Islamophobia, A Bill of Rights, Climate Riots, Stripping Minors, and a Hobbit fest

[tcpip]

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.

Comments

Re: Adulthood and stripteasing minors

[morrigan77.livejournal.com]

Agreed, the links are the important parts ... grasping conceptual into real is pivotal in cognitive learning (even as a grown woman I have difficulty with spatial!) - eg: how do we even learn what 'three' is?; however I would beg to differ re: arbitrary rules - there is a certain amount of experience required for moral reaosning, but the look in their eyes often negates the theory that they 'don't know what they're doing' - they are often testing to see at what point their light comes on!!
My formal study of this seems light years ago - do you have a site for piaget that I could check out (if I wasn't dancing every night I would rummage through the boxes of developmental pyschology texts!)? this is spot on with your PhD, yes???

Re: Adulthood and stripteasing minors

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

but the look in their eyes often negates the theory that they 'don't know what they're doing'

True, the existential philosopher Sartre made significant mileage out of the concept of 'the look' as empirical evidence of 'the Other'. Hardly what one could use though for formal justifications, tho'...

This is a good introduction to Piaget

http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/piaget.html

and Kohlberg

http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/kohlberg.htm

Re: Adulthood and stripteasing minors

[morrigan77.livejournal.com]

I also am a firm believer in 'the look'! Sartre and I finally agree on something :))

Enjoy the hobbits-overload if you decide to subject yourself ... perhaps see you in a couple of weeks!