Graic Gabtar posted:

Some interesting comments.

Not really into the whole Australia Day malarkey. It always seems a bit of a wank-fest. However, I do enjoy the the day off and the BBQ we traditionally have at the local park. Probably worth a bit of a nod to the the good and not so good parts of history though.

Still a bit of a mystery to me why people seem to get so much joy on getting so down on poo poo but each to their own I guess.

Jumpingmanjim posted:

Courtney Barnett is annoying as gently caress and can't sing.

Bifauxnen posted:

Sup Graic, I just wanted to clarify what you're actually talking about here. What is "the whole Australia Day malarkey" that constitutes the wank-fest? Do you mean people who want the date to be changed, or call it Invasion Day? Or just non-Aboriginal people who want the date to be changed, or call it Invasion Day? Or is the malarkey actually the people who are happy with the holiday as-is getting all defensive about it?

Second, if the Australian people can accept giving a nod to both the good and the not so good parts of history, do you think that's worth changing the date of the holiday, to actually acknowledge the harm of that one not-so-good day? Or do you mean the date should stay the same precisely because it evokes some not-so-good things?

Jumpingmanjim posted:

How did Depreston only get to 82? What a poo poo country.

quote:

Los Angeles: US presidential hopeful Ted Cruz's claim sexual assaults on women in Australia went up significantly after strict gun laws were introduced has been challenged by a Washington Post analysis.

Senator Cruz said on high-profile American radio host Hugh Hewitt's show on January 12 Australia's post-Port Arthur massacre gun legislation meant women were unable to defend themselves from being raped.

The Washington Post's Fact Checker column examined Senator Cruz's comment and on Monday rated it a "whopper" of a factual error, the highest rating on its "Pinocchio Test".

"And as you know, Hugh, after Australia did that [gun buyback program], the rate of sexual assaults, the rate of rapes, went up significantly, because women were unable to defend themselves," Mr Cruz told the radio host.

"There's nothing that criminals or terrorists like more than unarmed victims."

Conservative candidate Senator Cruz is Donald Trump's biggest rival for the Republican presidential nomination.

The gun debate has become a hot button issue in the presidential race, with Republican candidates like Senator Cruz and the National Rifle Association attacking President Barack Obama and Democrat hopeful Hillary Clinton's references to Australia's firearm laws.

The Washington Post analysis found no significant spike or drop but a gradual increase in sexual assault rates over the decade after the 1996 changes in Australia.

The increase was likely affected by a rise in the reporting of sexual assaults and there wasn't prevalent use of handguns for self-defence before 1996, as Senator Cruz suggested, the newspaper concluded.

"The rates didn't go up 'significantly' after the buyback and there's no evidence changes to gun laws in Australia affected sexual assault rates or jeopardised the ability of women to protect themselves," the Washington Post told readers.

The newspaper spoke to Samara McPhedran, senior research fellow at Australia's Griffith University and chair of the International Coalition of Women in Shooting and Hunting.

The Post also examined research by the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Australian Institute of Criminology, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the Law Library of Congress, Christine Neill, economics professor at Canada's Wilfrid Laurier University and Andrew Leigh, an Australian MP and former Australian National University economics professor.

The newspaper also concluded given gun culture in Australia and the US is not comparable, including carrying concealed guns and the ability to carry firearms for self-defence, "politicians should refrain from attributing good or bad changes in Australian crime rates to the buyback program or to the legislative package".

"We also warn politicians on both sides of the gun debate about making broad assertions about Australia to justify policy arguments for the United States," the Post concluded.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/wor...l#ixzz3yJvSYFzM
Follow us: @canberratimes on Twitter | CanberraTimes on Facebook

Jumpingmanjim posted:

Courtney Barnett is Melbourne as gently caress.

Jumpingmanjim posted:

Courtney Barnett is monotonous as gently caress.

Graic Gabtar posted:

Hi Bifauxnen, long time no chat.

Park/phone posting so forgive me in advance.

The malarkey is the over the top nationalism. I have no objection to a bit a flag waving but a lot of it is just pass the bucket time. You can be proud of Australia (well I can be) without looking like dickheads. Ironically the only people here who are doing the flag thing are a clan of Indians having a kick arse time and a family who would not meet this forum's definition of 'white'. They were really nice as well and very grateful went I loaned them all my BBQ gear as they had accidentally left it at home, but I digress. I have no problem with people raising the significance of the day for indigenous people. And I can appreciate that point of view. I do struggle to understand why seem people want out-emo each other in some kind of orgy of self-harm.

As for the date itself? Unfortunately for people here I would in no way die in a ditch for it, but I don't think it needs to be changed. If it was moved a week would people still not equate that celebration to invasion? Are we going to chop and change it until we finally land on 25th December so no one gives a crap either way?

I think your last sentence should sums it up. You can't deny the history. You can't deny the date. Just make people face into it or you're just fiddling around the edges. You're not going to get a better date to have the discussion.

Let me now just duck off back home to slip into my asbestos suit

SynthOrange posted:

As a non-whitey I'm gonna stay indoors tomorrow.

BCR posted:

cat doter posted:

gently caress australia day

that is all

Halo14 posted:

I got a day off work, it's pretty rad m8.

Anidav posted:

Thank you patriotic avatar buyer.

cat doter posted:

days off are pretty good

who changed my dang avatar, god damnit

Anidav posted:

Thank you patriotic avatar buyer.

#thereABC posted:

WA milk contamination worries spark mass recall

Microbial contamination fears have forced one of Western Australia's biggest dairy manufacturers to recall hundreds of thousands of litres of milk products.

Coles, which processes its home brand milk with Lion, has asked people to return one-litre cartons of fresh full cream and 98 per cent fat free hilo milk that expire on February 6.

Lion, which also manufactures the Pura and Masters brands, say a range of their Pura hilo, Masters flavoured and Farmers Federation iced coffees that expire on February 7 must not be consumed.

quote:

What is it about Australia’s cultural cringe that we need a Government-mandated Australian of the Year? A person who gets a platform to espouse a cause, who gets an award for advocacy rather than achievement?

The Americans, British, French, Germans and so forth do not feel the need for the Government to designate one of their citizens as an American of the Year, Briton of the Year etc. Sure, there are awards given by the Time of London, Esquire magazine, Cosmopolitan and so forth. Let there be private awards but please spare us the sanctimony of allowing one person to preach to us from the Government-designated pulpit.

Surely a reasonable savings measure is to eliminate this award.

cat doter posted:

I used to think australia was ok but this avatar is making me reconsider things

Birb Katter posted:

Malkers, Coles is doing a recall on malk

Graic Gabtar posted:

OK.

ewe2 posted:

Catallaxy asks the hilarious question:


Oh no, they keep picking the Wrong Australians Surely an appropriate cultural cringe would be to, say, knight a monarch.

Starshark posted:

You just know we wouldn't be hearing from them if Abbott was made Aussie of the Year and he did a rambling speech on how Muslims sacrifice Christian children.

Mithranderp posted:

avatar-buyer, you do know that Federation was 1/1/1901, and it starts "Australians all let us rejoice"

Recoome posted:

Man Australia is shaped really weirdly

gay picnic defence posted:

av check

e: nope, still that loving dog

Anidav posted:

I will always have my dog.