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The more I think about yesterdays post, the more I come to realise that this 'exercise addiction' which is purportedly afflicting women across the western world is simply part of a bigger problem… One that we are encountering in an increasingly media drenched society.

Im not sure if this is too big a subject to tackle here… it certainly encompasses mnay facets of a constantly shifting global economy, and the attitudes and responses that provokes, but I will try to give an idea of the changes I'm talking about.

Let me tell you what it is im to set about deciphering… a popular news website this morning carried, along with all the normal blaring headlines, a top nine most read articles of the day. Keep in mind these are certainly not considered the most important, just most read. They are listed below:

1. Jolie's adopted girl conceived during rape: mother
2. Jacko forced to squat at friends places
3. lesbian sex affair teacher escapes jail
4. Identity of second horror house body confirmed
5. Mary Kate Olsen in hospital with kidney infection
6. millionaires niece 'killed lover during sex game'
7. Student in playboy after flight ban
8. Stem cell breakthrough uses human skin, not embryos
9. Jet lands safely despite hydraulic leak

It may take some time to delve deep enough into the broad social trends behind these headlines. In the meantime, what strikes you?

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Posted By: Will - Category: No Category

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Obsession

November 20th 2007 06:06

I didn;t originally want to write about this, because, well, its a hot bbutton and one which im sure will stir up a certain amount of opposing conjecture. BUT, various happenings have led me to ponder the question - What the hell is wrong with everyones body image at the moment?
The first thing which made me wonder was reported in womans day (yes i read womans day on occasion), that the new addiction is no longer cocaine, or ice, but exercise... A girl was getting treated for this ridiculous affliction, but was 'secretly getting up for 4am exercise sesiions'. This reminded me of a comment i overheard not long ago that 'i go to the gym all the time because that is the only time i feel good about myself'

WHAT?!
Everyone knows someone who has battled an eating disorder, and now theres systematic purging at the gym to contend with... When did this all happen? Did i miss this? Or is it just that im male and so relatively immune to whatever it is that sees peoples self esteem fall so low that these things become necessary, or even normal?
It has to be recognised that the prolfiration of advertising is directed t women, and the majority of this features ways to get for yourself that glamour that the airbrush creates, a glamour that doesnt exist in reality. But why are people so fragile that they cannot see that for themselves, and be happy with who they are?

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Posted By: Will - Category: No Category

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Justice done?

November 18th 2007 23:27

Last week i wrote about the ongoing saga of Shellay Ward, her death and the ensuing finger pointing, as blame landed on her parents, the social worker, DOCS, thwe government, and everyone else who should have stepped in and didnt prevent her death at the tender age of seven.
Well, her parents have now been arrested inSydney after hiding out for a few days after the warrant for their arrests became official.
Now, old Mr Ward doesnt strike me as the quickest of cats, but surely you can hide in bette rplaces that Sydney? Anyway, that is beside the point. The question which now arises is, to what extent do you prosecute this pair of grocely unfit parents? Does murder through neglect stand on equal footing to murder in the first degree?
Yes. Absolutely. In fact, the Wards neglect of their autistic daughter, should see them prosecuted to the full extent. Surely their crime is more heinous than the murder of your wifes newly discovered lover, or the revenge killing of the man who raped your daughter?
These two had a duty to protect and care for their daughter, just as any parent does. Inf act, their duty was all the more important given Shellays incapability of looking after herself, even in the most basic sense.
Their neglect occurred over a number on months, if not years. Shellay weighed just 9kg when she was found. These two are the worst kind of killer. There was no passion involved, no heat of the moment thoughtless action. This is the most heinous of crimes, and DOCS should bear that buirden aswell.

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Cousins massive bender

November 15th 2007 06:17

It seems you cant open a newspaper or turn on the TV without seeing pictures of Ben Cousins either off his head on a cocktail of drugs and rampant ego, or making a poor attempt at shame and regret, while wearing a slight grin of indifference and the knowledge that he may be talking to the press but only cause they caught him on his way to his dealers house, which by now must be in a pretty posh part of town.
I can understand why this is a massive story. The whole fall from grace angle, along with the hot button that is drugs and drug use, make this a field day for journos, and everyone likes watching it in the same way that you cant stop leering at a car accident. Well, yes he is a complete muppet for throwing away his career , life and respect by using drugs.... or maybe he is just stupid and arrogant enough to get caught. The amount of times ive seen high profile figures hooking into the coke or pills or whatever around the traps in Sydney doesnt bear counting... Cousins was just shielded from reality anough to lose that fundamental belief that the rules still apply, even though your a big star.
Having been around the drug culture enough, id say its a rare mid twenties city kid that hasnt tried class A narcotics or at least been privvy to someone who has... and when you think about that, well, footy players are just dummys with money. What did you expect?

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Youtube Justice?

November 13th 2007 05:45

This is it, the final solution to super high fatality rates among young drivers - to crush their cars and post the video of the crushing on youtube... Am i alone in believeing that this is a misdirected attempt by old, out of touch pollies to connect with the younger generation? Hearing about this was like watching your dad try to work an ipod. He knows he is way out of his depth and so do you, but he refuses to stop trying...
Maybe im just not indicative of the Gen X masses, but is this really a deterrent? Kids wanna go faster, and if their parents are dumb enough / out of touch enough / dont cvare about them enough to allow them to buy some supercharged V8 beast to drive around picking up chicks in, then we have to expect fatalities. This YouTube bollocks is going to be about as effective as a $66 dollar fine... And the car crushing, well, the average kids belief in his own invincibilty and the 'it wont happen to me' syndrome will put paid to that one.
Peer pressure and the never ending quest to be cool are generally the two overriding factors influencing a teenagers behaviour. Maybe not when Young Johnny H was enduring his schooling years, buit now the parents and the authorities come a distant second in many cases

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Starving Kids

November 7th 2007 22:47

All over the world, children starve to death... we see it on the TV, and rush out to sponsor a child, or whatever it takes to dampen that rising tide of guilt as poor little Guihnho from Guyana stares at us from the screen... We are used to it, and unfortunately so are they. But now we have a case, in Sydney, of some pair of absolute muppets letting their mentally impaired daughter starve to death in her bed, at age 7.
Although in theory this should be no more of a tragedy than poor Guinho, it is, because in this country we have the infrastructure not only to ensure that children survive, but flourish, autistic or not.
There is one angle to all this, though, that the mainstream media will not report. Yes, Shellay Ward died because her mum and dad were terrible parents, didnt care, or wanted to her to die. BUT, where does it say, in plain black and white, that the system we have in this country for the creation and protection of the celebrated family unit is hopelessly inadequate in these cases. The departement of community services (DOCS) is, surprisigly, not to blame. The real issue here is that the final decisions, up to the point where the child is taken away (which poor Shellay Wards sister was), are left up to the parents. Shellay (or her older sisters) didnt attend school, and surely her emaciated state would have been seen if she had. Incidentally its federal law that she must attend. The DOCS statement on this read 'The department put forward a number of educational options to Shellays parents. However, they did not accept

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Posted By: Will - Category: No Category

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Whats going on?

November 7th 2007 03:32

Whats going on? Well, not much and a helluva lot, to be honest... Living, on a day by day basis - as we all do - doesnt generally turn up much of interest... work, school, supermarket, bad reality tv, diets, shopping, bed.... Routine is at the core of all (or most) of our lives, and boredom and isolation are routines bastard sons... BUT, dont despair... There is so much going on under the surface that it simply washes over us all as we concentrate on what to eat for dinner and getting that report in on time... THE COMMENT is here to stand under that waterfall of information with a bucket, pulling out the best bits and delivering them in a way thats informative, insightful, and entertaining... well, you be the judge....

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The Comment is here

November 7th 2007 01:02

Welcome to The Comment.... With life become faster, harder and a damn sight less user friendly, The Comment is here to make sense of what occurs... From Sport to Science, Politics to the Media, The Comment breaks it down and puts it back together in a way that seems, well, less confusing...

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Runaway Love - Must be read!!!

January 4th 2007 06:52

Runaway Love is a song from the album, 'Release Therapy' produced by Ludacris, which also features Mary J Blige. The lyrics to this song are amazing. It's about four girls between the ages of nine and eleven who have experienced all types of abuse within their household.

Mary J Blige was once a victim of such abuse. She had dropped out of highschool, began drug dealing, and was also sexually abused by a family friend

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Liquid Dancing

January 3rd 2007 03:00

Liquid Dancing is associated with rave, however it still combines many elements of popping.

The dance is called liquid dancing, because of its flow-like nature, and the illusions it creates. When liquiding you need to incorporate waves, rails, traces, threads, contours, splits, builds, and hand flows

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November 2007

8 Posts

January 2007

3 Posts

December 2006