Thank you again everyone. This is great!!
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Australians want tsunami cash back
The Australian: Australians want tsunami cash back :
"A SMALL number of Australians upset by Schapelle Corby's drugs conviction in an Indonesian court have called aid agencies for the return of their tsunami relief donations."
About 20. I am really fed up with how this has been picked up in the news. That and the belief we shall all be boycotting Bali. The money we gave to Indonesia for the tsunami relief was for the people of Aceh, in particular, and it came from our hearts to go to their hearts. We are not that mean spirited, nor stupid, and it is incredibly unfair for us to be represented like that as a nation. Australians have been going to Bali forever and there has been a longstanding relationship between us and Bali. We can tell the difference between a court case, a tourist destination and international aid. I resent the press representing us in such a silly fashion.
"A SMALL number of Australians upset by Schapelle Corby's drugs conviction in an Indonesian court have called aid agencies for the return of their tsunami relief donations."
About 20. I am really fed up with how this has been picked up in the news. That and the belief we shall all be boycotting Bali. The money we gave to Indonesia for the tsunami relief was for the people of Aceh, in particular, and it came from our hearts to go to their hearts. We are not that mean spirited, nor stupid, and it is incredibly unfair for us to be represented like that as a nation. Australians have been going to Bali forever and there has been a longstanding relationship between us and Bali. We can tell the difference between a court case, a tourist destination and international aid. I resent the press representing us in such a silly fashion.
Healthy eating
MyPyramid.gov - United States Department of Agriculture - Home:
"One size doesn't fit all. MyPyramid Plan can help you choose the foods and amounts that are right for you. For a quick estimate of what and how much you need to eat, enter your age, sex, and activity level in the MyPyramid Plan box."
Ever since I watched the Jamie Oliver programme on eating in schools I have been very conscious of eating properly. It was an interesting experience being in a culture where the access to fast food was practically non existent. The people were healthy and well fed and were eating a very basic diet. I learned things like coleus leaves can supply iron and some fern leaves were very good for cleansing the blood. They cleaned their teeth by peeling green coconuts with their teeth and chewing on the fibres. It was very noticeable how stunning their smiles were. Mind you, I am happy to stay with the tooth brush and toothpaste. Not so easy to carry green coconuts around and they don't fit in my bathroom cabinet. I keep thinking of those doctors and school personnel who were interviewed on the Jamie Oliver programme saying that the children were better behaved and didn't need their asthma puffers and weren't suffering from impacted feces when they started eating properly. I also noticed while I was away my skin was so much healthier, my hair became shiny and my nails got stronger...and I wasn't even in that environment eating that food for that long. Just goes to show. This site is brilliant. It is incredibly comprehensive and easy to use and is very encouraging. Go for it!
"One size doesn't fit all. MyPyramid Plan can help you choose the foods and amounts that are right for you. For a quick estimate of what and how much you need to eat, enter your age, sex, and activity level in the MyPyramid Plan box."
Ever since I watched the Jamie Oliver programme on eating in schools I have been very conscious of eating properly. It was an interesting experience being in a culture where the access to fast food was practically non existent. The people were healthy and well fed and were eating a very basic diet. I learned things like coleus leaves can supply iron and some fern leaves were very good for cleansing the blood. They cleaned their teeth by peeling green coconuts with their teeth and chewing on the fibres. It was very noticeable how stunning their smiles were. Mind you, I am happy to stay with the tooth brush and toothpaste. Not so easy to carry green coconuts around and they don't fit in my bathroom cabinet. I keep thinking of those doctors and school personnel who were interviewed on the Jamie Oliver programme saying that the children were better behaved and didn't need their asthma puffers and weren't suffering from impacted feces when they started eating properly. I also noticed while I was away my skin was so much healthier, my hair became shiny and my nails got stronger...and I wasn't even in that environment eating that food for that long. Just goes to show. This site is brilliant. It is incredibly comprehensive and easy to use and is very encouraging. Go for it!
Floral arrangement
The red flower growing in the wild in the previous picture makes the most stunning floral arrangements. I loved the recessed coffee table with the shells and masks. Very south sea islands, but a stimulating idea both visually and as a conversation piece.
Tropical rain forest
These are the Mele Cascades again in Vanuatu. I know Adelaide needs rain...but I am freeeeeezing. It was raining intermittently in the rain forest, too, as we walked up to the cascades, but it was lovely and warm and we didn't get wet. The plants protected us. The water was duck egg blue and filtered over the rocks and the plants were just so lush. It wasn't a bit cold!
Tsunami study
Pacific Islands: PINA and Pacific:
"Scientists are currently studying the depth of the seas surrounding Guam and the Northern Marianas to determine how destructive a tsunami can be in case it happens in the region."
As I said, it is heartening to know wthat the scientific investigations are being methodically carried out even if the scientists cannot interpret all the information they discover. At least people are making an effort to understand what is going on and hopefully the team effort will give us a better chance of survival.
The Pacific Magazine gives you a good round up of what's ahppening in the pacific area.
"Scientists are currently studying the depth of the seas surrounding Guam and the Northern Marianas to determine how destructive a tsunami can be in case it happens in the region."
As I said, it is heartening to know wthat the scientific investigations are being methodically carried out even if the scientists cannot interpret all the information they discover. At least people are making an effort to understand what is going on and hopefully the team effort will give us a better chance of survival.
The Pacific Magazine gives you a good round up of what's ahppening in the pacific area.
Be prepared
Australia tsunami warning :
"'I think it is a misconception that Australia is safe from natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis,' Prof Mora said. 'We are actually very prone.'
He said research partners in the US, who had an 80 per cent success rate of forecasting the locations of large earthquakes, were behind the forecasts detrimental to Australia."
So if a tsunami could hit our east coast are we prepared? Do we know what to do? Do we have a masterplan? The Geohazards update site is of help.
According to the article it is likely to come from NZ but NZ would not afford us protection.
According to Seismic monitor there was quite a big quake in NZ a couple of days ago.
29-MAY-2005 21:44:28 -30.17 -178.10 6.2 20.8 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
No one wants to think about these things and no one wants to it it happen to people, but we do have to have an action plan . You only have to look at a map of our region and you can clearly see that the countries used to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. The planet changes and we must change with it, but ignoring that is not helping.
"'I think it is a misconception that Australia is safe from natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis,' Prof Mora said. 'We are actually very prone.'
He said research partners in the US, who had an 80 per cent success rate of forecasting the locations of large earthquakes, were behind the forecasts detrimental to Australia."
So if a tsunami could hit our east coast are we prepared? Do we know what to do? Do we have a masterplan? The Geohazards update site is of help.
According to the article it is likely to come from NZ but NZ would not afford us protection.
According to Seismic monitor there was quite a big quake in NZ a couple of days ago.
29-MAY-2005 21:44:28 -30.17 -178.10 6.2 20.8 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
No one wants to think about these things and no one wants to it it happen to people, but we do have to have an action plan . You only have to look at a map of our region and you can clearly see that the countries used to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. The planet changes and we must change with it, but ignoring that is not helping.
Tsunami post mortem
Quakes hit around globe after giant temblor / Even Alaskan volcano shuddered as ground shook as far away as 7,000 miles from the epicenter:
"'That is something we have not observed before,' said Thorne Lay, a professor of earth sciences at UC Santa Cruz and the lead author of one of the articles in Science. 'It tells us there is frictional behavior on these faults that we don't understand.'"
Quite a lot of detail in this article about how it all happened and the ramifications. Not cheering to know we are clueless, but heartening to know we have analysed it in such a meticulous fashion. We have had a year of firsts and things happening which have not happened for a long time. I do gain reassurance from knowing the experts are working on it , even though they haven't yet understood all the information.
"'That is something we have not observed before,' said Thorne Lay, a professor of earth sciences at UC Santa Cruz and the lead author of one of the articles in Science. 'It tells us there is frictional behavior on these faults that we don't understand.'"
Quite a lot of detail in this article about how it all happened and the ramifications. Not cheering to know we are clueless, but heartening to know we have analysed it in such a meticulous fashion. We have had a year of firsts and things happening which have not happened for a long time. I do gain reassurance from knowing the experts are working on it , even though they haven't yet understood all the information.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Save the Bonobos
Bonobo: Messenger of Peace, Victim of War:
Bonobos are being hunted and their habitiat is shrinking because of human development and war. Bonobos are :
"Dubbed 'the sexy apes,' bonobos truly exemplify the 1960s credo, 'make love, not war.' They make a lot of love and do so in every conceivable fashion. Sex transcends reproduction in bonobos, as it does in humans. Bonobos are bisexual, or as psychologist Frans de Waal contends, 'pansexual.' Sex permeates almost all aspects of daily life. Encounters, both with the same and the opposite sex, serve as a way of bonding, sharing, and keeping the peace. When neighboring groups of bonobos meet in the forest, they greet one another sexually and share food instead of fighting. Unlike other apes, bonobos frequently copulate face to face, looking into each other's eyes."
Save the Bonobos!
Ape Alliance
Bonobo Initiative
Bonobos are being hunted and their habitiat is shrinking because of human development and war. Bonobos are :
"Dubbed 'the sexy apes,' bonobos truly exemplify the 1960s credo, 'make love, not war.' They make a lot of love and do so in every conceivable fashion. Sex transcends reproduction in bonobos, as it does in humans. Bonobos are bisexual, or as psychologist Frans de Waal contends, 'pansexual.' Sex permeates almost all aspects of daily life. Encounters, both with the same and the opposite sex, serve as a way of bonding, sharing, and keeping the peace. When neighboring groups of bonobos meet in the forest, they greet one another sexually and share food instead of fighting. Unlike other apes, bonobos frequently copulate face to face, looking into each other's eyes."
Save the Bonobos!
Ape Alliance
Bonobo Initiative
Fishy Fiction
short horror story: night of the eels:
"The New Adventures of Kosio and Juanito
The Night of the Eels
By J.R.Atwood"
I just found this site while I was looking up about eels. What a gem. I think you could catch them with a basket and a a bit of bait like they do in the Islands. Get fishermen, they'll know!
"The New Adventures of Kosio and Juanito
The Night of the Eels
By J.R.Atwood"
I just found this site while I was looking up about eels. What a gem. I think you could catch them with a basket and a a bit of bait like they do in the Islands. Get fishermen, they'll know!
Extreme Eels
Extreme Eels:
"The Japanese grill them, the Dutch smoke them, while the English pack them into little pots of jelly or bake them in fragrant pies. Why then do many Australians shrink in horror at the idea of a meal prepared from eel?"
Because they are disgustingly horrible, that's why! I don't care how much parsley and garlic you put on them. They are pure squidge. Fragrant? Pungent, more likely.
"The Japanese grill them, the Dutch smoke them, while the English pack them into little pots of jelly or bake them in fragrant pies. Why then do many Australians shrink in horror at the idea of a meal prepared from eel?"
Because they are disgustingly horrible, that's why! I don't care how much parsley and garlic you put on them. They are pure squidge. Fragrant? Pungent, more likely.
Scientists Find Eels Near Undersea Volcano
Scientists Find Eels Near Undersea Volcano - Yahoo! News:
"Though the team gathered samples of the microbial mats, they could not capture an eel, Young said. That will have to wait for a return trip in July. As a result, they could not identify the eels, though they looked like something from the family Synaphobranchidae."
How odd. I can't believe the scientists can't catch the eels. Maybe they need to get fishermen. Jellied eels, anyone?
"Though the team gathered samples of the microbial mats, they could not capture an eel, Young said. That will have to wait for a return trip in July. As a result, they could not identify the eels, though they looked like something from the family Synaphobranchidae."
How odd. I can't believe the scientists can't catch the eels. Maybe they need to get fishermen. Jellied eels, anyone?
More evidence
The Advertiser: The Goose lays a golden egg for restaurant rulers [30may05]:
"THE Goose has wings. Adelaide's My Restaurant Rules couple John and Justine Hall has won the Channel 7 reality show competition.
They scored a $100,000 cash prize from ANZ, a lion's share of the restaurant's profits and a year's lease on the Melbourne St haunt, The Greedy Goose."
I told you we had more food outlets per capita than any other city in Australia and that people love our food and wine!! I rest my case!
"THE Goose has wings. Adelaide's My Restaurant Rules couple John and Justine Hall has won the Channel 7 reality show competition.
They scored a $100,000 cash prize from ANZ, a lion's share of the restaurant's profits and a year's lease on the Melbourne St haunt, The Greedy Goose."
I told you we had more food outlets per capita than any other city in Australia and that people love our food and wine!! I rest my case!
Organic control of whitefly
ORGANIC CONTROL OF WHITEFLY:
"Whiteflies suffer from an identity crisis, as they are not flies at all, in appearance they resemble tiny, pure white 'moths' but are in fact, closely related to sap-sucking aphids. Aphid cast-off skins could be mistaken for whitefly, but whitefly will quickly flutter up and fly away when disturbed, while the cast-off aphid skins will drop off. Just shake the plant to find out which you have!"
This is a good, useful site. You can use garlic and chilli. It was actually my chilli plants which had quite an infestation last year. I wasn't impressed because a lot of my chillis were damaged and stunted because of the little fluttering things. When you see them en masse it's like flying flour!
"Whiteflies suffer from an identity crisis, as they are not flies at all, in appearance they resemble tiny, pure white 'moths' but are in fact, closely related to sap-sucking aphids. Aphid cast-off skins could be mistaken for whitefly, but whitefly will quickly flutter up and fly away when disturbed, while the cast-off aphid skins will drop off. Just shake the plant to find out which you have!"
This is a good, useful site. You can use garlic and chilli. It was actually my chilli plants which had quite an infestation last year. I wasn't impressed because a lot of my chillis were damaged and stunted because of the little fluttering things. When you see them en masse it's like flying flour!
Whitefly invasion and control
QLD Country Hour - 29/03/2005: Whitefly invasion and control:
"The exotic insect pest, Silver leaf Whitefly has caused havoc in the Lockyer Valley and along the coast this year. The pest was accidentally introduced some years ago and attacks a broad range of horticultural crops as well as cotton."
This has some audio information about management and control. Whitefly are teeny weenie things but they are a real nuisance.
"The exotic insect pest, Silver leaf Whitefly has caused havoc in the Lockyer Valley and along the coast this year. The pest was accidentally introduced some years ago and attacks a broad range of horticultural crops as well as cotton."
This has some audio information about management and control. Whitefly are teeny weenie things but they are a real nuisance.
Whitefly in Australia and the Pacific Islands
Encarsia species attacking silverleaf and greenhouse whitefly in Australia and the Pacific Islands:
"This web site provides information about taxonomy, biology, and distribution of Australian Encarsia species attacking the silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), and the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood). The genus Encarsia contains species which are important biological control agents of whiteflies and scale insects."
I love the Net! This is an extremely comprehensive site about whitefly and the links are quite informative! No good pictures though. The site is for people who have a serious interest in whitefly.
"This web site provides information about taxonomy, biology, and distribution of Australian Encarsia species attacking the silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), and the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood). The genus Encarsia contains species which are important biological control agents of whiteflies and scale insects."
I love the Net! This is an extremely comprehensive site about whitefly and the links are quite informative! No good pictures though. The site is for people who have a serious interest in whitefly.
Whitefly
Council to consider white fly issue. :
"'We need to take the lead by calling for the report to find out to what extent the problem exists across other council areas and ask them if they would also consider contributing towards the cost of the research,' Ms Clearihan said."
Here I seem to have less white fly that last year. I used a tea tree oil solution to spray the plants and trees which had the pesky flies. It dried the foliage but I have no flies this year.They are annoying because they are so prolific and having them around makes everything sticky and then you are inhaling them which isn't very pleasant. It's not unpleasant either. It's just not what you want! I use tea tree oil for everything really. I cannot believe what a wonder product it is. It heals cutsa nd wounds , deters ants, gets rid of white fly and is a good anti fungal agent!
"'We need to take the lead by calling for the report to find out to what extent the problem exists across other council areas and ask them if they would also consider contributing towards the cost of the research,' Ms Clearihan said."
Here I seem to have less white fly that last year. I used a tea tree oil solution to spray the plants and trees which had the pesky flies. It dried the foliage but I have no flies this year.They are annoying because they are so prolific and having them around makes everything sticky and then you are inhaling them which isn't very pleasant. It's not unpleasant either. It's just not what you want! I use tea tree oil for everything really. I cannot believe what a wonder product it is. It heals cutsa nd wounds , deters ants, gets rid of white fly and is a good anti fungal agent!
Released bilbies die in reserve.
Released bilbies die in reserve. 30/05/2005. ABC News Online:
"'Pending those results from that training we're hoping to start releasing those bilbies outside the reserve and this will start reducing pressure on food resources inside the reserve,' he said."
Poor bilbies. The drought hasn't helped because it means they have to compete under much tougher conditions. I don't know what our record is on releasing wild life back into the wild. I know we are good at helping wild life to recover if it is under threat. I just hope the Monarto Zoo can work it all out. I'm sure it will.
"'Pending those results from that training we're hoping to start releasing those bilbies outside the reserve and this will start reducing pressure on food resources inside the reserve,' he said."
Poor bilbies. The drought hasn't helped because it means they have to compete under much tougher conditions. I don't know what our record is on releasing wild life back into the wild. I know we are good at helping wild life to recover if it is under threat. I just hope the Monarto Zoo can work it all out. I'm sure it will.
Travelling technology
Qantas okays mobile phone use for landed planes.:
"Qantas passengers will be now be able to make phone calls from their mobile phones on domestic flights once their plane has landed."
As I travelled around it was fantastic to be away from all the technology for a while. I had some great conversations with people on the planes because we weren't plugged in, but we did need to make our contacts as we got off planes. We were enjoying each other's company because our paths had crossed for a while. In all my travels I was the only one I met from SA. All the other Australians were from Brisbane or Sydney. We were discussing everything from our past and present travelling experiences, our new adventures to the news ,politics,art,languages and history. It was really absorbing and gratifying to find us all chatting and we were all the better for it. As the only Adelaidian I was pleased to discover they all had fond memories of Adeliade. They had liked the slower , more civilised lifestyle. They had enjoyed the pick'n'mix opportunities we had here where a way of life or a way of being a tourist wasn't foisted upon you but there was a whole smogasbord of choices. They had all enthusiastically remembered the food and wine but all seemed to talk about the Barossa Valley rather than McLaren Vale. So I did my bit to plug the southern vales and I could see their faces light up...another trip to Adelaide was in their minds. Good! I found by talking to these people they felt they had lost the better aspects of their cities because they had grown too big and too impersonal. They were talking about dirty trains, the rush and hustle and rude, unhelpful taxi drivers. Not one of them was going to grab a taxi from the airport. They had all organised a lift or were going to choose public transport. It made me feel very grateful for Adelaide...but then I knew that, because I live here. We don't have the bright lights and the big city. We don't have tinsel town and neon nirvana...but we do have a lot of lifestyle choices...and more food outlets per capita than any other Australian city!!
"Qantas passengers will be now be able to make phone calls from their mobile phones on domestic flights once their plane has landed."
As I travelled around it was fantastic to be away from all the technology for a while. I had some great conversations with people on the planes because we weren't plugged in, but we did need to make our contacts as we got off planes. We were enjoying each other's company because our paths had crossed for a while. In all my travels I was the only one I met from SA. All the other Australians were from Brisbane or Sydney. We were discussing everything from our past and present travelling experiences, our new adventures to the news ,politics,art,languages and history. It was really absorbing and gratifying to find us all chatting and we were all the better for it. As the only Adelaidian I was pleased to discover they all had fond memories of Adeliade. They had liked the slower , more civilised lifestyle. They had enjoyed the pick'n'mix opportunities we had here where a way of life or a way of being a tourist wasn't foisted upon you but there was a whole smogasbord of choices. They had all enthusiastically remembered the food and wine but all seemed to talk about the Barossa Valley rather than McLaren Vale. So I did my bit to plug the southern vales and I could see their faces light up...another trip to Adelaide was in their minds. Good! I found by talking to these people they felt they had lost the better aspects of their cities because they had grown too big and too impersonal. They were talking about dirty trains, the rush and hustle and rude, unhelpful taxi drivers. Not one of them was going to grab a taxi from the airport. They had all organised a lift or were going to choose public transport. It made me feel very grateful for Adelaide...but then I knew that, because I live here. We don't have the bright lights and the big city. We don't have tinsel town and neon nirvana...but we do have a lot of lifestyle choices...and more food outlets per capita than any other Australian city!!
Bloggeriffic!
Hoorah!! Thank you , Blogger! I can now see my blog. Blogging blind was different but not desirable!
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Indigenous tourism in the spotlight
Indigenous tourism in the spotlight:
"The Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference (AITC) will be an educational forum that will reinforce the need for sustainable indigenous tourism that will “benefit the community and create a sense of pride and long term employment”."
Having just been to Vanuatu where the locals and tourists mixed and matched and shared I can only encourage this for Australia. The ni-vanuatu can seem to live their tribal life or come to town as they wish. They can seem to see the benefits of both types of life. We certainly benefitted from their way of living and they could share the things we had to share. I was particularly impressed with the co operative nature of the place and the way in which their life style was shared so freely with tourists. It did make me think of how little I had seen of the aboriginal life style and how isolated I was from their skills and thoughts. As tourists we supported their skills and their incomes and we received in return a different way of looking at the world and things we couldn't do ourselves. I found this in NZ too, that I was able to share some of the Maori things with the Maori people because it was set up in a way which kept both cultures in a safe environment. Do it!
"The Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference (AITC) will be an educational forum that will reinforce the need for sustainable indigenous tourism that will “benefit the community and create a sense of pride and long term employment”."
Having just been to Vanuatu where the locals and tourists mixed and matched and shared I can only encourage this for Australia. The ni-vanuatu can seem to live their tribal life or come to town as they wish. They can seem to see the benefits of both types of life. We certainly benefitted from their way of living and they could share the things we had to share. I was particularly impressed with the co operative nature of the place and the way in which their life style was shared so freely with tourists. It did make me think of how little I had seen of the aboriginal life style and how isolated I was from their skills and thoughts. As tourists we supported their skills and their incomes and we received in return a different way of looking at the world and things we couldn't do ourselves. I found this in NZ too, that I was able to share some of the Maori things with the Maori people because it was set up in a way which kept both cultures in a safe environment. Do it!
Can Spam
'Lonely housewives' spam ring busted - Breaking - Technology - theage.com.au:
"US regulators say they have obtained a court order shutting down a sex-oriented spam operation that sent out millions of emails urging recipients to 'date lonely housewives.'"
The Can Spam Act in the US is great. I have had so much less spam and I have so much less spam from elsewhere too. So thank you to all the governments who have taken action. It was driving me off the Net!! This spam ring is quite cunning and was very lucrative. But to use the lonely housewives thing ad it worked?? I thought we had fulfilling lives!!
"US regulators say they have obtained a court order shutting down a sex-oriented spam operation that sent out millions of emails urging recipients to 'date lonely housewives.'"
The Can Spam Act in the US is great. I have had so much less spam and I have so much less spam from elsewhere too. So thank you to all the governments who have taken action. It was driving me off the Net!! This spam ring is quite cunning and was very lucrative. But to use the lonely housewives thing ad it worked?? I thought we had fulfilling lives!!
Blogger: Dashboard
Blogger: Dashboard:
"Blogger feeling snappier? The previously scheduled maintenance has resulted in a faster, better blogging experience for you, your friends, your relatives, your coworkers, and your fellow bloggers so post away my friends. Post away!"
No Blogger , it's not!! I am posting away all right but I have no idea whether my blog is aesthetically pleasing or not. I can't access anything with a blogspot.com address because the operation times out. Firefox or IE no blogspot.com. This was fine until you gave me a better, faster blogging experience!! I am blogging blind at the moment!! It's not the same.
"Blogger feeling snappier? The previously scheduled maintenance has resulted in a faster, better blogging experience for you, your friends, your relatives, your coworkers, and your fellow bloggers so post away my friends. Post away!"
No Blogger , it's not!! I am posting away all right but I have no idea whether my blog is aesthetically pleasing or not. I can't access anything with a blogspot.com address because the operation times out. Firefox or IE no blogspot.com. This was fine until you gave me a better, faster blogging experience!! I am blogging blind at the moment!! It's not the same.
Saturday, May 28, 2005
WW1 War memorial
This is the war memorial with the superb view of the harbour and under one of those lovely Vanuatu skies. Double click on the picture and you will be able to read the french inscription.
Port Vila
Port Vila's biggest buildings are the hotels like the Irikiri and the Meridien. It's other buildings are colourful. The one in the middle is the most impressive - the Reserve Bank building. It overlooked the harbour and was opposite the memorial to those fallen from the New Hebrides (original name of Vanuatu until independence in 1980) in WW1.
Solid-State Lighting
Powering Next-Generation Solid-State Lighting:
"LEDs offer advantages over traditional incandescent type lighting, including:
*
Faster turn-on time, increasing the time and distance available to the motorist resulting in fewer rear-end collisions.
*
Increased efficiency and lower power consumption.
*
Vibration and shock resistance.
*
Longer operating life."
It would appear that solid state lighting is the next thing to come in lighting. They are still working on it and it will apply to all forms of lighting. It'll be more efficient and help to contribute to a cleaner , safer environment. This article discusses its relevacne to the automotive industry, but it will impact us all once they have perfected it. Only a matter of time.
"LEDs offer advantages over traditional incandescent type lighting, including:
*
Faster turn-on time, increasing the time and distance available to the motorist resulting in fewer rear-end collisions.
*
Increased efficiency and lower power consumption.
*
Vibration and shock resistance.
*
Longer operating life."
It would appear that solid state lighting is the next thing to come in lighting. They are still working on it and it will apply to all forms of lighting. It'll be more efficient and help to contribute to a cleaner , safer environment. This article discusses its relevacne to the automotive industry, but it will impact us all once they have perfected it. Only a matter of time.
Friday, May 27, 2005
We need to clean up our act
Traffic and air pollution may trigger heart attacks - Blackmores Australia:
"The researchers found that there was an association between travelling in cars, buses and while riding on a bicycle or motorbike and the onset of heart attack within one hour afterward. Of the cases of heart attack, eight percent were directly linked to the exposure to traffic."
This is a report about the investigations from the Augsburg Study Group. It makes for fascinating reading. Why do we persist in developing environments and lifestyles which kill and damage us? Don't people claim human beings are superior because they have brains? Well, I think we are behaving in a very irrational manner when it comes to our habitat! The Blackmore's site is a fount of information about health and environmental issues and constantly reminds me we make some very silly choices in our lifestyle and living environments. We no longer seem to be capable of developing a civilisation which is self sustaining and promotes the health and welfare of its people, yet we can create the most amazing things and we can do things like quadruple by passes and, liver transplants and micro surgery. What is the matter with us?
"The researchers found that there was an association between travelling in cars, buses and while riding on a bicycle or motorbike and the onset of heart attack within one hour afterward. Of the cases of heart attack, eight percent were directly linked to the exposure to traffic."
This is a report about the investigations from the Augsburg Study Group. It makes for fascinating reading. Why do we persist in developing environments and lifestyles which kill and damage us? Don't people claim human beings are superior because they have brains? Well, I think we are behaving in a very irrational manner when it comes to our habitat! The Blackmore's site is a fount of information about health and environmental issues and constantly reminds me we make some very silly choices in our lifestyle and living environments. We no longer seem to be capable of developing a civilisation which is self sustaining and promotes the health and welfare of its people, yet we can create the most amazing things and we can do things like quadruple by passes and, liver transplants and micro surgery. What is the matter with us?
For sale
They are selling Vanuatu too. The real estate developers' boom is apparent. They are even developing gated communities.This sign advertises "only 6" building blocks. Only six?? Well...we thought it might be better to wait till they are all built and see which ones survive cyclones from November to April each year.
Super ECO Led Light Torch
I read this article by Len Garae in the Vanuatu Daily Post Friday May 20th:
" Imagine a torch which does not need batteries or a light, which does not need kerosene to light up. This is what Len Leoni of Simtex International is marketing in Vanuatu through Evergreen Limited Offices at present."
It was quite a big article and Len Leoni is a mechanical engineer from Australia. The super torch is designed to help the rural people of Vanuatu and Evergreen will market the torch in Port Vila , Luganville and Tanna. You can attach the torch to a car engine to give it extra power and it is equipped with a loud siren to use if you need one to attract attention.
So why haven't we got them? They are ecologically sound and they provide a safety mechanism and a capacity to alter the light output. Why don't we have them? They cost 4500 VT (1AUD = 82 VT), which is quite a considerable some for someone in Vanuatu. It recharges itself, it doesn't need batteries, rain doesn't affect it...I WANT ONE!! I don't want to be battery dependant.
" Imagine a torch which does not need batteries or a light, which does not need kerosene to light up. This is what Len Leoni of Simtex International is marketing in Vanuatu through Evergreen Limited Offices at present."
It was quite a big article and Len Leoni is a mechanical engineer from Australia. The super torch is designed to help the rural people of Vanuatu and Evergreen will market the torch in Port Vila , Luganville and Tanna. You can attach the torch to a car engine to give it extra power and it is equipped with a loud siren to use if you need one to attract attention.
So why haven't we got them? They are ecologically sound and they provide a safety mechanism and a capacity to alter the light output. Why don't we have them? They cost 4500 VT (1AUD = 82 VT), which is quite a considerable some for someone in Vanuatu. It recharges itself, it doesn't need batteries, rain doesn't affect it...I WANT ONE!! I don't want to be battery dependant.
Rau taken back to hospital
The Advertiser: Rau taken back to hospital :
"She said the family had accepted it had been a trial moving Ms Rau to a community facility but hoped another trial could happen soon when she was 'more ready'. Ms Rau's lawyer, Claire O'Connor, said Ms Rau was upset at being detained in a closed ward at Glenside."
The difficulty of dealing with Cornelia Rau is becoming obvious. She is ill and she was ill when she was detained. She had been put in a prison and her recent past history is more than enough to make it very hard for all concerned now that her case has come to light. Glenside is well situated and safe, but it needs upgrading because it can be dreary and drab. Ms. Rau and her family and the people working with them will need time to work through some of the issues and it was probably too early for Ms. Rau to be in a community facility. She won't like the confinement, but no one can risk her health at the moment because she is probably more fragile and vulnerable than she is aware. The fact she survived so long without any proper care in some very demanding and distressing institutions is probably a sign she is resilient, but her personality will be very precariously balanced. While she is in Glenside she has better access to all our major facilities , but no one is going to walk an easy path to stabilise her out of the situation has been in. There's a real flexibilty and expert care in our mental health carers in this state, but the funding is inadequate and it prevents them doing their best job. I have such heartfelt compassion for her and her family, as do many people in Adelaide. Cornelia Rau has touched the hearts of so many of us.
"She said the family had accepted it had been a trial moving Ms Rau to a community facility but hoped another trial could happen soon when she was 'more ready'. Ms Rau's lawyer, Claire O'Connor, said Ms Rau was upset at being detained in a closed ward at Glenside."
The difficulty of dealing with Cornelia Rau is becoming obvious. She is ill and she was ill when she was detained. She had been put in a prison and her recent past history is more than enough to make it very hard for all concerned now that her case has come to light. Glenside is well situated and safe, but it needs upgrading because it can be dreary and drab. Ms. Rau and her family and the people working with them will need time to work through some of the issues and it was probably too early for Ms. Rau to be in a community facility. She won't like the confinement, but no one can risk her health at the moment because she is probably more fragile and vulnerable than she is aware. The fact she survived so long without any proper care in some very demanding and distressing institutions is probably a sign she is resilient, but her personality will be very precariously balanced. While she is in Glenside she has better access to all our major facilities , but no one is going to walk an easy path to stabilise her out of the situation has been in. There's a real flexibilty and expert care in our mental health carers in this state, but the funding is inadequate and it prevents them doing their best job. I have such heartfelt compassion for her and her family, as do many people in Adelaide. Cornelia Rau has touched the hearts of so many of us.
Mayor calls for water to stay in Murray.
Mayor calls for water to stay in Murray. :
"The Mayor of Port Lincoln says the South Australian Government should leave the allocated water it has bought for the Eyre Peninsula in the River Murray."
Can't argue with that. Yes, leave the water in the river! How else will it be a river and there is no sadder site than a dry river bed. Having been deluged a time or two recently in city areas where the concrete, bitmumen,steel and glass are designed to repel water and having been in rain forests where the water is so pure and clean and everything is so lush and abundant...I am thinking we need to redesign our cities and make far better use of all the water that ends up flooding down city drains. I expect someone is working on the idea, but we need to be paying attention to these things now and making them a priority so that our resources remain plentiful.
"The Mayor of Port Lincoln says the South Australian Government should leave the allocated water it has bought for the Eyre Peninsula in the River Murray."
Can't argue with that. Yes, leave the water in the river! How else will it be a river and there is no sadder site than a dry river bed. Having been deluged a time or two recently in city areas where the concrete, bitmumen,steel and glass are designed to repel water and having been in rain forests where the water is so pure and clean and everything is so lush and abundant...I am thinking we need to redesign our cities and make far better use of all the water that ends up flooding down city drains. I expect someone is working on the idea, but we need to be paying attention to these things now and making them a priority so that our resources remain plentiful.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Plastic sugarcane - the crop of the future? �
Plastic sugarcane - the crop of the future? � ABC Wide Bay Qld:
"In ten years time, the rolling paddocks of sugar cane throughout the Wide Bay could be fifteen percent plastic."
I can't get my head around this at all. Apparently GM sugar cane can grow plastic in the leaves which can be harvested and used for plastic commodities. It's supposed to be biodegradable but at this moment in time they are still getting the leaves to produce enough harvestable plastic!! I have heard of plastic flowers, but this is crazy!
"In ten years time, the rolling paddocks of sugar cane throughout the Wide Bay could be fifteen percent plastic."
I can't get my head around this at all. Apparently GM sugar cane can grow plastic in the leaves which can be harvested and used for plastic commodities. It's supposed to be biodegradable but at this moment in time they are still getting the leaves to produce enough harvestable plastic!! I have heard of plastic flowers, but this is crazy!
Real test for cancer treatment
Port Vila Presse Online Vanuatu News :: Real test for cancer treatment:
"A Townsville (Aust.) made dietary supplement will undergo a year-long trial in the United States to prove claims it can put cancer sufferers in remission."
This was one of the biggest discoveries I made over there. The moreso because I had seen the big, long cucumbers in the lagoon and couldn't find a word to describe them until I talked to the locals and then read about the link with cancer treatments in the Daily Post. What was really fantastic about it was the US, Australia and Vanuatu were using the best of each culture's skills, resources and expertise to combat one of the scourges of our modern living. Fantastic news. There should be more of it.
"A Townsville (Aust.) made dietary supplement will undergo a year-long trial in the United States to prove claims it can put cancer sufferers in remission."
This was one of the biggest discoveries I made over there. The moreso because I had seen the big, long cucumbers in the lagoon and couldn't find a word to describe them until I talked to the locals and then read about the link with cancer treatments in the Daily Post. What was really fantastic about it was the US, Australia and Vanuatu were using the best of each culture's skills, resources and expertise to combat one of the scourges of our modern living. Fantastic news. There should be more of it.
Jazz in Paradise
Vanuatu Tourism Office - Jazz in Paradise:
"From New Zealand comes the internationally acclaimed Nairobi Trio who explore a range of musical genres, while The Grand Central Band is a blues-groove jazz group, playing remodeled songs, classic blues numbers and originals. One of New Caledonia’s most innovative jazz bands, The Sarah Briggs Quartet, will also be performing at the four-day event which will see 29 different shows with the five bands rotating between individual concerts at Iririki Island Resort, Le Lagon Resort, Le Meridien Resort, Tamanu Beach Resort, Chantillys and Breakas Resort with a final open air concert featuring all the bands on the Golf Course at Le Lagon Resort."
This has to be the best event which has had the worst publicity here in Australia. It was a sheer coincidence I was in Vanuatu for the first two days of the festival. Had I known I'd've change my booking. In my wildest dreams I could not have imagined myself on a lagoon, eating prawns, enjoying a lovely glass of white and in the best company with the best music. The first event was the Nairobi Trio and we all agreed they were excellent. But I heard two other jazz bands over two days which were equally impressive. Adelaide to vanuatu is a bit of a long haul. I left the hotel at 1.30 pm yesterday and got home at 11pm. There is a one and a half hour time difference. The people from Brisbane were leaving on a 7 am flight and were home at 9am after a 2 hour flight. So we could have done better with the publicity. Our own Galapagos Duck were there and truly, it was a great place to listen to jazz. More than that it was a great exchange of culture and music because the people in Vanuatu are very appreciative of other cultures and music crosses cultural barriers.
"From New Zealand comes the internationally acclaimed Nairobi Trio who explore a range of musical genres, while The Grand Central Band is a blues-groove jazz group, playing remodeled songs, classic blues numbers and originals. One of New Caledonia’s most innovative jazz bands, The Sarah Briggs Quartet, will also be performing at the four-day event which will see 29 different shows with the five bands rotating between individual concerts at Iririki Island Resort, Le Lagon Resort, Le Meridien Resort, Tamanu Beach Resort, Chantillys and Breakas Resort with a final open air concert featuring all the bands on the Golf Course at Le Lagon Resort."
This has to be the best event which has had the worst publicity here in Australia. It was a sheer coincidence I was in Vanuatu for the first two days of the festival. Had I known I'd've change my booking. In my wildest dreams I could not have imagined myself on a lagoon, eating prawns, enjoying a lovely glass of white and in the best company with the best music. The first event was the Nairobi Trio and we all agreed they were excellent. But I heard two other jazz bands over two days which were equally impressive. Adelaide to vanuatu is a bit of a long haul. I left the hotel at 1.30 pm yesterday and got home at 11pm. There is a one and a half hour time difference. The people from Brisbane were leaving on a 7 am flight and were home at 9am after a 2 hour flight. So we could have done better with the publicity. Our own Galapagos Duck were there and truly, it was a great place to listen to jazz. More than that it was a great exchange of culture and music because the people in Vanuatu are very appreciative of other cultures and music crosses cultural barriers.
Port Vila
Sipping coffee in the balmy, tropical heat was just bliss because it is blooming cold here in Adelaide!
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
TTFN
Le portail des amis de Charles Trenet
La mer
Qu'on voit danser le long des golfes clairs
A des reflets d'argent
La mer
Des reflets changeants
Sous la pluie
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Women Given Voting Rights -- With Proviso
Women Given Voting Rights -- With Proviso:
"Parliament granted Kuwaiti women the right to vote and run for office, but religious fundamentalists who opposed women's suffrage attached a clause requiring female politicians and voters to abide by Islamic law."
Yes!! I guess they have to put on their provisos until they get used to the idea. It was a big shock here, I believe, when women were first given the vote. To me, it's very odd that they didn't have it in the first place. Women weren't allowed to wear trousers and that seems ludicrous now and for a while there was this expectation that skirts and dresses would be worn in certain places and on certain occasions. Big changes always seem to come with intitial restrictions. We expect our politicians to abide by our constitution and to uphold our values but the latter can come under debate from time to time since values have been somewhat fluid to say the least. We are in a period of redefining what we want to uphold and respect and where our boundaries are . I am certain that the Kuwatis can work this out without my help...but it's great their women now have a vote. The country will be stronger for it.
"Parliament granted Kuwaiti women the right to vote and run for office, but religious fundamentalists who opposed women's suffrage attached a clause requiring female politicians and voters to abide by Islamic law."
Yes!! I guess they have to put on their provisos until they get used to the idea. It was a big shock here, I believe, when women were first given the vote. To me, it's very odd that they didn't have it in the first place. Women weren't allowed to wear trousers and that seems ludicrous now and for a while there was this expectation that skirts and dresses would be worn in certain places and on certain occasions. Big changes always seem to come with intitial restrictions. We expect our politicians to abide by our constitution and to uphold our values but the latter can come under debate from time to time since values have been somewhat fluid to say the least. We are in a period of redefining what we want to uphold and respect and where our boundaries are . I am certain that the Kuwatis can work this out without my help...but it's great their women now have a vote. The country will be stronger for it.
Forging ahead
BBC NEWS | Health | Gates doubles disease fight cash:
"He told the annual assembly of the World Health Organization more needed to be done to fight health inequality.
The Microsoft founder pledged an extra $250m to Grand Challenges in Global Health, which he set up in 2003."
Gates is the richest man in the world. He is starting to make a real difference with his money. He is someone who has attracted a lot of criticism but his life is not yet over and in the last few years all that empire is starting to take on a difference sort of global significance. It doesn't appear that he is merely a philanthopist. My opinion is he is starting to put his money where his mouth is and show some real leadership skills. It's not about what you can knock down. It's about what you can build up. We kind of need a big people watch list to see what they are doing as human beings!!
"He told the annual assembly of the World Health Organization more needed to be done to fight health inequality.
The Microsoft founder pledged an extra $250m to Grand Challenges in Global Health, which he set up in 2003."
Gates is the richest man in the world. He is starting to make a real difference with his money. He is someone who has attracted a lot of criticism but his life is not yet over and in the last few years all that empire is starting to take on a difference sort of global significance. It doesn't appear that he is merely a philanthopist. My opinion is he is starting to put his money where his mouth is and show some real leadership skills. It's not about what you can knock down. It's about what you can build up. We kind of need a big people watch list to see what they are doing as human beings!!
Blog on
BBC NEWS | Technology | Global voices speak through blogs:
"Ethan Zuckerman is not just the co-editor of Global Voices, he is also a passionate and prolific blogger himself.
'What blogs are doing for the first time is letting people talk about what's going in their own universe, in their own local news, and get it out to a global audience,' he says.
Inspired by these bloggers and their stories, Dr Zuckerman, set up the Global Voices website."
About time someone got positive about bloggers. I haven't even been running this blog for a year and already I can see the value of the blogosphere, not just for me but for all the bloggers out there.I id it to find out what blogging was about. Discovery learning. It's hard to imagine a world without blogging. I can't believe people are pooh-poohing them, denigrating, criticising or maligning them. Blogs represent real people in the real world. They are colourful, bright,trite, hard hitting, diverting, amusing, bemusing, challenging, off putting, stimulating, ennervating...they are a colourful tapestry in cyberspace. I've said before, I first discovered blogs because there was a Vietnam vet who put together an amazing blog trying to interpret all the stuff to do with Iraq. Without him I would have been clueless. Mainstream media at the time was too something or other to forge a real debate or get their teeth into it. Not now. Mainstream media and its journalists have put themselves right in it and out there in terms of bringing us news and information.There is no threat from bloggers because blogging can plug in very readily to the mainstream media and it can be mutual. Bloggers can pick up things journalists are trying to say and would get ignored in this rat race world and mainstream media can run blogs along side their formal pieces and get the daily snapshot response pieces. That anyone sees blogs as a threat needs to blog. As a blogger you get to see and hear an awful lot of blogs. Some make you laugh, some make you cry, some make you think, some put you right off. But it is blogging and you get a feel for it. You get bloggers block and you get blogspurts and you even get blogsperts but a blogger can interpret the blogosphere. Like the Net, like email, like mobiles, it's a part of 2005 and it's time to get jiggy with it.
"Ethan Zuckerman is not just the co-editor of Global Voices, he is also a passionate and prolific blogger himself.
'What blogs are doing for the first time is letting people talk about what's going in their own universe, in their own local news, and get it out to a global audience,' he says.
Inspired by these bloggers and their stories, Dr Zuckerman, set up the Global Voices website."
About time someone got positive about bloggers. I haven't even been running this blog for a year and already I can see the value of the blogosphere, not just for me but for all the bloggers out there.I id it to find out what blogging was about. Discovery learning. It's hard to imagine a world without blogging. I can't believe people are pooh-poohing them, denigrating, criticising or maligning them. Blogs represent real people in the real world. They are colourful, bright,trite, hard hitting, diverting, amusing, bemusing, challenging, off putting, stimulating, ennervating...they are a colourful tapestry in cyberspace. I've said before, I first discovered blogs because there was a Vietnam vet who put together an amazing blog trying to interpret all the stuff to do with Iraq. Without him I would have been clueless. Mainstream media at the time was too something or other to forge a real debate or get their teeth into it. Not now. Mainstream media and its journalists have put themselves right in it and out there in terms of bringing us news and information.There is no threat from bloggers because blogging can plug in very readily to the mainstream media and it can be mutual. Bloggers can pick up things journalists are trying to say and would get ignored in this rat race world and mainstream media can run blogs along side their formal pieces and get the daily snapshot response pieces. That anyone sees blogs as a threat needs to blog. As a blogger you get to see and hear an awful lot of blogs. Some make you laugh, some make you cry, some make you think, some put you right off. But it is blogging and you get a feel for it. You get bloggers block and you get blogspurts and you even get blogsperts but a blogger can interpret the blogosphere. Like the Net, like email, like mobiles, it's a part of 2005 and it's time to get jiggy with it.
Monday, May 16, 2005
New toad trap
New toad trap wins national competition. :
"Katherine resident Paul Baker will have his cane toad trap commercially produced after taking out a national competition."
The government and Canberra Pest Control Research Centre sponsored this and it's excellent. Solve the problems. Work together, supply the motivation and incentive..et voilà. Truly, we need to manage these cane toads and here we are with a new trap.
I wish we could solve our road accident problems as well. We have been working on them and they were working but this last year the wheels have fallen off. The police must be beside themselves. We had it all together with the drink but don't drive, belt up and live and speed kills...it was all going so well. Now...what the police are saying is true, people just aren't listening and they are even driving without seatbelts. I feel so sorry for the ones who are first to the accidents because they have been pretty bad. How many more people have to die before we get it? No amount of flowers on trees and crosses on road sides have got through. Have they fed it maybe? We thought it would be a reminder but people just keep heading for those trees. It might be my imagination but a considerable no of 4WDs seem to figure in the accidents. Maybe it's just the ones I happen to see.
"Katherine resident Paul Baker will have his cane toad trap commercially produced after taking out a national competition."
The government and Canberra Pest Control Research Centre sponsored this and it's excellent. Solve the problems. Work together, supply the motivation and incentive..et voilà. Truly, we need to manage these cane toads and here we are with a new trap.
I wish we could solve our road accident problems as well. We have been working on them and they were working but this last year the wheels have fallen off. The police must be beside themselves. We had it all together with the drink but don't drive, belt up and live and speed kills...it was all going so well. Now...what the police are saying is true, people just aren't listening and they are even driving without seatbelts. I feel so sorry for the ones who are first to the accidents because they have been pretty bad. How many more people have to die before we get it? No amount of flowers on trees and crosses on road sides have got through. Have they fed it maybe? We thought it would be a reminder but people just keep heading for those trees. It might be my imagination but a considerable no of 4WDs seem to figure in the accidents. Maybe it's just the ones I happen to see.
Hilltop Bellwood Lucy
Lucy's record udderly marvellous. :
"Lucy's owner, Tristan Mulhern, from the Fleurieu Peninsula, has been working with nutritionists for three years to increase daily production, with a target of 40 litres per head, per day."
Well Lucy supplied 107 litres in one day. It's our new national record. I want to see Lucy. I want to know she's happy. What on earth have they been feeding her or is that a secret? I wish they would give us information. Not a bad effort for a five year old. That's a lot of bottles of milk. Unbelievable. So where's the photo of our heroine? Why are we not fussing over her?
"Lucy's owner, Tristan Mulhern, from the Fleurieu Peninsula, has been working with nutritionists for three years to increase daily production, with a target of 40 litres per head, per day."
Well Lucy supplied 107 litres in one day. It's our new national record. I want to see Lucy. I want to know she's happy. What on earth have they been feeding her or is that a secret? I wish they would give us information. Not a bad effort for a five year old. That's a lot of bottles of milk. Unbelievable. So where's the photo of our heroine? Why are we not fussing over her?
Tasty!
Grow fish in effluent, researcher urges. :
"That is the latest prospect from the University of Adelaide, which wants to find out why fish raised in livestock effluent in Asia are so healthy."
Well, apparently it works but I don't really want to know about it. Friends in NZ have a farm and when it got excessively wet the water was running down over the sheep field into their dam. The gold fish grew enormously big and healthy from the sheep poo additions to their water. I thought the water would have become polluted but there does seem to be some kind of biological connection between plants, poo and fish. May they research it long and hard but please don't tell me!
"That is the latest prospect from the University of Adelaide, which wants to find out why fish raised in livestock effluent in Asia are so healthy."
Well, apparently it works but I don't really want to know about it. Friends in NZ have a farm and when it got excessively wet the water was running down over the sheep field into their dam. The gold fish grew enormously big and healthy from the sheep poo additions to their water. I thought the water would have become polluted but there does seem to be some kind of biological connection between plants, poo and fish. May they research it long and hard but please don't tell me!
Adelaide Cup Day
SA moves 2006 Adelaide Cup to March:
"The South Australian government has confirmed plans to shift the Adelaide Cup to March to avoid the bad weather that has plagued the racing carnival in recent years.
The cup is traditionally held in May but rain has marred the event on 19 of the past 30 Cup days."
Look at the weather to the right. Yes, we have a beautiful day today and it will be a great day for those at the Adelaide Cup and at the food and wine fest in the Clare Valley. True, Mr Rann is right, normally it's freezing, wet , cold and miserable. I can see March being very hectic, though, and perhaps too cluttered if we move the Adelaide Cup holiday. A lot goes on in Adelaide at that time of the year and it'll stretch resources a tad maybe.The plan is to put it in with the Magic Millions carnival. It might also lend itself to the generally cheerful, busy , happy go lucky feeling at that time fo the year with various expos, fringe and festival events. Melbourne Cup is much bigger. The whole nation stops for the Melbourne Cup and it's another day which could qualify for our national day. Adelaide Cup weekend is generally a family and friends weekend. Food! We're always eating and any excuse for another food fest. Last two days I've been cooking and feasting and gasbagging. Started on Thursday, really, dining out and then it just grew spontaneously as it does do over the cup weekend. It's a very relaxed weekend. Hope moving it to March doesn't make it frantic.
SAJC
Magic Millions
"The South Australian government has confirmed plans to shift the Adelaide Cup to March to avoid the bad weather that has plagued the racing carnival in recent years.
The cup is traditionally held in May but rain has marred the event on 19 of the past 30 Cup days."
Look at the weather to the right. Yes, we have a beautiful day today and it will be a great day for those at the Adelaide Cup and at the food and wine fest in the Clare Valley. True, Mr Rann is right, normally it's freezing, wet , cold and miserable. I can see March being very hectic, though, and perhaps too cluttered if we move the Adelaide Cup holiday. A lot goes on in Adelaide at that time of the year and it'll stretch resources a tad maybe.The plan is to put it in with the Magic Millions carnival. It might also lend itself to the generally cheerful, busy , happy go lucky feeling at that time fo the year with various expos, fringe and festival events. Melbourne Cup is much bigger. The whole nation stops for the Melbourne Cup and it's another day which could qualify for our national day. Adelaide Cup weekend is generally a family and friends weekend. Food! We're always eating and any excuse for another food fest. Last two days I've been cooking and feasting and gasbagging. Started on Thursday, really, dining out and then it just grew spontaneously as it does do over the cup weekend. It's a very relaxed weekend. Hope moving it to March doesn't make it frantic.
SAJC
Magic Millions
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Whale watching
Greens urge action over Japan's whaling stance. :
"The Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown says the Federal Government should suspend talks on a free trade agreement with Japan over the nation's move to resume hunting humpback whales.
The Federal Environment Minister, Senator Ian Campbell, says Japan has applied to the International Whaling Commission to double its kill of minke whales and to begin killing humpbacks, which have been protected from whaling since 1966."
I have been part of the Save the Whale campaign forever. It was great seeing a doco on the whale watching on the St Lawrence River in Canada. They take so many people, including Japanese tourists, out to see the whales and the looks of sheer joy on people's faces said it all. I know Japanese people eat whale. That is not the point. We don't have ehough whales to go hunting them and they are a bit big to farm. I don't know what to suggest unless we can manage to create a mini whale which can be farmed. We have whales off the coast here and it is a big attraction for people. The planet loves whales and too many of the whale species are becoming threatened by hunting. Besides, the way they are killed is incredibly inhumane.
It is absolutely crucial that we co operate as a world and sit down and discuss our needs and use the specific international forums for various world issues and resources. We have the International Whaling forum. All discussions and resolutions with regard to whales need to be channeled through them because they have the information and the expertise to make decisions with regard to whales:
International Whaling Commission
"The Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown says the Federal Government should suspend talks on a free trade agreement with Japan over the nation's move to resume hunting humpback whales.
The Federal Environment Minister, Senator Ian Campbell, says Japan has applied to the International Whaling Commission to double its kill of minke whales and to begin killing humpbacks, which have been protected from whaling since 1966."
I have been part of the Save the Whale campaign forever. It was great seeing a doco on the whale watching on the St Lawrence River in Canada. They take so many people, including Japanese tourists, out to see the whales and the looks of sheer joy on people's faces said it all. I know Japanese people eat whale. That is not the point. We don't have ehough whales to go hunting them and they are a bit big to farm. I don't know what to suggest unless we can manage to create a mini whale which can be farmed. We have whales off the coast here and it is a big attraction for people. The planet loves whales and too many of the whale species are becoming threatened by hunting. Besides, the way they are killed is incredibly inhumane.
It is absolutely crucial that we co operate as a world and sit down and discuss our needs and use the specific international forums for various world issues and resources. We have the International Whaling forum. All discussions and resolutions with regard to whales need to be channeled through them because they have the information and the expertise to make decisions with regard to whales:
International Whaling Commission
Operation Mirrorball
The Yorkshire Ranter:
"Headline: HOW CAN BRITAIN STILL USE THE MERCHANT OF DEATH? Strapline: Today the UK will promise to curb arms traffickers. But the MoD is hiring planes from a dealer linked to Bin Laden.
By Andrew Gilligan. Evening Standard, Monday, 9th May 2005.
Victor Bout [sic] is the most notorious arms trafficker in the world. Linked to Osama bin Laden by the British government, linked to the Taliban by the US government, he was described by a New Labour minister as a 'merchant of death' who must be shut down.
Yet an Evening Standard investigation has found that, just two months ago, a Victor Bout company was hired by that very same British government to operate military flights from a key RAF base."
The rest of the article and the context for its appearing here can be read on The Yorkshire Ranter site above.
"Headline: HOW CAN BRITAIN STILL USE THE MERCHANT OF DEATH? Strapline: Today the UK will promise to curb arms traffickers. But the MoD is hiring planes from a dealer linked to Bin Laden.
By Andrew Gilligan. Evening Standard, Monday, 9th May 2005.
Victor Bout [sic] is the most notorious arms trafficker in the world. Linked to Osama bin Laden by the British government, linked to the Taliban by the US government, he was described by a New Labour minister as a 'merchant of death' who must be shut down.
Yet an Evening Standard investigation has found that, just two months ago, a Victor Bout company was hired by that very same British government to operate military flights from a key RAF base."
The rest of the article and the context for its appearing here can be read on The Yorkshire Ranter site above.
Golden Oldies
Where are they now and what do you know!
Meredy's Audrey Hepburn Trivia Mania
Bombshells.com
Ruth Cracknell
Meredy's Audrey Hepburn Trivia Mania
Bombshells.com
Ruth Cracknell
Sunset Boulevarde
I thoroughly enjoyed Gloria Swanson's excessive performance in this film. Great walk down memory lane to see from where so much of our modern day histrionics are derived. Then I started thinking of films like :
Whatever happened to Baby Jane
and the thought occurred to me that since women have been liberated our front runners simply are no longer women of substance. When you see Gloria Swanson, Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Katherine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall,Audrey Hepburn,Jean Harlowe, Bette Grable, Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwick, Margaret Rutherford, Greta Garbo... you can see these firmly supported women had substance, character,strong personalities, brains, families, fame, fortune,ambiton, drive, influence,style,a strong sense of self and their own sexuality. They could totally be themselves,hold compelling conversations ( I vant to be alone...???) and were inspirational. What happened???
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Drug policies.
Undercover cops blow whistle on drug policies. :
"'And next thing it's creeping into your personal life. One day you think you're fine, and the next day you've cut off all your friends, your associates, all your family and you spend all your time with crooks - even when you're not working.'"
I was listening to these two former undercover police officers being interviewed this morning on the radio. My first reaction was why is this on the radio when we are doing all this drug busting all over the place? The more I listened , the more I felt compassion for undercover agents. This wasn't my version of how it should be; this was how it truly was for undercover agents. They didn't sound angry or resentful but when they had sacrified so much in a personal way and had contributed to some very successful inroads into breaking down criminal activity, but had found themselves, in the end, in deep personal trouble. I could understand they would want some help , a thank you and some of the accolades. Some consideration in all of this. It made me realise we have people who have paid a very high personal price to help solve issues of concern to the general public. It is hugely complex in terms of behaviour and risk taking and how you survive. It would take a team of behavioural experts and strategists to work out how to deal with this and how to prepare people for such dangerous tasks. The questions are then..have we a better way of doing this? Some people say if you legalise all drugs you take all this negative stuff out of it because there is no money involved and no power. Phillip Adams in the Australian last week suggested our cigarette approach ...and boy ,have we made people give up smoking without using the police or any jail terms. It has been an amazing thing to witness the power of a community.
"'And next thing it's creeping into your personal life. One day you think you're fine, and the next day you've cut off all your friends, your associates, all your family and you spend all your time with crooks - even when you're not working.'"
I was listening to these two former undercover police officers being interviewed this morning on the radio. My first reaction was why is this on the radio when we are doing all this drug busting all over the place? The more I listened , the more I felt compassion for undercover agents. This wasn't my version of how it should be; this was how it truly was for undercover agents. They didn't sound angry or resentful but when they had sacrified so much in a personal way and had contributed to some very successful inroads into breaking down criminal activity, but had found themselves, in the end, in deep personal trouble. I could understand they would want some help , a thank you and some of the accolades. Some consideration in all of this. It made me realise we have people who have paid a very high personal price to help solve issues of concern to the general public. It is hugely complex in terms of behaviour and risk taking and how you survive. It would take a team of behavioural experts and strategists to work out how to deal with this and how to prepare people for such dangerous tasks. The questions are then..have we a better way of doing this? Some people say if you legalise all drugs you take all this negative stuff out of it because there is no money involved and no power. Phillip Adams in the Australian last week suggested our cigarette approach ...and boy ,have we made people give up smoking without using the police or any jail terms. It has been an amazing thing to witness the power of a community.
Afghan Minister Seeks Aid In War On Heroin
Afghanistan: Afghan Minister Seeks Aid In War On Heroin:
"He suggested that the internationally backed eradication programme was beginning to show positive results after Afghanistan's opium crop reached 4,200 tonnes in 2004, the largest annual figure since the end of Taliban rule. But with this year's harvest still ongoing and the absence of more definitive data on eradication awaiting more reliable United Nations estimates later this year, UK officials yesterday pointed more cautiously to figures of 40 tonnes being seized over the last month, and 75 tonnes over the last year."
At last, everyone is doing it. Lieutenant General Mohammad Daud Daud, Afghanistan's deputy interior minister, is speaking about changing the crops in Afghanistan to solve the poverty and the drug problems in the world. When places like Afghanistan can speak out openly and honestly about what they need and then others help supply the help, then we can solve our worst problems. The tsunami showed me, and I am still sorry that had to happen so that we could see it for ourselves, how well we can co operate and help as one human being to another and one nation to another. I have said before we have enough problems to demand our resources, time and high level thinking without man made problems. It is the water on the stone approach and it works. Change is action. Naive or not, I'd so like to live in a world where we work on big projects together for our mutual benefit. Even money makers will make enough money if we are alive and healthy enough to be decent consumers.
"He suggested that the internationally backed eradication programme was beginning to show positive results after Afghanistan's opium crop reached 4,200 tonnes in 2004, the largest annual figure since the end of Taliban rule. But with this year's harvest still ongoing and the absence of more definitive data on eradication awaiting more reliable United Nations estimates later this year, UK officials yesterday pointed more cautiously to figures of 40 tonnes being seized over the last month, and 75 tonnes over the last year."
At last, everyone is doing it. Lieutenant General Mohammad Daud Daud, Afghanistan's deputy interior minister, is speaking about changing the crops in Afghanistan to solve the poverty and the drug problems in the world. When places like Afghanistan can speak out openly and honestly about what they need and then others help supply the help, then we can solve our worst problems. The tsunami showed me, and I am still sorry that had to happen so that we could see it for ourselves, how well we can co operate and help as one human being to another and one nation to another. I have said before we have enough problems to demand our resources, time and high level thinking without man made problems. It is the water on the stone approach and it works. Change is action. Naive or not, I'd so like to live in a world where we work on big projects together for our mutual benefit. Even money makers will make enough money if we are alive and healthy enough to be decent consumers.
State's crime rate falls dramatically
The Advertiser: State's crime rate falls dramatically ]:
"While sexual offences have risen by 10.9 per cent between 2002 and 2004, offences against people have dropped 11.5 per cent over the same period."
I gather sexual offences are not offences against people. What is is with the media lately? There have been some hideous sexual offences just recently and they have become more frequent whether they are being reported more often than not or not. It's the sort of thing you find out about pretty quickly because it's how Adelaide operates. People need to know whether to look out for their family or not. Adelaide is the sort of place where there is live and let live but any sort of threat goes very quickly around the grapevine. I was just talking to the neighbour yesterday about how I had been out walking and really enjoying it and then had to stop because we have had more attacks around here lately. It happens around different areas at different times and it is really annoying that you just can't go out and walk. You have to take the car. Then you have to lock the car while you are driving it. I've actually lived in tougher places than this and felt much safer. Some people were blaming the sexual attacks on our extended warm weather? What about the rock attacks? Our extended cold weather? Maybe weather does play a part but most people are living proof that you can have weather and still be sociable and socialized. Anti social behaviour is simply that. I see it in very black and white terms. People are anti social because they have no regard and no respect for others. They may have all sorts of reasons for being like that but as beings which can think and feel we have the capacity to reason and rationalise. Those who can't don't try to and then have to be brought to a situation where they learn those thoughts. In the meantime they can chuck rocks though car windows, graffiti, vandalise, rape. There's a whole lot of anger out there. Why? The approach by Scotland Yard seemed to be having a lot of success in England. It seemed a very sensible approach and I value that. I do not believe in being draconian. I do believe we are dealing with human beings and while they are playing uproar we just have to keep very level headed in our response and not drawn into upping the ante in their game by playing a better game of uproar ourselves.
"While sexual offences have risen by 10.9 per cent between 2002 and 2004, offences against people have dropped 11.5 per cent over the same period."
I gather sexual offences are not offences against people. What is is with the media lately? There have been some hideous sexual offences just recently and they have become more frequent whether they are being reported more often than not or not. It's the sort of thing you find out about pretty quickly because it's how Adelaide operates. People need to know whether to look out for their family or not. Adelaide is the sort of place where there is live and let live but any sort of threat goes very quickly around the grapevine. I was just talking to the neighbour yesterday about how I had been out walking and really enjoying it and then had to stop because we have had more attacks around here lately. It happens around different areas at different times and it is really annoying that you just can't go out and walk. You have to take the car. Then you have to lock the car while you are driving it. I've actually lived in tougher places than this and felt much safer. Some people were blaming the sexual attacks on our extended warm weather? What about the rock attacks? Our extended cold weather? Maybe weather does play a part but most people are living proof that you can have weather and still be sociable and socialized. Anti social behaviour is simply that. I see it in very black and white terms. People are anti social because they have no regard and no respect for others. They may have all sorts of reasons for being like that but as beings which can think and feel we have the capacity to reason and rationalise. Those who can't don't try to and then have to be brought to a situation where they learn those thoughts. In the meantime they can chuck rocks though car windows, graffiti, vandalise, rape. There's a whole lot of anger out there. Why? The approach by Scotland Yard seemed to be having a lot of success in England. It seemed a very sensible approach and I value that. I do not believe in being draconian. I do believe we are dealing with human beings and while they are playing uproar we just have to keep very level headed in our response and not drawn into upping the ante in their game by playing a better game of uproar ourselves.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Saturday 14th May
World Fair Trade Day 2005
"World Fair Trade Day is a celebration of Fair Trade internationally, with events organised worldwide. On and around May 14th, IFAT member organisations based in 60 countries, along with Fair Trade shops and networks, will host events with campaigning and lobbying - all with the aim of promoting fairer trade with marginalised and small scale producers in the majority world. Fair Trade products, from coffee and tea, through clothes, jewelry, and beautiful handicrafts will be in the spotlight on this day, and throughout the month of May."
"World Fair Trade Day is a celebration of Fair Trade internationally, with events organised worldwide. On and around May 14th, IFAT member organisations based in 60 countries, along with Fair Trade shops and networks, will host events with campaigning and lobbying - all with the aim of promoting fairer trade with marginalised and small scale producers in the majority world. Fair Trade products, from coffee and tea, through clothes, jewelry, and beautiful handicrafts will be in the spotlight on this day, and throughout the month of May."
Oxfam's Coffee Rescue Plan
Oxfam America: Oxfam's Coffee Rescue Plan:
"Oxfam has launched a worldwide campaign, called What's That in Your Coffee?, to create public awareness about the coffee crisis and call for immediate solutions. In a detailed research report, Mugged: Poverty in Your Cup, Oxfam outlines the causes of the current coffee crisis and proposes a Coffee Rescue Plan."
Get with the plan. I'll now shut my big mouth.
"Oxfam has launched a worldwide campaign, called What's That in Your Coffee?, to create public awareness about the coffee crisis and call for immediate solutions. In a detailed research report, Mugged: Poverty in Your Cup, Oxfam outlines the causes of the current coffee crisis and proposes a Coffee Rescue Plan."
Get with the plan. I'll now shut my big mouth.
Oxfam International - coffee
Oxfam International > Press release > coffee:
"Millions of people in 45 coffee-growing countries are facing economic ruin – and many are going hungry – due to collapsing world prices. Oxfam today launches a global campaign to tackle the coffee crisis and force the corporate giants who dominate the $60-billion industry to pay farmers a decent price.
The “Big Four” roasters – Sara Lee, Kraft, Procter & Gamble and Nestle– buy nearly half the world’s coffee crop and make huge profits. “They know there is terrible human suffering at the very heart of their business and yet they do virtually nothing to help. It’s time to shame and change them,” says Oxfam International Executive Director Jeremy Hobbs."
This is an article from Oxfam in 2002. Three years later the prices have gone up , we are told, because of the drought. The point of this article was that globalisation was making the rich richer at the expense of the poor. Justin's point from the comment on my earlier post was if we pay a higher price, the money is spread more evenly. I 'd like to think this is the case. Fair's fair and we can all have a nice cup of coffee.
"Millions of people in 45 coffee-growing countries are facing economic ruin – and many are going hungry – due to collapsing world prices. Oxfam today launches a global campaign to tackle the coffee crisis and force the corporate giants who dominate the $60-billion industry to pay farmers a decent price.
The “Big Four” roasters – Sara Lee, Kraft, Procter & Gamble and Nestle– buy nearly half the world’s coffee crop and make huge profits. “They know there is terrible human suffering at the very heart of their business and yet they do virtually nothing to help. It’s time to shame and change them,” says Oxfam International Executive Director Jeremy Hobbs."
This is an article from Oxfam in 2002. Three years later the prices have gone up , we are told, because of the drought. The point of this article was that globalisation was making the rich richer at the expense of the poor. Justin's point from the comment on my earlier post was if we pay a higher price, the money is spread more evenly. I 'd like to think this is the case. Fair's fair and we can all have a nice cup of coffee.
Black spot project
I thought Iraq was the only federally funded black spot project we had. I did, however, find this sign locally, so maybe not.
Good things come in small packages
These little buildings are dotted around the country side. These days they have many and varied uses. It wouldn't be the same without the little churches, the little buildings and the blobs of green trees on the crunchy brown background. No rain as yet , but as you can see the sky is a brilliant blue today.
Friday the Thirteenth
McLaren Vale did not greet me with rural pongs of fermenting cheese or anything else this morning. My nose was pleasantly titillated with the scrumptious smell of freshly baked bread and sizzling bacon. Was easy to buy
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Maria Korp still on life support
Life support decision due for car boot woman. :
"A decision could be made as early as tomorrow about whether to turn off life support for a Melbourne woman who was found in the boot of her car."
it is awful Maria Korp is known as the car boot woman, but that is what we call her and it is with affection. It is awful she was strangled and left to die in a car boot. It is so sad she survived and 3 months later is still on life support. Her son and daughter have hopefully had some kind of a chance to deal with many of the issues and traumas related to the case of their mother. I guess they will be consulted. Their father and his mistress are charged with conspiracy to murder , so it is a lot for the two of them to manage. The boy is only 11. Some people stay in a coma for a long time and then wake up. I hope she will live on and wake up because it is so unfair she survived all that. I know, life isn't fair.
"A decision could be made as early as tomorrow about whether to turn off life support for a Melbourne woman who was found in the boot of her car."
it is awful Maria Korp is known as the car boot woman, but that is what we call her and it is with affection. It is awful she was strangled and left to die in a car boot. It is so sad she survived and 3 months later is still on life support. Her son and daughter have hopefully had some kind of a chance to deal with many of the issues and traumas related to the case of their mother. I guess they will be consulted. Their father and his mistress are charged with conspiracy to murder , so it is a lot for the two of them to manage. The boy is only 11. Some people stay in a coma for a long time and then wake up. I hope she will live on and wake up because it is so unfair she survived all that. I know, life isn't fair.
Coffee prices
I take the liberty of printing this comment which was left on an earlier post about the coffee prices increasing because of the drought. It makes a valid point which I shouldn't want you to overlook like I did. Nothing like getting your feet put on the ground..nicely.
"I understand your love for coffee but there is a positive to higher coffee prices. Just about all of the coffee produced in the world is grown in third world countries and the cost of the bean represents only a small proportion of the cost of a cup of coffee. (the rest is for shipping, transport, roasting, packaging, marketing, shipping again, various mark ups along the way for profits and finally serving it to you. So doubling the cost of beans would double the incomes for poor third world producers but the cost of a cup of coffee in the cafe would hardly move. So lets do our bit for the third world coffee growers and drink an extra cup today.
Justin Smirl | 05.12.05 - 4:38 am | # "
Thanks Justin....and thanks Haloscan because I could easily find it there.
"I understand your love for coffee but there is a positive to higher coffee prices. Just about all of the coffee produced in the world is grown in third world countries and the cost of the bean represents only a small proportion of the cost of a cup of coffee. (the rest is for shipping, transport, roasting, packaging, marketing, shipping again, various mark ups along the way for profits and finally serving it to you. So doubling the cost of beans would double the incomes for poor third world producers but the cost of a cup of coffee in the cafe would hardly move. So lets do our bit for the third world coffee growers and drink an extra cup today.
Justin Smirl | 05.12.05 - 4:38 am | # "
Thanks Justin....and thanks Haloscan because I could easily find it there.
Oopsies
DFAT apologises for Perth travel warning. :
"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has apologised for sending out a travel advisory warning that Perth is dangerous at this time of year."
So another mistake. They are coming thick and fast at the moment!! Another oops. I know, people can't be perfect, especially governments. Like I really have faith right now. Baxter, which was built to house all these possible threats to us until they were thoroughly checked has been a totally painful, unpleasant fiasco. The one thing I have learned is that when our government is so thoroughly scrutinising these possible threats to us they can't even tell the difference between a refugee, a terror threat, a mentally ill person and an Australian citizen. That's how thorough their checking is. Luckily we a re better on geography than we are on nationality so our tsunami aid went to the right places!
"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has apologised for sending out a travel advisory warning that Perth is dangerous at this time of year."
So another mistake. They are coming thick and fast at the moment!! Another oops. I know, people can't be perfect, especially governments. Like I really have faith right now. Baxter, which was built to house all these possible threats to us until they were thoroughly checked has been a totally painful, unpleasant fiasco. The one thing I have learned is that when our government is so thoroughly scrutinising these possible threats to us they can't even tell the difference between a refugee, a terror threat, a mentally ill person and an Australian citizen. That's how thorough their checking is. Luckily we a re better on geography than we are on nationality so our tsunami aid went to the right places!
School bus driver cleared over depot drop-off.
School bus driver cleared over depot drop-off. :
"There will be no disciplinary action against a Sydney bus driver who refused to take a group of school children home after being verbally abused by some of them."
I should jolly well think so. No driver should have to put up with rude children. Kids get into high spirits, they get carried away as a group and they might well let off steam after sitting in classrooms all day, but that is no reason to be rude and nasty to each other or anyone else. The news the night it happened was very interesting. The reporters were actually trying to stay impartial but the parents interviewed on the news were quite clear in their message: No bus driver should have to put up with rude behaviour from their children if it had occurred. I liked those parents! I wanted to hug them. They thought like me!! You try and teach kids things but they don't always get it and sometimes you have to rexplain it for them to get it. It is fantastic all the parties concerned are clearing the air by having a meeting. It makes for open communication and an easier path to follow should anything go wrong. Kids get role models at home but they are subjected to a lot of diverse models through the media and adults just have to reset the boundaries. I though the bus driver showed sense. He didn't abandon them. He didn't put them off the bus ...and I have seen that happen on the train here and we have all heaved a sigh of relief...sorry, but we have. He could have taken them back to school, but I guess he might have been nearer to the depot. He was saying..I can't take any more of this , but he wasn't being irresponsible or negligent. The depot was a safe place for the students. Far better to get things straightened out. What's the alternative? That some students can make it so unpleasant for others? That bus and train drivers have to put up with interminable noise, racket and harassment? Kids will be kids, that's okay, but they also need to understand this thing called consideration and most of them do most of the time.
"There will be no disciplinary action against a Sydney bus driver who refused to take a group of school children home after being verbally abused by some of them."
I should jolly well think so. No driver should have to put up with rude children. Kids get into high spirits, they get carried away as a group and they might well let off steam after sitting in classrooms all day, but that is no reason to be rude and nasty to each other or anyone else. The news the night it happened was very interesting. The reporters were actually trying to stay impartial but the parents interviewed on the news were quite clear in their message: No bus driver should have to put up with rude behaviour from their children if it had occurred. I liked those parents! I wanted to hug them. They thought like me!! You try and teach kids things but they don't always get it and sometimes you have to rexplain it for them to get it. It is fantastic all the parties concerned are clearing the air by having a meeting. It makes for open communication and an easier path to follow should anything go wrong. Kids get role models at home but they are subjected to a lot of diverse models through the media and adults just have to reset the boundaries. I though the bus driver showed sense. He didn't abandon them. He didn't put them off the bus ...and I have seen that happen on the train here and we have all heaved a sigh of relief...sorry, but we have. He could have taken them back to school, but I guess he might have been nearer to the depot. He was saying..I can't take any more of this , but he wasn't being irresponsible or negligent. The depot was a safe place for the students. Far better to get things straightened out. What's the alternative? That some students can make it so unpleasant for others? That bus and train drivers have to put up with interminable noise, racket and harassment? Kids will be kids, that's okay, but they also need to understand this thing called consideration and most of them do most of the time.
Enough is enough
Parents told of alleged child rape on school grounds.:
"Parents told of alleged child rape on school grounds"
The girl is FOUR. The man has been dismissed and charged over an alleged rape. It is so terrible. The girl has her whole life ahead of her and is at an age where some of her thoughts will be pre verbal. I do know we have some excellent psychologists in SA who can deal really competently with these issues of young children being abused. I mean, what do you do? People get hired for a job and they seem okay and then all of a sudden they do something hideous like this. Any organisation would find it hard to protect its people and we have had several cases where this has occurred...the woman who was shot in Myer in the city; the woman who was shot by an ex colleague; the children who have been abused; the train driver who accidentally ran over somebody on the line. What can we say because it comes down to what is inside the individual. Society runs on trust and we put things in place to help protect people but the fundamental trust thing keeps coming loose. It is hard to manage a closed society where there are all these action plans, best practice and checks and balances. It is efficient but it doesn't seem to be effective. Or is it a case of we hear more about these things now? Even if this particular man is proven innocent there have been other cases like this around the traps. How do you create a check and balance for the inside of a human being? How can a school know that if they hire a 28 year old to be an assistant and he seems okay, how can they know he will not do something like this? It's no use saying we can't. We need to think about this and come up with something because that was a four year old.
"Parents told of alleged child rape on school grounds"
The girl is FOUR. The man has been dismissed and charged over an alleged rape. It is so terrible. The girl has her whole life ahead of her and is at an age where some of her thoughts will be pre verbal. I do know we have some excellent psychologists in SA who can deal really competently with these issues of young children being abused. I mean, what do you do? People get hired for a job and they seem okay and then all of a sudden they do something hideous like this. Any organisation would find it hard to protect its people and we have had several cases where this has occurred...the woman who was shot in Myer in the city; the woman who was shot by an ex colleague; the children who have been abused; the train driver who accidentally ran over somebody on the line. What can we say because it comes down to what is inside the individual. Society runs on trust and we put things in place to help protect people but the fundamental trust thing keeps coming loose. It is hard to manage a closed society where there are all these action plans, best practice and checks and balances. It is efficient but it doesn't seem to be effective. Or is it a case of we hear more about these things now? Even if this particular man is proven innocent there have been other cases like this around the traps. How do you create a check and balance for the inside of a human being? How can a school know that if they hire a 28 year old to be an assistant and he seems okay, how can they know he will not do something like this? It's no use saying we can't. We need to think about this and come up with something because that was a four year old.
Sheikh arrives on Wood mercy mission.
Sheikh arrives on Wood mercy mission.:
"Sheikh Taj el-Din al-Hilaly has arrived in Baghdad to mount a personal appeal to the kidnappers of the Australian national, and to pass on an offer from the Wood family of a donation to the Iraqi people."
I do not wish to say very much because Sheikh Taj el-Din al-Hilaly is right, this is a difficult situation, people need to keep their big mouths shut and let people who have an understanding of each other and the culture do their very best to create communication. Douglas Wood is one of many. All the ones I spoke about before. They are all people. They all have families and lives and relatives. I think the Douglas Wood family has made a real effort to try and communicate with people whom they do not understand. It is fantastic they have thought to build a website in English and in Arabic so show their goodwill. It is always better to talk. Always.Reach out and touch somebody. I always lapse into truisms at times like this. People are isolated because they build walls instead of bridges, so the saying goes, but what if you explode the walls and then the bridges..what then? How then do you show you want to stop? You want to start building again? Sheikh Taj el-Din al-Hilaly probably will have a chance to build a bridge because he has an understanding of both sides of the situation and has seen both cultures. That he offered to help is a good sign because until now, he has followed his own advice and kept quiet. Now he obviously feels he has something he can do and it will take every single one to try to resolve this situation and each situation for all the ones from all the nations who are suffering as a result of the situation in Iraq.
"Sheikh Taj el-Din al-Hilaly has arrived in Baghdad to mount a personal appeal to the kidnappers of the Australian national, and to pass on an offer from the Wood family of a donation to the Iraqi people."
I do not wish to say very much because Sheikh Taj el-Din al-Hilaly is right, this is a difficult situation, people need to keep their big mouths shut and let people who have an understanding of each other and the culture do their very best to create communication. Douglas Wood is one of many. All the ones I spoke about before. They are all people. They all have families and lives and relatives. I think the Douglas Wood family has made a real effort to try and communicate with people whom they do not understand. It is fantastic they have thought to build a website in English and in Arabic so show their goodwill. It is always better to talk. Always.Reach out and touch somebody. I always lapse into truisms at times like this. People are isolated because they build walls instead of bridges, so the saying goes, but what if you explode the walls and then the bridges..what then? How then do you show you want to stop? You want to start building again? Sheikh Taj el-Din al-Hilaly probably will have a chance to build a bridge because he has an understanding of both sides of the situation and has seen both cultures. That he offered to help is a good sign because until now, he has followed his own advice and kept quiet. Now he obviously feels he has something he can do and it will take every single one to try to resolve this situation and each situation for all the ones from all the nations who are suffering as a result of the situation in Iraq.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
10 richest people in the world 2005
Last year I blogged the 10 richest people. Well, this year Bill Gates is still number one. He obviously has a winning formula.
Ten Richest People in the world in 2005 according to Forbes business magazine.
1. Bill Gates, United States,$46.5 billion, Microsoft
2. Warren Buffett, United States, $44 billion, Berkshire Hathaway
3. Lakshmi Mittal, India, $25 billion, steel
4. Carlos Slim Helu, Mexico, $23.8 billion, telecom
5. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, Saudi Arabia, $23.7 billion, investments
6. Ingvar Kamprad, Sweden, $23 billion, Ikea
7. Paul Allen, United States, $21 billion, Microsoft
8. Karl Albrecht, Germany, 85, $18.5 billion, supermarkets
9. Larry Ellison, United States, $18.4 billion, Oracle
10. S. Robson Walton, United States, $18.3 billion, Wal-Mart
Forbes Rich List
Can you see any women in that list? Oh, sorry, they obviously aren't people.
Ten Richest People in the world in 2005 according to Forbes business magazine.
1. Bill Gates, United States,$46.5 billion, Microsoft
2. Warren Buffett, United States, $44 billion, Berkshire Hathaway
3. Lakshmi Mittal, India, $25 billion, steel
4. Carlos Slim Helu, Mexico, $23.8 billion, telecom
5. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, Saudi Arabia, $23.7 billion, investments
6. Ingvar Kamprad, Sweden, $23 billion, Ikea
7. Paul Allen, United States, $21 billion, Microsoft
8. Karl Albrecht, Germany, 85, $18.5 billion, supermarkets
9. Larry Ellison, United States, $18.4 billion, Oracle
10. S. Robson Walton, United States, $18.3 billion, Wal-Mart
Forbes Rich List
Can you see any women in that list? Oh, sorry, they obviously aren't people.
Letting the lettuce out of the bag
Scotsman.com News - Features - Hot on the trail of summer:
"But have you ever wondered how those bags of verdant leaves stay looking so fresh? Modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP) involves the alarming process of washing salad leaves in chlorine, which are then dried and sorted into plastic bags, where the oxygen levels are reduced from 21 per cent to 3 per cent and the carbon dioxide correspondingly raised. This delays visible deterioration and discolouring and so prolongs the shelf life while depleting the little nutritional value the leaves had to start with. Not so appealing now, are they?"
YUUUUCK!!! I am never ever going to buy bagged salad again. I thought it was bad enough when they were going to irradiate food to make it last longer and us glow in the dark. I usually go to the markets and get my vegies and I usually use the vegie shop round the corner, who bring in local produce, when I can't. I have bought bagged salad to see what it was like and when it has been reduced in price. It is an exorbitant price considering what you pay when you buy the DIY salad. Now I know it's chlorine rinsed and oxygen deprived ...no way..ever. It's about fresh food, people.
Chlorinated lettuce anyone?
"But have you ever wondered how those bags of verdant leaves stay looking so fresh? Modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP) involves the alarming process of washing salad leaves in chlorine, which are then dried and sorted into plastic bags, where the oxygen levels are reduced from 21 per cent to 3 per cent and the carbon dioxide correspondingly raised. This delays visible deterioration and discolouring and so prolongs the shelf life while depleting the little nutritional value the leaves had to start with. Not so appealing now, are they?"
YUUUUCK!!! I am never ever going to buy bagged salad again. I thought it was bad enough when they were going to irradiate food to make it last longer and us glow in the dark. I usually go to the markets and get my vegies and I usually use the vegie shop round the corner, who bring in local produce, when I can't. I have bought bagged salad to see what it was like and when it has been reduced in price. It is an exorbitant price considering what you pay when you buy the DIY salad. Now I know it's chlorine rinsed and oxygen deprived ...no way..ever. It's about fresh food, people.
Chlorinated lettuce anyone?
Mercury in Fish
Mercury in Fish – What You Need to Know:
"The reason for caution is that fish is often high in mercury, in the form of methyl-mercury. It is a contaminant found in varying level between fish species due to factors such as type, size, location, habitat, diet and age.
A friend of mine once spent time in Hong Kong and told me that common Hong Kong folk law said that there was so much mercury in Hong Kong harbour that the fish took their own temperature. It gave us a laugh, but there is truth behind the humour."
The mercury levels in fish are a world wide problem. How did they get theta high, why are they getting that high. What is going on in the ocean? Maybe we shouldn't be catching fish at the moment. US and Canada are telling breastfeeding mothers not to eat too much fish. We need to fix the oceans. Mercury isn't that easy to remove on a detox diet, better to go to the source. Can't believe it. What are we doing to ourselves.
"The reason for caution is that fish is often high in mercury, in the form of methyl-mercury. It is a contaminant found in varying level between fish species due to factors such as type, size, location, habitat, diet and age.
A friend of mine once spent time in Hong Kong and told me that common Hong Kong folk law said that there was so much mercury in Hong Kong harbour that the fish took their own temperature. It gave us a laugh, but there is truth behind the humour."
The mercury levels in fish are a world wide problem. How did they get theta high, why are they getting that high. What is going on in the ocean? Maybe we shouldn't be catching fish at the moment. US and Canada are telling breastfeeding mothers not to eat too much fish. We need to fix the oceans. Mercury isn't that easy to remove on a detox diet, better to go to the source. Can't believe it. What are we doing to ourselves.
Wind farms
Planet Ark : TXU buys Spanish generating assets via wind farms:
"Wind power has boomed in Spain in recent years to over 1,700 megawatts from only 72 megawatts in 1994 thanks to active political support from national and regional governments.
In the last few years worries about pollution from burning fossil fuels has help drive a European move towards renewable energy schemes like wind farms.
Last week Ireland approved a 640 million euro ($571 million) plan to build a 520 megawatt offshore wind farm which will be the world's largest, and late last year Britain announced a 600 million pound (866 million), 600 megawatt wind development in Scotland."
This is an artcle 2002. I can't find anything from 2005. Maybe the conditions have changed. Maybe not. I want to know. Wind farms have been developed elsewhere. Why can't we have them if it's a renewable source of energy. If they are a blot on the landscape, why can't we have them offshore? We need renewable sources of energy and we need to be able to run our own utilities and grow our own food. Think globally but ACT locally, isn't that the catch cry? Our resources were one of the things which helped out during the tsunami. All countries need to develop their resources so they can be pooled and shared if need be and sustain that country as well. Local procuce means fresh food. Local energy is available, accessible energy. Wind won't make you glow in the dark or pollute your food sources and water.
"Wind power has boomed in Spain in recent years to over 1,700 megawatts from only 72 megawatts in 1994 thanks to active political support from national and regional governments.
In the last few years worries about pollution from burning fossil fuels has help drive a European move towards renewable energy schemes like wind farms.
Last week Ireland approved a 640 million euro ($571 million) plan to build a 520 megawatt offshore wind farm which will be the world's largest, and late last year Britain announced a 600 million pound (866 million), 600 megawatt wind development in Scotland."
This is an artcle 2002. I can't find anything from 2005. Maybe the conditions have changed. Maybe not. I want to know. Wind farms have been developed elsewhere. Why can't we have them if it's a renewable source of energy. If they are a blot on the landscape, why can't we have them offshore? We need renewable sources of energy and we need to be able to run our own utilities and grow our own food. Think globally but ACT locally, isn't that the catch cry? Our resources were one of the things which helped out during the tsunami. All countries need to develop their resources so they can be pooled and shared if need be and sustain that country as well. Local procuce means fresh food. Local energy is available, accessible energy. Wind won't make you glow in the dark or pollute your food sources and water.
Forest Stewardship Council
FSC | Getting Involved | Use the FSC Trademark:
"FSC's mission is to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests. FSC's main tool for achieving this mission is a forest certification and product-labeling scheme. The public face of this scheme is the FSC trademark."
Australia needs to adopt the FSC labelling system. Why? It will stop indiscriminate felling of trees. Trees should be felled if the sustainability rate is high. FSC supports sustainable forest management. We all need to protect our forests and our trees. We need them to keep our planet healthy and to provide homes for our wild life. Planting new trees can use more water resources than necessary and then put pressure on our water resources. We just can't keep logging because we feel like it. It's like the fish, fish, fishing till we run out of fish. We have to approach these things logically and, dare I say, in a mature fashion. Having it because it suits you isn't how we can live at the moment because we are running out of resources. US Home Depot, Ikea and Sainsbury's are board members and subscribe to FSC practices. We need to too. Is there a reason why we shouldn't?
"FSC's mission is to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests. FSC's main tool for achieving this mission is a forest certification and product-labeling scheme. The public face of this scheme is the FSC trademark."
Australia needs to adopt the FSC labelling system. Why? It will stop indiscriminate felling of trees. Trees should be felled if the sustainability rate is high. FSC supports sustainable forest management. We all need to protect our forests and our trees. We need them to keep our planet healthy and to provide homes for our wild life. Planting new trees can use more water resources than necessary and then put pressure on our water resources. We just can't keep logging because we feel like it. It's like the fish, fish, fishing till we run out of fish. We have to approach these things logically and, dare I say, in a mature fashion. Having it because it suits you isn't how we can live at the moment because we are running out of resources. US Home Depot, Ikea and Sainsbury's are board members and subscribe to FSC practices. We need to too. Is there a reason why we shouldn't?
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Budget Round up
So what do we think of Mr Costello's budget for 2005-6?
2005/6 Budget Speech
ACTU predicts Budget will increase poverty
Economic growth slashed
Budget ignores our needs: students
Costello slashes taxes, revamps welfare
Labor refuses to endorse Budget tax cuts
Praise for work incentives
'No easing' of nursing crisis
Iraq boost in $17.5bn spend
Hip-pocket friendly budget unveiled
Costello reveals 'welfare to work'
2005/6 Budget Speech
ACTU predicts Budget will increase poverty
Economic growth slashed
Budget ignores our needs: students
Costello slashes taxes, revamps welfare
Labor refuses to endorse Budget tax cuts
Praise for work incentives
'No easing' of nursing crisis
Iraq boost in $17.5bn spend
Hip-pocket friendly budget unveiled
Costello reveals 'welfare to work'
Counterdrug Media Summary
Counterdrug Media Summary
"The 42-year-old former Adelaide man was arrested last Friday when police raided his home near the city of Medan in North Sumatra."
Adelaide is off the hook! Apparently he is married to an Indonesian, apparently there are others involved and apparently he has been living in Indonesia. The news showed his mother being informed by the news reporter. She was unaware, but said what I had said this morning about reading the news! Good on her. It's interesting how they are tracking the networks around the place .
This site is really good. It gives you the counter drug reports from around Asia. There's a bit in it about how Schapelle Corby has come face to face with Imam Samudra because she is in the same prison.
"The 42-year-old former Adelaide man was arrested last Friday when police raided his home near the city of Medan in North Sumatra."
Adelaide is off the hook! Apparently he is married to an Indonesian, apparently there are others involved and apparently he has been living in Indonesia. The news showed his mother being informed by the news reporter. She was unaware, but said what I had said this morning about reading the news! Good on her. It's interesting how they are tracking the networks around the place .
This site is really good. It gives you the counter drug reports from around Asia. There's a bit in it about how Schapelle Corby has come face to face with Imam Samudra because she is in the same prison.
Back into workforce or else, says Treasurer
The Advertiser: Back into workforce or else, says Treasurer:
"Single parents will have to start looking for work when their youngest child reaches school age, rather than 13 as is the case now."
You only have to read the news to know that young people have no stabilising force at the moment. They are not "in care." Iknow we have to support the economy, I know we have to do our bit , but I am really tired of the way this economy does not support a healthy society. The family unit is constantly broken down into the individual consumers and workers. Workers make money for others and their homes can suffer dreadfully because people are not there or they are stressed. I was a working single parent and my daughter went to daycare at two. I wanted to work but I have the sort of job where the hours can accommodate a lot of parenting time. To undermine and denigrate the job of bringing up children tells me that no value is placed on our future citizens. They need homes, families, adults they relate to. Bringing up children is probably the most important job because it shapes the future of that society and the world. Institutionalising children from an early age has left a lot of then disenfranchised and disengaged and anti social. Read the news. If anything, time should be spent on supporting single parents so that they can look at ways of earning extra income if that is possible and desirable. Why did the Family First party poll so well at the last election?? Our families sustain us. A lot of jobs could be changed to allow for shorter hours and part time people but many companies will not allow part time work or they offer odd hours. I overheard a lady on the train saying she had been talking to her boss because she was working 20 hours a week and it was spread over 5 days. It meant she couldn't work elsewhere but it also meant she had very inefficient, broken days which she was finding hard to manage.
"Single parents will have to start looking for work when their youngest child reaches school age, rather than 13 as is the case now."
You only have to read the news to know that young people have no stabilising force at the moment. They are not "in care." Iknow we have to support the economy, I know we have to do our bit , but I am really tired of the way this economy does not support a healthy society. The family unit is constantly broken down into the individual consumers and workers. Workers make money for others and their homes can suffer dreadfully because people are not there or they are stressed. I was a working single parent and my daughter went to daycare at two. I wanted to work but I have the sort of job where the hours can accommodate a lot of parenting time. To undermine and denigrate the job of bringing up children tells me that no value is placed on our future citizens. They need homes, families, adults they relate to. Bringing up children is probably the most important job because it shapes the future of that society and the world. Institutionalising children from an early age has left a lot of then disenfranchised and disengaged and anti social. Read the news. If anything, time should be spent on supporting single parents so that they can look at ways of earning extra income if that is possible and desirable. Why did the Family First party poll so well at the last election?? Our families sustain us. A lot of jobs could be changed to allow for shorter hours and part time people but many companies will not allow part time work or they offer odd hours. I overheard a lady on the train saying she had been talking to her boss because she was working 20 hours a week and it was spread over 5 days. It meant she couldn't work elsewhere but it also meant she had very inefficient, broken days which she was finding hard to manage.
Adelaide man in Bali drug bust
The Advertiser: Adelaide man in Bali drug bust :
"AN Adelaide man faces 10 years in jail after he was arrested in Bali with 1.8 grams of hashish hidden in his rented bungalow."
We are so embarrassed. This is not good for Adelaide. It makes us look like we don't read the news and we don't listen. We do. We have. We are a bit stunned. His mother was on the news last night and it is so very unfair on her to be in this position because that lady has done nothing and shouldn't be embarrassed like that. I guess , given that much of the world has had such a relaxed attitude to things like marijuana and hashish, he really wasn't thinking and clearly he wasn't out to make money or influence the lives of others. We are getting mixed messages from our global society and so we are more aware that we have to listen more carefully to individual cultures..like the English woman who got herself unwittingly into trouble by having codeine for her back pain in Dubai. It took 2 months for her to get home. Will it stop us travelling? Will more people take all their drugs at home? What will this do to us? Will the global village collapse? Will we listen to the news? Wake up , Adelaide, your country needs you. But the clash of cultures is hard for normal folk, that I have to confess.
"AN Adelaide man faces 10 years in jail after he was arrested in Bali with 1.8 grams of hashish hidden in his rented bungalow."
We are so embarrassed. This is not good for Adelaide. It makes us look like we don't read the news and we don't listen. We do. We have. We are a bit stunned. His mother was on the news last night and it is so very unfair on her to be in this position because that lady has done nothing and shouldn't be embarrassed like that. I guess , given that much of the world has had such a relaxed attitude to things like marijuana and hashish, he really wasn't thinking and clearly he wasn't out to make money or influence the lives of others. We are getting mixed messages from our global society and so we are more aware that we have to listen more carefully to individual cultures..like the English woman who got herself unwittingly into trouble by having codeine for her back pain in Dubai. It took 2 months for her to get home. Will it stop us travelling? Will more people take all their drugs at home? What will this do to us? Will the global village collapse? Will we listen to the news? Wake up , Adelaide, your country needs you. But the clash of cultures is hard for normal folk, that I have to confess.
Beerenberg Farm
The Advertiser: Money for jam :
"JAM and condiments produced at Beerenberg Farm in the Adelaide Hills soon will be served to guests at a prestige chain of Hong Kong hotels."
Lucky people in Hong Kong. Beerenberg products are quality. I love the strawberry jam. It has strawberries in it! The company here has thrived because it produces great products with real ingredients...so we value them. I hope we don't miss out because the export market snaps it all up!! I'll cry. Apart from their jam I love their pickled onions. YUM! MIAM! LECKER , lecker , lecker. Beerenberg is outside Hahndorf ,a town which was established by the Germans. It is less authentically German now but still a pretty spot and very popular. The heritage is there to be appreciated still in the buildings and feel of the town.
"JAM and condiments produced at Beerenberg Farm in the Adelaide Hills soon will be served to guests at a prestige chain of Hong Kong hotels."
Lucky people in Hong Kong. Beerenberg products are quality. I love the strawberry jam. It has strawberries in it! The company here has thrived because it produces great products with real ingredients...so we value them. I hope we don't miss out because the export market snaps it all up!! I'll cry. Apart from their jam I love their pickled onions. YUM! MIAM! LECKER , lecker , lecker. Beerenberg is outside Hahndorf ,a town which was established by the Germans. It is less authentically German now but still a pretty spot and very popular. The heritage is there to be appreciated still in the buildings and feel of the town.
Monday, May 09, 2005
TA_DA...Firemonger
I have just downloaded my Firemonger CD from the Net. I have been using Firefox and Thunderbird for a while and am sold. The CD is very helpful if you are a newbie because it comes with a little video and some great extensions. I run with the calendar; weatherfox;Blog It (what would I do without it??) ; Spoof Stick; Foxy Tunes extensions and have installed a couple of others off the CD to try. The CD has some good extensions and everything is there to help you set up with a minimum of fuss. I ran it from the index file. Microsoft used to help us enjoy our computing like this. Now with Microsoft products I seem to spend a lot of time trying to get installation instructions, hints, tips, patches and online registering..and I dread it if I have to reinstall anything or if I want to install a product on a non net computer. It is probably a factor of Microsoft getting to big and then too distant from its consumers who were originally its afficionados. May Firefox never lose that relationship with its public.
Firemonger CD
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