Since the days of Alexander the Great, binge drinking has been a very popular past time - leading to him apparently killing a friend and burning down Persepolis while drunk.

Those are some Great shoes to fill.

Yet, governments, schools and the media have repeatedly tried to teach us of binge drinking's dangers. 

Dartmouth University has taken the lead, instigating a new nationwide policy to curb heavy drinking by their students.

Pour me another glass.

Binge drinking is defined as "the consumption of five or more drinks in a row by men — or four or more drinks in a row by women — at least once in the previous 2 weeks. Heavy binge drinking includes three or more such episodes in 2 weeks."

Seems I don't know anyone who isn't a heavy binge drinker.

Do you think this definition should be changed or should we change people's attitudes? Or should you follow HPD's no fools guide to drinking a lot but not dying?  . . read more

Atkinson, who has the right to veto the lifting of a national ban on video games rated too violent and extreme for consumption said he has received threatening notes from gamers.

"I feel that my family and I are more at risk from gamers than we are from the outlaw motorcycle gangs who also hate me."

Currently Australia has a ban on adult or R rated games, where interestingly movies with the same themes of violence, language, nudity and drug use are allowed.  And is the only country in the Western democracy that doesn't have an adult rating system in place.

Perhaps he feels introducing an adult R+ rating would increase the sort of anti-social behaviour we see in these games, because isn't it true that all gamers including myself are 2D assassins just looking for a good excuse to blow people to smithereens?  . . read more

As we are constantly told in international relations, security is the central concern of all governments. Without it, society can't function.

So in turn, governments, especially American governments, throw billions into blackhole budgets in an attempt to keep us safe, or feeling safe.

And just to make it all the sweeter, secrecy is essential- meaning transparency is of course impossible.

So just like the story that British Ministers have been getting greedy with their entitlements, the only person to blame for this is yourself.

Because, as long as we're happy blindly throwing power, money and guns to shady people we shouldn't be surprised that they use them for their own benefits.

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On Australia's public broadcaster the ABC, Australia's former Prime-Minster John Howard had a shoe thrown at him "for Iraqi dead". The most disappointing aspect of the protest was that the thrower was miles off and that we didn't get to see some Bush-esque dodging and weaving from some ferocious footwear. 

The other disappointing aspect was that while Howard will be forever remembered as the PM that committed Australia to two unwinnable wars, his vicious vision continues to live on in a pathetic party we once had faith in.

Reminds me of when Margaret Thatcher was asked what her greatest achievement was in government and she answered "Tony Blair". It was her ability to completely change government so that her successors would have to follow her that she prized most highly.

So for Gillard whose pledged to keep our troops in Afghanistan, take a look at Howard- those are some big shoes to fill but you seem to be measuring up nicely. 

Wonder when you'll be weaving some rubber-soled missiles.  . . read more

Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott and Leonardo Dicaprio have a lot more in common than you would think. All three have invaded my hopes, dreams and aspirations, then carefully and systematically destroyed them.

Dream number 1. No more references to tomato sauce by politicians ever again. Failed. 

Aspiration number 2. Environmentally conscious and proactive politicians that utilise creative solutions to harrowing problems. Destroyed

Hope number 3. A government that reflects the voice of the people, constructively exhibiting how the democratic process can work. Slowly spiralling into the pile of discarded desires. 

As is evident by this charade of an election, neither party shall accurately carry the voice of the Australian people. What we need to do now is look forward forgetting the joke of a government that shall exist for the next four years or so.

We must look towards the young and aspiring politicians of Australia. What Australian politics needs now is depth, character and intelligence, so I ask of our schools, universities and workplaces, will the real Australian government please stand up?   . . read more

...Kevin Rudd, the guest of honour at the launch of ABC 3 was the victim of a security scare from an unnamed contracted cleaner.

The story gets stranger as the AFP, the cleaning company and the ABC itself all refused to comment on what had happened.

It might not be a fair comparison but this 'incident' did make me think of the media world's reaction to Tareq and Michaele Sahali's White House invasion last week.

The couple got scorned and ridiculed from all corners and the Secret Service was forced to make an embarrasing apology for this uncharacteristic slip up.

Here though, Rudd's 'dance with death' has only been run on the 7pm ABC news (it didn't even make it to ABC online) and it looks like that will be it from here on in.

There hasn't been any mention of what risk Rudd had been placed in or what will be done differently to avoid similar breaches.

Why the difference if both breaches were equally harmless?

In my mind it shows that the media knows that Rudd's security isn't exactly going set the water-cooler ablaze, and that Rudd himself probably realises that to talk about it or investigate it further would look weak to a country that still prides itself on its stiff upper lip.

Kind of comforting that in Australia, the politicians ain't too precious.

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Long knives and short memories seem to be the go. Add to that a complete disregard for the empowerment of community by social networks, mobile technology and the culture of the ‘local' and you have the recipe for the demise of parliamentary democracy.

Not that we will be sorry to see it go. What is interesting, however, is when and what will replace the two-party system and the party machines.

AS a first step look out for the proliferation of political parties in the next Australian elections as voters embrace pluralism in a stand against the Obeid's and Tripodi's of this world.

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Apologising is a uniquely human action, it involves taking responsibility for a mistake and admitting you erred. In someways it also involves asking for forgiveness.

Kevin Rudd, Australia's former PM who was sacked by his own party last year, apologised last night for "killing" his Emissions Trading Scheme which he says brought about his downfall.

Whether this is true or not, his apology echoes another one he made in his first week in government. That "sorry" was to the aboriginal people of Australia who since British colonisation were oppressed, marginalied and literally stolen from their families. 

His apology in that instance was personal and was seen almost universally as a positive step towards reconciliation and healing. It didn't lead to a better livelihood for indigenous Australians and has to be seen now as a symbolic act without much substance behind it.

Hopefully this second apology for failing on climate change can lead to asking for real forgiveness by making some real progress.    . . read more

For all the groaning that comes with elections, there are two parts of the day which are genuinely fun.

The first comes when you go down to the local church or school and get hit by the crazy carnival atmosphere of spruikers trying to change your opinion, disinterested kids running about and everyone talking to each other with smiles about what a hassle it is to vote.

The second comes later at the traditional election party where everyone gets pissed, scorns every candidate and again talks about what a hassle it is to vote.

Pity that the choices, and the results aren't as fun as the day itself.   . . read more