RIP Tiffany Fahey

While everyone is talking about James Brown's passing today, in my opinion a more important issue back here in Sydney today: Former NSW Premier John Fahey and his wife Colleen lost their gorgeous daughter Tiffany today in a car crash at Moorebank.

Aside from thinking Paul Keating is a god these days, I'm not one to worship politicians but this is certainly deserving of a mention and respect to the family of the deceased.

Fahey was a good Premier, and who can forget his leap from the chair upon the announcement of Sydney's clinch of the 2000 Olympics?

I feel for this family. They've lost a beautiful young woman who had a bright future.

More details from the SMH here.

Study: One-third of U.S. teens own iPods

C | NET's news site reports that a study has concluded one-third of U.S. teens own and iPod:

For 2006, one-third of teens reported owning an Apple Computer iPod, up from only 1 percent in 2003, according to the study. More than half said they also own and play Sony's PlayStation 2, and one-third said they own an original Microsoft Xbox game console. But as many as three quarters reported playing video games on a regular basis.

Somewhat unsurprising if you ask me, given how many white earphones I see on the train everyday to work. It's also funny seeing this kind of stuff in the news these days... for those of us who have been geeking away for the last 10 years, articles like this seem almost old news, or rather 10 years late... I never thought I would see adverts for Doom III and Quake IV on buses, but I guess anything can happen :)

Sahg: "II"?

Sahg is currently writing and rehearsing songs for a second album, which for the time being is due for release (EU) autumn 2007. The new material is quickly taking shape, and the band plan to start recording in January.

Sahg state that it looks like the album will contain an even wider variation than 'Sahg I', spanning from fast and propulsive, via slow and gloomy, to some experimental acoustic pieces. No song titles or working title for the album yet, but this will be posted shortly.

'Sahg I' is nominated for 'Best album' at the annual local award show 'Bergen Awards' in hometown Bergen. Sahg is one out of three nominees in the category. The award show takes place at Landmark in Bergen, on January 26.

"Burzum-war": Battle of the Internet.

For some years now I noticed that there were two Burzum websites: burzum.org and burzum.com

burzum.com seems to service as an archive, while burzum.org serves as Vikernes' voice from his cell, and seems more personalised. I must say that I have always preferred burzum.org, mainly because Vikernes does have an element of input into the site. burzum.com on the other hand seems stale and much more fan administrated.

It seems that Vikernes himself has known about burzum.com's continued existence, and has not approved as a result:

burzum.com used to be the official Burzum website, but that's many years ago. I told Rainer (the original host) to close the website down, I think in 2000 (but I'm not sure), but instead he turned it into an archive. Some years later he sold the address to somebody else, without ever asking me for permission to do so, and my problem with an "open forum" for lies, false rumours and other crap was back. I don't know who is behind www.burzum.com and I guess whey mean well, but I wish everybody boycotted the site 100%. If there are any other websites out there dedicated to Burzum (or me) I wish You were all boycotting them as well. They are all a problem to me. The only website I support (in this context) is www.burzum.ørg!

If those who run www.burzum.com (or other websites in the same vein) want to in any way support me they should close down their website, and I encourage You to do so! Whether You mean well or not; just stop it! Remove everything from the Internet, and allow those who have an interest in the truth to find it without first having to plow through all Your bullshit. Support burzum.org only! That's all I have to say about this.

Of course, burzum.com have issued a rebuttal to this statement from Vikernes. An excerpt is below:

One of the reasons we have never supported the "official" Burzum website is that we, as critical thinking citizens of experience and intelligence and some learning, do not trust the behavior of its admins. They, like the SHF before them, increasingly feed Mr. Vikernes disinformation and provoke him to make ludicrous statements. Their agenda is to be the mouthpiece for the kind of "white power" and neo-Nazi beliefs that drag the West (Europe and European-Americans) down into an abyss of defensive, selfish behavior.

I understand that they seek to exclude the politics of Burzum out of their purpose and this is morally correct and sound (and I myself am extremely against racial intolerance and prejudice). It is unfortunately, very difficult to do so, especially when Vikernes is such as political figure himself. To exclude the politics will distort the entire Burzum story and create an inaccuracy of information.

We all know that Burzum itself is not NSBM, but to an outsider, they are either not aware of this apparent connection, or they do believe that the politics comes from the music (which it does not, thus Burzum is not NSBM) as opposed to the musician himself.

I think it is possible for the two sites to co-exist, but burzum.com need to re-shuffle their appearance and perhaps learn to accept that they might serve more as an archival site as opposed to being a more "powerful" digital medium. I think it would be best if burzum.com accept that they must take the back seat, because frankly no one cares which site wins this little game, we only care for accuracy of information and right now (and for some time anyway) burzum.org has been the place to go to seek accurate information on Burzum and Vikernes.

At the end of the day, if Vikernes has input into a website, that site is going to be far more accurate and official than any other.

Stirring the Islamic Pot.

I support this march mentioned at the Sydney Morning Herald's website, but while everything it stands for is positive (and I have very little respect for Islamic "laws") I'm not sure I can see it actually doing anything positive than sticking another thorn into the side of an already provoked Muslim community in Sydney.

Muslims in Australia are having a hard enough time these days, but is this really the way to educate them with their integration into our society? By antagonising them?

There are many Muslims who are good people, and for those Muslim girls who are leading the way for change by joining Surf Lifesaving Australia, I see this march as an ignorant slap to their own faces by the very people they are trying to balance life out with.

Surely there are better ways to send a message than sticking a finger up and provoking an angry Islamic response:

Mosque to get police guard for bikini rally

POLICE have been asked to protect Australia's largest mosque next weekend because of concerns that a bikini march staged to coincide with the anniversary of the Cronulla riots may get out of control.

The caretaker of Lakemba Mosque, the Lebanese Muslim Association, says it is taking no risks, requesting at least 32 police officers to protect the place of worship on Saturday and Sunday.

Association president Tom Zreik said he met police on several occasions to ensure there would be adequate numbers of officers present to defuse problems and arrest troublemakers.

"We are treating this as something that is funny and hilarious but also taking precautions," Mr Zreika said of the bikini march. "Some people may see this as provocation and the last thing that we want is to see anyone being attacked."

The organiser, Melbourne grandmother Christine Hawkins, has asked women nationally to dress in bikinis and colourful beachwear and rally outside large mosques to show their disgust at comments by leading Muslim cleric, Sheik Taj el-Din al Hilaly, who likened women to "uncovered meat".

A white supremacist website has promoted the march. Members of Sydney's Muslim community began raising their concerns last week, with hundreds joining an internet discussion to find a "peaceful avenue" to protect their mosque.

Many Muslim women suggested joining the march in their hijabs and burqas to voice their outrage at comments made by Senator Bronwyn Bishop and Prime Minister John Howard about the way they dress. "We're really asking people not to bother coming to the mosque," Mr Zreika said.

"All this is doing is degrading women and giving men a great excuse to have a perv. There are better ways women can express their concerns."

In Cronulla yesterday members of the Lakembaroos sports club attended a barbecue at North Cronulla Surf Club to mark the progress of more than 20 Muslim lifesavers, who are training for their bronze medallions.

"If we didn't have the events of Cronulla last December in the back of our minds, we wouldn't even be conscious that the people here were of Lebanese background," Community Relations Commission chairman Stepan Kerkyasharian said.

"They look Australian, they are taking part in an Australian activity and you have to ask 'what's the problem?"'

The training is an initiative of Surf Life Saving Australia.