Nothing's Too Sacred

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First impressions are so important
2007-11-20 07:36:00
Lately the weather in my area has been great for taking an afternoon walk. The part of the city I live in is one of the oldest suburbs in the nation, and I love looking at the old houses in the surrounding streets. There may not be a lot of mansions in the area, but there are quite a few beautiful looking terrace and semi-detached houses.Being a boy originally from the sprawling suburbs, it always amazes me how people could live in a house that is only a few metres wide, but very long. I need my space, but a lot of people seem to settle quite cheerily into their little (or not-so-little) terrace houses. And some of these places look fantastic, having been renovated and brought into the modern age.But sadly, one thing I find that many owners ignore is the thing that often provides the first impression when people are visiting their properties. Why spend thousands of dollars re-roofing and painting your house to impress people if the first thing they notice when visiting is the state ...
More About: First Impressions , Impressions

I've just become an uncle again!
2007-11-19 05:41:00
I got some great news this morning. My sister, Michelle, gave birth to a healthy bouncing baby boy yesterday. And wow - he is a big one! My sister and brother-in-law, Neil, have named the new arrival Maxwell Alexander. He came into this world on the New South Wales North Coast at 8:00am yesterday weighing in at a massive 4.16 kilograms which is a whopping 9 pounds and 3 ounces on the old scale.To be honest, I don't know how Michelle carried such a big baby inside of her. She's such a petite girl - only about 5 feet tall, and very slightly built. And I know this will make a lot of other mothers green with envy - she was in labour for only 90 minutes before delivering Maxwell naturally.So my other nephew, 2 year old Nicholas, now has a brother to grow up with - and they couldn't ask for a better place to spend their growing years. Living in a semi-rural beach-front house with the surf just minutes from their back door - it really is a dream location.So to Michelle, Neil, Nick &...
More About: Uncle

They should go back where they came from!
2007-11-14 08:32:00
That's the first thing my mother said when she walked in the door this afternoon after doing her volunteer work on the other side of the city. I asked her what in the hell she was talking about, and she said "Bloody Asians! They won't stand up for elderly people on the bus. The government should send them all back home!".I was mortified at Mum's comments. How could a decently brought up person who actually volunteers to help others in the community be so prejudiced? Sadly, she doesn't realise that my opinion of her has dropped due to her outburst - especially since it's not the first time she has said something like that. If it's not Asians, then it's Muslim women in their Burqas - apparently they don't fit in with Mum's view of what real Australians should wear.I think when I was born, I was missing the gene that causes prejudice and racism. I've never been able to understand why people hate others because they have a different skin colour, or almond-shaped eyes, or speak...
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Coupons are a great way to save money
2007-11-12 10:41:00
Has anyone noticed that it is still the first half of November, and yet the shops are already full of Christmas decorations (and even television has started with the Santa programming)? I guess it is pretty hard to avoid the fact that (if we want to stay on the good side of our friends, relatives and colleagues), it's time to start looking at Christmas presents.In the "olden days" Xmas shopping meant going to the local shopping mall and paying whatever prices they were charging (and wow! - could they charge like wounded bulls at this time of the year). Nowadays we have a bit more choice, and shopping for gifts can be done from the comfort of sitting in front of your PC.One thing I have found out over the past couple of years is that you can really save a lot of money on quality presents by using discount coupons. Sellers really know that coupons bring in a lot of business, and the special deals they offer can be awesome.The best place I have found for these special offers for goods...
More About: Money , Save Money , Great , Coupons , Save

Environmental responsibility or cost-cutting silliness?
2007-11-12 08:26:00
Sometimes I wonder whether many of our big businesses take caring for the environment seriously, or rather look for token ways to appear environmentally friendly while being more concerned about the company's bottom line.Today I went shopping at my local Coles supermarket for just a few things, including a big bottle of fruit juice (gotta get my daily dose of vitamin C). Anyway, usually when I go shopping I do the right thing and take my own "green" shopping bags to bring my groceries home in. But once a week or so I don't mind taking my goods home in plastic bags from Coles, as I then re-use the shopping bags as kitchen garbage bin liners. They fit perfectly in the square bin.But lately Coles seem to have brought in a policy of not supplying the sturdier, large plastic grocery bags, but instead only using the little, thin blue plastic bags. These bags are designed to hold about 6 small, light items - they are definitely not built for big bottles of fruit juice or 3-litre containe...
More About: Environmental , Cost , Silliness , Envi , Cutting

Children's 'Bindeez' toy recalled - contains dangerous drug
2007-11-06 06:50:00
Apparently the Hong-Kong manufactured 2007 Australian Toy of the Year, Bindeez, can turn into a date-rape drug (GHB) if the beads are swallowed:Bindeez toy recalled over drug fearsAN award-winning children's toy has been recalled because it contains a chemical which turns into a dangerous party drug when metabolised in the body.Chinese-made Bindeez, which won the 2007 Australian Toy of the Year award at the Melbourne Toy and Hobby fair, contains hundreds of beads which can induce seizures, drowsiness or a coma if eaten.The beads should contain a non-toxic glue but instead contain the chemical which the body metabolises into gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), also known as fantasy or Grievous Bodily Harm.All Bindeez products would be removed from sale, Minister for Fair Trading Linda Burney said today, and households with the toy were urged to get rid of it."This Bindeez product is Australian Toy of the Year, it is extraordinarily popular," Ms Burney said.Read the rest at: Bindeez toy...
More About: Drug , Recalled , Dangerous

100Mbps ADSL is on it's way - thanks to an Aussie
2007-11-05 08:14:00
When I moved my Internet connection from dial-up to ADSL2 6 months ago, I thought the speed increase was awesome. What used to take me half an hour to download now takes just seconds, and I can finally watch YouTube videos online (I used to download them to play later, as the constant stopping & starting as the video waited for more data to come down the phone line was very irritating).Anyway, on a good day I now get a top speed of around 2Mbps (megabits per second). But even then it can still be too slow when I want to watch a high-resolution movie online (though I am not really complaining - I don't do that a lot anyway).Down here in Oz my ISP is now offering 8Mbps connections (for a higher price than my 2Mbps), but it looks like the new speed on offer may be comparable to a snail's pace thanks to an Aussie maths genius. He has now developed a way to get a potential (almost unbelievable) speed of 100Mbps over copper phone lines. And the best news is that this technology will...
More About: Adsl , Hank

Business cards are so important to success
2007-11-01 12:44:00
It may be the era of information technology, but I still consider one of the most important ways to keep your business in peoples' minds to be the traditional business card. I know my wallet is full of cards I've collected over the years, and I have another bunch in a business card holder on my desk.Business cards are useful for both regular contacts, and people you just happen to have brief meetings with. If you supply a service or product, you should assume that everyone you meet is a potential customer, and give them your card. The fact that they have your card will stick in their memory, and you may be the first person they contact when they need your services.Just yesterday I had to contact a repairman to have the noisy compressor on my fridge repaired, as it was so loud it was keeping me awake at night. I could have looked in the phone directory and on the Internet for someone to do the job, but I remembered that I had met someone a couple of years ago who repaired a neighb...
More About: Success , Cards , Sine

Boot camps - bad for kids, bad for society
2007-10-31 06:37:00
Why on Earth would anyone want to send their kids to one of those hell-holes called boot camps? To me they seem to be a dangerous place to send children and teens, and as far as I can ascertain, they don't do any good anyway.Would a loving parent really want to send their child to a place where he/she is regularly beaten, starved, worked to (and beyond) exhaustion in slave-labour conditions, sexually abused, and psychologically abused? How does that help a troubled teen find his/her way in life?Lately there have been quite a few media reports about the abuse, and even worse, deaths that have occurred at these hard-core discipline centres. Hopefully the powers-that-be will wake up to themselves and realise that you don't make a troublesome kid into a good kid by subjecting him to abuse and torture tactics. That just breeds resentment, hatred, anger and sets a time-bomb in motion. The kid may come out passive and obedient, but the psychological damage will appear somewhere down the ...
More About: Society , Kids , Boot

The Seven Dwarfs Meet The Pope
2007-10-29 03:20:00
The seven dwarfs go to the Vatican and because they are the seven dwarfs they are ushered in to see the Pope . Grumpy leads the pack."Grumpy my son" says the Pope, "what can I do for you?"Grumpy asks, "excuse me your Excellency, but are there any dwarf nuns in Rome?The Pope wrinkles his brow at the odd question, thinks for a moment and answers, "No, Grumpy, there are no dwarf nuns in Rome".In the background, a few of the dwarfs start giggling. Grumpy turns and glares, silencing them.Grumpy turns back, "Your worship, are there any dwarf nuns in all of Europe?The Pope, puzzled now, again thinks for a moment, "no, Grumpy there are no dwarf nuns in Europe".This time all the other dwarfs burst into laughter. Once again Grumpy turns around and silences them with an angry glare.Grumpy turns back and says "Mr Pope are there ANY dwarf nuns anywhere in the world?"The Pope, really confused by the questions says, "I'm sorry my son, there are no dwarf nuns anywhere in the world".The other dwarfs...
More About: Meet , Seven Dwarfs , Dwarf

The ARIAs are over - Oz music is in good hands
2007-10-28 14:33:00
Tonight's Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards highlighted the fact that we have some really shit-hot talent down here in Australia. I've just finished watching the coverage, and came away really impressed at the quality, depth and variety of music talent we have down-under. Australian music really is in good hands, with some awesome artists coming through the ranks.I used to be a real rocker - hard-rock guitar bands were what I grew up with and worshipped every Friday and Saturday night at the local pubs. But as I've got older I've discovered a real appreciation for all the other varieties of music out there, from urban (rap/hip-hop) to melodic ballads to dance music to techno to classical. The coverage of tonight's awards was mainly for the popular music sector, and the singers and bands blew me away on more than one occasion.Just a few of the many highlights:Silverchair’s opening of the show with the single of the year, Straight Lines - an awesome song p...
More About: Music , Hands , Good

Time to buy some more baby and toddler gifts
2007-10-25 08:21:00
I was speaking with my sister a couple of days ago, and she said it could be any day now that I become an uncle for the second time. She already has a two & a half year old son (who can already count to 20 - she said she can now understand why parents boast about their children). One thing she won't let anyone know is if the baby she's carrying will be a boy or a girl - she knows, but wants to surprise us.Anyway, a new baby means that I will have to look at buying some presents over the next few weeks to send up to her (she lives on the North Coast of my beautiful state - overlooking the beach).Nowadays, I find it easiest to do a lot of shopping for gifts for babies online. It's a lot easier to place the order, pay online & set the delivery address as my sisters rather than go to the shopping mall and have to organise to send a parcel via the post office.One great site I found was the products for babies and toddlers section at ShopWiki. This place is superb - a real one-...
More About: Baby , Gifts , Time , Toddler , Some

I got some sad news today
2007-10-24 12:57:00
I'm feeling a little bit down tonight as I just found out that the lady in the flat next-door, who I often have a coffee with, may have cancer. She's off to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital tomorrow for more tests and will be staying there about a week (thank goodness for free healthcare).She's only 63, and has had a hard life (one of the reasons she is in a Housing Department flat). She was a full-on alcoholic for many years, with some time spent in gaol in her younger, wilder days. She had her children taken away from her back then (fortunately, she did regain contact with them in adulthood and has a good relationship with them). I don't think she has worked for more than 30 years, and life really hasn't been kind to her. Maxine can be gruff, and her language would often put a sailor to shame, and she can be self-centred, but she does also have a heart of gold, often helping out neighbours by stopping by to see if they are okay and doing errands for them.Anyway, a few weeks ago s...
More About: News , Today , Some

John Howard again shows his lack of vision
2007-10-16 07:45:00
So, we've got $20 billion sitting in the treasury coffers this year. Sounds great doesn't it? Think of what that money could be used for. Building a truly national, working rail transport system. Reducing the crippling cost of education for university students. Investing real money in renewable energy instead of little token amounts. Putting back the funding that the Howard government has taken from our hospital system over the past decade. Renewing old national infrastructure. Finally making the congested and dangerous Pacific Highway a dual carriageway all the way from Sydney to Brisbane. An effective national water management plan to ensure that our citizens and farmers have adequate water supplies as the long (possibly permanent) drought takes it's toll. Investing heavily in healthcare and other services for our poverty-stricken indigenous communities. The drought has forced up grocery prices, so even upping the pension so that our least well-off members of the community can ...
More About: John , John Howard , Vision , Lack

International petition to end the death penalty
2007-10-11 14:06:00
My opinion is that the death penalty is a primitive form of punishment that is well past it's use-by date. Society has advanced from the days when justice was "an eye for an eye". There are much better ways to deal with even the most heinous offenders than taking their lives.Too many innocent people have been executed over the years. I don't believe this is justifiable "collateral damage". Although the death of anyone should not be state-sanctioned, the state-sanctioned execution of an innocent person is even more heartbreaking. An innocent person who has been executed has no further rights once they are dead. No right to appeal. No right to clemency. No right to seek release if evidence proving they are innocent is found. The death sentence is the final sentence.To me anyway, the mental torture of being locked in prison for the rest of one's life is sufficient punishment for terrible crimes. I think many would choose death over decades in prison with no hope of release. Death wo...
More About: International , Death penalty , Petition , Penalty

The War Prayer (by Mark Twain)
2007-10-08 06:21:00
This is for those supposed people of religion who support the illegal and unnecessary war in Iraq, and are already baying for an attack on Iran (a country which poses no imminent threat to the USA or my nation).Here is Mark Twain 's reaction to the Philippine-American war (1899-1902), which Twain opposed. After hearing various clergy lead prayers in support of the war, Twain penned what he thought was the unspoken subtext of these preachers' sermons, "The War Pray er ":"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle -- be Thou near them! With them -- in spirit -- we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of...

Do you know who this man is?
2007-10-08 04:44:00
This is very important for the protection of our children folks. If you know who the man in photograph below is, please contact your local police. He is a very dangerous paedophile, responsible for the abuse of 12 young boys. The man is believed to be European, and the abuse is believed to have taken place in Vietnam and Cambodia around 4 to 5 years ago.Most likely he is one of those sex-tourist predators who fly to South-East Asia regularly to procure young, impoverished victims to satisfy their sick sexual desires.Although the man's face was disguised by a "swirly" pattern in the original photos, the technology is so good now that the police have been able to restore what they believe is an accurate image of the man's face.Lets all do our bit for the children of this world. If you know who this man is, talk to the police & stop him from preying on more innocent victims.Search ... Interpol has released images of this man, who is wantedin relation to alleged sexual assaults on...

My dream? To work in London
2007-10-08 02:20:00
One thing I have always dreamed of doing, and I still hope that the opportunity hasn't passed me by as I enter middle-age, is to spend a working holiday in the United Kingdom. It's very much a pilgrimage for young Australians to spend a year or 2 travelling this great nation, full of history and culture. I remember a work colleague quite a few years ago who used to regale me with his tales of travelling through England, Wales, Scotland (plus a trip across the water to Ireland), and how much of his trip was financed through working various jobs in London and regional towns and cities. One of my favourite tales was about one pub that he pulled beers in that was over 1,000 years old. Living in a country where the most ancient buildings are no more than 200 or so years old, the thought of a pub operating for more than 1,000 years was fascinating to me.As I said, I'm hoping to keep my dream of one day working various jobs in the UK as I travel around discovering the history of my ance...
More About: Work , Dream

No wonder 60 Minutes is dying in the ratings
2007-10-07 13:37:00
I must confess that I haven't been a regular watcher of the Australian 60 Minutes for several years now, but since a relative moved in with me recently I have started tuning in again.Sadly, 60 Minutes ain't what it used to be. Just a mere shadow of its former self. Where have the hard-hitting current affairs stories gone? A show that used to break major international stories has now been relegated to presenting emotional human interest twaddle.This week this formerly must-watch program presented to the viewer one story about a sick kid, a story about the Police reforming, and (I agree appropriate for the 5th anniversary of the Bali bombings) a follow-up on how some of the survivors are getting along. Last week it was a very poorly researched story about transsexual toddlers (no experts on the subject interviewed to present scientific opinions), Australia's motorcycle champ Casey Stoner, and drug-drivers.Just what has happened to 60 Minutes over the 4 or so years since I regularly...
More About: Dying , Ratings , Utes

The Builder's Little Helper
2007-10-05 04:06:00
Here's a truly heart-warming story about the bond formed between a little 5-year-old girl and some construction workers that makes you believe that we can make a difference when we give a child the gift of our time...A young family moved into a house, next door to a vacant lot.One day a construction crew turned up to start building a house on the empty lot.The young family's 5-year-old daughter naturally took an interest in all the activity going on next door and spent much of each day observing the workers.Eventually the construction crew, all of them gems-in-the-rough, more or less adopted her as a kind of project mascot.They chatted with her, let her sit with them while they had coffee and lunch breaks, and gave her little jobs to do here and there to make her feel important.At the end of the week they even presented her with a pay envelope containing a couple of dollars.The little girl took this home to her mother, who said all the appropriate words of admiration and suggeste...
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Free Burma!
2007-10-04 04:55:00
The Free -Burma .org protest site for bloggers was launched by two German college students. They got the idea from a multi-lingual Wiki page that was set up last month as a forum to allow participants around the world to brainstorm ideas on how to show support for the protesters in Burma.The Internet has been banned in Burma. Bloggers who recorded and posted about the region's bloody crackdown on protest are in hiding - Bloggers who risked all to reveal the junta’s brutal crackdown in Burma. There has been a flood of reports of alleged brutal killings, disappearances and arrests as the military in Myanmar stamped out the anti-government protests of the last week.At least 1,000 people have been arrested in Yangon alone, the majority of them monks. Numerous key figures in the National League for Democracy, the main opposition party, and other activists are among those arrested. Here are a few resources to help you find out more about the situation in Burma.The Free Burma site itself...

Congratulations Storm, commiserations Sea Eagles
2007-09-30 13:59:00
Oh well - it looks like 2007 wasn't to be the year of the Sea Eagles . The NRL Rugby League grand final has just been played in front of a capacity crowd of 81,000, and Melbourne Storm are the premiers for 2007 after defeating the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 34 points to 8.Despite my disappointment at my team not winning, I cannot take anything away from the Storm's win. They played brilliantly, nullified Manly's game plan, and just seemed more eager to win. Manly seemed flat-footed by comparison - their game was very conservative and there was little of the usual variety that makes the Sea Eagles such an exciting team to watch.It should be remembered that this is the second straight year that Melbourne Storm finished at the top of the home-away table and qualified for the grand final. Last year they lost - this year they reversed the outcome.To me the real turning point was when the Sea Eagle's brilliant fullback, Brett Stewart, was knocked unconscious when taken in a bone-crushi...
More About: Congratulations

Should charities put profits ahead of the poor?
2007-09-30 10:20:00
Here's an eye-opening tale that I experienced last week, and to be honest it did quite shock me.Firstly, a bit of background. I'm a disability pensioner living in a government housing apartment (a nice 2-bedroom one on the border of Surry Hills and Redfern). Even though the rent's cheap (25% of my pension), making ends meet can still be a struggle. The pension is only $270 per week, and after rent & bills, there isn't a lot left over for groceries and maybe one cheap night out per fortnight.Anyway, I had been lonely living by myself, so I had a relative who is on the age pension move in to my second bedroom recently. After paying the removalists and all of the final bills for her former privately-rented apartment, she didn't have a lot of money left over. She does some volunteer work, and one thing which she needs is a wardrobe to hang her clothes in. She wasn't able to bring one with her as her old place had a built-in wardrobe.So, we decided to drop by the local St Vince...
More About: Profits , Poor , Ahead , Charities , Char

The Howard government's blatant misuse of taxpayers' money
2007-09-22 16:01:00
I don't know about how other Aussies feel about the incessant Howard federal government advertising appearing on our television screens at the moment, but geez - am I getting sick of it! It seems like there is not a single advertisement break on commercial television without at least one taxpayer-funded ad (usually 2) telling us the great things the Howard government is doing for Australia.Apparently the Australian government is now Australia's biggest advertiser. The way things are going a fair portion the $20 billion surplus John Howard & Peter Costello so proudly boast of will be gone before the end of the year - and it will all go to the commercial television networks if the current saturation advertising continues.According to this site: The Fifth Estate: The cost of TV advertising, "a 30 second advertisement during peak television ratings period costs an average of $13,000 to $25,000. Off peak periods, or during television programs with lesser viewer ratings, the same 30...
More About: Money

Awesome Sea Eagles go through to NRL grand final!
2007-09-22 14:45:00
I've just watched an awesome rugby league match really worthy of a grand final qualifier, and the great news is that the Manly Sea Eagles have made it through to the NRL grand final after walloping the North Queensland Cowboys 28 to 6. It will be the Sea Eagle's first grand final appearance in 10 years - the opposition will be decided tomorrow in the second grand final qualifier between the Melbourne Storm and the Parramatta Eels.Tonight's match was a good one. I don't think I have ever seen a game where the first 3 tries (2 Sea Eagles' and 1 Cowboys') were disallowed - all for obstruction of the defence. At half-time it was anyone's game with the score at 6-all, and Manly's pivotal player Michael Monaghan off the field with a severe bout of concussion after copping an accidental knee to the head. He returned at the start of the second half, but was a concern for all watching as he was still blinking & squinting as he tried to get rid of the double-vision he was experien...
More About: Awesome , Final , Grand , Grand Final

Call for US Muslims to have ID tattooed on arms
2007-09-20 08:26:00
I really am starting to wonder if America will survive until the end of the 21st century. If it does, it will certainly be a different place in 2099 compared to how it is now, and I don't think it will be for the better.What concerns me most is that, after the terrible atrocities of 9-11, the USA seems to have become a nation consumed by anger, hatred and a need for vengeance. More than six years have passed since terrorists brought down the World Trade Center towers, and yet America seems angrier than ever. And that anger, sadly, seems not to be directed at any specific people, but rather one specific race (or should I say religion).We all know that the terrorists of 9-11 claimed to be of the Muslim religion, but we should also keep it in the minds that the perverse, evil deeds of a few men should not be used to tar an entire group of people with the same brush. All races and religions have had people do evil things in their names, but it seems to be the Muslims that are unfairly ...
More About: Arms , Call

10 Reasons Gay Marriage is Un-American
2007-09-11 12:11:00
Found while Stumbling around the Net:Ten Reasons Gay Marriage is Un-American Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britney Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the w...
More About: Gay Marriage

Aussie TV station gets exclusive Osama video
2007-09-11 10:31:00
I'm sure this new video from Osama bin Laden will up the ABC's ratings this week:So don't forget to watch The Chaser's War on Everything APEC tomorrow (Wednesday) night on Australia's ABC network. It should definitely be interesting viewing.--Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this. AuctionAds Pays You To Display eBay Auctions On Your Site Monetize Your Site With Text Link Ads
More About: Video , Exclusive , Station , Aussie

Quote of the day
2007-09-11 07:12:00
"What the Government does not realise is that we live in a society, not in an economy."From a comment on: Howard, Beattie And The Art of Self-CriticismThe quote very much sums up my belief on why the Howard government is doing so drastically in the polls despite our booming economy. Governing is about more than than just the economy. It is also about providing services to the people, improving infrastructure, and building for the future. The Australian government is so single-mindedly focussed on the economy that it has forgotten about many of it's other responsibilities. No government should be swimming in cash like the current one is ($20 billion surplus). It should be using that surplus to pay for things that will improve the nation (for the long-term - not just tax cuts to buy votes), and the life of it's people. Until the government realises that, it will have no chance in the next election.--The most serious doubt that has been thrown on the authenticity of the biblical mira...
More About: Quote Of The Day , Quote

Our place in the universe - just a tiny speck of dust
2007-09-09 19:48:00
This is a voice I have not heard for many years. I remember watching Carl Sagan's series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage back in my high school days. Despite the many astronomical discoveries made in the 27 years since then, I believe the series is as relevant today as it was back then due to the message it sent about our place in this vast cosmos.Anyway, one of Sagan's most enduring commentaries is about the famous Voyager 1 photograph of the Pale Blue Dot. It is a picture of the Earth taken from a distance of approximately 4 billion miles away. Just a pale blue dot suspended in a sunbeam:Click for full sizeAlthough the photo is impressive just by itself, Sagan's commentary in the following video really puts everything into perspective. Everything that has happened in the history of mankind has happened on this tiny speck of dust floating in the vast emptiness of space. All the wars ever fought were fought on this dot, over even tinier dots. All the great leaders were leaders of just ...
More About: Universe , Tiny , Place , The Universe , Univers