Please help get science and reason in gossip mags. #equality #StopAVN

28/01/2012 Bastard Sheep Leave a comment

spacer The ACL (Australian Christian Lobby) has recently started a campaign to get their followers and supporters to get Margaret Court nominated and voted in as a National Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia.  Women’s Day, one of the most popular gossip mags here in Australia, has a website with a short-list of 100 nominees where you can vote.

In an attempt to counter this, we’d like to try to get as many people as possible to vote instead for Professor Ian Frazer (#32 in the list), the inventor of the Gardasil vaccine.  Reasons why you should support him are given below the jump. Read more…

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  • Categories: Equality, Skepticism Tags: #health, Activism, AVN, Bigot, christian apologetics, Equality, Ethics, Gay Rights, Homophobia, Marriage, marriage equality, national trust of australia, Religion, Skeptic, Skepticism, Vaccines

    So much for “tradition”. #equality.

    27/01/2012 Bastard Sheep Leave a comment

    spacer As of the 1st of February, the laws that restrict Australians from getting married overseas will be revoked.  These laws, introduced by lil johnny howard in 2004, not only made changes to the definition of marriage, specifically adding lines that would discriminate against homosexual, transgender, and nongendered people, but it also would not allow Certificate For Intent to be issues to GLBT Australians who were overseas.

    The CFI is a sheet of paper that certifies that the person does not already have a legally recognised partner and is free to marry.  Since 2004, thanks to the changes added by phil ruddock and lil jonny howard, LGBT people cannot receive these.  Without these, they cannot marry.  Well, could not.  They will be able to once again after February 1st. Read more…

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  • Categories: Equality Tags: Bigot, equal marriage, Equality, gay marriage, Gay Rights, Homophobia, Marriage, ruddock

    Instagram isn’t a photo sharing service, it’s a worm. PLEASE stop using it!

    24/01/2012 Bastard Sheep Leave a comment

    I hate Instagram.  Actually, I’m that statement isn’t entirely true.  To be completely honest and truthful, I F%$KING loathe Instagram.  It is the chain-mail of the photography world (Send this email to all your friends list!).  It is so similar to a computer worm (virus) it’s not funny.  It seems to serves no purpose other than get other people to spread it, install it, get itself everywhere and propagate some more.

    Every time someone uses it, I die a little inside.  Every time someone uses it, I feel a deep sense of foreboding rage building inside of me.  Every time someone uses it, a hipster gains his/her skintight jeans and thick glasses with no lenses.

    What exactly is wrong with it?  Well, just about everything.  Read more…

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  • Categories: IT, Misc Tags: Instagram, Photography, rant

    A quick thought on the #MTRsues case.

    17/01/2012 Bastard Sheep 1 comment

    I was reading an article in The Age which states that Melinda Tankard Reist has threatened a libel lawsuit against a blogger, and one section of the article jumped out at me as being quite odd and, quite frankly, wrong.  Seeing as my comment was a bit more than I could fit on twitter (thought I can fit it on facebook), I’ve decided to write this very short blog article to put up my thoughts.

    “While Tankard Reist has not gone so far as to issue court proceedings yet, she complains social media has intensified the level of vituperation against outspoken figures such as herself.

    ”Things have gone too far, people think they can just trash you,” she said yesterday. ”Why does being a blogger exempt you from the laws of defamation?”” Read more…

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  • Categories: Misc Tags: Bigot, Feminism, Hypocricy, Melinda Tankard Reist

    Australian Vaccination Network at Woodford Folk Festival. #StopAVN

    29/12/2011 Bastard Sheep Leave a comment

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    spacer I’ve spoken about the Australian Vaccination Network before, but those have generally only been mentions and references, I’ve never really gone in to who and what they are.

    EDIT: BREAKING NEWS! It appears StopAVN have done something fantastic and unexpected at Woodford Folk Festival!  Please scroll down to the next bolded “EDIT:” and ensure even if you don’t read most of this, you at least read that!!! spacer

    Who are the Australian Vaccination Network?
    spacer The Australian Vaccination Network (AVN), despite all claims to the contrary, are an anti-vaccination group.  They are headed up by Meryl Dorey and claim they’re not, they claim they just support informed choice and provide a counter to the governments provides.  However, the information the AVN provide is wrong on almost all counts which means it’s not really an informed choice they’re providing but a misinformed one, and if the governments provides is pro-vaccine, then any stance counter to that surely must be anti?

    Their preferred sources of information are not scientific studies, but rather conspiracy theorist sites such as whale.to (a site that collects any and all articles and claims no matter how crazy and unsubstantiated they are), conspiracy theorists such as David Icke (who promotes world leaders and the royal family being lizard people), and people with revoked medical licenses such as the disgraced Andrew Wakefield.

    They’ve had their charity license revoked.  In the last two years, only two issues of their 6/year magazine “Living Wisdom” has been released (and despite being so far behind in issues owed, they’re still actively pushing subscriptions).  They regularly cry oppression, censorship and demand free speech, despite blocking/banning anyone who dares counter their supposed-not president Meryl Dorey with information that is nothing more than factual. They have also been caught filing numerous false DMCA requests to hide public and factual information they don’t like.  The Australian Vaccination Network about as hypocritical as one can get. Read more…

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  • Categories: Skepticism Tags: #health, #StopAVN, Activism, Australian Vaccination Network, Autism, AVN, Ethics, Facebook, Homeopathy, Hypocricy, Skeptic, Skepticism, Ten23, Vaccination Saves Lives, Vaccines, Woodford Folk Festival, WoodfordFF

    Christopher Maloney is a defeated quack.

    21/12/2011 Bastard Sheep 1 comment

    spacer Almost two years ago now I wrote a blog post about Christopher Maloney, Naturopathic Doctor / Not a Doctor / Quack Extroadinairre who had used non-legal threats towards WordPress to shut down a science bloggers blog after the person dared write a post which rightfully called Christopher Maloney a quack.

    At the time, Christopher Maloney was throwing out threats of lawsuits left right and centre, and twisting anything and everything he possibly could to make it falsely look like he was being persecuted.  Not long after this, all news on him died off and this was the last the blogosphere heard.  This wasn’t the end of his actions though.

    It has now become apparent that Christopher Maloney, Quack, N.D. had utilised his wife’s legal services to sue the original blogger.  A S.L.A.P.P. suit was filed against Mr Hawkins. Read more…

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  • Categories: Skepticism Tags: Activism, Christopher Maloney, Ethics, Pharyngula, Quack, Skeptic, Skepticism

    Shear a sheepie at World’s Greatest Shave 2012.

    19/10/2011 Bastard Sheep Leave a comment

    spacer World’s Greatest Shave has opened up for applicants for another year.  In 2012 it is taking place from the 15th to 17th of March, and I’ll be taking part.

    The last time I participated was back in 2003 and I raised over $800 by removing this.

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    Although I no longer have the lovely long locks, I’ve decided to try some other strategies to help make the earnings worthwhile. Read more…

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  • Categories: Misc Tags: Fundraising, Leukaemia Foundation, Shave For A Cure, Western Sydney Freethinkers, World's Greatest Shave, WSFT

    #themeet140 – Sydney’s “FIRST EVAR” tweetup and other Social Media #Fail’s.

    11/10/2011 Bastard Sheep 3 comments

    spacer Yesterday my mate brought to

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