Been wondering why Tony Abbott appears to be enthusiastically treading the Republican Tea Party path? Well wonder no more...

He may not quite have the full hang of it yet, but the not-so-honourable Tony Abbott MHR has obviously caught sight of a Tea Party aktion cheat sheet and for months has been happily whipping up angry wingnuts wherever he can find them.

Perhaps his decision to turn political debate into a mindlessly ugly experience can be found among those U.S. diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks.

In September 2006 Liberal Party Federal Director Brian Loughnane was considered a Protected Source by the U.S. Embassy in Canberra and was busy telling with the Yanks that; “the close ties between President Bush and Howard where reflected in the similarly strong ties between the Australian Liberal and U.S. Republican parties.”

Yamba is invited to Playing for Change community busking event on 17 September 2011

PLAY A SONG. BUILD A SCHOOL.
CHANGE THE WORLD.

The 1st annual PLAYING FOR CHANGE DAY – on September 17, 2011 – is a global day of action where musicians of all varieties perform on stages, cafés, city squares, and street corners worldwide and raise money to bring music into the lives of young people.

This year's event carries the theme Power to the People, drawing its inspiration from the spirit of John Lennon's activism, thanks to the gracious support of Playing For Change's mission by Theatre Within and Yoko Ono. Proceeds raised will support the work of the Playing For Change Foundation and Theatre Within – to help build music schools, strengthen music and arts education, support teachers and performances, purchase instruments, and connect schools to promote cross-cultural learning and conflict resolution.

Debrah Novak has invited every local with music in their hearts to participate:

I would like to personally invite Yamba to participate in the inaugural global event ‘Playing For Change’ on the 17^th of September simply because the Lower Clarence oozes extreme talent! You know we do…………well you all know how musical I am with my SAMBA shakers!

It is a global day of action using music.

This event will be for one hour and I am inviting musicians of all shapes and sizes to turn up an play. I have spoken with council and I have the responsibility of taking out a buskers license and calling it Debrah Novak & friends. This covers us for insurance! (Thanks CVC)

It will be an un plugged music jamming session where everyone is welcome to join in.

There will be a hat for people to through money into. Money raised goes to the ‘Playing for Change Foundation’. Money raised goes to third world countries to buy kids musical instruments.

Here are the two websites about the event.

http://playingforchange.com/

http://www.playingforchangeday.org/

Venue: Yamba Fish and Chip corner

Time: 7pm till 8pm

Date: 17^th September 2011

Wet weather venue TBA.

This is the first heads up. The only reason I have put my hand up to run this event was when I looked at the number of global events celebrating this day there was only one in Australia and that was in Brisbane. We are the lucky country with amazing talented people, we can do better than that!

Debrah Novak Photography & Media Services  

p: 0266 46 1 174 | m: 0419 272 621 | e: dnovak@phonestar.net.au

Even more publicity for John X Berlin

A community service notice

For the benefit of its readers, especially those who missed last week's papers, The Daily Examiner's free weekly paper Coastal Views gives Maclean identity John X Berlin another prominent mention in an opinion piece on page 2.

Source: Coastal Views, 2/9/11

'Nigerian' email scam with a twist

There's no doubt about those scamsters. You have to take your hat off and acknowledge the lengths they are prepared to go to in order to assist good folk being fleeced.
The latest one to cross my desk didn't ask me to provide my details
(you know, all the important stuff like my bank account and drivers licence) via email.
Oh, no, this one provided me with their phone number so I could call them and hand the details over directly. That's what I call courtesy with a capital 'C'.

See scam email here.

August 2011 media release concerning complaints to the Australian Press Council

The Australian Press Council has released preliminary data about the numbers and

outcomes of complaints considered by it during the year 2010-11.

Highlights include:

• The number of complaints considered by the Council rose by 7% to a total of 437 (excluding 129 which were outside its jurisdiction or were referred elsewhere).

• Mediation or adjudication by the Council achieved remedies for complainants in 194 cases.

• Mediated remedies included 98 apologies, retractions, corrections or similar action. In another 36 cases the newspaper agreed to publish a response by the complainant.

• Where mediation failed and the matter went for adjudication by the Council, 71% of complaints were upheld.

• This proportion of upheld complaints compares with 43% in the previous year and an average of 46% over the preceding decade.

• All adjudications by the Council were published in the newspaper or magazine to which they related, although not always with due prominence.

Further details are available on the Council’s website.

Information about types of complaint and other aspects will be provided in the Council’s Annual Report later this year.

For further information or comment by the Council's Chair, Prof Julian Disney, contact:

Derek Wilding (Director, Standards)

02-9261-1930; 0425-242-401; derek.wilding@presscouncil.org.au