The (Sun) Burnt Country.

Bush fires in Australia have now, so far claimed 84 lives. Scenes like this now shower the Oz landscape once more. Not the image Colin Hay was thinking of, surely, when he wrote the lyrics to Down Under. “Travelling in a fried-out Combi”.

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What makes the decimation and loss of life worse is knowing most of the bush fires have been attacks of arson. When will these people learn? I hope the law that I know was brought into New South Wales under the Carr government still exists and is now nationwide and the culprits get caught and sentenced for what I think is now a minimum 15 year jail term. It is the very least they deserve.

My heart goes out to the families that have lost loved ones. I hope that soon relief, at least weather-wise, will come your way.

***CRISIS AVERTED***

THE BRA HAS BEEN FOUND!

Phew. I was worried I was going to have to fork out another £30 to replace it.

It was hiding in the wardrobe between two bed sheets. WHY it was there and HOW it got there will remain a mystery.

I Know I Have! Thanks Daniel.

I saw an article on the BBC New web site saying that Daniel Powter’s song Bad Day has been the most played song in the UK in the last 5 years.

I can’t tell you how much I detest this song. As soon as I hear the first melodies, I scream blue murder and try and get away or turn the sound down. Anything to get away from it. If I actually HAVE had a bad day, this song is the blooming last thing I want to hear! “Yes, Daniel. I’ve had a bad day. And now YOU’VE just made it worse!” I mean why sing to someone “you’ve had a bad day, ne na na na nar”. Just f*ck off Daniel Powter!!!

Next most played was Kelly Clarkson’s mediocre Because Of You. I don’t mind admitting to the “guilty pleasure” of liking Since You’ve Been Gone, but Because Of You?! God, it’s SO MOTR!

James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful was 3rd most played. That I don’t mind. There’s a lovely sentiment to that song that I’m not ashamed to admit liking. I can see why people have been “Blunted” out though. I like Goodbye My Lover and Same Mistake more though as songs.

Rounding off the top five were Scissors Sisters’ Don’t Feel Like Dancing (probably not my fave track of theirs) and Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars – which I adore! I mean, that sentiment in that chorus – “If I lay here. If I just lay here, will you lie with me and and just forget the world?” That’s on par with the chorus of The Smith’s There’s A Light That Never Goes Out…for me. As far as I’m concerned, Chasing Cars isn’t played ENOUGH!

Hedgehogs and Hairspray.

Watching DVD’s again. I’ve finished watching my set of Blackpool discs. It was a really good series. I think you need to have something of the Brit about you, or be Anglophilic to appreciate some of it. I can understand why Viva Laughlin (a US re-production of it made by/for CBS) failed. I found something outrageously sexy about David Morrissey’s voice in it. I loved the kitschy musical segues.

More discs arrived by post yesterday. After spending the morning doing the whole bankruptcy petition thing at the local county court, I needed some light relief. One disc to arrive was Hairspray. I’d been wanting to see it for ages. Just the mere notion of John Travolta in drag was funny enough! Oh, it was SO good. I just freaking LOVE musicals! I’m a gay man trapped in a heterosexual woman’s body!! I’d love to see it in the West End now. I’d love to see Michael Ball as Edna. Musicals are even more special when you see them in the theatre. I haven’t been to the West End for a musical for years now. Last one I saw was Cats, just before it ended its run. Maybe, just maybe for my birthday or something. Anyway, it was just the “pick me up” I needed. I LOVE the music of the show.

After watching that, I just had the TV on Big Brother. Chris was looking out the loungeroom window with something in her sight, seemingly. I suggested to Em that she might have spotted a hedgehog, so Em went outside to investigate with a torch. And lo and behold, there was a hoggy outside! He was out in the garden, rummaging around. Em went back inside to get some dog food for him, but then he slipped away under the bushes. It was lovely being able to go out into the garden to see him though, even if it was just for a fleeting glimpse. Em says there are LOADS of slugs and snails around at the moment and she keeps seeing hedgehog droppings (amazingly, very slug-like shaped poo – who’d have thought?).

That’s it for now, I’m off for another DT fix.

People are C*nts!

Just read this story on the BBC News website. Man, I don’t wan to live in a world like this! People are f*cking sick and f*cked up!! Please be aware this story is about animal cruelty. If you are easily upset, you might not want to read it.

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When *IS* the right time?

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I’ve just been reading an article on the BBC News web site about the argument for lowering the legal limit at which you can have an abortion from 24 weeks to 20 weeks. The Health Minister Dawn Primarolo argues that there is insufficient scientific evidence for lowering the limit on the basis that extremely premature babies have not increased their survival rates in recent years.

Surely that is not the point. Isn’t the point that at 24 weeks most medical professionals will do all they can to help a premature baby live? And if that’s the case, surely then at 24 weeks the medical profession believe that child to be at a more established human development?

Ms Primarolo also provided statistics which reveal that the vitality of babies born at 21 weeks is 0%, whilst the vitality of babies born at 23 weeks is 11%. Well what about the babies born at 24 weeks? It must be a higher figure? She also says that 89% of abortions take place before 13 weeks. So based on those figures why would you not feel compelled to lower the legal limit to 20 weeks, or even 21 weeks?

This seems ridiculous to me. In this day and age, women can know that they have conceived just DAYS after conception. Medical complications in pregnancies are detected earlier and earlier. I for one see no valid justification in keeping the legal limit at 24 weeks. That is almost 6 months into a pregnancy. It’s far too late.

I think somewhere like Western Australia have the right approach to abortion. The legal limit is set at 20 weeks. Abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy may only be performed if the foetus is likely to be born with severe medical problems – which must be confirmed by two independently appointed doctors.

Read the full article here.
Photo supplied by Leo Reynolds under creative commons (some rights reserved).

Death By Monkey?

Just looking around the BBC News web site when I see this story, headlined “Monkeys kill Delhi deputy mayor”. Unbelievable. What a bizarre way to die, the poor man.

Read the full story here.