we haaaaave a winner! or rather, loser.

Most disgusting humanoid in Federal Parliment for the week: Danna Vale.

Because what the RU486 debate needs is a healthy dose of racism on top.

LIBERAL MP Danna Vale has raised the prospect of Australia becoming a Muslim nation, warning "we are aborting ourselves almost out of existence".

As five conservative Coalition women promoted a compromise amendment to keep the fate of abortion drug RU486 in politicians' hands, Mrs Vale said she had read that the Imam at Sydney's Lakemba mosque had predicted Australia would be Muslim in half a century.

"I didn't believe him at the time. But … when you actually look at the birthrate, when you look at the fact that we are … aborting ourselves almost out of existence by 100,000 a year — a guesstimate," Mrs Vale said.

And if you thought Abbott's use of the term "backyard miscarriages" was inappropriate, you'll love De-Anne Kelly:

The Nationals' De-Anne Kelly said it was better for politicians to have control over the drug than "bureaucrats in a back ally".

Look, you screaming fuckwits, this is very simple. This is not about abortion. If you're so keen to stomp abortion, stop fucking around and having proxy fights, and try bringing in a law banning it. I know in theory it's a state issue, but that's not stopped the supposed-champions-of-federalism-and-states-rights in the Federal right wing parties lately. Nail your fucking colours to the mast, and go down in flames. Your attempts to play bullshit word games fools no-one.

And I genuinely can't see how anyone can seriously justify saying that leaving medical decisions to a goddam politician rather than to, say, TRAINED GODDAMMED MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS is a good thing. Their only justification is that they know that while Abbott has his slimy little claws on the levers, he'll never let it through. This is pure US Republican-style "win at any cost" politics, and it disgusts me.

one minor sidepoint

One thing I found interesting from the coverage on the private member's bill[*] (and I really should have known this already) - but of the 45 Federal Senators, there are 24 women. That, I like. There's also 20 men, and 1 Bill Heffernan.


[*] And yes, my inner 12 year old still finds the phrase "private member" amusing

it's raining evil!

So there's a new Toohey's ad coming out. It features people attempting to make it rain Toohey's New, using a variety of no-doubt hilaaaarious techniques.

How is this not illegal under some sort of "inciting terrorism" laws? I mean, Toohey's New is a biohazard in a glass. Trying to make it rain from the sky? Lock them away, I say.

78 Year Old Man's Face Stops Cheney Bringing Down Quail

"In a post-9/11 world, people expect their leaders to be decisive. If he had not shot his friend in the face, it would have sent a message to the quail that America is weak"

The Daily Show had a little bit of fun with Cheney. Ok, they had a lot of fun with Cheney. The entire first 10 minutes of Monday's show was all-Cheney-shoots-a-78-year-old-man-in-the-face, all-the-time. It's glorious fun. And yes, it's cheap, and yes, it's easy laughs, but... fuck. Sometimes, you gotta kick the puppy. Particularly when the puppy is in fact pure cancerous evil.

Crooks and Liars has the video in postage-stamp size here (6Mb, about 10 minutes long). The full thing should turn up on the torrent sites in the next hour or so.

[update you didn't see this link - about 180Mb. The second 1/3 of the show is on the opening of the Winter Olympics, and is also good. I mean, what the hell? The Iranians were introduced with "Funky Town"?!?!?]