IRAQ SERMON

wellthese seemed to be the strongest search terms last time I checked the hit counter stats - and the commonest visitors were from North America ".com domains", so I thought i would post something of interest here.

It's a power point i did once on wjether the Iraq war was a "just war" as per Thomas Aquinas - no talk of WMD per se, or blod for oil, or any of that.

Hopefully you can find it here.

If not, let me know in the "Comments" and I'll put it somewhere else.

Democracy isn't working

It is the west's calling card, but its global applicability is now in doubt

WHICH PRESIDENT LIED THE MOST?

Not "which President lied" but "which one lied the most" proving the rule that there are liars, damn liars, and polticians.

As scored by a panel of noted journalists and pundits:

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2003/0309.mendacity-index.html

One guess who wins out of Ronnie Reagan, George Bush Snr, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush (Hint: He doesn't like jelly beans, or liberate Kuwait, or enjoy the company of Whitehouse interns).

MORE MOORE

Gotta love this guy and the controversy he generates. He is a one-man media beacon, that's for sure, in other words, a "heat seeker" (and I don't mean missile)

From The Sydney Morning Herald:

"Conspiracy theorists are, of course, fringe dwellers, but they serve a purpose, pushing the boundaries of cynicism, feeding into the anti-West infotainment industry personified by the obese American filmmaker Michael Moore."

From Slate

"To describe this film as dishonest and demagogic would almost be to promote those terms to the level of respectability. To describe this film as a piece of crap would be to run the risk of a discourse that would never again rise above the excremental. To describe it as an exercise in facile crowd-pleasing would be too obvious. Fahrenheit 9/11 is a sinister exercise in moral frivolity, crudely disguised as an exercise in seriousness. It is also a spectacle of abject political cowardice masking itself as a demonstration of "dissenting" bravery."

And from The Onion

"Michael Moore Kicking Self For Not Filming Last 600 Trips To McDonald's"

BLOG101

From www.faqs.org

fisking: n.
[blogosphere; very common] A point-by-point refutation of a blog entry or (especially) news story. A really stylish fisking is witty, logical, sarcastic and ruthlessly factual; flaming or handwaving is considered poor form. Named after Robert Fisk, a British journalist who was a frequent (and deserving) early target of such treatment. See also MiSTing, anti-idiotarianism

And I thought it was called "rebuttal".

MICHAEL MOORE'S FAULTY LOGIC

In decrying the "R" rating of his new film Fahrenheit 9/11 (which will mean that 17 year olds and under won't be able to see it unless accompanied by an adult, Moore says:

"It is sadly very possible that many 15- and 16-year-olds will be asked and recruited to serve in Iraq in the next couple of years," Moore said in a weekend statement. "If they are old enough to be recruited and capable of being in combat and risking their lives, they certainly deserve the right to see what is going on in Iraq."

This is a classic non-sequiter, neatly linking 15 and 16 year olds with combat in Iraq, thus justifying their viewing of Moore's film. But hang on a minute! 15 and 16 year old aren't recruited for combat, at least in the Western liberal democracies of which Moore is so fond. You have to be at least 18, which is by neat coincidence the age you need to be to see an "R" film.

And is Moore less than sanguine about the Iraq issue? You bet! To be fighting in Iraq, a 15-year old Moore-savvy intellectual provocateur in 2004 will need to be an 18-year old mean, lean fighting machine in 2007. Moore obviously does not think his mission to save Iraq from the US will be successful. Three more years! Gives him the opportunity to milk the controversy with three more Moore films.

DRUGS AND SCHOOLS
Now for an issue close to my heart - drugs (and schools!).

Kenmore State High School is having a bad press run this week thanks to some lovely footage screening on Channel 7.

This footage is an obvious example of what is called in the business a "vexatious complaint"

According to statements from Education Queensland (conveniently ignored in the main "scoop"last night, but given voice at the death of the story by Rod Young), the student who submitted the video to seven MADE IT ALL UP.

It's his revenge you see, as his mates were the ones suspended from the school last month for being naughty children with drugs in the playground. THEY WERE CAUGHT. Who's turning a blind eye now?

No prizes for guessing he's a FILM AND TV STUDENT, as the "mystery student" interviewed by 7 commented on the first class facilities offered by his school in, you guessed it, Film and Television.

Those pesky newshounds at Seven are still rustling up business for their fraudulent story.

How about they fall on their sword like the good editor of the Mirror did in UK, after being caught out publishing fake Iraq photos?

On March 22, 200 Year 12's from Kenmore State High School went off on their annual "convention" to the Sunshine Coast and talked about, among other things, "a whole range of issues including leadership, health issues, drugs and alcohol, and lifestyle choices."

Apparently this isn't good enough for some students. They either didn't attend, or didn't listen to what they were told. Drugs will mess you up. And lying about it will too.

Meanwhile the Queensland Drug and Alcohol Foundation suggests students caught using drugs should not be expelled.

Good idea. First, give schools some more money to run these anti-drug crusades as well as educating the masses on everything from to art to zoology. Then, give all teachers the power to search any student bag at any time so they can more easily find those who need help. Finally, for those who make up lies using the very skills their school has taught them in a pathetic attempt at taking revenge, I have only one word - expulsion.

ALTERNATIVE HISTORY

What would our impression of D-Day have been like if reported by the BBC of 2004 instead of 1944?

Visit Silent Running's wickedly satirical BeebVision to find out.

QUOTE
Eisenhower and Churchill have called this the turning point of the war. Yet the very name of this mass landing, "Overlord", suggests some deeper hidden agenda than merely forcing the Germans to retreat.... Indeed they have made their interest in German military and scientific advances well known.

It is obvious that the German war economy is in tatters, and that Germany is short of both manpower and resources and cannot keep fighting for much longer. So why invade, when a telegraph to Berlin may have been equally effective? Sources close to Hitler have let it be known that an option exists for an honourable end to the conflict, so long as a few guarantees have been met.

POWERFUL CHILDREN

See the news.com.au for a mis-guided view of the role of children in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Harry Potter and Northern Lights.

Thatnk to Atilla the Pun for this link.

MERLIN SAID IT FIRST

Wondering what Merlin Luck(-less) really meant on Big Brother last Sunday night?

Well, check out this picture here!

GOOGLEFIGHT
Check this out! Type in two words and googlefight will search the web with Google to see which has the most hits, and declare a winner. I tried "Mark Latham" vs "John Howard".

See what I got here

WE LIVE IN A DIFFERNT WORLD

"We live in a different world. Censoring it is pointless and, in the long term, damaging." Bryn Grieg, WA Senator, Australian Democrats.

Yes, thank you Senator for your comments. I have been musing on your words for a while now, when I came across this article from the New Zealand Herald. Apparently, the recently appointed leader of the Anglican Church in New Zealand, Bishop Whakahuihui Vercoe, believes homosexuality is "unnatural and immoral and looks forward to a day when a better society, in his view, will find it unacceptable."

The surprise comes in the response. The newspaper, for givingthese comments prominence, has been received the following typical comments:

- As a gay man, I am deeply offended by your headline

- How dare you publish that rubbish on your front page, unless of course you ... are as bigoted, homophobic and out for cheap controversy as your Maori interviewee.

etc etc etc

Well, what about censorship, get your laws off our bodies, blah blah blah. Maybe you're only allowed to say one thing about gays - that you think they are incredibly marvellous and wonderful, witty and urbane, and be all accepting and tolerating and stuff, otherwise SHUT UP!!!

What happened to free speech? freedom of expression? freedom of the press? Remember, "Censoring it is pointless and, in the long term, damaging"

This is not a far-right neo-nazi e-zine we're speaking of, it's NZ's major newspaper.

Read the editor's own defense at http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3571337&thesection=news&thesubsection=dialogue

WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU CROSS STAR WARS WITH RESERVOIR DOG?

Why, Imperial Dogs, of course!

A must listen - "Stuck in a room with R2"

The 213 Things You are No Longer Allowed to Do in the U.S. Army

An oldie but a goodie - my personal favourites:

22. Must never call an SAS a 'Wanker'.

77. The MP checkpoint is not an Imperial Stormtrooper roadblock, so I should not tell them "You don't need to see my identification, these are not the droids you are looking for."

170. Not allowed to 'defect' to OPFOR during training missions.

Enjoy the rest here

STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH

Here is the ABC's "official" response to my concern. Mostly form letter stuff really.


Dear Mr

Thank you for your email about the episode of Play School broadcast on 31 May
2004. The ABC regrets that you were concerned by reports about this program.

In this episode, Play School's regular 'Through the Windows' segment, featured a
trip to an amusement park by two young girls. The girl who narrated the film
made the comment, "My mums are taking me and my friend Meryn to an amusement
park". The segment showed one of the many types of family groups that exist in
Australia today. It included a single verbal reference to the family group,
with the use of the word "mums", and images of the group attending the amusement
park. There was no emphasis or focus placed on any social issue. Any such
constructions are adult constructions.

Play School aims to reflect the diversity of Australian children, embracing all
races, religions and family situations. The 'Through the Window' segments
provide an opportunity to show children the wider world. Previous segments have
included families from a range of social, ethnic, religious and racial
backgrounds. In most cases, the focus is on aspects of family life with any
social, religious, cultural or racial aspects forming the background only. For
example, previous segments have shown a child's christening, celebrating the
Jewish holiday Chanukah (Hanukkah), a Muslim family on a train journey, a child
as bridesmaid at her grandmother's wedding and other experiences.

Each year, the ABC Children's Television department draws on extensive early
childhood advice to present enjoyable and enriching programs for children. We
regret that this episode of Play School has caused you some concern. Please be
assured that your comments have been forwarded to the ABC's Children's
production department so that they may be made aware of your reaction to the
segment.

Thank you for bringing your concerns to the ABC's attention.

Yours sincerely,


Anna Uszko
ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs

FROM THE PEN OF TONY ABBOTT ('S ADVISER)

Just in today:

Dear Mr

Thank you very much for your email of 3 June 2004.

Mr Abbott has read your email and has asked me to thank you for your comments - they are greatly appreciated.

Yours sincerely
Paris Kostakos
Adviser

MORE ON THAT LESBIAN THING

Well, I received an e-mail from Siobhan and unfortunately she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, as I have been resisting formulating any response to my detractors. Howeverm, I cobbled one together and present it as posted to her. Siobhan, if you are burnt as the rocket passes through, then SORRY!



In the interest of balance I have updated my blog and got comments from the mum's involved, the head of children's programming at ABC, and an unfavourable response to me published in the C-M.

What most people are missing is I'm not directly taking a swipe at lesbianism or motherhood, but at the ABC!

As a loving and accepting parent, I reserve the right to monitor what my kids do and don't watch on TV, and what influences they are exposed to. Hence no CSI, Simpsons or Big Brother. These TV shows simply do not promote the kind of values I am interested in seeing my children develop.

In my opinion the ABC crossed the line with its portrayal of lesbian motherhood as what I define as "acceptable lifestyle" for my children to be viewing in the context of Playschool.

As the Senator readily admits, TV has a powerful influence as normalising force. He "came out" as gay, partly supported by what he described as positive images on the tube. However, I do not want my children to grow up to become lesbians, or Hare Krishnas, or One Nation Party voters. So, while recognising that these are valid life-choices for people of sincere faith, my duty as a parent is to see my own children grow up in an environment which promotes the values that I believe in. No reasonable, responsible parent, straight or gay, would behave otherwise. This means Play School is now suspect.

I readily admit that bias is that which you don't agree with, and acknowledge Play School has shown Christening, Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs etc with no complaints from me. But in the name of "diversity", will we see Mr Habib with his four wives dressed in Burkhas, as simply "another expression of what it means to be Australian" appear on children's television next? Where do we draw the line, or not at all, as the Senator suggests that all forms of censorship is wrong?

The ABC is answerable to the public for its programming choices, and its test of integrity is whether or not it uses children's TV as a lever for its own value system, especially when this does not square with the majority of Australians (witness the volumes of mail going into the ABC on this issue).

Children's TV is NOT the place for thrashing out these issues. Debate on the nature and values of our society is much better carried out in other ways.

Let's not get emotive about this. People can be lesbians if they want to - it's not up to me to decide for them, and as far as they're concerned about me I could probably go and get a life. However, if you are going to interpret your whole identity through your sexuality like our friend the Senator then maybe my ideas may seem inflammatory.

I apologise for that. Nevertheless, I return to my main idea that lesbianism / homosexuality it is something that is just not for me, nor do I prefer it for my family, and neither do I want to see it on my children's ABC.

And if you want some really right wing views go and visit
http://timblair.spleenville.com

WHAT HAS, ER, TIM BLAIR GOT TO SAY ABOUT THAT?

Read about it here

WARNING:
Contains Explicit Right Wing Views
Reader Discretion Advised

KEEP POLITICS OUT OF CHILDREN'S TV

Well, the story just keeps on coming. Let's hope it dies out soon!

I have been sledged again, this time by a fellow letter writer to The Courier-Mail.

STEPHEN (Letters, June 5) is worried about what sort of message his kids might get from seeing the occassional lesbian or two on TV, but he should be more worried about what sort of message they get from his reaction. Their chances of keeping sexuality in any sort of healthy perspective would surely be diminished by the sight of Daddy freaking out about two women who aren't even shown touching each other. The best message we can send to our kids is that sex is one important aspect among many of a rich and healthy life. Let's not get quite so worked up about it.
- Neil McCrossin, Deagon
June 6

Well, I've been told off by a Senator Bryna Greig (Democrats, WA) and now by Neil McCrossin of Deagon, so I better keep my big mouth shut and my opinions to myself. If only I'd said how great everything was with the world then everyone who love me - although I'd probably be accused of being "unrealistic". You can't win!

THE ABC'S TAKE ON THE ISSUE

See here for their reasoning, especially the following paragraphs:

Play School aims to reflect the diversity of Australian children, embracing all manner of race, religions and family situations.

Segments have included families from a range of social, ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds. In most cases the focus is on aspects of family life with social, religious, cultural or racial aspects forming the background only.

However, there have also been segments on a child's christening, celebrating the Jewish holiday Chunakah (Hannukah), a Muslim family, a child as bridesmaid at her grandmother's wedding and similar circumstances.