A snippet of Tony Abbott's family history

Just discovered in the bowels of the Vatican Secret Archives - the genuine ancient Abbott family crest.

40,000 defendants escape reverse class action suits brought by adult film companies

One doesn't know whether to cheer on civil liberties or worry that so many access p0rn0graphy on the Internet............

From an Electronic Frontier Foundation press release on 16 March 2011:

San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has asked an Illinois judge to quash subpoenas issued in a "reverse class action" lawsuit accusing thousands of people of illegally downloading pornography, and urged the court to dismiss the case. In a friend of the court brief filed Tuesday, EFF argued that the plaintiff's "class action" strategy is an improper attempt to sidestep the rights of the defendants.

EFF has been involved in a number of copyright troll cases where content owners and lawyers team up to try to obtain the identities of thousands of anonymous alleged file sharers at once in order to extract settlements from them. In response, judges across the country have been cracking down on such abusive strategies. Thousands of unnamed "John Does" targeted in lawsuits filed in California, Washington D.C., Texas, and West Virginia have been severed, effectively dismissing over 40,000 defendants. These rulings may have a significant impact on this misguided business model, which relies on being able to sue thousands of Does at once with a minimum of administrative expense.

In this case, OpenMind Solutions v. Does, the plaintiff has taken a new approach: calling its complaint a "class action" lawsuit against the alleged infringers. Normally a class action is used by a group of plaintiffs with similar complaints of a single defendant -- not a single plaintiff targeting thousand of defendants with no attorney in place to defend the rights of the accused. OpenMind then asked the court for permission to issue subpoenas seeking identifying information for the Does, which was granted without the opportunity for anyone to speak on the unknown defendants' behalf.......

For the full amicus brief: https://www.eff.org/files/filenode/openmind_v_does/openmind-amicus-filed... For more on copyright trolls: https://www.eff.org/issues/copyright-trolls

Arts Northern Rivers gets creative with young artists

Arts Northern Rivers is excited to announce a new Young Creatives Mentoring Project. The first of its kind in the country, the Project will match local young creatives aged 16 to 24 with mentors recruited exclusively from the Northern Rivers' own creative communities.

Successful applicants will receive six months' direction and support from a specially selected Creative Mentor, and be eligible for up to $500 towards the cost of achieving a creative project or idea.

Plus they'll have access to specially programmed professional development workshops to assist in their overall learning, and the chance to present their work at an end of year showcase event.

The mentorship program will run for six months from June to November 2011.

Applications are now open for this exciting initiative, with a call to young people who have a passionate interest in the arts or a creative practice, to put their hand up to be included.

We're also seeking Expressions of Interest from established Northern Rivers' artists/creative industries practitioners, to fill the roles of our Creative Mentors.

Applications close Friday May 6.

This project is in an initiative of Arts Northern Rivers, supported by the Department of Education and Training NSW, through their ArtStart program.

(www.artsnorthernrivers.com.au)

I know I've got a suspicious mind, but.......

Online report from the BBC on 1st April 2011:

Dads launch class action against Mumsnet “Another leading human rights lawyer commented: “This case raises fundamental issues about privacy in the internet age. One of the fathers' complaints is that Mumsnetters are sharing information about every aspect of their private lives, from hygiene habits to genital size. They say they feel that women everywhere are ‘rofling’ at them. Some have become phobic about going online and no longer enjoy exchanging facts about mobile phone specifications. Many now feel so intimidated they can’t even post opinions about Kerry Katona’s breasts on the Daily Mail website. It’s a serious problem.” Mumsnet Founder Justine Roberts said: "Fathers have always been welcome on Mumsnet, I even keep one in my own house. I find it very useful for the spiders."

And from Ryanair this media release on the same day:

Child free flights from October 2011 “When it comes to children we all love our own but would clearly prefer to avoid other people’s little monsters when travelling. While half our passengers would like us to divide our cabins up into ‘adult’ and ‘family’ areas it is not operationally possible due to our free seating policy, with optional priority boarding. However, with clear demand for ‘child free’ flights Ryanair will introduce child free flights on high frequency routes from the start of our winter schedule in October.”

Shoomery ran with this on the 1st April:

Ban April Fool's Day

Click on image to enlarge

Finally, a tongue in cheek via Twitter on 2^nd April 2011:

@riverknight Shawn Smith The problem with April Fools Day is that for this one day each year you aren't able to believe everything you read on the internet.

The beautiful world of 'duckforcover'

Duckforcover - are photographers and artists, Daisy and Nick, living on farm on the coastal fringe of Northern New South Wales Australia along with their Staffie dog named Lenny Bruce.

Our current series of art is inspired by the flora of the Clarence Valley. We want to convey to people who view our art to be aware of the beauty that is around them, not to take it for granted and,hopefully, do what they can as individuals to maintain the environment for the future enjoyment of all. All Prints are for sale, size is 15x27 inches and printed on Hahnemuhle fine arts paper. All print are limited edition of only 10 prints and are all signed and numbered.

Tell the dope.......

One of the better posters
featuring Oppostion Leader
Tony Lies R Me Abbott.




I'm not sure where this poster was originally posted but a chapeau flourish to its creator.

Voters who say 'A plague on all your houses!'

Both the Labor Government and the Federal Opposition should take note of the Australian Electoral Commission’s report on the 2010 general election which resulted in the formation of a minority government because the national ballot produced no clear winner.

According to this report there has been a marked increase in ballot papers which represent a form of protest or unwillingness to support any political party or candidate, along with an apparent rise in the donkey vote.

Excerpts from Analysis of Informal Voting, House of Representatives, 2010 federal election:

* The 2010 House of Representatives election saw a substantial increase in the proportion of blank ballots (from 20.0 per cent of all informal ballots at the 2007 House of Representatives election to 28.9 per cent in 2010), with smaller increases in the proportions of ballots with ticks and crosses (from 9.9 per cent to 11.8 per cent) and scribbles, slogans or other protest vote marks (from 14.2 per cent to 16.9 per cent). The proportion of number ‘1’ only ballots decreased slightly (from 30.1 per cent of all informal ballots in 2007 to 27.8 per cent in 2010), while there was a more substantial decrease in the proportion of ballots with non-sequential numbering (from 17.9 per cent to 9.2 per cent).

* While more than a quarter of all informal votes cast in each state and territory were blank, blank ballots still comprise less than two (1.60) per cent of all votes cast. The highest proportions of blank ballots were cast by voters in Tasmania (34.1 per cent of all informal ballots) and South Australia (32.4 per cent). These also recorded the highest proportions of blank ballots for the 2007 House of Representatives election (29.3 and 26.9 per cent, respectively).

* Nationally, the rate of blank ballots doubled between the 2007 and 2010 House of Representatives elections, from 0.79 per cent of all votes cast in 2007 to 1.60 per cent of all votes cast in 2010. The states with the highest rates of blank ballots were New South Wales (1.84 per cent of all votes cast) and South Australia (1.77 per cent), while the lowest rates of blank ballots were cast by voters in the Australian Capital Territory (1.39 percent of all votes cast) and Tasmania (1.38 per cent).

* This was also the first federal election since informal ballot paper surveys began where the proportion of blank ballots was higher than the proportion of number '1' only ballots.

* As it is not possible to determine the true intent of voters casting informal ballots, the following analysis refers to assumed unintentional and assumed intentional informality. ■ Ballot papers with incomplete numbering, non-sequential numbering, ticks and crosses and those where the voter had been identified are assumed to be unintentionally informal. In other words, it is assumed that all voters completing ballot papers in these categories intended to cast a formal vote. ■ All other informal ballots (including blank ballots and those with scribbles, slogans or other protest vote marks) are assumed to be intentionally informal. In other words, it is assumed that all voters casting ballots papers in these categories intended to vote informally.

* The highest proportions of assumed unintentionally informal votes were cast by voters in New South Wales (58.8 per cent of all informal ballots) and the Northern Territory (54.8 per cent). The highest proportions of assumed intentionally informal ballots were cast by voters in Tasmania (64.7 per cent of all informal ballots) and Victoria (57.5 per cent). As shown in Figure 3 and Table 10 on the following page, the rate of assumed unintentional informal voting increased from 2.47 per cent of all votes cast in the 2007 House of Representatives election to 2.85 per cent of all votes cast in the 2010 House of Representatives election.