The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser
That was the funniest thing ever and I haven't laughed so much over TV in AGES. The Big Loser football match was hilarious and such good medicine. It's so true. The Socceroos, who are preparing to play in the World Cup for the first time in over 30 years, would have learnt a lot about coaching, fun and teamwork.Mark Rudan and Dwight York from Sydney FC came over to help the teams and it was Dwight who got me laughing. He was so honest about how he thought he'd just get it over with but then got caught up with the personalities and how much they were actually putting on the line. It said a lot about human spirit, about the pleasure of being with others . It said so much about how highly skilled people can help others but it's not just a one way street. Our intrepid coaches Bob and Jillian were also grinning from ear to ear and learned that fatties can be very good for you and know a thing or two. They do not lack spirit nor courage nor enthusiasm and they know how to keep going and never feel sorry for themselves. It was fantastic. Great medicine and Dwight and Ruth yelled themselves hoarse getting the Red team over the line. How sweet it is to see Wal on their side. Harmony is restored!!

Aust heads for whaling clash with Japan.

Aust heads for whaling clash with Japan. :

"Environment Minister Ian Campbell says Australia will attempt to block their campaign, but he says Japan is gaining more support."

Support from whom? We do not have enough whales to kill them for commercial purposes and it was pretty stupid of us to save all those whales before just so they could be scientifically studied now. Whales are either under threat or they are not. We want whales in our oceans is the message I keep reading, seeing and hearing.

Rann reveals nurse GP clinics plan.

Rann reveals nurse GP clinics plan. :

"The program would cost $8 million over four years.

Mr Rann says the nurses would ease the workload for GPs by providing services such as blood sampling, wound dressing and by giving injections and vaccinations."

I was a bit dubious about what we have been calling the supernurse programme but it has had a lot of support from anyone I have spoken to. I am not in favour of the role of the doctor being undermined. Others view it differently. They suggest there are many nurses who would enjoy being more responsible and actually having a more or less fixed clientele they would come to know. They further suggest doctors would be used then for more demanding and specialised illnesses and treatments and therefore would not be put off by routine work. I take their point. Certainly a lot of nurses would probably be pleased to take over a more solid social role where they could make a real difference in a community. They could also be the ones who decide whether someone needs to see a doctor. Often you are not sure and go and see a doctor anyway.

SA parties focus on road development.

SA parties focus on road development.:

"South Australia's motoring body, the RAA, says Labor's road proposal is only a small part of what drivers need."

It's true. We have the new Southern Expressway and there have been some upgrades around the place, but basically our roadways need a good overhaul and a careful scrutinising. There are some well known black spots. There are pot holes and road drains which are never fixed. There are areas of wear which have been increased by flooding and there are some bizarre ways of putting in signs so that there is no indication of what the actual speed is so you have to do the default 50 just incase. Then with new housing creating heavier traffic coming onto some sections of road there needs to be some consideration of how this is managed and bike lanes in some areas mean that cars cannot stop to post letters because it means parking in the bike lane to post the letter. The Victor Harbour Road is one which really needs attention. The 100K to the McLaren Vale turn off is dangerous and then the road past there doesn't cater very well to the traffic. Yes, let's look at the roads.

Toxic chemicals running off roads

News in Science - Toxic chemicals running off roads - :

"Ball says the discovery of new pollutants on roads like PAHs has implications for authorities, which already have their hands full treating stormwater pollution.

'It expands the number of contaminants that we have to manage,' he says.

And, he says, authorities may have to pay more attention to run-off from roads."

It's true, we haven't thought of studying the run off from roads and when you think aboout it, it's an obvious thing to do to enable us to get a better picture of contaminants entering our soil from road pollution. To build that kind of a picture enables us to create a safer environment and to get an idea as to what exactly modern transport is doing to our environement. I keep hearing that road expert a couple of years ago who was saying we change our whole lifestyle and city planning just to accommodate cars. This road run off study might help us modify some of that. In any case the findings will be fascinating! It would alos be interesting from the point of view we might find a better way to recycle this water around city areas too.

Generous celebrities

It's not only the business sector which is working hard to improve human conditions around the world and tackle some of our planet earth problems, celebrities are donating vast sums to help make a difference. These people are putting their money into things which we, as a planet, would want helped and fixed. They are all improving the every day lot of the people they help and they all have themselves focussed on creating a positive world to live in. Hello features some of them:

Generous celebrities

Modern Philanthropists

Net benefits -DAWN - The Review; February 23, 2006:

"In BusinessWeek’s most recent annual ranking of the most generous philanthropists, seven of the top 30 made their money in technology. The list, which considers the donations and pledges made by individuals in the past five years, was topped by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, followed by Gates in second place and Michael Dell, founder of Dell Computer, at ninth. Jeff Skoll, the founding president of eBay is 15th; Omidyar is 19th; Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is 25th and Larry Ellison, head of Oracle, is 27th. Outside the top 30, PeopleSoft founder David Duffield is 35th and Netscape co-founder James Barksdale is 48th."

Modern philanthropists are household names and many of them have become rich through technology. They seem to be as agressive in their donations and giving as they are in their business strategies which have made them rich. These new age philanthropits seem to be tackling the sorts of issues which we need fixed as a world. They are taking on health issues, poverty and the development of emerging nations and they are not frightened to get inthere and get involved. They are not easily scared, but why should they be? Oddly enough their business acumen stands them in good stead for showing some real leadership skills in areas which have bogged down humanity for a lifetime . I wish one of them could magic up a solution to Iraq.

'Pizza pope' builds a Catholic heaven

'Pizza pope' builds a Catholic heaven :

"Monaghan, 68, sold his takeaway chain in 1998 for an estimated $1 billion (£573m). A devout Catholic who has ploughed millions into religious projects — including radio stations, primary schools and a Catholic law faculty in Michigan — Monaghan has bought about 5,000 acres previously used by migrant farmers."

Well, the ex marine made his fortune from pizza and is now prepared to invest his money into Catholicism so that the fundamental Islamists have a dynamic West to deal with. He believes the churches have lost their power to engage thei people and thereby hold their own against other religions. He isn't allowed to enforce Catholic dogma though in his new town of Ave Maria. Tom Monaghan, the founder of the Domino’s Pizza chain, is not deterred even though Americans believe you are not allowed to have a Catholic town. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. I have never actually thought about this. Would we be able to have an completely Catholic town? I ask, because Hahndorf was founded by Lutherans and for quite some time had strong Lutheran influences. Not now, life has changed.Is it possible in Australia to have a one religion town?

Boy soldiers learn to be hairdressers

Boy soldiers learn to be hairdressers :

"Of 100,000 ex-fighters disarmed by the United Nations since the conflict ended in 2003, nearly 12,000 were children — 2,738 of them girls. All but 25 children have been reunited with their families by Unicef and about half are now at school or in skills programmes such as the one in Foya, learning anything from carpentry to pastry making."

It's time for a change. It's time to stop bathing in blood and to turn soldiers into hairdressers, mechanics, landscape gardeners, poets, musicians, techies. Let these boys be whatever they want and I am certain they do not chose death and injury. For centuries we have shed human blood and for what? Someone's short term dazzling light. Time to change how we do things. Time to talk. Time for the Ministry of Peace to get into action and change the outcomes for the human race this millennium or do we just keep repeating that same ole same ole. Pragmatically, the planet can do without these people, we have enough and it's pretty easy to make more people...but ask their mums, their wives, their footy teams. Ask their children. No one has ever made peace through violence. They have done it by talking, negotiation, charter and treaty signing. Put the guns down and pick up your pens. Let the kids have a life.

New Cancer Centre

7news national news:

"The happy, blonde youngster, who was diagnosed with a type of brain tumour called medulloblastoma at the age of six, endured a long road to health through surgery, high-dose radiotherapy, high-dose chemotherapy and endless scans."

Natasha's survival is heartwarming. Her capacity to endure is a credit to her spirit and her doctors. Bit by bit we are getting the better of this disgusting disease and Natasha was brave enough to be one of the children who trialled a new treatment regime. The doctor's have been rewarded and researches can feel as though they really are making a difference.

Qantas maintenance

7news business:

"A Roy Morgan poll of 656 Australians found an overwhelming 87 per cent wanted the facilities to stay onshore, with 69 per cent saying the federal government should intervene to prevent the move."

Yes, we do want our aircraft serviced at home. We do want to hear our company is not servicing its own craft. I have already had friends saying they have had enough of the airline nonsense which has come in one form or another and they are taking holidays which do not include flying. They are happy to do so until things change. People are starting to tire of airline bungles, crashes, inconvenience, problems, hijinx, hijacks, incompetence. If the plan was to make us decide to stop flying, it has worked because people cannot be bothered. One woman has stopped because she was sick of the cavity searches when she is just a normal woman going about her business. She has completely changed her lifestyle because she is tired of paying the price for being a normal person who wants to fly. We want our workers onshore and our aircraft serviced here and there is nothing wrong with that.

Jamaica to Get First Female Leader

Jamaica to Get First Female Leader :

"Portia Simpson Miller, local government minister, received 1,775 votes for the party presidency, while Peter Phillips, national security minister, came in second with 1,538 ballots, said Danville Walker, director of elections at the Electoral Office of Jamaica."

Women are starting to be voted into the top positions in various countries around the world. Does it mean anything? Are people tired of men or are the women better than the men? Are we tiring of the male perspective in leadership and want to give some competent women a go or are there no men who can really contest them? Women in politics in Australia are having difficulty attaining and keeping top positions. They are very easily toppled and for no good reason really. There are some extremely competent women out there who would make good top leaders, but we really need to look at their capacity to survive and overcome what is largely media and political opposition sledging. Women don't seem to be able to withstand the slings and arrows and that's a bit sad really, because I think it's all in their minds. The ones who manage it stay at the local level and do not venture out. Time for some training!

Pink Martini

Pink Martini- Official site
I was so surprised I could get this at The Muses this morning. Adelaide is getting so much better with international music. If I want stuff in French I usually have to go away and buy it. I actually have bought 2 decent French CDs in Adelaide in the last 2 months. One was Hors-saison by Francis Cabrel (unbelievable) and the other was France the greatest songs ever which had the songs Le vent nous portera by Noir Désir, Je t'emmène au vent by Louise Attaque and Sympathique by Pink Martini. Pink Martini don't sing exclusively in French. They are a complete cultural cocktail of music, with language lessons on the side, and such a phenomenon!! I have only just discovered them and it was Sympathique which had me totally hooked.They sing in English, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, French....and the music is sort of 30s, sort of Cuban, sort of jazz, sort of anything they want but so beautifully presented and impeccably performed. They are just so unique and at the moment I can't get enough of them.
Hang on Little Tomato

20,000 more guns 'a worry'

The Advertiser: 20,000 more guns 'a worry' :

"THE number of guns registered in SA has surged by 20,000 in the past five years, despite measures to slash firearms ownership after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre."

If the number of licenced gun owners is declining and the number of guns is increasing what does that mean?? The licenced gun owners have decreased by a third. If they are licencing the gun, they may well need it for working or recreational purposes as a member of a gun club. They are owning more guns though. Why? Your average person doesn't need a gun. They kill. They go off accidentally. My friend's son accidentally shot himself on a visit to a farm. He didn't mean to, but she doesn't have a son anymore. People get angry, doped, drugged. They pick up a gun and think it's fun to aim it at someone. They go a bit barmy one day and decide shoot everyone down. No, we do not need guns, so we'd better decide whether we were serious about the Port Arthur massacre or not.

Iraq Fall Out

Iraq Vet Accused of Stabbing Wife 71 Times :

"Witnesses testified that Bare had enrolled in treatment programs for anger management and combat stress after his return from Iraq. He had said he was having trouble controlling his anger and didn't like his wife going out and partying, said Michael Collins, a nurse and case manager at Madigan Army Medical Center."

The lawyers were having trouble describing and comprehending what this boy did. He was 19 and already an Iraq vet. It's bad enough the damage being cause to people in Iraq, but for that poor girl to have been slain so brutally at 18 and in what must have been such terrifying circumstances is so inexcueable...and at 19, that boy is a complete and utter mess because his country sent him to Iraq. The fallout over here from Vietnam was bad enough , but this is totally hideous. No woman deserves that, no wife, no child, no mother and no 19 year old deserves to be turned into such an aggressive animal like that for serving his country.

Mutant Algae Pond Scum

Wired News:: "The work, led by plant physiologist Tasios Melis, is so far unpublished. But if it proves correct, it would mean a major breakthrough in using algae as an industrial factory, not only for hydrogen, but for a wide range of products, from biodiesel to cosmetics."

I thank Wired News for the lead to this article. It's fascinating. Who would have thought you could use mutant algae pond scum,C. reinhardtii, to create enough hydrogen to make a real difference industrially?? The article itself explains how this can be done and why it is viable . They have clearly done so much work on this and it's another case of scientists and researchers really using everything available to solve modern problems. I realise though, why I am not a scientist. No way would I get up in the morning, look at pond scum, and think, yes, that's the very thing we need to make hydrogen. My thought would be, how disgusting, I think I'd better clean the pond. Must be polluted!

The biggest loser

The Biggest LoserThe beginning of the week was really inspiring. The end of the week has been the pits. Some people have learned the lesson you can let everyone else take the responsibility and you'll be rewarded for it. The red team must be feeling gutted because there is no one on that team who deserves to go. Jo can be annoying but her buoyancy is a good counterfoil to the introspection of a couple of the other members. Kristie is extremely clear in her thinking and Adro is downright 100%. It is clear why Ruth has been so swamped both by her fat and her emotions. For her to have two tiny children with heart conditions must be a huge and worrying burden. Shane is getting happier and has lost so much weight this week..but for them to face another elimination after having to eliminate Dave, when they have put their heart and soul into it, was demonstrably unfair tonight. Okay, so life isn't fair and they might as well know it.It was awful Bob lost his mother so suddenly and it was clear the people thought very highly of him . It had its positive impact though and it's always odd how a terrible occurrence can impact in a positive way. The two teams could work as one for a bit and the interaction was so much healthier and they looked so much happier as a single unit.There was a real cameraderie and a real cpacity to challenge each other in a nice way. Jillian was astounding. It gave us a chance to see just how expert she is in managing human behaviour and physical training. She is an amazing woman with such a huge capacity to improve others. The truck challenge was incredible. You could see what a big effect it had on all of them physically and emotionally but the blue team had a good coach even if he wasn't able to physically participate. Big Wal has a lot of talent and skill and you would be safe in his hands in a fire. He is emotionally and physically strong and inspires trust. It was good he has started to mend his emotional problems. He has a good capacity to learn and I think it's his emotional side which has benefitted from the programme. But for the red team to have to lose another? No, that is so wrong. So the rules are positively discriminating against the ones who are being very genuine...and we are talking about people and we are talking about weight.
I am not looking forward to Monday. It will be an injustice whichever way it goes and it could do a lot of damage to people who are precariously balanced. The blue team has not had to be emotionally gutted. This is the third time for the reds because the Harbour Bridge was awful for them. I just hope my belief that life never gives you anything you cannot deal with is true.

Our values or go home: Costello

Our values or go home: Costello:

"PETER Costello has lashed out at 'mushy misguided multiculturalism,' warning that Australian values are 'not optional' — and that migrants who do not share them should be stripped of their citizenship."

Very 1950s/1960s. People used to offer British people a zac (5 cents) as a down payment on their return trip home if they said anything against Australia. Took years for that approach to immigrants to change and it was a major breakthough for the Brits, the Italians and the Greeks when that wore off and we were accepted as citizens until some MP made British people aliens until they were naturalised Australian citizens . Until then they had been citizens because this was a Commonwealth country. Plus ça change....

PM stops short of making any 'bloody' comments.

PM stops short of making any 'bloody' comments. :

"The ads feature a variety of Australian scenes and end with a bikini clad woman on a beach asking potential tourists 'where the bloody hell are you?'"

Maybe we need to try it out on some potential tourists and get some feed back. I don't see the idea as controversial to use bloody in an ad, but it's not really beach language. Nor is it Prime Minister language and Kim Beasley is righy that we'd say if you drink and drive, you're a bloody idiot. We probably wouldn't say bloody to people we don't know. It's something we might use with people we know well or with the drink/driving behaviour. So our politicians have zeroed in on the problem with the ads. It's really not how we are anymore. It's very dated and that's the real issue. We know the culture behind it but overseas people don't and it only perpetuates a culture we don't have. Very mid last century, don't you think? I don't know, you bloody work it out.

Lovely weather for the ducks

It has been lovely weather for the ducks and the north of the city seems to have taken a hammering again with flooding. No such thing as normal rain anymore. Always to excess and extreme and always to cause damage ,inconvenience and trauma. What happened to just weather? The flooding around the place is also bringing snakes out and we do not have kind, gentle snakes. So we need to have a look at how we will manage this excess water which drops from heaven, not just here but elsewhere in the world. We need to make some fundamental changes so we are not constantly awash and our homes ruined and destroyed. Maybe the pole houses will make a comeback. There is a great one in one of the gullies around here and I can't quite remember where or I'd get a photo of it. The difficulty with pole houses is how to keep pets and children safe.

Store Wars

Store Wars

Join the organic rebellion and learn the ways of the farm. Not just educational, this site is hilarious. You must see the movie and save Princess Lettuce. Inspired . May the farm be with you!

Bush's Asia Trip Meets Low Expectations

Bush's Asia Trip Meets Low Expectations:

"As Bush wrapped up his stay in Beijing on Sunday and prepared to head home Monday after a brief stop in Mongolia, the trip has produced no real breakthroughs of any sort. On a wide variety of issues, from trade to security to human rights, Bush won no concrete agreements from any of his summit partners."

I don't think as the head of one powerful country going to meet the nations in another powerful country you should expect anything. I think expecting isn't what you do. I think meeting and greeting is what you do. If you cannot meet people on an equal footing without doing deals you forget the value of knowledge, knowing and being social companions. I think you forget you can meet people and if your meetings have gone when you develop relationships. I think the very fact Mr. Bush, as President of America, has gone to spend time with people in Asia and shown a willingness to be with them is a great step forward. Think about it. If someone only came over to your home to make a deal with you, how would you feel about them and would you consider them to be your friend? Don't you value the people you spend time with,whose company you enjoy and then, when you might need to do deals, you can call upon them for help or whatever it is you need?

Schools

7news national news:

"In 2005 there were 3.35 million full-time school students and the proportion of these students attending government schools was 67.1 per cent, down from 71 per cent in 1995.

The ABS Schools Census showed that over the decade to 2005, the proportion of 17-year-olds enrolled as full-time students increased from 58.6 per cent to 63.5 per cent."

Young people need to stay at school. It makes better thinkers of them and gives them a chance to get some skills to use to build their lives and that's all parents and schools can do, give kids as many skills and useful values as they can so they can forge a successful life...whatever that might mean.There was an article a couple of weeks back about how schools really helped with the the socialisation of disabled people but these skills were being lost as they left school for the wider community because nothing was there to extend what had happened at school. The shift from the state to the private system in the last decade should not be a surprise because most things in the last decade have drifted to the user does and the user pays. Print your own photos, send your own letters, fill out your own tax. We sat down one day and listed off a whole list of things we all do which we used to pay to have done. Our lives are increasingly cluttered with busy work. Download your own films. Make your own film theatre. Life has quite changed. When enrolments increase in private school then the state schools are being closed down and the land sold. It is happening to smaller private schools too and I hear we are getting a big new Catholic private school in Adelaide but people seem unclear as to the location. I think the trend will be to bigger , "more cost effective" schools full stop. Nothing escapes financial scrutiny in an economy. The conglomerate model seems to be a real feature of modern living. Lump it all together and save overall costs. No wonder boutique hotels and business can attract such a range of loyal customers. We thrive on unique and are starting to be deprived of it.

Manners Matter

MannersMatterUK:

"Great, you found us. We guess you have a question about protocol or good manners. We also guess that you want to get it right. That’s what we are here for."

It took me a while to actually find a site where good manners are explained. Why? We were talking today about how some simple courtesies seemed to be lacking and that we believed they should be reinstated. Something as simple as looking someone in the eye when you shake their hand, even exchanging a word or two with them, or smiling and saying hello if you walked past someone in a building. We started talking around it. If you were unaware there were such things as social graces you would be oblivious to the fact that public toilets are a social space, that the Japanese have a BBQ etiquette, that the Scots have a kilt culture and that what you consider to be polite would be considered offensive elsewhere. In Australia when you go shopping you prefer to be left alone. You walk into a shop and quietly or independently peruse what you wish. If you go to a bakery shop you quietly wait your turn. In some countries people would think it very rude to walk into a shop and not acknowledge the owner or the sales staff...at least say hello to them. In some countries you also need to chat to the shop owners as you peruse their goods. We would consider that being a bother to the owner and getting in their way. Then the mobile phone etiquette. We have more or less reached agreement they should be turned off in meetings and no one should pick up during a meeting. Some people persist. Fewer and fewer people are on mobiles on public transport because anyone privy to a mobile call on a train or a bus is getting way too much information a lot of the time and we have rethought that. You can do that in Adelaide because the word goes round pretty fast. So, we need a forum to jog people along about manners and politesse because they do smooth the way if they are not excessive. They really are social niceties.

Drug test kits

7news stories:

"It will take just seven minutes and cost less than $25 for parents to test their children for illicit drugs when a Perth company releases its new saliva test in pharmacies in May."

So how will you get a 15 year old to give you some saliva so you can test it??? I cannot see this working. I have known parents to get medical help with testing when their son/daughter has had another ailment and as far as I can tell that early medical intervention has been really helpful and has worked even though the child was initially upset about being "conned". The interview between child and doctor has not necessarily included the parent. That has been negotiated. It has saved a lot of expense and heartbreak down the track. I cannot see a home testing kit working. I am sure it'll all blow out of control and I still can't see how you could do it if the child were to be reluctant. A parent has a duty of care and a will to care, but I think you leave some issues to professionals. It is a really tough thing to go through as a parent. They need help and support, but this kit? Maybe someone who's seen it work can speak up!

Rocket launcher found in home

The Australian: Rocket launcher found in home :

"A PERTH man has been charged with firearms possession after a large cache of weapons and military equipment, including a rocket launcher, was allegedly found at his home.

The 31-year-old man is due to appear in the Joondalup Magistrates Court on Friday to face three charges of aggravated possession of firearms, police said.

The charges were laid after Tactical Investigation Group officers seized the weapons and military equipment from a home in the Perth suburb of Merriwa.

The items allegedly seized also included three pistols, five home-made projectiles, a shotgun, a stun gun, a crossbow and an infra-red trip wire, officers said.

Also seized were ballistic vests and helmets, a silencer and laser sight, and an assorted range of ammunition, police alleged."

I don't normally publish the whole article , but I am gobsmacked with the amount of weaponry in a suburban home these days!! Who needs this much protecting and who , in Australia, needs a list of weapons like this? What was the plan? How do people not notice this was being brought home or did they notice and thought they had better keep quiet? How would you safely notify about someone like this? BUT...where on earth did he buy it and didn't anyone notice he was buying it??? Where did the military equipment come from? Don't people notice when it goes missing?? Thank heavens the Tactical Investigation Group were on the ball and if they have to confront this, how safe are they and how well trained are they? Can't we X Ray houses like we do baggage??? I'd hate to live next door to that lot!

Site axes MP over 'fake' e-mails

Site axes MP over 'fake' e-mails: "Conservative Iain Liddell-Grainger was disqualified from the writetothem.com league table after sending five messages from a hotmail account."

What are they doing and what are they thinking? Obviously they need to be getting on with their job and stop fiddling with emails. Okay, so they send themselves emails to prove the site is bunkum. Yes? If they get more mail if it is sent directly to MPs...well, answer those emails instead of fiddling with a site. I just do not get it. This is a very strange article and I am sure the MPs involved are not that strange. Ratings. We know about ratings. Doesn't matter what the ratings are the polls will come out as they come out on the day...and sometimes it's much to the surprise of all concerned. Ratings are NOT valid. We know that.

Cyclones? Don't blame climate change

News in Science - Cyclones? Don't blame climate change -
:

"'These last two years were probably the most severe ... since the satellite era began [about 40 years ago],' he says.

But he says evidence linking this to climate change is inconclusive or lacking."

We live in an age of inclusivity. Can't get the right data or valid data. The data is always spurious and unreliable for one reason or another so we wander around with vague notions these days and it makes us vulnerable. We can now get great pictures of cyclones because the satellite technology has improved. We can track them, describe them...but we can't say if they are more frequent, more intense or more destructive than before because we now have different technology. More people live in places where cyclones hit so they certainly cost more. Knowing they are coming is not necessarily a protection to those being hit by a cyclone. Sea levels are rising so we can increase the water damage. So, what are we poor earthlings to do? What is the best advice you can provide us with? Should we live elsewhere? Should we develop cyclone proof housing? Should we relocate around the world? What can we do about the rising sea levels? If more damage and death will occur, how can we protect ourselves from that?

Technology proposed to cut road toll

Technology proposed to cut road toll :

"He said effective technology included alcohol interlock systems where a driver must blow into a breath-testing device before a car will start."

I can't imagine puffing into my car to get an alcohol reading before I can drive it...I think I'd be laughing a lot...and people would be worrying what on earth I was doing, but seriously, it's maybe not such a silly idea and at least people are trying to provide solutions to what is becoming a stupid cause of death. We can look at the penalties and we can look at advertising campaigns again...but, prevention is always better than cure. Why do drunks suddenly think they are invincible as drivers again???It needs something like that smoking ad where they turn everything back to front and that is good advertising.

Blind eye to wheat kickbacks

Blind eye to wheat kickbacks :

"AUSTRALIAN government officials have known for at least five years that Saddam Hussein was corrupting the oil-for-food program but, like the UN, turned a 'blind eye to it', according to evidence at the Cole inquiry."

290 million dollars had been supplied to Saddam Hussein's regime in the lead up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. I realise the Cole inquiry is not finished and that we have more to hear, so I'm still not listening to any of this. So, we have been doing this since 2001 and no one noticed? Okay. I also read somewhere that 65 other countries had paid kick backs to the regime. 65? That's a lot of countries. Maybe they were wrong. And these countries didn't know either? I do believe there is very great need for greater control over government financial affairs and that large sums of money going out from big companies ought to be noticeable unless they have dreadful accountants. Only a few noughts. Don't suppose it mattered. Maybe it's just like my losing 10 dollars. In the scheme of things I probably wouldn't notice. I'm not the government though and I am not a big business. I'd be worried if someone in my business could syphon off at least 6 noughts with a couple of numbers attached.

The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser
The site has David advertised as the sentimental favourite. I don't think that's quite true. He was valued as a human being and he was valued because he had to put in far more effort to make a small gain and they were all aware of how serious that challenge was for him on Sydney Harbour Bridge. He had given a lot. He was an emotional support even though he was carrying so much weight he could hold them up as a team in a flat out challenge. His worth was acknowledged but they made the pragmatic decision of letting him go. Seeing how well he looked and how happy and fit he was "out in the wild" was fantastic. He needed to do it in his own way in his own time so that he could come to grips with the massive obstacles he was confronting as a human being. To pile peer pressure on top was cruel. I look forward to seeing him going from surviving to thriving. The blue team looks good on the outside but they do not have the understanding of each other the red team is developing. The red team members are valuing each other as people and are working on the strengths and are compassionate and direct about the weaknesses. As such they have an inner strength and a trust which could serve them well, perhaps not on the show, we'll see, but as they pursue this off the show. I have nothing but admiration for the expertise of the trainers Bob and Gillian who are both very down to earth, direct and very good at people skills and problem solving. They have a way around everything and can very quickly turn negative to positive. It's a wonderful thing to watch them in action. It was a nice touch for them to bring messages from American Losers which our people found moving and inspiring. They are still hurting. They cry a lot! Under all that fat is a lot of grief. I hope later on down the track some of our guys can send messages over to America because the people to people stuff seems to help the resilience of the team members. It's true what the American Losers said about people taking inspiration from a programme like this. I have lost count of the number of people out there walking and who have signed up to fitness classes. I laughed my head off when the blue team was sweating doing yoga, because it is something I have practised for a long time. It's not woosie. It's not dopey, hippie stuff. You actually have to be quite strong and it develops strength and agility. Bit like the ad with all the workers doing Tai Chi. You image of these things can be quite wrong until you actually try and do it yourself. A few people have started to fray at the edges tonight on the programme so it'll be interesting to see how it all goes by the end of the week. I wonder if Bob is going home for good and if Gillian will be the lone trainer?? I love the hands on stuff they do with peopple. I think that is so important to showing approval and getting trust. It's a basic human thing and they seem to do it naturally.

Xenophon 'genuine'

The Advertiser: Xenophon 'genuine' :

"'He is the only politician I would say is genuine; the only one who is willing to go out on a limb and he is the only one who listened to what I had to say,' she said."

South Australia would be duller and more tired without our independent Nick Xenophon. He brings issues the public has a concern about in front to the media. To accuse him of being manipulating and populist means he must be successful because politicians are only attacked and called names when they are being successful. It's an old, worn out strategy. Sticks and stones stuff. Mr. Xenophon became very popular because he has a committed No pokies stance since the increase of these machines has created more misery for families. They are everywhere and given 10% of the population will become addicted to something, it is something we do need to think about. He keeps us thinking. He presents clear cut, well articulated arguments. He speaks his truth. He is able to counter argue intelligently, so to be jealous of him is probably understandable. To try and malign him doesn't make sense. We have a range of good MPs in SA who don't come out with the party line and who will discuss things sensible. I think they need to be encouraged to keep it up. If we don't agree, we are free to air our thoughts. It's a sign of a healthy, mature leadership model.

Accused hit-run driver's family 'faces death threats'.

Accused hit-run driver's family 'faces death threats'.:

"The mother of a man charged over the accident that killed six teenagers in Victoria's north-west says his children have received death threats."

This is terrible pain and grief speaking but his children have done nothing. It's cruel. They too are suffering from what occurred and the ins and outs of it will be come clear in time. We were all thinking of those families this morning and how the community would go to school without six of its teenagers. We actually thought you just wouldn't know what you might do or not do if you killed six people. The trial and associated inquiries will make it all clear...but his children need as much help and support as the grieving families of the teenagers who were killed. It is as huge in its impact as the Australian cycling team accident in Germany. We are all thinking about it.

Don't Be Fooled by Greenwash Advertising

CorpWatch : Don't Be Fooled by Greenwash Advertising:

"This year's report names 10 companies, ranging from oil to food companies, which are attempting to create the image of environmental friendliness while diverting attention from their poor environmental track records. 'Don't Be Fooled' also contains a brief explanation and history of greenwashing, a look at how organizations like the Federal Trade Commission are combating misleading claims, and easy-to-follow tips for consumers to use when making everyday purchases."

This is one of the sites which is a greenwash watch dog. It's all very well having bioethical goods and standards, but we have to keep everyone honest!

"Greenwash" is defined in the 10th edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary as the "disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image." Its inclusion in the dictionary indicates the significance and permanence of a growing trend among corporations to take advantage of the many consumers who look for products with negative environmental impact."

The Green Life is a site which publishes a greenwasher of the month and gives other useful information. Don't be hoodwinked by greenwash!

Bono Sees Red at Edun

Bono Sees Red at Edun, Dishes on His Global Plan for a New Brand :

"Having lost a significant percentage of the world trade since the 1970s, Africa is missing out on billions of dollars a year that could dramatically improve its current crisis situation. Alongside Edun, Bono and Bobby Shriver have teamed up with Georgio Armani, American Express, Converse and The Gap, on another fashion and luxury front for Red, a brand designed to further engage the consumer about this state of 'emergency.'"

Bono and his wife Ali have already done a considerable amount in helping to fight against AIDS in Africa , but he is now on the ethical goods trail, the greenwash, the way of getting big companies and names to think about how they are utilising under developed nations to create profit for themselves with little or no regard for the people of the country. Ethical goods are starting to make a significant impact on our market. We don't like to think people or animals are being treated badly just so we can get things at a better price. Some poeple think this is a bad idea because it gives companies like Nike a chance to salve their consciences. I should have thought it was a good thing. If people like Bono can rally us and inform us , then we, the consumers, can put our money into products where the nations have been given good working conditions and where they share in the profits. I don't want little children embroidering my clothes unless they want to for a while each day. There is nothing wrong with constructive activities. When companies use that to make long, hard hours for children and their families, that is disgusting. I want to know these people are given a fair wage as I am.Bono is trying to use his bioethical goods as a way of raising more funds for his AIDS programme. We need more initiatives like this because most of us want to help other people not do them in.

Dead still receiving welfare

The Australian: Dead still receiving welfare:

"ALMOST 1.5 million Centrelink clients are dead, a new report has found. More than 27,000 have never been born, 33 died but never saw the light of day, and one client was born two months after they died, according to the records.

An audit of Centrelink's client records has identified a series of anomalies and errors that increase the risk of incorrect payments."

"The Australian National Audit Office found the system functioned well overall." Who are they trying to convince? Room for improvement?? I should say so. Is it because the information is stored on computers or the people keying in the information and when people end up witht he same tax file number, that is serious...for all 7000 of them. At eh very least you build in a pop up which says, "someone already has this number." The whole system is rather wavy around the edges it would seem. So much for slick governance.

Abbott seeks to boost organ donation rate.

Abbott seeks to boost organ donation rate. :

"Australia has one of the best success rates for organ transplants but has one of the lowest organ donor rates internationally."

You cannot tell people how they will be when they are confronted with the loss of someone they know and love. You cannot make it cut and dried. Given how things go when people die, you cannot count on the families being properly consulted and included in the loop when it comes to organ donation. You cannot say people are selfish when the loss of someone can send them spinning into oblivion for years. Organ donation is sensible and altruistic but the practice can be very distressing when it is your child, your sister, your husband, your mother. It becomes very personal and therefore needs to be handled better. If we are poor at donating there will be a very human reason for that. In our family we have discussed it quite openly. My own belief is the ones who are surviving need to make the decision because sometimes you really are not in the frame of mind to allow that dead person to be cut open. Sometimes it is done with a great deal of insensitivity to those who are left grieving. So, we need to sort out the procedures and the protocols for the living and then we might be more comfortable with the notion of donating.

Frozen 1400-year-old moccasin found

Frozen 1400-year-old moccasin found:

"ARCHEOLOGISTS studying melting alpine ice for clues on early life in Canada's north have uncovered a 1400-year-old moccasin, officials said."

This is the oldest aboriginal moccasin found in Canada. I bet our slippers wouldn't last 1400 years! What on earth was it made of?

Airing of economy taken up already

The Advertiser: Airing of economy taken up already :

"'At a time when the South Australian economy has rarely been stronger, the Government is happy to re-confirm its pro-business, pro-growth and pro-jobs stance,' Treasurer Kevin Foley said."

When you look at the list of recommendations, they obviously didn't sit on their backsides yesterday at the Convention Centre shooting the breeze and that's all we ask of our politicians and key stake holders: that they look at our issues and come up with ways and means of improving our lot and future . These sorts of crucial meetings between parties with the capacity to effect change should be occurring more often so that people are working together and as part of a cohort with the same sense of purpose...in this case, the health and well being of the state and the people who live in it. SA has always been a go ahead state with regard to work place achievement and relations and we have always done it through negotiation and then, lists of recommendations which we agree to and we do implement. Once decided, we will all fall into place and play our part if the issues have been debated fairly and well. Well done, folks!!

Train runs again after 40 years

Train runs again after 40 years :

"'We belong to this desert. This sand does not distinguish between Hindu and Muslim. This is sand of my own people,' he said, his voice filled with emotion."

Years ago I read a novel Train to Pakistan by Kushwant Singh and it was a very powerful, moving novel about the seemingly never ending divide between India and Pakistan. It is so incredible to hear the train will run again, that people are so excited and positive about it and that it will provide a way to link these two people. 12000 people bade the train farewell in Pakistan, that it how important the event is to these people. What an historic moment and so many stories to tell.

Mardi Gras, New Orleans

Mardi Gras makes a comeback after hurricane
"Before Katrina, more than ten million visitors came to New Orleans every year, creating 75,000 jobs. Now there are hardly any, and the city is losing more than £8 million a day in tourism income."

The Mardi Gras may be shorter than usual this year but it's a sign of the wonderful resilience of the people of New Orleans and the opening of other tourist attractions, like the celebration of the playwright Tennessee Williams, the annual Jazz Festival and the distaster tours. Some areas are still unavailable because they are still recovering human remains. There are still curfews, lack of electricity in some areas and obviously a lot of work still to be done. We often think of the people of New Orleans and what they have had to cope with and manage. If it's any consolation to them, it's what keeps our mouths shut when the going gets tough...we are not having to manage what the people of New Orleans have had to manage and for that we should be grateful and then we think of them and wish them well. May you all enjoy your Mardi Gras and party on!!

Cheney's gun victim 'sorry for the trouble'

Scotsman.com Cheney's gun victim 'sorry for the trouble':

"THE lawyer shot by Dick Cheney during a hunting trip said yesterday he was sorry for all the trouble the United States vice-president had faced over the past week."

There's a saying that "it could only happen in America", but I do not believe Americans will be happy about this at all. We saw Harry Whittington's apology(!!!) on the news tonight. He looks shaken, ill and very fragile and there he was apologising for him and his family causing "everything" which had happened to Dick Cheney and his family. There has been some discussion about how the accident occurred and at what distance the gun was fired, but there has been no discussion of the fact Dick Cheney shot this man and that it also contributed to a heart attack for this man. That he has come on televsion to apologise for what? Being there while someone shot him?? It's not something you pretend didn't happen and that it has been made to seem that the victim should be ashamed of himself is ghastly. I do hope this is set right and that the man who was shot gets the sympathy and equity he deserves. I could not believe it. The world is mad, truly. It's a bit like women have to feel really bad about being beaten up. "It was her fault, she asked for it". I hope this is cleared up in a fair and proper way because it was not his fault someone shot him. I cannot stand this back to front thinking we engage in.

MORE INCOME FROM WATCHING THAN CATCHING?

MORE INCOME FROM WATCHING THAN CATCHING?:

"It may possibly not take long before the income from whale watching may exceed that income which possibly could be generated by whaling, if it were resumed, at least if the risk which accompanies whaling for Icelandic export markets is taken into account.'"

This was written 10 years ago and whale watchin as a local and tourist attraction here has grown even bigger. The Thames whale, even though the story had a sad ending, demonstrated so well the pleasure and joy people have from seeing whales and the way they will put themselves out if there is a chance to see a whale. So the question still stands... do more people derive more pleasure and income from WATCHING whales rather than from catching and eating them? How much money is generated from dead whales as opposed to live ones. Come on, let's look at the fiscal side of this because, in this world, it's all about money.

Whale Meat Tainted

Animal Planet :: Whale Meat Tainted:

"'Contaminated cetacean (whale, dolphin and porpoise) products are widely available in Japan's retail outlets,' according to the report, conducted by a British-based environmental watchdog which made seafood purchases in stores across Japan and then had them analyzed for toxicity and genetic ID."

What's that going to do to our dogs if we feed them food contaminated with mercury? If whalemeat is put into Sealord food for human consumption, why would we want to be increasing the mercury in our systems? Don't we have enough problems with lead poisoning, depleted ozone layers and increased exposure to UV rays? I gather we like to live dangerously.

Japan comes close to win on whaling

The Australian: Japan comes close to win on whaling :

"At the very least, it is feared Japan has sufficient support to overturn the IWC's official opposition to so-called 'scientific' whaling and to stage a take-over of the IWC's committees."

Sad day indeed, especially when the whale meat ends up with the dead caged chickens in our dog food. What is the matter with us?

Teen peanut death prompts team

The Australian: Teen peanut death prompts team :

"Hamidur Rahman, 13, died from an anaphylactic reaction at a school excursion in March 2002. The NSW Coroner then recommended staff at NSW schools and childcare centres receive allergy awareness training."

This is terrible that such a young boy has died from a peanut butter allergy on a school excursion. So sad. But I don't actually understand why people are suddenly so very allergic tp peanuts. Peanuts have been peanuts and if I am having trouble getting my head around them being seriously dangerous then I think we just don't exactly understand why this is happening. We know about fatal shell fish allergies. I have a sister in law who gets into a life threatening state with just a smidge of shell fish. But peanuts? We have all been through school. We have all eaten peanuts and peanut butter . They are widely eaten and family staples like Weet-bix and Vegemite. Suddenly there is talk of epipens and deaths and we don't actually understand. I watch mothers a kids reading chocolate bars at the supermarket to check for peanuts, so I am starting to realise this really is serious. So why now? Why peanuts? Allergic reactions didn't used to be life threatening. Why are they now? Once we understand that , we will get it and adjust. I don't think we have had this explained so we understand it.It's like hearing that jam is life threatening. Why weren't people allergic before? This is such a terrible thing for the boy's family, his school and his friends.

Environmentalists urge Govt to change 'outdated' act.

Environmentalists urge Govt to change 'outdated' act. :

"'The company has inherited an old, outdated act that means they're exempt from the environment laws in South Australia and we believe that should be repealed and just like everyone else they should have to go through modern approval processes,' he said."

Why have laws if certain groups and businesses can live outside them? If have we done all that work on the environment, and we have, would we put that at risk? I am certain it can all be resolved within our legal framework and environmental policies.

Croc takes up residence in carport.

Croc takes up residence in carport. :

"'You know I've been here 12 years and I've never seen a croc walking around the houses. I suddenly thought, oh I don't want to think this ... I don't want to have to be careful when I'm walking around at night,' he said."

At first he thought it was a goanna. It would be your worst nightmare to find a crocodile in your driveway. I mean there is no spray against them. I can spray my driveway for ants and spiders, but crocodiles? What would you do?? When the crocdile was caught it had to spend the night in the ranger's tub!! Just what you need to see in the morning...OMG. And what about the children? I wish Ian White well because I bet he is all eyes at the moment!

Tiger poo may help farmers combat feral animals.

Tiger poo may help farmers combat feral animals. :

"'Rather than going out there and erecting a fence which costs money, if you can go out there with one person who can just sprinkle this almost like fertiliser sized pellets around to keep your herbivores away, then that's going to reduce costs not only in terms of material but in manpower,' she said."

Just how organic, easy, straightforward and cost effective would it be if the tiger poo exptract could be used to keep feral animals at bay? It is working with goats. It's so l;ogical when you think about it so why have we taken so long to come up with it? Because we have lived so far away from nature. No guns, no fences, no fence repairs, no bait, no mess, no fuss. I hope the trials work and we can live with such a simply solution to such a pesky problem.

U.N. Game Wins Hearts and Minds

Wired News: U.N. Game Wins Hearts and Minds:

"Created by the United Nations World Food Programme, Food Force is made up of six stages, each one built around a certain aspect of the emergency food program's operations."

There is plenty of room in the market for games which have something else to offer other than destruction. The selection available is very narrow. The Playstation 2 Kinetics fitness games is well used and popular in this home and it's good to see organisations like the UN creating games which help other understand and appreciate some of the world issues. Maybe we need a global warming game from the climate scientists and a peace game form the Ministry of Peace.

Meet the new Lara Croft

Meet the new Lara Croft:

"Karima Adebibe, a 20-year-old from London, was chosen from thousands of hopefuls, and will now embark on a gruelling training programme to prepare her for the role."

Even though Lara Croft appears to have been designed with men in mind, Tombraider games have been very much enjoyed by my daughter. Angelina Jolie was a great Lara Croft so it'll be intersting to see how Karima Adebibe shapes up!

Doctors remove 11cm worm from woman's eye

Doctors remove 11cm worm from woman's eye :

"Doctors at a clinic in Kragujevac, central Serbia, have removed an 11 centimetre-long intestinal worm from a woman's eye socket."

Oh, yuuuuuuuuuuuck! Yuuuuuuuuck! It's an intestinal parasite from pigs. Oh, how disgusting. Poor lady.

The Biggest Loser

Jo's tears said it all for me today. It was terrible to watch them all conquer the bridge challenge. Putting Dave under that pressure and compulsion was irresponsible and dangerous in my book. His life was literally on the line because of his state of health and then the emotional pressure to perform as part of a team. Cruel. Cruel. Cruel. So when Jo's tears fell so freely my heart was crying too. No one should be put in the position of choosing the team's winning over their own health and well being and the truth is, he may be voted off for holding them up and yet he did something far greater than all of them and far greater than I sitting in my comfy chair. Cat,too, fought her own deep seated terror. I guess it was amazing to see them all, both teams galvanise as a group of human beings knowing just what had been risked for that challenge. Freaky stuff. It will be interesting to see how it plays out because the blue team made the human decision and supported the real price the red team had paid tonight for our entertainment and a team winning. They met their own challenge in the restaurant in a good way. They watched each other, enjoyed it, made some sane social and eating decisions and showed a pretty healthy approach to it all. In terms of humanity it was a great show and they are all fantastic people. The bottom line is how big you are on the inside , and on the inside they are all big people.

Internet sales bypass graffiti game ban.

Internet sales bypass graffiti game ban. :

"The chair of the Classification Review Board says she is concerned a banned computer game about graffiti is still freely available on the Internet."

So much for local laws. The Net is a law unto itself and challenging national boundaries. The game is available in Us and Europe. I suppose it's illegal to import it if it is illegal to own it here??

Scientists say galaxy ate neighbour.

Scientists say galaxy ate neighbour. :

"Astronomers have released new evidence to show that a region of stars in our galaxy known as the Arcturus stream is the digested remains of what was once a neighbouring galaxy."

That's not manners , is it?

The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser

I still haven't worked out how you can take a co operative, homogenous group and within a couple of days turn them into adversaries and complainers. Are these people really like this? If nothing else they are learning to live in their own skins, to express themselves and to come to terms with the fact that fat is only a part of the problem. The trainers, Bob and Jillian are amazing. They have first class people skills, excellent problem solving skills and are really hands on. When they woke their teams up at some ungodly hour it was all friendly, touching stuff. Messages to say, you may be fat, but you are human and you have real value. I thought that was so important. The challenge was also interesting. The blue team all held back and didn't approach the platters even though 4 of them had nice things. To them it was a defining moment as a team. The red team had 3 go forward and then put pressure on Kristie and eventually Ruth. I saw the pressure on Kristie as very negative. She no longer had a right to be an individual. But, overall, I thought the red team showed themselves more prepared to take a risk. It wasn't life threatening. It wasn't irresponisble. 4 of the platters had really good prizes. So they put themselves out there and took a risk. Adro was so embarrassed to have to eat a hamburger. He felt so bad. Jo had the cake and enjoyed every moment of it and it really didn't matter whether she did or whether she pretended she did. Psychologically no one had it over her. She had a really healthy attitude. If your life is going to fall apart because you eat a piece of cake or a hamburger then you need to take yourself back to the drawing board. And dear Wal. We saw the chinks in his armour tonight and each one of these people has a real story to tell and it's the story about why they are hiding behind all that fat. The trainers are really getting through to them very quickly and so I guess I am learning that the right person with the right skills can help turn your life around. Can't wait to see them climb Sydney Harbour Bridge...rather them than me. Just being there is a massive achievement!

Grafitti

7news stories:

"'We have fought the release of this game, which urges players to indulge in graffiti `to make a statement', since its existence was first brought to our notice in August last year.'

Mr Bell said Australian councils spent up to $60 million a year removing graffiti."

I can't believe I am saying this because I abhor grafitti. Thre is a legitimate graffiti art which one rarely sees. Most graffiti just ruis peoples fences, bus stops, buildings...it's just scribble. However, I rememeber there was a country ages ago which supplied big boards around the place and the kids were allowed to graffiti those. It supposedly lessened the graffiti elsewhere. Which country??? Is the system still working? Would the game perhaps absorb the graffiti kids and let them express their scribble in a legitimate, non offensive, anti social way? Virtual graffiti instead of real grafitti. If we spend that much on cleaning up graffiti then maybe we need an outlet and one that channels the kids. A game might work. Which means I want tests. Case studies. Experiments. I agree if graffiti is illegal and we have harsh penalties for it we can't just let the game ontothe market. I do think we need to stay constructive in our thinking towards graffiti because we have a number of programmes which work and have lessened the impact and have changed behaviour.

Killer drought threatens to end way of life for nomadic African tribes

Scotsman.com Killer drought threatens to end way of life for nomadic African tribes:
"The youngsters' wish to break with centuries of family tradition dovetails with the views of famine experts who say education is vital to help the cattle-dependent African societies to cope better with future disasters.

They say man is largely to blame for the crisis, because years of over-grazing have left the impoverished area vulnerable to long spells of dry weather. More schooling would help to diversify livelihoods and ease pressure on the land."

Tribal lifestyles are being threatened everywhere because of the weather and global warming. The South Pacific Islands are facing flooding; areas of Indonesia were hard hit by the tsunami and Africa believes education will help their people become more flexible and less land dependent but the families have to take their children out of school to find water to survive. It would be a terrible loss to the world to lose tribal cultures when , for centures, they have lived with weather and natural phenomena and survived. Suddenly it has all changed. No one should have to starve nor totally lose their lifestyle because of weather.

Man jailed over $125m drug bust.

Man jailed over $125m drug bust. : "Justice James Douglas sentenced Tsay to 14 years jail, with a non-parole period of 10 years."

No wonder our young ones are getting confused and in great trouble overseas. Life isn't fair and they should know better but you learn your values at home and from your culture. Thank heavens we were alert enough to pick this up . Great work.

High speed chases

Drivers in high-speed chases may be jailed. :

"Drivers involved in high-speed police chases would be jailed for up to five years under new legislation proposed by the South Australian Government."

We'll see if raising the pain level works. I had an interesting drive to work. I left 5 mins later than usual and I tell you, I won't be doing that tomorrow. I was doing the 100K speed limit and there were quite a few cars on the road and suddenly a white van sped past us all on the hard shoulder...so he was undertaking rather than overtaking and continued in excess of the speed limit for the rest of the time I could see him. At the same time a P plater in a red car was speeding past me to over take me but tailgating the car in front of him to push it quite a bit over the speed limit. At one stage we all had to brake and I guess were lucky we had kept our heads, our wyes on the road and our reasoning intact. Defensive driving avoided any repercussions from those two, but it was not fun. Adelaide used to be a pleasant drive!!

The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser

Maybe I shall end up posting about this every day. It really is revealing. How can you take an essentially homogenous group and turn it into two teams which are then rivals? I don't really like the adversarial approach and I'd hate to think that a homogenous group will be turned into winners and losers by creating enmity. Someone commented on how "ruthless" Ruth was, but maybe she is the red team's protection and strength because she says it how it could well be and thereby alerts them and prevents them from being gullible. On the other hand, I like their approach. They do consider ALL the people and how it might be in someone else's shoes. The blue team appears to be the one with the the best sense of self, but maybe that's only on the outside. It was good to see how the two different trainers adopted a different approach but still creatied a positive outcome for their teams. It was also good to see some of the reasons for these people hiding behind all their fat, because that is basically what it's about. Fat insulates you against pain, or so you think. There is such a human side to this show and I can well imagine a number of people will draw inspiration and comfort from it. You can be that big, you are still a person and you still have a thin person inside of you. I don't like this adversarial stance, but I haven't seen the whole show yeat and I can see , already, the people are more confident than they were yesterday. They are people with a place and a purpose. And it was so good to see big Wal, everybody's tower of strength, doing some vacuuming! Big men can be dust busters too!

Legal threat over cartoon hoax

Legal threat over cartoon hoax : "

'I think to step into that minefield would be crazy.'

Leunig said he felt shocked, distressed and angry when a concerned executive from his newspaper contacted him last night about the cartoons."

I am with him. Leunig is one of my all time favourite cartoonists and he is brilliant..but his work belongs to him. Treating others with such impunity is reprehensible and completely denies the right of the individual to be in control of their life and work. I hope he is able to get to the bottom of it. Outrageous. We keep being pushed over the edge. It's a sick, sick world because the boundaries have lost their elasticity. The worst thing, is it stops people with real talent from utilising their gifts and sharing them with us. It's the worst form of censorship to besmirch others in such a fashion.

Leaders baulk at call to face public forum

The Advertiser: Leaders baulk at call to face public forum : "Premier Mike Rann yesterday rejected an invitation from The Advertiser to attend a People's Parliament, while Opposition Leader Rob Kerin did not commit."

Leaders ought to be able to think on their feet. Leaders ought to be able to discuss intelligently on the spot. Our economy has trained them to be an image, to have spin, that nothing is more important than the slogan, the jingo and the one right thought which can be expressed in one sentence. I understand why they have declines. One false move and they could see themselves lampooned, crucified and ripped aprt in the media for weeks to come. It could mean the end of their career. When we are adult enough to let people tlak openly and honestly, when we are not coing to massacre them because we didn't like a gesture, a shirt, a hand movement, epithet, opinion...when the rules are about decent, open discussion, then I think we'd move far forward and our leaders would breathe a sight of relief. The other problem , of course, is out in the open, they are a target for nutters. So...what about an online forum and some of the questions could be prepublished? Pretty sad when we, as a community just can thrash things out...but the walls have ears and we have seen enough people meet an early demise.

Vietnam bans fruity website name

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Vietnam bans fruity website name: "A website hoping to promote grapefruit in Vietnam has been banned from using the fruit's name because of official fears of a mix-up with a penis."

Don't know about you, but I have never had difficulty distinguishing a grapefruit from a penis. Ah, but wait, there is a logical explanation to this. If the intonation of the word for grapefruit- buoi - is intoned wrongly, people might misunderstand it. As a consequence the site contravenes the Vietnamese policies for websites. Intersting comment on the validity of the written word as opposed to the spoken word. Interesting comment,too, abot how the Vietnamese are sensitive to not offending others. So, I guess their nation will have some linguistic considerations now that the web is here and they have grapefruit to sell.

Bonne Saint-Valentin

Bisous, bisous, plein de smaks!

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope you are enjoying Valentine's Day. There has been a bit of fun around the place today and all nice stuff. I dont mind it at all when things like Firefox let us have nice pikkies to celebrate with! Good bit of cameraderie.

The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser
I can't say that I am one for reality shows, but I made up my mind I would watch this one and get in their for the fat people. As an ex fattie from way, way back, I know the pain, the blackness and the overwhelming feelings of inadequacy no matter what public image you can exude. I wasn't disappointed. I have nothing but compassion and admiration for these people and it's good to see a show that is helping people to do something positive with their lives. A show which takes the tough stuff in life and turns it into something good is valuable. I missed the American version which was on a while back because the timing was all wrong. The Aussies have spirit, they have laid themselves bare, they have formed a cameraderie based on care and I cannot help but feel this show will do a lot of good. It is all very well saying, telling and targetting. In the end, you have to challenge people but give them some care, respect and consideration if you want them to change for the better. Bullying doesn't work. The group dynamics look good and Wal is trying to be Dad. I just hope those who are evicted have some strong support outside of the show because this is potentially extremely damaging if they are just left to themselves. I am so looking forward to seeing these people turn themselves around because their self esteem is just about rock bottom. It can only get better! It was interesting how that massive feast turned into a real turn off and aversion therapy. I was astounded by that.

C'est levee after storm that killed 1300

C'est levee after storm that killed 1300 :

"NEW Orleans' Mardi Gras season came to life yesterday as thousands of revellers lined the streets for a parade that eased the pain of hurricane Katrina."

Laissez les bons temps rouler! Let the good times roll. Heaven only know these people need some joy in their lives and what is clear to me is they are people of enormous spirit...which is good because my image of New Orleans as being that tough, but enormously imaginative environment, is not blemished. I look forward to hearing they have repaired the damage and new life has come to the stricken area. They have certainly the capacity to grasp adversity in both their hands , turn it right around and sit it on its backside.

CSIRO muzzles climate scientists

The Australian: CSIRO muzzles climate scientists :

"In claims to be aired on the ABC's Four Corners program tonight, former CSIRO climate director Graeme Pearman says he was told 'at least a half a dozen times' not to talk publicly when it reflected poorly on government policy."

Surely not. We have a lot of people with a lot of expertise. A country can only stay well informed and on top of any situation if the experts are allowed to air their views, create and lead public discussion. The government is there to lead the people. It is elected by people to govern and is entitled to express views about what it feels we need to know. I really do not think it serves us at all well, neither as a country nor a world, if knowledgeable people feel they cannot discuss their views. It keeps us all ignorant which serves no useful purpose at all.Open debate is the sign of a healthy, positive environment. Gagging people doesn't make things go away. They actually assume more importance.

Comments

Search on for female sex drug

Search on for female sex drug au:

"SCIENTISTS are on a multi-billion-dollar quest to find a drug to arouse female sexual desire."

Forget the drugs. The right person. The right person does it every time. It's the chemistry!

Fighting cancer with intestinal fortitude

The Advertiser: Fighting cancer with intestinal fortitude :


"A study published today in the Pfizer Australia Health Report reveals that embarrassment would make 60 per cent of people with bowel problems hesitate to see a doctor."

I can remember nagging someone to death who was clearly having toilet problems and didn't want to talk about it. As it turned out it was Giardiarsis which they had contracted after a long stay in a tropical climate. He was in misery and he was going to put up with it!! No...go to the doctor. I have often volunteered to go with people to the doctor if they have something they feel really uncomfortable about. At the very least I deliver them and wait in the car to hear the news. Everyone has those awful things which they don't want to face up to. My mother might have stayed alive longer had she confronted her cancer sooner. I have often wondered whether she just carried on in the hope it would go away. I have known two people who contracted bowel cancer. Once had radical surgery and has lived well and for a long time after. The other had no treatment, was 85 at the time and lived until he was 94. I think the best thing is to get it out into the open and look at the options and then some real life scenarios. People don't deal with things which are an embarrassing mystery to them. What signs? What might happen? How could you manage that doctor's trip? I am so lucky I have a doctor who takes the embarrassment out of everything and so I am never worried about asking him anything and he never treats me as "stupid". We've been through false alarms, silly carry on and serious stuff and every time he has been straight forward, friendly and can always offer me a range of options and choices and a series of ways of dealing with the practicalities of "embarrassing" conditions. I think we need to get it out of the cupboard, put it on the table and just talk about it. 60% is too high a percentage of frightened people.

Lamborghini

I guarantee you wouldn't be doing donuts in this! Take a look at the site and dream a little and drool a lot. It's a very classy, flash site with some very flashy presentations which are all class. What else would you expect?? Go on, you know you want to! I have been looking at this and looking at this...and I just cannot see myself in a car like this as much as I love the sleek lines. I cannot imagine, even if I had the money, seeing myself driving a car like this. Funny, isn't it, how you just don't see yourself doing some things and yet others have no difficulty in imagining themselves in Lambourghinis , castles and dripping diamonds. I just can't see myself in Versailles eating my toast and Vegemite for breakfast with the Lamborghini parked out the front.

Police to name and shame teens

The Advertiser: Police to name and shame teens :

"Mr Rann said he anticipated the 'naming and shaming' would only be used in extreme cases.

'For most youths the introduction of the good behaviour agreements between them and the police will provide the first step,' he said.

'If that doesn't work, if they are just too bloody minded or too feral, the next stage is an Anti-Social Behaviour Order by a court.

'The next step, the final step, is the naming and shaming."

Don't see the problem if it part of a clearly outlines series of steps and procedures designed to turn people around. One thing people have relied upon is that we shall keep it quiet and we shall pretend it didn't happen or, worse still, we shall be the ones to fix the mess and the damage caused by kids who have no boundaries. One of their best lines being, they are just a kids. Seems to excuse everything and yet, you look around you,and most kids are fantastic and have got decent lives built on a good mix of fun, futures and frolicking.

I confess, though, I was completely gobsmacked last night during the opening ceremony in Torino...which was brilliant, loved it, when they revved up that astounding red Lamborghini...drove it out onto the stadium...and we all thought it would do some laps or a bit of revving and cruising. You could hear the crowd dribbling and the gasps and feel the awesome experience it was for them...then we were all struck dumb. They took a fantastically brilliant Lamborghini and did donuts!! The crowd was as silent as I was. Their mouths would have been catching flies like mine. Donuts? In a Lamborghini??? You'd expect it in an old Monaro with the boom box blaring and the guy in the hoodie or torn sleeved shirt with half his six pack sitting squat on the front seat...but a shiny , new, dazzling Lamborghini...nup!!

Andy Symonds

Symonds, Ponting put Aussies on top

Andy Symonds has been going full steam ahead and has really come into his own this season. He and Ponting saved our bacon when Sri Lanka came out on fire today and took 3 wickets in rapid succession. We knew we'd lost the previous one dayer , but this was unbelievable. Ponting and Symonds settled in and Andy ended up getting his 150 and it was a stunning innings. Sri Lankan bowlers are deadly accurate and they have really been a great team to watch. My personal favourite is Vaas and he was the one doing the damage to our team!! The Sydney crowd are really revelling in their cricket feast.

Intelligence agencies unaware of AWB bribes: PM.

Intelligence agencies unaware of AWB bribes: PM. :

"'I have been told by ONA that there was no intelligence reporting that AWB had paid bribes to Saddam Hussein, now that's the advice that I have received.'"

Given the faulty intelligence on the WMD and the no intelligence on the AWB, best we get some proper intellence people PDQ. These people are supposed to supply us with the information we need to protect ourselves. They are supposed to be highly trained, skilled personnel. We need people who can think, who are alert, alive and who are intelligent. This is not good enough.

Blindness rate set to double

Blindness rate set to double: report :

"The incidence of blindness among elderly Australians will double in the next 20 years and cost the community an additional $3.9 billion annually unless immediate action is taken, new research has found."

They say there is no real cure; they say that smoking and ageing are the cause, but they do not explain how or why we are going to double the numbers with regard to blindness in the next 20 years. If this is the case, we do need to get on to it quick smart because with an ever increasing ageing population, it'll be the blind leading the blind. (Sorry, forgive me, I just couldn't help myself...it was just asking for it!!)

Sharks force beaches to close

Sharks force beaches to close :

"'They are big enough to cause quite a lot of damage to any swimmers who get in their way,' Ms Neil said.

She said it was uncommon to see large numbers of sharks at this time of the year near the Gold Coast."

Pretty dangerous stuff but the dharks were following a kilometre long school of bait fish. We probably don't usually get them a 100m off the coast like that because they can find their food further out. Where is there food?

Torino

The Winter Olympic opening ceremony is due to start here in just over an hour. I am really looking forward to it and I think Italy will be a great venue for the Olympics. The Italians here are already getting excited it will be coming from their home country. It does make a difference when you have some way of relating to the venue either yourself or through other people. My personal favourites are the ice skating, speed skating, ski jumping, bob sledding and ice dancing...does that sound like most of it? It's a bit of a fairy land the Winter Olympics...so let the winter wonderland begin.

Woman charged with 'smuggling human head'.

Woman charged with 'smuggling human head'. :

"'Severe stated that she had obtained the package, which contained the human head, from a male in Haiti for use as a part of her voodoo beliefs,' the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement."

So, whose head was it, where do they find these heads and who was she going to practice the voodoo on??? The head needs to go back to the place it belongs so the person can rest in peace. No, I don't suppose you would declare a skull if you planned to enchant someone. Surely she would have realised the airport surveillance would pick it up?

Islanders treasure washed-up shoe cargo.

Islanders treasure washed-up shoe cargo. :

"Nine containers packed with shoes, aluminium briefcases, toys and hamburgers, from the Hamburg-bound ship, drifted ashore on the island of Terschelling in the Netherlands after an overnight storm."

This is hilarious. I wish there were photos. Sounds like Harris Scarfe at sale time...it's chaos but fun!! Beats the pants off fossicking for shells and cuttlefish for the budgie!!

Mobile Cooking

Wymsey Weekend: A Guide to Mobile Cooking:

"Many students, and other young people, have little in the way of cooking skills but can usually get their hands on a couple of mobile phones. So, this week, we show you how to use two mobile phones to cook an egg which will make a change from phoning out for a pizza. Please note that this will not work with cordless phones."

Okay, so you need 2 mobile phones and a radio to cook eggs...who actually has a thought like that? Right, I'll just get my mobile,oh, and can I borrow yours...ah, and I might need a radio...and I'll just see if I can cook eggs with this lot??? How do you get a head that thinks like that? It's amazing what people come up with!!

Whale meat used as pet food

Giant of the sea used as petfood Times:

"One website selling whale meat for pets shows a picture of a dog with the slogans: “I’m Charlie. I love whale meat!” and “Pets love whale meat too.”

Whale burgers and whale spaghetti bolognese are appearing on school menus and the meat is being distributed to old people’s homes."

When I blogged a while ago I was writing about whale meat being used in dog food and how abnormal that was. I thank The Times for this article so that I know I hadn't imagined it. The excess whale meat is going into dog food and school dinners. Why kill so many whales? This is not logical. Why promote it to school children? There is no need for this in 2006. Times have changed. But as we have dolphin free tuna I want my pet food to be whale free and I want my food clearly labeled so that I do not buy food with whale meat.

Winter Olympics, Torino

It's hard to believe the opening ceremony will be tomorrow. I am usually really ready for my ration of Olympic Coverage. This time it's caught me on the hop!! But I look forward to seeing the team go!!

Winter Olympics


Australian Team

We want to quit at 54

The Australian: We want to quit at 54 :

"MOST Australians aim for early retirement at 54 and are confident about maintaining their lifestyle when they do, yet only one in five knows what their income would be if they retired tomorrow."

I have read studies about how older people hold companies and businesses down. How companies and businesses which employ older people are thriving. People in their 20s are already thinking about when they will retire. Is anyone getting the idea that the workplace is getting us down? Turning us off? Doing us harm? We need to look at how working hours and conditions can be modified because older people probably would stay on if it were easy to work fewer hours and have a more flexible approach. They are the backbone of a work force because they just want to work , do the job and get it right.It's about job satisfaction and steady income. Younger people are trying to amass income, gain position, build a lifestyle. The older ones steady the work place and bring a great deal of experience, knowledge and capacity to troubleshoot. Younger ones can do the show pony stuff, achieve the big bursts of energy output for specific tasks and then get the credit they want to move on to something bigger and better.Older ones can support and encourage the young, but older people are very focussed on the job. As it stands, every one seems to be disenchanted and that means a down hill slide unless conditions are redressed and can better conform to the needs of individuals and companies/businesses.

Are Japanese losing the taste for whale?

Scotsman.com News - International - Are Japanese losing the taste for whale?:

"Toshoku's plight is not unique. Some 1,000 tonnes of the meat hit the market in Japan last year, a 65 per cent increase from 1995. But slow demand means stockpiles have almost doubled in five years to 2,750 tons in 2004. In the same five-year period, the average price of whale plunged almost 30 per cent, to 2,560 yen (£12.40) a kilogramme in 2004.

However, the surplus hasn't stopped the harpoon guns. Japan plans to kill - under a 'research programme' - some 1,070 minke whales in 2006, about 400 more than last year and more than double the number it hunted a decade ago. It will also hunt ten fin whales and a total of 160 Bryde's, sei and sperm whales, a fisheries official said."

The prices may have come down because of the excess...so why kill all the whales? What's that all about? Many countries have moved on from what were traditional things to eat because life and times have changed. Real yoghurt isn't really popular anymore. We have stopped cannibalism. A lot of people no longer eat pig's trotters. Many people used to eat pungent, oily, fatty food.Poeple don't spread their bread with dripping and lard. We are the lettuce leaf society now. It is not in your DNA to eat certain foods. You eat what is the trend and what is available. Food tastes and habits change, but there is no point in eating things which are protected or which most nations/people reject. We cannot eat dogs and cats. Biologically and nutritionally there is no reason for it, but people really find it offensive and societies run on peer support and peer approval. Always have and always will.