2006 AFL Grand Final - West Coast Eagles for the win!
The West Coast Eagles held on for a one-point win over the Sydney Swans.
85-84
w00t!
ADDED 4:06PM
Went out to buy some burgers and there were hordes of kids running along the street in the Eagles’ colours, waving banners and waving at passerbys and motorists. Lots of honking and shouting - I honked at a bunch of them for about 5 minutes up the road leading to my house. Heh. And they are still at it. 
Jon Stewart interviews President Pervez Musharraf
Jon Stewart interviews Pervez Musharraf, the President of Pakistan on his show and the result was an intelligent, candid and humourous interview. The president’s thoughts and strategies about dealing with extremists in his neighbourhood sound more logical and coherent than what has been said about the situation in Iraq by President Bush. Though there is a big difference between Pakistan’s approach and the US’s approach and that is: Pakistan knows and understands the locals in its own areas and Afghanistan, while the US does not know nor understand the disparate groups in Iraq.
A quote by President Musharraf from the show:
No, we are not safer.
As I’ve expressed before, let’s hope for a more pragmatic and intelligent person in the White House in 2008.
SassyJan’s thinking of coming to Perth, and while coming up with accomodation ideas for her it got me thinking about my friends and family in Singapore and Malaysia, and in New South Wales. None of them would ever think of coming to Perth for a holiday. Usually it is *me* going to them in Sydney, KL, Penang, or Singapore. Why you all so like that ah?!
Me: Eh, come lah, let me pay.
Them: No lah, you are in my town, I pay. Next time I go to Perth, you can treat me.
Me: Yeah well you all always say that but when do you ever come to Perth?
Them: Heheh.
I know what a lot of them think - Perth is such a small place and it’s dull. I don’t know. I would have thought that reading my blog would have dispelled that myth a long time ago. Yes it’s a small place but it has all the facilities of a city but at a lower price and a less hectic pace compared to the other major cities of Australia.
The food here is great though don’t expect truly authentic SE-Asian Food, good as they may be and always getting better. Anyhow you are in Australia, so you should really be trying out the great Italian, Greek, Lebanese and Vietnamese food! Not to mention the seafood, and traditional or “modern” Australian cuisine which is a fusion of everything. Don’t be like an American and go to a foreign country and head for the nearest BK or McD. 
Even though we have distinct shopping districts like Claremont, Subiaco, and the CBD, I know you wouldn’t come here to shop, so that I can forgive you. But you do come here to have fun, and with me around you can be guaranteed that. We’ve got great pubs (The Deen, The Cott, Queens Hotel, and Brass Monkey just to name a few), and clubs - a sample of the happenings in the Perth clubbing scene can be found here.
You like the beach? We got that too. You like wine? I can take you to Swan Valley. But if you like the countryside, then I’m sorry - you need another tour guide. I am a city person myself. 
Want more? Then check out the previous list that I wrote of things to do for visitors to Perth. It’s not just a sundry list of touristy things but also a glimpse into how Australians, and specifically Perthites live. Because I believe that a trip where you can live like a local, amongst the locals is the best trip ever - no matter where you go.
So really? Come to Perth! 
ADDED September 30 12:13AM
And rats, how could I have forgotten Simone and her site - EnjoyPerth.net?
Technorati Tags: Australia, Western Australia, Perth, tourism
“Specials” by Scott Westerfeld
Currently reading “Specials”, the third book of the “Uglies” series. I’m totally absorbed by it and ironically enough, it’s not alleviating my current writer’s block. You’d think an interesting story would stimulate my mind and carry it off into a wild new direction or something. But nope, freaking nada.
And after browsing through Scott Westerfeld’s blog, I’m tempted to pick up his other series about modern day vampires who become infected via a sexually-transmitted disease (!). Check out the awesome covers for Australia. I’m a book marketer’s wet dream: I do judge a book by its cover. 
Technorati Tags: Scott Westerfeld, Uglies trilogy
A child with a defect: what would you do?
A couple in Penrith, New South Wales, the Suttons murdered their 28 year old son who was born with severe defects - “Matthew had intellectual disabilities, and had been born with no eyes and part of his face missing, but he could hear, and sound was his link to the outside world.” The story does not say whether he was mute as well but it is safe to assume so from the phrasing above.
From the story:
[Matthew] had suffered chronic, painful ear infections and needed an operation which would have made him deaf for three months, if not permanently.
Mrs Sutton told the inquest in July 2005 that she believed her son would have had no quality of life after the operation.
Rather than see their son deprived of his last remaining stimuli besides touch, they’d decided to end his life rather than to see him suffer, at least in their point of view anyway.
More at We killed Matthew: parents - National - smh.com.au
A couple of interesting questions are raised:
My answers to the questions above:
#3 is particularly hard to answer. Also, if the child has a sound mind and had requested to be euthanised, it’d be very hard for me to refuse him. In Matthew’s case, he was also mentally disabled and his parents had presumably made the decision for him.
The law is clear in this case. Even if euthanisation was legal, Matthew never asked to be killed. So this is murder and it is wrong in the eyes of the law. But what about the parents’ compassion for their child? Is that wrong too? Or was it misguided compassion?
In the movie “Gattaca“, parents of the future can alter and modify the genes of their babies before they were born. If you had the means to do it, why not right? In the movie, two new classes of people were created: those who were perfected, and those who were born “natural”. Those who were perfected are guaranteed the best jobs and social positions.
If the technology is available now and you can afford it, would you do it if it meant that your child would not inherit your diseases and defects? And literally be a cut above the rest?
If you can abort a foetus simply because you know that it would be born with defects, what would your view be about harvesting aborted foetuses, or even creating foetuses to be destroyed for their stem cells?
The question then becomes “how do you value a life?” Afterall, pro-lifers would argue that a foetus is alive even though it has no conscience. If you can discard a foetus because it’s imperfect, then why not create foetuses for their stem cells that can help in the research to improve the length and quality of life for all mankind? No one is really harmed, and there’s everything to be gained isn’t it?
As you can see, I’ve posed a lot of questions here. The truth is: there are no easy answers. As medicine advances, these questions will pop up even more than they are now. As an individual, what would you do?
Technorati Tags: genetics, abortion, stem cells, stem cell research
We be clubbing - Godskitchen Perth 2006
The rave clubbing season for the Australian spring/summer will be kick started by Godskitchen Perth 2006 this Saturday. I’ll be there. Going by last year’s event, this year’s should be equally awesome.
It’ll be followed a few weeks later by Ministry of Sound Annual 2006 Perth. Woohoo. I don’t know if I will go to that this year (you think?!) but it is time to build up those thigh muscles and knee joints. Good excuse to get a pair of new shoes too.
Technorati Tags: dance, clubbing, rave, Godskitchen
The recent discussion about incorporating a values test and an English test as part of the application process to be an Australian citizen, is now looking more like a reality with the PM hoping to have them in place sometime next year.
According to him:
The test would require prospective citizens to prove they had a good knowledge of Australia’s history, culture, national symbols and democratic system, as well as a commitment to Australia’s “common values” and good knowledge of English.
Personally, I do not feel that cramming for a values test and passing it would automatically indicate you to be a model citizen of this country. There’s also the irony that most “true-blue” Aussies do not have a firm grasp of the nation’s history and/or the English language. Nonetheless, Australia will soon follow in the footsteps of other countries like the US, Britain, Canada and the Netherlands.
The format of the proposed new tests is thus:
The test will be held at electronic voting centres across Australia. It could consist of up to 35 questions, some with multiple choice answers.
Others will require written answers. There is also likely to be an English test.
The questions will change and be randomly chosen, with varying degrees of difficulty.
The aim will be to test for knowledge of how Australian democracy works, popular culture, including sport, and historical milestones.
The current process summarised:
Compared to the new process of having to do the interview *and* the combined language and values test, I know which one I’d choose. All of which have prompted my family to start our applications now rather than later.
After being here for 18 years, friends and relatives back in Malaysia already call us “Aussies”. We might as well have the passports to back it up.
Technorati Tags: Aussie, Australian, citizenship, citizenship tests
