Exactly what it says, really. Sylvia Browne. It’s a name which causes strong reactions in a lot of people. To her fans, who believe that she is a “true psychic medium,” she is a down-to-earth, spiritually deep woman who, with… Read More ›
ethics & philosophy
ideals, breaches, disappointments and inspirations
Qld government revises baby packs plan; no more formula promotion
In July, I published a call for people to let the Queensland government know that routinely distributing free formula samples to mothers was a bad, bad idea: “Call to activism: oppose infant formula promotion in Qld Indigenous communities”. Success! The… Read More ›
Quick hit: reaction to the NTER review board report
Good summary here of attitudes towards the intervention: AUSTRALIA: Indigenous People – Approach Still Paternalistic
The Unilever Files: Still Wishing That Girls Were More Like Pot Noodle
Via The F-Word: this Pot Noodle advertisement is back. You’ll NEVER GUESS what company makes this. Unilever. Hard to believe, I know. They have no history of bigoted advertising at all, do they?
Birthwatch: Coached pushing robs babies of oxygen, Brazilian C sections, and joyful birth
[from Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. Transcript here.] A couple of articles have been sitting in my Journalwatch pile for a goodly while now, so here they are. “Effects of Pushing Techniques in Birth on Mother and Fetus: A… Read More ›
ooh, what a giveaway
When the hyperventilators about the homosexual agenda in the US describe the prospect of gays in the military as “radical social experimentation” “thereby disrupting military readiness and unit cohesion”, do they simply not realise that many other countries around the… Read More ›
Kidlit report: Never Tease a Weasel, and Danny the Champion of the World
Among the giant pile of books we currently have checked out of the library are these two, both of which are skating close to five stars for me. This is a terrific picture book. Never Tease a Weasel, by Jean… Read More ›
The most potent weapon in the PC arsenal
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; } .flickr-yourcomment { } .flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; } .flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Disgust Disgust, originally uploaded by Spencer Batchelder. Yep, that’s the nastiest munition we have here at… Read More ›
Midwifery-led care, the AMA, and the Cochrane Collaboration: who do you believe?
The Australian Medical Association on midwifery-led care in maternity services, September 2008: “[…] midwifery services were expanded without any reference to the medical profession and without any clear evidence base around the impact on safety and clinical outcomes for patients…. Read More ›
Victorian upper house votes on decriminalising abortion today
Legislation to remove abortion from the Crimes Act in Victoria (abortion will still be regulated under the Health Act) has provoked hours of debate in the upper house of the Victorian State Parliament leading up to a conscience vote. The… Read More ›
Hoyden About Town 