Imagine there's no relay, it's easy if you try

Could it possibly be that the over-hyped, obscenely expensive, politics riddled and ultra-greenhouse gas emitting Olympic Games has lost it's gloss?

Dare we imagine a world without that over-rated torch relay?

Could we possibly find ourselves finally with an Olympic year which doesn't clog the media with what is essentially sporting trivia?

Well, perhaps not yet - but this year's torch relay may yet signal a welcome return to placing sport in its proper perspective.

Elite athletics is not about world peace, the common good or social harmony. It is definitely not above criticism or social comment when self-indulgent national governments vigorously compete to hold these games and so heavily subsidise their 'sides'.

This year an alternative for free expression in China relay is taking place in hyperspace at www.penpoemrelay.org and on the ground.

Me - I won't be turning up anywhere to watch the flame go past.

The opening ceremony won't be on my teev on the night and the only Olympic sport I might watch will be the short grabs I accidentally see on the nightly news come August 2008.

A peaceful form of boycott? Nope. Simply never could abide all that jingoistic tripe!

The rest I leave to the Prime Minister who is doing a bonza job conveying Australia's official position on Tibet.

Art of the New South Wales North Coast

Dry Clarence Landscape by Robert Moore.

Majestic Gymea Lily by Pamela Griffith.

Focussed on Water by Nicki Holmes

A selection of local artists who exhibit from time to time at Grafton Regional Gallery

Australia 2020 summit not shaping up well

Australia 2020's moral policeman Rev. Tim Costello is in trouble, with the gaming industry pointing to a briefing paper he had prepared for the Strengthening Communities, Supporting Families and Social Inclusion working group which contained factual inaccuracies.

 

The 2020 website now posts all the background papers which disappoint for their lacklustre approach.

 

Longterm Health Strategy - a little gem which describes Australia's health system as "a sophisticated public-private and federal-state blend."

 

Strengthening Communities, Supporting Families and Social Inclusion - Tim hasn't corrected his allegedly faulty statistics.

 

The Future of Rural and Regional Australia - someone discovers that the "agricultural sector is an important source of income in rural Australia" and that "shortages of services and skills exist in rural and regional areas". But the real eye opener is this piece of wishful thinking; "But the agricultural sector is in a strong position to address the challenges of climate change."

 

The Future of Indigenous Australia - has this unique view of Australia's general indifference and underlying racism; "Mainstream attitudes towards Indigenous disadvantage are generally constructive, but the public is not well informed."

 

Governance - sit back and let flawed newspaper polls set government policy, because "Mass media not only relay information to the population. Opinion polls are one way in which they close the feedback loop in providing information about public opinion back to governments."

Understates the number of Australian political blogs - but then it uses The Australian as a source.

 

Full list of available 2020 topic downloads here.

Clarion call for NSW North Coast women

According to UNICEF the United Nations Children's Fund.

 

"Nearly 10 million children under age five die every year of largely preventable diseases," said Ann M. Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF. "Many of the main global killers of children – including malaria and diarrhoea – are sensitive to changes in temperature and rainfall, and could become more common if weather patterns change."

 

In addition, women and children tend to be disproportionately affected by hurricanes and flooding, which climate change experts say will increase in intensity and frequency in coming years. The destruction of homes, schools and health centres resulting from natural disasters reduce services available to families.

 

Climate change experts also predict that warming and shifting rains could impact crop production, which could reduce food availability. In 2006, some 36 per cent of children globally were either moderately or severely underweight.

 

Last year's report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found that malnutrition and associated disorders, including those relating to child growth and development, could increase as the global climate changes. Reduced supplies of clean water in some areas could also add to the burden on rural women and girls, who are usually responsible for collecting water for cooking and washing.

 

The voices of women and children must be heard and their needs assessed as part of the international response to prospective changes to the environment, and they must have access to the knowledge and tools necessary to protect themselves and their communities.

 

Women on the Northern Rivers must begin to face the fact that this climate change scenario also affects both them and their families, with a likely increase in injury and damage due to severe storms or flooding, a rise in mosquito borne diseases, heat stress and other health-related problems.

So far, local women's groups like Clarence Valley Women's Inc have been very silent on an issue which is coming straight at us all within our own lifetimes.

Accelerating republic debate for Australia?

With the country facing a myriad of environmental, economic and social problems, Kevin Rudd is quoted as suggesting an 'accelerating' debate this year on the subject of an Australian republic.

Yeah. Just what we really need at this juncture, a very public divisive national quarrel to divert us from the real work at hand.

The culture warriors might enjoy the thought but many of us would rather have all our teeth pulled.

The sight of Rudders constantly rising to the media fly this way and allowing it to set the political agenda exposes an irritating weakness.

So short, sweet and without rancour, Kev - p^ss orf!

Your behaviour is beginning to make Julia Gillard look like a very attractive option for PM about now.

Wouldn't be dead for quids in 2008

Just when you think life has shown you pretty much everything - a pregnant man, mice with human body parts attached, plants with animal genes, cats that glow in the dark, Malcolm Turnbull - along comes something which makes you realise that the world can grow even more bizarre.

 

The week PNC Financial Services Group awarded former Aussie PM John Howard a cash prize of $US50,000 for being the best little fascist on the Pacific street for 33 years.

 

For a real belly laugh the PNC media release is here.

You'll enjoy the Howard CV which shows the little man's ongoing attempt to rewrite history and the description of the neo-con Liberal Party during the Howard years as "centre/right".

North Coast Area Health Service 'extreme' cost-cutting

It seems every time I turn around North Coast Area Health Service is doing something which either horrifies, troubles or, in this case, simply grates a nerve.

 

The Northern Star carried this report yesterday.

 

Dr Pezzutti's comments come as staff at Ballina Hospital complained of extreme cost-cutting measures by the area health service.

One staff member, who asked not to be identified, said the health service had replaced sanitary bins in the women's toilets with brown paper bags as a cost-cutting measure. A few years ago the service got rid of the hospital's water cooler, also to save money.

A spokesman for the health service confirmed sanitary bins were being removed from all health service facilities because sanitary waste was regarded as general waste and, therefore, best deposited into waste bins to minimise potential contact with body fluids.

The spokesman confirmed the move involved 'potential cost savings that could be directed into clinical care', but declined to say how much money would be saved or what clinical services the funding would be directed to.