Monthly Archives: August 2003

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Awwww, CSIRAC!
Stelard is at it again. He wants to have a human ear permanently transplanted on to his forearm “”On the one hand, this project is attempting to produce a soft prosthesis made of living tissue, the aim of which is to connect to the human body as an additional feature.
“On the other hand, the ear itself is a partial life form, and, in a sense, is a living object in itself.”” (Age)

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Brighton Pride this weekend, but I’m a bit worried as it all sounds a bit painful… “A ribbon is cut at the roundabout that then allows the Parade to stun the crowds as it moves and dances its way through the City Centre”.

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“Prime Minister John Howard has aligned himself with the Vatican and US President George W Bush in ruling out gay marriages, saying they do nothing to support “survival of the species”.”
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“That’s not an expression of discrimination – it’s just an expression that marriage as we understand it is one of the bedrock institutions of our society.
“It’s very much about the raising of children … and the continuation of our species.”
So he’d be against any rights for childless married couples then. He should at least have the courage of his convictions and admit he wants to discriminate between gay and straight couples.
He makes Costello look positively enlightened: “”Obviously I understand and accept that there are many people of the same sex who have a relationship and a partnership and sometimes long term partnership, I understand that, I respect that.””. Why, who would have thought those nasty gay people would have long term relationships? It’s almost as if they’re normal.
(Age)

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Big Chill last weekend, London Pride the weekend before, Helsinki in a few weeks… and now I’m flying to Edinburgh to visit Amber and watch the AFL Grand Final in September. Woohoo!
“The government was planning to gag charities by taking away tax exemptions from organisations that tried to influence government policy, the Australian Democrats said today.” (Age)
If you’ve seen the email about dumb tourist questions about Australia and thought it couldn’t possibly be true, think again:
“Americans fed on a diet of Crocodile Dundee and Survivor have visions of Australia as a frontier country and try to bring in mayonnaise and popcorn.
Visitors from Japan also fear they will be unable to obtain basic foodstuffs and breach regulations by carrying meals with dehydrated meat and noodles containing dehydrated egg.”
(Age)
And in other news, “An impromptu sing-song by Cherie Blair to Chinese students has become a surprise dance hit among British clubbers in Ibiza and Cyprus.” (BBC)