overwhelmed at the moment by all that love and support," she said.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/child-killer-derek-percy-makes-fresh-cash-grab-on-victims-mother/story-e6frf7kx-1225995768720

I think the ruling is fair enough. She had failed in one bid before to force him to reveal details and would have been told to pay costs then, yet she decided to take him to court again knowing what the outcome would be.
Just because her daughter was killed doesn't give her the right to get out of paying those court costs - if she does, we could have anyone arguing that they shouldn't have to pay court costs because of some terrible misfortune.

Pay the money, Mrs. Priest. And stop complaining.

Did This Couple Kill Their Disabled Daughter?

2011-01-10T16:08:00.000-08:00

The girl had Rett syndrome, which would have left her severely disabled, and she apparently drowned in a pool. Her mother was a swimming instructor who didn't perform CPR on her daughter, and she and her husband had asked about euthanasia before she died:

A COUPLE was worried their disabled toddler was interfering with their "idyllic" lifestyle and investigated the possibility of euthanasing her shortly before the girl drowned in a backyard pool, a court was told yesterday.

An inquest at Glebe Coroner's Court is investigating whether the two-year-old's drowning in a pool at her Northern Beaches home was the result of a "deliberate act" or a tragic accident.

The inquest heard the girl's parents, who cannot be named, described themselves to social workers as "happy and beautiful people" living an "idyllic" lifestyle. But they were also so distressed by their daughter's disability - a neuro-developmental condition called Rett syndrome - they asked health specialists whether euthanasia was "legally possible".

As they explored the possibility of foster care arrangements, admitting the girl's condition was "dragging us down", the toddler drowned.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/tragic-toddler-better-off-dead/story-e6frf7l6-1225985313962

I couldn't imagine how stressful it would be to have a disabled child. It would have been a huge burden on them - it would be on anyone.

I don't think the girls drowning was deliberate - I do not believe she was pushed into the water, but I do think the couple saw this accident as a blessing, a way to relieve their daughters future suffering. Think of it as a mercy killing, if you will.

I do not think this couple should be punished.

Couple Abort IVF Twin Boys Because They Wanted A Girl

2011-01-08T18:27:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of talk about this over here, and I honestly can't figure it out. This couple did nothing illegal. The woman had an abortion because she wants to balance her family - they have three boys at home, and want a girl to make the family complete:

A COUPLE so desperate for a baby girl that they terminated twin boys are fighting to choose the sex of their next child.

The couple, who have three sons and still grieve for a daughter they lost soon after birth, are going to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to win the right to select sex by IVF treatment.

They say they want the opportunity to have the baby daughter they were tragically denied.

An independent panel, known as the Patient Review Panel, recently rejected the couple's bid to choose the sex of their next child using IVF.

They have gone to VCAT in a bid to have that decision overturned.

VCAT recently ruled that it has the power to review the Patient Review Panel decision. It will hear the couple's case in March.

So determined are the couple to have a girl that they recently terminated twin boys conceived through IVF.

http://www.news.com.au/national/desperate-couple-abort-twin-boys-in-desperate-bid-for-ivf-girl/story-e6frfkvr-1225983907853

It is not a crime to have an abortion in this country. There is no difference in aborting a baby boy than there is in aborting a fetus because it has Down Syndrome. I don't see the right to lifers demanding people be forced to give birth to retarded children, and lets face it, they are not affected by this story, only offended.

Back off and leave this couple alone.

Iranian Court Sentences Man To Lose Eye And Ear

2010-12-31T18:05:00.000-08:00

Sounds fair to me. I mean, if the Yanks can kill anyone they choose to, why can't Iran dish out the same punishment that the accused inflicted on his victim?

AN Iranian court has ruled that a man must lose an eye and an ear after he blinded another man and burnt his ear in an acid attack.

Judge Aziz Mohammadi gave the order against the man, who was only identified as Hamid, after convicting him of the throwing acid on the victim, named as Davoud, said the hardline Kayhan newspaper.

The judge also ordered Hamid to pay blood-money for the burn injuries suffered by Davoud, in a ruling issued under the Islamic republic's eye-for-an-eye justice code.

Copy and paste the below:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/acid-attacker-to-lose-an-eye-and-an-ear/story-e6frf7jx-1225978222431

My apologies as I have no idea how to insert a link. Someone will have to show me how to.

Anyway, back to the article. The punishment sounds fair enough to me. He injured another man and the victim lost an eye and an ear, now the court has decided he must suffer the same fate.

How is this different to the American courts sentencing a man to death because he committed murder? Oh, but I forgot - America can do what it likes and is never wrong, but they are free to attack any other country they see fit.

Gay Bar 'Peel Hotel' Loses A Unique Status

2010-12-31T17:59:00.000-08:00

They no longer have the right to ask people their sexuality before allowing them to enter. I can't understand why - it's a gay bar, why can't they be sure that only gay men will be in attendance there?

A GAY men's pub has been stripped of its unique right to ask people their sexuality before allowing them to enter.

The Peel Hotel's three-year-old exemption to anti-discrimination laws was dumped to comply with Victoria's Charter of Human Rights' privacy protection provisions.

In 2007 the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal granted the Collingwood bar the right to refuse entry to "people who do not identify as homosexual males" if staff believed their presence would adversely affect the pub's nature as a gay bar.

In a fresh ruling this month, VCAT senior member Cate McKenzie granted the Peel a new three-year exemption minus the gay ID provision.

Instead the new exemption allows Peel staff "to explain the nature of the venue to prospective patrons ... and to permit them to choose whether or not to enter".

The pub can still bar those it believes may threaten the safety or comfort of patrons or the pub's nature as a gay bar.

The Peel did not oppose the changes.

Copy and paste the below into your browser to view the article on the website:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/gay-bar-peel-hotel-loses-unique-right-to-question-sexual-orientation/story-e6frf7kx-1225979001802

I don't understand this. The hotel will want to protect its clients. They don't want some straight men going in there to gawk or to make fun of gay men.

The best thing is, I guess, is that very few straight men are going to want to step foot inside a gay bar.

Saint Kilda AFL Nude Photo Scandal

2010-12-21T19:19:00.000-08:00

I couldn't miss the chance to comment on this:

UPDATE 9.43.am: THE teenage girl at the centre of the St Kilda nude photo scandal says she is "so angry at everyone" she could "f---ing scream".

The 17-year-old posted a series of short live streamed videos online in the wake of the photos being uploaded on Facebook.

In one of the videos, she declares: "Do you know how f---ing angry I am at everyone? Oh my God, I could f--king scream" before unleashing a piercing scream.

The videos, filmed in Queensland, see the girl say she would kill someone when her mobile rings.

She also defends her story, saying she is telling the truth.

"You guys have got to help me out. Seriously, I need all the support," the teen says in the five-minute video.

"I need my friend who was in Adelaide with me who can prove (something). Lisa, where are you baby?"

"http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/carlton-sydney-players-next-targets-in-photo-scandal-says-girl/story-e6frf9jf-1225974667306

Copy and paste the above into your web browser to view the entire article.

Basically, this girl claims to have had group sex with multiple AFL players a few months ago. She also claims to have around 20 other nude photos of various players, which she says she downloaded from another players computer. She claims to have fallen pregnant to Saints star Sam Gilbert, although this has never been proven.

She claims to have lost the baby, then discovered she was having twins, and one fetus was still alive. Her Facebook page (which I am trying to track down) apparently shows images of the girl pregnant. Later she claims to have lost that baby.

It's all very convenient that there is not one shred of proof to back up her story. Not a DNA test on the fetus, no evidence to prove she was ever pregnant to Gilbert. Shame that so many people believe this girl.

She's only 17 years old, yet alleges to have partaken in group sex with the players. GROUP SEX! At the tender age of 17. I don't know about you, but that screams SLUT to me, and a few other choice words.

A video of her is currently on YouTube, she claims to be telling the truth, and that she has a 'friend' who can 'back something up' for her. Media outlets are not allowed to reveal the girls name, or her face, but the video is up for all the world to see. Her name appears to be Kimi, and if you don't mind my saying, she looks like a whore who fell into a vat of fake tan.
Copy and paste the below into your browser to view the video:

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9q-2Y84pSI"

Schools Should Celebrate Ramadan

2010-12-14T17:30:00.000-08:00

SCHOOLS that celebrate Christmas should also embrace other non-Christian religious festivals, Muslim leaders say.

Keysar Trad, president of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, called on the Victorian Education Department to include the traditions of other religious faiths as part of the formal school curriculum.

"Schools have religious programs - but generally they're elective, they're not compulsory," he said.

"To have an awareness of these festivals can be very enriching for all students, including people who go to secular schools."

From www.heraldsun.com.au

I see nothing wrong with this. It would seem the majority of people who voted on the poll do, though. Most of them seem to think that if you cannot be a Christian in a Muslim country, then you shouldn't celebrate any Islamic festivals in Australia.

They seem to forget that Australia is not a Christian country. It would be okay if we were - they'd have a valid point, but we are a multicultural country, NOT a Christian country. Just because the majority of people claim to be Christian doesn't mean we are a Christian country.

I don't believe any religion should be taught or celebrated in schools. I don't intend on sending my child to school to have Christianity rammed down his/her throat - schools should be completely free of ANY religion, then we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Don't Shoot The Messanger - Article By Julian Assange

2010-12-07T21:09:00.000-08:00

If you have been watching the TV, you'd have heard of Julian Assange. He created a website called Wikileaks, which has been releasing 'secret' information which he believes is in the publics best interest to know about. He has been arrested in Britain and was denied bail, so is now a prisoner, waiting to see if he will be extradited to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault.

He wrote a rather long piece, defending his website and the right to continue what he is doing. Here it is in full:

WIKILEAKS deserves protection, not threats and attacks.

IN 1958 a young Rupert Murdoch, then owner and editor of Adelaide's The News, wrote: "In the race between secrecy and truth, it seems inevitable that truth will always win."

His observation perhaps reflected his father Keith Murdoch's expose that Australian troops were being needlessly sacrificed by incompetent British commanders on the shores of Gallipoli. The British tried to shut him up but Keith Murdoch would not be silenced and his efforts led to the termination of the disastrous Gallipoli campaign.

Nearly a century later, WikiLeaks is also fearlessly publishing facts that need to be made public.

I grew up in a Queensland country town where people spoke their minds bluntly. They distrusted big government as something that could be corrupted if not watched carefully. The dark days of corruption in the Queensland government before the Fitzgerald inquiry are testimony to what happens when the politicians gag the media from reporting the truth.

These things have stayed with me. WikiLeaks was created around these core values. The idea, conceived in Australia, was to use internet technologies in new ways to report the truth.

WikiLeaks coined a new type of journalism: scientific journalism. We work with other media outlets to bring people the news, but also to prove it is true. Scientific journalism allows you to read a news story, then to click online to see the original document it is based on. That way you can judge for yourself: Is the story true? Did the journalist report it accurately?

Democratic societies need a strong media and WikiLeaks is part of that media. The media helps keep government honest. WikiLeaks has revealed some hard truths about the Iraq and Afghan wars, and broken stories about corporate corruption.

People have said I am anti-war: for the record, I am not. Sometimes nations need to go to war, and there are just wars. But there is nothing more wrong than a government lying to its people about those wars, then asking these same citizens to put their lives and their taxes on the line for those lies. If a war is justified, then tell the truth and the people will decide whether to support it.

If you have read any of the Afghan or Iraq war logs, any of the US embassy cables or any of the stories about the things WikiLeaks has reported, consider how important it is for all media to be able to report these things freely.

WikiLeaks is not the only publisher of the US embassy cables. Other media outlets, including Britain's The Guardian, The New York Times, El Pais in Spain and Der Spiegel in Germany have published the same redacted cables.

Yet it is WikiLeaks, as the co-ordinator of these other groups, that has copped the most vicious attacks and accusations from the US government and its acolytes. I have been accused of treason, even though I am an Australian, not a US, citizen. There have been dozens of serious calls in the US for me to be "taken out" by US special forces. Sarah Palin says I should be "hunted down like Osama bin Laden", a Republican bill sits before the US Senate seeking to have me declared a "transnational threat" and disposed of accordingly. An adviser to the Canadian Prime Minister's office has called on national television for me to be assassinated. An American blogger has called for my 20-year-old son, here in Australia, to be kidnapped and harmed for no other reason than to get at me.

And Australians should observe with no pride the disgraceful pandering to these sentiments by Julia Gillard and her government. The powers of the Australian government appear to be fully at the disposal of the US as to whether to cancel my Australian passport, or to spy on or harass WikiLeaks supporters. The Australian Attorney-General is doing everything he can to help a US investigation clearly directed at framing Australian citizens and shipping them to the US.

Prime Minister Gillard and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have not had a word of criticism for the other media organisations. That is because The Guardian, The New York Times and Der Spiegel are old and large, while WikiLeaks is as yet young and small.

We are the underdogs. The Gillard government is trying to shoot the messenger because it doesn't want the truth revealed, including information about its own diplomatic and political dealings.

Has there been any response from the Australian government to the numerous public threats of violence against me and other WikiLeaks personnel? One might have thought an Australian prime minister would be defending her citizens against such things, but there have only been wholly unsubstantiated claims of illegality. The Prime Minister and especially the Attorney-General are meant to carry out their duties with dignity and above the fray. Rest assured, these two mean to save their own skins. They will not.

Every time WikiLeaks publishes the truth about abuses committed by US agencies, Australian politicians chant a provably false chorus with the State Department: "You'll risk lives! National security! You'll endanger troops!" Then they say there is nothing of importance in what WikiLeaks publishes. It can't be both. Which is it?

It is neither. WikiLeaks has a four-year publishing history. During that time we have changed whole governments, but not a single person, as far as anyone is aware, has been harmed. But the US, with Australian government connivance, has killed thousands in the past few months alone.

US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates admitted in a letter to the US congress that no sensitive intelligence sources or methods had been compromised by the Afghan war logs disclosure. The Pentagon stated there was no evidence the WikiLeaks reports had led to anyone being harmed in Afghanistan. NATO in Kabul told CNN it couldn't find a single person who needed protecting. The Australian Department of Defence said the same. No Australian troops or sources have been hurt by anything we have published.

But our publications have been far from unimportant. The US diplomatic cables reveal some startling facts:

► The US asked its diplomats to steal personal human material and information from UN officials and human rights groups, including DNA, fingerprints, iris scans, credit card numbers, internet passwords and ID photos, in violation of international treaties. Presumably Australian UN diplomats may be targeted, too.

► King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia asked the US to attack Iran.

► Officials in Jordan and Bahrain want Iran's nuclear program stopped by any means available.

► Britain's Iraq inquiry was fixed to protect "US interests".

► Sweden is a covert member of NATO and US intelligence sharing is kept from parliament.

► The US is playing hardball to get other countries to take freed detainees from Guantanamo Bay. Barack Obama agreed to meet the Slovenian President only if Slovenia took a prisoner. Our Pacific neighbour Kiribati was offered millions of dollars to accept detainees.

In its landmark ruling in the Pentagon Papers case, the US Supreme Court said "only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government". The swirling storm around WikiLeaks today reinforces the need to defend the right of all media to reveal the truth.

The article was taken from theaustralian.com.au and all credit goes where credit is due.

Julian Assange, you are a hero in my eyes and I will support you every step of the way. Good on you.

Minority Groups Don't Like 'Racist' Tshirts

2010-12-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

Can't see what is racist about them. What is so wrong about telling immigrants that we Aussies speak English?

RACIST T-shirts on sale at the Queen Victoria Market are telling people from international backgrounds to "speak f-----' English''.

The shirts, which are on a stall close to shops selling stuffed koalas and boomerangs, have been branded ignorant by a multicultural group.

One shirt, featuring the Australian map and flag, has the phrase, "This is Australia we eat meat, we drink beer and we speak f-----' English!'

Another sports the flag with the phrase, "Support it or f--- off!"

Andrew Jakubowicz, chair of the Institute for Cultural Diversity, said: "If somebody is so unsure about their identity that they need to use that kind of (phrase), it says more about them than it does about anyone else.

From the heraldsun website.

I don't see the problem. If people are going to come to Australia, learn to speak English or get back on the bloody boat. It's that simple. Our official language is English. Get used to it.

And The Host Of The 2022 Soccer World Cup Is...

2010-12-03T20:09:00.000-08:00

A pissy little country in the middle of nowhere, that no one can find on a map:

TWO years, more than $45 million of taxpayers' money and a lot of belief.

The result: just one vote and humiliation on the world stage.

Australian soccer fans and pundits were demanding answers this morning after Australia's bid for the 2022 World Cup crashed out in the first round.

The Australian bid chief, Frank Lowy, was shattered by FIFA's decision to award the world's biggest sporting event to the tiny Arab state of Qatar and suggested that he may have been misled by FIFA members as to the strength of Australia's bid.

"I can only say that I am bitterly disappointed," he said. "I am disappointed for you that we could not deliver the 2022 World Cup, but what can you do. We did our best and I know we could not have done anything better.

From the heraldsun website.

The only reason Qatar won was because they threw millions of dollars at the corrupt FIFA officals. The money that comes their way, the better chance you have.

Qatar is a country which will be sweltering at the time of the cup - temperatures can hit up to 51C. That's enough to cause heatstroke, even death.

Homosexuality is illegal, so I guess if there are any gay soccer players, they should just stay home for risk of being beheaded or hung - depending on what the punishment for homosexuality over there is.
No alcohol is allowed because it's illegal.

Sounds like people will have a splendid time.

Not All P Platers Are Hoons

2010-12-03T20:06:00.000-08:00

This poor P plater had his licence for just two weeks when he crashed his car in wet weather:

A TEENAGER has died after a road smash just two weeks after getting his driving licence.

The 18-year-old from Cranbourne died 14 days after earning his P-plates when he lost control of his Holden Rodeo utility in wet weather east of Melbourne.

He slammed into a tree on The Boulevard, Narre Warren South, at 11.25am yesterday.

The teen was taken to the Alfred Hospital but died early today.

Police urged motorists to take care on the roads with more days of wet conditions to come.

Victoria’s road toll stands at 270, compared with 259 at the same time last year.

From the heraldsun website.

No evidence he was speeding, he simply didn't yet know how to properly handle a car in such poor conditions. Most P platers don't - we are not taught to drive in wet weather, we are not taught how to stop a car if it starts to skid. Is it any wonder this young man died because no one bothered to teach him how to handle his vehicle?

2010 ARIA Awards

2010-11-08T21:57:00.000-08:00

If anyone had the misfortune of watching the ARIA awards on Sunday night, you probably regret it.
To those who missed it, you should have watched it. You would have laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.
It was such a failure that it was the 17th most watched show on Sunday night, with just over 600,000 viewers. A flop. A complete, total, major facepalm. Make that a double facepalm.

If you've watched it previous years, you would know that it's usually held inside, with the artists sitting around tables, drinking bubbly. The nominations are read out, a clip of the artist/band video is shown, then the camera pans to the artists seated. The winner is called and the artist/band makes their way to the stage, gives a speech and walks off backstage.

Not so on Sunday night. They seem to have been filmed outside the Opera House - which was merely a backdrop. A crowd of people - lots of teenagers - gathered around, and the presenters were apparently amongst the crowd, so it was difficult to find them when they'd won an award.

Rebel Wilson kicked off the show - or I shouldn't say 'kicked off' but rather did her best to slaughter it.
Our 'hosts' Dylan Lewis and ??? who else? I've forgotten her name, but that's okay, I'm not the only one.

Many of the nominations were for artists/bands the majority of us wouldn't have heard of before - not unless your a Triple J junkie, which I am not. I like Australian music, sure, but I like other music, too. ARIA seems to rely heavily on Triple J for their nominations - I would wager a bet that a lot of the artists are not mainstream, only played on one radio station at best.

We saw Powderfinger open the show - nice if you like them. Not a big fan but at least they can sing.
We saw Megan Washington perform - or just plain Washington, as she likes to be known as, though heaven knows why. I thought her performance was nothing to write home about. Sure, her song 'Sunday Best' might be darned catchy, but her live performance was dull and lifeless - at least in my opinion.

Angus and Julia Stone (awesome name for a band, huh?) won album and single of the year for a song most people haven't heard of and an album most of us haven't bothered to buy.
I also hear that when they accepted their award, they were facing the wrong way, and somehow managed to thank their cat and dog for the award. Were they drinking? They dress like hippies, although if they are hippies, they certainly dressed the part.

Jessica whateverhernameis - the chick who came runner up on Idol one year - couldn't even pronounce the word 'debut' properly, saying it as 'de-butt' Nice. Must have been reading off the autocue.
Bob Katter presented an award - although when I say presented I really mean he announced the 'Ariaria award goes to...' can't figure out if that was deliberate or not. If it was meant to make us laugh, it failed.

Even the artists themselves were Tweeting during and after the show that the ARIA's were proving to be a failure. People who bought tickets didn't get their monies worth, and as for Vanessa Amorosi fans, well, we were outraged - and have taken to the offical ARIA Facebook page to vent our frustration. When one of the brightest, most talented musicians Australia has to offer is repeatedly ignored, there is a problem. 11 years and Vanessa is still struggling for some recognition of the hard work she does.

Next year, give the ARIA's to someone who can actually make a night of nights, and not a shambles everyone wants to forget.

George Bush Okayed Waterboarding Of Suspected Terrorists

2010-11-08T21:52:00.000-08:00

I think he should be waterboarded himself. Or hung, drawn and quartered:

FORMER US president George W. Bush said that information extracted from terrorist suspects through "waterboarding" saved lives, by preventing attacks on Britain and America.

Speaking to The (London) Times in an interview published today , Bush offered a vigorous defense of the coercive interrogation technique, saying: "Three people were waterboarded and I believe that decision saved lives."

He denied that waterboarding, in which water is poured over a suspect's face to simulate drowning, amounted to torture.

Asked if he authorized the use of waterboarding to get information from the captured al Qaeda leader Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Bush was unequivocal, "Damn right!"

From the HeraldSun website.

I wonder if he can prove that torturing a terror suspect actually saved lives? Not one person who supports waterboarding can prove it saved ONE life.
George Bush should be waterboarded himself. Those who insist it isn't torture would change their minds if they endured it themselves.

One day soon, Bush will be up on war crimes, and that day can't come soon enough. Hopefully he'll be executed for his crimes against humanity. Being taken out the back and shot would be too good for him, though.

Push To Legalise Same Sex Marriage

2010-11-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

The Greens have it right, but the religious right will, of course, object. I doubt the Premier will allow a vote on it - Julia Gillard won't even allow a vote - likely because they know that the majority of MP's would support it.

THE Australian Greens are stepping up their campaign to legislate for same-sex marriage, with moves in Victoria and Tasmania set to put pressure on the federal Labor Government to act.

The Greens will introduce a bill in Tasmanian parliament today, while a candidate in Victoria's upcoming state election promised to act on the issue if elected.

Barrister Brian Walters is the Greens candidate for the marginal seat of Melbourne, held by Labor Education Minister Bronwyn Pike.

The Australian Greens introduced a bill to amend the Marriage Act to recognise same-sex couples on day one of the new parliament.

Federal Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the Marriage Act needed to be reviewed to allow same-sex couples the right to marry the person they loved.

From the HeraldSun website.

What we need to do is have the Greens running the country, push SSM whether the idiots like it or not and force them to get over it.

Tyler Cassidy

2010-10-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

I thought I would blog about this young lad. He's practically a household name in Australia, although not for a good reason. He's the teenager who was shot dead by police after arming himself with knives and threatening to kill himself.

Tyler is said to have had mental issues, he was still grieving over the death of his father, and was seeing a therapist.

On the night of his death, on the 11th December, 2008, it is said he had an argument with a friend, went home, then later left. He is then said to have visited a Kmart where he armed himself with two knives.
He is said to have called 000, telling the operator that 'someone was going to die' and to come and kill him.

His father had died on the 1 December 2004, when Tyler was just 11 years old. At the time of his death, he was still grieving the forth anniversary of his fathers passing.

When Tyler left home that night, his mother phoned the police and told them to keep an eye on him. She was worried for her son, and thought the police would be able to ensure that Tyler was okay.

Less than 40 minutes after leaving home, Tyler was dead - shot six times by three police officers.
They claim to have sprayed him with capsicum spray, but say that didn't stop Tyler, that he kept advancing. They then shot him twice in the legs, which again, they claim, didn't stop him from advancing. Four more shots were fired, into his chest, before Tyler finally fell to the ground.

One must wonder, isn't it logical to assume that Tyler would have been advancing despite being sprayed with capsicum spray? I mean, this is potent stuff, he would likely have been partially blinded, and likely stumbling around in a daze. An officer fired twice into his legs, before four more shots were fired. What was the time between those shots? How long before shooting him in the thighs was he shot in the chest? How can a boy, half blinded by capsicum spray, possibly be considered a threat to four experienced, armed police officers?

Tyler's mother Shari wasn't told of her sons death until two hours after Tyler was dead. This is unforgivable. What happened in those two hours?

A hearing is being conducted on the case, to decide whether the officers involved did the right thing. Not one of them has been fired from their job.

Tyler was a disturbed young boy. He was messed up, all he needed was help. Instead, he got six bullets.

Protester Throws Shoes At Former Prime Minister

2010-10-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

All I can say is that I am sorry the guy missed. Maybe if he practices a little more he'll hit his target next time:

UPDATE 1.50pm: PRIME Minster Julia Gillard today told reporters there was "no excuse'' for throwing shoes at John Howard.

While appearing on live television last night, protester Peter Gray threw his shoes at the former prime minister.

The action was a reference to an incident when an Iraqi man threw his shoes at then United States president George W Bush.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

The protester justifies his actions, he claims to be angered over the war in Iraq - which an increasing number of Australians are opposed to:

"That is for the Iraqi dead," he shouted as he threw the shoes.

A female audience member then shouted: "You've got blood on your hands", before walking out of the studio.

So it seems he did cause a bit of a ruckus among the audience.
Howard was also asked about why he left David Hicks in Gitmo for five and a half years. He avoided the question, simply saying that David Hicks was 'not a hero' and that he had 'knowingly' associated with the Taliban after September 11.
Umm, Mr. Howard, that doesn't answer the question, does it? Why was Hicks left for five and a half years? Why did your government allow the Americans to hold him without charge, and to torture him?

If he refuses to answer a simple question, I can see a lot more people throwing their footwear at him.

Woman Guilty Of Murder Of Pregnant Woman

2010-10-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

This is one of those cases that make your skin crawl. Women who attack pregnant women, and slice their fetus from the womb. I can understand why some women would be desperate for a child of their own, but to murder another person and rob them of their own child? Words cannot describe:

A US woman accused of killing a pregnant woman and cutting the baby from her womb has been convicted of murder.

The Tri-City Herald reports that Phiengchai Sisouvanh Synhavong was found guilty today of aggravated first-degree murder.

The 25-year-old Kennewick woman had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. She faces life in prison without parole when she is sentenced November 3.

She was charged in the June 27, 2008, death of Araceli Camacho Gomez, whose body was found in a city park. The baby survived and is now living with his father.

www.heraldsun.com.au

I am grateful the infant survived, and hopefully, this vicious woman will spend the rest of her days behind bars.

Finally, Someone Tells It Like It Is

2010-10-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

It's about time someone stood up and said what a lot of people have thought for nine long years - that the September 11 attacks were a conspiracy. Kevin Bracken, the president of the Victorian Trades Hall and secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, says that he believes the US government was behind the 9/11 attacks in 2001:

JULIA Gillard has dismissed as "stupid and wrong" a senior union official's belief that the 9/11 attacks were a conspiracy but has refused to discipline him.

Kevin Bracken, the president of the Victorian Trades Hall and secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, sparked anger this morning after claiming the attacks were not the result of terrorist activity.

"I believe the official story is a conspiracy theory that doesn't stand up to scientific scrutiny," Mr Bracken told ABC talk-back host Jon Faine.

"In my mind the buildings were imploded."

From www.heraldsun.com.au

I tend to agree with him. While I believe the attacks were possibly undertaken by Islamic extremists, I have always believed that the US government knew of the attacks, but did nothing to prevent it.

Finally, it is about time someone stood up and said what a lot of us have been thinking for years - that the US government knows a lot more than it claims.

Mary MacKillop - Australia's First Saint?

2010-10-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

Not if I have anything to do with it:

AUSTRALIA's first Catholic saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, has been lauded at home and abroad, with the suggestion that she should be considered a patron for the abused.

In just one minute and with 100 words of Latin, Pope Benedict last night gave the world its first Australian saint - Saint Mary of the Cross.

From the heraldsun website.

First of all, here's the problem: She isn't 'Australia's' first saint at all - she's Australia's first CATHOLIC saint. There is a difference, let us not forget.
Second, not all Australians are Catholic, so how can Mary possibly be labeled as Australia's saint? She is a saint to Catholics, no one else. She is not my saint - I am not a believer in religious mumbo jumbo.

Next, can we all note that the image given of MacKillop is NOT how she actually looked? She wasn't a very attractive woman at all - no offense - but the media appear to have photoshopped her to make her appear more glamorous.

This is not, I believe, how she actually looked. I am convinced the media have invaded google and photoshopped all official images of Mary - of which there are few.

It is interesting to see that the male dominated Catholic church has recognised this woman for her good works - when the church allegedly excommunicated her more than 100 years ago for exposing a pedophile priest. Think about that. If it's true - then this means the church cares more about protecting it's image than anything else. The same can be said today - how many cases of sex abuse within the church go unreported because the church pays off, and even threatens it's victims?

The biggest problem I have, however, is the reason why Mary was made a saint in the first place. Instead of crediting her when she was alive for the good deeds she did, the church sat around and waited for this dead woman to perform what it calls three 'miracles'. Basically, they wanted this deceased woman to save lives beyond the grave, and three naive believers came forward, insisting that Mary had, indeed, 'cured' them. Never mind that being 'cured' like this flies against all medical and scientific fact - we know that the Catholic Church will ignore science in favour of fairytales, so this shouldn't come as a surprise.

The insult is that three people could claim that a long dead woman could have cured them from their illnesses, ignoring the time the doctors and nurses spent, working around the clock, administering medications to make them better.

I am not saying prayer has no effect at all - I AM saying it doesn't cure your cancer, or your brain tumour. It may lend you a little more physical and emotional strength, but it certainly will not shrink that tumour in your head, or cure you of your epilepsy. Lets also not forget, that in the times of Jesus, it was believed that epilepsy (they didn't have a name for it then) was believed to be the work of Satan - victims were said to be possessed, and were shunned by their families. Now, the Catholic Church has decided that such an illness is a medical one, rather than a possession by the devil.

Let me ask all Catholics one important question - if prayer works so well, why do so many Catholics turn up at hospitals and doctors surgeries for medical treatment? Could it be that even they are smart enough to understand that praying isn't going to make them recover?

So let me make one thing very clear - I am NOT against making Mary MacKillop a saint - she was an inspirational woman, and she is certainly someone that all Australians can admire. But the church could have made her a saint many years ago, instead of waiting around for some alleged 'miracles'.
It's the REASON for her sainthood that I have an issue with, not the fact she was made a saint at all.

I am also opposed to this news being rammed down my throat every waking moment. For weeks, the news and papers have been full of it. It made front page news today and was lead news story last night, and will be tonight again. Enough is enough.

Yet Another Mass Shooting In America

2010-10-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is getting so typical:

A SHOOTING rampage in the US state of Florida has left two people dead and five wounded.

The suspect has shot himself after the attack around Gainesville, police spokesperson Tscharna Senn told The Gainesville Sun.

Five victims were shot within city limits, while the other two were shot in Alachua County, Senn said.

There was no immediate motive for the shootings.

"We have no idea right now, absolutely none," Senn said. "It appears to be random."

Police Captain Ed Book said the suspect was pulled over and shot himself. His condition was not immediately available.

"We believe we're with the suspect and the vehicle, and there is no one out there running around," Book said.

The wounded were being taken to Shands Hospital, where family members were gathering.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

When will Americans get their heads together? Or grow a brain and realise that if you ban guns, you lower the rate of mass shootings?
Name the last mass shooting in Australia - then tell me how many mass shootings there have been in the US in the past year.

Then tell me the US doesn't have a serious problem when it comes to brain dead Yanks carrying weapons.

Man Dies After Being Tasered

2010-10-04T23:53:00.000-07:00

It is about time cops stopped using tasers willy nilly. People are dying:

A MAN has died after being tasered by police, while shocking footage has surfaced showing another man being tasered 13 times.

A man was tasered 13 times in a Perth watchhouse as nine police officers stood by, WA's watchdog says.
Police believe officers did not act inappropriately towards a man who died after they tasered him during a domestic dispute in Sydney's west.
It comes as shocking footage has been released of a man being tasered 13 times in a Perth watchhouse as nine police officers watched.

From the heraldsun website.

Cops are misusing these weapons. They were given them to trial, seeing if they helped them out in violent situations, but they seem to use their tasers at the earliest opportunity.

I do not begrudge them for using it against the man, as he was acting quite violently - but they need to consider if someone has a heart problem, as this could kill someone - it did this man. Perhaps he had a heart condition that was made worse by the use of the taser gun?
While the cops were busy handcuffing an unconscious man, this man was dying.

Not good enough.

Dead Fetuses Dumped In Catholic Churches

2010-09-17T02:52:00.001-07:00

Perhaps if they allowed women to have abortions this wouldn't have happened? Also, there is nothing at all to suggest that they WERE abortions - they could well have been late term miscarriages:

ROMAN Catholic officials in the Philippines voiced their disgust today after dead foetuses were dumped at two of Manila's main churches, including the city's cathedral.

Churchgoers found the first foetus wrapped in a plastic bag in Manila cathedral on Tuesday, while another was found an hour later at the doorstep of the nearby Quiapo church.

A third was found in the northern Manila district of Catmon on Wednesday, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said.

From news.com.au

They may very well be 'disgusted' but I imagine there are a good many abortions happening behind closed doors - just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Why I Hate America

2010-09-16T03:14:00.000-07:00

The following will be my opinion only, based on a number of things: 1. My observations after being a member of a number of American owned and run political forums over the past five or so years, 2: The news that comes out of America, and 3: My own opinions on what America has done wrong.
If the following offends you, well, tough luck.

Lets get started...

I used to love America. I used to think it was the coolest country that ever existed. Of course, I was very young at the time, maybe in my early teens. I wanted to live in America, even BE an American, I loved it so much.
I wanted to walk down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and take a photo of every single star...I wanted to go to Times Square just to see if it really was a square with a clock in the middle...I wanted to see the giant Xmas tree...I wanted to climb the Empire State Building and stand in the exact spot that Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks stood in Sleepless In Seattle.
I was in awe of this amazing country. I was naive.

Now, after hearing the news that comes out of America, and the things that Americans say and do, I wonder what I ever saw in such a pathetic little country.

My dislike for America sometimes grows into such hatred and loathing that it is almost impossible for me not to say what I really feel - that I wouldn't care if America was wiped off the face of the earth. Seriously - I mean, would we be any worse off if we didn't have America? America, who always has to save the day, and rescue us dumb folk because we are too stupid to stand up for ourselves? Sometimes I wonder.

I have been virtually crucified for saying that if Iraq dropped a bomb on America, it would be deserved. It seems that Americans have no issue with invading a country, but would protest if that country dared defend itself. Let us not beat around the bush here, America invaded Iraq. For no reason whatsoever - I doubt they even KNOW the reason why they invaded. Weapons of Mass Destruction? Nope. I guess Saddam was just a bad guy, so bad that America had to go in and have a chat with good ole Saddam, to teach him how his countrymen should be treated.

I watched those bombs fall on Baghdad. And while I watched, I wondered - how many innocent people just died? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? It doesn't matter - hundreds of thousands of innocent people have lost their lives since the Americans decided to 'save the world' and to them, those innocent lives are nothing more than 'collateral damage' In other words, those lives don't matter. They are insignificant compared to the lives of Americans.
So I believe that, if the people of Iraq decided that enough was enough, and to enact revenge on their aggressors, the country who (I believe, illegally) invaded them, by dropping a bomb on the US, they would be justified in doing so.

But as I said, America doesn't think so. It breaks American rules, and rule number one is: America can blast the shit of you, but don't you dare touch America.

I wonder if, Iraq DID drop a bomb, would Americans refer to the Iraqis as terrorists? Because from my observations, if anyone attacks America, they are immediately labeled a terrorist, but it seems that America can invade any country it likes, and they are 'helping' or 'restoring democracy'.

Here is American rule number two: Freedom of religion is very important - except if you're Muslim.
That's right. Americans will defend the rights of insane Christians to protest at abortion clinics and abuse women entering the clinics, but they can't stand the thought of a mosque being built at what they refer to as 'Ground Zero'. In reality, this mosque is actually going to be built a few blocks away from the actual Ground Zero, but that doesn't stop Americans falsely claiming that the mosque is to be built smack bang on the very spot the Twin Towers once stood. Gotta love exaggeration.
They are also under the ridiculous impression that terrorists will flock to the mosque and plot their revenge against America. Like, sure they will, guys.

This is rule number three: America can criticise any country it likes, but you cannot criticise America, or else you risk being labeled an 'America hater'. Well, I hate America, so sue me.
How does this rule work? Well, it's very simple, really. Non Americans cannot say anything even remotely negative about the US, or the Americans will come down on you like a ton of bricks. I have attacked the war in Iraq, the dropping of not one, but TWO nuclear bombs (and I will discuss that shortly), the fact that the death penalty does nothing to reduce crime (despite their feeble claims to the contrary) and the fact that they seem hypocritical when it comes to freedom to speech. Mention any of those things and you will be labeled an 'America hater'.

I guess I should get all warm and fuzzy when I think of America. After all, they are just so bloody awesome! Plus, they have Sarah Palin, and anyone who can see Russia from their backyard must be pretty damned cool. Oh wait, that was sarcasm. My bad.

Now, about the bomb. 65 years ago, America dropped two nuclear bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Their justification for this is that dropping the bombs ended the war. When questioned as to why they didn't just invade Japan and fight, they told me that if they invaded, more American lives would have been lost. Wait a sec - more AMERICAN lives would have been lost? Really? How many? I have heard claims that up to a million Americans would have died had America invaded - but they cannot provide proof to back up such an outlandish claim. And what of the Japanese lives that would surely have been lost if the US had invaded? Oh, I'm sorry - collateral damage. Insignificant. Useless. Nothing. Subhuman. That's what America must think of those innocent people. Even now they refuse to get rid of their nuclear weapons.
Why won't they get rid of their nuclear weapons? Because other countries have them, of course! America can't not have nukes, it would mean that other countries have something they don't, and America couldn't deal with this. I mean, how unfair would it be that one country has something that the richest and most powerful country in the world does not?
Let us not forget that America is the only country to have dropped the bomb - Iran hasn't used nukes, nor has Iraq - although whether they have them or not is another thing. Australia doesn't have nuclear weapons, we don't need them, although I wonder what would happen if we decided that we should have them? Would America take issue with this?

Lets take a look at the huge number of mass shootings in America. They have literally dozens of shootings each year. Dozens and dozens of people have lost their lives because of some nutcase with a gun. Not a week goes by without hearing about yet another shooting in America. If it isn't students shooting up their school, it's a disgruntled employee shooting up his workplace.
Yet Americans insist that they have the 'right' to bear arms. Perhaps this is true - after all, it is the Second Amendment. Yet the mere suggestion of taking their guns away has Americans jumping up and down like petulant children. I have often said to them that they cling to their guns like a baby clings to it's blanket, or that they are acting like toddlers having a tantrum in the supermarket. They don't see it, though. Many (if not most) of the Americans I have spoken to say they own a gun simply because they can. That's right - the law says you can own a gun, therefore, they MUST purchase a gun! I guess if someone else has one, you have to have one, too - right? I mean, it would be unfair otherwise.

Rule number four: America is the greatest country in the entire god-damned universe, and lets not forget that. Because Americans love to brag, and insist that their country is perfect and that it's shit don't stink. Every other country pales in significance to America - although I am not even entirely convinced that America realises that there are actually other countries out there besides theirs. Many Americans who insist that their country is the 'best country in the world' haven't even traveled outside the US so I can't understand why their opinion even counts as relevant. I haven't traveled to the United States, but I already recognise it as the cesspool that it is.

Rule number five: The death penalty is a great invention and should be used more often - despite the fact it has executed innocent people.
Rule number six: It doesn't matter if innocent people have been executed, they are simply 'collateral damage'.

So brings us to the issue of the death penalty, something I am very much opposed to. Firstly, I should explain why I, the blogger, am opposed to it, and it's quite simple: It doesn't work, and it has killed innocent people.

Why doesn't the death penalty work? For a start, it doesn't deter murderers from murdering, which I thought was the intention all along. In fact, the murder rate in states which have the death penalty are actually higher than those states without the death penalty! So I guess knowing you face the death penalty makes you more likely to kill.
I have also heard Americans argue that if killed, the killer can never kill again - but if they were sentenced to life, how could they kill again, anyway? They then mention the fact that people have been killed while in prison, listing other inmates, prison guards as the so called victims. The obvious argument is that these people wouldn't have died had the killer been put to death. Well, it's obvious to them, but not all Americans have that much of a brain, so it might be a little hard to understand why that is such a ridiculous assumption.
Firstly, why would they care about other prisoners being killed while in prison? Why would they care if a murderer killed another murderer when they would have wanted the murderer put to death anyway? Why do they care? Only when it suits their purpose. Only when they can argue in favour of the death penalty.
What about the people who have died? The innocent ones, I mean. Even today, innocent people are still being set free from death row, after serving time for a crime they didn't commit. Willie Earl Green was released from a Californian prison in 2008 after serving a whopping 25 years for a crime he didn't commit. That's right, 25 years. If Willie had been handed the death penalty, there is every chance he would not have walked out of prison a free man. What do the supporters of the death penalty think about this? 'Such things don't happen these days'. But they DO and they HAVE, and even if it hasn't in recent memory, can you trust that it won't happen again?
If even one innocent person is put to death, that is reason enough to abolish the death penalty, if you ask me. But to the average American, the lust for blood is just too great. They enjoy killing. If they can hunt it, they will. If they can kill it, they will.

Rule number seven: America is not racist, even though it is blindingly obvious that it is. America - or to be fair, the average American - seem to hate Muslims. Now, I don't care if Muslim isn't a race - I view anyone who dislikes Muslims to be racist, and that's a lot of people.
To a lot of Americans, Muslims are terrorists - all of them. They are hell bent on destroying America - apparently, they are 'jealous' of the 'freedoms' the US has. I must be jealous of America, too. HA! You wish.
The number of Americans who protested over the planned building of the Islamic mosque made me sick - one woman, who was interviewed by a TV news crew, had the cheek to say 'This is America, we don't want Muslims in our country, they should go back to where they came from!'. I wondered if this was the attitude of the everyday America. I certainly hoped not. But then I started to think about the obvious hypocrisy about all this. Americans like to wonder where the 'moderate' Muslims are, to stand up against the oppression of women in Muslim countries dominated by Sharia Law. They claim that if so many Muslims oppose Sharia Law, they should be standing up against it - well, where are the people standing up for Muslims, saying that they are welcome, and that the average American does not think that Muslims should 'go back to where they came from'? They are deathly silent on the issue, and that makes me wonder if they are just as racist as this woman who was lucky enough to get her fifteen seconds of fame was.

Rule number eight: 9/11 was the worst terrorist attack in the world, and lets never forget that. This is based on the insistence that Americans have, the insistence of ramming down our throats that 9/11 was oh so bad, and we shouldn't forget it. Obviously, we won't. But the more I have to hear Americans going on and on about it, I wonder if they aren't secretly glad they were attacked because they seem to like using it as a sympathy ploy.

Don't get me wrong, I am sorry that they had to suffer through such horror. It would have been terrifying to see that happen, wondering what was next. They were brave people to survive that, and I really mean that. But I don't need to hear about it every minute of the day. I don't need to be reminded how bad 9/11 was - because I already know how bad it was. The Bali bombings were bad for me - although they pale in significance to 9/11, but I don't go around telling everyone about how scary it was to know that my own countrymen had been targeted by terrorists, and about whether I thought my country would be next. I don't feel the need to ram it down anyone's throat - in fact, most Americans would be hard pressed to tell me exactly what happened on October 12, 2002. I have known at least one America to be so insulting as to tell me they had no idea what happened that day, and that they had to google it to find out!

Rule number nine: Only the rich are entitled to healthcare.
This is because the insurance companies are set up to cater to the rich. The richer the companies get, the more your premiums will rise (as I assume would be the case) and the poor, middle class folk are left on the sidelines.
Lets explain a little how the system works here compared to America. In Australia, we have what is commonly called Universal Health Care, or UHC. This means that our public hospitals are free - paid for by our taxes. So when we get an ache or a pain and need a doctor in a hurry, we can go to hospital, be seen by a doctor, and leave without paying a cent.
Of course, there are some downsides to this - the public system is in a bit of strife at the moment - if you listen to the whingers out there (I, personally, see nothing wrong with the system as it is now) and there is a waiting list for elective surgery. There can also be lengthy wait times to be seen - but everyone knows that if you opt for the public system, you can expect to be kept waiting.

The American system is a little different. They expect you to pay for your own health insurance. I guess that's because it's always your fault when you get sick.
Sorry, that was sarcasm, too.
I have heard from some Americans that they pay close to, or over, $1000 each month. What kind of job must you have in order to pay thousands of dollars every single year for a system you are not even likely to use?
Americans claim that if you don't have the money to pay the hospital bill, the state will foot the bill - but that doesn't explain why so many families are left struggling to pay huge medical bills. There have been reports that people won't seek medical treatment because they are unable to afford treatment. Some Americans, mainly, conservatives, like to think that everyone should work as much as possible in order to pay your bills. In their minds, if you can't pay your bills, you obviously didn't do well enough in school and should get a better job. It has been suggested to me that I should work up to 100 hours a week if I can't pay my bills! I wonder if these people are actually serious. Surely no one could be so ignorant and stupid?
America like to think they have the best healthcare in the world, yet this has been proved wrong on so many occasions. People have actually died in the US because they can't afford treatment. While the rich get richer, the poor get poorer - until they die.

Obviously, it must be noted that my comments are directed at a minority of Americans only. I honestly can't believe that every person in America is so heartless, so cruel, and so dumb. I am sure America is a fair country, but a few idiots spoil my impressions. I realise I shouldn't let that get to me, but sometimes, you start to wonder - are the people I am speaking with actually representative of the whole of the US?

Perhaps America isn't such a bad country at all, and I am simply overreacting here. But if I am overreacting, it is up to America to prove it. So far, they haven't been too successful.

Julia Gillard Wins Election

2010-09-08T02:11:00.000-07:00

Well, she didn't actually win the election, but at least we have someone running the country! Gillard gained the support of three Independent MP's giving her a total of 76 seats to the Coalitions 74. This means she has what is know as a minority government.
Whether her government will remain stable is another question entirely. Personally, I don't think it will.
I predict that Australians will be back at the polls in the next twelve months, although it would be great if we could avoid that.

I understand that Liberal voters are unhappy with the way things turned out, but what they need to know is that we don't go by a 'person with the most votes wins' - we go by seats, or electorates. An electorate is a seat, and the person with a clear majority will win.
Neither party won a majority, which is why the Independents had to make the tough decisions as to which party they would side with.

To those Liberal voters who are angry, I say to you - give this government a chance. Allow Gillard a chance to prove herself, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Stephanie Rice Brought To Tears Over 'Anti Gay' Slur

2010-09-08T02:02:00.000-07:00

A TEARFUL Stephanie Rice has made an emotional public apology over her homophobic slur on Twitter, saying she has learned a huge lesson.

The swim star twice broke down in tears at a press conference she called in Sydney today as she pleaded for forgiveness over what she labelled "thoughtless and careless" comments.

Triple Olympic gold medallist Rice tweeted "Suck on that faggots!" following the Wallabies' dramatic Tri-Nations weekend win over the Springboks early on Sunday AEST.

She deleted the post and apologised via the social networking site but today opted to offer a public apology as well.

From the HeraldSun website.

This is all blown out of proportion. Of course the poor girl meant nothing by her comments - I didn't even find them offensive, and I'm a gay woman. Now, if I were a gay man, would I find the comment offensive? Maybe, but probably not. I am not as PC as people appear to be these days.
Rice should never have had to apologise, people need to back off and leave the poor girl alone.

Australian Elections - Who Will Govern?

2010-08-22T03:10:00.000-07:00

That is the big question on everyone's lips - who the heck will win power?
After yesterdays election, we find ourselves with a hung parliament - something that hasn't been seen since WW2.
As it stands right now, the Liberals have 72 seats, the Labor party have 71. To form a government, one of the parties needs 76 seats - or 50% of the vote. Neither party seems to have a lot of support from voters.

The Greens will take balance of power come July 2011, which, if Abbott is elected PM, will make it almost impossible for him to pass any legislation, which I guess is something to be happy about if you are a Labor supporter.

Both major parties are vying for support from the Independents and the Greens, the Greens saying they will side with the ALP and the Independents, well, they haven't made up their minds yet.

Problem is, if the Greens and Labor side together, there will be problems. The Greens are a lot more left than the Labor party, and Labor will end up bowing to pressure from them, making them a far left party, which will ruin their chances come the next election, as the people of Australia are still, for some reason, very much conservatives.

If the Liberals make it through and side with the Independents, the next election may as well be handed to them on a silver platter.

It is possible we may be requested to head back to the polling booths - no one but me seems to be excited about that! - but will people change their vote?
If everyone votes the same way, we again end up in the same situation. Never ending.
It is likely that people will change their votes - I am betting those Labor voters who wanted to send a message to Labor by voting Green will be the ones to change their votes. Thus, the Greens will lose votes, Labor will gain, and it may be just enough for them to scrape over the line.

That is of course, assuming that the voters decide to vote for Labor - they could very well change their vote to Liberal.

Police Smash Pensioners Car Window

2010-08-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

Well, that's the title of the headline I am reading, so why not use it? But there is always more to a story than meets the eye:

TWO police officers have been suspended after they stopped a 70-year-old motorist for not wearing a seat belt, smashed in his windscreen and dragged him out of his car.

Robert Whatley's terrifying arrest was caught on video and the footage shows one officer jumping on the car bonnet and kicking the windscreen and the other hitting the glass with his baton 15 times until it smashed.

Mr Whatley, who had recently suffered a stroke, told The Daily Mail: "The police went completely over the top – you would have thought I had robbed a bank.

"I was terrified when they started smashing in the window and trying to kick in the windscreen."

Mr Whatley, from Usk, in Wales, was originally stopped for not wearing a seat belt.

Caerphilly Magistrates Court was told that while traffic police were issuing him with a fine, his Range Rover jumped forward and knocked one of the officers over.

From www.news.com.au

Sounds horrible doesn't it? But you don't know the full story.

While the officers were issuing the ticket, he put his car into drive and took off, hitting one of the officers. They of course jumped into their car and chased after him. This silly old man assumed he was getting a police escort home - lights and sirens, mind. He finally stopped and the officers then arrested him.

He claimed he drove of because he had recently suffered a stroke, and was afraid he'd suffer another one.
Right - you get pulled over to be issued a simple fine, and goodness me, I might have another stroke? Pull the other one, old man.

He got what he deserved.

Two Year Old Bakes To Death After Being Forgotten

2010-08-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

Poor little bub was in a daycare bus, and the driver didn't remember she was onboard, locked it up, while this cute little two year old baked. The temperature inside the bus reached around 60C.

A TWO-YEAR-OLD girl baked to death in a minibus after the driver forgot she was there and accidentally locked her inside.

Haley Brockington was trapped for at least six hours as temperatures reached 33C outside the bus and 60C inside, The Palm Beach Post reported.

Haley had been picked up from her home in Delray Beach, Florida, on Thursday morning and taken to Katie's Kids Learning Centre but was never taken off the bus.

She was found slumped inside when the driver unlocked the bus at 4pm to start taking children home again.

"It was a God's honest mistake," said a worker at the learning centre.

"We are about to go to pieces because that's a child, that's an infant."

From www.news.com.au

How could anyone possibly forget they had a two year old child on board? What about a roll call? Taking note of the children on the bus, then making sure they are all accounted for when the bus had reached it's destination? This is nothing short of neglect. It's disgraceful. I feel for the parents of this lovely little child.

The driver of the bus should be fired, and the daycare centre needs to change a few things to ensure that this never happens again.

Texas Executes Murderer

2010-07-20T23:12:00.000-07:00

No matter what he did, no one deserves to die:

TEXAS has executed a man convicted of killing two Houston opera singers nearly 22 years ago.

Derrick Jackson, 42, was convicted of the murder of two roommates, Forrest Henderson and Richard Wrotenbery, both 31, whose apartment he entered in September 1988.

They were members of the Houston Grand Opera chorus.

Jackson contended he was unfairly convicted.

He beat and stabbed both men to death before stealing a car that belonged to one of them.

After a high-speed chase by Houston police, Jackson managed to evade capture.

The slayings went unsolved until 1995, when a bloody fingerprint from the scene was matched to Jackson while he was serving 12 years jail for a separate robbery.

Jackson gave no final statement at his lethal injection execution, which was attended by his father and two brothers, as well as the father and cousin of one of his victims.

He was the 15th person to be executed in Texas this year, the 32nd in the US in 2010.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

Life in prison would surely have been a better punishment. Killing him will not bring back the victim, and is nothing more than an act of revenge.

Special Needs Pupils Should Be Separated From 'Normal' Children

2010-07-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

Well, obviously. Are we really suggesting that a bunch of children with Down's or Cerebral Palsy be put into the same classes as regular children?

SHE made her name in PR - but Prue MacSween started a row by suggesting high needs pupils should be separated from mainstream classmates.

Families with disabled or special needs children, furious about her remarks on Seven's Weekend Sunrise show, have demanded apologies from Ms MacSween and Seven.

A Facebook campaign which was launched by Livian Jones, mother of a six-year-old autistic boy, from Pendle Hill in Sydney's west, already has more than 2400 signatures.

Ms MacSween, who spent two years in a wheelchair as a child, yesterday apologised but stood by her comments which related to an overburdened teacher with 31 special needs pupils in her class.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

MacSween claims that having special needs children in mainstream schools has an affect on the 'normal' children in the same class. This is true - special needs kids require more attention. More attention on the special needs kids means less time with the normal children.

Of course, the do gooders with the special needs children are bleating about how horrible her comments were, but MacSween is right on the money about this. She was wrong to have apologised - she had nothing to apologise for.

Mothers Sue Doctors For Failure To Detect Down's Syndrome

2010-07-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

This is interesting, and I am fully behind the mothers on this.

Before I provide information on the current case, I wish to take a look at the so called 'ethics' of DS testing.

TESTS for Down syndrome are controversial.

First, the genetic tests have a significant abortion rate of healthy babies of about 1-3 per cent.

Second, because there's no cure, they are usually done for the purpose of aborting a child who has the condition.

Children with Down syndrome are not unhealthy, though they do have some cognitive disability. However, they are able to participate happily in most of the activities available to children. Many doctors therefore have a conscientious objection to being involved in undertaking the tests.

They have every right to do so as a matter of freedom of conscience, thought and belief.

From www.herald.sun.com.au

First of all, the tests are not 100% accurate, so of course you will have a few healthy babies aborted. That cannot be helped.
Second, what is the point of telling us that the point of having these tests are to abort a fetus with the condition? I would have thought that much was obvious.
Thirdly, if you become a doctor, you have no business objecting to referring a woman for an abortion. If you are pro life, you probably shouldn't be a doctor. As a doctor, you are there to provide treatment for the woman - NOT her fetus.

I cannot believe anyone would suggest that a doctor has the right to refuse to refer a women for abortion. That's like me working at McDonalds and refusing to serve the customers because I have a moral objection to eating meat.

Now, lets take a look at the story:

TWO Victorian couples are suing doctors for failing to diagnose Down syndrome in their unborn babies, denying them the chance to terminate the pregnancies.

The couples are claiming unspecified damages for economic loss, continuing costs of care of the children, and "psychiatric injury".

Both say they would have aborted their pregnancies had they been told their children would be born with Down syndrome.

From www.herald.sun.com.au

The first couple had a test at 12 weeks, which detected Downs, and they went for further testing at the Royal Women's Hospital, but the tests there came back negative. They are suing the Royal Women's Hospital over this.

The second case has a women suing, claiming she wasn't fully notified of the risks - she was in a high risk category given her age.

Let me comment on the second case first. Anyone with a brain knows that the risk of Downs increases with age. I can't muster up a lot of sympathy for this woman - she should have been aware of the risks. She wasn't given the option of ante natal screening, but should the hospital be the ones to ask her? Maybe, maybe not. If you are pregnant, and would terminate if the fetus was found to have a defect, then ask for the neccessary tests - don't expect someone else to read your mind.

As for the first case, well, as said before, the tests are not always 100%. That makes it hard decision, as you have one test which is positive, and another which is negative.
It isn't know how far along they were when they had the second test. Down's should be detected with certainty no later than the fifth month - the fetus is more visable on ultrasound, making it easier to pick up on any problems

I can understand why these parents would be suing - caring for a special needs child would cost a fortune, we cannot imagine what a drain it would be on their finances. Of course they need some help in raising their children - one of the children has many problems as it is - heart, kidney problems, trouble feeding, walking etc. Parents of children with disabilities do not get a lot of help from the government, so they may be doing this as a means of getting some form of compensation to help with the upkeep of their children.

But on another hand - if they didn't want their Down's children, why did they take them home, and make them a part of the family? What are they really saying? 'She's a part of our family, but we wish that she wasn't'? Adoption was always an option - although not many special needs children are adopted, as most people prefer a cuddly newborn who smells of baby powder.

Those who oppose this legal action are basically saying that women have no right to know of the health of their unborn children - and they do. It is a doctors responsibility to tell the woman if he/she detects a problem, and to give them information regarding their options.

As for those who have been crucifying these women, well - how many special needs children have they adopted lately?

Actually, how about we take a look at some of the comments made by those who are, putting it nicely - ignorant?

Simple, if you aren't prepared to accept the risk that your child could be born with any abnormalities, conditions or diseases, then don't have kids.

So pregnant women have no right to know of the health of their unborn child?

We are talking about your child. Why would you abort your own flesh and blood because they have down syndrome. I can't understand how a mother would want to do this. Next it will be abortion for all blue eyed kids.

How many special needs children does 'Lizzie' from Melbourne regulary take care of? My guess is none.

How can you truly say that you love your daughter given that if you knew that she had downs syndrome you would have had an abortion.

It's called 'choice'.

All these people up in arms because these couples would consider aborting their Down syndrome babies. Every year there are 100,000 babies aborted. Is it ok to abort healthy babies but shameful if they are Down syndrome?

Again, it's called 'choice'

I am in no way against abortion, I believe that everyone has a choice, but to simply terminate based on a disability is wrong.

A common reason for abortion is fetal defect.

You peaople are ungrateful i have a 19 year old daughter with downs and a 15 year old daughter without downs i love them both equally. Life is exciting and overwhelming at times ,except what God has blessed you with, his very special children.

Well, 'Glenda' of Melbourne, I will ignore the fact that you cannot spell and simply say this - God knew these couples did not want children with Down's, yet he ignored them and saddled them with special needs children anyway. Would you ask God to apologise?

There is not much else to say on the issue here. Abortion is a womans right, whether you like it or not. It's about time people got over themselves and accepted that.

Woman Left Deaf After Child Screams In Ears

2010-07-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

Interesting. Of course, this happened to an American woman - funny how the worst things always happen to Yanks, eh?
Anyway, lets take a look:

IT can be a traveller's great fear - sitting near a screaming child on a passenger plane.

US tourist Jean Barnard, who embarked on her dream holiday to Australia and New Zealand in January last year, alleges the trip became a nightmare when she boarded a Darwin-bound Qantas plane in Alice Springs, walked to her assigned seat and came face-to-face with a three-year-old boy across the aisle.

The boy allegedly leant back over his armrest toward Ms Barnard and let out a scream so severe that blood erupted from her ears, leaving her "stone cold deaf".

From www.news.com.au

It is said she was already wearing hearing aids when she boarded the flight, but I don't think this is relevent. Having hearing aids doesn't mean she was already completely deaf - and if she was indeed bleeding from her ears, then the 'injury' was severe.

There is a problem with children being allowed on flights - even on buses. They scream, they cause a fuss, they make you want to strangle them.
Ms. Barnard says that she would have 'stomped the child to death' if she could - I say good on her. I imagine anyone else who suffered as she had would feel the same.

Woman Travels Overseas For Baby Girl

2010-07-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

She's having IVF in Thailand because she wants a baby girl. She and her husband have three boys already, and are desperate for a girl. It is illegal to choose the sex of a baby here in Australia, so she is paying out $15,000 to make her family complete.
Obviously, this has reignited debate about the whole thing, with some arguing it is unethical, and others who can't work out what the fuss is.

A MELBOURNE mum is so desperate to have a daughter she is travelling to Thailand so she can choose the sex of her next baby, frustrated at Australian medical authorities as they drag their feet over the issue.

Already blessed with three boys - aged 5, 4 and 1 - the 36-year-old and her husband say they have been forced to sidestep Australian laws because they cannot wait for federal medical authorities to decide if they will overturn their ban on the practice.

While she says her boys mean the world to her, the mother - who does not want to be identified for fear of reprisals against her family - will spend more than $15,000 to ensure she conceives a girl in a Bangkok clinic in the coming months.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

I had to think about this. If she does have a girl, who does it hurt? She and her husband have three boys whom they love, and if they had a girl, she's obviously be loved, too. Does sex selection cause any harm, or is it simply offensive to some?
The comments posted on the website in response to this story are rather harsh:

As a mother, I have to say this story makes me sick. These people don't deserve any children.

Why does she not deserve children? I am hoping to have four girls (some day) - should I be prevented from ever having children because I want a girl, not a boy?

This should be God's choice, not people's.

Well, Mike of Overseas, perhaps you have an answer for why God makes people infertile, why he makes women miscarry, and why he refused to give this woman a daughter when he knew she desperately wanted one?

To be able to choose the sex of a baby is wrongon so many levels, not just from a morql perspective but also it is intefering wih nature.

IVF is also interfering with nature, but I imagine 'Natalie' fully supports this.

I found this next comment rather interesting:

Best of luck to her - it really should be available in Melbourne. I don't understand how people can be so passionately against this when abortion is legal and so common. This woman wants to bring a new life into the world. She doesn't want to get rid of one...

This is true. She could simply get pregnant naturally and have an abortion if the fetus was a boy. If given the choice between two 'evils' I am sure the opponents of sex selection would be happy for her to make the trip to Thailand.

I wish this woman, and her husband well.

Oldest 'Hoon' Also Most Selfish

2010-07-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

I had to mention this because it is so sickening, you deserve to know about it.

An 81 year old woman was pulled over by police after going at more than a 164kmh in a 100kmh zone. She claims her dog stepped on her leg, and so she started to go faster.
She also claims she was on her way back from visiting her 'secret lover' (a female, though not that it matters) and if her licence is suspended, she will simply get another car, or drive at night. She's already banned from driving further than 30km from her hometown of Heathcote.

AN elderly hoon driver has vowed to keep getting behind the wheel - even if her licence is revoked.

But police, who intercepted 81-year-old Judith Slade driving at 164km/h on Monday afternoon, will apply to have her grounded permanently.

Mrs Slade was pursued by Leading Sen-Constable Nik Probyn for four kilometres, with the lights on his police car blinking and sirens blaring, along the Murray Valley Hwy at Lake Boga until she pulled over.

Because of her age and her driving, police now want to see her licence cancelled.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

This is what she says in response to the possibility her licence will be taken from her:

"I'll just buy more cars and they can take them away, too. I could buy another one now just to fight this and cruise past the police station, and say, 'Here I am'."

Seems she hasn't learned a thing. She'll ignore the fact she will no longer have a licence, and continue driving, putting other road users at risk.

Such selfishness makes me sick. As a learner driver, I certainly hope I don't come across Mrs. Slade on the roads. I would fear for my life.

Australia's First Female Prime Minister

2010-06-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

Julia Gillard was elected, unopposed this morning, after Rudd stepped down to avoid a crushing defeat.

This all started last night, when several Labor MP's contacted Ms. Gillard, telling her they had lost faith in the PM's leadership. Gillard was also incensed over a newspaper article she read. I am unsure exactly what this article was about, but it seems that Rudd didn't believe Gillard when she claimed she wasn't out for the top job. Gillard claimed repeatedly she had no interest in becoming PM, and I believe her. I think that after hearing that Rudd didn't trust her, the claws came out. Remember, this is a man she worked alongside, she trusted, put her faith in, and remained loyal to. To hear that he didn't trust her would have hurt. But should she have attacked the PM by contesting the leadership? My opinion is no.

Lets take a look at part of Julia's first speech as Australia's first female Prime Minsiter:

THANK you for joining me in this jam-packed room.

And can I say, Australians one and all, it’s with the greatest humility, resolve and enthusiasm that I sought the endorsement of my colleagues to be the Labor Leader and to become Prime Minister of this country. I have accepted that endorsement.

And I am truly honoured to lead this country which I love.

I am utterly committed to the service of our people.

I grew up in the great state of South Australia. I grew up in a home of hardworking parents. They taught me the value of hard work. They taught me the value of respect.

They taught me the value of doing your bit for the community.

And it is these values that will guide me as Australia’s Prime Minister.

I liked her speech. It's a good first speech. The question on everyones lips is: Can she lead the Labor Party to victory?

Now lets take a look at Kevin Rudd's final speech as PM:

OUTGOING Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has struggled through his farewell speech this afternoon, regularly breaking down as he listed his government's achievements.

Mr Rudd said he had done his best to give Australia "a fair go" in a press conference hours after he stepped down this morning, paving the way for Julia Gillard to become Australia's first female prime minister.

Mr Rudd said he had given his "absolute best" and "absolute all", and was proud of the "achievements we have delivered to make this country fairer".

I feel for him. He was devastated at what had happened to him. That, to me, is the worst thing about all this. He was never given a chance to redeem himself. We voted him in, we should have the right to vote him out. Lets not forget that he got rid of Workchoices, he succeeded in his healthcare reform package, and he got us out of the biggest financial crisis we'd ever seen.

But it's not all plain sailing for Julia. Lindsay Tanner announced his resignation to the new PM, saying he will quit politics come election time. Apparently, his decision to quit has nothing to do with Julia's 'election', but because he wished to spend more time at home with his family.

Julia Gillard has also stated she will negotiate with the mining industry regarding the super profits tax.
The mining company is pleased with this. Gillard has cancelled all advertising promoting the tax, and BHP has also suspended all advertising, apparently as a sign of 'good faith' toward the new PM.

Now here's the question - why didn't the Labor Party simply tell Mr. Rudd to change his policy and simply negotiate with the mining companies? Did Julia always hold the view that a negotiation was the better option? Or did she simply change her mind because she is desperate to lead the Labor Party to victory? In my view, the Labor Party could have saved Rudd's leadership. Booting him out so close to an election could very well be the worst decision they have ever made.

Here's another question: How can we trust the Labor Party? If Julia doesn't get the number needed to win the election, will the Labor Party dump her in favour of Wayne Swan - who is now Deputy Prime Minister? How can the Australian public trust them?

Take the Liberals. When Rudd was chosen as opposition leader, his approval ratings were through the roof. Howard's went down, down, and down even more. Yet the Liberals stuck by him. They didn't even consider pressuring him to step down. Howard ended up going to an election knowing full well he would lose. Hos party allowed him that. They allowed him to go out with dignity.
The Labor Party has defeated and humiliated the person they should be standing by - their leader. For that, they should be ashamed.

Now, what does everyone else think about this historical news? Well, lets ask Pauline Hanson. She's supporting Tony Abbott - despite the fact he set up a $100,000 fund to start legal action against her and her party, One Nation. Pauline says:

"I just see her as a clone of Rudd,"

and

"I won't be voting for Julia Gillard PM.

"She was there for all the decisions.

"I don't like the way they handled the Pink Batts situation.

"I don't like the way they handed out the (stimulus) money."

Okay, Pauline, you are entitled to your opinions, but if Rudd hadn't handed out that stimulus money, we'd be crawling out of a recession right now. Lets remind ourselves that AMERICA, who prides itself on being the richest, most powerful country in the world - couldn't even avoid a recession. But we did, and it's all thanks to Kevin Rudd.

John Brumby seems delighted that Gillard has taken over as PM, while Petr Beattie - the Queensland Premier - says she should go to the polls to 'captilise on her honeymoon period'.

I'm not sure I agree with this. Of course, Gillard won't call an election until her approval ratings are high enough for a comfortable victory. At the moment, it is too early to know what her approval ratings are. Given another month, we should get an idea if Gillard will succeed in leading her party through the coming election.

Time will tell - but there is not a lot of time, and Gillard has a lot of work ahead of her if she wants to gain back the trust of the Australian public.

Young Australians Have No Sympathy For Rape Victims

2010-06-18T22:01:00.000-07:00

Apparently, if you believe the new 'survey' conducted.

AN alarming number of young men and women feel sympathy towards footballers caught up in sex scandals.

They express the view that the women involved "knew what they were getting into".

The finding was one of several from a survey of more than 2000 people aged 12-24 commissioned by the Department of Women as part of a social marketing campaign promoting respectful relationships among Australia's youth.

This is from www.news.com.au

Lets see what the study found, shall we?

ALMOST one in five youths aged 12-24 think a female should not be able to claim she was sexually assaulted if she was drunk or drug-affected and leading people on.

Well, if she was drunk, how can she possibly say she didn't consent? She wouldn't know. She wouldn't know she was leading him on if she was, indeed, drunk. We have stories of women getting drunk and waking in a bed next to a strange man crying rape, because they assume that because they don't remember the night before, they MUST have been raped. No, could it be that you consented to sex but were too smashed to remember it?
If you and your husband get drunk one night and have sex, and you can't remember what happened when you wake up, does that mean your husband raped you?

Don't get drunk and you won't find yourself in a situation like this.

ALMOST one in six thinks that if a female is wearing provocative clothing she is "definitely looking for it".

She's looking for attention, certainly, but she needs to define what kind of attention she is after. She can't very well dress like a two bit whore, get men leering at her and then push them away, saying 'sorry, I want attention, but not THAT kind of attention'.
Wearing provocative clothing is a stupid thing to do because you know it's going to attract attention, both wanted and unwanted, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that she deserves to be assaulted.

THE same number thinks that pushing and shoving in a relationship is understandable in some circumstances.

I believe it is. This is a society in which women are allowed to push men, but men cannot lay a finger on the woman lest they be named spousal abusers. If you can dish it out, you should be prepared to take it.

Yet Again, The Nanny State Steps In

2010-06-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

Now schools may not be able to have their traditional chocolate drives - or sausage sizzles, because it 'sends the wrong message'.

SCHOOLS are moving to ditch chocolate drives that raise thousands of dollars after claims they send mixed messages about childhood health.

Tuck shops are banned from selling confectionery by the State Government but schools are still free to hold money-spinners like chocolate and lamington drives.

Broadmeadows Valley Primary School principal Andy Jones said yesterday that many of his students had obesity problems, so chocolate drives had been replaced with healthy fundraising activities.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

Nice that we have the government telling us what we can and cannot eat. If parents would be responsible, and control what goes in their kids mouths, we wouldn't have an issue with childhood obesity.

14 Year Old Raped, Set Alight

2010-06-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

Two people set on fire in the space of a day. What is wrong with people?
This youngster has burns to 80% of her body, and may need to have a foot amputated:

A MAN accused of raping a teenage girl and setting her alight was tracked down through the victim's Facebook page, police allege.

Michael Tuano Hermogenes, 24, has been charged over a Caroline Springs house fire yesterday that left a 14-year-old girl fighting for her life.

The victim remains in a critical condition at the Royal Children's Hospital, with burns to up to 80 per cent of her body. She may have to have a foot amputated.

Mr Hermogenes allegedly claims he suffered memory loss and woke up naked on top of the bleeding and unconscious girl in her home.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

Memory loss? Did he forget about dragging her into the bathroom? Forget about driving to the petrol station to buy petrol? Forget about returning to the scene of the crime? Forget about turning on a gas stove? Forget about pouring petrol all over the child? Forget about setting her on fire?

Gee, that's some memory loss.
This guy was also a church youth leader - the family knew him well, the girl likely trusted him, and look at how he repays them?

If there is a God, I hope He sends this prick straight to Hell, where he burns for all eternity.

Woman Burned Alive At Servo

2010-06-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

This is the most horrific story I have heard in a long time. Can't believe it happened here:

POLICE are still waiting to question a man over the horrific torching of a woman at a Bayswater service station yesterday.

A 41-year-old Bayswater North man remains in hospital under police guard following his arrest yesterday in dramatic circumstances.

Motorists yesterday braved flames and threats in a desperate bid to rescue a woman who was being burned to death at a petrol station.

Ignoring a knife-wielding man's chilling warning they should "let her burn", they made a vain bid to save her life.

Truckie Beau Flemming, 26, couldn't believe the horror he saw unfold.

"She was a flame ball," Mr Flemming said. "Even movies - they're nothing to what I've seen this morning."

The Bayswater North woman, 42, who was also stabbed, died in The Alfred hospital last night.

Article and picture both from www.heraldsun.com.au

The woman suffered burns to 100% of her body. Last night I was hoping that she would die - as to even attempt to keep her alive is inhumane. Someone with such severe burns is never going to survive. Thankfully, her suffering didn't last long, as she died last night.
The bastard who set her on fire was arrested - pity the police didn't just shoot him. The only thing this man deserves is a bullet to the head.

The people who stepped in to try and save this woman should be commended, even awarded a medal for bravery - they were threatened by the man when they stepped in to offer assistance.

Sometimes I wonder what this country is coming to.

92 Year Old Woman Left Outside Hospital

2010-06-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

There are two sides to every story, remember. We have one story - that of the old woman, but the facts prove her wrong:

UPDATE 12.20pm: PREMIER John Brumby has described the abandonment of a 92-year-old woman outside a hospital after midnight as "totally unacceptable".

Bendigo Health has apologised after the woman was left helpless by the side of the road for at least 45 minutes until a passerby answered her cries for help.

“Any hospital or any causality department, if they are discharging someone who, particularly at that age, who is frail, it’s just completely unacceptable," Mr Brumby said.

“I don’t know the circumstances, I don’t know in a sense, who is to blame. In a sense that is irrelevant, that’s not the point.

"The point is you have an elderly lady who’s quite frail and she’s waited out there for what’s been a pretty cold night."

Bendigo Health CEO John Mulder says he "can't understand" how the incident occurred and that staff were "horrified".

From www.heraldsun.com.au

A similar article can be found by going to www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au

She was taken to hospital by her husband, with suspected heart problems. At first, it was decided to admit the woman, but then, likely due to her good condition, it was decided to released her. Her husband had already been sent home in a taxi and was called to prepare for his wife's arrival.

A nurse called a taxi, wheeled the woman outside then left her. This was at around 11.30pm at night. According to the news report, the old lady was left 'on the side of the road'.
Completely untrue. There is a shelter, if I remember correctly, where you can wait for a taxi. You do not wait out on the side of the road, the taxi will drive in and collect you.
Also, it is claimed the old lady was outside for at least 45 minutes. If she was indeed wheeled outside at 11.30pm, she would have been outside until 12.15am, until the taxi came for her - but according to the taxi's records, the woman was delivered home BEFORE midnight, meaning she was waiting outside for less than a half hour.

Of course, this doesn't excuse the hospitals actions, but I wish people would tell the truth instead of lying to gain sympathy.

Gary Coleman Dead At 42

2010-05-28T23:12:00.000-07:00

This poor bugger had a pretty crappy life, so it's sad to hear that he's died:

FORMER child actor Gary Coleman has died in hospital at the age of 42.

Coleman, who rose to fame as the wise-cracking Arnold Jackson on the American sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, had been in coma after suffering a head injury in a fall.

He died at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Centre in Provo where he was taken on Wednesday from his home in Santaquin, about 55 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Manager John Alcantar said Coleman had suffered a brain haemorrhage.

From www.news.com.au

I didn't watch the show, don't even know much about Coleman himself, but the news still comes as a shock. Let's hope he's in a better place.

Football Player Tells Gays To Stay In The Closet

2010-05-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

Jason Akermanis is an idiot:

UPDATE 3.45pm: SYDNEY coach Paul Roos has described Jason Akermanis' views on gay footballers as "bizarre" and 60 years out of date.

Roos said today that he totally disagreed with Akermanis' opinion that a gay player would not be welcomed in an AFL club.

“If any one of our players happened to be gay or came out, he wouldn’t be alienated by this group of players, I know that,” Roos said.

“In today’s day and age, it’s reasonably irresponsible, what Jason’s said this morning and hopefully it doesn’t reflect the views of the majority of people in the AFL.

“It’s a staggering story when you read it," Roos told the Swans website.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

Here is a little of what Akermanis had to say:

"When you're slapping blokes on the bum and just having a bit of fun, what would that do to a man in there when you actually work out, 'Oh wait a second, wait a second. I don't know if I can handle that guy''

Slapping blokes on the bum in the locker rooms? Is this what straight men do? But if you realised one of the guys was gay, it suddenly makes you uncomfortable?

Akermanis also says "I'm ready. I'm fine with it all,'' - yet why does he want gay players to stay silent? Obviously he isn't fine at all if he doesn't want to share a locker room with a man who happens to be gay.

It seems he's copping a lot of flack for his comments. Lets pick it apart, shall we?

But I believe the world of AFL footy is not ready for it. To come out is unnecessary for a lot of reasons.

Why is it unnecessary? Don't worry, we are about to find out...

Football clubs are very different environments. Locker room nudity is an everyday part of our lives and unlike any other work place.

Locker room nudity seems to be okay when you know everyone is straight, or you are none the wiser.

I believe it would cause discomfort in that environment should someone declare himself gay

Why? Because some egotistical straight dude might assume that the gay guy must be looking at him because, well, he's the best looking guy on the field and why wouldn't they gay guy want to take a peek?

I have played with a gay player in the twos for Mayne in Queensland in the mid-1990s who was happy to admit his sexual persuasion. He was a great guy who played his heart out and was respected by everyone in the team.

He was a great guy. That's wonderful to hear - but he wouldn't be so great anymore if he came out?

The only time I noticed a difference was when I was showering with 10 other players after a good win and I turned around to see all 10 heading out in a second with their towels. Sure enough, our gay teammate had wandered in.

For some reason I felt uncomfortable, so I left. I am sure most players these days would do the same.

It is hardly the fault of the gay guy that the idiot homophobes assume that the gay guy will be checking them out. Acker says he 'felt uncomfortable' - why? I thought this man was a great guy who played his heart out, yet where was the respect for him?

If you thought suicide was bad among young men, it is four to six times higher for people who are attracted to the same sex. It clearly can be a difficult and lonely road, one that hopefully can be made easier.

Yes, the rate of suicide is higher among gay people than straight, and telling gay people to stay in the closet isn't going to help them embrace who they are.

Ackermanis should stick with playing football, it's clear he knows nothing else.

Healthy Babies Aborted

2010-05-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

This article is more spin than anything, but I thought I might pick it apart:

ALMOST one late-term abortion is performed in Victoria every day, and 54 babies survived the procedure to die post-natally, according to figures released by the State Government.

Of the 345 late-term abortions in 2007 - the highest number on record - 164 were performed at a Melbourne clinic on women with healthy foetuses who said they were suffering psychological or social problems.

Many of the women who were granted late term abortions for "psycho-social" reasons travel from overseas or interstate to have the procedure done at the clinic, one of the few facilities in the country willing to perform late-term abortions.

Two of the terminations of healthy foetuses were older than 28 weeks' gestation, but the majority were performed on women who were about six months' pregnant.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

First of all, we can dismiss all those abortions performed up til 24 weeks, as abortion up to this point is legal on demand in the state of Victoria. We can also dismiss all these abortions for another reason - none of them are late term abortions. A late term abortion is defined as being in the third trimester - which is in the final three months of pregnancy.
From the article, only two - that's right, TWO - abortions took place at this stage. Hardly anything to be worried about.

The article does nothing but give the anti choicer's more ammunition.

Catholic School Won't Admit Lesbian's Son

2010-05-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

Typical religious bigotry at work again:

A ROMAN Catholic school in Massachusetts has withdrawn its acceptance of an eight-year-old boy with lesbian parents, saying their relationship was "in discord" with church teachings, according to one of the boy's mothers.

It's at least the second time in recent months that students have not been allowed to attend a US Catholic school because of their parents' sexual orientation, with the other instance in Colorado.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

Here is the interesting thing:

Terrence Donilon, a spokesman for the Boston Archdiocese, said it learned about the school's decision yesterday.

He said the archdiocese is now in "consultation with the pastor and principal to gather more information".

Mr Donilon said the archdiocese does not have a policy prohibiting the children of same-sex couples from attending its schools.

There is no policy that prohibits these kids from attending the school - is the school discriminating against those it decides are not worthy?

Whatever the case, I am getting sick and tired of the discrimination.

Gay Rights Group Demand Apology From Newsweek

2010-05-12T22:21:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how I feel about this one. I mean, I don't agree with the opinions of the author, but I think the gay rights groups are getting their knickers in a knot:

A GAY rights group is demanding an apology from a US magazine for a recent story that the group says suggested gay actors can't play straight characters.

"An actor's personal life should not be a factor in their believability in a role," said Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "That would be tantamount to audiences not buying Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl as lovers in their upcoming film Killers because the two are happily married to different people in real life."

GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro said Newsweek magazine has not offered the apology sought by the group, but that the topic was discussed with Barrios and Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Milk, during a Q&A with Newsweek today. He said he believed that discussion would be published in the next issue.

Some Hollywood stars blasted the magazine and writer Ramin Setoodeh for an April 26 story that said it was okay for straight actors to play gay roles, but "it's rare for someone to pull off the trick in reverse."

From www.heraldsun.com.au

As far as I know, an opinion is just that - an opinion. If it were stated as fact, then there'd be a problem.
Since when are gay rights groups so concerned about people voicing an opinion they don't happen to agree with?

Gold Cross Stolen From Carl Williams' Coffin

2010-05-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

A GOLD cross was stolen from gangland killer Carl Williams' shiny gilt coffin before he was buried.

The theft of the cross, which was meant to be fixed to the gold-plated coffin almost identical to Michael Jackson's audacious casket, upset his former wife, Roberta, who noticed it was missing outside St Therese's Catholic Church in Essendon during the funeral.

Roberta Williams last week would confirm only that something had happened at the funeral, but sources confirmed the theft on Tuesday.

It has also been speculated money was stolen.

Roberta Williams has been philosophical about her former husband's brutal death at the hands of another inmate at Barwon Prison on April 19.

www.heraldsun.com.au

I wonder how anyone could possibly have stolen it, considering the coffin would have been in sight of everyone in attendance that day.
It's a low act, regardless of how you feel about Carl. Some of the comments I have been reading about this story are disappointing, to say the least. Seems some people support grave robbing. I wonder if they'd like to see their own graves robbed?

Surely there must have been cameras in the church? They can review the tape and hopefully, find the person responsible.

Roberta Williams also says she wishes to review the security tape of Williams' bashing in Barwon Prison. She claims she will let her 18 year old daughter see it, too.
If the girl wishes to see it, then fine - but Roberta shouldn't expect her to see it. I'm actually interested in seeing it, too - but only because I want to see how something like this could possibly have happened in a maximum security prison.

Failed Suicide Attempt Leaves One Dead

2010-05-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, interesting title, eh? But it's true - an elderly man wanted to commit suicide, but the bullet passed through his head, and ended up shooting his wife, who was sleeping in the bed:

A MAN, 70, who shot himself in the head at the weekend ended up killing his sleeping wife, police say.

Gene Whitmore was found lying on the bed by Wichita police after the woman's daughter called the police at about 1pm (local time) on Sunday in the 3400 block of South Everett, Lieutenant Ken Landwehr told The Wichita Eagle.

The paper said the bullet "passed through his head from right to left and then struck 66-year-old Betty Whitmore in the head, killing her as she slept".

"I have never worked one like this before," Lt Landwehr said.

There is no indication Whitmore intended to injure his wife, he said.

Out-of work Gene Whitmore reportedly had been depressed for the past few days, his stepdaughter told police.

www.heraldsun.com.au

Sad story. I hope the old gent doesn't have to face charges. He didn't intend to harm his wife, after all, and he was depressed. It's a shame he didn't try to seek help, or even attempt this in another room. Didn't he know that the sound of a gunshot would wake his wife up? How would she feel to find him beside her, dead?

When I have news on anything further, you'll be the first to know.

No Trial For Mum Who Cut Baby In Half

2010-05-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

The woman who cut her baby boy in half will not be taken to trial, as the case was dropped:

A NORTH Queensland woman charged with cutting her baby in half will not face trial after Queensland's Director of Prosecutions shelved proceedings against her.

Violet Flora Evans, 53, was committed to stand trial in September over the 1996 murder of a baby boy, linked to her through DNA tests more than a decade later.

Today, the DPP said a trial would not go ahead at this stage but left the door open for future proceedings.

"A decision was made not to present an indictment against Violet Evans at this time," the Office of the DPP said in a statement.

More at www.heraldsun.com.au

Why ever not? She killed her baby - he is believed to have been drowned in a toilet bowl before being cut in half. DNA tests have linked her to the baby - she is his mother, yet no one is proceeding with the case against her? What possible reason could they have for this?

This little boy deserves justice. Violet Evans needs to be put in prison so she can never harm - or even look - at another child again.

Top Three Reasons For Illegal Downloads

2010-05-08T01:29:00.000-07:00

Millions of people download either music files or DVD's each and every day. They were asked why they chose to download illegally, rather than go out and buy the album or DVD they wanted.
This was on online survey, the results of which appeared online at www.news.com.au as well as other online news sites.

The three reasons give for downloading music files are as follows:

I want it in MP3 format without copy protection - 43.2%
It's convenient - 37%
CD's are too expensive - 36.5%

They have a point about it being convenient, and about the price of CD's. However, I find it convenient to catch the bus into town and buy the album, as the idea of downloading something doesn't really appeal to me.
CD's are also hugely expensive - I have been in many stores and come across albums which were released ten or more years ago, and they are selling for close to $30! If I had a choice between buying that CD or downloading it, I'd decide to download. If artists would quit using 'filler' for their albums, there may be a decline in illegal downloads also. Filler basically means a few good songs on the album, and the rest is garbage.
Record companies also need to look at the reasons why people download and listen to them. They are out to make money, they don't realise people are smarter and have cottoned on that they are being scammed out of their money.

Now, the top three reasons for downloading movie files are as follows:

Going to the cinema is too expensive - 43.5%
It's convenient - 42.4%
I want to be able to watch it whenever I like - 42.4%

Okay, going to the cinema IS expensive, so I guess we are talking about new releases here, and not the older films which have already made it onto DVD.
It may also be convenient - and I do agree that it probably is - but as I said, I find it convenient to get on the bus and buy the actual DVD. I prefer to have something to put in my collection, rather than store it on my computer.
Wanting to watch it whenever you like? I don't understand. If you buy a DVD, who is saying you can't watch it whenever you like?

The top three reasons for downloading TV shows is as follows:

I'll have to wait too long to see it on TV - 50.7%
I want to be able to watch it whenever I want - 41.%%
It doesn't have ads - 38.9%

I can understand having to wait ages until a program comes on TV, but if you get cable, like Austar or Foxtel, I believe you can see certain TV shows earlier. I might be mistaken, though.
Wanting to watch something whenever you want is all well and good, I guess.
The fact that they don't have ads is probably a big draw because TV programs are often full of ads - every five minutes in some cases.

I don't actually see a problem with downloading, people are going to do it no matter what, and I think that rather than make examples out of those who are caught, listen to the people who download and hear their concerns, and do something about it. It's that simple.

Woman Starves Daughter To Death

2010-05-08T01:27:00.001-07:00

The little girl was severely disabled, so I'd like to know her reasons for killing her daughter before I pass judgement:

A 30-year-old mother has pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in what Minnesota prosecutors say was the starvation death of her 10-year-old daughter.

Court records show Ludusky Sue Hotchkiss, of Sandstone, Minnesota, faces four years in prison in a plea deal entered today in Pine County District Court.

Her severely disabled daughter, Lakesha Victor, weighed 14kg when she died in 2006 at the family's home in Hinckley.

An autopsy found the girl died of malnutrition and dehydration.

A charge of second-degree homicide and two lesser charges were dismissed.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 25.

From www.news.com.au

If the daughter was severely disabled, she may have had trouble caring for her. Perhaps no one was around to help her? Of course, that doesn't make what she did right, but if it was the case, I could certainly understand, and have sympathy.

Woman Eats Three Bags Of Popcorn A Day, Sues

2010-05-08T01:23:00.000-07:00

Well well, perhaps she shouldn't have eaten so much of it?

A NEW York woman has filed a lawsuit after her 16-year popcorn habit left her with permanent lung damage, the New York Post reports.

Agnes Mercado from Queens devoured two to three bags of Act II Lite microwave popcorn a day between 1991 and September 2007. The popcorn was flavored with diacetyl, a compound that gives food a buttery taste.

Workers who packaged the popcorn for manufacturer ConAgra Foods developed "popcorn lung," an airway obstruction that does not respond to medicine.

The food giant dumped diacetyl from its recipe in 2007.

Mercado, just diagnosed last month, uses an oxygen tank and is "likely to require a lung transplant," the Queens Supreme Court suit against ConAgra says.

From www.news.com.au

This compound, diacetyl, was likely harmless when ingested in small amounts. Lets face it, I don't think the makers of popcorn intended people to feed their faces with it all day long.
This woman contributed to her own illness, and now she is demanding payment?

I'm sorry, but this is just as ridiculous as a smoker suing a tobacco company.

Brian McFadden Blasts Contestant On Australia's Got Talent

2010-04-29T01:35:00.000-07:00

And she deserved all of it. She claims that Brian McFadden 'isn't a good singer' but was she a good comedienne? I didn't find her funny at all. She was doing a stand up comedy routine, which fell flat, mainly because the 'jokes' she made had come from a joke book I read when I was ten:

AUSTRALIA'S Got Talent judge Brian McFadden is accused of telling a contestant to "f ... off back to England" after she goaded his mate and fellow panelist Kyle Sandilands about his on-air quizzing of a 14-year-old rape victim.

The segment was edited out after mother-of-two Anne Ferguson-Howe claimed McFadden attacked her after her comedy routine flopped.

The Irishman laid into the 50-year-old after she had endured a humiliating put-down by Sandilands about her weight. Things got ugly when she bit back.

More at www.heraldsun.com.au

When she came out on stage, Kyle made a jibe about her weight. Might sound nasty, but consider the fact that when she was asked her age, she said she was 24 - trying to be funny. Kyle said 'what age, not what size' and the woman became offended.

There were children in the audience, and McFadden says he let fly because Ferguson-Howe was using profanity - which she was, I did see most of her routine. She was very rude, especially when the audience began to jeer her after her jokes fell flat. She looked angry and said 'shut up, let me finish'. The audience jeered louder then.

She was not a very nice contestant, put it that way. Today Tonight interviewed her and my opinion didn't change.
When she became angry at Kyle, she said 'when was the last time you had a chat about rape?' - and she admitted this to the interviewer. I can't imagine the cheek she had in saying that - no wonder the audience and McFadden were furious - with young children in the audience, did they really need to hear this woman swearing and cursing?

McFadden was right in suggesting this woman go back to England. We don't want her here.

Deaf Man Told 'But An iPod Or Go To Jail'

2010-04-24T20:33:00.001-07:00

The judge who demanded he buy the iPod doesn't realise that he wouldn't be able to hear his music with it:

A BRITISH court told a half-deaf country music fan to buy an iPod or risk jail because he plays his records too loud.

A court in Scotland warned Michael O'Rourke, 51 - who was hauled before magistrates 24 times over his blaring tunes - after he admitted twice breaching an Antisocial Behavior Order (ASBO), The Sun said.

The court heard that O'Rourke was given an ASBO last May over the racket coming from his house in the town of Peterhead, 30 miles northeast of Aberdeen.

But he broke the order just days later, and again earlier this year.

O'Rourke, who is about "50 percent deaf", was given three months to turn down the volume before being sentenced in July.

Court official Edward Savage told him: "I'd suggest you switch from speakers to headphones. You're in danger of becoming the oldest swinger in town."

But O'Rourke was defiant following the ruling.

"Neighbors are trying to stop me having a life," he said. "It's not like I turn my house into a disco. Everyone loves a moan."

"I can't use an iPod - I wouldn't hear it," he added.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

I am also partially deaf, and an iPod is no good for me, either. As he is 50% deaf, he'd use hearing aids, and using the iPod would mean he'd have to remove them to use the iPod. He wouldn't be able to hear the music - I couldn't hear when I tried to use mine.

While hearing his music so loud would be incredibly annoying, and I do agree he needs to turn it down, as obviously it is loud, there must be some way he and his neighbours can work this out?

I hope so.

Gay Dog Not Welcome At Restaurant

2010-04-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Stupid people misheard the word 'guide' and thought they were told the dog was gay. Couldn't expect much else from idiotic Asians who don't have a firm grasp on the English language:

A RESTAURANT in a northwest suburb of Adelaide that refused a blind man entry because it thought his guide dog was "gay" was ordered by the Equal Opportunity Tribunal to pay him $1500.

The (Adelaide) Sunday Mail said Ian Jolly, 57, was barred from dining at the Thai Spice restaurant in May 2009 after a staff member mistook his guide dog Nudge for a "gay dog," a tribunal heard this week.

A statement given by restaurant owners Hong Hoa Thi To and Anh Hoang Le said one of the restaurant's waiters said that Mr Jolly's partner Ms Chris Lawrence stated "she wanted to bring a gay dog into the restaurant."

Mr Jolly and Ms Lawrence were refused entry to the restaurant - which displays a "guide dogs welcome" sign - even after providing staff with a guide dogs fact card.

More at www.heraldsun.com.au

How ridiculous can you get? But here is the part that really made me gape in disbelief: "The staff genuinely believed that Nudge was an ordinary pet dog which had been desexed to become a gay dog,"

Are you kidding me? Are Asians that stupid?
No offence to people of Asian descent, but this wouldn't have happened if people in this country actually learned to speak English before being permitted to run a restaurant.

Ray Martin Ignites Flag Debate

2010-04-24T20:24:00.001-07:00

Many people are angered he has chosen to bring up debate about the flag on ANZAC Day, but he rightly claims that the ANZAC's fought for our right to free speech:

FURIOUS ex-servicemen, the Australian War Memorial and NSW Premier Kristina Keneally have accused TV presenter Ray Martin of insensitivity and disrespect for re-igniting debate about the Australian flag on Anzac Day.

Martin has angered defenders of the current flag, including many soldiers who will march behind it today, by hosting a television debate on why it should be changed on 60 Minutes tonight.

The veteran presenter and journalist, who has long campaigned for the Union Jack to be removed from the flag, defended the timing, saying free speech had been one of the rights Diggers had fought for.

More at www.heraldsun.com.au

I can't understand why we shouldn't have a debate about this. He says "We need a flag that represents all of us in this incredibly successful multi-cultural country, a flag that includes indigenous Australians."

He's right. The current flag hardly represents our indigenous Australians, does it? Lets not also forget that the Queen really has nothing to do with Australia, and never has.

It's time we kicked her to the curb and changed our flag, so that it represents us all - not just a few.

Carl Williams Bashed 'Beyond Recognition'

2010-04-23T23:40:00.000-07:00

Ambulance officers didn't even know who he was as they couldn't recognise him:

SLAIN gangland killer Carl Williams was beaten so badly paramedics trying to save him were unable to recognise one of Victoria's best-known faces.

A jail source told the Herald Sun yesterday that prison authorities hadn't told the five ambulance officers who their stricken patient was.

"Carl was beaten to such a pulp that he was unrecognisable. The ambos never even knew who it was they were treating," the source said.

The Herald Sun has discovered Williams was attacked at 12.48pm on Monday, and jail authorities didn't call Ambulance Victoria until 1.21pm.

Williams, 39, who had been dragged from the attack scene in a common shared room and put in his cell, was still alive during that 33-minute gap.

It was at least 25 minutes before the first prison officer found the bashed and bleeding Williams in his cell, after the alert was raised by other inmates.

The prison source said a "Code Black" - jail code for a serious medical alert - was declared immediately. Four prison medical officers lifted Williams out of his tiny cell and back out into the shared area where he was attacked, so they would have more room to work on him.

"But Carl wasn't revivable. He had massive head injuries and substantial blood loss," the prison source said.

"There was a lot of blood spatter around the kitchen table where Carl was sitting when he was first attacked from behind."

The first of three ambulance crews arrived at 1.32pm; he was declared dead at 1.47pm.

More at www.news.com.au

One must wonder HOW a fellow prisoner could beat him, drag him into his cell, and leave him there without anyone ever knowing about it until half an hour later.
What went on in that prison? Who was paid to look the other way?
This was a maximum security prison, yet no one was paying attention to the CCTV cameras which might have saved Carl's life.

The Premier is refusing a Royal Commission into the reasons for William's murder, claiming it would be a 'waste of time and taxpayers money'. Well, this is one taxpayer who is more than willing to fork over her taxes to discover how this could happen.
In the interests of justice, we MUST know why no one raised the alarm sooner, and why a bashed and bleeding Williams lay dying in his cell for close to a half hour before anyone realized he was missing.

Government Gets Tough On Foreigners

2010-04-23T23:33:00.000-07:00

Wealthy Asian families are buying up property, forcing house prices up, then leaving those homes empty for years at a time. The government is finally putting a stop to it:

FOREIGN students and temporary residents will face tough new rules when buying a house and will have to sell on leaving Australia.

The Federal Government's crackdown, to be announced today, reverses its December 2008 decision to relax foreign ownership rules.

Bowing to public pressure, the Government will also introduce a hotline for concerned locals to "dob in" foreigners they suspect of breaching the rules.

Under the rules, temporary residents and foreign students will be:

SCREENED by the Foreign Investment Review Board to determine if they will be allowed to buy a property.

FORCED to sell property when they leave Australia.

PUNISHED if they do not sell by a government-ordered sale plus confiscation of any capital gain.

More at www.news.com.au

I like this. The cost of a house in Melbourne is around half a million dollars, and this is partly as a result of rich Asians buying homes at auction, then leaving them vacant. They buy houses in the same streets, never rent them out, and leave them to gather cobwebs.

These tough new rules will hopefully enable more people to purchase a home.

Carl Williams Dead After Prison Attack

2010-04-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

GANGLAND killer Carl Williams has died after being attacked and going into cardiac arrest at a high-security prison in Victoria.

Williams' lawyer Rob Stary confirmed the Melbourne underworld figure died at Barwon Prison.

Williams' former partner, Roberta Williams, is reportedly on the way to the prison.

Earlier, an Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said paramedics arrived at the prison about 1.18pm (AEST) to find the man in a critical condition. Williams suffered head injuries in the assault.

More at www.heraldsun.com.au
www.news.com.au

Many people seem to be glad at this news, they ignore the fact that Williams was a father to a little girl.

Consider the fact that Williams was a father who doted on his only child, and consider how she will feel about not having a daddy.

I hope those who are glad over this can sleep at night.

Disabled Man Abducted And Raped In Forrest

2010-04-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

And his attacker has been jailed, thank God. What sickens me is that this bastard has support from his family and his fiancee! One would think the silly woman would be horrified at the thought of being married to a rapist:

A MAN who abducted his intellectually disabled victim off a street and raped him has been jailed.

Peter Kipniak, 56, lured his brain-damaged victim into his car as the man, 47, enjoyed his daily stroll in a quiet Victorian country town.

The victim's terrified mother had been walking some distance behind but was helpless to stop him as the car drove off.

He took the victim to an isolated pine plantation, punched and raped him before dropping him back in town, where the man's family and police were frantically searching.

The man had been left severely intellectually disabled when hit by a car as a child and had limited speech.

But when asked about his bruised face he explained,"Bad man in car" and that he had been sexually assaulted.

He was later able to identify his attacker from a photo line up and even took police to the spot where he was assaulted.

From the HeraldSun website.

Seven years is not long enough, though. And whether he had little education or not is no excuse. It is good that he is ashamed, although he could have said that simply to gain a lesser sentence.
Perhaps seven years in prison with men who hate people who rape will shake him up.

Woman Fined After Smuggling Euthanasia Drug

2010-04-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

This woman probably wanted to keep the drug handy so she could decide when to leave this world. Now, a court has decided she cannot keep it:

A 61-YEAR-OLD Melbourne woman has pleaded guilty to importing a euthanasia drug from Mexico into Australia.

Ann Leith, of Canterbury, avoided conviction today for importing the border-controlled drug Nembutal.

Two bottles of the drug were intercepted at Melbourne Airport last March.

A search warrant was executed at an address in the eastern suburb of Canterbury on April 15, 2009, but Ms Leith was not charged until February this year.

In the Melbourne Magistrates' Court today, magistrate John Lesser said he would not record a conviction.

He released Ms Leith on a $500 12-month bond and ordered her to pay $1000 into the court fund.

"Clearly this is a serious offence," Mr Lesser said.

But he said Ms Leith's reputation in the community was "impeccable".

"If you were to offend again in a similar way then the courts are going to treat you a lot more harshly," he said.
"Let this be a lesson to you not to commit such an act again."

From the HeraldSun website.

I find it appalling that our courts could prevent someone possessing a drug which can end their lives. We don't prevent people to keep painkillers in their medicine cabinets, do we? These can cause death when used 'correctly'. So why not the euthanasia drug?
What right does a court have to decide when someone can die? I do not want the government deciding for me.
Let people make their own decisions.

Crucifixion Display Offends

2010-04-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

They could have kept this to the church, not foisted it on public like they did. If I had seen this, I would have been offended.

ORGANISERS of a graphic crucifixion re-enactment in Geelong, which made children cry and was shut down by police, have vowed to tone down the event next year.

Geelong police shut down the bloody re-enactment of Jesus on the cross on Saturday afternoon deeming it too offensive for public viewing, the Geelong Advertiser reports.

Members of the Heaven on Earth church in Norlane staged the life-like performance outside Market Square Shopping Centre at 1pm.

From the HeraldSun website.

I can understand why the children were crying. How disrespectful to force this garbage on everyone. While I understand they believe this stuff, it is not fair to foist it on everyone like they did.

Sex Abuse Claims In Hey Dad Sex Scandel

2010-03-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well, unless you have been living under a rock for the past week or so, you will know that Sarah Monahan, who played Jenny on the TV show, has accused fellow cast member, Robert Hughes, who played Martin Kelly, of sexual assault. Her claims that he groped her, and exposed himself to her on more than one occasion has prompted other former cast members, and even family members of Hughes, to come foward with what they knew.

POLICE will investigate at least eight new sexual assault and harassment allegations against Hey Dad actor Robert Hughes by former cast members, crew and relatives.

Since Sarah Monahan, 32, claimed Hughes, her on-screen father, had inappropriately touched her chest and exposed himself to her over several years, statements from a former guest actor, wardrobe assistant, a relative of Hughes and several family friends have been handed to police.

Some of the claims to emerge relate to alleged incidents on the set of Hey Dad, others allegedly took place in the actor's home, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

One allegation is that stated Hughes would ask to be woken from a daily "nap" by a female crew member, only to be found in the nude on each occasion, his penis erect.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

Hughes is third from the left. Monahan is on the left - in the polka dot dress.

I wasn't sure if there was anything to these claims to begin with - but now that so many other cast mates and crew members have come foward, I am beginning to suspect that something did happen, and it was major. How it could have been covered up is beyond me. Word is that there was suspicion that Hughes was involved in 'something' but as it couldn't be proven, no one could take action. When a replacement actress was hired after Monahan left the show, it was ensured that she was never left alone with Hughes.
Other cast mates of Monahan say they saw Hughes in a 'compromising' position with her, and tried to ensure she was never left alone with him.

Basically, it seems that a lot of people knew that something was going on, but no one came foward until Monahan took the first step of speaking out about her experiences - in a women's magazine, no less.

US Healthcare Reform Bill Passes

2010-03-21T20:45:00.000-07:00

This is a big day for America.

UPDATE 1.51pm: BARACK Obama's plan to extend health insurance to nearly all Americans has passed the US House of Representatives.

The U.S. House of Representatives gave final approval to a sweeping healthcare overhaul, expanding insurance coverage to nearly all Americans and handing President Barack Obama a landmark victory.

On a hard-fought vote, House Democrats approved the most dramatic health policy changes in decades. The vote sends the overhaul, already approved by the Senate, to Obama to sign into law.

The bill, Obama's top domestic priority, expands the government health plan for the poor, imposes new taxes on the wealthy and bars insurance practices such as refusing to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions.

From www.heraldsun.com.au

The only people opposing this are those who are so selfish they care about no one else but themselves. To the opposition it is all about money, and nothing else.

They can still get rid of this if they choose to at the next election. Give poor people health insurance, then take it away. If they dare do that, I will have even less respect for America that I have now.

Cat Doused In Petrol, Set Alight

2010-03-15T01:23:00.000-07:00

One can only hope they catch the scumbag who did this, and lock them up:

ANIMAL welfare officers say they are appalled at the horrific death of a cat drenched with fuel and set alight in Perth.

The RSPCA has appealed for public information to track down the culprits.

A ranger investigated following a call from a resident in the eastern suburb of Bassendean on Friday evening after the dead cat was found at the entrance to a local reserve.

The animal, believed to about two years old, had been set alight and burned to death, the RSPCA said in a statement on Monday.

RSPCA spokesman Richard Barry said the cat's sex could not be determined due to the severity of the burns and any microchip would have been destroyed.

Part of its black tail was found close to the corpse.

From www.news.com.au

Imagine the pain and terror this animal would have felt. I cannot understand how someone could do this, knowing the agony it would cause the animal.
The person, or persons responsible, have no conscience at all.
I hope the police track down the bastards responsible and throw away the key.

Woman Aims To Be Worlds Fattest

2010-03-15T01:18:00.000-07:00

This is unbelievable. A woman, who is already morbidly obese, wants to double her size to become the worlds fattest woman:

DONNA Simpson already weighs 273kg, but she is determined to nearly double her size to become the world's fattest woman.

The 42-year-old from New Jersey, US, told the Daily Mail she was set on reaching the 450kg mark in just two years.

Remarkably she insisted she was healthy, despite now needing a mobility scooter when she goes shopping.

From www.news.com.au

She had 30 doctors deliver her daughter, and at the time was the worlds fattest mother. Now she plans on gaining more weight in order to reach her goal of a Guiness World Record.

Even more shocking, she claims to be healthy, even though she needs a mobility scooter to get around.

This woman needs help, and fast. Perhaps this is harsh to say, but I hope she suffers a heart attack. Perhaps that will make her realise how stupid she is being.

Korean Couple Raise Virtual Baby, Ignore Real Baby

2010-03-04T17:50:00.000-08:00

This couple spent up to 12 hours a day in internet cafes raising a 'virtual' child, while their infant daughter stayed home the entire time, and was given just one bottle of milk a day:

A COUPLE addicted to computer games let their real baby starve to death while raising a virtual daughter online.

Police said the couple spent up to12 hours a day at internet cafes, leaving their three-month-old daughter home alone at their apartment in Suwon, South Korea.

Police said the couple became obsessed with living online and neglected their real lives, The Sun reports.

They raised an avatar baby through their profiles on a Second Life-style game called PRIUS, while their real daughter was given just one bottle of milk a day.

From heraldsun.com.au

Thankfully, the police became suspicious about the baby being so dehydrated when the couple reported her death. They soon confessed, and havent been to an internet cafe for five months due to their feelings of guilt.

Whether they are sorry or not is no excuse. I dont know how tough Korean laws are, but I hope this couple get life.

Three Year Old Indian Boy Murdered

2010-03-04T17:38:00.000-08:00

Little Gurshan Singh was on a three month holiday to Australia with his family. He was due to go home tomorrow week. Yesterday, at midday, he disappeared, and six hours later, his body was found in a ditch:

UPDATE 12.27am: AN autopsy of the three-year-old Indian boy found dead after he vanished from his Melbourne home has not determined the cause of death.

Victoria Police Detective Inspector Steve Clark said the body of Gurshan Singh had no obvious signs of injuries and an autopsy had not revealed how he died.

"There has been an autopsy conducted and as I say a range of forensic testing needs to be carried out," he said.

Homicide detectives are leading the investigation, which is classified as a suspicious death.

As police work to find the boy's killer, the Indian Consul-General and members of the local Indian community have gathered to offer support to the family of murdered toddler Gurshan Singh.

The family of three-year-old Gurshan Singh found killed in grassland say they have not been allowed to see or identify the body.

Picture and article from the heraldsun.com.au

An autopsy hasnt been able to determine how he died, as there were no obvious injuries to his body. He was found about 20 kilometres from his home.

This case has again reignited debate about the death penalty. Everytime a child is murdered, the media like to conduct polls about the death penalty, most people vote in favour of it, and the media shove it in our faces and demand we bring the death penalty back.
Even if the killer, or killers of Gurshan were put to death, this little boy will not come back, and it will not take away his families grief.

The police are well on their way to finding the scum who took this little boys life. I hope this baby's killer rots.

Hospitals Paid To Harvest Organs

2010-02-20T18:29:00.000-08:00

Hospitals are being paid to harvest organs, prompting them to push family members into donating the organs of a loved one. I dont have a problem with this apart from the extra pressure on the family:

AUSTRALIA'S hospitals are being paid to harvest transplant organs from dead patients.

A controversial new "activity-based funding" program administered by the federal Organ and Tissue Authority is telling hospitals they can receive up to $11,400 for each patient who becomes a donor.

The funding is aimed at securing consent from grieving families and encouraging hospitals to keep alive critically ill patients who would normally not be revived.

"The additional funding provided over the payment for donors identified in the ICU recognises the need for the organ donation team to establish a rapport with the potential donor's family and facilitate family consent," the program's information notes say.

www.heraldsun.com.au

First of all, there is no excuse for people not to donate their organs. If you ask me, organ donation should be compulsary. But as I dont like forcing someone to use their bodies against their will, I think we should have a national opt out system - once you turn 18 you are automatically considered an organ donor unless you opt out. Other countries do it, we dont.
Regardless of your religion or culture, how could anything think that saving another life is morally wrong?

Aged Care 'Shame'?

2010-02-20T18:17:00.000-08:00

Seems the poor old folk in nursing homes are not getting to sleep in air conditioned comfort. Apparently, this is a 'shame':

ELDERLY nursing home residents are sweating through February's hottest nights in breathless non-airconditioned bedrooms that are up to 5C hotter than outside.

Bedridden residents, many wearing jumpers and tucked under blankets, are enduring hot nights in their rooms while other parts of the homes - such as dining rooms and lounges - are kept cool.

Temperature readings obtained from one nursing home in Melbourne's southeast showed bedrooms, with ceiling fans, were 34.9C at 7.45pm when it was 30.9C outside. But an airconditioned dining and TV room was 27C.

At another home for high-care residents, readings showed it was 30.7C in bedrooms at 6pm.

www.news.com.au

Who cares? Okay, we should care that they are getting too hot, but who are the idiots who allow them to go to bed with jumpers and blankets on? And what about those people who are too poor to afford air conditioning? What about them? Does anyone care that these poor people are also sweltering and becoming dehydrated? Or are they being ignored because they are not elderly?

Why must we pander to the old folk? They should have air condititioning, yes. Its important they keep cool - but at the same time, what about those who cant afford it? Lets give them air condititioners, too.

An 'investigation' discovered that residents were even waiting 'days' to see a doctor. Wow. Days? I've had to wait a week. So because these people are old they should see a doctor sooner than anyone else? What about those who cant afford to see a doctor? Oh wait, they are not old and therefore are not entitled to special treatment.

The 'investigation' also showed that racial tensions are high among foreign staff and residents due to the language barrier. Why are non English speaking people allowed to work anyway? Make them learn english and then give them a job. As for the racial tensions, well thats because old people tend to be racist. They are old fashioned - old people tend to be more homophobic, too. Dont believe me? You dont know many old people, then.

The residents rely on the nursing staff to make them drink because apparently, they wont drink unless the water is put in front of them. Well, guess what? Tough luck. Do what everyone else does - ask for a drink when you are thirsty.

I honestly dont care if you are old. I really dont. I am sick of this nation pandering to the elderly and ignoring others who are less fortunate. Its about time we stopped groveling to the old people and considered everyone else.

Yet Another American Shooting

2010-02-19T19:30:00.000-08:00

This time a teenager decides to play Russian Roulette and shoots himself in the head:

A 16-year-old boy from Salt Lake City accidentally shot himself dead during a game of Russian Roulette, believing the gun to be unloaded.

Salt Lake City Police say the boy was playing a card game with his friends when he retrieved the handgun, Fox 13 Utah reported today.

The teen emptied most of the shells from the gun, and, believing the gun was unloaded, pulled the trigger and shot himself in the head, police said.

Paramedics arrived on the scene and rushed the boy to the hospital. He was alive when emergency crews arrived but later died at the hospital.

www.news.com.au

The gun was apparenty his own, so how could he not have known that the gun was not unloaded? How can such an immature person have access, and even own, such a dangerous weapon?

Do Americans even care about the sheer number of people killed each year by firearms, or will they insist on clinging to their guns like petulant children?

Sean Penn Attacks Photographer

2010-02-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

I like how the papparazzi seem to think they can invade the private lives of celebrities, like the rich and famous are not entitled to privacy. I hope Penn manages to get the charges dropped:

OSCAR-winning actor Sean Penn has been slapped with criminal charges after allegedly attacking a photographer in Los Angeles last year, city prosecutors said.

Penn, 49, was charged with misdemeanour battery and vandalism following the incident involving the photographer in the upmarket district of Brentwood on October 2 last year, the Los Angeles City Attorneys Office confirmed.

Penn, who is alleged to have kicked his victim in the leg, is to be arraigned on March 22.

If convicted of the misdemeanour counts, Penn faces a maximum of 18 months in jail, according to a spokesman for the lawyer's office.

Penn won best actor Oscars for his performances in Mystic River and Milk. He was also nominated for his work in Dead Man Walking, I Am Sam and Sweet and Lowdown.

Penn has a history of violent confrontations with photographers. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail in 1987, serving roughly half that time behind bars, after attacking a photographer on a film set.

From www.news.com.au

At least someone out there has the guts to stand up to these pathetic, low life scumbags.

MP's Debate Surrogacy Laws

2010-02-10T22:41:00.000-08:00

We dont have these laws yet, the polititians are still discussing whether to allow this. Basically, it would allow gay and lesbian couples to have a child via a surrogate mother.
Some conservative MP's are opposed to the idea, comparing it to the Stolen Generation. The difference is that a surrogate actually WANTS to give the baby away, unlike victims of the Stolen Generation, who had no choice in the matter:

DEBATE enabling gay couples and singles to have a baby through altruistic surrogacy was held in the Queensland Parliament overnight.

State Parliament sat until the early hours to discuss the Bill which decriminalises altruistic surrogacy but it is now not expected to be passed until later today with dozens of MPs still to speak on it, The Courier Mail reports.

The Opposition is opposing the Bill while Labor MPs will be given a conscience vote although this is not expected to block it.

LNP MP Rob Messenger compared surrogacy arrangements to the Stolen Generation.

"Surrogacy still involves taking away a baby from its birth mother and it is fraught with moral, ethical and physical danger," he said.

Mr Messenger said single people who were not in a committed relationship should not seek to have a child because it was nature's way of saying they were not ready to be a parent, while he also rejected gay men as appropriate parents.

www.heraldsun.com.au

Is Mr. Messenger also claiming that women who have broken up with a boyfriend and are pregnant should not have a child either? After all, there is no longer a committed relationship.

I say we trial this, see how it goes. Of course you will have objections from the usual bunch of Bible bashers, but they are learning very quickly that they will not always get their way.

Another Elderly Driver Responsible For Death

2010-02-10T02:13:00.000-08:00

This time, an 89 year old ran into an 18 month boy, and killed him. Yet no one is demanding we take these people off the orads. All the focus is on P plate drivers. Yes, they like to drive fast, and yes, they act like idiots - but you dont hear about stories like this:

AN 18-month-old boy has been killed along with an elderly driver who veered off a busy main road and ploughed into him and his mother, Sky News reported.

The boy and his mother, believed to be in her early 20s, were on Water Street in Accrington, Lancashire, when the 89-year-old driver mounted the curb and crashed into them.

The trio were taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital where the child and the driver died.

The toddler's mother, from Accrington, is in a critical condition. She is being treated for multiple injuries and has been transferred to the Royal Preston Hospital.

www.heraldsun.com.au

Young drivers are more likely to speed, and do burnouts than they are to run over children. You hear about P plate drivers smashing their car into a tree killing the occupants, but you never hear about a P plate driver running into a child. Why is that?

Why are we allowing older drivers on the road? They have slower reaction times, they should be retested, and required to take a test every year in order to remain on the road.

Elderly Woman Hit By Car

2010-01-26T20:16:00.000-08:00

AN ELDERLY woman has died after being hit by a car.

Ambulance Victoria spokesman Ray Rowe said the woman, believed to be a 93-year-old from Broadmeadows, was hit about 7.20pm on the corner of Lygon and Elgin Streets, Carlton.

A police spokeswoman said the driver was a 76-year-old man from Keilor East who was travelling west on Elgin St.

He will not be charged by police.

The woman was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, but died a short time later.

Police will prepare a report for the Coroner

www.heraldsun.com.au

I only blogged this for one reason, to note the age of the driver. If he was a P plater, you can bet that he would have been charged.

If anyone can prove me wrong, I dare you to.

Photo Of Roo Kill Shocks Many

2010-01-26T20:04:00.000-08:00

The above image has shocked a lot of people after a policeman was 'forced' to dispose of the animal because they couldn't find anyone to assist.

UPDATE 12.04pm: THE image of a policeman shooting a stricken kangaroo has sparked heated debate, and shocked the man who took the picture.

The picture has sparked debate between the RSPCA and Police Association over a the officer's decision to shoot the injured kangaroo.

The image shows a police cocking the trigger and pointing his revolver at an injured kangaroo in a Melbourne street.

It was an emotional scene for animal lovers and wildlife carers, a scene that could have only one result.

www.heraldsun.com.au

While it was likely the animal would have been euthanised, I question doing it on a busy street. Also, they claimed they were unable to find anyone to help, well, what does one do if the vet is closed and your pet needs help? You don't kill the animal.
Even if help would have taken time to arrive, there is no reason why the animal could not have been kept calm, and at least given a chance to live. The roo suffered a broken leg, which is not a reason for euthanasing it. It was clearly in pain, but that doesn't mean this judgement call was the right call.

Tony Abbott's Stance On Virginity

2010-01-26T19:53:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I actually agree with him for once, and I can't understand the condemnation he has gotten:

WHEN Tony Abbott says he doesn't believe in sex before marriage, he's speaking as a parent, not issuing instructions to the world, the father of three daughters said.

In an interview with The Australian Women's Weekly, the federal Opposition Leader made comments for which he has drawn wide criticism.

Asked about his thoughts about sex before marriage, Mr Abbott said women should not give away their virginity too lightly.

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday said it was worrying that politicians should comment on what women should do with their bodies.

"I think that Julia plainly hasn't read the piece," Mr Abbott told Macquarie Radio this morning.

"I guess she's a politician who's trying to score political points but I was asked 'What's the advice I would give to my own kids?'.

"Obviously a parent talking to his or her own children is going to be saying different things than someone talking to the world at large ... and the last thing I would want to do is to impose my views on the wider world, but in my position I think I've got to be honest and upfront about what my views are."

www.heraldsun.com.au

You can also read the interview in the next edition of the Australian Women's Weekly.

I have never supported Abbott in anything, but I agree with him when he says that virginity should not be given lightly. That's a good belief to have, and to teach his daughters. Every girl needs to value and respect her body, and not throw away what she has.

What Abbott means, in that giving away virginity shouldn't be taken lightly, is that once it's gone, it's gone, and you cant get it back. He simply wants girls/women to make the right decision so they don't regret their choices later on. Simple as that.

As for his beliefs on sex before marriage, he isn't exactly a role model for that as we know he did enagge in relations before marriage - believing for 25 years that he had fathered a son with his high school sweetheart.

The number of complaints against Mr. Abbott, especially those from women is disappointing. He isn't forcing his views on anyone, he was asked these questions for a magazine interview and he answered them as honestly as he could. Do people expect him to keep quiet and not offer his opinion when a magazine comes calling?

Even the flack from Julia Rudd was surprising. I read the entire article and I saw nothing to indicate that he was dictating what women should and should not do with their bodies.

Give the guy a break.

Update On Another Recent Story

2010-01-26T19:50:00.000-08:00

It seems I am unable to edit after a certain period of time, so here is an update on the blog belong this one, about the two British boys were tortured two young lads because they were 'bored'.

Both were given indefinate jail terms for their crimes - which means they will be held until they are deemed to be safe for release.

News of their parents has also been circulating - the boys were abused, started smoking and drinking early and generally ran amok. The boys mother is reported to have fled the town in which they lived.

No word on the father of the boys.

UK Boys Tortured Victims Because They Were Bored

2010-01-21T23:41:00.001-08:00

And they only stopped because their arms were tired. This is unbelievable, and reminds me of the James Bulgar case:

A SHOCKED UK court has heard two brothers tortured two younger boys simply because they were bored.

The brothers - aged 10 and 11 - have admitted to grievous bodily harm charges after their victims were found bloodied, bruised and "waiting to die" in a wooded ravine near Doncaster.

The Sun reports the court heard how the brothers used "bricks, stones, pieces of wood, glass, barbed wire and cigarettes" to torture their victims, only stopping because their arms were "aching" and they "were tired".

www.news.com.au

This is sickening. It makes me wonder about children these days. These brothers worked together to lift up a 13kg rock so they could drop it on the head of their 11 year old victim. A nine year old was also sexually assaulted, and the brothers took photos of their injuries.

In court, when asked why they did it, they stated: "Cos there were nowt to do."

Are these brothers going to be let off because they are underage and apparently didn't realise the consequences of their actions? Or will they be put away for a long time to teach them a lesson?

Update On Recent Story

2010-01-21T23:36:00.000-08:00

Just yesterday, I blogged about a mother who had killed her severely disabled son by injecting him with heroin.
Well, she was found guilty, and sentenced to life. However, the judge imposed a minimum 9 year sentence, which he is allowed to do in special (mercy) cases.

The boy, Thomas, had been in a heavy coma since falling from a moving ambulance in 2001. He suffered severe head injuries, part of his skull was removed to relieve swelling, he had a tube in his throat to help him breath, he was fed through a tube and he could not speak.

In my opinion, his mother should not have been sent to prison at all. Who is a judge to basically state that someone must live out their days in pain, rather than die peacefully? Of course we cannot know if Thomas was in pain, but does that matter? He was a shadow of his former self, a vegetable. He could not communicate, and hadn't for nearly ten years. I certainly would not want one of my children having to endure a life like that.

Mum Kills Baby Daughter, Walks Free

2010-01-21T23:27:00.000-08:00

Before you get angered over the title, I should mention that the woman was a victim of domestic violence, and had only intended to scare her partner, before accidently stabbing her 16 month old daughter:

A YOUNG mother sobbed after a Perth Supreme Court judge told her she won't be jailed for the accidental stabbing death of her baby daughter.

PerthNow reports that Nicole Frances Bryan, 23, of Dawesville, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of her 16-month-old daughter Chenelle in March last year.

The WA Supreme Court was told today that Bryan, who had been a victim of serious domestic violence, had intended to scare her partner with a long-bladed kitchen knife, but when she attacked him she stabbed her daughter who was in his arms.

www.news.com.au

Apparently she wasn't aware the baby was in his arms. He had his back to her, and turned around, and the baby was stabbed in the chest.

I am glad she was given a suspended sentence. Yes, she killed her baby but it was accidental, and also being a victim of serious domestic violence, she has been through enough. It is obvious she is still suffering as a result of this.

I only wonder what became of her partner.

A Cheerful Photograph From A Scene Of Devastation

2010-01-21T00:25:00.001-08:00

I had to put this photograph in a separate entry:

This is 7 year old Kiki, who was pulled from the rubble of his home almost a week after an earthquake devastated Haiti.

His sister Sabrina was also pulled from the rubble, and survived.

I saw this little man on the news tonight, the rescue workers pulled him out, and he came out with his arms in the air. Almost brought a tear to my eye, so I had to share it.

The image comes from www.news.com.au so credit is where credit is due.

Aboriginals Complain (again) About Figure Skating Dance

2010-01-21T00:17:00.000-08:00

Seriously, is there ever a time when they are NOT whining about something or other?

AUSTRALIAN Aboriginal elders have accused Russian world figure skating champions Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin of stealing an Aboriginal dance idea and causing serious cultural offence.

The Russian pair, favourites to win gold at next month's Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, unveiled an Aboriginal-themed dance at a performance in St Petersburg three weeks ago.

The performance included ceremonial dance steps and dark bodysuits adorned with indigenous painted swirls in white, red loin cloths and eucalyptus-style leaves in bunches.

"It's very offensive," Sol Bellear of the New South Wales state Aboriginal Land Council said.

"We see it as stealing Aboriginal culture and it is yet another example of the Aboriginal people of Australia being exploited.

www.news.com.au

However, if read further down, the article states:

They (Domnina and Shabalin) recently told the ice-skating website Golden Skate that they created the new dance routine as something different after watching Aboriginal dance routines over the internet.

The dance was designed by them, NOT stolen as the Aboriginals claim. My guess is that even if this dance had incorporated the tiniest little scrap of an Aborginal dance, they would have complained.

Hopefully the complaint goes nowhere. It's time to concentrate on fixing the problems within your community. Complaining about a couple of world famous figure skaters makes you look fairly silly.

Mortuary Worker Seeks Compensation

2010-01-21T00:09:00.000-08:00

Amy Handel was employed for just two days and claims she saw multiple instances of 'violent' and 'unethical' treatment of bodies of patients at a Queensland hospital:

A FORMER Queensland Health mortuary worker says she has suffered a debilitating psychological injury after witnessing the "violent and unethical'' treatment of bodies of patients at a north Queensland hospital.

Speaking publicly for the first time, Amy Handel, who has worked in the aged care and funeral industries, said she witnessed a shocking mistreatment of bodies in just two days of employment at the Cairns Base Hospital mortuary 18 months ago.

"I have suffered a horrendous debilitating injury due to what I had to witness in a position as a mortuary attendant,'' she said in Cairns.

She said in one instance staff at the mortuary broke the arm of a male corpse to remove his T-shirt, rather than using a pair of scissors to severe the garment.

www.news.com.au

While I would certainly not condone such ill treatment against any 'patient' I find it interesting that after just two days of employment, Ms. Handel decided to complain. The first thing that sprang to mind was that she was a disgruntled employee.
I think it's important to wait for more facts to arise before I pass judgement. There was an investigation and it found no basis for Handel's claims.

Watch this space.

Woman Wakes Next To Dead Son

2010-01-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

Normally I would feel compassion for the woman - which I do - but the fact that she gave birth to another son who also died raises my suspicions slightly:

A 19-YEAR-OLD student from Texas claimed she had been unaware she was pregnant when she apparently gave birth to a son - who then died - in her sleep.

The Houston Chronicle reports Keneshia Pettigrew - an honours student at Prairie View A&M University - told authorities she had fallen asleep after taking three Tylenol pills for cramping.

She later awoke to find her lifeless son lying next to her in the bedroom of her campus apartment.

The nearly full-term infant was alive and weighed 2.8kg when he was born on February 18 last year, a newly released autopsy report from the Harris County Medical Examiner has revealed.

Authorities said that two years earlier Ms Pettigrew acknowledged delivering another baby boy, who was declared stillborn by a medical examiner, while alone.

This could just be a very unlucky case, but it warrants further attention based on the fact she birthed another child, who also died. The first child was stillborn, and this new son was born alive - but that raises a question: Why didn't she hear the child screaming? There is no word on whether the cord was wrapped around his nec, which may have prevented him from crying, so I will try and keep up to date with this case as I'd be interested in seeing how it turns out.

Mum Kills Son With Heroin

2010-01-14T21:28:00.000-08:00

Her son apparently suffered a severe brain injury after falling from an ambulance in 2007, and she wanted to end his suffering:

A TRAINEE nurse in London told a court how she injected her brain-damaged son with a lethal heroin overdose out of "love and not malice".

The Sun reports Ms Inglis's 21-year-old son, Tom, had been left helpless after falling from a moving ambulance in July 2007.

Ms Inglis injected Tom with heroin at a care home two months later to "put an end to his suffering".

Ms Inglis said she held her son and watched as his life slipped away, judges at the Old Bailey heard.

www.news.com.au

My guess is that if she had done the 'right' thing and gone to court requesting to put an end to her sons life, her appeal would have been rejected. Acting this way was the only way she could ensure her son could finally pass away painlessly.

I hope the wheels of justice do not come down on her too hard. She killed her son out of compassion, and love - how can anyone wish to punish a woman for loving her son?

Road Rage To Blame For Fetal Death

2010-01-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

Sad story indeed, but there are a few points I wish to make:

Road rage was to blame for the death of a woman's unborn baby in a horror crash in Melbourne nine days ago, a court has heard.

Indian migrant Amrick Thind, 22, has been granted bail over the December 27 crash that left an eight-month pregnant woman seriously injured, according to the Herald Sun.

Her unborn assisted-conception baby did not survive the crash.

More at www.news.com.au - my apologies but I cannot provide a direct link. It doesn't allow me to.

I wish to make two points here, and I am sure you can figure out what is so odd:

1. These men were not charged with 'dangerous driving causing death' which would have covered the death of the fetus.

2. The death of the fetus was included as part of the Xmas road toll.

See the problem? You cannot die on the roads if you are a non person. In order to be counted as part of the road toll, the fetus must be considered a person.
Therefore, the men responsible for the death of the fetus should be charged with causing her death.

We cannot have your law claim that the fetus is person enough to be counted as part of the road toll, but not person enough to enable charges brought against those who killed her. Remember, this unborn was just two weeks from being born. She was perfectly viable. If born that day, she would have lived.

A few weeks on, another pregnant woman was in a car accident, and lost her unborn child. Because she was less than 24 weeks pregnant, the fetal death was not counted as part of the road toll. This woman was 19 weeks.

So, we have established that at 24 weeks, a fetus is important enough to be added to the road toll, but not important enough for the powers that be to seek justice for her death?

I'm sure I'm not the only one who sees the hypocrisy in this.

Americans Are Stupid

2010-01-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

Plain and simple. Obviously, not all Americans are stupid, but these ones sure make the US look bad:

KFC Australia has responded to anger in the US over a "racist" ad by pulling it from the airwaves.

In the "cricket survival guide" ad, an Australian fan named Mick asks viewers "Need a tip when you're stuck in an awkward situation?" after being surrounded by cheering West Indies fans.

He then shares a bucket of KFC chicken with fans around him to calm the situation.

The ad was seen by some in the US as a reference to racial stereotype that African Americans eat fried chicken.

More at www.news.com.au - the video is also on YouTube, if you wish to search.

So this ad, which is only to be screened in Australia, has been taken off air because the dumb Yanks complained. So black people eat fried chicken, therefore it must be offensive to even SUGGEST they eat fried chicken? I guess it would also be offensive for me to assume that Italians like pizza, or that the Chinese eat fried rice. How racist of me to think such a thing.

Could a nice American please tell these whingers to STFU?

Gay Couple Arrested For Getting Engaged

2009-12-29T23:33:00.000-08:00

I am still amazed at the fact there are still some countries that will punish people simply for being different. This couple was arrested for holding an engagement ceremony, and now face up to 14 years in prison.

Two gay men arrested in Malawi after getting engaged are to be charged with gross public indecency, police say.

"We arrested them because they committed an offence; homosexuality in Malawi is illegal," police spokesman Davie Chingwalu told the BBC.

Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza held a traditional engagement ceremony over the weekend - believed to be the first gay couple in Malawi to do so.

Homosexuality carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years in Malawi.

The pair are being held in separate cells in Blantyre until their case is heard, Mr Chingwalu told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

The BBC website is reporting that the men are being held in separate cells, but may not be freed for a few more days as the judiciary in in it's Xmas recess.

Malawi is apparently a very conservative country, but it does have a group of gay rights campaigners, who state that even locking these men up for 20 years will not change their sexual orientation.

I realise there are those out there who believe a few prayers will set you on the right path, but it doesn't work that way. It's sickening to know that in this day and age, homosexuals are still discriminated against. Even worse is there are still folk out there who happily condone this treatment.

Bring Back Corporal Punishment?

2009-12-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

Are people nuts? I wouldn't want anyone smacking my child, no matter how much they were misbehaving:

MOST parents believe that teachers should have more power to discipline kids, while a significant minority support a return to corporal punishment.

And a vast majority of parents think that teachers are too politically correct.

The Herald Sun survey of parents with children at school was conducted earlier this month.

Do you think corporal punishment should return? Have your say below

It found that nearly 60 per cent of respondents thought teaching standards were good or excellent, 28 per cent believed they were average and 12 per cent said they were poor or very poor. Just over half said teachers were not paid enough.

The survey revealed 80 per cent said teachers should get more power to discipline students, including 22 per cent who believed this should extend to corporal punishment.

www.heraldsun.com.au

There is no reason to bring back the cane. What if, for example, a teacher were to hit a child for some minor misbehaving? How severe would the childs behavior have to be before he was spanked? How would this be policed? I worry about teachers abusing their students this way, it wouldn't be too hard - just argue that the child was being naughty.

Things may be too politically correct, for example, a teacher can't even comfort a child who is injured for fear they will be sued for sexual assault, but this can change. We need to change the laws to allow teachers to comfort students, or to place a hand on a students shoulder when escorting them from the classroom, for example - but we do not need to bring back the cane.

Cost Of Cigarettes To Rise By Half

2009-12-27T19:48:00.000-08:00

Sounds good to me - $20 a pack would hopefully encourage people to quit:

Victorian doctors are calling on the state government to raise the cost of cigarettes to $20 a pack to help cut smoking rates.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) Victoria has called on the government to introduce a new tobacco transaction tax that would raise the cost of a pack of 30 cigarettes to about $20 from July 2012.

AMA Victoria president Harry Hemley said that in a survey this year, three quarters of smokers said they would quit if the price of cigarettes rose by half.

www.heraldsun.com.au

Of course, you will always have the desperados out there who would prefer to puff on a cancer stick rather than feed their families, but I imagine that a good many would simply give up, or cut down dramatically. This can only be a good thing. Raise the prices so high people can't afford it.

If you don't quit after this, you're a bloody fool.

Suicide Pills For Christmas Presents?

2009-12-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

Dr Philip Nitschke says that elderly people are buying each other suicide pills for Xmas presents, and his comments have outraged Right to Life and Christian groups:

Speaking at Tweed Heads in New South Wales yesterday on a new "peaceful pill" suicide method being developed overseas, Dr Nitschke's comments sent right-to-life campaigners and church groups into a frenzy, The Courier Mail reports.

Asked whether it was in the spirit of the season to be publicising ways of ending life just a week before Christmas, Dr Nitschke said he was always going to attract criticism.

"Our main opposition is from religious groups who would still be getting outraged at Easter, or any other time of year for that matter," he said.

More at www.news.com.au

Graham Preston, from Right to Life Queensland, said "A pill to kill yourself and your loved one as a Christmas present is absolutely reprehensible,".

Peter Earle from the Christian Lobby said no time of year was a good time to talk about euthanasia, saying "Christmas is about giving people hope and life - how tragic Dr Nitschke would darken family lives with death at this time"

So Xmas isnt a good time to speak about ending your life painlessly, and with dignity, but at Easter it's a good time to sit around and discuss a guy who allowed himself to be tortured and crucified? Which would you rather speak of?

People who have experienced the pain of losing a loved one tend to be stronger supporters of euthanasia. Those who believe that everyone has the right to life are entitled to their opinions, but who are they to tell me that I cannot make a decision to end my life when I get old?

Jill Kleinman watched her husband lose a long battle with cancer, and says "No one should have to die like that, so I am very interested in being able to buy something like this for myself"

Right to Life groups would prefer she suffer until her last breath, rather than choose to end her life painlessly, and the way she chooses.

Most Australians support assisted suicide, so why doesn't the government listen to us, instead of telling us what we can and cannot do with our own bodies?

Mary And Joseph Sex Billboard Offends Christians

2009-12-16T17:11:00.000-08:00

Of course it does, Christians are offended by everything:

A RISQUE billboard that depicts Jesus's mother looking dejected after unsatisfying sex with Joseph has given Kiwi Catholics a nasty pre-Christmas surprise.

The huge ad erected in downtown Auckland today shows the unhappy couple in bed accompanied by the slogan: "Poor Joseph. God was a hard act to follow".

In the fresco-style work, Joseph looks down red-faced while an anguished Mary looks to the heavens.

More at www.news.com.au

Here is the billboard in question:

A spokeswoman for the church says that the inference was wrong - claiming that for 2000 years, Christians have believed Mary remained a virgin.

So Mary never consumated her marriage with her husband? Why get married? So it would be more acceptable for her to bear another mans child?

A progressive Christian church came up with the billboard, meant to engage non belivers.
So if this was meant to engage non believers into having faith, why would anyone be opposed to it? Isn't making people interested in God meant to be a good thing?

Obviously not.

Miracle Birth After Homeless Woman Survives Attack

2009-12-08T23:57:00.000-08:00

I always wonder what it with America. Why is it that we hear about women arrested for cutting a child out of another womans womb? Luckily, this woman lived to tell the tale, and she gave birth to a healthy baby girl, whom she named Miracle:

A HOMELESS woman has given birth to a baby girl after another woman allegedly tried to cut it from her womb.

Veronica Deramous, of Maryland, US, has been charged with attempted first-degree murder after she befriended the 29-year-old homeless woman and lured her to her apartment with promises of food and clothing.

Police say once the woman arrived at Ms Deramous’s apartment, she was bound with duct tape and held for five days.

During that time, police allege Ms Deramous tried to cut the woman’s unborn baby from her abdomen. The woman was in her third trimester at the time.

More at www.news.com.au

What goes through the minds of people like this? I can understand a woman being desperate for a child, but to harm, even kill another innocent person to fulfil your desire is just...well, words can't describe.

It's lucky that the woman survived the attack. The only concern I have is the fact she is homeless. Hopefully, she now has a roof over her head and food and clothing for her newborn baby.

Ohio Practicing New Ways To Kill People

2009-12-08T23:49:00.000-08:00

Yes folks, the state of Ohio is using death row inmates as human guinea pigs. They are practicing new ways of killing the inmate. Instead of using the three drugs required in a lethal injection, they wish to use just one - Sodium Thiopental - but two and a half times more than the dose they usually administer:

OHIO has put to death a convicted murderer with just one drug in a new procedure that has opened up a host of legal and ethical questions over lethal injection and capital punishment.

Critics held that Kenneth Biros, sentenced to death for killing and dismembering a 22-year-old woman in 1991, was a human guinea pig being subjected to an untested procedure.

Those in favour said the new method will be more humane and efficient than the three-drug cocktail used in 34 of the 35 other states where capital punishment is still practised in the US.

More at www.news.com.au

They turned to this 'new' procedure after the botched execution of Romell Broom, in which they spent two hours searching for a vein. They gave up after 18 attempts.

So I wonder how this is going to make things better? What if they again have trouble finding a vein? What if the inmate suffers extreme paid because those who administer the lethal medicine are not medical professionals?
The US doesn't care about the suffering of these people. Many people believe that because they committed a crime, they have forfeited their right to live. Maybe that is so - but what right do we have to take a life? What right do we have to take the lives of those we deem undesirable?

Thank goodness I live in a country which abolished the death penalty years ago.

Mother Of Dean Shillingsworth Jailed For 25 Years

2009-12-08T23:41:00.000-08:00

Many Aussie's may remember hearing about the little boy found dead in a suitcase, after he was thrown into a pond. Many may also remember his mother, Rachel, being charged with his murder. Well, today baby Dean got his long awaited justice. Rachel Pfitzner was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his murder:

SHE murdered her beautiful toddler in the most abhorrent way - swinging little Dean Shillingsworth around by his hooded top until he choked, before packing his body in a suitcase and tossing it into a dirty pond.

But justice has found its way to murderous mother Rachel Pfitzner, a judge jailing her for more than 25 years.

Pfitzner, 28, wiped away tears as Justice Robert Hulme detailed her troubled past and the "callous" murder of Dean in October 2007.

Justice Hulme did not find Pfitzner was substantially remorseful, nor had she yet accepted responsibility for what she had done - so sentenced her to a minimum term of w9 years and two months.

More at www.news.com.au

I for one, am glad this poor excuse for a mother has been locked away. To feel no remorse for killing your own flesh and blood is mind boggling.
Some people are simply not meant to be parents, and Rachel Pfitzner is one of them.

Smoking Warnings May Make People Smoke?

2009-12-08T23:34:00.000-08:00

Apparently, a study has shown that warnings of death on cigarette packets actually make smokers smoke more - supposedly to cope with the inevitablity of death:

CIGARETTE pack warnings that remind smokers of the fatal consequences of their habit may actually make them smoke more as a way to cope with the inevitability of death.

A small study by psychologists from the United States, Switzerland and Germany showed that warnings unrelated to death, such as "smoking makes you unattractive" or "smoking brings you and the people around you severe damage", were more effective in changing smokers' attitudes towards their habit.

More at www.news.com.au

Are they serious? This study was based on just 39 people who took part. If it is to be taken literally, I honestly don't care. If someone doesn't stop smoking even though they know it will kill them someday, then that's just more fool them.

Perhaps we should deny them medical treatment as an incentive to quit? Perhaps if they knew that if they become ill with lung cancer, for example, they would have to pay for their medical treatment out of their own pocket?
I'm quite sure that after the smokers get angered over this - I mean, how dare non smokers refuse to pay for the smokers irresponsiblity? - they will quit in droves. It's time to get tough. Smoking harms not only you, but the people around you, and doesn't do much for our environment.

'Tough' New Laws For Child Rapists?

2009-12-06T00:32:00.000-08:00

Depends what your definition of 'tough' is:

CHILD sex offenders will have up to 15 years added to their jail terms under tough new laws to be introduced in Victorian Parliament this week.

The maximum penalty for offenders who sexually assault children younger than 12 will be lifted from 10 to 25 years under the legislation to be announced on Tuesday.

Currently, the maximum 25-year penalty is handed only to paedophiles who sexually assault children younger than 10.

More at the www.news.com.au website

The government has been pushed into changing the laws after a 10 year old girl was assaulted in her bed, and her attacker was sentenced to a maximum of nine years in prison - because the youngster had her tenth birthday just two weeks before.

If the attack took place two weeks earlier, her attacker, Stephen Maurice, would have been sentenced to a maximum of twenty five years.

I do, however, disagree with Attorney-General Rob Hulls when he claims that the new laws will lead to fewer sex crimes on children. I honestly don't believe a child sex offender is going to ponder the fact that they could be locked up for twenty five years, and then decide not to offend. They will offend regardless - the benefit is that these offenders will be locked away for many more years than they are currently.

Dennis Ferguson Ordered To Leave Public Pool

2009-11-29T21:30:00.000-08:00

He was ordered to leave, despite the fact that he was well within his legal rights to be there:

CONVICTED pedophile Dennis Ferguson has been ordered to leave an inner Sydney swimming pool, packed with children attending an open day.

A member of the public contacted the pool's management after spotting Mr Ferguson going into the changeroom of the complex on Sunday, Channel 7 reported.

Hundreds of people, including many children, were attending an open day at the pool at the time.

Police were contacted and officers approached Mr Ferguson, who completed a 14-year sentence for sexually assaulting three children aged six, seven and eight in a Brisbane motel in 1987.

Channel 7 said there was no suggestion by police or any member of the public that Mr Ferguson was doing anything wrong when he was asked to leave.

So the man wasn't doing anything wrong, he was well within his rights to be there, but just because there were children in attendance, and the man is a convicted pedophile, he was removed by police.

So just what is going on? The man is a convicted pedophile, yet he was released from prison, and should have been given the same legal entitlements as anyone else, yet he is still prevented from going swimming - at a pool or even the beach - despite the fact he was not breaking any laws.

Now, I may seem like I am on the side of a pedophile, and in this case, I am. Ferguson was doing nothing wrong. He had broke no laws, and was within his rights to attend that public swimming pool. If he had refused to leave, would he have been removed by force? And if so, for what reason?

People are happy to complain, and feign outrage over his cheek to visit this pool, but they really should be blaming the legal system which made it possible for him to be released in the first place.

Increase In Numbers Of Teen Abortions

2009-11-20T21:44:00.001-08:00

Here's something for the lunatic right to attack:

MORE than 3350 young women had abortions in Victoria last year - at the alarming rate of nine each day.

The shocking number of unwanted pregnancies included 209 abortions performed on girls under 16, several without their parents' knowledge.

At least two 12-year-olds had terminations, the Herald Sun reports.

The number of young teens seeking abortions has left staff at some clinics deeply concerned.

Some blame poor sex education at schools and anticipate a rush of "schoolies" seeking advice about unplanned pregnancies in coming months.

More at www.news.com.au

Many may claim this type of thing would be expected after the Victorian government decriminalised abortion late last year. They claimed it would lead to yet more abortions - but the figures are actually down 12%. There has been no change at all in the number of abortions, but perhaps (if we can take this article seriously) there has been an increase in teenage abortions.

And yes, they are able to obtain an abortion without parental consent, which, I believe, is fair.
Dont think so? Lets consider the fact that some parents would force their child to bear a child against her will, therefore taking away her right to choose, her right to decide what to do with her own body. Parents do not own their children, they do not claim ownership of their bodies. A child has the right to make certain decisions, provided those decisions affect no one else.
Right to lifers are welcome to claim that the decision to abort affects the fetus, but how, exactly? This is a non sentient being who cannot hear, see or speak, and is not aware of their own existance.

One can also make the claim that sex education is obviously not working. Not true. It works - the fact that the rate of abortions is down 12% is proof of that.
I'd like to see stats on the number of teens who chose to give birth to their babies, and compare those sums against the numbers of abortions. The article may not mean that more teens are having abortions, simply that more teens are choosing to exercise their right to choose.