Rove's Back!!

Rove Comeback: "'A lot of people who work on the show needed time. And there was no pressure from anyone on when to come back. But he's ready, we're all ready.'"

Of course he needed time to grieve properly and recover from all the care he had given Belinda Emmett, his wife, and then recover from the strain and trauma of it all. When I saw him on the ad I realised how much I appreciated his happy, smiling, cheeky face because you never know what you are going to get...and sure enough the next as was the Grey's Anatomy take off... McDteamy, Mc Steamy....Mc Manus. That is so Rove. I am glad he is back and I am glad the station allowed him to heal in his own way in his own time. That is remarkably sane of them.

Sumatran tiger cubs born in Queensland

Sumatran tiger cubs born in Queensland : "At 7.45am (AEST) Saturday, four-year-old female Sumatran tiger Soraya began giving birth to two cubs in the Dreamworld tiger facility at the Gold Coast, and all three are said to be doing well."

They are a critically endangered species and only 400 remain in the wild. I am so glad we have provided a safe environment and that we now have some new cubs. I hope also that we will provide real places for these animals to live so that they don't just get reared in sanctuaries. It's pretty sad we destroy their habitat. Soraya came to us from the Berlin Zoo which also has a good record of keeping species viable. The biggest step we could make is restablishing natural homes for them. I hope we see the cubs soon.

Thorpe supported all the way

Thorpe supported all the way :

"'He is a young man with unbelievably strong principles and integrity.

'Ian Thorpe I would think would be the most tested athlete in Australia.''"

I hope this matter is cleared up and that the reasons for "the adverse analytical result " of what is supposed to be his urine are clear. Ian Thorpe has always been very clear on his anti doping position and though he hasn't made a fuss of it he has been someone we all know who has been trying to push out doping in sport because he has seen it mess things and people up. As someone who has been in the limelight he has been tested all the time. It needs to be explored and explained properly because even though he is retired he is remembered well and as a person who stood by his principles..a bit too much at times!! Seems rather odd to take out a legendary, top swimmer at this time. Who benefits from that and why whould they want to hurt Ian Thorpe for crying out loud??

Earth Hour

It's today...I am sure you do not have to be in Sydney to do your bit!!! Well done Sydney and the Earth Hour organisers for showing us an easy, practical way of helping. That's all we need...direction.



Earth Hour

Loser 'promotes dangerous weight loss'

Loser 'promotes dangerous weight loss' | NEWS.com.au: "The criticism comes after contestants were this week put through their most gruelling training exercise yet, running up 146 flights of stairs in Sydney's tallest skyscraper."

73 flights of the World Tower. Yes, it's a harsh regime. They did it once and then they did it again. Did you see their faces? Did you see how fat they were before and miserable? How did that help them? When they know this level of fitness they at least know what to aim for in the future if they fall off their perches. It is a show which motivates. Not everyone follows through in the no pain, no gain regime. It is a a way of motivating people. Before the show we had NOTHING which was getting through to people. Since the show people have an idea of how to go about it, how to motivate themselves, how to eat, how to get help. How to hang in there. Yes, we are overweight. Fat is the biggest thing to hit us and America. Nothing has been getting through to people. When this show comes on, the lunch boxes change, people are talking about what to have for dinner, they change their appearance. Out on the street people are out with their dogs and families...walking. Kids are on their bikes. It is noticeably good around Biggest Loser time. If the contestants put the weight back on then that is them not the show. Most people don't do drastic but the show gets them thinking and moving. There is one hugely successful boot camp activitiy on a local beach and people love it. It's commando style with logs and what have you. It has appeal to some people. But we have the mall walkers and we have the small fitness studios popping up. The show has made us wake up to ourselves. What else is there? A lot of talk. Maybe you need to talk to the contestants and I would like to know how last year's are doing...but the ones we have seen are okay. I didn't lose lots of weight the first time..I had to keep coming back to basic principles and then , at 25, I got it and didn't look back again. If at first...

London Tube skier questioned

London Tube skier questioned : "He then launches himself down the stairs, arriving to applause at the bottom seven seconds later.
British Transport Police said that the “naive and reckless” skier was liable for prosecution."
What else would a Norwegian do in London? He got up to 48 kph and was applauded at the end of his run. It appears to have cheered everyone up and not harmed anyone. Had he asked, would he have been allowed to do it and be filmed? It's a tough call. Had he hurt himself or anyone it would have meant what in terms of liability? Always the the litigation lunacy. Did we do crazy, fun things before litigation? The footage link is on the link from this post.

Drinking causes a quarter of young deaths

Drinking causes a quarter of young deaths : "An Australian study published in prominent international medical journal The Lancet has found that liquor caused 27 per cent of deaths involving 15 to 29-year-olds in 2002."

We have done well. We got the best results in the world. Do we really think we have a healthy lifestyle if we can send the young to their graves from too much drinking? So what are the causes of death of the other 73%?

Pig cell insulin helps diabetic

Pig cell insulin helps diabetic for decade : "The pig cells were injected into the man's abdomen in 1996, which helped reduce his insulin requirements by 34 per cent for a year, researchers from the biotech firm wrote in a paper published in the latest issue of the journal Xenotransplantation."

It doesn't say whether there were or are any side effects and it doesn't say if the procedure is difficult, but the fact the man is still doing better with his diabetes 10 years after the pig cell injection in 1996. This seems to be a marvellous break through which they have made and hopefully they will go ahead with more tests and trials. It would bring such a dramatic change in the life of diabetics. I really hope it works out because it seems to be a treatment which isn't as dramtic as most treatments seem to be and therefore one which really will bring about some good health for people.

Man 'hides geckos in socks'

Man 'hides geckos in socks' : "DSE north west region wildlife officer Shaun Burke said the Marble-velvet Gecko, an Eastern Spiny-tailed Gecko and a Three-spot Knob-tailed Gecko are believed to have been taken from the wild in New South Wales and brought into Victoria."
They found the geckos in the guy's socks. I hope he wasn't going to trade them as peets. Why would you? It's a lovely surprise when they pop up in the garden or house because they are so cute and very shy. They are happy where they are and they like to run around. Keeping them as pets would destroy and upset them but it would take away their charm...they just appear out of nowhere and always make you smile and you always run and tell someone you've seen a gecko.

Festival Theatre

Everyone in Adelaide is graduating at the moment so we are all being kept pretty busy. Our airlines ,too, because we have quite a lot of international students here and the families are so proud and happy . It's a great time of year. The ceremony I went to today was at the festival theatre and I was totally taken aback. I haven't been around there for a year and suddenly it looks fantastic. Hindley Street looked so much better too. It's been cleaned up and has a really good idenity to it. The festival theatre area was great. A fantastic panoramic view was to be had of all our buildings and then the trees. It just looked great and we were all raving about it. The best bit was how the back of the casino has been cleaned up and now we have yet another, but really ncie , open cafe. We are really good on cafes and putting a cafe outside the casino and railway station makes so much sense . Why didn't we do it before? It's one of those things which is so simple and no one thinks of it for ages and then when you see it...bingo!! Now all we have to do is clean up that street off Hindley Street where the car park is. That was sooooo interesting!

Carmen Lawrence to retire

Carmen Lawrence to retire: "'It's not going to happen right now. I'm announcing it now so that whoever replaces me has a chance to campaign and become established in the electorate,' she said."

Carmen Lawrence is one of our great women politicians. She can think, she has a good personality and she can hold her own. After 21 years she will now take up an academic position, which is typical of her. I like listening to her and it's good to see a woman do so well because Australia has made it hard for women to enter the top level of our country. They just don't seem to survive. Carmen Lawrence has and she will now contribute to the academic arena.

Sydneysiders urged to turn lights off

Sydneysiders urged to turn lights off: "Homes, hotels and businesses will turn out their lights for an hour from 7.30pm as part of efforts to cut Sydney's greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent in the next 12 months."

Earth Hour starts 7.30 pm in Sydney this Saturday and it's this city's commitment to help save greenhouse gases . One hour in a big city saves heaps. I have blogged about it before so this is just a reminder. I plan to do it in Adelaide because I figure this is so simple, so effective and saves so much energy and carbon. Think about it! If we all did it for one hour... how much would that help??

'Ugly parent syndrome' blamed as coach banned.

'Ugly parent syndrome' blamed as coach banned : "Victoria police Superintendent Mick Williams said the images were 'disturbing' and police held concerns for the girl's safety."

I started watching this on the French news and I was so disturbed, yes, it is very disturbing, I stopped listening and didn't even realise it was his daughter. His daughter. It's the cowering which got me and then when he pulls at her top and I thought she was going to have her swimming costume ripped off in front of the cameras. I know people get angry. I know angry people sometimes have a reason and I know they can get physical. But she was cowed. She was shrinking and then bending over...and her top was pulled right away from her. As a father he may have a lot of pent up frustration because he is trying to get his daughter to be so good. I don't even know why he was angry. We have had so many swimming events beamed into our homes from all over the world. I have watched so many of them. Some coaches shout. Some have a real poker face. Some are just depressed. I have not seen this. There was a tennis father who used to berate his daughter. People just do not perform well under these conditions. The person who is angry thinks they are making them get sense in their head. They just make them nervous wrecks. I guess Bob and Jillian and Shannan and Michelle frome The Biggest Loser show how you can use measured anger to lift the bar. You can express some pretty tough emotions without cowing people. Our football coaches can do it too when the team loses but the men are not cowed. I hope this is resolved because he needs all the help he can get and the young girl needs to be built up in confidence. It will be tricky because it is her father. Whatever else he is, he is her father and therefore significant in his impact or his absence. I'd should like to know she will be okay when she goes elsewhere with him because that wasn't resolved for the tennis girl. I also think it's a good reminder to all of us as parents that we need to think about how we manage our children. We cannot be perfect, but I think we need to get behaviours reflected back to us so we can see what it looks like...and then we will think about how we behave towards anyone, especially our children.

Accidental overdose killed Anna Nicole

Accidental overdose killed Anna Nicole : "The autopsy found Smith also had a severe blood infection which contributed to her death."
I don't know a lot about Anna Nicole Smith. Another pretty blond whose son seems to have died in a very odd way from a drug overdose. We make people very famous, we follow their lives, we feed off their behaviour and it generates millions of dollars for all sorts of people, but we do not take any responsibilty for the health and welfare of our stars. We make them stars. She was very eye catching and yet I saw the images of her before she died and she really did not look well at all and she just looked so disorientated and worn out. Did we do anything about that? Could we have? There are so many stars who have come unstuck one way or another and I think, because we like them so much and we like to follow them so much, we need to find a way to intervene when the stardom is hurting them. Some stars are difficult to help , I know. Some people just use their stardom to build walls instead of bridges. I just think this lady might have lived longer if we'd put some social pressure on her to look after herself and if we had noticed how she had deteriorated. I know you can argue they are old enough to look after themselves. All sorts of pressures are brought to bear on them and their families. Some lead remarkably normal lives and others seems to become increasingly fragile. Have we done studies? Have we looked at why some are so resilient? Do they actually do occupational health and safety like the rest of us? Do they get inservice and professional development? It seems a bit unfair for us to neglect those who are stuggling with their professional life. We don't do it in other work place environments, we are generally right on the ball.

Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation

Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation/Heart attack symptoms: "There's a huge controversy over the new cardio-pulmonary resuscitation guidelines. In this program you can hear both sides of the debate. Plus: Professor Kathleen Dracup, Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, discusses heart attack symptoms."
I haven't yet done the new CPR training but it will come up and I shall leave any of my thoughts about it until I have trined with the people I trust and hear what they have to say. In the mean time this site offers some good information and dicussion. I was a bit dubfounded because for years we have had the standard practice and now it seems to have been changed quite considerably. Given it means life or death then we have to be able to have a clear approach and we have to be comfortable with what we are doing or just doing it because it's better for the victim. We also need to know we are doing the best we can do . Recognising the heart attack in the forst place is essential because for some people it is not obvious. So this site offers more assistance in that respect. Yes, it's scary, no , you do not want to get it wrong but , in my experience , you hold the fort until the experts arrive and the holding the fort can make a real difference. When you know that , you just do it. Action is better than inaction.

Govt welcomes Hicks guilty plea.

Govt welcomes Hicks guilty plea. : "'My first reaction was, and I was talking about it moments before I heard of it, was that if I was in Guantanamo Bay and I could get out by pleading guilty after five years, I probably personally would have pleaded guilty,' he said."

Some things move in very mysterious ways, don't they?

Aussie serial hugger wins YouTube award.

Aussie serial hugger wins YouTube award. : "Juan Mann's Free Hugs, in which he sets out to brighten strangers' lives on Sydney's streets by hugging them, has nabbed the prize for most inspirational video."
It's actually nice to know the bulk of the awards went to kindness and the positive side of humanity. The hugging video is indeed an interesting social comment video which was motivated by goodwill but demonstrated how hard we find it these days to hug people. I am really , really glad awards and the viewing public like the good things in humans.

Concern over pedestrian death increase

Concern over pedestrian death increase : "She was thrown 50 metres and ambulance crews could not revive her."

My sister was pulled back just in time from a kerb as she waited to cross at pedestrians lights and they had just turned green. The man apparently apologised profusely for being so abrupt but he saved her from harm as the car raced around the corner oblivious to giving way to pedestrians. He said it was frequent in town these days. Shame. Town drivers were always careful to give way to pedestrians. It's true, you cannot assume cars will stop any more because it's all about them and we have had a number of pedestrians bowled over. 4WD can be lethal under current conditions. On the positive side I have had a number of kind car drivers stop for me as I have waited to cross a road. They have noticed and waved me across as I have to others now. We are aware pedestrians are getting wary, but it shouldn't have to be like that. We can do better.

Australia wants to avoid Zimbabwe tour

Australia wants to avoid Zimbabwe tour : "But, he said, 'the whole concept of the world's greatest cricket team and the biggest names in world cricket visiting Zimbabwe and giving a blessing to that country is one I feel uncomfortable with'."
I don't actually think that is the point. Our cricket team ,in particular, has been very careful not to mix sport with politics and any tours they have made have not been in support of anything other than cricket and the lovers of cricket. Our sports people are very mindful of that here. Our radio has been reporting on the situation in Zimbabwe at great length and trying to get a clear picture. For this I am grateful because our radio has gone out of its way to try and get interviews from people who can try and present information to us clearly. It seems evident that the situation is quite difficult. It is very hard to make decsions from afar. The main thing is not to send our team into a situation which would just create danger for them and difficulty for the people of Zimbabwe. I do not hink any team can be asked to perform in unstable political situations where there is a precarious balance of harmony. Major events have to be held in safe conditions and all contracts should specify that surely?

Bowel Cancer Kits

Motion sickness : "Your birthday present from the federal Government includes some medical paraphernalia and a note requesting a sample of your poo. Not the sort of thing you'd put on a gift register, certainly."

We have one of the highest bowel cancer rates int he world. Why? It is one of the preventable cancers, isn't it? The kits will come in the mail and I can tell you it is worth it. My sister in law had bowel cancer, radical sugery , lives with a bag and does very well indeed. She has had a couple of scares since with the belief she had liver cancer, but it's from a disease earlier in her life, not cancer. She is a remarkable woman who got all the facts and then made a hard headed business decision. You do not need bowel cancer. Laugh all you like about the kits...it sounds really hilarious to send back a specimen ...but this way you and your family are being looked after in a really kind way. The state and federal governements could just let it all go...put in your test. But we also need some facts and figures so we can rid ourselves of this disease...and the samples will help collect the data needed for prevention.

Telemarketing protection a step closer

Telemarketing protection a step closer : "The so-called Do Not Call Register will let people put their fixed lines and mobile numbers on a list to opt out of receiving a range of telemarketing calls."

I have said before that the default should be no phone calls, not us registering. Great way to amass phone numbers in one space. Where is the security for us? The latest telemarketing call had us all agog today. Someones's older son took a call from a bank offering life insurance and the point being made was that suicide was not excluded from the insurance. We haven't picked our jaws up yet.

Scientists propose interspecies cloning

Scientists propose interspecies cloning : "At least three respected teams of British scientists have reignited the moral debate over inserting human genes into animal eggs by proposing similar experiments to Cibelli's."
Cibelli was in trouble for putting his DNA into a cow's egg. President Clinton stopped it. Scientists don't actually seem to have moral boundaries. They just see what they can do and if it works. They set their limits and it is just unfortunate they are expected to be a part of social groups! I can remember there were little plush toys which were a mixture of animals. I remember the Butterbear because my daughter had it. Are we going to end up with that? This is being trialled so women don't have to have eggs harvested. There is a shortage of eggs, so...turn to the animals. Dearry, dearry me, och, dearry me.

Alivia's Toys

Researchers hunt for 'freaky sheep'

Researchers hunt for 'freaky sheep' : "They've found some ewes which have four milk-producing teats, and hope to breed them with rams who have six teats, rather than the usual two."

Last time they were looking for ugly sheep. Now they want ewes with four milk producing teats so that lambs are not disadvantaged. This must be 2007. How long have sheep been having lambs? Haven't they been doing okay? Apparently now the ewes are having multiple births and so the lambs can be disadvantaged. Are they using IVF? It all seems a bit hard on the sheep and a bit too much in favour of scientific experimentation. Proving what we can do. Is it an issue? Can't say I know a whole lot about our sheep except they produce fantastic wool and I thank them for that.

Seniors prefer to exercise with same age

Seniors prefer to exercise with same age : "'A growing body of evidence suggests that a far greater proportion of people actually prefer to exercise alone with some instruction,' rather than in a class, his study in Britain found."

I don't think it's surprising that oldies like to exercise alone with help and guidance or in a group of their own. I think it applies to any group. Big people wuld probably prefer to exercise with each other. Those who have a high level of fitness would probably prefer to be in that kind of group too. I think it depends on the environment and the purpose of the exercise group. Some oldies are patronised but he mature age games show each year that oldies can hold their own and do not lack courage. Mixed groups can be very good for morale. They can be also very good to share the tips and tricks of each age group. We have some fitness studios around here which have achieved stunning results with olies and some of them compete in national events. It really is about how it is managed as this article points out.

Current Water Restrictions

With the end of daylight saving the new water restriction times are soemthing we all need to get our heads around as well. The details of our restricitons are at SA Water.
In a nutshell the details from the site are here:

Domestic restrictions

• Hand-held hoses fitted with a trigger nozzle or drip systems may be used on any day between the hours of 6am-9am and 5pm-midnight.
  

• Watering cans and buckets can be used at any time. (A hose fitted with a trigger nozzle can be used to fill watering cans and buckets any day, between the hours of 6am-9am and 5pm-midnight. Outside these times, watering cans and buckets must be filled directly from a tap.)

• Sprinkler systems can be used one day a week for three hours in the morning and/or for three hours in the evening :

- Even numbered properties on Saturday between 6am - 9am and 5pm - 8pm

- Odd numbered properties on Sunday between 6am - 9am and 5pm - 8pm

WorldTimeServer.com

South Australia, Australia current local time from WorldTimeServer.com:
"The current time in South Australia, Australia is
8:10 PM

Saturday, March 24, 2007
DST +1030 UTC"

Don't forget to put your clocks back an hour tonight!! It's the end of daylight saving and the dreaded 8pm watering regime. I use the World Time server to keep my house clocks in order. Do yours go on all differnt times?? Everyhting comes with a clock these days and then I have a range of watches...so it is quite a chore putting them backwards and forwards...but I get my time from the World Time Server, set my computer and microwave and then it all goes form there!!

French Women Don't Get Fat

I read the second book by Mireille Guiliano and blogged about it early in the New Year. That was a wonderful book. At the time I had no plans to read the first one because I thought the second one was beautiful and plenty. Ah, how wrong. I came about this first one by accident. Our shopping centre has been extended and so the bookstore was trying to reduce stock before moving into its swish new premises. I was wandering by and this time the bright orange cover caught my eye, it was a good price so there I went...and I have been lost in it ever since. She weaves a magical spell as she leads you through the basic principals of eating and living as a French woman. It's not everything, but she surely captures and shares the essence. It's engaging, informative, entertaining and has ideas and recipes galore. At the end she does a couple of pages of dot points and proves her point! How they hurt to read. They cut through like a knife and she demonstrates more than adequately that it is far better to charm and entrance people. Far better to talk to them as a friend, far better to weave your magical spell if you want to get through and persuade and accord others the right to absorb your information. To make up for the dot points she softened the blow with more delightful recipes. I do not regret one bit I bought and read this.

Vote for your favourite fireman

Vote for your favourite fireman: "NOW it's up to you. Here are the 10 finalists for the World Police and Fire Games favourite fireman."
Here's my pick...Sebastien Guesdon of New Caledonia. Maybe I should pick the guys from NSW and Queensland, mais bon, enfin, mine de rien, au bout du compte, euh, ben, alors en tout cas, c'est Sebastien! Et bon courage! The Police and Fire games have really got us all going...except when the police were running through Hutt street and they forgot to tell people it was closed off...well, they had told people. It was just that the sign was so tiny...that caused a bit of a hiccough. So, now , may the best fireman win...and if they pick two more we can have a nice calendar for next year, thanks , folks. They just look so well and so healthy. Oh...I think they've already picked the winner...The entries have to be in by March 22nd and the article says they will be publishing the winner March 10th???!!! A mispront I tink.

SIMS

Gamers not all 'spotty teenage boys': "University of Queensland business school academic Frank Alpert, who has just published a paper on the industry, said his research showed the average age of players was now 'thirtyish', with up to 43 per cent of players being women."
We like to think in stereotypes and then when it all falls apart we tend to go back and see where we went wrong. As someone with a daughter who has grown up with a passion for computers I am more than aware of how stereo typing has marginalised girls. She loves her Playstation as well and used it as an indoor exercise machine because there was a programme you could get for it. I have watched her go up against the violent, warlike, shoot 'em , kill 'em aggressive games and I have watched how she has selected what she wanted. For a while it was Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Then it was the Matrix. She fell in love with Lara and the Tomb Raider games and at the time , they not only forced her to think and challenge herself, she'd use the games when she had some really tough life issues to deal with and they would help her resolve her problems. She has since gone on to SIMS and I have watched how much she enjoys them. She is mid 20s now and when she needs down time, time out and a bit of creativity she goes to her SIMS. In her real life she is very creative and very good with graphics, so the SIMS have appeal to her. It's complex, it's distracting and it like making your own show in lots of ways. It really deals with social issues and I guess its the more complex and grown up version of the Theme Hospital she loved to play when she was little...when she was really little she was a big fan of Donkey Kong and just loved to play that. So it's good to see Frank Alpert set the picture straight with his research and I hope there is more of it, because , truly, the markets needs to broaden. it would be beneficial to all sorts of people to have games which represented varying levels of emotional and intellectual intelligence. The games market has been really myopic.

Urban wows Sydney fans

Urban wows Sydney fans : "After battling an alcohol addiction for the past year, Urban performed to a packed crowd in Martin Place."

If no one else drank nor took drugs I'd not be worried and would accept some of the nasty comments about Keith Urban. Unfortunately we have made drugs and alcohol trendy and night clubs help promote this cool image. It's is about image. it is about pressure and then, inevitably it's about pain and misery and risking life and relationships. I should like to think Keith Urban can keep up his battle against drugs and alcohol. It's not a pretty nor easy story but how many people are battling the same problems as he is? He needs the support, he needs the appropriate kicks up the rear, but he also needs to be encouraged to stay psoitive. His marriage to Nicole is typical of what happens when the wheels fall off because of drugs and alcohol. It is a very human story. It's a love story with a lot of heart ache and a lot of courage. I hope the path is a positive one and I hope he can move forward because his choice to go into rehab was right. His choice to go back to his career is right. He has to keep aiming for normal. As such he can teach other to do the same. He can show people that you can get it all wrong and then take on that battle and try and get it right again. He may well fall off his perch again. I really hope not, but we have to keep encouraging those who are trying to get it right because so many people have this same problem.

SA's first coconut

SA's first coconut: "A COCONUT believed to be the first to fully ripen in South Australia has been picked in the Botanic Garden."

We've got A coconut. Yes, one. We can thank the Botanic Gardens staff and computers for this amazing achievement. We can grow coconut palms here, we just can't get them to fruit. Well, now we can...that one , single coconut is priceless. I hope we can grow them because I love green coconut juice and it would have been perfect in our humid, tropical attack just recently.

It's been raining!

It's been raining!! It changed our mood very quickly because the constant watering at 8pm or early in the morning has been hard for the workers! We get a night off watering. I haven't particularly minded Vanuatu in Adelaide but the oppressive humidity has affected a lot of people and the constant dryness has created stress and nosebleeds. I have never seen so many nose bleeds. It's been great to get the dust out of the air and most people are happier it's cooler even though they have really taken advantage of the warm weather for BBQs, walking, playing outside...and the Police and Fireman's Games. Has that ever caused a sensation and are hearts happy to see these fit and fantastic guys walking around the place, performing, using the public transport!! It has put a whole ripple through the community and a sparkle in quite a few eyes. But the rain...that has brought a sigh of relief. Brilliant.

Museum to return Maori skulls to NZ

Museum to return Maori skulls to NZ: "A delegation of Maori, New Zealand's indigenous people who make up about 15 per cent of the population, is expected to travel to Chicago to bring back the bones."

There's a cliche - you do the right thing because it's the right thing to do. This is the right thing to do. These bones and artefacts are the relatives of people. It is important to accept and understand that. It is also important that you offer to do the right thing. It is true that we all have a fascination with other cultures, and tribal cultures around the world are of immense interest to people and so the things we have acquired through dubious means, because we were hugely fascinated, need to be offered back to the cultures of origin. For indigenous cultures they are normal. They are their people and their things. I don't think we should apologise because we have a huge interest. That's a good thing. There is a reason why tribal things are a big market and a constant draw card. They are about something we need to understand and know. It would be far better to involve indigenous cultures in the development of the sharing of their cultures with other nations. It is important we do not have things out of context and it is important we have people who understand the significance to draw the picture for us. All of this would be a great intercultural enterprise. I have been fortunate that some tribal cultures I have visited have been so willing to share their ceremonies and traditions with me. They have taken great pains to help me understand what it means to them and to let me try and experience that feeling myself. Tribal people are very good teachers because that is how they teach their tribe and their people. I find by being there , showing an interest and respect and learning how to speak to them appropriately is how you become very honoured. I count myself as very fortunate and I think we should share these things because they really do mean something...but indigenous things need to be in the hands of indigenous people because they truly can communicate their significance and value. We need to learn how to involve them in teaching us to know what we seem to be driven to understand and we haven't got our methods quite right.

Gastro cases surge in SA

Gastro cases surge in SA : "The outbreak of cryptosporidium infections may also be linked to the drought, with concerns that more children are bathing together to save water and the water in wading pools is being changed less frequently."
It is going around and it has caused discomfort, absenteeism and unpleasantness. It is very strange that a so called civilaised country is suffereing what other countries suffer from because of lack of santitation. Clean water is vital to good health. Water restrictions mean you are no better off than an underdeveloped country. Cleanliness is about clean, running water and an ample supply to wash everyone and everything. Dust build up, having to conserve, not being able to wash anything properly, putting dirty water on the garden is all about recycling germs. Countries became civilised when they became knowledgeable about sanitiation and hygiene, now we do not have that kind of water so we have started to wind the clock back a few centuries.

Another Collie murder

Elderly woman's death 'suspicious' : "POLICE are treating as suspicious the death of an 81-year-old woman whose body was found in her house in the West Australian town of Collie."

Her four children and ten grand children are going to be wondering why and they will be so upset. Why? First it's a young girl and now it's an old lady. This death is supiciious and the other one will be going to trial soon. I howp the police can resolve this because the people of Collie need to be able to feel safe and need to be able to belive they have a nice place to live. It seems very odd and particulary sad because this woman lived in Collie since 1930 so she would be one of the custodians of the town's history. Quite apart from anything else,that kind of knowledge is hard to replace.

Echnida stings car litter throwers

Echnida stings car litter throwers: "EPA Victoria issued a record number of 7250 fines for litter thrown from cars over summer, an increase of 18 per cent on the same time last year."

A different echnidna this time. Nugget is inspiring people to report people who throw things out of car and litter our country. It appears to be very successful in Australia. I hopw they do something like that here because my front lawn is littered with all sorts after Saturday night in particular and in the warmer weather people just heave bottles out of their cars, some of which break and then leave glass shards for car tyres or people walking dwon the street. You rarely see them here. The cans of drink, the fast food containers, the bottles. How hard is it to keep them until you get home or finmd a bin?? We have lots of bins. We have rubbish bins at home too but it's the thrill of hurling it out the window. Great!

Twins crawl clear as 'nan' dies in wreckage

Twins crawl clear as 'nan' dies in wreckage: "'They knew they had to get out, so they took off their seatbelts, crawled out the back (passenger) window.

'The poor little beggars were lucky to get out."

It's really sad the Grandmother lost her life trying to save the life of one of our creatures who had erred onto the road. We are not supposed to avoid animals in our path but that is a tough call. She sounds like she was a remarkable woman who gave a lot to her community and to her family. Her grand children are astoundingly level headed and brave because at teh age of 8 they got themselves out of the car and were thinking only of their Grandmother. That is just so fantastic. Their parents will be traumatised to have lost the garandmother but they must be so reassured their parenting has produced two quick thinking children who can problem solve under severe conditions. The community will hold on tight to them and help them through this. It's sad, but it's so inspiring as well.

SA water restrictions put on hold

SA water restrictions put on hold : "From March 25, weekend sprinkler times move forward an hour to 6am until 9am and back three hours in the afternoon from 5pm to 8pm, on the same odds and evens basis."

I am so glad. It has often been windy out there at 8pm, cold...and very dark. A month ago it wasn't too much of a problem, but now it is. It means we have been bitten by spiders, giant ants and even snakes we cannot see int he dark. Outside lighting is not clear enough. It means we have sprained ankles or tripped. It'll be so much easier, safer and better to avoid artificial light and be able to water both to conserve our water and our health. On the up side , the lack of rain means we have had company as we water with people walking and taking their dogs out or just being outside to cool down after a hot day.

Recycled water can kill, campaigners say

Recycled water can kill, campaigners say : "A BOOKLET claiming recycled water can kill, cause infertility and change the sex of fish has been labelled unscientific and dishonest misinformation that should be thrown in the bin."

I shouldn't think people would publish a booklet of misinformation just to annoy the sewage recyclers. It is their money they are spending. What is the benefit to them to publish total rubbish? If you read this whole article you get the impression, again, that we are totally incapable of producing clear, definitive information so that anyone can make a sensible decision. We get constant confusion. Constant division of this is right, no this is right, no listen to his..THIS is right. Now, for heaven's sake. We are capable of knowing this. We are capable of getting some solid information. We are also capable of being led astray by vested interest. It's about time we dealt with information in an adult fashion and looked at issues in a rational way. Drinking water is either safe or not safe. There is no debate. There is fact.

Death threats against daylight savings MP

Death threats against daylight savings MP: "'Wherever you go it's like everybody wants to talk about daylight savings and nothing else,' he said."

Well, that's okay. People do need to talk about what is important to them and they ought to be able to talk about it as much as they want. it's the manner of the talk. The fact you can bring an issue up as a politician, you can ask for a referendum and then there are people who want to threaten and abuse you and your staff because they do not agree. Democracy is about discussing things. Not about scring and bullying and terrifying the living daylights out of people. Who would be a leader? WA was going to trial daylight saving. It appears a lot of people want to try it out. A trial. Then there was to be a referendum in 2009 to see if would be made permanent. It is out of hand if politicians are being threatened but it has obviously touched a raw nerve in WA. What is that? Why wouldn't you want to try something to see what it's like? Daylight saving? What are the benefits of not having it? Obviously all these things are being brought out intot he open but if some people are threatening politicians if they try it out then we do not have a democracy and no one can try out ideas. I hate messing about with the clocks, but I really like the longer daylight hours in summer. Everyone has an opinion but trying it out lets you see what it actually means.

Crew blamed for passengers' injuries

Crew blamed for passengers' injuries: "The ATSB report said that when a warning horn sounded, the flight crew believed the aircraft was depressurising and started an emergency descent."

Did the crew behave in a logical manner according to the information available? It sounds like they did. It also sounds like they behaved in a consistent manner according to the information they had. The confusion occurred because they did not know if the plane was pressurising or depressurising. They assumed depressurising because of the crack in the pilot's window. Is this a logical assumtion. It also sounds like they worked out pretty quickly what the actual problem was and then corrected it. The initial disgnosis of the problem seems to be at fault and that is the real problem, why that occurred. I do not think you can call the crew to account if they were following the procedures for what appeared to be the problem and then worked out what it actually was and corrected it. It sounds like they can really think on their feet and that they can apply logical problem solving skills and surely that is what you want. It would have been upsetting and confusing but the crew sounded like they didn't have accurate information at first and that is what needs to be resolved. People are having to deal with things on the spot or up in the air. People are at the coal face and then after they are called to account because they should have , could have, ought to have. I think we sometimes don't notice we weren't there trying to deal with the emergency and so we have to ask ourselves would we have done better and then make sure people are fully informed and resourced for the next time it occurs. It's how we learn and improve. Recklessness is something quite, quite different.

SA buyers enter great diamond debate

SA buyers enter great diamond debate: "Conflict diamonds came to world attention in the 1990s during the brutal conflict in Sierra Leone. It is estimated conflict diamonds then constituted about four per cent of the world's diamonds."

Yes, Sierra Leone ought to be one of the richest nations in the world because of its diamonds, yet it remains one of the poorest and that is a horrible fact of our materialistic world. Consumers world wide , though, are starting to act with conscience and starting to purchase the so called ethical goods. We do need to ask. We do need to know how our goods are come by and who benefits and how because it is how the world has been running and suddenly we are aware of it and we do not wish to be party to it. For all our trinkets we have started to make a strong stand with regard to our purchases. We want to know they have been fairly and properly traded. We want to know our eggs come from chickens which have been looked after and our beef is from cattle which walks freely. Took us a while, but we do lot like good created from misery. The diamond issue will not affect everyone, but other products do and we can continue to make an effort to support ethical goods.

Pet Net

They have the internet in fridges and wotnot, why wouldn't they have a Pet Net just for your furry and feathered friends?

Virtual Pet Farm

Youth charged with torture, sex assault

Youth charged with torture, sex assault: "The youth has been charged with three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm while armed, two counts of wilful damage and one count each of common assault, threats, sexual assault while armed, grievous bodily harm, deprivation of liberty and torture."

I gather he is not very well and has no idea how to treat people. How did he get to be in such a state? There will be a big story behind all of this but he is obviously right on the edge and both very vulnerable and very aggressive. The girl must be in such a state. She will be totally traumtised and this will affect her and her relationships for a very long time. Why would he want to capture her? What drove him to such aggression? He needs a lot of help and she will need just so much nurturing. Whose house was it?

Missing croc found in front seat of car

Missing croc found in front seat of car: "Police said they found the reptiles in the front seat of a car about 5.30am (AEDT) today when they were called to investigate reports of a man slumped over the steering wheel of the car in suburban Frankston."

I guess it will come out if he actually stole the retiles. It is unbeliveable someone would steal reptiles and then not even be able to take care of them. That is senseless and horrible. Some of the reptiles are still missing and these ones were in a poor physical condition. I hope the park staff will be able to nurse them back into condition. So, what happened to the man. I can't imagine driving with a car load of reptiles...especially a crocodile! What on earth was he thinking?

State weighs in on junk food ads

State weighs in on junk food ads : "In light of the findings, the state is backing a NSW move to control junk food advertising during children's television viewing times."

Well done and I heard one mother saying to her cutest of cute children with the cutest of cute faces that they were not allowed to have lollies in their lunch box and would they please choose something else ....and there was this grest search mission around the supermarket which the kids enjoyed to find suitable alternatives. We were all impressed with that Mum! By saying know you actually open up options for children and you get them to partcipate in their own nutrition. As slaves to ads they have no choice. They just blindly obey the ad. Robokids!

Man dead after car hits tree

Man dead after car hits tree: "The two accidents prompted police to appeal to motorists to slow down and drive to the prevailing road and weather conditions. 'Motorists must take responsibility for their own and the safety of others when driving on the state's roads,' police said."

Two more young men hitting trees this weekend. One dead, one critically injured. What is it with these young men and how the police, ambulance attendants and families must be getting to bursting point with the senseless loss of life. What is it with these young men?

TV legend battling cancer

TV legend battling cancer: "'He's a legend in the business, and not to have him here is difficult for all of us,' he said."

He is a legend and all I can say is...fight the good fight. Cancer is a strange disease. It can be devasting but it can be very surprising. It can just plain vanish, so you never ever know. He certainly doesn't deserve it and he has a very strong spirit and a remarkable capacity to be calm and down to earth. I just wish him well. He is a legend and a part of our home. I can only wish him well and I shall be thinking about him.

Midair drama.

PM praises RAAF crew after midair drama. : "Mr Howard was on board a Hercules transport plane when the loading bay began to fill with smoke en route to Baghdad."

Bit odd and highlyb irregular. What kind of planes are we giving our troops for high intensity missions? Who on earth is doing the maintenance. I am glad to hear John Howard has gone to Iraq to talk to our people and Nouri Al Maliki. He should talk to the Prime Minister of Iraq.

Let the Games begin

Let the Games begin: "THERE were more flashing lights and bright colours than a full-scale emergency as 28,000 people celebrated the opening of the World Police and Fire Games at Adelaide Oval last night."
It really is Merry March in Adelaide with so many events and things to do. Womadelaide was valued and appreciated by many, as was the Adelaide 500 race event, the Adelaide Cup and who knows what expos. It has all been happening and now we have the 2007 World Police and Fire Games which is top athletics for us and a great chance for the police and firefighters from around tthe world to compete and keep a top level of fitness. The calendar is packed.

World Police and Fire Games

Iraq cleric slams occupiers

Iraq cleric slams occupiers, mayor shot "Major General Joseph Fil, commander of US troops in Baghdad, said Sadr did appear to have instructed his followers to work with Iraqi security forces, if not with Americans. 'I don't know that we have his support now,' he said."

Four years ago on Friday and what has been achieved? Plenty of money has vanished into military equipment, arms , bombs, back up, ongoing costs...the bottomless funding pit. Plenty of Iraqis have dies. Plenty of others have died and plenty of the military have died. So what have we achieved? Saddam Hussein was hanged but that was over one of his atrocities. What of the others? What of his country?In four years what have we improved in Iraq? Wasn't that what it was about? We knew they weren't a threat. Ousama bin Laden was supposed to be a threat. The WTC centre planes were supposed to have Saudi pilots by and large. Iraq created a terrible mind set for us all and a terrible confusion which we are finally getting straight. We are starting to see what it was all about and what it all means but we do not know why Iraq is left to be the dreadful mess that we created. We are protesting this weekend. We do care. We are not happy and we do want things to change because we can see it is not helping anyone for us to constantly create cruel military circumstances. This whole situation needs to be resolved with talk not killing. We do have to pour oil on the water. We do need to stop our part in it so things can subside. We can help in other ways. Death resolves nothing.

Stop the War Coalition

Oasis Australia

Oasis - New Spring Releases: "Oasis biodegradable pots break down in about 45 days in well-regulated composting systems with core temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius. They will also degrade over a longer period in worm farms and in landfill."

Obvious when you think about it, but why has it taken so long to come up with biodegradable seedling and plant pots? I hate throwing out the plastic ones. It seems such a waste and yet they pile up and really are not of further use. Now Oasis Australia has come up with biodegradable pots which will break down and not harm our environment. Thumbs up for thinking and planning.

Green Canary

Making it easy to make a difference: "By buying from Green Canary you can be sure that you are buying new, award winning, low-toxicity, leading-edge products."

Green Canary is a site where there are plenty of ingenious products to buy which which are so much more mindful of our environment. There is something for everyone and they are the sorts of thing you use on a daily basis. If you are sick of selling chocolate as a fund raiser, consider Green canary because they put fund raising packages together as well. A site which is well worth the look.

School rejects homeless girl

School rejects homeless girl: "Kimberley Williams, 15, lives in a tent with her mum and brother in parklands near West Tce in the city."
Housing ought not be a factor in obtaining schooling. This is 2007. A family living in a tent in Adelaide in 2007? That is outrageous. I cannot believe it. People need to be in houses. If people run away from home and live on the streets I can see that as a tricky thing to manage , but I doubt that this woman is living with her 2 children in a tent by choice and no matter what the reason, the children are entitled to a home and school. The government housing is coming...but so is Christmas. This is Adelaide. It seems unthinkable. I am well aware we have some people who rent houses and trash them. I have had it around here and people I know have had destructive neighbours. It's very upsetting for us and for the landlords. I realise this is a problem. Why is this lady in a tent? Is her boy at school? It's no use pretending it's not there. We need to look at how we can solve our housing problems.

Myer to buy Harris Scarfe...musical shops

Myer to buy four Harris Scarfe stores. : "Two of the stores are in Adelaide at Elizabeth and Noarlunga and the other two are at Forest Hill and Doncaster in Melbourne.

The stores will come under the Myer banner from July."

Wasn't that long ago they changed the Myer store at Colonnades to Harris Scarfe. Make up your minds. The Harris Scarfe store seems to be popular and we were not happy the Myer store was taken away in the first place. Make up your minds. The sales staff must be going mental and whoever has to do all the changing and moving for the organisations must be exhausted. Why din't they just leave the Myer store where it was?? Silly question, I know. We'll soon be buying THE product from THE store run by THE global company.

Infested Workplace

SA Govt accused of ignoring infested workplace complaints. : "Jan McMahon from the Public Service Association says the Health Department was alerted to complaints of unhygienic conditions months ago."

Common sense dictates you address serious issues when they are reported, both to avoid costly repairs and refurbishment later and also to demonstrate you are listening to what people are saying and you care about them and their workplace environment. You would have expected rats and mites to be dealt with immediately. You would expect that kind of a workplace to be declared unsanitary. Not good enough. No one should have to nag and nag to get proper working conditions and no one should have to wait. In the mean time the rates and mites are spreading themselves, disease and nasties. I am embarrassed this is how Adelaide workers are treated. It also means those workers have been stopped from doing their job properly. It really is a sad state of affairs.

Fast-food groups agree to phase out deadly fats

Fast-food groups agree to phase out deadly fats : "A meeting of food industry representatives in Sydney yesterday agreed to come up with a plan by September to remove trans-fats, which are suspected of raising the risk of heart disease and have already been banned in some overseas jurisdictions.

Federal Assistant Health Minister Christopher Pyne, who called yesterday's meeting, had threatened to force food companies to declare trans-fat levels on nutrition information panels if a voluntary reduction were not agreed."

How sensible is that? How sensible to sit the nutritonists and food suppliers together to work out alternatives instead of putting bad food labels on bad food. I cannot believe in 2007 we cannot feed ourselves properly and that it is even seen as a problem. These companies are in a prime position to lead the market into the right direction and profit themselves and our health. Fast food does not have to be bad. It doesn't have to be boring and it doesn't have to be hard to prepare. Thinking is all that it requires. We have the ideas.

Violent patients listed

Violent patients listed: "The proposal recommends expanding the existing doctor-shopper hotline - which lists drug-addicted patients who visit multiple doctors to get prescription drugs - to include names of violent patients."

I can well imagine how violent patients will react when they find out they have been listed as violent!! I think we really need to think this one out. It is neither right nor proper that 65% of doctors experience aggressive or violent patients each year. We need to establish the causes. We need to look at protecting those doctors because it is not right. We need to look at why patients are becoming aggressive and then we need to really think about how to manage them. Their illness might be why they are consulting with a doctor. Maybe they need a different set up. If a doctor treats a patient flagged as abusive, how will that help? Flagging them identifies them but it doesn't help the doctor. I have had people I know complaining about the emergency areas of hospitals being too aggressive and then they've had to wait while the aggressive patients are dealt with first. All very well and apparently the hospital staff are doing well in managing these people, but it's at a price to calmer folk. The whole thing needs to be rethought. No one should have to put up with abuse , violence and aggression in the workplace and not doctors and nurses because we need them.

Hole in pyjamas reveals web plagiarism

Hole in pyjamas reveals web plagiarism : "A study published by UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, found that 5 per cent of the 50,000 personal statements surveyed at random contained 'borrowed material,' lifted mostly from one free Web site: www.studential.com.

Most of the material plagiarised, however, was adapted by applicants with direct copying from online sources standing at less than 1 per cent, the study revealed."

We get what we are prepared to accept. Standardisation breeds mediocrity. Given the time and chance , the young applicants would probably come up with something really worthwhile. Young people seem to have to work, study, play sport, achieve high grades, play a musical instrument, be confident...there are far too many hoops for them to jump and not one of them is about being a creative individual which takes time, reflection and research. Where do they develop their creative imaginations? While they are constantly asked to achieve and turn in good results, they never get a chance to take time out and simply grow.

Australian scientists dress women in wine.

Australian scientists dress women in wine. : "Australian researchers are making dresses from fermented fabric, using bacteria to grow slimy dresses from wine and beer."

The bacteria holds the fabric together and the dresses have to be kept wet! This has been an amazing scientific and creative exercise. At this stage it might all seem a bit weird and out there but the truth is, now we have created such a fabric, it may have specific applications. They are looking to better develop the fabric. Wonderful side product and side show from our wine industry. Very inventive.

Authorities find unknown toxin in Sea World penguins.

Authorities find unknown toxin in Sea World penguins. : "'However I wouldn't like to speculate that that's the only cause, we need to consider all the options.'"
Yes we do and we need to be very careful about our investigations. To kill so many fairy penguins is unthinkable. I just hope it is not one of our famous accidents again and I really hope it's not deliberate. Whatever it might be is pretty horrible.

Gen Y likely to be big users of credit

Gen Y likely to be big users of credit: : "'It's something they haven't seen in their lifetime and so they're not handling credit as well as some prior generations, we're finding.'"
It's not surprising. They are the haves and the entitled and it is what they expect. They will learn the same lessons as other people but they will learn them in a different way. Managing money is something we all have to learn and having because we want it is something we learn isn't a realistic thought. They will pay dearly for lessons not learned and lessons not taught, but they will learn. Life is a great teacher.

Backend maintenance mode

"BlogSwap is in backend maintenance mode. It will come back soon, meanwhile enjoy the site you are currently at ;-) "

This sign has been at the top of my blog for quite a few days now. Pilonidal abscesses are the absolute pits, aren't they? I hope the operation went well, recovery is imminent and that Blog Swap will be back in the warm seat soon now they have got to the bottom of it all.

Head to the net, job seekers told

Head to the net, job seekers told : "The total number of jobs advertised in major newspapers and on the internet rose by 3.4 per cent in February, to an average of 216,621 new jobs a week, the latest ANZ job series survey shows."

I have watched this at home and all I can say is it's brilliant. So easy. The applications go in. Sometimes 5 minutes later there is a phone call, sometimes the next morning. The interviews are organised easily. It's so easy and then the conversations are very natural. The only pitfall as such is some jobs send you straight to an emotional quotient testing online and that can be a bit of a tough call in terms of time commitment and/or advantage of knowing what an EQ test is. On the whole it's very efficient and friendly this online job advertising and everything is resolved very quickly because people are inclined to just make a quick call from either end to confirm details or clear up a problem. Way to go!

Zero mark penalty for student cheats

Zero mark penalty for student cheats: "'In practical terms, the desk is clear. You have an exam paper, a script book and a pencil - it's really clear if a student has anything else on their desk,' she said."

The penalty is not unreasonable but I do wonder where the heads of these children are at that they would bring notes in. It would be obvious and it ought to be obvious to them that it would be obvious. What on earth were they thinking?

Now it's happiness, health by postcode

Now it's happiness, health by postcode: "'The Onkaparinga postcode, including Moana and Seaford, does surprisingly well for a low-income area in terms of community cohesiveness and trust,' she said."
It's not surprising. There are a lot of professionals and business owners sown this way because of the ...location. Sun, sea, vineyards, coast....plenty of facilities, plenty of neighbourly concern. Plenty of help from the Council. Children have plenty of things to do here and adults have plenty of choices too. Not surprising. An area which looks into what people need and then provides it and we can easily get away from it all when we want to.

Adelaide Airport one of the best

Adelaide Airport one of the best: "Adelaide Airport rated in the top 10 airports world-wide for ambience and ``a feeling of being safe and secure.''"

I have blogged about the new Adelaide Airport before and it really is nice. It really does have a good feel about it and considering it has gone into the top 10 in its first year bodes well. We can only get better! The best airport was Seoul Incheon International in South Korea. Well done to them but look out for us next year!!!

First-home buyers flee capital cities

First-home buyers flee capital cities : "Population growth in regional areas outstripped, or equalled, capital-city growth in Australia's three largest states in 2005 and 2006, the Housing Industry Association (HIA) said today." And why not? Regional Australia can be beautiful and it can still be a place where you build your dreams and your dream lifestyle. You get away from it all and develop a city or town with a distinct character. Regional...not isolated. If the houses are cheaper then so be it because we need to get some of our regional areas up and running again and a lot of our economic growth does come from regional Australia and always has. Darwin is obviously a drawcard as a city because it had the nation's highest growth rate. People obviously like the tropical, laid back atmosphere and it's a good foil to the Queensland play park image.

Crufts Dog Show

Fabulous Willy proves best in show : "A TIBETAN terrier by the name of Willy has won Britain's prestigious Crufts dog show, beating 25,000 canine contenders to the title."

Well, last year an Australian shepherd won Crufts. This year it's a Tibetan Terrier and what beautiful dogs they are. I didn't know what they were like but the Tibetan Terrier website has plenty of pictures and information. They look gorgeous. No wonder Willy won and I hope to see a picture of him soon. Meanwhile, just gaze at this cutie.

Wee drinking advice

Wee drinking advice : "A recorder installed in disinfectant cakes in the toilets is activated by a motion sensor when a man prepares to make water."

If the machines are like the talking hand dryers we have, firstly they will scare the living daylights out of you and then they we really annoy you with their incessant electronic prattle. I should really like to know if these are going to work. Plus points for trying to find something.

Earth Hour

Earth Hour - Home: "At 7.30pm on 31 March 2007, we are inviting Sydneysiders - businesses and individuals - to turn off their lights for just one hour, Earth Hour, as a sign of their commitment to reduce global warming."

March is shaping up to be the month where the citizens of planet earth are prepared to put their money where their mouth is a show a commitment to reducing the causes of global warming even if our leaders do keep clap trapping about how they are going to make changes and then keep investing in coal. Sydney is leading the way with Earth Hour on March 31st at 7.30pm. It will be the equivalent of taking 75 000 cars off the road. So...this site is designed to give you all the help you need and there is talk in Adelaide of lending our own hand in the initiative. Why not? Then if the whole planet turned off the lights for one hour on March 31st, just imagine! There are more of us and we care. We have had enough of the hot air and people are starting to rally their own groups. Even our magazines are getting behind carbon saving emissions and helping us to forge a better path. Our own Womadelaide Festival is going to clean its carbon footprints and is a great example of how an event can highlight our need to be mindful. Our governments have whittered on. We are taking action because we do not like the big picture. It sucks big time.

March 24th is Shutdown Day

it's not only going to save electricity, it will make you realise how dependent you are on your computer...or not. Some people are relaly panicking that they would have to give up computer use for a day. Unbelievable. It'd be a great way to save energy because we have been forced to be dependent on all this stuff which just sucks up time and energy...and creates waste we really haven't learned to deal with effectively. If nothing else shut your computer off for the day and think about how we can fix those issues...or just enjoy the company of real life friends!

Two killed in smashes

Two killed in smashes: "The driver of the early-model Ford sedan was killed when his car crossed to the wrong side of the road and slammed into a tree."
More young men driving into trees and poles. Too young. Why? It's common now. It cannot be any easier for the police and rescue squads. It has to be devastating the families and yet it is still happening. This car went onto the wrong side of the road. There has to be a reason. We have to confront it. We have to get through to these young drivers. Gum trees are as big and solid as our land. We know young people test the boundaries and take risks, but you just do not go up against a gum tree. Maybe they think they will be the one to beat it. What is going through their heads? Our ambulance crews and police are doing it hard. The families are doing it harder.

Paris sends wrong message

AdelaideNow... Paris sends wrong message: "'Celebrities like Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson and Hilary Duff have dogs which they dress up and take out like they are some sort of fashion accessory,' Animal Welfare League spokes-woman Donna Sullivan said."
Well, here's a surprise. Yes, shock, horror, girls want to grow up to be like Paris or any of the other rich, rich ,rich...isn't that what it's about? How rich can I be and then what can I do to attract attention? It's not about thinking. It's not about being. It's about having. Have, have ,have...humans are more about being than having but all this accessorising and throwing money around is fun. You don't actually have to do anything of consequence. Just be there with pots of money and an image. Girls who never grow up. Never take control. Just play all the time. So yes, whatever it takes. Who cares if it's a problem. They'll pay to remove it and pass it on. Money buys parents in all shapes and sizes. So what was that about the education of girls?

Woman reports stolen cannabis

Woman reports stolen cannabis to officer's delight. : "The woman tearfully explained to a police constable that it was the fourth theft of the illegal plants from her property."

Well, I hope they find the thieves!! I guess she's not well and has lost touch with reality. Poor thing.

Bush sends new Iraq budget request

Bush sends new Iraq budget request to US Congress. : "'With his veto threat, the President offers only an open-ended commitment to a war without end that dangerously ignores the repeated warnings of military leaders ... that the conflict cannot be resolved militarily,' she said."

It's true. This has to be solved differently and the plan put forward by President Bush could use up to 30,000 more troops. That is a lot of people to put at stake for a vague outcome. $3 billion is a lot less than the $100 billion that he asked for...but still, $3 billion spent on your own schools, health care and amenities would make such a difference in your own country. I have been trying to work out why President Bush is so determined to stick with something everyone who ought to know is saying is not he best way of going about it. I think it's because he is a man of the land at heart. Whenever he goes away , he goes away to his ranch in Texas. Whenever you hear of his being happy and relaxed, he is on his ranch in Texas. Whenever he really wants to honour someone, he takes them to his ranch in Texas. The land is in his heart and the slow rhythm of the land beats inside of him. So I am thinking he is probably applying country logic and expertise to his problems. To survive on the land, you not only have to be prepared to work long and hard hours, you have to be prepared to put everything on the line to keep your property going. You cannot just walk off because the crops failed. You can't have a hissy fit and chuck in the towel because no one wants to buy beef this year. Our farmers are still out there trying to battle our disgusting drought. They are putting in hours of time and lots of money to try and keep their farms viable. They are toughing it out. They are hanging in there and they are getting what help they can to keep their properties going because it is not only their livelihood, it is our food. Our grape growers are looking at burned and dried up grapes. It's heart breaking but they have not given in. These people are very special and they can manage a challenge past all challenges. So I am thinking this must be how President Bush is seeing the situation in Iraq. He is applying his tough country logic. He is thinking if he quits , then it's like on your farm...you have let nature and/or market forces beat you and you have let your crops and animals down. Farmers all over the world battle tough conditions to get their land into condition and their properties thriving. They don't just give up because it's hard. So it makes better sense to me now where he is coming from, I think. I think he thinks if you just keep working at it, it'll turn right around. Iraq is not a farm and it's not organic. It has become severe and extremely broken. It is a black hole for money and life. It will take some tough thinking to turn it around...but it needs to be tough thinking which can solve this particular crisis. Money and military are not the answer. Sociology, diplomacy, education, psychology...there's a lot to be considered.

'Doctor, can you make me look like this?'

'Doctor, can you make me look like this?' : "Doctors say Australian adolescents, especially girls, are demanding cosmetic surgery to boost self-esteem, a phenomenon health professionals say is driven by the pressure to look perfect in a celebrity-obsessed culture."
The airhead is alive and well. So much for girls' education.So what are they enrolled in at uni? No wonder men think we are bloomin' hopeless.

Ring made from pets

The Age: Diamond ring made from pets: "Sue Rogers from Devon, England, will never be without her pets after having a diamond ring made from their ashes. She paid £3200 ($A8037) for LifeGem UK to make the ring from carbon extracted from the ashes of Lucky, an old English sheepdog, a golden retriever cross called Sam and her tom cat, Patch."
I am speechless. I just do not know what to say.Whaaaaat?

Port Stanvac considered as desalination plant site

Port Stanvac considered as desalination plant site: "However the local mayor of Port Stanvac says it will not be located there without full consideration of the social and the environmental issues."
I keep thinking the real estate agents will eventually move into the dead Port Stanvac refinery area because the coast is superb, the views are superb and you can just see it being turned into multi million dollar land packages one way or another. It's location, location, loacation as afar as views and placement go. It is also a wild life sanctuary. A desalination plant? Given it was always a refinery , then I guess a desalination plant would bother the locals much...but what are the by products. The refinery used to stink. The refinery used to catch on fire. It was a hazard. What comes with a desalination plant?

Bush, Chavez duel on Latin America tours

Bush, Chavez duel on Latin America tours : "US President George W. Bush and his left-wing nemesis Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez squared off on duelling tours of Latin America on Friday as they vied for the region's hearts and minds."
I'm sorry, I can't help it. I love all of this. Bush vs. Chavez is really, really good. Healthy. Fantastic. It is great to see someone like President Hugo Chavez come out and take on someone like President Bush, because in the end, the people win. President Chavez is confident and knows his people well. President Bush is also very confident, has a lot of experience and he does not shy away from strong opposition. If nothing else, as a man who loves the land, he understands the land and its people. So you do not get pale faced, cholesterol choked board room politics from President Bush. If President Chavez is speaking on behalf of his people , President Bush will go out there and see them. Talk to them. They might not like what he is saying. They might not like his ethanol diplomacy, but they have to like the fact they have not been ignored and that President Chavez can get President Bush to visit and that President Bush is there to acknowledge what they have to say. If it takes some one like President Chavez to bring out the best in President Bush then that's a good thing for everyone...because then they have a chance to look at what's on offer and what is best for them. They can also see that leaders are interested in who they are and what they are about. It all nice , loud, healthy debate. I love it.

Presenteeism

The Age Blogs: Management Line: "The name for it these days is 'presenteeism'. Usually comes with excuses like 'I feel guilty', 'There's too much work to do' and 'I save my sick time for family emergencies, like when my kids are sick'."
Yes, in the US, in Australia and in Britain we are all suffering from presenteeism. We can't stay away unless it's a real emergency. We do go to work when we stay home. One lady has been coming with a burst blood vessel in her eye because it's too hard to get to the doctor...in the end we nagged her but covering the work is hard. We are all understaffed and our work becomes harder if we stay away. We have been to work with the dreaded cold and it's just spread like wild fire so we are all struggling. I had to go because I had taken time off for a family member who ended up in hospital suddenly. I needed to take the time to get her to a doctor to get her to the specialist to get her n for an operation. It all takes time. Managing a sick and incapacitated family memeber just blows it all out. People come to work and then suddenly there are some serious health blow outs which might have been avoided. In the end, we manage remarkably well, but older ones are fed up with it and are retiring or taking extended leave. They have had enough. Their level of missing expertise is very noticeable.

Where does food come from?

Where does food come from?: "Thousands of British children believe that cows lay eggs and many believe bacon comes from sheep, a survey by Dairy Farmers of Britain shows. More than 1000 children aged eight to 15 were asked where they thought food came from in the poll. Townies fared worst, with 8 per cent unaware that beef burgers originate from cattle."

Beef burgers not coming from cattle?? I suppose whether there is any beef in burgers has been questioned more than once. Eggs from cows?? My sister used to think that sausages were intestines and I just could not accept that peanuts grew in the ground. I am sure children have thought and will continue to think some hilarious things about food, but we are at a stage where many children grow up with paved court yards, bitumen and concrete. Many children do not get to enjoy and appreciate nature. Cattle, pigs and hens have been put into "factory" farming conditions so that children wouldn't see them roaming. I am certain we are at a stage where human beings no longer understand where things come from and how things are linked. It's why so many of them think that killing for food is cruel and would rather eat manufactured food from a packet. Marketing forces at work here.

Colley Murder

Teenage girls admit murdering friend : "Two teenage girls have admitted to murdering their 15-year-old friend, who was found in a shallow grave underneath her house in south-west Western Australia."

Eliza Jane Davis has been cruelly taken from her family and heaven knows how they are coping and managing all of this. The whole thing was bizarre and so cold and calculating. The 16 year old girls who are supposed to have killed her have admitted to the murder and will be sentenced in late April. What to do with them? How to rehabilitate them? They are so young. They have done something so unthinkable. They are now dangerous. What will we do? This is so hard to manage and even if the law goes through and comes up with a sentence, how on earth do we stop creating girls like this? They had all been out dancing. Eliza's family must be struggling so hard to get this straight in their heads and their hearts must be hurting.

Uni students under financial stress

Uni students under financial stress : "A new report, based on a survey of 27 public universities, found that 40 per cent of full-time undergraduates believed paid work was hurting their courses, compared with 16 per cent in 2000."
If they are not stressed while they are studying, they certainly will be very tired and stressed when they gain work. It is so cruel to send young people out into life with a debt like this. Paying fees upfront saves 25% so those who can afford it can save a substantial amount. I was talking to a young lad at the check out last week. He has to do 30 hours paid work because that is how he gets his job. He is trying to study full time and is trying to juggle that. It pulls the standards of courses down and the young people just become tired. He was another one who did not realise that HECS has to be paid back and that paying fees upfront saves 25%. I have lost count of the number of young poeple who think HECS is just money they access to pay their fees. They do not believe they have to pay it back. They don't understand the concept of paying upfront. Working is something they believe they have to do but hen studying is the thing which gets in the way of work. To say the least they are confused. It really isn't fair.

Trail bike rider dies from 'dehydration' in bushland

AdelaideNow... Trail bike rider dies from 'dehydration' in bushland: "Police said initial investigations showed the man suffered no road trauma and dehydration may have been a factor in his death."
If that is true, that is so sad. A lot of people love trail bike rididng in Australia and it's a sport which gets them out and about. He became separated from his rididng mate. That is so sad. I hope soem safety strategies are put in place for the trail bike riders. People so love that sport. I hope it is sorted out and it will be such a shock to his family and friends.

P-plater 'seven times over limit'

AdelaideNow... P-plater 'seven times over limit': "'A subsequent test resulted in a blood alcohol reading of 0.138, almost seven times the 0.02 reading permitted for a P-plate driver,' said police."

This is the third time he has been picked up so the court system is not working and he obviously is having a lot of fun...doubt it. 17 year old and already someone who cannot learn and who cannot stop drinking and who is putting himself and others in danger. He needs a lot of help and a good kick up the bottom.

Moggie's motor purring again

AdelaideNow... Moggie's motor purring again: "HEIDI the cat's 15-year-old motor is purring again after a Melbourne surgeon fitted her with what is believed to be the state's first feline pacemaker."

Human's and dogs have had pacemakers for a long time. heidi is the first cat to have one in Victoria. Is she the first cat in Australia? Have other cats had them worldwide? I bet the owners are thrilled to have their pet for a while longer now. An amazing story.

Brothel beside school forced closed

AdelaideNow... Brothel beside school forced closed: "A SYDNEY brothel operating next door to a Catholic girls school will shut next month after unsuccessfully appealing against its court-ordered closure."

The decision is the only logical one to make because it is a school. I am more concerned about how this occurred. Was the school or brothel built first and who on earth approved either one of them to be built next to the other??? That decision was very wrong and that person or committee is so irresponsible in my opinion.

US admits human rights failings

US admits human rights failings : "'We do not issue these reports because we think ourselves perfect but rather because we know ourselves to be deeply imperfect,' US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said as she presented the report, which assesses human rights in more than 190 countries but does not review the US record."

The truth has never hurt anyone and to have a good, hard rational look at what you do will not hurt you nor will it create problems. The picture may not be pleasant but at least it's honest. The next step is the plan. What next?

SA investigating desalination plant

SA investigating desalination plant : "Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald today said a desalination working group had been established to investigate the suitability of a plant and other options to meet Adelaide's water demands."

We are fairly good with our environmental investigations and then accommodating the changes. We have been positive , confident and practical in this area. We look at those kinds of projects as a challenge, but we also like discussing these issues and then implementing the findings. In the end it is usually a big community effort. I look forward to hearing about it.