Forgot to say last night about the burden expansions to Australia's classification scheme would have on artists, who would have to submit their work for review and pay to have it rated. A similar situation recently threatened to stifle the app industry for smartphones in Australia, with the prospect of having to have those rated before sale. According to the current OFLC fee structure, geting a computer game rated costs $470 at cheapest.

When I started applying Australia's film classification standards to stories I read I was a bit curious and a bit hoping to highlight some absurdity in the system. More than one of my favourite stories, it turns out, would be illegal to sell in this country if they were film rather than print, at least by my reading of the standards. Not, as many reading this will know, that that's hugely difficult to achieve.

Did some quick checking about where women can serve in the ADF. According to The Australian (framed as a favourable comparison with Israel, because that's what I am given to understand The Australian does), the roles women are currently banned from are special forces, artillery, airfield defence, clearance diving, armour, and front line infantry.

Just saw Barnaby Joyce (leader of the National Party) on camera saying he would feel uncomfortable about shooting a woman. in context of potentially opening up all front-line positions in the ADF to women. But surely he is not planning to go to war with Australia, and if those the ADF does engage in combat with, surely this is to their advantage?

He also said he wouldn't want to see a lady shot, but those don't seem like very good arguments to me. Why should the military career paths of women be limited according to whether men are comfortable with their choices?

This past weekend, a state election. Everyone knew the approximate outcome in advance: after 16 years of Labor, historic landslide Liberal / National coalition victory. I had hoped voter antipathy might mitigate that somewhat, I know I wasn't the only one thinking perhaps a recapitulation of last year's national might be a good thing. But it didn't turn out that way at all, and I didn't vote for either of the major parties because I don't trust them, although since we end up with them I try to hope.

It is being federal election season in Australia. Really, the very end of the season as we vote tomorrow.

I have not said much about this time around at all, except on IM. For anyone who does want an idea of what is going on in Australian politics, an excellent summation of the affair in terms of Harry Potter characters can be found hereabouts.

Meanwhile, I shall continue about my business of researching which of the senate-running parties suite me and which I shall ward off with silver.

On the subject of healthcare and insurance in the US, ajay has this to say: "Or, if you want an entirely government-funded health care system there's always the VA. Join the Federal Service! Service guarantees healthcare!
Do you want to know more?"

...about the idea sex education alone should be the province of parents to teach their children, is wondering where those parents will be getting their education on sex, and into future generations. Is the goal to develop dynastic traditions of misinformation and rumour?

There should be a law that we should have all the presidential scandals before they get elected.

That way, we'd at least know what we're getting ourselves into.

It was some months ago that I had the fortune of watching Babylon 5 again. I hadn't watched the show in years, and it was exceedingly difficult to find it rebroadcast even on cable stations. I had absorbed the show, watching several episodes a day for weeks on end. It's unfortunate that the series is so easily overlooked in comparison to the behemoths of Star Trek and Star Wars.