What is Wonko on about now I hear you ask. Why does 'human' have no 'e'? Is he on drugs?
No, but he'd feel better if he was.
The words 'human' and 'humane' seem remarkably similar, at first view. But there is in fact a world of difference - and I don't just mean the spelling.
It is the HUMAN that is responsible for this monstrosity - Spanish Bull Cloned
Spain, in it's infinite HUMAN-ness (which is unrelated to HUMANE) have cloned a particularly fierce bull so that bull-fighting may perpetuate it's own variety of horrendous blood spilling.
All Spanish people should be ashamed at this absolute mis-use of science.
Bullfighting is the barbaric throwback to the stupid in charge of the cowardly. The torturous killing of a bull under the auspices of 'sport' belongs in the sorry history of a country proudly aiming for HUMANE rather than HUMAN.
Spain, however, prefers the word without the 'e'.
Plenty of people in Spain abhor this spectacle of cruelty. But plenty, it would seem, still relish in it. Like cannibals slicking their lips at the thought of eating their enemies sexual organs, they perpetuate this violence.
There is a big difference between HUMAN and HUMANE. And the E stands for ESPAÑOLES - and that is the difference between human and humane. Take away the 'e' and give it to the Spanish.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Global Warning and All That Jazz
Many people in the world are beginning to stress out about the number of earthquakes, volcanic activity and of course global warming. Counter balancing them are those who argue that there is no global warming and if there is then it is just a naturally cyclic event anyway, and definitely the number of earthquakes and eruptions is not unusual - just better reported.
Both sides of this argument have merit but I am not about to take sides.
My point is rather that we should be taking note of all of these events as a reminder that we are all residents of a living planet. It is not just a bunch of dirt that we can abuse to fulfill our own greedy materialistic desires. It is a fragile ecology that runs delicately and with its own rules.
The planet, in short, can not be taken for granted. Whether or not there are more earthquakes or volcanoes erupting is less important than recognizing that they are a normal and unavoidable part of a living planet that can shudder and shake without our help. Whether or not global warming is cyclic or not, as a general rule the human race pollutes the atmosphere and the earth with all manner of poisons and chemicals - all of which may hasten or hinder the normal operation of earths finely balanced ecosystem.
This is not a lump of rock to be used and abused, a resource to be exploited - it is our home and the only home we are likely to have in the foreseeable future. This is the great message of the Volcanoes, of the earthquakes, of the tsunamis. It is not some religious threat. It is simple fact.
Or to quote King Henry :
Both sides of this argument have merit but I am not about to take sides.
My point is rather that we should be taking note of all of these events as a reminder that we are all residents of a living planet. It is not just a bunch of dirt that we can abuse to fulfill our own greedy materialistic desires. It is a fragile ecology that runs delicately and with its own rules.
The planet, in short, can not be taken for granted. Whether or not there are more earthquakes or volcanoes erupting is less important than recognizing that they are a normal and unavoidable part of a living planet that can shudder and shake without our help. Whether or not global warming is cyclic or not, as a general rule the human race pollutes the atmosphere and the earth with all manner of poisons and chemicals - all of which may hasten or hinder the normal operation of earths finely balanced ecosystem.
This is not a lump of rock to be used and abused, a resource to be exploited - it is our home and the only home we are likely to have in the foreseeable future. This is the great message of the Volcanoes, of the earthquakes, of the tsunamis. It is not some religious threat. It is simple fact.
Or to quote King Henry :
Never Spit On Your Own Doorstep
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Political Correctness is the New Prejudice
All too often in this world, there is someone ready to be offended on someone else's behalf. And that is wrong - very wrong. Because it often leads to embarrassment, bad feeling and misery.
Take the example of Roy Amor.
He joked with a friend. It was his friend that he joked with. His friend was not offended because his friend knew it was a joke. They were, in the great Australian tradition, mates. Unlike many Australians, Roy was not afraid to be friends with others. The fact that his friend was a different colour to him did not affect their relationship. It wouldn't because neither Roy nor his friend were racists.
Yet Roy is now dead.
The reason Roy is dead is because of racism - don't doubt it. But not his racism.
A passerby overhead Roy's joke with his friend. And while his friend laughed with Roy as mates do - genuinely and with affection - the passerby did not. The passerby elected to be offended on behalf of Roy's friend and raised the joke as the act of a racist and Roy was thus the subject of an investigation.
Roy, the non-racist, whose friendship with others cared not for their race, colour or creed, felt so intimidated by the allegations of racism that he committed suicide.
The passerby, for whom colour was obviously an issue yet who considers themselves non-racist, must now consider the degree to which they are responsible for Roy's death.
Roy should not has committed suicide. It was not a reasonable thing to do. Plainly, he must have had other problems, other concerns on his mind. Clearly, there was much in Roy's life that influenced him. This case of political correctness gone mad just pushed the balance.
But that's the problem with taking on other people's 'offendedness'. Being offended on someone else's behalf might well be a good thing - we should all be offended at racism. But it is important to do so only when there is good reason. In other words, when there actually is a victim who is offended.
Many years ago, I worked with a close knit group of people. An obviously faked performance report was created for one in the group in a manner calculated to create much merriment with the person. It did. They were ecstatic and very pleased. A manager saw the report and the 'victim' was extremely embarrassed by the fiasco that followed which involved the flaying alive and severe tongue-lashing of the 'culprits'. Needless to say, the 'victim' was very upset. Not by the joke of which they fully approved, but by the result of the manager offended on their behalf. A manager who didn't even have the brains or consideration to talk to the 'victim' about it.
In Roy's case, as has been said, there were probably other things going on in his life or his mind that contributed to his death. But think about it - we all have other things going on in our lives. Who else will die because someone projects their own special variety of prejudice on someone else?
You cannot generalize in such situations. Humour, especially, is a very subjective thing. It is not something you can legislate on. If John (very tall) Cleese makes a joke about short people, a thousand people will be offended on behalf of the short. Yet if Ronnie Corbett tells the same joke, no-one is offended. Steady Eddy could see the humour in his disability - or at least in what others with prejudice call a disability. Should we stone him? What if he was 'normal' - can we stone him then?
Racism - like most ISMs - is not right and should not be tolerated. People, especially in the workplace or the school - should not be subjected to racism, bullying, sexism or any other discriminatory treatment. We need zero tolerance.
But we need to be zero tolerant to discriminatory treatment. In Roy's friend's case, there was no discrimination. Except against Roy.
Political Correctness surely is the new prejudice.
Take the example of Roy Amor.
He joked with a friend. It was his friend that he joked with. His friend was not offended because his friend knew it was a joke. They were, in the great Australian tradition, mates. Unlike many Australians, Roy was not afraid to be friends with others. The fact that his friend was a different colour to him did not affect their relationship. It wouldn't because neither Roy nor his friend were racists.
Yet Roy is now dead.
The reason Roy is dead is because of racism - don't doubt it. But not his racism.
A passerby overhead Roy's joke with his friend. And while his friend laughed with Roy as mates do - genuinely and with affection - the passerby did not. The passerby elected to be offended on behalf of Roy's friend and raised the joke as the act of a racist and Roy was thus the subject of an investigation.
Roy, the non-racist, whose friendship with others cared not for their race, colour or creed, felt so intimidated by the allegations of racism that he committed suicide.
The passerby, for whom colour was obviously an issue yet who considers themselves non-racist, must now consider the degree to which they are responsible for Roy's death.
Roy should not has committed suicide. It was not a reasonable thing to do. Plainly, he must have had other problems, other concerns on his mind. Clearly, there was much in Roy's life that influenced him. This case of political correctness gone mad just pushed the balance.
But that's the problem with taking on other people's 'offendedness'. Being offended on someone else's behalf might well be a good thing - we should all be offended at racism. But it is important to do so only when there is good reason. In other words, when there actually is a victim who is offended.
Many years ago, I worked with a close knit group of people. An obviously faked performance report was created for one in the group in a manner calculated to create much merriment with the person. It did. They were ecstatic and very pleased. A manager saw the report and the 'victim' was extremely embarrassed by the fiasco that followed which involved the flaying alive and severe tongue-lashing of the 'culprits'. Needless to say, the 'victim' was very upset. Not by the joke of which they fully approved, but by the result of the manager offended on their behalf. A manager who didn't even have the brains or consideration to talk to the 'victim' about it.
In Roy's case, as has been said, there were probably other things going on in his life or his mind that contributed to his death. But think about it - we all have other things going on in our lives. Who else will die because someone projects their own special variety of prejudice on someone else?
You cannot generalize in such situations. Humour, especially, is a very subjective thing. It is not something you can legislate on. If John (very tall) Cleese makes a joke about short people, a thousand people will be offended on behalf of the short. Yet if Ronnie Corbett tells the same joke, no-one is offended. Steady Eddy could see the humour in his disability - or at least in what others with prejudice call a disability. Should we stone him? What if he was 'normal' - can we stone him then?
Racism - like most ISMs - is not right and should not be tolerated. People, especially in the workplace or the school - should not be subjected to racism, bullying, sexism or any other discriminatory treatment. We need zero tolerance.
But we need to be zero tolerant to discriminatory treatment. In Roy's friend's case, there was no discrimination. Except against Roy.
Political Correctness surely is the new prejudice.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The Sick Australia
I am sorry to say that I am rapidly become disenchanted with Australia.
But it's not the people, per say, and definitely not the country. It's the government - which includes the bureaucratic thieves and other criminals who treat Australians with contempt.
Consider then, the case of Rebecca Doig and her family.
She has early onset dementia. I am not going to go into the details - read the above link.
What I will say is that Australia is failing these people as I personally know it has failed many others. Pensioners live in their own faeces because those with the power to change it sit back on their fat behinds picking their noses with one hundred dollar bills that they have 'earnt' in their so-called social security jobs.
People are run into the ground caring for others - and receive nothing for it. I saw a wonderful t-shirt the other day. It summed the situation up beautifully.
No Overtime
No Public Holidays
No Annual Leave
No Long Service Leave
No Superannuation
Hours - 24x7
$1.73 per hour
The biggest rub of these is the 'No Superannuation'. Not only do carers lose their present - they lose their future as well. And our government doesn't give a damn.
And Rebecca Doig doesn't even get a pension.
I curse them all for lining their own pockets while letting those in need suffer.
It is the Sick Australia.
And if you don't like it - then start lobbying Centrelink, as a starting point, for change.
But it's not the people, per say, and definitely not the country. It's the government - which includes the bureaucratic thieves and other criminals who treat Australians with contempt.
Consider then, the case of Rebecca Doig and her family.
She has early onset dementia. I am not going to go into the details - read the above link.
What I will say is that Australia is failing these people as I personally know it has failed many others. Pensioners live in their own faeces because those with the power to change it sit back on their fat behinds picking their noses with one hundred dollar bills that they have 'earnt' in their so-called social security jobs.
People are run into the ground caring for others - and receive nothing for it. I saw a wonderful t-shirt the other day. It summed the situation up beautifully.
The biggest rub of these is the 'No Superannuation'. Not only do carers lose their present - they lose their future as well. And our government doesn't give a damn.
And Rebecca Doig doesn't even get a pension.
I curse them all for lining their own pockets while letting those in need suffer.
It is the Sick Australia.
And if you don't like it - then start lobbying Centrelink, as a starting point, for change.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Earth - The Planet That Eats Children
Perhaps 'eats' is not right, but let's face it, we come pretty close in terms of our sick behaviour to children. We rape them, we beat them, we murder them and we leave them to starve. You doubt it?
Take the case of Sangeeta Persaud who suffered from convulsions. Now convulsions are a terrible thing to experience and especially for a child. So what medical treatment did she receive? Well if you followed the link you'd know. She received an exorcism to get rid of the naughty demons that were possessing her. She died as a result of that exorcism. Unfortunately the only demons were those who were allowed to kill her through their own ignorance.
Then, there is the case of Garsha Wilson. How did the world treat this poor young thing? She was raped, strangled and then buried alive. Twelve years old and subjected to this.
But it gets worse. Ilham Mahdi al Assi was forced into marriage at just 13 years old and split open internally by the sexual invasion of her husband. It was rape. Some religious groups do not consider forced sexual intercourse to be rape when the criminal act is perpetrated by the woman (or in this case, child's) husband.
Quite apart from these incidents - not isolated incidents either - there are also the 24,000 children who die every day - needlessly.
The biggest crime here - and the reason for my title - is that the world sits smugly back and lets it all happen. We feel token outrage - sometimes - but don't lift a finger to change it. We let religious groups perpetrate astonishing cruelty because we somehow feel that they have some God-given 'right' to do so. And we stuff ourselves stupid with chocolate Easter eggs when a child dies every four seconds.
We might as well be the planet that eats children. We certainly take no real trouble or effort to protect them.
Planet Earth, I am ashamed of you.
Take the case of Sangeeta Persaud who suffered from convulsions. Now convulsions are a terrible thing to experience and especially for a child. So what medical treatment did she receive? Well if you followed the link you'd know. She received an exorcism to get rid of the naughty demons that were possessing her. She died as a result of that exorcism. Unfortunately the only demons were those who were allowed to kill her through their own ignorance.
Then, there is the case of Garsha Wilson. How did the world treat this poor young thing? She was raped, strangled and then buried alive. Twelve years old and subjected to this.
But it gets worse. Ilham Mahdi al Assi was forced into marriage at just 13 years old and split open internally by the sexual invasion of her husband. It was rape. Some religious groups do not consider forced sexual intercourse to be rape when the criminal act is perpetrated by the woman (or in this case, child's) husband.
Quite apart from these incidents - not isolated incidents either - there are also the 24,000 children who die every day - needlessly.
The biggest crime here - and the reason for my title - is that the world sits smugly back and lets it all happen. We feel token outrage - sometimes - but don't lift a finger to change it. We let religious groups perpetrate astonishing cruelty because we somehow feel that they have some God-given 'right' to do so. And we stuff ourselves stupid with chocolate Easter eggs when a child dies every four seconds.
We might as well be the planet that eats children. We certainly take no real trouble or effort to protect them.
Planet Earth, I am ashamed of you.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Beware - As you leave this site you are entering the Asylum
If I didn't already know, then today I would have most certainly been made aware of it.
The world has gone mad.
Man's best friend (next to dog) has become his greatest enemy - bringing new meaning to the old expression 'tits up'. Breast implant bombs new terror device.
Then, there's the case of the scanner guy who is in danger of getting sued for allegedly looking a little too appreciatively at a set of the (apparently potentially deadly) baubles. If she had been a terrorist, would he have been a hero rather than a villain?
On a different tact (though possibly not unrelated to breast feeding) there's the announcement that some women are born bad mums. Interesting concept. It suggests that mothers might actually be human. Are we ready for such a thing? Does that mean that some fathers might be born bad fathers? And if so, have they told this guy yet?
Perhaps 'born to be bad' is rather an excuse.....
Then, of course, it's not always reasonable to blame the parents anyway. No doubt these obnoxious little yobs will claim a 'bad childhood' later on in life after they have murdered, bullied and raped their way through to the adult courts.
Sigh. The world really has gone mad.
The world has gone mad.
Man's best friend (next to dog) has become his greatest enemy - bringing new meaning to the old expression 'tits up'. Breast implant bombs new terror device.
Then, there's the case of the scanner guy who is in danger of getting sued for allegedly looking a little too appreciatively at a set of the (apparently potentially deadly) baubles. If she had been a terrorist, would he have been a hero rather than a villain?
On a different tact (though possibly not unrelated to breast feeding) there's the announcement that some women are born bad mums. Interesting concept. It suggests that mothers might actually be human. Are we ready for such a thing? Does that mean that some fathers might be born bad fathers? And if so, have they told this guy yet?
Perhaps 'born to be bad' is rather an excuse.....
Then, of course, it's not always reasonable to blame the parents anyway. No doubt these obnoxious little yobs will claim a 'bad childhood' later on in life after they have murdered, bullied and raped their way through to the adult courts.
Sigh. The world really has gone mad.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Victims of Child Abuse
The trouble that pedophiles cause is almost incalculable. The harm they cause to children is ungovernable.
Yet the world does little to stop them.
It is true that some are caught and jailed, but that rarely solves the problem.
For a start, jail does not rehabilitate them. More often than not, they get to indulge their perversions socially with others of a similar ilk. They emerge better trained and more able to carry out their abuses with even less chance of detection.
Then, of course, pedophilia is a crime but one highly related to a mental sickness. The sexual desire of children is a mental health issue - so punishment is not going to change it.
Perhaps most importantly, no real effort seems to go into understanding why people turn out to be sexual predators of children. The 10 year old angel turns into Mr Baldy or Mr Nasty - but why? What causes this degradation in their moral, ethical and/or sexual nature? Find out and maybe we can stop it.
We need to understand and so prevent rather than trying to apply band-aid after-the-event solutions.
But not all victims of child abuse are children.
Consider the case of Sarah Monahan who claims abuse on the set of the TV show 'Hey Dad'.
Read the above link and you'll see the key points are:
* Man "fondled and exposed himself"
* Won't say if man was cast or crew
* Didn't talk for fear of job loss
Because (for various reasons and probably most of them quite justifiable) she will not identify the perpetrator, the other members of the show are now suspects.
Without being arrested, without a court hearing and without a sentence being handed down, all other males in that show - on camera or off - are now suspected pedophiles.
In fact, they are all (except one) VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE. Because their characters and their careers and their private lives are now on the burner, fingers are pointing, relationships are at risk.
The pedophile (I am assuming the assertion to be true for the moment) has not only impact that poor child but also all those around her.
The Victims of Child Abuse are more than just the children.
Parents accused of abuse but found innocent (or worse, unproven) are victims. Family friends are now suspects - even when no abuse is reported. The man who bends to a child crying in the street is now at risk.
We must do something about these perverts who are pedophiles.
We must find out WHY they are and then implement safeguards so that we do not create more. It is not sufficient to just lock people up.
We need to spend the money. For our kids, for ourselves, for our future.
Yet the world does little to stop them.
It is true that some are caught and jailed, but that rarely solves the problem.
For a start, jail does not rehabilitate them. More often than not, they get to indulge their perversions socially with others of a similar ilk. They emerge better trained and more able to carry out their abuses with even less chance of detection.
Then, of course, pedophilia is a crime but one highly related to a mental sickness. The sexual desire of children is a mental health issue - so punishment is not going to change it.
Perhaps most importantly, no real effort seems to go into understanding why people turn out to be sexual predators of children. The 10 year old angel turns into Mr Baldy or Mr Nasty - but why? What causes this degradation in their moral, ethical and/or sexual nature? Find out and maybe we can stop it.
We need to understand and so prevent rather than trying to apply band-aid after-the-event solutions.
But not all victims of child abuse are children.
Consider the case of Sarah Monahan who claims abuse on the set of the TV show 'Hey Dad'.
Read the above link and you'll see the key points are:
* Man "fondled and exposed himself"
* Won't say if man was cast or crew
* Didn't talk for fear of job loss
Because (for various reasons and probably most of them quite justifiable) she will not identify the perpetrator, the other members of the show are now suspects.
Without being arrested, without a court hearing and without a sentence being handed down, all other males in that show - on camera or off - are now suspected pedophiles.
In fact, they are all (except one) VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE. Because their characters and their careers and their private lives are now on the burner, fingers are pointing, relationships are at risk.
The pedophile (I am assuming the assertion to be true for the moment) has not only impact that poor child but also all those around her.
The Victims of Child Abuse are more than just the children.
Parents accused of abuse but found innocent (or worse, unproven) are victims. Family friends are now suspects - even when no abuse is reported. The man who bends to a child crying in the street is now at risk.
We must do something about these perverts who are pedophiles.
We must find out WHY they are and then implement safeguards so that we do not create more. It is not sufficient to just lock people up.
We need to spend the money. For our kids, for ourselves, for our future.
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