News

[blamebrampton]

This is simply ridiculous. Three weeks and I still can't use my little finger to tension the yarn while I knit. Absurd! shiv5468's brilliant craft posts have me all inspired!

In other news, East Timor's president was shot and he is in serious condition in Darwin, but apparently this was not reported widely in the US according to my literate and reliable friends. Sigh.

The Australian Prime Minister will apologise to the indigenous population in just under six hours, partially for the whole dispossessing them against contemporary international law thing, mostly for the more recent stolen children thing, which ended some time after the previous Prime Minister was in Parliament, yet for which he always insisted he felt absolutely no personal guilt. Happily, new PM KRudd has a soul.

And I have shorter, chestnuttier hair, because I desperately needed to procrastinate today.

Comments

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

Hi! *sends vibes of rapid improvement to your finger*

I'm downtown,waiting in line for a sandwich. Do you like the new hair? And what's this about stolen children?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It's a little shorter than I had intended, but a nice colour. And it grows quickly.

Much of Australia, for many years, had this crackpot policy that said "Hmmm, you appear to be a blackfella, but your kids are a bit pale. We reckon you're probably a bit black to raise em up right. So we're a. just taking them, b. having you sign a piece of paper you don't understand and then taking them, or c. having you declared unfit and then taking them."

A lot of the kids were thrown into institutions which ranged from Dickensian to perverted, while others were adopted. Some had great childhoods, many didn't. All had a strong sense that they'd quite prefer not to have been kidnapped by the state, thanks all the same.

It is generally considered that this was a Fucking Appalling Idea. But the previous PM said that such a picture was to hold a Black Armband View of Australian History. (NB, the chap before him was all for reconciliation and probably owned a couple of black armbands made by Zegna, it's just the last 11 years have been a timewarp to the fifties in Oz politics). Now that Howard has been summarily booted from office, an official apology was seen as a positive step. Fingers crossed it will even be followed up with first world health care and education for remote communities!

[norton-gale.livejournal.com]

That always happens when I say, "Just a trim"- they take way more off than I wanted!

This is shocking, but the US history of treatment toward its indigenous population is just as appalling. So there's a whole lost generation out there, right? That would make a great subject for a documentary.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Several great documentaries, and more than a few brilliant songs.

While it wasn't universal, it's the sort of thing that fragments communities. How do you believe you're part of a nation when that nation denies your basic rights? (Oh, look, gay subtext again!) To be fair, there was this wacky belief that the Aboriginals were a dying race. I remember school in England where we were taught the Tasmanian Aboriginals were extinct. Then I came here, went to Tasmania, and met a few who were very definite that having the odd whitefella in their family tree did not invalidate their existence.

(It's just below the top of my hips, so not short short by any stretch, but I was expecting a couple of inches more at the end of the process.)

[fourth_rose]

but apparently this was not reported widely in the US according to my literate and reliable friends

It definitely was in Europe, if that's any consolation.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Of that I had no doubt.

[blindmouse.livejournal.com]

I tried to watch the live streaming of the apology this morning, but it didn't work for me, so shall have to remember to watch the news tonight.

Do you know, I didn't actually realise how huge the stolen generation thing was for me, just as an Australian who's never known anybody directly affected, until I tried to read faire_weather's Black, in the Smothering Dark fics, featuring a Muggle-born-magical-stolen-from-their-parents-to-be-raised-in-the-wizarding-world, subplot, and had to stop because I was feeling sick.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

ABC, parliament, Fairfax and YouTube all have it up now, so fingers crossed you can see the whole thing on one. I ended up watching all the ALP reaction shots at the end again and again because I am a bit stalkery that way.

Couldn't actually watch Nelson. I've decided that he apologised and will work in the bipartisan effort and that is good and I will just ignore the rest.

I can see how reading that would be a solid kick. When I first arrived in Aus I used to tutor some Koori kids and also taught others swimming (yes, they did have long laughs at the idea of being taught to swim by a Pom. Until I did my swimming the length of an Olympic pool underwater in one breath trick. Wish I could still do that ...). The various Aunties ("Nah, call me Aunty ...")would regale me with stories that made me shiver, when they weren't taking the piss about my pallor and pluminess. My half-sister's ex is a Koori lad and her son is, too. The idea that thirty years was what stood between him and such risk was terrifying. The fact that there are still people who do not get this (I accidentally read what the talkback audiences were saying) is more so.

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

Rabbit Proof fence always makes my hair stand on end.

Erm, I've never used my little finger to do tension. I just change needles. I do wrap it round the ring finger occasionally.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Me too.

I was taught to knit one way and can only do it that way; because I am basically a craft moron. So I've been trying to tension it with my ring finger and finding it Very Annoying. And since it is the final two balls of a bed blanket, I am Very Annoyed. Eh. Worse things happen at sea.

[snottygrrl.livejournal.com]

[*sends finger healing energy over*]

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Thank you, dear!

[lackofmendacity.livejournal.com]

I hadn't realised your finger injury was so severe. :/ *hugs you gently*

And wow, most US people aren't aware of Mr Ramos Horta being shot? 0_o (Seems hardly fair, considering the coverage our papers give to the US Primaries.)

But anyway, I almost cried during Kevin Rudd's speech; I find he can be very moving in his own quiet, diplomatic, robotic way. *g*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I gave up and just cried. Apparently I find robot bogans deeply effective. And did you see at the end when the foreign minister was behind him swallowing heavily and with tears in his eyes? And Rudd was doing some serious heavy swallowing himself? A good day for Australian democracy.

And I don't know if you saw the German news on SBS (because why would you), but the DW guy with the great hair was all moved by the story, too. Bless.

(It's just a little break, and healing nicely, but I tension the wool by pulling gently outwards and lateral movement still bleeding hurts. Not Fair!)

[lackofmendacity.livejournal.com]

Err, so why are we still up in the wee hours of the morning, with the finger injury and all? :/

I admit to having missed the German news *is amused* but yes, the teary ministers were definitely quite a moving sight. :)

And awww, you're so cute, I can't believe you cried. ;D *hugs*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Sleep is for the weak! (And I was reading all the international news, because I am a news junkie)

But I will take my finger to bed. It probably does need more regular hours.

Yes, occasionally I am a complete softie. This was one of those days. *hugs back*