Friday, October 01, 2010

Headlines Friday 1st October 2010

=== Todays Toon ===
George Augustus Constantine Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby, GCB, GCMG, PC (23 July 1819 – 3 April 1890), styled Viscount Normanby between 1831 and 1838 and Earl of Mulgrave between 1838 and 1863, was a British Liberal politician and colonial governor.
=== Bible Quote ===
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,”- Philippians 1:9-10
=== Headlines ===
SCHOOL OF PORK? Report Assails Billions in Ed Earmarks
GOP Sen. Tom Coburn is urging the federal government to suspend education 'slush funds' after finding that lawmakers have secured over 5,000 earmarks, worth $2.3B over the past decade.

Progress With Stem Cell Alternative
In what could lead to new and less controversial approaches for treating conditions like diabetes and Parkinson's disease, researchers in Boston announce they have made advances in creating stem cells from human skin — without using embryos

Rep. Wants Answers On Black Panther Case
GOP congressman says he's tired of the Department of Justice 'stonewalling' him about the New Black Panther voting case after allegations that the DOJ advised employees that voting right laws are meant to protect minorities, not whites

WH Apologizes for Snubbing Vet's Family
The White House issues mea culpa for turning the family of a Medal of Honor recipient away from an exclusive tour last week because the late veteran's 10-year-old grandson was wearing shorts

Breaking News
Ecuador turmoil amid 'coup attempt'
ECUADOR was plunged into crisis overnight as troops seized the main airport and police stormed the Congress, forcing the government to declare a state of emergency and denounce an attempted coup.

Ecuador President 'held by rebel cops'
ECUADOR's President Rafael Correa was being held inside a Quito hospital by rebel police who tried to kidnap him, said Vice President Lenin Moreno.

Teen shot at tattoo parlour
A 17-YEAR-OLD boy has been shot inside a tattoo parlour in central Adelaide.

Suu Kyi 'to go free after poll'
DEMOCRACY icon Aung San Suu Kyi will be released just days after Burma's first election in two decades, officials say.

NSW/ACT
Red P-plater loses car after street race
A P-PLATER seen racing along a highway in Sydney's west had his licence suspended and his car confiscated.

Shocking abuse of disabled found
ABUSE, mistreatment and a lack of services for disabled children and adults have been uncovered by a Parliamentary committee.

Teens immune to fears, not tears
A DRIVER education group has ditched graphic images of traffic accidents from its campaigns, saying teens were immune.

Secrets of First Fleet revealed
THE voyage began perfectly, with productive winds and calm seas all the way from England. Then it all changed for the First fleet.

Church singer's violent attack
THE Church frontman Steve Kilbey admitted kicking his American father-in-law in the groin during a heated family argument.

McInnes: 'Please have some compassion'
MARK McInnes begged publicist Kristy Fraser-Kirk not to destroy his life. Read the full transcripts

Opposition plans cuts to pokies tax
THE State Opposition has been in secret talksabout cutting poker machine tax rates.

Big ships on their way again
THE arrival of Sun Princess and Dawn Princess marks the start of a record-breaking season.

RFS trucks are firestarters
ALMOST 150 of the state's new bushfire tankers cannot be parked near long grass for fear the exhausts will start a fire.

City robbed to pay for bush health
WESTERN Sydney's most urgent hospital upgrade, at $150 million, dumped from a funding priority list.

Queensland
Judge bins woman's speeding fine
A WOMAN'S successful and long-running fight against a speeding ticket conviction continues to reap benefits for other motorists.

Army crash scene body identified
POLICE believe they have identified a body found in the burnt-out remains of a road crash near Rockhampton in central Queensland.

Jail term for fleecing $300K sticks
THE "controlling mind" behind a fund management company who was jailed for fleecing about $300,000 from 10 investors has lost an appeal.

New trial in Valley rape case
A MAN found guilty of forcing a girl, 9, from the Fortitude Valley mall into his nearby hotel room and raping her had his convictions set aside.

11 teachers cheated on exams
ELEVEN teachers and principals face disciplinary action after cheating or security breaches substantiated against them in this year's national exams.

'Feds should decide daylight time'
THE daylight saving debate should be taken away from Anna Bligh and the state government and handed to Canberra, say business leaders.

SMS trial encourages breast over bottle
A NEW SMS service aims to increase breastfeeding rates among new mums.

Queenslanders now heading south
THE era of Victorians flocking to the warmth of the Sunshine State is over, with new figures showing Queenslanders are more likely to head south.

Gunslingers ride into Darling Downs
AMERICA'S Old West, with its gunslingers, poncho-clad hombres and bonnet-wearing women, has materialised this week on the Darling Downs.

Sirens alert dad to teen son's death
CAIRNS teen Jackson Martin was 100m from his home when a truck clipped his bike, killing him. His distraught dad was alerted by a neighbour.

Victoria
Judge unfazed by Judy's surgery
ACCUSED killer Judy Moran may need to miss a court hearing to have operations on her face, knee and hip, her lawyer says.

Snub for Mike Brady footy anthem
LISTEN: AFL dodges Facebook campaign to convince them to allow Mike Brady to sing his revised footy anthem at the Grand Final.

Jockey almost dies after horror fall
TOP jockey Danny Brereton almost died after a fall and waiting nearly half an hour for an ambulance.

Shopping trolley heroes catch bandit
TWO men have used a shopping trolley to foil an armed robbery at a shop in suburban Geelong overnight.

Vandals cause $1 million tree damage
VANDALS have caused more than $1 million damage to heritage listed trees in Melbourne's outer east.

Metro manages to meet a target
METRO hits performance target for the first time after 304 days and more than half a million services.

Drivers ring up $10m in fines
MOTORISTS have coughed up more than $10 million in fines since new mobile phone laws were introduced late last year.

Class action on soy milk danger
A CLASS action has been launched against the distributors of a soy milk that allegedly had seven times the safe dose of iodine.

Jockey almost dies after horror fall
TOP jockey Danny Brereton almost died after a fall and waiting nearly half an hour for an ambulance.

Jetsetting MPs cost us $1.7 million
PREMIER John Brumby revealed as the biggest spender, racking up a $326,785 travel bill over three years.

Northern Territory
Nothing new

South Australia
Trio hunted over city shooting
UPDATE: Police are searching for three people after a boy was shot in the neck in a Hindley St tattoo parlour run by New Boys gang leader Vincenzo Focarelli.

Reminder to wind forward clocks
SOUTH Australians are being reminded to wind their clocks forward one hour before going to bed tomorrow night.

Man arrested with guns in car
A MOONTA Bay man arrested in Adelaide this morning had two firearms - including a semi-automatic assault rifle - in his car, police allege.

More water for irrigators
WATER allocations for River Murray irrigators have been increased from 63 to 67 per cent, the highest level in five years, thanks to months of heavy rainfall.

CFS chief quits to lead CFA
SOUTH Australia's top rural firefighter, Euan Ferguson, has quit the post and will return to Victoria to take charge of his home state's force.

Momentum builds against Parks closure
MINISTERS, meet Hell Grazer - a protector of The Parks Community Centre.

800 deer destroyed in 10-day blitz
MARKSMEN shooting from a helicopter have destroyed more than 800 feral deer in the state's South-East this year.

SA leads nation in building growth
SOUTH Australia bucked a national fall in building approvals in August to post the strongest growth in the country, a Bureau of Statistics report shows.

Low funding threatens state care of children
CHILDREN are at risk of being harmed in state care because of a lack of Government investment, the State Guardian for Children Pam Simmons has warned.

Drivers urged to stay safe
POLICE will take to the water and roads this long weekend to try to keep South Australia's rising death toll in check.

Western Australia
Late trading to start November 1
PERTH shoppers will be able to shop later into the evening when extended trading hours start on November 1.

WA defies shield law push
WESTERN Australia will snub strong shield laws for journalists' confidential sources.

Asian, US bidders lead race for Griffin
THE coal and energy empire of fallen tycoon Ric Stowe is set to end in foreign hands as Asian and US companies move in.

Hospital staff call off work bans
INDUSTRIAL action by hospital support staff has been called off after the WA Government agreed to change its offer for 8000 workers.

Perth leads property price fall
NEW figures show Perth as the worst performing capital city with property values falling nearly 5 per cent amid a backdrop of a softening housing market.

Eastern daylight savings sparks debate
SUPPORTERS of daylight saving in WA have renewed their campaign as the Eastern States put their clocks forward one hour this weekend.

Pollution threatens world's water supply
A POLLUTION crisis is threatening global drinking water supplies and pushing thousands of species toward extinction, a major UWA study has found.

Tasmania
Nothing new
=== Journalists Corner ===
The Rise of the New World Trade Center
The Freedom Tower -- Shepard Smith gives you a firsthand look at the inner workings of this technological marvel. Our Fox Report special series continues.
===
Part 2: Bill's Interview with Bill Maher
Bill Maher mocks religion and the people who believe. Don't miss the controversial comments in part two of Bill's explosive interview. Plus, why is David Beckham suing a gossip magazine? We break down the lawsuit.
===
Guest: Karl Rove
The tax cut impact! Congress says NO to an extension vote before elections. So, will voters make Congress pay at the polls? Karl Rove reacts.
===
On Fox News Insider:
Controversial Tea Party Coloring Book for Kids
Janice Dean's Blog: Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Flooding in Parts of East Coast
Video: Potential Impact of NYC Bomb
=== Comments ===
Progressive Values
BY BILL O'REILLY

A few months ago on this broadcast we had a debate on whether President Obama would move to the center in light of his falling poll numbers. Well, that question has now been answered.
Mr. Obama is not moving to the center. He's moving further left. Recently, the term "Progressive Values" has been used more and more by the president's allies in the media and on Capitol Hill. So, what exactly are progressive values? Well, the over arch is big government. Mr. Obama firmly believes that he can change American society for the better by regulating capitalism and taxation through big government mandates.
The president is a true believer. He sees American society as somewhat unjust. But, the rich have too much and that working Americans don't have a level playing field. So, the president is committed to changing that system, and he doesn't seem to care whether his policies are popular or not.
Now, whether you agree or disagree with the president, you have to admire his stand on principle. Unfortunately, I believe those progressive principles will lead the country to disaster. So, let's get specific. Progressives often see America as a bully, too big, too powerful, too aggressive. Progressives want open immigration. They want a foreign policy based upon peace at pretty much any price, and they want the government to provide things like housing, health care, decent food and even cash to those who cannot or will not earn a decent living.
Now, that's the heart of the progressive philosophy. If you understand American history, however, you know that goes against how this country has traditionally been managed. The founding fathers set up a competitive society where individual freedom, not government oversight was paramount. But Mr. Obama apparently believes that individual freedom has led to an unjust society. This is apparently yesterday in his rousing speech at the University of Wisconsin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARACK OBAMA PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Slaves sitting around a fire, singing freedom songs, they weren't sure when slavery would end, but they understand it was going to end. When women were out there marching for the right to vote, they weren't sure when it was going to happen but they kept on going!
(APPLAUSE)
When workers were organizing for the right to organize, and we're being intimidated, they weren't sure when change was going to come, but they knew it was going to come. And, I am telling you, Wisconsin, we are bringing about change and progress is going come, but you got to stick with me. You can't lose heart.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Now, that is the president's rallying cry going into the November elections that he will bring about social justice. That's the code for change. We just have to be patient. Problem is social justice will most likely bankrupt the United States. We simply cannot afford the society Mr. Obama envisions. In a perfect world, everyone would have a nice house, good food, a good education.
Progressives believe that vision can become reality if only a huge magnificent government would impose the dream. And, it looks like Mr. Obama is going to try.
===
Gillard fires a Griswold diplomacy time bomb
Piers Akerman
IT’S difficult determining who is the weakest link in the Gillard Labor Government’s new ministry. Not that there aren’t any candidates. There are simply too many choices. - Interesting that the rumor is that Gillard only tried to dump two. Gillard has similar failings, as well as differences to Rudd. Both have been told of the folly of their ways, but they won’t listen to that because they are too self involved with the personal advantages they have from their position. Gillard could well have a successful parliament, including reform, but she would have to work with Mr Abbott to achieve that. She would have to give up her pork barrels. She can’t do that because that is all that keeps her in office. Without the regular supply of pork she loses her support. That is partly what happened to Rudd. Rudd was still trying to supply pork, but he wasn’t able to because he had painted himself into a corner.
Disturbingly, their actions may well be corrupt. They appear corrupt. They aren’t addressing the issue of corruption and the media (with few exceptions) aren’t holding them to any standard. Maybe they won’t end up in jail, in disgrace, but if they do I won’t lift a finger to help them. - ed.

===
Global warming causes whatever last happened
Andrew Bolt
Last year brought drought:
“Research shows that this severe, extended drought is clearly linked with global warming,” (Climate Minister Penny) Wong said.
This year brought rain:
GLOBAL warming may have given Australia its wettest September in more than 100 years, but “extreme dry years” lie ahead, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says.
Does this global warming game seem rigged to you?

(Thanks to reader John.)

UPDATE

Meanwhile, the great retreat continues:
Britain’s leading scientific institution has been forced to rewrite its guide to climate change and admit that there is greater uncertainty about future temperature increases than it had previously suggested.

The Royal Society is publishing a new document today after a rebellion by more than 40 of its fellows who questioned mankind’s contribution to rising temperatures…

The new guide says: “The size of future temperature increases and other aspects of climate change, especially at the regional scale, are still subject to uncertainty.”

The Royal Society even appears to criticise scientists who have made predictions about heatwaves and rising sea levels. It now says: “There is little confidence in specific projections of future regional climate change, except at continental scales.”

It adds: “It is not possible to determine exactly how much the Earth will warm or exactly how the climate will change in the future.
===
The most despicable ad yet from the global warmists?
Andrew Bolt

At the moment it’s just a “joke”, of course - 10:10‘s latest ad to persuade people to cut their emissions by 10 per cent by 2010.

(Thanks to several astonished readers.)
===
How did the ABC come to publish such infantile abuse?
Andrew Bolt
We warned the ABC of the risks of appointing a rabid Howard-hater as editor of its on-line site, and it’s no surprise to read this:
The ABC has removed a controversial piece attacking Liberal politician Christopher Pyne from one of its websites which claimed “there is nobody in the entire world who is loathed by Australia more"…

In an article titled “The Christopher Pyne experiments” on The Drum website, writer Marieke Hardy ... began her piece by saying an appearance by Mr Pyne on the ABC’s Q&A program had caused the nation to “silently pray for him to get attacked by a large and libidinous dog"…

“And what can we draw from this? Firstly that Christopher Pyne should probably release a hit single soon or flash a mother if he’s going to survive another year in politics without people simply walking up to him on the street and swatting him with a dirty glove.

The editor of The Drum, Jonathan Green, today posted an apology to Mr Pyne. He said the piece should never have run but offered no explanation why it had remained on the site since Monday.

“On Monday I approved a piece by Marieke Hardy titled The Pyne experiments. I was wrong to do that,” he wrote… “It was not up to her standards...”
It wasn’t? Wow, that’s damning, because the standard of Hardy’s previous work (not for the ABC) can be judged by these extracts:
- Tony Abbott, I hope your cock drops off and falls down a plughole.

- Hello. I f...ing hate speaking in public . . . I am currently working with Ewan Burnett on [Last Man Standing] . . . and when I asked him what I should say today he suggested I read one of my old spoken-word pieces about my parents sticking pepper grinders up each other’s a...s....

- Tony Abbott finds the burqa ‘confronting’. OH YEAH? I FIND YOUR F**KING FACE CONFRONTING, DOUCHEBAG.

- Tony Abbott said no, and I thought he meant it. But he didn’t, so I just went ahead and sexually assaulted him.
===
Achtung! Kangaroo
Andrew Bolt
You’d never have thought this possible, but these signs will be our latest export to Germany:

ANIMAL experts were left baffled when a kangaroo hopped onto a German highway and was struck by a car.
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But I could be bought off
Andrew Bolt
I’ve been nominated as the new host of the 7.30 Report.
===
Forgive India for not being Club Med
Andrew Bolt
CAN we give India a break? Stop squealing that it’s dirty, and not quite Club Med?

What an embarrassing fuss we’re kicking up now that sports fans finally realise the Commonwealth Games is being held in what’s still - yuk! - a Third World country.

Reporters are competing to find the most horrific evidence of dirt. See the dog prints on this bed? See the hole that the site’s dirt-poor construction workers used for a toilet? See the open drains and pools of stagnant water?

The talk is not just of the understandable fear of terrorism or even dengue fever, but of Delhi belly, smells, defecation, child prostitutes, dirty handbasins, and 700 cleaners being deployed to scrub clean the athletes’ village.

“Filthy,” sniffed the Commonwealth Games Federation. “Uninhabitable.”

Olympic Committee president John Coates even complained the Games “shouldn’t have been awarded to Delhi in hindsight”.

Gosh, who’d have thought India isn’t quite Sydney, or Melbourne?

It’s true we shouldn’t excuse the corruption, complacency and just-in-time mentality that’s left the Indian organisers scrabbling to finish the facilities on time and in good nick.

Many Indians are just as cross.

But are we really so grand and soft that we resent letting the second-most populous nation on Earth have its chance to host the Commonwealth Games, too?

Here’s a country that’s good enough for one in six humans on this planet to call home, but apparently not good enough for Australians to go play sport.

What’s missing from this reaction is an appreciation of just how much Games visitors are being spared the living conditions that are everyday life for most of India’s more than 1 billion citizens, and how much more India stands to gain from hosting the Games than would, say, pampered Australia.
===
The shocking failure of shock art to shock
Andrew Bolt
IT’S the smile on her face - not the poop in her hands - that says Georgie Mattingley has touched bottom.

Mattingley, whose own painted faeces goes on show this month at the Kingston Art Gallery in Mornington, is the latest artist to beg for attention by trying to outrage what few sensibilities this raddled society has left.

That is actually harder today than you may think, although I rather fancy I could do something sensational with a koala and a microwave.

You see, the trouble for Mattingley, just 21 and still a student at Monash University, is that so many artists have tried her caper already that they’ve finally managed to shock us not into silence, but indifference.

Eighty years ago Salvador Dali could win a worldwide reputation for chic daring just by painting the rotting carcase of a donkey, but we’ve calloused up remarkably since.

By 1975, Ivan Durrant could no longer count on merely painting rotting livestock to get noticed. He had to drag an entire putreyfing cow on to the steps of the National Art Gallery of Victoria to get a headline, and even then he remained largely a local sensation.

Now even that stunt would win an artist no more than a ticket for littering. So to gain international fame for his own exhibition, German artist Gunther von Hagens had to get his hands on not only a dead horse, but 26 dead humans.

What’s more, he had to skin and chop up the bodies before posing and plasticising them so that millions could marvel at his show of the mutilated dead, and especially at his masterpiece - a corpse with a topless skull riding the flayed cadaver of a horse while holding his brain in one hand and the neddy’s in the other.

Could anyone top that? No, you might think, but Chinese “conceptual artist” Zhu Yu is way ahead of you - if “ahead” is the right word.

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