The totally off-topic thread

[beefarmer]

Ouch. That stung 

Nah..........................

 

[JohnM]

Have started packing.... leave in just over 3 weeks.

Whoops - does that mean I need to start packing too .

 

[cove]

"She was the PTA mom everyone knew" is a six part story that has just started in the LA Times. We lived in Irvine California in 1984 and loved most of the differences between Perth and Irvine. She has an enemy it seems.

 

[RooFlyer]

I only bought it to read the articles.

 

[Warks]

Is it just me or do others feel like they should bring back the stocks and public floggings when you see this?

 

[Hvr]

I only bought it to read the articles.

Are they hardwood trees near the cabin?

 

[love_the_life]

I only bought it to read the articles.

That's your story and you're sticking to it

 

[love_the_life]

Is it just me or do others feel like they should bring back the stocks and public floggings when you see this?

Yep, it annoys me intensely.

 

[medhead]

Please don't let us get into to the 'compassion' thing. 'Compassion' got a whole lot of people drowned.

The proposed changes to 18C will allow public debate to go ahead and not have members of the public being ruined for merely expressing an opinion which some-one decides has offended them. How can anyone defend 18C as it presently is when those poor uni kids are currently having their lives and careers ruined? I didn't see "f*gg*t and d*ke " amongst what they said on facebook!

Clearly you don't actually understand 18C - It is about offending, insult, etc. ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOUR, or something else that is race related.

Insulting someone who is LBGTI because of their sexuality has ZERO to do with 18C.

Such a fundamental failure....???

Well, it seems that the Human Rights Commission need not investigate anything then. Its all obvious! "Everyone" knows ... . But tThose students didn't say anything approaching "stupid pink $%#%^" or even , "stupid $%#%^", did they?

Just a pity that the HRC had their prosecution and action in train for almost a year before they actually told the students. Oops! Well, I guess it is the Human Rights Commission, after all. Secret investigations and prosecutions R Us.

Did anyone happen to see this report?

The comments (perhaps not the opening facebook post, but the replies) were clearly racially based insults. The opening post is less clear, it has a race based element to it but probably more aimed at QUT management rather than the person who asked them to leave. I guess that is why the guy is challenging it. In any case - RACE is the issue, not just being offended.

BTW I think the amendments posted by another here would be best, rather than removing the entire thing.

I agree with the last point :shock: but under the Westminster system, a 'mandate' can only be claimed or exercised by the party or coalition that forms government. In the last Parliament, we had Jacki Lambe (apologies, on behalf of Tasmania) actually claiming a "mandate" to have her policies implemented (thins in between musing what certain physical characteristics she wanted in her men), the Greens a mandate to implement theirs etc. Now we have Bill Shorten claiming a mandate fir Labor's policies. It's ridiculous. The elected non-government parliamentarians have the right and duty to pursue their policies and ideas on behalf of their constituents, but they have no 'mandate' to have them implemented. Sure, the Senate doesn't have to allow the government to exercise its mandate, but the opposition doesn't have a mandate to implement their policies by amending the government's legislation.

Well, IMHO, anyway.

Clearly "not the government" claiming a mandate is ridiculous. But if we accept that the voters have limited the mandate given to the government by the make up of the senate then it seems reasonable that "not the government" should be acting to review legislation according to their policies rather than being a rubber stamp for government policy.

It's all about negotiation, etc. a point that seem entirely lost on those in Canberra. I certainly want them to work together for the best of Australia and the most recent election would seem to suggest that most Australians agree. Why not ban parties all together?

 

[penegal]

It's pretty hard to open your mouth without offending someone these days.

 

[JohnK]

It's pretty hard to open your mouth without offending someone these days.

I don't get today's society.

I was called a wog more times than I care to remember. What I didn't do was run home crying. I gave back to the convicts as good as I got and laugh about it.

Society is too soft. Wants to sugar coat everything. I am a migrant but I am now an Australian. There is a tear in my eye when I see what goes on around me but one thing is for sure and certain. You cannot censor me. You cannot force me to think like you. Just because you think something is right doesn't mean I have to think the same nor that I am wrong.

We must have free speech otherwise we become the Borg. And we think like the Borg and control everything like the Borg and that's not a good thing.

And no, not you personally penegal.

 

[Pushka]

I don't get today's society.

I was called a wog more times than I care to remember. What I didn't do was run home crying. I gave back to the convicts as good as I got and laugh about it.

Society is too soft. Wants to sugar coat everything. I am a migrant but I am now an Australian. There is a tear in my eye when I see what goes on around me but one thing is for sure and certain. You cannot censor me. You cannot force me to think like you. Just because you think something is right doesn't mean I have to think the same nor that I am wrong.

We must have free speech otherwise we become the Borg. And we think like the Borg and control everything like the Borg and that's not a good thing.

And no, not you personally penegal.

I understand. As a 20 year old female in the Police Force I endured all sorts of verbal sexual harassment. But sometimes you just got to suck it up. Sticks and stones and all that stuff.

 

[coolumbla]

I was in the midst of my ward round this morning when I got a call asking if I'd like a coffee as someone was getting them. This was what arrived, I guess TKWIA
View attachment 77908

I like providing my interns with the tertiary hospital experience .
That means that at the end of the round as part of theintern job description is that they go for coffee!

"just go to the coffee shop and ask for a shane"

 

[anat0l]

I understand. As a 20 year old female in the Police Force I endured all sorts of verbal sexual harassment. But sometimes you just got to suck it up. Sticks and stones and all that stuff.

The modern day reality is whether we think that the harassment you were subjected to was / is regarded as socially acceptable behaviour. (Note this has little to nothing to do with whether it was "just part of the job" or what you had to do to "stick with it").

If we presume that the behaviour was unacceptable, then what as a society are we doing to make that notion known. In a similar way that we believe speeding is not acceptable, we attempt to deter that through speed cameras (and education).

 

[medhead]

It's pretty hard to open your mouth without offending someone these days.

As long as you don't offend them based on their race or colour you're all good.

 

[medhead]

I don't get today's society.

I was called a wog more times than I care to remember. What I didn't do was run home crying. I gave back to the convicts as good as I got and laugh about it.

Society is too soft. Wants to sugar coat everything. I am a migrant but I am now an Australian. There is a tear in my eye when I see what goes on around me but one thing is for sure and certain. You cannot censor me. You cannot force me to think like you. Just because you think something is right doesn't mean I have to think the same nor that I am wrong.

We must have free speech otherwise we become the Borg. And we think like the Borg and control everything like the Borg and that's not a good thing.

And no, not you personally penegal.

By the same token just because you have an opinion it doesn't mean anyone has to conform to your view. If you choose to voice your opinion and someone disagrees with that opinion it doesn't mean they are trying to force you accept their opinion. They are just exercising the right, that you reserve for yourself, to reject your opinion. If you don't like people disagreeing with your opinion you can always make a different choice in the future.

 

[Cynicor]

I like providing my interns with the tertiary hospital experience .
That means that at the end of the round as part of theintern job description is that they go for coffee!

"just go to the coffee shop and ask for a shane"

But reciprocally, most senior person ordering should be paying.
I don't even drink coffee and always buy (bought, now) for the team whenever we had coffee.

 

[Steady]

But reciprocally, most senior person ordering should be paying.

Senior in age or AFF membership? Need to remember this at my next AFF meet up

 

[Major]

Senior in age or AFF membership? Need to remember this at my next AFF meet up

I certainly hope it's the latter

 

[Major]

RIP Gene Wilder...a great talent

Gene Wilder Dead: ‘Young Frankenstein’ Star Was 83 | Variety