Sam Newman knocked off the air
Sam Newman has been temporarily boned by Nine after his recent on screen antics angered AFL execs and a group of women footballers. Nine says he came back to work after having surgery way too soon. Watch the clips below: Cheryl Laredo comments on News.com.au: ‘So what excuse does Channel Nine offer for all of...
Cyber-Safety budget report card: Children lose
Even if you support Senator Conroy’s plan to introduce mandatory ISP filtering in Australia, you have to admit it has little to do with ‘cyber-safety’. Actually, Conroy’s entire cyber-safety initiative may have little do with safety or protecting children. Irene Graham writes: The Federal Government’s ‘Cyber-safety Plan’ Budget 2008-2012, announced on 14 May 2008, allocates...
When nudity equals sex and art equals pornography
I don’t need to fill you in on today’s events involving artist Bill Henson. I have little to add to the debate that hasn’t already been said and Peter Craven, the founding editor of Quarterly Essay, puts it much more eloquently than I ever could anyway. All I ask is when did nudity automatically become...
Vodka Cruiser ‘Free Condom’ promo outrages family groups
Those wacky family groups are at it again. This time it’s over a Vodka Cruiser promotion where customers at thirteen liquor outlets across Sydney were given free condoms and the chance to win a pole dancing kit. Angela Conway from the Australian Family Association told the media that the offer was promoting a “booze-drenched culture”...
Adult Shop loses R18+ appeal
Some adults are offended by seeing other adults have sex (creating offspring must be such a dreadful task…). But are those same people representative of broad community values and standards? The Federal Court says yes. Adult Shop has lost a legal battle to have an X18+ rating overturned for the adult film Viva Erotica. The...
Conroy’s cyber-saftey party in full swing, but only one dance allowed?
Senator Conroy has announced those who will assist the Government as part of his Cyber-Safety Consultative Working Group, but has the group been designed from the get-go to be in favour of mandatory ISP filtering. When you consider people like Anthony Pillion, manager of filtered Australian ISP Webshield, and Child Wise CEO Bernadette McMenamin are...
Catharine Lumby Sydney Institute talk, May 20
UPDATE 21/05/08: Bob Bain’s recap is online. Read it here. Audio here. Catharine Lumby will speak at a Sydney Institute event this Tuesday about her new book The Porn Report. Lumby co-authored the report on Australia’s production and consumption of pornography with Alan McKee of QUT and Kath Albury of UNSW. Venue: Corrs Chambers Westgarth,...
Steve Fielding strips off in public. No, really
It’s enough to make a senior citizen want to die: Obscene? Yes. From today’s ‘Grey Power‘ protest.
Borders celebrates banned books
I like Borders bookstores. They’re like a giant library with the convenience of a Gloria Jeans (well at least in Brisbane) for long haul reading sessions when you don’t intend to buy. This week on their Must-Have list are books which have been banned at some point in time. Here’s a few: Alice’s Adventures in...
EFA launches NoCleanFeed.com
Electronic Frontiers Australia has launched NoCleanFeed.com — a website to educate and inform Australians of the Government’s plan to inflict internet censorship upon all homes and businesses. The site provides details about the plan and why it won’t work, as well as extensive information about how you can take action and put an end to...
Budget: Conroy’s Cyber Safety plan nets $126M, filtering included
Update May 12, 2009: Click here for information on filtering in the 2009-10 Budget. Labor will spend $126 million over four years on their Cyber-Safety plan which Senator Conroy says will create a safer online environment for Australian children. That’d be nice if Mr Conroy’s idea of cyber safety didn’t include mandatory ISP filtering for...
Parents foaming at mouth over nude teacher photograph, students revolt
Outraged parents, nude teachers, and classroom protests. The only thing that could make this story anymore insane would be a pack of axe wielding albino midgets. Students of Sydney primary school teacher Lynne Tziolas have started a petition to have her reinstated after she was sacked for appearing naked in Cleo magazine. Lynne, who teaches...
