AUSTRALIA'S PARLIAMENT HOUSE IS AUSTRALIA'S PORN HOUSE
Online porn is freely available to Australia's federal politicians and their staff in Parliament House and their offices around the country.
A FAMILY FIRST investigation has discovered there is no Internet filter on the Australian Parliament's computer system, making Parliament House a workplace that peddles porn.
While bureaucrats have porn sites blocked, politicians and their staff do not, proving yet again there's one rule for politicians and one for everyone else.
FAMILY FIRST's investigation also revealed there are no Internet filters at public libraries in Victoria, including major centres like Geelong, Mount Waverley and Richmond. Children can simply log on to computers and have their minds polluted by porn and violence.
FAMILY FIRST leader Steve Fielding today lashed out at the Government in a Senate Estimates hearing, accusing it of peddling sex, smut and sleaze and potentially feeding some people's porn addiction.
He also accused the Government of hypocrisy. In 2005, more than 60 Coalition MPs wrote to the Prime Minister demanding tougher action on online porn and violence. But for politicians it is okay; they can feast on a diet of sickening porn every day if they choose.
Communications Minister Helen Coonan has talked tough about cracking down on Internet porn, saying on June 14 last year, "The Government has committed to doing everything reasonably possible to ensure that all Australians – particularly children – are safe on the Internet."
What an absolute farce when politicians themselves are served free porn.
They're getting free porn????
Now if that's not an incentive to be a politician, I don't know what is.
You've gotta love Fielding, he cracks me up with every newsletter.
Friday, June 15, 2007
CRAP
Well the educational quota of the blog has just been filled. I have a new meme thanks to the halfhearted hack but it's taking a bit of time, 10 things I hate about people. It's the narrowing down to 10 that's the trouble. At least it's not 10 things I like about people, that would take a bit of brain power and possibly lying. 10 things I hate about my mother could get a run.
There have been a few deaths around the blogosphere in the past month and they're been people who have been dearly loved. This is why I've been reluctant to post anything about my mother who is driving us to the brink of insanity.
How do you deal with someone who is fine at the start of a conversation and does a 360 degree in the middle and ends up by changing into Linda Blair short of the green projectile vomiting.
She has vowed and declared to one and all that she is not leaving her home again except by feet first and if she could take one of us to serve her in the afterlife, she'd do it.
The nurses say agree with everything she says and do it your way. They're not living with her. Thank the goddess I'm not actually living in the same house with her. I vaguely remember thinking I would move in and look after her when this all started, I put it down to loss of memory as to what it was like to live with her. She is such a control freak that when they're screwing down the lid of the coffin, she'll be yelling, "use nails, they're cheaper".
We had an extremely feral weekend with her because her sister got to visit somewhere that Ma has wanted to go. Her friend, the only one she can rely on, (don't count us, we're in the slave quarters) is going away for three weeks. So the signs for peace in our time are disappearing as we countdown to the departure date.
By the time she had asked me for the fifth time, "What's wrong with me? Why do I feel this bad?" I lost the plot and told her straight, "You're dying, come to terms with this and deal with it". She replied, "No I'm not." And I have been paying for that ever since. Whatever is playing bingo with her brain cells is making her twisted, bitter and downright nasty. I'm turning into a hard hearted bitch in order to keep from going under. So sorry to all those people in blogland who have lost someone they loved. Sorry about the bitching but it's hard to lose someone when they're still alive.
There have been a few deaths around the blogosphere in the past month and they're been people who have been dearly loved. This is why I've been reluctant to post anything about my mother who is driving us to the brink of insanity.
How do you deal with someone who is fine at the start of a conversation and does a 360 degree in the middle and ends up by changing into Linda Blair short of the green projectile vomiting.
She has vowed and declared to one and all that she is not leaving her home again except by feet first and if she could take one of us to serve her in the afterlife, she'd do it.
The nurses say agree with everything she says and do it your way. They're not living with her. Thank the goddess I'm not actually living in the same house with her. I vaguely remember thinking I would move in and look after her when this all started, I put it down to loss of memory as to what it was like to live with her. She is such a control freak that when they're screwing down the lid of the coffin, she'll be yelling, "use nails, they're cheaper".
We had an extremely feral weekend with her because her sister got to visit somewhere that Ma has wanted to go. Her friend, the only one she can rely on, (don't count us, we're in the slave quarters) is going away for three weeks. So the signs for peace in our time are disappearing as we countdown to the departure date.
By the time she had asked me for the fifth time, "What's wrong with me? Why do I feel this bad?" I lost the plot and told her straight, "You're dying, come to terms with this and deal with it". She replied, "No I'm not." And I have been paying for that ever since. Whatever is playing bingo with her brain cells is making her twisted, bitter and downright nasty. I'm turning into a hard hearted bitch in order to keep from going under. So sorry to all those people in blogland who have lost someone they loved. Sorry about the bitching but it's hard to lose someone when they're still alive.
READY TO GO
There it is, our lovely $207 million Australian Synchrotron. If you think that's a little expensive just remember what the Federal Government is spending on advertising its grotty policies that no-one wants. The synchrotron is right next door to Monash University in Clayton where some of our best researchers are working when they're not wasting time by flying all over the world to other countries to use their synchrotrons.
This is a 3-giga-electronvolt (medium energy) light source and is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. It has the capacity for more than 30 beamlines. Nine have been proposed and five have already been installed ready to go in July 2007. They will be used for high-throughput protein crystallography, powder defraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, soft X-ray spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. All of these are used in forensic science, drug design, radiation therapy and IVF studies.
Daniel Hausermann, a Swiss physicist was recruited to design one of the beamlines. The 150- metre-long medical imaging beamline will help to deliver more precise and effective radiation therapies and detect cancers near the single cell stage. At the moment a smear test for cervical cancer already contains numerous cells. To image and diagnose a single cancer cell would mean less invasive treatments.
The Australian Government has promised $50 million over the facility's first five years of operation. That's $50 million over five years and it's only promised not granted. For the scientists and researchers using the synchrotron, fighting for every grant dollar will still take up to much time better spent on their work.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
TANZANITE
There isn't that better than daggy old rubies. It would mean I'd have to have a new velvet dress with a low cleavage.A lovely deep violet colour. A dark violet though, nothing light coloured, not in velvet. With all my comfy curves I could be mistaken for a sofa and sat on.
I don't even need real diamonds. Man-made diamonds are catching up in quality to the real thing. Not cubic zirconias but real diamonds made in a laboratory and only a microscope knows for sure. I'd rather have the bit of heaven pictured above.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
RUBIES
The Duchess of Cornwall likes rubies and so does her cleavage judging by this photo. I'm not fussed about rubies, they clash with my hair so I think I would replace them with Tanzanites, lovely violetty blue stones.
Yes, much better for me.
She said her tiara was uncomfortable, too heavy, I'm really cut up about that. I, of course, handle a tiara very well and I definitely have the cleavage to handle that necklace, with Tanzanites.
Monday, June 11, 2007
QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY
I can always rely on Taste.com to drive me crazy with food photos. This lot is special as they're some of the Queen's favourites. She likes roast beef and yorkshire pudding, cold roast beef sandwiches and scones with jam and cream.
She also likes sticky date toffee pudding. 
She likes bread and butter pudding.And she washes the lot down with a martini! No wonder she looks great at 81.
If I ate all those I wouldn't make it to 81 but what a way to go.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
THE BABIES FOR GAYS DEBATE
Yes, that was the heading on page 39 of the SundayHeraldCrumb.
On the gay side, talking about their twins and the Victorian Law Reform Commission were Sarah and Felicity Marlowe. As they pointed out "Nowadays it would be unthinkable for children born to unmarried heterosexual parents to be treated as "illegitimate" second class citizens. Society can, and does, change its attitudes."
The Commission reviewed 30 years of research and concluded that children are in no way disadvantaged by having same-sex parents. It showed that quality of parenting matters, not the parents gender or sexuality. It has made 130 recommendations.
For more information go to http://www.rainbowfamilies.org.au
For the nay side we have Peter Stokes, CEO Salt Shakers Christian Ethics Group. He's brilliant because he knows that only two people of the opposite gender actually fit together naturally. He also says there is no scientific evidence to suggest that anyone is actually born a homosexual. He has many friends who have left the homosexual lifestyle.
Then he quotes statistics, 50,000 marriages out of a total of more than 4.5 million, break down each year in Australia, 72 per cent of all children live with their biological mother and father and the vast majority of marriages are happy, monogamous and last a lifetime.
On the other hand, statistics show that few same-sex relationships are monogamous and they generally lack longevity. Most last less than five years and a large proportion less than two years. (That will be news to quite a few of my gay friends in fifteen to thirty years relationships)
He then brings out the usual arguments, depriving children of a natural mother and father, advancing the notion that children do not need a mother and a father, recognition of same-sex relationships will undermine marriage and it will remove the very foundation set by God and recognised by social analysts across the world as the basic building block of civil society.
Bill Muehlenberg, spokesman for the Family Council of Victoria, claims 10,000 studies show children are raised better under a mother and father structure and lesbian couples suffer a lifestyle choice of social infertility.
Why is it that when this is an issue of reform to remove unjust laws that directly effect children that christian men are speaking about it in terms of religion? I was under the impression that church and state were separate in this country.
But hetero parents are the best parents for children. I mean the Victorian firearms lobby must have stacks of hetero families and their way to keep children safe is to give firearms safety lessons to 10 year old children. They're going to give them a chance to shoot guns as well as they would undertake supervised shooting at shooting ranges.
According to Combined Firearms Council of Victoria president Bill Paterson, controlled use of real guns would counter damage done to children who use firearms for virtual killing in video games.
Jeebus hates crumpets, how do you deal with people like this. Aren't we enough like America now without this sort of rubbish? What was the point of the firearms buyback scheme if the lobby wants to teach kids to fire guns?
Firearms safety isn't an issue in a society that doesn't have guns issued at all. All farms have guns for humane killing of animals and farmers teach their own children how to use them.
We don't need this in our schools.
I didn't see Stokes or Muehlenberg being asked for an opinion on this. I can't think why not, they open their mouths about everything else.
On the gay side, talking about their twins and the Victorian Law Reform Commission were Sarah and Felicity Marlowe. As they pointed out "Nowadays it would be unthinkable for children born to unmarried heterosexual parents to be treated as "illegitimate" second class citizens. Society can, and does, change its attitudes."
The Commission reviewed 30 years of research and concluded that children are in no way disadvantaged by having same-sex parents. It showed that quality of parenting matters, not the parents gender or sexuality. It has made 130 recommendations.
For more information go to http://www.rainbowfamilies.org.au
For the nay side we have Peter Stokes, CEO Salt Shakers Christian Ethics Group. He's brilliant because he knows that only two people of the opposite gender actually fit together naturally. He also says there is no scientific evidence to suggest that anyone is actually born a homosexual. He has many friends who have left the homosexual lifestyle.
Then he quotes statistics, 50,000 marriages out of a total of more than 4.5 million, break down each year in Australia, 72 per cent of all children live with their biological mother and father and the vast majority of marriages are happy, monogamous and last a lifetime.
On the other hand, statistics show that few same-sex relationships are monogamous and they generally lack longevity. Most last less than five years and a large proportion less than two years. (That will be news to quite a few of my gay friends in fifteen to thirty years relationships)
He then brings out the usual arguments, depriving children of a natural mother and father, advancing the notion that children do not need a mother and a father, recognition of same-sex relationships will undermine marriage and it will remove the very foundation set by God and recognised by social analysts across the world as the basic building block of civil society.
Bill Muehlenberg, spokesman for the Family Council of Victoria, claims 10,000 studies show children are raised better under a mother and father structure and lesbian couples suffer a lifestyle choice of social infertility.
Why is it that when this is an issue of reform to remove unjust laws that directly effect children that christian men are speaking about it in terms of religion? I was under the impression that church and state were separate in this country.
But hetero parents are the best parents for children. I mean the Victorian firearms lobby must have stacks of hetero families and their way to keep children safe is to give firearms safety lessons to 10 year old children. They're going to give them a chance to shoot guns as well as they would undertake supervised shooting at shooting ranges.
According to Combined Firearms Council of Victoria president Bill Paterson, controlled use of real guns would counter damage done to children who use firearms for virtual killing in video games.
Jeebus hates crumpets, how do you deal with people like this. Aren't we enough like America now without this sort of rubbish? What was the point of the firearms buyback scheme if the lobby wants to teach kids to fire guns?
Firearms safety isn't an issue in a society that doesn't have guns issued at all. All farms have guns for humane killing of animals and farmers teach their own children how to use them.
We don't need this in our schools.
I didn't see Stokes or Muehlenberg being asked for an opinion on this. I can't think why not, they open their mouths about everything else.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
BIRTHDAY WEEKEND
131.1.05 kgs. See I'm nothing if not honest. I could have left off the .o5gm and made myself look better.
I'm sure this is due to two intensive days in the garden if you can call three hours, a day.
I pruned the two trees and tied up the cuttings and they're out waiting for the chomper.
I planted a geranium and I'll flatten the next bird I see digging up the dirt in the pot looking for worms. A whole yard to dig and they want my pot plant. I will withdraw the evening seedfeast, that'll show them.
I moved three scoria rocks from the front garden to the back garden. This is an on-going project of some two years but I'm getting there. Was getting there, my wheelbarrow has a flat tyre.
I hurt in a lot of places and I'm scratched. No bruises, I don't get bruises falling on grass. My immune system is in great shape though, judging by the battle going on inside my upper arm which is the only part of me that hit a tree branch, right on top of the flu vac site.
Okay, I'll take the hint and give up gardening for the winter.
I'm sure this is due to two intensive days in the garden if you can call three hours, a day.
I pruned the two trees and tied up the cuttings and they're out waiting for the chomper.
I planted a geranium and I'll flatten the next bird I see digging up the dirt in the pot looking for worms. A whole yard to dig and they want my pot plant. I will withdraw the evening seedfeast, that'll show them.
I moved three scoria rocks from the front garden to the back garden. This is an on-going project of some two years but I'm getting there. Was getting there, my wheelbarrow has a flat tyre.
I hurt in a lot of places and I'm scratched. No bruises, I don't get bruises falling on grass. My immune system is in great shape though, judging by the battle going on inside my upper arm which is the only part of me that hit a tree branch, right on top of the flu vac site.
Okay, I'll take the hint and give up gardening for the winter.
Friday, June 08, 2007
NEW BOOK
There is a new book being published this month by Robert Larkins, called Funeral Rights: What the Australian "Death Care" Industry doesn't want you to know. (Viking $32.95)
The book not only lifts the lid on the Industry's aggressive sales tactics but also explores the history of death rites. Larkins highlights the short use-by dates for graves, grave sharing, lack of industry diversity and big coffin mark-ups.
I didn't know the funeral business here is unregulated or that it's worth about $700 million a year and how couldn't they make a profit, charging $700 for a chipboard coffin worth $80. If you want an eco-friendly cardboard coffin, it costs as much as a wooden one. Larkins isn't in favour of elaborate stone memorials either.
I was really interested in his views since I've pre-arranged my Mother's funeral. I dealt with a small firm and there was no high pressure sales pitch involved although that could be because they weren't dealing with a recently bereaved and distraught woman. We did go for the chipboard option which was Mum's suggestion after she looked at coffin prices and I've kept my promise to make an elaborate casket quilt to hide it. (like the wedding dress superstition, I haven't put the last stitches to it until the time comes)
The flowers were a set price but I could have gone higher or lower but working within that set price I got exactly the roses that Mum specified. I was also asked what I wanted to do with them. When I said we wanted them to go on my Father's grave, they offered to do that at no extra charge. The girl also explained to me about donations to the Cancer fund, the wording means that funds go towards research or to purchase equipment which is another thing I didn't know.
The cost of the funeral isn't extravagant but we have no way of paying for it upfront so for a fee of $250 they will wait until the estate is settled. I also engaged The Blight as a celebrant and I bet he has the cheek to charge me but since I'm writing the eulegy I'll make sure I write something he'll choke on having to say it.
If I had my way there wouldn't be a funeral service at all. I object to being nice to relatives and friends who turn up to a funeral but never came to see her when she was alive and would have appreciated a visit. And it was the relo's who annoyed me most when I was making the arrangements. What gives them the right to put in their two cents worth? "It's our final goodbye" was the standard answer to that question. I rather think a "first hello" and a bunch of flowers for the old girl now would mean a lot more.
I had to make one more promise to Mum so I have to be polite and see her off in a dignified manner. So unlike my wedding day, there will be no punch-ups with the relatives and no free booze.
The book not only lifts the lid on the Industry's aggressive sales tactics but also explores the history of death rites. Larkins highlights the short use-by dates for graves, grave sharing, lack of industry diversity and big coffin mark-ups.
I didn't know the funeral business here is unregulated or that it's worth about $700 million a year and how couldn't they make a profit, charging $700 for a chipboard coffin worth $80. If you want an eco-friendly cardboard coffin, it costs as much as a wooden one. Larkins isn't in favour of elaborate stone memorials either.
I was really interested in his views since I've pre-arranged my Mother's funeral. I dealt with a small firm and there was no high pressure sales pitch involved although that could be because they weren't dealing with a recently bereaved and distraught woman. We did go for the chipboard option which was Mum's suggestion after she looked at coffin prices and I've kept my promise to make an elaborate casket quilt to hide it. (like the wedding dress superstition, I haven't put the last stitches to it until the time comes)
The flowers were a set price but I could have gone higher or lower but working within that set price I got exactly the roses that Mum specified. I was also asked what I wanted to do with them. When I said we wanted them to go on my Father's grave, they offered to do that at no extra charge. The girl also explained to me about donations to the Cancer fund, the wording means that funds go towards research or to purchase equipment which is another thing I didn't know.
The cost of the funeral isn't extravagant but we have no way of paying for it upfront so for a fee of $250 they will wait until the estate is settled. I also engaged The Blight as a celebrant and I bet he has the cheek to charge me but since I'm writing the eulegy I'll make sure I write something he'll choke on having to say it.
If I had my way there wouldn't be a funeral service at all. I object to being nice to relatives and friends who turn up to a funeral but never came to see her when she was alive and would have appreciated a visit. And it was the relo's who annoyed me most when I was making the arrangements. What gives them the right to put in their two cents worth? "It's our final goodbye" was the standard answer to that question. I rather think a "first hello" and a bunch of flowers for the old girl now would mean a lot more.
I had to make one more promise to Mum so I have to be polite and see her off in a dignified manner. So unlike my wedding day, there will be no punch-ups with the relatives and no free booze.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
THE ECONOMY IS RISING, damn!
Cat food was up again.
The Doctor's bill is up.
The colour enhancing cream for my naturally coloured red hair has gone up $2.
Nimbin cheese is up, again.
And *gasp* Bombay Sapphire is up $1.98.
The bus fare went up.
My blood pressure is up and stupid doctor asks me why.
Weight is down but I'll wait for official weigh-in Saturday just in case it was all a dream.
Wonder of wonders, Myers still have odment tables during the sales. I am now the owner of a very large rainbow lustre Martini glass, cost $2.
Why can't a doctor's surgery have a box by the door containing paper face masks for the sniffling, coughing germ ridden hordes who invade the waiting room.
I had the flu vaccine today but it may not save me from the common cold germs thrown at me this morning. Why, sneezing, coughing old man, did you have to sit beside me when there were four vacant chairs on the other side of the room? Why, snoting, hacking old lady, did you have to pick up the one magazine I wanted and breathe on it? It had lovely bathroom renovations and I wouldn't have touched it with latex gloves and two sticks.
I didn't find the jewellery sale until I wasted money on food.
'Such is life' as some idiot once said.
The Doctor's bill is up.
The colour enhancing cream for my naturally coloured red hair has gone up $2.
Nimbin cheese is up, again.
And *gasp* Bombay Sapphire is up $1.98.
The bus fare went up.
My blood pressure is up and stupid doctor asks me why.
Weight is down but I'll wait for official weigh-in Saturday just in case it was all a dream.
Wonder of wonders, Myers still have odment tables during the sales. I am now the owner of a very large rainbow lustre Martini glass, cost $2.
Why can't a doctor's surgery have a box by the door containing paper face masks for the sniffling, coughing germ ridden hordes who invade the waiting room.
I had the flu vaccine today but it may not save me from the common cold germs thrown at me this morning. Why, sneezing, coughing old man, did you have to sit beside me when there were four vacant chairs on the other side of the room? Why, snoting, hacking old lady, did you have to pick up the one magazine I wanted and breathe on it? It had lovely bathroom renovations and I wouldn't have touched it with latex gloves and two sticks.
I didn't find the jewellery sale until I wasted money on food.
'Such is life' as some idiot once said.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
YESTERDAY
Yesterday was a bad day for train travel. It was bad for passengers and not made any better for relatives and family by cameras filming the arrival of the badly injured at airports. It wasn't necessary for cameras to linger as long as they did and then to make it worse the TV stations used the same images in news promos throught the early part of the evening.
There was some excitement in my neck of the woods when I walked to Mum's yesterday. Sirens, police cars and the police helicopter hovering very low. The girls in the pharmacy told me they had watched a car trying to elude police down Warrigal Road but it looks like I'll have to wait for the local paper to find out what that was about. The rest of the news after the crashed train was taken up with Paris Hilton and footballers.
Did anything good happen? Yes, if you count watching a bank of cloud coming across the bay and hitting the warmer air over land which caused it to rear up like a wave hitting the beach. It was almost as good as last week when the wind was coming from different directions, differing speeds and various levels. I could have sworn I saw a lenticular cloud build up just for a few minutes. It's been very cold for the past couple of nights but worth leaving the drapes open to watch the full moon move across the window behind my computer.
Any other good happenings? The Waterlily Camelia survived the summer and is flowering. The lemon tree, likewise and is loaded with fruit. The lime tree has flowers but the grapefruits looks like it might take another 6 months to recover. It's branch cutting season and I tried to prune but while the mind is willing the body is not. I'll wait for the mower man.
There was some excitement in my neck of the woods when I walked to Mum's yesterday. Sirens, police cars and the police helicopter hovering very low. The girls in the pharmacy told me they had watched a car trying to elude police down Warrigal Road but it looks like I'll have to wait for the local paper to find out what that was about. The rest of the news after the crashed train was taken up with Paris Hilton and footballers.
Did anything good happen? Yes, if you count watching a bank of cloud coming across the bay and hitting the warmer air over land which caused it to rear up like a wave hitting the beach. It was almost as good as last week when the wind was coming from different directions, differing speeds and various levels. I could have sworn I saw a lenticular cloud build up just for a few minutes. It's been very cold for the past couple of nights but worth leaving the drapes open to watch the full moon move across the window behind my computer.
Any other good happenings? The Waterlily Camelia survived the summer and is flowering. The lemon tree, likewise and is loaded with fruit. The lime tree has flowers but the grapefruits looks like it might take another 6 months to recover. It's branch cutting season and I tried to prune but while the mind is willing the body is not. I'll wait for the mower man.
CHANGES
"Recent changes to the legislation of the Australian Citizenship Act, likely to commence on July 1, 2007, mean that gay emigrants may face new hurdles in their quests to become Australian citizens.
The major amendment to the Act alters the length of the residence qualifying period, doubling the compulsory length of time an applicant must live in Australia before applying for citizenship. An applicant will be required to live in the country for four years, with absences totalling no more than twelve months, before applying. Of those four years, a potential applicant must hold permanent residency for at least twelve months, with absences totalling no more than three months.
These changes will only affect potential citizenship applicants who have not gained permanent residency status before the new Act commences. Current holders of Australian PR would only be required to meet the current two year residential qualifying period as long as they apply for citizenship within three years of the new Act."
At the Government site http://www.citizenship.gov.au there is a list of over one hundred and forty community groups giving their views of the proposed changes. There are religious groups, migrant communities and Councils but not one gay organisation. There's even the R.S.P.C.A.
The Gay and Lesbian Immigration Task Force in Victoria http://www.glitfvic.org.au has been helping gay and lesbian couples seeking Permanent Residency status for over twenty years and I didn't see them on the list. There are a lot of religious groups and the Minister for all this......Kevin Andrews, Liberal and religious fruitcake.
Thanks to Steve Wright at Stevivor.com for the use of his words.
The major amendment to the Act alters the length of the residence qualifying period, doubling the compulsory length of time an applicant must live in Australia before applying for citizenship. An applicant will be required to live in the country for four years, with absences totalling no more than twelve months, before applying. Of those four years, a potential applicant must hold permanent residency for at least twelve months, with absences totalling no more than three months.
These changes will only affect potential citizenship applicants who have not gained permanent residency status before the new Act commences. Current holders of Australian PR would only be required to meet the current two year residential qualifying period as long as they apply for citizenship within three years of the new Act."
At the Government site http://www.citizenship.gov.au there is a list of over one hundred and forty community groups giving their views of the proposed changes. There are religious groups, migrant communities and Councils but not one gay organisation. There's even the R.S.P.C.A.
The Gay and Lesbian Immigration Task Force in Victoria http://www.glitfvic.org.au has been helping gay and lesbian couples seeking Permanent Residency status for over twenty years and I didn't see them on the list. There are a lot of religious groups and the Minister for all this......Kevin Andrews, Liberal and religious fruitcake.
Thanks to Steve Wright at Stevivor.com for the use of his words.
Monday, June 04, 2007
NEW WORD
The term biophotonics denotes a combination of biology and photonics, with photonics being the science of direct manipulation of photons, quantum units of light. Photonics is related to electronics in that it is believed that photons will play a similar central role in future information technology as electrons do today.
Biophotonics has therefore become the established general term for all techniques that deal with the relation of biological material and photons. This refers to emission, detection, absorption, reflection, modification, and creation of radiation from living organisms and organic material. Areas of application are life science, medicine, agriculture, and environmental science.
That is what you get when you read new words in an article and you go to Wiki. Then you follow all the other words and get lost for an hour and still can't get the brain to accept biophotonics as something it's ever going to understand. It has applications in microscopy.
Now ask me about acoustic levitation. I've almost got that one except how it works but it sounds great, like the Rolling Stones on a high.
Biophotonics has therefore become the established general term for all techniques that deal with the relation of biological material and photons. This refers to emission, detection, absorption, reflection, modification, and creation of radiation from living organisms and organic material. Areas of application are life science, medicine, agriculture, and environmental science.
That is what you get when you read new words in an article and you go to Wiki. Then you follow all the other words and get lost for an hour and still can't get the brain to accept biophotonics as something it's ever going to understand. It has applications in microscopy.
Now ask me about acoustic levitation. I've almost got that one except how it works but it sounds great, like the Rolling Stones on a high.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
THIS IS BETTER
I rather like this glass, it's not as modern and more curvy like me. I stole the pic from http://www.luxury-gadgets.com and that is my kind of website.Bombay Sapphire has a unique distillation process using a Carterhead still. (I'm still trying to google that). Unlike other gins which boil their botanicals with the spirit, the Bombay spirit is distilled alone. Then to get the unique flavour, the spirit passes through the botanicals in vapour form. This allows each delicate aroma to be fully absorbed.
Triple distilled, 100% neutral grain spirit is heated into vapour form. Vapour is sent through the rectifying column, unique to a Carterhead still. The baffle system, situated in the column, allows only the purest spirit to pass through.
Purified vapour passes through a copper basket containing 10 natural botanicals and absorbs their delicate flavours. The vapour is turned into liquid and received into a spirit safe as Bombay Sapphire.
The selection and balance of their botanicals is based on a recipe dating from 1761 and no expense is spared. Then Bombay Sapphire is blended with pure water from Lake Vymwy and bottled.
Okay after going through all that, I'm going to stop whining about the cost.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
CIVIL WAR SOLDIER
This is from the ex's side of the family and I was lucky I had a couple of copies made. It was a tiny photograph tucked in the family Bible and I had it photographed to get a negative. The Bible was one of those huge Victorian decorated ones but it was thrown up into a musty cupboard and left and when I finally got my hands on it, a lot of damage had been done. None of the photographs were labelled, a piece of silk supposedly from a flag made during the War of Independence couldn't be verified but the marriages and deaths had been filled in, after a fashion.Even though the outside cover was made of tooled leather, the spine was broken in places and it was fragile to handle much. In one of my more genius moments, I consulted with a carpenter friend about making a Bible Box to keep it in. My idea was to make something that would fold out, letting the pages be turned but not actually having to pick it up. We finally came up with the idea of using piano hinges. The sides of the box were fixed but the front, top and back side were fastened with the hinges and the whole lot folded out flat, making it easy to go through the pages but never moving the book itself. My father-in-law who had shown no interest in the family history before, said thanks very much and took the box home (I paid for it) along with all the photographs and documents that I had put into acid free paper. He was a selfish old creep.
But I had kept copies of this photo but not the document that came with it although I copied the words. He wasn't from the South but from Chicago and that's all I know. From Civil War history I would say it was taken by one of the battlefield photographers as many of the soldiers were.
His first name I don't know. This poem was written by R.W.O. Rutledge, on the 20th of October, 1863.
The impress of my face I send
to you - just to impart
that good or bad its lines
portend
An index of my heart
And you who knows that heart so well
Can judge it to be true
That turning still and looking full
It fair would look on you
Impromptu, as I seal this letter.
That's another project on the backburner to look up any battles around that date and try to trace Officer Rutledge even though he isn't my side of the family.
GLASSY
Bombay Sapphire, yummmm. I wasn't looking for gin, I just wanted a party image for the weight loss post, 131.7kgs and I found this at http://www.petercrisp.com.auHe is an Australian glass artist who makes the most gorgeous glass objects including a dining set for HRH Chuck and Chick which is called Camelot. When you visit the site click on special commissions.
131.7 isn't all that much from last time but we're into the 131's and heading down. I have new digital scales, on sale, $60 off. I didn't bother with the other WeightWatcher scales, I don't have to know my body fat index, it's big and besides they cost $20 extra. Just to make sure they were good I carried them to every flat surface in the house and always the same weight. No more walking 6kms in the cold.
I have a birthday next month, any donations for a case of Bombay and one of Peter Crisp's martini glasses will be grabbed with both hands and kisses on your feet.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
LEGEND
After writing about Ridley Scott's 'Legend' I decided to go back and read his take on making the film. In one of the book sales I used to haunt when I had money to spare, I picked up Paul M. Sammon's book "Ridley Scott, Close Up, The Making of his Movies".Legend was the first film he made after Blade Runner (another favourite) and was originally to be named "Legend of Darkness". After an extremely bad test audience review, Scott was forced to cut 20 minutes from the film ruining its continuity and in Scott's words making it "a bloody disaster".
It was disappointing in theatres but was popular with home video viewers, generating numerous websites with one of the best FAQ site being http://www.figmentfly.com/legend/index.shtml
One of the features that I loved was the ever moving golden wisps through the forest which added to the fairy/dreamland quality. Scott did this by chopping up duck feathers, letting them float against the backlight of the sets.
The film also has, in Annabelle Lanyon, one of the fairest fairies ever put on screen. She makes Julia Roberts' Tinkerbelle in Hook look like an elephant with wings.
Scott's idea for the make-up for Tim Curry's 'Darkness' came from Walt Disney's Fantasia. The winged horned demon from the 'Night on Bald Mountain' segment. While I love that music now it was another childhood nightmare for me.
Variety reviewed the film in August, 1985, calling it a lavishly produced but thin scripted fantasy but not condemning it altogether. The review also praised Jerry Goldsmith's score which had been replaced in the American release with a "New Age" score by the German electronic group, Tangerine Dream. Goldsmith didn't speak to Scott after that. There is a Director's Cut on The Ultimate Edition DVD and Goldsmith's score is restored.
I can't remembered whether I have the European or American version so it's into the video library to hunt it out. Even with Tom Cruise in it, I love the film, in fact it's the only film with T.C. that I do like.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
WHEN BUDGIES GO BAD
I know I risk the 'curse of the ghey boy' in bagging our Kylie but lordie will you look at that dress. I'm aware that she's called the singing budgie because of her size not because her knees look like they belong on a budgie. I swear those knees could bend backwards and she wouldn't fall off a perch. Bleeech on the hair and the awful shoes.I'm chuffed she looks grotty. This tart is the size of the lard I still have to lose off my bod. So money, botox and a figure still doesn't make for good taste. Did I mention that I'm chuffed she looks grotty?
Thanks to 'Gofugyourself' for always finding the right wrong picture.
FAT LADY DOWN again
Stupid wind, bloody gumtrees throwing gumnuts all over the place. Stupid me for not seeing the gumnuts, being the same colour as the concrete. Stupid me for not expecting gumnuts when the tree is over the other side of the street and four houses up which is why I never cross there until I pass the tree.
True blogger that I am my first thought was wishing for a camera phone as the sight of a landing blimp must have been spectacular. At least it was fast, one foot on a nut and the law of gravity was proven again. I didn't fall flat on my face, that's next to impossible with the rack I'm blessed with but my nose was close enough to count the ants getting out of the way.
Total damage, two grazed palms, grazed leg, something ligamental on the other leg with something anklely. Dignity, intact, since no-one was around to see the fall or the getting up part.
That hurt. I would have rolled over to the grass but the neighbourhood mutts had done their bit for the environment so it was the hard pavement or nothing.
I must be getting better at this falling lark. I only snivelled a bit, didn't go into shock and hauled myself up in a trice. I checked the knees first, gave the right one a bit of a bash to put it back on it's track and that's the one that's giving me curry at the moment. Neck's out a bit come to think of it, left side.
Now the next imbecile that tells me that walking is good for weight loss is likely to get a good kick, low down, I don't high kick as well as I used to. I was in a hurry to catch the bus thanks to the Taxi Directorate that sent me a letter telling me to make alternate travel arrangements since I was nearly out of my allowance. More imbeciles, as if I would use all that money out of a pension if I hadn't needed to. I was going to sneak off to see 'Pirates' because of computer troubles and I thought a bit of fresh air and Johnny Depp might do me good. HA! HA! double HA! I kept going, I was closer to the bus stop than home and Westfield had a book sale.
Now for the computer trouble, ever since the last dial-up 5 hour download for updates from microsoft, I've been getting this message when I try to print from the Internet.
Internet Explorer Script Error
An error has occurred in the script on this page
Line 93
Char 1
Error Access is denied
Code 0
URL res://c:\WINDOWS\system 32\shdoclc.dll/preview.dlg
Do you want to continue running scripts on this page?
Yes No
I located the file and I can't open it becausing it's a running program or something. Anybody know who I email to get this right? The only good thing, I found the font file I've been trying to back up on CD. Is it from my printer or HP or Microsoft? Please help the computer illiterate.
True blogger that I am my first thought was wishing for a camera phone as the sight of a landing blimp must have been spectacular. At least it was fast, one foot on a nut and the law of gravity was proven again. I didn't fall flat on my face, that's next to impossible with the rack I'm blessed with but my nose was close enough to count the ants getting out of the way.
Total damage, two grazed palms, grazed leg, something ligamental on the other leg with something anklely. Dignity, intact, since no-one was around to see the fall or the getting up part.
That hurt. I would have rolled over to the grass but the neighbourhood mutts had done their bit for the environment so it was the hard pavement or nothing.
I must be getting better at this falling lark. I only snivelled a bit, didn't go into shock and hauled myself up in a trice. I checked the knees first, gave the right one a bit of a bash to put it back on it's track and that's the one that's giving me curry at the moment. Neck's out a bit come to think of it, left side.
Now the next imbecile that tells me that walking is good for weight loss is likely to get a good kick, low down, I don't high kick as well as I used to. I was in a hurry to catch the bus thanks to the Taxi Directorate that sent me a letter telling me to make alternate travel arrangements since I was nearly out of my allowance. More imbeciles, as if I would use all that money out of a pension if I hadn't needed to. I was going to sneak off to see 'Pirates' because of computer troubles and I thought a bit of fresh air and Johnny Depp might do me good. HA! HA! double HA! I kept going, I was closer to the bus stop than home and Westfield had a book sale.
Now for the computer trouble, ever since the last dial-up 5 hour download for updates from microsoft, I've been getting this message when I try to print from the Internet.
Internet Explorer Script Error
An error has occurred in the script on this page
Line 93
Char 1
Error Access is denied
Code 0
URL res://c:\WINDOWS\system 32\shdoclc.dll/preview.dlg
Do you want to continue running scripts on this page?
Yes No
I located the file and I can't open it becausing it's a running program or something. Anybody know who I email to get this right? The only good thing, I found the font file I've been trying to back up on CD. Is it from my printer or HP or Microsoft? Please help the computer illiterate.
Friday, May 25, 2007
THE CHILD WITHIN
I should have said children since I feel multiple personalities live within my mind at times. 30 years since StarWars and I still watch it when I feel a bit crook or I want to get close to the son that's gone, birthdays and such.
So yesterday I put on Layby two DVDs with 6 of my favourites twitty movies. Beetlejuice, The Goonies and Gremlins followed by LadyHawke, Willow and Legend. Tom Cruise hates Legend which is a good reason to like it in my book.
I already have these on tape but in my obsessive compulsive way, I want back-up. The tapes are wearing out, I have to stagger the viewing times. My StarWars is original without the arty-farty things George felt compelled to put in later, just because he could.
Forget the multiple personalities, I just have an escapist personality. It's no good taking me to see anything that resembles "real life", "gritty" or people interacting like real people. Booooring!
I want fairies, way out costumes, space ships, intergalactic romance and most of all, happy endings.
I sobbed when ET died, I sobbed when he lived, I'm still doing it. There's nothing like a really good bawl after a happy ending. There are some films that I don't have to see right through, usually the end will be enough to set off the sprinklers. The only films I won't see are animal ones. I'm still traumatised from "Old Yella" not to mention Tarka the splattered otter. Black Beauty will live in infamy and will I ever forget 'Gallant Bess' swimming frantically through the surf after the departing naval ships. I mean they lowered the door at the back and she clambered on board but not before my heart broke in two.
Forget realism, the world needs more fairies, magic wands and a few lightsabres.
So yesterday I put on Layby two DVDs with 6 of my favourites twitty movies. Beetlejuice, The Goonies and Gremlins followed by LadyHawke, Willow and Legend. Tom Cruise hates Legend which is a good reason to like it in my book.
I already have these on tape but in my obsessive compulsive way, I want back-up. The tapes are wearing out, I have to stagger the viewing times. My StarWars is original without the arty-farty things George felt compelled to put in later, just because he could.
Forget the multiple personalities, I just have an escapist personality. It's no good taking me to see anything that resembles "real life", "gritty" or people interacting like real people. Booooring!
I want fairies, way out costumes, space ships, intergalactic romance and most of all, happy endings.
I sobbed when ET died, I sobbed when he lived, I'm still doing it. There's nothing like a really good bawl after a happy ending. There are some films that I don't have to see right through, usually the end will be enough to set off the sprinklers. The only films I won't see are animal ones. I'm still traumatised from "Old Yella" not to mention Tarka the splattered otter. Black Beauty will live in infamy and will I ever forget 'Gallant Bess' swimming frantically through the surf after the departing naval ships. I mean they lowered the door at the back and she clambered on board but not before my heart broke in two.
Forget realism, the world needs more fairies, magic wands and a few lightsabres.
IT WASN'T ME
That's right, it wasn't me splashed over the pages of the Herald Crum today.
I didn't get fined for running a brothel without a licence.
My hair isn't short and blonde and I don't wear sunglasses.
I'm smart enough to make it legal.
I didn't get fined for running a brothel without a licence.
My hair isn't short and blonde and I don't wear sunglasses.
I'm smart enough to make it legal.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
MORE ICE
These are three views of the same green iceberg near the Amery Ice Shelf. I blogged about the breakup of this ice shelf in January which is a reasonable month for looking at all things ice related but not now when my feet are freezing.I love icebergs which is strange because I hate the cold but put an image of a berg anywhere near me and I'm hypnotised. There's just something about the sculptured shape of a very old berg that's been floating with the current for five or so years. It's lost the raw edge of newly calved ice and this green translucent colour is so rare.
Phosphophylite is a crystal from Bolivia and in the raw state is the only thing in nature that I've seen that comes close to these icebergs. In fact I've only ever seen one specimen of this gem which I bought for a friend who was into crystal healing. I can still remember seeing it in the shop, pardon me while I wax poetic, but it truly did sing to me like a siren sitting on top of one of these bergs. It wasn't smooth, it was sharp, spiky and only in the very centre did the colour concentrate into this wonderful pale green.
GREEN ICE
Lovely object isn't it? It's a green coloured iceberg and very rarely seen. Scientists haven't been able to agree on what gives the ice its green tinge. It's been attributed to layers of very fine sediment particles or optical effects but since a green iceberg stands out among white and blue icebergs under a variety of light conditions, the optical illusion theory hasn't stood up.
Green icebergs become visible after "normal" looking icebergs have capsized, displaying the layer of marine ice underneath. Marine ice forms the floating ice shelves the underneath of which is a nursery for algae which is another theory for the green colour.
Another polar mystery which might be solved given the increased disintegration of the ice shelves due to the warming of the Arctic and Antarctic oceans.
Monday, May 21, 2007
BIRDS DO IT
Bees do it.
Even lesbians and gays do it.
Mikhela and Lovergirl from Badbandicoot.blogspot are eight weeks pregnant with twins.
Kelly and Sam Pilgrim-Byrne from TheMuriels. blogspot have reached their half way 20 weeks with their baby girl.
Talk about love in bloom.
Even lesbians and gays do it.
Mikhela and Lovergirl from Badbandicoot.blogspot are eight weeks pregnant with twins.
Kelly and Sam Pilgrim-Byrne from TheMuriels. blogspot have reached their half way 20 weeks with their baby girl.
Talk about love in bloom.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
THE SECRET
Apparently I'm fat because I'm thinking fat thoughts.
Oh righty oh!
I should be thinking better thoughts.
Thinking..........
That's better.
Anybody wanting a job in this Madam's high class establishment catering to middle-aged ladies and their needs, please apply to the blog. Must have good teeth, bathe in rose water and ability to keep a straight face is essential.
Damn, there goes my secret.
Oh righty oh!
I should be thinking better thoughts.
Thinking..........
That's better.
Anybody wanting a job in this Madam's high class establishment catering to middle-aged ladies and their needs, please apply to the blog. Must have good teeth, bathe in rose water and ability to keep a straight face is essential.
Damn, there goes my secret.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
A LITTLE LIGHT
I have a wooden faux copper two light fitting in the study. One globe shines on the computer and the other on the desk until it fritzed last week. Up the ladder again and screw in light bulb which isn't screwing because the screw fitting is disintegrating as I screw. Damn. Drag the ladder round to the other half of the fitting and try to get it to shine down. That worked, for now.
Sitting on the throne last night and contemplating the expansion of the universe when the light above me went boom. Fortunately the globe is enclosed in the glass fitting. Bad luck that I can't get up the ladder to unscrew the fitting while holding a new globe and the glass.
Yesterday the leg on my favourite made to measure for my backside chair, splintered and the wheel fell off. It's now slightly off-side propped up by two books. When it stops raining I'll go out and fetch four bricks to use and take the rest of the wheels off.
The only light today was my weigh-in, 132 kgs, on the knocker. To celebrate I think I'll go and visit some food blogs.
Sitting on the throne last night and contemplating the expansion of the universe when the light above me went boom. Fortunately the globe is enclosed in the glass fitting. Bad luck that I can't get up the ladder to unscrew the fitting while holding a new globe and the glass.
Yesterday the leg on my favourite made to measure for my backside chair, splintered and the wheel fell off. It's now slightly off-side propped up by two books. When it stops raining I'll go out and fetch four bricks to use and take the rest of the wheels off.
The only light today was my weigh-in, 132 kgs, on the knocker. To celebrate I think I'll go and visit some food blogs.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
DID YOU KNOW...........
No, I didn't know anything about this snippet of history and the last thing I would have thought about was teeth in the Army. I mean teeth in the old days were pretty chronic in everybody but who'd have thought that a good set was part of a soldier's equipment. Grenadiers had to have front teeth to bite open the fuse of the grenade before lighting it. Another snippet, I never associated grenades with Grenadiers. The Musketeers needed front teeth to pull the wooden caps off the powder cartridges before pouring the charge into their muskets. (don't read literature, I thought Musketeers had swords) When the times and weapons changed, muskets to rifles, front teeth dropped off the priority list at the same time as sugar consumption went up and dental health, such as it was, went down.
It came to the crunch (ooer, sorry) during the Boer War when soldiers' teeth had to face ration biscuits and tough beef. The British Army lost 8000 men in battle but more than 2000 were evacuated and 5000 were found unfit for fighting because of dental problems. Soldiers with bad teeth or none couldn't eat, starving soldiers can't fight or have enough stamina to recover from typhoid fever or dysentery.
Frederick Newland Pedley was a specialist in repairing jaws and a founder of the Dental School at Guy's Hospital. When he heard about the head injuries and shattered jaws suffered by the soldiers in South Africa, he offered his services. Always the bastion of wisdom, the War Office wouldn't pay him but let him go on the condition that he supplied all his own equipment and made his own transport arrangements.
His first surgery was a tent and he was overwhelmed by soldiers with dental problems. It was so bad that a Cheshire Regiment had to order mincing machines when it was found that hardly a man had a molar left to eat their meat ration. After 6 months, Pedley returned to England and started campaigning for an Army Dental Corps. The Army's reply was to send four dentists.
At the start of the First World War, no dentists went to France with the B.E.F. Pedley, once again, went on his own and reported that the troops' teeth were worse than ever. It took a tooth ache in the Commander-in-Chief's mouth to get things moving. Douglas Haig's staff was forced to send to Paris for a dentist. So the Army hired a dozen dentists and in 1918 it had 831 but it wasn't until 1921 that it created the Dental Corps.
http://www.bda.org/museum is an interesting site for the history of dentistry.
It came to the crunch (ooer, sorry) during the Boer War when soldiers' teeth had to face ration biscuits and tough beef. The British Army lost 8000 men in battle but more than 2000 were evacuated and 5000 were found unfit for fighting because of dental problems. Soldiers with bad teeth or none couldn't eat, starving soldiers can't fight or have enough stamina to recover from typhoid fever or dysentery.
Frederick Newland Pedley was a specialist in repairing jaws and a founder of the Dental School at Guy's Hospital. When he heard about the head injuries and shattered jaws suffered by the soldiers in South Africa, he offered his services. Always the bastion of wisdom, the War Office wouldn't pay him but let him go on the condition that he supplied all his own equipment and made his own transport arrangements.
His first surgery was a tent and he was overwhelmed by soldiers with dental problems. It was so bad that a Cheshire Regiment had to order mincing machines when it was found that hardly a man had a molar left to eat their meat ration. After 6 months, Pedley returned to England and started campaigning for an Army Dental Corps. The Army's reply was to send four dentists.
At the start of the First World War, no dentists went to France with the B.E.F. Pedley, once again, went on his own and reported that the troops' teeth were worse than ever. It took a tooth ache in the Commander-in-Chief's mouth to get things moving. Douglas Haig's staff was forced to send to Paris for a dentist. So the Army hired a dozen dentists and in 1918 it had 831 but it wasn't until 1921 that it created the Dental Corps.
http://www.bda.org/museum is an interesting site for the history of dentistry.
RELATIONSHIPS REGISTER
Back on April 27th I blogged about this gay couple and their little boy, Ethan. Jeff Chiang and Rodney Cruise are signing the Relationships Register of the City of Yarra and baby Ethan still looks beautiful with them.Tuesday, May 15, 2007
MEME NUMBER 87
Thank you Sam, the Evil Queerpenguin of Doom, the lobber of memes on unsuspecting meme addicts.
I have to give up eight random things about me so I'd best start at the beginning.
1. Most kids have imaginery friends. I had an imaginery 2 storey Italianate mansion in Toorak, a racing horse stud farm and two imaginery twin brothers. Always the overachiever.
2. The only car I remember from childhood is a police car. My Dad used to sit me on the gate post as a lookout while he ran the SP business in the lounge room. He got caught once and decided to tell the truth, the Judge said he was an unmitigated liar. Lawyers!!!
3. Contrary to popular opinion, a man's eyes are the first thing I look at although I've been known to 'fly' south after that.
4. I don't have a belly button. If I get pissed I can't tell if I'm coming or going but I have a birthmark so I know which way is up.
5. I have a phobia about naked men. Ha Ha, you all cry as you count up the numerous pics of nekkid blokes I've posted over the years. It's therapy, honest. I've got them all over the fridge door so I have to face my fear to get to the food. It's therapy, true dinks. This phobia makes me laugh hysterically at naked men, you're all so funny looking in skin suits. This gets me in no end of strife, men are so touchy about laughter aren't they?
6. I hate listening to music with anyone else in the room. The music is mine. I don't want to share the moment. I don't want to hear anyone else breathing through it. I want to destroy Bo Derek for ruining 'Bolero'. I've been trying to memorise Ravel's adagio from his Piano Concerto in G major for a whole year and it still eludes me.
7. I have a very placid exterior which hides a Krakatoa sized temper. I could never fire a gun but I can use words to poison, maim and kill but I try not to. Krakatoa blew itself apart, remember.
8. In reference to 7, never tell me that AIDS came from god to punish gays. Never tell me that same sex marriage is sinful. Never tell me that gays can't love, it's all about sex. Never tell me that gays and lesbians can never be good parents or don't deserve to have children. Never tell me your particular religion told you so.
There are a whole lot of rules and stuff that goes with this meme but the penguin didn't post them so I'm not. I'm supposed to name 8 bloggers, way to get beaten up at the next grogblog. But if your shrink is costing too much or soaking up the sun in Bermuda, feel free to unburden yourself to blogger, we will keep your secrets. Well, we'll keep your name secret but blog about everything you say.
I have to give up eight random things about me so I'd best start at the beginning.
1. Most kids have imaginery friends. I had an imaginery 2 storey Italianate mansion in Toorak, a racing horse stud farm and two imaginery twin brothers. Always the overachiever.
2. The only car I remember from childhood is a police car. My Dad used to sit me on the gate post as a lookout while he ran the SP business in the lounge room. He got caught once and decided to tell the truth, the Judge said he was an unmitigated liar. Lawyers!!!
3. Contrary to popular opinion, a man's eyes are the first thing I look at although I've been known to 'fly' south after that.
4. I don't have a belly button. If I get pissed I can't tell if I'm coming or going but I have a birthmark so I know which way is up.
5. I have a phobia about naked men. Ha Ha, you all cry as you count up the numerous pics of nekkid blokes I've posted over the years. It's therapy, honest. I've got them all over the fridge door so I have to face my fear to get to the food. It's therapy, true dinks. This phobia makes me laugh hysterically at naked men, you're all so funny looking in skin suits. This gets me in no end of strife, men are so touchy about laughter aren't they?
6. I hate listening to music with anyone else in the room. The music is mine. I don't want to share the moment. I don't want to hear anyone else breathing through it. I want to destroy Bo Derek for ruining 'Bolero'. I've been trying to memorise Ravel's adagio from his Piano Concerto in G major for a whole year and it still eludes me.
7. I have a very placid exterior which hides a Krakatoa sized temper. I could never fire a gun but I can use words to poison, maim and kill but I try not to. Krakatoa blew itself apart, remember.
8. In reference to 7, never tell me that AIDS came from god to punish gays. Never tell me that same sex marriage is sinful. Never tell me that gays can't love, it's all about sex. Never tell me that gays and lesbians can never be good parents or don't deserve to have children. Never tell me your particular religion told you so.
There are a whole lot of rules and stuff that goes with this meme but the penguin didn't post them so I'm not. I'm supposed to name 8 bloggers, way to get beaten up at the next grogblog. But if your shrink is costing too much or soaking up the sun in Bermuda, feel free to unburden yourself to blogger, we will keep your secrets. Well, we'll keep your name secret but blog about everything you say.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
I DONATE MY FAT TO.......
Thanks to TigTog at 'Hoyden about Town' blogspot for all the good links and especially this one
http://www.shakesville.com/2007/05/the_politics_versus_the_scienc.php (yes yes yes, one of these days I'll remember how to hide the damn address). I've been saying these same things for years and it appears I'm not alone.
I agreed with a lot of the commenters especially the ones who were told they were fat in their teens but on looking at those photos now have decided that they weren't fat at all. I did that myself and I was amply covered but not fat. Actually I was straight up and down but out in front. I have never had a waist and I want sainthood for the person who invented the 'princess line'.
I still think Australians have a more balanced diet than Americans and our portion sizes are better. This is on hearsay from friends who've been to America and couldn't believe what was put on their plates. I suppose you're as sick of hearing about my blubber as I am in trying to lose it but it's back on the diet horse tomorrow and try, try, again.
I've finally managed an email link but any diet tips will be totally ignored.
http://www.shakesville.com/2007/05/the_politics_versus_the_scienc.php (yes yes yes, one of these days I'll remember how to hide the damn address). I've been saying these same things for years and it appears I'm not alone.
I agreed with a lot of the commenters especially the ones who were told they were fat in their teens but on looking at those photos now have decided that they weren't fat at all. I did that myself and I was amply covered but not fat. Actually I was straight up and down but out in front. I have never had a waist and I want sainthood for the person who invented the 'princess line'.
I still think Australians have a more balanced diet than Americans and our portion sizes are better. This is on hearsay from friends who've been to America and couldn't believe what was put on their plates. I suppose you're as sick of hearing about my blubber as I am in trying to lose it but it's back on the diet horse tomorrow and try, try, again.
I've finally managed an email link but any diet tips will be totally ignored.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
HAPPY ME DAY
In my alternative Universe where I am the Goddess of Agelessness, Beauty and Intelligence, this sweet thing has been bringing me breakfast in bed for the past week but tomorrow he'll bring me cake. I'm not fickle, I won't replace him for at least another week.I FORGOT ONE
This is the floor of the Parliament House Vestibule which leads to the Queen's Hall. The work and the colours are stunning. You can buy a jigsaw puzzle of this at the gift shop.
Seeing this fabulous building has made me aware of how little I've seen in Melbourne in the last twenty years. The so-called 'Head of the House' was never interested in taking the boys anywhere like this. If he went anywhere it was for himself, the centre of the Universe. I sound a bit bitter and I am. Too many wasted years that I'll never get back. Sentimentality is over-rated, I should have walked away looking forward like he did.
This mood too will pass. I've been going through my Mother's things again because I refuse to do it later. All her things are mentally packed and labelled and it will take me 24 hours to clear the house. I'm doing the memories and crying stuff now because later on I'll be moving fast, the bonded servant will crunch the shackles and you won't see me for dust.
Friday, May 11, 2007
FIVE DAYS DOWN
Monday: all day Mummy day, packing, unpacking, stressing and pain in head.
Tuesday: meltdown which needed painkillers for killer pain in neck, shoulders and spine due to stress and several phone calls from Mummy. I should have put my phone number at the bottom of the call list which I would do if there was going to be another respite care which there is not as she is never again leaving her home except feet first. (her words)
Wednesday: Up, up and away to Mummy's house to let the council housekeeper in otherwise the council gets shitty and thinks we don't need help. She madly cleans without the usual instructions from the bedroom and I, once more unto the breach, throw out junk from the sewing room. This is the third time I've done this but before I always thought she would go back to some sort of craft work but she finds it impossible to thread any but the largest needle and then finds she can't move her left hand to do any embroidery. All the laces are put away in dust free bags and stacked on the shelves where she can look at them and that's it for now.
Thursday: Today is good. I get to meet Brownie and Lord Sedgwick at Parliament House for lunch in the dining room. Somebody should have taken a photo of my face as I realized that I would have to climb all those damn stairs from Spring Street which was a hell of a lot easier than climbing down later. Security was lax, they let us through. Lunch was nice and we kept Parliamentary hours, three hours before we decided we'd had enough. The wine chosen by His Lordship was an excellent red and thankfully it was the waitress who slopped it on the snowy whiteness of the starched tablecloth. I was wearing a red dress which disguised the raspberry coulis which I slopped down me. I can't believe I missed my mouth and the coulis was delicious.
This is where we lingered longer. The Queen's Hall where the portraits of the Premiers are displayed. I love this Hall, it's big and I look small in it. Ballarat gold glitters on the ceiling and I wanted to take home the light fixture.
We also had a snoop in the library. I wanted this light as well, in fact I wanted the whole room carted off to my place and tacked on the back. The Brownie and Lord Sedgwick checked out the books while I gave a thumbs up to the Ladies Powder Room.
Tuesday: meltdown which needed painkillers for killer pain in neck, shoulders and spine due to stress and several phone calls from Mummy. I should have put my phone number at the bottom of the call list which I would do if there was going to be another respite care which there is not as she is never again leaving her home except feet first. (her words)
Wednesday: Up, up and away to Mummy's house to let the council housekeeper in otherwise the council gets shitty and thinks we don't need help. She madly cleans without the usual instructions from the bedroom and I, once more unto the breach, throw out junk from the sewing room. This is the third time I've done this but before I always thought she would go back to some sort of craft work but she finds it impossible to thread any but the largest needle and then finds she can't move her left hand to do any embroidery. All the laces are put away in dust free bags and stacked on the shelves where she can look at them and that's it for now.
Thursday: Today is good. I get to meet Brownie and Lord Sedgwick at Parliament House for lunch in the dining room. Somebody should have taken a photo of my face as I realized that I would have to climb all those damn stairs from Spring Street which was a hell of a lot easier than climbing down later. Security was lax, they let us through. Lunch was nice and we kept Parliamentary hours, three hours before we decided we'd had enough. The wine chosen by His Lordship was an excellent red and thankfully it was the waitress who slopped it on the snowy whiteness of the starched tablecloth. I was wearing a red dress which disguised the raspberry coulis which I slopped down me. I can't believe I missed my mouth and the coulis was delicious.
This is where we lingered longer. The Queen's Hall where the portraits of the Premiers are displayed. I love this Hall, it's big and I look small in it. Ballarat gold glitters on the ceiling and I wanted to take home the light fixture.
We also had a snoop in the library. I wanted this light as well, in fact I wanted the whole room carted off to my place and tacked on the back. The Brownie and Lord Sedgwick checked out the books while I gave a thumbs up to the Ladies Powder Room. I've lived in Melbourne all my life and have never been inside Parliament House and probably won't again. The view from the top of the steps, looking down Bourke St. was fantastic until I started to move. The knees protested, I sidestepped to the handrail and clung on for dear life.
Thank you to the guys sitting at the bottom who would have broken my fall. It took me another two hours to get home because I had to stop and shop for the cat.
Friday: Shopping because I didn't do it yesterday. The ingrate that I fed expensive food to last night had regurgitated it the entire length of the hall. No wonder he wasn't snivelling for breakfast at 7 o'clock. There will be no weigh-in tomorrow. I couldn't walk that far to be shown the bad news on a large digital scale.
My shoulders are loosening up at last. The tension is decreasing. I've become aware of just how much of my life is taken up with my Mother. Today should have been about wandering around for me but I kept thinking, "did she need this or need that?" until I mentally slapped myself and spent the grocery money on beads and baubles. So all is well, no I've found a leaking filling in my back tooth so it's a visit to the dentist but not until after next week of freedom.
Monday, May 07, 2007
IN LOCKDOWN
I left home again before nine and got home near to two. It has taken a bottle of coca-cola, a large rocky road block, 1 oazapam, 2 painkillers and an ice pack to unlock the muscle spasms, stiff neck and rigid upper body. My mother is safely in respite care for two lovely weeks. For the past week I have been labelling clothes, marking hostel forms, collecting medication, organizing doctor's visit and trying to keep her on a even keel.
It took twenty minutes to get her into the front of the car and pack everything bar the kitchen sink in the back. I had lists on the back of the front door, the bathroom door, the phone and the back of my hand. The stress came from trying to keep everything low key so she wouldn't have a panic attack at the thought of leaving home even though I made sure the coming home date was on every calendar in the house.
I am not angry about having to do this. I don't have the right word to put in place of angry but I shouldn't have had to cajole then threaten to leave her until she went to respite to give all of us, (all of us is a joke, we are three) a break. Okay so she's not rational enough to really make this decision but then she was rational enough to refuse to go whenever it was suggested.
Children should not expect a parent to support them beyond a certain age and Parents should not expect children to be their support beyond their capabilities. I have read many times that single women without children have been asked "Who will look after you when you're old?" If you have children for that reason, you're not thinking far enough ahead. You don't have children to be slaves to age. You give them life, education, the skill to succeed in whatever they choose and you watch them grow into (hopefully) great human beings. You do not give them a balance sheet with what you did for them from the day they were born and on the other side, what you expect them to do for you in return.
We three, have looked after Mum because we wanted to but it has given us a dread of having to ask for help of any kind from anybody. That's not to say we won't turn round and help somebody who needs it, we've just made a pact that we won't ask for help for ourselves. Hopefully I'll make 100 and be independant but if I feel I'm not going to make it, then it's into a hostel with a nursing home attached and the decision made rationally by me.
It took twenty minutes to get her into the front of the car and pack everything bar the kitchen sink in the back. I had lists on the back of the front door, the bathroom door, the phone and the back of my hand. The stress came from trying to keep everything low key so she wouldn't have a panic attack at the thought of leaving home even though I made sure the coming home date was on every calendar in the house.
I am not angry about having to do this. I don't have the right word to put in place of angry but I shouldn't have had to cajole then threaten to leave her until she went to respite to give all of us, (all of us is a joke, we are three) a break. Okay so she's not rational enough to really make this decision but then she was rational enough to refuse to go whenever it was suggested.
Children should not expect a parent to support them beyond a certain age and Parents should not expect children to be their support beyond their capabilities. I have read many times that single women without children have been asked "Who will look after you when you're old?" If you have children for that reason, you're not thinking far enough ahead. You don't have children to be slaves to age. You give them life, education, the skill to succeed in whatever they choose and you watch them grow into (hopefully) great human beings. You do not give them a balance sheet with what you did for them from the day they were born and on the other side, what you expect them to do for you in return.
We three, have looked after Mum because we wanted to but it has given us a dread of having to ask for help of any kind from anybody. That's not to say we won't turn round and help somebody who needs it, we've just made a pact that we won't ask for help for ourselves. Hopefully I'll make 100 and be independant but if I feel I'm not going to make it, then it's into a hostel with a nursing home attached and the decision made rationally by me.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
DOOM HOUSE
Count Crapula and the Bimbo bride of bleachness have bought a house.
Why he didn't think I'd immediately google earth the address then look for the Estate agent?
I did just that because I wanted to see if his taste had improved in anything. Nup.
It has hectares of white square tiles. This is hilarious.
The man turned dragging dirt into this house into an art form and I have cork tiles, earth coloured.
There are white tiles in the bathroom and a huge mirror. Good luck La Bimbo with getting the shaving cream off that.
Shabby chic as the witch's haven is, it's still a home not a McMansion.
Why he didn't think I'd immediately google earth the address then look for the Estate agent?
I did just that because I wanted to see if his taste had improved in anything. Nup.
It has hectares of white square tiles. This is hilarious.
The man turned dragging dirt into this house into an art form and I have cork tiles, earth coloured.
There are white tiles in the bathroom and a huge mirror. Good luck La Bimbo with getting the shaving cream off that.
Shabby chic as the witch's haven is, it's still a home not a McMansion.
Friday, May 04, 2007
SECRET MEN'S BUSINESS
I have New Scientist delivered every week by email and this bold headline caught my eye
"Erectile dysfunction probed with engineering tool"
*sniggers*
The article was very informative.
It took an aerospace researcher to apply the principles of structural engineering to find the scoop on droop.
After I read it I was very sympathetic.
Bwahahahhahahaha.
It's too good not to read http://www.newscientist.com/channel/sex/dn11770?DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=dn11770
"Erectile dysfunction probed with engineering tool"
*sniggers*
The article was very informative.
It took an aerospace researcher to apply the principles of structural engineering to find the scoop on droop.
After I read it I was very sympathetic.
Bwahahahhahahaha.
It's too good not to read http://www.newscientist.com/channel/sex/dn11770?DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=dn11770
FAT WOMEN CAN'T JUMP
I'm not kidding, I can't jump. I've been putting more photographs in the one cupboard over at Mum's trying to keep them all together and at the same time getting her to give me dates for the early ones. I came across my sister's ribbons for high jumping and I remembered how brilliant she was at sport.
Sport was not my forte. Telling lies to get out of doing sport was my real talent. I was made to play hockey and it didn't take me long to work out if I played way on the boundary, all I had to do was run (not very fast) and look as though I was in the game. No way was I going anywhere near hard and fast balls being shot at me with hard wooden sticks.
I played cricket but since it was a "Gel's school", we bowled underarm. I couldn't do that after playing street cricket for years and developing a fast overarm. I couldn't bat, I never saw a ball coming at me until teachers and parents discovered I couldn't see anything and I got glasses. After that I could see every ball and I wasn't standing there waiting for another hard fast ball to wipe me out.
Basket ball involved running and getting elbowed by grotty little sheilas out for revenge. A basket ball, while not all that fast, is damned hard when it hits the back of the head. Athletic afternoons were a nightmare. PE was torture on a Gitmo scale and not helped by having Olympic champions teaching us.
So to the jumping. PE was about vaulting on to a springboard to land on a vaulting horse to forward roll into jumping off. I couldn't jump high enough to make the springboard spring. I couldn't jump onto the vaulting horse and I couldn't jump off it. The one time I did manage it, the teacher pushed me into a forward roll before I was ready and I fell off the horse. The bitch almost broke my neck and that finished me forever. That woman also left me on the ground when I fell from the uneven bars and landed flat on my back on a hard floor. It was the first and last time I was winded and I thought I was dying. I wonder how many school girls can trace their spinal disintegration from sports days and dragging home a tonne weight of books before back packs.
Back to the subject of my not jumping. Athletics, running for the unco-ordinated involves falling over, running and jumping over hurdles involves terror and pain. Even when the teacher up-ended the hurdles so they were only a foot off the ground, I still remained earthbound. Why she just didn't give up then and leave me to count the bruises I can only put down to her being a sadistic skinny bitch who hated slightly fat school girls. She made me attempt the high jump. If I could have left the ground to the jumping height, I would have stayed in the air because the landing was on a thin mat not those lovely big air bag things they have now but a very thin mat. Not that it mattered, the Intelligent Designer had left out the springs in my feet. I couldn't even jump or dive into the pool for swimming but I put that down to my past life experience of trying to get off the Titanic.
I developed some good strategies in the war against sport. The first one was not to put my name down for any of the school houses. I turned up for the one I was assigned to but it took them a whole year to work out that my name didn't appear, nor did I on the annual sports day.
I used my over active imagination to invent a range of excuses so famous that I was named in the school year book. When I was forced to take up a sport, I chose the Javelin. It was a match made in Heaven. I didn't have to run fast. I didn't have to interact with team mates. I threw so erratically everyone else didn't want to interact with me.
My sister, on the other hand, was a natural. She practically sailed through the air on invisible wings. She could jump her own height from a standing start. She could run like the wind and jump hurdles as though they were twigs. She won ribbons. She threw herself around the gymnastic equipment without fear. Later in life, one of her party tricks when horrible pissed was to do back flips without throwing up. She had conquered gravity, I had concrete feet. I still hate sport and I still can't jump.
Sport was not my forte. Telling lies to get out of doing sport was my real talent. I was made to play hockey and it didn't take me long to work out if I played way on the boundary, all I had to do was run (not very fast) and look as though I was in the game. No way was I going anywhere near hard and fast balls being shot at me with hard wooden sticks.
I played cricket but since it was a "Gel's school", we bowled underarm. I couldn't do that after playing street cricket for years and developing a fast overarm. I couldn't bat, I never saw a ball coming at me until teachers and parents discovered I couldn't see anything and I got glasses. After that I could see every ball and I wasn't standing there waiting for another hard fast ball to wipe me out.
Basket ball involved running and getting elbowed by grotty little sheilas out for revenge. A basket ball, while not all that fast, is damned hard when it hits the back of the head. Athletic afternoons were a nightmare. PE was torture on a Gitmo scale and not helped by having Olympic champions teaching us.
So to the jumping. PE was about vaulting on to a springboard to land on a vaulting horse to forward roll into jumping off. I couldn't jump high enough to make the springboard spring. I couldn't jump onto the vaulting horse and I couldn't jump off it. The one time I did manage it, the teacher pushed me into a forward roll before I was ready and I fell off the horse. The bitch almost broke my neck and that finished me forever. That woman also left me on the ground when I fell from the uneven bars and landed flat on my back on a hard floor. It was the first and last time I was winded and I thought I was dying. I wonder how many school girls can trace their spinal disintegration from sports days and dragging home a tonne weight of books before back packs.
Back to the subject of my not jumping. Athletics, running for the unco-ordinated involves falling over, running and jumping over hurdles involves terror and pain. Even when the teacher up-ended the hurdles so they were only a foot off the ground, I still remained earthbound. Why she just didn't give up then and leave me to count the bruises I can only put down to her being a sadistic skinny bitch who hated slightly fat school girls. She made me attempt the high jump. If I could have left the ground to the jumping height, I would have stayed in the air because the landing was on a thin mat not those lovely big air bag things they have now but a very thin mat. Not that it mattered, the Intelligent Designer had left out the springs in my feet. I couldn't even jump or dive into the pool for swimming but I put that down to my past life experience of trying to get off the Titanic.
I developed some good strategies in the war against sport. The first one was not to put my name down for any of the school houses. I turned up for the one I was assigned to but it took them a whole year to work out that my name didn't appear, nor did I on the annual sports day.
I used my over active imagination to invent a range of excuses so famous that I was named in the school year book. When I was forced to take up a sport, I chose the Javelin. It was a match made in Heaven. I didn't have to run fast. I didn't have to interact with team mates. I threw so erratically everyone else didn't want to interact with me.
My sister, on the other hand, was a natural. She practically sailed through the air on invisible wings. She could jump her own height from a standing start. She could run like the wind and jump hurdles as though they were twigs. She won ribbons. She threw herself around the gymnastic equipment without fear. Later in life, one of her party tricks when horrible pissed was to do back flips without throwing up. She had conquered gravity, I had concrete feet. I still hate sport and I still can't jump.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
HOW CAN I DIET?
I mean to say, honestly, the thin world is against me. I get out of bed with resolve in place to keep the cravings at bay and Taste.com lands this in my Inbox. Amaretto cheesecake with chocolate melts and thankful for small mercies, no dollop of King Island Cream beside it, it's inside it but what's another truckload of calories so let's go with the King Island whacked over the top with the chocolate.
I love Amaretto, in cakes, in ice-cream and in my coffee. I loved the little reminder in the 'Notes and tips' - Amaretto is from bottle shops. Another tip, Amaretto is from friends who are going overseas and can get to a duty free shop. It took me a year to down the last huge bottle from travelling persons.
I can't give up Taste.com, they have terrific diet recipes and tips. I zip through those on my way to the good stuff.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
I NEED REMINDING
This is the dress I made from the valance on my bed. It didn't look too shabby and I was very inventive by using the ruffle for the bottom. Even though it's gathered on to a yoke, it still almost completely covers the bedroom door. Reason No. one for reducing the body mass index. That reminds me, why is it that every woman I read about that's lost a huge amount of flab wants to rush out and fit into a pair of jeans? I lose enough and I want Chanel.
Which brings me to my lovely striped black chiffon, slightly less coverage of the bedroom door but tight across the broad beam of a broom vrooming witch.
It has a floating lace panel down the front which I've hand beaded. I even fluted the sleeves with nylon thread for the first and last time, it being a tedious rotten job which causes bad language. The will power isn't going so well. My fault because I'm blogging from the Greek Islands where I am having a wonderful time on the stolen proceeds of my mother's pension account.
Is it an offence to araldyte a person's false teeth together?
Saturday, April 28, 2007
VERY TINY STEPS
133.1 last week and a not so whopping 132.8 this week.
Good news, I haven't put any back.
Bad news, at 3 grams loss a week, I'm going to have to live a long time to get thin.
Bad, bad news, if you're going to look at the pretty clouds, don't walk at the same time because you won't be upright for long.
Good news, I haven't put any back.
Bad news, at 3 grams loss a week, I'm going to have to live a long time to get thin.
Bad, bad news, if you're going to look at the pretty clouds, don't walk at the same time because you won't be upright for long.
Friday, April 27, 2007
CREEPS
I almost put a boot through the TV tonight but I wasn't wearing anything but slippers so I made do with lots and lots of four letter words. Stateline is always good and tonight it showed up the stupidity of laws regarding surrogacy and what goes on a birth certificate. It involved not only a heterosexual married couple but two men in a partnership with a baby and how it affected them. I might say they looked great with little Ethan too.
The thing that got right up my nose was the goodly compassionate christian (deliberate small 'c' there) who doesn't want gays or lesbians to be able to adopt or use surrogacy to have children. He thinks children should only have a mother and a father otherwise they'll get confused. (?) By this time the language on my end was getting more than a little salty but here comes the clincher. This nerk when asked about babies like Ethan thought that ideally he shouldn't have been born. Aaaarghh! That beautiful little child with his two fathers, shouldn't have been born!!
I had no words left to throw at him after that but I badly wanted a large boot.
So we come to Senator Steve. Another compassionate christian lad is our Senator Fielding. I started to write to him in 2005 because he refused to reply to Kelly and Samantha Pilgrim-Bryne, them being lesbians so not worthy of his attention. Well the compassionate one refused to answer any of my letters on marriage equality and me being straight and a voter. But he sends me emails which thrills me no end.
In the latest, he is worried that families are missing out on public holidays, that the alcohol toll is rising, that grocery prices are sky-rocketing and those extreme Greens are soft on drugs. But what made my heart go pitty-pat was the fact that he now has a VIDEOBLOG. I get to watch him here http://www.stevefielding.com.au/html/videonews.html.
Well I would get to watch him but I have to go and buy some boots first or maybe I'll just email and tell him Kel and Sam are pregnant. They'll be a family, it'll make him all warm and fuzzy.
Update: the transcript for Stateline is http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/vic/content/2006/s1908524.htm
The thing that got right up my nose was the goodly compassionate christian (deliberate small 'c' there) who doesn't want gays or lesbians to be able to adopt or use surrogacy to have children. He thinks children should only have a mother and a father otherwise they'll get confused. (?) By this time the language on my end was getting more than a little salty but here comes the clincher. This nerk when asked about babies like Ethan thought that ideally he shouldn't have been born. Aaaarghh! That beautiful little child with his two fathers, shouldn't have been born!!
I had no words left to throw at him after that but I badly wanted a large boot.
So we come to Senator Steve. Another compassionate christian lad is our Senator Fielding. I started to write to him in 2005 because he refused to reply to Kelly and Samantha Pilgrim-Bryne, them being lesbians so not worthy of his attention. Well the compassionate one refused to answer any of my letters on marriage equality and me being straight and a voter. But he sends me emails which thrills me no end.
In the latest, he is worried that families are missing out on public holidays, that the alcohol toll is rising, that grocery prices are sky-rocketing and those extreme Greens are soft on drugs. But what made my heart go pitty-pat was the fact that he now has a VIDEOBLOG. I get to watch him here http://www.stevefielding.com.au/html/videonews.html.
Well I would get to watch him but I have to go and buy some boots first or maybe I'll just email and tell him Kel and Sam are pregnant. They'll be a family, it'll make him all warm and fuzzy.
Update: the transcript for Stateline is http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/vic/content/2006/s1908524.htm
Thursday, April 26, 2007
SERVING WENCH
I try not to eat at the same place at Westfield on shopping day, really I try not to eat the same cake on shopping day. This place I may not go back to unless I need the comfy cushions on the seat. The coffee was so-so (long black, no sugar) and the cheesecake with raspberries not a patch on the last one which had berries in the cheesecake as well as on top. The little serving wench who wouldn't have been out of place in a 17th century tavern, served me the cake on a plate with the fork sticking straight up in the middle of it. It looked as if it had run up the white flag and surrendered to the fat lady. It's not the first time it's happened at this cafe and if they can't put the fork beside the cake why don't they get bigger plates so clumsies like me don't shoot it across the table.
A little old lady (I tell you I'm a magnet for them) wanted to know where I'd bought my dress. "Very pretty", she said and wasn't I clever to make it myself. So she patted me on the shoulder and wandered off while I, in this age of suspicion, checked my bag for my purse. Fagin would be lucky to find, let alone pinch, anything from the bottom of my bag. I could lose a small country in there.
So I come home and check the mile long receipt from the robber barons to find the cat food equals two thirds of the bill, the other third is mine. Okay so I would have trouble living on Whiskas but he's getting it disguised with the expensive stuff. I remembered the wild bird seed which should please the mob at the back door. I am over-run with freeloaders.
I did not buy any chocolate, any biscuits, any coca-cola, anything that would make me happy but fat. I am so good.
A little old lady (I tell you I'm a magnet for them) wanted to know where I'd bought my dress. "Very pretty", she said and wasn't I clever to make it myself. So she patted me on the shoulder and wandered off while I, in this age of suspicion, checked my bag for my purse. Fagin would be lucky to find, let alone pinch, anything from the bottom of my bag. I could lose a small country in there.
So I come home and check the mile long receipt from the robber barons to find the cat food equals two thirds of the bill, the other third is mine. Okay so I would have trouble living on Whiskas but he's getting it disguised with the expensive stuff. I remembered the wild bird seed which should please the mob at the back door. I am over-run with freeloaders.
I did not buy any chocolate, any biscuits, any coca-cola, anything that would make me happy but fat. I am so good.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
1944
This is my mother in 1944. She'd just turned 14 and was working at Caulfield Hospital as a wardsmaid until she was old enough to start training as a nurse. She also worked at Heidelburg and watched 'Weary' Dunlop operate. She said his eyes were the kindest eyes she had ever seen. A year after this she met my father who was slowly dying from tuberculosis. A lot of the men she looked after didn't survive TB, especially the ones from the POW camps. She can still look at the photographs and tell you the names of the patients. Sometimes my father is the only one in the photo who survived. He made it because of her. They married in 1948 and he died in 1994.Tuesday, April 24, 2007
AT LONG LAST
Media release: Rights Lobby applauds State Government's commitment to registering relationships
The Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (VGLRL) has commended the State Government on its proposal to introduce a relationships register to Victoria. The initiative will allow couples, irrespective of gender, to register their relationships and have formal recognition at law.
"This is a significant moment for all Victorian couples who are mutually committed to sharing their lives together," said Lobby male co-convenor Gerard Brody. "We congratulate the State Government on this proposal". "The relationship register will build on the important legislative reform undertaken by the State Government in 2001, with the passing of the 'Relationships Acts'," said Mr Brody. "That law reform provided same-sex couples the same theoretical rights as mixed sex (de facto) couples under Victorian law. This new initiative will enable couples to have certification of their relationship and improve their access to justice in practice".
About time this was done but wait until the Rodent gets in on the act.
The Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (VGLRL) has commended the State Government on its proposal to introduce a relationships register to Victoria. The initiative will allow couples, irrespective of gender, to register their relationships and have formal recognition at law.
"This is a significant moment for all Victorian couples who are mutually committed to sharing their lives together," said Lobby male co-convenor Gerard Brody. "We congratulate the State Government on this proposal". "The relationship register will build on the important legislative reform undertaken by the State Government in 2001, with the passing of the 'Relationships Acts'," said Mr Brody. "That law reform provided same-sex couples the same theoretical rights as mixed sex (de facto) couples under Victorian law. This new initiative will enable couples to have certification of their relationship and improve their access to justice in practice".
About time this was done but wait until the Rodent gets in on the act.
Monday, April 23, 2007
PHOTOS OF CHRISTMAS
I lead such an exciting life that it's taken since December to fill a 24 film but I've picked them up just in time to avoid blogger's block. That's my sister's 2005 Christmas present that she received for Christmas 2006. The deep cerise is the colour of her bedroom but it goes well with the old brass bed and antique furniture. I used Neptune satin, right side for the cushion, wrong side for the ruffle. Don't ever use it without fraystop, it's a swine to work with and shreds itself the minute it's touched. The roses are hand stitched satin ribbon with purple glass and anodised cerise beads. I'm working on the matching one at the moment but the arrangement of the flowers is different although the colours are the same. She didn't put it in the bedroom as it went so well on the blue leather.
The 2006 present I managed to finish in time. After choking on the price of woven willow wreaths, I found this at Lincraft. It was just a plain steel circle with wired beads so I bound it in gold ribbon. The wreath part was made of tied ribbon bows in dusty mauve chiffon, gold mesh and gold/silver paper. I had the transparent purple baubles but managed to grab the last box of metallic purple balls and I mean "grab" as in shove someone aside and trample over the top. The colour was too perfect to let them go to a bad home. Friday, April 20, 2007
DIET SUFFERS SEVERE INJURY
You lovely people know how well I handle stress and by the choc wrappers surrounding the computer, I'm handling it less well than usual.
Mum is going to respite care for two weeks. As the soothing girl said at the centre, the respite is for carers and to enjoy. I will, if I live to the 7th of May.
I left home at 10 this morning and got home at 5.30. Papers to the doctor's at Hampton, bills to pay at Westfield, the homestead to get Mum to sign the admission form, walk home to post the form and more papers for medication to the Pharmacy. Thank you dear neighbour who saw me staggering towards home and stopped at the corner.
It has been stress to the max with herself, agressive "You're not blackmailing me out of my home!" to sweetness and light "I might just go for a day or two for a trial." That's not what she told Aunt Patty and Aunt Selma. Jesus hates crumpets, fancy trying to talk sense to those two beetches. Aunt Selma hasn't seen her twin for l6 months and Aunt Patty's family would shove her in a nursing home if they were sure she'd be poisoned. Mum told Aunt Patty that she cried all Sunday night because we were doing this which was very clairvoyant of her since the drama started Monday* and the decision was made on Tuesday.
So it's signed, sealed and posted. My sister has already won a third of the money needed, on the horses and if the useless nag today hadn't got its head stuck in the starting gate probably would have had the lot. I get to label every single item that goes to the hostel. Would someone please tell me how to label teeth?
She's starting to be a bit happier now that I have marked in big letters the day she comes home. The other thing is that a neighbour of 50 years has recently moved into the hostel on a permanent basis and loves it so they're looking forward to chats about old times. The hostel is set in a beautiful garden and only 20 minutes from here. She'll have a phone in the room and if there's no TV, we'll take hers so she can sleep through the programmes just like home.
I would say Yippee, party time, break out the booze but I'm too bloody tired.
*Monday, can't read her book, that's because she's opened a DVD cover and is trying to read the DVD. Has put the washing on but I've already done it, I turn off the dryer that is going with nothing in it. Is putting the dishes in the dishwasher and telling nephew he shouldn't be in the kitchen so late in the morning, it is 6pm at night and he is cooking her tea. I know we all do stupid things like this but not on the same day.
Mum is going to respite care for two weeks. As the soothing girl said at the centre, the respite is for carers and to enjoy. I will, if I live to the 7th of May.
I left home at 10 this morning and got home at 5.30. Papers to the doctor's at Hampton, bills to pay at Westfield, the homestead to get Mum to sign the admission form, walk home to post the form and more papers for medication to the Pharmacy. Thank you dear neighbour who saw me staggering towards home and stopped at the corner.
It has been stress to the max with herself, agressive "You're not blackmailing me out of my home!" to sweetness and light "I might just go for a day or two for a trial." That's not what she told Aunt Patty and Aunt Selma. Jesus hates crumpets, fancy trying to talk sense to those two beetches. Aunt Selma hasn't seen her twin for l6 months and Aunt Patty's family would shove her in a nursing home if they were sure she'd be poisoned. Mum told Aunt Patty that she cried all Sunday night because we were doing this which was very clairvoyant of her since the drama started Monday* and the decision was made on Tuesday.
So it's signed, sealed and posted. My sister has already won a third of the money needed, on the horses and if the useless nag today hadn't got its head stuck in the starting gate probably would have had the lot. I get to label every single item that goes to the hostel. Would someone please tell me how to label teeth?
She's starting to be a bit happier now that I have marked in big letters the day she comes home. The other thing is that a neighbour of 50 years has recently moved into the hostel on a permanent basis and loves it so they're looking forward to chats about old times. The hostel is set in a beautiful garden and only 20 minutes from here. She'll have a phone in the room and if there's no TV, we'll take hers so she can sleep through the programmes just like home.
I would say Yippee, party time, break out the booze but I'm too bloody tired.
*Monday, can't read her book, that's because she's opened a DVD cover and is trying to read the DVD. Has put the washing on but I've already done it, I turn off the dryer that is going with nothing in it. Is putting the dishes in the dishwasher and telling nephew he shouldn't be in the kitchen so late in the morning, it is 6pm at night and he is cooking her tea. I know we all do stupid things like this but not on the same day.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
THIS WEEK'S SERIOUS STUFF
It really is a serious question in what has been an extremely seriously seriously crapola week for me.
If you can answer this you get a prize and if you believe that, I also have a bridge I want to sell you and $4 million hidden in a gold mine in Africa.
Why does one have to have one last pee before all systems close down for beddie-byes?
It doesn't matter if I've been 12 times already and done it in the evening shower, the bladder always wins.
You can, and I have, ignore the subliminal message travelling along the neural networks but you'll end up dreaming you're trying to use a transparent glass toilet in the middle of a freeway at rush hour and being too gentrified to let go.
That's when you wake up and it's all hands to the pump (I wish I hadn't used that) and running not walking to the nearest lav although sometimes it's better to walk slowly, carefully keeping one's legs very close together but not as tight as a pelvic exercise.
This is another instance where women have it all over men (damn those 'Carry On' movies). We can get out of bed, walk, sit and sluice with our eyes shut. Men on the other hand can't aim and pee stone cold sober and with eyes wide open let alone half asleep thinking they're in a transparent glass toilet in the middle of a freeway at rush hour.
If you can answer this you get a prize and if you believe that, I also have a bridge I want to sell you and $4 million hidden in a gold mine in Africa.
Why does one have to have one last pee before all systems close down for beddie-byes?
It doesn't matter if I've been 12 times already and done it in the evening shower, the bladder always wins.
You can, and I have, ignore the subliminal message travelling along the neural networks but you'll end up dreaming you're trying to use a transparent glass toilet in the middle of a freeway at rush hour and being too gentrified to let go.
That's when you wake up and it's all hands to the pump (I wish I hadn't used that) and running not walking to the nearest lav although sometimes it's better to walk slowly, carefully keeping one's legs very close together but not as tight as a pelvic exercise.
This is another instance where women have it all over men (damn those 'Carry On' movies). We can get out of bed, walk, sit and sluice with our eyes shut. Men on the other hand can't aim and pee stone cold sober and with eyes wide open let alone half asleep thinking they're in a transparent glass toilet in the middle of a freeway at rush hour.
ANOTHER YEAR GONE
From 16 months to 16 years and the first big beautiful smile after the braces came off.
Today he would have been 36. Almost twice the age I was when I had him. I still can't imagine having a son that old. All mothers wonder what their children will become and I like what he became.Sunday, April 15, 2007
INTERNATIONAL POLAR YEAR
2007 is International Polar Year and an Australian, Dr. Michael Stoddart, is a leader of the Census of Antarctic Marine Life which is a project of the global Census of Marine Life. At the end of 2006, the research icebreaker, Polarstern, explored the underwater seabed exposed by the collapse of the Larsen A and B ice shelves, the former in 1995, the latter in 2002. The image below shows the broken connection between the Larsen B ice shelf and the Antarctic Peninsula.
When Antarctic glaciers reach the coast of the continent, they begin to float, becoming ice shelves from which flat topped icebergs calve. Since 1974, a total of 13,500 square kilometres of these shelves have disintegrated along the Antarctic Peninsula.
The Polarstern researchers, 52 scientists from 14 countries, used sophisticated sampling and observation gear including a camera-equipped remotely operated vehicle which revealed life on the uncapped sea bed. Nearly 1,000 species were collected including several which may be new to scientists. One of the aims of this expedition was not only to record indigenous marine life but discover which organisms were moving in. The ocean floor had been sealed off by the ice shelves for 5000 to 12000 years and now scientists can observe the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity and ecosystems.
One of the presumed new species is a sea anemone co-existing on the back of a snail in a symbiotic relationship, providing locomotion for one and protection for the other. It will need extensive analysis to determine if it is a new species.
The image above is of an Antarctic Ice Fish. It has no red blood pigments and no red blood cells. This means the blood is more fluid and the fish saves the energy needed to pump blood through the body. The sea bed is covered in brittle stars, two of which have been overgrown by a yellow sponge.
One major find were small clusters of dead clam shells which pointed to the presence of a rare 'cold seep', a sea floor vent which releases methane and sulphide. The opposite to the hot black smokers of the Pacific Ocean. The seep provides a temporary habitat and when it extinguishes, the community starves. The clam shells will be studied to determine their age and life span of the colony. Only one other cold seep has been discovered in the region, at a depth of 830 metres on the continental shelf.
There are 13 voyages scheduled for this International Polar Year and http://www.sciencepoles.org has been selected as the Internet reference for general polar research news and information.
When Antarctic glaciers reach the coast of the continent, they begin to float, becoming ice shelves from which flat topped icebergs calve. Since 1974, a total of 13,500 square kilometres of these shelves have disintegrated along the Antarctic Peninsula.The Polarstern researchers, 52 scientists from 14 countries, used sophisticated sampling and observation gear including a camera-equipped remotely operated vehicle which revealed life on the uncapped sea bed. Nearly 1,000 species were collected including several which may be new to scientists. One of the aims of this expedition was not only to record indigenous marine life but discover which organisms were moving in. The ocean floor had been sealed off by the ice shelves for 5000 to 12000 years and now scientists can observe the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity and ecosystems.
One of the presumed new species is a sea anemone co-existing on the back of a snail in a symbiotic relationship, providing locomotion for one and protection for the other. It will need extensive analysis to determine if it is a new species.
The image above is of an Antarctic Ice Fish. It has no red blood pigments and no red blood cells. This means the blood is more fluid and the fish saves the energy needed to pump blood through the body. The sea bed is covered in brittle stars, two of which have been overgrown by a yellow sponge.One major find were small clusters of dead clam shells which pointed to the presence of a rare 'cold seep', a sea floor vent which releases methane and sulphide. The opposite to the hot black smokers of the Pacific Ocean. The seep provides a temporary habitat and when it extinguishes, the community starves. The clam shells will be studied to determine their age and life span of the colony. Only one other cold seep has been discovered in the region, at a depth of 830 metres on the continental shelf.
There are 13 voyages scheduled for this International Polar Year and http://www.sciencepoles.org has been selected as the Internet reference for general polar research news and information.
LIFE IMITATES ART AGAIN
The US Army is going to use computer games to try and find recruits.
They going to spend $2.42 million to sponsor a channel at the Global Gaming League website.
A first-person shooter game based on the army training manual will be a centrepiece of the channel.
The game ranks in the top 10 most popular games of its kind and will be updated to attract potential recruits.
It's been done before by Hollywood. Remember 'The Last Starfighter'? Geeky kid, living in a trailer park plays a shootemup intergalactic electronic game and bags the big score. It turns out to be a recruiting game for an intergalactic shootemup space force and the geeky kid saves the universe.
It sounds like the sort of idea the Generals would love.
They going to spend $2.42 million to sponsor a channel at the Global Gaming League website.
A first-person shooter game based on the army training manual will be a centrepiece of the channel.
The game ranks in the top 10 most popular games of its kind and will be updated to attract potential recruits.
It's been done before by Hollywood. Remember 'The Last Starfighter'? Geeky kid, living in a trailer park plays a shootemup intergalactic electronic game and bags the big score. It turns out to be a recruiting game for an intergalactic shootemup space force and the geeky kid saves the universe.
It sounds like the sort of idea the Generals would love.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
**STAR**
Well I don't really deserve a star but I'm giving myself one anyway. After flirting with the pav on Sunday and re-acquainting myself with the raspberry cheesecake on Thursday, I really wasn't expecting a good result but ****133.4kgs****. I have plenty of witnesses, the weight machine is in the dining room and 6 little old ladies hadn't finished lunch and they gave me a cheer.
It's been a stressful week, as Basil Faulty would say "Just don't mention the Mother!" and any other time I would have emptied the freezer and chocolates wouldn't have been safe in a bank vault.
Now to the chocolates. I was ferreting around in the top of the junk cupboard and found a small box which contained squares of gold foil paper. I used to make chocolates, I'd forgotten that I had a little business before I went into craft in a big way. The chocolate business went downhill when every cake decorating place suddenly had classes in chocolate making. I remember the horrible results of putting chocolate buttons in tiny plastic moulds and proud hostesses passing them around with the coffee. Suddenly every person was an expert. It was repeated over and over again with every craft craze.
After the papers, I went looking for the recipes. Why did I think I was a lazy person because I didn't have a tidy house? I never had time, kids, dogs, cats and a thoroughly incompetent moron, scrap that, he was a very good moron, incompetent husband. Along with the chocolate recipes was a list of things to do for one Christmas. There were chocolate orders to fill, 6 Christmas cakes to make and ice and 6 Christmas puddings. The puddings were easy, I always make a boiled fruit cake mix and cook it in cellophane. The cakes were much more involved because I used a recipe that contained coffee, plum jam, prunes and Tia Maria. It's a wonder the kitchen didn't spontaneously combust, all of the fruit was put in bowls with gallons of booze. TiaMaria for the cake and dry sherry for the puddings and according to my notes this had to be done by the beginning of November.
The chocolate recipes made my mouth water until I remembered how much my back would ache at the end of dipping day. I couldn't even buy cellophane bags to put them in, so I made my own in chocolate coloured cloth with tiny orange flowers, tied up with green and orange bows. Fabric doesn't rot, I found a piece in with the patchwork. Here are a few on my list......
Apricot Delights, Cherry Ripe, Caramels, Walnut fudge, Tia Maria truffles, Peppermint creams, Almond creams, Coffee truffles, Fruit and nut clusters. There's a little note on the Fruit and nut recipe, reminding me that I wouldn't get a good shine on the chocolate because of the amount of booze in the fruit.
For next Christmas, for old times sake I'm going to make one more cake. I'll even ice it. I'll give the chocs a miss though, they were hard, hard work.
It's been a stressful week, as Basil Faulty would say "Just don't mention the Mother!" and any other time I would have emptied the freezer and chocolates wouldn't have been safe in a bank vault.
Now to the chocolates. I was ferreting around in the top of the junk cupboard and found a small box which contained squares of gold foil paper. I used to make chocolates, I'd forgotten that I had a little business before I went into craft in a big way. The chocolate business went downhill when every cake decorating place suddenly had classes in chocolate making. I remember the horrible results of putting chocolate buttons in tiny plastic moulds and proud hostesses passing them around with the coffee. Suddenly every person was an expert. It was repeated over and over again with every craft craze.
After the papers, I went looking for the recipes. Why did I think I was a lazy person because I didn't have a tidy house? I never had time, kids, dogs, cats and a thoroughly incompetent moron, scrap that, he was a very good moron, incompetent husband. Along with the chocolate recipes was a list of things to do for one Christmas. There were chocolate orders to fill, 6 Christmas cakes to make and ice and 6 Christmas puddings. The puddings were easy, I always make a boiled fruit cake mix and cook it in cellophane. The cakes were much more involved because I used a recipe that contained coffee, plum jam, prunes and Tia Maria. It's a wonder the kitchen didn't spontaneously combust, all of the fruit was put in bowls with gallons of booze. TiaMaria for the cake and dry sherry for the puddings and according to my notes this had to be done by the beginning of November.
The chocolate recipes made my mouth water until I remembered how much my back would ache at the end of dipping day. I couldn't even buy cellophane bags to put them in, so I made my own in chocolate coloured cloth with tiny orange flowers, tied up with green and orange bows. Fabric doesn't rot, I found a piece in with the patchwork. Here are a few on my list......
Apricot Delights, Cherry Ripe, Caramels, Walnut fudge, Tia Maria truffles, Peppermint creams, Almond creams, Coffee truffles, Fruit and nut clusters. There's a little note on the Fruit and nut recipe, reminding me that I wouldn't get a good shine on the chocolate because of the amount of booze in the fruit.
For next Christmas, for old times sake I'm going to make one more cake. I'll even ice it. I'll give the chocs a miss though, they were hard, hard work.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
SHOPPING DAY AGAIN
I bought a pair of ruby slippers on sale.
The cat's rations cost more than mine, as usual.
I got a $20 prize on a crossword scratchie.
I sweet talked the check-out chick at Safeway's into hiding the cat food I bought at Coles in with my home delivery.
I pondered why there are no cute check-out boys at Safeway's anymore.
In fact I couldn't find one single individual that was worth a second lascivious glance. Am I getting too old, need my eyesight checked or have they gone north for the winter?
I was good with my diet.
Lunch contained something from all of the food groups, carbohydrates, fat, protein, calcium and a serve of fruit. It just happened to come in the shape of raspberry cheescake, big home-made, full of real raspberries. I didn't put sugar in my long black. Now this was a real test of character and I failed miserably but but but but the shop hasn't had raspberry cheesecake since this time last year and it probably won't until next. Yes, that's a very good reason, I excuse myself from punishment.
The cat's rations cost more than mine, as usual.
I got a $20 prize on a crossword scratchie.
I sweet talked the check-out chick at Safeway's into hiding the cat food I bought at Coles in with my home delivery.
I pondered why there are no cute check-out boys at Safeway's anymore.
In fact I couldn't find one single individual that was worth a second lascivious glance. Am I getting too old, need my eyesight checked or have they gone north for the winter?
I was good with my diet.
Lunch contained something from all of the food groups, carbohydrates, fat, protein, calcium and a serve of fruit. It just happened to come in the shape of raspberry cheescake, big home-made, full of real raspberries. I didn't put sugar in my long black. Now this was a real test of character and I failed miserably but but but but the shop hasn't had raspberry cheesecake since this time last year and it probably won't until next. Yes, that's a very good reason, I excuse myself from punishment.
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