Preventing Youth Suicide or not

Preventing youth Suicide or not:

 The safe schools program is a program set up to end school bullying and help prevent youth suicide. Homophobic bigots do not like the program as it helps LGBTQ kids survive into adulthood. It was revealed that NSW (New South Wales) would not be refunding the program. To which failed Prime Minister and admitted homophobe Tony Abbot proclaimed the scrapping was a good decision. This comes after the right had repeatedly made false claims about the program and disliked its factually accurate material which triggered the sensitive bigotry of right wingers. This program seems to be being "replaced" in NSW by one that does not address the higher rates of suicide or self harm in young LGBT people due to homophobia.

 In SA (south Australia) the life saving program will be replaced by the Shine SA program. It seems the "replacement" programs implementation is a farce, its opt-in, and if the vitriol we have seen leveled at Safe Schools showed us anything its that such a program should be mandatory in all schools. This plan would see the community's that are the most homophobic exempt from the anti bullying program?!? 

 The program will also require teachers to gain parental consent before stepping in and preventing bullying or offering help to vulnerable LGBTQ students. This in itself could be disastrous! The outing of young LGBT students to their parents could lead to abuse at home in addition to the abuse they are suffering at schools, t could also lead to higher rates of youth homelessness. 

 We can only hope these governments get voted out before too many lives are lost, so we can at least make a decent attempt to make our schools safe and help LGBTQ kids survive their school years.

Anti-bullying program 

Abbot a homophobe 

Implementation all wrong

SHine SA 

 You may not be able to find help at school or at home but there is help out there;

A chance to support equality

A chance at equality

 

Encourage by Ireland referendum on 1/06/2015 Bill Shorten (Labor leader) introduced a bill into parliament that would allow marriage equality in Australia. He made a speech which was quite inspiring and the bill was seconded by Tanya Plibersek (Labor) after none of the LIB/Nat coalition would sign it despite calling for a bipartisan approach.

Bipartisanship is a political situation, especially in the context of a two-party system, in which opposing political parties find common ground through compromise.

Obviously there can be no compromise when it comes to equal rights, and calls for bipartisanship in this instance must mean that parties would not oppose equality for the sake of opposing the other political party. 

In a snub against every gay person and supporter of equal rights, the Lib/National seats in the parliamentary chamber were mostly empty during the bills introduction.

Equality should be the priority!

It should be noted that the Lib/Nats removed equality from the ACT (Australian Capital Territory), invalidating Australians marriages, saying that it would be addressed in federal parliament.
It should also be noted that before the election the Lib/Nats were saying that a free vote would occur on marriage equality.

 One wonders; Where is the bipartisanship? Where is the respect? The government still has time to do the right thing and represent Australia and change the laws back to how they were before 2004.

A poll conducted on behalf of the Liberal party found that 72% of Australians are not bigoted and support equality. Its well past time, lets get this thing done so we can move on to other issues. Lets stop wasting time, lets stop playing politics with peoples lives. There are no valid arguments against equality, so lets just do it.

The registered nurse is an integral part of aged care.

Is aged care important?

That is the question that Australians face today. Under the current laws NSW (New South Wales) nursing homes must have a registered nurse on duty at all times and must appoint a director of nursing. This requirement is at risk. Its a complex issue and this PDF Staffing by Registered Nurses in NSW Nursing Homes, might explain it better than i could.

Registered nurses prevent frequent visits to hospitals and emergency wards. There presence also reduces the times residents would have to remain hospitalised, as they can receive the after care i the nursing home. They have a higher skill level and more training than other staff and know when a doctor or ambulance needs to be called. 

The government is turning its back on the elderly. Our elderly deserve the best care we can offer, we should not sacrifice the level of care we give our older population for the sake of profits.

Even if you don't have a relative in aged care, you may one day. You yourself or your partner, or a friend may be subject to these laws one day. So act now to ensure proper care is given.

What can you do? Click the links for helpful shortcuts.

• Download print out and sign this petition; Insist on registered nurses 24/7 in NSW nursing homes.

• Register your support at the NSW Nurses & Midwives association.

• Send an email to the Minister for Health asking her to keep the requirement for registered nurses 24/7 in NSW nursing homes.

• Send a letter to the paper to insist on registered nurses in aged care 24/7.

• Talk to your colleagues, family, friends and local community about the essential role of registered nurses in aged care.

• Like their Facebook page. 

• Print out the poster (or the petition) and place it on your local noticeboards, leave it at your doctors, hairdressers or school. 

 

 Do it!

Book Review; Monster Files

Nick Redfern's Monster Files

A look inside government secrets and classified documents on bizarre creatures and extraordinary animals.

Author:                                 Nick Redfern  

Cover Design:                       noir33                                   

Publisher:                             New Page Books              

Type:                                     TPB

Pages:                                   285        

Genre:                                  Non fiction

Published:                            2013

ISBN:                                   13978-1-60163-263-0

Source:                                 Independently purchased 

 Have you ever wondered what role or knowledge the government has had in relation to mysterious beasts, and legendary monsters?

 If you have, Nick Redfern's Monster Files may be for you. 

The book itself has a nice colorful cover and is of high quality production. Some of the pages have an aged boarder and there are a good number of black and white pictures and photos thorough. 
I only noticed one editing error in the entire 285 pages, and that was a repeated "the". The book also has a useful contents, extensive bibliography and well written index.
All in all judging by a book by the cover, the book looks great, but what about its contents?

This is a non fiction, no nonsense exploration into exactly that subject. This book touches on the big names in cryptozoology such as Bigfeet (thats plural for many Bigfoot), The Loch Ness monsters and the Yeti, But also explores alien big cats (ABCs), Bombbats and Psychic trained landmine detecting cats. All aspects of the topic are examined with particular interest in what uncovered government files can illuminate on the subjects.

 Of particular interest is chapter 27 titled something dwells down under, which looks at Australia own ABC phenomena, whether the Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) is truly extinct, and if our Giant monitor lizard exists at all.

 While i cant agree with every conclusion this book makes, like the Flatwoods Monster, most of the other conclusions seemed very reasonable.
I found the book to be a very interesting read, and can highly recommend it for anyone interested in cryptozoology, ufology, or government conspiracy. 

  The Topics included in this book are; The Abominable Snowman, Aliens, Alien Big Cats, Almasty, Boss Snakes, Cats, Conspiracies, Coverups, Dogs,  Humanzees, Aswang, Wolfmen, Bigfoot, Flatwoods Monster, Lake Monsters, Phantimals, Pigeons, Psychics, Sea Serpents, Tasmanian Tigers, Thylacine, Werewolves, UFOs, Yeti and many more in between.

Other books by this author include The Worlds Weirdest Places, The pyramids and the pentagon, Wildman!, Keep out!, Man-monkey, The Real Men In Black, The NASA Conspiracies, Three Men Seeking Monsters, Contactees, and Memoirs of a Monster Hunter. He has his own blogspot site; Nick Redfern's World of Whatever...

*A version of his review originally appeared on the Monkeys book review blog.