Punch on: Open thread 25/11/2010

Macca says:

08:26am | 25/11/10

@Carz, whilst I am deeply sorry that you have been the victim of domestic and sexual violence, I will not be taking the pledge.

I am all for supporting the victims of sexual and domestic violence. We do not do enough to support those who have been subject to such horrific experiences and I am glad we have White Ribbon day to raise awareness and funding for a cause that, in a better world, would not exist.

However, I will not be taking the pledge. I feel the pledge is a symbol. Nothing more. It is not action against domestic and sexual violence, and taking the pledge will not make me any more or less likely to commit such a disgraceful act.

Preventing sexual and domestic assault is about education and respect. White Ribbon day works towards the first. The Pledge does not impact of the second.

TheRealDave says:

08:56am | 25/11/10

I’ll happily support victims of domestic violence…but I will not, nor ever will, support these idiots who go back to the gutless maggot cowards who bash/mentally abuse/sexually assault them because they ‘love them’ or are convinced they can ‘change them’ or they ‘promise not to do it again’ or some other abject stupidity.

I am all for supporting helping these women and children and getting them away from the violence, but if they go back - they are on their own.

Carz says:

09:56am | 25/11/10

@ TheRealDave: Your comments show how little you know of the dynamics of domestic violence. Many victims are socially and geograhically isolated from friends and family by their abusers. They may have no means of supporting themselves and their children. Yes they know that Centrelink benefits are available but you try paying rent on a reasonable house, bills, food, clothes, on Centrelink benefits and child support, if indeed the abuser will even pay child support. It is daunting to realise that you have to support the same family, less one member, on half or less of the income they had during the relationship.

There is also tremendous pressure on women to make a marriage/relationship work. If it breaks down it is frequently seen as her failure, regardless of the abuse she has lived with. And if the abuse is never reported, as happens in probably the majority of cases, then they can’t even depend on the Family Law system to keep them and their children safe from the abuser.

Then there is the fact that many many victims of Domestic Violence have been told by their abuser, sometimes for many years, that they are worthless, they can’t do anything right, they can’t survive without the abuser. Living in that sort of environment it is very easy to believe those things when they are said about you, more so if similar attitudes came from the victims own parents. And if there is no physical battery (as there wasn’t in my relationship) it can actually be extremely hard to realise that what you are living with is in fact abuse. If you don’t know any different, and the abuse is mainly psychological, financial, or even sexual, then how can you know it is wrong?

I am glad that there are people who support the victims of domestic and sexual violence, but with that support I would like to see a level of understanding abouthow it affects victims.

Adam Diver says:

10:58am | 25/11/10

@ Carz, you know what your second comment says “excuse, excuse, excuse”.

People really need to stand up for themselves at some stage. There is no reason, none whatsoever, to put up with that kind of relationship in a country like this. “Centrelink benefits” for a single parent is more than I earn a week, there is no excuse.

Carz says:

11:30am | 25/11/10

@ Adam No, not excuses - reasons.  http://www.2shine.org.nz/index.php?section=82
This article gives good insight into why women stay and go back.

The other thing to consider is that physical and sexual intimate partner violence are known to escalate at the time of and after separation, as does the rate of domestic homicide. Fear is an amazing motivator and sometimes that motivation is torn by the need to weigh up the possibility of worse violence in trying to get and stay free than is already occurring.

OchreBunyip says:

12:01pm | 25/11/10

I support the pledge of White Ribbon Day; it is a reminder of what I consider important about being a modern man in Australian society. It doesn’t change the way I have always been, but it is a reminder of what I will always choose to be. The key is not staying silent, not letting the protection of the offender trump the defense of the victim, being prepared to offer what is needed for safety, security and counselling. Being prepared to act rather than sit idly by.

A Bob says:

12:36pm | 25/11/10

“the fact that MOST violence against women is perpetrated by men”

This is a flat out falsehood in Western societies. The figure is more like 50-50. The highest rates of dometic violence are found in lesbian relationships.

Carz says:

02:52pm | 25/11/10

@ A Bob I suggest you check out some of these documents:

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/publications.nsf/0/c943ee514205619bca2572f4000c56fc/$FILE/DomesticViolenceFinal&index;.pdf
Try pg 14, section 3.1

http://www.austdvclearinghouse.unsw.edu.au/PDF files/Statistics_final.pdf

http://www.austdvclearinghouse.unsw.edu.au/PDF files/Men_as_Victims.pdf

You could also check out such websites as http://www.oneinthreewomen.org

Adam Diver says:

07:38am | 25/11/10

I would say he is definately right

Wayne Fehlhaber says:

09:10pm | 25/11/10

acotrel :  Now there is a Principal who should recieve accolades for sorting men and boys.

TheRealDave says:

08:59am | 25/11/10

LOL, I was going to get my usual lunch when I though ‘Bugger it, its payday, lets splurge’ so I walked over to Nando’s…yeah, no thanks, I aint payin $14.50 for a Chicken burger, fries and a coke, I don’t care if it is payday and all…..

TChong says:

10:16am | 25/11/10

RD, for $ 14.50 I hope the chook would have been hand reared, fed truffels, with the Coke served out of a pewter goblet.

T.Chong says:

07:56am | 25/11/10

Agree Harriet. THE ASHES - heaven .!
More than just a game but a way of life.
The real beginning of summer.

MarK says:

08:20am | 25/11/10

Apart from it being truthful so what?

Link it and lets see it in context just for kicks

iansand says:

08:53am | 25/11/10

Why do you need a link?  It has been obvious to anyone but the most blinkered for quite some time.

TheRealDave says:

09:00am | 25/11/10

Obvious cat is obvious

MarK says:

09:11am | 25/11/10

Oh hai ian.

She just read it.

I like to read stuff from all perspectives.

Oh and I refer you to what I wrote

“Apart from it being truthful so what?

Link it and lets see it in context just for kicks “

Let me emphasise since 2 sentences are hard

Link it and lets see it in context just for kicks

iansand says:

10:25am | 25/11/10

MarK - You could try writing in your first language and have someone translate for you.

MarK says:

10:58am | 25/11/10

*snicker

Ian made a funny. Well sort of.

iansand says:

12:39pm | 25/11/10

Well that didn’t work.  Give me a minute and I will come up with another plan.

acotrel says:

07:40am | 27/11/10

Barnaby Joyce is just another rural cretin.  He pretends to want to help rural development, and cannot recognise the value in the NBN! You have to wonder about people who want to be politicians? Peter Ryan is the same sort of idiot!

fairsfair says:

09:14am | 25/11/10

I live in QLD and it is illegal to drive with them on. Apparently they are not “fog” lights, they are “driving lights” but either way, the bogans in the Commodores are so annoyed they paid $2k extra to get them and now can’t use them. It isn’t heavily policed though and you’d have to annoy a coppper pretty badly to have them fine you the $65 and one point for it.

I also think those arctic (? whatever they are called, the blue tinged ones) bulbs should be made illegal - they are just far to bright.

Dave-o says:

09:40am | 25/11/10

Fog lights, driving lights or Daytime running lights (DRLs). The EU has passed legislation to ensure all vehicles are fitted with DRLs from 2011. Which means every European sourced vehicle will have a bar of lights (most likely LED’s) facing forward which will be on while the headlights are off. Fog lights are fitted in accordance to ADR’s and under most state law should only be used during “inclement” weather. DRLs are not to shine and to use low wattage bulbs, fog lights will be a 35w and throw a shallow wide beam. The idea for DRL’s and driving with headlamps on originates from Sweeden where independent, accurate scientific study shows it reduces collisions. (Notice I said collision and not “fatality”)

So I think its time Australia got on with the job of improving road safety and brought some of our more archaic laws into line with nations in Europe who have far less speed camera’s and far fewer road fatality rates. But I suspect as long as the voting public laps up the “speed kills” propaganda we’ll continue to see a steady increase in lives lost on our roads.

Macca says:

09:46am | 25/11/10

@Amy, are you talking about the Day-time Lights that every smug Audi driver has on? They come on automatically unless you choose to turn them off, and I think anyone who doesn’t is a self-absorbed wanker who would have been better spending their money on anything other than the A-Class in the new Mercedes fleet.

@Fairsfair, agreed, they are horrendous

fairsfair says:

10:42am | 25/11/10

But Dave - we don’t have fog here all that often. Never where I live and they don’t offer any additional help in pelting rain. I totally see where you are coming from - but we don’t have the long dull periods of weather and the extended dawn/dusk (seasonal) of European countries. Plus the QLD law I think was only passed last year in response to the complaints and collisions (caused by retina poppage I would assume).

I don’t really think there is a need. The lastest thing in my canefarming hometown is pimping your landcruiser to look like a miniature roadtrain. So that is LEDing up the tray, the roll bar around the numberplate etc. It forms an outline of the car at night and looks like the circus is coming to town as they approach. Combine that with the exising “LightForce” spotties in the middle that are legal when on high beam you feel rather disoriented as it flies by. They are distracting, unencessary and dangerous. I saw a police man removing the fuse of some clown on the side of the road today. Good call I say.

But, if like you say they address the wattage and direction of the beam, I’d be ok with them. I afterall have them on my car, and used them for a longtime until I realised that that burning ball of light approaching is not a Mack - it is more likely to be a Barina with driving lights - so I turned them off.

Amy I reckon your article should be about what everyday people think would reduce the road toll. As Dave says - “Speed Kills” is not working and I think there are some people out there with valid opinions and really good ideas. A Macca says - everyone hates those freaking bulbs!

Amy says:

11:16am | 25/11/10

Driving lights, fog lights, whatever.  Regardless of what you call them, they are dangerous.  If you’re on a well lit road and you need more than a standard set of headlights then you shouldn’t be driving.  They are blinding - makes sense considering they were designed to be seen through fog or over long distances on country roads. 

They are also illegal here in NSW I think, Fairsfair, but for some reason the highway patrol seems to prefer joining the trend and driving with them on, rather than pulling over and fining other likeminded selfish people. 

I’m in a great danger of going on a rant here.

Amy says:

11:17am | 25/11/10

Driving lights, fog lights, whatever.  Regardless of what you call them, they are dangerous.  If you’re on a well lit road and you need more than a standard set of headlights then you shouldn’t be driving.  They are blinding - makes sense considering they were designed to be seen through fog or over long distances on country roads. 

They are also illegal here in NSW I think, Fairsfair, but for some reason the highway patrol seems to prefer joining the trend and driving with them on, rather than pulling over and fining other likeminded selfish people. 

I’m in a great danger of going on a rant here.

Dave-o says:

12:11pm | 25/11/10

@ Fansfair,

We may not have exactly the same seasonal weather, but do we ever drive in dust, or bushfires. I know I do. As for the cocky’s, it makes it even worse is that the Landcruiser is considered a commercial therefore load lights are legal. I think utilities should be re-classified as passenger cars to reflect their role and improve design.

@Macca,
HSV’s are fitted as standard now, as will all Euro cars that aren’t de-contented for Australia

@Amy
Fog lights don’t throw more light than your headlamps. They simply throw light as low as possible to get a beam under the fog.

One of the biggest problem with fog lights are the idiots who replace the standard 35w bulb with a 55w

ian m says:

02:14pm | 25/11/10

the government dont want you to use the fog lights coz they are on the level of your number plate and in day time may blur the image from speed cameras, end of story

Adam Diver says:

08:51am | 25/11/10

1. This should be what I meant about punch regulars having a piece publishd. This gem is buried in the open thread and will get a passing interest at best.

2. I read it as well this morning, and was immediately lulled into thinking the NBN isnt half bad. Was I changing opinions? Well no, I realised it was so immature and so full of statements without evidence that I just lulled into a sort of comatised state forgetting what exactly I was trying to find out.

3.  High school paper is right. I couldnt believe how basic everything sounded, and the lack of detail was amazing. Essentially its an extended press release.

4.  To be fair MarK earning don’t have to be overly profitable as it is billed as more an infrastructure project then an investment for the government. That being said if the government wants to make it look financially sound that have to justify some of the assumptions, not merely state what they are.

BobbyDan says:

08:55am | 25/11/10

MarK: your post stuttered and crackled that much on my single wire strung between trees that I could hardly hear you.
I take it you are against people in the bush having the same communication speeds as are available in the cities?
If so I am taking you off my Christmas Card list.

The Badger says:

09:02am | 25/11/10

Adam
Gem?
it’s paste!

The wrecking ball Turnbull is made of paper mache.

TheRealDave says:

09:09am | 25/11/10

I did read MarK’s response but its kinda pointless when it devolves cluelessly down to an ‘even shittier car’ analogy which is the usual anti-NBN tirade of ‘its obsolete’ crap from people with clearly no shred of technological competence or knowledge. There is a reason why we don’t use wireless for business critical systems and enterprise WAN’s all run Fibre as does our existing telecommunications backbone AND the links we lay across the sea floor to link continents…but hey, why interject facts into a clueless politically blinkered article/response? After all, its apparently ‘going to cost you personally “thousands!!’ to hook up to the NBN’.....

Unfortunately, even though I am an actual IT pro and intimately know the subject matter, I can’t get half my responses to the anti-NBN guff that News Limited publishes across several different mediums, including here. The Oz is the worst, I know plenty of fellow IT Professionals that can’t get a single comment through over there, I gave up when my strike rate go out to 1 in every 10 comments posted.

Its hard to have an intelligent discussion about the NBN, when the stance of the firm publishing the website is in one pocket and selectively moderates opposition to its tone and bias. The Punch used to be far more liberal in its moderation until recently.

TheRealDave says:

09:14am | 25/11/10

further, one wonders what kind of telecommunications system we would have in place right now IF in the 1950’s the Government decided that having a monopoly in charge of the newly rolled out copper telephone network was a bad thing and PMG/Telecom was busted up and sold off to private industry - because ‘Private industry’ will always look after ‘the people’ won’t it???

It amazes me that the same people that scream and moan about breaking up Telstra into wholesale and retail are the same exact people who bitch and moan about the NBN being a monopoly controlling the network?!?”!

MarK says:

09:19am | 25/11/10

“4.  To be fair MarK earning don’t have to be overly profitable as it is billed as more an infrastructure project then an investment for the government”

I agree if they were not justifying this as a commercial venture to keep it off the budget bottom line.

It is because of this assumption and the goal of selling it off into the future that terrifies me.

I for once am in full and utter support of Adam Bandt in saying if this monstrosity is built and sold to private investors we have come full circle to a nasty place

May as well have just bought Telstra back outright for a total spend of $30 billion (since we own half it woul cost $15billion to buy the other half based on mky cap) and tell them to run fibre everywhere.

That is an option you know.

May as well do it as duplicate perfectly good infrastructure in major centres that will of course will be the only profitable part of the whole.

As it stands it is all semantics and secrecy because they politically need it. To back away will cost them everything. It will cost them power.

$37billion + $14billion to Telstra on a pork barrel is beyond the pale when they play tricks to keep the expenditure off the budget to PERHAPS give us a surplus in the future. A symbolic gesture at best.

That is your good economic management right there. A promise of stuff later…..gawd. It is hospitals all over again with a price tag of mind boggling dimensions

fairsfair says:

09:31am | 25/11/10

The thing I don’t get is why it has to be done on such a large scale and yesterday. Why don’t they just wait and see how the Tasmania thing pans out and then see how the trial suburbs in mainland Aus go? I - like all Australians - don’t object to the network - I object to the hasty and hush hush nature of it all. And the figure. We are so fatigued by large numbers that people don’t say WTF to $43b? Nobody stands up and says why we need it. Labor have used their entire media quota bagging the opposition for bagging the NBN. They finally release something that (like ADs suggests, could sway opponents thinking) but after your serotonin levels return to normal you realise you have been had in the most patonising of ways.

To keep with the car analogy - this is like when you are looking to buy a new one. There is nothing really wrong with your old one but you think you might want a new one. You go, just to test it out - see what your options are as in the next few months you’ll need to do something. Next thing you know you just have to have one, the one you have is all of a sudden an absolute POS. The salesman is so lovely. It is a bit out of your price range, but thats what finance is for hey? All of a sudden you are leaving with something more expensive than you wanted before you actually needed it. Reality hits two months later when you realise that weekly payment is here to stay and you think to yourself, did I actually have to have that right now? We managed with the old one and would have been better using this time to steadily prepare for the massive purchase in the future.

Macca says:

09:36am | 25/11/10

@Adam Diver,

1. Agreed

2. I do think the NBN is not half bad. However I currently can’t justify why it is worth $43bn. $43bn directed to the states to improve Road, Train and Ports infrastructure would be much better and the productivity impacts would be real. Currently I don’t know what productivity increases we will actually have with the NBN. Imagine $43bn additional added to health infrastructure. I just can’t see the value in 1000mbs, when I already have 100mbs at home. It doesn’t prevent my actuarial studies brother from spending 30 hours of his uni week playing WoW

The Badger says:

10:06am | 25/11/10

Essential infrastructure for all Australians

The bank manager gave the government the check for 16 billion dollars to buy fighter aircraft and there wasn’t a business case anywhere to be seen.

A cynic is one who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Oscar Wilde

MarK says:

10:09am | 25/11/10

Just found this RealDave in the Oz (SHOCK)

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/nbn-co-backs-costings-in-telstra-deal/story-e6frg8zx-1225960480059

Just so you know I am all for a “NBN”

I have made that abundantly clear. What is also clear is you have no concept of what basis I am arguing from

“I did read MarK’s response but its kinda pointless when it devolves cluelessly down to an ‘even shittier car’ analogy which is the usual anti-NBN tirade of ‘its obsolete’ crap “

Nope you are wrong and not even close.

The analogy has nothing to do with obsolete or useless hardware and neither does my objections to the NBN. To be presumptuous you as self claimed IT pro are merely arguing from a “Whirlpool” vantage point being is it the best we can do. Yes it is without going to ridiculous $200 billion builds e(or whatever).

The NBN is awesome in its vision we all agree.

But just because we need an upgrade does not mean we need the “best” available hang the cost.

For example I build my own PC’s and do some work for friends etc. Just today I have ordered new parts - true story.

Now I am a heavy gamer and heavily into video and picture editing/conversion.

This is the processor I chose

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=187_346_930&products_id=15316

$319

I could have got

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=187_346_930&products_id=14027

for $1400

Do both do what I need. Yes. Are both affordable - well yes but the $1400 would have made me dig deep. Is the $1400 overkill for the vast majority of my needs. Yes. Would it aid me in video conversion - hell yeh. By much. No.

Cost - benefit dictates I choose the the $319 one

See?

The car anaolgy was there because I knew that a story would come out like the link above saying capex is all that matters not opex.

It does matter. It matters a lot. I totally refute what the NBN is saying. Cost is cost. Bottom line someone or something pays.

You completely miss the point because you are myopic in your views. All kids should get transport available to school. It doesn’t have to be in personalised limos. I do so love analogies

Alos RD - just so you know my IT position my house is three storied. I have full Ethernet running through it. I have a small server (2 actually) and a 32 point switch that I run my network through. I have had this in place for 3 years. My house has 12 computers in it not including servers.

I also live behind a goddam RIM on a ADSL 2 enabled exchange in a zone 1 region so I cannot get ADSL 2 because Telstra stuffed me and my new estate by being tight with their infrastructure.

The best I can do is 8mb which luckily I sync at during non peak times.

Don’t think it is all politics mate. I would jump at and sign up for 100mb tomorrow with a decent data allowance.

I am also not so self centred that to think my DESIRE for 100mb (hell 20 would do) should be at the cost of $35+ some other opex billions spend at the tax payer expense.

Stop being precious. It is not about Luddites spouting political ideology. It is about doing it right, correctly and fairly.

You do not have a monopoly on the discussion because you are an IT pro. Indeed I think I have proved you are blinkered by it. It clouds your judgement. Every Ford fanatic wants one of of the HPV models. Doesn’t mean they can afford it or should buy it either. The car is a means of transport a means of delivery. Not a reference to obsolescence.

Get with the program. We can do it much cheaper. This has taken a life of its own and is like a rock rolling downhill. We need the numbers exposed properly so we can assess. I know you want your shiny at whatever cost.

Some of the more pragmatic and selfless amongst us want it too but at a sensible and known price.

Put it this way. If they can stuff up the simple process of releasing some basic data to do with a $multi billion biggest ever spend do you really have much hope for them managing the project?

MarK says:

10:13am | 25/11/10

@Macca - has he got Bane yet?

We gave up on Light of Dawn due to attendance and pre expansion burn out. Bane is such a fun fight though

jeffb says:

11:34am | 25/11/10

Australians really need to learn that one time spending on essential infrastructure is not bad and will always be expensive in our environment. Maybe then we could actually get some nation building done instead of this constant bickering over a complete misunderstanding of economics.

Heres a decent article http://inside.org.au/paying-for-australias-infrastructure-deficit/

And seriously MarK, try limiting your posts abit. You always get completely lost in tangents and ramble on into irrelevance. Just stick to your subject and keep the message clear.

MarK says:

12:53pm | 25/11/10

“And seriously MarK, try limiting your posts abit. You always get completely lost in tangents and ramble on into irrelevance. Just stick to your subject and keep the message clear. “

Message received loud and cleared.

Duly ignored

Ciao baby

TheRealDave says:

09:11pm | 25/11/10

MarK, unlike your PC, your great grandkids will be using the NBN, the same one that will be run past your 3 story house you’ve already cabled up (I ran Cat6 myself because I have boxes of the stuff at work and Wireless N for the lappies/Wii/Pads/Smartphones). Maybe you could elucidate exactly how you are going to run a national broadband network cheaper than the proposal? Without screwing around with useless wireless solutions that cannot and will NEVER compete with fiber. I sincerely hoe you aren’t talking about a ‘cheaper solution’ where we will still utilize a ‘last mile’ of the same shitty copper thats killing our DSL speeds right now? The same shitty copper that Visionstream techs are patching with gaffer tape and supermarket plastic bags? The same shitty copper that sees ADSL2 max potential speed of 24mb degrade to less than useless after about 4.5 clicks cable length from the exchange? Or not a ‘cheaper solution’ where we hand over $12 Billion to Telstra to upgrade their backbones and still have the same shitty last mile copper AND are still subject to Telstra extorting us and holding us to ransom?

The ONLY decent solution is to rip all that old shitty copper out and lay down brand spanking new Fibre direct to every house, shop, business that we can. And thats where the cost will be. We have to pay for all that fibre to be laid down - end of story. Once its there then we can exploit it. Why wouldn’t you want it to be controlled by a government run corporation? I’d far rather it be 100% wholly owned by single government entity than be faced with the stupid situation we have now where Telstra has held the entire country to ransom for the better part of two decades now with its corporate extortion and anti-competitive practices. The reason why you are stuck on a bloody RIM is because Telstra wanted to do the cheapest possible job for maximum profit - thats what privately owned businesses are set up to do. Thats why we need a government owned and controlled organisation as the owner of essential infrastructure so we can’t get screwed over by these corporate arseholes. They will provide access to the network to private corporations to re-sell onto you and me. I might go Internode for free Premium USENET and you might go iiNet for their quirky ads with midget irish blokes and slightly cheaper packages - but its all through the same NBN.

Also, once its in the ground EVERYONE should be migrated to it. Kill off the copper as soon as Fibre terminates at your house. Get the Tech to do both jobs at the same time, connect up the fibre, get the snips out and cut out the Copper. It makes sense to get everyone switched to Fibre and that way they can start paying it off faster. Why would you want to run both at the same time? Forget a ‘phasing out period’ or cutover time. Stuff that. Just kill the copper.

And then while you are building your friends PC’s I can start hooking up some of these state/branch offices together with REAL links with proper real time video conferencing that cost the GDP of a small country to run, setup better VOIP links, better remote access for workers out of the office, more filesharing etc

The NBN isn’t just about what you can get at home or how fast you can download your porn. The REAL changes will be in the business arena. Thats going to drive it. I’d start buying up shares in Video Conferencing hardware and Software devs if I had the cash What CEO/CIO/CFO doesn’t want to sit in front of a couple of Plasmas ala 24/NCIS and look cool as shit?

Macca says:

08:34am | 25/11/10

So we’ll all be Faceless men? Mark Arbib is going to lose his Niche!!

MarK says:

08:40am | 25/11/10

MickeyD’s did it to MacDonald.

I am pretty sure Old MacDonald had his farm before the arches became a part of the architectural highlight of our cities.

Disclaimer: I have not researched or have any evidence for my above assertion. As a serial poster and Liberal staffer/stooge I am replying to this topic to muddy the waters between who or what I am. See I reply to non political stuff too. So there.

MarK says:

10:59am | 25/11/10

This +1

In it we are allowed to be rascist towards all English cricket players. Even token English ones from Sth Africa

Carz says:

06:32pm | 25/11/10

Do you really believe that physical abuse occurs in a vacuum? I know many women who have experienced domestic violence and ALL of them have said that the worst thing was the psychological abuse. Being called useless, having every decision question or derided, having parenting skills called into question by a person who may spend all of an hour a day at home with the children (not necessarily interacting with them). It all adds up.

The truth is that men’s violence against women occurs at much higher rates than women’s violence against men.  The physical and sexual violence is more likely to cause physical injury. In the majority of relationships the male is the main wage earner and financial abuse is common.

White Ribbon Day is not a denial of women’s violence against men. Instead it is an acknowledgement of the need to end violence against women; violence that includes rape as a weapon of war, female genital mutilation, human trafficking, sexual assault and, yes, domestic violence. Why is that a bad thing?

fairsfair says:

11:22am | 25/11/10

Have Fun! I have never been to Sydney… should probably get there one day…

MarK says:

11:28am | 25/11/10

Awesome.

Play well!!

TimB says:

01:12pm | 25/11/10

That’s just it Fairsfair. He aint a Queenslander. He’s a Bowraville boy (which incidently is my Dad’s hometown too- they both played for the Bowraville Tigers).
It’s only due to some stupid cockamamie technicality that he gets to play for QLD. It’s a travesty I say.

fairsfair says:

02:02pm | 25/11/10

Oh TimB, say it isn’t so! I didn’t know that.

Mind you, I share hometowns with Nate Myles and there was a big to do at one point about him possibly having to play for NSW due to Canterbury taking him from schoolboy… Uproar city…

I think about it now and well, you guys could have had him crapping in your halls this whole time.

Mike T says:

02:42pm | 25/11/10

I think he meant to say “Inglis ate LeBron James”

TChong says:

03:38pm | 25/11/10

Dont agree with whizz, or hammer- my prejudices I know, but amphetamines do cause psychosis, liver heart and kidney damage, while heroin destroys the user.
Pot is used by 100s of thousands +, vast majority of users will do so Friday, Saturday night type of thing, then go to work , completely normally Monday.
They will still love their kids, still pay their pay their bills, wont attack you, wont become wanton and promiscuos. “Reefer Madness” wont happen.
But we know gods police wont be part of that. Nothing more dangerous to them than someone, who might see an alternative than the wowsers myopic world of : cosume, be silent,  then die , is lived thru.

thatcherschild says:

10:35pm | 25/11/10

You need to get out more Reg.
So you know one dyke who fits a stereotype - I know loads of men who wear singlets but arent wife-beaters.
Instead of perpetuating stereotypes why dont you just ask the dyke in question?
So whats your real issue, is it that you cant handle a bit of butch, doesnt fit in with your fantasy of hot girl on girl action?
More to the point, why are you so interested?