Happy Australia Day cobbers! I love my country and all it’s triumphs and failings, and I hope you’re celebrating in the sun back home.
Aussie friends, is this legit?!? Either way, it’s quite disturbingly funny.
Dumb Ways to Die (by DumbWays2Die)
Wow.
A striking and sad image from the floor of the Australian House of Representatives today. Adam Bandt and Andrew Wilkie sit alone as the only two MPs who voted to limit the time that processed refugess, including children, would be kept offshore. The result of this vote is that processed refugees can be held offshore for an unlimited period of time.
Grow up, Australia. And get some fucking perspective while you’re at it.
A cold, wet and solemn Anzac Day in London. Lest we forget the brave hearts that gave me the freedom to live my life the way I do.
It’s been a while, old friend. #london #australia #money (Taken with instagram)
Only in Australia…
A thrill-seeking postman who was filmed launching his small motorbike off a jump during the morning mail round has ended his career with a bang.
The postie, who has since resigned from his job at Australia Post, gave new meaning to the term “air mail” when he rode his Honda down a suburban street in Anglesea and off a jump, soaring into the air and losing control yesterday morning.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/letter-rip-posties-airmail-delivery-comes-crashing-down-20120411-1wp9q.html#ixzz1riC2ac00
Boats, votes & suffering
Committee for Melbourne chief executive Andrew MacLeod says Australia’s political leaders lack courage and decency in the asylum seeker debate.
“AUSTRALIA does not have an asylum seeker problem, Australia has a political leadership problem. Next time you hear a politician say ”stop the boats”, you might want to reply ”stop the bollocks”. As The Age has been pointing out in its editorials for years, the asylum seeker debate is a humanitarian issue, not a political one.”
A favour from my friends in the Twittersphere?
You might have seen me mention that I’m currently cycling 2,000km from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City to raise funds for the Somaly Mam Foundation and raise awareness about the issues of sex slavery and human trafficking…
Well, we obviously want to get as much exposure as possible for our ride and for the issue, so I’m calling in a favour from all you tweeps out there!
We’d love some Australian TV (and other) exposure. If anyone out there is inspired by what we’re doing, why not hit-up any Aussie celebrities or media accounts that you follow on Twitter? Accounts like @7pmproject, @KRuddMP, @kochie_online, @charliepick etc?
Give it a shot! You never know what might happen!
Peace and love,
Adz
So my dad and I have formulated a cool little plan to get hold of some motorbikes and spend a few weeks touring Australia together at some stage once I get home. I love this game!
Quick thought for today…
I just found myself contemplating the current lack of conviction in the words and actions of our political leaders, and the shameless “race to the bottom” on many issues that really deserve bipartisan displays of compassion and generosity.
I thought back to Kevin Rudd’s “Sorry speech” to our indigenous people, and I felt pride in having had a hand in voting-in the Prime Minister that had the guts to do the right thing and display some conviction and compassion. Sure, we may not have come very far since then in regards to issues facing indigenous Australians, but I was heartened by the great step forward it promised to be.
I was a vocal supporter of the apology, as some of you will know. I remember all of the criticism and resistance I encountered for this stance, even from some of my closest friends. Many said it would “open” the proverbial “floodgates” for claims of indigenous entitlements, that it would render our generation somehow “responsible”, and there was this (shameless?) subtext in most comments of a resistance to apologise based on some automatic avoidance of expressing guilt and sympathy. I still don’t understand those points of view.
We have progressed very little on the treatment of our indigenous people (let alone experienced indigenous Australians express any sort of heightened sense of entitlement), our indigenous people accepted the apology with grace and humility, we are seeing a controversial right-wing blogger close to getting away with openly racist remarks in the public sphere, and there is talk of welfare cuts to large parts of indigenous communities.
My question is, based on all these points, are there still people that feel justified in their criticism of my stance, and are still so happy to defend their own view that we should not have apologised?
Why I won't be celebrating Australia Day - Michael Brull
Food for thought. What do you think?
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
- Edmund Burke Irish orator, philosopher, & politician (1729 - 1797)
Thank you to the good men and women that have decided to do something today for the sake of freedom of information, the true values of journalism, and the rights of our citizens. I hope you’re listening Julia.
