Minister Michalea Cash can't understand an EBA - Trainwreck interview in full (video)

I've not followed the intricacies of the current hoopla over the volunteer fire fighters in Victoria, but this interview shows blatantly that whatever her motives are, that she has no understanding of the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement in play. A person of such grasping at straws intellect does not belong in the employment minister portfolio. Indeed Adam Bandt of the Greens in calling for her to go.

Even though I don't understand all about this situation, it's clear that she's pushing her own agenda despite the plain and clear facts presented to her. I've been involved with a few EBA's over the years of working as an employee, and I can tell you now that those employees involved in this EBA will not appreciate at all the federal employment minister trying to step in and change the rules under their feet. 

 

Catholic church apology to LGBT - Sydney

Justin Koonin, ACON President, Chris Pycroft, co-convenor NSW GLRL, Natalie Cooper, PFLAG Secretary, and Father Peter Maher.

St Joseph's, Newtown

With such despicable groups as the Australian Christian Lobby completely at war with us, it's heart warming to see such an event as has been held in the Newtown St Joseph's Catholic church. In a groundbreaking gathering, the church has become one of the first Catholic churches in the world to apologise to the LGBT for what they've done to us.

My first reaction is that it's a good start, and to be somewhat reserved about it. Perhaps if actions followed it up, with leaders such as George Pell faced justice for their alleged crimes then I'd be more enthusiastic. However the apology does sound like they really meant it. Doesn't mince words. This can only be a good thing.

Personally I don't know why anyone would want to be so deluded as to believe in an invisible sky man and talking snake, but that's just me.

NEWTOWN’S Catholic Church has become one of the world’s first churches to apologise to LGBTI people for the hurt caused by the action and inaction of Catholic and Christian people and churches. 

In June, Pope Francis called for an apology to gay and lesbian people and St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Newtown become one of the first to respond holding a Liturgy of Apology organised by the Rainbow Catholic Interagency for Ministry on Friday. 

“It was difficult to choose which personal stories to share during the liturgy; each individual’s story is so powerful, unique and precious,” Francis Voon, a Catholic organiser said. 

“As organisers we wanted to make sure the event was ethical, respectful and safe for all. There are so many heartbreaking stories of our LGBTIQ siblings. 

“Some have been badly hurt by us as a church community. Others we have failed completely, to the point of suicide, because of prejudice, ignorance and fear, and worse still, in God’s name. 

“Tonight, with Pope Francis’ encouragement, in the name of God, we apologise for religious LGBTIQ-phobia, and we pledge to work towards healing and reconciliation in this Year of Mercy.” Star Observer  

Cher laughs at "gay friendly" Trump - "My people will not believe him"

Things are falling apart a bit tonight here on Turnbull's copper network and YouTube has gone nonconnectable for I guess 2-3 hours. However I came across this wonderful little clip from Cher that isn't YouTube and plays. 

Watch as she laughs at Trump saying how unbelievable his gay friendliness is :)

She has such a wonderful melodic voice, even just talking. Very nice.

Maniac Muslims in court to criminalise the LGBT - Indonesia

"Gays are a contagion", anti-gay banner in Indonesia

The threat of gay marriage coming to Indonesia has awoken the fundamentalists over there to take action against such a deadly threat as this. The gay peril cometh, or something like that I expect. Needless to say I would assume that the threat of the gays has been the catalyst for resistance to what is viewed as sexual immorality.

So a bunch of "academics" all religious, have gotten together in a court case which is still running. They want to put a five year sentence on gays and criminalise sex before marriage for straights in a wide ranging religious push back against some evil immorality that is about to take over the place.

Interestingly, they say they must preserve their "values". Again, bigotry is bigotry even if it is camouflaged by "values" in accordance with religion.

“This constitution is liberal, yes, because it’s coming from imperialist government,” Akbar said, adding, “Must all laws that are not in according with the morals and religion have to be synchronized with the local values so this court … [can be] an institution illuminated by the light of God?” Buzzfeed

I do feel very much for gays in Indonesia presently. Such people, if these laws come to fruition, may well be forced to seek asylum in other lands. 

Oh, "think of the children!" also gets representation in the article quoted below, inferring that gays are paedophiles. 

The suit, which has been brought by 12 academics and activists, has already had several hearings, but captured international attention earlier this month when it was reported that the petitioners sought the criminalization of homosexuality. But they are actually seeking a broader reform of the country’s criminal code, according to court filings, that would not only criminalize homosexuality but also make sex between unmarried people a crime. 

Tuesday’s hearing, which was attended by a large group of activists from an Islamic women’s organization, was the second in which the petitioners were able to present witnesses in support of their case. They argued that not only was the country on the verge of a crisis of sexual morality, but it was at risk of having its core Muslim values overridden by international human rights claims that embrace LGBT rights. 

Tuesday’s testimony began with Asrorun Ni’am Sholeh, chairman of the National Child Protection Commission, who said the court needed to take urgent action to curtail a crisis of sexual morality that put the nation’s children at risk. He called for a five-year prison sentence to be imposed for homosexual acts, which he warned “tend to be repeated because there is a factor of addiction in it,” and raised concerns that same-sex marriage could come to Indonesia. 

“There is no strong regulations to forbid same-sex marriage nor criminal sanctions,” he said, adding that such punishments will “strengthen the state’s responsibility to protect the rights of children.” 

Hamid Chalid, a constitutional law expert at the University of Indonesia outside Jakarta, said the court needed to step in to protect local religious and moral values. These are being eroded, he argued, by international human rights norms pushed by Western governments that have purged religion from public policy. Buzzfeed  

Oh the humanity!.....
   

Why the plebiscite sucks; in 2 minutes - GetUp (video)

Sally Rugg appears in this GetUp video who is the Marriage Equality campaign director there. GetUp is campaigning against the plebiscite as a very bad idea.  Most interesting that 85% of the LGBT are also against it.

Watch as she explains it all fully and concisely in just two minutes. 

 

- 1st parli with a clear marriage equality majority in Sen & HoR
- 1st parli where govt took plebiscite to election pic.twitter.com/xxHxnfWE0T

— Lane Sainty (@lanesainty) August 16, 2016

 

Cops want to arrest followers of gays in social media - Tanzania

Yet even more love from the religious folks, this time from Tanzania.

The head of the police over there wants to arrest people found on social media to be gay. An in something that suggests hysteria, he wants the cops to also arrest all their social media followers saying they're just as "guilty" as the gays themselves.

I note that he spoke this at a religious rally.

He also wants to "protect the culture" (sound familiar?) of Tanzania and has, unbelievably, said he wants to ban charities that are gay.

He's also banned lube. Terribly dangerous stuff that you know.....

Not only has he started enforcing a ban on lube in a misguided attempt to halt gay sex in the nation, now he wants to use social media to track down LGBT people and anyone who follows them as well. 

“If there’s a homosexual who has a Facebook account, or with an Instagram account, all those who ‘follow’ him… are just as guilty as the the homosexual,” he told a crowd at a religious rally according to NewNowNext. 

Gay sex is illegal in Tanzania and punishable with jail sentences of up to 30 years. Prosecutions are rare and police mainly use the charge as a way to extort bribes from gay men. Since Makonda’s speech last month, activists report more than 20 men have been arrested. 

“Makonda has made people believe that it is now okay to hate LGBT people, especially gay men,” James Wandera Ouma, director of LGBT Voice Tanzania, told the site. “He has planted a hate that was not there before.” LGBTQ Nation  

Anti-LGBT flyers handed out at AFL footy game - Melbourne

More love from the christians.....

For the second time at a footy game, in protest against the gay pride game held recently by the AFL viscous anti-gay flyers were handed out at a round of said AFL. This was the game at the MCG, between Richmond and St Kilda. 

Expressed was the accusation that those kids who have LGBT parents are part of a new "stolen generation". The image on the flyer is the header on their website. An extremely unsophisticated site I might add.

Honestly, I keep wondering why these christians think that they're going to bring people over to their way of thinking by being completely offensive and utterly pissing people off. 

And what would a child of LGBT parents think and feel in viewing such disgusting and vile bullshit about their family? Is this the sort of thing that's going to be directed at us on a national scale for a plebiscite?

The leaflets, which were being distributed ahead of the Richmond vs. St Kilda match on Saturday afternoon, feature a picture of a little girl accompanied by the words “children deserve a mother and a father.” They also accused the AFL of “bias” after the code held its first ever Pride Game, between St Kilda and Sydney, earlier this month. 

“What about a round for the children deprived of their mum or their dad?” the flyer asks, before referring people to www.another-stolen-generation.com. Similar flyers were placed on car windshields outside a VFL game back in April. Junkee

@NeilMcMahon This flier was being handed out at the St Kilda-Richmond game today.. pic.twitter.com/t36v3aJp4g

— Michael E (@Michael_60) August 20, 2016

 

Chinese Australian petition against Safe Schools tabled NSW parliament

Chinese Australian petition against Safe Schools in NSW

Using multiculturalism to mask bigotry is about the best way I can describe this petition. I don't know how well known the petition itself is known of within the Chinese Australian community here in Sydney, or what sort of diabolical information was presented to those who signed it, but because at $17,000 signatures it can therefore be tabled in the New South Wales parliament here.

The views expressed are completely misinformed. Calling the gay community an "ideology" shows no understanding of the fact that being who we are isn't an ideology. We're not engaged in dogma trying to take over the world by some new system of ideas, we're just wanting to exist equally in society like everyone else. We want to be safe from discrimination like everyone else, and those of us with children want those children to be safe just like everyone else.

The LGBT would arguably be the most diverse and inclusive people in the world. Wherever you find humanity, you will find gay people. Across all countries, races, societies and ideologies. We are everywhere, including the Chinese Australian community.

I find it very strange that those in said community, who live in a multi-cultural society under laws against discrimination, with encouragement to embrace diversity and have respect for difference, would be so disrespectful to another minority as they have been to the LGBT with this petition.

In fact the views expressed in the petition are the very reason why Safe Schools was implemented. What must it be like being a gay Chinese Australian young adult in one of those families that signed the petition? Where would they find understanding, acceptance and support at a very difficult time as this? In such an intolerant environment suicide of young LGBT students is a very real issue. Safe Schools is about protecting their children too.

A petition against the Safe Schools program with more than 17,000 signatures from the Australian Chinese community has been tabled in the New South Wales Parliament. 

The Liberal Member for Epping, Damien Tudehope, lodged the petition today and said there were significant concerns about the program in migrant communities in north-western Sydney and throughout the city. 

Safe Schools is a federally funded anti-bullying program aimed at helping lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and/or intersex (LGBTI) school students and is administered by state and territory education departments. 

The program was subject of a Federal Government review earlier this year after several conservative MPs aired concerns that the material was not age appropriate and more parental consent was needed. 

The petition is calling on the program to be scrapped in NSW schools, saying it "promotes a particular ideology, including gender fluidity, that is contrary to our cultural and belief system". ABC  

Safe Schools against 17k, Safe Schools for 32k. https://t.co/1qpDYIkRy0

— David Stone (@ProfDStone) August 23, 2016

Lodged formal complaint with tax office - delays in return, financial hardship

*Update: The complaints person who contacted me was excellent. Two days after first ringing complaints the return was finalised with amount set at repayment. That was last Thursday night. I expect I'll get the money in the bank this week.
 
Well the tax office may have "escalated" me but I've now escalated them in return. Exasperated with talking to their extremely unhelpful drones on the other end of the telephone, I decided to ring their complaints line. I've been told by then that someone will be appointed to resolve my complaint of which I will hear back from them in 3 working days.

Actually the complaints lady I spoke to was very nice and well trained in her area. There were a number of further issues she was interested in too. That I was getting told different things every time I rang them by different people. That it took about 5 phone calls to even be told that the tax office had "escalated" my return. That they didn't contact me at all telling me why my return was delayed and delayed, despite me checking on the My Gov website and ensuring all my contact details were up to date. That the next due by date was tomorrow, the money still not in my account, with no contact from the ATO as to WTF was going on.

To the question how do I want this resolved, I said I just want my return! And I guess for my case to be looked at to see what's gone wrong and something done to address the issues involved.

Said to her I didn't know why they were even investigating me over such a simple return. My taxable earnings were $10,000 (super under financial hardship) and so I get the tax paid on that all back. What could be easier? Said I'd rung and rung, which she noted a number of times in the conversation as she went through the case, and was under financial hardship which was the whole reason for getting the super in the first place.

I also mentioned my bankruptcy, but that the Financial Services Authority had gone through last years return in great detail (where I also took out $10,000 from super) and they sent me a letter saying that I wasn't required to pay anything to the creditor bank after their investigation. 

So it can't be the bankruptcy causing an investigation. There's nothing else that could possibly have gained any concern by the tax drones, so I'm really at a loss as to why the fuck they're doing this? 

Christian blames "turning gay" for Tom Daley's Olympic defeat

More love from the christians......

Gay Olympic diver Tom Daley had an early exit at the Rio Olympics after a surprise defeat. A christian on Twitter was quick to blame his defeat on Daley "turning gay". 

I don't recall "turning gay" in the bible being blamed for failure BTW. In fact how exactly does somebody "turn gay"? 

Many have taken to Twitter to defend out gay Olympic diver Tom Daley against trolls who blamed his sexual orientation for his early exit from the Rio Olympics. 

The 22-year-old made a shock early exit from the Rio Olympics 10m platform diving, as he failed to make the finals, after winning in the preliminary heat. 

After he exited the competition, some took to social media to suggest that his sexual orientation was the reason he did not make the final. Pink News  

Michael Kirby against marriage equality plebiscite as gov delays vote

I honestly don't get why anyone would think in 2016 Australia that the human rights of a minority in it's community should be decided by a vote. To have one's right to be married debated in the national media and have voters go to a polling both for it is something that straights would never countenance for themselves. 

I just can never get past that sick feeling every time I see my rights debated by people who I've never met and never will meet ever. The feeling of insult is profound. What other section of the Australian community has had their basic human rights decided like this?

There's well and truly enough parliamentarians in Canberra in support of marriage equality to easily pass the legislation. Turnbull has said he will allow a conscience vote for the Lieberals as some have decided they'd vote against marriage equality no matter what the plebiscite vote was. So why the hell inflict half a billion $ on taxpayers, and the LGBT to a concerted hate campaign from the Australian Christian Lobby? Of which Lyle Shelton recently compared the gay community to Nazi's.

Oh yes, the white middle aged bitter christian men in the Lieberal party need to be placated..... They need to have their pound of LGBT flesh just one last time. A final insult. 

In any case, the plebiscite is delayed until next Feb for some mysterious reason known only to the inner machinations of the Australian Electoral Commission. Yes folks, another insult. The right for David and I to be married is now fated with efficiencies in the AEC with the timing of the vote now depending on said efficiencies.

"This is going to be, if it goes ahead ... running out the old issues of hatreds and animosities, abominations and all the old arguments against gay people. 

"We didn't do this for the Aboriginal people when we moved to give equality in law to them, we didn't do it when we dismantled the White Australia policy ... we didn't do it in advances on womens' equality, we didn't do it most recently on disability equality. 

"Why are now picking out the LGBT, the gay community? It's simply an instance of hate and dislike, hostility to a small minority in our population. It's unAustralian." Sydney Morning Herald, Michael Kirby  

Bed bound all day

What a very bad day it's been for me today.

I slept late so I took my 13 pills later than usual. Then due to the time I felt very hungry and had a bit to eat. Unfortunately it must have been too heavy for my stomach and took some time to digest, causing quite a bit of stomach pain.

Which then went through to my back causing intense back pain over much of it. I went back to bed hoping it would settle down but it didn't, the back pain got worse. Then the anxiety happened because of the intensity of the pain, followed by a mild panic attack which saw me hopelessly dizzy upon getting up. Had no choice but to just lie there and hope for the best.

David was next door socialising with our neighbour friend and I had to ring him to come and massage my back, which he did with some muscle cream. He's very good at it being a rehab nurse. He bought a glass of water too as I was too dizzy standing up to get to the fridge.

By the time I'd got to a point where it was OK to leave the bed it was dark again. Sheesh, what a bloody day that was :s 

Aust. Family Assoc says being transgender is like having anorexia - FFS! (video)

"Australian Family Association"

Steve says christians are persecuted & bullied by LGBT

More love from the christians..... This one is an absolute doozy.

The "Australian Family Association" (note the coded christian language there darlings - according to them only heterosexuals are families) has sent an email around in it's war against the LGBT Safe Schools program.  In it they describe someone transitioning to a different sex is like letting them kill themselves from anorexia. I kid you not.

I expect the AFA will also want to enter the fray during a gay plebiscite. Coming out with such outrageous, bigoted and ill informed lies as this.

In an email sent Thursday night, national president Paul Monagle criticised 60 Minutes and Australian Story for recently running stories on transgender children, and told supporters it is important to comment on such issues to family, friends, politicians, and the media.

Monagle suggested supporters draw inspiration from an op-ed about how being transgender is like having anorexia nervosa, written by social worker Moira Fleming for right-wing US website The Federalist.

“Fleming says that both anorexia or transgendering (sic) are driven by a mismatch between the person’s brain and their body, ‘a wrenching awareness of what it feels like to be disconnected from your body, to hate with every fiber of your being the way you look in the mirror…’,” the email says.

The excerpts go on to argue that providing medical treatment to transgender people is akin to encouraging a person with anorexia to starve themselves.

Australia’s leading paediatrician on transgender issues, Michelle Telfer, told BuzzFeed News that anorexia is a mental illness and being transgender is not.

“The distress that one experiences over gender dysphoria is considered something that needs treatment,” she said. “Hence the inclusion of gender dysphoria in the DSM-5.”

“If society accepted transgender people for who they are, there wouldn’t be distress.” 

Leading experts in transgender health, including the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and the Australian and New Zealand Professional Association for Transgender Health (ANZPATH), have strongly warned against gender variance being treated as a pathology or disease.  Buzzfeed

Included on the AFA's website is a video of Steve the christian talking about his experience with the LGBT Safe Schools program. Like how terrible it is that his daughter is exposed to such evil type things. The video is below from YouTube.

I kept waiting for Steve to refer to something in Safe Schools that one might find even the slightest bit offensive. I kept waiting and waiting, but everything he said I was like "So what? What's wrong with that?"

Instead of that though I did become highly offended at Steve himself when he went on and on about his daughter being persecuted for being christian and how terrible it is these LGBT people are bullying his quiet shy little girl. who just wants to exist without bullying.... So he's not fine with his daughter being bullied but fine with the LGBT being so. How very christian of him; you know treat people like you'd like to be treated and all?  

 

Trump supporters fail Trump "extreme vetting" test - video :)

Genuine Trump supporter, says it's not fair gay equality :s

Far out. Are these people from the 1950's? I'm suspecting a tear in the space-time continuum and either these people have entered the present day without knowing, or somehow a fold in time allowed the interviewer to speak directly to the 1950's people back then. Seriously. I didn't know such illogical and stupid people still existed today, even in the world of bigotry.

Watch as the 1950's is bought to you in glorious digital YouTube colour. If you're in Australia and have a fluke internet surge through our 100yr old copper, you might actually glimpse a bit of it in HD! 

Trump; bringing the '50's back to life in 2016.....

 

Unwell bankrupt pensioner investigated by tax office - WTF?

Um, the bankrupt unwell pensioner is me BTW. I'm on the DSP for a number of health and mental health issues regarded by Centrelink as permanent.

I rang the tax office yet again a couple of days ago as I'm still waiting for my tax return that they received on the 11th of July. I've rung them 4 times before that, and the tax agent I went through has also rung them twice as he's waiting on his money too. So far I'd been told four different things by four different people in four phone calls. This was my fifth call to them.

They were supposed to send me a text or email if they were going to take longer than the 10th of August, which came and went without a peep from them at all. 

It's the most basic and simple return you could imagine. I got about sixteen and a half thousand from the partnered DSP which is exempt from tax or any bankruptcy happenings. I also got $10,000 out of my super under financial hardship provisions in the legislation. Super is also exempt from any bankruptcy happenings. It is taxable though which they took out before I got it at $2,200 tax on the ten. My total taxable income then being $10,000 and so I'll get all the $2,200 back.

So the lady at the tax office on my fifth phone call there goes through it all slowly. For such a simple return I couldn't believe how much she had to read about it. She even put me on hold for a bit whilst doing it FFS. When she came back she informed me I'd been "escalated" as they were "looking more closely" at my return. Which meant it had a new "due date" due to said escalation, of the 24th of this month. If I hadn't gotten it by then to ring them back.

I don't know exactly what they mean by "escalation" but it does sound sort of exciting. Like expansive upwards or something. I even laughed and said "OMG I've been escalated!" in a humorous way, but alas tax agent people seem devoid of humour :s

Anyway they can escalate me all they like (Oh baby!) but they won't find anything. Squeaky clean, tax done by the same agent for years, all very simple even when I was working. There's no opportunity for a simple wage earner or DSP recipient to reduce tax or rip off the gov anyway. You have to be rich to do that. 

Makes me wonder why the fuck they're wasting their and my time bothering investigating me, when there's so many more worthwhile people out there where they may find discrepancies. 

It's also like "What's wrong with this picture?" sort of thing. I'm poor with fuck all and under investigation, whilst corporations get away with paying nothing a lot of them.

*waits for 24th*