North Coast Voices

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Raising repetition to an art form in the media

eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die(t)
anon

Going into the break at the end of last week these were some of the headlines displaying online on the subject of medication and the older person:

Fatal cocktail of common drugs putting elderly at risk
Telegraph - Jun 24, 2011
Which drugs pose a risk?
Telegraph – Jun 24, 2011
Q&A: Danger of mixing drugs
BBC News – Jun 24, 2011
Study looks at medication risk for elderly
NHS Choices - ‎Jun 24, 2011
GPs warned of fatal risk to elderly patients from common drug ...
Pulse – 24 June 2011
Well known OTC Drugs could put elderly at increased risk for dementia and even ...
Health Aim - ‎Jun 25, 2011
Common Drugs Linked to Cognitive Impairment and Possibly to Increased Risk of Death, Study Suggests
Science Daily - June 25, 2011

Fox et al have obviously sent out a rather sexy media release from their academic eyrie to coincide with publication in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and, this has caught the eye of a number of journalists.

Now before you rush to the bathroom for a precautionary check of the medicine cabinet, take some time to notice one small fact. This 'news' isn't actually new.

Data on the subject was first collected in the late 1990s and the knowledge (that some drugs may produce cognitive impairment, balance problems and other health issues in older people) has been available as news items online since at least September 2000 when the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine published the results of the Mitzer & Burns study.
In April 2008 it was again reported online after Tsao and Heilman released their findings.
In 2009 The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association also published the results of yet another study on the subject by Richardson, Fox et al. Yes, that's the same Chris Fox being repeatedly mentioned over the last few days.

While the subject is a serious one deserving of careful consideration, I'm becoming rather jaded with all these public warning from the medical profession. It seems it is bad for our health to be too fat or too thin and we must avoid or limit our consumption of nicotine, fats, salt, sugars, alcohol and now even the humble over-the-counter anti-histamine product is on the suspect list.

Life has been turned into one long obstacle course by ardent medicos eager for a little media mention and my grey hairs find me in sneaking sympathy with the salt 'n' pepper-maned Oliver Pritchett writing two days before this not-so-new story 'broke' this month.

The Fox et al study which is currently causing some journalists to hyperventilate can be found as a PDF file here - Anticholinergic Medication Use and Cognitive Impairment in the Older Population: The Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study

Corporate domination of global seed stocks led to this in less than 80 years?

Our Dwindling Food Variety
National Geographic Magazine,
July 2011
Click on graphic to enlarge

Monday 27 June 2011

Live streaming Tony

With apologies to @JustinLee76 and Cat watching the Federal Council meeting. LIVE: http://bit.ly/iAKSeR @LiberalAus #55fc #auspol for the liberty taken.

Don't zap the Zac!

It's not just charities which depend on the five cent coin. A lot of self-funded retirees and pensioners know that they will be on the losing end if Swan and Combet give in to the Royal Australian Mint.
Many remember that everyone lost out after 1990, when the abolition of the one and two cent coins saw pricing slyly creep upwards.
You know that low income earners will again be losers not winners when the Australian Vending Association is boldly coming out in favour of eliminating this coin and the Australian Retail Association straddles the fence while its executive director Russel Zimmerman happily opines that; "it was likely the price of such products would be put up to the nearest 10 cent value, making smaller items more expensive for consumers".
Suck it up you Canberra fellas and keep the zac.

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Moggy Musings

Hi! My name is Boy. I'm a male bi-coloured tabby cat. Ever since I discovered that Malcolm Turnbull's dogs were allowed to blog, I have been pestering Clarencegirl to allow me a small space on North Coast Voices.

A false flag musing: I have noticed one particular voice on Facebook which is Pollyanna-positive on the subject of the Port of Yamba becoming a designated cruise ship destination. What this gentleman doesn’t disclose is that, as a principal of Middle Star Pty Ltd, he could be thought to have a potential pecuniary interest due to the fact that this corporation (which has had an office in Grafton since 2012) provides consultancy services and tourism business development services.

A religion & local government musing: On 11 October 2017 Clarence Valley Council has the Church of Jesus Christ Development Fund Inc in Sutherland Local Court No. 6 for a small claims hearing. It would appear that there may be a little issue in rendering unto Caesar. On 19 September 2017 an ordained minister of a religion (which was named by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to 40 instances of historical child sexual abuse on the NSW North Coast) read the Opening Prayer at Council’s ordinary monthly meeting. Earlier in the year an ordained minister (from a church network alleged to have supported an overseas orphanage closed because of child abuse claims in 2013) read the Opening Prayer and an ordained minister (belonging to yet another church network accused of ignoring child sexual abuse in the US and racism in South Africa) read the Opening Prayer at yet another ordinary monthly meeting. Nice one councillors - you are covering yourselves with glory!

An investigative musing: Newcastle Herald, 12 August 2017: The state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to investigate the finances of the Awabakal Aboriginal Local Land Council, less than 12 months after the troubled organisation was placed into administration by the state government. The Newcastle Herald understands accounting firm PKF Lawler made the decision to refer the land council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after discovering a number of irregularities during an audit of its financial statements. The results of the audit were recently presented to a meeting of Awabakal members. Administrator Terry Lawler did not respond when contacted by the Herald and a PKF Lawler spokesperson said it was unable to comment on the matter. Given the intricate web of company relationships that existed with at least one former board member it is not outside the realms of possibility that, if ICAC accepts this referral, then United Land Councils Limited (registered New Zealand) and United First Peoples Syndications Pty Ltd(registered Australia) might be interviewed. North Coast Voices readers will remember that on 15 August 2015 representatives of these two companied gave evidence before NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No. 6 INQUIRY INTO CROWN LAND. This evidence included advocating for a Yamba mega port.

A Nationals musing: Word around the traps is that NSW Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has been talking up the notion of cruise ships visiting the Clarence River estuary. Fair dinkum! That man can be guaranteed to run with any bad idea put to him. I'm sure one or more cruise ships moored in the main navigation channel on a regular basis for one, two or three days is something other regular river users will really welcome. *pause for appreciation of irony* The draft of the smallest of the smaller cruise vessels is 3 metres and it would only stay safely afloat in that channel. Even the Yamba-Iluka ferry has been known to get momentarily stuck in silt/sand from time to time in Yamba Bay and even a very small cruise ship wouldn't be able to safely enter and exit Iluka Bay. You can bet your bottom dollar operators of cruise lines would soon be calling for dredging at the approach to the river mouth - and you know how well that goes down with the local residents.

A local councils musing: Which Northern Rivers council is on a low-key NSW Office of Local Government watch list courtesy of feet dragging by a past general manager?

A serial pest musing: I'm sure the Clarence Valley was thrilled to find that a well-known fantasist is active once again in the wee small hours of the morning treading a well-worn path of accusations involving police, local business owners and others.

An investigative musing: Which NSW North Coast council is batting to have the longest running code of conduct complaint investigation on record?

A fun fact musing: An estimated 24,000 whales migrated along the NSW coastline in 2016 according to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the migration period is getting longer.

A which bank? musing: Despite a net profit last year of $9,227 million the Commonwealth Bank still insists on paying below Centrelink deeming rates interest on money held in Pensioner Security Accounts. One local wag says he’s waiting for the first bill from the bank charging him for the privilege of keeping his pension dollars at that bank.

A Daily Examiner musing: Just when you thought this newspaper could sink no lower under News Corp management, it continues to give column space to Andrew Bolt.

A thought to ponder musing: In case of bushfire or flood - do you have an emergency evacuation plan for the family pet?

An adoption musing: Every week on the NSW North Coast a number of cats and dogs find themselves without a home. If you want to do your bit and give one bundle of joy a new family, contact Happy Paws on 0419 404 766 or your local council pound.

North Coast Voices

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Raising repetition to an art form in the media

Corporate domination of global seed stocks led to this in less than 80 years?

Monday 27 June 2011

Live streaming Tony

Don't zap the Zac!

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