Winter Soldier is an event which gives U.S marines and soldiers the opportunity to express their stories from the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Its origins stem from 1971, when Vietnam war veterans gathered to talk about what really happened during the war.
Today, former marines and soldiers testified in a public hearing before a panel of lawmakers from the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPG) in a bid to convince U.S. Congress to stop the war and stop sending troops to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Ex-Marine Corps rifleman, Vincent Emanuele, told those present at the public hearing about the extent of the cruelty inflicted towards Iraqi civilians detained by U.S. troops.
"Our unit engaged in punching, kicking, butt stroking, or generally harassing and abusing these very prisoners until the point at which our unit would take them in the middle of the desert, miles from their respective homes, and at times throw them out of the back of our Humvees," revealed Emanuele.
Former Marine sniper, Sergio Koechergin, was another who added to the argument and spoke about the hardships faced by those returning from the present war.
"When we all come back from Iraq and we seek help from our command, they call us 'weak' and 'cowards'. The lines for a psychologist are almost a year long, and the only thing that can help us is the alcohol and the prescription pills they’re giving out to us like candy... We lost numerous people from failing drug tests. They either want to get out, or they’re just so messed up, and the only one thing that can help them to escape is the drugs," said Koechergin.
The transition for those coming back to the real world from such a twisted reality is not only an issue of the present, it is a problem that continues from previous wars as well.
Dr Michael McKinley is from the Australian National University. He is an expert on issues surrounding political science and internation relations.
"War veterans in the United States have been treated very poorly in the past, even after the Gulf War, with many of them becoming drug addicts," said McKinley.
I don't know about you, but the fact that these people have been placed within a system which allows them to act in such barbaric ways really worries me. These are only two, out hundreds of thousands of troops, who have been sent to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq. I only hope that the Winter Soldier hearings in the U.S. give Australian troops the hope of expressing themselves freely so they too can contribute to the progression of society, not only in Australia but throughout the world.
Photo by Iraq Veterans Against War (IVAW)

The Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus) in Tokyo, Japan is celebrated every April and 2008 is no exception. Raunchy symbols are offered as gifts to the Kanamara Shrine, where the festival is held, as locals pray for the ability to conceive and find a partner. People even go to pray for increased business profits.
The festival dates back to the start of the 17th century when prostitutes would visit the shrine and pray for better business and protection against syphilis. Check out the above clip to see some hilarious footage.

For those who are owners of cheap, "bomb" cars you now have the privilege of owning an expensive vehicle.
All cars are fast becoming money burners as the price of petrol escalates. Yesterday, some parts of Sydney paid $1.50 a litre for petrol!  However, we are being warned that petrol prices will continue to rise.
According to OPEC's (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries) head of petroleum market analysis, Mohammad Alipour-Jeddi, financial market developments are responsible for the high oil prices, not growth in demand.

Jean Kilbourne is a goddess when it comes to critically analysing the media and advertising industries and their portrayal of women. Her newest book (co-written with Diane E. Levin Ph. D) So Sexy so Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids will be coming out August this year.
No doubt this book will live up to her previous work - including, Killing Us Softly 3 (updated in 2000), a documentary/lecture featuring advertisements that have been objectifying women from the 20th to the 21st century. Play the clip above to preview Killing Us Softly 3. Kilbourne talks about society's obsession with breasts and says that if men had the same kind of ads we would see"Wonderjock. The strap for the bulge you've always wanted" appearing in magazines.  Keeping Kilbourne's hilariously accurate observations in mind, why are we continually seeing websites showing women as objects? A new site called http://www.missbimbo.com/ lets young girls create their own Miss Bimbo! Check out the site to see phrases like, "even resort to meds or plastic surgery. Stop at nothing to become the reigning bimbo!"  Charming. I can't wait to see the new women of the world rising to become bimbo elites.

Okay, it might not be the Zephyr Boys but it's as close as you may get 'cause Dogtown is far away from Sydney.

Bowl-A-Rama is the name, and exceptional skateboarding talent from around the world is the game. The likes of Bucky Lasek, Steve Caballero and Omar Hassan are set to appear this year.

Locals at Bondi's skate park like Matthew Harris, have competed in previous Bowl-A-Rama events. "It's become bigger now that international talent comes to our shores to compete...The skating is incredible and there are so many different styles coming together at one place," says Harris.

Bowl-A-Rama 's going down this Saturday, February 23 at Bondi beach's own "dogbowl." So grab some sunscreen, a hat, some thongs if you want to check out the talent on show.

The Illustrated Guide to Free Hugs book follows Juan Mann's saga and was made free for all on the net in December. He's also well known as the guy with the "FREE HUGS" sign at Pitt Street Mall.
The avid gamer hopes to have the hard copy of the book based on the Free Hugs Campaign out in time for tomorrow's Valentine's Day.
Krista Brennan, the book's artist, has contributed 40 illustrations and Mann has added 20000 words to go with them but somehow "she's been working harder than me," says Mann. Visit http://juanmanntv.blogspot.com for more info and the latest news on the Free Hugs Campaign journey.

It's that time of the year again, Latin beats on Bondi's streets...well actually in the pavillion but you get my drift.
It's the 28th South American Festival held at Bondi this Sunday, February 17. If I go by its preceding years of festivities, it's going to be a lot of fun in the sun (that's if the sun shows its face this weekend). Celebrations start at 1pm and finish at 7.30pm. There's going to be South American cocktails, food and Brazilian dancers, Capoeira, salsa and samba. I urge you to join in, have a laugh and work up a sweat on the dance floor with the South American community. Entry costs $20 and $15 concession, or if you're like my best friend you could probably get away with telling the cashier you're 10 years old and get in free.