Amber finds hope on a farm
Formerly angry, abused, homeless and addicted, Amber is now one of the thousands of success stories springing from a community-based revolution that is putting health care back into the hands of patients.
· PRACTICAL MAGIC: A Herald Series [SMH ]
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
Sometimes I feel as if I am pounding out the same message over and over to the point of harping: Newspapers have a destructive, risk-adverse culture that stifles change and initiative. Fix the culture and the rest will follow.
· It's the Culture, Stupid: The Mood of a Newsroom [ via Tim Porter]
Rum Corps to white-shoe brigade
The way that land is at the heart of Australian dream: the source of wealth and security, spirituality and belonging is explored in the second Griffith Review: Dreams of Land. As interest rates rise it might be time to rethink the national hobby of property speculation, but Jim Forbes and Peter Spearritt remain sceptical as they trace the history of speculation.
· We are unlikely to break our addiction to bricks and mortar [The Griffith Review via APO ]
· Low Rentals [Brisinst.org.au]
· It's the Culture, Stupid: The Mood of a Newsroom [ via Tim Porter]
Rum Corps to white-shoe brigade
The way that land is at the heart of Australian dream: the source of wealth and security, spirituality and belonging is explored in the second Griffith Review: Dreams of Land. As interest rates rise it might be time to rethink the national hobby of property speculation, but Jim Forbes and Peter Spearritt remain sceptical as they trace the history of speculation.
· We are unlikely to break our addiction to bricks and mortar [The Griffith Review via APO ]
· Low Rentals [Brisinst.org.au]
American With Czech Skills?
Central Intelligence Agency is convinced there must be something in the Czech press that should concern them. Something that might put the entire country [the U.S.] in danger. They need to know what topics we, Czech journalists, cover.
So, CIA posted a job opening announcement for Open Santa Officer (sic) (Media Analyst) His job would be to use foreign language and area knowledge to review and assess foreign open media sources, which include Internet sites, newspapers, press agencies, television, radio and specialized publications.
Read all day. Does it sound about right?
· CIA Wants You To Spy On Czech Journalists! [ courtesy of Mwwwaa Mate Peter]
· Hit & Run [ courtesy of Matt Welch]
· Antony Loewenstein [ via Znet ]
Central Intelligence Agency is convinced there must be something in the Czech press that should concern them. Something that might put the entire country [the U.S.] in danger. They need to know what topics we, Czech journalists, cover.
So, CIA posted a job opening announcement for Open Santa Officer (sic) (Media Analyst) His job would be to use foreign language and area knowledge to review and assess foreign open media sources, which include Internet sites, newspapers, press agencies, television, radio and specialized publications.
Read all day. Does it sound about right?
· CIA Wants You To Spy On Czech Journalists! [ courtesy of Mwwwaa Mate Peter]
· Hit & Run [ courtesy of Matt Welch]
· Antony Loewenstein [ via Znet ]
How billions in oil money spawned a global terror network
SHEIK JAMES BIN BAKER is in charge of restructuring Iraq's debt. What a coincidentally lucky thing for the Saudis! And for us . Would it be too much to ask for all the Democratic presidential candidates, not to mention the Congresscritturs, not to mention bloggers of every stripe, to hammer at this issue, day and night?
· Bloggers [ via Amygdala ]
SHEIK JAMES BIN BAKER is in charge of restructuring Iraq's debt. What a coincidentally lucky thing for the Saudis! And for us . Would it be too much to ask for all the Democratic presidential candidates, not to mention the Congresscritturs, not to mention bloggers of every stripe, to hammer at this issue, day and night?
· Bloggers [ via Amygdala ]
Webfire
Google bombings are created by people who run Web sites and Web logs, or blogs, which allow people to easily post information about particular topics. One person posts an idea for a bombing online, then it spreads like, you might say, Webfire.
Last week we learnt about Colymbosathon ecplecticos, meaning astounding swimmer with a large penis.
The water flea the penis once belonged to is long gone, but the penis itself 425 million years old and hard as rock. Viagra is expected to be making a sponsorship deal soon.
The latest prank making the rounds in the weblog world is an effort to ensure that a Google search on "miserable failure" turns up pages on George Bush
· "Miserable failure" turns up pages on George Bush [Newsday courtesy of Plastic thinking]
Google bombings are created by people who run Web sites and Web logs, or blogs, which allow people to easily post information about particular topics. One person posts an idea for a bombing online, then it spreads like, you might say, Webfire.
Last week we learnt about Colymbosathon ecplecticos, meaning astounding swimmer with a large penis.
The water flea the penis once belonged to is long gone, but the penis itself 425 million years old and hard as rock. Viagra is expected to be making a sponsorship deal soon.
The latest prank making the rounds in the weblog world is an effort to ensure that a Google search on "miserable failure" turns up pages on George Bush
· "Miserable failure" turns up pages on George Bush [Newsday courtesy of Plastic thinking]
Monday, December 08, 2003
Latham Frontiers
After 7 years of living in John Howard's landscape we had grown used to the scenery. Whether it's hit you yet or not, that scenery has all changed with the rise of Mark Latham to Labor Leader.
· AFR's Laura Tingle [Lateline ]
NB::The biggest applause for Mark Latham, when he addressed his first Labor Party conference in Melbourne at the weekend, came as he demanded the children of asylum seekers be released from detention before Christmas.
[Guido at Rank and Vile has posted a letter that Mark Latham wrote in response to a letter from Labor for Refugees. Rank&Vile ]
After 7 years of living in John Howard's landscape we had grown used to the scenery. Whether it's hit you yet or not, that scenery has all changed with the rise of Mark Latham to Labor Leader.
· AFR's Laura Tingle [Lateline ]
NB::The biggest applause for Mark Latham, when he addressed his first Labor Party conference in Melbourne at the weekend, came as he demanded the children of asylum seekers be released from detention before Christmas.
[Guido at Rank and Vile has posted a letter that Mark Latham wrote in response to a letter from Labor for Refugees. Rank&Vile ]
This is why I admire Jim and Sallyanne, both are amazing ambassadors for writers! Lucky Brissie...
YES, I AGREE WITH SALLYANNE
Last week Sallyanne Atkinson and I co-launched Frank Brennan's new book Tampering with Asylum. Yes, you read correctly, Sallyanne and I! Both of us felt it was important to set aside differences and send out a strong message about the shameful way we treat people seeking asylum from persecution, war and civil unrest.
· Those guys in Canberra really do need to get real [Jim Soorley]
YES, I AGREE WITH SALLYANNE
Last week Sallyanne Atkinson and I co-launched Frank Brennan's new book Tampering with Asylum. Yes, you read correctly, Sallyanne and I! Both of us felt it was important to set aside differences and send out a strong message about the shameful way we treat people seeking asylum from persecution, war and civil unrest.
· Those guys in Canberra really do need to get real [Jim Soorley]
Bonuses
Alex Wayne of the Greensboro News & Record analyzed Guilford County payroll records to find that some of the largest bonuses in 2002 and 2003 "went to the government's best-paid and highest-ranking employees." The report is based on data released by the county after the paper sued for the information in October. "The records the county released provide a 17-month snapshot of the bonus and merit-raise system, dating to July 2002. The snapshot is incomplete, however, because the county only released records about merit raises, and not about two other common types of salary increases that county employees can attain."
· best-paid and highest-ranking employees [RecordScoop ]
· Who Tried To Bribe Rep. Smith? [ courtesy of Novak ]
Alex Wayne of the Greensboro News & Record analyzed Guilford County payroll records to find that some of the largest bonuses in 2002 and 2003 "went to the government's best-paid and highest-ranking employees." The report is based on data released by the county after the paper sued for the information in October. "The records the county released provide a 17-month snapshot of the bonus and merit-raise system, dating to July 2002. The snapshot is incomplete, however, because the county only released records about merit raises, and not about two other common types of salary increases that county employees can attain."
· best-paid and highest-ranking employees [RecordScoop ]
· Who Tried To Bribe Rep. Smith? [ courtesy of Novak ]
Bush's Religious Language
George W. Bush began to take part in a Bible study group in 1985, after two decades of binge drinking. For two years he studied the Scriptures and put his heavy drinking behind him. In that same process, he succeeded in refocusing his life, which had been diffused and confused, into a coherent cosmic vision--or ideology--which corresponded to the mentality of the conservative evangelicals of his country.
· Absolute Good and Absolute Evil [ courtesy of Nation ] [ via Ghost Dansing Comments [Radio Weblog] ]
· Declassified::Kissinger approved Argentinian 'dirty war' [ courtesy of TechnoRATi ]
George W. Bush began to take part in a Bible study group in 1985, after two decades of binge drinking. For two years he studied the Scriptures and put his heavy drinking behind him. In that same process, he succeeded in refocusing his life, which had been diffused and confused, into a coherent cosmic vision--or ideology--which corresponded to the mentality of the conservative evangelicals of his country.
· Absolute Good and Absolute Evil [ courtesy of Nation ] [ via Ghost Dansing Comments [Radio Weblog] ]
· Declassified::Kissinger approved Argentinian 'dirty war' [ courtesy of TechnoRATi ]
BigIssueLists.co.uk has finally launched. This is the latest initiative from ABCtales parent company Burgeon Creative Ideas Ltd. Without Burgeon Creative Ideas Ltd Cold River would be Just A Dream! There is no escape from hot ABCTales plugs ... It's not how many times you fall down that counts; it's getting up again. And forget counting, it's too pedantic and,
after the first hundred you loose track anyhow.
ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE OKAY?
By the bed there is a glass of orange juice. It’s for Ralph. He takes the glass. The coldness of the juice has chilled the glass itself. This juice is a minor miracle. A marvel. He knows it. Despite everything, Janice brought this in while he was asleep. Janice is kind. He realises he does not deserve her as his girlfriend.
· A yellow line is drawn across the map [ via ABCTales]
after the first hundred you loose track anyhow.
ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE OKAY?
By the bed there is a glass of orange juice. It’s for Ralph. He takes the glass. The coldness of the juice has chilled the glass itself. This juice is a minor miracle. A marvel. He knows it. Despite everything, Janice brought this in while he was asleep. Janice is kind. He realises he does not deserve her as his girlfriend.
· A yellow line is drawn across the map [ via ABCTales]
Sunday, December 07, 2003
Congratulations, new and future earthlings!
Bloggosphere is being spiced with boys from blogging babes like Denise. Soon, very soon, Gianna will be sharing photos of her joy and pride.
· Postpatrum blues: Baby & Baggage[ courtesy of Sisters @ Ms Magazine]
· Instinct & nature of blogging [ courtesy of Daters @ Ms Magazine]
My family is going to expand to four girls during the godly season, even boy dogs are barred! [ via Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies ]
Bloggosphere is being spiced with boys from blogging babes like Denise. Soon, very soon, Gianna will be sharing photos of her joy and pride.
· Postpatrum blues: Baby & Baggage[ courtesy of Sisters @ Ms Magazine]
· Instinct & nature of blogging [ courtesy of Daters @ Ms Magazine]
My family is going to expand to four girls during the godly season, even boy dogs are barred! [ via Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies ]
Some remedies are worse than the disease! It is not just speed that kills, try driving from Engadine to Sutherland on the Princes Highway where a huge accident took place last week that caused delays from 6 am till 930 am. Soldiers who served in Iraq can identify with the potholes and even the radiation in the area seems to be an par with Iraq.
Last month pubs and clubs in the Cronulla area were alive with suggestions that the production at Lucas Heights of the most used nuclear medicine had been shutdown for five days because of higher than normal emmission of radioactive gas. Believe it or not, ANSTO did not blame the Sydney weather when it had taken the unusual step of publicly confirming the story via the nuclear regulator, ARPANSA, (another acronym ...ouch) telling them about a greater than usual release of radioactive form of the noble gas, xenon. Do we need to shoot the messengers every time there are facts supporting those who know too well why these gases managed to escape entrapment of charcoal filters?
Back to black potholes, though, as the almighty Staysafe Committee has an answer to the reduction of deaths on the Old South Wales roads... You guessed it ...more police on the roads that seemed to be peppered with potholes and drivers who have trouble absorbing every symbols on the side of the road. It is OK though to have drivers who never ever had undertaken defensive driving.
One does not have to be a genius to observe that today we have so many signs on our ancient roads, spaghetti junctions, that even the georgeous (sic) policewoman who recently booked me admitted that it was not too hard to miss the vandalised No Right Turn sign. Even a sinner like me should get some sympathy especially as I was just driving to the railway station to pick up the one that must be obeyed and being new to the neighbourhood ... however, being caught wearing boxer underwear (the dog ate my shorts) under the cover of darkness (8:30 pm on a balmy November night) probably did not help.
As my brother in law, ex copper, once noted revenue is the king to police executives who expect bonuses every Christmas. So the safety does not appear to be the primary motive; if it was we would make sure that we only have highly visible fluorescent (sic) signs everywhere and only those important life saving symbols on our streets rather that hundreds of sings placed in dark corners, to boot in small letters. So I am more bitter and $130 lighter. So who will not get her second hand surfboard as a pressie for Christmas? My youngest who loves anything to do with ROXY! As I see it, even if I tried I could not have hit anyone nor anyone could have hit me since the shoppping strip has another sign indicating 10 km an hour. Yes. I was actually going less than 10 km an hour! In my defensive driving school at the Czechoslovak army I was told to watch for pedestrians and potholes (especially when transporting anthrax or semtex or nuclear rods) rather than dozen of signs in 10 km zone! The sad thing is that we no longer distinguish between what is really important and what would be nice to obey! What will be my eye on next time I drive in surburban shopping strips...pedestrians? I doubt it; the basic instinct tells me to take a note of any police cars which generally stand out like sore thumbs. Moral of this story is; even if you think you are doing the right thing: such as sticking to speed limit of 10 km, there could be a multiple other signs you might not have known about...or you might have your licence at home five streets away or worst one of your tyres could have less pressure than the others...
· Svety Mikulas and Eight new deaths on NSW roads [ via SMH ]
X-rated films
Consumer Minister Jim Watson said he couldn't account for the sex shop fixation but said the new Liberal government has different plans for the inspectors.
I'm not sure why the previous government seemed so obsessed with X-rated films
· Beauro Madness [Avanova ]
· A Collection Of Pommish Political Cockups [BBC]
Last month pubs and clubs in the Cronulla area were alive with suggestions that the production at Lucas Heights of the most used nuclear medicine had been shutdown for five days because of higher than normal emmission of radioactive gas. Believe it or not, ANSTO did not blame the Sydney weather when it had taken the unusual step of publicly confirming the story via the nuclear regulator, ARPANSA, (another acronym ...ouch) telling them about a greater than usual release of radioactive form of the noble gas, xenon. Do we need to shoot the messengers every time there are facts supporting those who know too well why these gases managed to escape entrapment of charcoal filters?
Back to black potholes, though, as the almighty Staysafe Committee has an answer to the reduction of deaths on the Old South Wales roads... You guessed it ...more police on the roads that seemed to be peppered with potholes and drivers who have trouble absorbing every symbols on the side of the road. It is OK though to have drivers who never ever had undertaken defensive driving.
One does not have to be a genius to observe that today we have so many signs on our ancient roads, spaghetti junctions, that even the georgeous (sic) policewoman who recently booked me admitted that it was not too hard to miss the vandalised No Right Turn sign. Even a sinner like me should get some sympathy especially as I was just driving to the railway station to pick up the one that must be obeyed and being new to the neighbourhood ... however, being caught wearing boxer underwear (the dog ate my shorts) under the cover of darkness (8:30 pm on a balmy November night) probably did not help.
As my brother in law, ex copper, once noted revenue is the king to police executives who expect bonuses every Christmas. So the safety does not appear to be the primary motive; if it was we would make sure that we only have highly visible fluorescent (sic) signs everywhere and only those important life saving symbols on our streets rather that hundreds of sings placed in dark corners, to boot in small letters. So I am more bitter and $130 lighter. So who will not get her second hand surfboard as a pressie for Christmas? My youngest who loves anything to do with ROXY! As I see it, even if I tried I could not have hit anyone nor anyone could have hit me since the shoppping strip has another sign indicating 10 km an hour. Yes. I was actually going less than 10 km an hour! In my defensive driving school at the Czechoslovak army I was told to watch for pedestrians and potholes (especially when transporting anthrax or semtex or nuclear rods) rather than dozen of signs in 10 km zone! The sad thing is that we no longer distinguish between what is really important and what would be nice to obey! What will be my eye on next time I drive in surburban shopping strips...pedestrians? I doubt it; the basic instinct tells me to take a note of any police cars which generally stand out like sore thumbs. Moral of this story is; even if you think you are doing the right thing: such as sticking to speed limit of 10 km, there could be a multiple other signs you might not have known about...or you might have your licence at home five streets away or worst one of your tyres could have less pressure than the others...
· Svety Mikulas and Eight new deaths on NSW roads [ via SMH ]
X-rated films
Consumer Minister Jim Watson said he couldn't account for the sex shop fixation but said the new Liberal government has different plans for the inspectors.
I'm not sure why the previous government seemed so obsessed with X-rated films
· Beauro Madness [Avanova ]
· A Collection Of Pommish Political Cockups [BBC]
Everywhere in the world literature is in retreat from politics and unless resisted the one will crush the other. You don’t crush literature from outside by killing writers or intimidating them or not letting them publish, though as we’ve all seen you can make a big fuss and have a lot of fun trying. You do better to induce them to destroy it themselves by inducing them to subordinate it to political purposes, as you propose to do.
Kingsley Amis, The Russian Girl
Is Copyright Killing Culture?
Culture as we know it is increasingly bound up in the very laws that are supposed to nurture it. Copyright law has gone from promoting creativity to hindering artistic expression, thanks in part to the efforts of a few giant corporations that are sitting on billions of dollars worth of intellectual property. Culture is paying the price for these bad laws.
· The labyrinth of copyright [Durham Independent 12/03/03 courtesy of About Rolex]
Babies, books and a lesson in happiness
The debate between our politicians about reading to kids before bed raises the question: how do we hand our children a love of books?
· Reading [SMH]
· The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy [ courtesy of Informaniac ]
Kingsley Amis, The Russian Girl
Is Copyright Killing Culture?
Culture as we know it is increasingly bound up in the very laws that are supposed to nurture it. Copyright law has gone from promoting creativity to hindering artistic expression, thanks in part to the efforts of a few giant corporations that are sitting on billions of dollars worth of intellectual property. Culture is paying the price for these bad laws.
· The labyrinth of copyright [Durham Independent 12/03/03 courtesy of About Rolex]
Babies, books and a lesson in happiness
The debate between our politicians about reading to kids before bed raises the question: how do we hand our children a love of books?
· Reading [SMH]
· The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy [ courtesy of Informaniac ]
Support creativity and places of literary ventures...So when in Sydney visit the Find at York St and when in Prague head for the Tulip
If in Prague
Together with Prague TV and the Czech chapter of Amnesty International, Scott MacMillan is helping to put together a Christmas benefit party at Tulip Cafe. Mark off Dec. 20 (two weeks from this Saturday) on your calendar. Scott is a writer and owner of Tulip Cafe (Opatovicka 3, Prague 1)
· Tulip Cafe: http://scottymac.blogspot.com/ [EmaiL::scott AT tulipcafe DOT cz]
I see no reason to believe this story is isolated
'Slavery' for American paycheck
Investigation of illegal workers centers on exploited Czechs
· Cleaning and cleaning and cleaning [PraguePost]
If in Prague
Together with Prague TV and the Czech chapter of Amnesty International, Scott MacMillan is helping to put together a Christmas benefit party at Tulip Cafe. Mark off Dec. 20 (two weeks from this Saturday) on your calendar. Scott is a writer and owner of Tulip Cafe (Opatovicka 3, Prague 1)
· Tulip Cafe: http://scottymac.blogspot.com/ [EmaiL::scott AT tulipcafe DOT cz]
I see no reason to believe this story is isolated
'Slavery' for American paycheck
Investigation of illegal workers centers on exploited Czechs
· Cleaning and cleaning and cleaning [PraguePost]
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