The Down Under Lounge

[Orac Zen]

Anything over about 23-24 degrees is hot as far as I'm concerned. Summer in this country can fuck off and die a thousand deaths.

12 is at the upper end of a winter maximum in my part of the world. Quite pleasant, so long as there's no wind.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I love the 30's. They are my friend.

 

[Miss Chicken]

My preferred temperature range is around 16-20C.

 

[Orac Zen]

I love the 30's. They are my friend.

You can have them. The rest of us will enjoy decent weather.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I will take all your unwanted degrees and I will take them NOW!!!!

 

[Commishsleer]

The tram restaurant is for tourists and suburbanites. teacake is right in that it is expensive and the food is mediocre at best. One nice benefit I guess is the restaurant tram gives is it actually cover a lot of the more intersting and picturesque routes. Something you may not normally get on the regular tram routes (well without having to catch 8 different ones)

As to Ian Thorpe... The poor boy was thrust in the national spotlight at 14 and being a national hero at 17. That alone would warp things and ones mind and coming out would've been the last thing he probably could've dealt with. That I can understand.

Remember Daniel Kowalski (one gold medal and a number of silver) and Ji Wallace (silver medalist) didn't come out until after they retired and Natalie Cook (Gold medalist), while still playing was well past her gold winning prime as well when she came out.

However I am heavily involved in gay sports and there is a big push for the no-to-homophobia campaign at the professional level at the moment. While all the support that the campaign gets is wonderful, it is sometimes sad to see how far we need to go. We have had some outstanding success in the rugby union world with gay inclusive teams playing in each of the Melbourne. Sydney & Brisbane comps, full support of the ARU board and the players (no dickheads like Acker in rugby thank god) as well as the gay rugby World Cup in Sydney in five weeks. However I acknowledge Rugby Union can be a rather interesting outlier compared to other sports (especial AFL & League), having Ian Thorpe be a proud gay athlete can only be a good thing. But we need to examine as well why he wasn't ready to come out sooner as is it a part of the sporting culture that needs to change

I thought Ian Roberts (Rugby League) came out while still playing.
You'd have to be crazy to hassle Roberts about it. He was a pretty tough player.

 

[Evil Robert]

I thought Ian Roberts (Rugby League) came out while still playing.
You'd have to be crazy to hassle Roberts about it. He was a pretty tough player.

True, though he came out in 1995, which was towards the end of his career, definitely his twilight years. Plus the eruption of the Super League War not long after took away a lot of his oxygen.

And unfortunately he was an outlier in many ways. In 16 years he has been retired, there have been very few other high profile athletes come out until recently. And none really in the team sports that get the money, fans and advertising.

 

[Jono]

Unsurprisingly, the carbon tax repeal went through today.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Another step backwards for Australia.

 

[Jono]

The new Liberal motto should just be "Fuck Humanity". Though half the time Labor really isn't much better.

 

[Australis]

My contempt for the Libs is starting to reach significant levels.

 

[Orac Zen]

Though half the time Labor really isn't much better.

Exactly. (Though I'd go with rather more than "half the time".)

Hence my complete and utter contempt for partisan party politics, and my complete disinterest in discussing politics in this country.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I wish we had a party like the Australian Democrats were like during the early years of their existence.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

^ There is always the Clive Palmer Party!

Though half the time Labor really isn't much better.

Exactly. (Though I'd go with rather more than "half the time".)

Hence my complete and utter contempt for partisan party politics, and my complete disinterest in discussing politics in this country.

My thoughts exactly. I now ignore a lot of discussion that I see around the net on the matter.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I have friends who think, honestly seem to fervently believe, that Labor is going to save the country. I don't see how after the last bunch of years anyone can believe this.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Nowadays Labor= Liberal-Lite

 

[Candlelight]

12 degrees in winter is OK for me. I only start to complain when the daily maximums are in single figures.

We haven't broken 8 degrees all week.

 

[Jono]

^ Glad I'm in a place where I only just need to wear a shirt with sleeves.

 

[MacLeod]

I thought it was an almost unviersal concept that politians no matter where there are look after number 1, themselves. Rather than doing what is best for the electorate.

 

[Australis]

23+ Australians on the plane shot down in Ukraine. This is getting bad.