Taiwanese courts last week opened the way for same-sex marriage in Taiwan. Of the well-functioning democracies in East Asia and Oceania, that leaves Australia in the company of socially conservative Japan and South Korea as the only ones who still haven't managed to respect their LGBT+ citizens' rights. Australia remains a nation of mostly gutless foot-dragging politicians who rarely manage to do more than follow by example. ...continue reading "LGBT+: It’s (still) a great time to be straight"
Author: pipkin01
Bucket-list: Boat ride down Bruny Island, Tasmania
I've done many suitcases-worth of travelling, but there are only a few experiences which have really made it onto a notional worldwide-must-dos list. Taking a ride down the coast of South Bruny Island in Tasmania is one of them. ...continue reading "Bucket-list: Boat ride down Bruny Island, Tasmania"
Bastards: An experience with HSBC
So you've been a customer of a big bank for over 10 years, with a relatively smooth experience. Then you get a letter in the mail telling you that the account which you've been using for business for that period is "being used in breach of the terms of the account, because we have noticed that you are using it for business purposes". ...continue reading "Bastards: An experience with HSBC"
Lactose incontinent: Dairy industry claims “milk” is exclusively their word
Some relevance-seekers at a NSW dairy lobby group called Dairy Connect have decided that consumers are "confused" by all the non-dairy applications of the word "milk" and such supposedly misleading marketing should be banned. Consumers need to be able to make an "informed decision". My brain hurts just trying to imagine the conversations, presumably behind closed doors (and perhaps with padded walls and straitjackets), that led to this silliness. ...continue reading "Lactose incontinent: Dairy industry claims “milk” is exclusively their word"