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15th of December, 2009
08:15 pm - Conroy is a Cretin.
The Australian Government has announced it intends to introduce legislation that will make ISP-level filtering mandatory for all refused classification material hosted overseas.
The Government intends to amend the Broadcasting Services Act in August 2010 to enforce the filter, and expects the filter to be operational within a further twelve months.
ISP-level filtering will be mandatory on all RC (refused classification) content hosted overseas, with grants also being made available to those Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that wish to offer further filtering of X18+ sites.
The results of the Government Filtering Trial have also been released.
"In addition to the blacklist, filtering a wider range and volume of material to provide some level of protection to children using the internet [was tested].
Content on the inappropriate for children test list included:
Gambling
Adult
Lingerie/Swimsuit
Drug-advocacy
Nudism
Gross-content
Profanity
Racism/Hate
Sex
Terrorism/Crime"
Swimsuits!?!
Let's just hope the Senate send this one back to the bin where it belongs.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/livid.gif) pissed off
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15th of November, 2009
04:39 am - My regular conspiracy theorist.
Working for a local petrol station these last couple of years has brought me into contact with some diverse people. From former school friends, to a.c.g. alumni to tradies and taxi drivers.
I don't remember how the conversations started but for about the last 6-12 months I've been briefly chatting each night with a delivery driver who I've come to think of as our local Conspiracy Theorist.
Most of the stuff he goes on about I look at with a grain of salt, though I admit to an interest in cryptids and some of our discussions over the existence of a race of giants have been interesting.
He's a bible literalist and is often annoyed when I point out things like there being no archaeological evidence for King Solomon or that if you hold that the Old Testament teachings against homosexuality as true then why is it ok to wear a polycotton shirt?
He's an avowed 9/11 sceptic. Not saying that there weren't planes flown into the buildings, but that there was far more of a conspiracy behind what brought down the buildings than the public has been told. For the most part I just nod and say nothing.
He was also the person who told me about Chemtrails.
This week he dropped off some copies of a few movies for me to watch: Fall of the Republic, The Obama Deception, The Fluoride Deception and Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed. It was this last one that got us into one of our most animated discussions yet. Normally I'll just nod and offer an occasional opinion, like with the giants - mainly because I don't know enough about what he's on about. But this time he found one of my pet annoyances - Intelligent Design Theory. Having followed the debacle of having Intelligent Design proffered as some sort of science and an alternative to Evolution I knew quite a bit of the usual guff trotted out and I think he was surprised at me asking for far more evidence and shooting down what he did provide than normal. IDT is an opinion and there is no means to either prove or disprove this opinion, rendering it a joke science at best. Von Daniken has more science than this stuff. Further discussions will prove interesting.
The last note on this list of fruitcakes is he has apparently applied to run for a Senate seat with the Christian Democrats. At the time I'd forgotten that that was the name of Fred Nile's party. I know he won't be getting a vote from me if he stands.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/wideeyed.gif) awake
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30th of October, 2008
26th of October, 2008
11:59 pm - US politics D&D style
GM: OK, the bugbear attacks you. What do you do?
I did laugh!
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/amused.gif) amused
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14th of October, 2008
02:51 am - Interesting Economics Video
Patrick Byrne, an American economist has apparently been saying for some years now that the economy was going to come to a nasty end. In fact he even says to an incredulous reporter some three years ago that this was going to make Enron look like a tea party.
Clusterfuck or FUBAR? Hard choice really.
Personally I think there's a lot of financial people who need to be taken out the back and shot. Repeatedly.
Seems this guy is one of the few who actually had a clue but no-one wanted to listen.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/sad.gif) pessimistic
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6th of September, 2008
11:24 pm - Politics with Jon Stewart
I've been having a little wander through the archive of the Daily Show and some recent highlights stood out:
Political commentators' hypocrisy. Jon shows how Karl Rove, Bill O'Reilly, and even Sarah Palin herself are quick to change their tune when a Republican candidate is the centre of attention.
Highlights from the John McCain Republican Convention.
Finding out exactly what small town values are.
Ah politics. It's a circus no matter what country you're in.
Current Mood: amused
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14th of July, 2008
10:08 pm - The athletes of wuss
I can remember back in the prelude to the 1980 Olympic games that were going to be held in Moscow, how the American Olympic Team decided (or was told) that they were going to boycott the games. It wasn't just the Americans though; the Japanese, China, West Germany, South Korea and almost fifty countries said *we don't like that you've invaded Afghanistan so we're not going to your party*. I can even remember my Grandmother got one of the little Olympic teddy bears, called Mishka. In the US they had been produced in the thousands. Some clever clogs removed the Olympic belt buckle and rebadged it with an American flag and they sold like hotcakes.
China boycotted the 1956 Melbourne Olympics because we allowed the then "Republic of China" compete under the name Formosa.
Also during the 80s the International Cricket Commission banned South Africa from International cricket because of apartheid. Kim Hughes, who lead the Australian "rebel tour" never played International cricket again.
Yet today, Australian athletes going to Bejing are being warned against taking a green and gold t-shirt that simply says "I support human rights". It might offend the Chinese.
Diddums.
What a bunch of fucking wusses this country has become. We can jump on board the Iraq bandwagon to go and invade a country to remove a potential international threat (though it's patently clear that this was some of the biggest spin since China denied the existence of the Tianenmen Square protests), but when a local power steps up and casually invades its neighbour our political leaders put on the soft shoes in case they might offend someone busy with the pacification of the resisting inhabitants.
Years ago we used to have the guts to stand up and say we thought something was wrong and then actually do something about it, even if only a trade sanction. Today we're a bunch of timid half-arses too scared of possibly offending someone to say more than *pardon me but would you mind if we said we think you should stop that? You would? OK sorry to bother you then*.
Bah.
Current Mood: pissed off
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17th of October, 2007
07:47 pm - History repeating itself
Some 12 years ago, when John Howard was leader of the opposition, he had this to say about then Prime Minister Paul Keating:
"If ever a man has demonstrated before the national forum of the Australian people that he is arrogantly out of touch with how Australians feel it is the Prime Minister today. He has strutted this stage. He has behaved as though he presides like a triumphal successful emperor over the greatest economy that the world has ever seen. And yet the reality, Mr Speaker, is absolutely otherwise. And this kind of insufferable, conceited, arrogant out-of-touch attitude on the Prime Minister's part is not confined of course to the Prime Minister. It runs like a river of deceit right through the whole of the government."
Little Johnny in full rant
Ironic to say the least.
I'll leave you a further pieces of irony. The Prime Miniature loves to go on about his economic management, but seems to conveniently forget that in 1983, on the eve of losing office to Bob Hawke, Howard as the Federal Treasurer had expertly managed the economy so that Australia then had -- 13.5% mortgage interest rates, 10% unemployment, 11.1% on inflation, and he left behind $9.6 billion as a budget deficit.
Sadly this election seems to be about deciding whether we're going to elect a zebra that's white with black stripes or one that's black with white stripes. It's still a fucking zebra.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/annoyed.gif) cynical
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16th of November, 2006
10:43 am - We really are the 51st State
It seems a Lowy Institute poll said the only countries to generate more negative feelings than America were Indonesia, the Middle East, Iran and Iraq.
It's an interesting point that rather than contemplating that three of those currently link to the increasingly unpopular war, the Australian Government has set up a $50 million US Good fact Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. And they're going to pay for half of it.
I'll certainly grant that there are elements of Australia that are anti-American. Many have been since the high-handed involvement of American troops in Australia since the Second World War. (Trivia question for you: name the only country that has insisted upon (and received) having one of its citizens tried under its own laws rather than Australian law at the time?). From what I've heard of Vietnam Veterans the behaviour of American forces did little to endear themselves to Australians during that time either.
Do we really need an educational facility set up to tell us how we should be thinking about Americans? If they want to be seen as "an irreplaceable force for good" then surely setting the example of that would be a start.
As "Borat" claimed to the crowd of a Rodeo audience "we support your war of terror". While it was intended that he would be misunderstood, the fact is it works just as well as written.
Current Mood: cynical
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31st of October, 2006
01:53 pm - Story Links
Umberto Eco in The Sydney Morning Herald writes Political correctness, as much as fundamentalism, is responsible for our state of absurdity.
Weird Al Yankovic talks about *almost* being in the original Star Wars movie.
A UK discussion paper was published this week comes to the shocking conclusion that home taping should be made legal! Glad we sorted that out.
Industial Light & Magic celebrates Halloween in style.
Having successfully incorporated nepotism into the ABC's Board, the Libs are now slagging SBS for "smut...pornography... and fail[ing] to clearly identify and label terrorist organisations to its viewers."
Lastly, MPAA goes into the next step of indoctrination with a merit patch for Boy Scouts who pass the requirements in "respecting copyright".
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/blank.gif) blah
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29th of October, 2006
02:37 pm - Australia 'a nuclear threat'
Ah America, the education of your leaders is to marvelled at, though not for the right reasons.
According to Democrat candidate Harold Ford (Tennessee), Australia is on the list of countries seeking nuclear weapons:
"Here we are in a world today where more countries have access to nuclear weapons than ever before," Mr Ford said, adding that when he left college in 1992 he thought the nuclear age had come to an end "and America would find ways to eliminate the number of chances that a rogue group or a rogue nation would get their hands on nuclear material".
"Today nine countries have it - more than ever before - and 40 are seeking it, including Argentina, Australia and South Africa," he said.
Current Mood: blah
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4th of October, 2006
01:35 pm - The Foley scandal
For those of you who haven't heard about American Senator Mark Foley's outing over explicit texts and emails he was sending to junior pages over the last four years or so, it been a bit of a major stuff up. The fact that he was head of the Committee to prevent the Exploitation of Children make it even more unbelievable. Though the Republicans seem to be using the Catholic Book of Damage control. Though the complaint that removing peadophiles would have them accused of gay-bashing is astounding.
Jon Stewart has some brilliant comments at The Daily Show:
Here and here (Media player links from Comedy central).
Current Mood: amused
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1st of October, 2006
30th of September, 2006
04:05 pm - America the evil?
Bush has, for years, been trying to weasel word his way around the definitions of torture, especially waterboarding. Then the Supreme Court found that the Geneva Conventions against torture applied to both the Taliban and Al Qaida effectively destroying the lie of the "Enemy Combatant" category. Oh Noes!
Since then Dubya and the Bush junta have been working overtime to get new legislation through that will effectively pardon themselves, retrospectively, for any and all crimes they may have committed in pursuit of terrorism.
Rude Pundit put it like this, a couple of days before both House and Senate voted in Bush's carte-blanche bill for torture:
We are in a unique position, here, now, in this America, in that we are in a moment where we confront whether or not we are going to agree to become evil. No, we're not about to have a Kristallnacht or ethnic cleansing (yet). But our government is now trying to figure out just how evil it will be. The decisions to do evil are most often made by well-dressed people in small rooms, men and women who send out others below them to actually commit the evil acts. Most nations' evil is done as part of a program, documented and prepared, xeroxed and signed off on. A contract of sorts that evil will be done.
The very facts that we are engaged in a debate over how much pain, suffering, and humiliation is too much for the human mind and body; that we are arguing over whether to suspend legal principles that were established centuries ago in order to challenge unchecked power; that there simply exists no compelling reason for soldiers to continue to die in a war, all speak to our teetering on the brink of becoming an evil nation.
CNN comments on What sort of country is America becoming?
Even retired military officials are saying this is a Bad ThingTM.
On top of the legalisation of toture, the Bill effectively bars terrorism suspects from challenging their detention or treatment through traditional habeas corpus petitions. They allow prosecutors, under certain conditions, to use evidence collected through hearsay or coercion to seek criminal convictions. The bill rejects the right to a speedy trial and limits the traditional right to self-representation by requiring that defendants accept military defense attorneys. Panels of military officers need not reach unanimous agreement to win convictions, except in death-penalty cases, and appeals must go through a second military panel before reaching a federal civilian court.
More comforting for Americans is the little tid-bid that the Bill doesn't just apply to foreigners: "Any person subject to this chapter who, in breach of an allegiance or duty to the United States, knowingly and intentionally aids an enemy of the United States, or one of the co-belligerents of the enemy, shall be punished as a military commission under this chapter may direct."
Guess who decides if you're an enemy combatant? No surprises really.
And given our lick-spital Prime Miniature's usual embrace of all things Bush we can start passing out the handbaskets and getting bulk discounts on paving stones with "it's for the greater good" or something similar engraved on them.
Fuckers
Current Mood: cynical
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29th of September, 2006
12:58 pm - Politicans who don't know their history
NSW Police Minister Carl Scully defied a ruling that a demonstration of a Taser stun gun inside Parliament House breached parliamentary rules. The rules date back to the time of Charles I.
Scully then claims, "My message to the upper house president is this: I have no doubt that if Cromwell's troops had Taser guns, Charles I would not have been executed."
Sadly it just shows that not only does he come off as arrogant, his grasp on history is a little rusty.
Full article here.
Current Mood: cynical
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25th of September, 2006
05:45 pm - America's Gulag
Prominent historian of the Soviet Union, Kate Brown, is asked some comparative questions about gulags in Russia and America.
It seems the general US populous is a little upset about the sanctioned use of toture by their government. But the Supreme Court said it was illegal. Rather than stop its use they're now trying to change the legislation. Former Generals and former Secretaries of State think this is a Bad IdeaTM. And more Generals.
A little worried by this Shrub is trying to weasle out of it by trying to push through retroactive legislation that gives him and other immunity from the War Crimes Act
Meanwhile Bill Clinton puts a Fox News reporter in his place over accusations that he didn't do enough to capture Bin Laden. Transcript.
Current Mood: crappy
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18th of September, 2006
01:20 pm - Australian values?
With all the waffle going on about "Australian values" at the moment the Sydney Morning Herald has a nice dig.
Are you Aussie enough?
Heh.
Current Mood: amused
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14th of September, 2006
11th of September, 2006
07:33 pm - Ah America
Award-winning documentary 9/11 was due to be broadcast on Sunday night in the US. But due to complaint from the American Family Association about some of the language used by Firefighters during the rescue attempts on the day CBS pulled the screening altogether.
They amaze me over there. They can screen a "docudrama" like The Path to 9/11 which quite clearly makes-up stuff to try and discredit Clinton but show them actual footage and the holier-than-thou types get all affronted.
Maybe they should just make Alaska a religious zone and send all the fundies there.
Current Mood: disappointed
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1st of September, 2006
12:52 am - Keith Olbermann bitchslaps Rumsfeld bigtime
It's refreshing to see some glimmers of resistance to the yawning chasm that Bush and Co. seem to be drawing America into.
Go watch this.
What's he on about? Seems Rummy did some name calling about people who disagreed with the current administration. Saying they were trying to appease "a new type of fascism." Which is one of the heights of irony.
It give me hope for the rest of America.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/happy.gif) impressed
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29th of August, 2006
07:28 pm - Valé Don Chipp
Founder of the Australian Democrats and one of the first to get sick of the "two party preferred" system and manage to do something about it.
I'll be sad to see him gone.
Current Mood: sad
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04:43 pm - Can you say overzealous?
Proving that high-handed security stupidity is not confined to the UK or the US:
iPod prompts airport scare in Ottawa.
And for a first-hand report from the guy who owned the iPod read this.
I suppose he can be thankfull he wasn't wearing a backpack.
Current Mood: annoyed
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23rd of August, 2006
04:12 pm - Interesting links
It seems in the Chinese village of Huangyangtan hosts what must be the strangest military installation have built. A 900x700m scale landscape of the disputed area on the Chinese/Indian border.
Long-lost Jacques Cartier settlement rediscovered at Quebec City. The remains of the fort that predate the 1608 founding.
George Bush now says Iraq had ‘Nothing’ to do with 9/11. Sort of like Weapons of Mass Destruction...
One for ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) mortonhall. New York, done in Lego. I'd love to see and aerial shot of this. It must be huge.
And lastly Red-Hot and Filthy Library Smut. No, not that sort. Perfectly work-safe. Though I'll admit to getting rather excited at some of the photos.
Current Mood: blah
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17th of August, 2006
11:13 pm - Links in lieu of content
While most people now better than to rely on an online translator not so Council officials in Wales.
The debate over what constitutes a planet may soon come to a head with the possibility that the number planets may officially be upped from 9 to 12. Though I'm not happy with the name of "Xena" being atrributed to UB313 as all the planets are named after deities not pop-culture TV shows (Are we going to have planet Erkle? Planet Webster?)
Flying Spagetti Monster sighted!
And not only are British airport security staff refusing liquids on planes, all electronic devices have been banned. Especially USB drives with material by the well known subversive Shakespeare on them!
Current Mood: distracted
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12:38 am - Are we paranoid enough?
Emerging information about the recent UK "liquid bomb" plot seems to point the finger that the British Secret service jumped the gun. Whether they were coerced into getting a big story rather than achieving results is still open to question but seems more likely as details come out.
Craig Murray shares some opinions on the situation.
And just to prove that all this added security dealing with UK flights is really working, a 12 year-old boy manages to get on a plane without either a passport or even a ticket!
While on the subject of passports it seems that AmeriQaida, not satisfied with merely getting biometric data on new passports, also wants to RFID chip them. And as the RFID chips have already shown to be security problems it doesn't really come as a surprise that some idiot wants to push it through without making sure it works first.
Current Mood: cynical
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30th of June, 2006
10:35 am - US Military tribunals illegal
David Hicks is back to square one. Now that the U.S. Supreme Court have ruled the proposed Guantanamo Military Trials illegal, and the British Government won't lift a finger it's now a waiting game to see whether the U.S. will try some sort of new legislation (that will then have to be tested and checked).
He's been locked up longer than some convicted murderers have served and he hasn't even had a trial yet, not to mention he's done nothing illegal under Australian law.
Though the interesting tangent from the Supreme Court ruling was the point that the Geneva Convention applies to the U.S. and the U.S. Military which should have a large effect on the Defence Department's supposed blind eye to torture under certain circumstances. The Convention specifically prohibits torture under any circumstance.
More waiting on this one.
Current Mood: cynical
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20th of June, 2006
04:40 pm - Politics
You really have to wonder how far the current liberal party has gone off the rails when the man who was it's former leader and not above the nasty bits of politics (just ask Gough Witlam) is so adamantly opposed to the current weasel we have running the country.
Read Malcolm Fraser's thoughts on Australia's current brand of inhumanity.
I've wondered, now that they're both older and less "arsehole politician", whether Malcolm Fraser and Paul Keating would make an excellent pair of leaders along the lines of Prime Minister and President that some countries have.
They've got to be better than the current crop of bozos we have running the country.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/thoughtful.gif) contemplative
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8th of June, 2006
07:35 pm - Last night's 7:30 Report
I loved the juxtaposition of last night's 7:30 Report.
Starting off with a look at the current state of the Australian Access Card and how some proponents are saying how much simpler it will be not having the 18 or so different bits of plastic in your wallet.
This was then followed up with a report on Jodie Harris who has notoriously stolen various women's licences and through sheer brazen attitude has managed to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Right near the end Gordon Renouf, Head of the Australian Consumers Association said, "I think this sort of situation demonstrates the danger of having all your identity eggs in one basket. We'd be very concerned that any business or institution was relying on just one document to prove somebody's identity, whether it's a driver's licence or even the proposed Smart Card.
Love it.
Current Mood: cold
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7th of June, 2006
01:04 pm - Linkages
Is the US about to bring in the draft? Well the proposal is certainly in.
Not only that but if they do get called up to fight they won't have to bother with all that New Age hippy Geneva Convention claptrap!
And to distract people from it all Dubya is getting gung-ho about banning gay marriage.
Though of course the Australian Government doesn't have to go to the Senate, it just says no.
Ziggy Switkowski get to head up the "Nuclear Debate" that Australia *has* to have.
Further text within the Antikythera mechanism has been deciphered lending strength to the theory that it's an astronomy calculator.
Current Mood: cynical
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31st of May, 2006
09:53 am - No, you can't have my info after all.
In a turn up for the books the European Court of Justice has ruled that a deal the European Commission made with the US to allow access to passenger's personal information was illegal.
While those who have already travelled will probably still have a record somewhere in the USAnian government, those travelling in the future may only have to deal with one set of bureaucratic red tape.
Much as I'd like to visit the US at some stage, their seeming need to catalogue every human on the planet has dimmed any desire to enter the country.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/yawn.gif) exhausted
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17th of May, 2006
02:30 pm - Those wacky Americans
Looks like the California Legislature has been smoking some really good shit.
New laws passed by the State Senate now requires the insertion of sexual preference into California and American history, even when the information is completely superfluous.
Which brings up the point of being able to verify a person's orientation in the first place. 'Coz we all know Abe Lincoln was gay.
via archmage
Current Mood: cynical
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5th of May, 2006
07:49 am - Victorian Politics
The hot topic of the news this morning seems to be "should Jeff Kennett return to politics?"
Personally I can't see the point: there's no assets left to sell off and privatise.
Current Mood: cynical
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1st of May, 2006
03:25 pm - Bush gets well and truly "roasted".
Comedy Central’s faux talk show host Stephen Colbert presented a "tribute" to President Bush by at the White House Correspondent Dinner Saturday night.
Colbert, who spoke in the guise of his talk show character, who ostensibly supports the president strongly, urged Bush to ignore his low approval ratings, saying they were based on reality, "and reality has a well-known liberal bias."
He attacked those in the press who claim that the shake-up at the White House was merely re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. "This administration is soaring, not sinking," he said. "If anything, they are re-arranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg."
Current Mood: amused
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13th of April, 2006
05:30 pm - Australia's AWB wise Monkeys
Hear no evil
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Speak no evil
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What was I supposed to do again?
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Current Mood: cynical
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12th of April, 2006
05:52 pm - These are the sort of Christians that give everyone a bad name
ATLANTA — Ruth Malhotra went to court last month for the right to be intolerant.
Malhotra says her Christian faith compels her to speak out against homosexuality. But the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she's a senior, bans speech that puts down others because of their sexual orientation.
Malhotra sees that as an unacceptable infringement on her right to religious expression. So she's demanding that Georgia Tech revoke its tolerance policy.
And the best quote of the article: "If gays want to be tolerated, they should knock off the political propaganda".
It just sums up the hypocrisy to a tee.
People like this should really be shipped to an island somwhere. Though trying to find one that would welcome them would be hard. :-/
Current Mood: annoyed
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6th of April, 2006
10:28 pm - British police move up a level on the "over-reacting"scale
Proving that it's not just American law enforcement that need a dose of "get over it", British police detained and questioned a man under Terrorism fears after he requested The Clash's London Calling be played on a taxi's stereo.
Obviously it's awaiting classification by the Ministry of Objectionable Art...
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/pengies/sick.gif) sick
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5th of April, 2006
02:08 pm - Some people need a sense of humour!
Five teenage girls from Portage County face potential criminal charges after attempting to play a real-life version of Super Mario Bros.
The Portage County Hazardous Materials Unit and Bomb Detection Unit were called in to downtown Ravenna on Friday morning after seventeen suspicious packages -- boxes wrapped in gold wrapping paper with question marks spray painted on them -- had alarmed residents.
Oh fer fuck's sake!
Current Mood: annoyed
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29th of March, 2006
12:46 am - A more democratic Afghanistan
It's nice to see that after the effort put into overthrowing the religious zealotry of the Taliban in Afghanistan that the new regime is so much more enlightened.
Abdul Rahman's release from custody over the charge of converting from Islam to Christianity wasn't because the court decided that executing coverts from Islam was wrong. No. The new regime is so much more tolerant. They've released him for being "mentally unfit to stand trial".
It's nice to see all that rioting over cartoons has found a new focus.
Current Mood: cynical
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21st of March, 2006
03:50 pm - This old chestnut again.
Dear Mr. Beazley,
I note that you have dragged out the perennial "the internet is scary and full of pornography" chestnut again. Far be it from me to criticise the parenting ability (or lack thereof) that allows many children access to internet pornography in the first place, I am curious as to how you propose to get the providers to block such content?
I remember Brian Harradine proposing similar legislation years ago that worked on "key word" filtering only to discover that the end result would have have blocked not only legitimate medical websites dealing with things like breast and prostate cancer but his broad inclusion of drug references would have blocked cooking sites, racing sites and sporting sites.
Unless the Federal Government is planning on providing an enormous funding increase to the Office of Film and Literature Classification to sift through every single web page manually (which should probably be completed some time around 2050), it would need to be done with some sort of automated agent. We've already seen the problems involved with using "key word" filtering. So I'm quite interested to know exactly how this breath-taking proposal is to be accomplished.
I look forward to seeing further details on this some time soon.
Yours sincerely,
A former Labor voter.
Current Mood: cynical
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17th of March, 2006
05:20 pm - Some links before the weekend.
The British Parliament is about to legislate itself out of existence (and also make it that much easier for someone with "not good" intentions to take over). Even The Times is concerned.
The USAnian Senate decides that a little more debt is good for America. How much? Up to $9,000,000,000,000 in fact! This makes each citizen's share of this debt is US$27,686.85. Nice.
Meanwhile American issues with homosexual marriages takes a bitch-slap: "Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did not place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible."
In Australia it seems the Government still hasn't found its sense of humour. Richard Neville's satirical website that "featured a soul searching "apology" speech for the Iraq war has been shut down under orders from the Australian Government."
RIAA says future DRM might "Threaten Critical Infrastructure and Potentially Endanger Lives" but even that's not reason enough to allow you to circumvent it.
Lastly Isaac Hayes quits Southpark. Why? It seems that 10 years of slagging off other religions is OK but once you start laying into $cientology "there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins". Uh Huh. First Church of Hypocrisy is the one I think he belongs to.
Current Mood: cynical
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