Please explain, Mr. Crawford

It has long been rumoured that North Coast Area Health Service CEO Chris Crawford has his damage control down pat and the outcome of the service's complaints process heavily favours a positive outcome for the regional hospitals involved.

So it came as no surprise that a 2003 complaint appears by default to have gone in favour of the named doctor and Lismore Base Hospital.

Nor does it surprise that last June Crawford wrote to the patient involved and apologised for the mishandling of her complaint.

Seeing the light and genuinely sorry? Hardly.

Chris was sprung by unfolding events, because the doctor's registration was suspended in February 2008.

What many of us would like to know is why it took a former patient to jog NCAHS memories about Hasil and why it took Crawford four months after the doctor's suspension to write to this patient?

Also why it was that NCAHS did not react to local media reports on this doctor in February other than to supply the misleading information that "Dr Hasil was never formally accused of malpractice during his time at Lismore Base Hospital" and why senior hospital medical staff virtually ignored the doctor's alleged behaviour between 2003 and 2005.

Not good enough, Chris, not bl**dy good enough!

Current list of deregisterd doctors in NSW

Current list of suspended doctors in NSW

What happens to the Internet Harpies if Obama wins the White House?

Both the Republicans and Democrats are naturally trying to control media spin in the 2008 US presidential election.

Cease and desist letters are flying back and forth between candidates and lobby groups (such as the National Rifle Association), as well as between media outlets and the Obama and McCain campaign machines.
Legal action is apparently being regularly threatened over a broad area.

After a failed attempt to allegedly buy internet censorship, Obama has relied on a number of websites in his attempt to control this spin.
His Fight the Smears site asks for help in spreading the 'truth' about political rumours and falsehoods.

However, his supporters appear to be going a little overboard and are apparently attempting to censor what goes up on the Internet.

As a Wikipedia discussion points out in relation to the Obama-Ayers matter (raised again by Palin on the weekend):

It's clear this is a hot potato, but something has to be done about Obama/Ayers wording. Look over the last few days and you'll see sections and sentences about Obama appear and disappear. Some of the wordings are clear vandalism, or, at best, provocations, but even short, sober mentions of a controversy has been removed.
The topic is not without interest or published material to work with. Today the NYT published a front page article on the Obama/Ayers relationship—the overall thrust of which cannot cheer Obama's detractors, but which spends some column inches investigating the relationship. And Sarah Palin made it a campaign issue. Yet the Bill Ayers page has no mention of the principle reason most people will be visiting it in the weeks to come.

Image from TinyPic

Which raises an obvious question - if Obama wins the White House will the harpies he has unleashed still try to censor what is said about him out in hyperspace and is that what he really intends/condones?

Will the NSW North Coast lose its valuable fishing industry?

The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday:

CLIMATE change is likely to hit supplies of many of Australia's favourite eating fish, including barramundi, salmon, rock lobster and prawns, the most extensive study on the subject yet undertaken by the Federal Government has warned.
The CSIRO study, commissioned by the Department of Climate Change and to be released today, reports the overall impact of global change "will pose some very significant risks to the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture in Australia".
Projected changes in temperature, ocean currents, rainfall and extreme weather events due to climate change are all likely to significantly influence fish stocks and marine ecosystems in the $2.1 billion Australia fishery and aquaculture industry, the report finds.

The NSW North Coast has a regional economy whichs depends significantly on commercial and recreational fishers.
In the Clarence Valley alone commercial fishing (including prawning) supports at least 370 jobs and is worth around $27 million annually.
Tourism across the region also depends on vistors whose focus is ocean or river fishing.

Everyone it seems is beginning to notice the absence of big fish numbers along the coast and locals are complaining that it is becoming harder to catch a feed.
This latest CSIRO report points to the possibility that these complaints are not just an excuse for an empty creel.

CSIRO report here.

Vegemite - 86 years strong!

There would hardly be a household on the NSW North Coast that didn't have a jar of Vegemite tucked away in the pantry cupboard. It's probably been that way since 1922.

Mothers use this brewer's yeast spread as a quick filler of hungry kids, uni students and pensioners use it to eke out the skimpy food budget, and if the global credit crisis continues many more people will be relying on it for a meal.

My boofhead dog loves his Vegemite toast crusts at breakfast and Maud up the Street drinks Vegemite 'tea' when she is feeling a bit off-colour.

Many of us also like teasing overseas visitors with their first experience of this spread and delight in the alarmed expressions when they realise that they are expected to actually eat this strange food.

Along with the first lines of Waltzing Matilda, I bet most Aussies can sing the opening to the Happy Little Vegemites jingle.

At least a billion jars of the old 'axle grease' have now been officially sold.
So here's to Vegemite - a source of both nostalgia and necessity.

Old advertisement found at Kraft website.

Monday's antidote for all the doom and gloom dominating the media

Thanks to a local journo for passing on these classics from A Steroid Hit The Earth: The Catastrophic World Of Misprints by Martin Toseland, published by Portico Books this month.

Misprints:

People in Preston ward are invited to a meeting at 7.15pm tonight in St Mary's Church Hall, Brighton, to meet councillors and beat police officers. (Evening Argus)

The skeleton was believed to be that of a Saxon worrier. (Express and Echo)

The strike leaders had called a meeting that was to have been held in a bra near the factory, but it was too small to hold them all. (South London Press)

One man was admitted to hospital suffering from buns. (Bristol Gazette)

Police in Hawick yesterday called off a search for a 20-year-old man who is believed to have frowned after falling into the swollen River Teviot. (The Scotsman)

The first aid treatment for a broken rib is to apply a tight bandage after you have made your patient expire. (Manchester Evening News)

Corrections:

Error: The Observer wishes to apologise for a typesetting error in our Tots and Toddlers advertising feature last week which led to Binswood Nursery School being described as serving 'children casserole' instead of chicken casserole. (Leamington Spa Observer)

'The name of this column is still Corrections and Clarifications*, although it is not immune from error as the printed title in yesterday's paper demonstrated.' *The column appeared as Corrections and Clairifications. (The Guardian)

Adverts:

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council: Crematorium assistant required. The Council operates a no-smoking policy. (Sheffield Star)

Sports:

The mystery fan behind the takeover bid for Port Vale today said he will pull out of the deal if his identity is revealed. It is understood Stone-based businessman Peter Jackson wants to remain anonymous until the contract is signed and sealed. (Staffordshire Sentinel)

Pssst! Did you hear the one about the flash cove who?

Did you hear the one about the flash cove who took on the job as mayor of the biggest local government area on the NSW North Coast and within a week was trying to palm off any part of this role which would take him away from his 2GF microphone overnight?
Apparently he thinks that being a DJ is way more important than representing the interests of local communities at conferences, seminars, and regional or state-wide meetings.
Including it seems the valuable face-to-face contact with ministers which often occur in these settings.
Talk about a conflict of interest!

Wall Street the day after..........

Scenes on Wall Street the day after Bush's financial bailout became law.

The bankers

Retirees, small investors and homebuyers

Graphics from Gooogle Images