Cronulla

My brain doesn't react very well to racism.

Especially the common garden variety racist - the average Joe, a nice, normal, caring, sharing person. Who just happen to pop out little pockets of 'all ------'s are evil' or 'those people deserve to die' and who could forget the all-time-classic phrase that truly shows that you don't know what you are talking about, and resemble a mimicking parrot more than a thinking human: 'they should be sent home.'

My brain just slams into 'we just lost cabin pressure' mode, rendering me speechless and dumbfounded, like some archaic spell has been cast on me. Racism is such fundamental lesson to learn, the logic, the history, if examined in any detail at all, which is almost impossible in today's curriculum, would highlight the dangers to even the most retarded of individuals.

You learn not to poo yourself, and that smearing it on your face and the faces of others, is not a pleasant way to deal with your peers. Some do not have correctly functioning brains, and much to the distress of carers, continue with this practice past their infantile stage of life. Thus it is with racism.

Unfortunately, I think its possible that racism is natural, if ignorant, behavior - it seems to be lodged firmly in the brain stem, probably in the natural selection region, wedged in, just below the 'I like to touch women's bits - heyuk!' code. We may be predisposed, but that offers no excuse. To be so inclined, is to be likened to others who cannot control their primal urges - people who do touch random women inappropriately in public, or walk the streets nekked - ie: you need help.

And what's with ogling anyway? (Tangent alert) If a hefty-chested barely-clad attractive lass trots by, the brain stem wirrs into life and optical auto-tracking seems to kick in. It's not a rational decision, it's fully automatic, semi sub-conscious. But what does it achieve? You are completely aware of how unlikely it is that you will be permitted to mount, and if you do look - then what? At what point is the ogling complete? Is it to collect data for future *ahem* personal use? I don't get it. Social sciences students, this would be a good excuse for a perv experiment - get permission, and record at which point the ogling desire seems to fade. But, in a show of respect for the female, who is most likely a person and not a billboard to be perused, I look away. Unless, of course, no one is around, and she's in front of me. Then I'll sneak a quick eye-dart. (This is entirely for the neurological experimentation reasons above, and not a weakness of will.) Tangent expired.

Can a blind person be racist? If they're born without any concept of appearance, and can only tell the occasional tone difference or stereotypical accents, how can they be?

Apparently there is some religious/cultural holiday coming up, after being so distracted by all this nonsense, it's hard to remember what it is, or what it supposed to be about.

Fuck, I gotta get presents.

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"And now we have a young Anglo-Australian's opinion on immigrants."

"I say, if youse dun' learn the language, theysh' jus' g'ome!"

"I'm sorry, they should what?"

"G'OME!! We dun' wan' ya here - we din' invoit yez."

"I'm sorry, I can't understand you. If you haven't bothered learning how to speak the native tongue in an accurate manner, perhaps you should take a course. Or, return to wherever that language it is you speak comes from."

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The news as it should be:

On the weekend, a collection of Australians rallied in support of getting control of Australian beaches back from Australian-Australians. It quickly turned violent, with Australians chasing and bashing Australians, chanting racial taunts along the lines of "Aussies - go home".

The following day, repercussions came. Australian-looking men were allegedly seen smashing the cars of Australians on an Australian street in suburban Australia. One Australian, fresh from an Australian hospital, claims she was approached by an Australian-looking man, told "it's our country too" and then hit in the head with a baseball bat. Much like the irony should.

Australian community groups and gangs have met and declared peace with other Australian groups/gangs. "We have nothing against Australians" claimed one Australian-born Australian. The leader of an Australian gang concurred: "we deal drugs, bash other gang's members, create a public disturbance, but we abhor any activities that involve any racist anti-Australian action, by Australians or Australians alike. Despite the differences between the cultures of Australians and Australians, this is the wrong reason to attack people. It's not skin colour, it's gang colours, as it should always remain."

(Is it just me, or is this how the news was reported? Oh wait, I had my bullshit filter on, and it came out like the above.)

Oh goodness, you know when you see a word too often and it looks weird - I just got that with Australia.. I just don't seem to recognize Australia. Irony... overload...

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Sydney,

you reject 'em.

Melbourne,

we elect 'em.

And look at our mayor - what a whacka:

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You flew here? You rowed here? I think this is more accurate: