“If We Have Nuclear Weapons, Why Can’t We Use Them?” - Trump

Further to Trumps insanity, confirmed are all the fears the world has if Trump becomes president. He asked an advisor three times about nukes, asking "If we've got them why can't we use them?"

As I said yesterday, this is beyond politics now. This is about sanity and stopping a madman committing mas murder on a scale the world has never seen before.

I grew up during the cold war, and I can tell you honestly that this sends chills down my spine. It's times like these I'm glad we're in the southern hemisphere. Not that the bombs wouldn't reach here but the capital cities wouldn't be main targets. It would be military installations such as the US run Pine gap.

Watch: What are some major concerns about Trump's handling of national security? Hayden and #morningjoe weigh in. https://t.co/FyFoSmJlJI

— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) August 3, 2016

  

Anti-Trump rant from Liberal Redneck - video :)

Parents of deceased Muslim U.S. Soldier Humayun S. M. Khan

It seems the new theme now with Trump critics (the bazillions there are) is that Trump has now sunk so morally low as to demonstrate his complete inability to do the job of a US president.

It's quite strange you know, take out the examples used and this rant would fit our Abbott perfectly. Abbott of course has done some shockers. Bernie Banton for example was a dying cancer patient who delivered to Abbott in the Howard gov a petition. Abbott called it a "stunt" and said pretty much that just because someone is dying doesn't mean they're "pure of heart". Appalling.

Trump is worse though. It seems his privilege and arrogance know no bounds. His latest thing was to criticise the parents of a dead US war soldier. What's more he doesn't seem to have any regrets saying it.

  

Court battle in England over PrEP/Truvada - effective to stop infection by 86%

One of the strategies here in Australia to "end HIV" is the recent promotion of PrEP in high risk groups. PrEP is Truvada from what I understand (it's a bit late for me darlings) but hasn't yet gone through all the bureaucracy to be subsidised yet in Australia through the PBS for patients who don't have HIV. 

It's a preventative strategy and another prong the the multi-pronged attack here to end HIV. It's been approved in May by Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for use as PrEP, so I guess it won't be much longer before it's listed on the PBS and prescribed for such use. The PBS is part of Australian health care where the gov heavily subsidises medicine to make them universally affordable. Meanwhile a huge study where 3,700 people in NSW will be provided with PrEP for free. I note it's a conservative state Lieberal gov that has made this study available; credit where it's due.

However there is an extraordinary court battle going on in England between their National Health Service and those wanting to use PrEP as a prevention against getting HIV. Basically the NHS says it's not their responsibility. It's been taken to court over there by PrEP advocates and the court has ruled the NHS has to subsidise. But the NHS says it will appeal the decision. 

WTF? Why on earth a so called "health service" would go through the courts so as not to provide a preventative health service is just insanity. Are the people running it economists or health professionals? Either way it makes huge sense in both cases to make PrEP there available to those high risk groups who would benefit. What's the alternative? A lifetime of much more expensive treatment FFS. To not subsidise PrEP is a false economy if there ever was one.

BTW I have to also note that Truvada hasn't had any long term toxicity studies done on it. I took it the first time I took HIV meds  as part of the combination anti-retroviral treatment, and it didn't work out well at all with total kidney failure due to an allergic reaction to the mix of Truvada and Naproxen. Very rare, trust me to have it happen to :s  I note in the below video it mentions Truvada being hard on the kidneys.

The High Court has told the NHS in England it can fund a drug that can prevent HIV - after health bosses argued it was not their responsibility.

NHS England previously said councils should provide the pre-exposure prophylaxis (Prep) drug as they are in charge of preventative health.

This stance was successfully challenged by the National Aids Trust (NAT).

But the High Court ruling does not make funding of Prep automatic and the NHS is set to appeal.

The ruling by Mr Justice Green said health bosses had "erred" in arguing it was not their responsibility. BBC

 

Obama rips Trump to bits - video :)

Whatever those in the US are going through to vote Trump doesn't change the fact the entire world is watching this US election completely terrified. Terrified that the most powerful militarised country in the world by far may end up being controlled by a psychotic madman barely able to put a coherent paragraph together. 

This is beyond politics now, this is about avoiding destruction as the world has never known before. It's about avoiding insanity. Literally. Trump is nearly 6 tinnies short of a six pack. He's just not the full quid. His knuckles still drag along the ground FFS, despite his little hands.

Imagine if our Tony Abbott was the president of the US? Well I think  Trump would be even worse. Way worse. And given how destructive Abbott has been to Australia in just two years  of his nightmare leadership,  that's really saying something.

Watch as Obama says pretty much the same thing:

 

 

Alex Greenwich reply to our complaint against Oxford Hotel bouncer (*updated)

We sent our complaint about the homophobic thug bouncer at The Oxford Hotel the other night not only to the pub but also to Alex Greenwich, the gay NSW independent in the state parliament here. 

He's replied and I'm posting the reply here as it has very useful information for anyone else who's suffered homophobic discrimination as we did. 

We've decided to contact our social worker at ACON and go see the Anti-Violence Project they have going there. We can show them the below email and take their suggestions if we want to take things further.

Honestly, I've drank at a lot of pubs over the decades including some very rough ones, but I've never seen a bouncer charge at someone like that.  He obviously didn't appreciate two "fags" standing up to him.

Dear Peter and David

Alex has asked me to get back to you. I’m very sorry to read about your experience and the homophobic abuse you received from security officers. This is very rare in the feedback we receive about inner city venues.

A number of local liquor accords are now sharing information about banned/excluded patrons and this is being encouraged by government to ensure that people who have caused problems in one venue don’t go on to do the same in others. It appears that this has backfired in your case if they have all targeted people who did not cause problems.

I hope that the Oxford Hotel management properly reviews your complaint and responds to you. There is useful information about security guard rules at www.lawstuff.org.au/nsw_law/topics/police/article8. The NSW Police Security Licensing & Enforcement Directorate is the authority responsible and I understand that you can begin the complaint process with the local police.

You may also wish to check with the Anti-Discrimination Board about the homophobic abuse: www.antidiscrimination.justice.nsw.gov.au/Pages/adb1_makingacomplaint/adb1_makingacomplaint.aspx

You may also wish to get in touch with the ACON Anti-Violence Project, who monitor and work with police and venues to prevent homophobic and transphobic hate crime, telephone 9206 2116.

If you wanted to follow up further in a formal way, I recommend getting some advice from LawAccess 1300 888 529 or one of the Community Legal Centres www.clcnsw.org.au/clc_directory.php about how best to get a positive outcome.

Unfortunately we still have a way to go for the cultural change needed for equality and fair treatment. I hope that your reporting helps prevent any future incidents.

Regards

Roy Bishop JP

Electorate Officer for Alex Greenwich MP

Independent Member for Sydney

58 Oxford Street Paddington 2021

Telephone 9360 3053

 BTW, we've still not heard a peep from the Oxford apart from banning us from their premises. So we get called fag by their bouncer and get banned when arguing about it. The Oxford has gone to shit.

*Update: A very quick response from our social worker at ACON. Great to have support. Is this whole thing starting to snowball?

Hi Peter,

Thanks for getting in touch. I am so sorry to hear about this experience and would be happy for you to come in with David for a de-brief if you’d find some counselling helpful in this case. We could look at all the options for next steps you may want to take and make a plan together. The worker from the Anti Violence project is away next week, however, I could give you some info about how they work at ACON if this would be useful.

 

An Absolutely fabulous interview - The Feed video :)

It's been 24 years since they started on the BBC. Here they talk about the new film. Fabulous darlings!

 

Politicians should have to use Centrelink to claim entitlements - Petition :)

What a marvelous idea. Doubt it will ever happen but the sheer joy of putting one's signature to a petition such as this is well worth the effort.

Imagine politicians having to endure Centrelink to claim their entitlements. Why not? They get paid by the taxpayer. Imagine having to stay on hold for half an hour to talk to someone. Or try and get the internet site on a day when it's working. Or standing in a line for ages only to be told you have to do it online. Or the Centrelink computer suddenly and inexplicably forgets your tax file number and cuts off all your payments. The mind boggles.

The petition is directed to Jane Halton, Secretary, Department of Finance:

The Australian Government has invested heavily in making the Centrelink payment system highly resistant to fraud and rorting. It's wasteful to duplicate this functionality at the Department of Finance. Politicians should use the same system millions of ordinary Australians rely on to receive their essential payments. 

Why is this important? 

Politicians use of entitlements concerns many Australians right across the political spectrum. There have been numerous reviews into entitlements after equally numerous spending scandals. The people would regain confidence in the entitlement system if they knew politicians faced dialing the same numbers and lining up in the same queues as ordinary Australian do to access federal payments. 

This should include not only travel entitlements but all payments, including ongoing retirement benefits that deliver special six figure pensions to politicians. When there is concern in the community about rorting instead of another ineffective parliamentary review centrelink can crackdown and use its extensive arsenal of tools to ensure compliance: including obligatory waiting periods, asking claimants to produce extensive and exhaustive personal information, hiring private detectives and snooping on the social media accounts of claimants to verify their honesty. Where fraud is systemic centrelink could issue payments on cashless cards that can only be used for pre-approved purchases and for example exclude sales from liquor shops and helicopter hire agencies. sign here.  

Chelsea Manning being charged over suicide attempt - US Army

You have to wonder how someone could be so heartless and cruel as to charge someone over their suicide attempt. Yet this is exactly what the US army is doing to Chelsea Manning.

Roots Action team (no it's not a porn site) has a world wide petition directed at the secretary of the US Army not to do this to her. You can sign it here.

After years of inhumane treatment, and having been held in conditions that the UN considers to be torture, Chelsea Manning, the Guardian columnist and whistleblower who has been in prison for years serving a 35-year sentence for exposing some of the U.S. government's worst abuses, attempted to take her own life on July 5th, 2016. Now, Army officials have informed her that she is facing serious new charges directly related to her suicide attempt. These new charges include: 

1) Resisting a group of prison guards called "the force cell move team." (Chelsea was unconscious when this team arrived, which makes this charge particularly absurd.) 
2) Prohibited property. (For the items she used to attempt to take her own life.) 
3) Conduct which threatens. (For somehow putting the prison at risk while attempting to take her own life, quietly, in her own cell.) 

If convicted of these bizarre "administrative offenses," she is facing indefinite solitary confinement for the rest of her prison term (another 30 years). 

Chelsea is being denied medical treatment for her gender dysphoria, which experts have stated is the only course of treatment through which she would no longer be suicidal. Sign here.

Surely to deny appropriate medical treatment is a violation of human rights and duty of care. Or does the US Army deny that gender dysphoria is a medical condition needing treatment?

85% of Australian LGBT are against a plebiscite on marriage equality

Why am I not surprised?

Would straight people want a plebiscite on their human rights and whether they can have them or not?

I'm tired of seeing my love with David debated on TV by the Australian Christian Lobby. I'm tired of the delays and blocking of the public recognition of our love. We've both been through so much in our lives. Why should it be such a struggle for us to be married?

A new study shows what most of the LGBT are thinking; that a plebiscite is a licence for christian hate against us. I personally believe some will suicide over it, but where would you get the statistics on that?

When asked whether they supported or opposed a plebiscite on marriage equality, 84.7 per cent of participants said they were opposed, with 71.5 per cent strongly opposed. 

Just 9.9 per cent supported a plebiscite, including 6.5 per cent who strongly supported it, while 5.4 per cent were undecided. 

The survey, designed by social scientist Sharon Dane, is supported by Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays and campaigner Rodney Croome. 

Opposition remained even if a plebiscite was "fairly framed" and "had a good chance of success", with 57.8 per cent opposed even if the popular vote was the only way same-sex marriage could be achieved under the Coalition. 

Sentiment was strongest in Tasmania, with 90.3 per cent opposed, and among those aged 65 or older at 91.2 per cent. 

When informed the results of a plebiscite would not be binding on MPs, 89.1 per cent of participants said they supported a vote in Parliament for same-sex marriage, while 7.7 per cent supported a plebiscite. The Age  

Trump does a Nixon at Republican Convention speech - Samantha Bee, Full Frontal video :)

Same old same old. Fear fluffers go before Trump, who preaches the same fear bullshit as Nixon did getting elected (we all know how that one turned out). 

Watch as Samantha Bee compares speeches  of Trump and Nixon. It's what the conservatives do. Fear fear fear fear fear ...........

 

Transgender speaks at Democrat National Convention - US

The first trans person to speak at any national convention over there. "Every day matters" was a huge point in her speech, along with many others.

I note that this person is the ones the right over there are accusing of using gender neutral toilets for "rape rooms". Such ignorance. Look folks, she's just a person like all of us.

The "every day matters" in the LGBT fight for equality is very poignant here in Australia. With The Blockers in the shattered hulk of what's left of the Canberra Lieberal gov standing in our way at every point.

Some say marriage equality is not important, that it can be put down the list of issues for the gov to address. But every day is important. Every day matters. It matters that it's another day we don't have equal human rights as the rest of society does. It matters another day we're not seen as equals in society. It matters that for another day it hurts.

 


 

Shaun Micallef does a hatchet job on George Christensen

The Christensen and Abbott love fest

Ah yes, George bloody Christensen. If ever there was a man deserving and looking like he needs to be mocked by comedians, then this is him.

Self-righteous of the god squad, believing apparently he's on some holy mission to protect us all from the evils of us LGBT (does that mean protect us from ourselves? :s). Never tiring in his efforts to purge the country of lefties who dare not to follow him on his crusade. 

I think he imagines himself as some kind of thought police. WTF else could you call someone who wants to attack alternative thoughts of difference? Of course he thinks us LGBT are all some kind of political Marxists after all the kids. You know, "think of the children!"

  

VB brewery strike in it's 50th day - huge impact on production *gasp* (updated)

Some multi-national company took over the brewery in Melbourne and has tried to cut the wages of employees by some huge figure. So they've been on strike ever since. 

In a cold Melbourne winter one would think the picket line would fizzle like a Turnbull. However they had much support from the union and crowdfunding. They appear to be in very good spirits in this "happy 50th day" video :)   The piss take of the VB add is hilarious.

 

 

Gender neutral toilets described as "Rape Rooms" - Democratic Convention, US

Honestly folks, where is the head at of a person who describes a gender neutral public toilet as a "rape room"? Have they got rape on their minds in some nefarious way? Are they projecting their own inclinations? 

Dearie me people, WTF is going on in the US and having gender neutral toilets? There's one at my health centre and nobody is raped FFS!

Apparently it's an affront to some sort of demented christianity? WTF did Jesus say about gays gender dysphoria? Oh that's right, nothing. See he and the tribal communities he lived with in the desert nomad thing didn't actually know the be all and end all of human morality. Just the "morality" of that dreadful imaginary sky man that wanted to zap them all if they didn't obey. 

Now that humanity has evolved to a point where, like the animal kingdom, gays actually exist and are a natural part of humans, the manic Jesus  people have turned their attention to a new demonic people; transgenders. They reckon they're paedophile rapists darlings (sound familiar?) and they will rape your kids in the toilets. I  kid you not.

BTW it must be stated that there was an All Gender toilet at the Republican convention too.

PHILADELPHIA—The Left’s crusade to include ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE in everything everywhere at all times without regard to public safety, appropriateness, decorum, or common decency is on display here at the Democratic National Convention in the Wells Fargo Center. 

In a case of obnoxious virtue-signaling, there are “all-gender” restrooms at the convention site. They don’t appear to be mandatory—yet. 

To be clear, I choose to characterize these unrest rooms as rape rooms because allowing big, strong men—whether they “identify” as men or women or octopusses—to relieve themselves alongside little girls and women is a proven recipe for disaster. These everything-goes facilities present a standing invitation to those seeking to commit sexual assaults. They paint a target on those who cannot defend themselves. Canada Free Press  

Afraid of disclosure?

I posted this at HIV+ Newly Diagnosed community on Google Plus. Just a few thoughts about living in an HIV+ closet.

I was wondering about newly diagnosed people who are afraid of disclosing their status?

I'm rather abnormal in this and when the icing on the shit cake came (the diagnosis) I just didn't give a fuck. Long story. Hence, although it took some time to get there starting from my personal blog, I ended up linking it to this Google account and have even recently become a part of the Twitteraty (sort of like the glitteraty but Twitter, ha ha). All accounts are "Peterhiv" so it's out there right from my profile name.

Apart from one troll on YouTube comments recently the experience has been nothing but positive. People have been more than willing to follow me on Twitter particularly, I assume out of interest for another voice in the mix?

Are we too afraid to tell people of our status? If so are we  not letting people hear us as human beings and not evil creatures trying to destroy civilisation or some shit?

Times have changed. In Sydney Australia AIDS is no longer a health crisis as it's a reversible condition. David and I are both HIV undetectable. By being open about who we are surely this will help awareness that HIV is no longer a death sentence. That's lost if we hide in an HIV+ closet.