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Islamophobia, A Bill of Rights, Climate Riots, Stripping Minors, and a Hobbit fest
Sunday consisted of two great presentations at the local Unitarian Church. Bilal Cleland, the Human Rights Coordinator of the Islamic Council spoke on religious bigotry and particularly on bigotry against Muslims. Cleland was a great speaker - particularly noting how Muslims have become the marginalised 'other' in Australian society, a position previously held by SE Asian people, and how there is a populist assumption that does not differentiate between Muslim fundamentalists and Muslim secularists. Cleland also drew attention to the long history of Unitarian support for religious freedom.
Following that the Church conducted a public forum on the need for an Australian Bill of Rights, with Jess Healy, the Democrats youth spokesperson, Brian Walters, the legal spokesperson for the Greens, and Greg Connellan, President of the Victorian Council of Civil Liberties. I toned down the great sense of optimism at the forum by reminding those present that there are many people who do not support universal human rights and such people have resources which they will use against any campaign to introduce such rights.
Now the Pentagon tells Bush: climate change will destroy us
· Secret report warns of rioting and nuclear war
· Britain will be 'Siberian' in less than 20 years
· Threat to the world is greater than terrorism
More at the UK's The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,12374,1153530,00.html
Record this moment. I agree with Kennet and Doyle. A bailout to dodgy transport companies is not the solution.
http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2004/02/19/1077072779093.html
Tram, train subsidy doubles
And I reckon Martin Ferguson has it right too. You don't lie to the electorate if you want to be re-elected.
http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2004/02/21/1077072891949.html
Key seats at risk and toll debacle to blame: ALP
I'm so glad I don't work for the Victorian Parliamentary Labor Party anymore.
Sometimes when you operate from principles rather than feelings you have to support things that you may not be entirely comfortable with. Argue against this - from first principles.
http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2004/02/21/1077072892905.html
Loophole allows stripteasing minors
Erudito has alerted me to those who just can't get enough Hobbits. All three LOTR films in the same session. The Sun Cinema Yarraville is doing it every day until March 3. Which would seem to make Saturday 28 (or Sunday 29) The Day to do it. Fellowship starts at 10am.
Following that the Church conducted a public forum on the need for an Australian Bill of Rights, with Jess Healy, the Democrats youth spokesperson, Brian Walters, the legal spokesperson for the Greens, and Greg Connellan, President of the Victorian Council of Civil Liberties. I toned down the great sense of optimism at the forum by reminding those present that there are many people who do not support universal human rights and such people have resources which they will use against any campaign to introduce such rights.
Now the Pentagon tells Bush: climate change will destroy us
· Secret report warns of rioting and nuclear war
· Britain will be 'Siberian' in less than 20 years
· Threat to the world is greater than terrorism
More at the UK's The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,12374,1153530,00.html
Record this moment. I agree with Kennet and Doyle. A bailout to dodgy transport companies is not the solution.
http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2004/02/19/1077072779093.html
Tram, train subsidy doubles
And I reckon Martin Ferguson has it right too. You don't lie to the electorate if you want to be re-elected.
http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2004/02/21/1077072891949.html
Key seats at risk and toll debacle to blame: ALP
I'm so glad I don't work for the Victorian Parliamentary Labor Party anymore.
Sometimes when you operate from principles rather than feelings you have to support things that you may not be entirely comfortable with. Argue against this - from first principles.
http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2004/02/21/1077072892905.html
Loophole allows stripteasing minors
Erudito has alerted me to those who just can't get enough Hobbits. All three LOTR films in the same session. The Sun Cinema Yarraville is doing it every day until March 3. Which would seem to make Saturday 28 (or Sunday 29) The Day to do it. Fellowship starts at 10am.
climate change
The report was commissioned by influential Pentagon defence adviser Andrew Marshall, who has held considerable sway on US military thinking over the past three decades. He was the man behind a sweeping recent review aimed at transforming the American military under Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Climate change 'should be elevated beyond a scientific debate to a US national security concern', say the authors, Peter Schwartz, CIA consultant and former head of planning at Royal Dutch/Shell Group, and Doug Randall of the California-based Global Business Network.
This is simply a ploy to boost the US defence industry. There's no scientific basis to the date of 2020 - except perhaps it's the year GWB will be ready to retire after he's changed the constitution because of the amazing security crisis!
Re: climate change
OK, I understand that interpretation. My initial reading of it was a group of people were tired of Bush ignoring the scientific evidence and tried a pitch at something he feels strongly about.