In early voting, Margaret Thatcher is emerging as the erotic favourite to sing Touch Me at 36% ahead of Julie Bishop and Natasha Stott-Despoja tied on 18%. I’m guessing that’s because my non-Australian readers don’t known who the others are. Perhaps I should have included Madeleine Allbright, Golda Mier, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Queen Elizabeth II.
Quote of the Day, 23 August 2007
“If there’s a lemon in it, it doesn’t count as alcohol.” Discuss.
Choosing to support slavery
This quote from Saturday’s Daily Telegraph (not online) really hit me:
They [toys being sold at Christmas in a superstore] are probably made under awful conditions, but what do you do? Accept it… or leave the kids with nothing?
Huh? Read the full article and think again, people. Is giving cheap trinkets to your children so important that you’ll choose to treat other human beings so appallingly?
I can forgive someone for doing this out of ignorance — after all, ignorance can be cured with knowledge. But to know that this is happening and still choose the trinkets! That’s disgusting. I think I’d prefer to walk away from your Omelas.
On the other hand, the very next day it was raining and I bought a $3.50 Chinese umbrella to stay dry. Am I any better?
Australian Social Trends 2007
If you want to know what’s really going on in this country — as opposed to the spin — dig through the latest stats in Australian Social Trends 2007. Another fine product from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, one of the very few truly independent national statistical agencies.
Tourettes Guy is dead
When my friend Richard told me that Tourette’s Guy was dead and that it was the best thing on the web, I wasn’t sure whether the video was tasteless. But as I watched more, I figured out that it was actually very compassionate.
When you watch this video, what emotions do you have? I’d like to know…
Three Friday Rants
Ah, yet another busy week! So that I have at least some content to offer, here’s links to three pieces I found worthwhile.
- Fag daddy: John Birmingham’s take on this week’s “debate” about gay marriage.
- Political correctness, John Howard-style: It’s four years old now, but it’s still a good explanation by Labor’s deputy leader Julia Gillard of why John Howard and his far-right media cheer squad are out of touch with the values of the majority.
- Why Everything You Think You Know About Blog Architecture is Wrong: OK, a bit geeky. But you might see some of these thoughts reflected in this very website soon.