Photo Cat

"Nah! I don't care. Take my photo."

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Boot Throwing at Politicians is Becoming Popular

It seems ex-President Bush is not the only politician to have had a boot thrown at him. Former Australian Prime Minister had a boot aimed in his direction a week ago. This occurred at Cambridge University in Britain. The man who actually caught the shoe announced this to the world on Thursday.

Apparently, members of the audience were getting frustrated at what Mr Howard was saying. One of them stood up, told him that he was a racist and threw the boot. Later it was discovered than the protester was an Australian.

Howard in his own nonchalant fashion just brushed the incident aside and got on with what he was doing. The title of Mr Howard's speech was "Leadership in the New Century". The words shouted out were ""You make me ashamed to be Australian. Go home, racist".

The interceptor of the shoe was quick thinking. He saw what was about to happen as the man reached down toward his feet. He moved between the two protagonists and caught the flying object. University authorities refused to return the shoe when the man came back to get it. In typical British fashion the interceptor of the boot says it was "hugely regrettable" that this happened with about 400 people in the audience listening to the speech. Afterwards John Howard said the man caught the boot like a cricketer.

Another case of shoe throwing happened last February when a German man at Cambridge attacked Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in the same way.

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Cute Cat

"Yes I am cute. I can't help it."

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There Is an Answer to the Boat People Refugee Problem

There is an answer to the refugee problem. A the moment the Australian Federal Government is in talks with the Sri Lankan Government. Hopefully, some bright spark will have the courage to stand up and say it: Australian ships should take them back home and let them apply for refugee status through the usual means, if the country of origin agrees. And indeed there should be pressure to make them agree.

There is a long queue to attain citizenship status. Boat people should be patient. In countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, perhaps people fear going home, but these countries should take them back and give them protection. This may be simplistic. Nonetheless, it is the only answer when people are leaving to gain a better life and not running from oppression. The Tamils are clearly not running from oppression. The war is over. They should not be allowed to demand Australian citizenship and win. If they do win, we can expect all boat people from now on to refuse to get off ships taken to Indonesia.

All countries in Southeast Asia are looking for just one country to become the dumping ground for a world problem. Not only will they come from Asia and the Middle East, they will come from Africa because it is becoming more difficult to get into the UK. I am imploring Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Leader of the Opposition Malcolm Turnbull to consider this option.

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Boxing Cat

"Then I gave him a left hook!"

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Lack of Intern Places for Australian Medical Students

Australian medical students are about to "flood" off the production line, but there is a lack of adequate facilities for them to get adequate experience. This seems odd in that there is a shortage of doctors nationwide. Last year 1738 medical students completed their education at university. In 2104 it is estimated that 3104 will make the grade.

State and Federal governments have not allocated intern positions for the graduates. It should be remembered that many students are not Australian and they could get intern experience in other countries. Governmental bureaucracies need to get a move on and do some organizing.

In response to this crisis Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon has said that the Government has spent "record amounts" on training. Will governments just ignore the needed places and get new doctors from overseas as they have been doing? It seems there is inertia in the system. Ultimately, we must assume that they will wake up and things will be done to solve the problem.

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Dog Owns Fire Hydrant

"This is my fire hydrant so clear off!"

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Cat in New Zealand Falls Five Stories and Walks Away

A New Zealand cat falls from a great height and lives!

Alison and Graham Pike live a quite life in an apartment on Auckland's viaduct. They had no idea that their tabby cat, Camo, would become a celebrity. Spending life on an apartment balcony can be quite dangerous. One small slip and you fall a very long way.

It is not actually a free-fall from the balcony - there are things in the way to block the fall. The cat either jumped onto the glass balustrade then fell on to the tarseal, or ducked under the balustrade then slid off and fell further. A balcony lower down sticks out more than the fifth level balcony so the cat would have bounced off that before finally landing at ground level. In all it must have been like an obstacle course for the cat.

Well, the outcome was a broken jaw and three broken teeth. Mr and Mrs Pike were informed by security staff that their cat was under the restaurant sofa and its mouth was bleeding.

The cat has learned something though - It doesn't go out on the balustrade anymore. You see it is new to this way of living. The couple only moved into the apartment with their cat 15 months ago. Living high up is much different than living at ground level.

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Guess Who, Cat and Dog

"Guess who?"

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Danger to Australians on the Coast from Climate Change

Most Australians live on the coast. As a nation we need to reconsider how we live. Houses and apartments are built right up to the coastline with no thought given about how the buildings will survive an inundation of water. A new report by the Australian Government Environment Committee sets out the real problem from rising sea levels.

We cannot continue to live our beach culture and ignore the future consequences. Few insurance companies cover damage from flood or sea water: some are already refusing to insure houses near the coast for an reason. An unexpected tidal wave would kill thousands of Australians along the coast. The report says there will be AU$150 billion worth of property loss from rising sea levels.

It is a real problem for people who already own houses close to the sea or built in low lying areas. As seas rise nearly a meter toward the end of the century buildings within three meters of the coast will be at risk. These people will have to face the proposition of having to leave their homes as surging storms, flooding, high tides and erosion make life impossible.

This puts pressure on government to produce a real answer to climate change, very soon. Such property loss will have a dramatic impact on the Australian economy generally. There will be momentum to find land suitable for new housing inland, which, with climate change will probably become more arid. There could be a national shortage of clean drinking water.

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Yahoo Fox

"Yahoo!. This is the life."

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Apple To Launch Iphone With eBook

The race is on to dominate the eBook market. Microsoft has largely not become involved in making eBooks common place despite the cataloging of printed material worldwide. Until now eBooks have been quite expensive, costing hundreds of dollars each. Apple is now negotiating with book publishers for content that will be available when it launches its new eBook device. It will offer an iPhone with book-reading capability. If it becomes possible for mobile phones to be used to read books it will cause a revolution in the distribution of information and knowledge.

Perhaps the first products to be accepted with be magazines that users will pay a subscription for. Apple is discussing the proposition with newspaper publishers for newspapers to be "delivered" this way. The intention is to launch the new phone with a bundle of products for the user.

The product has already been designed and tested. It has a 10.7 inch screen with 720 pixel resolution. Let's hope this new device is faster than eReaders already on the market. Amazon's Kindle is "clunky" and slow to load. Amazon has fallen out with publishers over content. Maybe Apple with have better luck. Newspaper publishers are having a bad time at the moment with circulation falling to record low levels. They could see the distribution of news this way as a curse not a blessing.

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Balancing Cat

"Can you do this without falling over?"

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The Wealthy Won't Pay

Some people are extremely arrogant. In the present economic downturn it is not the poor who believe that the world owes them a living. Like many banks who continue to pay their executives high salaries despite accepting money from government, some wealthy people expect to live the high life at someone else's expense.

Karin Upton Baker (her double barrelled name should give her away for a start) expects companies she has borrowed money from to leave her alone and let her live well despite owing them $18 million. In court she is saying that the claim against her is "unjust". She says that she did not read the contracts. Furthermore, she lied to financiers telling them that she had taken legal advice before signing the documents.

Assuming that companies will leave her with the five apartments, living in them and collecting rent, is a bit much when you consider she hasn't paid any moneys back since July last year. Despite earning $7,000 a week she claims she cannot to afford to pay anything and should be left alone. She wants the apartments to be signed over to her for free.

Blaming her husband for making her take out the loans is no defence. Apparently, she gave the money to her husband to help him get out of problems with his property developments. Wouldn't it be nice if we all could get money to bail out our spouses in economic crisis? She must believe she is in wonderland and goes by the name of Alice.

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Play Ball Dog

"For goodness sake pick up the ball and throw it!"

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The French Eat Golf-Ball Chips

We do live in a weird world where everything is possible but the odd thing remains impossible. In the modern world you would think a machine could be developed that could sort real golf balls from freshly picked potatoes. Unfortunately, this problem persists in France.

A golf course is situated next to a potato field. When miss-hit golf balls fall among the potatoes the machine carefully picks up potatoes and golf balls together. When the golf balls and potatoes are then processed in the chip factory the golf balls are cooked and sliced with the potatoes. They do know that a fat, juicy golf ball produces 18 slices of "chips".

The real problem arises when cooking and slicing is completed and golf ball chips and potato chips look the same. Apparently, people have actually eaten the golf ball chips from the packet. There have been complaints, however. Customers have said that it could endanger health, so a new machine will be created to identify golf balls in the potato field. Just how long this will take is not known.

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Cast-of Dog

"Cast off."

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Black Tulips and Blue Roses - All Is Possible

The black tulip will soon be a reality. Development of a blue rose has nearly be achieved. A new rose that is "nearly" blue is soon to be released onto the Japanese market. The asking price - a quite low $30 each.

There is no blue pigment in a rose, so it is impossible for a natural rose to display this color. The tone has to be put into the plant. It has been done by genetically splicing color into the rose from Petunias. This flower has a blue pigment called Delphinidin. The combined project by both Japanese and Australians has taken twenty years to create the "blue" rose.

American nurseryman Samuel Parsons said as long ago as the 19th century that one day scientific advances would lead to the cultivation of a blue rose. Attempts have been made in the 20th century. A blue-grey rose was bred, but it flowered only once.

For many years roses dyed blue have sold well in England. Unfortunately, horticultural advisor to the Royal Horticultural society, Helen Bostock, believes a blue rose will not be accepted. She is probably wrong about this. People are fascinated by anything new. It is probably "sour grapes" that the blue rose was not created in England. Another English rose grower Bernard Mehring is a bit miffed as well. He says he wouldn't grow it in his garden. He wants British controls to keep the plant out of the country. This is a sad situation that wreaks of elitism. China, however, will want the new rose because there a blue flower signifies hope toward reaching an unattainable love.

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Stuffed Animal

"Don't you ever say or do anything?"

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Parents Must Stop Young Children Watching Television

Wake up and listen! People with young children shall not let them watch television for more than an hour each day. Children under two years of age shall not watch television at all. This will prevent them from becoming obese and they won't learn bad things. The Government plans to foister this instruction onto the public. What a joke. This is absolutely unproved. It will not work: "No wait. Let me put little Tommy in his room before you turn the television on." Who is going to watch over Tommy while everyone in the house watches the TV?

This is definitely Big Brother behavior. Even toddlers under two love to watch Play School and Sesame Street. They are captivated by it. Try not turning the TV on and get ready for tears or even a tantrum. The Government should put more money into producing programs designed for young children, not take a negative attitude and turn the "suspected" problem off. Anyway, who thinks all cartoons are a waste of time? They can be educational, unless of course you let kids watch Tom And Jerry where Tom gets flattened into a pancake on numerous occasions. But does this do children any harm? It doesn't seem to. You hear the children giggling away as contented as can be.

Children have more brain development in the first two years of life than all of the following years put together. Research has shown that a toddler forced to stand and walk to soon needs to be re-taught to crawl as an adult by a psychiatrist! Apparently, young children learn a great deal from crawling around on the floor. This is no joke. Work done on child development has proved this to be true.

Another issue today is Western countries taking children away from their mothers much too early in life. There is too much pressure on women to get a job and put the baby into day care. Babies should be learning while clinging to their mother's breast. This is natural. Women working away from their children is new to Mankind. Evolution has taken millions of years for us to reach this point and culture is forcing people to adapt. It is damaging our children.

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Chicken Tippler

"Even a chicken likes a tipple now and again."

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Attempts Are Made to Begin Work on a Hendra Virus Vaccine

Australians fear for their lives. This is particularly the case in Queensland where several people have died from contracting the Hendra Virus. It is a mysterious disease believed to be spread by bats, though people who handle bats regularly don't seem to get sick. They say it is spread within the horses habitat. Humans get it because they handle the horses. But "experts" say it can be passed from human to human.

Four of the seven people who have died came into contact with body fluids of infected horses. Two of the four who died in Queensland were vets. Dr Rodgers came into contact with blood of a sick horse. While bats are blamed, handlers of these animals refute this claim. Nobody close to bats has become ill. Three of the seven who survived have had long lasting effects from the disease.

Ideally, development of a vaccine would be the answer. Money is not forthcoming, however, from the major drug companies because it would be a small market. Researchers in the US are presently talking with the Department of Primary Industries to work in conjunction with Australian scientists. A memorial has been set up in memory of vet Alister Rodgers. It is hoped that funds will be raised for research. The University of Queensland, Australian Biosecurity CRC and Biosecurity Queensland are trying to get work on a vaccine organized.

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Dog Tired

"It's really tiring this eating business."

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Newspapers Have Had Their Day

Newspapers have had their day - and what a long day it was! For centuries news printed on paper and distributed, at first for a few pennies, ruled the information world. Things have changed over the last two decades. News no longer "belongs" to media magnates who in the past actually swayed voters at elections who removed a government and brought a new one to power. Rupert Murdock is now shunned by politicians who fear him no more. Holding onto the past will do him no good. He can charge if he wants to but no one will pay, because news is either free on the Internet or paid for out of the public purse.

Television and radio have improved their game over recent years. They can access the news "for free" as well. Every night of the week there are news and current affairs programs that keep everyone informed. You don't have to wait for a program either. They are easily accessed on the Internet, downloaded and played. News in the press is a day old. Other media is right up to the minute.

Another issue is the advertising dollar. Companies want to advertise where the action is and it "ain't" in newspapers. Advertisers only like to pay if ads are seen: that means on the most visited websites, the big name sites. Newspapers could make their content available on the Internet for free and try to establish themselves as centers for news. Then they could hope advertisers would come to them. However, this would be difficult with the BBC World Service, the Australian ABC and other national news providers.

The Age suggests we should take pity on newspaper publishers and we should continue to support them financially. This is hard to take when newspapers have treated the public with disdain over the years, reporting on things so badly that they have destroyed people's lives. No, the playing field has changed. The old guard has to go.

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Hair Cut Cow

"Get your hair cut!"

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Privacy Will Go to Ensure Banks Don't Lend to "Risky" People

Privacy protection laws will go in the face of new bank operation guidelines. In the push to make banks more accountable so they do not lend to risky people they are going to be able to look into our private lives. If you miss a credit card payment that will be recorded and accessed by lending institutions. Banks will be able to get information from other businesses. For example, they will be informed if you have had your electricity cut off for late payment.

The new system will give banks absolute access to our financial affairs so they do not lend to "unworthy" people. So if you did not pay some bills when you were an adolescent you can forget getting a mortgage. Even if you are late in paying it will be recorded. At present only loan defaulters are recorded as bad risks. Soon a major slice of the population will be ruled out of credit for life.

This will have a major impact on the national economy as ordinary people will not be able to get credit for weekly needs. They will just not buy the necessities of life. The needy will become more needy. They will have to get help from charity institutions.

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Smarty Cat

"You can call me smartypants, if you like. Heh, heh!"

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Australia Sends in the Joke Police

Australia goes "politically correct" mad! The Federal Police has set up a new division that will monitor Australians telling jokes about cyclists, fat people, sex, Jews and Blacks. If you snigger at a fat person in a street you will be locked up. What is ridiculous is the punishment - a year in detention at the home of a member of the Australian Family Association. If someone gives the finger in response to this, what will police do?

It is hard to believe that this is true. But it is in fact taking place. We will see stages raided when an actor makes a racist remark. He will be be cuffed and taken away. Magda Szubanski (a fat comedienne) will be arrested for making jokes about Jews, or even Germans: she is of Polish descent after all. Another joke artist will be arrested for making fun of her.

In short, Australia has banned satire. Anything with a dual meaning will now be a prime target for police. It was the skit on Hey Hey Its Saturday that did it. A man with white make up pretending to be Michael Jackson has been pilloried for making a joke. Would it have been alright if he had worn black make up? What about Al Jolsen? Didn't he wear black make up, and didn't Harry Connick Jr wear black make up in a 1996 skit? Of course he did! What the hell does the "Jr" stand for anyway. What a fake he is. He is so high and mighty. He is just someone who went back to New Orleans and walked around with his hands in his pockets saying "Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear! but didn't offer anyone a cent in help.

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Hampster Master Of Ceremony

"Let's all be upstanding for a toast to the bride and groom."

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Politicians Are Wrong in Forcing Art Dealers to Sign Contracts With Aboriginals

Australia should help Aboriginals earn a living. However, bringing in silly laws that make art dealers sign contracts only with "genuine" Aboriginals is not the way to do it. The new system is voluntary at the moment and it is on a trial basis for two years. Federal Arts Minister Peter Garrett says this will stop "exploitation" of Aboriginals. This smacks of the ridiculous court case we had years ago when Aboriginals tried to "patent" the dot they use in their painting. Thankfully the patent was not allowed.

At issue here is the right for anyone to paint anything. If white people want to create paintings like Aboriginals it should be their right. Another thing is who is an Aboriginal. Many Australians who claim to be Aboriginal are only about one tenth full blood. It is difficult to see that they are "black". Should these people be given a contract to supply Aboriginal paintings - considering many mix with white people and have never been to an Aboriginal community?

I had a bad experience when travelling across Australia many years ago. Stopping at a petrol station to fill my car I was approached by an Aboriginal "gentleman" who told me to buy a boomerang he had carved. When I said I didn't want to purchase it he threw the boomerang on the ground and swore at me!

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en I said I didn't want to he threw the boomerang on the ground and swore at me!

Bear Day

"What a day. Do this, do that. Go, go, go!"

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Raising the Tax-Free Threshold for Middle-Income Earners Will Not Solve the Pensioner Problem

How much longer can the welfare state be sustained? Not much longer according to some. With the population getting older this leaves fewer wage earners to pay taxes for pensioners. A think tank has reached a conclusion that it is best to increase the tax-free threshold for Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxpayers and encourage them to pay for their own retirement. This, it says will take the burden off the government to collect taxes and pay pensions.

There is a weakness in this argument. If government cannot afford to put money aside for future pensions, how can ordinary wage earners do it? It isn't possible to get income out of thin air. Believing that the free market will solve all problems is an old theory and has been proved wrong.

The think tank argues that it is better for people on middle-class welfare to pay less tax and receive less welfare. Why is this better than paying higher tax then getting it back in welfare? There is no difference. Middle-class wage earners are no better or worse off either way. It has no effect at all on collecting money to pay for pensions. Saving money on administering the tax collection and redistributing it will cause unemployment. If these people go on unemployment benefits there is no gain. Furthermore, aren't tax concessions for the middle-class just middle-class welfare?

The best way to raise revenue for pensions is to monitor tax collections from high-income earners. Many already avoid just about all tax payments by hiding money offshore. As the Late Kerry Packer once said: It is the duty of all Australians to avoid paying tax. I haven't paid tax to the Australian government for years and I don't intend to.

Get on to the Swiss banks like the US government has and get those names. When company CEOs leave a firm and get ten or twenty million dollars as a "reward" for losing the company money tax it away!

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Tahr to the hairdresser

"I've been to the hairdresser. What do you reckon? Pretty good, eh."

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The British CCTV System to Fight Crime Doesn't Work

Britain proudly puts forward the "suggestion" that things are better since cameras were set up just about everywhere. Unfortunately, this is one big lie. The country has spent over £200 million to set up CCTV. It is nothing but a way of spying on people as they go about there general activities. They are not "policed". If you go to a shopping centre, for example, you are filmed without your consent.

Statistics show that just as many crimes are solved in non-camera areas than camera areas. Indeed, Boroughs that have cameras are doing far worse than boroughs without cameras in the fight against crime. This shocking reality was identified by the Liberal Democrats under the Freedom of Information Act. What a waste of public money, considering only 20 percent of crimes are ever solved in Britain!

Television shows come from Britain showing a multi-million pound helicopter police set up, fly round chasing children riding motorbikes on farms. Can't they find something more constructive to do? Furthermore, paying a person to watch a television monitor is throwing good money after bad. Put more police on the streets. Getting police close to the public has been shown to work. And improve street lighting so police can see the criminal activity.

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Elephant in the Mirror

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"

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Labor Reduces the Pay of Apprentice Electricians

The Australian Labor Government looks after the low paid in the community. That is what you would expect to happen. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Despite all the rhetoric from the Government about increasing the number of apprentices and improving their pay, they have done exactly the opposite in the workplace.

Labor has begun a modernization agenda streamlining federal and state awards, but it has cut the pay of first year apprentice electricians from $34 to $74 a week. Julia Gillard has refused to admit that anyone is worse off. The Labor Government has abolished the apprenticeship training voucher that amounted to $1,000. Fewer young people will be attracted to the electrical trade.

In cost-cutting measures there has been a reduction of $197 million from apprenticeship incentives. This has been done at a time when there is a national shortage of skilled trades people. Down the road Australia will have to pay the cost. Qualified trades people will have to be accessed from overseas.

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Otter Wants Beer Open

"Open please."

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Doctors and Patients Lose With the Australian Government Payment Cut for Eye Surgery

Australian eye surgeons are in a battle with the Federal Government. The amount of money they get for a cataract operation has been cut. Surgeons say the operations are complex and cannot be hurried, so cutting their payment is directly reducing their income. Technology has not speeded up the operation, they say. Government officials on the other hand claim that the surgeon are just greedy. Apparently, with the new Government payment they will get just $52 per patient after costs for each operation.

The Australian Society of Ophthalmologists is irate that an advertisement it placed was countered by an opposing advert by the Government on YouTube. It's a free world - as they say. It seems anyone can do anything anywhere these days, even government. Elderly patients will now be charged more. Surgeons will find it difficult to defend this action. Mind you, the Government cut is substantial. The Government payment will be cut from $623.70 per patient to $312.00. This is a shattering thing to happen to a surgeon who was quietly going along earning a "comfortable" living, then to be hit by this.

Surgeons currently charge $831.60 for each cataract operation. They will have to get the $311.70 from the patient, plus the $207.90 gap a patient currently pays. People who need the surgery face very long waiting lists in the public health system. Paying privately is the only option for most, because when left untreated it can lead to permanent long-term damage.

A surgeon who trains new doctors to use the new method says many cannot do it, so they have left the profession. Obviously the Government sees surgery as some sort of assembly-line process when it is a highly skilled procedure that takes time to learn and carry out. The previous government investigated the issue and calculated that 60 percent of gross income went in costs. If this is correct then surgeons get $332.64 per operation. If they don't pass on the cut they will take home only $20. This is not sustainable. Another problem is that a surgeon has to see a patient before and after surgery at no charge.

Currently, many clinics bulk-bill pensioners and healthcare card holders. That is, there is no extra charge to these patients. This will end when the new system begins.

The Government hits back by saying surgeons have been living comfortably off the taxpayer by doing less than six operations week, while others have been living like kings doing 20 each morning. Those who are in a corner will lose here. That will be surgeons and patients as they share the extra cost.

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Things Bad for Dog

"Things can't get any worse."

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Women Complain "en mass" About Losing Jobs When They Take Maternity Leave

Despite Government legislation to prevent it, employers are still discriminating against women when they take maternity leave. They just don't keep their jobs open for them. It is common sense really. A business person has a company to run and when he/she finds a worker "with no strings attached" who can do the work well it is decided to keep that employee. Unless the Government fines them they will not change. It is possible that employers will take the Government to the High Court and challenge the Government's right to fine them.

Women have complained en mass to the Fair Work Ombudsman about their previous employers not honouring an agreement made by Government, not by them. The ombudsman says that not keeping the job open for women who take maternity leave, whether paid or unpaid, is dismissal and will be classed as such. Nearly a quarter of all employed women make a complaint about discrimination. This is an extremely high figure. Discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy is increasing each year. Is it fair for an employer to dismiss a woman who is doing a waitressing job when she is pregnant. It makes one think. Doesn't it?

This issue has a long way to go before there is an amicable resolution. Discrimination occurs across all industries. Small businesses with only a handful of employees can, of course, higher and fire without penalty. But it is women who work for large companies in high positions who are complaining. Despite these women being hard working and committed it is understandable that employers will not have them back, because it will disrupt the workplace and perhaps lead to an unfair dismissal claim by the worker who has taken the job.

The questions arises - Will men take maternity leave? According to present legislation they can and their job is guaranteed. Are employers discriminating against them? It would be interesting to know. This problem will have to be solved by the time new paid parental leave takes effect in 2011. Introducing legislation is easy. Actually making it work, well that is another thing!

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Bird Likes Real Cheddar Cheese

"Is this real Cheddar cheese?"

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Bikies Win Court Case Against South Australian Government

Australian bikies are involved in drugs so the South Australia Government banned them. The bikes took the state Government to court and the laws were found to be unconstitutional. Restrictions were placed on members of the Finks from meeting other bikers. This is similar to the crusade decades ago when members of the Australian Parliament tried to ban the Communist Party. It is illegal to ban any political party in Australia, and any association it seems.

Bikies are now ready to take any state government to court if restrictions are put in place. It is up to the police to stop drug activity. Stopping people from joining social groups is not an acceptable thing to do. The restrictions allowed police to judge a person's activities on only suspicion. Members of bikie clubs have been killed recently in brawls When groups of bikes have been at the same venue. It didn't take long though for clubs to unite to fight a common foe - the Government.

The South Australian Government targeted eight members of the Finks motorcycle club. Only two took the matter to court. South Australian spokesmen have said it will be taken to the High Court of Australia. The State Government could win there. Decisions of the High Court are very much based on how the number of judges is "weighted" by either liberal or conservative judges. When a judge retires a new one is appointed by the federal government of the day, whether Coalition (conservative) or Labour (Liberal).

Prime Minister John Howard brought in legislation virtually ending the influence of large trade unions in the workplace. The workplace reform was upheld by the High Court. Australians voted on the reform and the Coalition lost government. Even now, some Coalition members in opposition are saying they will bring back the reforms carried out by the Howard Government when they get re-elected.

It seems the courts will be busy in future months with the bikie issue.

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Where For Art Thou Romeo?

"Where for art thou Romeo?"

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Politicians Made Australia Wealthy - They Certainly Did Not!

Australia is a lucky country. Its citizens have become much wealthier over the past 30 years. We have to thank the politicians for this. What? We most certainly do not owe it to politicians. Australia is richer because China has become richer and Australia is the main source of the minerals China needs to make all the exports which have been leaving this developing country in increasing amounts, by the year.

The Labor Government had the money from tax collections horded by the Howard Government to bail Australia out of the impending recession. We don't have to thank Howard for this. The money should have been spent on hospitals and schools. The Coalition Government held the economy back even though it was doing very well. And Labor should not take all the credit for Australia not going into recession. The money was there and it spent it. The Coalition somehow lost the plot of governing. It most definitely should not have kept on blaming the states for the hospital crisis. The Coalition spat the dummy and refused to reform the medical system.

Now Labor is going to promise reform after the next election. So it going to hit the Coalition over the head with missed opportunities while the Coalition held power. A new revamped medical system would have been well set up by now if change had taken place when it should have.

People worry over the debt the Labor Government has run up. But remember the colossal amount of money the Coalition Government got from boom times. When the recession is over, which won't be long now, that debt will be paid off quite quickly. The Coalition looks lost in the wilderness at the moment. Members of both Coalition parties know Labor will have all good news for many years to come and are concerned about how they will get back in power.

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Cat in Cold Draft

"Where is the cold draft coming from?"

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Supreme Court of Western Australia Allows a Patient to Die

Should a person be allowed to take their own life? The simple answer is yes, until we consider the real implications of the issue. The problem lies in who is responsible, after the fact. Perhaps society in general is to blame, or doctors who "enable" it by prescribing drugs. These questions stop politicians and doctors taking action and changing the circumstances surrounding it.

Christian Rossiter, a quadriplegic, was allowed to refuse treatment thereby ending his own life by the Supreme Court of Western Australia. It is not ideal though for people to go to the Supreme court every time they want to do this. This case sets a precedent, however, and the door is now open for people to go down this path. In the future there is now doubt that those with debilitating conditions will choose not to be treated. Most Australians support euthanasia, though doctors do not. This is because it is they who are in the front line and who may be forced to assist (or not assist) despite being against it. In the Christian Rossiter case medical staff were given the green light to stop treatment and were advised they would not be charged with any offense. Oddly, hardly any doctor has taken a neutral position: they are either for it or against it.

Put yourself in a doctor's position. You have been asked by a patient to withdraw treatment so he can die. If you agree you will probably have it on your conscience for the rest of your life. People who support euthanasia fail to see this. It is alright as long as someone else "does the dirty work". Another thing is that such a doctor could be charged by relatives who are against it.

Even if a referendum gave a "Yes" vote, parliamentarians would still not like to legislate to enable it. They would be open to accusations that they are killing the elderly and the sick. Politicians would then be in the front line like doctors.

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Dog Go Home

"Can't we go home soon?"

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Australia Expecting a Volcanic Eruption

Associate Professor Bernie Joyce a geologist and member of the Geological Society of Australia says a volcanic eruption is well overdue for this country. Personally, I can't see this happening. With no volcanic activity either in the present or recent past such a disaster will not happen. It is okay to say this to bring the spotlight on yourself when you receive the Selwyn Medal, but in reality it is very unlikely.

He says emergency authorities should be on alert. It is more relevant for them to be ready for forest fires or even an earthquake rather than a volcanic eruption. Indonesia has active volcanoes. They are very much a problem in that country. Australia is stable and has been for centuries.

The professor says Melbourne should expect an eruption with dangerous lava flows. I would think the betting agencies would give long odds on a volcanic event occurring. Apparently, danger areas are western Victoria across to South Australia and in northeast Queensland. Existing volcanoes are no threat. New ones will open up when and if eruptions takes place. Developing an emergency response plan though is overreacting.

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Cat In a Spin

"Go on give me a spin."

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Australia Plans to Put Women on the Front Line

Equality in all things! That's the world we are living in. Australia is considering putting women in the front line of the military. The concept is relevant to the modern world where women strive for opportunity in employment and more equitable pay. The question really is - Are women and men the same? obviously they are different. Men cannot have babies, at least they can't with present technology. It could be imagined where a woman would be allowed the day off from Special Air Services Maneuvers because she is on her period. You may laugh. But this could be future reality.

There is also the problem in joint exercises with forces of other nations. Will their men take Australian military women seriously? Even in Israel where men are in the front line often, women are only used in a support capacity.

Military equipment it just too heavy for women to carry. It seems Australia is leaning toward testing both men and women in service to see if they can carry such weaponry. This could be problemmatical. For example, what if only one woman is deemed strong enough for the Special Air services? She is going to be the odd one out. And what about toilet facilities? Do the men get reprimanded if they don't look the other way when a woman does "you know what".

The major issue against women being in the front line is that they could be raped during interrogation if caught by the enemy. This persistent fear will make men in combat be extra carefull about looking out for their women comrades in action. It could make the men less efficent. Fraternization also remains an obstacle. There is difficulty now on Australian ships where male amd female sailors have become "close" while serving on the same vessel.

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They're All Here

"Yeh, they're all here."

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Copenhagen Conference to Decide on New Climate Treaty to Replace Kyoto Protocol

Climate change will lead to a global health crisis. So experts say. A warmer climate means that tropical diseases will increase. Sewerage will become putrid and will not break down so quickly. This will impact on clean drinking water which will become scarce and expensive. Million of refugees will roam the planet looking for a better place to live.

These issues will be discussed at the United Nations Climate Conference to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark in December. The meeting will create a new treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol. There won't be any surprises. Obviously the conference will recommend more cuts in carbon emissions.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon attended a meeting of world leaders from 190 countries in New York this week. No less than 2,000 points were not agreed on. Doctors have written a letter in health journals indicating that they feel such problems will also arise at the Copenhagen conference. The international economic crisis will curtail any drive to do things that will possibly slow recovery. Ultimately though, people everywhere will pay the price.

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Game Is Off

"What do you mean the games is off?"

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Teachers Covering the Science Area Are Not Qualified

Who are teaching the children? Well, its seems those teaching are not really teachers! In South Australia it has been found that only half of those teaching physics are qualified in this science. So students are being taught by those who became teachers in lesser subject. Whether these employees should be given higher pay because they are outperforming their "peers" is debatable. There has been a shortage of maths, physics, chemistry and engineering teachers for many years. Schools are obviously making the best of a bad thing and promoting those most capable to these positions.

It appears that people promoted to teach these "scientific" subjects are older staff, those who have gained experience over the years to be able to cope with the more difficult concepts. Young people in general have been frightened away from having anything to do with science because their parents, for example, have told them they will have a higher income doing other things.

There is a danger though that in future years Australia will have a shortage of bright people working in science and engineering. It could happen that some students are naturally more intelligent and knowledgeable in the science area than teachers themselves. This would be a sad state of affairs and would give no impetus for students to strive to improve.

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You Can't See Me

"You can't see me."

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Australia Refugee Problems

The Australian government has stopped charging refugees for costs involved in keeping them in detention while their cases are being reviewed. It was a silly law in the first place. How could refugees, who usually arrive with just the clothes they stand up in, possibly get any money?

Claims are "flying about" though that Australian navy personnel stopped refugees, who were burned when their boat caught alight, from getting to the safety of an Australian patrol boat. The SIEV 36 escorted refugees to Christmas island when the boat caught fire. Some Afghan refugees made claims that they were pushed away from the patrol boat. The only outcome would be drowning and I'm sure this was not the objective.

Interviews of survivors resulted in most saying that the five who died perished in the explosion and no one suffered from being pushed back into the water. Afghan Community leader Hassan Ghulam has said that there is a culture of Australians being "anti-refugees", and this is what caused the navy to push refugees into the sea - a somewhat emotive comment. There is film footage of the incident. The Government has said it will be released in due time. Let's hope this be soon so the matter can be resolved.

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Tired Out

Tired Out

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Pilots Are Not Responsible for the Actions of Third Parties on Flight Decks

The Government introduced legislation to restrict access to the cockpit of aircraft in order to improve safety. However, pilots thought the rules put too much responsibility on themselves. Under the proposed rules if anyone was allowed onto a flight deck and something untoward happened pilots would be held responsible. Furthermore, off-duty pilots were prevented from travelling on a flight deck unless they were going to or from work. Apparently, in other countries airlines are responsible for any problems arising from third parties travelling in the cockpit of a jet liner.

Pilots lobbied the Opposition, Greens and the Independent member of the Senate and the legislation was voted down. Pilots said they were afraid of being sued.

The Government's primary aim was to prevent family members of airline staff travelling in cockpits. Because the legislation was blocked it means that family members will be able to travel free and this will endanger the public, apart from being unacceptable from an operational point of view. Pilots said they favored off-duty pilots travelling as this improved safety. But if airlines needed an extra pilot on flights they would hire them.

Now there is no penalty for anyone causing problems in the cockpit of an aircraft. And unauthorized people will be able to access flight decks with no penalty being imposed. Pilots will not be responsible for checking the cockpit door. It doesn't make one feel confident about taking a flight.

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Animal Lost

"Where am I?"

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Governments Need to Decriminalize Some Drugs

Can the war on drugs be won? The US tried to ban alcohol but this failed. Yet it went ahead and tried to ban drug taking. Despite locking millions of people in jail drug taking continues to rise. The bold proposal was announced by President Truman and his wife Pat in 1969. Forty years on the problem is much worse. The problem cuts across social and racial strata. Just about every vehicle stopped by police in the US yields illegal drugs.

The death toll of people involved in the trade from the US through South American is at an all time high. Thinking about how to tackle the problem is changing, however. Brazil is planning to decriminalize cannabis as a start toward stopping the trade. It is hoped that this will lead to people growing their own which will cause the price to fall. Thus the trade will slow down.

European countries are considering decriminalization of marijuana and even other drugs. If one of these countries goes this way others will follow. Even alcohol has got out of hand in most Western nations. Police in Britain, for example, arrest thousands of people every night when they run amok in a an alcohol induced haze. A search of the protagonists invariably turn up other drugs. It seems societies world wide have become obsessed with the search for a high from legal and illegal sources. It is clear that fining or locking people up does not work. Some form of decriminalization must be put in place if only to release police resources to do other things.

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Thrown Out by Missus

"When did your missus throw you out?"

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Australia Planning to Move into Medical Tourism

There is a push to make Australia a destination for "medical tourism", whereby wealthy Westerners go abroad to obtain less expensive treatment. This is rather odd considering many Australians travel to Singapore and Thailand to get such medical treatment. How can Australia with higher rates of income possibly compete with these cheap labor countries? It can only push prices down and make provision of services uneconomical.

It is not treatment with the latest technology that patients want. Australians, for example, want basic plastic surgery at a low price. Many of the newer types of surgery are carried out in large public hospitals in Australia, NZ and the UK. It is wise to consider investing in high-tech advanced surgery. But as just noted, few private hospitals have resources in either income or number of patients to reach such a high level of expertise. While Australia could draw Americans it is not likely to get patients from European countries. Possibly Asians with high incomes could be the target customer base. Though the number of patients in this category would not be large.

The main target would have to be US citizens. Medical treatment in the US is very expensive. However, to expect Americans to pay for travel, accommodation and general living costs on top of treatment would be expecting too much. Where would these people who are probably very ill get the funds?

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What Is That Cat

"What in the world is that?"

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Australian Police Continue to Use Tasars Despite Public Opposition

The use of stun guns by Australian police is legalized torture. In a recent case examination of the gun after use showed that it had been used numerous times on the same "victim". Despite promises on the part of Government to stop their use the Tasars presently in police hands will continue to be applied to innocent people. It is known that the guns can kill and cause long-term trauma.

Irrespective of the growing calls for them to be abolished the Government is "pussy-footing" around doing nothing. Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan says that the guns are safe. What planet is he living on? They are used at close quarters and any police officer worth his salt could take careful aim and shoot a suspect in the leg or arm.

Police union president Russell Armstrong really hates the public. He arrogantly says "We will not be banning or modifying our Tasers..." Aboriginal leaders claim police are using the guns against intoxicated Aboriginals who are already incapacitated. Russell Armstrong is clearly ignoring the truth when he says "It's non-lethal, it certainly doesn't kill people." The guns have already killed people! They are too easy to use. Their application can be justified by someone thinking I'll give this bloke a shock. That will show him who's boss. Police are cultivating an "us and them" mentality by fighting so hard to keep the weapons when public opinion is against it. People could become hateful toward police.

Mr Armstrong is wrong again when he claims "The report says it leads to and causes death. Well, they must be the only people that have found this because it hasn't been reported anywhere else in the world that Tasers cause death." Only recently a man was killed in a Canadian airport with a Tasar.

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Feed the Birds

"What do you mean we've got to feed you?"

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Kevin Rudd Shouldn't Bother Trying to Reform the Public Service

The Government is wasting its time on revamping the public service. Kevin Rudd has asked Terry Moran to organize an advisory panel to reform the way public servants operate. He intends to cultivate an esprit de corp whereby public servants act as one.

But this fails to accept the true role of the public service which is to serve Government and the public over the long term. Government employees remain in their jobs despite the comings and going of political parties in government. Making Australian "servant" employees "the best in the world" is a ridiculous goal. What criteria do you use to measure this? How can they act on initiative when they are there only to advise? Bring a new idea to a politician and he will laugh at you. Changing the words while not faltering from the trodden path is what politicians do.

It is not possible to make public servants more ambitious and seek opportunities in other departments when their career paths are already set out in their own particular area. Moving out of the career hierarchy is a dangerous thing to do. Once off the career line, it may not be possible to get back on. Most public servants are not young and they are looking forward to a retirement on superannuation subsidized out of the public purse. They knew they were on to a good thing when they began their careers. Furthermore, changing the culture will not draw young employees.

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World Cup Rooster

"I am the World Cup rooster."

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Joe Blogs Gets His News From Mr Blog: Shove the Newspapers

Rupert Murdock is kidding himself if he thinks that charging people to read news at his website is going to make him even richer. Sorry, Rupert, but you are not on a winner this time. We all know that "Quality is not Cheap" - ask any blogger. News is news and it doesn't take a newspaper reporter to write it. Ordinary people have their finger on the pulse of daily life these days. You can get news on national and world events just about anywhere. People are interested in what happens locally. Newspapers don't have a monopoly on breaking news today. When somethings happens the ordinary person gets on the Internet. It is certainly the quickest way to get news out.

Newspapers are hogtied to income from advertising and sales. Companies know that their advertising in reaching only a small audience with newspaper circulation declining. Rupert Murdock thinks that rivals will follow his methods. But they will not do this. Newspapers who have gone online are getting sufficient income from advertising on the Internet. Readers will leave his website in droves.

It is no good saying people must pay for "quality" news. The reality is that the person in the street just isn't interested. He or she will get the news from television, radio or free websites. Television is doing more in-depth reporting today. There are exposes just about every night from political corruption to social problems. One major problem that newspapers have is timing: by the time news is printed and distributed life has moved on. In future the only national newspapers that survive will be those that are subsidized out of the public purse. Oddly there are more free local newspapers than ever today. These get most of their income from classified advertising. Despite the acceptance of the Internet people still do most of their shopping locally whether it is for new or secondhand goods.

Newspaper publishers are saying buy our product it's high quality. We know Rolls Royces are good but many people can live without them. Newspaper reporters should be attending retraining classes in their spare time because their services won't be needed for much longer. To put it succinctly: Joe Blogs doesn't care because Mr Blog provides.

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Animal at Home

"Life is cool until them pesky human varmints come round."

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New Fair Pay Changes Will Affect the Horticultural Sector

Should Australia level the playing field in pay rates, or should it lag behind many Western countries and underpay some of its workers? With the election of the Labor Government Work Choices ended, so we are back to the leftist philosophy of similar pay rates for all. It seems fair for a mechanic at Wanigu to receive the same pay as a car repairer in Sydney. Some countries like England, for example, have always paid dissimilar rates for workers doing the same job. It is not unusual for people doing semi-skilled piece work to earn far more than fully qualified employees doing experimental work even in the same factory. And those doing service jobs like bread delivery or window cleaning have always been paid under-the-odds.

Until John Howard came to power Australia's centralised wage fixation made for a level playing field, which we all thought was protected by the constitution. Time has shown that this is not the case and tribunals that fix wages today have had much of their power taken from them. Though the Labor Government has reinstated some of this power, the level playing field will never fully return. At present the Government is going to increase pay for agricultural workers to the "general" level. The farming community is up-in-arms about this saying they will have to pay 25 percent more minimum, and in some cases 35 percent more. Stuart Swaddling chairman of Horticulture Australia Council is outraged. The main problem is workers will have to be paid double time for work on weekends.

A sector most affected is strawberry growing. Of course, the simplistic answer is to charge more for produce. Some may attempt this. But even in this sector canned strawberries are available. Though strawberry growing has been unviable for years there is no shortage of people who are willing to invest in this endeavor. This is despite the fact that prices have been low for a long time and the opportunity to pass on increased costs is not there.

There is an answer that the US uses whereby labor from a neighboring country, namely Mexico, provides cheap labor to pick fresh vegetable crops. Pacific Islanders are an untapped source of enthusiastic workers. There is little work in their own countries and they would jump at the chance to get a working visa. Though such an arrangement is presently being organized it has been put on hold due to the economic crisis. Now that Australia is over the worst perhaps the policy should be pursued vigorously.

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Bus Not on Time

"Damn bus is never on time."

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The Anti-Discrimination Act Must Be Restored to Protect Aboriginals

Over time the inevitable happens - the impurities float to the top. And they have really surfaced with James Anaya's report. He is the UN special rapporteur on indigenous human rights. He deems Australia's intervention in Aboriginal affairs illegal. For more than a year now the Labor Government has been continuing a policy begun by the Coalition Government. The action was blatantly unfair to say the least from the very beginning. Intervention was taken initially to stop sexual abuse of underage aboriginals. But not one offender has been found. So the action was taken by subterfuge. It was obviously a case of we pay you the money, we can tell you what you do with it. Action of this type taken against the white population would have led to calls for a general election and the party that brought it in would have lost government! Ironically, the ruling Coalition did lose power but for other reasons.

Aboriginal women have to go cap-in-hand to public servants who dictate whether they can have access to small amounts of money for such things as food or a new dress for a child. The aim is to stop Aboriginal men buying alcohol with their welfare payments. The Government has taken Aboriginal men completely out of the welfare loop. Aboriginal men have to get money from their wives somehow in order to live. To make things worse the Government sacked Aboriginal men from working as park rangers, which was seen in the past as a way of giving the men meaningful work for their money. John Howard, the instigator of all this, took "knee-jerk" action to solve an unsolvable problem. To put it bluntly: He was a fool!

The Government was so wrong that it had to stop the Australian anti-discrimination authority from operating because its advisors knew the body would find the action to be illegal.

Action of this type could be taken in the Northern Territory because it is just that - a territory. The region is governed by the Federal Government from Canberra, though it does have a representative body of its own with some powers. Just why the new Labor Government supported the intervention nobody knows. They just continued with it. It is blatantly discriminatory and stigmatizes the Aboriginal people. They are definitely being treated differently than white people. How will the intervention "close the life expectancy gap, the employment gap, the gap in education” between Aborigines and other Australians". After the Indigenous Affairs Minister met Mr Anaya he said "“We know how big the task is and we certainly intend to keep getting on with it.” Some people won't fall down even when they are hit over the head with a lump of wood. Intervention will not work! The Government is following the old adage if you can't solve a problem control it. Protection under the Racial Discrimination Act must be restored immediately.

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Swan Tries to Fly

"Now, how do I bloody-well fly?"

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Australia Lays New Broadband Cable

The building of Australia's new broadband infrastructure is getting underway. Pipe International has completed the new PPC undersea fiber-optic data link. The first light was sent along the cable from Guam to Madang and Sydney. By this single stroke Australia's international data capacity has increased by 50 percent.

This new cable has been laid by a non-telco, though it has been done by an Australian company. All the other broadband infrastructure has been constructed by Telstra or Optus. The cable is not very large, about as big as your finger actually. But it is very important. For the first time small ISPs will not have to go "cap in hand" to Telstra for permission to hire copper wire and pay the exorbitant price.

Whether there will be a fall in the cost of using the Internet, only time will tell. Australia is way down the list for cheapest Internet charges, averaging A$68 per month to Sweden's A$52. Country to country comparison is not very accurate though, with differing charges for going over set limits. One thing is clear - Australian broadband charges are expensive. Australia needs to get going quickly on the new $43 billion broadband roll out.

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Good Morning Dog

"Get my newspaper Rodney."

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Australia Post Tells Posties Who Deliver Mail by Motorcycle to Lose Weight

Australia Post is telling its mail delivering posties on motorcycles to lose weight or get out. Dietitians are being hired to help workers over 100kg lose weight. The postal union has warned that harassment of this kind will lead to strike action being taken. The company is ignoring this threat and has made the following ultimatums:

a. Posties will have to sign a declaration every year stating that they meet the weight limit of 100kg.

b. They must state how much they are over 100kg.

c. Workers will not be allowed to use motorcycles for deliveries if overweight.

d. Finance will available for help with weight loss.

Union leaders have warned that if weight scales are brought in posties will walk out. Australia Post says it has nothing to do with the health of employees, it is to improve worker safety. The company says no workers will be sacked. But what if posties refuse to lose wight?

It is not clear who sets the maximum weight for a motorcycle rider and mail of 145kg. Clearly it would be easier for Australia Post to buy bigger motorcycles.

Oddly, discrimination on the grounds of weight is not prevented under anti-discrimination legislation. Australia Post knows it has the high ground on this issue. Workers will obviously be forced to leave by being allocated an indoor job.

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Dog Reads Cat News

"I'm going to find out all I can about these pesky cats."

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Australian Magistrate Will Not Believe Doctor Drink Drivers

If you are a doctor in Australia you can drink and drive. Well, that is what many medical practitioners believe. When you are stopped by police just say you are traveling to an emergency. A magistrate has got fed up with "lame" excuses from doctors, after dealing with two drink-driving doctors in the same morning. He said you can't believe a thing they say.

Dr Manuel Georgalas has a record for drug offenses as well and he still expected to be given the all-clear to drive. The magistrate apparently told the doctor he didn't believe his story at all. Of course the Australian Medical Association was a bit miffed at this - how dare society treat doctors this way; they are beyond reproach! It was ironic that the association did not ask for forgiveness for the physicians. It just said such comments did not help people with addiction, mental issues and related problems.

Apparently the magistrate was miffed himself from having an "avalanche" of drink driving cases from all members of the community that morning. He lashed out at those who should be the most responsible.

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Cornered Cat

"You! You did it.
No I didn't, honest."

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Who Will Pay the Price if Renewable Energy Sources Are Not Found in Australia?

New legislation has been passed in Australia to mandate 20 percent of electricity to come from renewable resources by 2020. This is okay in theory, but polluters will ignore this and go about their business of making money. The legislation does not make individual power stations, for example, use renewable energy. Even if power stations are taxed they will just charge more for electricity, a product that people find difficult to cut back on. You can wrap yourself in a blanket in the winter. Yet this is no substitute for a fan heater.

Oddly, the government has included coal gas as renewable energy, which it definitely is not. Getting methane from compost is renewable. Obtaining it from coal seams is not. Another thing is that 2020 is a long way off in the future. There won't be much ice left at the poles by then. What if new renewable alternatives cannot be found? Who will be punished? Well, it seems that producers will not pay the price. Consumers will be paying more for no conservation at all.

Solar energy cannot provide energy in amounts sufficient to make a difference. Few power station will adopt this method. Furthermore, the maintenance costs of wind energy production is very high indeed. It is well know that anything with moving parts is high maintenance, such as cars. Geothermal production is not possible if you don't have semi-active volcanic areas. Wave generation holds some promise. That is, if enough money is spent on research and construction begins soon on new power stations along the coast.

There is a danger that renewable energy credits will be used as money. They will be bought and sold by energy producers while nothing practical will be done in regard to research. The profits from this new market will be syphoned off by smart business people.

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Cat Ponders

"You don't say? Well, in my opinion it's everything in moderation."

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Australian Doctors to Report on Colleagues

"Dob-in a doctor" is encouraged in Australia. The Australian Medical Council has drawn up a list of behavioral guidelines for medical practitioners. Doctors will be struck off if they accept "bribes" from drug companies. The rules cover such things as subsidized cruises, expensive diners, family investments in hospitals and just plain incompetence. Until recently, surgeons could make mistakes and cover up the consequences. Sexual assault and harassment also occurred. It is hoped that the new regulations will stop this.

The new code is nation-wide and replaces the old state-based system. Procedures are being put in place setting out what a Doctor must do when patients ask for their medical records or when an "accident" happens. Doctors and patients will be educated about the new code.

When a patient has asked for medical records in the past doctors have avoided the issue and not given any information at all. Patients now have a right to access them.

In the event of an operation going wrong doctors will have to submit a report detailing why it had happened. The issue will be reviewed and doctor's personal opinions about a patient's smoking, diet, lack of exercise or drug taking will be ignored. This is seen as prejudicing the patient.

Personally, I believe that causality on the part of a patient and his/her medical condition would still stand up in a court of law!

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Cats Gang Up on Mouse.

"Thought of a way in yet guys?"

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World Health Organisation Calls for Ban on Junk Food Advertising

Should Australia legislate to regulate the advertising of junk food? Research carried out by Professor Boyd Swinburn of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre on Obesity Prevention at Deakin University, indicates that stopping advertising altogether to children leads to a 1.4 percent reduction in average weight.

The health body has claimed that advertising should, thus, be stopped. But wait a moment! The weight loss is just over one percent. Unless children lose at least 5 to 10 per cent the "inconvenience" to people and the economy hardly seems worth it. The 1.4 percent reduction, they say, will save $300 million in health care. This is such a tiny saving in the vast amount spent on the medical system.

Bad eating habits begin at home, not from watching advertisements on television. It is said - Fat parents have fat children. Claims have been made that half of children will be obese by 2025. Look around and you will see half the adults are overweight already. Children usually go to MacDonald's with their families. Children may put forward the idea but it is parents who finally decide.

Society does not want more regulation. Soon alcohol will be banned. What next? Well, banning cars would be a good thing!

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There's a Bear in There

"Hello! What are you doing over there."

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Lawyers Charge More - and More!

Lawyers are overcharging. My, how little has changed over the years. The Choice consumer group has found that 40 percent of complaints against lawyers are about fees. Writing of a document only three pages long was charged at $750. Returning a phone call cost $40. Things have been bad for so many years that it is not clear whether things are getting worse or better. It appears though that things are bad, very bad indeed. A simple action costing on average $600 has risen to the shocking level of $1,800.

Clients are being hit with endless lists of charges for emails and telephone calls. Lawyers now charge as much for emails as letters, but writing an email is simpler and quicker. When people ask for a quote upfront they are virtually being told to go away. At the beginning of a case people are being given a detailed explanation of charges. Then they are charged "up to the hilt" for every little thing. It seems many items are made up. What can a client do? Well, actually nothing at all.

It seems lawyers have got their clients by the proverbial "goolies". With your back to the wall, legally, the "all-knowing" lawyer takes over and bills you accordingly. There is only one way of softening the blow - pay as you go. This means hand over a payment of $1,000 every time you visit. Then when the final bill comes in it won't hurt so much.

Legally you can do nothing about it, because when you go to a lawyer you enter into an open ended contract. Getting business is easy - there is no real market place. So prices are not under any downward pressure. If you ask for a quote you are laughed out of the office.

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Good Cat

"You're a very nice cat, a good cat. Aren't you?"

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Comet or Asteroid Hits Jupiter

Something unusual has happened on Jupiter. Anthony Wesley was quietly observing the planet when he noticed a dark blemish where there shouldn't be one. Planet watchers are usually drawn to the red spot. Few bother to scan toward the poles.

There was no doubt though - a dark spot was apparent near the planet's south pole. Continual observation paid off when the planet slowly moved until a view from Earth became clearer. It was definitely an impact mark. But what had hit Jupiter?

When fragments of Comet shoemaker-Levi had hit it was widely known and talked about. Yet no one had known about the new impact. This was different. When Mr Wesley contacted his fellow scientists telescopes were moved into position all around the world.

It was estimated that If a comet or asteroid of similar size had hit the earth it would have devastated part of the planet. This was a different case for Jupiter where the object had exploded in the atmosphere. The next day a cloud of debris the size of Mars could be seen floating above the planet. The aftermath has been preserved for posterity by the Hubble Space Telescope which has photographed the event.

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Panda Dog

Panda Dog

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Australian Aboriginals Refuse to Accept Modern Ways

It seems Australian Aboriginals refuse to adopt modernity and intend to live as they always have. The Australian Government is becoming increasingly impatient at the impasse caused by such behavior. The Coalition Government's taking over of social security payments of Northern Territory (NT) Aboriginals was an attempt to change things, though the action was said to prevent child abuse by male Aboriginals. No charges have been laid because no offenders could be found.

The intervention was clearly set in train to reduce welfare dependency of native Australians. Oddly, many Aboriginals were sacked as park rangers in the process. This was short-sighted on behalf of the Government. How were Aboriginals expected to find jobs in regions where private enterprise will not go?

Spending on health care for NT Aboriginals was cut by the Coalition Government. This was a case of "we have spent enough on you already!"

A new way of life must, unfortunately, be forced on Aboriginals. It is no longer acceptable for them to spend all their welfare money on alcohol. Even the Labor Government has had to continue to break the law by discriminating again them by banning alcohol in some places and allocating only part-payment of welfare for spending on food and clothing, only.

When new housing is built Aboriginals set about its destruction then live outside under the stars. If employed by the Government they work only long enough to buy drink. Adoption of modern ways is very difficult for them. If welfare is stopped they wander away and live off the land.

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Cat Hanging Around

"No, don't want to come down. I'm just hanging around."

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Governments Force People to Take Floride as a Medicine

Many countries could be charged with forcing people to take medication against their wishes. The European Court has ruled that fluoride it too dangerous to be used in consumer products and governments must treat fluoride as a medicine. This means that putting fluoride in water supplies is illegal - even if only a few people don't want it.

What happens in Europe usually affects the rest of the world. So this ruling is very important. It also means that goods produced overseas for the European market must be fluoride free in manufacture. Australian producers are concerned because fluoride is put into Australian water nationwide. Fluoride is used in the manufacture of food goods and liquor.

Water fluoridation is a contentious issue in Queensland where the process has just begun. Those against it are already looking into the ruling by the European Court. Considering the issue, it is obvious that governments have been forcing people to take fluoride as a medication. And it does damage - teeth have permanent blotching that lasts a lifetime.

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Busy Cat

"Come on. What do you want to know? I haven't got all day."

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Aussie Bird Flies a Long Way

An Australian bird has flown a long way. Scientists were studying birds on the shores of western Alaska in the Arctic. They saw a bartailed godwit and examined the bird believing it to be a local inhabitant. The tag on its leg, however, showed that it had flown a very long way. Australian scientists had banded the bird earlier in Victoria. The small creature had travelled more than 8,000 miles.

Studies had shown that bartailed godwits usually spend their life in the same local area where they were born, though many presumed that they flew to the Arctic to breed. This has now been substantiated by the discovery. It is known that banded dunlin and semipalmated sandpipers fly to the Arctic from Asia and South America.

With the Arctic thawing, damage could be done to future breeding populations of birds. The hotter Arctic summer could affect the survival of the young. Migratory shorebirds are decreasing in number. This is due, it is believed, to habitat loss and global warming. More research is required in order to identify specific causes.

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Cat Likes a Beer

"Don't spill any."

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Stopping Visitors from Climbing Ayres Rock (Uluru) is a Mistake

Australia reserves the right to stop visitors climbing Ayres Rock. The Prime Minister has said that if this is done it will be bad for tourism. This is truly the case.

Aboriginals are saying that only they should have access to the site. This is ludicrous considering full-blood Aboriginals are in the minority anyway. And the Nanangu people go even further by claiming the right only for themselves, which rules out visits by other Aboriginals. What is the use "fencing-of" a site like this so that humanity cannot experience enjoyment from seeing it?

Nanangu people claim that isolating Uluru will save the Tjukurpa stories about the dreamtime. This is nonsense. Aboriginals should be telling the world about their culture. They should not be hiding it away. Tell the world that a section of the rock that looks like a python is the result of a fight between a python and another snake. show the spot where ancestors fought the Mulga seed men. Of course tourists will not believe that it is true. Do modern day Aboriginals actually follow the old religion? Of course not!

Keeping the "secret information" in the hands of a few will surely see the complete end of the culture.