My new webpage and blog are up! At the moment, there's not much there as I'm still in the process of moving the sites over; but, if you type in the following addresses, you can see my new sites - hosted on their own domain.
That was how U.S. District Judge John E. Jones described the Dover Area School Board's decision to include "Intelligent Design" in the biology curriculum. He forbade that district from teaching creationism in science classes on the basis that it violated the separation of Church and State. Although many of the school board members who supported this idiotic idea were voted out in elections in November and replaced with people opposed to ID, this is still a great victory for the non-idiots of the world. It is unfortunate, though, that the legal system of a nation must decide on whether science should be taught in a science class or whether the dim-witted ignorami can spread their vile filth to the children of the country. However, it could be worse; it's not like the President or, for instance, a medically-trained Federal Minister of Education came out in support of Creationism.
I have recently registered a domain name and am searching for a reliable web host in order to host this weblog and my website. Hopefully, the move will be complete before the end of the year. Stay tuned for further details.
It was bound to happen sooner or later. For the observant, the Americanisation of Australia is not a new phenomenon, it has been subtly performing its mind-numbing, culture-destroying duties for decades now. The continued success of the Howard-led Liberal/Nationalist coalition has been both a symptom of this disease and a spur to those viral elements of our society that foster it. However, we in Australia, have up till now been largely immune to one of the more farcical, and hence more destructive, elements of Americanism: CREATIONISM. Creationists, for the benefit of those unaware of this vile fifth column of Christian Fundamentalists, believe that the account of the creation of the universe found in Genesis should be interpreted literally; that the God of the Bible created the world in six days and then rested. (There is, however, some dispute as to which of the two contradictory Creation stories found in Genesis is the REAL one.)
However, our halcyon days of laughing at the idiots in America who support Creationism and feeling sympathy for those who oppose it, are now at an end. Our strict quarantine laws did not protect us from the importation of this brain-destroying contagion. The Federal Minister of Education, Brendan Nelson, on Friday stated his support for the idea that Creationism (or Intelligent Design, as fashionable Christo-Fascists like to call it these days) should be taught alongside Evolution. To the casual observer, his remarks might have seemed innocuous enough - he stated that "...if schools also want to present students with intelligent design, I don't have any difficulty with that. It's about choice, reasonable choice." - but to seasoned Religious Reich observers, this is just the thin side of the wedge. For a Public Servant of any rank to believe that Creationism has about the same level of scientific validity as Evolution is a shame; but when a Federal Minister holds this view, it is unacceptable. Worse still, however, is when the Minister holding the portfolio of Education believes it. How the hell is he supposed to make decisions as to how the children of this country are taught when he can't even make a distinction between the scientifically-valid theory of Evolution and the fundamentally absurd lunacy of Creationism?! I think a better topic of debate for the Australian people should be: Should Mr Nelson Resign or Be Fired?
If you thought that Syria was George II's next target in the War o(f/n) Terror, or perhaps, even Iran; then think again. Georgie and Condie have set their sights on a new target, or to be more accurate, an old one: Cuba. Secretary of State Rice has appointed Caleb McCarry as Cuba Transition Co-Ordinator. This relatively innocuous sounding position means that now the USA will do to Cuba, well, essentially what it's been doing for the last 45 years, but now, there's a face to go with the egregious acts. Rice accused Castro of giving Cuba a "tragic fate of repression and poverty". This is, of course, contrary to the despicable destiny of exploitation and slavery that the United States wants to give Cuba. Perhaps now Fidel will learn what Pinochet, Allende, Noriega and a score of others have learnt over the decades: it doesn't matter what kind of leader you are, if you don't kiss America's arse you're gonna be overthrown.
Requiscat In Pace: The United Nations. 1945 - 2005
The appointment of John Bolton to the position of US Ambassador to the United Nations signals the death of that noble institution. The idea of "a general international organization to maintain peace and security" (expressed during the Yalta Conference) may have been a naively optimistic dream, but it was a dream worth having. A permanent forum for disputing nations to discuss their differences before violent conflict arises is always preferable to an ad hoc surrender of one nation to another after violent conflict has died down. The reality may not have exactly resembled the ideal, but it was the best we had. Now we have the USA to solve international disputes, which is extremely convenient since most of those conflicts were either begun by the USA or, at the very least, exacerbated by them.
Jose Luis Rodrigus Zapatero, the Prime Minister of Spain, has announced plans to legalise same-sex marriages in Spain. This is the same socialist leader who came to power on a platform of anti-racist opposition to the illegal war in Iraq.
Not surprisingly, the Roman Catholic Church is opposed to this. The Bishops liken the legalisation (or to be more accurate, legal recognition of this fundamental human right) to "a counterfeit currency" or "releasing a virus harmful to society". Yes, this is the same Catholic Church that supported Generalisimo Francisco Franco. To Catholic eyes, a mass murdering tyrant is more pleasing than a same-sex couple? Kill people, torture people, trample human rights, but DON'T kiss someone of the same gender (unless you're a priest and the other person is younger than fifteen). Is this the new Catholic Church?
In a deal approved by Israel's Security Cabinet, JEWISH settlers who are being removed from Gaza could receive up to US$500,000 in way of compensation. This is, of course, $500,000 more than any Palestinian will get for having been forced off his or her land. You've got to love Israel's entrepreneurial genius: force people off their land; persecute them, torture them, kill them, and commit all sorts of heinous acts against them; and, then, go home with half a million dollars! It looks like Israel has learnt well from its American master.
to utilize media outlets, such as outdoor billboard spaces, around the country to raise issues which concern the nation, and to help engage our citizenry, the media and politicians in real discussion of critical issues -- the economy, environment, education, health care, national security, and uses of American military power in the world
Their first action was to take out a billboard in Times Square listing the total cost (in dollars) of the Iraq War to the United States. In other countries, organisations opposing the war might place billboards stating the total number of dead Iraqi civilians (13,695 at time of writing), which would, of course, raise the ire of most civilians in the country. However, in the US, if an organisation wants to raise public debate, they state how much dollars the average American is losing by the war. And, yet, many Americans ask why they are hated.
The Rabid Right's Messiah, President Ronald Wilson Reagan, has died. A lot of people think that it is in bad taste to talk ill of the dead. I don't. This man was a religious fanatic whose legacy will continue to kill and injure innocent people for a very long time. Although I would not say that I am glad that he is dead, I certainly won't be shedding any tears. The most fitting tribute, I suppose, was given by George W:
He leaves behind a nation he restored and a world he helped to save.
If a man like George W. thinks this about a person, then that person must be a very loathsome individual indeed. However, let's hope that his death provides another example for his supporters to follow, especially by his erstwhile sycophants Margaret Thatcher, Pope John Paul II, and General Augusto Pinochet.
Poland receieved cheap weapons for supporting the illegal war on Iraq, the Australia government received a free trade agreement with the U.S. for the same reason. Now, the satrap of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, has received his reward for serving George II's War of Terror. Pakistan was re-admitted to the Commonwealth when its 1999 suspension, over the seizure of power by Gen. Musharraf, was overturned. Apparently, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, responsible for the overturning of the suspension, was pressured by the governments of Australia and the United Kingdom. These governments claim that they are trying to install a free and fair democracy in Iraq and, yet, here they are rewarding a military man who overthrew a democracy. Apparently, hypocrisy is a major tool in this war on/of terror.
Ah, finally a deserving contestant won Eurovision. The Ukraine's Ruslana won although I would also have been happy had Serbia-Montenegro's entrant won. We need more folk(-type) music gaining widespread public attention. I'm also grateful that Greece's entry did not win; the last thing we need is another dim-witted pretty boy dancing his way into international fame.
In this article, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, urges bipartisan support of the Howard Government's amendment to the 1961 Marriage Act. This amendment, if passed, would officially define marriage as a union between a man and a woman; obviously, this would mean that same-sex couples would not be able to legally get married in Australia (or, at least, that their marriage would not be recognised by the Federal Government).
THE institution of marriage, the union of a man and a woman, brings immense benefits to them, their children and society across the generations. It has the support of most Australians and, I believe, most parliamentarians.
These advantages stand out more clearly when marriages fail and other approaches are followed.
Exactly what advantages does the union of a man and a woman give to society that a union between two adults of same sex does not also deliver? These advantages stand out more clearly when marriages fail and other approaches are followed. Pell then goes on to state the results of "decades of international research", which shows the benefits of heterosexual marriages. Nowhere does he state the titles of the studies which he uses for evidence nor does he mention the qualifactions or even names of the people conducting the studies. Not even the conditions under which the studies were conducted is considered important enough for the Cardinal to reveal. If I were slightly more suspicious then I would doubt that there was any meaningful research conducted in this field which supports Pell's position.
Our parliaments should act to preserve these benefits and not allow the legal defences of traditional marriages to be whittled away by activist judges or international arrangements.
This is a common argument for anti-gay rights activists to make, and it still sounds idiotic no matter how many times they use it. I have never in my life heard a member of a heterosexual marriage say that, if homosexual marriages were allowed then they would divorce their spouse. Have you? How does a man marrying another man or a woman marrying another woman affect other people's relationships? If John and Jane Smith cannot maintain their relationship knowing that there are same-sex marriages in the country, then the Smiths really ought to question their own relationship before categorically ruling out that of others.
Federal government moves to legislate to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples are a worthwhile reinforcement of traditional marriage as the basic building block of society.
Another homophobic lie! The basic building block of society is not the family but the individual. It is individuals that vote, it is individuals that marry, it is individuals that comprise families. Unless one believes in a A Brave New World-esque system of child-raising, in which children are raised by the state in what are, in essence, orphanages; then the importance of family cannot be denied. However, to say that families are the BASIC building block of society is to ignore the meaning of the word "basic". Families are divisible, congregations are divisible, races are divisible, political parties are divisible; therefore, none of these can be considered a basic element of society. Only the individual is indivisible.
It is not discrimination to say that same-sex marriage takes us in the wrong direction.
Yes, it is discriminatory. It is homophobia, pure and simple; but, what else can one expect? This is a high-ranking member of an organisation whose leader is more concerned with fighting homosexuality between consenting adults than he is with eliminating child molestation committed by his priests. One can only take comfort in the fact that most Australians would look at the remarks of Archbishop Pell and view them as the ultra-orthodox bigotries of an old-fashioned wanker.
I'm not a huge fan of Gwynneth Paltrow (not that I hate her, I was rather indifferent towards her); but I have gained some respect towards her after reading this article. It is a rather opinionated account of an interview that she gave to "Glamour" magazine in the UK expressing her concerns about the half-witted patriotism expressed by many Americans which led her to decide to raise her newly-born child in the UK. Good on her (and her husband as well, of course)! The last thing this world needs is more chest-thumping militaristic gorillas chanting "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" in unison, while blindly following their idiot of a leader into battle after battle of his "Crusade Against Islam".
In a reply to my last post, a kind soul called danado has posted the URL to a very interesting article on Gaspar Noé's film. It is titled In the Garden of Earthly Delights: Irreversible and was written by Yaniv Eyny and A. Zubatov. You can read it here:
Click on "Contents" and find the article link under "Features". BEWARE that it contains spoilers, so if you haven't seen the movie yet and want to do so without knowing the story, don't read this article.
Thanks danado, for the link. It's much appreciated.
The weblog of a 24-year-old Australian from Melbourne containing rants about politics, literature, philosophy, history or anything else which takes his fancy.
