Just back from two weeks in South East Asia, Thailand and Laos.
What impressed was the vitality of the people, here in Melbourne, we are so sombre and serious.
In Thailand, despite the political troubles, a giant elephant in the room, if you will excuse the pun, the people are mostly content to enjoy life, good food, good company, good family ethos.
We spent most of the time in my wife’s village, 8 kilometres from the heart of Khon Kaen in Issan area of Thailand (the north east). Aunts and uncles, cousins, grandmother and her parents all lived within a couple of hundred metres.
As a gregarious family, there were also many friends/neighbours whose company was enjoyed – how often? Every meal, there would be a minimum of 10 people sharing the dishes on offer, this included first meal of the day aka breakfast (I hesitate to call it breakfast as there was no toast or cornflakes or weeties on offer). The cry of “gin khao” ( “eat rice” , literally) was the call to come and join in the dining.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Population growth in Australian
Population politics is back in vogue including elements of the White Australia policy (how so last millenium).
One, 90 odd percent of the population are immigrants or descendants of immigrants- should our forefathers restricted migration to pommy prisoners and their guards? I don't think so.
Two, modern migration is remarkably strict and thus Australia gets a better class of new citizens than some of the offspring of current residents.
Three, we will need more people to look after our aging population.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Catherine Deveny & VEXNEWS
Catherine Deveny has been attacked in this article
http://www.vexnews.com/news/8501/ramadge-be-praised-the-age-finally-draws-the-line-at-devenys-anti-catholic-bull/comment-page-1/#comment-33839
My comment which may or may not be published is as follows:
Deveny’s contentions that the catholic church is “a cult about power, control and discrimination” is spot on. Opus dei, the spanish inquisition are examples of power and control. Discrimination is rife, no women allowed to perform the important sacraments, gays excluded from certain rites.
Even Mary McKillop was ostracised by the men of the church way back but because of politics has now been elevated to sainthood (because of “miracles”, note that one of John Paul’s miracles is falling over even as we speak!).
It is a sorry day when the minority of the population that attend church can covertly coerce editors and dictate what we read
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
http://www.vexnews.com/news/8501/ramadge-be-praised-the-age-finally-draws-the-line-at-devenys-anti-catholic-bull/comment-page-1/#comment-33839
My comment which may or may not be published is as follows:
Deveny’s contentions that the catholic church is “a cult about power, control and discrimination” is spot on. Opus dei, the spanish inquisition are examples of power and control. Discrimination is rife, no women allowed to perform the important sacraments, gays excluded from certain rites.
Even Mary McKillop was ostracised by the men of the church way back but because of politics has now been elevated to sainthood (because of “miracles”, note that one of John Paul’s miracles is falling over even as we speak!).
It is a sorry day when the minority of the population that attend church can covertly coerce editors and dictate what we read
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Justifiable homicide??
The murder of a person in Dubai, which is alleged to have been perpetrated by the isreali (un)secret service mossad, has been supported by some.
The people who support this murder have not thought it through. If it is okay to assassinate (the phrase being used to describe the crime), then the logical extension is to say that as long as you think the action is justified then go right ahead and kill whomever you want!
Jews, muslims & christian have been at each others throats for millenia. The christians haven't been overt in the middle east since the time of the crusades, but now are being sneaky by using israel as their proxy against the muslims.
The recent killing may have stopped one arms deal but it won't stop them all and will only increase tension between hamas (who won an election just like george w bush won an election) and israel.
Further, the use of fraudulent passports is damaging the israeli's international relations.
I had said that murder is murder and received these responses:
"So you wouldn't use all necessary force to stop someone killing you or your loved ones? Glib fibs about Israel are never OK."
and
"So when the Germans invaded Poland and we helped boot them out & kick their butt, that was all unjustified murder? Give me a break"
The first quote is the question that has always been asked of conscientious objectors to war, the true response is that a rational, caring human being would on the spur of the moment use as little force as possible to rescue their loved one or stop oneself being killed. It does not mean sneaking around and killing the possible perpetrator. Pre-mediated killing is always murder.
WW2 was, as has been every war, an exercise in greed and hatred. There were elements of unjustified murder, the dresden fire bombings, the atomic bombs, the V2 rockets, the battle of britain, the bombing of darwin, please note that both sides went over the top with the killing of people. The atrocities of the bridge on the river kwai and the totally inhuman Holocaust are too much to think of.
BUT - the people responsible for these evils were treated properly, by being tried in a court, not assassinated!
One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. Hamas, I imagine, consider the mossad to be a terrorist organisation and vice versa.
It is interesting to hear the israeli government say that there is no evidence linking israel to the murder. I say, if the intelligence service could cover it up properly then they have failed in the job!!
the level of sophistication shown indicated that the resources on a nation were required to commit the crime and all the indicators are that an enemy of hamas did it - who is hamas's enemy??
there is no place for extra-judicial killings
The people who support this murder have not thought it through. If it is okay to assassinate (the phrase being used to describe the crime), then the logical extension is to say that as long as you think the action is justified then go right ahead and kill whomever you want!
Jews, muslims & christian have been at each others throats for millenia. The christians haven't been overt in the middle east since the time of the crusades, but now are being sneaky by using israel as their proxy against the muslims.
The recent killing may have stopped one arms deal but it won't stop them all and will only increase tension between hamas (who won an election just like george w bush won an election) and israel.
Further, the use of fraudulent passports is damaging the israeli's international relations.
I had said that murder is murder and received these responses:
"So you wouldn't use all necessary force to stop someone killing you or your loved ones? Glib fibs about Israel are never OK."
and
"So when the Germans invaded Poland and we helped boot them out & kick their butt, that was all unjustified murder? Give me a break"
The first quote is the question that has always been asked of conscientious objectors to war, the true response is that a rational, caring human being would on the spur of the moment use as little force as possible to rescue their loved one or stop oneself being killed. It does not mean sneaking around and killing the possible perpetrator. Pre-mediated killing is always murder.
WW2 was, as has been every war, an exercise in greed and hatred. There were elements of unjustified murder, the dresden fire bombings, the atomic bombs, the V2 rockets, the battle of britain, the bombing of darwin, please note that both sides went over the top with the killing of people. The atrocities of the bridge on the river kwai and the totally inhuman Holocaust are too much to think of.
BUT - the people responsible for these evils were treated properly, by being tried in a court, not assassinated!
One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. Hamas, I imagine, consider the mossad to be a terrorist organisation and vice versa.
It is interesting to hear the israeli government say that there is no evidence linking israel to the murder. I say, if the intelligence service could cover it up properly then they have failed in the job!!
the level of sophistication shown indicated that the resources on a nation were required to commit the crime and all the indicators are that an enemy of hamas did it - who is hamas's enemy??
there is no place for extra-judicial killings
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Vic v NSW on attacks on Indian students
When I was a student, the study of statistics was fundamental to my course.
The adage "there are lies, damned lies and statistics" was drummed into us to highlight the fact that statistical numbers can be manipulated to tell what ever story you want.
Attacks on convenience store workers, public transport riders, taxi drivers and people just walking along the street are abhorrent and should be condemned.
Given that there will always be some crime in society, those attacks need to be analysed to determine what patterns are emerging.
If 50% of the taxis being operated between midnight and 6 am on Fridays and Saturdays are being driven by Indian students, then you would expect that 50% of attacks on taxi drivers would be against those drivers.
As an aside, given the usual inebriation of taxi passengers at that time of night and the often appalling lack of knowledge of the layout of Melbourne, the level of "aggro" at these times will often end in violence.
Similarly, given the preponderance of students from the sub-continent in servos and convenience stores during the times when opportunistic crimes occur, then, of course, they will feature heavily in the crime figures.
I am no fan of John Brummy (sic) but the attack on Victoria's safety record by the new premier of NSW is uncalled for. The relative crime rate in NSW is roughly twice that of Victoria, but because of the popularity of Victoria for overseas students we see them representing a discernable proportion of the numbers in Victoria.
The adage "there are lies, damned lies and statistics" was drummed into us to highlight the fact that statistical numbers can be manipulated to tell what ever story you want.
Attacks on convenience store workers, public transport riders, taxi drivers and people just walking along the street are abhorrent and should be condemned.
Given that there will always be some crime in society, those attacks need to be analysed to determine what patterns are emerging.
If 50% of the taxis being operated between midnight and 6 am on Fridays and Saturdays are being driven by Indian students, then you would expect that 50% of attacks on taxi drivers would be against those drivers.
As an aside, given the usual inebriation of taxi passengers at that time of night and the often appalling lack of knowledge of the layout of Melbourne, the level of "aggro" at these times will often end in violence.
Similarly, given the preponderance of students from the sub-continent in servos and convenience stores during the times when opportunistic crimes occur, then, of course, they will feature heavily in the crime figures.
I am no fan of John Brummy (sic) but the attack on Victoria's safety record by the new premier of NSW is uncalled for. The relative crime rate in NSW is roughly twice that of Victoria, but because of the popularity of Victoria for overseas students we see them representing a discernable proportion of the numbers in Victoria.
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