Large areas of southern Australia have been ravaged by bushfires.  There have been many lives lost, families devastated, homes gone, entire towns decimated and thousands of acres gone up in smoke.  It’s been very hard to watch this disaster unfold in the media over the last week.  I simply can not imagine the emotional devastaion these people are going through and will continue to go through over the next few months.

Which is why I can’t understand why a tragedy like this seems to bring out so many bona fide monster raving loonies.  Like these delightful God-botherers who released a media statement claiming the bushfires are God’s retribution for Victoria’s liberal abortion laws.  I mean what?  who the?  how can?  where did?   Shit.  Words escape me in this particular instance.  The complete and utter lunacy of this concept leaves me absolutely floored. 

And that wasn’t the only crazy arsed sensationialist headline I saw this week that attempts to distract from the real facts of what’s happening.  Fuckin’ Fox News must have some really bored ‘journalists’ on their payroll at the moment…

At first I thought it was a joke – a not even remotely amusing joke at that – because one should take with a grain of salt anything one sees posted on the interets.  So I went straight to the Fox News wesite to see if it was on the level… and oh my gawd – there it was.  An article about how terrorist groups might decide to use arson on a grand scale to commit mass murder.  Yay.  😐   I’d like to think that NOBODY relied on the ‘fair and balanced’ reporting of the Fox News network but… oh I’m too tired to sit here taking pot shots at Fox.

Anyway I guess if the terrorists haven’t thought about it before. I’m sure they have now…
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Like many people I’m watching a bit of the pomp and nonsense of the Inauguration parade for President Obama on TV this morning.  I think I’m about as excited about it as poor little Sasha Obama looks on the screen right now. She’s in a viewing pavillion atm and has her head in her hands and is looking rather bored.

The parade seems to be going on forever… there’s marching bands – MANY MANY marching bands from obscure high schools all over the country (including the illustrious Adams Central High School Patriotic Marching band 😐 ), people dressed in Native American costume on horseback, massive parade floats, bag pipe bands, historical re-enactors, flag twirlers, guys in big foam suits of ex-Presidents and lets not forget the Jesse White Tumbling Team (oh… hold me back).  When we had a change of government and a new Prime Minister not so long ago… in comparison – umm no one really gave a shit.  Parades?  Marching bands?  Yeah… not that I can remember.

Overt American patriotism always reminds me of this err… interesting video clip which I first saw several years ago.  If an Aussie did a song like this about Australia, it’d be a piss-take… but oh well we shall celebrate our differences hey?   🙂

Anyway I was commenting to Mr K this morning that in Australia parades of any sort are usually reserved for visiting Royalty (strangely enough) and sporting teams.  I don’t think we’ve ever made a fuss on quite this scale for anyone… let alone for politicians?!?!?  But then, I guess the Prime Minister of Australia isn’t exactly ‘the Leader of the Free World’ now is he?

As a distant (and often disinterested) observer… I for one am glad to see the back of President Bush who was a disaster on sooo many fronts.  And I do find myself sparing a thought for the newly appointed President Obama – I don’t think there’s ever been a single man in history of whom so much is expected – I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes,
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Most of the time I’m not overly keen on reading the news – it’s just so damn depressing.  The Gaza strip has gone to hell in a handbasket… again.  The Americans are leaving their size 10 bootprints all over Afghanistan and Iraq…. still.  Pakistan is in a huge pile of shit over this Mumbai situation and should they mess with India they will lose…again.  Sri Lanka is back in the headlines having temprorarily driven back the Tamil Tigers… again.  Zimbabwee is a shit sandwhich all round with a nice big bowl of cholera epidemic on the side. Angola having Ebola crisis,  French synagogue victim of arson.  US car industry in the crapper…. it just goes on and on every single day.

Which is why I like it when you find something human or sweet that makes it onto the radar and unfortunately it happens so rarely as to make it worth remarking on….

The three were trying to travel without passports or money

Two German children – aged five and six – have been stopped by police from eloping to Africa to tie the knot in the sun, reports say.

The budding lovebirds, identified as Mika and Anna-Lena, packed bathing costumes, sunglasses and a lilo and headed for the airport.They even had the presence of mind to invite along an official witness – Anna-Lena’s seven-year-old sister.  The three got as far as Hanover railway station before police intervened.   The young couple were “very much in love” and had decided to get married in Africa “where it is warm”, police spokesman Holger Jureczko told the AFP news agency.

Sun-seekersThe idea for the getaway wedding was born as the children’s families celebrated New Year’s eve together and Mika regaled the two girls with stories of a recent holiday to Italy.  The following morning, as their parents slept, the intrepid trio walked 1km (0.6 miles) to the local tram station at Langenhagen, where they hopped aboard a tram for Hanover central station. But the group aroused the suspicion of a guard as they waited for a train to the airport, and police were called in.

Officers persuaded the children they would not get far without tickets and money, but consoled them with a free tour of the police station, where they were shortly picked up by relieved parents. Although any marriage plans have been put on hold for now, police did not altogether rule out the possibility of an African wedding.

“They can still put their plan into action at a later date,” AFP quoted the spokesman as saying.