In marrying 30-year old Henry Hager, Jenna Bush, the daughter of US President George Bush, didn't do things in half measures.
Today's Sydney Morning Herald reports (courtesy of The Washington Post) the happy couple had 30 attendants included Jenna's twin sister, Barbara, who as bridesmaid wore a long "moonstone blue" silk gown; 14 other young women in short chiffon dresses, by the designer Lela Rose; Mr Hager's older brother, Jack, who was best man; and 14 ushers.
Did you get that?
Yep, you read it right. The happy couple had thirty, t-h-i-r-t-y, 30, 3-0, attendants!
How would you feel if you were one of Henry or Jenna's buddies/pals and you didn't get a place in their First XXX.
P _ ssed off, one would imagine.
Monday, 12 May 2008
The world's oceans are becoming fish poor
On the NSW North Coast we can all be proud of the fact that local commercial fishing fleets have begun to take onboard the idea of sustainability and the need to better manage how they harvest wild fish stocks.
Even if one day of keeping an eye on recreational fishers is likely to make the blood run cold with apprehension for future river estuary fish numbers.
Nationally, overfishing by both groups remains an issue.
Nineteen of the twenty-eight fish categories that are managed by the Commonwealth are still overfished and two more are close to being overfished.
With fish meat being an established part of the global diet, human population numbers and known fish numbers are showing a disturbing scenario.
In The Observer on Sunday.
Is anyone not aware that wild fish are in deep trouble? That three-quarters of commercially caught species are over-exploited or exploited to their maximum? Do they not know that industrial fishing is so inefficient that a third of the catch, some 32 million tonnes a year, is thrown away? For every ocean prawn you eat, fish weighing 10-20 times as much have been thrown overboard. These figures all come from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which also claims that, of all the world's natural resources, fish are being depleted the fastest. With even the most abundant commercial species, we eat smaller and smaller fish every year - we eat the babies before they can breed.
Callum Roberts, professor of marine conservation at York University, predicts that by 2050 we will only be able to meet the fish protein needs of half the world population: all that will be left for the unlucky half may be, as he puts it, 'jellyfish and slime'. Ninety years of industrial-scale exploitation of fish has, he and most scientists agree, led to 'ecological meltdown'. Whole biological food chains have been destroyed.
Australian Bureau of Rural Sciences Fisheries Status Report 2006 here.
Australian Marine Conservation Society Sustainable Seafood Guide here.
A blog the Liberals don't want the world to read - opps, way too late for that!
It seems the Victorian Liberal Party is objecting to a website highly critical of Ted Baillieu, which allegedly happens to be the brainchild of certain headquarters staff.
The site Ted Baillieu Must Go: because he stands for nothing...falls for everything can now only be viewed by invitation.
Below is a copy of an 11 February 2008 post, from a front page which is still retrievable here courtesy of Alpine Opinion.
The bane of all would-be censors, Google cached posts are here, here,and here.
The blog authors have contact listed as byebyeredted@gmail.com.
Why not congratulate them for once again showing the nation just how united the Liberal Party of Australia actually is.
They’re coming to get you Ted:
There is a simple rule in conservative politics; if it’s in the Age it’s probably bullshit. Nowhere is this rule more relevant than when it applies to the internal machinations of the Liberal Party. Most liberals and conservatives understand this and give the contemptible, socialist rag a wide berth; that is, except for Ted Baillieu, Petro Georgiou and that epitome of treachery John Malcolm Fraser. If fact, you only have to pick up a copy of the Age to see the latest Liberal Party communiqué from Ted Baillieu’s office usually under his pseudonym, Paul Austin.
What Ted doesn’t understand is that the Age is not on his side. It is what we in business would call strategic objective misalignment. They simply want a different outcome to that of the Liberal Party – specifically the retention of the Labor state government. For the Age the battle grounds are drawn internally within the ALP. How do they, the leftist editors of the Age, exert influence over the dominant conservative Labor Unity faction within the party? How do they bring about their socialist utopia while undermining both a conservative state government and nullify the threat of an effective Liberal Party?
For the answer, again just pick up the Age.
Paul Austin’s latest contribution Baillieu scores a much-needed coup is a prime example of the Age strengthening the enemy of its enemy. By propping up an inept and gullible leader like Ted the Age can minimize the threat of someone electable taking the reins.
We here at hewhostandsfornothing know that the only coup needed is a coup d'état.
The coalition agreement is a positive step, we acknowledge that, but it is the minimum expected of a man who would be Premier of Victoria. Far from strengthening his position the coalition arrangement will damage Baillieu. By placing him and Ryan in the spotlight together the high performing National leader will by contrast highlight Baillieu’s inadequacy for office. The conservative forces of the old country party will not long stay silent, nor will they let anything get in the way of their primary goal - government.
The take away message for you Teddy is that the Nationals joined up with the Liberal Party not Ted Baillieu. Remember the nuance in Ryan’s statement ‘we are two independent parties coming together to defeat Labor and govern in Coalition’, it is telling.
But don’t worry I am sure they will give you 100% support, until the moment you are replaced.
Posted by Liberal Insider at 7:30 PM 2 comments Links to this post
The site Ted Baillieu Must Go: because he stands for nothing...falls for everything can now only be viewed by invitation.
Below is a copy of an 11 February 2008 post, from a front page which is still retrievable here courtesy of Alpine Opinion.
The bane of all would-be censors, Google cached posts are here, here,and here.
The blog authors have contact listed as byebyeredted@gmail.com.
Why not congratulate them for once again showing the nation just how united the Liberal Party of Australia actually is.
They’re coming to get you Ted:
There is a simple rule in conservative politics; if it’s in the Age it’s probably bullshit. Nowhere is this rule more relevant than when it applies to the internal machinations of the Liberal Party. Most liberals and conservatives understand this and give the contemptible, socialist rag a wide berth; that is, except for Ted Baillieu, Petro Georgiou and that epitome of treachery John Malcolm Fraser. If fact, you only have to pick up a copy of the Age to see the latest Liberal Party communiqué from Ted Baillieu’s office usually under his pseudonym, Paul Austin.
What Ted doesn’t understand is that the Age is not on his side. It is what we in business would call strategic objective misalignment. They simply want a different outcome to that of the Liberal Party – specifically the retention of the Labor state government. For the Age the battle grounds are drawn internally within the ALP. How do they, the leftist editors of the Age, exert influence over the dominant conservative Labor Unity faction within the party? How do they bring about their socialist utopia while undermining both a conservative state government and nullify the threat of an effective Liberal Party?
For the answer, again just pick up the Age.
Paul Austin’s latest contribution Baillieu scores a much-needed coup is a prime example of the Age strengthening the enemy of its enemy. By propping up an inept and gullible leader like Ted the Age can minimize the threat of someone electable taking the reins.
We here at hewhostandsfornothing know that the only coup needed is a coup d'état.
The coalition agreement is a positive step, we acknowledge that, but it is the minimum expected of a man who would be Premier of Victoria. Far from strengthening his position the coalition arrangement will damage Baillieu. By placing him and Ryan in the spotlight together the high performing National leader will by contrast highlight Baillieu’s inadequacy for office. The conservative forces of the old country party will not long stay silent, nor will they let anything get in the way of their primary goal - government.
The take away message for you Teddy is that the Nationals joined up with the Liberal Party not Ted Baillieu. Remember the nuance in Ryan’s statement ‘we are two independent parties coming together to defeat Labor and govern in Coalition’, it is telling.
But don’t worry I am sure they will give you 100% support, until the moment you are replaced.
Posted by Liberal Insider at 7:30 PM 2 comments Links to this post
The Hon. Malcolm not worried about any potential political dirt below stairs
Malcolm Turnbull's ambition is not in dispute nor are his leadership aspirations.
"It's too easy to blame Malcolm Turnbull, with his ego the size of Russia and his "look at me" grab bag of economic pronouncements. And then, there's his ambition — a political commodity that, when linked to Turnbull, has somehow become a pejorative.
Turnbull can smell blood: Nelson's today and Howard's previously. He would be stupid, which he is not, to be positioning himself any other way."
On the weekend this well-known William Bligh namesake stated he is quite comfortable with this and professes to be undisturbed by any hunt through his background for potential political dirt.
I wouldn't be so sure, Mal - I hear that your past casual domestic staff don't consider the wages you paid ensured a perpetual confidentiality agreement.
Mate, it's marvellous what staff can overhear.
Even if a knife is laced with the envy you are always decrying it will cut just the same.
"It's too easy to blame Malcolm Turnbull, with his ego the size of Russia and his "look at me" grab bag of economic pronouncements. And then, there's his ambition — a political commodity that, when linked to Turnbull, has somehow become a pejorative.
Turnbull can smell blood: Nelson's today and Howard's previously. He would be stupid, which he is not, to be positioning himself any other way."
On the weekend this well-known William Bligh namesake stated he is quite comfortable with this and professes to be undisturbed by any hunt through his background for potential political dirt.
I wouldn't be so sure, Mal - I hear that your past casual domestic staff don't consider the wages you paid ensured a perpetual confidentiality agreement.
Mate, it's marvellous what staff can overhear.
Even if a knife is laced with the envy you are always decrying it will cut just the same.
Sunday, 11 May 2008
Iemma and Costa miscalculate and the state suffers
With less than half the projected 'pilgrim numbers now likely to turn up, the Iemma Government's decision to go all the way with il papa and Cardinal Pell is likely to see New South Wales further in debt after the Catholic Church World Youth Day held in Sydney over 5 days of official events in July.
The only question seems to be; will the debt be larger than the reported $24 million that Toronto, Canada was left holding after it hosted this event in 2002.
The Daily Telegraph
THE State Government was forced last night to introduce legislation to appropriate an extra $400 million after finding itself short on cash to pay the bills.
Treasurer Michael Costa has asked Parliament to approve a transfer of funds to pay for "unforeseen" expenses over the past year.
They included horse flu, drought, new hospital beds, allowances for foster carers and $140 million to pay off rail debt.
Mr Costa claimed it was nothing out of the ordinary, calling it a "top up".
THE arrival of Pope Benedict in Sydney for World Youth Day is looming as an unholy disaster for the luxury hotels of Sydney.
Top-end hotels and businesses are reeling from the huge shortfall in predicted numbers. Domestic tourists are also reluctant to take holidays in Sydney because of the expected disruption to roads. One five-star hotel set aside 1000 beds and has not received one booking.
The NSW government has defended its decision to spend $86 million on World Youth Day, saying it would bring international attention to Sydney at a fraction of the cost of the Olympics.
The NSW government's spokeswoman for World Youth Day, Kristina Keneally, said the government would spend $86 million to support the event, compared to the $390 million it provided for the Olympics.
This figure [$86 million] does not include taxpayers' $42 million compensation payment - shared between federal and state governments - to the racing industry for use of Randwick racecourse as the venue for the closing papal Mass.
Sydney's deputy Lord Mayor says parts of Hyde Park will be closed for three months after World Youth Day to repair the damage caused by thousands of pilgrims using the area.
Tony Pooley says the northern part of the park will be affected by the heavy pedestrian traffic during World Youth Day events in mid-July.
Councillor Pooley says the rehabilitation cost of $100,000 is minimal when considering how much money the event will inject into the state's economy.---
"The Catholic Church has asked us to pay for those costs," he said.
Welcome to the World Youth Day 2008 HomeStay program.
This is your chance to play an important and rewarding role in Sydney's hosting of the world's biggest youth event.
We are asking Homestay Hosts to volunteer to host pilgrims from overseas - or from outside Sydney - from 14 July to 21 July 2008.
Pilgrims will be 18 years or older. Homestay Hosts are asked to provide bed and breakfast (cold or hot) on a complimentary basis.
Premier Costa? 2
Comparison displayed at Machine Gun Keyboard.In The Northern Star.
"Treasurer Michael Costa is the driving force behind the privatisation plan and Mr Smith said the blame for the situation the ALP finds itself in over this issue can be 'laid at the feet' of Mr Costa who has not been prepared to negotiate. "I was there representing people from the Northern Rivers and we don't want electricity privatised," Mr Smith said."
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