Aussies XLVII

[Stubby]

One down.

Exam was very light on the law and focussed more on the tactics etc of the way to present the case. I reckon I've done enough to pass the unit but we'll see. 13 days until the next one - friggin constitutional law. :sleep:

[gryphon strike]

One down.

Exam was very light on the law and focussed more on the tactics etc of the way to present the case. I reckon I've done enough to pass the unit but we'll see. 13 days until the next one - friggin constitutional law. :sleep:

That sounds like either a great way to pass an exam or a really bad way to fail an exam Stubby.

Tactics with no actual trial?

How do you evaluate that refine and develop your strategy etc ?

I am thinking that you would possibly include the listing of what you present as tactics but most of the rest is strategy not tactics?

Constitutional law is interesting, especially since the ruling was handed down that although we do not have a bill of rights as such certain things are inherent in our democracy. Innocent until proven guilty etc.

What I really admired about this ruling was that it essentially gave us a bill of rights while at the same time not bothering to ask the bloodsucking parasites sorry politicians to actually do anything and certainly not asking them to do anything to curtail their powers or priviledges.

But thats constitutional law in live action your talking about in a classroom, some slight difference there I think.

Anyway once again to anyone out there having exams I wish you all the best.

[gryphon strike]

I can't agree with this at all GS. The solution here is not to send these families back to war-torn countries where they will be living in horrific conditions and denying them the chance to build new lives here in Australia. That is a completely disproportionate and, frankly, utterly inhumane response to the circumstances. Hell, my old man was bullied all the time at school by racist Anglo-Australians who didn't approve of his crusty continental loaf sandwich filled with salami and prosciutto cotto, and nobody was calling for those kids to be booted from the country, even though they obviously had no idea how to behave in accordance with acceptable modes of human conduct.

I would possibly have been one of them until I got older, clearly it was over the top but we also never bashed the Greek or Italian kids because they ate differently or were catholic or orthodox etc.

Granted I did have a longstanding feud in high school with a gang called the DC's ( dense cunts ) who were essentially self defined as the "wog boys" but I also ended up being friends with them.

Mind you most of them wanted no part of a feud with me thankfully so despite the odds it was not that hard to keep myself intact. And boy did they give me one hell of a reputation!

The reputation was so nasty that all the local bouncers were always nice to me, in fact one kid wanted to hurt me so bad he paid another kid $100 to beat me up/stab me/whatever and the rep was so bad that the guy he paid decided he wasn't going to do the job after all ( me leaning in a doorway staring at him for 2 hrs didn't help ( hey I was drunk )) but either way I didn't have to lift a finger and the threat was taken away.

Ohh I remember now, the reason why he paid someone else to beat me up, I sort of embaressed him a little bit. ( made him run and hide behind teachers skirts )

Anyway thats totally off track, my point is however yeah we gave the new guys shit, we gave everybody shit. No race or religion was singled out and while it was something that kids do the situation here is VERY different.

Stop and have a good think about this behaviour, whats the root cause of it?

Do you really think that this is something the young moslem boys have invented all by themselves?

Start looking at the root cause of it and I think you will get back some truly horrific answers.

I will give you one root cause straight away a percieved persecution due to being a refugee regardless of wether it is real or false.

[Paxter]

Anyway thats totally off track, my point is however yeah we gave the new guys shit, we gave everybody shit. No race or religion was singled out and while it was something that kids do the situation here is VERY different.

Stop and have a good think about this behaviour, whats the root cause of it?

Do you really think that this is something the young moslem boys have invented all by themselves?

Start looking at the root cause of it and I think you will get back some truly horrific answers.

I will give you one root cause straight away a percieved persecution due to being a refugee regardless of wether it is real or false.

So what? You think you're better than the refugees simply because you caused mayhem indiscriminately? With respect GS, that is xenophobic nonsense. There is no justification for holding refugees to a higher standard of behaviour than people born in Australia.

ETA: Don't take any of this personally GS. I just don't agree with you on this one :dunno:

[gryphon strike]

So what? You think you're better than the refugees simply because you caused mayhem indiscriminately? With respect GS, that is xenophobic nonsense. There is no justification for holding refugees to a higher standard of behaviour than people born in Australia.

ETA: Don't take any of this personally GS. I just don't agree with you on this one :dunno:

Where do you get the "better" attitude from?

OI have NEVER claimed to be "better" than anyone else in this universe. True there are some things I am good at and some that I was once incredibly good at but different people have different skill sets.

My point is that these kids are being pushed into this behaviour, otherwise it would be indiscriminate mayhem rather than religion or race based. In other words in the actions of these children we are seeing the attitudes of their parents towards a community that has taken them in given them a much higher standard of living than they had any hope of acheiving at their origin, yet this is how they feel about us?

Sorry but I don't want to help people who only feel contempt for my helping them.

[Paxter]

My point is that these kids are being pushed into this behaviour, otherwise it would be indiscriminate mayhem rather than religion or race based.

I get the "better" attitude from statements such as this. You seem to think that causing indiscriminate mayhem is better than religious- or race-based behaviour. I believe that both are equally contemptible.

As for your statement that "I don't want to help people who only feel contempt for my helping them", do you really think the attitudes of refugees will change if you take this stance? It just feeds a vicious cycle of Australians' contempt for refugees and refugees' contempt for Australians. View points such as that are part of the problem GS.

[Callum]

On an unrelated note, I've now finished with all my exams. Such a good feeling :)

[Stubby]

On an unrelated note, I've now finished with all my exams. Such a good feeling :)

Onya. :thumbsup:

Is that it for good, or just for this year?

[Callum]

Just this year, still another 2 to go. Over half way now, so on the right side of it.

[Stubby]

Just this year, still another 2 to go. Over half way now, so on the right side of it.

I'm not even at the hump yet - but hanging badly for it to be over. Middle of next year should be halfway, all going according to plan.

[OldLordPlumm]

I get the "better" attitude from statements such as this. You seem to think that causing indiscriminate mayhem is better than religious- or race-based behaviour. I believe that both are equally contemptible.

As for your statement that "I don't want to help people who only feel contempt for my helping them", do you really think the attitudes of refugees will change if you take this stance? It just feeds a vicious cycle of Australians' contempt for refugees and refugees' contempt for Australians. View points such as that are part of the problem GS.

I'm lost guys.

[Ski the Swift]

Why can't we be friends?

[gryphon strike]

I get the "better" attitude from statements such as this. You seem to think that causing indiscriminate mayhem is better than religious- or race-based behaviour. I believe that both are equally contemptible.

As for your statement that "I don't want to help people who only feel contempt for my helping them", do you really think the attitudes of refugees will change if you take this stance? It just feeds a vicious cycle of Australians' contempt for refugees and refugees' contempt for Australians. View points such as that are part of the problem GS.

ok When was the last time you dealt with a refugee?

One straight off the boat or one talking candidly who has been here a few years?

Are you familiar with the saying "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice and shame on me."

Don't get me wrong I have also seen plenty of good refugees, even from countries where the culture is in direct opposition to ours. I am more than happy to have helped in some small part people who are coming here in good faith and who respect our culture and only ask that we respect theirs.

But mate I am nobody's doormat and someone tries to treat me like that I don't lay down and say go ahead I tell them to get the F out of here. In case you don't realise it this is essentially what we are talking about and this is the one group of the community that we can litterally send away when they committ a crime.

[Daemrion]

I'm not even at the hump yet - but hanging badly for it to be over. Middle of next year should be halfway, all going according to plan.

So I'm guessing that Stubby's a second year and Callum's just finished third year?

Oh, the innocence of youth. :P

[Stubby]

So I'm guessing that Stubby's a second year and Callum's just finished third year?

Oh, the innocence of youth. :P

Technically not even that - I'm only part time. ;)

But I got 20yrs clerking behind me so that's why I'm itching to get it done with....

[Paxter]

But mate I am nobody's doormat and someone tries to treat me like that I don't lay down and say go ahead I tell them to get the F out of here. In case you don't realise it this is essentially what we are talking about and this is the one group of the community that we can litterally send away when they committ a crime.

GS, the above statement suggests to me that we are never going to agree on this, so I am just going to let this argument slide. Our views are diametrically opposed and no amount of discussion from one is going to convince the other to change their perspective. Maybe we can discuss it in chat sometime and we might be able to see eye-to-eye a little more.

ok When was the last time you dealt with a refugee?

One straight off the boat or one talking candidly who has been here a few years?

I am doing volunteer work for the Perth organisation CASE for Refugees this summer, so I might share some of my experiences from that line of work next year.

[OldLordPlumm]

GS, the above statement suggests to me that we are never going to agree on this, so I am just going to let this argument slide. Our views are diametrically opposed and no amount of discussion from one is going to convince the other to change their perspective. Maybe we can discuss it in chat sometime and we might be able to see eye-to-eye a little more.

I am doing volunteer work for the Perth organisation CASE for Refugees this summer, so I might share some of my experiences from that line of work next year.

That's quite admirable Pax. I used to drive a soup van briefly in Perth for the red cross until I got the shits with it.1. I didn't have enough empathy for the customers who were about 90% male and 2 I found the red cross administrators to be pretty naive sending teenage girls out in the van alone at night (thinking nobody would bite the hand that feeds them) and I wanted no part of that.

I don't want to put you down, it's good what you're doing, but any experiences you have could be in contradiction to what say the police would have with them (depending on which refugee group). If you're volunteering your time for them then it's hardly suprising you're prepared to defend all groups of refugees and not see things in any negative light.

[Paxter]

I don't want to put you down, it's good what you're doing, but any experiences you have could be in contradiction to what say the police would have with them (depending on which refugee group). If you're volunteering your time for them then it's hardly suprising you're prepared to defend all groups of refugees and not see things in any negative light.

I'm not sure that's entirely true. I mean, the work I am going to be doing for CASE is legal work, so I will be exposed to the ugly side of refugee issues as well as the good. I am well aware that refugees are not all saints, and I don't always see them in a positive light. I just don't think we should be booting them out of the country is all :dunno:

OK that's enough from me on this issue ;).

Congrats Callum on finishing exams!

[gryphon strike]

I'm not sure that's entirely true. I mean, the work I am going to be doing for CASE is legal work, so I will be exposed to the ugly side of refugee issues as well as the good. I am well aware that refugees are not all saints, and I don't always see them in a positive light. I just don't think we should be booting them out of the country is all :dunno:

OK that's enough from me on this issue ;).

Congrats Callum on finishing exams!

See this is what I don't understand from what your saying you would prefer we lock them up for life than send them away?

Because in the worse cases that is what will happen. Indeed last I heard there was a guy waiting deportation back to Vietnam who had been in prison for 15 years!

thats where not sending them away or not vetting them properly can land you.

But yeah we do not see each others viewpoint, sort of, I see yours because I once held it but unless there are standards then sorry all the love in the world will just cause chaos and misery

[gryphon strike]

ok shameless bump time folks hows the exams going and I hear some are at party time already?

I had an interesting weekend, I went to my friend Fionas place and we made incense, we are getting stock ready now for the start of may. What a weird world we live in, honestly I am still smiling and also shaking my head at this weekend.

Where to start, I guess at the begining , I arrive at her place on saturday afternoon about 1pm. Not only are the kids there but also her son and ex were there, not a problem since I love the kids even the 16 yr old who is massive trouble. Yeah he is the same one I have bitched about before, so anyway things are good I talk to Mateo and we have a coffee etc I may not always understand Mateo but I do like him.

So anyway Mateo leaves and takes the kids and the playstation we needed to watch harry potter and the halfblood prince, oh well. So they are not gone 30 mins and Fiona is telling me that she is unhappy in her relationship etc etc, me I am thinking how can I get clear of this, inspiration, I suggest we visit a mutual friend who she is hot for. whew one nicely dogged bullet or so I think.

Today we visited the mutual friend and he tried to turn her back towards me!

Anyway on the way back we are passed by Mateo and the kids who were not due back for hours yet. Yeah that means trouble of course.

ohh early Sunday morning Fiona showed me some legal papers that Mateo had given her in re to 16 yr old Matthew, most of which was very wrong.

Anyway we get back and the cause of the problem thankfully is not Matthew but his sister Kerry. ( not going into that one )

So I help Matthew while Mateo and Fiona discuss the issue with Kerry, we take his stereo out to the car, next thing I know he is chesting up to his father yelling in his face!

Yeah I'm WTF??????????????

his mum jumps between them and I grab his arm and say come on matthew lets take a walk, look around and he is already out the door.

So anyway I go outside and take him for a walk up the hill, I talk to him telling him that he needs to get control because while he knows about this letter he is angry about it and wants to strike out because of it. The thing is that is exactly what the letter says he will do, so I tell him he has to rule his emotions rather than letting them rule him. He calms down a bit and then expresses his frustration about things and that he is scared his dad will kick him out leaving him nowhere to go. I tell him I will get a key cut this week and give it to him next weekend but that when he used it he could only use it for 3 days at a time. I explained that in cramped quarters like my flat we would be getting on each others nerves by then and also that if I allowed him to stay longer I would not be helping him. He needs to deal with his problems and longer than 3 days is just helping him run away. I took him back to the house and he and his dad left not long after. I told both his father and mother of what I had told him and the conditions I had set.

They both thanked me which was a surprise but I had to have their agreement to do this for Matthew. I know the little shit is planning even now how he can take advantage of the situation, but he will be warned about that and he knows I mean what I say.

So yeah a bit of a mind blowing weekend for me but still fun, ohh and for the first time in my life I have done a clutch :(

Yeah on friday I turned a corner and the clutch had gone to crunch box but I managed to get a change out of it and then turn the next corner to my delivery point. After that it was only working with the engine off, ie put it in second and turn the engine on and move forward, then turn the engine off and put it in reverse and start it

So anyway I get my delivery done and am waiting for the other trucks to arrive so we can offload the rest of my load onto them and a mechanic so I can hopefully limp it back to base.

eventually two other trucks rock up and take the other deliveries I had on board.

the mechanic adjusts the clutch and says give it your best but it probably won't hold.

It didn't :P

I got the truck back a bit after 4pm which was earlier than if I had not had the problem. Ohh and friday morning I got a call about my having won a puratap water purification system :)

So how did your weekends go?