Yoo-hoo....Yahoo!

We have a new Yahoo Australia. It used to be blue and now it's all red because it's merged with Channel 7. It looks more like us. More Australian. I was obviously too engrossed in the cricket to notice the merger. When did that happen and what happened? I am happy. There are more things for me on this page and that is what I like!! I also like Australian things to look and sound Australian. I'm not ready for the cultural blur. Our differences might be our down fall when we don't listen, but our cultures are so rich, so special and so wonderfully inspiring. I am not ready for the melting pot.

Baghdatis wants to win, but not for Australia

Baghdatis wants to win, but not for Australia:

"'It was a dream for me to reach a final, even if I lost it. To win a grand slam, that's what I work for. That's what all the sacrifices I did, my parents did … to live this moment,' Baghdatis said."

Yes, his country and family got him here and so he wants to win for Cyprus. Fair enough. Good on him!! It's nice we offered him citizenship, but you can see why he is such a remarkable young man and why he would be an asset to any country...but he is a Cypriot! A man with values....good looks, charm, talent...sense of humour...who's booked a trip to Cyprus?

Scientists worried by Reef bleaching

Scientists worried by Reef bleaching :

"Fresh concerns over coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef should prompt the federal government to sign the Kyoto Protocol, conservationists say."

It should, but it probably won't. Why should they worry if the reef is a whiter shade of pale? If other nations have considered the Kyoto Protocol to be very important, if respected environmentalists and scientists have endorsed it, and still America and Austrlia won't sign it, wouldn't you go white around the gills??

Bull fights back in Mexico City

Scotsman.com Bull fights back in Mexico City:

"A 1,000lb bull jumped into the stands during a Mexico City bullfight, injuring several spectators before it was killed by a bullfighter."

More like jumping the fence! We saw it on the news tonight and I had no idea great, huge bulls were that sprightly on their feet. There was all that muscle springing over the barrier with such ease. It must have hurt people wuite badly and the horns were very sharp. Better to train it in jumping than kill it. It was astounding.

Gates Pledges $900 Million for TB Research

Gates Pledges $900 Million for TB Research:

"'This is a very tough disease,' said Gates, the Microsoft Corp. chairman and co-founder. 'It is going to take all of us _ private sector, the pharmaceutical companies, philanthropy and governments in countries that have the disease _ to participate as well.'"

This is a man on a mission and if he is as successful as he has been with Microsoft, the world can start clapping its hands. He's been into Africa to deliver other vaccines and now he wants to work on eradicating TB. He has pots of money, bucketloads of it...but now he is a growing a big heart and showing some real leadership. Building an massive company is one thing, but being the person to tackle world problems which have plagued us forever is someone who is really prepared to take on a challenge. Talk about skills testing.

City dares vandals to do their worst

City dares vandals to do their worstNews :

"Amsterdam city councillor Mark van der Horst said: 'We want to make sure our new trains for the city's underground are completely idiot-proof, and will see if the prototype can withstand vandalism before producing more of them.'"

Get the idiots to test the idiot proofing?? Why not give the idiots some cognitive restructuring? Change the idiots and not the trains?

Warhead harpoon for whales

The Australian: Warhead harpoon for whales :

"JAPANESE whalers are testing a hi-tech harpoon, equipped with an enlarged charge of high explosive, to help swiftly kill endangered whales in the seas around Antarctica."

Why? What is the point of their being protected and what is the point of the IWC if it cannot stop the slaughter of endangered species? Why don't we care and if we do care, why is this allowed to occur? We set up policies and organisations to watch over various things or to develop best practice and what occurs is individuals write their own rule book and follow those rules. Why is it not possible for us to co operate as a world on anything? Poor whales , though. It'll take them 14 minutes to die , endangered or not.

Australian Open 2006

Baghdatis dared to dream, but Federer was just too good :

"Federer had looked mortal for the second week of the tournament and now he looked thoroughly vincible. Early in the final he popped forehands, botched volleys, shanked backhands and served more double faults than he had in six matches combined."

It was a hard call last night. To abandon my beloved cricket to watch the Australian Open, when Adam Gilchrist turned on a real show and the other cricketers were all in there making it an incredible match, or see just was was to happen in this remarkable tennis story. I channel surfed. I hate that. It's something I disapprove of because you are skating the surface and most sports events do have an emotional, human side as well as the thrill of the match. Sports events always have a story to tell and from that you draw inspiration as a human being even if you cannot perform at that high level. The cricket was great, but the tennis finals were so emotional and so absorbing. Here were two men who could make you feel for each shot, each volley and each point. The truth is , I used to be a great tennis fan but it lost the magic. The magic is what we had back last night because you could see why Marcos Baghdatis was there at the final, but you also knew that Roger Federer was putting everything on the line as the world's number one. Marcos Baghdatis was a very genuine, very capable opponent, but he was new. Roger Federer proved why he was the world's number one. He could rally his resources and summon up his skill and strength, but the emotion at the end was not that of an arrogant top player who thought he deserved to win. They were the tears of a man who had fought well for the honour of his title and Marcos Baghdatis had made him really pull his best skills out and made him feel every decision in that match. It was a genuine match and not one of those calculated executions of the game. Both those men have put the soul back into tennis and made it a wonderfully high level match to experience rather than just watch. What a night!!

The Year of the Dog.

Chinese greet the Year of the Dog. :

"With fireworks, fairs, feasting and family reunions, millions of Asians have greeted the start of the Year of the Dog."

Happy New Year again. The Chinese were allowed to set off fireworks again and the backup to prevent accidents seems to have been very impressive. There is a ban here because of bushfires. Hasn't made any difference, we get the fires anyway! The Chinese also ate their tradional chicken dinner and have done justice to the New Year...so now, we are all set to go! May it be somewhere positive.

Le cacatoès rosalbin ou Galah

Le cacatoès rosalbin ou Galah:
"Besoin :
C'est un oiseau de grande taille qui a donc besoin d'une volière. Une cage n'est envisageable que si l'oiseau est en liberté durant la journée et retourne dormir dans sa cage pour la nuit. La cage doit être équipé de barreaux solides et de gros perchoirs en bois. Si vous disposez de suffisamment de place, installer un nid en bois et une grande baignoire : dans la nature, les galahs nichent dans les troncs et se baignent souvent. Le régime alimentaire est composé d'un mélange de graines ' spécial cacatoès ', de millet en grappe, de fruits et de légumes frais, de croquettes, du pain trempé ou des petits gâteaux de semoule. De temps en temps, vous pouvez leur offrir des graines de tournesol, des cacahuètes, des os, des compléments vitaminés et des pigments naturels durant les périodes de mue et de reproduction."

Earthquake causes panic in Indonesia

Earthquake causes panic in Indonesia :

"'We poured into the streets in panic and ran immediately to higher places fearing a tsunami,' said Salman Rumalesin, a resident of Bula, a Maluku mining town.

The quake caused cracks in some buildings in Ambon as well as in the Timor Hotel in Dili, the capital of East Timor, witnesses said."

It was a 7.7 earthquake, so pretty serious and it seems so cruel that these people can have no rest or peace. Each time this happens they are confonting the trauma of the Boxing Day tsunami. It just seems so unfair.

Bonjour cocky! French all aflutter over our birds

Bonjour cocky! French all aflutter over our birds - World - smh.com.au:

"THOSE iconic Aussie noisy neighbours, the galah and sulphur-crested cockatoo, have become sought after pets for well-heeled Parisians.

But prospective owners are being asked to bring deep pockets as well as their earmuffs - each bird carries a price tag of almost $5000."

I am glad to see that our birds are being appreciated but there is no sadder sight than a galah or sulphur crested cockatoo in a cage with no feathers and you really have to know what you are doing to keep them healthy. There are big fines and jail terms for smuggling our wildlife but they don't seem to deter the trade. We have imposed these measures because our wild life is used to very particular conditions. Just on the way back from the shops today I saw a field of Corellas and one was rolling on its back munching on a twig. They are always with a big flock and always with others. The galahs come to my gum tree at the back and it's like a big condominium and they squawk and chatter away for as long as they are there and make a big mess of the gum nuts. The rosellas, as I said before, have been in at the nectarines and they chatter away as they eat away at my fruit and then fly off together. Parisians seems to like their special pets and it tends to suggest they will care for them. People do make pets of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and Galahs here. Some talk and they are really
funny, but it tends to be more of a country thing than in the city. I am curious to hear how our pets go!

Blogthings

Your Personality Profile

You are dependable, popular, and observant. Deep and thoughtful, you are prone to moodiness. In fact, your emotions tend to influence everything you do. You are unique, creative, and expressive. You don't mind waving your freak flag every once and a while. And lucky for you, most people find your weird ways charming!

The World's Shortest Personality Test

This is just one of the things you can do to lighten your day and your blog at Blogthings and I guess it pretty well sums me up!!

Sunbird

This is a Malaysian sunbird and there are about 100 birds in the species. They make these vertical nests and lay up to three eggs. It is so cute. It reminded me of the video my friend had just shown me of the hummingbirds they had in their back garden in LA. She has just come back to live here again and it was great to see all the photos. The one thing I have learned is, no matter where you live, you have to get out of there and see other places so that you can see the world is different everywhere you go.Every part of the world has its riches and these little sunbirds, and the humming birds in LA, are the jewels of those countries. They are so beautiful and delicate. The sunbird has been an inspiration for naming many things and if you Google, you will see just how many things have been named after the sunbird. Sunbirds and Hummingbirds look similar but they are not related. Hummingbirds can fly backwards.

Australian Open 2006

This is going to be a great match and such an important event in the lives of both of these men. Go, guys!

Baghdatis upbeat but Federer favourite

Baghdatis upbeat but Federer favourite:

"Baghdatis knocked out three seeds on the way to the final (Andy Roddick [2], seventh seed Ivan Ljubicic [7] and Nalbandian [4]), and the Cypriot is short on confidence.

'Every match is different, every day is different,' he said."

Yes, it's all different all right and may the best man win. Marcos Baghdatis is remarkably sane about it all and with a match against the world's number one, Roger Federer on his agenda , his balanced, pragmatic attitude will sustain him. Who knows? This man is full of surprises and knocked out 3 seeds on the way to where he is now. He is a winner no matter what happens. Federer is the hot favourite to win the match . Marcos Baghdatis is just hot, so who knows, heh?

Latte Art

Latte Art

I had no idea. These people are just so clever.

City water supplies drop

The Advertiser: City water supplies drop :

"Melburnians used about 1830 million litres of water per day in the week to January 25, well above summer daily average of 1,462 million litres.

Melbourne Water is urging residents to use water wisely, particularly in the garden, and to take shorter showers, use water-efficient products and follow Melbourne's Permanent Water Saving Rules."

If the water intake in Melbourne is well above average,then there has to be a logical explanation for this. I do not believe people have suddenly started to squander water. The weather in Adelaide has been similary very hot and humid and I know I have drunk more water in the last couple of weeks than I usually do. A lot more. I have also had to wash down the dog because she wasn't coping with the heat this year, whereas she normally does. She has drunk more too. So we need to drink and we need to keep cool. It has been back to the hot summers we used to have. Other years have been unusually cool. But while I am here, if we are not managing with the water capacity we have now, how will we manage with the same water capacity when we attract all the migrants we want to have here? Or are they not going to be allowed to drink and shower? Some of our cities are really strugglingn with water. Why? And we really are in need of more water because we have to use huge amounts to fight the fires which keep starting everywhere. Australia is always on fire in the summer. Massive fires. The just keep happening. If it's not arsonists, it's lightning. So, I really do think we had better have a long hard look at how we are going to manage our water resources and how we are going to get extra. We need water and plenty of it in summer and even though we are all doing our bit to save water, we need some good plans for keeping and using storm water and finding sources of water to cover the necessity of excess use in hot summers.

Government to fund Hicks' lawyer

The Australian: Government to fund Hicks' lawyer :

"'I'm pleased that the secretary of the Attorney-General's Department has changed his view on the matter,' Mr McLeod said."

Me,too.

Update

The men's finals of the Australian Open tomorrow is going to be HUGE. Everyone loves that Cypriot, Marcos Baghdatis, and Melbourne, which has a huge Greek community, is really going off big time. The power of one. Don't ever tell yourself that you, as one person, cannot make a difference.

I read the paper after I had blogged last night. Wrong way round, I realise, but it was like Bondi Central railway station here yesterday and it was all happening...so I got to the paper VERY late. There was a massive picture of that great red dust storm in all its glory right on the first page. Awesome sight. The people on the Birdsville Track were really over the moon and so excited about it. Some had never seen one and valued the power and beauty of raw nature and others hadn't seen one in 20 years and were thrilled and privileged to see one again. The red earth. That is our country.

I got onto Firefox tonight and my little Weatherfox popped up telling me there were light showers. Oh yeah?? It had been pouring. Pouring , pouring , pouring. Drenching rain. Weatherfox obviously likes to understate the weather at times!!

Call for ban on non-stick chemicals.

Call for ban on non-stick chemicals. :

"But ABC Radio's The World Today program has obtained a copy of an official Australian Government report showing this country has the second highest recorded levels of the chemicals behind the United States.

There are now calls for the Australian Government to ban the chemicals immediately.

Teflon and other non-stick substances use a type of chemical called perfluorochemicals and they are also used to make stain-resistant clothing and a host of other domestic products."

Now they tell us. Hadn't they studied the effects when they were testing them? Does it apply to the silverstone cookware as well? If we revert to the old things...which were mostly aluminium based didn't they rust and give us Alzheimers? If we have very high levels of these chemicals in our blood why wasn't it discovered before and what are other countries using so they don't get these chemicals? The US is ahead of us but we are second. Not a a race I wish to win, nor have a placing in. Now be kind enough to identify clearly the bad things and the things I should use.

Mauresmo breaks grand slam title drought.

Mauresmo breaks grand slam title drought. :

"'My first words are for Justine, it's disappointing for everybody, I think, for the tournament to end this way, so I'm hoping she will get better and recover quickly.

'All the people who still believed in me after seven years it's a long time, but all the people who have been working with me still believed in me and really pushed me, even when I was down.'"

Bravo!! Epatant! Youpi! Amélie Mauresmo took out the title in the Australian Open when the 2004 Open Champion,Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium had to retire sick, but it is a well earned, well deserved recognition of her talent and determination. Amélie has played some brilliant tennis and it is a long time to slog it out before you get your just desserts. I feel sorry for Justine, because she , too, is a top player, but with the virus that she has had and our current weather being as it is, she did the right thing to retire. Heat and humidity can make you feel extremely ill if you are that way inclined and to push yourself at a time when you have battled a virus is very unwise. Our conditions do make some people feel very ill and this week's weather combination of heat, rain, storms, rain, extreme heat, wind can dehydrate you very quickly and some people just cannot keep adjusting their bodies to the changes. It's a credit to her she was out there managing for so long. Most of the rest of us duck into the pool, head for the air conditioning or just loll with a big cool drink. Both of them have brought us great tennis and Amélie is a worthy winner.

Ethanol more efficient than we think

News in Science - Ethanol more efficient than we think - :

"Ethanol fuel is more energy-efficient than some experts had realised and it is time to start developing it as an alternative to fossil fuels, researchers say."

Yes, petroleum is so last century...so last millennium. Time to move on I think and get something a bit more 2006.

Stress results in stronger boys

Stress results in stronger boys:

"Populations of boys born in stressful times enjoy an advantage their whole lives, living longer, on average, than males born in times of peace and prosperity, US researchers reported on Monday."

Ralph Catalano of the School of Public Health at the University of California had led what appears to be a very interesting study if you read the rest of the article. Boys are more likely to be miscarried than girls and even though more boys than girls are born, more boys die. There are a lot of fascinating findings in this study. I hope we read more about it.

One family-sized job to go

One family-sized job to go - it's a McRevolution :

"The Family Contract, which the fast food chain is trying out in six British cities, allows any family member over 16 to job-share and swap shifts without notifying management."

This is an amazingly flexible approach but underlines the fact that the job is more important than the person. I guess in some jobs, that really is the case. It'll stop us thinking we are valuable as human beings! I wonder if just anyone could have been Kerry packer doing his job and becoming the richest person in Australia? But maybe, this is a good thing to try for some jobs and will take the strain off the indidual. I am curious to know if the "pool" of people has to sign up for the one job and then I wonder how the payments are made? It certainly means individuals can taylor their lifestyle better and it means you take take the strain off when you do not feel well or if you have exams or whatever. I think it's great we are being shown a different approach to employment and it will be interesting to see if it works, what the benefits are and what sort of jobs you could apply it to. Up there for thinking!

Dust Storm

This picture by Karen Brook is one of the best photos I have seen of what a dust storm looks like when it is headed for you. You cannot believe all this big red mass. It is dust, so your lungs and houses get full of it. This one in in SW Queensland and whipped up by the thunderstom coming in.

Marcos Baghdatis

Baghdatis fairytale continues into Australian Open semi-finals
You are looking at the face of an unseeded tennis player who may win the Australian Open and most certainly has captured our hearts. Even those of us who are glued to the cricket at this time of the year have been entranced by the Cypriot,Marcos Baghdatis. He most certainly can play tennis and is not one to give up. He has determination, skill and a heartfelt humanity about him which is the thing which has got us all glued to him and we are now following him closely. I'd go so far as to say as we'd be more than happy to see him win. Why? He is charming, friendly, down to earth. He has a heart and a sense of humour. He speaks of everybody and everything with respect. He is about humanity and the fantastic tennis he plays is about his capacity as a human to play great tennis and make others happy. He is totally disarming and we are all in love with him. His family are on their way from Cyprus to watch the last chapter in this amazing story. He has been described as a sensation. He is, but it is because he is so normal, frank, open, honest and clever. This will be his first Grand Slam title and for this 20 year old...that is a great achievement.

Australia's poor report card on environment

Australia's poor report card on environment :

"New Zealand ranked first in the world in environmental performance, followed by Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic and Britain. Like the United States, which was ranked 28th, Australia's energy and climate change performance lagged many other countries."

Well, we'd better clean up our act,then. But we keep saying and the Kyoto protocol still isn't signed because what we have is better...

Australian scientists help find Earth-like planet.

Australian scientists help find Earth-like planet. :

"Astonomers at the University of Tasmania's Mt Canopus Observatory and the Perth Observatory have worked with researchers from 12 other countries to identify the cold, rocky planet."

can't believe we are actually capapble of finding planets outside the solar system. I can only see to the sky. I can see the moon. I can't actually imagine the size of the solar system ...I just have one of those encyclopedia pictures in my head of what it looks like and here we are, on Austrlia Day 2006 being told there is a plaet outide the solar system, infact there may be millions of them and 13 countries have pooled technical expertise and worked together to find one fo these planets and they have named it:

OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb

The name is as unintelligible as the techniques used but I am certainly impressed because these people not only know what they are doing , their thinking is as high up there as good old OGLE. I'm just mindboggled.

Dead whale was shot with a harpoon gun

Gulfnews: Dead whale was shot with a harpoon gun:

"Dubai: The dead whale which washed ashore at Al Mamzar Beach last week was shot four times with a harpoon gun, said a Dubai Municipality official."

A 35 foot Bryde's whale was found dead on the beaches of Al Mamzar last Thursday. Whales and other marine life are protected in Gulf waters so people are more than unhappy to find this wahle has been deliberately killed. I hope they can track down the offenders. It's not a common occurrence for this to happen in Dubai. I don't know that it has happened before. Certainly the airport operations manager who found it had never seen one there before. Bryde's whales are an endangered species so whoever did kill it had little regard for life or the significance of destroying something already under threat. I hope they find them, I really do.

Australia Day

41 degrees Celsius and a great cricket match. Nice day!!

Australia Day honoree 'wanted to die'

The Australian: Australia Day honoree 'wanted to die' :

"'I don't want people to think that if you lose someone, you have to go and build a school, or you have to start up a foundation because that's what I chose to do and it worked for me, but it's not for everyone.'

The 24-year-old works with young people through The Reach Foundation to improve their self-esteem and founded the Reach Broadbridge Fund in honour of her husband.

Along with the Melbourne Football Club, she also established the Broadbridge Education Centre on Phi Phi Island."

Trisha Broadbridge has been in a psychiatric clinic 3 times since she lost her husband Troy, one of our well known footballers, in the Boxing Day tsunami . What a great lady and a great example to everyone. She has earned this award by having the courage to face up to the unbearable pain and by working through it to turn it into something positive for herself and others. She has lost so much but has transformed it with her strength and courage into giving us so much.

SA Tourism

SA Tourism

You see, when you get this logo splashed all over a white T Shirt it certainly makes a statement and it looks quite good. Personally I'd have a blue S rather than a blck one...maybe even a grey S...but I'd get one of those T shirts to take overseas because I have great NZ and Sydney ones I can wear but not SA. It would also make a brilliant embroidered T shirt. I have a T shirt from Vanuatu with a palm tree design and Vanuatu on it and it is really cool and a bit dressier than the screen printed T Shirts I have from elsewhere. This design would look good embroidered.... and with a white or grey S on a black background...yes, I just think we need to get our ideas going and our heads together. I feel a community project coming on!!

Brilliant: Our new label

The Advertiser: Brilliant: Our new label :

"The slogan is a result of a brand proposition arrived at by a mix of government departments, its base line being to 'create employment, increase export income and profile of the state by building the destination and marketing the state'"

We are brilliant but I would think it's not just about jobs, not just about vocational training, not just about wine, though a lot of people love our wine and we tend to be a well oiled lot because we are surrounded by great wineries. The brilliant blend marketing strategy is the new tourism ploy for our state, but I think it'd be good to tell us we are brilliant and get the message across whenever and wherever we want. Like the It's a great state, mate, the brilliant thing is something we can pick up and run with but we need to get slicker at presenting it. There is a brilliant blend of so many things here. We need to recognise and reward them. We need to acknowledge the blends. For my Canadian friends it's the weather , food, wine, coffee, beaches, open air, freedom, positive lifestyle. For my German friend it's the beach, weather, water sports, ease of interstate travel, friendliness, food, lifestyle. For my Scottish friends it's the ability to do as you please without being bothered, the weather, the freedom, the food, the working conditions. Everyone does have their blend. We fail to acknowledge them and take a lot for granted. On the other hand we have worked in a dedicated manner to produce a place where we can feel at ease and where we do co operate.

I saw the logos on the news tonight. The paper ones looked terrible. Poor design, colours too strong and a bit blah really. The T shirt on the other hand was brilliant so I can see the textile stuff coming up brilliantly and I can see coffee mugs with that logo too. The white background with the bold splashes of colour makes a far better statement in my opinion. The star shape on the T shirt fills the space better and has a better sense of style and form. We could get it in the state colours too. We need something bold and cheerful but not coloured splodge. Get the right design and it will sell itself. Get the right angle and we'll run with it. We just need a few more brilliant ideas.

Sniffer dogs ineffective, say Greens

The Australian: Sniffer dogs ineffective, say Greens :

"Greens MP Lee Rhiannon today said the State Government should release the Ombudsman's report on the controversial use of sniffer dogs, which she suspected were not catching big-time dealers but instead netting young people with small amounts of recreational drugs."

I don't think the sniffer dogs are designed to catch the big time drug dealers. That would take some very heavy duty, serious measures. They are there to put people off carrying drugs. If they are being used at the Big Day Out it is simply a four legged message from the police. It's about dissuading the use of drugs because if certain people haven't noticed, our young ones,and even some of our older ones, are getting into dire straits overseas because we have not been good at sending some strong messages about drugs and their use into our community. Even without the overseas drug disasters,enough of our young ones are suffering a deliterous impact from the ease with which they can obtain and use drugs. The sniffer dogs are about interrupting drug use and making others who don't want to use them have the opportunty to be out and about without worrying about drugs. It would be interesting to see what the ombudsmen report says but even if the sniffer dogs are not highly successful, and that seems to be contrary to other information, then the fact they are there with their owners is a good thing. I am one of the few people who has not experienced the sniffer dogs at Adelaide airport. So many other people I know have seen them and have had their bags sniffed. The dogs pop out and do their job. The reaction of the people I know is they love seeing these dogs, they make them feel safer, they think it's a good idea and they support them as a way of stopping others from carrying drugs. It has only had a positive impact in Adelaide from what I can see. We worked out one Friday before Christmas that we had had enough of drugs and what they were doing to us and our young people.

Save the koala

Thursday is getting closer. Australia Day is the day Senator Cambell and his scientific committee can list the koala as an endangered/vulnerable species. The submission was made in July 2004. Looking after one of our national emblems would be a great thing for Australia Day.

Weather tipped for return to normalcy

Weather tipped for return to normalcy:

"Australia's weather conditions are returning to normal, according to the latest outlook from the National Climate Centre.

Temperatures between February and April should remain at average levels, except in northern Queensland, which is looking warmer and drier over the next three months."

I am not actually sure what that headline means and the article doesn't really enlighten me. For a moment I thought maybe we had made a great finding about global warming and climate change and that, infact, we were going to return to normal weather patterns in Australia. How nice would that be? Now I think it might mean it's going to come back to cooler weather and be less hot. Well, summer in a lot of Australia is hot. That's why it's Australia. I do not see cool weather in summer as normal and yet we have had some very cold days over summer since at least 2001 and that was never the case. I had never ever put the fire on in summer and my winter clothes used to go away. This summer is normal to me...because I have been wearing shorts, tank top and flip flops...that is my summer wear in this country and it's great. I hate rugging up!!

New trams

GOVERNMENT 'RUSHED' INTO BUYING NEW TRAMS

There was quite a discussion today about the look of Adelaide and how the new trams were going to fit in. It started because a number of people have recently been to Melbourne and it clearly had the wow factor and a lot of things which just made you sit up and take notice. We all agreed the shopping was great, the changes to Melbourne were well worth it and they took more risks with getting their art work out there into the public arena. But I started talking about the new look of Adelaide. It really is a lot cleaner and more impressive. It's not all glitz and glam nor is it all bling and wow, but it really has become a nice looking city. Now the trees are growing on North Terrace we decided we could see all the buildings along there better without the ld trees but we needed the green of the new trees to set the buildings off. It was more like a boulevarde and we liked it. We liked the new fountain outside the State Library and we like the look north and south along King William Street. It really is clean and clear and the buildings are not too tall so you get plenty of light and air. We then started on how the trams may or may not mess it up. In the end we decided not. We thought the trams air conditioning will be fixed to cope with Adelaide,they have a nice clean line about them and it'll be great to hop on a tram and get a cruisy ride around our city. We were laughing at the hiccoughs with it all, but that's Adelaide. We do and then think and then adjust and make the right changes once we've lived with it. We thought it might block the traffic up a bit going along King William Street but then we thought you might get a great view. We'll have to see. In the end we thought even though Adelaide wasn't a big, glamorous city it was a great city to find what you needed and that all our amenities were good. It was nice not having to wait , queue or have big traffic jams. So, in the end, we became pretty positive about the trams. The airport is another story. We cannot believe this is happening and it isn't the government who put the mess in the fuel tanks.We're just looking forward to being able to leave Adelaide and fly somewhere else directly. We need that and it's something we now want.

Super blobs' deep impact

Super blobs' deep impact :

"The massive sea creatures, which can grow two metres wide and weigh up to 220 kilograms, are clogging and ripping fishing nets, causing havoc for fishermen who have to spend hours hacking them out of their nets."

There's a very interesting picture of the giant jellyfish with this article. Japan is conducting studies because even though these massive jellyfish are the size of sumo wrestlers, their stingers can poison the catch of Japanese fishermen. Damage to humans is rare. They believe they are floating down with all the excess water from the floods in China. They are unreal!

Whale vomit

Whale spew find may net $1m for family. :

"A family on South Australia's west coast has discovered a rare specimen of whale vomit on the beach that is tipped to be worth over $1 million."

14.75 kilos of whale vomit is going to make this family who found the vomit in Streaky Bay very rich. How on earth did they know it was whale vomit?? It's not exactly something you become familiar with. Then, how on earth do perfume companies turn whale vomit into expensive perfume??? This why the find is going to make them so rich. Do people actually go hunting for whale vomit as a source of income? Who was the first person who discovered whale vomit made great perfume? Unbelievable!! Streaky Bay is a great little beach town on our coast. Great fishing and relaxing spot.

Clicking hell: the way to bankrupt your rival

Clicking hell: the way to bankrupt your rival :

"JOHN Carreras was once a contented Google advertiser. He used text advertisements that appeared alongside searches to bring people to his trade exhibition website. He happily paid Google a few cents for every referral, believing that anyone who clicked through to his site from Google was a likely customer. But then he attended a conference in Las Vegas, and he noticed something strange: the number of Google referrals he was getting dropped dramatically, only to rise again once the conference was over."

Pretty sad to see yet another way people would undermine their opponent, by over clicking on their site so that they have to pay all the extra costs. Google obviously isn't impressed and is working on it and John Carreras is now producing software to detect clicking fraud. Good job he was cluey, good job Google got onto it but as fast as we come up with a good idea, some person creates a nasty , negative use for it.

Passenger Pigeons

The Passenger Pigeon

"The extinction of the passenger pigeon is a poignant example of what happens when the interests of man clash with the interests of nature. It is believed that this species once constituted 25 to 40 per cent of the total bird population of the United States. It is estimated that there were 3 billion to 5 billion passenger pigeons at the time Europeans discovered America."

The Passenger Pigeon - The Smithsonian Institute

It is possible, no matter how many we have of a particular creature, we can make them extinct because we eat them, hunt them, remove their habitat or forget to look after them as we develop our lifestyle and living environments. Passenger Pigeons should be plentiful and they we enjoyed as a part of society as we enjoy koalas, but now the passenger pigeon is no more and the article by the Smithsonian Institute shows just how much people are interested in this pigeon but also how it managed to become extinct. That they have kept careful records is a credit to them and good information for any nation who wished to protect wild life. Maybe they will be able to find some DNA and create one. It's the one thing I hope all this playing with DNA will be able to do, bring back the birds and animals we so stupidly let go from the planet.

Call to list koala as endangered species

Call to list koala as endangered species:

"The Australian Koala Foundation's chief executive officer Deborah Tabart said Australia Day, two days earlier, was the perfect occasion for Senator Campbell and his scientific committee to announce that the national icon was endangered."

I couldn't bear the thought of not having Koalas. The nomination to protect them has been made to Senator Campbell so that he will list them as an endangered species on Thursday this week...Australia Day. Our national emblem is surely worth listing and it might make us take better care of them and ensure their habitat is preserved. The numbers have dropped below 100,000 which is pretty sad considering the size of our country.

Plants behave like humans

Plants behave like humans: Don Burke :

"Who says so? Australian gardener Don Burke and Australian National University chemistry Professor Ben Selinger, in reviewing research on plants over the past 10 years, have come to the conclusion that many plants have human qualities."

Maybe that is why plants respond to being spoken to! They have feelings! Apparently they can change their chemical balance to attract or repel insects. I am not sure they are that good when it comes to repelling snails. The chemicals can also send messages to other plants. Folklore has a lot about trees talking to each other and it is something we have had in various stories so maybe it is true!

Senator fined for divorcing wife by SMS

Senator fined for divorcing wife by SMS :

"The senator, Kamaruddin Ambok, 52, has been fined $195 by a Islamic or sharia court for attempting to divorce his wife Mahani Hussain by phone in October 2001, instead of declaring his intentions in court."

Didn't even occur to me you could divorce someone by SMS. The case has been judged by sharia law and I take the judge's point that when you marry someone by going through all the ritual processes and procedures you should at least do the same when you wish to divorce them. In Islamic law a man can divorce his wife by verbal pronouncements. I suppose an SMS was considered to be that but the court hasn't upheld the claim. Technology is really challenging our laws which were written before its onset and widespread adoption.

Automatons

Tech & Net - news on technology and the internet from The Times, :

"These robots aren’t what you might hope for, looks-wise, if you’ve been raised on Star Wars and Buck Rogers: they aren’t walking, talking humanoids, but instead small disc-shaped boxes designed to get under your furniture. But they are very handy: set the robots free on your livingroom floor and they whiz around like a dervish trying to catch all the dirt they can."

At last, they are starting to get robots and automatons which help with the housework. Things you can let loose at home and they will sort it all out for you. Over time they will become more sophisticated and aethetically pleasing. I wouldn't mind. I just want things to do the work!! I want to be one of the Jetsons.

Guantanamo Bay

Hunger strikers close to death :

"The condition of two emaciated Yemeni hunger strikers who have been refusing solid food since August is causing particular concern. There are also fears for the life of a hospitalised Saudi prisoner."

Well, the no man's land really is going to turn into that. This is so unnecessary.

Dogs Excel In Cancer-Sniff Study

CBS News | Dogs Excel In Cancer-Sniff Study :

"The dogs were almost always right in sniffing out who did or didn’t have cancer, write the researchers."

As I said before, researchers are leaving no stones unturned and are using a very creative approach to problem solving. Apparently dogs are fairly accurate about people who have breast cancer and lung cancer. I suppose the chemical changes in the body related to illness would be something for sensitive doggie noses to identify. It would be brilliant if we could have a screening test which was as easy as meeting one of our four legged friends. If nothing else it might take the ain and shock out of the initial discovery. Apparently the dogs are not even thrown off my smoke. I knew they were our best friends!

Unwell penguins popping up on beaches

Unwell penguins popping up on beaches :

"Blue penguins are the smallest of the 18 penguin varieties. A total of 13 blue penguins have been rescued in Auckland, all found starving and dehydrated.

'The last time we had these numbers was during the america's cup when there were so many boats out there i think it chased away their food supply,' says penguin rescuer Annwynne Standish."

Like the poor whale in the Thames which died suddenly, the penguins on the beaches in NZ are nice for people to see, and exciting for people to see, but are a sign that all is not well in with the creatures and nature. The food appears to be scarce and the parents are abandoning the penguins. Luckily, the people rescuing the penguins have a sound plan for trying to get the poor little wee things back into condition. They don't appear to have found the exact cause yet for the penguins turning up at suburban beaches.

Cyclists battle Adelaide heat

Cyclists battle Adelaide heat:

"While the Tour has suffered through hotter individual days, the riders have never had to cope with such sustained heat.

Even so, the race has finished each day around the scheduled time and only a handful of cyclists have withdrawn."

The guys in the Tour Downunder have been nothing short of aweinspiring. It is hot. I don't mind it. I am actually glad Adelaide has got back to proper summers because we haven't had normal summers for a while...so I guess I am one of the few who thinks this feels like home. But still, I wouldn't be cycling 146 Km or more in this heat. It's more your loll, having a nice read, a cool drink and a pleasant island approach to living. The Tour Downunder has caused a lot of interest and excitement. The guys are so fit, so friendly, so down to earth, but in true Adelaide style they are just taking it as it comes. Yes, they need to be watched and looked after, but their level of fitness and their capacity to deal with reality is a lesson we can all learn. A very impressive gene pool, that's for sure. Fantastic effort and may they all win!!

Teen smashes into police car

The Australian: Teen smashes into police car:

"A 15-year-old boy has been arrested after crashing a stolen vehicle into a police car on Tasmania's north-west coast."

The boy and a girl passenger were also involved in a number of burglary and stealing offences. There does not seem to be a cure for youth. At least the police seem to be on the ball.

Japan welcomes Greenpeace departure.

Japan welcomes Greenpeace departure.:

"Japan's Fisheries Agency has welcomed Greenpeace's decision to stop obstructing its whale hunt in the Southern Ocean.

The green group's departure follows a month of anti-whaling protests and clashes with a Japanese whaling fleet."

Someone had to protect the whales in the whale sanctuary since the people who agreed it was a sanctuary couldn't seem to do that. Greenpeace has done its bit to make us realise that the bodies which are supposed to be overseeing the protection of our waters and environment do not seem to be working at optimum capacity and there has been a bit of an implementation glytch with the policies which have allowed animals to be slaughtered in sanctuaries. In the meantime there is no reason why we can't ask companies like Sealord to stop using whale meat . It is half owned by a Japanese whaling company. We have asked other companies not to damage dolphins as they catch tuna. Now we can ask them not to use whales as they produce fish products.

Sealord's whaling link 'could harm NZ stand'

Fridge magnets tinker with poetry.

Fridge magnets tinker with poetry. :

"'The idea is that each magnet is aware of the other magnets on the fridge and they transmit information between each other,' Australian digital artist Pierre Proske said."

This really is in the realms of the rarified intellectual atmosphere and beyond your wildest imagination. What a brain! Fridge magnets which can grammatically auto correct and write poetry! Magnets which can communicate! There is a 16 character liquid crystal display and you teach the magnets good grammar! Interactive, poetic magnets! What a gift!

Thames whale

"A man tries to usher a northern bottle-nosed whale away from the Chelsea embankment of the river Thames, near Battersea Bridge in south London. Reuters"


I'd like to see that! A whale in the Thames. It's being monitored and looked after and there is a team of people trying to work out how to get it back to sea because it is a deep sea mammal. So how did it get there? Vets think it might be sick. It's obviously a sight seeing attraction as are the whales we get off our coast. Whales and people have a mutual attraction. People love to watch them. It's odd how it got into the Thames Estuary . I am sure they will have it safely back to sea.

Whale sighting a treat for Londoners


 

Blogexplosion

Blogexplosion is another community I belong to and it does increase traffic. You surf other people's blogs to earn credits and then your blog gets airplay. There is more to Blogexplosion than this, but it's the feature I make use of. There's music and sound stuff too and some worthwhile competitions. It's a good way to see all the different sorts of blogs out there. You can do that, too, with the Blogger header but some of the blogs don't have a header so your blog jog comes to a halt. Blogexplosions is continuous surfing and you can rate/review and comment on the blogs if you wish. It's a pretty cheerful, positive community. 

Riverland apples baked by extreme conditions

Riverland apples baked by extreme conditions:

"Ian Kent from New Residence, near Loxton, says he didn't realise the full extent of the damage until he started harvest this week.

Many growers in the region apply a sunscreen to protect their fruit - Mr Kent decided against it."

Don't put sunscreen on the trees, just cinnamon and the pie apples will be ready. Sunscreen on fruit?? The UV rays must be way up there. I know my parsley leaves have turned to paper so heaven knows what the sun is doing to our skin. As for the fruit, well, for the first time I have had rosellas eating all my nectarines. They yap out there as they gorge themselves and leave quite a mess. Luckily I have plenty of fruit but the rosellas have never had a great feast before. Maybe other people aren't growing the fruit they eat anymore...we forgot about that didn't we when we stopped planting fruit and nut trees in Adelaide.

Weather watchers gather to study Darwin clouds

Weather watchers gather to study Darwin clouds :

"More than 200 international scientists, technicians and students are in Darwin to study thunder clouds and what they find out will be used to improve weather forecasting."

This project has been 3 years in the planning. The guys we saw on the news last night seemed to be very professional, very enthusiastic, very unassuming and ready to work hard on getting information we can use. They are looking at thunderstorms in particular to get data about storm activity. Darwin has a lot of storms so it's a good place to go for that kind of information. I just hope they cope with the humidity. Drives some people batty! I'm sure they'll appreciate the warmness of the locals and the laid back lifestyle.

Face-washing deal under the pump

The Australian: Face-washing deal under the pump :

"THE Aboriginal face-washing program condemned for being 'paternalistic' has been unable to reduce rates of the eye disease attacking the indigenous children of Mulan."

Our face washing for petrol programme has had no effect on the rate of the trachoma disease on the 150 people who live in the remote WA desert. Irrespective of whether you think the deal is a stupid way to treat people, it was negotiated, it was accepted and the people have tried to put the deal into practice. 58% of the people have trachoma which is up 16% from last year. The elders said the kids had been swimming and everyone had tried to engage in this programme. Amanda van Stone seems to see it differently:

"I suspect there were some people waiting for the bowser to arrive ... I can see some people thinking 'we agreed to do this when we got the bowser'," she said.

If we had trachoma in a white community , what would we do? How would we help the white people and what would we be telling them? We sure as eggs wouldn't be doing any deals. We'd organise the treatment programmes and tell people the best way to manage it as we do witht the headlice outbreaks in schools and kindies.

The COAG scheme in nearby Balgo has been a big success is cutting crime rates and petrol sniffing. The local police are speking well about it because the Aborigines have been in charge of it but the government has supplied the infrastructure needed and that is how we tackle it in Australia. We're a team and it's a team effort. If change is needed the government points the way and then supplies the what we need and we just get on with it...like when they change roads, railways, housing concepts...It's a two way street. Nobody gives me petrol because I had a shower this morning and no one would think to do that to me. They give me a shower in my home and suppose I shall use it...and with kids, it's dead set easy...kids and water just go together.

Climate Change

Tie a string around your finger and you won't forget like you have been. 

Climate headed for 'catastrophe'

Climate headed for 'catastrophe' :

"Such an increase, the WWF maintains, would result in up to 15,000 Australians dying each year from heat-related illness, bushfires more than doubling, species extinction, increased storm damage and icons such as the Kakadu wetlands and Great Barrier Reef disappearing."


Well, we've all said our bit about climate change and some very knowledgeable people have spoken about things we can do. We have some impressive research. Okay, so let me ask you. You give someone a lot of evidence, you give them information and you explain things to them but they ignore you? What kind of person is that? We are not just talking about a trip to the beach or how many beers to get in for Friday night. I mean, we have been talking about global warming and its impact in all sorts of places in the world. What are the people who are in the position to make a change doing? Why is that do you think? All talk and no action or, as my Grandmother used to say ... all mouth and trousers.

There's another expression my Grandmother used to use and that was all fur coat and no knickers but I do not think that particular gem applies.

SA welfare fraud rises

The Advertiser: SA welfare fraud rises :

"SOUTH Australia has seen an increase in the number of people prosecuted for welfare fraud in the last year, with a 75 per cent rise in people charged with fraud against Centrelink. Almost 340 people were charged in the state in the last year, compared to 194 the year before."


That is a lot of people. Is it a particular type of person? In their defence I can say some people's lives are running on such a hectic schedule they may have overlooked updating their details. Is there a certain type of fraud which is occurring? May link to lifestyle. I am astounded how many people would try and claim benefits wrongfully so I want to think there is a logical explanation. I think the more we stay on the ball with this , the more we shall stop it. Like people claiming full time attendance of their children at school when you see people and their kids at shopping centres a lot. I see that as fraud. Forgetting to deregister your child who just left school is more likely being caught up in the flurry of it all and forgetting to respond to the letter. I go online once a year to check family details, I find that the easiest way. Maybe an ad in local papers would help to remind people. With the amount of money being recouped , it sounds more like there is intent there. Why? If the public is letting the police know, then as a society, we do not approve of people ripping off Centrelink.

Don't link kickbacks to us: Downer

Don't link kickbacks to us: Downer:

"'People should allow the commission to reach its conclusions before making hysterical claims in the media,' he said."

Okay, I shall not listen to any more media reposrts about the AWB difficulty, I shall wait for the findings of the commission. In all honesty, I actually like the way Mr. Downer shuts everyone up in one, well chosen sentence. I am not being sarcastic. I actually believe he is very good at taking the froth out of things and keeping his eye on the ball.He is very good at responding level headedly to any given situation. It's going to kill me, though, sitting here waiting for commission findings. How long is that going to take?

Suspicious powder check holds up flight

Suspicious powder check holds up flight :

"The Jetstar flight from Melbourne landed at Cairns at 7.45pm (AEST) last night but the 113 passengers and seven crew members were told to stay on board for about two hours while Queensland Fire and Rescue Services officers wearing chemical suits carried out tests on the tarmac to determine what the substance was"

Gold stars to them for being so alert and gold stars to them for being safe rather than sorry. As the passengers showed, we can manage things if we know people are trying to do their best to look after us and the eyes peeled, alert approach is what we all need.

Long Bay diet - less porridge, more freedom

Long Bay diet - less porridge, more freedom au:

"Yesterday he ended his rapid weight-loss program by replacing what space he still took up in bed with pillows and escaping lawful custody by squeezing himself through a tiny gap between a brick wall and iron bars."

A great lesson for us all. Human determination and will to survive is a remarkable thing indeed. Give a human brain a challenge and it can problem solve in some interesting ways. As the article points out the prisoner went from 70 Kilos to 56 Kilos and no one noticed. Maybe they change shifts a lot. Maybe the clothing disguises it. Depends how tall he was and whether he still looked healthy. The difficulty is that he is dangerous and he obviously has the capacity to solve tricky problems. Two years ago he was found too mentally ill to face trial but he is in one of the few maximum security jails. The difficulty with mental illness is that peoples brains can be very incisive in some ways but very incapable of normal practical , grounded, social thinking. Mentally ill brains have extremes.

"Cole is blond, with a tattoo of a skull on his left upper forearm and an Indian on the right of his back."

The prison will no doubt deal with these issues and the questions with regard to his mental stability will be assessed by psychologists, psychiatrists and other health professionals. Mr. Coles certainly comes with a history which tends to suggest he is not coping in the real world, but he is obviously highly motivated to be free and that needs to be looked at too by experts. It's always very complex, but you don't think of prisoners sliding through cracks! The sooner he is found, the better.

Snappers to defy police ban

Snappers to defy police ban :

"The civil liberties body made the statement after a report in a Melbourne newspaper today said a member of the Geelong Camera Club received a visit from police after he photographed gas storage cylinders at the city's Shell oil refinery."

Never mind, I believe Google maps will be pretty helpful with any photos you might want. I am not the first to say we are the ones who are paying the price for the few who would wilfully hurt us. But...it's an indication the police are really on the ball and I am grateful to know that.

Nations urge Japan to stop whaling

The Advertiser: Nations urge Japan to stop whaling :

"The 17 anti-whaling nations – Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK – have all signed a formal letter urging Japan to end its whaling activities."

Thank heavens for that. A united voice. Better late than never. This situation really needs to be resolved, especially with regard to respecting a sanctuary. It's a shame we could not have upheld our policy earlier, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they were spending the time negotiating with the other countries to determine the best course of action...meanwhile, Greenpeace has been trying to save the whales . They have our heartfelt support and thanks.

Study probes web habits of office slackers

Study probes web habits of office slackers :

"Cyberslacking is not a new phenomenon. In 2000 internet security company Surfcontrol estimated that every employee in Australia was taking the equivalent of a two-week cyber-holiday each year, costing the nation $22.5bn annually."

The article is actually about a study at Monash University and the sorts of web usage people have at work depending on their personality type. It actually found quite a few people use the web at work to inform themselves and learn things. One thing I don't get time for at work is net usage othr than withing the strict confines of work related needs. I'd love to be a cyberslacker! Trouble is , once you get a word like this, you try and make people fit the description. From my observation, the people I come into contact with haven't got time to play on the Net. Doesn't matter where you go, they are working...so maybe we need to know which jobs??

Veggie Avenger!

Veggie Avenger!:

"78.3% reduction in greenhouse gases
55.4% reduction of particulate emissions (black sooty cloud)
56.3% reduction of hydrocarbons
80-90% reduction of mutagenicity (cancer-causing agents)
100% reduction of sulfurs (a major component of acid rain. This reduction also allows for the use of catalytic converters in the exhaust system to further reduce emissions)
There is a +5.8% increase in NOX emissions (smog and ozone forming) but this too can be reduced with the addition of an affordable catalytic converter."

This is a personal site which reports the use of Biofuel. Biodiesel is made from vegetable oil and the site explains haow this person has put it into practice. If you do a search for Biodiesel you will find some commercial sites. I like this site because it looks at the practicalities and someone's personal experiences with anything always help me to think more logically about change. So, could we run our country on Olive Oil? Sunflower oil? Sesame oil??

Petrol prices tipped to increase

Petrol prices tipped to increase :

"Australian motorists can expect higher petrol prices because of an international dispute over Iran's nuclear program, analysts say."


Oh no! Better go and start squeezing the coconuts again and get the sugar melted...and what else? Can we please seriously look at petrol alternatives. In 2006 we can have some sort of techno gizmos under the bonnet which don't need petrol. This is ....exactly what it is. Bugga!

Students' model car judged world's best.

Students' model car judged world's best :

"A lightning-fast model car has won a group of Melbourne high school students an international design award and $1.5m in university scholarships."

The students of Trinity Grammar in Melbourne can be well pleased with this win. The article makes them sound very unassuming, which no doubt they are. Give kids a challenge and something really absorbing and they will lose themselves in it and come up trumps. The students have won a trophy and a 3 year scholarship to study automotive engineering in London...$1.5 million dollars worth of prizes. I am certain the teachers who helped them and the parents who suported them will be thrilled to bits for them. Team efforts make the difference and we spend a lot of time criticizing youth at a loose end, but just look what they can do once given the chance and support. This is so fantastic and this kind of model building and robotics seems to be the sort of thing which young Australians are excelling at.

Govt knew of AWB payments: Rudd.

Govt knew of AWB payments: Rudd. :

"'What did [Trade Minister] Mark Vaile do in response to that cable?' he said.

'What did [Foreign Affairs] Alexander Downer do in response to that cable given that it went to his office as well.

'What did John Howard do in response to that cable - it went to his office as well.'"


If people knew about this 300 million dollar scandal and failed to act, then I have 2 questions. Why did they fail to act and why was this money being paid to Saddam Hussein's regime? The Iraqis have paid dearly for us having a bad case of myopia in more ways than one, but their ex leader is safe, well and still alive. Our decision making has put far too many Iraqis in touch with their maker and certain people knew we were making payments to a regime certain people later said was terrible. Doesn't look good to me. If we didn't know where the money was going, how bad are our accountants and is it time to get new ones?

Feedburner

I meant to mention Feedburner a while ago but other things cropped up, so here I am. The Feedburner logo has been on my site for a while. I went through a step of sydincating my site so that the feeds would reach more people more easily. My own personal aggregator is Bloglines and I like them. It's a great site and makes the RSS feed stuff so easy for me. Feedburner was one syndication site I picked up and for quite some time I was unsure as to what it was doing and why I needed it. I just had to have faith!! Other people understand these things far quicker than I. Anyway, now, in the last few weeks, Feedburner has been giving me stuff I can use. I can sign in and find out what aggregators are being used, which posts are popular, how many visits and Feedburner is also another source which confirms that visitors to my site are evenly distributed over Firefox and IE6. So , I can say, after a while, these things which sit on your site come to fruition and start working for you. Patience! Patientez! The other thing I really like is the syndicated look of my blog on Feedburner. I really appreciate the trouble they have gone to to make it an aesthetically pleasing feed!! They advertise themselves thus:

"Why You Need It

As a publisher of syndicated content, be it a newsfeed, podcast, blog or otherwise, you have a vested interest in making sure your RSS or Atom feed looks its best and is easy for people to find. You also want to understand how many subscribers you have, how they are finding you and what appeals to them most so you can extend your reach beyond your wildest dreams. Finally, you may decide you want to turn all that valuable traffic into revenue, but might not know where to begin."  

Junk food link to mental illness

Junk food link to mental illness :

"The chairman of Sustain, Tim Lang, said: 'Mental health has been completely neglected by those working on food policy. If we don't address it and change the way we farm and fish, we may lose the means to prevent much diet-related ill health.'"

This report looks at how junk food is related to certain mental conditions. Given my posts lately, our access to fresh food is unbelievably limited. Unbelievably. We are countries with money, lifestyle, conditions, education, opportunities and we cannot even achieve the most basic thing of feeding ourselves and our children properly. Surely we shall not call ourselves civilised? We are mental and our thinking is a load of junk.

World Trade Centre

New York Daily News - Home - The Pit's toll rising:

"Thousands more are sick, suffering from respiratory illnesses. Nearly 400 firefighters and paramedics have left the job because of career-ending illnesses that followed their work at Ground Zero.

'This was a toxic waste site,' says David Worby, the attorney for some 5,200 Ground Zero workers. 'People should have been walking around in moon suits. ... These guys are the tip of the iceberg.'"

There are 23 people who worked on the World Trade Centre clean up who have died. They have not as yet established a medical link between the site and the deaths but the number of pwopl becoming ill is worrying. There seems to be no way these people can lay their pain to rest. The amazing thing is how stalwart they are and how they are saying they would have gone and helped anyway. Doesn't say what the toxins on the site were and it's so sad that those who gave their time to be there to help are now paying a very high price. The medical bills seem to be endless and costly. I hope that all of this is worked out and that something can be discovered so that these people do not keep suffering.

Dokic leaves shattered

Dokic leaves shattered but philosophical :

"Tears were shed, plenty of them, after what Dokic described as 'one of the most disappointing losses probably in my career so far'. 'Yeah, it was difficult. I was already really happy, and then half an hour later I was, you know, the most disappointed that I've ever been."

Jelena Dokic probably burnt up a lot of emotional energy just getting here and being here . That she is back in Australia is the biggest achievement she has made at this stage of her life. Had she won, she would have forgotten the guts, determination and courage it took for her to come back to Australia and play in our Open. There is only so much a person can do at any one point in their life. For her, the big thing was to get here and get a level of fitness to be able to compete. She's done that now and can be well pleased with herself. I haven't really bothered about her before, but this time I thought she showed an inordinate amount of pluck and courage. She needs a good life coach who can get this in perspective for her, a whole lot of love and a big cheery wave from us. For once I actually think she has been a great role model for getting off your bum, aiming for your freedom and achieving at a very high level. I am sure she'll be perfect soon!!

Inventors hope sticker deters sharks

Inventors hope sticker to deter shark attacks.:

"Two Australian inventors came up with the idea of putting a cartoon-like sticker of a shark's head on the bottom of a surfboard, to deter sharks that search for images like a seal or silhouette of a person."

Several things are becoming clear. Craig Wills can be congratulated for using his brain,time and talent for testing out his ideas and they seem to be working. We do have brains and we have a challenge to pit them against. From the interviews on TV of the shark attack victim at he weekend it was clear that the anti shark devices are a real bonus, but the thing which was most impressive is the guy who was attacked had a plan and the two who helped save him were exceptionally level headed and had a good set of strategies to implement. Survival skills can be learned. Prevention is always better and cheaper and less painful than cure, but we need to look at our strategies for helping and save ourselves, not just from shark attacks, but other likely scenarios. The two guys were of real help because they had some very sensible techniques which they felt confident in implementing. Another case where a community approach to the problem will really help, I think.

Boy to face court over 3-year-old's rape.

Boy to face court over 3-year-old's rape. :

"An 11-year-old boy is expected to face Cairns Children's Court today over the sexual assault of a three-year-old girl in Cairns, in far north Queensland, 12 days ago.

The boy has been charged with rape, while a 13-year-old boy has appeared before a youth justice conference.

An eight-year-old boy, who is also accused of assaulting the girl, will not be charged because he is too young."


OMGG. Those are 3 very sick puppies. They need to be quarantined, put on a tight leash and sent to obedience school until they can come out with flying colours. Where do you get a headset like that? Were they in charge of the little girl? Were they babysitting? Is she related? Whoever wrote this probably felt sick trying to put it together and so held a tight rein on themselves. I praise them for that. This really is men's stuff that the men need to sort out pretty damn quickly. She's 3 years old. We really need to work out how we have a society which creates children who are capable of this type of behaviour.

Lecker, lecker, lecker!

Yum, delicious! Tuck in then, off you go, à l'attaque! 

Now, how fresh is your meat?

The Advertiser: Now, how fresh is your meat? :

"The process, known as 'gas flushing', makes meat appear redder - a colour consumers associate with freshness -- while also extending its shelf life. Meat can sit in 'modified atmosphere packaging' - filled with a mix of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen - for up to four weeks with little benefit to taste or tenderness, experts say."

So what happened to fresh food??? Have we got a moratorium on it or something or are we doing studies in how sub standard food affects human behaviour and performance?? Bleached lettuce, gassed meat, year old fruit and vegies...what other nasties have they got hidden?? Okay, so how old are the eggs? What about our bread?? One of the cafes I was in, in town today, had the chef preparing the dough and bread right in front of my very eyes. Apart from the fact it was a very soothing thing to watch...we were assured the bread we ate in that place was carefully prepared. I want FRESH food, people!! Go and get those grapes off those vines before they are left to rot and dry some of them, get them into the shops NOW. I dare us to actually get fresh food on our shelves...and if I have to eat grapes everyday until they are gone I'll do that rather than eat year old apples.

Adelaide a world best city to live in

The Advertiser: Adelaide a world best city to live in :

"International business publication The Economist has named Adelaide as one of the world's most desirable places to live, in an international survey of 127 cities."

Vancouver is at the top with Sydney and Perth equal fifth with us. We have also been named as one of the world's best business destinations.

This last week has just reminded me why I like living here. You have to get out of Adelaide to see other sights and sounds, but for daily living Adelaide suits me fine. Last Friday Gouger Street was jam packed with everyone out in the terrace cafes and restaurants enjoying a warm evening and a great meal after a hard week at work. The atmosphere was very cosmopolitan. It didn't matter poor Gauchos looked like it must have had a bad fire in the kitchen. Everyone was sympathetic but stayed out of the way and just let the guys get on with the job. They seemed to be tackling it very positively. Gauchos is one of our great Argentinian restaurants. We were headed for a really great evening and meal at one of the top restaurants in town and we were not disappointed. The service was so professional everything was going like clockwork, but in a very unobtrusive fashion. The food was superb and the Clare Valley Knappstein Gewurztraminer went down a treat. It was a warm balmy evening so we had a table opening up onto the street. Adelaide was winding down in a very mellow way. Then my trips to town on the train take me along the coast. It's a superb view. Everyone gets out their book and off they go..enjoying the view and the latest read. There is nothing isolated or anti social about this. Should you speak to one of the commuters, you'd get a very friendly response...but we use our travelling time for dreaming and reading. Wish they'd fix the train windows. They are so scratched. Then the coffee. Doesn't matter where you go for coffee, you get a good cup and a choice. Same with the herbal teas and it is never a problem if you do not drink in a pub or a restaurant. Our food venues cater to the individual and that is what is good. If I go supermarket shopping I get a happy conversation at the checkout and if I am looking for help I get sensible answers to my questions. I like shopping in Adelaide. Today I was in Borders buying books and CDs. The girl at the check out was drooling over my French CD and I can guarantee she'll probably give French CDs a bit of a look now but it made me feel good about my purchases! People like to share here and it's nice. We have our nasties and our anti socials but they are not really given airplay not even when they demand it. We are basically a friendly lot but we run on the notion you want your own space and if you want help you will ask us. And then, wherever I drive here, I have a great view of the ocean or the hills. Green and blue...and crunchy brown in the height of summer. From this point onwards we have the Tour Downunder and then all the Festival of Arts events. We have a busy calendar. Nothing overwhelming. Nothing in your face... just good stuff to get involved with and plenty of wide open spaces if you want to get away from it all.People who come here appreciate the space and the fact they can choose what to do and it's a city where you can be a family and do family things. This last week Adelaide has impressed me and today when I was in town it looked like they had given it a good polish. It was clean, airy and solid looking. Once they clean up Hindley Street, we'll be right!!

Man-made levee saves hamlet

Man-made levee saves hamlet :


"'I have been told the residents stood on top of the levee last night cheering as the waters appeared to stop.

'There are about 100 people in the town, and 100 more in the outlying farmhouses; they are a very close-knit community and none of them have been airlifted out.'"

Just goes to show that blood is thicker than water. A great story of survival to come out of Cyclone Clare. Walkaway has 200 inhabitants and they worked to build a levee to save their town. Fantastic human resources story...man against the odds and elements. They protected their town but the water is receding slowly. Good on 'em!! Doesn't say how they built the levee.

Satellite imagery helps climate change reef study.

Satellite imagery helps climate change reef study. :

"Marine researchers say satellite imagery from the United States will help them develop a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef."

Yes, the damage to reefs is a global problem and reef damage is being worried about everywhere. I hope we are not the generation to be responsible for the loss of such beautiful life on earth. People have been working hard on the land issues and are now looking at marine issues and given how much of the world is actually water, that's a good thing. If satellite technology can be used to help us, then we need to be using it and obviously the images from satellites will be very helpful and obviate the need to constantly make field trips.Hopefully that will cut costs and encourage more research. A couple of useful sites for keeping up to date on marine news:





Underwater Times



California Academy of Sciences

Scientists begin work on 'stardust'.

Scientists begin work on 'stardust'. :

"'Now inside this thing is our treasure, our sample of the edge of the solar system that truly contains stardust, the building blocks of the solar system.

'I fully expect that text books in the future will have a lot of new information about the formation of our solar system from these samples that landed here this morning in Utah.'"

It is a thrill we have a spoonful of dust from the edge of the solar system. It's amazing anyone could work anything out from dust. It has been an astounding project. We lesser mortals have been focussing on more practical things...like what happens if one of the scientists sneezes, or if one of the scientists inhales the dust. Is it safe? We are also worried that the cleaning personnel might give it a good dusting as they clean the laboratory . My daughter's friend's end of year art installation was "cleaned" by the cleaners who thought it was just a mess on the floor!! I don't know. Some people have no understanding of real art or real science.

Corporations among largest global economic entities

Corporations among largest global economic entities, rank above many countries:

"Of the world's largest 150 economic entities, 95 are corporations (63.3%) according to data released this month by Fortune Magazine and the World Bank. Wal-Mart, BP, Exxon Mobil, and Royal Dutch/Shell Group all rank in the 25 largest entities in the world, above countries that include Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Denmark, Poland, South Africa, and Greece."

For years USA, Japan, Germany and France have been the world's largest trading nations. This year the UK comes in at number 5, but we really do need to change our headset here because most trading entities are now corporations. We really do have to wake up and get a lot better at trading. No use complaining, no use wittering on, just get in there and play hardball like the rest of them!!


Rank Country/Corporation GDP/Revenue$ millions
1 United States 11,667,515
2 Japan 4,623,398
3 Germany 2,714,418
4 United Kingdom 2,140,898
5 France 2,002,582
6 Italy 1,672,302
7 China 1,649,329
8 Spain 991,442
9 Canada 979,764
10 India 691,876


Wal-Mart, BP, Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch/Shell Group come in places 22, 23, 24,25 respectively. I suppose you are wondering where Australia is? Well, our fiscal management has got us in at number 13, which I suppose is pretty good given our size...but we need to keep the eye on the ball. Economists and strategists please take note.

Australian policy on whales

Australian policy on whales

"Following a detailed inquiry into whales and whaling chaired by Sir Sydney Frost, the Australian Parliament passed the Whale Protection Act 1980. The Act prohibits people from killing, capturing, injuring or interfering with whales, dolphins and porpoises in Australian waters. It also prohibits such actions being taken by Australians anywhere in the world. The Australian Government banned the import of all whale products and goods containing whale products in January 1981.

The National Task Force on Whaling was convened to re-examine Australia's policy in 1995. Their report A Universal Metaphor made a number of recommendations about Australia's policy on whales. These were accepted by the Australian Government in 1996.

The Whale Protection Act was replaced by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 on 16 July 2000. The new Act strengthens Australia's policy on conservation of all cetaceans and has declared Australian waters as the "Australian Whale Sanctuary".

Australian policy on whales  

Shelley Winters dies

The Australian: Actress Shelley Winters dies :

"Winters died at the Rehabilitation Centre of Beverly Hills at about 6:15am local time (1:15am AEDT Sunday), a spokeswoman with the centre said. She declined to disclose the cause of death."

I am truly sorry to hear this , even if she was 85. I hope friends and family were there. It doesn't say. She was one of those great actresses...once of those women of substance, backbone and character. She has been in so many films I have enjoyed...The Visitor, The Poseidon Adventure,Lolita...The Diary of Anne Frank. She was not frightened to deal with the tough stuff. She has given so much over her life.

Australian experts guide Stardust home.

Australian experts guide Stardust home. :

"Scientists at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex say all the signs are positive for the safe return of a capsule carrying precious NASA samples from stars and a comet tonight."

Did they get it home? It was going to be the fastest man made vessel coming into the earth's atmosphere, quite apart from anything else. Stardust has been out there collecting particles from the trail of a comet. I don't know how, but this small quantity of particles will help scientists unlock information about the origins of the solar system and the advent of life on earth. All that mind boggling, rarified intellectual atmosphere stuff. I do not know how they do it, but they do!

Harpoon cable knocks activist into sea: Greenpeace.

Harpoon cable knocks activist into sea: :

"'The whale was struck and then the harpoon cable ended up entangled through our inflatable boat and then as the cable was pulled taught to haul the whale back into the whaling ship one of our activists was caught in that rope and flung into the sea,' he said."

Why would you shoot a harpoon over the top on an inflatable boat? Why would you want to catch Greenpeacers?

World Cup Gala cancelled

Special Berlin blushes as World Cup gala cancelled:

"Fifa, world football's governing body, made the embarrassing announcement that it had cancelled the tournament's opening gala - because of fears it would damage the grass in the 75,000-seat Olympiastadion, in Berlin."

5000 volunteer performers ready to perform...now the show is not going on to keep the grass in pristine condition. "Keep off the grass." It's something we laugh at when we go to Europe. We understand, but it's still funny. Here it's standard that lawns will have brown patches where people walk on them. We are always repairing worn trails and frayed edges on lawns. They say it's not because of the grass but because of low ticket sales. For the World Cup? In Berlin?? People here having been looking forward to the World Cup since the last one finished. The anticipation has to be even stronger in Europe. What's going on?

Technology

Doors - technology features and product reviews from The Sunday Times:

"Am I the only one who thinks that we are all gullible mugs, caught in some great technology trap? No sooner has the latest miracle device burst onto the market than it is replaced by a shinier, faster version. Within months, the state-of-the-art gizmo on which we splashed out hundreds of pounds is considered to be obsolete. My mobile has a two-megapixel camera built in? Yours has a four-meg camera? Well, his has satnav on board and an integrated MP3 player. We can’t win."


This article not only says it all, it says it well. It honestly and openly confronts the issues we all have with technology these days. We were talking about this very thing this week. It's not that we wish to avoid progress. It's not that we wish to stem the flow of technological breakthoughs. We need some sanity in it. We are tired of all this "new" stuff which we have piled up, which we cannot recycle because the connections have changed, the gadget has changed or the technology is now obsolete...not long after we just bought it. We cannot carry on like this. We'll go along with the video change because once you see DVDs you know videos are very poor quality sound and imaging. Many of us have collections of visual and sound materials but our collections are being threatened. If they change the format again or want us to download it as a user pays thing off the Net, one we shall not have our beloved collections and two, we'll be shelling out again for copies of our beloved films and soundtracks. This is really annoying us. The MP3 players have been picked up and most people love them. We all bought big TVs and now it looks like there's a push to have us get gigantic TVs. Phones keep changing...and I am not going to complain about my new cruisy laptop...but you can see computer things are changing again.

Don't know about where you live, but there has been a real upsurge in board games here. Can't think why!

The other problem is most gadgets are multifunction and okay you can have an Fdisk which is an MP3 player as well or a phome with games and a radio or a games box which plays DVDs as well or a separate DVD player. We are getting swamped with combos and choices and we are going nuts. Some people buy gadgets and don't use half the functions. Some do not even know the functions exist on their gadgets. We are constantly made to feel inept or inadequate. One friend copes with it by renewing nothing until he absolutely has to, so he is running with some ancient technology but he's happy, spends his money on OS trips and is laughing at the rest of us trying to come up to speed with functions!

Read the article and if it doesn't apply to you , you are lucky to be one of the new up there, very in geeks who have now become must haves in any social circle. The techno debriefers.