After creating this on the beach the other day, I think I now consider myself a bit of an artist.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Eternity seems like a pretty long time anyway
I was driving my daughter home from daycare yesterday afternoon, when it happened. It was in the window of one of those houses that's all 'workers cottage' old and red bricked, but on the most beautiful block: over looking the beach, the mouth of the river and out to the islands. There was a BIG, dodgey- microsoft word print-out that looked a bit like this:
Where will
YOU
Be for all ETERNITY?
"Dead, more than likely"- was my instant thought
But as I cruised along, singing wiggles and admiring the clear blue water I realized that my overly-outspoken atheist partner has a rather alarming delusion. He obviously doesn't believe in heaven, but while I contemplate the concept of 'ceasing to exist' and 'nothingness', he clings to the hope that he'll be uploaded into a computer.
That's right. His own personal back-up drive.
Now I've told him that it doesn't seem particularly likely. Although he says he agrees, I think he still hopes. We're all afraid of THE END (and I want mine written in curly writing like in old films). But to consider oneself to be reasonable, and then hope for a science-fiction miracle... well I'm no scientist, or Trekkie so I'm hardly an expert, and maybe we're closer than I think (not-likely)... But eternity seems like a pretty long time anyway
Where will
YOU
Be for all ETERNITY?
"Dead, more than likely"- was my instant thought
But as I cruised along, singing wiggles and admiring the clear blue water I realized that my overly-outspoken atheist partner has a rather alarming delusion. He obviously doesn't believe in heaven, but while I contemplate the concept of 'ceasing to exist' and 'nothingness', he clings to the hope that he'll be uploaded into a computer.
That's right. His own personal back-up drive.
Now I've told him that it doesn't seem particularly likely. Although he says he agrees, I think he still hopes. We're all afraid of THE END (and I want mine written in curly writing like in old films). But to consider oneself to be reasonable, and then hope for a science-fiction miracle... well I'm no scientist, or Trekkie so I'm hardly an expert, and maybe we're closer than I think (not-likely)... But eternity seems like a pretty long time anyway
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Take one Headache to detox the cool-aid
Those who know me, know that in my past life I well and truly drank the cool-aid. Any cool-aid, peddled by any snake-oil merchant. Yes, I was neck deep in the woo. And at the first signs of a head-cold I fell straight back into my old ways. I loaded on the garlic (meant to be an antibiotic), drunk my body weight in orange juice (for the vitamin c) and started my routine of lymphatic drainage massage.
There may (or may not) be some level of credibility in the garlic claim and at least the orange juice was keeping me hydrated, but lymphatic drainage? During a warm shower, which did wonders for my crashing headache, it occurred to me that I learned all about this Lymph-stuff while I was studying at the Australian College of Natural Medicine. Maybe that shower is responsible for finally clearing my mind, but the alarm bells started to ring.
I Googled it.
What I found was that Lymphatic Drainage was used to "detox" and "remove toxins". Oh no. Furthermore, the only clinics to offer a lymph massage service were, you guessed it, Natural therapies clinics. Even Wikipedia said:
" Scientific studies show mixed results regarding the efficacy of the method"
and
"studies on animals has MLDT (Manual lymphatic drainage treatment) been shown to increase lymph uptake and thoracic duct flow, but the same evidence has not yet been shown for human subjects"
My heart sank. The moment I felt sick, achy and sore I lost all ability to critically think. I reached straight my old pseudo-science, placebo at-best, treatments from my dark past. And just for the record- my debilitating headaches (I would go as far as to said they were migraines) knocked me out for 2 days, during which time it appears these remedies did very little. Anecdotal or not, the fact remains that, my cold still rages. If anything, it's worse. But I finally have a GP appointment at 3 pm this afternoon. Bring on the Science!
There may (or may not) be some level of credibility in the garlic claim and at least the orange juice was keeping me hydrated, but lymphatic drainage? During a warm shower, which did wonders for my crashing headache, it occurred to me that I learned all about this Lymph-stuff while I was studying at the Australian College of Natural Medicine. Maybe that shower is responsible for finally clearing my mind, but the alarm bells started to ring.
I Googled it.
What I found was that Lymphatic Drainage was used to "detox" and "remove toxins". Oh no. Furthermore, the only clinics to offer a lymph massage service were, you guessed it, Natural therapies clinics. Even Wikipedia said:
" Scientific studies show mixed results regarding the efficacy of the method"
and
"studies on animals has MLDT (Manual lymphatic drainage treatment) been shown to increase lymph uptake and thoracic duct flow, but the same evidence has not yet been shown for human subjects"
My heart sank. The moment I felt sick, achy and sore I lost all ability to critically think. I reached straight my old pseudo-science, placebo at-best, treatments from my dark past. And just for the record- my debilitating headaches (I would go as far as to said they were migraines) knocked me out for 2 days, during which time it appears these remedies did very little. Anecdotal or not, the fact remains that, my cold still rages. If anything, it's worse. But I finally have a GP appointment at 3 pm this afternoon. Bring on the Science!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Ethics legislation
Hello again everyone,
Through the magical world of twitter I have just been informed of "The right to teach Ethics in our public schools passes the lower house. Opposed by Libs & Nats." @KKeneally. This essentially means that no matter the election result, ethics classes are to go ahead.. at least for the immediate future.I have a feeling that the Liberals realised there was very little they could do to stop the legislation from passing, labour certainly has the numbers in the lower house.
I also mentioned that I would keep you all up-to-date with my correspondence with Andrew Constance and with the St James ethics centre. I realise that Andrew is the shadow minister for Ageing and Disability Service, however he is also the representative of my electorate, Bega. I find it most useful to contact my own members when curious about political issues, because they're the ones who take the time to get back to me. I've spoken to Andrew a couple of times in the last couple of days and here's what he has to say in a recent email:
There are mixed views on ethics across the community and there has been robust debate in Parliament on ethic classes.
It is disappointing that the government has seen fit to pit ethics courses against religion courses in an attempt to wedge the opposition. This is to the detriment of the education of the state's school children and politicises education unnecessarily. The Liberals & Nationals continue to support SRE in our schools.
At this time the Keneally Labor Government is refusing to confirm who will be conducting the ethics courses at Far South Coast schools, what funds will be made available to run the courses and whether the introduction of the ethics classes will actually address the issue of some kids with nothing to do. These are serious concerns.
The report on the trial that was conducted did raise a number of concerns regarding course content, including content involving designer babies and terrorism.
For these reasons we are opposing the legislation
It is disappointing that the government has seen fit to pit ethics courses against religion courses in an attempt to wedge the opposition. This is to the detriment of the education of the state's school children and politicises education unnecessarily. The Liberals & Nationals continue to support SRE in our schools.
At this time the Keneally Labor Government is refusing to confirm who will be conducting the ethics courses at Far South Coast schools, what funds will be made available to run the courses and whether the introduction of the ethics classes will actually address the issue of some kids with nothing to do. These are serious concerns.
The report on the trial that was conducted did raise a number of concerns regarding course content, including content involving designer babies and terrorism.
For these reasons we are opposing the legislation
On the other hand, the St James Ethics centre, has so far only sent me an automated style e-mail stating that they'd get back to me in more detail when they have the time. Obviously they are very busy. I can understand how one citizen journalist, with a blogging audience she can count on one hand, isn't their first priority.Despite this rather lame scope of influence, I will keep the up dates coming!
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