Premier Keneally. Won't come to see us. Might send a photo.

NSW Premier Kristina K. Keneally won't accept the NSW Northern River's invitation to visit but has just released a glossy new 12-page brochure called "100 Days, A New Direction for NSW" reported to contain 124 photos of her smiling face - all at taxpayers' expense. Albeit in what seems to be a limited print run.
While this obvious vanity puff piece is at my and your expense I cannot find an official copy online anywhere. It's not on her blog or the official NSW Premier's website as I write.
So who's going to see this American-style propaganda? Just the media and select vippies in the cities?
Or is Kristina going to spend more of our money mailing it out to every NSW household?
Nah. She wouldn't be that stupid, surely.....

"Moggy Musings" [Archived material from Boy the Wonder Cat]

A pet honour roll musing:
The Daily Examiner published the Clarence Valley Australia Day 2010 Pet Show winners list. Well done everyone!
Best Kept Dog
1st Poodle -'Muffy' handled by Sarah Bruce 2nd Boxer -'Fly' handled by Cherie Jurkewicz
3rd Staffordshire Bull Terrier 'Crystal' handled by Grace Ford
Best Kept Any Other Animal
1st Ferret -'Bob' presented by Shane Griffiths
2nd Guinea Pigs -'Amethyst & Lapiszuli' presented by Amber Skinner
3rd Guinea Pig -'Grandmaster Flash' presented by Kim McClymont
Prettiest Animal Other Variety
1st Rabbit -'Massie' presented by Jamie Brown
2nd Rabbit -'Sooty' presented by Caitlin Grainger
3rd Rabbit -'Blackie' presented by Erica Creighton
HC Fish and Worms presented by Madeline Vidler and her brother
Best Groomed Cat
1st 'Oliver' presented by Jasmin Nash
2nd 'Cosmo' presented by Levi Vidler
Prettiest Cat
1st 'Cosmo' presented by Levi Vidler
2nd 'Oliver' presented by Jasmin Nash
Best Kept Bird
1st Quarrion -'Nibbles' presented by Harrison Vidler
2nd Brown Hen -'Rusty' presented by Erica Creighton
3rd Bird -'Fluffy' presented by Jamie Brown
Prettiest Bird
1st Quarrion -'Pepper' presented by Madeline Vidler
2nd Quarrion -'Nibbles' presented by Harrison Vidler
3rd Brown Hen -'Rusty' presented by Erica Creighton
Dress-up - Best Dressed Animal and Handler
1st Australian Cowboy 'Coco' and Liam Ward
2nd Bikie Staffy 'Piggy' and Shieann Acroyd
3rd hula Dancer 'Razzles' and Marissa Menzies
HC Ballet dancer Boxer 'Bella' and Cherie Jurkewicz HC Maid Maltese Cross 'Rosie' and Jamie Brown
Best Behaved Dog
1st Maltese Cross 'Charlotte' handled by Brian Maddocks
2nd Shih Tzu 'Jack' handled by David Kitchenel
3rd Bull Arab Cross 'Hector' handled by Jamie Evans
HC Groodle 'Taddy' handled by Sophie Turner
Best Tricks
1st White Staffordshire Bull Terrie 'Piggy' handled by Shieann Acroyd
2nd Dalmatian/Whippet Cross 'Kasey' handled by Abbie Counsell
3rd Fox Terrier 'Coco' handled by Liam Ward
HC Labrador 'Max' handled by Milly Deefholts
Animal Most Like Owner
1st Staffordshire Bull Terrier 'Maximum' and Zach McCann
Biggest Pet Animal
1st Dog Bull Arab Cross 'Hector' handled by Jamie Evans
Smallest Pet Animal
1st Mouse 'Rattley' presented by Jamie Brown

A Grrr at Kevin Rudd musing: Even Toovey the Wonder-Dog blacked out his website on 26 January 2010 in protest at Rudd's plan to censor the Internet in Australia. Next furry friend to see this man should give him a sharp nip on the ankle (I'm looking your way Jasper & Abby).

Australia Day 2010 musing: On 26 January the Clarence District Kennel Club is holding its Australia Day Pet Show at See Park in Grafton NSW. Starting at 9am and finishing at 11.30am. Free entry for your pet in best kept dog; best behaved dog; dog with best trick; best kept cat; best behaved cat; best kept bird; most colourful bird; best kept any other variety of pet; prettiest any other variety of pet; pet most like owner; best fancy dressed pet; biggest pet; smallest pet. Dog agility display. Come along for a great time!

A Happy Holidays musing: I hope everyone has a great time over Xmas and a super New Year celebration. Please remember to make sure your pets have some shade and plenty of water in the backyard during the summer and always take water with you when walking that dog on hot days.
For a little light holiday reading go to I Can Has Cheezburger.

The poll that really counts? Punters still not favouring Abbott-led Coalition

Possum Comitatus chart from Pollytics 12 March 2010

Betting markets may not hold all the answers but they have been uncannily predictive of real world political wins in more than a few local, state and national elections in the USA, Britain and Australia over the last decade according to the Political Forecasting Unit/Betting Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University U.K.

While in America; Justin Wolfers, a Stanford University finance professor, came to a similar conclusion in a study that examined the accuracy of bookmakers predicting the outcome of Australia's federal election.
In a survey of wagering on Australia's 2001 federal election, Wolfers found that the candidate favored by the country's largest bookmaker, Centrebet, prevailed in 43 of 47 contests.

Wolfers & Leigh in the Australian Journal of Political Science Vol 37:
Centrebet also offered odds on the outcomes in 47 electorates. Figure 6 focuses on the betting favourite in each race, plotting the probability of victory implicit in these odds against their two-party-preferred vote share. In 43 of 47 cases, the betting favourite won the election. Indeed, all 13 ALP candidates who were fancied in the betting won, while the four losers comprised two National Party MPs and two Liberals. Moreover, candidates who were more highly fancied also won a greater share of votes. Given that most marginal seats were in this sample, the fact that the market correctly selected so many tight races is quite extraordinary.

Possum gives us the graph above this week based on the Centerbet, IASbet, Sportingbet and Betfair markets which (only around 4-6 months out from writs being issued) must give the Coalition pause for thought concerning both Tony Abbott and election promises.

Time for all candidates to become acquainted with the betting odds?

Australia's Climate Action Summit 13-15 March 2010 Canberra

From the Environmental Defender's Office (NSW) weekly bulletin:

Australia's Climate Action Summit 2010

The grassroots climate movement summit is happening in Canberra at the Australian National University between 13-15 March. http://www.climatesummit.org.au