Conferences, Religion, Telstra
Oct. 8th, 2007 06:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tcpipIt has caused some anguish and gnashing of teeth, but I've decided to attend the AUUG Conference. I am less than happy with the administrative competence of the organisation (let alone breaching their own constitution), but I do want to meet Marshall McKusick. It must be a month for IT conferences; work is sending me up to Queensland this month to the Access Grid Workshop, and at the end of the month I apparently have been invited to address an ICT Conference in East Timor.
In religious news science has developed a helmet with gives one a "religious experience" (from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
reddragdiva. Actually Timothy Leary did that some time ago... The Unitarian-Universalists (once again) are making a pitch for agnostics, atheists and the like to join the fold with a full page ad in Time magazine. I may be tempted to pitch a Unitarian perspective for a $100 000 reward (although, philosophically, the definition makes it impossible).
Many years ago I worked briefly for Telstra; during that period I wrote a response to their Senate select committee submission which advocated privitisation of the organisation. I took the opportunity to recommend instead that the infrastructure remain in public hands, and the service provision be placed in a competitive market. Some years later Lindsay Tanner recommended pretty much the same thing - the Tories attacked the plan. Now they briefly entertained the plan, dropped it - and once again the good idea is shelved for years to come.
In religious news science has developed a helmet with gives one a "religious experience" (from
reddragdiva. Actually Timothy Leary did that some time ago... The Unitarian-Universalists (once again) are making a pitch for agnostics, atheists and the like to join the fold with a full page ad in Time magazine. I may be tempted to pitch a Unitarian perspective for a $100 000 reward (although, philosophically, the definition makes it impossible).Many years ago I worked briefly for Telstra; during that period I wrote a response to their Senate select committee submission which advocated privitisation of the organisation. I took the opportunity to recommend instead that the infrastructure remain in public hands, and the service provision be placed in a competitive market. Some years later Lindsay Tanner recommended pretty much the same thing - the Tories attacked the plan. Now they briefly entertained the plan, dropped it - and once again the good idea is shelved for years to come.
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Date: 2007-10-16 10:04 am (UTC)I like the idea of secularism though...
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Date: 2007-10-16 10:13 am (UTC)A place where, although Islam is the majority religion, would studiously avoid the introduction of religious laws.
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Date: 2007-10-16 10:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 10:17 am (UTC)I should also hasten to add, in an Indonesian context, there is already a strong mixing of different religious traditions which has made large numbers of the population, from my experience, quite willing to accept religious difference and to be suspicious of religious-derived legislation. Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Animism in addition to Islam, are all present and have had historical influence. These even a small Unitarian group, and apparently some atheists...
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Date: 2007-10-16 10:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-17 12:04 am (UTC)Oh, I remember that quite well... I was asked a question about the religious breakdown in Australia and mentioned that, according to our census, about 25% or more are 'no religion' - and told that normally meant that they were communists. I had a bit of a laugh over that one, and explained that in Australia we don't really care what a person's religion is or whether they have one at all.. It took a bit of explaining!
Ahh, it was early days...
Yeah the FPI... Not a very popular bunch among most Indonesians from my experience!
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Date: 2007-10-22 07:59 am (UTC)FPI are a bunch of hypocrites. I heard once when they did a raid, some of them DRANK beer. And even the Bali bombers who are supposedly anti-West are. Police found Western porn in their laptops. Ha.
The religion of the people: Beer.
Date: 2007-10-22 11:11 pm (UTC)One of the most common remarks I heard in Java was "Yes, I am a Muslim. But I really like beer".
Re: The religion of the people: Beer.
Date: 2007-10-24 05:54 am (UTC)Re: The religion of the people: Beer.
Date: 2007-10-26 06:45 am (UTC)Arak is quite tasty but very potent; the equivalent in Timor Leste is a palm brandy (50% alcohol) called Tua Sabu.
Re: The religion of the people: Beer.
Date: 2007-11-17 10:44 am (UTC)LOL