Has anyone read a piece by Nicolle Flint in the age/SMH today. I haven't. I read the headline exhorting all to vote I Tony Abbott and scrolled down to the tail where I read that NF was a former Lib adviser. Propaganda? As I said I have not read the piece but I feel I could recite it word for word. Is that not propaganda? I will now go back and see if I am correct. - Dianne
"So there we are, and there we have it" as an elderly neighbour used to say. Just don't mention the War or the gender wars.... - ro.watson
@ Carol: "I want more discussions regarding the LNP’s policies and how they will help the whole of Australia." No chance of discussion in MSM but you may find some clues in Rupert's tweets: "Australia...Needs govt with big vision for north, education, wide reversals." We know about "wide reversals" - carbon tax, mining tax, NBN, etc., and we know his vision for education doesn't include Gonski. But what's his vision for the North? Turns out that story got swept under the carpet back in February: "Lost in the blaze of bad publicity for our sporting codes was the leaked document of Tony Abbott's vision for reconfiguring the Australian landscape. Central to the plan is the creation of a megaplex region up north to be populated by the mass migration of public servants." Five minutes later Rupert tweeted his industrial relations agenda: "Australia...businesses contracting all over with extreme labor costs, alarming employment trends." We all know what that means for workers. - Tony W
I wish you the best Jennifer. Fingers and toes all crossed for you. - Rhoda
There's also no 'report abuse' button on this new version. A random opponent asked me to flirt and to come back when I 'felt more horny' .... I can deal with this - but others may well be shocked. There could obviously be far worse scenarios than mine! - Helen Watts
Serena Williams might not know it but she is justifying the persecution of women as surely as it happens in Muslim countries or in China or anywhere all over the world. How can we point the finger at the stoning of women in a Muslim country for instance when we excuse acts that are equally barbaric in our own country. The inhumanity that attends these horrific assaults cannot be excused or justified by anyone and time we all knew it. - Rhoda
Let's run with the argument that it is the woman's fault for a moment... "Women shouldn’t be walking the streets late at night." Its quite easy to say that, surprisingly so in fact, but lets examine that statement (and statements of that ilk) in greater detail. The response to that question has to be: "why?" The answer lies in the implied extension of that statement: "Women shouldn’t be walking the streets late at night - because they might get raped and or murdered by men" The "by men" bit at the end of that statement might seem a bit heavy-handed on my part, but when you think about it... its pretty f'cking unlikely that any woman would get raped and or murdered by another woman, and despite the logic of that - I want us to look at the complete and fully realised "statement" that victim blaming uses. There are two main issues highlighted by the extension of the original statement. 1. IF YOU DO "A" THEN ITS POSSIBLE THAT "B" WILL HAPPEN. Its a bit of a non sequiter that a woman walking the streets late at night is likely to get raped, so its pretty crap advice really. Good advice includes things like: - Don't go swimming with sharks, or you might get eaten. - Don't walk through the African jungle, or you might get killed by a lion. - Don't play Russian Roulette with a gun or you will probably blow your own head off. But ""Women shouldn’t be walking the streets late at night - because they might get raped and or murdered by men" is crap advice, and here is why: The good advice given above is good because the results are a NATURAL consequence of your actions. No shark is gonna see you in the water and think to itself "no, I think I would rather have a salad right now", no lion will think to itself "there is a stranger in my territory, and actually - I am comfortable about that", and guns - well... they don't think at all, its just a statistical probability that your head is gonna end up with two extra holes in it if you play Russian Roulette. It is NOT a natural consequence of her actions that a woman might get raped and or murdered if she walks the streets at night. And here is WHY: Because the perpetrator has to make a CONSCIOUS DECISION to proceed with that action. To consider the alternative - that men have no choice but to follow their primal instincts to hunt and kill - is terrifying if given any credence, but mostly its a complete load of bollocks. Its a CHOICE, it is ALWAYS a choice to commit rape and murder. 2. ... BY MEN. - Not "BY another woman" - Not "BY the OPALS" - Not "BY the participants of a hens Night" If its gonna happen, then its gonna be a man who does it. So, we are aware of WHO is doing this, and the extent of our response is to blame the victim and lightly punish the offender (if they get convicted, nothing devalues a person's worth like seeing the person who raped 23 women get 35 years in gaol). That's it, that is ALL that our society does. We do NOTHING to prevent it from happening. Where are our role models taking a vocal and very public stand on rape? Ever seen a football player condemn another team mate for assaulting or raping a woman? Nooooooooo, it will be a f'cking cold day in hell before that ever happens. Where are the classes in primary school to indoctrinate male children that they must not rape or murder women? Sure, we have self defence classes for women... but while we are at it - why don't we just put a few more ambulances at the bottom of the cliff rather than a fence at the top. Our society is well aware of this problem, yet our society takes no proactive steps to address the root-cause of the problem. Instead it is easier for us to blame the victim, and it is this victim blaming which carries the inherent dismissal of a woman's worth as a person... because our culture finds it socially acceptable to blame the woman, and our society couldn't be bothered to get of its collective arse to do something very real about it. If men were being raped and murdered by other men at the same rate it happens to women, I bet this shit would be stopped overnight. - TYLER DURDEN
Tony is right you know. I was a little taken aback when I first read the "fat arse" commentary in the newspaper and wondered what the dickens. A bit of checking revealed the context. The point to make about female leaders such as Angela Merkel and Julie Gillard is they challenge the old boy's network and offer or model an alternative vision of public service by virtue of their position alone. - Rhoda
Lee I agree with your summation. Actually I think Julia Gillard has greater potential to be a strong and compassionate leader than Ms Greer suggests. She has had the most diabolically difficult time of any leader in this country. First female PM. Disloyalty within own ranks. Corruption inquiries into a previous ALP state government in the most populous state. A hung Parliament situation. An extremely aggressive Opposition leader. A hostile media. And yet she has still managed to fight for important nation building legislation: education reform, national broadband, disability support scheme. In recent years she has reminded me of a computer game figure swatting at dragons and falling down into pits. Game over. No she is up again. I agree wholeheartedly that Gillard has been assailed by bad old fashioned Anglo-Celt sexism of a particularly nasty tone. I have written here before that I have been astounded by its ferocity and feel personally violated as do many others it seems. But if I vote at all this coming election it will not be because JG is a woman, it will be because I think she is an admirably courageous person who has shown herself to have visionary plans for this country. If I ticked the relevant box it would be because I believe she has the potential to deal humanely and sensibly with refugees and develop policies that put an end to the exploitation of the environment. She might even look again at media laws and taxation reform. Who knows what she could do with a bit of wriggle room. I have no allegiance to any political party, just admiration for certain individuals within parties. In my opinion Julia Gillard has shown she has what it takes to be a leader in her own right. - Dianne
There is a god. - Brad

Categories: The Hoopla Store

QUIRKY ESSENTIAL OIL BURNER

By The Hoopla

August 20, 2012

Scent and style your home in one go with this functional and beautiful science-themed Essential Oil Burner.

The essential oil burner draws reference to a classic yet refined science theme. The dark heaviness of the metal components and clamp create a beautiful contrast with the Tasmanian oak hardwood base and glass flask.

Each essential oil burner comes with a 5ml tester bottle of Australian grown lavender oil, and an Australian made beeswax candle.

The height of the clamp is adjustable, so you can personalise to suit the size and strength of the candle and liquid.

Price is $170.00.

Click here to buy.

QUIRKY ESSENTIAL OIL BURNER

Scent and style your home in one go with this functional and beautiful science-themed Essential Oil Burner.

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