Lili's thought for the day

One of the worst things about living in a gender-segregated society which embraces gender stereotypes like Australia is what happens to all the people who don't fit neatly or happily into one or other gender category. What if I'm a woman who is fed up with low-paid stereotypically female jobs confronted with a job service provider who unreflectively thinks in terms of gender stereotypes? What if I'm a man who wishes to work in early childhood teaching, for all the right reasons? What if I'm an "at risk" teen, and the only youth intervention program offered by the chaplain at my high school is a festival of gender stereotyping, and I don't want to be a part of that, for whatever reason? What if I'm a woman with an interest and ability in mathematics or engineering, and I've got to battle a consciously and unconsciously sexist society which doubts my ability at every step in my career? What if I'm a homeless transgendered person confronted with an emergency housing system that is church-administered and gender-segregated, and I find myself not welcome in women's hostels and not safe in men's hostels? It's crap for those who can't or don't want to fit into the gender pidgeon-holes, but why should anyone at all be compelled to conform to a bunch of idiotic ideas?

Lili's psychedelic thought of the day

Colour is happiness. Music is happiness. Music is colour, and colour is music for the eyes. Yeah man.

Lili's neurobunkum thought of the day

Are men more right-brained and women more left-brained? Dumb question, but one that nevertheless can be answered.

"...we demonstrate that left- and right-lateralized networks are homogeneously stronger among a constellation of hubs in the left and right hemispheres, but that such connections do not result in a subject-specific global brain lateralization difference that favors one network over the other (i.e. left-brained or right-brained)."

"...we saw no differences in functional lateralization with gender."

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0071275

Lili's thought of the day

Do modern grey-coloured architect-designed homes with associated  minimalist and cramped fashions in garden design deserve some of the blame for the epidemic of depression diagnosis in Australia? Is there something psychologically dysfunctional about a society that idolizes gardens that lack sunshine, views, space, bright colours, flowers, fragrances, green-coloured plants, curved lines and the laughter of children? It doesn't seem like fun to me.

Lili's thought of the day

Nice to know that the feds and the immigration department carefully screen and supervise their employees: 
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/08/07/15/26/ex-federal-cop-rapist-jailed-for-10-years

Lili's political thought for the day

"For those who come across the seas, we've boundless plains to share. In history's page, Australia's not advancing anywhere."
- high school student Bethany Hedt
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/coburg-north-student-fires-back-at-asylum-seeker-ads/story-e6frf7jo-1226690325757

"Let's Fully Welcome Refugees"
- St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne
http://www.sbs.com.au/podcasts/Podcasts/radionews/episode/281741/Banner-welcome-for-refugees

Lili's thought for the day

This rare thing has saved my day from being completely dismal and pointless. It is a book. It appears to contain lots of smart ideas which resonate and bounce off ideas that I've been incubating and growing over the last year or two.......... (to be continued after a good night's sleep)

Lili's thought for the day

RuddPM is offering homework clubs for school students as an election promise. Do we really want our kids to develop into miniature Kevin Rudds?

Lili's fearful thought for the day

"President Obama has initiated more espionage proceedings against whistleblowers and publishers than all previous presidents combined."
- Julian Assange

Evil Obama.

Lili's doubting thought of the day

Do the Australian mental health clinics championed and headed by Prof Patrick McGorry routinely test for Lyme disease in patients or clients suspected of having mental illness or psychosis or a pre-psychotic state? Given the now-notorious refusal of Australian doctors to acknowledge Lyme disease in Australian patients, I have my doubts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease#Late_disseminated_infection
http://www.westannouncements.com.au/obituaries/thewest-au/obituary.aspx?n=theda-myint&pid=166126896#fbLoggedOut

Lili's thought of the day

I've just discovered that three female minor celebrities and one minor female ex-politician which I find particularly irritating in their manner have all identified themselves as sufferers of psychiatric mood disorders. How interesting.