Barack is my Mr. Right! The NRA told me so

With Barack Obama and the National Rifle Association of America facing off in a battle of political wills in the countdown to the November presidential election day, I took a quick peek at the NRA website and found this silly quiz.

2008 Jacaranda Queen candidates, Grafton Oct 24-Nov 3

Janet Blair of Grafton is the Jacarandah Festival Matron of Honour who will be shepherding these bright young things during the many events at Australia's longest running floral festival which first commenced in 1935.

I'm sure that (clockwise from the top left) Gemma Buckley, Eliz Strydom, Alisha Beaman, Mel Roberts, Verginia Nairn and Alanna Goodwin will have a great time during festival week.

Festival events guide here.

SBS TV will be showing the Jacaranda Festival documentary Once a Queen on Friday 24 October at 7.30pm.

ASIO tales continued...

Robert Merkel over at Larvatus Prodeo last week took umbrage at Victoria's Security Intelligence Group and its domestic spying, after reading Baker and McKenzie's article on the same subject in The Age.

Richard Baker and Nick McKenzie nicknamed the undercover police intelligence operative "Andrew", as they went on to describe his dive into a pit of chicken excrement in pursuit of his spying goals.

Now I find that ASIO may also utilise the services of an "Andrew" and is so proud of him that he features in one of their digital recruitment adverts.

"Those who have made it through our recruitment process have a variety of life and work experience. From teachers, managers and lawyers through to psychologists, engineers and social workers, there's no set mould or magic formula – it's about you as a person.
Hear first hand from our IOs:

Andrew - 'Everyone finds working here rewarding'------

After I'd graduated I applied for a job with ASIO because I liked the diversity that the Intelligence Officer position offered.

The job seemed to demand both analytical and interpersonal skills, so I could get a good balance in my day-to-day work."

No mention of battery hens, but this "Andrew" did say that he's required to undertake a new posting every three years so (remembering his Victorian doppelganger) let's hope that the poor boy stays as far away from livestock as he can get.

Perhaps an assignment shadowing the Quilters Guild of NSW would be just the shot.

ASIO obligingly supplies an advertising agency audio of "Andrew" which hints that he may have hailed from the Indian sub-continent.

Oh goodness gracious me!! Boom Boody-Boom Boody-Boom Boody-Boom Boody-Boom Boody-Boom Boody-Boom-Boom-Boom.

Recruitment pic from ASIO

Blogging about the Clarence River and water solutions

Excerpts from a watery exchange in the letters blog at The Australian last week:

Letter to the Editor, October 13 2008:

NOWHERE in the Murray-Darling debate have I seen any reference to the logical solution to the issue: to ensure more water in the upper reaches of the system. Over five million megalitres of water flows each year through the mouth of the Clarence River into the sea at Iluka on the north coast of NSW.

Well-engineered and feasible plans have been drawn up in the past to divert one-fifth of this water on a fully regulated basis to the upper rivers of the Darling at a very reasonable cost.

While some would be lost by evaporation and soakage a lot would also reach the Murray. Instead of the interminable hand-wringing, why not actually do something and get the ball rolling?

David Coffey
Bowral, NSW

Online comment:

"Well-engineered and feasible plans have been drawn up in the past to divert one-fifth of this [Clarence river] water on a fully regulated basis to the upper rivers of the Darling at a very reasonable cost."

There was nothing well-engineered or feasible about any of the proposals to dam and divert Clarence River catchment fresh water.

These plans often:
*overestimated freshwater flows
*neglected to recognise that river flows were highly variable
*took no account of the fact that almost one third of the Clarence River was subject to tidal flow and therefore salt
*failed to take into account that strong unregulated flows were required to keep the shipping channels open for the working port, so the timber boats and island traders are able to negotiate the river
*that the highly productive commercial fishing industry relied on 'freshes' flowing freely to produce adequate prawn and fish harvests
*ignored vital endangered fish habitat and international treaties covering migratory birds relying on the river
*did not take into account the two different rainfall patterns across the Clarence catchment which see less rain falling in those areas where most freshwater run-off into the river and tributaries occur or CSIRO predictions of long-term local impacts of climate change
*had insufficient geotechnical information for dams and pipeline and unrealistic proposed siting and estimated costing.

The list could go on and on, but one thing should be apparent - wrecking one catchment to cure the woes in another is NOT the way to go.

Judith M. Melville
Mon 13 Oct 08 (07:03am)

Judith M. Melville, I could kiss you. Where I live, on the Murray, every folkway and strange scheme from the past is seen as superior to any current management strategy for the river. Thank you for letting facts intrude into the sometimes equally bizarre world of the blogosphere.

Indi
Mon 13 Oct 08 (03:31pm)

My thoughts on the McPalin team

It's hard to believe that that an Australian exists who would find most of the pronouncements of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin anything but abhorrent.

When it comes to her political comments, she (along with John McCain) probably deserves a great deal of the flack that is out there in the media and floating about the blogosphere.

However, even I am beginning to feel uncomfortable with the level of bile being directed at this woman and the less than subtle attempts to sexualize her candidature.

This 'photograph' accompanying a recent PollieGraph article was as low as it could go as far as I'm concerned.

Overhead on the bowling green.......

Pensioner bowler to his team mate (overheard as I was watching a game last F'dee):

"Rudd says that pensioners should spend because the banks won't lend.

Why should I beggar my kitty so the banks can grow fatter - where's the sense in that?"

Little did he think about what may lurk around the corner..............................

Moir cartoon from The Sydney Morning Herald

Round and round the mulberry bush........

Developers operating out in the Gulmarrad area in the Clarence Valley are in the spotlight again for the same-old, same-old reason: alleged unlawful wholesale land clearing.

In fact this area is becoming somewhat notorious locally for the number of 'mistakes' which lead to loss of native habitat.

What is interesting in the Government's response to a question in the NSW Parliament is the fact that absolutely no mention is made of the development application on the 50ha block Lot 1072 currently before Clarence Valley Council.

Nor is the fact that the smaller 17ha lot owned by B & J Taylor P/L also appears to be involved in a Gulmarrad development application/approval and that this company has a longstanding dispute with council.

Of course the company is not saying much, except through their solicitor on the disputed matter.

*BACKGROUND

Council report dated 12 September 2006 is attached and contains detailed background information. Following the resolution of 12 September 2006, the General Manager and Deputy General Manager (Civil and Corporate) met with Mr Joe Feeney, representing the owners, on 7 November 2006. Mr Feeney was not amenable to Council's offer of $10,320.25 plus the refund of $1,325.00 for DA fees and in fact made a counter-request in writing dated 7 November 2006 for $150,000. This was not accepted as it was substantially outside the figure set by Council.

ISSUES

A copy of the submission from McNamara James and O'Connor dated 18 July 2008 is attached.

*2080—REPORT OF ILLEGAL LAND CLEARING: 28 August 2008

Mr Cohen to the Attorney General, Minister for Justice, and Acting Minister for Education and Training representing the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, Minister for Women, Minister for Science and Medical Research, and Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer)—

1. What action did the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) take in relation to the report of illegal land clearing in Maclean, Lot No. 1711, 1712 (DP 616116) and Lot 1072 (DP 702367)?
2. Did the landowner have a Property Vegetation Plan in relation to these properties?
3. Has the landowner made any representations to DECC as to the reason for undertaking the clearing activity?
4. Is the clearing undertaken by the landowner covered by any exemptions under the Native Vegetation Act?
5. Did DECC notify the Clarence Valley Council staff of the state conservation significance of the Gulmarrad area in mid 2007?
   1. Specifically, what advice did DECC communicate to the Clarence Valley Council?
6. Has DECC or any representative of DECC visited and inspected the land in Maclean, Lot No. 1711, 1712 (DP 616116) and Lot 1072 (DP 702367)?
7. Did DECC identify any old growth Endangered Ecological Communities (EEC) on the land?
8. What findings, preliminary or final, have DECC made in relation to the construction of roadway and other infrastructure on the site?
9. Does the process of sediment moving into Endangered Ecological Communities Swamp Sclerophyll Forest fall within the scope of matters prescribed in Schedule 3 of the Protection of the Environment Operations (General) Regulation 1998?
10. If evidence indicates that sediment created by the clearing process has polluted water in EECs will DECC use Section 120 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 to prosecute the land owner or holder?
    1. If not, why not?

Answer—

1. The alleged illegal clearing was first reported to the Department of Environment and Climate Change on 18 July 2008 and the matter is being investigated.
2. No record of a Property Vegetation Plan has been identified to date.
3. Yes. The landowner indicated that the clearing was undertaken for agricultural purposes, in accordance with exemptions available under the Native Vegetation Act 2003 for "routine agricultural management activities".
4. The Department is investigating this issue as part of its broader investigation.
5. Yes, as part of broader advice provided to a number of local councils on the North Coast.
   1. The Department provided maps to Clarence Valley Council (and other councils on the North Coast) showing areas of state, regional and local biodiversity significance. The mapping identified areas of state biodiversity significance in the Gulmarrad area.
6. Yes. An initial inspection was undertaken on 23 July 2008.
7. It is not appropriate to comment as this is part of an ongoing legal investigation.
8. It is not appropriate to comment as this is part of an ongoing legal investigation.
9. Yes.
10. The local council is the appropriate regulatory authority with respect to water pollution issues on the property.
1. See response to question 10.