Assange wants to start a political party

Wow, far out. I dunno how he'd manage it from over there, but he wants to start a Wikileaks party in Australia for the next election. That would be quite a thing if he could get it off the ground by then as it's not far off. I imagine with all the publicity surrounding him he'd attract quite a few votes. I myself might even be torn from the Greens to vote for him, although the Greens would have much more political experience. Particularly in this parliament holding the balance of power. I would have to take a close look at all his policies before simply voting blindly. Will be very interested if it does get up to read what they are. 

Plans to set up an Australian WikiLeaks party are "significantly advanced", the whistleblowing organisation's most visible member says. 

Julian Assange has told Fairfax Media he intends to run for a Senate seat in the next election, adding that "a number of very worthy people admired by the Australian public" have expressed interest in standing for a yet-to-be registered Australian WikiLeaks party. 

A draft party constitution has been prepared and is being subjected to legal review, Fairfax reports. 

Party registration with the Australian Electoral Commission would require confirmation of at least 500 members listed on the electoral roll. more

A big doctors visit

It was a bit lengthy this time as I had a few things to see to. 

It was all fine with the resistance test that he'd done last month, in regards to HIV meds. He's chosen a simple combination treatment of two drugs. Maraviroc, which is one morning and night 12 hours apart, and Kivexa which is just one tablet in the morning. Will go and pick up the prescriptions today at the Albion St pharmacy, had had enough of doing doctor things yesterday so will do it today. 

One of them can cause an allergic reaction, but he said for people that get that there's a genetic marker that they have, which I don't, so he doesn't expect any reactions this time. Have to get a blood test in a month to see how it's all going.

He asked if I was ready to go on medication, which I am after a lot of thought. Said I was going to have to sooner or later and I was sick of worrying about it every three monthly test; if this was going to be the result where it all turns to shit.

Then David wanted me to get a test done for STD's, which I go back Tuesday for those results. Told the doc I had a new boyfriend and we're doing the standard procedure thing.

I also asked about this bloody dental thing to confirm that I have to go to the dental hospital now, which was yes I do. They may be starting the scheme up again in 2014 with a reduced amount of people able to qualify for it. But until then if there's any problems it's the public dental hospital in the city.

I also asked about the happy pills as they're affecting my, um, ability to keep up with David *blushes*. Well you do have to think about these things you know. David is versatile and all but it can be a bit limiting if I'm all done in. So anyway he gave me a prescription for Cialis 20mg tablets. Unfortunately they're not on the PBS so whatever the price is the gov pays nothing. About $60-70 or so. I suppose the gov doesn't want to be seen subsidising sex or some shit, I reckon it'd be good though. What an election winner; subsidised sex pills for all! Doc also gave me a sample pack to try, very nice of him. Only 5mg though.

David had his follow up appt too yesterday for his 3 monthly bloods. Surprisingly his viral load he tells me was up and he'd become detectable again (only just though). He's been saying he's missed the odd tablet a couple of days, so I guess that's why. I shall have to remind him of the importance of his drug regimen, but then again I don't need to. If anyone would know he would, being a nurse. 

Sex in the city

Have spent about a week I think sleeping at David's place. Wasn't meaning to stay there all through his working week but it just happened. We'd have a few drinks at the pub and end up not wanting to spend the night without each other. Meanwhile David's going to work through all this, the last day he got up for work and was exhausted, really felt for him as I know what that's like. It appears we've succeeded in wearing each other out. 

Texted my daughter:

• Home soon (me)
• Okay (her)
• gotta get some sleep, both of us (me).

I've come home tonight and he's having a quiet night to relax.  
He lives in central Sydney, only a 5 minute walk from a number of gay pubs. It's so convenient. Go for some beers and a meal and home to his for the night. Rent is astronomical of course. They're paying double my rent him and his flatmate. It's silly as we're only about a 20 minute bus trip from there. 

But anyway he's recently moved to the city from outer Sydney to find someone (sly prick, he got me) and is very attractive to a lot of guys in the pub. Been gay from a young age, knows all about the scene and all. It's completely different than the sort of thing with Simon in Lightning Ridge; not better but different.

The David and Simon issue

Simon and I have been emailing back and forth about the David development. I was surprised at his language for a bit as he seemed to go through a sudden realisation that he was "deeply in love" with me. It certainly made the situation awkward to say the least. But I explained to him again that the way it all worked out was nobodies fault, including him. He was blaming himself for not saying this or realising it earlier, but that wasn't the issue. The issue was how he just couldn't understand everything involved being HIV+ and having all the mental catastrophes that I do, which again was nobodies fault. 

In the end he asked me about David and I told him a few more things about him. Simon guessed by some "vibes" that he was a bit younger than me. Pretty viby man, as I replied "yes he's 44". Also mentioned he was HIV+ and had been through the wringer like me in life. Related how we didn't want to talk about that now either of us as it's too painful to go back there like that and tell a whole story. Simon was really happy for me after that and said we deserved each other, and that he wanted to meet him if it was possible.

I asked David and he's very happy to do so. Simon is down on the 21st, on his way to his daughter's wedding on some far off South Pacific island. He was going to stop by for coffee at mine, so as it's David's day off it should be easy to arrange for them to meet. 

I think they'd get on very well. I'm so pleased this is all working out OK. I felt terrible when Simon was saying all that about loving me and all, but it looks like he's coming good about it. Am a bit nervous about the meeting, but they're both two mature grown ups and could both talk under water.

Union int. day of action against DHL

The Transport Workers Union here is taking part in an international day of action against the multi-national company DHL today. This is part of their email to me:

Over the past year, 22 workers at DHL in Turkey have been fired simply because they joined a union and began organising for better conditions and safety standards on the job.

That’s 22 families who are struggling to pay bills and provide for their families in these tough economic times just because they were exercising rights that are backed by international law. It’s just not right.

Sacked workers are standing on the picket line right now and they need your help.

Will you send a message to DHL management and show them that you stand up for the rights of DHL workers to organise?

Today union members and supporters from around the world are sending messages to DHL management as part of an international day of action against the company’s anti-union agenda.

Your message will help show DHL management that intimidation and bullying tactics in the workplace will not be accepted by people all over the world.

Joining a union/freedom of association is a fundamental human right. There's no excuse for a large company like DHL to encroach on that right, wherever it is in the world. I'm certainly signing the letter, as DHL needs to be sent a strong message that unions across the globe object to their violation of human rights. Sign here. And here's the letter reproduced below: 

Dear Mr Tony Boll, 

DHL workers deserve the same basic rights as their colleagues here in Australia. 

I'm writing to this letter to condemn, in the strongest terms, DHL Turkey's active obstruction of a worker's right to join a union free from intimidation or dismissal and to call on you to contact your colleagues at DP-DHL and demand that they reinstate the dismissed workers and allow workers to exercise their right to organise, in line with ILO convention 87, as well as your own Corporate Responsibility (CR) policies. 

On 12/12/12, workers, unions and community supports around the world are standing up for the rights of Turkish DHL workers who have been unlawfully sacked by Deutsche Post DHL for exercising their democratic right to join a union. 

It's time for DHL workers in Turkey to get the basic rights and respect that they deserve! 

Regards, 

Your name and email will be automatically included in your message. 
Sign here.

Stomach better

My stomach is much better today, after yesterday's sudden onset of pains. Man that was so bad, and I dunno WTF caused it. I did feel somewhat better after the meal I had. Today it's just about gone as quick as it came. Have been using the Eno after meals and that's probably been a part of settling the stomach right down.

What made it so bad were the pains going through to my back from it. It's still a bit sore today behind my shoulders, the muscles back there that used to hurt all the time at work. Might bring it up at the doctors later this week. Gonna need something stronger than just Panadol if this is gonna keep happening.

Nearly don't take any painkillers at all now. Can't believe how many I was going through on a daily basis when I was working, just to get through the day. Maybe I could've been more honest with myself about my actual capacity for work, but oh well it's done now.

Save the Reef - Greenpeace

Greenpeace is emailing asking to sign an urgent letter to send to Tony Burke, the federal environment minister. He is attending a meeting in Brisbane soon to make decisions about massive expansions to coal mining up there. These would include dredging the Great Barrier Reef to give access to shipping, nine proposed new coal terminals, and of course huge increases in shipping and all the dangers that entails to the Reef. The new Queensland gov up there doesn't appear to give a shit about the environment.

You can send a letter to Tony Burke from yourself here. It reads as follows (but you can use your own words if you like).

Dear Minister Burke,

You have pledged to protect the Great Barrier Reef, but so far you have not kept your word.

Despite a clear request from the UNESCO World Heritage Committee not to permit development that will impact on the Reef’s outstanding universal value, you have approved a new coal terminal at Abbot Point, accepted an application to duplicate the shipping channel in Gladstone, which means more dredging, and failed to reject proposals for coal terminals in Keppel Bay and on Cape York.

I am writing to express my anger and disappointment that you continue to allow our Reef to be threatened by reckless industrialisation.

Its fate is in your hands.

On 1 February when you report back to UNESCO, for the sake of the Great Barrier Reef, I am asking you to fulfil the requests of the World Heritage Committee and

• not permit new development that would impact on the outstanding universal value of the Reef

• reverse the flawed decision to approve terminal 3 in Abbot Point

• stop the destructive dredging of another shipping channel and commission an independent review of the management of Gladstone Harbour

The decisions you take now will echo for generations to come. Please be true to your word and protect the Great Barrier Reef against short-term excess. The world is watching. 

Sincerely, 

YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED HERE 

send it from here

Prank call DJ's interviewed

The two radio DJ's that made the prank call to the London hospital where Duchess Kate was admitted, have given an interview in Australia. This the full interview:




I've commented on this here.

Suicide attempt, 9yr old, immigration detention

I'm continually amazed at the inhumanity that Australia is unleashing on those poor people seeking asylum here. Already traumatised by past experiences, they find themselves locked in an immigration detention centre/jail while their claims are processed. This can take years.

Now I see that children locked up (yes children) in these centres are attempting suicide. At the detention centre in the Northern Territory there has been a very distressing case of a 9 year old boy trying to kill himself.

One account of a nine-year-old boy who attempted suicide was brought to the committee's attention, described as shocking event that caused great distress. 

Spokesperson for the NT branch of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Peter Morris, told 105.7 Breakfast there was no doubt that being held in detention contributed to young child's suicide attempt. 

"I'd be surprised if it was an isolated event," he said, adding that the detention of children in Darwin was tantamount to child abuse. 

"We think anyone that chooses to take a course of action that either harms them or places them on a course of risk is committing child abuse. 

"We are the only developed country that has mandatory detention - people are seeking asylum so that means they have been in very difficult circumstances and they already have very high levels of post traumatic stress disorder." 

He has reinforced calls for all families and children to be removed from detention immediately, saying "if countries like Sweden can do it we think Australia can do it". more

How the fuck can these politicians sleep at night? How much longer are both major parties going to placate Australian racists by doing this? How much longer are people who can't fight back going to be used for political gain?

I've seen the email jokes, the bullshit lies being spread around about these people. I've heard the rhetoric in conversations (one person said to me once that them coming here to seek asylum was "an invasion"). I dunno WTF is wrong with people in this country sometimes. They seem very bitter. Hard. Uncaring. In one of the richest countries in the world, they don't want to help people who really need it. 

http://www.chilout.org/home

I feel like shit

Woke up this morning and my stomach felt like there was a blowtorch in it. Really bad. Pain going through to my back and making that hurt as well. Hasn't got much better all morning. Spent the night at David's and came home after he went to work, had two doses of Eno which helped a bit but not a lot. Have eaten a decent meal and see how that goes. At the moment my back is aching like mad behind my shoulder blades, hoping it doesn't get worse. Fuck, I'm a wreck!

Think I'll go to bed with some Panadol.

Made an appt to see my doctor later this week about the going back on the meds thing. Hope they don't upset my stomach more than it already is. Seems very sensitive for some reason.

Legalise marijuana

Kangaroo exports to Russia

I didn't know this, but Russia has been a huge importer of kangaroo meat. Well until 4 years ago when they banned citing concerns over the meat being infected with some parasite. It has kicked the industry in the guts here losing such a big export as that, but now the Russian inspectors have come and examined the Macro Meats processes and have agreed for that company to start exporting to Russia again.

Macro Meats is the brand that's at the local supermarket here and which I often buy. Am surprised Russia is the biggest export destination, how did that happen? For me it's very healthy meat, you can check it out at the Macro Meats site.

Australia's largest kangaroo meat supplier has been given permission to resume exports to Russian after a four-year ban. 

About four years ago, Russia cited high levels of bacterial contamination as the reason for a temporary ban on kangaroo meat imports from Australia. 

Now Adelaide-based processor Macro has been given permission to resume exports by the Russian quarantine authority. more

Nurses suicide after Sydney prank call

Only heard about this yesterday, the case of a radio station in Sydney prank calling the hospital where Kate Middleton was being looked after (very bad morning sickness). The call was put through and they were given private medical information about her, which was broadcast in Australia I assume across the Austereo network. Needless to say the two nurses involved were humiliated at what happened. Sadly one of them has taken her own life, nurse Jacintha Saldanha, being found dead in her home.

The English media has been going bananas with this, as have people around the world. The radio hosts are being accused of having "blood on their hands", and closed their Twitter accounts after getting online death threats from across the globe. I'd go so far as to say the media is in a feeding frenzy over this now, latching on to any bit of new information that might also feed the outrage and moral judgement being directed at these people. Sort of a virtual stoning.

OK people across the globe, can we all just take a deep breath here? Take a bit of a step back and have a logical look at this?

Just to start, a note that I do know quite a bit about suicide. I very nearly did it myself in 2009 and it's taken years of therapy and drugs to move on from it. I've also had a close friend kill themselves in 2009. Suicide is about not being able to deal with pain and seeing no other way out to stop that pain. In short, I know what I'm talking about.

I'm not going to conjecture about nurse Saldanha as I know nothing about her (as did the Sydney radio hosts). However in my experience, suicide isn't something that you do over just one event. It's considered over a period of time, maybe talked about with people. Those who do it often are very peaceful leading up to the act itself as they've made their decision. Nobody wants to die, it's just that sometimes they see no other way out. 

So my question is to the self righteous in England, what was her story leading up to this event at the hospital? Did anyone notice any of the warning signs? Did any friends encourage her to seek counselling as they were worried? But mostly, if she was suicidal in the first place, why did the system over there fail her? And yes the system can fail anywhere, I was glad though to get the help/intervention when I needed it. So people across the globe, perhaps think about that before crucifying the Sydney hosts?

The Sydney hosts were just that, from Sydney, clear across the other side of the world. Are we expected to believe that one crank call from that far away caused this woman's suicide? Or would it be more likely that her own circumstances or mental health issues had much more of an impact? I would expect it'd be the later. I'm not defending the hosts, just saying FFS get a grip people.

As for the crank call itself, well yes it was very bad that some of Kate Middleton's private medical details were released over the phone like that. Is that the fault of the Sydney hosts or the security measures for the Royals?

But according to Princess Diana’s former bodyguard Ken Wharfe, if established protocol had been followed, the DJs would never have got through to Kate’s ward.

Mr Wharfe said: “When I was protecting Diana, the first thing we did when we arrived at a hotel or anywhere else was to isolate the switchboard.

“You tell the staff to put any calls through to the detective there. The royals never ring in to hospitals.

"If anyone needed to speak to Kate they would ring the officer outside her room. All this should have been explained to hospital staff but clearly it wasn’t.

"The procedures that should have been followed have been around for years.” more

OK, there's no doubt this is a tragedy. But it's a bit rich to blame a couple of eager young radio people for the death of someone across the globe. Radio stunts and crank calls have been around for ages, they were just doing what they thought was their job. The call didn't even go to air live, but was approved by management and the stations legal team before. And let's face it, the Royals are rather a bloody clown show (I dunno why Australia hasn't become a Republic yet) and they deserve being made the joke they are.

Anyway, the Sydney hosts themselves are reportedly utterly devastated. I do hope they get the counseling they need and don't carry around needless guilt about the whole thing. There's even been comments made by Beyond Blue with Jeff Kennett saying in the news here: 

Mr Kennett, the chairman of the national depression initiative beyondblue, said on Saturday he hoped the Australian public would support the two radio hosts involved in the prank.

"When they did this they had no intention to cause harm, it was a harmless prank.

"Now they will be under extraordinary pressure and I just hope that they get our support and that their employer provides them with the professional support to help them get through what will be a terrible few weeks," Mr Kennett told ABC radio.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell told reporters the two radio hosts must be feeling "terrible".

"I don't imagine in any way that those who were engaged in the typical FM radio stunt would have thought it would lead to this". more

And the radio station itself is pretty much saying what I am, like come on people, get a fuckin grip man.  

"I spoke to both presenters early this morning, and it's fair to say they are completely shattered," he said. 

"Our concern is for their welfare." 

"These people aren't machines, they're human beings." 

Mr Holleran said counselling would be available for the pair as critics worldwide call for their dismissal. 

He said Southern Cross Austereo was satisfied they had not broken any laws and stated that no-one could have reasonably foreseen what happened. 

"I think prank calls as a craft in radio have been going for decades and decades and are not just part of one radio station or network or country," Mr Holleran said. 

"No-one could have reasonably foreseen what ended up being an incredibly tragic day." more

Update:

Peter FitzSimons in the SMH.

But to all those - particularly the British media - who are firing vicious epithets at the two radio DJs who are the public face of that prank call, blaming them for the tragedy, please get a grip.

What, precisely, are they guilty of?

Making a prank call? Which DJ in the history of the world hasn't made prank calls? It is part of the genre, a practice beloved through the generations and around the world, including all over Britain.

Was there malice in this call, then? Please point it out. Please show us a shred of evidence that anywhere in the process of putting the call through, there might have been a mite of malice that it would genuinely hurt someone? Read more

Update 2:

Leading psychiatrist Patrick McGorry called for calm, saying suicide was unlikely to be caused by one individual factor.

"I feel sorry for them because they obviously had no intention of causing any harm. Blame is hardly ever useful," he said. Read more

Abbott's cement mixing

I read this Peter Hartcher article in regards to Abbott. It's quite long and in the end seems to go nowhere, not that I find the opinions of the Canberra press gallery particularly enlightening. There was though part of it that was an interesting analogy. 

The former US vice-president Walter Mondale once remarked: "Political image is like mixing cement. When it's wet, you can move it around and shape it, but at some point it hardens and there's almost nothing you can do to reshape it." Read more

Whatever your view is about the rest of the opinion piece, this is a most interesting take on Abbott. He's spent years and years in federal parliament, 11 of them with the Howard gov. He's got a long history of being Howard's attack dog, and he's done nothing to curb that image since the last election. Pretty much all he's done is try to undermine the Gillard gov to force an early election (much to his dismay Gillard has been tenacious enough to keep her gov together even with only a knife edge majority relying on independents) and oppose everything of the gov's to try and gain political advantage. This is common knowledge.

Now after all that, only months out from the election, is he surely suggesting that a bit of media magic is going to reshape his image that he's spent 20 years or so cementing? I'd guess the cement is well and truly dry by now. 

Reminds me a bit of Mad Mitt in the US, how he went all hard line far right loony tunes at the start of his campaign (making himself a world laughing stock BTW) and then near the election he tried to make himself more moderate. I may be wrong from over here, but the fact that he was decisively defeated certainly suggests that the American voters didn't buy it.

Abbot's going to need more than just a bit of media magic here. More like a new cement mixer.

Policeman killed

Tragically, a NSW police officer has lost his life in the line of duty, being fatally stabbed whilst attending some sort of domestic dispute. An Inspector Anderson. It is of course fitting that the police force express their grief and sadness through the media at the loss of one of their officers, and by all accounts of a person who cared about his family and friends. Being an older cop he was probably one of the good ones, which makes it even worse.

However..... 

Is it just me? Where was this outpouring of grief when they killed Curti? Much loved young man, dead at the hands of the police. Even during the inquest into his death, with all the officers involved giving their accounts of that night at the inquest, there was only one officer out of them all that even offered condolences to the family. It's a stark contrast.

Story.