Firstly, the joys of internet memes… A squirrel disrupted a holiday photo and had made the people whose photo it was famous the internet over! Personally, I think it’s fair enough, it’s an awesome photo. Very cute.
On the subject of Holidays; Cairns is about to try it’s damndest to become basically a year-round Cancun… I agree with the criticisms of this, actually. It’s one thing to appeal to the youth culture, it’s another to be crass and tasteless.
Speaking on advertising that’s causing a stir, the Hitler AIDS sex ads have been pulled from YouTube. The reasoning behind the pull is sound, so far and I sympathise. As I said when I first pointed this story out, the spin of this particular campaign is … interesting.
While I’m talking about censorship of sexual materials; a Liberal MP has gone on record saying, and this is my quote of the week, that ‘Porn is as dangerous to children as guns’. Now, I can agree that under certain conditions exposure to pornography can be potentially damaging to a child’s development. However, so long as you’re not sending out mixed signals like “sex is only for adults who are married… what’s that? Oh, that’s my porn…”, it’s not hardcore fetish material or illegal and you discuss it with the child in a rational, calm and neutral if not positive manner, the kid will be fine. It’s when you start sending out hypocritical or negative messages about something that, trust me on this, they will be exposed to by the time they are 16 that you risk giving your child a complex.
Here’s another article that I can kind of agree with so long as the conditions are right: A study has concluded that, if you sleep in a seperate bed if not room to your spouse, your marriage will last longer. I don’t think this would ever be something I’d do, knock on wood, because I genuinely do find the presence of my other half comforting. It’s just one of those things and I realise not everyone does. I think it’s something to consider, if you find sharing a bed with your other half adversely affects your sleeping, but otherwise, have a little giggle and move on.
Keeping to old-fashioned ideal articles: The Federal Opposition Minister for Defence Personnel has spoken out against allowing women to take on front line combat roles within Australia’s armed forces… Personally, I don’t think gender has anything to do with it. If someone is capable of performing well in a combat situation, it shouldn’t matter if they’re a man or a woman. I can see where he’s coming from, as the treatment of female P.O.W’s can sometimes be considerably different to that of their male counterparts, for better or worse. But, so long as women are aware of that and can accept the implicit risk involved, there shouldn’t be any reason to deny them access to any role they can perform.
Also on the old-fashioned ideals train of thought, but keeping with the workplace theme, apparently the bossy 1950′s managers are coming back in to vogue and it’s not really a good thing. One thing that I found a little funny was a bit about the difference between Gen X and Gen Y in their outlook, as Gen Y’s are (statistically) more likely to stick to a job that pays less if they actually feel valued by their superiors, which I can relate to and apparently Gen Xers turn their nose up at this, calling it “entitlement mentality”… It makes me laugh, a little ruefully perhaps, but laugh nonetheless… Do we feel that, as a human being, we’re entitled to feel at least remotely like we’re making someone’s life easier by turning up to work? As opposed to being the bane of your existence? … Speaking for myself, yeah, I guess I do… Being my manager gives you exactly zero rights to treat me like shit.
Finally, to lighten the mood: An awesome publicity stunt to prove a point. And prove it, it did.
