Land of the free to bear arms and kill your own family!

Yay, America!
Adding to the many GFC*-related suicides by formerly wealthy people, now a "nice guy" in LA has shot and killed his wife and five children before killing himself: 'Fatal fax: 'nice guy' snaps and kills family'
How long before the NRA tries to muscle its way into the debate about this incident? Because, whatever Chuck Heston thought, people like this shouldn't have guns lying around their home - all the stats show** that a gun is more likely to kill the gun's owner or a family member than a would-be robber or road-rage recipient. I understand this guy was upset and saw no way out, but if he didn’t have ready access to a gun, do you really think he would have, say, stabbed his family to death with a knife?
Plus, I reckon religion needs to take some of the blame here - and not just because I think religion should usually take some of the blame: he finished a letter he wrote just before committing this cowardly deed with "Oh lord my god is there no hope for a widow's son." I’m positive this guy thought he was going to an afterlife, as many Americans do - harps and all, and perhaps managed to con his kids into going along with it because they would all be together in “a better place”.
Problem is, there is no afterlife. Just a bunch of dead kids and his huge mess to clean up in this one.
* GFC in this context is referring to the Global Financial Crisis, not the Geelong Football Club.
** I know that 73% of statistics are made up (just like that one).

Here comes the sun

Before I rant up about moving house and Foxtel and stupid stupids, I think it’s appropriate, on this exhaustingly sunny, 43° Celsius day (109.4° Fahrenheit for those of you still living in the Imperial Past), to draw attention to our collective Governments’ (Federal and State and probably Local and let’s include Galactic, too) failure to tap into this nigh-inexhaustible power source. By which I mean the Sun, silly.

Just yesterday (when it was a meagre 38° Celsius) I read about my country’s lack of investment in and encouragement for renewable energy sources.

Oystein Oyehaug, renewables chief of Norwegian solar cell manufacturer UMOE, was reported to have said it was "amazing" that the Australian economy remained so reliant on old industry favourites such as coal and iron ore mining. "In the long term you should be doing more than mining for the Chinese.”

Great line.

The article goes on to point out that Australia “now risks being outshone even by the US, with new President Barack Obama declaring his aim of doubling renewable energy production in three years.”

The US?

Have we fallen that far?

Whilst on this (and I know I've made comments on this before, but it, like, hasn't been fixed, yet), late last year Tim Colebatch pointed out that the Rudd Government's emissions trading scheme will likely result in Australia pumping out more emissions in 2020 than we do now.

Good one, fellas (and lady).

So. Libs – duds. Labor – duds. Democrats – demoduds. Greens? Dare I hope?

Or should I just make a prediction that ends in “duds”?

Bye-bye, Bush

Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out - because Obama won't like ass-prints on his new door.
PS I moved house over the Exmas break, and I've been saving up all my rant juice for a big tirade about the horrendous experience soon, my pretties...

A week in the life...

This week, Ben Cousins was drafted by Richmond, instead of St Kilda, as he should have been. I struggle to see how we can possibly meet our Drug Addict Cap without him.
But seriously - with the loss of Harves, Cousins would have been a nice consolation prize. Who can possibly step into Banger's shoes now?
And take drugs?
Anyhoo - kudos, Tiges, and good luck.
In other news, a few nice moments from this week’s papers.
First, this from Catherine Deveny, "Most people are idiots - even the ones who agree with me", in which she laments what she sees as a general lack of genuine opinion and ability to engage in serious discussion:

"A woman accosted me the other day and said "I love your writing because I agree with everything you say." That's not a good reason to like someone's writing. There's stuff that's well written that I don't agree with. And stuff that's badly written that I think is right on the money. "He's a crap writer because I don't agree with what he says." What? How threatened are you? "She's a great writer because I agree with everything she says." The fragile ego is fickle and easily stroked...
They say it's impolite to discuss sex, politics and religion. Stuff that. They're the only things worth talking about.
If someone asks for your opinion, chances are they don't want it. They want their opinion. In the same way if a woman asks "Does my bum look big in this?" The answer is always no."

And then there was this gold nugget from Michael Evans, reminiscing about 2008:

"It was the year brokers picked the market bottom with so little accuracy they needed the help of John Hopoate."

Hopoate jokes will never stale.
Finally, the annual Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal has been released, with studies including the negative effects of headbanging as a result of the empirical evidence provided by Beavis and Butthead and Wayne's World:

"The researchers suggest "possible interventions" such as substituting adult-oriented rock such as Michael Bolton, Celine Dion or Enya.
"For example, encouraging bands such as AC/DC to play songs like Moon River... (and) public awareness campaigns with influential and youth-focused musicians such as Cliff Richard."
Associate Professor McIntosh told The Age that the "science is good" because he applied methods used to study sport and motor vehicle accidents."

The fact that "each year serious news outlets fall for the straight-faced press releases put out by the journal in advance of publication, and write them up as fact" cheers me immensely.
Also, found some more blogs to Follow, especially that of The Local Taphouse in St Kilda, and that of Professor Pilsner and the Beer Blokes, who frequent said establishment.
Oh yeah, and in case I don't see ya, Merry Ex-Mas.

Let's believe in nonsense so we can all be offended!

I just read yesterday that Aborigines have been jumping up and down about Nicole Kidman blowing (poorly) on a didgeridoo on a German variety show: Kidman's TV stunt offends
Which brings me to today's particularly un-PC rant: Why are primitive sexist customs considered sacrosanct?
Let's look at this like rational human beings: we are assured that women are prohibited from blowing the didgeridoo.
OK. Why?
Is it because women have traditionally been subjugated by men? Or perhaps something to do with ancient myths and legends about the dreamtime or a big rainbow serpent (e.g., I’ve heard that some Aborigines believe if a woman blows on a didgeridoo she can become infertile), that science can now prove are demonstrably wrong? Oh!! Well, in that case, let’s keep the sexism going then.
Nicole: please stop offending people living in make-believe land by playing the didgeridoo and go back to offending them with your acting.
PS Nah, but seriously Nicole, you’re all right.

Meredith Mud Festival

I heart the Meredith Music Festival. I heart it very much. It is truly the best festival in our great land, and possibly the world. The music, the people, the place, the cans (no glass) are all RIGHT.
Unfortunately, I haven't been for a few years - coincidentally, I also had children a few years ago. But my wife and I planned to finally return to Meredith this year. We were successful in the online ballot. We purchased our tickets. The kids would be dropped off in Geelong (at their grandparents' place, not just randomly dropped off in a regional city on the way). We were going to make a glorious comeback.
And then it all got too hard and we sold our tickets on eBay on Thursday, just in time for some lucky punters to head down on Friday night.
Soaking, soaking Friday night.
Turns out we dodged a very wet bullet: Too big for its gumboots? Meredith festival gets a muddy mosh-pit
It absolutely poured for the entire weekend. In the meantime, we were indoors, doing high-fives. We were going to head out to the Collingwood Children's Farm for the Farmer's Market, but had to cancel due to the downpour, which was a bit of a letdown. But, on the other hand, we weren't caked in mud, and didn't lose our shoes.
That said, apparently Nick had fun at Meredith.
I don't know who Nick is.
This guy also has some good photos.
Nonetheless, not really too many regrets.
What I DO regret, is missing Ween at Golden Plains earlier this year. Although I saw them at the Forum the previous night, Ween in the Supernatural Ampitheatre just seems RIGHT. Here's a bit of them, for your total viewing pleasure:

Incidentally, when I was searching for reviews about this latest 2008 MMF, I came across this one. It wasn't until I was half-way through, when I saw the reference to the Dirty Three, that I thought: "Hang on. I was at that Meredith..." The review was for the 2004 MMF, which also featured a bit of storm action, the last one I went to. I obviously didn't recognise most of the bands, despite being there and (probably) watching them.
And isn't that really what Meredith is all about?
Next year, Aunty, next year.

The Wong Plan

Lazy title, I know, but Labor have really dropped the ball with their climate change plan, released Monday.
As Tim Colebatch, Economics Editor of The Age, said: "AFTER all that, we are more or less back where we started. The Rudd model for tackling climate change now looks remarkably similar to the Howard model from 2007."
Lame, Kevin, lame. And I told him, and Penny Wong and Peter Garrett, so:

Dear Mr Rudd (et al)

This is a very quick bit of feedback about your Government's climate change plan.

Basically - it's lame. REAL lame.

People didn't vote for you to get a lite version of Johnny Howard (actually some may have, but they're lame, too). Climate change represents a real crisis, and some people (preferably the high-polluters) may need to experience some hurt now, so that a whole swag of people don't feel it later.

The climate change plan should encourage real change in attitudes and energy usage and production. It seems that your Government's plan simply redistributes wealth, with a bit of "how's it goin'" on the side. In particular, the cent-for-cent reduction in petrol excise is simply bad policy - and very close to bad Liberal policy at that. If petrol causes global warming - and it does - then the price should go up (and, in fact, it's now a lot lower than it was when the Green Paper was first introduced, anyway). Simple.

I ask that you reconsider this plan, in particular the hand-outs to the big polluters. They must change - and if some of them are dinosaurs, then we (especially the taxpayers) should allow them pass away, so that the new generation of energy users and producers can take their place.

Yours faithfully

Riley Jones

If you also want to get involved, maybe check out the Australian Conservation Foundation's website.
And, seriously: “$4.4 billion will be spent to cut petrol taxes by as much as emissions trading raises fuel prices.”
Mental.