McDonald's versus Yamba: boycott calls continue

The following was posted on Menu Mate at the webpage titled
McDonald's Family Restaurants (Ballina)
on 25 May 2010 and a copy sent to me:

Reviewer Name: EK
Title: McDonald's stay away from Yamba!
Comments: Dear Mr Campbell, I know a McDonald's restaurant in Yamba was approved last week by the local Council but the majority of Yamba residents DO NOT want it. Why do you want to come to Yamba when it is quite clear you are not wanted here. Please take back your application as most people will be boycotting it and you will not make any money.

To date this post is failing to display on the webpage in question. Hhmm........
However, the call to boycott any McDonald's eat-in and drive through fast food outlet in the small NSW North Coast town of Yamba continues.
While planning issues and councillots' votes refuse to die in The Daily Examiner letters to the editor on 11 June 2010 (twenty-five days after Clarence Valley Council development consent):

Valley Watch on Maccas decision
THE issues addressed by Valley Watch were not anti-McDonalds per se - they were mainly based on the inappropriateness of the intensified use of this particular site and the resultant adverse effects on local residents.
The zoning allows some uses 'with consent', meaning planners and councillors must take into account all the issues; it does not mean mandatory approval, a fact, which escaped five of the seven councillors voting on the DA.
A "refreshment room" is allowed in the zoning.
The definition does not include drive-through facilities, which the applicant claims is an ancillary use.
An accepted definition of ancillary use is that the area is subordinate or incidental to the dominant use (example being: accommodation for nurses on a hospital site).
As the drive-through will operate when the restaurant is closed, we do not believe it meets the accepted definitions of ancillary use, and is therefore not allowed in the zoning.
The fact that this commercial zoning abuts a residential area, the extra traffic that will be generated in the already planned Community Health Centre and Performing Arts Centre opposite, the increased traffic in residential streets, the adverse effect of lighting on surrounding residences, and the increased noise generated by this development as opposed to a retail outlet operating normal trading hours, were totally inadequately addressed in the planning report and by the majority of councillors.
Crime prevention was mentioned in the application, but it was not properly addressed in the report.
Councillors and planners were given many instances of increased anti-social behaviour and litter problems at other McDonalds outlets, but the issue was not addressed in the planning reports (Cr Margaret McKenna suggested Yamba residents could pick up the rubbish on their walks).
We thank Crs Tiley and Hughes, who voted against the development, and express our disappointment in the other councillors' lack of understanding of the issues and the inadequate information provided to them in the planning reports.
RONWYN LOPEZ, Valley Watch Inc secretary

A poll just for laffs....

Click on poll results to enlarge

A whimsical poll from The Bureau Chiefs.

Not everyone loves a mining millionaire.....

SMH online polling A.M. (above) and P.M. (below) on 10 June 2010

According to ABC News on Thursday, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission has given a timely reminder to mining companies that their rhetoric needs to be in line with their advice to the stockmarket, institutional investors, shareholders and creditors:

The corporate regulator says mining companies need to ensure they comply with continuous disclosure rules, when making statements during the debate about the proposed resources super profits tax.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission says the directors of resources firms need to work out whether they have enough information to form a view on the impact of the tax, when making statements to financial markets.
ASIC's deputy chairman Belinda Gibson says responsibility for compliance with the stock exchange's continuous disclosure rules ultimately lies with directors.
"The rules require that: a) that the market is fully informed; and, b) that the market is not misled," she said.
"Now it's up to directors when they make statements about their companies, whether it's in relation to the resources tax, that their statements are accurate and that all material information is given to the market."

Elsewhere it has been suggested that the Australian Electoral Commission also had some stern words about one of the anti-RSPT advertisements that the mining industry was running.

First Contact: a whale tale from the NSW North Coast

As more and more North Coast recreational fishers come into contact with migrating whales, here (with permission of the author David Bancroft) is one very personal encounter - first published in The Dailly Examiner on 4 November 2008:

SOMETIMES the most memorable events occur when you least expect them.

On Sunday, while fishing with a neighbour about a kilometre offshore from Minnie Water, we experienced something neither of us is ever likely to forget.

Having dropped my GPS before we set off, we were unable to find our usual fishing spots so we settled on some close-in reefs, in about 14 metres of water, in the middle of some other boats that had already settled.

We dropped anchor and that's where we stayed.

Things were quiet ... too quiet.

Then as I looked to the north from the back of the boat a whale surfaced about 15 to 20 metres away moving slowly and gracefully towards us.

Nothing unusual in that, it happens quite a lot now.

When it surfaced again – now only seven to eight metres from the boat – we could see it had a calf in tow.

We banged the side of the boat so they would be aware we were there, but there was no change in direction.

"Hang onto something," I said.

Then, when they surfaced again only a few metres from the back of the boat, the adrenalin started flowing.

We could see dark shadows under the water only about a metre under the boat. Then they surfaced beside us. We could have jumped from the boat and ridden them.

Then they were under again and, soon after, we started moving. Not violently or suddenly, but one of these two mighty creatures had collected our anchor rope and we were travelling with them.

Obviously frightened by their contact with the rope, the monsters gave a few almighty thrusts with their tails to break free. There was such power that the swell and chop disappeared and the whole surface of the water for about 40 metres became a whirlpool.

The boat swung around. They were free of the rope.

It might sound ridiculous, but this was more exhilarating than frightening, more a realisation of the power of these magnificent mammals than a reminder of your own mortality.

It was fantastic.

Saffin marches for equal pay for women and Hogan hides

Pic from article in The Northern Star on 10 June 2010

Maud up the Street asked me to mention that Federal Labor MP for the Page electorate on the NSW North Coast, Janelle Saffin, was out on the barricades marching for Equal Pay For Women.

Onya, Janelle!

Now I know there weren't any men in that march, but I didn't see any public support in the media from Kevin Hogan the Nats candidate standing against Saffin in this year's federal election.

Poor show, Kev. Half the world don't have dangly bits, mate. You're supposed to remember that and help the push for equality.

When 'Microsoft' calls..........

The international Support on Click scam (aka ITEZY.com and System Recure) has been around for a number of years as this suspect press release, media article, forum and post indicate.

Even Dell has a warning out about these scammers: We have recently received complaints from some Dell customers in relation to a company called Support On Click. We are informed that representatives of Support On Click have telephoned Dell customers and have indicated that Support On Click.com is in some way affiliated with Dell. Please note that Support On Click is in no way affiliated with Dell, nor is its controlling company, Pecon Software Limited.

This appears to be part of the standard spiel and one version that currently being used in the Northern Rivers area: He had me click Start-Run and type in eventvwr, and then click on Applications and tell him how many Error flags I had — well, there were hundreds, just from this past month. He asked for a little info about them, and started a spiel about how many people were having these kinds of problems. It sounded like the canned beginning of a sales pitch.

The Daily Examiner on 9 June 2010 reported on the latest manifestation:

A TELEPHONE-BASED computer scam, which asks computer owners to install damaging and invasive software on the premise of a remote repair session has been stepped up in Grafton and Coffs Harbour in recent weeks.

Though the scam has been operating for well over a year nationally, with sporadic instances occurring locally, Computer Troubleshooters, Grafton reported it had heard of at least 10 customers affected in the Grafton area in the past fortnight and about the same amount in Coffs Harbour prior to that.

According to a Queensland police statement, the scam, which is sometimes known as 'Support on Click', involves people taking a call from a person working at a foreign call centre.

The caller claims to belong to a software support company that has been requested by Microsoft to fix problems on the victim's computer.

The offender confirms the victim's computer has sent error messages to Microsoft regarding problems with their Windows Explorer before directing the victim through a process on their computer, ultimately giving the offender remote access to the computer to download Trojans or gain access to personal information.

Once the offender has gained access, they will then give or sell the victim software in order to prevent this problem in the future. The victim, instead of downloading anti-virus software, unknowingly installs a virus on their computer which may be used to gather credit card data.

Microsoft's Asia-Pacific director for internet safety, Julie Inman Grant, confirmed the company was not contacting its customers by telephone.

"Microsoft will never cold-call a customer and request access to their computer system. Nor do we direct third-party support companies to do so," she said.....

However, to date I can find no specific mention of this attempt to deceive on scamwatch.gov.au. Australian Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy is apparently more interested in furthering his grand plans for censoring the Internet.

名誉のない国: Japan launches whaling fleet for summer slaughter in Pacific

名誉のない国 - A nation without honour intends to kill gentle mammals such as this sperm whale pictured above. Why? Not because it's people are starving and in need of food, but simply because it can.

The Global Times 10th June 2010:

"Japan launched a summer whaling mission Wednesday, with the target of killing 260 of the giant sea mammals in the Northwest Pacific, despite legal action by Australia. Three harpoon and two research ships set sail from three separate ports in Japan with more than 200 crew to hunt whales in the Pacific Ocean, said the Institute of Cetacean Research, which is sending the state-backed whaling fleet. Due to obstructions by the US-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Japan said that its catch was down to 507 whales in the 2009-2010 expedition in the southern waters, below a target of about 850. In the latest whaling trip, the fleet led by the Nisshin Maru mother ship plans to catch 100 minke whales, 100 sei whales, 50 Bryde's whales and 10 sperm whales. The expedition comes after Australia launched legal action with the International Court of Justice in an effort to stop Japan from killing whales in the name of science."

Pic found at Google Images

The Great Cup Hunt

The last couple of months I've been lost in a mind fog.
I'm finding that I have the attention span of a goldfish with Alzheimer's. Nice rock....nice rock....[thunk]....where did that big hard thing come from?

My vagueness was brought home to me when I went to get a mug for my morning cuppa. There were only three mugs facing me.
Since I usually have about eighteen mugs in the cupboard I had to wonder where all the other mugs had got to?
I've never seen mugs migrate north for the winter before. Was this a new phenomena? Something to do with global climate change?

Then it occurred to me that every morning I make myself a cuppa, go down to feed Arnold the calf and then wander around the farm checking on things or down to the garden to work. So off I go on six cylinders, with only two firing.

Sure enough there are three cups sitting like nesting birds around Arnold's stall. The cup hunt is now on in earnest.

Next stop the garden. Each tap yields a cup, two on various garden posts and another one that had fallen off its wooden perch. I’m on the right track.

So then I walk the yard fence and this comes up trumps with another five. By the time I get to the main gate I have a bucket load of cups, a sense of destiny and a great hunger for breakfast.

After breakfast I unload the cups ready for washing and something occurs to me - where is the mug with the fish pattern I had with me this morning when I went on the cup hunt?

Pic from Google Images

Weekly Greenhouse Gas Indicator for NSW 28 May-3 June 2010

If anything is needed to convince there is an urgent need for a national legislative response to global warming, it is the fact that the Australian states display such variance in greenhouse gas levels under different state policies and strategies.

According to the Climate Group, between 28 May and 3 June 2010 South Australia was 11% below the average equivalent 1990 weekly emissions and 16% below the equivalent 2000 weekly average, Queensland 97% above the average equivalent 1990 weekly emissions and 27% above the equivalent 2000 weekly average, Victoria 31% above the average equivalent 1990 weekly emissions and 1.8% above the equivalent 2000 weekly average and New South Wales 23% above the average equivalent 1990 weekly emissions and 5.7% above the equivalent 2000 weekly average.

Neither West Australia, Tasmania nor the Northern Territory are tracked in this data set.

Weekly Greenhouse Indicator - New south Wales

This week's (28 May to 3 June) NSW Indicator is 2.043 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, the breakdown is as follows:

In tonnes:

Electricity from coal: 1.192 million; 58.3%

Natural gas: 0.177 million; 8.7%

Petroleum: 0.675 million; 33.0%

This week

NSW's emissions from energy fell by 0.9% or 18,000 tonnes, due to a decrease in emissions from both gas and coal-fired generation.

Emissions sources

Emissions from coal-fired electricity, which accounted for 88% of electricity generation in NSW this week, fell by 1.9% or 23,000 tonnes.

Emissions from gas fell by 8.7% or 17,000 tonnes.

Emissions from petroleum products grew by 3.3% or 22,000 tonnes

Demand & Import/Export

Electricity demand fell by 0.7%.

NSW imported 4.6% of its electricity demand from other states, compared to 2.3% last week.

Comparisons

This week's Indicator is 1.0% higher than the same week in 2009 and total emissions to this stage of 2010 are 4.9% lower than the similar stage last year.

This week's Indicator is 23% above the average equivalent 1990 weekly emissions and 5.7% above the equivalent 2000 weekly average.

Overview: WEEKLY GREENHOUSE INDICATOR - SUMMER REPORT 2009/10

Possum had a bright shiny graph of Teh Convergence

Click on Pollytics graph to tumefy

Two party preferred trend as we approach the 2010 federal election.
Will it be curtains for Rudd or the long drop for Abbott?

Yamba in world's top ten places

Charlie Kemp, a no frills blogger from the Old Dart, has just returned home after 129 days on the road.

Charlie, who blogs at Nap Year Diaries, listed the the Top Ten Places he visited. They are (in chronological order): Delhi, Pushkar, Jodhpur, Panjim, Arambol (India), Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An (Vietnam), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Yamba (Australia).

Other highlights from Charlie's journeys include:
Best country - Vietnam
Best beach - Booti Booti, NSW
Best hotel - Hotel Siddartha, Agra, India
Best breakfast - bagels at Café Stir, Christchurch
Best lunch - 'Two-Steak Tuesday' at a forgotten pub on his first day in Sydney - a forgotten pub!?! I didn't think such an institution existed.
Best dinner - Tandoori Pomfret on the beach in Anjuna, Goa
Best beer - Tui (New Zealand)
Most attractive women - Vietnam
Most attractive men -New Zealand - Charlie didn't say if this was before or after the beer.
Best film - Invictus
Best book - Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Here are a few of Charlie's other thoughts about his journey:
Turning the corner into Delhi's Main Bazaar an hour after landing on our first day in India to see a seething mass of humanity, motorcycles, dust and rotting vegetables, and wondering if this was such a good idea.

Trying to catch the sleeper train from Agra to Jaipur, squeezing into an approximately coffin-sized berth, realising we were on the wrong train, giving up on our actual train once it was more than five hours late, heading back into the city and finding a hotel room around midnight.

Cycling from Siem Reap (Cambodia) into the ancient city of Angkor and around its remarkable temples in sweltering heat on decrepit but loveable bicycles.

Tweedie knocking an old Vietnamese man off his motorcycle almost as soon as we landed in Hanoi, and moments later the smiles on the faces of everyone involved.

Hopping into a tiny fishing boat in Hoi An where a tiny old Vietnamese lady had agreed to take us up and down the river, only for her to hand me the paddle and roll an enormous reefer.

Going on an irrelevantly unsuccessful fishing trip with our new Australian friends Paul and Gillian on their friends Ross and Helen's boat on an otherwise empty lake near Yamba.

It would seem that Charlie had an A-1 holiday.

Axe the billionaires!

Axe the Tax!

Save a mining billionaire!

Reweavers: the quiet achievers

David Bancroft, editor of The Daily Examiner, pens some well-deserved praise of reweavers on 8 June 2010:

IN about 1900, former US president Theodore Roosevelt wrote how he had been impressed with an African saying: "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

He believed people who followed the adage would go far.

It is an adage that would apply to virtually all the people who attended a modest dinner in Grafton on Friday night.

I was honoured to accept an invitation to attend the annual dinner of the Clarence Valley's reweavers group, a group committed to 'reweaving' the tapestry of society.

Most of those attending were committed environmentalists, people who had dedicated most of their adult lives to improving or at least protecting what remains of the environment of the Clarence Valley and neighbouring regions.

Those up for special mention were Stan Mussared, Carmel Flint and the Koala Protection Society.

These people, and the 70-plus others who attended, gain nothing from their environmental advocacy and hands-on effort apart from making the world what they believe to be a better place.

They are quietly spoken, reserved and non-confrontational but prepared to stand their ground when they believe it necessary.

It can sometimes get them offside with industry and government, but their motivation and commitment should not be questioned.

They offered a valuable lesson to us all.