We had a very cute visitor one night This is a cassowarie I know it's blurred, but this is the best photo I could get. Here is the wikipedia page on them (and some better photos) This is the juvenile. The babies have white stripes, so this one must be a bit older.
There were these two blokes talking about their "women" trouble. Apparently the first guys (we'll call him Sam) girl friend (will call her Jill) broke up with him and wont answer his calls. He apparently has been calling multiple times a day and can't understand why she would give him her cell phone number if she wasn't going to answer. After his repeated attempts Jill's mom called him and "beat him up", yes those were his exact words, by saying that he should stop calling. His mate (we'll call him Brad) then started going off about how Mom's and Mother in Laws always get in the way of your relationship with their girls and they need to be told to back off. Sam then stated how Jill was just confused and didn't know what she wanted and he was getting confused and that he and his cousin were going to go and talk to Jill's mom and tell her to back off. Brad then agreed and went off more about how you (as the man) need to gang up on (bring friends with you, other family members, ect.) the mother in laws because they are just too overprotective. I know that this was just one conversation, and that they were not necessarily well educated people, and you can make all the excuses you want, but the truth is that I've heard more conversations like that then I would like to admit. I watched a girl go into labor on the train pleading to the baby "just wait till 6:00 then daddy will be out of jail".
A week after the Rugby case, nothing was stated about it in the news. They also tried to quickly coverup that the coach of the same team punched a girl, but you know he is a good guy. This week there hasn't been anything said about that. The Chasers, a fake news comedy group, kinda made fun of it, but not very effectively and only for 30 seconds or so. One of my friends thinks that this has been good because people have now talked about it (homosexual and women's issues) more then they ever have in the past. He also mentioned repeatedly that in order for the sex acts to not have been consensual the women would have had to say no and even though she was too traumatized or only agreed to have sex with one, but them more kept coming, the fact that she didn't verbalize no according to those who were there, then the sex acts were consensual. My question then is if the rapist never hears you say no, you are deaf and can't say no, they inhibit you from saying no, they drug you so you don't know what is going on and can't say no, you are too drunk to be able to say no, this means that you have consented to having sex with whom ever walks by. Women of Australia need to speak up, and until they do, men will think this is okay.
Today more people are starting to speak out against these guys, but there is a very interesting tone in the article by Annabel Crabb. I thought I was agreeing with them until they started to "take out the girl" from the equation and tried to make it a homosexuality thing. They seem to gloss over the rape and the sex crime and focus on the idea that this is a homosexuality issue. This is insulting to both women and homosexuals. I don't understand what is going on here. Yesterday I got an e-mail from the Australian Women's Forum and I thought "great some one is going to speak out" but it was an e-mail asking for participation in a survey about how to balance life, work, and family. Not a single mention about this travesty. I feel like I'm walking through a nightmare. How can people a) be okay with what is going on or b) figure that it's too much to deal with so leave it for some one else to clean up.
Okay not all of them, but the fact of the matter is that the news casters are more outraged about the fact that Americans are allowed to own guns (they leave out that Australians are allowed to as well although they do have stricter rules) then they are about news articles like this.
People hear stories like this one and then think "Ah well at least you don't have it as bad as those girls" but the thing is that both their story and mine are of men trying to demoralize women, and treat them as inferiors or even just objects. I am very thankful that I have never and hope to never have to go through an ordeal like the women in the story, but the message these men send is the same. It's okay to treat them this way.
The Rugby league has started forcing its players to go to classes on how to treat women. These players are all grown men, why didn't they learn these lessons that women are their equals before this, and what does that mean about the men who don't take their classes. Is it just assumed then that the boys growing up in Australia aren't taught how to treat women? A news reporter this morning asked one of the rugby league guys who just finished watching a video what he thought of how to treat girls. His response was that after they have sex with them (consensual or not) that they shouldn't just get them a cab and call them a cunt or a bitch on the way out, and that a lot of these court cases could have been avoided if they treated them better after the fact. The news reporter responded with "they still have a long way to go".
Never once in any of these stories have they used the word rape. Lets call it what it is people, it's not just sexual assault, it's not just bad behavior or lack of knowledge, this is rape. It's group rape, it rape, its rape. Calling it something else gives the impression that it's not as bad as these girls say, that they are just drama queens and trying to get attention by trying to kill themselves. Some have reported that the sex was consensual, while others say that it was the rugby players who claimed that and not the girls. We may never truly know, but if at any time she said stop or no, then even if it started out as a consensual act, it turned into rape. The fact that the one guy apologized afterwards makes me wonder if she tried to get out of it during the act, and the interview she gave the other night makes me certain of it.
The last couple of days one of the guys took his family to a resort to "heal their wounds". After reading this abc article and watching their report I just don't know what to think about him, about rugby league, or about Australians. I know that not all Australians view women in this respect, but the fact that so many have been so quiet about this, that so many have let this behavior go on for so long, that so many have figured that the players need time to heal their wounds, that this is just a fact of life, means that I have lost a lot of respect for the over arching Australian culture. Any more the phrase "no worries" means turn a blind eye, or to live in willful ignorance, then what I use to associate the saying with which was relax, everything will work it self out.
In a sketch during their show they even make fun of these types of allegations and incidences. They don't seem to understand the seriousness of these actions.
I love coffee, but it's the caffeine that I could use on those early mornings or late nights and this is just funny. Okay so I don't really wear jewelery but this is just so funny.
If Rush Limbaugh is right that socialized health care will ruin our medical system, then why is medical tourism one of the fastest growing areas of tourism? Why are people finding it to be cheaper to fly to another continent, pay for a hotel, pay for the entire cost of the procedure, and then fly home then to get the procedure done in the states? It's thought that 750,000 Americans went to other countries in 2007 and about 1.5 million in 2008 for health care reasons. If we have the best health care system, why did so many Americans find it necessary to go to countries with nationalized healthcare in order to get treated? Why are the same procedures much cheaper in those countries?
in summary American Health Care insurance cost (price you pay after insurance coverage) >> round trip plane ticket overseas + hotel + total price of procedure + follow up visits (either there or in the states since these aren't always covered by your insurance if the procedure was done some where else.)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
How disgusting. I can't believe people can get away with saying things like this, then again I'd rather they be able to say this and me speak out against them then having my freedom of speech limited. It seems like the people in the media are very much against Obama's new budget and tax cuts. Maybe that's because they are all making more then the $250,000 a year tax bracket. Since I make over an order of magnitude less then that, and 95% of Americans make less then $250,000 a year, I think that this is a wonderful idea, tax us all according to our means. Don't let these rich men convince you that you are not going to receive a tax break, because I bet you will, most Americans are in that 95%, in fact only 5%, or about 17 million people (assuming 350 million Americans), aren't going to see that tax break, and guess who that includes...
If you are a male student of any year with any qualifications
less then 1 week before classes start LT (Lab guy who gives out jobs): Do you want a job we really need people.
Guy: Yes please,
LT: Sounds good how many can I put you down for? See you in class.
If you are a female PhD student with lots of background
End of last term Gal: Can I put my name on the list for people interested in lab demonstrating?
LT: I don't know if you have the right back ground.
Gal: I'm a PhD student here and I have a double major in Math and Physics and a masters in Astrophysics and Planetary sciences.
LT: I don't know if you have ever done these labs before
Gal: We did (example of labs) in undergrad and I would be more then happy to come in early and go through them.
LT: We have had problems in the past with people not showing up and just lazying around instead of helping the students
Gal: I taught the tutorials last semester for 3rd year E&M, I was never late and I even held an extra class. I had great reviews from the students and the Prof. The students did extremely well on the test for the material that I had covered.
LT: I don't know if there will be enough labs to go around
Four weeks before classes
LT: Can you send us a brief history of your education and work experience since we don't know what your qualifications are?
Gal: (in e-mail)
I would like to be considered for Lab demonstrating. I have a degree in Physics and a degree in Math (and graduated from the Honors program and McNair Program) from Augsburg College as well as a masters in Astrophysics and planetary sciences from the University of Colorado Boulder. At Augsburg we had many lab classes including first year physics (2 semesters), electronics, modern physics lab, and a comprehensive lab (2 semesters) which includes many odds and ends like vacuum physics and working with CAD. The last project in each lab was one which we had to develop and construct our selves; for example, my first year lab was on determining the main factor in the manufacturing or wear of a violin which determines the sound quality of the instrument. In the Math department we had many labs using and learning Maple as well as octave. I've worked at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, The Jet Propulsion Laboratory NASA, South West Research Institute, and Augsburg College where I did various forms of Space physics and planetary sciences research as well as some tutorials and lab demonstrating in both the Math and Physics Departments.
I taught the tutorials for 3rd year E&M last semester with Prof. Fred Menk, as well as tutorials at Augsburg for 1st year physics and calculus.
Me
P.S. I've listed the websites of all the places I've mentioned above. If you would like to see copies of my research papers or would like contact info for those I've worked with in the states, please let me know and I'll forward them on. If you would like to chat about what was specifically involved in my course work or what I've taught please stop by p107 (soon to move to p105) or e-mail me any questions at email.
Augsburg college Physics department. http://www.augsburg.edu/home/physics/
Augsburg College Math Department http://www.augsburg.edu/home/math/index.html
Augsburg College Honors Program http://www.augsburg.edu/honors/
Augsburg College McNair Program http://www.augsburg.edu/mcnair/
University of Colorado Boulder APS department http://aps.colorado.edu/
LASP - Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics http://lasp.colorado.edu/
SWRI - Southwest Research Institute http://www.swri.org/
JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory NASA http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
LT: We're still not sure if there will be enough labs for you to get one.
one week before semester starts
Lecture: Just thought I'd let you know that they are running around begging for lab demonstrators incase you haven't heard yet if you have gotten one.
Gal: thanks nope I haven't heard yet
Friday before semester starts
LT: I've got you down for two labs, but I'd like you to go to a teachers training course
Gal: Okay Thanks
1st week of semester
Gal: Are you going to the teachers training course?
Guy (male grad student who went through the first scenario): No I've never heard of that.
If you are a female honors student
Gal: Any one out there? Hello? Can I get a lab please?
I can't believe a link my friend from Texas sent me. How people can be so misinformed is beyond me... and then I went and saw fox news on-line, and many of my questions were answered. Now, fox isn't the only place to report news falsely, but they seem to be the most consistent at it, so to make sure their stories are right I check Media Matters. And if I'm still not convinced, then the white house has been very good about making their speeches easily available, and the the documents as well. There is no excuse for speaking uninformed and then holding on to that ignorance, and even worse, spreading it. In any case, this is my opinion, and I think more people need to speak out against them.
I have become cynical here in Oz. I am sick and tired of the way men here treat women, how they think that they can talk down to us and how they think that they can scold us when we speak up. I'm sick of how the some people at this university think that they can barge into your office without knocking and just start messing about. I'm appalled by the way they treat people and I no longer care if this is a cultural difference that I'm suppose to just get over, I refuse to let men walk over me and I will speak up when they are wrong and I will make sure my voice is heard even if I am labeled as a crazy lady or worse. Any one thinking of moving to Oz needs to know this about their culture, it's not in any books and most people will not tell you about it. When you visit it doesn't sink in and on the surface they are a lovely people. There are many many good individuals here, but the culture is still one of repression of women and minorities. And for everything that I've just said, its worse for the aboriginals.
Any guesses? Hint hese were all taken by a parking garage.
We had a very cute visitor one night
This is a cassowarie I know it's blurred, but this is the best photo I could get. Here is the wikipedia page on them (and some better photos) 
This is the juvenile. The babies have white stripes, so this one must be a bit older.
