Leakegate

... If you refuse to talk to Jonathan Leake, he'll quote you anyway...

Australia is not satisfied with Israeli explanations about the fraudulent use of Australian passports in the assassination of a Hamas operator, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.

Mr Rudd today said the federal government had to "proceed very carefully" in the controversy because of its complex security nature.

Israeli's ambassador to Australia was summoned on Thursday for an urgent meeting with Foreign Minister Stephen Smith.

"When it comes to Australian passport fraud or the use and abuse of Australian passports, this government has an absolutely hard line on defending the integrity of our passport system because millions of the travelling public depend on that each year," Mr Rudd told reporters in Adelaide.

"That is why the foreign minister has called in the Israeli ambassador and asked for an explanation.

"Thus far we are not satisfied with that explanation."

Assassins with suspected links to the Israeli spy agency Mossad are believed to have stolen the identities of three Victorians.

The suspects were then involved in the murder of senior Hamas operator Mahmud al-Mabhuh in a Dubai luxury hotel on January 20.Mr Rudd sidestepped criticism from one of the three Australians involved that they had not been contacted by Australian officials.

Nicole McCabe, 27, said she had no idea how her identity was stolen, as she still had her Australian passport in her Tel Aviv apartment, where she lives with husband.

Mr Rudd said:

"My advice is that Australian officials have been in contact with a range of those associated with the most recent matters.

"Because these involve very complex and security intelligence matters, we have to proceed very carefully.

"I am just weighing my words very carefully.

"I wish to tread very carefully with the security and intelligence matters which arise in relation to each of the individuals and families concerned with this matter.

"Therefore I'm choosing my words very carefully so as not to compromise any person or so as not to compromise any continuing investigation."

Here’s a list of Australian senators who believe in discriminating against gay people:

Abetz, E. Back, C.J.
Barnett, G. Bernardi, C.
Bilyk, C.L. Bishop, T.M.
Boswell, R.L.D. Brown, C.L.
Bushby, D.C. Cameron, D.N.
Cash, M.C. Colbeck, R.
Collins, J. Cormann, M.H.P.
Crossin, P.M. Eggleston, A.
Farrell, D.E. Feeney, D.
Ferguson, A.B. Fielding, S.
Fierravanti-Wells, C. Fisher, M.J.
Forshaw, M.G. Furner, M.L.
Hogg, J.J. Humphries, G.
Hurley, A. Hutchins, S.P.
Johnston, D. Lundy, K.A.
Marshall, G. Mason, B.J.
McLucas, J.E. Minchin, N.H.
Moore, C. O’Brien, K.W.K.
Parry, S. * Polley, H.
Ronaldson, M. Sherry, N.J.
Stephens, U. Sterle, G.
Troeth, J.M. Wortley, D.
Xenophon, N.

These are the people who yesterday voted against the Marriage Equality Bill, a bill which did no more than remove the parts of federal legislation that continue to discriminate against gay people. A third of Senators declined to vote at all – moral cowardice, but at least not overt bigotry. ...

Queensland may be the holiday mecca of Australia, but its attractions have been forced out of the spotlight by others in Australia's southern states for the nation's top tourism awards announced last night.

Of the 27 categories announced in Hobart, Queensland took out just six awards. ...

Categories in which Queensland featured were:
Visitor Information Services: Brisbane Visitor Information and Booking Centre
Adventure Tourism: Passions of Paradise
Hosted Accommodation: Hidden Valley Cabins
Standard Accommodation: Noorla Heritage Resort
Qantas Award for Sustainable Tourism: Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Outstanding Contribution by an Individual at a National Level: Stephen Gregg, CEO Cairns and Mackay Airports
The Julia Creek Dirt and Dust Festival was highly-commended in the Festival and Events category.
For the operators Skyrail Rainforest Cableway at Kuranda in North Queensland it was, however, a night to celebrate, having also won the same Sustainable Tourism category in 2008.
Australia Zoo, winner of the 2008 Major Tourist Attractions category in 2008, was listed as a finalist for the 2009 awards.

More than 800 industry leaders attended last night's event, including federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson. ...

Not Grilling Gillard

http://stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/2010/02/not-grilling-gillard.html

A Question For Q & A

A question for the panel:

Shouldn't there be some rule that says Senators can't be Ministers?

And a question for Tania Plibersek

We are sick of you lot. When is the Prime Minister going to call the election?

Tofu-Gate

... Conservative media around the world flipped a collective bird at "smug" vegetarians last week, claiming that a report commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund had found that changes to land use meant that a vegetarian diet was more harmful to the environment than eating meat.

The London Times reported that "Becoming a vegetarian can do more harm to the environment than continuing to eat red meat, according to a study of the impacts of meat substitutes such as tofu". The Daily Mail made even more sport out of the study’s findings, announcing that "Meat free diets can be bad for the planet".

Unfortunately plenty of other mainstream media outlets, including the Australian, gleefully picked up this reading. In an I-told-you-so editorial, titled "Tuck in and save the planet", the Australian again ridiculed the idea that eating a lot of meat was a problem: "Now a study for environmental lobbyists WWF, a body not usually noted for its conservative viewpoint, concedes our argument was correct. The study, by Cranfield University, found that turning vegetarian can do more environmental harm than eating red meat."

In fact the study found nothing of the kind....

And What Are Queenslanders Supposed To Do If They Have Lead In Their Bloodstream?

... Queensland Health on Saturday urged parents of children aged between one and four in Mount Isa to make use of free blood tests to check their children's lead levels.

Data from the tests will be used in a follow-up survey to determine the risk of lead exposure in at least 144 children. ...

Mining giant Xstrata says it has been cleared of releasing dangerous levels of lead into the air at the Queensland mining town of Mount Isa. ...

Some News From Fiji

Better Customer Services in Health Ministry Means You Will Get A Religious Message

What is with all these crusades?

First the Police Force launch their fundamentalism driven crusades, even extending themselves to convert rugby players consequently raising much public concern especially in relation to the "New Meca" (aka oqo na kei Atu) influence.

Now we have the health service sector forgetting just for a tiny minute that if they want to keep their customers happy (especially the taxpaying customers who pay their salaries), improved services should mean that lives are saved. Not preached to.

Don't get us wrong. We have nothing against personal religious beliefs however if you're using your professional role to convert people then by all means resign and become a full-time missionary.

Secondly, most potential converts we are sure, would be more impressed by actions as opposed to empty words.

Fiji health workers providing religious messages

Friday, February 19, 2010

The Health Ministry is now issuing out bible verses and religious messages to patients as part of its customer service.

A number of patients who recently visited health centers and hospitals around the country say they were handed biblical messages by staff.

FBC News obtained a message given to a patient by a nurse which states:

“Only one person who would take your sickness away is Jesus. He loves you.”

Media Officer Iliesa Tora says the practice is part of efforts to improve customer service.

“We want to see all our Health staff are doing the customer services …We are thankful to all our staff who seem to be the one who started this move within the Ministry as part of our customer services 2010.”

An itinerary detailing what the US President could do during a visit to the Tweed is on its way to the White House.

Tweed Tourism emailed an itinerary to the president's staff after a story in the Tweed Daily News on why Barack Obama should visit the area.

General manager Phil Villiers said after his light-hearted comments about bringing the president here during his Australian visit in March, his office decided to contact Tourism Australia. ...

...So what do the people want? Many are confused because of the news they get which might be renamed, the Daily Chaos, because of murky events that seem unconnected, even bizarre. For one thing, many voters are at the point of dropping both political parties, saus Rasmussen:

“Sixty percent (60%) of voters think that neither Republican political leaders nor Democratic political leaders have a good understanding of what is needed today. Thirty-five percent (35%) say Republicans and Democrats are so much alike that an entirely new political party is needed to represent the American people.”

This may explain the popularity of the Tea Party concept to many who are open to its simplistic analysis of a government betraying them. The market researchers behind Fox News certainly understand that, which is why they are working overtime to make it appear that the teabaggers speak for us all. In fact, polls show that at the very most, they represent only eleven percent of the public.

You wouldn’t know that by watching the fearless fanatics at Fox. As Professor Juan Cole observes, the corporate media hype them beyond their significance ignoring a much bigger number of dissatisfied voters:

“Percentage of Americans involved in Tea Party Movement: 11

Number of mentions of “Tea Party” past month in Lexis radio and TV ?transcript search: 1042”

He then pulls another stat out of his data base:

“Percentage of Americans who favor socialism: 20

Number of mentions of “socialism” past month in Lexis radio and tv?transcript search: 69+ ...

Torrential rain has brought tragedy to the Portuguese island of Madeira, where at least 30 people have been killed by floods and mudslides.Several more Madeirans are unaccounted for after the deadly deluge wreaked havoc in parts of the popular tourist destination.

From the mainland, nearly 1,000 kilometres away, Portuguese Prime Minister José Socrates has pledged support for the Atlantic island.

The main airport in its capital Funchal has been closed as emergency services struggle to deal with the disaster. Bridges and homes have been partially destroyed. It is not immediately clear whether any tourists are among the victims.

Portuguese authorities are sending aid to the autonomous region where weather forecasters say the worst of the storms is over.

Mean Bastard Of The Week Award

Seventy-nine-year-old Kingscliff resident Anne Law said she cried for days after her beloved vegie garden which helped feed her and her partner was ripped out by her landlord recently.

Anne and her partner Brian Smart, who live at the Drifters Holiday Village in Kingscliff, have tended the small garden plot on park land behind their relocatable home for a number of years to supplement their weekly groceries. ...

The Establishment Want You To Know That:

All Women Are Not Equal

And

Black Men Ought To Know Their Place

This advertisement has been playing on Channel 10 for what seems like forever and a day. Do you reckon this woman is still receiving royalty payments?

Boycott 'The David Letterman Show' until they take this, and other exploitative advertisements off air.

Why didn't Tiger apologise to his many lovers?

"The same boundaries that apply to everyone, apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation and kids all around the world who admired me.

Doesn't he think they would have been hurt? Why don't they deserve an apology?

Why Was This Reported At 9.03 PM On A Saturday Night?

An Alice Springs court has heard that a woman's bowel was perforated during an alleged rape in a remote Northern Territory town last year.

It is alleged the offender, who cannot be identified, raped the woman causing serious harm.

At the committal hearing the prosecution alleged the man and woman were seen kissing and hugging and had been drinking on the baseball diamond of a public oval in the remote town on the night of the incident.

The court heard from witnesses who say they saw the pair leave the oval.

The prosecution alleges the man digitally raped her and then left her lying on the ground.

The woman was eventually able to get help from police and was transferred to Alice Springs hospital where she had surgery for a 10-centimetre tear to her bowel area.

Witnesses told the court later that evening the defendant returned to a house in the town where he smoked marijuana and went to sleep.

He was arrested two days later.

The court heard that if the wound had not been treated it is likely the woman would have died and she now has to use a stoma bag as a result of the injury.

A witness told the court when she visited the alleged victim in hospital she was told more than one man was involved.

"They all took turns on her, that's what she told me" the witness said.

"They were all waiting in line".

The court also heard from the surgeon who treated the woman.

The defence lawyer asked him whether a broken bottle could have caused the tears.

The surgeon said it would have been "a very sharp object".

The committal has been adjourned and will continue later this year.

Queensland Goes Medieval

Fairfax reports [20/2/10]:

A Brisbane criminal defence lawyer has hit out at anti-spitting hoods to be used in Queensland watch houses, arguing they could affect the credibility of interview evidence in court. ...

Mr Meehan said there had been no police consultation with criminal defence lawyers before the hoods were introduced.

"A person under duress should not be subjected to any device or object which might influence their responses to questions," he said.

"You can expect to see defence lawyers closely scrutinising police interview evidence and testing whether anti-spitting hoods were used during the interview. It could certainly complicate some trials." Mr Meehan said the hoods were not needed because police already had adequate equipment and facilities to restrain agitated suspects in the watch- house.

"If a suspect will not calm down, the police can restrain them with handcuffs. Placing a hood over their heads is more likely to get a suspect more agitated than make them settle down," he said.

"I can see watch-house confessions being vigorously challenged in court as having been extracted under torture. It's just not justified."...

Queensland Police Minister Neil Roberts was approached for comment, but declined.

Interesting.

He had the time to provide comment to the 'Gold Coast Bulletin' for today's [20/2/10] demonisation of the public health system:

A Police Beat is needed at Gold Coast Hospital to curb the terrifying number of staff being attacked by drug-addled and drunk patients.

Police Minister Neil Roberts said there was no plan to station police at Gold Coast Hospital.

"The Southport Police Station is less than a kilometre from the Gold Coast Hospital," he said.

"The Southport Police Beat is also just around the corner."

"Hospitals already have their own security measures in place, backed-up by the Queensland Police Service whose officers respond when required."

What Is An Acceptable Level Of Lead Poisoning?

... Queensland's chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young says there will be no health impact in the short-term, because it is long-term exposure that causes a problem.

"We don't imagine there'll be long-term problems but I can understand why the community would be concerned," she said.

"So I do stress to the community that there are facilities there in Mount Isa for them to go and have their lead levels tested, particularly for children."

Why?

What happened to "Lefty's" post on Mary MacKillop?

Did 'Today Tonight' REALLY Do A Story About Zero Fare Transport in Hasselt, Belgium?

Received this email [19/2/10] from the 'Free Public Transit' blog:

Excellent video about the success of free public transport in Hasselt, Belgium.

http://au.video.yahoo.com/watch/7001808/18204661

We are growing steadily check out the blog

<http://frepubtra.blogspot.com/>

or join us on facebook.

Tried the link, but no cigar.

Do let us know if you had any luck, or if you have any suggestions on how we, in Australia, can view this video. (spring_hill_voice@hotmail.com)

Does Brisbane Just Suck Arse, Or Is This Some Kind Of Race To Drink From The Bottom?

... RON CLARK: They're letting water out of the Pine Rivers dam instead of pumping it to Wivenhoe. They're got our pump they've actually cut the desalination plant production back to one third, it was two thirds for a long time but they've actually cut that back to one third because they don't want the water. They've cut back the water from the Hinze, even though we are spilling over the top because they don't want the water. Why don't they want the water? They're not full, why don't they want it? ...

How Do Galahs Eat A Lighthouse?

Galahs polish off the last bits of a lighthouse

Fairfax reports [19/2/10]:

Redland City Council will spend tens of thousands of dollars re-installing a concrete and steel "lighthouse" at Cleveland Point that marine authorities say is useless.

The 1975-built structure was removed from the point, on Brisbane's southern bayside, last year when the production team working on the new Chronicles of Narnia film used the site as a shooting location.

The council is currently restoring the point's other lighthouse, a hexagonal wooden structure built in the 1860s which had been gradually eaten away by galahs. ...

Do You REALLY Believe This?

Fairfax reports [19/2/10]

Almost 35,000 fewer cars will access the Riverside Expressway and Story Bridge when a new Brisbane tunnel opens next month, the Department of Main Roads estimates.

The Clem7 - the city's first toll tunnel - is expected to attract close to 60,000 vehicles a day, after commuters become accustomed to new road conditions.

Main Roads' assessment of Clem7's impact on traffic was based on models provided by Brisbane City Council.

The Riverside Expressway carries about 150,000 cars each weekday, while the Story Bridge averages about 100,000 vehicles....

RiverCity CEO Flan Cleary said his company's traffic simulation showed there should be no congestion problems on the Clem7's fringes. ...

At Woolloongabba, there are six lanes - including two emerging from the tunnel in the middle of Ipswich Road - and with two lanes either side of the entrance near the Norman Hotel.

Few Woolloongabba businesses brisbanetimes.com.au spoke to yesterday saw immediate problems with the roadworks.

South-East Queensland commuters have taken up 1.2 million e-toll tags, mostly through Queensland Motorways, which can be used on the Clem7 as well as the Gateway Bridge and Airport Link projects. ...

Dogs breakfast.

It's gonna be a stinking, polluting, nightmare.

Aldous Huxley: The Ultimate Revolution

Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World, here discusses influence, controlling the public mind and government:

“There will be, in the next generation or so, a pharmacological method of making people love their servitude, and producing dictatorship without tears, so to speak, producing a kind of painless concentration camp for entire societies, so that people will in fact have their liberties taken away from them, but will rather enjoy it, because they will be distracted from any desire to rebel by propaganda or brainwashing, or brainwashing enhanced by pharmacological methods. And this seems to be the final revolution.”

Call For Ethical Leadership On Refugee Debate

... RACHEL CARBONELL: Quoting from a press article, Erika Feller, expressed concern at the nature the debate about refugees can take in Australia.

ERIKA FELLER: The governments that showed the right degree of toughness and hoped the problem will thereby go away are learning that policies constructed centrally around deterrents are costly, they're inhumane, they're at odds with international conventions, they can end up losing their popular support base and perhaps I think the most persuasive conclusion of all, they're just ineffective if they're built totally around deterrents.

I am aware that there is a debate in Australia as to whether a perceived softening, to quote some of the journalists, of Government policy on asylum seekers is driving increasing boat arrivals.

Apart from being speculative in nature and apart from this being at odds with global trends when you look at for example at the situation of Afghans generally, this debate from our perspective is a very unhelpful one because it does not focus on who needs protection and where such protection can and should be available.

RACHEL CARBONELL: And she offered some strong parting advice.

ERIKA FELLER: A high percentage of asylum seekers who come to Australia by boat are found to be refugees and that is not surprising because they are coming from seriously refugee-producing situations.

During an election year there is in our view, if we can offer advice, there is a heightened need to manage a public debate on border protection and asylum policy responsibly by all concerned, the political establishment, the media and civil society representatives equally.

Strong ethical leadership must be shown on all fronts to uphold the humanitarian and protection principles of which countries like Australia can be proud.

RACHEL CARBONELL: The UNHCR assistant high commissioner for protection was careful when asked how the Oceanic Viking incident had affected the work of the office in the region but said it had certainly had repercussions.

MARK COLVIN: Rachel Carbonell.

Oh yeah, and a group of four private hospitals in Australias are in the process of going broke.

"Not A Big Fan Of Xavier Rudd": Mary-Lou Stephens

We hear Briony Petch went to Darwin but where did Trevor Jackson go? Was he bitten on the arse by the mythical News Ltd mouse spider that roared, or smothered by the apocryphal, cyclical sands that returned after climate change induced erosion?

No message on the ABC Coast FM website, no announcement for the benefit of listeners. Nothing.

Sure, we didn't always see eye to eye, but we have noticed a decline in quality ever since they left.

Since When Has Brisbane's Lord Mayor Ever Cared About Alleviating Traffic Congestion Or The Welfare Of Pedestrians?

Please give us the real story behind this - [Fairfax 18/2/10]:

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has pleaded with federal Treasury secretary to discuss plans for congestion charging on Brisbane roads, saying council had been left in the dark.

In his review of the Australian taxation system, Ken Henry has flagged possible charges as a means of broadening the tax share to fight the costs of traffic congestion.

The plan would involve introducing some form of user-pays scheme instead of fuel tax or vehicle registration.

It is estimated the cost of traffic congestion will reach $3 billion a year in Brisbane in 10 years.

Cr Newman said any sensible review of taxation to redirect funding for roads should include discussions with Brisbane City Council as the council area with the biggest influence on South-East Queensland.

"If the Federal Government, through its Henry Review, wants to talk about congestion charging, they need to come and talk to us," he said. ...

And this:

... Brisbane City Council will start work next month on a $3 million revitalisation project to reduce Queen Street to one lane in each direction between Edward Street and the General Post Office, creating a "subtropical" tree-lined boulevard in the process.

The taxi rank outside MacArthur Central will stay, but the council will reclaim the far-left turning lane into Edward Street for additional space for pedestrians.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said the changes would improve safety for 40,000 people who walked across the intersection each day.

"Currently this corner cannot handle the amount of pedestrian traffic and people are spilling out onto the road while waiting for the lights to change," he said in a statement.

"Boulevarding this corner out into the left lane will significantly improve the safety of pedestrians using this intersection, which outnumber cars by more than 20 to one."

Cr Newman said most cars did not use the left hand lane to turn into Edward Street at present because the existing taxi rank blocked traffic flow. ...

QANTAS Should Never Have Been Privatized

Qantas says it will not be paying an interim dividend, with bottom line profit down by almost three-quarters.

The airline posted a net profit after tax of $58 million for the first half of the financial year, down from $210 million a year earlier.

Sales and other income have fallen from about $8.1 billion to $6.9 billion. ...

The company says, after the unprecedented challenges of the last year, and with a significant fleet renewal program ahead, it has decided not to pay a dividend. ...

Qantas said this "significant fleet renewal" involves removing any first class seating from its aircraft.

How un Australian.

Why can't Qantas just save the money, leave the seats as they are and allocate them on a first come first serve basis?

Why? Because this hyper-capitalist, corporatised system fosters meanness.

It reminds me of the day I was in a 7-Eleven in Brisbane's CBD and a young woman approached the counter with a slurpee, only to discover she didn't have the cash to pay for it.

Instead of letting it slide, the cashier snatched the slurpee off her and tossed it in the bin.

Isn't this ungenerous attitude similar to the Qantas decision?

He Is Everywhere

http://stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/2010/02/he-is-everywhere.html

And here are some examples of his outlets' standard fare:

The obligatory hatred/fear of nature/the environment beatup:

Killer spiders appear to have their sights set on making homes in Gold Coast back yards. ...

Pitting workers against each other and inflaming conflict when anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows this issue could easily be solved if public transport was free for students:

Students have been asked to write down bus details of rogue drivers who refuse them proper service....

In the past two weeks, parents and students have said bus drivers have missed bus stops, turned up late or have queried students who do not have identification cards or bus passes.

Benowa State High School has sent out a letter telling parents that children should advise the Surf-side bus drivers they are allowed on the bus and are waiting for a pass, due by the end of February. ...

Launching urban myths instead of journalism:

Coomera residents trying to dodge water bills may have caused the cross-contamination of recycled and drinking water to 630 Coomera homes in December.

Master Plumbers Association Queensland executive director Adrian Hart said he knew anecdotally of residents illegally cross-connecting pipes intended for recycled water with drinking water pipes.

He said before the Pimpama Wastewater Treatment Plant went online, drinking water was available without charge in the purple-coloured recycled water pipes.

He said it was 'not highly probable, but it certainly is possible', that some of the illegally cross-connected pipes were the source of the contamination. ...

Working In Australia

Fairfax reports [17/2/10]:

A garbage collector is suing for unspecified damages after he swallowed medical waste while lifting an unsecured bin.

Barton Wallis, of Nundah, was this week granted leave in the Brisbane District Court to start proceedings against the Haematology and Oncology Clinics of Australasia.

In documents lodged in the court registry, Mr Wallis stated he was working as a garbage collector for SITA Environmental Solutions on March 13, 2007, when the incident occurred.

Mr Wallis said the mechanical lift on the truck was broken so he had to manually load the wheelie bins from outside the Wesley Clinic for Haematology and Oncology at Auchenflower.

Court documents allege an improperly secured bin spilled up to two litres of medical waste - including blood, human biopsies, and chemotherapy chemicals - over Mr Wallis as he tried to lift it onto the truck.

The documents stated he swallowed a portion of this waste before vomiting.

Mr Wallis alleges he suffered poisoning, loss of taste and increased mouth sensitivity from the incident, as well as depression, anxiety and mood swings.

He is alleging the Haematology and Oncology Clinics of Australasia failed to ensure staff at the Auchenflower clinic properly secured the waste.

Mr Wallis also said in court documents that SITA Environmental Solutions should have protected him from injury by providing a safe system of work.

The court files did not disclose the amount Mr Wallis is seeking.

The matter will be heard at a later date.

Gold Coast Monomedia's Good News Story Of The Day

Isn't it nice when one massive multi-national corporation [17/2/10] helps another massive multi-national corporation?:

Licencees have mopped up the last three company-operated McDonald's stores on the Gold Coast, bringing all 30 outlets in the city under franchisee control. ...

The 30 McDonald's Gold Coast stores generate about $30 million in wages and employ about 2500 staff.

"Now that all McDonald's restaurants on the Gold Coast are licensed, we truly are an organisation run by local people, for local people," said Mr Stalker. ...

Less than 30 per cent of McDonald's restaurants across Australia are company owned and the company said its aim was to put more into private hands.

"The franchise structure allows our restaurants to best meet the needs of their local communities," said Amy Lawrence from McDonald's.

Yay!

In related news, Fairfax reports [17/2/10]:

South-East Queensland restaurants and food outlets will have their food safety and hygiene standards rated and their scores displayed on front doors in a system designed to give diners more information about where they are eating.

The EatSafe program, which will kick off in Brisbane and extend to other local government areas, will rate any establishment with a food license....

We look forward to seeing these rating cards displayed on the front doors of all multinational fast food outlets.

How Did This Happen?

Are private schools and hospitals exempt from rules and regulations? Who polices all of this?

The Ipswich City Council says a school that opened at Redbank Plains, west of Brisbane, without sewerage, town water or mains electricity has agreed to comply with all council requirements within six months.

Councillor Paul Tully says Staines Memorial College did not obtain town planning approvals before it opened.

Councillor Tully met the school's management this morning and says they have apologised.

"We've made it very clear that it was inappropriate for them to open," he said.

"We have indicated that if they come back to us within the next 24 hours with a firm timetable of when the work will be done, we're prepared to accept that and there won't be any legal action taken against the school."

Is The Government Going To Get Away With The Go Card Scam?

Community radio station 101.1 fm had the member for Waterford on this morning [17/2/10] for his monthly chat.

The announcer and Evan Moorhead discussed a number of things, including the Go Card.

The announcer allowed the MP free kicks to sing the Go Card's praises, even in the face of the public's overwhelming negativity toward the Go Card, and recently released statistics relating to public transport use - as Fairfax reported yesterday [16/2/10]:

Brisbane commuters have rejected last month's public transport fare hike, with two per cent fewer passengers catching the bus in January compared with the same period last year.

Fares rose up to 20 per cent for Go Card users and up to 40 per cent for paper ticket holders on January 4.

Brisbane City Council figures released yesterday showed the bus system recorded 103,812 fewer passenger trips last month than it did in January 2009. ...

Last month, council buses recorded 5,283,177 passenger trips, down 1.93 per cent from the 5,386,989 recorded in January 2009. ...

Transport lobby group Rail: Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said the two per cent drop was due to the fare increase.

"Well that [increase] is significant because that is the same time cycle," he said.

"The number of buses are increasing and this is is the first time we have had a fall."

Mr Dow said the two per cent drop corroborated anecdotal evidence his organisation had heard from the commuting public.

"We have had feedback that people have gone back to their cars at the Royal Brisbane and Royal Children's hospitals because of problems they have had on the Inner Northern Busway," he said.

"And we have had feedback from seniors who say they have restricted their trips because of the fare increases."

The Go Card debacle and fare increases especially effects people in regional areas such as Logan, the Gold Coast and Ipswich.

Is there not one radio station in South East Queensland with the guts to probe the government on behalf of their listeners?

How disappointing.

Blow It Out Your Collective Arses ALP, Coalition And Big Unions

You stink.

... The Federal Government and the ACTU are gearing up for an IR campaign after the comments over the past few days by the Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and his deputy, Julie Bishop.

Mr Abbott has said that if he won the election he'd relax unfair dismissal laws for small businesses and restore statutory non-union contracts as well as individual employment agreements and Ms Bishop has criticised the new penalty rate regime.

It's looking like a rerun of the 2007 election in which Labor targeted the Howard government's Work Choices.

ACTU president Sharan Burrow is at a two-day meeting of union leaders discussing campaign strategies.

SHARAN BURROW: This is Liberal Party territory. It is Work Choices and it is clearly going to be back so the ACTU and senior union leaders meeting yesterday and today have decided that there will be a political campaign, that we will be out there to defend the rights of work that we've gained and of course we'll seek to advance on those. ...

Australians who care about workers' rights see right through your bullshit and are going to vote for The Greens. And not only that, you're not getting their preferences.

How Did This Happen?

A 13-year-old boy has been charged with murder after the stabbing death of a student at a Brisbane bayside school....

On the ABC TV's news bulletins last night [15/2/10], Education Consultant Damien Brennan said something along the lines of:

Schools are part of a broader part of society and are really a reflection of the society in which we live. What we're seeing in the last few days is that idea that violence solves problems.

One day after this tragedy, this perceptive analysis has been all but smothered as the mainstream media, politicians and experts all line up to bleat their "oh the youth of today", "we're going to review security arrangements in all schools", "spotlight on knife culture", "alcohol, drugs, gangs and violent video games" blah blah blah opinions.

In 21st century Australia, might is right. We participate in illegal invasions, have government by decree, authority is power (tasers, deaths in custody, detention on suspicion) and a rampant free market ideology allows our leaders (for all their supposedly christian values) to condone (if not promote) the demonization and exploitation of workers, and normalises the abandonment of the powerless and vulnerable members of our communities.

In this dog eat dog culture, our so called political leaders demonstrate on a daily basis that they have no regard for nature or the future of our planet. A nasty old American controls most of our media, and we are constantly bombarded with win at all cost messages and reminded that aggression, thuggery and lying and cheating is preferable to sportsmanship, integrity and compassion. Other peoples' misfortunes make excellent entertainment, vicious sexism and racism are cool, and critical analysis is for "elitists" and a waste of time.

Ask your politician what they're going to do about this. If they genuinely care about their constituents and the future of this country they'll say: "I think we, as a society, need to take a long, hard look at ourselves."

*UPDATE* Obviously the PR machine has spun into action:

... NICOLE BUTLER: Mr Carr and other past pupils say they still can't believe a fatal stabbing could happen at St Patrick's.

WILLIAM CARR: No, I saw one fight and the kid 20 minutes later apologised and just said he has been having a bad day. Like it is a real community in there. I felt safe. I had come from public schools where there has been fights and you don't really feel safe. Left that, came here. First day made more friends than I did in a whole year at some other schools. ...

Nice.

At least Wayne Swan displayed a modicum of common sense:

... NICOLE BUTLER: But the Federal Treasurer concedes there needs to be broader discussion about violence among young people.

WAYNE SWAN: Look, I don't want to speculate about what has occurred with this event but I think as a parent we all have concerns about violence and how it appears in our popular culture and I think it is something we do have to deal with as a society and we do need to work our way through these issues when tragic events like this happen. ...

*ANOTHER UPDATE*

In the midst of this tragedy being hijacked for ideological talking points (eg the evils of social networking and the need to place restrictions on the internet), Dr Matt Sanders offered some sage words during the ABC TV's 7 pm news bulletin [16/2/10]. He pointed out that children's behaviour reflects that of their parents, and that parents have a responsibilty to set an example to their children, particularly during times of stress.

The Garrett: Despite All Predictions, One Of The Few Australian Species That's Not Endangered

Everybody! Look over there! A baby rabbit!

... Mr Garrett is launching 'Bush Blitz' at the Darkwood Reserve in the New England National Park south-west of Coffs Harbour.

Bush Blitz is a new partnership to document the plants and animals in hundreds of properties across Australia's national reserve system.

Perhaps Our ABC Could "Wind US Up" And Do A Story That Tells Queenslanders Which Of Their Elected Representatives Have Had A Swine Flu Vaccination?

We know of at least one who has point blank refused.

Other than Jessica Van Vonderan's valiant attempt to draw sensible responses from Queensland's Chief Health Officer on use by dates and the efficacy of the swine flu vaccination, over the past few days, Queenslanders have been bombarded with PR dressed up as health reporting unquestioningly promoting the state government's free swine flu clinics.

And again today [15/2/10], ABC Coast FM's Cam Young interviewed Professor John Lowe (no offense, but are there any experts left in this country who aren't American?), who dismissively categorised cautious Queenslanders, before encouraging everyone to be brave and go and get vaccinated.

A Question For Q & A

A question for Melinda Tankard-Reist and Rebecca Huntley:

Why is it that the only feminist points of view to get an airing in Australia's mainstream media are those that either support the exploitation and commodification of women's bodies (eg by stating pornography or legalised prostitution is normal), or those that align themselves with the views of the religious right eg a women's control over her own fertility (including the right to choose how to give birth) is wrong?

More Window Dressing

Fairfax reports [15/2/10]:

Brisbane's first 24-hour bus service - the CityGlider - will start next month to coincide with the opening of the Clem7 tunnel.

Commuters will be able to use Go Cards on the "cashless" service after Brisbane City Council and Translink sorted out difficulties.

The first CityGilder bus stops will be built shortly, while the council last week approved storage of the new vehicles at Bowen Hills bus depot.

The service was announced as part of last year's council budget and will cost an estimated $4.5 million a year.

Buses will run in a loop between West End, South Bank, the CBD, Fortitude Valley and Newstead.

The service is expected to run every five minutes in peak times and every 15 minutes at other times.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman confirmed last week that the Clem 7 tunnel would open in the first or second week of March.

"CityGlider is very nearly ready to go," council's public transport chair Cr Jane Prentice said.

However, planned changes to Adelaide Street to accomodate the new buses have been delayed until impacts on inner-city traffic can be judged, she said.

"At this stage there won't be any changes to the city because we want to see the effect on the traffic with the opening of Clem 7 and then the opening of the Go Between Bridge," Cr Prentice said.

Brisbane City Council estimates two-thirds of city traffic is trying to pass through the city. ...

Anyone who thinks the opening of the Clem 7 tunnel is going to take cars out of Brisbane's CBD is one stubby short of a carton.

South East Queenslanders are crying out for real transport solutions, not yet another inner city loop bus.

Forcing citizens to purchase a Go Card before using a public transport service is holding them to ransom and entrenches inequity. There is no reason why public transport can't be free - at least for pensioners and students.

It's becoming quite clear there are powerful interest and lobby groups backing the increased use of cars, and our governments are beholden to them. This is why instead of genuine improvements to our public transport system we keep getting this window dressing.

As one commentor on a recent ABC "Unleashed" blatantly pro car piece quite rightly pointed out:

There is no listing for this bloke on the Drum Contributors page and clicking on his name just gets you to a broken link message. It would be helpful to know where he is coming from in evaluating the article.

Time To Put Poor Nations First

From Professor Ross Buckley's essay - 'Rethinking Riches' as published in the 'Review' section of 'The Australian Financial Review' [12/2/10]:

... There are strong reasons why all rescheduling of rich country to poor country loans should be in local currency, as should all lending by international financial insitutions such as the IMF and World Bank.

The current system places the currency risk on the party least able to bear it, the borrower. Lending in local currency puts the currency risk on those best able to bear it and hedge against it, the lenders.

When one nation's currency serves as the global reserve currency that extra funds required to meet global liquidity inevitably put downward pressure on the currency's value making it more volatile and less attractive as a reserve currency. This dilemma has obliged the US to run massive trade deficits. Twice last year the governor of China's central bank called for new reserve currency regime focused on special drawing rights. China does not make such comments with careful consideration, and is hard at work researching alternatives, such as denominating and settling its trade with Brazil in real and renminbis, not dollars. Expect the Chinese to soon request the pricing and payment of coal and iron ore be made in Australian dollars and renminbi, not US dollars.

These changes would go a long way to making the global financial system fairer, reduce the extent to which it favours the powerful, and disempower the feedback loops that make the current system so resistant to change. ....

And The Mainstream Media's Threatened Species Of The Week Was....

... Penguins!

What's Wrong With Queensland's Health System?

Oh Deputy Premier, have you really forgotten????? .......

From 'Why Should We give 'Dr Death' the keys to our hospitals?' by Nicholas Stanton:

"To answer this question I suggest we start by looking at the state of Queensland's hospitals during the Bjelke-Peterson years, when they were run by local boards. I don't think there are many who would disagree with the assertion that the hospitals in Queensland were amongst the best in the nation. In the cities, and in regional areas, Queenslanders had access to prompt emergency care, there were few, if any of the horrific waiting lists we hear all about today, and there was adequate numbers of nurses, GPs and specialists.

What went wrong? This vision of a health system that works, hospitals which don't leave patients waiting for hours in the ambulance outside before they see a doctor, young children who have access to the required specialists who are able to diagnose and fix their problem, rather than leaving them to die an agonising death, seems far away. But it was less than twenty years ago. With state revenue far and away above what it was in those days, especially after the introduction of the GST and the state's failure to uphold their agreement to remove stamp-duties, one would have thought health care, a vital issue by anyone's reckoning, would have got its fair share.

Along comes Goss. During the Goss reign of the Goss government, and his senior civil servant, one Mr Kevin Rudd, health saw vast cost cutting measures, as labor thought it was a better idea for it to be run by bureaucrats to the dollar, rather than experts. The local boards, with members ranging from representatives of the different levels of government, doctors, and local people, was seen to be an inefficient waste by Rudd and his team, and so they were cut. This also meant that for such things as calculating the number of required beds, hospitals are now assigned on the basis of Queensland demographics."

http://www.youdecide2007.org/content/view/446/103/

What's This All About?

What's next? Doug Walters' most interesting pack of Rothmans?

More On Nintendo's "Aussie Pirate"

Luke Plunkett on 'Kotaku' writes [11/210]:

... It’s been the biggest human interest story of the week down here, but as the circus draws on, something doesn’t feel quite right about it. See, the $1.5 million dollar fine wasn’t handed down by a judge. Burt settled out of court with Nintendo on this. Would a 24 year-old man who works part-time at a freight company and lives with his parents really shake hands on a settlement that sees him willingly ruin the rest of his financial life? Then spend the week becoming a temporary “celebrity” as his name is publicly dragged through the mud as a criminal?

I don’t think so. ...

Everybody Hates Barnaby!

http://stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/2010/02/everybody-hates-barnaby.html

Vancouver Activists Greet Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony with People’s Summit, Protest

From 'Democracy Now' [12/2/10]:

... FRANKLIN LOPEZ: Though demonized in the media, the Olympic Resistance Network is getting their message out, as the anti-Olympic movement grows. A recent poll shows that a landslide of British Columbians think too much is being spent on the two-week sporting event. Here’s Harsha Walia of the Olympic Resistance Network.

HARSHA WALIA: We see that the Games have been overrun with a budget of over $7 billion; indigenous lands continue to be exploited and stolen, with ski resort development all across British Columbia; increasing poverty and criminalization of the poor in the Downtown Eastside; a massive cutback in public spending; and an increasing budget for policing and militarization here in Vancouver. We have $1 billion that are being sunk into a military-police state in the lead-up to the Olympics. ...

And How Much Do The Gold Coast's Parking Inspectors Collectively Get Paid?

Yet another non-story courtesy the Gold Coast monomedia [13/2/10] - which has nothing to do with news values and does nothing to inform - but whoever wrote it is definitely doing their job i.e. stereotyping, pushing the dirty digger's law 'n order mantra, exaggeration of violent incidents and pitting worker against worker:

Gold Coast City Council parking inspectors are so worried about being assaulted it's affecting their work -- to the tune of $600,000 a year.

With records showing at least one parking officer was assaulted or abused while doing their jobs more than once a fortnight, certain city areas have become 'no-go' zones for them, leading to a drop in the number of fines being handed out.

The worst areas were Surfers Paradise and Southport.

There were 34 reported physical or verbal assaults against the parking officers last year and a council report has blamed the soaring violence for an expected $600,000 shortfall in parking revenue this financial year.

City finance boss Cr Eddy Sarroff said the figures indicated parking inspectors were 'avoiding certain areas so they're not subjected to violence'.

Cr Sarroff said the revenue loss was insignificant compared to the $17 million the council expected to reap in parking fees and fines by June.

But he called for immediate action to combat violence against council staff.

"Council needs to know where the incidents are happening, what steps are being taken to make sure the offenders are being prosecuted," he said.

"It's a concern that parking inspectors who are there to enforce the time limits in the business precincts are being subjected to violence and have not been able to go about doing the job that they're being paid to do."

Australian Workers Union Queensland vice president Tom Jeffers said parking inspectors were usually punched, spat on and verbally abused. ...

Wouldn't it be a nice change if Council considered acting on behalf of Gold Coast citizens and focussed on making it easier for folks to get about on their daily business eg improving public transport services (of course tempers are frayed when folks are financially stressed) instead of working hand in hand with the monomedia and making matters worse with crackdowns and operation bastards?

Why Aren't Australian Cancer Patients Receiving Adequate Medication?

Fairfax reports [12/2/10] what happens when you let bean counters run health care:

Disturbing numbers of cancer patients are experiencing unrelieved pain, with many having to be sedated for the last week of their lives to free them from suffering, a pain specialist says.

Michael Cousins, director of the Pain Management Research Institute at Royal North Shore Hospital, yesterday said nearly half of all cancer patients experienced unrelieved pain, with 80 per cent affected in their final stage of life.

Speaking before a national pain medicine summit next month, Professor Cousins said the statistics were disturbing and unacceptable because research showed about 90 per cent of cancer patients' pain could be managed with existing treatments.

''It's amazing that we have this in a civilised country, which you would think would be pretty focused on human rights,'' he said.

Professor Cousins, who is a pain medicine and palliative care specialist, said about 10 per cent of cancer patients had pain that was so difficult to treat at the end of their life that they would usually be given drugs to sedate them until they died.

''If someone is still suffering a lot and we can't relieve their pain and breathlessness and severe nausea and severe anxiety, then I would say we might have to create a bit of sedation. Surely that's better than someone dying in excruciating pain. That's not killing the patient but treating their symptoms in an effective way,'' he said.

Professor Cousins said although there had been no controlled research of ''terminal sedation'', he did not believe it caused death. ''The idea that this is euthanasia is wrong. It's a long way from it,'' he said.

The summit will focus on the need for better training to treat acute and chronic pain.

Cancer Council Australia says about half of men and a third of women will be diagnosed with cancer before 85.

It's Pretty Grim On The Equality Front When The Patriarchy Obviously Has Total Control Of The Discourse Relating To The Commodification Of Women's Bodies And Sexuality

Why else does Fairfax only report sex worker outrage, and never include a sociologist or psychologist's opinion on why school aged children have these attitudes, or (heaven forbid) a feminist's point of view? [12/210]:

Sex industry workers have condemned a Facebook page that appears to advocate killing prostitutes.

Facebook has now removed the page, called "Killing your hooker so you don't have to pay her".

But not before almost 18,000 people joined the page, believed to have been set up by Catholic school pupils in Queensland.

Similar pages, including one called "Killing hookers and doing coke off their ass", remain on the social networking site.

All of them are open to Facebook members of any age to join.

"It's a sad indictment of how people just think it's normal that the sex industry and violence goes hand in hand," Elena Jeffreys, president of the Australian Sex Workers Association said.

"It's pretty disgraceful there's a web page advocating violence or murder.

"The people that do this sort of thing need to realise they are being highly irresponsible by making this sort of thing appear normal."

Ms Jeffreys, one of dozens of people to complain to Facebook, said she had contacted the school she believed was involved.

She offered to send sex workers to talk to pupils and offer an insight into the realities of prostitution. ...

Bet her "realities of prostitution" talk doesn't dispel any of these myths:

Q. Isn't prostitution just a job like any other?

Q. If we were to eradicate prostitution, wouldn't we be robbing women of a rightful income?

Q. Aren't men who visit prostitutes just lonely?

Q. Don't lots of men go to prostitutes because they want someone to talk to?

Q. What about male prostitutes aren't we forgetting about them?

Q. Isn't prostitution the oldest profession?

Q. Isn't prostitution safer for women if it is legalised?.

Q. Since many brothels are run by 'madams' aren't women just as guilty of
exploiting women as men are?

Q. Without prostitution, won't men just go out and rape?

Speaking of puerile titillation masking as journalism, here's the Gold Coast monomedia's effort for the day [12/2/10] - written by a woman of course - nice one sister!:

The skipper of a 'boob cruise' has been busted for unsafe operation of his vessel after it ploughed over the top of a tinnie, in the Gold Coast's Broadwater a court was told. ...

Sgt Summerfield said the tinnie was anchored in the main channel and the victim had been fishing with her boyfriend and his brother.

"The defendant was heading directly towards them, the two boys in the tinnie were standing up and waving frantically at him but he maintained the collision course," he said.

"The three teenagers leapt into the water before the vessel drove over the top of them."

Sgt Summerfield said at the time of the crash, three of the six strippers on board were in the helm getting ready for their part in the show.

He said the other three were walking around topless, serving drinks to the 40 male passengers.

Healey appeared in Southport Magistrates Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to unsafe operation of a vessel and driving without the correct Queensland licence. ...

Magistrate Brian Kucks said the maximum fine for unsafe operation was $50,000 or 12 months jail but if the victim had been more seriously injured, Healey would have been facing a maximum fine of $500,000.

Mr Kucks fined Healey $5500.

No conviction was recorded.

If it wasn't a so called "boob cruise", the Murdoch press would have presented it as: "Shock, Fury, Outrage: Unlicensed hoon mows down 19-year-old girl. Breaks her back."

Frankly. What Is The Point Of Regulation If There Are No Regulators?

There are thousands of Australians being injured and killed on worksites all around the country.

And our governments aren't doing anything about it.

On the ABC's '7.30 Report' [11/2/10], Kerry O'Brien had a crack at the Federal Minister for the Environment about regulation, but no cigar.

Garrett keeps telling journalists and the opposition to check out the statement he made in parliament today.

Shame the Parliament House website has been inaccessible for the greater part of this evening. [*UPDATE* 11.30 am 12/2/10 - website still down.]

Monomedia Never Fails to Prove How Out Of Touch It Is With The Man On The Street

Although most of their readers are Brisbane commuters, who have resoundingly disparaged the Go Card as a scam, 'mX' gleefully reports on proposed expansions to the scheme [11/2/10]:

Debit card/student ID hybrids may soon be attached to go cards. TransLink has hinted.

News of a multipurpose go card that combines student indentification and banking facilities comes after the ANZ Bank and Visa teamed up with the University of Sydney to launch a new student ID card that doubles as a reloadable prepaid debit card.

Translink, which has pledged to roll out a combined seniors card/go card sometime this year, said other go card combinations were being considered.

"TransLink is focused on enhancing ticketing products and go card is an ideal product for co-branding with outher types of cards," a TransLink spokesperson said. ...

Isn't it great to live in a one paper town where you never have to concern yourself with real journalism that speaks truth to power?

Imagine if you did.

The possibilities are endless.

You might even find yourself travelling to and from work, university or your volunteering job on free and efficient public transport.

Yaaawwwwnnn ....

"I’m sick and tired of hearing things. From uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocritics. All I want is the truth. Just gimme some truth. I’ve had enough of reading things. By neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed politicians. All I want is the truth. Just gimme some truth. ..."

'Gimme Some Truth', John Lennon [1971]

How many people do you know, have heard of, or even think may exist, in Queensland, who are really passionate about meeting our chronic people shortage through surrogacy? What? None? Same here! So what shit is this?

Nobody gives a flying fuck about surrogacy legislation, but obviously the mainstream media have been instructed to make it the issue of the week as a convenient distraction to all the other bullshit going down:

Deputy Premier Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says laws will not be changed to allow same-sex couples to adopt children, even though they may soon be allowed to use a surrogate to have a child.

State Parliament is debating a bill to decriminalise altruistic surrogacy, but the Opposition will not support giving access to gay and lesbian couples and single people.

Adoption laws were also changed recently, but same-sex couples were not included.

Ms Bligh says surrogacy and adoption are vastly different.

"In the case of adoption, the state has to make a decision to place a child into an unknown family," she said.

"In relation to surrogacy, a childless couple whether they are same sex or not make a decision to enter freely into a voluntary known agreement with a surrogate mother."

Codswollop!

What kind of red necked, knuckle dragging bigot would say a child should be raised in an orphanage if there is an opportunity for it to be raised in a loving home?

Same kind of red necked, knuckle dragging bigot who doesn't think abortion should be decriminalised in Queensland, i.e. just about every member of your elected State parliament.

Why Do All Of Brisbane's Traffic Landmarks Have To Be Renamed?

Fairfax reports [11/2/10]:

Brisbane's Gateway Bridge, along with its new $1.88 billion duplicate, will be renamed in honour of long-serving Queensland public servant Sir Leo Hielscher.

Premier Anna Bligh announced the decision in State Parliament this morning.

Sir Leo, who joined the public service in 1942, will soon retire after 19 years as chairman of the Queensland Treasury Corporation.

He has previously served as the Under Treasurer of Queensland and has been associated with several public and private sector boards. ...

It's the Gateway Bridge and will always be the Gateway Bridge. While the duplicate will always be known as "another fucking waste of taxpayers money" bridge.

"From birth on - and probably from conception, but I'm not sure how I'd make the case - we are individually and collectively enculturated to hate life, hate the natural world, hate the wild, hate wild animals, hate women, hate children, hate our bodies, hate and fear our emotions, hate ourselves. If we did not hate the world, we could not allow it to be destroyed before our eyes. If we did not hate ourselves, we could not allow our homes - and our bodies - to be poisoned."

"Premise Fourteen", 'Endgame: The Problem of Civilization', Derrick Jensen [2006]

A development company wants to build a $160 million residential community in the Brisbane-Gold Coast corridor.

Devine Communities is buying a horse stud at Willow Vale which once belonged to Queensland politician Russ Hinze.

The company's Peter Ryan says it is paying $22 million for the land, the sale should be settled in August and a development application has been lodged with the Gold Coast City Council.

He says there will be a variety of housing and the company is interested in developing other land in the area.

"We are always looking for parcels in this Gold Coast area. This one should keep us busy I think for 12 months from August, in the meantime we will definitely be looking for more land in that locality," he said.

Frankly. Why Is Peter Garrett Being Deliberately Kept Out Of The Spotlight?

Why did the Minister for Human Services, Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law appear on the ABC's 'Lateline' on his behalf to answer questions about the deaths of workers involved in the Federal Government's insulation program?

Tony Jones gave Chris Bowen at least six opportunities to comment on the value (or otherwise) of unions in the Australian workplace.

Bowen didn't even blink.

So what the hell does the Australia Labor Party actually stand for?

Who's Driving This? Because It's Certainly Not The Legal Fraternity Or The Citizens Of Queensland

According to the Macquarie Dictionary, "reform" is: 1. The improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, etc. 2. To improve by alteration, substitution, abolition etc. 3. To cause (a person) to abandon wrong or evil ways of life or conduct or error.

The Queensland Law Society (QLS) says plans to reform criminal justice would remove the fundamental right of trial-by-jury.

The State Government has closed two months of public consultation on new laws to implement the Moynihan review of criminal justice.

The Queensland Council for Civil Liberties (QCCL) says the government is seeking to remove juries from cases involving bribery, disclosure of official secrets or criminal defamation.

QLS president Peter Eardley says it is a step in the wrong direction.

"We would have thought a robust review of the Moynihan report ought to have occurred before the draft bill was put in place," he said.

"Our concern is that when you are making such major change it is proper to have verifiable statistics, verifiable trends, that you can say that this is a problem.

"There is a perception that jury trials are expensive - and they are."

QCCL agrees there has been a lack of public debate. ...

Who's Getting Ripped Off?

Interesting how on the one hand, corporations are quite happy for internet users to promote their business:

Optus has drafted in bloggers for the latest stage of its You Choose digital strategy.

Following the Dutch’s Destiny video series – in which viewers were invited to choose between a series of alternative story paths to decide the fate of an aspiring rapper – the telco has turned to bloggers for a real world version. ...

And sue their arses on the other!

You Can't Fabricate A City's Soul

Creative ephemera in a truly gritty part of Brisbane's CBD: Stencils, Burnett Lane [2007]

Fairfax reports [10/2/10]:

... More than $3.1 million is in the Brisbane City Council budget for this year (2009-10), $2.57 million of which will be spent on Burnett Lane.

For that, Burnett Lane will have a new roadway surface complete with a artist-created plant-motif print, artworks along the brick walls and strategic lightwork designed by lighting architect, Peter McGregor.

Mr McGregor worked on Sydney's Pitt Street Mall upgrade and has finalised the design for lights which will run the full length of Burnett Lane, between 5.5 and eight metres above the laneway.

Elizabeth Woods is the artist involved in the artwork for the road surface which will run all the way through from George Street to Albert Street.

Project manager Scott Chaseling gave Brisbane City councillors a sneak peak of the project yesterday.

He described how Ms Woods' artwork would be designed on to a new plastic "duratherm", with glass beads which will be pressed into the new bitumen, a technique now being used by the Gold Coast City Council and the Department of Main Roads.

"It will be a cinnamon colour which transforms into a lime green," Mr Chaseling said.

Work will begin on Sunday night and will run from 8pm to 5am to avoid the operating hours for the traders in the area. ...

They've obviously never set foot in Burnett Lane! Whether you duck up there to avoid the herds in the Queen Street Mall during peak times, or use it to avoid the Mall crazies and aggressive policing late at night, that lane doesn't need $2.5million!

What about the folks entering and exiting the Hitachi Building and Lennon's carparks? What are they supposed to do while the work is being carried out?

Your Mum Must Be So Proud Of You

Working your little butt off at the only paper on the Gold Coast - picking fights and manufacturing non-existent incidents or trends one week [3/2/10]:

'Name shame shifts the blame in boundary war'

Businesses on the fringes of Labrador are experiencing turf tension, preferring to associate themselves with Southport to appear more centrally located.

Streets north of Loders Creek are considered Labrador but some businesses are trying to dissociate themselves from the negative perceptions of the suburb's name...

Officer in charge at Southport Police, Sergeant Jim Plowman said officers were still regularly called to Labrador to deal with break-ins and domestic desputes [sic].

He said a number of factors contributed to crime there including the suburb's low socio-economic demographic.

Then reporting the shocked and outraged responses to the vilification the following week [10/2/10]:

'Labrador folk stand proud against slurs'

A Labrador residents' group has leapt to the defence of the area after claims businesses and locals were shunning the suburb and claiming to be part of Southport.

Danielle Dunsmore from the Labrador Residents Action Group said she was shocked businesses and residents would be 'ashamed' to live there.

She said she felt as safe living in Labrador as anywhere on the Coast. ...

Bingo! While the community screams for a decent newspaper, you've done Rupert proud by creating a conflict that the joke of a publication you work for now controls.

Yep, never thought I'd agree with Clive Palmer on anything - until today - when he said this:

... "I've had enough of the press in this country," ...

Mr Palmer you say you are so wealthy you can sit on your arse in the Bahamas all day long. Surely it wouldn't cost that much to put your money where your mouth is and start up a few news outlets around the place?

This Is Window Dressing

Fairfax reports [10/2/10]:

Brisbane's bus system is set to undergo a major overhaul, with route changes and an additional 20,000 seats made available for commuters.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan announced the $3 million revamp today, saying the improvements were based on advice from commuters.

"We're acting on what they've asked for by extending route 66 and moving route 109 on to the Eastern Busway," she said. ...

Transport lobby group Rail: Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said the changes would improve links between the central city and the two hospitals.

"We really welcome the changes to the bus services on the 66 route out to the Royal Children's Hospital," he said.

"There really have not been enough buses and people have been waiting for up to 50 minutes at Herston trying to get back into town.

"Some of them have gone back to driving it has been that bad." ...

In an era of anthropogenic climate change, what sort of government manages to increase car use?

A Quarter-Billion Dollar Rort And The Media Plays Dead. Wonder Why?

'Crikey!'s' Bernard Keane writes [9/2/10]:

You would think that the Government handing a quarter of a billion dollars over two years to a powerful industry, ostensibly for protectionist purposes of maintaining local production, would garner a bit of attention in the media. And you’d be right. There’d be a decent-sized splash in the press. Free marketeers would emerge to attack the Government. Press Gallery commentators ...

That's right! The Government has just given a quarter of a billion dollars of your money to the corporate media! Hooray!

One Wonders if Any Of These Clowns Have Ever Cared For A Terminally Ill Person

Fairfax gives no context [9/2/10] but at least their one-sided report lets you know the law are watching, so if you (or a loved one) are suffering - there are places you can turn to:

A Brisbane man accused of helping a senior citizen kill himself with euthanasia drugs has been released on bail.

...

He must also report to police at The Gap twice a week until his next court appearance on April 19.

Police investigating the Ward case raided the offices of pro-euthanasia group Exit International in Melbourne last year, seizing documents.

For help or support visit beyondblue.org.au or phone Lifeline on 131 114.

Ever head of the term "mercy killing" you callous, out of touch, corporatocracy/religious mafia/private health industry beholden pricks?

The Solution Is Staring You In the Face

Stop burning fossil fuels and clearing their habitat:

A new koala conservation group says a different approach is needed to stop the species being wiped out in south-east Queensland.

36 researchers from Queensland universities, government departments and industry groups have formed the Koala Research Network to share information and lobby for better protection of the animals.

Associate Professor Clive McAlpine from the University of Queensland says the group wants to collaborate to protect koalas from extinction.

"The situation in south-east Queensland is extremely serious," he said.

"The population has decreased in some parts by 50 per cent in the last 10 years.

"Certainly in that Koala Coast area near Redlands there may be a few populations that are hanging on but the overall trend is one of decline."

Dr McAlpine says authorities must act now.

"It's important as researchers we actually speak out as one group rather than be divided on the problem," he said.

"We're trying to express greater concern for the general status of the koala in Queensland and the threats that are facing the koala." ...

Divided? What's that supposed to mean?

Australia already has a Koala Foundation, and they've made it quite clear what needs to be done.

Michael Chertoff

Body scanners will be introduced at Australian international airports next year as part of a $200 million Federal Government plan to boost security.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the measures were recommended to the Government in the wake of the Christmas Day terrorism attack, when a man allegedly attempted to set off a bomb on a flight to Detroit in the US.

The body scanners will be rolled out at international airports from next year to screen travellers departing from Australia. ...

Remember, the boss of the WTO is in town. And he didn't come just to say 'Hello!' and see the Koalas.

At 6am on the morning of 30 April 2008, three members of a New Zealand Ploughshares group, Sam Land. Adi Leeson, and Peter Murnane ,entered the Waihopai spy base and used sickles to deflate one of the two 30 metre domes covering satellite interception dishes.

They then built a shrine and prayed for the victims of the war with no end - the so-called 'War on Terror' led by the United States government which also controls the NZ taxpayer funded Waihopai base. The government claimed damages were over a million dollars.

The Waihopi spy base is part of the US ECHELON system and gathers satellite intelligence for US wars of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan. In some ways it is a much smaller version of Australia's Pine Gap.

On March 8th the three go to trial in Wellington, and face possible jail sentences. People are converging on Wellington to support their act of resistance.

http://ploughshares.org.nz

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has dismissed criticism of his remark about housewives and ironing.

During a visit to a Queanbeyan dry cleaning business yesterday, Mr Abbott said that the cost of an emissions trading scheme would hit "housewives" who used electricity to iron.

The government seized upon his comments, saying they showed Mr Abbott was old-fashioned and stuck in the past.

Labor backbencher Yvette D'Ath said she found the comment "extremely patronising" and accused Mr Abbott of being insensitive and out of touch. ...

... Senator Joyce says the Federal Government is borrowing billions of dollars from overseas to fund stimulus spending and programs like the National Broadband Network.

And he has questioned whether the Government is in a position to repay those loans.

"We're going into hock to our eyeballs to people overseas," he said.

"You've got to ask the question: how far into debt do you want to go? We are getting to a point where we can't repay it.

"Let's look at exactly what they're doing now and ask this very simple question: are you paying back your money, are you even meeting your interest component, and can you keep the debt stable?

"Or is the debt racing ahead by more than even the interest expense? And if it is, any household budget will tell you that's a very dangerous place to be." ...

The clean-up is continuing after a fuel spill at a refinery in Melbourne's west.

An eight million litre tank began leaking unleaded petrol at the Mobil refinery in Altona, just before midnight.

The tank held 3.5 million litres of fuel and up to 30,000 litres leaked from the tank.

More than 50 fire fighters poured foam on the spill to stop the fumes from igniting, and the remaining fuel has been drained from the tank.

Bruce Dawson from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) says there is no risk to the public, or the surrounding wetlands.

"The petrol that has leaked has been contained within a bund," he said.

The Victorian Greens MP, Colleen Hartland, says the spill should not have happened at all.

She says the tanks at the Altona refinery are old, and poorly maintained.

"Every two years we have an accident like this," she said.

"Every few years the Government says it won't happen again and it happens again."

"So as a resident, you really start to lose faith in the prevention strategy," she said.

Glen Henson, from Mobil has rejected the claims.

"We've done a lot of work on tank maintenance and our objective is to get to these issues ahead of time," he said.

The EPA will investigate what caused the spill.

The mother of a young waitress who took her own life after enduring persistent harassment by colleagues hopes her story will encourage others to speak out against workplace bullying.

Brodie Panlock, 19, left behind two brothers and her parents when she took her own life in 2006 after enduring persistent bullying by three of her colleagues at Melbourne's Cafe Vamp.

She was spat on and regularly called names such as fat and ugly. ...

Brisbane's Lord Mayor Campbell Newman says the City Council secured its temporary home for a good price.

Staff have moved to a 13-storey commercial building in the Central Business District for the next three years while City Hall undergoes a $215 million restoration.

Councillor Newman unveiled the new Council Chambers today.

He says the Council's investment arm spent about $10 million less than the asking price for the building.

"The CBIC paid about $21.5 million but then had to spend money on it to refit it," he said.

"I do make the point that it was originally on the books of the previous owners for at least $30 million."It might have been higher but they got a very, very good deal."

The Queensland Government says the community will get more of a say in how criminals are punished.

Members of the public will be invited to join a sentencing council.

It will include victims of crime and experts in criminal law and juvenile and Indigenous justice.

Attorney-General Cameron Dick says it will advise the Government on criminal sentencing, and on Court of Appeal guideline judgments. ...

Xstrata has applied to the Queensland Government for permission to release treated water from a coal mine into a creek in the state's north.

The company's spokesman, James Rickards, says acidic water from the Collinsville mine is currently held and treated at an on-site dam. He says if the amendment to the mining lease is approved, some treated water can be released into Strathmore Creek during heavy rain.

Mr Rickards says the acidity levels in the creek will be negligible.

"The plan is we would treat the current water with lime to increase the pH levels and reduce the sulphate-metal concentration," he said.

"We would then pump that treated water to one of our dams and then during period of very heavy rainfall we would then release that from that dam into Strathmore Creek under controlled conditions.

"Those conditions would be monitored through that river basin."

Mr Rickards says the proposed amendment is part of the 10-to-20-year plan to wind down the mine.

But the Mackay Conservation Group (MCG) says it does not support the project due to concerns run-off could flow into the Burdekin River.

The group's spokeswoman, Patricia Julien, says treating acidic mine water with lime is a common practice but other water impurities may persist.

"When they put it in their waste water pits for treatment and it gets the pH down, you've still got your heavy metals and your other nasties in there, so that's an ongoing problem for them," she said.

"Just looking at the Natural Resources Atlas, I can see it's a very flat area and it's surrounded a couple of kilometres each side by higher elevations.

"So the run-off would be fairly rapid and also it wouldn't have anywhere to go but down Pelican Creek, which is the main creek that runs into the Burdekin River."

Public submissions about the project can be made to the Department of Environment and Resource Management until March 3.

This'd Be The Same Government Who Tried To Stop The Dolphin Feeding Back In 2006

Premier Anna Bligh says the Queensland Government is working to protect dolphins at Tin Can Bay, in the state's south-east, from a nearby construction site.

The project, which includes a 240-berth marina at Snapper Creek, has raised concerns about the welfare of dolphins which are handfed nearby.

But the Department of Environment and Resource Management says development conditions will ensure there is minimal impact on the environment.

"We currently have a discussion paper out in relation to the protection of marine mammals and there is a specific provision in it to protect the feeding of dolphins in this area," Ms Bligh said.

"In relation to the proposed marina, obviously that is something that will have to be taken into account in the development."

I will be debating Christopher Monckton this Friday.

John Smeed emails:

The Grand Ballroom at the Sydney Hilton Hotel is booked for 12.30pm to 2.30pm on Friday 12 February 2010 where it was planned that Alan Jones would MC a Lord Monckton lecture.

I have now rearranged this function to become a 'Presidential Style' debate (like the format used in the USA Presidential elections) on DOES ANTHROPOGENIC GLOBAL WARMING ENDANGER MANKIND ? with Alan Jones as the Moderator.

Each speaker will present a 10-15 minute Synopsis of his argument

The Moderator, Alan Jones, will ask a sequence of say four (4) relevant questions with the order of speaking being reversed each question.

Questions will be received from the floor, again with the order of speaking being reversed each question.

Each speaker will be given a five (5) minute summary time at the end of the question time

Moderator will close the debate

Two a day wander from care: Group puts blame on poor staffing ratios

More than 1,400 assaults on residents of aged care homes were reported to the Department of Health and Ageing in 2009.

The Department's Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act showed that it received notification of 1,411 alleged reportable assaults, of which 1,121 were recorded as alleged unreasonable use of force, 272 as unlawful sexual contact, and 18 as both.

More than two residents were reported missing each day from approved residential aged care centres between January 1 and June 30.

Aged Care Crisis spokeswoman Lynda Saltarelli said poor staffing ratios were at the heart of the problems.

"Of course there will be a high number of assaults in homes when residents are left unsupervised for long periods of time," she said.

"And of course there will be unreasonable use of force in managing residents when there are just not enough well-trained people to provide the care that frail aged people and residents with cognitive problems need.

"We need more staff and more skilled and trained staff, and we need to value the work aged care nurses do." ...

Letter to the Editor from Stan Marks, Caulfied, Vic.:

Channelling television just for seniors

I have written to PM Kevin Rudd suggesting a TV channel for seniors.

I feel there is a definite and urgent need for a special channel catering to the needs, entertainment, advice and ageing of seniors and, above all, helping to possibly bring seniors and younger folk closer and give them a better understanding of each other's ways.

With so many TV channels across the world, why not one for; say, 60s and over; covering all aspects of day-to-day life, including health, care, dealing with problems, questions and answers, education, hobbies, and even sex and relationships.

The mind boggles at just what could be presented, including exchanging information with senior citizens locally, nationally and internationally.

Programs could cover drama, light entertainment and sports (such as bowls, darts, chess, and card games including bridge).

There could be inspirational stories, and interviews with men and women giving suggestions on how to enjoy the later years.

Laughter could be a big feature of programming - at yourself and with others, which can also be a wonderful health benefit.

Comperes could be mainly seniors, but also younger folk who could put forward ideas.

If made interesting, I feel younger folk could become viewers, particularly if given some input.

Greenland celebrated home rule from Denmark by distributing two tonnes of rare whale meat.

Remote-controlled airplanes, starter pistols, and good old-fashioned hand claps are being used to shoo ibis away from roosting areas on the Gold Coast.

Gold Coast City Council's ibis management program has used these techniques and others, including destruction of eggs, to cut bird numbers in the city by 1600 in the past decade.

Australian White Ibis are protected but since the destruction of native inland habitat in the 1980s they have overpopulated the coast, becoming a nuisance at landfills, parks and even shopping malls.

Despite the $85,000-a-year management program's success in cutting numbers to 3400 in June last year, breeding is still unchecked in some areas. ...

Remote-controlled planes, starter pistols, gas cannons and even the crack of a stockwhip are used year-round to frighten birds away from landfills, which are the birds' main source of food.

Ecosure principal biologist Gerard Ferguson said staff also played recordings of ibis distress calls, clapped their hands and used spotlights.

He said anecdotally numbers of birds during the most recent breeding season, which finished this week, were lower than last year. ...

SARAH DINGLE: The white ibis are native to New South Wales but long running drought in their wetlands habitats further inland have seen them appear in coastal cities in droves.

New South Wales Wildlife management officer Geoff Ross says they've been forced to make a sea change since the first great droughts of the 1970s.

But for some birds the coast has proved just as perilous.

VERN VEITCH: I'm aware of about half a dozen birds being shot. And it's very unfortunate that someone would that sort of thing for a couple of reasons, the first being firearm safety. But the second being cruelty to animals. And it's simply not an acceptable type of behaviour.

SARAH DINGLE: Vern Veitch is a Townsville city councillor. He says this time last year there was a mysterious ibis hunter in the city who left the carcasses of the birds piled up on a street corner in the CBD.

VERN VEITCH: Probably some people feel that the birds are a pest, that they might be carrying disease because they come from the landfill and then might frequent someone's yard. And there's always the possibility of that. But humans make the disease in the first place so you know the birds, if they are carrying it well it's inadvertently. But it's certainly distressing to hear that birds are being shot, native birds in particular being shot, but any bird.

SARAH DINGLE: The hunter was never caught. Geoff Ross says across the region the future of the protected birds is by no means secure.

GEOFF ROSS: It's very easy when you see birds all the time in your backyard or in those urban environments when you're walking through any of the parklands in capital cities to believe that they're very common. And indeed 30, 40 years ago wetland birds in central western New South Wales and in northern parts of South Australia and all of those inland wetlands, those wetland birds were relatively common. And we're talking in the hundreds of thousands in one large nesting colony - hundreds of thousands of Australian white ibis.

But what we're seeing now from aerial surveys is that all those strongholds, those inland wetland breeding areas for many of those birds have diminished significantly.

In fact on one of the last surveys through New South Wales wetlands not one Australian white ibis was counted. That's very clearly showing that the birds have actually moved to more coastal wetlands to try and guarantee their survival. ...

The Gold Coast's cheaper new motorsport event has left the city with a spare $5 million festival fund ... and Bulletin readers have been asked how to use it. ...

... LINDY KERIN: Ian Chesterman says he's hoping for good sense to prevail. He says the flag will only be taken down if and when there's a written request from the IOC.

IAN CHESTERMAN: We're hoping to keep up there, I think the people around Vancouver are getting right behind it too, I sort of walked into the village and get a great sense from the police and the officials and from other competitors and coaches saying "hey that looks fantastic" and then you say to somebody "yeah but I think we might have to take it down", they say "oh no that would be a great shame" because it's just part of the fun of the games. ...

... As jokes were continually used to address the limitations and stuff ups of the opening ceremony, Sydney created a very vibrant atmosphere. With piss-taking on everyone's lips, a larrikin show titled " the dream", hosted by Roy and HG, struck a chord with prevailing community sentiment; ensuring that Australians went to sleep with a smile on their face. However for the Olympic's marketing arm, the dream was a nightmare. The dream had their own mascot; the lewd and rude Fatso the Fat arsed wombat; aka the battlers prince. Fatso was the kind of mascot that Australians love but would never be approved by officialdom. His pose was that of a perpetual moon and comic animations depicted him waddling across the TV screen leaving little nuggets as a reminder of his grace.

Fatso caused a frenzied sensation; joining Gold Medallists like Michael Klim, Susie O'Neil and Grant Hackett on the winners' dais. So popular in fact, he undermined attempts to sell the the official, and very generic, Olympic mascots, Millie, Ollie and Syd. As Fatso's star rose, the IOC attempted to cut him down by banning athletes appearing with him. Public opinion, flamed by the outraged Roy and HG, later forced the IOC to retreat in embarrassment. As well as undermining the marketing campaign of the IOC, Fatso undermined that of the Australian Organising Committee. The AOC's $15 million campaign was geared towards the famous Boxing Kangaroo which they had bought from former Australian of the year, Alan Bond. But against Fatso, the Kangaroo appeared well past its prime and was quickly dealt a knock out blow. Despite calls to mass-produce the battlers prince, ROY and HG refused to cheapen his legacy with any kind of crude commercialisation. The one and only fat arsed wombat was later sold at auction for $80,000 with the proceeds given to charity. ...

Providing free public transport for people leaving clubs late at night could help prevent alcohol-related violence, an inquiry has heard.

A Queensland parliamentary committee is today taking evidence in its inquiry into ways to tackle alcohol-related violence.

Clubs Queensland chief executive Doug Flockhart said a common sense approach was needed to stem violence, not new regulations and laws.

Mr Flockhart said governments and councils needed to treat each night of operation in entertainment precincts as a special event.

He said special events such as football matches involved free transport and other amenities.

"Complimentary transport solutions at exit times and adequate amenities in the vicinity of entertainment venues would go a long way toward improving public safety," Mr Flockhart said.

"Safely and efficiently moving people on are matters that are taken into account for a Broncos match or Riverfire, yet the large crowds that are congregating in places like the Valley, or Cavill Avenue on the Gold Coast, are largely ignored."

He said many community clubs were struggling financially and would be burdened by any new regulation.

The inquiry continues.

... It’s always a miracle when the massively over-funded and corrupt corporate interest side (the side with vast reserves of money and tame politicians) is beaten by the public interest side (the side with no funding, save when its interests temporarily align with a different set of corporate interests) – but when it’s on so critical an issue as to whether the content monopolists can turn ISPs into their own policemen; whether the existing laws can be further bent to push their ludicrous “rights” ahead of everything else – well, it’s a fine thing to see.

Particularly in a world in which other governments are busy locking the internet down and turning it over to American industry – France, Britain, the EU all extending corporate power to arbitrarily determining without any kind of due process who loses access to the internet.

Any movement against that destructive tide is worth cheering. ...

Something's Got To Give

Did Fairfax [4/2/10] bother to ask the Lord Mayor how he reconciles expanding the carcentricity of his city with his belief in anthropogenic climate change?:

Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has resurrected a plan to build a tunnel under Kingsford Smith Drive as traffic on the congested arterial road continues to worsen.

Cr Newman confirmed the tunnel option, which was part of his original TransApex tunnel plan prior to his election in 2004 but shelved shortly after he took office, was back on the table.

If built, the tunnel would link traffic from the Gateway Motorway and Australia Trade Coast to the Inner City Bypass. ...

Who Are These People?

Fairfax again [4/2/10]:

The State Government has promised to closely scrutinise public housing tenants after an investigation revealed hundreds of Queenslanders on six-figure incomes were living in cheap social housing.

June 2009 figures obtained through Right to Information laws showed that in Ipswich, there were 53 instances where the occupants of a government-funded house had a combined income exceeding the $80,000 a year threshold.

Statewide there were more than 850 households earning more than $80,000, including 309 with a combined annual income of more than $100,000 a year.

There are 55,000 social housing tenants on the Queensland Government's housing register.

State Housing Minister Karen Struthers denied public housing tenants were taking advantage of the system, saying there were legitimate reasons including expensive private rental and housing shortages.

So? In that case, where's my free house?

Gold Coast Monomedia Goes Into Bat For Poor Little Christian Schools

Notice that the choice of language (eg "cut class", rather than "wagging") when they report on private school issues, is consistently more sympathetic than when they're reporting on state school issues:

Inadequate bus and train services at Varsity Lakes are forcing private school students to cut class each day.

The new $324 million Varsity Lakes bus station is just 200m across the M1 from Kings Christian College but poor timetabling has forced students to catch buses which arrive at the school late and leave early.

Students at Hillcrest Christian College and at the Gold Coast Christian College also using public transport are in a similar situation, arriving after 9am and having to leave school 15 minutes early each day to catch the bus that connects to the rail station.

Frustrated parents and school representatives have called on TransLink to remedy the situation.

TransLink director Peter O'Loughlin told a Reedy Creek community meeting last night timetables would not be changed until a review of services in the 2010-11 financial year.

"It is difficult to change the timetables without disadvantaging other regular users," he said.

Mr Loughlin also shot down hopes for dedicated school buses, saying state funding for special bus services was only provided to state schools. ...

Any reason why, like other kids, these kids can't catch earlier or later trains and buses?

Why should taxpayers facilitate the transportation of private school students with publicly funded "dedicated school buses"?

In any case, there doesn't appear to be any shortage of private school buses on the road, so why can't they transport their own students?

Amid Media Blackout

Congressional hearing reveals US intelligence agencies shielded Flight 253 bomber

February 03, 2010 "WSWS" -- A January 27 hearing of the House Committee on Homeland Security established that US intelligence agencies stopped the State Department from revoking the US visa of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. The Nigerian student, whom US officials suspected of being affiliated with the Yemeni terrorist group Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, attempted to set off a bomb on Northwest Flight 253 into Detroit on Christmas Day. Revocation of Abdulmutallab’s visa would have prevented him from boarding the airplane.

The hearing was reported in a brief article posted January 27 on the web site of the Detroit News, headlined, “Terror Suspect Kept Visa to Avoid Tipping Off Larger Investigation.” ...

The Emporer Can Talk All He Wants About Content But It's Still A Shit Sandwich

http://stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/2010/02/emporer-can-talk-all-he-wants-about.html

Another Day, Another Beatup About A Billboard

Fairfax [3/2/10] helps promote an event that the perverts are obviously losing interest in:

A provocative new billboard west of Brisbane, which features a half-naked porn actress, has been slammed as inappropriate and too rude by the local council.

The billboard, located off Brisbane Road in Dinmore, Ipswich, advertises Brisbane's 2010 Sexpo event next month.

Ipswich Councillor Trevor Nardi said the billboard was not only a distraction for drivers but too sexual for its busy location and should be taken down immediately. The Advertising Standards Bureau said yesterday it was yet to receive any objections.

"I'm definitely not a prude, but I don't think we need billboards like this in our face," Cr Nardi said.

"I don't think it's appropriate and I don't think many people in the community would find it in good taste."

These PR pieces are always presented as a false conflict between prudes and those who aren't uptight about sex. Never why it is acceptable for objectified images of women to be displayed on billboards, buses, bus shelters, newspapers etc. in the first place.

And there is a reason why no-one complains to the ASB. It's because they are useless.

UPDATE:

Another day, another round of PR [4/2/10]:

... SEXPO organisers have hit back at complaints about their risque new billboard, saying Ipswich residents make up a large amount of their audience.

Sexpo general manager Rob Godwin said surveys from previous events showed most visitors were from the Gold Coast, with Ipswich running a close second.

He said the high Ipswich turnout showed many in the region would not have a problem with the advertisement, and said if it was in any other state, the billboard would have been even more provocative.

“I think the people of Ipswich should be proud of the billboard – everyone featured on the ad is from Queensland,” Mr Godwin said.

“Sex is a great, wonderful thing that should be celebrated instead of hidden away.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but compared to our billboard there are fashion ads and magazine covers out there that show a lot more skin.” ...

The issue (and many Fairfax employees would agree) is not about nudity or openess about sexuality, the issue is that the billboard is exploitative - and no-one has the balls to do anything about it.

Why Doesn't He Just Be Done With It And Pencil In A Date To Address The House Of Representatives?

It's not just the Opposition Leader whose policies/decisions are clearly denialist or a con job:

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott plans to meet high-profile controversial climate change sceptic Lord Christopher Monckton, who will be visiting Canberra over the next few days.

Mr Abbott's planned meeting with the sceptic, who has been on a speaking tour of Australia, comes as the Opposition Leader tries to sell his new climate change policy as an alternative to the Government's emissions trading scheme. ...

Wow! Move Over Phil Dickie And Chris Masters!

'Cos the monomedia really got down and dirty for this one [3/2/10] and it appears your reign as Queensland's only investigative journalists is over:

... Constable Daniel Daniels, a uniformed officer based at Surfers Paradise, allegedly was with friends who were caught with a 'small amount of drugs' in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley at the weekend.

Yesterday Constable Daniels' Facebook page listed a Surfers Paradise nightclub's CEO and owner, club manager and resident DJ as friends, while he was also a fan of a Broadbeach nightclub and a group called 'Getting Paid'.

The Bulletin tried to add Constable Daniels as a friend, but within 30 minutes of the request being sent, his profile had been deleted. ...

Heebee geebees! Is it so surprising that a person might immediately delete their myarse/faceache profile if one of Rupert's tools requested to be their friend?

Could This Be Journalism?

Could it possibly be true that people earning $100,000 are living in public housing in Queensland?

See Andrew Lofthouse's report on Channel Nine News [2/2/10]: 'Rich Tenants Abuse Public Housing Service' for details.

Where In The World Would A Jazz Club Have A 10 O'Clock Curfew?

Fairfax reports [2/2/10]:

... When jazz icons Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis made Round Midnight one of jazz's signature tunes, they clearly did not have the Kangaroo Point club on their minds.

Famous Australian jazz group Galapagas Duck was there a fortnight ago, the great nephew of Django Reinhardt, "Lulu" Rheinhardt plays there next month and jazz guitarist Phil Emmanuel in April.

"And the club closes at 10pm," jazz club president Tony Freedland said.

"The club has been there for many, many years and over the last couple of years we have been applying for a full club licence with the Liquor Licensing Commission."

That would normally allow live music to be played at the club until at least midnight.

"We now have been granted that licence, but amongst other things, one of their stipulations is that we do not have live music playing inside the club after 10pm." ...

No doubt Brisbane's wonderfully collegial music community will band together and demand that their patrons and the Arts Minister do something about this lamo state of affairs!

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Fairfax reports [2/2/10] on yet another example of exceptionalism:

Two specialist policemen caught running nude around a police van during a buck's celebration last year could remain stood down for another five months while an investigation continues. ...

However, University of Queensland public sector ethics lecturer Dr Bill De Maria labelled the situation "silly" and questioned why the probe was taking so long to resolve. ...

He suggested either Queensland Police was concerned about the public's perception of it handling of officer behaviour, or something more serious occurred that has not yet come to light.

"It appears quite trivial; just a couple of boys having a good time and bucks' parties go on all the time and young men get up to all sorts of tricks,'' Dr De Maria said. ...

Yeah. As if Joe Citizen could get away with tearing off their clothes and running around nude in traffic, and the cops would just laugh it off!

Dr De Maria warned a prolonged demotion could cause long-term problems for the police officers.

"These men are hot wired for action ... so I can imagine that if they're pushing a pen around (Queensland Police is) probably facing some human resource management issue in the future with these men,'' he said.

"It could well be that (the officers experience) drops in morale and feeling angry. A lot of it could come back to bite the police administration.

"That's why it's in the public interest to get this silly little investigation done.''

"Hot wired for action"????? What's that supposed to mean? Are they programmed that way or is it something to do with stealing cars?

How Very Current Affair!

The Midday Report | Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:25:00 +1100 | Duration 1m 51s

Gym memberships are being dismissed for a few laps around the shopping centre, as retirees try to stay in shape.

Here, Care For A Distraction While We're Living It Up At Surfers?

What did Joh used to call it? Feeding the chooks?

How about reducing class sizes and paying teachers a decent wage?

The Queensland Government has released a Green Paper which outlines significant changes to Queensland's education system. ...

And one of the classics from the Milton "vox pop" on the ABC's 7pm news bulletin was the lady who asked: "Why are they doing that?"

Where Is The Apology?

And the assurances to citizens that this won't happen again?

The Gold Coast City Council says residents living in eight properties have been receiving recycled water in their drinking supply.

The Council received two illness complaints last month and a subsequent audit found plumbing problems in parts of an Upper Coomera estate.

Last December, it was discovered that an entire estate at Coomera was receiving recycled water in its drinking supply.

Councillor Donna Gates says the plumbing problems have now been fixed.

"There have been some plumbing errors by contractors but there have also been some errors by Council staff," she said.

"I am waiting for the report to find out the exact situation of how many errors were made and in what circumstances."

Another report eh? Will citizens also have access to this report, or just "stakeholders"? And will it take as long to produce as the Department of Environment and Resource Management's investigation into last month's fish kill in the Pimpama River?

These politicians don't even pretend to care about the health and well being of their constituents anymore!

Where's Ali?

This is not news. It's shameless PR. What the hell is it doing on my ABC?:

Nick Farr-Jones joins Lateline Business to discuss his company Taurus, one of Australia's first resources hedge funds. ...

Why Do Australians Pay Taxes All Their Working Lives You Arsekissers And Pissweak Knobbity Knobby Knob Class Traitors?

... National Seniors chairman Everald Compton has welcomed moves to keep older people in the workforce but says employers must be willing too.

"What we're saying is every person over 65 who wants to stay in the workforce should be given that opportunity and we'll be challenging employers to give seniors a go," he said.

John Brogden of the Investment and Financial Services Association says the report shows the Government must increase compulsory superannuation contributions.

"We're advocating that superannuation be at least 12 per cent of people's annual salary," he said.

"That will give them a better chance of being able to afford their retirement and particularly of being able to afford their health and ageing costs."

ACTU president Sharan Burrow agrees.

"Superannuation at its heart is in fact the only way that we will fund dignity in retirement," she said.

Hey Waynee poo, why are charities having to fill the gap that government should? How about taxing the rich just a teensy tiney little bit more or refraining from tipping so much of our taxes into the pockets of mining companies, media moguls and the fossil fuel industry?

Is Anna Looking For A Room Mate?

Claire from the January edition of 'Tsunami' magazine writes:

I was listening to 4zzz in the car the other day (which was fantastic as I usually don't get reception) and the presenter was reading out the classifieds for places to rent. One person was fairly fussy and had requested that applicants would not be watchers of free-to-air TV. This got me thinking, was this request really such a bad thing?

Independent thought is not common, it is in fact incredibly rare, Pretty much nothing you see in the mainstream media is independent and as this media is the major source of influence, people are simply copying each other in mass, including doing things that make absolutely no sense. I guess it's a case of security in numbers.

So I thought about what I could do to encourage myself to have more independent thought other than revert to myself for life's answers. Limiting my internet use for one would be a good start, followed by immersing myself in people and things I may inherently disagree with. I could also endeavour to observe more, engage in different cultures and basically look to experience more in general.

Perhaps the person who placed the classified isn't fussy after all, and is actually quite the opposite ...

When it comes to independent thought, switching off the telly, radio, pc and checking out the environment beyond your "media room" is certainly a very good idea. So why did the individual who placed said accommodation notice specify that potential room mates not be free-to-air tv viewers? What sort of person doesn't get on with someone who might watch free-to-air? The advertisements for Austar and Foxtel are running thick and fast on free-to-air, so pay telly can't be that popular.

Co-incidentally, it's curious that while Queensland's Premier does regularly appear on free-to-air stations, whether it be on news broadcasts or celebrity chef, she obviously thinks the pay tv 'ovation' channel (Leo In Convo) is the place to discuss the state's art's policy, rather than any other free-to-air forum!

Why would that be I wonder?

Week Begins With Wayne Wheeling Out Wrongity

... With the participation rate expected to drop to around 60 per cent by 2050 Mr Swan, has announced that the Government will spend $43 million in a bid to keep older Australians in the workforce. ...

Latest From Fiji Military Dictatorship?

Mostly we've forgotten that Fiji is a military dictatorship. Rumours are bouncing around the internet (no links for obvious reasons) that the Fiji military government will decree, from February 2010, new 'laws' making it illegal to criticise the regime on the internet, punishable by life in prison.

There are a few Fiji pro-government sites of dubious provenance (the theme is: "Yay! Military dictatorship has brought us jobs and freedom, democracy and justice can wait") making lame excuses for this new dictate.

Nowhere can we find any mention of the links between places like Fiji, quasi-religious dictatorships and the "Family", as described by Jeff Sharlett.

However, isn't it interesting that Fiji is: deeply conservative "christian", one of the most militarised countries per capita, AND, over-represented amongst mercenaries killing people in the Middle East?

Online Comment Of The Week

"Linda Johnson" on Clint Hendler's piece 'The Washington Post Scrubs a Post about the Post' from the 'Columbia Journalism Review':

I've been following the Washington Post's articles and editorials regarding Michelle Rhee for some time. It seems to me that there is a reason why the paper keeps backing her, no matter what she does. Is there truth to the story that there is a possible conflict of interest here (e.g. Kaplan tests)? This might be something to investigate.

Hendler's story is about the internal workings of a newspaper, but it piqued our interest because the constant media attacks on public education he refers to bear a spooky similarity to a recent round of stories in Queensland media.

The Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) says 18 school teachers were banned from classrooms last year for having inappropriate relationships with students.

QCT director John Ryan says the offences ranged from teachers making inappropriate comments to sexually assaulting pupils. ...

If only Australia had something half as good as the 'Columbia Journalism Review', instead of the rubbish we get fed as media analysis (even from our purportedly academic institutions!).

"It Was A Long Week Reporting From The Tennis" Award Of The Week

Following a herculean effort covering the Australian Open, by last Thursday night 'Sports Tonight's' Ian Cohen was a definite shoe in!

GOVERNMENT SPENDS YOUR TAXES WITH MURDOCH PRESS ON CREEPILY THEMED ADVERTISEMENTS

IS IT ANY WONDER NO-ONE QUESTIONS WHY PUBLIC TRANSPORT ISN'T FREE (IF ONLY FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN AND PENSIONERS)?

1/2 page 'Go Card' advertisment Brisbane 'mX' [29/1/10]

Funny Business

Why can't the Brisbane Comedy Festival pay ALL the people involved?

... If you're interested in being part of our funniest, friendliest and most outrageous festival, make sure you apply to join the Brisbane Comedy Festival Volunteer Team.

As part of the team you'll be required to do three shifts, which only last three hours each - how easy is that! Although if you're having so much fun you'd like to stick around for more - please feel free.

We're looking for folks with a friendly, cheery disposition to assist patrons with directions and program information. People who can share a laugh, help out and be thoroughly involved with this exciting festival should apply. ...

Hang on! That sounds like hospitality work, which according to Fairfax [31/1/10]:

... The times, they are a-changing -what were once considered dead-end, transient or low-paying jobs are now being taken on as careers, filled with promise, incredible opportunities and plenty of money to be made. ...

Do Male Politicians From The Major Political Parties Satisfy Their Wives, Mistresses And/Or Any Other Sexual Partners?

'Anonymous Lefty' asks:

... What other taxpayer-funded government body would have the balls to impart such controversial social pronouncements so openly, for the good of the nation’s moral health? ...

Which one wouldn't?

They all appear to be emboldened by prevailing government policy that exacts a "family values" prudishness, while at the same time allowing the ever increasing commodification of sexuality and control of women's bodies.

Did Any Of The Recommendations Include Expanding Research Into Proven Carcinogens Or Prevalence Of Certain Diseases In Particular Geographic Regions?

Fairfax reports [30/1/10] on yet another Government report focussing on lifestyle factors and the prevention of chronic disease throughout Queensland:

A Queensland parliamentary committee has recommended banning alcohol advertising and sponsorship and increasing the price of tobacco to reduce the number of deaths by preventable illnesses.

The Social Development Committee (SDC) report into chronic diseases, which took eight months to compile and was tabled in state parliament yesterday, makes 34 recommendations for government action.

The recommendations include banning junk food advertisements during children's programs, phasing out alcohol advertising and eliminating all remaining forms of tobacco promotion. ...

When are we going to see a government report on how pollution, pesticides and other artificial chemicals cause chronic disease?

Depends What You Define As "Significant Damage"

Stefan Armbruster's report from Saibai Island on SBS World News [30/1/10] showed that as well as the cemetery being partly inundated, the clumsy insensitivity of local MP Jason O'Brien:

Emergency Management Queensland says there was no significant damage caused by king tides on Saibai Island in the Torres Strait.

There were concerns king tides could cause significant damage in the Strait this morning, but they are now subsiding.

EMQ's Wayne Hepple says some low-lying streets were flooded but no homes were inundated.

"Things went not too badly this time around," he said. ...

Yep ... Word Has Definitely Come From Head Office "All True Believers Get Columns Out Presenting The Greens As Stubborn Radicals"

First they ignore you, then an election looms large on the horizon and their lobbyists realise a huge swathe of voters actually do care about the environment etc etc...

From Mungo MacCallum's column in last week's 'Tweed Shire Echo' [28/1/10]:

...Ironically, even after Turnbull was rolled, the Greens could still have saved the day: two Liberals were prepared to cross the floor, and if the Greens had seized the moment, as many of their supporters urged, [eh??? proof please Mr MacCallum - Ed] a flawed but basic ETS would have become law; the foundation for more determined action would be in place. But The Greens preferred to preserve their ideological impregnability, and delivered precisely nothing. As Gough Whitlam was fond of remarking, the impotent are always pure - and, he might have added, frequently vice versa.

But it now seems that Brown and Milne have had a Damascene conversion to reality: they are now proposing what they describe as an interim scheme to break the deadlock. ...

What a load of ka ka! According to the experts, even two degrees will be devastating! Negotiating reductions in emissions is about the future of the planet and is too important to be treated like haggling over beads at a Bali market.

Wankers.

Up Yours, Wowsers!

The Australian Open celebrity match between Pat Rafter, Pat Cash, Henri LeConte and Wayne Arthurs was the best television in a looooooong time!

Long live silliness! And may undies jokes reign!

Isn't The Customer Always Right?

Fairfax reports [29/1/10]:

A labourer went on a rampage at a Brisbane brothel after he changed his mind about paying for sex and could not get a refund, a court has heard. ...

Perhaps he should have taken his complaint up with the Prostitution Licensing Authority?

Speaking of which, wonder how that threatened complaint about 4ZzZ's 'Art2Lunch' is going?

It Comes From The Murdoch Press, So It Doesn't Have To Make Sense

Its purpose is to perpetuate tired old myths and normalise the commodification of sex and women's bodies, not inform or progress any new ideas or solutions:

Nearly 2.5 million British men have paid prostitutes for sex, The Sun reported today.

It means more than 10 per cent of Britain's male population have used hookers at least once in their lives.

The figure emerged in a Home Office study aimed at helping lawmakers deal with the world's oldest profession.

It revealed 870,000 men, many married or in stable relationships, pay for sex on a regular basis.

Britain's estimated 80,000 hookers see 64 million clients per year, roughly 15 per week, charging an average of 60 ($108) per time.

A new law will punish men who use trafficked or pimped vice girls.

And since when have the Brisbane monomedia and the Lord Mayor ever given a flying fuck about old trees?:

A 200-year-old tree in the centre of works for the $4.8 billion Airport Link project was chopped down in just eight hours this morning.

The Crow's Ash tree in Lutwyche was lopped to make way for on and off ramps for the Airport Link project, despite protest from local residents and Brisbane's Lord Mayor.

Airport Link will pay $100,000 in compensation to Brisbane City Council for the tree's removal, with the money invested in addition planting and landscaping for the community.

A spokeswoman for Thiess John Holland said nothing could be done to save the tree.

"All construction design alternatives and relocation options to retain the tree have been thoroughly investigated and exhausted by Airport Link," she said.

"Relocation of the tree was found to be unfeasible due to the risk to the tree's survival and to the neighbouring St Andrew's Anglican Church rectory, underneath which the tree's root system is believed to stretch."

Did It?

... ANNIE GUEST: But the Government went to the last state election having spelled out its promise to introduce the recycled treated water if the combined dam levels fall below 40 per cent. ...

That's news to the voters of Queensland - unless of course you mean they did this within the cosy little weaselly spin doctored Radio Rupert world within which you reside!

Typical Radio Rupert/monomedia reporting so obviously constrained by the "desal vs recycled sewage" debate pushed forward by vested interests:

... ANNIE GUEST: There are experts on either side of the debate; those who argue there are high safety standards in the treatment plants, and others who say it can never be safe enough.

But political leaders seem to be running out of other palatable water supply options in southeast Queensland.

A dam north of the Sunshine Coast was recently spectacularly rejected by the Federal Government and the alternative for more desalination plants is causing angst elsewhere in the electorate....

No mention of storm water harvesting or water tanks in this report, or that what the government is planning to do with recycled sewage in South East Queensland is a world first experiment.

Wonder when the Department of Environment and Resource Management will be releasing the findings of its investigation into the recent fish kill in the Pimpama River? Should be any day now .. right?

There Have Always Been Pool Cues And Glass Ashtrays In Pubs

How about investigating where all the aggression is coming from:

NICOLE BUTLER: According to the union representing Queensland's ambulance officers, pool cues and glass ashtrays have become a "weapon of choice" for drunken patrons who turn on paramedics.

KROY DAY: Certainly they're weapons that people are using and if we can't make our people safe by any other means, then let's remove the weapons, both as an indication of exactly how desperate and frustrated we are with the situation at the moment. ...

You could follow this up with a story exploring why everyone - especially those in the upper echelons of the ALP - hates the missos, and only pay attention to them if they participate in games of bullshit propaganda and spin:

NICOLE BUTLER: The Queensland Premier says she understands the ambulance officers' concerns about being attacked on the job. Anna Bligh says she'll consider their call for a ban on pool cues and glass ashtrays.

ANNA BLIGH: Oh we'll have a look at it. I mean obviously there are pros and cons to it. I'd like to talk to them more about it and we'd like to see some of the evidence but you know I welcome their contribution.

They're the guys out there on the front line often late at night when no-one else is and if they've got something to offer we'll talk to them.

Where is the government's high profile campaign urging Queenslanders to give ambos (and other workers in the caring professions) the respect they deserve? And where is the adequate remuneration for nurses, teachers and emergency workers?

How About Some More Teachers And Permanent Contracts?

Government demonstrates once again that it isn't taking the education of Queenslanders seriously:

The Queensland Government says record amounts of money are being spent on school upgrades this year.

Premier Anna Bligh says two billion dollars will be spent to build new classrooms, libraries, assembly halls, and to air-condition more rooms.

The State and Federal Governments are funding the program.

Ms Bligh says almost every state school will receive an upgrade. ...

What's Causing All The Cancer In This Country And Where Is The Apology For This Appalling Stuff Up?

Thousands of people who tested negative to bowel cancer may now face a positive diagnosis, after testing kits sent out by the Federal Government proved to be faulty.

The Health Department re-issued the testing kits in the middle of last year amid concerns that the number of people who had tested positive to bowel cancer in recent screenings was lower than expected.

A total of 4,444 people who thought they did not have bowel cancer have returned positive tests and been told to have a colonoscopy immediately. ...

Who created this test, who has access to the results and why did the Health Department expect the rate to be so high?

If the government were really serious about tackling this epidemic, they would ensure citizens were properly informed about cancer clusters around the country, instead of promoting confusion, fear and funnelling self-funded retirees into very expensive cancer journeys.

Health policy driven by business and PR won't improve treatments and will never lead to a cure.

Why don't we ever hear about research into how pollution, pesticides and other artificial chemicals cause cancer?

What's Happening With Milk Banks Around Australia?

Researchers are urging mothers to breastfeed their babies until they are at least six months old after carrying out a study which they say has found a link between breastfeeding and child mental health.

The 14-year study published in the Journal of Paediatrics followed almost 3,000 women in Western Australia and tracked the development of their babies through to early adolescence.

The women who took part in the study breastfed their babies for different lengths of time, with some women not breastfeeding their babies at all. ...

Professor Silburn says it is essential for everyone, especially mothers, to be aware of the importance of breastfeeding.

"Changes in the workplace, the increased casualisation of employment, that is making it very difficult for some mothers to be able to breastfeed as they should," he said.

"Being able to organise work and to have public acceptance of the importance of breastfeeding is something that we want to continually support."

How About Debating It With An Economist?

And we don't mean a faux debate organised by your friends at Radio Rupert:

Queensland Treasurer Andrew Fraser says the State Government would win a debate with unions about asset sales.

...

"The debate is that you have to make a choice. and anyone including the unions who've put forward their opposition hasn't put forward an alternative.

"The only alternative they have is more and more debt with no limit, and I don't think that's an argument they will win."

Tipping Out Someone's Beer At A BBQ In The Park On Australia Day Is Un-Australian

Monomedia spends the past few weeks geeing up the jingoism then wets itself [27/1/10] over the excessive police presence on the Gold Coast yesterday (of course, they were really hoping for some of the drunken yobbo violence they used to manage to whip up):

Gold Coast police made more than 50 arrests and ordered more than 650 people to tip out alcohol during Australia day activities yesterday.

...

Supt Keogh said arrests were made from 11am onwards.

There were 652 tip outs for alcohol across the day.

``They did not get the message of don't take alcohol to the open parks and spaces,'' said Supt Keogh.

``Most people were compliant and happy with the way things were.''

Supt Keogh said a strong police presence at Burleigh Heads deterred people from causing trouble.

``The community was very supportive with what was taking place,'' he said.

``They had no problems with the police presence.

``I think they were happy to be out enjoying Australia Day in a safe environment.''

Most of the 53 arrests were for public nuisance.

Where else did the police have a presence? Did folks at Paradise Point have their Grange Hermitage tipped out, or was it just fired up yobs in pre-determined loser areas that they targetted?

The drooling love of the gumby media for photos showing police using 'stress holds' on the very clowns fired up by the gumby media is probably wrongity at its worst.

Journo Launches Tech Newswire Delimiter In Bid To Challenge AAP

Mumbrella reports [27/1/10]:

Technology journalist Renai LeMay has today launched a news website with a business model which may be a first for the Australian market.

Delimiter is focused on writing about technology in the Australian market.

But rather than being initially advertising supported, LeMay plans to licence the content to other technology publishers who he hopes will treat it as a cheaper newswire alternative than AAP.

He told Mumbrella: “I’ve been a customer of AAP. They may have a technology feed, but they have less than one full time journalist working on it.

“Why shouldn’t they have some competition and have somebody else pushing for that money? I’d love to see them come back against me and hire two or three technology journalists, but I don’t think they will.”

Jointly owned by Fairfax, News Ltd and West Australian Newspapers, AAP is Australia’s main newswire service.

Until recently LeMay was news editor at CBS Interactive’s ZDNet Australia. Prior to that he worked on The Australian Financial Review.

His pricing model sees his content – 60 to 90 items per month – offered to publishers for a flat licence fee of $750 per month.

He added: “When you go to some launches there might be a dozen journalists who will write almost the same piece. It is my hope that taking up Delimiter’s licensing model will allow technology publishers to re-allocate their resources away from covering the basics and towards higher quality content such as investigative journalism.”

LeMay added: “I’m one guy with a couple of monitors and an addiction to technology. AAP have got 200 journalists. I’m not an AAP killer.”

AAP referred Mumbrella’s request for comment to editor-in-chief Tony Gillies who was unavailable ta the time of posting.

Where Are All The Fast, Efficient And Free Rail Services For Queenslanders To Use?

Now the Queensland Government expresses outrage at small town "journalism"???? [If Joh was pissed off with something in a newspaper he would just pull all the government advertising! But back in those days, we weren't a monomedia state, and the government - although not unafraid of the media - wasn't controlled by them.]

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says it is not unusual for her and her ministers to have dinner meetings with business leaders.

The Opposition has questioned the timing of a dinner with the deputy Premier and two other ministers, hosted by mining magnate Gina Rinehart.

Ms Rinehart is planning a major Queensland project.

Ms Bligh says she unashamedly wants to see Ms Rinehart put $15 billion into the state economy.

"These are very frequent events, and they are very appropriate," she said.

"What they do is ensure a good relationship between government and industry.

"Queensland under my government is open for business - I want to see investment, I want to see jobs, and if that means my ministers have to eat a bit more fried rice, that's all right by me." ...

Jobs Jobs Jobs my arse! The Premier reckons Queenslanders should pay for the infrastructure Rinehart needs to dig up coal?

Given Ms Rinehart's reported support of Lord Monckton's trip to Australia, will Radio Rupert and Bowen Hills now reveal who the climate change deniers are within the Government (if any)?

'Noosa News' reports [26/1/10]:

An idea that stemmed from a few drinks between friends will now be backed by Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart and be made into a documentary with the BBC.

Famed climate sceptic Christopher Monckton, whose formal title is “Viscount Monckton of Brenchley”, will embark on a tour around Australia, including Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and, of course, Noosa.

The two retirees that invited Lord Monckton to Australia, Case Smit and John Smeed, called for donations to cover the $100,000 needed for the Lord’s stipend, accommodation and travel and, along with thousands being donated from climate change sceptics throughout the country, it was support from the Hancock Prospecting chairperson Gina Rinehart that really amazed the sprightly pair.

“I have to say it’s amazing beyond our dreams,” Mr Smit said.

“We haven’t received (Ms Rinehart’s) donation yet but she has promised to do so. ...

What Are Australians Doing In Afghanistan?

The Federal Government says it will make "high level representations" as it tries to save a former Australian soldier from being executed for murder in Afghanistan.

Thirty-eight-year-old South Australian Robert William Langdon has been sentenced to die for shooting an Afghan colleague dead and then trying to blame the killing on a Taliban ambush.

At the time Langdon was working as a security contractor for US-based firm Four Horsemen International.

Langdon was originally found guilty in October last year and the verdict was upheld by the Afghan Appeals Court last week.

"The Australian Government will make high level representations to Afghan authorities to oppose the imposition of the death penalty, and vigorously support any clemency bids in this case," a DFAT spokeswoman said this morning.

"We have been consulting closely with Mr Langdon's lawyers and his employer about appropriate representations in this case.

"This is consistent with the Australian Government's strong opposition to the use of the death penalty. ...

What Does This Mean?

... The district crime coordinator, Inspector Jon Wacker, said the attack was a cowardly act.

"It's a sick, vicious attack on a defenceless grandmother," he said.

"No matter what day it is - whether it's Australia Day or any other day - I think it's disgusting." ...

"The Spirit Of Can Do Country"

With Brisbane's City Hall closed until who knows when, some champion decided the stinking tunnel would be an ideal venue for a special citizenship ceremony. No, not in the City Botanic gardens, the Roma Street Parkland or even at old Government House.

"I swear allegiance to the pointless, unsustainable engineering traffic futures, PPPs, carcentricity and the petroleum based economy..." Nahhh, you just can't parody this:

... Another 55 people have become Australian citizens at a ceremony presided over by Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman.

The Lord Mayor hosted the event in the Clem Seven road tunnel linking Bowen hills to Woolloongabba.

It was the second such ceremony for Campbell Newman who presided over a much larger ceremony involving more than 900 people at the Convention Centre earlier today. ...

Why are their two separate citizenship ceremonies?

That Was Quick!

... New Australian of the Year Professor Pat McGorry has moved to clarify comments he made about the detention of asylum seekers, saying he did not mean to be overly critical of current government policy.

Accepting the award yesterday, the psychiatrist and mental health advocate condemned Australia's use of immigration detention centres, saying "you could almost describe them as factories for producing mental illness and mental disorder."

Professor McGorry says the comments should not be seen as an attack on the Federal Government. ...

You Don't Look Tough Gillard

You look as if you have completely folded to your masters, and we don't mean Rudd and/or the "union bosses".

Fairfax reports [26/1/10]:

Teachers identified as underperformers by the Government's new school rating system should expect to be roused at by disgruntled parents, the Education Minister, Julia Gillard, says.

The My School website, to be launched on Thursday, will allow parents to compare schools and will have enough data to pinpoint specific subject areas of underperformance, potentially identifying the responsible teachers.

Following a briefing on the website yesterday, Ms Gillard told the Herald the Government welcomed the fact that the website would empower parents to badger school staff to lift standards. ''We would expect parents to have robust conversations with teachers and principals,'' she said.

Ms Gillard said teachers were already trained to deal with complaints on parent-teacher nights. Now, parents would be armed with even more information with which to complain.

''This should put pressure on people,'' Ms Gillard said. ...

Parents have have always been able to seek information about their children's educational progress from teachers.

And citizens have a chance this year to kick you and your crew of neocons out on your arse!

Hey Mum!

http://stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/2010/01/hey-mum.html

Queensland's Smartest Environment Minister Is Going To Have A Baby!

Disposable nappy, Broadwater foreshore, Labrador [25/1/10]

The number of "disposable" nappies disposed of on South East Queensland beaches is getting out of control. What kind of disgusting, self-centred pig, cares so little for the future of this planet, and that of their children, that they would dump a rolled up "disposable" nappy full of shit on our beaches and foreshores?

Last night's [25/1/10] ABC 7 o'clock television news bulletin reported that the Queensland Minister for Climate Change is expecting a baby later this year.

She said she'd heard that cloth nappies use more water and electricity and were therefore worse for the environment than disposable nappies. If the Minister for the Environment supports this unsustainable practice, what hope is there for the future?

From 'Why Are Cloth Nappies Better For The Earth?' by Dr C. Roxburgh G.P. 2008:

... Every child wearing disposable nappies will contribute 1-2 tonnes of waste to landfill over their lifetime. Each year 800 million disposable nappies are dumped in landfill in Australia, comprising an estimated 5% of landfill content. Disposable nappies are thought to take around 500 years to break down. Even using so-called "biodegradable" nappies, landfill does not currently provide the right composting conditions for them to break down properly. Rotting disposable nappies in landfill pollute the groundwater with human waste and produce high quanitites of methane, a gas that contributes to global warming. Washing cloth nappies at home sends all the human waste into the sewage system where it can be properly processed. ...

The Boogeyman's Back!

And he's right on time for the start of the school year:

Hold the press! Rodney Lohse makes the shocking discovery that complete strangers will not take responsibility for your snotty little brats on last night's [25/1/10] 'Today Tonight'

That's right! The Boogeyman could be anywhere at anytime, yet not one person came to the aid of these children who were being followed around a number of Brisbane hotels, retail and fast food outlets by a creepy cameraman.

Be afraid, very afraid, for there's a theme emerging ...

So Who Is It That The Labor Party Represent These Days?

Fairfax reports [25/1/10]:

A second Queensland Labor MP has quit a union that has been campaigning against the Bligh government's $15 billion public asset selloff.

The Electrical Trades Union said MP for Townsville Mandy Johnstone quit the union last week.

She followed the member for Barron River, Steve Wettenhall, who resigned from the ETU in December.

Only two sitting Labor MPs remain ETU members - Cook MP Jason O'Brien and Police Minister Neil Roberts.

...

Queensland Government Wants You To Drive Everywhere

Why else is it easier to get an E-Tag than a Go Card?

Fairfax again [25/1/10]:

... The state opposition has written to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission asking it to look into recent fare increases across the Translink system.

During the current phase-out of paper tickets across the network, those with Go Cards are paying about 30 per cent less for their fares than those buying paper tickets.

Opposition transport spokeswoman Fiona Simpson said the Government had changed the prices to blackmail commuters into using Go Cards but had failed to provide an easy and reliable service.

She said the elderly and disadvantaged were particularly hard hit by the discrepancies in price.

"People just want a hassle-free, affordable system which works," she said in a statement.

"They don't want to be ripped off and that's what this is." ...

If these clowns were serious about climate change, easing congestion and genuinely cared about making it easier for students, pensioners and workers to get around in these increasingly tough economic times, they'd write off this Go Card scam and make public transport free.

Greens Really Starting To Give True Believers The Willies!

They're back from holidays and they're out swinging!

The entire argument of this 'New Matilda' piece [25/1/10] is based upon the assumption that there is an objective media in Australia:

... There's no doubt that the party needs to expand and improve its media operations. The relentless discipline of the Rudd Government is probably something the Greens will never be able to match, but the party could certainly achieve more simply by getting its best media performers into public view. Milne should continue to take the lead on the issue, but both Sarah Hanson-Young and Scott Ludlum are young, attractive and good media performers. They should be put in front of a camera as often as possible, and given a disciplined message to repeat. ...

Bwah ha har harr!

Speaking of having no new ideas:

They may break stories about royals deployed in the middle east, but you're never gonna read about true love on the pages of this magazine!

No doubt Hans Lang and Erich Meder would have approved of Bjork's interpretation of 'Und jetzt ist es still', but using it to sell opium for the masses probably has them rolling in their graves.

2010 Is An Election Year - Part 2

http://stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/2010/01/2010-is-election-year-part-2.html

The "Why Would You?" Award of The Week

Stephen Colbert interviews John Farmer, author of 'The Ground Truth'

Why is the 'The Colbert Report' broadcast on ABC2 at the same time as the '7.30 Report' on ABC1?

What a waste! Why not play it at 8pm so we can see it after ensuring that we haven't missed anything incidentally important amidst the mindless blather?

And SBS, how about bringing back 'Newstopia' and 'The Daily Show' with Jon Stewart?

Brisbaneites Could Always Watch The Fireworks There, So Why Did The Government Demolish A Perfectly Acceptable Educational Institution In The First Place?

Fairfax reports [24/1/10]:

Almost everyone except perhaps developers and real estate agents were excited when the State Government announced last year it would transform the unsightly Southbank Institute of TAFE site at inner city Kangaroo Point into a park. ...

Ms Bligh said last year the government could have sold the almost one hectare of land for about $40 million but to the public it was "priceless". ...

This block of land on River Terrace (across the road from the new park) is now also priceless!

Who Pays The Herald & Weekly Times To Distribute 'J Mag'?

Even though they went smoothly for decades, in the last few years there never fails to be a shock horror scandal surrounding the Triple J "Hottest 100". Today [22/1/10] 'Crikey!' reported:

Sorry to ruin your Triple J Hottest 100 BBQs folks, but it seems the ABC has inadvertently leaked the winner of its popular annual poll on the ABC Shop website.

The spiel promotes the February edition of its flagship JMag rag. Look away now if you don’t want to know which UK nu-folk quartet emerges triumphant. ...

Yaaawwwnnn... like you'd never have guessed that it would be that whiney, annoying american accent 'Little Lion Man' song that local ABC radio have been flogging to death over the past few months by "folksy" pom band Mumblepants, or The Wombles or the Mumpfords, the Murdochs or whatever it is.

Wouldnt it be great if 'Crikey!' did some journalism instead of PR, eg: a real story about how the idea for a "Hottest 100" was stolen from 4ZzZ, or maybe even who put together the deal for HWT to distribute 'J Mag', which way the PR and money flows, and why?

Shhhh! Don't tell anyone that Rupert Murdoch effectively owns 'J Mag' these days, that would make the whole exercise look like just another cheap and nasty cynical Murdoch grab for total control over you.

Why Not Tell Us Who The "Journalist" Is And What Publication They Write For?

Fairfax reports [22/1/10]:

Moreton Bay Regional Council mayor Allan Sutherland has denied allegations that his $2.1 million family home at Scarborough was a gift from a developer.

An emotional Cr Sutherland fronted the Crime and Misconduct Commission this afternoon to ask that they investigate the claim.

Cr Sutherland said the allegations had been made to him by a journalist yesterday and, after sleeping on it, he decided to go public today.

"These allegation are scurrilous, politically motivated and completely untrue," he said.

"There is not a skerrick of truth in any of it, but these are allegations I take very seriously.

"That is why I have personally referred this matter to the CMC for its investigation."

...

Wrongity Alert!

Fairfax reports [21/1/10] on a dick measuring competition with India that our PM's going to lose:

...A number of recent attacks against Indian nationals, including the fatal stabbing this month of a Punjab-born student in Melbourne, have inflamed diplomatic tensions.

But Mr Rudd on Thursday appealed for the attacks to be kept in context.

"Obviously these are difficult matters in India, they are difficult matters in Australia," Mr Rudd told reporters in Adelaide.

"We are working through them in a practical and effective way over time."

He said some 100,000 Indians were currently studying in Australia.

"The truth is this: the vast majority of Indian students in Australia are embraced entirely by the Australian community, get on with their business of studying hard, getting their qualifications and going off to do whatever they want to do with their lives.

"Regrettably there have been some incidents recently, let's accept that, but let's put it into context, and also in the context of, let's call it, the broader incidences of violence to students of other ethnic backgrounds, acts of violence against Australian students, acts of violence in particular parts of our large cities at any given time of the day.

"I think it's important to keep all this into its context." ...

Obviously Australia is a largely lawless, violent and backward place, in 'context'. The violence against Indian students is because of a few bad Indian apples? WTF weasel word garbage is this? Do we really think the rest of the world is as stupid as average Australians have become?

What half-intelligent Indian would pay to study in a country where a Professor from Adelaide University, who is earning money from the mining industry, is prominent for a factually devoid, blatantly dishonest, anti-science book denying human forcing of climate change? Would you pay good money for a permanent tattoo saying "I'm Stupid"? No, so why should any Indian pay to come here for that kind of "education" permanently stained onto their CV?

Unfortunately, the slavish adherence to failed neo-con principles have ruined what was once the world class Australian academe.

What He Should Have Said, If He Wasn't Engaging In "Politics And Spin" Himself Is: "Australia's Most Powerful Union (The AMA) Is Directly Responsible For Operating A Closed Shop And Denying Australians The Necessary Numbers Of Qualified Doctors"

... Acting Premier Andrew Fraser says the government has hired more than 12,500 doctors and nurses since 2005.

"What the doctors' union says when they sit around a table wanting to bargain for pay increases is they want more admin support staff, they want more people to support their doctors, they want more people to help them with the administrative tasks," he said.

"What they say in a press release overnight is that they want an entirely different thing.

"That's politics, but it should be called for what it is, it's a political campaign by a doctors' union." ...

Didn't They Do This To Warwick A Month Ago?

The tourism industry is jumping to Devonport's defence after a tourist guide's unflattering review.

The Lonely Planet website describes the north-west city as a "mildly menacing" place where speeding rednecks yell abuse at pedestrians. ...

Wonder which quaint Australian town will be next?

Diebold Has Spoken: Americans Do Not Want Anything That Is Even Close To Universal Health Care

The Democratic Party's loss of a key Senate seat in Massachusetts has been an anniversary gift the President could have done without. ...

What's Going On In East Timor?

An East Timorese woman has died after being involved in an accident with a Australian Defence Force vehicle in Dili.

ADF staff gave the pedestrian, who had a broken leg and cuts, first aid at the scene of the accident, but she died later that day in the Dili Hospital.

Local police are conducting a routine investigation into the December 18 accident involving the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) vehicle.

The ISF have also launched an internal investigation.

Speaking of colonies, will Prince William swing by Fiji on his way home?

His Dad visits there when he's around this part of the world.

Just Who Is News Ltd. Informing?

Gold Coast monomedia reports on Ramsay Health Care's expansion into Europe [12/1/10]:

Australia's biggest hospitals operator, Ramsay Health Care, has signalled further expansion into Europe as it acquired a 57 per cent stake in French peer Groupe Proclif SAS for $142 million.

Ramsay has four facilities on the Gold Coast: John Flynn Private Hospital, Pindara Private Hospital and Day Surgery and Short Street Day Surgery at Southport.

Shares in Ramsay, which also has hospitals in the United Kingdom, closed 13c, or 1.17 per cent, higher at $11.20.

However, we haven't seen anything about this in the Gold Coast monomedia:

A man has been left with a limp and arthritis after a doctor operated on the wrong knee, court documents allege.

Errol Wayne Smith, 42, is suing Dr Raymond Randle and Pindara Private Hospital on the Gold Coast for more than $580,000 over the operation on January 24, 2007.

Documents lodged in the Supreme Court in Brisbane earlier this week reveal Mr Smith was referred to Dr Randle for treatment for pain in his right knee.

He was admitted to hospital, and his right knee marked and prepared for surgery.

However, on awakening from the anaesthetic, Mr Smith said he was told Dr Randle had performed the surgery on the left leg.

Court documents state he was then taken straight back into theatre for surgery on his right knee.

Mr Smith claims the unnecessary surgery to his other leg has left him in pain, and that he now suffers a limp and osteoarthritis.

He is suing for $588,000 plus other unspecified costs and interest, claiming Dr Randle and the hospital were negligent in failing to ensure the correct knee was operated on.

(Initially this story appeared on the evening of 20/1/10 on 'Brisbane Times', but is recorded as 21/1/10 without any obvious update, editing or rewriting????)

Cuban Doctors in Haiti — Are They There? Can American Media See Them?

'Chicago Reader' reports [18/1/10]:

"Guantanamo is just 200 miles from Port-au-Prince," notes Jonathan Hansen in Sunday's New York Times. "Even as the United States works to close the prison, it should use the base for humanitarian intervention."

What Hansen didn't note — and I didn't think about when I read his piece — is that if Guantanamo is that close to Haiti's devastated capital, so is Cuba, on whose eastern tip the naval base sits. So why haven't we heard of relief efforts from that country?

I don't know why, but Philadelphia-based writer Dave Lindorff said it isn't because Cuba has sat on its hands. Cuba's sent 30 doctors, Lindorff writes at CommonDreams.org, which describes itself as "one of the top progressive websites," with millions of monthly readers. And Lindorff continues:

"Left unmentioned is the reality that Cuba already had over 400 doctors posted to Haiti to help with the day-to-day health needs of this poorest nation in the Americas, and that those doctors were the first to respond to the disaster, setting up a hospital right next to the main hospital in Port-au-Prince which collapsed in the earthquake. ...

Other than an incidental shot of some Cuban T-shirts on doctors in Peter Stefanovic's report on last night's [20/1/10] late edition news on Channel Nine, Australian journalists reporting on Haiti also appear to have crap in their eye!

What's Wrong With These Pictures?

Australia Day.org.au advertisements from the Fairfax and News Ltd Press.

What Are Our State Government Representatives Going To Do To Stop These Hit And Runs?

Why shouldn't residents and tourists feel safe on our footpaths? Banging on hysterically about so called "hoons" is clearly not a remedy.

The Gold Coast monomedia reported today [20/1/10] that in 2009 there have been 441 hit and runs on the Gold Coast. The source of these figures is not disclosed and a search of the internet does not reveal where these statistics originate.

441 hit and runs is alarming. Were our politicians and aware of this statistic before the young boy was hit on Sea World Drive?

Is the carcentricity of our culture so entrenched that genuinely addressing this growing problem is off limits to our elected representatives?

Some Countries Welcome The Opportunity To Showcase Their Equitable And Universal Health Care System

How backward and downright bastardy we are:

PNG nationals exploiting Qld medical system: Government ...

How Much Can A Koala Bear?

As if Australia's koala population doesn't have enough to contend with, given that their habitats are being increasingly decimated by the construction of unecessary roads and unsustainable residential housing developments, as well as their vulnerability to the effects of climate change (i.e. disease and fire):

A baby koala which was shot with an air rifle north of Brisbane has lived through the night but vets say it still has only a 50-50 chance of recovering from its injuries. ...

The RSPCA's Michael Beatty has urged anyone with information to come forward.

"You just can't have animal cruelty of a serious nature like this going on within the community," he said.

"The links between animal cruelty and other forms of abuse and violence are all too clear, so we need to catch the culprits responsible."

During the past few decades, Australia has developed into an ugly, mean, self-centred, viciously sexist and increasingly racist society. The mono-media presents nature as either a freak show or something to be consumed or conquered. We are also involved in illegal invasions of sovereign nations where citizens are raped, tortured and killed. Is it any surprise this exceptionalism manifests itself in our communities through acts of animal cruelty and random violence?

To pretend there is no link is insane:

Action man Wills takes to rifle range

Prince William fired rifles and machine guns with Australian troops during a visit to Sydney's Holsworthy Army Base this morning. ...

The tacit acceptance of animal experimentation and the brutality of industrialised farming practices also normalises mindless cruelty.

Fruitcakes

Just who are the murderous, religious fanatics?

U.S. Military Weapons Inscribed With Secret 'Jesus' Bible Codes

Pentagon Supplier for Rifle Sights Says It Has 'Always' Added New Testament References

By JOSEPH RHEE, TAHMAN BRADLEY and BRIAN ROSS

Jan. 18, 2010 "ABC News " — Coded references to New Testament Bible passages about Jesus Christ are inscribed on high-powered rifle sights provided to the United States military by a Michigan company, an ABC News investigation has found. At the end of the serial number on Trijicon's ACOG gun sight, you can read "JN8:12", a reference to the New Testament book of John, Chapter 8, Verse 12, which reads: "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." The ACOG is widely used by the U.S. military.

The sights are used by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and in the training of Iraqi and Afghan soldiers. The maker of the sights, Trijicon, has a $660 million multi-year contract to provide up to 800,000 sights to the Marine Corps, and additional contracts to provide sights to the U.S. Army.

U.S. military rules specifically prohibit the proselytizing of any religion in Iraq or Afghanistan and were drawn up in order to prevent criticism that the U.S. was embarked on a religious "Crusade" in its war against al Qaeda and Iraqi insurgents

One of the citations on the gun sights, 2COR4:6, is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament, which reads: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." ...

Why Don't Our Politicians Make Use Of The Public Health System?

And why do Fairfax scribes posit this question [19/1/10]?

Why? Because they (and the rest of SEQ's monomedia) are paid to convince you that it is your duty to take out private health insurance.

They usually do this by publishing shock horror stories about public hospitals and reinforcing the LIE that if those of us who can afford private health insurance don't buy into it, we are creating more of a burden on the public system. Why do you think they rarely (if ever) report the stories of ordinary people who have been treated appallingly in private hospitals?

Health care is a universal right.

If private companies want to provide health services that is their right, but because turning a profit is always their priority, they should not be subsidised by the government. That money should be directed into the state system.

The writer recommends watching Michael Moore's documentary 'Sicko', which is screening on SBS tonight. If the current crop of neocons in government get their way, this is what Australia's health system will look like in the not too distant future.

Death By 1,000 Cuts

There is a bunch of extremely powerful and wealthy folks attacking the legitimacy of climate change - and our public broadcaster is uncritically enabling them:

The United Nations' panel of climate scientists says it will probe claims its doomsday prediction for the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers was wrong, as an expert said he had warned of the mistake.

The Nobel-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is already under attack over hacked email exchanges which sceptics say reflected attempts to skew the evidence for global warming. ...

They're giving oxygen to slanted reporting that takes things out of context and supports the climate change denial perspective. Undoubtedly their justification for doing this is based on a supposed fear of appearing biased.

If that is the case, why aren't experts in peak oil or economic growth also getting the same amount of air time?

Things To Come

"... Rum and Coca-Cola
Workin' for the Yankee dollar ..."

"Don't worry your pretty little head about Peak Oil my dear. The Prime Minister has said that by 2050 your children will be slaves and Australia's environment will be decimated."

"But Grandpapa, Kevin Rudd went to a State School, so why can't all Australian children have equal access to education?"

"Because the rich can't afford education unless it's subsidised by the state my dear. And if the state subsidises education for the poor, that takes money away from subsidising education for the rich."

"At least the person who programs Sunday's late night movies on the ABC has a sense of humour. Right Grandpapa?"

"Yes my dear. We may have nothing much to look forward to and a complete dickhead as Prime Minister, but I have always advised my grandchildren that one should maintain a sense of humour."

"Tim" From Bardon Makes Sole Comment On Fairfax's Story Claiming That The Private vs Public School Funding Row Is "Escalating [18/1/10]

"The amazing thing about the continuing assertion counter-assertion about funding is that no one in state or federal governments seems to be able to actually say anything truthful and undebateable about ewhere the money goes and ho much it is. It is left up to third parties to try to infer the answers. How do people get jobs managing billions and not know what and how much they are spending?"

"Tim" from Bardon should watch Michael Moore's documentary 'Capitalism: A Love Story'.

The Message Is Clear : Only Evil, Stinky Hippy Mothers Give Birth At Home

Gee, it's only mid-January and the studies and research supporting proposed government neocon policies are coming thick and fast eh?

A study has found babies delivered during a home birth are seven times more likely to die from complications than during a planned hospital birth. ...

If this was journalism you would take this to mean that there was some evidence that SEVEN TIMES MORE BABIES DIE!! during home birth than "planned" hospital birth. Luckily you know that this isn't journalism at all but either advocacy or incompetent journalism.

The same article then says: "The study's author, Professor Marc Keirse, says there was no difference in mortality rates overall..."

"SEVEN TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE" or "no difference", as an ABC journalist which part of this 'story' would you highlight?

Wrong! You're Fired.

Heckuva Job Brownie!

... Ms Kosky took over the public transport portfolio after Labor's 2006 state election win.

Her term as Transport Minister has been overshadowed by widespread faults on the public transport system, including massive delays and cancellations on the metropolitan rail network and the troubled introduction of the Myki ticketing system.

Ms Kosky says her portfolio challenges did not influence her decision to leave politics.

"I have hopefully made a significant different, a significant improvement, to public transport in this state," she said. ...

Will This Defense Be Available To Australians?

A US marine has been found not guilty of assaulting a police officer during a street brawl outside a Darwin nightclub.

Lance Corporal Marquice Bowman was involved in a large street brawl between about 40 marines and local men outside the Mitchell Street nightclub last September.

Darwin Magistrate Court heard the brawl started after an US sergeant was punched.

Lance Corporal Bowman argued he did not know he was hitting an officer because his eyes were affected by pepper spray.

Do You Believe This?

A new report has revealed that greenhouse gas emissions from energy use in Australia's eastern states have fallen by 1.8 per cent.

The Greenhouse Indicator Annual Report, released by the Climate Group, measures emissions created by electricity and petrol use across the eastern states. ...

Well it appears to be based on a media release from the Climate Group:

A new report has revealed that greenhouse gas emissions from energy-use in Australia's eastern states fell by 1.8 per cent in 2009. ...

What the media release doesn't tell us is how the Climate Group actually measures these greenhouse gas emissions and what the margin of error is.

And what ABC story doesn't tell us is who's behind the Climate Group. eg Coca Cola, BP, Duke Energy, Cathay Pacific, News Corporation. ...

Interesting This Story Gets The Proper "Fair And Balanced" Approach

"... The rich get richer
The poor get the picture
The bombs never hit you
When you're down so low ..."

'Read About It', Midnight Oil [1982]

A new report commissioned by the Australian Education Union shows the Federal Government is giving more money to private schools than public schools.

The report says that private schools will receive $12 billion more funding than their public counterparts over the life of the current five-year funding agreement.

Over the six years to 2013, private schools will get $47 billion, while public schools will get $35 billion.

Only one third of school students attend private schools. ...

Education Minister Julia Gillard was not available for comment.

A spokeswoman for Ms Gillard said comparing Commonwealth funding for public and private schools is somewhat disingenuous, because Government schools receive the majority of state funding.

She said the additional funding for non-government schools largely reflects an increase in enrolments.

The deputy executive director of the Independent Schools Council of Australia, Barry Wallett, says that increase has been very significant. ...

Welcome To Australia

Wonder which creep asked Serena Williams how she was going with her anger management issues? The "story" has now morphed into "Serena Williams, abused umpire may meet at Australian Open":

... Q. Last time we saw you in a Grand Slam, there was that little incident in New York. How is your anger management coming along?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Was it anger management, do you think?

How is your writing coming along?

Q. Just fine, thank you.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Great. Ditto, kiddo. ...

What's the bet it was a Murdoch "journalist"?

Here's A Cool Website

Does Rupert Murdoch Think That Barack Obama is "a Racist"?

Villagers recall that Glenn Beck called Obama a racist a few weeks ago on Fox News. Rupert Murdoch co-signed Glenn Beck's comment at first.

Rupert Murdoch has been ducking any follow-up questions on the subject. ColorOfChange has over 135,000 signatures on a petition asking Murdoch to either say clearly that he meant what he said and that he stands by Beck; or he should acknowledge there's a problem with what Beck said and take responsibility for stopping the continued race-baiting at News Corp and Fox.

But Murdoch has refused to respond. ...

2010 Is An Election Year

http://stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/2010/01/2010-is-election-year.html

Where Is Aristide?

'Hate is a Growth Industry: The Right-wing Media React to Haiti' by Jamison Foser

January 15, 2010 "Media Matters" -- Tuesday's devastating earthquake in Haiti continues to bring grim news. Estimated death counts range from the tens of thousands to more than 100,000. Haiti's capital and largest city, Port-au-Prince, sustained massive damage: its hospitals -- all of them -- destroyed or rendered unusable, the presidential palace and a United Nations mission flattened. Damage to Haiti's airport, seaport, roads, power supplies, and other utilities has exacerbated the suffering and hindered relief efforts.

Public and media reaction to the tragedy has been swift and in many cases admirable. Record-setting donations have poured into the Red Cross -- $4 million via text message alone. Some 30,000 people contributed another $2.6 million to Clinton Foundation relief efforts in just 24 hours. Much of this support can be attributed to the quick and powerful distribution -- by both old media and new -- of news, information, and photos relating to the earthquake. Social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have been a valuable source of information, as have news organizations that scrambled to cover the tragedy. (The Business Insider has a good round-up of those efforts, with links to several useful resources.)

But much of the conservative media elite has reacted quite differently.

Fox News Channel's highest-rated shows, for example, all but ignored the disaster, according to a new Media Matters study:

On January 13, Fox News' three top-rated programs for 2009 -- The O'Reilly Factor, Hannity, and Glenn Beck -- devoted a combined total of less than 7 minutes of coverage to the earthquake in Haiti, instead choosing to air such things as Beck's hour-long interview with Sarah Palin, Bill O'Reilly's discussion of Comedy Central host Jon Stewart, and Sean Hannity's advocacy for Massachusetts candidate Scott Brown's Senate campaign. ...

Town Of Whores

"…You laugh tonight and cry tomorrow
When you behold your shattered schemes
And gigolo and gigolette,
wake up to find their eyes are wet
With tears that of broken dreams

Here is where you'll always find me
Always walking up and down
But I left my soul behind me
In an old cathedral town…"

'The Boulevard of Broken Dreams' Al Dubin and Harry Warren, written for the 1934 film 'Moulin Rouge'

When's the last time anyone did any "moonlight state" journalism in SEQ? It would be intriguing to know the industry realities, rather than hearing about a bunch of blokes mass debating the inevitable opening of yet another strip joint [Fairfax 16/1/10]:

... A decision by Liquor Licensing on an application by Love & Rockets, the company that already has clubs nearby at Petrie Terrace and at Fortitude Valley, is likely to be made within weeks. ...

Among the long list of objections lodged to the State Government agency are submissions from Treasurer Andrew Fraser, Brisbane City councillors David Hinchliffe and Peter Matic, and the chief executive officer of The Barracks Retail Complex, Kevin Miller.

All believe another strip club in the street would have a detrimental effect on the precinct's character.

However, several businesses along the strip have told brisbanetimes.com.au they are in favour of Love & Rockets' arrival, although they are reluctant to say so on the record given the heated aversion by many to the proposal. ...

Interesting that the Queensland Premier said she was "disgusted" that girls were taking their tops off on Gold Coast balconies during the Indy!

If we have all this legalised sex work in Queensland, why is abortion illegal?

And What About The People?

A $55 million rail upgrade from the Queensland border to Brisbane's southside has been finished, to create the first single national rail line.

The Queensland Government has leased the new line to the Australian Rail Track Corporation, which will operate the standard gauge track linking every state from Queensland to Western Australia.

Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese says the national network will mean trains will not have to stop at state borders.

"What this will mean is a more efficient track, more freight travelling on our rail, which is good for the economy but also has outstanding benefits for the environment," he said.

What's With The Monomedia's Current Spate Of "War On Nature/Stupid Tourists" Stories?

As if no-one else in Queensland choked on a chop last night [Fairfax 15/1/10]:

A German tourist is in a critical condition in hospital after choking on a piece of steak while camping on Fraser Island.

The 34-year-old backpacker was airlifted from his camp site at 75 Mile Beach on the eastern side of the island about 7pm on Wednesday.

AGL Action Rescue Helicopter spokesman Colin Brown said it was believed the tourist had lost consciousness, as the piece of food cut off his air supply, before paramedics arrived at the camp site.

"We don't know if he just didn't chew his food properly or maybe he was frightened by something - we just don't know," Mr Brown said. ...

Whatever's behind it, this run of muddled, shock and awe "nature is associated with bad stuff/man vs wild" stories (they never ever suggest that nature's awesome power ought to be respected, or contemplate that as a society perhaps we have a problem with the "fuck you fuck yeah I am invincible and everything on this planet - including the environment - is there for me to consume" culture, or draw any links between the reaction of nature to pollution and climate change) are a convenient distraction to more urgent environmental concerns related to the tourist dollar:

Chapter on The Great Barrier Reef in 'Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places In Peril And What Can Be Done To Help Save Them' by Kimberly Lisagor and Heather Hansen [2007] :

...The combined regional stresses of tourism, development, water quality, and fishing are by no means moot, but they are now being actively managed. If aggressively enforced, policies to lessen the impact of these issues may buy some time for the greatest of reefs. But the gravest threat to the reef is much harder to mitigate. "While [the reef] might be able to manage things locally, like runoff, point-source pollution, visitation, and extraction from fisheries, climate change is not something that she can manage locally," Berkelmans says. "It's something that we have to manage as a global society." The only way to lessen that effect that greenhouse gases are having on the earth's atmosphere and ocean temperatures is to satiate our thirst for energy in less polluting ways. But, says Berkelmans, "There's really been no incentive for change."

The effects of lesser-understood global climate change phenomena are more daunting still. Joanie Kleypas, a marine ecologist and geologist with the national Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, has spent several years looking at the effects of the oceans' absorption of carbon dioxide on marine life. A recent study led by Kleypas concluded that since 1980, oceans have absorbed roughly one third of human supplied carbon dioxide. Increased carbon dioxide storage leads to a process of ocean acidification, in which carbonate ions are sabotaged. Without those ions, corals suffer a kind of osteoporosis and are greatly impeded in developing and solidifying their skeletons. The less of that carbonate ion you have available, the fewer blocks you have available for building the skeleton," says Kleypas. Since acidification is chronic and its effects are less immediate than bleaching, it's been an uphill battle to draw attention to it.

Kleypas equates the reef's condition to that of apatient with both pneumonia and cancer. "You're going to treat the pneumonia first, but it doesn't mean you're not going to treat the cancer," she says. Kleypas, who spent three years studying the reef out of Townsville, shudders to consider what will become of the Great Barrier if climate change is not arrested. "It's one of the healthiest reef systems we have. They've done a great job of protecting it. But this is an awful thing that's really going on in the oceans, and everything tells us that it's not good for organisms." Kleypas says that if global warming was the only threat to the reef, some of it might be salvaged, but add acidification, and the chances of that lessen greatly. "You take the most pristine reef out there and it's hit by both warming and acidification - it's pretty hard to predict which one is the most threatenting, but I know in the long term that it won't survive acidification," she says. "There may be some coral but there'll be no reef."

The potential loss of the Australian icon is practically inconceivable for Kleypas. "The reef is remarkable. I was so in love with it. It just becomes part of you," she says. ...

President of the Australian Koala Foundation's 'Final Copenhagen Diary':

I have just finished watching Mr Obama, and it is reported that Professor Tim Flannery thought our Prime Minister, Mr. Kevin Rudd was “outstanding” at the “peak NGO’s briefing” on Thursday. At least we know one person who was invited to that forum, and I have asked the Prime Minister’s office about who else was invited. As you know AKF was not and in the last few days of the Copenhagen forum, most NGO’s were excluded from the process. I am not altogether sure that it was because of security issues either. There was more than enough security and given our status had been approved months in advance, and presumably they had done security checks on Aby (the Girl Guide), myself and Douglas, well, I will just leave it at that.

If I am reading everything correctly – Mr Obama said the United States will reduce emissions by 17% by 2010 and Mr. Rudd is saying he will announce Australia’s reduction of between 5% and 15% by February 1, 2010. Not sure why he didn’t announce it here. I suspect he will blame the Opposition, or perhaps he will announce it when he announces an election?

So, by and large nothing has changed. They are all saying that they will try and keep the temperature rise to 2C. This means about 450 ppm as acceptable emissions. Currently it is 379 ppm and rising. Scientists of the world says it should be 350 ppm. So, are they right?

If they are right – then the whole thing is going in the wrong direction and 2C will mean that the Maldives and Tuvalu will go under water. That is if you believe in global warming. Do I? Do you? Honestly, who knows whether this is normal or man made? Who knows whether Mother Nature will adapt to all this? Who knows whether we can adapt to all this. I just saw a piece about the Coral reefs where one scientist says it will be OK with warmer water. Let us hope so.

I remember Dr David Suzuki saying “would you wait to see a doctor if you thought your child was sick” and I think Australia needs to really ask the question? Is Australia already “sick” and facing signs of climate change?

Well, if you look at the videos we took recently in the Western part of Queensland where we saw empty river systems, dead trees and no birds (because of massive poisoning). If you look at Victoria where 100 million tones of carbon was released by the fires and worse still if you look at recent decisions by our political leaders to allow billions of tons of coal to be exported to coal fired power stations that are not “clean”, then yes, I think Australia is in trouble and there will be worse to come.

As they say all the time in Copenhagen – Australia will be one of the first countries hit and my answer is ‘we already are”. It isn’t in the future, it is now.

What I also know is that not one thing said in Copenhagen by the political leaders of the world has done anything to protect koalas and their trees, which means that when I return after Christmas and I speak with my Board, I believe we will speak louder and louder about what we think needs to be done to protect our beautiful country. No Tree No Me will be our mantra more and more.

May I take this opportunity of thanking everyone in my network. My family, my team, my Board, but most of all, you, the ones who donate to us, the ones who support us in our love of the koala, the ones who send me messages of support.

I honestly believe that people, people like you, will be the ones who will save this planet. Because you love it as I do, and honestly I cannot wait to get home and put my hands in the dirt and grow some vegetables, plant some more trees (some of which have burnt to a crisp while I have been away) and also to learn how to live more sustainably on this planet.

I was given a green water bottle here and I have pledged that I will never buy one more bottle of water in plastic again. I have forgotten the amount of CO2 it saves, but it is a lot. Join me.

Merry Christmas and I will be back in January after a holiday.

Deborah Tabart

The monomedia is so hobbled by the vested interests of the power elites that rather than highlight the insanity of building more and more roads and tunnels in this era of human induced climate change, the best it can do to maintain some sembance of credibility or balance, is by reporting "whinging citizen outrage at noisy road construction" stories [Fairfax again 15/1/10]:

Every time two-year-old Sam Ryan goes outside his Lutwyche home, he automatically covers his ears with his hands, after months of unbearable noise from trucks working on the Airport Link project.

It became so bad that his mother, Kirsty, organised a protest before Christmas against the trucks utilising Lamington Avenue. ...

*UPDATE* Oh come on 'Brisbane Times', surely you jest?

Brisbane motorists driving past the entry points to the city's first cross-river vehicle tunnel would be forgiven for thinking the Clem 7 could open any day now. ...

The Royal Children's Hospital Foundation, meanwhile, is drumming up interest in an underground fun run "in early 2010" ahead of the tunnel's opening.

The foundation is promoting the 10 kilometre run through the tunnel as a once in a lifetime opportunity for 5000 people, but it has no inside word on when the open day is likely.

"The event is set for early 2010, and will be held from 6.30am to 9.00am on a Sunday prior to the tunnel's official opening to traffic," an online promotion for the event states.

"The date will be announced just weeks before the event, so lace up your shoes and get training now."

A spokesman for Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said the mayor planned to attend the fun run, but would not comment on a specific opening date.

Depending on the testing regime, the open day may be held some time before the tunnel opens to drivers.

Wonder what the statistics are on admissions to the Royal Children's Hospital for traffic-pollution induced respiratory problems?

The Goal Of Both Labor And Liberal Governments Is To Neuter The Ever Increasing Green And Indigenous Protest Votes (Particularly In Queensland) Because Neither Of These Parties Give A Rats About Protecting The Environment Or Self Determination For Indigenous Australians

Classic comment on the cynical and faux Wild Rivers debate presented dutifully by the monomedia as a stoush between the greenies and the blackfellas [Fairfax 15/1/10]:

My information is that Noel Pearson will be a nominee for Liberal/National pre-selection soon. I suspect his motives. He is extremely Conservative (Capital C) in his ideas and politics. Always has been!
Unfortunately I always suspect NP's motives, he goes in for a lot of emotional clap-trap, brow-beating, loud and belligerent attacks. He worked with Mal Brough to destroy Galuwayy Yunupingu and his standing in his Yolgnu community, because he was standing up to the Howard/Brough Invasion of the NT. I would say that he, as a Lawyer and a quite intelligent man, understands the Laws very well, but is playing a political 'Game'.
Abbott is playing the 'game' with him, on the same side, for the same motives. None of them have any real consideration for Indigenous peoples, or their 'advancement'. If they are given 'free rein' to despoil as they may wish, how long before the major despoilers (miners, developers) are in there, with beads and mirrors, getting signatures for wanton destruction of the environment. I have visited Cape York, and I love it much as it is. I would hate to see it destroyed by open slather development, as would seem to be the prime motivation here.
What money is behind all this, I would like to know?

Dazza | Qld Bush. - January 15, 2010, 10:10AM

When Was The Hornibrook Highway Bridge Taken Off The Queensland Heritage Register?

Fairfax reports [14/1/10] that the "wasn't Joh terrible demolishing the Bellevue and Cloudland" brigade are going to demolish the Hornibrook Highway Bridge:

As the final cement girder was placed in the $315 million Ted Smout Memorial Bridge, across Bramble Bay between Sandgate and Redcliffe, it marked the beginning of the end of one of the area's favourite fishing spots.

While local politicians, businesses and residents will welcome the long-awaited new bridge - the joint-longest in the country - fishing enthusiasts will lament the imminent demolition of the 75-year-old timber Hornibrook Highway.

...

Jamie Togyer from Petrie said he did not find out the old timber bridge would be closed down until this morning.

...

The new bridge will also have a 50 metre by 10 metre wide fishing platform and is built to withstand a 1 in 2000-year storm event, like Cyclone Katrina which hit the Gulf of Mexico in August 2005.

At 2.7 kilometres, the three bridges - soon to be two - are the longest in Australia.

He would hate being named after this unnecessary abomination.

100,000 Feared Dead In Haiti

Crikey! reports on 'What's important at the Tele?':

Mumbrella has an excellent post this morning listing the stories given higher priority than the earthquake in Haiti in today’s Daily Telegraph.

Large earthquake, no-one local hurt

A list of stories run in today’s Sydney Daily Telegraph further forward than its coverage of the hundreds of thousands dead in Haiti:

Confirmation Dannii Minogue is pregnant
What Prince William will have for lunch in Sydney next week
Stuffed koala goes on display at Melbourne Museum
The price of avocados
Man working on Sydney Festival once met Grace Jones
Mugged policewoman’s hand is better
Turtles seen off NSW coast
Nice garden in Newtown
Tree hunger strike ends
Police concerns over drinking on Australia Day

In all, 32 stories came before the Tele’s coverage of the disaster in Haiti. It would be interesting to compare this with stories like the Bali bombing or other occasions where Australians have lost their lives overseas. ...

Could This Be The Spookiest Story Of 2009?

'Organ Donation With A Difference', December edition of the 'Gold Coast/Tweed Seniors' newspaper:

What follows is an amazing tale of organ donation with a difference.

Currumbin Waters resident Lynne Ching got a big shock when, about 2 1/2 years ago, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer.

Lynne, now 60, had been suffering from pain the lower regions of her body when, after tests organised by her family doctor, she was given the numbing news. 'I just couldn't believe it,' Lynne says.

Within 24 hours, Lynne saw a specialist. The specialist wanted to removed the kidney within days, but Lynne's own doctor felt Lynne should be given time to mentally come to terms with what was happening to her; to her body. As the specialist had to go away for three weeks, an operation was scheduled after his return.

Lynne, a registered organ donor anyway, was asked if she would be willing to donate her kidney, as the diseased sections could be cut out. Surprised, Lynne asked why she, then, had to have the kidney removed. it was explained that she had two choices.

One was to have a major operation with a long recovery period but with the kidney left in place, or to have the kidney removed in a less stressful operation, followed by a shorter, easier, recovery period, with the kidney then donated. It was further explained to Lynne that one kidney is capable of performing the normal functions of both kidneys which, primarily, remove toxins and waste products from the body.

Lynne agreed to have the kidney removed: 'I haven't looked back. I feel great and am happy with the decision I made.'

In an interesting twist to the story, it was discovered after the operation that Lynne didn't have cancer after all, but a benign tumour. Lynne has no regrets, however, and feels 'honoured that I was able to help someone else with the donation of my kidney.'

Though she doesn't know who the recipient was, Lynne understands it was probably an older person who now has an unexpected quality of life for a few years.

For details on organ donation, please see http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au.

And What Are All These Cars Cars Cars Going To Run On?

"Transportation accounts for at least 10 percent of global warming pollution." Al Gore, 'Our Choice: A Plan To Solve The Climate Crisis' [2009]

A $14 million project to widen part of Kingsford Smith Drive in Brisbane starts this week.

A section of the road will be reduced to one lane in each direction at night and the speed limit reduced.

Brisbane's acting Lord Mayor Graham Quirk does not expect significant delays.

"This roadway serves the Brisbane airport as well as the Australia Trade Coast and we're expecting to see up to 80,000 vehicles per day use this stretch of roadway by 2026 so it's important that we do this work," he said.

"The earlier that we do it, obviously the less disruption there is down the track as traffic volumes grow."

"… And I wonder when we, are ever gonna change?
Living under the fear, 'till nothing else remains …"

'We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)' is the theme song to 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'. Written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, the song was performed by Tina Turner [1985]

Great!

So Minister for Tourism, you'll be immediately taking drastic action (liaising and creating synergies with the Minister for Natural Resources and so forth) to improve the environmental conditions of the Gold Coast's waterways such as the Pimpama River?

... Gold Coast Tourism will receive a $71,000 grant to conduct a study into a new dive attraction which could mirror the Sunshine Coast's dive wreck, HMAS Brisbane.

Mr Lawlor says an artificial reef would compliment other Queensland dive sites.

"I think it just adds to the Queensland tourism experience because the people that dive those types of sites they travel all around the world," he said.

"It would be complimentary to that experience on the Sunshine Coast.

"They'd dive up there and then come down here and dive the site down here."

SEQ Monomedia Unquestioningly Reports Real Estate PR

Fairfax reports [12/1/10]:

Tenants may have enjoyed an easy ride in 2009 with the flatlining of Brisbane's rental market, but experts have tipped demand for rental properties will soar in 2010, along with weekly prices.

New figures published today by Australian Property Monitors show 2009 recorded the weakest rental growth in eight years, with rents in Brisbane hovering around $360 a week - an increase of just 2.9 per cent in median prices since 2008.

...

Rising interest rates and tightening vacancy rates look set to combine to give landlords the upper hand once more.

So why am I seeing empty apartments and houses everywhere?

At least 'Brisbane Times' says where the report is from. The ABC's evening television news didn't.

And The Only Paper In Town Played No Role Whatsoever In The Creation Of The Monstrosity That Calls Itself Brisbane?

Brisbane monomedia scribe helps sell Angry Anus burgers [13/1/10]:

One of the great frustrations of growing up and living in Brisbane is watching the city get uglier.

Granted, we have, in the past few decades, grown from parochial cow town to "Australia's new world city", whatever that might mean. But did we have to lose so much of what made the place unique?

...

So what can we do about it?

Chris Hale, an urban economist at the University of Queensland's Centre for Transport Strategy, addressed exactly this topic in these pages recently. He made what seems to be a valid point that ugly infrastructure "is never a legitimate design, planning or engineering outcome". Presumably, no one deliberately designs things to be ugly.

Hale says ugly outcomes are a symptom of, among other things, poor leadership from politicians "who fail to encourage better design". ...

If you think these things and you want do something about it, you could stop writing for the only paper in town. Do you not see how it has ignored or co-opted campaigns to preserve parts of the city's heritage and special places, lauded the opening of hideous retail and residential precincts and promoted the city's prevailing monoculture?

Body Police Pullin' Up The Rear For The New Year

Hey sister! Whatever shape you are - at some stage scientists, health and media professionals will point out to you (because this garbage obviously directed at women) that there is something wrong with your body - accompanied by an objectified image, of say, a woman's arse. Excellent journalism ABC! Did you search for "bootalicious booty arse shots" for your accompanying image, or did it come with the press release?

How many versions of this story have we had to endure over the years? We've already been bombarded with bizarre and annoying, pop up internet "reduce your tummy fat" advertisements for the past few months.

A new study may have discovered one of the reasons why a bulging belly is a greater health risk than a fat backside. ...

A clinical research fellow at the University of Oxford's Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology And Metabolism, Dr Konstantinos Manolopoulos, says although we might think all the fat on our body is the same, there are some important differences.

"The fat around the tummy is what we call a metabolically active tissue, which means that it takes up fatty acids from meals quite avidly and releases them in times of exercise, again quite avidly, while the thigh fat is basically long-term storage, so it's much more sluggish in its metabolism," he said.

"Ideally we'd have very flat tummies and very large hips.

"It's a bit difficult to sell, obviously, this way of, let's say, promoting health. ...

Oh, I don't know about that. Remember Sir Mixalot?

… I like big butts and I cannot lie
You other brothers can't deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty-bitty waist
And a round thing in your face
You get sprung …

Heartless Bastards

The Federal Government says a fifth Tamil refugee has been refused a visa to live in Australia, leaving him, his wife and their children in detention limbo on Christmas Island. ...

Senator Evans says the fifth person to be denied a visa arrived on a boat months earlier.

The minister will not reveal why the intelligence-gathering organisation ASIO believes the five are a security threat. ...

Why? Are these the same geniuses who decided that Dr Haneef was a Terrrst?

Batshit Insane

Thousands of fish fingerlings are being trained how to recognise predators and swim away, in a bid to boost native fish numbers in the wild.

Murray-Darling cod are the first species to enrol at the biggest school for fish in a research centre on Bribie Island, north of Brisbane.

During their three-day course, the fingerlings learn to fear predators by association.

Fisheries technician Danielle Stewart says scientists release a fear hormone into the water whenever the young fish are exposed to a predator.

"We're finding that after three days, big fish mean real danger and they try to stay away as best they can," she said.

Fisheries biologist Dr Michael Hutchinson says the program will be used to repopulate the Murray-Darling basin with native fish.

"No one's attempted it on such a mass scale as what we've attempted at the moment," he said.

Japan is looking at a similar program with marine fish in the next few months.

Answering Helen Thomas On Why They Want to Harm Us

Ray McGovern writes on 'Information Clearing House' [10/1/10]:

... It took 89-year old veteran correspondent Helen Thomas to break through the vapid remarks about channeling "intelligence streams," fixing "no-fly" lists, deploying "behavior detection officers," and buying more body-imaging scanners.

Thomas recognized the John & Janet filibuster for what it was, as her catatonic press colleagues took their customary dictation and asked their predictable questions. Instead, Thomas posed an adult query that spotlighted the futility of government plans to counter terrorism with more high-tech gizmos and more intrusions on the liberties and privacy of the traveling public.

She asked why Abdulmutallab did what he did.

Thomas: "Why do they want to do us harm? And what is the motivation? We never hear what you find out on why."

Brennan: "Al Qaeda is an organization that is dedicated to murder and wanton slaughter of innocents... They attract individuals like Mr. Abdulmutallab and use them for these types of attacks. He was motivated by a sense of religious sort of drive. Unfortunately, al Qaeda has perverted Islam, and has corrupted the concept of Islam, so that he's (sic) able to attract these individuals. But al Qaeda has the agenda of destruction and death."

Thomas: "And you're saying it's because of religion?"

Brennan: "I'm saying it's because of an al Qaeda organization that used the banner of religion in a very perverse and corrupt way."

Thomas: "Why?"

Brennan: "I think this is a - long issue, but al Qaeda is just determined to carry out attacks here against the homeland."

Thomas: "But you haven't explained why."

Neither did President Obama, nor anyone else in the U.S. political/media hierarchy. All the American public gets is the boilerplate about how evil al Qaeda continues to pervert a religion and entice and exploit impressionable young men. ...

Corporate Government And Monomedia HATE Public Transport

With peak oil and climate change upon us Australia should be urgently adopting equitable and efficient mass transit. So why is there never any progressive discussion or serious debate about public transport (such as the merits of having free public transport) by your government and monomedia?

Your government and media

Why? Because they are opposed to the idea of government provided public transport - it's anathema to their free market ideology and their unconditional acceptance of the carcentricity of our cities. Therefore spinning bullshit and controlling bogus arguments such as whether or not a ticketing system is working, and pushing the tired old message that public transport users are second class citizens [Fairfax 11/1/10] is all they can do:

Extra Go Card vendors have manned train and bus stations this morning to sell pre-loaded Go Cards after the State Government admitted it had not done enough to promote their availability.

The TransLink vendors, known as "helping hands", will be posted at key stations in a bid to meet the demand for the smart cards as more Brisbane residents return to work following the holiday season today. ...

The State Government promised the cards would be available at an extra 100 retail outlets in the new year, but Mr Dow said the Government failed to deliver Go Cards to retailers in time.

"My local newsagency still hasn't been able get the pre-loaded Go Cards, although they have put their paperwork in, simply because there was a paperwork problem," Mr Dow said.

Meanwhile existing Go Card holders have been forced to tolerate unreliable equipment and long queues for a limited number of card readers at stations.

Mr Dow said rail commuters at Roma Street station this morning experienced noticeable delays as people queued to touch off. ...

Another classic message is woooooo...be afraid, very afraid, of your local railway station...

On Friday brisbanetimes.com.au reported crime statistics across South-East Queensland's Citytrain network.

This story correctly cited the figures used as from the period July 2007-June 2008.

However, at the time we were working under the mistaken impression this was the most recent data available.

Late on Friday afternoon we were made aware of more recent statistics for the past financial year, 2008-09. We apologise for any confusion caused.

The good news is crime was down across South-East Queensland train stations: offences fell 12 per cent from 3704 in 2007-08 to 3268 in 2008-09.

At Central Station, thieving continued to be a problem, with 39 stealing offences (up from 34), while good order offences (67, compared to 111) and drug offences (10 from 26) both fell.

However, assaults at the station more than doubled, from eight last year to 17, as part of a worrying trend across the network. ...

Worrying trend? What's really worrying is that you're more likely to suffer harm in your own home in the hands of someone that you know.

So why do we never hear from the Queensland Greens on the issue of public transport? Are the media ignoring them because of these biases, or are the Greens just silent?

And as for this [11/1/10]:

Crab pot snares sea plane at Straddie

A crab pot placed in a Gold Coast boating channel has been blamed for a seaplane crash which landed a 60-year-old woman in intensive care at the weekend.

...

Police are investigating the incident and have spoken to witnesses, including the pilot, however, the crab pot was not placed in the boating channel illegally, they say. ...

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will not investigate.

Could you please do some journalism and tell us why the ATSB won't be investigating? Because it is curious that these planes are allowed to take off from the Broadwater in the first place.

Queensland Ministers Doing Their Darndest To Make The Cap'n Look Good When She Returns From Hols

Monomedia and monogovernment [10/1/10] get into the swing of the new year:

... "... Whilst the Japanese have certainly apologised for their actions during the Second World War, it would be appropriate for those involved to express an apology," Mr Lucas said.

"In this barbaric act, people lost their lives. Sailors, soldiers, nurses, doctors, orderlies. It was totally senseless and a wanton act.

"Terrible things happen in war, but on the scale of things this would have to be amongst the worst.

"I would hope that others would show the maturity to acknowledge the responsibility for their actions." ...

WTF? Did we ever apologise for Hiroshima, Nagasaki or Cowra?

As Boy George and the Culture Club once sang, "War war is stupid, and people are stupid..."

The first assetion is self evident, the second is confirmed by the Acting Premier!

Most Refreshingly Individual Weather Reader Outfit Of The Week

YTN Korea (broadcast on SBS2 10/1/10)

Another Day, Another Wrongity

The "J Lo" 'Southpark' episode broadcast on 'Go' channel [10/1/10] (remember the scenes involving 'Ben Affleck's private bits and Cartman's hand?)

The New South Wales Government has released recommendations to scrap the defence of 'artistic merit' in relation to child pornography.

It is part of a report compiled by police, the DPP and Legal Aid in an attempt to make a clear legal distinction between pornography and art. ...

Have Never Seen These Vans Broken Down, The Drivers Driving Dangerously Or In Accidents

Didn't particularly like the offensive slogans painted on some of the Wicked Campervans, but that's beside the point:

The Queensland Government says almost the entire Wicked Campervans fleet has been taken off the state's roads because of safety concerns.

The hire company voluntarily decommissioned 77 of its 86 brightly-painted vans when asked for the vehicles to undergo safety tests.

A further five vans submitted for testing were taken off the road by transport officials, leaving just four still in action.

Acting Premier Paul Lucas says he has written to other governments to warn them about the problem.

"I am relieved that we have been able to investigate and act here in Queensland before a terrible tragedy occurred," Mr Lucas said.

"We have seen the incidents involving four-wheel drives on Fraser Island and the Government has taken measures there to try and protect visitors to our state." ...

Stunning logic! How many Wicked Campervans have crashed on Fraser Island again?

Hey ABC, did you bother to get a comment from the proprietor? When this story first went up on your website there was no mention of the company's point of view, but now this, a couple of hours later:

... But Wicked says it voluntarily decommissioned 50 vans out of its Queensland fleet of 611.

Director and owner John Webb says the timing was coincidental.

He also says one - not five - of its vans was taken off the road during State Government inspections. ...

Speaking of four-wheel drives, isn't it intriguing that our politicians' concern about vehicle safety doesn't extend to the proliferation of four wheel driver ownership in Australia - and that chewing up the natural landscape is viewed by many Australians as legitimate recreation.

"Lawrence of Arabia eat your heart out": 'Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures' is broadcast on One Digital.

Remember when former Premier Beattie cracked down on so called unroadworthy vehicles? Do you really think he did that because he genuinely cared about the environment or safety?

Why Not Do Something Really Cool For Brisbane And Transform It Into A Inner City Skate Park?

Fairfax reports [10/1/10] on yet another development in a long line that have never got off the ground:

... More than 10 years after it was closed down and sold by Tennis Queensland, the Milton Tennis Centre, together with the adjoining Milton Bowls site, has a development application on it to create a new "Emporium" style precinct, with residential, retail and commercial facilities.

The Seymour Group, owned by Queensland business identity Kevin Seymour, put in their application to the Brisbane City Council just before Christmas and although it is "extremely early days", the group are very excited about their plans for this famous parcel of land, according to a company spokesperson.

"The Milton Tennis Centre site is iconic in Brisbane and it has been vacant for so long. We've written into the code that we've submitted to council that there will certainly be a reference to the original centre somewhere in the new development," the spokesperson said. ...

Such as??? An old black and white photograph of Ken Rosewall in the lift? a smelly tennis shoe in the laundry? a swimming pool in the shape of a tennis racket???? An interpretative centre/kiosk featuring video footage of Pat Cash in his checked headband?

What's the point? Like every other iconic/historically important place in Brisbane, the Milton Tennis Centre and Milton Bowl were demolished for no good reason and amid claims they were structurally unsound or not turning a buck etc etc. blah de blah...

The kids have been using this site as a skate park for the past few years, so why not create a genuinely nice and accessible public space for them for a change?

When Did You Last See A Channel 9 Cameraman On A City Council Bus?

Fairfax reports [10/1/10]:

Queensland's Transport Minister Rachel Nolan has again been called on to defend paperless public transport ticketing go cards after a security breach, with funds transferred without the owner's consent.

A commuter says the entire balance of his Go Card was transferred to another account without his permission.

Nick Smith, 27, who is a Nine Network cameraman, told Ms Nolan yesterday that that his Go Card had never left his wallet yet someone accessed his account. ...

Ms Nolan has been under pressure over the ticketless system following a 40 per cent increase in paper tickets this year.

The price spike was to force people to switch to go cards which only rose 20 per cent.

But, it has been revealed that 110 out of 144 railway stations across the southeast do not sell Go Cards making it extremely difficult for commuters to use the system.

For fucks sake. Go Cards are obviously a scam, so why not count your losses and write them off?

And while you're at it, make public transport free you useless bunch of dipshits and fossil fuel industry shills.

[A decade or so ago, over the Christmas holidays, the Brisbane City Council allowed all bus commuters to travel for $1 per trip. Anecdotally it was hugely popular, with services packed to capacity. It would be interesting to know what patronage rates were, and how they compared to previous years. However this information has never been released, and the transport chair (Maureen Hayes) was removed shortly afterwards.]

They Shouldn't Be Taking Off From The Broadwater

The real story is that there are too many motorised vehicles using the Broadwater as it is and there should be tougher restrictions on them.

As usual, Gold Coast monomedia [10/1/10] headline not backed up by story:

Illegal crabpot brings down Coast plane

... What was meant to be a pleasant excursion for the Treasure family, seeing the sights of the Gold Coast from a Cloud 9 seaplane, ended up with them all being taken to the Gold Coast Hospital.

The plane they were travelling in crashed into a sandbank near Tippler's at South Stradbroke Island about 12 pm.

It had flipped and left upside-down in the Broadwater for hours, unable to be moved by helicopter. ...

The 19-year-old pilot, who is believed to have only been flying seaplanes for a short time, was uninjured in the crash.

An illegal crab pot is believed to have become tangled around the plane during take-off. ...

Cloud 9 part-owner Michael Cooke said his pilto had done a marvellous job putting the plane down under the circumstances.

"He decided rather than to keep flying and endanger the lives of those on board he would put it down." said Mr Cooke.

"Another boat was in the channel and he hit the sandbank.

"He could feel it (the crabpot) bashing against the plane." ...

Funny. No-one said anything about the crab pot on last night's [9/1/10] ABC 7 o'clock bulletin.

What Are Our Governments Getting At?

Gold Coast City Council billboard, Brisbane Road

Emergency Management Queensland says residents across the state need to prepare an action plan in the event of a serious storm this summer.

Peter Twomey says a recent survey showed only half of Queensland households have an emergency kit.

Households with children were the least likely to have one.

Mr Twomey says a good kit includes food, water, medical supplies, communication equipment and batteries. ...

Is South East Queensland in for a severe storm season and floods? Why? What makes the Government think that? Do they know something they're not telling us? If these forecasted storms are a manifestation of climate change, why don't they say so? Or are these weather warning safety campaigns and publicity surrounding emergency management procedures just another wrongity designed to inculcate the citizenry that if you are injured or suffer some kind of property loss it's because of your own stupidity i.e. worthy/unworthy victims?

But Who Will Want To Visit The Gold Coast If Its Waterways Are Poisoned?

Pimpama River, Gold Coast [8/1/10] - it's not far from Dreamworld you know!

As well as announcing an $80 million funding package for Queensland Racing, the Queensland Government today [9/1/10]:

... launched a $7 million, six month tourism stimulus package for Queensland as part of a new Tourism Action Plan through to 2012.

Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor said the Action Plan was supported by $36 million of new tourism funding announced during the 2009 state election campaign. ...

The tourism and racing industries should be supporting themselves, and our Government should be, as Simon and Garfunkel sang "like a bridge over troubled water".

Where Is Australia's Network Of High Speed Trains?

China is rolling out a network of high-speed trains right across the country which will be the biggest in the world within the next five years. ...

Our whizz bang railway networks transport coal not people, while our governments dismantle passenger lines and hold citizens to ransom by actively discouraging public transport use - as Fairfax reports [9/1/10]:

... The government on Monday imposed a financial incentive to switch from paper tickets to go cards, hiking paper ticket prices by 40 per cent while go cards rose by 20 per cent.

The tactic has had the required result, with go card sales rocketing, and journeys using the cards more than 50 per cent higher than for the corresponding period last year. ...

So why aren't Australian governments engaging on climate change and peak oil?

This article [5/1/10] 'Heads in the Sand? Or, Why Don’t Governments Talk about Peak Oil?' from 'The Oil Drum' offers some interesting explanations:

... They get it, but they can't talk about it

If we presume that government agencies have actually paid attention to the IEA's publications, and in some cases their own advisors, we have to approach the other end of the spectrum: This is a view of policy makers that sees them as largely aware of peak oil, and simply not being willing (or able) to discuss the issue. In a contrasting view to that of Heading Out, a former colleague of Energy Secretary Chu, David Fridley, has been quoted as saying the Secretary “knows all about peak oil, but he can't talk about it. If the government announced that peak oil was threatening our economy, Wall Street would crash. He just can't say anything about it.”

... They are actively avoiding the issue

The growing chorus of reports, websites and media reports regarding peak oil has forced governments to actively resist discussing the issue. For example, recent efforts by Australia's Green Party to convene task forces have been voted down in the national Senate and state legislature, though the latter was by a close margin. ...

Wrongity Alert: Kevin And His Monomedia Friends Have A Jolly Old Time

[Bowen Hills 9/1/10] Ahead of the launch of Kevin Rudd's new children's book, the stars behind the story - golden retriever Abbey and Jasper, the cat - were overheard having this conversation in the grounds of the Lodge. ...

Yet the concentration camps are beyond capacity:

The Federal Government says another boat carrying asylum seekers has been intercepted in Australia's northern waters.

The latest boat was detected yesterday about three nautical miles north of Christmas Island.

The Government says there are 76 passengers and four crew on board the vessel.

They have been taken to Christmas Island for health, security and identity checks.

The landscape burns:

Fire crews are on high alert as another heatwave hits South Australia.

Temperatures reached 40.8 degrees Celsius in Adelaide yesterday and are expected to hit a top of 41 degrees today.

The weather bureau is predicting temperatures will likely soar to 43 degrees tomorrow and into Monday before a cool change on Tuesday.

Temperatures in Ceduna and across the Nullarbor reached 43 degrees yesterday.

The Country Fire Service has declared total fire bans and fire danger rating of severe for Mount Lofty Ranges, Mid North, Flinders and Eastern Eyre Peninsula, while the West Coast has an extreme fire danger rating. ...

And where's his address calling for calm as the nation implodes?:

There has been another attack on an Indian man in Melbourne.

The 29-year-old is in a serious condition in hospital after being attacked in Essendon, in Melbourne's north-west, shortly before 2.00am (AEST). ...

Guess it's a bit tricky when your friends in the monomedia are largely responsible for manipulating this racial hatred.

Headline Should Read: Citizens Held To Ransom

Yegads! You could make public transport free for what the implementation of this is going to cost:

Translink expands Go Card sales network

South-east Queensland commuters will soon be able to buy Go Cards at an extra 94 train stations. ...

'The IT Crowd' Is Quite Funny

But with 26 January just around the corner, why is it repeated on ABC2, while Australian shows such as 'Bush Slam' are only screened once on ABC1?

Who Will Save Jazz Radio (94.1 FM)?

"…Walk my way
And a thousand violins begin to play …"

'Misty' is a jazz standard written in 1954 by the pianist Erroll Garner. Originally composed as an instrumental, the tune later had lyrics by Johnny Burke and became the signature song of Johnny Mathis...

As well as playing a nice selection of jazz (accompanied by intelligent commentary), it's the only radio station on the Gold Coast which broadcasts Australian Independent Radio (AIR) news along with local weather and marine reports.

Don't Stand So Close To Me As We Work The Black Seam Together

Is teaching not a "real job"?

... STING: Yes, I mean, I had to leave my home in order to become myself and yet now - I'm 58 now. I can go home now and feel a gratitude for my upbringing, for my roots. ...

Welcome To Orwell's World 2010

Pilger writes on 'Information Clearing House' [30/12/09]:

... Obama’s most audacious lie is that Afghanistan today is a “safe haven” for al-Qaeda’s attacks on the West. His own national security adviser, General James Jones, said in October that there were “fewer than 100” al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. According to US intelligence, 90 per cent of the Taliban are hardly Taliban at all, but “a tribal localised insurgency [who] see themselves as opposing the US because it is an occupying power”. The war is a fraud. Only the terminally gormless remain true to the Obama brand of “world peace”.

Beneath the surface, however, there is serious purpose. Under the disturbing General Stanley McCrystal, who gained distinction for his assassination squads in Iraq, the occupation of one of the most impoverished countries is a model for those “disorderly regions” of the world still beyond Oceania’s reach. This is a known as COIN, or counter-insurgency network, which draws together the military, aid organisations, psychologists, anthropologists, the media and public relations hirelings. Covered in jargon about winning hearts and minds, its aim is to pit one ethnic group against another and incite civil war: Tajiks and Uzbecks against Pashtuns.

The Americans did this in Iraq and destroyed a multi-ethnic society. They bribed and built walls between communities who had once inter-married, ethnically cleansing the Sunni and driving millions out of the country. The embedded media reported this as “peace”, and American academics bought by Washington and “security experts” briefed by the Pentagon appeared on the BBC to spread the good news. As in Nineteen Eighty-Four, the opposite was true.

Something similar is planned for Afghanistan. People are to be forced into “target areas” controlled by warlords bankrolled by the Americans and the opium trade. That these warlords are infamous for their barbarism is irrelevant. “We can live with that,” a Clinton-era diplomat said of the persecution of women in a “stable” Taliban-run Afghanistan. Favoured western relief agencies, engineers and agricultural specialists will attend to the “humanitarian crisis” and so “secure” the subjugated tribal lands. ...

How Many Bad Apples Is A Few?

Gold Coast Monomedia reports [31/12/09]:

After evading police for nine months, an army officer wanted over the sexual assault of a Gold Coast mother in her bedroom has handed himself in. ...

Defence solicitor Campbell MacCallum said his client had voluntarily handed himself in knowing the case could prevent him being deployed to Afghanistan in February and jeopardise his military career.

Magistrate Brian Kilmartin set committal hearing for July 20.

Make Public Transport Free. Then People Won't Need To Be "Urged" To Use It

And not just on New Years Eve:

Queensland Transport Minister Rachael Nolan is urging people to plan ahead for tonight's New Year's Eve celebrations in Brisbane.

Ms Nolan is encouraging people to catch public transport and plan how they are going to get home.

She says more buses and trains are running and security has been beefed up. ...

Because in case you hadn't noticed, we need to start reducing our carbon emissions - and one of the key ways of achieving this is to get people out of their cars by incentivising alternative modes of transport.

Anthropegenic climate change is starting to bite - as Fairfax reports [31/12/09]:

A Brisbane City Council medical entomologist is predicting a another mosquito outbreak. ...

Brisbane City Council medical entomologist Mike Muller said once rain starting falling before Christmas, he "knew we were in trouble". ...

This week at Hemmant in Brisbane's east, a water way sample found between 20 and 50 larvae per dip, which was "scary stuff", Mr Muller said.

"The sample is about the size of a soup ladle so when you get that much in one dip, that's absolutely heaps," he said.

But due to patchy rain all across Brisbane in the last week, mozzie hot-spots would vary.

"The rain has made it extremely difficult for us, our pilots couldn't do some areas because the rainfall has been so heavy," he said.

Downpours could undo some of the hard work put into aerial spraying, Mr Muller said.

... Mr Muller said he also recommended wearing light-coloured loose clothing, using repellent with the active ingredient DEET or picaridin, burning mosquito coils and using indoor plug-in repellent devices.

Aerial spraying? Of what? And precisely where?

(If you would prefer not to coat your loved ones and yourself in chemicals and pollute the environment any more than is necessary, a solution of 1/2 dettol and 1/2 baby oil repels insects and is much cheaper. You could also invest in some screens and burn citronella oil.)

As for:

... Translink spokesman Andrew Berkman says the new price structure is designed to encourage people to take up Go Cards.

"The Go Card fare is now the base ticket price on which paper tickets are worked out - on which concessions, off peak discounts are worked out," he said.

"It's really a futuristic product and a futuristic switch which is happening now. ...

What a crock of ka ka. Go Cards are a scam and discourage people from using public transport.

If the Government were serious about acting on climate change, they would write them off as a mistake and make public transport free.

WTF Are "Exclusion Devices"?

Could they explain why a loggerhead recently laid her eggs on South Stradbroke Island during daylight hours?

... Acting Premier Paul Lucas says researchers have recorded more than 350 female loggerheads laying eggs this season. ...

"It just shows turtle exclusion devices that have been brought into place since 2000 [allow] a viable trawling industry and at the same time rebuild these wonderful species back to the numbers they should be."

Story neglects to mention loggerheads are an endangered species.

Why Does There Always Have To Be A "Blame Game"?

Blame game starts as crews mop up Toodyay blaze ...

Because scapegoating leads to closure and then we don't have to deal with the real issue?

This Story Trounces "Gallery Of Celebrity Deaths 2009"!

Fairfax reports [30/12/09]:

An injured pademelon has miraculously survived a fur-raising drive from the Gold Coast hinterland to Brisbane's Mater Hospital attached to the front grill of a BMW.

The young female pademelon, which looks similar to a wallaby and only lives in rainforest, was taken to the RSPCA's Fairfield Shelter yesterday after amazed hospital staff found it in the car park beside a BMW 7 Series with limousine licence plates.

Shiralee Lubke, a scientist at the Sullivan and Nicolaides Pathology clinic in the Mater Medical Centre, said at first she didn't believe the story.

"One of our couriers came in and said 'There's a kangaroo out on the grass' and we went, 'Oh bullshit. Rubbish'.

"And then we went outside (and saw it) and there was a lady there and she wound down the window of the car and said, 'Oh, I hit it coming down from O'Reilly's (Rainforest Retreat)'. ...

In case you're interested. We contacted Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary today [31/12/09], and they advised the pademelon is fighting fit and has been released back to the wild!

Sometimes there is good news!

Seen This Sexist Garbage?

"... She wasn't even that hot"

Titled 'The Girlfriend', it's being screened on television of late, and is one of three offensive videos produced by the Food Safety Information Council.

As well as being condescending, they are ineffective - unless the point is to perpetuate sexist stereotypes.

Whatever happened to providing people with straight information?

The Department of Health and Ageing provides most of the funding for this organisation.

What's With Weatherwatch's Don White And The Weather Channel's Dick Whitaker?

When it comes to reporting the weather on your ABC, where's the Bureau of Meteorology?

The dramatic weather conditions playing out from coast to coast over the past week has put NSW on flood watch while a catastrophic fire danger warning is in place in the west. It 's all been part of the unusual Christmas mix which has left Sydney siders under a cloud for four days while in Melbourne it's been beautiful one day perfect the next. ...

Are Endless Re-Runs of Seinfeld And Extreme Paintball Why Australia Is Switching To Digital?

Recently this advertisement (often followed by one for Harvey Norman) has been screened more frequently

Last month, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy announced:

... The Government will temporarily allocate vacant spectrum, previously known as Channel A, to the community broadcasting sector, allowing Community TV stations C31 in Melbourne, TVS in Sydney, QCTV in Brisbane and Channel 31 Adelaide to simulcast their services until the switch to digital-only television in capital cities in 2013. A new community licensee in Perth will commence digital-only broadcasts in early 2010.

The Government has also allocated funding support, totalling $2.6 million, to enable the community sector to meet the costs of commencing digital simulcasts. ...

Which is great, but still doesn't explain why Australia needs to switch to digital in the first place.

Who asked for this?

Did You Know The ABC Has An Independent Complaints Review Panel (ICRP)?

The Independent Complaints Review Panel (ICRP) has not upheld a complaint made against two segments on ABC’s Radio National, the World News Wrap and News, both broadcast on April 21, 2009.

The complainant alleged inaccurate representations were made of statements made by the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, namely a remark that Israel should be wiped off the map. The complainant asserted the President had in fact instead stated that “the Israeli regime must vanish from the page of time”. ...

"Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
Life has a funny way of helping you out
Helping you out…"

'Isn't It Ironic?', Alanis Morissette [1995]

... Hamilton Island caretaker Ben Southall has been stung by the deadly irukandji jellyfish while jetskiing during his last days on the island.

"I was enjoying a post Christmas jetski session with some friends at a quiet beach on Hamilton Island and as I climbed off the back of the ski and onto the beach felt a small bee-like sting on my forearm," he wrote on his blog. ...

He just felt a little prick. Funny, that's just what everyone else feels about him!

What Happens If You Don't Stop Murdoch?

http://stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/2009/12/what-happens-if-you-dont-stop-murdoch.html

Oh Come On. More Detail Please! Did Folks Boo? Yawn Openly???? Walk Out??? Or Has Woodford .... You Know ...

Fairfax reports [29/12/09]:

Former prime minister Bob Hawke has labelled parliament as a "charade" during an animated appearance at Queensland's Woodford Folk Festival.

The Labor luminary also slammed arguments against economic growth as "pig's tit" and expressed glee about Liberal prime minister John Howard's downfall during a public interview session last night.

More than 2000 festival visitors crammed into a marquee at the Sunshine Coast hinterland site last night to see ABC presenter Kerry O'Brien quiz the 80-year-old former union leader about his life, career and political views. ...

Later, Mr Hawke fired up when fellow interview guest and public intellectual Clive Hamilton attacked the Hawke-Keating government's economic reforms along with society's obsession with growth and wealth generation.

The former prime minister dismissed the criticisms as "crap".

"I say 'crap' because I find it strange verging almost on the obscene to hear comparatively well-situated people telling the poor they don't need to aspire to improve their condition through wealth," he said.

Mr Hawke said the world was not going to solve problems like climate change or provide better educational opportunities without gaining extra revenue from taxpayers in a growing economy. ...

Oh piss off you irrelevant, old has been.

Why Should They Get Off The Boat In Indonesia?

Indonesia isn't a signatory to the United Nations convention on refugees. Would you want to get off the boat there if you were a refugee?:

The Federal Government says it is up to Indonesian authorities to deal with the asylum claims of a group of 255 Sri Lankans who have been docked in an Indonesian port since October.

The Australian Government asked the Indonesian authorities to intercept the boat before it reached Australian waters.

But most of the Sri Lankan passengers have refused to get off the boat, which is docked in the port of Merak.

Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor says the group's asylum claims can only be processed if they get off the boat.

"It is incumbent now upon those passengers to disembark that vessel so that the UNHCR can properly process their claims," he said.

"Ultimately this whole arrangement is something that has to be undertaken and dealt with by the Indonesian authorities." ...

Australia. Nation of arrogant bastards.

It's Purposely A Rip Off And A Dud

And it has nothing to do with marketing. If Brisbane City Council were serious about encouraging people to ride their bicycles into the CBD, the King George Square cycle centre would be operated by the Council (why do Brisbane's citizens pay rates again?), it would be free and it would operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

The Brisbane City Council says the King George Square cycle centre in the centre of the city is operating at below half-capacity.

The centre opened in May last year to provide bike storage and shower facilities for commuters.

Acting Lord Mayor Jane Prentice says it can house up to 420 bicycles, but so far only 200 people are members.

"There's been a steady take-up but there is more capacity," she said.

"What we have found is that many of the larger companies around the city have come to look at it and said what a great idea and have put their own facilities in place for their own employees."

And in any case, thanks to neoliberal government policies, Brisbane is now so car centric, citizens risk life and limb if they choose to walk or ride their bicycles into the CBD.

Murdoch's Continuing Conquest Of Your ABC

http://stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/2009/12/murdochs-continuing-conquest-of-your.html

Letter To The Editor Of The Season

S Sledge, Kingscliffe in 'The Tweed Shire Echo' [24/12/09]:

Why the big road toll?

The NSW road toll has risen sharply this year - mainly due to excessive speed - and police tell the media they don't know why 'the message isn't getting through'.

I am surprised that no one seems to connect the dots. What is different this year? The NSW government has spent many million of taxpayer dollars promoting ... speed!

The Northern Rivers area had the world rally championship forced upon it in September and then Homebush Bay got the V8 Supercars in December. The message on the billboards reads 'No one thinks big of you for speeding', yet the government makes heroes of those drivers who go the fastest. If there are car crashes, injuries or death during these races, so much the better: it's what the public comes to see.

The message is in fact getting through; it's just the wrong message. The message needs to be responsible, not one that panders to immature attitudes and promotes dangerous driving. Hurtling masses of metal are not toys. Disaster is not amusing.

Indeed. And being bombarded with "chewing up the landscape" car advertising doesn't help either!

Why Not Ask Cr Hinchcliffe For His Point Of View?

Yesterday, 'Brisbane Times' reported:

.. Lord Mayor Campbell Newman told brisbanetimes.com.au the redevelopment of the public space was something Brisbane City Council "did not get right" in 2009 ...

Today [23/12/09] it's:

... But Cr Cooper, Brisbane City Council's LNP Planning Chair, said the King George Square redevelopment was approved by Mayor Pisasale's ALP colleagues, when Labor held the majority in City Hall.

"Cr David Hinchliffe, the Labor majority leader who wanted this design in his own ward, must cringe every time Cr Pisasale opens his mouth about King George Square," she said. ...

What a crock.

Quite simply.

King George Square is a disaster. The people of Brisbane hate it, and you tossers in City Hall are ALL responsible, just like you're responsible for the catastrophe that currently calls itself Brisbane city.

My Store Myer (Christ Almighty!)

Random, senseless act? I think not.

A Christmas window at Myer in the CBD has been smashed by vandals this morning.

The nativity scene was damaged when the window was broken, around 3:00am )AEST).

Police are examinmyer windowing [sic] security footage, but no arrests have been made.

Otherwise the window security footage would have been screened on last night's [22/12/09] ABC and commercial television news, as they usually do with 7/11 robberies and such, rather than a series of "outraged" clown vox pops.

In Australia, Capsicum Spray Will Kill You

A man has died in police custody, after being sprayed with capsicum foam in Melbourne's south east last night.

The 29-year-old man was arrested by police investigating a stabbing at Noble Park.

Police say the man was carrying a knife and refused to stop when an officer tried to arrest him.

There was a brief scuffle and a member of the public came to the officer's assistance before the man was finally subded. [sic] ...

Here's A Suggestion

Why was Tipplers closed in the first place?

The Gold Coast Mayor says a commercial operator may still be involved with the future shape of the former Tipplers Resort site on South Stradbroke Island, in south-east Queensland.

Ron Clarke addressed a meeting of about 200 people yesterday about the council's decision to buy the resort.

He says the council is open to suggestions about the future of the site.

"If they feel that they want to have it in the hands of a commercial firm or a commercial organisation and run it as such and council sees that they'll be able to continue the access to the public, then that's what we'll go for," he said.

That the Gold Coast City Council won't give Tipplers a lick of paint, undertake routine repairs and re-open it immediately stinks, both ideologically and commercially. It displays the Council's elitist stance regarding the provision of accessible and pleasant recreation facilities for everyone in our society, and indicates something else is being planned.

Hey Council. Stick your government by PR/News Ltd. spin and confusion up your collective fat arses. Ratepayers are entitled to know what these plans are.

Understatement Of The Year

Fairfax reports [22/12/09]:

... Lord Mayor Campbell Newman told brisbanetimes.com.au the redevelopment of the public space was something Brisbane City Council "did not get right" in 2009 ...

"Some people in the community - and I am not sure how widespread it is - but some people in the community are saying they don't think we got it right," he said.

"And I am prepared to take that on board."

Cr Newman said he was surprised at the reaction because there was a lengthy community consultation process during the design of the new King George Square. ...

What consultation? Even if there was one, it would have been like all the other Council "community consultations" that nobody participates in because everybody knows they're bogus.

Curiously, Fairfax doesn't revisit what it reported on the 11 October:

Brisbane's $28 million King George Square redevelopment has received the thumbs-down from some of Queensland's most eminent architects. ...

Here's something else the Council hasn't got right:

Brisbane. Going ... going .... nearly all gone: heritage .... character and a sense of place and community

Heritage Listed Mountview House on Leichhardt Street, Spring Hill is believed to have been designed and constructed by John Petrie and was built in the 1860s for Brisbane carpenter Daniel McNaught. The two-storeyed brick wing was designed by Andrea Stombuco and added in 1882, when the house was converted into a preparatory school for boys.

In December 2005, a Development Application was lodged with the Brisbane City Council to build an eleven storey residential tower between Mountview House and the cottage at 10 Downing Street.

Council has since approved this monstrosity. Which, if it manages to get built, will be a giant blot on one of the rare pockets of loveliness that remain in Spring Hill.

Chilcot Inquiry - The Establishment Goes To Work - Parts 1 & 2

From 'Medialens' [16-17/12/09]:

... Sir Ken Macdonald QC, former Director of Public Prosecutions, recently shone an equally rare light on the subject of thought control in modern Britain:

“In British public life, loyalty and service to power can sometimes count for more to insiders than any tricky questions of wider reputation. It’s the regard you are held in by your peers that really counts, so that steadfastness in the face of attack and threatened exposure brings its own rich hierarchy of honour and reward. Disloyalty, on the other hand, means a terrible casting out, a rocky and barren Roman exile that few have the courage to endure.” (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/article6955241.ece)

This helps explain why modern media and politics are such obvious moral and intellectual demeritocracies.

The corporate media concern, quite obviously, is not with examining and declaring the reality of what the organisation is - much less the ugly reality - but the reality of what it needs to +appear+ to be to its customers in order to maximise profits. Expecting honest self-analysis from the Guardian and the Independent is like expecting the meat industry to set up glass abattoirs next to supermarkets. The idea is a logical absurdity, a structural impossibility. Abattoirs +have+ to kill animals out of sight and earshot of consumers. Corporate media +have+ to serve state-corporate power while feigning neutrality. The sham of media neutrality +has+ to be defended by silence - honest, rational analysis is a serious threat.

And so we have the Guardian opining that, in the face of US government propaganda in 2002-2003, “almost everyone buckled”.

The elephant tap dancing across the living room floor, shaking the house to its very foundations, is not even mentioned. This is the role of the media in causing the deaths of more than one million living, breathing, dreaming, suffering human beings. This is the role of a media, which did +not+ merely buckle in helping this happen, but which performed the traditional propaganda service it has been +designed+ to perform in the service of the interests that created it.

The problem is that there can be no fundamental political change so long as the media has the power to stifle discussion and dissent. This is why media protestations that politicians need to be called to account are so cynical, so insulting to the intelligence. The very structure, the very reason for being of the media, ensures that there can be no real change.

Power has to be taken away from the mainstream media. The answer, as ever, lies with ordinary people willing to reject compromise, willing to invest their time, energy and resources in work that prioritises people and planet above profit.

In truth, this path is not at all “rocky and barren”; it does not involve a “terrible casting out”. It is alive with humanity, compassion and creativity. It is the life of meek servility to power and profit that is soulless, miserable and dead.

Oilfield Dispute?

The Truth Behind The Iran Rumors by Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich, "Huffington Post":

... The latest rumor comes from the Saudi owned al-Arabiya (partially owned by Kuwait and Persian Gulf States) which announced that 11 Iranian soldiers had taken over an Iraqi oil field. Although this report was denied by Iraq's Deputy Interior Minister Ahmed Ali al-Khafaji, and "A US military spokesman told AFP at Contingency Operating Base Adder", other media sources have run off with it. What was the intention of releasing such 'news'? ...

Isn't that "al-Arabiya" also partly owned by Rupert Murdoch? Or is that another Saudi media mob? I'm sure it doesn't matter anyway.

Our Real Aussie Heroes

Copenhagen failure sparks coal terminal blockade

9am, Sunday 20th December 2009, Newcastle Australia: Forty climate activists have closed down the rail line into the world's biggest coal port this morning, protesting the failure of the UN climate talks in Copenhagen to produce a just, effective, and legally binding treaty.

Twenty five of the diverse group – aged from 19 to 86 years and including a Buddhist priest, and an elected local councillor – are occupying a rail bridge in Newcastle, Australia, and refusing to leave. They have hung large banners reading “Greed wrecked Copenhagen: Now it's up to us all”, and “You could have done something great.”

Savages

ABC News (Disney - United States) reports:

On orders from President Barack Obama, the U.S. military launched cruise missiles early Thursday against two suspected al-Qaeda sites in Yemen, administration officials told ABC News in a report broadcast on ABC World News with Charles Gibson.

One of the targeted sites was a suspected al Qaeda training camp north of the capitol, Sanaa, and the second target was a location where officials said "an imminent attack against a U.S. asset was being planned."

The Yemen attacks by the U.S. military represent a major escalation of the Obama administration's campaign against al Qaeda. ...

Becoming pregnant has become a punishable offence for female American soldiers in Iraq and for those who make them pregnant as well.

General Anthony Cucolo, who commands US forces in northern Iraq, says offenders including married couples could attract punishments such as a court martial or time in prison.

"I have female soldiers in absolutely critical specialties and becoming pregnant takes them out of the fight," he said.

"And so that's my message to the females - think before you do something, because I need you.

"And for the males, if you take one of my soldiers out of the fight, well, there are consequences for that too."

The Creatures Are Travelling Further South

This, of course, has nothing do with climate change, but make sure you "go green" this festive season!:

Health authorities are concerned about the outbreak of a second strain of dengue fever in north Queensland.

Queensland Health (QH) says the dengue fever strains one and three are now circulating in Townsville.

That is of great concern to doctors who say people who have had dengue fever before are at a greater risk of developing potentially fatal complications from a second dose.

So far, 11 people have tested positive to locally-acquired dengue in Townsville. ...

A 10-year-old girl is in hospital after being stung by a box jellyfish in central Queensland late yesterday afternoon.

The girl and her brother were both stung while swimming in the Calliope River near Gladstone.

Police say the girl suffered the worst injuries and she remains very ill in Gladstone Hospital.

Authorities say box jellyfish had not previously been reported in that area.

And the 'Gold Coast Bulletin' fails to mention that loggerhead turtles are endangered and that normally, they return to lay their eggs in the place where they were born [20/12/09]:

A female loggerhead turtle gave South Stradbroke Island residents and visitors a thrill this week when she laid her eggs in broad daylight.

According to Landcare volunteer co-ordinator for marine science, Leighton Upton, it is unheard of for turtles to nest during the day.

He was flabbergasted as to why the turtle decided to lay her eggs during the day.

"This may be the first ever photograph of a loggerhead nesting on South Stradbroke Island in daylight," he said.

"This is a very rare event.

"She was a big turtle." ...

Earlier this month, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported that South Stradbroke Island had recorded the highest nesting rate among loggerhead turtles since record-keeping began.

Three turtles had laid eggs in less than 14 days on the eastern side of the island and experts were expecting up to 1200 eggs during the nesting season, which runs for the next four months.

"This appears to be the best turtle nesting intensity on South Stradbroke since formal records have been kept," Mr Upton said.

Will the connection with climate change be explicitly pointed out to the great filthy unwashed when box jelly fish turn up on Surfers Paradise beach?

Clown Comment Of The Week

Earlier last week, the ABC's 'The World Today' reported that climate change protesters climbed on the sails of the Sydney Opera House and unfurled a banner "Stop the Politics, Climate Treaty Now":

... BRENDAN TREMBATH: Watching all the action is Melinda Turner from Melbourne.

She has her nephew Sean in tow and is trying to explain to him what all the fuss is about.

She doesn't mention climate change.

MELINDA TURNER: Just telling him there are people on the house that shouldn't be there that the police have come to rescue.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Have you said what, they were naughty?

MELINDA TURNER: Yes, naughty people for being up there. We don't climb on other people's property.

ELEANOR HALL: That is a tourist in Sydney Melinda Turner speaking to Brendan Trembath.

Best Andrew Bartlett Lookalike Of The Week Award

The Co-chair of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (and former Australian Foreign Minister) must be trying to redeem himself for fucking with the Democrats, by doing his darndest to direct votes to The Greens!

... KERRY O'BRIEN: Given the likely rapid expansion of civilian nuclear energy around the rest of the world that you're predicting, is it sensible for Australia to continue to reject the nuclear energy option?

GARETH EVANS: Well I don't want to get into that local, very domestic debate with all that it implies about where you put the facilities and so on. All I want to say is that, from my personal point of view and I think that of all my fellow commissioners, nuclear energy is a reliable, proven source of contributing essentially fossil free to the world's energy needs and it's not obvious that Australia is an exception to that logic. ...

Who Collided With Who?

'Brisbane Times' reports [19/12/09]:

A 24-year-old woman is in hospital with a head laceration after being hit by a police car in Brisbane's CBD overnight.

The woman was among a group of people who crossed Creek Street, between Charlotte and Eagle streets, in front of a moving police vehicle about 12.45am.

The police vehicle took evasive action but collided with the woman. Police stopped and immediately rendered medical assistance.

The woman was taken to Royal Brisbane Hospital in a stable condition with non-life threatening injuries.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated by senior police with overview from the Ethical Standards Command.

It's all a matter of semantics. Here's the Queensland Police media release:

Pedestrian struck by police vehicle, Brisbane City:

A 24-year-old woman was hospitalised with a head laceration after colliding with a police vehicle in Brisbane City last night. Initial investigations indicate the woman was among a group who crossed Creek Street between Charlotte and Eagle streets in front of a moving police vehicle about 12.45am. The police vehicle took evasive action but collided with the woman. Police stopped and immediately rendered medical assistance. The woman was taken to Royal Brisbane Hospital in a stable condition with non-life threatening injuries. The circumstances surrounding this incident are being investigated by senior police from Metropolitan North Region with overview from the Ethical Standards Command.

Wonder if she'll be charged with obstructing police cars?

Representative Of Cheating Lying Kyoto Pariah States (Nigel No Mates) Meets Quality Journalist

One of the first rules of journalism? Always stay until the bitter end!

When everybody hates you, it's good to know Karen Middleton will still talk to you [SBS 'World News' - 19/12/09].

Australians are cheats aren't they? Australians can't be trusted. Australians are liars. When an Australian, like Robert Hill or Kevin Rudd, gives you their word that you have an agreement - well, you can be sure that you don't actually have an agreement.

After all, that's what Australia is really all about isn't it? We're a bunch of bald-faced liars and we're proud of it! Trust an Aussie? Yeah, sure, if you like being lied to.

Shame really, I never remembered my country being such a bunch of filthy lying scum, but there you go. The Australia I love is one where you can be trusted to keep your word, not a place where you think "screwing" people is a sign of strength or virtue. You filthy liars can have the place to yourselves, if you want. It seems that I'm alone and all other Australians want this new lying, cheating Australia to be their home.

Australia is the world's largest coal exporter.

Don't Know About You, But I Am Sick Of Our Leaders Using Terrorism™ As An Excuse To Wage War On The Citizens Of The World

... The AFP came under heavy criticism for giving information to Indonesia in the Bali Nine drug smuggling case.

Three of the people involved, including Scott Rush, are now on death row.

Shadow attorney-general George Brandis has told Saturday AM the rules are reasonable but they could cause delays in urgent terrorism cases.

"The Rush case itself, of course, is the best illustration of the need for the AFP to be very careful in affording operational cooperation where you have a death penalty case," he said.

"But our concern is in the area of terrorism."

Senator Brandis says the rules for cooperation need to be more flexible.

"We are resolutely opposed to the death penalty and we acknowledge that Australian cooperation with other countries' policing agencies has to take account of the fact that there's special circumstances concerning offences which may attract the death penalty," he said. ...

This doesn't make sense. Is he opposed to the death penalty or not?

Dust Storms Have Nothing To Do With Climate Change. Or Maybe They Do. How Would I Know? Why Not Ask A Geologist?

Red dust storms have been striking Australia's eastern states with renewed vengeance over the past three months.

Today, people in south-west Queensland woke to find yet another one rolling in.

Lyn Barnes, an artist who is one of the 1,100 people in the Quilpie shire, says even though the region is "horrendously dry", locals have been surprised by how frequent dust storms are occurring. ...

Ms Barnes, who moved to Quilpie more than 30 years ago, says recurring dust storms were the norm in the 1960s and 1970s.

"People are becoming quite alarmed about this but really it's nothing new," she said.

But she is hoping the recent dust storms are a sign that drought-breaking rain is on the way.

But Professor Grant McTainsh from Griffith University's dust watch unit does not believe renewed dust storm activity means good rain is imminent.

He says he is at loss to explain why they are becoming more frequent.

"There seems to be some fundamental change in the weather systems going on, which I certainly haven't had direct experience of and I've been doing it for about 30 years," he said.

He says the public should not be too quick to link the dust storms to climate change.

"It's certainly tempting to come to that conclusion because it's quite a dramatic change in the weather systems," Professor McTainsh said.

"It's a hard call to be too precise on the climate change influences, but it seems to be an incredible coincidence."

The geomorphologist says it is impossible to predict with any certainty whether the dust storms will continue, intensify or simply blow away.

But he expects they will stop after Christmas.

He says if they continue, fertile top soils will be blown away and that will delivering another hit to farmers who are still battling drought.

Comment Of The Day (Even Though It Is On A Corporate Media Site!)

On Hal Crawford's "Journalism and Freedom" on Nine Msn [15/12/09]:

oveRloOking Between THE lineS
Posted by: APeAceoFThEWorLD, Adelaide, Down Under, on 18/12/2009 03:03:35
At the end of the day, the urge for power runs through Murdoch's and those within his circle. This unlike some contrary belief is not to produce better journalism. But to undoubtedly own information in order to control. As they have been doing for life times, there is a set goal, concrete scriptures, control via division, and thus conquering. As the earth's natural resource is used, abused, droughted and sold back to us - problems are caused to create solutions, in turn charging us top dollar for. Where will they take this money once they are no longer with us. Are we still in the times of Ancient Egypt? Lets begin developing our other infinite senses, begin slowing down and celebrate time instead of looking at ways to touch, hear, smell, taste and watch it go by AND STOP allowing them to control us through the only ones they have INFORMED us, we have.

How Long Has This Been Going On?

Nearly everyone in South East Queensland has country cousins who have fished and swam in Warrill Creek. It was even a source of drinking water during the Great Depression when household tanks ran dry:

The Queensland Government says changes will be made at the RAAF base at Amberley, west of Brisbane, to ensure no more heavy metals are released into the environment.

The Defence Department will hold a public meeting at the Amberley air base tonight to discuss the heavy metal pollution in Warrill Creek.

Investigations have confirmed mercury, cadmium, chromium and nickel escaped into Warrill Creek from the air base's sewage treatment plant.

The investigations show the pollution has not spread to the Bremer River or nearby irrigated land.

Fish and other animals have not been affected.

The Defence Department says it will upgrade the plant and improve manufacturing waste disposal to ensure it does not happen again.

Queensland Environment Department spokesman Randall Hart says manufacturing waste had been disposed of through the plant, but the Defence Department will now make several improvements.

"Upgrading their sewerage treatment plant and that will be at significant cost to Defence," he said.

"There will be ongoing monitoring, but the main thing is that the trade waste disposal will be off-site to an approved facility and it won't go through the sewerage treatment plant and then thus will not enter the ecosystem.

"There is no risk to livestock or human health, we've done soil and water sampling, we've studied fish and macro-invertebrates.

"There is no difference to the samples either upstream or downstream of the sewerage treatment plant."

Mr Hart says the Defence Department has not been fined.

"If they transgress that transitional environmental program, which is a statutory instrument, then there will be significant fines," he said.

A ban on swimming and fishing in the waterway has been lifted.

The Defence Department is holding the public meeting at the air base tonight to discuss the findings.

And why weren't they fined?

Our Culture Is Sick, Broken

Fairfax reports [18/12/09]

A Sunshine Coast magistrate has slammed a security firm owner as “cowardly and un-Australian” for repeatedly kicking a handcuffed woman in the face at a suburban shopping centre.

Neil Scott Ironside, 41, had rushed to Noosa’s Bay Village shopping centre in May last year to find his employee and friend Ben Tomkinson lying critically injured with a 10 centimetre kitchen knife embedded in his chest.

The stabber, Amanda Rae George, was handcuffed on the ground and, within 12 seconds of arriving on the scene, according to CCTV footage, Mr Ironside kicked her in the face. He kicked her twice more and then delivered a knee to her upper body, causing a black eye, bruising and abrasions.

Magistrate John Parker said despite the stabbing and the alleged provocation, Mr Ironside went too far.

“It’s the duty of a security officer to prevent violence, not to commit it...There’s a tendency in today’s society to put in the boot. In my day ... it was cowardly and un-Australian to stick the boot into anyone, particularly a helpless woman. Nowadays it seems quite common to give the boot. It can’t be permitted to go on," he said.

Bizarre And Cruel

BRENDAN TREMBATH: The fishing prospects have improved in Tasmania this year with a Christmas gift from local salmon farms.

A thousand trophy sized Atlantic salmon have been released into three lakes in the state's south.

Tasmania's anglers can't wait to go fishing.

Felicity Ogilvie reports from Hobart. ...

FELICITY OGILVIE: Although the Atlantic salmon are a saltwater fish they can survive in fresh water.

But with tens of thousands of anglers after them the salmon that have been released into the Tasmanian lakes aren't expected to last long.

Why aren't our best efforts being put into saving the natural environment and the animals native to it?

'PR Watch' On Murdoch's 'Quality' Climate Journalism

http://stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/2009/12/pr-watch-on-murdochs-quality-climate.html

Newsflash: Nobody Cares Anymore Because Everybody Knows That The Whole Takeover Stinks More Than A Big Dose Of Fake Phellinus Noxius And A Hale Street Bridge!

Thanks Fairfax [18/12/09]. It's so nice to eat my cornflakes while catching up with news about yet another special Brisbane place which has been destroyed by the current Council Administration and/or the State Government!:

The controversial West End Markets are no more.

Sydney-based Blue Sky Events, which was awarded the Brisbane City Council licence to run the markets in April amid a wave of controversy, has announced the popular venue would now be known as the Davies Park Market.

Blue Sky's Ross Alexander said he believed the new name was a "natural fit".

"It is one of the many unofficial names that locals have coined over the years," he said.

Other key changes to come into effect from January 16 next year will be a reconfiguration of the market layout and the relocation of a number of stalls. ...

By the way, some people call it the Davies Park Markets, some people call it the West End Markets. It's really known as the "Green Flea Markets", and when it first began it was called "The People's Market".

But no-one cares about that anymore. What important is to sanitise the suburb beyond all recognition.

Do You Remember Asking For Your Rates To Be Spent On An Overpriced, Polluting Traffic Tunnel?

"What do we want?"

"Ridiculous footpath chewing gum removal machines!"

"When do we want em?"

"Now!"

... Councillor Newman says ratepayers expect council money to be spent responsibly and the situation cannot be allowed to continue.

"... When I arrive home at the end of this week, will I be able to sit down, look my children in the eyes and tell them in clear conscience that I did absolutely everything I could to achieve action to avoid dangerous climate change? ..." Kevin Rudd In Copenhagen

When it comes to climate change, actions speak louder than words:

Queensland Rail says it has secured a new $2 billion contract to haul Xstrata coal from the Bowen Basin in central Queensland. ...

As our island neighbours sink, floods and storms ravage Europe, Africa dries out, wars rage over resources and Australia burns....

The Missing Links

On Tuesday night [15/12/09] the '7.30 Report' had an update on a story from June - "Cancer misdiagnosis leaves patient permanently damaged". Evidently the woman sued and lost the case - apparently she might appeal.

I remembered this story and went back to the ABC online site to check the details, but the links are broken, though you can still view the "cached" versions:

In 2002 Cary Symons was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) - a slow developing disease which often requires no treatment Two years after she ...

ABC Local - Woman sues over cancer she didn't have24 Jun 2009 ... Cary Symons was diagnosed with an aggressive deadly cancer in 2004. ... When Cary Symons was admitted into the Sacred Heart Hospice at ...

The '7.30 Report' has left letters about the subject on their website.

The judgement does not appear on the list of recent decisions of the NSW District Court.

Prostitution Is The Fetishisation Of Slavery. It Is Not A Job Or A Career And Is Never Consensual

Australia. Where women fight for the right to work as prostitutes:

ELEANOR HALL: The union representing sex workers rallied in Sydney this morning to protest about a court ruling which found that a US Marine was not guilty of raping a prostitute in Sydney's red light district.

The Scarlet Alliance says this underlines that when sex workers are hurt or abused they are not taken seriously by authorities. ...

MEREDITH GRIFFITHS: On the 23rd of November a District Court jury found Petty Officer Timothy Davis not guilty of raping a woman in a brothel in Potts Point when the 25 year old was on shore leave last year.

The woman told the court she had consensual protected sex with him for 25 minutes before he became violent and forced her to have unprotected sex for the last five minutes of his appointment.

Members of the sex workers union, the Scarlet Alliance, watched the case closely.

SPEAKER: The client, a US Marine, admitted to using a lock down manoeuvre to pin the sex worker to the bed. He admitted to placing his hand over her mouth to silence her screaming. The jury viewed police photos depicted scratches on the worker's body. And yet despite this the jury found him not guilty of any charge.

Would he have walked free if she'd been an employee of any other industry?

Yes. And as for:

... JANELLE FAWKES: We find that it's unusual for a general community member to understand that sex, sexual assault is not part of a sex worker's job. Sex work is a consensual arrangement between two people and when a sex worker says no, or that's enough, or stop, it has the same meaning as it does for any woman.

So we see that juries sometimes don't recognise the rights of sex workers. ...

Q. Isn't prostitution just a job like any other?

A. Prostitution is not a job like any other. Firstly, prostitution only exists because of the attitudes, behaviours and demands of men. It is the culture of male violence whereby men regard the buying of a woman's body for sexual purposes as a legitimate activity that has created this 'job'. No other job is created specifically out of a culture of violence, inequality and sexual abuse. Secondly, there are no other jobs where a woman's reproductive system is the site of the work, and she is at risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV every time she goes to work. In this 'job', women risk death from violent men, serious physical harm as well as psychological damage.

Are the Scarlet Alliance also going to stage protests against the enslavement and abuse of trafficked women forced to work in legal brothels?

Why Can't SEQ Have Eloquent and Intelligent Opinion Writers Such As Elizabeth Farelly [Fairfax - 17/12/09]?

Ours are nothing but sexist, racist shock jocks:

... Frank Death (I kid you not) is the aptly-named chief executive of Kellyville's HomeWorld. Mr Death is now predicting a Big Comeback for the Australian Backyard. With ''a lot more affordable land now being released'', he feels the curse of urban consolidation is now safely over.

Never mind that the average Australian house is already the world's biggest. Never mind that our carbon emissions are the world's highest, largely because we have to drive past all those other roly-poly dwellings to gain access to our own. Give 'em that sprawl-as-usual backyard, now, for Christmas. While you can.

He's addressing the unwashed but what he's invoking, consciously or not, what Mr Death summons like a plague of boiling frogs, is the same sprawl, enlarged by a power of 10, among the rich.

Alec Tzannes is a good architect but money undoes rigour, and Tzannes's 35-room John Symond residence does for its Point Piper headland what a silicone-breasted floozy does for her nonagenarian mining magnate: render him desperate and undignified.

The new house in Vaucluse for James, Erica and Indigo Packer is, at 2800 sq m (a mere 13 times the national average), small by comparison. But not that small.

Tzannes's makeover of Guilford Bell's McFarlane House includes a gym, sauna, steam room and massage, eight bedrooms, a new pool - the old one being filled by a 130 sq m underground cinema - seven-car garage and lift. The ''master bedroom suite'' weighs in at a whopping 190 sq m, bigger than many people's entire houses (including mine - so yes, it could be sour grapes).

But imagine if rich people built places of genuine beauty, like the Moorish palaces of Cordova or Seville. Better still, imagine if the Packers jnr set out to prove that the world's most sustainable house could also be its loveliest. Then, by golly, the aspirationals would have something to copy, instead of abjectly Packing Death.

Who's Responsible For The Environmental Monitoring Of These Construction Sites?

An independent investigation has revealed lack of oxygen was not the sole cause of a massive fish kill last month in a lake near Bribie Island in south-east Queensland.

Last week, the Queensland Government released its report into the fish deaths at Beachmere.

It found the fish died from low oxygen in the shallow lake caused by hot weather.

But now an independent investigation, commissioned by the Moreton Bay Regional Council, has found that while low oxygen levels probably triggered the deaths, the lake was under stress from a number of other factors including groundwater inflow from a nearby construction site and a missing valve on the lake's tidal flow system.

Mayor Allen Sutherland says the groundwater should not have been discharged into the lake without treatment.

He says the council will amend its work practices in light of the report.

Amend your work practices? What's that supposed to mean?

On A Day When Translink Says The Number Of People Using Public Transport In SEQ Has Dropped

And that they are very concerned about fare evasion - when they should be incentivising public transport use with initiatives such as making it free:

... Ms Jones also announced the Queensland and Californian Governments will work together to investigate and promote carbon storage as a way to reduce emissions.

She says the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, wants to swap ideas about reducing emissions.

"California like Queensland is a large state with a large agricultural sector and the Governor expressed to me that he would be interested to learn what we are doing in Queensland and vice versa in sharing information about how we can promote biosequestration as a solution to reduce carbon emissions," she said.

"She gets my vote for climate criminal of the day!"

First They Poison Our Air And Water

We get sick and they tell us it's our own fault.

Then they create fear in the community with their "awareness" programs, "screening" and "cancer journeys", dangle miracle cures and get us to donate to corporate charities.

They poison us with their corporatised treatments - embrace us as heroes if we manage to go into remission - and toss us aside when we don't recover.

Then when we cannot bear it anymore, and try to take matters in to our own hands, they say "no you must suffer":

The Gold Coast Medical Association say people considering suicide should be wary of storing potentially lethal drugs in their homes.

Euthanasia advocacy group, Exit International, is holding a workshop at Tweed Heads today where people can learn about a new suicide tablet which can be stored for long periods until it is required.

Medical association president Dr Philip Morris says the medication is dangerous.

"The idea that the medication might be taken by others, children ... it's a very dangerous medication that clearly if you take a lot of it it can kill you," he said.

"The other problem of course is that if people are choosing to do that then they may not have the right dose so they may end up still alive but severely brain damaged."

There Is No Reason Why Our Government Cannot Provide Free Public Transport

Fairfax reports [15/12/09]:

Public transport authorities must fix "abysmal" rail services to the Sunshine Coast and tackle problems with unreliable buses west of Brisbane, a lobby group says.

Rail: Back on Track called for the improvements after releasing its annual scorecard on South-East Queensland's public transport network this morning. ...

Mr Dow ["Rail Back On Track" lobby group] labelled CityCats and cross-river ferries the quiet achievers of the public transport network, saying while their capacity to carry commuters was lower than other forms of travel they were a reliable and well-liked option.

But he renewed his calls for improvements to be made to Go Card readers on the ferry and bus services following reports of problems with some of the displays and a lack of beeping when commuters touched on or off.

Despite "shortcomings", the rollout of Go Cards had been a significant achievement, Mr Dow said.

Commuters would expect further improvements as fares rose early next year ahead of the phasing out of paper tickets. ...

How can you call yourself a public transport lobby group and say that Go Cards have been a significant achievement?

Sounds like Rail Back On Track is siding with the government again.

Arse About Face

Every year more than 100,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed across Australia.

But hopes for cures and improved treatments for cancer are one step closer, with the Victorian Cancer Council announcing $3.2 million to expand its research program.

Among the grant-winning researchers were a team of microbiologists from Monash University, who will trial whether a certain soil bacteria can destroy solid tumours. ...

Today, tomatoes are often grown somewhat differently*. Firstly, the soil is sterilised with chloropicrin, a deadly poison, to kill every living organism therein. This 'dead' soil is then artificially enriched with chemicals and growth hormones before the tomatoes are planted. As the tomatoes grow, they are do so in an artificial environment with temperature and humidity semi-controlled in a glasshouse. The glass itself prevents the full spectrum of solar radiation from reaching the plants.

The tomatoes are picked while they are still green, hard and immature. They are then dipped in the pesticide dimethoate, a cholinesterase inhibitor and NRA-registered poison which was developed from Hitler's WW2 nerve gases. This is intended to control such insect pests as fruit-fly, lest they be transported across state borders. The tomatoes are artificially ripened with ethylene gas before being sold and eaten ...

* Raymont, W.D., 'Final Report on the Dimethoate Dipping of Queensland Tomatoes for Human Consumption in South Australia,' S.A. Health Commission, May 1988

"... I authorised my eToll account on the phone about a month ago, and presumably the two eTags I bought for my two cars. (Yeah, yeah sorry about the planet and everything) ..."

Fairfax's felafel man and friends clearly rattled by Tony Abbott [15/12/09]:

... Denying that he was an asteroid impact-denier, like his Minister for Denying Asteroid Impacts, Senator Minchin, Mr Abbott said that there were many people of good faith who remained sceptical about whether the impact would mean the end of all life as we know it, or simply the end civilisation as we know it and they deserved to have their views debated too. ...

Don't they realise we're the baddies?

Developing nations have staged a two-hour walkout at the Copenhagen climate talks, accusing the developed world, led by the European Union, Australia and Japan, of pushing to "kill the Kyoto Protocol".

The walkout was organised by the G77 group, which represents 130 small, mostly African nations. ...

Oh! What A Feeling!

Western democracy is definitely all fucked when a PR website does journalism and so called journalists do PR:

An online backlash is growing against a smutty Toyota ad featuring a girl’s father and boyfriend having an innuendo-laden discussion about taking her virginity and “having her on her back” . ...

As for:

... “I have written and lodged a formal complaint with Toyota’s Australian head office regarding this specific competition entry/winner. I would encourage those who feel the same to also write formal complaints to Toyota. This is 2009! Women should not have to be dealing with this vulgar objectification.” ...

Eh? Have you just arrived from outer space? This crapola is the staple of Australian advertising these days, whether it be supposedly underground or mainstream - and you reckon complaining to Toyota or even the ASB is going to change anything?

And when are these fuckers going to disappear behind a paywall?

Roy Morgan Research’s chairman Gary Morgan has accused John Hartigan of libelling him after the News Ltd boss today accused RMR of sabotaging efforts to set up an alternative readership measurement system. ...

Glass Houses And All That ...

WA Police say they are disappointed that two off-duty police officers were caught up in the weekend crackdown on drunken violence....

Because violence has nothing to do with the manifestation of a "fuck you fuck yeah" culture - an unsurprising result of rampant neoconservatism and involvement in 'pre-emptive', illegal, wars of aggression:

A Melbourne court has heard two South Australian police officers charged with sexually assaulting a Victorian woman were on secondment to help with the Black Saturday relief effort. ...

The court heard that on March 10 a group of the South Australian officers spent the night socialising and drinking at their hotel.

It is alleged Wilmott had knocked on the woman's door twice to offer her a drink, which she refused.

Prosecutor Ray Gibson said Wilmott later forced his way into the room and assaulted the woman. He is charged with rape and indecent assault. ...

Queensland's Climate (And Weasel Word) Criminal Of The Day

Queensland will today sign an agreement with the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia to work together on projects to drive change in the energy sector

Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones will sign the new agreement during a meeting with North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Energy, Dr Jens Baganz in Düsseldorf (approximately 8pm Brisbane time).

“North Rhine-Westphalia faces many of the same challenges as Queensland in reducing emissions - it is Germany’s most energy-intensive state and its largest producer of black coal,” Ms Jones said.

...

Ms Jones said the goal of the new agreement was to speed up the delivery of outcomes by committing both governments to support a number of specific projects.

... “Under this new agreement, the Queensland and North Rhine-Westphalia governments will also jointly fund a new exchange program aimed at sharing the technical and engineering skills needed to commercially demonstrate clean coal technologies and equip our energy networks for the future.” ...

Runner up:

... Mr Rudd will arrive in Copenhagen on Wednesday as efforts increase to finalise a climate deal, and has defended Australia's approach to reporting emissions.

"These are rules which the world community agreed not just for Australia but for every developed country back in 1997 so therefore it's entirely appropriate that Australia has reported annually to the UN on its achievement of its Kyoto targets," he said.

"We committed to 108 per cent against 1990 levels, we're currently tracking at 107 per cent." ...

Government And Brownshirts Declare War On Poor And Disenfranchised

... About 2,000 extra officers hit the streets this weekend as part of Operation Unite across Australia and New Zealand.

More than 1,000 people were arrested, more than 1,100 charges were laid and almost 200 drink-drivers were caught across the state.

Queensland police say the Gold Coast and Brisbane's Fortitude Valley were the clear stand-outs in the weekend blitz. ...

You only have to check out how this supposed crackdown on the so called epidemic of alcohol fuelled violence is being reported in the monomedia to work out what it's really all about.

Would It Be Acceptable For The Premier Of Queensland To Say She's "Looking Forward To The Community Understanding" If This Happened At The Ferny Grove Tip?

Premier Anna Bligh says Queensland Health has thoroughly investigated allegations that body parts and foetuses were buried at the Thursday Island dump in the 1990s.

... Ms Bligh says the report has now been referred to the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) for review.

"Clearly that won't be made public until some of the relatives have had an opportunity to consider the material, but ultimately this has been very carefully investigated and I'm looking forward to the community understanding the background to it," she said.

Wow!

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has visited the memorial chapel in Sydney dedicated to Mary MacKillop, as speculation grows she could become a saint.

There is speculation the Pope could make a decision by Christmas about making the Blessed Mary a saint.

Mr Rudd attended today's mass at the St Joseph's Mary MacKillop Chapel but a spokesman for the Prime Minister would not say if Mr Rudd's visit was linked to Vatican deliberations. ...

The Adelaide Zoo has officially welcomed two giant pandas in an invitation-only ceremony.

Governor-General Quentin Bryce officially opened the bamboo forest that will be Wang Wang and Funi's home for at least the next 10 years.

In her speech, her Excellency addressed the pandas directly, welcoming them to Australia as unofficial Chinese ambassadors.

While Other Voiceless Creatures Of The Planet Are Trying To Tell Us Something

At least five whales have died after nine beached themselves off Italy's southern coast, in what experts called a highly unusual event in the Mediterranean.

The whales, measuring up to 10 metres and weighing several tonnes each, were found stranded off the coast of Puglia.

Four were already dead and the rest were dying. ...

Tiger Woods's woes could have been avoided if he had been 'getting enough at home', according to one of the Gold Coast's most unconventional relationship experts.

Renee Sankey is the owner of Utopia, the first adult swingers club that has had to make a development application on the Gold Coast.

She said if Tiger had been open with his wife Elin Nordegren he may not have resorted to affairs.

"If he had been getting enough at home ... he would not have been lured by other women," said Mrs Sankey. ...

The Allergy Blame Game

In recent years the number of children with food allergies has skyrocketed and now researchers say there could be a link between allergies and where you live.

A new study has found that Australians living in northern latitudes are less likely to suffer from allergies.

Researchers say their findings suggest a link between the allergies and sun exposure.

Australia has one of the highest rates of food allergies in the developed world.

Currently about 5 per cent of children develop an allergy by the time they start school.

Dr Raymond Mullins, an allergy specialist attached to both the ANU Medical School and Health Sciences at the University of Canberra, says allergies have become much more common in the past few years ...

WASHINGTON – After a thorough examination of the scientific evidence and careful consideration of public comments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten the public health and welfare of the American people. EPA also finds that GHG emissions from on-road vehicles contribute to that threat.

GHGs are the primary driver of climate change, which can lead to hotter, longer heat waves that threaten the health of the sick, poor or elderly; increases in ground-level ozone pollution linked to asthma and other respiratory illnesses; as well as other threats to the health and welfare of Americans. ...

Gardasil, the HPV vaccine recommended for young women, has just been approved for boys and young men too. Dr. Sharon Ufberg says the stop-go, safety-danger signals means more research, study and discussion are needed. ...

... The wreck of the Centaur has never been found.

A group of scientists and explorers, armed with millions of dollars worth of equipment, are preparing to search a corridor more than 59 kilometres wide, 30km east of Moreton Island.

The Seahorse Spirit, a 72-metre multi-purpose vessel fitted with specialised sonar equipment, will spearhead the search.

Shipwreck hunter David Mearns told reporters on Friday the Seahorse Spirit would head out to sea within 24 hours, with the initial phase of the search to start on Sunday.

"The plan is to depart tonight or tomorrow and we hope to be out on the water by the weekend," Mr Mearns said.

"If everything goes well, we'll be searching by Sunday."

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan said he hoped the search would be a success.

"We hope this journey will write a new chapter in Queensland's maritime history," Mr Swan said during a tour of the search vessel.

The federal and Queensland governments are funding the project.

The country's peak Jewish body has labelled as "offensive" a long-running advertisement in which a Sunshine Coast real estate agent uses the heading Schindler's List to promote her properties.

Maroochydore agent Glennis Schindler, whose family owns the firm Vic Murphy Real Estate, has for more than five years used the play on her surname to showcase her listings in local property publications.

The advertisement most recently appears in the latest edition of Sunshine Coast property magazine My Property Review. ...

ABC's 'The Drum' Heads Downmarket Already

... Joyce believes that Australians are saying one thing, when asked publicly, and thinking another. He just used the town hall, to scratch the surface of voters' views. Why else would he wake up and find 1500 emails, opposing the ETS, regularly in his email in-box? ...

Where Did The 31 Containers From The Pacific Adventurer Sink Again?

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) says it will not be removing 31 containers of ammonium nitrate from the ocean floor in Moreton Bay off Brisbane.

The Pacific Adventurer lost the containers in rough seas off the Sunshine Coast in March, damaging the ship and causing a massive oil spill.

On the weekend, Premier Anna Bligh announced that a $25 million compensation deal had been struck with Swire Shipping over the incident, but there was no mention of the containers. ...

Scientists have warned Queensland beachgoers to stay away from a coastal algal bloom that grows so large, it can be seen from space. ...

The blooms were first recorded more than 200 years ago by Captain James Cook during his voyages to Australia, and later by Sir Charles Darwin during his famous voyage through the South Pacific.

Dr Rissik said the algae released a toxin which turned the water pink and could cause irritation to the skin, eyes and nose.

It usually washed up on the beach as a green-grey sludge, smelled strongly and could be harmful to pets. ...

Could This Conference Be An Attempt To Enact The Ultimate In Disaster Capitalism?

The Copenhagen climate talks have been rocked by the leak of a draft final agreement which weakens the role of the United Nations in climate change negotiations and abandons the Kyoto Protocol.

The "Danish text" draft agreement, published by the UK's Guardian newspaper, has been described as a dangerous document for developing countries.

Over the past week, parts of Denmark's proposal have leaked into the public domain, but this is the first time it has been published in its entirety.

According to the Guardian, the secret agreement has been worked on by a group of individuals known as the 'circle of commitment'.

It is understood to include Australia, the US, the UK and Denmark, which are all said to have finalised the deal in the past two days.

The document abandons the Kyoto Protocol, sidelines the United Nations in future climate change negotiations, and hands most of the power to rich countries.

...

The "Danish text" hands control of the global adaptation fund to the World Bank, and the new financing accord is intended to help the poor cope with rising temperatures while also cutting their own carbon emissions. ...

... But fortunately, power has a shelf life. When the time comes, maybe this mighty empire will, like others before it, overreach itself and implode from within. It looks as though structural cracks have already appeared. As the War Against Terror casts is net wider and wider, America's corporate heart is hemorrhaging. For all the endless, empty chatter about democracy, today the world is run by three of the most secretive institutions in the world: The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank,and the World Trade Organisation, all three of which, in turn, are dominated by the U.S. Their decisions are made in secret. The people who head them are appointed behind closed doors. Nobody really knows anything about them, their politics, their beliefs, their intentions. Nobody elected them. Nobody said they could make decisions on our behalf. A world run by a handful of greedy bankers and C.E.O.s whom nobody elected can't possibly last. ...

Arundhati Roy, 'Come September' [2002]

Three firms have been chosen to prepare bids for the Northern Link tunnel, which will connect Toowong to the Inner City Bypass at Bowen Hills.

"We are working hard to get this tunnel open in 2014, rather than its scheduled opening date of 2016," Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said last night of the five-kilometre project.

"In addition to easing traffic congestion in Brisbane it is anticipated that this project will also provide 5000 jobs and provide $10.5 billion in economic benefits to Brisbane."

The short-listed firms were Northern Direct, Transcity and a joint venture partnership between Leighton, Baulderstone and Razel. ...

Council has set aside $6.6 million in the 2009-10 Budget and allocated $43 million over four years for its contribution when the $2 billion project was going to be a public private partnership. It will now be fully funded by council borrowings, with the debt to be serviced by the toll revenue. ...

... JEFF WATERS: This is what it looked like in January this year when a king tide combined with a minor tidal surge caused by a Category 1 cyclone hundreds of kilometres away. Six Torres Strait communities were flooded to varying degrees.

KEITH PABAI, BOIGU ISLAND TRADITIONAL OWNER: This is our community dam. Having the water here, I mean that was scary, right up next to our water supply. The water actually was right around the whole dam.

JEFF WATERS: As well as being the local headmaster, Keith Pabai is chairman of Boigu Island's native title body corporate. He says his town is shocked by the relentless erosion, their most sacred places, their cemeteries, are being washed away.

On some islands ancient laws had to be broken, with human remains recovered from beaches and reefs, reburied in mass graves.

KEITH PABAI: We are connected to the land and the sea, and it's very difficult for us to say something that belongs to us, is part of us, to say that we are going to move.

JEFF WATERS: A little further south a number of low lying coral islands are also threatened.

This is Warraber, where, without financial assistance, island residents have done their best to build makeshift sea walls out of anything they can.

The Torres Strait Regional Authority has written to the Prime Minister asking for $22 million for urgent mitigation work, but have been left to watch as many times that amount it sent to help foreign island nations instead. ...

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says business groups should be urging the Federal Opposition to change its mind on the Government's emissions trading scheme (ETS).

The scheme was blocked in the Senate this week, but the Government will reintroduce the bills on the first day of parliament next year. ...

A plunge in the spot market price for renewable energy this year has brought many wind-farming and bio-fuel projects to the brink of collapse.

One such project, is a northern New South Wales scheme turning sugar cane waste into electricity. New South Wales Sugar warns a flaw in the Federal Government's renewable energy program could destroy the fledgling industry, and Climate Change Minister Senator Penny Wong has agreed to a review.

JAMES HANSEN: Absolutely. These cap and trade trading schemes are a terrible idea. You can see what they do. They are a way to continue business as usual because they include these offsets, for example. They're not attacking the fundamental problem. Who they're good for is the big banks. In the United States it's going to be Goldman Sachs, and Bank of America, the trading companies.

They have trading groups within their bank who are very skilled and they're going to make money, and where does the money come from? It comes from the public. There will be increased energy prices, big banks will make money, but the problem will not be solved.

There will be little reduction in emissions. Unless you attack the fundamental problem, you cannot solve the problem. And the fundamental issue is that fossil fuels are the cheapest energy. You must put a price on carbon emissions.

And the way to do that, and to make it acceptable to the public and actually very beneficial to the public, is to return the money that's collected from a carbon tax, and that tax needs to be applied at the source, at the mine or the port of entry.

You then distribute that money to the public, so that they will have the money to invest in more efficient vehicles, in insulating their homes, and that would encourage innovations, innovators would develop carbon free or low carbon energy sources.

That's the way that you can drive the system to slowly phase out fossil fuels, but the cap and trade doesn't do that at all, and it's impossible. As long as fossil fuels are the cheapest energy, you're not going to phase them out. ...

... GUY PEARSE, AUTHOR, 'HIGH AND DRY': We are being sold a pup here, and if you look at Treasury's modelling they're telling us this technology won't be commercially viable until 2033. And yet we've got scientists like James Hansen from NASA's Goddard Institute telling us the world simply cannot afford to burn coal the way we are for another ten years. ...

When The Bully Comes Begging, Tell The Bully To Fuck Off

http://stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/2009/12/when-bully-comes-begging-tell-bully-to.html

Commercialised Water: Can These People Be Trusted?

They tell you fluoride is safe (which it isn't) then they accidentally release a massive overdose. They build a desal plant at Tugun using Billions of your dollars (which doesn't seem to work) and is supposed to be powered by renewable energy (but it isn't).

Now this:

The Gold Coast City Council is investigating a pipeline malfunction that pumped recycled water into the drinking supplies of hundreds of homes.

Residents in Coomera started complaining about the taste and smell of their water on Friday.

They were supposed to be receiving recycled and drinking water from separate pipes when the Pimpama Wastewater Treatment Plant was opened on Tuesday.

But Deputy Mayor Daphne McDonald says diluted recycled water was pumped into drinking supplies for about 630 homes.

The Deputy Mayor says the pipes have been flushed, but residents have been advised to boil their water this weekend.

She says there is a minimal health risk to residents, but the council wants to find out how it happened.

"We'll be looking at how it happened and make sure that this type of issue doesn't happen again," she said.

"We suspect at this point in time that there was an incorrect connection that occurred when the pipelines were constructed however as soon as we were informed that there was an issue the water had been turned off."

Now go and get your swine flu vaccine!

Whoever's In Charge, There Is One Certainty With Any Australian Government

In parliament last week, the Deputy Prime Minister said Malcolm Turnbull was a "man of great honour".

Wonder what she said about Israel's senior Vice Prime Minister?:

Three protesters have been evicted from a Melbourne hotel after storming the doors to gain entry to a major meeting of Jewish leaders.

Police say the three were removed from the Park Hyatt Hotel in east Melbourne as up to 200 protesters tried to breach police lines at a side entrance to the hotel, which is hosting the Australia Israel Leadership Forum.

Hundreds of Jewish delegates are inside where Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Israeli senior Vice Prime Minister Slivan Shalom are due to attend. ...

Wouldn't This Be The Week To Have A Mass Debate On Climate Change?

Bring it on and let the Australian people witness the Greens pants the both of you:

... The Government wants to reintroduce the emissions trading legislation even though it has already been rejected twice by the Senate.

Mr Abbott says the debates are needed because the public does not understand how it will work and what it will cost.

"We'll debate it once, twice, three times, four times, however many times is necessary until the public feel that they have had their questions answered to their satisfaction," he said.

The Coalition says its policy will be finalised before Parliament resumes in February.

Meanwhile, Greens Leader Bob Brown says he wants to be included in any public debate on climate change policy.

If there's going to be a debate anywhere between Rudd and Abbott, it also needs to have a Green there," he said.

"And if they're frightened of me, then we'll send along Christine Milne and she'll dish up both of them."

"Best Parliament House Performance Incorporating Bird Song" Award - Of The Week

Greg Jennett reporting from Parliament House for ABC's 7.00 pm news bulletin [1/12/09]

Unsurprisingly, the bird did not sing throughout Mitchell Hooke, CEO of the Minerals Council of Australia and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's performances!

The bird has the word, but it isn't the "canary in the coalmine"!

Wonder if the Bogong Moths are still being poisoned?

Ahhhh Bullshit! More Like: Greens Scare Living Shit Out Of Liberals In By-Election

The Liberal Party has comfortably retained the blue-ribbon seats of Bradfield and Higgins in key federal by-elections.

Candidate in the Melbourne seat of Higgins Kelly O'Dwyer was the first to claim victory and so far has 57.6 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, with 61.5 per cent of votes counted. ...

Where Has This Country's Sense Of Humour Disappeared To?

Fairfax reports [6/12/09]:

Federal police are investigating a security incident involving Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at the ABC's Sydney studios on Friday night.

A threat, believed to have been a prank, was reportedly made when Mr Rudd launched the new children's television channel, ABC3.

The ABC News website said a number of contract cleaners hired for the night were marched out of the Ultimo building by ABC security guards soon after the incident and were not allowed to return. ...

Because Apparently This Is The Kind Of Tasteless Garbage Australians Find Funny These Days

Yep. The spirit of Christmas is alive and well down under:

"Will Kevin and Wayne go overboard spreading their Christmas cheer or will they seek asylum among the hundreds of great gift ideas and quality Christmas decorations at Holy Sheet."

From 'The Noosa Journal' "Christmas Gift Guide 2009"

"Let's face it, Barry has had a shocker. but, he does want to change, and what better way to make a fresh start than to give away a free download of bigPond music or games each day until Christmas. Nice one Bazza."

Full page BigPond advertisement from the 'Gold Coast Sun' [2/12/09], which has also been spotted on the back of taxis.

Why Are The Monomedia Furiously Vilifying Schoolies This Year?

1. They are paid to push the usual, lazy, yawn inducing moral panic agenda i.e. the youth of today are out of control?

2. They are so hobbled by their own snooty biases, self censorship and/or what they are allowed to report, they are forced to forgo genuine news stories and attack easy targets?

3. Supposed schoolie shenanigans are an excellent distraction to the real shit that's going down? i.e. we're supposed to be worried about the expenditure of taxpayer dollars around $250, when how many hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted elsewhere (eg North Bank, Traveston, Tugun ...)?

The Planet Is Fucked, So Let's Go And Buy A Car - Everyone Else Is

Nice mixed message 'BrisbaneTimes':

Global warming 'godfather' goes cold 11.56 am | Top NASA scientist says the whole approach to climate change is deeply flawed | Car sales up

Prevention

The word carcinogen does not appear anywhere in the entire article:

... Dr Joanne Aitken from Cancer Council Queensland says scientists are baffled by a recent change in childhood cancer rates.

"Cancer is more common in men than in women overall and it's actually more common in girls than it is in boys," she said.

"We found that the rates of cancer in girls in Australia have been increasing over the past couple of decades by around about 1 per cent a year, so that's an unusual finding. ...

Meanwhile, the 'Gold Coast Sun' reports on a "Blast From The Past" [2/12/09]:

Twenty-five years ago in 1984, the first Magic Millions carnival was two years away but ...

The Albert Shire council took part in aerial chemical spray across the region to eliminate mosquitoes..."

There Is A Trainline To Brisbane's Airports ...

Why aren't we taking advantage of this existing trainline to get cars off the road?

If we made better use of that, we wouldn't need all these roads and tunnels.

If the government can raid the public purse on behalf of the fossil fuel industry, surely they have the ability to do something about Airtrain's exorbitant fares and constrained operating hours?

Fairfax reports [2/12/09]:

Motorists have been promised better access to Brisbane Airport from tomorrow morning, with about 30,000 vehicles expected to use a second access point for motorists on the Gateway Bridge and Motorway.

These motorists will avoid one of Brisbane's worst and most congested intersections - the roundabout at Airport Drive - which carries more than 75,000 vehicles day.

Premier Anna Bligh this morning opened a new $220 million, 4.5 kilometre stretch of two-lane motorway - which has been called Moreton Drive - just to the north of Airport Drive. ...

When is our government going to stop building roads and tunnels?

When the last square metre of environment is paved?

A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry addressing the National Press Club today [2/12/09]

In a speech which began hopefully with a criticism of some of the executive salaries of RDCs, the Minister couched his support of GM (as a potential solution to the global food crisis) and dismissal of the food miles/carbon emissions argument (as thinly veiled protectionism), with weaselly worded gems such as:

"... aligning a productivity path with a lower emissions path ..."

and ...

"... efficiency increasing down the value chain ..."

In response to a question from an AAP journalist about Farmers' fears relating to GM contamination, the Minister said:

"... very few of the crops we grow in Australia are native to Australia".

Eh?

See this lemon?

It's from the U.S. - there were no Australian lemons on sale at the supermarket yesterday.

This is insane.

Why are Australians buying lemons from the U.S.?

Don't try to tell us it's because of the poor, suffering U.S. citrus farmer.

At Least We Still Have Some Sensible Leaders In Australia

... Justice Kirby highlighted the achievements of Australian Nobel laureates who had attended public schools, including this year's winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine, Elizabeth Blackburn.

And he urged those educated in public schools to speak up for the majority of Australian students.

"It constantly amazes me that leaders of government in Australia who have themselves benefited from public education go along with inequity in the distribution of public funds for schooling," he said.

"Parents and citizens in public schools have to learn the art of advocacy. They've got to blog, Twitter, text, lobby and argue.

'Be sure that the lobbyists for private and religious schools are highly skilled and well organised. For the children of the nation's public schools, this lack of balance has to stop." ...

Do You Think Queensland's Infrastructure Minister Believes In Human Induced Climate Change?

The Queensland Government says Australia's largest tunnel boring machine has arrived in Brisbane for the construction of the Airport Link toll road.

Infrastructure Minister Stirling Hinchliffe says the $45 million machine arrived from Germany in 25 shipping containers, and will be assembled in time to start work next year.

He says the assembled borer is 195 metres long and its cutting head is 12.5 metres in diameter.

A second machine is due to arrive in March.

Because if we keep building roads and tunnels, conditions like these are going to get worse:

... The Sunshine Coast Council says more water might need to be trucked into Maleny as the Sunshine Coast hinterland town faces a severe water shortage.

The town's only source of water, Obi Obi Creek, is on the brink of running dry because of a lack of rain.

Water restrictions were introduced across the Sunshine Coast yesterday and residents are being urged to "turn off the tap". ...

Housing Meltdown, Ground Zero

The American home-owning dream on life support.

By Andy Kroll
November 30, 2009 -- Mother Jones" --

... It's an hour-and-a-half drive from San Francisco to Stockton, up through the Altamont Pass with its rows of wind turbines, then down into the Central Valley's wide expanse and, via I-5, into the open streets of Stockton, a city that has often seemed to embody the vicissitudes of the housing crisis. In February 2008, for instance, national media outlets latched onto the story of a local man who, struck by the entrepreneurial spirit, started a business called Greener Grass Co. His service: Spray-painting the dead, burnt-out yards of foreclosed houses a hue of green so realistic that the local newspaper described the painted lawns as "good enough for a golf course or a professional football stadium."

When I pulled into Stockton last month, more than a year had passed since CNBC had pegged it the "Foreclosure Capital of the World"—and painting lawns green was still de rigueur. Local government workers had now taken up the job. Dead lawns, the thinking went, signaled empty houses and so attracted trouble. Painting lawns, the city hoped, might dissuade people from breaking into deserted homes.

Around mid-morning, I pulled into the Little John Creek neighborhood near the airport on the city's southern outskirts, and one of the first things I saw was an abandoned house displaying their handiwork. The green was, in fact, a sickly teal hue and had been laid down in bizarre stripes on a dead lawn on Togninali Lane. It was, to say the least, a far cry from fairways, football stadiums, or even the perfectly real turf on neighboring lots where grass grew and people lived.

Here, the houses without occupants stood out like so many missing teeth in a wide smile. On just about every street, foreclosures dotted the landscape: stucco homes with sheriff's notices taped to front doors, FOR SALE signs askew in front yards, lawns burnt into suburban hay by the summer sun that had yet to receive their eerie coats of green. I parked near foreclosed house after house and walked up front paths and driveways to peer through windows and over backyard fences. Most of the homes were starkly empty, often gutted—"trashed out" in industry parlance—with not a trace of their former owners.

In a few, though, there were hints of lives lived and lost. A deflated basketball, a toy truck, and a skateboard sat in the backyard of a tan house with a two-car garage in Little John Creek, the back porch light still unnervingly aglow in broad daylight. At a nearby house, the front flower bed was filled with foreclosure-crisis detritus, including the business cards of realtors and mortgage specialists. ...

Tony Abbott: "I Am Not Frightened About An Election On This Issue"

http://stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/2009/12/tony-abbott-i-am-not-frightened-about.html

What You Should Be Arguing For Is Free Public Transport

Why take the Government's side? As Fairfax reports [1/12/09]:

Translink has denied its efforts to catch fare evaders are flawed, despite ticket inspectors accepting the sight of a go card as proof of payment during public transport patrols. ...

Robert Dow, from public transport lobby group Rail Back on Track, said the failure to properly check go cards was not an isolated incident. ...

Mr Dow said evasion would not be brought under control until commuters knew it was "an absolute certainty" their go cards would be checked. ...

If public transport were free, the costs associated with ticketing would cancel out the cost of issuing tickets and promote a far more efficient and equitable public transport system:

How About For A Complete Mind Fuck, The Lord Mayor Drives The Holden Over The Hale Street Bridge On Opening Day?

Fairfax again [1/12/09]:

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman wants Rock 'n' Roll George's famous 1952 FX Holden to be saved for the people of Brisbane, but only if George Kyprios' family and friends are happy with the idea. ...

This morning, Cr Newman said the FX Holden should be preserved for Brisbane.

"I would like to get it for the Museum of Brisbane, but one of my practical problems would be that I don't know where to put it," he said. ...

It'd be interesting to know what the Brisbane Lord Mayor's criteria is for wanting to "save" something?

And is there any news on what is going on in Council these days? Are Cr Hinchcliffe and Cr Sutton still suspended from meetings?

How about you write a story giving their point of view once in a while?

Tony Abbott Might As Well Be The Prime Minister

The actions of the so called "Labour" government in progressing the neoconservative agenda within Australia belie their "in the national interest" rhetoric.

Now might be the time to ask your "Labour" member whether they think women should have the right to control their own fertility.

Or the right to choose how to give birth :

... On November 5, 2009 Nicola Roxon circulated an amendment the Government intended to introduce into the Health Legislation (Midwives and Nurse Practitioners) Bill and the Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Bill.

The point that will redefine the fundamental nature of midwifery and certainly homebirth midwifery in Australia is that "collaborative arrangements with medical practitioners will be required to access the new arrangements". In short this amendment will require midwives to work with GP obstetricians and private obstetricians and have a "collaborative arrangement" in place at all times. Thus giving Drs the ability to control women's choice and midwifery practice.

We had an amazing response to last minute rallies around the country with 400 outside Prime Minister Rudds office in Brisbane, 300 outside Julia Gillards office in Victoria and 150 outside Tanya Pliberseks office in Sydney.

MOTION FROM SENATOR SIEWERT

On November 23, 2009 Greens Senator Rachel Siewert referred the Medicare related legislation with the above mentioned amendment to a Senate inquiry into collaborative arrangements. This was voted on favourably and the committee will report by February 1 2010.This gives us all an important opportunity to show the women of the Australia Labour Party that the proposed ammendment will completely erode women's choice and rights and that WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY OR GIVING UP!

(a recent email to supporters from Homebirth Australia)

Perhaps the so called "Labour" government might now consider shutting down the A.B.C.C. and reinstating the rights of workers to withdraw their labor and/or collectively organise?

The 'West Australian' reports [30/11/09]:

The Pilbara is on the brink of its first major strike in years, with up to 1000 workers on Woodside's Pluto project to vote today on whether to down tools illegally over an accommodation dispute.

The construction union's Joe McDonald said workers across the North-West were closely watching developments at the Karratha camp amid widespread fears of an expansion of its new housing system, known as "motelling".

Under the new system, fly-in, fly-out workers at Woodside's Gap Ridge Village would have to check into a different donga for each rostered work cycle from next month instead of getting their own permanent donga.

Mr McDonald, who will run today's meeting, warned he had never seen such an incensed workforce in his three decades as a union official.

...

Mr McDonald said FIFO schedules were unsettling enough and workers needed the sense of stability that came with having a permanent donga.

He said workers had been told they could store their personal belongings in a compound during their breaks but security could not be guaranteed.

Mr McDonald said the union would meet a representative from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry today before the workers voted on whether to take industrial action.

The workers are not in a protected bargaining period and would potentially face fines of up to $22,000 each if they take unlawful industrial action.

It is understood that if a stoppage is endorsed today, it would start immediately.

The vote would break Federal laws requiring secret ballots and three days notice of any industrial action.

...

Just a minute ... it appears the party for the workers doesn't care about workers at all:

... MATT PEACOCK: At least two other fatalities have occurred under the insulation rollout, prompting a Senate inquiry.

GREG HUNT, SHADOW ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: We've had three deaths of young men in our roofs under the home insulation program. It's time that the program is suspended immediately pending a full, urgent federal inquiry.

PETER GARRETT: In relation to those few, but very regrettable and terrible fatalities, I want to wait and see what the outcome of the investigations is, and until that time, I don't propose to say anything else about that, except that we take safety very seriously. It's a priority for the Government. It always has been. ...

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