Is it just me or has anyone else in the area I live in noticed the sudden over whelming smell of curry? Seriously it's everywhere, I went for a run just before and the air was sickenly thick with the smell of curry. What happened to the smell of backyard barbecues? Of burnt meat, open flame and seafood? That's my Australia, not a land of curry.

Have the amount of immigrant Indians really reached such a number already that the place stinks like India does? This is Australia, we have our own culture here, I don't agree with the number of Indian immigrants coming into the country but if they're going to come in they could at least have enough respect to take on our culture. If they wanted to live in a country with the culture they grew up with, smelling the way the country they grew up in did and everything like their native land, DON'T IMMIGRANT!

If you're going to immigrate to another country then seriously have some god damn respect. You don't need to try and make my country the same as your country. No only is that disrespectful, but it's illogical. You move to a new country because you like the culture, lifestyle, etc of the new country and thus you assimilate into the new country. If you're not willing to assimilate into Australia then LEAVE and take your stinky curries with you.

So I know I don't normally talk about my personal life but I thought you might like to know that I'm going to an intake session tomorrow to decide if mediation between Tanase and I would be of benefit in getting her to agree to let me see Z and AJ again. I know I could take her straight to court and have her found in violation of a court order. But the consequences could be jail time for her and what sort of a parent would I be to my sons if I had their mother put in jail? I have to try all other options first and mediation is the last on that list before court. Fingers crossed people, I have a feeling I'm going to need it; Tanase isn't exactly the most stable person on the planet after all.

I don't know if I've mentioned this before but I'm actually a fan of post modern furniture, I find the whole design concept pretty snazzy. So it should come as no surprise to you that now I've found a website dealing specifically in such furniture that I'd want to share it with you. There is something about the clean sleek lines, mixed with some pretty outrageous colours that just looks really cool.

I'm sure when Sarah and I move to the Farm and start making the guest houses I will have to decorate one of the houses in a modern theme. So, given my excitement at finding such a website I'd love to hear from you on what you think about the style. Is it for you? Not for you? Likes and dislikes... just comment it all below

When it comes to the health of your unborn baby you want to do everything in your power to ensure nothing goes wrong. Unfortunately there is so much confusion out there these days about food, that it's hard for most people to know if they're doing the right thing; nutrient wise for their baby. The good news is that most nutrients the baby needs will go to it, before they go to you. Your baby is also capable of stripping nutrients from you body to ensure it has everything it requires. But there are some nutrients which your body may not contain enough of that the baby will suffer for.

Nutrients like folic acid are important for good brain and nervous system development, including healthy spinal fluid. Iron carries blood around both your and your babies bodies, of which without you're both doomed. Unfortunately most pregnant women are deficient in both of these nutrients. It is for that reason that all pregnant women are recommended to take prenatal vitamins. The old thing is however, even though doctors have been giving out these recommendations for years the rate of uptake aren't anywhere near where they should be.

It's very telling to note that by taking a simple vitamin tablet daily the chances of your baby developing a birth defect such as autism drop to incredibly low levels very close to zero percent. Yet still we have percentages of these birth defects which show people simply aren't taking the medical advice to take a vitamin during pregnancy. It's almost unfathomable to me that anyone could be that careless in today's world.

Sarah doesn't stop with her Sarahisms. An ad for Channel Go's saturday movies came on and the scene with Sarah Jessica Parker on the boy of a dog from Mars Attacks came on. Sarah was like "yeah that suits Sarah Jessica Parker" and I was like what? And she explained "her head on a dog" in a way that she didn't recognise the movie.

I asked her if she'd seen the movie and she said no, where is it from. I told her it's from Mars Attacks. She said she's not into space movies. I was like, it's not really a space movie it's a comedy. She asked what it's about and I told her it's a piss take of the movie independance day. She asked what happens in Independance day.

So I said, "aliens come and try to take over earth" her reply;

"Oh my god! Is that what happened ON Independance Day?"

"No honey it was a movie..." lmao

"Oh.."

Sarah actually thought for a moment there that the real life American holiday Independance Day was because Aliens tried to take over the world. ROFLMAO!!! Gee I love you Sarah, no matter what happens in life you always manage to make me giggle.

What is wrong with vegetarians? They're like the bible bashes of the food world. It's like they feel, quite irrationally, they've found the answer to all their problems; and so they in turn feel (I suspect to cater for their own insecurities) that they have to force everyone else they come in contact with to be the same way.

And in much the same way as my soul isn't going to be saved by some moron who took a 2000 year old story book a little to literally, nor will my health be helped by turning into a bipedal cow. Indeed I find the "logic" behind a lot of vegetarians to be just as irrational as our Christian door knockers. Christians believing against all the evidence that Humanity is somehow special and separate from all other animals to me seems linked to the rather illogical belief of vegetarians that we shouldn't eat meat because killing animals is wrong?

Well I'm sorry to burst every bodies bubble but there is nothing special about humanity. Humanity isn't smarter, cooler nor endowed with special bits that other animals aren't. Humans are simply chimps, nothing more, nothing less. The sooner you get that, the better off the whole planet will be.

Now with that in mind, please take this into consideration. EVERY organism on the planet owes it's life to anothers death. Yes, even as a vegetarian you are feeding from death. Not only does the decay of an animal feed the soil and thus help plants to grow, but plants themselves are living, breathing organisms.

Plants breath Carbon Di-Oxide and exhale Oxygen only during the day. Upon night fall the process is reversed with plants breathing oxygen and exhale Carbon Di-Oxide. In addition plants move daily! Sure they can't uproot and go for a walk, but their extremities do ever so slowly move all day, every day. And the big one, plants have a nervous system. Now while there is no centralised brain, this does NOT rule out the chance plants could feel pain. There is certainly some evidence (such as reflex response; where by a plants pores close in what would be thought of as painful situations) that supports the idea plants could feel pain.

Just because you can't hear that carrot screaming as you gnaw on it doesn't mean it feels any less pain than the cow did. Indeed given the plant is often alive when it's eaten means if anything, it would be feeling far more pain. I don't know about you but I sure as heck wouldn't like to be alive when someone ate me. Face it, you aren't special. And face it, extinguishing life in order for you to live is what life is all about. It's just how it's meant to be. Deal with it

Now I'm sure there will be some vegetarians whom will point to health benefits. But fact of the matter is there are actually no proven health benefits to a vegetarian lifestyle. While there are some studies that show a longer life expectancy from vegetarianism; others clearly show a decreased one. Certainly as a vegetarian you are extremely likely to be deficient in many essential vitamins and minerals. If you're thinking multi-vitamin tablets then I should warn you that the good ones are made from killing animals and harvesting the minerals from the waste product. The synthetic made ones, well they usually just give you really expensive pee as your body can do little with them.

And while of course there are vegetable proteins available, your body has to work much harder in order to use them compared to animal proteins. Protein of course is what our body uses to regenerate cells and to create new ones. Proteins make up our RNA and DNA structures, as well as form enzymes for the processing and absorption of food. That is to say, they're incredibly importable to your diet. Not only does your body use animal proteins easier but it simply can't perform some of it's functions at 100% without them. In addition, did you know that there are some medical conditions that ONLY affect vegetarians?

Now none of this would bother me anywhere near as much if vegetarians kept their eating habits to themselves, and more over didn't feel the need to comment on mine nor anyone elses. I mean sure I think you're a bit of a brainless twit for being a vego; but I'm not about to shove my beliefs down your throat. I could, in the same way vegetarian protesters dump blood on people eating meat; dump soil or more over sap on them. But honestly other than a really funny video I wouldn't have much of a lot to show for it. Fact of the matter is what I eat is my business and not the business of anyone else.

Fact of the matter is there is no reason to turn into a vegetarian, be it morale, health related or otherwise. Fact of the matter is that as you can see from the teeth of every human, you're built to eat both plants AND meat. Fact of the matter is that the reason you started to feel better when you went on your health binge has more to do with the daily exercise and active lifestyle you now lead than how you've changed your diet. And the same being greatly responsible for all that weight you lost. Look sure, if you still want to be a vegetarian regardless of the facts that's fine, your choice. But please, give me and everyone else who isn't a vego the same respect we afford to you and spot ramming YOUR CHOICES down OUR THROAT! Make sense?

And in the same spirit, please do us all a favour and stop making stupid TV shows that attempt to make people feel bad and skew the facts in an attempt to push them into a vegetarian lifestyle. Because look, fact of the matter is, being healthy and being vegetarian have very very little to do with each other. Instead how about we make shows which encourage people to use common sense when eating and establish moderation. Because at the end of the day, moderation, linked with an active lifestyle is the true key to a healthy and happy life.

On the 15th of December it was announced that a Mandatory Internet Filtering system would indeed be installed in ISPs around Australia and should be switched on within 12 months time. Supporters of the filtering cite that it will stop child pornography so it's a good thing. How wrong can you be?

"Fact, online child pornography is most often distributed by private email attachments to avoid detection. The internet filter will ONLY block out websites"

Child pornography which is distributed online, is most often by private email between pedophiles as apposed to putting it on a website which would open the creator of the website, and it's members up to all sorts of criminal prosecutions. Simply put, if the main distribution network for child pornography was websites, then there would be a lot more pedophiles in jail. If your sole reason for supporting the filter is stopping child porn, then you need to rethink your position.

So what are the facts about the list? Well, the filter has it's roots all the way back in 1999 when the then liberal government introduced laws which gave the Australian Communications and Media Authority; authority over internet content displayed in Australia. Under that law Content hosted in Australia and classified Classification restricted, or 18+ without an age verification system would be issued a take down notice. Such content hosted internationally would be added to a black list for use in voluntarily installed software on home PCs.

In August 2007 the Australian government through it's NetAlert department offered free, voluntary downloads of internet filtering software to be installed on home PCs. Late 2008 the scheme was shut down, with ACMA Senator Stephen Conroy citing it had not been successful with very few Australian's downloading the software. Clearly that should have woken him up to how Australians feel about filtering the internet, but instead it only inspired him into ISP level filtering instead.

"This very much seems to be a situation where Stephen Conroy feels he knows what's better for Australian's then they do for themselves. If you look up fascism in the dictionary, it will define it very much in that way."

During the elections which seen Labor form the federal government, they claimed the ISP level filtering would be an opt-out scheme. Of course an opt-in scheme would have been more desirable but at least in an opt-out scheme you of course have a way to not be filtered online and gain unrestricted access to information on the internet. But since forming government the policy has changed to one of mandatory filtering at the ISP level. This means every household, school, business, organisation or other entity connected to the internet will be under the power of the internet filter without any way to remove it. If you have an internet connection, the internet filter affects you.

So what is the big deal right? I mean surely they're only going to block out websites that are illegal... right? Wrong! All Restricted Classification content, X18+ content and R18+ content will be blocked. Speficially the AMCA criteria states;

• * Any online content that is classified RC or X 18+ by the Classification Board. This includes real depictions of actual sexual activity, child pornography, depictions of bestiality, material containing excessive violence or sexual violence, detailed instruction in crime, violence or drug use, and/or material that advocates the doing of a terrorist act.
• * Content which is classified R 18+* and not subject to a restricted access system that prevents access by children. This includes depictions of simulated sexual activity, material containing strong, realistic violence and other material dealing with intense adult themes.

In other words, ALL pornography will be subject to the filter not just child pornography. As well anything which is of an adult nature, that being something you wouldn't want someone under the age of 16 to see. All added to the filter and blocked from view for EVERY Australian, regardless of their age. But this isn't subject just to porn, there is so much more on the list than porn but before I get into that, consider this.

On the 18th of March 2009, wikileaks leaked a copy of the black list onto the internet. A user of the popular internet consumer forum whirlpool posted a link to the black list on the site. The AMCA then issued a notice to Whirlpools hosting company Bulletproof Media that fines of 11,000AUD would apply per day, for every day the link remained on the site. The AMCA furthermore when to extraordinary lengths to forcibly have the black list removed from the wikileaks website. So, consider this, the black list comprises simply the URLs (or domains names) of websites which can not be viewed through the filter. If the filter is such a great thing, then why is it that they are so guarded against the general public viewing the list?

The answer? Because of what the list actually blocks out. From the leaked list it was found that a Brisbane dentist's website was blocked, as was a tuckshop vendors website and the website of a dog kennel. These websites clearly have nothing to do with anything even remotely illegal or 18+ in nature, but yet somehow they're on the list?

But it goes further. In may of 2009 the Australian press, citing wikileaks as it's source broke the news that Dr Philip Nitschke's online Peaceful Pill Handbook, which is a website dealing with euthanasia has been added to the list, as have a range of other websites dealing with the same topic. Apparently the right to a peaceful death for the terminally ill remains out of the scope of reasoning for the federal government even though it isn't illegal in several Australian states.

But still, EVEN MORE FILTERING! In June 2009 the AMCA and the Australian government confirmed that the internet filter will block downloadable games, flash-based web games and websites which sell physical copies of games (like ebay and amazon) that do not meet the MA15+ standard. If the AMCA don't think someone under 16 should see it, then neither should anyone over 18 apparently.

"This isn't about stopping cyber crime; it's about controlling information the public see"

Already many anti-censorship websites campaigning for the filter to not go through have been forcibly taken down by the government. Other sites containing content which is anti-government, or does not support the government has been either forcibly taken down, or added to the black list.

In short the filter classification system stops anyone from not only committing an illegal act online, but from discussing anything that is illegal online, be they for or against the action. It further stops any member of the Australian public, regardless of age viewing any content not suitable for children. It blocks out anything that is deemed to be racist, or that submits a view other than that shared by the censor. Under this classification system, websites like wikipedia (which is a free, user contributed online encyclopedia)have already been announced to be added to the black list; and social networking websites like facebook (due to their user groups, fan pages and applications) have only a limited amount of time before they too are added.

It seem the ONLY way this filter is going to be revoked is if the majority of the Australian public, publicly announce this distaste for the filter and their desire to axe the scheme. If even that didn't work, well then it would be clear that we indeed no longer live in a democracy society. As it stands the labor party are moving very steeply toward a fascist dictatorship not only on filtering but on many issues. It time Australia, that we cut the government back down to size, before we end up in a situation where we suffer from tunnel vision due to lack of information and millions of Australian jobs are lost.

Links;

Wikipedia Article
Electronic Frontiers Australia
No Clean Feed
Labors plan for cyber safety (pdf)
USA Today article
Sydney Morning Herald article (March 19)
Sydney Morning Herald Article (December 15)
ABC News Article

Ok so this is more a pet peeve of mine that has boiled over into a blog post rather than actual news. But seriously what is up with Woolworths and not training their check-out chicks how to pack their plastic bags correctly?

If you're not going to train them how to pack a bag right, then please for heavens sake don't get them to pack it at all. The amount of times I've had to re-pack my grocery bags after these morons pack the bags incorrectly is enough to drive me insane.

I'm not saying all woolworths check-out people are morons, or indeed that they all pack bags wrong, but the over whelming majority of them; at the THREE (3) stores local to me at least; couldn't pack groceries if their lives depended on it. Heavy things put in with things that go squish, meat packed with vegetables, and my all suffering over packed bags.

The most common way they over pack bags is by placing far to many soft drink bottles in a single bag. Woolworths please, please, PLEASE, tell your workers that plastic grocery bags are only rated to hold 3KG of weight. A bottle of soft drink weighs a little over (like a few grams) 1Kg per litre. So for example a standard 1.25L bottle of softdrink weighs around the same in Kg. 2L of drink is slightly over 2Kg.

So if you stick 2, 2L bottles in a single grocery bag that is only rated to carry 3Kg guess what happens? THE BAG BREAKS YOU INCOMPETENT OAF! Which means my groceries fall on the ground!

And for christ sake, WOOLWORTHS TEACH THEM HYGIENE! If you pack meat with vegetables then there is a pretty good chance you're going to give people gastro. THINK!

Please bring on RFID already because then I don't have to deal with this annoyance. In the mean time I think I might write a letter of complaint to Woolworths, because I'm tired of their incompetence.

Today facebook released the following statement in relation to their new privacy policy which I highlighted in a previous post.

On Nov. 5, we wrapped up a week-long notice and comment period for a proposed revision to our privacy policy. This was a continuation of our ongoing effort to run Facebook in an open and transparent way. The goals of the revised policy were to make it more accessible and easier to understand.

We've spent the last week reviewing each and every one of your comments. While a lot of people participated, the total number of people commenting did not reach the threshold of 7,000 that makes a vote necessary according to our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. Because of this — and the fact that many of the comments were positive — we've decided to adopt the revised policy. We'll be posting it in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish soon.

In the coming weeks and months, we plan to build on the progress we've already made in making the document more accessible by also adding definitions of key terms, screen shots of important pages and informational "learn more" videos. We think these visual resources will make it even easier to understand how privacy works on Facebook.

We received excellent feedback from many of you over the course of the week, and the number of fans for the Facebook Site Governance Page more than doubled. Overall, you supported the proposed changes. For example:

* Most of you liked that we removed more complicated technical and legal terms and replaced them with simpler language that everyone can understand.

* You preferred the structure of the new document, which provides key points at the beginning and easy links to jump to the different sections.

* A few of you asked for a redline version so you could compare the proposed revision to our current policy and see exactly what's changed. We weren't able to provide one this time because the policy was completely rewritten, but we think it's a great idea and are committed to doing it for future proposed changes to our governing documents.

As always, thanks for taking part in this important process. We're glad to have so many interested and engaged people using Facebook. Stay tuned for future updates by becoming a fan of the Facebook Site Governance Page.

Now it seems to me that given the majority of facebook users have NO CLUE the facebook site governance page exists; Let alone that they have to fan it in order to see announcements about how facebook will deal with their private information in the future, that this is NOT an open and transparent company. It is instead a company whom is trying to give a half arsed impression of being open and transparent, without actually needing to be open and transparent.

I tell you what, the majority of comments to their proposals where "give us a redline version". They weren't positive, they weren't negative they were impartial comments because they wanted a redline version to highlight the changes. Rewriting the document is no reason as to why a redline version can't be provided, that's a poor excuse if any. And 7000 people needed to vote? What? When are they EVER going to get 7000 people commenting on an announcement? Especially when only like 5%, that's right 5% of facebook users actually know there was an announcement in the first place. What happens to the voice of the other 95% of users? Where does their chance to vote come into play?

Fact of the matter is, regardless of how many people commented or what they had to say; facebook would have brought about the changes. They need those changes or all their new features they have lined up and have spent money on developing will go down the tube. They need those changes to further support business partnerships and link ups like the new Xbox Live & Facebook thing they have going. It's certainly no coincidence that Facebook was launched on Xbox Live the same day as the new privacy policy officially came into effect.

And seriously lets think about this Xbox Live/Facebook partnership. What does the user actually get from it? You can't navigate your facebook page like you can on your computer, you can't play your apps and game or visit peoples profiles. All you can do is look at friends photo's and change your status automatically depending on what you do on your Xbox. Lets think about it for a moment, do you really want your friends knowing what movie you're watching and when? Or how long you've been playing a game for, or what Achievement you just won in a game or whatever music you're listening to? Do you really want that automatically streamed to your facebook account?

And more over, do you really want that information falling into Facebook's hands with their privacy policy? A privacy policy which leaks your information to 3rd parties without consequence to facebook. A privacy policy which collates your data with you as a person and not annonymously and then uses that information to give to 3rd Party partner companies and advertisers? Do you seriously want them to know your every move?

What's next? The TV? Downloading information about what we watch on TV, for how long and when? Or the Fridge? What it's stocked with and how often we restock it? OR will facebook simply get inside the RFID network and log everything we own and how often we use it? Will that information become a matter of public record too? Facebook represents an advertisers dream world, where by WE the users ARE the PRODUCTS that facebook sell. They collate non-anonymous data on us in an ever growing way and I for one find it scary as hell.

When did love become a commodity; exploitable for entertainment and profit? When did it become ok to exploit someone else's feelings in order to win a competition and some cash? And honestly, what sort of message are we sending our children by allowing such shows to be broadcast?

I'm not some hopeless romantic who is going to talk about true love and there being only 1 person for each of us. Truth is that isn't how love works. Indeed we are capable of loving anyone, if only we allow yourselves. But that doesn't make it right to exploit peoples feelings in order to make cheap popular television. In fact it is this point that makes it less condonable to exploit such emotion; for the basis of the show is to stick a bunch of people together in a house for so many weeks were by they fight for the love and affection of the bachelor or the bachelorette.

This very situation, of going in expecting to fall in love, of being in situations which open one up to falling in love, these are all designed to fit around the human psyche in such a way as to induce in every individual whom participates in the competition, strong feelings of love and affection. Sure a competitors pain and anguish ends for you the moment they leave the competition so you only get to witness a very small amount of it; but for the individuals whom participate the pain will surely last long passed the season finale.

We the viewer a cradled away from the heartache these shows produce, because lets face it, if you knew how much pain this show caused people would you really still watch it? And more over, would people enter to be in the next season? Shows like this are dangerous, because they show us, and especially our children, that it is ok to date multiple people at once. That it is ok to hurt people, and that you shouldn't feel bad or sorry for doing so. It removes empathy and sympathy from our social conscious.

So where will it stop? Were will we draw the line in reality TV? At what point will we picket the networks for airing their "reality" rubbish? Just because it has the word real in the title, doesn't make it so. Think about it, when was the last time you got locked up in a multi-million dollar mansion with 25 hot guys or girls all competing to be with you? When did you last get to go on loads of awesome out of this world dates? If these people met under normal circumstances, the likelihood of them feeling anything for each other isn't incredibly high. For an animal that is already completely insane, does humanity need to drift further down the rabbit path by drifting into a bigger fantasy about what love show be like?

In the evening of Monday the 17th of August 2009, a passer-by to my house randomly opened my gate for seemingly no reason. In this action, the passer-by became a murder; for it lead to the death of my friend Diesel. The thing you have to know about my house is it is situated on a busy, somewhat main road. For this reason we see a constant flow of traffic by our house, much of which doing considerably higher than the speed limit.

When Diesel realised the gate was open, he simply went running into the road. Diesel was a cattle dog, a beloved family pet and more over my friend. No matter what was happening in the world, he was always there for a hug and a chat. When things got bad, he was always there to pick me up and move me onward and upward. He was very smart, so smart that you couldn't even play fetch with him, because after the first throw and return, he'd expect you to retrieve the second throw.

That was my Diesel all over though, he didn't realise there was a difference in species. He just looked at us as family, as equals. He was incredibly strong too, only days earlier snapping a steal chain like if it were as brittle as plastic. In running out into the road he was struck by a car traveling at approximate 75kmph, but this didn't kill him. Indeed when I got across the other side of the road he was still alive. Happy to see me, but in obvious pain and shock. It was shock however that proved a killer.

He died in the back of our car, in front of the veterinary surgery whilst we waited for the on call vet to arrive. Simply giving out, his heart and breathing ceasing while I held him.

Diesel, we love you and you have left a hole in our lives and our heart which will remain eternally. You were a brilliant dog, indeed one of our family and my friend.

The consumption of goods and services, even when they are unneeded and sometimes even completely useless to us has steadily increased since the 1940s. As media has encroached ever more into our daily lives, so forth has advertising. The first major revolution in advertising came with the introduction of Television.

Suddenly with a television or a "TV", advertisers found a direct route into our living rooms. By linking their ads to popular TV shows or personalities, advertisers caught us while we had those warm fuzzy feelings associated with something we like. In doing so, we then associated their products and brands with those same warm fuzzy feelings. And so was born the age of the consumer, and we were set on a path which would have implications for social structure, mental health and even the environment.

With this new found power to creep into our homes, advertisers managed to con us into some pretty dodgy deals over the years. But as the years have moved on from the introduction of television, so has legislation and indeed the consumer. When advertising first appeared on TV, merely being associated with a program or personality was enough to send thousands running for the nearest stockist. As immunity to this approach grew, advertisers changed tactics, instead listing on the neat things the product can do or how great it will taste. We were shown fake images and told things which boarder on fraud. Again, the consumer changed, and so did the advertisers tactic.

Today, we find ads which instead of insisting a product is brilliant, we're simply told it will make us "cool", more popular or happier. These claims again are of course untrue and it is again only a matter of time before the consumer becomes impartial to such advertising campaigns and things have to change once more. But no matter how these ads are delivered, the core message is always there, and has been since the word go. It is the core message which ultimately drives consumerism; that being one needs all this "stuff" to be happy. That your life will somehow go unfulfilled without these products, and you will struggle to ever find happiness. Indeed we know this to be a complete and utter lie, and yet still the mass population fall for it.

In sheep like behavior, the mass population simply follow directions and purchase what they're told to. But indeed this is having the opposite effect than had been intended. There is much evidence to show consumerism actually decreases fulfillment and happiness, for it is simply an incarnation of materialism. Through consumerism we are fostering an "I" society; that is to say, a society focused inwardless in selfish need to make their own pile of "stuff" larger. We have a society which has over complicated itself in the aid of gathering said "stuff". Think about it, we go to work daily, to earn enough money to buy the never ending conveyor belt of "new stuff". We do this without thought or wonder, indeed like a trained monkey we feel happy about doing it.

The costs of which are our sanity and the environment we live in. For the many of us incapable of buying the "coolest" new toy, we feel less of a person, incomplete, after all that is the message the advertisers would have us believe. These feelings can lead to depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, even obsessive compulsive behavior. We are bombarded to buy ever more "stuff", to the point that obesity has hit epidemic proportions. It is strange to think, but the very thing that keeps capitalist economies running could, through over indulgence, break the economy all together.

But perhaps before that even occurs, our environment is at the brink of collapse through pollution caused by consumerism. Our waste has caused the environment to wither and die. The only solution for which is to cease our consumer behavior, and removed the products from which, from our society. But, human behavior what it is, I can hardly see that happening. Greed runs rampant in this modern capitalist world. If you are what you buy, then truly, what are you?

--edit--
Part 2 in this series will appear on Friday the 21st of August 2009. I apologise for any confusion

The court room rant by suspected terrorist Wissam Mahmoud Fattal on Wednesday echo the inevitable culture clash. 33 year old, salami born, Mr Fattal said that the Australian military kill innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan and continued

"You call us terrorists, I've never killed anyone in my life."

before expressing his dislike of Australia and that he wanted to leave.

But the last I checked up until he was arrested for allegedly plotting to kill Australian soldiers he wasn't being held captive here. In fact, if he disliked Australia so much and wanted to leave, why didn't he do just that? And this is the point, he didn't because even though he has Australian citizenship and thus swore allegiance to Australia; he still views himself as a Samali. And as a Samali man he wants justice for the people of "his" country, and friendly nations.

The point I have been trying to make isn't racist, it's simply an inevitable fact. If you bring people into a country, and those people still act as if they are in their previous country, and still have allegiance there to, you will no doubt create civil unrest. If you want a peaceful society, everyone has to be on the same page. That is to say, multiple cultures can not peacefully co-habitate the same area for an extended period of time.

As Australians we have, through the course of our history developed our own unique culture. A culture which is now under threat. This is not to say that people from another country are somehow inherently bad, or wrong or anything of that nature. It is not to say that we don't get many people immigrating who at their core are good people. What it is to say, is that for our community to exist peacefully, immigrants have to let go of their old culture and lives and embrace ours.

I would not for example expect I could immigrate to Iraq without accepting their local customs and ridding myself of those I learned in Australia. Similarly those moving to Australia can not expect to immigrate here without doing the same.

Wissam Fattal's comments highlight just how easy it is for extremists to gain entry into Australia. We have an immigration system now, which has inadequate screening and processing of potential immigrants. No person should be able to permanently reside here, who is unable to speak English, and who is unwilling to assimilate into Australian culture. We have gone from a system which let in 10,000 people a year, to one which lets in a similar number each month. Our country and our economy can't cope.

I tried to upload some pictures of Hades but after uploading the first one it won't let me upload anymore. It also won't let me create a thumbnail for the photo I managed to upload which is a bit of a pain. Every time I try and do either my browser crashes, I've tried getting out of firefox and using SeaMonkey but it does the same thing (perhaps because they both use the same core?). Either way rest assured however that a picture of Hades is uploaded and viewable by all REGISTERED members in our photo album section of this website.

You can get there by clicking the link to the right or by using the link provided in the links section of this post. Remember if you aren't a member yet registration is free and takes only a few seconds to complete after which you can view all images (including HADES) and even upload into the members uploads area! For those of you who are already members, just log in and you're away.

Links;

Photo Albums (Attic)

NOTE: By Indians I am referring to people from India and not native Americans

So while we were looking for a house we found the a house a few doors down from us is up for private rental and contacted the owners, who turned out to be Indians. They own like 4 or 5 houses which they rent out and have formed a company around it, which means they're meant to play by rules which they don't. They're incredibly unprofessional and declined us claiming we didn't provide them with information which we clearly did.

Just goes to show yet again that Indians suck big time and should be avoided at all costs. "Thank-you please come again"

Last night watching Four Corners: "saving Africa's witch children" I was appalled by the monstrosities I saw. Children as young as a few months old being denounced as witches by their communities, their priests and even their own families. They are beaten, set alight, stabbed, shot and generally tortured both physically & mentally.

All this, in the name of Jesus. I'm no christian, nor do I believe in "god" but I have read the bible and I certainly don't remember reading any commandment about "thou shall torture and murder your children". No, these acts might be done in the name of Jesus, but the real motive is far to often money.

According to "Saving Africa's Witch Children" while there used to be a couple of children denounced as witches a year, the problem really started when a self-styled prophet named Helen Ukpabio made a film. Her film "End of the Wicked" shows children on mass as witches. She also recommends that a child under 2 years who cries at night, does not sleep the whole night through and has deteriorating health is... you guessed it; a witch. When we're talking about a part of the world with very little health care it's easy to see why some 2.3 Million children have been accused of being witches.

But Helen Ukpabio isn't alone in her injustices; it seems every right nut priest is in on it. Praying on the superstition and stupidity of their parishioners for profit. One man named "The Bishop" claimed he could excise the devil from their children and deliver the child from being a witch. All he asked in return was a mere years salary. His treatment? Get the kid to drink pure alcohol and drop some undescribed black liquid into their eyes and ears. Before he decided on this method he used to just plain kill them; freely and happily admitting to killing at least 110 people.

Thankfully the children have aide organisation Stepping Stones Nigeria to come to for help, but as they are only a small, underfunded organisation their fight hardly makes a dent in the problem. But still, for the lucky ones who find their way into this organisation there can be finally a sense of safety.

To me this just demonstrates how little these people understand Christianity and honestly why would they? Nigeria only became a Christian nation because of white missionaries who came into the country and told the poor, starving people they would be feed and clothed if they accepted Jesus. They gave them a bible and some food and buggered off.

This is no less than child genocide and I can't help but think at least some of the blood is on the hands of the missionaries who brought Christianity here. It seems the Christian Churches as a collective have taken a stance where they want as many people as possible to identify as a christian. It doesn't seemingly matter so much however if those people actually practice Christianity or even understand what the heck it is to be Christian.

But then I guess when most of the missionaries themselves don't even fully understand what it is to be Christian how are they supposed to pass the message on effectively? These organisations like Care Australia who routinely trade food and medicine for "faith" are appalling and have a lot to answer for.

As do the Nigerian Police and Government. They have enacted laws but still the problem persists. There is much more they could be doing to stop this extreme abuse of children.

But you to can help stop this, by emailing Helen Ukpabio at her "Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries" and telling her what she is doing is wrong, and why. Or by donating to Stepping Stone Nigeria to help the wonderful work they do.

Links;

Saving Africa's Witch Children Part 1 (Video)
Saving Africa's Witch Children Part 2 (Video)
Background Reading (Four Corners)
Stepping Stones Nigeria
Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries (Helen Ukpabio's Church)

Today bro has gone to see his mom for the weekend. I'm nervous about it all, I'm meant to pick him up tomorrow. I hope it all works properly. Cross your fingers for me.

So I'm on the train going home and I'm pretty sure the girlfriend of slar from 1980s film "the goonies" just got on. Seriously they look incredibly similar; like someone mushed her face to hard.

The endless stream of oddities which get on and off the train mean my journeys are seldom boring. The only drawback is the sea of asians speaking in their native tongues which can be rather annoying; but is easily fixed with some headphones. I used to tell them to speak english because it's respectful to speak the native language of the country you're in. But alas now there are more asians than aussies it seems somewhat pointless.

I don't know who decided it is possible to have a career, a social life and be the primary care giver in a family, but they were dead wrong. When anyone, anywhere over extends them self, something has to give. In the case of a woman trying to "have it all" it is usually the kids who suffer. Now don't get me wrong, this isn't to say anyone is being malicious here; but that when time is shared out in this situation, it's statistically normal for the child(ren) to get the bum end.

As a growing number of families rely on duel incomes, with both parents focused on their career, one must ask what the point in having a child is? Childcare places are on mile long waiting lists because parents want to book their children in from 6 weeks old. If you don't intend to bring your child up, spend adequate time with your child, instill proper morals and values in your child and just want to focus on your career, one must ask why are you having a child?

And the consequences fall across the whole of society as well; indeed you only need to look at the behavior and attitude of today's teenagers to see this. The family unit has all but totally fallen apart, leaving most homes more like share houses. No one can have it all, it just isn't possible to have a fabulous career, a wonderful social life and be the primary care giver in a family. It's too much. This misguided idea that men have it all is entirely wrong. Most men whom are successful in their careers do so at the sacrifice of their family.

At all times it is important for a child to have a parent to lean on, support them and learn from. As I have discussed previously children learn behavior from their parents, often growing up to mimic their same sex parent and find a mate whom resembles their opposite sex parent. Relationship skills are also learn from parents. Studies have also shown that a child of any gender benefits most when supervised by their mother, as apposed to their father or other relative(s) for at least the first 4 years of life.

At what point did women decide that being a mother and dare I say it "housewife" wasn't good enough for them? I as a father can't even begin to compute the mentality there for being a father is the biggest joy I have in this world. As mother is god on the lips of all children, then motherhood must be at least twice as joyful as fatherhood. Do a few household chores, hang out with the kids, see your girlfriends, watch daytime tv... why the heck are you complaining? Honestly, why would anyone trade that to go work for someone else, be bound by stress and deadlines? Can you see any rational sense in it, because I can't.

Hard to believe as it is, there actually are some people out there who will not eat meat. Some (known as vegans) won't touch any product at all which comes from another animal. To me this has always been a rather silly idea. Many years ago; when I was in high school; I developed a rather powerful counter argument to the rantings of vegetarians and vegans alike.

The principle reason I have found that most people become vegetarian (based on the numerous persons I have come in contact with who had chosen this lifestyle) is they don't like the idea of something dying for their food consumption. But there is a rather large hole in this idea. Vegetarians seem to forget that plants are living organisms to, and that they too have a nervous system. We know that other animals use their nervous system to receive pain messages because they have instant reactions to it, plus they can usually make a sound. But that should not exclude the idea that a plant; having a nervous system also; is capable of feeling pain. In fact simply because the organism can't scream in pain shouldn't be an indicator on how it is feeling.

The simple fact is no one does know one way or the other on whether plants feel pain, nor are the likely to anytime soon. But they are living creatures, and they can move; even if it is incredibly slowly. So if a vegetarian is to truly prevent another living creature from harm or pain then they would have to stop eating plants as well. In fact an animal is duly capable of running away, where as a plant is not. An animal is capable of fighting back, in general a plant is not. Therefore if you really wanted to cause the least harm you would be a meatetarian not a vegetarian.

Yes it's all very hypocritical that a vegetarian will refuse to eat one creature on certain principles then ignore those same principles so they might eat another creature. What is even more hypocritical is the "vegetarians" who only eat chicken &/or fish. That is just plain idiotic!

The mere fact that your brain is the size it is, and is capable of doing the things it does is down to meat. Meat that your ancestors ate gave you the brain you have today. To stop eating meat in successive generations would only serve to cause their brains to shrink over time. Meat is a requirement in your diet, it is how you are built. Indeed it is healthy to eat meat and incredibly good for you. Especially red meat which is high in essential fats and oils, as well as iron, vitamins and energy. So don't be a nutter, use common sense and eat meat. It's part of a healthy, well balanced diet.

PS. You so better credit me with inventing the word meatetarian if you use it.

Do gooders of the world unite there is a cause somewhere in the world I'm sure you think you know best about. Never mind the facts or understanding the situation, a summary understanding of the points the liberal media chose to show you will do. Just charge right into the situation and start floundering away, I'm sure you'll do some good with that tactic.

By why stop there do gooders? Why not criticize everyone who doesn't have the same world view as you, whether they understand the facts better than you or not. After all, why should facts of the situation matter? I mean look at all the good in the world all the do gooders have done, what with lobbying for laws which make it politically unacceptable to say what you think or mean. Which outlaw certain words because someone, somewhere might take offense.

Or those ridiculous laws which prevent people from wolf whistling because it might make someone feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. Other the same laws which prevent me telling a joke in public because someone who overhears me ( not even part of my conversation ) might take offense.

Yes the do gooders of the world have done loads of good. They help aboriginals get "their" land back, displacing businesses and residential zones in place of an Australia from 200 years ago which is no longer relevant. All of which hurts the economy. All the apologises which truly are meaningless given they're made by people who had nothing to do with anything.

Yes it's hard to see why more people aren't jumping on the do gooder band wagon. I mean you get to effect real change in the world and in your own backyard. And look how much society has benefited from it, I mean kids now days have more respect than they ever did right? Crime is at an all time low right? I mean society isn't on the verge of collapse is it? The environment isn't dying right?

But I'm sure even that which was caused by do gooders can be fixed by do gooders too right? I mean their misunderstanding of the facts and charge in attitude can only fix things, not make them even worse right?

So we have switched over to Digital TV, quite awhile ago now actually. And I gotta tell you, the signal is crap. Ok so I now get ABC 2 and One Sport. But yesterday we couldn't watch Channel Seven it just came up blank. Today, channel seven is going all bonkers.

With Digital TV the signal is transmitted in a different way then with analog TV, so if your aerial doesn't pick up some of the signal you lose picture, or sound, or a mix of both. It's sorta like a DVD with a scratch on it. You know how the sound might get all distorted or the picture might go pixelated or freeze while the sound continues? Welcome to the world of digital TV.

You know the saying, if it ain't broken don't fix it? That totally applies here. Unless they remove that ridiculous law preventing multi-channeling then digital TV offers no real benefit.

Australia; we've all seen the ads for Rugs a million, claiming to be "slashing prices" or "closing down" or what ever ridiculous thing they chose to come out with next. Sure, some people even fall for it thinking they're getting a great deal. In actual fact you're being lied to and ripped off. Here's why.

The current Rugs a Million line of Ads talks about them having to close down stores. Last I checked, businesses that are going through financial hardship usually don't hire new people. But that's exactly what the Rugs a Million website say they are doing.

They also claim to be selling at or below cost. Other then the fact this would simply cause them to actually have to close their doors as they'd be losing money, it's an out right lie. In actual fact the rugs are marked up 500%+. The profits made on each rug sold are actually rather astounding.

I'm sure this doesn't come as much news to most of you, it's a widely known fact they're lying. But then, if it's so well understood they are telling porky pies how is it they have been able to get away with advertising in this way for over a decade?

Links:

Rugs A Million
Rugs a Million Careers

Turn out Sarah still isn't out of bed yet. Looks like she's going to be sleeping all day given it's almost 10am. So I should be fine to just sit in the office (I work from home) in peace an get some work done, alone. No fear of being yelled at, or a fight starting or anything. This birthday might be easy, because I won't have to find a park to sit out in which would suck if I had to, because it's raining.

It's my birthday today. Yey for me

Traditionally on my birthday I find a nice spot in a park and sit there for the day, alone. Watching the world go by. It saves me from things going wrong on my birthday and I tell you what, this year I see no reason to break from that tradition. The last 2 years in a row I've broken from it and had terrible birthdays, full of fighting. It's like just because it's my birthday, it's a good reason for the universe to make me have a crappy day.

This morning, Sarah has already had a go and she isn't even out of bed yet, so that tells you everything you need to know about what the day is going to be like when she does get up. eventually. Ambrose has no socks, apparently it hits my birthday and they all disappear. And so on and so on. Today isn't shaping up to be a good day at all, which isn't anything out of the ordinary for a birthday of mine.

So if you're looking for me today, check out a park I just might be there pondering why birthdays for me, always turn out so craptacular.

Today I turn 26; which realistically isn't that old when you consider I'll probably live to somewhere around 100. I'm young and have all my future ahead of me.

Yet I feel completely over the hill. Not because it's my birthday and I'm getting another year older either. But for many reasons, not least of which I don't get modern music. It all seems superficial, focused more on skimpy clothing and objectifying women than on actual music. Seriously when did you last see a grunge or rock band hit the charts? It's all hip hop, techno house and r'n'b. I remember when R'n'B stood for Rhythm & Blues, now it just means anyone who is black and isn't a hip hop star. All my friends get it, so why don't I?

I don't get fashion anymore either. In fact I don't understand most of the fads today. I use the phrases "In my day..." and "When I was little..." a LOT! I'm constantly moaning about how "kids today have no respect" which usually is followed by a "When I was little..." I'm 26, going on 56

Christ, I'm even losing a bit of hearing; Although I think that has more to do with standing by loud nightclub speakers when I was younger. Crap, see there I go again! Repeat after me; I must stop doing that, I must stop doing that...

Family law in Queensland and Australia in general is an absolute joke. It's disorganised dribble, incapable of successfully negotiating a happy anything let alone resolution. It's disheartening to see that while changes have been made to the system since I first was exposed to it, it is still very much about running you around in circles until one of the parties give up and give in to the other.

They have this new thing called a "Family Relationships Centre" where you must attend Family Dispute Resolution before any court papers can be filed. While it's certainly an improvement that the service is now free, it is highly unrealistic in the real world. If both people stay in the same area as each other it's fine, no problems at all. But that isn't the norm now is it?

For me, I've been invited to such a session by Tanase to talk about Z and AJ. I rang them to try and sort it all out, but she's organised it for Chermside. I don't even understand her motivation behind that if she still lives in the same area as I last knew about. Chermside is ages away from us both. Bro has school, which I pick him up from. Z has school, which I assume she picks him up from. Why Chermside???

I attempted to negotiate something more suitable with the lady from the Family Relationships Centre, like their Valley office which would be half way between us both, but still allow us to get back in time to pick up the kids. But apparently, that can't happen unless Tanase rings them and says I want to change it to the Valley.

Any this is meant to be an impartial mediation session? They're already taking sides. Look I get that she rang them in the first place, but their role is meant to be to help people sort out their disputes. So shouldn't they be calling her asking her if it's ok for it to happen in the Valley? Or even better, couldn't this all just be done by phone? I mean after all they exist for a reason you know.

It's not like you need to be in the same room as someone to have mediation, all mediation is, is a conversation between 2 or more people where an external party not involved, guides the conversation onto the right topics and helps to keep things reasonable and civil. How the heck can that NOT be done by phone??

And the worst bit, if I don't attend this ridiculous farce, it somehow goes against me when I take the matter to court because I didn't attend their stupid mediation session. Will someone coming up with these family law idea's get a freaking clue?

The thing that gets me the most is they claim they're looking out for the best interests of the child(ren) and yet they somehow let Bro go into a situation where he was treated in the manner he was. Even though presented with evidence to the contrary. Crikey even Child Safety (Queenslands Department of Child Services) are happier to leave a child in a poor situation and give the carer "parenting classes" rather then remove the child into a proper situation.

Family law might be a lot of things, but it certainly isn't looking out for the children it is meant to be protecting. It seems the law even prevents parents protecting their own children from negligent residency holders. It's a world gone mad. And people wonder why kids these days are so screwed up. Look at the home, that's where it all starts and if there aren't adequate protections in place to ensure children grow up in the right environment then you have nothing more to expect then a society where people don't respect each other and use violence and crime as expression.

It's that time of year again; when the Toads and cockroaches do battle.

Their weapon; a ball and two hands.

Their aim; to find an excuse to run around a field groping each other, and pulling each others pants down. While simulations gathering a huge crowd to watch, thus making piles of money

The method; a farcical 3 match "decider" which has already been decided by the organisers.

The result; The State of Origin.

I have a dream, where I never have to see the State of Origin again. Where gay men won't flaunt themselves about on a field and try to pass it off as a sport. Where Rugby will stop being so popular and we can get down to playing some real manly sports. I have a dream, but it is only just a dream because it will never come true.

Australia is too hooked on homosexual sport. To in love with the ass grab and testicle tickle. Gone are the days when men where men. And it's sad to say goodbye

A few months ago the Queensland state elections where held and I distinctly remember clearly saying not to vote Anna Bligh; because she will ruin the state. You ignored me and voted her in anyway. As a result not only is Queensland in debt for the first time in it's history but things are about to get a whole lot more expensive.

It was obvious by the way in which Anna bligh slyly took control of the state in the first place that she wasn't the right person for the job. She then spent 500 million dollars buying up land for Traviston dam, which still hasn't even begun construction and more then likely will be scraped all together. She spent another heap of cash on the environmentally destructive and incredibly costly to run, water desalination plant.

Typical of a labor government she keeps throwing money at problems hoping they are going to go away. This is a sign of a terrible leader. But when the elections rolled in, you all voted her back in anyway. Even though she was planning to knock down a childrens hospital to fund building an ALF stadium. A premier of a state with no financial skills, no ability to lead and poor morals is a piss poor choice for a leader. You only have yourselves to blame.

Now that she has run out of money and put us into debt ( which has absolutely NOTHING to do with the financial downturn ) she's decided Queenslanders have to pay for her poor leadership. The 8c/litre fuel subsidy gone; pushing the price of fuel up to $1.72/litre on a bad day.

Also to go, 15 BILLION dollars of state owned assets. That's $15,000,000,000!!! Queensland Rail, our forests, the port of Brisbane, our toll roads and more all going to the highest bidder. And in todays economic climate the only people with any money are the Chinese now aren't they. And Anna Bligh promises to legislate for tolls to not go up higher then inflation. Come off it, that still means a huge jump in toll prices!

What a grand old land we live in here in Australia where everything is up for sale. We went to war in the 1930's and 1940's to stop Australia being taken over by Asians, now in 2009 they don't even have to raise a weapon to take control, they can simply buy us out. What did our diggers fight and die for if we're just going to let Australia turn into a Chinese owned franchise?

The budget has NOT been passed yet, only announced and as a democratic state we are able to stop it from going through. If enough Queenslanders band together, sign a petition to stop the sale of these assets and present it to the house of parliament BEFORE the budget is passed, then they have no choice but to NOT pass it. So hopefully this time you'll take my advice and one of you will start a petition. We can also as a majority call for Anna Bligh to step down and a new election to be held, I suggest we do so.

While quite obviously from previous entries I do no believe in "God" and disagree great with much of what is taught, I think the knowledge base of different religions still has something to offer those of different faith, or even atheists.

For example, the Jewish religion forbids eating pork as they are viewed as dirty. It also has an almost obsessive washing of the hands. To me these are just some of the indicators of their religion which demonstrate a profound understanding of bacteria. When you put that into the context of a religion which is thousands of years old when bacteria is only meant to have been "discovered" by science a mere few hundred years ago it says a lot.

For most organised religions I chose to look at them on the basis they are fictional stories which have ideals for how to live life woven into them. They are not so much pure fact, as facts presented in a way which is entertaining yet captures ones attention enough to motivate you into following the rules. Given that humans are very "sheep like" it seems a very affective method of controlling and protecting the masses; especially in a pre-science world.

I think the main concepts in any organised religion have come from somewhere factual. Be it a pre-existing civilisation for which we have no record, memory of a previous life, alien beings or "god" a lot of these concepts demonstrate an understanding of knowledge for which "science" is still catching up to. I've started a forum topic on the dinner table for discussion on where YOU think this knowledge has come from. Perhaps it's just deeply ingrained in us all?

Links:

Discussion Thread
The Dinner Table

Humanity like to separate themselves from the rest of life forms on earth, imagining they are the most intelligent creatures earth has ever seen. They even have an intelligence scale for other animals judging who they think are the most intelligent; which goes Humans as #1, other apes as #2, Dolphins as #3 and Pigs as #4. To me, this is ridiculous. Humans can argue all they want that they are intelligent but they certainly aren't fooling anyone but themselves.

Consider this, Mathematics, Time, Your job, Money, Culture are all concepts which exist solely in your head. Mathematics was created by humans to help them understand their world, none of it is real, it's all imaginary. The idea of Mathematics as a universal language across all intelligent life is flawed because it only exists inside your head. Similarly Time is just a way to communicate effectively about when in the day things should or shouldn't; have or have not happened. It also doesn't exist outside your own brain. Human culture uses money, pieces of metal and electronic numbers to measure wealth; we call it money.

These pieces of paper, metal and to a growing extent electronic numbers are exchanged for food, shelter, clothing, rocks attached to pieces of metal, even sex. How a species allowed themselves to get into a position where they have to exchange meaningless paper, metal and numbers for the basics of life like food, water and shelter is beyond me. Face it, you go to work every day and do your job, but in the grand scheme of life on earth, it's meaningless. Modern Society is meaningless.

While patting yourself on the back for how smart you, as a human feel, have you ever noticed your dog and cat are entirely capable of not only communicating with other dogs and cats, but each other as well. It doesn't even end there, they can even understand YOU! In fact, most animals are quite capable of understanding all the other animals and what they're saying to each other. But humans sadly can not. Humans in fact have enough trouble understanding one another, without having to attempt to understand dog language or cat language. Some birds are even capable of not only mimicking our language but speaking it.

Not all languages are even spoken, some are as simple as body language, some more complex signing and there is even evidence of telepathic language in some Animals. Take Elephants for example, capable of sensing another animals pain from kilometers away. There is in fact not a single thing a human is capable of that no other animal on the planet can do. But there are plenty of things other animals can do which humans can't. Humans are also the only animal on the planet who polute and plunder it at the expense of not only their own survival but the survival of other creatures.

All this leads me to ask the question, are humans actually the dumbest creatures on earth? The answer is for you to decide, but one thing is certainly for sure, humanity isn't the smartest life form. It seems brain size has very little to do with brain power.

Earth Aide, Fire Aid, There always seems to be a celebrity trying to talk us into parting with our hard earn cash trying to raise x million dollars for whatever cause is fashionable this week. And for some reason there are always suckers who fall for it all, failing to realise it's all just a Public Relations stunt rather than a real call to arms as it where.

The next time a celebrity or public figure comes calling for a few million to help a cause stop and think for a moment about how much money the celebrity them self has, and how much of that money they're actually putting towards the cause, if indeed any at all. It is in my view completely immoral and unethical for the richest people on the planet to ask the average man to fork out for poor people, or research into whatever disease, especially when the rich person calling for your money has so much money they could pay for the whole thing with their pocket change.

It's hypocritical for them to hold out their hands to take your money, but fail to give any of their own. It's exploitation. And they do it to make you think better of them, so you will think they actually care about someone other then themselves. If they truly want to help the planet, truly care about others, they would invest a great deal of their own hard earned cash into the cause. Just think about that next time before you hop on the charity wagon.

Watching Compass on the ABC tonight I was amazed to find people lived the way orthodox Jews do. For one young man, he lived in America for 19 years, yet he was barely able to speak a word of English. To not be able to rub your eyes without washing your hands, it's obsessive compulsive behavior which is not only encouraged but demanded of those in their community. With all the things which have been found, all the facts and indicators out their which greatly unhinge the basis for any logically minded person to still believe in some of these religions so whole heartedly it really does leave me in wonderment that so many people still do.

That isn't to say I think any particular religion is a bad thing, I think perhaps parts there in are counter productive or in some cases down right dangerous. But I think as a whole each person has a right to believe in whatever they wish. But I suppose what really makes me pause is the numbers of people whom chose to, for no good reason chose to believe in things which make little to no logical or rational sense what so ever. To continue to believe in something which has been disproven just fills me with puzzlement. What is the drive? The motivation? What is the benefit? After all, no human does anything without reward.

Could it merely be they are seeking the approval of their fellow community members, or their families that much that they continue to believe well past reason? Is it pride; The inability to say "maybe I've been wrong" because that would mean everything they have based their lives on thus far has been a lie? Or is it as simple as a blind faith which borders on insanity? Perhaps someone else could enlighten me; for I certainly have no answer to the question as stands.

Bro and I love playing C&C Generals, especially now we've found out copy of the Zero Hour expansion pack and I've managed to get the network working. Sarah never understood our involvement in the game, but lately she's started to play a bit of it with us, and while she isn't by any means hooked or loving the game, I think in time she will.

It's certainly helped by the fact you can be a pink player She's still learning how to do things so in time she'll be pretty good at it I think. YeY to Sarah for trying something new and spending time as a family. It'll be great when D is older and can play with us too. If Z and AJ come over, we could all have a game against each other, that'd be awesome. Kids V Adults. lol.

I discovered a few days while we were packing up some of our stuff, that Sarah is scared of pine cones. She's not just scared that they'll fall out of the tree and bop her on the head, or anything quarter rational like that is. No for Sarah there is a whole new world when it comes to pine cones.

For the rest of us pine cones are simply inanimate seed pods which drop from pine trees hoping to spread the pine tree population. For Sarah they are much more lively. She told me she is of the opinion they fall out of the tree screaming, then rock back and forward on the ground squealing.

In Sarah's funny little world Pine cones are little animals which live in the pine tree, not it's seed. Why they would rock back n forth squealing is beyond my comprehension but to Sarah it makes perfect sense.

Last night Sarah had to get up out of bed and have a shower because the smell of pee coming off of her was so bad I was considering getting out of bed. Poor Sarah, it must truly such being pregnant sometimes. With your bladder going bad and all...

So experts agree that swine flu really isn't much different to any other strain of the flu. Every year in Australia a few people die from the flu, so it really isn't anything new. But does that stop the media from turning it into a major health scare? Hell no! Fact is if you catch swine flu the most likely thing that will happen is you'll feel under the weather, the same as with any other strain of the flu and then, you'll get better.

But because it's been televised as this terrible killer virus which is a death sentence for anyone who catches it, we've got people being hysterical. Supermarkets handing out anti-bacterial hand wash to their employees and demanding they use it every time they come in contact with people. They're check out chicks, they're constantly in contact with people! And influenza is a virus, there is no bacteria involved so anti-bacteria wouldn't have much if any affect.

Will you all just calm down and stop freaking out. Swine flu is just another flu. This idea that it's going to kill you is just unfounded panic. Relax, it's just same old, same old for now.

So things, yet again are going pear shaped. So for now, Tasmania and moving is on hold. Fingers crossed it all goes back on track shortly

Christ this situation sucks.

A few days ago we went on the bus and there where school kids talking about who they think should say sorry to the aboriginals next. I'm glad they're thinking politically and all, that gives me at least some hope about the next generation. But seriously what are they teaching these kids in school now days? No one should be saying sorry to the aboriginals, period. And Kevin Rudd doing so; like with most things Kevin Rudd has done; has just made things worse.

Fact; when aboriginal children where taken away from their parents it was because white people viewed their parents as unfit. This continued right up into the late 1960's. When you take a look at how a lot of aboriginal families still live today, especially in Northern Queensland and The Northern Territory, it really doesn't take much of a stretch of the imagination to understand where they were coming from in taking the kids away. Sure taking the kids away served to attempt to assimilate the children into our society; it's what happens when you take a child from a bad situation, you try and make it mainstream. And to White people, our way was mainstream & apparently better.

The thing is, this wasn't and still isn't isolated to just aboriginal people, it crosses all manner of ethnic backgrounds. If a child is viewed to be living in unsuitable conditions then it is removed from those conditions and placed somewhere s/he can be safe, happy and healthy; it's called the Department of Child Services/Safety (Depending on state/territory). If they didn't exist kids in bad situations wouldn't have anyone to help them at all. Not that they do much of a lot anymore, but I reckon that's probably go something to do with 'the sorry' as well.

At the end of the day yes, Europeans invaded aboriginal territory. Yes they fought with Aboriginals and many aboriginals died. But it's called a war people. England wanted to increase it's borders and Australia was the place they chose, no different then the Romans marching across Europe and taking it over. Do you see Rome saying sorry to Europe? Hell no! Why? Because (1) it was a war, you don't apologise for winning a war that's just stupid. And (2) it happened forever ago! And realistically so do Europeans taking over Australia. Over 200 years ago in fact. No one from then is even close to alive.

It isn't unreasonable to expect people you have fought a war against and won against, to assimilate into your society. There are so many examples of this around the world I can't even chose one as an example. Basically every country in modern existence has been occupied by an invading group of people at some point in it's life. Heck even England which is where white Aussie's have come from, used to be occupied by Romans. All the culture of the druids and Celtics is mostly lost as a result, we only have slivers of the culture which have been pieced together. No one says sorry for that? Nor should they! Same goes with Aboriginal culture.

Kevin Rudd is a jackass for saying sorry, by saying sorry he has made out that Europeans actually did something wrong. Just when the message was starting to get through that they need to get over it and move on, here Ruddy comes and stuffs it up. Now we're back in a position where Aboriginals want want want. They are no different to any other member of society and should act and be treated accordingly. Special treatment never did anyone any good. True reconciliation will come when this whole thing is recognised for what it is, a piece of our past which took us to where we are now. Nothing more, nothing less. Dwelling on what happened to your grandparents and great grandparents then getting upset about it, isn't only stupidity, it's insanity!

So these school kids on the bus where saying they'd like to see the Queen say sorry. Well guess what, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you kids aren't provided with the facts. That children in schools are taught this ridiculously politically correct redrict. All the do gooders in the world need to rack off to a country so they can interfere and screw things up as a united country and the rest of the world knows who to blame. Oh wait, there's already a country like that. It's called America.

Addiction: It rears it's ugly head in all manner of things. Shopping, drugs, cigarettes, gambling, the internet. Basically if you can think of it, someone is probably addicted to it. Addiction turns it's victim into a slave, lacking any sense of free will. While some people are content to live a life of servitude to their addiction, most people what to give it the flick, but just don't know where to begin.

There are many different methods people attempt to use, but most are inherently flawed. "Stepping down" or slowly stopped for example will only serve to make the addiction stronger. It's really just a way for someone who doesn't truly want to quit, to seem like they're trying to quit due to external pressure. The "groups" with their 12 step programs enforce into your brain that you will be an addict for the rest of your life. I'm here to tell you, that is a lie.

Giving up an addiction is a matter of self belief system. If for example you believe you are a smoker, then you will continue to perpetuate that behavior. But if the same person trying to quit their addiction to smoking, changed their belief structure to that of a non-smoker, they would find their behavior would change along with it. The addiction, mentally at least would be gone, as long as that belief structure stayed in tacked. Of course with addictions like smoking, alcohol and other drugs their is a chemical dependency associated as well, but this will drop off in between 2 days to 2 weeks depending on the substance.

Life Coaching firm Evolutionary Minds say

"Some people find it easier than others to change their belief structure, those people may be able to do it on their own. For everyone else, finding it a bit harder to change their belief structure we can provide services such as NLP and hypnosis to make giving up their addiction easier"

From that statement we can take the advice that hypnosis may be helpful in changing your belief structure and indeed many people successfully give up addictions after a few hypnosis sessions. But if you're strong of mind then you can just do it yourself. I'm not quite so sure on the doing it yourself bit, I think that leaves people in a position where they will try and do it themselves even if they don't have the actual ability to do it. Then when it doesn't work, will dismiss the method all together, when all they needed for it to be successful was a little help.

Don't get me wrong about this method, it isn't about will power either. It's about changing your belief system. Which are two very different things. I reckon if you've got an addiction it's maybe worth giving an organisation like Evolutionary Minds a buzz, see what they have to say.

Every day I when I pick up bro from school this is this teenage girl who waits for her brother; and whilst she waits she listens to music through her mobile. I wouldn't even notice what she was doing if she used headphones, but of course she seems to think the whole world wants to hear her taste in music. She of course isn't the first teenager I've seen doing this, they're on the train in the morning and afternoon, they walk along the street blaring their demeaning rap crap.

Did they ever think for a moment that other people around them might not want to hear their ridiculous taste in music? Of course not, they're teenagers! But I think that's that point, and mobile phone companies should know better. I mean they spend millions if not billions on R&amp annually, so it'd be foolish to think they didn't realise that teenagers are a major consumer of their products.

As a result their phones shouldn't allow playback of music through the speaker. Just as the FM transceiver requires headphones (yes I realise that is because they double as an antenna) so should playback through the phones multimedia player. The only sounds which should be audible without headphones are the phone ringing, sms tone or alarm.

I'm so tired of all the noise pollution I have to put up with, and the language that plays in those songs, oh my god, how are you meant to bring your children up right when whether you like it or not they're exposed to such rubbish?

There's been a major disruption of water in our area, effecting businesses and houses through-out our suburb and those surrounding it. The disruption is due to a massive burst water main, which the council inform me will take approximately another 6 hours to fix. That means no flushing toilets, showers, washing hands, etc until around 8pm tonight. It's amazing how much we rely on indoor plumbing now days and to a larger extent water in general. Funny how we take things like that for granted until low and behold they're removed from our usage for a period of time.

I can't wait until we buy our farm and are totally self sufficient. We won't have to worry about inconveniences like this, because everything will be checked regularly and there will be backup systems in place just in case anything does go wrong.

Nations around the world are in a fuzzle, as the UN security counsel scrambles together. All over the news that North Korea has successfully tested a nuclear bomb, underground in their own territory. Barack Obama has come out condeming the tests and stating North Korea have broken international law, as has Australian's own Stephen Smith.

Their fear? North Korea will have short range nuclear weapons capabilities shortly. And the fact that North Korea is testing long range missiles suggests they don't intend to stop at short range anything. But while it might be less then ideal for North Korea to arm themselves with nuclear weapons, it remains hypocritical of nations like the US which have advanced, short and long range nuclear weaponry, all of which was tested.

If we want a world without nuclear weapons that's awesome, it requires international law requiring all countries to disarm & decommision their nuclear weapons, and prevents any country from making new ones. But until we decide on a world wide ban on nuclear weaponry I fail to see how one country has the right to dictate to another country which weapons it may, or may not acquire to defend itself or act in it's own interest.

And really, that is all any country ever does. Act in their own interest. Is it simply that the US are running scared that if Korea, China or any other country who isn't their allie gain Nuclear capabilities; that their military might will wail? That they will cease to have any power in the world at all? And if they did lose power, which lets face it is inevitable; would that honestly be all that bad a thing?

Personally I'd like to live in a world where no one country has any more influence then any other. A world where countries, humans, people, can work together for common goals and planetary benefit. A world where humans acknowledge that they are just another type of animal, and thus have no special purpose on the planet, no almighty right to use resources or cause death, pain and disease. But that's all a pipe dream which humans are genetically programed to ensure never happens. Pitty, things could be great.

Noted creationist Kent E. Hovind has a featured article on his site www.drdino.com about the supposed myth of "humanzee" and how it apparently discredits evolution and balusters creationism. I'm sorry Kent but what an awful load of rubbish you're preaching. No wonder creationists shudder at your name and want nothing to do with you! You talk utter codswallop.

The article goes that "evolutionists" are apparently searching for an animal which is cross bred between humans and chimpanzees. I don't know about other people who believe in evolution, but I'm certainly not trying to find such an animal. What person is their right mind is going to screw a tiny little chimpanzee?

He talks about some sick experiment apparently carried out in Russia in the 1920's where some "scientist" tried to inseminate chimps with human sperm. Kent then takes the experiments lack of success as meaning it's impossible to do and therefore the word of god spoken through the bible is true and correct. First, why anyone would want to create such a creature is beyond me, but such an experiment would be illegal today as it's sick, disturbing and completely immoral. That isn't to say it is impossible to crossbreed Humans with other chimpanzee's.

In the 1920's artificial insemination was a very young and undeveloped "science" which made it very much a stab in the dark affair. Today however IVF has come a long way and it would be possible to cross breed humans with birds or fish or whatever else, let alone something as close to the human family tree as other chimps. And yes, that's right, OTHER chimps because Human's belong to the Chimpanzee family tree.

There are so many mistakes and leaps of faith in Kent's article that it just make's it meaningless banter. But then what can you expect from a man who opened an amusement park called "Dinosaur Adventure Land" then filled it with things which have very little to do with dinosaurs, but claims they are still alive. Honestly, how is it that some people get committed for far less then this sort of thinking but this joker is allowed to roam free?

So science has it's big bang theory, Christians have their god created it all theory & I'm sure other people and religions have their own theories. But what no one has been able to answer me yet should be the simplest of questions. What existed before the universe? With the big bang theory there was nothing, then poof everything came into existence, which as far as I'm concerned is as idiotic and nonsensical as Christianities view that god made it all. Seriously, what the hell did go exist in if he created everything? And who created god? And how can something appear out of nothing? Can someone please give me an example of science they have witnessed where there was absolutely nothing, not even anything on a sub-atomic level, and then poof something appeared as if by magic.

Before you attempt to explain how the universe was created, you need to be able to explain what was here before it was created and therefore what does the universe exist inside of? Answer that question and I reckon you're half way toward finding out the REAL truth as to how the universe began. That being said, why in all rational does it even have to have begun? Could it not have just always existed, which removes the need to explain what was here first.

So being into the paranormal and the weird I was looking on Google for websites to do with "Australian monsters" and somehow came onto this page: here. For there I clicked another link which eventually took me to something called the "Creation Science Evangelism"

I've gotta say, these people are out of their minds. It's simply nonsensical propaganda! Aborigines running with Dinosaurs? I'm sorry but a story like that simply doesn't hold water. While condemning "evolution" they fail to provide anything but the flimsiest of anecdotal proof of their own claims.

While I do believe in evolution, as most of the western world does, I am in no way pushing it onto anyone. I view it thus, it seems from the volley of evidence thus collected through-out human history that evolution is the most likely possibility as far as offered theories go. The idea that "god" created the earth in 7 days simply doesn't have any evidence to it what so ever. It's a nice bedtime story to help you live your life in a more moral and honorable manner, but it is by no means a book of facts.

What creationists seem to disregard with great hast when trying to argue that it's possible that dinosaurs where alive with humans, is that the theory of evolution being correct isn't reliant on humans and dinosaurs being exclusively apart. If for example tomorrow there came undeniable evidence that dinosaurs and aboriginals lived in Australia at the same time, but like the creationists themselves suggest there is no evidence of them surviving anywhere else in the world; that would actually baluster the evolutionary theorem argument.

That is to say, it would aide in proving that for the most part dinosaurs died out long before human arrival and it was only in Australia where they were somehow protected by isolation or whatever force, that they survived. That said, I find the whole idea of aboriginals and dinosaurs idiotic; but will endeavor to look into it further.

At the end of the day these creationists are wack jobs and I am honestly shocked any ANYONE, including themselves believes the utter crap which spews from their mouths. There are so very many things wrong with the idea's put forward in the bible, this which defy science, logic, reason, physics and so on. There are so many indicators in the bible that it is indeed a work of fiction. And yet these creationists try to turn bible verses into science? I'm sorry but science and Christianity are on to very different ends of the spectrum.

That said, it is of course everyones personal right to believe in whatever it is they believe. Even if it is crazy. I respect that right of the individual, but in doing so they must respect my right to view them as being illogical fools.

I set up our Standard Definition Set Top Box ( SD STB ) today and tuned it in. Surprise, surprise I can't pick up SBS 1 or SBS 2. ABC 3 which is ABC HD just plays the same stuff that's on ABC 1 but in High Definition, so that's useless. ONE is an ok channel, adds something new to my channel list. And ABC 2 is great. All in all, the extra channels are nice, but they really aren't anything mind blowing.

Sure I can see the benefits if you have an LCD or (to a lesser extent) plasma TV, you'd have better video and audio quality, and if you have a 1080p be able to view in full High Definition (Which by the way I don't really see the difference in, but then my eyes a pretty well poorly). But I have neither, I, like many other Australian's still own a analog TV. Sure I want to buy an flash new LCD and mount it on my wall like a giant photo frame. But reality is prices are far to high right now for me to be able to purchase one large enough to be worth my while.

It'll be a different story in a few years as prices go down and the average Aussie owns an LCD, but for now digital isn't that amazing.

In contrast, Sarah tells me (that's right I'm using here-say) that in the UK where she's from (obviously) Digital TV is awesome. Their legislation went for a Standard Definition model, rather then a High Definition model, focusing more on multiple content rather then pretty pictures. As a result, I'm informed that in the UK free to air TV gives you channels like Cartoon network and discovery. Sure they have their TV licensing scheme going on, but if paying $40 a year to watch the TV gave me premium channels currently only available in Australia through pay TV, damn I'd so be in.

So bro was very relieved that his mom finally rang him. She asked him to email her, so I did the right thing and made sure he did so before he went to bed tonight. It's good because she'd not called him and stuff because she decided she should give him some time to settle in. I'm glad she spoke to him, he's very happy now. Now that he's all properly settled and stuff she told him she'll call him every week which is great. Then he knows he can talk to her on a regular basis.

I love bro so much, I'm glad things are going right for him. I just want him to be happy, healthy and safe. I'm glad he loves living with me and Sarah, and that he wants something to do with Chelsea. I want to facilitate that to the best of my ability.

I was appalled to see a story tonight on 60 Minutes about 2 Australian men having 2 babies by way of a "factory" in India. The story which can be viewed on the sixty minutes website; is about a gay couple who ordered twins over the internet from a "clinic" (if that's what you want to call it) in India. Their sperm was sent by DHL (courier company) so they didn't even have to go to India and once combined with donor eggs was inserted by IVF into a surrogate to carry to term. 9 months later the gay couple simply flew to India to pick up their new twin daughters.

What is even more outrageous then a gay couple being able to have babies is the manner in which they were able to do it. Even more insulting the doctor involved refers to his clinic as a "baby factory" and states quite freely that he believes ANYONE should be able to have a baby, and at his "baby factory" they can. Doesn't matter if you're gay, straight, a couple, single or whatever. Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter what your motivation for having a child is, you can have one.

Someone please take this quacks medical license away! This is disgraceful practice, turning children into nothing more than marketed products for sale. What is the future this doctor hopes for exactly? Baby stores where you can simply stroll down the isle and pick out your child? I'm sorry but things like this are illegal in Australia and most of the developed world for a reason. It's IMMORAL! And more importantly by going so greatly against the natural order of things, it will cause major problems in society and the world.

We have enough freak'in people in the world without enabling single people to have babies. What's next, blended families where neither parent has been in a relationship before? What about these children? Who is looking out for them? This is a travesty, but of course India won't do anything about it and until they decide they should, there is little we from the outside can do to stop it.

That said, I would like to see our currently laws banning this sort of thing strengthened and extended by way of banning any Australian citizen from taking part in such practice. No Australian should be able to have a baby as a result of this sort of thing, and it seems to be a loop hole in the legislation which gay people are able to slip through.

Mate, if you're gay, your gay. I have no problem with that, who your attracted to and not attracted to is your own business. But as people we need to understand our limitations, and a limitation of being homosexual is, and should always remain an inability to have children. I don't say that out of some latent homophobia, but out of genuine concern for the children. You aren't naturally able to have children as a homosexual couple for a reason, and a darn good one at that. Just as you aren't asexually able to have children as a single person for a very similar darn good reason.

Visit the 60 minutes website and read the story by clicking: here

The funniest thing happened. I ran Sarah a nice hot bubble bath, so she could relax. I was trying to be really nice to her and show her how much I love her. So she lays in the tub and relaxes for awhile, all is good. Then she wants to get out and all Bro & I can here through the bathroom door from the office is "TJ" "TJ" "I'm Stuck" "Arh, I stuck" "TJ".

ROFLMAO! I went in and had to help her role over in the tub so she could get out of the bath. That's one of the funniest things that's happened to her during this pregnancy. lol, it'll keep me smiling all night long.

Is it just me or does Oprah really seem fake? It's always about her. When someone starts talking for to long, she'll but in and have her two cents worth, even if it's not relevant. And the looks she gives some people.

She just seems incredibly self absorbed to me, always relating EVERYTHING back to her in some way. Watch carefully next time you see Oprah & you'll see what I mean. And her little oh I'll help you do this and that and a few 100 thousand dollars to this charity or whatever, OMG so superficial. How many Billion dollars does Oprah have? And she has the nerve to ask her views to pledge all this money to charities when she won't even make a meaningful contribution herself.

Every show is just like a long infomercial for whoever has sponsored her today. Take note next time, there is never a show about ANYTHING without someone trying to sell a book or TV show or some sort of product. Oprah makes a fortune every show she does, and she does so by exploiting the less fortunate. She should be ashamed of herself in my opinion and certainly should stop preaching about giving and peace and harmony to people while she sits on top her mountain completely out of touch with the average person.

Oprah you are not one of us. You are a lonely, bitter old woman who tries desperately to seek our approval so she can feel better about herself, while simultaneously looking down on us. She wants to just be the center of attention, which is understandable given she was a TV kid. She certainly doesn't deserve our respect or the power she has.