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Palestine, Elections, UNIX and Science!
Last Thursday attended a University of Melbourne forum with Dr. Ghada Karmi speaking on the need to establish a "one (secular, democratic) state" solution in Palestine; as a two-state solution simply isn't possible anymore; there were some 250 people there with an hour for the talk and an hour of questions afterwards. It was also a discussion around her latest book Married to Another Man, which is a well-referenced, accessible and personal introduction to the topic. Her talk in Adelaide, has attracted some debate. On the tram on the way back home there was a small group of young pro-Israelis discussing the talk (although during the presentation they scattered themselves throughout the lecture theatre). One rather enthusiastically rejected Dr. Karmi's suggestion to read the works of Jewish scholar Norman Finkelstein on the grounds that he is a holocaust denier. I really should have opened my mouth at that point; Finklestein is a critic of what he justly calls the "holocaust industry"; but that's not the same thing as denial: Finklestein's parents were both in the Warsaw ghetto. His mother was shipped to Majdanek concentration camp, his father to Auschwitz.
In a more local country where the Basic Laws don't dictate a particular religion, an election has been called. Opinion polls indicate that the Howard government is well and truly on the way out and I suspect that he knows it as well. This is why, I suspect, that he has turned to indigenous reconciliation and has just claimed that Medicare shows that the Coalition is caring. When one spends their life in public office, typically one wants to be remembered from something positive; to date the Prime Minister has left behind of that nature. So expect a "kinder, caring" slate of promises from the PM in this election. Frankly however, as The Age editorial remarked on the indigenous issue: Sorry Mr. Howard: Too Little, Too Late.
Attended one day of AUUG 2007 and was delighted to talk at some length with Marshall Kirk McKusick. Was especially impressed with Enno Davids' presentation and have put in a request for a related to talk at Securecon. Challenging talk by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
arjen_lentz; will be dining with him tonight.Also testing the waters to see if VPAC will be interested in a FreeBSD cluster. Military's "gay bomb" (sounds like an X-rated "Get Smart" movie) wins Ignoble Award, although with some serious challengers. British court notes nine minor errors in Al Gore's film, as he wins the 2007 Noble Peace Prize.
In a more local country where the Basic Laws don't dictate a particular religion, an election has been called. Opinion polls indicate that the Howard government is well and truly on the way out and I suspect that he knows it as well. This is why, I suspect, that he has turned to indigenous reconciliation and has just claimed that Medicare shows that the Coalition is caring. When one spends their life in public office, typically one wants to be remembered from something positive; to date the Prime Minister has left behind of that nature. So expect a "kinder, caring" slate of promises from the PM in this election. Frankly however, as The Age editorial remarked on the indigenous issue: Sorry Mr. Howard: Too Little, Too Late.
Attended one day of AUUG 2007 and was delighted to talk at some length with Marshall Kirk McKusick. Was especially impressed with Enno Davids' presentation and have put in a request for a related to talk at Securecon. Challenging talk by
arjen_lentz; will be dining with him tonight.Also testing the waters to see if VPAC will be interested in a FreeBSD cluster. Military's "gay bomb" (sounds like an X-rated "Get Smart" movie) wins Ignoble Award, although with some serious challengers. British court notes nine minor errors in Al Gore's film, as he wins the 2007 Noble Peace Prize.
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ROTFL!!!!!!!!!!!!
yes constituents, the government really does *coughbullshitcough* have the power to dictate interest rates....
haaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahaaaaaaaa!!!
WorkChoices. as a parent of a brand new working 19 year old....
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Actually, as the nation's biggest borrower, the government actually does have a significant role to play in what interest rates end up being...
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They don't decide the rate; and of course business and overseas changes are very influential as well, but a government that spends lots of money that it doesn't have is going to have an effect...
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we have a large mortgage... but interest rates is the last thing we would base our vote on. just can't see how any govt can "guarantee" safety there. even at the height of keating's recession we still had hope that we lived in a relatively humane, sane and socially conscious country. after howard took over, it has been difficult to maintain the optimism. perhaps we are too naive /idealist... but in all good conscience, we can only base our vote with concern to building a happy, healthy society.
have to admit, the way things are these days, we aren't that impressed by the alternative... just that it is not howard!