Obama presidential campaign encapsulated or why George Dubbya still counts

Found at Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonists Index

Peter Martin points out an uncomfortable flaw in the national emissions trading scheme

Peter Martin in his blog yesterday pointed out a flaw in the proposed national emissions trading scheme which makes many uneasy.
This monumental elephant turned up in Australia's living room because the Rudd Government is like it's predecessor in many respects - it also appears to think that Australia is solely big business and industry.
When in fact the major polluters are frequently multinationals operating under multiple flags, to whom no-one owes a living least of all the Australian citizen, voter and taxpayer.

This column is about the coal-fired power industry, but it could have been about the asbestos industry, or the tobacco industry.

Never once on the countless occasions that Australian governments have restricted the sale of tobacco have they felt compelled to compensate the manufacturers for ''significant reductions in their profitability''.

Why would they? The cigarette manufacturers knew what was coming (and had decided to invest anyway) and were blessed with rusted-on customers.

But there was another more important reason why our governments didn't offer ''compensation'' to the industry they were trying to cripple.

To do it would have been to accept that the existing tobacco manufacturers had continuing ''rights'' that the government had to buy out in order to proceed.

It would have helped create a precedent that would have undermined the right of Australia's parliaments to act as they saw fit.

It would have undermined our sovereignty as voters...

The Government's independent climate change adviser, Ross Garnaut, saw the danger clearly in his interim report delivered earlier this year.

As he put it, ''There is no tradition in Australia for compensating capital for losses associated with economic reforms.''

Is this a 'binge drinking' first?

You can tell The Daily Examiner has a former jock as its new editor.
During Grafton's July Racing Carnival the newspaper has Track Gossip on the front page.

The second trivia item was; "An 84-year-old woman in one of the hospitality tents was shocked by the waiter when she asked for a bottle of champagne.
'Sorry, Madam, I can't give you that, it's classed as binge drinking,' he told her.
The spritely pensioner told him that in all her life she had never been classed as a binge drinker and wouldn't cop it now.."

Apparently the waiter would allow her 2 glasses of champagne, which she took sans strawberries.

Stone the crows! At 84 years of age this woman lived through The Great Depression, the Second World War and every national upheaval thereafter.
She deserves to party at race time in her retirement years.

Bet that mongrel waiter went home and had a relaxing beer or three or four - with never a thought as to how his political correctness had humiliated one of his elders.

Stop laughing; they're serious about national carbon trading!

The Liberals Malcolm Turnbull, Tony Abbott and Greg Hunt approve of an national emissions trading scheme and, rather belatedly, so does their leader Brendan Nelson.

However, the Rudd Government timeline for implementation is just too, too fast for these gentlemen.
Start up in 2010? No, no, and no.

It's hard not to laugh at these Coalition politicians, who complain bitterly of matters being rushed.
None of the four seem to think that voters can count.
Nelson, Turnbull, Abbott and Hunt have all conceded that the Howard Government actually received advice that it could commence such a scheme by 2011 if it so desired (with the bureaucrats allowing that 2012 might be a better date).

I'm betting that what "too fast" actually boils down to is less than 12 months between the start up date Rudd finally announces and 2011.
Perhaps at little as 6 to 8 months.

Hardly an earth shattering difference and one that doesn't justify the obstructionist position that the Opposition appears bent on taking.
But then, I don't think that the Opposition has taken on board the fact that ordinary Australians (as opposed to business leaders) want to see government begin to tackle climate change mitigation asap.

I suggest that all four MPs take a look at Behavioral Economics and Climate Change Policy, it might give them a small hint about human nature.

But greed and accumulation are only a part of the richness of human behavioral patterns.
These have come to prominence because they have been rewarded through an incentive structure that grew hand in hand with the production bonanza made possible by fossil fuels. Types of behavior conducive to cooperation, doing with fewer material
possessions, and recognizing the necessity of shared sacrifice are also part of the human experience. [Gowdrey, John M,January 2007]

Launch of Unions NSW maternity leave campaign at Ballina

In The Far North Coaster online magazine yesterday.

"The Federal Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, says it is appalling that in 2008 Australia has no universal paid maternity leave.
At the launch of Unions NSW maternity leave campaign at Ballina’s Fox Street Pre-School today, Ms Saffin said she agreed that six months paid leave would be the ideal because it was consistent with breastfeeding.
“I support the Government in referring the matter to the Productivity Commission because that’s the best way to investigate the social and economic costs and benefits,” she said.
The Productivity Commission Inquiry is to identify the models for paid maternity, paternity and parental leave.
Ms Saffin said there needed to be public funding.
“In Page, we have about 10,000 small businesses and they can’t afford to be paying the costs of maternity leave,” she said."

I don't think the Page electorate is in any doubt that we now have a federal member who is willing to go to bat for us all and, one who has quickly established a good relationship with Northern Rivers media.
Her first eight months on the job have been remarkable for the level of positive media coverage.
Having a former editor on staff helps I'm sure.

WYD 08: Pope warns world against the dangers of Angel Food Cake!

On SBS World News Hour last night an excerpt from the papal mass was shown in which the world heard Pope Benedict (with an unfortunate stress on the first syllable) warn the young about a growing spiritual dessert [sic].

In the interests of public safety, posted below is the likely culprit - Black & White Angel Food Cake.
Please report any sighting immediately to the nearest bishop.

Photograph from Culinary in the Desert Country.

Another round of free energy audits for low-income households and supply of some energy saving devices

If you have a Centrelink or Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card and haven't has your house audited to see how you can save energy and money, here is your chance to participate this year.

According to the NSW Dept. of Environment and Climate Change [June 2008] it will begin free audits on the NSW North Coast in November.

NSW households spend as much as $32 per week on gas and electricity, on top of transport fuel costs. Over the next five years the NSW Government will help the most vulnerable households to save energy and money to buffer them against rising energy prices.
Through the NSW $63 million Low Income Household Refit Program, 220,000 households will receive an energy efficiency audit, refit kits that include water and energy saving devices and advice, and information on purchasing more efficient appliances.

Quoted in The Daily Examiner last week, a departmental spokesperson also included draught-proofing doors and windows in this offer.

Contact details were listed in The Daily Examiner as:
Phone 1300 631 967 or email ccf@environment.nsw.gov.au and put "household refit" in the subject line.

Nice work if you can get it: ANZAC Top 40 rich list

t#1 Andrew Forrest
Net Worth ($bil): 6,600 More on Andrew Forrest

#2 Graeme Hart
Net Worth ($bil): 5,400 More on Graeme Hart

#3 James Packer
Net Worth ($bil): 5,300 More on James Packer

#4 Frank Lowy
Net Worth ($bil): 4,400 More on Frank Lowy

#5 Harry Triguboff
Net Worth ($bil): 2,700 More on Harry Triguboff

#6 Gina Rinehart
Net Worth ($bil): 2,400 More on Gina Rinehart

#7 Richard Pratt
Net Worth ($bil): 2,100 More on Richard Pratt

#8 John Gandel
Net Worth ($bil): 2,000 More on John Gandel

#9 Kerr Neilson
Net Worth ($bil): 1,900 More on Kerr Neilson

#10 Stanley Perron
Net Worth ($bil): 1,800 More on Stanley Perron

Rest of the Australia-New Zealand Top 40 at Forbes.com here
With pictures of what super-rich looks like.

US08: Blog lusting for Barack

I suppose it had to happen. Someone fell in love with Barack Obama's butt at Bloglusting for Barack, because his sexy deserves a forum all its own.

i love barack obama.
he is an astounding man of great character, sterling principle, sound ideas, endless hope, and boundless ability.
and he’s also pretty freakin hot. we don’t discuss that enough.
i know im not the only one who feels that way; most of the people who found my main blog got there via searching for sexy pictures of barack, so i know the demand for this sort of forum is out there.
i will scour the net for beautiful, delicious pictures of our love, barack obama, and put them all here for your bloglusting convenience.
additionally, you can email me your own pictures, love letters, poems, etc, at BarackIsSexy@gmail.com and i will post them here as well. it will be the sexiest shrine to positive political change ever.
so ladies, gaydies, and all those in between… let’s get it poppin.

This blog also solicits donations for Obama, but does not appear to have been active past the month it was created.
An Obama for America campaign team idea which was mercifully allowed to wither on the vine or just an over enthusiastic supporter?

North Coast shark rescue

Sharks get such bad press generally, so it was nice to see a Grey Nurse Shark rescue receive world-wide coverage this week.

A big well done to all those involved.

In The Times online:

Divers near Byron Bay, 500 miles (800km) north of Sydney, attempt to capture a grey nurse shark, above, that has a grappling hook lodged in its digestive tract, leaving a metal handle sticking from its mouth.
After it was captured and placed in a holding tank, rescuers pushed a plastic pipe into its throat and the veterinary surgeon David Blyde reached between the jaws of the 10ft shark, through the pipe, to free the hook.
“As a veterinarian you often end up putting your hands in places that people find somewhat unattractive,” Dr Blyde said.
The grey nurse shark is not considered a threat to humans but its bite could do serious damage. It is one of Australia’s most endangered marine species after being fished to near-extinction.