Feb 13, 2010

Why is Abbott Accusing Garrett of Murder?

Does anyone else find Mr. Abbott's persistent attention on Peter Garret strange? I'm not sure about it as far as a tactic. He and his party have been relentless over the last few days, demanding Garrett be fired and even attributing responsibility of the four deaths to the Minister. It's a fairly heavy accusation that Abbott has likened to industrial manslaughter, and thus a fairly big swing, yet no one seems to be supporting the claims outside of the party.

The opportunity Abbott might be taking is that a high profile member of the Labor party is vulnerable, and in order to weaken the PM, Abbott is trying to scalp the Government's famously bald Minister for the Enviornment. If Garrett was fired, the far left votes he might bring wouldn't be likely to swing to Liberal, but as far as broader strategy, Abbott would have ammunition to attack the PM closer to election day by running smear campaigns showing a Labor government who mismanaged to the point of death. A party who have to fire their own are a party open to such an attack. We know for certain that Tony Abbott is running a negative campaign, and a bloody scalping can only help as a means to that end.

If this is the strategy, than the seeding tactical stroke is flawed when the Opposition have no support for their claims against Mr. Garrett. The Construction Union (CFMEU) have not only said Garrett shouldn't be fired, but that they are responsible for keeping their workplaces safe. The CFMEU's only criticism in the whole affair is that the scheme under question should be suspended. The Conservation Foundation, who admittedly might be Garrett supporters anyway, have said the scheme should stay active because it saves the equivalent of 1 million cars per year until 2020.

So where are the lobbyists and industry bodies supporting Abbott's cries that the Minister be sacked? Can anyone point them out to me, seriously, in the comments section? If there are none, then why is Abbott harping on about this for so long? It doesn't seem that strong an issue.

UPDATE: Wow. It all comes out! So this is why they made such a big fuss over it -
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/pm-changes-direction-on-climate/story-e6frg6n6-1225834964124
So Mr. Abbott gets his scalp...sort of. KRudd may be trying to dampen the full victory Abbott can claim by only demoting and not sacking, but the papers are all screaming, "SACKED!" anyway, despite then explaining only an inch down that it was a demotion. Garrett steps down from a role and keeps his other two. Are those other two very politically important? Not really. Without the global warming protection part of his folio for the environment, he's farily toothless, the old Oiler. In the end, his real chance to get something done in politics after singing about it for years turns out to be a bit of a non-event. What a waste of credibility, Pete.

Feb 12, 2010

5 Common Irks For Those Who Know CF Patients

My friend and old housemate Dr. Sean Fabri sent me a sweet companion piece to my 5 CF irks! Read on to see what gets the goat of those who know sickos like me.
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Irk # 1.
The stenches. CF patients don't digest their food very well, which is why they're on all those tablets. Occasionally this gives rise to them passing wind, but not a normal wind, more of a yellow, screaming demon wind, which is going to claw your eyes out, and linger far longer than you thought possible. On long roadtrips, Simon would periodically shoot hot injections of this wind into my car seats.
Irk # 2.
The coughing is easy to get used to. I've lived with someone with CF, and you just tune it out, or in fact, use it to locate them in shopping centres, or remind you that they're okay. Except, of course, that there is almost always a coughing fit at 4am, which ends abruptly, and you lie awake thinking, "is he okay? what if he's not? I can't check, he does this every night. But what if this time...?"
Irk # 3.
The venom with which they rail against kids with cancer. It makes perfect sense. The cancer kids get all the resources and fame. But somehow hearing the rants against them feels like you're breaking a taboo. Society will forgive them, but YOU will be thrown to the vipers, just for having listened sympathetically.
Irk # 4.
You never get the tiniest shred of sympathy from them when you're suffering a minor cold, or sore tummy.
Irk # 5.
Linked to irk #1, the poor digestion means that CF patients can eat pretty much the fattiest, most wicked foods, all day long, and not really put on much weight. I understand this is actually a disadvantage for them, but when you are on a diet, and you've had an apple for lunch, and you're still putting on flab, and then they casually eat an entire roast turkey while you both wait for a bus, well... it's annoying.
 

Feb 10, 2010

5 Common Irks CF Patients Put Up With

I have Cystic Fibrosis or CF. It's a disease far too many people know far too little about. Here are some of the irksome things I and many like me often put up with that are unique to people with diseases. (I know most of the time people are trying to help, but too bad!)

The Home Doctors
I don't have one doctor who looks after me, I have a team of them. Their leader is a specialist in CF and respiratory illness. She not only spent 10+ years at university, she went on to study and focus her considerable scientific knowledge on my specific disease. So when some taxi driver, tram passenger or dude with an arts degree gives me advice on my sickness, it really grates my cheese. Thanks pal, but I'm covered!
The Home Remedies
I'm on a litany of drugs that keep me healthy and alive. I take over 80 tablets a day.  Literally. There are pancreatic enzyme replacements extracted from porcine digestive tracts, inhaled genetic therapy that breaks down bronchial mucousal DNA and histamine inhibitors focused on gastric acid neutralisation. But yes, I'm sure your suggestion of cutting out milk and instead drinking honey and lemon in some warm water will do just fine.
Osteoporosis
So this one's kinda funny. Most people have no idea what CF is. Some have a hazy notion they may have pulled from a TV movie or a distant relative, and at best they remember the general thrust of the illness. Others, when I tell them I have cystic fibrosis, say, "What, the old lady bone disease?"
Cancer
When I was young, admission to hospital was always at the Royal Children's. I was there fairly regularly, once or twice a year for two or three weeks at a time, and one visit I was lucky enough to be there for the opening of the Starlight room. This was a mythical cave of fun: all the current consoles, books, TV, lego, toys...awesome. The CF kids from the two respiratory wards were allowed to be the first ones in, snuck through before the official opening. Our recreation officer took us all down, buzzed out of our brains with excitement. When we got there, she went ahead, spoke to someone then came back dejected. She informed us the cancer ward children had beaten us to the punch, and we weren't allowed in because TV camera crews were in there covering it. Devastating! That day I learned from the nurses that there's a rivalry between the CF kids and the cancer children, and it's a resource war: charity donations, funding, equipment, sympathy. So curse you cancer kids, curse you!
A Glass of Water
I cough. A lot. It's part of the deal, and I do it because my manky lungs are trying to get nasty, sticky mucous up and out. It's got nothing to do with my throat, my stomach or dehydration...yet everyone always seems to tell me - after hearing me cough a few times - that I should have a drink of water. Yeah, you're absolutely right! Water going into my stomach! That'll dislodge my phlegm, dry up my mucous, correct the genetic delta f508 mutation and put me right on track! Why didn't I think of it before!? All these years I could've been drinking water and curing my disease!
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That's it! Does anyone else have any I've missed? Are there any irks you suffer due to your own illness, or even because of a specific job you hold? Leave a comment!

Feb 4, 2010

iiNet slay AFACT!

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/iinet-slays-hollywood-in-landmark-piracy-case-20100204-ndwr.html

This is very good news, my friends! iiNet have successfully defended themselves in court, in a case that was the first to actually go before a judge instead of settling out of court. Thank you iiNet for taking the bullet and setting a precedent. Now the Internet provider can continue to offer internet without fear, and perhaps other ISPs will stop towing the line of the big copyright holder organisations and alliances.

I may have said this before, but here's why I'm all for this decision:
Yeah, I'm in an industry where pirates may one day take money out of my mouth, but I think because I am young and unstained by old ways of thinking, I can see that this is the reality of the situation. The audience is now holding content makers accountable. I look at it not as thieves stealing IP, but as an audience determining the quality of goods. If your product isn't good enough to have a consumer drop $30 on it, then make a better product, win back your lost audience. Find ways to deal with this new landscape. The tide is made of millions of humans. It isn't a phase or a fad. Pirating is an indelible part of our industry. Your challenge as filmmakers and producers is to find ways to take advantage of it. Hopefully the ridiculous stranglehold only 5 or so corporations have over the entire western world of movie making will be broken and the chance to make a film can be spread out, the flow opened up. The new big men and women in our biz will be those who harness the internet and accept the behaviour of their audience, instead of trying to forcibly shackle and rape them.

Apple iPad Threatens Toilets

A funny, silly article I wrote for Oldskool TV

http://www.oldskool.tv/blogs.php?blogid=14&postid=15462
 

Apple iPad Threatens Toilets

A funny, silly article I wrote for Oldskool TV

http://www.oldskool.tv/blogs.php?blogid=14&postid=15462