Another stupidly busy week is coming up...

Saturday and some of Sunday October 2/3: System Administrators Guild of Australia Exec meeting. Starts 8.30 am Saturday, and have no idea when it's supposed to finish. Sooner rather than later I hope. Their email list kills me in its volume... :/

Sunday October 3: This is an important one. Carmela Baranowska (of the famed movie "Scenes of an Occupation"), who recently went "missing" in Afghanistan (in reality went "underground", reporting abuse by US marines against villagers) will be speaking at the Melbourne Unitarian Church (Grey St, East Melbourne, 11am) on that very issue. On a related note, last Sunday I became a committee member of said organization. More steps towards becoming Rev Dr tcpip (and people laught when I suggest such things)...

On other matters of religous elections, some people have been testing the "Christian" credentials of candidates. "Issues include affirming marriage over de facto cohabitation, stopping Medicare funding of abortion, opposing heroin trials and overturning ratification of the International Criminal Court."

Yeah, I'd like to see where in the Gospels where these things have a definable Christian perspective.

Social justice issues such as refugees are not canvassed. "We felt that if we put out what we think is a Christian perspective, we'd alienate half the Christian community," Mr Stokes said.

Wednesday/Thurday, October 6-7. Completed version of my business plan for DEWR has to be submitted. I'm about 80% done, I think... This will take up all of Monday and Tuesday by my reckoning.

Wednesday, October 6: Borderlands is moving! And I have to case the joint to make sure that when the LAN moves everything will be OK. Which means checking for power points and bringing my trusty measuring tape.

Thursday, October 7, The Australia-East Timor Association and Scribe Publications invite you and your friends to a book launch for "Reluctant Saviour" by Clinton Fernandes. 6.00pm for 6.30pm, 124 Napier St , Fitzroy RSVP by Monday 4th October. aetamel@aetamel.org

"Clinton Fernandes brings a unique perspective and background to his inquiry into the final stage of the grim and terrible history of East Timor after the Indonesian invasion. His in-depth account is challenging and instructive, and merits close attention.' - NOAM CHOMSKY

On a related note, congratulations to Deb for releasing the first newsletter of East Timor Women Australia.

Friday, October 8: Dr. Richard Stallman is speaking on "The Danger of Software Patents" at 12:00pm, Friday, 8 October, 2004 Lecture Theater 1, ICT Building, 111, Barry Street, Dept. of Computer Science and Software Engineering, The University of Melbourne.

Saturday, October 9, Election Day. I'll be working all day with Richard O'Brien on the Blackburn Primary (Cnr Whitehorse & Surrey Rds, Blackburn) school polling book (Deakin Federal Electorate). Anyone want to come along for a couple of hours? Election day can be fun if you get into the spirit of things.

Speaking of such things, John Howard has been completed busted over the WMD issue. He planned the war beforehand and he ignored advice that there were no WMDs; Expert told PM of error on weapons. Yet he still claims: "I don't apologise for one moment for the fact that we joined in getting rid of Saddam Hussein" - which contradicts earlier statements of his that he wouldn't go to war to get rid of Saddam.

erudito and I have been having a good debate - as we often do - on when it is valid for one nation to invade another nation? I actually think never.

Where did I stash those people? Rats' brain waves could find trapped people

Want to talk to a pretty decent AI? From the cyberpunks community, go ask ALICE

Also from eurdito, the centre of the galaxy is made of fairy floss and that's how life began... The people on the covert_me journal have been loving this one!