Petrol prices & getting fit

I heard a rumour doing the rounds that in order to get fit one has to be active. I'm not sure if it'll catch on with the general public but I'll give it a try. Two days in a row I've walked to or from work.
Everyone whinges about rising petrol prices but sitting at the bus stop waiting for the petri-dish most mornings I can't help but notice a lot of cars with just one occupant on their way to work. I reckon if you're on a bus, tram or train route then you can't really whinge too much about petrol prices.

Hazy, lazy Sundays

Ah yes, the Wheatsheaf with W and a mate after a fun surf.
That's my idea of a nice balanced Sunday.

Common Sense

Rex Jory's column yesterday in the 'Tiser struck such a chord I had to put it here:

It doesn't make sense to do nothing
By REX JORY May 06, 2008 12:00am
LONDON'S The Times newspaper recently published this unique obituary, which needs no initial comment.
"Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. "He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: knowing when to come out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.
"Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining unruly children. "It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Elastoplast to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
"Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue for assault.
"Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little on her lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility, and his son, Reason.
"He is survived by four stepbrothers, I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else is to Blame and I'm a Victim.
"Not many attended his funeral because so few realised he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing."
The article about the passing of Common Sense has a touch of the obituary published more than a century ago lamenting the humiliation of English cricket and the creation of the Ashes.
While the examples in The Times obituary of Common Sense are not, in every case, replicated in Australia, it contains a chilling warning about the direction Australia is heading.
It wasn't so long ago that a woman won damages because her workmate had a fluffy toy penis in a cage on his desk. Some Australian kindergartens and child-minding centres have banned Christmas carols and Nativity scenes because they might offend non-Christians. School tuck shops are facing closure because they aren't allowed to sell certain foods and children refuse to buy what is on offer.
The examples of the slow agony of common sense in Australia go on. If we aren't careful, as a nation, it won't be long before interfering and impractical social engineers, acting with the best of intentions, insist we inherit other extreme examples from the U.S. and Britain.
The biggest threat to the survival of common sense in Australia is the slow demise of personal responsibility and self-reliance. Increasingly, people who are confronted by problems expect governments to bail them out. It's time we all stood up and demanded the dismantling of the Nanny State and the reinstatement of common sense and personal responsibility.
But, as The Times says, the alternative is to join the majority, and sit and do nothing - until it is too late.

You've got to be joking

This morning while feeding my caffeine addiction I was sidetracked by a headline saying "Priests 'advising' women to suffer abuse".
Domestic violence support groups are apparently reporting an increasing number of priests and pastors advising women to stay with their abusive husbands.
I've got two separate problems with this.
One - I read it in the Advertiser which probably means that the story is sensationalist and probably only applies to a very small group of independant churches. This kind of headline detracts from all the good that gets done by churches everywhere.
Two - if it's true, it's shocking and unacceptable. Owning up to child abuse as well as the Stolen Generation in the 60s and 70s were two steps forwards and now it's one step backwards with this.
I'm not sure what "For better or for worse" referred to a few hundred years ago but I know nowadays that it definitely doesn't mean putting up with Domestic Violence.

Bored bored bored............

I'm bored.
I'm really broke
I've got "blogger's block".
I'm shitted off with Uni$A.
I drank way too much at Yorkes.
The Dawn Service @ Warooka was interesting.
At least work is being mildly interesting for a change.
The only upside is that things with me and W are going spiffingly.

I guess I'll be back on track blogwise when I can think of really cool and/or funny things to post at the same time that I'm near a computer.
Cheers 'n' beers.

Good on Lin Hatfield-Dods for pulling out of the Olympic torch relay.

After the overwhelming majority of people at the 20/20 summit approved of Oz becoming a Republic, the Libs typically took their own opposing stance and ignored what will only become a larger and larger cry to one day make us a Republic. Granted the last referendum on the issue was defeated but I reckon that was more due to the scare campaign JH made to keep us a Monarchy.

F**k I'm tired. Think I'll go to bed.

Big bastard