Goddamn FOX September 17, 2007
Posted by dave128 in Censorship, Media, Television.add a comment
Fox censors Sally Field in US telecast of Emmys
Fox US producers of Sunday’s Emmy telecast censored best drama actress winner Sally Field Sunday evening after she veered off into a remark criticizing the US invasion of Iraq.
Welcome to bizarro land again. Yes, it’s FOX standing up for family values and liberty and all that stuff by putting the kibosh on an act of free speech. And let’s put things into perspective. It’s not as if she said anything remotely controversial. Her comments held a simple anti-war message.
It’s always amusing when things like this occur. By their over the top reaction FOX has given more publicity to Field’s speech than it probably would have received.
Sally Field’s entire speech ran uninterrupted in Canada and Australia, and I would assume all other democracies where the Emmy’s were televised.
Time Travel: Patience & Patients August 25, 2007
Posted by dave128 in Bush Administration, Invasion of Iraq.add a comment
Bush pleads for more patience for Iraq war efforts
Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:43PM EDT
By Jeremy Pelofsky
CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) – U.S. President George W. Bush, faced with growing calls to start withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, pleaded with Americans on Saturday for patience and cited progress in the past two months.
~~~ Time travel doodad initiation sequence start ~~~
10…
9…
8…
7…
6…
5…
4…
3…
2…
1…
Weapons inspectors need more time: Blix
Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix says his teams should be given “a few more months” to work in Iraq, in an interview to be published in Germany.
“Even if Iraq immediately, actively and unconditionally cooperates with us, we would still need a few more months,” Dr Blix told the German weekly Die Zeit.
Transsexuals and passports in Australia August 18, 2007
Posted by dave128 in Australian Politics, Human Rights.add a comment
Natalie Imbruglia’s sex change cousin in passport row
Maxine Frith
August 19, 2007
A TRANSSEXUAL is taking on the Howard Government in a bid to be acknowledged as a woman named Stefanie, not a man named Stephen.
Stefanie Imbruglia – a first cousin of pop star Natalie Imbruglia – is fighting a recent law change that forbids her identifying herself as female on her passport.
After living as a woman for two years, Ms Imbruglia, 42, is due to fly to Thailand in October for sex-change surgery that will complete her transition from male to female.
But she has been outraged by legislation enacted by the Government three months ago that has scrapped the right for people in her position to apply for an interim passport that lists “intended” sex rather than current gender.
Ms Imbruglia has been told she will either have to apply for a passport as a man or travel on a document of identity (DOI) that would leave her genderless.
It would not offer her the same level of protection in foreign countries and could lead to her being subjected to strip searches and harassment, says a letter she received from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“It is completely outrageous,” she said. “I am a woman, not a man. I may fly out to Thailand with a penis, but I’m going to come back as a total woman with a vagina so how am I going to get through immigration on a male passport?”
Positive action against anti-Semitism August 18, 2007
Posted by dave128 in Discrimination.add a comment
Cricket club under fire for anti-Semitism
GLEN Eira City Council has imposed sanctions on the McKinnon Cricket Club and threatened to end its tenancy after club players posted racist messages about Jewish cricket team Maccabi AJAX online.
I read about this story a week or so ago and it distressed me quite a bit. I guess I’m naive in that regard, but such overt racism still shocks and upsets me. But then, in the back of my mind, I’m a little grateful I’m still shocked, because I really don’t want to become a cynical old wreck who automatically expects the worst from everyone.
I’m very much relieved this disgusting case of racism has been dealt with seriously.
Sydney high school attacked for anti-Iraq war performance August 16, 2007
Posted by dave128 in Australian Politics, Bush Administration, Invasion of Iraq.add a comment
Rock Eisteddfod’s Iraq entry draws criticisms
The Federal Government has accused a Sydney school of hijacking the annual Rock Eisteddfod challenge by involving students in a controversial and political performance.
The piece, called ‘Bad Knight 2′, is critical of US President George W Bush and the war in Iraq.
There are calls for it to be banned because its performance will coincide with a visit by Mr Bush to Australia.
And we certainly wouldn’t want to hurt poor Bush’s feelings! Anyway, he lives in a bubble, he’ll have no idea it’s even happening.
The New South Wales Opposition’s education spokesman Andrew Stoner think it is completely inappropriate.
“To be sending this overtly left-wing political message during the APEC meeting is not only unwise, frankly it can be embarrassing for us as Australians,” he said.
Thank you for speaking on behalf of all Australians, Mr. Stoner. Speaking on my behalf, what I can say embarrasses me is that our Prime Minster is a lapdog of the Bush Administration, and this gleefully sent our country into an immoral invasion. And then there’s the treatment of indigenous Australians, the shameful treatment of refugees, a careless disregard for the environment, and the deeming of gay and lesbian Australians as second class citizens, to name but a few issues. Yes, frankly we have a lot to be embarrassed about, but it has nothing to do with high school performance pieces.
Current federal Education Minister Julie Bishop has now attacked the new performance, claiming it does not represent the “healthy living” theme of the eisteddfod.
Oh, you know what, Julie? I agree with you! There’s scant signs of healthy living in Iraq:
According to U.N. figures, barely one in three Iraqis have access to clean drinking water.
Waterborne diseases like diarrhea — the most prolific killer of children under 5 — are on the increase. In some areas, it’s up as much as 70 percent over last year.
As far as any action against the piece goes, the eisteddfod says it does not censor any performances and the NSW Education Department’s Trevor Fletcher has supported the school and says it will not be stopped.
That’s good news. You know, I really, really, REALLY don’t get people who have no qualms about the mass slaughter of humans, yet a high school dance routine keeps them up at night. I mean come on. Seriously people, come on!
Oh, and the good news just keeps coming:
US Army suicides hit 26-year high
Twenty-eight of the soldiers who took their own life last year did so while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
[snip]
So far this year, 44 soldiers have taken their own lives, 17 of them while deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
I guess that’s called supporting your troops.
Equal Love Rally August 10, 2007
Posted by dave128 in Gay Rights.add a comment
Sunday 12 August 2007 is Equal Love’s National Day of Action
The NDA is Melbourne’s mass rally in favour of same-sex relationship
recognition. Three years ago, the Federal Parliament amended the
Marriage Act to deny same-sex couples access to marriage. While we
have achieved much at the state level with the proposed Relationships
Register, as the recent report from the Human Rights and Equal
Opportunity Commission showed, there is still much inequality in a
range of federal legislation.In an election year – we must show federal candidates that we demand EQUAL LOVE!
When: 12 August 2007
Where: Assemble 11.30am in front of State Library
What: Rally to Federation Square for MidWinta Vows
Who: Bring yourself, your friends, your family, whoever!
Wear: Bright, festive and red colours!Last year, almost 5,000 people rallied on State Parliament. This
year, we can do better. So come out in your RED colours and join
EQUAL LOVE on 12 August 2007.
Cut and pasted from http://www.vglrl.org.au/
If you can, please join in, legal recognition of a loving partnership is a fundamental right that is currently being deniened to the GLBT community in Australia. It is important for our voices to be heard!
Polish watchdog: Teletubbies promotes homosexuality May 29, 2007
Posted by dave128 in Gay Rights.add a comment
Teletubbies face new gay claim
Ewa Sowinska, government-appointed children rights watchdog, told a local magazine published today she was concerned the popular BBC children’s show promoted homosexuality.
She said she would ask psychologists to advise if this was the case.
In comments reminiscent of criticism by the late US evangelist Jerry Falwell, she was quoted as saying: “I noticed (Tinky Winky) has a lady’s purse, but I didn’t realise he’s a boy.”
“At first I thought the purse would be a burden for this Teletubby … Later I learned that this may have a homosexual undertone.”
Poland’s rightist government has upset human rights groups and drawn criticism within the European Union by apparent discrimination against homosexuals.
And it gets worse:
Polish Education Minister Roman Giertych has proposed laws sacking teachers who promote “homosexual lifestyle” and banning “homo-agitation” in schools.
But at least there’s some sanity in the Polish government:
But in a sign that the government wants to distance itself from Sowinska’s comments, Parliamentary Speaker Ludwig Dorn said he had warned her against making public comments “that may turn her department into a laughing stock”.
Gay Bashing in Russia May 28, 2007
Posted by dave128 in Gay Rights, Russia.add a comment
Highly distressing images from Russia.
Peter Tatchell was among a group of activists detained by police in central Moscow during the demonstration by dozens of homosexual rights activists campaigning for an end to sexual discrimination.
Mr Tatchell earlier had been punched in the face in full view of police and dozens of journalists. Another activist was seen bleeding from his face after being attacked.
Punches and kicks flew and eggs and insults were hurled when the activists defied a state ban and briefly staged the city’s second ever Gay Pride march.
The footage of gay people being assaulted and then being ARRESTED by the Russian police is beyond belief.
My heart weeps for the world.
The psychopath speaks (again) May 2, 2007
Posted by dave128 in Bush Administration, Human Rights, Invasion of Iraq.add a comment
The US president has vetoed a bill that would have set a timetable for US troops to pull out of Iraq, saying a hasty exit would turn Iraq into “a cauldron of chaos”.
And what is it now? A pot of peace? A bowl of beauty? A cup of calm?
“Setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a deadline for failure, and that would be irresponsible,” Bush said in a nationally televised speech on Tuesday…
Thank goodness Bush doesn’t want to do anything irresponsible. We wouldn’t want him to do anything FUCKING IRRESPONSIBLE. What…. what a total fuck. I can’t be articulate with my criticism when I’m this angry. Irresponsible!! No, Gerorge, don’t do anything that’s irresponsible, you good, good man. Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK you, you fucking fuck,.
I said I couldn’t be articulate. It just boggles my mind. This man, this human being, who has wrought so much death and suffering and destruction and chaos upon Iraq doesn’t want to do anything “irresponsible.” It would be laughable if it wasn’t so fucking depressing.
And he actually thinks the US can still win? He is still thinking with a win/lose mentality!
The US and other foreign occupiers cannot ‘win’.
Even if stability is brought about, if ordinary Iraqis can walk down to the local bakery and not get blown to pieces, how is that a victory if you bring Iraq back to how it was prior to March 2003?
Bush sounds like a cowboy in the old wild west, yee haa, we’re gunna win! We will beat those bad guys! Yaa hoo! Iraq is a humanitarian catastrophe that cannot be ‘won’ or ‘lost’.
The US is in desperate need for new leadership, sane leadership. This president still believes Iraq is “winnable”. This is dangerous thinking that will only impede the healing of Iraq. I can only conclude that his mind is a cauldron of chaos.
Australian soldiers killing themselves April 30, 2007
Posted by dave128 in Bush Administration, Human Rights, Invasion of Afghanistan, Invasion of Iraq.1 comment so far
The Federal Government acknowledges two soldiers took their own lives after returning from the Middle East, but veteran activists say there could have been as many as five suicides – and they fear more will come.
To date 121 soldiers returned from the Middle East have been discharged for mental illness. About two dozen have serious psychological problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Families say the soldiers who commit suicide on their return are the hidden casualties of war.
Read the whole article: Our suicide soldiers: the hidden casualties
While Iraqis have suffered the most from Bush’s invasion, the tragic repercussions are spread considerably far across the world, and will most likely continue for at least decades to come.
