Amazing Penis Shaped Fireworks

This is really funny.

Asthma attack

Ugh what a bad night we both had last night, more so David. 

He's been coughing like mad last few days from some kind of Spring allergies I think. Even I'm getting bad allergies this year, with my nose and eyes watering constantly when I'm out of the house. I got some eye drops to see if that might reduce the irritation which helps somewhat.

But last night David woke up at about 2am and started like a coughing fit. It went on and on, poor thing. Eventually he had to get up and have some warm tea on top of the asthma puffer to try and stop the coughing, as he was having trouble breathing lying down. At one point I nearly asked him if he needed an ambulance but he was managing better sitting up. After a while the coughing settled a bit enough to go back to sleep. He's off work for a few days anyway because he just hasn't been well enough to go.

I remember when I had a similar experience when I was in hospital. Started with coughing one night and ended up almost in a panic attack because it was so hard to breath. Very scary.

We've had all those bushfires this year already and I'm wondering if that's got something to do with it. I've never had Spring allergies like this before.

HIV offices attacked - Russia

As if it's not enough to attack gays in Russia over their sexuality, now there has been a very recent attack on an HIV organisation for gay men. I myself have had the odd occasion on this blog where anonymous commenter's have used my HIV against me, not to mention the death threat I got on Facebook which also included hate speech using HIV. This is the stigma associated with the disease; that anti-gay people feel it's OK to use that disease against you. A subtle guilt trip if you will...... but also showing the character of those against you. What sort of human being would do this to the most vulnerable of people? It's OK to attack the sick now?

Anastasia Smirnova, the general project manager of the Interregional Social Movement Russian LGBT Network, reported on Russian queer newsgroups that two masked men with guns and baseball bats attacked a "rainbow social" at the offices of LaSky, an HIV organization for gay men, just over an hour ago. The police reportedly arrived at the LaSky office but left immediately saying they saw no evidence of a crime. Two guests were hospitalized. LGBT activists and lawyers from several LGBT organizations in St Petersburg are working on the incident. more

The article later confirms that two people have been hospitalised, one shot in the eye which he may lose.

This is not only the price of being gay in Russia. It's also the price of having HIV and seeking help. 

Get ready Russia. You're on the cusp of an outbreak of HIV so large it will cross over to the hetro population with ease. Gays and especially HIV+ gays, will go underground and not seek help, not be diagnosed, treated, nothing. The HIV is so stigmatised that people won't risk their lives to turn up to the doctors.

Kids React to Gay Marriage

Such a lovely and refreshing video of children's reaction to gay marriage. Not only do they have a young way of looking at things but they comment on many of the realities of being gay. Personally I think they should put it on national TV in Russia as it goes a long way in education about gay people. I note also that non of them were "converted" to being gay by what in Russia would be referred to as "propaganda".

Jesus Does the Harlem Shake

Takei's Take - social media

NSW Anti-discrimination bill supported by Labor

Not that it'll make much difference on the floor of the lower house being as Labor was just about obliterated in the last State election, but in any case they've put their support behind a new bill in the New South Wales parliament. This bill would end the legal right for private schools to discriminate against gay students.

Perhaps there will be some support from the conservative side of politics? Sexuality in my opinion isn't a left or right issue as gays come in all shapes and sizes, and political persuasion. It would seem to me that defending a child struggling with their sexuality from discrimination would be a no brainer. 

Greenwich said: “Ending discrimination against vulnerable students should be above politics, and something that concerns all members of parliament and the wider community.” 

Greenwich said many students had shared harrowing stories of discrimination with him: "From threats of expulsion because of sexuality to sending students to a counsellor weekly to "fix their sexuality" and overt bullying in the classroom, the experiences some students are allowed to go through is appalling and it is time the law allowed these students access to the Anti-Discrimination Board" more

I imagine if the bill does get up and passed the churches will be howling in protest. To me this also is a no brainer; how much public money do these schools get? A bloody shit load. Since they're getting public money then surely the state must have a say in policies that use religion to discriminate against gay students. 

Update:

The churches are already howling:

Two-thirds of NSW people are opposed to laws allowing private schools to discriminate against or expel students on the basis of their sexuality, a phone poll has revealed. 

But groups representing many private and religious schools warn that if a bill to change the law is successful, it could threaten their religious freedom and leave them open to litigation for operating the schools in accordance with their faith. 

Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has put a private member's bill before the NSW Parliament to amend the Anti-Discrimination Act and remove the exemption for private schools prohibiting the expulsion of students because they are gay. Read more

I love the quote from the video the other day, "Religious freedom ends when discrimination begins". It's astonishing that the churches see "operating the schools in accordance with their faith" includes discrimination.

Russian Pastafarians fight back!

After a recent confrontation with the Russian Orthodox Church over a "Pasta Parade", where the church rang the cops and got the Flying Spaghetti Monster worshippers arrested, the Pastafarians have launched a fight back. This being to sue the Orthodox Church (that'll go down well with Putin I expect).

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has emerged as an unlikely challenger to the Orthodox Church in Russia. Last weekend, Russian “pastafarians” gathered in Moscow with their religious equipment: namely colanders. As a result, eight people were taken to the police station after a “Pasta procession” in the center of Moscow. Orthodox activists who called the police said that glorification of the Flying Spaghetti Monster hurt their feelings. 

.............................

ROC proved extremely hostile to us. They attacked us and called the police and said that our actions were not authorized by authorities. Now we prepare a lawsuit. This is not a joke. This is hostile action in relation to another faith, a stirring of religious animosity. - See more

How dare they criticise His Holiness! I claim religious offence! Sue the fuckin ass off them oh fellow Pastafarians! We stand by you in your struggle for acceptance and inclusiveness!

Legal to marry your cousin - Australia

I thought this might be only in Tasmania :s   But no it's the 1961 Federal Marriage Act that Tony Abbott is holding onto for dear life. This from a marriage celebrant Abby Coleman in QLD:

As a civil celebrant, I know that marriage is one of the most common contracts that people can enter into but it’s also one that has the most legal implications for a couple and their family. For those who aren’t across the 1961 Marriage Act I want to share my frustrations with you. 

If an aunty brings her nephew to me and says they would like to get married – I’m able to do that. If cousins come to me and say they want to tie the knot – I can do that, but if two males or two females come to me and say they want to get hitched – they’re denied the privilege. 

I find it embarrassing and incredibly out-dated that I have to refuse a gay couple but our government has no issue with family members tying the knot. Why? In this day and age aren’t we beyond thinking homosexuality is a choice of immoral behaviour? To deny someone the right to get married based on their sexuality is discrimination and I believe and hope this discrimination will die with the older generations. more

Gay marriage leads to self-marriage

It's actually getting rather amusing now, seeing what the wacko Christians are going to come up with next that shows that marriage equality is wrong. The last wacko one I noticed was a dear old Christian lady here in Australia who claimed that gay marriage would "confuse tradies". Obviously the Christians are running out of evil outcomes from gay marriage.

Now we have some bloke in Hawaii who claims that gay marriage will lead to.... wait for it......  people marrying themselves.


Oh the humanity!

Dental hospital appt

Got there to the appt yesterday a little bit early and had about a ten minute wait before the nurse came out and called me. I was seeing the same dentist as last time, I guess he's mine now? He had the x-ray ready there to show me and wanted to discuss my teeth. Ugh, I find when dentists have something to say about my teeth it's generally always bad (although this dentist described mine as "not too bad" last time).

So this is the weirdest dental x-ray I've ever seen. A single x-ray that showed all my teeth, from the x-ray machine my last appt that went around my head. He pointed to the bottom front teeth (I don't have any top front teeth any more) and said that for some reason the roots of my front teeth are unusually short. I just said that you can't help bad genetics mate. There's a little bit of looseness with the odd tooth here and there, he said the usual story that it was the gums and there's very little that can be done about it apart from regular cleaning. 

Well I've looked after my teeth pretty good I think over the decades. At 51 I still have most of them. Fuck I remember many years ago in New Zealand and my older brother had all his teeth out in his twenties. That's what they used to do back then I reckon, just rip the whole lot out and give you false teeth. So I'm not doing too bad having just a partial right now.

So he discusses which teeth to stabilise the new plate on with wire that goes around. Looks like the big biting teeth on the front side bit. Fine with me. The mould making hurt a bit. My mouth isn't that big and some of the back teeth are quite cramped, and so pushing the mould on to get all the teeth in really hurt at the back. He had to do it twice as I moved the first one it was so sore. 

Got another appt in a couple of weeks. Must say, I know the waiting list was long and all but this whole making a partial plate procedure at the dental hospital seems much more thorough than what I went through originally when I had to get it done privately. I was never x-rayed my whole mouth for example, to see everything going on and which teeth are the best to stabilise a plate on.  

FSM blesses gay marriage

A hard core Pastafarian has received word from the only one true God; the Flying Spaghetti Monster. The Flying Spaghetti Monster is happy with gay marriage, and commands that gays be allowed to do so:

During his appearance he told me that homosexuals are gay because He has touched them with his noodley appendage. This is the reason that “experts” have had so much difficulty pinpointing what makes someone gay. And since gays and lesbians have been chosen by Him, to deny them the right to get married is an abomination in His eyes (meatballs). Of course many have argued that no major religion has ever accepted homosexuality. It should obvious to any FSM follower that the real reason homosexuals are shunned from mainstream religion is because of blatant prejudice towards those who have been touched by Him. A bigotry that I know many of my fellow Pastafarians have experienced first hand. more

Private school discrimination - NSW

There's a bill before the New South Wales parliament to end private schools expelling gay students here. Apparently there's some kind of loophole in the NSW anti-discrimination law.

Video here:
http://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/the-project/extra/season-5/gay-students-at-private-schools

I love the quote "Freedom of religion ends, when discrimination begins".

Ex gay therapy harmful - NSW parliament

Alex Greenwich, gay independent of New South Wales, has put up a motion in the NSW parliament condemning Ex-gay therapies. His motion was supported by the parliament.

Today the Legislative Assembly supported a motion introduced by the Member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, stating that therapies attempting to turn gay people straight do not work, stigmatise gay men and lesbians and are fundamentally damaging to mental health. 

“Reparative therapy has been condemned by Australian, New Zealand and US psychological organisations, yet at least 10 organisations still practice it in Australia,” Mr Greenwich said. 

“Embedded in its theory is the notion that homosexuality is somehow a disorder that can be “fixed” and an immorality that must be healed,” Mr Greenwich said. 

“Many who have experienced reparative therapy develop psychological conditions including obsessive addictive behaviours, depression and suicidal ideation.” 

“Today the NSW Parliament delivered a strong statement that there is nothing wrong or abnormal about being gay. I hope this message gets to vulnerable and isolated LGBTI youth in rural and regional NSW” more

I was a bit confused as to what all this meant, I mean WTF is the point of making a motion in parliament and parliament agreeing on it? Interestingly, it paves the way to deal with those reparative therapies that currently exist here.  

Mr Greenwich will now refer the Hansard of the debate to the Health Care Complaint Committee inquiry into the promotion of false or misleading health related information or practices. more

A bit shattered

Spent most of yesterday taking it as easy as I could. Despite the near migraine I was able to function at a certain level. That level being not much more than sitting catatonic in front of the TV and watching the odd movie ("White House Down" was good for a laugh, the entirely predictable plot followed the tried and true path, although the effects and actions scenes were pretty good).

Anyway thankfully it didn't turn into a full on migraine yesterday. I was having the blurred vision a bit and spewed in the morning. Couldn't even keep water down. It's gone today and feeling a bit numb from the experience. Slightly dazed sort of.

Have to go out later for my next dentist appt at the dental hospital. They want to make a mould for another partial plate. It's not a big excursion though and it's right across the road from the bus stop.