The Waiting Man

Orange...

As I wrote to a photography colleague in the USA this morning...'Parts of New South Wales & Victoria are literally hell on earth, with people sheltering in the sea as the fires cut off every escape route. With no rain forecast to fall, there's only so much firefighters can do & they've done it - time & time again - but the country is so dry, it's too easy for new fires to start & for the existing ones to just keep burning

Sydney has been singed at its fringes, but many small country towns have either been mostly destroyed, or seriously affected... to say nothing of the millions of animals - domestic & wildlife - that have been killed...

It's a weather pattern in the Indian Ocean that's to blame - it's causing flooding in eastern Africa, while Australia gets no rain at all... It's a cruel world'

Meanwhile, our Prime Minister is more excited about the cricket match starting today, than about taking any action on the fires today, or the climate tomorrow... It makes me just... throw up my hands in despair

It also makes me wonder how long before a grief-stricken farmer, or country town resident, takes a leaf out of the USA's book & takes a shot at the insensitive, greedy, blinkered, fat shit

... Is, apparently, Blowing Up The Wind

The Donald thinks dropping a nuclear bomb into the eye of a hurricane will either dissipate it, or at least change its course so it won't hit the USA

This is such a hugely stupid idea that I don't even know where to start... fallout travelling at hurricane speed, poisoned oceans... who IS this guy & HOW did he get elected???!!!???

The only feasible challenge to a hurricane would be Trump's own bluster. Why don't we drop him into the eye of a hurricane & see what happens?

Interesting article on today's newsfeed, taken from Newsweek magazine in May...

Flat Earthers & The Rise Of Science Denial

Interesting, because it actually addresses why these people believe these things & that science, or scientists themselves, must bear part of the blame. In a nutshell, people like to have things presented to them as finite certainties - whereas science is by its own nature, continuously evolving, changing & updating as we learn & discover new things. Especially where the Solar System, galaxy & Universe are concerned. Also, because no self-respecting scientist would come out & state plainly & categorically that vaccines don't cause autism, it leaves the field wide open for people to think that they do & there are any number of 'experts' on Youtube or the blogsphere who will plainly & categorically say that, using a crowbar to pry open the sensible caution of scientists & flood it with cherry-picked research, circumstantial & highly anecdotal 'evidence', hearsay &, inevitably, conspiracy theories about government control & cover-ups... And lizard people running the world, I presume

But they still love Donald Trump...?!?!?!?!?

Harking back to an earlier post of mine about the disadvantaged & ill-educated being angry at the modern world because they either don't understand it, or can't be a part of it, the Sciences & scientists are seen as an elite - not to be looked up to, or aspired to, but to be distrusted. And it's, at least, partly because scientists don't communicate effectively with people who aren't scientists - who, while they look to it for answers, are either not satisfied with the answer, or don't understand it. Either way, it means they don't trust it, because it didn't tell them what they wanted to hear. Scientists know their work is ongoing & therefore there are no finite, certain answers. What we think is right today, could be wrong tomorrow... & there's obviously evidence of 'certain' scientists getting it horribly wrong in hindsight (Thalidomide, anyone??). So... once bitten, twice shy...

Perversely, many people will take the word of a self-described expert as gospel... The Earth is flat!! Vaccines give your babies autism!! The moon landings were fake!! Astronauts & pilots are on the government payroll!! 9/11 was an inside job!! Just watch this video on YouTube!!!!!!!

The modern snake oil salesman doesn't have a carpet bag... just a blog & a YouTube channel...

Reading an article about new shows to be made & aired next year, on one of Australia's commercial networks, this is what we have to look forward to...

Non-scripted debuts include The Super Switch (based on The Seven Year Switch, it features six couples who say goodbye to their families to live in an experimental relationship with a stranger); Wife Swap (two women switch homes – and partners – for two weeks); The Proposal (a new dating show from The Bachelor creator, in which 10 singles compete to win the heart of a mystery suitor); Extreme Weddings (featuring Australia’s most costly and extravagant weddings); Inside the ‘G’ (a behind-the-scenes look at the MCG, one of the world’s biggest stadiums); and Ladies' Night (a one-night event in which eight female celebrities strip off in the name of women’s health)

Oh my god...

Those of you who prefer my Journal to be all sweetness & light, may as well scroll down to someone else's entry now...

Trump offers "thoughts & prayers" for Santa Fe shooting, 2 weeks after addressing NRA

In fact, as most people don't follow links any more, here's most of the text... you should read this

At least 10 people were killed Friday morning after a shooter opened fired in Santa Fe High School outside of Houston, Texas. A suspect has been taken into custody, but explosive devices have been detected in the vicinity, and residents have been advised to exercise caution.

As students head back to school, getting back to normal is the last thing on their minds – they want the tragedy to break the NRA's hold on Washington

The response so far has been similar to what has followed previous school shootings. Condolences have been expressed and resources have been promised. The NRA has stayed silent. The president and first lady have offered tweets. "School shooting in Texas," Trump wrote. "Early reports not looking good. God bless all!"

The debate surrounding guns has grown increasingly contentious since the February 14th shooting at Stoneman Douglass High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead. Gun rights activists, perhaps feeling threatened by the upswell of support for gun control, which 75 percent of Americans now support in some form, have made it clear that they're not backing down. Last month, a Nevada woman refused to sing the national anthem at a minor league baseball game because she wasn't allowed to bring a firearm into the stadium. Students in Tennessee and Ohio have incorporated guns into their graduation photos. And on Friday morning, a man responded to the news of the shooting at Santa Fe High School by showing up to the scene of the tragedy with an American flag in his hand and a firearm at his side.

"Get to the school, make America great again," the man replied when questioned by a reporter what was going through his head when he heard about the shooting. When asked about his plan of action, he said he was just “offering support."

Once news of the fatalities broke, President Trump delivered comments offering support for the victims.

"This has been going on too long in our country," said Trump. "Too many years, too many decades now. We grieve for the terrible loss of life, and send our support and love to everyone affected by this absolutely horrific attack. To the students, families, teachers, personnel high, we’re with you in this tragic hour and we will be with you forever."

Exactly two weeks ago, Trump, himself, was in Texas – to speak at the national NRA convention. Before the assembled 2nd amendment enthusiasts in Dallas, Trump said: "Your rights are under siege, but they will never ever be under siege as long as I am your president!"

Vice President Pence also expressed his sorrows on Friday afternoon: "We say to the students, families, teachers and all of those affected in the entire community, we’re with you," Pence said. "You are in our prayers and I know you are in the prayers of the American people."

Pence spoke at that same NRA convention, less than 300 miles away from the scene of today's shooting. Pence addressed the scores of NRA supporters, telling them: "I'm a Christian, I'm a conservative, and I'm a card-carrying member of the NRA!"

With each passing school shooting, comments like the ones delivered by the president and vice president, as well as the "thoughts and prayers" that will be expressed on politicians' Twitter feeds throughout the day, are further winnowed of sincerity. No action has been taken, and it seems nothing is capable of inspiring any meaningful measure to prevent future shootings.

Outside of the loss of life, the saddest takeaway from this morning's tragedy at Santa Fe High School is the realization among students that mass shootings are no longer anomalies.

"No, there wasn't," Santa Fe student Paige Curry said when asked if there was a part of her that thought something like this would never happen at her school. "It's been happening everywhere. I've always felt like eventually it was going to happen here too."

How did you let your country get to this point? How much worse do you want it to get?!

Or living the dream... Either way, I'm not sure where I am any more, as, according to some people on the internet (so it MUST be true!!)... Australia doesn't exist

Neither does Finland, apparently - along with various parts of Germany & Brazil

Could somebody please build a rocket ship, fly up above this flat earth & see if I really am standing in Australia or not?? It's easy to spot - it's the place that goes (from right-to-left) beach... mountains... nothing... nothing... BIG ROCK!... nothing... nothing... beach

Today was just one of those days in Australian politics that I can't leave uncommented on - for want of better grammar...

In my home State of New South Wales, we have a Legislative Assembly - the 'Lower House' where the State Premier (like the Governor), the party in power & the Opposition introduce, debate & vote on legislation, which is then sent to the Legislative Council - the 'Upper House', where it gets debated, amended, debated again, deals are made & either passed or rejected to try again

The 'Upper' Legislative Council members are not necessarily directly elected by the voters. Which means a few loonies can get in & find ways of staying in. Like Fred Nile - I refuse to call him 'Reverend'... I don't revere him, nor his archaic, old testament, restrictive, bigoted & intolerant world view

Recently the two Houses have been debating an Assisted Dying Bill. This crops up in various States around Australia from time to time & occasionally gains traction - even becoming law in one State a while ago before the Federal Government intervened & repealed it. Recently, such a Bill was legislated in the State of Victoria & so, in the best "Me too!!" practice of politics, New South Wales had a go. All was going reasonably, until...

Enter Fred Nile... who, having been caught out blatantly inventing stories to support his outdated outlook, claimed that God made him do it

So apparently that makes it okay to mislead Parliament...

At the Federal level, we use the British Westminster system, but instead of a House of Lords (very thin on the ground in the 'colonies'), we have a Senate & a house of Representatives. In much the same way, the Senators are not directly elected by the voters, so loonies can get in & wreak havoc with democracy, based on whatever crackpot, single-issue agenda they're obsessed with. They can even be elected belonging to one Party, but then resign & still sit as an Independent, or join another Party with its own, apparently, momentarily, complementary crackpot agenda

Such as Corey Bernardi, who apparently found that the right-wing faction of the ruling Liberal Party wasn't right-wing enough for him, so split & formed his own Party, with its roots & agenda firmly planted in religion-based intolerance, dressed up as 'Family Values'

As you may have heard, We recently wasted $120 million dollars on a national survey on same-sex marriage. A waste, because the result is non-binding... it doesn't force the Parliament to do anything except debate the issue again - much as they did at the beginning of the year, when Liberal Party room infighting pretty much killed the notion of equality in its crib, before it could even get up & walk

With nearly 62% of the survey responses being in support of changing the law to include same-sex couples, there is obviously a popular mandate for change. But the same, old, voices are still saying they won't support it

Enter Corey Bernardi, who used the turmoil to try & get some amendments of his own through the Senate - the usual shit that fascists & religious zealots go for... the problem being that he dragged other Senators away from their Party loyalties & across to his side

And all this is okay, apparently...

Back in 1989, erstwhile Prime Minister Paul Keating labelled the Senate 'Unrepresentative swill". It would seem not much has changed... I know of no reason the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot

Oh America... Why is it always 'Bigger, better, faster... more!!' with you??

The biggest cars (& meal sizes!!), better technology (& hospitality!), faster planes, trains (& automobiles!) & more of... well, just about everything...

Unfortunately, that also applies to your guns. They're bigger, 'better', faster & there are certainly more of them - than anywhere else. It also seems you're determined to apply the maxim to your mass shootings. Every year, they're bigger, faster & more of them ('better' only in the mad minds of the perpetrators - "Gotta get more than the guy at Sandy Hook!!!")

And the rest of the world looks on in horrified bemusement... especially Down Under here...

I really don't know how much worse you want it to get (and it undoubtedly will...) before you come to your collective senses & get your powerful, lunatic, right-wing, paranoid gun club under control. Perhaps you could start by stripping it of its title 'National Rifle Association', which gives it a veneer of respectability it doesn't deserve. I suggest re-naming it 'Mad Fuckers, Duck Hunters & Loonies From The Boonies'

Tired of your children running around your home & breaking stuff?

No problem - take them to the Museum & let them break stuff there...

Why couldn't you have taken them to any one of these places instead... Let them run around there - they'll only do it once...

between Mankind & Wildlife has ended in a draw

Humans - 1

Animals - 1

And we're supposed to be the smart ones??!!

Is alive & well...

Blah blah tragic loss... blah blah so much to live for...blah blah their unborn child. Blah blah... All I see is an idiot who will no longer be a drain on society's resources. Honestly - if you're stupid enough to think that playing around with guns is cool & a shortcut to 'fame'... we, as a species, can spare you

Do I blame social media for this? Not at all - I firmly believe that no matter what you do, stupid people will continue to do stupid things. They did it before the internet, they'll keep doing it now. And frankly... keep it up!! Keep going over Niagara Falls in a giant beach ball. Keep bungee jumping without ropes. Keep climbing over high fences with locked gates, onto giant construction cranes, then taking the short way down

Despite the best efforts of religion & right-wing politics, Nature will always find a way to weed out the weakest links...