A word or two to those No CarbonTax ragers. Yer? I really believe ya (not)

Take a look at these pics from today's No Carbon Tax Rally in Canberra, organised by Jacques Laxale of the Consumers & Taxpayers Association.
Definitely not a crowd whom on a good day I might suppose had actually considered the the pros and cons of placing a national price on carbon before introducing a market-driven emissions trading scheme.
I've a feeling that it was pure ignorance on show - a redneck extravaganza with Sophie, Bronnie, Pauline, Eric[a] and Angry in tow.
A rally chocka with the type of people who would never think that Opposition Leader Abbott was probably mentally laughing at them when he opened his rally speech with these words:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I want to say congratulations to all of you for coming out today and letting the Government of Australia know that the people of Australia can never be taken for granted. As I look out on this crowd of fine Australians I want to say that I do not see scientific heretics. I do not see environmental vandals. I see people who want honest government."

As MrDenmore remarked: "A group from the #noCTrally stayed behind for a party. See picture here."And when someone tries to inflate the Canberra rally numbers remember this panorma pic ....
Pics from Twitpics and News Ltd courtesy of Google Images

Over 100,000 Twitter users were psychologically assessed - without their knowledge or consent?

Social networks tend to disproportionally favor connections between individuals with either similar ordissimilar characteristics. This propensity, referred to as assortative mixing or homophily, is expressed asthe correlation between attribute values of nearest neighbour vertices in a graph. Recent results indicate thatbeyond demographic features such as age, sex and race, even psychological states such as “loneliness” canbe assortative in a social network. In spite of the increasing societal importance of online social networksit is unknown whether assortative mixing of psychological states takes place in situations where social tiesare mediated solely by online networking services in the absence of physical contact. Here, we show thatgeneral happiness or Subjective Well-Being (SWB) of Twitter users, as measured from a 6 month record oftheir individual tweets, is indeed assortative across the Twitter social network. To our knowledge this is thefirst result that shows assortative mixing in online networks at the level of SWB. Our results imply that onlinesocial networks may be equally subject to the social mechanisms that cause assortative mixing in real socialnetworks and that such assortative mixing takes place at the level of SWB. Given the increasing prevalenceof online social networks, their propensity to connect users with similar levels of SWB may be an importantinstrument in better understanding how both positive and negative sentiments spread through online social ties.Future research may focus on how event-specific mood states can propagate and influence user behavior in“real life”…….We collected a large set of Tweets submitted to Twitter in the period from November 28, 2008 to May 2009.The data set consisted of 129 million tweets submitted by several million Twitter users. Each Tweet contained aunique identifier, date-time of submission (GMT+0), submission type, and textual content, among other information…We complemented this cross-section sample of twitter activity by retrieving the complete history of over 4 millionusers, as well as the identity of all of their followers. The final Twitter Follower network contained 4,844,430users (including followers of our users for which we did not collect timeline information). Armed with the socialconnections and activity of these users we were able to measure the way in which the emotional content of eachusers varied in time and how it spread across links. [Happiness is assortative in online social networks,Johan Bollen, Bruno Gonçalves, Guangchen Ruan, & Huina Mao,March 2011]

The 4,844,430 users (whose tweets were scanned in 2008 for the aforementioned study) would work out at about eighty per cent of the estimated 6 million Twitter accounts in existence during that year. Although only those who posted at least one tweet daily over a six month period were retained in the study, which ended up formally assessing 102,009 users.

One of those harvested appears to be a co-founder of ISP/telco Sonic.net who happens to be ‘followed’ by Barack Obama.
The wife of a co-founder of SDMOMfia.com was caught up in the tweet trawl and she is also followed by the U.S. President.
Obama was found again following a PR person from the Detroit area whose name cropped up in connection with the study.
One male who has no public Twitter bio is yet another who is identified by this study. He links back to Obama through an account the President follows.
However, it is highly unlikely that Barack Obama’s official tweets were assessed for Subjective Well-Being aka general happiness as he didn’t tweet daily.
There are a number of other tweeters mentioned in the study who can be easily identified by the general public or by their own followers.

What on earth was Indiana University's School of Informatics and Computing thinking in allowing any persons used in this study to be identified either directly within the text or in presentations undertaken later by one of the authors (and in one instance assigned an emotional state)? Did no-one realise the power of Twitter and Google to disclose identities to the idly curious?

These tweets may be in the public domain, but surely there are limits to the uses to which others may put them.

Never a truer word spoken on the Mad Monk - Part Two

This time it’s journalist Mark Dreyfus over at The Sydney Herald on the 11^th March 2011:

“Abbott's wildest claim is that he is running a ''truth campaign''. Leaving aside the Goebbellian cynicism of labelling a scare campaign a ''truth campaign'', I think it shows Abbott's contempt for the Australian electorate. His gaze is so firmly fixed on the prize of power that he is blind to the damage he is causing to the strength of our political system and the quality of debate. It is contemptuous to simply not answer real questions, to dismiss valid criticism without reasoning, to deflect real argument with personal attack.”

Part One here.

Environmental Roundup March 2011

Old Bar Sand Replenishment Group 12 March 2011:

INDEPENDENT MP for Lyne Robert Oakeshott has urged the Prime Minister to act on recommendations made last October in a seminal report to government about the impact of climate change on coastal communities. The report, titled Managing our coastal zone in a changing climate: the time to act is now, made 47 recommendations related to the need for national policy action on issues including coastal erosion and associated liability issues.

Environmental Defenders Office (NSW) 17 March 2011:

The EDO is acting for the Snowy River Alliance Inc ('SRA') in their challenge to the Water Administration Ministerial Corporation's ('WAMC') review of the Snowy Hydro water licence and a subsequent variation to the licence. The Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Act 1997 (NSW) ('Act'), requires the WAMC to conduct a review of the obligations under the licence relating to the "Snowy River Increased Flows" and to exhibit a copy of any state of the environment reports prepared by the Snowy Scientific Committee ("SSC"). On 23 July 2010, the EDO commenced proceedings in the Supreme Court of NSW on behalf of the SRA challenging the validity of the review.
The case was heard before Justice Hislop on 14 March 2011. SRA argued that the WAMC's review failed to meet the description of "review" as required by the Act and failed to exhibit any SSC reports prior to the review. If the review is found to be invalid, the variation to the licence may also be invalid. Justice Hislop has reserved his decision.

The Daily Examiner 18 March 2011:

THE Coastal Communities Protection Alliance in Wooli has been given more fuel for its argument to deal with the coastal erosion issues plaguing the community in a way other than Clarence Valley Council’s planned retreat option.
Dr Shaw Mead, director of international consultancy ASR, spent several days at the beachside village assessing the potential for protective measures for the dune system and Wooli Wooli River mouth, which suffered degradation from severe weather events and changes in sand movement during past years.

ABC News online 18 March 2011:

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has given the Victorian Government until April 8 to get cattle out of the Alpine National Park.
The Ted Baillieu-led government reintroduced cattle grazing into the park in January to test if grazing cuts down the bushfire risk.
But Mr Burke has lashed out at the State Government and says the matter should first have been referred for Federal Government approval.
He says if the State Government does not take the cattle out in time and refer the plan for his approval, the Federal Government will act anyway.
"Every Australian company knows they're not above national law. Victoria decided maybe they were, well they're now in for a shock. They're not above the law and by April 8 the cattle will be out and the matter will be referred," he said.
He described the Victorian Government's responses to his department's requests for information about the trial as "a joke".

Portlandia: Is It Local? Just for fun

Irrigators go all historical on Twitter

nswirrigators NSW Irrigators
Mike Wade from Cal Farm Water notes anniversary of Senate topping Julius Caesar - what happens to leaders not listening! #basinplan lesson?

Hang in there, Ginge!

Ginger Meggs needs our support as he copes with the fact that his best friend and current cartoonist, Jason Chatfield, was recently the victim of one very dangerous cabbie.
Chin up, Ginge. Get well soon, Jas!
From everyone here at North Coast Voices.

Ginge drawing found in Google Images

Death by typography at Corrs Chambers Westgarth

There is a May 2010 Corrs Chambers Westgarth Lawyers legal letter under the title Australian Defamation Notice posted on Chilling Effects.
It is hard to take this letter seriously when one counts the number of spelling errors.
Obviously the recipient didn't see the gravity – the number of Catholic Care employees named on the allegedly offending website has now risen to three.

Graphic found at Google Images

Giving The Greens a go......

…..’cause it will so p*ss orf  the conservative element on the NSW North Coast.

The Greens political advertising currently doing the rounds in an email.

Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Z and now ...

Veterans, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z are readily acknowledged but what about the latest lot?

According to a former resident of the Lower Clarence area youngsters in Australia have acquired a title that's in keeping with the notion of being able to readily identify them.

In a submission to the Issues Paper on a Sustainable Population Strategy for Australia the youngsters have been referred to as Generation Plasma. 

Former Treasurer Peter Costello, who so regularly reminds us he holds the title of Australia's longest serving treasurer, gets much of the credit for this generation's name, thanks to his baby bonuses which many new parents spent at retailers such as Harvey Norman and acquired plasma televisions. (Note to Mr Costello: 'longest serving' is not synonymous with 'best'.)

Although submissions to the Paper formally closed on Tuesday 1 March 2011, late submissions will be considered to mid-March 2011.

Read the submissions here.

Land values fall - finally the penny is dropping on the Clarence Coast?

The Daily Examiner 24 November 2009

For literally decades now – with information and risk scenarios firming along with the science as the years pass – the NSW Northern Rivers generally and the Clarence Coast specifically have been aware that these regions will probably be on the front line of climate change impacts. Heatwaves, increased fire risk, more drought periods per decade, more extreme rainfall/wind/flash flooding events are predicted.

With parts of Yamba Hill likely to end up in the ocean when specific weather and seas conditions batter the cliff face, rising sea levels also likely to cause strong storm surges which will inundate streets within the town as far up as Lake Kolora, higher groundwater tables or sea water in the aquifers and, river flooding predicted to be less frequent but more destructive

So it has been a quiet wonder over these last ten years to find that house and land values had been holding firm or rising.

Not anymore though, as it appears that prospective buyers may now be more cautious when scoping out coastal property and are probably not as willing to shoulder the higher end of the coming financial risk:

A DROP in land values of up to $600,000 for properties in Yamba's prestigious hill precinct will see ratepayers fork out hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of dollars less in annual rates.
Figures obtained by The Daily Examiner show drops of up to 30% over the six-year period from 2004 for land in streets including Ocean St, Pacific Pde and Clarence St.
Despite this, increasing values in other areas of the Valley will still see the council's rate revenue for the 2011/2012 financial year rise by a projected 15%.
One Pacific Pde block, valued at $2.34 million in 2004, plummeted $600,000 to $1.64 million in the 2010 valuation.
The owners of one property on Ocean St will have to fork out around $1200 less in rates per year after the value of their land dropped by $350,000 to $1.2 million.
And the reduction in land values isn't just confined to residential properties.
The value of land occupied by the Blue Dolphin resort dropped $3 million, which will see council get around $13,000 less in annual rates from the holiday park.
Without knowing the specifics impacting on Yamba land values, a representative for the Valuer-General's Department said local issues could effect the movements of valuations up or down.
“The valuations are based on sales analysis. If the sales are moving up or down this could be a factor,” the representative said.
The Valuer-General's Department will investigate factors influencing land values and The Daily Examiner will report on the results……
[The Daily Examiner, 19 March 2011]

Well, the warnings were there weren't they?

Climate change has potentially profound effects for the property and development industry. Stakeholders in the industry must begin to consider the various ways that climate change will impact upon property prices and valuation methodologies. [2010]

Tens of thousands of properties along the coast of New South Wales could be left uninsured to the threats of rising sea levels, Gabby Greyem reports.
Sea level rise could cost Australians $150 billion in uninsured real estate, according to Insurance Australia Group.
As a result of global warming sea levels are predicted to rise up to 40 cm by 2050 and 90 cm by 2100. 46,000 properties between Newcastle and Wollongong are less than three metres above sea level and are uninsured for coastal erosion or landslip.
Director of Lonergan Edwards & Associates, Tony Coleman, said most insurance policies cover the house and contents, but not the land value, and often the land is a significant part of a waterfront property’s overall value.
“Even half a metre within 50 years is a lot of extra sea to keep out if you’re trying to stop waves.
“A lot of people are going to lose their property and they won’t be insured,” he said.
Mr Coleman believes there is a growing realisation about the costs of sea level rise, but it is being overshadowed by the high focus on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. [2009]

One general insurer has estimated that the value of coastal property in Australia at risk to rising sea levels and erosion is between $50 billion and $150 billion.
In a submission to a Federal Government inquiry, the insurer even suggests an insurance fund into which owners of low-lying land would pay a regular levy for compensation when sea levels cause their land to become permanently unusable. [2008]

Climate change has the potential to impact heavily both society at large and the global economy. It is also increasingly being understood as a business risk.
Issues of energy and environment have, for some time, been of key interest and relevance to the actuarial profession on a number of fronts. In particular, the effect of climate change on insurance and the contribution of electricity markets to greenhouse gas emissions.
Such concern on the part of the actuarial community is hardly surprising, given that they are experts at understanding and assessing the financial impact of future uncertain events. There can be no set of complex problems more amenable to, and more in need of, application of the actuarial skill set than those generated by climate change.
Weather and climate are "core business" for the insurance industry. At its most basic, insurers underwrite weather-related catastrophes by calculating, pricing and spreading the risk and then meeting claims when they arise. A changing, less predictable climate has the potential to reduce the capacity of insurers to calculate, price and spread this weather-related risk. Policyholders, shareholders and the community at large all have a stake. [2007]

Implications for property values & insurance in risky areas [2006]

How small we are......

NASA video taken of the Sun on February 24, 2011:
large prominence erupting from the surface. The dramatic explosion was captured in ultraviolet light in the above time lapse video covering 90 minutes, where a new frame was taken every 24 seconds. The scale of the prominence is huge -- the entire Earth would easily fit under the flowing curtain of hot gas.

Mental Health: tell us something we don't know already

Stone the crows! The Australian Government had to fund a study to find this?
“A latest study shows that a job that provides low control, high demands, complexity and the perception of unfair pay may lead to worse mental health than being unemployed. The study appeared in the journal Occupational Environmental Medicine.”
Well that’s earth shattering old news for working sods across Oz. Now add living in overcrowded dwellings or poorly maintained and high rent housing, being denied adequate public health care or a decent education and we’re getting close to the basic causes of most of life’s enduring ills in the Lucky Country.
It goes without saying that being female, elderly or a child living in poverty frequently compounds those situations.

50 million 12 year-old girls live in poverty world-wide right now.
See a great little video on The Girl Effect
http://www.girleffect.org/video

Moggy Musings [Archived material from Boy the Wonder Cat]

A that's a fact musing: Hey Boy, I was at a mate's place the other day and I saw a notice, which I memorised and am repeating for you below, posted very low on their fridge door. Later, I saw the notice that's on their front door on the way out. I didn't see it when I arrived because I went in via the back door, just as I always do at home. Do you have a similar signs at your place? Rex

Dear Dogs and Cats:

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate of food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however.

Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible.

I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don't.

(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.

(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.

(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:

(1) eat less,

(2) don't ask for money all the time,

(3) are easier to train,

(4) normally come when called,

(5) never ask to drive the car,

(6) don't smoke or drink,

(7) don't want to wear your clothes,

(8) don't have to buy the latest fashions,

(9) don't need a gazillion dollars for university and

(10) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children .....

A How to Train Your Human musing: One little kitten has it down pat right from the start...Typical. The only wet food Chloë will eat is raw prawns and fresh snapper. Keep up the good work, Chloë!

A journalist with great taste and a big heart musing: @latikambourke tweets about the love of her life shown here in cute Chloe kitteh glory.

A cat in the doghouse musing: I tried to tell everyone that Basement Cat took over the keyboard when I added my voice to the end of this post. But my muvva didn't believe me and I now heartily apologize to any hens or dogs I may have offended or frightened.

Boy

Anonymous graffitti begins to appear in Clarence electorate

Nationals Steve Cansdell looks all set to romp home in this month's NSW state election, but it seems not everyone sees this as a positive if the graffiti on the wall of Macelan's "middle pub" is anything to go by.

The night sky as art courtesy of NASA and Australian photographers

South-east Queensland

Victoria

Andrew Bolt feels the love......

Tweeters serve The Bolta up a slice of lurve as he becomes well-deserved collateral damage of the recent Pacific earthquake-tsunami:

SalimPickens RT @SydWalker: Why doesn't Andrew Bolt join the 50 heroes who remain at #Fukushima? He could make tea.. #auspol #murdoch #crikey
NYT: 50 workers bravely stay at troubled Japan reactors - World ...‎

DrewWiddowson RT @geeksrulz: BREAKING: Andrew Bolt to report from inside Fukushima Plant Nr2 to prove how safe it is. Putting his arse on the line for humanity #auspol

SydWalker Be happy! ... Murdoch hack Andrew Bolt puts the world straight re nuclear safety #journchat #auspol #newscorp
More people die of fear of nuclear power than of the power itself ...‎

ArcingUp More people die reading #AndrewBolt articles than from #nuclear accidents. #japan #LOLBolt

SydWalker @mrumens Will Bolt's arrogant, obviously deceptive reporting on this expose him as a charaltan to dweebs who hang on his every word? #auspol

wildriverstweet: Pro-nuclear proponents have gone intro a media spin frenzy, reaching its zennith with rabid musings of Andrew Bolt #fukushima

rtennantwood: RT @ABCEnvironment: Who would you have on your side? Andrew Bolt or the CSIRO + 1000 other scientists? (watch) http://bit.ly/e4YUj3

bekfast: @Andy_Bull I'm yet to see Andrew Bolt display anything but poor judgment.

termx: So Andrew Bolt agrees with biologist Barry Brook @BraveNewClimate on safety of nuclear power but not on climate change?

firstdogonmoon Hey Andrew Bolt, tell me this isn't Climate Change!!! RT @TheDailyBunny: Baby bunny naps in palm of hand: http://arseh.at/4zq

james00000001: RT @marie__ryan: Anyone else hear expert say on ABC that 6000 children got thyroid cancer as result of Chernobyl-yet Andrew Bolt claims only 50 died #tosser

Parsify: @security4all_jp I agree with your main point. Watch out for Andrew Bolt, though, he's a well known troublemaker.

FakeCaro Real Caro looking for excuses. Her tweets will send twitter into meltdown. She is AFL's version of Andrew Bolt

Djourno: Andrew Bolt says the nuclear emergency in Japan isn't as bad as we're all thought to believe....what a moron

kazonis: RT MichaelByrnes: If Andrew Bolt confuses 800 with 8000 on #insiders, and gets a blogger's family history wrong, how can he be trusted on nuclear energy risk?

karamoon: @security4all You're going to loose friends very fast if you link to clowns like "journalist" Andrew Bolt.

To Tor or not to Tor? That is a question for all Netizens after Lamo entered the equation

What is Tor? Tor is free software and an open network that helps you defend against a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security known as traffic analysis….. Journalists use Tor to communicate more safely with whistleblowers and dissidents. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) use Tor to allow their workers to connect to their home website while they're in a foreign country, without notifying everybody nearby that they're working with that organization.

Sounds good doesn’t it? So who is likely to allow their computer network to be used as a vehicle to protect the electronic communications of whistleblowers and dissidents?

http://www.setecastronomy.org/ This is a Tor Exit Node It is distinctly likely that you are reading this because you had some issue with the traffic coming from this IP address. This machine is part of the Tor Anonymity Network, which is dedicated to providing privacy to people who need it most:- ordinary computer users - i.e. people like you......Email address: adrian@setecastronomy.org

Who Is Domain Tools for IP 74.82.57.190

Domain ID:D156926562-LROR

Domain Name:SETECASTRONOMY.ORG

Created On:21-Aug-2009 14:30:14 UTC

Last Updated On:18-Nov-2010 21:14:19 UTC

Expiration Date:21-Aug-2011 14:30:14 UTC

Sponsoring Registrar:Gandi SAS (R42-LROR)

Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED

Registrant ID:0-1658357-GANDI

Registrant Name:Adrian Lamo

Registrant Organization:Reality Planning LLC

Registrant Street1:108 WEST 13TH STREET.......

Registrant City:Wilmington

Registrant State/Province:Delaware

Registrant Postal Code:19801-1145

Registrant Country:US

Registrant Phone:+1.2023707750.......

Registrant Email:adrian@2600.com

Admin ID:AL4741-GANDI

Admin Name:Adrian Lamo

Admin Organization:SETEC ASTRONOMY, a RPL company

Admin Street1:PO Box 339.......

Admin City:Carmichael.....

Admin Postal Code:95609-0339

Admin Country:US

Admin Phone:+1.8889201981.....

Admin FAX:+1.7172831658.......

Adrian Lamo? Really? Isn’t he the onetime hacker who informed on 'whistleblower' Bradley Manning (U.S. serviceman who sent copies of U.S. diplomatic cables to Wikileaks) and, isn’t Manning now confined to military prison and allegedly subject to torture?

Oh, Tor – not exactly the best testament. But then what can one expect from an anonymity network apparently originally sponsored by the US Naval Research Laboratory and probably intended by intelligence agencies to act as a sometime honey trap at their convenience?

Adrian Lamo in his own words:

Coastal Law and Climate Change Workshop, 10am Saturday 19 March in Coffs Harbour

This workshop will explain the main environmental and planning laws that affect coastal communities, with a focus on recent changes to the Coastal Protection Act relating to sea level rise and erosion works.

This workshop is for anyone interested in learning more about how the various environmental and planning laws interact, how they apply to coastal communities, and how governments and coastal communities are responding to the challenges of climate change. This is an interactive workshop with discussion of current development proposals and planning processes in the Coffs Harbour area.

All participants will receive a free copy of the new EDO publication, Caring for the Coast: A guide to environmental law for coastal communities in NSW . This booklet can be downloaded to read before the workshop from http://www.edo.org.au/edonsw/site/publications.php#coast. This publication has been funded by the Australian Government though its Caring for Our Country initiative.

When: Saturday 19 March 2011 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Where: Room 4, Coffs Harbour Neighbourhood Centre, 22 Earl St

Lunch and light refreshments will be provided. Attendance is free, but prior registration is essential. Please RSVP to mailto:shakola@bigpond.com. Enquiries can be made to Ashley Love on 02 6651 9620 or Mark Byrne on 02 6621 1113.

The Clarence Valley north-south divide shows another side

It’s not only the matter of land rating in the hinterland and land rates on the coast that divide the Clarence Valley along an Antipodean version of the Mason-Dixon Line.
The Daily Examiner on 15th March 2011:
“WHEN it comes to putting the right things in recycling bins, people in lower Clarence communities are doing a far better job than their Grafton counterparts, according to Jamie Kenneally, manager of the Grafton Recycling Centre.”
Score Card - Grafton 0 Lower Clarence 1

Up the Irish!

Happy St. Patrick's Day
to one and all
from
North Coast Voices

In the 2006 Australian National Census
1,803,736 people stated that
they had Irish ancestry
and a further 50,256 stated
they were born in Poblacht na hÉireann

Photograph from pix.fr

Japanese Earthquake-Tsunami Appeal March 2011

* Tohoku – Pacific Ocean Earthquake Appeal
The Australian and Japanese Red Cross Societies are accepting donations for the earthquake relief. The Embassy is now also accepting donations. All donations received in the account below will be forwarded to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

Account Name:
Embassy of Japan in Australia, Donations for Japan Earthquake/Tsunami
Name of Bank : ANZ
Name of Branch : Canberra City
BSB : 012950
Account No. : 2514 59908

Should you require a receipt of your donation, please send your name, address (not mandatory), date of donation, amount donated to the following email address.
Mail-address: admin@cb.mofa.go.jp

Australian Red Cross Society
http://www.redcross.org.au/japan2011.htm

Japanese Red Cross Society
http://www.redcross.org.au/japan2011.htm

Photographs from Google Images

Gocompare.com goes off road

‘*********, your car insurance is due for renewal in 30 days’ according to an email received today.
Surely not! We don’t have a car – never had a car. Bicycles R Us!
Tut tut. Cheap trick to drive traffic to website. What on earth was www.gocompare.com thinking?

Anony-mice
Yamba

Notice that despite all that frothing at the mouth Abbott is merely running on the spot when it comes to personal approval ratings?

{TheGhostWhoVotes with survey results 10-12th March 2011}

Men favour Julia Gillard over Tony Abbott 42%/37% and women 46%/29%.
{ Essential Report of 14^th March 2011}

Bourke sprung touting Clarence River water raid

A Clarence Valley Protest blog post on Monday 14 March 2011:

From the Hansard transcript of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Australia’s Inquiry into the impact of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan on regional Australia - Bourke hearing on Tuesday, 15 February 2011:

Cr. John Holmes, Bourke Shire Council

There are other ways to rectify this river system than to starve out your little towns, which is going to happen. There has been mention of diverting water from the Clarence. Not only would you get water to shore up some of these rivers; you would also get another 28 meg of power.

Wayne O’Malley, former mayor of Bourke Shire Council

When talking about some sort of solution for the future, we need a fundamentally different approach. We need the conservation of more water to deal with the boom and bust nature of our climate. I put on the table again the diversion of the Clarence needs to be reconsidered, or at least some other major water infrastructure project not only for this part of the state but also for Australia. As a nation we have to be more mindful of our ever-increasing population, and we have to do more planning to provide water for them for the future.

Bourke Council was not alone in putting the case of the water raiders from over the Great Divide. During the hearing held at Gunnedah, the Citizen’s Electoral Council took this line with the Committee - rather strangely asserting that NSW flooding was confined to Grafton in 2010 and more oddly admitting that Bradfield was "not very bright":

Mr Witten

There are things such as the Clarence River scheme, which was mooted some 70 or 80 years ago by some idiot called Bradfield—and of course you know he was not very bright or did not have much ability. Nevertheless, he dreamt up a massive scheme to develop this nation…… The use of the Clarence River scheme, we believe, would inject around a thousand gigalitres into the system, plus provide electricity for our dying power supply.

Mr Stringer

We desperately need some of the eastern fall water up and down the New South Wales coast—and the Clarence is but one of these rivers; you have the rivers heading down towards Macleay. That water could come across to the Namoi, no problem. It is all going to waste. How many floods have we had in Grafton in 2009? How many floods in 2010? They are all in Grafton, and all the water goes to the sea, wasted.

Intelligent Design lobby motto: If at first you don't succeed - try, try again

The teaching of some scientific subjects, including, but not limited to, biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning, can cause controversy;
{From the bill AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
Chapter 6, Part 10, relative to teaching scientific
subjects in elementary schools.}

Given how swiftly the Australian far-right of both religion and politics follow each new quirk in America’s regressive march back towards the primeval ooze; if this bill (sponsored by very Catholic, pro-life, anti-gay marriage, intelligent design supporter Republican State Representative Bill Dunn) gets recommended by a Tennessee General Assembly sub-committee vote today around 3pm US Central Time, it will probably create a media opportunity for the anti-science brigade here:

*HB0368 by *Dunn, *White. (SB0893 by *Watson.)
Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, protects a teacher from discipline for teaching scientific subjects in an objective manner. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 10.
Summary for *HB0368

“Bill Summary

This bill prohibits the state board of education and any public elementary or secondary school governing authority, director of schools, school system administrator, or principal or administrator from prohibiting any teacher in a public school system of this state from helping students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught, such as evolution and global warning.”

Representative Dunn also has another bill before the House which says it part:

“Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, no public elementary or middle school shall provide any instruction or material that discusses sexual orientation other than heterosexuality.”

Biological evolution controversial, homosexuality unmentionable? Music to the tin ears of Abbott & Co in Australia and bound to turn up on the nightly news sometime soon.

Enough with the carbon already!

I’m sick and tired of that stupid tax scare campaign - it’s time that the Gillard Government ploughed ahead and rammed the damn carbon price through parliament.

Jen

Byron

* GuestSpeak is a feature of North Coast Voices allowing Northern Rivers residents to make satirical or serious comment on issues that concern them. Posts of 250-300 words or less can be submitted to ncvguestspeak AT gmail.com.au for consideration.

I can't believe it's a serious survey

 

Still laughing at this extrapolation of online answers given to "Teach Hunch About You" questions by Hunch blog readers, which News Ltd morphed into articles such as Ladies, your email address is a clue to your weight.

SNAPSHOT OF HUNCH ‘SURVEY’ FINDINGS

• AOL users are most likely to be overweight women ages 35-64 who have a high school diploma and are spiritual, but not religious. They tend to be politically middle of the road, in a relationship of 10+ years, and have children. AOL users live in the suburbs and haven’t traveled outside their own country. Family is their first priority. AOL users mostly read magazines, have a desktop computer, listen to the radio, and watch TV on 1-3 DVRs in their home. At home, they lounge around in sweats. AOL users are optimistic extroverts who prefer sweet snacks and like working on a team.
• Gmail users are most likely to be thin young men ages 18-34 who are college-educated and not religious. Like other young Hunch users, they tend to be politically liberal, single (and ready to mingle), and childless. Gmail users live in cities and have traveled to five or more countries. They’re career-focused and plugged in — they mostly read blogs, have an iPhone and laptop, and listen to music via MP3s and computers (but they don’t have a DVR). At home, they lounge around in a t-shirt and jeans. Gmail users prefer salty snacks and are introverted and entrepreneurial. They are optimistic or pessimistic, depending on the situation.
• Hotmail users are most likely to be young women of average build ages 18-34 (and younger) who have a high school diploma and are not religious. They tend to be politically middle of the road, single, and childless. Hotmail users live in the suburbs, perhaps still with their parents, and have traveled to up to five countries. They mostly read magazines and contemporary fiction, have a laptop, and listen to music via MP3s and computers (but they don’t have a DVR). At home, Hotmail users lounge around in a t-shirt and jeans. They’re introverts who prefer sweet snacks and like working on a team. They consider themselves more pessimistic, but sometimes it depends on the situation.
• Yahoo! users are most likely to be overweight women ages 18-49 who have a high school diploma and are spiritual, but not religious. They tend to be politically middle of the road, in a relationship of 1-5 years, and have children. Yahoo! users live in the suburbs or in rural areas and haven’t traveled outside their own country. Family is their first priority. They mostly read magazines, are almost equally likely to have a laptop or desktop computer, listen to the radio and cds, and watch TV on 1-2 DVRs in their home. At home, Yahoo! users lounge around in pajamas. They’re extroverts who prefer sweet snacks and like working on a team. Yahoo! users are optimistic or pessimistic, depending on the situation.

Boltas of the Month

Clever clogs pseudo-journalist Andrew Bolt baldly said on ABC TV’s “Insiders” program last Sunday that there were between 400-500 people at the anti-carbon tax rally and 800 at the pro-carbon price rally held last Saturday.
On his own blog post on Saturday night he seems to agree with the higher pro-price rally figure of more than 8,000 reported in the MSM and in Sunday update apologizes for his so-called misremembering on the aired program.
Not good enough Bolta! Even you had seen the 12^th March pics by the time you settled your backside into that studio chair early the next day and it's hard to avoid the tag great big fib to get the last word in an argument.

Teh Four Hundred going its hapless 'half a league onwards'

Teh Eight Thousand filling the wide lens and then some

Wait. There's more.......
On the very same day Bolt was playing fast and loose with rally numbers he also had a go at Grog's Gamut in his Daily Tele post "Exit, laughing".
To which Grog replied:
"But here’s the thing, while I can understand Bolt wanting to label me as a public servant, and also a third generation one, and also a third generation Canberran one (laziest of the lot they are!) there’s just one slight problem:
It is not true.
You see the statement that I am a third-generation Canberra public servant is an untruth, a falsehood, a fiction, a furphy. In short, a lie."
So within a space of hours Teh Bolta is on record as fibbing about rallies, Chenobyl and a public servant.
Here's laughing at you, Andrew.