Snap taken at Yamba on Friday night (18 September).The frog was approximately 10cm in length;
the black snake was approximately 40cm long.
Saturday 19 September 2009
Hungry green tree frog snacks on baby black snake
Snap taken at Yamba on Friday night (18 September).The frog was approximately 10cm in length;
the black snake was approximately 40cm long.
What a difference a change of editor makes
Under former editor Peter Chapman The Daily Examiner at times indulged in barely concealed Koori bashing, so this opinion piece by new editor David Bancroft was a welcome read last Wednesday:
Click image to enlarge 
Original The Daily Examiner article about young Kaleesha Morris (pictured) Grafton teen a future PM? by journalist Marsha Neville on 16 September 2009.
Australia - what's wrong with this picture?
Australia has an estimated land area of 7,686,650 square kilometres.
It has a growing population which currently stands at about 21.9 million people.
The majority of Australians live within 100 kilometres of the coastline and, in that narrow strip more people live in major cities and surrounding suburbs than live in smaller towns and villages.
Only around ten per cent of Australia's land mass is arable land suitable for crops or grazing and most of that is in the same coastal fringe. The majority of this arable land is in private hands.
It has a growing population which currently stands at about 21.9 million people.
The majority of Australians live within 100 kilometres of the coastline and, in that narrow strip more people live in major cities and surrounding suburbs than live in smaller towns and villages.
Only around ten per cent of Australia's land mass is arable land suitable for crops or grazing and most of that is in the same coastal fringe. The majority of this arable land is in private hands.
By 2049 it has been estimated that Australia's population will reach 35 million people.
This means that in fifty years time there will be one person for every 0.21 square kilometres of the Australian continent, but most of these people will probably want to live within a total area of less than 1 million square kilometres.
Coincidentally by 2050 the predicted negative impacts of climate change (including prolonged water scarcity and coastal sea water inundation) should be pronounced in this country.
The maths are not looking good and all levels of government are only paying lip service to sustainable planning.
What are you doing to stop your local council and state government from allowing the coast to be developed to death?
Friday 18 September 2009
That Shape Shifting Australian Internet Mandatory Filtering Scheme or Ministerial Untruths Unchecked
Hardly a month goes past without some mention of government-sanctioned censorship occurring somewhere around the world.
On Wednesday 16 September 2009 Politikin in Denmark published an entire book in that day's edition of the newspaper. It did so to make sure that the government of the day (through its defence and treasury departments) did not manage to censor a new book by a former Danish commando.
The same day Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy in the Australian Federal Government, was caught out telling fibs about his 'past' intentions for the proposed mandatory national ISP-level Internet filtering scheme when he denied that he had ever considered censoring peer to peer traffic.
This is what the Minister personally said on a DBCDE official blog in December 2008 ( a similar statement was also attributed to him in a News Ltd report on 22 December):
The Government understands that ISP-level filtering is not a 'silver bullet'. We have always viewed ISP-level filtering as one part of a broader government initiative for protecting our children online.
Technology is improving all the time. Technology that filters peer-to-peer and BitTorrent traffic does exist and it is anticipated that the effectiveness of this will be tested in the live pilot trial.
Stephen Conroy
and
This is what the Minster said last Wednesday:
Perhaps Senator Conroy's fearless leader might quietly ask him why he chose to tell untruths to Parliament when he rose to his feet in Senate Question Time on 16 September 2009.
Is it any wonder that the Rudd Government is considered by many to have suspect motives when it comes to its Internet filtering plans?
Australian pensions increase effective 20 September 2009 and other changes
On 20 September 2009 a number of changes will occur to Australian government pensions, benefits and allowances.
These changes are likely to apply to most people on Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Wife Pension, Widow B Pension, Carer Payment, Service Pension or Income Support Supplement and, should be reflected in the first payments received after 20 September.
The Adult Pension Basic Rate for single individuals will rise to $615.80 per fortnight and for couples to $464.20 for each partner.
The new Pension Supplement (which combines the old GST supplement, pharmaceutical allowance, utilities allowance, and telephone/internet connection allowance into one parcel) will also come into effect and will increase by a small amount overall.
On 1 July 2010 the rules about Advance Payments will also change so that an unspecified higher amount can be requested and payments can be accessed more than once each year.
Work Bonus and Seniors Supplement are also new features which commence this month, as well as changes to the income test (this will not affect existing pension recipients).
The Pension Bonus Scheme will also be closed to all new pension recipients after 19 September 2009.
The new annual lump-sum Carer Supplement actually began in June 2009. The next payment is due in July 2010.
These increases will offset the June quarter 2008 to June Quarter 2009 rise in most indicators used in the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index.
Details from the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
Dollar values of these changes in index table.
Centrelink pension reform information with audio and video links
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