Amendments to the Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws - General Law Reform) Bill 2008

On 15 December 2008 the Australian Attorney-General circulated amendments to the Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws - General Law Reform) Bill 2008.

Amendments cover many aspects of legal discrimination against same-sex couples and addresses some rights and obligations, including those of children of the relationship.

Explanatory Statement at ComLaw here.

Carbon Emissions Reduction 2008: Kevin explains his climate change scenario to the rest of Australia

Those U.S. Army-Navy jocks take their football seriously!

This has to come under the subtitle Only In America:

West Point airdrops Army propaganda on Naval Academy
Psychological operation rattles midshipmen before big game
Recordonline.com, December 06, 2008

WEST POINT — Army cadets and aviators from West Point waged an aerial ambush over hapless midshipmen and sailors at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis this week.

At 12:05 p.m. Thursday, as the midshipmen gathered for lunch formation, a green and white Bell UH-1 series Iroquois, better known as a "Huey," pounded into view. From its side door, soldiers launched an exploding box of propaganda, including hundreds of dollar-bill-sized "Trash Navy" leaflets and inflatable plastic swords.

"They were all looking up at us and shaking their fists," said Senior cadet Gary Haning, 22, of Maryland. He helped with the airdrop from the Superintendent's bird. The "psychological operation" was designed to rattle the Navy before Saturday's annual football grudge match in Philadelphia.......

Follow the link to see the video of the leaflet drop:
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081206/NEWS/81206008

Iz waitin' Santa (a message for those who will be alone on Christmas Day)

The stores are garlanded with tinseled baubles and Santa is tucked away in a corner of the shopping centre having his photo taken with the littlies - even the piped Muzac has turned festive.

For many though Christmas rarely lives up to the idealised image of loving family and friends around a Yuletide fireplace.

So for those who are to spend Christmas Day alone or working hard to keep the wolf from the door, I say "Chin up!"

Go for a walk, watch a decent DVD, read a good book or listen to your favourite happy tunes, above all give yourself a little treat; and if all else fails, curse that little fat man in the tatty red suit and look forward to next year.

There will be a free Christmas lunch at the Christian Life Centre in Treelands Drive, Yamba on 25 December 2008. All are welcome according to the sign above the door.

Need to chin wag to keep the blues at bay over Christmas?

Lifeline 13 11 14

Kids Help Line 1800 55 1800

Conroy cleans up without a universal Internet censor

Excerpt from Stephen Conroy's 11 December 2008 media release:

Today the AFP announced the identification of 22 Australian men following a 12-month investigation into an online child abuse image and video-sharing network. The AFP's Child Protection Operations Teams seized more than 15,000 videos and 500,000 images of child abuse.

I'm willing to hazard a guess that this sting would be more effective than the Minister's plan to impose mandatory national ISP-level filtering to censor the Australian Internet and, probably didn't cost as much as any proposed implementation phase of Conroy's mad scheme.

With his national 'live' trial now in tatters, as Australian ISPs realise just how many problems he is wishing on their commercial business, Senator Conroy appears ready to conduct another 'closed' trial (this time without any ISP customers involved) in order to save face an push forward with the Great Firewall of Australia.

Has the Prime Minister considered that perhaps the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy is becoming tired and emotional?