My Profile: 2007
Name: Christopher Peter Fryer
Age: 29
D.O.B: 28th of April, 1978
Sex: Male
Nationality: Australian
Some visitors to my site may wish to know a bit about me. This is the third update to my profile since I started this blog. In here are details of my personal life, my beliefs, religion and politics.
I am one of those lucky few who share my life with an exact replica – I am an identical twin. I was born five minutes before my brother Nick. I also share a birthday with the now deceased Saddam Hussein and the anniversary of the Port Arthur Massacre. On a lighter note I like to be known as Chris, as my mother is the only one that calls me Christopher. At the Moment I am studying Professional Writing and editing at Box Hill Institute. On my days off, I try to write full time.
I suffer with a disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy DMD, or MD (this last one sometimes gets confused with other diseases). This is a muscle wasting disease, which only affects males, as it is carried on the X chromosome. My identical twin brother, Nick, also has the same disease, we share the same DNA that is why we both have DMD. I was diagnosed at 7 and I stopped walking when I was 10 years old. Consequently I drive an electric wheelchair, which can be fun but doesn’t go down stairs too well! I don’t feel sorry for myself as there are plenty of other people who are worse off than me.
My favorite past time is playing computer games. I am completely addicted to World of WarCraft.
I also love reading and I have one of the largest science fiction collections in Melbourne (not including Borders bookstore in Carlton).
I have a very open mind and I like to understand other people’s beliefs by using my imagination to take a walk in their shoes. I’m a skeptic; I believe extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I’m a scientific person I don’t like to believe anything unless its been scientifically proven. I believe that science should be used when setting policy by governments.
I am an atheist; I don’t believe there is a god. However, I try to base my moral values on the golden rule, treat others the way you wish to be treated. I have many friends who are Christian and I believe there should not be any conflict between science and religion. Religious fundamentalism is a very dangerous thing and should be fought at every opportunity.
I also have an interest in politics and I freak everybody out when I scream at the TV, usually at John Howard, Dubya or Mr Sheen. I try to stick to the center in my political beliefs; however, I tend to favor the left. Now with the advent of neo conservatives some people consider me a radical lefty, what a strange world we live in. I am also a proud swing voter and I piss my self laughing when people use it as an insult.
I have a very firm belief in the equality of all people. I am also dependent on the disability pension and the availability of public health care. Both these things mean that I am left leaning. I am also relatively conservative in that I believe Australia has achieved one of the best living standards in the world and it is the job of the Australian government to try and keep it that way.
I also believe that capitalism controlled by government combined with democracy is the best system so far developed.
There is a large number of things I believe the current government is not doing right. Howard let’s our foreign policy be dictated by a foreign power, the USA. They have still not said sorry to the aboriginals for the stolen generation. They are yet to sign the Kyoto protocol. There are some things more important than the economy. The government could do a hell of a lot more to protect the environment, things that won’t even hurt the economy.
The Howard government is also pursuing bilateral trade agreements rather than using the WTO system, free and fair trade is what is needed. I don’t like the current governments disdain for the UN, the UN is an organisation designed to prevent World War Three, weakening this organisation could be fatal mistake.
The treatment of asylum seekers is just appalling. If an asylum seeker is willing to work let them, if they have come here for no good reason send them back why do they have to rot for so many years. The conditions in detention also need to be improved as most prisons have better facilities. As Amanda Vanstone once said, “these people are not criminals.”
I have problems with the bush administration (who doesn’t).
Scrapping the anti ballistic missile treaty was a stupid mistake. The number one thing that prevented nuclear war with the USSR was mutually assured destruction or MAD. Scrapping this treaty puts the very survival of the human race in danger. The USSR no longer exists, the short sighted people in the Bush Administration are forgetting China, the next up and coming superpower. The danger to the United States was never from rogue states, what is the death of a few million when compared to 5 billion.
The bitter treatment people and countries receive for disagreeing with the Bush Administration. What ever happened to freedom of speech and the American way? Guantanamo Bay and the suspension of habeas corpus are both a slap in the face to the writers of the American constitution. They are also the best recruiting tools Al-Qaeda could hope for.
The Iraq war even some far right-wingers are starting to say that it was a bad idea.
Abandoning science as a way of setting policy and embracing policies that are popular.
The teaching of Intelligent Design in some schools is a big worry. Although some of the best comedy ever accidentally created has come from Intelligent Design advocates.
There are many more things I could tell you about myself, but why would you bother reading my blog then?
I hope after having read this you have a better understanding of Chris Fryer.
July 17th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
“This is a muscle wasting disease, which only affects males, as it is carried on the X chromosome.”
Typo?
I thought female was XX and male was XY. Correct me if my high school biology knowledge is out of date.
July 17th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
You’re correct.
MD is carried on the X chromosome, which means when females receive a defective X chromosome the other acts as a backup, but when males get it there is no such backup so the disease appears. Maybe I should add this.
July 17th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Oooooh. Now it makes sense.
August 1st, 2007 at 10:03 pm
“I tend to favor the left. Now with the advent of neo conservatives some people consider me a radical lefty, what a strange world we live in. I am also a proud swing voter and I piss my self laughing when people use it as an insult.”
Actually I think this disease has affected your brain.
Theodore John Kaczynsk say’s hello Chris…
“Leftists tend to hate anything that has an image of being strong, good and successful. They hate America, they hate Western civilization, they hate white males, they hate rationality. The reasons that leftists give for hating the West, etc. clearly do not correspond with their real motives. They SAY they hate the West because it is warlike, imperialistic, sexist, ethnocentric and so forth, but where these same faults appear in socialist countries or in primitive cultures, the leftist finds excuses for them, or at best he GRUDGINGLY admits that they exist; whereas he ENTHUSIASTICALLY points out (and often greatly exaggerates) these faults where they appear in Western civilization. Thus it is clear that these faults are not the leftist’s real motive for hating America and the West. He hates America and the West because they are strong and successful. …”
Well that’s you chris whether you realise it or not -theodore thinks you leftists are all losers.he got that right!
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:17 pm
You don’t know anything about me.
For example I love the “west” and what it stands for, Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness and all that stuff.
We in Australia have the best standard of living anywhere in the world. In fact if things weren’t so good in Australia I’D BE DEAD. Yes you read correctly DEAD. What offends me the most is when people think it is ok to tread all over what previous generations have fought for? People who try to destroy what the west stands for – you know who I’m talking about.
And what do I think of terrorists? They are deluded fools who are no better than common criminals – the war on terror gives them way to much credit.
Think twice before you cut and paste crap onto my website.
Lunatic lefty’s (Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez for example – I despise this prick) do exist I was about to write a post about them until you so rudely interrupted.
Next time instead of engaging personal attacks, try to write something intelligent.
August 2nd, 2007 at 4:58 pm
I don’t know why I am wasting my time writing this,but what gets me is your know all attitude to things you have absolutely no clue about.
“I personally think it is about time someone brought up America’s September 11 obsession. The real question is how many innocent Americans have died from terrorist attacks?
“Judging by the way George Bush talks about terrorism you would think a hell of a lot more people die at the hands of terrorists. If you live in the USA you have got an incredibly small chance of being killed by terrorists.”
Two planes fly into a couple of Sydney’s skyscrapers killing nearly 3,000 people. – Are you trying to tell me that Auistralians would not be obsessed with this?
And just like those obsessed Americans -Australians, especially Sydney Siders would be wondering when the next attack could occur. That is if they are not leftists who don’t believe that this could ever possibly happen again, and that’s why the left are so concerned about suspected terrorist rights, and not with the protection of their fellow Australians.Thet just dont believe that terrorism is really a threat.It’s all made up to get Howard re-elected.
To say though that only x amount of people died and aids kills more blah,blah, is so assine I can’t believe it.When these Islamic nutcases start using nuclear or bio weapons they could kill millions in just one attack -but of course you as a leftist will never believe that they would do that …Right? And tell me why are you concerned with any so called American obsession with 9/11.Should some American blogger post “Why is Australia so obsessed with Anzac day?” Why does it have to be even brought up-thats up to them.
August 2nd, 2007 at 5:01 pm
And you think that the US is dictating Australian policy and we should go our own way.
OK! now here is something to make you laugh…Remember when the federal election was in full bloom and the country’s Leftist columnists were yelping that Australia should ditch the US alliance and that we should fearlessly strike out on our own.
Well when Australian forces went in to East Timor to win the Timorese back their independence it was hailed here as major accomplishment and was referred to later to by some Leftie Australian columnists as showing just what could be done if it was done right. An obvious hit at US forces in Iraq and their small problems that we obviously could have handled with our Special Forces. After all the SF almost single handedly won the war in Afghanistan if you read some of the Leftist scribes here.
Now mind you this East Timor expedition was a very teensy weensie police action. But wait, here comes the funny part and it will make you howl with laughter.
According to a report by an Australian military think tank, the Australian military couldn’t have pulled off this teeny, tiny mission in East Timor without the United States. Yep that’s right sport! ..Your Great Satan America!
Camouflage suits, night-vision goggles and water-purification plants had to be borrowed from the Americans. US marines stationed on an amphibious ship off Dili harbour showed the Indonesians that the US was not going to let the situation escalate. Other US ships and aircraft provided backup and communications and the US 7th. Fleet cruised in closer. Indonesia was not going to take on the world’s only superpower and backed off.
It was also stated that the Australian army could not even field a miserable 2 divisions for more than 6 months in any overseas deployment, such as PNG or anywhere else for that matter. So it seems that the Australian army with it’s miniscule 15,000 troops that can actually pull a trigger at any one time can not fight it’s way out of the proverbial paper bag.
“They have still not said sorry to the aboriginals for the stolen generation.”
“Sorry” is admitting guilt. -this country will be paying billions in compensation and it will tie up land development and even stop landowners from selling their own property because of land claims.When Rudd says “Sorry” Labor will once again put this country in masive debt just like they did last time…$92 billion worth and Howard and Costello will not be around to bail it out again as they did last time. So just watch when you disability payments etc.get cut right back. And careful what you wish for-you may get it.
August 6th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
“America’s September 11 obsession,†was not my line, I was quoting high court justice Kirby. I also gave some rather alarming statistics to back up his claims.
September 11 was bad. It sickened me to the core that someone could do that, but the number of people dying of AIDS in Africa also sickens me. American lives are not worth more than any other lives and a lot more people die of AIDS in Africa than Americans die from terrorist attacks. If America spent the amount of money they do on the war on terror on fighting AIDS just imagine the amount of lives that could be saved.
I never said that Australia should ditch the American alliance – that would be unimaginably stupid. Anyone that suggests it is an idiot. I really don’t think that we could defend ourselves if one of our northern neighbors decided to attack. I just don’t think that John Howard should have his head shoved so far up George W. Bush’s arse.
Yep, you are right. Sorry is all about admitting guilt. In this case the Australian Government is guilty and probably should pay compensation. However, I think you are getting confused about what they should apologize for. The Australian Government should apologize for their policy of removing half cast children from their parents and either fostering them out or sticking them in boarding houses. As an entity the Australian government still exists so as an entity the Australian Government should apologize. This is not a personal apology on behalf of John Howard or any current minister. This apology would have nothing to do with land stolen from aborigines.
When you do wrong by somebody, the right thing to do is apologize. When an organisation does wrong the same rule applies.
In this case apologizing and paying compensation might actually save money. Recently a member of the stolen generation managed to successfully sue the south Australian government after a 9 year court case.
I’m not a member of the far left, I don’t believe America is the great Satan they didn’t deserve September 11. I don’t love Islamic extremists; in fact I hate them. I don’t think genetic modification is morally wrong. I do believe in global warming, anyone who doesn’t is an idiot – I also believe the global warming theory is in no way related to politics.
I want to know why you are picking on me for the sins of other leftists. There are nut bags on both sides there are lefties who I argue with just as hard as those on the right. I’m actually closer to the center and it wasn’t until Howard made that ridiculous lurch to the right after September 11 that it made me look like a lefty.
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:36 am
Hi Chris,
I found your blog in my Google Alerts for Duchenne so I’d like to steer clear of politics and go right to your experience with DMD. I have 10 yr old fraternal twins and one was diagnosed with DMD at 6 yrs old. The other twin is healthy and I might add almost superhuman as he is mistaken for a 15 yr old due to his height and mass. Naturally, the other one is much more petite and frail looking so if confused for a 8 yr old – to his constant anguish!! Tho’ he is still ambulatory…it is becoming increasingly more labored, so the bigger one acts as the arms and legs for the other – It is quite fascinating to watch! So my question to you is this: In all of the research I have read it gives a life term of early 20′s – in other words my son is middle aged! I was delighted to read that you are almost 30. Without prying into personal details, can you tell me how like is for you? What has kept you going? What therapies etc do you do? Is your brother also equally able? I apologize for the direct and seemingly cold questions but I really need to know. You mentioned that had it not been for your country you would be dead. What services have been offered to you that have helped? I live in the Cayman Islands which are sadly deficient on proper care in regards to my son’s condition. I am from the US and am strongly considering moving back there (after 30 yrs here) in order to get him total therapy and opportunity.
I am totally tapped into all of the research out there and eagerly anticipate the human trial results and ultimate marketing of some that could extend his life and quality of life. What are your thoughts on the stuff that’s out there?
Like your parents, we have always kept him in the loop and he has handled the info better than any of us but I know it hurts him to be different and worse that his twin is not. We try to make his brother include him when they are with friends but it is a restriction on him and I feel bad asking sometimes as he is such an active boy who needs outdoors and open fields. Meanwhile my other son is left on the sidelines watching longingly – it kills me!!
I realize that you have your own burdens and interests but would be so grateful for any advice that you might have for my son as far as coping with his condition. I will say that we are Christians and believe strongly in faith – tho’ not so deeply in the hokey pokey barn yard healing with snakes and such..!!
When you reply can you do so directly to my email address?
Thanks and all the best to you and your brother.
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:40 am
oops – reading back I see typos, sorry. My 1st question was “How is LIFE for you?”