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Heard a British finacial Guru talking about deor dis-inflation tonight. first time I had ever heard of it.

 

seems I am not alone in my loathing for the Howard regime.

An interesting article.

Anyone want to buy a new, unused 60million $ "detention centre" on Christmas Island?

Saturday night's victory was not just a victory for the Labor Party; it was also a victory for those Liberals like Malcolm Fraser, Petro Georgiou and Judi Moylan, who stood against the pernicious erosion of decent standards in our public affairs.

 

The Liberal Party of John Howard, Philip Ruddock, Alexander Downer and Peter Costello is now a party of privilege and punishments. One that lacks that most basic of wellsprings: charity.

Divisive leader who squandered Australia's hopes - National - smh.com.au

 

 

Australia in the hands of a woman next week

 

By Jane Bunce and Susanna Dunkerley

 

November 26, 2007 03:47pm

Article from: AAP

 

A WOMAN will run Australia for the first time in history next week when the new prime minister is overseas.

 

Labor's Julia Gillard is deputy prime minister-elect following last Saturday's federal election which brought up to nine new women into the House of Representatives.

 

Ms Gillard will be elevated to acting prime minister when Kevin Rudd travels to Bali for climate-change talks next week.

Australia in the hands of a woman next week | NEWS.com.au

How the world sees Australia’s election

How the world sees Australia’s election | News.com.au News Blog

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It is a very big country.

The wetter north seems to be doing well ?

 

Watermelon harvest begins

 

By Louise FitzRoy

 

Friday, 23/11/2007

 

In the heart of Australia, 180 kilometres north of Alice Springs, Oolloo Farm is a week into its second watermelon harvest for the year.

 

Several varieties are grown over 40 hectares including the latest addition, the 'Personal' watermelon, which is considerably smaller than the other varieties.

Watermelon harvest begins. 23 Nov 2007. Rural Online. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

A good year for Central Australian table grapes

 

By Louise FitzRoy

 

Wednesday, 21/11/2007

 

It's one of the biggest table grape farms in Central Australia, and this year Territory Grapes is expecting to harvest more than double its yield from last year.

 

In just under a week, 100 employees will converge on the 200-acre plantation, to start picking flame seedless, the first of two varieties grown on-site.

. . .

. A good picker can make up to 1500 dollars a week on this property.

Push to put another pepper grinder on the kitchen table

 

By Anna Vidot

 

Monday, 19/11/2007

 

A new peak body could be just the push the native food industry needs to grow the market for bushfoods in Australia and around the world.

 

November saw bushfoods producers from around the country gather in Lismore, New South Wales for the first annual general meeting of Australian Native Food Industry Limited, which was formed last December.

Push to put another pepper grinder on the kitchen table. 19 Nov 2007. Rural Online. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Katherine mango season underway

 

By Carl Curtain

 

Monday, 19/11/2007

 

It's all go at Manbulloo mangoes; the pickers are in the trees; the packers are in the shed and the customers are in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Katherine mango season underway. 19 Nov 2007. Rural Online. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Huge corn crop at Katherine

 

By Carl Curtain

 

Thursday, 29/11/2007

 

There's plenty of excitement about the future of agriculture in the north, and perhaps rightly so.

 

This year alone on The Country Hour, we've heard about very successful crops like potatoes, soyabeans and cashews that are all set to take off.

 

But now it's corn, the grain that makes our corn chips and corn flakes.

Huge corn crop at Katherine. 29 Nov 2007. Rural Online. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

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Some of the latest news.

Rudd's first act: yes to climate pact

Jewel Topsfield, Mark Forbes and Marian Wilkinson

December 4, 2007

 

A DECADE after the Kyoto Protocol was adopted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, Australia has moved to ratify the treaty in the first official act of the Rudd Labor Government.

 

Within hours of being sworn in yesterday as Australia's 26th Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd had moved to honour Labor's long-standing pledge to ratify the treaty, which legally commits the nation to an emissions target of 108% of 1990 levels by 2012.

Rudd's first act: yes to climate pact - National - theage.com.au

 

It is raining so nice to wake up this morning to the sound of rain on the roof.

But Australia seems to be a country of extremes

Residents, motorists in deep water after storms - National - theage.com.au

 

Trade deficit presents banks with tough decision

Nassim Khadem

December 4, 2007

 

ON THE Rudd Government's first day in office, Australia's worst ever monthly trade deficit and new evidence of rising inflation are threatening to undermine its hopes of keeping Australia's economy under control.

Trade deficit presents banks with tough decision - National - theage.com.au

 

 

Company profits fall to $47bn

Article from: AAP

 

December 03, 2007 12:19pm

 

GROWTH in company profits unexpectedly fell to $46.52 billion in the three months to September, taking the gloss off what is expected to be a bumper economic growth reading in Wednesday's national accounts.

 

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said profits fell by a seasonally adjusted 2.1 per cent in the September quarter compared to the previous quarter.

 

Economists had forecast a 2 per cent increase.

Company profits fall to $47bn | Herald Sun

Oil discovery in SA

 

Monday, 03/12/2007

 

A new oil field has been discovered in South Australia's Cooper Basin.

 

Cooper Energy says over the weekend the Parsons 1 well was flowing at almost 3500 barrels of oil a day.

Oil discovery in SA - 03/12/2007

 

An not far from where the original Endevor ran aground:_

Salvage attempt begins for ship stuck in harbour

Posted 6 hours 38 minutes ago

 

* Map: Gladstone 4680

 

A detailed salvage effort is under way in Central Queensland to try to move a 75,000-tonne bulk carrier that ran aground in the Gladstone Harbour.

 

The Endeavour River ran aground yesterday afternoon while loaded with bauxite.

Salvage attempt begins for ship stuck in harbour - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Finally in the Christmas spirit

Ham thieves leave festive greeting

 

Monday, 03/12/2007

 

Police are appealing for help as they investigate the robbery of 16 tonnes of ham and bacon from a warehouse in Sydney's north-west.

 

Sometime between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, thieves broke into Zammit Ham and Bacon on Nirvana Road at Pendle Hill

Acting Inspector Rod Ormes from Parramatta Police says they left the message "Merry Christmas" on the warehouse wall

Ham thieves leave festive greeting - 03/12/2007

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PLEASE OZZIES

This is not my blog

Please post anything interesting, important or preferably Funny here!!

 

Forbes 40 Australia

Australia's 40 Largest Companies

Australia's 40 Largest Companies - Forbes.com

Banks, telcos, Shrek win Shonky awards

 

 

December 4, 2007 - 5:39PM

 

Movie ogre Shrek has joined Australia's banks and mobile phone carriers among the winners of the annual CHOICE Shonky awards for poor consumer standards.

 

The awards - for dubious, dodgy or dangerous products - singled out Westpac as "Worstpac" for its high service fees, but criticised all Australia's banks for a raft of unfair charges.

 

CHOICE spokesman Christopher Zinn said the consumer advocate's pressure on the banks was showing dividends, with at least one minor victory for consumers.

Banks, telcos, Shrek win Shonky awards - Breaking News - National - Breaking News

I would add ShittyBank.

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MY ELDER son has returned home after a year away at uni. His mother gasps at the sight of him.

Just say 'mo' - Richard Glover - Opinion - smh.com.au

Security. ASIO and the Federal Police have had their chance and stuffed it up completely. Now it's the turn of my policy of "Just Arrest Everyone With A Beard". It's true some innocent people will be swept up with the guilty but that's hardly a change to the current policy. What ASIO achieves through incompetence, we manage through direct policy - and at half the price. Even better, we'll have an excuse to arrest Phillip Adams.

Campaign promises we'd like to see - Richard Glover - Opinion - smh.com.au

 

Desire and the green cure

 

 

I USED TO feel bad about mindless consumerism but not any more. The green movement has come to my rescue. With every purchase, I can now enjoy the warm glow of helping develop environmentally sound practices.

 

There's my new briefcase, for example. It is shiny and luxurious and its purchase has allowed me to throw my old one into the bin. But there's no eco-guilt for me.

 

According to the manufacturer, the leather in my briefcase was stained using "extracts of bark and seeds collected from renewable sources in the forests of Africa and India". The work was all done by "traditional artisans", all of them using "sustainable practices" in the "old saddler tradition". There's not a lot of detail on the leather but, based on the tone of the pamphlet, I'm pretty sure the cows would have been volunteers.

Desire and the green cure - Richard Glover - Opinion - smh.com.au

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PLEASE OZZIES

This is not my blog

Please post anything interesting, important or preferably Funny here!!

 

I've gone with the funny option.

 

 

You're not Australian 'til...

 

1) You've mimicked Alf Stewart from the TV show Home and Away's broad, Australian accent, eg. "push off, ya flamin' drongo!"

 

2) You've had an argument with your mate over whether Ford or Holden makes the better car!

 

3) You've done the "hot sand" dance at the beach while running from the ocean back to your towel.

 

4) You know who Ray Martin is.

 

5) You start using words like "reckon" and "root" and call people "mate".

 

6) You stop greeting people with "hello" and go straight to the "how ya doin'?"

 

7) You've seriously considered running down the shop in a pair of Ugg Boots

 

8) You own a pair of ugg boots.

 

9) You've been to a day-nighter cricket match and screamed out incomprehensibly until your throat went raw.

 

10) You kind of know the first verse to the national anthem, but don't know what "girt" means.

 

11) You have a story that somehow revolves around excess consumption of alcohol and a mate named "Dave".

 

12) You've risked attending an outdoor music festival on the hottest day of the year.

 

13) You've tried to hang off a clothesline while pretending you can fly.

 

14) You've had a visit to the emergency room after hanging off the clothesline pretending you can fly.

 

15) You own a pair of thongs for everyday use, and another pair of "dress thongs" for special occasions.

 

16) You don't know what's in a meat pie, and you don't care.

 

17) You pronounce Australia as "Stralya"

 

18) You call soccer soccer, not football

 

19) You've squeezed Vegemite through vita wheat to make little Vegemite worms.

 

20) You suck your coffee through a Tim Tam.

 

21) You realise that lifeguards are the only people who can get away with wearing Speedos.

 

22) You pledge allegiance to Vegemite over Promite. (DEFINITELY)

 

23) You understand the value of public holidays.

 

24) Your weekends are spent barracking for your favourite sports team.

 

25) You have a toilet dolly.

 

26) Your Mum or Nan made it.

 

27) You've played beach cricket with a tennis ball and a bat fashioned out of a fence post.

 

28) You firmly believe that in the end, everything will be ok, and have told a mate in tough times that "She'll be right, mate"

 

29) You use the phrase, "no worries" at least once a day.

 

30) You've been on a beach holiday and have probably stayed in a caravan.

 

31) You constantly shorten words to "brekkie", "arvo" and "barbie"

 

32) You've adopted a local bar as your own.

 

33) You know the oath of mateship can never be limited by geographical distance.

 

34) You measure a journey in beer, not kilometres or time. (That's a 3 beer trip mate).

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Your wine raises funds for Royal Flying Doctor Service

The multi-talented Bush Telegraph audience produced a remarkable wine

earlier this year after growing the grapes and setting down a vintage of

shiraz. Our shiraz is called "Orange Red" and our rival team from Orange

Tafe has produced a less complex drop called "The Graduate". The wines

are on sale and all money raised will go to the Royal Flying Doctor

Service. Your wine raises funds for RFDS - 16/11/2007

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Now here's some common sense for the fisheries. Hopefully the US will follow the lead here.

 

"So we looked at the orange roughy fishery off south-eastern Australia - that's a very long-lived species that can go up to 150 years," said Professor Grafton.

 

"We calculate that we should be conserving about 65% of the virgin biomass whereas at the moment we're down to about 30%.

 

"With a faster-growing species such as the [Australian] northern prawn fishery, you're at the other end of the spectrum."

 

With advice from scientists at ANU, the Australian federal government is to introduce MEY-based management for 26 species from the beginning of 2008, Professor Grafton said.

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Catch cuts 'bring bigger profits'

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The 7.30 Report - ABC

Zorba the GreeK with the music of Theodorakis has to be my all time favourite movie

I remember dancing to it on a beach at dawn one morning with Michael Fradouley (Greek) and Grant (very English) (Both sadly long lost friends)

 

Now an aboriginal group has stared a U-tube sensation with a combination of aboriginal dance and Greek Music(!)

Only in Australia

WONDERFUL

The dance group looks like being invited to Greece to perform

How Bloody Wonderful !

Dial up or real player here:-

The 7.30 Report - ABC

Zorba the Greek Yolgnu style

 

Print

 

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Broadcast: 13/12/2007

Reporter: Murray McLaughlin

 

A group of young Aboriginal dancers has achieved international notoriety through the reach of the World Wide Web.

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Can we borrow him? This is the number one problem in US politics...now even the Democrats are blaming each other! :hyper:

...

There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you, ;)

 

Hi Buffy,

 

Here's a story about the seedier side of the Australian political and judicial systems. It's why I don't give up.

 

(1) Around six months after John Howard was elected in 1996 he signed the UN covanent on the rights of the child.

 

(2) Six months later the Queensland Supreme Court of Review stated that they couldn't find anything in state or federal legislation that would prevent an 11 year old girl from consenting to sex with a 69 year old man. The girl was rented to the man for the night by her parents for a carton of cigarettes.

 

(3) I was 16 when the age of consent was changed to 16 so I started writing letters to Queensland Newspapers publications (now owned by Newscorp) and The Australian newspaper.

 

(4) Another 6 months later the Queensland state government saved itself AU$80 million dollars by releasing 400 convicted child molesters from their sentences 4 years early. The 4 year rape charge was removed for all current prisoners (carnal knowledge charges stood) even though several of the offenders had molested children under the age of 11.

 

(5) The UN, realising its error, released another UN Covanent on the rights of the child, Against Exploitation, and John Howard refused to sign, maybe because they would have to put the 400 released prisoners back in Jail for their 4 years. John Howard and Peter Beattie, the then Premier of Queensland, were both Anglican Lawyer Politicians.

 

(6) Several years later Queensland decided to decriminalise brothels. I wrote a letter to the then state Attorney General, Dean Wells, over my concerns about our dubious consent laws and legalised prostitution. The then AG responded in writing that the problems would be solved because they were going to change the onus on consent in court. Previously the child was considered incapable of consenting 'under the law' and the 4 year rape charge was automatic on the offender. In the future the child, under the stautory age of consent, would have to prove that he/she didn't consent.

 

(7) The end result Outrage over rape sentences | The Courier-Mail

 

So Buffy, I've been fighting these scum through the press for 10 years now, and Rupert Murdoch's newspapers didn't (and still don't) appear to want to publish any of my emails.

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Can we borrow him? This is the number one problem in US politics...now even the Democrats are blaming each other! :hyper:

...

There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you, ;)

 

Hi Buffy,

 

Here's a story about the seedier side of the Australian political and judicial systems. It's why I don't give up.

 

(1) Around six months after John Howard was elected in 1996 he signed the UN covanent on the rights of the child.

 

(2) Six months later the Queensland Supreme Court of Review stated that they couldn't find anything in state or federal legislation that would prevent an 11 year old girl from consenting to sex with a 69 year old man. The girl was rented to the man for the night by her parents for a carton of cigarettes.

 

(3) I was 16 when the age of consent was changed to 16 so I started writing letters to Queensland Newspapers publications (now owned by Newscorp) and The Australian newspaper.

 

(4) Another 6 months later the Queensland state government saved itself AU$80 million dollars by releasing 400 convicted child molesters from their sentences 4 years early. The 4 year rape charge was removed for all current prisoners (carnal knowledge charges stood) even though several of the offenders had molested children under the age of 11.

 

(5) The UN, realising its error, released another UN Covanent on the rights of the child, Against Exploitation, and John Howard refused to sign, maybe because they would have to put the 400 released prisoners back in Jail for their 4 years. John Howard and Peter Beattie, the then Premier of Queensland, were both Anglican Lawyer Politicians.

 

(6) Several years later Queensland decided to decriminalise brothels. I wrote a letter to the then state Attorney General, Dean Wells, over my concerns about our dubious consent laws and legalised prostitution. The then AG responded in writing that the problems would be solved because they were going to change the onus on consent in court. Previously the child was considered incapable of consenting 'under the law' and the 4 year rape charge was automatic on the offender. In the future the child, under the stautory age of consent, would have to prove that he/she didn't consent.

 

(7) The end result Outrage over rape sentences | The Courier-Mail

 

So Buffy, I've been fighting these scum through the press for 10 years now, and Rupert Murdoch's newspapers didn't (and still don't) appear to want to publish any of my emails.

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Thanks Freeztar,

 

Our politicians are worse than savages. Unfortunately our Australian indigenous brothers and sisters are in generally a peacable lot who don't have much resistence to alcohol.

Revelations that a judge released nine people who had been found guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl because she "probably agreed to have sex" have sparked a massive round of soul-searching within Australia about the problem of abuse within Aboriginal communities.

Gang rape releases cause Aboriginal fury - Times Online

 

Child rape sentence 'pathetic'

 

Tony Koch and Padraic Murphy | December 10, 2007

 

THE Queensland opposition has called for an immediate inquiry into the sentencing procedure behind the gang-rape case of a 10-year-old girl whose nine attackers escaped jail time.

 

Nine males who pleaded guilty last month to gang-raping a 10-year-old girl at the Aurukun Aboriginal community on Cape York have escaped a prison term, with the sentencing judge saying the child victim "probably agreed" to have sex with them.

 

Cairns-based District Court judge Sarah Bradley ordered that the six teenage juveniles not even have a conviction recorded for the 2005 offence, and that they be placed on a 12-month probation order.

Child rape sentence 'pathetic' | The Australian

I think some Muslims recently got 30 years for rape.

 

I just listened to the last half of the "Conversation Hour" on ABC 702 or RN. You could listen to it on line.

It was about an American psychiatrist who, when he was training, was told that a woman who told you she had had sexual abuse as a child was just "wish-fulfilment" or similar. It always needed to be discounted as it was not "real" (!)

It was a fascinating, revealing, iconoclastic, interview about psychiatry and Freud.

SEE

The Conversation Hour :: ABC Sydney

The interview has not been posted yet 14/12/07. I want to listen to the whole lot again.

(PS I found this, while I was browsing that site. It also seems relevant)

Psychologist Dr Simonne Jameson

 

When i was teaching long term unemployed white girls , in Newcastle NSW, I was walking down the street with them (about 15 girls) when they started to wolf-whistle a boy on the other side of the road. Fascinated I asked them why they were doing this.

Gs "Because he is spunky"

M "O, what makes a boy spunky?"

Gs "O you know good looking and doesn't beat you up too much"

M"Too much! What do you mean"

 

I had a long talk with them about relationships.

It turned out that every girl had been beaten by a male in the previous week !

My middle-crassness was in total-melt-down-shock.

 

The girls taught me a lot of things; like not to believe what they said sometimes. The above I think was true.

As in "I don't want a job" (otherwise I would have to admit I was the problem)

Obscene swearing that would make a Warfie blush (I learnt some new words too) which gave them a sluttish reputation. Yet they had very prim morals worthy of a Baptist Sunday School Teacher.

 

So given the stare of psychiatry and the above; abuse sexually and physically has probably been under-reported for ages.

 

Hopefully,I am about to do some volunteer homework and other educational monetering of kids. (Smith Family) The forms I have to fill in though are so scary. Police checks, background checks you name it.

What if some kid accuses you of abuse?

You are immediately Gilty, mud sticks

(Interestingly 1in 10 psychiatrists had sexual relationships with patients!)

Even Santa these days has to have both his hands in the photo with your kids.

I had a gay, teacher friend who lost his career because of a false accusation.

 

There are so many things wrong with our prison system. Where do you start.

Ever read the book "My Six Convicts" about the first psychologist in USA prisons" a fascinating read. t is out of print i keep bying it and lending it to others and never getting it back.

At least prisons here are not as dehumanising as the USA system or SE Asia.

We don't have people chained up like dogs.

 

Have you thought about joining the NSW Council for Civil liberties Laurie? It is about time I re-joined.

I find Amnesty does some good work too.

 

 

I think there are good people/politicians, even Howard, who believe they are doing good things. Changing the world or a bureaucracy is not easy.

 

Aboriginal diet is a worry.

Before Cook/Phillip it was VERY high in protein, kangaroo, echinda, goanna, shellfish, freshwater fish, and farmed eels, coastal fish and masses of shell fish. Some berries very high in Vit C, not a lot of starchy yams or grass seed.

Now the diet is high in sugar & carbohydrates& fat- alcohol,cornflakes, wheat bix , white bread, flour, take-away fatty foods,etc

I believe this is one cause of the high diabetic rate among aboriginals

Also there could easily be a high instance of wheat intolerance (coeliac disease) and milk (lactose) intolerance; Also glutamate system problems.

All these things can become toxic to those unable to deal with them. There even seems to be cognitive impairment problems.

Not enough research has been done on this.

 

We don't have much resistance to alcohol either. Police are trialling a plastc cup after 11pm in Sydney bars to cut down the fights where glasses are used as weapons. !

It is hard to generalise about Aboriginal Nations as some nations are very different even culturally. Many aboriginal towns are "dry"

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kangaroo kept getting out of his enclosure at the zoo.

Knowing that he could hop high, the zoo officials put up a ten-foot fence.

 

He was out the next morning, just roaming around the zoo.

 

A twenty-foot fence was put up.

 

Again he go out.

 

When the fence was forty feet high, a camel in the next enclosure asked the kangaroo, "How high do you think they'll go?"

 

 

The kangaroo said,

 

"About a thousand feet, unless somebody locks the gate at night!"

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