Issues news

I watched a film that aired on the ABC last Thursday night and it had me in great pain both physically and emotionally. The film, The Oasis, takes a look at the homeless youth of Sydney and the daily horrors they have to face. From a young age the youth in this film have gone through unspeakable traumas and have been abandoned by their families; leaving them to turn to the streets, crime, drugs and alcohol. The only hope these teens and young adults seem to have comes in the form of Oasis Youth Support Network run by Captain Paul Moulds (pictured above) - he is one truly amazing human being. You've gotta watch this film. Head to the Oasis site so you can learn how you can help these kids and the other 22,000 teenagers that are homeless across Australia every night. If you need help or know of someone who needs help contact Lifeline 24 Hour Counselling - 13 11 14.

It's only taken about 107 years but on September 5, Ms Quentin Bryce will become the first woman to take up the position of governor-general in Australia. "What this day says to Australian women and to Australian girls is that you can do anything, you can be anything," spoke Bryce, who is a prominent feminist and a fierce campaigner for Indigenous and women's rights. Ms Bryce was raised in Llfracombe (described by her as "a little bush town in Queensland of 200 people") and served as a lawyer specialising in anti-discrimination and human rights law before becoming the governor of Queensland in 2003. Kevin Rudd yesterday called the appointment "a great day for Australian women" and went on to claim that Quentin Bryce would capture "the spirit of modern Australia". Hopefully Quentin Bryce's role will invite more positions of national influence for women.

What do the Vines, Jet, Something for Kate and the Red Riders all have in common (besides being on your iPod play list)? Members from all these groups have signed PETA Asia Pacific's petition urging the Canadian government to stop the slaughter of baby seals for fur. Canada's annual seal hunt, which is in progress, is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on the planet. More than 330,000 baby seals were killed last year alone. Most of the seals killed are 3 months old or younger. Many are still nursing and haven't learned how to swim. Sealers strike the seals on the head again and again or shoot them point-blank. As many as 42 per cent of the seals slaughtered in the hunt are skinned alive. Dead and dying animals are tossed together to rot in heaps on the ice.
Being heartbroken is not enough. Sign our petition calling for a permanent end to this cruel hunt!

The story of Malachi Ritscher's suicide is confronting but reinforces the idea that true journalism could be coming to an end. Death is always newsworthy, anti-war protests are also arguably newsworthy, but why was the death of Ritscher not reported within mainstream news outlets for so long? Malachi Ritscher died on November 3, 2006 near a Chicago (U.S.A.) expressway during the morning peak hour period. He doused himself with gasoline and became a walking torch after lighting himself on fire as a protest against the Iraq war.  Irrecogniseable and charred remains were found hours later next to a sign reading: "Thou shalt not kill." It was Ritscher. The man who wrote his own obituary and mission statement before committing an act of self-immolation.
You may be thinking, "what a douchebag," but you could also think "why didn't I hear about it? Why do I hear when there's a naming contest to name a new baby panda at Taronga Zoo, but not hear about a member of the human race becoming a blaze at rush hour, in the United States, to make an anti-war statement?" So, I'm at odds when deciding what the bigger story is... (a) the fact that a man set himself on fire and burned alive to a crisp or, (b) the fact that the media almost completely ignored the incident.
You decide.
Photo by Joeff Davis

" Yeah, yeah Grandma - I get it, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but I love oranges better!" In hindsight, I now, deeply regret not listening to my dear Nana. If only I gave those four oranges a day the flick and started getting my chompers into a red ball of crunch. Long story short; I ate so many oranges when I was younger that one day after devouring nearly a whole litre of orange juice, my lips, eyes, tongue, cheeks, well pretty much my whole head swelled up. I was devastated, not because I looked like a puffer fish on steroids, but because I knew my love affair with oranges had sadly come to a bitter end.
So basically the doc informed that my body had had enough oranges and decided to reject them, not to mention EVERY OTHER FRUIT besides apples and pears as well! Two of the most boring fruits right? You're telling me!! So over the last few years I have had to say no to pavlova, fruit salad, glorious fruit muffins and wait for it. . . . PUNCH! I reluctantly have forced myself to love apples. Off-hand I can name all varieties, the good and the bad. I have become an apple queen. Apple juice, apple pie, apple chips, apple sauce - you name it, I love it. So point of my rant - apples have just been announced the 'superfruit'. Go here to read about this magnificent discovery - just randomly, apples have eight times more antioxidants than bananas! Thank the Lord for that, I always thought banana's were so overrated. So now, with this informed knowledge, I will continue to eat a multiple array of apple produce each day, in the sheer hope that my lips, eyes, tongue and so forth keep feelin' the love.

It's a real shame you can't tune into indigenous television network, Nine Impaja, in central areas - especially now that they’ve launched "Footprint"; the channel's first current affairs show. Imparja was first developed in 1988 with the aim of delivering information and communication services to the communities in the Northern territory while promoting indigenous culture and values. These values are still current and today the station remains totally owned and controlled by Northern Territory and South Australian Aboriginal shareholders. Footprints is hosted by journalist Catherine Liddle and was launched last month as a weekly current affairs program that takes a look at everyday life in rural and regional Australia. It's said heaps but it is actually really interesting to see more of, and learn more of, places outside of the Sydney/ Melbourne CBD. Imparja was procured by the nine network earlier this year - meaning they run a lot of Nine's shows -  wouldn't it be great if Nine showed Imparja shows like Footprint?

Come rubbish day do you buckle under the weight of your bottle bin?Do you stare at the rapidly filling curbside in wonderment over just how much crap you have accumulated in the course of a week? Do you then recoil in self-disgust when you realise that you haven't actually even been home much that week? Let's just say I shall not throw stones but if this does sound like you, maybe you should make like Kiwi's Waveney Warth and Matt Luxton and go rubbish free for a year. Inspired by the NZ Government's recent reduce rubbish campaign, the Christchurch couple are recycling, reusing, rehoming, planting and baking in the aim of whittling their rubbish output to just one council rubbish bag....for the entire year. You can track Waverny and Matt's progress via there website, where they also provide lots of tips and everyday alternatives for those who are looking to take up the challenge also.