beyond the edge

Nah, no ultimatum of voting for the lesser evil (Liberal or Labor) for me thanks. Thankfully, with our electoral system we're not reduced to voting for the lesser evil like the unfortunate Americans are, so I'd encourage taking advantage of that added freedom and looking at other options like the smaller/independent parties.

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I've just watched My Boss, My Hero Episode 1!! LOL IT'S HILARIOUS!!!!! And Sakuranantoka is so cute XD.

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I actually am quite supportive of the new work relations changes :O

Its quite bold and naturally very exposed to criticism but I commend the government for taking that step. It improves the competitiveness of Australia because, "generous" bosses arent competitive ones, its the sad truth of the way businesses work nowadays. Thousands of people lose their job daily due to their own incompetence anyway. The much more scattered cases of where workers are illigitmately sacked are not the case in point. Its merely people that seek to profiteer from any given opportunities that may come across their path.

I once said in my blog that the new changes should be good for skilled labour, which is the focus of the howard approach to the development of Australian Economy.

Create more riches -> Please the rich -> Make Australians rich -> win elections. Note how rich people does not equate to educated/humanitarian/healthy citizens as shown by all the issues you listed. But IMHO, a focused government that is for SOME kind of progress is better than labour, which has yet to forget any sort of direction and heading, other than disagree with pretty much everything Liberals do.

Rising oil prices are a pain but for non-oil producing countries like Australia, there are indeed very limited ways to solve this kind of problems. Not saying there is nothing wrong with the nonchalant stance of the government but a majority of the blame should be placed on overseas conflict, and the inefficiency/politically influenced National oil companies like those in Russia and Arabian oilfields. Here is a bit of fact, 90% of the worlds current oil reserves are owned by national oil companies, and their current reserves alone could power the world for many decades to come. They are just trying to gain political influence/power using these massive reserves.

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oops its not forget, but forge :D

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Whatever my own stance, I'm just listing a number of recent issues that's been quite controversial with the public =P

Although you do make it sound like the AWA favours the rich, who are already rich.

I'm not pro-Labour >__> I'm not sure why everyone who replied seemed to think so >__> That's what the "alternative isn't even an alternative" is for =P The two parties are so similar in their stance (or rather, as you said, Labour still hasn't decided on a stance) that the same problems will happen no matter who gets in.

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Err I just noticed this was meant to be a reply to beliael XD;;

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HAHAHA don't you just love the "Oooh, so this is Projectile Motion" *Look of revelation*??? XDDDDDD

Ah...Tegoshi's acting seems really fake though ==;;; It gives you this feeling "I am now trying to act perplexed" *Acts perplexed*

Tomoya (the main guy) is the best XDD

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LOL yeahh!!! "Parabola rocks!"

Haha yeah I agree his acting looks fake. Only there for the eycandy! Check this out - Yamapi, Tegoshi et al as girls O_O!!!!!

Hanya?!?!

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Would you happen to be pro-Green? 8DDDDD

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what, to legalizing drugs? =P

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Legalising drugs!! I KNOW!!! What a ridiculous proposal--unless you know the whole story.

The Greens certainly support legalising of drugs, but only for existing addicts. If a druggo's cravings are satisfied at legal injection rooms (rehab where possible), it would help lower drug-related crimes. Also, addicts are more likely to die from swapping needles with other diseased addicts, or injecting fakes and dangerous impurities they bought off the black market. Whereas proper injection rooms would help prevent that, while buying the addicts some time and giving them ready-access to rehab options.

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It all sounds pretty reasonable after giving some thoughts aye? BUT!

How would you distinguish between existing addicts from new ones? Ok I am not a medical genius but it should involve some sort of tests right? Whos going to manage the expenses? The federal of state government? Good luck sorting that out. Besides, having free drugs available reduces the financial burdens of drug addicts, and this means they can sustain their drug intake for a longer period. Think half government funded drug addiction.

They are addicted to a reason, if they can risk being imprisoned by commiting drug-related offenses, (correct me if I am wrong, but it should be robbery of some sort right?) whats stopping them from commiting such crimes after government funded drug centres stop giving them supplies? (Its GOT to step down/stop free drug supplies as a means for rehabilitation right?)

In addition most drug addicts would be pretty much jobless and endure all sorts of social problems. Sometimes one need more than just the will to quit something for good.

IMO a better alternative is to focus on forced rehabilitation, imprisoned them in some remote place, flush out the toxins and assign them jobs after rehab so they can get their life going again. But I imagine that wouldbe a VERY VERY expensive maneuver =(

The most effective way to eradicate any problem is always prevention, although I aint exactly sure how to carry that out. Is it possible to medically induce the effects of extreme drug addiction without actually being addicted? Then force everyone through that! mwahahaha!

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Is it possible to medically induce the effects of extreme drug addiction without actually being addicted?

They've actually got a drug like this for alcoholics. It pretty much blocks the enzyme they have for getting rid of alcohol in their system, so people get really sick (hungover) really quickly (after like one glass or something).

The problem with illegal drugs is that people get addicted to that period of euphoria. Maybe the prevention has to involve actually having a drug that causes euphoria without causing the horrible side effects...but then the world would turn out like Brave New World, wouldn't it?

I don't know, I think I have to agree with you on this one. Rehab's got to be better in the long term than actually subconsciously endorsing drug usage.

On the other hand, there are good sides to this argument: as you said, what will determine whether one is a drug addict or not? I think sometimes it doesn't matter. A lot of people who die from overdose (or become very badly ill) are often not addicts but just one-timers. If there is a government-funded place run by accredited people, these overdoses can be eliminated, and you'll also be in a safe place if you have a bad trip. The point being, a lot of people take drugs once or twice in their lives just for the experience, and don't get addicted at all, but these people are equally at danger of dying/being permanently debilitated if they take "bad quality street products".

Just a thought. Hmm. I think there are both sides to this argument, because legalising it does cut down on street peddling, which eliminates a lot of health danger, but it also sends a message across to users that "it's okay to be an addict", which defeats the purpose.

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Whos going to manage the expenses? Australians are already paying for drug addition: Robbery of homes and shops, mugging and hurting of randoms on the street, hospital beds for innocents who got hurt in the crimes, hospital beds for addicts who nearly killed themselves by injecting fakes, hospital beds for AIDS and other diseases spread by uncontrolled needle sharing, loss of loved ones to drugs and murders committed to conceal drug crimes, police funding wasted on chasing after these idiots, funding lifestyles in prisons. A bunch of free clinics is surely cheaper than all these hidden costs, I'd say.

Greens policy is more like a regulation of drugs than a legalisation of drugs actually. If you turn yourself in, they'll give you alternatives, placebos and rehab and only give you the real thing as a last resort. whats stopping them from commiting such crimes after government funded drug centres stop giving them supplies? Well, why rob Seven Eleven or attack a 20 randoms on the street to collect $1000 so that I can buy dodgy drugs off the black market or share a needle with God-knows-who, when I can just go back to the free clinic if my addiction comes back? The drug market would decline if addicts have free clinics, making drugs less available outside of clinics.

Imagine if your angelic son had his drink spiked. Would you prefer to see him receive the humane support and medical attention he needs, or see him condemned and imprisoned for an addiction that's not his fault? Drug addiction is an illness and should be treated as such. At least he could still go to school and look after his future with his addiction looked after by a clinic, instead of quitting school to spend his whole life robbing people, running away from cops, or rotting away in a prison. As for prisons, drugs are smuggled into prisons anyway so any funding spend on prison rehab is pretty much wasted. At least with free clinics, addicts can continue to go to school or work, instead of eating free food, watching free DVDs and sucking on drugs from the back door of the prison. A comfortable but very expensive prison lifestyle funded by taxpayers like you and me.

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Imagine if your angelic son had his drink spiked. Would you prefer to see him receive the humane support and medical attention he needs, or see him condemned and imprisoned for an addiction that's not his fault?
Ok...that actually sounds very reasonable, and I will have to agree. As a response to this I would have to say, maybe enforce a non-incriminating approach to first time drug users, that way they are more inclined to turn themselves in after they are spiked/involuntarily drugged. However, there is still a distinction between recognizing the innocence of certain drug users and seeing the legalization of drugs as a whole.

In addition, A bunch of free clinics is surely cheaper than all these hidden costs, I'd say.
I beg to differ. There will be immense costs associated with providing free clinics. The first couple things that comes to mind are:

Administration;
Social, How would people feel about drug facilities around their neighbourhood? If they are placed in non-populated areas they are not easily-accessible, therefore it might take too long to reach when "it" kicks in. Property price declines in drug-related area are all costs to society, imagine suburbs labelled as drug towns because there are an inflood of drug users in their clinic.
Legal(there will have to be new law/regulations introduced, because well, if people can smuggle drugs into a prison, surely they can bribe the free clinic workers to give them a bigger dose;
Pharmaceutical, there will be new contracts to drug companies that produce free drugs. I am not sure how smoothly new drug production would commence as I am not aware of the nature of the drugs (Ie, whether production process could be easily modified to cater for these drugs);
Security/Personnel for the facility;

It might seem as if I am taking words out of their context but quoting the whole sentence would have been too long, anyway consider.
why rob.....when I can just go back to the free clinic if my addiction comes back?
That is like....um....yeah. Seriously that has to sound wrong =(

But yeah, after having to think of arguments to retort I see how the Greens proposal makes sense and can work. However sometimes such policies are very difficult to implement, and people can misinterpret the goodwill of providing free drugs to addicts as an endorsement of a major social-problem.

And yeah...sometimes I argue for the sake of arguing =P

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Well, if you ask "Why thinks we need more railways?" Everyone will scream, "HELL YES!!!" But if you ask "What if I build the railway in your backyard?" and you know how negative response will be LOL. Everyone's so selfish in their own way and it's same thing for where to put the clinic. But if you disguise a drug clinic within a normal hospital, it won't be too bad :P.

"why rob.....when I can just go back to the free clinic if my addiction comes back?"
That is like....um....yeah. Seriously that has to sound wrong =(

LOL I know... and it will continue to sound wrong until you get mugged one day or come home to find that your flat screen TV and computer got stolen. I'd prefer to see addicts in clinics injecting saline though, without being told that it's saline of course XD.

I think the Greens ought to at least receive credit for sticking to their ideas even if they are unpopular ideas, instead of playing the blame game or lying through their teeth (e.g. AWB wheat scam, blaming the reserve bank, blaming the banana and petrol prices for interest rates).

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There's one chick at work who doesn't do anything all day besides bitch about colleagues and have 50 daily coffee toilet breaks per day. Come deadlines and all she does is whinge about how much work she has on her plate and how the boss is working her too hard. Whenever I see her doing her thing, I can't help thinking she needs to be smacked with an AWA of her own :P.

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