That 'problem' is the innate human desire to get fucked up and remove mind from body. 

How frequently this is done defines you. Once a year you're a saint, once a week you're a binger, a day and you're an alcoholic. The way it's done is also important, but we all know the tags we give for addicts. The fact is that this need is in everybody.

And if it's not you've probably replaced it with some transcendental crap like religion that supposedly gives similar highs to true believers. Fuck that, who has the time or the will to worship something so destructive.

Instead I say this to the government or anybody who scorns me.

What business is it of yours what I take into my body - as long as I do not harm another human being on this planet?

My body is my temple and I'll repaint the walls with vomit when I want to. 

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It was surreal, everyone was so composed and orderly as we walked past the Opera House steps, just like we were going to a concert. 

The first day of autumn had brought very brisk autumnal weather as we sat on the Botanic Gardens lawn looking over the murky harbour waiting for the sun to rise.

Occasionally I'd look around in disbelief thinking that in an hour or so the dressed and sleepy people around me would soon be getting completely naked.

Eventually the time came, the sun had risen sufficiently and the order came for us to get into our birthday suits.

We couldn't stop giggling as we walked toward the Opera House steps, everybody shivering and moaning whenever a freezing gust of wind would blow through.

The rest of the shoot was a mix of: 

Breathtaking: to see a sea of so many naked people

Funny: whenever there was a childish double entendre

Frustrating: as I realised why nudism can only really be popular in warm weather 

A bit awkward: when we were asked to embrace the person we were with 

And finally, as the artist commented before the shoot this wasn't just an amazing personal and artistic statement, it was a poweful political moment setup by Mardi Gras that showed that in Sydney the"straight community wanted to get naked with the gay community"

A once in a life time event that truly affirms why art may be our most useless pursuit but most priceless passion.  . . read more

It offers (in addition to the catchy musical numbers) a different portrayal of Aborigines- avoiding, to a large extent, the sterotypes that we've come to associate with the indigenous people of Australia.

One of the most uplifting numbers takes place in the beginning (and the end) of the film with the chorus:

There's nothing I would rather be, than to be an Aborigine

It got me thinking.

When have we ever heard such a positive and unashamed pride of Aboriginality?

And what's your perspective on the Christian disciplinarian head-master who tries to change the beliefs and customs of the largely uninterested Aboriginal studentary?

Could this be the right way to tackle many of the problems in the wider community? . . read more

...Kevin Rudd, the guest of honour at the launch of ABC 3 was the victim of a security scare from an unnamed contracted cleaner.

The story gets stranger as the AFP, the cleaning company and the ABC itself all refused to comment on what had happened.

It might not be a fair comparison but this 'incident' did make me think of the media world's reaction to Tareq and Michaele Sahali's White House invasion last week.

The couple got scorned and ridiculed from all corners and the Secret Service was forced to make an embarrasing apology for this uncharacteristic slip up.

Here though, Rudd's 'dance with death' has only been run on the 7pm ABC news (it didn't even make it to ABC online) and it looks like that will be it from here on in.

There hasn't been any mention of what risk Rudd had been placed in or what will be done differently to avoid similar breaches.

Why the difference if both breaches were equally harmless?

In my mind it shows that the media knows that Rudd's security isn't exactly going set the water-cooler ablaze, and that Rudd himself probably realises that to talk about it or investigate it further would look weak to a country that still prides itself on its stiff upper lip.

Kind of comforting that in Australia, the politicians ain't too precious.

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Long knives and short memories seem to be the go. Add to that a complete disregard for the empowerment of community by social networks, mobile technology and the culture of the ‘local' and you have the recipe for the demise of parliamentary democracy.

Not that we will be sorry to see it go. What is interesting, however, is when and what will replace the two-party system and the party machines.

AS a first step look out for the proliferation of political parties in the next Australian elections as voters embrace pluralism in a stand against the Obeid's and Tripodi's of this world.

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Does seeing a person primarily as a nation rather than a person seem like the actions of a tolerant people?

And then to cap it off, this growing threat from johnny foreigner seems completely at odds to Rudd's claim that it is in fact home grown terrorists which are the biggest threat to our security.

So which is it?

Should be we be huddled together in fear of the outsider, or should we be constantly looking over each other's shoulders for a sign of external sabotage?

And finally, to finish off this frenzy of finger pointing, in no particular order here is a little prediction of the countries that are making the intelligence community quiver:

1: Somalia

2: Sudan 

3: Pakistan

4: Yemen

5: Eritrea

6: Indonesia (for obvious reasons probably wont be on the list)

7: Waziristan

8: Nigeria

9: Afghanistan

10: Iran  . . read more

It's fairly obvious that the imagery of a white christmas is at odds with the reality of an Australian summer, but still people try to combine the two contradictory set of symbols.

Why?

I'm guessing it's to give an Australian christmas the air of legitimacy by using images of northern hemisphere traditions while also paying respect to the uniqueness of the Australian experience.

Why bother?

Our christmas is so much more beautiful than our northern neighbours and the fact is our traditions- like having a picnic at the beach, prawns and champagne- should really be the inspiration and point of jealousy for the drab christmas goers of up north.

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