Wednesday, 14 March 2012

Cansdell continues to haunt the NSW parliament

According to Hansard former and disgraced Member for Clarence, Steve Cansdell, was in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday 13 March 2012 a bit after 3.30pm and voted with the government on its Education Reform motion That this House supports the Government in delivering on its election commitment to give decision-making power back to local schools and school communities.

How very convenient  it must be for the newly elected Member for Clarence, Christopher Gulaptis, to be able to sneak out of the house when a division is called and know his good old best mate Steve is ever ready to stand in for him.

A rare frog the NSW Minister for Resources and Energy & Anchor Resources intends to ignore?


Giant Barred Frog found on the Wild Cattle Creek property
Scientific name: Mixophyes iteratus
Conservation status in NSW:
Endangered
National conservation status: Endangered
Image found at

It is no secret that NSW Minister for Resources and Energy, Chris Hartcher, is enthusiastic at the prospect of mining on the Mid and Far North Coast – particularly when it comes to gold and antimony mining on the Dorrigo Plateau.

A plateau which takes in the Clarence River catchment high country which supplies fresh water to an estimated 125,419 residents (based on 2010 ERP figures) in Coffs Harbour City and Clarence Valley Shire local government areas.

Local government areas falling within a region which has a population expected to grow more than 28% to around 424,400 by 2031.

Given the ongoing exploration within Anchor Resources Limited’s Wild Cattle Creek EL 6388 lease and the corporation’s recent history of environmental degradation, one has to wonder why Minister Hartcher and his department head have not yet thought fit to insist on a formal environmental assessment of the lease area.

NSW Department of Environment and Conservation:

Description

Giant Barred Frogs are large frogs, up to 115 mm in length. They are olive to dark brown above with paler or darker blotches, and cream to pale yellow below. The skin is finely granular. The pupil of the eye is vertical and the iris is pale golden in the upper half and brown in the lower half. The call is a deep ‘ork’ breaking into a series of ‘orks’ and grunts. The Giant Barred Frog can be most easily distinguished from other barred frog species by the black thighs with smaller yellow spots, distinct barring on the limbs, dark blotches on the sides, absence of a creamy stripe on the upper lip and the distinctive eye colour.

Location and habitat


Distribution

Coast and ranges from south-eastern Queensland to the Hawkesbury River in NSW. North-eastern NSW, particularly the Coffs Harbour-Dorrigo area, is now a stronghold. Considered to have disappeared south of the Hawkesbury and there are no recent records from the Blue Mountains. [my bolding]

Habitat and ecology
  • Giant Barred Frogs forage and live amongst deep, damp leaf litter in rainforests, moist eucalypt forest and nearby dry eucalypt forest, at elevations below 1000 m.
  • They breed around shallow, flowing rocky streams from late spring to summer.
  • Females lay eggs onto moist creek banks or rocks above water level, from where tadpoles drop into the water when hatched.
  • Tadpoles grow to a length of 80 mm and take up to 14 months before changing into frogs. When not breeding the frogs disperse hundreds of metres away from streams. They feed primarily on large insects and spiders.
Threats
  • Reduction in water quality, from sedimentation or pollution.
  • Changes in water flow patterns, either increased or decreased flows.
  • Reduction of leaf-litter and fallen log cover through burning.
  • Timber harvesting and other forestry practices.
  • Vegetation clearance.
  • Predation on eggs and tadpoles by introduced fish.
  • Weed spraying close to streams.
  • Chytrid fungal disease.

An empty vessel satirized

Tuesday, 13 March 2012

The price we pay for Tony Abbott's never-ending censure motions and other nonsense


After the general election ballot box, Question Time in both houses of Australia’s federal parliament is perhaps the principle way that the government of the day is held accountable - now that much of the national mainstream media spends most of its time uncritically regurgitating political media releases as a substitute for investigative journalism.

According to the Australian Parliament website statistics link, in 1963 (an election year) the House of Representatives sat for 53 days and the Government was asked 968 Questions Without Notice during Question Time.
In the following year 1964, the House sat for 65 days and there were 1,557 Questions Without Notice recorded.

In 2010 (an election year) and 2011 the House sat for 55 and 64 days respectively, taking  948 Questions Without Notice in the first instance and 882 Questions Without Notice in the second instance.

Now I may be wrong, but I think that the period 2010 to 2011 was only the second time that House of Representatives’ Questions Without Notice have fallen in number (when an ordinary year followed an election year) in the last forty-eight years.

It seems that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s grandstanding is actually ensuring that other Members of Parliament are being given fewer opportunities to apply that very Australian maxim - keep the b@stards honest.

If it’s Thursday it must be censure time is not quite so funny a phrase when one remembers that, every time he rose to his feet and uttered the words I move that so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving forthwith the following motion, voters were denied an opportunity to hear their own elected representatives raise important national and local issues.

Drawing of Coat of Arms from Google Images

Things go better with Coke! Or do they?

This turned up in the mainstream meeja last week: 
“COCA-Cola and Pepsi say they have lowered levels of a chemical in caramel colouring which has been found to cause cancer in lab tests.
The move allows the companies to avoid having to label products with a cancer warning due to a California law setting safe levels of 4-methylimidazole.
Both drinkmakers said their popular and highly secretive recipes will not be altered but that caramel suppliers have been asked to reduce 4-MEI levels in California, a change that will eventually spread across the United States and - at least in Coke's case - around the world.
"We are NOT changing our recipe; or our formula," Coca-Cola Company spokesman Ben Sheidler said in an email.
"What we did do is direct our caramel suppliers to make a manufacturing process modification in order to reduce the level of 4-MEI in our caramel so as to meet the requirement set by the state of California's Proposition 65."
For its part, PepsiCo said its beverages "are and always will be safe for consumption."
"Consumers will notice no difference in our products and have no reason at all for any health concerns. There is no scientific evidence that 4-MEI in foods and beverages is a threat to human health," it added.” {new.com.au 10th March 2012}
This is what Coca Cola South Pacific is still saying about caramel colouring at livepositively.com.au:
"Colours are added to enhance the appearance of processed foods and beverages.
For example, 'Coca-Cola' contains caramel colouring, which is a widely used food and beverage colouring found in many kinds of processed food and beverages including: brown bread, buns, and chocolate. Although made from sugar, the amount present is not physiologically significant and contributes only a trace amount of kilojoules to a can of 'Coca-Cola'."
And here's Coca Cola's global press centre denying there's any problem.
While over at US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health this is what you find on mice fed with 4-Methylimidazole (4MI) :
"Clonic seizures, excitability, hyperactivity, and impaired gait were observed primarily in 2,500- and 5,000 ppm females. The incidence of mononuclear cell leukemia in the 5,000 ppm females was significantly greater than that in the controls. The incidences of hepatic histiocytosis, chronic inflammation, and focal fatty change were significantly increased in all exposed groups of male and female rats. The incidences of hepatocellular eosinophilic and mixed cell foci were significantly increased in 2,500 ppm males and 5,000 ppm females. Groups of 50 male and 50 female B6C3F1 mice were fed diets containing 0-, 312-, 625-, or 1,250 ppm 4MI for 106 weeks. Based on the food consumption the calculated average daily doses were approximately 40, 80, or 170 mg 4MI/kg body weight to males and females. Survival of all exposed groups of males and females was similar to that of the control groups. Mean body weights of males and females in the 1,250 ppm groups and that in the 312- and 625 ppm females were less than those of the control groups. Feed consumption by exposed groups of male and female mice was similar to that by the controls. The incidences of alveolar/bronchiolar adenoma in all exposed groups of females, alveolar/bronchiolar carcinoma in 1,250 ppm males, and alveolar/bronchiolar adenoma or carcinoma (combined) in 1,250 ppm males and 625- and 1,250 ppm females were significantly greater than those in the control groups. The incidence of alveolar epithelial hyperplasia was significantly increased in the 1,250 ppm females. 4MI is carcinogenic inducing alveolar/bronchiolar adenoma and carcinoma in male and female mice. 4MI may also induce mononuclear cell leukemia in female rats."

Pic from Google Images

Monday, 12 March 2012

MONEY TAKEN FROM CRIMINALS TO FUND LISMORE PCYC


THE HON. JASON CLARE MP
MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS
MINISTER FOR JUSTICE
MINISTER FOR DEFENCE MATERIEL

JANELLE SAFFIN
MEMBER FOR PAGE 

MONEY TAKEN FROM CRIMINALS TO FUND LISMORE PCYC

9 March 2012

Lismore PCYC will receive a $75,000 grant funded by money confiscated from criminals to fund their Bundjalung Midnight Sports program.

The program will be delivered in conjunction with the Aboriginal Community Justice Group and will operate in Ballina, Lismore, Casino and Coraki targeting young indigenous people aged between 14 and 18. 

The sessions will be held in prime time for youth crime – with participants being picked up from home at 5pm and taken to Lismore PCYC, where they will have dinner and undertake educational and sporting activities. They will then be taken home at 11pm. 

Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare made the announcement today with Page MP Janelle Saffin, PCYC President John Maxwell and Lismore Police Inspector Matt Kehoe.

Ms Saffin said the grant would make a huge difference for the local community.

“I congratulate Lismore PCYC and the Aboriginal Community Justice Group for this grant, and thank them for all the work they do in our community”, Ms Saffin said.

“The Lismore Crime Prevention Plan and the Lismore Youth Survey both identified the lack of activities for young people as a contributor to crime.

“This program addresses the problem head on.”

Mr Clare said money seized from criminals was now helping young people and communities across Australia.

“We’re taking money from criminals and investing it in PCYC’s across the country to help young people who are at risk of falling into a life of crime,” Minister Clare said.

“PCYC’s are terrific organisations. They’re a great example of community policing at work.

“That’s why the Federal Government is supporting the crime prevention work they do.”

The program will run over eight weeks, each session will match a recreational activity like basketball or kickboxing with an educational component such as road safety, drug and alcohol use and aboriginal culture.

The eight week program will run four times a year with 20 young people participating at once.

The funding is part of almost $2 million provided to 16 Police and Community Youth Clubs (PCYCs) around Australia to help young people at risk of falling into a life of crime.

The funding comes from the Proceeds of Crime Fund which enables money confiscated under Commonwealth laws to be returned to the community to prevent and reduce crime across Australia.

A list of the funded projects is attached. Information regarding crime prevention funding can be found at http://www.crimeprevention.gov.au/.

Over the border round Beenleigh way: I almost believed the bloke


I almost believed the bloke………almost.
Yahoo News 8th March 2012:
"The Liberal National Party (LNP) will retain a Gold Coast candidate linked to a soft porn website.
A party spokesman has confirmed that Mark Boothman will contest the seat of Albert for the LNP.
In a statement issued through the LNP on Thursday afternoon, Mr Boothman claimed a website he helped to run was shut down six years ago because it was hacked by people uploading adult content.
The site was set up almost 10 years ago as a forum for car enthusiasts, he said.
"But, unfortunately over a period of time, adult content was uploaded to the site," he said.
"In 2004, the site was continually under attack from hackers and was being hijacked from its original purpose and was getting beyond my control."
Because of this, it was shut down in 2006, he said."
But according to Gold Coast on 11th March:
"A check of the now-archived website shows the administrator had a designated VIP adult section and a warning about the pornographic images on the site."
And this old comments are still showing in Google Search:
More Women Pics - CruisingBrisbane.com - Page 4.75
http://www.darkosiris.com/ is a good site for pics of gals its one of the guys from boost's site i forget who though.
Sorany y Carolina Galleries (1) - PeachyForum
"These babes are so hot! http://www.darkosiris.com/photokorn/index.php?action=showgal&cat=127
Any more? I would really like more of this set! =)"

Finally it seems the present LNP candidate in his past life was not above promoting his website:
xspsi 2002 "mark (57OCK) sent me the site."
RhOmEL2002 "surrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre you did.
you read penthouse for the articles as well dont ya??
The cream of the crop though is Mark (now standing for Laura Norder) bragging as 57ock in 2006 about messing with the heads of police:
“A while back, my mate and I went cruising on a Saturday night. We pulled up at the local BP Servo centre. While my mate was inside the servo, a cop car pulls up and has a look at my mates Supra. Mainly because its too low. One of the coppers asked me if I owned the Supra, I said no.. The copper walks around asking a few people if they owned it.
After a while of asking, the coppers decided to sit and there car and wait for the owner of the supra to turn up. About 30 mins pass and the coppers think there smart, so the drive their car off and park there car behind a bush around the corner so they can't be seen.
My mate came up with a brillant idea. If I can't drive the car out, why dont I hirer a tow truck. The look on the coppers face when they saw the Supra they had waited for 1hr and a half for drive away on the back of a tow truck was priceless.”

8 March 2012
Whois info on website
Reverse Whois:
"Mark" owns about 872 other domains
Email Search:
is associated with about 3 domains
Registrant:
Mark
PO Box 769 Springwood
Logan City, Queensland 4133
AU
Domain name: DARKOSIRIS.COM
This domain name is up for auction for a limited time.
To place a bid, visit: http://www.snapnames.com
Administrative Contact:
Boothman, Mark

69 Burow Rd
Logan, QLD 4133
AU
+61.0738087133
Technical Contact:
Boothman, Mark

69 Burow Rd
Logan, QLD 4133
AU
+61.0738087133
Registration Service Provider:
Hover,

416.538.5498
http://help.hover.com
Registrar of Record: TUCOWS, INC.
Record last updated on 31-Jan-2012.
Record expires on 28-Jan-2012.
Record created on 28-Jan-2003.
Registrar Domain Name Help Center:
http://tucowsdomains.com
Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.RENEWYOURNAME.NET
NS2.RENEWYOURNAME.NET

Server Type:
Apache/2.2.17 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.17 OpenSSL/0.9.8e-fips-rhel5 mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635
Domain Status:
Registered And Active Website

Site Trail info on website
IP Address:
IP Block:
118.127.0.0 - 118.127.11.255
Reverse DNS:
jupiter.quikservers.net
Host:
Dedicated Servers Brisbane, Queensland, AU
Location:
Brisbane, Queensland,