What Hurts More?

In to spare 'hurt feelings', a serious message that could spare actual hurt and harm gets dumped by squeamish do-gooders.

-- Nora

Seeing Red

Nice piece from Andrew Bolt recognising the work of the Red Frog Crew volunteers.

So I’d be in despair if my son hadn’t also told me of dozens of other young Australians up in Byron last week. About 150 of them, as I found out.

They were volunteers who patrolled the beach at all hours; checking on the drunk and troubled, and doing everything that some parents would have prayed for, had they known.

No Encouragement Necessary

A company with the Australian rights to trashy porn series Girls Gone Wild intends to run a booze cruise for 18 and 19 year old Schoolies to 'a secret island north of Surfers Paradise' and 'maybe' film 'a bit of nudity'.

Asked what they thought of the company's plans to charge adults $70 each for a half-day outing at which alcohol is served then film those who have no self-control, three female Schoolies, solicited by The Daily Telegraph to pose for photographs in their bikinis, described it as 'scary', 'disturbing', 'sick' and 'a bit like paedophilia'.

They then went back to pouring vodka down each others throats with funnels and flashing their tits from high rise balconies.

-- Nick

Go Home And Go To Bed

It's not often one finds oneself agreeing with the nannies of the Australian Medical Association but:

The Australian Medical Association Queensland has called for a blanket ban on any pubs opening before 10am. "Anyone who needs to start drinking that early in the morning would seem to have an alcohol-related problem and our view is that they should be seeking assistance," president-elect Dr Chris Davis said.

Not surprisingly, Davis' viewpoint on a a review of Queensland pub opening hours has drawn predictable reactions in comments from readers who trumpet the 24/7 nature of modern life and demand their right to a beer at 7am. There's also the standard:

Until Brisbane wakes up to the fact that the rest of the world is running 24/7 - it will never get the 'Worldly' recognition it is looking for.

Of course, the rest of the world does not run 24/7. Nightclubs in Los Angeles and many other 'worldly' places around the world close at 2am and no one has a problem with it.

One is a bit fed up with so-called 'adults' whinging like kids because they can't have everything they want at any time they want it while closing their eyes to the damage their demands for constant indulgence is causing:

"I'm not sure it can get much worse," said Mr Evans, describing the behaviour of people within city centres on Friday and Saturday nights... Government studies show that 44 per cent of violent crimes are alcohol-related and that 70 per cent of weekend hospital admissions are linked to drinking. [1]

VIOLENT crime in Scotland has risen by 40 per cent in a year, according to new figures published today. Most of the increase was due to an increase in "minor" assaults carried out by people under the influence of alcohol. [2]

Rapes and serious assaults will soar if pubs are allowed to open longer, said the Council of Her Majesty's Circuit Judges, which represents 600 judges. The judges' report stated: "Those who routinely see the consequences of drink-fuelled violence in offences of rape, grievous bodily harm and worse on a daily basis are in no doubt that an escalation of offences of this nature will inevitably be caused by the relaxation of liquor licensing which the government has now authorised." [3]

The latter cited article is well worth reading in full, containing the following quote that could as well apply to Australia as Britain:

Judge Charles Harris QC said... "Continental-style drinking requires continental-style people - people who sit quietly chatting away at cafe tables." He said British drinking involved "standing up, shouting at each other in crowded bars, trying to consume gallons of beer at a time".

-- Nick

The I Didn't Do It Boy

News Ltd has quickly deflected its online coverage of Kevin Rudd's drunken New York strip club sojourn into commentary on the commentary.

Meanwhile, Rudd - who admitted:

...he could not recall what happened at the night spot because he had 'had too much to drink'

- has nonetheless:

...questioned a claim that he had been warned by (the strip club) management about his behaviour...

...even though:

...he could not recall what happened at the night spot because he had 'had too much to drink'

...and suggested:

...(Alexander) Downer's office could be the source of the story.

Or it could be, Kevvie, you went the grope and were asked to leave and you were too blind drunk on $12 beers and $15 shorts to remember.

It should be interesting to see the mental gymnastics all the leftie feminists have to indulge in to explain why Rudd is still an acceptable Labor candidate for PM. It should be as amusing as the knots US feminists tied themselves in over Bill Clinton's 'seduction' of a work experience intern.

-- Nick

Update: The comedy of hypocritical feminist reaction begins:

Women's groups unwilling to criticise... "If we hanged every bloke who was stupid, there wouldn't be many left," National Foundation for Australian Women spokeswoman Marie Coleman said... Women's Electoral Lobby spokeswoman and prominent feminist Eva Cox said Mr Rudd had a generally good attitude towards women. "It's not something that represents his usual behaviour," she said.

Both of these hard left feminazis would skewer anyone on the right side of politics for just thinking of going to a strip club.

Meanwhile:

One male frontbencher, who did not wish to be named, said the story could work in Mr Rudd's favour. "It might humanise him a bit. People see him as too much the bookworm and diplomat," he said.

Which comment would also normally raise calls for a burning at the stake.

Hilarious.

Eee, When I Were A Lad...

There's an obesity epidemic among kids because they eat too much junk food and watch too much TV, right?

Wrong:

"If you look at the decline in walking and cycling among children it is far more dramatic than any changes in TV watching trends. The average length of commute to school has doubled in the last 20 years. That is probably a function of educational policy."

The researchers also carried out a review of around 50 previous studies on the relationship between the amount of television watched by children and physical activity. "We found the association is close to zero," Prof Biddle said.

The researchers concluded lack of exercise rather than diet was to blame for the rising childhood obesity levels in Britain.

We'll drink to that. Here's a Big Fluffy Zombie.

Mix, drink, repeat...

-- Nick and Nora