An empty vessel satirized

http://youtu.be/JyxTX8ozLGI

Of course it's harder to laugh at the bloke when you read some of the dangerous nonsence that pours out of the clutter of empty brain boxes on his hand-picked team.
"Asking mining companies to fund dam projects was one of the options being considered.
''For instance, some of the dam work we are looking at, we think we can get - instead of taxing the mining industry - suggest to them they can invest in a dam and then have access to water to wash their coal. And they'll pay serious amounts of money, in fact they will pay for the construction of the dam,''

The price we pay for Tony Abbott's never-ending censure motions and other nonsense

After the general election ballot box, Question Time in both houses of Australia’s federal parliament is perhaps the principle way that the government of the day is held accountable - now that much of the national mainstream media spends most of its time uncritically regurgitating political media releases as a substitute for investigative journalism.

According to the Australian Parliament website statistics link, in 1963 (an election year) the House of Representatives sat for 53 days and the Government was asked 968 Questions Without Notice during Question Time.

In the following year 1964, the House sat for 65 days and there were 1,557 Questions Without Notice recorded.

In 2010 (an election year) and 2011 the House sat for 55 and 64 days respectively, taking  948 Questions Without Notice in the first instance and 882 Questions Without Notice in the second instance.

Now I may be wrong, but I think that the period 2010 to 2011 was only the second time that House of Representatives’ Questions Without Notice have fallen in number (when an ordinary year followed an election year) in the last forty-eight years.

It seems that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s grandstanding is actually ensuring that other Members of Parliament are being given fewer opportunities to apply that very Australian maxim - keep the b@stards honest.

If it’s Thursday it must be censure time is not quite so funny a phrase when one remembers that, every time he rose to his feet and uttered the words I move that so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving forthwith the following motion, voters were denied an opportunity to hear their own elected representatives raise important national and local issues.

Drawing of Coat of Arms from Google Images

Things go better with Coke! Or do they?

This turned up in the mainstream meeja last week: 

“COCA-Cola and Pepsi say they have lowered levels of a chemical in caramel colouring which has been found to cause cancer in lab tests.

The move allows the companies to avoid having to label products with a cancer warning due to a California law setting safe levels of 4-methylimidazole.

Both drinkmakers said their popular and highly secretive recipes will not be altered but that caramel suppliers have been asked to reduce 4-MEI levels in California, a change that will eventually spread across the United States and - at least in Coke's case - around the world.

"We are NOT changing our recipe; or our formula," Coca-Cola Company spokesman Ben Sheidler said in an email.

"What we did do is direct our caramel suppliers to make a manufacturing process modification in order to reduce the level of 4-MEI in our caramel so as to meet the requirement set by the state of California's Proposition 65."

For its part, PepsiCo said its beverages "are and always will be safe for consumption."

"Consumers will notice no difference in our products and have no reason at all for any health concerns. There is no scientific evidence that 4-MEI in foods and beverages is a threat to human health," it added.” {new.com.au 10^th March 2012}

This is what Coca Cola South Pacific is still saying about caramel colouring at livepositively.com.au:

"Colours are added to enhance the appearance of processed foods and beverages.
For example, 'Coca-Cola' contains caramel colouring, which is a widely used food and beverage colouring found in many kinds of processed food and beverages including: brown bread, buns, and chocolate. Although made from sugar, the amount present is not physiologically significant and contributes only a trace amount of kilojoules to a can of 'Coca-Cola'."
And here's Coca Cola's global press centre denying there's any problem.
While over at US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health this is what you find on mice fed with 4-Methylimidazole (4MI) :
"Clonic seizures, excitability, hyperactivity, and impaired gait were observed primarily in 2,500- and 5,000 ppm females. The incidence of mononuclear cell leukemia in the 5,000 ppm females was significantly greater than that in the controls. The incidences of hepatic histiocytosis, chronic inflammation, and focal fatty change were significantly increased in all exposed groups of male and female rats. The incidences of hepatocellular eosinophilic and mixed cell foci were significantly increased in 2,500 ppm males and 5,000 ppm females. Groups of 50 male and 50 female B6C3F1 mice were fed diets containing 0-, 312-, 625-, or 1,250 ppm 4MI for 106 weeks. Based on the food consumption the calculated average daily doses were approximately 40, 80, or 170 mg 4MI/kg body weight to males and females. Survival of all exposed groups of males and females was similar to that of the control groups. Mean body weights of males and females in the 1,250 ppm groups and that in the 312- and 625 ppm females were less than those of the control groups. Feed consumption by exposed groups of male and female mice was similar to that by the controls. The incidences of alveolar/bronchiolar adenoma in all exposed groups of females, alveolar/bronchiolar carcinoma in 1,250 ppm males, and alveolar/bronchiolar adenoma or carcinoma (combined) in 1,250 ppm males and 625- and 1,250 ppm females were significantly greater than those in the control groups. The incidence of alveolar epithelial hyperplasia was significantly increased in the 1,250 ppm females. 4MI is carcinogenic inducing alveolar/bronchiolar adenoma and carcinoma in male and female mice. 4MI may also induce mononuclear cell leukemia in female rats."

Pic from Google Images

MONEY TAKEN FROM CRIMINALS TO FUND LISMORE PCYC

THE HON. JASON CLARE MP

MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS

MINISTER FOR JUSTICE

MINISTER FOR DEFENCE MATERIEL

JANELLE SAFFIN
MEMBER FOR PAGE 

MONEY TAKEN FROM CRIMINALS TO FUND LISMORE PCYC

9 March 2012

Lismore PCYC will receive a $75,000 grant funded by money confiscated from criminals to fund their Bundjalung Midnight Sports program.

The program will be delivered in conjunction with the Aboriginal Community Justice Group and will operate in Ballina, Lismore, Casino and Coraki targeting young indigenous people aged between 14 and 18. 

The sessions will be held in prime time for youth crime – with participants being picked up from home at 5pm and taken to Lismore PCYC, where they will have dinner and undertake educational and sporting activities. They will then be taken home at 11pm. 

Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare made the announcement today with Page MP Janelle Saffin, PCYC President John Maxwell and Lismore Police Inspector Matt Kehoe.

Ms Saffin said the grant would make a huge difference for the local community.

“I congratulate Lismore PCYC and the Aboriginal Community Justice Group for this grant, and thank them for all the work they do in our community”, Ms Saffin said.

“The Lismore Crime Prevention Plan and the Lismore Youth Survey both identified the lack of activities for young people as a contributor to crime.

“This program addresses the problem head on.”

Mr Clare said money seized from criminals was now helping young people and communities across Australia.

“We’re taking money from criminals and investing it in PCYC’s across the country to help young people who are at risk of falling into a life of crime,” Minister Clare said.

“PCYC’s are terrific organisations. They’re a great example of community policing at work.

“That’s why the Federal Government is supporting the crime prevention work they do.”

The program will run over eight weeks, each session will match a recreational activity like basketball or kickboxing with an educational component such as road safety, drug and alcohol use and aboriginal culture.

The eight week program will run four times a year with 20 young people participating at once.

The funding is part of almost $2 million provided to 16 Police and Community Youth Clubs (PCYCs) around Australia to help young people at risk of falling into a life of crime.

The funding comes from the Proceeds of Crime Fund which enables money confiscated under Commonwealth laws to be returned to the community to prevent and reduce crime across Australia.

A list of the funded projects is attached. Information regarding crime prevention funding can be found at http://www.crimeprevention.gov.au/.