Maintenance

No, this isn't a story about child support or alimony!

Regular readers of this little blog may have noticed that we've had a fresh splash of paint and some remodeling. I prefer the new template and hope you do as well. It is all for the better and to make your viewing a bit more pleasurable. So sit back, relax, have a cuppa and let me tell you a bit about it.

Firstly you will notice a new option (show/hide) at the end of each posting ... go on ... click on it!

See ... that wasn't too hard eh? The reason for this change is that I felt that some of my posts were getting lost on the front page and in the monthly archives because of the general length.

This new functionality compacts the page a bit more, allows you to get a gist of the posting and decide whether you want to read further. All without navigating away from the page. See .. it pays to read the Help files in Blogger :-) [P.S. you can do the same thing with the comments!]

The second change is that I have replaced the horrendously long Archives list with a simple drop down menu. Another space saver! Check it out under the Previous Posts in the sidebar.

Thirdly, I've got all the sidebar sections listed under Features so that you can click instead of scrolling for ages. I hope that helps!

Finally I've removed the Iraq Body Counter from the top temporarily as it was too cumbersome. I will test a few other options and hopefully replace it with something more compact and aesthetic.

So, what do you think? Let me know if you like the improvements and please offer your ideas on improving it even further. Thanks for reading!

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Taupin says it better

I regard Bernie Taupin as a great lyricist, and combined with Elton John's musical talent, I believe they make the best songwriting duo of modern times.

I'm no match, but I do like to put things down on paper .. .here's a reflection of one of their greatest hits (copied at the end of the posting).

Sometimes,

when the words won't come out right,

try as one might,

When you know what you want to express,

but the tongue can't stress

And your mind can no longer handle the chore,

pleading and screaming "Enough! No more!"

Sometimes,

in that moment of stark revelation,

under numbing sedation,

When there is no pardon or excuse,

just a simple word to choose

you finally realise the need for humility

in a sublime, teary-eyed, soliloquy

Sometimes,

at least how it is commonly referred,

sorry seems to be the hardest word.

[CM 2004]

Bernie Taupin says it better ...

What have I got to do to make you love me

What have I got to do to make you care

What do I do when lightning strikes me

And I wake to find that you're not there



What do I do to make you want me

What have I got to do to be heard

What do I say when it's all over

And sorry seems to be the hardest word



It's sad, so sad

It's a sad, sad situation

And it's getting more and more absurd

It's sad, so sad

Why can't we talk it over

Oh it seems to me

That sorry seems to be the hardest word



What do I do to make you love me

What have I got to do to be heard

What do I do when lightning strikes me

What have I got to do

What have I got to do

When sorry seems to be the hardest word



[Music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin.

© 1976 Big Pig Music Limited]

A fairer election

I belong to a few Yahoo groups. It is still a good way to get a flow of discussion and timely replies (blogs aren't quite as useful). A lot of my bloggings are derived from discussions on these groups. Here's another one, this time on the subject of the record number of postal votes received at this election (bear in mind that it was school holidays!):

Here's my version of a better election:

The AEC should distribute election packs to every registered voter. They should include ballot papers, a precis from each party/group/independent, a simple explanation of how the voting system works, and copies of the Senate registered tickets.

The many benefits to this system would be:

• voters would have time to educate themselves on policies rather than personalities and propaganda.


• it would drastically reduce the number of impromptu votes (those that still haven't made up their mind by the time they get their name crossed off the roll


• public funding of candidates could be dramatically reduced, if not totally eliminated.


• all election advertising can be banned (shock horror!) or have significant restrictions.


• the AEC's resources could be transferred from staffing polling booths to managing a team of collectors similar to the those used for the Census, and/or accepting postal returns.


• pseudo-coercive activities, such as offering transport for the elderly, would be eliminated.

and much much more.

Of course, there's millions of reasons why this will never happen ...

• millions of dollars in advertising revenue for the media,


• millions of dollars in revenue for printers,


• millions of dollars in revenue for PR agencies and consultants,


• millions of dollars in slush money (public funding) for the major parties,


• a million or so undecided votes that swing with a HTV on the day.

:-)




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Uninformed, uninterested or ignorant?

I spoke with my father on the telephone last night and cautiously asked him how he voted. In my family politics (for me at least) is an act of tightrope-walking on a razor wire above a pit of flaming lava with a swarm of bees attacking my head!

His reply made me sad and I feel a failure for not providing a better education for my parents!

It wasn't the fact that he voted for the Libs in the lower house ... my parents are typical swinging voters and I'd never chastise them for actually having an opinion, even if it does stand against my own values and everything I have worked hard to support.

No, what made me despondent was the reason he gave for voting above the line in the Senate.

He said he was concerned about the Libs having control of both houses of parliament, so he voted for "the opposition ... I can't think of his name ... you know, the Nationals guy".

Gob-smacked!

How many other voters must think the same way? There's a real need for voter education. Unfortunately most of them aren't interested enough to care.

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Family First success rests with Democrats and ALP

It is no shock or surprise to many people (other than the Democrats and ALP) that Family First are close to winning at least one seat.

I hope that I will lose my bet with WA Democrats Senator, Brian Greig, and that FF do not obtain a single seat. But regardless of the outcome I believe that the fears that I, and many others, raised have rung too true. We are, unfortunately, vindicated.

The Democrats and the ALP should be suitably ashamed. I note that many ALP members have noted their mistake. The Democrats, especially Andrew Bartlett, remain ludicrously defiant.

It is all well and good to preference minor parties ahead of the ALP and Libs for the sake of self-preservation and support for democracy (in encouraging wider representation), but a degree of sensibility should have prevailed. It didn't.

The only way that One Nation were thwarted was through preferences. The only way that Family First can be defeated is by the same mechanism.

The Democrats and ALP were caught up in their own self-interest and refused to heed the many warnings that Family First would be a significant force. The Democrats clearly were ignorant of their own political demise (something I have been warning about for more than three years, and fighting against up until the end of last year) and the abilities of Family First.

However, I am also beginning to see the silver lining on these dark clouds.

With the conservatives having control of both houses Australia will face a certain political shift away from small 'l' liberal philosophy. I hope that, in turn, it results in the true liberals and lefties combining forces to oppose the conservatives.

That means nothing less than a multitude of miracles.

1. The Dems and Greens cease their idiotic divisiveness and tit-for-tat rivalry.
   
2. The Dems can regroup and, after much soul-searching, return to its strong principles and re-engage with its disaffected membership and supporters. (I'm ready if they are)
   
3. The ALP realise the better judgement of supporting a left-leaning base, rather than flirting with religion for short-term benefits.
   
4. All three parties learn and commit to support each other over the next three years with the express purpose of regaining control of at least one house of parliament, if not two.
   

These minor miracles are going to rest heavily on the Democrats. They need to shape up or face being shipped out, in 3 years time, to a desert island by way of a political 'Pacific solution'.

It isn't too late for the Democrats and it isn't too late for our community to fix the problems that have led to this predictable disaster.

I'm predicting a massive grass-roots revolution on the left to counter Australia's flirt with a conservative theocracy. Which party(ies) will be the beacon(s) of light through this new political phase? I dare say the Greens will be one. I hope that the Democrats and ALP will also heed this new call.

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Latest Senate analysis

My latest analysis of the Senate:

SA 3 LIB, 2 ALP ... final seat likely to be ALP, but may go to Family First (touch and go)

WA 3 LIB, 2 ALP, 1 GRN ... but it came frighteningly close to the CDP (fortunately the Dems preferenced the Greens ahead of CDP)

TAS 3 LIB, 2 ALP, The last spot is going to be a tussle. It will come down to whether FF can get a flow of preferences ahead of the Lib's remainder. If they do it will be a fight between them and the Greens (FF marginally ahead). If FF are eliminated before the Libs then preferences will flow to Shane Murphy and he will likely get ahead of the Greens. So either way I'm guessing FF or Murphy. The main issue is that the ALP have preferenced both FF and Murphy ahead of the Greens.

QLD 3 LIB, 2 ALP, 1 GRN although it could just as easily go to Family First or One Nation. Very dicey.

NT & ACT are both 1 each, naturally.

As for VIC & NSW ... it's late, I'm tired, I'm calling it a night. Too much misery for one day.

The Tally - As it Unfolded

Here's how I sawe things unfold with the election today.

At 4.30pm (GMT +8) I logged into the ABC election coverage and was aghast at what I saw. Although only 1.6% of the vote had been counted (and primarily in Tasmania where polling closed first) the Liberals had a phenomenal lead gleaned from a 5% swing in their favour and a 2% swing against the ALP (matched by a similar swing to the Greens).

By 6pm when booths were closing in WA, and with 30% of the vote counted, the tally had become a little more even.

PARTY	% OF VOTE	SWING
			Liberal	40.7%	+3.2
National	5.9%	+0.3
Labor	37.7%	-0.2
Greens	7.2%	+2.3
Democrats	>1.4%	-3.9
One Nation	1.1%	-3.2
Others	6.0%	+1.5

It is abundantly clear that the Coalition has gained from the demise of One Nation and that The Greens are reaping additional votes from dissafected ALP and Democrat votes.

On a Two Party preferrred basis the AEC website was showing:

Liberal/National Coalition	1,411,158	53.61	+2.10
Australian Labor Party	1,220,962	46.39	-2.10

Clearly a Coalition win was imminent from the onset.

A sad, sad, day for Australia.

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Australia Votes

Today was a historical election for me. It was the first time I did not give the Democrats my first preference in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. At the 2001 election the Democrats got my primary votes, but their lead Seante candidate (and sitting member), Andrew Murray, was relegated to final position behind the lowest of lows.

It is a sad state of affairs that has led me to vote against the only party that I have ever supported. And long-term readers of this blog, as well as my friends and associates would be aware of the reasons for that decision. I am hoping that things will improve in coming months and years so that I can return to supporting them.

Let me explain how I voted.

I confess that much of it had more to do with emotion and retribution rather than good political strategy. My apologies to the AEC staff who have to count the convoluted votes of crazy citizens like myself. I've done it once before and it is a bit of a nightmare.

I have always advocated voting below the line for the Senate. That means numbering every box (in WA that means all 40 candidates). This year I decided to take a tip from Crikey and a couple of other sources by using my first preference as a hip-pocket protest.

Rather than vote for a candidate or party that was likely to attract at least 4% of the vote (and thus attract substantial public funding of $1.92 per vote) I sent my first preference to candidate number 40, Jim Jardine (The Great Australians). That in itself has saved the tax payer just under $2 and made my vote enjoyable (at least in my bitter mind). And, yes, it WAS a wasted vote from a tally perspective - but who cares. Move on to the next prteferences.

My second to seventh preferences went to the two ungrouped independents, the unnamed Group A candidates, Citizens Electoral Council and Liberals for Forests. Call it a charitable gesture on my part. :-)

To be fair, openly gay Democrats Senator and long-time rights activist, Brian Greig, received my ninth preference ahead of Rachel Seiwart (Greens), who received my tenth spot and the other Green candidates gained the 11th, 12th and 13th places. I wanted to be sure that Brian got a fair shot at retaining his seat. I wouldn't want him to lose by just one vote, knowing I could have made a difference. If it wasn't for the Democrats he would have easily received my 1st preference.

You may have noticed that I skipped the other two Democrat candidates. I did this because I honestly couldn't support them. The Democrats third candidate, Jason Meotti, had the privelege of being numbered 40, in last place behind even the CDP and Family Fraud!

Preferences 14 through to 23 were allocated to the remaining candidates except for the ALP, Coalition, Family First, One Nation and CDP.

The ALP (26, 25, 24) came in ahead of the Nationals (28, 27), One Nation (30, 29), Liberals (34, 33, 32, 31), Christian Democratic Party (37, 36, 35), and Family First (39, 38), with Jason Meotti taking up the rear. I numbered all of these candidates in reverse order of how they appeared under their party name - more hassle for the AEC workers, sorry!

As for my House of Representatives vote:

3	Nikki ULASOWSKI	Socialist Alliance
8	Augustine LOH	Christian Democratic Party
6	Marie EDMONDS	Pauline Hanson's One Nation
7	Alexander LAWRANCE	Liberal
4	Ray BRADBURY	Australian Democrats
5	Stephen SMITH	Australian Labor Party
2	Ross Herbert RUSSELL	Citizens Electoral Council
1	Alison XAMON	The Greens

All in all it will be interesting. I'm glued to the PC (haven't had a working tv for a year now) as we speak watching the updates come through on the ABC and the AEC websites.

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Star Blog #2 - A Gay Wedding!

All my Star blogs have moved to here

This post can now be found here.

I agree with Howard!

Howard has a new catch phrase that he's been bandying around since his National Press Club Telstra Address yesterday:

There are still people out there who are undecided, I want them to contemplate if you do change the Government you change the nation.

Never wiser words spoken!


... so, this election, lets change the nation - for the better!

Pet Hate #1 - Blogspam

Here's my inaugural Pet Hate. While I know there's many more in the back of my mind, and even more to come in the future, this one has struck me while surfing the blogosphere in search of candidates for my list of Star Blogs.

It struck me that some blogs are simply a waste of bytes. The "woe is me", or the "I ate an ice-cream today" self-indulgent blogs are many. I'm sure they provide some use to the occasional unwary pedestrian blogger so, live and let live! I'm not going whine about the many infantile blogs that lack opinion, craft or knowledge and merely exist to pamper the egos (or lack thereof) of their authors.

What I do find exasperating are the blatant commercial sites that don't even try to hide the fact that they are not a true blog, but merely a mechanism for attracting high rankings in search engines.

Take netrefinancemortgage located at blogspot.com for example (I refuse to link to it). It lacks any original content, instead it provides 132 postings of exactly the same content, albeit with different headlines, linking to the same commercial website.

If you check out the author's profile you realise that they are serious opportunists with 24 blogs of dubious quality. Although this individual/company has only been "blogging" for two months they have managed to clutter the blogosphere with 2449 posts (as of today). That is an average of 452 posts per week!

Someone bring on the Blog police! Blogspam is bad news.

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Anti-Howard mania

Every day closer to the election just seems to bring more anti-Howard sentiment, but at the same time, the polls are at best even and, at worse, in favour of the Coalition. It is a strange world in which we live.

The latest anti-Howard piece came across my inbox this morning with a suggestion to visit howardbush.com. The stunning graphic on the site is very romantic and because it really touched me, I'm linking it here as a reminder of a true love story.

It got me thinking about all the other anti-Howard sites so I decided to make a comprehensive list of them here. I didn't have to search far, as one of the first sites I came across was Troy Rollo (Independent Candidate For Bennelong, 2004). Troy has already compiled an extensive list, so at the risk of being repetitive (and lazy) I've copied it below. If you know of any others please let Troy know by sending him an email or leave a comment here and I'll pass it on to him.

The Green Left has a similar list here and Scum At The Top provides a more extensive list of political satire for Australia and abroad, including some fine stuff on Howard.

Troy's List of Anti-Howard Sites

• 105 Reasons Not To Vote for Little John


• Charge John Howard


• Dear John


• Defeat Howard


• Get Rid of Howard


• Howard's End 04


• howlink


• I Hate John Howard


• John Howard Lies


• John Howard Sucks


• John Howard's Blog (satire)


• Just Not John Howard


• Liars for Howard


• Not Happy John - the book


• Not Happy John - the campaign


• Time to Go John: Real Eviction


• Vote Howard Out

Plus some extras ...

• Donkey John


• Fifty First State


• End The lies


• Howard Sucks

There's also some good political paraphenalia at Polichicks that should put a smile on your dial!

Its only two more sleeps until polling day. Good luck to Troy and ALL the candidates opposing Howard in the seat of Bennelong and elsewhere :-)

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Firefox & Thunderbird are Go!

*Warning* Blatant plug for software!

By chance I came across some new software. Always keen to see what is on offer (especially if it isn't a MS product and doubly good if it is free!) I downloaded the new Firefox browser from Mozilla.

Brilliant! Is the very least I can describe this application. It has a beautiful minimalist look but packed with the right features like tabbed browsing and customisable security that even a novice can handle.

Most notable is the ever-growing list of extensions that you can download and add in for free! If you don't want skins, don't have 'em. Don't want icons on your menus and popups - leave em alone. Want a comprehensive menu at the click of a mouse button ... its yours for the download (its a must!).

There's a list of more than 2000 themes and extensions to download so that your browser can truly be customised to your needs. RSS feeds in a flick; a beaut download manager without Gator spyware; Click on an ad or image and make it dissappear off the page forever; an image zoom feature that shits all over IE's attempt; and soooo much more.

PLUS! there's Thunderbird - the email client that complements Firefox perfectly. This is Outlook Express with wings! No security issues and packed with features you'll learn to miss.

Goodbye IE and Netscape. Forgotten is my short affair with Opera. Firefox is sexy, smart and it does what I want it to do. Goodbye big klunky Outlook - I never needed half your database and network features anyway!

Today my PC runs smoother, feels better and has lost weight after discarding the resource heavy MS products. It is good health for my PC and more efficient use of my sanity.

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Society perpetuates lies

What continues to amaze me (and it really shouldn't), is the narrow-minded view that the Australian voting public takes in deciding their vote.

The majority in our community continue to perpetuate the fallacy that there are only two parties to endorse. That only the Liberals or the ALP can form government.

This is a blatant untruth that relies on the misconception that voting for a minor party is a wasted vote.

As can be seen across the world, the two-party system is crumbling. Alternative parties are making a stand. We can see it especially in Europe with the Greens. In the UK the Liberal Democrats may soon overtake the Tories as the second major party.

Of course, here in Australia, as long as the naive and ignorant majority maintain the two-party lie through apathy and voting like sheep, our community will never truly benefit.

If you can dare to imagine what 1 million or so GLBTIQ voters could achieve if they worked together in supporting the Democrats or Greens (or even a new pink party) then you might begin to understand what it takes to effect real political change.

As long as we continue to believe that it is a choice only between the Liberals and the ALP, we continue to shoot ourselves in the feet.

"Change will only occur when the pain of change is less than the pain of remaining the same."

Obviously the pain isn't great enough for most ... at least not just yet. Bring on more pain, please! It is our only hope.

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caveat emptor

Agency says buyers should have been told about house's history


Real estate agency LJ Hooker has conceded that a couple who purchased the Sydney home where a notorious family massacre took place should have been told about its history.


It was only after Ellen Lin and Derek Kwok had agreed to pay $800,000 for a neat two-storey home in the suburb of North Ryde that they discovered the previous owners were the Gonzales family.

I honestly don't want to get to bogged down in a matter of philosphy or ethics, but honestly ... is it relevant whether someone was murdered the night before or even 150 years ago? Would it be relevant if someone had died peacefully in their sleep? Or if they'd spent 12 months in agony trying to fight cancer? What if someone had been raped, assaulted or suffered child abuse?

Is it relevant if a previous owner or tenant used the place as a brothel or a drug den? What if it was used as a meeting place for the Ku Klux Klan or an Assemblies of God prayer meeting?

To put the onus on real estate agents (how ever scrupulous they may be) to inform prospective buyers of the entire history of a propoerty is going beyond the absurd.

caveat emptor - let the buyer beware!

Gilligan's Island nuclear waste solution

This is a follow up to a previous post titled "What To Do With Nuclear Waste"

Offshore dump safest nuclear waste option: Senator

Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell has defended the Coalition's decision to store nuclear waste from the Lucas Heights reactor on an off-shore island.

I find this a most extraordinarily stupid concept. Mainly because it goes against the main logical criteria for placement of a storage facility, as outlined in my original posting, which were:

• stable democratic government [no problem here]


• geologically stable [a small island is surely significantly less stable than the mainland, not to mention that the surrounding waters are full of life!]


• desolate and remote land that is relatively easy to secure [desolate and remote may be simple, but how to secure it 24/7? the middle of Australia is far more secure than the middle of the ocean]


• resources and ability to receive international support [not particularly relevant for domestic purposes]

The article goes onto quote the Minister as saying:

It's a decision that reflects the view that there's not a single state or territory in Australia that wants to have waste in their backyard.

While that is certainly true, I'm not sure how this proposition overcomes this problem ... after all, isn't every part of Australia our "backyard"? Aaahhh, but then the Government has set a precedent ... if the government can excise an island from our 'immigration zone' then why not excise it for any purpose it sees fit?

Oh well, at least they aren't planning to do a deal with Nauru to take our nuclear waste in return for dollars to bail them out of economic catastrophe (we've done it once after their lucrative phosphate mining ceased, and did it agin as part of the 'Pacific solution')!

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US Water Supply is Sus!

Every time I read another right-wing Christian rant from the USA I get more concerned about the state of the water supply in that country.

Take a look at this one from Nate at the Pan Galactic Blogger Blaster and be sure to read through the comments too. I left a short rebuttal.

News attack!

What a day it has started to be already!!

After logging on to the net this morning Outlook¹ provided me with 8 new emails (a relatively small number considering what usually comes through the inbox) and what a treasure trove of information unravelled as I read.

Firstly there were a couple of bits from an email discussion group, then came the first of two daily news bulletins I receive from the ABC. Usually I get only one or two of the headlines jumping out at me, but today I'm awestruck, gob-smacked and down right bloody well excited to be alive. And finally a couple of things that just made me smile!

First, I'll give you the headlines, together with their web links and a small comment from me on each.

Medicare Gold is fully funded: Latham

The federal Labor leader has hit the airwaves this morning to sell his plan to provide free hospital care for every Australian over the age of 75.

Clearly the ALP are getting some social conscience, and about time too!

Police bust nationwide child porn ring

One-hundred-and-fifty people, including police officers and teachers, have been arrested in what the Federal Police (AFP) describe as Australia's biggest Internet child pornography bust.

Fanatstic news, but I fear what this will do for the F*FF party's chances in the coming election. Two of their key platforms (child abuse and pornography) rolled into one big headline-grabbing vote-winning issue.

Blair ready to talk with hostage takers

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was ready to open up contact with captors of a British hostage in Iraq, shown on video begging Mr Blair to save his life.

What the? I thought the uber-civilised western nations never negotiated with terrorists? Must be coming up for another election LOL!

Ranger Mine warned before contamination

It has been revealed the operators of the Ranger Uranium Mine in the Northern Territory were issued with a Government safety warning a month before a water contamination incident earlier this year.

Oh, if only we'd just stop mining the damn stuff!

Sexual abuse trials underway on Pitcairn

Pitcairn Island's sex trials have started this morning with Mayor Steve Christian the first to face the court.

What is it with these small communities? Don't they know they shouldn't have sex with their cousins? Just look at Tasmania! (sorry Tassies - you know I'm only joking, even though it is rude to laugh at people with two heads.)

Israelis, Palestinians killed in clashes

Palestinian militants, eluding an army crackdown, killed two Israeli children in a rocket attack from Gaza and Israeli troops have killed seven Palestinians in raids in the coastal strip and the West Bank.

and they still call this news? They may as well report that the sun rose today in Perth at 0553hr (GMT+8)!

Allies 'planned' Iraq war despite denials

The United States, Australia and Britain started to plan the invasion of Iraq months before the conflict, according to a report Wednesday quoting a leaked Pentagon document.

*WHOA!*
What the ... ? No kidding! Are you for real?
you mean the politicans lied to us ... AGAIN?

Photos and fingerprints now needed for US visits

Australians, who are allowed to travel to the United States without a visa, will from today have to give fingerprints and have a photo taken when they arrive at US airports and ports.

Well, that does it! I _was_ planning to go to Chicago for the Gay Games in 2006, but unless I can get a visa and avoid having my picture and fingerprints taken I'll have to avoid that terrorist nation altogether and just spend some extra time in Montreal before the 1st OutWorld Games.

I have rights in Australia when it comes to my fingerprints ... I'm not going to give them up for the sake of some pissant fear-mongering US bureacracy.

IMF warns of rate hikes as growth soars

The world economy, powered in part by China, is set to grow this year at its most brisk pace in almost three decades, 5 per cent, before losing steam in 2005 in the face of higher oil prices the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said.

ok ... getting bored now

US crude reserves calm markets

The price of crude oil has held below $US50 a barrel overnight helping lift the mood again on Wall Street.

yeah whatever ... get it up to $75 a barrel and I'll be happier cos we might start looking more closely at alternative energy sources, unless Howard follows through on his mantra that "coal is the future".

SpaceShipOne makes successful flight

A private manned rocketship blasted through the Earth's atmosphere into space after a hair raising corkscrew ascent on a flight aimed at capturing a $14 million prize.

WOO HOO! Congratulations. They already have a better track record than NASA ;-)
I especially enjoyed the revelation that Richard Branson (of Virgin fame) is teaming up to provide commercial space flights within 3 years. Go Dick!

Rogers retains time trial crown

Australian cyclist Michael Rogers has won the time trial title at the road cycling world championships in Bardolino, Italy.

Sport? What is that?

So that was a powerful start to the news day! After which I managed a few chuckles whilst reading these two reports:

Keep abreast of new feminism and raise a cup to Russ


By Emma TomThe Australian - September 29, 2004


SEVENTIES pornographer Russ Meyer used to say he became interested in mammary glands only once they reached D-cup status. After that, his interest knew no bounds.

AND THIS ONE ...

France Launches Gay TV Channel


The transgender sportscaster wears a miniskirt, the porn is gay, lesbian and
bisexual, and Wonder Woman will be on every night at seven.

What a start to the day!

1. OK, so i'm a hypocrite for dissing Microsoft while still using their products! At least I didn't pay for it! MS gave it to me for free. Honestly! All I had to do was attend a presentation promoting their latest Office suite. Cool eh? If anyone knows of something to replace my MS gear (for free), let me know! back to top





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Star Blog #1 - Lanes of Melbourne

All my Star blogs have moved to here

This post can now be found here.

More on US Democracy

Following on from Jimmy Carter's predictable revelation that the Florida elections will not be fair, here's a great article that focuses on the technology of US voting.

Scientific American: Fixing the Vote [ POLICY ]
Electronic voting machines promise to make elections more accurate than ever before, but only if certain problems--with the machines and the wider electoral process--are rectified

I find the US style of democracy strange for a number of reasons:

1. voluntary voting


2. party affiliation registration


3. gizmos and gadgets

Firstly, how is it possible to have full democracy when the apathy of voters allows an election to occur with less than a majority of voters casting a ballot? Surely the non-vote counts for something?

It would be better to have compulsory voting with a final option of "none of the above"!

This isn't about freedom of choice - Australians are still free to not cast a vote, but they must turn up and get their name crossed off the roll in order to make that choice. But having turned up, few choose to forego their right and responsibility.

Secondly, While I understand the principle of primaries, and therefore the need for party registration in order to vote at primaries, I'm just not convinced that it is a necessary party of the political process. What about all the swinging voters? (sorry, Howard prefers to call them "undecided" so that we don't have any sexual connotations) Where do they vote in the primaries and do they register ... perhaps someone can fill me in on this one.

As for all this technology ... well, Australia has NEVER encountered a problem with our simple pencil and paper method. As boring and luddite it may be, it works reliably and effectively. It is a world class system envied by many.

Not the USA, of course, they'd prefer we envy their "uber-democratic" processes that see people like David Hicks locked up for years without a trial, corruption at every level, rigged elections and ensuring that only the richest white men can become President.

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