Research shows Parents who can’t deal with Gay children create tragedies – so GET OVER IT!

New research outlined in the Scientific American shows that young gays are being driven to despair and even suicide by unaccepting parents.

This is not rocket science, if you didn’t accept your child had red hair  - you would cause problems for them because they HAVE red hair whether you choose to see it or not.

Meanwhile, colouring the hair and pretending it isn’t red doesn’t stop the person being a redhead. So please stop trying to convert or reprogramme people with a gender difference just because you can’t understand a reality more complex than dogma.

In a way it’s a mental health issue because it’s clear that people who don’t accept homosexuality are in denial of the provable facts or simply ignorant.  

Click here for more on the research from Scientific American, and please share the story with anyone you know who is still blind to the realities of gender difference.

John Lennon asks us to join One Laptop Per Child – well sorta, and it’s OK with Yoko ONO

The One Laptop Per Child group has produced a new ad  ( click here to view it on Youtube ) featuring a remixed voice and video package that at least gives the feeling that the Beatle was supporting it.

It’s not exactly slick, but if it continues to focus on the needs of children it’s okay with me too Yoko.

By the way, here in Australia John Lennon’s “Double Fantasy” Album was number one on this day back in 1980, the year I started as a radio journalist.

Click here for the website of One Laptop, and see the mission statement below.

To create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning. When children have access to this type of tool they get engaged in their own education. They learn, share, create, and collaborate. They become connected to each other, to the world and to a brighter future.

 

We all know that the biggest challenges for children in our world are war, disease, famine, drought and neglect.

We desperately need energy money and resources there, but this campaign looks worthwhile for some fairly obvious reasons.

Please let me know if you support or see other advocacy and advocate stuff that might be worth republishing here.

 

BlogBack - talkback to this blog - you are most welcome to;

email submissions   serve.tony@gmail.com ,

post new material in comments,

share websites or media,

leave a voice comment  - phone +61 8 9467 2264

contribute in any way.

I’m particularly keen to hear from people who are working in area of mental health with stories or help finding useful treatments based on brain plasticity.

Everything from meditation to; neurofeedback, analysis, CBT and guided imagery works on “rewiring” the neuron circuits of the brain after damage, disease or deterioration.

Exciting and hopeful clinical work being done in many areas, such as stroke and HI recovery and many  ”disabilities” are turning out to be treatable conditions.

It’s been exciting to see mainstream media at least begin to pick up on the great work being done, and the ongoing success of Norman Doidge’s book ( and PBS special ) has been an important starting point or focus for those unaware of the new treatments that continue to evolve.

That  ”brain training” software and games we see being advertised are just a small part of the real and repeatable effects of “rewiring” the brain.  They are becoming more and more widely used as theraputic devices in private homes, business, hospitals and nursing homes.

The possibilities, even in the short term, for better treatment and some cures are inspiring, but there will soon be debate about some key elements of life and law.

It’s become clear that all crime and substance abuse are related to mental health.

It is self evident that no-one in their right mind kills, rapes, tortures or neglects. No-one in their right mind uses substances that make them ill, violent, impulsive or an addict.

It stands to reason that Governments as providors of health care could ( and I say should) be held accountable for not

providing mental health care when someone comes to grief.

Maybe that will be a good thing in the this risk averse corporate world.

Perhaps if lawyers and activisits around the world began a concerted series of claims for individuals and groups based on their known mental health issues not being addressed we may see less seriosuly ill people released from jail or hospitals and into a new tragedy.

Once again it comes down to whether we care enough about our safety, health and the future to spend money and energy on better diagnosis and treatment for brain related illnesses.

We have the knowledge, but the will is yet to come and there are  also the hurdles of  stigma and cost. Change will come though, we’re evolving. 

Anyhow, I’m just a madman with a will to make a difference, it’s what YOU think and do that will make a difference.

6PR Late Night Links – websites & videos on 6pr.com.au

Midnight to dawn radio lsteners in Perth ( 882 am )and  those listening online around the world                 ( at 6pr.com.au ) might find these links useful over the next 3 weeks as I fill in at the Farifax radio station.

I’ll add to the links and welcome your input – simply click on the comments link after the tags at the bottom of a story. I have yet to set up email in the studio but you can text me your number anywhere in the world and I’ll call back, SMS/text your name , country,area and phone number to +61 403 339 290

Hours related to this material are midnight to 0530 local time, 1500GMT/UTC to 2030 GMT/UTC weeknights from Dec 22 to Jan 11.

The call in number is +61 8 922 11 882  and in a pale imitation of the great NPR network ” all things are considered,” so join in and talk about anything at all, because as long as we’re respectful we can tackle anything.

Special shout outs to Paul in Alicante Spain, Gina in Phoenix, Byron in Oregon, my friends in Israel and Palestine and anyone who’s been listening but has yet to make a call.

 

Listen in in over the next night or two for a chat with Robin Chapple from FARA a global network of people concerned about the destruction of ancient rock art that preadtes the Pyramids – click here for info on the shameful neglect and corporate vandalism of the Spirit Rocks on West Australia’s Burrup Peninsula.

Now some food for our brains

fMRI – functional magnetic resonance imaging has revealed amazing brain facts

One of the greats of brain science explains the principles and amazing applications of brain plasticity – covering ageing issues, strole, mood disorders and a lot more. This video runs an hour and twenty minutes, so grab a cuppa and prepare to be inspired

 

This  Discovery Channel video is an amazing story about how our new understanding of how the brain can rebuild itself.

Meet a little girl whose illness meant half her brain had to be removed.

 

INFO on the book that has amazed, informed and inspired me more than any other in decades   *  This link will take you to info on the book ”  The BRAIN That CHANGES ITSELF “

 

Watch here as Alvaro Fernandez describes some new brain science that promises breakthroughs in treating a range of illnesses and injuries that had ’til now thought to have been something we just had to live with or die from.

Internet access affected by cable breaks – more from Wired

Wired has more useful info on the web access problems caused by cable cuts in the Mediterranean -

click here for their work 

Internet access affected by cable break in Mediterranean

Web access through and from the middle east is being heavily affected by a cable break offshore from Italy.

Australia’s ABC reports here that the outages have cut web access by 80 per cent to Egypt and traffic between the middle east and europe is being affected by either a loss or a slowing of service.

There’s no word yet of when the services my be restored or what effect the outage has had on security or business.

If you hear anything useful please post a comment.

Here in Australia the only tech hassle I have seen today is my gmail sending me a (#500) error when trying to access mail to or from the middle east – but it may be unrelated.

for more information on the cable problem click this link to the  ISPCP which deals with the undersea cable network.

Good luck

 tony

Apple or Berry – here’s the magic we need for our touch screen phone

NewScientist has some great news for anyone who’ struggled with touch screens and big fingers – I hope Steve Jobs is all over them so I can get more accuracy from my stubby fingers on the iPhone

the story is here

the  video of the cool prototype is here

George W Bush and the hard shoe shuffle

There’s a new web game based on the Iraqi reporter throwing his shoes at dubya that might cause a smile, even to the Pres himself.

the ABC covers the reuters story here  

you can play one version here and please let me know if you get a top score

I’ve never been a fan of Bush the younger ( or his daddy ) but he did show grace under fire this time, ducking and coming back up to face his attacker. I was expecting him to go bananas!

So apart from an illegal war that’s left 600 thousand plus Iraqi men, women and children dead and failing to regulate or even monitor the corporate cowboys who’ve caused a global economic crisis, maybe he’s not such a bad guy after all.

Meanwhile it took real courage to do what the reporter did and he faces an uncertain future after his arrest despite popular support. Hamdallilla – good luck Habibi. A Salaam Aleikum.

Honour for 2 prominent Gay West Australians

As I continue to wonder why people  who are Gay can’t marry and have the same rights as Heterosexuals – I am happily distracted by national honours being given to 2 amazing women last night.

Click here for WAtoday’s coverage of the awards to Channel 10 WA Newsreader Narelda Jacobs and to that amazing person Giz Watson MLC of the Greens WA.

I have worked with Narelda in the past on a project to prepare outstanding indigenous youth for leadership roles in the media and community and have been mightily impressed by her heart, mind and commitment. Well done.

As for Giz, the sheer weight of her work and commitment make her gender completely irrelevant – even gender bigots in WA hold her in high esteem.

Giz has been an energetic and effective campaigner  for social justice and the environment since before we had desktop computers, let alone Blogs. Visit her website here for a look around, or even get involved with the great work being done.

I worked with Giz ahead of the last 2 WA elections and I note that while the Greens don’t actually have leaders, Giz inspires consensus in a way big-titled leaders elsewhere can only envy. The Honourable Giz Watson is one of the rare MPs who in decades of service has not tarnished the honorific.

Congratulations to both of them for doing so much through their courage and commitment to absorb pressure so those who follow don’t have to.

Australia web censorship – #$%$# the filter, focus on facts

Crikey.com.au had this gem on censorship ( click link to the left for story “on site” or see text & links pasted below ) that not only covers material posted on this blog, but wraps up the nonsense that has led regulators down the wrong track. “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Contact the Greens or GetUp to force a much needed reality check so the meagre resources put into child protection are not frittered away on a filter that will do more harm than good.

Note to regulators spend the money on targeting P2P nets, providing support for abused children, research on abusers – you know – something useful!

Stilgherrian writes: 

Gloves-off time. The purveyors of pervasive internet censorship – handful that they are – have burned their goodwill. It’s time to call them out on their lies and demand to know why they’re not advocating the real solutions to child s-xual abuse.

Bernadette McMenamin of ChildWise, you’ve crossed the line, defaming everyone who’s protested the government’s plans. “Most of these people are not fully aware of the facts and secondly, those who are aware are, in effect, advocating child p-rnography,” you said. How dare you!

Ms McMenamin, to really stop child abuse we need to spend our resources efficiently. Let’s run through it one more time. And let’s skip those hysterical, made-up “statistics” you still peddle. Child abuse is bad enough without heading into your paranoid fantasyland.

Kiddie-p-rn is hard to find. As Inspector John Rouse, former head of Queensland Police’s Taskforce Argos told the authors of The Porn Report, “the chances of stumbling across this material… are minimal as it isn’t really distributed on web pages.” P-dophiles use peer-to-peer software and, as Crikey reported six months ago, none of the filters can deal with P2P. The filter will not work. The. Filter. Will. Not. Work.

Every single dollar wasted on a demonstrably unworkable filter isn’t just wasting taxpayers’ money in tough times. It’s a dollar that hasn’t gone to the police so they can do what does work. Good old-fashioned policing and the kind of undercover sting that resulted in 19 arrests last week, including a retired QC and a NSW police officer.

But, as blogger Jon Seymour points out, Ms McMenamin has a vested interested in moral panic. “An ineffective filter is actually a very good thing, because it means the oxygen that sustains the flames of moral panic, and her organization ChildWise, will never disappear,” he writes.

“Perhaps McMenamin and ChildWise have done worthy work in the past. Perhaps they do some now. But why should anyone continue to be charitable about a person who unapologetically accuses her opponents of being witting or unwitting supporters of child p-rnography?”

“Public intellectual” Clive Hamilton has been the other public face of censorship since 2003. In Crikey last week he deconstructed Paul Kelly’s writing about emissions trading, saying “Kelly’s spray could be used as an exemplar in a course on how to use debating tricks to try to win a losing argument.” The same could be said for Hamilton’s own writing in support of censorship.

In a piece for ABC News, Hamilton cherry-picks blog comments to construct an anti-censorship straw man of such awesome proportions his hay fever will last a century. He fails to even mention the rational arguments he should be addressing, and then admits, “I have deliberately not considered the question of whether it is feasible to effectively filter extreme and violent p-rnography on the internet.” Let’s not let reality get in the way, shall we Clive? Fortunately the post’s 275 comments re-introduce that reality.

And finally the minister, Hamilton claims Senator Stephen Conroy is boldly going ahead with filtering trials billed as a “live test”. But no, it’s another closed network test and won’t involve actual customers. Even the list of “10,000 sites” is a made-up number.

Opposing the filter are the Opposition, The Greens, Save the Children (who’ve rolled up their sleeves and done the dirty work of protecting kids since 1919), the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre and even ultra-conservative Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi and Glenn Milne.

Why is taxpayers’ money still being spent on this farce?

Ben Cousins’ Dad on radio 6WF – great work as usual by our ABC

If you’d like to hear Ben Cousins’ dad Bryan talking to abc local radio’s Russel Wolfe click here.

The interview reveals a great deal about a parent’s battle to support a child through almost unprecedented levels of pressure and scrutiny.

Please pass the link on to others, particularly those standing on soapboxes or flinging rocks from glazed domiciles, and to those whose mouths seem unconnected to any human brain let alone their own.

Congratulations to Ben and family, Kevin Sheedy, the mighty Tigers and kudos to Perth’s abc radio.

visit Richmond’s website here, and don’t be shy about joining the club or at least sending a message of support.

oh, one last thing… watch out for vultures! There are media people already drafting stories about Ben’s future failure – certain that it will come and that they will profit from his failure.

The best way to dreal with these flying vermin is to ignore them – so choose your media wisely

Ben Cousins saved by Tigers after abuse by Weasels

Ben Cousins has been selected to play for the Richmond AFL club.

 

Story and Video here from my colleagues at WA Today ( Fairfax Digital/Radio )

 

I’m not a joiner, but I will become a member at the Victorian club to show both; support for their bold action, and  send a message to the Eagles and AFL that they should not expect a Christmas card.

 

Listen in to sports tonight on local radio 6PR from 1700hrs local

 

( 1000 UTC/Greenwich ) to hear the full story.

 

click here for the link and then click on “listen live.”

 

Remember, Ben has been battling an illness, has not been convicted of anything and yet has been villified and isolated by big sections of the Media, AFL and various Club administrators.

 

I trust these big tough aussie men who run these shows will abandon their own children if they get hooked on drugs and make sure they can’t continue their careers. They may also realise their institutionalised booze drinking is a drug addiction and sack themselves.

 

Many of them will be waiting for Ben to fail so they can crack a tinnie and say ” told you so!”

Ben Cousins abandoned by the AFL and gutless administrators

There is a growing number of people who see the AFL’s abandonment of  ill champion Ben Cousins as a tragic mistake.

Even among media colleagues, people are stepping back and asking some crucial questions after the feeding frenzy of the last 2 years where logic, compassion, and often, the truth were missing.

I am not alone in being concerned about the demonstrably sick AFL community as much as Ben.

Fairfax Digital’s Tim Lane makes some key points in the article posted here – please read it and pass it on. If you are so motivated, contact your MP, media, footy club or friends and ask a few questions yourself.

click here for Tim Lane’s excellent article

So, what hope is there in australia for more ordinary mortals who admit drug use but are not convicted – do we ban them from their job forever and expose them to unwarranted ridicule, do we keep pretending people with mental health issues are dangerous madmen? – please read the article below for more on that.

click here for my earlier piece on Ben’s case being a major blow for social justice and the aussie fair go.

Australian Human Rights push for Intersex gender recognition

Hope, Ignorance & Bigotry

The Australian Human Rights Commission is pushing Canberra to offically recognise Intersex people, whether they have had modifying surgery or not.

First news of the move was the Daily Telegraph via news.com.au and it offers some faint hope for people whose physical identity simply doesn’t fit male or female.

Sadly though, the web article’s first 3 respondents were typically ignorant and hateful, probably out of fear of the unknown, but I found it pathetic but fairly typical.

The push also raised the more complex reality of gender differences, suggesting more classifications are needed.

The legal and community status of genders other than male and female heterosexuals has to be addressed and a bit of education for “normal” people might be very useful.

People who still describe these genetic, physiological differences as “lifestyle” choices are part of the many challenges to be overcome for a minority that is every bit as human as the lovely looking people in your clothing catalogues.

What do you think?

Is it time for us to demand equality for those who are different.  Or do we stay scared of diversity and protect the “Adam & Eve” idea despite the facts.

If you say the latter, then maybe you should start building an Ark too.

If you want to make a difference for people whose only sin is being different write/email/hassle your local, state and federal politician. Here in Australia contact the Greens who’ve had their shoulder to this wheel for some time now.

The news.com.au article and the two all-too-predictable comments are pasted below

THE Federal Government’s human rights arm plans to invent a new official status called “intersex” adding it to male and female as a legally recognised gender.

The Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission wants people to be able to change their gender on their passports and driving licences even if they do not undergo surgery.

And transgender lobby groups say that even this does not go far enough and are demanding a fourth legal gender called “other” for people who feel like their gender is indefinable or changes from day to day.

The extraordinary proposals are contained in a discussion paper quietly issued to transgender and transexual advocates by the commission, a statutory body that advises the Government on such matters.

The paper, entitled “Sex Files – The legal recognition of sex: Proposed reform”, says the introduction of the new “intersex” gender is a “key feature of the reform proposal being developed by the commission”.

 

“Recognition of intersex: Persons who cannot or do not identify as either male or female would be able to choose to be identified on their birth certificate and passport as intersex,” it says.

“A person who cannot or chooses not to undergo surgery would not be automatically ineligible to request a change in their legal sex.”

A response to the report by Sex and Gender Education Australia says there needs to be a fourth legal gender for people who are not even “intersex”.

SAGE spokeswoman Tracie O’Keefe, a sexologist whose doctorate comes from a Californian hypnotherapy institute, is the co-author of the book Transpeople in Love, wrote: “The AHRC proposal does not go far enough in providing legal status and social spaces by only allowing people to be male, female and intersex.”

Dr O’Keefe, who runs the Australian Health and Education Centre and the International Sex, Gender and Sexuality Clinic in Glebe, said cultures such as Native Americans had more than two genders.

via Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission pushes for third ‘intersex’ gender | National News | News.com.au.

 

Martin of York Posted at 11:18am today  

Agree with Robert. Dr.O’Keefe needs immediate treatment.

AJ of null Posted at 9:15am today  

How Pathetic!!!!

Robert of Melbourne Posted at 7:57am today  

We already have a third classification – “it” or “neuter”. to even discuss this is an insult to human intelligence and a waste of taxpayers money.

It’s not all advocacy & activism – sometimes it’s LOOKALIKES

My sister-in-law Assunta compiled this great collection of lookalikes using   totallylookslike.com

iPhone Matt & Stacey’s Wedding pic & post

For those who asked about the private wedding slideshow at the top of the blog…

Matt & Stacey got married and looked fabulous.

The Bridal party pic below was part of the slideshow of snaps with the iPhone as I shot video. This post is also via iPhone. My son calls me a Geek. dunno why!

If the couple agree I’ll post the video/slideshow

This test post is via Google Docs and…

This test post is via Google Docs and then publishing here after selecting this URL in Google doc settings.

 

Thanks to John Houser  for the tip on using GoogleDocs to post here and on the Google Blog – very cool 

Internet Censorship Australia – the Emperor still has no clothes!

Public Activist site GetUp IS making a difference in the battle to convince Canberra that Internet Filtering as proposed would cause major access problems without doing the intended job.

The site is for aussies interested in using online people power for specific causes and social justice in general.

The people used GetUp effectively to pressure the Australian Federal Police and Political establishment ( gee that sounds Bolshy, doesn’t it!  ) in the case of the supervision order for Guantanamo survivor David Hicks.

The Australian Council of Social Services also had an online way for ordinary people to lobby ahead of each budget – I’ll check and see if it’s still going.

My point is, have your voice heard somewhere – have your say.

I am looking forward to posting an appeal for books to go to a village in the Phillipines where a friend has been doing some good work. More on that to come. 

 

Save the Net

 

Our campaign to ‘Save the Net’ is gaining momentum faster than all expectations, as the Government’s ill-considered plans to slow down and censor the internet is “facing a major backlash”, according to media reports.¹

Their internet censorship proposal goes further than any other democracy – making the internet up to 87% slower, more expensive, accidentally blocking up to one in 12 legitimate sites, and missing the vast majority of inappropriate content.

Only a massive public outcry will make the Government see sense on this issue. Please take a moment to sign this important petition:

www.getup.org.au/campaign/SaveTheNet

More than 55,000 fellow Australians have already signed the petition to Communications Minister Senator Conroy, against “draconian government restrictions on the internet that will hold back the digital economy and miss the vast majority of unwanted content.”

His plan has even been slammed by children’s welfare groups, who say the filter is “fundamentally flawed” and simply will not work. Join children’s welfare groups, internet providers, consumers, engineers, network administrators, and 55,000 everyday Australians in defence of our freedoms and internet:

www.getup.org.au/campaign/SaveTheNet

At a time of financial crisis, the Government should not be introducing measures that will hamper our economy for no real benefit to the protection of the community from material that is already illegal.

Stand up in defence of our rights to prevent Australia joining Iran, China, Saudi Arabia and Burma in an undemocratic club of governments who view the internet as a threat.

Thanks for being part of the solution,
The GetUp team

PS - 55,000 Australians have signed the petition to save the internet from being slowed and censored. Click here to join them.

¹‘Children’s welfare groups slam net filters’, The Age 1 December 2008