Marking 40yrs since 1978 Mardi Gras - Moving speech from Melody Gardiner (video)

The 1978 Sydney Mardi Gras was held in the winter and recently there was a commemorative march marking 40 years on.

Here is a moving speech by Melody Gardiner, expressing how the LGBT movement is an ongoing struggle for our freedom from bigotry and religion. 

The assistant commissioner of the NEW police also issued at apology (bottom video) for what the police did that night 40 years ago.

Daughter home from hospital already with new baby :)

A party animal is born

Daughter rang today saying she left hospital yesterday. Wow that's a quick turnaround after having major surgery. She said it was healing well and wanted to go home. Her husband has taken a few weeks off work for it for support and a midwife is coming around every day to check on how it's all going after the cesarean. BTW all free through Medicare, thank you Medicare.

It's a period now with them to get baby into a routine, which is extremely important as any parent knows. Think she'll be a really good mother with all the training and qualifications she has in child care. Said they'll present baby to us after a couple of weeks of routine-ing :)

Meanwhile she's been taking pictures aplenty. Yes folks, these are the days of instant communication and picture taking, that can be sent across the world in the blink of an eye. When my late wife and I had our daughter back in 1990 we were still using film in the camera and there wasn't a lot of people that even had an email address. It was 5 years before Windows 95 burst onto the scene. There was no Facebook, no YouTube, no Twitter, and the internet was all dial up (if you could even be bothered with it). It's another world now. The internet revolution has been so fast sometimes it feels like I've jumped into a Sci-Fi movie.

Felix investigates 

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Family separations have been happening in Australia for years (video)

There's world outrage presently over the US border policy of separating children from their parents. 

But sadly, this has been happening in Australia for years under the Abbott/Turnbull gov. Trump seems to be trying to compete with Australia and Peter Dutton in cruelness, but he's right out of his league with Dutton. This gov makes the Trump administration look like amateurs.

It's been up to public outrage to get Dutton to intervene in individual cases and stop deportations that rip families apart. This one is a case in point. Via email from GetUp:

Last week, Peter Dutton's Home Affairs department was standing firm in its decision to tear a small family apart. But today — thanks to our community coming together in our thousands — Bernadette and Giro are looking forward to celebrating his ninth birthday together in Australia.

After living in our community for 11 years, Bernadette Romulo had her application for permanent residency denied, and was ordered to leave the country in a matter of weeks, forced to leave behind her 8 year old son Giro.

But thousands of us called on the Turnbull Government to allow Bernadette and Giro to remain together in Australia, where she can watch him grow —and they caved; intervening to grant Bernadette a 12 month visa just yesterday.

 It is a remarkable example of what our community can do when we come together for what's right — and it means Bernadette can hold her little one close for a little while longer.

But they aren't out of the woods. While today Bernadette and Giro get to breathe a sigh of relief, the government has merely pushed the decision back a year.

 Malcolm Turnbull can still intervene at any time to let Bernadette stay with her son, for good — and we have to make sure he does.

You can spread the word here.

Lawyer Daniel Webb of the Human Rights Law Centre speaks truth at the UN about Australia’s treatment of children in indefinite detention. pic.twitter.com/IIZJIGzyuP

— GetUp! (@GetUp) June 29, 2018

Cats on a cold and rainy Sydney winter night :)

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First up is the legendary Zac, escape artist extraordinare. The back door screen door has been ripped to pieces on numerous occasions with him tearing at it with his claws and pocking his nose through it, and ultimately his whole body in another great escape from the house! So much so that we decided perhaps Houdini might have been a better name for him. When the actual back door is shut he often can meow at us for half an hour or more to get out, really bloody loudly and annoyingly. But he knows when it's cold and wet, and those times he doesn't even want to sit there looking through the screen door as it's just too cold. He gives up, sits next to me, and I realise he doesn't want to escape but just wants to sit in front of the heater. Ha ha, total city cat Zac...

This one is Casper, the friendly cat. And he just totally is. He's the most loving cat we've ever known, brother of Cloe. He's come into his own now and developed a cat relationship with us. He's taken to lying on my legs when I have my lounge chair foot thing up, falling asleep at times and dreaming in that cat jerking thing when they're dreaming. He doesn't meow anymore like "please can I have your attention and can you love me?". but in a "hello" meow much more relaxed.

He's on that chair here but every time I take a picture of him with a flash the flash shines off his total whiteness and makes everything else around it dark. Fuck it's just impossible! I tried to fix it but anyway, he's on my chair OK?

Last but not least we have Natasha. She's getting old now, proved by David's research the other month ringing the vet who microchiped her, at 14 cat years. In human years that's about 70. The oldest cat I've ever known (Smokey) lived to 17, or 95 as a human. So Natasha get's cold in the winter these days and camps in front of the heater.

She knows the word "heater". I'll tell her even if she's in the adjoining room "Tasha, heater!" and she'll come over as I turn it on. Interestingly Zac knows this too. Couple of days ago when he got cold with the door open I said to him "heater" and off he went to join Natasha. 

So these are our three winter cats. It's raining cats and dogs outside. Even Zac/Houdini doesn't want to go out there. Ha ha. He knows which side his bread is buttered on :)

All safe and sound. And don't they now it :) 

ACON report into gay hate killings Sydney 1970's-1990's

ACON in Sydney has released a report into the large number of gay hate killings that happened here from the 1970's through to the 1990's. It coincides with the internal New South Wales police report (known as the "Strike Force Parrabell" report) of which has also been released. 

There are vast differences between the two reports. The police report, although giving credence to the fact of gay hate killings in Sydney during those times, in my opinion (and others) would have to be taken with a grain of salt or three. After all, again, the NSW police don't have investigations into them done independently; they investigate themselves. As is common practice in a number of Australian states. It is therefore telling that even their very own police investigation into themselves turned up that one third of the 88 crimes (decided to be re-investigated from those times) involved being either confirmed or suspected gay hate crimes.

An extensive review of 88 suspicious deaths in Sydney between 1976 and 2000 has revealed almost a third were the result of crimes involving suspected or confirmed gay-hate bias.

 Up to 10 criminal investigators have spent three years reviewing the deaths, which had been highlighted by researchers as having potential gay-hate bias motivation, or a connection with the LGBTIQ community.

 Known as Strike Force Parrabell, the investigation's report, to be made public on Wednesday, has found evidence of gay-hate bias or suspected bias in 27 cases while 23 of the deaths also remain unsolved.

 Two of the 88 deaths were removed from the investigation - one because it took place outside of NSW and the other had no records to review.

 “It’s an ugly part of our history,” said Assistant Commissioner Tony Crandell, the police's spokesman for Sexuality, Gender Diversity, and Intersex.

 "It needs to be acknowledged and we need to do everything we can to make sure no one is ever again fearful for their life because of who they are." Sydney Morning Herald

"An ugly part of our history"? WTF? David's first boyfriend Wayne Tonks was murdered by somebody who thought he was a paedophile. His hands and feet were tied up, they cut off his fingers and suffocated him with a plastic bag over his head. The thing is, when David first met him David was under aged at the time (under 18 back then but which has now been bought into line in NSW with straight people as being 16). Wayne refused to do anything with him until he reached 18. 

Target

Wayne wasn't a paedophile, but yet at this previous post here I looked up about Wayne someone has put a comment there that he was. A profile with no posts, no friends, and no followers. I assume created just to make that one comment. Pathetic asshole coward, won't even back himself up online behind a screen. BTW the perpetrators were caught, found guilty and sentenced. To all of 8 fuckin years for the torture and murder of Wayne.

The ACON report I guess you could say is very harrowing reading. I urge all and sundry to do so here (PDF). It's a truthful report entirely independent from the NSW police. It's a report about us, drawing from our own experiences. The police report pales in comparison in it's honesty and forthrightness. It pulls no punches and often gives insight where the NSW police, even to this day, haven't the slightest iota.

The LGBT have demanded an apology for the crimes committed against us. Like these:

ACON report

What other minority in Australia has endured such violence and hatred from all sides? What other minority here has had to watch loved ones die, with the police and community not giving a flying fuck? Believing that such treatment was deserved and OK? What other minority in Australia has been targeted by gangs of youths thinking it was within their rights to murders us?

What other minority has been targeted by the gov of Australia to have their human rights decided by a postal fuckin survey?

Yes, we need an apology for this. Not just from the NSW police, but from the federal gov as well (whatever the political persuasion of the time) for doing to us what the postal survey did.

Seeing a lesbian waitress given a hard time by customers - "What would you do?" (video)

These are actors on the show, but the scenario is based on what actually happened when a couple in the US refused to tip a waitress, writing on the bill "Can't tip someone who doesn't love Jesus".

Again, the Christian message of love is missed entirely by the couple, but the waitress gains support from other diners who overhear what's going on.

One thing about this is that some LGBT people actually do "love Jesus" (not me). So it just shows that LGBT can be just as delusional about religion as straight people, and to assume they can't is to be discriminatory :)

A kangaroo has played the field in a Canberra soccer game (video)

If only something like this could happen in the world cup. It might actually be worth watching. Sorry soccer fans but I just find it the most boring game. One or two goals in the whole thing and the rest is just back and forth, back and forth, back and forth....

But I'd have liked to have been at this Canberra game, where a kangaroo entered the field, even having a go at being goalie :)  I therefore dedicate this video to the Socceroos playing in Russia at the world cup.

At one point, people started just punting balls towards the roo to get it to leave the field, without much success. It hung around for the next half hour or so, delaying the second half for about 20 minutes and continuing to interrupt play once it started.

 Finally, in a dramatic exit, it busted through the middle of the game to bound out the gates and off into the sunset. Junkee

A brief summary of why the second half was delayed today at Deakin, between @BLUE_DEVILSFC & @CanberraFC1 .
📹📹 @BarTVsports pic.twitter.com/86mypdYf3B

— CapitalFootball (@CapitalFootball) June 24, 2018

Trump doesn't want refugees to "infest" the US vs Darth Dutton (video)

Australia's Darth Dutton (real picture BTW, not altered)

Accurate comparison of Dutton's mental capacity

Are Trump and Australia's Darth Dutton setting about to outdo each other? With the vile rhetoric coming from both of them this last week you'd think so.

The week saw our Darth Dutton warning us not to have compassion for refugees he's locked up offshore in jails for the audacity to flee persecution by boat. This is despite them suiciding and dying in his jails. Professing himself to be Christian, he's using them as a supposed deterrent to (allegedly) stop more people coming here on a boat. 

"It's essential that people realise that the hard-won success of the last few years could be undone overnight by a single act of compassion in bringing 20 people from Manus to Australia.

 "The boats are there, we are scuttling boats, we are returning people and we are turning around boats where it is safe to do so. The boats haven't gone away and if there is a success defined by an arrival of a boat in Australia then the word will spread like wildfire." SBS

Using this logic, he's even been refusing a dying lung cancer refugee to be flown to Australia to die relatively better in palliative care and pain control. He finally capitulated after outrage from sane Australians and a petition of tens of thousands of signatures, including medical representatives and groups.

The same week we've had Trump banging on like a lunatic over there about evil refugees fleeing for their lives across the US border. Calling refugees "illegal" is not a thing (we've had all that rhetoric here in Australia). Seeking asylum isn't illegal, nor is fleeing for one's life. So Trump or Dutton using the phrase "illegal asylum seekers" or "illegal immigrants" would just bring a groan of disgust from most sane Australians now, so long have they attempted to ram that lie down our throats.

But what made my jaw drop was one tweet from Trump where he described refugees/"illegal immigrants" as infesting the US. This is wrong on so many levels that I'm wondering how long it will be now before Darth Dutton starts using the same language? He's probably pissed off he didn't use it first.

Watch George Takei's comparison between the US Japanese descendant interment camps set up in WW2 (of which his family was locked up in) to what Trump is doing now in the US.

Lawyer Daniel Webb of the Human Rights Law Centre speaks truth at the UN about Australia’s treatment of children in indefinite detention. pic.twitter.com/IIZJIGzyuP

— GetUp! (@GetUp) June 29, 2018

I've become a grand dad :) *faints*

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My daughter and husband's first child was born on Sunday. By cesarean due to 2 days of labor and worries about this and that. But both are fine now. Minimum 3 days in hospital after a cesarean before they both go home. I think the top picture with all three of them looks the best of all she emailed. Proud parents with firstborn.

Not to mention that I've now become a grandfather, with David becoming a step grandfather. He was aghast at the very thought at first but is really getting used to the idea now.

Granddaughter looks very angelic, probably because she didn't go through the birth canal and get the head squashed thing (takes babies time for their heads to regain normal shape after a natural birth). Until she reaches those dreaded teenage years of course. The proverbial parental nightmare :)

She was a very big baby at just over 4 kilos (nearly 9 pounds); a real belly full of arms and legs. Cripes no wonder there was difficulty with birthing her naturally! 

Seeing gays refused service at shop - "What would you do?" (video)

It's interesting to see what would actually happen with bystanders present, if a gay couple were refused service at a shop because they're gay. This is a video from the US but it's certainly relevant to the "religious freedom" debate in Australia after the passing of marriage equality here.

Believe it or not, amendments were put up for debate in parliament (getting voted down) for just this sort of thing happening in the video to happen here in Australia. The Paterson alternative bill put up as a possible replacement to the bill that passed, was so bad that it allowed even a taxi driver to refuse to take you to or from a gay wedding.

As far as I know the findings of the gov's inquiry into religious freedom in Australia still haven't been released to the public.

Trump cartoon from 1941? - history repeats.....

An amazingly accurate depiction of present day US under Trump, even down to the slogan "America first". My how history repeats itself. Found on Facebook.

Trump may be coming to Australia - Argh! (video)

Yes fellow Australians. Just when we thought Trump had built his tariff wall locking the gate behind him, and we thought we were safe from his sniveling demented dribble, we have had our sensibilities attacked yet again by this pathetic excuse for a human being. It is with grave concern for our mental well being that I say that Trump may well be planning a trip to Australia. It may well be time to run for the hills.....

Just the thought of this vile being even stepping foot on Australian soil makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. But to think that he'd be given air time on Australian TV for little more than an ego massage of his is just beyond the pale. Also the sight of Turbull/"Trumbles" sucking right up his ass with all smiles at every press opportunity borders on insanity.

It will be a very dark day indeed for Australia if this visit does go ahead.

U.S. President @realDonaldTrump is likely to visit Australia in November. pic.twitter.com/00s492fXaQ

— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) June 22, 2018

Cat city :)

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Sometimes walking through the lounge room requires some navigation.

NSW has strengthened it's anti-vilification laws protecting minorities

This would likely be illegal under NSW's new laws

New South Wales has significantly strengthened anti-vilification laws here, and they now cover all LGBT people. Including those of us with HIV. Some of the hatred directed at us during last year's postal survey would now be illegal in NSW.

There's also a push to remove the right of religion to discriminate against gay people.

The new legislation will create a new offence in the Crimes Act of publicly threatening or inciting violence against people on the grounds of race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics or HIV/AIDS status, including a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment and a fine of $11,000.

 This means that any form of communication or conduct observable by the public, as well as the distribution or dissemination of any matter, will become illegal if it vilifies those groups.

 NSW GLRL [NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby] said they are encouraged by the new reforms and congratulated the Attorney General on progressing the work.

 The group called it a welcomed step in the right direction for many communities in New South Wales, and noted that the legislation will now provide protection for bisexual people and people with intersex variations, bringing the state into line with the Commonwealth and other states and territories.

 However, they said that exemptions relating to discriminatory acts that are permitted or necessitated by legislation still remain in the state’s anti-discrimination laws.

 “NSW GLRL believes that the groundswell of support is moving in the direction of removing the last bastion of remaining discriminations against LGBTI Australians in New South Wales,” said Foy.


“We also note the hurtful, vitriolic debate regarding the survey on changes to the Marriage Act (Cth), the contributions of some religious bodies to the No debate, and the negative impact that this debate had on LGBTI Australians living in New South Wales.

 “NSW GLRL support the proposal to hold all people, including religious bodies, more accountable for their actions and the effect that their actions have on LGBTI people living in New South Wales. Star Observer   

Scott Lively eviscerated by Colbert - running for election (video)

Yes folks, believe it or not, Scott Lively is running for office in the US midterms. The same Scott Lively that is well known by human rights organisations as an extremist against gays, asserting that the Nazis were controlled by "militaristic" homosexuals. 

He is also well known for his inspiring of the current anti-gay laws in Uganda which gays face a 14 year jail term for being who they are. The first draft of that bill included the death penalty for "serial offenders" but didn't make it into the final law. Of course Lively denied any responsibility for this.

Shortly after Mr Lively’s visit, Ugandan MP David Bahati introduced the first draft of the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which included the death penalty for “serial offenders”. Mr Bahati is a member of The Family, a secretive evangelical group based in Washington DC, whose ranks include current and former US lawmakers, and which also has a close relationship with President Museveni. The Independent

But he does take credit for the anti-gay Russian "propaganda" law against any gay visibility in public.

Now that he's actually running for office in the US mid terms, Steven Colbert rips him a new asshole :)

Finally got a date cataract surgery - 1yr on NSW waiting list!

New South Wales has the longest waiting times in Australia, according to the opposition Labor party here, particularly for cataract surgery.. It seems the NSW Liberal gov is too interested in tearing down stadiums and rebuilding them for the hell of it and bashing themselves up in cafes, to worry about hospital waiting lists. 

And of course Turnbull's tax cuts for the wealthy passed the senate today, thanks to the Xenophon asshole turncoats and ("working man's" representative) Pauline Hanson and her one person no notion party, caving in and voting with the gov. $140 billion worth of tax cuts over the next seven years, the great bulk of it going to the very wealthy who earn over $200,000 a year. Further starving our hospitals of funds. I only hope Labor can take the coming election and reverse the insanity. 

I went on a waiting list last year in August 23rd. Lately I've rung admissions asking about it 3 times in as many months. Finally yesterday I rang and was given a date, August 14th of this year. Pretty much a full year waiting. I've got a feeling she booked me in then as she said she'd send a letter telling me bla. One year is the maximum time the hospital allows people to be on a waiting list, so I barely made it.

Meanwhile it's been quite an experience going completely blind in my left eye on a waiting list. Even when they did the test to measure the eye I had to go to three different places to get it done as the cataract was so dense they couldn't get a proper measurement. In the end it was a private clinic in the private part of the hospital who were successful, who BTW didn't charge me anything either.

Things like just getting around in a shopping centre I'v had to be aware that there might be someone standing/walking to my left that I couldn't see. So I've had to turn my whole head around before walking in that direction. Or getting on a bus, I've made sure I get in to the left so there'll be no one there that I'd bump into (which happened a couple of times to my embarrassment). One time getting off a bus I nearly got cleaned up by two cyclists going along the footpath who I just didn't see to my left. I've had to turn my old faithful cat clawed lounge chair to the left a bit so I can focus my right eye on the screen through my glasses.

Having no depth perception is another one. Enormously frustrating at times. It's hard to judge just where things are in space. Putting things on a shelf in the kitchen it's easy to end up with them dropping on the floor. Or knocking a drink over (which I did at a pub once) because I didn't judge right where the glass was. Crossing the road at night is bad too as it's hard to judge how far away the car lights are.

Needless to say even looking at this PC screen and reading articles. I've had to use the zoom function to read things properly without being only centremetres from the screen.

But hopefully all will go well and this will soon be over. Will have to get new glasses after the surgery as the eye's focus will be different.   

Catholic church not above Australian law - victims of Catholic paedophile abuse (video)

And all the time blaming the gays....

With South Australian archbishop Philip Wilson being found guilty of covering up child sex abuse crimes, he has since stepped down from the position but has not resigned, awaiting the sentencing verdict on June 3rd in New South Wales where is crimes were committed. His defence is arguing that the poor dear won't go so well in jail because bla.

Contrary to this though are two sisters who were abused by another priest and who initiated the whole dominoes into Wilson eventually being convicted. They want the guy to do jail. Involved in this is the recognition that by the state finding Wilson guilty and to soon sentence him, that the Catholic church's days of being above Australian law are over.

ANTHEA Halpin and Denise Laverie are sisters whose complaint to police about being sexually abused by one of Australia’s most notorious Catholic priests, their uncle Denis McAlinden, started a process that led to Archbishop Philip Wilson’s conviction for concealing another priest’s crimes.


They stood on the steps of Newcastle Courthouse on Tuesday and sent a message to Australian bishops who continue to argue priests should be exempted from reporting child sex allegations disclosed during confession.

 “That really upsets me, that anyone could place anything above protecting children, after all we know about what the church has done,” said Mrs Laverie.

 “That has to change. And if the Catholic Church won’t do it then governments have to. The community demands it.”

 Mrs Halpin, who recently revealed her part in Wilson’s conviction, said she was disgusted to read of cases where priests had committed crimes, been absolved by priests and had gone on to commit crimes against more children.

 In an opinion piece on the weekend Chrissie Foster, whose two daughters were sexually abused by a priest, highlighted the case of Queensland priest Michael McArdle. In a sworn statement in 2003 he said he confessed to sexually assaulting children 1500 times to 30 different priests over a 25-year period.

 Mrs Halpin said the case was shocking, but it was even more shocking to think of the number of priests who might have used the “sanctity” of the confessional to hide their crimes.

 “If priests know about children being sexually abused that seal of the confessional should be broken, or the crimes continue. The rest of society seems to understand that. I don’t understand why the church seems to think it’s entitled to be treated differently, and I don’t accept it. It’s pretty clear a lot of Australians don’t accept it,” Mrs Halpin said.

 “They place their own rule above protecting children. Politicians should be making sure that doesn’t continue.”

 ..............................

Mrs Halpin and Mrs Laverie said they will be in court on July 3 when Newcastle magistrate Robert Stone sentences Wilson.

 “We’ve waited a long time for this day. I’m happy he’s been found guilty. It means a lot. It recognises they’re not above the law,” Mrs Laverie said. The Herald

2008 LGBT protest against Catholic world youth day, Sydney.... Emma Foster (my pic BTW)

Following exposure of systemic child sexual abuse, ACT & South Australia have legislated to remove confessional protections. Tasmania & NSW are poised to do the same. As in Ireland, the Catholic Church is being dragged kicking & screaming into the 21st century.

— Peter Fox 🦊🇦🇺 (@Peter_Fox59) June 20, 2018

Is the church above the law? #TheWeekly pic.twitter.com/g65BpGDquE

— The Weekly (@theweeklytv) June 20, 2018

It's OK to be sad and not doing well - it's part of being human (video)

Long times readers here will know that this is something I've taken on from the very start of this blog. This is me venting, crying, unhappy or happy, warts and all (not talking anal warts there BTW). People have been surprised over the years at how direct I am. Well that's me as an Australian/Kiwi, we're direct people. No beating about the bush, just straight to the point. 

I think it's why some northern hemisphere-ians find us a bit much to take online. If we think something is BS we'll just come out and say so; "That's fuckin bullshit!". Or if we think the US president is a fuckwit, we'll also say so: "Trump is a complete fuckwit of even a buffoon!".

But yet we still, if someone asks us through the day, how are you? the automatic response in daily life is I'm good or some such thing. I think it's a social norm to say so in general conversation. For me though when I'm at home or with a friend, I'll be honest about how I'm feeling. David is the same. Either of us might get up from bed saying bad dreams, woke up depressed, bla.

I've learned in dealing with severe depression, post traumatic stress and suicidal ideation lasting years, that you simply have to be honest about how you feel. On a daily basis, even if it's just with yourself if there's no one to speak to immediately about it. And to feel not the slightest guilt or remorse for the way you feel, recognising that feelings and emotions are all just a part of being human. It's just as human to feel sadness, grief, loneliness, as it is to feel happiness, elation, and companionship. There's nothing good or bad, right or wrong, about any of those. They're simply human feelings.

Yet we have this societal pressure on us to succeed. In western capitalism that's often about being successful financially or with your profession. But what about success in other ways? Like with love, or contribution to society unrecognised by capitalism? There's so much pressure to perform in the capitalist world that when failure inevitably happens we tend to say "I'm good", even to our closest friends and family, when inside we could be planning our suicide. 

We need to get past the shallow world view we often have of success. As far as I go on the regular success scales I'd be a complete failure. My working career (if you could even call it that) has ended prematurely, I've fallen into a number of permanent illness's, and at 56 I'm a bankrupt pensioner getting by on a pittance. 

Yes that can be depressing, and of course I've got help and medical treatment for that. Personally though I don't look at success in the way a lot of society does. I actually don't mind being poor as long as it's do-able. I consider success in other ways; like surviving the illness's and adversity that life throws. Like finding love twice in one lifetime when many others don't even find once, despite their apparent "success". Like being able to contribute to society in a way that doesn't register on the main stream scale of "success". 

Like feeling OK with feeling terrible.... to me that's success..... 

NSW Liberal party violent brawl, Sydney (video of the brawl itself) - "I thought he was going to die"

By stranders filming had their phones smashed

Violence erupted at a New South Wales state Liberal party meeting last night in Arncliffe, Sydney. The meeting was organised at a cafe owned by a Liberal party member in the middle of Arncliffe's busy shopping centre and across the road from Arncliffe train station. 

However before the meeting even got started there was a big punchup between rivaling factions. One man was taken to hospital after being punched and kicked, and even a police officer was assaulted before the man ran off around a corner. An elderly lady innocently entering the cafe was pushed to the ground, and bystanders trying to film the incident had their phones smashed.

There's been no arrests yet but police are appealing to the public for images or footage they may have taken, being that it was in such a busy area. 

Welcome to Malcolm Turnbull's Liberal party, 2018:

They're scenes that couldn't be further from what you'd expect at a Liberal Party branch meeting. But this gathering turned ugly at a cafe in Sydney, with a bloody brawl breaking out, leaving a man in hospital. #9News pic.twitter.com/5EbvgRuOqY

— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) June 19, 2018

One witness, who did not want to be identified, described the situation as an attempted "hostile takeover" of the branch.

 "Just before the meeting started, there was an altercation where some people were intimidating and swearing and pushing and shoving of the others who belonged to the meeting," he said.

 "Others outside were blocked from entering the meeting."

 The man said an elderly lady inside the cafe was "trampled on", and a man who tried to intervene was "ganged up on".


"They started bashing him … they took him outside and started kicking him.
 

"To be honest I thought he was going to die." 
 

The man also said some people tried to film the incident, but their phones were taken and smashed.


Police are yet to determine how many people were involved in the incident and are appealing for anyone with vision of the incident to come forward. ABC (video below  of witness)

56 RWNJ's arrested when protesting gay pride march - Ukrainne (amazing drone video)

Those eastern Europe countries are known for how anti-gay they are, but in this case the police had no time for a group of far right extremists who'd gathered in an attempt to block the gay pride parade being held in Kiev.

The drone footage below is to be seen to be believed. The nutters had no chance.

After all the arrests, hundreds attended the pride march without incident.