The post is entitled “The cynical exploitation of child abuse” – you should check it out.

This is such breath-takingly stupid that I can’t imagine why they think it’s a good idea. I took a swing at figuring out the why in my letter to the Premier:

Dear Mr Ballieu,

Have you and your colleagues taken [...]]]> More fun in today’s newspapers: Victorian State Government to slash funding for local libraries.

This is such breath-takingly stupid that I can’t imagine why they think it’s a good idea. I took a swing at figuring out the why in my letter to the Premier:

Dear Mr Ballieu,

Have you and your colleagues taken leave of your senses?

What can possibly have possessed you all to decide to slash funding for local libraries?

Perhaps you are under the illusion that bookshops are closing down because people don’t read, rather than because they are badly run by their managers?

Perhaps you don’t see the correlation between higher literacy and lower crime rates?

Perhaps you don’t see how vital the internet is for the provision of all sorts of services – including government ones – and don’t realise that for many people, the library provides their only way to access the internet?

Perhaps you also don’t see how the false economies of this funding cut will end up costing more in the provision of other government services.

Perhaps you just really don’t like people who can’t afford to buy books.

I don’t know what reasoning you and your colleagues used to arrive at the conclusion that cutting funding for libraries was a good idea.

I just know that it was fundamentally flawed, and that you should be increasing, not decreasing, this funding.

Yours sincerely,
Me,
My address

You should email too – if enough people give him pieces of their minds, he might have enough to make a functioning one for himself. His email address is ted.baillieu@parliament.vic.gov.au.

You can read it here.

Excuse me, I’m off to write some more

Apparently, copyright holders don’t already have enough legal protections, and are furthermore excused from displaying any sort [...]]]> At the moment, the Australian government is part of a faction that’s lobbying to close the loopholes in the law that allow blind and other disabled people access to copyrighted material in ways that are simple and easy.

Apparently, copyright holders don’t already have enough legal protections, and are furthermore excused from displaying any sort of compassion.

Story here, legal details here and twitter feed following this here.

Most importantly, for Australians, this is where to register your response with our great and glorious government.

Spread the word, people!