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Regaining Control

03/28/2006

You hear a lot about how various disorders/problems/issues are a result of loss of control. Bulemia, anorexia, obsessive compulsiveness etc etc. Thankfully, I don't suffer from any of these, although I have known people who do and it isn't fun for anyone. But I think there is a part in all of us that feels that same sense of grasping at what we can control when life skews sideways or upside down. Last night it popped into my head, maybe I was mildly upset about something or stressed, or whatever really, and my first instinct is to clean, to want the house sparkling because I CAN DO THAT. I've kind of noticed it before, like after a fight or a particularly stressful day, I just want to be clean, I can't relax until I have cleaned. Funny. I think it's also a self preservation thing, when life is in disarray, but your surroundings are more ordered, you feel safe, when things are happening that you can't control, the fact you can make sure your house is the way you like it really helps. I'm sure everyone has their quirks, it's just weird to really realise mine. I suppose it's like when you are really angry you just want to go for a fast run, it's natures way of sorting you out. By the time you've exhausted yourself, the anger has faded and you're ok. It's nice to know when you don't know what to do, there is some instinct in there somewhere sorting it out for you.

09:13 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this

WOM - Word of Mouth Marketing

03/23/2006

I accidentally seem to have stumbled into WOM circles on the web, either that, or everyone has just started talking about it. I find the subject fascinating for the moment, because on the one hand, it's a consumers dream and plants marketing right in their hands, on the other hand it has been used to deny power to consumers and trick them even more than before. So this article explores the bad side, the side that's not really word of mouth marketing at all, but something I'm not sure of the term for, 'stealth marketing' 'vile marketing'? anyhoo, interesting experts:

 

•  Among the more controversial are campaigns like one in which New York City advertising agency Interference Inc. hired dozens of models to pose as tourists at popular destinations across the country. Their goal: Demonstrate a new Sony Ericsson camera cell phone by getting real tourists to take their pictures with it.
• Among the agencies named in the complaint is Tremor, the word-of-mouth marketing division of Procter & Gamble. The unit uses about 250,000 teen volunteers to spread the word about new products in exchange for getting an early look at them.
• Interference Chief Executive Sam Ewen also has put people on subways to brag about financial advisers, and once sent models into bars to sit with packs of cigarettes in front of them -- waiting for someone to bum a smoke. Such campaigns are a small piece of his business, but Ewen isn't ashamed of bending the truth a bit.

Like all these despicable ways to make us as powerless as possible, the lovely people behind them go straight for the most vulnerable members of society, our kids. They target the 'coolest kids in their peer groups' and flaunt the need for other children to fit in.

On the good side, the real WOM, I've written a post at Decisive Flow. This is the sort that means you have t really impress your customer by providing exceptional service, then they will talk about it. That's like the ideal world I'm told will never happen. No need for advertising, your product succeeds on the happiness of your customers. 

09:03 Posted in consumerism | Permalink | Comments (3) | Email this

Have We Broken the Limits of Human Possibility?

03/22/2006

I watched about five minutes of the Commonwalth Games last night. Just enough to watch Australian mixed medley team swim so fast for the gold medal that the rest of the field didn't even feel their wake. Celebrations were in full swing before Shri Lanka even competed their final lap and I believe the world record was shattered. Is that kind of speed humanly possible?

I'm not playing the usual NZ vs Australia line here, I don't really buy into that rubbish, what I am interested in is what exactly we are achieving by breaking the limits of human possibility, using people who are literally athletic machines. Dad let out a sigh aftre the race at how it's all about being one step ahead of the drug tests these days, that and massive, massive funding. The great Kiwi athletes of the past were ordinary people, they went to work like everyone else, and achieved the extra ordinary in their own time. They were never paid to do it.

Nowdays with all the money involved, the investors demand a return, seemingly at any cost. Can we as the human race really feel proud of those tiny girls who have been packed off to gymnastics school and never experienced a proper childhood or should we just feel sorry for them?

Yes the records keep getting broken, yes, I also take great joy out of seeing the true limits to what we can achieve. But this doesn't seem to be an accurate measure any more, just a bunch of drugged up machines who must win at all costs. There is no human triumph there.

10:45 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this

Don't Touch yourself While at War?

03/19/2006

I came accross this wonderful article at the Huffington post, which, for all the uninitiated is one of the top 100 blogs worldwide, but also a blog that I have never felt a need to read. I was brought up in rather a non-religious setting, which is why I've made it to this age knowing only a handful of religious types. While I feel strongly that the church is a bad thing, because I have about ziltch interest in studying the bible to prove it, I am often at a loss as to how to communicate my thoughts. My favourite comments from the article:

• "There is no bigger closet in the world than the Catholic hierarchy, in which there's even room for the Pope's $1000.00 Prada shoes."
• "I also was raised a Catholic, well until my parent's divorce when we were all ex-communicated." (isn't 'ex-communicated' a really humourus word? like they were booted off the island).
• Man created god in man's image and likeness--unfortunately, he then forgot it was just a joke.

The article starts by saying "As we know, Christ came down to earth to instruct us in the ways in which we must limit our sexual expression."  and Goes on to outline a hilarious situation where church raised children are fed warped ideas about sex and war by priests that blatantly contradict their own teachings, to the point I'm sure ANYONE has to question where exactly these 'morals' were dreamt up and why (aside from the few who just feel attacked by someone questioning god)

17:35 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this

The death of animal rights

03/18/2006

Oh dear god. The Body Shop has just been aquired by Loreal, the crusaders against animal testing, the force behind ethical consuming has just said 'Actually, it's ok to harm animals, sorry, this was just a big markting thing'.

I remember walking past a shop a few months ago and seeing t-shirts proclaiming womens rights right alongside little tampon holders that has MTV splashed all over them. The contradiction almost made me laugh. Since when did encouraging women to take of all their clothes and gyrate to bad pop songs in porn style video clips amount to female rights?

I don't know why this hit me so hard. Maybe it's because when I was young, the only company I could ever imagine wanting to work for was The Body Shop, maybe because I spent some good time reading about Anita Ruddock, and actually admired her. Maybe I'm just terrified about what will happen now, that the biggest anti animal testing brand in the world has basically just commenced animal testing. Maybe it's because that everything that starts out so well, seems to get corrupted and become the opposite of what it was.

I don't even want to talk about it. Go read it at Body Shop: Extreme Makeover (I stole the picture from there too)

UPDATE: I posted a comment on Anita Roddick's 'blog'. I had to sign up three times to different areas of the site and to acces the video interviews of her talking about Loreal. I don't think I left a mean comment, just one asking if she could, for the sake of all of us who have supported her over the years and now feel slightly hurt, give us a reason why something like this would get her indorsement. - the comment may still be over to the right on my coComment recent conversations. Anyway, of course, comments are regulated over there, so it wasn't published straight away, however I went back today and three new comments have been published, all gushing over how much they 'trust' Anita. Mine was obviously not 'pro Anita' enough. It's a weird feeling when you see the worst aspects of PR in action. For a self proclaimed activist to silence other caring members of society is a little strange and does make me think it actually was all marketing all along. When you see yourself being censored, you wonder how one sided the conversation really is. The funny part about it was that Tim was always skeptical and I was (for once in my life) NOT. I'm sure there is a lesson there.

11:45 Posted in consumerism | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email this | Tags: Politics

The Way People Treat Waiters

03/17/2006

I've just been over at the Brand Builder, and it reminded me of something I've always held true:

 "Watch the way people treat waiters. It'll tell you everything you need to know about what kind of person they are."

 It's something Tim and I talk about often, how to judge a person by the way they treat the 'lowliest' person in the room - funnily enough that's normally me. The amount of times I'm involved in a conversation with Tim and another guy and have to pinch myself to see if I really exist or if I am a figment of my own imagination, astonishes me. Waiters, shop assistants, all those people who are there but somehow appear not to be for a lot of people are often the best judges of charater you come across. That old 'feminine intuition' thing is also easy to figure out. It's hard to like someone when they think nothing of you just because you're a girl.

I actually have been a waitress (for one night). I was still at school, when I still kind of thought sexism was a myth. I thought it would be inrteresting to see how it would feel to be the unseen. It hurt. But I still remember the few people that night who were friendly to me, that's how dramatic an indicator the waiter test is.

 

18:47 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Politics

RecycleBank - Get 'Paid' To Recycle

I HATE those free coupons you get in the mail. We don't even have a letterbox and suffer all the hardships of not getting mail because we hate it so much. (Actually that's not strictly true, we hate it and we're lazy and we have alternative ways of receiving mail...) Anyway if you're in the US and like to recycle, then why not use RecycleBank? Basically, they provide you with a bin complete with barcode, that gets scanned when your recycling is picked up. As you recycle you earn points, and when you earn enough, sign into their website and choose the coupons you want (like $2 off every $20 you spend at the supermarket) Business 'donate' these coupons in return for the advertising they get as a result of their coupons (pretty sweet deal if you ask me). And everyone is happy. 

RecycleBank isn't 100% clear on how they actually run their business side of things, but the basic gist is that they earn money from cities reducing landfill fees, so you get the service for free.

 Interesting idea huh? We are so wasteful, there is money to be made in doing easy stuff to reduce it. Good on them.

16:52 Posted in environment | Permalink | Comments (6) | Email this | Tags: Ecology & Environment

Technorati issues and men's bill of rights

I have finally got my act together photo wise, and am putting pictures of us up in all the places that like them. Either we are terribly ugly or technorati is overloaded and is currently not accepting my picture for our Decisive Flow blog. At the same time, I thouht I'd 'claim' this blog incase some sneaky blog stealer claimed it first (well we can all dream), but Technoraiti doesn't want to accept this either, so I have to copy the following link into a post:

Technorati Profile

Good, all set.

Read this article if you have a spare minute about the poor man whos woman 'assured him she wouldn't get herself pregnant' and is now filing a court case to avoid paying child support for a baby he doesn't even want. The author writes the bill himself, including such wonderful statements as:

"Amendment V
No man shall be held to answer for a pregnancy, unless on a presentment of evidence of paternity; nor shall he be twice put in jeopardy of owing child support, unless he failed to learn the first time; nor shall he be compelled to bear wetness against himself, without due process of consent; nor shall private parts be taken for his pubic use, without just compensation."

 As someone who just get's angry, not humurous, I admire people who make others look like fools :)

11:30 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this

Check out This Blog

03/16/2006

Not generally one to promote others (hee hee), I have to make an exception for these guys. I had a conversation the other night about how bloggers will ever be as good as 'real' journalists, and I must say this is why. Inside WWF Philippines can show you a story not many others can. I would be adding them to my 'currently reading' section but Blogspirit has extremely inflexible templates and me moving the 'left column' to the 'bottom column' causes it to break as soon as I touch a module. So you'll just have to wait. Support them though, they fight hard, write well and show you a side to life you probably haven't really witnessed before.

16:36 Posted in environment | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Ecology & Environment

For Anyone Who Still thinks Advertising is Limited to those 30 Second Slots

I find it amusing talking to my (older) sister sometimes. She firmly believes that subtle advertising doesn't exist, that cigarettes aren't smoked in movies because someone is being paid to smoke them etc etc. I'm such a cynic, I see the possibility everywhere that someone is actually being paid to advertise to me. Like that blog Dooce, which I really enjoy reading sometimes, especially the monthly letters to her daughter. The sheer amount of 'My daughter has constipation, now I give her 'wonder drug', I'll keep you updated of her progress.' 'Now I've combined 'Wonder drug' with 'wonder drug 2, lets see how this works.' as well as of course, her own problems, which sound horiffic, yet could also be a conveniant way to tell us about the latest depression drug (which she does... a lot). So people like me are suspicious no matter what, but anyway thats not the point. Today I found this site, Bzz Agent offers YOU the chance to "join the Hive and you will be given the opportunity to participate in Word-of-Mouth programs for some of the best products and services in the market today."

So here's my proof for all you cynics. People who get free products, then go around creating 'buzz' (talking to people, mentioning the product etc etc) and in return get 'Bzz Rewards.' It's meant to be better than those annoying ads that 'shout at you from the bus station'. I think, at least they told us they were advertising. Now days, you can't even trust a onversation with your best friend! :)

UPDATE: ha ha check out the Onion 

09:25 Posted in consumerism | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this

The Anti Environmentalist

03/14/2006

I just stumbled on Ms Jennifer Marohasy's 'insightful' blog about 'politics and the environment'. I read a couple of articles about organics and suchlike, struggling to find one word that wasn't ANTI environmental and eventually, felt this post was worthy of a comment. So I typed it all up, pressed submit and 'Your comment was denied due to questionable content.' Who does that? Anyway, since it's all written down, and I can't see what's questionable about it, I've copied it here to the safe haven of questionable content. Hopefully I deserve a trackback at least for my efforts?

"Woah! Is this really an environmental blog? Greenpeace claims that they NEVER accept donations from corporations. This is because they know people like you will immediately write stuff like this (even though watching any form of news on TV means you are used to everything having its price). What exactly is your point? That our oceans aren't being raped and endangered species slaughtered? That risking life on a small rubber boat in the middle of the ocean and a bunch of harpoons to RECORD these atrocities is sensationalism?
Why do you people sit back, brainwashed by the media, with your smug little smiles and opinions about anyone who is making a difference? Even if it's true and Greenpeace accepted money for doing a job (like every other journalist channel seven has), how does this make it any less news or any more corrupted? If you don't want to add to the solution, please give all of us who fight every day for a better world a bit of a break, stick to talking about your favourite politicians or something. "

17:03 Posted in environment | Permalink | Comments (8) | Email this

Censorship of Violent Video Games

03/13/2006

I was just over at someones blog (sorry link is lost) who was talking about some 'mums brigade' against violent games. While I think some of the comments were valid (ie. "Maybe you should stop blaming video games and become a proper parent"), it's not really children I'm concerned about. Quite frankly, children shouldn't be playing violent video games, the only reason it keeps coming up is that parents keep letting them. We can talk all we like about it, but realistically do nothing. I'm more concerned about adult gamers. I reckon it's true, you shouldn't be allowed to censor video games, what we don't realise, is that at the moment, we are. Censorship is simply when something is not shown. Like for example, when we talk about censorship of the worst violence, like the American soldiers killing Iraqis game, we should be focused on what is ALREADY BEING CENSORED. Like the game about being an Iraqi with a bunch of white people carrying guns and media through your house and trying to kill you. Haven't heard of that game? Ah, well that's because it doesn't exist. Equally violent, equally horrific, but from another point of view, you know, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY.

I have a feeling its a human reaction to identify with your game personality, eg. if you see yourself as an American holding a gun and shooting the bad 'Iraqis', funnily enough, that will affect your opinion of American Soldiers and Iraqis. If you see yourself on screen as a cowering Iraqi running away from (or trying to fight back at) American Soldiers, you may identify with their plight. To me, not being given that opportunity is censorship at a MUCH higher level than me saying 'now it's released, please take it back' 

18:44 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Politics

Please Don't Fight for YOUR Cause

I have always wondered why it is that minority groups who gain some form of equality in society, immediately turn around and trample on the next group down. It seemed crazy that anyone who has known discrimination would then discriminate against others, but it's not. We all have our own causes, we fight for female rights, racial equality, sexual freedom, whatever group we are a part of. We don't fight for global equality. A lot of women who believe in and fight for the right to be equal to a man, don't believe that homosexuals are equal, they see no contradiction in stopping a gay person sharing the same rights women now enjoy. This is because people who fight for their cause and their cause alone, don't actually believe in equal rights for all, just in a better life for themselves.

I think I'm starting ot change my tune. I used ot think some people needed to devote their lives to one cause in order for anything to do anything. Now I realise that you can't be passionate about one certain cause without doing a little damage, you need to spread the load across every injustice you come across in daily life and that's all. For example, we had a friend come over the other night who told us a story about a job interview he didin his company. The applicant walked in, (rightly) perceived the interviewers to be straight men and immediately made a comment about 'fags'. One interviewer quietly turned to the other and said 'Andy, being a homosexual, do you take offense to that remark?' Andy (maintaining a straight face) said "Actually, I do, I don't think this interview can proceed.'

Maybe the guy walked out thinking 'I would hate to work with fags anyway', maybe he realised that it's not acceptable anymore to degrade someone because of who they love, either way, neither of the interviewers has a passion about gay rights, nor need to, they saw an injustice and made it not ok. That's cool. 

18:15 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this

Is Bill Napoli A Potential Rapist?

03/12/2006

I have to ask (as many are after watching the video clip). State Senator Bill Napoli of South Dakota seems to spill his rape fantasy's when asked in what situation abortion should be ok. The weird way he repeats the most horrific lines, and focuses on the 'religious virgin' is about the freakiest thing I've ever heard. He's obviously put some good time into thinking about rape and his conclusions about 'the worst type of rape' seem to be more of a hideous description of the porn he probably watches than a serious belief that rape is somehow better for those who have already had sex, don't get sodomised and aren't religious.

I wish people would stop saying 'at the very least let rape victims have abortions', like somehow a foetus from a rape victim is less of a person than one from someone whos contraception failed. Can noone see that this directly contradicts that whole line about how they are stopping abortion because they believe 'every baby has a right to life'?

15:00 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this | Tags: Politics

Are IPods Terrible?

Over the years, my family has always been a testing ground for my grand plans to change the world, one consumer at a time. I figure if I can convert my family, I can convert anyone (not that they are bad or lazy people, it's just than in my experience, your own family are the last people to listen to you. This is possibly because they changed your nappies and played cops and robbers with you and therefore can't really take you all that seriously).

I have noticed in the last few months however, times are a-changin. First it was my mum, who proudly raced up to me, hands full of environmentally friendly canvas shopping bags that she was stocking up on for birthday presents. Then my dad managed to get himself in the newspaper smiling at the Greenpeace protesters as he was walking out of parliament (all the politicians were avoiding them and going by car). And now I've become some sort of 'dear Polly" for every purchase they make. The latest is an email from my youngest sister saying:

"I'm thinking about getting an ipod shuffle and was just wondering how you felt about that?  Is it a terrible thing to buy/support?"

 Every now and then I get a guilty email from my mother saying "we didn't have fish and chips last night. We had KFC instead. It wont happen again".

Just going off topic a little. My younger sister has one of the biggest guilt complexes of anyone I've ever met. For some random reason, the phone company rang up and threatened to cut of their phone line because someone was making 'threatening calls' from it. She was the only one home at the time they were made (midnight and 2am) and after being in a panic about some intruder coming into the house, she has now convinced herself that she is the guilty party. 'I obviously made the phone calls in my sleep. I must have done it. I'm guilty." She is now convinced she is moments away from being sent off to jail.

 

13:04 Posted in consumerism | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this

Well, thats life for you (if you're a female)

03/09/2006

Came across this article today, which, I must say, is mildly depressing for people like me who at least think we've come a long way - and this is in countries we deem 'developed'. What can you do though? cry?

20:15 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this

Shoutout to Comment Spammers

03/08/2006

Thankyou robots that came through my site and comment spammed me (especially the one who said 'Perfect 10'). For a moment there I really thought I had made it in the blogging world before crashing back down to reality when I saw your hideous sites. Please don't do it again, I really like my one honest comment a month routine and will be very said if i have to control comments and lose everyone.

 PS. Does anyone have any experience with White Doves? Ours wont go away and seems to beon a suicide mission. It sits on our doorstep all day and when we lock it out it dives at our windows until it makes loud thumping noises. I am worried about it's neck.

17:17 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this

Why Mainstream Media Makes us Immoral

03/07/2006

I was just looking at a few more opinions about the illegalisation of abortion in North Dakota and it struck me that two weeks/months/years from now when I am no longer simmering, the suffering will still be going on. It reminds me of the halabaloo over Australian Shapelle Corby last year when she was arrested and sentenced to 25 years for importing drugs to Indonesia. At the time you couldn't NOT hear her name every 5 seconds, Australians were threatening a full scale boycott of Indonesia, we all felt the pain and anguish of her potential innocence. But now, she is still rotting in jail and I haven't heard her name for months. Now the scandal has died down, it's like we all think it's over, like she too has packed up and gone home. At the time, I found the immense outcry interesting as I hadn't heard so much as a whimper about the many, many innocent Indonesians crammed into Australian jails for the sole crime of being a refugee.

So the mainstream media makes us immoral. We only care about anything while it is sensational, which means the media can force news down our throats happy in the knowledge that when they stop writing about it, we'll stop thinking about it. Out of sight, out of mind. Sometimes I wonder how it must feel to be a 'victim' of the mainstream media, to be like Schapelle, so overwhelmed with support for the first few months, only to have virtually everyone forget your plight shortly after. Or the women of North Dakota. When the 'abortion debate' has been publically debated, nothing changed and their lives now just that little bit worse, will they feel sad that the rest of the world has kind of forgotten about them?

Maybe that's why I get a little frustrated about 'baby steps', because the way our news is presented needs a complete overhaul. A little more practicality maybe, not the sudden drench then drought we currently get that allows us to think when the hype is over, the movie is over too. Maybe we could stop seeing the news as being a sort of reality TV Programme and realise the pain lasts longer than the scandal.

 

 

17:53 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this | Tags: Politics

Highlights from Rotovegas

03/06/2006

We spent yesterday pretending we were tourists in Rotorua. We bullied the token American along so we could pretend we were 'just showing him round'. Man Rotorua is 10 times as fun for tourists as it is for New Zealanders.

First we went Zorbing. If you have never been introduced to a Zorb, think giant Hamster exerciser. You literally have to dive through a hole in the side of a double layered, massive bouncy ball, then they throw in a bucket of water and set your Zorb free to roll down the hill or if you are feeling extra feisty, the 'slalem course.' At the end, you go through a rebirth process, complete with waters breaking and sliding through a nice red tube to the awaiting man with a towel.

The best thing about the Zorb, is that the guy dreamed it up one night lying drunk on the beach. Now he has aquired a rural hillside and about ten massive zorbs, the company now earns about $45 a minute as zorbs containing up to three tourists are rolled down the hill in a production line.

We then left for the Luge. Every time I see something like a lUge I remind myself not to pass on my fears to my children. The luge is fairly infamous in New Zealand for the sheer number of injuries sustained by toursists. You would not catch me dead on one of those things.

Incidentally, the world mountain biking championships were being held at the same time, so we sat and watched crazy people do insane things on vertical drops.

Last stop was Rainbow Springs were we meandered through native New Zealand bush, Kiwis, Rainbow Trout, Tuataras and Kauri trees to become excessively overexcited by the farm animals. For a country that appears to be one giant farm and is the home of about 6 million sheep, we sure did get a kick out of those little guys.

22:50 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this

Blogging Gripes

At risk of sounding like I am dead against just about everything (which I'm not, this is just my ranting place :)), I don't really like aspects of the blogging world. I suppose this is natural, as blogging is such a wide open idea, that everyone takes it's meaning differently. But I just can't help but think one thing it is definately not is regurgitated mainstream media. Wrapping up one thing in shiny paper and calling it something else still does not stop it from being what it is. The newly released Newsvine, for example has been touted as 'perfect' by virtually all the people whose opinions I normally agree with (eg. Techcrunch), but to me, its just more CNN, BBC, etc etc bundled up differently. Can't you just read a newspaper if you want that? (The online version of course). But, I suppose, I am disagreeing with the people I normally agree with more and more and am kind of sad to see that the top 100 blogs in technorati is slowly being infilterated with womans weekly style celebrity blogs. I feel like saying 'please mass, don't disapoint me here, I gave you my faith that if given a better more accurate option, you'd move away from the junk pushed at you by the ten mainstream media companies and onto the voices and opinions that really interest you.' Maybe the mass just ain't ready. Maybe celebrities and the US media opinion on the war on Iraq are really all that the world boils down to in the end.

 

18:08 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (3) | Email this

The Homosexual Threat

03/05/2006

What I have never understood about 'homophobia' or whatever the term is for people who make other people's lives a misery because of sexual preference, is why? I know that seems like a dumb question because most people have an answer: 'They' are 'different', it's 'unnatural', 'they' are child molesters, "I don't mind it as long as they're not gay around me", "I'm not homophobic, but I'm not gay". But these are not the reasons why we are homophobic, the real reasons are nothing to do with homosexuals, they are to do with the threat they pose to accepted power structures.

Power Structures? Nah, it's just unnatural, look at what the bible says!

And I'm sure you believe that racism occurs because of skin colour and sexism occurs because everyone truely, innately believes females are weaker. Both actually stemmed out of a threat to power, mainly because each group under attack posed a real threat to the accepted power structures. There are a lot of black people, together they would naturally be quite globally powerful, or at the very least simply ignore the insignificant power of the white man. Women make up 50% of the planet, the easiest way to knock them out of the game? Make it generally accepted that they are too weak, make it impossible for them to become economically independent and prove you wrong. Phew! now we're just down to white men controlling the world. Lets keep it that way.

I know that sound a bit crazy, but realisitically the belief that humans intuatively feel prejudiced against non white males is just ridiculous, of course these beliefs are planted in us and of course those planting the seeds of hate are not doing so out of the same beliefs.

But what threat does homosexuality pose?

What was the motivation behind embedding in us this notion that it is so wrong? I don't see the major threat to white males. Is it simply removing a few more people from the power equation? A way to justify the testing of the Aids virus for later release on the Black Africans? Does that sound too extreme? The reason I think it's a biggie is because homosexuality is so very entrenched in nature that it must have been awfully hard to convince us it was 'different'.

Take, for instance, this article, a true story about two male penguins in Central Park Zoo in New York who adopted an egg and raised the baby. This story was tuned into a book and could be found in the non-fiction section of the childrens library. It caused quite a stir for having 'homosexual undertones' and had to be relocated to the fiction section so the children didn't realise it was a true story. How possibly can we logicalise a true homosexual story being banned from the non-fiction section because it has homosexual undertones? We can't. And since I believe we are largely logical creatures APART from in the face of overwhelming brainwashing, I must assume there is some serious brainwashing going on. I just wish I knew why.

09:50 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Politics

A Sign from Above? Or an Escaped Bird?

03/04/2006

Today we were sitting outside enjoying a late summer Saturday, downing freshly BBQ'd hamburgers and some Tuis (beer for non-NZ folks), when the strangest thing happened. A pure white dove fluttered down and landed on our sun umbrella. Then it moved to the roof where it sat for about an hour with the sun acting like a halo around it's entire body (it actually was a beautiful and magical sight). We don't get doves here, we only really get seagulls and sparrows and this bird was way out of their league. Being non-religious types we uttered the usual jokes about whether it was a sign from above and if we'd change our tune if a massive earthquake hit and we were the only ones left standing. I wanted to take a picture, but when you have a pure white dove perched on your roof, you don't get the inclination to move, lest it goes and perches elsewhere. We managed to coax it down with bread and as it scoffed it down it looked at us like 'thanks for finally realising I was hungry after spening an hour watching you eat your hamburgers'.

Although it moved amoung the seagulls it did not partake in their squabbling, in fact, I'd go as far to say it felt above the whole eating scraps off the ground thing. After a while, it flew away. Half of me wishes I did believe in signs from god and would now experience intense peace, the other half hopes that poor misguided bird finds its way back home. 

23:21 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (43) | Email this | Tags: Dove

Marketing The End Of the World

Interesting post from Seths Blog about some improvements to the marketing of Global Warming. Yes, calling it 'Atmospheric Cancer' would inspire a lot more fear than 'Global warming', I would go so far as to say that anyone who cares should immediately switch names, gather together whatever horrific pictures they have (like the third degree burns we get here in NZ from the sun, the Antartic Penguins who feel it most and now have to travel hundreds of kilometers for food) and start the re-brand.

Or else, to move it away from a purely marketing exercies, we could get honest. "Noone feels Global Warming". I'm no scientist, but I was in Thailand during the Tsunami a few years ago, and I did get pummeled with media attention over Hurrican Katrina and I have heard of massive earthquakes that are killing hundreds of thousands, warped weather patterns and all sorts of scary stuff. But I've never really heard in mainstream media, the acceptance that this is/could be all part of global warming. The main problem with marketing the end of the world, is that no one really want to yet.

08:30 Posted in environment | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email this | Tags: Ecology & Environment, Global Warming, Atmospheric Cancer, Marketing

Coca Cola Threat to Quit Schools

This has got to be a bad heading, because Coke is actually getting the boot, not threatening to leave. In the UK an uncharactiristically sensible and intelligent polition, Ruth Kelly, is finally demanding a ban of all the disguisting, unhealthy coke products in schools. She logicalises the move by saying that kids won't simply wait until after school to buy Coke, they will settle for a healthy alternative because thats all that's offered. Coke spit it's powerful dummy and said it may as well withdraw all vending machines because they will become financially unviable. Sounds like she responded to the letter with silence - someone finally unable to be bullied by the big guy. Coke went as far to claim (as you wold suspect)

"that many soft drinks provided "significant nutritional and functional benefits" As an example, one "no added sugar" product - which contains two artificial sweeteners - was fortified with vitamins and minerals."

Hmm would these be the same drinks that are spiked with speed and caffine? 

They also question Ruth's logic about childrens drinking decisions "The risk, it said, was that they might instead put off having a drink "until a more popular choice was available" - with a significant impact on their hydration, concentration and performance."

While I'm sure we're all very pleased Coke has our children at number one in their priorities, I am amazed at how weak these massive corporation's arguments are as to why we should continue to fund their bloated profits. I really hope this goes through and that someone is wise enough to realise that a great alternative to vending machines (If coke does decide not to share it's toys) is a WATER FOUNTAIN!

Origional article 

 

08:10 Posted in consumerism | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this | Tags: Coca Cola, schools, obesity, UK, Coke, Caffine, vending machines

Whale Song

03/02/2006

Songs of The Deep is one of those artilces that just leaves you stumped at the beauty of the world. The idea that whales communicate from one end of the earth to the other, they sing, they talk, they live for hundeds of years is notheing less than Awsome (an American on our dolphin watching experience said at one point' Now I undertstand why You Kiwi's use the word awsome so much, nothing less could describe this'). How the conversation immediately turned to whale meat is yet another example of how thick the human race has become, that people then felt justified in vocalising their opinion on Whale intelligence is another again. As someone put it:

"I agree. dolphins may be deeply philosophical, but can't even use fire. ants and bees function as a social unit better than chimps or humans could ever hope to. but as far as chimps looking like us, maybe we look like them.
we measure things against ourselves because we see ourselves as the ultimate creation.
but chickens don't test nuclear bombs in their own atmosphere."

Why we, who know nothing of space, the deepest reaches of the ocean and how to live a sustainable life feel we are any more intelligent than a slug is beyond me - our most scientific measurement of intelligence is brain size in comparison to body mass, and this is coming from a species that know so little of themselves we still must believe in god.

While I understand that beauty and magnificence alone is not an iron clad reason for the pessemist not to eat something, the fact that all our eating has led to near extinction should be. Or come to New Zealand and watch as motorways come to a standstill as migrating whales make their way through our ports, or the feeling of an Orca swimming under your boat or listen to the sound of dolphins as they speak to each other and race you through the ocean.

A New Zealand film called whale rider captures the immensity of these creatures.

18:35 Posted in environment | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Ecology & Environment

Corporate Organics - Any Good?

"is having a 100 per cent Organic Fair TradeTM coffee with your Big Mac really a sign of victory for the organic movement?."

Does Corporate Organic change the Organic Landscape?  Looks at how another buzzword can be contorted to mean something that's not all that great at all, while those really achieving change can be shafted out of the market by the big pretenders. Yet another thing to look out for if your intentions are to benefit the world, not hurt it.

 

08:06 Posted in consumerism | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Ecology & Environment

I signed Up to Feedburner

03/01/2006

Today I signed up to feedburner, so if you do by chance like this blog enough to have subscribed to it, I would be very stoked if you now re-got the feed, so I know you are reading in. I do realise this is a largely hypothetic discussion, as I'm fairly sure I am my only reader. If you currenlty don't subscribe to my blog, but want to now the feed icons are way more pretty, go right ahead :)

19:46 Posted in Chatting | Permalink | Comments (8) | Email this | Tags: Feedburner