...and a Happy New Year

Yes I know I should have posted a review of the year in which AJ was born here on my ever-less-frequently-updated blog, and I will. However, that reeks of effort, whereas I can toss off ill-educated spleen vents with relative ease. And let's be honest, that is what you expect. So, some random musings.

First; next time you have the opportunity to "let's be honest" in conversation try to say "lesbian nest" instead. Said quickly it sounds similar enough that you will get away with it, and it will brighten your day just a wee bit.

Apparently McDonalds Drive-Thru are now open 24hrs at participating reataurants. Surely that has always been so?

There is a huge freeway-side billboard beside the freeway I ride by on my way home. The bear-bile advert (well, anti bear bile actually) is long gone and it is replaced with a massive Pepsi advert. As far as I can tell Pepsi is a fizzy drink that has not changed significantly in decades, so that ad does little more than scream "we're still here you know!" Thanks for that.

Top news item yesterday on the Sydney Morning Herald told us that Heiress Casey Johnson had been found dead at age thirty, in LA. Who? I suspect this is news here in Sydney because she was rich, a piss head and had plenty of lesbian lovers. Maybe because she was a reality TV show star, though not on any show I know about. We love that shit here in here in Sydney. Cannot fathom why it was not on the Guardian website. Props to my brother for pointing out that this is, actually, news because it is new. Climate Change, war, famine, plague, scientology and so on - not new.

Enough for now.

OK honey, give daddy the keys to the yacht, there's a good girl

Interesting story on yahoo news regarding

A 16-year-old schoolgirl tried to contact the crew of a foreign cargo ship before it collided with her yacht, causing a setback in her bid to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

The story goes on to suggest she crashed into it rather than the other way around

But her yacht crashed into a 63,000-tonne cargo vessel in a busy shipping lane at 2.30am (AEST) on Wednesday, 15 nautical miles east of North Stradbroke Island's Point Lookout.

We learn this about the lass

Ms Watson left Mooloolaba on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on Tuesday on a 10-day preliminary solo journey to Sydney in her 10.4-metre sloop Ella's Pink Lady.

Hold on. She started at Mooloolaba on Tuesday and crashed into a 63,000-tonne cargo vessel off North Stradbroke on Wednesday? A cargo vessel she had been in contact with. I'm starting to think she should stick to netball until she leaves school. On a warm up sail for a trip that, according to sailblogs.com, would be quite a long way...

The Vendee Globe Challenge, Solo Nonstop Round the World Race chooses a route that is about the shortest route - around the bottom of Africa and S. America, staying far south where the distance is shortest, and their minimum course distance is 22,600 nautical miles, or 41,855 km.

...she managed to travel about 100km before crashing into a really, really big boat. In a shipping lane. In calm conditions. I mean, it isn't as if the vessel was hiding behind a tree and suddenly jumped out in front of sloop.

Good work love. Wonder what mum and dad still fully support you following this particular dream? The article only lets us know what the "family media spokesman" has to say. I think I'd be saying something along the lines of "you have got to be fucking well joking."

As an aside, why is it relevant that the cargo ship was "foreign"? What value does that add to the story? Why should that be in the first paragraph? Had it been an Australian ship she hit would we have been told it was an Australian ship? Hmmm.

"what is being written is terrible" says friend

Local Parish priest says

They are a lovely family and I have the greatest love and respect for them

OK Father, that is all very well. However, and I do not want to rush to judge, you have the greatest respect for a person

• involved in supplying prostitutes
• in business he was ruthless and violent.
• loan shark and standover man.
• pay slips he had provided to obtain the loan had been forged.
• was employed as a debt collector.
• finance company was trying to repossess the Mercedes
• both an alcoholic and a heavy cocaine user
• Hot on his heels were Customs officers with a deportation notice
• would open up the back of his car and have a load of knock-off designer handbags

I don't doubt he was a lovely family man. However...

smoke and mirrors

A story about a dead smoker's daughter. In 2002 a jury recommends 28000000000 dollars in punitive damages in favour of a smoker with lung cancer who claimed she was duped by a lack of health warnings from Philip Morris. The big numbers were punitive damages based on the tobacco company being bastards. The judge reduced the figure to 28000000. In 2009 a Jury decides (9-3) a figure of 13800000 is to go to a new plaintiff, the daughter of the original plaintiff who died in 2003, aged 64.

Now, I am not fan of tobacco companies, far from it. They should be fucking hammered for any cover ups and wilful endangerment to life in the pursuit of stock-holder wealth creation. But awarding a massive payout to the daughter of a woman who kept smoking after becoming aware of the health risks is a bit fucking rich. She started smoking at 17 and smoked for over 40years.

Sad though it is for the woman to die what was probabaly a horrible death, and for her daughter to suffer too, it is worth noting the mum had a good innings. She was born around 1939-1941 when the average life expectancy in the US was 63.62. (That link is to a pdf, so I'd not bother clicking and trawling through it. Trust me.) She lived longer than average life expectancy, albeit only just, despite refusing to give up smoking, something she knew was bad for her.

Hammer the company; but lets not talk-up fuckwits.

And another thing. Rather than ban smoking in certain public places - restaurants and cafes, pubs, railway stations and so on, and rather than putting no "smoking signs", often ignored, outside of offices how about ban smoking everywhere and make those who wish to cater to smokers while they smoke provide for them? I am getting sorely fucked off with smokers being herded into areas that are really rather nice. Sydney is blessed with particularly nice weather and I like to sit outside. But as smoking is now banned in almost all enclosed spaces you find dense concentrations of smokers outside. Bollocks to that; give them a fucking sealed room in which to chug on their cancer sticks so the rest of us can breath the relatively clean air outside our cafes. And never, EVER remove the butts from the sealed room so that over time the inconsiderate fucks can drown in a sea of their own waste. And no apology is offered to so-called considerate smokers. If you're that fucking consierate you shoudl consider quitting.

Ah, that was better.

fairness and leniency

Andrews' mother, Simone Headley, said the pair were "traumatised" and appealed for "fairness and leniency" from the legal authorities in Brazil.

OK, I should wait until I know all the facts. But I won't because that just isn't fun. Here is the story.

Shanti Andrews and Rebecca Turner, both 23-year-old law graduates, were arrested on Sunday and accused by police in Rio de Janeiro of fraudulently claiming they had been robbed.

Looks like the British authorities are trying to help.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm the arrest of two British nationals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 26 July. We are providing consular assistance."

But hold on. Three days after a supposed theft the pair report it to the police. Why not straight away? And then the mobile phones and iPods they claimed were stolen - their vastly more valuable passports had not been stolen - are found in a locker at the hostel they were staying in.

In my Judge Judy capacity I say fuck 'em. The Brazilian authorities should, of course, treat them fairly. If you commit fraud and get caught you should be nicked and face the consequences. That sounds fair to me. As for leniency, well that doesn't come into it. A crime has a punishment, just suck it up ladies.

Next!

Girl Doesn't Die of Swne Flu

Great work from the Sydney Morning Herald. A story about the death of a 4yr old child is hijacked by Swine Flu.

The girl, from Doomadgee, had been ill for days and was turned away from the Doomadgee Hospital several times in the past week before being admitted on Wednesday.

She died on Thursday before her family could get her transferred to the larger Mount Isa Hospital.

That is tragic and there is a story there; why was she turned away? The article goes on:

Queensland health Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young on Saturday said the girl had tested negative to human swine influenza and flu.

The piece does not mention other things she did not die of, so I assume she did not get hit by an asteroid, run over by a tractor or cooked in a microwave. Some people may be interested to know she did not die of influenza; I would rather know what she did die of, or that we don't yet know. The article goes on:

Dr Young said the health department would conduct a "root cause analysis into the death" and the case would be reviewed by the coroner.

Which is good. It continues:

Dr Young said Queensland Health would be supplying as much of the antiviral drug Tamiflu that was needed to indigenous communities.

Tamiflu stocks had been sent to cover 20 per cent of indigenous communities populations, she said.

"However that is just the starting point. We will send as much as is needed," she said.

What? Ok, the tamiflu thing is a good, pat on the back for that. But delivery of tamiflu to indigenous comunities has nothing whatsoever to do with the death of this girl. Can we talk about that? Or about another issue mentioned in the article, the attitude of doctors and nurses to aboriginal people? Anyone like to hear about that? Or do we simply give a collective sigh of relief that there has not been another swine flu death?

Odd article.

miracle or not? you decide.

Kevin Rudd, Australia's populist look-at-me-look-at-me PM was in Rome yesterday where he met with Pope Benny the former Hitler Youth. So, as happens when Benny makes the news here in Aus, we have a story about the canonisation of Mary Mackillop. Mary, a dead nun, has been beatified. In 1961 an woman who was apparently terminally ill prayed for the Killop's beatification. The woman was still alive in 1995 ad therefore we have a miracle that can be attributed to blessed Mary. I shit you not. No raising the dead, no water into wine or sea parting. Not even a fucking card trick hat appears impossible.

Ahem, anyway, to become a saint you need a second miracle rubber-stamped by Rome and, many Aussies reckon there is just such a miracle. In fact the evidence (not that evidence seems important in matters of faith) is in front of the relevant authorities. I'll let you decide. Horrifically injured little girl is airlifted to hospital, recieves masses of medical treatment and is no dead. Medical treatment or the interjection of a dead nun?

One thing I am fairly sure about. This should not be a news story in a modern, secular country. Actually, no, let me change my mind. This is permissible as news if equal airtime is set aside for all the other crazy-voodoo-shit mumbo-jumbo non-Catholics believe.

two words too many

just Darfur?
Originally uploaded by Auswomble

A small group of youths were gathered by the Harbour in Sydney today. The group were, according to their t-shirts, "Youth Against Genocide in Darfur." Sounds like a noble cause. But read it again. Youth against genocide in Darfur. Am I alone in thinking there is no need to be against a specific genocide? Does that slogan hide the sinister implication that they are not against other genocides? I understand that being against one thing does not mean you are for or not against another. But I see no justification for being against a single genocide. Genocide bad, period.

Maybe I'd have been less sensitive to the t-shirt had the first wearer I spotted not been wearing a yarmulke. Now I know that Jewish does not equal Israeli and I suspect the Intifadah is more ethnic cleansing than genocidal. But I did find it strange. This from the group's Facebook page that I will not link to.

We believe that as co-existing human beings, we cannot stand idly by as the situation in Darfur deteriorates.

Replace the word Darfur with Palestine. The mastermind behind YAGID is Jewish and yagid is a Hebrew word meaning "he will tell." Not sure who he is and what he'll tell. Maybe its me and I'll tell them to be less specific with their genocide of choice.

Here is an interesting article on the situation in Palestine. I freely admit I know nowhere near enough about to be able to make definite, objective statements about. So I'll say that in my opinion it is right fucked up and Israelis need to sort their shit out because bombing the fuck out of civilain areas, stealing land and violating international law - even if you ignore that law - makes you look like tossers. None of which excuses Palestinians from lobbing bombs about. Anyway, back to Sydney.

Also strange was the behavior of said t-shirt wearer. When I first saw him he was "lurking" in a gents toilet at Sydney's Circular Key. Not a George Michel lurk, rather he seemed to be waiting - but not for a seat. He waited until the very far end of the piss-trough became available - I slotted in half way along, there was plenty of space. He faced into the corner lest anyone should glimpse his pecker. Again, odd. Maybe a religious thing? I feel a pang of pity for people who display such odd behaviour. For the record, I've always been a person who'll take the first available spot at the troughs; I'm there to take a slash and frankly the less time I spend in public lavs the better. If you want to have a sneaky peak at my cock then knock yourself out - but expect a firm "FUCK OFF" should I catch you perving.

chk-chk-bullshit

I may as well add my two cents to the Clare Werberloff story.

So, this fat nigger shot this skinny nigger, chk-chk-BOOM!

I'm not sure I'd get away with saying that. I'd definitely not get away with it in London. But it looks like our Clare's fat and skinny wog reference has not only reignited the debate racism debate in Australia, it seems she may get a media career from her party-piece. Lucky her. If you're one of the four internet users not yet to view her performance you can visit Youtube and search for Chk-Chk-Boom. You'll find the eye witness report she gave to a shooting she did not witness. And the "Club Mix" of said report. I mean like man, it is just so funny right!

I think a great many Australians have a relaxed attitude to things many people regard racist. There is a casual attitude to language that stereotypes people. But worse, pointing this out is regarded as somewhat un-Australian. Starting the debate is taken as an attack on Australia and Australians. It is all rather quaint really.

At work i was discussing this with two colleagues, both level headed, articulate white Australian men. They could not be convinced Australia has this casual attitude. I asked one what he'd call a large house with stone pillars and maybe marble lions at its ornate gates. The answer - a "wog mansion." And that isn't just a little bit racist? Maybe the smallest bit culturally insensitive, if not racist? No. What, he asked, did we call such houses in England? Well, I explained, we may refer to a house as Georgian or Edwardian, maybe Tuscan or like a Swiss Chalet. We may single out a house and it's owner for shocking bad taste - mock Tudor is architecturally shocking - but we'll not label an architectural style by reference to the accent and skin colour of the people who typically build such houses. He was a bit shocked. but not as shocked as I was when I saw his shock.

The other guy handed me a win on plate. Soccer, or Association Rules Football or just plain Football (as it is called in most countries in which it is played) was often, and sometimes still is referred to as "wog ball". Why? Well, Rugby League and Australian Rules Football were already called football and Soccer was played by the wogs. Easy. Wog, in the Australian vernacular, is a catch-all for people whose ancestry might be traced back to somewhere near the Mediterranean; typically Italians and Greeks. Or if they look like they might.

The same tired old defense to the charge of racism is trotted out each time the conversation is started. Wogs call each other wogs and it is a term of endearment, a jokey, matey term. So if Chris Rock calls his black friends niggers then nigger is acceptable? If you're black? Not convinced, and anyway Clare isn't a wog; she is a white Australian from Sydney's Northern Beaches. What about the term of endearment argument? How was an eyewitness report of a shooting where the gunman and his victim were unknown to Clare in any way endearing?

Clare may get a media career from her "possibly" racist remarks. Some are saying she is a smart girl and was employing irony. I'm not so sure. She drapes herself in the Australian flag and has a southern cross tattoo on her foot. I know I should not read anything into that, but I suspect she has an extremely relaxed attitude to what some people may regard as racism. She is simply lucky that she lives in the lucky country. Racist? No, just relaxed and laid back.

But hey, it's an isolated incident, so lets move on.

Well let's not move on because it is not an isolated incident. Last week in a rugby league match the captain of the Cronulla Sharks Paul Gallen was alleged to have made a racial slur aimed at the St George Illawara player Mickey Paea. The national Rugby League have issued him with a $10,000 breach notice. Some reactions in the media dismiss the incident as something that happens on the field and while it is bad you'd hear the same on a building site. First, two wrongs do not make a right; racial abuse in the workplace is not something that should be so swiftly dismissed. Sports stars are role models. They set an example, good or bad. They should be expected to set a good example. In a neat epilogue to this story, Gallen was selected to represent New South Wales in the State of Origin rugby league competition, the highest level of non-international representative football in Australia. So there you have it kids, please don't racially abuse people, but if you do, it is unlikely to hamper your career. (Oddly enough, playing for the Sharks, who are shit, also doesn't hamper a career in representative football. Go figure.) As it happens a shoulder injury has achieved that which (alleged) racial abuse did not. Gallen will not be playing in Origin 1.

Two incidents then. But wait, there's more!

In the same week Sol Trajilo, the recently departed Telstra CEO had the audacity to express his views on racism in Australia. His views seem to be in step with mine. The media response? He was massively well paid and Telstra's share price fell while he was at the helm! Sol is of Mexican descent and had a job in Australia! He knows fuck all! I added the last bit; the media did not go that far, but that was the gist. Racism was not the story, his former salary was. The catalyst for Sol's "rambling" "tirade" was the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's "adios." Racist? Well, possibly according to Sol, and let's face it, he was on the receiving end. He had been portrayed as a bumbling, sombrero wearing Latino throughout his time in Australia. Adios? Not racist according to the media. Sol simply does not understand the relaxed, laid back Aussie lifestyle that K Rudd was typifying. Hmmm.

I think Peter Holmes A Court had it about right on the ABC's Q & A. Racist? Maybe a bit. Hugely insensitive? Definitely. Australia needs to grow up and the first step is to engage in the debate. Don't brush it aside as a lack of understanding on the part of everyone else and a decent proportion of the Australian public. Trotting out the same old lines about how multicultural Australia is, how immigration policy is becoming more relaxed and how migrants add so much to modern Australia simply sidesteps the debate.

So the week in summary.

Launch your media career by calling a recently shot stranger a skinny wog. Play representative football despite (allegedly) racially abusing a fellow player. Brush aside the views of a recently departed high-profile wetback (that IS irony Clare) because he was very well paid.

Relaxed attitude to racism in Australia? Nah mate, you just need to chill out.

addendum...

It is strange, but I find the casual acceptance of cultural stereotyping somewhat more insidious and sinister than outright racist fuckwit behaviour. It seems that is on the rise here as in many other countries. Overseas students - particularly Indians - are being targeted for attack.

UNSW international students officer Sakshi Sehgal said there were increased concerns about the safety of international students from all countries, not just India.

Fuckwits will always be fuckwits. But they are typically honest about it.

But she's Australian!

We've spent a couple of days following the story of Melbourne mother of four Annice Smoel, who had been facing a jail term in Thailand after being charged with stealing a bar mat. We've seen the heartbreak of her kids on TV. Tearful pleas are there to be viewed on the web pages of local news papers. We can't believe what that this poor woman...no wait, the thief who pleaded guilty...was put through. She might have been jailed for merely stealing a bar mat. It is just SO ridiculous!

Actually it isn't ridiculous at all. Believe it or not, Thailand has laws. There are penalties for breaking those laws. For theft you can be jailed for a year. For being abusive to an official you may have more time to serve. Offering a bribe? That might not help your case. Ignorance is no defence and this woman is just plain ignorant. She went overseas, acted like a fucking moron and was faced with the consequences. She acted in a way that may have left her children without a mother at home for several years. Twat. That's the story.

But our local Australian media does not care about that story.

She is an Aussie and probably a "battler"; We love the Aussie battler. And she is a mother. Therefore she should not be expected to know about local customs and those other things; what are they called? Oh yes, laws. When she transgresses - breaks the law - she should not be punished. Why not? Because she, the massed ranks of the Australian media, and the great Australian public think the crime (yes, crime) is only a little one. The local media are playing down the running away, abusive behaviour and attempted bribery. Mere details. No, the real story is those fucking stupid Thai laws; load of bollocks. And of course, she's Australian. Aussie, Aussie,Aussie, Oi! Oi! Oi!

Presented with a golden opportunity to educate people on the dangers of acting like a twat while overseas the media has decided to take the other path. Reinforce the rights of Australians to do whatever they like, wherever they like. Make it clear that our laws are better than theirs, and by extension our people are better than yours. It is all terribly sad but utterly predictable.

If you're interested, there is a good article that explains the pitfalls of being a prick in Phuket. The website is an English languge site, dedicated to tourism and run from Phuket Unlikely to be read by many.

WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE

Oh hang on, no we’re not. But third Aussie has swine flue

She says the only remaining signs of the swine flu she currently has are the remnants of a slight cough.

Now let’s look at that wording; she has “the remnants of a slight cough.” So she has a slight cough. Sheesh people, you don’t need Tamiflu, you need some prescription HardenTheFukUp.


And you just have to love this, She

…slammed British officials for not taking her situation seriously.

OK, so you tested positive. We get that. But take some fucking responsibility; stay at home, wash your hands, don’t cough on your flatmates and don’t share teaspoons. And, wait a minute, YOU HAVE A SLIGHT COUGH! You’ve not got ebola. Swine flu is killing almost NO-ONE.


Twat.


That is the top news item on the Herald, next to “Italian PM to get divorced.” Apparently he, Mel Gibson style, knobs younger ladies. His missus has finally had enough. Fascinating.


Climate change? Going to lose your job and home? Not news…

hmm, that's a little concerning

Guy bludgeoned to death in Sydney airport domestic terminal on Sunday. Wednesday evening and the police still have no CCTV footage of the event.

What the fuck?

If you want to start a conspiracy theory...the dead bloke was wanted in connection with the stabbing of a copper.

credit trumps climate

What a shame the world is missing an opportunity to dramatically cut carbon emissions. The global credit crisis has slashed demand and production of stuff - lots if it shit - across the globe. Do we take the opportunity to assess the state of the planet, see what we can do to move forward with a policy shift that will lessen human impact upon global climate while addressing unemployment and hardship?

Er, no. We MUST protect the motor industry! We MUST spend our way out of trouble! Consume or perish!

We really are a stupid collective. Seems to be heaps of cash available at the moment (OK, so I think the US are simply printing some of it...) and we could take a giant step forward. But we won't.

And the irony? Once the credit crisis is over - when we're back merrily spending money we don't have - then we'll look at carbon trading schemes and other politically safe, media friendly, cash making and probably ineffective ways to help the planet.

Heavy sigh.

dodging bullets

I dodged a bullet today. The Global Credit Crunch, oft referred to as if it is a physical thing like, say, a crocodile, took a chunk out of my department at work today. We're a sales organisation and when you ain't selling you tend to cut back on what you're spending - wages. Seven people in my department - others in finance, marketing, front desk and even the office junior - were chopped. I can't fully appreciate what it must feel like to be the victim; I have had to let someone go and I know the sinking feeling that goes with that. Work was pretty fucking muted this afternoon. Happy to have missed out on this round, but as part of a (sub)team of three I'm not sure my team wil be so lucky if there is another round...I actually got a little choked up as I said my goodbyes to a couple of my now ex-colleagues, mainly I think as a reaction to their bubbling-clearly-just-under-the-surface distress.

In other news, Sal and I sold her parents home today. They have another one, that they own, so it was surplus to our requirements. We now own a small flat as well as the house we live in (we're low-level capitalist scumbags) and I decided to do a few sums, see what we'd have in the bank if we sold the lot and what we could afford in order to live mortgage free.

Pretty much fuck all.

Bollocks.

Guess I best keep my job then.

blame culture

Great news; a mere one day after Sydney's third shark attack in as many weeks we are in a position to lay some blame. Apparently the New South Wales Governmewnt needs to raise its game.

Surfwatch Australia director Michael Brown today criticised the NSW Government for responding slowly to shark attacks and sightings.

"The Government's shark spotting and surveillance measures are non-existent," Mr Brown said, as the victim of Sydney's third shark attack in three weeks recovered in hospital.

Hmm. Interesting. Despite two previous attacks this year, despite warnings all over the media, despite the fact that everyone knows sharks live in the big-blue-wet-thing, despite the fact this latest victom was surfing early in the morning or, as it is sometimes called, "shark feeding time" and despite, I quote...

"There's been a lot about [the danger of] going out really early and stuff but at the end of the day it's everyone's routine here. That's what the culture is."

...we need to be clear. The New South Wales government needs to do more! For fucks sake, can we please not try to shift the blame to the government? Which bit of "we know about the dangers and go anyway" translates to "it's the Governments fault?" There are sharks in the ocean; you go in there and you are taking a risk. End of.

The kid was unlucky to get hit and lucky his old man was there to get him to safety.

SMH

The Sydney Morning Herald, never in my experience a great paper, is now, online at least, pretty much trash. Yesterday the top 'National' headline was 'paraglider dangles from tree for five hours.' Nevermind floods, bushfires, job losses and so on; they can come later or not at all. Paraglider in a tree! Reptiles in a suitcase!

Today I see a piece on women (Pammy etc.) over 40 - mutton or MILF? For fucks sake, I expect that shit from Zoo or Nuts magazine, not from the main daily paper in New South Wales. (OK, the Telegraph may hold that spot; they'd likely run a different story about immigrants or homosexuals or terrorists or Muslims or gay Muslim immigrant terrorists. You get the picture.) If you want to be a quality paper (therein lies the problem) you'd do well to avoid acronyms in which the F is for Fuck. Mommy, what is mutton? What's a MILF? In fact, you'd do better to avoid that shit altogether and just report the fucking news.

Odd to see the article though; the front page of the Herald website is typically obscured by a fucking great advert box.

I feel better now.

bushfire observations

I wish to take nothing from the tragic events of the past few days. However, a few observations on reactions and presentations in the media.

PM Kevin Rudd has described the arsonists who started some of the fires as "Mass Murderers"

The prime minister, Kevin Rudd, echoed the anger of a nation yesterday when he described such actions as "mass murder". Fighting back tears, he said: "This is of a level of horror that few of us anticipated."

Sure he may be echoing the anger of some, but unless we can prove intent to kill or seriously harm we should not be speaking of murder. This is populist political grandstanding and I for one do not like that. Anyone who sets a fire in Australia in summer is a cunt - no doubt - but unlikely to be convicted a murderer. The crime of Arson Causing Death, as well as being far easier to prove (you lit a fire and they died) carries a maximum of 25years. If you are aforementioned cunt then having murder thrown at you will be easier to wriggle free from than Arson Causing Death.

Murder carries 13years to life with the median sentence being 18years (half shorter, half longer.) So, Mr Rudd, please stop grandstanding for the press and allow the courts to do their jobs; push hard for 25years. If you want to make the punishment more harsh then push for 25years per death.

Speaking of cunts, this guy takes the prize. Victoria is burning because god is punishing the state for decriminalizing abortion. Just shut the fuck right up. My views on religion are well documented here and this is unlikely to alter them. Danny Nalliah, fuckwit first class, would get on well with the Pope's charges who are currently denying the Holocaust and claiming New Orleans suffered Hurrican Katrina because of homosexuality. What kind of a fucking god do these people want? Anyway, back to the fires.

A stunning bit of news; maybe, just maybe the aboriginal people who were here in Australia for 40-60,000 years beore whitey arrived might have had the annual fire thing sorted after all. Note the bits where the twigs and leaves and bark that litter areas that are not maintained and where people choose to live are referred to as fuel. There is a clue in there somewhere...

Apparently the advice in Victoria is to stay and defend your property or to get out early. Hmmm. Sounds somewhat contradictory and somewhat daft. If you decide to stay and defend then things get bad - real bad - you are in serious peril. You may not be able to get out. I'd have thought better advice would be to make sure you maintain your property (clear the trees), have decent insurance, somewhere fireproof to store the things you must keep and then just get the hell out of the way. Photographs and wedding dresses are not worth dying for. Worth a rethink.

Flags were flying at half mast in Sydney as a sign of respect. But is that another somewhat populist move in a nation that has to be told how, when and why to feel grief? Again, taking nothing from the tragedy, I think this is over the top. Flying the flag at half mast was, when I was growing up, indicative of the death of a monarch. Now it seems an Australian flag at half mast can be indicative of the death of an actor from an accidental overdose of prescription medication or those losing lives in war or a bushfire. Is the gesture maybe a little overused and therefore lacking in genuince impact?

Another thing that tweaks me is the sense that a cluster of personal tragedies are somehow more tragic than an individual tragedy. I get it that who towns have been wiped from the map of Victoria. Houses have gone, people have died, communities are broken. But let us not forget these towns were in areas prone to bushfires. Combined with the lack of fire prevention measures (backburning etc.) the disaster was somewhat predictable. So I don't get how it is a national disaster, a national tragedy. Painful, sad, tragic, all of the above, yes. National event? Only in media (and charitable) terms.

Gen Y hunger strike

Things are not what they used to be in the news. Today I read that Ivan Milat, convicted serial killer, has called off his hunger strike and eaten a sandwich.

Serial killer Ivan Milat has ended a four and a half day hunger strike by eating a sandwich, just days after cutting off his little finger.

Four and a half days! For fucks sake Ivan, that is a woeful attempt at hunger striking. I went longer without food when my tonsils were playing up.

The Irish, in the Thatcher-days of the troubles, set the gold standard for hunger striking. Fifty three days for the first strike and ten dead during the second. I guess that is the difference between a cause and a cunt.

However, cutting a finger off with a plastic knife does show a certain commitment.

The 64-year-old, who has undertaken hunger strikes before, severed the digit with a serrated plastic knife and addressed the envelope to the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia.

Starbuck$

Now here is something you don't hear often. Big company big cheese taking a pay cut as his company struggles. Good on yer.

Starbucks' chief executive, Howard Schultz, is joining in the belt-tightening by asking the company's board to cut his basic salary from $1.2m to $10,000. Schultz, 55, dropped off Forbes' list of the world's billionaires last year as the value of his stake in Starbucks plunged.

Compare and contrast with the fuckers at Lloyds.

Lloyds Banking Group has sounded out shareholders about a change in its executive remuneration plans that could generate pay rises for its directors despite being bailed out by the taxpayer.

As it happens the shareholders told them to go fuck themselves.

serious news, made up name

"Our data shows that growth and calcification of massive Porites in the GBR [Great Barrier Reef] are already declining and are doing so at a rate unprecedented in coral records reaching back 400 years," wrote Dr Glenn De'ath from the Australian Institute of Marine Science in Townsville, Queensland, and his colleagues in the journal Science. "Verification of the causes of this decline should be made a high priority."

Dr Death!

Serious story though, dramatic slowing in coral growth, quite possibly linkied to acidification of the water due to increased CO2...