When it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go …
An Italian woman who arrived late for the Air France flight that crashed in the Atlantic has been killed in a car accident.
Woman who arrived late for doomed Air France flight killed in crash
You really can’t cheat Death can you? Final Destination, anyone?
On Sunday at the Perth Big Day Out, a 17 yr old girl died from an ecstasy overdose. But calling it an overdose is misleading. She most likely didn’t die from taking 3 pills (allegedly) in one go – you need about 18-20 in one shot to get poisoned (source: Erowid). She most definitely died because it was a very hot day (~ 38°C), her body overheated greatly as a result of the drug and she wasn’t drinking enough water.
Teen dead after suspected ecstasy overdose at Big Day Out : thewest.com.au
But I guess the point is moot.
As much as I enjoy and partake in it on occasions, I know the stuff is illegal even if I don’t agree with the way government fight this war on drugs. If I was afraid of being caught with them, I’d throw them away. I wouldn’t down 3 in one go in a bid to not waste them. There’s always next time. And purely from an experience point of view, having 3 pills at once spoils your fun because you’d be so out of it. And that’s when the temperatures are moderate. Add the extreme heat, and you are just asking for trouble.
The girl’s age and inexperience with the drug played a big role in her unwise decision. Though, would she be alive if there wasn’t a police presence? Probably.
Sniffer dogs ‘raise risk’ for dance party drug users – National – smh.com.au
But you can’t blame the police for doing their job too. Ostensibly, they are there to discourage drug use. Which is what would happen if you throw your stash away or decide not to take any, because you think that you might be stopped and searched on the day.
But a lot of people like getting high and the majority of them don’t die from doing ecstasy. So trying to beat up this story and use it to scare people off of it will not work. Young people can see the hypocrisy of the law when it comes to drugs. So another approach is necessary.
I believe that education and harm minimisation does not equal encouragement of drug use, just like teaching kids about contraception does not mean we are teaching promiscuity. We have to give them more credit than that. They are smarter than we assume them to be. Arming them with information and trusting them to make a smart decision about drugs, is better than expecting them to make that smart decision without any knowledge at all.
Barack Obama – a US President for the World
Barack Obama is the 44th US President, and the first African-American to reach the highest office of that land. Woo. I haven’t been this excited since when I voted for the first time here in Australia, when we too aching for change, ended the long reign of a politically conservative leader (John Howard, 11 years) and installed a fresh government led by Kevin Rudd.
By electing a black man for President, America has shown that it has turned around a very large corner. And by choosing a calm and intelligent person, American shows that it is ready to engage the world in a way that is vastly different to how it has been for the past 8 years.
Hopefully at the very least, it is ready to engage with the rest of us in a more inclusive and cooperative manner. And that is why I eagerly followed the election results today, and it is why I’m so excited about this truly historic win.
The Promise – For Many Abroad, an Ideal Renewed – NYTimes.com
However, the honeymoon will be short-lived as the US is still reeling from a huge economic crisis, with two foreign wars draining its coffers daily. As McCain had said of himself, and had implied that Obama couldn’t, he will need to show that he is capable of handling problems both domestic and international on day one.
Hard choices and challenges follow – Washington Post- msnbc.com
CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive – Little rest for Obama, analysts say
But today has been a joyous day indeed.
(originally by Patrick Moberg, thanks Phil!)
Sarah Palin can see Russia from Alaska
(via Boing Boing)
That Alaska is close to Russia is the basis of Sarah Palin’s claim to Americans that she’s hip to this foreign affairs business. The first time we’ve heard of this was when she was being interviewed by Charlie Gibson.
GIBSON: What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state give you?
PALIN: They’re our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.
ABC News: EXCERPTS: Charlie Gibson Interviews Sarah Palin
And when Katie Couric interviewed her, she was asked to expand on that statement.
Katie Couric: You’ve cited Alaska’s proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?
Sarah Palin: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and, on our other side, the land-boundry that we have with Canada. It’s funny that a comment like that was kinda made to … I don’t know, you know … reporters.
Couric: Mocked?
Palin: Yeah, mocked, I guess that’s the word, yeah.
Couric: Well, explain to me why that enhances your foreign-policy credentials.
Palin: Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there…
Couric: Have you ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?
Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It’s very important when you consider even national-security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right next to, they are right next to our state.
New Sarah Palin Clip: Keeping An Eye On Putin – Couric & Co.
Yes, Tina Fey did not have to stretch too far for comedic effects. Sarah Palin is just funny already, even though it’s inadvertent.
The jokes write themselves really. In fact, this has now become THE joke of the election and it’s taken a life of its own.
I found some great ones from a post at Gawker. Here’s a few of my favourites:
Gawker | Cartoons: You Can See Russia From Parts Of Alaska
Can’t wait to watch tomorrow’s debate and hear the waffle from Sarah Palin’s mouth. Oh, and Joe Biden might be good for a few funny ones too. He once said these things:
About.com – Funny Quotes by Joe Biden
Awesome. I can’t wait to read the political and humour blogs the next day too. It’s gonna be bumper issues everywhere. 
Don’t you wish Clinton was still President?
Still on US politics …
Say what you want about Clinton’s philandering ways, the guy is intelligent. Like, really intelligent. Kinda makes you wonder if he was still President, how would he have reacted to 9/11; Afghanistan would have been invaded and rightly so but the mess of Iraq may have been avoided and the world would have been such a different place today. And it’s a shame that Al Gore never got to continue that sense of an intelligent and sensitive White House.
But I’ve digressed.
The above two videos show Clinton explaining the current US financial crisis in such lucid and yet layman terms that even the most non-economically minded can understand it. The one big thing that I took away from that interview above was what he said about needing to grow the real economy, and that “making money from money” is not a viable long term growth strategy. Basically, an economy can only grow in a sustainable way via tangible goods and services, and via investment in knowledge and technology, and not from derivatives and speculation.
And while we are on the US economy, did you hear about McCain suspending his presidential campaign so that he can be in Washington to help pass the bill to rescue the US financial sector? And that he would also like to postpone his debate with Obama because of this?
Puzzling through another McCain surprise – Decision ’08- msnbc.com
First Debate Up in Air as McCain Steps Off the Trail – NYTimes.com
Then he had also used the same excuse to back out of a scheduled interview with David Letterman, but he was caught lying because it turned out that he was down the road from Letterman being interviewed by Katie Couric. Oh man, David was peeved.
(via Defamer)
If he’s not careful about things like this, McCain can undo all that momentum he’d gained when he chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. Maybe not amongst the hard core Republicans and conservatives, but it may sway the people who haven’t made up their minds. And that could be where the race is won or lost.
Sarah Palin as Vice-President of the United States? Really?!
I admit to not knowing much about both presidential candidates of the United States. And even though I consider myself a left-centrist, I don’t have preferences for either one. I know John McCain to be a one-time POW in the Vietnam War, that even though he’s a Republican he didn’t agree to everything George Bush said or did, and that generally he seems like an intelligent person in his interviews. Likewise for Barack Obama, I think he gives very effective and inspiring speeches, and is equally intelligent and calm when sharing his thoughts.
But for a while there, it felt like the Democrats was getting all the media attention because they were being revolutionary: Hillary Clinton could become the first female US president, and Barack Obama could become the first black US president. It seemed like the Republicans just couldn’t get equal media air time because their candidates just didn’t inspire our imaginations like the Democrats did.
That was until McCain picked Sarah Palin as his running mate. I thought that was a master stroke by the Republicans. Suddenly everyone was curious about this photogenic woman who went from the mayor of a small town in Alaska to become its governor, and now to become the potential vice-president of the United States. Suddenly, the media was interested in the Republicans again.
In my opinion though, she would have never been considered as a potential VP if it weren’t for Hillary Clinton clearing the way first. But that’s another story. My bigger question is this: is Sarah Palin really the best VP candidate that the Republicans have?
Like it or not, American still leads the way and almost everything that it does or happens to it, affects the entire world. Just think of the current financial crisis, and what’s still happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. After the George Bush years, isn’t it prudent to want someone with better experience and perhaps a bigger world view sitting in that office?
McCain gives me confidence and feels to me very presidential. Sarah Palin? Not so much. So the thought of her potentially becoming US President is a little bit unsettling. Legitimate questions should be asked of and about this woman. Questions such as her Christian conservative thoughts, her legislative experience, her world knowledge, her thoughts on abortion and sex education.
However, when these questions were asked, conservative types thought them sexist and demeaning.
Therefore it is good to have someone like Jon Stewart compare and analyse how these same conservative types were questioning Hilary Clinton and the Democrats in general. It puts it all in very stark perspective.
Saturday Night Live did a similar and a very funny take on sexism with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton whose character says sarcastically,
“An issue which I’m frankly surprised to hear people suddenly care about.”
Due to McCain’s age – he will be the oldest President ever, you have to treat Palin’s potential ascendancy seriously. The conservatives, if they really are patriotic should stop attacking the perceived liberal media bias and start asking Sarah Palin hard and difficult questions themselves. To let her off easily would be sexist and patronising.
In an earlier post, xtralicious has posted about these same thoughts of mine, and in greater detail especially about Sarah Palin’s stance on a variety of issues. It’s a good read, so check it out.
Some women deserve the men they get
Greg Bird is a player in the National Rugby League and Katie Milligan is his American girlfriend. Early last week, Greg allegedly glassed Katie in the eye while arguing in his apartment. When they were attended to in a hospital, they had told medical staff that it was Greg’s friend Brent Watson who did it.
Luckily, Brent was not stupid and he also had a solid alibi. He went to the police and told his version of events. Greg Bird was then charged with maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and his league club the Cronulla Sharks had stood him down indefinitely.
LeagueHQ – The footballer, the glassed girlfriend and his fall guy … one teed-off mate
Police charge NRL ace Greg Bird for lover Katie Milligan assault | NEWS.com.au
So I’m trying to understand Katie’s actions and logic here. Perhaps this is his first violent outburst, or perhaps she thought that she was to be blamed for provoking him. And she thought it’s probably not worth it to trash his reputation and career over, so she had agreed with him to frame a friend of his. In the heat of the moment, I can sorta understand how all of that could have happened.
But what went through the minds of these two deluded individuals to make them think that Brent Watson was just going to quietly take the wrap for something that he didn’t do? Friends or not, this was something ridiculous to expect a person to do.
And after being discharged from hospital, we’ve now learnt that Katie had signed with a lawyer linked to Greg’s management. Which probably means that she’s still on his side, potentially hampering police investigations into the assault.
Greg Bird’s girlfriend Katie Milligan may not speak out | NEWS.com.au
All of which begs the question? Why do seemingly intelligent women put up with violent men and make excuses for them? I can understand it if children are involved and leaving the man is not a simple thing to do. I can even understand it if the woman is financially dependent on the man.
But with Katie, none of this applies. Helping him excuse his behaviour away and trying to cover up for him is the first step to something worst. Katie was lucky not to have lost her eye. Next time might be a different story. And if next time, she still sticks up for him then she really deserves the man that she’s got.
Because she’s shown to him that he can do whatever he wants with her, she can forget about getting any respect or dignity from him. Why should he when she doesn’t even have respect and dignity for herself?
