Category: Law and Politics

What does a Middle Eastern Flag look like anyway?

Oh you gotta watch out for those foreign students with their Middle Eastern flags!

At a Victorian high school foreign students raised a Middle East flag on a school flag pole, Australian students took it down. Guess who was expelled… the students who took it down.

The Wyrmlog has been getting quite a few hits for the above phrase recently as a result of my post concerning the email that contains it. As I happen to know a bit about the incident in question I figured I’d do the right thing and share that knowledge with other truth seekers. So here we go…

It never happened.

What do I mean it never happened? Let me explain.

The email that you’ve probably received, the one that starts I am the Government’s/Labor Party’s worst nightmare was not written by an Australian, and was not written about Australia. It’s an American email written by an American about America. Everything that it says was originally about America, and has been clumsily altered to refer to Australia by some Aussie with an axe to grind – a fact that should be pretty obvious when it starts talking about ‘Social Security’.

Even more obvious is the line…

I believe it is time to really clean house, starting with the Lodge, the seat of our biggest problems

…which just sounds odd. When was the last time you heard the Lodge being mentioned in any kind of political debate? However it makes perfect sense when you realise the line originally read…

I believe it is time to really clean house, starting with the White House, the seat of our biggest problems

…see?

So, the alleged incident in some Victorian high school. I said it never happened. This is because it’s a somewhat one-sided account of something that happened in a school in Texas that has had various nouns changed to “Australianise” it…

Texas high school students raised a Mexican flag on a school flag pole, other students took it down. Guess who was expelled…the students who took it down.

There you go. As to what actually happened in Texas, the Mexican flag was being displayed (not flown from a flagpole) within the school as part of a display about Cinquo de Mayo, and a single student ripped it down and shoved it into a trash can. An act for which he was suspended, not expelled.

So there you go. The facts may not be as exciting as certain people with agendas to push might like, but they are the facts.

Peace out.

CHOGM, Resin Skulls and Stephen Fry

An update

I think I promised a blog update this weekend didn’t I?

It’s kind of difficult to keep up with the blogging at the moment because the old black dog is nipping at my heels again – quite badly as a matter of fact. A lot of the time all I want to do is sleep. I’ve actually tested that out, to see if it makes things better, but it doesn’t really – I just wake up tired and fuzzy headed with my mouth feeling like the bottom of a lion cage, so it’s down to the tried and true methods of eating right, trying to get more exercise and doing my best to get out and be social, despite the fact that I’d rather be unconscious. No doubt I’ll pull out of it sooner or later, but in the meantime it’s not much fun.

In any case for those not in the know this was CHOGM week in Perth, when the heads of the Commonwealth nations descended on the city like a horde of Elder Gods, dragging hordes of vile servitors in their wake, and the Yog Sothoth of this abominable crew, Her Majesty the Queen (and her personal Nyarlathotep, Prince Phillip) also stopped in to say hi and attend a barbecue.

We’ve been preparing for this for months, and in the end it’s all been a bit of an anticlimax. Some roads were shut down, some exclusion zones were set up, some protesters waved placards and some civil liberties were casually abused in the name of security, and then it was all over. Some interesting things were done – the laws of Royal succession were altered to favour the first born child regardless of gender for instance – and some important things argued about and ultimately ignored (such as agreeing to give Commonwealth citizens a few basic human rights) and then it was all over. Ho Hum.

The big event for we peasants was the barbecue on the foreshore yesterday. It was the typical public event thing, everyone milling around for a few hours waiting for the Monarch and Royal Consort to put in an appearance, which they eventually did for a while before leaving without so much as eating a sausage (although Prince Phillip played with some barbecue tongs). On the plus side public transport was free across the entire city all day, which I took advantage of to catch up with Rebecca and Dom and the kids at Siennas in Mount Lawley for lunch. Strangely though, despite the free transport the railway was shut down between Perth Underground and Esplanade. If you asked they’d probably say they were concerned about someone trying to pull a V for Vendetta and blow up the Gleddon Building from below, but I suspect the real reason was that they’d either bailed up the city’s homeless in the tunnel to prevent the sight of them offending the Queen, or the Mole Men were holding their own CHOGM barbecue down there. Maybe both.

But anyway, it’s all over now and CHOGM ephemera is now selling for decent bucks on eBay.

I’ve been playing around with casting this weekend. I needed some large Adeptus Mechanicus symbols for some 40k terrain I’m sporadically working on, and a search of the net indicated that no one makes them anywhere and hence they’re quite hard to come across and rather expensive when you do. So I said, to hell with you, I’ll make my own people! Or rather my own AdMech symbols. I built a master out of plywood, plasticard and the general debris that a natural hoarder such as myself invariably accumulates, made a latex mould from it and have been merrily turning out cogwheels-with-skulls willy nilly all weekend. I’m almost tempted to make some extra ones and sell them on eBay, but I suspect Games Workshop’s lawyers would come down on me like the hammer of Sigmar and I’d never be heard from again. Oh well, I have what I came for 🙂

Last weekend of course it was QI Live at the Burswood theatre. I’d assembled a small group to attend consisting of myself, Katie, Justin and Marika. I met up with Justin and Marika at the Atrium buffet before the show which, despite the fact that it was stupidly expensive and they threw us out at 7:30 (they close for half an hour on Friday and Saturday evenings – no idea why but I suppose it’s not for the likes of me to criticise the behaviour of the wealthy) was fantastic. I was particularly fond of the beef and mushroom ragout, and the desert bar was absolutely sumptuous. We then met up with Katie outside the theatre before proceeding in to our seats.

Our seats were in the very back row of the ground floor and, surprisingly, turned out to be excellent. Sure, we were about as far from the stage as it was possible to get, but our view was completely unobstructed. We could also listen in to the chatter of the stage-management guys just across the aisle, which was most amusing when one of the guests’ microphones failed and they had to improvise a solution. We also heard the final scores a few second before everyone else, for what it was worth 🙂

The show was excellent. Entertaining and informative in equal measure. It was a bit shambolic, what with being the very first QI Live ever, but that was part of the fun. Stephen Fry regaled us with tales of his first visit to Perth (the phrase “eastern states or overseas” will never sound the same again) and Alan Davies hammed it up for the crowd, despite being seriously ill (or at least claiming that he was seriously ill, there was a lot of mention of ‘slurry’). The guests were Colin Lane, Denise Scott and some guy who I’ve never heard of, but who did a decent enough job despite being the victim of the aforementioned microphone failure.

If there was one problem it was that it did drag on a bit. The show didn’t finish until just before 11:00, and Justin even fell asleep in his sear despite the regular klaxon whenever Alan Davies tried to answer a question (he had been up since 4:00 though so it’s quite understandable). I imagine they’ll get the hang of balancing amusing blather with keeping things moving in future performances, but it was a small price to pay for the privilege of being there for the show’s first outing.

Once it was all over we dumped our plan of going somewhere for drinks (Justin was just about dead on his feet and I wasn’t far behind) and Katie and I wandered around what seemed like all of Burswood looking for a taxi before stumbling over one who’s driver was just as lost looking for the taxi rank as we were.

So, a good night was had by all, despite being informed that the first European to discover Australia recommended that it be named “New Zealand” 😉

Hmmm, that’s all I’ve got to say. There’s cleaning I have to do, and after that I’m tempted to see if that sleep thing might finally work 🙂

Oh He’s Angry

Walk across my swimming pool!

For those who don’t read the comments, here’s Angry Anderson’s version of King Herod’s Song from the 1992 Australian touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar. It’s pretty damn good.

I’ve always thought the most impressive thing about Superstar is the way that it excludes miracles without precluding them. If you want to view it as the story of Jesus, the Son of God, you can. On the other hand if you want to view it as the story of Jesus – a guy who believes he’s the Son of God, you can do that too. Which means you can enjoy the work as religious – if you swing that way – or simply as a damn good story with some damn good music. A very smart way to do it and which probably accounts for the show’s enduring popularity (compare Godspell, which comes across as intensely preachy by comparison and is nowhere near as popular).

Bound for Glory

Oh, he’s Angry…

So, Angry Anderson has joined the National Party, and is (apparently) standing for election on the platform that climate change is a fraud, cooked up by the United Nations to bring about One World Government and usher in the New World Order.

Who gave that man an internet connection!? 🙂

But seriously, what does this say about the Nationals? That they’re willing to accept a bit of crazy, conspiracist bullshit if it’ll net them the “star power” of an ageing rocker? Or that high ups in the party actually believe said crazy, conspiracist bullshit?

Neither is really a good look.

London Burning, Leicester Pretty Much OK

I am of course keeping an eye on the situation in the UK. It’s pretty awful, but so far things seem to have been relatively calm (although ringed with incidents) in Edmonton where my uncle is and in Leicester, where the worst seems to have been a bunch of hoodied idiots running around smashing windows in the city centre until the police scattered them.

Hopefully this will blow over once the worst troublemakers are apprehended and the rest of the tag-along idiots sober up. It won’t address the complicated social issues that are the root cause, but at least it should restore order for the time being.

To everyone in the UK – not just my family and friends – the world’s thoughts are with you.

Being Australian: A Response

*Sigh*

There’s an email doing the rounds recently on the subject of “Being Australian”. After reading it I really thought I should pen a response…

I Am the political Parties Worst Nightmare.
I am a White, Conservative, Tax-Paying, God fearing Australian ……
I am a hard working Australian and l work long hours to earn a living.
I believe in God and the freedom of religion, but I don’t push it on others…

I am the political Parties’ Worst Nightmare (and I know how to do plurals properly).
I am a tax-paying Australian and don’t give a damn about the colour of anyone’s skin or their religion, let alone my own.
I am a hard working Australian and I work long hours to earn a living.
I believe in freedom of religion, and refuse to judge anyone based on their religion or lack thereof.

I believe the money I make belongs to me and not some bloody governmental functionary, Labor/Greens or Liberal, that wants to share it with others who don’t work!
I’m in touch with my feelings and I like it that way!
I think owning a home doesn’t make you a capitalist; it makes you a smart Australian

I believe the money I make belongs to me, minus the taxes necessary to keep the nation running and maintain the society I benefit from, which includes reasonable help for those less fortunate than I.
I think owning a home is sensible if you can afford it, and that people who get their hackles up about words like ‘Capitalist’ are living in the last century.

I think being a minority does not make you noble or victimised, and does not entitle you to anything. Get over it!

I think being a minority does not make you noble or victimised, unless you are actually being victimised, and that those who are being victimised deserve assistance.

I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac or any other item, you should do it in English.

I believe that people who get upset about the language skills of people working god-awful hours on minimum wages need to have a hard look at their priorities. As does anyone who thinks a Big Mac is somehow representative of Australian values.

I believe there should be no other language option.
I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God when and where they want to.

I believe that people with poor language skills should be offered opportunities to improve them, and a reasonable amount of assistance until they do.
I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God when and where they want to, so long as it’s not disruptive to others.

My heroes are, Fellow Australians, Sir John Monash, Don Bradman, Slim Dusty, and Angoves, who invented the wine cask.

I don’t bother with heroes, but if I did I would choose them from the entire scope of human history, unlimited by nation, race or creed.

I don’t hate the rich, but hate the way they are always finding ways to pay less taxes
I don’t pity the poor ,I hate the way they always crying that they are hard done by!!

I don’t hate the rich, but I hate the ways they find ways to pay less taxes.
I don’t pity the poor – I think they should be offered the assistance they need to get up on their feet, in the best Australian traditions of giving a mate a hand.

I know wrestling is fake and I don’t waste my time watching or arguing about it.

I think (that along with Big Macs) any mention of wrestling is a clear sign that this email was written by an American about America and has been edited by some unimaginative would-be Aussie Teabagger with an axe to grind.

I haven’t burned any witches or been persecuted by the Turks, and neither have you!

I haven’t burned any witches or been persecuted by the Turks, and have no idea what this has to do with anything.

I believe if you don’t like the way things are here, go back to where you came from and change your own country!

I believe if you don’t like the way things are here you should get involved in the political process and try and change them.

This is AUSTRALIA …..We like it the way it is and more so the way it was ….so stop trying to change it to look like Britain , USA , Russia or China , or some socialist country!

This is Australia. Some people like it, some people don’t, and that’s the nature of democracy. I think that anyone who calls countries they don’t like “Socialist” is either stuck in 1952, or is an American, or is both.

If you were born or legally migrated here and don’t like it… you are free to move to any Socialist country that will have you.  (and take Julie Gillard, her dick head group and the Greens with you.)

If you were born here, legally migrated here or were allowed here under internationally agreed treaties concerning refugees and asylum seekers, and don’t like it, you are free to participate in our democracy and try to change things to your liking. But accept the other half of the deal, which is that you may not find any support.

I believe that repeated references to Socialism are the sign of a weak mind.

I believe it is time to really clean house, starting with the Lodge, the seat of our biggest problems.

I believe that the previous line originally read “the White House” rather than “the Lodge”, and that the time to “clean house” is the next Federal Election.

I want to know exactly, where the “Do Gooder’s ” get their money from, and why are they always part of the problem and not the solution?

Can I get an AMEN on that one?

I want to know exactly how calling people you diagree with “Do Gooders” is a solution to anything.

I also want to know why “Do Gooders” requires an apostrophe (can I get an Amen on that?)

I also think the cops have the right to pull you over if you’re breaking the law, regardless of what race, colour or creed you are, but not just because you happen to be an illegal alien and scream that they are “RACISTS PIGS”

I think that the cops have the right to pull you over if you’re breaking the law, regardless of what race, colour or creed you are. If they pull you over BECAUSE of what race, colour or creed you are then that’s another story.

And, no, I don’t mind having my face shown on my driver’s license. I think it’s good….

Everyone should be equal before the law, and as such everyone should have their face shown on their driver’s license. That’s a given

I hope you are not too stupid to claim to know how our electoral ballot system works, the Politician’s don’t’,so what hope have we??

I do know how the electoral system is meant to work – the Australian one is actually not that difficult. Do you understand how apostrophes are meant to work?

I dislike those people standing in the intersections trying to sell me stuff or trying to guilt me into making ‘donations’ to their cause….  Get a job and do your part to support yourself and your family!

I dislike people standing in intersections trying to sell me stuff or trying to guilt me into making donations to their cause, but at least they’ve gone out and got a job to support themselves and their families.

I believe that it doesn’t take all the intellectuals to raise a child, it takes two parents….

I believe that as long as a child has a stable, supportive home environment they’ll turn out pretty much alright – regardless of who their parents or guardians are, and how many or how few of them there are.

I believe ‘illegal’ is illegal no matter what the lawyers think!

I believe ‘illegal’ is illegal no matter what the lawyers think – but that just because something is illegal doesn’t necessarily make it wrong, and just because something is legal doesn’t necessarily make it right.

I believe the Australian flag should be the only one allowed to be flown in Australia !

I believe that the Australian flag is to be respected, but that banning the flying of other flags sounds like something out of the Nuremberg Laws.

If this makes me a BAD Australian, then yes, I’m a BAD Australian
If you are a BAD Australian too, please forward this to everyone you know…..

If this makes me a BAD Australian, then yes I’m a BAD Australian. I don’t think I am, although your opinion may differ.

We want our country back! My Country…..

I’d want my country back, if I thought I’d ever actually lost it.

I hope this offends all illegal aliens.

I hope this doesn’t offend anyone.

My great, great, great grandfather watched as his friends died in the Boer War.
My grandfather watched and bled as his friends died in the  the World Wars 1&2
My grandfather watched as his friends & brothers died in the Depression of 32.
My father watched as his friends died in Korea
I watched as my generation died in Vietnam .
Our son’s and daughters watched & bled as their friends died in Afghanistan and Iraq .. None of them died for the Afghanistan and Iraq Flag.  Every Australian died for the Australian flag

I recognise and am grateful for the sacrifices of those who’ve served our country in times of war, but don’t think that having relatives who’ve done so makes you any more or less of an Australian.

Our young men are getting killed in Afghanistan whilst their young men run away, and get on a boat for Australia , taking the place of genuine refugees!

I think that anyone who flees from war and persecution is a genuine refugee.

At a Victorian high school foreign students raised a  Middle East flag on a school flag pole, Australian students took it down. Guess who was expelled…the students who took it down.

I think that unsourced, unreferenced, third-or-more-hand stories about “foreign” students and “Middle East” flags have no place in a rational debate. Let’s establish the facts before basing claims on them.

Enough is enough

I’m thinking exactly the same thing.

This message needs to be viewed by every Australian; and every Australian needs to stand up for Australia .

My message is freely available for any Australian who wants to read it. Then they can stand up, sit down, or do whatever they feel like.

We’ve bent over to appease the Aussie-haters long enough. I’m taking a stand.

Bear in mind that “Aussie-haters” can mean “those who hate Australia” and “Australians who hate”.

I’m standing up because the hundreds of thousands who died fighting in wars for this country, and for the Australian flag.

Because the hundreds of thousands who died fighting in wars for this country what? Couldn’t compose a proper English sentence?

If you agree, stand up with me. If you disagree, please let me know.  I will gladly remove you from my e-mail list.

If you agree, stand up with me. If you disagree, that’s cool – we call that democracy.

And shame on anyone who tries to make this a racist message.

Oh I would never make this a racist message.

AUSTRALIANS, stop giving away Your RIGHTS !

We live in a free, stable, first world nation, and despite what talk back radio hosts want you to think, our rights are not under any kind of serious threat.

Let me make this clear! THIS IS OUR COUNTRY !

…For those who come across the seas we’ve boundless plains to share…

This statement DOES NOT mean I’m against immigration !
YOU ARE WELCOME HERE, IN MY COUNTRY, welcome to come legally:
1. Get  a sponsor !
2. Learn the LANGUAGE, as immigrants have in the past !
3. Live by OUR rules ! Dress as we ,Australians Do
4. Get a job !
5. Pay YOUR Taxes !
6. No Social Security until you have earned it and Paid for it !
7. NOW find a place to lay your head !

Immigrants and Asylum Seekers are welcome in my Australia, as long as they abide by our laws and pay back any assistance we offer once they’re on their feet. And yes, being a good, hard working, contributing citizen counts as paying back.

And “Social Security”? At least try and hide your plagiarism!

If you don’t want to forward this for fear of offending someone, then YOU’RE  PART OF THE PROBLEM !

If you don’t want to forward this for fear of offending someone, THEN THAT’S YOUR RIGHT!

We’ve gone so far the other way .. . .  bent over backwards not to offend anyone.

You mean being polite?

Only AUSTRALIANS seems to care when Australian Citizens are being offended !

I suspect that your definition of “Australians” is rather different to mine…

WAKE UP  AUSTRALIA ! ! !

HAVE A BEER AUSTRALIA ! ! !

If you do not Pass this on, may your fingers cramp !

If you do not pass this on, have a nice day!

Made in AUSTRALIA & DAMN PROUD OF IT!!!!!

Made in Australia, and not feeling it necessary to capitalise the fact.

Well obviously we have a rapist (sympathiser) at Notre Dame (maybe)

Religious University. Yeah, that’s a great idea…

OK, first up this is hearsay and should be taken as such. It’s something I heard and should be regarded as such, not as a proven fact. Exact wording, meaning and context are vital in these kind of situations, so take this with a grain of salt, and several grains of common sense and restraint.

Disclaimer over.

The brother of someone I know attends Notre Dame university down in Fremantle. He claims that earlier this week one of his lecturers said that “the pain of rape brings people closer to god, and that’s a good thing”.

As stated above I don’t know the context of this comment, or even if it’s accurate. But if it is accurate then this guy needs a good swift kick up the arse, and should not be instructing students in anything other than basket weaving.

Let the investigations begin.

It’s a Bloody Outrage!

I’d have called it a Chuzwozza!

I am, by default, a Monarchist.

What I mean by this is that I’m not a Republican. I’ve never really seen the point in Australia going through all the hassle and expense of dumping the monarchy when they don’t cost us that much, and don’t really do anything to us. I mean, sure, the Queen could mess with our laws and such, but she’s far too smart, and hence doesn’t. I can vaguely appreciate the points made about our head of state being a foreigner, but then issues of nationality and patriotism and such have always seemed slightly suspicious to me – I’ve always instinctively felt that patriotism is but one step from nationalism, and nationalism one step from fascism. Put me down with H.G.Wells – my true nationality is mankind.

So I’m a de-facto Monarchist.

Which is not to say I have any great affection for the Windsors. If the majority of Australians want to kick them to the curb and have a Republic, I have no objections whatsoever. That’s democracy. And it’s going to happen, probably within the next 20 years when all the die hard Monarchists (ie: the Elderly) die off and the die hard Republicans (ie: the Young) take over. It’s inevitable, and is known as progress. On the day the papers are signed and the Australian Monarchy abolished – well I won’t be out there in the crowd cheering, but neither will I be in the crowd booing and hissing. I’ll just be watching the whole hoo-haa on TV, thinking “what a waste of time”, and probably eating a sandwich.

So, my reaction to the Royal Wedding has mostly been one of wishing they’d just get it over with so the TV schedule can get back to normal. Or at least that was the case until the Chaser scandal.

The story in a nutshell. The Australian national broadcaster – the ABC – has purchased two live feeds of the wedding from the BBC. One with commentary by some BBC bigwig, the other without commentary. The commentated feed will be shown on ABC 1, while the uncommentated feed was going to be shown on ABC 2 with local commentary by comedy troupe the Chaser. Was is the operative word as as soon as Clarence House heard about it they whipped off a communiqué to the ABC saying that if the Chaser broadcast wasn’t cancelled, then both feeds would be cut, and the ABC wouldn’t get to show the wedding at all.

This violates what I consider to be one of the most important functions of the Australian Monarchy – leaving us alone to do our own thing. If the monarchy is suddenly going to start interfering in Australian domestic affairs and – even worse – inflicting censorship, then as far as I’m concerned they can go do physically implausible things to themselves. Mocking our (supposed) social superiors is part of the Australian identity, and if the monarchy isn’t willing to go along with that then they no longer represent who we are as a people, and are as redundant as the most rabid Republican claims they are.

So, basically, what I want to say is Queen Elizabeth, if this kind of thing continues you’ve lost my vote!

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