The 16-year-old son of a major Australian blogger has written an amazing essay objecting to the Christian indoctrination at his school — particularly the peer pressure and other psychological tactics. A taste: “As a non-Christian in the heart of a fundamental Baptist school. I’ve dealt with peer pressure on the topic in the bucket loads, absolutely backwards fundamentalists, and speeches that seem eerily reminiscent in tone and substance to those that preceded the infamous Kristallnacht.”
More APEC “Great Fence” photos
’Pong has just posted some images of yesterday’s APEC (in)action, including the 21-bum salute to George W Bush. As always, click through for the full-sized beauty. He’s just left to see what’s what with the “main” protest today.
Facebook bans breastfeeding photos
Social networking website Facebook is boldly taking the Internet into the 19th Century by banning photos of breastfeeding as “obscene”.
Look, I know Facebook is American, and America is (a) a Puritan nation at heart and (b) pig-ignorant of the fact that the other 96% of the world’s population might think differently. I mean, their own president can’t tell the difference between APEC and OPEC, between Austria and Australia. When he’s standing in it. But quite frankly, a society which thinks photos of mothers feeding their children are “obscene” has deep, deep problems.
And not just that your president is dumb as a stump-post.
The protest group Hey, Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene!(Official petition to Facebook) has almost 8000 members already. And while I generally don’t pay much attention to the needs of the breeders, this one I’ve joined.
Bruce Schneier on The Chaser’s APEC breach
Security expert Bruce Schneier has blogged about The Chaser‘s APEC security breach — which means it’s just been read by most of the switched-on security professionals on the planet. “Social engineering” attacks like this are easy, he says. You just have to look like you fit in. One commenter points out that this goes beyond “security theatre” into “security opera”.
APEC “security theatre” a joke, literally
Now here’s a surprise. Not. The massive security operation surrounding APEC brings us yet another example of security theatre — pointless activity that’s all for show but which does nothing to actually enhance security.
The police busy themselves by (mostly politely) hassling tourists and photographers, deleting images of The Fence because “protesters might be doing reconnaissance for weak spots.” Uhuh. But The Chaser crew get within metres of George W’s hotel by playing dress-ups and driving big black cars.
Continue reading “APEC “security theatre” a joke, literally”
Sweet, sweet sarcasm
I love this review of Sea Patrol in the Sydney Morning Herald “The Guide” this week. Giving the episode a big thumbs down, it says:
This is one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time. Who would have thought a straight-faced spoof on the high seas drama — a sort of Secret Seven Sail the Ocean Blue — could be quite this funny? I especially love the way Lisa McCune had her smiling muscles removed to bring faux-gravitas to her role.
Dialogue from the Ark, needless background music and all the tension of Anna Nicole Smith’s knicker elastic. This will run and run.
Thank you, Keith Austin. I’ve never watched the show — and now I feel even less urge.