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Miscalany - Tales From The Other Side

Going Gone track being logged in Styx Valley

December 11th 2007 06:10
This message's Origianl Source is the Australain Wilderness society.

Last week Forestry Tasmania started logging coupe SX10F in the Styx Valley. This is fantastic oldgrowth forest through which we established the ‘Going Gone’ walking track. You probably recognise the photo below, which is of two trees near the boundary of this coupe.

Near logging coupe SX 10F, Being logged December 2007. Styx Valley, TasmaniaThousands of people have visited this area using our self-drive guide leaflets, and have marveled at its giant trees, got lost in the mossy undergrowth and been serenaded by the forest’s birdlife.


Now, chainsaws and heavy machinery are carving up this area into a modified clearfell, to be burnt and regrown into an even-aged eucalypt regrowth forest. It would need centuries to return to anywhere near the magnificence of today.

This forest is of recognised World Heritage value and is one of the most carbon-dense forests in the world, storing vast amounts of carbon in branches, trunk, roots and soil. It has taken centuries for the forest to accumulate this carbon. Most will be lost on logging. Remember, the Stern Review on climate change said “curbing deforestation is a highly cost-effective way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Action to preserve the remaining areas of natural forest is needed urgently.”

At a time when the new Australian government is ratifying the Kyoto Protocol and claiming to lead the world on solutions to climate change, it is ludicrous that Australia still clearfells and burns carbon-dense oldgrowth forests. The Australian Government is currently in Bali negotiating the new climate protocol.

Contact the following now and tell them to stop turning a blind eye to Tasmania’s climate criminals – the logging industry.


Peter Garrett - Minister for the Environment
T (02) 9349 6007
peter.garrett.mp@aph.gov.au

Penny Wong - Minister for Climate Change
T (08) 8223 3388
senator.wong@aph.gov.au

Tony Burke - Minister for Forestry
T ((02) 6277 7520
tony.burke.mp@aph.gov.au

Kevin Rudd - Prime Minister
T (02) 6277 7700 (Canberra)
T (07) 3899 4031 (Electoral office)
kevin.rudd.mp@aph.gov.au
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Collective Guilt

December 3rd 2007 12:09
Blame Hip Hop
Even an Entire Subculture may be a Candidate for Collective Guilt


Who is responsible? The question that always gets thrown around. Who is responsible for this oil leak? For 9/11? For the hole in my underwear?

The question isn’t a gentle one. Usually the attribution of blame is designed to enable the big flashing arrow that can guide the lynch mob.

When we find out who’s to blame, we can choose the appropriate action to take against the individual responsible.

One complicating factor, is that of the concept of collective guilt.

Let’s have a look at the oil leak scenario. Chance is, there are a number of people whom we could find to pinpoint the blame on.

* The distributor of the material the ship was made from.
* The person responsible for checking the ship was in order.
* The person who failed to appoint a person to check the ship was in order.
* The Company Boss for not putting practices under the appropriate scrutiny.

When it comes to Companies though, the standard practice, and the practice supported by most Left wing activists, is of Collective Guilt. We charge a ‘company’ with pollution, or with a cover up or a scandal. The James Hardy corporation, not an individual, was charged with their use of asbestos, which caused many cases of mesothelioma.

Let’s look at the second example. September 11. Now we can look at blame on a number of levels, each level backed up by an assumption. I’m going to use this example to really deconstruct the levels to which the concept of blame is accepted or rejected by individuals, groups and institutions.

WHO: The Individual Terrorists.
WHY: Individuals are responsible for their own actions. These people had the option of joining a terrorist group or not, had a choice between obeying orders or not, and had a choice of whether the executed the plan or not.

WHO: Bin Laden.
WHY: Manipulators may be held responsible for their actions, especially as they tend to work towards a specific aim. This is how we can absolve Child Soldiers of their murders, and some junkies of the responsibility of their addiction. If you are manipulated into doing something, is it your fault, or your manipulators?

WHO: Al Quaidia.
WHY: Groups that represent larger schools of thought may be held accountable for their much wider impact. The Ku Klux Klan. The Teachers Union. The East India Trading Company. The Socialist Alliance. All of these are groups with a powerful underlying ideological framework determining their actions. Should then, we blame those individuals associated with them for their actions – or blame the larger entity for the influence of their ideological position.

WHO: Islam.
WHY: Radical Islam can be accredited widely with inspiring the actions of Bin Laden, and Al Quaidia in the justification of their actions, and the apparent nobleness of their goal.

WHO: American Foreign Policy.
WHY: If every action has an equal and opposite reaction, then every action is also a reaction. America has had a profoundly brutal and aggressive foreign policy for a long time. It is not like an attack on America could not have been expected for a considerably long time especially when one considers this was not the first attempted terrorist attack targeting the Twin Towers.

The thing about collective guilt is that is can cause too many problems or not enough. There’s no sense in blaming all Muslims for the actions of Islamic militants, or all Christians for the religious shooting of an abortionist. On the other hand though, a total rejection of the idea of collective blame would allow people acting under political or company orders to be used as ‘renegade individuals’ in order to absolve higher ranking persons of wrongdoing.

As most things are, the concept of collective guilt is by far more complicated than we would like to think. The real problem though is that some of us don’t want to think at all – and to ensure a fair world, we REALLY need to.

Image by Technochick used under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike License.
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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Miscalany
   


Wimps and Sooks Cause All The World’s Problems

November 29th 2007 12:26
Sook
Bloody Sooks


I had an interesting conversation with someone the other day. They were explaining their opposition to foreign students on campus. They were not the sort of person I regarded a racist by any stretch of the imagination, so I continued to discuss the matter.
They said that they were sick and tired of having to pussyfoot. They wanted to be able to be themselves without offending anyone.

I asked what these students had done to them in response to her being herself. She said that they hadn’t so much done anything to her. However, she felt bad for offending them when she acted herself, or spoke loudly about culturally sensitive issues.

This is where I said that she didn’t have to feel bad about offending people simply for existing and being herself. And she said ‘yes she did’, because she didn’t like making people feel bad.
The interesting thing here is that this individual was not turned against international students because of any underlying Xenophobia. She was simply uncomfortable with those of the group who made her feel bad about her own national identity.

Now I don’t mean to simply have a go at her and call her a wimp, or a sook. That’s not true, and not helpful. What I mean to point out is that sometimes an anger at a group of people may just be a tool of self preservation for our own feelings.

Let’s look at Muslims. They, at least as we widely perceive them, don’t like a whole lot of skin being flashed around. They don’t seem to be too flash on Allah jokes or cartoons. They don’t like pig flesh being eaten. Or drinking of alcohol.

One can imagine the feelings of a straight talking, beer guzzling, snag munching, bikini wearing, piss taking Aussie Sheila, who doesn’t like to offend others. It’s not that she hates Muslims – but rather she hates to be hated by Muslims, and does not like to publicly flaunt what may be considered offensive in front of them. It is not real Muslims she opposes – but the way in which her (sometimes accurate) view of Muslims creates feelings of guilt and shame for expressing her own independent cultural identity.

In the end, I would really have to say this; you should never feel as though you should need to change who you are, or feel bad about who you are to appease others. Live and let live only works if we not only let others be as they are – but reserve that right for ourselves, instead of getting caught up in the nasty cycle of guilt and blame.
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Brechtian Theatre

November 15th 2007 12:11
Brecht.
Bertolt Brecht was a famous an incredibly influential dramatist and stage director of the early 1900’s. His styles was strongly influential, and can be best seen in his own well known play ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle and in the film Dogville.

CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE.


DOGWOOD (SPOILERS)


Brecht’s unique style is known as Brechtian theatre. One of the main ideas of the genre was that the Audience could not be separated from the subject of theatre through the illusion of the fourth wall. This was known as Verfremdungseffect, and was used to, in the words of Brecht, “prevent(s) the audience from losing itself passively and completely in the character created by the actor, and which consequently leads the audience to be a consciously critical observer."

This could be achieved in many ways. Sometimes the cast would ‘spontaneously’ burst into song. The events of a scene would be described before the scene began to avoid allowing the audience to get involved in wondering what would happen. Actors would break the fourth wall by addressing the audience directly, using Didacticism. These elements combined would help create an emotional separation that instead encouraged audiences to use their minds to truly interact with the message of a piece.
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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Pop Culture, Film, Miscalany
   


Smokers Rights

November 5th 2007 00:41
My friend is a smoker. To be honest this just kind of pisses me off. However, I’m going to try to write an article here with minimal sarcasm in it.

For a pretty long time I’ve been a proponent of people having the technical right to use drugs. My friend makes no small point about pointing this out passionately, every time I have a go at smokers.

“You protect everyone else and say they can do what they want to their body but you’re happy to see smokers trampled on.”

The difference as far as I see is that I don’t have ravers blowing ecstasy in my face every time I’m waiting at a bus stop.

But I do concede a few points. Yes, smokers can pollute their bodies if they wish. Yes, they have the right to smoke. No, their choice of self affecting behavior doesn’t justify treating them like lesser beings.

smoker


That said, I do have a problem with the idea of Smokers rights. Not because I don’t think smokers have rights, but because I don’t see them as having any special rights. Black rights, Gay rights, Women’s rights all function because it is accepted that that individual is as they are – they cannot change (without, as it is, SERIOUSLY extreme biological or psychological modification).

However, I have never met a smoker who endured the pain of being the only kid in preschool treated differently because he was addicted to smoking.

So in conclusion; yes, you have the right to do what you want to your own body so far as it does not affect anyone else. Yes, it is wrong that you be singled out as mistreated for your choice of activity. But for the love of God – cut out the Martin Luther King shit.

IMAGE by Kalandrakas
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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Drugs, Health, Miscalany
   


Chindogu

November 1st 2007 07:19
There is very little that can compare to the pure awesomeness that is Chindogu. Chindogu (From Japanese Chin – Unusual and Dogu – Tool) are inventions that serve a purpose, however, one that ultimately is useless. This is usually because use of the devide would be so technically difficult (such as the solar powered cigarette lighter) or would cause too much social embarrassment (such as the face framing spaghetti protection mat) that they are effectively unable to be used for their real functional purpose.

This description though, is inadequate in its simplicity. The Chindogu society offeres a list of requirements something must reach before it may be considered Chindogu, as can be found here


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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Pop Culture, Miscalany
   


Banksy

October 29th 2007 06:01
When God sneaks out at night to stencil an old brick wall, he’s making a picture of Banksy. That’s how awesome Banksy is.

Banksy is a well known artist and trickster, centred in England. He is most famous for his stencils, produced illegally in public spaces around England


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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Pop Culture, Miscalany, Subcultures, Music
   


Kiddie Energy Drinks

October 25th 2007 03:24
Remember Bad Boy, that brand with that feisty Eight year old with big muscles on T-shirts – think a white version of little boy 50 Cent. Well they’ve branched out from clothing. Now they make energy drinks.

badboy energy drink

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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Drugs, Politics, Pop Culture, Health, Miscalany
   


Listen to Noah?

October 19th 2007 09:44
“Um, guys?” says Noah.

“What


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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Politics, Pop Culture, Miscalany
   


Your Popsicle’s Melting

October 18th 2007 12:45
Café Press is a nifty little webpage. Using its tools you can set up pages to sell merchandise with your own designs on it.

I has one shirt with an image of a Popsicle on the front pocket. On the back pocket it had the phrase ‘your Popsicle's melting


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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Pop Culture, Miscalany, Internet
   


I.C.E

October 11th 2007 13:30
Just a quick reminder; an I.C.E number is an In Case of Emergency number. This is the number that somebody should call if you are injured and taken to hospital, or other similar circumstance. It’s a good idea to pick someone (Parent carer etc) and list their number under I.C.E on your phone. That’s all.
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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Miscalany
   


Is Racism Justified?

October 4th 2007 13:30
We treat different people in different ways. We have to. People are different. We don’t try to demand folk with wheelchairs climb the stairs, and we don’t ask Vietnamese actors to play Michael Jackson in the biopic of his life.

However, when we decide on how to treat people based on race, we run into the issue of racism. The best way to describe racism, I find, is to regard it as ‘racial discrimination’ – specific discrimination based on an individuals race or ethnicity. And there is a question of if racial discrimination is ever appropriate to which I would have to say “yes”. Now it’s very easy to get all indignant and be all like ‘that’s not cool man! We’re all the same on the inside! Don’t be hating


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Sunni and Shia -A Crash Course

September 3rd 2007 03:27
A lot of people in the Blogosphere like to talk about Muslims. Most of them, it would seem, just pull ‘facts’ out their arse.

Not me however. No, in fact, I am the wisest Muslim expert on Orble – Nay – the Internet! Thus I will now inform you on the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims


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Do the Minorities have all the power?

August 27th 2007 13:41
I really hate it when people say “Aww minorities have all the power!” Not so much because I’m offended (I’m a white Aussie Male – not exactly minority) but it’s just so… stereotypical redneck. The sort of thing where you cringe. A very ‘drunk Mel Gibson whining about Jews’ kind of cringe moment, if that helps clarify.

What do people really mean when they say ‘minorities have all the power’? It sure doesn’t mean ‘they have high ranking places in government’, or are well respected in society


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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Politics, Miscalany
   


Pssst, Guess What?

August 26th 2007 13:01
*
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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Miscalany, Internet
   


My Pedagogic Creed

August 20th 2007 02:29
John Dewey's famous declaration concerning education. First published in The School Journal, Volume LIV, Number 3 (January 16, 1897), pages 77-80.

ARTICLE I--What Education Is

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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Politics, Miscalany, Dumbing Down
   


Remember When People Were Stupid (Unlike Now)

August 13th 2007 01:20
It’s easy to take the piss out of a dead person, because they don’t bite back. It’s also easy to puff them up. People who would yell to the hills that Steve Irwin was a dickhead and a disgrace to the name of Australia were blabbering on about how incredible he was after his death. However, while people improve with time, events and states of reality seem to get shockingly worse.

It seems everything is worse in it’s current form. These days people are ruder. These days life is more dangerous. These days Governments are more corrupt


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