Are YOU an AUCKLAND UNI STUDENT and FREE AT ONE PM TODAY?

Come to the quad at 1pm, we need to make up enough numbers (200) so we can open the winter general meeting. Some interesting changes are proposed for the constitution; inclusion of the UN declaration of human rights and creating a new space for a queer representative on the student exec. Also the smoking ban that is supposed to come into effect in 2010 is being debated.

Darcy will also be throwing out sweet sweet candy as a...um... sweetener...

Agenda here if anyone is interested.


ALSO am keen to hit up the vegan lunch in clubspace again today, om nom nom. Who's keen?

Goth Night at Whammy Bar
St. Kevins Arcade, Krd
Doors 8pm

Including live set from local metal/industrial/ambient band Evil Ocean.

Djs will be on the rest of the night playing a mix of dark ambient, neo-folk, old school goth and post-punk, gothic metal, and a bit of turn of the century goth-pop and industrial thrown in if it'll get you dancing.


THIS IS FREE

Filament has hit a snag. The affordable printers have said they will not print penis.


So help show The Man and Society that women are SO FUCKING OVER being poisoned into low self esteem, eating disorders and superficiality by what we've currently got on offer in the range of women's magazines, that we want thoughtful articles, not make up tips, and every now and then a shot of a bloke who makes us go 'oh I think I might like a bit of that'.

Everyone who I've waved Filament Issue One at, from my mum to my male flatmates, has found interest and surprise at the articles inside (and sadness from my female flatmate who wanted some damn penis in there).

This cause is supported by: Warren Ellis, Fleshbot (NSFW), Erotica Cover Watch (NSFW), Zoe Margolis (aka Girl With a One Track Mind), and Love Honey (NSFW) to name a few of the big name supporters.

According to the cockometer, only 200 more copies need to be sold so Filament can afford a not so puritanical printers.


Get your copy today. So issue 2 can let the boys get it out in print.



I also want the first article I have published to be in a publication containing hard cocks.




That's just the printing problems, Suraya is fighting a whole new battle with distributors.

There has been a lot of debate in the past (and present) about the addition of fluoride in the water supply to combat tooth decay. Fact: populations with fluoridated water have lower instances of tooth decay. It works. However, as with most allergies, (very rare) instances of fluoride intolerance is becoming more apparent in individuals. The risk/benefit ratio is def tilted towards the benefit though. The number of people who benefit FAR outweighs the number of people who become at risk. We are all susceptible to tooth decay. Those who fear health risks from drinking fluoridated water, or those who think it is ethically abhorrent to mass medicate a population, even for something which effects EVERY member of a population, can always have a filter attatched to their tap, or move to an area which does not fluoridate (interestingly in Auckland the suburb of Onehunga gets its water from an underground source and does not fluoridate, unlike the rest of Auckland where our water comes from larger catchment areas reliant on rainfall). In New Zealand the Ministry of Health heavily encourages and promotes fluoridation but can not force a community to do so. Tauranga is an example of one community which has flip flopped through the decades of having their water added to and not. A few years back they again voted to remove fluoride from their water. So in New Zealand, communities have a choice, the government doesn't force them to do anything.

To the issue I actually want to talk on: folic acid in all bread (this is about to be mandatory in Australia and NZ from September, with the exclusion of organic bread)

Tooth decay = everyone. Projected number of birth defects that supposedly will be prevented by addition of folic acid to bread = 14

14!

Population of NZ from the Statistics NZ population clock = 4,318,639

So 4,318,639 are being mass medicated for the possible benefit of 14.

What. The. Fuck.

Bakers estimate that a pregnant woman would need to eat 11 slices of bread a day to get the recommended amount of folic acid to prevent those birth defects that are preventable by taking it. Seeing as not many people eat 11 slices of bread a day, the number of likely preventions comes down closer to around 3 if that. Bakers have also said that they can not garentee the same amount will be in every loaf. Folic acid in the past has been seen as a health benefit in other areas, not just pregnant women, but recent research has shown it to accelerate certain cancers. So as for the risk/benefit ratio the LA Times has a good story weighing it up. Our Minister of Food Safety Kate Wilkinson is against mandatory addition of folic acid in bread, yet claims her hands have been tied by the previous Labour govt in this joint food standard with Australia. But what is there to fear by at least delaying the implementation in light of new evidence? This is the health of our citizens in question. Ms Wilkinson says "We have to abide by the rules, we have to do it within the system, within the joint regulatory system, and we're doing it ... It doesn't set a good example if just because we don't like a decision we decide to break the law."

I'm sorry, if keeping to the law endangers the health and lives of members of your nation, that law should damn well be broken.

The UK and Ireland were set to add folic acid to bread and they've both halted implementation of the regulation due to the new risk data.

And really what would be the repercussions of stopping folic acid being added to our bread? The bakers damn well don't want to add it. Over 80% of New Zealander's don't want it added. The risks haven't been proven. Nor has the real world benefits. The minister herself doesn't even want to go through with it. So why is she? Australia's reaction? Is that it? Is that the best answer our government can give us? Green MP Sue Kedgley made the astute point that in this issue, New Zealand had lost part of its sovereignty (national soverignty being a nations ability to make its own decisions with out interferance, lost here by either pressure from big brother Australia or a weak government frightened by big brother Oz).


From time to time when I'm not too lazy, I bake my own bread. I think this is going to become a far more regular occurance. I am a woman of childbearing age, so technically I'm in the group to benefit (well the group to benefit is pregnant women, and EVEN THEN only the very very small minority who are at risk of concieving when they are not getting enough folic acid from other sources and EVEN THEN of that group the tiny number who could go on to develop birth defects). Basically I'm going to bake my own out of protest, much like those who attatch a filter to their tap. They're set to benefit, but opt out anyway. That and a home that smells of fresh baked bread is just wonderful. And then there's the issue of preservative avoidance.....

Other great places to get folic acid =
Pretty much all leafy vegetables which are dark green in colour
Chick peas
Black eyed peas
Asparagus 
Avocado
Whole wheat (bread and pasta)
Wheat germ
Lentils
Pinto beans
Sunflower seeds
fortified breakfast cereals
Orange, pineapple and grapefruit juice
aaaaaaaand liver

Yum.

New awesome thing for the day! Photochaining!

Want to participate ?
1. Visualize the photos present on the memory card and send one of them to photochaining.email@blogger.com. Don't forget to indicate in your email the name of the memory card, the place where you found it and the date.

2. Erase all photos from the memory card and take new ones.

3. Do the same as explained above, but please, do not change the name of the memory card when leaving it behind you.

21 Feb 2009     wine cellar       8:00         Ragamuffin Children album launch, with Teacups

aaaarrrrhhhh two of my fave NZ bands on in my fave bar and I'll be in Melbourne!

Go check 'em out for some twee tea folk.

The Teacups have a song about Harry Potter :D

-------------------

In AWESOME news, while watching Back of the Y we discovered our back stairs have been used to throw people down.



FUCK YEAH!

I HAVE LOST THIS JACKET, I THINK AT THE SUPERCORE XMAS PARTY (and THIS is the best pic I could find?!)



Black military jacket, bronze zip and buttons, epaulettes, spiral brand (i think)

Not only is it my fave jacket (it has decent pockets, whoo!), it also had my favourite pair of sunnies in it (black with pink on the inside)

If you picked it up by mistake on Christmas night from my place I reeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaally want this back

It's old and worn and no one else would want it, but I love it!

I am real keen to get down to Kiwiburn this year. Anyone out there keen for a road trip down??

This is going to be quite an awesome night. Over 45 artists/performers/musicians are contributing to this (including Mary, hi Mary! *waves*). They're opening up both the Wine Cellar and Whammy Bar (entrance only through the Wine Cellar) and there's going to be things going on in all spaces at all times.


There will also be a TV set up for election coverage, so y'all got no excuse to miss it.
Facebook event for those scared of the internet outside FB and who like others to know their movements.

THIS WILL BE AWESOME. A fuck of a lot of organising is going in to this to make it so. Don't miss the macabre fun!

Take the quiz if you haven't already. Might be interesting for those of you not in NZ who ain't keeping up so much with the (admittedly fairly dull) politics going on down here. The quiz isn't sure fire, seems focused only on the major issues and the Maori party isn't even listed! You can go further into the other parties policies in more depth after the quiz and see why your views and theirs do/don't match up.

And enroll to vote! I'm looking at you some_carbon_12

 "Friday 28 November 2008 sees a special reunion of the Headless Chickens' classic line-up from the hit-making era of their Body Blow album - and a welcome return of the Chickens' unrivalled brew of dastardly electronics, danceable beats and sharp pop songs.

The Headless Chickens return to the Powerstation in Auckland for their first shows in so long that nobody's counting. 

Chris Matthews and Fiona McDonald are back to share lead vocal duties, while the muscular rhythm section of Bevan Sweeney and Grant Fell lay the base for the sonic mayhem wrought by Matthews, Michael Lawry and Anthony Nevison. 

"This is neither a rock band with some gee-whizz samples or a bunch of art-boffins making whoopee with guitars . . . Body Blow sounds like no one else on earth." (Rip It Up, November '91) 

HEADLESS CHICKENS
Friday 28 November @ The Powerstation, Auckland
Tickets on sale 6 October from Ticketmaster & Real Groovy"

Can I get a hells yeah? Seems everyone is cashing in on their '90's fame, HLAH are also in on it, Supergroove too last year.



In other news I am no research and 250 words into a 2000 word anthro essay due before 10am tomorrow and I don't give two tugs of a dead dogs cock about it.

Am selling my ticket to the sold out Swing Ball happening this Saturday. $50 or closest offer. SPQR are catering, so even if you can't dance that's worth it. Plus there's a big band playing. Info here.

Anyone know how easy it is to get tattoo ink out of clothes?

Let the Cock of Science fuck you!

New fave webcomic, it tickles me in all the right places.

It's a new semester, which means I get to explore more of the university.

Now where in the heck would I find Algie or ALR1???

Also, very excited and happy to be back at Uni! :D

Trying to plan the rest of my degree is turning into a WORLD OF PAIN. I think I've got it down now, just need to decide which history papers I'm taking at stage 2 or 3. Gawd two more years to go. One and a half if I have no life.

*squee* New house is awesome! Flatwarming this weekend. Come witness the glory of my new gay bar-less house :D 

We has a BUNNY *super squeeeeee* aaaaaaand ratties and teeny tiny mousies. We're also looking for a kitty if anyone knows one that needs a home.

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Any one know where Riz and I could obtain/hire a projector for Friday next week??