Tranquility Bay

Psycho Smiley · Post by **Psycho Smiley** » 2004-12-08 06:44pm

*Edit* Fuck. Listen to the kid at the end of the first part and in the second part. Maybe he's just naturally like that, but he sounds seriously fucked up.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-12-09 12:48am

frigidmagi wrote:Doh! I meant Stofsk! Sorry, sorry don't know what came over me.

It's fine, but it does depend on where you go. If you like tropical weather, dry, desert-like weather, or rain-foresty type weather. If you do relocate, know a couple things: summers have 40 C temperatures, and this usually means dry flora which ALSO means bushfires are a terror, though again, it does depend on where you go (up in the styx, or as we call it, woop-woop, is the most dangerous, while obviously in the CBD it isn't); no nuclear power, though if you're an envirofascist this is probably a good thing; our leaders are generally idiots (though I like Howard, he has a way of destroying the Opposition.

); some places are like 50's America, nice little hives of intolerance, racism, and the usual bullshit (before Americans start jumping on me I'd like to point out: this is what American celebrities have said about us), though the cities are good places to live; there's a lot of stupid nanny-state laws that get passed whenever there is a crisis, like gun laws that went through thanks to Martin Bryant, and continuous speeding/car laws due to another fatal weekend road toll.

Hmm, what else? Oh yes, NSW is going to run out of drinking water in 2 years thanks to a nice drought we've been having, and Bob Carr's idiotic pledge not to bring in desal plants to his State (Carr is a Labor premier in NSW, and the usual left-wing enviromental bullshit that gets through with that ie, no nukes, 'renewables!' and of course, big business fossil fuel companies). In SA, well, Lusankya can tell you all about that since she lives there. In VIC, Steve Bracks likes to go against election promises and as a result, another public works freeway will be tolled. Needless to say, this upsets a lot of people and although I don't drive, I completely sympathise.

Oh, but otherwise it's a nice place to live. Generally speaking there are idiots on both sides of Parliament, but that's politics. Socially, well we're more conservative - or classically liberal - than we are liberal in the contemporary sense of the word. What that means is people here don't really give a shit what you do as long as you don't do it in front of them, or hurt anyone else. There are fundies though, not many from my experience, but they're there like a bad smell. Culturally things are multi and if you want to experience something new, you can. Although someone from other cities might have different experiences. I heard from one Asian guy that living in WA is harder than living in VIC, because here it's more racially tolerant. On the other hand, one of the removalists we hired expressed how he hated Asians. So... yeah, arseholes are everywhere.

Lusankya can tell you about SA. ggs can tell you about WA. Weemadando can tell you about Tasmania. Stark, Queensland. Moku, Canberra. And Vympel can tell you about NSW. There are other Aussies too.

Yeah, you were probably being facetious to begin with, and probably weren't expecting this long reply.

This 'tough love' school thing is really abhorrent. I don't really know what to say about it beyond the me-too "They're fuckheads!" response. There was something I noticed: this 'WASP' or whatever claims they're making productive members of society, yet when the reporter went over there he claimed the kids had blank stares on their face and didn't even talk to him. I have to wonder at what kind of 'productive member of society' they're looking for, because it sounds like they want cubicle-workers with retarded social/personal skills. Fun.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-12-09 12:50am

Oops! Forgot to mention: there's no snow. Unless you go up into the mountains, and there it's usually expensive, and FAKE snow anyway. So if you love snow, you'll hate Australia for it's lack of it.

Oh, we have bindies, and 'sharp' grass (I don't think it's real grass, but some kind of weed), both of which make walking barefoot through the grass an adventure.

Prozac the Robert · Post by **Prozac the Robert** » 2004-12-09 11:16am

Is there anything that can actually be done about the place?

According to that guardian article the jamacans are not inclined to close it down, and even if they did then it could just be moved to a different location.

There is no real international law to appeal to, and even if the US were to ban people sending their kids there it could still operate with children from elsewhere.

It's utterly disgusting.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-12-10 12:31am

Prozac the Robert wrote:Is there anything that can actually be done about the place?

According to that guardian article the jamacans are not inclined to close it down, and even if they did then it could just be moved to a different location.

There is no real international law to appeal to, and even if the US were to ban people sending their kids there it could still operate with children from elsewhere.

It's utterly disgusting.

Two ways: A truly international sanction would be the first and best. Sadly, the UN is about the only way to get something like that, and why would they move their sorry asses for this if they can't even issue sanctions against genocide in Africa? The only other choice is international vigilanteism, which would land those who pulled it off in a world of hurt afterwards.

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2004-12-10 01:17am

The only other choice is international vigilanteism,

*Shrug* I've got no plans for next weekend. Anyone got a plane?

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2004-12-10 01:25am

Well, if we had enough money we could probably just bribe the Jamaican government to close it down. Anyone want to pony up twenty million Euros or so?

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2004-12-10 02:09am

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:Well, if we had enough money we could probably just bribe the Jamaican government to close it down. Anyone want to pony up twenty million Euros or so?

Someone just needs to spend a month or so smuggling drugs for them into the US.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2004-12-10 12:06pm

Shit, if my parents shipped me off to this school, I would conform so fast it would make your head spin - just to get by. Meanwhile, everynight I would rehearse my plan to what I'm going to do to my parents when they are too old to take care of themselves.

Then, after graduation, when my 'parents' think that I have been 'cured', I would sit them down, and with a calm cold smile I will go through my plan for them in detail, and advice it to end their lives before they ever needed to depend on me.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-12-10 12:11pm

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:Well, if we had enough money we could probably just bribe the Jamaican government to close it down. Anyone want to pony up twenty million Euros or so?

If the US government wanted to end this, it could simply slap an embargo on Jamaica, the way they have for Cuba. That would force the Jamaican government's hand.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-12-10 12:23pm

Thirdfain wrote:
The only other choice is international vigilanteism,
*Shrug* I've got no plans for next weekend. Anyone got a plane?

Actually, boats would be better. I actually gave this some thought once when I was really bored.

Tranquility Bay is on the shore; place looks like a beach resort from the outside. Get enough sealift power, you could pull an amphibious assault (:D), get the kids, and get the hell out. The only problem besides the prospect of arrest upon return to the United States would be the level of conformity they force; if the kids get it into their heads that it's some sort of obedience test then they might actually resist.

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2004-12-10 03:16pm

I'm not sure I understand how their parents can just stand there and watch a group of people kidnap their child, who just happens to be screaming for help. Or the really sick ones, that tell their kids they are going on a trip to Disneyland or some crap like that and they find themselves in that hellhole.

How is it even legal for these people to kidnap their children? Even if they have permission from the parent, that should be against the law.

Prozac the Robert · Post by **Prozac the Robert** » 2004-12-10 11:10pm

Isn't there some sort of law about taking your children out of school? Maybe if the place was classified as 'not a school' then there would be some thin film of legal protection.

Actually I don't see how the damn place is any better than locking your kids in a cage, which is definitely illegal.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2004-12-11 02:57am

Crown wrote:Shit, if my parents shipped me off to this school, I would conform so fast it would make your head spin - just to get by. Meanwhile, everynight I would rehearse my plan to what I'm going to do to my parents when they are too old to take care of themselves.

Then, after graduation, when my 'parents' think that I have been 'cured', I would sit them down, and with a calm cold smile I will go through my plan for them in detail, and advice it to end their lives before they ever needed to depend on me.

Don't think you'll fool them, though. From what I've read, they brainwash you thoroughly, even if you conform, just in case.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin