It seems that Julia Gillard has finally clued in to what most people in Australia already knew. That is, that the Greens party represent an extremist position in politics and do not reflect Australia values. She may have come to this epiphany too late, however, as her government is now dependent on the Greens to maintain power in the lower house, and soon to be, the upper house. Coming from someone who has been working closely with the Greens this is damning statement.
"Bob Brown has vowed to raise personally with Julia Gillard her swingeing attack on the Greens, when she alleged they did not share the values of ''everyday Australians''.
The Greens leader lashed out at Ms Gillard yesterday, saying her comments were ''an unfortunate and unwarranted and gratuitous insult''.
''It's not becoming of a prime minister to be talking in those ways about millions of other Australians … for some reason, the Prime Minister has turned her fire on the very people who have supported her in government,'' he said. Advertisement: Story continues below
''I'll talk to her about that. She's wrong.'' Ms Gillard and Senator Brown have fortnightly meetings when Parliament is not sitting.
Senator Brown warned Ms Gillard's attacks would ''come back to bite her''. But he said the Greens would continue working to ''give Australians the best dividend they can get from a minority government that is full of promise''.
In her second attack on the Greens in weeks, the PM went much further than before, saying on Thursday it was ''a party of protest with no tradition of striking the balance required to deliver major reform''.
''The Greens wrongly reject the moral imperative to a strong economy,'' she said in her Gough Whitlam Oration. Although they had ''some worthy ideas'' and good intentions, they failed to understand that ''the people Labor strives to represent need work''...."
In a very frightening trend Eating Disorders Victoria revealed that children as young as 7 - 9 were being affected by eating disorders like anorexia. While this instance is only reported a handful of times a year, a handful is too many.
"Children as young as seven have been admitted to hospitals for eating disorders.
A peak support group has reported a doubling of calls about children under the age of 12 in the past decade.
Complications from malnutrition for young people with anorexia nervosa include retarded growth, osteoporosis, infertility and changes in brain structure.
Eating Disorders Victoria said children aged seven, eight and nine had been admitted to hospital for treatment, including psychological care and help to gain weight.
Executive officer Kirsty Greenwood said eating disorders in children were rare, but there was rising concern that anorexia sufferers were getting younger.
"Concerns about body image, and dieting behaviours, are presenting young and younger," she said.
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"It would have been unheard of 10 years ago to see a child aged seven with an eating disorder."
Eating disorders in children could be under-diagnosed because there wasn't enough research....."
It is extremely unusual that I agree with Susie O'Brien and she seems just as startled that she would agree with "reactionary Right-wing columnists". However, when events like the Forever Young Festival occur both sides can align. Here is how Susie O'Brien describes the event:
"How do you feel about bondage? If you are an adult, I don't care what your answer is.
Tie yourself up. Knock yourself out. Whatever gets you there is fine by me.
But it's not OK for children. Children shouldn't even know about that stuff.
And yet, a kids-only music event, Forever Young Festival 2011, to be held in Melbourne in three weeks, is headlining an artist whose hit song describes bondage in graphic detail. In fact, Wynter Gordon's Dirty Talk track appears to endorse it, along with promiscuity, violence and masturbation.....
Our children are immersed in a culture that sees music with suggestive, outrageous, pornographic lyrics as not only acceptable, but totally normal.
Take some of these lines from Dirty Talk, and work out for yourself whether it's something you'd want your year 8 student listening to: "Kitten heels, lingerie, pantyhose, foreplay, Legs up, on the bar, In the back of your car/ Latex, champagne, bubble bath, whipped cream, Cherry pop tactic/ Can you make me scream."
And this: "Blindfold, feather bed, Tickle me, slippery, G spot, nasty pose/ In a video, love machine, by myself/ Climax, hot wax, S&M on the floor, I like it hardcore."
Now I am not against adults having a good time. In fact, I am whole-heartedly for it and some of these suggestions are probably even on the to-do list of many married mothers.
We all know sex sells. But who do we want sex sold to? Certainly not to our kids.
Does anyone think that these are the sort of lyrics we want our kids to be humming on the way to school?...."
Click here to go to the full editorial in the Herald Sun.
A fantastic web series titled "Into the Amazon" has been created using just two cameras, the 5D mk II and the 1D mk IV. See the trailer here:
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Not only does it look like quality entertainment it also presents views from a Christian worldview. Going to their website (http://www.intotheamazon.org/) reveals some big questions like:
What is the truth about global warming?
How are modern day evolutionists and anthropologists harming the tribes of the jungle?
How should Christians and creationists understand man’s stewardship responsibilities over the Amazon?
While I haven't seen the series yet I know they are asking the right questions and I look forward to seeing where they take this journey.
