From poop jokes to same-sex marriage. We like to mix it up.


So my father, the 67 year old conservative Catholic, and I were having our weekly discussion about the relationship between Christianity and homosexuality.

Normally people quote good ol' Leviticus. You know, don't eat prawns, don’t wear polyester and don’t have gay sex. It's very important. You won't get into Heaven otherwise.

But generally no one can give me an example of it condemned by New Testament (and therefore Jesus himself). So I asked my father, who is not only a Catholic but is incredibly immersed and interested in theology, and he mentioned Paul. He couldn't give me a direct quote, so I Wikied it. Because Wikipedia never lies.

So Paul was this guy who said some things, some of which are in Corinthians. He said:

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."

Fair enough, Paul. You ain't down with the kids. Whatevs.

And while we could sit here and argue about what gets lost in translation between the Ancient Greek and how "effeminate" could mean lots of things (one website described it specifically as "Jack, from Will and Grace". I lol'd)...what really made me happy was when I asked him about "fornicators". I had to make sure we were on the same page. It went down like this:

Me: "So 'fornicators' are people who have sex before marriage, yeah?"

Dad: "Yeah, pretty much."

Me: "Like you." (My father is an unmarried man).

Dad: ".....yes. [pauses] I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Then he sulked off to the kitchen. Oh snap.



I'm not into drunkards either, but the law doesn’t treat them as second class citizens. You can't pick and choose. It’s political opportunism and it’s corrupt. It’s using a tiny, easily debunked part of Christianity to back up a few crazed conservatives views. I don't mind what you believe. You can believe that being gay prevents you from going to Heaven, that's your choice. I'm completely for religious freedom. But it's when beliefs like that hurt other people that it's not right. Church and State are separated and we should remember this.

And not all Christians are like my Dad (who is actually a good guy, I swear. Just a little misguided. He wouldn't disown me if I brought Tegan home, “I don’t mind, as long as she’s cute”). I urge you to read the fabulous Hayley G Hoover, a pro-gay Christian, who is far more eloquent than I: http://hayleyghoover.blogspot.com/2009/11/why-christians-can-believe-in-gay.html


Other Various Linkage:

Obama’s stance (unfortunately): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73oZ_pe1MZ8

It’s funny, it’s true, it’s Kate McKinnon (look at that blonde hair, so cute), it makes me happy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE6UtcJtqE4

Is sexual orientation inherent? Russell Brand tests this theory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCjyAJc4oMg

If nothing else, same-sex marriage should be legal so I can marry Rachel Maddow (her on the Obama administration and gay rights): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXWlVYKTvNk

Love is love. And I'm pretty sure Jesus said something about loving one and other.


- Grace (is not gay but paid $300 for a chance to meet the cast of The L Word, so has enough lezzy points to know what she's talking about.)




Listening to: My Number by Tegan and Sara

Poop Jokes

Blog? Yes blog it's me. Yes, I know I've been gone for a long time, but I'm here now. Everything is going to be okay. Sshhh.

Now, while innocently browsing the web, a happened across two YouTube videos that I couldn't ignore; I just couldn't let these bad boys slide. So synch up your pants, put some paper towel over any regions that might spurt, and let's do this thing.



Wait a minute, let that sink in.

Okay, this product makes me genuinely fear for the human race. You know what, if you are taking so long on the toilet that you "get bored", whip up an adderall-laxative shake and be done with it. If you buy this product, take it as an invitation from me to pop those balls in your mouth and slam your face between the toilet seat.



1. Toilet paper gets the job done, lady. Taping it to a stick doesn't make it any less disgusting

2.a) What are the advantages to being a big guy? You can crush your enemies?
2.b) Are you so very large that you need an extra 18 inches to reach your own behind? I think you should take that as a sign to drop some pounds, not buy an arse wiping stick.

3. If you already need someone to help you with your "personal matters" you probably need help with many other "matters" that you can't use your stick for. If you've got people prepared to wipe your bum for you, you're doing pretty well for yourself, just run with it.

4. Hot, soapy chick doesn't need a "Get-A-Grip"

- Ardy, just found a dollar on the ground.

p.s. Rest on my ball sack

Listening to: Horse with no name - America

TRUFACTZ.

Why, hello there blog!

It has certainly been a while. But with exams, comes procrastination. So today, Internet, I thought I would share with you a list my fellow bloggers and I have complied of TRUTHINESS.

Of the truest truths ever.

We call them TRUFACTZ.

A trufact is something that instils this sense of...exactness, of being one with God. It makes you feel like the universe is finally in alignment. That everything is going to be okay because there are certainties in life after all. Those are these:

BRIEF DISCLAIMER: Remember, darlings, that all truth is relative. You may disagree with something, but I will then have to say that, respectfully, you are wrong. Truth is subjective and open to interpretation. Your trufactz may be different from ours. But this is our blog, so get over it.

1. Brendon Urie is a flaming homosexual.

2. Ryan Ross is in love with Brendon Urie. He is most likely gay (rose vest, anyone?), but appears straight next to Brendon Urie. The band splitting up is definitely the result of a lover’s spat i.e. Rydon exists.

3. Katherine Moennig is a lesbian. We all know, sweetie, don’t pretend. Also, call me.

4. Oscar Wilde is always right – the epitome of trufactz.

5. Gerard Way and Frank Iero, in the past, have got down with their bad selves (together) i.e. Ferard has previously been a reality.

6. Jon Walker is made of awesome.

7. Russell Brand is all ye know on earth and all ye need to know.

8. Men in general become hotter when they have children. Especially ones with tattoos.

9. Patrick Stump’s mutton chops hold the secret to happiness.

10. If a man has a reasonably attractive face, is 40 or under AND is an HISTORIAN, they are very likely to be smokin’ hot i.e. Jonathan Phillips.

11. Philosophers are hot.

12. Stephen Fry is possibly the greatest living human.

13. Sometimes douchebags are hot.

14. The film ‘The Mummy’ makes Ancient History and being a librarian look more interesting than it actually is. p.s. Rachel Weisz is hot.

15. Jim and Pam belong together.

16. Logan Echolls is the greatest boyfriend ever. And hot.

17. ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ and ‘The Final Countdown’ are the greatest songs ever written.

18. People are hot because of who they are and how they carry themselves, not because of physical appearance.

19. A continuation of Trufact #18 - the phenomenon of men like Patrick Stump and David Mitchell. While both perfectly good looking men, their appeal to me (and my fellow bloggers) is transcendent of appearance. David Mitchell is just as hot as Brad Pitt – but in a different way.

20. A continuation of Trufact #18 and #19 – No one will ever be good enough for David Mitchell or Patrick Stump. Not even me/us.

21. Harry Potter fanfiction is the best fanfiction.

22. Despite popular belief, video games are hot. Guys who play video games are hot. Don’t worry fellas; there are girls out there for you.

23. See Natalie Tran’s (communitychannel) video entitled ‘Uncomfortable Love Scenes’. In fact, most of her videos are truefactz.

24. See ‘Signal the Rifleman’ by Say Anything.

25. This - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMweXVWB918

So these are just a few of the many TRUFACTZ of life. To kindred spirits – don’t worry, you’re not alone. To those who disagree (“bden iz not lyk ghey or nuthin u looser he is 2 hawt”)...I’m sorry, Rydon exists.

I mean, have you seen this? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcPrtK4dKxE

Oh, and also this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEkLLlmCrok

- Grace, needs to write an essay about the USSR, but will watch 30 Rock instead. Tina Fey is hot also.

Listening to: Guitar Hero – Amanda Palmer

"Paid for by God and Doctors."

A joke? Amazingly, no! These people are actually terrified of a 'storm of married gay people'.

This one's definitely a parody though:

A Gaythering Storm from Jane Lynch

- Christa, not entirely convinced the first one's not actually a joke.

p.s Gay marriage should be legal so Grace and Shane can get married. Seriously.

Listening to: Baby Driver - Simon & Garfunkel

Debbie and the Whore

Debbie, our protagonist, arrives home to find her husband, Angus in a compromising position with Cynthia (“The Town Whore”). Realising her husband’s infidelity, Debbie vows to escape this outrageous nightmare which, through the ineptitude of men, has become her life. Her beloved children - Angus Jr., Fannie and Jesus - beg for her to stay, but she knew she would soon die in such a place. On her travels she met the vivacious, compassionate and Herculean Wang Chung, who, despite his charm and appeal, was in truth, a merciless Drug Lord. After a night of heated passion (of an unspecified nature) in which two souls finally became one, Wang decided to treat Debbie to a night on the town. For this occasion a more sophisticated attire was required, so Wang bestowed upon his love a sequined gown in place of Debbie’s old, red dress - the final reminder of the betrayal of her previous life. Upon seeing his beloved staring forlornly at the tattered remains of her past, Wang - with best intentions at heart - slipped a dose of hallucinogens into Debbie’s goblet of red, red wine.

The drugs were quick.

Debbie’s mind was powerfully spun, and from this surfaced painful memories. Memories of the night which she had tried so hard to forget; the night in which she had committed the most sinful of all deeds.

It was a dark, stormy night. Debbie stood in the doorway, a silhouette against the lightning. Dripping with cold rain and seething with fiery rage, Debbie glared lethal daggers at the sight of Cynthia sleeping in her marital bed.

Work in progress by Aidan Masters, Christine Schwugier and Grace Sharkey.

- Ardy got shampoo in her eye.

Listening to: Maybe I will - Julia Nunes

If you can hold on, hold on.

It’s tough being disappointed at your first shot at something meaningful.

Today it’s all too common to hear people going on about how disconnected the world is, how apathetic we all are to each others’ problems, how the youth of today is cut off from reality and has nothing to say about the world or its issues.

Well, on the 25^th April, 2009, over 1000 Australians across NSW gathered in Sydney to show support for an issue which needs to be addressed. Myself, Aidan and Grace were amongst that crowd which met at Milson’s Point, then walked single file across the Harbour Bridge holding a symbolic rope, all the way to Fleet Steps in the Botannical Gardens.

The march wasn’t disruptive or violent. It was conducted with a lot of respect and maturity and didn’t cause any trouble as it carried out its journey. Maybe if we’d made more of a fuss, we would’ve gotten more attention.

“The Rescue” was an event held in about 100 cities in 10 countries around the world. In every city there was a march, intended to help raise awareness to the plight of the child soldiers in Uganda, abducted by Joseph Kony to fight for the Lord’s Resistance Army in Africa’s longest running war.

Grace has already explained the outline for the night’s events, so I won’t go into them here. Basically this is just a follow-up to Grace’s post, where I can express my annoyance at the conclusion of Sydney’s Rescue.

I really thought that because Sydney had the largest attendence in Australia, that it would be easy for us to get rescued. I thought we’d have every flag raised by the time we moved to Hyde Park, no problem.

This was not the case, as you already know.

What I’m really upset about, is that every media contact we got in touch with and asked to come and cover our story, said they’d be there. They said they would come and cover it, if we just stopped calling. And then they didn’t show up.

Channel 10, Channel 7, at least three newspapers, they all gave their confirmation. Channel 9 said they’d be waiting at the Barracks, but they weren’t.

Lying out on the gravel in front of the convict museum in Hyde Park, freezing, were all these kids who had come out expecting their media and their government to show some concern. As far as I know, Perth got four members of their parliament to show up. The entirety of New Zealand was rescued within hours.

Our rescuer expressed shock over the lack of coverage we had when he gave his address. I really thought Sydney could do better.

It was ANZAC day, but that doesn’t explain why three other cities and the whole of New Zealand were rescued, and not us. Surely on a day commemorating the sacrifices made by our soldiers during past wars, we can spare a few moments to look beyond our own shores to the lives being affected by war today, a war in which the soldiers have no choice, and a war which we, as a part of a global effort, can have an impact on.

If this was going on in Sydney, there is no way it would be allowed to continue. The fact that it is happening in Uganda, shouldn’t make it any less important.

We were finally technically ‘rescued’ at around 5 in the morning by a guy from Channel 9 who had been in the city covering something else. We got a little bit of coverage, I don’t know when it will be shown.

The event at large seems to have done much better, and I’m sure Sydney will have contributed in a positive way by adding to the global message that Invisible Children seeks to spread. Our part was a small one, but hopefully our efforts will be made much greater in the grand scheme of things, when we finally see this war come to a conclusion, see Joseph Kony brought to justice, and the end of the abduction of children for the LRA.

Christa, too tired to think of something witty.

p.s “Hold on Uganda!”

Listening to: All These Things That I’ve Done – The Killers (damn good song.)

I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier.

I know that normally I come on this blog and write about movies and love and Russell Brand (sometimes all three), but today I am going to talk about something different.

Not something more “important”, that’s impossible – there is nothing more important than love (or Russell Brand or my love for Russell Brand), but something different.

So last night, I took part in a demonstration for Invisible Children called The Rescue.

Invisible Children is all about raising awareness for Joseph Kony’s child soldiers in Uganda and the Congo. It’s a fantastic organisation and something that I am personally very passionate about. For more information please (please) visit http://www.invisiblechildren.com/, watch the film and prepare to have your eyes opened and your life changed.

The Rescue was a peaceful demonstration where 10s of thousands of young people (mostly Pete Wentz fans) in over 100 cities in 10 countries across the world symbolically abducted themselves, walked around 6km to an LRA camp where they waited to be rescued by at least 1 form of media and a person of cultural influence or of political position.

I attended the Sydney Rescue and it was good, but it did show me that people in this world or at least in Sydney, Australia really just don’t care.

For the event to be considered a success, for us to be ‘rescued’ we had to have media coverage. So for the weeks leading up to the event, people like myself called and emailed and got rejected by every newspaper and TV channel in the country. We then called them on the night and Channel 7, Channel 9, Channel 10, SBS, The Herald, The Australian, The Telegraph and probably more promised they were coming, as long as we stopped calling.

Not one showed up. Except ABC Radio, which I think was just some dude in a hoodie.

The media apparently won’t cover a story unless it’s entertaining or has been orchestrated by some wanker with billions of dollars. They are meant to inform us of the happenings in the world and in our city – thousands of teenagers actually giving a shit about more than Miley Cyrus? Surely that’s newsworthy.

Politicians were informed that over 1000 young Australians, 1000 of their people were camped out in the Domain. Some dude from Underbelly had to rescue us (he was lovely actually, Damian Walshe-Howling and I would like to thank him now for coming, for caring).

I’m 17 years old. I have an unhealthy addiction to the internet. I only found out last night that a prominent politician in Brisbane is called Grace Grace. I am a member of this so called ‘apathetic’ generation.

But I showed up. I care. I believe in this cause and many like it. I believe in this world and its people and have strong views on everything from capitalism to the Jonas Brothers (I don’t like either, for the record). My fellow bloggers care and so do many more of us.

Yesterday, the 25th of April, ANZAC Day, I saw hundreds and hundreds of men and women step out to commemorate the lives of our countrymen lost in wars past by watching a parade and getting wasted, while only the young showed up to try and end a war, the longest running war in Africa.

My fellow bloggers were in attendance and I am sure they would agree in saying that this once and only this once, the young people were on our side.

In the eyes of our government, the child soldiers are of little importance. No one cares. Uganda has no oil or resources and is too small and chaotic to prove much threat.

These children need to be seen.

But I worry that unless the people who have the power to make this happen bother to open their eyes, they will remain invisible.

Grace, loves Easy Way, Seth Rogen's laugh and needs to stop constantly refreshing Twitter.

p.s. John Green is coming to Sydney! NERDFIGHTERS!

Listening to: All These Things That I've Done - The Killers