Cyclones

Australia has taken a lot of weight on its shoulders this last couple of weeks. To the east it was category 5 cyclone Larry and the devastation of parts of North Queensland and to the west now, category 4 cyclone Glenda which dumped 150mm of rain on Dampier amongst other things. Do we want to live the this ? No. As usual they are the biggest and the best since whenever...and meanwhile lives are lost, land is destroyed, crops and animals are damaged and people, decent ordinary people are getting in there and managing the chaos. People are putting up with a lot and they are getting in there and doing what has to be done. Somehow we need to stop the chaos. Cyclones we have always had but everywhere you look on the planet it's like a 3 year old having a tantrum. We build it and then the hissy fit and the little hands and legs just smack it all down... just like with the building blocks and Lego.

Iraqi, Afghan Women in Washington

Iraqi, Afghan Women in Washington To See U.S Democracy Firsthand:

"The president and first lady Laura Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes are among U.S. policymakers who will meet with the Afghan and Iraqi woman leaders."

So, how did it all go with the Iraqi and Afghan women on March 8th for International Womens' Day? Did they enjoy seeing democracy in action? Are the democratic women also going to share the culture and the heritage of the lands the women come from? Iraqi women had a real position of respect are incredibly well educated and articulate. They are wonderful thinkers and have such a capacity to discuss issues in a very frank and well considered way. I have not heard many Afghan women speak. The ones I have heard seem to have less freedom to express their view, but that may be the cirumstances under which they were talking. It's always difficult to judge and understand from a distance.

Australia prepared to satisfy new demand

The Advertiser: Australia prepared to satisfy new demand :

"URANIUM is 'coming in from the cold' as a viable energy option, according to a top energy bureaucrat."

Oh yes? I don't think it's coming in from anywhere. It's going out. I don't think we have any say in it and know it so the opinions we hold are not relevant. Open cut mines and sales tend to suggest state policies and any other beliefs are not going to be considered. It's all money. Which is a shame because if we really did discuss this, if we really did talk about it and inform ourselves about it, we might actually think well, there's something in using nuclear energy in the short term when the climate is so awry. The constant fear is its use for nuclear weapons and not knowing who will do that and explode us all to kingdom come. No use worry about the climate if some nutter is going to find the planet excess to requirements. As it stands money talks full stop end of story.

Russia's bison back after an age on ice

The Australian: Russia's bison back after an age on ice :

"The vast region, about five times the size of France, supplies almost a quarter of the world's rough diamonds and has 20 per cent of Russian gold reserves, as well as huge deposits of oil and gas. Local authorities are eager to diversify the regional economy, especially into tourism, to create jobs for the one million people living in Yakutia."

Another stunning example of how a person with inspiration can create an interactive project which entices those of like interest no matter where they live. The park at Yakutia is the brainchild of Sergei Zimov whose son, Nikita is helping him. The Canadians offered to donate 30 bison but the authorities in Yakutia couldn't afford the airfairs until now. Japanese experts are going to try to get DNA from the extinct mammoths in the area in the hope of reproducing them. It sounds wonderful and so interesting. Would be good to see pictures as it develops. Co operation at its best because it is recreating the planet and providing some interesting challenges for our level of expertise.

'Late' end for daylight saving

'Late' end for daylight saving :

"Clocks in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the ACT will be turned back one hour at 3am on Sunday, April 2.

The end of daylight saving brings Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Hobart into line with Brisbane."

Even though we didn't mind the delay to allow for the big car fest last weekend (that's as petrol head as I get), we are actually pleased daylight saving is ending because we have been getting up in the dark, which we hate and driving to work with our lights on. Roll on the extra hour's sleep too, because we are partied out here! Happy, but sleepy.

Adelaide academic killed in Baghdad

The Advertiser: Adelaide academic killed in Baghdad : "Kays Juma, a University of Baghdad professor, was a permanent resident of Australia who lived three months of the year in the southern suburb of Flagstaff Hill and nine months in Iraq.

His wife was born in Adelaide."

Professor Juma had been teacher PhD students at Baghdad University and was a specialist in animal husbandry. As usual there is a lot of confusion about the incident. The truth is there as it always is, but it's never clear. He is never the less dead, another casualty of the invasion and his wife is now a widow. All so very sad.

Snails

Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society NZ

The Powelliphanta Augustus is a snail which is actually carniverous. How that works in real life but this site has some nice pictures and information about the protected species in NZ. This little snail is one of the protected!

Snail slows pace of coal mine

Snail slows pace of coal mine :

"Extinctions are more widespread now than at any time since the age of dinosaurs, experts say.

The snail, Powelliphanta Augustus, is just a few cm long, including its shell. But its isolated population has forced the state owned NZ company Solid Energy to offer plans to save the snail."

I am glad the energy company has included itself in the solution. I am glad its a company which shows some concern for the damage it is causing through conducting its daily business and I am glad a humble little snail can make us all stop and think about what is important. I love snails. It always amazes me how they appear from nowhere after the rain and how they just meander around quietly living their lives and eating all my plants!

US at tipping point on energy

US at tipping point on energy: poll:

"AMERICANS are nearly as worried about their country's dependence on foreign energy sources as they are about the war in Iraq, a poll released by the magazine Foreign Affairs shows today."

I get the impression, the world over we are all worried about the same things. As your regular earthling we are all worried about climate change, dependency on oil, the situation in Iraq and loss of local jobs to overseas. We have a common interest here but the common agenda is not being addressed...or is it?

14 students in hospital

14 students in hospital after taking drugs.:

"Fourteen high school students are being treated in hospital after a drug overdose at Narangba, north of Brisbane."

This could have been turned into sensationalistic news. What purpose would it have served. The school and children probably don't want to be identified, but I think this is all a good idea. I don't think we should shy away from it. I don't think we should feel guilty. I don't think we should think that it stops at a bit of news. I am glad it's public because drugs are a community problem and we have to work on this together. Trite, I now, but we have to do something. Why would kids so easily take stuff? Why can't they say no? Why don't they want to say no? Where did the stuff come from and how much profit was made? The school knows, the police knows, the parents know and we all know. Now we can all talk about it. This way parents can talk to kids, teachers can talk to kids, kids can talk to kids. This time it wasn't serious. What about next time and what did the kids expect to get out of it? It happens so easily so we do need to work this out together.

Teenagers charged over school arson.

Teenagers charged over school arson. :

"'This doesn't compensate for the emotional strain and the physical strain, but it's pleasing to know that they've been able to solve it because the police detective was saying that in places like Wallaroo they haven't resolved that as far as I know,' he said."

I wonder sometimes. I sponsor a little boy in Africa who thinks it's a real privilege to gain an education so he can better himself. Other people value their schools and education. Kids go to school to learn because they want to do well. These to went to a primary school to burn it and went back because they hadn't got it right. We haven't got it right. Why have we children who neither value schools nor learning and would actually stand in the way of others who might want to learn? It is very painful to lose a school and its buildings to fire. To know it is deliberately lit would be very hard to take...especially when the school has been trying to get back on its feet after other fires. Maybe the two boys can help rebuild it. Help clean, repair , sort , organise. It will be worse if they are heroes out of this if the kids are glad not to go to school. I hate that attitude when I know how hard some children have to struggle to even get into a school door in their country. Why have we made children who think school is not worthwhile? Why would they burn a school and how do you change the headset of people like that so they don't burn other buildings because they feel like it? To me, they are a real liability unless we know how to repair their faulty thinking. They have caused this much damage and hurt so many peole. How do you develop a logical consequence for that?

Give peas a chance

The Age: :

"Friday March 24, 2006

Englishwoman Louise Arnold is having therapy to overcome a fear of peas. The Cheltenham woman flees restaurants if she spots peas in meals and gets anxious in supermarkets. She gets little sympathy, however, from friends, who bought her a T-shirt saying: 'Give peas a chance'."

The T Shirt is a great idea. Very funny, but whatever happened to the poor woman that she is so terrified of peas? The harmless, humble, yummily scrumptious green pea??

Ponting on top of the world

Ponting on top of the world :

"Australian skipper Ricky Ponting overtook a Don Bradman milestone and equalled a world batting record today with his second century of the second Test to help Australia set South Africa 410 to win."

Well done! Fanatastic news. Ricky Ponting really seems to have settled in as captain, smoothed out he rough edges and turned into a real diamond in the cricket arena. He has really augmented his stats this year and they really are looking quite dazzling. Well deserved because he works hard, thinks hard and laughs lots. A good balance.

Pig fat now good for you

Pig fat now good for you :

"US scientists have genetically modified pigs so their fat is oozing with omega-3 fatty acids.

The acids, usually found in salmon, tuna and mackerel, are thought to have a host of health benefits."

I can just see mermaid pigs...merpigs. I do not think fishy pigs are a good idea...yuuuuuuck. Pork and oily fish. I cannot think of anything more disgusting to eat...ooooh, yuuuuuck, how could you, scientists?

'Scientific' whaling

'Scientific' whaling a con: study. :

"The scientists have carried out extensive whale surveys, including deployment of more than 140 sonobuoys to record whale sounds as well as sightings of whales conducted from the bridge of the research ship, Aurora Australis."

This study had 62 scientists from 14 countries covering a a 10 week study of one million square metres of the Southern Ocean. There is no need to kill whales to gain valid and valuable scientific evidence about them.

EFTPOS

Retailers flag EFTPOS withdrawal. :

"'Retailers can't forever keep paying these fees out of their pockets, it's got to come from somewhere,' he said.

'So either it's matter of the merchant having to absorb that and I don't believe merchants can continue to absorb that, or charge the consumer or discontinue the service.'"

Won't affect me because I do not use EFTPOS but it will affect quite a number of people. Bottom line? If the banks aren't charging us they are charging the retailers. Banks are having a wonderful time with their fees and holding us to ransom. Someone needs to regulate it , make it reasonable and stop mucking us about. We are forced to used systems by fee structures and then forced not to use them. It is never about our needs nor the needs of retailers. It is always about the banks' needs. Time for a change, I feel.

Persian cat

At this point in time I cannot say it better than this brilliant Persian cat. Animals can say it so well.

Rape attack 'to teach woman lesson'

The Australian: Rape attack 'to teach woman lesson':

"A BRISBANE man who raped a sex worker several times at knifepoint apologised afterwards and said it was to teach her a lesson, a court has been told."

I am sure she learnt it well. This is outrageous. Outrageous.

Art world prays for Pro Hart

The Australian: Art world prays for Pro Hart :

"OUTBACK artist Pro Hart is clinging to life at his Broken Hill home, with his family saying he is in the final stages of motor neurone disease.

The 78-year-old has been critically ill with the debilitating disease since late last year, but his condition began to fail last week."

I have only just found this and I have nothing but utmost sympathy for Pro Hart and his family. I had a family friend who became a victim of this terrible disease and it has to be seen to be believed. I hope Pro Hart takes comfort in all his family and friends and the thousands of Austrlains who will be so saddened by this news. He is a fantastic artist. A man of great vision and so unashamedly Australian. A beautifyl, beautiful man who paints such imaginative pictures. He is almost a household name. A real icon. I am so sorry he has had to suffer such a debiltating disease and I am even sorrier his family must see him fight the good fight. I learnt a lot and am ever grateful for the knowledge. My thoughts are with them. The article says that people just love him. It's true. We do love him for himself, his view of life, his art and his boundless courage.

2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi

2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi || Indian legends are currently in Melbourne:

"It is expected that all the four Miss World and Miss Universe winners that have come out of India will be there.More than 400 dancers will fly in for the dazzling display while 400 others will come from Melbourne.Two of the songs to be played, to which the stars will strut their stuff, have been written by Javed Akhtar and Gulzar.The white-hot music director trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and in-demand Vishal-Shekhar have set the words to music."

If the closing ceremony and this Indian Commonwealth Games site is anything to go by we are in for a real treat when the games are in Delhi. The spectacular performance by the Indian performing contingent was very special and showed a remarkable integration of their culture and heritage into a new, confident modern India. The Melbourne games were so friendly and high performance. I think the Indian games will give a fresh new vibrancy to the Games. The Indians were clearly very excited to have the opportunity and very welcoming in their speeches. It'll be different and it will be great!! This is a good site to keep up to date with.

African athletes granted bridging visas.

African athletes granted bridging visas. :

"The bridging visas will allow the athletes time to apply for long term visas.

Another eight Sierra Leoneans are still listed as missing and are in breach of their special purposes visas after their athlete accreditations, provided for the Commonwealth Games, were withdrawn yesterday."

There are dtill 9 Cameroon athletes, one Tanzanian boxer and a Bangladeshi runner to be found. I think the treatment of the Sierra Leone athletes is remarkably sane. They caome from a country which ought to be one of the richest in the world but the diamonds have been smuggled out and sold elsewhere for profit. I am pleased to hear they have been given time to make a proper case and I hope the cases will be heard favourably.

Global warming

BBC NEWS:

"Most scientists blame - at least in part - increasing amounts of certain gases emitted by fossil fuel burning and other human activities."

This BBC site has some good little videos of different global warming scenarios. The scientists haven't given up on us. They are doing their darnedest to get us to accept there is a problem and we need to fix it.

Testicle cells may aid research

Testicle cells may aid research:

"Scientists already knew certain cells in the testes of newborn mice were able, like embryonic stem cells, to generate numerous different tissue types."

I could well imagine it would be very difficult to find the testicle cells of newborn mice. The mind boggles.They have also been able to grow embryonic colonies of cells from adult mice...so the theory is it will be easier and less contraversial to use testicle cells for growing new tissue rather than embryonic cells. Major breakthrough here, but look out guys!!

Grey Squirrel

I thank FreeFoto.com for such a beautiful picture of the grey squirrel. Looks way too cute for the pot for me. I did find some recipes and they can be a bit tough to eat if not cooked properly...in more ways than one, I should impagine.
Squirrel Recipes

Brits urged to eat squirrel

The Australian: Brits urged to eat squirrel :

"The animal, made famous by the Squirrel Nutkin character in author Beatrix Potter's illustrated children's books, once thrived in Britain but is now battling for survival as imported North American greys run rampant."

The grey squirrels are up to about 2 million whereas the Squirrel Nutkin red squirrels are down to 200,000 mostly in Scotland. I suppose there is no difference between eating squirrel and rabbit but I think they might have a PR job on their hands as we do here with some animals. It is a pragamatic way of solving problems of excess if the plant, animal or bird is in considerable excess. I am curious to see what the British people do and I am even more curios to know how they will serve the poor wee things!

Craig Mottram

ABC Sport Online - Commonwealth Games 2006: "'I was hit from behind by Baddeley. I think he was pushed initially, I'm not sure by who, but don't worry I'll find out, and then he fell onto me.

'It was just a racing accident.'

The general consensus amongst Mottram's rivals was the fall was just a normal part of racing the 1,500m.

Brannen claimed Mottram had only himself to blame, believing the Australian could have avoided the fall had he been leading the field."

I have found the Commonwealth Games very relaxing and enjoyable. I have been in awe of the level of expertise put before us and impressed with the positive nature of the athletes. They take the knocks with a great deal of aplomb! Craig must have been hugely disappointed as we all were. We were all in there for him because he narrowly missed a win the other night in a carefully mapped race. This guy is no fool and he is very conscientious in his approach so it would have stung him not to be able to race because he fell. Congratulations to the New Zealand guy,Nick Willis for winning gold. I hope Craig now goes on to do well in Japan and reap the reward for his dedication. The running was full of mishaps last night with the baton stuff up for Matt Shirvington in the relay so that he couldn't run his best and then Tamsin Lewis and the place muddle. It has been a great games though and the human stories have only added to what has been an inspirational meet. I am certain the impact on the community will last past the closing ceremony.

One Big Village

One Big Village - Homepage:

"It might be a purchase you make or a journey you take. It might be an investment decision or the choice to leave the heating on.

This is possible because we all live and work within a world where – strange as it may seem – everything is dependent on everything else."

It's true. We can all make a difference. Decisions we make can make a difference. It is three months since I started sponsoring my child through World Vision and it has meant so much to me. I could never have imagined a piece of plain paper written in African on one side and English on another would mean so much to me. Simple, unadorned but a very powerful piece of communication. It says so much more than fancy brochures. It is now at the stage where we can regularly exchange letters and it is exciting. My child likes to see all the pictures of Australian animals and I like to hear about the village in Africa. Someone has to translate the letters and I am deeply grateful for that. Today, I sent an electronic letter because World Vision has now got that in place. It won't stop me sending snail mail but it's a welcome addition to ways of communicating which help me when I am busy. This one little child has taught me a lot.

The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser
What a week!!! I wasn't sorry to see Artie and Tracy go but I have to confess Tracy is a more relaxed, kinder person off the show in her own environment. She obviously felt safe and comfortable and could show her real self easily. She and Artie looked so good and she especially had really changed the way she looked. The big haul up the hill in the rain was arduous and a tough work out but it was great to see the trainers back in control. As for the cupcake challenge, well, our little cupcake Jillian went right off and did her cruet and I do not blame her but I had a real think about it. No-one, but no one, has to do what others said. No one told Wal to shut up but they were happy to blame him. They are adults. I was saying Shut up , Wal. They do not have to listen. As for Adro, well, he is a great team player. He busted his gut on the truck haul. He busted his gut on the bridge. He busted his gut with Ruth on the raft. He busted his gut to win the races to see his wife and child. Adro needs to belong. He does not judge himself worthy of working for himself. He will get in there with anyone and protect the vulnerable. He hated Dave being voted off because he understood Dave's need to be there was about the terrible state of Dave's health. Adro makes ethical decisions and will protect Ruth and whomever he belongs to. He just couldn't work for himself and that was making Jillian so frustrated and I understood why.He needs to lose weight! Bob made him do that this week and look what happened. His head needs to be turned around so he sees himself as worthy because he is a great friend and family member. The race up and down the sand hills was fantastic and really funny and I think they have all changed since then. Kristie just about had me crying at the weigh in because her words were so moving. She too finds it difficult to see herself as worthy even though she is ambitious. And Fiona, well the show this week quite clearly showed it doesn't matter whether you take the ditzy approach and the la-la I think I need immunity I'll eat cupcakes, or you bust your gut and win, hold off on temptation and haul for your team, your partner, yourself...the ditz will do better than the dedicated professional. Wal has worked for himself but others have really benefitted because he was on their team or their partner, so he has shown group responsibility too. He has benefitted anyone who has been with him and he has worked hard to do all the right things. And the upshot of that is he is up for eviction. So the message is, put on weight, eat cupcakes, stick with your alliance, hide under the covers, cry, laugh, gamble and bet..and hey, you're the best. The click and go generation just click and go...who cares, it'll all turn out. What a sobering lesson it is for all of us to see the soppy approach come up trumps. No need to do the hard yards. Different approach and values work because you put your faith in "fate" and throw the responsibility onto others to work for you. It is not about responibility for your actions at all. Ruth has come a long way and worked towards getting that big body moving and it is all turning around. Shane is the quiet achiever. Adro has learned a lot. Kristie gets in there and her spirit keeps her going. Wal is the one who has taken everything thrown his way and met every expectation of him and gone beyond it. Big deal. At this point in time that counts for zip and he is realistic enough to know that.

Oily fish

Independent Online Edition > Health Medical:

"Now a major new study suggests the advice was wrong. Scientists who reviewed no fewer than 89 studies of omega 3 fats, the key constituent of fish oils thought to protect against heart disease, found no clear evidence that they are of any use at all."

Here we go again. When will they get it right. Eat butter. Don't eat butter. Eat eggs. Don't eat eggs. Eat meat. Don't eat meat.Drink coffee. Don't drink coffee. Eat oily fish...don't eat oily fish. They always come back to the "in moderation" idea and any sensible eater does eat a variety of food and in moderation. So why the hype about particular foods at particular times? As for the fish. What a relief!! I am sick and tired of being surrounded by Adelaidians scoffing their tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines , herring and other disgusting smelling lunch offerings. I hate the smell of digusting fish. No one should have to sit in the same place as oily fish fumes. Completely destroys the taste of anything else being eaten by anyone else and the smell lingers. So, hooray. Please now eat the fish in the privacy of your own homes!

Jana Pittman

Pittman sweeps away doubts and fears :

"We saw it with Jana Pittman last night, though we soon saw plenty of happier emotions. Pittman was the hottest of favourites, but she was bedevilled by personal and physical demons. Did Australians like her? Would a hamstring betray her? Yes and no, it turned out, to her - and our - immense relief."

I do not know why, but Jana Pittman worries far too much about what others think. She appears to be what used to be called "highly strung" because the closer she is to an outstanding performance, the more emotional she becomes. She is, in many ways, very artistic and very much the fragile butterfly. Yet she is a top performing sportswoman and I think it's her artisitic temperament which puts her at odds with her public and team mates. She just needs to get out there and do what she does so well and stop tearing herself apart. She is great at what she does and we appreciate anyone who puts in a good performance. Well done, Jana. Have faith in yourself and us!!

Four more Sierra Leone athletes go missing.

Four more Sierra Leone athletes go missing. :

"The African nation's team has formally notified police that two cyclists and two boxers are missing after last being seen yesterday morning, meaning 11 of their athletes and officials are now unaccounted for.

A Tanzanian boxer and Bangladeshi runner have also gone missing."

I seem to remember a weightlifter went missing one time and was spotted on a building site and then deported, but he returned here through the proper channels. I confess we have had a bit of a chuckle about runners of note "doing a runner" and have wondered whether they have tried to escape or if they got lost somewhere because this is a BIG place...or maybe partied out. When they are found we know the stories will be very human and full of touching human truths. We understand why people would want to live somewhere else when their own countries are suffering so much. We all do that and Australia is made up of thousands of people who have joined together to make a better life here and our country has a real strength because it is borne of people who have suffered and had to follow a hard road. I hope the runners are found because it is better than if they are deported. I hope then they will not forget us and make arrangements to come back, which is so hard, that is the thing. Sometimes we just overlook the fact that sometimes it is so hard for people to change their lives because the accident of their birth has given them so much disadvantage. I should like to see this resolved in a positive, compassionate way.

US hawk admits invasion was illegal

War critics astonished as US hawk admits invasion was illegal:
"War critics astonished as US hawk admits invasion was illegal

Oliver Burkeman and Julian Borger in Washington
Thursday November 20, 2003
The Guardian

International lawyers and anti-war campaigners reacted with astonishment yesterday after the influential Pentagon hawk Richard Perle conceded that the invasion of Iraq had been illegal.

In a startling break with the official White House and Downing Street lines, Mr Perle told an audience in London: 'I think in this case international law stood in the way of doing the right thing.'"

Right at the beginning of the invasion there was much discussion as to the rights and wrongs of it and legal experts didn't agree it was internationally right and the resolution 1441 of the UN which allowed "serious consequences" was used to justify the invasion to some extent but "serious consequences" are not necessarily military in their substance and it was never further discussed in the UN.It was deemed morally wrong to leave Saddam Hussein in charge of Iraq. Had the world been allowed to continue to discuss this, because a lot of expert opinion was being aired, and then everything became muddled, we may well have resolved this better as a planet. In certain respects we are coming to consensus on certain aspects of it and we have had heated , passionate and informed debate ,and there is nothing wrong with that, except while we are trying to resolve a real challenge and come to grips with a situation which has so many political facets and ramifications, too many people are dying. Too many. The discussions and debates are good , valid and worthwhile to us as a planet, but the damage and destruction is too high a price to pay for us to grow up as a world.

Iraq objector to face court martial

Iraq objector to face court martial:

"AN RAF doctor who refused to serve in Iraq is to face trial by court martial.

Flight Lieutenant Dr Malcolm Kendall-Smith, 37, who is based at RAF Kinloss in Moray, faces five charges of failing to comply with a lawful order after he refused to take part in training and deployment to Basra.

He had already served two tours of duty in Iraq, but refused to return there last June."

I know the military is the military and is the military because it makes everyone do the same thing without question. Military discipline and all that. This case is so sad. And the legal gobbledegook which goes with it is demonstrating that Iraq is continuing to harm and punish those who are valuable and worthwhile. This need not have happened. The invasion occurred on a false premise and we have recognised that. This man has done two tours of service in Iraq. What is the matter with the world that it constantly hurts and damages nice, regular, decent people? Our rules and regulations are currently just getting us in to a complete muddle and however confident leaders were they were doing the right thing they have acknowledged the intelligence was faulty and our running rules and behaviour , at times, has been out of line. it is so sad our time, money, resources and good people are tied up with this Iraq thing. It is a thing. Beyond comprehension and definition.

Police snare high profile hacker

Police snare high profile hacker :

"The Belgian Federal Computer Crime unit tipped Australian authorities off to the attacks, which used remotely-controlled computer networks known as botnets.

The United States, Singapore and Austria also were affected by the hacking attacks on Australian IRC servers."

It is fantastic there is such international co operation with regard to cyber crime. it's the obvious thing to do and it is so great to see it get results. Technology is fantastic but not when people use it for awful things, so the international collaboration is increasing the chances of netting the nutters. Well done.

Daylight saving

Daylight saving may muddle computers :

"You have probably heard that daylight saving will be extended an extra week because of the Commonwealth Games, but have you told your computer yet?

Next Sunday evening at 3am many computers in Australia are programmed to change to Standard Time even though the clocks in many states now wont officially change until the April 2nd."

Te Commonwealth Games have been well rth it, but don't forget to tell your computers!!

Teacher sues school over 'farting' chair

The Australian: Teacher sues school over 'farting' chair :

"Asked why she did not resolve the chair problem, Ms Storer told the tribunal: 'It's a health and safety issue for an employer to ensure you have a comfortable chair'. She said after 12 months of not receiving a chair, she 'put in a memo' but 'still didn't receive one'.

The headmaster, Marius Frank, said he would have expected a member of the school's leadership team to have had the 'wit and initiative' to sort the problem out."

She is in a promotion position and I guess the farting and uncomfortable chair was something she put up with for a bit. The thing is, when others find things amusing , then they never recognise you actually have a problem because they are too busy amusing themselves and seeing the funny side of it. The chair is something which should have been replaced and put in her office. Why would she have to replace it herself? Office furniture is put in place. Delivered to site and distrubuted around the site by whomever the maintenance people are. I think shrugging their shoulders at her is a bit unfair and harsh because they have amused themselves quite well at her expense and could have offered to haveto organise another chair for her. I know when I have had chair problems at work we have all had a laugh if it has been funny and then my chair has been repaired or replaced. She only looks like she is overreacting because she has had to take a strong line of action to get heard. I bought a pair of thongs which kept farting as I walked. It was funny but farting away around the shops wore thin after the first 5 minutes. I now do not wear them and I don't shop where I bought them. It's stupidly annoying.

NZ cyclists to be disciplined

The Advertiser: NZ cyclists to be disciplined :

"TWO New Zealand cyclists face disciplinary action after reports on Thursday that they tried to strip a fellow teammate and urinate on her in drunken celebrations in the Commonwealth Games village."

Hardly celebratory.

Frog uses ultrasonic communication

The Australian: Frog uses ultrasonic communication:

"The frog, Amolops tormotus, is the first non-mammalian species known to use the ultra-high frequencies that humans cannot hear."

Bats,whales ad dolphins use ultrasonic communicationand now they have found aoem frogs which can communicate ultrasonically. Kraig Adler in Cornell University in New York found frogs without external ear drums in China. Professor Feng then pursued studies with ultrasonic sounds.

Humans spur worst extinctions

The Australian: Humans spur worst extinctions :

"'In effect, we are currently responsible for the sixth major extinction event in the history of earth, and the greatest since the dinosaurs disappeared, 65 million years ago,' it said.

Apart from the disappearance of the dinosaurs, the other 'Big Five' extinctions were about 205, 250, 375 and 440 million years ago. Scientists suspect asteroid strikes, volcanic eruptions or sudden climate shifts may explain the five."

How much more do we need to destroy before we wake up and take responisbility for our actions??? Not content to kill ourselves, we are hapy to get rid of anything on the planet. Where are our heads? Obvioulsy we have no hearts. We are bonkers. Who or what else would destroy thier own home??...oh, and then pretend it is not their fault and it has NOTHING to do with them.

Crocodiles

The crocodile park was devastated during the cyclone and I confess I hadn't even thought about crocodiles. I hope the people in Queensland are not having to deal with loose crocodiles as well as everything else. I heard this morning some of the people are getting accommodation elsewhere until the power is back on. With the rain the progress will be slow, but they certainly don't need to be worrying about crocodiles on the loose...By the same token I hope the animals up in Queensland will be okay because people will need to sort themselves out before they can think about anything else. As I have said before, we don't say much. We look. We listen. We wait. We are all thinking of the Queenslanders and they know where we are when they need us. To be honest, I have not thought one way nor the other about their Premier Mr. Beattie but I heard him on the news this morning and he comes from one of the devastated areas and to hear him talk was very reassuring to me. He seemed to understand his people and his land so well and that is a real Australian. They understand the heartbeat of the country and what it means and it is not something you can just learn.It's there inside of you. He knew what this all meant and what he would have to do and how it was all likely to go, but he understood and could articulate the loss in an extremely compassionate and honest way. That meant more to me than all the reports of numbers and figures and pictures. These Queenslanders are very, very special. They know their land.

Susceptible to calamity

The Australian: Susceptible to calamity :

"Allen and Hoffman's findings are a stark reminder that the planet could become increasingly violent and unruly as climate transit gathers strength. Furthermore, studies of past climate transitions suggest that they can be rapid, perhaps within decades rather than centuries. These considerations point to a requirement for a radical rethink of where and how we live in urban areas. Urban design codes need to be recast to counter:

* Enhanced heat island effects.
* Flash floods from violent storms.
* Storm surges combined with rising sea levels.
* Wild fires gutting homes and polluting catchments.
* Loss of habitats along with rising tree loss from winds.
* An increased incidence of disease and insect disturbance."

Everytime there is a climate disaster the climate scientists and biodiversity experts try and remaind us we have to look after ourselves and we have to think more logically about this. This article is very good at explaining where we need to put our thinking and why we are still in denial. We are discounting the fact we have a problem. We are told it's not really a problem, but look at Aceh, Sri Lanka, New Orleans, Queensland, melting ice caps, bleached coral reefs...we do have a problem. It is no use pretending that we don't. We have to approach it logically and dispassionately because we have to make more decisions than where our bananas are going to come from. I love Australians because they just roll with the punches, get in there and get it all sorted. We have 300 million dollars worth of damage to our banana and sugar cane industry. People's whole homes and livelihoods are soaked and ruined and we join the growing number of people around the world who are living in chaos. We have an enormous amount of people living in devastation and we keep pretending it is not something we can do something about. On a small scale if your chook shed kept being knocked over, attacked or swamped by rain, you would change things. You would sit down and think about where to put it, what to build it from and how to improve conditions for your chooks. The planet is dishing us up some great stuff to deal with. We need to look at it and work out what we can do. Visiting this kind of stuff on other people shouldn't even be on our agenda. Trying to use all our resources and thinking powers to deal with these awful climate problems is something we need to pick up as a challenge and thank you climate scientists for constantly reminding us there is a problem.

Aussie women shatter medley relay WR.

Aussie women shatter medley relay WR. :

"Australia's crack women swimmers broke the 4x100 metres medley relay world record by more than a second at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday night."

They certainly did. It was so unbelievably exciting. So fantastic and the women swimmers have shown how beautiful they are now they have had a chance to shine. It's is so incredibly difficult when you are in the same world as awesome athletes. It's been a great games because it has allowed us to see so many great competitors achieve so much and so well. It's been a chance to see England, Scotland, the Isle of Man. It's been great to see our men swimmers having to think hard how they will win and then see the men's medsey team bring it home. It was fantastic to see that Welsh guy win the 1500 metres in the swimming because all those wins mean so much to so many. It was fantastic to see the little pocket rocket Kenyan come out and do an awesome job in the men's 5,000 metres last night and watch one of our own men nearly win it until the pocket rocket put the turbo boosters on and just took off. Like to the two Kenyan women today who just had energy to spare after their massive race and our Austrlain girl hanging in there and coming fourth. I even saw someone from the Isle of Man win one of the bike races. I have so enjoyed watching so many good sports people and it has been so obvious now just how much women contribute and how professional they are and finally, finally we have had a chance to see them as they are...tough, energetic, positive and just so good. These games have highlighted the necessity for all to share the glory adn not in some arbitrary way, but in a genuine sense of competition and good fun. There has been a lot of fun. Loved the Cameroun weightlifeter who did the back flip!

Concentration betrays liars

The Australian: Concentration betrays liars :

"FORGET the image of the fidgety liar nervously blinking, scratching his nose and stroking the back of his or her head. Researchers have found liars stay motionless and control their blinking as they try not to give anything away."

So, it's not the shifty eyes, it's the concentration. We had better be very careful not to concetrate too hard. I just think liars change their tactics as soon as they are sprung! So now we'll have to look for something else. So we had better keep studying them.

Evidence adds bang to cosmic theory

The Australian: Evidence adds bang to cosmic theory :

"SCIENTISTS have obtained the best evidence yet that the universe expanded from the size of a marble to the vastness of known space in the first trillion trillion trillionth of a second of its existence."

I actually understood this article and I thank the writer for making it accessibel. We were once a marble and so now the Big Bang Theory is gaining momentum! A womb explodes enormously in size to accommodate a baby. To me it's similar...that notion of fertility and expansion. Past that point I am clueless. It is unbelievable. We had an alarming growth spurt! Look at us now!

Booze epidemic adds to rape crisis

The Australian: Booze epidemic adds to rape crisis :

"ALCOHOL abuse among young people has become the nation's 'forgotten epidemic' and is responsible for complete memory loss of horrific rapes, according to the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre."

I think we seriously need to get some age group prfiling of young people. We need it in 5 year bands because changes have occurred so fast the impact of them on different groups of children is different. We seem to have a lot of young ones who don't like their lives, who easily dispose of their lives and who have no idea how to keep themselves safe. We also have young ones who are really testing the boundaries. If we profile them we may well find some better ways of helping them and dealing with them. Truly, I don't know how many teenagers are like this girl but what have we done to get kids like this? It's the lucky country? How many kids are like this? What percentage. It is so sad.

Reporters 'told who they had to back'

The Advertiser: Reporters 'told who they had to back' :

"The well-placed source said 'journalists were directed to write anti-Rory stories'.

'It was made clear we should be focusing on the attributes of the local Liberal candidate. It's a disgrace.'"


I hope this isn't true. I know papers have to have their line and take on things but not representing the news is not in anyone's interests. People are fed up with public figures being sacrificed because we don't have that many people who can keep replacing them and , even if we did, when you go in for character assassination then all you get is ...tell me. Nothing. No one talks. No one says. No one lives. People are people and how they do the job and whether they do the job is important. Cutting them down is not helping us as a nation develop some diversity. Maybe that is the intention, that no one wants to be a politician or whatever, but the truth is, we'll run out of people. We always had a good, broad range of politicians to choose from. People can judge. Papers just need to give us the facts. If media are used to change opinion the effect is to skew the real world and it hurts. Better to let things evolve and I hope no news paper would want to cut down perfectly capable people. The ramifications for us and the individual would be long standing.

Free beer for toads

Northern Territory News: Free beer for toads :

"The RSPCA, Coopers Brewery and the Cavenagh Hotel have teamed up in the name of animal welfare and the result is that toads can be turned into beer."

Great team effort here. There's a limit of six beers a day from Coopers but the RSPCA is on board so the cane toads are put down humanely. Fantastic community effort.

Women's marathon

Kerryn MacCann had an incredible finish to the women's marathon in the Commonwealth games where she managed to find that last bit of energy to sprint past the Kenyan, Hellen Cherono, to the finish line and glory. It may well be her last race and what a way to go . It was a very gruelling, action packed event which was spellbinging to the finsish. Kerryn's mighty finish has been played and replayed and replayed and we all know who she is and what a legendary status she has achieved. Time now needs to be spent on that worthy opponent, Hellen Cherono, who was there right until the end and gave her the race of her life time. Without Hellen, Kerryn's race would hold none of the legendary status it now has. She pulled energy out of her pocket to beat a woman who was just as capable , just as determined and just as strong as her and who, in the end, ran such a great race, Kerryn looked better. As for poor Kate Smythe who wobbled in fifth from dehydration , it breaks my heart to see runners do that to themselves and I am so relieved there is no permanent damage. I hope this will be thoroughly investigated . I hate it, but the truth is, if we didn't see it , it wouldn't impress upon training athletes how much they must look after themselves. I want to know how it happened because our top athletes are carefully trained and our women athletes are really on the ball. She was a brave and stunning lady. Onya, Kate.

Wired News

Wired News::

"Readers either love us or hate us. Hey, so long as you're not bored"

I cannot imagine anyone hating Wired News. I have an RSS feed via Bloglines and I am constantly surprised by the number of interesting artcles. I am not interested in every article and I don't read every article, but the news is always fascinating and different. It's a site well worth a regular visit in my opinion. I love Wired News!

Cane toad front thins out.

Cane toad front thins out. :

"'We can sort of identify where it is but it's in much, much smaller numbers than when we saw it out in the bush and I'm sure that reason is because of all of the thousands of toads that have been killed by all the Humpty Doo people, Palmerston, Howard Springs, it's thinned it right out.'

Frogwatch also says the yellow spotted goanna is rapidly disappearing from the Top End, killed off by the arrival of the cane toad."

I have blogged about FrogWatch before and it is a good example of co ordinating the community into solving a community problem. Rather than sit there bemoaning the fact cane toads are a scourge and should never have been put here, the Toadbusters campaign from Frogwatch has kept our eye on the toad, has co ordinated toad watchers and toad busters and has clearly had an impact. Graeme Sawyer can be well proud of himself. He is not only help us to rid ourselves of the toads, he is giving our own species a demonstrable chance of regeneration.

FrogWatch

Cole inquiry terms of reference amended.

Cole inquiry terms of reference amended.:

"'What John Howard has done is set up a Commission of Inquiry which puts all the weight in the direction of AWB and none of the weight in the direction of Howard Government ministers,' he said."

That remains to be seen, but amendments and restrictions are always a dead give away.

PM denies workplace laws hurt SA, Tas Liberals.

PM denies workplace laws hurt SA, Tas Liberals. :

"John Howard said Labor victories in both states did not have any federal implications but Labor's Kevin Rudd told the ABC's Insiders program that the Federal Government's workplace relations changes were a key element in the state campaigns."

Maybe , maybe not. We know. We are tired of a federal government which does not listen to us, which excludes us and which tells us what we are thinking. We actually have brains. We don't need someone to give us our thoughts on a daily basis. The economic conditions would have come anyway and were based on financial constructs from the Labour Keating government and that has been publicly acknowledged. We don't want spin and we don't want propaganda. We want people who listen to us and who govern on our behalf. It's the Democrats who have totally lost our confidence in SA but people have a respect for all other parties and the politicians who represent them. Had you listened to our coverage of the elections in SA you would realise we work together as a team and we understand each other well. We listen to everybody. The Opposition here knows what a landslide victory means because they got in on one with Dean Brown. Mike Rann has really had to prove himself, but that other parties here can be fairly represented and can speak their views is a sign we are so over spin.

The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser
This week has been very much about the biggest loser on the inside and very little about the one who is focussed on weight loss, healthy lifestyle and approach and redesigning their body image. I felt so sorry for Adro (right) who summed it up last night when he lost very little weight, is up for eviction and said he was supposedly in the best environment for losing weight and he had no idea what was going on. He has worked hard.Histrionics. Amateur dramatics. The alliance. I'd love to see Bob and Jillian write their memoirs of this show and the other trainers who have been involved outside when contestants have been evicted. I am sure they could put it all straight and have us all laughing as well. The raft challenge was good but I spent the whole time wondering whether Tracy and Artie were losing so Fiona and Shane could keep their immunity and then it gives them four solid team mates. I am currently thinking Kristie may well vote Ruth and Adro off and yet they have done everything to keep what ought to be the focus of the show on track. As has Wal. (left). He came up as the biggest loser again this week, apart from those who have left the show, and he has done it consistently. The only ones who hold the weight loss up there consistently with him are the ones who have left the show and now have personal trainers. Their weight loss has been impressive so my question is, what is this show all about? We have two superb trainers who are surplus to requirements because of all the histrionics and cunning plans. I love Bob. His face says it all for me and I thank him for that. Jillian meets the dramatic performances half way so she can shut them down. Their skills are superb. So Shane and Fiona have a great strategy by putting on weight this week because they are immune and Tracey hasn't worked out the 2 Kg weight penalty has made absolutely NO difference to the outcome. So we have a number of contestants for the biggest loser on the inside. I hope the show regains its balance because my heart is with Adro and with Wal, who plays a game, but he is in there with the skills, the healthy eating the weight loss etc. I should also mention AJ, the compere, who is so patient and calm but very direct and honest in her approach. She rewards them well for the right thing, but keeps the truth in front of them...to no avail. They are the alliance!

South Australia State Election 2006

South Australia State Election 2006. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): "3.8% Counted. Sat Mar 18 07:10PM
Party Vote Swing Predict
The predictions in this table take account of historical data in all seats and forecast an overall election outcome.
Labor Party 44.3% +7.9
Liberal Party 34.1% -5.9
Family First 6.0% +3.4
Democrats 2.9% -4.5
Greens 5.6% +3.3
Others 7.1% -4.1"


Ooo-ooo. Very interesting. The preferences will change the balance to some extent.

Football wins

It's one of those days in Adelaide again. Choices, choices, choices. The Commonwealth Games, Crows vs Geelong at AAMI stadium, the Election coverage, the last of the Festival events ...or, your own choice. It's a killer. My shopping trip this morning led me to believe most people would be home watching the football because it was the start of the season and they were so excited! The guy at the bottle shop was tearing away at a million miles an hour, very efficiently, and when I told him to slow down he said it would be a big day and he had to get everything ready because they'd all be in for their footy grog! He was just so nice, so friendly, so polite and way too fast! Me? I'll switch between the Games because I really want to see Liesel Jones, the Elections, because I never miss election coverages(!) and ....gasbagging!!

Edmistone sets world record in heats

The Australian: Edmistone sets world record:

"JADE Edmistone became the first swimmer to set a world record at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre this morning, lowering her 50m breaststroke mark in the heats of the Commonwealth Games selection trials."

Jade has launched herself into our lives since that first record breaking swim in the heats leading up to the Commonwealth Games. It's a bit of a sad thing to say but since some of our legends are not able to be at the Games we are actually getting to notice all the talent we have. It sounds bad because we don't want legends to feel unwelcome but the truth is they dazzle us all and are so awesome we do feel very privileged to be living in the the same place and time as they are, truly, but "great" just gets ignored in their luminary performances. So Jade has caught our attention and tonight we shall all be able to be there for Liesel Jones who has come through her awkward phase and is now the powerhouse of swimming she was destined to be. And doesn't she look so well. The games have been great and those Canadian gymnasts have been fantastic.

La Fayette's Frigate

France is currently undertaking the really exciting project of building an exact replica of La Fayette's frigate Hermione . You need to be able to read French to get the full benefit of this site, but it is a comprehensive coverage of the project. It seems to be a thing people are doing all over the world . They are rediscovering their cultural heritage in a very real and interactive way. There has been considerable interest in the project world wide and countries like Britain have assisted with some historical details of the boat which is destined to make the same journey as its original to Boston,New York, Annapolis and the Bay of Chesapeake. It's another project which is involving others from different nations in the spirit of inquiry and the practising of their high level skills. A challenge. We are getting good at international challenges. At the age of 21, La Fayette fought on the side of the troops of General Washington. For 18 months the frigate took part in battles until the final victories in the Bay of Chesapeake and Yorktown. This event is legendary on both sides of the Atlantic and so in 1997 in the town of Rochefort, there was an idea of reliving it. The project is being sustained and supported by French sponsors and American support on the east coast. It's a huge project but it'll be great to see it come to fruition.

U.S. public's Iraq gloom rises

The Swamp - Chicago Tribune - Blogs.:

"Seven-in-ten now believe that President Bush lacks a clear plan for ending the war successfully, the highest number expressing that view in surveys dating to September 2003. Fully 89% of Democrats and 79% of independents believe Bush lacks a clear plan on resolving the conflict, but 40% of Republicans share this opinion."

If it's any consolation , we too, stand by saddened and feeling futile as leaders just let this sore pour more and more blood over our planet.It's worse for us because of the AWB scandal. That is really upsetting us. That Australians are not saying much is telling. We sit and listen and listen and listen. As human beings we would fix it. We would try to fix it and we would probably find a way. While all that weaponry and destruction is over there, there is no way for anyone to find alternative paths. Bombing for peace and killing for democracy just isn't working and it is hurting us more and more. We are at the stage where we want to move forward and change things and we have shown time and time again that as people all over the world we can hold out our hands and help each other. We cannot help with so much weaponry around and unreliable communications. So we are trying to think what to do as we try not to listen to the horrendous statistics for our soldiers and the Iraqi people and then there is this awful feeling that it has been going on for so long and showing no signs of abating that maybe no one actually wants to fix it. Each person killed is a son, daughter, father, mother, friend, relative. Each person belongs. It will only take one sentence to turn our heads around and get us on the right path but no one has thought of that sentence yet.

Partygoers 'at work' until boss leaves

Scotsman.com News - International - Court rules partygoers 'at work' until boss leaves:

"The case came before the Frankfurt court after an insurance company refused to pay out to a man badly hurt when he slipped on the steps of a restaurant at his office Christmas party."

So that is now law in Germany. So if the boss is not there does it mean they are not at work?? If you have your office party without the boss is that your own private life then? What about here? Is it only work if the boss is there? What if your boss says you have to stay? Is that then a party? Then I would think the company is responsible if there is no choice about attendance. So, what's the law here? Who is repsonsible if we have lunch out with colleagues? Dinner out? All sounds a bit confusing and I think we need clarification now I've read this.

Labor win predicted as SA poll looms

Labor win predicted as SA poll looms.

: "Political experts are pointing to the return of the Labor Government on the eve of the South Australian election, but the Liberals are still confident of pulling off an upset."

The poll isn't looming at all. No one is particularly talking about it and you would think you could muster some enthusiasm after a few years break to get more interested. The politicians have read us well and not bothered us much with too much of a campaign. I think it would have really got our backs up. Not because we don't value our local politicians. I think we do. I think in SA, as I have said before , we have seen our politicians get out there and do their job, no matter which party they represent. We have seen our local politicians actually haul together as a good team which has stabilised and promoted the wellbeing and stability of our state. You have to have people looking for what is not going right. You have to have people out there voicing local opinions and concerns. You have to have people out there keeping things in the public view and on top of that we have had logical and sensible debate in the public forum. So basically we know it's okay and that we can be subject to federal decisions and world decisions which destabilise us and pull us away from our way of doing things. People seem to be pretty happy with how things are and so an election seems to be unnecessary in many ways. I personally am grateful to all our politicians for leaving us to work things out ourselves and not subjecting us to the media beat ups or the endless drivel people seem to think is necessary for a campaign. The money saved is better on transport, hospitals and education and our politicians know that in SA because they do actually talk to us and listen.

Bathtubes all the go...

Peppers kill prostate cancer cells

Peppers kill prostate cancer cells: study. :

"'Capsaicin had a profound anti-proliferative effect on human prostate cancer cells in culture,' Dr Soren Lehmann, of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, said."

221,OOO men die from prostate cancer each year. Though this study has only been trialled in mice so far, there is at least hope that something as delicious as chillies could come to the aid of prostate cancer sufferers. Go for it, guys!

Apologise to Rice for AWB scandal, Beazley urges.

Apologise to Rice for AWB scandal, Beazley urges. :

"But Labor leader Kim Beazley says the Prime Minister should use the visit of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to apologise.

'Look Condoleezza Rice in the eye and apologise for funding the enemy,' he said."

And our wheat growers who have been working hard but much maligned by this event. And the people of Australia and our soldiers and the people of Iraq.

UK drug trial leaves 6 men in intensive care.

UK drug trial leaves 6 men in intensive care.:

"The volunteers fell ill after taking a drug being developed to treat chronic inflammatory conditions and leukemia, a British medicines watchdog said in a statement.

The Medicines and Health care products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said eight men took part in the trial, two of whom were given a placebo.

The six who took it became ill."

The two who took the placebos are okay, so presumably it is the new drug. I have never heard of this before but I suppose it never gets published if a new drug doesn't work in human trials. Given it's a drug to treat chronic inflammatory illnesses and leukemia, then I am not surprised there are problems since most drugs developed to cater to inflammatory conditions often have quite serious side effects. It seems to be a thing we are getting better at but it is hazardous. We don't seem to be able to get a balance with inflammatory drugs. It is unusal for people to be hosptitalised in trials...but they are okay , at least. Drug trials are performed under stringent conditions as far as I know. It just seems sad. Leukemia is another disease we need to get rid of from the planet. Hopefully they will get the better of this problem.

Divide between rich and poor widest in 50 years.

Divide between rich and poor widest in 50 years. :

"A new report shows the gap between Australia's rich and poor is the widest it has been for 50 years.

The report by the Australian National University shows the wealthiest 1 per cent of the population receives almost 10 per cent of the country's income."

Yep, we've done good. Our fiscal policies work really well. It's nice to know we have more people who are richers. The poor people wouldn't know how to spend the moeny properly anyway.

Snowing, snowing ... gone.

Snowing, snowing ... gone. :

"Bidding was brisk, with a mail order clothes company in Frankfurt making the top bid of 1,420 euros ($2,313) and smaller bidders securing smaller lots as hundreds of residents gathered in the village square to cheer on the auction.

Donations were added to swell the final receipts to around 4,000 euros ($6518), which will go towards treatment for child cancer victims."

E-bay is amazing and people's capacity to be innovative is astounding. Thosands of dolalrs have been raised for childhood cancer on E-bay by the German village of Steinach selling its snow. So who bought it and what have they done with it? Great story.

Clot busting may prevent miscarriages.

Clot busting may prevent miscarriages. :

"They found that screening the women for thrombophilia, a tendency to develop blood clots, and giving them prophylactic anti-thrombotic therapy halved their future chances of losing a pregnancy.

Professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Adelaide, Gus Dekker, says the women were screened for thrombophilia, insulin resistance and elevated homocysteine levels."

This is great news for women who frequently miscarry . The treatment reduces the miscarriage rate to 15% and screening can identify risk factors in 60% of women. This is a big breakthough by Professor Dekker and his team at Adelaide University. It's something which has a huge emotional impact on women and their families. It is nice to know we are starting to solve that problem.

Cronulla riots meeting frank and productive, Scully says.

Cronulla riots meeting frank and productive, Scully says.:

"Muslim leaders have described the talks as productive despite heated exchanges heard from outside.

Police Minister Carl Scully said the meeting was 'frank' and he believed there would now be better cooperation with police."

There should be no fear of open, honest discussion and an emotional airing of what matters. We are people. We are human. We have just had hideous riots. It all went wrong. We have to right it so that those who were suffering the fall out have justice restored. It's hard to imagine we can all tip toe through the tulips and frolic in the paddocks when we come from so many different places in the world. Australians have never been afraid to let it rip, but they have never been so aggressive and we need to fix that. It is our problem and we can all play a part. If we put it all out on the table and go through it we shall all be the better for it. Those in the front line need to clearly understand the ramifications of their actions. We all need to know what we can do better because that is the thing about Australia, we get it all out and we can talk it all through. Then we get a common perspective which steadies us through emotional times. The biggest lesson to be learned is how not to be sucked in and how not to be manipulated. At this stage it would be the fear of severe punishment which would keep mouths shut. Punishment is not always the way to go when it is mob behaviour. Clear expectations and hearings are. Logical consequences and a bringing of understanding to all concerned. I heartily support what Sydney is trying to do to resolve this matter. It shows sense and courage.

Waste Water Plant

A battle well worth the fight
How cool does our new waste water plant look? It's way down the coast at Victor Harbour which tends to be renowned for Schoolies week. Now it can be renowned for the ritzy waste water plant.

"Mr Honeyman said he and Mr Excell began to campaign for a new treatment plant because of the existing inadequate system and numerous complaints about river contamination.

"There was nothing the government could do so we started to press for recognition on a health basis and we've persevered for all these years," he said.

The community campaign by the duo and the former Resident and Ratepayers Association was made more urgent because daytrippers doubled the local population every day. "

The town and United Water can be very proud of their efforts. Just because it's functional doesn't mean it has to be industrial and dull. Now this is a novel approach to urban necessities.

It's time to make our arts party go annual

The Advertiser: It's time to make our arts party go annual :

"PRESSURE is mounting for the Adelaide Festival to become an annual event in after record attendances at the yearly Womadelaide and Fringe events."

We always used to be the State for the arts. It would be nice to see a return to that kind of a focus because it's getting people out and about and with each other. People have been very enthusiastic about his year's festival and very supportive of the event. People have made an effort to get out or at least know what's on. There really has been a high level of interest and the spin offs have been in our papers and on our news. It has been good to see town packed and to have a cross section of our population represented. Whether we sustain it is up to how we involve ourselves in what was always our cultural base. We always liked the arts. We appreciate the arts and we enjoy talking about, reading about and discussing the arts. Town has been spruced up and has a good feel. It gives it a purpose if it's available for all to enjoy. Even the moonlight theatre at the Botanic Gardens has been popular this year. I think we've got our get up and go back.

Mum wrestles backyard croc

Mum wrestles backyard croc : "Mr Higgins, 26, said his mother was putting the washing on the line when she heard a violent thrashing sound coming from the swimming pool.

Advertisement:
'She must have spooked it because it jumped out of the water and on to the grass,' he said.

Explaining why his mother decided to deal with the crocodile herself, he said: 'We lived in Papua New Guinea for a few years and there are a lot of reptiles and stuff over there."

Aaaaaaaagh!!! What a woman! What's a crocodile doing in the back yard in Sydney?? The article suggests it may have been smuggled or dumped and will probably now go to the Australian Reptile Park. She got a bit of a bite...what a great lady.

Media changes 'stifle diversity'

The Australian: Media changes 'stifle diversity' :

"'They (the reforms) will ensure that the existing media barons will have greater ownership, greater control over the diversity of opinion in this country,' Senator Conroy said."

This is nothing new. We have all been talking about it for quite some time. Trying to actually get news is increasingly more difficult. The same stories are repeated world wide. The same focus is world wide. You get a few stories which are cycled over 3 days or so and the take is always the same. We have learned to talk to each other and find other ways of getting the information we want. It really defeats its own purpose when the media is so narrow in its approach. You notice what is ignored and you ignore what is noticed. It is an interesting approach really to have world news which applies everywhere. To a certain extent it brings us all together and we know no one much cares how we think or what our opinions are. But if you decrease one thing, you increase something else. If the media can't bring us news well...some play more sport, others watch more tele, some visit more, some ignore it. It's all different and the indifference of the media to us is what we have come to expect....and yet, we are not totally left out of the loop. When we are , the media will not be part of our lives.

There's something about Harry

The Biggest Loser
Couldn't believe how the room swap blew out tonight. Big time, but in the end it was clear Fiona had a lot of emotional fat to lose along with Tracy and it just all happened and maybe there was no other way for those two to get pushed to the wall. Time and again we have seen contestants being pushed to their emotional limit and then they lose all that emotional fat. Artie hasn't yet gone to the wall and I can't remember Adro either being pushed to his limit. Adro is really coming out of himself now and makes me laugh a lot. He is so balanced in his outlook and is very kind. Ruth too has gained so much confidence. It was good to see Wal reach out and get through to Tracy when she was sliding around emotionally. He did recognise her as one who needed to have one of her own onside for that moment and he also knew it'd all be finished when she was back on her feet. It was certainly an emotion filled show but how it all blew up over a room swap was unbelievable. The "pairing" which will now occur is a brilliant solution to the emotional, relationship issues and a great way to break that ill advised, destructive alliance which saw Harry voted out. No surprises there. The pairs also ensure there can never be another alliance which will distort the eliminations and the healthy balance of the show. Well, done Biggest Loser for working that out!! Harry looks great. He has prospered and gone from strength to strength now he is away form all thos negative vibes. He looks so well.

G-8 Leaders Stress Concern For World's Poorest

G-8 Leaders Stress Concern For World's Poorest -- 07/20/2001:

"Although protestors are campaigning on a broad range of issues, from debt relief to action against AIDS to the environment, the overriding sentiment is that the policies of rich nations and corporations are condemning the developing world to continuing poverty.

In a clear attempt to address some of these concerns, organizers of the summit have built an agenda intended to show a desire to humanize globalization."

This was in 2001 and the world has been held in a holding pattern. Nothing has changed. So besides saying things, what have the world leader's done? What has the G8 actually accomplished? Mr Bush was saying the free trade agreements would help the poor nations. Have they? I want a list. I want to see what we have done because as far as I can tell people are still dying of hunger and there is no sign of some nations getting on their feet let alone having the the energy to create something to trade.

Africans go hungry across world's poorest continent

Africans go hungry across world's poorest continent : :

"The United Nations says it needs $2-billion to help feed more than 25-million Africans in 2005. Funds raised so far? Less than half, with a $1,1-billion shortfall."

Considering how many billionnaires we made last year then it's not surprising we cannot find a couple of million to feed others. Africa is in an invidious position because the tribes are warring or the droughts are killing. Rain would help. We just let them starve. So what? I look at my little spnsored boy's face every morning and I get letters from him to know I have made a difference. His life is so different from mine, but he is going along in a positive way with sponsorship and aid workers. It really doesn't take much for those of us who have to make a difference for those who have nothing...not even rain.

Diamonds place curse on world's poorest country

AM Archive - Diamonds place curse on world's poorest country:

"The diamond trade is being blamed for almost killing the West African State of Sierra Leone. A new report released overnight says the illegal diamond trade from the country has made worse the brutal conflict that's practically torn the tiny country apart.

The study accuses illicit diamond traders of funding the warring parties, and global giants like De Beers of unwittingly prolonging an agonising conflict."

Sierra Leone ought to be the richest country in the world with all those diamonds and its people ought to be on the world's richest list. The diamonds are smuggled out, but I guess that is free enterprise and if the people can't keep their own diamonds in their own country then they need to harden up and learn how to play hard ball. I can just see the consumer boycott of these diamonds being followed! It would be nice if we took a proper look at this and set the diamond trade up so that the nation of origin can benefit. As it stands...well, what's the point of integrity when there's money to be made?

Coca-Cola and Water

americas.org - Coca-Cola and Water - An Unsustainable Relationship:

"The Coca-Cola company is the largest beverage company in the world, and according to its own admission, the company used 283 billion liters of water in 2004.

Any way you look at it, 283 billion liters of water is a lot of water-particularly in a world where over 1 billion people in the world cannot meet their basic water needs.

It is enough water to meet the entire world's drinking needs for 10 days! If we use the water that Coca-Cola used in 2004, we could meet the entire drinking needs of people who don't currently have access to clean drinking water for 47 days!"

Coca-Cola is one of the sponsors of the World Water Forum in Mexico which starts on March 16th. If it uses so much water and water which could supply everyone with water, don't you think it might be able to come up with some clever idea to help conserve water usage? It's a hugely successful company and has been for a long time- years- it needs to think about how it can help now. How it can repay the subsidising it has had from all over the world by having a huge following. It extracts up to one million litres a day in some areas in India to supply its trade. So, what about giving some of this water back or revolutionising the water usage. Coca- Cola has the money to be inventive and generous.

The World's Billionaires

The World's Billionaires - Forbes.com:

"The Top Ten

1. William Gates
2. Warren Buffett
3. Carlos Slim Helú
4. Ingvar Kamprad
5. Lakshmi Mittal
6. Paul Allen
7. Bernard Arnault
8. Prince Alwaleed
9. Kenneth Thomson
10. Li Ka-shing"

Boom time spawns new billionaires

The Australian: Boom time spawns new billionaires :

"Forbes magazine said the bumper crop was due to a worldwide economic boom. Soaring stock, oil and commodity prices increased their combined net worth to $US2.6 trillion ($3.55 trillion) as 114 people joined the club, including 10 more women, for a total of 78."

There is only so much money in the world. If we have increased the number of billionnaires, we have taken the money from somewere for them to have that much. Seriously, how much money do you need to lead a "good" life , even if you do want to squander a bit? The youngest is the 22 year old Hind Hariri and Russia has added quite a few billionnaires to the list. Maybe we should have a list of those who haven't got anything and how their numbers are increasing. In 2006 I think we can do better than that. There is enough money for everyone to eat and live and then have some left over for those who want to do their business deals and get even more money.

More shamed rioters give in

More shamed rioters give in:

"The 17 year-olds, from Picnic Point and Hurstville, had their parents beside them as they were charged with riot and affray and granted conditional bail."

The kids are so young. So young. I am glad we are sorting it all out in the way we are sorting it out. When we have we shall realise how unreal and unnecessary it all was. When the parents, police , kids and courts sit down together I believe the wrongs will be set right for the future. Not for the people who were hurt and damaged and not for the property they have lost and the fear they felt. Those who did it do need to front up and understand the number of people they have hurt and damaged by their actions. I am almost positive the kids will not realise just how severe this all was. They would have been caught up in the adrenalin rush and the mob reaction. The police have to stay involved until younger people realise they need to stop themselves being manipulated and they need to consider how their behaviour affects other. Not just young people, we all need to think a lot more about what we do. We need to start with people at a younger age with the socialising behaviour because the world has changed and we have to consider how things can blow out of hand and by teachinbg others we shall remind ourselves. Forewarned is forearmed and all of that.

MPs 'failed' to declare AWB shares

MPs 'failed' to declare AWB shares :

"SIX senior coalition MPs, including four serving or former ministers, held AWB shares or investments but failed to declare them to parliament, the Nine Network has said.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is among the politicians the Nine Network's Sunday program said had failed to declare their AWB shares to parliament's pecuniary interest register."

I am still not listening and shall wait for the Cole Inquiry to make its findings...but one, our journalists are turning up some interesting information and two, this AWB story really seems to be about who is in the group and their personal benefit from the situation in Iraq. I haven't made a decision yet because we do not have all the information, but paying big dollars for trade contracts seems so odd. I would have thought someone would say something. Maybe getting shares is a reason not to, if they got the shares? Why all this money? Why do people fall for money? Makes certain groups in the world look pretty bad. Anyone can be bought. Okay, so I have an airy -fairy approach to life, but I think we need to give ourselves a damn good shaking up and get back to things like the common good and honesty and...what else has gone out the window while the dollars have been rattling? Ah, integrity. I am so glad Mr. Howard has had the sense to keep the commission going. We really need to unravel this and understand the motivations.

Absence makes the glass glow fondly.

Absence makes the glass glow fondly. :

"Researchers have come up with a novel way to keep long-distance lovers in touch - high-tech wine glasses that glow warmly however far apart the pining couple are."

Aaaah, how cute. I am wondering how they have made it happen that the other glass will glow when you pick it up? What are they using and what kind of glow is it? I can see glasses with special messages which will glow!

Scientists discover swimming ants.

Scientists discover swimming ants. :

"'I was actually working with a film crew working on insects in the mangroves and they wanted to film one of these ants and I said, 'Well, lets put it on a rock in a puddle of water and that'll stop it going away and then you'll be able to film it,' and the ant promptly just leapt off the edge of the rock and swam across the water and disappeared.

'We were sort of dumbfounded.'"

Me too, because water has always been used to stop ants! They have never been water babes. The James Cook University team has obviously created some international interest with the discovery of polyrhachis sokolova, the swimming ant. Can't think of anything worse than having ants to content with in the water. They are so persistent! Knowing Austrlai we shall start ant swimming courses and championships.

Woman takes first sudoku world championship.

Woman takes first sudoku world championship. :

"Jana Tylova, a 31-year-old accountant, has beaten two Americans to triumph in the final after a two-day competition involving 85 players from 22 countries.

Her victory is something of a surprise as she finished only ninth after the first round, becoming the only woman to finish in the top 18."

This is a lovely win for Jana and I am sure she is really excited because it is a big deal. I don't get why, but million of Sudoko addicts can prove me wrong. I tried a couple and that was it. Not for me. I confess I am numerically oppressed and challenged and find anything to do with numbers very painful. I like words. It's amazing how little things like this can suddenly create a buzz around the world and then be such a source of pleasure for people.Thinks like Sudko become international bonds and a way of connecting across the world. I just don't get why everyone loves it so much!

Blogshares

Ooo.....oooo. I wondered what that hole was on my site. It's the Blogshares logo. When you click on it, it tells you that the Blogshares Domain name has expired. Surely not? Then I checked on my other site. Just says listed on Blogshares but you get the same expiry message. Has Blogshares really expired or has someone forgotten to pay the bill? Surely not?! We'll see. You never know what is going to happen these days!!

Panda Kindergarten

Panda Kindergarten

The school at the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding and Research Centre in China's Sichuan province is the first of its kind."

This kindergarten for pandas in China is the first of its kind and there is a video to watch on this site. They are just so cute! China is trying this idea to help encourage a better reproduction rate. We had a really delightful news item on them tonight where they were sliding down slides by themselves and climbing up on seats and smacking each other. They really were like little children. The Chinese are hoping the greater social skills developed will enable them to find a mate . Some will stay in zoos and some are going to be returned to the wild. We have programmes similar to this but not as cute! Our animal experts have a good history of helping our native animals survive by creating well thought out survival sanctuaries . The creatures released to the wild are still fostered as they make their own way. I hope all foes well in China because Pandas are another thing I should hate us to be responsible for losing from the planet.

Mars

NASA probe achieves Mars orbit
"Mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena erupted in cheers when the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which left Earth in August, signalled that it had achieved orbit around a planet that has defeated two-thirds of the probes sent there."
We saw this on the news tonight and the thing about NASA is they are always positive and they always beome so emotional about what happens. They readily express their joy and their sorrow and when you see it, it isn't half obvious how much they are committed to what they are doing. They were so excited when their probe went right and it's true, Mars has provided a real challenge and isn't that how you would want it? If you have great brains, great skills and you can afford it, wouldn't you want that all put to a real test? I look forward to seeing the pictures in November. I couldn't work out why it would take so long to get pictures. I am sure they said November.

Sydney chokes on the nation's worst air pollution.

Sydney chokes on the nation's worst air pollution. :

"The annual report by the National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) shows Sydney was the only city to have breached its air pollution goals last year."

The worst thing is going out over the harbour and looking back at the green brown haze. The ozone being trapped can be a problem too. I hate it in Sydney because when I clean my face at night the cotton wool is black. It's a fantastic city in many ways and pictorially it's very impressive. It's a great place to visit and you always have a good time...but the pollution has been like that for years and I am surprised they haven't done something about it. They have cleaned up some of the industrial pollution but they really need to look at air flow and traffic.

UK mission to save tourism ads.

UK mission to save tourism ads. :

"She also hopes to meet with the British Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre, which has banned the section of the ad featuring the word 'bloody' from being screened on television.

'It's very hard to understand I think why the regulator would reach such a decision,' Ms Bailey said."

I hope Fran Bailey has a successful mission because broadcast censorship is weird to say the least. Not just in Britain. We have laws about what can and can't be shown but Big Brother goes over the line every time and nothing happens. We have quite a few shows from Britain and the language and content can quite take you by surprise even though the overall effect can be good. Ally G really pushes it and some people just can't take it and others can take some. Little Britain is another show where some people roar with laughter and can't get enough and others can't take the images and language. Shameless, which is a wonderful social comment show with a lot of depth has lost viewers because it can be too normal and too close to the bone. We have reeled off a heap of British shows we all like but we have all commented on the language and the content. Even Teachers can really push the boundaries at times...and Coupling is brilliant but pushes the language barriers. So we are all wondering how our ad, even though we were a bit embarrassed by it at first can be censored? We understand it and we think it's a bit 50s/60s language wide, but it's not offensive and doesn't push anyone's boundaries. Hopefully it's all sorted out because the ad campaign is well meant.