A paid notice by John X Berlin
The Clarence Valley Review,
4 January 2011 issue, Page 38
Image accompanying The Daily Examiner article
Berlin in court on new charges
8 January 2011 online issue
This blog is open to any who wish to comment on Australian society, the state of the environment or political shenanigans at Federal, State and Local Government level.
A paid notice by John X Berlin
The Clarence Valley Review,
4 January 2011 issue, Page 38
Image accompanying The Daily Examiner article
Berlin in court on new charges
8 January 2011 online issue
Natalie O'Brien writing in The Age on 9 January 2011 Vodafone mobile records leaked:
THE personal details of millions of Vodafone customers, including names, home addresses, driver's licence numbers and credit card details, have been available on the web in what is described as an ''unbelievable'' lapse in security by the mobile phone giant.
The Sunday Age is aware of criminal groups paying for the private details of some Vodafone customers to blackmail them.
Other people have apparently obtained logins to check their spouse's communications.
The personal details, accessible from any computer because they are kept on an internet site rather than Vodafone's internal system, include numbers dialled or texted, plus the time and location of calls or texts.
The full extent of the privacy breach is unknown, but The Sunday Age has learnt that possibly thousands of people have logins that can be passed around and used to gain access to the accounts of about 4 million Vodafone clients.
Michael Fraser, head of the Australian Communications Law Centre at the University of Technology Sydney, said it seemed to be a major breach of the company's privacy obligations and ''unbelievably slack security''.
The Hon Tony Abbott MP
Leader of the Opposition
Applications are invited for the position of Senior Adviser - Media to the Leader of the Opposition.
This position would suit a highly motivated person, preferably with several years of experience in journalism or a related communications discipline and experience in the development of and implementation of communication strategies.
Knowledge of government and parliamentary processes would be an advantage.
The position is based in Sydney with regular travel to Canberra and interstate.
The position is offered under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 and conditions are outlined in the Commonwealth Members of Parliament Staff Enterprise Agreement 2010-2012. A salary within the range $111,403 to $146,492 pa will be determined commensurate with relevant skills and experience. In addition, an allowance of $27,500 is payable in recognition of long and irregular hours including weekend work, and a private-plated vehicle or allowance-in-lieu is provided. A probationary period of three months will apply.
Applications setting out details of experience and the names of two referees should be forwarded to:
Applications close on 21 January 2011. For further information please contact David Wawn on (02) 6277 4022.
7 Jan 2011
Glen Greenwald writing in Salon on 7 January 2011:
Last night, Birgitta Jónsdóttir -- a former WikiLeaks volunteer and current member of the Icelandic Parliament -- announced (on Twitter) that she had been notified by Twitter that the DOJ had served a Subpoena demanding information "about all my tweets and more since November 1st 2009." Several news outlets, including The Guardian, wrote about Jónsdóttir's announcement.
What hasn't been reported is that the Subpoena served on Twitter -- which was ordered by a federal court -- seeks the same information for numerous other individuals currently or formerly associated with WikiLeaks, including Jacob Appelbaum, Rop Gongrijp, and Julian Assange. It also seeks the same information for Bradley Manning and for WikiLeaks' Twitter account.
The information demanded by the DOJ is sweeping in scope. It includes all mailing addresses and billing information known for the user, all connection records and session times, all IP addresses used to access Twitter, all known email accounts, as well as the "means and source of payment," including banking records and credit cards. It seeks all of that information for the period beginning November 1, 2009 through the present. A copy of the court-ordered Subpoena served on Twitter is here.
The Subpoena was court ordered, signed by a federal Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, Theresa Buchanan. It states that there is "reasonable ground to believe that the records or other information sought are relevant and material to an ongoing criminal investigation." It was issued on December 14 and ordered sealed -- i.e., kept secret from the targets of the Order. On January 5, the same judge ordered the subpoena unsealed at Twitter's request in order to inform the users of the Subpoena and give them 10 days to object; had Twitter not so requested, it could have turned over this information without the knowledge of its users. A copy of the unsealing order is here.
However, what is fascinating about the unsealing order of 5 January 2011 is that - it's not in order. Look closely.......
The Government of Japan-sponsored Institute of Cetacean Research continues to ramp up its propaganda war against the Sea Shepherd organisation with a long list of video show and tell:
Issued at 11:18 am EDT on Friday 7 January 2011
Note: This Flood Watch is a "heads up" for possible future flooding and is NOT a Flood Warning [see note below].
Further heavy rain is predicted for the NSW northern rivers from Sunday to Tuesday.
The above catchments are wet from recent rain so there is a higher than 70% of local and main river flooding developing during Sunday evening onwards in the following:
1. Tweed Valley - moderate flooding including local flooding in several areas including Chillingham
2. Richmond and Wilsons Valleys - moderate to major flooding
3. Brunswick Valley - moderate to major flooding
4. Clarence Valley - including the Orara River - minor to moderate flooding
5. Bellingen Valley - minor to moderate flooding
This Flood Watch means that people living or working along rivers and streams must monitor the latest weather forecasts and warnings and be ready to move to higher ground should flooding develop. Flood Warnings will be issued if Minor Flood Level is expected to be exceeded at key sites along the main rivers for which the Bureau of Meteorology provides a flood warning service. Across NSW, about 70% of Flood Watches are followed by flooding.
FloodSafe advice is available at www.ses.nsw.gov.au
For emergency assistance call the SES on telephone number 132 500.
For life threatening emergencies, call 000 immediately.
Northern Rivers
Cloudy. Isolated showers, becoming scattered in the afternoon and evening, with the chance of thunderstorms. Winds south to southeasterly averaging 15 to 25 km/h tending east to southeasterly up to 20 km/h later in the evening. Temperatures in the mid 20s during the day.
Cloudy. Rain. The chance of thunderstorms early in the morning, mainly inland. Winds east to southeasterly averaging 15 to 30 km/h. Overnight temperatures falling to in the low 20s with daytime temperatures reaching the mid 20s.
Mid-North Coast
Partly cloudy. Isolated showers, becoming scattered in the north during the afternoon. The chance of thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, mainly in the north. Winds east to southeasterly averaging 10 to 20 km/h. Temperatures 22 to 28 during the day.
Cloudy. Rain, more frequent in the north. The chance of thunderstorms early in the morning. The chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Winds east to southeasterly averaging 15 to 25 km/h. Overnight temperatures falling to between 15 and 20 with daytime temperatures reaching 21 to 28.
Hi! My name is Boy. I'm a male bi-coloured tabby cat. Ever since I discovered that Malcolm Turnbull's dogs were allowed to blog, I have been pestering Clarencegirl to allow me a small space on North Coast Voices.
A false flag musing: I have noticed one particular voice on Facebook which is Pollyanna-positive on the subject of the Port of Yamba becoming a designated cruise ship destination. What this gentleman doesn’t disclose is that, as a principal of Middle Star Pty Ltd, he could be thought to have a potential pecuniary interest due to the fact that this corporation (which has had an office in Grafton since 2012) provides consultancy services and tourism business development services.
A religion & local government musing: On 11 October 2017 Clarence Valley Council has the Church of Jesus Christ Development Fund Inc in Sutherland Local Court No. 6 for a small claims hearing. It would appear that there may be a little issue in rendering unto Caesar. On 19 September 2017 an ordained minister of a religion (which was named by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to 40 instances of historical child sexual abuse on the NSW North Coast) read the Opening Prayer at Council’s ordinary monthly meeting. Earlier in the year an ordained minister (from a church network alleged to have supported an overseas orphanage closed because of child abuse claims in 2013) read the Opening Prayer and an ordained minister (belonging to yet another church network accused of ignoring child sexual abuse in the US and racism in South Africa) read the Opening Prayer at yet another ordinary monthly meeting. Nice one councillors - you are covering yourselves with glory!
An investigative musing: Newcastle Herald, 12 August 2017: The state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to investigate the finances of the Awabakal Aboriginal Local Land Council, less than 12 months after the troubled organisation was placed into administration by the state government. The Newcastle Herald understands accounting firm PKF Lawler made the decision to refer the land council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after discovering a number of irregularities during an audit of its financial statements. The results of the audit were recently presented to a meeting of Awabakal members. Administrator Terry Lawler did not respond when contacted by the Herald and a PKF Lawler spokesperson said it was unable to comment on the matter. Given the intricate web of company relationships that existed with at least one former board member it is not outside the realms of possibility that, if ICAC accepts this referral, then United Land Councils Limited (registered New Zealand) and United First Peoples Syndications Pty Ltd(registered Australia) might be interviewed. North Coast Voices readers will remember that on 15 August 2015 representatives of these two companied gave evidence before NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No. 6 INQUIRY INTO CROWN LAND. This evidence included advocating for a Yamba mega port.
A Nationals musing: Word around the traps is that NSW Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has been talking up the notion of cruise ships visiting the Clarence River estuary. Fair dinkum! That man can be guaranteed to run with any bad idea put to him. I'm sure one or more cruise ships moored in the main navigation channel on a regular basis for one, two or three days is something other regular river users will really welcome. *pause for appreciation of irony* The draft of the smallest of the smaller cruise vessels is 3 metres and it would only stay safely afloat in that channel. Even the Yamba-Iluka ferry has been known to get momentarily stuck in silt/sand from time to time in Yamba Bay and even a very small cruise ship wouldn't be able to safely enter and exit Iluka Bay. You can bet your bottom dollar operators of cruise lines would soon be calling for dredging at the approach to the river mouth - and you know how well that goes down with the local residents.
A local councils musing: Which Northern Rivers council is on a low-key NSW Office of Local Government watch list courtesy of feet dragging by a past general manager?
A serial pest musing: I'm sure the Clarence Valley was thrilled to find that a well-known fantasist is active once again in the wee small hours of the morning treading a well-worn path of accusations involving police, local business owners and others.
An investigative musing: Which NSW North Coast council is batting to have the longest running code of conduct complaint investigation on record?
A fun fact musing: An estimated 24,000 whales migrated along the NSW coastline in 2016 according to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the migration period is getting longer.
A which bank? musing: Despite a net profit last year of $9,227 million the Commonwealth Bank still insists on paying below Centrelink deeming rates interest on money held in Pensioner Security Accounts. One local wag says he’s waiting for the first bill from the bank charging him for the privilege of keeping his pension dollars at that bank.
A Daily Examiner musing: Just when you thought this newspaper could sink no lower under News Corp management, it continues to give column space to Andrew Bolt.
A thought to ponder musing: In case of bushfire or flood - do you have an emergency evacuation plan for the family pet?
An adoption musing: Every week on the NSW North Coast a number of cats and dogs find themselves without a home. If you want to do your bit and give one bundle of joy a new family, contact Happy Paws on 0419 404 766 or your local council pound.