erinspace

"What have the unions ever done for us?"

2007-11-05T03:12:00.001-08:00

Another quality clip from the guys over at Manic Times

Do ya wanna save people from Hades?

2007-10-23T01:37:00.000-07:00

It seems everyone is getting on the YouTube bandwagon....

This is a video from GodTube.com the 'fastest growing internet phenomenon' which also happens to be a Christian video channel.

We just might get engaged
When we finish reading this page
Cuz it's worn and it's torn
And I know this girl's reborn

So ladies (yeah), ladies (yeah)
Do you wanna save people from Hades (yeah) Then read it...'til the pages fall out
Even white preachers got to shout
Baby got Book

What I want to know is do people seriously like this stuff? Do kids honestly listen to those 'lyrics' and say 'Yes! Jesus is so cool and this song proves it. I'm going to convert right now!!!'. One comment on the video suggests the answer is 'Yes':

TOTALLY AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! KICK SATAN IN THE OLD GUT! THE LOST NEED TO SEE THIS ONE! IT ROCKS!!!!!! GREAT JOB!!!!!! GOD'S KIDS ARE HIP AND RIGHT ON QUE!!!! JOHN 8:51

wtf??!?!?!

The best bit of the debate.....

2007-10-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

JHo having a bit of a seizure when questioned about the Iraq War.

"70% lawyers is worse than 70% union officials"

2007-10-22T00:35:00.000-07:00

As much as I find the whole lawyer vs. union official in politics debate entirely ridiculous, I had to share this little gem. There are some crafty people out there in YouTube land. I guess in one way it does help to neutralise Howard's argument, but I think Anna Bligh did a far better job at articulating the point. (see previous post)

Wise words....

2007-10-21T23:04:00.000-07:00

“I believe the question was whether 90 per cent of the members of my cabinet are union members. I think the answer to that is no. I believe that 100 per cent of my cabinet are members of relevant trade unions.

Not only are they members of their relevant trade unions; they are proud members of their relevant trade unions. They are proud of that, because trade unions have been one of the organisations that have built this country.

They secured the eight-hour day. They secured decent working conditions so that people could feed their families and be safe in their workplaces. There is no shame in it— none whatsoever.

The member wants to come snivelling in here doing the dirty work of John Howard. We do not resile for one minute from the fact that people on this side of the House care about the interests of working people.”

- Premier Anna Bligh, Questions Without Notice, 18th October 2007.

Constructing Fear

2007-10-18T07:11:00.000-07:00

We will be remembered for this.....

2007-10-18T06:45:00.001-07:00

I can't keep up....

2007-10-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

There is so much going on in the news right now around the election, that I simply can't keep up. So don't expect too much in the way of insightful content from me for the next 6 weeks, I'm far too busy.

This being said, if there is something that I read that particularly pisses me off, I will post it here for your info. Alternatively if you have something of interest for me, please feel free to post it in the comments section of this blog.

Meanwhile, Crikey is providing decent daily coverage of the election that takes opinions from all sides of the political spectrum. I recommend checking it out. If you aren't already a Crikey convert, you soon will be.

=]

It's on!

2007-10-15T00:54:00.001-07:00

Just in case you've been hiding under a rock or something.... It's on! The election has been called.

So now it begins and I'm going to post an entirely unoriginal blog about how you need to enrol to vote in case you havent already done so, give you the directions to ensure you get it right. Oh and of course some kind of left wing pinko insight to go along with it (most likely written by someone far more eloquent than I) just in case you havent already decided who you are going to vote for.

;)

Shall we begin?

Tim Dunlop (my fave blogger of late) made some interesting commentary today in relation to Howard's promise to resign if re-elected.

The Liberal leadership position is bizarre and somewhat insulting to the Australian people. Basically it is this: after APEC, Mr Howard asked his cabinet whether they thought he should stay or go. They told him they thought he should go. He decided to stay. His reason was that he thought he was the only person who could win the election. But with his cabinet against him, they came to a compromise where Mr Howard would promise to quit if he was re-elected. So the idea is that Mr Howard wins the election and then quits in favour of someone who he thinks was unable to win the election.

Nice. Couldn't have said it better myself. It still puzzles me to this day how we find ourselves in a situation where the line 'They told him they thought he should go. He decided to stay' is used in reference to a leader of a democratic country. Does it strike anyone else as odd and somewhat disturbing?

=]

Don't forget to enrol to vote if you haven't done so already. Rolls close at 8pm Wednesday night (17th October).

http://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Publications/Fact_Sheets/Close_of_Rolls.htm

KEVIN07. Woo!

I feel sick.....

2007-10-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

This website is providing fairly detailed updates of what's taking place in Burma right now. It's not for the faint hearted or those who are easily upset by graphic imagery.

The post entitled: Sunday, 30 September 2007, has really upset me. I can't believe anyone would do this to anyone, let alone a peace-loving Monk.

=[

I feel so helpless. What can we do?

[Picture Caption: Blood stained tiles at Ngwe Kyar Yan Monestary in Rangoon where 200 monks are believed to have been brutally murdered by Burmese Junta. More photos here]

I can't stand you but I really don't want you to resign....

2007-09-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Reports are flying around this morning that today is the last day in the reign of J-Ho and that tomorrow Peter Costello will be PM.

Nooooooo!

I want to see that bastard crushed in Bennelong, to see him make that conciliatory speech on election night after the Libs get reemed. I want to see him be held to account for the shocking decisions he has made as leader of this country. Is that really too much to ask??

Furthermore, am I kidding myself by thinking that the latter will happen?? What if we lose this thing..... *gulps*

Update:

Kim Beazley has weighed in on the debate stating that Peter Costello will be Prime Minister in a week and Kevin Rudd PM by the end of the year.

And Adam Carr, a well respected political analyst has posted the following on pollbludger.com:

"My Parliament House spies tell me that the Liberal staffers all expect Howard to be gone tomorrow. It looks like it’s really happening."

It's looking less and less likely that my dreams of seeing Howard making his concilatory speech on election night will be realised......Dang.

[Photo caption: Howard lays down the law to Malcolm Turnbull today in Parliament. Note the PM's shift in his message to the media from "I'll stay as long as my party wants me to" to "I have never run from a fight before and I do not intend to do so now". The gloves are off. It's partytime.

Photo from The Australian]

The Sydney Declaration: Yet another con-job courtesy of HowardCorp

2007-09-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

All this Hoo-ha about the Sydney Declaration is quite disturbing. We have JWH beating his chest from the steps of the Opera House claiming his aspirational targets that form the basis of the Sydney Declaration as a 'win for combatting Climate Change'. "Aspirational" appears to be JWH's new favourite catchphrase of late but I'm not entirely convinced.

Alexander Downer (aka. 'Captain Honesty') summed up aspirational targets best when he made the following statement only a few months ago at the Monash APEC lecture.....

"I think you have to face up to the fact that, within the APEC group, there are Economies… that believe in setting CO2 emission targets, by particular dates. Some of them, of course, are just aspirational targets: which is code for “a political stunt”. An aspirational target is not a real target at all.”

Don Henry from the Australian Conservation Foundation was not impressed with the delcaration and had the following to say about it:

"Today's declaration does not advance global discussions on climate change. History shows vague aspirational goals do not lead to reductions in greenhouse emissions. The Kyoto Protocol was established precisely because the aspirational targets of the early 90s failed to stop the spiralling rise in global emissions."

It seems he is not the only person to have concerns about the declaration either:

"If this statement is the platform we build future climate change action on, the world is in trouble because this is a statement with no recognition of binding targets, it has no targets for the future. Without binding targets for developed countries, it's little more than a political stunt by the prime minister."
Greenpeace spokeperson Catherine Fitzpatrick.

"The Sydney declaration with its emphasis on aspirational targets will not avoid dangerous climate change. Worse, by muddying the waters, by creating the appearance that there's some alternative to the extension and strengthening of the Kyoto protocol, the Sydney declaration is actually an unhelpful development in international affairs and that's why we have called it the 'Sydney distraction'."
Greenpeace spokesman Ben Pearson.

"It's certainly much weaker than we would have hoped for, even as a worst case scenario. The agreement falls so far short of what's required in terms of action on climate change, that these leaders should hang their head in shame."
Brett Solomon, Executive Director of GetUp.org

"The idea that we've saved the planet, George Bush and John Howard, is so absurd, The Sydney declaration is vacuous, it's just hot air, it's not action."
Greens senator Bob Brown.

I'm no environmental guru but it seems pretty disingenuous to me that HowardCorp would set out to create an entirely new set of 'targets' (albeit aspirational ones) in this an election year where Climate Change is a big issue, as a means to avoid having to sign the Kyoto Protocol and then claim it as some kind of victory.

A victory for who exactly? Big Business? The Economy? The Coal Industry?

From what I can ascertain it's not a victory at all - its a total cop-out, a political stunt and yet another malicious attempt by HowardCorp to sabotage Kyoto. If he was serious about addressing the problem he would sign the Kyoto Protocol and get on with it. As pointed out by Ben Pearson from Greenpeace, real action on climate change does not involve setting 'Aspirational Targets'.....

"Real action on climate change means moving away from coal and shifting to clean, renewable energy – and we don’t have the luxury of time for expensive talkfests that have no concrete outcomes. Like any dealer protecting its patch, Australia’s government under John Howard is blatantly ignoring global efforts to extend and strengthen Kyoto, the only internationally binding agreement to deal with climate change – and pushing instead a hopelessly vague distraction through APEC.”

This is serious business, if the leaders of this country don't have what it takes to enact some real change then we need to find someone who can. The ALP under Kevin Rudd are committed to ratifying Kyoto as part of their policy on climate change - unlike HowardCorp who seeks only to undermine it. It seems to me to be a damn good start and yet another reason why we need to get rid of the current government and replace it with one who is willing to tackle the problem in an informed and sensible manner.

Bring on the election, it's time to get rid of these idiots.

[Photo: Newcastle, Sunday 2nd September 2007. Greenpeace activists enter the world's biggest coal port at Newcastle and paint the message "Australia Pushing Export Coal" on the side of a coal ship. The message was part of a peaceful protest to expose the Howard Government's real APEC agenda: to protect Australia's coal export industry by undermining the Kyoto Protocol.

Picture courtesy of Indybay.org]

On APEC....

2007-09-04T03:40:00.000-07:00

I keep going to write about APEC but get myself so gosh darn angry I have to stop. I came across this quote today on Tim Dunlop's blog. I think it's quite fitting and sums up my sentiments nicely.....

''I woke up from slumber this morning but had a terrible dream about government control, intimidation and a police state - then I opened the curtains of my hotel room, looked out on what once was Sydney and realised that I hadn’t dreamt at all!''

George Orwell of 1984
Tue 04 Sep 07 (09:52am)

To all my Sydney friends and those making the journey to exercise your right to protest in the streets, take care of yourselves and your mates.

Come back safe Y'all.

Peace.
Erin

"If you hate men, we want to see photos of you in sexy lingerie"

2007-09-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

This article was sent on to me today by a well-meaning friend who felt that I should be entering the competition to 'Find Australia's Sexiest Feminist'. While I appreciate the sentiment, I think I would sooner stick hot pins in my eyes.

According to the article, the competition is designed to act as an 'olive branch' to ladies everywhere after a public outcry over a previous competition in which men could win their girlfriends a boob job by sending in photos of their cleavage.

Magazine editor Paul Merrill went on to say:

'We're calling for feminists all over Australia to show that women can be sexy even if they disapprove of sexy women'.

Apparently the grand prize for this competition involves a 'sexy photo shoot'.

I feel the need to point out here that Mr Merrill appears to have completely missed the point about why this sort of attitude to women is so gosh darn offensive. You see Mr Merrill, it's not that we 'feminazis' disapprove of sexy women or that we even hate men - that suggestion in itself is offensive as I personally love men, admire sexy women and count myself as a Feminist. Burning the bra and man hating is not what it's about. Put simply, Feminism is the 'radical' notion that women are human beings who deserve to be treated as equals, not as objects put on this earth for men to enjoy and treat as they see fit.

Katha Pollitt, one of the great feminist writers of our time summed up feminism best when she wrote:

A feminist is a person who answers "yes" to the question, "Are women human?" Feminism is not about whether women are better than, worse than or identical with men... It's about justice, fairness, and access to the broad range of human experience. It's about women consulting their own well-being and being judged as individuals rather than as members of a class with one personality, one social function, one road to happiness. It's about women having intrinsic value as persons rather than contingent value as a means to an end for others: foetuses, children, the "family," men.

I also find the sentence 'even if they disapprove of sexy women' somewhat curious. Is he suggesting that sexy women only have big boobs (preferably fake ones)? I'm wondering if Mr Merrill considered that the reason people were so offended by the competition is because many of us are tired of the unrealistic expectations our society places on women to look and act a certain way in order to be deemed 'acceptable' and/or 'sexy'. Why should a woman have to have fake boobs in order to be deemed attractive by men such as Mr Merrill? What is wrong with having small boobs? (I'm not even going to attempt to unpack the reasons why a requirement of the competition is that a woman's male partner must send in the entry....)

I can't speak for every other woman in the world but I see sexy as something other than the physical appearance of a person - big fake plastic boobs and skimpy underwear are not what makes a person 'Hot'. Sexy to me is a woman who has confidence in herself, who is smart and independent and knows that there is more to life than being stuck in the kitchen, 'servicing' her husband and popping out babies simply because that is what society has dictated her role to be. It's about having the same amount of freedom and choice in life as a man does and I make no apologies for that.

On the flip side, Sexy to me is a man who knows and understands that a woman is his equal, who respects and encourages her independence and intelligence and finds this quality attractive. Who knows that a woman has so much more to offer than sexual gratification, a womb and dinner on the table every night and seeks to discover what those qualities are and celebrate them with her as his equal.

I truly hope that nobody enters this competition. To do so would be playing right into the hands of those who seek to make a mockery of something that is integral to a fair and just society and conforming to an unrealistic representation of how women should look and behave.

I also hope the winner of the Boob Job is a transsexual. That would be awesome.

;)

[Thanks to the Madame for the inspiration]

Wow, it's been a while!

2007-09-02T22:28:00.001-07:00

It's amazing how quickly time flies when you become distracted by life. In saying that, it's not necessarily a bad thing - it's just life I guess.

Anyway, fear not loyal readers (am I kidding myself by thinking you actually exist??) I'm working on some stuff as we speak.

Stay tuned!

=]

I'm busy, busy, dreadfully busy

2007-05-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

Apologies for blog silence of late. Things have been rather crazy here in erinspace, so crazy I haven't had the time nor the patience to write anything worthwhile. Don't be fooled though, things are still pretty messed up out there in the big bad world.

I promise to get my act together and write something soon. In the meantime, feel free to check out some of the links to the right of this page and enjoy this delightful little cartoon courtesy of scratch.com.au.

*wink wink nudge nudge*

It must be an election year....

2007-05-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yet another politician has written back to me! That is two in one week.

Today's installment comes to you from that pusillanimous little prick, Bill Heffernan.

Enjoy.

From the Horse's mouth... (sort of)

2007-05-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it. Someone actually wrote back to me.... and it was none other than the Kevvy McRuddster.

So here you go, his rationale behind not initially agreeing to meet HH, straight from the Horse's mouth (sort of).

Dear Erin

Thank you for your email.

I appreciate you writing to me regarding the meeting with His Holiness.

For many years Labor has argued that the appropriate convention is that the Shadow Foreign Minister meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama when he visits Australia.

That is why I met with the Dalai Lama on his last visit in 2002 despite the fact that Mr Downer refused to do so. I had a very good discourse with His Holiness then.

This time around Robert McClelland was planning to meet with the Dalai Lama, as this falls within his shadow portfolio responsibilities as Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Mr Howard has since indicated that he believed that the Prime Minister should also meet with the Dalai Lama.
Given that change in position by the Prime Minister I believed it was appropriate that Labor update our convention as well.

That is why, as well as my Shadow Foreign Minister meeting with His Holiness, I am also seeking a time in my diary for a meeting. I am looking forward to the opportunity.

Kind regards,

Kevin Rudd
Federal Labor Leader

I love the way he maintains he is still seeking a time in his diary. I wonder if that translates to "I'm not doing a bloody thing until JH goes ahead and does it first......."

Ok ok, I'll cut him some slack.......

Dear Mr Rudd,

Thank-you for your quick response.

I appreciate your taking the time to both write back to me and explain the reasons why you initially declined to meet HH. I was unaware of this convention and will be sure to pass this information on to my network of friends and supporters.

I am so very glad to hear that you have decided to meet with him and sincerely hope you find some free space in your diary.

Regards,
Erin ******

;)

Holy Reincarnation Batman, Rudd's a flamin' hypocrite!

2007-05-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else disturbed by this article in the News today?

'Leaders bowing to China'

It seems Kevvy McRuddster has revealed himself to be the penultimate hypocrite by refusing to meet with the Dalai Lama when he visits Australia next month. The decision comes after 'warnings' from the Chinese Embassy in Canberra that such interactions with his holiness could damage trade relations with the Communist nation.

Oh how things change when people gain political power.... Kevy McKev did you fall down and bump your head at some point?? Do you not remember your little outburst back in 2002?? When you made such a song and dance about the fact that you didn't care what China said and met with his holiness anyway?? When you said this about Alexander Downer....

KEVIN RUDD: My own view is that I think it's pretty weak of Foreign Minister Downer to have somehow fabricated this excuse that he's somehow too busy to have met the Dalai.

LOUISE YAXLEY: But Mr Downer's been in Thailand and Indonesia.

KEVIN RUDD: My understanding is that Mr Downer, if he was so minded to have met the Dalai during his visit to Australia, could have done so, probably before he departed for his current visit to the region.

At the time of writing this, the Opposition leader had refused to comment on his rationale behind 'politely declining' to meet with his Holiness. Lame. You'd think he would come clean and admit that he was bending over and taking it up the proverbial cake hole from the Chinese Government and get it over and done with. Or is he just so afraid of people realising he is completely spineless when it comes to making the tough decisions that he has chosen to be evasive instead? Meanwhile, the real people of this country are coming out in droves to support the Dalai with his National Press club address selling out months ago and various free events in Melbourne and Sydney completely booked out.

As always, I just had to write to the man of the moment to let him know what I think knowing full well that my small little voice will no doubt go unheard in this an election year. A copy of my correspondence is below. As always I encourage you to write to the man to tell him what you think, you are able to do so here.

Dear Mr Rudd,

As an ALP supporter who has been campaigning in the community for your ascension to power in this country, I am writing to you to tell you how disappointed I was to read of your decision not to meet with the Dalai Lama when he arrives in the country next month. China is one of the world's most notorious human rights abusers as I'm sure you well know. They routinely torture and murder theircountry's own citizens and rule China with fear and intimidation. By buying into their bully boy threats you are effectively perpetuating this legacy and quite frankly, it's not good enough.
The Dalai Lama is a holy man who speaks of peace and compassion - a stark contrast to the views of the Chinese government, we should celebrate his peaceful philosophy on life and officially welcome him into our country. His people have long been targets of this violent regime and to perpetuate this legacy is morally unjust and downright disappointing to say the least. Need I remind you of the terrible incident which occurred only last year in which Chinese soldiers took pot-shots at innocent Tibetan refugees as they made their way to see their spiritual leader - an incident our country remained mute on might I add, again for fear of upsetting the Chinese Government'. (note: video may disturb some viewers - not sent to KR)

We should be treating the Chinese Government with the same level of disgust as we do the Mugabe Regime and other human rights abusers not picking and choosing who we support based on how much money we stand to make from them. Human rights abuse is human rights abuse, you can't dress it up and make it pretty and it is my hope that the people of Australia will see through any attempts to do so.

I am both horrified and disgusted to think that the only justification for your decision appears to be based on money and fear of a dressing down from Howard and his cronies during an election year. I realise that our trade relations with China are worth a lot of money, but the human cost of this regime far outweighs any kind of monetary value you can place on our coal and iron ore and it's about time we acknowledged that.

For shame Kevin Rudd, for shame - I thought you were bigger than this, where is your spine? I had expected this from the Howard Government, but not you. Either way they are going to get stuck into you as a result of your previous statements against Alexander Downer and I would prefer to see you maintain the moral high ground, not give in for the sake of appeasing the narrow minded economic rationalists that seem hell bent on turning this country into some kind of a money-driven machine. Your back flip makes me wonder what else you are prepared to turn your back on when push comes to shove and for the first time I have doubted your ability to truly move this country forward.

I remain hopeful that you will change your mind.

Regards

Erin ******
Update: Thursday 17th May - 12noon
JH and KR have both now said they are 'trying to find time' for a meeting with the Dalai Lama. No further details have come to light at this point.
This article sums up the situation perfectly...

Rock the Vote Launch Party - 7th June @ The Gov (SA)

2007-05-16T03:31:00.000-07:00

ROCK THE VOTE LAUNCH PARTY - JUNE 7TH @ THE GOV (SA)

See you there!

=]

Paris can do writing good!

2007-05-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all

Imagine my delight over the weekend, when it was revealed that everyone's favourite skank, Paris Hilton, had been sentenced to 45 days in the slammer for driving while disqualified. It seems the 'poor lass' was busted drink driving last year and lost her license for a total of three years but simply couldnt resist a late night urge to hoe-down on an In & Out burger and was busted again behind the wheel of her $300,000 Bentley.

According to various 'articles' I have read since the story came to light, Paris is claiming that she didnt realise that having her license disqualified meant she wasn't able to drive...... She told the judge she didnt realise her license had been suspended because she 'doesnt read her own mail'. She also fired and then re-hired her publicist who claimed in court that it was his fault she had been driving because he had given her 'erroneous advice'.

Oh I get it, she is a robot who can't think for herself....

Perhaps one can blame this mind-blowing revelation on the fact that her own mother is an absolute drop-kick. According to 'the Showbuzz', Kathy Hilton's antics in court were even more astounding than her daughters revelations that she is unable to think for herself. Apparently she laughed loudly in the courtroom as the prosecutor argued that jail time was appropriate and then unbelievably asked the Judge for his autograph as he was sentencing her daughter. Mrs Hilton later let it be known that she felt the whole thing was 'pathetic and disgusting', words I'm sure she is used to hearing in association with her daughter.

Of course, Paris intends on appealing the sentence claiming it is 'cruel and unwarranted' and in a move designed to apparently prove this point, she has agreed to appear on the front cover of the June edition of Harpers Bazaar. Ms Hilton will be wearing a Zebra printed prison robe and pictured running away from models dressed as policemen as a form of 'protest' against the sentence. (I wish I was joking....)

Oh yes, I can see how that would appeal to the Judicial Powers that be.....

But the madness doesnt end there. The most hilarious development yet is yesterday's entry on her blog entitled:

My friend Joshua started this petition, please help and sihn it. i LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!

Sure thing Paris, I'll 'sihn' your petition. Wait, what is it that I'm 'sihning' again?

Turns out, some fuckwitted fool by the name of 'Joshua' has created an 'nline' petition in which he asks the 'Govenator' Arnold Schwarzenegger to 'pardon' Paris for her 'mistake' because she 'provides beauty and excitement to (most of) our otherwise mundane lives'.

"If the late former president Gerald Ford could find it in his heart to pardon former president Richard Nixon after his mistake(s)," reads the appeal, "we undeniably support Paris Hilton being pardoned for her honest mistake as well, and we expect that the governor will understand and grant this unusual but important request."

He then attempts to back up his ridiculous position by rattling off a list of celebrities who have also been busted drink driving but did not have to face jail time. Errrrr, newsflash for you 'Joshua', the celebrities you listed were busted drink driving yes, but they must have understood what it meant to have a disqualified license as they weren't seen driving again while suspended. If they had been, they too would have been locked up I imagine. Lucky, none of them were rich enough to have people who open their mail for them....

By far the most hilarious/disturbing aspect of this whole darn thing has been the comments left on Ms Hilton's blog. Sadly, there are about 8 billion messages of support along the lines of: 'omg!!!!! i loverz youse Piros you liek the most hawtest chick in the whole entire younamavurse dis sentence be whack yo' .

If only people would be as passionate about issues of actual importance to this world, maybe life wouldnt be such a struggle... (who am I kidding).

Thankfully, there are some classics out there who are not afraid to say what they really think and I have included some of the better comments for your reading pleasure. I also attempted to leave my mark on the blog, but couldn't because she is not 'my friend' and I'll be buggered if I'm adding that bitch to my friends list.

Choice cuts from people who actually dared to have Paris on their friends list:

Andria
the only thing I would sign for Paris would be a death warrant.The skank needs to own up, and face responsibility. "I had one margarita, and all I wanted was an In-N-Out burger"... Come on, Paris. Get real... and get ready to take it rough from Big Bertha in the slammer.

The Extreme Scene
You're nothing but a spoiled, no-talent bitch. Why should anyone sign that stupid petition? If you actually kept track of your own life, you'd know that DUIs and speeding with your lights off are reckless actions. You deserve to go to jail. And in addition to obviously being an attention-whore (and just a whore period), you're getting fat Paris. Hit the gym, you need it bad.

Sheriff Liz
Ha ha. You suck.

Lena
sihn?????learn how to fucking spell...you commited a crime, a DUI is not a
joke...you could've killed someone

MALISSA!
Quit whining, you janky whore!
Do they give spelling lessons in jail??

Michael™
hell no Bitch go to fucking jail!

Laura
I refuse to sign this, on account that Paris Hilton is a dirty whore.

and I just had to include this 'message of hope' from i support paris!!! because its just so damn funny/disturbing:

hey paris idont think that you should have to pay the cinsiquences for anything u do cause ur paris hilton and i Love ya lol i definetly sihned it!!!!! cause ur hott and well i have all 4 seasona of the simple life and i know this might make me sound like i am obsessed but i'm not i just like you because your great!!! i have liek 400 pics of u on my walls at my house i just think u are super because like u deel with al the poperotc all the time well just sending u my love ttyl and email me back and i am definetly ur biggest fan i did sign the potition!!!!!!

P.S. i have a bag of urs and all the perfumes and when is ur linecoming out and where can i buy it ♥ kayla ur BIGGEST FAN SERIOUSLY

Seriously Kayla.... Get a fucking life.

And to you Paris I say: Have you ever seen Oz??? bring on the shanking!!

;)

Peace out.

UPDATE: 10th May - 4:14pm

She has taken her dumbass blog down and released the following statement after a number of 'Anti-Paris' petitions started circulating the web......

"After reading the media's coverage of my court hearing, I feel the need to correct what I believe are misperceptions about me. I absolutely realize how serious driving under the influence is. I could not live with myself if anyone was injured or killed while I was driving while impaired. Clearly, no one should -- no matter how slightly.I am ready to face the consequences of violating probation.No one is above the law. I surely am not. I do not expect to be treated better than anyone else who violated probation. However, my hope is that I will not be treated worse."

Hands up who's buying it?
Be sure to check out the link to her statement. There are some very funny comments at the bottom.....

Oh shit! It's Mr Creosote....

2007-05-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

Short entry today.

I was just wolfing down my Camembert and Cream pasta when I came across this delightful article in the Sydney Morning Herald....

Primary school kids in XXXXXL-size uniforms

In short, Sydney based school uniform manufacturers "Primary Schoolwear" are making school uniforms in XXXXXL to cater for the ever-growing number of chumbawumba's in our schools. That is a waist diameter of 110 cms......

Jenny Mackillop from the NSW arm of the company had this enlightening insight to offer:

"We do see our fair share of little chubbies"

I'm gob smacked. How anyone can let their child get to this size is beyond me, am I alone in thinking this kind of parenting should be considered child abuse? I know we are all increasingly busy in our day to lives, but how hard is it to boil some veggies and get the little blighters out for a bit of exercise everyday?

I'm reminded of this legendary scene from Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life", which I have posted below for your viewing pleasure. (complete with the delightful little ditty, 'Isn't it wonderful to have a penis'). Not for the faint hearted or those with a weak stomach I might add.

Enjoy.

Heffernan's apology not good enough.....

2007-05-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

So, Senator Heffernan has made a half-arsed attempt to apologise to Ms Gillard for remarks made in the most recent issue of The Bulletin magazine.

Not good enough I say.

If you watch the footage of his apology you can see the man is reluctantly reading a speech which was probably hastily thrown together at the last minute by one of his advisors, or worse, pre-emptively written to mitigate the fallout from the Senators obvious boneheaded remarks.

Many would have bought into this so-called 'sincere apology' up until the point he said 'so there ya go'.

So there ya go?

What the fuck is that?

He might as well have said 'jeez I'm glad I got that out of the way' or perhaps 'there you go guys, I said I'm sorry, can you get off my case now?'.

The fact that he said it in the first place and then refused to apologise despite being well aware of just how wrong his statements were, indicates that he is used to dragging people's names through the mud and getting away with it. He should be forced to resign immediately.

Of course, let us not forget that this isn't the first time the Senator has deliberately attempted to damage someone's credibility in the media. I am reminded of the accusations made by former ALP leader Mark Latham during a speech to the Melbourne University in which he quoted John Hewson as saying:

'Howard has used Heffernan to distribute dirt and to run his agenda against individuals for almost as long as I have known him'

I am growing increasingly suspicious that this situation might be more accurate than any of us care to mention. Let's take a look at this wack-jobs previous offences:

Offence #1 - March 2002: The Senator comes under fire for abusing parliamentary privilege and making damaging remarks against Justice Michael Kirby. The Senator used fabricated documents to accuse the judge of using Commonwealth cars to trawl for male prostitutes. He withdrew his claims 7 days later and was censured from the senate. He was later forced to resign from his post as Parliamentary Secretary, but refused to resign from his Senate position. For some strange reason, he was re-elected to his post in 2004.

Offence #2 - February 2006: The Senator is forced to apologise to National Party Senator Fiona Nash, after a public argument at the Canberra airport in which he told Ms Nash to 'blow it our her ass'.

Offence #3 - July 2006: The Senator is accused of being involved in the downfall of John Brogden, a fellow Liberal Party member who resigned from party politics after a reported suicide attempt. Alex Taggert (Independent member for Pittwater and Mr Brogden's political rival at the time) claims that Mr Heffernan contacted his campaign team stating that he was the Prime Minister's right hand man, and did his 'dirty work'. Heffernan had apparently told Mr Taggert's campaign team that he had a 'dirt file' on Mr Brogden and reportedly encouraged Mr Taggert to use this file in order to damage Mr Brogden's credibility. Mr Heffernan of course denies these claims, but interestingly enough never attempted to sue Mr Taggert for defamation.

Offence #4 - March 2007: During the most recent New South Wales state election, Heffernan was accused of stealing Green's how-to-vote cards and mis-representing their policies to voters as they arrived. The Senator was reported to Police for yelling "If you want to decriminalise drugs for your children, vote Green" but never arrested.

Offence #5 - May 2007: And then of course we have the Bulletin article in which he accuses Julia Gillard of being out of touch with the community and therefore unfit for leadership because of her decision not to have children. The Senator also stated that he felt Priests should have the right to marry because "like the rest of us, they wake up with a horn at four in the morning".

I don't know about you, but something doesn't sit right with me about this picture. When you break it down like this it starts to make sense why John Howard was so reluctant to tell Mr Heffernan to apologise. Could it be the case that he ordered the hit in the first place?

And seriously, conspiracy theories aside, how many times does a person have to fuck up before people start saying 'enough is enough'? I'm quite sure one of the basic principals that underpins a western democracy is Ministerial Accountability - which quite simply implies 'if you fuck up, then you resign'. Although many would argue that it appears to have died a horrible death right around the time Alexander Downer got away with the scandal that was AWB.

It is my firm belief that Mr Heffernan should immediately resign from Politics altogether, and if the bastard refuses, then the Prime Minister should force him to. It's as simple as that. Anything less would be an insult to Democracy and an insult to the people of this country.

Thankfully, it appears I am not the only one calling for this knobheads resignation either.

Let's hope these calls don't fall on deaf ears yet again.

I ♥ The Chaser

2007-05-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

This just had to be shared.....

Disgusted: An open letter to Senator Bill Heffernan

2007-05-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

Greetings All,

Guess what.... IM ANGRY again! (woo! i hear Spoz say :P)

This morning I logged onto ninemsn in my usual manner so as to check my hotmail account. I'm always intrigued to see what the daily ninemsn newspoll is and laugh at how tragic some of the subject matter is. This morning I was particularly shocked to see today's poll is:

Is Julia Gillard compromised as a leader because she's not a mother?

Having met Ms Gillard only last night (such a classy lady) I was immediately on the defence, I was even more appalled to read the Bulletin article that had lead to this poll in the first place.

Heffernan targets 'barren' Gillard

The Senator has hit a new low by suggesting that Ms Gillard is out of touch with the Australian public because she is 'deliberately barren'.

What a fucking crock!

I was so enraged by this article I was inspired to write to Senator NFI (ie. No Fuckin Idea) and here is a copy of my correspondence:

Dear Mr Heffernan,

I am writing as both a woman and a concerned citizen of this country.

I was shocked and appalled to read the article in The Bulletin magazine today (2nd May, 2007) in which you suggested that Julia Gillard is out of touch with the Australian community because she does not have children. I find your comments in respect to Ms Gillard's ability to be a leader in this country completely unfounded and outrageous.

If anyone is out of touch with the Australian community it is you. It is a woman's prerogative whether or not she has children, and it should in no way reflect on her ability to perform a job. It is people like you who prevent women like Ms Gillard from being respected at work and in our communities and from reaching their full potential, because you and your Neanderthal brethren continue to perpetuate negative images against women for the sake of political point scoring.

Your statements were pathetic, misogynistic relics of the past, and what you have said is not only contrary to discrimination laws in every civilized country, it is deeply offensive to people with modern sensibilities and basic respect for their fellow citizens. You should hang your head in shame.

As an informed voter, your patriarchal and blatantly sexist commentary has convinced me that this country is in serious need of a change in government. Your party will not receive a vote from me or my friends and family at the next election and you only have yourself to blame.

Yours in disgust,

Erin ******

Yes, I know I was never going to vote Liberal in the first place but the point needed to be made that this kind of political point scoring will not be tolerated by the Australian public and will cause people to walk away (if they havent done so already) from a government that is growing increasingly out of touch with its constituents.

I have also sent a similar email to Little Johnnie Howard and await a response from both men in the coming weeks (although I'm not going to hold my breath).

I do want to make it clear that I do realise that my little letter will not change this pathetic little man and that there is a high probability that he wont even read it. However, I'd like to think that if enough people make an issue of it hopefully it will force an apology and a retraction of the statement if not from him, then from JH and his cronies. Further to this it would be heartening to see an outcry from the Australian public that reaffirms we as a nation do not support this sort of backward attitude towards women. Behaviour like this would not be tolerated in a workplace and it should not be tolerated in Australia Politics, any political party that allows this sort of behaviour to go unchecked is in no fit state to run our country as far as I'm concerned.

I encourage you to write to the pathetic little man and you can do so here. Feel free to post your correspondence in this blog for others to read.

Cheers.

UPDATE - 2.50pm....

This just in: an enlightened response from JH as always. Could it be that he won't tell him to apologise because he agrees with the man? Poor form if you ask me.... Weak as piss.

[source: smh.com.au]

"Bill is a very good friend of mine and he remains a very dear friend of mine, but on something like this he's not speaking for me or for the government," Mr Howard told Sky News.
"This business of should (he apologise), I mean people say funny things all the time and the question of whether they apologise for them is a matter for them.
"If she wants to take that up with him, well look, she can.
"But look, I'm not telling people whether they should apologise or not, I'm just stating my own view.

UPDATE: 5.05pm

The bastard has apologised - huzzah!

Workchoices=Evil - angry rant pt.2

2007-05-02T02:46:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Part 2 of 'angry rant' day. If you havent done so already, I encourage you to read Part 1 first as it was written in one stream of conscious thought and broken up to appease those readers with short attention spans.....

Greetings all,

It just wouldn't be an erinspace rant if I didn't at least touch on the subject of Workchoices now would it? As most of you know I work for a union and am quite vocal about issues affecting workers in this country. Contrary to popular belief I'm not a scary person, I don't wear cardigans and I don't believe in beating people up for not being a member. I do believe that the union movement is one of the last remaining organisations in this country that has the resources and ability to speak out against the direction this country is taking and that is why I choose to work where I do. Im not interested in running for the ALP or any other political party - I do this because I am seriously worried about the direction our country is taking and felt I would be able to make a difference working where I do.

Many people have suggested to me that the union movement needs to change its image, needs to reinvent itself, is no longer relevant blah blah blah. With all due respect I say to them you need to wake up and smell the coffee - perhaps it's not our image that is the problem, but rather your perception of what it means to be in a union. Being a union member is not about going on strike or beating the boss - it's not even about winning or losing. It's about ensuring that the working people of Australia are treated with the dignity, fairness and respect they deserve. It's about working together to ensure the workers of this country are able to achieve good pay and working conditions and are not treated like slaves by those that make the rules. It's about ensuring that those hard fought conditions such as paid maternity leave, overtime and the 8 hour working day aren't abolished for the sake of profit margins and CEO salaries. We are people not computers and employers forget that from time to time - without a union presence to remind them of their responsibilities, those of us without three degrees and a good job could find ourselves working for less sooner than we realise.

When Workchoices came into effect many of us didn't understand what the implications of the legislation meant for the 'average Australian worker', and it is my perception that many still do not understand why this legislation is so fundamentally evil. I could launch into some tailored message about rights and the history of the movement but experience tells me most don't respond to this kind of rhetoric. Allow me to use some real life examples to illustrate the mess this country is in at the moment. Again, I refer you to today paper's and if you are going to read any of the articles featured in my blogs today, make it this one......

Sacked with no notice after 26 years

Let me be clear, before workchoices, this kind of behaviour by employers was illegal. You cant make somebody redundant for no good reason and then re-hire people at a lesser wage - it is just WRONG, fundamentally wrong and as a good friend of mine pointed out the other night - 'life isn't fair, but that doesn't make this shit ok'. Some of you might say 'well the company were in financial difficulty' and sure that is fair enough, what I would like to know is whether or not any of the CEO's at Vopak copped a pay-cut to help with the corporate restructure? Whether firing these people was legitimately based on financial difficulties or just a cop-out to avoid having to negotiate a new agreement with the workers. The worst part is, we will never know as workchoices states that the commission does not have to decide if there was a "valid reason" for the sacking - only satisfy itself that an operational reason had been among the justifications. In English: We'll just have to take their word for it….

You might also point out that these workers received a redundancy package - whoopdedoo. How far does $90,000 really get you if you cant find another job? Doesn't exactly set you up for life now does it? We are looking at mature age workers who have given their lives to this company, how easy do you think it will be for them to find another job? There are always two sides to every story, but the scales have been tipped in the employers favour since these laws came into play and the more they are tested, the more we will see this sort of thing become common place in workplaces around the country.

This is something we as a country will have to get used to if we don't change this government and get rid of these god-forsaken laws. The government can attempt to side-step the issue by saying it is good for the economy and bragging about their low unemployment rates but what use is a strong economy and low unemployment to a single mother battling to feed her children and pay her rent? The government attempts to discredit the Your Rights at Work campaign by painting this picture of the evil union bosses only looking out for themselves, the general public put their heads in the sand and says 'oh well, it doesn't affect me', but the reality is the situation is spiralling out of control and it does affect you. Employee based Industrial action is at an all time low, yet employer initiated lock-outs are at an all time high – the tables have turned, unions don't have this country by the balls – big business does. Long standing employees are being sacked for no good reason and being replaced with cheap casual labour - does anyone else see what is wrong with this picture? We simply cannot rely on our government to take care of our best interests anymore - union member or not, they are taking the workers of this country for a ride for the sake of economic prosperity and if you ask me that shit stinks.

So, you might be lucky. You might work in a place where the laws haven't impacted... yet. Maybe you have a good agreement - but check the expiry date, when is it up for renewal? Can you absolutely 100% guarantee that this wont happen to you? It is now perfectly legal under these laws to sack someone based on 'operational requirements' and then rehire someone at a lesser rate. Are you ok with that? And if you are secure in your job, think outside your own little world for a minute. Are you ok with the fact that it could happen to someone else and there is nothing they can do about it? Are you ok with the fact that there was no consultation with the Australian public? That it goes against internationally recognised Human rights conventions? That the government imposed these laws on the people of Australia and scoffed at the hundreds of thousands of people who turned out to protest?

You might sit back and say what is the point in doing anything; they will just do what they want anyway? I say to you, get your head out of your ass and stop making excuses for your apathy. Im tired of hearing this line, so very very tired. Do you not realise the powers that be are BANKING on people taking this stance? That this is what got us here in the first place? They know that you would rather sit back and watch Big Brother than have an opinion, the question is are you ok with being perceived by your government as an ignorant fool?

Anzac Day was on Wednesday, did you have to work? Did someone you know have to work? I know a number of people who had to work on Wednesday and they certainly didn't earn double time and a half like they did last year? Why? Because their agreement expired and they were forced onto an AWA which no longer recognises public holidays, yet the government is trying to tell us that public holidays are protected under these laws.

FUCKING LIARS!!

$25 an hour these people lost because it is now legal to force someone onto an AWA which cuts out penalty rates and overtime. Are you ok with this?

Im tired of being nice about this, John Howard can jump up and down and say that the ALP's new IR policy 'proves that it has been cooked up by the union's' as much as he like, but what the fuck else are we supposed to do! The union movement is not some evil corrupt union boss sitting in his ivory tower earning billions of dollars a year (unlike some of workchoice's biggest supporters) it is made up people like you and I, who just want a fair go at work. From where I'm sitting I would sooner support a policy that has been formulated through consultation with the PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA, not the business council of Australia, not an employer lobby group - ordinary, everyday people like you and I. It's as though the government wants the public to perceive the unions as this evil corrupt organisation who are deliberately misleading its members - If anyone is evil and corrupt, it is our current government (can you say Weapons of Mass Destruction?)

The government clearly don't think there is a place for unions in this country, they cant really articulate why (other than paint the picture of the corrupt union boss vying for political leadership) but I can tell you exactly why they hate us. They are all about the money, the union movement are about the workers. Profit margins and massive CEO payouts are what are important to them, the rights of working people to have decent pay and conditions are what are important to us. While the unions have good levels of membership in this country, there is a risk that employers will lose money as a result of industrial action. What people fail to realise is that industrial action is not something that is cooked up over some Chinese takeaway by those so-called evil union bosses in a bid to catapult them into party politics; it is a decision that is made after months of hard campaigning by people like you and I who just want to be treated fairly. Putting restrictions on a person's right to strike is effectively taking us back to the days of slave labour – after all, the fundamental difference between a worker and slave is the ability to withdraw their labour. In John Howard's Australia you now have to ask permission to withdraw your labour, to protest in the streets - since when did we become ok with this?

It's time to pick your side - even if you are 'not affected', because the reality is YOU ARE! You are living in this country - if the citizens of this country are not going to do something about this situation then who the fuck is? God? Allah? Bollocks to that. It's our turn and the time is now. Get off your ass, turn off your TV, pick up the newspaper and get yourself informed.

The union movement has proven it's worth over the last 12 months, building up a campaign that has gained national attention and captured the hearts and minds of the majority of Australian people, it has brought IR into a national focus and rightly so. This hasn't happened magically, it has come about as a result of the hard work of our members and staff and this stuff costs money. As I say to everyone who asks me about why being a member so important, even if you never need to go to the union for an individual matter, they have still negotiated your agreement, worked hard to achieve good outcomes for you, now they have mounted a massive campaign in opposition to some of most draconian laws this country has ever seen and if you agree with this campaign, then put your money where your mouth is and join a union.

I can already feel people flinching and looking for an excuse to avoid doing their bit so I will lay off before I scare you all away, as much as I would love you all to become members of a trade union the reality is most of you wont. It's not ok, and I don't understand it but there is not a lot I can do about it. Let's be realistic, failing becoming a member of the union there are many things you can still do to make change in this country. You can make your vote count on Election Day - you might hate the fact that the union movement is telling you to vote labor, but what is the alternative? The liberal party clearly doesn't give a flying fuck about our interests and we live in a two party political system - the only other option is a labor government, who are more than willing to have a go at making a difference to this country. If you cant bring yourself to vote Labor then just promise me you will at the very least put the Libs last on your Ballot Paper.

It doesn't end there; changing the government won't change our world. This situation we find ourselves in is our fault, we (as in the young people of this country) are becoming more and more apathetic – where we bothered to vote, the majority of us voted incorrectly and now we are the one's who will have to cop that on the chin. If we don't do something about this situation then we only have ourselves to blame.

If I can do it then so can you - as I said to you earlier in the piece, I don't have a university degree, im not some socialist zealot who stays inside and does nothing but read communist manifestos - I am a 25 year old woman living in Australia who loves going out and seeing bands, having a beer and partying with my mates as much as the next person. It is not HARD to have an informed opinion about what is going on in this country – that is all I'm asking - the information is there, read it, take it in, learn to differentiate between political spin and the reality and don't be afraid to have your say....

Oh and last but by no means least….. JOIN THE FUCKING UNION!!! ;)

*end rant...... now*

Snoop Dogg and censorship: It's John Howard's Australia - angry rant pt.1

2007-05-02T02:45:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone

So, I know it's been a while - damn life getting in the way of things eh.
I was compelled to write this blog today which has turned out to be more like war and peace. I have decided to split it into two parts for the sake of my readers and I do hope you take the time to read them, maybe do it in shifts or something.... let's begin shall we?

As Dave Hughes would say 'Im ANGRY!'.

Those of you who know me well, know I cant go a single day without at least reading the headlines on a newspaper (even the advertiser will do if ABSOLUTELY necessary) - if I cant get to a newspaper you will see me looking up the headlines via the news channel on planet 3 (my phone) if the phone fails, well its fairly safe to say im going to be breaking out in a cold sweat sometime soon. Im a bit of a political junkie at times (is that the understatement of the century?) I'm not into footy or cricket, politics is my sport - but the truth is I don't feel I have ever been particularly good at articulating myself as well as other more astute watchers of the world. I think my style is very much get angry, rant and then wait for the fall out, I've never been good at coming to logical conclusions - I guess one thing is clear though, you can't deny that I am passionate. ;)

I don't have a university degree, I've never studied politics, I'm not a member of a political party (despite the best attempts of many people I know), I have no concept of grammar and I couldn't write an essay to save my life, but that doesn't mean I don't have an opinion about what's going on in our country at the moment. I read what I can, talk to people, watch the news and current affair programs (on the ABC and SBS), hell at least once a week I'm up watching question time (mainly because I can't sleep, but that's another point entirely). It wasn't always this way I have to admit, there was once a time when the bulk of my political education was from my Dad and his angry rants around the dinner table, but that all changed the day Karen (aka. Little Wing) recruited me to the union all those years ago. (Yes, that's right mum, you can blame Karen for creating this monster :P). Anyway, Im not here to write about my political awakening, Im here to talk about some of the shit that is REALLY pissing me off at the moment....

It's John Howard's Australia and I don't like it.

Surprise, Surprise you say. Yes, well not entirely original I know but hey, as I said, it's been a while.

I arrived at work this morning and started to make my way through the papers and in amongst all the usual political propaganda and advertising rubbish I see an article that almost made me regurgitate my muesli.

PM had 'no say' in new national censor

Long story short, everyone's favourite hypocrite Phillip Ruddock has appointed one of little Johnnie's mates, Donald McDonald, as the national censor (you can read more about what that role entails here). The states have accused Mr Ruddock of 'playing favourites' and creating 'jobs for the boys'….

'Mr Ruddock refused to identify candidates for the position but in a letter to state attorneys-general he said: "The selection committee made a recommendation to me for the director of the classification board. However, having considered the recommendation, I believe that Mr Donald McDonald, AC, would be a better candidate." (source: the age)

What is the point of having a selection committee if the decision is going to be overturned anyway? Since when did one person have the ability to overturn the decision of a group of people? I thought we were living in a democracy.

What is also interesting is that Mr Ruddock sought approval from Cabinet before announcing the decision - was this because he knew there would be outrage over the appointment and wanted to ensure he had the backing of 'the boys' before he went any further? Of course little Johnnie denies having anything to do with the process and very admirably excused himself from the cabinet room when discussions were being held, but we all know what's really going on here. In these times of 'terrorism' we must ensure someone is keeping a lid on all those randy left wingers and stop them from spewing out the sort of stuff that will cause people to think for themselves and question authority. What better way to ensure John Howard's vision for Australia is maintained than by stacking the boards with like-minded mates?

I took a moment to check out Mr. McDonald's credentials this morning and it seems the former head of the ABC is also a well-known member of the Liberal party, a close personal friend of John Howard and a known conservative and political elitist - I wonder if my blog and those of my contemporaries would meet the classification standards under Mr McDonald? According to Ruddock, his appointment to the board would ensure the board remained 'representative of the Australian community'. A statement I find very hard to swallow as it comes from the man who wears an amnesty pin yet did nothing about the ongoing abuse and torture of one his country's citizens in Guantanamo Bay.

I then continued to read and came across this article:

Rapper Snoop Dogg is barred from Australia after failing 'character test'

According to Immigration minister Kevin Andrews (Mr 'I can't hack the IR portfolio') Snoop Dogg just isn't the sort the sort of bloke we want in this country. WHAT THE FUCK!! According to the papers, Snoop has failed a so-called 'character test' because he is known to frequent gangs, has drugs and weapons convictions and is just an all round bad dude.

Are they serious? The only thing offensive about Snoop Dogg as far as I'm concerned is his music and while I am living in a free country I have a choice as to whether or not I listen to it (for the record: I don't). Do they honestly think the guy is going to come over here and 'bust a cap' in someone's ass, cause some kind of 'free-love fracas' or sell cocaine to school children? How is it that our government can rationalise banning someone like Snoop from coming into our country, but open the doors (and practically shut down our major capital cities) to known supporters of torture and war-mongers like Donald Rumsfeldand Dick Cheney?

Am I right in feeling somewhat confused by this decision? I mean, I know the guy has been in trouble in the past – just type his name into Wiki and you will find he has anything but a perfect record, but that is beside the point. Im not advocating the things that Snoop has been arrested for (mainly being in possession of weapons and drugs) but lets be realistic here. It's not like the man lied to the country about weapons of mass destruction and perpetrated crimes against humanity by locking a person up in an illegal prison in Cuba without trial for 5 years now is it?

If you ask me, there are far worse people we could be letting into the country – or even having dealings with on an ongoing basis – Dick Cheney and the current US President are two who spring to mind. The next time Cheney or one of his war mongering henchmen comes to Australia I'm thinking I might make an application to the Immigration Department to have his access denied based on the fact that he's 'not really the sort of bloke we want in our country'. Not that it will get anywhere I imagine, I'll probably get locked up for sedition......

Who's with me?